Out of Orbit- The Complete Series Boxset

by Chele Cooke

  “Where will you be when it goes down?”

  “With Edtroka.”

  Keiran placed his bowl aside but didn’t release it. He kept a tight hold on the pottery, staring at it, as if steadying himself.

  “You’re going into the compound?”

  “Yes.”

  “And whose idea was that?” he demanded sharply.

  Georgianna grimaced. He shifted away from her, breaking the comforting contact of their legs pressed against each other in the low light.

  “Edtroka’s. I’m going with him, Alec and Wrench.”

  “You’re taking Cartwright straight into the compound? Why not just sell him back right now?”

  “I don’t…”

  “The deal I made with Edtroka to get you out is what landed me here, George, and you’re just waltzing back into the compound? Taking Wrench and Alec with you?”

  He got to his feet and went to the door. He banged his fist against the metal and tapped his foot impatiently until it was pulled back.

  “Get the Marshall down here.”

  “Excuse…”

  “I said do it!” Keiran snapped, pulling the door shut again and turning away before the guard had a chance to argue further.

  “Keiran, Beck doesn’t have control over this. Edtroka made specific demands over who would go into the compound.”

  “Well, he can change them.”

  “Are you serious? Why would he?”

  “He’s not taking you back in there.”

  “Why?”

  “You’re a medic.”

  “So?”

  “So, you’re not a Belsa.”

  “Why does that matter?”

  “Because you’re not strong enough for this, George!”

  She stood up, gathering up the bowls and her bag, and moved towards him.

  His narrowed eyes looked dull grey in the low light. The muscles in his jaw clenched and he crossed his arms defensively over his chest.

  “I kept your secrets, Keiran,” she mumbled, staring down at the smeared remnants of stew. “I stopped Beck from killing you. I dealt with Maarqyn. I sent my family away.”

  She gathered courage with every word and the silence gave her the answers she needed. It didn’t matter that those things required strength. He still wanted her out of this. From the way he was looking down at her, as if she were a child who should be kept safe, she could see that he thought she should run, just like Alec had wanted her to. It didn’t matter how much she did to help them; they would always see her as a stupid little girl who shouldn’t be involved in such dangerous plans. Tears of indignation welled up in her eyes. But tears would not help her. He would only be more convinced than ever that she wasn’t strong enough to be involved.

  “I’m doing this. Edtroka asked for me. He thinks I’m strong enough.”

  “George, I…”

  “Save it,” she cut in. “You didn’t trust me over your plans with Edtroka. I don’t know why I thought you’d trust me now.”

  Georgianna slid the door open and jumped down from the car before he could reply. She handed the bowls to the guard and stomped off down the tunnel. She didn’t know how it had come to this, that an Adveni trusted her more than any Veniche, yet the further she walked, the more she wanted to prove just how wrong everyone was.

  Wrench twisted his hands in the binding cuffs continuously and complained under his breath. Alec remained silent as Edtroka nudged them between the shoulders with his rifle, pushing them forwards in halting steps across the bare ground towards the compound gates. Georgianna trailed a respectable two steps behind. She’d dressed in the smock she had been given upon leaving the compound, her hair tied in a neat knot at the base of her skull. She looked like a perfect, submissive slave.

  The rain had stopped for the moment but the dappled ground told a story of recent showers. Above them, dark clouds swirled amongst the rays of the heat-end sun, trying to decide whether to release their burden. Georgianna rubbed her palms off on her dress, though it wasn’t the weather that had left her feeling clammy and cold.

  The gates opened as they neared the compound. Two uniformed guards stepped into view, watching their approach curiously. Wrench fidgeted with the bindings and glanced over his shoulder at his Adveni escort. Alec steeled himself, his lips pressed into such a tight line that they almost disappeared. His eyes narrowed in disdain and resolve.

  “Early morning hunt, E'Troke?” one asked, scoffing.

