“I’ve got to stay. Ansun actually listens to me now as long as I’m pretending to help him.”
The bartender came out from behind the bar and walked over. “Can I get you some more drinks? Looks like you three are becoming fast friends.”
“I have to go,” Mira said.
“We’ll have just two more then,” Lainie said.
I wanted to argue with Mira, to tell her she couldn’t sacrifice herself, because I was sure that would be the end result.
We waited until the man had gone back to the bar.
“He’s going to know you’ve tricked him once he realizes Cadia is gone,” I said. “What happens then?”
“He won’t know. He never sees her. She’s with the other children. No one will tell him. They’re all trying to help me. Are you going to help me or not? Do you want to hear the rest of my plan? Otherwise, I can leave right now.”
“Quinn?” Lainie asked.
I sighed. “Okay, we’re in.”
“Once I get Decker inside, I’ll need you to find a way to meet us outside the dome. It’s about ten kilometers, but you can’t go down the main road. Ansun has guards posted along it. You’ll have to find a different route and some sort of vehicle to get there through the snow.”
“We’ll find a way,” I said. I saw the bartender coming back with the drinks.
Mira stood up. “Tell Decker to come to the employment center tomorrow morning. It’s down the street, and it has a sign on it.” She walked away before the bartender got to the table.
“Too bad,” he said, putting the drinks down. “Though you got further than most.”
I forced myself to remember I was playing tourist. I shrugged and tossed some money on the table. “That’s the way it goes. We’re done here.”
Lainie got up. “Nice place,” she said.
Once we got outside, Lainie put her arm in mine. “Are you okay? You look kind of dazed.”
I felt more frustrated than dazed. “I’ve been waiting so long to see Mira, but that wasn’t what I thought it was going to be.”
“I know, but at least we saw her. We know she’s here, and we know there’s a way to get her and Cadia out. That’s tremendous, when you think about it.”
It was. I needed to stay focused on the point of the expedition. And Mira’s plan actually sounded like it might work.
Lainie looked around. “At least the man in the fur coat is gone,” she said. I’d forgotten all about him.
“Here, this is a good place to get some supplies.” She pulled me toward a shop that had a bunch of cold-weather gear in the window. “Let’s get some coats and then get back to the ship. We’ve got a lot of thinking to do if we’re going to come up with a way to meet Decker and Mira once they get Cadia out. We can’t just walk through all this snow.”
The clerk inside came over and immediately started talking. “You’ve come to the right place,” she said to Lainie. “I can see why you don’t want to destroy that beautiful coat hunting in the restricted zone. We’ve got some outerwear that will not only keep you warm but is top rated in radiation protection. It’s all the latest technology.”
It appeared our hunting story was going to work just fine.
The woman motioned to us to follow her over to a rack of winter coveralls and coats with hoods, each with a face mask and respirator attached to it.
“We’ve got some other friends with us. They need equipment too,” Lainie told her.
By the time we were done, we were burdened with several heavy packages. Luckily, Lainie had remembered Cadia would need cold-weather gear too. I hadn’t thought about that at all.
When we got back to the ship, the others were pacing the idle area with tense expressions on their faces.
“You should have worn gabbers,” Nic said. “We had no idea if you’d run into trouble. Did you find out anything?”
“Do you want to tell them or should I?” Lainie asked, smiling.
“You tell them,” I said. I wanted some time to consider what problems we might run into. This time I was going to think things through a little more carefully than I had in the past.
Lainie launched into a long explanation, pausing many times as the others peppered her with questions. She summed everything up and turned to Decker. “And I thought of something to add to the plan. We’ll send Samson with you as sort of a helper. If there is any trouble, he can get in the dome’s system and alter it as needed.” She beamed. “Good idea, right?”
It sounded good until I looked over at Samson. “But even if Samson forms a hologram of a different person so Ansun or other Fosaanians won’t recognize him, he won’t be complete. I think they’ll notice if he’s missing a foot or a shoulder. And what if someone bumps into him? As soon as they do, they’ll realize he’s not human. He can’t make himself solid.”
Lainie snapped her fingers. “He doesn’t need to take human form. We’ll disguise him as a different kind of bot. We’ll put him in a tech-bot shell. That makes more sense anyway. They’ll have to hire Decker if he has his own tech bot. I’m sure Samson can make his voice sound more robotic.”
“I can do that,” Samson said. I should have realized the MI was taking in everything we were saying. “This is how they speak.” The MI listed off a series of instructions on how to repair a water purifier in the droning voice of a tech bot. It was a perfect imitation, which wasn’t really surprising given an MI’s capabilities.
“This sounds quite exciting,” Samson said. “Is this considered what is referred to as ‘going undercover’?”
Lainie laughed. “Yes, that’s exactly what it is.”
I glanced over at Decker. He had a pained expression on his face, but he didn’t protest.
“Where are we going to get a tech-bot shell?” Javen asked.
I could tell from how Lainie’s face lit up that she was very excited by the idea. “That won’t be a problem,” she said. “A place like this would have a used-bot shop. The bots I’ve noticed around town are all ancient. I’m sure they just keep repairing the ones they have for as long as they can.”
