by Ciara Knight
Chapter Ten
Thornton’s gaze traveled along my face and arms. I pressed my back to the cool brushed-gold surface of the stairway, my pulse pounding in my neck.
No way I could bluff my way out, not when I’d tucked myself between the medicine cabinet and wall. Unless, he hadn’t seen me until now and thought I’d just arrived. Willing any hint of fear from my voice, I smiled, stepped away from the wall, and said, “Hi, Thornton. I’m here to see Dred before my shift. Any change? I hope the doctors can help when we reach the ENR tomorrow.”
Silence.
Thornton didn’t move. I’d swear he didn’t even breathe.
“Everything okay?” I asked.
“No, not really.”
I pointed at the clear bronze tube with the silver cap. “What’s that for?”
His right arm flexed as his fingers curled around the capped syringe. “You heard us.” With a jerky movement, he cut me off from the corridor. Then after quickly scanning it, he approached me, the syringe at the ready.
My power heated to a raging boil at his advance and I fought for control. If I had to melt that syringe, it required calm to avoid melting the stairwell, if not the entire ship.
“Relax. I’m not going to hurt you.” Thornton’s tight grasp on my arm could have qualified as a tourniquet as he dragged me fully into the infirmary. After sliding the door shut and once again checking the entire room, he placed the syringe on a small metal table near Dred’s bed.
He scrubbed his grey-stubbled chin and groaned. “I’m going to be hanged for this.”
I scanned the sterile room with its metal beds. Dred’s dark skin and broad shoulders were a stark contrast to the thin white sheets. He looked peaceful, but gaunt. His muscled arms had atrophied to almost nothing. His once chiseled face was sunken hallows.
Blinking back a flood of tears, I stared up at the medic. “He looks bad, Thornton. Even if he wakes up, he may not be able to walk…or even feed himself.”
Thornton’s harsh expression softened. His silver hair had relaxed back into a straight line across his forehead, instead of being arched like a cat hissing. “He’s been unconscious for too long. As soon as he can move around, his muscles will regenerate. Please, Semara, don’t worry.”
“Why?” The word slipped from my lips before I could stop it. Not that it mattered. Thornton knew I’d overheard Mart and his conversation. Thankfully, it appeared his medical training held sway and doing harm was an anathema to him. I hoped he felt the same toward me.
“Because, my brother was sent to the Tower after the war started. Accused of conspiring against the royal family, back when they were in power.”
I touched Dred’s warm hand, willing him to wake up, but assumed the brass tube leading to his arm and the tape at his elbow meant drugs kept him under. “The royal family?”
“Before the Great War, the monarchy was a symbol of our society. Don’t you know about how Europe fell?”
“No. The only world I knew is what the queen taught me aboard her ship. I didn’t even know the ENR existed before I met Ryder and Raeth in the Mining Territory. I thought all the other continents were covered with flesh eating humans and wastelands.”
Thornton chuckled. “You’re not too far off. There are cannibals between the ENR headquarters and Middle Europe. Also, in large sections between HQ and Middle Europe, it’s uninhabitable above ground.”
“Why?”
“The queen—your queen—used chemical and biological weapons. However, there are other sectors where people live. The pacific also has several sects of rebels. China’s remained an ally to the queen. The queen…ha. What a joke. She’d preached to our people that the monarchy had turned into a dictatorship. That the king of the United Kingdom ruled with an iron fist, killing any who disagreed with him. Now, she rules almost all the world and makes the king look like a rank amateur.”
More evidence that my aunt was a master manipulator. Seemed I wasn’t the only one who fell for her lies. I bit my lower lip. “I know the queen’s a slag, but could she also have the Neumarian gift of persuasion?”
Thornton collapsed onto a stool. “Never thought about it. But you may be right. That’d explain a lot.” His gaze narrowed. “You’re not a spy for your mother, are you?”
“No. And she’s not my mother. She killed my mother, her sister, and kidnapped me. Probably to force my dad’s hand.”
