Secondborn

by Amy A. Bartol

  “Your lift is over there,” a silver-monikered Sword says, pointing to the elevator in the center of the complex. It’s made of glass and resembles the petals of a blooming rose.

  “Thank you. Please, carry on,” I murmur, taking Hawthorne’s arm. The silence throbs. We enter the lift and the glass doors slide closed. Emerging from the hilt of the building, we step into the blade. A panoramic view opens: a seascape on one side and a cityscape on the other.

  “Your cult has spared no expense,” Hawthorne mutters.

  When the doors open, we walk out into the magnificent foyer of the crown-shaped apartment. Grand chandeliers light the room. No fewer than ten Salloway security personnel are waiting for me. Clifton pays the government for the soldiers who protect him, and he secretly pays the soldiers as well, lowering the chance that one of them might be bought by someone else and turn on him.

  Clifton’s bodyguard approaches me. The fact that he is here is startling because he’s usually the point man protecting Clifton in public. “Roselle,” Crucius says, “are you hurt?”

  “I’m just cold and wet. So is my friend. Do you think you can find him some dry clothes?” I’m not in the habit of asking for things from any of Clifton’s security detail, but I’m going to have to get used to my new life.

  “Anything you need,” Crucius replies, surprising me again.

  “And can you tell Clifton I’m here?”

  “He knows. He’s leaving headquarters now. You should know he’s bringing someone with him.”

  “Who?”

  “The Virtue.”

  “Clarity Bowie?” Suddenly, I wish I were still hidden inside Tyburn Fountain.

  A team of uniformed soldiers patrols the rooftop. They’re not Clifton’s security, but the Iono soldiers who protect the Clarity of Virtues. A Verringer hovers near the rooftop, a halo-shaped crest of the Clarity of the Fate of Virtues on its side. I glance at Hawthorne. He’s nervous.

  The Verringer anchors to the railing alongside the building, blocking the view of the sea. A railed gangway ramp extends to the rooftop terrace, and Clifton emerges from the open doorway, followed by Fabian Bowie. They walk together toward the poolside entrance.

  I only have a moment or two to panic before an Iono soldier opens the door. Clarity Bowie and Clifton walk up the stairs and into the apartment. I try not to fidget. Clarity Bowie has seen me looking worse, in my Census criminal attire. At least this time I’m in a dress, even if it’s filthy.

  “Roselle.” Clifton says my name with a mixture of relief and concern. “Did they hurt you?”

  “No one hurt me. I left the Sword Palace because Hawthorne told me what my family was planning for me this evening. He helped me get back here.”

  “Firstborn Trugrave,” Clifton says with a curl of his lip, clearly not sure whether Hawthorne is truly friend or foe. “Thank you for returning our soldier to us. She means a great deal to my organization and to the war effort. I am in your debt.”

  Clarity Bowie strikes me as being even more powerful in person. He’s dressed in a crisp uniform denoting his status as the leader of the Fates of the Republic, with a white cape styled much like an Exo uniform. “Clarity Bowie,” I say with a deep nod, and then a smile. “I would offer you a seat, but I remember from my youth that you prefer to stand.”

  “I remember you as well. You beat my son’s head in with a clock.”

  “He should’ve been quicker on his feet.”

  The roguish smile that passes over his lips fills me with relief. “Grisholm could use someone like you,” he says, “someone who’s willing to bash him in the head when he steps out of line. I think everyone else is afraid to stand up to him. He’ll be the Clarity someday, and he’ll need a strong Clarity of Swords.”

  “I’m sure that Gabriel will be able to assist him in that regard.”

  “Walk with me.” Clarity Bowie extends his hand. I move forward and take it. He tucks my arm in his and we stroll toward the rooftop outside. We take the stairs down and wander past the pool surrounded by armed guards.

  When we’re out of earshot, he continues. “I look at you, Roselle, and I see your struggle tonight written in the cuts on your feet, the scratches on your face, the rends in your gown, the weariness in your smile. And yet, you still have a rigid command of everything and everyone around you. You handle a crisis as if it’s an everyday occurrence.”

  “Forgive me, but in my world, crisis is an everyday occurrence.”

  “I intend to change that for you.”

  “How can you do that?” I ask.

