I’d once spent a couple days in jail after a night of heavy drinking and a few stupid decisions. It had been cold, uncomfortable, and nowhere near as nice as the prison cell that I now found myself occupying. In fact, the room I was currently locked within had more in common with a cheap hotel room than it did a jail cell.

The room was a little larger than the bedroom I’d had when I was a kid, it had cold but spotlessly clean tiles on the floor, and even a real bed rather than a cot that was bolted to the wall. In fact, there was even a small bathroom with a shower stall. But of course, technically I was in quarantine rather than under arrest.

After I’d been taken into custody two days ago, I’d been brought here by helicopter…wherever here was. I’d been run through a decontamination shower and then placed in this room with nothing to wear but a jogging suit that was just a little too large for me. They hadn’t even provided shoes.

I sat down on the plastic chair that had been provided and scowled in frustration, worry, and boredom. I absently scratched at my arm as I considered my situation and how I really didn’t even know what my situation was. What I did know was that in the two days I’d been here, doctors had come in four times to give me a quick examination and take a blood sample, then they’d leave without saying a word to me. They’d completely ignored each and every question I asked about why I was there, when I could get out, and even about whether or not that soldier had survived her injuries.

Of course, I had my suspicions about why I was here and they weren’t good ones. I was obviously in quarantine and the fact that the doctors always wore biohazard suits when they came in to see me gave me a pretty good idea of what my situation was. I’d been present during a demon attack, and more than that, I’d actually had physical contact with blood from a demon’s victim.

“The harkon virus,” I said bitterly.

I looked down at my arm and noticed that my arm hair had all fallen out where I’d been scratching. I brushed the loose hair aside and stared at the bald batch with a cold knot of dread forming in my stomach. This was the first real evidence that my fears were correct. Because of my carelessness, it looks like I’d been infected.

I remained where I was for another half hour, my mind going in circles as I thought about what it would mean if I was actually infected. Unfortunately, that was the only reason I could think of which would explain why I’d been locked up in quarantine like this, or at least why they hadn’t let me go yet. At first, I wanted to deny it was even possible, but I knew it was far too likely and a sense of cold hopelessness settled over me.

“It looks like Dom was the lucky one,” I whispered sadly.

A minute later, I heard the pressure seal from the door being released, giving me enough warning to watch the door as it swung open. A soldier in biohazard gear stepped inside the room and stood to the side of the door, keeping his eyes on me but making no move towards his weapon. This guard or another one like him was always the first one to enter when the doctors arrived and the last to leave. And though he never made a threatening move, it was quite clear that he was there to make sure I behaved.

Next, I expected the doctors to come in as they had before, but to my surprise, it was a beautiful young woman who entered instead. She was about eighteen or nineteen with shoulder length brunette hair and she was wearing a black jumpsuit of some sort. And of course, I couldn’t help but immediately noticing that she wasn’t wearing a biohazard suit the way everyone else had been.

“Jarrod West,” she greeted me with my name, showing that she knew who I was. I wasn’t the least bit surprised by that since they’d taken my wallet when they brought me here.

I stared at her for a moment before gasping in recognition. “You survived,” blurted out, immediately feeling stupid for stating the obvious. “I’m surprised you’re up and walking after an injury like that.”

The young woman stared at me for a moment and then gave me a faint smile before saying, “That wasn’t me you helped. That was my sister Nicole.”

“Is she…is she still alive?” I asked, not sure whether I should hope she was or not. If she was infected, it would probably be a mercy to let her die of her injuries

“She is alive and doing well,” the woman told me with a slightly wider smile. “There is a good chance that she would have survived her injuries, but your help made it certain. Thank you for that.” Then she turned to the guard and asked, “Felix, could you give us some privacy?”

“Sure thing,” the guard said, which was the first time I’d heard him talk or do anything other than look threatening. He left the room, sealing the door back behind him.

Once we were alone, she gave me a thoughtful look and said, “I’m Rebecca Vaughn and I’m here to answer your questions. You’re probably wondering what’s going on.”

“I assumed I’d been infected,” I said after a moment, giving Rebecca a curious look. “But you’re not wearing any protective gear.”

Rebecca nodded faintly, staring at me with an odd expression that I couldn’t quite make out. She sat down on the edge of my bed and shook her head. Then she finally said, “I’ve got good news and bad news for you.”

“Somehow, that doesn’t sound very promising,” I commented.

“The bad news is that you are infected with the harkon virus,” Rebecca told me with a sympathetic look. “The good news is that you aren’t going to turn into a demon.”

I collapsed into the plastic chair and felt myself deflate. “How are you going to do it?” I asked quietly, not able to bring myself to look at Rebecca. “Lethal injection? Poison gas?” Then I gestured to the door, “Or is that guy going to put a bullet in my head.”

“No,” Rebecca quickly blurted out. “It’s nothing like that…” She hesitated for a moment, giving me another odd look before asking, “How much do you know about the harkon virus?”

