“Find Shastar!”

The room was very hot, and soon Druuna was dry again after her swim.
“Do you feel the heat?” The mutant asked her, “It’s coming from down below and the last few weeks it’s gotten worse. More and more mutants are leaving the lower levels at an increasing rate, and I’m worried.”
“But what can I do…” Druuna began, but was cut short by the mutant.
“Listen to me! Shastar is a friend, and he was helping us, as I think you know. He’s been spying for us, and I know that he found something on one of his trips to the “city above”. Something of **** importance, but then he disappeared and no one has seen him since.
Maybe he’s gotten sick and he’s hiding? Sick or not, we must find him before they do!”

Druuna sat silent as the mutant went on. She didn’t trust him enough to tell him that Shastar was already sick, and that he was hiding in her home.
“I know that Shastar has discovered the truth, and I think it upset him greatly! It must have left him very weak and ****.”
“The truth? What truth?”
“Think of the priests! They know the so-called truth, and they use it to stay in power. We kneed to know what they know.”
“But the priests are the only ones who can know the Master’s desire, and Master is our only certainty! It what I’ve been taught…”
“It’s rubbish! The Master doesn’t exist anymore! No single man can live on for centuries! Do you really believe that you can catch the sickness by not doing as the priests order you?”
“I don’t know… all I know is that they are the only ones who have the medicine, and that keeps me from becoming sick.”
“I understand.” The mutant said as he stood up. “Look, I can’t move around on the upper levels, but you can. Go there, and look for Shastar. He knows something that would help us both.”
“But I…”
“I know you’ll do it Druuna. Now go, you know the way. Don’t look for me, I’ll find you again when I need to.”
Druuna walked away in silence, concerned about what her lover had stumbled into.
She plunged back into the water and swam for the other side.