“Holly, I’m so sorry to bother you,” Elan said in her ear. “Is this time OK for a quick conversation?”
She smiled. “As long as it’s quick. I’m in the middle of a bargaining session. What is it?”
“I will explain fast, then. This is important, otherwise I would wait till you came to the school again to bother you with it. I don’t want to alarm you, Holly. But I’m concerned. More children have left. So many now, that the remaining children are wondering what’s going on. Every one of them comes to me, Val, or Estie, and explains that they’re ready to leave. Then they go. And—”
“You can’t stop them,” Holly finished for him. It was a blow like a fist in her chest. There was no denying it. The children were in trouble. But, because they were kids, they were the most ignorant of it and didn’t think they were. Perhaps they thought they had a choice? Based on what she’d seen on the streets up to now, they were being coerced away and felt they were in control of the situation. Wasn’t that just like a kid? To think they were making adult decisions and venturing out into the unknown, believing another adult. Adults who likely did not have their best interest in mind.
“Precisely, Holly Drake. They are free to leave. The school is based on that inherent right. We want to keep them, to protect them from the dangers out there. But we’re merely guardians. The Centau haven’t even given us legal guardianship of the children. They have a very loose grasp on some of these differences between human, Yasoan, and Constie. I’m not sure if there’s anything we can do, but I wanted you to be aware of how it was progressing.”
Her thoughts were running circles thinking of how she could help the children. They could find them and bring them back. They could put out reward posters.
But the children had to return voluntarily.
Meanwhile, she was vaguely aware of what Macav was saying. Odeon and Shiro, Holly noticed, seemed raptly intent on what what was. Her attention narrowed in on his voice for a few seconds. “The modulator saved their ship! They changed some of the connectors and it sent a shock through the behemoth.”
Holly cursed under her breath. What had Macav said? She hoped Shiro and Odeon were paying attention.
“I do want to know what’s going on, Elan. I don’t know what we can do, but something must be done.”
“I feel the same way. We’ve been able to dissuade the younger children from leaving. The older kids, however, they’re older, more forceful. This can’t be good. I’m not a warrior. I know my place, and it is here in the school, teaching balance and peace. Outside these walls and the walls of my school in the north, you are the authority.”
“I’ll be back on Kota soon, Elan. We’ll meet and figure out a next step. In the meantime, I’ll have Darius look deeper into it.”
Holly finished the call and moved back into the arrangement of furniture, sitting down beside Shiro.
“Entertaining call, Ms. Drake?” Macav asked, grinning up at her. His eyes held that same calculating look she’d grown to expect from him.
“Yes, thanks. Did you finish our deal? We have the product and price nailed down? More pressing matters are calling, back on Kota.”
“Your boys have what you need, I believe. Now I simply require my payment.”
After some heated debate on price, and some mildly successful haggling techniques using Odeon’s influence, novas changed hands and then Macav showed them to the door. “Now, be aware, my favorite, most loyal clients, there is this one matter of a rival who has been after me for some of my trade secrets.”
Holly flashed a look at Odeon, who was in the process of exchanging a look with Shiro. Shiro glanced at Holly, then.
“And just what is it that you mean, old chap? A rival?”
“Yes, that’s just somewhat vague. Explain.”
Odeon began to finger his Ousaba club like he wouldn’t mind using it on the Centau-raised Constie.
Macav laughed. He carried his wine with him and sipped it. “Ah, I don’t mind telling you, since the novas are all safely stowed up there in my vault. The transaction is complete. I only mean that its likely related to the fact that my rival is frustrated that, often, I can build on their mediocre ideas and make better tools than they do.” He paused and flashed them all an inquisitive look. “You mean to tell me that none of you have heard of this infamous rivalry?”
“Precisely, old man. We haven’t. Otherwise we just might go to them. Are they perchance based on Kota?”
11
“There you are. Good lord, child, don’t alarm me like that,” Charly’s voice came over Holly’s earpiece as soon as she flipped it back on. “Checking in. Did you get the parts we need?”
