The Last City (The Ahlemon Saga Book 1)

by Casey McGinty

  Arthur nodded calmly, and that was the end of his questions. Charly couldn’t believe Arthur’s calm; all kinds of alarms were going off in her head.

  Seemingly content with the silence, Atticus watched them eat as if he were storing data on every little nuance of their behavior. Charly felt a sudden compulsion to get away from him and asked if she could be excused.

  “Have you had enough to eat?”

  “Yeah, I’m full. This has been a really great visit.”

  Atticus tilted his head. “Your tone and facial expressions betray your words, Charly. Fascinating. What are you really feeling? Please be honest.”

  Charly stared at him, surprised that he’d caught her sarcasm. Then she decided to give him what he’d asked for. “You scare me, all right? I’m scared you’ll hit one of us if we don’t do or say something just right. And, why are you staring at us like we’re . . . like we’re some kind of lab rats in an experiment? Do you know how uncomfortable that feels? I just want to go back to my bed, please.”

  “Excellent. This is exactly what I want from you . . . all of you,” Atticus said, looking around the table. His gaze returned to Charly. “Rakaan said I would be pleased with you. He was right. I am very pleased. And to answer your question, no, I do not know how it feels.”

  Charly wasn’t sure, but she thought she had actually caught a hint of sadness in his voice.

  Atticus stood. “Now, I would like to meet with each of you privately to get better acquainted. Javier, you will be first.”

  Javier looked around nervously at the others.

  “There is no need to be afraid. I just want to hear about your life. Are you ready, or do you need to visit the facilities first?”

  Javier’s face hardened with resolve. “No, I’m ready.”

  “Then come with me, please.”

  They entered the lounge, and the door closed behind them.

  ———

  It was several hours before the door opened again. Arthur took a long nap. Laura spent most of the time curled up on her bed, finally dozing off. Charly was a nervous wreck, alternating between pacing around their quarters and trying to nap, all the while imagining the worst.

  When the lounge door finally opened and Javier rejoined them, Charly jumped up from the cafeteria table, watching him closely. His head was hung low and there was a pinkish imprint on the side of his face. Laura came out of the bunkroom, visibly relieved that Javier was OK; she even gave him a hug. Charly sensed that their relationship, at least from Laura’s perspective, was deeper than friends.

  Wasting no time, Atticus called for their food and drink to be replenished and then invited Arthur to be next. It was dinnertime when Arthur entered the lounge for his interview.

  Anxious to hear Javier’s story, Charly’s angst deepened when he looked around the room cautiously and waved for the girls to join him in the bunkroom. He sat on the edge of his bed and the girls sat together on the bed directly across from him.

  “So, what happened?” Charly asked.

  He leaned forward, a worried look on his face. “Atticus told me not to say anything.” He looked torn. “I don’t know if I should tell you.”

  “You have to tell us,” she said, a knot growing in her stomach.

  Javier hesitated; then he appeared to make a decision. “As soon as we sat down, he offered me a drink. He said it was sweet and wanted to see if I liked it. It was sweet, but there was something else in it, and it knocked me out. I don’t know how, but when I woke up, I was in a different room and strapped to a chair . . . like a dentist chair. It was dark and cold, a bright light over me. Atticus stood beside me with this electrode thing in his hand.” Javier’s face contorted. “God, it hurt.”

  Charly was petrified. With a fearful and pained look, Laura reached out and put a comforting hand on his shoulder. Then he said, “Naw, just kidding,” and a huge smile spread across his face.

  Wide-eyed and openmouthed, Charly stared at him in disbelief for a moment. Then she jumped up and kicked him in the shin—hard.

  Javier rolled away, onto his bed, laughing and grimacing at the same time, his hands pressed against his shin.

  Laura was silent, fighting off tears.

  “That was not cool,” Charly said. “If I was bigger, I’d beat the crap out of you right now.”

  “OK, OK, I’m sorry,” he said, still smiling. “I couldn’t resist.” He waved for Charly to sit back down. “Relax. It was fine. He really did just want to talk about my life.”

