The Heroes Return

by Monica Tesler

  Plus, I still feel torn in two. I was destined to be in Earth Force since before I was born. Could I really oppose them? Fight for the other side? And what about the Youli? The images Cole showed me were powerful. The Youli has brought tremendous pain and suffering to our people. They aren’t innocent. They may want peace, but they’re not peaceful.

  “Look, Jasper—”

  “Don’t even start. I don’t want to hear any more of your lies. There’s only one thing I want to know. Why were you meeting with Regis?”

  “I can’t tell you that,” Jayne says quietly.

  I push up from the couch, rage burning just beneath the surface of my skin. I’m sick of feeling like a pawn, to Earth Force, to Waters, and now even to Jayne. “Yes, you can tell me, and you will. If you don’t, I’m turning you in.”

  Jayne stands and matches my gaze. Silence stretches between us. I don’t break eye contact. She needs to know I won’t yield on this.

  Finally, her shoulders sink and she plops back down on the couch. “There’s going to be an incident in Americana East,” she whispers. “We’re planting bombs—”

  Bombs? “You can’t! My parents are in Americana East! They’ll be at the rally!”

  “No one will get hurt. They’re smoke bombs. Once they’re detonated, the Resistance plans to grab one of the aeronauts.”

  It takes me a minute to process what she’s saying. In my mind, I see my parents running scared in a cloud of smoke. “You mean you’re going to take a hostage?”

  “We don’t look at it that way.” From the way she says we, I can tell she believes in the Resistance, that she’s dedicated to the cause. “We’ll smuggle the aeronaut off the planet and over to Gulaga to connect with the Resistance.”

  “And you think this aeronaut is just going to go with you? Do your bidding?”

  “We believe they will once they find out the whole truth about what Earth Force has been up to all these years.”

  “And you really think you can get them off the planet? How?”

  “I don’t know all the details, but I have confidence in the plan.”

  I laugh. “That makes one of us.”

  “Trust me.”

  I practically choke on another laugh. “Trust you? Really? You’ve been lying to me since the day we met.”

  “Sometimes deception is necessary, Jasper. Maybe I haven’t been totally honest with you, but I haven’t outright lied.”

  “Yes, you did! You lied today when you went to meet Regis!”

  “Okay, fine, but only because it was absolutely necessary.”

  I used to think that secrets were justified sometimes. Mira and I kept our brain patches secret from the rest of our pod for most of our time on Gulaga. We did it at Waters’s request, just like Jayne. “You sound like him,” I tell her.

  “Who?”

  “Waters.”

  “He cares about you, Jasper.”

  “Right.”

  “Join us.”

  Jayne looks up at me. Despite the lies, I still feel the connection between us. I don’t want to feel it, but it’s there. Maybe she’s being honest about us being friends. Maybe. All I know is I don’t want to hurt her. If Earth Force finds out she’s the mole, she’ll be locked up and probably tortured.

  “I need time to think,” I tell Jayne.

  “We don’t have much time.” She lets that sink in, then adds, “Joining us will help keep Addy safe, Jasper.”

  Now she’s using my sister to justify her actions, to make me do what she wants? My eyes narrow, and I turn my head to the side. “What is this? A bribe? Blackmail?”

  Jayne presses her lips together. “It’s a fact, Jasper, plain and simple. Addy needs you. The Resistance needs you.”

  “Why do I need to choose sides? If the Resistance supports Earth’s entry into the Intragalactic Council, they should try to persuade the admiral. If they were willing to compromise, I’m sure—”

  “No.” Jayne’s eyes are cold, and her hands are clenched. “The Resistance won’t compromise. We’re done cowering before the Force.”

  I shake my head. Why doesn’t anyone want to find a solution? Why is everyone so convinced that their way is the only way? “What do you want with me, then? You told me your plan, and it doesn’t involve me.”

  “Go to Addy, Jasper. Join the Resistance in Gulaga.”

  “Oh sure, no problem. I’ll just bound right over.”

