by Chris Babu
While surviving should be his primary concern, he was also worried about Catrice, who seemed to be his girlfriend at the moment. Her interest might fade as the expedition wore on and he was the Achilles’ heel of the group.
“Shahnee, you’re not married, right?”
She straightened. “I do. I accept. I’m so excited! We’re getting married!”
“Very funny. I’m just wondering, what kind of guys do you like?”
“I go crazy for math whizzes.”
Drayden groaned. “I’m serious. What are you looking for in a guy?”
“Are you concerned about Catrice? You think she won’t like you because you can’t shoot a gun?”
“Not exactly. I don’t know…I guess I’m a little afraid she only dug me because of the Initiation and everything. Here, in real life, who cares if I can solve a brainteaser? I’ll never have to solve one again. Doesn’t seem like they pop up much in the Palace. If you had to crack a riddle to get your meals, I might be the cat’s meow. But here, or out there on the expedition, I’m just some gimpy kid who might shoot himself in the foot.” Drayden craned his neck around to see her. “I feel like I need to show her I’m not some weakling.”
Shahnee whacked him with the blue stretchy band. “Boy, you don’t know anything, do you? It’s not a competition to see who has the most skills. It’s not a job. You guys have a spark. That’s all you need. That spark. There’s something between you two, you both feel it, yet you can’t define what it is or why it exists. That’s what I’m looking for, that spark. I don’t care if you’re a rocket scientist or a janitor—if you’re an expert marksman or a guy with two left hands. You shouldn’t worry so much.”
Hmmm. Perhaps she was right. Or not. “Yeah, that’s not totally true. Why do the girls flock to the star of the basketball team then?”
“Do you know him? Can you introduce me?” She smirked.
“You joke because you know I speak the truth.”
She leaned closer to his face and spoke firmly. “Drayden, be confident, and be yourself. She adores you. Who you are. Don’t try and be something you’re not. Don’t worr—”
A knock on the door interrupted them.
“It’s open!” Drayden shouted.
Charlie strolled into the kitchen. “Nice.” He eyed them up and down as he approached. “I know how this goes. You massage his feet, and he offers to massage your back, but your shirt is getting in the way, and he suggests you take it off, and then—”
“Charlie, what do you want?” Drayden asked.
“Hey, Shahnee,” Charlie said, a stupid grin on his face. “Man, how did you snag Shahnee? My nurse is Jeff. Oh no, did she give you the booster yet? Turns out I’m terrified of shots.”
Drayden sighed and buried his face in the sofa cushion. “I know there’s a reason you’re here, chotch.”
“Right. We have to be at Bureau headquarters in thirty minutes. Some big meeting with a senior Bureau member.”
Drayden needed the expedition delayed. Even a week would help. Since he couldn’t tell anyone about his clandestine investigation into his mother’s exile, his ankle provided a perfectly legitimate excuse. This meeting could be his only chance.
CHAPTER 2
Drayden was overcome by déjà vu.
He and the others sat facing a desk in a palatial office at Bureau headquarters, in the former Federal Reserve Bank of New York. The setting was eerily reminiscent of their meeting with Premier Holst after the Initiation. Even the late afternoon sun draping the room in gold mirrored the recent memory. They were alone besides a Guardian posted at the door.
“It’s quieter than a mouse at the library,” Charlie whispered to Drayden. “What do you think this is about?”
“I don’t know. I hope they’re delaying the expedition. My ankle’s still a mess. I need more time. Anyone else have déjà vu, by the way?”
“Totally,” Sidney said.
Charlie snickered. “You know that old saying? ‘It’s like déjà vu all over again.’”
A tall man with an elongated face, a sizeable nose, and a patch over one eye entered the room and sat at the desk. A red Bureau pin adorned his tailored gray suit. He neither smiled nor spoke. After adjusting the black eye patch and placing both hands together on the desk, he surveyed them, pausing on each face. “My name is Harris von Brooks, and I’m Premier Holst’s chief of staff,” he said, his tone stern. “I’m responsible for the expedition. I’ve summoned you here today to go through the specifics of your mission. I must apologize. We should have met sooner, but I’ve been working out the details with the scientists.”
