by Lynette Noni
Bear swallowed. “Right.”
A pause followed, until—
“Are we having a moment?” Jordan grinned. “Should we hug it out?”
A pillow to the face was the only answer Bear gave him, the mood broken as the two of them laughed and went back to their separate tasks. Or, Bear did, at least. Jordan continued to ignore his homework, the ball thump, thump, thumping against the wall.
“What’s Fitzy got you working so hard on, anyway?”
“Some kind of device he needs help developing,” Bear answered distractedly. “I thought I’d have some ideas by now, but everything I come up with is negated by the design of the construction itself. The shell casing he seems intent on using won’t allow for—”
“Never mind,” Jordan interrupted, pulling a face. “Forget I asked.”
Bear snorted and went back to wracking his mind, scribbling possibilities and crossing them out again. Jordan eventually put the ball away and fell asleep, but Bear worked late into the night, determined to have something as a starting point before going to bed. However, his eyes soon became so heavy that he knew he had to call it a night and try again fresh the next day.
When he slept, his dreams were plagued by equations and diagrams and Fitzy’s voice saying, “This is important, Bruno. We need it to save our world.”
Three
Four days passed with Bear having made no progress on Fitzy’s project. He was becoming desperate, enough that he spoke to his professor after class on Wednesday, tentatively suggesting that the entire design might work better if it were drafted from scratch again. Fitzy had merely waved a frazzled hand in the air and said, “Whatever it takes, Bobbie.”
His answer had shocked—and concerned—Bear. Usually the professor was much more certain about whatever foundational information he provided. That Fitzy was willing to try something completely new made Bear realise more than ever just how important this device must be—and how stumped Fitzy was for a solution. It was enough for Bear to consider what to do next with careful thought.
Once he made his decision and sent off a quick holo-message, he was only slightly surprised to find a Bubbler vial waiting on his bed after classes ended on Friday, along with the note:
IT’S AUTHORISED AND PRE-PROGRAMMED.
BRING THE DESIGN AND YOUR NOTES.
– J.
“Do I want to know?” Jordan asked, recognising the familiar handwriting from over Bear’s shoulder.
“I’m not even sure I want to know,” Bear returned, wondering how the vial was authorised and where it would take him, though he had a fairly good idea about both.
“Need me to cover for you?” Jordan asked, nodding to the note.
“You don’t want to come?”
Jordan grimaced. “And listen to you two speak geek for the next however many hours? I’d rather ask Alex to stab me in the gut with that magical blade of hers.”
Bear grinned. “And you accused Fletcher of being dramatic.”
“Go on, get out of here while you still have some hope of returning before curfew. I’ve got a hot date with a beautiful princess I need to prepare for.”
“Prepare?”
“I told her I had something special planned.”
Seeing Jordan’s guilty face was enough for Bear to say, “Let me guess, you have no idea what to do?”
“That’s why I need time to prepare. Lots and lots of time.”
Bear walked to his wardrobe and swapped his jacket for a warmer coat, donning it as he asked, “When are you meeting her?”
Jordan glanced at the time on his ComTCD and winced. “In half an hour.”
Bear gave an amused shake of his head. “If that counts as ‘lots and lots of time’, then good luck, mate. You’re gonna need it.”
Jordan scrunched up his face. “Tell me something I don’t know.”
Bear sobered and said, “Dix won’t care what you do as long as you’re doing it together. You know that.”
A soft smile settled on Jordan’s features. “Yeah. I do.”
“Then on that note…” Bear pocketed the Bubbler vial, ComTCD and notebook as he headed to the door. “My work here is done.”
Jordan laughed but waved Bear out of the room. “Say hi from me.”
“Will do,” Bear promised, closing the door between them.
Striding purposefully down the corridor, he felt no pain in his leg, not even when he jogged down the staircase to the ground floor. He’d resumed his physical classes on Wednesday, with no problems jumping straight back into the action. Fletcher had checked up on him once, with Bear easily declaring that it felt like he’d never broken the bone at all.
