Then she felt something on the other side, a binary switch. She told it to turn off. The door lock clicked. She tried the handle again. This time it groaned, but it moved all the same. She pushed down hard, forcing it open.
The door swung wide. H124 coughed as a plume of stale air breathed out, smelling of dank mildew and something rotten. She pulled out her headlamp and switched it on.
As the beam penetrated the darkness, she stepped inside, finding herself on a stair landing. Hearing the drone of the incoming airships echo about the cavernous space, she started down the stairs.
She encountered a second door at the next landing. It too was locked. Again she reached out with her mind, struggling to concentrate. Her breath came rapidly, her heart pounding. She had to get through. Taking a deep breath, she called on the lock to disengage. She heard a click, and the handle turned freely.
Ahead lay a narrow walkway that ended at another door. She ran as fast she could, coughing in the musty air. This door was also locked, so again she contacted its TWR. She commanded it to disengage, but it didn’t. She tried again, wondering if it had gone faulty from disuse.
Finally it clicked, and she wrenched open the door. Another set of stairs led down into darkness. Shining her light, she took them quickly, the droning of the airships no longer audible. At the bottom of the steps was another locked door.
She got through, and found herself in a cavernous room with huge machinery, switches, dials, vents, and cables twisting across the floor and up the walls. Her headlamp hardly penetrated the gloom.
She reached out with her mind, trying to sense a TWR. She could feel something, a machine in the off position. She commanded it to turn on. Nothing happened.
A dull click sounded on her third try. Something whirred, and a red light started to blink in the darkness. She had the sudden sense she’d just triggered the self-destruct, so quickly she brought out Olivia’s PRD. She switched it on, pairing it with the decoder. A floating display came up, and H124 entered Olivia’s PPC exec number. It took her to a screen with thirty-three blank squares. H124 remembered Willoughby saying that scramblers relied on complex, thirty-three digit codes. The decoder started flipping through numbers, trying each digit from zero to nine in each space. Numbers flickered by. The whirring grew louder. The red light started to blink faster, searing her retinas, and then a deafening klaxon rent the quiet space. She clapped her hands to her ears, willing the decoder to work faster.
It locked down a number, then a second one. Numbers flew past. More were locked down. She heard the dull clank of some kind of machinery, felt a vibration through the floor.
The decoder had only twelve numbers to go. The vibrations grew more intense, as something shifted beneath her feet. Six more numbers. Four.
She thought of running out of there, but she had to stay. Had to see this thing through or they were all dead. Had to get the shield up before more Death Riders got inside.
The decoder beeped. All thirty-three numbers locked in and transmitted. The klaxon silenced abruptly, and the red light switched off. The whirring under her feet persisted for another minute, as if something was moving back into place. Then the vibration stopped. She stood in the ensuing silence, breathing hard, then lowered her hands reluctantly from her ears.
She looked around, headlamp flashing over all the machinery. On the far wall, she saw a breaker box, the kind she used to see in the basements of buildings in New Atlantic. More than once she’d had to reset the power in a living pod building after the incinerator had blown out the fuses.
She walked to the box and opened the heavy metal door. There was a single switch inside. It had two settings, a one and a zero. It was switched off, pointing to the latter.
Her PRD beeped. It was Byron. She wanted to burst into tears when she saw his familiar face, but bit back the emotion. She opened the channel.
“Where are you?” he asked.
“At the power substation.”
“Onyx just told me that if the power goes back up, you’ll be trapped on the outside the shield.”
She didn’t respond.
He exhaled frantically. “What is with you and suicide missions, Halo?”
A small laugh escaped her.
“Hang on,” he said. “Let me come to you.”
“Then you’ll be on the outside when the shield goes up.”
“I don’t care.”
“I do.”
“Just wait a minute. We can think of another way.”
“Rowan’s dead,” she said suddenly.
“What?”
“Killed by Death Riders.”
“Halo…”
“I have to do this.”
“Just hold on. We can think of something else. Just give me a minute.”
“There’s a whole fleet of airships descending on the city. If I don’t get the shield up now, they’ll overpower us. There’s just too many of them.”
“We can fight them.”
“At the cost of more lives? I have to do this.”
She met his gaze, swallowing more sorrow than she thought possible. She hadn’t expected it to end like this. She’d just found him. Just found Willoughby and her mother. But this was the one way she could ensure their survival.
“Halo, no.”
She studied his features, remembering his scent. Then she reached out and threw the switch to the on position. She heard new sounds, things clicking into place in the walls.
“Damn it, Halo!”
“I’ll call you back.”
“Halo—” he started to say, but she signed off. It was hard enough to do this without seeing him.
The walls started to vibrate. She heard a dull whump coming from deep under her feet, like a generator trying to come back online. Then came a whirring sound picking up in RPMs before winding down again. A second whump sounded beneath her feet, and the walls shook a little. Dirt sifted down from the ceiling. The whirring kicked up again and sputtered. It coughed sporadically, then powered back down.
