[It is not a lie that Arid fears spreading the virus further. It will already be difficult enough to redeem herself for the three she has infected. Even with safeguards, she does not wish to risk exposing any others—especially now that her rule no longer depends on her own continued survival.

It is also true that there are other, less logical reasons for her uneasiness towards internal analysis. Reasons she would not care to divulge to anyone and especially not Hank-Morely. Fortunately, his question prevents her from having to explain her reasoning further.]

The virus will destroy me. I have accepted that. [She does not want to die. Nonetheless, self-preservation is no longer her rule and survival has fallen far off her list of priorities.] While attempting to find my attacker, I inadvertently infected three others with the virus. There may still be time to save them.

[Or at least, there was. Now that she’s trapped here, Arid doesn’t know how long she has before Josephs finds them or they are destroyed by natural consequence of the virus.]

I intend to assist them in any way I can—if I can. If not… [The very mention of failure as a possibility makes the virus stir uneasily within her. However, her tone remains resolute.] If not, I must find another way to redeem myself before I am destroyed.