by Nick James
Keep walking.
They stepped into the foyer. It was identical to the ones he’d explored as a boy when he found it necessary to escape the pristine cleanliness of the Lodge. They ascended a short flight of stairs and turned the corner, heading for a room on the second floor.
Theo stopped in his tracks and blocked the way forward as Madame disappeared into the room. He turned around, eyes slit. “I don’t know why she brought you here, but I’m watching you.”
Cassius pushed past him. “I’ll keep that in mind.”
He followed Madame into the small room. It was empty except for a disheveled bed in one corner and a table in another. She stood at the foot of the bed, hugging a girl. Avery Wicksen.
Without the Unified Party suit she’d worn in Providence, she seemed much more like the girl Cassius remembered. Her straw-colored hair was tied behind her face, revealing soft features. A hint of freckles. She looked common, in loose jeans and a dirty T-shirt. Like a Fringer.
Avery’s eyes met his own. Any glimmer of recognition was fleeting. Dulled. Madame released her embrace and Avery perched at the edge of the bed, oblivious to him.
“My dear girl.” Madame backed up two steps to admire her. “Forgive me for these dreary surroundings. I hate to think of you out here in this heat.”
Avery opened her mouth. For a moment, Cassius expected to hear anger-brash confidence like she’d possessed months ago. Instead, her voice was quiet. “I’m comfortable. I have water.”
“Still.” Madame smiled. “A place like this, a town filled with rousers and thugs, is hardly what I want for my daughter.”
Cassius crossed his arms and leaned against the doorway. Avery was as much Madame’s daughter as he was her son. It didn’t count. It wasn’t real.
Straighten up.
He arched his back, standing tall without even realizing it.
Madame strode to a wide window at the opposite end of the room. It had been covered with wood planks, but lines of sunlight poked through. “It won’t be for much longer, I assure you. You’ll have Jesse Fisher back in good time.” She looked over her shoulder. “And when he sees you like this… well, he’ll be concerned. And rightfully so.”
Cassius watched Avery tense up. Her fingers gripped the bedspread. Her heel tapped against the ground. “Do you know where he is now?”
“No,” Madame responded. “That’s why I’ve come here. I have a surprise for you.”
She motioned Theo to her side. The boy pulled the pack from his shoulder and handed it to her, backing away without a sound. Madame unbuttoned the top flap and pulled a communicator from inside. Cassius recognized it instantly. Badly worn, unrealistically large. It had belonged to him only a few short days ago. Fisher’s communicator.
She tossed it across the room to Avery’s waiting hands. “Old Unified Party technology. Cassius was using it to speak with Jesse Fisher. We’ve switched it off until now. Go ahead and turn it back on.”
Avery ran her fingers down the side of the device, searching for the switch. Cassius knew exactly what to press, but he remained silent.
Madame threw the pack back to Theo. “It’s only a matter of time before Fisher tries to contact his brother. When he does, he’ll find you instead. And that’s when we’ll construct our story. The two of you will be reunited.” Her brows raised. “See? I do keep my promises.” Avery examined the communicator. Her hands shook. Her face remained blank.
Madame crouched on the ground beside the bed. “I know about love. It may seem disingenuous, coming from me. The two of us have been strangers for some time now, but I remember it. At times it seems there’s nothing more important.”
Avery switched on the communicator.
“That’s a good girl.” Madame patted her knee. “You remember the plan. Everything hinges on timing and trust.”
Cassius stepped forward. “What are you going to do to Fisher?”
Quiet.
Madame stood, a half smile on her face. “I’m not going to do anything to him, Cassius. Calm down.”
“You’re bringing him here,” he continued. “And obviously it isn’t so he can see her.”
“What exactly are you accusing me of?”
Theo laughed from the window. “Maybe the great Cassius Stevenson needs another dosage.”
Cassius glared at the kid. “I am so sick of you.” He bolted toward the window and shoved Theo into the slats. His fingers tightened around the boy’s neck, eager to snap it.