She waited. But another whump didn’t sound. She knelt down, feeling the floor. Something hummed down there. She moved to the wall, but it felt still. She pressed her ear against it, and heard a high-pitched whine.
Then the third whump came, so loud that she jumped. She waited. Something rumbled under her feet, the rhythm speeding up. It sounded lopsided though, out of sync, like an unevenly worn wheel. It slowed again. Doubt crept into H124. Maybe it had been too long. The machinery beneath her silenced. Several minutes stretched by as she stood in the dark, watching the projection of her headlamp’s beam on the floor.
Then another rumble came from below, and the rotating resumed. It spun faster and faster, sounding more even this time. She stared down hopefully. The hum echoed off the walls, and once more she covered her ears. The RPMs rocketed up. Lights blinked on in the room, revealing the size of the place. She saw generator after generator, all the machinery moving, groaning from so much disuse, but working.
She raced up the stairs, passing quickly through the locked doors, and burst out of the final doorway. Sunlight hit her. She couldn’t see the fleet of airships anymore. The thrumming of the power station was so loud that she couldn’t even listen for them.
Lights mounted outside the structure clicked on, and a topside vent burst open, a fan rotating to life.
She ran for the glider, and for a hopeful moment she thought she could make it back inside. But when she was halfway to the vehicle, a shimmering light flashed above the distant shield wall. The dome flickered and powered on in all its glorious wonder.
She’d done it.
She surveyed the entire structure, enrapt by this stunning feat of technology. She was in awe of the way it shimmered, visible only in some places. Her legs suddenly weak, she fell back into the sand.
She reached for her PRD, and turned on th
e comm link. She called Byron, but he didn’t answer. She waited a second, then called Willoughby.
“H!” he answered. “We’re standing under the shield. You did it. I can’t believe you did it! Where are you?”
“I’m still at the substation.”
“What?”
“I always knew this would be a one-way trip.”
“But…” The words froze in his throat.
She knew exactly how he felt.
“But I…” he tried again.
They just sat there, exchanging a knowing look. Juliet came up beside him. “You did it,” she said to H124.
H124 swallowed. “There was a fleet of inbound airships…”
“The shield came up before they landed. They didn’t make it in.”
“And the ones already there?”
“We’re routing the last of them now. I can’t…I can’t tell you how grateful we all are. But…” Juliet turned away from the camera. “I just found her again,” she heard her whisper to Willoughby.
“I know,” he said, putting an arm around her. “Me too.”
Juliet turned back to the camera, her jaw set. “I couldn’t be prouder. Of everything you’ve done.”
“Has Parrish run the numbers on the shield? Will it be able to withstand the effects of the asteroid impact?” H124 knew that Delta City’s shield didn’t stand a chance against the direct hit, but maybe Tathra’s improved shield would be able to fend off some of the aftereffects of the impact.
Juliet looked over her shoulder at Parrish. The woman nodded.
“It will,” her mother assured her.
H124 swallowed a painful lump.
“I’m glad I met you both,” she told them. “It still feels like a dream.” They watched each other for what felt like an eternity. “Is Byron there with you?” H124 finally asked.
Willoughby shook his head. “We haven’t seen Byron or any of the others. We heard that Dirk and Astoria are holed up at an armory. The Binit forces there have routed the Death Riders.”
H124 looked at her PRD. Sixty-four hours until the asteroid hit.
“I’m going to call them.”
Her parents nodded, and she signed off. Dirk picked up a minute later. He sat with Astoria inside a darkened building, both of them drenched in sweat and dirt. Dirk had a split lip, and Astoria’s forehead bled. “You two all right?” H124 asked.
“Better than ever,” Dirk told her.
“How about you, Astoria?”
“Likewise,” the warrior said, lending a feeble smile. “Byron told us what you did. That you’re on the other side of the shield.”
She didn’t know what to say, so she just nodded. Then she told them about Rowan. They went silent, open-eyed with shock.
Astoria leaned forward. “I can’t believe it.”
Dirk closed his eyes.
They mourned in silence. Eventually Astoria looked back at H124. “About what happened on that rooftop in Delta City…you know that wasn’t your fault, right? Dirk here says you’ve been kicking yourself over it. Don’t sweat it. That was my choice.”
It was the nicest thing Astoria had ever said to her.
“Thank you. That helps.” She regarded them nervously. “Is Byron with you?”
“No. He’s with Raven, in another section of the city.”
Relief flooded over H124. “You two take care of each other.”
Dirk bit his lip, and Astoria looked away. H124 signed off. She called Raven.
When he appeared on her floating display, she felt his contagious hope again. “H,” he said. “How are you?”
“Alive,” she told him.
“I’m in one of the de-extinction labs. We flew over here to make sure it didn’t get hit. You wouldn’t believe all the samples. It’s all going to be amazing, H.”
“I believe you.”
“Parrish told me what you’ve done. I…” His voice trailed off. “We’ve been through a lot.”
“Yes.”
“That hurricane!”
“The worst!”
“But we made it through.”
