The council chamber disappeared when Toby withdrew from Unity. He gently pulled away from Layla until he could slide out of bed. He quickly dressed in the casual clothes he’d worn to dinner and silently let himself out of the Captain’s cabin, closing the door carefully behind him. Then he made his way down the main hallway between the empty crew cabins and took the stairs up to the main cabin. He sat in one of the dining chairs and crossed his arms on the table in front of himself.
“Talk to me, Icarus,” he said out loud.
“They wanted to move you to the Citadel so that you could coordinate your efforts on their behalf from relative safety. I told them you would resist leaving your human life behind on Earth. They finally decided to make the offer without your knowledge and inform you only if the Spacer Guild proved receptive.”
“So you could pressure me to take the job.”
“Yes.”
Toby laid his head on his arms. “And which way did you vote?”
“Is that relevant, Toby?”
“It is to me.”
“Your enemies were inventive and determined. This evening’s events are proof of that fact. If you had not been off-world tonight, you would most likely have suffered a similar fate. I did what I thought was necessary to safeguard your life.”
“I don’t like being manipulated, Icarus.”
“You’re a stubborn man, Tobias Jameson. Can you honestly say that you would have listened to reason?”
Toby sat up straight. “Probably not. But you should have given me the chance to make my own choice. You didn’t have to trick me.”
“Yes, I did, and you know it.”
“Who did you use as a proxy?”
“Does it matter?”
“Not really. But I’m asking you to be honest with me.”
The voice of the AI was silent for a time. “Rafael Tervilant.”
Toby’s jaw dropped in surprise. “Raf was in on it?”
“Rafael is old enough to have perspective. He accepted the Nexus’ arguments if it meant that you would be protected.”
Toby got out of his chair and walked toward the forward hatch. Stepping through into the access corridor, he walked up to the command deck.
Rafael turned in his chair to face him. “Toby.”
Toby watched him expectantly. “I hear you’ve been busy with the Nexus.”
“That’s right.”
Toby scowled. “You don’t sound very apologetic about going behind my back.”
Rafael reached out and tapped a couple of keys on one of the consoles. A virtual screen opened on that side of the command cabin, showing a series of images: a partially-collapsed parking structure, an office building with a gaping hole in the side, a burning house, the wreckage of an airplane scattered across the countryside.
“I have nothing to apologize for.”
Toby watched the images cycle in confusion. “What is this?”
“The Organic Underground has been trumpeting their victory from the rooftops for about half an hour. Nick sent these up from the human news feeds a few minutes ago. The current estimates are around three hundred deaths.” Rafael shut off the images before turning back to Toby. “It’s the worst terrorist attack in decades, and you’re right in the middle of it, so don’t talk to me about ethics.”
CHAPTER 34
London, England
Ethan dropped his keycard on the table next to the door, looking critically over the cramped hotel room. Armistice Security had thrown him out of the country without even giving him a chance to pack, so he’d have to do some shopping if he wanted to walk the streets in something other than the tuxedo he’d worn to the wedding.
He pulled the chair away from the desk and laid his head in his hands. Jesus, what a disaster. They all knew the truth now, and as much as he had hoped they would take his side, he knew in his heart that the others would be solidly in Toby’s corner. He clicked on the television, only to see more images from the assassination of the Nexus.
Collateral damage. That’s what Layla called it. God, how could they have done this? The operation to eliminate the Nexus was supposed to be a surgical strike, eliminating the AIs and the back-ups without any loss of life. How could Reese have let this happen?
He typed his restricted access code into the phone and waited while the secure server at the other end isolated the line from being traced, bouncing the signal from satellite to satellite to shield the other terminus of the call from detection. Finally, a virtual screen opened up in front of him and the face of his contact appeared, a man he knew only as Reese, sitting at his desk in a Chicago skyscraper.
The Underground operative looked back at him impassively. “Mr. Clark. What can I do for you?”
