by Chele Cooke
Screeching, Georgianna gave up protecting her ears and dug the heels of her hands into her eyes, shielding them with the cool black shade of her palms. Red and white spots bloomed and faded with the rippling vibrations. A deep groan grew to a rumble and she brought her hands away to see blurry rocks tumble down the mountain slope into the northern edge of the lake. The water swelled and rocked, waves crashing high on the shores.
“They’re increasing frequency,” Beck boomed over the ringing in their ears.
Jacob’s plants lay around him in disarray, forgotten in the blast. He clutched Lacie’s hand, and both trembled far harder than the earth beneath them. The young redhead looked at Georgianna as Jacob murmured into her ear. She pulled away her hand, a blush brighter than her hair colouring her cheeks. Jacob looked briefly upset by the lack of connection until he caught Georgianna watching them. His ears were pink beneath his dark curls and he looked away. Georgianna turned to Beck to find him watching them as well.
“Why are they wasting firepower?” she asked.
“No idea. They have to know they won’t get through the shields.”
“They don’t want to get through the shields,” Jacob said, his voice quiet under the lingering buzz. “They don’t care whether the bombs get through the shields as long as we also don’t go through the shields. They’re keeping us penned.”
Beck watched Jacob with interest. There was a respect in his smile as he nodded and drummed his fingers against his knee.
“Stop us from making a move. That’s a good theory, Jacob.”
The tint at the edge of Jacob’s ears spread down his neck and underneath the collar of his shirt. He didn’t look at Beck as he smiled and reached for one of the discarded plants.
Lacie grabbed the spoon and stirred the broth again. She used its handle to poke the fire underneath, raising the flames higher against the pot. Bubbles popped across the surface and the warm, tempting scent coiled into the air around them. Beck fitted the rifle together as Georgianna rested her elbows on her knees and watched the bubbling broth.
“Smells good!”
They all looked up as Dhiren approached. He had a scrap of linen wrapped around the part of his arm where she had nicked him with the knife, and a small spot of blood had seeped through. It didn’t seem to be bothering him in the slightest. He scuffed his foot against the loose dirt but made no move to sit beside them.
“Thank you,” Lacie squeaked, avoiding Dhiren’s eye.
“Olless wants us,” Dhiren said.
Beck collected up the other weapons and stashed them in the back of the tent. He zipped the front flaps closed and rose to his feet with a tired groan. He placed a kiss on top of Lacie’s head and patted her shoulder.
“Keep some warm for me, okay?”
Lacie nodded and Dhiren scuffed his foot again.
“She wants all of us.”
“All?” said Georgianna.
Dhiren waved his hand to each of them.
“All.”
Jacob and Lacie shared a worried glance. Releasing a deep sigh, expecting another hour or two of sitting and saying nothing, Georgianna grasped the handle of the pot, lifted it from the fire, and set it next to the opening of the tent. Lacie got to her feet, shook off the small sheet she’d been sitting on, and laid it, clean side down, over the pot. Jacob collected his plants and dropped them into a canvas bag before throwing them into the next tent along.
Georgianna grinned. That was Wrench’s tent. Eli Talassi—known as Wrench to most of his friends—was skilled with technology and had been the one to remove Jacob’s collar after he escaped from his owner. A few months ago, Jacob had helped them heal Wrench’s wound when he was hit by the chemical gel of a copaq bullet. She wondered whether saving each other had bonded them in some way, or if Jacob simply wanted to remain close to Lacie.
Once they were all ready to go, Dhiren led them over to the waiting transport to take them up to the ship.
The room was bigger than the one Georgianna had been taken to for the meetings with leaders. A huge low table stood in the centre of the oval room, and chairs were fitted into the walls with tables that folded down between them. Jacob and Lacie, who had never been up into the ship, stared, in awe of everything they passed. Alec and Keiran stood facing opposite directions, silent and stubborn, while Taye shifted his weight from foot to foot.
