Dad stills. I’m not even sure he’s breathing. “You brought my lab?”
I fill him in on all the details from today: Hirata and Cooper’s executions; how Hammond took over and swayed the World Senate; about Dr. Abbot and Dr. Jonas from his team, who are now working for Hammond; and I tell him about the Alku supporters who are on their way out of the city and plan to hide at the Tahm Range.
“Jonas and Abbot would never work for Hammond unless they were forced to.” Dad pinches the bridge of his nose. “How did we get here? I should have been on Arcadia to convince the Senate.”
“You would probably really be dead. At least with your lab here, you can continue your work.”
“What about Matt Owens? You didn’t mention him. I need his assistance.”
“We might have some of his data . . . but he didn’t make it.”
Dad’s expression crumbles in disappointment.
“Do you think you could complete the experiment with the portal device at the lab—if you had all of Owens’s data?”
Dad nods. “Possibly. But tell me again, how did you bring my entire lab here?”
I pull the Starfire he gave me from my shirt and present it to him. “I used this.”
“One crystal was able to do that?”
Not wanting to waste time, I pilot Dad up toward the hill and the lab’s entrance, which is wide open.
“This is amazing, Cassi. Your ability is beyond what I know even the Alku can do with the Starfire. I’ve been able to bring a few small items to me and send the apples across to the Alku side, but that’s it. Bringing a whole building inside the Intersection is something else entirely.”
“It must be because my Starfire is from the Intersection.”
Dad stops me and places his hands on my shoulders. “There’s a possibility the answer might be you.”
I furrow my eyebrows, confused. Could my connection to Javen be doing this?
Before I can ask any more questions, Dad squeezes my shoulders and his eyes grow distant. “I have an idea for the Hirata supporters.”
He hurries toward the lab’s opening.
“Welcome, Cassiopeia and Richard Foster,” my mother’s voice sounds.
Dad stops and stares at the walls as recognition hits him. The distracted look he had a moment ago falls away.
“Why did I ever make that AI?” he asks.
I offer him a sad shrug.
“The whole thing was a joke for your mom. She had teased me occasionally about how the lab was my girlfriend, so I had a friend program the AI to be her. I guess I had forgotten to disable the program.”
“Why didn’t Dr. Owens turn it off?”
Dad lifts a single shoulder in a slight shrug, like the one I had given him. “The program is fairly complex. He probably didn’t want to destroy any of the AI’s functionality.” He presses his lips together and then curses under his breath. “Why did Owens have to die, too? I need him here.” Pain flashes in his gaze again, and then he briefly closes his lids, as if in thought. He takes a settling breath and focuses on me once more. “I think I know enough, and with your ability to channel the Starfire, I believe we can make it work.”
“Make what work?” I ask.
“Open a portal with only a small amount of Starfire energy and then move all the refugees into the Intersection.”
He turns in the hallway and steps toward the lab, but I grab his arm. “What if Hammond finds out about this place? Who knows what she might do with the Starfire from here?”
“Cassi, this is an emergency situation. Hammond will find those people, if they’re even still alive. I know her—she’s relentless.”
A shiver runs up my spine, and I know what Dad says is true. The caves will mean a day, maybe two, of safety. If Dad’s former team members are still on his side but are being forced to work for Hammond, they may try to throw her off the refugees’ scent for a short period of time. But his former team members can only hold out for so long before she realizes what they’re doing. They know everything about this planet, I’m sure, including the best places within range of Primaro for a large group of people to hide. And Hammond is well aware of their knowledge.
I study Dad, my eyes narrowing slightly. He seems mostly okay now. He was far different when I was here before. Maybe his body needed time to adjust to the Starfire. An urge to speak with Javen pulses hot through me. But time is short.
“Okay,” I say. “But only until we can figure out a better alternative. The Alku won’t even have to know that we’re bringing more Earthlings into the Intersection.”
Dad nods and guides me to the lab.
