The Neptune Challenge

by Polly Holyoke

  He winces as he shifts his arm. “They just launched an all-out attack on Canada.”

  “But I thought the Canadians were our allies.”

  “I guess our fresh water supplies were running low, and the Western Collective wants lakes and rich farmland where it still rains once in a while.”

  “That must be why the strait’s been so busy. We’ll have to try even harder to avoid their ships.” I wonder about the kids I knew back home. I didn’t have any close friends except Cam and Robry, but I wouldn’t want anyone to be forced to fight for a government as corrupt or totalitarian as the Western Collective.

  I try to keep my voice even as I ask, “Have you heard what happened to Cam? Some of his friends were smugglers.”

  James gives me a sympathetic glance. “I heard he survived the fight on the beach where they killed Gillian, and they sent him off to a work camp.”

  My throat clogs again at his mention of our mom’s death, and I can’t stand the thought of Cam imprisoned in one of those horrible places.

  “Hey, at least he’s still alive,” James points out. “And I bet he stays alive. Cam’s one smart, tough guy.”

  “Thanks,” I manage to say, and then my gaze falls on his wounded arm. “So if the Marine Guard didn’t shoot you, how did you pick up that gash?”

  James’s mouth tightens. “I had a little run-in with some thugs who were spying on Safety Harbor. I was hiking along the coast, and I stumbled across their camp while they were gone. I tried to steal the smallest of their boats, but one of the guys came back and shot me before I could focus my thoughts and control him.”

  I hope none of my friends are on shore right now. I duck under the rim of the dinghy to check. Whew. The beach is empty.

  :You can’t talk about being a controller where people can hear you!: I yell at him on a private send.

  This is James’s big secret, and it’s one that could get him killed. His failed Neptune transformation strengthened his telepathy and gave him the ability to control other people’s actions. But controllers played a terrible role in the Eugenics Wars that destroyed whole countries fifty years ago, and the nations of the world agreed to hunt controllers down and exterminate them.

  “It’s okay, Nere. I know no one is close enough to hear us talking. I’d hear their thoughts if they were,” James replies aloud with a grimace.

  “Did you find out who those men were?”

  “They were just hired muscle. It’s who sent them that scares me.”

  Something in his tone sends shivers down my back. “Who was it?”

  “They were hired to spy on Safety Harbor by Ran Kuron.”

  I STARE AT JAMES, my stomach churning like a pebble caught in the surf. The moment I hear the name Ran Kuron, I think of Dai, the mysterious boy who came with us on our journey from the southern sector. He fought bravely during our battles against sharks and Marine Guard divers, and we all believed he was on our side. But right before we reached Safety Harbor, we found out he was really a spy sent by Ran Kuron, a renegade scientist who left the Neptune Project.

  “So what do you know about this Ran Kuron guy?” I ask James. It hurts too much to think about Dai right now.

  “I hacked into Gillian’s computer files one day and found out a lot about him,” James admits. “He was one of the founding members of the Project and a genius at raising funds. He became obsessed with creating the perfect humanoid to rule the seas. He was even willing to try splicing genes from all sorts of marine life into his subjects, but Gillian and Dad and the rest of the scientists wanted to make sure we were as human as possible. Eventually they had a huge fight and kicked Kuron out of the Project.”

  “We ran into some of Kuron’s kids just a few days from Safety Harbor. One of them was this scary girl named Wasp who had poisonous tentacles on her fingers. And there was a boy in that group who had six arms.”

  “Kuron probably spliced some sea wasp and octopus genes into them.”

  I can’t imagine having tentacles on my fingers that could kill people. “Did you find out why Kuron wanted them to watch us?”

  “No. They were just supposed to report back to Kuron on when the topside staff enters and leaves the water and stuff like that. But it can’t be good that he’s so interested in Safety Harbor,” James says grimly.

  As I think about what he just told me, James’s eyes flutter shut. Even though I’m full of questions about Ran Kuron, I let my brother slide back into sleep.

