Maybe she’d made it all up. Her powers were acting so erratic lately, and she didn’t know what to trust.
“Rise and shine like the stars you are.” Suma stuck her head in the door, laughing at her own choice of words.
Kira didn’t appear to have heard their professor, so Jules climbed from the bunk bed and roused the girl. Her white eyes shot open quickly.
“Where am I?” she asked.
“Menocury L05. We’re here to finish the evacuation of the Nirzu,” Jules told her, and the girl nodded.
“Right. I’ve never liked waking up in strange places,” she said.
Jules wasn’t sure how old the girl was, but even though she was a foot or so shorter than Jules, that wasn’t uncommon for Molariun girls. Even Rivo was much smaller than Jules, and she ran the largest corporation around.
“I don’t either,” Jules confided. “Better get at it if we’re going to start our process today.”
“What exactly are we going to do?” Kira asked.
Somehow everyone assumed Jules had all the answers because of who her father was, and the fact that she was often having family dinners with their professors.
“No one’s told me. I think we’re going to be hitting the remote locations that the Nirzu couldn’t access. If I was to guess, there will be some locals that don’t want to leave their home.” Jules headed for the bathroom, where she’d found the Nirzu version of a shower last night.
“Why would anyone want to stay here when their entire population is leaving?” Kira asked, her legs dangling over the edge of the bed.
“People stayed on Earth when it was being evacuated,” Jules said with a shrug. “I suppose they grow attached to their homes more than the rest of their people.”
“How long until the star makes this world unbearable?” Kira asked.
“Even if it’s only a few years, some will make that choice. Others won’t believe the scientists,” Jules said.
Kira gaped at her before rubbing the sleep from her eyes. “You’re really smart. I heard some of the other students talking about you.”
Jules pretended not to care. The truth was, her first couple of years had been a struggle, but she’d only been a little girl. After the Kold attack, everything had changed. No one had messed with her after that, even if some of them gave her a wide berth. She preferred that to ridicule anyway. “Who was talking?”
“I’m not sure. One of the older Bhlat girls, and that cute human. You know… Dean,” she said.
Jules smiled and found the shower controls. After five minutes of messing with the settings, she spent two minutes in lukewarm steam before giving up, considering herself clean.
She dressed, grabbed her compact pack, and found the others in a dining hall. They were in some sort of stone school or religious structure. Jules wasn’t certain. It was old but spotless, even with nearly the entire Nirzu population departed.
Senator Wylain stood near the entrance to the wide-open room. Lights ran along the outer edges of the room, casting a warm and inviting glow over the space. Loweck was there talking with the Nirzu leader, and she waved Jules over.
“Senator, this is Jules Parker, one of our Academy’s best and brightest.” Loweck winked at Jules as she said it.
“That is high praise for one so young. May grace befall you, Jules Parker.” The senator nodded her head, and Jules copied the motion.
“May grace befall you as well, Senator Wylain,” Jules told the woman. “Your city seems like a wonderful place. It’s unfortunate you can’t take it with you.” Jules regretted her careless words the moment she saw the senator’s gaze drop to the floor. “I meant nothing by it.”
“Think nothing of it. We agree, but are excited by our new start. Without the assistance of the Alliance of Worlds and the help of the Gatekeepers, we were doomed.” The senator’s gaze met Jules’, and she held it.
“I’m sure you would have done the same for someone if you could have,” Jules said.
The senator glanced at Loweck. “You were right about this one. She is very astute. Thank you for helping us ensure the planet is fully evacuated, Jules Parker.”
Jules understood this was the end of her conversation. She nodded her head again. “You’re most welcome. I truly hope you enjoy your new home.” She turned, spotting Dean with two plates of food.
“I don’t know what this is, but it smells good. I thought you might like some,” he said, setting the dish on a table.
“Thank you,” she told him.
“Call it a repayment for all those times you poured my cereal for me,” he said with a grin.
