“I’m Nev!”
“And I’m Dev!”
I look from one to the other and back again. “Let me guess, you’re twins?”
They exchange a glance and turn back to me with wide smiles. “Bingo!” they say at the same time then erupt in giggles.
“It’s obvious we’re twins,” one of them says, “but still, everyone has to put it out there.”
I’ve already given up telling them apart.
“Right this way, Jasper,” the other says, taking me by the arm and leading me through a side door into another room.
“Welcome to our pink palace!” they say together once the door closes behind us.
Palace is the right word. There is even more opulence in here than out there, if that’s possible. More pink. More gold. More crystal. Mirrors line all the walls and the ceiling, so there aren’t just two, but more like a thousand Devs and Nevs staring back at me. There’s a pink table with shelves of perfumes above. There’s a gold sink with gold hairbrushes and curling wands and several more styling devices I don’t have the names for. There are carts piled high with makeup and hair dye and feathers and other fancy stuff.
In the center of the room is a large, pink, cushioned chaise on gold wheels.
“Will you do us the honors, Jasper?” one of the twins says, gesturing at the chaise.
“Uh, sure . . .”
“It’s Dev.” The twin points to a small D monogrammed over the heart on his shirt. I hadn’t noticed it before.
“And I’m Nev,” the other twin says, pointing to a monogrammed N.
I climb up on the chaise and sink into the soft cushions. It’s so comfortable, I almost forget how pink everything is. Almost.
“What’s your scent preference?” Dev asks.
“Huh?”
“Scents, aroma, perfume,” Nev says. “Shall we try rose?”
I’d almost choked on Lucy’s rose perfume. “Definitely not.”
“Let’s go with lavender,” Dev says. “It’s classic and relaxing.”
Nev nods and retrieves a small glass bottle from the shelf. The next thing I know, lavender-infused mist is blowing through the room.
“So, Jasper,” Dev says. At least I think it’s Dev. I lost track of them and can’t see the monogram from the chaise. “We have to ask. What’s with the super-duper security?”
“It was awful,” Nev says. “They questioned us all day yesterday. We didn’t even get our aeronaut assignment until this morning. Can you imagine? They expected us to come up with a whole glam plan for you in just one morning!”
“There’s a mole,” I say. “And by the way, I’m not in need of a glam plan.”
“You so are,” Dev says.
“A mole?” Nev asks. “Do tell more.”
“I’m not really supposed to talk about it,” I say, remembering today’s security training. “They’ve had problems with information leaks, and they’re pretty sure there’s someone on the inside. Until they find the mole, everyone’s a suspect. Well, everyone but me and the lost aeronauts. We definitely weren’t leaking information from the rift.”
“The where?” they say at the same time.
“Oh . . . uh . . . nowhere . . . just . . . it would have been impossible to leak information while we were locked up by the Youli.” The words sound flat as they fall from my mouth. I’m an awful liar. Why can’t we just tell the truth? It would be easy to describe the rift to Nev and Dev. It’s basically the polar opposite of their grand pink palace.
As Nev and Dev gossip about the lost aeronauts and press me for details—most of them silly things I know nothing about, like Denver’s favorite hair product or Bai’s exercise routine—they drape a white sheet over me and smooth back my hair with a gigantic band. Next thing I know, a bright light is aimed at my face and Nev is coming at my eye with tweezers.
A memory of the Alks and their giant neck syringe flashes in my mind. I jerk up on the chaise. “What are you doing?”
“Don’t be alarmed,” Nev says, guiding me back down onto the cushion. “Just a little pick and pluck. You have a few unsightly eruptions on the surface that Dev will attack next.”
“Unsightly eruptions? You mean pimples? I’m thirteen. What do you expect?”
“Just try to relax, Jasper.” Dev holds up two purple disks and gives them a squeeze. “These should help.” He leans over me and places a disk on top of each of my eyes. They’re cool and smell like Mom’s chamomile tea. Within seconds I’m feeling sleepy. And then I’m slipping.
• • •
Lucy’s voice jars me awake. “Don’t you look like a prince!”
