by Lara Morgan
“Why are you helping me?”
“Girls got to stick together. Besides, how would it look for me if she found out I didn’t stop you? Sulawayo may be the boss, but that doesn’t mean I hang on her every word. Or tell her everything. We can work together on this, Rosie. You can trust me.”
Could she? It was too dark to gauge Gillian’s expression “How far is it to the ruins?” she asked.
“Straight that way, keep low. I’ve suspended the surveillance, but sometimes there are fail-safes. Run three hundred metres, turn right through a clump of trees and head south east.” Gillian thrust a small torch into her hand. “Take this. You’ll it need once you’re there, but don’t use it before.”
“Thanks.”
She followed Gillian’s directions, trying not to stumble in the dark. There was no moon and everything was different shades of grey. The copse of trees were spindly and she got a sharp scratch on her face as she negotiated her way, but when she emerged on the other side to an open plain, she could see the ruins, closer now, a denser patch of jagged darkness against the sky. She made it there in about twenty minutes.
Most of the buildings on the outskirts were nothing but foundations, so she guessed the town probably had been bigger than it now seemed. She reached the crumbled remains of a bitumen road and followed it towards the dark hunching mass of more intact structures. It was eerily silent. A light wind made things unseen creak, something banged intermittently like a broken shutter against a wall. She was on what used to be the main street. Other smaller streets branched off it in a grid pattern. The first intersection had two tall metal poles with broken lights dangling from the tops. There was no litter. If the Enclave used this for training, they must have to make sure the streets were mostly clear.
She passed the burned metal husk of what had been some kind of car. Further along she came to a four-way intersection, more broken metal poles, and on each corner dilapidated buildings several storeys high. Rosie snapped on the torch and played the pin point of light over them. The beam passed over a broken sign: Global Hotel. That was it. She jogged across the street and, through the hole where the doors used to be, there was a large shadowy room and at the far end a set of broken stairs.
A faint noise came from her right and Sulawayo said, “You’re late.”
Rosie swung the torchlight in her direction, picking out the tall dark woman in another doorway.
“Sorry,” she said.
Sulawayo beckoned Rosie to follow her. “In here.”
She snapped on a light. They were in what had been the hotel guests’ lounge. A long wood-panelled bar was still standing on the pitted and cracked parquet flooring. Two floor-to-ceiling windows were boarded up and there was a strong smell of dust and decay, something mouldering in some hidden corner.
“Sit.” The operative indicated a metal chair frame with slats of wood that served as a seat.
“I’ll stand.”
“Suit yourself.” Sulawayo leaned against the bar. Behind her were broken shelves and the wall was painted dark red, dirty renderings of flowers embossed in it.
“So what now?” Rosie said.
“You know our deal.” Sulawayo pulled a slim tablet from a bag slung across her shoulder. “You access the implant and give me the Equinox Gate plans and the information in the file about the Pantheon.”
“Wait,” Rosie stalled. With Jebediah being Sulawayo’s boss and the rebellion a sham, giving up the files was a terrible risk. Hadn’t Alpha said her usefulness would be over if she did? Plus once Jebediah had the gate plans and the information on the Pantheon file, what would he do? She needed to find out what his plans were. Why did he need the Pantheon file at all if he was one of the Pantheon? Was it possible that the Pantheon didn’t know each other? Was that what the whole code name business was about? And then there was Dark Star. She had to know what that was before she gave up her only leverage.
“I agreed to give up the gate plans and some of the Pantheon information for coming here to guarantee Pip got the tech he needs for the cure,” she said. “How do I know you’ve kept your part of the deal?”
“Well, you’re here, aren’t you?” Sulawayo smiled coldly. “And your little escapade last night cost me some effort with Alpha. I’ve allowed you to have a look around, satisfy your curiosity. I think that deserves some trust, don’t you think?”
Rosie swallowed. “You know where I went?”
