Her commands aren’t challenged, just obeyed. They’ve already chosen who will sit out for the day. Ida, one part of the runway-good-looks couple, stands on the dock. The rest move silently to their stations. Morning’s about to give another command when she notices me watching. She raises an eyebrow, shoots me an unexpected wink, and waves goodbye.
I’m still staring when she twists one of her wrists. The nyxian bracelet slides off. Darkness floods out like smoke, spreading and forming a wall between our two ships. It doesn’t swarm over us or anything, but the sound cuts completely off. Aside from Defoe’s tricks, it’s the most impressive thing I’ve seen anyone do with nyxia, and she made it look easy.
I turn back; our team is still arguing. “I’ll be the captain.”
It’s now or never. With a flick, I let my nyxian rings transform. They gather around my knuckles dangerously and settle into fists, sharp with iron and padded black.
“Anyone want to fight me for it?” The ship goes quiet. “Katsu? Longwei? Jaime?”
I’ve crushed them in the pit. It’s the one place where our scores don’t matter. They know the damage I can do. When no one says anything, I point to the front of the ship.
“Defoe said we need eyes. Jazzy’s had the best vision in the Rabbit Room all year, she’s always calm, and she’s aced all the pattern tests. Any objections?” None. Jazzy nods at me but doesn’t move. “Go ahead, Jazzy. Take a look at the front console and try to figure out what it can do.”
With a nervous glance at the others, Jazzy slips to the prow. Good. Next I point at Katsu and Longwei. “You’re the two strongest manipulators. We need one of you powering the ship and the other as one of our drivers. Which one do you want?”
“Power,” they both say.
I try not to sigh or roll my eyes. “Longwei, you were always the strongest on the grips and got the furthest on the 3-D shapes exercise. Head back to the power console. Katsu, you’re the quickest with technical stuff. There’s no one I trust more to drive us than you, but you need a partner. Who do you want?”
He eyes the rest of them. His anger vanishes as he considers my question. Giving him a choice has made him forget that I just stole the captain’s chair. It’s a tactic I think Kaya would have used. One wrong word or objection could take us back to the beginning and remove me from leadership. I wait patiently as he thinks about each person. Eventually he shrugs.
“I’ll take Jaime.”
Jaime smirks. “Thought I hadn’t done anything to impress you.”
“Exactly why I want you on my team. So I get all the glory when we dominate the Waterway.”
“Yeah, yeah. Go to your stations,” I command.
They do. Only Roathy, Isadora, Azima, and Bilal remain.
“Roathy and Isadora, you want to work together?”
“We don’t answer to you,” Roathy replies.
“No? Then we’ll start each day off by throwing you overboard. You’ll get no points.”
The two lovers exchange a look. I’m not sure I could actually order the crew to do it, but I know they’re in a tight spot. Isadora’s already guaranteed passage to Eden. Roathy isn’t. If this part of the competition depends on teamwork, he’ll need us to move up the scoreboard. They’re both going to have to play by the rules for now, even if they don’t want to.
Isadora nods. “Keep us together. We’ll work better that way.”
“Head to the back right and left stations. You’ll have to figure out what they do.” My eyes return to Bilal and Azima. “Bilal, can you man a station?”
He nods. “I can’t move, but I’ll strap my chair to the console for now.”
“All right, you and Azima on the front stations flanking Jazzy. Let’s get moving. We’re already five minutes behind Genesis 12.”
I stride over to the middle of the ship, amazed that this worked. They actually let me be their captain. I take my seat, and at first it’s just any other cold-backed chair. Chills crawl up my back, goose bumps down my legs and arms. Then the nyxia clicks to life. I’m aware. Of the water beneath the boat, of the metallic machinery and cogs, of each of my crew members. I can feel them through the nyxian links, like we’re all part of the same body.
“Hello?” I ask.
“A little louder, Captain,” Bilal says.
I clear my throat. “Better?”
