by Lisa Jade
I tug the sleeves of my jacket down a little. I don’t want to reveal anything before I absolutely need to.
Luci stands on my right hand side, wringing her hands together anxiously. She asked me to braid her hair again this morning. I like to think she’s just cherishing the luxury of it – but it had occurred to me that she might be trying to learn. Just in case we don’t get any more time together after this.
Isaac shifts on my other side, tugging at his copper lengths. He’s worried. I can feel it coming from him in waves, like the heat I’d felt on him yesterday. I rest a hand on his arm and pull my face into what I hope is a comforting smile.
“We got this, remember? It’s six. Let’s go.”
We push open the doors, which emit a deafening squeal as though to signal our arrival. I clench my hands into fists and look around, ready to lash out at an attacker if needs be – then pause.
Nobody.
There’s nobody here. The Bridge is just as still and silent as ever. We step into the room, glancing around nervously. My eyes skirt the walls, the ceiling, looking for them. Traps. There have to be traps.
“There’s nobody here,” Luci eventually says, her voice ringing in the empty room.
“I think you might be right.”
“Maybe you got the wrong time or place?”
My chest tightens at the thought.
“No. I don’t think so. They must be coming.”
Isaac pauses at the window, peering out with an uncertain expression.
“You don’t think this is a trap, do you? They’re not going to rip the windows open or something?”
“I trust they’ll show up,” I tell him, “even if they do want to hurt us. I think they’ll want to tell us why, first.”
He rests a hand on the glass, which instantly steams up against his touch. Luci settles onto the nearest chair, her sharp eyes darting around the room.
“There’s seriously nothing here,” she mutters, “maybe they’ve changed their minds.”
“Just wait. They’re coming.”
We’re staring out of the window when the Bridge door opens, thrown with enough force to make it slam against the wall behind it. We all snap to attention; but at the sound of guns being cocked, we freeze.
Three uniformed men enter the deck, firearms pointed at each of us in turn. The door swings shut behind them with an unnerving finality. Behind me, Luci lets out a small, frightened yelp.
“Crew members?” she whispers frantically, “why are they here?”
Isaac curses under his breath.
“They must have figured out what we were doing.”
The nearest crew member stops in front of me, pulling off his hat and tossing it aside. Under it, he seems incredibly young – bright blue eyes peek out from beneath a mass of loose, sandy curls. There’s a sizeable burn on his right cheek.
Unfamiliar – but undeniably from Four.
“No,” I say through gritted teeth, “these aren’t crew members.”
“What are you saying? Look at the uniforms, they’re clearly…”
The two other men step forward, and in a moment Isaac and Luci on the floor, pinned by the armed men. I whip round, terror flitting through me – but the sandy-haired man speaks.
“Quinn Hart?”
I set my jaw before responding.
“Lower the guns. Then we can talk.”
“No. We talk now.”
That voice. It’s got a familiar, growling quality to it. Like a voice heard in a dream.
“Are you the person from the hallway?”
“That’d be me. Name’s Red.”
“Red?”
“Or at least, that’s what you can call me.”
I look him up and down, my gaze eventually falling on the scar on his face.
“You’re from Four.”
“Very astute. So are you.”
I curl my hands into fists as I step closer, ignoring Luci’s panicked yelp. They’re still pinned, sitting with their hands on their heads and guns in their backs. Some part of me is worried by the thought of it, but I fight to keep my head clear. As long as we’re talking, nobody’s giving any orders.
“How do you know about me?” I ask, my voice hard.
“We know enough. We know you were born on Four. We also know that officially, there’s not a soul aboard this ship from Four.”
“You’re here.”
“We’ve been hiding as members of the crew from the start. That list of the Captain’s was never going to amount to anything – we doctored it so we didn’t draw suspicion.”
That explains it. I think of the Captain, and how angry he’ll be to find out what’s been going on directly under his nose. Despite the gravity of the situation, I wish I could see his reaction. It’d be amusing, at the very least.
