by Brandon Mull
“Did we get away clean?” Cole asked.
“I think so,” Roulette said. “We’ll take extra precautions to make sure.”
“Do you think Bluff fought that patrolman?” Cole asked, his insides writhing with guilt.
“As a last resort, maybe,” Roulette said. “Hopefully he found a quieter solution. Bluff will be okay. He knows what he’s doing.”
Cole tried to let her confidence reassure him. They rode along in silence for a few minutes. Cole studied the neighboring levcars for anything suspicious, but the windows were too tinted to see much. At least that same tinting would help them hide.
“What do you think?” Cole asked Jace, who had his nose against the window.
“This city is enormous,” he said. “I was ready for big, but I still can’t believe it. I didn’t expect it to be so clean, with so many open spaces. I pictured it more cramped.”
“What about the ride?” Cole asked.
“You can’t beat it,” Jace said. “They’re so fast. They blow away autocoaches.”
Cole gritted his teeth as levcars swerved at them from opposite directions. Their levcar sped up and drifted right just in time to avoid disaster. “Don’t the near misses bug you?”
“They told us levcars don’t crash,” Jace said.
“Not in over eight years,” Roulette said. “And before then problems weren’t frequent. They’ve been perfected.”
“I can trust that,” Jace said. “Can’t you?”
Cole resisted a wince as they knifed through a narrow gap. “There’s what I know, and what I feel. We have cars where I’m from, but there would be accidents all over the place if people drove like this.”
“You keep advertising that you’re from Outside,” Roulette said.
“Whoops,” Cole replied.
“I won’t spread it around,” Roulette said. “You’re not the only person from Outside in Zeropolis. Only Creon interacts more with Earth. But Outsiders do draw attention. If you want to keep a low profile, you should be more careful. We’re almost to the galleria.”
Up ahead, a complex of sizable buildings that looked like greenhouses came into view. The levcar slowed and drifted over to the curb, coming to a gentle stop. Cole, Jace, and Roulette got out.
“Greenhouses?” Cole asked.
“Stores,” Roulette said. “It’s a shopping mall.”
“All the buildings must be crystal,” Cole said.
Roulette gave him a puzzled look. “What else would they be made from?”
“Glass,” Cole said.
She chuckled. “Seriously? Why would we build with something so fragile? Bonded crystal is the way to go. If you want glass, you’ll have to look in some other kingdom.”
“These are all stores?” Jace checked as they started walking. “Have you heard of Headgear?”
“Sure,” Roulette said. “It’s not here. I’m not interested in the stores today. We came for the crowd. I want to make sure we shook the CP. The Zeroes have gotten too good at tracking us lately. We’re taking a roundabout route. We can’t risk compromising the base.”
“Zeroes?” Cole asked.
“It’s a nickname for the patrolmen,” she said. “The Zeroes have been on a roll lately. We can’t be too careful. Let’s wait to go into it until we’re behind closed doors.”
As they proceeded through the crystal mall, Cole saw a lot of people wearing leather and denim. Many of the stores featured gadgets. Others sold clothes. A few had art. One shop showcased a variety of robots. They looked more polished than the robots back at Outpost 121, with brighter colors and more graceful contours.
They passed beyond the crystal stores and came to an open green area with a fairly tall hill on one side. A game of lacrosse was in progress on a large playing field. Trees shaded much of the hill, and paths gave access to the top.
“Summit Park,” Roulette said. “Crossing open space can be a great way to make sure we’re not being tailed.”
“Are we close to where we’re going?” Jace asked.
“Not yet,” she said.
It took some time to navigate the park. Eventually they passed under a street and came up to a wide pedestrian walkway. The apartments on both sides of the walkway possessed stately brick facades. Trees and sculpted hedges added a touch of nature.
Roulette led them along the walkway a good distance, passing under two more streets before turning onto a smaller walkway. She paused at the entrance to a building. “Nobody is following us. This way.”