“Stop!” Madame shouted.
Cassius’s grip loosened, half under his command, half from the sound of her voice.
A shot punctured the silence, coming from the street beyond the window. Theo ducked. So did Cassius. Madame froze before striding to the window. She bent to peer between the slats, then gave a great sigh. “Fringers,” she said. “And their guns. Always bullets. So unrefined.”
Avery stood, still clutching the communicator. “They don’t know about me. I expected them to scavenge the building, even just for shelter, but it’s been safe.”
“They’ve probably seen the cruiser.” Madame turned. “That ought to have set them off.” She pulled Theo to his feet and dusted off the corner of his jacket. “Go outside and make yourself useful.”
The boy swallowed. He hesitated a moment before nodding. As he went for the door, he made a point of bumping into Cassius’s shoulder. Cassius eyed the kid in disbelief before turning back to Madame. “You’re sending him out by himself? You don’t even know how many Fringers are out there!”
“I saw three. There may be more.” She held out a hand to stop the boy. “Names. I’d like names, if at all possible, Theo.”
Theo nodded before sprinting out the door.
Cassius scoffed. “They’re gonna kill him.”
“They won’t.”
“Trust me. If they’ve got guns-”
“They won’t kill him,” she repeated. “You and Theo have a lot in common. Don’t underestimate him.”
Cassius stared at her, searching for the truth. Her face was impossible to read.
“Why do you want names?”
She clasped her hands at her waist. “There’s been rumors of an uprising in these parts. It’s the closest Fringe Town to the Lodge. It would be fantastic news if any of the Fringe leaders were disposed of today.”
“You mean-”
“You felt the blade of Theo’s knife yesterday.” She glanced at his chest before meeting his eyes once more. “It’s his favorite. I gave it to him several years ago. You didn’t know about it, of course. You didn’t know about him.” She paused. “But you soon will.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Shut the door,” she said. “He’ll knock when he’s ready.”
Cassius took a moment to peer into the hallway before closing the door. Theo had already disappeared.
Madame moved to Avery’s side and placed one hand on her shoulder. “Let me show you how this communicator works.” She coaxed Avery into a sitting position. “This is all we had back in my day. Primitive, yes, but it does the trick.” She tapped the bed with her free hand. “Why don’t you come join us, Cassius?”
He stood still, listening to the sounds outside. There were more shots. Two, then a third half a minute later. After that, nothing but silence.
To the bed, Cassius.
He moved to the side of the bed, positioning himself as far from Madame as possible. He wished he could do something. If he’d had his full senses, he could break free and warn Fisher.
He stole quick glances at Madame. The way she hovered over Avery, the hint of lavender coming from her skin… it was all too familiar. He recalled nights when he was a boy and she would come to his room to read to him. The classics-never anything trivial or childish. She’d been like a mother, then. She looked like one now. No one had ever made him feel more important.
A knock came at the door. Three equal thuds.
Madame passed the communicator back to Avery. “T
hat was quick.” She smiled, then raised her voice. “Come in.”
The door opened and Theo entered the room, jacket torn at the shoulder and hair stuck to his face. He raised his knife, wet with blood, and dropped it to the floor. “Randy, Paul, and Joseph,” he panted.
Cassius stared at his face, then down at the weapon, the dark-red splotch against the wood.
Madame frowned. “Pity. Not an important name among the three of them.” She stared at the tear in his jacket. “You can take it off now if you want, darling. No risk of Surface Tan in here.”
16
There used to be more of Japan. That’s what they say, at least. There are still underwater ruins, proof that civilization once existed here. But above the water it’s just a string of small islands. Once mountains, now buried.
Some are wide enough to land a shuttle or two. Most look more like oversized stepping stones. It’s a necessary pit stop for us-a chance to get our bearings. Away from the Academy, but not too far in case we have to turn back.