So much for postponing it.
“Even though you only became involved in this project a week ago, it’s been in the works for quite some time.” He rose from the chair and walked in front of the desk, leaning against it.
“We’ve decided you will head to Boston. Early in the Confluence, when Aeru first appeared in the United States, many cities were discussing quarantines. Ultimately, as you know, cyberterrorists wiped out communication systems, satellites, and the internet. We have no idea what became of other cities after contact was cut off, or if their quarantines were successful. We were very fortunate that Manhattan was an island, easy to seal off. Boston would have been much tougher to quarantine, but it’s our best bet. It’s the closest large city that we know was discussing a quarantine. We believe there’s a possibility that people remain there today. Logic suggests they would have constructed a wall, though it would have taken years to build, as it did here.”
Von Brooks raised his index finger in the air. “Now, in three days, you’ll meet the four Guardians escorting you on your journey. They are the very best. The elite of the elite. You’ll be in good hands. They understand the goal of the mission and the leadership hierarchy. You are in charge. Premier Holst selected you to lead this mission because of your intelligence, problem solving skills, teamwork, and ability to overcome adversity.”
Charlie raised his hand, as if they were in class.
“Yes, Mr. Arnold?”
“Are you sure about that? I mean, we’ve been training with the Guardians. They call the four of us ‘privates,’ which is what they call the new kids. I can’t see how a lieutenant or a captain will be taking orders from us.”
Von Brooks nodded. “I understand your concern, I do, but trust me when I say they have signed off and accept it. Premier Holst spoke to the most senior of them, Captain Lindrick, personally.”
Sidney raised her hand.
“Yes, Ms. Fowler?”
“Boston is pretty far. How are we getting there?”
“Please, allow me to finish, and I believe all your questions will be answered.” He plopped down at his desk. “You will travel by boat. It is specially designed, built by our scientists, with a top speed of twenty-five miles per hour. You should reach Boston in approximately ten hours. Being on water rather than land will limit your exposure to Aeru as well. The scientists will teach you everything you need to know about the boat, navigation, and your route. The Guardians will receive the same training.”
Drayden glanced at Catrice, who was squeezed between Sidney and Charlie. Why hadn’t she sat next to him?
She picked at her fingernails.
“You will depart next Monday, a week from today,” von Brooks said.
Sweat beaded on Drayden’s forehead. He wasn’t ready for this mission. “Mr. von Brooks, I’d like to request we delay the expedition…a few weeks, so my ankle has a chance to heal. I’m told it’s an eight-week recovery, and we’ve only had a week.”
“Mr. Coulson, there will be no delay. You’re already aware power storage in New America is failing. Deep-cycle batteries and solar cells die after about twenty-five years. What you don’t know is it’s getting worse by the day. We lost another wind turbine yesterday, the seventh. That leaves us with thi
rty-seven active. For all we know, the rest could shut down simultaneously. Without power, we cannot produce food or water. It’s critical you leave a week from today. You travel to Boston, make contact, ask to see their leader, and gather information. Establish communication, let them know New America exists and needs assistance. Then you return home. Once we test you for the Aeru infection and you’re cleared, you will reenter the city and your mission will be complete.”
The teens shifted nervously in their seats.
Drayden asked what he knew the others were thinking. “What happens if we’ve contracted Aeru?”
“In that case, you will not enter the city,” von Brooks said matter-of-factly. He paused. “As a courtesy, we would honor your request to be executed if you prefer not to die a slow death outside.”
Drayden swallowed hard. Now it was quieter than a mouse in a library. Something else gnawed at him. “How can the person who tests us stay protected?”
The corners of Harris von Brooks’s mouth turned up in a faint smile. “They will be wearing a protective suit.”
Drayden’s jaw dropped. “Why don’t you just give us those suits to wear when we’re outside?”
