by Tracy Korn
I turn around and get to my knees to see through the back window. The sky is now as bright as daylight with the periodic explosions of lightning.
“It’s happening… It’s all happening,” I say under my breath, watching the wave moving upward like it will never stop. We keep climbing higher and higher until I can see the entire stretch of ocean pulled in like a vacuum in front of the building-sized wave. It finally bends, rolling into itself and pushing forward, engulfing all the habitat stacks and separate houses. It pushes through them, swallowing the tall building ruins like they’re sand castles.
“Crite…” Arco breathes, moving next to me.
“What is that?” Arwyn asks. “Do you see that? That’s not water. There! It’s going to hit us!”
The black water diverges from the rushing water swallowing the shore. But it arcs up instead of forward, widening as it comes out of the water, then tapering.
“It’s the ship,” Lyden says in disbelief.
“No! It can’t launch!” Arco says. “It can’t launch!”
Prickles run under my skin, hot and cold at the same time. Liddick, Vox, Liam…Dell and Cal, Vita and Rav…all the Vishan are inside that ship.
“Where’s the airlock tunnel?” Arco asks, looking at the ship. “It’s gone. There was a mile of it on each side.
“It must have separated—or broke off,” Denison says, marveling.
Fire erupts through the center of the ship in a half-circle from side to side.
“Crite, it’s breaking!” I gasp, fear stabbing through my chest. Vox! I shout in my mind. Liddick!
“No! I killed that launch! I killed that launch!” Arco’s hands ball into fists.
“Unit 792 to Control, we have a bogey in our wake,” the pilot says over the comms.
“Unit 792, did you say a bogey?”
“Copy that, Control. It is incendiary.”
The line of fire stretching across the center of the ship brightens like it’s spreading, but then I realize the line is actually rockets.
“It’s separating!” I shout, which makes my head pound and my vision blur.
The other half of the ship is still attached, tapering to what looks like a section of the airlock that must have broken off too.
“What did you tell it?” Denison says, gripping Arco’s shoulder. “Did you program a separation?”
“I—I don’t know. I killed the trajectory. I’m telling you, I killed that launch.”
“Did you program the separation?”
“Your connection…” I say. “Arco, you said you wouldn’t have let go…that you felt like I cut you loose in your channel—in that space between us. You said it’s why you came back. That must have worked its way into your program.”
“That’s impossible because I had already entered the codes!”
“Unit 792, be advised aerial teams confirm the bogey appears to be domestic and the incendiaries are propulsion. We are scanning for a comms port. Do not engage. I repeat, do not engage and hold your trajectory.”
“Copy that, Control,” the pilot says. “But we just lost our trajectory map. Please advise.”
“Crite, the Grid is gone,” Arco says, pushing his hands through his hair.”
“Confirm, Unit 792, we just lost you and the bogey. Say your state.”
“Control, we have…one point three seven to splash. Skyboard Mountain is in the goo, and it appears this bogey is…following us.”
Denison shakes his head and turns to Arco. “It’s following you.”
CHAPTER 48
The Connection
Arco
The water pours over the seaboard, swallowing everything in its path—it’s too surreal, like paint spilling over a board game from high in the air.
About a quarter mile offshore, the remaining half of the ship juts out of the ocean like a tree limb in a stream, causing white impact water to rush at each side.
Periodic explosions send more fractals of light leaping across the sky for as far as I can see in any direction. It’s hard to believe that we’re here now, on the edge of everything.
“Arco,” Jazz says, snapping me out of the hypnotic light show. “Did you hear what he said? Dr. Denison thinks the ship is following you?”
The face I make must be compelling because both my sister and Denison jump to counter whatever they think I might be about to say.
“You’re neurally linked to that ship—that’s the only explanation,” Denison says. “You shifted its trajectory, so the autopilot is now—well…you.”
“Well, how do I steer it because that ship isn’t going to fit on that roof with us,” I say, watching Skyboard Prep come into view.
“Confirm, Unit 792,” the comms start again. “At last check, the bogey was following your stream. We are speculating that it must have locked on to your trajectory since the Grid is offline. Prepare backup systems to come in without guides.”