Affirmatives all around. My words aren’t loud enough to be heard naturally over the river, but they crackle through the nyxian links like a wireless headset. Before I can give the first command, Morning’s sound barrier dissolves. We all look up as their boat roars into the water, engines humming like a freight train. Babel has set up ropes for our tutorial area, but they’re using what little room they have to move and turn and test. Black smoke trails their ship. The competition doesn’t start for another twenty minutes, but I already feel a few laps behind. Time to get moving.
“Let’s get a report from each station. Clockwise, all right?” Everyone agrees. “Jazzy, what’s going on up front?”
Her hands are tight on the grips of her console. Each station has a sort of foxhole carved out in front of it. The depression has her standing tall enough to see over the ship’s railing, but short enough that my view isn’t blocked.
“I’ve got pulse scans,” she replies. “Watch.”
She punches the button. The others lean over the railing to get a look. A smoky substance crawls from the prow of the boat and spreads over the water like fog. It runs one hundred meters ahead before fading to nothing. Jazzy shifts her shoulders and we all see a digital readout on the mirror-black surface of her console.
“Can you tell what the markings mean?” I ask.
She nods. “Just have to tap the screen and it explains. River depth, currents, all that.”
“Perfect—all right, moving clockwise. Azima, what’s your station do?”
She’s posted on one of the diagonal stations that Defoe didn’t explain. We all watch the nyxia connected to the railing in front of her extend up and out. Her manipulation takes the shape of a harpoon gun. “Looks like I’m playing defense,” she says. “Should I fire at Genesis 12?”
She grins back at us and we all laugh. I shoot her a smile and say, “Soon enough. How about you, Jaime?”
“It’s a little confusing because we’re not moving yet. The first option is for rudders and steering, I’m pretty sure. The second one, though, says something about suction.”
We watch him tap the screen. A second later the ship gives a sharp tug. The ropes anchoring us to the makeshift dock start to uncoil. We all hold tight as the ship drifts to the right, veering against the current as it crawls toward the massive metal supports of the observation deck. Jaime’s eyes go wide as it lurches again and the whole boat tilts. There’s a loud suction sound and our ship crawls up the wall. We’re turned terrifyingly on our side, but no one goes flying overboard. The bottom of our ship has a full grip now. We’re hanging in defiance of gravity.
“You’re fired!” Katsu booms from the other side of the ship. We all laugh again.
“Can you get us back down, Jaime?” I ask.
Jaime manipulates his station again and the boat slides smoothly down the wall. With a splash and a toss, we’re back in the water. I cock my head back to the right.
“What about you, Roathy?”
“Same as Azima,” he reports. “A defensive station. She used one of the presets, though. It looks like these four stations can manipulate into anything. Watch.”
His console stretches past the railing, forming up and out like Azima’s did. Instead of a harpoon, though, his nyxia turns into a giant hand. It’s almost as big as we are, and mimics Roathy’s movements. He waves and it waves. A second later, the massive middle finger extends to flick us off.
“Useful, right?” Roathy asks innocently.
I can’t help but laugh. “Definitely useful. Great. Longwei?”
“Do the others first,” he replies. “My station will make things loud, I think.
”
“All right,” I say. “Isadora?”
“Defense station,” she says crisply. She doesn’t play our game, though. We wait for her to give us a demonstration and she just stares back defiantly. I could call her out for it, but it doesn’t matter. Pops taught me to pick my battles. She wants to win for Roathy’s sake. She doesn’t have to laugh and tell jokes so long as she fights and works when the races start.
“Fair enough,” I mutter. “Katsu?”
“Station is a go, Captain. I’m starting to get a feel for Jaime across the link. We’ll figure it out before the end of the day.”
“Check,” I say. “And Bilal?”
“Defensive station,” he says with excitement. His nyxia transforms into a metallic cannon. He taps his fingers twice and a double shot of laser particles launches into the wall like fireballs. The substance dissolves when it hits, but not before leaving smoke rings on the thick ramparts of the Waterway. Katsu lets out an appreciative whoop. “I don’t need both legs to fire a cannon. Station is ready, Captain.”
“All right, Longwei, let’s start moving.”