Von Brooks’s cold eyes bored a hole through Drayden. “Part of your mission is to test the success of our vaccine.” His faint smile returned. “Would you have preferred I lie? No? I didn’t think so. We have every reason to believe it is one-hundred percent effective.”
In his mind, Drayden was punching the guy in the mouth.
“That is it,” von Brooks said with a casual air of finality, as if closing a meeting about ordering new office supplies. “That’s the whole mission. You should be back here in two days, safe and sound. We will not see each other again until the day you depart. Oh, I almost forgot.” He walked in front of the desk and reached into his jacket pocket. “Your Bureau pins.”
He handed a pin to each of them. “Welcome to the Bureau.”
Drayden plunged the butcher knife into a red bell pepper, which he tossed into a frying pan with broccoli, onions, carrots, and garlic.
It sizzled, a steamy cloud of deliciousness billowing out.
He checked the pot of boiling noodles. “Hungry?”
Catrice forced a smile. “Honestly, no. I can’t stop thinking about that word. Executed.”
Drayden shrugged. “All right, fine, more for me.”
After pouring the noodles into a colander, he opened a drawer to fetch tongs. A white paper rested atop the kitchen utensils, so he picked it up and flipped it over.
It was a superb drawing of a giant, glossy heart balanced on the spire of the Empire State Building, in astounding detail.
A lump formed in Drayden’s throat. He’d told Catrice about his eighth birthday, when his mother took him for a climb to the top of the iconic structure. Catrice was a gifted artist and had made a habit of leaving brilliant drawings hidden around his apartment. He clutched the picture to his chest.
She raised her eyebrows. “You like it?”
He sniffled. “I love it. Thank you.”
Drayden portioned the noodles onto two dark green plates and spooned the sizzling vegetables over them. His stomach growling, he set the plates on the white table and sat across from Catrice. “Bon appétit.”
“Thanks, this looks delicious. Where’d you learn how to cook anyway?”
“From my mom. Stir-fry is my specialty. I can’t make much else.” Drayden shoveled the food into his mouth, savoring the sweet onions and crunchy broccoli.
“Are you even chewing?” Catrice asked, barely picking at her food.
He swallowed. “Chewing’s overrated.”
“What are we going to do about this? The expedition, I mean.”
Drayden wiped his mouth with a napkin, staring into space. They’d had a few hours to digest the details of the expedition, so at least some of the shock had worn off. “I was hoping to delay it because of my ankle. After that chat with Harris von Brooks, I wouldn’t mind getting out of it completely. I know it has to be done. Still, I have a bad feeling about it.”
“Me too. I’m scared.”
“I am too. It’s not just my ankle either. What if the Aeru vaccine doesn’t work?” He felt embarrassed after admitting his fear. “Does that make me a wimp?”
Catrice cocked her head. “No, Drayden. It makes you realistic, and smart.”
“There’s something else. I don’t trust the Bureau. It’s as if they’re not telling us everything. Feels like there’s an inside joke and we’re the only ones who don’t know the punchline.”
She pushed her food around the plate. “I don’t think I’ll be much help on the expedition either. It’s not like the Initiation where there were brainteasers and riddles.”
“You can totally help. You’re a lot stronger than you think.”
“I’ve been thinking about a way out for days. So far, I’ve come up with nothing.”
Drayden tugged on his ear. “Makes more sense for a team of scientists to lead the expedition. A group of sixteen-year-olds is hardly qualified.”
“They don’t want to sacrifice the scientists. They’re too valuable.”
“Exactly.”
“We’re going to have to do this. And we’re going to die.” She chewed a nail.
“We have a week. While we continue with our training, we’ll keep brainstorming. Tomorrow afternoon we meet with the scientists. Let’s see if anything they’re doing could be an alternative to the expedition.” He reached for her hand across the table. “Catrice, if we have to go, I’ll handle it. We can do it. I’ll make sure you’re okay.”
