Nexus

by Sasha Alsberg

  Soyina sighed. “Klarisa’s team radioed in about a certain battered glass starship crash-landing before they went radio silent. I figured you two would show up eventually, and when you did... Well, I also figured your stubborn asses would be on my side of things.”

  Dex whooshed out a breath. “Klarisa told us to find you,” he said. “She said there was a gatekeeper of sorts—”

  Soyina laughed, but leaned in close, eyeing Dex’s backpack first. “Lower your voice, you delicious thing.” She sighed as she looked at Andi, whose back had stiffened at her comment. “Of course. You’re in love again, aren’t you? Ah, well, it was fun to hope.” She turned back to Dex. “I’m the gatekeeper, Dextro. And I’ll need something from the two of you, if you’re to join me.”

  She stood, downing her mug before she reached into her jacket and revealed a small blade.

  Dex had his gun drawn before Soyina could take a breath, Andi reaching for her swords in an instant. But the woman only laughed at them both. She reached down and drew the blade across her own fingertip. Crimson welled from the wound, a color that stole the tension from Dex’s shoulders. Because it was truly evident now that Soyina was not one of Nor’s minions.

  “I’ve shown you mine. Now you show me yours,” Soyina said, passing the blade, handle-first, to Dex.

  He wiped it off, then removed his glove and ran the blade quickly across his palm. His green Tenebran blood oozed from the fresh cut. Andi followed suit, red weeping from her skin.

  “I had hoped, in some way, that I would have been able to kill you,” Soyina said with a sigh as one of her galaxy tattoos snaked across her brow. “But this will be more fun, anyway. Think of all the time we’ll spend together now that I know you’re not silverbloods.” She stood, took the knife from Andi’s waiting hand and wiggled a finger over her shoulder at them. “Follow me, Baroness, Dextro. And for the love of the stars, do please try not to look so glum. I’ve saved you once again, ever your loyal heroine.”

  She slipped behind the bar, where two droids were busy carving fresh mugs from a block of frozen ice. “Well?”

  “Should we go?” Dex asked, looking helplessly at Andi.

  “We don’t have much of a choice,” she said. “Where else are we going to go?”

  Dex sighed. “I swear, if she handcuffs me to a toilet again...”

  “You know,” Andi said, as she followed after Soyina. “I think I’d pay to see that.”

  They moved past the droids to the entrance to the kitchen, past rows of more liquor bottles and frozen meat awaiting a fire. The entire pub staff, it seemed, was mechanical. Not a single human in sight; no one to look twice as Soyina approached the huge meat storage freezer, swinging open the thick metal door.

  Cold, even colder than the pub itself, filtered out, along with thick clouds of chilly steam. Rows upon rows of frozen animal carcasses hung inside, some clearly roak-hunted on Solera and others imported from other warmer planets across Mirabel.

  “Always around corpses, Soyina,” Dex commented.

  She smiled over her shoulder. “I find them fascinating, and beautiful. The Baroness would likely agree.”

  Andi shook her head silently at Dex and mouthed, “Nope.”

  Soyina stopped at the back of the massive freezer, turning to face them again.

  “Before we proceed...what’s in the bag?”

  Dex shrugged, Havoc finally having gone silent inside. “The devil incarnate,” he said with a wink. “A Fellibrag from Adhira.”

  Soyina seemed to accept that answer, sweeping aside a huge hunk of frozen meat.

  Behind the carcass was a hole carved into the wall. And beyond that, a tunnel that led downward into the earth, into a seemingly endless darkness.

  “After you, Baroness, Bounty Hunter.”

  When neither Dex nor Andi moved, Soyina laughed softly, but the sound held a bit of chaos within. “What? You thought the Underground was just some kind of code name?” She waved a hand as she slipped inside. “Follow me. We shouldn’t keep Arachnid waiting.”

  CHAPTER 14

  ANDI

  The darkness was not complete for long, for as soon as Andi pressed the button on her varillium cuffs, cool blue light bounded off the rock walls.

