Maia and the Secrets of Zagran (The Lightbound Saga Book 2)

by S. G. Basu

  “We know a lot,” Kusha shot back as they walked through the doors of the main elevator. “We know how his father accused Maia of things that he dreamed up, and we know his mother was somehow involved in getting Sophie imprisoned, and now we’ve also seen that creepy brother of his. And Miir himself is not beyond the shadow of doubt. Does Maia need to feel guilty about ending what he started in the first place?”

  Maia felt Dani’s hand tighten on her shoulder.

  “He did save us from Yoome,” Ren said.

  “Who knows what might have triggered that show of kindness. Maybe there’s a plot behind it that we don’t know about.” Kusha was in a very unforgiving mood. “Knowing what I know about that family, I have my doubts. You know what they say, ‘The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.’”

  “How can you say such a thing?” Dani’s voice was like the flash of a whip. Her lips trembled and her hand shook as it rested on Maia’s shoulder. Not only was this the first time she had spoken to Kusha in weeks, but the intensity of her voice was surprising. She glared at Kusha with a ferocity that Maia had never seen in her before.

  The elevator came to a stop on the 500th as a silent Kusha continued to stare incredulously at Dani. Dani walked out with Maia, never once letting her gaze off Kusha’s face.

  “Because . . . Miir and his family are vile . . . that’s a logical conclusion,” Kusha said when they had shuffled out into the atrium.

  “Logical conclusion? And you would know about that, right?” Dani made no attempt to hide the ridicule in her voice. Maia looked from Dani’s flushed face to Kusha’s shocked one and back to Dani’s again. This was far more than a fight over what Kusha had said about Miir; this looked complicated and deeper than just another difference of opinion.

  “What do you mean?” Kusha managed to squeak after a very long silence.

  “Is it that complicated, Kusha?” Dani sounded more sad than angry. “Tell us what conclusions we should draw about you from what we might know about your family. Go ahead, tell us about the tree you’re from, we’re here to listen.”

  Kusha stayed silent. No one else uttered a sound either.

  “No, didn’t think you would say a word,” Dani said in response to Kusha’s silence. “At least show some concern for people, give them the benefit of the doubt.”

  She shook her head again and turned to leave when Kusha sputtered back to life.

  “W-what do you want to know?” he asked. “I’ll tell you.”

  Dani stopped and turned around.

  “You don’t need to tell me anything, I already know.” She looked heartbroken now. Her eyes sparkled like gems under the pool of unshed tears brimming at the corners of her eyes. “Growing up, I’ve avoided discussing the Damoclian Connector because it took my parents away from me. But now, thanks to you, I know every little thing about it. I know how it was broken. I know about your family. I know all about you.”

  Dani paused, but just for a moment.

  “Hans always says I put too much faith in people too quickly, even in those who do not deserve it at all. And you’ve helped prove him right.”

  Dani stormed away toward the dorms.

  There was not a thing in the world that could cheer Maia up at that moment. She stood staring at Kusha, confused, trying to make the tiniest bit of sense out of what had just happened.

  43: The House of the Sun

  “We should get back inside,” Ren suggested after a few moments of painful silence had passed.

  Maia nodded half-heartedly. She could not decide what would be a better idea—to leave Kusha alone for a while or urge him to share his troubling secrets.

  Kusha spoke before anyone had a chance to move. “You must want to know what that was all about.”

  “Of course, Kusha. If you’re ready to talk then I’m here to listen,” Maia replied.

  “I’m as ready as I’ll ever be,” Kusha declared, gazing at the rippling waters outside the atrium, his voice calm and remarkably composed.

  “What’s this thing you keep talking about?” Ren sat down on a bench and looked inquiringly at Kusha.

  “Until I heard about it at the Council, I didn’t think the Damoclian Connector existed,” Maia said. “Most people on Tansi consider it a myth of some sort. But Bikele mentioned it too and now Dani—”

  “Oh no, it’s no myth. The Damoclian Connector was as real as could be, the path to our future, our hope of achieving greatness again. It was the last link that could tie the Solianese and the Jjord together, the only hope to resurrect Tansi.”

