Chasing the Shadows

by Maria V. Snyder

  They admonish me for not saying something sooner. Dad puts my good arm around his neck, supporting me as we navigate the hallways. My mom clucks at me, but I’ve no idea what she’s saying. It takes all my concentration to stay on my feet. The nurses in the infirmary frown at me.

  They shoo my parents out of the exam room. And then they torture me by taking off my jumpsuit and cleaning my injuries. Trust me, I’m not exaggerating. Too bad I don’t have the good sense to pass out.

  Another doctor comes in and inspects my wounds. She introduces herself as Dr. Bharathi. After the examination, she declares that two of the four punctures are shallow enough to heal on their own, but the other two are going to require minor surgery. My parents are fetched to give permission.

  Before I’m wheeled out, I ask about Niall. “Any news?”

  “Still in surgery.”

  I grab Mom’s hand. “Is he going to make it?”

  She hesitates. No doubt trying to put the best spin on what she knows.

  “Please don’t lie to me,” I say.

  “I’m not. I just don’t know his prognosis and was trying to come up with something encouraging.”

  “Sorry.” I squeeze her hand. “Did you think of something?”

  She gives me a wry smile. “He’s young and healthy and was smart enough to curl into a protective ball. They’re all points in his favor.”

  “Thanks, Mom.” I focus on those positives as I’m prepped for surgery. He’s my last thought before everything spins to black.

  I wake. My old friend, the mechanical beep, is once again keeping watch over me. Beep—you got that right.

  The lights are dim and my father is sitting in the chair, reading from his portable. The clock on the wall says it’s sixteen hundred hours. I slept all day. It takes me a few moments to remember why I’m here. Fear sharpens my groggy thoughts. “How’s Niall?”

  “He’s out of surgery,” Dad says.

  “That’s good, right?”

  “He lost a lot of blood, Li-Li.”

  Oh no, he used my nickname. Beep—calm down. Beep—you’re jumping to conclusions. Dad frowns at the machine behind my head. I take a few deep breaths to steady my heart.

  Once the beeping slows, I ask, “What does that mean?”

  “He could have brain damage.”

  Beep—he said could. Beep—doesn’t mean he will.

  “When will they know?” I ask.

  “When he wakes up.” My father glances away.

  The unspoken, if he wakes up, hangs heavily in the air.

  Dad clears his throat. “How are you feeling?”

  “Sore. Tired. Was anyone else injured?”

  “Minor cuts and bruises.”

  At least there’s some good news. “What happened down in the lab?”

  “According to Officer Tora, all the lights in the lab just died without warning. Both she and Niall immediately turned on their flashlights in time to see the doors to the pits break open. She mentioned a wave of cold air hitting her before Niall pushed her toward the stairs. HoLFs attacked and she ran, thinking he was right behind her.”

  And Niall was worried about me risking myself. “What happened to the lights?”

  “Officer Dorey is still working on figuring it out, but he did restore power to the rest of the base.”

  For how long? “Dad, what if the lights go out again?”

  “We’ve opened all the shades in the labs to let the sunlight in. And we have the portable floodlights for night. Also we’re working on an evacuation protocol just in case we need to leave the base.”

  All good measures. “What about—”

  “That’s enough questions. If you get plenty of rest, the doctor said you might be able to leave tomorrow.”

  No way I’m leaving. Not without Niall.

  After reassuring my parents a half-dozen times that I’m fine, they go to catch up on some much needed sleep. Since it’s pretty late, I try to doze, but my thoughts keep circling back to Niall. What if he doesn’t wake? Or if he has brain damage? Or he dies! Each scenario is scarier than the last. And after cycling through them all for the hundredth time, I can no longer stand it.

  I sit up. My stitches pull on my tender healing skin, reminding me that I probably shouldn’t be doing this. I ignore them. Except for the IV in the back of my hand, the rest of the sensors on my body are wireless. The bag of IV fluid is hanging from a pole that has wheels. Bonus.

