[ Junker. It has been her first impulse, and there it is again. This woman must be part of one of the junker communities, if she were from Beacon, she would know.

On the other hand, she saved her life, which is against everything the junkers stand for. Too territorial, too focused on keeping what little resources they have to themselves. Can't blame them for that, sharing is a quick way to starvation.

She nods, but it's clear that she's absent now. As if she's taken a mental step to the side and is part here and part elsewhere. ]

I did.

[ She snaps back quickly enough. ]

It's Ophiocordyceps unilaterales. It's a fungus, transmitted - I assume you know this - via blood or other bodily fluids. The pathogen takes over the brain, and what we have aren't people anymore. The white threads you can see breaking through the skin on older specimen is mycelium. Roots, in a sense.

[ Well, not really. And she isn't about to explain the concept of potentially fruiting bodies or spores, mostly because these are theories. ]