Slate entered the room, a tablet in his hand. “Everyone, you have ten minutes to eat, then rendezvous in the courtyard.” He left, tapping at his device.
“I’m looking forward to this,” Dean told her.
“So am I. Hey, if we have to pair up, do you want to be my partner?” she asked, slightly nervous at his response.
“Sure. You can bail me out of trouble when I land in it,” Dean said.
They ate their food, Kira and Canni coming to join them, then they emerged into a chilly courtyard with the other students, right on time.
“Slate, you may want to come over here,” Loweck called from across the stone-patterned circular pad.
“What is it?” he asked, and Jules tugged Dean along, wanting a closer look. Concern was etched across Loweck’s brow as they all approached.
Their hand-to-hand training professor glanced at Jules and Dean, but kept talking. “It’s the Horizon. They sent a message, saying something was blocking live communication in the atmosphere. The Nirzu said this happened on occasion, something about an electrical disturbance in the stratosphere.”
“What did the message say?” Slate asked as Suma arrived.
“They’ve received a distress call. Someone claims to be a system over, and their life support’s failing. Their ship was punctured with tiny pieces of space debris, and they patched it up, but it caused enough damage. They also claim they only have another five days before they die,” Loweck said, reading from the tablet in her hand.
Suma reached for the device, and Loweck passed it to her. “What does this mean for us? Do we join our ship and assist with the rescue mission?”
Loweck shrugged. “It doesn’t say.”
Jules watched as Suma keyed in a message, then advised their group what she was typing. “I’m going to ask for instructions. Technically, we aren’t crew of the Horizon, and we do have a mission of our own. I’ll suggest they leave and help the distress call victims, then return to retrieve us. The timing should work in our favor.”
Slate frowned. “That’ll leave us here with no escape.”
“And what do you think will happen, Slate?” Suma asked. “It’s not as if the planet is in urgent danger. The world’s sustainable for a few more years. We’ll be fine.”
“She’s right, Zeke,” Loweck said.
“Fine. Let’s make sure the senator and her last group depart this morning, and then we can follow through on our mission. Let the Horizon know that. I wish I could go and assist, with Magnus gone,” Slate said.
Jules had almost forgotten that Uncle Magnus was with her father on Earth. And with no commander on staff… “Who’s in charge up there?” she blurted out.
All eyes settled on her, and she averted her gaze.
Slate mumbled and said, “Well, Walo and Sergo are on the bridge crew, and Hectal’s up there…”
Suma held out the tablet. “It looks like Natalia will be leading the charge in her husband’s absence.”
“My mom?” Dean asked. “She never wants to be on the bridge.”
“She’d be damned good at it, son,” Slate told Dean.
“Message sent,” Suma said. “Let’s see the senator off, and we can begin our trip to the mountains.”
Jules perked up at the words. She’d seen mountains when she’d first heard the call, distant and faint.
“Let’s make sure everyon
e is ready for the last colony ship departure,” Loweck said, leading their group away from the courtyard, toward the final ship landed in the field beyond the Nirzu city.
____________
The sun was beginning its inevitable descent behind a large hill that overlooked the valley we were heading into. I glanced the way we’d come from, seeing more people emerging from the brush, each armed and following us. My shadow was long by the time Amada stopped us at the edge of the village.
This town appeared much the same as the last: overgrown and in shambles. But when I peered past the first row of structures, I saw that wasn’t exactly true. The fence beyond was straight, and I spotted cattle inside a field, slowly chewing on thick green grass. I heard the sound of clucking chickens carrying from a patched barn.
“What now?” Magnus asked Amada.
There had to be at least a dozen of the Restorers along the road behind us, and Amada turned from us, looking toward the hill. She pulled a flashlight from her pocket. “We wait for the sun to hide.”
“The sun to hide…” Magnus started, but it didn’t take long. The sunlight faded as it tucked past the hillside, and Amada clicked her flashlight to life.
She pointed it toward the hill and clicked it on and off three times.
I didn’t say a word, understanding that she was waiting for a reply from someone. And there it was, a flash of light in return: three blinks.
