SDF Round 2 - Upstream Color - Part 5

“Unfortunately, due to a mistake by one of my crew,” the weasel glared at Winky then continued, “Panzen had to be disqualified. And I am not happy with this outcome. Both your performances were interrupted and at that point, there was no clear winner. It would be unfair to your fellow contestants if you won by default. And what I’m looking for is great performances under pressure, so I know you can be a part of my cast and crew.”

Winston threw a dirty look at the beige crocodile again. Martha, Large, and Vulgare remained dead silent.

Winky cringed, “But, Winston, I…”

“You are new and I forgive your mistake, but now you must be silent,” the weasel snapped. Frustration showed in Winston’s eyes but he quickly rebounded, “I have another proposition. I would like to pose one question to each of you, and if you both answer honestly, then I will allow you to move on. If not, you will be escorted off the premises.”

The baboon breathed a sigh of relief. He finally had an out. He could just lie and finally get away from this perpetual mad house.

Winston fixed his gaze on baboon, “Don’t look so comfortable, Mr. Ntembara. I wouldn’t make it that easy on you. I have to get your best performance after all. Let’s make it more interesting, shall we? If you pass this round and end up winning the whole tournament, not only will I hire you both, but I will gladly pay for Ms. Figueroa’s surgery.”

Josefina fidgeted uneasily, unable to look away from Winston. “How could you possibly know about that? I didn’t disclose my medical history to anyone...”

Winston merely shrugged, “The details of how I obtained the information is unimportant. You need only know I’m willing to cover the cost...if, you agree and answer my questions truthfully.”

Thoroughly confused, the baboon turned to the insect, “Jo, what is he talking about?”

Josefina swallowed nervously, guilt weighing heavy in the pit of her stomach. She hadn’t wanted the truth to come out this way. It was all wrong. This wasn’t even by her choice.

“I've...I've been meaning to tell you. I just, hadn't wanted to worry you. That's, that’s why I wanted to fight last round."

“Unfortunately, time is running short. Is it a yes or no?” Winston asked, calm but clearly enjoying stripping her of her own agency.

Umozozi looked back and forth between the weasel and his friend. What surgery? What was going on?

“Jo, what do you mean? What do you need surgery for? I just don’t… don’t understand,” the baboon settled his gaze on Winston, “Why are you doing this?”

The weasel just smiled knowingly, “Time is running out. What is your answer?"

She didn't know where to begin to answer her friend. Between his question and Winston's, it was overwhelming for the mantidfly. Josefina wanted to elaborate, but there simply wasn't time.

"I'll explain later. I promise. But, but I have to do this. My answer is yes."

Winston nodded, “Since you are a team. I’ll take that as a yes from both of you. Let’s start with you, Ms. Figueroa. Let’s not keep our baboon friend in the dark. Instead of explaining later, why don’t you explain now? What exactly is going on with you, Ms. Figueroa?”

Josefina mentally inhaled, growing increasingly distressed by being put on the spot. She wanted nothing more than to disappear beneath her headscarf, but knew it was no longer possible to keep him in the dark. He deserved to know.

"Do… do you remember that outbreak with the cordyceps parasite in ants? I... have a similar parasite. I don't know how much longer I have if left to my own devices. My doctor said I have maybe a month's time before I'm... a walking zombie. One without a moral compass, and driven completely on instinct."

Umozozi’s stomach dropped and he began to shake. The baboon looked directly into his friend’s eyes and spoke with deep anguish and a slight quiver of anger in his voice, “You’re going to die? Why didn’t you tell me? I could have helped! I didn’t understand why you were fighting so hard! We could have avoided all of this…”

"You're right," she said softly, forcing herself to meet his eyes. "I'm... I'm so ashamed of it now. But it's already done. I can't take it back. If, if you don't want to be friends anymore though... I'd understand." 

Umozozi didn’t respond.

Winston broke the silence with glee, “Well, it’s your turn, Umozozi. Unless,you no longer feel like playing my games?”

