“All right.”
It doesn’t take me long to weave in another protocol that will alert Radcliff of any alterations to our security made by the Q-net. “Done.”
“Is Jarren still monitoring the camera feeds in security?” Radcliff asks.
“It appears that he, or someone who works with him, checks in from time to time. Do you want me to fix the hole he’s worming through?”
“Not now,” Radcliff says. “You can do it tomorrow when you’re rested. Besides, it seems the Q-net is doing a good job protecting you.”
We disentangle. And I wait for an apology. Of course I don’t get it. Radcliff squints at his son. While we were in the Q-net, Niall put on a shirt. Smart man.
Radcliff turns to me. “Officer Dorey sent you back to rest. Why didn’t you?”
“I came to check on Niall and fell asleep on his couch.” The truth.
A grunt. “We better get back. Your parents are worried.”
Oh no. Seems when my mother came to wake me up for dinner, she found my room empty. Radcliff asked the Q-net for my location and you know the rest.
My parents’ reaction to the Q-net’s odd response and the fact Jarren wormed into the feeds is the same as mine—a combination of gratitude and fear.
“It would probably be a good idea to keep Ara out of the Q-net since Jarren’s snooping around, except we need to reestablish contact with DES,” Radcliff says while we’re eating.
I keep quiet despite the fact that he practically blamed me for the Q-net’s strange behavior. Am I to blame? The Q-net did appear to be different. Falling asleep while entangled shouldn’t have had any effect. Well, there’s that chance of going catatonic. Maybe I am catatonic! And all this is just happening in my mind.
Trying not to panic, I press my fingers on one of my deeper cuts. Pain spreads. It’s a relief until I think— No. I need to stop thinking or I’m going to go crazy. Instead I focus on the conversation and dodge the questioning looks from my mother. She didn’t say anything when Radcliff explained I fell asleep on Niall’s couch, but, if I know her—and I do—she’s just waiting to have a private word with me.
After dinner, Niall and I are sent to bed like we are a pair of misbehaving teenagers. Different beds of course. Radcliff uses the doctor’s orders excuse for Niall and I’m just nagged until I relent. My mom follows me into my room for—you guessed it—a girl talk. We sit on the bed and I set the record straight about how everyone has jumped to the wrong conclusion—because they have even if they didn’t say so aloud. But I endure the lecture and pay attention to my birth control options. What else can I do? My mom has my best interests at heart and this talk is more for her than me. Huh. I must be maturing.
When she finishes, I say, “Can I ask you a question?”
“Of course. Anything. You know that.”
I do, but this is personal. “When was your first time?”
She hesitates. Perhaps anything doesn’t really mean anything. But then she straightens. “I was twenty and it was with your father. I’d like to tell you that we made an informed decision and used protection, but we were drunk.” She laughs. It’s almost a giggle.
My mother giggling? Wonders never cease!
“We lucked out or your brother would have been born five years before we were ready.”
I can’t imagine Mom not being anything other than a confident parental authority. Being drunk? Irresponsible? No. Not going there.
“Your father and I waited until we got to know each other and were in love. I think that’s important. Do you love Niall?”
Do I? We’ve only been dating fifty-four days, but I think of him a lot, I’d rather be with him than anyone else, and he’s in all my future plans. Not that I have a set course of action except to survive Jarren and the shadow-blobs. I’m hopeful that I’ll have a happily ever after and Niall will still be by my side. Is that love?
“You don’t have to answer that,” Mom says after a lengthy silence. She gives me a gentle hug, being careful not to inflame my injuries. She pulls the blanket up to my chin and kisses my forehead. “Don’t give me that look. You’re never too old to be tucked in.”
True. Plus I secretly enjoy being tucked in all safe and secure, but I’ll never tell Mom that—well, maybe when I’m older. She leaves and turns off the lights and I lie there remembering the afternoon with Niall. Too bad we fell asleep as I would have loved to make him shiver again. And more. I unleash my creativity, imagining many ways to accomplish that.
