Chapter Sixteen
The death of the Leader had dimmed the already dark mood in the warehouse refuge by several notches. Kes could feel the morose, despondent atmosphere among the scientists as they worked quietly on developing a vaccine for the biocide. Even the mild banter that had gone on between the tired workers had disappeared. Speaking at a normal volume seemed intrusive and extravagant.
The reason for the change in attitude was clear and didn’t need to be stated: the loss of their Leader when they needed her most was bad enough, but the fact that Meredith had committed suicide was way worse. What greater testament was there to the hopeless state of the colony than its own leader giving up on it?
It was more important than ever that the scientists announced some good news, something