A second later, the engines roar to life. On our right, Genesis 12 wheels in a circle, kicking waves out in every direction. Above them, a digital clock ticks the seconds down toward our start time. Just seven minutes. The practice area is small, but right now small is good.
“Katsu and Jaime, take us toward the rope and then turn us to the right.”
For the first time, I get a feel for them working across the nyxian link. Their communication is running along another current. I have access to all of it as the captain. I’d only need to reach out to tap into their link. The engine gives another roar, and we ease our way forward. Jaime and Katsu are tight-gripped on their consoles. We all wait, a little breathless, as the ship approaches the rope barrier. Our front starts to turn, but a little too late. The ropes stretch a good three meters before we wheel back toward the practice square. Not perfect, but it’s a start.
“Good,” I say through the link. “Pulse scan, Jazzy.”
She punches it again. A second later, her screen lights up with information.
“Ship forty meters away, docks one hundred meters away,” she reports.
“Longwei, power us across this diagonally,” I say. The other ship is moving in a similar direction, but we can get there first. “Bilal and Isadora, transform your stations into big hands. If the other ship crosses our path, give them a nice push in the opposite direction.”
Jaime and Katsu hold the rudders steady as Longwei puts more power into the ship engines. I reach through the link and find him, straining to fuel us. I’m not sure what to do exactly, but I set my mind behind his and give a push. The boat leaps forward. We cut across the square three times as fast as we did before. Genesis 12 changes its course as we come flying through, missing us by a good ten meters. Bilal waves at them as we pass; Isadora shows them an angry fist.
“Another turn,” I announce. “Let’s make it sharper this time.”
I pull off the throttle, leaving Longwei on his own. The boat slows down as Katsu and Jaime whip us back hard to the left. A few of the crew stumble to a knee, but it’s a perfect turn, and we’re facing the Waterway again.
“Perfect,” I say through the link. Looking up, I see our time has nearly slipped down to zero. The other crew is still wheeling in circles in one corner of the practice area. “Let’s set up by the entrance to the Waterway. Ease off our use of nyxia, save our energy.”
Longwei rolls us slowly that way. It takes half a minute, but our nose eases up against the ropes and we’re in a starting position. I stand and walk the ship. It feels like a captain thing to do. I tell Jazzy she’s got free rein to tell me anything at any time. I tell her to be louder and more vocal than she thinks she needs to be. I remind our defensive stations that Babel doesn’t believe in easy competitions. They’re going to send something at us and they need to be ready. Jaime and Katsu are having a little argument about the rudders. I don’t interrupt; they can figure it out on their own. Last, I talk to Longwei.
“How is it?” I ask.
“It’s like riding a bike. Easy, but I can tell I’ll get tired eventually.”
I nod. “Did you feel it when I added my strength?”
“Our speed almost doubled. How often do you think you can do that?”
“As often as I can,” I promise him. “When we start—”
There’s a thump and our ship rocks from side to side. We all look up. Genesis 12 is anchored right next to us. Alex, with his golden curls and otherworldly eyes, gives our crew a playful wave. Morning stands at the back of the boat with her power choice, the big statue of a kid named Omar. They’re in discussion too. There are only forty seconds left until we start, but Anton can’t resist crossing over from his station.
“Same boat,” the little Russian calls. “Same course. Same training. What will your excuse be when we smoke you today, and the next day, and the day after that?”
My eyes drift to Morning. A flat smile rests on her face. She knows Anton well enough to know when his anger is working against him and when it works against the opposition. Right now, she’d like him to get under our skin, to rattle us into mistakes. What would Kaya do in a situation like this? I want to be a leader, but I know I’m not her.
“Aren’t you supposed to be on the front of the boat?” Katsu asks.
Anton stares back at him. “What?”
“They typically carve grotesques onto the prow. How’d you break free?”
Anton’s cheeks burn fire-red. “You’re pushing the wrong person.”
Katsu laughs. “Have you ever read about Napoleon? Cute little guy, always angry?”
