Chasing the Shadows

by Maria V. Snyder

  Fear claws at my heart. I curse.

  What’s wrong? Beau asks.

  Its purpose is to report no life signs on the planet to DES, and DES has already sent two requests for scans.

  There’s a pause. We already suspected DES believes we went silent.

  But this is proof! It makes it more…real.

  Beau touches my shoulder and gives me a reassuring squeeze. It’s more information, which is good for us.

  True.

  Can you disable it? he asks.

  A number of the strands are alarms. If I cut the program, it will signal Jarren—I think. It’s a work of genius, but it doesn’t match Jarren’s style. Which is more evidence that my guess that Jarren is working with other super wormers is correct. This is just getting better and better. Yes, I’m being sarcastic. It beats hyperventilating.

  Ara?

  No, I can’t. Not without alerting the person who planted it. I rewind the strands, putting it back to its original construction.

  The person? Beau pauses. Yeah, I thought it didn’t look like our boy’s work. Is there anything hidden in the video feeds?

  No.

  Good. I’ll add a few hidden alarms in case anyone tries to alter them. Beau works fast and when he’s finished, I help him tuck them deep.

  Then we move on to our next task with the satellite. Detailed scans of the surface show no one hiding between the base and Pit 21. I access the satellite’s recordings of the surface, going back until I find a boring day and night that shows nothing but empty sands. Copying it, I store it in my Q-cluster until we need it to cover our activities when we’re outside the base.

  It’s delicate, exacting work that takes us hours. By the time we finish, pain thumps in my temples and I’m as exhausted as if I spent the day doing drills with Elese. Pulling out my tangs, I rest my head on my arms.

  Beau’s chair squeaks. I tilt my head and peek at him with one eye. He’s leaning back with his eyes closed, rubbing his forehead. My stomach growls. Loudly.

  “That’s what happens when you work through lunch,” he says, meeting my one-eyed gaze.

  I lift my head. It’s sixteen hundred. We wormed for seven hours straight. No wonder my head hurts. “I don’t know about you, but after putting those measures in place, I’ve gotten my appetite back.”

  “They’re masterpieces, Ly…Ara.”

  Not bad for an apology. “I couldn’t have done it without you.” The truth.

  After we recover, we leave his office. Tora has replaced Rance. Beau tells her she’s off duty. The Q-net is monitoring the feeds.

  Instead of leaving, she crosses her arms. “I’ll stay until Radcliff returns.”

  Beau gives her a sour look. “Suit yourself.”

  I glance at the screens. “Will Radcliff turn them off?”

  “No. We’ll still check them from time to time. Plus Radcliff likes to ensure his team is where they’re supposed to be,” Beau says.

  Speaking of Radcliff, he’s in the conference room with my parents and…I peer closer…all the archeology techs.

  “Do you know what he’s doing?” I ask Tora.

  “I believe he’s motivating them,” she says. Her tone is far from friendly.

  Okay that’s it. “What’s wrong this time?” I ask her.

  “You’ve been just full of advice about important security measures lately.”

  “And that’s a bad thing?”

  She tilts her pointed chin up, meeting my gaze. “For someone in your position, yes.”

  “My position?” I glance at Beau, but he’s being very careful to stay out of it.

  “You’re living with Radcliff and dating his son,” she says. “They’re listening to your advice, but you have no experience with security. It’s making the rest of the officers nervous.”

  That explains the increased tension. “Oh yeah, because Radcliff is so easy to sway.”

  “You know what I mean.”

  “No. Not really. Radcliff puts the safety of his team and the base above everything else. You, with all your vast experience, should know that.” I can’t believe I just defended the man. Kill me now.

  She stabs a finger at the screen. “I know that you don’t go telling techs things they don’t need—”

  “Stop right there. I know exactly what they need. I’ve worked with them since I was big enough to hold a brush. If you want them to cooperate, then they should be fully aware of the situation. And I was under the impression that suggestions were welcome in this team. Are you telling me I shouldn’t voice my opinion?”