  Easing down from the bed, I wheel over to the closet, find the robe and slippers that are waiting for me inside, and put them on. Some would think multiple trips to the infirmary to be a bad thing, but there are perks—like insider knowledge. I peek out the door. All is quiet and empty. The wheels squeak as I roll the IV down the hallway. I head toward intensive care. There’s a nurse behind a station, but I don’t pause. Instead, I turn down another corridor, aiming for the glass rooms. Well, they’re not constructed of glass, but instead of a solid wall and door, there’s a half wall with a large glass window and no door to allow the nurses easy access.

  Sure enough, there’s a dim light shining from one of the rooms. I brace for the worst and keep going. Radcliff is sitting beside Niall’s bed. From this vantage point all I see is black hair on a pillow. There’s a single lamp on and Radcliff’s reading something aloud, although he stops when he spots me. He opens his mouth, closes it, and rubs his temple. Poor guy doesn’t even have the energy to scold me for being out of bed.

  “He hasn’t woken,” Radcliff says.

  All I can manage is a nod. Words would no doubt be accompanied by lots of tears. I move closer to the bed. To say Niall is white as a ghost is an insult to ghosts. He’s beyond pale and his lips are slightly blue. Cuts mar his cheeks and forehead. But his machine beeps and the screen behind his bed lists that his vitals are all at normal levels. His brain is showing activity, although there’s no way to determine if it’s abnormal or not.

  I wrestle with my emotions until I can speak without crying. “What are his injuries?”

  Radcliff peers at me as if debating what he should tell me.

  “I can either hear it from you or find out by worming into his medical files.”

  He sighs, but then says, “He’s been stabbed multiple times. The good news is nothing vital was damaged beyond repair. The bad is the loss of blood. During the surgery, he flatlined, but Edwards was able to revive him. Now it’s just a matter of time.”

  Flatlined! That means he died! I tighten my fingers around the IV pole until they ache, but it is the only thing keeping me upright.

  “Go back to bed, Ara,” Radcliff says. His tone is gentle.

  It’s a struggle, but I regain control of my emotions. “Unlike you, I slept most of the day. Give me the portable, I’ll keep Niall company while you get some sleep.”

  Radcliff hesitates so I hold out my hand for the device.

  “You do realize, I’m the one who gives the orders,” he says, but he stands and hands me the portable. “If he wakes—”

  “I’ll let you know A-sap.” I wheel my IV pole next to the chair and settle into it without wincing. Go me. Reading aloud from some story involving small troll-like people, I ignore Radcliff.

  Eventually he leaves. After waiting a few more minutes, I stop. Sitting next to Niall just won’t do. His bed is bigger than mine. I move some tubes aside. With my stitches protesting my every movement, I lie down next to him. I reach under the covers and find his hand. It’s warm and also has an IV needle stuck into the back of it. Careful not to jostle it, I entwine my fingers in his. Much better.

  “Hey, Toad, it’s Mouse,” I say. “You need to wake up. We still have lots of things to do together and I need you. Your dad needs you. The team needs you. The people on the base need you. We’re short one guardian lion. That just won’t do. And…” A wave of sadness builds behind my eyes, filling my nose. I sniff. “I love you, Niall.” Why didn’t I tell him I love him before? I’m a short-sighted idiot.

  “Don’t leave
me.” I kiss his cheek. Then I keep talking to him, telling him all kinds of goofy stuff until I fall asleep.

  The nurses wake me in the morning, but I refuse to leave Niall. They argue that they’ll keep an eye on him. Sorry, but not good enough.

  Elese shows up soon after. “Causing problems already?” She tsks. “Maybe you’re well enough to run some laps.”

  I fake a cough. “I’m having a relapse—cough—must get back to bed.”

  “How convenient.” Humor sparks in her brown eyes. Then she sits down next to Niall. I hand her the portable. “What am I supposed to do with this?”

  “Read to him.”

  “And that helps how?”

  “So he hears a familiar voice. Let him know he’s not alone. Or you can just tell him stories. That’s what I did.”

  “All right.” She squints at me. “How’s that cough?”