I drift to sleep, dreaming of kissing Niall. We’re on his couch. After a while he stops and stands, holding out his hands. Come on, Dream Niall says, grasping my wrists and tugging me to my feet. Let’s fly.
And then we soar through the Q-net, dipping and twirling and racing across the Galaxy. I’m surrounded by softness—safe and secure, all tucked in.
Thank you for protecting me, I say, but Niall is no longer with me. I’m addressing the Q-net and it…understands. So while I’m in this crazy dream state, I ask it to let Officer Radcliff know if anyone tries to worm into our protections. It agrees. Or I think the warm pulse inside my chest is agreement.
Through the Q-net, I zip back to Planet Yulin. The security measures we’ve woven surround the planet like a bubble. But there should be connections to DES branching off it like tentacles. Beyond our measures is a black balloon that encases the planet—it’s Jarren’s web of programs. It’s blocking us from reaching DES. The answer to our problem is to pierce Jarren’s balloon without popping it and connect to DES. Difficult to do from the surface of the planet. Could DES create a connection to us? Perhaps if they were aware of the problem.
In my dreams, I fly to DES and navigate through their security like a river through the mountains. It’s fun and exhilarating, zooming around curves and plummeting over the cliffs. Seeking out any navigators not in a time jump, I reach Chief Vasily who is entangled with the Q-net. In order to avoid scaring him by just popping into his head, I compose a message:
2522:205: Chief Vasily, the scientists and security personnel on Planet Yulin are NOT dead. We’re alive, but being blocked from communicating with DES by looters who have a wormer working with them. Please find a way to reach us without letting the looters know.
Then I debate about who to list as the sender. According to DES, Lyra Daniels is on Yulin—status unknown. My records show my internship with Chief Hoshi so that will give Vasily more evidence that I have the skills to send the message. But I’m still a minor and he has no idea of just how accomplished I am. I make the message from Chief of Security, Officer Tace Radcliff. Of course, this is all a dream so it’s moot.
My duty done, I play. Zipping and spinning, I cross the Galaxy in seconds and hover at its edge. The void between galaxies yawns wide and dark. Our closest neighbor is the Canis Major Dwarf Galaxy at forty-two thousand light years away from the Milky Way’s core. But it’s being slowly pulled apart by the Milky Way’s gravity and its long filament of stars, gas, and dust wraps around the Milky Way three times. And while I’m being an astronomy geek in my dreams, that filament is called the Monoceros Ring.
Yet even that short (when you consider the size of the universe) distance to Canis Major is impossible to cross. The Q-net’s star roads end at the edges of the Milky Way. Did the developers believe that exploring the Galaxy would take so long that we’d outgrow the Q-net and invent a new technology that would take us beyond our Galaxy? Amusement from the Q-net over that thought fills me. I’m aware of how ridiculous it sounds, but I sense it all the same.
A strident sound emanates. It yanks me from the edge and I fall toward it. I resist—flying in the Q-net is too much fun. But it’s stronger and more persistent and I can’t remain. I’m ejected into my own body with a blaze of pain that jolts me awake.
Clutching my head, I curl into a ball, only dimly aware I’m on the floor. My “you overslept” alarm is screeching. Its high-pitched tones stab into my skull like a sharp dagger. All I can do is press my hands o
ver my ears to keep my brain from being squeezed out like a pimple. I’d laugh at the image but I’m afraid I’ll expel the contents of my stomach. A horrible pressure builds on my skin. My bones creak under its weight.
Blurry black boots appear in front of me. The alarm stops. Thank the universe! Radcliff talks but nothing makes sense. He crouches down, peering at me. I see solar systems swirl in his brown eyes.
“Doctor,” I gasp. “Please.”
Then the world crushes me.
The pain dissolves, leaving behind blissful darkness. On the edges, I sense the Q-net. It wishes for me to fly. I resist. Flying has consequences. Instead I float in the void for…I’ve no idea, but it’s nice here so stop bothering me.
