Floodworld

by Tom Huddleston

  “What are they even doing here?” Nate wondered. “Mariner law dictates that military vessels stay close to home except in extreme circumstances. But they’re thousands of miles from Frisco.”

  “I bet it’s part of Cortez’s plan,” Kara said. “Something to do with this storm of his.”

  They moved through the party, eyes following them, conversations stopping dead as they approached. Kara’s nose twitched, smelling seaweed and spice and a charcoal fish so familiar it made her ache for home. Serving tables stood along the waterfront and Nate hurried off to find plates.

  “I haven’t forgotten about you,” a voice said, and they turned. Doctor Chandra stood with two other Mariners, a cup of wine in her hand. “At the very least you need shots. I don’t want you spreading your Shanty diseases on my boat.”

  Kara felt her face go red but the doctor just laughed. “I’m teasing,” she said, gesturing to the people beside her. “Here, meet Lupita Dwyer, the catch supervisor. We call her Queen of the Lines. And this is Lars Olson; he teaches the cadets. You’ll get to know him if you decide to stay.”

  “We’re not,” Kara said quickly. She couldn’t forget what Nate had told them – everyone on the Neptune was loyal to Cortez. The doctor might seem nice but it was probably just an act.

  “This boy’s been on board a day and he’s already saved a life,” the doctor told her companions as Joe shook their hands politely. “Young Bobby would’ve drowned if Joe hadn’t been there.”

  “Is he OK?” Joe asked.

  “All patched up,” the doctor smiled, pointing. A short distance away Bobby sat upright in a wheeled chair, surrounded by young Mariners. “I ordered him to stay in bed but he flat-out refused to miss the party. In fact he’s been asking after you. Go talk to him.”

  Joe bounded away eagerly and Kara hurried after him. “Joe, I really don’t know if—”

  But it was too late. Bobby’s eyes shone as he saw them approaching, his fellow Mariners spreading out to make room. “Guys, this is Joe,” he said proudly. “He saved my life.”

  Joe blushed violently. “Cortez did, not me. I would’ve died too if he hadn’t come.”

  “Exactly,” Bobby said. “You took a big risk coming back for me.”

  Cane strode towards them and Kara braced, balling her fists. But the girl just pushed past her, grabbing Joe and spinning him round. “Our hero!” she cried as he laughed breathlessly, a high happy sound that Kara hadn’t heard in as long as she could remember.

  “I’m sorry I got the wrong idea before,” Cane said. “Bobby told me what really happened.”

  “It’s OK,” Joe said. “I probably would’ve thought the same.”

  One of the cadets pressed a glass of juice into his hand; another handed him a plate piled with cake. He beamed at Kara, his mouth ringed with pink icing. “Have some!”

  Instead she took his arm, drawing him gently to the edge of the circle, keeping the smile fixed on her face. “You’ve got to be careful,” she whispered. “These people aren’t our friends, remember? I don’t think we should trust them.”

  Joe wiped his mouth. “They’re just saying thanks for what I did. They’re just being nice.”

  “But they’re Mariners,” Kara insisted. “They’re terrorists and pirates. And they almost got you killed today.”

  “That was an accident,” Joe said. “And I don’t think they’re all terrorists. Bobby’s cool, and so’s Nate. And I get that you don’t like Cane, but I think she’s just tough, and when you get to know her she’d be OK too. Like you, sort of.”

  Kara bristled. “I’m nothing like her. I’m nothing like any of them. We need to stick to the plan and get back to the Shanties.”

  “But it’s dangerous there,” Joe protested. “It’s smelly and we’re always hungry. Here there’s food and it’s clean and—”

  “This isn’t a discussion,” Kara cut him off. “I’ve made up my mind.”

  Joe’s face turned red. “And what if I haven’t made up mine? What if I won’t go? Are you going to kidnap me, like Redeye?”

  “If I have to,” Kara said, ignoring the insult. “I know what’s best, Joe. Trust me.”

  He pulled away. “Why don’t you trust me for a change? I think it’s good here. I think you’re worrying about nothing. I won’t go back, Kara. I refuse.”

  And he pushed through the crowd towards Cane and Bobby, their warm smiles welcoming him in. Kara felt her frustration rising; she wanted to storm over there and drag him away, tell them to leave him alone. He was hers, not theirs.