“Now we go,” Amada said.
They hadn’t asked us a thing about our stories yet, and I was surprised they’d allowed us this far. As I walked with Magnus at my side, I realized I was being naïve. They’d let us come into their village with complete understanding that if we were worthy of their ranks, we’d be welcomed. If our story didn’t check out, we’d likely be buried under a pile of rocks before the sun rose again.
Suddenly, it felt as though we were heading into a tunnel with no exit, and I regretted my decision to come here. I’d honestly thought this village would be different: less armed, and more like the ones Paul had described in the States. This was something else: a fortified group, not wanting others to know they existed.
We moved quickly as dusk spread out around the landscape. It was growing more difficult to see, and I tripped in a pothole in the dirt-packed road, Magnus reaching out to steady me. He didn’t say a word, just kept walking.
The trip across the village took all of fifteen minutes, but I felt the growing tension with each lot we passed. Soon we were at the end of town, staring up at an overgrown pathway leading to the hillside.
“Up there,” Amada said. She wasn’t armed, but she didn’t have to be. I took a peek behind us, realizing a lot of the followers had dispersed as we’d come, and only the original two remained, holding the rifle and shotgun.
“After you,” Magnus told her, and she nodded, heading in first. The path was winding and steep, and by the time our guide slowed, I was covered in sweat, bug bites, and scratches from the overgrown bushes surrounding the dirt track.
We stepped out into an open yard, and the villa beyond was immense. The home had to be five thousand square feet, and I counted at least three outbuildings, two of them with candlelight flickering inside thin-paned windows.
“Quite the place,” Magnus muttered to me.
“No kidding,” I said.
There were no visible lights inside the villa, but the door creaked open and a figure stepped out onto the front landing. I saw the light of the cigar burning, and smelled it at the same time. Magnus sniffed the air. He was a cigar man as well.
Dread seeped into my veins as Amada led us forward, up the steady incline of the Spanish stone walkway, and stopped in front of the villa.
“Frasier, I have two more,” she said, and the man moved from the cover of the balcony overhead. It was dark, and moonlight cascaded down, revealing the same man I’d encountered at the train hijacking.
“Don’t I know you?” he asked, staring me straight in the eyes.
Nine
“I’m afraid not,” I told him. I was grateful for my foresight in not shaving for the last week, in preparation for my role as a man on the road. As if reading my thoughts, Magnus scratched his own chin. I was wearing colored contacts, my eyes now dark green. I’d cut my hair shorter too, and really hoped it was enough.
Frasier stepped right up to me, wearing animal hides as pants, and a vest. He scrutinized me; his brow furrowed, his eyes moving slowly as he attempted to place the recognition. At last he stood back, resting his hands at his sides, the burning cigar held in his right fingers.
“Maybe you’re right,” he admitted, turning his attention to Magnus. “What do we have here? You’re a big boy, aren’t you?” Frasier clapped him on the shoulder and inspected him as if he were a prize cow.
Magnus cleared his throat. “You wouldn’t happen to have another one of those?” He pointed to the burning tobacco.
“Sure, sure. Come in. Amada, would you be so kind as to fetch us something to drink?” Frasier asked our guide, and she shot me an angry glance before heading into the house. I felt something pass between them, but wasn’t in the know enough to understand what had transpired. If I was to guess, she thought he was being too friendly with the newcomers. She had that look about her. Untrusting. I’d have to watch that one closely.
Magnus held the door for me, and I walked into the villa. There were a few candles across the room, casting enough light to see where I went. The floor was comprised of large square travertine tiles, and Frasier led us across the space, through an arched doorway and into a living room.
“I apologize for the lack of electricity, but you understand, right?” he asked.
“The only technology worth its weight is a hunter’s trap and a good axe,” Magnus said, taking a seat in an ornate wooden chair.
Frasier laughed and took a solitary candle, lighting another five or six in sconces around the room. “Let there be light,” he said. He turned to me, the flickering shadows showing his face to be friendly, even happy to see us. “Please, have a seat.”
