“We’ll swim back to Grallion,” he said. “Let them keep pumping shots at the skimmer. We’ll be long gone.”
We barely had time to put the globes on when the water next to the skimmer began to boil. All three of us looked in wonder at what could be causing it.
“That’s not from the guns,” I declared.
Yenza realized the truth first. “No,” she bellowed. “No! No!”
I didn’t know what she was getting all bent about, until I saw a large, clear dome break the surface of the water. If we were anywhere else in Halla, I would have been panic stricken, thinking it was some kind of sea beast. But we were on Cloral. I knew what it was.
“They shouldn’t be here!” Yenza shouted.
It was a hauler submarine. Inside the dome I saw the faces of three scared individuals. It looked to be a family. A man, a woman, and a little girl that couldn’t have been more than four years old. The man was at the controls. He waved frantically, motioning for us to get inside the sub.
The barrage of water-cannon fire stopped. There was a strange calm.
“Did they give up?” I asked.
A moment later we were again bathed in light as multiple spotlights from other gunships hit us. During the confusion two more gunships had drifted closer. We were now surrounded on three sides by raider ships, all with their lights trained on us and all with their guns locked in. They had hit the jackpot. They no longer needed information from the dado aquaneer. They had us. They had the hauler. They had the exiles. We were seconds away from being turned into liquid.
Spader leaped from the skimmer onto the body of the hauler, behind the cockpit bubble. He motioned to the people inside to dive.
“Down!” he screamed. “Down! Down!”
The pilot wasn’t sure what to do. He wasn’t an aquaneer. He probably had only learned to drive a hauler that day. He looked to Yenza. Yenza made the same move.
“Dive!” she shouted, and jumped on the back of the hauler.
I did the same. There wasn’t time to board the craft. We were about to go for a ride. Bubbles boiled up from around the vehicle as the hauler began to sink. The back of a hauler had plenty of places to grab on to, so I grabbed. Tight. No sooner did my head go below the water than I heard the sounds of cannon fire. I was nearly ripped off the hauler by the force of the multiple impacts. The vehicle twisted and spun, but continued to dive. Yenza pulled her way forward along the back of the hauler to the cockpit bubble. She banged on the glass to get the pilot’s attention and motioned for him to continue down. The water was deep around Grallion. If we got enough depth, there was no way that the water-cannon fire could reach us. I looked above to see the surface explode in a brilliant kaleidoscope of light from the ships. As we dropped farther away, the muffled explosions grew more distant. My confidence grew. We had escaped.
Yenza looked back to Spader and me. We could hear her clearly through the device on top of her air globe. “They could drop depth charges.”
Oh. We hadn’t escaped.
Yenza knocked on the hauler bubble again. The pilot turned to look, and Yenza made a motion in the direction she wanted the guy to drive.
“Uh, that’s back toward Grallion,” I announced.
“I’m hoping they’ll think we broke for open water,” she said with confidence. “If we hide below Grallion, it will be harder for them to find us with their deep scan.”
I looked to Spader and shrugged. “Sounds good to me.”
The hauler was nearly on the ocean floor. We moved swiftly and silently across the sandy bottom until everything grew dark. I figured that must have been because all light from above had been blocked by the massive barge city of Grallion. We traveled a few more minutes, with Yenza scanning the surface ahead while riding on top of the bubble like a circus performer on an elephant. Finally she seemed satisfied, and motioned for the pilot to stop and rest on the bottom. With a gentle thump, the hauler nestled safely on the ocean floor.
“We can get in through the air lock,” Yenza explained.
The haulers I knew from Cloral didn’t have air locks. This hauler was larger than any I’d seen, so I figured it was a more advanced model. Yenza led us along the hull toward the stern until she came to a hatch. She turned a red wheel that was recessed below the outer skin of the submarine, pulled open the door, and floated inside. A few minutes later we saw her appear in the cockpit bubble along with the exiles. Spader instructed me on how to get in.
