by Jordan Rivet
“One member of our crew,” he continued, “has proposed a route change. The new course would take us farther south, to the mouth of the Santiago River in Mexico. Before she explains the reason for this change, I want to make it clear to you that the Lucinda may not be able to take this detour and still make it all the way to Kansas before winter sets in. We’ve all been working for this, and we need to understand the consequences before any decisions are made. I may be in command of the Lucinda, but it’s important that we all agree before embarking on this voyage. Esther?”
Esther stared at David for a moment before going up to join him by the bar. What was he trying to do? Did he want to talk people out of the trip?
“I’ll make this quick, guys,” she said. “I found out that my sister is alive. I want to go get her in the Lucinda. I don’t care about being all diplomatic about this. If you found out someone in your family was still alive, you’d want to go after her too.”
“Where?” Zoe gasped. “And how?”
“She’s on the List.”
“She’s at Lake Aguamilpa in Mexico,” Neal put in.
“The crazy ones?”
“Yeah, and they won’t let their people talk to anyone, except for one communications guy,” Esther said. “We need to go there.”
“Hold on a minute,” Luke said. “How are we going to get to this lake?”
“The Santiago River flows all the way there from the coast,” Esther said.
“Is it passable in the Lucinda, though?” asked one of the oilmen. Jackson was a big-shouldered, amiable man in his late thirties. He was turning a dented water bottle around and around in his hands as he listened to the discussion.
“I don’t know.”
“That,” David said, “is exactly why this needs to be a group decision. It is entirely possible we will sail up this river and find that we’re either stuck or unable to proceed. At that point we’d need to continue on foot or turn back. Even if we manage to sail Lucinda all the way to the lake, we would be engaging a reclusive and potentially hostile community about which we know almost nothing.”
“But it’s Esther’s sister,” Dax said.
“I know,” David said. “But we all need to understand the risks. Some of us could be killed if we embark on this mission.”
“That’s always been on the cards, hasn’t it?” Luke said. “If it was my mom and we were talking about storming the Amsterdam to help her, I reckon I’d be asking you all to do the same. I’m in.”
“Obviously, I’m in too,” Zoe said. “I can take a little danger, even though the Aguamilpa people are whaleshit crazy.”
“Thank you,” Esther said. Why couldn’t David have agreed with as little hesitation?
“We want to explore land anyway, so I get why you think we can change our route, but what about our families?” Toni said. She sat up in her chair. “We all lost people on land. My family lived in Florida. What if they’re still alive? Can we take the Lucinda all the way through the Panama Canal?”
“Maybe we can,” Esther said. “I’m not asking you to do anything I wouldn’t turn around and do for you. Right now it’s my sister that we found.”
“So we’ll go to Florida next then,” said Toni, “followed by Michigan to find Anita’s family, and then maybe New York City to see if anyone survived there?”
“I don’t know . . .” Esther said.
“It’s gotta be all or nothing, Esther.” Toni stood and addressed the group. “I don’t think we should change our plan. It’s a real long shot that we could even find the lake. Seriously, isn’t it kind of a stretch that this is really Esther’s sister?”
A few people in the crew nodded, including Dax’s friend Raymond. Jackson leaned over to speak to another of the oilmen in a low voice.
“She has the same birthday,” Esther said.
“Great,” Toni said, putting her hands on her narrow hips. “Let’s all put our lives at risk to fetch someone who has the same birthday as Esther’s dead sister. That’s fair.”
“You don’t have to come,” Esther snapped.
“Oh really? I don’t have to come, when I’ve been working to plan this voyage just as much as the rest of you? Now I don’t have a say because I’m not sleeping with Hawthorne?”
Esther started forward, but David put a hand on her shoulder, silencing her.
“You do have a say,” David said. “That’s the point of this meeting. I haven’t made any decisions about our voyage beyond bringing this possible route change to you for your consideration. Let’s keep the discussion from degenerating into juvenile personal attacks, if you don’t mind.”