  I’m left with too much time to wonder about Dai, the angry, abrupt boy who loves the sea as much as I do. We were friends, and for a while I’d thought maybe he wanted to be more than friends. My cheeks burn when I remember he even kissed me at my birthing day party, right before we found out he had betrayed us all. As I listen to the cold rain patter on the roof of James’s makeshift shelter, I blink away tears I refuse to shed because of Dai.

  Still, I can’t help wondering if I’ll ever see him again.

  This far north in the summer, it takes forever for night to fall. We’re all bone tired by the time a small gray inflatable zode from Safety Harbor arrives to pick up James around midnight.

  “How’s James doing?” my dad asks me the moment he jumps from the zode with two of his helper staff.

  “That IV the guys gave him seemed to make a huge difference. He still has a fever, but his color is better. You should get a real medical report from Tobin and Rohan.”

  “I will, and when he’s better and strong enough, we’ll set James up in an old trapper cabin near our topside headquarters. It’s far enough away to give him some peace and quiet but close enough to stay safe, considering our new security concerns.” Through Roni, I’d already told my dad and his helper staff about the Western Collective’s invasion and Kuron’s spies.

  “I think he’ll like having his own cabin.” We both know James has always been a loner.

  “You did a good job today, Nere-girl.” Dad envelops me in one of his big, warm hugs, but I feel awkward with Janni and the rest watching us.

  “Thanks, Dad,” I mumble into his shoulder. After he lets go, I step back. He hurries up the beach and kneels at James’s side. As I walk toward the water, my eyes prickle and my throat is tight. It’s hard not to mind that James and Dad get to be together on land while I have to return to the sea.

  During our return trip, we don’t encounter any boats, and we reach Safety Harbor around three in the morning. I head up to the surface to say good night to Dad, and he tells us that we can sleep in and skip our morning classes, which is awesome news because I feel like I could sleep for a week.

  I pause in front of my dorm cave to say good night to Thom and Tobin. :Hey, thanks for everything today.:

  Tobin sends me a tired grin. :Rescuing your brother was definitely more interesting than hanging out around here.:

  :Yeah, it was almost fun dodging the Marine Guard again,: Thom adds with one of his shy smiles.

  :You guys sure have a weird idea of a good time.: Yawning, I turn away and head straight for my hammock.

  The next morning, no small fish bother me, or if they do, I’m too soundly asleep to notice them. I get up just before lunch, my stomach rumbling. I’m hungry enough to eat an entire king salmon by myself. In the mess cave, I’m relieved to hear from the helper staff that James is stronger and his fever is almost gone.

  Ree, Kalli, and the rest of our southern sector friends eat with Thom, Tobin, and me and demand to know all about our adventures yesterday. I think they’re disappointed we went off without them.

  :So that’s why there are so many Sea Ranger sentries around today,: Kalli says after I tell them about the men Kuron hired to spy on us. :I wonder if your dad thinks Kuron or some of his freaky kids might actually try to attack us.:

  :I hope not. I never want to see that Wasp girl again,: Ree admits, rubbing her arms. :She was too scary even for me.:

  :I never want to see Dai again,: Lena says, tossing her head. :I still can’t believe he was one of them, and
he never told us.:

  I catch Kalli and Ree sending Lena reproachful looks before I stare down at my food pouch, fighting to keep my face blank.

  :I think we all have a few things we’d like to say to Dai,: Tobin says after a long, awkward moment.

  I’m relieved when Kalli quickly changes the subject and asks everyone what their work assignments are this afternoon. Just thinking about Dai has made me lose my appetite, but I force myself to choke down a few bites of halibut. Then I go with the rest to check the screens by the cave entrance, and I feel happier when I discover that I’m supposed to help out with dolphin classes this afternoon. I can’t wait to see if clever little Tisi has some new trick to show me. I’m actually smiling as I swim out to Dolphin Bay, but my smile fades when I pass two armed Sea Ranger sentries who are clearly on the lookout for trouble.

  Seth, the head dolphin trainer, hurries over as soon as I arrive. A year or two older than me, he has shaggy blond hair, a wide smile, and a crooked nose, thanks to an overly playful dolphin who broke it a few years ago. Seth’s fascinated by Mariah and is forever asking me questions to ask her.

