Though Daxton didn’t know the full weight of his offer, Tesla needed a fresh start now more than ever. She still wasn’t certain what she would do on Earth’s surface, but leaving behind the last memories of her parents on board the Atlas seemed the best way to begin.
She could easily find work repairing robots. The station’s richies weren’t the only ones who relied on draadharts—Earth’s entire infrastructure was automated. All major machines were tied into Collux Corporation’s hive of satellites and datalinks. A network that large meant constant repairs. Minko’s fights had been dangerous, but at least they’d honed her patching and wiring skills. A few years as an apprentice and she might even be able to open her own garage.
The thought cheered her, and she turned back to the rows of dresses, craning her neck to examine an assortment of gowns hanging from a track along the ceiling. A sudden melodic voice made her jump.
“Will you be wearing your hair up or down?”
Tesla cried out, knocking over a tower of feathered hats as she whirled around to find the source of the intrusion. A tall, beautiful woman in her late thirties stared back, hands folded in front of her waist, patiently waiting for an answer.
Tesla blinked. “You’re Theopoenne Fox.”
“Indeed I am. And you are...?”
“Tesla Petrov. I... work downstation.”
Theopoenne’s eyes were alight with amusement. “Well, Tesla Petrov, how do you plan on wearing your hair? Depending on your answer, we can start picking out a neckline for your gown.”
“What are you doing here?” Tesla asked, genuinely curious.
If the opera singer was offended by her boldness, she didn’t let it show. Instead, Theopoenne grinned, shifting her eyes to encompass the sparkling contents of the wardrobe. “Madame Aldera curates the most amazing costume collection, don’t you agree? Whenever I’m aboard the Atlas, I make it a priority to stop by.” She splayed her hands outward. “I confess I was entering the store myself when I heard you inquire about a gown. I wondered if I might lend my expertise. Forgive me if I’ve overstepped.”
“No, please,” Tesla’s voice came out in a rush. She eyed a rack of daunting high heels. “Actually, I don’t even know where to start.”
Theopoenne laughed. “I’ve been where you are. When I first started acting, I’d never worn anything other than my dusty farm boots. I was a mess. My director was the one who taught me to put on makeup and walk in cloudscraper-high stilletos. I wish I could tell you it gets more comfortable with practice, but that would make me a liar.”
“You come from surface farmers?” Tesla found it hard to believe that the polished woman standing before her had once sown fields on Earth.
Theopoenne lifted her shoulders into an elegant shrug. “My family still tends the barley fields on the outskirts of New Berlin.” Her voice lowered as she began plaiting Tesla’s hair into a simple braided coif. “Your past is only a prologue to what your story might become. A person does not survive by hiding from fear—they survive by believing their dreams are worth the risk.”
Tesla eyed herself in a shard of mirror dangling from a copper wire beneath the room’s only source of light. Her mother had always played with her hair, braiding it in a similar way. Theopoenne’s hands brought about a fresh pang of loss. As the singer wound another tendril between her fingers, Tesla closed her eyes, allowing herself to sink back into the memories.
“Up, I think,” Theopoenne said into their reflection after a few moments had passed. “And I know just the gown.” She stood on tip-toe, rummaging through a stack of wax paper bundles resting on a high shelf. She gave a soft hoot of triumph as she returned, her hands filled with a wrapped parcel. Together, they undid the paper, revealing a midnight blue gown with a delicate silver neckline. Wispy layers of fabric fell to the floor in a modest train, but it was the jewels that made Tesla gasp. Sewn all along the dress were thousands of winking crystals set in perfect alignment to the constellations surrounding Earth. The light caught each jewel, and the dress came alive in a nebulous dance. “What do you think?”
Sometimes the hardest thing is to find your place among the stars. Daxton’s words echoed in Tesla’s mind as her fingertips slowly traced the train. “It’s almost too beautiful to touch.”
“Go try it on,” Theopoenne said, waving her behind the screen that served as Madame Aldera’s makeshift dressing room. “I’ll look for shoes.”