“Yes. We got what we’re said to need,” Holly responded. She carried a heavy pack on her back full of the devices they’d bought from Macav. She was flanked on either side by Shiro and Odeon as they wandered back to the landing platform. The sun had dipped lower in the horizon of Helo’s sky and the Halo Stand had gotten busier as the day spun toward late evening. Another artificial rain had washed through the city, leaving a humid weight to the air that clung to them. The seasons on Helo didn’t follow the same pattern as those on Kota, and there was still a summery air to the atmosphere of the water moon.
“Said to need? You sound skeptical,” Charly pointed out.
Holly caught Shiro looking at her from the corner of his eye and she shrugged. It didn’t seem right to pretend just for them, so she voiced her concerns to Charly knowing that Odeon and Shiro were listening. “I am. I have a sneaking feeling that these things won’t work as they’re supposed to.”
Charly scoffed. “Doubt and cynicism? That’s my role, Holly. But then, why go all the way to Helo to buy them?”
“Take it easy, Holly. I’m sure they’ll work just fine,” Darius said.
“What else could we do?” Holly asked. “We should have a plan B just in case. Work on those, guys. Plan Bs. Keep yourself ready for anything.”
“I agree with Ms. Drake. Best to approach it cynically. That way when it works, we’ll all be pleasantly surprised.”
“Something will work, if not the items we got for the job,” Odeon pointed out. “This will be what it will be. And we can’t change that.”
“Other than buying things that we hope will change it?” Darius asked.
Holly glanced at the Yasoan, who walked beside her through the sidewalk and the crowds, using his Ousaba like a walking stick. He shook his head, a slight, irritated smile on his face.
“We need to make sure Trip is on board with the job. Darius did you ever get in touch with her?” Holly directed the conversation away from an argument between them. A faint, out of place sound hit Holly suddenly. Was it in the earpiece? She glanced around, curious.
“Yeah, she’ll be back in time to run you out that way. She didn’t sound too thrilled about changes to her ship, but when I explained, she seemed into it.”
Holly paused for a moment and glanced over her shoulder to scan the crowd behind them. A fissure ran through the crowd of pedestrians, as though the Halo stand were splitting in a jagged crack. She grabbed for Odeon’s arm, then Shiro’s, getting them to pause with her as she watched what was happening behind her. The crowd continued to walk around them like a river adapting for stones.
Two people emerged from the crowd. Holly expected them to continue on, but they pointed at her and began to sprint toward Holly and her companions.
She wasn’t going to wait around to find out what they wanted. They wore uniforms of slate gray with an orange brand on them of some kind. A quick survey of the area told her what she needed to know: they were targeting Holly and her crew.
“What do they want? Looks like they’re coming after us,” Odeon said.
“I think this is about the time that we decide to run,” Holly said.
Shiro groaned. “You don’t want to find out what this is about?”
Holly laughed, belying the dread filling her. Trouble seemed to follow them wherever they went. �
�Not at all. You?”
“Great point. I’m not keen to discover what this could be about,” Shiro said, turning and pulling his bowler down lower over his head.
“How about we shut up and run?”
Odeon and Shiro pulled up the rear as Holly took off, racing over the sidewalks, across the streets and past the plaza.
They broke between pedestrians, trying to slip past them without a disturbance, saying excuse me and pardon us, but after a fifth Constie pedestrian got in their way, Holly gave up on that. There was no time for decorum when she was running for her life. Or whatever it was—she still wasn’t sure what they wanted.
“Perhaps these are the competition of which Macav spoke,” Shiro mentioned, his voice coming in over the earpiece.
“You’re probably right,” Holly said. “Not that it matters. They’re after us and they don’t look friendly.”
“Let’s hope that once we’re on the space elevator we won’t have to worry about them,” Odeon said.
“Darius, you there?” Holly asked, into the earpiece, touching her ear. Her breath came in short gasps.
