Simon resumed eating, ignoring his vegetables. “Living down here seems like a pain, especially if you go to the surface to work with Outsiders. Why have the dome?”
Gilio slid his chair back from the table. “We’ve duplicated all of the planet’s ecosystems to better understand how they work and so we can run private tests. After all, there’s a lot about nature and life that even we don’t understand. The same goes for everyone in the Union: there are deeper meanings, a larger scope.” He glanced at Simon’s plate. “Not eating your vegetables?”
“Nope,” Simon said with a smile. “I don’t want to be cruel to them.”
“Sure, but you’ll eat my cousins,” Flangelo warbled quietly.
Gilio chuckled. “There are plenty of types of life worth preserving. That’s the other purpose of the dome: as a sort of ark. We have certain species that have disappeared or are endangered up top, and we keep small numbers of other species around for our studies. There are a lot of problems with the world. It helps to stay separate while the Order of Ecology tries to do its work.”
“How’s that going?” Alysha asked.
Gilio sighed as he distributed bowls of ice cream to his guests. “They’re a relatively new Order. Hopefully, they’ll make progress. But we have this dome and others hidden throughout the oceans of the world in case the extinctions continue.”
Simon looked across the table at a bottle of syrup, exactly what he needed to make his ice cream perfect. He realized it was too far to reach for and was about to ask someone to pass it when the syrup flew through the air and landed neatly in front of him.
Gilio looked sharply at Owen. “No powers at the table, please.”
Owen shook his head. “It wasn’t me, I swear!”
Simon stared at the syrup, not daring to pick it up. “I think it was me.”
“You think?” Flangelo and Alysha said at the same time.
“I didn’t use my gravity control; I thought about wanting it, and it came to me.”
“I guess you’re getting better at using your formula,” Alysha said.
Gilio stared at Simon. “I thought I felt . . . no. It must be your gravity skill.” He cleared his throat. Simon and his friends ate their ice cream while Gilio quietly watched Simon. From time to time, Gilio glanced over at his Book, which was lying on the table near him. Gilio squinted at it but said nothing, and it did nothing in response.
Soon, Gilio had Flangelo help him clear the plates and clean up in the kitchen. Simon, Owen, and Alysha used the time to talk quietly among themselves.
“Do you think it’s going to be hard to find Sirabetta?” Owen asked.
“I don’t know,” Simon said, “but I’m starting to think I can feel her.”
“How?” Alysha asked.
“Not sure. But I sense something, like with the pools, but different.”
“I’ll bet it’s because of your space-time,” Owen said. “Your gravity formula lets you sense gravity like mine does with velocity and Alysha’s with electricity, right? Maybe your senses for space- and time-bending are sharper because of that formula? You can sense those pools that bend space. And since you made Sirabetta younger with it, maybe you can feel a disturbance in space-time or something.”
“Wow,” Alysha said. “That’s pretty smart figuring, Owen.”
Simon smiled. “And if you’re right, we can probably track Sirabetta.”
Nobody spoke for a few minutes.
“So does that scare either of you?” Owen asked quietly.
“This is going to be dangerous whether we find Sirabetta or not,” Simon said.
“But I bet we’ll find her,” Alysha said.
“Okay,” Simon said. “So it’ll be very dangerous.”
“Do-you-think-we’re-ready-for-her?” Owen blurted. “I mean, she might not even be able to use her tattoos again, right?”
“Maybe,” Simon agreed. “But maybe she will. And who knows who she’ll have on her side. We can handle Mr. Wanderby, but there might be others. More danger.”
“We can handle it,” Alysha said. She saw Owen staring at her. “What’s with the look? Hey, I’m scared of what we’ll find, too.”
“You?” Owen asked. “Yeah, right!”
“We’re in a strange place with new powers, a ton of pressure on us, and a lot of enemies,” Alysha said. “I’d be stupid not to be worried.”
“But you’re always talking tough, going right up to bad guys and kicking butt!”
