Chasing the Shadows

by Maria V. Snyder

  Once again I’m the center of attention. Go me. Suppressing a sigh, I explain about reaching the interstellar navigator through Beau’s terminal in his unit, which has less access than the ones in his office. And that was before I died. But I keep that tidbit to myself to avoid upsetting my parents.

  “What we need is more time in the Q-net,” I say.

  “We can shift your schedule to report to Dorey at twelve-thirty and you can go until seventeen hundred. Is that enough?” Radcliff asks.

  “Yes.”

  “Good.” Radcliff meets my gaze.

  “Hold on just a minute,” Jefferies says, slapping the table with his fingers. “If Ara’s actions in the Q-net alert Jarren that we’re aware of his blockade, then he’ll come to Yulin sooner and kill us all.” He glances at everyone. Two red splotches bloom on his cheeks. “It’s insane to have the fate of the entire base in the hands of a teenager.”

  “Officer Dorey—” Morgan starts.

  “No offense to Officer Dorey,” Jefferies says. “But you call Jarren a super wormer because he’s been manipulating us from the very beginning with none of us the wiser.”

  He has a point. Radcliff gives the man a long cold look. Unaffected, Jefferies glares back.

  “I agree with Milo. It’s suicide,” Gage chimes in. “We can wait for—”

  “Waiting is suicide,” Dad says. “We need to contact DES.”

  “Junior Officer Lawrence is especially cognizant of the danger,” Radcliff says to Jefferies. His tone turns the blood in my veins to ice and I’m not even the one he’s aiming it at! Then he looks to me. “Tread with the ultimate care.”

  “Of course she will,” Mom snaps.

  Way to go, Mom.

  Jefferies stands up. “I want it noted in the record that I do not approve this endeavor.”

  “The record that Jarren will read?” Mom counters.

  “You know what I mean.”

  “When we contact DES, I’ll ensure your disapproval is noted, Dr. Jefferies.”

  When? No pressure there. Thanks, Mom.

  “Mine, too.” Gage stands.

  “All right. You’re both dismissed,” Mom orders, reminding them she is in charge.

  With stiff shoulders and stern expressions, they leave. There’s a moment when we all just take a breath. Radcliff glances at the time—it’s eighteen hundred. My stomach growls. Sensing the meeting is over, I let go of my mom’s hand.

  She places both arms on the table, leans forward and says, “Since we’re all together, I want to discuss opening another Warrior pit. Wait.” Mom holds up a hand. “Not one adjacent to the infected pits, but one further away. One that hasn’t collapsed.”

  Infected. That fits.

  “For what purpose?” Radcliff asks Mom in a tight, almost annoyed tone.

  “So we can keep doing our job. And to further our knowledge about the significance of those alien symbols on the Warriors.”

  “And to test Ara’s theory,” Dad says. “The field team has been analyzing the data and identified Pit 21 as one that has all fourteen hundred and forty-eight Warriors intact. It’s twenty kilometers east of the base. We can dig from the surface, letting in sunlight just in case there are HoLFs. Also we have big floodlights that run on batteries for night time.”

  “My security force is already spread thin,” Radcliff says.

  “The techs have been training. Surely they can fill in for a couple days,” Mom says. “If we don’t encounter HoLFs, then the security can return to base.”

  Mom’s reasonable tones fail to placate Radcliff’s inner guardian lion. The danger signs are there—posture ramrod straight, neck muscles straining, hand clutching the handle of his pulse gun. Wow, I really need to find a hobby.

  “We haven’t confirmed Jarren’s physical location. He could still be on the planet.”

  “The satellite—”

  “Can be compromised and isn’t infallible. There are plenty of places to hide from a life scan. You’d be risking your team and my officers’ lives.”

  A good point.

  Mom turns to me. Oh no. “Are you able to check the satellite to make sure its feeds are clean?”

  “Yes.”

  Her focus returns to Radcliff. “The satellite can scan the desert’s surface, searching for any holes or tunnels in the sand that could be potential hiding places. It’s only twenty klicks.”

  “What if opening this pit brings Jarren out of hiding?” Radcliff asks.