  Eventually, the rock gave way to ancient, deep blue stone, the substance that made up most of the Soleran landscape beneath all the ice and snow. As they journeyed deeper underground, Andi began to notice rough carvings on the walls, driven deep into the stone by hands long since buried in the grave.

  “I haven’t been to this planet in years,” Dex said. “But we studied all the planetary systems in Guardian training. I never knew there were tunnels like this one on Solera.”

  “Every planet has their secrets,” Andi said, thinking of the hidden tunnels within Averia that she’d learned of when she became Kalee’s Spectre. How much her life had changed, since those days.

  The symbols on the stone walls only grew in number as they walked, until they came upon fresher carvings gouged deep into the blue. Spidery etchings, arrows leading downward, words scratched in a language that Andi had never seen. They looked like constellations, and yet they were different, somehow.

  As if someone had swapped the angle of the Godstars.

  Andi reached out a hand, inexplicably drawn to the images.

  “The boss doesn’t like the carvings being touched,” Soyina said. “The boss doesn’t even like people looking at them, actually. Art is a private thing. Even more so when it’s been your greatest companion for so many years.”

  “Where are these symbols from?” Andi asked, running her fingertips over them, as if she hadn’t heard Soyina’s warning—or didn’t care about it.

  Soyina sighed, but didn’t scold her further. “Patience, my dear. Answers will soon follow.”

  As if in response, a voice called out from the darkness. “Back so soon? And with stragglers, I see.”

  The tunnel finally came to an end at a heavy silver door, nestled into the rock and firmly shut. On its front was an archaic keypad, the kind that only existed in stories of a time long before the Cataclysm. A blue lantern, housing the same cool flames from the ice pub on the surface above, hung beside the door, revealing the fact that no one was there.

  But the voice had come from someone other than Andi, Dex or Soyina. For a moment, Andi assumed it was just an external com.

  Then the voice spoke again, loud and clear, only a pace from her. “Where’s Klarisa?”

  Dex yelped as a young woman suddenly materialized before the door, like a spirit from another world. She wore a tight-fitting suit of purple and black, her curves outlined for all to see. Her hair was a perfect mixture of metallic strands interwoven with natural brown, bangs splitting the two right down the center of her forehead.

  Andi had reached for her swords at the woman’s sudden appearance, but slowly lowered her hands when Soyina nodded in greeting. “Klarisa sent them.”

  “As she does,” the girl acknowledged. She grinned at Andi with all her teeth.

  Then disappeared entirely.

  “Godstars,” Dex whispered, coming up beside Andi. “She must be from Tevara—the moon that orbits Vacilis. I’ve never met anyone from there before.”

  “Where did she go?” Andi asked, stepping forward to stare at the space where the girl had just been.

  Moments later, the girl’s laughter could again be heard, back down the passageway. Andi and Dex whirled, and sure enough, she now stood behind them, arms crossed over her chest, the metallic strands of her hair glinting in Andi’s cuff lights. “The name’s Eryn Railian. And you are Androma Racella.”

  “Eryn likes to show off,” Soyina said, shrugging as if she were used to Eryn’s tricks. “She can bend light, make herself and other things seem to disappear. Arachnid was incredibly pleased when Eryn came along. She’d been hiding in the city fo
r a few days after Nor took over, and now she’s quite useful as a spy. Gets us a lot of information from the rest of the dome.”

  As Soyina spoke, Eryn approached Dex and tentatively placed both hands on his arm, closing her eyes and tilting her head at just enough of an angle to still show off her smile. The edges of Dex’s body began to flicker beneath her touch, fading from view as if a giant ghostly hand was gradually erasing him from existence.

  Andi watched in amazement as Eryn and Dex faded, then reappeared together, Dex’s eyes wide with shock as he cursed. “Incredible,” she breathed. “How do you do it?”

  “With style,” Eryn said playfully. She held out a hand, twisting and turning it, making it fade from view and then return, fully formed again.

  “Enough of your show,” Soyina said impatiently. A tattoo of a dragon danced across the bridge of her nose, reminding Andi briefly of Lon. “Though I do want to see if you can sneak me into the bathhouse later. I’d like to play a nasty, painful little trick on that bastard, Peiter.”