“That’s just what Dev and I were saying!”
“Oh, Jasper Adams, you are a pretty sight,” Lucy coos.
I open my eyes. Lucy is standing before me in an Earth Force uniform, but it’s not the one the rest of us wear. It’s a fitted skirt and jacket. And she’s wearing even higher heels than she had at the space station. Her shiny hair is twisted up on top of her head, and her face is covered in makeup.
“I knew Dev and Nev would take special care of you,” she says, “and I wasn’t wrong. You look marvelous. Just wait until your fans see you!”
“How did you get changed so fast?” I ask. Just a few minutes ago she was introducing the stylists in the dome room.
Lucy laughs. “Oh, honey, it’s been hours.”
Wait a second . . . I was just on the pink chaise draped in white with Nev poking at my face and Dev placing purple disks on my eyes. Now I’m seated, no drape, and no disks. “How did I get here?”
“You took a snooze while we did our magic,” Dev says.
“You drugged me?”
“We like to call it a spa nap,” Nev says. “Most of our clients love it! So rejuvenating!”
I do feel refreshed. . . .
“Never mind that,” Dev says, spinning my chair to face a giant mirror. “Voilà!”
It’s me, obviously. But it’s like me plus.
My skin has this healthy golden glow. My hair is shorter and styled in that intentionally messy look that most of the guys on the webs wear. My eyes seem to sparkle.
“Am I wearing makeup?”
“Just a bit of bronzer.”
“And some clear mascara.”
“Really just a touch to bring out your natural beauty.”
Oh, geez. I don’t know what’s worse—the fact that I’m wearing makeup or the reality that I actually look pretty good with it.
“Just in time,” Lucy says. “The hovers will be arriving any minute to drive us to the rally. The crowds have been gathering since last night. There are thousands there already, all waiting for a glimpse of our heroes.” She squeezes my shoulder. “What do you think of that, Mr. Hero?”
I’m not used to being called a hero. Especially since I don’t feel like much of one. “They’ve been there since last night? Do you mean they camped out?”
“Of course! What did you expect? The return of the lost aeronauts is probably the biggest story of their lifetimes.”
“If only they knew the whole story,” I say without really thinking.
As soon as the words slip from my mouth, Lucy’s eyes bug out and she glances sideways at Nev and Dev. “Now, now don’t be so dramatic, Jasper. Time to go!” She grabs me by the hand and drags me out of the chair. She blows good-bye kisses at Nev and Dev as she steers me out of the room. I mumble some thanks and jog alongside Lucy. She’s a really fast walker.
“Me? Dramatic?” I say as soon as it’s just us. “That’s a bit of a role reversal, huh?”
Lucy stops cold. I almost trip and send us both tumbling.
“You need to think before you speak, Jasper. After all I’ve done for you, the least you could do is keep your mouth shut.”
“What do you mean ‘all you’ve done for me’?”
Lucy startles. “Is that a joke? I’ve made you into a huge superstar, Jasper, possibly more of a star than me. All you have to do is smile and say your lines. Sim
ple. But for some reason nothing seems to be simple with you these days.”
She spins on her heels and continues down the hall. I have to race to catch up.
Now I’m mad. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Isn’t this what you wanted? To be popular? Now when you finally get what you want you keep running your mouth with all this anti–Earth Force blah, blah, blah. Do you know what happens to people who do that? No, you don’t know, because you never hear from them again.”
“That’s what you think of me? That I just want to be popular?”
“Don’t you? When Regis targeted you during our first tour of duty, and everyone started talking about you and Mira, you kept saying how you thought it would be different. How you got to the Academy and things were just as bad for you as they’d been on Earth. Don’t you remember? The day you showed up Regis in the blast pack relay race was the best day of your life.”
“No, it wasn’t.”
“It was then, don’t deny it. And ever since, you’ve loved being the hero—defeating the Youli on the Paleo Planet, planting the degradation patch on the Youli vessel, taking down the shield in Alkalinia. Now you’re a hero on an even grander scale. Admit it. You love it. So enjoy your popularity. And stop trying to screw it up!”
