by Lyn Forester
Like escaping Myrrine’s hairbrained plan to mate with me as some weird immersion therapy.
Connor checks his palm-port. “Still no response from Nikola.”
“Maybe he’s sleeping?” I reach for the palm scanner. “If he is, we can go somewhere else.”
“There’s always Declan’s room!” Felix yells from near the bathroom.
I eye him. It’s not exactly hiding if he’s yelling like that. “He has no sense of self-preservation.”
“None at all,” Connor agrees. Reaching out, he grabs my hand and presses a quick kiss to my knuckles that sends my heart fluttering. “I’ll be right here. Be quick.”
Felix’s head pokes back around the curve in the hall. “Stop flirting and get a move on!”
We both sigh before I turn to open the door, square my shoulders, and stride inside.
A moment later, I relax when I find the room empty.
Myrrine’s side lays in chaos, her blankets strewn across the floor and one of her pillows halfway under my bed across the room. Looks like she and Bastian really got into it, but settled down enough to venture out in public. In a school our size, I’m surprised we didn’t run into them, but it’s possible they went out to catch the tail end of lunch.
When we left the library, we ran across a few of our fellow first-years at the study tables, and upper-class students lounged in the grassy circle in the courtyard, taking advantage of their day off to laze under the dual suns. More people crowded around the steps of the Entertainment Hall, a clear sign of where most of the student body congregated, but I don’t see Myrrine going there.
She keeps her distance from the upperclassmen, who include a handful of halion males. It makes me wonder if they were vetted for compatibility before she was allowed to come here, or if she avoids them to cut down the chances of discovering a male here who her family would not approve as a marriage option.
Striding quickly to my desk, I grab the strap of my satchel and something clunks inside. When I flip back the top, I find the jar of salve wedged in under my folding-port and dig it free, thankful it didn’t break in my carelessness. All I need is stinky magic healing goo gumming up the crystals in my device. The internal workings are already temperamental enough without adding foreign debris. Eventually, I’ll have to replace the device. Crystal technology faded out quickly for a reason.
I set the jar on Myrrine’s desk, then think better of it and open the drawer where she hides her contraband, tucking it in next to the robot butler. As I shut the drawer, a quiet ding comes from my folding-port, and my pulse leaps.
Rim Jumper responded.
I grab my bag and run to the door, half afraid my roommates will return before I escape and waylay me.
Out in the hall, I grab Connor’s hand and tug him down the hall, excitement making my body tingle with the need for speed. Connor’s fingers thread through mine as he jogs along without question, and the motion reminds me of how they felt on my body. I want to explore that more, follow those sensations to the next step.
But Declan comes first.
At Nikola’s door, we find Felix outside, a frown on his lips. “He’s not opening up.”
“Then, he’s probably asleep or out.” After only a heartbeat of hesitation, I reach for his lock pad, pressing my palm to the cool surface.
What use is being coded to each other if I can’t use it to invade his privacy?
The door swishes open, the lights inside dimmed to the blue of night. Am I the only one who hasn’t hacked their faux-window to fit their preference?
Felix skips in ahead of me, yelling, “Rise and shine!”
Connor and I follow close on his heels, but not close enough to stop him from pouncing on the dark lump in Nikola’s bed. My childhood friend wakes up swinging, and Felix falls back on his ass with a laugh, barely dodging the blow.
Nikola half follows him in a fluid ripple of muscle before he fully wakes up and scowls. “How’d you get back in here?”
“Sorry.” I wave my right hand. “My fault. But you weren’t answering.”
Annoyance skates across his face before it smooths away. “What can I do for you, Caitlyn?”
With his attention shifted to me, Felix reaches out and pinches his cheek. “Don’t play that game. Just say we’re bothering you.”
Nikola shoves him away. “You’re bothering me.”