  Laura got up and left. Charly followed.

  A minute later, Javier joined them at the cafeteria table. The girls refused to look at him, staring at the food.

  “Hey. I’m sorry. Really.” His body language was contrite. “I don’t know why I did that. Sometimes, when I get stressed, I do stupid things . . . I make fun of stuff. I’m really sorry.”

  “Javier,” Laura said, “we were so worried about you.”

  He slunk his head and shoulders. “I really am sorry. I wish I could take it back.”

  Charly gave in first. She did stupid stuff all the time that she regretted. “OK, I get it. But don’t you ever do that again.”

  He nodded. “You all right, Laura?”

  She shrugged.

  Javier reached out and took her hand. When she started crying, he moved over and held her. “I’m so sorry, Laura,” he whispered. “It really will be all right.”

  A minute later, she wiped her face. “I’m good.” She shoved at his shoulder. “Now, tell us what really happened.”

  He perked up and jumped into his story. “He started by asking me about life back home, which was fine except that he wanted to know how I felt about every little thing. My family was kinda rough, and we don’t do feelings very well. He wanted more than I was giving, and he got an attitude . . . and that gave me an attitude. At home, me and my dad go round and round like that all day. But that doesn’t work with Atticus.” Javier put a hand to his cheek. “Maybe it’s just me, but you need to watch yourselves when you’re with him. He can be totally calm one second then explode the next.”

  After eating, they took their conversation into the bunkroom and ended up sharing family stories. While Javier’s family was rough, they were hilarious. Charly relaxed; it felt good to laugh. Losing track of time, they were starting to get sleepy when Arthur returned.

  “You OK?” she asked.

  “Yes, I’m fine.” He gave her a reassuring smile.

  Atticus stepped into the bunkroom doorway. “This has been the most amazing day I’ve had in a thousand years. Thank you. Now, I know you’re all tired, and I want you well rested for tomorrow. So please take your sleep soon.” Then he turned and left.

  Waving off their questions, Arthur reassured them his interview was just that, an interview, and he would tell them about it in the morning. Then he ushered everyone to bed and turned out the lights. Pausing at Charly’s bedside, Arthur leaned down, kissed her on the forehead, and whispered, “You’re a treasure, Charly. Sweet dreams.”

  She didn’t respond immediately, surprised at the gift he had just given her. “I love you too, Arthur,” she whispered as he shuffled away.

  Tired as she was, she had a hard time falling asleep. Despite Javier’s and Arthur’s reassurances, she was assaulted with anxiety, envisioning her upcoming interview with Atticus. She was not calm and collected like Arthur. She was not cocky and strong like Javier. She was volatile. And she was afraid she’d mess something up. Remembering Kane’s words about not projecting fear, she chose to think on something positive, and she replayed Arthur’s blessing. A memory of her mother came to mind. She was nine or ten. They were snuggling in Charly’s bed after she’d had a nightmare. “It’s all right, baby,” her mom had said, stroking her hair. “There’s nothing to be afraid of. I’m here with you. Go to sleep, now. Go to sleep.”

  With tears rolling down her cheek, Charly fell asleep, basking in the memory of her mother’s comfort.

  15

&nb
sp; Day 2

  1400 hours

  Central tower, Alto Raun

  Kane awoke on a comfy single mattress with a light blanket over him. As he rolled to his side, he discovered that his head injury was tender, reminding him of the tussle with the Breaker. He was in a bunkroom with bare, light-gray walls and two long rows of twin beds, all empty, although several looked as if they had recently been slept in. Pushing himself up, he saw that he was clothed in a heavy but soft white cotton T-shirt and trousers. His own clothes were washed and neatly folded, sitting on top of a locker at the foot of the bed. Next to his clothes were a towel, a pair of white slip-ons, and a packet with a bar of soap, a razor, a toothbrush, and what looked like toothpaste. He grabbed the towel and toiletries and made his way to the bathroom. Soaking in the hot shower, he did some simple stretching exercises. The motion sensitivity was gone and his head only hurt to the touch when he finally washed his hair. After a shave at the sink, he dressed in his own clothes.

