As Berrett approached the base of the stairs, I noticed that his dagger was still drawn. He peered into the light and then nodded up to me.
“Hobson?” I whispered.
I heard a loud clink, followed by footsteps.
“Who’s there? I’m warning you, I am armed and very dangerous!” cried Hobs. He leapt into the small band of light at the base of the stairs with a large flashlight in one hand and a beaker raised in the other.
“Hobs!” I cried. I ran down the rest of the stairs and threw myself into his arms. The beaker crashed to the ground and shattered around us as he squeezed me hard.
“Dix? You nutjob, you made me drop a beaker!”
I kissed his cheek and nuzzled for a second into his shoulder before pulling away. I held his hands and hopped up and down.
“Hobs! Hobs! Hobs! You’re alive! Are you okay? Are you hurt?” I looked him over, evaluating him for any sign of injury or torture. I poked and prodded and hugged him again. I didn’t want to let him out of my sight, afraid he would disappear on me or turn out to be some kind of mirage.
“Whoa, you—wait, why would I be hurt? What is going—hey! Dix! Stop poking me. That tickles!”
I had never been so glad to see that wild mop of blond curls with blue eyes peering out at me from underneath. I could have eaten him up.
“Who’s your new friend?” asked Hobs.
In my glee at seeing Hobson again, I had forgotten Berrett existed.
Whoops.
“Uh, Hobs, Jordan Berrett. Berrett, Hobs.”
Berrett stepped down into the cellar. He extended a hand to Hobs.
“Nice to meet you, Jordan,” said Hobson.
Berrett nodded. “Likewise.”
“Where are you from?” asked Hobs.
“I picked him up on Earth. He’s from Baltimore,” I said. I poked Berrett’s nose, but oddly he seemed unamused.
“You picked me up? Funny, that isn’t how I remember it,” said Berrett.
I cleared my throat. “Right then, down to business, boys. Hobs, talk to me. Have you heard from any of the others? How’s the formula going?”
“I haven’t heard a thing. I told CiCi to keep her Cuff turned off until you came. We knew you’d come as soon as you could.” Hobson pushed his copper-rimmed glasses up the arch of his nose, put one arm around my waist, and led me to his makeshift lab in the corner of the cellar.
“Now, as to your other query, please follow me into the secret lab and I’ll show you what we’ve been up to.”
“You seriously have a secret lab?” asked Berrett. “I thought Dix was just—”
“Just what?” I demanded.
Berrett pursed his lips together. “Never mind. I stand corrected. To the secret lab.”
“I wouldn’t have been able to hide out here if it wasn’t secret. CiCi has been sneaking out to get us food and supplies at night. Before we left the Misfit, I grabbed everything I could carry from my lab and stuffed it in the escape pod. It’s been aces, except that we couldn’t use our Cuffs.”
Hobs’s faith in me warmed the cold places in my heart and made me glad I had taken some risks to get back to him. I hugged him tight as we walked over to his lab.
“However,” he continued, “I wasn’t expecting the goonies that came down here and almost found us.”
“What?” I cried.
Hobs nodded. “Bunch of ‘em. Scary guys, looked like SUN agents, if I can hazard a guess based solely on footwear. Get it? Sole-ly? Ah, I crack myself up!”
I whacked the back of Hobs’s head. “I don’t know how you can joke at a time like this.”
He shrugged. “As you have taught me, it’s joke or go crazy.”
A table was set up amid yellowing storage boxes and cobwebby crates, with beakers and bottles and glass vials strewn about everywhere. Something was creating a steady stream of steam in the corner, and the closer we got, the stronger I felt the need to plug my nose.
“Ugh, Hobs, what is that smell?”
“Sorry—still ruling out various chemical combinations. The sulfur was a rather disastrous mess but this ....” Hobs held up a small glass vial and waved it under my nose.
“This is not a disaster at all. Pretty, huh?” he asked.
I watched the grayish liquid swirling in the small vial. It was different than mine—less shiny somehow.
“Sure, but is it right?”
“No, but it’s stopped blowing up the test subjects!”
Berrett coughed. “I’m sorry, did you say blowing up?”