  “He has digging machines and heavy equipment,” Dad says. “Right now, he could park in the middle of the desert and open all the pits if he wanted. We can’t stop him. Not with our limited resources. He obviously has a hidden agenda. All we know is that when he attacked the first time, he selected specific Warriors to steal and destroyed the rest. There must be a reason.”

  “If the activity draws Jarren out, that will answer the question of where he is,” Morgan—ever practical—says.

  Radcliff grips the armrests of his seat. Hard. “The last time Jarren showed up, your daughter died.”

  Wow. Them’s fighting words.

  Mom stands up.

  “Ming,” my dad warns.

  “Thank you for the reminder, Officer Radcliff.”

  If words were tangible, my mom’s would be coated in ice and have sharp edges.

  “Once we confirm there’s no one hiding nearby, Dorey and I can fix the satellite cameras to show an empty desert,” I say.

  Radcliff tenses, which I didn’t think was possible considering before this a small child could bounce on his abs.

  “That reduces the risk,” Dad says into the silence.

  “And we need more answers,” Mom says. “Yes, it’s a risk. I’m not going to force anyone to go. We’ll ask for volunteers. If we don’t get enough, then we won’t do it.”

  Time to state the obvious. “Mom, I would have to go. You can’t send techs into a pit without me ensuring there are no shadow-blobs.”

  “We’ll bring a camera that’s not routed through the Q-net; you can watch the feed.”

  “No. It’s not the same thing. And I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if I missed one and someone died.”

  My skin tingles with Radcliff’s approval. Too bad I’m going to ruin it. “I’ll volunteer. You’re right. We need more answers. And time is running out.”

  Mom, Dad and Radcliff are all about to protest.

  “Without me, there’s no mission. No one else will volunteer.”

  My mother’s icy gaze turns on me even though she knows I’m right. I suppress a shiver.

  “If Ara goes, I’ll volunteer,” Beau says.

  “You’re a bunch of idiots.” Morgan shakes her head in disgust.

  “You’re going to need another two security officers to volunteer before I allow my team to be a part of this mission.” Radcliff just about growls.

  “I’ll check with them,” Morgan offers.

  My father stands. “And we’ll see about the techs.”

  Although it appears as if my parents will get their team, they fail to look happy about it. They depart to go recruit more team members. Radcliff leaves, but Beau touches my arm, stopping me from following Radcliff.

  “Thanks,” Beau says.

  “You’re risking your life again. No need to thank me,” I say.

  “No, for backing me up. Asking my opinion about the Q-net.”

  “Isn’t that what partners do?”

  He flashes me a grin. “You got that right.” Then he sobers. “Your worming skills took a gigantic leap forward. What happened?”

  I don’t hesitate for long. We’re partners. He deserves to know. “When I died, I flew through the Q-net. I’ve no idea how, but It must have done something to my brain.”

  “Other people have been revived and no one else reported being better at navigating the Q-net.”

  “That you know,” I add. “Becoming a better wormer is not something one would advertise.’

  Beau crosses his ar
ms. Stubborn man.

  “It’s my best guess, all right? It could be the combination of dying, having a concussion, and touching a Warrior heart.”

  “Or you could be suffering from significant brain damage.”

  “Do I act like I’m suffering?”

  He tenses so much his biceps practically rip through his sleeves.

  I sigh. “I’m sorry. But I’ve had a number of brain scans and they all show I’m fine.”

  He glares at me. Apology not accepted. “What if doing the exacting work needed to worm through Jarren’s blockage triggers a medical problem?”

  “That’s a fair question. Right now, I don’t have any symptoms. No migraines, no extreme dizziness, no blurry vision, no fainting spells. And, if I do, I’ll let you—and my parents—know right away.”

  Beau drops his arms, but still appears unhappy.

  “Can’t we just celebrate our good fortune and use my super power to stop Jarren, the murdering bastard?”

  After a few moments, he says, “Super power? No ego there.”

  “I’m learning how to be modest from my partner.”

  A huff, but there’s a slight smile. “And you’re learning from the best.”

  My Beau is back.

