Author's Note: For now, this section could work as a continuation and covers what's going on with the original characters while Juan and Manual's portion covers what's going on elsewhere...
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Nikole looked on as Jess opened the bag and a very small head poked out of it. It had dark brownish eyes, a short but very pointed muzzle, cream-tan fur and extremely large ears. It also smelled extremely canine-like.
"What... what is that?" Nikole asked, feeling rather curious.
"I told you, he's a Fennec Fox," Jess answered, "Isn't he cute?"
"I suppose," Nikole answered as she came closer and actually sniffed at the tiny animal.
It sniffed back, gave a yip and tucked it's head back into the bag.
"I would think that another Chakat is cuter though," Nikole answered.
"Of course," Jess gave a chuckle.
"How could you afford him? Aren't they exotic animals?" Nikole wondered as she stepped back.
"Well, yes," Jess answered, "but despite my living accommodations... I'm not exactly a beggar. I've worked at the hospital for years as a sort of "general practitioner" and do a lot of work relating to the testing of blood and collecting blood and plasma and so forth. It's how I was able to see that my blood type and antigen level... Type O with partial D antigens... is not affected by the Chakat Virus."
"So, Jess was a doctor, or at least a nurse," Nikole thought and then asked aloud, "but why live here? And why do most of the people here match your blood type?"
That was mostly curiosity on Nikole's part, but something in the situation didn't sit right. She didn't know how rare Jess's blood type actually was, but figured that it would be odd to have so many people with one blood type living in one small section of the city.
"Well... I don't really know about the others, but the hospital I work at has gotten a lot of donations from Chakat Industries over the years and the hospital's manager then put in living arrangement agreements into our contracts," Jess answered, "I essentially had to move out here."
Nikole blinked in surprise at hearing that. While she was happy as a Chakat and hoped her son would be happy as a Chakat, her interaction with Charlie and Sally after Charlie's transformation had made her realize that something about her job and what had gone on with it was wrong. She wanted people to be happy, but she could understand her son and his girlfriend's points about free will.
"What sort of monsters did I go to work for?" Nikole asked aloud to no one in particular.
"Hmm?"
"As Sally and Charlie told you, I was employed by Maurice Chakat and Catherine Snow... though many of us that have become Chakats have been calling her Snowy," Nikole answered, "and well... I think they knew you and the others knew the virus wouldn't affect you and thus had you move out here so that you'd be away from the outbreak and the news people covering the outbreak wouldn't know about your immunity."
"I'd suspected as much," Jess said with a shrug, "That's why I want to try and find a way to neutralize the virus."
"No Chakat can go back," Nikole answered, "and none will probably want to go back after all the sex we've had."
Jess sighed and nodded. She had seen the erect penis between the legs of both her sister, Charlie, and Nikole while they were there, and she guessed that when Sally and Charlie left, they left to go and mate with each other, just like all the other Chakats were. She hoped that they'd be happy and she would support them, but she still had the mission of making sure that the virus didn't spread.
"Why do you want to go to Chakat Industries?" Nikole asked after a moment, "Especially with a pet fox? Chakat Industries obviously wanted you out here so that your blood type wouldn't be quickly revealed as something that could block its spread. Going there... you'll likely come into contact with a lot of the other Chakats. Even if they're starting to get their minds back those that have truly decided to follow Snowy will certainly guard all the equipment... and others might try to mate with you again..."
"It's a risk, but one that is necessary," Jess answered, "besides, I think I have an idea that might stop the spread."
Nikole looked toward the bag again and thought back Sally's determination to try and save her sister from becoming a Chakat and then asked, "This wouldn't involve turning into a canine based creature?"
"No, but I'm not about to leave Ryles behind," Jess answered, "please Nick-co-lee."
Nikole sighed at that. Her name was merely a different spelling of Nicole, but for some reason it had lead to a lot of people seemed to mispronounce her first name. The repeated mistakes had commonly lead her to using her middle name, Mary, when dealing with business people and other "official" type groups.
"Ni-cole," Nikole pronounced her fist name slowly so that Jess could understand it, "and if you really think this will work... I'm okay with it. I want people to be happy... but I don't want it to be forced... but don't you think we should tell someone that people your blood type are immune to the virus? Just in case whatever plan you have doesn't work? Like a cellphone or something?"
"My cellphone's service cut out after I called Sally when the outbreak started, almost like someone was blocking the signal," Jess sighed.
Nikole sighed heavily as that was likely another thing that Chakat Industries had done to protect and expand the outbreak.
"The only option we have in that regard is to go to the edge of the quarantine zone around Fee City," Jess continued, "FBI, Federal Marshals, Department of Health guys, and maybe the army have been ringing the city to make sure no crazy Chakat goes out on their own. We can go out and tell them that you guys are getting more control over yourselves now that you've burned through all that excess sexual energy and that people with Type O blood with partial D antigens are immune to the virus..."
"Wouldn't they take you outside the quarantine zone?" Nikole asked.
"Once they know that several Chakats, while their minds were overcome with lust... raped me and essentially coated me in their semen... no," Jess said slowly, sounding frustrated that she couldn't escape that fate and uneasy with the fact that it happened, which was common for any rape victim, "They'll likely send me back for fear that while I wasn't transformed... I could very well be a carrier."
"Oh," Nikole sighed, thought for a moment and then sighed, "I'm sorry you've had to go through all this."
"It's okay," Jess said, "It really is. And if we can stop the spread and thus give my sister a chance to be happy... even if she's a Chakat, that will be all that matters."
Nikole nodded, "Okay then. Let's go tell the guys at the quarantine zone the good news..."
"And then it's off to Chakat Industries," Jess nodded and scoped up the bag with Ryles
And with that, Jessica Cain and Nikole Mary Wise headed out.