  :Boy, am I glad to see you,: Seth greets me. :We have more kids than we can handle this afternoon. I swear most of our new arrivals this past month have no dolphin-handling skills. I want you and Mariah to work with the youngest beginners.:

  :That will make Mariah happy. She loves the younger ones.:

  Actually, I don’t mind working with younger ones, either. Younger kids aren’t as full of themselves as some of the older ones, and they listen to me way better. Seth assigns us two little girls named Pansi and Tala. They tell me they’re cousins, but they look like sisters with their big brown eyes and black hair.

  Pacific white-sided dolphins aren’t a large species of dolphin, but they can seem pretty big and strong if you haven’t been around them before. I sense that both girls are scared of Mariah. I wish Bria was here with me today. She’s totally comfortable around dolphins, and she’s one of the few people beside Tobin and me who can actually hear Mariah’s words in her mind. But she was assigned a self-defense class along with Robry in the Gymnasium this afternoon.

  I take the girls off to a quiet spot near a small kelp forest where the dolphins love to play. There, beside tall columns of greenish brown kelp that sway gently with stray currents, I introduce Pansi and Tala to Mariah and Tisi. Little Tisi is in a playful mood. He succeeds in making them giggle when he shows off his favorite trick, swimming upside down. By the end of our lesson, both girls are giving Mariah the correct hand signals for fetching and finding, and Pansi is even brave enough to let Mariah tow her for a short distance.

  After the session ends, Pansi and Tala thank Mariah and me, their eyes shining with excitement. I stay behind in the bay to play with the pod and check them for parasites. Suddenly I hear a frightened shriek in my mind. It sounds like Bria!

  :Tobin, Nere, Wasp is here. She’s making Robry and me go with them—: And then her words are cut off. It’s as if a dampening cloud absorbed Bria’s words.

  :Bria!: I shout. :Bria, are you okay? Robry, are you all right?: I concentrate, straining my senses, but I can’t pick up a reply.

  Frantically, I reach out to Sokya and Densil. :I think Wasp is kidnapping Bria and Robry! They were out at the Gymnasium. Watch where she takes them.:

  :we go!:

  The dolphins arrow past me. I could ask them for a tow, but I know I’ll just slow them down. Instead, I call Mariah, and moments later she and Tisi are by my side. She tows me after Sokya and Densil, and the rest of the pod swirls around us.

  :Be careful,: I call to Densil. :Wasp has poisonous stingers on her fingers and her gang has powerful spearguns.:

  As we fly through the sea, all I can think about is Bria and Robry. Why would Wasp take them? Are they all right? I keep calling to Robry, and since he’s such a strong telepath, I should be able to hear him easily. Instead, there’s just a strange, ominous emptiness.

  We reach the Gymnasium a minute later, but there’s no sign of Bria or Robry. Several Sea Rangers are clustered in a group talking angrily. Kalli and Tobin are floating nearby, Tobin’s face pale and strained.

  :What happened?: I ask the moment I let go of Mariah’s dorsal.

  :A Sea Ranger told us that kids on fast skimmers swooped across the perimeter,: Kalli replies. :They grabbed Bria and Robry as they were leaving the Gymnasium and darted away before anyone could stop them.:

  :Then they forced them into a small sub and took off heading south,: Tobin says, his mental voice radiating pain and anger.

  :I bet they were some of Kuron’s mutates,: Kalli adds. :The Sea Rangers who saw them said they had weird swirling tattoos on their faces, like those kids who attacked us on our way here.:

  :It was Kuron’s kids all right,: Tobin says tightly. :Bria told us that Wasp was making them go with her, and then suddenly, I couldn’t hear her anymore.:

  I really hope Dai had nothing to do with this. I think he liked both Bria and Robry.

  An angry, bitter mind touches mine. It’s Wasp! :Nere Hanson, tell your daddy that if he wants your sweet little friends back alive, he has to send a bunch of you to Atlantea to get them. Ta-ta for now. Oh, and by the way, Dai says hi.:

  Her casual mention of Dai makes me more furious. :Don’t do this!: I shout at Wasp mentally. :Don’t take them. They’ll be so frightened.:

  All I hear in reply is a long, nasty laugh that makes me want to strangle her, and then she breaks off contact.

