I wanted to shout that it hadn’t been planned. The virus was only supposed to make the Varool sick so they’d think they were biologically incompatible with Sagittarian One. The mutation was unprecedented and inexplicable. Also, hadn’t humanity paid enough by losing everyone born with XY chromosomes? I opened my mouth, but guilt crashed over me, churning my stomach. The Varool was right. Humans had made the virus, humans had released the virus, and humans had lied when the Varool asked if we knew why their women were ill. The lie had delayed the search for a cure. Both species had paid—and paid
...more