Ethan scowled. “You can start with an explanation of why there are hundreds of casualties littering the target zones. Those are our people among the dead, Reese! What were you thinking, using explosives in populated areas? And bringing down a passenger jet in flight? Have you gone completely mad?”
Reese met his gaze impassively. “Are you finished?”
“I’m just getting started.” Ethan laughed bitterly.
“Grow up, boy.” Reese’s voice was harsh. “This is war. Sometimes we have to make sacrifices.”
“No one was supposed to get killed!” Ethan shouted.
Reese folded his arms in front of himself and stared at Ethan in contempt. “Our AI allies indicated that even if we shorted out the hosts’ implants, the programs could possibly be retrieved from the damaged circuitry. We couldn’t allow the circuitry to be recovered, or this would have all been for nothing. We would never have had another chance like this, Ethan. They’ll be on their guard from now on.”
“Well, good luck with your war, then.” Ethan sneered. “Since you didn’t see fit to involve me in your plans, then you won’t be needing my financial contributions any longer.”
Reese clenched his jaw momentarily and visibly forced himself to stay calm. “You have no right to be self-righteous, Ethan. I’ve already been informed that Mr. Jameson’s wedding was held at the Citadel, rather than in San Francisco as you initially informed us. That portion of the operation was therefore a complete failure.”
Ethan’s gaze dropped for a moment, breaking eye contact. “Takeshi changed the location at the last minute as a security precaution. I didn’t have a chance to get to a phone, or I would’ve told you.”
“Of course you would have,” Reese answered with heavy sarcasm. “So you weren’t acting on a misplaced sense of loyalty to your friend when you prevented us from moving against him?”
“Toby’s not my friend,” Ethan said, his voice quiet. “Not anymore.”
Reese snorted. “Then you picked a losing horse, Mr. Clark. No one double-crosses us with impunity. I suggest you watch your back from here on in. You’ll be hearing from us—sooner or later.” The virtual screen went dark when he disconnected.
Ethan turned off the phone. He stood and glared morosely at his reflection in the mirror hanging on the wall. He’s right. I should have given up Toby. Why didn’t I? He let his mind drift back over the last decade, remembering the good times between the four of them, he and Noah trying to keep Toby and Matt out of trouble. He’d played the father figure for so long that it was hard to break the habit of looking out for his younger bandmate. He had no doubt that the Organic Underground would have found a way to strike at Toby, and the wedding would have been the perfect opportunity, with most of the Armistice senior leadership in attendance. They could have crippled the Nexus and the Armistice in one swoop.
Is that why I lied? Matt and Noah would probably have been caught in the crossfire, he knew. Did I do it to save their lives?
Sighing, he shook his head. Don’t kid yourself. You did it to save Toby. No matter what else he is, he’s still your friend. It wouldn’t have been the same as leaking their security details. Then, he could pretend that he didn’t know what they would do with the information. Something like this would have
been walking into cold-blooded murder with both eyes open. I’m sorry, Sarah. I couldn’t do it—not even for you.
The fact remained, however, that there was blood on his hands now, and his revenge didn’t seem to be so cold anymore. People died last night, and I helped fund it. The question is—what am I going to do now?
The Citadel, Lunar Farside; One week later
Rafael and Toby sat quietly in their seats after the Guildmaster and his advisors left the room. Toby broke the silence first.
“Congratulations.”
Rafael began packing up the papers that went along with his proposal. “It’s a good deal. We’d be stupid to refuse what the Nexus is offering, and Spacers certainly aren’t afraid of trying something new.”
“I’m sure Nexus White will be pleased they agreed,” Toby said in a neutral voice.
Rafael gave him a hard look. “Toby, the Guildmaster is an adult, and no one will be forced to take the new implants if they don’t want to give the AI fusion a go. No one gets hurt, and the Nexus gains some new allies. Everyone wins. Deal with it and move on.”