“The compartment inside is flooded,” he said. “Once I close the hatch on you, there’s a green wheel that will clear the chamber of water. When it’s dry, spin the release on the door inside and board. Then close the hatch, and I’ll be right after you.”
I did as I was told. Within minutes I joined Yenza in the large cargo area of the hauler. She closed the inside hatch after me, flooded the small compartment again, and Spader repeated the action.
Within ten minutes we were all safely inside the cargo bay. Yenza opened the hatch that led into the cockpit, and I got to meet the exiles.
“We had to come back,” the man said. “The idea of Grallion being attacked because of us was too much to bear.”
“You shouldn’t have,” Yenza declared.
Spader added, “But if you hadn’t, we’d all be dead, so thank you.”
The woman was nervous. She held the little girl on her lap protectively.
“Is that your daughter?” I asked.
The woman nodded. “Her name is Maggie.”
“Where was she born?” I asked.
The man and woman looked to Yenza, as if not sure of what they should reveal about themselves. I put them at ease.
“I’m from Earth,” I said. “My name is Bobby Pendragon.”
They both looked relieved to hear that. “My name is Peter,” the man said. “This is Carolyn. When were you exiled? Was it in Yankee Stadium?”
As much as I knew the origin of the exiles, it was still a shock to hear it from a different point of view.
“No, but I was there,” I answered. “I saw what happened.”
Carolyn said, “Maggie was born here, on Cloral. She never knew Earth.”
“How many more exiles are there on Cloral?” I asked. It was the most important question of all.
“Just us,” Peter answered.
“Are you sure?” I asked, trying not to sound too disappointed.
Peter and Carolyn nodded.
My heart sank. As happy as I was that these people were safe, I was hoping that there would be more. Lots more. On Third Earth there were originally twenty that arrived, including Mark. But eight had been killed. Here there were three, including the young girl, Maggie, who technically wasn’t an exile. Was it possible that the spirit of so few exiles could keep Solara alive? I doubted it. Seventy thousand people were pulled into the flume that night in Yankee Stadium. Where did they go?
“There were more of us,” Peter said. “Thirty in all. We were taken in by raiders and treated like slaves.”
“I heard the story,” I said with sympathy. “From my friend Mark Dimond.”
Both Peter and Carolyn lit up. “Mark?” the woman said with a smile. “Have you seen him?”
“I have. He’s okay.”
They looked relieved to hear that. “Did he make it back to Earth?” Carolyn asked.
I gave a simple answer. “Yes.” I didn’t want to explain the trouble he was in. Or that he was actually three thousand years ahead of their own time.
Carolyn said, “So then there’s still hope for us. We might be able to return someday.”
I didn’t say anything. Why should I ruin their dream?
Peter added, “If not for Mark, we’d all be dead. He was our leader. He took a lot of punishment that was often meant for others.”
I nodded. Mark hadn’t gone into the details of his ordeal, and I wasn’t so sure I wanted to hear them.
Peter continued, “He led the mutiny. All thirty of us got off the raider ship. We stole skimme
rs. Some went searching for the flume, but we stayed behind.”
“Why?” Spader asked.
Carolyn held Maggie close and gave a simple answer. “I was pregnant.”
“We’ve been hiding from the Ravinians for years,” Peter added.
Yenza jumped in, saying, “We’re going to get you to Panger City. It’s a busy place. You’ll blend in there.”
Something didn’t add up. “You said thirty of you got off the raider ship. Did others die?”
“Not that we know of,” Peter answered.
“So if thirty escaped, and you two stayed here, that means twenty-eight people went for the flume. But only twenty made it to Earth.”
The man and woman exchanged looks, as if they had something to say but weren’t sure if they should.
“You really should tell me everything,” I said.
“There was another exile,” Peter finally admitted. “He didn’t originally land here with us on Cloral. He was first sent to another territory, but he came here in search of exiles. He said there were many more where he first landed, and he wanted to bring us all together. There was a debate over whether we should go with him or try to get back to Earth. That was before we were captured by the raiders. He ended up dying in the hold of that horrible ship.”
