by Kim Falconer
Eyes open, Nell. He watches.
‘He’s definitely spotted us,’ she whispered to her familiar.
And he is the one?
She stepped out from behind the brambles, still holding a handful of blackberries. She popped another into her mouth, purple juice trickling down her thumb. ‘Only one way to find out.’
And how’s that?
‘Introduce ourselves.’ She laughed. ‘Come on, Torgan. Time to make new friends.’
‘Where do you think we are?’ Rosette asked, turning in a full circle.
A refuse dump? Drayco sneezed. This place reeks.
‘He doesn’t seem to mind,’ she said, pointing to Fynn. His nose was sucking in scents like a bellows.
He wouldn’t. He’s a canine, remember?
‘I do.’
And this place?
‘I don’t think it’s a dump.’
The valley below poured out of a long funnel-shaped landscape. It rushed away from her feet, tumbling down towards the city below. The sloping ground was nearly bare, spotted here and there with strange trees, their trunks dull and twisted, their hoary branches tangled like an orphan’s hair. It might have been an orchard once, but it was more a graveyard now. Dry stocks of grass jutted up in clumps. The ground was grey and cold, the smell sour.
Fynn had dashed straight out of the portal, sniffing the turf and squatting to pee before continuing on his olfactory investigations. He started to run towards the township, doubling back the instant Rosette whistled. ‘Not so fast, little lad.’ She reached down to stroke the top of his head. He sat on her feet. ‘Let’s assess the situation first.’
He doesn’t understand why we don’t run down the path. Says there’re new scents—peculiar scents. He wants to explore. Drayco’s voice was warm in her mind, a temple cat’s chuckle.
‘Peculiar scents, eh?’ She patted Fynn again. ‘All the more reason for caution.’ Rosette took in a deep breath and licked her lips. She wouldn’t classify the air as peculiar; the predominant smells were much like a tannery—decidedly chemical. They left a tingling feeling on her tongue and made her eyes water. ‘Curious,’ she said, tilting her head. ‘This reminds me of something I can’t quite recall.’
Me too, and I don’t like it.
‘Maybe it’s a medicinal plant.’
Or paint thinner?
She scanned the valley down to the rooftops, looking for the source of the thin, metallic scent that made her senses cringe. It certainly wasn’t coming from any flowers or growing vegetation. The place was as barren as the gates she’d just left behind, spattered with a similar array of dead wood.
I don’t sense any inhabitants, Maudi.
‘There must be,’ she said. ‘And plenty of them. Look how tall those buildings are. Like towers.’
High rooftops glittered in the pale sunlight, rising over dark streets. The closer buildings were pushed together in a hodgepodge fashion as if little thought had been given to their construction or overall design—elongated rectangles shooting up to scrape the skyline. She was certain they did not practise the ancient Earth art of Feng Shui here. It was much too haphazard and cluttered for that. Beyond the old buildings appeared newer structures, their organisation more streamlined. Each shape, corner and line was a carbon copy of the next, though the height and breadth varied from thin to very narrow, tall to soaring. All were tinged dull shades of grey, like a charcoal drawing left out in the rain.
Drayco was right. She detected no signs of life. Nothing moved on the streets. Nothing rustled in the dead grass. A wan yellow light touched her hands, though she could not see the sun. There were no clouds—the light obscured by haze. The place was silent. ‘Where are the birds?’ she whispered.
The trees lining the track were ghosts, leafless and brittle, though it did not feel like winter. It didn’t feel like spring or summer either. There was an absence of season around her, the air void of the rich aromas that proclaimed the time of year—the pungency of grazing cattle, wet grass and herbs, ducks on a lake, feathered nests. There was nothing like that here. No taste on the breeze, save that strange tang of an alchemist’s laboratory. The sky was empty, the ground barren and silent. It felt like an alien place. She gripped her sword hilt, taking comfort in its cool familiarity.