They entered the building and went down a hall to an apartment on the first floor. The big guy who answered the door nodded to Roulette and let them enter. They went to a bedroom without windows and found a stairway in the middle of the floor.
“I opened it up for the others,” the man said, coming in behind them. “Go on down. I’ll close it behind you.”
The stairs descended a long way, flight after flight. Roulette was in no hurry.
“Nice secret entrance,” Cole said.
“Let’s hope it stays secret,” Roulette replied. “Otherwise we’re all cooked.”
At the bottom of the stairs awaited a thick crystal door secured by shiny steel hinges. Roulette waved at the guards on the far side, and after a moment, the door opened. Cole entered with the others, and the door closed behind them.
The floor, walls, and ceiling had panels like in the P’Tang room at Axis. Cole sped up to walk beside Roulette. “Is this room magnetic?” he asked.
“We have some skilled tinkers on our side,” she said. “Our magnetic defenses are tidy. Think of the balls in P’Tang, but imagine them sharper, faster, and targeted at you.”
Cole gulped.
They proceeded through a sequence of doors and hallways until they were greeted by a middle-aged woman whose red hair was pulled back into a tight little bun. “You must be Jace and Cole,” she said, holding out a hand.
Cole shook it. “I’m Cole.”
Jace did the same. “Jace.”
“Call me Highwire,” the woman said. “Nice work, Roulette. Report to the tank for debriefing.”
“I was kind of hoping to see this through,” Roulette said.
“You may have future involvement,” Highwire said. “First these two must meet with Googol.”
Roulette gasped. “Googol’s here! I want to see him!”
“I expect he’ll want to talk with all the CKs who were involved today,” Highwire said. “First head to debriefing. You’ll learn more there.”
“Whatever,” Roulette said huffily. She left the room.
“I trust you two are all right?” Highwire asked.
“We’re fine,” Cole said. “We’re worried about Joe, though.”
“Aren’t we all,” Highwire said. “This way.”
She used an ID card to open a door. They followed her down a hallway to another door, which she opened with her card as well.
“Here they are,” Highwire announced. “Barely behind the others.”
Cole and Jace entered a room that looked half laboratory, half office. One side of the room had work counters and shelves covered with diverse tools and materials. The other side had several chairs and a big desk. Dalton and Mira sat in two of the chairs.
The man behind the desk stood up. Dressed in dark blue, his bristly gray hair was clipped short and thinning on top. The bulky glasses he wore resembled a set of high-tech binoculars. Tall, skinny, and slightly stooped, he looked to be in his fifties or sixties. “Cole, Jace, please join us. Nice to meet you. I’m Googol.”
“Will that be all?” Highwire asked.
“Yes, Larraine, thank you,” Googol said. She backed out and closed the door. Googol touched his bulky glasses. “Please forgive how my vision gear hides my face. With it, I can see near and far. Without it, the world becomes overlapping blur
s. Have a seat.”
“Are you guys good?” Cole asked Dalton.
“We just got here too,” Dalton said. “We’re good.”
“Googol was introducing himself,” Mira said.
Googol nodded. “I gave Mira a code word reserved for those few who work with her mother, Harmony.”
“Dalton got to hear it?” Cole protested.
“He whispered it to her,” Dalton said.
“Googol is one of the good guys,” Mira confirmed.
“Thank you, Your Highness,” Googol said deferentially. “I can still hardly believe you’re here.”
“He’s one of the leaders of the Unseen in Zeropolis,” Mira said. “He’s their chief tinker.”
“We all have roles to play,” Googol said. “Mine involves developing and implementing advanced technologies.”
“Your name is Google like the search engine?” Cole asked.
Googol smiled. “It’s spelled differently. My code name derives from a number. Ten to the hundredth power. In other words, a one followed by a hundred zeroes.”
“That’s a lot of zeroes,” Jace said.