Reaching the exit to the dorm building, Bear held the door open for a trio of second years who were running to get away from the wind that had picked up outside, and he drew his coat tighter as he stepped out into it. He spared a thought to simpler days when, like those second years, his only troubles on a night like tonight involved escaping the weather. Those times were long behind him, his fears of the future now shadowing his steps. He wasn’t a worrier by nature, but if a war was coming, he knew there would be casualties. Perhaps even people he cared about.
As a second year, such a thought had never crossed Bear’s mind. Now, however… it was difficult to ignore. But rather than becoming overwhelmed by what his family and friends might soon have to face, he was determined to focus instead on helping the mortal races prepare for the possibility—or rather, the inevitability—of Aven’s coming assault.
Which, of course, is what led to Bear battling the icy wind on this miserable evening venture, since while his Bubbler vial was supposedly authorised, he doubted his trip was sanctioned.
Wanting as few witnesses as possible to his leaving, he braved the worsening weather, stumbling around the side of the building until he was out of sight of the entrance. Only then did he throw the vial to the ground, relieved to get away from the elements as he stepped through the colourful Bubbledoor.
When he came out the other side, he shook the snow from his hair and shoulders, wincing as it landed on the pristine marble floor and started melting immediately.
“Not even here a minute and you’re already messing up my office.”
Bear smiled at his eldest brother’s comment and looked up, ready to greet him. But instead of seeing Johnny seated behind his desk at the ChemTech facility in Karonia where he was employed, Bear’s eyes widened when he took in only himself.
… As in, multiple replicas of himself. Or at least, semi-replicas.
“What the…?” Bear trailed off, spinning around and watching the other versions of him doing so as well. There were at least ten replicas of him in the room, each slightly different from the last: one skinnier, one more muscled, one taller, one shorter, one wearing glasses, one with lighter hair, one wearing heavy make-up, one with a scruffy beard, one in a tuxedo and one bare-chested while wearing only summery beach shorts and holding a surfboard. Despite the variances, when Bear moved, they moved, copying his actions in real time—even his words when he spoke.
“Johnny?” Bear called, distinctly weirded out by what he was seeing.
“What do you think, little bro?” Johnny asked, finally walking into view from between two different ‘Bears’, one hand in the pocket of his jeans and the other holding a TCD tablet casually in front of him. His light brown hair was in disarray, overdue for a cut and sticking out at odd angles as if he’d been running his hands through it—something he was prone to do while mulling over his more challenging projects.
“I think I’m worried you miss me a little too much, if this is the company you’re keeping.”
Johnny barked out a laugh and removed his hand from his pocket, swiping a finger across his tablet and vanishing the replicas from the room. “I’m working on a ComTCD app where users can tweak their holo-image to make themselves seem more impressive when they make calls.” He winked. “It ties in nicely with our new Com-dating app that’s being upgraded wit
h a few bonuses in the coming months.”
“That is…” Bear didn’t have any words for what it was, so instead he closed the distance between them and embraced his brother. “Thanks for bringing me here.”
“You did say the fate of the world depended on it,” Johnny said dryly as he gave Bear’s back a hearty thump and released him. “Usually Jordan is the one known for melodrama.”
Bear snorted, since there was no point denying the truth of that.
With the heat of the room starting to make him uncomfortable, he took off his coat and slung it over the nearest chair, his eyes travelling around Johnny’s office as he did so. Given how secure the ChemTech facilities needed to be, there were no windows, but along one of the walls was a holo-mural that made it seem like the room opened up to a private tropical beach. The waves were rolling and the wind was kicking up golden sand along the shore, with fluffy white clouds moving across the blue horizon as the sun began to set in the distance.