It won’t be long before they start tracing us after what happened on the island. We have a limited window to talk-decide what to do-before we’ll need to get airborne.
The shuttle sits behind us, empty and quiet. Waves lap upon the rocks at our feet. The Pacific stretches endlessly before us. This place is as silent as Russia, probably more. The grass that remains is eternally marshy. Sinkholes abound, but we’ve found a relatively stable piece of land.
Eva chucks a pebble into the water. She’s got a handful of them ready to go. I think it makes her feel better to be doing something. “They’ll take him back to the Academy,” she says. “That’s the first thing they’ll do. And knowing Skandar, he won’t talk.”
My leg shakes with nervous energy. “Alkine wouldn’t hurt him, right? I mean, it’s Skandar.”
“I don’t know.” She shakes her head. “At the very least, they’ll get a story out of him. I’m going to have to see if I can disengage the trackers on our shuttle. That’ll mean sacrificing our radar, but I don’t see… ” she trails off.
Ryel sits on the rock beside me, utterly still. His chin rests on his fingers. His eyes slit as he stares at the water.
“We found you,” I whisper. “I did it. Finally.”
He turns to look at me, his expression fragile. “I am… the only one?”
I open my mouth to speak, but end up swallowing my words before I settle on the right thing to say. “I’ve been trying… I mean, I’ve been doing what I can.”
His brows furrow. “I thought your leader was rational. I thought, if we gave him what he wanted-”
“Captain Alkine doesn’t know what he’s doing,” I reply. “He didn’t hurt you, did he?”
“Does it matter? We weren’t sent to this planet to worry about our own well-being. He confined me.” His jaw hardens. “That was enough.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be sorry for me,” he says. “Or for any other Drifter. Be sorry for the time we’ve lost. Those hours…those pointless video conferences… I prayed that something was being accomplished. That I was an anomaly.” He turns back to the water. “But you have nothing.”
“That’s not true.” I push my wrist in front of his face. The blackness of the bracelet reflects his worried features. “I have this.”
He glances at it, frowning.
“It’s been shaking,” I continue. “It won’t come off. Sometimes it’s strong enough to pull my entire arm. What is it?”
He sighs. “That material is called Ridium. It’s the most powerful element on Haven.”
“Haven?” Eva scoots forward.
“The name of our home planet,” he responds. “Or, rather, a rough translation.”
Haven. The word slots into the framework of ideas in my mind. Right now that’s all it is: a word.
“What’s it doing around my wrist?”
“Ridium can be controlled, but only by a chosen few. Shifters, they’re called. I am not a Shifter.” He meets my eyes. “Neither are you.”
He grabs my wrist and pulls the bracelet closer to his face, running a finger along the surface. “There are forces inside. I don’t fully understand them, but they go beyond what exists here on Earth. All Ridium is controlled by the Authority. And the Authority, in turn, by Shifters.
“In the end, it formed the very infrastructure of our civilization. Buildings, technology, weapons… they were all influenced by the endless powers of Ridium. It’s a synthesizing element, which means those with the power to Shift can bend it to their will. In addition to changing its physical shape, it can be imbued with programmed instructions. Like a computer. It can send signals, relay messages, store video or holographic information… the possibilities are limited only by its Shifter’s imagination.” He releases his grip on my wrist. “The Resistance risked great peril to create this for you. It must be important.” He sighs. “I was a simple pilot. I’m not qualified to be your guide.” I swallow. “You’re all we have. For now.”
He runs a hand over his face, exhausted. “Your parents wanted you to have that bracelet. That’s all I can tell you.” “My parents… ”
“Great leaders.” He shakes his head. “Strong.” My lips tremble. I can’t tell if he’s taking a dig at me or not. “What… what were their names?
He pauses in thought before answering. “Savon. That was your father. And Adaylla, your mother. Numbers 3,038 and 5,017. Founders of Haven’s Resistance.”
Eva drops her pebbles. Somehow hearing the names changes things. They’re real. People knew them. Savon and Adaylla.
