New Season: Sparrow's Quest (New Sky Book 2)

by Jason Kent

  Kate caught sight of Merrick again as he reached another set of stairs leading down to street level. Dagger pulled her down the first set of stairs and she lost sight of the others. Their boots clattered against the metal steps as they raced down. They reached the last turn as the airship crumpled across the street. Kate and Dagger crouched behind the railing as pieces of the station fell around them.

  As the rain of debris lessened, Kate slowly stood to survey the damage. The street was completely blocked by the airship's wreckage. A tortured scream came from the metal frame as what was left of the air bag collapsed. The passenger compartment of the airship was heavily damaged.

  "Sparrow!" Kate shouted. She raced down the remaining steps and across the debris-filled street toward the shattered windows lining the bridge and passenger levels. Dagger grabbed her collar. Kate choked and nearly lost her footing as she staggered to a stop. She nearly turned and hit the pilot as a huge propeller slammed into the ground right in front of her. Kate shielded her eyes as fragments of shattered pavement flew through the air. She coughed and looked up at the bent blade which had very nearly killed her.

  "Watch your step," Dagger cautioned, her tone dry.

  Before Kate could thank Dagger or make her way around the fresh piece of wreckage, Merrick, Ross and Tivon reached them.

  "I don't think they're going to invite us back," Ross remarked as he surveyed the damage.

  Kate ignored Ross and rushed over to Merrick. She threw her arms around him and gave the marine a crushing hug. Merrick returned the gesture. With her face buried against Merrick's chest, she inhaled deeply, reveling in the smell of his sweat, the smoke which had nearly taken him from her, and the faint odor of the detergent she used to clean their clothes back at the Archives. Kate whispered, "Thank God you're safe!"

  "Same here," Merrick replied and gave Kate a kiss on the head.

  "Where the heck is Sparrow?" Ross asked as he looked from Dagger to Kate. Comprehension dawned on his face and he turned to look at the crumpled remains of the dirigible. He took off, shouting as he ran, "Sparrow!"

  Kate followed close behind with the others, each clearly as worried about Sparrow as the big marine. Kate reached the edge of the wreckage and was forced to get down on her hands and knees in order to peer into what was left of the cockpit. Kate found only the remains of the big wheel beyond the twisted window frames. Gleaming dials with cracked glass covers reflected the fire blazing in the station behind her.

  "I don't see her!" Kate called over her shoulder.

  "She must have gotten to one of the upper levels!" Ross remarked hopefully. He took a step back and looked up through the broken windows of the passenger level above the bridge. Ross cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted, "Sparrow!" When she did not immediately reply, Ross jumped and managed to catch the edge of an open window. He pulled himself through and disappeared.

  Merrick moved to follow Ross then stopped. He cocked his head sideways, listening. A moment later, the sound of wavering sirens echoed down the street. The sniper looked over at Kate. "Company."

  Kate looked at the carnage left in the team's wake with fresh eyes. It didn't look like the remains of a rescue attempt. Instead, the burning station, downed airplane, and crashed airship along with the damaged buildings gave the entire street the air of a war zone. The local authorities would never appreciate their story...if they ever got the chance to tell it to anyone. Kate glanced at the empty window Ross had disappeared through then turned back to Merrick. The conflict between finding her friend and ensuring the safety of the others was etched across her face.

  "We need to get out of here," Kate remarked.

  "Agreed." Merrick said with a nod. He turned to Dagger and Tivon and pointed at the abandoned trucks littering the street. "Grab a vehicle. We'll find Sparrow." Without waiting to see if the two women were going to do as he asked, he knelt down and clasped his hands together to form a step for Kate.

  Kate looked from Merrick's improvised ladder to the passenger level above her head. The image of Sparrow lying unconscious somewhere inside the crumpled wreckage sprang to mind. Kate was not sure if the flash came from Nemus or was merely the result of her overly-active imagination. Either way, she was galvanized into action. Kate took two running steps, planted her foot in Merrick's hands and pushed upward with her leg. Merrick threw her up with all his strength.