“So? Don’t you get it, Speedy? Sometimes you have to talk and act tough even when you’re afraid. Especially then. Otherwise your fear’s going to beat you, and what good is that?” Alysha fidgeted with a saltshaker. “As much as I like my capacitance formula, I sometimes get freaked out about all that electricity flowing through me. Now I can fly, sort of, which is kind of crazy. And don’t get me started on the plasma; I was terrified when those lights started coming out of me.”
“And when you exploded?” Owen asked.
“Yes, Owen, that was not a comforting experience, either,” she said.
“You were braver than us when we first got our formulas,” Simon said to Alysha. “Even before you got yours. How do you keep it all from really getting to you? I mean, the whole Union could be in trouble if we screw this up. The whole universe!”
“Kind of like last time,” Alysha said. “And does it matter how high the stakes are? Would you try any less if it was only your life on the line?” She cracked her knuckles. “Besides, I don’t know if you guys noticed, but we’re pretty good at fighting.” She shrugged. “I don’t like it, but I’d rather we be good at it than bad. Whatever nasty tricks, flunkies, and monsters Sirabetta throws at us, we’ll handle it. All of us.”
“What if we can’t handle it?” Simon asked. “What if I can’t?”
Alysha chuckled. “Are you kidding? You’re doing things that even impress Ralfagon and Gilio! Simon, there’s probably nothing you can’t do.” Simon blushed.
“That’s right,” Owen said. “If anyone can lead us through this, you can.” Simon looked away, his face reddening more. Owen cleared his throat. “But just so you know, I’m kind of nervous about the mission, too.”
“You don’t say,” Flangelo said, appearing in the doorway. “How shocking.”
Alysha glanced at him. “Keep it up, maybe you will get shocked.”
“Please, put me out of my misery,” Flangelo said, walking out of the room. “Just wait until I’ve had some coffee first.”
“Thanks,” Owen said to Alysha. When he saw the puzzled look on her face, he smiled. “I mean for sticking up for me. Whenever Flangelo says something mean, you say something back.”
“He’s not really being mean,” Alysha said. “It’s just the way he handles being nervous. Besides, I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again: if anyone’s gonna mock you, it’ll be me.”
They all laughed. “Come on,” Simon said. “We’ve got a mission to get back to.”
As they gathered their things together, Simon thought about what Alysha had said. He also thought back to what Ralfagon told him. Could it be that easy? To control your fears, you just have to keep them from controlling you? And the same with his Physics abilities?
He knew there was only one way to find out for sure, and that was the hard way. Because now that their meal was over, Simon and his friends were going to be looking for trouble, and like it or not, they’d almost certainly find it.
The only questions were exactly when and exactly what form that trouble would come in.
CHAPTER 25
THERE’S TROUBLE—AND COFFEE—BREWING
My Viewing Screen shifted its perspective to Sirabetta’s cavern.
It was spacious and well stocked with food and drink. A wide variety of plants grew within the cavern itself, without the benefit of sunlight. Of course, the entire dome—being well beneath the ocean—was without real sunlight. Yet all sorts of plants, including banana and apple trees, carrot patches, and even sunflowers
flourished. (Though the sunflowers were a trifle annoyed at being deprived of the sun; it’s in their name, after all.)
There were also modern touches like a watercooler and a coffeemaker, around which several of Sirabetta’s allies gathered to chat while they waited for their leader.
Willoughby Wanderby stayed separate from the others. So far as he knew, the others in the cavern were all from Biology; certainly none were fellow members of the Order of Physics. He wasn’t interested in socializing with them anyway. He was more focused on making sense of what was going on.
Wanderby knew Sirabetta was tucked away in that back chamber, with that mysterious Aleadra trying to make her older. But that was only part of the story. Who, he wondered, was the one who had given him instructions and arrangements earlier? It wasn’t Aleadra or any of those in the cavern . . . it was someone he’d never met or heard of. That silent organizer who had told him to make sure he was Sirabetta’s caretaker while she was stuck as a hapless seventh grader.