  “You met with Gedney in Eurasia East, didn’t you?”

  How does she know that? “Wait . . . is Gedney in the Resistance, too?”

  She doesn’t answer my question. “If you met with Gedney, then you know what to do.”

  Huh? Oh . . . wait . . . when Gedney visited me in Eurasia, he asked if I remembered where his labs were located. Jayne must be saying I should go there first.

  She takes a step back and crosses her arms against her chest. “And Jasper, I’m sure Admiral Eames would be very interested to learn that Mira chose the Youli over you, like you said. That doesn’t sound like a hostage situation now, does it? Of course, if what I’ve heard about your relationship is true, I’m sure you’d go to great lengths to protect Mira, even if she’s not your girlfriend.”

  Now, that is blackmail.

  • • •

  In my small room on one of the highest floors of the Quantum Tower, I lie on my bed and slip the thin, gauzy material over my fingers. It’s so tempting to tap in and feel the connection with the world around me. How fitting it would be to quantum bound in the very tower named for the technology. Of course, it’s named after the quantum bounding ships that Earth developed through the normal course of technological advancement, not the bounding gloves that were developed based on stolen Youli technology.

  Despite the temptation, I know I can’t bound. Gedney said that Earth Force had quantum detection scanners in all the cities. If I even tapped in to the brain connection and started manipulating matter, a team of guards would rush in here and confiscate my gloves within minutes. I’m sure they’d arrest me. I doubt it would go much further than that, though. Admiral Eames would probably have a tough talk with me and send me back out on tour. They wouldn’t dare disrupt the Lost Heroes Homecoming Tour, not with all the effort they’ve put into making me their star.

  Instead, I close my eyes and feel the gauze against my skin. I told Jayne I needed time to think. The truth is, I’m confused, and not just about whether to join the Resistance. I’d do anything to have Mira here with me, to have her help me sort through all the chaos in my mind.

  The familiar pain of Mira’s absence stirs in my gut like a twisting knife. This time, though, instead of running from the pain, I face it.

  I keep reliving our rescue from the rift as Mira leaving me, of Mira choosing the Youli over me, but is that just the story I keep telling myself? I’ve learned enough about stories from Earth Force to know that they’re not always the truth.

  I replay my moments with Mira in the rift—our relief that we’d survived the Battle of the Alkalinia Seat, the realization that we were trapped, the discovery of the lost aeronauts, the arrival of the Youli.

  The more I think about it, the more I realize I have more questions than answers about why Mira left. Yes, she said it was her choice, that she wanted to go. But she also said she had to leave with the Youli, that it was the only way, whatever that means.

  It’s not like she rolled her eyes and said something like I’m so sick of you, Jasper, that I decided to give up my friends, my planet, my entire life to go live with our mortal enemy.

  What she did say is this: You’re the glue, Jasper. It has to be you. It’s always been you.

  And while that’s still pretty cryptic, it doesn’t exactly sound like something someone would say as an explanation for why they just didn’t want to hang out anymore.

  That’s simply not the truth.

  This is the truth: ever since I escaped the rift, I’ve been having a giant pity party for myself. And while some of that is pro
bably warranted—after all, Mira is missing, my sister is AWOL, all my friends moved on, and I lost a whole year—it’s certainly not helping me move forward with my life.

  So, time’s up. No more pity party. I have to stop framing everything with me in the center. The world doesn’t revolve around me, even if Earth Force would like the public to think so.

  I’m not sure why Mira left, but what if . . . maybe . . . it wasn’t because of me? What if it was because she believed in the Youli’s message of peace and, for reasons I don’t yet understand, her leaving was part of that?

  Jayne’s a Resistance fighter. Her actions aren’t motivated by me. They’re motivated by her cause. I don’t have to look past the risks she’s taking within Earth Force to see that.

  Marco and Addy didn’t abandon me. They thought I was dead. They joined the Resistance to fight for what they believe in, just like Jayne.

  Cole and Lucy didn’t leave me behind. They just got on with their lives.

