Grand Cross

by Merethe Walther

  “Well, ‘veens are out,” said Kita, gesturing to the left-hand side.

  The line to get into town in a ‘veen drone was much shorter than the regular crowd, but UDA agents were scanning each vehicle and searching every bag.

  There were dozens and dozens of people waiting to get into the city’s main gates, however, and only two irritated-looking UDA guards monitored the crows. They chose people to scan with their security wands from the gathering at random. Occasionally, someone would be sent over to an agent hanging off to the right side, but for the most part, the two guards simply scanned and shouted for them to move on without paying much attention.

  “Looks like we were right,” Aralyn said. “They’re being lazy.”

  “Don’t count your eggs,” Apollo warned. “Or the chickens will never hatch.”

  No one bothered to correct him on the proper expression, including Caden, which Aralyn thought spoke volumes as to their tension. Besides, she realized, he wasn’t wrong.

  They shuffled forward into the line, moving slowly as even more people joined from the dock after them. Aralyn recalled a theme park she’d gotten to visit with her boarding school one year during vacation. The lines to get into Aliena felt much like those lines… but there certainly was no waterslide waiting for her on the other side of Aliena’s fences.

  She tried to keep her face pleasantly schooled, perhaps mildly interested in what was taking so long, and cast quick glances around at the others, who all appeared to be doing the same. Kita’s grip on Dror’s hand was tight, but otherwise, everything looked normal, and their faces were hidden under the masks.

  We’ve got this, we’ve got this, she told herself, even as the guards made their way down the line, security wands in hand. As they drew nearer, Aralyn felt sweat beading beneath the mask on her neck and also along her forehead. Considering the chill nip of the air, it was certainly unusual. One guard to her left unexpectedly changed course and headed straight for them. Aralyn tried to move farther to the right, but he pointed at her with his baton, motioning her over.

  “You―ma’am,” he said.

  Aralyn, throat dry, couldn’t speak. She pointed her herself, feeling her finger shake as she tried to verify that he was talking to her, but the guard rolled his eyes and instead pushed past her to an older woman behind her on the right whose mask wasn’t quite attached to her face properly. Aralyn’s heart nearly pummeled her ribcage into dust. It took everything in her to keep moving her feet one after another, mechanically making her way into the city.

  Kita sidled up next to her once they’d gotten out of earshot of the guard. “I’m not gonna lie, I nearly peed myself when he did that.”

  Aralyn licked her lips and cleared her throat. “Honestly, I’m not so sure I didn’t.”

  Once they broke through the gates, her next steps were to not put her head between her knees to fight the rising nausea that clamped down hard on her stomach. The inner portion of Aliena was pleasantly modern, though slightly more utilitarian and Spartan than other similar cities Aralyn had visited. There was one main street for people to pass through, and it held shops on either side, restaurants, and even a couple of entertainment places to pick from. Of course there was also an enormous UDA substation near the center of the main street, which everyone carefully seemed to avoid.

  ‘Veen drones, paths for the public transit bus lines, and small hovercrafts stayed in their designated lanes, all while keeping foot traffic to the left. It was a busy, bustling city that reminded her of her time with Kragg on Mars, but Aralyn was surprised to find the memories didn’t quite feel like “home” anymore. Potted plants―designed to improve on oxygen production, said the plaques in front of each of their bases―dotted the street just like the ones in front of Kragg’s house. But the similarities only brought her sorrow.

  They pushed through the crowd, making their way along toward the tram lines a couple of kilometers from the front of the town. One voice kept buffering against Aralyn’s ear as they walked, but at first she’d paid it no mind. Finally, the distraction took root as they approached the UDA outpost where a pleasant female voice was running through a list of names and stating crimes while a 3D hologram photo of each criminal floated beside it. It had drawn a smallish crowd, but mostly people who looked like they were simply interested in the announcements rather than on the bounty it was offering for the people involved.

  “Damn, they even have nicer shout boxes here,” Kita said.

