by Nick James
“What happened?” He hardly recognized his groggy voice. He looked down to see a hospital gown tied tightly around him. “What time is it?”
“You were unresponsive all evening after the accident.”
“Accident?” The ceiling lights above the bed forced him to squint.
Madame smiled. “You mean you don’t remember? Your room’s gone, Cassius. We’re lucky you didn’t take out the entire second floor while you were at it.”
“I don’t… ” He trailed off, trying to remember the events of the afternoon. Sneaking out into the Fringes, finding the Pearl, heading back to the Lodge.
“Fire.” The word spilled from his mouth almost automatically. “There was a fire.”
“Yes.” She nodded. “There certainly was.”
“A blown circuit?”
“No.”
He stared up in confusion, waiting for her to continue.
“It was you, Cassius.”
“I’m sorry,” he stammered, realizing how mad she must be. Yet she didn’t seem mad.
“I don’t think you’re understanding me.” She laid her hand on his leg. “ You started the fire. It came from inside of you.”
He stifled a laugh. He’d heard urban legends about people spontaneously combusting, but that’s all they were. Legends.
She frowned. “It’s really not a laughing matter.”
He searched her face for any hint of a joke. Then he remembered. Madame never joked.
“The damage is extensive,” she said.
He looked down at his still-tingling hands. His skin was abnormally smooth. Gone were the scrapes and sores from the day before. He was paler than usual, too. “That’s impossible. I caused the fire?”
Madame nodded, squeezing his knee.
“I… I don’t understand. I remember feeling sick when I left your office but everything after that’s a blur.”
She eased her grip. “I’m sure your body was struggling to keep control. Perception… things of that nature fall by the wayside during traumas such as these. After all, it was the first time.”
“Wait,” he started, “did you know this was going to happen?”
She sighed and moved to the counter to pour a glass of water. “There are things we don’t talk about, Cassius. I’m sure you’ve noticed. And the truth is, I’m still not confident that I’m ready to address them.” She paused a moment in thought. “But you’ve forced my hand.”
“I didn’t do anything.”
Her eyes narrowed as she handed him the glass. “You went outside the Net, Cassius.”
“Plenty of people live outside the Bio-Nets.”
“You met a boy.”
“What? Who?”
She sat down at the edge of the bed “His name is Jesse Fisher, and he complicates things.”
“Jesse Fisher,” he whispered, searching his memory. “The Shipper on the rooftop… ”
Her eyebrows raised. “Rooftop?”
He took a sip of water and looked to the side, uneager to talk about his failure in front of her. “I had him hanging on-barely. He was about to drop off the ledge when he… I don’t know what he did. We separated and he fell twelve stories to the ground. I thought he was dead.”
She nodded. “But he wasn’t, was he?”
“It’s impossible. He was just a scrawny little coward.”
She laughed. “Impossible? Impossible like burning down a dormitory without so much as a matchbook?”
He met her reassuring eyes, shaking his head in disbelief.
“He’s dangerous, Cassius. He ignited this inside of you. This… sickness. And it’s through him that we’ll cure it.”
Cassius set down the glass. He held his hand in front of him, spreading apart the fingers, trying to imagine flames shooting from the tips. It was crazy. It couldn’t be real.
“In the meantime,” she removed a small envelope from her pocket and set it on the bed in front of him, “we can do our best to control the situation.”
He picked up the package, opening the top and peering inside to find three tiny white pills. “What’s this?”
“Insurance,” she replied. “Very expensive, too. The medication will slow your heart rate and calm your system to a level where you’ll be able to control any further outbursts.”
He winced, struggling to give voice to his next thought. The words came out slow and muttered. “I’m not sure I believe you.”
Madame pursed her lips. “Cassius. I could be… very angry with you right now. Your lack of judgment in traveling to the Fringes has caused me a great deal of unnecessary stress.”
“Kids don’t burst into flames.”