  “Guinnyr’s escaped drysta, and this one was caught handing over false registration papers.”

  Georgianna stared at the ground behind Edtroka’s boots, not daring to lift her head even to see their expressions for fear they’d take an interest in her presence. She couldn’t have them see that she was trembling, though she hoped they would assume that Edtroka was a cruel owner and nothing more.

  “I’ll contact the commander,” a woman said.

  “No,” Edtroka interrupted. “I’ll do it. Not about to let you get the credit, now am I, Safnya?”

  There was a pause before Edtroka stepped forwards while she imagined that the woman was weighing her options. Georgianna followed, watching the boots of the guards pass through the edge of her vision. She clasped her hands in front of her, trying to still her shivers.

  Behind them, the guards erupted into immediate chatter. While the woman, Safnya, sneered and commented in annoyance, the other was quick to shut her up. The gate ground closed, locking them inside.

  Within the compound, Edtroka led them through the corridors at a merciless pace. Alec opened his mouth to speak once but Edtroka turned and glared at him so ferociously that the Belsa took a step back in surprise. For the first time that day, Georgianna found herself grinning.

  Just as they turned towards their goal, another guard rounded the corner and, this time, even Edtroka jumped.

  “E’Troke, what’s going on?”

  “Transport of prisoners. Taking them to the holding cells for a minute while I work out where to place them.”

  The guard examined Alec, Wrench and then Georgianna.

  “What about her? She’s a drysta.”

  Edtroka glanced over his shoulder at her.

  “Yes, mine.”

  When the guard’s gaze didn’t leave her, the full force of her shivering returned. The guard stepped forwards, but Edtroka grasped his elbow.

  “Is there a problem?”

  “The bag. She needs to be searched.”

  Edtroka chuckled.

  “Qayna, she is my drysta. Do you seriously believe I would give her anything she could use to stab me in my sleep?”

  Qayna hesitated.

  “The girl used to be a medic. I’m going to be stuck here sorting these two out and then I have to kiss the ass of our self-important commander until he decides what to do with his escaped drysta. I figured she could deal with some of the prisoners while I am here.”

  Qayna didn’t look pleased, but he wrenched his arm from Edtroka’s grasp and stalked off down the corridor.

  Edtroka ushered them into one of the holding cells and ordered Wrench and Alec to stand with their backs to the left-hand wall. Georgianna frowned, wondering why that was so important, but when Alec glanced at Wrench and nodded his head backwards she spotted a small black box in the corner with a disk of glass at the front on the wall. It was one of the observation devices the Adveni had throughout the compound. It was high up in the corner of the cell and, from that angle, would have a view of nothing but the backs of their heads and their shoulders.

  Edtroka released the bindings around their wrists and remained close to them, interspersing whispered instructions with loud threats of serious pain in case one of the other guards came to check on them.

  “There are cameras pointing down each row of cells… If you don’t tell me what I need to know… one in each corner of the block. Go to the other end of the row… I don’t hear you speaking… Place the charge in the centre of the back wall, keeping your back towards the
corner. It’ll block the view.”

  For good measure, Edtroka backhanded Alec and, despite the vicious glare on the Belsa’s face, he didn’t fight back.

  “The commander will be here within the hour… You need to get back to the other side of the block to avoid the blast… He can decide what the hell to do with you… I’m setting thirty minutes on each charge, it’ll give me time to place the others.”

  Georgianna stood in the doorway, her gaze flickering down the corridor.

  “Drysta…”

  Edtroka had grasped her by the shoulder and yanked her forwards before she realised he’d been talking to her.

  “Suns, you can’t do a thing I tell you,” he complained in exasperation. “Take these.”

  He held out the binding cuffs and Georgianna dipped her hand into the side pocket of her bag. The oval pod pressed against her fingers, and she lifted it from the bag, passing it to Edtroka as she took the cuffs from him. He shoved her backwards into the wall.

  “Ventsu!” Wrench shouted, launching himself at Edtroka.