  “Yeah, well let’s go before we see our faces flash on it,” Aralyn replied.

  They moved quickly, and Kita was forced to pick Dror up and carry him to keep pace. It took approximately twenty minutes to reach the line for the trams to other parts of the station, which was bustling with even more people than the gates. In the distance to their left, several dozen kilometers away, were the tallest structures Aralyn had seen on the moon, towering buildings that were likely living space, factories, and other rentable commercial spaces. Ganymede’s main “tourist” district was the one they’d just passed through, so everything else would be strictly business usage―it wouldn’t surprise her if every apartment there was owned by one company or another to supply housing for their workers. There was a large holo-field shimmering faintly over the buildings, likely to protect people from the cold and thin atmosphere.

  To the right of the tram station, however, were residential buildings, squat and nearly yurt-like, huddled close together, probably to save on electrical cording or need to drill too deep into the icy ground. No doubt many of the lower-level UDA agents were housed there in an effort to make their rotations on Ganymede as easy to deal with as possible. Beyond these small buildings, however, was a fenced in property near the back of a ten-foot holo-field that wrapped completely around the two-story house’s lot and only opened from the road. The entire city was bathed in heat lamps that lit it up like daylight and helped reduce some of the chill the thin atmosphere couldn’t chase off.

  Aralyn noted with a quickening of her step that there were no guards occupying the property at all, though some men strolled through the streets, laughing and chatting together beneath their air masks.

  Caden put a hand on Aralyn’s shoulder, slowing her down. “We need to look like tourists,” he reminded her. If we walk straight through company housing, it’ll be kind of suspicious, you know?”

  “Right,” said Kita. “We’ll hang out with the tram riders for a minute then.”

  “Actually,” Aralyn said, “Kita, go and grab some clothes for Dror―proper ones that fit. Otherwise we’re gonna stand out bad in a crowd of parents with their kids.”

  They turned and surveyed the gathering group of people together, and Kita nodded her head. “Sounds good. We’ll be back in twenty.”

  As they marched off, a palpable look of relief crossed Riordan’s face. “Please tell me that was to get the two of them out of the way,” he asked.

  Aralyn glared at him. She’d been contemplating the very same thing; how easy it would be to send Kita away for Dror’s sake, but she shook her head, and storm clouds rolled back into Riordan’s sight.

  “Don’t forget,” Aralyn said, dropping her voice low and stepping close to him, “she’s wanted. If someone happens to see a picture of an Asian woman with blonde hair pop up on that screen, you think they won’t recognize her?”

  Apollo added, “Our leaving her here without her knowledge could put them both in danger. They will be able to find safety once we’re inside, I’m certain.”

  “Why are you even still here?” Riordan snapped at him. “Don’t you have shit to steal and other people’s lives to destroy?”

  “Rio!” Aralyn spat. “Chill out right now, or I swear to Helios you’ll be the one left behind.” She poked a finger into his chest. “You’ve been freaking out about Kita this whole trip. She’ll be fine. Back. Off.”

  Riordan stepped back and raised his arms in a dismissive motion, then wandered over to join the herd of people waiting for the tram with
out another word.

  “What the hell is his problem recently?” Aralyn seethed once he was gone.

  “Kita’s right. He’s been off. Maybe the stress is getting to him,” said Caden. “Just let him have a minute. We’ll grab him when Kita comes back.” He leaned against the rail along the side of a building. “I hate to say it, but he might be right, you know. About leaving her with the kid here.”

  “Don’t think I didn’t consider it,” Aralyn said. “But we’re not leaving her in the ship, and we’re definitely not leaving her here surrounded by UDA.”

  Caden gave a nod of his head and fell silent. Kita was back in only a few minutes, and Dror was wearing a tiny white thermal shirt, a black jacket, a pair of khaki pants, and a set of boots that fit his feet properly. He stopped in front of Aralyn and beamed up at her while she told him how great his outfit looked. Apollo smirked and then pointed between the two of them until Aralyn noticed what he was laughing about.

