“That doesn’t make sense,” Cole says. “Waters told you he wants to keep the outpost a secret. Why would he use it for an Earth Force meeting? And usually the word summit means a really important meeting involving really important people, like the admiral. Why would they hold a summit in an infirmary?”
I try to match what Lucy told me up against what Waters said. Something doesn’t fit, and it’s not simply that Sheek has the facts wrong. There’s no way Waters would bring the admiral to the Wacky outpost, yet we know the admiral has an important meeting scheduled. Ridders said so. Sheek may not be reliable, but Ridders sure is. That can only mean one thing. “Maybe there are actually two meetings.”
“Come on,” Marco says. “That’s too much of a coincidence.”
“Not really,” I say. “If Waters’s guest is bounding in, the occludium shields have to be down. I heard Waters tell Barrick that the maintenance schedule shows a power-down tonight at nineteen hundred hours. Maybe the shields are scheduled to be down for Admiral Eames’s meeting, and Waters is using the occasion to bring in his guest unnoticed.”
“Maybe,” Lucy says. “But why would Waters do that? Who is he meeting with?”
Now, that’s the billion-dollar question. The truth is, I don’t know. We don’t have all the facts. We’re fitting together pieces of a puzzle without knowing what it’s supposed to look like. Waters barely told me anything.
“Always more questions,” I say. “Why would Earth Force breed kid soldiers? Why are we really at war with the Youli? Every answer leads to another question.”
“And another secret,” Marco says. “Look, it’s all about the pod now. Just like we agreed on the mountain behind Waters’s laboratory. If we fight, it’s on our terms. We have a right to know their secrets.”
Mira places her hand on top of mine. It’s time. Tell them.
She wants me to tell them about our brain patches? Now? They’ll be furious! I pull my hand from beneath Mira’s and bow my head to my knees. I wish we’d told them back at the laboratory. Everything would be so much simpler.
Tell them! she insists.
You’re sure?
She rests her hand on the back of my neck. They have a right to know.
I sit up and take a deep breath. “There’s something we have to tell you.”
Marco raises an eyebrow. “We?”
Lucy crosses her arms. “You’re not going to spring some big secret on us like you did that day in the mountains when you said the Youli communicated with you brain to brain, right?”
“Well, actually, that’s not so far off.”
All eyes are on me. The Nest is so quiet, I can hear my heart slamming against my rib cage. In the corner, Cole clenches his fists. This is not going to be easy.
“I wanted to tell you before,” I start, “but Waters made me promise, and then we left the labs, and . . .”
“Cut to the chase, Ace,” Marco says coldly.
Staring at the furry rug, I let it all pour out. “Waters implanted Youli skin cells into Mira’s and my brain stems. They’re supposed to help us communicate with each other. And with the Youli.”
“You’re kidding, right?” Marco says. “You’re not really saying that you’ve kept a secret this big all tour?”
I don’t look at any of my pod mates as I explain what happened the night Mira and I came in from the field, the same day we agreed to our pod pact.
When I finish, Marco jumps to his feet. “Jasper, you suck! You really truly suck! You are as bad as Waters! You promised you wouldn’t keep secrets!”
“Waters made me swear I wouldn’t tell—”
“Like that makes it okay?” Lucy yells. “Are you saying you and Mira have been brain-talking about us behind our backs all tour?”
“It’s not like that. Sometimes we share words or ideas, but not—”
“How does the brain patch work?” Cole asks. “I didn’t know they were developing that technology.”
“Shut up, Wiki,” Marco says to Cole before turning on me again. “I just can’t believe you kept this from us!”
“I’m sorry, okay? I should have told you sooner. I just didn’t know what to do.” My last words crack in my throat, fighting with a sob I don’t want to let out. My eyes swim with tears. “I’m sorry!”
Marco turns away in disgust.
Lucy shakes her head.
Cole looks like he’s about to burst. He probably has a hundred questions about the brain patches.
Mira rises and walks into the center of the circle. Translate.
No. That is not going to help.