  And me? Is that my problem—that I can’t get on with my life? Is part of me stuck in the limbo of the rift, wondering why all my friends have moved on?

  Who would believe that? I’ve only been out of the rift a few weeks, and I’m already one of the biggest celebrities on the planet.

  I rub my gloved hands together, feeling the friction of the material start to build, resisting the temptation to tap in. It’s time I stop focusing on others’ actions and motivations and turn the spotlight on my own. What do I want? What do I believe?

  I’m still not sure who has it right. Earth Force wants to protect our planet, but their actions hurt others, and they keep the truth from the public. The Resistance wants Earth to become a better planetary citizen, but they’re not willing to compromise to get there. The Youli say they want peace, but their actions don’t add up.

  Somewhere there’s a middle ground, and I need to find it. I’m through with being someone else’s pawn. It’s time to seize control of my own narrative.

  For now, that means I need to find my sister and reconnect with Marco.

  I need to travel to Gulaga to engage with the Resistance.

  I need to tell Waters about the Youli message and hope it’s enough for him to see that peace is the only way forward, and we can’t get there without compromise. Our future—the future of our planet—depends on it.

  18

  AS OUR CRAFT TOUCHES DOWN at Americana East, my hands are shaking. Since the rift warped the passage of time for me, I’ll be seeing my parents sooner than I would have if our third tour had gone as planned. But for my parents, it’s been close to two years since we were together. They spent most of that time thinking I was dead. Jayne told me that the Force informed my parents that Addy was also missing in action and presumed dead. So even though I’m sure they’ll be excited to see me, they’ll also want to hear about my sister. At least Jayne was able to get them my video message that we taped in the pod room.

  Before we get off the craft, Jayne reviews the tour stop itinerary with everyone. After the old aeronauts exit the cabin, she catches my eye. We haven’t talked since last night. I know she wants to know what I’m thinking, whether I’ve made a decision about joining the Resistance, but I’m not ready to talk to her. Even though I’ve made my decision, I’m not ready to forgive her for lying to me.

  I cut up a side aisle and head to the exit. Water shuttles wait to take us across the channel. It wasn’t long ago that I rode in one with my family and listened to the protestors chant from their barges. Today a different kind of crowd greets us at the landing dock.

  Just like at our last two stops, there are tons of people with posters, many of them with images of me and the lost aeronauts. I spot at least a dozen JASPER, WILL YOU MARRY ME? signs. Even if I’m kind of getting used to this celebrity stuff, those signs still make my cheeks warm.

  In the middle of the crowd there’s some jostling, and soon half a dozen new signs wave in the air: NO MORE WAR!, TELL THE TRUTH!, BOUNDERS HAVE RIGHTS! I bet some of the same protestors were on those water barges when we left for the Academy. Addy had wanted to join them. If only I could tell them what she’s up to now. Addy would be their hero.

  There’s more chaos and confusion in the crowd, and soon the people part, admitting a group of guards with riot gear and raised shields. They zero in on the protestors, who hold their ground. Soon they’re literally on the ground, tased and then cuffed.

  I guess Jayne wasn’t kidding when she told me antiwar messaging had been outlawed.

  We’re hurried off the shuttles and into hovers for the ride to the Earth Force complex, where we’ll be staying. That’s where I’ll meet up with my parents later tonight during the family and friends visiting hour.

  As we drive through the familiar streets of Americana East, I press my hand against the glass. We glide past the green block where Addy, Cole, and I caught our breath after taking the lift for a joyride. Two blocks to the left is my school. Above us, the air rail zooms by. How many times did I sit on a rail car and stare out to sea, waiting for the day I could finally leave for the Academy, the one place in the world where I thought I’d fit in?

  Wow. I didn’t know what I didn’t know.

  As soon as I unload from the hover in the garage, I chase down Lucy so I can escape from Jayne and her questioning eyes.

  “Hey!” I dodge in front of Lucy and walk backward. “Do you think we can talk about the rally later?”