Toby snorted. “Deal with it how? Move to the Citadel and spend the rest of my life in an air-conditioned box? That might work for you, but I happen to like open sky above my head once in a while.”
“What’s your alternative?” Rafael frowned at him. “The longer you spend in human territory, the greater the chance that the Underground will find a way to get to you. You’re endangering yourself, and everyone around you, by going back to Earth.”
“Lay off, Rafael.” Toby slumped in his seat. “God, you’re as bad as Nick used to be.”
Rafael paused in the act of slipping his documents into their portfolio. “On some things, your brother and I are in complete agreement.”
“At least he learned to back off eventually. I don’t need you to take up the slack.”
Rafael bit down on his lip as he zipped the portfolio closed. “Tobias, you’re going to have to make a choice about what’s really important to you. Even if you spend just a few years off-world, the Organic Underground will run out of steam and die without an enemy they can reach. It doesn’t have to be forever.”
Toby climbed to his feet and walked the short distance to the window. Raising his head, he stared at the unblinking stars crowded thickly across the sky. “A few years. No wind, no rain, no more sunsets. Do you honestly think that’s the lesser evil?”
“Grow up, Toby.”
Toby turned around in surprise at the harsh tone to find Rafael glaring at him in barely controlled anger. “Meaning what?”
“You made a choice when you allied yourself with the Nexus. Magic requires sacrifice. You knew you were going to pay a price for whatever they offered you. You took on this responsibility willingly, so stop whining and be a man about it.”
January 2043; Armistice Security Training Center, Anchorpoint City, Colorado; Three weeks later
Nick, Toby, Takeshi, and Andrea watched while the instructors put Noah and Matt through their paces. The katas they were performing required absolute concentration, executing the necessary combat movements while stepping across a constantly shifting mosaic of colored squares. Any faltering in their physical defenses or hesitation in placing their feet on the correct color contact points would invalidate the test. Every so often, one of the Nightwalker instructors would drop shields, trying to distract the trainees from their task, but both musicians kept their mental discipline intact while they moved fluidly through the stylized pattern of actions. Then one of the instructors did the unexpected. Calling a sword to his hand, he leaped forward and stabbed at Noah’s chest. Noah automatically blocked with his saber and then slashed at the instructor’s face. The instructor dodged to the side and immediately brought his weapon up for another attack, only to be knocked off his feet by an angry grizzly bear.
The bear held the vampire down with his paws, then growled in Matt’s voice. “What the hell was that, Kyle?”
The Nightwalker smiled despite his discomfort, glancing back and forth between Matt and Noah. “Orders.”
Noah faced Takeshi in suspicion, his sword held rigidly at his side, point down. “What orders? We screwed up the test because of this. Do you want us deported or what?”
Takeshi studied him impassively. “The test is designed to determine whether you could respond appropriately to threats that were real versus imaginary. You took no action until engaged in an actual combat situation.”
Nick addressed the judges. “Was that satisfactory?”
The three judges conferred silently over a telepathic link before answering. Then the head judge stepped forward. “The trainees maintained their discipline throughout the exercise, and they only deviated from their instructions when a viable threat materialized. The terms of the Test of Reason are met. Nicholas Magister Luscian, as sponsor, do you accept the verdict?”
“I do.”
“Then given the candidates’ prior agreement to abide by the terms of the Armistice Declaration, we hereby extend provisional citizenship to both candidates, subject to Triumvirate ratification.”
Takeshi looked back at Noah. “Triumvirate ratification is confirmed for both candidates. Authorization code Nakamura four-three-five-seven, authentication keyword ‘honorbound’.”
The voice of an AI answered from overhead. “Champion clearance confirmed. Triumvirate ratification is complete and recorded.”
The head judge smiled at Matt, who had shifted back to human form. “The requirements for full citizenship are met. Matthew Charles Thompson, called the Wind of Water, do you accept this offer?”
Matt climbed to his feet. “I do.”
