“I’m new.” I wriggle out from his grip and dart back over to Ayma, yanking my bracelet out from my BodSak. “Do you recognize this?” I manage to blurt out before I’m zapped and pinned to the ground. Buir screams and dashes over.
I glance up at Ayma, wincing at the pain in my left arm, still clutching my bracelet. “You had one just like it,” I gasp. “It was stolen.”
Ayma’s intense, violet-blue eyes widen. “Let her go, Warrion.” She fastens a look on me that says if I step out of line, she’ll turn Warrion loose to finish what he started.
Warrion releases me and pockets whatever weapon he used to zap me with, scrutinizing me the entire time.
Ayma holds out a slender hand and pulls me to my feet. She reaches for my bracelet and examines it with trembling fingers. “Where did you get this?” she asks in a strained voice.
“I’ve had it since I was adopted as a baby. I don’t know which planet it came from.” I lean toward her. “Please, do you know anything about it?”
She lowers her eyes, her breathing ragged. After a moment, she casts a quick glance over her shoulder at Warrion and then turns back to me. “Meet me tomorrow at the Syndicate military quadrant. I’ll leave passes at the control station for you and your friend.” She chews on her lip for a moment. “I know where the bracelets came from, but we can’t talk here.”
My heart lunges in my chest at her words. I open my mouth to beg her to tell me more, but she’s already striding off in the direction of the EduPlex. Warrion glowers at me as he closes in behind her.
“I don’t like that Warrion,” Buir says in a hushed tone. “It may not be safe for us to go to the military quadrant.”
“We don’t have a choice,” I say. “Ayma knows where the bracelets came from.”
Back at the Zebulux, we fill in Ghil, and Velkan on everything that transpired at the EduPlex.
“Velkan should go with you tomorrow,” Buir says. “This is about him too.”
He throws her a grateful look but waits for my decision.
I nod. “Agreed. Velkan and I will head out there first thing tomorrow.”
Ghil consults his CipherSync and then rubs a hand over his jaw. “I hate to be the one to point this out, but it’s already after ten o’clock, which makes Doctor Azong officially a no-show.”
“We could give her another hour,” Velkan suggests.
“Or we could swing by her practice and put some pressure on her,” I say.
“We can’t all go,” Buir says. “Someone needs to stay here in case she shows up.”
“I’ll stay,” Ghil volunteers. “Even with those fancy lenses Doctor Azong gave me, I’m taking a risk every time I leave the ship.”
“I’ll stay with you,” Buir says. “We can work on our new menus.”
Velkan and I exit through the security gate and make our way back out of the docking area and past the gaudy holographic billboards. Within minutes, we reach the discrete glass building housing Doctor Azong's dermal sculpting practice. The foyer is deserted apart from the android receptionist who lifts her head and calls out brightly, “How may I be of assistance to you today?”
“I need to see Doctor Azong,” I say.
“Doctor Azong is incapacitated.”
“It’s urgent,” Velkan says.
“Doctor Azong is incapacitated.”
I lean over the counter and glare at the android. “If you say that one—”
“Doctor Azong is incapacitated.”
I reach across the counter, grab the android by the hair and shove her as hard as I can.
“What did you do that for?” Velkan asks.
“I’ve been wanting to do that ever since my first visit. That thing is obviously malfunctioning, and even if it wasn’t it is now.”
“So, where’s Doctor Azong’s office?” Velkan asks, looking around.
I grab his hand. “This way!”
I lead him through the archway and back to the conference room.
“There’s no one here,” he says, turning to go.
“Not so fast.” I reach under the table to find the hidden control panel. The door to the secret office slides open with a gentle whoosh. I step inside and shrink back in horror. A dark pool of blood is creeping out from underneath the doctor’s desk.
25
I tread tentatively around the desk and stare in disbelief at the body lying on the floor.
“It’s Doctor Azong,” I say in a shocked whisper.
I take a step toward her, but Velkan reaches for my arm. “Don’t touch her. We need to get out of here before we’re implicated in this.”