She set her fork down. “Drayden, I just wanna say…thank you for watching out for me. Like, in the Initiation.” She gazed into his eyes. “Nobody’s ever treated me like that before, or cared. My parents sure as heck didn’t. It makes me feel special. You’re the first person I’ve ever trusted.”
Drayden blushed. “Wow. Thank you. Um…you’re welcome.” He cleared his throat. “Listen, we’re gonna be fine. We survived the Initiation, and that was a lot tougher than going on a boat ride with armed guards.”
She tucked a strand of blonde hair behind her ear. “Even though extra protection sounds nice, I almost wish it could be the four of us alone, you know? We kinda got into rhythm during the Initiation.”
“Yeah.” Drayden flashed a mischievous look. “You know what would be better than that? The two of us.”
It was Catrice’s turn to blush. She stood, took Drayden by the hand, and led him to the couch in the living room. After pushing him down to sitting, she climbed onto his lap and lowered her face to his, her lips grazing his ear. Her silky hair draped over his shoulders. “And what we do out there on that boat?” she whispered.
Drayden’s heart raced. “Um…” He swallowed. “I guess if it was only the two of us, one of us would have to drive.”
She laughed and nodded. “True.”
Drayden brushed his hand on her soft cheek. He pulled her closer until their lips touched, and electricity zoomed through his body.
The spark.
As long as he had Catrice, everything would be okay.
CHAPTER 3
The following afternoon, Drayden and the others found themselves in a monstrous room resembling an airplane hangar. Wide open inside with a soaring roof, it occupied part of the science lab at the former Pace University. Although they’d met with the Palace scientists every day, they hadn’t seen this part. Black-topped wooden tables contained all sorts of experiments. Row after row of those tables created grid-like walkways throughout the space.
Drayden absorbed everything, contemplating how much he’d love to work here. While it was difficult to identify most objects, one was clear: the boat. The wooden craft had been polished with some type of shiny sealant, glistening in the center of the room.
Drayden had never
seen a boat before in person. It was smaller than he’d expected, around thirty-five feet by his estimation. An undersized, enclosed cockpit in the center housed the controls. There was a deck with bench seating and a table in the rear, with another deck in front of the cockpit. Two huge propellers hung off the back. The scientists had constructed the boat on rolling trolleys, presumably to wheel it the few blocks to Pier Fifteen.
It was ironic that they lived on an island, yet building a boat was a huge project. Obviously, there were walls around the city and nobody had ever been outside because of Aeru. No one in New America had ever needed a boat before.
Today marked the final session with the scientists, in which the goal was to learn how to drive the boat to Boston.
But that wasn’t Drayden’s goal. His was to find a way to delay the expedition so he could buy himself more time in the Palace. Some scientific reason they couldn’t go, or an alternative solution. If he needed to wander around the warehouse, he’d find a way.
Doctor Samantha Miller, the scientist tasked with their training, paced before them. She was a lovely, warm woman who insisted they call her Sam. She fished her horn-rimmed glasses from her white lab coat and put them on. “I want you to know it’s been a pleasure getting to know the four of you. I wish you the best of luck on your journey, and I’m confident you’ll be fine. You’re well prepared. Before I show you how to operate the boat, let’s spend a few minutes reviewing the essential highlights from our last few meetings.”
Drayden noticed Catrice again didn’t sit next to him. Since her face showed concern, he winked at her.
Sam held up a box of matches. “Remember, should something go wrong and you find yourself on land, you’ve learned several ways to start a fire. If your matches get wet, you’ll each have a magnifying glass, plus a battery and a paperclip. The boat will be well stocked with water. If on land, collect rainwater or dew. Do not drink any natural water you find, but if you must, be sure to boil it first. I would not recommend eating any animals, should you encounter any. You will have a few fishing rods aboard the boat, and eating fish should be fine. We don’t know which species of animals have survived Aeru, so beware of predators. We’ve gone over what to do if you encounter any. You each will have a compass and maps in your pack.”