Inside, Max and Irene have a holographic screen activated, scrolling over data in the Earthscape program.
They both crane their necks our way and their tense jaws soften with relief.
“Dr. Foster,” Max says and stands.
“This is Irene and Max,” I say. “They both helped me through everything after the explosion.”
“You transported people and a building? Simultaneously?”
I nibble the inside of my lip, embarrassed. “Yeah, I did.”
Pride radiates from Dad’s smile and I swallow back my nerves. Then he turns and extends his hand to Max, who takes it, looking a bit starstruck.
“I appreciate you befriending Cassi,” Dad says to both of them.
“It hasn’t been easy,” Irene jokes, dissolving some of the seriousness in the room.
“I’ll bet,” Dad quips in reply. “Now what have we got here?” He looks at the display.
“This is the last known location of the refugees,” Max says. “My Connect went out when we crossed into the Intersection, so I’m trying to figure out why this other stuff all works in here.”
“Likely because everything is powered by Starfire energy,” Dad says. “When I came to Arcadia the first time and became aware of the Starfire, I had my team start working on figuring out how the crystal’s energy functioned. This lab was designed as a test facility. I saw how the Alku lived and wanted to integrate the ideas into human design and function.” Dad looks to me. “It was important to your mother.” Dad stares off as if he’s remembering something for a moment and then scratches his head. “May I have a seat?”
Irene stands and offers Dad her chair.
“Show me Project Renewal.”
“Verifying voice authorization,” the AI says. “Approved.”
Files fly onto the display and Dad studies them. He taps a few while swiping away others he doesn’t want.
“I’m accessing the lab’s power source, which is a combination of Starfire from each side of the Intersection. I found that using the two together was more efficient, and now I know why. They were partially mimicking the Starfire’s power inside the Intersection. Owens set everything up before he died.” He looks to me. “You said you have the destination coordinates of the refugees?”
“Everything is entered into the Earthscape program,” Irene says. “It gave their estimated location based on the last time Max was in contact with them.”
“Well, that will have to do,” Dad says and pairs the two programs together. “Nothing of this magnitude has been tested, but this should create a portal around our current location. Problem is, I have no idea how long the portal will remain open.”
“Maybe I can help with that,” I say, pulling the Starfire from under my shirt. The gem glows and pulses in my hand.
“Your help is what I’m counting on,” Dad says. “If you were able to pull the lab across the dimensions, I’m going to need you to visualize and yank in the vessels holding the refugees.”
“But this has never been tested,” Max says, his voice thick which concern. “It could totally backfire and hurt Cassi.”
I look to Dad, but he’s staring at the display. I’m pretty sure neither Max nor Irene sees, but for a brief second, cyan swirls in Dad’s eyes. The sight of it sends a shock into my stomach and firmly reminds me: the longer we are in the Intersection, the more we
are likely to be affected . . . good or bad.
But right now, the Intersection is our only option. The Starfire’s power, too.
“We have to try,” I say.
“That’s my girl.” Dad looks to me, his eyes now normal.
“Are you sure?” Max asks. “You don’t have to do this.”
“I’m sure,” I say.
“What can I do?” Irene asks.
“Can you keep this program running?” Dad asks and stands.
“No problem.” Irene takes his seat, studies the display and immediately gets to work.
Dad claps Max on the shoulder and leads him to the door. He gestures for me to follow. “The energy field should be building outside. My estimate? It’ll take no more than a minute or two to reach the right spot. Once the portal opens, I need you to reach your contact. Hopefully, they’re close and can get within range. The opening should allow the communication to get through.”
Outside, I’m immediately hit with a thick wave of energy. It’s as if we’re swimming through water. This is a sensation I’ve felt before, when Javen used the Starfire to cloak us from vision. The space around the lab emits a slight, pulsing cyan glow that intensifies by the second. My heart races as I feel the energy moving through my body. Instinctively, I close my eyes and let everything fall away.