“I don’t know why, but I believe you. I saw the queen’s brutality from the porthole. She was trying to kill you. And your friends, too.” He pointed to the large round window in the center of the infirmary’s outer wall.
“Yes, she was.” Visions of her tossing Bendar’s small body down the gangway flashed before me. She’d threaten to kill Ryder, Raeth, and Penton. Even if I’d joined her, her assassins lining the cliff, along with the general at her side, would have murdered everyone.
“I can see it in your eyes. The sorrow of a child betrayed by someone who’s supposed to love them. I know how you feel. My father betrayed my brother. While the old man conspired with the queen, he used his own son as a shield to explain our losses,” Thornton’s voice wobbled. “My brother’s eyes carried the same devastation yours do.”
I fought the urge to hug him, and tell him I understood his loss.
“I can’t sit by and send this man to the Tower if I have any doubt of his guilt. But I’m not sure what I can do to help.” Thornton clasped his hands, resting his elbows on his knees. “If only you had somewhere to go once we reached the docking station.”
Docking station?
“Is that at the ENR headquarters?”
“No. Several years ago, the queen bombed our piers and crippled the ENR fleet. Now, ships are maintained a safe distance from the city. While the ENR operates more in the open here, QEED rules.”
“Do you mean Queen’s Eastern European District?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“I’d heard the term QEED often onboard her ship. They worship the queen as a god with their temples. Also, their ships supply the homeland as part of the end of war treaty, correct?”
“Yes. But they’d throw off her yoke of oppression if they could. QEED functioned as a front while ENR secretly built their forces to fight for freedom.”
“Thornton, isn’t there anything we can do to save Dred? A place to hide, or a person you trust who can vouch for our innocence? Perhaps if you spoke for us.”
“Won’t work. No one’ll listen to me.” He rolled his chair to a nearby table. “The docking station is connected via the underground to the capital. From there, the ENR has several locations in and outside the city. You and your friend will report directly to the ENR council. But the council can’t be trusted. It’s comprised of members from QEED and the rebellion.”
He retrieved his halo pad and clicked a few buttons. He pointed to a dot on his screen and traced a line of green X’s to a cluster of raised boxes. “Here’s the city. You’ll travel to the capital along the underground. It isn’t safe above ground. Wasters, the ones you refer to as zombies, control the area. There’s also a toxic blue haze.”
“Does the toxic haze cover all of QEED and Middle Europe? Is Middle Europe part of the QEED?”
“No to both. The haze covers southern portions and a small part of Middle Europe.” He pressed his pointer finger and thumb to the screen and flicked them outward, away from each other, zooming in on a section across the channel and coastline. “Here and here the haze has evaporated. It’s mostly found south of the Arc.”
“The Arc?”
Thornton’s mouth pressed into a firm line. “Yes. Middle Europe’s headquarters. But they are only one step above the Wasters. They’re forced to survive by any means necessary. Since they never caved to the queen’s rule, they’re cut off from all trade. And with the toxic waste, the soil is too contaminated to grow vegetation…” He shrugged. “They have problems.”
“There has to be some way we can convince the council to spare Dred.”
He shook his head. “Short of escaping, I don’t see any hope of saving him.” Thornton tossed the halo pad onto the table. “You’d better report for duty. If Mart sees you down here, it won’t just be Dred who’s shipped to the Tower. Our only hope is for me to revive him before we dock. If you can get him out of here, great. Otherwise, I’ll try to convince Gordon that Dred has information for the council. I think he’d listen. Unfortunately, there’s no way I’ll have an opportunity to speak with him. Mart’s keeping me isolated. That’s why I’m telling you this. The captain trusts you. Convince him that Dred and you are assets, not spies.”
“And if I can’t?”
“Then you’ll be imprisoned along with Dred in the Tower.”
A shiver rippled through my limbs. “Then I’d better stop by Gordon’s office on the way to the bridge. Let’s hope he believes Dred and my lives are worth saving.” I turned to leave then paused. “Have you heard of a man called Harrison?”
“Yes. Although, almost no one’s seen him, he’s supposed to be the leader of the rebellion. Why?”