Lucy takes off down the hall, leaving me alone. She must assume I’ll follow her, which I suppose I will eventually, but I can’t manage to move my feet. I’m rooted to the spot as Lucy’s words replay in mind. Is that what I wanted? To be popular? It seems so silly and shallow. But could she be right?
A memory flashes. I’m on the air rail the day before I leave for the EarthBound Academy. I’ve just met a Tunneler for the first time. I’m staring out the window and daydreaming about my trip to space, about finally finding a place where I fit.
Then I miss my stop, and my stuff spills out of my backpack right in front of Will Stevens and Dilly Epstein. Will laughs and calls me a B-wad.
At that moment, my greatest wish was to show them who I really was. A Bounder, soon to blast off and train to be an aeronaut, just like the ones on the posters, the most popular people in the galaxy.
Now I’m the poster boy.
As they say, be careful what you wish for.
13
“JASPER! THERE YOU ARE!” JAYNE runs down the hall. “They’re loading the hovers. Everyone’s there but you. We don’t want to be late for the rally. Come on!”
She grabs my hand and drags me through the hall even faster than Lucy. She leads us down two sets of stairs to a parking garage where the hovers wait. An Earth Force officer opens the rear door of the last hover, and Jayne and I slide in. Seconds later, we’re rolling.
Out the front window, I can make out our procession as we drive up the ramp. At the front is an armored hover with the Earth Force insignia and flashing lights.
The doors to the hover garage open, and the noise swells. At first, I can’t tell what it is, but then I realize it’s screaming. Officers on foot hold back the crowd so our caravan can cut a path. There are so many people, I can’t see where the crowd ends.
“There are thousands of people out there,” I say to Jayne.
“Just wait until we get to the rally.”
I press the window button, and the glass slides down. The screams intensify, and the crowd pushes against the barricade.
“We love you, Jasper!” someone shouts.
I lock eyes with a girl holding a gigantic poster. It’s the new one with my face on it, but instead of the Earth Force text, the words JASPER, WILL YOU MARRY ME? are printed over my face. When she realizes I’m looking at her, she grabs her friend and starts crying.
“Can you put up your window?” Jayne asks. “We have a whole evening of this ahead of us, and I’d like a moment to catch my breath before the insanity begins again.”
I roll up the glass and turn around in my seat. The noise from the crowd is still intense. I can’t believe there are so many people here for us: the lost aeronauts and me. Like Lucy said, I’m beyond popular. I’m a hero.
“You okay?” Jayne asks.
“Yeah, it’s just kind of bizarre.”
Jayne shrugs. “It’s in line with what we expected.”
“Why do they even care about me?”
“We told them to, that’s why. That’s how propaganda works. We control the message. We hyped you and now they love you, just like Sheek, just like Lucy.”
“That’s it?”
“Well, it helps that you’re cute.”
I look at Jayne, but she’s tapping on her tablet.
My face warms. Jayne thinks I’m cute? Does she think I’m cute in a propaganda way or in a cute-cute way?
Definitely a propaganda way. It’s her job.
Still, she thinks I’m cute in one way or another. A smile pushes at the corner of my lips.
“Why did they make Lucy the new face of Earth Force?” I ask.
Jayne glances up from her tablet. “Isn’t it obvious? It’s the same reason they’re hyping you now. The Force is doing everything it can to change public opinion about the Bounder Baby Breeding Program. That’s been one of the most damaging leaks. Having Lucy in front of the cameras helps. It puts a friendly, pro-Force face on the Bounders.”
That makes sense, I guess. I wonder who leaked the real reason Earth Force bred the Bounders after they’d managed to keep it a secret all these years. Whoever the mole is, they must be working for the Resistance.
Once we clear the crowd, the hovers make good time. Before long, our caravan slows. We’re approaching the rally site, a huge open square in the center of the city, once called Tiananmen Square. The square is packed, but what really strikes me is the military presence. Earth Force officers are everywhere. Armored hovers form a solid barricade corralling the thousands of spectators. Guards stand atop the hovers, weapons drawn, scanning the crowds.
