I can’t believe our good luck. “Barrick! It’s me! We met our first day! We’re Bounders! We’re in Jon Waters’s pod.”
“You won’t be in Waters’s pod for long if you don’t get out of here. You’re probably just about frozen already, and it’s only getting colder. Get up! We need to move!”
One of the Tunnelers grabs Mira by the armpits and hauls her up. Without the warmth of her body, the cold crushes me.
I’m suddenly very embarrassed. What would the other cadets think if they knew I’d wrapped my arms around Mira to keep us warm? I don’t dwell on it. Mira looks too bad off. Two Tunnelers lift and carry her deeper into the cave.
“Don’t worry,” Barrick says. “She should be okay if we can warm her up. Which means we need to move.”
“Where are we going?”
“This cave leads to our tunnel system.”
“You mean Gulagaven?”
“Ha! Ha! Ha!” comes through the voice box. “No. We don’t live in Gulagaven. You may have heard of us. Earth Force calls us the Wackies.”
They’re bringing us to the Wacky headquarters? This could be very bad. Then again, it couldn’t be worse than what was waiting for us in the cave.
Barrick helps me up and hands me off to two Tunnelers. He barks at them, and they walk with me sandwiched between them deeper into the cave. Their headlamps glow with the silver light of occludium.
A million questions run through my mind, but asking them would be useless. I’m pretty sure Barrick is the only one who’s wearing a voice box, and he’s way up ahead. The two Tunnelers by my sides are carrying on a conversation in Gulagan. At first I’m paranoid they’re talking about me, then I realize I’m probably the least important thing in their world. They check readings on a scanner and every few minutes report into a handheld com device. They’re surviving on the outskirts of society in a very inhospitable landscape and climate. Caring for an Earth Force cadet must rank pretty low.
But they are caring for me. They’re saving us. Even though they don’t have to. Even though they probably have good reason not to, since it seems Earth Force hasn’t been too kind to them.
They’re not what I imagined at all. When Neeka mentioned the Wackies, I pictured them as a couple of old, crazy Tunnelers wandering aimlessly across the frozen tundra. I definitely didn’t imagine them as a high-tech search party showing up to rescue us.
Soon, the cave tunnel widens and occludium-powered glow orbs are mounted on the walls. We come to a thick sliding door secured with multiple code locks. It slides back to reveal a bustling city, similar to Gulagaven on a smaller scale.
No guardrails here, either. Ugh.
Barrick tells me they’re taking us to their infirmary. As they steer us along the ramps of their city, dozens of Tunnelers rush past. Just like the search party, they’re dressed in brilliant colors and styles.
When we reach the infirmary, they lay Mira down on a table and point to the table next to hers. I’m assuming that’s sign language for me to get up there. I climb up and stretch out.
A few minutes later, a Tunneler wearing a long green coat comes to check on Mira. She pulls the curtain so I can’t see. Hopefully she’s a doctor, or at least the Tunneler version of one.
“Is she going to be okay?” I ask.
The Tunneler doesn’t answer.
I reach out to Mira in my mind. Nothing. Silence. I haven’t felt her connection since the search party found us. How long has she been with the doctor? Why doesn’t someone check on me? My hip hurts. And my head. If I only knew that Mira would be okay, I think my head would feel better. The base of my skull is throbbing. A growing blackness creeps along the edges of my vision. Maybe if I closed my eyes for a second . . .
The next thing I’m aware of is Waters’s voice. I must be dreaming. I struggle to open my eyes. When they flutter open, I get my bearings. I’m in the Wacky infirmary. The curtain is pulled back. Mira is on the next table. Huge mitts are pulled over her hands. Tubes connect to her nose and arm. That can’t be good. I try to sit up. Tubes connect to my nose and arm, too. When did that happen?
But the weird thing is, I can still hear Waters’s voice. I close my eyes and focus on his words.
“So you’re sure they’re going to be all right?”
“Confident.” From the sound of the robotic voice box, that must be Barrick. “We got them inside before their temperatures fell to critical. All their vitals are improving. They should be fine by morning.”