I stride to Nikola’s desk, unable to bring myself to cross the invisible line to Garrett’s side of the room. After witnessing his cruelty, I want no part of him, even the air he left behind. His mattress lays bare once more, stripped of the sheets and blanket Nikola shared with Connor only hours before.
Does it comfort Nikola? The visual reminder Garrett isn’t here?
I settle my satchel on the desktop and pull out my folding-port. “We got a response.”
“Fantastic.” Nikola flops back on the bed, yanking his cover over his head. “Couldn’t this have waited until later?”
I lift the screen, unlocking the device. “If Declan’s in danger, we need to move now.”
“We won’t get near the hatch until Star-Light at the earliest.” Nikola throws an arm over his eyes as Connor adjusts the lighting.
“But we need to prepare.” I tap on the icon that blinks in the corner of my screen, and the racer forum jumps to life.
Felix scrambles off the bed to lean over the back of my chair, his torso nearly draped over me as he scans the page. After a moment, he whoops and flops back to the bed, much to Nikola’s displeasure.
I scan the screen to see what excited him so much.
Race is tonight. You’ll need to follow the rainbow. Don’t forget your goggles.
I twist to stare up at Connor. “What does that mean?”
He shakes his head. “I don’t know. But it’s really short notice.”
“That means he’s desperate, right?” I bite my lip, re-reading the message.
“Maybe Saturdays are the only time he can get away.” Felix nudges Nikola with his foot. “Hey, brain-bot, why would Saturday be the only day Declan can get away?”
“Sunday is family day,” Nikola mumbles into the crook of his elbow.
I reread the line Don’t forget your goggles. “He wants to meet at Lights-Out, that much is obvious. Did either of you sneak back your night-eyes?”
Felix shakes his head, and when I glance up at Connor, he also gives me a negative.
At last, Nikola sits back up in bed, scrubbing a hand over his face. “Sounds like we need a heist, and there’s no time to plan it.”
Felix perks up. “What kind of heist?”
“The administration building stores respirators, night goggles, protein bars, things students might need in an emergency escape.” Nikola shoves his comforter back. “Most of the school staff goes home on the weekend, but that just means they’ll have the security system on alert for intruders.”
My stomach tightens. We can’t be stopped now. Not when we’re so close. “So, how do we get in?”
The answer comes from an unexpected quarter as Connor grins. “We trick the system.”
The Heist
At Star-Light, we reconvene on the pathway that leads to the school’s administration building.
The manicured grass makes me nervous. The large open area leaves a lot of space for us to be caught, and our white shirts don’t exactly blend in. For once, our school uniforms become a hindrance, and I promise myself that at my next opportunity, I’ll bring back a set of darker clothes.
When I first prepared to come to APA, I scoffed at the suggestion of a wardrobe I couldn’t wear since the school provides everything. Now, I suddenly see the appeal as the moon peeks out from between a swath of clouds to turn Felix’s button-up into a beacon for all to see.
My sweater reflects the light less, but only by a small margin.
Nikola, at least, brought a suit jacket with him that masks most of his brilliance.
I glance down at Connor, who sits on the ground, my folding-
port balanced on his bent knees. “Are you sure this is going to work?”
He nods with confidence. “It did at Lonette Manor. The school can’t have better security than the first family.”
I shake my head, still not understanding. “You emulated a sky skipper infestation there. They don’t have that problem in the dome.”
“No, because they have bigger predators to fear.” His fingers fly over the keyboard. “As soon as the system detects a storm bringer, we’ll go into dark mode. They can’t risk the sky giants latching onto the dome, so all power will be cut off.” He peers up at us, his glasses flashing. “Security personnel is minimal, but it won’t take them long to verify the false alarm and turn the system back on. The clouds will only work in our favor for so long.”
My eyes shift to the glass dome overhead. Through it, clouds block out much of the starlight, the moon playing peekaboo in their swirling mass. “We won’t be able to see well once the lights go.”