  “I’d be honored,” Eryn said with a small bow. “After my shift is over, of course.”

  “Eryn guards the entrance,” Soyina explained. “There’s no one else expected today, so should anyone arrive...” Soyina glanced to Eryn’s thigh, where a menacing silver pistol nestled in its sheath. “Blast them sky-high, my little dove.”

  “With pleasure,” Eryn said. She kicked the door twice, two booming thunks of her metallic boots against the steel, then faded from view in a blink, as if she’d never been there at all.

  “Theatrics,” Soyina said with a sigh. “Arachnid appreciates them so.” A booming knock sounded from the other side of the door, and she grinned like a demon. “It seems the show is about to begin.”

  The door opened slowly, emitting a great groan as someone inside heaved at the weight of it. At first, Andi saw only bright light. As her eyes adjusted, she heard Dex gasp from beside her, and then...

  “Godstars be damned,” Dex said, stepping past her.

  Andi’s eyes widened as she took in the scene beyond the open door, the massive space overflowing with warmth and light and the noises of humanity.

  An entire city was hidden inside.

  * * *

  All this time, Queen Nor had been scouring the surface of every planet for those who hadn’t been affected by the Zenith virus. And yet here the Underground was, hidden far below where her drones and droids could reach.

  “Welcome,” Soyina said, stretching her arms wide, “to the undercity. Underground headquarters, at your service.”

  The cavern was massive, nearly a quarter of the size of Craatia above. But this city was a natural phenomenon, carved out of the belly of the planet itself. Blue rock walls towered as far up as Andi could see, with stalactites and stalagmites hanging down and jutting up every few yards, like the fangs of a humongous creature.

  Woven around them were scaffoldings and makeshift structures of iron and rock, wood and bits of what looked like old spaceships from days long past. Workers climbed all around the scaffoldings, swinging across the bars like they’d done it a thousand times, with the ease of those used to such places.

  “We hail from all across the galaxy,” Soyina said. “But some of our number are native to Solera, and it’s because of them that we were able to find this place. Eons ago, the old Solerans settled in caverns just like these. Of course, many of the old ruins were destroyed during the Cataclysm, their entrances buried in the rubble of the bombings. This one survived, though, and it’s been the perfect hideout for us. We’re so far below the surface that we’re completely undetectable from above. There’s natural heat, too, thanks to the insulation from the dome overhead. It’s not exactly a summer home, but it stays warm enough.” She motioned for Andi and Dex to stay close as she began the descent into the undercity. “Walk with me.”

  And follow they did. As they walked, Andi’s head felt as if it were on a swivel, rotating constantly while Soyina led them into the undercity’s depths. Crackling fires, the flames purple and smokeless like those in the ice pub, were scattered about, serving as the main source of light. Groups sat around them, some with children talking and playing with makeshift toys.

  They passed a New Vedan man, his great arms swinging in an arc as he forged a massive broadsword over a fire, the blade easily the size of Andi herself.

  Breck, Andi thought, seeing that giant form. Her heart squeezed, thinking of her head gunner. What would Breck have thought, seeing this place? She would have whistled, low and long. She would have sniffed the air and asked about the next meal. She and Gilly would have been fascinated by all the different fashions, hairstyles, makeup looks.

  They would have adored this place.

  Andi felt, already, that she adored it, too. The cavern smelled like damp earth, human sweat, meat roasting on fires...but that was life. That was freedom. She smiled for the first time in what felt like years. If only the girls were here—then she’d smile even broader.

  “The looks on your faces,” Soyina said, giggling as she glanced over her shoulder. “It’s a lot to take in, but by the Godstars, it’s glorious.” She pointed at something just ahead. “Careful, Baroness. Wouldn’t want you to step in that.”

  She stepped over a crack in the ground, where some sort of pale yellow liquid was bubbling in a stream that fishtailed throughout the place. “Perfectly safe to drink, though it may make you forget your own name.”

  “How many of you are here?” Dex asked. “Are there other Underground camps across Mirabel?”