At that moment, we heard a door creak open and slam shut.
“Skud!” I hissed.
“Ah, the swearing. I forgot how much I miss that,” muttered Hobs.
“This is no time for a lesson in morality. Tell me you have a way to hide all this!” I whispered.
“Of course!” said Hobs. With a sweeping motion Hobs disconnected the steam-producing concoction and pulled a large canvas tarp over the table. “Get underneath!”
Berrett and I scrambled under the table along with Hobs. We curled up as tightly as we could, hardly daring to breath as a small circle of light fluttered around the floor, weaving in and out of the boxes.
“Drat! Where’d you go, Hobs? Are you hiding under the table again?”
I exhaled and started to laugh. Berrett jabbed me in the ribs with his elbows. “What is wrong with you?” he hissed. “You’re gonna get us caught!”
“Yep, I am.” I crawled out from under the tarp and waved to our visitor. “Hey, CiCi.”
“Cap! You’re alive!” cried CiCi. She threw her arms around me and squeezed so tightly I could hardly breathe.
“Hi, Ceese!” I said.
She let go and lifted up the canvas tarp. “Who’s the new guy?”
“Jordan Berrett, Baltimore, Maryland,” said Berrett. He glared at me.
“What?” I asked.
“Oh, nothing,” he replied. He crawled out from under the table and dusted himself off, and then turned around and offered Hobs a hand.
“Hello, new guy. I assume we’re calling him Berrett?” asked CiCi.
I nodded.
CiCi waved. “Hi, Berrett.”
“Hi.” Berrett smiled at CiCi and shook her hand.
“Hey, Ceese, you get the stuff?” asked Hobs.
“Yup. Biology will never miss it.” She held up a small burlap sack.
“Oh, I think they might, but hopefully it will take them a while to notice that it’s gone,” said Hobs.
“You’ve got CiCi stealing ingredients for you?” I cried in mock disdain. “So amoral, Hobs.”
“Yeah, well, I learned from the best.” He gave me a grin and patted my back. “This particular ingredient is something I couldn’t get anywhere else. It’s imported from the Amazon. So what’s the plan, Captain?”
“Yeah, where’s the Misfit?” asked CiCi.
I had been dreading this moment, but the time had come to rip off the Band-Aid. “The Misfit’s gone, CiCi. The ship that attacked us just kept coming. I had no choice but to destroy her and abandon ship.”
CiCi’s jaw dropped. “You abandoned the Misfit?” she screamed. “That’s it! Hand over your license, you horrible piece of—”
“CiCi!” cried Hobson. “Shhhh!” He threw his hands over her mouth, but that didn’t stop her from squealing out indistinguishable threats. Hobs didn’t take his hands away until the squealing stopped.
“I would have gone down with her,” growled CiCi as soon as she wasn’t being muffled any more.
“Yes, and a lot of good that would have done you and us, huh?” said Hobson. CiCi slumped down onto a crate and glowered at me, a hint of a tear glistening in her right eye. Perhaps I would have reacted differently in another life, responded with more compassion, but the guilt, the ever-present sense of loss that lingered in my gut, had become as familiar as a barnacle on a boat.
I eyed CiCi. I needed her help, and after the blow I just delivered I wasn’t sure I would get it. I onl
y had one last ace up my sleeve. The Aventine was a 26041 model carrier, and CiCi had always wanted to fly one. If I could get her to come with us to Mars for some wrecked parts, she could dress up our new ride so no one would recognize us.
“CiCi?”
She crossed her arms and legs and shifted away from me on her crate. “I’m not talking to you. Abandoner. Ship-wrecker!”
“I know, I’m sorry. I feel awful about her too, but you have to understand there really wasn’t any other way.”
“Hmph.”
“Hey, Ceese, she was my inheritance. You think I would just give that up if I didn’t have to?” I got on my knees in front of her crate and looked up into her face. “Berrett has a ship. That’s how we got here, but we can’t fly it around because it’s too pretty.”
CiCi raised her eyes. “Too pretty?”
I grinned.
She was all mine.
