Chapter 19: Dual Problems

It was evening when Casey finally arrived home from Lysoid Stool; her breath was quick and shallow, as if the ground beneath her feet had shifted, leaving her off balance. The world she once knew—simple, predictable—felt like a distant memory now, swallowed up by the tidal wave of change that had surged into her life in the blink of an eye.

In such a short span of time, she had gone from a naive chemist immersed in the quiet routines of community work to a key player in a whirlwind of extraordinary events. She had stood face-to-face with the President, joined the Alliance, and delved into the shadowy depths of history through Percy’s secret files. She had become a member of the Taskforce, caught in a storm of covert operations and unspoken truths. Her eyes had been opened to the unsettling realities of power, privilege, and the dangerous naivety that often accompanies those who remain blind to its complexities.

It was as if she had been thrust into a reality that was both exciting and disorienting, and now she was struggling to catch her breath—not just from the whirlwind of events, but from the dawning realisation that the life she once knew was gone, irrevocably changed.

Casey grounded her thoughts in something tangible—something she could control to steady herself. The lysoid issue. It was real, concrete, a problem she could wrap her mind around, unlike the chaos of the past few weeks. She’d deal with updating Ruth and the Alliance later; for now, she needed focus. She needed clarity.

What mattered most in this moment was being ready for tomorrow—ready to confidently show up at work. And what would give her that confidence was having something substantial to contribute to the Lysoid issue. There were two reasons for this. First, it was her chance to prove herself to the Taskforce— to establish herself as a reliable ally, someone they could trust. And second, it was an opportunity to make a difference. She had to find a solution for the seawater membrane chemical pouches.

The weight of it all pressed in, but it also sparked something deep inside her. This was her chance to rise.

Casey was determined to get to the lab early the next morning. She needed to run tests on the samples she had collected the day before and gather research on colloidal silver for Martin. It could potentially replace the lysoid in the chemical pouches for the seawater membranes. In Percy’s journals, she’d discovered he had used colloidal silver as a substitute when he faced shortages of lysoid in the early days. If she couldn’t find a permanent solution to the lysoid issue, at least this could be a viable alternative if they could find a source.

Before heading to bed, Casey quickly sent Ruth an Airplay message. Keeping it short and deliberately vague, she wrote: "Lots to discuss, walked a lot further than expected, incredible scenery, so much to share. I'll call by your place tomorrow night." She hoped Ruth would read between the lines.

Casey took it from Ruth's brief response that she did, "Glad to hear you're finding the walks stimulating. I'll have dinner ready and will invite some friends. If you would like to bring a friend, I'll have an extra plate ready." Casey was sure this meant she should invite Martin.

Casey was up so early, and as she was leaving , she could hear her father moving around in the kitchen. She walked in to wish him a good morning. He looked up, surprised—he couldn’t remember the last time he’d seen her before he'd headed off to work. A wave of guilt and compassion washed over her, and with a bright smile, she said, “Good morning, Dad.”

He smiled back, trying to match her upbeat tone with a cheerful “Good morning, Casey,” but she noticed a hint of sadness in his eyes. “I’m heading out early today, lots to do,” she added, trying to keep things light.

He nodded, his voice softening. “Please take care. Will you have time for lunch?”

She hesitated for a moment. “I don’t think so… but maybe we could have breakfast together tomorrow?”

This time, his smile was more genuine, making her smile too. “Yes, that would be lovely,” he replied, his eyes lighting up for a brief moment. She returned his smile, then left, the quiet connection lingering between them.

Martin arrived early and was surprised to see Casey there before him. "I'd planned to get in before you, but you beat me," he said with a slight smile.

She told him about the potential for colloidal silver and said she'd sent him a lot of research, asking him to review it and see if he could find a source.

"How was your first day on the Taskforce," he asked

Hoping to sound casual, "really interesting I got to meet all the members, and have some samples to test from where the crop is grown." She didn't want to risk saying anymore; she wasn't sure who would be watching, and if it was one of the Taskforce, she wanted to make sure they saw she didn't divulge anything that might threaten them.

After about an hour, Casey turned to Martin, "Martin, I know you are still pretty new in town. I'm going to my friend Ruth's for dinner tonight, and she said I could bring a friend. Would you like to join us?"

Martin acted like any appreciative colleague would, saying, "That is so kind, I would love to. What should I bring?"

"Oh, nothing, she's well-stocked", said Casey. "I'll send you her address."

With that, Casey went back to testing the samples from yesterday.

Tristan came to pick Casey up. She tried to introduce him to Martin, but he basically said a gruff “hi”, grabbed Casey by the arm and practically dragged her out of the lab.

“What’s the rush,” she asked him

“I’ve got lots on, and I need you to brief me as I have to give an update later today on progress,” he said.

“But I only started yesterday,” she responded

“I know, but this lysoid issue has been around ever since they started producing the new drug, so I need you to give me something.” He let go of her arm and said, “I’ll meet you at my cabin in 10," and with that, he was gone.

Casey was thankful she had taken the samples yesterday and ran the tests, so she had something to brief him on.

He was pacing up and down when she got there.

"So, what do you have," he asked.

"It isn't all the crops, only those from stream 44 onwards. I was worried it might be a climate change issue, but it doesn't appear to be." she said

"Well, what is it then?" he asked

"Well, these streams have infected water. It seems that the water source for that area may be different from the others as it contains a substance not suitable for  lysoid" she said

"Yes, all those streams are new; we put them in to meet the demand required for the new drug. We didn't have time to connect the water filters for those new streams before the drug went live," he responded.

She didn't want to say anything that he might think would put the blame on him, so she said, "Crops can be sensitive to the slightest change in water conditions; if you like, I'll head down there today and see what can be done."

"Great, great, do that." he said, then "what am I going to say at the meeting?"

"Well, I thought I was going to give you a briefing, so I put a presentation together that you could use.?" she said, pleased with herself, as she could see the relief on his face.

Casey ran him through the presentation, which talked about the water quality and potential fixes. It looked like it was a problem with filtering as opposed to cutting corners and not building in the filters, so Tristan was pleased.

"Thanks, Casey, I have to go; get Closy to drive you where you need to go in the Stool, and if you need me to give any orders, just Airplay me," he left.