“Why are you doing this?”
That’s it. The question I really want to ask. Red’s face creases.
“Look, the deaths have been… unfortunate. Initially, our goal was to frighten the Captain and hold the ship hostage, at least until we reached safety. Then we planned to let them go. We started off small. Barraged the place with messages sent from ‘mystery’ signals. I’m willing to bet that half our attempts at intimidation never even became common knowledge. But no matter what we did, he refused to give in. He wouldn’t turn over control of the ship.”
He lets out a pained sigh.
“We’re everywhere, you know. Dozens of us, hidden away. Coming up with ideas for intimidation was easy – but keeping track of them all, that was harder. Some people acted of their own accord. Others dropped the ball and nearly got caught, so we were forced to kill the crew members who got too close. After that, it seemed to spiral out of control.”
“You murdered people!” Isaac bellows.
“Yes,” Red snaps, “but for a good cause. We need to stop this ship before it gets to Orithyia. If we don’t, things will be so much worse.”
“Why?”
I bark the question, impressed by how my voice rings in the silence. Red winces.
“Wow, you really are short tempered. The Boss was right about you.”
As if on cue the door bursts open, and several more armed crew members walk in. They exchange small nods with Red and the others.
“Cleared the area.”
“Good. Where’s the Boss? They’ll have to do the talking here. I’m not getting very far with this one.”
The other man shoots me a suspicious look.
“Nearly here.”
They turn their gaze to us, and I feel myself tense. There’s a boss. A mastermind. I glance around at the other people in the room. Each of them stand with a gun cocked in our direction. How long have they been infiltrating the crew? How many people are involved in this?
“Quinn.”
Luci’s whisper echoes in the empty toom and she immediately turns red.
“Whoops.”
“It’s alright,” Red says, “you can talk.”
“Will you let them up?” I ask. He shakes his head.
“Sorry, no can do. They’re the Captain’s kids. That means they’re useful.”
“Useful?” Luci echoes. The older man gives a short nod, seemingly loathe to speak to her directly. When he talks again, he turns his eyes to me.
“I must commend you on what you’ve achieved, Miss Hart. Sneaking aboard, getting in with the Captain’s children. You’ve manipulated them flawlessly to get what you want. It’s really quite admirable.”
I shoot him a filthy look.
“Shut up. I’ve done a lot of crap to get here, but I haven’t manipulated anyone.”
His eyebrows raise mockingly, and he opens his mouth – but then the door opens.
“The Boss is here.”
All eyes turn towards the statuesque figure that’s stepped through the door. Long, lithe limbs swing at the side of a flawless body. Fierce blue eyes search the room and find me. And then their lips curl up in the corner, forming a smile that’s equ
al parts unnerving and nostalgic.
My mother beams.
“Hello, sweetheart.”
Twenty-One
I can’t move. I’m rooted to the spot, unable to tear my gaze from the person in front of me. As she moves, she tugs at the long, cloak-like gown around her. It falls away to reveal something akin to leather armour. She passes through a ray of light, and I spot a sizeable gun glistening on her thigh.
“Is the perimeter clear?” she asks, her voice casual. Someone nods.
“Yes, Ma’am. Prisoners are secured, too.”
“Very good.”
She keeps walking, and suddenly I’m acutely aware of the shrinking distance between us. My skin crawls at the thought of her coming too close. I take a step back and stumble, my shoes slipping on the polished tiles.
Angelique – Angela – Mom. She’s behind this? It doesn’t add up. The mother I knew would never hurt a soul. I remember the woman saving a damn spider, for crying out loud. She wouldn’t kill anyone.
But then again… would she? I don’t know what’s happened in the fifteen years she’s been gone. Her eyes were never so fierce before. She didn’t used to walk with such focus, such purpose and drive.