“And planets aren’t meant to grow unlivable,” she countered. “We live in uncharted territory, and you’re going to have to accept that. Things happen. You’re a very special young man. You have a lot to accomplish yet. I didn’t want this to happen. Not until we were ready.”
“Ready for what?”
“It’s a numbers game. Always has been, ever since the Seps took to the sky. I’ve been lobbying the heads of the party to do away with the birthing limits for years now. We need bodies.” She crossed her arms, drumming her fingers on her cashmere jacket. “They’re right above us, Cassius. Have you ever actually considered what that means? We thought we had it bad with the terrorists, but they were half a world away. Shippers could drop down on us any minute. And to be honest, I don’t think we’re ready.”
“For war,” he whispered. “Like you were talking about last night. And this Jesse Fisher… him triggering this… thing in me has got something to do with it?”
She nodded. “It has everything to do with it. In fact, if we don’t take care of this situation quickly, he may just be the lynchpin that triggers the opening shot. I do not wish that to happen. Not yet. Not while there’s a chance we could lose.”
He rubbed his hands together, trying to work some warmth into them. “Why’s he so special?”
“That is on a strictly need-to-know basis.”
He scoffed, then caught himself as Madame shot him an icy look. “Well,” he muttered, “considering the circumstances, I think I need to know.”
“You need to trust me,” she replied. “Fisher has his uses. He’s very important.”
“He’s just a kid.”
“Pearls,” Madame responded. “Without Pearls our empire would crumble. We would be left in the dust like the Fringers. They would tear us up and burn us all, Cassius. The Skyships would lower to the ground and reclaim the country. We need Pearls.”
Cassius winced. “So what’s Fisher got to do with all that?”
“Pearls,” she repeated. “That’s all you need know.”
He looked down at the bed sheet, avoiding her fiery gaze. “How are you going to capture him, then?”
“Not me,” she paused. Her expression softened. “ You. I need you to help me with this. You’re going to make a detour after our meeting on Skyship Atlas.”
“You know where he is?”
She nodded. “I have operatives stationed all over the Skyship Community. How do you think I know he exists at all?”
“But the Hernandez Treaty-”
“Oh, Cassius. Nothing was ever gained by playing strictly by the rules. Do you think they don’t have people spying on us? They’re not that naive.” She clasped her hands, staring at the empty counter. “Jesse Fisher’s training at an academy. They use schools because they think we’re stupid enough not to check up on them. Maybe the President’s that gullible, but not me.”
“Does the President know that they’re doing this? Using schools?”
She smiled-a cold, disenchanted smile. “There’s a reason the President’s in hiding, Cassius. He’d like everybody to think we’re as unified as our moniker suggests, but things are never that simple. Remember what I talked about last night? Small, unconnected moments. Sometimes it takes a person of fierce awareness to connect the dots. The President is not that man. He’s better suited
to pacifying rebellious Fringers than worrying about Skyships and Pearls.”
“Well, if this kid is so important, why are you sending me to get him?”
“I trust you, Cassius. I wouldn’t be telling you any of this if I didn’t. I cannot trust anybody else in the Unified Party. As I said before, there are… things that we don’t talk about, that I don’t talk about. Things I’ve seen, things I know. Things I must keep a secret, even from you.”
He shook his head. “About Jesse Fisher.”
She nodded, glancing in his direction. “About a lot of things.” She cleared her throat. “Besides, an adult agent would never make it inside Skyship Academy undetected. They’re having a visitation day at the end of the week and you’re going to board their ship as a prospective student. I’ve already arranged a passport for you. We’ll wire a skin graft over the identification code on your wrist. Luckily your little stunt in the dormitories seared most of the residual Surface chemicals from your skin. Their scanners shouldn’t be a problem.”
“You really think it’s safe? You think I won’t be caught?”
She shook her head. “It’s as safe as we can make it. I’ve gone to a lot of trouble these past hours, Cassius. You shouldn’t have gone to Syracuse, for your own sake.”