How many other conspirators were there? And what was going to happen next? He wondered how he might find out. He strutted past the dozen men and women in the cavern. Surely they were even less informed than he; asking them about plans was pointless.
He walked up to Preto and Krissantha, who were chatting by the coffeemaker. “Anything to report?” Wanderby asked as he helped himself to a cup.
Preto shook his head, irking Wanderby; the man talked too little for his taste.
“For now, we’ll just wait for her to get Sir back on track,” Krissantha said.
Wanderby decided this was a perfect time to underline his authority. “Then this Aleadra should hurry up.”
The collection of Biology members gasped quietly; they were all clearly too impressed by that strange woman to refer to her by her Union name (or any name). They’d surely think him brave and important for having dared to do so.
Krissantha pursed her lips. “She is a former Keeper and a respected elder.”
Wanderby’s brow furrowed and his jaw tightened with anger at the implied scolding. “Listen, you mindless drone! If you think you can push me around”
“Think?” Krissantha asked. “I know. I know what you’ve done for Sir in the past. As long as she wants you here, I won’t make a fuss. But if you had a brain in your head, you’d realize I could destroy it. Your brain, that is. How do you think I opened the dome for you?”
Wanderby sneered, “What . . . you control domes?!”
Krissantha smirked and walked over to him. Without saying a word, she stuck her index finger into Wanderby’s coffee cup. There was a quick hiss. Wanderby looked down into the cup and saw only coffee grounds remaining.
“Fool, I control hydrogen bonds. Hydrogen, as in the element that’s a major part of so much on this planet, including you. And bonds, those things that link atoms to other atoms. So I could destroy every cell in your body”—she snapped her fingers—“like that.”
Wanderby paled. “I . . .”
“Yes, I know. You’re sorry. You didn’t know. You probably didn’t even realize I’m from the Order of Chemistry, here to supervise Sir’s forces. Or that I’ve witnessed her great works for many years, before Gilio came to power. Now you know. Now you can show me, and her, the respect we’re both due.”
Wanderby clicked his mouth shut, unsure of how to proceed. Fortunately, Preto chose that moment to approach. He glanced at Wanderby but addressed Krissantha.
“Someone’s here. Says he wants to join us,” Preto said.
“What?” Krissantha and Wanderby said at the same time. They followed him to the cavern’s entrance and found themselves staring at a thin, bald man. Wanderby had never seen him before; by the look on her face, Krissantha hadn’t either.
“Kender Mikarzan,” Preto said. “Recent addition to the Order. In my group.”
“Hmm. Animal Diversity.” Krissantha turned to Preto. “He worthy?”
“Pretty tough. Fought the Physics kids,” Preto added.
Krissantha looked at Kender. “How did you find us?”
“Word gets around among the discontent,” he answered.
“Fine. Let’s see what you can do.” She turned to Preto and the three other Biology members standing nearby. “Preto, Kostaglos, Zillafer, Baharess . . . kill him.”
Preto reacted instantly; his body shimmered and shook. Wanderby stepped back, curious; what could a manta ray do in the middle of the cavern?
The answer came quickly. Where a muscular man once stood, there was now a part man, part manta ray. A man-ta ray, if you will. Most of Preto’s front and his entire back were black, much like a manta ray’s body. He had legs, arms, and a muscular torso, just as Preto’s human form did. His facial features were recognizable, but his head was much wider, with no clear division between it and his neck. His mouth was manta ray-size, though the manta ray horns were gone now.
He still had those winglike fins, now extending down from the base of his neck like a cape and attached to the back of his arms. He also had the tail, which he used to lash out at Kender as if it were a whip.
Kender leaped back, narrowly avoiding the tail strike. He activated his own formula and, within seconds, was encased in his slate gray exoskeleton. He launched himself at Preto with startling speed and threw a punch—just one—that sent Preto hurtling back toward the cavern wall.
Preto spread his wings and glided up and away, narrowly avoiding the hard rock.