  “You’re going to get us all killed.”

  Ah. There it is. Nothing like brutal honesty. How do I respond? She might be right. Just by surviving Jarren’s murder attempt, I might be the reason the entire base will be killed. Beau and Tora are both waiting for my response.

  Funny, I thought Beau would come to my defense. Does that mean he believes it too? Is that why he and Niall argued at the staff meeting? Pain pulses in my head. I look past Beau’s shoulder to the dual Q-net terminals.

  Masterpieces, Beau said. Damn right they are.

  I gather my poise and stare at Beau then Tora. “Jarren’s the enemy. Not me. Try not to forget that.” I turn my back on them and leave.

  Five

  2522:194

  My anger at Tora and Beau fuels my steps. I go straight back to my…er…Radcliff’s unit. Grrr. Now I’m gonna worry about everything I say. Yes, where I live is out of my hands. But still…I don’t want the team to think I’m getting special treatment.

  Taking a painkiller, I change into comfy clothes, turn off the light in my room, and crawl under the covers. In the cool darkness, I wonder if we’re going to survive this. If Jarren returns, he won’t be concerned about altering camera feeds. No reason to. He has a small army, heavy earth moving equipment, and weapons. These thoughts don’t help my headache.

  Eventually I fall asleep. Only to be woken two seconds later by an insistent tapping on my door. I groan, which is translated by the tapper as “come in” because light stabs the darkness. I pull the blanket over my head.

  The mattress dips as someone sits on the edge and touches my shoulder. Mom. I’d know that touch anywhere.

  “Did you over-do it today?” she asks.

  Did I? “A little.”

  “We were worried when we couldn’t find you.”

  Huh? I sit up. “What time is it?”

  “Eighteen hundred.”

  Oh. I slept for two hours. The aroma of Radcliff’s casserole wakes the sleeping lion in my stomach. Its claws dig in and it roars, reminding me I haven’t eaten all day.

  Mom laughs. “You can’t be feeling too bad. Come on.”

  I follow her to the kitchen as I unwind my messy braid and comb my fingers through my hair. My dad and Niall are already sitting at the table. Radcliff scowls at me. What did I do wrong now?

  “If my team isn’t visible on the screens when I look, and since no one is watching the feeds to tell me where they might be, how do I locate them?” Radcliff asks.

  Oh. Mom’s earlier comment makes more sense now. “You can ask the Q-net.”

  He stares at me as if I had just spoken another language.

  “Come on, I’ll show you. You, too. Mom and Dad.” They follow me into Radcliff’s bedroom along with Niall who stands near the door. I gesture to his desk. “Access the Q-net and ask where Officer Dorey is.”

  Radcliff inserts his tangs. The screen shows Beau having dinner in the cafeteria. “What about someone who’s in a private location?”

  “Ask about Niall.”

  The screen switches to the view of the corridor time stamped seventeen-fifty. Niall exits his unit and then enters Radcliff’s.

  “The Q-net is tracking everyone?” Dad asks. “It knows where everyone is right now?”

  “Yes. And only you, Mom, and Officer Radcliff can access the information.”

  “What about you?” Radcliff asks me.

  “Me and Beau
can as well. Why, is that a bad thing?”

  “It could be a violation of privacy,” Mom says.

  “What’s the difference between a person watching the feeds and being able to tell my dad where someone is versus the Q-net?” Niall asks.

  “The Q-net doesn’t forget and this feels like surveillance,” Mom says.

  “As long as you don’t ask it for…patterns,” I say. “It’s meant to look for intruders. I think using it to find someone is okay. We all know there are cameras in public areas.”

  “This is only due to unforeseen circumstances,” Radcliff says. “It’s temporary and as soon as we’re no longer in danger, we’ll return to the normal monitoring.”

  We troop back to the kitchen. Conversation is light and I just about inhale a large portion of casserole. When I finish, I slump back in my seat, thinking of going into a food coma. I don’t have to monitor the camera feeds tonight. But I still want to help.