  “See you tomorrow.” I wave and head out.

  “Hey, I bet you ten credits the other two officers who are going to volunteer are Niall and Elese,” he calls as I reach the door.

  “Sorry, but Ara Lawrence has no credits.” I checked.

  “Payday is every thirty days. It won’t be long until you have credits.”

  “I get paid?”

  “Why are you surprised? Didn’t your mom pay you when you helped reconstruct broken Warriors?”

  “Yeah, but— Wait.” I turn back. “Did you get paid? If Jarren’s been blocking us for the last…” I do a quick calculation. “Fifty-four days, then wouldn’t DES stop paying you? Especially since they think we’re all dead.”

  “They won’t stop payments until our deaths are confirmed. I’m sure everyone who worked on Xinji is still earning credits. Once DES proves their deaths beyond a doubt, the payments will stop and all their income will be distributed to their next of kin.” Beau’s gaze grows distant and little crinkles spread on his forehead—his thinking face. “I didn’t notice a missed payment.”

  Interesting. “If Jarren is allowing the payment notices through his blockade, then maybe we can use that point of entry to get a message to DES when the next deposit is made.”

  “The timing would have to be exact. It’d be difficult to do.”

  “For us, but not for the Q-net. When is the next payment?”

  “Day two hundred and ten. That gives us seventeen days to find another way through, but, if we’re desperate, getting one message out will be better than none.” He grins. “Until then, I can spot you ten credits for that bet about who’s going to volunteer for the Pit 21 mission.”

  “No deal.”

  “Aww. You’re no fun.”

  “We might be fighting shadow-blobs in 21. That’s fun.”

  “No,” Beau says, rubbing his stomach. “That’s revenge.”

  It’s nineteen hundred by the time I arrive back at Radcliff’s unit. Niall’s sound asleep on the couch. I pause next to him, drinking in his peaceful expression—a rare sight. The desire to stroke his cheek and smooth his hair propels me to reach out. But I stop. Poor guy’s exhausted. I tiptoe past and join Radcliff in the kitchen.

  He’s rummaging in the fridge, removing containers. “Leftovers tonight.”

  I sort through them, pick out chicken pot pie and heat it up. Radcliff does the same and soon we’re sitting at the table in companionable silence.

  When we finish, Radcliff leans back and asks, “Can you really alter the satellite feeds so Jarren doesn’t see the team in the desert?”

  “Yes, and I have an idea about how you can save time.”

  “I’m listening.”

  I tell him about using the Q-net instead of his officers to monitor the base. “I can set it up. It won’t take long.”

  He taps his fingers on the table as he considers my idea. “It’s a big risk. Jarren’s people could modify the camera feeds at any time. I’m not sure we’d survive another surprise attack.”

  “We’re already taking the risk. Jarren’s people are good enough that even with an officer watching the feeds, he or she won’t even see the change. Think about it, that’s what happened before.”

  Radcliff stills. Not a good sign.

  I continue. “It’s a dilemma, I know. We can’t rely on the Q-net because of Jarren, but we have to rely on it because you don’t have enough people to secure the base. Now we know he’s blocking us, but he thinks we’re still clueless. The advantage is ours. We can be super subtle and set up a series of alarms that he won’t be searching for. If he tampers with the feeds, we’ll know.”

  “And you and Dorey can do this on his terminals?”

  “Yes.”

  “How? That’s deep level programming.”

  I start to explain about weaving the programming into the existing protocols.

  “That’s not what I meant. When I asked you to search for the missing Xinji files, you needed to use the terminal in the Control Center.”

  “I’m…” Terrible at lying. So for the second time, I explain about my new worming abilities. His stony expression and rigid posture mean one thing.

  “I already got a lecture from Beau.” Then I add about my promise to alert my parents about any troubling symptoms. Still no response. “At least let me tweak the cameras before you tell my parents. You know they’ll freak and forbid me to use the Q-net until I have my brain scanned.” Again. Which will find nothing wrong. Again. I sigh. It’s my brain, it should be my decision.

  “You’ll lose a valuable resource,” Niall says from the doorway.

