Nyxia

by Scott Reintgen

  “Stop using her like that,” I snap. “She’s more than that.”

  Defoe shrugs. “Should I fetch the paperwork for your dismissal, then?”

  “No,” I say quickly. I hate how quickly. “No. I don’t want to go home.”

  “Are you certain?”

  “Yes.” He turns to leave, but I’m not finished. “What’s their punishment?”

  Defoe turns slowly, a sleek eyebrow raised. “Punishment?”

  “I had points docked after what happened. I got Kaya killed. Aren’t there punishments for attempted murder? You saw what they wanted to do.”

  His lips curve into a feral smile. “I’ll fetch the sword for you. The same one I gave you for Dr. Karpinski’s sentence. We’ll make a grand ceremony of the trial, but only if you’re willing to swing the sword.”

  I don’t know if he’s serious, but I shake my head. It’s only when Vandemeer heaves a relieved sigh that I realize how long it took me to answer the question. My hesitation pleases Defoe. Whatever he wants to carve me into, I’m closer than ever.

  “Rest assured, they won’t try anything like this again. The situation has been explained to each of them. Neither of them will risk the consequences again. You have my word.”

  Defoe shades out of the room and Vandemeer and I are left alone. He deliberately switches his watch off. “You know, I almost resigned.”

  I glance over. “What?”

  “After Kaya died. After I found out about the Adamite. I was going to quit.”

  “Why didn’t you?”

  His eyes soften. “You. I don’t trust Babel anymore, but I couldn’t leave you, Emmett. It will be safer if we can get you away from them. If we can get you to Eden.”

  For a while, we don’t say anything. I lean back and close my eyes, but Vandemeer doesn’t leave the room. He sits and reads beside my bed, like he knows I don’t want to be alone.

  He eventually says, “I’m glad you said no.”

  “I’m not.”

  “One day, you will be.” Vandemeer’s voice is as quiet as a bedtime story. “You will be glad that you are not like them. You’ll be glad that you showed mercy to those who did not deserve it. Watching you gives me hope. If we are to send representatives down to a new world, they should not be people without mercy. Babel chose you because you’re poor. They thought you would be easy to manipulate. Twice you’ve proven them wrong. Twice you’ve set the sword aside when they’ve asked you to swing it. When you look back, it won’t be mercy that you regret.”

  He leaves the room, but my body’s not ready for sleep. There’s too much momentum in my thoughts to slow anything else down. I’m thinking about my call home. I’m thinking about how close my brush with danger really was. I’m thinking about Babel and all their secrets. My thoughts eventually drift back to the scoreboard. The numbers get clearer and clearer every day. Unless I change something, I’ll be on Babel’s first ship back home. A failed castaway with pockets just big enough for the consolation prize.

  It has me realizing these could be my last nights with Azima, or Bilal, or Katsu. If I don’t make the final cut, when will I ever see them again? Maybe back on Earth? For some reason, it’s hard to imagine our crew getting together for a ten-year reunion. If I do fail, this week will be the final pages of an unforgettable chapter of my life. But I know I’m not ready for it to end.

  My feet carry me out of the room. It’s night, so the lights are dim and the stars are bright and the halls are empty. I move through the quiet until I’m standing in front of her door. I knock twice and wait there awkwardly. I’m not even sure how late it is or if she’s awake or…

  The door opens.

  Morning’s in a black tank top and sweats. Her dark hair hangs down past her shoulders. She looks up at me like she’s trying to figure out why it took me so long.

  “This is a bad idea.”

  She nods. “The worst.”

  Before all the reasons not to can bully their way between us, I cross the distance and pull her into a kiss. Her arms snake around my neck and I have her off her feet. I almost miss the bed as I set her down, as gravity presses my lips against hers, as she fumbles my shirt up over my back. Our kiss breaks for the second it takes my shirt to hit the floor. There’s an understanding as we crash back into each other. This might be our only time together. This might be as much of an end as it is a beginning. The weight of that truth makes every touch and every kiss more than collisions. We steal eternities from each passing second. Our hands and our lips craft memories big enough for both worlds. Eden or Earth, I know I’ll carry all of this with me wherever I go.