“This is personal,” Toni said. “You’re making it personal by trying to change the plan to benefit your own family.”
“I don’t have a choice,” Esther said.
“Well, I do,” Toni said. “I didn’t escape the Galaxy to be subjected to someone else’s whims. I’m out.” She turned on her heel and strode to the door. Anita started up from her chair, fluttering between standing and sitting for a moment, then remained where she was.
David cleared his throat. “Would anyone else like to offer something constructive to this discussion?”
“Look, I’m not saying we shouldn’t do this,” Jackson said, “but Toni has a point. Are you sure it’s really your sister?”
Esther swallowed. She barely knew Jackson and some of the others. But she was going to ask them to do this for her anyway. She had no choice.
“No, I’m not,” she said. “I wish I knew for certain, but it could turn out to be a stranger. What I do know is that there’s hope. Not only are there people alive on land that we can communicate with, but some of them have to be connected to us. The whole point of our mission on the Lucinda is to find out whether it’ll be possible to go back to the land. This is just a detour. Even if this isn’t really my sister, there’s hope on land for the first time in years. Haven’t we had enough of living without hope?”
“Hawthorne, what do you think we should do?” Anita asked quietly.
“I think we should go,” David said without hesitation. “But we all have to understand the risks. As the captain of the Lucinda, I will not force anyone, but I’m with Esther on this one.”
He met Esther’s eyes, the morning light catching in the cracks in his glasses. A hot flash ignited in her chest, like fuel in a combustion engine. He was with her.
“Esther hasn’t steered us wrong yet,” Zoe said. “Let’s do it.”
“I agree,” Dax said.
“It’s still land,” Jackson said, lifting his wide shoulders, “and we’re ready to go anyway. I’m okay with a detour.”
More voices rose in agreement. Esther tapped her foot impatiently, but David waited until the entire crew had given their consent to the route change. Raymond looked like he wanted to protest, but he buckled under David’s gaze and nodded. Once everyone had agreed, David relaxed visibly.
“Okay, that settles it,” David said. “We’ll need a replacement for Toni, though. Do you know of anyone who wants a spot on the boat?”
Simon stood then. He stepped forward and extended his hand to David.
“Count me in.”
Chapter 5—Judith
WORD OF WHAT HAD happened traveled quickly amongst the Catalinans as the crew scrambled to adjust their plans. Rumors spread through the ship like ink in water. By the following afternoon a long line of people snaked away from the entrance to Neal’s Tower. They all wanted to see the List to find out if their families were alive too. The people waited anxiously, bouncing on their toes, peering toward the ladder, asking questions raw with hope.
Neal tried to warn everyone that the List wasn’t complete yet and it would be better for them to wait until he had more names, but no one listened. They refused to waste a minute while there was a chance they could find their lost loved ones. Neal relented and called them up a few at a time to scroll through the List. Each of them must now be half expecting the impossible to happen t
o them too.
Esther spotted Penelope Newton in the line as she headed for Neal’s Tower. Penelope looped her arms through the arms of two of her sons, Isaiah and Ike, and prayed out loud, repeating her husband Jeb’s name many times in quick succession. Jeb had been lost in the destruction of San Diego, and Penelope had found solace with Esther’s father. Esther wondered what would happen between Simon and Penelope if Jeb had lived after all. She couldn’t let herself follow that line of thought. It only led to her mother.
Esther bypassed the line, and no one tried to stop her. Eyes laced with envy followed as she scrambled up the ladder. Inside the Tower, the entire Cordova clan crowded around the computer console. The adults jostled each other for a better view of the little screen, while the children ran around the small space, pushing buttons and giggling to each other. Neal hovered nearby, tufts of his mousy hair sticking out at odd angles.
“I keep telling you,” he said as Esther entered, “there will be more names later. Please, can you wait?”
