by Brandon Mull
Blake glanced at the door, then did a double take, eyes widening. “Cole Randolph? Seriously?”
“Hey, Blake,” Cole said, giving a little wave.
“I’ll let you two catch up,” Lunk said, stepping aside. “I’ll be out here when you’re done, Steve, and I’ll take you to your room.”
“I guess you just heard my real name,” Cole said.
Lunk shrugged. “My real name is Kevin.”
“Where did Lunk come from?” Cole asked.
“Datapoint’s idea,” he said. “She didn’t find Kevin intimidating enough.”
Cole nodded. “I guess Lunk is tougher.”
“Go on,” Lunk encouraged.
Cole walked through the doorway, and Lunk closed the door behind him. Blake jumped up from his chair, ran to Cole, and threw his arms around him with the intensity of a drowning man. Cole hugged him back. When the embrace ended, Cole saw that Blake had tears streaming down his cheeks.
“Sorry,” Blake said, wiping his eyes on his sleeve. “I’d given up on seeing anybody from home again.” He started to laugh unsteadily.
“Yeah,” Cole said. “I couldn’t believe it when Datapoint told me you were here.”
“Old Zeropolis is in the middle of nowhere,” Blake said, still wiping his eyes. “What are you doing here? Is that a freemark?”
Cole fingered the mark on the back of his wrist. “Long story.” He leaned close to Blake and used his quietest whisper. “Can we talk in here?”
“Sure,” Blake said.
“You’re positive nobody is listening?” Cole asked.
“I’ve checked,” Blake said, speaking more quietly. “And I know how to check. We can talk here. What’s up?”
“How much do you trust Datapoint?” Cole asked.
Blake thought for a moment. “Trust her with what?”
“Like if you knew a major secret that the High King would kill for,” Cole said.
Blake raised his eyebrows. “I don’t know. She likes secrets. She hates the High King and the Zeropolitan government. She’s also pretty selfish.”
“Selfish how?”
“She likes to be at the center of everything. She wants everyone to admire her. She’s very proud of her memory. The people here all think she’s the best thing ever.”
“You don’t?” Cole asked.
“I’m basically her prisoner,” Blake said. “Since I was working for her enemies and got captured, now I have to work for her for at least two years.”
“Or what?”
“Or she’ll spill information about where I am,” Blake said. “I’ll get captured again.”
“Is this better than that?” Cole asked.
“In some ways I guess,” Blake said. “It’s mostly the same. Everybody just wants me for my ability.”
“What can you do?” Cole asked.
“I’m good with harmonic crystals,” Blake said.
“The kind in communicators?” Cole asked.
“Exactly,” Blake said. “And providing energy to machines. I can create and tune crystals better than just about anybody. Don’t ask me why. It seems easy.”
“No kidding,” Cole said. This sounded like the Blake he knew. He wondered how capable he really was.
“If I get near enough to any harmonic crystal, I can hear it in my mind. It isn’t hard for me to then create a crystal with matching harmonics. Usually you need to have a stolen crystal to listen in on enemy communications. For most people it takes a lot of study and time to make a duplicate crystal. Datapoint hasn’t seen anybody who can replicate a harmonic crystal without touching or examining it. Neither had City Patrol. It’s really useful for spying.”
“I bet,” Cole said. He knew how valuable a stolen harmonic crystal could be. If Blake could copy them just by getting near them, no wonder Datapoint wanted him working for her.
“That’s why they sent me with the unit to work in Old Zeropolis,” Blake said. “They wanted to listen in on some of the criminals here.”
“How long have you been at it?” Cole asked.
“I’ve worked for Datapoint for a couple of weeks,” he said. “For a few weeks before that I worked for City Patrol here in the old town. I also spent a few weeks in the modern Zeropolis.”
Cole wondered how many of the problems the Unseen had faced lately were caused by Blake. If he could replicate crystals without them knowing it, he could have been the main problem.
“Nobody else can make matching crystals just by being near them?” Cole asked.
“I’m supposed to be the only one,” Blake said. “I got treated well, especially in the real Zeropolis. It’s been all downhill since then.”
The idea of Blake getting nice treatment from the High King for messing up the resistance didn’t sit well with Cole. Blake could be the reason so many bases had fallen. He could be a big part of why Dalton, Mira, Jace, Joe, and the Unseen were on the run.
“How much do you know about the rebellion?” Cole asked.
“I didn’t know squat until Datapoint nabbed me,” Blake said. “City Patrol told me I was helping them catch criminals.”
“What do you think of the rebellion now?” Cole asked, trying to stay calm.
“Why?” Blake asked. “Are you a part of it?”
“Yeah,” Cole said. “And the crystals you made for City Patrol have been tearing it apart.”
Blake paled. “I didn’t know.”
“Really, Blake?” Cole asked heatedly. “What did you think you were doing? Why would you work for the government here? Don’t you get they’re our captors? They made us into slaves. The High King is a bad guy, Blake. Why’d you help them?”
“Lay off. I was trying to survive. I was all alone. They were really rough with me if I resisted. I was their slave, remember?”