An elevated stage is set up at the gates to the ancient Forbidden City. Scaffolding surrounds the stage, and at least a hundred Earth Force officers are stationed on top.
Our hovers glide into a side building. Officers scan the vehicles top to bottom and flash mirrors beneath. They must be inspecting for bombs, or maybe even stowaways. Next, our hover passes through a sensor arch to confirm no listening devices or other electronic trackers were placed on the hovers.
I suppose the extra security should make me feel safe, but all it does is make me more nervous.
Finally we’re given the signal to unload.
“You ready?” Jayne asks.
“Let me put on my hero face.” I give her my best Maximilian Sheek impression.
She bursts out laughing. “Try for a more natural look, golden boy.”
“Golden boy?”
“I don’t know what those silly stylists did to you, but your skin is practically glowing.”
The car door opens, and a guard leans down. “Each of you has a personal escort. Stay with them at all times and walk quickly. At my signal, exit the vehicle and proceed with your escort directly to the staging area.”
Jayne smiles back at me before climbing out of the hover. I take a deep breath and follow her out. When we reach the door to the staging area, the guard hands me off to another Earth Force officer. She smiles and ushers me along. I follow Jayne and the lost aeronauts to a room directly beneath the stage. It’s set up as a lounge with plush green couches and peacock-blue recliners. A bar and buffet line the back wall.
I’m about to head for the buffet when the officer grabs my arm.
“Hey, Jasper,” she whispers. “My daughter is a huge fan. Would you mind a quick autograph?” She pulls a wristlet from her pocket.
“Um, sure.” I grab the wristlet and press my thumb onto the screen. A second later, the screen reads: “Identified: Jasper Adams.”
The woman beams. “Thank you so much. This will make her day!”
I nod and head to the buffet where Denver is piling buffalo chicken wings onto his plate. “Hey, kid,” he says as I step besid
e him. “I can’t get enough of these. Sure, I only felt like I was in the rift for two days, but I’m pretty sure my stomach knows I was gone for fifteen years.”
I grab some food and sit down in one of the recliners. While running my lines for the rally in my head, I devour a quesadilla and half a dozen sugar cookies with colored sprinkles, most of the time with an EFAN camera poked at my face.
Time passes, and I start to get nervous. What’s the hold up? If I have to wait any longer, I’m going to forget everything I’m supposed to say. Then I’ll look like a moron in front of all those people, not to mention the millions watching on the webs.
Maybe the delay is because of the terrorist threat. Could the Resistance be planning something for today’s rally?
Just then, Jayne claps her hands. When she has everyone’s attention, she says, “Okay, the security sweep has concluded and we’re good to go. Captains Dugan and Sheek will kick off the event and introduce you like we’ve rehearsed. Then Captain Reddy and Officer Adams will join them at the front of the stage. Make sure to enter in the correct order so that you’ll be lined up with your onstage seat. Denver, Jasper? Are both of you ready?”
Denver gives Jayne a thumbs-up. “I was born ready.”
I nod, although I don’t feel a bit ready. In fact, I’m worried the food I just ate will make a repeat appearance onstage.
“Okay then, let’s go,” Jayne says.
She waves the aeronauts out of the staging room. “You okay?” she asks, linking her arm with mine and guiding me from the room.
“Maybe? Where’s Lucy?”
“She’s already in the wings. She always worries that Max will try to upstage her, so she’s making sure he doesn’t ruin her entrance.” We turn a corner and head up the stairs.
“That sounds like Lucy. And like Sheek.”
She smiles. “You’ll be great.”
Up ahead, I can see the stage. The other aeronauts are taking their positions in the wings.
“I don’t know.”
“I do. And they do.” Jayne coaxes me ahead and nods at the stage and the crowd beyond.
I can only see a tiny portion of the crowd from where I’m standing, but it’s packed. Everyone is on their feet, clapping and whistling and shouting for us to come onstage. The air smells of sweat and excitement.
The Heroes Return Page 11
