His laughter stopped when he heard the retinal scanner sliding over the floor and he saw it bounce off the open door and stop there. Good thinking, doctor. He stood there, looking at the little gadget, and licked his dry lips. God, he would kill a man for a cup of tea right now.<br/><br/>"OKAY! I'm going to reach out and take the scanner. So don't shoot!" He slowly squatted down in the corner, the scanner was at his feet. He looked around but there was nothing he could use to pull it in. He had to expose his hand when reaching for it. Oh well. Rob wasn't the bravest man there is but he was far from being a coward. He was a warrior, after all. Even the tune on his cell phone once was a popular heavy metal song, "I'm a Fighter Not a Lover". He smiled to the memory, but his smile was sad. He was never going to hear that song again, one of the millions of things that got lost back on Earth after the virus broke out.<br/><br/>He reached out and his fingers wrapped themselves around the retinal scanner - not fast but not slow either. He doubted anyone could shoot through his arm from across the hall, and even so, the wound wouldn't be fatal. Dr Seris and her trust was much more important - especially in this wretched situation the facility was in. He began to slowly pull it in. Nothing happened.<br/><br/>He got up and turned the scanner. He saw the frozen image and examined it carefully. He wasn't an expert but he had been dealing with the virus forever, and he had been living with and around scientists long enough. Everything seemed perfectly fine and Rob smiled. Finally, a piece of good news.<br/><br/>"You have pretty eyes, Terra," he said. He was still smiling. He looked back - he was still alone in the hallway. He nodded. He wasn't sure if the image on the scanner was Terra's. He couldn't be. But he was tired of being paranoid and he decided to risk it.<br/><br/>"Everything seems fine. You're not infected. So here's what I'm gonna do. I'm going to slowly come out with my hands up. Right? Then you can examine me at gunpoint. I have no fucking idea how to operate this thing, anyhow. I'm coming out, Dr Seris!" And slowly, very slowly he showed himself at the door frame, hands in the air, gun pointing at the ceiling.