  Merrick's added oomph propelled Kate nearly all the way into an empty passenger cabin. Kate rolled over the window sill and landed on the tilted floor. Something jabbed at her abdomen. "Ow!" She looked back at the window and noticed there were still shards of glass sticking out here and there. Feeling her stomach, Kate noticed her shirt was ripped. Fortunately, her second skin body armor had protected her; the skin-tight suit was still intact. A crash from the hallway drew Kate back to the matter at hand. As she picked her way past the busted door, she muttered, "Hang on, Sparrow. We're coming!"

  The sound of debris crashing to the floor guided Kate forward to Ross' location. He was busy trying to clear the central passage and did not notice her approach. Kate ducked to avoid being clobbered by a beam the big marine threw over his shoulder.

  "Watch out!" Kate shouted.

  Ross spun to face her. "Sorry! I think she's this way!"

  "Maybe we should go back outside and look for another way around," Kate suggested.

  "No time!" Ross replied and turned back to the blocked passage. He grasped a broken piece of ceiling material and strained his muscles to pull it free from the tangle of wreckage. The pile groaned then fell apart as Ross dragged the large chunk of debris free.

  As the dust cleared, Kate could see Ross had managed to open a hole to the forward compartments. Unfortunately, it was too small for the marine to squeeze through. Ross realized the same thing and began pulling at the wreckage again. When she saw the wall shift due to his efforts, Kate laid her hand on the man's shoulder to stop him.

  "Let me go through," Kate said. "I don't think there's much holding these walls up right now."

  "But..." Ross looked from the debris he was gripping to the dark hole.

  "We won't do Sparrow much good if we bring the rest of the ceiling down on us," Kate said softly.

  Ross nodded and stepped back to make room for Kate.

  Kate wasted no time and scrambled through the opening. She felt her clothes snag on sharp corners but pressed on none-the-less. She trusted the second skin would continue to do its job.

  The hallway beyond the blockage was a mess. The bridge, located directly below her, had pressed up into this space. The floor was buckled and, here and there, support beams speared up through the floor.

  "Do you see her?!" Ross called through the hole.

  Kate squinted, willing her eyes to become accustomed to the dim light. For a moment, she wished she possessed some of Sparrow's visual augmentations. Doing the best with what she had, Kate squeezed between sharp-edged debris, checking the rooms she was passing for any sign of her friend.

  "Kate..."

  The sound was faint, but Kate was sure it was Sparrow. She hurried as best she could down the hall. Kate found Sparrow curled up on the floor next to a ruined stairway.

  "Thank God!" Kate breathed as she kneeled beside Sparrow. She reached out and cupped the smaller woman's face in her hands and leaned close to look into her eyes. "You okay?"

  Sparrow blinked several times and her silver eyes whirred as they worked to focus on Kate. When she met the other woman's gaze, her eyes reflected the glow of Kate's luminescent gaze. "I think..." She began then grimaced. Sparrow pointed down at her ankle.

  Kate followed Sparrow's gesture and saw her leg was pinned beneath a twisted piece of metal. She reached down and grasped the wreckage. As Kate started to pull, she said, "Hang on!" Kate got her legs under her and used them to apply as much power against the stubborn metal as she could.

  Sparrow hissed, "No good!"

  Kate stopped pulling. She pushed a few loose strands of hair back over her
ear and cast around, looking for something she should use for a lever. Kate muttered, "Has to be something..." Her eyes landed on the golden pattern on Sparrow's hand. She met the other woman's gaze and smiled. "Think you can help me out here?"

  It took a moment for Sparrow to figure out what Kate meant. The fog cleared finally and she pointed her hand at the metal which had a firm grip on her leg. The metal shuddered as her hands glowed brighter. Sparrow hissed again and she stopped trying to move the wreckage.

  "You're going to have to lift up at the same time," Sparrow gasped. Beads of sweat dotted her forehead. "I think we can move it just enough for me to pull free if we work together."

  Kate positioned herself to get a better grip on the beam. "Well, you know me. Teamwork is my middle name." When she was ready, she nodded at Sparrow. "Go for it!"

  Sparrow opened both palms toward the metal and gritted her teeth with the effort of shifting the debris with the magnetics embedded in her hands.