  Kusha paused for a moment before he continued.

  “You know, the Jjord and the Solianese were one nation for a long time, until the Jjord had been driven to take shelter in the seas. Since then, our paths have diverged. While the Jjord diligently developed new technology to harness the powers of the waters and nurture the habitats under the seas, the people on the surface continued with their old ways, stripping the planet of its resources for all it was worth.

  “It would’ve continued that way for another century, had it not been for the virus. It killed millions, it killed industries, and in the process of trying to fight it, the Solianese used up all the resources they could lay their hands on. The Solianese civilization was nearing its end.”

  When Kusha stopped to catch his breath, Maia recollected the stories she had heard since childhood. “Those were the days of the Collapse, a hundred years ago. After that came the Scarcity—pillaging hordes ransacked towns and cities and villages. Fires burned sky-high, and millions of people perished as they fought to salvage whatever was left. Finally, one day, the Jjord came out to help us.”

  Kusha chuckled. “You’d be surprised if you knew what really happened, Maia. The Jjord didn’t choose to help us willingly, we forced them to. After all the pain they had been subjected to by the Solianese, the Jjord had no intention of coming to our aid.”

  “Forced them?” Maia had never heard this before. “But how? We were at the brink of extinction. We hardly had enough to survive those days.”

  “We had the foulest of weapons . . . we had poison,” Kusha replied. His eyes grew dim. “We threatened to release all our toxic waste into the waters they lived in. Of course, they had the capability of filtering the waters around their settlements, but the ocean ecosystem would’ve been wrecked. That would’ve been devastating for the Jjord.”

  “That’s why they built the Seal of Separation,” Ren exclaimed, recalling the wall around the coastlines that they had seen a few days ago.

  Kusha nodded. “So the Jjord gave in and negotiations were soon underway. They came to the surface with aid for the survivors and they rebuilt the power grids enough to help us subsist. Most important of all, they agreed to build the Damoclian Connector with us. In return, we had to go back to a way of life we led hundreds of years ago and live that way until the planet was completely healed.”

  “And we did,” Nafi whispered.

  “We promised to try,” Kusha said. “A few years later they started building the Connector—a massive power link between ThulaSu and Zagran, balanced between two enormous converter stations. It was extremely important that the two ends be in perfect and steady equilibrium, as anything short of absolute harmony would create a disturbance in the flow of power and result in a disaster of catastrophic proportions. If one end was disturbed, it would not only cause havoc on the opposite end, but that loss of balance would also impair the entire channel.

  “The Solianese end of the Connector was placed under the protection of the Order of the Sun—an ancient group also called the Survansam, which had upheld peace and harmony over the ages. Their chief was the Sahiiraan of the House of the Sun. The path to the Connector was at the center of the Coronation Room in the Sun temple of ThulaSu, protected by an elite team of warriors among the Survansam called the Kausakas, who were handpicked by the Sahiiraan himself.”

  “The Kausakas are legends,” Maia exclaimed, remembering the tales she had heard so often
from Herc. “The masters of time and space, they can see people from across oceans, they can fly through the air, and their swords can spit fire. Those are the legends of ThulaSu.”

  “Some of those legends are real,” Kusha said. “I’ve seen a few masters myself, although not the real Kausakas themselves.”

  “I knew it. I always told Dada that they weren’t just some tale, that they still exist.”

  “Maia, please,” Nafi chided, and Maia fell silent.

  “The Survansam took an oath to protect the Connector. They were the proud keepers, the only ones who knew the way into the inner chambers that held the Connector. Then came the night when the Xifarians broke into the inner chambers and damaged the Solianese end of the Damoclian Connector. The massive energy imbalance between the two converters blew up an entire sector of Zagran. The same night the Sahiiraan of the House of the Sun disappeared, as did the Survansam. This also happened to be the night of the Xifarian standoff at Miorie.

  Kusha paused for a moment, then continued.