“You messed with the surveillance all over the Enclave. Who do you think covered those tracks for you? As far as Alpha is concerned, you didn’t make it past the cafeteria. But the medibay? I had to erase all evidence of you on the surveillance.” She drew in a deep breath. “Did you have any success there? I wager you didn’t. Please don’t take me for a fool, Rosie. I know you have your own agenda.”
“My only agenda is to make sure my family and Pip are safe.”
“And to find out what you can about Helios. I also covered your tracks within the Grid, so Alpha shouldn’t know you were researching our MalX files. Though I can’t be one hundred per cent certain. So how about you stop wasting my time and give me the Equinox Gate plans and the Pantheon file, including their locations. I’m your only choice, Rosie. Work with me and we can change things. Try to do things alone and you will fail. And those you love will pay.”
“If you hurt anyone, touch anyone, I won’t give you anything,” Rosie said.
“I won’t hurt anyone if you cooperate. Remember, the only person standing between you and the full wrath of Helios is me. They don’t trust you and the only reason you’re still alive is because they believe you can bring them a way to get Pip’s cure. If you don’t play by my rules, I can change that. I can simply hand him over to them.”
Rosie’s insides dropped. “You can’t get him; he’s safe in Nation.”
“Is he? How positive are you about that? We both know he’s not very good at doing what he’s told.”
“You wouldn’t,” Rosie said. “You need the MalX cure. If they get it, your rebellion is finished.” Not that it existed anyway, but she wasn’t about to tell Sulawayo that now and doubted if she would believe her anyway.
Sulawayo shifted with irritation. “Stop fighting me, Rosie. You can’t win.”
“Show me some proof that you’re even helping Pip with the cure,” she said. “I’ve got no reason to believe everything you say – especially when you threaten me.”
“Fine.” Sulawayo tapped at her tablet. “Will this do?” She activated a holo and a three dimensional image appeared in the air between them.
Rosie heart clenched. There was Pip and next to him Cassie. They were in the medical lab where Kev’s wife worked. Pip was standing slouched back against the wall, arms crossed, as Cassie checked over some equipment. While Rosie watched, Cassie took a vial of blood and pushed it into some part of the machine.
“That is the Helios tech I sent them,” Sulawayo said. “As you can see, Cassie Shore is putting some of Pip’s blood into it for analysis and testing.”
Rosie folded her arms over her thudding heart. “And how about your promise to send it there with no strings attached? You said you wouldn’t interfere or send any of your people up there to bother them. Did you do that?”
“Initially, there was someone.” Sulawayo’s gaze was direct. “Just to help with the set up, but now they are free to work on it alone. I only ask they send reports of their progress every week. And things are going well, by the way.”
Rosie couldn’t keep her eyes from Pip. He seemed so close, so real. She almost believed that if she reached out, she could touch him, but then the image wavered and disappeared as Sulawayo switched it off.
“Is that enough for you?”
Rosie blinked hard, trying to push down the sudden sharp ache of missing him.
“Maybe, but holos can be altered.”
Sulawayo’s mouth pulled tight and she tapped at her tablet again. “Do you need reminding what else is at stake, Rosie?” She activated the holo
again “This is a live image. You should find this more convincing.”
Rosie’s breath stopped. It was her dad’s room in Greenview. He was sleeping peacefully in bed and she stepped forwards before she could stop herself. Then a man came into view. He was holding the sending device and was dressed in a medic uniform, but she knew right away he couldn’t possibly be staff there. He held up a small vial injector.
“That’s my agent,” Sulawayo said. “He has a fast-acting poison and if you don’t cooperate, I will be forced to give the order.”
Rosie clenched her hands into fists. “You said you wouldn’t.”
“And I thought we had a deal.”