  “Going!” I wheel my IV pole back to my room, endure my nurse’s half-hearted admonishments about being out of bed, and eat my breakfast.

  The morning briefing is held in my room in the infirmary. Officers Radcliff, Morgan, Beau, and my parents are all in attendance. No, the place isn’t that big, which is why Morgan and my mom are on the bed with me. I’m sitting up with my legs crossed to give them space. No one mentions my night-time excursion.

  I recount what happened when I encountered the HoLFs, including how the weapon worked.

  “Jim said they can build more,” Mom says.

  “How many and how soon?” Radcliff asks.

  “Enough for the security team, but it’s going to take a few days.”

  “What about if we increase the number of people working on them?”

  “We already did,” Dad says. “They’re tripping over each other. Plus there’s only so much they can do.”

  “How long will the batteries on those floodlights last?”

  “A couple nights, but we have extras. Plus we installed a bunch of ones that are plugged in behind the others just in case. The lights should work until the weapons are ready,” Dad says.

  And they’re all failing to see a bigger problem. “Even with the weapons, the officers can’t see the HoLFs,” I say.

  “Does it matter?” Morgan asks. “Can’t they just aim at the shadows?”

  “It’s more complicated than that. The HoLFs I shot were close to me and I aimed at their core.”

  “We’ll just have to do the best we can.” Radcliff glances at his notes.

  “It’s not going to work. We need the team to see the enemy. We need to get to the Warrior hearts.”

  Everyone looks at me.

  “No, too dangerous,” Radcliff says.

  “Please hear me out.” When no one protests, I continue. “I know we don’t have any evidence that touching the heart is the reason I can see them. But, think about it, it’s the only play we have left.” I explain how we can reach the hearts.

  Once again, I’m the center of attention. I’d feel special except the expressions are not ones of awe and amazement over my grand plan. My idea is quickly vetoed. Too bad.

  Radcliff moves on to another topic, asking Beau about the base’s power.

  “The lab is cut off from the rest of the base,” Beau says. “I can’t get it back into the grid. All the other labs and housing units are fine for now. I still don’t know why the power went out. The last time the HoLFs attacked, they cut the electrical wires going into the pits. And they chewed through the floodlights in the lab because they were plugged in. But it’s not so easy to do that for the rest of the archeology lab. Those wires are behind walls.” He glances at me. “I’m hoping Junior Officer Lawrence will be able to assist me today.”

  “The doctor said she’ll be discharged this afternoon,” Mom says.

  “I can help you, Beau, but I’m not leaving the infirmary until Niall wakes up,” I say. And just in case they forgot, I add, “I can access the Q-net anywhere.”

  Everyone looks at Radcliff as if he alone has the power to persuade me. I’d be more amused that my parents believe this as well, but I’m preparing to dig in my heels for some major resistance.

  “As long as you’re not in the nurses’ and doctors’ way,” Radcliff says, surprising me.

  The meeting breaks up. Beau and I plan to connect in the Q-net at thirteen hundred hours. My mother fetches me a couple clean uniforms and personal supplies. When I’m discharged, I settle in Niall’s room.

  Elese vacates the chair, handing me the portable. “That’s one crazy story. I hope I didn’t give him nightmares.”

  I open my mouth to reply, but my thoughts have snagged on her comment about nightmares. I wonder…

  I’ve no memory of Elese leaving. Taking Niall’s hand, I tell him I’m here. Then I stare at the screen behind him. It’s twelve thirty so I have half an hour. His name is at the top: Niall S. Radcliff. I don’t know what the S stands for. Huh. Does that mean I’m a bad girlfriend? I shake my head and concentrate, accessing the Q-net.

  And am surrounded by medical programs. No surprise given my location. Although tempted to read through Niall’s medical file, I worm into my perceptive cluster. I focus on Niall. He died during surgery. Did he fly in the Q-net during that time like I did? Perhaps he’s lost and can’t get back to his body. But the Q-net’s as vast as the Milky Way Galaxy…well that’s how it feels to me. How can I—

  NOT HERE, the Q-net says.