Small noises intrude on my peace. My name rouses me. A cold prick in my arm accelerates awareness of my surroundings. For indeed I am lying in my bed. Someone pries open my eyelid. I flinch at the sudden light and bat at the offending hand. It moves away and I squeeze my eyes shut.
“She’s awake,” Dr. Edwards says.
Is that relief in his voice?
“What happened?” Mom asks gently. Her fingers entwine with mine.
“I…dreamt. I…flew.”
“That doesn’t make any sense,” Dad says.
Just how many people are in here?
“She’s been referring to worming as flying,” Beau says. “Maybe that incident yesterday caused some sort of delayed backlash.”
I peek out. My room isn’t that big, yet five people stand inside. Radcliff hovers in the doorway.
“Li-Li, is that it? Is this because you fell asleep while worming?” Dad asks.
“I…don’t know.” Or do I?
“The sensors in her brain could be damaged,” Dr. Edwards says. “She could be accessing the Q-net through Tace’s terminal.”
“Without entanglers? And this far away?” Mom asks. “That’s hard to believe.”
The queasiness in my stomach turns sour. “I dreamt I was flying through the Q-net.”
“Like when you…died?” Mom’s voice catches on the D-word.
“Yes.” I confess and wait for the inevitable questions.
They don’t disappoint. Yes, I should have told them sooner. No, I didn’t fall asleep with my tangs in last night. No, I didn’t do it on purpose. Yes, it was a very vivid dream. No, I don’t think I actually accessed the Q-net. ’Cause that would be impossible!
Unless I’m catatonic and still slumbering in Beau’s office? No, then I would have never “woken” from my adventures. I’d still be flying and there wouldn’t have been pain.
There’s much discussion that doesn’t involve me and I’m happy to lie there. I don’t protest when Dr. Edwards schedules a late-night brain scan, because I’d rather never wake up with that excruciating pain again.
Eventually the adults leave and I’m instructed to rest. Except that’s what got me in this mess in the first place.
I grab my mom’s arm in a panic. “Don’t let me fall asleep!”
She sits on the edge of my bed, taking my hand in both of hers. “You’re going to have to sleep eventually.”
And my body feels as if I’d spent the night sparring Elese. “What if it happens again? And I can’t…wake up?” While being trapped in the Q-net isn’t the worst thing, I’m not ready to leave the physical world. Niall’s kisses are worth remaining for.
Mom squeezes my hand. “I’ll stay with you. If it looks like you’re having another nightmare, I’ll wake you.”
“You have work—”
“Hush, nothing’s more important.”
Her truthful, heartfelt statement slams into me like a tidal wave. “Love you, too, Mom.”
Nightmare. I like that word. That explanation. And after my brain scan, Dr. Edwards is inclined to agree. My guardian lions (Mom, Dad, and Elese) stand watch for the next four nights and I’ve no more nightmares. All goes back to normal.
Sort of. I hesitate outside Beau’s office. I’m standing in the narrow room, staring at the monitors without really seeing them. Rubbing my temples to dispel a phantom headache, I create a number of excuses for why I shouldn’t be worming this afternoon. Fatigue, hunger, thirst, itchy limbs due to the healing cuts, no motivation, fear. That last one catches me off guard.
What exactly am I afraid of? Losing my mind? Not really. The pain? Maybe a little. That it wasn’t a nightmare? Bingo. Because if I did fly in the Q-net how did I get past Jarren’s blockade? I didn’t. Then why am I scared to find out otherwise? Actually, I’d be an idiot not to be terrified. All right then. With that settled, I channel my inner lion and join Beau.
He grunts. “About time. Thought I’d have to drag you in here.”
Did all the officers have super hearing? I plop down next to him. “What are we doing today?”
“First we need to fix the holes around the base’s camera feeds and ensure Jarren can’t access the ones in security again. Then I thought we’d try to worm through that cluster where the fake DES messages are coming from. We might be able to get through the blockade at that point.”