“Good. These two are special. We can’t lose them.”
Last tour, that would have made me feel great, proud that Waters thought I was special. Now I don’t know if he genuinely cares about us, or if he just cares about the special technology he implanted in our brains.
He’s right to worry about us, though. My brain—Youli patch and all—feels like mush, like I’m missing something very important.
Wait a second . . . Mira and I are miles away from Gulagaven, holed up in an infirmary in the middle of the Wacky compound, which happens to be deep underground across the frozen tundra. Why on earth is Waters here? Did he come because he heard they found us? I thought no one was allowed in or out of Gulagaven after curfew.
“Are we all set for tomorrow?” Barrick asks.
“Yes. The maintenance schedule still shows a power-down of the occludium shields beginning at nineteen hundred hours. The meeting will go forward as scheduled. Which reminds me, I need to scan these coordinates.”
“Right here in the infirmary?”
“It’s quiet, secure, far off the radar,” Waters says. “I think it’s ideal.”
Barrick grunts. “Fair enough.”
I open my eyes just enough to see Waters unlock the black BPS case. That can only mean one thing: whoever is coming to this meeting is going to bound here. It has to be the meeting both Waters and Ridders were talking about. We’ve got to get more information. Hopefully Lucy had luck with Sheek tonight.
Out of the corner of my eye, there’s movement. Mira lifts her hand.
“She’s waking up!” Waters says.
“I’ll get the doctor,” Barrick says.
Mira struggles to sit. Waters rushes to her side.
“You don’t need to get up now. Just rest,” Waters says, easing Mira back down onto the table.
“Is she going to be okay?” I ask.
He turns to me. “You’re awake, too, huh? You kids! Always in and out of the infirmary! You gave me quite the scare tonight!”
“How did you get here?”
“Never mind that,” he says. “How did you get here?”
Even though Waters is dodging my questions and being super cagey in general, I can’t resist giving him the replay of our tale of woe, including my conclusion that Regis is to blame for us being in this mess.
“Well, thank goodness you survived. It’s nothing short of a miracle that Barrick and his team found you. And I have another slice of good news—Mira’s gloves were found at the outfitters after base closing. Apparently, they were slipped in with some of the returned equipment.”
That is good news. I was worried Regis might have destroyed her gloves. I have no idea how long it would have taken Gedney to make a new pair.
Waters reaches into a side pocket of the BPS case, and withdraws the gloves. “Of course, you can’t use them now. A bound would show up on the tracker, and we can’t risk Earth Force discovering this location. Not to mention, the scrambler is activated in Gulagaven. Tomorrow morning, Barrick will walk you back through the occludium mines.”
“Our pod mates are probably freaking out,” I say.
“Gedney told them you were safe. They know where you are, and they know not to tell anyone. The cover story is that you entered the mines through an exhaust vent and wandered through the night until you eventually made it back to Gulagaven. There are dozens of vents scattered across the planet, so the story is entirely plausible. It won’t reveal the location of the outpost, and it has the added benefit of you b
eing able to say you entered the tunnels by curfew, so there’s no question you’re still in contention for the Tundra Trials. I suspect that’s quite important to you kids, seeing as tomorrow is the last day and you’re in the lead.”
“But I told you Regis stole the gloves. Why can’t we just tell the truth? He should be punished! We almost died because of him! He should be kicked out of Earth Force!”
Waters’s lips press together in a tight, straight line. “I’m not saying this is fair, Jasper. I’m saying it’s our plan. Sometimes it’s just not possible to do everything the right way. You have to make choices for the greater good. You and Mira didn’t die. The secrecy of this outpost is paramount. And we both know the chance that Earth Force is going to expel one of its cadets—one of its soldiers—is almost zero.” He gives me that look my mom uses sometimes, the one that says, When you’re a grown-up, you’ll understand. Then he places his hand on my shoulder. “I need you to do this for me, Jasper. It may seem like a small thing, but it is a very important piece of a much bigger puzzle.”