Tesla did as instructed and emerged moments later in the dress, adjusting the small straps which seemed to hover on the curves of her shoulders. She smoothed a few of the dark blue pleats in the skirt, releasing a cascade of fabric that pooled at her toes.
“How does it look?” When there was no immediate reply, she glanced up, surprised to find the singer’s eyes glistening with tears. She tugged nervously at a crystal bead. “Ms. Fox? Have I done something wrong?”
“No, no,” the woman said, carefully wiping her cheeks so as not to disturb her makeup. “You just... look wonderful.” She snapped her fingers with a smile. “I’ve found just the thing to finish your look—let’s hope I’ve judged your size correctly.”
Tesla took the outstretched slippers, done in the same midnight blue as the gown, and put them on. They felt magnificent. “I thought my feet were in for some serious pain,” Tesla admitted with a sigh of relief. “These aren’t torturous at all.”
“With a neckline like that, no one will be staring at your shoes,” Theopoenne said with a wink. “This dress is worth the price.”
It was then Tesla noticed the tag clinging to her bodice: three thousand corpCredits. There was no way she could afford it, especially not after she’d given Ming almost all of her savings. What was left had to last her long enough to start a new life. Getting by on Earth’s surface would take funds, and she couldn’t afford to use it all on a gown, even if the idea of seeing Daxton’s face when he spotted her in the dress made her flush with warmth.
Without a word she disappeared behind the changing screen and re-emerged in her own clothes.
“Now, let me go pay for this so you can get ready. Can’t have you missing the big night,” said Theopoenne with a clap of her hands, as if she understood Tesla’s sudden hesitation. Her manicured fingers carefully folded the dress back into the wax wrappings.
Tesla’s eyes widened. “No, I couldn’t let you—”
Theopoenne clicked her tongue at Tesla’s protests, leading the way back to where the shopkeeper sat perched on a stool. “Madame Aldera, I wouldn’t have thought it possible, but you have simply outdone yourself. I’ll return later this evening to pick up the rest of my order. ”
“Anything for you, love, ” said Madame Aldera, inclining her head with a strange sort of reverence. "I'm always here to serve."
“In the meantime, can you put Ms. Petrov's things on my account? I want to be sure she has everything she needs for tonight.” Theopoenne placed her hand on the shopkeeper's arm. “And thank you for the promptness of your call today. It was most... informative.”
“Thought you might want to see what just came in,” Madame Aldera wheezed. She fixed her baggy eyes on the singer, and Tesla felt the distinct impression that two women had just shared something in silent confidence.
Theopoenne took Tesla’s hand, guiding her a few steps away from the store’s outer racks of handbags, and pressed the wax bundle into her arms. “There’s just one last thing, Tesla, and this is very important. If you ever need help, you will find it at thirty-three. Remember that.”
Tesla cocked her head, confused. “Sorry, I don’t—”
“I know,” Theopoenne said, squeezing Tesla’s fingers in her own. “And I’m sorry I can’t say more. Just promise me you’ll remember.”
Tesla’s mind raced with questions, but before she could press the woman for an explanation, Theopoenne drew her cloak about her and melded into the crush of crowd, leaving behind nothing but a heavy swirl of perfume and secrets.
THIRTY-THREE
"NOW
THAT IS A DRESS," Sav said, whistling as Tesla opened the door to her apartment. Blitz craned his neck to see around the others and gave her a thumbs up of approval. "Cerise had better watch out. You are going to turn every head at the ball."
“You clean up nicely,” Jasmeen agreed. “And here I thought you’d be all awkward and gangly tonight.”
Tesla crossed her arms over the bodice of the gown. “Thanks for the vote of confidence.”
“You’re a vision,” Sav assured her, kissing a spot near her snowy hairline. “Daxton is going to be sorry he missed this moment.”
Blitz produced a black velvet box from his pocket. Inside, on a bed of soft material, lay two sets of cufflinks and two matching lockets. “Speaking of Daxton, he asked that I make sure we’re able to communicate without wristcomms tonight. We figured they would be conspicuous in our formalwear.”