“Stand back, young man,” said old Mrs. Cordova. She had control of the keyboard and was clicking down the List one name at a time. “I have twenty-one cousins who were still alive right before the disaster. And my two brothers were living in Mexico. You have a roster from Mexico right here, and I will not wait.”
Neal threw up his hands and turned away, spotting Esther by the trapdoor. He skirted around Gracie and Maria Cordova and pulled a spare headset out of the hands of one of Gracie’s children.
“Hey Esther,” he said. “How’s things?”
“We’re set to leave at first light if the weather holds. Any news here?”
“I’ve barely had time to check.” Neal gestured helplessly toward the large family filling his workspace.
“Have there been any others?”
“Not yet. A few near misses. I keep reminding everyone that lots of people have the same name, but they keep wanting to tear off after anyone whose name is vaguely similar to that of someone they know.”
Esther let out a sigh of relief and immediately felt guilty for it. She wanted to set out immediately, and she worried about the inevitable delay if anyone else found a family member’s name on the List. She knew it was selfish, but she didn’t want to worry about anyone but Naomi.
“Have you been able to get anything out of your comm guy in Aguamilpa?”
“Unfortunately, no,” Neal said. “There’s only the one. He’s chatty when he’s around, but sometimes he steps out for a cigarette break and doesn’t come back for days. I haven’t been able to reach him since that weird conversation about the List. I’m not sure you guys should set out until we get a bit more intel.”
“We can’t afford to wait,” Esther said, “and you’ll definitely be able to reach us while we’re still at sea. Winter will set in while we’re traveling overland if we delay.” She glanced out the window. The late-afternoon sun sparkled across the gently rolling sea. The Lucinda bobbed beside them, her decks crawling with tiny figures. They were almost ready.
“I’ll keep trying,” Neal said. “I should warn you that the comm guy has always been cagey about odd things, though. He’s happy to talk about the village in general but gives away almost nothing about himself. He won’t even tell me his name.”
“He gave you their roster, though. Why wouldn’t he talk to you now? Is he being watched?”
“It’s possible.” Neal swept up one of the children who had decided to jump on the cot where he slept. “Oof. That’s enough playing for you. Go ask your grandma for a snack.” He set the girl down and turned back to Esther. “The roster did come through in the middle of the night. Hope he didn’t get in trouble for it if he really was going against orders.”
“Hmm.” Esther didn’t like this. She had hoped to actually speak to Naomi before they set out. It could still be the wrong person. “Next time you talk to your guy, maybe you shouldn’t tell him we’re coming. And don’t mention Naomi. We don’t know who else might be listening.” She didn’t want Naomi to end up in trouble, especially if the comm guy had to sneak around to give them information. Who knew what the leaders there would say if someone started asking after the Aguamilpa residents by name?
“Maybe he could help,” Neal said uncertainly, “or send Naomi to meet you at the coast or something.”
“We’ll figure it out along the way. Find out everything you can from the guy without making him—or whoever is listening—suspicious.” Esther forced down her anxiety. There was no time for second thoughts. If the leaders of the lake community were going to cause problems, there was nothing they could do about it right now.
“Sure thing, Esther,” Neal said. “It’s too bad you can’t trade your separator technology for information.” He looked over at the crowd around the computer. The children had started taking apart his mobile of cutouts from ancient sports magazines. He sighed and didn’t bother trying to stop them. “It’d be less dangerous than going in guns blazing like Luke and Cody want to do.”
“That ship has sailed,” Esther said. Just a few months ago she had given their very best bargaining chip to the entire world in order to stop the fighting between the Harvesters and the Calderon Group. For the first time she regretted it. “Maybe they’ll need help with their generator at least. The last thing we want is to start a fight.”
There was a commotion outside. An angry voice shouted something about cutting in line and how long they’d been waiting. Seconds later Manny’s head popped through the trapdoor. He looked harassed.
“Judith is looking for you, Esther,” he said, a bit out of breath. “Why aren’t you answering your radio?”