I turn to him, perturbed at his grave tone. “You don’t think her death had anything to do with us, do you?”
He furrows his brow. “Too much of a coincidence. Maybe the buyer she talked to decided he could do better by coming to us directly.”
Fear whirls in my mind. What if the buyer is already en route to the Zebulux? “We’d better head back to the ship and make sure Buir and Ghil are all right.”
I turn to go and freeze when I see the android receptionist standing a few feet away, her rigid gaze fixed on me. Something about her stance feels wrong. Or maybe it’s a vibe I’m getting. There’s nothing detectable on her blank face, no indication of her programmed state of mind, but all my hunting instincts kick into gear. I can read an animal in the way it holds itself, tell at one glance when it’s unaware that it is being stalked, or gauge by a single tremor of a taut muscle when it’s about to pounce. My gaze travels to her right hand as she slowly raises a laser gun. “How may I be of assist—”
“Get down!” I yell to Velkan. I dive behind the desk for cover, shaking all over.
Velkan rolls in next to me. “That thing must have killed Doctor Azong,” he whispers.
I put a finger to my lips. We can’t see anything from here, but I hear methodical footsteps moving in our direction. I close my eyes and pinpoint the android’s position. On the count of three, I leap out in a low crouch and grab her by the ankles, toppling her in one fell swoop. The gun falls out of her hand and I kick it as far out of her reach as I can. Velkan scrambles up beside me and flips the android over, digging at the back of her head for something.
“What are you doing?” I ask.
He yanks something out from under her hair. “A magnetic override chip. Someone wrote a kill order and temporarily repressed her base predictive program.”
I stare in disbelief at the android as she calmly picks herself up and brushes herself off. She smiles serenely at us. “I will be at my station should you require any further assistance.”
My heart thuds wildly in my chest. “She just tried to kill us,” I say to Velkan. “Doctor Azong's buyer must be behind this. The dargonite is the only connection between us and Doctor Azong.”
“We need to leave before anyone finds us.” Velkan grabs my hand and we hurry out into the main foyer. “Doctor Azong would like you to disinfect the entire area,” Velkan calls to the android on our way out.
“Certainly,” she replies with a slight tilt of her head.
“Our fingerprints aren’t in any Syndicate databases,” Velkan says, “but with a murder this close to the docking station, the Minders might decide to extend the investigation to foreign ships in the port.”
We keep up a brisk pace, but not in a way that would attract unwanted attention. The inhabitants of Aristozonex never run, other than in designated workout plazas under the supervision of medical droids. Ghil says they are obligated to take a requisite number of steps per day, which are automatically recorded, uploaded to their health history, and monitored for anomalies. I breathe slowly in and out, trying to blend with the pace of those around me. Their footsteps are nimble and smooth, syncing with a velocity set for them on their CipherSyncs, calculated for peak performance without adding undue stress to their bodies.
I glance constantly over my shoulder, fully expecting Brivardo and a squadron of Minders to come bearing down on us at any minute. On
ce they discover Doctor Azong’s body, it won’t take long for them to review the cameras and then they’ll have our pictures.
Despite my new heat-regulating jumpsuit, I’m drenched with sweat by the time we make it back to the Zebulux. I trudge up the docking ramp on shaking legs. Velkan closes the cargo doors and together we head upstairs to the communal area.
Buir looks up, startled at our arrival.
“Are you all right?” I ask.
She nods, frowning. “What’s wrong?”
Ghil sticks his head out from the galley. “Did you find Azong?”
“It’s not good news,” Velkan says.
Ghil walks out wiping his hands on his apron, his eyes sharp and alert. “What do you mean? Did she turn us in?”
“She’s dead,” I say.
Buir’s eyes widen. “How?”
“Shot by her android receptionist,” Velkan says. “Someone installed a magnetic override chip with a kill order on the android’s base program.”
“Must have been the buyer she was negotiating with,” I say.
Ghil folds his arms across his chest and frowns. “What makes you think it had anything to do with the dargonite?”