Googol’s smile faltered a little. “My apologies. I’m not always adept at small talk. I know you four have been through a lot, but we have some vital matters to discuss.”
“Fine with us,” Mira said.
“The first issue is Joe MacFarland,” Googol said. “We sent him to warn you, Mira, when we learned that your father was sending legionnaires to apprehend you. I take it the intervention was a success.”
“Barely,” Mira said. She went on to explain how she, Cole, Jace, and Twitch had escaped from Skyport.
“Remarkable,” Googol said. “But Joe clearly rejoined you.”
Mira told about defeating Carnag and then going to Elloweer with Joe to find Honor.
“Any success?” Googol asked.
“We found her, and stopped another monster shapecrafters had made in Elloweer. Her name was Morgassa, and she was even worse than Carnag. We also found Cole’s friend Dalton.”
“You’re both from Outside,” Googol said, his vision gear aiming at Dalton and Cole. “Where did you live?”
“Arizona,” Cole said. “Mesa, if you know the area.”
“I do,” Googol said. “I study your world a lot. It didn’t used to interest us so much. For centuries our technologies have been more advanced than yours. But over the last few decades, as you have entered your computerized age, I have found many good ideas among your innovations. I find that inspiration often results from observation.”
“In our world we call that copying,” Dalton said with a smile.
“I attempt to adapt and improve those technologies that inspire me,” Googol said. His vision gear swiveled back to Mira. “These shapecrafted monsters you describe perturb me. We have heard similar tales of late from Creon and Necronum, though none in our own kingdom. You say the shapecrafters could not command their creations?”
“Not Carnag or Morgassa,” Mira said. “I don’t know if they’re getting better at it.”
Googol raised two fingers to his lips and stared thoughtfully. The lenses of his vision gear turned softly, as if focusing. “How close has your father come to capturing you?”
“Close,” Mira said. She told about the Hunter chasing them and detailed their encounters with Enforcers in Sambria and on the Red Road.
“The Hunter is formidable,” Googol said broodingly. “And you encountered his Enforcers in Elloweer scant days ago?”
“Yes,” Mira said.
Googol rubbed his chin. “Honor didn’t join you after defeating Morgassa?”
“No,” Mira said. “She went to find another of my sisters. I came here with Joe to look for Constance.”
Googol frowned. “Joe knows that you’re here looking for Constance. He also knows that Honor is off hunting for another sister. Does he know where she went?”
“Yes,” Mira said.
Googol nodded slowly. “Don’t tell me where unless I need to know. We must do a better job of restricting information. Joe knows too much. I’m not sure if the City Patrol fully grasps yet what they have in him.”
“Maybe they won’t figure it out,” Mira said. “Joe is smart and committed.”
“The Hunter is on your trail,” Googol said. “It won’t take him long to find Joe. We can’t risk Joe breaking. He’s a good man, and a brave one, but I would not trust anyone to last against the Hunter. Even without the Hunter, there is the chance the City Patrol will catch on to Joe’s value. You were seen with him, Mira. Your image is on an ID card. If they connect Joe to you, they’ll torture him without mercy until he talks. We have to take him away from them. It’s not just a matter of loyalty. It’s a strategic necessity.”
“Can you do it?” Mira asked.
“I believe so,” Googol replied. “Not without cost. We have a few remaining ways to monitor City Patrol communications. One method is thanks to good tech, plus, we still have a couple of people inside. We used to enjoy a much bigger advantage. The government had all the power, but we kept really good tabs on them and could stay out of their way. We could truly be Unseen.”
“What happened?” Cole asked.
Googol smiled sadly. “We’re not sure. Starting about two months ago, things changed. Some of our best people got busted. Smart, careful operatives who really knew the game. Within weeks, the Unseen lost nearly a quarter of our number. Secure, time-tested hideouts were discovered. Proven methods of operation no longer worked. The government didn’t just have all the power. Suddenly they were outmaneuvering us.”
“Did you fix the problem?” Jace asked.