The three nearby Biology members, two women and one man, snapped into action. One of the women, Zillafer, inflated like a human version of a porcupine fish: balloonlike and spiny. Her feet and arms protruded from her body just enough for her to aim her bounces toward Kender.
That’s as far as she got, though; Kender spun and kicked, sending her boinging backward. One of her legs smacked into the other woman’s head before she could attack. That woman, Baharess, sank to the ground, stunned.
The male Bio member, Kostaglos, opened his mouth wider than a human mouth should go; he lifted his tongue, revealing two hollow tubes like a cobra has in its mouth. He shot twin streams of a clear liquid from those glands, aimed right at Kender’s head.
Kender raised his arm, blocking the spittle. A sizzling noise rose from where it hit his arm, but Kender didn’t react; his exoskeleton didn’t have nerve endings. He leaped forward, smacking Kostaglos aside before he could attack again. The thin man was sent crashing into the cavern wall and did not get up.
Preto descended, soaring downward with his fists pointed straight out in front of him to deliver a double punch. Kender was too fast—he sidestepped the fists and connected with a fierce uppercut to Preto’s jaw. Preto’s head snapped back and his body flipped backward; he hit the cavern floor and lay where he fell, unconscious.
Wanderby spoke his own formula, starting Kender spinning in place. Incredibly, the armored man kept coming, holding on to his bearings enough to move forward between rotations. Wanderby increased the speed, and the massively armored enemy was slowed down . . . but he still advanced. Wanderby spied a large watercooler bottle and, speaking his formula again, spun it toward Kender.
It shattered wetly on Kender’s exoskeleton. Though the impact knocked him back, he recovered quickly and kept coming. Wanderby reached out with his formula to grab the coffeemaker, its pot filled with steaming coffee. He spun that, sending it smashing hotly against the armored man. That clearly wasn’t enough either. Wanderby looked around for other possible weapons: rocks, furniture, the fallen Order members.
Before he could act, Krissantha shouted, “Enough.”
Wanderby saw the look on Krissantha’s face and obeyed, shutting down his formula. Kender stopped spinning and fell to the ground; he was back on his feet in a moment, ready for more action.
“I like your gusto,” Krissantha said. “I like your determination. And I like your strength. But I have the power to destroy your shell and reduce you to a pile of ash.”
Kender stood unmoving. “I didn’t come to figh
t,” he said, his voice echoing out from within his shell. “I came to join the cause.”
“That,” Krissantha said, “is a good response. Welcome to the revolution.”
CHAPTER 26
INTO THE BIG, BAD HAYSTACK
Gilio led the kids and Flangelo outside; it was time to go.
Owen looked around. “Is it still nighttime? It’s pretty well lit, especially for being under an ocean.”
“I’ve arranged many bioluminescent life-forms inside and outside the dome,” Gilio said. “Mostly mosses and kelp that give off a natural glow. Deeper into the biomes where the animals live, there’s just enough bioluminescence to simulate moon and starlight; I didn’t want to disturb the natural day-night cycle of the life-forms. By day, special devices provide artificial sunlight so it’s much brighter where appropriate. It’s a complex world down here.”
“At least we’ll always be able to see where we’re going,” Simon said.
“Now, you’ll have to cover a lot of ground quickly without being seen,” Gilio said. “You’re searching for a needle in a haystack, but a very sharp needle in a very dangerous haystack.”
Simon explained his sense of space-time twisting, and Gilio nodded. “That’ll be a big help. Can you tell where she is exactly?”
Simon turned around in a circle, feeling out the different twists in space-time across the expanse of the dome. The strongest tug came from the teleporting pool they’d used to get up to Gilio’s mountain home, but he could feel much fainter pulling from the many other pools throughout the domain. He closed his eyes and concentrated, filtering out every other sense besides space-time.
There was so much to focus on, but he didn’t let up until . . . “There!” Simon pointed. He felt a space-time distortion that was wildly different from all the others but familiar to him. “I think she’s somewhere in that direction.”
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