I look him square in the eye. “Because the android tried to kill us too.”
A worried look fills the folds of Ghil’s face. “If they know who you are, you’re going to need to take extra precautions every time you leave the ship from now on.”
I give him a wry grin. “Guess we’re all wearing beanies tonight.”
“Tonight?” Buir says.
“Stefanov is setting up a meeting with his buyer this evening,” I say. “As we’re down to one buyer, I don’t have much choice but to show up.”
Velkan tightens his lips. I can tell he’s worried about my safety, but he knows better than to try and talk me out of going. We have to unload the dargonite, and soon. “I’m coming with you,” he says in a tone of quiet insistence.
“Stefanov said to come alone.”
“Then I’ll wait outside.” His eyes soften. “In case you need me.”
I give a grateful nod. “Thanks.”
“Well, what are we going to do until tonight?” Buir asks.
Ghil shrugs. “I got a deck of cards somewhere.”
Buir pulls a pout. “That doesn’t sound like fun. How about we go downtown and see some more of the sights?”
I look around at the others. “Everyone up for that?”
Ghil scratches the back of his neck. “I’ll stay put. I don’t mind wandering around close to the ship, but downtown could be sketchy for a wanted man, even with my lenses. About the only place I’d be safe would be in the sewers. The Syndicate has high-tech facial recognition cameras everywhere.”
Velkan punches him playfully in the shoulder. “You should have gotten on Doctor Azong's gurney yesterday. You’d have been a whole new man today.”
Ghil nods thoughtfully. “I’m still chewing on the idea. Maybe I’ll find a remote planet outside of the Syndicate and settle there instead.” He gets to his feet, a wistful look on his face. “I’m going to check the engine room and make sure everything is up to par. If this deal goes down tonight, we can take off in the morning and start shopping for a new ship.”
“After we meet with Ayma,” I say. “I’m not leaving here until I find out what she knows about our bracelets.”
Ghil purses his lips and throws me his beanie before exiting the room.
I pick it up gingerly and dangle it in front of me.
Buir looks at it with disgust. “You’re not really going to wear that thing, are you?”
“No.” I toss it on the table. “I’m not a fugitive. Whoever’s looking for me won’t be looking downtown.”
Our LevCab takes us several hundred feet up in the air and follows a laser-lit pathway that cuts through the center of a glittering shopping emporium that’s so beautiful it takes my breath away. Buir and I gasp out loud at the crystal-like fountains sparkling through the glass.
“Look at the height of some of these buildings,” I say. “How do they keep them from toppling over?”
“Ghil tells me they’re made of plutonglaze glass,” Velkan explains. “It self-regulates temperature and light, and monitors weather conditions so if a solar storm comes in, the building’s shield system is activated.”
“I’ve never heard of it,” I acknowledge. “But then our educational reference materials on Cwelt are all over fourteen moons old.”
Velkan smiles. “It’s a recent development.”
“How does the shield work?” Buir asks.
“A chemical is released into the glass to fortify it,” Velkan explains. “It pretty much turns the building into an iron fortress in minutes. The effect lasts for several days. It can also be manually activated in case the building ever comes under attack.”
“I wonder if dargonite could make the glass invisible.” I turn to Velkan. “Just think of the possibilities. Aristozonex would cease to exist for any attacking spacecraft.”
“You’re right,” he says, frowning out the window. “No wonder the Syndicate is seizing control of the dargonite mines. There’s no telling what uses dargonite could be put to, but if it falls into the wrong hands—” He breaks off and throws me an apologetic look.
“You mean Maulers,” I say.
He rubs his hand slowly over his jaw. “Especially Maulers. If they discover the dargonite on Cwelt, they’ll fortify their position. One warship may not be enough to liberate your people by the time we go back.”
I drop my gaze, digesting the truth of his words. Even if he is right, I still have to try. I won’t leave my people to their fate. I promised Meldus I would save them when I sat by his burning pyre for those long hours.