  Kate felt the wreckage give slightly. She strained with all her might and managed to lift it high enough for Sparrow to pull her leg free. When she was sure Sparrow was clear, Kate let go and jumped back. The rubble settled with a groan. Kate turned her attention to Sparrow.

  "Can you walk?" Kate asked as she examined the gash in Sparrow's leg. Kate ripped off a strip of fabric from her shirt. She wrapped the wound as best as she could and cursed herself for not having at least a rudimentary first aid kit with her.

  Sparrow managed to get to her feet but hung heavily on Kate. "Yeah. Let's get out of this pile of tral."

  The passage through the small opening back to Ross took longer than the trip down the ruined hallway. Sparrow went first so that Kate could keep her legs from becoming snagged on the same sharp corners which had ruined her shirt; her leg could do without additional injury. Ross pulled Sparrow the rest of the way through.

  As Kate looked through the hole, she found Sparrow enfolded in a bear hug from Ross. She dropped through the opening and dusted off her pants. When Ross made no show of letting Sparrow go, Kate cleared her throat.

  Ross finally noticed Kate and loosened his grip on Sparrow.

  "Thanks for the help," Kate said.

  "Uh, sorry," Ross replied. He looked embarrassed to have been caught in such an obvious show of emotion. "It's just..."He held Sparrow at arm's length so he could look her in the eyes.

  "What?" Sparrow asked. A quizzical look crossed her face as she tilted her head to one side. Sparrow laid a hand gently against the stubble on Ross' cheek.

  "Back on the train," Ross began in a rush. "I held the Olympus Chronometer."

  Sparrow opened her mouth to speak but Ross placed a finger against her lips to silence her.

  "I know," Ross hurried on with a haunted look in his eyes. "We weren't supposed to touch it. But this guy shoved it into my hands. I was afraid to let it drop!"

  "So what happened?" Sparrow pressed, encouraging Ross to continue with his story.

  "Sorry," Ross said and shook his head. "It was...a lot to take in." He met Sparrow's gaze again and continued. "When I held the clock, I saw...felt the lost lives of all those people from Olympus. I don't how the previous owner dealt with it for any length of time! You can feel the pain of their final seconds of life. But that wasn't the worst part. I got glimpses of the regrets they felt as the crew realized their time was up. And it got me thinking.

  "Our meeting on the Tallinn ironclad is probably the best thing that has ever happened to me. I've spent the last few months tip-toeing around the issue, worried you'd reject me if I actually came out and shared my feelings. Those people on Olympus thought they had all the time in the world. But they didn't. I don't want to be like them. I don't want to regret we never tried to make a life together. When I realized you were aboard this thing when it crashed, I thought I'd missed my chance forever, just when finally accepted I want to spend the rest of my life with you!"

  Ross started to get down on one knee when Dagger's voice from outside the wreckage interrupted them.

  "Time to go!"

  Ross gave Sparrow a sheepish look. He gestured around at the wreckage. "Maybe we can talk about being together in good times and bad later."

  "Of course," Sparrow said with a smile. She looked down at her glowing palms, nestled inside Ross' large hands. She whispered, "But...my upgrades, they don't bother you?"

  "Kind of sexy, if you ask me," Ross grinned.

  "That's not what—" Sparrow began.

  "I know what you meant," Ross interrupted. "I don't care if you put the implants in or if the big tree did. You're still the same woman to me."

  Sparrow's face split in a wide smile. "How could any girl not fall for that line?"

  "As much as I hate to break this up," Kate said. "There's still the matter of getting out of here."

  "Right," Ross agreed. "Sorry."

  "I know," Kate said with a smile, it was hard not to be infected by Ross' excitement. "You couldn't wait."

  Ross swept Sparrow off her feet and carried her back to the room with the broken window. Outside, Dagger had pulled an ancient lorry near the crashed airship. Merrick looked up expectantly as Ross, Kate, and Sparrow leaned out the window.

  "Looks like I'm going to have to drop you," Ross told Sparrow apologetically.

  "It's okay," Sparrow replied, grinning. "I trust you."