  But that would only drive him further from her. So she turned, shoving through the party, skirting a noisy group of Kraken crewmen. She found a quiet spot near the edge of the Disc and sank down, nothing ahead but dark water and the circling searchlight atop the submarine’s tower. She heard the creak of the Orca’s mast, the very vessel that had delivered them into this trap. She hung her head and cursed.

  “So that’s where you’ve been hiding.” Cortez’s voice echoed out of the dark and Kara turned sharply.

  “Just making some final checks,” a familiar voice answered and she crouched lower, ducking behind a stack of crates. “We sail at first light.”

  Boots descended the Orca’s gangplank, a red glow pulsing in the dark.

  “It feels wrong, doesn’t it?” Cortez said. “Sending you off without Elroy. You were practically brothers, inseparable since…”

  “Since he found me in the desert,” Redeye agreed. “But remember, he’ll be avenged a thousand times over. They all will.”

  “Blood for blood,” Cortez muttered, and his voice was so cold it made Kara shudder. “Now, I know you wanted more time, but after that mess in the Shanties we don’t have a choice. Our friend urges us to strike now, before the situation changes.”

  “And you trust him?” Redeye asked.

  Cortez laughed. “Oh, I’d never be foolish enough to do that. He’s an animal really, a greed-driven psychopath with no more morals than a sand shark.”

  “So why…”

  “Because he needs us to fulfil his ambitions, and we need him to fulfil ours. And as long as both those things are true he’ll act in his own self interest.” Cortez sighed. “You know, I keep thinking of Kara and Joe. They have no idea how crucial they’ve been. Without them Elroy’s efforts would’ve been meaningless. The map would be lost and you’d never have found that back door.”

  “You need to watch them,” Redeye warned. “They could still make trouble.”

  “The girl, perhaps,” Cortez admitted. “She’s crafty, that one. Though if she thinks I’m going to send her home, she’s very much mistaken. I won’t have her spreading panic in the Shanties before we even arrive. But the boy is different. He’ll make a good Mariner someday. Looking at Joe I remember why we’re doing all this. It’s a new world we’re making, and children like him are the ones who’ll have to live in it.”

  Kara huddled behind the crates, trying to hang on to everything she was hearing. Words and phrases flashed through her mind: “blood for blood”, “our friend”, “the back door.” For days she’d been creeping closer to some kind of answer, some kind of truth. Now it was starting to fit together. An attack on London by submarine, that had to be the heart of it. Redeye was going to follow Elroy’s map to something called the back door. A way under the Wall? Yes, it must be. He would pass through, and keep the door open until Cortez and the Kraken arrived.

  So what about the Shanties? Cortez meant to go there; whatever he was planning they were part of it too. But what could she do, stuck out here?

  Timbers groaned and suddenly it came to her. The Orca sailed at dawn, and she and Joe had to be on it. How hard could it be to sneak on board and hide, somewhere Redeye wouldn’t find them until it was too late? Yes, he might try to throw them overboard, but they could worry about that when it happened. All she had to do was convince Joe that this was the right thing to—

  “Kara?”

  She whipped round as Joe�
��s voice echoed from the shadows, back towards the party. “Where are you? We’ve got fish and bread and these fried squid things; they’re really tasty.”

  She covered her head, praying for him to go away. Cortez and Redeye had fallen silent; she could feel them listening.

  “Are you sure she came this way?” Nate was so near that Kara could see his silhouette against the Hub’s running lights. “I mean, why did she run off in the first place?”

  “She was annoyed with me,” Joe admitted. “It doesn’t matter why. I just— Hey, there you are!” He strode up, stopping as he saw her crouched behind the crates. “What are you doing down there?”

  “That’s precisely what I’d like to know,” Cortez said, and reached down.

  Kara ducked away, scrambling to her feet. Redeye stepped in to cut her off. “You see?” he said. “Trouble.”

  “How long have you been there?” Cortez demanded. “What did you hear?”

  For an instant Kara considered denying it, but she knew they’d never believe her. So she stuck out her chin, facing him defiantly. “I heard everything,” she said. “I heard about the back door, and about the friend. I know you’re going to attack the Shanties, and I know I’m going to stop you.”

