Phantom Universe

by Laura Kreitzer

CHAPTER 40: CLOCK

  16 years old

  When they enter into Summer’s room, she notices two things immediately. First, there’s one vase full of roses—the rest are gone, even the roses she tossed outside. Second, everyone’s already there. Silence charges through the room like Lucy’s horse with a pink handprint on its behind, subduing the light chatter. Rob and Jaden lean against the headboard of the bed that Jaden shares with Lucy, while Avery and Lucy sit at the tiny table. All eyes land on the three of them, and Landon goes to Lucy and sits at her feet. Summer takes the other bed, and Gage stays standing near the front door.

  “I’m sorry for not explaining,” says Gage, glancing at the bed and then the table. “Now I will.” He takes a deep breath as if preparing to announce bad news. “There was a meeting a week ago at the Phantomship City Center for all Leaguers who weren’t on duty. At first I thought it was just going to be more news about other Outlander camps and things going on in other countries. Routine. But this time it was different—there was a group of people who had come to speak with us. They called themselves the Secret Clock Society.”

  Summer’s mouth goes dry as she exchanges a knowing glance with Landon. Jaden gasps and stands immediately, the bed squealing in protest at her movements. “What? They’re here?”

  “Let me continue,” says Gage and gestures for her to take a seat. “I’ll explain everything I know, just give me a few minutes.”

  “It’s okay,” says Rob and reaches out for Jaden’s hand. She lowers herself back onto the bed and leans against the headboard again, the springs in the mattress screaming in protest. “Let him finish.”

  Gage nods at Rob. “They informed us that there’s an Outlander who they know is responsible for the time travel.” Gage reaches behind him and pulls something out of his pocket. It’s a folded up piece of paper which he gently unfolds and holds up. “This is the sketch they offered us. Look familiar?”

  There are definitely discrepancies, but it’s so clearly Summer that everyone’s eyes flash from the drawing to Summer’s face. Fear coils around her like a tangle of ivy, choking and cutting off her oxygen.

  Gage takes a deep breath, his green eyes apologetic. “This is why you were attacked outside of the hospital, Summer,” he explains, staring only at Summer as he continues. “Part of it was because you’re an Outlander, but mostly you fit the description. These fliers have been posted all over town, shown on billboards, plastered on every storefront, and flashed on holograms in Phantomship, and really, the rest of the country too. I’ve prevented many of the Leaguers from reporting you, but I knew it couldn’t last.”

  “What does this mean?” asks Lucy, her voice wavering. “What do they want from Summer anyway? And why would they think Summer, of all people, are responsible for this?”

  “If they find her they’ll kill her!” exclaims Jaden, unable to contain her burst of anger. “I know these people—they bought me from my previous owners. They can’t be trusted.”

  “That’s what I was afraid of.” Gage’s hand runs through his hair again, making it stand on end. “There’s more. These people told us that the girl in the drawing—Summer—needs to be brought in so they can stop her from doing anything like this again. They called you”—he glances at Summer—“a ‘time bomb.’ ” All eyes swivel to her, and she looks at Landon. They both heard them call someone a time bomb on the boat, but it didn’t make sense until now.

  “No one would believe them so easily, so they provided proof of who you are,” continues Gage, his voice rough and uneven. He crosses the room, less than ten paces, drops before her, and gazes into her sapphire eyes. “I don’t know how to say this, so I’m just going to spit it out.” He sighs and shakes his head as if aligning his thoughts. “Summer, you weren’t born—you were created by the Secret Clock Society in an Oxford laboratory.”

  What? she mouths at him, not comprehending.

  “The whole point of them creating you was to have you grow up under one of the doctors on the project—the Hourglass Project—as their child. When you became old enough, they would train you to use the gift they bestowed in you: to travel time and be their own personal clock. According to the society, the only way to build a time machine is to have it inside a living organism.” Gage pauses and reaches for Summer’s trembling hands. “They realized they made a mistake when you were four years old—a glitch, a wrong calculation—and the project was supposed to be terminated. The plan was to kill you.”