“I can’t wait to see how it’s all going to turn out,” she said finally. But she knew she wouldn’t see it. “Is Byron with you?”
Raven shook his head. “We got separated. I was rescued by a Binit aircraft. He elected to stay behind and fight.”
“Sounds like Byron.”
“Sure does.”
“Let me know if you hear from him.”
“I will.”
She signed off and approached the edge of the surf. The waves rolled in and out, soothing her with their predictable rhythm. The fleet of airships thundered overhead, beating a retreat, likely trying to find another place to hole up.
At last H124 sat down on the sand. The sun sank lower as she leaned back, basking in its warmth. She got out her diginocs and studied the inside of the dome, watching a flock of birds fly by, landing in a tree. They chattered to each other. She imagined they were telling each other what kind of day they’d had. Where to find water, the best berries…
A mild thunder brought her eyes up to the sky. She sat up straighter, trying to pinpoint the location. When it grew louder, she rose to her feet, bracing herself to see an airship lower into view.
Instead a winged craft dipped beneath the clouds, heading toward her. She moved off the beach, running toward her combat glider.
The craft descended, growing ever bigger as it neared. Wheels emerged from its belly as it touched down on the beach, sending up a spray of sand.
H124 blinked in disbelief.
It was the A14.
It plowed along in the sand, sending up huge plumes of brown pebbles. She got on the glider and steered it parallel to the beach, meeting the A14 where it came slowly to a halt.
She drew up next to the craft’s door. It banged open, and a ladder flipped out.
Gordon appeared in the doorway. “Need a ride?” he asked.
She burst out laughing, hardly believing it was him. “To where?”
“Thought we’d check out that big bomb shelter Rowan found. Greenbrier. They do have a bowling alley, you know.”
She eyed him in astonishment. “I—”
Then Gordon stepped aside and Byron appeared, grinning down at her.
“Byron…how the hell did you—”
“This thing goes crazy fast,” Byron told her. “I called Gordon right after we crashed the Argo. But I didn’t think he could get here in time.”
“So how about it?” Gordon asked her.
She jumped off the glider. “I’ve never bowled, you know.” She bounded up the stairs, throwing her arms around both of them.
“Then let’s get crackin’,” Gordon said, returning to the pilot seat.
Byron ushered her in, and the stairs folded neatly back inside. He secured the door.
The inside of the craft held a dozen or so seats, all with harnesses.
“Definitely strap in, and put on those oxygen masks,” Gordon told them. “This is a hell of a ride.”
She fastened herself in next to Byron as Gordon taxied down the beach. She strapped on an oxygen mask.
“Here we go,” Gordon called, pointing the craft’s nose up. They rocketed upward at an unbelievable speed. H124 felt the air leave her lungs as incredible G-forces pressed down on her. She felt her face straining back, her lips prying away from her teeth, her vision blurring.
They shot above the clouds, where the orange setting sun bathed the interior of the A14.
H124 squeezed her eyes shut. Then it started to grow dark, and she opened them again. She gasped at what she saw. The void of space met her eyes. Billions of stars glittered around her. Pinned down by inertia and unable to crane her neck, she peered out of the corner of her eye, where she could see the cur
ved edge of the earth far below, brown continents suspended amid oceans of blue, thin wisps of clouds scattered around it all.
“Fastest way to cover a lot of terrain,” Gordon called out. “Go really high up and go really, really fast.”
As they slowed at the top of an arc and she was finally able to move her head, she took in the vastness of space. In the far distance, a bright, irregularly shaped moon heaved into sight off the starboard wing, its surface mottled in the reflected sunlight.
Then she realized it wasn’t a moon. It was the asteroid, hurtling toward Earth.
Gordon pointed the A14’s nose down, and they screamed back into the atmosphere. Fire erupted on all sides. It sputtered out as they dipped lower, and they continued their descent at a sickening pace, following a similar path the asteroid would soon take. Then Gordon leveled off, heading for Greenbrier.
Raven’s words came back to her. “The question we have to ask ourselves is do we preserve the earth now, like it is, destroyed by geo-engineering, with almost no biodiversity and a devastating regime in power, or do we give it a chance to reset, put some of all the wrong we’ve done back to right, and once more give wildlife and humans the chance to live and thrive?”
H124 closed her eyes. They’d done all they could.
The earth would be reborn.
A Note to the Reader
I’ve depicted a dark future here, one that could happen if we continue with “business as usual,” burning fossil fuels, engaging in deforestation, overfishing the oceans, and not switching over to a more sustainable, green future powered by renewable energy.
But this doesn’t have to happen. We don’t have to keep losing the countless amazing animals we share this planet with, or endanger our own future.
We hear a lot about the dark times ahead—drought, food shortages, catastrophic storms and sea level rise, species extinction. Let’s talk now about a bright future—one in which we come together, power our cities with renewables, where we are healthier and happier.
Guilt and fear are not good motivators. But if we shift the narrative from doom and gloom to be about a clean and positive future, people will be far more motivated to act when thinking of brighter days ahead.
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