“Copy, Control, but that’s going to be a problem. Smoke is obstructing the target and pings are ricocheting right back at us. Are we getting music from that ship?”
“Unknown, 792. Can you tail Phoenix Seven?”
“No joy, Control. Phoenix Seven has left our line of sight.”
“Standby, 792…”
Denison exchanges glances with my sister, then lowers his hand from his earpiece. “Did you say you can see the school roof from here?”
“This doesn’t make sense,” I say, looking out the window again. “There’s a thick blanket of smoke rolling between Seaboard North and the base of Skyboard Mountain. It stops about halfway up,” I add, but something isn’t right with that. Smoke doesn’t just stop.
“Come with me.” Denison pushes to his feet and makes his way to the cockpit. “Let him fly—he’s a Gaia-trained Navigator, and he can see that rooftop,” he says to the pilots. They both look at him blankly for a second until he slaps the side of the co-pilot’s chair. “Do you want to play Ring-Around-the-Mountain with that rig in tow if another wave decides to chase us? Let’s go! Let’s go!”
The co-pilot unclips from her seat and moves past Denison.
I shake my head. “Wait, I—?”
“If you can see that roof, Mr. Hart, you can land this ship. And that one,” he says, raising his chin to the back window.
“I look quickly over my shoulder at the enormous crescent-shaped ship in our wake with what could be over two hundred people aboard. My heart hammers in my chest. I glance toward my peripheral vision hoping for more equations to take shape—to solve themselves like they did before, but Azeris’s machine isn’t here anymore, and they don’t appear. There’s no overlay whatsoever.
I look away and find Jazz’s eyes.
“It’s gone,” I say shaking, my head. “I can’t see the numbers without Azeris’s machine. I don’t have the connection anymore.”
“Yes, you do,” she says without even a second passing. “You don’t need the machine. You see the roof because the smoke just stops—none of us can see that. You are the connection, Arco.”
The comms crackle again. “Unit 792, we cannot get you on the scopes and cannot coach you in. What is your fuel situation now?”
“Control, fuel is at twenty-five percent, but we have a bigger problem right now: an incoming echo wave at 2:00,” the pilot says. I look out the window to our right and see another breaker picking up speed on the surface.
“Confirm, 792…stand by.”
“Are you kidding me?” the pilot says, her voice clipped. “OK, pick a seat, Navigator.”
“All right, all right.” I climb into the co-pilot’s seat. The controls are simpler than any of the other ships I’ve piloted: just the Y-shaped yoke, fuel gauges, and a few landing gear controls since everything else is offline. I pull up on the yoke to catch the air current, and the ship soars upward, fast.
“Throttle back, Nav. That mountain could be right on top of us!”
“It’s not…not yet,” I say, checking the back window to make sure the other s
hip is still in our wake. It is, but the school roof is almost out of range for us to make the turn without the other ship clipping the side of the mountain. It’s going to have to fly on its side…and if it’s following me, I have to do that too. Crite. “Denison! Secure everybody—we need to get creative!”
“Uh, we’re in the soup here, tiger. What’s your plan?” the pilot asks.
“Bank left sixty degrees on my count, or that ship is going to clip the mountain.”
“Bank what?”
“Just do it!” I say. “Three…two…now!” I hold my breath as the pilot dips the left wing at the same time I pull up on the yoke. We turn hard on our side until I can see the ship behind us angling too. “Level out,” I add, blowing out the breath I’ve been holding. “Bring her down on the north end of the roof so that ship lands on the gravity ball field to the south.”
“Copy that…” the pilot says, then angles her head at me. “What’s your name, Nav?”
“Arco Hart.”
“Hart, huh?” She nods at me. “I’m Major Reynolt. Sandra Reynolt.”
“Reynolt?”
“Luz is my sister-in-law,” she says with a wink, then turns her attention back to the comms system. “Control, this is Unit 792. The soup is clearing and we have visuals on the school. We are setting up for VTOL on the north side to accommodate our bogey on the game field.”
