Seeing an em from his son, Merak smiled and sent a reply. Gil immediately responded, and Merak chatted with him for a few minutes. Then he sent Arisa a quick goodnight em, though it was still early afternoon back home.
Next to his ems was his mailbox, full of In-Depth Messages—IDMs, used for longer communications. Only a select group could em Merak, but anyone could IDM him. Despite digital filters and an assistant who further sifted through the messages, Merak received more IDMs than he could ever reply to. Several dozen awaited his attention. He sighed and began scanning the subjects and senders.
One stood out. It was from Tereza, the head of Merak Technologies’ intern program. The subject line read, List: new class.
Merak smiled. Tereza had a knack for picking out the brightest and most motivated interns. When she sent him lists, he kept the names and descriptions in the back of his mind and often personally assigned a few of them to important projects. Some of Tereza’s recommended interns from years past now held high positions at Merak Technologies and the Merak Foundation.
The new intern class seemed promising. Tereza hadn’t had a chance to meet most of them in person but had read their histories in detail. One young man, Tereza claimed, was more skilled than many of Merak’s software engineers. A woman who was a few years older than the other interns had a great head for numbers.
Then a name halfway down the list caught Merak’s eye: Ellin Havier.
His mouth curved up in a half-smile. His daughter’s name was Ellin. It was an old-fashioned name, not one he heard often these days. He read Tereza’s description:
Only 19 yrs old, but clearly brilliant & driven. Talked to me after orientation. Very familiar with/excited about our current work. Already requested assignment to Therro.
Tereza had described plenty of interns through the years as brilliant and driven. However, most didn’t manage to impress her with their knowledge of the company on day one. He didn’t know if Ellin’s passion was genuine or exaggerated for Tereza’s sake, but it really didn’t matter. Anyone motivated enough to research Merak Technologies in detail and to establish an early relationship with an executive was someone worth keeping an eye on.
It didn’t hurt that her name was Ellin, and she was the same age as his Ellin. Such a similar personality too, Merak thought. Even before she’d started school, his daughter had been motivated by a desire to achieve. He chuckled, remembering how she’d demanded, in that lisping voice of hers, that her daddy buy her more blocks. She didn’t even like playing with blocks all that much, but Gil had built a tower taller than himself, and she’d been determined to build a bigger one.
Merak shook his head, his smile remaining. He didn’t buy into Arisa’s spiritualism, but something like this made him wonder if some things were meant to be. He’d have to meet this new Ellin when he got back to Amler.
Standing, Merak discovered enthusiasm had replaced his drowsiness. He left the building, locked it, and set off running at a faster pace than before.
12
WEDNESDAY, QUARI 17, 6293
-52 DAYS
Ellin finished breakfast (including a chocolate cup of coffee that was even better than the fare back home) and set off for her new assignment. Day two at Merak Technologies had begun.
The previous day, the new interns had been told what departments they’d work in. Thanks to Rona’s mysterious hacker friends, she, Trett, and Ellin were all placed in areas where they might gather information on the dig in Therro.
Rona would work in Accounting, where she probably had more expertise than most of the employees. Everything cost money; if there was anything illegal going on at the dig, surely she could find it.
Trett was placed in Merak’s office, though with the number of workers there, he might have trouble getting close to the man himself. It didn’t help that Merak was in Therro, and nobody knew when he’d return.
Ellin had been assigned to the best source of information she could imagine: the Press Office. It was a few minutes’ walk from the dining hall, giving her time to think and hopefully work out a few of her new-job jitters.
She was fairly buzzing with alert focus. Until recently, she’d thought this sensation was reserved for her scholastic and career aspirations. It seemed her single-mindedness had merely shifted direction, perhaps even strengthened. I think what I loved about school was that it gave me big goals to focus on. Maybe that’s all I’ve ever needed: a big goal. Saving the world is as big as it gets.
She wondered, as she often did, what her parents would think if they could witness her determination to fight for the lives of everyone on Anyari. Her father’s voice filled her mind: Ellin, you can do anything you set your mind to. The memory brought a little lump to her throat, and she swallowed it down as she arrived at the Press Office building.
When she stepped inside, she blinked several times, trying to match her expectations to the reality before her. When she’d heard “Press Office,” she’d pictured perhaps a dozen people working on press releases. She’d thought that once she arrived at the correct building, she’d have to figure out what room to navigate to.
It turned out the entire, seven-story building was the Press Office. Ellin approached a wallscreen with an interactive map and stared at it. One floor was dedicated to video studios, another to video editing. Writers occupied the second floor. There were floors for text editors, administrative offices, and research. The third floor was unlabeled.
“Are you Ellin?”
The polite voice caused Ellin to stop perusing the map. She turned to face a man who was probably in his early thirties. “That’s me.” She held out her hand.
He shook it. “I’m Jovan. I’m sorry I wasn’t here to meet you when you arrived. I’ll be overseeing your internship here. Care to start with a tour?”
“That sounds great.”