Translate!
“No!” I shout.
“No, what?” Lucy stares at Mira. “Wait. It’s happening right now, isn’t it? You’re brain-talking right now! What is Mira saying, Jasper?”
I shake my head. “She wants me to translate something.”
“Brain-to-brain?” Cole asks.
“Excellent,” Marco says. “I’ve always wanted to know what Queenie has to say.” He sits down on the rug, crosses his legs, and glares at Mira. “And right now, I say you have some explaining to do.”
I close my eyes and try to tune into the picture Mira is showing me in my mind. It takes a while because I have to wrestle against the part of me that wants to burst out crying. I hate having my pod mates so mad at me. And, if I’m being honest, there’s part of me that wants to keep Mira all to myself, even though I know that’s like the most selfish thing in the world.
Stop! Focus!
Great. Mira’s not happy with me either.
“It’s not really words,” I say, trying to translate Mira’s image and its meaning. “It’s a picture. Remember that day on the mountain? We built a cairn of stones to symbolize our bond.”
“Sure, I remember,” Lucy says. “It’s all about the pod. That’s what it meant, not like you cared, obviously.”
“We do care,” I say. “And that’s still what it means. Mira is reminding us.”
Mira grabs my hand and nods me on.
“Look, we were wrong to keep this secret. And we’re sorry. I’m so sorry. I didn’t know what to do. Waters made me promise, and he made it sound really important that we keep it secret. But I shouldn’t have. If I could go back in time and tell you, I would. But I can’t.”
A sob bursts out, and more come behind it. I swallow them down and take a deep breath. I look at my pod mates. “This is my fault. I’m sorry, but so much is at stake now. We can’t let this come between us. Please. It’s all about the pod.”
A long moment passes. I bite on my finger to stop from crying out loud as tears stream down my cheeks. I have no idea what will happen next. I half expect Marco to storm out of the Nest and never come back.
Finally Lucy stands. “You made a mistake. A big one. Both of you. But the biggest blame belongs to Waters. He can’t be trusted anymore. Right now only one thing is clear: it’s all about the pod.” She extends her hand, and I reach for it.
I look to Cole. After all we’ve been through, I really hope he’s still with me.
He steps next to Lucy and grips her palm. “It’s all about the pod.”
There’s only one more link to the chain.
Mira stretches her out her hand to Marco, who still sits on the moldy rug, his arms crossed tightly against his chest.
“What do you want me to say?” he asks. “ ‘It’s all about the pod’? Those are words. We need action. Loyalty. Understand?”
His eyes rise to meet mine. I nod.
Slowly Marco pushes up and seems to shake off some of his anger, though I know regaining his trust will be an uphill battle.
He clasps Mira’s and Cole’s hands, completing our circle. “Don’t think you’re off the hook, King and Queenie, but for now, let’s move on to espionage. We have two meetings to spy on tonight. And if it’s not about the pod, I have no clue what anything’s about anymore.”
24
AFTER MUCH DISCUSSION, DISAGREEMENT, AND general disgruntlement ov
er Mira’s and my secret keeping, we finally agree to a plan. We’re covering the bases by assuming there are two separate meetings. Marco, Cole, and Lucy will hide in the Parliament Chamber. Mira and I will bound to the Wacky outpost. If there’s a problem, or if Waters’s meeting is a no-go, Mira and I can bound to the Chamber and meet up with our friends since the shields will be down and the scrambler turned off.
“Good luck,” Lucy says before she takes off with Marco and Cole for the chamber shortly before nineteen hundred hours.
I wish them luck and watch them go.
“Ready?” I ask Mira as we prepare to bound to the Wacky outpost. I hope our intel is correct, or the scrambler will make this our last trip anywhere.
She nods.
We open our ports and successfully bound to the infirmary where we were treated last night. Our bound site is extremely specific—under a medical cart, behind the treatment curtain—to avoid detection. I overshoot by half a meter, but fortunately, the curtain is drawn. We can see through the curtain, but it’s like looking through a hazy filter. I know from last night that it’s not possible to see through from the other side.