  For the first time, it doesn’t matter that we don’t know what happens next.

  It’s enough to crash into something new, something beautiful.

  DAY 27, 7:33 A.M.

  Aboard the Tower Space Station

  Sometimes mistakes should be made. Sometimes they should be made two or three or five times. The only catch is that Morning has promises to keep, and none of them are to me.

  Fifty-two competitions in the Waterway and we’ve won six. One victory against Morning in all that time, and it was a fluke more than anything. During Morning’s three absences, we managed a 5–1 record. If only there were more of those ahead. With just four days remaining, she will captain Genesis 12 for each of their remaining Waterway competitions. Vandemeer and I take a final look at the scoreboards, running scenarios. Today is the final dueling day. Other than that, there are eight more Waterway battles or races. Just nine events. Twenty-seven thousand points up for grabs.

  Five bold names and only one spot remains. Vandemeer looks over the numbers again. For the first time since I’ve known him, he is unshaved. He looks rail thin too.

  “Four things need to happen.”

  “That’s four things too many,” I reply. He doesn’t laugh. His face is hooded and pale. Neither of us sleeps well these days. “All right, what are they?”

  “First, you have to beat Anton today.”

  “Done,” I say. Twice I’ve beaten him, though he’s nearly nicked an artery both times.

  “Second, Longwei has to beat Loche.”

  I take a deep breath and nod. “He will. He won’t lose three times. Not to Loche.”

  I wish I believed that. Vandemeer says nothing because he’s thinking the same thing as me. Longwei’s fights have been awful. He’s been outmatched time and time again. He’s barely hanging on to his captaincy at this point. A lot of our crew is heading the same direction.

  Desperate and lost and helpless.

  “What’s the third thing?” I ask.

  Vandemeer’s eyes are tight. “You have to win in the Waterway. Just once.”

  We both stare out the porthole window. Eden stands bright against the dark of space. We know the odds of winning. We know it isn’t likely, because we know Morning doesn’t lose.

  “What am I supposed to do?”

  Vandemeer tries to look confident. “Something amazing.”

  “Just one time,” I say. “All right. And the fourth thing?”

  “It’s not something you can do.”

  I glance over. “What is it?”

  “Bilal.”

  He doesn’t need to say any more. Bilal’s final match will be against Holly. My friend’s only won one duel so far, and trying to compete hasn’t allowed his leg to heal properly. Holly’s good. It’s not likely that he’ll win, but he’s as desperate as anyone else. If he wins, I won’t go to Eden. It’s the position I always hoped to avoid. Make friends in a place like this, and eventually you have to root against them. But Kaya taught me better. I’ll be happy for Bilal if he wins. A part of me believes that.

  Vandemeer stands. “We should head down.”

  After Roathy and Isadora’s attempt, they’ve been quiet. I have no idea how Defoe threatened them, but it doesn’t matter. The numbers just don’t work for Roathy to make it to Eden. He can’t catch me, and he’s going to get passed by Loche.

  The
morning challenge has us loading cargo. Nyxian blocks transported to a location at the other end of the Waterway. We start off faster than Genesis 12, but we burn out along the rapids. They pull a few clever submersions and are fully unloaded by the time we dock. Watching them win is like watching my future slip quietly through my fingers. Seven more chances.

  I can’t stomach a lunch, so I walk the Tower Space Station. I know what’s at stake. I know what I have to do. The rest of it is out of my hands. I make a few circles around the station before heading back to the Waterway. The observation deck is empty except for Defoe. His eyes are distant, like he’s looking past the course, through the station, and down to Eden. My arrival catches his attention.

  “You’re early,” he says.

  “Nowhere else to go.”

  His eyes flicker over to me. “We are nearing the end.”

  “Yeah, we are. Will you go down to Eden?”

  He laughs. “I can’t. As much as I’d love to, the Adamites will not allow it.”

  The river fills our awkward pause with quiet.

  I say, “I’m not sure I’ll get to go either.”