  He had Wrench by the throat in seconds. As Wrench grappled against the Adveni, Georgianna watched the pod disappear up his shirt sleeve.

  It was like watching the tricks that a Kahle entertainer used to perform when she was young.

  Shoved against the wall, Wrench rubbed his neck and gave the smallest of nods.

  Edtroka took out his tsentyl and swiped it open. From where she stood, clutching the bindings in both hands, Georgianna could see the writing on the screen. Edtroka clicked through it at speed.

  “Your names are Alec Cartwright and Eli Talassi?”

  “Yes,” Alec answered.

  “You are of Kahle and Nerrin tribe?”

  “Yes.”

  “You accept the charges of taking part in the removal of Adveni property and the destruction of Adveni technology?”

  “Yes.”

  Despite the questions, Edtroka was not inputting their information into his tsentyl. Instead, he tapped away until a string of numbers became visible on the screen. Through Wrench’s shirt, Georgianna could see a flash of light from the bulge of the pod.

  Edtroka took three pods from her as she handed the bindings back to him. Clutching her bag to her hip, she followed them along the corridor and remained a few feet away as Edtroka opened up the first block door. Alec threw a worried glance her way before the two Belsa disappeared inside.

  “You remember how to set it up?” Edtroka asked quietly as they walked the short distance to the next door.

  “Press and twist the top until the four sides spread,” she answered.

  “Then?”

  “I remove the needle.”

  “Then?”

  “Then?” Georgianna squeaked. She couldn’t remember him telling her anything else. He’d shown her how to open up the pod, pressing and twisting the button in the rounded end. He’d also shown her how to remove the thin needle, but she couldn’t remember anything other than that.

  “Then you get away,” Edtroka insisted.

  She let out a breath. He touched her elbow and gave her a rare, reassuring smile.

  “Right.”

  The second door loomed before them. Edtroka slowed and checked behind them. Clutching her bag to her hip, she shifted her weight back and forth. He pressed the onyx card to the reader. Bright blue lines appeared across the smooth surface, reminding her of a time when this trip had been much simpler. The red, metal door squealed against the concrete as it was opened. Edtroka took hold of her elbow, holding her back.

  “Drop your bag, let things fall out. It’ll cover the pod.”

  She trembled as she nodded.

  “I’ll be back at this door in twenty minutes.”

  “What if I can’t do it?”

  Keiran was right: she didn’t belong here. So much was depending on her getting this right, and yet she couldn’t even stop herself from shaking. How was she supposed to set off a pod when she could barely keep her hands still? She wanted to run. She wanted to tell Edtroka that she couldn’t do this, that it was just too much.

  Despite seeing the panic in her eyes as he searched her face, he smiled.

  “Then you drop it the first chance you get and get back here.”

  Georgianna nodded. She wasn’t ready but she took a deep breath and stepped into the enclosure she had never thought she would enter again.

  Whispers followed her as she walked through the block, between two rows of cells. Only a few of the inmates hid their comments behind their hands and even fewer bothered to lower their voices. Most blurted their surprise loudly to their neighbours, especially those she had helped in the past. Some wondered whether she had been delivered back to the compound permanently, but the brighter among them noticed her bag and suggested that she was back to performing medical visits. No one greeted her personally, which was okay by her.

  Tucking a loose lock of hair behind her ear, Georgianna grasped her smock and tugged it further down. She took a moment to glance into each cell, looking for people who needed treatment, but her feet were moving faster than she intended. Keeping up a natural appearance was getting more difficult by the second and she had nobody to help her now, nobody to rely on. If she failed, the plan failed. Maybe Edtroka wouldn’t care but the Belsa would. Keiran and Alec would.

  Edtroka had told her to drop her bag and so she lifted the strap over her head, allowing it to hang precariously on her shoulder. She came to the end of the row, where a broad space ran between the cells and the outer wall. Turning on the spot, Georgianna glanced at each corner and moved towards the next row.