“Copy that, 792. Security is en route. Impressive, ladies.”
“We would love to take credit, Control, but that belongs to a Gaia Nav-cone we were fortunate enough to pick up. Arco Hart. Say hello to the fans at home, Mr. Hart,” Major Reynolt says. I try not to laugh.
“A student brought you in? Well…attaboy, Mr. Hart. I’d say this was a hell of a test, wouldn’t you?”
“Uh, yes, ma’am,” I say, but I don’t try to hold back the laugh this time.
“Unit 792, visuals report that you are coming in clean, and so is the very big dog that followed you home.”
“Copy that, Control,” Major Reynolt says. “Three locked and down. Unit 792 out.”
***
Medical volunteers are already unloading everyone from the ship when Jazz, Denison, and I come down the ramp.
“Where are they gong?” Jazz asks, grabbing the sleeve of the closest volunteer.
“Evaluation,” he says. “Straight ahead.”
“Listen, I’m all right—“ Jack argues with one of the volunteers. “Let me up. I can help here.” I shake my head and stifle a laugh because it’s too familiar.
“Is everyone OK?” Avis shouts, rushing over to us with Ellis, Azeris, and Zoe not far behind.
“Where is everyone?” Ellis asks.
“Jack’s Omniclass nanites are already working on his concussion over there,” Denison answers, angling his head. “Same for Luz. Everyone else is stable but will need a reboot.”
“And Seaboard North?” Avis asks. “Did everyone get out?”
“Our stacks were empty when we checked,” Jazz answers. “Everyone was out.”
Ellis and Avis both visibly relax.
We make our way over to Jack and the others, who are all waking up now.
“Ugh… How many shuttle busses hit me?” Jax mumbles, holding a hand to his head.
“Pshhh. It was just a seventy-foot wave.” I shrug. “I’ve hit you harder on the field.”
He laughs, then groans and brings the other hand to his head.
“Speaking of that—have you seen the size of that thing?” Avis asks, throwing a hand in the direction of the field and the enormous ship that covers it.
“I’ve never seen a ship that—“ I start, but he jumps right back in.
“Their gravity ball field! How is it even regulation and our field is half that size?” he gapes. “How does that even fit on the side of a mountain anyway? They terraformed it. I’m telling you. That’s gospel.”
“Guhhh, stop making me laugh,” Jax groans, which only makes me laugh more. Denison is talking with Ms. Reynolt when we cross to them. A medical assistant is using some kind of little white wand to close the cuts on Myra’s head, and Fraya looks like she has a pretty good bruise starting under her eye.
“I’m pretty sure you both won the round,” I say to them. They smile and wince almost at the same time.
“Where is Finn?” Jazz asks, looking around. “And Mr. Paxton?”
“Good question… Where are Lyden and my sister?” I add, scanning the rooftop tents, but I don’t see them either. Just then, the transport we landed in takes off, and I panic for a second that the enormous ship on the field will follow it.
“They’re all in good hands,” Ms. Reynolt says, winking at Jazz and me.
“Damn it, I’m going to say it one more time, and then I’m going to tip this gurney over and show you just how fast these nanites work…” Jack says, still arguing with the same medical assistant.
“Excuse me,” Denison says, making his way over to him and unfastening the cinches still holding Jack’s arms and legs down. “You know he left you in this for fear of his life and not your concussion, right?” They both laugh.
I walk up behind Jazz and wrap my arm around the front of her shoulders, pulling her into me. I kiss the top of her head, and she folds her fingers over my forearm.
“What happens now?” she asks, turning her head to watch our transport join several other vehicles that are surrounding the ship in the distance, which is even more massive in context on the gravity ball field.
“I don’t know,” I answer. “I imagine those people are going to want to get in there, and the people in there will want to get out.”
“I imagine they’re all going to need your help with that?”
“Let’s see, who’s aboard that beast… Liam took you to the Slide, which was basically the most dangerous place in the entire world,” I answer, kissing her temple. “Vox hijacked my face with her mind control just so you could walk in on it…and then there’s Liddick Wright,” I add, kissing down her cheek and neck, “whose rap sheet is far, far too long to list.”