I almost expected him to call me Cliff, but when he didn’t, I sat beside Magnus. Amada arrived, setting three glasses on a table between us, and a bottle of what appeared to be very old Spanish wine. There was a handmade label I couldn’t read.
“Amada, would you grab a glass for yourself and join us?” he asked. She appeared surprised at the invitation, but left and returned with another glass a moment later.
“Here you go.” Frasier passed a cigar to Magnus, and he offered me one. I declined with a shake of my head. Magnus stood, using a candle to light it, and puffed away, bringing the tip to a glowing ember.
Amada uncorked the bottle, pouring a bit for Frasier. He lifted the glass, swirling it, sniffing it before tasting. It was quite the sight. “Perfect,” he said, and she emptied the bottle into the four glasses, passing them out without a word.
Frasier leaned back in his chair and took a sip of wine. “Now that we’re settled, would you please tell me why I shouldn’t kill you?”
____________
“We’re moving in three teams,” Suma said. “Loweck is leading one, as well as Slate, and I’ll lead the other.” She pointed to the screen inside their dropship. “We’re using the Nirzu cruisers, which hold eight comfortably. There are three groups the senator is concerned about, and she wants us to ensure they’ve all vacated.”
“Why didn’t the Nirzu do this themselves?” a Bhlat boy asked. He was huge, partially blocking Jules’ view.
“Good question. They explained that they’ve attempted to convince the groups to evacuate, but many were adamant that they weren’t leaving. The Alliance offered assistance. Most of them did vacate, but they’ve lost communication with all three groups over the last week and are worried something has happened. There was a quake recorded along the mountain ridges a handful of days ago, and they often cause rock slides. This has turned from convincing old Nirzu to leave, to a search and rescue mission. Got it?”
&nbs
p; “Got it!” the group chorused. Jules wondered if this was related to the sensation she’d felt when they’d arrived, and guessed it had to be.
“There are twenty of us. I’ll be taking seven, Loweck takes seven, and Slate is taking six. The names have already been chosen, so don’t try to change teams… Canni,” Suma said, looking at the Keppe boy, who could only shrug.
Jules glanced at Dean beside her and hoped they were going to be on the same team. She really wished she’d known about the mission plan, then she could have talked to Suma about it earlier.
Uncle Zeke walked to the side wall of the dropship, holding a tablet. “Okay, listen up, junior Gatekeepers. I have Canni, Kira, Extel Four, Wentle…”
Jules closed her eyes, waiting for the last two names. She knew she was going to be paired with Slate; her father would have made sure of it.
“Jules… and last but never least, Dean,” Slate said, and Jules clutched Dean’s arm in excitement. The boy shook himself free and stood up, going to join the others as they circled around Slate. “Everyone here?” He peered around. “Good.”
Jules hit the grass first, followed by Extel Four, the Inlorian student. Jules hadn’t talked to her much, but she seemed nice enough. She wore a modified white jumpsuit; her extra four arms, each clawed, hung at her sides. “This will be great experience,” she told Jules.
Next out was Canni, the large Keppe boy who’d helped Jules during the Kold attack. He was almost graduating, and he stood a good two feet over Jules, the sunlight gleaming off his bald dark head. His skin was armored, making him even bulkier beneath his uniform. He gave Jules a high-five as he stood beside her.
Kira, the little Molariun girl she’d shared a bunk with last night, rushed toward her, giving Jules a hug. “I’m so glad we’re on the same team!”
“So am I. All of you,” Jules said, not wanting to leave anyone out.
Slate led Wentle, the buzzing Padlog insectoid, from the dropship. Jules had never spoken to Wentle, and honestly hadn’t ever seen the ant-like boy with any friends at the Academy. He came to stand in line, and Jules glanced at his thin hands. Coarse dark hairs stood from the backs of them, and his eyes were black and wide as he stared toward their professor.
Old World (The Survivors Book Eleven) Page 7