The others are quiet. Perhaps they’re watching me, waiting for my reaction. But then I hear some quiet bickering, and I cling to whatever words I can make out. Anything that will provide a momentary distraction.
“She seems surprised. So she didn’t know?” Isaac is saying. Luci grunts.
“No more than we did. But then, why summon her here?”
My chest tightens. Of course. Angelique told them who I was. If the crew member from that first day remembered chasing me, they likely pieced together that the stowaway and I were the same person. She figured everything out – and called me here so I would bring Luci and Isaac.
I let out a small noise of frustration. They never wanted to speak with me. I was the decoy, the bait. They wanted my friends.
I want to scream at them. I’d love nothing more than to launch into a colourfully-worded tirade about all the terrors they’ve inflicted upon us. They deserve it. They need to be reprimanded for their cruelty. But then Angelique pauses in front of me, and I find I can’t speak. I can’t even move. I just stare, praying she doesn’t see the sweat sliding down my face.
For a moment her expression is stern, and I half expect another slap.
“My darling. Thank goodness.”
Long limbs wrap around me, and the scent of perfume fills my head as Angelique pulls me into a strong-armed embrace.
Conflict burns in me. Some childish part of me squeals, overjoyed at her familiar touch. It’s been so long. How could I have forgotten the way she feels, slim but solid? Her fingers wrap into my hair. She used to braid it for me. She taught me how. My eyes drift upward. There are stars overhead, glimmering through the near-black ceiling of the Bridge. She taught me about those, too.
It’s been far too long – I’ve missed her more than I could have imagined.
Then comes the anger. It snakes through me, burning so hot that it’s almost physically painful. This is the woman who destroyed my family. Turned my father into a shell of his former self. Made me a laughing stock. Abandoned us at the first opportunity - and greeted her only child with violence after years apart.
More than that, this is the person who spearheaded the attacks. I think of Terri quaking at the edge of the water, and Luci weeping in terror at the thought of more death. Cherise’s face flashes in my head. Pointless death. Why is it always pointless?!
I push her away with all the strength I can muster. She catches herself flawlessly, her feet gliding over the tiled floor – but her smile is gone. I shoot her a look of pure hatred.
“Don’t you dare!” I cry, my voice breaking, “don’t touch me!”
“I can explain…”
I push my hands over my ears and start singing loudly. It’s obnoxious, I know. But I can’t do it. I don’t want to hear what she has to say.
She reaches up and tugs my hands from my head.
“Let go of me!”
“No. You need to listen to me…”
“You’re a monster!” I yell, “what the hell do you want from me?!”
At that, her expression softens. She backs away a little, holding her hands up in mock surrender.
“I want you to listen. That’s all.”
I glare at her. This isn’t helping. The longer I refuse to listen, the more likely that something will go wrong. The other attackers might grow impatient. I need to listen.
I can’t. Rage is filling me like smoke, and it feels incredible. Finally. Finally, I have someone to throw all my anger at; and it’s okay to do it, because it’s all her damn fault. She screwed me up. She left when I needed her most. She taught me what it is to be alone. She made me terrified to trust again – because they’ll all just leave, just like she did. Snatched away by a fucked-up system. The pain takes the form of tears. They splash down my cheeks, undermining the hatred in my face; and her eyes fill with sadness.
“Quinn…”
“Why?”
I rub furiously at my eyes, my anger growing. I’m not mad at her anymore. I’m mad at myself. Why am I crying? Why am I so angry, all the time? Why can’t I put aside my own issues for thirty seconds?
“Why did you smile?”
Damn. It’s not the question I intended to ask. It’s not even the first one that came to mind. But now it’s there, floating between us, hanging in the air like the stench of something dead and rotting.
“The day you abandoned us,” I say shakily, “I saw you leave. I shouted after you. Why did you smile at me?”
My lip trembles.
“Were you that happy to be rid of us?”
A long pause – and then she turns away, burying her face in her long, pale fingers. Her shoulders quake. She’s crying?