It happens fast. Anton flings out a backhand. A slash of black crosses the distance between our ships and Katsu’s face whips back like he’s been slapped. Before any of us can react, Anton thrusts out both hands, and darkness forms around Katsu like a prison. Inside the black, Katsu screams. Anton’s face is bright with anger and joy. Azima rushes forward, trying to pull Katsu out, but she can’t get past Anton’s creation. We hear the screams again.
Morning starts forward, but I move faster. I plant a foot on our railing and leap across. Anton’s face twists to fear as he sees my flight over the gap and above him. He tries to redirect his nyxia but isn’t quick enough. The collision rocks my jaw, but I wrap both arms around him as we go rolling across their deck. Anton lets out a strangled cry as the other crew members lurch forward. I transform my rings into a single claw and hold the blade at his neck. He stops squirming and I tighten the grip of my legs around his.
“Let him go,” I grunt.
“No,” Anton spits. “He deserves—”
I press the point of a knuckle to his neck and slide it an inch. Blood spurts. A gargling rasp escapes Anton’s lips. “All right, all right! Just stop!” I lighten my grip enough for him to recall his creation. The nyxia retreats in the air above us, reforming in rings on his fingers. We’re both breathing heavily and sweating. I don’t let him go, though, not while I’m still aboard their ship and surrounded by their crew. We take our feet awkwardly, my bladed knuckle still sharp at his neck. The others are staring at us, but I look past them and at Morning.
“If he does that again to someone on my crew, he’s dead.”
Her head tilts slightly to the left as she considers me.
“You wouldn’t hurt him.”
I smile like a madman. “Just try me.”
There’s respect in her eyes. I can tell I surprised her. After a second, she nods.
Back at the railing, I shove Anton away. Curly-headed Alex catches him, and Genesis 12 watches helplessly as I plant a foot on the railing and leap back to my ship. I stumble on the landing, but Isadora and Azima keep me from falling. As one, we look back across the gap. If there wasn’t hatred before, there is now. Eyes locked on Morning’s, I sound the command.
“Return to stations. We have a race to win, everyone fathom?”
My team answers with a war cry. I am the captain. Not as smart as Kaya, not as talented as Longwei, but willing to leap overboard for any of them. Maybe that’s all it takes.
Azima dusts off Katsu and I make sure he’s okay as Defoe and Requin arrive. A railed walkway runs along one side of the Waterway about thirty meters above us. They look down from it, fully aware of what just happened and obviously unconcerned. They want a fight; they want us to compete. They like the early blood. Defoe addresses us.
“One lap,” he calls down. “We’ll start with a single lap. The first team back to the tutorial bay wins. This is not a boarding exercise, just a race. Please remain in your boats for today.”
Requin punches a button and the ropes release.
“Hit it, Longwei!” I shout.
Engines roar and both boats kick ahead.
“Pulse scans, Jazzy.” It takes me a second to mentally trace my way back to Longwei’s console. When I’ve got the trail, I add my strength to his and we go flying forward. The link is a small drain on my energy, but we nose ahead of Genesis 12 as the rapids grow choppier. “How we looking, Jazzy?”
“Shallow rocks directly ahead,” she reports. “We need to sweep right, to the far wall.”
“Do it,” I command.
Katsu and Jaime link together and start us in that direction. I spare Genesis 12 a glance. Their route doesn’t take them quite as wide. They’ll be ahead by a bit. The river dips the nose of our ship, and we get our first solid toss from the currents. “Keep scanning, Jazzy.”
“Emmett!”
The call comes from Bilal. He’s pointing ahead. A hatch in the distant ceiling has fallen open. It’s right before the turn in the river, still a ways off, but Babel’s up to something. We all wait and watch as Longwei and I push the ship past jutting rocks and into a narrower portion of the river. Something dark falls from the opening, flutters, and takes flight.
“Incoming!” I shout. “Convert to long-range weapons.”
The dark mass splits. Two of the birds head toward Genesis 12 and the other two are making a line for us. Jazzy gives another report of shallow water as Bilal converts his console into a cannon. Our ship splashes back toward the center of the Waterway. Overhead, the birds are getting closer and flying lower.
Nyxia Page 21