That afternoon, Clarity headed down to the Citadel gate. The day was pleasantly warm, especially for so late in the autumn, yet the scent in the air bore a crispness that indicated the season. The sun shone bright in the sapphire sky, and the seed birds who stuck around for the winter chirped in the trees. As she moved along on her crutches at about a quarter of her normal speed, Clarity thought back to her stint in tech support. Even without my leg, I’m still useful. She smiled at the thought. Warriors didn’t have to be dumb meatheads, no matter what some people thought.
She had to admit Cass had warmed up to her some, at least for part of the session. She wouldn’t have described him as friendly at any point, but he did take the time to explain some of the cases to her. He got annoyed when she asked questions or didn’t understand something, and he didn’t always bother to clear up her confusion. Still, anything other than petulant resentment was progress.
But progress toward what? I need him to go to training, not make him my best friend or get him to teach me about tech. Though I suppose having this new job will keep me from going completely stir crazy while my ankle mends. She didn’t know why she wasn’t mad at Cass for his AI breaking her ankle---or why she had no intention of reporting it. Maybe Meg being so sweet had counteracted the owl’s misdeeds, or maybe she felt bad when Cass had panicked at the idea of having to reprogram the thing. She couldn’t imagine Cass had a lot of friends, given how surly he was, and destroying even one of his fake robot friends seemed cruel.
As she approached the guardpost that led out of the Citadel, Clarity veered down a small path to the right, toward the quartermaster’s office. The door whooshed open to let her in, and a man with dark, graying hair sat at a terminal. He jumped to his feet when he saw her. “Clarity! What happened to you?”
Clarity smiled at the quartermaster. She liked Dependability. Like her, he had come from outside the paladin Families, and he had risen to gain a seat on the Council. He was one of few outsiders who had done so in the history of the order. He had always made a point to know the name of every paladin in the Citadel and had never looked down on any of them. Sometimes Clarity thought he might even give special treatment to those from outside the Families.
“Busted up my ankle,” she said with a rueful smile. “I’m out of commission for the next couple of weeks.”
“I hope it was in a suitably noble pursuit, like stopping a great evil.” He was joking, of course, but she briefly wished she had broken her ankle when taking down the Azurite buying weapons. That would have been a story worth telling.
“Sadly, no.” She decided not to elaborate further. Tripping over a pile of wires outside one’s room was hardly heroic, and she didn’t want anyone asking questions that would lead them to Cass’s owl.
Dependability waited a moment for the story, and when he realized it wasn’t coming, he huffed. “Well, let me know if there’s anything I can do to help.”
“Actually, I was wondering if I could requisition a motorcycle,” she said. “I wanted to take a ride around the city on something a little faster than these.” She gave one of her crutches a wave.
Dependability rubbed his chin. “In theory, I’m only supposed to let them out for missions. But since I’ve got a couple of spares lying around, and since you asked so nicely, I suppose I could make an exception. We’ll call it testing the fixes to the AI.”
Clarity’s heart sank. She didn’t feel right about taking out a motorcycle if it wasn’t allowed. “Do you really need the system tested, though?”
Dependability laughed. “I should have known you couldn’t just take a gift. But, yes, the AI was cutting out at high speeds, so if you’d like to take it out and make sure it’s working above sixty miles per hour, you’d be doing me a favor.”
Clarity returned his smile. “I can do that!”
Dependability walked over to the cabinet and pulled out a helmet, which he handed to her. “This one goes to the bike in dock nine. You know where it is.”
Clarity didn’t need to be told twice. Not having anywhere else to carry it, she put the helmet on her head and headed out to the motorcycle shed. She hadn’t ridden a bike since she’d graduated. A few years ago, she’d taken lessons on how to drive one, and in her last year of school, her internship had taken her all over the city. She’d enjoyed patrolling the streets and arresting criminals with the Citadel paladins, even though most of what she’d done was block exits and take notes. When she’d received the coveted spot working in the Citadel, she’d hoped her job would be more of the same. Instead, she’d found herself even lower in the ranks, doing the scut work no one wanted: training the non-warriors.