“Like the puzzle piece implanted in my brain?”
“Yes, actually, just like that.”
The Tunneler doctor walks into the infirmary, cutting off our conversation. I wish I could have pressed Waters more. But the truth is my head is pounding.
Waters whispers good night and pulls the curtain.
It’s pretty clear he’s plotting something big. I don’t know what it is, but I know Mira and I are pawns in his scheme. Until I discover what he’s up to, we might as well play along.
Not like we have a choice.
23
“SHE DOESN’T TALK MUCH, HUH?” Barrick asks.
“No, but she can hear you,” I say. “So cut it out with the commentary.”
It feels like Mira and I have been following Barrick for hours. I have no idea how he remembers the route. Every tunnel looks exactly the same as the last.
“Fine, I’d rather not talk,” he says. “I hate the sound of this stupid box.”
“That makes two of us. Why don’t you get a new one?”
“And how exactly am I supposed to do that? Waltz right up to Admiral Eames and ask for one? I realize you’re a bit slow on the uptake, kid, but the operation we’re running is covert.”
“I’m not stupid,” I say.
“Could have fooled me. I’ve had to rescue you twice.”
“Garr-eek.” Cole taught me how to say thank you, although my accent sounds awful.
“Oh, you speak Gulagan now? Fantastic.”
Ignore him. Mira adds this choice piece of wisdom to the exchange.
That’s easy for her. It’s not hard to ignore just about anyone when you don’t talk. I guess the downside is that most people ignore you, too. Of course, at this exact moment, that would be an upside.
“How much farther?” I ask.
“One more bend, then that’s far enough for me.”
“You’re not taking us all the way?”
“I don’t feel like getting caught this morning, so no.”
We walk in silence for the next five minutes. When we reach the corner, Barrick pulls up short. “Straight down this hall, right at the end, third left, straight to the end, right, first left, follow that past the main market. I assume you know your way from there.” He turns around and scurries up the tunnel we traveled down.
“Wait!” I shout, but he shows no sign of stopping.
Straight. Right at the end.
“Yeah, that I got. I hope you remember the rest of the route, or we’ll be just as lost as before.”
Fortunately, Mira’s ability to retain Tunneler directions far surpasses mine, and she’s able to lead us back to the Earth Sector. We drop our blast packs at the burrow to charge, and then make our way to the cantina.
When we walk in, all eyes are on us. Mira heads straight for our pod table, but I stand at the threshold, scanning the room, looking for Regis.
When I spot him, my heart quickens, and I’m guessing his does, too. His mouth hangs open at the hinges like he just saw a ghost. I suppose he has, in a way. He thought Mira and I were goners. I narrow my eyes at him. I don’t want there to be any doubt in his mind that I’m staring him down, that I know what he’s done. The realization flashes across his face.
I slowly raise my pointed finger. You, Regis. I’m coming for you.
Something collides with my shoulder, pushing aside my revenge fantasies. Lucy wraps me in her arms and squeezes. “Oh, you big goof! I was so worried!”
“It was Regis,” I say.
“We guessed as much once Mira’s gloves turned up. They had to be planted. We went through all our packs three times to make sure we didn’t accidentally take them. Never mind that now. Your poor face. It’s purple.”
I raise my hand to my cheek where Regis hit me. I’d almost forgotten what started all of this. “That’s the least of our problems. Mira almost lost her fingers from frostbite.”
Lucy frowns. “Come sit.” She leads me by the hand over to the table. As I launch into the tale of Mira’s and my night, Cole is antsy. He’s drumming his fingers and squirming in his seat.
“What’s with you?” I ask.
“Ignore him,” Lucy says. “We have a story of our own, but it can wait until you’re done. In fact, it can wait until after you’ve eaten. We have to be on the surface in under an hour. Go get some food!”
“First I want to hear why he’s so fired up. Cole?”
“We found out details about the meeting!” he says.
“Tonight, nineteen hundred hours?” I ask.
“What are you, a mind reader?” Marco says.