The map had been impressive, but it hadn’t begun to convey just how much was happening here. Like she’d expected, the Press Office sent out press releases so reporters could write stories. However, the department also hosted a dedicated team of writers who composed everything from short articles to in-depth features, all written for specific newsorgs. Graphics and video experts inserted interactive elements. According to Jovan, the newsorgs often preferred Merak-generated content over anything their reporters would have had time to write.
Another team produced documentaries on Merak Technologies’ technical innovations and the Merak Foundation’s charitable work. Some of the latter productions were optimized for Threeds. Three-dimensional pictures were thought to make viewers feel more connected, leading some of them to volunteer their time and money.
It was the most modern place Ellin had ever stepped foot in. Several times, Jovan pointed out technology that Merak had developed but hadn’t made available for sale yet. The facility catered to its employees’ comfort too. A small coffee stand sat on one side of the lobby, serving free, gourmet drinks and snacks. Even the lifts and bathrooms were beautiful and comfortable.
At last, Jovan said, “That’s about it. The questionnaire you filled out last week made it clear you’re a skilled writer, so today we’d like you to work on an article about the Foundation’s vaccine distribution program. One of our writers will sit next to you and train you.
“That sounds great. What about the third floor? We skipped it.”
“We always skip it. It’s the one boring area in an exciting building.” Jovan smiled widely and led her back to the lift.
They entered the second-floor writing room, which took up the entire level. There, Jovan introduced her to her trainer. The woman showed Ellin to a workstation, then sent a list of facts to the deskscreen there. “Read the facts, and write whatever story seems appropriate,” she instructed before returning to her own work.
Ellin picked up the earcaps waiting at her station, hoping they’d been sanitized since the last person used them. When she held them to her ears, they molded to fit, blocking out most of the sound in the room. She selec
ted a fast-paced instrumental playlist from her deskscreen, and the music filled her ears.
When she was halfway through with the article, the coffee she’d brought caught up with her. She headed for the bathroom, which was right next to the lift.
A sudden desire, stronger even than her urge to use the bathroom, hit Ellin. I’ve got to see what’s on the third floor. She looked both directions. Seeing no one, she pushed the call button. The door to one of the lifts opened. Inside, she pushed the glowing “3” on the wallscreen.
ENTER YOUR SECURITY CODE, the screen instructed.
Ellin sighed and pushed the appropriate icon to open the lift doors. She went to the bathroom and returned to her workstation.
At lunch, Ellin, Rona, and Trett sat at a small table in the corner, ignoring their fellow interns.
“They’ve got me analyzing expenditures from the campus food service department,” Rona said. “I hope the two of you are having more luck than I am.”
“You remember how you said Tereza wasn’t just an employee, she’s a disciple?” Trett asked.
Ellin’s mouth was full of a surprisingly delicious salad, so she just nodded and said, “Mmm hmm.”
“Well, if you think she’s bad, you should meet the people in Merak’s office. If he told them to swallow poison, they’d have a contest to see who could do it the fastest.”
“I wonder how he holds such sway over them,” Rona said.
“You know, I honestly think he’s a good man,” Trett replied. “Obviously he’s good at earning money, but he’s a great leader too. He’s earned the respect of the people who work with him. I don’t think he’s faking his desire to help others.”
Ellin put down her fork. “If he’s that good of a man, maybe we can reason with him.”
Shaking her head, Rona said, “No chance. He’s rich. That means he’s good at making decisions and sticking with them. Nothing you say will convince him to give up what might be the archeological dig of a lifetime. Besides, how are we ever going to meet him?”
Ellin shoved a huge wad of lettuce in her mouth to prevent herself from snapping at her know-it-all sister. She took a couple of deep breaths through her nose as she chewed. After swallowing, she gave Rona a bright smile that hopefully didn’t look too fake. “We’ll meet him—or at least I will—because I’m going to stand out as the top intern here. They asked me to write one article this morning. I wrote two and started on a third. My trainer couldn’t believe it.”
Rona wouldn’t be swayed. “Be realistic, Ellin. There may be only eighty interns, but a hundred thousand other people work for Merak. Trying really hard won’t get you very far here.”
“You know—” Trett began.
Ellin cut him off. “First of all, Rona, don’t talk to me like I’m a child.” When Rona opened her mouth to argue, Ellin barreled on, giving up on her pretense of diplomacy. “Second, trying really hard, as you put it, has always worked for me in the past. It’ll work here too.”
Rona spared a short eyeroll for her sister before turning her attention to her food. She picked up a piece of artisan bread that was dotted with at least six different types of seeds. Her face twisted in disgust. Ellin knew that look; Rona had always preferred simple fare. Suddenly, Rona dropped the bread, and her eyes glazed over.
“Oh great,” Ellin said, glancing around to see if anyone was watching.
The vision only lasted a few seconds. Then Rona looked straight at Ellin, her eyes clear again. “Why do you want to see the third floor?”
Ellin’s eyes widened, but she recovered quickly. “I was just going to tell you both about that.” She explained the mystery of the floor she hadn’t been allowed to visit.
“I just saw you entering a code in the lift and walking right into that department,” Rona said. “No one was there.”
“Maybe it was nighttime?” Trett suggested.