  Cortez frowned. “Whatever you think you heard, you’re overreacting. No harm will come to anyone in the Shanties. You have my word.”

  “I don’t believe your word,” Kara spat. “You’re a terrorist and a murderer.”

  Dimly she was aware of other figures in the dark, Mariners coming to see what the fuss was. She looked up at Cortez.

  “Do you want to know what really happened to your son?” she asked. “I’ll tell you if you want, but you might not like it.”

  The captain eyed her warily. “Go on.”

  “Well, it happened out on the Spur,” Kara began. “We were there with Colpeper, the man Redeye killed. Joe came up from the water just as your son was escaping from MetCo, trying to get away into the Shanties. He would’ve made it, only Joe was in the way.” She gritted her teeth, and swallowed hard. “So your son had a choice, you see. Keep going, kill Joe and escape. Or turn aside and sacrifice his own life for Joe’s.”

  Cortez made a noise in his throat, a strangled gasp of disbelief. He took a step back, shaking his head. “No,” he said. “It’s not possible, Elroy wouldn’t risk everything we’d worked towards for the sake of some mudfoot brat.”

  “But he did,” Kara said. “He saved Joe’s life, and he died for it.”

  “You’re lying.” Cane stepped forward, pure hatred in her eyes. “Joe, tell me she’s lying.”

  Joe whimpered, looking up at her. “It’s true. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you, I just—”

  “Don’t bother,” Kara said. “I told you, Joe. They’re not good people. They wish you were dead. They wish you’d died and he was still here. Their precious Elroy.”

  “Don’t you say his name!” Cortez roared. He reached out, his hand locking round Kara’s wrist, the thin webs clammy against her skin. She pulled away in disgust but he was too strong, twisting her arm painfully. She swung with her free hand, lashing blindly, feeling the nails digging in.

  There was a howl of pain and Cortez staggered back, clutching his face. Blood leaked between his fingers. He pulled his hand away. Four ragged scratches stood out on his cheek.

  “You little savage,” he sneered. “You vicious mudfoot.”

  “Please stop,” Joe whined. “Please don’t be angry with us.”

  “Hush,” Kara said. “It’s too late.”

  “Oh, it’s much too late.” Cortez said. “You can’t stop what’s coming. And you’ll never see your precious Shanties again.” He gestured to Cane. “Take this … creature to the cages. The boy can go in the brig.”

  Cane advanced, flanked by Redeye and Pavel. Kara backed away but they surrounded her, Cane yanking her arm up behind her back. Joe stared, his eyes wide and uncomprehending.

  “Don’t be frightened,” Kara told him. “It’ll be OK. Just do whatever they say.”

  Cane shoved her forward, driving Kara through the midst of the party and out between the domes. Drunk Mariners turned to watch but no one said a word; she could see it in their eyes – the mudfoot must have deserved it.

  They came to the edge of the Disc and all she could see was the empty ocean. Is this a trick? she thought suddenly. Is Cane going to push me in and watch me drown? Then she saw three shapes to her left, low in the water. The cages were two feet square and perhaps five deep, their steel frames half submerged.

  Cortez strode to the nearest one, wrenching the hatch open. Kara tried to struggle, twisting and bucking as she was forced to the edge, one shoe flying free. She could feel Cane’s hot breath on her neck, heard a grunt as she slammed her head back into the girl’s face with a satisfying smack. Then she was through the hatch and falling, hitting the water, kicking desperately. Kara grabbed the bars, trying to pull herself up, but the steel trap clanged shut.

  They strode away and she was left alone, up to her neck in dark water.

  15

  Two Cages

  “You need to get her out,” Joe insisted. “You need to find her and get her out.”

  Nate looked at him through the bars of the white-walled cell as rain drummed on the windows. “I know where she is; she’s in the cages. But if I went near her, they’d stop me. They might even shoot me.”

  Joe tried to stand but he was chained to the metal cot. “There must be someone who’ll help. That doctor, or … someone.”

  “I told you, everyone on the Ark is loyal to Cortez,” Nate said. “They might not know everything he’s up to but they’re still his people.”