  “By offering you my protection. By taking you away from the Fate of Swords and allowing you a place in my household for a time.”

  “I have a position here. I am a weapons consultant for—”

  “Yes, and Clifton is adamant about not giving you up. You’ll still be allowed to work with him. He’ll come and visit you in my household when he requires your consultation.”

  We approach the ramp leading into the Verringer. I glance over my shoulder at my penthouse. Neither Clifton nor Hawthorne has followed us, but they’re both watching us through the glass. “I’m going with you tonight, aren’t I?”

  “Right now, as a matter of fact,” he admits, ushering me onto the ramp.

  “Can I say good-bye?”

  “You can see them both soon. They’ll be invited to the Opening Celebrations of the Secondborn Trials—to our private party, Roselle. You will be, after all, our celebrity guest of honor at the event.” We enter the Verringer. The door behind us closes. Clarity Bowie offers me a seat by a window. “You can rest after your trying evening. We’ll be in Virtues in no time. Your room is waiting for you, and someone there is very excited to greet you.”

  I gaze out the window at Clifton’s and Hawthorne’s grim visages. The Verringer purrs softly and rises into the air. “Who is waiting for me?” I ask absently.

  “Your mentor. Dune.”

  I gape at him. Then I notice a shiny pin on his lapel. “Are you a gardener, Clarity Bowie?” I gesture to the pin.

  “I’ve become very interested in the flower’s beauty and incomparable essence.”

  “Roses come with sharp thorns,” I reply.

  “I’m counting on them.”

  Glossary

  air-barracks. Kidney-shaped dormitory airships that dock on the military Trees in Bases like the Stone Forest. They transport troops and house them.

  air-billiards. A game played on a multilevel billiards table with an airstick—a cross between pool and air hockey.

  airstick. A cue stick that uses forced air to move a ball.

  Anthroscope. An expensive sports-model airship.

  Aspen Lake. The body of water located within the Stone Forest Base.

  atom splitter. An invisible security force field that explodes the atoms of whatever crosses into its path.

  Brixon. A port town in the Fate of Stars.

  Bronze City. A port city in the Fate of Swords. It’s located on the Vahallin Sea.

  Burton Weapons Manufacturing. A Sword-Fated weapons manufacturing company owned by Sword-Fated Edmund Burton.

  Census. A branch of the government comprised of agents whose mission is to hunt down and kill unauthorized thirdborns and their abettors. Their uniform is a white military dress shirt, black trousers, black boots, and a long, tailored leather coat. Their Bases are underground, beneath the Sword military Trees at Bases like the Stone Forest Base and the Twilight Forest Base.

  chet. A nonaddictive substance that is used to relieve tension and induce relaxation. It looks like a white stamp.

  Clarity. The title held by the leader of a Fate.

  CO. An abbreviation for commanding officer.

  cooler. A slang term for a detention center.

  Copper Towne. A moderately sized city in the Fate of Swords. A Salloway Munitions warehouse is located here. It is also near the border to the Fate of Seas.

  counter. A slang term for a Census agent.

  CR-4
0. A topical polymer dispensed in an aerosol device that, when sprayed on the skin, temporarily blocks the signal of an implanted moniker. It can be scrubbed off the skin or it will wear off in a few hours, making it ineffective.

  crella. A type of donut.

  Culprit-44. A sidearm, also called a fusionmag. It’s a fusion-powered gun-like weapon with a hydrogen-powered option.

  death drone. An automated robot with a black metallic outer casing. It’s shaped like a bat and used primarily on the battlefield to interrogate and execute captured enemy soldiers. The drone is summoned by a black-blinking “death-drone beacon” that emits a high-pitched sound, prompting a drone to respond to the location. Once the drone interrogates an enemy, it decides whether to kill the soldier or take it back to a containment airship for further interrogation.

  death-drone beacon. A black, disc-shaped device the size of a thumbnail. It blinks with light and emits a high-pitched frequency that summons a death drone. The device is placed on a captured enemy soldier to target him or her for interrogation and/or death.

  drone camera. A spherically shaped automated floating camera that has a multitude of lenses. Some are automated and can be programmed to follow a specific target, while others are operated remotely.