“Yeah. I know no ship will ever compare to the Misfit, but Berrett’s ship is a 26041—”
“Model carrier?” CiCi’s voice rose with every syllable. “With quadro-thrusters and daylight simula—”
“Shh!” hissed Hobson as he slapped his hand over her mouth again.
“Yes, and, if you’ll please shut up, you can play with her all you want, but we have to hide who she is,” I said.
CiCi’s brow creased for about two seconds before she pushed Hobs away and leapt out of her chair.
“When do we leave?”
I laughed. “Whenever you’re rea—wait. I just realized something.” I turned to Berrett and grabbed his arms with both hands. “Eira’s records. They’re here. We could look her up if we can just get into the records office. Maybe there are some clues as to why she’s ... um ....”
“Such an evil loon?” finished Hobs. “I believe I can help with that. Especially if you’re sure we’ll be leaving the planet as soon as we’re done. No more need to hide now that you’re here.”
I raised one eyebrow. “Oh, really? And how do you propose to help us break into the records room?”
Hobs grinned. “Alice Johnson.”
I shook my head as I listened to Hobs from inside a hall closet.
“I just can’t believe you’re back, Isaac! Is Trudy here too? Or have you finally gotten over that?”
“Over what? What’s that supposed to mean?” I hissed. Berrett and CiCi both slapped their hands over my mouth.
“No, I’m here alone on leave. I was wondering if you’d like a cup of coffee?”
“Oh, I’d love one, Isaac, I really would, but I have a meeting I have to get to in five minutes and I have to run to the copy room first to get some things printed out.”
“Ah. Well, I just happened to have a thermos here with me. Maybe I could go with you and we can catch up for a couple minutes before your meeting?”
“I’d like that.”
It took all my willpower not to groan in disgust.
Alice Johnson. Please. What a brown-nosing little gremlin. Hobs is really taking one for the team this time. I owe him big.
We waited until the click-click-click of Alice Johnson’s high heels faded away as she and Hobs headed toward the copy room. I poked my head out of the closet first.
“Okay, we’re clear. Let’s go!”
We ran into the records office and I sat down at Alice’s desk. The screen saver hadn’t kicked in yet, so I had full access to the records.
Aces.
“Okay, here we go. E-I-R-A N—”
“There she is!” cried CiCi.
Sure enough, there was Eira’s file. I clicked on it and pulled it up. Registration. Marks. Medical. Psych.
Psych?
I exchanged a glance with Berrett and opened the psych file.
“According to this, Eira’s parents split when she was fourteen. Looks like she had anger issues all through her first year at the Académie. There are reports of fights, extreme bullying, and violence,” I said.
“Dix, look at this,” said Berrett, pointing to the screen. “‘Displays beginning signs of sociopathic behavior.’”
“Ya think?” I asked.
Still, a small part of me felt sorry for Eira. Especially when I got to the last line in her psych file. “Due to severe essential tremor, Eira will no longer be able to pursue a career in medicine. Outbursts have increased dramatically, and she has withdrawn even from her trusted friends and counselors. Monitor closely.”
I closed Eira’s file, but before I got out of the program completely, I thought I would see what my records looked like. Without thinking, I started typing in T-A-B—
“Hey, Cap, you’re typing the wrong name,” said CiCi.
“Oh! Uh, I’ll explain later, Ceese. I just wanna see something.”
I looked back at the monitor and saw my name, but the date on the file was wrong. Suddenly, I realized that Aunt Tabitha had graduated from the Académie at the same time as Eira Ninge.
I opened her psych file.
Brutal teasing from another student continues to erode Tabitha’s confidence. Contacted both sets of parents after E. Ninge broke Tabitha’s nose.
“Flarking piece of skud,” I whispered.
Just then, we heard the click-click-click of approaching heels. I closed the program and dove into the coat closet.
“You know, I think I left my bag next to your desk. If you want, I can lock the door on my way out,” said Hobs.
“Would you be a love? And please, stop by soon, Isaac. It was so good to see you.”
Alice Johnson’s voice dripped like honey. I gagged and rolled my eyes. Hobs walked into the office and picked up his bag. “Alright, guys, you can come out.”
