Liberty

by Annie Laurie Cechini

  “Yeah. A cargo job about six months ago. My clients were really nice. They had a huge house, and servants, and the food! You could just smell it pouring from every room inside that mansion. And they had no idea what was going on outside their world.”

  “Why didn’t you tell them?”

  I walked back into the room as I toweled off my face. “You think the SUN isn’t monitoring them too? I’d probably get sniped before I finished my sentence.”

  “I didn’t know.”

  “What?”

  “That they didn’t know. They really don’t understand that the rest of the world is starving and destitute?”

  “Nope.”

  Berrett frowned. “Well that makes it much harder to hate them.”

  I threw the towel at his head, but he caught it before it hit him. “You shouldn’t hate them. They don’t know what’s happening here anymore than we know what’s happening there. I found that out at the Académie.”

  “Wait, how did you end up at the Académie?” he asked.

  I looked into the fireplace and shivered. “It was part of my parents’ will. I didn’t grow up in a Settlement. My family moved to the Titan colonies when I was just a kid. I don’t know why. There’s a lot about my past that I just ... I can’t remember.”

  Berrett nodded as he stood up. “So, talk to me about your crew. Who are they, where do you think they went?”

  “Well, when we were attacked, there were five crewmembers, plus me. Hobson and CiCi, Miriam and Rivera, and Bell. Hobs and CiCi would have stuck together, I think. They’re both from Venus, so they’d probably go back there. If Hobs was worried about getting caught, he would have gone back to the lab.”

  I sat down on the side of the bed, pulled my boots on, and started to pace the bedroom floor.

  “Whoa, slow down. What lab?” asked Berrett.

  “Hobs has a secret lab in the basement of the science building at the Académie. He left it all there. I bet he’s still working on the formula for the Eternigen. He gets so myopic about his projects—it’s part of why I wanted him on my crew in the first place. He’s the most brilliant scientist I’ve ever met. That, and he’s my best friend.”

  Thinking about Hobs brought a warm glow to my insides.

  I miss him.

  Berrett cleared his throat. “So, who’s CiCi?”

  “She’s our mechanic. CiCi has complete focus and total devotion to her—aw, flark.”

  “What?”

  “I have to tell CiCi about the Misfit!”

  Berrett raised his eyebrows. “She’s really that attached?”

  “Yeah. She helped make the Misfit into a respectable cargo runner. I think CiCi’s the only one who came close to loving that ship the way I did. She’ll never understand.”

  A year’s worth of adventures running cargo in the Misfit flashed through my mind. I took a deep breath and sighed, momentarily forgetting about Berrett as I drew back the curtains and stared out of the grimy window.

  “So Hobs the scientist and CiCi the mechanic are most likely on Venus. What about the others?”

  I chewed on my lip as I resumed pacing across the floor. “Elizabeth Bell, my first mate. She was my roommate at the Académie. If anything happened to me, she’d be more than capable of being the captain. She probably went home. She’s from Paris, so she’ll be the easiest to get to if she’s here. I don’t know that I’d pick her up first, though. Bell is crazy tough, not to mention sneaky and devious. If she thinks she’s in trouble, she’ll find a way to protect herself and her family. Even if Eira goes looking for her there, she won’t find her. She’s probably safe where she is for the moment.”

  “And the others?”

  “Miriam and Rivera. They are so totally together. Rivera will see to that. He’s o..... ..... bodyguard?”

  “You mean your hired gun.”

  “It sounds so bad when you put it like that.”

  Berrett chuckled. “Yeah, well. I see the necessity if you’re a cargo runner. You never really know what you’re getting yourself into. Any thoughts on where they’d land?”

  “Not a clue. Rivera’s from the Mexican colonies on Callisto, but Miriam’s a healer. If she took him to Neptune with her, they’d have sanctuary there.”

  “I bet that’s where they are, then. Of course, you would have crew mates on the farthest flung planet in the System.”

  “It’s also the safest planet in the System. That’s where I’d want to end up. We should pick them up last and buy ourselves some time. I mean ... if you ... if you’re coming. And if I find a ship.”