“Are you ready, Cassi?” I hear my dad’s muffled voice say, but I’m already gone.
I find myself standing in sunshine instead of darkness. The Tahm Range is still in the distance, but we must be miles away from Primaro. I spin, expecting Dad and Max to be here, but they’re not. Sudden fear shudders through me. What if it’s not working correctly? What if Max couldn’t contact the pilot?
I watch a formation of ten ships zoom past above me. My eyes widen as panic sets in. I look again in the direction they’re heading and now I see them . . . three large carrier ships full of refugees.
A shot fires from an enemy ship and hits the lead carrier. I suck in a sharp breath as the vessel bursts into flames and pitches downward.
I unhook my necklace and clutch the Starfire, anger burning inside me, and focus on the three ships. As I do, a cyan burst pours from my body and I focus the energy straight at the escapees, yanking the trio of hovers across a dimension and into the Intersection.
Chapter 17
Ipull back into the Intersection just as the third ship crashes into the ground and explodes with a massive roar. A plume of cyan fire and gray smoke grapple for the night sky.
In a panic I whip around and scream for Max and my dad, but there’s not much we can do. Turning back, I see the two other ships pull to a stop, and within seconds, people scramble out of the open hatches.
Lightheadedness overwhelms me and my knees buckle. My limp body falls to the ground in a heap. Every part of me ripples with searing pain, but my eyes remain wide, taking in the horror.
Dad and Max run to my side, and everything blurs.
“You got her?” Max asks in a muffled voice.
“See how you can help at the ships,” Dad tells Max, but his voice is distant, too.
My eyelids blink open and shut as I fight to stay conscious.
“What’s going on?” I hear Irene but can’t see her.
“Go help, Max,” Dad says. “Cassi . . . Cassi.” He grabs for my hand and pushes an object into it.
The second he does, my vision fills with brilliant cyan and I gasp, sitting up. I peer down to see that I’m holding my glowing Starfire. Tingling flows from the crystal into my skin, and currents of my energy return.
“Go help them,” I say and put the necklace back on. “I’ll be okay in a minute.”
Dad tips his head. “I’m staying right here.”
Continued strength flows through my veins and muscles. “Help me up, then.”
Dad’s lips form a thin line, but he does as I ask.
With Dad still bracing my arm, I gather my bearings and watch as the ship burns and people from the unharmed ship help the survivors away from the wreckage.
“I’m good now.” It’s not the total truth but I pull away from Dad. “I have to see if I can help.”
Before Dad can say anything to me, I stumble for the injured to use my Starfire on them. The idea is a longshot, but maybe I can heal these people. At the crash site, survivors are being dragged to safety. I throw myself next to the first injured woman closest to me. My stomach tightens. She’s severely burned, and if I didn’t see the light movement of her chest, I would think she were dead.
“It’s okay, it’s okay,” I lie as I grab her hand. When I do, she clasps me so suddenly my heart jumps. Her eyes flick open in terror.
I grip my Starfire, and without knowing exactly what to do, I press the gem against her arm where her shirt is torn, exposing her skin. I close my eyelids to focus on the crystal’s energy, the healing power I’m positive it possesses. I visualize the woman whole again and not in pain. I open my eyes to the disarray of my surroundings and the woman, who is now staring at me in wonder. She winces as she pushes up to a seated position. The burn on the side of her face is still there but is now less raw, and her breathing has returned to normal.
“Thank you,” she says in a scratchy voice, bringing her fingers to her throat.
“Get farther away from here.” I point to the lab. “Go there for now.” I squeeze her hand and run to the next person.
Despite my body begging me to stop, I repeat the process on at least six others. And by the time I stagger to the last person, the world around me begins to swirl. I know there had to be around one hundred passengers on board the ship.