  Joe sank back, moaning in frustration. The Neptune’s brig was small, but he knew it was luxury compared to the place they were keeping Kara. Nate had told him about the cages, how they were as much of a form of torture as a method of imprisonment. Why hadn’t he listened to her? Cortez really was planning something; she’d been right all along.

  “Did you find anything on your computer?” he asked, forcing himself to stay calm.

  Nate took the tablet from his pocket, shaking his head. “You can’t just look up Cortez’s Secret Plan unfortunately. But I tried the words on Elroy’s map. Sun four and six down are too random. I didn’t get any hits at all. News is useless because you just get the latest headlines. The only one that went anywhere was Wellington, which could either be a kind of boot, an old duke or this guy here, who it says is the youngest of the Wombles. I suppose they could be some kind of terrorist group.”

  Joe peered at the bizarre image on the screen. “Is that thing real?”

  Nate shrugged. “It says he’s an inventor; maybe he’s created a new weapon. I sort of doubt it, though.”

  “So that’s it,” Joe said bitterly. “We just leave Kara in there.”

  Nate hung his head. “Look, I know you think I should steal a gun and go bust her out or something, but I’m not like you, Joe. I didn’t grow up on the streets; I went to school and played VR games and watched Aquaboy. I’m not brave.”

  “Neither am I,” Joe insisted. “Kara’s always looked after me. That’s why I have to help her now. It’s my turn.”

  The door slammed open and a uniformed Mariner entered, pushing past Nate. He reached up to a panel on the wall, tapping in a six-digit code. The cell swung open and he stepped in, placing a tray of food beside the bed. “Breakfast is served.”

  “I have to see the Captain,” Joe said, straining against his chains. “It’s really important.”

  “Simmer down, mudfoot,” the guard said, one hand dropping to the stun-stick attached to his belt. “He’ll see you when he’s ready; until then you’re my problem, not his.”

  Joe looked up at him. “Is Kara okay? Are you taking food to her, too?”

  The Mariner laughed derisively. “Dream on, shrimp. No one attacks the captain and gets away with it. Mark my words, she’ll never leave that cage alive.”

  Ka
ra shivered uncontrollably, her clothes matted to her wrinkled skin. The rain had started before dawn, lashing in dark torrents. The sunrise was barely a glimmer behind the clouds, too distant to warm her. She heard the Orca depart, the clatter of pistons fading, rattling out to sea and taking the last of her hopes with it.

  She knew Cortez would never let her out, not after what she’d done. And she knew what happened to people who stayed too long in water; cases of trench foot were common in the Shanties. Her skin would pucker and rot; she’d start to decompose before she was even dead.

  But at least Joe was safe. She wondered if he’d be allowed to come to her, to speak to her through the bars, tell her how sorry he was. That desperate look back on the harbour might be the last she’d ever see of him. How long would he miss her? Not too long. He was young; he’d learn to live with it.

  She slipped into a hazy not-quite-sleep, dreaming she was back on the Spur, dipping her feet as she waited for Joe to surface. She looked towards the distant Wall and saw figures crawling up, spreadeagled on the concrete like pond skaters on a pool. The Mariners meant to murder everyone inside, and there was nothing she could do to stop them.

  The tide began to rise, filthy water climbing the pilings towards her. The buildings disappeared floor by floor, even the Wall would soon be submerged. It rose up her arms, over her shoulders, and then she was spitting, trying to keep her head up as the Stain came to drown her.

  She woke spluttering, the water up to her mouth. The cage heaved on the choppy sea, the wind howling. Up and down she went, until she felt the bile rising in her throat and couldn’t hold it in. Her vomit splashed into the water, washing back in slimy ripples. She gripped the bars of the cage and hung there, breathing hard. Every muscle ached and there was a mist behind her eyes so thick she could barely see. She tilted her face to the sky, letting the rain run down her throat.

  As night fell the rain abated, the clouds dissolved and the moon broke through. Kara heard the guards change shifts, footsteps squeaking off towards the Hub. It was no use trying to stop herself shivering, but she was alive and awake. Slowly her head began to clear, the fog and nightmares of the day breaking like the clouds. But at the same time, she knew she couldn’t take another night in here. She would lose herself, and this time there’d be no coming back.