I fell out of the closet. Berrett crawled out from under the desk and CiCi materialized seemingly out of nowhere.
Hobs shook his head. “What would you have done if I hadn’t sent her away?”
“Knocked her out with her own computer,” I growled.
“Heh. You’re jealous of Alice Johnson,” said Hobs.
“Right. My life’s ambition is to be a secretary at the Académie, just so I can have dirt on all the students.”
“Hey, it comes in handy.”
“So do you. Thanks, Hobs. You’re the best.” I kissed his cheek and pulled him out of the office and through side door. “Come on, guys!”
The four of us scampered across the fields and into the hedge. “So, what’d you find?” asked Hobs.
“I’ll tell you on the way to Mars.”
“What did you fly in on, a wing and prayer?”
“Kind of. A shuttle we hid in the sculpture garden. Come on!”
We scampered through the alleys and back streets of Avalon until we rounded the last corner before the garden. The four of us came to an abrupt halt, almost falling out of the alley.
“You have got to be flarking kidding me,” I whispered.
DIVERSION 14
BERRETT LAUGHED OUT LOUD.
I glared at him.
“Sorry, it is kind of hilarious.”
Through the wrought iron gates of the garden, I could see half a dozen SUN officials standing around the shuttle.
Berrett turned to Hobs. “No one ever comes here, she said. Blends right in with the rest of the junk.”
The two of them started laughing until they caught sight of my death stare. Hobs cleared his throat. “Sorry, Dix. It’s really not ... not funny ... at ... heehee ... at all!”
They burst out laughing once more. I rolled my eyes and turned to CiCi. “You’re adorable. Go find out what they think is going on.”
She nodded and ran into the garden.
“So, Berrett, have you been to Venus before?” asked Hobs.
“Nope. This is my first time.”
“What a shame! Avalon is a beautiful city. Wish we could show him around, Captain.”
“I’ll show you both around if you don’t quit goofing off.”
“Ooh, touchy. Aye, Cap,” said Hobs. “Anyway, it’s really quite charming. Venus was the
first world to be terraformed that didn’t royally backfire like Mars. They went a little nuts making it as much of an idealistic city as possible. Some of the most amazing art in the System is here.”
“Maybe someday we’ll come back when the universe doesn’t want us dead,” I griped.
“Guess you’ll have to wait until you can haunt Venus, then,” said Berrett.
I stuck my tongue out at him. Mercifully, CiCi came trotting back into our alleyway. “Someone proposed, saw your ship, and called the officials.”
“Proposed?”
“Yeah, Dix, it’s that thing two people do when they love each other and want to spend the rest of their lives together,” Berrett said.
“I know what it is, Berrett, and aside from it making little to no sense in the world we live in, who proposes in an abandoned flarking sculpture garden?”
“Actually, it’s kind of romantic,” said Hobs. I shot him the death glare again and he pressed his lips shut. “Or not.”
“Alright, alright, this is fine,” I said, pushing my hand through my hair. “We just need a diversion.”
“I got you covered,” said Hobs. “CiCi and I were saving this in case we needed a diversion of our own.” He pulled a small plastic ball out of his pack.
“What is that?” asked Berrett.
“Fake Fire is what I call it. I lob this onto the roof of a neighboring building and smoke begins to pour off the roof. Those goons will be out of that sculpture garden in a heartbeat.”
Hobs chucked the ball onto the nearest roof. “Wait for it ...”
Smoke began to curl around the edge of the roof and wrap around the gutter pipes.
With a wicked grin, Hobs screamed, “Fire!”
Sure enough, all the officials except one ran out of the garden.
“Well, that almost worked,” I said.
“One SUN official? I can handle that,” said Berrett. “You guys go in the front gates and I’ll sneak around from behind. Keep him talking.”
I lingered behind Hobson and CiCi, pulling down the cabby hat as far as possible. The guard stopped CiCi as she walked up to the front gate.
“Sorry, Ma’am, no civilians allowed here tonight,” said the guard.
“Look, I’m really sorry, but my friend here thinks he left his Cuff inside the garden. Are you sure we can’t have a look around?”
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