Divana, who had been listening to us, spoke up. “Tell the Fosaanian girl she’ll have to pay for a ride on my ship for her and her sister. The payment is technical specs on any improved robots. I’m sure Ansun has hired some people to work on them.”
“We’ll pay for both Mira and Cadia,” I said, angry that she was so greedy. She’s already been paid far above the going rate for passengers, even with the trip to Earth.
Divana’s eyes were glittering. “No you won’t,” she said to me. “That’s the price I set. Technical specs. That’s the price they’ll pay.”
“What if he hasn’t managed to improve them?” Javen asked.
“I hear he has. Rumor is that a small shipment of three MIs went out two days ago.”
I wasn’t sure I believed that. Ansun couldn’t get a production facility up and running that fast. “Okay,” I agreed, though I had no intention of letting Divana get ahold of those specs. The MIs had already caused enough chaos in the galaxy. I wasn’t going to make it easy for her to produce more. I hadn’t come up with a way to get the specs myself, but I was going to try.
Decker hadn’t said much. It was always hard to read his expression. He looked serious but not scared. In the past he’d always come through and did what needed to be done despite all the grumbling.
“I’m worried that some Fosaanian is going to recognize Decker,” Lainie said. “A lot of them saw him when you went to their village, and then they saw him again on the beach. Even if he’s just in and out of the dome in a short amount of time, he’s still going to run into Fosaanians.”
“We’ll disguise him a little,” Nic said. “I learned some techniques on Reyet so people who knew me when I lived there wouldn’t recognize me. Most people notice hair and skin color first. It’s tough to do a major skin color change, but hair color and style is easy. I have a kit. We’ll change the
shape of his eyes slightly and maybe do something with his jawline. I’ll add in a tattoo or an eyebrow weave. That’s the sort of thing people notice first, and then they don’t look much beyond that.”
“No eyebrow weaves,” Decker said.
Nic sighed. “Okay, but you’re going to have to let me make you look really different, even if you don’t like the results. It’s the only way you’ll be safe.”
He looked pained, but he nodded his agreement.
While Lainie and Decker went out to find a tech-bot shell, I sat with Nic, Wren, and Javen in the Z lounge trying to come up with a plan to get to the dome. Wren had a map of the area up on the slip.
“We’ll have to go into the exclusion zone if we can’t use the road,” Nic said. “The border comes almost right up to it.”
“At least we don’t have to go very far in, and that close to the edge should be fairly safe. We’ll have the right anti-radiation wear, and we won’t be there long.” I saw what looked like a tube snaking around the other side of the mountain. “What’s this?”
“I looked it up,” Wren said. “It’s something called a vactram system. They used it to get supplies to all factory domes. It’s been closed up for years ever since the last factory shut down. But part of it goes through the exclusion zone because it was the best route. The people who built it all wore heavy duty protection suits, but then once it was built and they went away, no one wanted to go in and repair any problems.”
“We don’t know how Mira is planning to get Cadia out.” Nic said. “I wonder if she can get inside access to this. That would make things a lot simpler.”
“I don’t understand. What is it exactly?” Javen said. “There was nothing like that on Reyet.”
“It’s an above-ground tunnel, so small trains can go back and forth between the factory and the port,” Wren said.
Nic’s gabber pinged. She had insisted that Decker and Lainie take gabbers with them, but I hadn’t expected them to need it until I heard Lainie’s voice.
“Quinn, are you there?”
“Yes, what’s wrong?”
“You should come to the Star Palace.” Her voice sounded strained. “We’re here.”
“Why? What’s going on?”
“Just come find us. Right away.” The communication cut off.
Chapter Eighteen
“I’m coming with you,” Javen said as he got up.
“Me too,” Nic added.
“I don’t need bodyguards,” I said.
“Decker and Lainie might. Let’s go.”
It only took us a few minutes to get to the bar. The place was still nearly empty except for the same two musicians. I spotted Lainie first. She and Decker were seated at a table at the very back. There was someone else with them. Not Mira—someone much bigger.
As I got closer, I saw a dark fur coat flung over a chair. Lainie looked up at us, and the person turned around. It was the man who had been following us. He stood up. He was a stocky man, probably ten years or so older than us.
“I didn’t expect there to be so many of you,” he said, looking at Nic and Javen.
“What do you want?” I tried to keep my voice casual, like I wasn’t all that interested in him. “We’re kind of busy.” Decker and Lainie both had worried expressions on their faces.
“I think we should talk, Mr. Neen.” The man motioned to the seat next to Lainie.
Mr. Neen. He knew who I was. The sounds around me faded away as I tried to keep my face expressionless.
“What do you want?” I finally managed to choke out. “No, wait. I know what you want. How much?”
He shook his head. “I don’t want money.”
“How did you know who I was?” Not that it mattered at that point, but I had to know.
“I thought you looked familiar, so I did an image search. I do one for anyone who shows up here looking out of place, and you all definitely look out of place. Your individual image came up with a name I didn’t recognize, but I searched a little deeper, did some group image searches. I found a picture of your family, with your grandfather. I did a few articles on him a while ago.”