  “What else can I do?” I ask Radcliff.

  “You already freed up so much time,” he says.

  “I want a shift. How about guarding detention?”

  “No,” my mom answers. “We don’t need another riot. It’s too dangerous. Besides, Ara needs to rest after today’s marathon Q-net session.”

  “I’ll be fine by tomorrow,” I say.

  “Then you can resume training,” Radcliff says with an evil little half-grin.

  “I can also resume working with Beau.” We still need to find a way to reach DES. “And I can do a security shift. How about guarding the entrance to the pits?”

  The chorus of reactions is instant. Great, I’ve three parents and one over-protective boyfriend all yelling at me.

  “I’ll think about it,” Radcliff says, ending the discussion.

  After dinner, Niall and I go to the rec room since we actually have some free time.

  “I’m looking forward to my first full night of sleep,” Niall says as we enter. There’s no one else there. “Of course I’m not naïve enough to think I’ll get more than one.” He turns to me. “What do you want to do, Mouse?”

  There’s a pool table, ping-pong table, game/video system, various couches, chairs, and a table for old-fashioned cards and puzzles. Not sure my brain can handle anything more complicated, I pick pool. How hard can it be to knock the white ball into a colored ball?

  Turns out I suck at pool and ping-pong. Niall crushes me at both. We end up playing Sevens where luck of drawing certain cards beats out strategy.

  “Do you really want to guard the pits?” Niall asks.

  “Yes. I’m the only one who can—” An idea pops into my mind. I almost smack my forehead.

  “You can what?”

  “I can have the Q-net monitor the lab for escaping shadow-blobs. I should have thought of it sooner!”

  “Wait, the Q-net can see the HoLFs?”

  Guess that news didn’t travel to the entire team. I explain. “…only my Q-cluster can do it, though, so I’m going to need to link it into the camera feed.”

  “Wow.” He leans back in his chair. His gaze turns inward. “But I’m not sure my dad will approve that.”

  “Why not? Right now the guards are basically bait. They can’t see the shadow-blobs so it’ll only be when they’re attacked and maybe killed that they will know something’s not right. Plus it’ll give the officers more free time.”

  “They’d rather be there than trust everyone’s lives to the Q-net.” Niall’s grip on his cards tighten. “You’ve taught us just how much it can be manipulated.”

  True. I remember Tora’s reluctance to leave the screens earlier. She certainly didn’t trust the Q-net, or me for that matter. And Beau didn’t back me up. Niall seems…uncomfortable. I wonder if he thinks I’m using my position to influence his father. He should know better than anyone else just how inflexible Radcliff can be. Or is it because of what he’s heard from the others? Do I want to find out? Not really. Denial has its perks.

  I suppress a sigh. “Speaking of being manipulated, does everyone think I’m…overstepping my role as a junior officer?”

  Niall hesitates. And there’s my answer. Great, just great. I stand.

  “Wait.” He jumps to his feet. “I don’t believe that.”

  “That’s because you’re dating me.”

  “No, it’s because I know you and what you can do with the Q-net. I tried to tell them, but…”

  “You’re biased. So why hasn’t Beau defended me?”

  “I don’t know, but I can guess.”

  I think back over the last few days. “He’s jealous of my worming skills.”

  “That’s my take,” Niall says.

  Not much I can do about that. Unless I back off and stop making suggestions, stop doing “impossible” things with the Q-net. Except…it’s so not my style. I refuse to let Jarren win and if that’s going to make the rest of the team uneasy, that’s on them.

  “What are you thinking about?” Niall asks. There’s a crease of worry in his brow.

  “That I have to go talk to your father.”

  He’s not happy, but Niall accompanies me back to my—yes, mine damn it—unit. Radcliff’s sitting on the couch, working on his portable. Before he can say anything, I tell him about my idea.

  This time I add, “At least allow me to rig up an alarm to alert the officers on duty if a shadow-blob escapes.”

  “Will any of the activity tip off Jarren?” Radcliff asks.