“No reason.”
Pivoting, I hoofed it to the stairwell, trotted up three levels, and jogged down the corridor to the main hall before stopping in front of Gordon’s office. Butterflies tickled my stomach. If nothing worked, I’d use Dad’s name for protection.
As I raised my hand to knock, I paused. First, I needed to talk to Ryder, Raeth, Bendar, and Penton before I approached Gordon. Tell them everything I’d learned. Maybe together, we’d come up with a plan to handle this without getting ourselves imprisoned.
As I turned to head out and find Bendar, I heard the door swish open and Gordon’s deep voice asked, “Can I help you with something?”
“Um…well, I wanted to find out if anything I said helped?” I already knew the answer, but it was the only thing that popped into my head.
He leaned against the doorjamb as his fingers brushed my arm. “I’m afraid not. It was a start, but considering we’ve been ordered to dock in the morning, it doesn’t seem likely you’ll remember anything of use beforehand. However, I’m hoping to convince the council we’ve made progress and we’re close to discovering the truth.”
“You mean, whether I’m a spy or an ally?”
Gordon strolled to his tufted leather chair and sat. “Yes.”
“What if I remembered something else?” I was grasping for something, anything to get us to safety.
Gordon’s eyes dilated for a second then returned to normal. “Such as?”
Should I lie or should I reveal who my dad was? Deciding Gordon would sense the lie and worrying about my father’s safety, I shrugged. “I’m not sure.”
“What do you mean?” Gordon’s eyebrow arched.
I searched for inspiration, anything that would dangle a possibility in front of Gordon. “Well, you remember that you said a Neumarian did this to me instead of the neuro-alterer, or at least did something to me?”
“Yes.”
“Well, while I saw my mother in the last vision and the queen in two of them, I’ve always felt distant. A viewer, not a participant.” That was the truth, not that it would help.
“As if you were someone else?”
For a moment, I searched my mind to produce a better explanation then shrugged again. “Yes, I think so.”
Gordon shot up from his chair, a smile spreading across his face. “I see. This does change things.”
Arching an eyebrow, I responded in my coolest princess voice, “It does?”
In two long strides, he grasped my wrists. “Come, we must try once more. The Neumarian might be trying to give you a message, but it’s hidden deeper. We need to push harder, move forward. I’m sure the message is hidden in the memories somewhere. Probably not at the beginning or the end, but perhaps…” Gordon released me and paced the floor.
I didn’t want to see the queen again. Now, if I connected with my father, then we’d have something. Because deep in my bones, I felt my dad needed our help and time was short.
As Gordon grabbed the metronome from his bookcase, a flash of fear pierced my soul. How could I explain I suspected my father was the Neumarian who’d not only placed the blocks in my mind, but also the false memories? To do so would be to admit I hadn’t told him everything from the last session, which I hadn’t. For some reason, I’d held back that my father was Harrison, the leader of the rebellion. And the fact that I had, made me question Gordon and his crew.
“The images you saw were significant, critical moments in one’s life. And through them, we’ll uncover what the queen fears most.”
I searched my memories. “From my experience, she isn’t frightened of anything.” I folded my arms across my chest and wished Ryder was here. I didn’t want to face this without him at my side.
With that thought, I froze then suppressed my smile. “Captain, I’m more than willing to do this, but I need Ryder here to help with my gift. Lately, just becoming unnerved is enough for me to lose some control.”
Gordon’s smile returned. “If you feel it’s necessary. But I’m certain we won’t need him.”
“Confident enough to risk the ship?”
“Yes, but it won’t come to that. What we need to discover is why the queen hates Neumarians. Could it be your father, which we now know is a Neumarian?”
Gordon started the metronome. Its clicks echoed in the silence. My mind instantly settled. With the exception of not salivating at the noise, I felt like one of those trained Pavlovian dogs I’d read about during my tutoring.
“Semara, let’s concentrate on 2184, the year before the war began. Perhaps you’ll find a thread to follow forward. Now, close your eyes and imagine your mother pregnant with you.”
