Read Online Planetfall by Emma Newman - Free Book Online

nestled in his digestive tract, in the same kind of place a tapeworm would be happy—another parasite that haunted my childhood nightmares once I learned of it. It looks a bit like a grub and isn’t big enough for him to be able to feel it.
    I don’t want to risk taking a biopsy and have it release something toxic, and I don’t want to put Sung-Soo through a procedure, no matter how painless it would be. I can’t see anything that indicates something that would be poisonous to us through contact or ingestion, even without the same microbiome as he has. I have enough genetic data to begin modeling the interaction between his body and the organism and decide that’s the best course of action for now.
    I only realize how long I’ve been working when I hear a gentle snore. Sung-Soo is asleep where he was lying, a blanket now drawn over him. There’s an IV bag hung up next to him, probably to get his electrolytes sorted out. Kay is sitting on the other side of the room working away. I check on the meeting stream and see that it finished over an hour ago. There were no objections to Sung-Soo being accepted into the colony.
    A message from Mack—mercifully without an “urgent” tag—asks if everything is okay and I shoot off a quick messagegiving him an update before going over to Kay. I don’t give any details, mindful of confidentiality.
    â€œI don’t think that thing inside him is a risk to anyone else,” I say in a whisper.
    â€œAgreed. I think it’s a symbiotic relationship,” she whispers back. “My theory is that it provides him with the immune system benefits that kept him alive when lots of the others born in their camp died. He probably ingested an egg or larva and it stayed, taking a portion of nutrients from his food, including the proteins from those nuts. I saw something like this in an animal I dissected last year. That’s where the genome data on the server came from.”
    â€œWhat shall we tell Sung-Soo?”
    She rubs her forehead. “Nothing until we have a comprehensive picture of what it does. I want to be certain it doesn’t have any other effects on him that haven’t been picked up in the initial scan. I’m going to keep him here for a few more tests, okay? I’ve seen the model you started. I’ll put any more data I get into it, okay?”
    I hesitate, feeling like she’s taking over. But this is within her remit more than mine. She has to make sure he’s not a threat to the colony’s health and she’ll have a better idea about how his microbiome will interact with ours.
    â€œI’ll keep you posted, Ren,” she says, brushing my arm with her hand. “The moment anything comes up, I’ll ping you.”
    â€œOkay,” I say, thinking of the vase I abandoned some hours ago. For a moment I consider going to get it, but it’s too risky at this time of day. “Let me know when he wakes up,” I add as I head for the door.
    â€œRen—” She hurries over as I reach for the touch pad. “Don’t feel guilty.”
    I tense, thinking she’s overheard something, or somehow—
    â€œBecause we all looked for them as best we could. It’s not your fault.”
    I look away, unable to manage the relief that she’s just as clueless as everyone else. “Thanks.”
    â€œCome over for a drink when you can,” she adds, knowing better than to wait for an invitation to my place. “Anytime you want. It’s been a while.”
    There’s a change in the way she’s looking at me, the way her hand rests on my shoulder. But there’s no room inside me for anything like that now. “I’ll try,” I say. “But I reckon things will be busy for a while.”
    She nods and kisses my cheek. “See you soon, Ren.”
    When I step outside, I feel the breeze cool the skin where she kissed me. Lots of people are