  “No.”

  “How can you be so sure?” Niall asks.

  A legitimate question, but why does it…hurt, coming from him? “Because Jarren doesn’t know about my Q-cluster. Also he won’t be searching for such a minor routine laced into the camera feeds.”

  Radcliff considers my request. Finally he says, “Set up the alarm, but we’ll keep personnel in the lab for now.” Then he turns to Niall. “Don’t tell anyone about the Q-net’s ability to spot the HoLFs. It only worked for Ara so far.”

  “Yes, sir,” Niall says a bit stiffly.

  But I need clarification. “So you don’t tell the team everything you learn?” I ask Radcliff.

  He gives me a wry smile. “No. Only what they need to know, which is about eighty percent. For the future, please check with me before you share information.”

  “Even with Niall? Talking to him is what sparked the idea for this and for how to motivate the techs.”

  “Yes, even with Niall.” He holds up a hand. “However, I trust him to be discreet.”

  Nice save. “Can I set up the alarm now? I’ll use the guest terminal in your office.”

  “I thought you said your brain was fried,” Niall says.

  “It won’t take long and I’ll sleep better once it’s done.”

  “Officer Dorey isn’t available,” Radcliff says.

  “He can’t help in this case.” Which Radcliff should know.

  The tight set of his shoulders say he’s not happy, but he doesn’t have a legitimate excuse to force the issue. “All right. Please keep Officer Morgan in the loop. She’s on duty.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  Niall follows me out to the hallway. Once the door closes, I say, “You don’t have to come along. That full night of sleep is waiting for you.”

  “It can wait some more. I’m curious how the Q-net can see invisible creatures.”

  We go to Radcliff’s office. Morgan is working on the terminal at the desk. She disentangles as soon as we approach. Her expression is guarded. “Something wrong?”

  I explain about setting the alarm.

  She grunts, but inclines her head to the other terminal. “Knock yourself out. But keep the screen on.”

  Ah. Seems trust is a hard thing to get lately. Funny, they trusted me when I rescued them from detention—actually, at the time, Morgan wanted to lock me in detention—guess I should redact that snide comment.

  I sit at the terminal and insert my tangs. Niall pulls over an extra chair and follows me into the Q-net. Worming into the camera
s in the archeology lab, I create a link to my Q-cluster. Then I access the cluster and immediately spot the tunnel where Beau wormed through. A couple hours to break in, eh? I plan to fix it right after this job. Pulling up the video of me in the pits the first time I saw the shadow-blobs, I check that it’s the one marked with the outlines.

  Huh, Niall says, sounding surprised.

  I play the video for him. Why not show him how the blobs move and hide? The rest of the team should view this as well. Yet another unwelcome idea. Too bad. I’m Ara Lawrence, Refuses to be Ignored. I’ll make all the suggestions I think are necessary.

  For now, I ask the Q-net to watch for shadow-blobs through the camera feed and sound an alarm in the lab if one escapes the pits. Then I fix the hole in my security, setting a trap. No way Beau can worm into my cluster now. Who are you calling petty?

  Nice, Niall thinks. Of course, it won’t help with his jealousy.

  I’m not going to stop so he’ll just have to get over it.

  Good luck with that.

  We disentangle. Pain throbs in my head, but it’s not as bad as earlier.

  Morgan is standing behind us. “Are you willing to outline the HoLFs on the rest of the video from the pits?” she asks me.

  “Yes, but I’m sure you’ll have to get Officer Radcliff’s permission.”

  “How much time will you need?” she asks. “It’s seven days’ worth for four pits.”

  I consider. Do I be honest? Will that make them uneasy? Once everything’s set up, my Q-cluster can do it in ten to twenty minutes. “An hour.”

  Silence.

  Finally Morgan says, “I’ll talk to Radcliff.”

  On the way back to my unit, Niall doesn’t say a word until we’re at the door. “I’ve been meaning to ask you. Why didn’t you tell me about what happened when you…died?” His voice catches on the d-word.