  Sokya streaks up to Tobin and me and bobs her head in agitation. :we could not stop them. the young ones were already in the sub, but my brother follows it. he talks with the little girl to make her less frightened. he will follow it and tell us where they go.:

  :Thanks, Sokya. You guys are great,: Tobin tells her. His dolphin partner, Mali, hovers near him. She must be able to sense how upset Tobin is.

  :I just don’t understand,: Kalli says. :Why would Wasp take two little kids?:

  :I don’t understand why we can’t hear Robry or Bria anymore,: I add. :They’re both such strong telepaths that we should be able to communicate with them even if they’re already four or five miles away.: I don’t want to suggest in front of Tobin that I’m worried they might be unconscious.

  :I wish I’d been with Bria,: he says, clenching his hands. :It’s my job to watch out for her.:

  :We thought everyone would be safe here with so many sentries around,: I say.

  :Maybe we should head back to the home caves,: Kalli suggests with a sympathetic look at Tobin. :The helper staff might know more.:

  Since it’s clear we aren’t going to find any answers here, we head back. When we reach the home caves, people are hurrying everywhere and dolphins from the Safety Harbor pod streak back and forth. I spot Thom and Penn hovering on the edges of a crowd gathering outside the arched entrance to the large cave that serves as the Rangers’ headquarters. Easy-going Thom looks like he wants to break something in two.

  :We’re gonna do whatever it takes to get them back,: Thom tells Tobin.

  My dad appears in the entrance to the Sea Rangers’ cave and raises his hand to get our attention. The crowd of kids milling about quickly stills. Our friends gather around Tobin and me. I’m grateful for their support. They all love Bria and Robry almost as much as we do.

  “A short time ago, four young people from Kuron’s fortress crossed the bubble wall on skimmers,” my father announces, “and kidnapped Robry Cruz and Bria Masterson. We’ll be reviewing our security protocols to make sure this never happens again, but in the meantime, the Sea Rangers will conduct patrols constantly outside the perimeter.”

  My father pauses to scan the crowd, and his gaze finds Tobin and me. “My staff and I will start planning a rescue mission right away. Even though we want to go after Robry and Bria this very minute, we have to be patient. This mission will be conducted by the Sea Rangers, and they need a few days to plan carefully and make sure the mission’s successful.”

&
nbsp; The moment Dad finishes with this announcement, my friends and I look at one another in dismay. I know they all want to be on that rescue mission as much as I do, but we aren’t Sea Rangers.

  Tobin reaches out and grips my arm. :Nere, you gotta do it,: he says, his eyes pleading. :You have to ask your father if we can go.:

  I DRAW IN A DEEP BREATH. Asking to join the mission won’t be easy. I’m not sure Tobin understands how strained things are between Dad and me right now. I never thought that being Dr. Mark Hanson’s daughter was complicated, but now that he’s in charge of the entire Neptune colony, it kind of is. I feel like two hundred kids are always watching us and wondering if he’s going to treat me like everyone else. But I promised Cam that I’d look after his little brother, so special treatment or not, I have to be part of this rescue mission.

  Before Dad turns away, I swim up to him. Tobin’s right beside me. Even through my dad’s scuba mask, I can see the worry on his face.

  Dad, we really need to talk to you, I key into a small com-pad on my wrist. My words will appear instantly on a screen inside his mask.

  “I have to go topside to meet with our helper staff. We can talk at the surface.”

  My father heads for the shallow sea cave that leads to Safety Harbor’s shore facilities. Tobin and I follow him, and we all surface together.

  “Wasp contacted me,” I tell Dad as soon as I breathe out the water in my lungs. “She said if we wanted to get Robry and Bria back, we need to send some kids after them to Atlantea. But what is Atlantea?”

  “Kuron radioed us a message that said much the same thing. Atlantea’s the grandiose name he’s given his marine fortress,” he explains, pushing his scuba mask up on his forehead.