“That’s a good idea.”
“Don’t sound so surprised. I do this for a living, ya know.” Beau flashes me a bright smile.
We access the Q-net. And the tight band around my chest eases with relief. All is normal. Not the normal from before I died, but before the nightmare normal. And I can’t believe I’m defining what’s normal based on those two criteria.
Strengthening our protections, we rig an alarm on the camera feeds in security to alert Radcliff if Jarren tries to view the live feed again.
Beau follows the path of the bogus messages from DES. I keep close to him. Staying out of the main pathway, we worm just below it, paralleling the route. Then we reach the blockade and angle up to get a glimpse of the incoming missives. They come in quick bursts through a gap that slams shut as soon as they pass through. There’s no way to sneak out unless we know exactly when the next batch is going to come through.
Beau’s disappointment is tangible.
I search for something to cheer him up. Isn’t tomorrow payday? We can send a message to DES when our pay comes in tomorrow. Did you find out when the credits are deposited? The timing had to be precise.
I worked on that while you were recovering. Our pay dropped at the same time every thirty days except for the last one. It was delayed over two hours.
It’s being intercepted. I hoped Jarren allowed routine messages to automatically come through.
Yup, and no way to know when tomorrow’s will come in.
We needed another place that might provide an escape. Jarren’s been poking around in our camera feeds. Maybe we can find where he’s coming in from, I say.
Won’t work. He doesn’t leave a trail.
But the Q-net picked up on it. Let’s at least look in the clusters for the feeds.
Waste of time. But he trails me to those clusters.
The feeds appear to be undisturbed. However, I catch a glimpse of a smudge on the alarms. It reminds me of fingerprints smeared on glass.
See that? I ask Beau. I scan for more.
What?
I explain.
Nope.
Concentrating on the smudges, I try to make them visible to Beau. No luck. We leave the feeds and work for the next couple of hours to find another way through without success. A part of me suspects we’re not approaching this the right way. However, the rest of me has no clue what is the correct way.
Perhaps if I think of it from Jarren’s point of view. How would I block an entire planet? The Q-net is such a vast network. Lots of pathways, which is why we thought Jarren had to miss at least one, leaving it open. Jarren has to be able to access DES. If we could find him, then use his link, that might work. Except we’re trying to avoid him. This would be like knocking on his door and asking to use his terminal. Plus how do we find him?
The answer pops into my head. By following his fingerprints!
Too dangerous, Beau says after I tell h
im my idea.
There’s nothing left to try.
There’s always another option. Think harder, Lawrence.
Can we at least locate him? The nightmare image of his bubble around Yulin flashes in my mind.
Silence. You can try.
Progress! I angle so the smears are “visible.” Direction is dodgy in the Q-net, but, to me, going deeper into our camera feeds is “down,” so the opposite way is toward Jarren. Yeah, not the most scientific. Concentrating on the fingerprints, I worm through the upper layers. After an hour, I’m better at spotting them. I increase my speed. One quirk of worming is it’s never a direct path. Finding gaps and cutting through clusters is always a roundabout route.
Another quirk is not always knowing right away when you get to the end. Which is why I barreled straight into Jarren’s blockade, setting off the alarms.
Stars!
Nine
2522:209
The alarms don’t wail like in the real world, but they alert Jarren in seconds. We don’t have enough time to retreat. A message appears from an unknown source, but I’ll bet it’s the murdering looter.
2522:209: Looks like I caught a worm. Who do I have the pleasure of addressing?
I panic, remembering my last encounter with Jarren.
I got this, Beau says.
2522:209: This is Officer Beau Dorey from Planet Yulin. I order you to identify yourself and remove this illegal blockade at once.
* * *
>>You security officers sure like to order people around. I’m curious, does it give you a hard-on? I must admit you discovered my blockade sooner than I like. The little worm must have taught you something useful before her unfortunate demise.
Chasing the Shadows Page 13