“Stay still,” I whisper.
Stay quiet. She smiles.
I smirk. Sassy much?
It feels like hours pass with nothing happening. Nothing except my hip hurting from my fall yesterday, and I can’t even stand up to stretch my leg.
There’s no one in the infirmary except an actual infirm Tunneler, who’s resting on one of the tables behind the divided curtain. He’s unconscious, but every few minutes, he moans.
Whenever the Tunneler moans, Mira and I make eye contact and suppress a laugh. It’s like our own private joke. They really should up the painkillers for the poor dude. I’m struggling to hold back another round of giggles when footsteps sound in the infirmary.
“Are your guards in position?” That voice belongs to Waters.
Brrrrk. Arrrgh. Kareek. “Yes, just as we discussed.” And that’s Barrick.
“Good. If they sense anything’s amiss, they’ll suspect a setup. I don’t need to tell you how much is at stake. This meeting must be a success.”
“They have the coordinates?” Barrick asks.
“Yes. I transmitted them yesterday and received confirmation.”
“I can’t believe you got them to agree to come.”
“We’ve been working toward this for years,” Waters says. “All my work has led to this moment. Earth’s future—both of our futures—depend on it. You know that. How much longer?”
“Five minutes.”
The Tunneler patient emits another groan. Waters jumps. I bite down on my fingers to keep from laughing out loud.
“Can someone get him out of here until this meeting is over?” Waters asks.
Barrick barks orders at another Tunneler, and seconds later, two arrive to wheel the patient out of the room. One of them steps behind the curtain, placing Mira and me in plain view. Thankfully he doesn’t look down.
A few more tense minutes pass. I’m afraid to move a muscle, even with the pain radiating across my hip.
Then lights flash on the other side of the curtain.
I blink, sure my eyes are playing tricks.
Two Youli stand mere meters from our hiding spot.
I swallow the gasp that jumps into my throat. I can’t believe Waters invited the Youli here.
Mira grabs my hand, and a current of fear and excitement runs between us. The last time I saw a Youli in a medical facility, he flung someone across the room. And the last time I faced the Youli, we were nearly killed on the Paleo Planet. I’m not taking any chances. I flex my free hand, preparing to bound or defend us at any moment.
“Welcome to Gulaga,” Waters says. “I am so pleased to see you again, friends.”
Friends? Waters knows these guys? They’re our sworn enemy. They injured our friends, killed our Tunneler guide, and caused the Incident at Bounding Base 51.
We are also pleased. The words sound in my brain. Then a voice-translation box states, “The pleasure is ours.”
That was weird. Why did the words get communicated twice? And why weren’t they the same?
“We relish this opportunity to speak with you,” Waters says. “And we are encouraged by your recent communications. We would very much like to send a delegation to the summit.”
Wait a second . . . the summit? I thought this was the summit . . . or maybe the admiral’s meeting . . . but the summit is something else entirely?
Earth does not speak with one mind. “Our understanding is that Earth is not aligned.”
Why does that double communication keep happening?
“Friends, it is a process,” Waters says. “We are making progress. Those who share our ideals are growing in number.”
I release Mira’s hand and clench my fists. I don’t care what Waters says. The Youli are not our friends. They attacked us on the Paleo Planet. They hurt Marco. They killed Charkeera. They invaded my brain!
Growth is not solidarity. “Despite this growth, there is division in your ranks.”
Why do I keep hearing everything twice?
Almost the same but not quite.
Wait a second . . .
First I hear the Youli in my brain, then I hear the translation from the voice box.
The brain-talk is so much clearer than on the Paleo Planet. There, all I could understand was the word leave. Now it’s coming through in crystal detail. It must be the brain patch!
The young ones? “The children?”
Wait . . . what? I missed something.
“We call them Bounders,” Waters says. “And yes, that is who you encountered. We’re training some of them to act as translators. We can bring them with us to the summit.”