‘Do you recognise any of this, Drayco?’ She reached out to touch her familiar, her hand searching for his head. She couldn’t feel him. ‘Drayco? Where are you?’
I’m still inside.
‘You may not need to come out. I don’t think I want to stay.’
She whistled to Fynn, who had wandered again, nose to the ground and tail wagging. He trotted back and she scooped him up into her arms, mesmerised by the scene in front of her. It was like looking at a photograph—a picture taken and then all the life erased.
Maudi? Something’s wrong.
‘I agree. On second thoughts, maybe we do need to investigate. The portal brought us here. It could be important. Come on. Catch up.’
That’s just it. I can’t.
‘Sure you can. Walk on through the crevice. It’s not that narrow.’
Maudi, I can’t walk through. Something’s pushing me back.
‘What are you talking about?’ Rosette felt a chill wash over her. She turned around to the portal, but as she faced the gap in the rock wall, it disappeared. Where moments ago had stood an entrance to the corridors, there was now sheer cliff face, a barrier of shale and rock higher than her head. She dropped Fynn to the ground and pressed her hands against the rock, brushing dust aside, looking for a seam. She checked the path to see if she had wandered further away from the exit point.
‘Drayco?’ She became frantic as she raked her fingers across the wall. ‘Drayco, can you hear me?’ she shouted. ‘Where are you?’
Fynn jumped at the wall, barking, hackles up.
Both of you, calm down. I’m right here.
Fynn sat and whined, his tongue lolling out, panting. Rosette continued swiping dirt and shale away from where she thought the entrance should be. ‘I can’t find the opening,’ she screamed.
Maudi, can you hear me?
‘I can, but…’ She tugged at roots that got in her way, her fingernails filling with dirt as she attacked the cliff.
Easy, Maudi. It’s only a wall between us, not a universe.
‘I’m not so sure.’
Her breath came in gasps as she searched the cliff face. Sweat beaded up on her forehead.
Stop, Maudi.
‘I can’t. I can’t get back. I can’t get to you.’
Fynn sat next to her, howling.
Maudi, think about what we can do, not what we can’t.
‘Like what?’ she shouted.
We can still link minds. What else matters? Everything is going to be all right.
‘It doesn’t feel that way to me.’
Take deep breaths, Maudi. You sound like you’re choking.
‘I tried a deep breath. It didn’t help.’ She was wheezing, and sweat trickled down her temples, mixing with her tears. Her heart felt like it was caught under a stampede.
Easy. Breathe slowly and deeply.
Rosette took a long, exaggerated breath.
And again. Play with the idea that it is something different than what your mind thinks it is. Come on. You can respond to this any way you like. Is panic the best choice?
She bit her lip, letting her hands fall to her sides as dust from the cliff face settled. Fynn dropped to his belly and whimpered. She took another deep breath and let it out. ‘Not really.’
So choose a different response. Frantic only creates more frantic.
She let the tension in her shoulders ease. She drew in another breath and let it out in a long, slow whistle, like a kettle on the boil. A breeze cooled her damp skin. Her breath started to smooth out. ‘All right. I’m okay now.’
Good. Can you see me?
‘That’s my problem, I can’t even…’
With your inner vision, Maudi?
>
I’m checking. Rosette closed her eyes, allowing her inner sight to rise, extending her awareness out towards the rock wall. The blackness startled her. ‘It’s blank…impenetrable.’
I’m here, Maudi, and I can see you with my mind.
She wrinkled her nose. I’ll give it another go. She closed her eyes again, pushing through the obstruction of granite. She saw it first as porous, then it thinned until it became transparent, a film of shadows. Finally it dissipated completely and Drayco came into sharp focus, standing in front of her, his tail snapping. She smiled. I’ve got you now. But you don’t seem to be taking your own advice. Are you okay, my lovely?
His tail stopped whipping about, though his ears were pinned back and his hackles up. Fynn barked a throaty challenge.
Behind, Maudi! Men approach.