“Darius!” Charly shouted, cutting in to help. “They need you! I think he’s been taking a nap. Hang on, I’ll go wake him up. What do you guys need? What’s happening?”
“When’s the next pod heading up the elevator that we can get on? Someone’s after us and we’re running straight for the landing pad.” Her side began to ache. Autos honked at them as they wove through the crowd. They came to a market district and dodged behind tents and under awnings set up for shade. Conversations among the crowds paused as they approached. Someone tripped carrying a box of fruit across the street and fell to the ground, fruit scattering everywhere. Holly narrowly avoided tripping over them herself and leapt through air and nearly crashed into another unwitting market-goer. She checked over her shoulder once she’d recovered. Thankfully Shiro and Odeon were right behind her and managed to keep their stride.
Holly noticed as well that the two humans wearing gray were still coming after them. They were difficult to shake.
“Come on guys, any thoughts on what we can do to get away from this?” Holly panted.
“Where’s the Olavia Apollo when we need her?” Odeon asked, his voice in her ear.
“And where’s Darius?” Shiro asked, sounding annoyed.
“Wake up, Darius!”
“I’m here. What? Are you guys in trouble?” Darius asked over the comm. “How strange that my little team could get in trouble so quick. I go away for a few minutes and they’ve yet again gotten themselves into a kerfuffle.”
Holly could barely speak. Her side screamed at her. Her breath came in hot gasps that froze her lungs. “Teasing comes later, D. Is there a pod leaving the landing pad soon? That’s where we’re headed right now, so there better be. They still behind us, Odeon?”
“Yeah, let me check that. Working on it.” Darius was silent as he searched.
“Unfortunately, yes,” Odeon said. “The strange people in gray are still on our trail.”
“Of course they are.”
“We could stop and face them? Fight it out,” Shiro offered. “I highly doubt that the two of them could take on the three of us.”
The bag in which Holly carried the devices pounded against her back as she took the stairs two at a time, leaping up a flight just three blocks from the space elevator landing pad. Maybe she could drop the bag and they’d leave her alone. She snorted, thinking that there was no way she was going to do that. Even if it was what the gray-suited humans were after, there was no way to know if they’d stop their pursuit once they got their hands on it.
Plus, Holly had paid for the items.
“There’s an elevator leaving in ten minutes. Pad D,” Darius said. “You’re booked on it.”
“Ten minutes?” Shiro repeated, despair entering his voice.
“We’re almost there. I don’t think they’ll leave us alone once we get to the elevator pod,” Odeon said.
“Agreed,” Holly answered. “And I have no desire to sit down to tea with them. They want something and I’m not giving it up.”
“Keep them busy. What’s the problem? Lead them on a wild goose chase, then head to the pod,” Darius said.
“Easier said than done,” Shiro said.
Odeon chuckled. He never seemed to get out of breath. “Especially easy for a human sitting back in the Bird’s Nest while we’re out here, doing the hard work.”
“My work is hard. You don’t see it because you don’t understand it. Besides, sitting or standing in front of my monitors requires core strength. And I work out, when I’m running away from angry gamblers.” Darius laughed heartily.
“You guys gonna be alright?” Charly asked. “Is there something Darius can do? Hack a security system?”
Holly ignored the banter, concentrating on how she could divert their pursuers. The crowds had gotten sparse as they approached the transport station. She did a quick scan of the area. A pod had just touched down on one of the landing pads. They skirted the perimeter of the station as Holly considered what they could do. At this point, she assumed their pursuers knew that they’d be heading out on the next pod.
Something Charly said tickled her mind. Maybe the clever woman had been on to something when she suggested Darius hacking something. “Darius, can you turn the rain system on?”
A pause. “Let me check, Drake.”
“What are you thinking, Holly Drake?” Odeon asked, his voice broadcasting a strange sort of calm that managed to penetrate the frantic fear of being caught. Who were these people that Macav had warned them of and what did they intend to do to once they captured Holly and her companions, if they succeeded? Whatever it was, it wouldn’t be good and she had no intention of letting her crew get hurt.