  Summer closes her eyes and shakes her head as memories explode in her mind like sparkling bombs of horrifically vibrant and scintillating colors from a moving car. She remembers the ride that started it all—the car ride that changed her life. It can’t be true. I’m not an . . . experiment! I’m a person. A human being. Right?

  “Flower,” whispers Gage intensely, his tone embracing her like the swirling sea winds. His warm palm cups the side of her face as his thumb caresses her cheek, the touch a warm ray of sunshine. “Doctor Waverly, your mother, ran away with you. She wouldn’t let them kill you so she ran, even though she knew these people would find you eventually. And they did—on the dock in Portsmouth. Except, the Society didn’t offer the kidnappers they hired enough money, so they sold you to a pirate who promised to keep you away from the Society. Not because they wanted to protect you, but just because the Society pissed off the kidnappers. It was a game to them.”

  His words are like a cold knife at her neck, like a whip biting into her skin. Her eyes sting with the fear that’s now so tangible in the room you can sense it writhing and expanding in the air.

  “Oh, sweet, sweet Summer. They never told you, did they?” he asks softly.

  Summer shakes her head, her eyes locking on his.

  “I’m sorry,” he whispers, only for her. He stands, bends over, and kisses her forehead gently before turning around and facing everyone else who’s staring at the two of them wide-eyed and open-mouthed.

  “Right now,” Gage says, “the only thing we have going for us is that they don’t have official access to GPS tracking and cameras—but that isn’t to say that they haven’t found ways to gain it—or are close to gaining it. Luckily, we have many Leaguers on your side, Summer. The problem is that we have many who don’t care or just don’t like you. You story has inspired many people—your struggle to stay alive in such a cruel world. You’ve already made leaps and bounds since you’ve been here. I hate to lose our progress because of some stupid secret society.”

  There’s a knock at the door, and everyone jumps. “It’s just Cameron,” informs Gage as he opens the door.

  Cameron dashes in and closes the door, her chest heaving, clearly out of breath. Her black hair’s disheveled, and her brown eyes are wide. “They’re asking the other Outlanders questions about Summer,” she gasps. “She can’t stay here any longer! That Kayla girl’s blabbering to the other Leaguers all about this psycho blonde girl named Summer. Emma and Zoe are trying to distract them all by sending them the wrong direction while Hunter and Ethan work on the outer perimeter. Now—” She holds up a large bag. “Who’s coming with us?”

  “I’m so ready to get away from these rich, ugly gits,” says Rob.

  “I go where Summer goes,” adds Landon. Soon, everyone’s agreeing and almost causing Summer to tear up at everyone’s willingness to stand up for her after everything they just heard.

  “All right then. Here’s a bag full of modern clothes. Go through and put on whatever you can find that fits you. You’ll look less conspicuous,” says Cameron. “And this is for you.” She tosses something at Summer who ducks and raises her arms reflexively, her heart jumping in her chest.

  “Cameron!” chides Gage. “You couldn’t walk five feet?”

  “Oh, I’m so sorry, Summer,” apologizes Cameron with a grimace.

  Summer reaches down and picks up the bottle Cameron threw at her. She flips it over and over, looking up at Cameron questioningly.

  “It’s temporary hair dye. Follow the directions.�
�� Cameron stares at her and waits. “Hurry! We don’t have long; get Lucy to help you.” Chaos ensues as everyone begins to change clothes, and Lucy dyes Summer’s hair a rich black. It only takes a few minutes before everyone’s changed and Summer’s clothes and hair are so different that she looks like a rocker chick—completely the opposite of what she’s used to. Lucy’s highly impressed at how quickly the hair dye works and continues to touch Summer’s wet and tangled hair in awe.

  “Is everyone ready?” asks Cameron. “Emma and Zoe are waiting for us.”

  They’re all ready—eager and terrified, but ready. Summer still can’t believe that all these people are willing to break her out of this place when she might have been the one to cause them to time travel in the first place, leading them to this camp. She’s never dreamed of being so lucky.

  Gage reaches for her and pulls her close. “Then there’s only one thing left to do now . . . I’m going to commit treason.”