Tesla picked up a locket. To anyone unfamiliar with microComms, it would appear to be nothing more than a sterling silver charm. The truth, Tesla knew, was much more complicated. Every ten seconds, a small blue light flashed from near the locket’s hinge, while inside rested complex wiring and a microphone no bigger than a grain of sand.
“It’s beautiful,” she whispered, rubbing her finger against the smooth metal surface. “If your life as a tech wizard doesn’t work out, you have some serious potential as a jeweler.”
Blitz’s ears burned a shade of red that matched his unkempt hair. “I’m glad you like it.”
“Tesla, I’d like to remind you,” Sav said, feigning a hurt look, “that I am your date tonight—not this mad scientist here. I’d ask you to keep your astonishment to a minimum, please. My frail masculinity can’t handle you fawning over Blitz’s little toys.”
“They’re not toys!” cried Blitz.
Jasmeen rolled her eyes. “Relax, electro-wizard. He’s pulling your leg. The microComms are a nice touch.” She shot a warning look at Sav. “Leave him alone.”
Sav smoothed his tuxedo shirt. “Back to the matter at hand, how do we protect the African High Chancellor without alerting anyone? We need to be smart about not drawing attention to ourselves.”
Jasmeen’s tattoo pulsed as the girl considered their next move. “Two of us need to watch Imani Nwotu tonight, and the other two need to sweep the ball for any signs of Doyle. If anyone of us sees something suspicious, we comm the others immediately and get the High Chancellor to safety.”
“What about Nwotu’s personal guard?” asked Blitz. “Couldn’t we just tell them to be on higher alert?”
Jasmeen was already shaking her head. “If Doyle can be an assassin right under our noses, then I don’t think we can trust anyone anymore. We don’t know how far this thing goes.”
Don’t trust anyone. Freiter had tried to warn Daxton that the threat could be bigger than even he knew. Just how many people were involved?
Sav’s wristcomm beeped. “It’s Daxton. He and Cerise are headed to the red carpets for the press junket. Everyone ready?”
Jasmeen stood, her voice quiet and sharp like the daggers sheathed against her legs. “Whatever it takes to protect our home.”
“Whatever it takes,” said Blitz and Sav together.
Tesla looked around to the faces in her apartment, each willing to die for the other. To die for what they believed in—for something more than themselves. Was that what her father had done? Died for a cause he believed to be more important than even his own family?
“Uh... Tesla?”
The sound of the apartment door opening behind her made her stir, and she shook away the thought. “Sorry, I’m ready.”
But something in the way Jasmeen had said her name now sent chills down Tesla’s spine. The girl was crouched and tense, a gowned warrior ready for battle. Her eyes stayed fixated on something near the door. “Tesla, get behind me right now.”
Tesla whirled and came face-to-synthetic-face with a Sec-Bot, its mechanical fingers wrapped around the hilt of an assault rifle. Behind the android stood three more just like it. A grid of green lasers searched her face. Something clicked within the Sec-Bot’s inner workings and the lasers disappeared, replaced by an ominous red glow. Seconds later, all four androids pointed their rifles directly at her head.
“Identity confirmed.”
“What the hell is this?” Sav demanded, pushing Tesla behind him. “What do you want with her?”
The lights surrounding the leader’s optical ports pulsed as its torso filled the doorway. “Petrov, Tesla—you are under arrest for conspiracy to commit treason against the crown.”
The words burned into her mind like a super nova. Had security forces somehow found out about the break-in at the commander’s office? But if so, why weren’t the others under arrest?
Tesla pushed forward. “I’m not a traitor!”
“Charges include conspiracy to commit murder and possession of a prohibited firearm.”
“I don’t even own a gun!” As she shouted the words at the Sec-Bot, her body froze. Her eyes darted to the box beneath her bed where she’d hidden Kiyo’s pistol. I’m being set up, she realized with a shock. The words screamed through her body, through each vein, and turned her heart to ice.
“Case file previously flagged for suspicious behavior,” the Sec-Bot droned on, “including alleged criminal involvement with station citizen, Nevik Petrov, executed for treason.”
Jasmeen’s face blanched. “Tesla, who is Nevik Petrov? Is this true?”