I sighed. Wren and I hadn’t thought of everything.
He motioned to the chair again. I sat down. He brought over two more chairs for Javen and Nic. “You two should sit. You’ll attract notice if you stand there glaring at me.”
They sat, though they were still glaring at him.
He held out his hand to me. I shook it though I didn’t want to. “Illarion Minsk,” he said. “So, if you don’t mind me asking, what are you doing here?”
“I do mind you asking, since it’s none of your business, but it’s no secret. We’re going to go hunting.”
“I saw you buying coats. You came here to hunt and didn’t bring any gear?”
I leaned back and tried to look like a bored rich kid. “We came on a whim. We were at a beach and got bored. So here we are.”
I could tell from his expression he didn’t believe me. I almost added some more bits about how bored we were, but I knew talking too much would tip him off that we were trying to convince him.
“I don’t believe that. I’ve seen rich kids. You don’t act like them. And there are other reasons I don’t believe you.” He tapped one finger in the palm of his hand. “One, this area has been quiet for years, aside from the usual people on the run who come here to hide out and some experienced trophy hunters. Plus, you came in on a freighter instead of a passenger liner. That’s two.” Another tap. “Was that a whim as well?” He didn’t wait for an answer. “And three, one of the factory domes has been put back into use very recently and very quickly. Odd coincidence, two unexplained events in a place where everything is easily explained.”
He leaned forward. “I want in on whatever this is. I’ll help you. I know the area. Whatever you are doing has to be very interesting, or Admiral Neen’s grandson would never be out here in the middle of nowhere so close to an exclusion zone.”
“Why do you want to help us?” Decker sounded as dubious as I felt. “Are you sure you don’t want money?”
“I’m a freelance journalist, and I smell a story here. A big story. I did some checking. Admiral Neen’s grandson has been off the grid now for more than two years. There’s no casual mention of you in any school news, Mr. Neen, sports news or any news. That’s not entirely unusual. Famous people pay to have records scrubbed all the time to keep their whereabouts under wraps, though they almost always miss some of the more obscure mentions. But I can’t find any mention of you at all.”
He smiled. I could tell he was pleased with himself. “I also checked your age. You should be at a military training academy now with the new rules lowering the age. And yet here you are, sitting in a bar in the middle of nowhere. Forgive me for pointing out something obvious. I don’t see any adults with you. No security. No nothing.” He motioned to my eyepatch. “And what’s the story with that? Your most recent images don’t include an eyepatch.” He leaned back and waited for me to say something. I had to admit he had made some good deductions.
“So, what’s a journalist doing near an exclusion zone?” I asked. “I assume you don’t just hang around the bar, waiting for a story. You’d be waiting a long time in the middle of nowhere, as you refer to this place.”
“I grew up here. I come back because my grandfather is ill. It wasn’t as if I was hoping to find a story here, but when one falls in your lap, you don’t toss it away.”
“I thought they didn’t let journalists come near exclusion zones without special permission,” Decker said. I hadn’t known that, but it made sense.
“They don’t. I’m not listed as a journalist on my identification data.”
“How did you manage that?” Nic asked. She sounded very suspicious. I realized I was falling for his story, but if he couldn’t convince Nic, he probably wasn’t who he said he was.
He rubbed his fingers together. “Paying the right
people the right amount of money. It makes it possible for me to come back for visits. I thought it was going to be a quiet trip home until my grandfather told me about some rumors of strange arrivals and the old factory reopening for mysterious reasons. And stranger still is that hardly anyone leaves it to come into town.”
“I thought that was the point of living and working in a factory dome,” Lainie said. “You don’t have to leave it.”
“You don’t have to, but people still do, especially the younger ones who want more excitement. It’s clear the owner has a lot of money. Shipments come in almost every day. Everyone is curious about who they are and how they got it up and running so fast. All the people in at once too, families and all. Usually companies get up to speed first and then bring in the families. I can’t find any registered business entity for that site. That’s odd. Something always comes up in supply shipments. You can’t wipe all the records. I know, because I’m very good at researching.”
You could wipe records if you had an MI, I thought, but didn’t say out loud. Ansun was certainly putting his to good use.
Minsk’s story sounded reasonable. I looked over at Nic. “Do you believe him?” I asked her.
She leaned forward and spoke to the man. “I suppose if we do our own background check on you, we’ll find you really do have a grandfather here.”
“Yes,” he said. “Go ahead.”
“I need to think,” I said.
“Fair enough. How about I buy us all a round of drinks?” The man motioned to the bartender and then pointed at us. “He’ll bring us something imported. He knows I don’t drink any of the local brews. Who knows how contaminated they are?”
“Wonderful,” Decker said, shifting around in his seat as if radiation were decaying all around him.
The bartender carried over the drinks on a tray. “New friends, Illarion?” he asked.
“Yes,” the man said. “You know me. I crave novelty.”
“Don’t tell him your secrets,” the bartender said to us, “or you’ll find them published somewhere.”
Paradox Hunt Page 19