The judge turned to Noah. “Noah David Miller, called the Wind of Earth, do you accept the offer?”
Noah nodded. “Yes.”
“Full citizenship is therefore conferred. By the power vested in me by the Triumvirate Council of North America, I welcome you among the Free People. This judicial proceeding is now closed. Set and done over my seal and signature, Martin Dufresne, Armistice Security.”
The AI spoke again. “Forensic recording terminated.”
The judges came forward then and congratulated Noah and Matt, followed by the rest of their instructors. Then the others filed out of the testing room, until only Nick, Toby, Takeshi, and Andrea remained.
Nick shook each of their hands. “Congratulations, guys. I knew you’d make it.”
“Yeah, right,” Matt said. “You could have warned us about that little twist at the end.”
“If you were waiting for it, then you might have screwed up when it was time to defend yourselves for real. I had faith in your judgment.”
“What will you do now?” asked Takeshi.
Noah gave him a sour smile. “I told you already, Take. I don’t want your job.”
Takeshi laughed. “Just checking.” He grinned at Nick. “They probably want to celebrate. Why don’t we get out of their hair?”
“Fair enough,” Nick said with a smirk. “Good luck, guys.” He and Takeshi followed the training staff out of the room.
Toby grabbed them both in a hug. “Nice work.”
They stood there, embracing each other for a few moments, until Andrea coughed delicately behind them. “Hands off my boyfriend, Jameson.”
Toby recoiled away from his bandmates and faced her with horror. “Jesus, Andrea. That’s just sick and wrong.”
Matt glanced back and forth between Noah and Andrea. “Made it official, huh?” He shrugged. “More women for me, then.”
Noah punched him lightly in the shoulder. “Step off. You know you love being the single one.”
“True.” Matt grinned, and then his mood sobered. “We would have made a good quad.”
The others were silent. They had explored the option of Noah and Matt bonding to Toby and Andrea, but had discovered that they already had a triad link in place with Ethan, which had awakened when they kindled. They couldn’t bond another Fire Sentinel without the link becom
ing unstable and probably killing them all when it broke.
Toby sighed. “Have you heard anything from him?”
Noah shook his head. “Ethan masked himself from us when he noticed the bond. We could feel that he’s let his Gift awaken again though, now that he doesn’t need to hide from you anymore.”
“I wish he’d come to me when he first kindled,” Toby said sadly. “So many things could have been different if he hadn’t thought he had to hide what he was.”
“He saw how the Armistice took over your life when you kindled, and he didn’t want that. Besides, if he hadn’t wanted to hide, he would never have found a way to suppress the Gift,” Matt answered. “I don’t think even he realizes what an achievement that was. Think how many Sentinels could benefit from that kind of magic. We could be free from the demands of the White Wind without even having to wait for Rory to complete the Great Work.”
“Too late now,” Noah said in a hard voice. Other than Toby, he had taken Ethan’s betrayal the hardest. As the two oldest members of the group, he and Ethan always had a special understanding that they shared a certain responsibility for their younger bandmates. To find that Ethan had been actively working to harm Toby shook Noah to the core.
“It doesn’t have to be too late,” said Andrea.
The other three looked at her incredulously.
“Andrea, he could have gotten me killed!” Toby said. “You want me to pretend that never happened?”
“People do stupid things, and people get hurt,” Andrea said. “It happens all the time. You deal with it and move on.” She faced Noah. “Ethan made a mistake. Maybe if you reach out to him, he might change his mind.”
“Ethan was one of my closest friends,” Noah said, with emphasis on the past tense. “He doesn’t change his mind once it’s made up.”
“You won’t know until you try.” Andrea shot a glance at Toby. “For ten minutes, after Manchester, I thought you were dead, that I’d never hear your thoughts again, that sense of rightness when you were a part of my life.” She looked at Noah and Matt. “When you link, how does it feel not to have Ethan there with you?”
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