“Jasmeen, I—I can explain,” Tesla stammered as the Sec-Bot rolled forward into the room and retrieved Kiyo’s pistol. “Nevik Petrov was my father, and yes, he was executed for treason. But you have to believe me. I would never betray the crown!”
Jasmeen backed away, disbelief etched on her features. “All this time, you were lying to us? Sending us chasing our tails around the station? We trusted you!”
Tears stung her eyes as Tesla shook her head. “I didn’t tell you because I knew how it would look. It was selfish, but I would never hurt anyone. I want to find Doyle just as much as you do.”
“Daxton needs to know about this,” said Blitz, squeezing past the other Sec-Bots as he headed toward the door.
Daxton. What would he say when he found out her past? Would he believe the charges against her? His father had the power to order her executed. And what would stop him? The evidence was incriminating.
“Sav,” pleaded Tesla, turning to the other boy as Blitz disappeared. “I’m being set up. Yosef sent a Skinner to my door the night of the fight—a boy named Kiyo—and I disarmed him. I kept the pistol because I was afraid he would come back. Please,” she begged, “tell Daxton—”
“Don’t you dare say the Prime Heir’s name,” Jasmeen hissed. “I can’t believe I left him alone with you!”
The Sec-Bot reached for Tesla’s wrists, but she pushed the mechanical arms away, resulting in a swift strike from its fellow android. She stumbled back into Sav, whose face hardened. He gripped her arms, helping her stand.
“I was working with Tesla Petrov!” he shouted to the Sec-Bots. “If you take her, you’ll have to take me, too.”
Jasmeen’s mouth fell open. “What in space are you doing, Sav?”
“I believe her.”
“She lied.”
“No. she didn’t tell us everything, but we also never asked. It’s not the same as lying.” Sav held out his hands and a Sec-Bot slapped a pair of buzzing electro-cuffs around his wrists. “You at least know I’m innocent, Meen, so find out what’s really going on here.”
Tesla flinched as the Sec-Bot grabbed her roughly, confining her arms within the electro-cuffs. She allowed herself a small bit of relief. Sav believed her, which meant Daxton might, too. It still left Blitz and Jasmeen, who obviously felt betrayed. Guilt quickly replaced her relief. She should have just told the truth from the start.
Or better yet, you should have stayed out of this whole mess.
Two Sec-Bots took the lead just as a third placed a hood over Tesla’s head. Th
e cloth felt scratchy and cheap against her skin. They walked down the stairs outside, turning left toward the hidden hatchway behind Minko’s club, but instead of going straight to the Gulch’s cellblock, they entered a service stairway and headed deeper into the bowels of the station.
“They aren’t taking us to the brig,” Tesla whispered to Sav. They climbed several flights of stairs, turned, and doubled-back to the point that she lost all sense of direction.
A Sec-Bot behind her shot a jolt of electricity through the electro-cuffs, sending her gasping to the floor.
“The prisoners are ordered to remain silent.”
The air changed. Gone were the dry, hot engine blasts of the Gulch, replaced by a humid breeze tainted with a sour scent. A few feet away, Tesla could hear a rhythmic dripping. The water systems?
Suddenly, the electro-cuffs unclasped and released their hands. The hood lifted, and Tesla was thrust forward, her stomach tightening as her feet met thin air. She fell for what seemed like seconds before landing on the rusty, wet floor of a purification tank, the impact jarring her bones so hard she thought her teeth might fall out.
Sav fell sideways into the tank with a loud grunt. The filthy puddles quickly seeped into the white of his shirtfront, staining it a murky shade of burnt coffee. Tesla looked down at her dress. Some of the crystals dangled from loose threads, and the bottom hem hung in shreds after catching on the tank’s jagged rim before the fall. Twenty feet above their heads, the Sec-Bots began rolling away from the tank.
“Hey!” Sav shouted. “You can’t just leave us in here!” He punched the tank’s thick side in frustration, wincing as his hand came back scraped and cut. With no sign of the robots, he turned to Tesla. “Are you okay?”
An intense pain throbbed from her wrist. “I think my hand took too much weight when I landed,” she said, holding the joint out limply.
Atlas Fallen Page 24