  I stopped pacing and put my hands on the mantle. I stared into the fireplace and watched the flames curl around the fake logs, remembering my ship disintegrating around me. I felt a bit like the Misfit, vaporized piece by piece by a relentless horde of enemies with endless resources.

  “Hobs and CiCi are the most vulnerable. We have to go to Venus first,” said Berrett.

  “We?” I asked.

  Berrett shrugged. “You said you love me, Dix. I’m yours forever.”

  “Right, you little creeper. You’re just gonna follow me around to protect the Underground’s interests. Well, I hate to admit this, but seeing as I am totally without resources, it appears I have no other choice but to let you.”

  Berrett stood up and put a hand on my shoulder. “I know you might not be ready to believe me, but whether or not you feel like you can trust the guys downstairs, I just want you to know that I will look out for you.”

  I nodded, but he was right—I wasn’t sure I believed.

  “So, what are your thoughts on a new alias?” asked Berrett.

  I groaned. “Are you kidding? Please tell me you’re kidding.”

  “We can’t hide you if you keep going by Dix. And you should probably stop being blonde, but that’s probably not your real color, anyway. Is it, Tabitha?”

  “That’s it!” I yelled. I leapt at Berrett and knocked him backward onto the bed. We wrestled around as I tried to get him in a headlock. I almost had him when his fingers jammed into my ribcage and started running up and down my sides.

  “Cheater!” I yelped. I tried to focus, to repress the laughter, but I couldn’t stand it.

  “Oh, really? Tabitha, you’re ticklish!” he cried. I lost all self-control as I kicked and contorted and tried to get away from him. Finally, he let me go. I scooted away from him and we sat on either side of the bed, panting at each other and laughing. I let myself enjoy the moment for about thirty seconds before remembering myself.

  Before remembering what happens to people who get too close.

  I cleared my throat and scooted farther away. “So, where are we going to get this name of mine?” I asked.

  “You are not going anywhere. I know a guy. He’ll get you some false papers. Also, we need to get you some different clothes and some dye or a wig or something. I know someone who might be able to help with that as well.”

  I grinned. “You mean you’re not going to try to dye my hair?”

  Berrett rolled his eyes. “I’m not going to dignify that with a response. Anyway, you have to promise me you’ll stay here and not leave this room.”

  “Alright, I promise me you’ll stay here and not leave this room.”

  I gave him a Cheshire cat grin as I hopped off the bed and grabbed my vest. As I put my arms through the holes and tugged the leather garment down across my shoulders, he crossed his arms and pursed his lips together.

  “Oh, come on, Berrett. I haven’t been in New York City since I was a kid. I hardly remember anything about it. Are you seriously telling me I can’t go see it? Besides, if I don’t go with you, you’ll name me something stupid.”

  “That’s a chance you’re just going to have to take, I think. You can’t go out there, Dix. It’s too dangerous. Look, I promise when we’re done here I’ll fly you around the city on our way out. If it looks like it won’t be too risky.”

  I finished buttoning up my vest and flopped back down on
the bed next to him.

  “What happens after we leave here?”

  “If we’re going after your crew, we’ll need a ship. I know a great place to hide you in Baltimore for a while until we figure out how to get you one.”

  “Baltimore, huh? Fine, Mr. Stick-in-the-mud, have it your way. What am I supposed to do while you’re gone?” I asked.

  “Contemplate the solemnities of eternity.” He winked at me. “I’ll be back.”

  “I’ll be here, apparently.”

  IN WHICH TABITHA IS RENAMED. AGAIN. 8

  I THREW MY PACK OVER MY SHOULDER AND WAITED A SOLD five minutes before I poked my head out of the bedroom door to see if the coast was clear.

  I crept downstairs, my heart nearly leaping from my chest each time I hit a step that creaked. There were a lot of creaking stairs on that staircase.