“The same as everyone else,” I answered, trying hard to appear calm and hide the fact that I was shaking. “Some government scientists were working on a retrovirus that could improve human DNA so they could create super soldiers, but it mutated and got loose. Anyone who gets infected turns into a psychotic monster…a demon.”

Rebecca nodded at that, having a dark look on her face as she did so. “There is more to it than just that,” she said quietly. Then she stared at me for several seconds before carefully adding, “What I’m about to tell you is highly classified.”

I blinked at that, feeling confused but even more curious. It didn’t make much sense for me to be locked up in quarantine like this with people refusing to answer even the most basic questions, then to suddenly have them give me classified information.

“Okay,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady and calm.

“My mother was one of the scientists on the Harkon Project,” Rebecca said with a scowl, immediately catching my full attention. “They were nearly finished with the virus, a stable version that would have worked exactly as intended. The only real downside was that it would need to be customized for every person they wanted to augment.” She paused to shake her head with a loud sigh. “Unfortunately, higher ups and bureaucrats got involved and wanted even more bang for their buck. They realized that the virus had the potential for more powerful augmentations and insisted the research team go further.”

I snorted at that and muttered, “Figures.”

The government had always been fairly vague on the details of the accident, and of course it made sense that they’d keep this quiet. They wouldn’t want the public to realize that the bureaucrats and politicians were as much to blame for the existence of demons as the scientists.

“My mother protested that this new direction was unsafe,” Rebecca continued with a sad shake of her head, “so Doctor Martin Yavich took over the lead. They removed the safety features and limits, making the virus more versatile and powerful…but far less stable. But while Yavich’s people did that, my mother completed the original version so she could use it to save me.”

“Save you?” I asked.

“I was born with a genetic disorder,” she explained with a wry smile. “A degenerative disease that was slowly destroying my body. I was always sick and frail and it only got worse as I got older. I was in a wheelchair by the time I was twelve and the doctors all said that I’d be lucky to make it to eighteen…and that there was no chance I’d survive until twenty-one.”

“Damn,” I exclaimed, staring at Rebecca in surprise. She looked perfectly healthy to me and was obviously didn’t need a wheelchair to get around.

“My condition is why my mom began working on the project in the first place,” Rebecca told me with a sad look. “She thought that this technology was the only way to save me from my disease, and she was right. I had just turned nineteen and was probably only months away from dying when my mom finished the virus. She customized it for me with my own DNA, then she injected me with it.” Rebecca paused for a moment to give me a faint smile before adding, “I was the first person to ever be infected with the harkon virus. It quickly changed me, repairing my genetic damage and turning me into an idealized version of myself. But it did more than that. The virus had originally been designed to create super soldiers so it augmented me in that fashion as well, making me much stronger, faster, and smarter.”

I stared at Rebecca, feeling a little stunned and uncertain of what to think. I couldn’t help but suddenly feeling a little scared of her since eight years of news reports about demons had conditioned me to be afraid of anyone who had the harkon virus. Everything I’d ever heard until now insisted that anyone who was infected with it was a ticking time bomb who would sooner or later become a murderous monster.

“Unfortunately,” Rebecca said, giving me a wry smile. “My mom discovered that there was one problem with the virus that she hadn’t counted on. After my change, it not only remained in my system, but it was also contagious under certain circumstances. Because of that, I remained in moderate quarantine at the lab while my mom looked for a way fix this.”

Rebecca went silent at that, staring off to the side with a sad look on her face without looking at me. It was obvious that this wasn’t easy for her to talk about so I remained quiet and waited for her to continue at her own pace.

“I had the A strain of the harkon virus,” Rebecca finally said, her expression turning grim and almost angry. “Then Doctor Yavich became infected with the B strain that he and his team had been working on. I don’t know if it was an accident or if he intentionally infected himself in order to prove that his strain was the superior one. What I do know is that it not only increased his strength and toughness, it also began altering him in ways that no one expected. It turned him into the first demon.”

I scowled at that, angry that so many deaths had been caused by greedy bureaucrats and a careless scientist. How many people had lost their lives due to demons over the last eight years? I didn’t know any numbers but it was definitely far too high for something that should have been avoided completely.

“Yavich went on a rampage,” Rebecca continued with a deep scowl. “He attacked everyone and everything at the labs, killing nearly everyone he encountered. And even worse, most of those who survived became infected and turned demon themselves.” She paused to shake her head, looking almost as though she was in pain before adding, “The B strain…what we usually call the demon strain is more contagious than the version in my system. Any physical contact with a demon is usually enough to infect you and sometimes just getting close can be enough.”

For a moment, I just stared at Rebecca, then I asked, “Your mom?”

“One of the lucky ones,” Rebecca answered quietly. “She died quickly.”

“I’m sorry,” I said, not sure what else to say about something like that.

Rebecca nodded at that and continued. “I was badly injured during the attack, and in the process, several people came in contact with my blood and were accidentally infected. A security guard, a receptionist, and a lab assistant…they were all infected with my virus…and with my DNA. Afterwards, they all changed. They all turned into clones of me.”