Taking in the image and almost smelling the salt in the air, Bear peered around the rest of the room. Somehow it was both chaotic and organised, with gadgets and gizmos spread all around the office, in bookshelves and on benches. Then there was the glossy desk piled high with what Bear could see was next-gen tech—much of which he couldn’t recognise, since it hadn’t been made public yet.
Whistling low as his focus moved back to Johnny, he said, “No wonder you don’t come home much if this is where you get to spend your time.”
“You’ve been here before,” Johnny replied, his dark eyes filled with humour. “Why so surprised?”
“Not since you were promoted,” Bear said. “You didn’t have a beach in your last office.”
“A perk of being a genius,” Johnny said, grinning.
Bear shook his head at his brother’s lack of humility, but was unable to keep from grinning back. Johnny had earned his playful arrogance through years of dedicated hard work coupled with an uncanny ability to retain and apply knowledge. Even as a child, everyone in their family knew he was destined for great things—mostly because he was hacking all of their home tech before he was old enough to start secondary school. When the time came for Headmaster Marselle’s scouting visit, it was a surprise to learn that Johnny didn’t have a gift that would allow him a spot at Akarnae—because his intellect and skill were natural, rather than supernatural.
“Time’s a wasting, little brother,” Johnny said. “Let’s get cracking on saving the world.”
With Johnny’s desk already covered by his own work, Bear followed him until they were seated next to each other in front of a glass coffee table. Once Johnny cleared it, Bear placed his notebook and ComTCD onto the surface, activating the holographic setting which he’d only been able to use when in private back at the academy. Immediately, a three-dimensional image of Fitzy’s drawings and equations rose from his screen, with Bear zooming in until they were much easier to see—if still barely legible.
After reminding his brother that what they were working on was top secret—to which Johnny didn’t deign to respond other than send him a ‘you don’t say?’ look—Bear spent the next hour sharing what Fitzy had told him and everything he’d considered over the past five days. He showed Johnny his notes and his progress, explaining how all his ideas had resulted in dead ends. Johnny kept up with ease, his brow furrowed as he puzzled over the challenge facing them.
“I think you’re right about the design itself being flawed,” Johnny said, using a thumb and forefinger to expand the holo-image. “See this part here? I get why you think there needs to be some kind of spring mechanism that will help offset the compression when the spray releases, but with the spatial restrictions, there’s no way to fit anything like…” He trailed off, his eyes losing focus.
Bear gave him a moment, waiting to hear what he might be considering.
Johnny’s gaze sharpened again as he pulled out his own tablet, opening and closing files as if searching for something. “How far did Fitzy say he wants the target range to be?”
“As far as possible,” Bear answered, trying to follow what his brother was doing and wondering about all the security codes he was entering. “He said there may only be a limited supply of both solutions, so each device needs to make as big an impact as possible.”
“And the solutions themselves, you don’t have any idea what they are?”
“None.” Bear indicated to the scribbles around the design and added, “But with the materials Fitzy proposed for construction, we can presume they’re neither corrosive nor explosive. If either solution were volatile, an unstable reaction between the two would render the device useless before it ever had a chance to do what it was supposed to do.” Bear considered it further and continued, “I think it might be some kind of… bio weapon. Fitzy was adamant about both solutions needing to reach the targets, so maybe it’s like… a sedative or something. Something to put those it touches to sleep.”
Johnny rubbed his cheek, his forehead crinkled in thought. “Then why two solutions? A sedative would wear off on its own, with only one mixture needed.”
Thinking quickly, Bear guessed, “Perhaps it’s more like… a poison. And a cure.”
“That would make more sense, given Fitzy’s designs.” Johnny tapped the holograph, his finger going straight through. “But if that’s the case, why offer a cure at all? If it’s a weapon, why not just leave it as a weapon?”
Bear tried to put the pieces together in his mind, and when things started to add up, he realised he had to be careful about what he shared. “What if—hypothetically—your enemy wasn’t really your enemy and you just wanted to… take them out of action for a while, but not actually kill them? You’d want to give them something to weaken them, while also making sure it wasn’t permanent. Solution A and Solution B—both playing a necessary role.”