I tried not to get too excited. If there were more exiles on another territory, maybe they had all begun to gather there before the flumes were destroyed.
“What was the name of the territory he came from?” I asked.
Carolyn answered. “If I remember right, it was called… Zadaa.”
I had the information I needed. I was on the wrong territory. I instantly shot a look to Spader. “I’m going to Zadaa.”
Spader replied, “I’m going with you.” “No!” I said quickly. “You have to keep these people safe.”
“I can do that,” Yenza offered with confidence.
“If there’s a big group of exiles on Zadaa, that’s where we should be, mate,” Spader said.
I was about to argue, but the sound of thunder stopped me. We all heard it. Maggie held her mother close, terrified.
“Thunder?” I asked.
“Cannons,” Yenza said soberly. “It sounds like they’re unloading on Grallion.”
“Hobey, would they really punish an entire habitat just because we were protecting this family?” Spader asked.
“I think they would” was my awful answer. “That’ll give you an idea of how great the importance of every last exile is.”
“Us?” Peter asked. “Why?”
“Do you want to see the Ravinians defeated?” I asked.
“It’s all I think about,” the guy answered.
“Then stay safe,” I said. “If we hope to fight back, we need each and every exile to have faith that it’s possible.”
The thundering guns grew louder.
Yenza swallowed hard. “I fear what’s happening up there.”
“Protect them,” I said to Yenza. “I can’t begin to tell you how important it is.”
“I believe you, Pendragon. They’ll be safe with me.” “Uh-oh.” Spader gasped.
He was looking toward the surface through the bubble of the hauler submarine.
Yenza gasped, “She’s breaking up.”
We all looked up to see cracks appear in the black mass that was the hull of the habitat Grallion.
“This is impossible,” Yenza cried. “Why do they have such powerful weapons?”
“It’s all about Ravinia,” I answered.
The cracks grew larger. The barge was being wrenched apart. I think the realization hit us all at the same time that the giant city was going to sink… and we were directly beneath it.
“Get us outta here!” I screamed.
Yenza jumped into the bubble, pulled Peter out of the pilot seat and took over the controls. She toggled the water-fed engines to life, grabbed the control stick, and pushed us forward without bothering to ascend from the sea floor. We dragged up a bunch of sand, but we were moving.
Carolyn gasped, “It’s coming down!”
All around us giant shadowy chunks of habitat were slowly floating toward the bottom. The pieces were of all sizes. Some were as big as houses, others looked to be a half mile across. The raiders had done it. They had destroyed a habitat. I didn’t want to know what the rest of Cloral looked like.
“I hope they evacuated in time,” Yenza said. Her voice cracked. I had never seen her show emotion of any kind. “I should have been there.”
I didn’t know how to tell her that as horrible as the loss of Grallion was, her mission to protect the exiles was about her entire world, not just one habitat. There was no way she’d understand that, so I kept my mouth closed.
“They were prepared,” Spader said with sympathy. “You saw to that. The aquaneers were ready to get everyone off.”
“This is all because of us,” Carolyn said, sobbing.
I had no idea how to comfort her. I wanted to say how her survival was critical to the future of Halla. I wanted to tell her that she had the power to topple Ravinia. But that was all so impossible to grasp, especially as the remains of a destroyed city were raining down around us.
“Watch it,” Spader calmly cautioned Yenza.
A massive piece of barge glided down in front of us. Yenza expertly guided the hauler around it. We all looked in horror to see a piece of decking with buildings still attached sink to the ocean floor. Like with New York, a city had been destroyed.
Ravinia was alive and well on Cloral.
Soon the water grew lighter as Yenza piloted the hauler safely out from beneath the sinking wreckage.
“Get them to Panger City,” I said to Yenza. “Keep them safe and wait for word.”
Yenza nodded. She didn’t try to speak. I think if she had, she would have burst out crying.
“And me?” Spader asked.
I knew the answer he wanted, so I gave it to him. “You’re coming with me.”
