Gemotions

Liam stared at the email, the words swimming before his eyes. "Persistent Fatigue Syndrome" it proclaimed, followed by a list of symptoms that echoed his own daily struggle. The fatigue, the muscle aches, the sensitivity to light... And then, buried at the bottom: "Susceptible to rapid oxidation in the presence of specific rare earth elements." His mind reeled.

He reread the sentence, the implications sinking in. He'd nearly blacked out last week at the museum, near the display of ancient Chinese ceramics. He'd attributed it to the stuffy air, but now... A sudden knock startled him. It was a woman with a drawn face and a floral scarf. "Excuse me," she said, her voice trembling. "Are you… are you also a member of the Aurum Registry?"