  Dual-Blade X16. The Salloway Munitions brand name for the dual-sided sword—the fusionblade/hydroblade—designed by Star-Fated secondborn Jakes Trotter and Sword-Fated secondborn Roselle St. Sismode. It was sold to the company by Roselle St. Sismode.

  evac (or evac’ed). To evacuate (or evacuated).

  Exo. A rank in the firstborn Sword military. It is higher than all the secondborn ranks. Only the Admiral and Clarities are higher. Black uniforms. Clifton Salloway is an Exo.

  Fairweather. An expensive, state-of-the-art airship.

  Fated Sword. A title given to the spouse of The Sword (the Clarity of the Fate of Swords). Kennet Abjorn is considered the Fated Sword because he’s the husband of Othala St. Sismode.

  fatedom. The realm of a Fate, like a kingdom.

  Fates of the Republic. Also know as the Fates Republic. The Fates of the Republic society is comprised of nine Fates or “fatedoms.” The Fates highest to lowest in the caste system are Virtues, Swords, Stars, Atoms, Suns, Diamonds, Moons, Seas, and Stones. The leader of the Republic is the Clarity of Virtues.

  First Lieutenant. A position on the Swords Heritage Council that is considered the “right hand” to the Firstborn Sword (the heir to The Sword).

  Firstborn Commander. A title given to the firstborn son or daughter of The Virtue. Grisholm Wenn-Bowie is the Firstborn Commander.

  Firstborn Sword. A title given to the firstborn son or daughter of The Sword. Gabriel is the Firstborn Sword.

  Forest Base Tree. A tree-shaped military building used by Sword-Fated personnel.

  Forge. The capital city of the Fate of Swords.

  FSP (Fusion Snuff Pulse). A device that acts like an EMP (electromagnetic pulse), delivering a short pulse of energy that disrupts the fusing of atoms that create fusion energy. The device is a palm-size sphere with a silver metallic outer shell with a trigger button.

  fusionblade. A fusion-energy-driven laser-like sword. The sword resembles a broadsword without the expected weight. Fusion cells reside in the hilt of the sword and create a stream of energy when engaged. The hilt is constructed of a metal alloy and usually personalized by a family crest or some other distinctive marking. The St. Sismode family is the originator of the fusionblade. They came to power because of their prowess with weapons centuries ago. They are the heirs to the fatedom of the Fate of Swords.

  fusionmag. A gun-like weapon that fires energy in “bullets” hot enough to burn through skin.

  glide mode. A mode of propulsion used by antiquated hovercars, such as the Vicolt. It uses magnetic attraction to propel a vehicle.

  Golden Circle. The area just outside the walls of the Stone Forest Base where secondborns are processed on Transition Day.

  gravitizer. The anti-gravity mechanism in a combat jumpsuit. It uses magnetic repulsion from the molten core of the planet to slow the descent of a soldier after he or she jumps from an airship. It disengages once the soldier is within feet of the ground, allowing him or her to land safely.

  head case. A mentally unstable person.

  heartwood. An escalator-like machine that carries occupants up or down levels through a vertical tube within a Forest Base Tree.

  helium-suckers. A derogatory term meaning morons.

  Heritage Council. A committee comprised of firstborn members of the Sword aristocracy. The leader of the council is the firstborn heir to The Sword. It’s a junior council of sorts in which firstborn heirs hold positions of power until they assume their parents’ roles as the leaders of the Sword aristocracy.

  hover. An abbreviated term for hovercar.

  hoverbin. A programmable drone that carries items from one place to another.

  hovercar. A wheelless vehicle that hovers above the ground and is propelled by various means.

  hoverstretcher. An automated, self-propelled stretcher that floats above the ground. It carries wounded people from one place to another.

  hovertaxi. An automated hovercar for hire.

  hovertruck. A large wheelless vehicle that hovers above the ground and is propelled by various means.

  humpback. A hovering garbage truck that has a collection unit that resembles a whale belly.

  hydroblade. A hydrogen-powered swordlike weapon.

  Hyperion. A demigod known as the god of water.

  Iono. A rank in the firstborn Sword military. Soldiers are tasked in the role of protecting heads of Fates, primarily Clarities from the nine Fates. Gray uniform. Dune is an Iono soldier.