Even with the string of numbers behind them, the words sit comfortably in my consciousness-missing puzzle pieces.
The crashing of the waves takes over the silence. The ocean brightens with the rising sun.
I choke back emotion. “What were they like?”
“I never met them,” Ryel says. “Not in person. I only know what I’ve been told.”
I pound the rock with my fist. “You can’t leave it at that.”
“I can’t?” He turns to me. “Don’t let yourself be clouded by the thought of them. It won’t serve any of us well.”
“Then tell me what they were fighting for. They started the Resistance, right? What were they resisting?”
Ryel’s eyes widen in disbelief. “You’ve been kept in the dark. It’s worse than I thought. Your leader has told you nothing.”
“Go on.” I grit my teeth.
“I am not a school teacher.” He closes his eyes, grunting in frustration. “Very well. A history lesson.”
He takes a deep breath. “Haven was approximately half the size of Earth.”
My brows raise. “Was?”
“Let me finish.”
I rest my chin on my knees, determined not to interrupt him again.
“Our climate was dry, but the resources bountiful. Ridium pits existed in the southern hemisphere, dark and endless before they were scavenged by the Authority. In the north, vast fields of gold-flecked grass. No oceans, but many lakes.” He pauses, as if recalling the scenery upsets him. “Your scientists would have never spotted us. Not with their… limited technology. The universe is constantly stretching. Mirroring itself. Haven existed more than fifty million of your light years away from Earth. But it’s gone now.”
“How?” Eva asks.
He glares at her. “Our home became unstable years ago-tremors that evolved into great fissures. Haven was eating itself alive. Self-destructing.” He pauses. “Some blamed it on our actions. Others took a more philosophical stance. Everything has an expiration date. Either way, an evacuation was called for.”
My memory fills with historical videos the teachers made us watch about the founding of the Skyships, crowds of people taking off from the chemical-stained Surface in search for a better life. It helps me visualize Ryel’s words. Otherwise it’s too big to imagine.
“It was gradual,” he continues, “especially at first. Dayto-day, it was easily ignored. Th
e Authority looked to the stars for suitable replacements. They found Earth. Led by King Matigo, they sought to send a battalion to conquer. This planet was large and plentiful with resources. With a few adjustments, we could live well here. At your expense, of course.”
“Tell me more about this guy,” I say, forgetting that I’m not supposed to interrupt. “Matigo.”
Ryel doesn’t seem angry. “Number 207. A rare name.”
“He’s a Drifter, like you?”
“Like you. Like us, yes.” His shoulders tense. “He’s a Shifter as well, and a very powerful one. The ability to shift Ridium guaranteed him an important role in our society. With his power and ambition, it didn’t take him long to become the figurehead of the Authority.”
“He’s the leader,” I mutter. “He’s the one.”
“He is dangerous. And he’s on his way.” Ryel pauses. “When Haven’s destruction became imminent, it wasn’t difficult for him to convince our people that invasion was their safest option. Behind closed doors, he’d been planning to conquer other galaxies for years. It was a convenient excuse to… how do you say it… get the ball rolling.” He turns back to me. “And that is what your parents were fighting.”
“I don’t understand,” I reply. “They’d rather die than come to Earth?”
He shakes his head. “They believed there was an alternative. Riskier, and far less luxurious. Others had discovered another planet in a neighboring galaxy. It was closer than Earth and held the resources we would need for survival. Managed right, it could have been a fine home for us. And, most important, it was uninhabited. No need for an invasion. They called it Haven II.
“But Matigo was intent on populating Earth.” He sighs. “The Resistance went behind the Authority’s back. At first they planned to splinter and take Haven II for their own. Start a new society, free from the Authority’s rule. But your parents were too honorable for that. They knew they couldn’t live their lives at peace while Matigo destroyed another planet. They waged war. Gaining supporters wasn’t difficult, especially among those in the outer regions, far from the central cities.”