The motorcycle in dock nine was a beautiful, sleek silver with glowing blue accents. As she approached the bike, it whirred to life. “Hello, Clarity,” said a mechanical, feminine voice in her helmet speakers. “Please seat yourself on the motorcycle.” Clarity wondered if Cass had designed the motorcycle AI. Probably not, since she was pretty sure the work pre-dated him, but he might have worked on the repairs or some other improvement to it. She wondered how he felt about its impersonal nature. Meg seemed so lifelike, and Clarity couldn’t imagine someone with the ability to formulate complex personalities would want to make mindless robots.
She strapped her crutches to the side of the motorcycle and hopped on. “Exit dock,” she said, knowing the microphone in the helmet would communicate the instructions to the bike. With no effort on Clarity’s part, the vehicle backed out of the dock. With another simple instruction, the AI’s GPS took her to the front gate. She didn’t recognize the guard on duty, so she wasn’t surprised when he waved her over. She slowed to a stop and held out her watch so he could scan her ID.
He eyed both her and the motorcycle. “What’s your business in the city?”
Clarity gave him what she hoped was an easy smile, but her hands shook a bit at the scrutiny. Most likely the guard wouldn’t gainsay Dependability, but she couldn’t be sure. “I’m testing the fixes to the motorcycle AI for the quartermaster.”
His nostrils flared at her words. “My buddy nearly got killed because of that glitch, so I hope they fixed it. Be careful out there.”
Relief flooded through Clarity, though she tried to keep it off her face. She didn’t want to belittle his friend’s near-death. “Thanks.”
The best place to test the AI is probably outside the city proper, she thought as she wound down the hill into Londigium. Fewer things for me to hit if it’s not fixed. She directed the bike to an open spot outside the city, then relaxed as she glided past the shining silver skyscrapers and open air markets without any effort on her part. The AI knew how to avoid the cars and pedestrians, and of course, it always followed traffic rules. After about half an hour, she found herself on a rougher road, surrounded by green grass covered in red and orange autumn leaves.
Dependability had said above sixty miles per hour, but she figured she’d try a few different speeds and see whether she could still give instructions. She sped up and down the surrounding hills and after about an hour of enjoying the wind on her face, she hadn’t run into any issues with the AI. She realized as she turned around and headed back to the city that Dependability must have known the AI was working fine, since the manual controls on the bike required the use of her feet. Oh, well. More testing never hurts.
Clarity asked the motorcycle to take her back to the Citadel. As the GPS calculated the fastest route, she realized it went through some of the dodgier parts of the city but she decided to take that path anyway. As long as she didn’t go into the Azure District, everyone she met would acknowledge the authority of the paladins, and she would be safe.
Clarity tried not to feel saddened as she rode through the smooth streets on the outskirts of town. Even this far out the city saw to it that the roads were kept up and the streetlights stayed lit, and children could play in their yards without fear for their safety. Nonetheless, those
children’s houses needed a new coat of paint, and they wore ill-fitting hand-me-down clothes. Clarity had to wonder if her life would have been like this if the Visionary hadn’t selected her as a paladin. She often felt like a second-class citizen in the Citadel because she had no Family name to back her up, but likely her natural family would have lacked many of the amenities she took for granted.
She urged the motorcycle to move out of the area at a faster pace when a woman on the street made her do a double-take. I’m sure I recognize her, but I don’t know anyone who lives out here. Wait a minute. Is that Grace? Clarity wasn’t surprised it had taken her a minute to recognize her fellow paladin. The woman had her hair tucked under a cap, and she bore no insignia of the Order of the Amethyst Star. I wonder what she’s doing out here.