“So you wreck everything for the people who are trying to free you?”
“How was I supposed to know?” Blake cried, face reddening. “They brought me here from Junction, tested me, found out what I could do, and put me to work. They owned me! They made it sound like we were after robbers and kidnappers and terrorists. I was just matching crystals. I didn’t know the details. I didn’t track anyone down. What would you have done?”
“The same thing I already did,” Cole said. “Escaped. Fought back.”
“Good for you, Cole,” Blake said. “I don’t know what your Sky Pirates were like—”
“Sky Raiders,” Cole interjected.
“City Patrol had me under tight watch. I didn’t have a chance to escape. And how was I supposed to know I wasn’t really helping them catch criminals? They seemed like the police.”
“They’re the police for the people who made us into slaves,” Cole said. “That makes them the bad guys.”
“Well, good to see you, too.” Blake flopped down on his chair and buried his face in his hands.
Cole realized he had probably been overly harsh. He was exhausted, and his emotions were frayed. “Hey, Blake, I’m sorry. I’m just stressed. I almost got caught by the City Patrol. Dalton too. And some really important members of the rebellion.”
Blake lifted his head. “You’ve seen Dalton?”
“We came to Zeropolis together,” Cole said. “After I escaped Sambria, I found him in Elloweer. I’m not sure where he is now. We’re scattered.”
“Yeah, a lot of the Unseen bases went down lately.”
“We got caught in the middle of it.”
“How’d you find Datapoint?” Blake wondered.
“I’m with a really smart robot,” Cole said.
“They just call them bots here,” Blake corrected. “You haven’t been in Zeropolis long?”
“A couple of days,” Cole said. “Long enough to get into major trouble.”
“What’s the big secret?” Blake asked.
“The one the High King would kill for. Can you tell me?”
“I don’t know,” Cole said. “Knowing it would put you in a lot of danger. I’ve basically been running for my life since I found out.”
“Seriously?” Blake said.
“It’s why all the crazy stuff has happened lately.”
“You haven’t told Datapoint?” Blake asked.
“She knows about the secret,” Cole said. “Not the important part.”
“Does she know how big the secret is?”
“Yes. And how dangerous.”
Blake shook his head. “I’m not sure she’ll let you leave unless you tell her.”
“Maybe. She seemed okay not knowing for now.”
“She doesn’t like to be kept in the dark. She’s obsessed with being the first to know stuff. And if the secret really is a big deal, I’m not sure you can trust her. Her top priority is herself. She’s not part of your rebellion. She’s an outlaw. And she’s all about strategy. She wants something on everyone so they can’t mess with her. She doesn’t want to help City Patrol, but I bet she’d make a deal to save herself.”
Cole folded his arms. “It’s tricky because we might need her. We’re looking for somebody. It’s all part of the secret.”
“She’s good at finding people,” Blake said. “The best. Her memory is unbelievable and she has set up an amazing spy network.”
“And you’re helping her make it better,” Cole said.
“I have been,” Blake admitted. “It’s getting better fast. They take me out once or twice a day to find new harmonic signals. But not since everything went nuts.”
“Could you help us find this person?” Cole asked.
“Sure,” Blake said. “I’d love to help. I wouldn’t really know where to start. I’m great with the crystals, but I’ve never looked at the actual information very much.”
“The bot I’m with is really smart,” Cole said. “Is there a computer he could use? Could you make a crystal that would give him access to Datapoint’s info?”
Blake rubbed his lips uncomfortably. “If we got caught, we’d be finished.”
“We’d be careful,” Cole said. “There are always risks.”
Blake stood and started pacing. After a minute he came close to Cole and whispered. “Look, I want to help you. I’m sorry if I hurt the rebellion. What you really want is to get inside her situation room. She only goes in alone. Nobody knows what she has in there, but it’s where she hides out when she’s up against a serious challenge.”
“Can we get inside?” Cole asked.
“She keeps it locked,” Blake said. “I was with her right before she went there yesterday. I know the harmonics of the crystal she uses as her key.”
“She showed you her key?” Cole asked.
“No,” Blake said. “But she had it with her. It had different harmonics from the other crystals she normally carries.”
“And you remember it well enough to copy it?” Cole asked.
“Sure,” Blake said. “I don’t remember the harmonics of every crystal I’m near, but that one stood out. I knew how important it was. I don’t think people are used to what I can do. It was dumb of her to come near me with it. Is this smart, Cole? If we get caught, she’ll probably kill us. For real.”
“You don’t have to come,” Cole said.
“I might as well,” Blake said. “If you enter with a crystal key, she’ll figure out how you did it.”
“We can get you out of here,” Cole said. “You can leave with us.”
“And join the rebellion?” Blake asked. “I’d like to help the people trying to free us. But I don’t know if I’d survive having Datapoint after me. You either.”
“I’ve had a lot of enemies,” Cole said. “Our best bet is helping the resistance. If they can stop the High King, you won’t be a slave anymore. We can find the others and work on getting home.”
“We can’t get home,” Blake said. “Not to stay. Haven’t you heard?”