  “The Damoclian Connector was destroyed, and our biggest source of energy was lost. We, the people of Tansi had to beg the Xifarians to save us by supplying us the energy we needed to keep our cities and towns alive. The Xifarians were more than eager to give us a share of their energy in exchange for our submission. And we didn’t have an option but to accept their terms. So, we allowed them to draft Solianese children for their mines on Ti every year. All because we couldn’t protect the Damoclian Connector.”

  “What happened to the Jjord?” Ren asked. “Did they lose all capacity to sustain their end as well?”

  “The balance was broken, and the converter station lost most of its generative powers. Their main power grid had also been damaged extensively from the massive imbalance. The explosion at Zagran that destroyed a large chunk of the city killed thousands. Dani’s parents were probably among the ones lost. At the time, the Jjord had no choice but to depend on the Xifarian offer. Since then, they’ve rebuilt the grid and invented new sources of energy. Now, the Jjord can sustain themselves, but they’ll never forget how they had put their faith on us and how we failed to defend it. The Jjord still believe we betrayed them, and rightly so. They too had to accept the terms of the Exchange, and every year they have to give away technological knowledge to the Xifarians.”

  “But I don’t understand,” Nafi interrupted. “How are you connected to all this? Why is Dani mad at you?”

  “It’s simple really.” Kusha suppressed a sigh. “I belong to the House of the Sun. The Sahiiraan who took the oath to protect the Connector, the leader of the Survansam, was my granduncle. My family was held responsible for this betrayal, for Tansi’s collective downfall at the Exchange. The House of the Sun, my family, was accused of sordid crimes, of selling their conscience lured by Xifarian favors.”

  “And Dani is mad because you didn’t tell us this before?” Ren scratched his head. “So, who told her then?”

  “Must’ve been Hans,” Nafi gave him a knowing look. “But how did he find out? And why didn’t you tell us, Kusha?”

  “He must’ve guessed from my headband.” Kusha lightly touched the band circling his forehead. “But I didn’t tell you because I couldn’t. This is not something I’m allowed to tell anyone.”

  For a long while Kusha sat silently, his head hung low.

  “I was barely a few months old when all this happened, and I’ve only heard these stories from my mother. My father couldn’t bear the accusations hurled at our family and the shame of not being able to protect the Connector. He was the heir to the House of the Sun, but right after this terrible incident, he renounced the position of the Sahiiraan and left ThulaSu with his family. Some of the closest friends of the family accompanied him on this exile and his journey across the world. My father does not speak of his life prior to the incident or of ThulaSu. He wants to wipe off every link connecting us to the Order of the Sun. We’re all sworn to secrecy, and as I tell you this, I’m breaking my promise to my father and my family. But I’d rather break my promise than lose another one of my friends.”

  Kusha touched the red headband again. “My father doesn’t even like my wearing this headband, but I refuse to take off the mark of the sun. This is my inheritance, my right as a firstborn. Someday, I will restore what was taken from us and get my family’s honor back. Someday, I will prove to the world that my granduncle was an honorable man who tried to protect the Damoclian Connector. Someday, the people of the world will show him the respect he truly deserves.”

  “You should tell Dani about your oath of secrecy,” Maia suggested. “She would understand that.”

  “I don’t think she will, and I won’t try,” Kusha declared stubbornly.

  A brief poignant pause later, he forced a smile to his face.

  “So, Maia, when I said that ThulaSu and the Order are all but extinct, I wasn’t lying. Now you know why it’s a good thing that you joined the Initiative instead of going to ThulaSu.”

  44: Convolhydrae

  Dani had already left the dorm when Maia woke up the next morning. They found her in Palak’s classroom, bent over the model of the hydrosol. Parts and tools lay strewn around her as she worked with undivided attention. Dani sat up at the sound of their footsteps, flashed an obligatory smile at the approaching quartet, and dived back into her work.

  Maia cast a quick glance at Dani’s pallid face as she settled down in her own seat. She made a mental note to talk to the girl as soon as they were alone and tell her Kusha’s story. If Kusha was not planning on explaining the situation to Dani, someone else definitely had to. And Maia could not bear to see two of her friends fighting; she had to resolve it somehow.