Clarity knew she should mind her own business and return to the Citadel, but she had to confess to some curiosity. Grace had trained as a spy, and Clarity had always found it odd that she’d been stationed at the Citadel at all instead of a foreign country. Maybe she spies on the Azure District. Maybe she was the one who found out about the weapons deal. Maybe she needs help. Without thinking too much about it, Clarity found herself changing directions. As stealthily as she could on a glowing motorcycle, which at least didn’t make much noise, she followed behind Grace.
Clarity followed Grace for about five minutes and observed that her quarry wasn’t headed in the direction of the Azure District. Instead of deterring Clarity, the fact galvanized her. If she’s not spying on the Azurites, what business does she have sneaking around the city? She might be doing something to disgrace the paladins, in which case, I have a duty to uncover what! When Grace headed into an alley, Clarity glanced around the street and, not seeing anyone suspicious, followed. The alley dead-ended about three hundred yards in front of her, and the only things she could see were trash cans and a few scurrying rats. Grace was nowhere in sight.
Slowing the motorcycle, Clarity crept into the alley. She glanced behind the first few trash cans, wrinkling her nose at the sickly-sweet smell and wondering if there was some kind of secret exit from the alley. As soon as the bike had cleared the entrance, a dark figure jumped down on Clarity from above. Her warrior’s instinct, hindered by a broken ankle and an unexpected attack, nonetheless managed to get her off the vehicle before she fell to the ground. She barely had time to stand and steady herself before a punch came toward her head.
Clarity wasn’t the best warrior in her class, better even than Valor Hughes, for nothing. As she parried the blow, she took in the features of her attacker. “Grace, why are you---?”
“Why am I?” Grace didn’t let up her attacks, despite Clarity’s easy dodging. “Why are you? Following me, that is. Did you think I wouldn’t notice? You’re about as stealthy as the full moon.”
Clarity had to concede that was true. She had never been good at surreptitious behavior. She’d always felt a few diplomatic words or a well-timed punch to the face were more appropriate than a knife to the back. She also had to admit Grace was a skilled fighter. Her blows kept coming faster and faster, and though Clarity had blocked them all, she wasn’t at full operating capacity. Grace would eventually get a punch in if Clarity didn’t go on the offensive.
Grace kicked, making contact with Clarity’s broken leg. Clarity winced at the pain, but so did Grace, who hadn’t expected her foot to make contact with a solid metal cast. Clarity recovered first and took the initiative to kick Grace’s feet out from under her. As Grace lost her footing and fell backwards, Clarity pressed forward to kneel on Grace’s chest. Clarity didn’t use enough pressure to hurt the other girl, but she clamped down hard enough to make Grace think before trying to fight again.
Panting, the two paladins stared at each other. Clarity made herself take a deep breath as she considered how to continue this conversation. She didn’t have a good reason to follow Grace, but the spy hadn’t had a good reason to attack either. Before Clarity decided what to say, the tell tale noise of a laser pistol charging up sounded next to her head, and the cool tinge of metal landed against her temple. Clarity froze.
“What do you think, Grace?” asked a man’s voice behind Clarity. “Should I take her out?”
“She’s a paladin, Archer,” said Grace. “Even you aren’t prepared for the fire that will rain down upon you if you kill her.”
Archer, thought Clarity. Not a paladin, then. She didn’t know why she felt better knowing the man holding a laser pistol to her head wasn’t a member of her order, as an outsider was much more likely to pull the trigger. At least I’d die knowing one of my own hadn’t betrayed me.
“You knew they’d eventually figure out what you were up to,” Archer said. “What did you think was going to happen? That they’d realize the error of their ways and embrace your enlightenment?”
“I hardly think she’s a representative of the whole paladin order,” Grace said, much calmer since she had backup with weaponry. “I think she’s just a bored girl who decided to follow me. I know you don’t think much of paladins, but if they knew what I was up to, they wouldn’t send one girl on a neon motorcycle.”
“Hm. Perhaps.” He pressed the pistol a little more firmly against Clarity’s head. “Why don’t we let her explain why she’s here? Stand up nice and slowly, and tell us who you are and what you want.”
