Dr. Tompkins is run through the Arrest Processing Unit, and then taken to a secure interview room. A short time later a woman enters.

“Hello, I’m Julia Enderby. I’m with the Calgary Prosecutor’s office, and will be assessing your request for immunity.” She sits down opposite Tompkins. “Now, what is it you’ve done that you want immunity for?”

“I’ve been working indirectly for the Harbour Government for the last 3 years, doing human experimentation.”

“What kind of experiments?” she asks.

“One project was researching the re-infection of individuals with the Mutation Virus, to establish secondary mutations and additional traits. The body has its own defences against re-infection, but the Mutation Virus also seemed unable to re-write an individual’s genetic code a second time. We found that specific enzymes were required to ‘break the lock’ that a prior infection had installed.” He starts going into great technical detail, but she cuts him off.

“Have there been any deaths?”

“Oh, yes.”

“And why should we grant you immunity for what are most likely very serious crimes?”

“I have documents,” he says, tapping his briefcase. He opens it and rummages in it, withdrawing a paper. “Here is an example.” He hands it to her.

“Let’s see,” she says, examining the document. “PMO letterhead, it appears to be authorizing the kidnapping of experimental subjects …” she looks up in surprise. “It’s signed by Steven Harbour!”

“I have many documents, signed by either Harbour himself or his chief-of-staff, ordering things that are criminal. I have others, completion reports from underlings who carried out these crimes.”

“Who directed the underlings? I suppose that is where the immunity part comes in.”

He smiles thinly, and hands over another document. “This one might be particularly, useful. I hear you have him in custody.”

She looks at the document. “This is from a Clark W. Griswold, certifying the ‘termination’ of a ‘subject’.” She turns the page, and looks away in revulsion. “There are PHOTOHGRAPHS!”

“The PMO wanted proof. I thought it prudent to keep copies. I am sure you will find that these documents are useful to your cause.”

“I need to talk to the Premier.”

“He claims, and the evidence seems to support, that he did not participate directly in any of the kidnappings or murders, but his hands are definitely dirty,” Enderby says into the phone. She is in a small office, the walls of which are painted concrete.

“In that case we can’t let him off scot free,” the voice on the other end says. The voice belongs to Premier Knaughtley.

“I agree, I was thinking of offering a plea deal to a lesser charge, like accessory to kidnapping and murder.”

“The documents are genuine?” Knaughtley asks.

“They seem to be. I’ve got the Calgary Police Service forgery experts going over them to be sure.”

“Good. We need to be sure before we go public with them.”

“I was also thinking that, rather than putting him in jail, we could make use of his skills. Perhaps 20 years of community service, providing medical services in remote, northern communities.”

“That seems fitting, but he’d need oversight. Well, one problem at a time. Let the CPS experts finish with the documents, and assuming they are genuine, make a deal. We’ll sort out the mechanics of it later. Then I want you to work with someone in the media to get them out to the public. There is a City TV reporter we’ve worked with before, Brianna Labby. I’ll send you her number. Work with her to make the data public.”