  “You need a win in the Waterway.”

  I shouldn’t be surprised he knows that, but I am. “It’s unlikely.”

  “Change the dynamic, then,” he says. Footsteps echo behind us. The others are coming. “Change the dynamic. Think like Kaya used to think. Remember her strategy in the Rabbit Room? You have to change how the game works. Morning keeps winning because she changes the dynamic first. Change it before she can and maybe you’ll get your win.”

  I nod. “I still have to win my duel.”

  “Against Anton?” He flashes teeth. “Just get him riled up and let him overextend.”

  “Why are you telling me all of this?” I ask quietly. Shadows stretch in the hall behind us.

  Defoe’s lips purse. “You remind me of myself, Emmett. I came from nothing to where I am now. I worked hard for everything I have. It’s also my belief that your presence on Eden will benefit our company. I’ve watched the other students. Morning? She’s brilliant, of course. But Loche? He’ll go down to Eden and treat it like a vacation. I can tell you’ll work hard, Emmett. More than that, you’re a loyal person. I’m not going to manipulate the results of the contest, but I can still hope to see someone like you on the surface for Babel.”

  He straightens as the others funnel into the room. Let the games begin.

  Babel’s scheduled it well. The early fights are of little consequence. Morning crushes Isadora like she’s crushed everyone. She glances over my way after her fight and she’s wearing the same look she’s had for days. There’s passion, and fear, and dark dread. There’s a war happening inside her. One part wants me on Eden. The other part has promises to keep.

  Ida falls to Azima’s spear and Omar makes Katsu look small again. Parvin and Jaime go tumbling into the water during their duel. In the chaotic splashing, Jaime catches her on the shoulder with his short sword. Then the first fight of consequence: Holly and Bilal.

  My friend’s still walking with a limp. He wears an air cast inside his boot, and he noticeably favors the leg. I can’t fight the secret fear that edges into my heart as I watch them take their positions across from each other. What if he wins? What if Bilal’s the one who knocks me out of the competition once and for all?

  The two of them circle. Bilal knows he won’t last long, so he fights aggressively, darting forward and hoping to score a lucky shot. But Holly’s a great boxer. She wards off the rushes, dances around jabs, and punishes every mistake. My heart rejoices and breaks as her finishing haymaker ends him. I watch Bilal’s avatar fall, and a horrible box is checked in my heart.

  One out of four.

  The next fight arrives, and I’m not sure either participant has calculated its significance. I consider pulling Longwei aside to make sure he knows the consequences, but he shoulders his way downstairs before I can. Not that he would have cared about my fate anyway.

  Loche looks determined. His bright-blond lover, Ida, stands by the bottom docks calling for him to be brave, to win. Longwei shoots her an annoyed look. Even that amount of emotion gives me hope. The fight begins quietly. The two circle, and Loche looks for a way inside the reach of Longwei’s sword. They exchange blows and circle twice more. Loche lunges under a sweeping strike, but before he can slip his arms forward, Longwei head-butts him in the face. The crack echoes over the water, and Loche stumbles, nose gushing blood and legs unsteady. Longwei takes his time after that, slashing at ribs, disarming Loche, and then putting silver right through the Aussie’s heart. Loche’s avatar drops and my heart soars.

  Two out of four.

  As Anton and I cross the bridge, I consider Defoe’s advice.

  Get him riled up, he said. Let him overextend.

  The Russian is twirling his knives and humming some military marching song. I walk past him and turn so that I’m facing the observation deck. I fake a confused look.

  “Wait, who am I fighting?” I ask, letting my eyes drift up to Defoe.

  Defoe raises an eyebrow in return. “Anton.”

  “Oh,” I say, looking right at Anton. “Where is he?”

  Defoe doesn’t answer this time. I can hear Katsu laughing as a flush creeps up Anton’s neck. I crane my neck forward and squint.

  “Oh, there you are! Sorry, didn’t see you for a second.”

  My smile clinches it. I make it a dirty, I’m-better-than-you kind of smile. It doesn’t make me feel good, but it has Anton pacing like someone just insulted his mother and his grandmother. Maybe his dog too.