  Outside the bunkroom was a long hallway with a swinging double door at the end. He checked the doors along the hall and discovered other bunkrooms, all empty. He pushed through the swinging doors and entered a large cafeteria occupied by half a dozen people. He recognized one person: Jenn rose from a table and approached him with a big smile. He noticed a dark bruise on the side of her face just before she gave him a hug.

  “I’m so glad to see you,” she said, stepping back and looking him over. “You feel OK?”

  “‘OK’ about sums it up. How long have I been out?”

  “Around fifteen hours.”

  “What? I needed to be tracking the hostages. Why didn’t someone wake me?”

  “The captain said you’d be upset. But the doctor gave strict orders not to disturb you. He said you needed the rest, that you wouldn’t be any good without it. But not to worry; they’ve been working on a rescue plan.”

  She took him by the arm and pulled him to a table. “First things first. Every hero needs his rest . . . and food. You must be starving; sit down and eat.” Jenn seated him at a table with bowls of fruit and vegetables, bread, and what looked like a hamburger patty.

  “The patty’s tasty, and they’ve got this drink that reminds me of sweet tea. Would you like some?”

  He nodded, so she found a flask of tea and poured him a glass. “Now, I’m going to find the doctor and the captain. They wanted to know as soon as you woke up.”

  The savory smells hit him, and his stomach growled. He sat down and ate voraciously, not looking up for several minutes. When he did, he noticed a young man at another table, watching him, an amused look on his face. Kane stopped, embarrassed.

  “It’s OK,” the man said. “We all ate like ravenous wolves when we finally got to sit down and eat.”

  Kane chewed and nodded, eating more slowly.

  “I want to thank you,” the young man continued, “for saving me and the others. That was a pretty gutsy stunt you pulled off down there.”

  “The real hero was a robot. It would never have worked without him.”

  “Yeah, I heard about what he did. But it was your plan, and you finished it. Thank you.”

  Kane nodded back. Redirecting the conversation, he asked, “Is everyone OK?”

  “One broken arm and some stitches, but mostly scratches and bruises. The tough recovery will be emotional. Those Breaker dudes were pretty scary, and a lot of the folks couldn’t sleep last night.”

  Kane’s thoughts jumped to a vision of Charly hurting, afraid, and crying in some cold, dark place; he totally lost his appetite.

  The cafeteria door opened, and in walked an entourage led by Captain Tygert and Dr. Manassa. They were joined by Ham and Jenn, the Director and Super 3, the four Colony leaders, and a fifth, older-looking colonist whom Kane didn’t know.

  “Good to see you,” Tygert said with a huge smile and a handshake. Thorin extended the customary Ahlemoni greeting of friends, a right-handed, hand-on-shoulder squeeze. Ham’s unexpected bear hug made Kane acutely aware of all his aches and pains. He looked around the room and found Mhara standing back with the other colonists; she smiled and nodded to him. Remembering that he’d run off and left her in the suspension chamber without a word, he felt a wave of regret and determined to find a way to thank her for her kindness.

  Thorin introduced the fifth colonist to Kane. “This is Jhemna, our elder science officer.”

  Jhemna gave Kane a half bow and said, “Thank you for your courageous and selfless service to the Colony. We are in your debt.”

  Not knowing the proper protocol, Kane bowed in return.

  Dr. Manassa did a quick evaluation of Kane’s condition. “If that blow had been an inch further forward, you would likely be dead. You really need to take it easy for a few days.”

  “Don’t have a few days, doc.”

  “Well, you’ve been professionally warned.”

  They all sat around a large rectangular table in the cafeteria for a meeting. Sitting across from Kane, Tygert spoke first. “The sleeping giant is finally awake. How ya feelin’?”

  “I’m a bit sore, nothing a good run won’t clear up. But tell me: I’m assuming your mission was a success?”

  “If you call losing four passengers and seven Mekens a success. The Breakers were trying to escape with the hostages from a hangar at the end of the canal. Long story short, Super 3 and his team saved the day; they were as good as any crack specialty unit I’ve ever seen.”