  I kept looking behind me on my way down, unsure of whether or not Berrett had left me unguarded. I tugged open the door at the base of the stairs and slid into the back room of the bar. The crowd was smaller than the night before. Only a few of the die-hard fixtures were there so early in the day. And when I say die-hard, what I really mean is broken. Life is hard, that’s no secret, but to some it is especially cruel, and joints like McSorley’s were as close as they would ever get to the healer’s couch.

  I pulled up a chair next to Tess. She looked more haggard than she had last night as pale light streamed in through the windows. I wondered if she had even gone home. Purple bags hung under her faded blue eyes, and a battered pair of black sunglasses acted like a headband for her wild red hair.

  “Mind?” I asked.

  “Nope,” she said. “How’d you sleep? Feelin’ any better?”

  Images of swirling mist and the screams of my family echoed in my ears. “Slept great,” I lied. “You sleep at all?”

  “A little. We keep a look out, and last night we were extra careful considering who we’re hiding. Which reminds me, what are you doing down here, exactly?” Tess eyed my pack.

  “You think I should just camp out here for the rest of my life? I was born here, I want to see New York.”

  “You won’t see anything if you’re dead, and if you walk out those doors that’s exactly what you’ll be. These aren’t the average off-world goons you’re used to dealing with running cargo, Tabitha.”

  “It’s Dix.”

  “You need to start thinking about someone other than yourself. There are people risking their lives for you, you should value your own life a little more.”

  I took a deep breath and stood up. “I never asked you to save me.”

  “You agreed to it when Berrett brought you here.”

  “You sent him! I didn’t have another choice.”

  “There’s always a choice, and the one you’re about to make right now is incredibly stupid, Tabitha.”

  “Dix!”

  Tess sighed. “Look, I know I can’t stop you short of pulling a weapon, and that’s not how we work. But if you’re going to be an idiot, at least try to hide your identity.” She pulled a frayed and faded scarf from her purse and handed it to me.

  “What’s this supposed to do?” I asked.

  She shook her head as she tied it over my head and placed her sunglasses over my eyes. “It’s better than nothing. Watch your back, stay in the crowds, and don’t wander off too far, alright?”

  I nodded. “Thanks, Tess.”

  “You can thank me if that flimsy disguise actually works.” She sat back down in her chair as I headed for the door.

  It was far brighter outside than I had anticipated. As my eyes adjusted, I saw how truly old, neglected, and battered New York was. There were signs everywhere that the town was dying a slow, painful death. Children scampered barefoot through the street, picking the pockets of the unsuspecting and pilfering through the goods of unguarded food carts. Under thick layers of dirt and decay were indications that New York had once been a vibrant and beautiful place; a chipped tile mosaic, a half-obscured mural on the side of a shop, a few flowers struggling to thrive in a weed-choked planter box.

  I wondered, as I walked, whether or not my parents had ever passed this way. I searched my mind for a spark of memory, but found nothing. After a while I found myself wandering onto East 14th Street. At least, I thought that’s what it was. The battered street sign was one good gust of wind away from flying off. It occurred to me, as I wandered past old shops and dingy restaurants, that I probably should have left Berrett a note or something.

  Oh, well. It’s not like Tess is going anywhere.

  I stumbled over a crack in the sidewalk. I caught myself, and as I re-adjusted my silk scarf, I raised my eyes to the biggest intersection I had ever seen. Transports and small cargo carriers were zooming through the intersection. Shabby pedestrians wandered the broken sidewalks while merchants haggled with passers-by on the street corners. I had never seen anything like it. There were no mountains, no horizon line, just crumbling skyscrapers and grubby beggars as far as I could see. I decided to venture a little deeper into the city to get a closer look. I turned to see if anyone was following me and caught a tallish man turning hastily in the other direction. My hand moved instinctively for my knife, but he didn’t turn back.

  Perhaps my chat with Tess had made me paranoid.

  In my mind I could hear Bell’s voice, Live free or die.