They battled with Youli technology. “We were attacked with our own weapons.”
There is a pause before Waters answers. “I can assure you I am now personally overseeing all research and development.”
They’re talking about the battle on the Paleo Planet! I want to whisper to Mira, but I don’t dare make a sound. I sense for her brain. Mira! They’re talking about us!
As soon as the thoughts leave my mind, my brain erupts in static. A sharp, familiar pain pierces my skull.
The Youli are communicating. My brain can’t translate amidst the pain.
But my ears work fine.
“What is the meaning of this?” the Youli’s voice box says. “You have these children here? Spying on us? How can you expect trust when you breach our trust in return?”
One of the Youlis starts to shake and radiate a strange glow.
Oh no. This is bad. Very bad.
“I—I—I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Waters stammers. “I assure you. We are the only ones present. . . .”
The Youli flings his arm, and Waters flies across the room. He’s pinned to the wall, held there by the invisible force of the Youli’s outstretched hand. His comrade thrusts Barrick to the opposite side of the infirmary.
With his free hand, the Youli holding Waters waves back the curtain, revealing our hiding place.
“Liars!” his voice box says. “And that is not all! My ship just reported that another alien craft has entered Gulagan space. You betrayed us, Jon Waters. May you rue this day!”
And with that, the Youli vanish. The pain in my brain fades. Waters and Barrick crumple to the floor.
Bound! In a flash, Mira’s gone.
I won’t face Waters alone. I open my port and bound.
As soon as I hit the ground, Mira pulls me against the wall.
Quiet!
Ridders’s voice rises up from the platform below. “Our guests have arrived, Admiral. The guards are escorting them through the rear tunnel as we speak.”
The rear tunnel of the Parliament Chamber? As in the one Mira and I are standing in?
Go! I urge Mira. I can barely stop shaking as we edge along the wall. I’ve nowhere near recovered from what just happened in the
infirmary.
When we reach the secret side door to our carrel, Mira gently knocks. The door cracks open, and Marco waves us through.
“Over here, behind these chairs,” he whispers. “And get down!”
“What’s happening?” I ask.
“Not sure,” he replies. “They keep talking about the Alkalinians and readying the occludium for the trade.”
“What’s an Alkalinian—”
“Shhh!” Lucy slaps my arm. “I hear footsteps.”
Sure enough, the sound of people passing comes from the hallway. We shrink even lower into the carrel as the entourage passes and descends to the chamber floor.
Four Earth Force guards escort four . . . creatures. Aliens, I should say. They ride upon minihovers that look like flying padded thrones. Their skin glistens with scales and their arms appear robotic.
“What are those things?” Marco asks. “Cyborg lizards?”
“Remember Waters’s laboratory?” Cole whispers. “Weren’t there some reptilian body parts in one of the cases?”
Whoa. That’s right. Could those have belonged to one of these guys?
“Hush!” Lucy says. “We need to listen.”
Below, on the center platform, Admiral Eames extends a hand to the alien floating in the center of his group. “Welcome, Seelok. The Alkalinians are among friends here. I trust you’ll find your every need attended to.”
“Sss-so you sss-say, Admiral Eamesss,” the alien in the center hisses in his natural tongue. I’m guessing he’s Seelok. Instead of shaking her hand, Seelok circles the admiral on his floating throne. Her honor guard raises their weapons. “But how can we be sss-so sss-sure?”
“You’re speaking of the occludium,” the admiral says with caution, gesturing to her guards to lower their guns. “Give us the coordinates, Seelok, and we will load the compound onto your ship immediately.”
“That sss-simply will not do. My sss-senior offisss-er remained behind. Load the cargo sss-straightaway, and I will give you the coordinatesss.”
Admiral Eames nods to Ridders, who rushes out the front doors of the chamber.
“Very well,” she says. “But while we’re waiting, answer me a few questions. How did the Alkalinians manage to secure this intelligence? The exact location of the intragalactic summit and the Youli docking station must have been extremely difficult to acquire.”
The Tundra Trials Page 20