  The assignments were moving ahead well, and the micro-converters were getting built steadily, as were parts of the giant converter to be installed in the Karnilian Caves. For the second task, Core 21 was required to work closely with Core 34 which included a bushy-haired boy named Kenan and his teammates, and Maia was thankful for that pairing. The two teams hit it off instantly, making the whole exercise enjoyable.

  One thing that everyone had started disliking was the upkeep exercise. Maia knew that no matter how much she hated the task, there was no escape from it. She also knew this exercise was important, that it would prepare her for the second challenge of installing the micro hydrosol converter in the GeiFonz Icecap. For that challenge, they had to cover the distance from Zagran to the Polar North, only with the help of their assigned aquatic partners. These upkeep exercises were nothing but practice sessions for the second challenge—it helped improve coordination, balance, and endurance.

  While the benefits were understandable, the exercises had turned boring. The practice sessions were not free-form anymore; the contestants had to perform specific tasks of checking, cleaning, and sprucing up the reef. There was hardly any free time to romp around in the water with their aquatic partners. Dill had drawn up a schedule, and each team was assigned a place in the rotations. After that, Dill started the teams on endurance training. That mostly involved breath-control exercises. This was necessary, the trainer said, to ensure safety in case there was trouble with the breathing apparatus during the trip to the GeiFonz Icecap. The endurance training was messy, and Maia often ended up swallowing a lot of water, which led to a lot of coughing, wheezing, and near-death experiences.

  And then there was the Convolhydrae. And the thing Maia hated the most—clocking her lap times inside it. The Convolhydrae was a gigantic glass tunnel built into an equally massive pool. It twisted and turned, and spiraled and curled. Sets of activator panels with switches were scattered along its length. The training involved getting into this tunnel with the aquatic partners and triggering specific switches on each panel. What made the Convolhydrae a pain was that it had to be traversed one person at a time. While the person inside the tunnel struggled with passing through the curves and enduring the humiliating falls and bumps, the rest of the contestants watched the show from the viewing chambe
r.

  To make matters worse, Loriine was an expert at steering through the Convolhydrae and her teammates were not too bad either. They did not waste a single moment to mock and poke fun at the rest of the participants. Arguments and scuffles had become a common occurrence ever since the Convolhydrae exercise had started. The bruises that almost everyone sported on their bodies were not always from natural causes.

  “I hate all these assignments,” Maia grumbled as she went over the day’s task list. “This upkeep thing is terrible. The Convolhydrae is awful. Nothing is fun anymore.”

  “You’ve had enough fun already.” Ren made a killer imitation of Aerika. “Be thankful for this fantastic learning experience.”

  “Yes, learning,” Nafi scoffed. “Hanging upside down from a hotheaded monkey-fish, trying to measure the temperature of a coral the size of my fingernail . . . I would gladly give up on that learning.”

  Neither Kusha nor Dani showed any interest in joining the conversation.

  “At least we didn’t have to go the icecap first,” Maia said, trying to look at the brighter side of things. “Can you imagine what Core 10 is going through now?”

  Core 10, an all Jjord team, had been selected to go first for the trial run from Zagran to the GeiFonz Icecap. From what Maia had seen and heard Core 10 was far from ecstatic about it.

  “That too with all their experience in the water,” Ren commented, hinting at the team’s Jjordic heritage. “I’m nervous just talking about it.”

  “I still need a lot of practice with the monkey-fish.” Nafi rolled her eyes. “Hopefully teach the girl some manners.”

  “Can’t really blame her though,” Ren snickered at the thought of Nafi’s somewhat cantankerous riding partner. “She takes after you.”

  Maia broke into a mad fit of giggles as Nafi took a swipe at Ren, missed, and satisfied herself with a barrage of angry mutterings. Kusha did not bat an eyelid, but Dani gave a look of such utter disapproval at the joking trio that they sunk back into work without another smile. Things did not get any better after that; an uncomfortable lunch awaited them at the RC. To make up for the silence caused by two warring teammates, the vocal ones made more of an effort to make conversation.