“Goodness,” she says weakly, “no wonder you hate me, if that’s what you’ve thought all these years.”
“Give me another explanation. Anything. I’ll take it.”
She looks back at me. Those sea-blue eyes swim with tears, making her look more delicate and beautiful than ever. My anger falters.
“You deserve an explanation,” she says, “and I want you to know everything.”
“Then tell me.”
My voice is oddly firm again. I sound like Dad – and she recognises it. The inflections in my voice, the way it wobbles when the words are hard to say. Her eyes glimmer.
“You’re so much like him.”
“I’ve been told.”
“Is he okay?” she asks, wiping delicately at her tears.
“I don’t know. I haven’t seen him since the launch. But I really hope so.”
“Yes. Me too.”
I bite my lip.
“I don’t understand. Why are you asking about him? And why hug me like that? You made him sign the papers, remember? You left us. You moved on. Why pretend you care now?”
“I never wanted to leave you.”
“Of course you did. You found a better life on Orithyia, right? You fell in love with it and decided to leave us.”
To my surprise, ripples of laughter find their way around the room.
“W-what did I say?”
She shakes her head sadly.
“They’re laughing at the lie. The one about Orithyia.”
“Huh?”
I glance back at the others with a nervous heart, but their faces are blank, too.
“What lie?” I ask, “what are you hiding?”
“Listen to me. We never meant for so many to end up hurt. It’s counter-intuitive to our purpose here. We’re trying to save the people on board, not harm them. Even those who have died… their fates on Orithyia would be so much worse than you could imagine.”
“What is it?”
She places a hand on each of my shoulders and leans closer, until our eyes are only an inch or so apart. Hunger grows in my chest - the infantile desire to
throw myself into her embrace again - but I silence it.
“What do you know about Orithyia?” she asks me.
“I’m not here for a quiz.”
“Just… humour me. Please.”
I bite my lip.
“I… I guess it’s their medicine. They’re leaps and bounds ahead of us, right? They created the MedBay tubes, and that mimic transfusion stuff that works for every blood type. They have access to chemical compounds used in healing…”
“Lies.”
I stare.
“W-what did you say?”
“It’s all lies. There are no ‘chemical compounds’ found on Orithyia. At least, none that aren’t found on Earth, too. That’s just a convenient, vaguely-intelligent sound bite they can toss around to hide what’s really going on. Human testing.”
My stomach does a backflip; but I reel it in and fire a disbelieving look her way.
“Human testing is an old, archaic thing. It’s been illegal worldwide for centuries.”
“Yes,” she says simply, “on Earth. But the laws aren’t the same on Orithyia. Anyone who isn’t an elite, who sets foot on that planet is taken to one of the facilities. They chain them, gag them. Oftentimes, they’ll cut out the tongues of more rebellious inmates. To make sure they can’t scream during the tests.”
My heart pounds in my chest.
“Th-that can’t be true. There’s no way anyone would opt into that. Why would a Gene Cruise be headed there, anyway, if it’s such a terrible place?”
“Because. It’s only terrible for Companions, like you. Or me.”
And then her face creases, and she wraps her arms around herself like a small child trying to stay warm. I take a step closer, entranced by the sorrow in her eyes.
“Like… us?”
“The passengers aboard this ship are free to come and go from Orithyia as they please. But the Companions… our contracts run out the moment we step foot off this ship. And when they do, we find ourselves on a planet where we aren’t citizens. Where we have no rights – and are considered little more than cattle.”
“A-are you serious?”
“Yes. We’re trying to save the Companions, you must believe us. I informed Red and his group of the truth, but resisted fully joining them, to a point, but when I saw you, I realised something had to be done. I threw myself into this to save you. We’ve tried everything else, and this – holding his children captive – it’s the last thing we can think of. If we hold them at gunpoint, maybe that will be enough. Maybe the Captain will finally hand over the ship.”