Umozozi huffed, “Do you really think now is the time? I have no doubt you are going to drop another depraved bombshell on me. But with someone’s life on the line. What choice do I have? Shoot.”

“All right then. Now, Mr. Ntembara, you seem like a fairly progressive fellow. Your works have always been very supportive of other species, races, and sexualities. Yet, when it comes to gender you seem to be… Well how to put this: misogynistic. Why exactly do you hate women so much?”

Umozozi didn't expect what came out of Winston’s mouth, “I don’t hate women. Feminist nut-jobs always accuse me of misogyny, but I have women friends and I don’t want to kill women or anything. Most females, especially female mammal species are just emotional and unfairly coy. It’s just evolution.”

Martha couldn’t help but roll her eyes, and even Winky looked slightly appalled. But Winston kept speaking in a calm voice, “Please, I don’t want scientific jargon. What is your personal beef with women? Remember, Josefina’s future is on the line.”

Josefina tensed, Panzen's remarks echoing in the back of her mind. Until the past few days, the sexism hadn't been that significant to her. There would be the odd comment, like the fiasco with the boss, but she'd never really considered the thought that he hated women. 

Worn-out frustration was evident on Umozozi's face. He knew he had no other choice. He didn’t want to admit it because it made him sound pathetic and cowardly. But he was already a violent feral, being pathetic and cowardly wasn’t much of a downgrade, “Fine. Before and after college when I was still trying to fit in with the idiocy that is baboon society, I tried my luck at gaining mates. I wasn’t very good at fighting and showing off my strength. So, the female baboons completely ignored me. Despite the fact that I had so much to more offer than those jocks! They were all shallow! They didn’t care about anything except males gnashing teeth and looking tough. Though, I suppose I’m just as bad as both the males and females now...” 

It pained Josefina to see him like this, but she also felt rather repulsed that this is where everything originated. She'd been very willing to overlook what he'd said in the past, because it was Zi. He was her only friend and despite everything he'd always meant well. But this was basically racism by a different name, a different type of prejudice. Which she was all too familiar with. She didn't know what to say, only looked sadly at her friend.

The weasel nodded,  “Interesting. For such an educated young man, you’d think you could muster more empathy for other baboons. But, you hardly need a lecture today. Congratulations, the both of you have passed round two,” Winston’s calm demeanor quickly changed back to it’s usual flamboyance “If I’m honest, I’ve seen better performances. A little too much angst and pretentiousness for my taste. And no big fireworks this time. Though that was not your fault of course,” the weasel sent one final look at Winky, “I suggest resting up for round three. I’ve got some big things planned, and things won’t be so easy next time around.”

Umozozi watched as Winston and his crew dismounted their equipment. He turned to Jo and saw that her face was unreadable. She was probably disgusted by his weakness. Umozozi had fought for control this entire round from his instincts, from Winston, from Panzen, and in a way Jo. What action could he take now? The baboon began searching for his coat, but found nothing. Where could it have gone?

There was only one thing left to do. He approached Josefina and spoke with a calm that barely masked his hysteria, “I think we are stuck here, in more ways than one. But I promise you one thing, we will win this tournament and neither of us will die. You will get your surgery.” Umozozi fiddled with his tie as anger and pain welled up with him, “But I can’t… I can’t talk you until the next round. All of this is too much to process. I mean, how could you not tell me? I understand why before this all happened, though it still hurts. But you withholding this information has put us in the situation we are in now. And...and, I need some time to think.”

Umozozi then turned away from his friend, unable to look her in the eye.

The mantidfly nods, clutching the tail ends of her headscarf for support. She’d been anticipating this from the very second Winston mentioned the surgery. But nothing could’ve prepared her for the sudden wave of dread that shook her to her core. The realization that win or lose, they may never recover.

"I understand,” Josefina said, her voice wavered as she watched him walk away. "And... I hope you're right."

She didn’t move. Instead, she crumpled at the spot, no longer having the strength or desire to steady herself on her trembling limbs.

She didn't want to die with her only friend hating her.