“We do.” Tears blurred Rosie’s vision. She’d never felt so helpless before, her breath jammed in her throat. She was going to have to give up some information, but maybe she could limit the damage. Would the Equinox Gate plans be enough? Something told her that she had to try to hold on to the information on the Pantheon file – it just didn’t make sense that Jebediah was so desperate for it. Would she be able to get away with only revealing some of the names and locations? Or those numbers she’d seen with the Pantheon member names – they were most likely communication codes, weren’t they? Surely, they would be the least dangerous thing to hand over. “Okay, okay.” She held up her hands. “You win. Please, leave him alone.”
“Good choice.” Sulawayo spoke into a com. “Stand down.”
The man in the holo pocketed the injector and Rosie started breathing again.
“I’m glad we understand each other,” she said. “Don’t waste your energy fighting me, Rosie. You will lose. Now, access that implant and get me what I want.”
“I’m not sure I can get everything at once,” Rosie said. “I can’t control it very well.” It wasn’t a lie.
Sulawayo regarded her, eyes narrowed. “All right, but if you’re stalling there will be repercussions.”
“I wouldn’t risk my dad’s life.”
“Good then get to work.”
Rosie took a deep breath and sat on the chair then closed her eyes.
The pain started as soon as she commanded the implant to search for the files. She tried to ignore it, work past it. The little black dot was a dark point against the redness of her closed lids. Keep your focus, Rosie. Remember what you need to do. She breathed out slowly but nothing would open. In her mind she kept seeing her dad lying vulnerable in his room. Fear made her hands tremble and she clasped them tightly together. Concentrate. She didn’t doubt Sulawayo would hurt him if she didn’t produce something, but the implant wasn’t responding. What if it didn’t open at all? What if she’d damaged it last night? Panic fluttered like moth wings in her throat, choking her and she made herself push out a breath hard. Please open. She directed the desperate thought at the Equinox Gate file. After a brief pause, she felt it give and with the familiar agonising scrape of pain, it opened.
“Give me a tablet to copy it down. Quick.” She held out a hand, eyes still closed, and Sulawayo slapped one on her palm. Rosie swiftly began to transcribe the plans she saw in her mind. Just like when she had done it in Nation. She found it easy, the information flowing from her brain and directing her hand to draw the schematics for the wormhole machine and note the complicated mathematics and physics that completed the plans for creating the gate. She didn’t dare miss anything out. Her father’s life was riding on it. After ten minutes she was done and she let the implant close. The effort left her light-headed.
“There.” She opened her eyes and held the tablet out to Sulawayo, but she didn’t take it.
“You’re not finished.”
“I know,” Rosie said, “but that was the easy part. I’ve opened that gate file before, but the Pantheon file I’ve only ever seen part of. I need all my concentration to get to that.”
Sulawayo took the tablet. “Fine, but no tricks. I still have my man outside your father’s room.”
Like she could forget. Rosie wiped her sweating hands down her legs and steadied herself for another go. This time when she closed her eyes and reached for the implant its resistance was stronger. She persisted though, pushing past the pain, requesting the Pantheon file over and over again, shaking, sweating. Finally, it opened and, for a brief instant, she saw the list and the numbers. The names she’d already remembered, but this time she focused on the numbers and locations. Should she reveal Jebediah? What would Sulawayo do with that piece of information? She hesitated – perhaps she should save that for later.
She concentrated harder and the implant resisted, pushing back against her, sending shots of sharp streaking pain down her neck to her spine. She couldn’t hold it. With a cry of frustration, she lost control and the file snapped shut.
She opened her eyes and leaned over, gasping, sweat dripping to the dusty floor. The ache in her spine hadn’t gone away.
Sulawayo placed the tablet on her lap. “Write it all down.”
“I couldn’t get all of it,” Rosie said. She struggled for breath. “But there are sets of numbers for each name. I think they’re communication codes or something. I can give you those and this.” Rosie typed in the number sets and the names and locations of two of the Pantheon. Eliza Rush, Faulding Lane, New Scotia, American Republic. Franco Brun, exact position unknown, most likely southern Asiatic States. That should be enough to grant her father’s safety for now.