  I lingered on the corner of the intersection for maybe five seconds before I dodged skittishly through the crosswalks and turned down 1st Avenue. I stared up at the long-empty towers stretching to the sky above me, trying to keep to the crowds and avoid suspicion. I wondered how loud it must have been when those towers were filled with workers, years ago, back when Earth was the only home we had.

  I wandered farther down 1st Avenue and began to notice my surroundings changing by degrees. The noise died down as the crowds thinned. I passed a beautifully manicured park where well-dressed people meandered on the paths. The men were in tailored suits and the women wore everything from stunning saris and kimonos to full-length dresses and silky day slacks with corsets and flowing sleeves. It was like another world.

  A world in which I would have a much harder time looking like I belonged.

  I drew a sharp breath as I realized I was in the Settlement.

  I clung to my silk scarf as a gust of wind tried to pull it from my face. I considered going back, but when I turned I saw the tallish man following me. My heart skipped a beat and I quickened my step. I scurried between strangers until I found myself behind a man wearing the most gorgeous suit I had ever seen. The cuffs of his jacket were very large, velvet, and covered in busy brocade. The tails draped down to his boots, and his ponytail brushed back and forth against his velvet collar. I tore my eyes away from his hypnotic ponytail just long enough to steal a glace behind me. To my embarrassment, the fellow I thought had been following me had sat down on a bench next to a richly dressed woman and a small baby carriage.

  My sigh of relief was deep.

  Reassured, I returned my gaze to the swishing ponytail of Mr. Green Velvet Suit, and followed him all the way down 1st Avenue.

  At last he stopped and turned into a plaza of some kind. A sleek, angular building soared into the air above me, the glass windows pristine and blinding in the sunlight. It was so different from the part of New York I had spent the past twenty-four hours in. So cle..... so steri..... so—

  My breath caught in my throat. “Holy skud,” I whispered.

  I had wandered straight into the System of United Nations Plaza. I whirled around to run back to McSorley’s and ran straight into Mr. Salazar.

  “Tabitha Dixon, come with me.”

  “Like skud, you snitch! You turned me in. You led that nutjob straight to me and she shot down my ship!”

  I tried to outmaneuver him, but he grabbed both my arms and started hauling me toward the plaza. I squirmed and wrestled, but he was far too strong for me.

  “Who are you working for, anyway?” I asked. “Her? Them?�
��

  “You have something that doesn’t belong to you.”

  I glowered. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, but I’m sure whatever it is doesn’t belong to her, either.”

  I slammed my boot down on top of his shiny leather shoes. He repressed a groan of pain and kept walking.

  “Your fighting spirit is admirable, but I assure you, it will only put you in greater trouble. If you cooperate, this will all be much easier. Now why don’t you—”

  Suddenly his grip loosened and he fell in a crumpled heap to the ground. I screamed, jumped away from him and started running as fast as I could.

  Which is when I heard the slow roar of a rocket pack.

  I kept running until I felt myself being lifted off the ground.

  “Are you insane?” Berrett yelled.

  “Can we talk about this later?” I asked. “What did you do to him?”

  “Rock. Back of the head.”

  “Some arm you got there. Ever play ball?” I yelled.

  “How can you think about baseball at a time like this?”

  I bit down on my lower lip and held on tightly to Berrett’s arms. Sirens started to sound and suddenly we were being pursued by three agents with rocket packs.

  Berrett swore under his breath. “Now they know who I am.”

  “You don’t know that.”

  “My pack has a license tag. I’m sure they’ve already scanned it. Hang on!”

  Berrett veered to the right and shot through the trees. He pulled up hard next to the SUN building, so close I was concerned that if I flexed my toes they would hit the glass walls. Over a loudspeaker, I could hear the crackly voice of the agents behind us.

  “Jordan Berrett, you are aiding and abetting known fugitive Tabitha Dixon. Release her to us and your sentence will be lessened.”

  “Great. Just great.” He flipped backward and landed on the ground. The three agents surrounded us, and for a moment my heart stopped.

  Was Berrett actually going to turn me in?

  “I had no idea who she was,” he said. “She seemed to be in trouble. I was trying to help.”