“I still think Caitlyn should stay here.” Nikola eyes the porch that curves around the admin building. “It’s an unnecessary risk to take so many people inside. I can do this alone.”
Felix gives his tight-fitting clothes a derisive sweep. “And you’re going to hide four pairs of night goggles and ventilators where, exactly?”
We decided earlier we should get a set for each of us, even if we aren’t all going tonight. Better overprepared than lacking if the need arises.
“I can use Caitlyn’s satchel.” He motions to the empty bag on the ground next to Connor.
Felix snorts. “Because that won’t be at all obvious.”
“We go together,” I say to stop any further arguing. “Nikola knows where the supplies are, so he takes lead. We keep eyes and ears open. Any sign of trouble, and we bail.”
“Aye, aye, Captain Lonette!” Felix snaps a salute.
I ignore his snark and turn back to Connor. “Are you in the system?”
“Just about.” The corners of his lips tighten with concentration. “It’s a good thing the security isn’t set to recognize crystal-based devices. I can’t believe you’re still running this relic.”
I nudge his knee with the toe of my shoe. “This relic is coming in handier than anything else we have access to.”
“Freaking digital babysitters.” Felix paces a few steps away, bounces on his toes, and comes back. “Hurry up, bro. Star-Light doesn’t last that long.”
“It lasts four hours,” Nikola points out drily. “We have plenty of time before Lights-Out.”
“I hate this freaking dome.” Felix’s head tilts back. “I can’t tell the time with this kind of sky.”
“You mean a real sky as opposed to a projection?” Nikola’s hands smooth over his jacket as if to double-check everything’s in order. “Check your palm-port if you’re that lost.”
I actually like the real sky. Time feels different at the school, the pattern less rigid. It’s not a scheduled click of the clock that switches day to dusk, then night. It happens gradually, the sky a slow shift from orange and yellow, to purple and blue. Most people who live on the levels below us will never know what a real sky looks like, never know the wonder they miss.
On Level 6 and down, they don’t even have the option of the Rim to gaze out over the toxic jungle that surrounds our city. The high wall that protects us from the noxious fumes also blocks out real light. The environments are run on simulation, overseen by the Weather Wardens and timekeepers. Nothing real; nothing tangible.
“Caitlyn?” Connor’s quiet voice breaks me out of my thoughts.
My focus drops to him. “It’s sad that people can live and die in Leton without ever seeing the real world.”
“Yes.” The simple agreement opens an ache in me. He understands, both the sorrow and the necessity of it. “Are you ready?”
With a brief nod, I turn toward the administration building. Energy hums through my body, the tingly rush usually brought on by the countdown at the start of a race.
A quiet click sounds from Connor.
Around us, the lights flicker and die.
Alarmed shouts come from the students in the inner courtyard, but I block my ears to their distress as I spring forward into the dark. The distance to the building can be covered in under two minutes walking. The path is straight, the ground level. As long as hard stone stays beneath my soft-soled shoes, I’ll make it across just fine.
Vibrations shoot up my shins every time my heel hits the hard ground, and my heart pounds, the wind catching my curls and sailing them out behind me. It feels like racing in the dark, flying blind with only memory and luck staving off a crash.
My eyes adjust to the limited light as I near the stone steps of the administration building. They lead up to a wide porch that wraps around the back half of the building.
The first time I walked these steps, I feared falling, of revealing myself weak in front of the others. I thought only of myself, and the number of days I needed to endure until I could leave.
So much has changed since then, life so different from what I assumed it would be. It’s better now, richer for having others to count on, to trust in.
Declan saved me from falling that first day. Now, I will save him.
I take the steps two at a time, confident in my footing, and reach the gated doors ahead of Felix and Nikola. My fingers slide over the cold, graceful swirls of metal, the filigree a vain attempt to disguise the prison doors.
As we hoped, the lock deactivated as soon as the school went on emergency shutdown, and it opens easily under my hand. Nikola goes in first, then me, followed by Felix who shuts the door silently behind us.