The look Johnny sent Bear was telling enough that Bear knew to brace for what he was about to say.
“Reading between the lines,” Johnny said, “I’m presuming you think this is a device to help incapacitate the multitudes of Meyarins now Claimed by Aven Dalmarta?”
Bear gaped at his brother. “How—”
“Please, Bear,” Johnny scoffed. “Let’s not forget I helped you break into Mardenia’s ChemTech facility. Do you really think that’s the only kind of hacking I still do these days?” He shook his head. “I need something to keep me entertained around here.”
Somewhat stunned, Bear struggled to process his brother’s words. He knew both Johnny and Blake were aware that Aven had Claimed Jordan, since Bear had needed his brothers to help run interference over the Kaldoras holidays while he, Alex and D.C. searched for ways to free their friend. But anything more than that… Bear had no idea how Johnny could possibly know about Aven taking over Meya and Claiming its denizens.
Reading his expression, Johnny explained, “Alex’s trip to Tryllin nearly a fortnight ago—someone in that war council took notes and uploaded them to a secure server. Everything she discussed with the king and queen and the rest of our leaders was highlighted in the dossier.” An amused expression settled on Johnny’s face when he added, “Her being from Freya—that was unexpected. But I can’t say I’m entirely surprised. Remember the first dinner we all had together when she had no idea what any of us were talking about?” He snorted. “Makes so much sense in hindsight.”
Bear could do nothing but stare at his brother in shock. “You… hacked…”
“It’s not the first time, and it won’t be the last,” Johnny said, shameless. “And you should be grateful for my mad skills, little brother, since now that we have an idea of what we’re working with, I think I can help you get this device functioning—but it’s going to require me doing something not entirely legal.” He paused. “And it’s also going to require outside help.”
Without saying more, Johnny placed his tablet beside Bear’s notebook and pulled his ComTCD from his pocket. He didn’t activate the holographic setting, just the audio as he
held it up to his ear and spoke into it. “Hey, it’s me. I need a favour.” Silence for a beat, before Johnny added, “Fine, another favour. How long until you can be in my office?” The answer he was given had him nodding. “Great, see you soon.”
“Who was that?” Bear asked when Johnny disconnected the call. “Don’t you remember the part about this being top secret?”
“Relax, bro,” Johnny said. “We’re just keeping it in the family.”
Bear raised his eyebrows, but then he jumped to his feet when a Bubbledoor opened in the middle of Johnny’s office. A smile stretched across his face when Blake stepped through, his brother’s own grin already in place.
“Long time, no see,” Blake joked as he stepped forward and gave Bear a backslapping hug. “I heard you snapped your leg in half a few hours after our trip to Nialas last weekend. Did you think playing the sympathy card would get the Jarnocks on our side?”
Bear laughed as he pushed away from his brother. “You know me. Willing to give anything a try.”
“Team player until the bitter end,” Blake agreed, his blue eyes alight.
Sobering, Bear asked, “What’s this favour I heard you guys talking about?”
“Don’t ask me,” Blake said, straightening his leather jacket and offering an amused shake of his head. “I wasn’t the one on the other end of the call. I’m just the eye-candy on this visit.”
Confused, Bear was about to ask what Blake was talking about when Jeera stepped through the Bubbledoor, right before it closed. Unlike Blake, who was wearing casual attire, she was still in her Warden uniform, and Bear felt a hint of unease, wondering why Johnny might have contacted her.
Looking at Jeera, Bear realised he didn’t know much about her other than that she was Kaiden’s older sister and Alex considered her a friend. It had come as a shock to learn last week that the Warden was Blake’s girlfriend—mostly because Bear’s brothers usually shared everything with him. But Blake’s reasons for delaying the announcement had been justified, so Bear had been quick to forgive them both for the belated revelation.