“Yeah, the building was pretty dark.” Rona stood, the look on her face intense. “I’m going to my room; I’ve got half an hour before I need to be back in Accounting.” She sped off, leaving a half-full tray of food behind.
“What do you think she’s up to?” Trett asked.
“No idea, and I’ve learned not to ask when she gets like this.”
Trett’s face broke into that heart-stopping grin. “It’s kind of nice to get a few minutes alone.” He leaned over, giving her a kiss.
Ellin smiled, then stood. “Actually, I need to go back to my room too. I’m out of the loop on the progress in Therro, and all they want me to focus on in the Press Office is vaccine stories. If I leave now, I can catch up on the news.”
Trett was still smiling. “Don’t you think your mind will be more clear if you take a few breaks?”
He was right; she was usually more productive in the afternoon if she took a true break at lunch. She sighed and sat. “Okay, I’ll stay here.”
“I’m glad.” He took a bite.
Ellin watched him. His shoulders were relaxed, and when his eyes met hers, he swallowed and gave her a sweet grin before taking another bite.
How is he so calm? We’re trying to stop the apocalypse, and he looks like he doesn’t have a care in the world. Despite her resolution to enjoy the rest of lunch, her mind wandered to the story she was working on, the news she might be missing, and the countdown on her flex. Her salad forgotten, she brought her hand to her mouth and chewed on a dry cuticle while Trett ate his lunch in silence.
THURSDAY, QUARI 18, 6293
-51 DAYS
It was the middle of the night when Ellin woke to knocking at her door. She staggered out of bed. “Who is it?”
“It’s me,” Rona’s voice called.
Ellin opened the door. “You could have emmed me. Your notifications always come through, day or night.”
“I didn’t think of that.” Rona touched a panel on the wall, turning on the overhead light. Ellin groaned, covering her eyes.
“I have a security code for you,” Rona said.
“A what?” Ellin found her desk chair and sat.
“A security code. For the third floor of the press building.”
“What time is it?”
“Almost two. I told you, in my vision, you visited the building at night.”
Squinting at her sister, whose level of alertness was probably illegal at this time of night, Ellin said, “I’m not breaking into a building! I’ll never gain respect at this place if I do something like that, and they’ll never send me to Therro if they don’t respect me.”
Rona raised an eyebrow. “I could try to convince you it’s not really breaking in when you have a code. Or you could save us some time and just go, because you know you’re going to do it eventually. I saw two potential realities. You do this, we find out something important. You don’t, and we’re stuck here with no useful information at all.”
Ellin groaned. “Where’d you get the code—oh, your hacker friend, right?”
Rona nodded. She was blinking fast, Ellin noticed, and her gaze had dropped as soon as she’d heard the word hacker. What was she hiding? Too tired to dwell on her sister’s oddities, Ellin pushed the question away. “You want me to go tonight?”
“We’re on a timeline.”
“I don’t want to do this!” Ellin knew her voice was as shrill as a ten-year-old’s, but she didn’t care. She was helpless against her sister’s perfect prophecies. She’d never dreamed of breaking and entering, but apparently she had to forget that for the night.
Rona’s only response was two raised eyebrows.
Ellin sighed. “Let me see the code.”
Rona handed over her flexscreen. The security code was six digits long, and Ellin repeated it to herself several times, even typing it into an imaginary keypad in front of her. “I’ve got it.”
“Better be sure.”
“I am sure. But how do you know I’ll be safe? Just because I have a code doesn’t mean I won’t get caught by security. I’m sure there are cameras.”
“Ther
e are. Maybe nobody’s monitoring them. You’ll be fine.” Rona walked to the door. “Get dressed and go. Find out whatever you can while you’re there; you might not get another chance.”
“You promise I’m not going to get eaten alive by a guard caynin? Or arrested and given a life sentence?”
“Ellin, you’ve seen the technology at this place. Their guards don’t need animals to help them. Anyway, you know you’d never get a life sentence for trespassing.”
“When the world’s ending in fifty-one days, most sentences are life sentences.”
Rona’s face turned somber. “True.” She drew in a deep breath and let it out in a shaky huff. Then she lifted her chin and met Ellin’s eyes. “You’ll be fine. You won’t be arrested. Now go.”
“I’m bringing Trett with me.”
“I know,” Rona said. “He’s already getting dressed.”
She left, and Ellin gave the closed door a dirty look. Of course Rona knew.
Fifteen minutes later, Ellin and Trett were at the Press Office building. The security code got them in the front door. Ellin took deep, slow breaths, trying to slow her rushing heart and calm the acidic guilt in her stomach. She wasn’t sure whether she despised herself or Rona more at that moment. She shook her head hard as she led Trett to the lift.
“Hey,” he said, grabbing her hand before she could push the button.
Ellin turned to him.
Trett smiled. “It’s gonna be all right.”
She released a long sigh, looking longingly back at the front door. “I hate this.”
“You know, some people get a thrill out of breaking the rules.”
Ellin turned back to Trett. He was giving her that look she’d always loved, one of mingled adoration and hunger. His barely-parted lips conveyed a clear message: Kiss me.
The Seer’s Sister: Prequel to The Magic Eaters Trilogy Page 9