As soon as we tiptoe away from the doors, the darkness turns impenetrable. Unlike outside, no ambient light helps show the way.
Nikola rustles inside his jacket and clicks on a small, red light. It offers just enough light to see by without ruining our night vision, and I silently praise him for the foresight.
He leads us down the hall, past the framed holo-images that display highlights of our founding fathers’ prestigious lives. The frames lay dark now, blank and watching.
Past those, we creep by the closed doors with gold plaques that list the names of our teachers and finally stop in what I think of as the relic hall, a place filled with objects humans brought with them from Earth. Intermixed with those are trophies, proof of the excellence of APA’s graduates.
Nikola stops between two shelves and presses on the wall panel. It pops inward, and he manually slides it open.
Inside, a dark cavern waits, and he steps through the opening without hesitation.
Felix and I glance at each other, but the deep shadows make it impossible to see his expression.
Nikola flickers his light in a not too subtle indication for us to get moving, and Felix motions for me to take the lead.
Chivalry to guard my back, or self-preservation demanding I face the danger first?
Either way, I step through and reach out a hand to the side. My knuckles immediately knock against a wall, and when I feel out with my other hand, I find the other side just as close. The passage barely offers enough room to walk without forcing us to turn to the side.
Felix curses quietly, his breathing growing rapid, and I reach back for his hand, worried about what memories the tight space brings forth. I’ve never been to Ground Zero, where they found Felix after his kidnapping, but I’ve seen pictures, heard stories. The place sounds claustrophobic, and Lights-Out lasts longer down there, the Peace Keepers attempt to encourage citizens to stay inside at night and out of the streets.
Felix’s sweaty hand clutches mine, and he gives my fingers a tight squeeze before he urges me on. I have to trust that he knows his limits.
Nikola’s light drifts farther ahead of us, and I pull Felix along, eyes fixed on the red circle. It feels like we’re walking back the way we came, only within the interior of the wall.
Why would they make it so difficult to reach the emergency supplies? This s
tuff should be within easy access so they can reach the students as quickly as possible.
Felix presses closer to my back, a fine tremor running through him, and whispers, “When we’re done with this, I’m going to sleep on the lawn.”
I squeeze his fingers. “I’ll sleep out there with you.”
His breath catches. “Even after what happened?”
When I turn my head, our cheeks brush together. “I told you, I’m not afraid of you.”
Nikola’s voice drifts back to us. “Hurry up, or you’re going to lose the light.”
We quicken our pace, and Nikola leads us around a short bend in the wall that stops abruptly at a door. He opens it to reveal a room beyond, and when he lifts the light, it reveals rows of shelving with plastic bins.
It looks larger than the pantry in the kitchen when Declan and I had to hide. The limited light and tight space messed up my sense of direction, and I have no idea where we are in the building that would have a space large enough for this room.
Unless one of the doors labeled for teachers isn’t really an office at all?
I try to mentally map the layout of the building to figure out if we walked far enough to be in the middle of the teachers’ offices or past them now, but can’t get the dimensions to fit.
Felix releases my hand and walks over to one shelf to pull open a bin. A crinkle of foil follows, and he shuts the bin with a sigh of disgust. “Protein bars.” He goes to the next shelf over, checks another bin’s contents, and mutters, “Protein shakes.”
Nikola moves to the opposite side of the room, taking his light with him, and I head for the row of shelves directly opposite the door.
Almost immediately, Nikola announces, “I found the ventilation masks.”
“Feels like more food rations over here.” Felix closes up another bin. “At least we know we’ll have minimal sustenance in case of emergency.”
I open the bin on my shelf, larger than some of the others, and feel inside. “Blankets.” I close it up, feel along the shelf to the next section, then open a new bin. Reaching inside, I feel the hard curve of a lens. I follow it to a nose connector, then a second lens. “I think I found the night goggles!”