“Oh shit,” I blurted out in shock as I suddenly realized what Rebecca was getting to. I jumped out of my seat and exclaimed, “That’s what I’m infected with...”

“Yes,” Rebecca responded, giving me a sympathetic look. “When you helped Nicole, you got infected with the A strain…what we call the angel strain. Our doctors have spent the last two days confirming it. In about a week, you’ll be seeing my face looking back from the mirror. I’m sorry”

“Oh God,” I gasped, staring at the bald spot on my forearm where the hair had all fallen out. If Rebecca was right, and I had absolutely no reason to believe she wasn’t, this was only the beginning.

“There isn’t a cure,” Rebecca told me gently. “Not for the demon strain and not for the angel strain.”

“I know,” I whispered, sitting back down again, feeling just as shaken as I did a few minutes ago when she confirmed that I had the harkon virus.

Everyone knows that when it came to the harkon virus, there was no vaccine, no cure, and no hope. When the first demons appeared and their origins became public, there had been a huge international outcry that resulted in treaties and strict bans against the retrovirus technology, with harsh penalties for any who violated this. Some countries even stated that they would view any further retrovirus research as an act of war. Ironically, the rules that were created to prevent more disasters like the demons also prevented research for a cure.

Rebecca sat back down on the bed and gave me a minute before she said, “After the demons were loose, my new sisters and I realized that we were the best people to deal with them. After all, we’re augmented too. We’re strong, fast, heal quickly, and we’re immune to the demon strain. We joined a newly created demon suppression unit and formed Angel Squad, the core of the unit.”

“Jarrod,” Rebecca said, getting back up and then putting a hand on my shoulder. “I know this isn’t easy to absorb. Unfortunately, the fact of the matter is that your old life is over. As far as everyone in the outside is concerned, you are officially dead. You were killed by a demon while attempting to save a life. When you helped Nicole, you accidentally stepped into something that the government doesn’t want to get out…the existence of the angel strain.”

“Then what happens to me now?” I asked, struggling to keep my voice calm and under control.

I’d wondered why she was telling me something classified and now I knew. They didn’t plan on letting me leave. My eyes darted to the door and I had a momentary thought of trying to escape, though I quickly squashed it. First, I’d have to get past Rebecca, then hope the door was unlocked, then deal with Felix who was probably on the other side, and then who knows what. Instead, I turned my attention back to Rebecca, who I suspected was my best chance, though my best chance for what I didn’t know.

“The government won’t let you reveal our existence or that of the angel strain,” Rebecca told me, sitting back down on the bed again and giving me a thoughtful look. “They don’t want the public to panic over a second strain, nor do they want to take a chance on this one getting out too.” She paused and gave me a faint smile. “Not to brag, but there are actually a lot of people who’d intentionally try to get infected. After all, there are a lot of benefits to being augmented like this.” Then she shook her head and admitted, “But to be honest, I don’t like the idea of countless strangers running around with my face and DNA.”

“I can understand that,” I responded grimly, not taking my eyes off her.

“But as for your situation,” she said with a sigh. “Whether you like it or not, you are going to change. The process has already begun. And of course, the government isn’t going to let you just walk away while you’re infected. As I see it, you have only two choices. You can remain in protective custody for an indefinite period. You’ll be given your own quarters, free access to a large area of the base, and even a job if you want one. But you won’t be allowed to just leave.”

“And my other choice?” I asked with a scowl, wondering if it involved eating a bullet.

“Join Angel Squad,” Rebecca answered with a faint smile. “Help us fight the demons and save lives.”

“What?” I blurted out, staring at her in surprise. That was definitely not the option I’d been expecting.

Rebecca gave me another faint smile and told me, “Over the last two days, not only have the doctors been verifying your infection, but we’ve also been doing security checks to see if you were trustworthy. You should know, I was the one who recommended this option to the higher ups. You could have run away from the demon but you risked your life to stay and help a complete stranger. That’s the kind of person I want watching my back. That’s the kind of person I want to call sister.”

I just sat there, feeling stunned and overwhelmed by everything I’d just learned. I was especially floored by the revelation that I was going to turn into a girl, that I was going to turn into a clone of Rebecca. The whole idea seemed preposterous and even impossible. However, I didn’t think that she’d made this up. And when she’d mentioned possibly calling me sister, it had driven this all in even deeper and somehow made it even more real.

“Jarrod,” Rebecca said, putting a hand on my shoulder again. “I’m sorry this all happened to you…that you lost your old life and have to make this kind of decision. You deserve better after you tried helping Nicole, but if you give us a chance, it might not be so bad. I’ll go and let you think about it, but regardless of what you choose, I’m going to get you moved somewhere a little less confined.”

With that, Rebecca nodded at me and then turned and left the room. I stared after her, my mind and emotions swirling while I tried absorbing everything and making sense of it all. I had no idea what to make of my situation, only that I didn’t like it one bit.