  She narrows her eyes. “You’ve been doing everything you can to avoid talking to me about these rallies. What’s changed?”

  Aside from me not wanting to talk to Jayne right now? “I thought I might take on a bigger role. After all, this is my hometown.”

  Lucy flashes a megawatt smile and throws her arms around me. “Oh, Jasper, you make me so happy! I knew you’d embrace your role as a true celebrity! And I know just how to expand your speaking part. I hope Denver doesn’t mind that we’ll have to cut his comments short. He’ll just have to deal. Tomorrow is your day, Jasper! We’re going to make it extra special!”

  She slips my hand under her arm and practically drags me across the garage to the lift as she keeps talking about her ideas to make me even more center stage. I glance back to make sure I’m far away from Jayne. Good, she’s stuck talking to Sheek. That means she’ll be tied up for a while. His list of demands for star treatment grows with each stop.

  Once I’m given my room assignment, I take off, eager for some alone time. When I get to my room, I realize how exhausted I am from staying up half the night thinking about what to do. I plan to close my eyes for just a few minutes, but the next thing I know, the room computer is shouting at me.

  “Jasper Adams, your guests have arrived. Please proceed to the lounge area.”

  The good news? The room computer doesn’t sound a thing like Florine Statton.

  The bad news? I feel totally unprepared to see my parents.

  I sit up in bed and look around my room. I don’t even remember arriving here. In fact, my mind feels like mush. My palms are sweating. And my feet won’t move. Why am I so nervous?

  The last time I saw them, they were saying good-bye to me on the flight deck before I left on my third tour of duty. It was Addy’s first trip to the EarthBound Academy. My parents asked only one thing of me: to watch over my sister.

  How did that go?

  I force myself out of my room and down to the lobby. The visitation room is already crowded when I enter, but Mom spots me immediately. She barrels into me from the side and wraps me up in her arms.

  “Oh my God,” she says, tears streaming down her face. “I can’t believe it’s really you. I thought we’d never see you again.” She buries her head against my shoulder, then pulls back and ruffles my hair. A small cluster of lines frames the corners of her eyes. Those weren’t there the last time I saw her.

  I’m enveloped in a second hug from behind. “We’re so glad to see you, Jasper!” Dad’s voice warms me like a blanket.

  When they withdra
w from the hug, they each grip one of my arms and won’t let go.

  “Let’s find a place to talk.” I guide us to a corner with an open love seat and armchair. Mom and I sit together, and Dad sits in the chair.

  Across the room, Denver catches my eye. He’s sandwiched on a small couch between two much older women. I don’t know if they’re sisters or friends or something else, but it reminds me that my reunions are not nearly as difficult as Denver’s. At least I’m not coming back to find my parents fifteen years older.

  “We were stunned when we got the news that you were alive,” Mom says, wiping away fresh tears. “When we were first notified that you were missing, we held on to hope, even after your funeral, but as the months passed, we started accepting that we’d really lost you.”

  “It’s so wonderful to see you, Jasper,” Dad says. “We never thought this day would come.” He leans over and places his palm on my knee. Mom clutches Dad’s other hand, so we’re all connected.

  “It’s really good to see you guys,” I say.

  Dad leans even closer. He looks tired. They both do. “Jasper, we have to ask. Do you have any information about your sister? Could she be alive, too?”

  I hesitate. I can’t bring myself to lie to my parents about Addy. They deserve to know the truth.

  “She is, isn’t she?” Mom asks, her voice shaking and rising with each word. “She’s alive, but you’re not allowed to say anything!”

  Heads swing around to stare at us.

  “Emma, be quiet!” Dad whispers. “You’re attracting attention.” He squeezes in beside us on the love seat and lowers his voice. “Can you at least tell us whether she’s alive?”

  I can’t lie. Not about this. Not to my parents. They have a right to know.

  I stare directly at my dad and tip my chin just a bit. That’s all I can risk. There’s too much at stake. The last thing I need is to be on the security team’s radar. That would make it nearly impossible for me to ditch away at the rally tomorrow morning.