She laughs, leaning into me. “And Cal, and Dell, and Vita are on that ship…all the Vishan.” She laughs again, but then it all catches up with me and a shot of adrenaline hits my blood.
“Jazz…your treatment. You can’t be in the sun when it comes up,” I say, looking at the glow starting on the horizon. “Denison!”
CHAPTER 49
Aftermath
Jazz
“Electra Brown coming to you again from high above Seaboard North, where as you can see below, Monty, the devastation is astounding in the aftermath of what seismologists are calling the largest tsunami in history. Coastal quadrants, and even the original evacuation sites located in the Skyboard lowlands were swallowed by the still-receding water. Were it not for the quick thinking of State search and rescue crews rerouting to Skyboard Secondary Prep and nearby primary schools, truly, all would have been lost.”
“Come in. It’s all over the feeds,” I say as Arco pokes his head through the curtain, then moves to sit on the edge of my bed. He puts his arm around me, and I lean into him.
“How’s your head?” he asks.
“Shhh,” I say, putting a finger over his mouth. He laughs, wrapping his hand around mine and kissing it, then bringing it to his chest. The feed switches to footage of a dark-haired man in a suit being led away in handcuffs from a boardroom, and then to an aerial shot of Liddick, Vox, and Liam coming out of the ship on the field and being wrapped in blankets by two people.
“That’s the pilot from our ship! The woman next to Liam!” Arco says abruptly.
“Is that Dr. Halliday with her?” I ask, watching Liam adamantly say something to both of them. The pilot nods, and Dr. Halliday waves several people into the ship with wheeled carts and medical machinery.
“As if the largest tsunami in history isn’t enough to dominate the newsfeeds, Biotech CEO Van Spaulding has been taken into custody for his connection to what experts now believe may have been th
e cause of the tsunami, and ultimately, the destruction of the port-cloud. Crews of medical personnel have ventured into the craft that surfaced, and we have received word from ground crews that Skyboard North’s rising biodesigner, Liam Wright, as well as two Gaia Sur cadets—Liddick Wright and Vox Dyer—were somehow aboard the ship as it launched. Decrypted data from the ship’s schematics shows they were able to break into the ship’s trajectory code and alter its original path, which was directed at the port-cloud. Details on just how these young people found themselves on the ship are forthcoming. Faris Temple is on the scene at Seaboard North with more.”
The feed switches to a split screen with visuals of a slim man with cropped black hair standing against the backdrop of the coast, which is still flooded past the habitat stacks. The other half of the ship arcs out of the now calm water behind him with boats and hovercraft everywhere. “Thanks, Monty. Sources are telling us the ship that was able to land on the Skyboard Prep gravity ball field was in fact only part of the massive ship that came through the ocean floor. Believe it or not, even though the ship on the field measures more than a hundred yards long and seventy yards wide, an even more massive component is still lodged in the Atlantic coast just behind me. Officials believe the ship now on the Skyboard field is actually an emergency escape pod. The question on everyone’s mind, however, is how it got underneath the ocean floor. State investigators are decrypting the ship’s records, which so far reveal the ship was built as a cooperative effort by Biotech Global founder Franz Spaulding and former CEO of the Carboderm Corporation, Rex LeMar. It was intended for use within the next hundred and fifty years when the planet’s environmental stability was, then, expected to collapse. Spaulding and LeMar appear to have written legacy plans guaranteeing a place aboard the craft for their descendants. These plans were extended over the years by these descendants to include several individuals who supported the evolution of an illegal genetic experimentation program known as The Elements Project, namely, renowned geneticist Allsop Vishan, one of the founding members Gaia Sur. The State has received a data package also implicating several of Gaia Sur’s past and current administration, as well as Spokesperson Cole Daniels in The Elements Project. We’ve also been advised that new Biotech leadership, Zeb and Bev Spaulding, claim to be completely unaware of this The Elements Project and will be releasing a statement on behalf of the corporation this afternoon after a closed-door meeting with the president. Monty?”