I drop next to the remaining person. My head pounds as I glance down at the lifeless body. It’s a boy and he’s turned on his side. I lay my hand on his shoulder and use the little strength I have left to pull him onto his back and I draw in a sharp breath. Trav. The one who helped us escape. I take in a ragged breath and try to reorient myself to focus again. But exhaustion fights me and my fatigue is winning. I can’t let him die! He was probably only on the ship because of assisting us with the Rover. My breathing picks up and I grip the Starfire, but his pulse is weak.
“You can’t die, you can’t die,” I mutter over and over again, anything to keep him alive. But it’s not working, and a swirl of darkness twines around my body, lulling me into much-needed regeneration.
My mind summons for Javen. But before I can connect with him, I feel my body slump forward onto Trav’s, and my mind awakens in a cyan haze.
Through the cyan, I see Javen walking toward me. Is he coming because I summoned him? I feel an intense pull on my soul to be with him. I need his help. His presence.
“Javen,” I call out. But he doesn’t answer, as if he can’t hear me.
∆∆∆
I flit my eyelids open to the inside of the lab. I inhale sharply and sit, eyes wide.
“Hey, it’s okay,” Irene’s voice soothes from a chair beside me. “You’re safe.”
“Trav . . . what happened to Trav?” I ask as I lock onto Irene’s face.
Her jaw tenses with obvious grief. “He didn’t make it. A lot of people didn’t make it.”
A pang lances my heart. I could have saved him. My focus darts around, unable to process the loss.
I’m in the tiny sleeping quarters Dr. Owens used when he was staying here. My two bags sit in a corner and I attempt to push my legs off the bed to fetch them, but Irene plants her palm squarely on my sternum to stop me.
“Cassi,” she scolds. “You pulled three ships from one dimension into another, and then you saved several people who were at death’s door. Rest is the right thing for you right now.”
Irene pushes me down onto the pillow.
I whisper, “At least tell me what happened.”
She sighs and leans back into the chair. “We got as many people out of the damaged ship as we could. But almost everyone inside is dead. There are the ones you healed and maybe five or six others with minor wounds.”
“How man
y died?” My stomach clenches as I ask this question.
“The ships were loaded so quickly, no one is completely sure. But probably around a hundred.”
“And how many people were on the other ships?”
“Somewhere between one hundred and one hundred and twenty each. I haven’t heard the final numbers.”
I sit up again. “So, we have over two hundred people inside the Intersection? Do they have any supplies?” This wasn’t a problem I had considered before. How are we going to care for all these refugees?
“Luckily, the two remaining ships do have a limited emergency stock of water and food. But your Dad is working on the problem since we don’t know how long they’re going to be in here.”
“What’s my Dad doing?” Sudden memories of his erratic behavior surface inside my mind.
“He’s just helping them get settled for the moment and explaining as much as he can about what happened. He thinks he can use the Starfire to get their ships running again. None of the onboard tech is working. But he’s not telling them that you actually pulled in the ships. Only Max and I know. He doesn’t want them aware of what you are able to do.”
“But they’ll know I healed the wounded.”
Irene frowns softly. “There was so much confusion. Even the healed aren’t actually sure of what happened.”
I get why my dad wants to keep my secret. If Hammond knows what I can do, it will put her on a mission to find and use me.
“Hammond’s fighter ships could have seen me on the Arcadia side.”
“Oh, I’m sure they saw the vessels vanish and probably have an idea that they were pulled across dimensions. But it doesn’t mean they know you caused the event.”
Tension pinches at my chest. “Then they’re just going to think the Alku are responsible, which could make Hammond target them more quickly.” Before Irene can stop me, I swing my legs off the bed and avoid her grasp. “I need to speak with Javen. The Alku can’t be in the dark about this situation. They need to know what’s happened to me and how we’re using the Intersection.”
“I think you need more rest. Transporting isn’t a great idea right now,” Irene says but doesn’t try to force me back into bed.
The Starfire Wars: The Complete Series Page 28