He opened his mouth to apologize, but realized it wouldn’t do any good. As always, he couldn’t discern what she was really feeling. Her face remained stony and impenetrable.
After an uncomfortable gap of silence, Madame broke from her trance. “As Head of Energy, I have access to whatever military force I deem necessary. If anything goes horribly wrong, you will be well-supported. But I would prefer to keep this off the radar. For now.” She sighed. “Before I go, I’ve got something to share with you. If nothing else, it should inspire you to take on this mission.” She reached below the bed to retrieve a small black cube-about half a foot wide and equally as tall. “This is from your mother.”
“But-”
“Your real mother.” She ran her fingers across the smooth, shiny exterior. “When you came to me, so did this.”
Cassius analyzed it, trying to figure out what the cube had been carved from. It looked almost like marble, though it couldn’t have weighed much judging by the ease with which Madame had hefted it. The only mark was a small keyhole at the top center. No dings or scratches, though it was obviously very old.
“What’s inside?”
“A cure, I hope. For the fire within you.” She set the cube in front of him. “Other than that, I have no idea.”
Cassius touched the side of the cube. It felt colder than the rest of the room, like touching a tombstone. He glanced up at Madame’s face. His birth mother was certainly one of the subjects they never talked about. There wasn’t much to say. Why care about a pathetic junkie? But then again, he’d never known a junkie to carry around such a strange object. His mind raced with ideas of what could be inside. Inheritance, birth certificates, photographs. The last thought made his heart skip a beat. He’d never seen a photograph of his parents.
“Where’s the key?”
Madame frowned, pointing up to the ceiling. Cassius knew exactly what that meant.
Skyship.
He nodded. “Fisher.”
“Find Jesse Fisher, and in addition to a cure, we’ll get you that key.” She stood up. “Now if there’s nothing else, I’m going to see about getting you some food. We’ll start briefing tomorrow afternoon. I’ll need you strong from the get-go. I laid an extra uniform on the chair over in the corner. I’m sure you’re eager to get out of that hospital gown.”
She grabbed the cube from his lap and took a few steps toward the door before pausing and turning around. “And Cassius, remember this is just between you and me. Please keep it that way.”
He nodded.
“Fantastic.” She exited the room without a goodbye, leaving a mountain of unanswered questions in her wake.
6
I swirl a spoon through a bowl of the canteen’s leftover mystery chili, mentally replaying the events of the day. A janitor mops the floor by the kitchen. It’s just me and him tonight.
I sit at a circular table in the corner of the room. The chili’s cold. It tastes even worse than it smells. I can’t say our cooks know how to do Mexican. They should stick with what they do best-opening cans and dumping them into serving bowls.
The walls around me are the same color as the seven pitiful pieces of melted cheese that congeal into a rubbery disc in the center of the bowl. I would have been better off sneaking a couple pieces of fruit down to my room and calling it a night.
“Well,” a figure enters the canteen, “I can’t wait to join this fun little pity party.”
I look up and smile, even though she’s twenty minutes late.
Avery Wicksen: fellow orphan, snoop extraordinaire, and totally unattainable eighteen-year-old post-grad.
She skips over to the corner of the room, plopping down on the seat next to me. Her straw-colored hair’s tied up away from her face. She wears a pale-blue tank top and loose-fitting jeans, and couldn’t be more beautiful if she tried. She stares down into the bowl, shaking her head. “That is a crime against nature. They should be ashamed of themselves.”
I push the bowl away. “I was wondering if you were gonna show up.”
She grins, the faint cluster of freckles on each side of her smile dancing up and down. “Ran into some trouble with Dolores. Trouble in the sense that I couldn’t escape her. I swear that woman is in love with me.”
I lean against the wall, facing her. Dolores Anderson is the fossil-old librarian that Avery works with during the day. Given her less-than-stellar training record and knack for ditching classes, the teachers stuck Avery with mass boring library work rather than graduating her to full-blown agent status. Hanging out with her is like taking a look at my own future. If only our similarities were enough to hypnotize her into falling in love with me. “You two have tea again?”