  Dror’s outfit looked exactly like hers, down to the khaki pants and black boots.

  “Looks like you’ve gained an admirer,” Apollo said, suppressing a laugh.

  Aralyn, not sure whether to be worried or flattered, waved them onward as the tram slid into the station and the entire area went abuzz to get in line. With all the people moving around, pushing at each other and running for the terminal, it would be a great time for a group of visitors to “wander off” somewhere and wind up in the safe house.

  “Grab Rio,” she said as they slipped out of the crowd. “We’re going in.”

  Chapter Eleven

  The safe house was similar to the other yurt-like structures around it but for one thing: its exceptional size. The two-story house was easily five or six times the size of any of the other homes, like it was meant for a mayor or some government official rather than just another UDA agent.

  “They use this place to house diplomats and UDA board members coming to explore the station or give an inspection,” Caden explained.

  Along with a strangely green―painted green, not grass―yard, the safe house featured a small covered porch in the middle of the modular structure and was the same slightly-brown chalk color as everything else on the dusty moon. There were a couple of windows, but the sheen of purple holo-field along their panes said they were likely there to prevent scanners, not just seal in air. Beyond it to the left side was an opaque greenhouse almost as large as the rest of the safe house.

  As they crossed the boundary into the yard, Kita and Rio monitored the system for any changes, alarms―silent or otherwise―and made sure that the only video cameras there were on a loop. The front door held an encoded keypad to the right, alongside a digital scanner that would allow fingerprints to gain access if someone didn’t have the code.

  Caden approached the door cautiously, hesitating as he held his palm over the keypad. “I don’t know if this will set off any alarms if it’s wrong.”

  “We can intercept before it triggers,” Kita assured him. “And if it doesn’t work, there’s at least one back up.”

  Caden blew out a breath and keyed in a quick six-digit code. Two angry chirps greeted him, and the door didn’t open.

  “Again,” Kita instructed.

  Dutifully, he punched the numbers back in. The same sounds chirped back, and he shook his head. “They’ve changed the access codes. Probably because of me.”

  “You think?” Rio groused, pulling a tablet out from his waist satchel. “Move aside.”

  Riordan knelt in front of the door with his tablet―a more powerful, modified version of the one that he’d had before Taav confiscated Caden’s old ship―and held it up next to the keypad. He ran the cracking code, casting a nervous glance over his shoulder every so often. Aralyn and Kita helped block him from view while Caden and Apollo kept point, Caden facing behind as a lookout, and Apollo scanning the interior through the windows for any movement.

  “Kita, can you check for any nasty surprises Eladia might be hiding inside on the network?” Aralyn asked.

  Kita let go of Dror’s hand, and he reached up and grabbed hold of Aralyn’s, beaming up at her the whole while. Nervously, she smiled back and returned a loose grip on his hand, feeling like she was handling a live wire for the first time and had no idea what to do with it.

  “He really likes you,” Kita said, tapping into the clear tablet.

  “I have no idea why,” Aralyn muttered.

  “I remember back on Earth―before I was sold,” Kita said, “there was this old homeless woman in the alley next to the brothel where my mom worked. She used to call me “Dandelion,” because my hair was always in puffy brambles. At first I wouldn’t go near her because she scared me; she was all broken teeth and dirty clothes. But then one day, she asked if I wanted to hear a song. Her voice was so lovely I wasn’t afraid of her anymore.” She shrugged. “I ended up sitting with her every day Mom was working. She’d braid my hair and tell me about when her daughter was little.” She frowned at the tablet. “I miss her, sometimes.” Kita shrugged. “Kids just get that way, y’know?” She continued watching the scripts running over the screen and shook her head to signify that nothing was waiting to ambush them.