The LevCab slows to a halt and descends into the drop-off location downtown. I dismount with the others and look around awestruck. The walls of the buildings here shimmer like colorful waterfalls. Holographic projected billboards advertise everything from the latest Artificial Intelligence home appliances to weightless beds guaranteeing unparalleled sleep rhythms.
“Look!” Buir points at a hologram of a mouthwatering dessert. “I want to try one of those!”
“Infused ice cones.” Velkan laughs. “Ghil sometimes sneaks one onto the ship for me. They do weird things to your tongue and the roof of your mouth, but they’re good.”
We cross the street, and after some deliberation, I order a milky way cone. The first lick sends a fizzy tingle all through me, electrifying my tongue with a barrage of sensations and flavors. “Yikes! This is amazing!” I gush.
Buir nods and moans with pleasure. “How did I exist all this time without these?”
We spend the rest of the afternoon wandering through exotic shopping emporiums, examining the wares and guessing what some of the items are. Everything is a novelty, from the AI guided toy hovercraft for kids to the vast array of personal android assistants specializing in everything from childrearing to housekeeping.
“We should get going,” I say with some reluctance. “I can’t be late for the meeting with Stefanov and his buyer.”
“I’ll take a LevCab back to the ship,” Buir says.
“Are you sure you’re okay traveling back alone?” I ask.
“Positive.” She splays her hand good-bye. “Much more relaxing than traveling by LunaTrekker.”
Velkan and I watch her climb into a LevCab before hailing one of our own. Once we are airborne, Velkan turns to me. “If anything seems off about the buyer, just walk away. We don’t know if we can trust Stefanov, and after what happened to Doctor Azong, we can’t afford to take any chances.”
“Stefanov isn’t going to double-cross me,” I say. “He wants in on the deal. He knows that even a cut of this sale is more than he’ll make for the rest of his life.”
Velkan takes my hand in his and rubs his thumb gently across my palm. “Promise me you’ll be careful.”
“That tickles.” I snatch my hand away.
“
How about this?” Velkan says, leaning in to kiss me.
I close my eyes and melt into the softness of his lips, wishing the moment would never end.
All too soon, Velkan pulls away. “LevCab’s going down,” he whispers. “I could make it go up again.”
I laugh. “Another time.”
Velkan brushes the back of his hand over my curls. “Your hair is beautiful, but do you want to know the real reason I call you Girl of Fire?”
I give a self-conscious shrug.
“It’s because you have fire in your belly. You’re not afraid to right wrongs and go after the truth. No matter the cost.”
“Or maybe I am afraid, but I choose to act anyway.”
“That’s what fire in your belly is, ” Velkan says, as he reaches for our BodPaks.
I pay our fare and we climb out. Our mood quickly turns somber as we approach the pawn emporium.
“Where will you wait?” I ask.
Velkan gestures at a cafe two doors down. “I’ll be at an outside table. If you’re not back in an hour, I’m coming to find you.” He pulls me toward him in a crushing hug that tells me he dreads the thought of anything happening to me.
“I won’t be long.” I draw away with reluctance.
He nods good-bye and watches me walk up the steps to the front door of the pawn emporium.
Stefanov is waiting for me inside, a reproving look in his eyes. “You were supposed to come alone.”
“Does it look like anyone’s with me?” I retort.
“You took your sweet time saying good-bye to your companion,” he grumbles. “Follow me. The buyer is waiting on us downstairs.”
He leads me to the elevachute, and we descend into the basement and take the same route as before until we come to his private office. The door slides open, and I step inside.
“There’s no one here,” I say, a feeling of unease mounting by the second. I spin around just as Stefanov locks the door behind us.
26
“My buyer is here but prefers to remain anonymous.” Stefanov motions to a four-panel antique carved screen partitioning off the back corner of his office. “I’m sure you can appreciate the need for discretion in a transaction of this sort.”
Girl of Fire: The Expulsion Project Book One (A Science Fiction Dystopian Thriller) Page 20