They were nearly to the entrance, after having crossed a busy street full of taxis and autos. Voices rose around them in conversation. A father pulled his child out of their pathway, scowling at Holly. Someone droned on in an announcement over a loudspeaker about a departure. A pod left a landing pad, suddenly rising up the cabling that led to the space platform, which in turn led to the zeppelin fleets and other ships that crossed the aetherways between moons and space stations.
“Just thinking,” Holly said. “Give me a second.” She glanced back at Odeon, giving him what she hoped was a reassuring look.
“Yeah, I’m into the system, Drake. What do you want?” Darius asked in her ear.
“Turn it on. And if there’s an option, set the rain flow to full power.”
Seconds passed. Then, “You’re in luck. There is a control for pressure.”
Holly exulted. Yes.
“Oh, I see,” Shiro said, his voice sounding like he’d put on one of his standard wicked and mischievous grins.
The three of them hadn’t stopped moving as they wove through the area. They were nearly to the entrance. Holly didn’t know what would happen, but it could be a distraction that came on the fly.
“There,” Darius said. His voice was pleased. “Should start soon.”
A second later, a slow sprinkle began. Holly watched for it to become a downpour, or at least, a steady drizzle—once that happened, they could bolt for the doors leading into the space elevator station.
“Oh, wait,” Darius said.
The water remained a very light misting.
“What is it?” Shiro asked.
“Seems that there’s a failsafe of some kind inserted into these controls. When I put the indicator all the way up to the level five rain, it flips back to level one, like it’s elastic.”
Holly swore. It wasn’t going to work. They would never shake their pursuers.
She had little choice but to continue to their pod. They didn’t want to miss their chance.
As they approached the entrance to the space elevator pad, confusion had spread through the crowds around them about the unscheduled Halo Stand rainstorm. Mobs of people pressed to get inside the building, swallowi
ng Holly and her crew into their flexing and contracting ranks.
“We’re losing them,” Odeon said, his voice in her ear.
“Yes, it’s working,” Shiro agreed.
Holly checked. Searching the crowds behind her, their gray-suited pursuers had been completely absorbed into the crowd.
The rain had been a weak solution, but it took less time and money than their alternatives. Now they could hide within the crowds until they boarding for their their pod began.
12
“But they can do it, correct?” Holly asked, touching her ear and flashing a smile at Iain. He looked over the top of his vscreen at her and returned the grin. Eye contact with Iain often made her stomach spin lately. This time was no different. She turned to take her mind off whatever avenues it was about to go down, just from that look. Snow piled up outside his art shop in Analogue Alley. Holly stood at the window and watched people walking by decked out in their best attire for the alley—top hats, feather boas, and lace wings that fluttered in the wind and collected snow.
“Yes, Holly Drake. It should be done in two days. Saanvi had other work booked. She’ll get to the Olavia Apollo tomorrow.” Trip Taurus’s voice came over the team comms as they discussed getting the parts attached to the ship that they’d brought back from Helo. Saanvi was the only ship mechanic that Trip liked touching her baby. They were lucky she could even fit the Olavia Apollo in at all.
“Does that work for our departure date? Two days?” Holly asked.
“It should. If Saanvi doesn’t have any problems.”
“We should plan on it. I’ll let Xadrian know, the rest of you be ready to go in two days,” Holly said. “All right?”
“Of course,” Shiro said.
“Brilliant, Holly,” Odeon said.
“Not missing this one. I’ll be ready, Hols,” Charly said.
“Is Iain Grant coming with us?” Odeon asked.
“I’m about to work on answering that. I think his presence could be a big help,” Holly said, stealing a look over her shoulder at Iain. He continued to work on his order, going over what supplies he was short on. The man did it manually, that was how dedicated he was to the premise of analogue. There was a danger of such a cause becoming a nuisance, but for the moment, she admired the code he’d adopted and the strength of his integrity.
The Colossus Collection : A Space Opera Adventure (Books 1-7 + Bonus Material) Page 93