“Some of those rules might be flexible,” Cole said. “I have reason to hope we can reshape how it all works. We just need to find the right help.”
“Really?” Blake said. “That would be awesome. I gave up on getting home a long time ago. Does the resistance have a chance against the High King? He has the Outskirts under tight control.”
“The secret I know could give the rebellion a chance,” Cole said. “That’s why the High King wants me and everyone else who knows it dead.”
“Okay,” Blake said, opening a drawer. “I’ll make you a key.” He took out a crystal block and waved a hand over it. A little crystal cube emerged from the larger block. Blake handed it to Cole.
“This is it?” Cole asked.
“The situation room is on the bottom floor at the rear of the building. Two levels underground. The door is solid steel. That crystal will fit into the slot in the panel beside the door.”
“You just wave your hand and make a top secret key?” Cole said, marveling at Blake’s ability. “That’s crazy!” He couldn’t help feeling a twinge of envy and disappointment about still being separated from his own power.
Blake shrugged. “I don’t really have to wave my hand. It just looks more official.”
“Hilarious. Well, whatever you do, it’s super quick and impressive.”
“It’s easy for me. Don’t ask why. I can’t explain. It just is. Like whistling a familiar tune.”
“Cool,” Cole said. Blake was seldom shy about how amazing he was. But at least he had stepped up and helped. “Want to come with us?”
“Make sure you and your bot think the risk is worth it,” Blake said. “I’m not sure what’s in there, but it must involve lots of great info.”
“Okay.”
“There’s a staircase at the front western corner of the building. We should meet at the bottom in the dead of night. Let’s say six hours after sundown. If somebody spots us, we’ll pretend we’re meeting up late to talk or something. If we can get to the situation room undetected, we’ll give it a try.”
“All right, Blake. It’s a plan.”
He smiled. “I guess walking behind that wagon didn’t teach you to behave.”
Cole shook his head. “It kind of taught me the opposite.”
CHAPTER
20
SITUATION ROOM
Six hours after sundown Cole and Sidekick stood beside the door to their room. No sound reached them from the hall beyond.
“You’re sure we should do this?” Cole asked.
“It’s so tempting,” Sidekick said. “That room will be a treasure trove of data. And stealing data is what I do. If we can get in there, I can make it worth our while.”
“Datapoint won’t like it,” Cole said.
“Not a bit,” Sidekick agreed. “This could really burn bridges. But I work quickly. We might be able to pull it off undetected. Datapoint is at the top of the list of people who could have info that hints at where we might find Constance. It would be very advantageous to learn what she knows without telling her who we’re after.”
Cole nodded. He had felt more certain about the mission when they had discussed it earlier. Now that they were about to slip out of their room in the dark of night, he was having second thoughts. Datapoint had given them her protection. Was it fair to take advantage of her generosity? If they got caught, she would have every right to be furious.
On the other hand, Datapoint was basically holding Blake as her prisoner. She was no saint. And the information they were after wouldn’t hurt her at all. Since Datapoint disliked the Zeropolitan government and the High King, it would actually benefit her if they found Constance.
“Okay,” Cole said. “Let’s roll the dice.”
Cole opened the door. Dim blue lights along the edges of the floor provided enough of a glow to nav
igate the hall.
Following Sidekick in silence, Cole felt like any moment whistles would blow, sirens would wail, and guards would come running. Nobody had communicated rules against wandering the building at night, but he couldn’t help feeling it looked incredibly suspicious.
They reached the stairs without encountering anybody. Blake awaited them just beyond the final steps.
“I was starting to wonder if you were coming,” Blake whispered.
“Sorry,” Cole said quietly. “I hesitated at the end.”
“We don’t have to go through with it,” Blake said.
“No, we’re in,” Cole said.
Blake stared down at Sidekick. “This is the genius bot?”
Sidekick replied in his robotic monotone, “Fear not hu-man, I will clean the da-ta a-way from the sit-u-a-tion room.”
Blake gave Cole a concerned glance. “Really?”
“Sorry,” Sidekick said in his normal voice. “I know I look like a street sweeper. It’s by design. I’m made for spying. Looking like a cleaning bot helps me to hide in plain sight. It’s not so great for my self-esteem, though.”
“All right,” Blake said. “Let’s go. I hope you two know what you’re doing.”
“We hope you do too,” Sidekick said. “I’ve never heard of anyone who can replicate harmonic crystals by memory.”
“The key will work,” Blake said.
They started down the hall together. Cole strained his senses to detect other people, but all was still and quiet.
“Is there an excuse we could use for being down here?” Sidekick asked. “I haven’t been to this level before.”
“Not really,” Blake said. “It’s mostly data archives that we shouldn’t be messing with. Our best excuse is that we were restless and went for a walk.”
“You know,” Cole said cheerily, “a refreshing stroll through a dark basement full of data we might want to steal.”
“Let’s not get caught,” Sidekick said.
Blake led them around a couple of corners and then down a hall that ended at a formidable door of polished steel. A square socket gaped in a panel beside the doorway.