She nods. “Ever since her husband died she’s been so clingy. Part of me wishes they’d just send her off to one of the retirement ships. Rigel, maybe.”
“Yeah, right. Once you’re up here, you’re here to stay. Unless you wanna let the Tribunal do a full mind wipe.”
Avery shrugs. “ Nature’s doing a mind wipe on Dolores. Sometimes I think she mistakes me for her daughter.” She pauses. “But enough about her.” She grabs my wrist. “How are you?”
“Been better,” I reply.
“Do you wanna talk about it?”
“Not really.”
She leans in closer, squinting and placing her fingers on my cheek. An orchestral symphony swells inside my body. For a second I’m convinced that she’s gonna kiss me. My mind frantically searches for the right thing to do. Lean forward, grab her shoulder, pucker up. Then she opens her mouth.
“Are you aware that you have an imprint of a brick on the side of your head?”
My inner symphony hits a bum note and the orchestra lights flicker off. “Yeah, I’m aware. It hurts like hell.”
She chuckles. “Did someone brand you?”
I lean back, knowing that the red mark is the least of my worries. “I told you I don’t want to talk about it.”
“Okay.” She pulls away. “Just saying. Us poor little orphans have to stick together up here.”
I sigh, resting my chin on my knees. “We lost the Pearl today. I lost my belt. Everything. If Eva hadn’t stepped in when she did, I might be dead.”
Her green eyes fill with concern. “Dead? On a training mission?”
“Yep,” I reply, pressing on the table with my thumb. “And if that doesn’t define my life up here, I don’t know what would.”
“So you think it was your fault.”
“I know it was my fault, Avery. There was this Pearlhound, not even an adult. I should have been able to take him, but I panicked.”
“This guy have a name?”
“Cassius Stevenson.” I sigh.
Her brows
raise.
I meet her eyes. “What? Does that mean something to you? Is he like some super macho legend I should know about?”
“No,” she responds. “Just curious.”
“Oh, and by the way, Eva’s pissed about you hacking into our CPs. How do you do that, anyway?”
“A lot of time and a lot of reading.” She shrugs. “But look, I’ve seen Skandar in action and he ain’t so hot. And Eva may think she’s some warrior princess, but I heard she still sleeps with her old teddy bear blanket.”
I smirk. “Really?”
“No,” she replies. “I made that up to get a smile out of you. Truth is, Jesse, it doesn’t really matter. The teachers make it seem like Pearls are the be all and end all, but there are other things in life. Don’t obsess over the parts you can’t control. Jeez, if I spent time wallowing about my failures I’d have jumped off the ship ages ago.”
“I wasn’t wallowing.”
She laughs. “Oh, you’re wallowing. That is the most wallowing bowl of chili I’ve seen in my life.”
I glance over to the lonely bowl, considering her sage advice. It’s times like these that I’m convinced the two of us should just hijack a shuttle and take off for Polaris or Vega or some other fun ship-a ship where they don’t train children for illegal, dangerous work and then mock them when they’re not up to it.
“Speaking of,” she reaches over and grabs the bowl, “you got any enemies, Fisher? We can pick the lock on their door and dump this on them while they’re sleeping.”
I chuckle, despite myself. “That sounds like the worst idea you’ve ever had.”
“Oh, come on. I’ve had worse.”
“Well, there is August Bergmann… ” I wince as I say his name, imagining how he’ll spin my little Surface adventure once he hears about it. The guy’s had it in for me ever since Year Six.
Her face lights up. “Yeah! Now there’s a perfect candidate for a late-night chili dump.”
I shake my head. “But I’m already in trouble. Alkine’s concerned .” I frame the word with air quotes. “They’re all concerned.”
She rolls her eyes. “They’re always concerned. If they weren’t, they’d be concerned about that too.” She pushes the bowl away. It flies across the table, nearly toppling off the edge.