“Been a little busy.” Esther still hadn’t actually used the handheld. She had too much to worry about without people calling her at all hours.
“She wants you now.”
“Okay, I’m coming.” Esther glanced over at Gracie Cordova, who was making a show of inspecting a piece of radio equipment nearby. She lowered her voice. “I don’t trust those Aguamilpa people, Neal. Be careful what you tell them.”
“They won’t know you’re coming,” Neal said.
“Thanks.”
Esther followed Manny out of the Tower and made her way through the restless crowd outside. She tried not to make eye contact with anyone. The jealousy and hope on every face was too painful to witness.
“Your father is there already,” Manny said as they circled around toward the main bridge entrance. He scratched at the scar above his eye. “Judith is telling me to keep Dirk occupied.”
“Thanks, Manny,” Esther said.
She pushed open the door to the bridge, which stretched across the front of the ship. The huge panel of windows revealed a broad view of the late-afternoon sky. Computer consoles and control panels marched across the wide, quiet room. Ren, the reclusive navigation officer who normally worked here, was nowhere to be seen.
Judith and Esther’s father stood in the center of the bridge, where two windows met. Their relationship had improved recently, but Esther was still surprised to see them meeting alone. They didn’t turn when Esther came in. Judith had both arms wrapped around her thin frame. Her presence usually seemed to take up so much space, but now she looked small against the panorama of the endless sea behind her.
“I’m in a precarious position thanks to Dirk,” Judith was saying. “He’s becoming too popular with the crew, especially with Reggie on his side. He’ll put the Catalina at risk, Simon. We’ve had our differences, but I can’t lose you as an ally now.”
“This is my daughter,” Simon said quietly. The sunlight made his gray hairs shine like silver. “She needs me.”
“I need you,” Judith said, her voice breaking.
Esther stopped abruptly. Judith was on the verge of tears. That was something she had never expected to see. She waited by the furthest computer console, feeling awkward about interrupting.
“I won’t be gone long,” Simon said.
“Don’t leave us,” Judith said. �
��You’re the heart and soul of this vessel.”
“You’ve been so brave and so strong, Judy. You are the heart of the Catalina, not me. You’ll be okay.”
Simon reached out to Judith and hugged her. Esther’s mouth dropped open. Her father had been a mentor to Judith long ago, but it had been years since the two had worked together without tension and resentment boiling beneath the surface. Esther herself had been angry for a long time about Judith’s role in usurping Simon’s leadership.
Now, as Simon squeezed Judith’s shoulders reassuringly, Esther remembered their early days on the Catalina. Judith had been twenty-two when the disaster struck. She’d helped Simon eagerly, coordinating the survival efforts and keeping the peace among the passengers. She had been businesslike and even bossy. But Esther remembered an evening when Judith held her tight as a storm raged outside. Simon had watched over them both while Esther drifted in and out of sleep, curled up with her arms wrapped around Judith’s waist, utterly certain that Judith would take care of her. Esther hadn’t thought about that in years.
She cleared her throat loudly, pretending she had just entered.
“What’s up, Judith?” she called. “Manny said you wanted to see me.”
“Glad you’re here, Esther,” Judith said, stepping away from Simon and pulling her ponytail tight. “You need to tell your father not to go on this voyage.”
“Are you crazy?” Esther’s voice sounded harsh in light of the exchange she’d just witnessed, but she didn’t want to let on that she had seen Judith display such vulnerability.
“Or persuade him. Whatever.” Judith stood with her hands on her bony hips, resuming her usual authoritarian posture. “He’s not as young as he used to be. You should convince him to stay behind for his own safety as well as the good of the Catalina.”
“My dad can do what he wants,” Esther said.
“Thank you,” Simon said dryly. “Judith, we’ll come back, but right now we have to do this.”
Judith gave a sharp nod and turned back to the window. “Fine. Fine. We’re done here. You may return to your duties.”