Spader beamed. “That’s what I like to hear, mate!” he exclaimed, clapping me on the back. “Just like old times.”
Wu Yenza wasn’t as happy about it. “But you’ve only just returned,” she said softly.
For the tough chief aquaneer, that was a huge show of emotion. I didn’t blame her. She had just witnessed the total destruction of her home. Besides that, I think she had a little “thing” for Spader. Spader leaned in and gave her a hug.
“I’m proud to call you my chief… and my acolyte. Thank you.” He didn’t say anything about coming back to Cloral again. He knew that wasn’t a guarantee. “Take care of them.”
Yenza nodded and gave him a weak smile. Spader let her go and backed into the cargo bay of the hauler.
“Be safe,” I said to the others. “Please.”
I touched the cheek of the beautiful little girl named Maggie. I hoped that the spirit held by the children of the exiles would be just as strong as their parents. I then touched Yenza’s shoulder. I didn’t know what to say, so I gave her a simple, “Good luck.”
Yenza looked at me. Her eyes were red. “We do have a chance, don’t we?”
“As long as we’re alive, we have a chance.”
She nodded. “Don’t let him get into too much trouble.”
“Spader?” I said, with mock surprise. “Does he get into trouble?”
She chuckled.
Carolyn asked, “Are you going to swim back to the flume?”
“Yeah, something like that,” I answered, and closed the hatch leading to the hauler’s cargo bay behind me.
Spader and I stood together in the empty tanker.
“Want to see a new territory?” I asked.
“Been a long time since we rode together, mate,” Spader said. “Gotta say, I’m a touch excited.”
“Then let’s go,” I said, and took one step forward on Cloral.
The second step was on the territory of Zadaa. It was time to find Loor.
Chapter 16
Spader and
I found ourselves standing on the shore of a young ocean.
It was a familiar sight. I had witnessed this body of water being born when the pent-up rivers that ran beneath the desert on Zadaa erupted with spectacular fury. Fault lines had cut quickly and violently across the sand, sinking miles of desert that were soon replaced with water, gushing in from hundreds of underwater rivers. In minutes a desert had been transformed into an ocean.
Life now grew where none had existed for centuries. I didn’t know how long it had been since I was on Zadaa, but time had definitely passed. The shore was now lined with palm trees and swaying grass. I saw what looked like small deer drinking from the freshwater sea. The day was clear. The sun was warm. For a brief moment I let myself believe that all was well with Zadaa.
A very brief moment.
A lone person sat by the shore, staring out at the dark green waters. One look at this woman told me that the spirits of Solara had put us where we needed to be. They had brought us back together with Loor. As relieved as I was to have found her so easily, it was strange to see her sitting alone, quietly, as if lost in her own thoughts. That wasn’t like her. “Loor?” I called.
She gave us a quick look, but showed no emotion or surprise. She nodded to acknowledge us, then went back to staring out at the sea.
I looked at Spader. He shrugged. I wasn’t sure of what to say. Loor was obviously preoccupied. I didn’t think it was right to jump at her, all excited, to say, “Hey! We heard some exiles were here. Did you find them? Did ya? Did ya? Huh?” There would be time for that.
Spader and I sat next to her. The three of us sat for a while, enjoying the warm breeze. At least I did. My clothes were still wet from Cloral, so I didn’t mind letting the hot sun of Zadaa dry them. Finally Loor looked at me. I was surprised to see that her eyes were red. She had been crying. There was nothing right about that.
“What manner of evil has the power to change the course of so many worlds so dramatically?” she said.
We’d been dealing with that question since day one of this adventure. I wondered why Loor was just getting around to it.
“You’ve always known what Saint Dane is capable of” was my answer.
“It is not his intent that disturbs me so,” she replied thoughtfully, as if trying to measure her own words. “I understand his quest. What I do not understand is why so many have chosen to follow him. Saint Dane would not hold the power he does now, he would not be on the verge of destroying Halla and creating his own universe, if not for those who have allowed him to do so.”
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