  “Not enough,” Soyina said, causing Dex to frown. “But though we may be only a few hundred, we’re mighty. We’ve made contact with another group on Arcardius, and a couple on Tenebris and Pazus. And we’re certain others are out there, hiding. Now that Arachnid’s messages are getting through, we expect others to rise and show themselves. If you hadn’t been lost in your shiny spaceship this whole time, you’d probably have joined us weeks ago. Worked your way up the ranks. Now you’ll have to start as grunts. Ground soldiers. Well...you would have, if it weren’t for the Baroness, here.”

  “Me?” Andi asked in disbelief.

  “You,” Soyina said with a grin.

  Andi sent her a suspicious glance. “What do you want with me?”

  “I don’t have any opinion on the matter. But Arachnid...oh, the boss can’t wait to speak with you.” Soyina glanced away, pressing her lips together. “I’ve said too much already. Let’s keep moving.”

  They walked until they reached the other side of the cavern, where a series of tunnels had been sculpted into the blue rock. A group of children hurried into one in the center, carrying baskets full of what looked like soiled blankets and rags.

  “Bathhouse is that way,” Soyina said, glancing at Dex again, her eyes full of suggestion. Andi’s insides boiled a little at that look, but she wouldn’t give Soyina the satisfaction of knowing how she really felt.

  The woman waggled a finger at Dex, the tattoos on it swirling in erratic patterns. “The things we could do in there, you and I.” Then she smiled sideways at Andi. “Hell, I’d take the Baroness, too, if it weren’t for the stick she’s got stuck up her—”

  “We’ll pass,” Andi said, taking Dex by the arm and hauling him toward her. He looked at her in surprise for a moment, then smiled warmly. Andi blushed, annoyed that she’d allowed Soyina to get under her skin.

  Soyina stopped just inside the leftmost tunnel, where a group of guards stood at the ready. “Hello, my darlings. Is the boss ready for us?”

  An elderly woman, who had a scowl worthy of Dex, nodded curtly and lifted a wicked, curved sword. “If you’re certain they’re safe, Resurrectionist. It’s your head on the end of my blade if you’re wrong.”

  Soyina scoffed. “So doubtful of my science, all of you soldiers. But blood never lies—they’re clean. And we all know my brilliance has always exce
eded everyone’s expectations.”

  “Science has its shortcomings,” the old woman grumbled back.

  Soyina stopped before a set of heavy hide curtains, the animal skin old and worn, holes patched up with random bits of fabric and threads.

  “If this is some silly game to you, Soyina,” Andi said, keeping her voice low. “If you’re leading us to our deaths... I’ll personally spear your eyes out with a fork.”

  “It’s true,” Dex said. “I’ve seen her do similar things—in Lunamere.”

  “Oh, that would be a pleasant way to go,” Soyina replied brightly. “But unfortunately, my time to die hasn’t come yet. And neither has yours.” She swept open the curtain. “Go in and get your answers, kiddies.”

  Dex gave her a wary look. “You’re not coming with us?”

  Soyina reached out a hand, those tattoos swirling again as she patted him a little too hard on the cheek. “I know it’s hard for us to part, but Arachnid has requested to see you two alone.”

  “Joy of all joys,” Andi remarked dryly.

  “Weapons stay here, though,” Soyina added, eyeing Andi’s swords and Dex’s pistol. “But don’t worry. I’ll take good care of them while you’re gone. We’ll have lots of fun.”

  With a sigh, Andi unlatched her harness and shoved the sheathed blades so hard against Soyina’s stomach that the woman let out a grunt and stumbled backward, clutching them haphazardly in her arms.

  “If you remove them from their sheaths,” Andi said with a glare, “you’ll have to remove them from your intestines when I return. Imagine how much fun you’ll have with that.”

  Dex placed his gun atop the swords, shrugging as if he hadn’t a care in the world.

  “Let’s go, Androma,” he said lightly, taking her by the hand.

  Before Soyina could respond, Andi took the backpack from Dex’s shoulder and tossed it into the woman’s arms.

  “Careful,” she said as Havoc hissed from within the pack, and Soyina held it away from her by its fraying strap. “Havoc can smell fear.”