Georgianna had been friends with Taye since childhood; they had grown up in the Kahle tribe together. However, despite Georgianna’s helping him rescue his girlfriend, Nyah, from her Adveni owner, Taye had become cold and suspicious after she’d agreed to work alongside Edtroka.
“Where’s Nyah?” Georgianna asked him.
“She wasn’t invited.”
He didn’t look at her, and she remembered the way Taye had been quick to question the Cahlven’s involvement in their fight. While they had been friends a long time, Taye seemed to have forgotten the affection they’d once had for each other, and avoided her whenever possible.
Dhiren led Georgianna over to the low table. She winced as Keiran came to stand beside her. There was only a slim gap between them but the space felt as impenetrable as the shield above. She looked down to avoid his eye, staring instead at the table. A thick powder covered its surface. Slate grey, it shimmered under the lights. Keiran reached out, picked up a handful, and let it trickle through his fingers.
A small cough brought them to attention and, under Olless’ glare, Keiran dropped the rest of the powder and brushed his hands together.
“Miss Wolfe will not be needed for this,” Olless said calmly, turning away from Keiran. “We have Mr. Cartwright. That will be enough.”
“Nyah knows more Adtvenis than Alec,” Taye said, crossing his arms over his chest.
Alec’s gaze lingered on Georgianna. He shoved his hands in his pockets and glanced at Lacie and Jacob.
“It’s better she isn’t here,” he said.
“Well, there is no reason for Lacie to be involved in whatever this is!” Beck said. “If you need something you can get from us, I will not—”
“No, I’m staying!” Lacie squawked. “I want to help!”
Beck took her elbow but Lacie pierced him with a glare and extracted herself from his grasp, turning back to the table. Raising an eyebrow in amusement at the silenced marshall, Dhiren barely concealed his grin. He turned away from Beck and waved his hand around the table.
“Beck, Keiran, and Edtroka are nominated as leaders and everyone else bar myself and him,” Dhiren nodded to Taye, “used to be dreta.”
Georgianna glanced around the table. He was right. When she looked at Edtroka, he had a smug grin as he looked down on the ex-inmate.
With no more arguments, Olless pulled out a flat white device. Every gaze was on her as she tapped in a series of commands. With a gentle whoosh, the powder flew up from the table. A few, including Georgianna, recoiled. Edtroka seemed impressed, Dhiren and Taye curious.
The powder vibrated. Sparks of light reflected off the shards and bounced in every direction. Olless typed in a few more commands and the powder shifted again. Some of it fell into deep valleys while other parts rose into tall mountains. When it finally settled, a circular spread of land lay before them in tiny metal shavings.
“It’s a map,” Alec announced.
“Correct. Mr. Flynn stands closest to our current position.” Olless reached over the map and circled the valley at the bottom of the northern mountain range in front of Dhiren’s hips. “And Mr. Stone by Adlai.”
Adlai was easily identified by the various spires and buildings, even though they were too small to make out individually.
Dhiren moved in a flash. His fist pierced through the range of mountains, knocking off their tops and sending a spray of metal powder over the landscape. He chuckled and beamed as he extracted his hand. The powder recreated the mountains instantly but the look of annoyance remained on Olless’ face.
“If you’re quite done.”
“I am!”
Dhiren said, unabashed.
Olless shook her head and rolled her eyes as sniggers rippled around the table.
“You have all been asked here due to your individual expertise. Mr. Rann, as I am informed, has an extensive understanding of the tunnels beneath Adlai, due to his Carae dealings. Mr. Cartwright, Mr. Stone, Miss Cormack, and Miss Lennox have knowledge of different areas of the dwelling quarter and the places their owners used to take them.”
“I’ve got a pretty good mental map of the compound,” Dhiren said, holding up a hand. “Oh, wait.”
“You know the northern lands better than anyone here, Dhiren,” Edtroka said, though his amusement was clear. “Your knowledge could be invaluable.”
“The Adveni have increased the frequency of their attacks,” Olless continued, ignoring Dhiren’s jibes. “And our scouts inform me that there are troops of Agrah on their way to this location.”