  Iron. A city in the Fate of Swords where the Stone Forest Base is located.

  kill tallies. These black line tattoos extend from the corners of the eyes to the hairline of Census agents, denoting the number of thirdborn kills each agent has amassed. The marks can also be found notched on the necks of agents.

  Killian Abbey. An abbey and collection of tombs where heads of the Fate of Swords are buried. Roselle’s grandfather is buried there.

  Lenity. A city in the Fate of Virtues. Home to the wealthiest country estates. It is considered the “sister city” of Purity.

  mag. A holder for ammunition cartridges.

  maginot. A canine-like cyborg that resembles a wolfhound. They patrol the grounds of the Sword Palace, acting as sentinels.

  magnetizer. A feature on an Anthroscope airship.

  medical drone. An automated robot with a silver metal outer casing. It’s shaped like a cylinder. It uses a blue-lighted laser scanner to x-ray wounded soldiers in combat by hovering over the body of the fallen soldier. It has mechanical arms, which project from the underside of the robot. The mechanical arms can administer medication and perform triage. The drone is summoned by a red-blinking “medical-drone beacon” or “med-drone beacon” that emits a high-pitched sound, prompting a drone response. Once the drone performs triage on a soldier, it inflates a hoverstretcher containing a homing mechanism. It places the soldier on the hoverstretcher for transport to a rescue airship.

  medical-drone beacon (or med-drone beacon). A red, disc-shaped device the size of a thumbnail. It blinks with light and emits a high-pitched frequency that summons a medical drone. The device is placed on wounded soldiers who need medical attention from a medical drone.

  Meso. A secondborn Sword soldier rank in the military. It is two levels above a Tropo and one level below a Thermo. Royal blue uniforms. (Tropo, Strato, Meso, Thermo.)

  moncalate. A tool used to surgically implant a moniker beneath the flesh.

  moniker. Each person receives a symbol implant at birth that denotes class/caste. It is a brand that covers a holographic chip. The chip is loaded with the person’s identification and other vital information, such as rank, family members, district, status, and so on. The holographic chips can be activated at checkpoints manned by security per
sonnel. They are used to track people entering and leaving districts, to process secondborns, to denote firstborn status, and more.

  ol’ boy. A slang term for a firstborn.

  ol’ man. A slang term for a firstborn.

  Old Towne. The historic district in the city of Forge in the Fate of Swords.

  oosay. A motivational cry used by Swords.

  Patrøn. A term of respect, like sir.

  phloem. A pipeline or tube that transports items of cargo up or down levels via forced air within a Forest Base Tree.

  Platinum Forest Base. A military Sword-Fated Base consisting of treelike structures upon which air-barracks ships dock. It’s located in the Fate of Stones.

  Protium 445. A Twilight Forest Base air-barracks ship and unit of infantry soldiers. Their armor is embossed with a lavender-colored emblem.

  Purity. The capital city of Virtues.

  Recovener. An aircraft with both hovercar and airship capabilities. Bullet shaped in design, it is the most expensive small-craft airship in production.

  reg. An abbreviation for regiment.

  Rose Garden Society. A secret club dedicated to the preservation and welfare of Roselle St. Sismode. They have a vested interest in seeing her become The Sword (Clarity of the Fate of Swords). One of the most influential members is Clifton Salloway (firstborn Sword aristocracy), an arms dealer who owns Salloway Munitions Conglomerate. Members are called Rose Gardeners.

  Rose Gardener. A member of the Rose Garden Society.

  Roselyn. Tyburn’s lover, known for wearing roses in her hair. Her statue is part of the Tyburn Fountain located in Westerbane Heath. She points to the secret door that leads to the hidden passage to Tyburn’s Temple located inside the grounds of the Sword Palace.

  Rush. A highly addictive drug that causes paranoia and delusions of grandeur.

  Salloway Munitions Conglomerate. A Sword-Fated weapons manufacturer owned by Clifton Salloway. Headquarters is in the capital city of Forge in the Fate of Swords.

  sapwood. A pipeline or tube that transports liquid (such as water, fuel, or waste) via suction up or down levels within a Forest Base Tree.

  Sovenagh. A female composer who created the chamber music titled The Rape of Reason, her ninetieth symphony.