  Ross nodded and leaned out of the window with the woman held tightly in his arms. He leaned over as far as he could then lowered Sparrow down, holding onto her forearms. Sparrow's feet reached down to Merrick's grasp. Ross let go and Merrick caught the Link Sprite. In a few moments, Ross and Kate joined them on the relative safety of the ground.

  The sirens were louder as emergency vehicles raced toward them.

  "I suggest we make our exit," Kate said. She joined Dagger on the big truck's cab bench seat. Merrick crowded in from the passenger side. Kate looked into the covered truck bed through a small window behind the seat. Tivon was helping Sparrow sit while Ross rolled over the tailgate. She called out, "Go!"

  Dagger jammed her foot down on the clutch, dropped the transmission into gear then hit the accelerator. The truck lurched forward.

  "There," Merrick said, pointing to a side street.

  Dagger turned the steering wheel hard, forcing her passengers to grab onto anything they could to stay upright. They were racing down the street away from the carnage a moment later.

  "Next time you guys need to retrieve some mysterious object," Dagger growled. "Remind me to stay home."

  Chapter 6

  The Mainspring Archives

  Kate gave the big key in her hands one final turn. She'd been warned too many cranks could damage the internal mechanisms she'd spent so much time cleaning and caring for. Not only did she not want to be the one to break the winding mechanism, she was not entirely sure she could fix it if she broke the complex device. She was getting better at working with clockwork machines, but she still had a lot to learn.

  She pulled the key free from its hole in the clock face. It consisted of a well-worn wooden handle attached to a brass rocker arm. A metal tube was attached to the opposite end. The tube was hollowed out in a square which fit over the winding interface inside the big clock like a ratchet would fit over the head of a bolt. Kate had managed to keep track of her turns this time; thirty seven complete revolutions of the key were needed to ensure the clock would keep ticking accurately over the next month. She hung the ornately decorated key on two hooks affixed to the stone wall next to the clock and stepped back to inspect her work.

  The Mainspring Clock dominated one entire wall of the Atrium. Because the Atrium served as the main entrance to the Archives, the clock was the first thing anyone saw as they arrived. It was meant to remind the archivists laboring in the stacks of their purpose; record the knowledge of the great tree and introduce this information to people everywhere. The introduction of knowledge into mainstream populations was the hardest part of their mission and the main reason for the
clock. Like the mainspring driving the huge clock, the archivists needed to balance their desire to share what they learned against the need to protect their source of information. Thus, they were often forced to provide their knowledge in measured doses over long periods of time and always with a reasonable explanation as to where the data came from. No one could know the true source of the information. Otherwise Nemus might suffer the same fate as his father, Knowl. Kate and the archivists were determined to keep Nemus from becoming enslaved by those who would use his unique insights for conquest and dominance.

  The face of the clock was comprised of brass pieces worked into an intricate, interweaving pattern. Large cast iron numbers were coated in high-gloss black paint and tilted slightly upward to catch and reflect the natural sunlight streaming in from windows set high up in the rotunda. The gears and giant spring of the massive clock ticked and whirred, visible behind the lattice of the brass and iron face. Of particular interest to Kate was the huge spring she'd just wound. She eyed it intently for a few long seconds until the minute hand moved laboriously forward. She nodded, satisfied the inner mechanisms were working properly.

  Kate pulled a soft cloth from her pocket and wiped at the grease on her hands. She heaved a sigh of contentment. Ever since arriving at the Archives nearly six months ago, Kate had been looking for ways to help carry her weight around the place. The archivists insisted that, in her role as a Watcher, she merely needed to meditate and grow closer to Nemus. But it had taken Kate only a few days of 'meditating' to realize she needed to have something else to occupy her time. Walking through the Atrium in those early days, Kate's eyes had landed on the Mainspring Clock. The urge to get her hands dirty was tugging harder than usual that day. She thought she'd found the perfect solution while providing a useful service to the Archives. The archivists who'd escaped from Aesti with her were plenty busy with other, more important tasks. Their duties within the stacks, plus her argument that the physical labor helped her focus during her meditation sessions, finally convinced Tarun to turn the job over to her. Kate liked the challenge of using her hands to wind, polish, and clean the brilliant piece of engineering. Besides, it wasn't like there were a lot of communication networks for her to upgrade and maintain here.