  When Defoe gives the signal, he flashes forward. And God, is he quick. I fend off the first two strikes, but he spins and leaves a gash on my upper arm. I can hear him cursing under his breath as he stabs, ducks, slices. He catches me four times in the first minute. There’s not even a second to glance up at the avatars, but I know I’m losing, bleeding out.

  In the end, though, Defoe is right.

  Anton ducks to put his left blade between my ribs, and I absolutely crush him with a hook. Even with the protective nyxian padding, he whips with the blow. I plant a massive boot in his chest, and the gargoyle goes flying over the railing. His avatar’s brain hemorrhages, and I win. He comes gargling and cursing to the surface, but his words can’t touch me.

  Three out of four, I think.

  Just one more thing to do and I’m on Eden.

  Vandemeer waits in the hallway and actually picks me up when I tell him. We walk excitedly back to our rooms, but the hardest part is still to come. That afternoon, we lose a round of capture the flag. The next morning, we lose a race that’s completely underwater. My chances vanish like words on the wind. Vandemeer follows me everywhere. His encouragements sound small. Another afternoon comes, and this time Babel simulates storm currents. We get trapped by metallic tentacles so large that I don’t want to see whatever creature they’re supposed to prepare us for. Genesis 12 notches another victory, and Loche’s score inches up to mine.

  The idea that we could win a group event seems laughable.

  Four, I think. Only four events remain.

  One victory, I think. An impossible number.

  DAY 29, 8:44 A.M.

  Aboard the Tower Space Station

  I know what has to be done.

  Morning didn’t mean to help me, but her words are my answer: As long as you’re standing there and I’m standing here, you’re not gonna win. So far that’s been proven right. She changes the equation; she tips the scales. It doesn’t help that our team isn’t a team. We are a group of going and not going, of winners and losers. As I stare down at Eden, I realize I’m the only gray in our group of black and white. Everyone else has had their fate determined. Unless Babel has some final twist, they all know where they’re going.

  I grab the brass key my father gave me and stuff it in a zip pocket. I skip breakfast and make my way down to the Waterway. After boarding the ship, I do a few nyxia tests. When I’m sa
tisfied with the distances and heights and manipulations, I sit down and wait. The others are slow to arrive, but my heart sings when I see Azima and Katsu arrive first. I wave them down.

  “ ’Lo, Emmett,” Katsu says.

  “We don’t have long, so I can’t explain it fully, but I have a plan for today. Bilal’s going to take my spot on the hip, all right?”

  Katsu shrugs. “Whatever.”

  “Not whatever,” I snap back at him. “Look, I know you’ve already got your spot, but I don’t. I need one more win. If we lose the last four, I’m gone. No Eden.”

  Azima frowns, but Katsu only shrugs. He’s feeling as defeated as the rest of us.

  “That’s how the game works,” he says. “I want you to make it, but what can I do? Morning doesn’t lose. They’re good as gold for the last four games, Emmett. Sorry, man.”

  “Just promise me you’ll do everything you can after it happens.”

  “After what happens?”

  “Just promise.”

  “Sure, I promise.”

  I glance over at Azima. She leans in and kisses my cheek. “I will fight for you.”

  One burden off my shoulders. I heave a sigh and reach into my pocket, fish for the brass key. “If I don’t get to go, will you bury this on Eden?”

  Azima plucks the key out of my hands. “What is it?”

  “It belongs to my family. If I don’t get to go, I need someone else to take it. I’m the closest we’ve ever been…” Azima and Katsu look at me in confusion. “Just take it.”

  Azima puts it in a zip pocket as the others arrive. There’s not much more I could have asked of them. Still, there’s one more person to talk to before we start. I spot Bilal at the back of the procession. When he crosses the gangplank, I pull him to one side.

  “I need you.”

  His eyes are soft and sad. “I lost, Emmett. It’s over.”

  “Friend,” I plead. “My friend. I need you today. Will you help me?”

  He stares at me. For a heartbeat, I’m afraid he’ll say no and my only plan will be lost.