‘It’s a lot bigger than the ones used for vaccine updates,’ Charlie warned, pushing the needle into a vial. ‘And its intra-muscular, so I’m not going to pretend it isn’t painful.’

Judah had started rolling up his T-shirt, but Charlie shook her head.

‘Push your tracksuit bottoms down to your knees, and pull your underwear up so I can see your thigh.’

Judah pushed his chair back and Charlie went down on one knee beside him. Kids were getting modded younger and younger, and Charlie felt a little guilty looking at Judah’s hairless boy leg and Batman boxers.

But if I don’t take their money, someone else will and they probably won’t do half as good a job …

Charlie pushed the long needle into thigh muscle as Judah gripped the sides of his chair and teared up with pain.

59 GREEN FINGERS

In some developing countries, Killer-T had disrupted food production and transport so badly that famine had killed more people than the virus itself. The US had prepared for a more serious epidemic after the SNor outbreak, and while people got tired of sweet, claggy space food, no American went hungry.

The shortages made people want to become self-sufficient in food, and the government had helped, providing online education programs, free polythene greenhouse kits and genetically modified seeds designed to grow in a variety of climates and produce high yields.

Working in the polytunnels could be hard, especially since it was August and the outdoor temperature was in triple digits, but Harry felt a sense of accomplishment as he brought two large bags filled with potatoes, parsnips, tomatoes and beans into the kitchen. His jeans were grubbier than when he’d put them on that morning, and his polo shirt soaked in sweat.

The polytunnels were sealed, but nothing completely kept out synthetic nasties. Harry washed his haul in a solution of dilute chlorine and insecticide, then spread them out to dry on the countertop.

‘How’s school?’ he asked Ed, who’d barely moved since breakfast.

‘I got an eighty-two on my History module,’ Ed said proudly. ‘Now I’m playing Gretchen at chess.’

‘Who’s winning?’ Harry asked as he wiped mud out of the sink.

‘I’ve never beaten her,’ Ed admitted. ‘She’s twelve; it’s embarrassing.’

Ed had been much happier since they’d moved out of the city, but Harry and Charlie worried that he only had friends in the virtual world.

‘Rosie and Vern invited us over for elevenses,’ Harry said. ‘Do you want to come?’

Ed shook his head. ‘I’ve got a one-to-one tutorial with Miss at eleven twenty. And she said you haven’t paid this month’s tuition.’