“What a surprise,” Beck grumbled.
“Our shields can protect us from the projectiles of the Adveni ships but will not be effective against troops unless we solidify.”
“Solidify?”
Georgianna didn’t need to look up to see who had spoken. She was sure they were all thinking the same thing. They had no idea what Olless was talking about.
“Our shields have the ability to become solid. They will not allow anything to pass. We have held off from this measure so far to allow for Veniche to come and go collecting food. If we were to solidify, this would no longer be possible.”
“How long would the shields be solid for?” Dhiren asked.
“Once they are solid, they cannot be changed back without removing them completely. Unfortunately, we suspect that the Adveni commanders are aware of this.”
“So, they block us in, force us to solidify the shields, and then only have to wait until we have to remove them before destroying us completely,” Edtroka said, nodding. “It’s what I’d do.”
Alec raised an eyebrow. He didn’t say anything but Georgianna could imagine what he was thinking: of course Edtroka would do something that cruel.
“I have brought you here in the hopes of getting an idea of prime targets,” Olless said. “As you all may have heard by now, the Second Colvohan is on his way to Os-Veruh. We hope to begin our response the moment he arrives with reinforcements.”
Dhiren leaned across the map, mountaintops brushing his chest. His shirt sent a tiny landslide of powder cascading down the mountainside to collect at the bottom.
“There are four lakes near Adlai, not including Nyquonat,” he said, pointing to the valleys dipped into the land. One extended off the side of the table nearest to Lacie. “Those are the main sources of water to the city.”
Alec shook his head and grasped the edge of the table, leaning forwards.
“That won’t matter once the Freeze sets in. If we were still in the Heat, perhaps, but water will be readily available through the rain run-off and then easily collected from the snow.”
“That will save the Veniche,” Beck argued. “But would the Adveni think of it?”
Everyone turned to Edtroka. His eyes widened. “Most Adveni will have received at least a minimum of survivalist training,” he told them. “Cutting off the water would cause discomfort but would not cripple them.”
“Electricity might,” Taye said. “Cutting the power? Veniche can survive easily without that. We’ve done it for generations.”
A nod went around the table, though Edtroka and Olless looked sceptical. Georgianna wondered whether they had ever lived a life without electricity and their technological devices. Had they ever warmed themselves in a Freeze with nothing more than open fires and layers of clothes? Had they ever cooked on an open flame and relied on torches to light their way?
“Can you make Adlai bigger?” Taye asked.
Olless drew the device from her pocket and after a few clicks the powder vibrated and fell to a flat layer a few inches off the table. A couple more taps and the city of Adlai spread across the table, a perfect view from above. They took a few minutes to acquaint themselves. Georgianna reached behind Dhiren’s shoulders and tapped Edtroka’s arm before pointing to a tall square powder building.
“There’s your apartment,” she said with a grin. Edtroka smirked back at her.
“From what I’ve seen,” said Taye, “electricity lines are built into the walls along the main lines. I couldn’t tell you where each one leads but I’ve seen people down there fixing things.”
“What about buildings?” Lacie asked. “They have all their systems and records.”
Beck laid his hand on Lacie’s shoulder and beamed at her as she pointed out a large building off Javeknell Square.
“None of this matters,” Keiran cut in. “We can disable whatever we like and it’ll make no difference. As soon as the Adveni feel they’re losing, they’ll evacuate and blow the Mykahnol. We’ll lose everything and all of these targets we’ve spent our time on will be useless.”
Georgianna looked up at him. He was staring at the map but there was a blank, hollow look in his eyes. He chewed on the inside of his cheek and plunged his hands into his pockets, rocking back on his heels. His voice was raw and quiet, and now Georgianna looked closer, she realised he seemed thinner, skin pale and eyes dull. Had he not been eating since they arrived here? She glanced around the table. Was there anyone here who would have made sure he was okay after everything that had happened?