Rosette turned to find three men charging up the track, headed straight for her. They don’t seem to be armed, she said, her hand on her hilt, sword half drawn.
I think they are. Short rifles. Like ASSIST. Watch out.
She studied the group. Their pace quickened—they were clearly not out for leisure. One was shouting, directing what sounded like a question to her, though Rosette didn’t understand the language. Their garb reminded her of the guards at ASSIST. They all wore the same clothes, dark uniforms that concealed their bodies completely. Their hands were gloved and their faces were obscured by lenses and helmets. As they approached, she readjusted her appraisal—two women, one man.
Drayco was right. They didn’t have swords at their sides but were armed with short metal hand weapons—like the laser guns used by ASSIST troops, only smaller. She weighed up the options and slowly released her grip on her sword, moving her hands away from her sides and up into the air.
What are you doing, Maudi?
There was no time to weave a spell, and her instincts told her not to fight, not yet. I’m going to see what they want first. No need to draw blood.
I’m not so sure.
Call Fynn back for me, can you?
Down, pup! Drayco’s voice was deep and booming. Stay still.
She smiled at Drayco’s clear enjoyment of the command, letting the approaching group think the expression was for them.
Fynn is still, the pup sent back, his mental voice small. Fynn is scared.
It’s all right, little one. We’ll figure this out. She kept the smile on her face. Keep it light and easy, she thought. No threat here. The words calmed her, but her head was spinning.
They stopped several feet in front of her, weapons sheathed, but the man’s hand hovered over his. They stood like people who had spotted something wrong and knew just how to fix it. ‘What’s that?’ he asked, pointing his weapon at Fynn.
Rosette didn’t fully catch the words with their strange accent, but the question was obvious. Fynn understood it too and showed his fangs.
‘Don’t mind him. He’s just a pup,’ she said.
‘State your name and ID.’ The voice came from the woman closest to her. It wasn’t friendly, but the gestures were unmistakable.
‘I am…’ Rosette hesitated as she began to form her reply. Suddenly, she was uncertain how to answer. It felt as if an invisible hand had reached into her mind and pulled the plug, draining out all current and relevant facts. Her sense of self started to disappear. It whirled like water down a pipe, blurring into a stream of colourless recollections, all racing by too quickly to discern before they were sucked away. Her name went first and then her familiar’s, followed by any memory of why she was here or what the young dog was doing at her feet. ‘My name is…’ She rubbed her forehead. ‘I mean, I’m called…’
A second guard stepped forward, a man with a sharp-edged aura. She could see his eyes behind the lenses as they stared at her. Like his face, they were dark and penetrating. He glared unblinkingly, and as her memories disappeared she thought she recognised him for an instant. It was like the tail end of a thought—something that vanished before it made any sense. What was it about him? He was so like someone she knew. She reached out her hands as if to keep from falling. There was a question she wanted to ask, someone to call to for help, but she didn’t know that name either, or where they might be.
Maudi? What’s happening? I can’t see you any more.
What was that voice inside her head? She loved the sound of it, longed for it in some unimaginable way. She couldn’t place why. A word started to form, then vanished before she could shape it. The guard stepped closer. She had to do something—and fast.
‘Hand over your weapon,’ he said, nodding towards her sword. ‘Unless you can produce your ID and permit right now.’
‘Weapon?’
She looked down at her side as if noticing the long black scabbard and ornate hilt for the first time. The guard reached out to grab her, pointing his gun as he did. Instinct took over—a force of nature inside her, violent as a storm.
Of its own volition her right hand drew her sword, a thin blade designed for a single cut that gave no warning. She dropped to one knee and carved the air in a semicircle over her head, taking out the man’s hand weapon and his fingertips with it. He stumbled, clearly not anticipating her response. His face blanched as he snapped back his hand, realisation slowly registering as blood pumped from the stubs.