“How can I remember something from before I was born and didn’t even experience?”
Gordon’s rapid movements startled me, the desperation in his expression putting me on guard. What had him so frightened?
My head whirled, filled with images as if traveling through a tunnel of someone’s life. My body slipped into a coma-like state, while my consciousness rose to another plane. A slit of light opened and I slipped into a pre-war world, with wide windows overlooking brilliant skylines as a golden sun shone onto cars and people below. The population moved in harmony with a beautiful synchronization, no slave collars or guards in sight. Sadness welled within me at the long, lost paradise.
Initially, I thought I was seeing this through my mother’s eyes. But the moment a twinge of love mixed with hatred surged through me, I knew it was my aunt. A conflicting array of emotions assaulted me. Yet in spite of Gordon’s help, I couldn’t connect to her. What the captain suspected was true. There was someone else’s consciousness in control. And he was awakening my memories and gifts.
I hoped that if it was my father, he would show me what I needed to know…and soon. We didn’t have a lot of time.
The office emptied as the sun dropped between buildings. “Night, Mandesa,” an older woman said as she grabbed her coat to leave. “Won’t be much longer now. We’re getting close to a cure.”
A cure? For what?
“Yes, I’m sure we are.” My aunt appeared as a young woman. Her lilting voice hadn’t yet developed its recognizable raspy tone.
As I scanned the room, I caught a glimpse of her hands straightening the papers on her desk. They were both delicate and still human. Next to her little finger lay an envelope addressed to Valderak Research.
A tall, slim, and handsome man passed her office, and my connection followed. He sauntered into another office and leaned against the doorjamb. Windblown white-blond hair framed his bright blue eyes and accented his strong jaw. “Sweetheart, it’s past time to leave.”
Lanena, my mother stood, holding her engorged belly. “Mandesa’s still in her office.”
“That doesn’t mean you have to stay all night, too.” He moved forward, turned her computer off, and lifted her, holding her in his arms and nuzzling her neck. “I can’t
get enough of your scent.”
Laughing, my mother pushed against his shoulder. “Put me down, Harrison. I don’t feel up to dealing with more of Mandesa’s disapproval.”
“In a sec,” he said, swooping in for a passionate kiss, the type lovers who knew each other well shared.
“Lanena?”
Hearing Mandesa’s harsh tone, Harrison held Lanena against him then, with a wink, slowly slid her down his body as he took in Mandesa’s sneer.
Turning away from him, her aunt asked, “How was your day, Lanena?”
Smiling, my mother’s hand caressed her belly and she giggled. “Great, except this little girl loves to kick. She’s a fighter.”
Harrison’s hand covered hers. “Of course she is. She’s my daughter.” Kneeling before my mother, he whispered to her belly, “And how’s my little girl today?”
Within a blink of an eye, I felt my aunt’s jealousy morph into hatred for my parents and me.
“We should go,” my dad said, straightening. “Big fundraiser’s tonight, remember? With the new investors you’ve rounded up, I know we’ll find a cure very soon. If I’m right, it’ll cure not only what killed your mother due to the strain of childbirth, but all genetic disorders.”
Sadness crept into Mandesa’s expression at the mention of her mother but was quickly suppressed.
“Mandi. Dad called. He’d like to—”
“No! He disowned us. Now he can deal with not seeing us or his granddaughter. Remember, you swore he’d never come anywhere near us.” Mandesa’s shouted words stabbed my mother’s heart.
Taking in my parents’ shock, Mandesa’s back became rigid. “I have too much work to leave. You two go and enjoy yourselves.” For a split second, I caught a glimpse of a child in the mirror hanging on the far wall. A young boy? I thought. But the reflection disappeared before I could fully see it. Yet, my aunt hadn’t seemed to notice the image.
Was he the young boy, the Neumarian, I’d spotted at Dad’s side on the hill? If so, were the past and future melding? What was the message in the overlapping times?
“Come on, Mandi. The lab can spare you for a couple hours, and it’ll be a fun night. Given the stress we’ve been under, we all could use a break,” Dad said.