“He’s right,” Edtroka agreed. Keiran didn’t look up or acknowledge the words.
“That’s good then,” Olless said with a smug grin. “That means the device should be our first priority.”
The last thing Georgianna remembered was her legs cramping, and sitting down. They’d been stood around the map table for hours debating the best way forwards. For every suggestion someone made there were two people who disagreed, and for every dissention there was another idea. Nobody at the table had concrete knowledge of where the Mykahnol was set up or how to disable it. Even Edtroka was clueless. The Mykahnol had never been under the control of the Tsevstakre.
In the late evening, Olless had brought in a technician called Tohma. He listened to their explanations of the Mykahnol but in the end told them that he wouldn’t know how to disable a weapon he’d never seen. They had heard rumours of what the Mykahnol looked like, and they certainly knew how it worked; but without a good look or at least some plans, nobody could know for sure.
Georgianna woke with her shoulder and neck muscles hot and aching. While she’d been sleeping, someone had laid a blanket over her. It was made of such soft material that she spent a couple of minutes stroking it; the blanket was as warm as the soft black behind her eyelids. Finally opening her eyes, she found that she was not the only one who had succumbed to exhaustion. Jacob and Lacie were asleep in adjoining chairs, Lacie’s head resting on Jacob’s shoulder. The corner of his lips touched the top of her head, and her hair fluttered with each of his gentle breaths. They too had been draped in a blanket but showed no signs of waking.
Georgianna shifted her shoulder and winced. Most of the room was empty. Only Dhiren and Edtroka remained, bent over the table. Edtroka straightened and shook his head, laying his hand against Dhiren’s shoulder. Dhiren looked back, but quickly returned his attention to the map, his jaw tight. Even from her chair, Georgianna could see that the table had been reset to the bigger map of the land instead of the detailed Adlai map Olless had created from the powder. Edtroka brushed his finger idly over the top of a hill, his dark eyes fascinated by the metal that came rolling down.
“This is far enough north that no one would think to look,” Dhiren said, waving his hand over an area Georgianna could not see. “There is water close, forest.”
Edtroka turned his attention from the hill and followed Dhiren’s hand. Resting his fist against the edge of the table, he leaned over and pointed at something.
“It’s also completely open,” he argued. “There is no protection here, Dhiren. An attack coul
d come from any direction.”
Dhiren stood up straight and folded his arms. His foot beat a steady rhythm against the cold floor. He turned away from the table.
“Will you ever find anything safe, E’Troke?” he demanded. “Except a compound with guards and no escape?”
Edtroka gulped. He straightened and didn’t look at Dhiren as he turned away from the table and perched himself on its edge. Even leaning like this, he was as tall as the other man. He reached out to touch Dhiren’s elbow but was denied contact as Dhiren took a step away.
“Dhiren,” he murmured. “Come on. How many times will I have to explain myself?”
“It’s not your explanations I want.”
“Then what is it? I’m making these plans, aren’t I?”
There was a desperation in his voice that Georgianna placed in an instant. She’d heard him sound that way before, back in the compound when he had been begging Dhiren not to kill him. He had said he’d promised, but she had no idea what the promise had been. Before that moment, she’d not even known that Dhiren and Edtroka knew each other.
She looked at Dhiren and, as he turned away from Edtroka, searching for anything to look at besides the Adveni, his gaze landed on her. There was no smile, no familiarity in his expression. He gritted his teeth and his fingers clenched into his sleeves.
“And how many does this plan include?” he asked, looking at Edtroka again.
“Ah, good, you’re still here.”
Both men jumped and Edtroka leapt a foot from Dhiren as he pushed himself from the table and turned to Olless. She strode into the room towards them. Her hair was free from its usual braid and the top button of her suit was undone. There were no windows in the room, but Georgianna guessed that it was the middle of the night. She shifted in her seat, pushing herself a little higher. Dhiren glanced at her and looked away again.
“What is it?” Edtroka asked.
“If you don’t mind, Dhiren, I need to speak to Grystch alone.”