“That’s all I could get.” She handed it back and Sulawayo studied it.
“If this isn’t correct–”
“It is,” Rosie said.
“And what about the rest?”
Rosie shook her head. “I can’t get more now. It won’t open again.” She was spent, exhausted.
Sulawayo’s mouth pinched.
“I’m telling the truth,” Rosie said.
“I suppose we can try again later.” Sulawayo put the tablet in her bag and picked up her lamp. “Get back to the Enclave. You need your rest.”
CHAPTER 8
It was mid afternoon by the time Pip made it to the tiny cafe. He was sweating and annoyed and a fresh lot of cuts on his arms and legs stung from a hasty clean up. He ran a hand through his hair, slicking it down as well as he could.
The abandoned warehouse he’d been crashing in since Inja had left had been targeted by Senate guards. He’d only escaped by hiding his bike in the street and skidding fast into a nearby sewer access, shaving off what felt like half his skin in the process. Some of the other people staying there hadn’t been so lucky. He’d heard their shouts as he shot down the ladder.
He’d cleaned up and changed into the guard uniform he’d bargained from Fury, the Principality’s fixer and right-hand woman, but still he caught the faint whiff of rot from his boots every now and then. Couldn’t do much about that.
The rumours the space pirates had told him about earlier bothered him. He’d done what Essie had wanted and gone to see if anyone had taken someone like Riley to Mars. They were a cagey lot the pirates, didn’t like to talk much, but they’d given him a hint, a rumour. Enough to go on.
He sat at a corner table near the window and toyed with his com. Essie’s ping about a contact spotting Sulawayo back in town had come at the perfect time. And given him the perfect excuse not to go back up north. Cassie would be furious but he could take it if tailing the agent led to something solid.
He watched the side entrance to Senate Prime, the Senate’s headquarters in Newperth. It was busy for a Saturday – workers and guards streaming in and out past the surveillance and guards. A cold cup of engineered coffee was in front of him and a half-eaten slice of pandan cake. Under his hands, the menu kept streaming offers and the latest news waves across the tabletop. MalX deaths were three times what they’d been the year before and parts of the Banks had been without recyc water for six days. Riots had broken out in some areas and fifty three people had been killed. Shuttles linking the Banks to Central were suspended. Got to keep the pretty people safe. Disgusted, Pip tried not to read any more of it.
Another hour passed and he’d almost given up when he finally spotted a tall dark woman moving among the crowd coming out. Sulawayo.
He watched her make her way to the front of the line, stride past the guards and up the street away from Aurora Plaza.
Pip waited half a minute then followed.
The street was wide and he kept his distance, grateful that the sidewalks were filling up at this time of the day. She shouldn’t spot him.
Then she got into a silver transport.
Seriously? Pip swore and ran across the road, dodging traffic. The car was moving slowly because the streets were congested, but he wouldn’t be able to track her like this.
Keeping his cap low, he ran for the AI rank. He pushed in front of a couple of suits, whose exclamations cut short when they saw his Senate uniform. He wrenched open the door and leaped in the back.
“Good afternoon, officer,” the AI driver chimed pleasantly. “Destination?”
“Go north,” Pip said. He kept his head down to avoid the surveillance above the electro pulse barrier between him and the robotic driver. The partition shimmered distorting his view through the windscreen.
“Certainly.” The car pulled smoothly out into the traffic. “Please insert your officer identification into the device,” the AI said.
Damn. Pip improvised. “I left it at headquarters.”
“Would you like me to contact your superiors for it?”
“No, just drive.”
“I cannot proceed without destination or identification,” the AI said and the car began to slow. “Please insert your number.”
Goddamn it!
Glad for the tinted windows, Pip pulled the pulse gun Inja had given him from his holster and pushed it hard up against the roof, then pulled the trigger. Sparks ran along the roof and walls of the car and he gasped as some of the charge hit him, though thankfully most of it knocked out the barrier between him and the AI.