Instantly she boosted her blade with her inner strength, a potent magic, the energy knocking him to the ground with a backhand slap, aiming to disable, not destroy. ‘If you’re smart, you’ll stay there,’ she said, ducking to ward off the short club that came out of the woman’s belt and was lowering towards her head. It struck her side as she leaned away, a winding blow. The next slice of her sword came so fast it blurred the air. She cut left, slicing the club in half just above the woman’s gloved fingers. Taking her sword in both hands, she held the blade high, boosting the tip with energy until the steel turned iridescent blue. The second woman had her weapon drawn and aimed at Rosette’s chest. She fired just as Rosette turned the blade side-on. The deflected ray shot back up the guard’s hand and the woman dropped her gun, screaming. The canine beside her let out a savage growl, lips pulled back, white fangs bared. It hurled towards the nearest guard.
A searing heat shot past Rosette and the young dog fell to the ground mid-launch. It didn’t move again. The next thing Rosette felt was cold metal against her temple.
‘Raise that weapon again and I’m going to lobotomise you. Do you understand what that means?’
Rosette froze, shifting only her eyes to look at the man who held her point-blank. Blood seeped from his fisted hand and saturated his sleeve. His jaw was locked, eyes steady.
Maudi, don’t fight them now. Just go along and we’ll figure this out. I’m with you. I can hear you. You can hear me. It’s all right.
There was that lovely voice again. It sounded worried. Well, why not? Even if it was her own schizophrenic demons talking to her, they had good cause for concern. She lowered her sword, pulling zaps of energy back into her solar plexus as she did.
She wanted to respond to the voice inside her head. It felt like someone close, someone she could trust, but she was having trouble linking words to thoughts. Like pages lit with a match, her mind was being incinerated, turned to char before she could read the words. Who are you? she asked the voice in her head.
I’m with you, Maudi. It’s okay. I’m just on the other side.
In the blackness that followed, she felt hands, hard and rough, buoy her up. Voices shouted at each other. More joined in. It meant nothing. The language was completely foreign again and the effort to listen took her last flicker of strength. She let out her breath, rolled her eyes up into her head and slipped away.
EARTH—TIME: BACKWARD
CHAPTER 21
Everett didn’t know how long the com unit had been blinking. His head had been so deeply buried in his studies, the flashing red light hadn’t registered. He checked the readout code and flipped on his monitor.
‘Kelly! There you are!’ A three-centi
metre-square image of the admin operator shouted into his headset.
Everett enlarged the screen. ‘What’s up?’
‘You’re the kid on call, aren’t you? We’ve an emergency coming in.’
‘What is it?’
‘You think they tell me? Just get yourself to Trauma, stat. You’re the only one around.’
‘What about Hass or Richards?’
‘Out of the building.’
‘I can’t run it without an attending.’
‘They’re buzzed, on their way. If I were you, Kelly, I’d hurry. They’re having fits on this side.’
‘Which port?’
‘Trauma One. If you jump now, you can meet them at the doors.’
Everett scrambled out of his chair, a shooting pain going through his head. It felt like someone had clobbered him. He shook it off and bolted from the reading room. He ran down the hallway and into an elevator just before the doors closed. The numbers overhead flashed in descending order before coming to a halt on the ground floor—trauma Level One. He charged down the hall, a fellow med student thrusting protective gear into his hands.
‘Are they here?’ he asked. His breath came in gasps as he donned cap and mask.
She tilted her head towards the main entrance. ‘Just coming in now. They got hung up in traffic—lucky for us. I was sound asleep.’
A med tech rolled the gurney through the double doors. Another tech was astride the patient, doing chest compression.
‘What do you have?’ Everett asked, falling into step with them. He indicated the main trauma room; a path opened before them as people jumped out of the way.
‘Female, of unknown age, name or origin.’
‘What do you mean, unknown?’ Everett interrupted. ‘Scan her.’
‘Did that already. No ID.’
‘Impossible. Scan her again.’
‘I’m telling you, we did. She’s blank.’