  Another turn, looking over her shoulder as she bashed her bag into the wall. The strap slipped from her shoulder. The contents spilled across the cold concrete, rolling and bouncing into a wide space. Her entire body trembled as she flung herself down onto her knees. Gathering the contents towards her, she dug into the side pocket for the pod.

  She couldn’t find it. It wasn’t there. Georgianna fumbled and prodded, but there was nothing inside the pocket except air. Throwing her bag down at her side, she began sweeping her belongings towards her knees. She had herbs and dressings, a small packet of pills, but no pod. Georgianna tore her bag open, hoping she’d left the pod in one of the inside pockets. It had all been so careful. They’d spent time practicing how to activate the pods and looking at the best locations to put them. Edtroka had shown them a diagram and told them exactly where to run if anything went wrong. All that practice, all that planning, and now she’d lost the only thing she’d had to do! Keiran was right. Alec was right. She shouldn’t be here. Her fingers trembled harder than ever. What if she couldn’t find it and it went off in her bag?

  Her hands dug through the contents, but it wasn’t there. She pulled more out onto the floor. Slumping back onto her heels, she let out a sob.

  She saw the boot before she saw the pod, the toe resting on the device’s warm grey metal. Georgianna looked up in wide-eyed terror until she saw his smile.

  “Alright, Med?”

  “Dhiren,” she breathed. “Suns, you scared me.”

  “I have that effect.”

  Stuffing her things by the handful back into her bag, Georgianna kept the pod in the corner of her vision.

  “What are you doing here?” he asked.

  “The guard bought me. Grystch. He has a shift here, so he said I could visit as a medic, like before.”

  Her hand was on the last of the herb packets before she remembered. She’d dropped the bag on purpose. It was supposed to be covering the pod. She glanced at it as Dhiren bent down.

  “No!” she squealed.

  He paused, his fingers inches from the oval pod. Georgianna moved forwards, but Dhiren had already grasped the pod and stood up. She leapt forwards to grab it, but he held it out of her reach, turning it over in his fingers.

  “What is this?”

  “Nothing, it’s nothing!”

  He grinned.

  “You’re a horrible liar
.”

  “Give it back.”

  “No,” he teased. “Not until you tell me what it is.”

  His arm was raised, putting the pod in clear view of the cameras. Georgianna lunged. She had no idea how often the guards would be looking at the cameras within the block, nor whether they could hear as well as see, but she couldn’t risk their plan on an assumption.

  “Give it here, Vtensu,” she squealed, clamouring for it. “They can’t see it!”

  “They?” Dhiren held her back easily with one hand. Georgianna snatched at empty air.

  “The cameras,” she hissed.

  His gaze flew to the camera in the corner, and he lowered the pod, concealing it in his palm, but still keeping it out of her reach.

  “What is it?” he hissed back.

  Fury and fear shook through her in equal measure. Time was ticking away. Dhiren would know if she lied. She’d never been a good liar, Edtroka had said so. Her brother saw through her every time she tried. Even Dhiren could see it.

  “George…”

  “It’s…”

  She stopped. What was it? What could she say that he would believe?

  “What?”

  Another flailing attempt to grab the pod was just as fruitless.

  “Give it here, Dhiren, it’s a fucking bomb!”

  Whatever Dhiren had been expecting her to say, that was not it. He dropped the pod into her waiting hands so fast that Georgianna almost dropped it herself. With a tight grasp on the metal bulb, she glanced to the cameras and back to Dhiren.

  “What are you doing with a bomb?” he demanded.

  “Quiet, will you?”

  Dhiren grasped her wrist, but upon looking at the pod again, moved his hand to her elbow.

  “Georgianna…”

  She didn’t have long. Their bodies were shielding the pod from the cameras. It was the perfect time. Georgianna jammed her thumb into the top of the pod. Dhiren leapt backwards.