  I jump in surprise, but Radcliff doesn’t react except to ask, “How long have you been standing there?”

  “Long enough to know Jarren’s put up a blockade. When were you going to tell the rest of us?” Niall demands.

  “When you needed to know,” Radcliff says.

  “We just figured it out today,” I say. “That’s why we were late for dinner.”

  Radcliff huffs at me as if I ruined his fun. Then he turns to Niall. “I’m calling a staff meeting tomorrow morning.”

  “Good.”

  “Glad I have your permission,” Radcliff says with plenty of sarcasm. “As for you…”

  “Me?” I squeak and curse under my breath as amusement glitters in Niall’s eyes.

  “Do your tweak. I’m trusting you to know your limits and to not get us all killed.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  I decide to wait until I’m with Beau before doing the tweaks to the cameras. Radcliff schedules the meeting at oh-eight-hundred and I volunteer to man the cameras since I already know what it’s about. Morgan guards detention. Watching the feeds during the base’s busy morning activities is more interesting than the middle of the night. And it’s harder, as people clad in lab coats tend to look alike when they’re hurrying through the corridors.

  My mom and dad are in the archeology lab. Both are armed with large flashlights and pulse guns. Nice of them to cover for security. I check on them quite often, looking for shadow-blobs.

  There’s a camera in the conference room. I keep an eye on the meeting, scanning expressions as Radcliff updates the team about Jarren’s blockade. There’s a variety of glum, determined, and angry faces. At least no one is freaked. Although at one point, Niall and Beau exchange words—heated words by their body language. Boys.

  The meeting ends and everyone leaves except Radcliff. A few officers talk in the hallway as the others disperse. Two go to relieve Morgan. Beau and Rance head my way while Niall and Zaim turn toward the archeology lab. Niall flashes me a tired smile before leaving security. I concentrate on the rest of the base.

  Rance’s gravelly voice sounds on the other side of t
he door. “…not volunteering to go to Pit 21. It’s a suicide mission.”

  “You’d rather sit here and wait for an ambush? Not me,” Beau says as he enters the monitor room. “Anything to report?” he asks me.

  “No. All’s quiet. How did the meeting go?”

  Beau scowls and Rance huffs. That good, eh?

  “Your schedule’s been altered for today. You’re working with me,” Beau says. “We have quite the To-Do list.”

  Interesting. Rance takes my seat. The chair appears small underneath his muscular frame. He’s tall and burly and one of the few officers with a family. He, his wife, and two sons all live in a housing unit in the main base for safety reasons. A good thing, too, or they’d have been in trouble when Jarren attacked.

  Beau and I go into his office and shut the door behind us.

  “What’s on our list?” I ask, sitting at the dual terminals.

  “All the crazy stuff you told Radcliff you can do with the feeds and monitoring the base. Getting through Jarren’s blockage not enough for you?” Beau’s tone is gruff.

  Oh boy. “Look—”

  “It doesn’t matter what I think. It’s Radcliff’s call, but I hope you’re not putting the entire base at risk.”

  I clamp down on my response. He’s right, it’s Radcliff’s decision. I’d hoped my partner would be supportive. Guess there’s only one way to prove to him that having the Q-net monitor the camera feeds is safer overall.

  “Are you going to help or are you just going to stand there?” I don’t wait for an answer. Inserting my tangs, I access the Q-net.

  After a minute, Beau joins me. Then we worm.

  I explain what we need to do. He’s sullen, but agrees. While I worm into the base’s personnel files for the photos, Beau remains in my Q-cluster, building the programs for the cameras. Once completed, I weave them into the security clusters in such a way they’re almost invisible. Then we link with the satellite to ensure no one has tampered with it. Except someone already has.

  Before panic sets in, I check the camera feeds. They’re clean, showing an accurate picture of Yulin’s surface. But there’s a sneaky little program wrapped around the main Q-cluster. It’s unusual. In order to determine its function, I have to pull it apart. The process is like separating the individual strands from a rope without breaking them. With the utmost care, I ease the threads away from each other far enough to see what it’s programmed to do. It takes…a while for me to fully understand its purpose.