“How did you know?” Lucy asks.
Around us, cadets clear their trays and leave for the outfitter center.
“We’ve got to go,” I say. If you’re late for the Tundra Trials, your pod is disqualified. “I’ll fill you in on our way to the first cache. Now let’s eat and go win this thing!” I dart for the food line. Who would have thought a few weeks ago that I’d be racing for a warm meal of furry forage and fungi?
We make it to the surface with only seconds to spare and race to join the group of cadets crowded around Commander Krag for the start of the final day of the Tundra Trials. When Neeka’s father sees us coming, he shakes his head and waves us to the side.
“I’m sorry, but rules are rules,” he says. “Your pod has been disqualified from the competition.”
“Disqualified?” Marco says. “No way!”
This must be about yesterday and what happened with me and Mira. “We had equipment issues! And anyway, we made it into the tunnel system by four o’clock.” The lie Waters prepped me with slips out like it actually happened.
“The rule is you’ll make it through the base gates by sixteen hundred hours,” Commander Krag says. “I’m afraid the exhaust vents do not count.”
“But that’s entirely unfair!” Lucy shouts. “Today’s the last day! And we’re winning!”
“There’s nothing I can do,” the commander says. “I wish there were. My daughter will be devastated.”
Cole hits my arm. “Tell him, Jasper. We were set up! We’re not the ones who should be punished for this. Tell him!”
I would love to lay the blame on Regis—he deserves it—but there’s no guarantee it would change the result. Like Commander Krag said, rules are rules.
But that’s not what’s really keeping me from telling the truth. Waters’s voice rings in my mind. I’m not saying this is fair, Jasper. . . . It may seem like a small thing, but it is a very important piece of a much bigger puzzle.
As Commander Krag heads to the departure gong, I grab hold of Cole’s coat and corral my pod mates away from the crowd. When we’re out of earshot, I whisper, “We need to take the punishment. It’s just a stupid contest. If we’re disqualified, we won’t have such a target on our backs. Think of it this way: we’ll have the whole day free. There’ll be plenty of time for us to plan our espionage mission.”
&
nbsp; “I don’t understand,” Cole says. “All we have to do is tell them the truth.”
Mira places her hand on my shoulder. “It’s not that simple,” I say.
Lucy looks from me to Mira. “Waters put you up to this, didn’t he?”
Leave it to Lucy to figure it out. I don’t confirm, but I don’t deny it either. “All I know is that it’s important we don’t raise any flags. They can’t know the Wackies were involved in our rescue.”
“I’m with Jasper,” Marco says. “Not because I’m on board with Waters; he’s got more secrets than Earth Force these days. I support the Wackies. That guy Barrick helped us when he had no reason to, and none of the stories I’ve heard about the Wackies from anyone in Gulagaven have ended up being true. So if keeping quiet protects their home, my lips are sealed.”
We stare at Cole. He shakes his head and clenches his teeth. He does not like this one bit. I don’t know if he’s going to agree or explode. “Ohhh . . . ,” he grumbles. “Fine.”
On our way to the gates, we walk by Regis.
“Thanks for the day off,” Marco says.
Regis doesn’t respond. He looks freaked. His prank against us worked so well, I know he’s worried about payback.
He should be.
We spend the rest of the morning in the Nest. First, I tell the others about Mira’s and my adventure last night.
“So slimers are real!” Cole says.
“More real than you can imagine,” I say with a shudder.
Then Lucy explains how she tricked Sheek into spilling the beans about the meeting. Apparently, he’s still pretty burned about not being invited, and he’s willing to complain to anyone who asks the right way. All it took was a bit of coaxing. And if there’s one thing Lucy excels at, it’s coaxing.
“It’s all going down tonight,” Lucy says. “Parliament Chamber, nineteen hundred hours.”
“Parliament Chamber?” I ask. “Waters scanned bounding coordinates for the infirmary at the Wacky outpost.”
“Maybe Chic Sheek doesn’t know as much as he’d like to believe,” Marco says.
The Tundra Trials Page 19