  The lack of visible deterrents for keeping people out seemed unusual to Aralyn. Yes, the UDA was clearly being lax, given that the entire station was staffed with straight-out-of-the-academy hopefuls, but this was just too easy. In under two minutes, Riordan’s cracker made a happy beep and the pad beside the door lit green. He stood and turned to face them.

  “We’re in.”

  Aralyn looked to the others, gathered conformational nods, and then gently pulled free of Dror’s hand and pushed past Riordan to the doorway. Kita tried to follow directly after Aralyn, but she held up a hand to stop her.

  “Kita, once we get in there, can you and Dror hang back and cover our asses? We need a lookout on the door,” Aralyn said.

  Dror’s presence complicated things. No, they couldn’t have left him on the ship, nor could they have left Kita behind. The chances were better for protecting him if they could keep them somewhere safe without making Kita feel as though she was being punished for saving him.

  Kita nodded and drew her rifle from her back. “You got it.”

  Caden and Apollo came forward next, each drawing their personal weapons and keeping them hidden by their sides. Riordan backed up to let the people carrying weapons pass ahead of him, then picked up his tablet once more.

  “Rio, you’re with us, keeping an eye on the system,” Aralyn said. “Any funny business, you let us know right away, okay?”

  He nodded and pushed his glasses up onto his nose. “Understood.”

  “Caden, Apollo, with me.”

  The three of them fell into a triangular position as Aralyn pressed the door release and it slid open silently. She quickly swept the room with her handgun, and, finding the entryway empty except for a few potted plants and various knick-knacks along a large table near a mirror, stepped into the house. They each removed their masks as they entered, letting them rest around their necks and allowed the battery packs to recharge.

  “Nice digs,” Kita said, whistling appreciatively under her breath.

  Though the house seemed to maintain a modern, sparse appearance, there was obvious care put into the decorations and the furniture that suggested quite a bit of money had gone into its design. To the right of the foyer was a sitting room with sleek white couches, a glass table between them, and on the wall were pictures of UDA board members who’d visited attached to the wall beside a large vid screen with the UDA insignia scrolling by on it. Of the photos, one of Proctor Madigan stood out sharply from the rest. Aralyn shuddered even at his picture; she would never forget the look of those shrewd eyes boring into her above his holo-modded pince-nez.

  Caden caught sight of the picture, frowned, and turned away before Aralyn could get a good read on him. She wanted to make sure he understood on the off-chance they did run into his father, he couldn’t just put a h
ole through his middle, but she’d done her preaching on the ship. There was no point in saying anything more. Either he’d become a liability, or he’d help them get through this. She hoped it would be the latter, but this hollow-faced boy was someone she didn’t quite recognize.

  To their left was an ornate metal table with thin rods interwoven to create a lattice effect beneath the glass top. It easily could have seated fifteen people, but there were only six chairs clustered along the huge geometric area rug beneath it. The hardwood floors were silent as they crept across them, something for which Aralyn was grateful. Kita closed the door and relocked it from the inside, then set up camp in the sitting room below the window. She looked to the others and tapped her ear, then tapped the comm button on the tablet. The soft scrape of her finger on the plastic reverberated through Aralyn’s ear and she gave a thumbs-up. Caden and Apollo did the same. Riordan just nodded. She stood and hurried over to Aralyn, pinning a small camera to her lapel.

  “Something I picked up in the shop with Dror,” she whispered. “I figured you would want me to hang back.” She showed her tablet to Aralyn, and the picture of Kita holding the tablet up ad infinitum in the screen came through clearly. “Good luck in there. If you need anything, you know I’ll be right there.”

  Aralyn gave her a smile and clapped her shoulder. “Thanks. Seriously.” She lowered herself to the floor and brought herself to eye-level with Dror. “Keep Kita safe for me, okay? I need you to watch out for us here.”

  Dror, whose mouth had been drawn down into a pout as they entered, grinned broadly and nodded, his head pumping happily up and down. Aralyn smiled at him and patted him on the head.

  “Good job.”