“In a sense,” Googol said. “Most of the Unseen retreated to our hideaways in Old Zeropolis. We took ourselves out of play.”
“Old Zeropolis?” Cole asked.
“A brief history for the Outsiders,” Googol announced. “Zeropolis has been built twice before. Originally, long ago and far from here, Zeropolis arose with much less advanced technology. Innovation eventually made the first Zeropolis obsolete. The foundations were all wrong to welcome the new tech. It made more sense to start again. So a new Zeropolis, the second Zeropolis, what we now call Old Zeropolis, was established not terribly far beyond the northern boundaries of this city. That city fell when Aeronomatron took over. Hundreds of thousands of lives were lost.”
“Who took over?” Dalton asked.
“A machine,” Googol said. “A supercomputer that would dwarf anything your society has produced. Most people just call it Aero. This was in my grandfather’s time, and I’m older than I look, thanks to my shaping skills slowing the aging process. After much bloodshed, the City Patrol managed to seal off Aero. Had they failed, this entire kingdom might have become uninhabitable.”
“Crazy,” Cole said.
Googol rocked forward in his seat. “To this day, Aero controls a major portion of Old Zeropolis. At great cost, all of its manufacturing capabilities were destroyed, so the computer’s domain is fixed. After the mayhem Aero caused, nobody wanted to live near it, so the newest Zeropolis, this one, was erected not far from the old. After the second city was left abandoned for a good while, some people began to return. The kind of people who didn’t want to be found. Old Zeropolis is a lawless place, almost completely unregulated. Someday the Zeropolitan government hopes to purge or reclaim the old city, but they haven’t geared up for it yet. For now, the Grand Shaper lets it serve as a garbage dump for undesirables.”
“Is Old Zeropolis mostly members of the Unseen?” Cole asked.
“Oh, no,” Googol said. “It’s mostly criminals. In a highly regulated kingdom, it’s the most significant beacon of chaos. When operating there, we have to tread warily. But at the moment it’s preferable to the city. The government has little influence there.”
“Are we safe here?” Jace
asked, looking around the room.
“I hope so,” Googol said. “As a defensive tactic, I move around a lot. This is currently our most secure base of operations inside the city. But we don’t know how Abram Trench and his people keep finding us. I worry they’re using banned tactics.”
“Like what?” Cole asked.
“In Old Zeropolis, they let Aero control too much,” Googol explained. “When the computer went bad, it had access to everything. Information. Communication. Essential services. Vehicles. Bots. You name it. Nobody wants another Aero, so the current Zeropolitan government has been very careful about not automating the city too much. None of the bots are armed. There are no surveillance cameras or automatic listening devices. Unconnected computers run different systems. For example, the computer that manages the magroads cannot communicate with the computers regulating the power facilities, or the computer that holds the ID card data, or any of the bots.”
“But now you wonder if Abram Trench is cheating,” Dalton said.
“Precisely,” Googol said. “He doesn’t want another Aero either. He definitely wants to call the shots, not bow down to a computer. But to deal with us, he may have decided to bend the laws that have been in place since the founding of this city. Added some surveillance systems. Upgraded some bots. Who knows? It might explain how the City Patrol has suddenly become so effective.”
“It could be a spy,” Jace proposed.
“We’ve examined that possibility thoroughly,” Googol said. “We keep our information fragmented and compartmentalized. Given all that has happened, I simply don’t know who the mole could be. My guess is either they’ve found a way to reliably intercept our communications, or they have new tech in place. We’ve been implementing all the precautions we can think of, including improved communication methods and taking extra care when navigating the city.”
“And using arcade kids,” Cole said.
“The Crystal Keepers have existed for years,” Googol said. “Many of them eventually graduate to membership in the Unseen. The government can’t find us where they’re not looking, and while many of our covers have been blown, our teenage agents remain undetected. They get underestimated because of their youth, and we use that against Abram.”