“My name is Clarity.” She said the words as slowly and clearly as she could, raising her hands above her head and straightening to her feet---well, her good foot---at the same speed. “I mean you no harm.”
Archer kept the pistol at her head as she rose. “Your kind never means any harm, yet you always seem to cause it.”
Even Grace? Clarity bit back the tart reply. She knew better than to antagonize someone who had a physical advantage over her. “I was testing the motorcycle outside the city, and on my way back to the Citadel, I noticed Grace. I thought her being in this part of town was odd, so I followed her.”
“I suppose you just wanted to make sure she was safe.” Clarity still hadn’t seen Archer’s face, but she could hear the sneer in his words.
Clarity wished she’d had such a noble goal, and she didn’t understand why Archer would hold it in such disdain. She wasn’t going to lie about her reasons, though. “No. I was just curious about what she was doing.” Clarity turned her head a tiny bit, trying to get a glimpse of Archer. “If I noticed her despite her disguise, you can bet other people have as well. It’s only a matter of time until someone figures out what she’s up to.”
Grace let out an irritated breath. “Trust you to be honest, even with a pistol to your head. You’d make a terrible spy.”
Clarity raised a shoulder. “I am what I am. Are you going to let me go?”
“That depends,” Archer said. “Are you going to tell anyone what you’ve seen here?”
All I’ve seen is a dark alley. “I don’t see any reason I should keep it a secret.” She also didn’t see any cause for alarm, but she suspected telling him that would anger him.
Archer pressed the pistol more firmly against Clarity’s temple. “Your life isn’t reason enough?”
Clarity wondered if she should be afraid, but bullies didn’t frighten her. “I could promise to say nothing and go back to the Citadel. You’d have no recourse if I broke my word, as we both know.” She was also pretty sure she could disarm him before he fired, if it came to that, but she wanted him to think he had the upper hand.
Archer clutched her arm tighter. “You wouldn’t break your precious paladin word, would you?”
Clarity wanted to knock the pistol away and turn around so she could look him in the eye, but she wasn’t sure how he would react. “Paladin ethics are more complicated than people think. I need to uphold the greatest good I can. If that means the occasional lie, I can do it.” Though I wouldn’t like it.
“Then you give me no---”
“Let her go, Archer.”
Grace had risen to her feet during the conversation and was giving Clarity a considering look.
Archer shoved Clarity forward, and within seconds, she had regained her balance and spun to face him. He was younger than she had expected, with dark hair and angry, green eyes. He stood tall and proud in a smart black suit, and Clarity’s gaze fell upon the large blue patch on his chest. “You’re from the Azure District,” she said. The proud sneer on his face would have given her the answer if she hadn’t already spoken the obvious.
“Did you mean what you said?” asked Grace. “Do you believe there are nuances to paladin rules?”
Archer scoffed, but Clarity ignored him. She looked right at Grace, at the vulnerability in her fellow paladin’s brown eyes. “Yes,” Clarity said. “Right and wrong depend on the situation. They can’t be codified to account for everything.”
Grace nodded to herself, hesitantly at first and then with more certainty. She looked over Clarity’s shoulder into Archer’s eyes. “I think we should show her.”
“Show me what?” asked Clarity. When Grace didn’t answer, Clarity pivoted around on her good foot and faced Archer. “What do I need to see?”
Archer holstered his pistol. “The Azure District.”
Chapter 5
“I’m not allowed to go in the Azure District.” The words were out of Clarity’s mouth before she had thought them through.
Archer snorted, as if to say, I thought so. “You said you didn’t care about the rules, but ask you to break them, and your true colors shine through.”
I didn’t say I didn’t care about the rules. I said they were nuanced. Somehow, though, she didn’t think Archer was a “nuance” kind of guy. “It’s not my rule. The Azure District forbids paladin presence, and I’m not going to pretend I’m not a paladin.”
“No one’s going to arrest you there,” Grace said. “You should see what it’s like for the people the paladins have turned their back on.”
Clarity's Edge: Technopaladin, #1 Page 4