  “That seems to be the Meken way. Sorry for the losses. They were tough circumstances.”

  Tygert nodded.

  “Now, what about rescue plans?”

  “We’ve confirmed that the Breakers have four hostages: Charly; two soccer players, Laura and Javier; and Arthur.”

  “Where are they?”

  Tygert turned to the Director, who answered for him. “They are somewhere inside Alto Mair, the Breakers’ home city. It is on the mainland coast, approximately seventy-eight miles away. We tracked the Breaker submersibles until they entered the west marina in Alto Mair. Unfortunately, the city is a sprawling complex, and the Breakers have occupied the city for a thousand years; we do not know what we will find inside.”

  “So, we’d be going in blind.”

  “All of the options carry great risk,” Thorin said.

  “Why am I not surprised?”

  “Our advantage is tactical,” Tygert said. “They obviously don’t have the military training or experience. We’ve been able to outmaneuver them at every turn.”

  “So far.”

  “Kane is right,” the Director said. “We cannot mistake their tactical failings as an advantage to us. The Breaker Director has a highly sophisticated learning capability, and he will evaluate what they did wrong and what we did right. I assure you, he will be better prepared in future encounters.”

  “Do you have any idea where they might be holding the hostages?”

  “We have narrowed it down to two locations,” Thorin said. “We believe that the Breaker Director has his headquarters in the penthouse of the tower, located at the center of the city. The hostages will likely be held in close proximity to the Director. So that would put them either in the offices at the top of the tower or in the living quarters in the basement of the tower. Both are highly defensible locations.”

  “And what about the Breaker defenses?”

  “Unfortunately, we do not know,” the Director said. “We recovered some unusual weaponry in the suspension area. They have been constructing their own weapons.”

  “What about our weapons?”

  “We have opened the armory. Almost all of the weapons are fully functional.”

  “Which are?”

  “Handguns and rifles,” Thorin answered.

  “Nothing bigger? Laser cannons, explosives, grenades, rockets?”

  “There are some higher-gauge laser rifles but nothing more,” Thorin said regretfully. “Before suspension of the Colony, there was little need for weapons of war on Ahlemon. Th
e fact that we have an armory at all is due to the foresight of a council member who felt strongly that we might need them in our future. We were naïve and distracted with our basic survival at the time.”

  Jhemna jumped in. “But we have the materials and tools to construct weapons and explosives.”

  “It would be great to have some plastique and grenades,” Kane said.

  Jhemna looked questioningly at Kane, but Dr. Manassa told him he would explain later.

  “Will they have force fields?”

  “I do not believe so,” the Director said. “They were not in place when Alto Mair was evacuated. Sustained polarity fields require enormous amounts of energy. To my knowledge, Alto Mair does not have a sufficient power source to sustain anything more than a localized and temporary polarity field.”

  “It’s definitely stealth rather than firepower,” Tygert said. “We thought we’d go in with a small insertion team.”

  “That sounds right. How do we get in?”

  “That’s a problem. We’ve ruled out an air approach. We’ve detected Breaker radar within a limited distance of the city. We could land outside the radar range, but the city is engulfed on three sides by dense jungle. The Director has recommended against it; he’s concerned about the terrain, dangerous wildlife, and Breaker patrols.”

  “Submersibles then?”

  “Unfortunately,” the Director said, “the Breakers took all of our transport submersibles when they left Alto Raun. It is possible to modify some of our smaller craft to transport one or two humans at a time, but the Breakers monitor their underwater coastline; it would be difficult to evade their detection. Additionally, we would need to account for the return of the four hostages.”

  “What about boats?”

  “They’re not an option,” Tygert said.

  “Why not?”

  “Levi.”

  “Levi?” several people asked at once.

  “The sea monster, the Leviathan,” the captain said with a smile. “You know . . . Levi.”

  “Levi is a she,” the Director said.

  “Really?” Tygert said surprised. “I’d hate to see her boyfriend.”