  My relief wars with shock over the Q-net communicating with me again. I’d been hoping that other time was just a fluke, or my overactive imagination kicking in. My first impulse is to disentangle, but I pause. Within the Q-net is a massive amount of information. There are surface programs that will search through it, but I suspect asking the Q-net directly might yield better results. Although I have to admit, it’s either the craziest thing I’ve contemplated—on par with asking the bureau which drawer my socks are in—or the scariest.

  What are the Hostile Life Forms? I ask.

  HERE. The Q-net deposits a file in the cluster.

  I don’t waste time thinking about why or how that worked. Instead, I check the file. It’s one of Lan’s. And not just any one, but the one reporting on her translations of the alien symbols. It was one of the missing files from Planet Xinji that Jarren deleted. Yet here it is and it’s complete. Amusement flows over me. It’s official, I’m going crazy. Not only is the Q-net interacting with me, I’m imagining it has emotions. Beau enters the cluster. I’m here.

  Giggles threaten to unhinge me over him echoing the Q-net.

  He notices the file. What’s this?

  I wait a beat.

  Stars! Where did you find this?

  In the Q-net.

  Not funny, Ara. Getting this file is huge.

  I know. The Q-net gave it to me.

  Silence. How?

  I asked.

  Beau sighs. We’ll worry about it later. Right now, we need to figure out the power situation so it doesn’t happen again.

  I agree. We worm through the base’s maintenance programs. Beau shows me the wiring schematic and how the power is distributed throughout the base. At first, they appear normal, but I look closer. Jarren’s fingerprints are all over. And it appears—

  Stars!

  What did you find? Beau asks.

  Jarren wormed the base’s power programs. He’s the one who turned off all the lights in the archeology lab. And…

  There’s an and?

  Unfortunately. He’s programmed the entire base’s power to turn off in stages.

  Stages?

  Yes. Starting at the stairwell, more labs will lose power each night until the entire base goes completely dark.

  When?

  In four days.

  Seventeen

  2522:240

  Four days until we lose all power? Beau asks, his thoughts shrill with panic.

  That’s what Jarren’s worm shows.

  Why do it in stages?

  My guess is so it appears to be a glitch and not outright
sabotage.

  Can you stop it?

  Can I? I scan the threads of his worm. It’s super complex and woven in deep. I’m not sure. And if I do, it will alert Jarren that we found it.

  Don’t touch it. We need to report to Radcliff.

  All right. Where’s he at?

  On the way to the infirmary. I’ll meet you both there.

  We disentangle. Niall’s hand is now in both of mine and I’m pressing it to my heart, which is thumping hard enough for the vibrations to reach my fingertips. I relax my death grip on Niall, but don’t let go, then I sit on the edge of his bed.

  “You’re not going to believe this,” I say to Niall. Talking aloud helps organize my frightened and chaotic thoughts. “Jarren, the murdering looter, is planning on killing us all. He’s going to use the shadow-blobs to do his murdering for him. Why now? Good question. He knows we escaped his blockade and that DES is searching for him. Jarren wants this planet without us on it. Probably to use the Warriors. And time’s running out.”

  “Time’s running out for what?” Radcliff asks as he enters the room.

  I explain what Beau and I learned. Radcliff’s expression darkens. It promises pain to anyone stupid enough to cross him. I’m glad it’s not aimed at me.

  “Why wait?” he asks.

  “He’s either sadistic or he’s hoping we’re too busy fighting HoLFs to notice he wormed the power.”

  “How hard was it to find his worm?”

  “Hard. I don’t think anyone else could have spotted it.”

  “But you think Jarren is hoping that by spreading the power outages over five nights, we won’t think to look for a worm.”

  “Yes.”

  “Can you stop it?”

  “Maybe, but if I do, it might alert Jarren.”

  “And he’ll try another tactic to kill us.” Radcliff scrubs a hand over his face. “What’s the perimeter of tonight’s blackout?”

  I grab the portable and pull up a map of the base. Then I connect with the Q-net—it’s getting easier to do—and have it show the areas for each night in different colors. I hand the device to Radcliff.