“For Gloooory!”
She shot past them down the dark corridor in hot pursuit of the bouncing ball of fluff.
The twins yelled in unison. “Devi! No!”
The puppy skidded to a halt, her claws almost scritching grooves into the stone floor as she scrabbled for purchase…but it was too late. The rabbit was gone, fled through the open door into the maze of rooms beyond.
“Now we’ll never catch it!” Mischa wailed.
“I’m sorry.” Devi panted. “I didn’t mean to chase it. It just sort of happened...”
CHAPTER TWELVE
QBBS Meredith Reynolds, Etheric Academy, Lobby, Two Weeks Later
School was done for the day and Tina gripped Fudge’s kitty carrier tightly as she descended the stairs on her way to see Marcus. She had a tricky assignment she needed his help with, so she and Fudge were going over to the BMW offices.
Fudge protested the lack of room in the carrier. The kitten had grown fast this last couple of weeks; Tina would have to stop by the pet store and pick up a bigger one if she was going to be taking care of Fudge for much longer.
She stopped to talk to Ms. Treble, who came out of the administrative wing just as Tina reached the bottom of the stairs.
“You on your way out, Tina?” the teacher asked.
“Uh-huh.” She hoisted the carrier. “We’ll be back by curfew, promise.”
Ms. Treble smiled, peering into the carrier. Fudge bumped her face against Ms. Treble’s outstretched finger. “Oh, she’s a darling.”
Tina didn’t miss the look of adoration in the teacher’s eyes. “You like cats, Ms. Treble? Fudge is still looking for a forever home if you’re interested.” She offered the last a little reluctantly, realizing that if Ms. Treble said yes then she’d have to say goodbye to Fudge—and she didn’t know if she wanted to do that just yet. “I mean, you don’t have to or anything; it was just an idea.”
The teacher looked at her thoughtfully for a moment. “I haven’t time to housetrain a kitten and I’m still getting settled into my apartment, but if you’d like to hang on to her until she’s independent I would love to give her a home. How does that sound?”
Tina grinned. “I’ll have to run it by Marcus, but that sounds great, Ms. Treble.”
She waved goodbye as she hurried off.
___
Katie watched Tina go before continuing on her way.
First love was never easy, and the discussion in the staffroom had turned to Tina’s breakup with Ronnie Diamantz more than once over the last couple of weeks. Ronnie had moved to the Bravo dormitory, exchanging bunks with Halli Matteson.
Katie hadn’t been the only one who had breathed a sigh of relief when the relationship had concluded without needing the faculty to intervene.
She snapped out of her daydream and swiped her key card over the lock on her front door. Maybe a cat was just what she needed. It would beat coming home to an empty apartment every night.
Tina needed the company more than she did right now, though. She could wait.
She sighed as she stepped over the half-unpacked boxes lining her hallway. She really needed to get to them if she would be bringing a cat home.
In the meantime, Katie had a mystery to solve—namely, to find out what the Kosolov twins were hiding. You didn’t spend as long teaching as she had and miss the signs that a student was up to something.
And those two were definitely up to something.
QBBS Meredith Reynolds, Alpha Class Dormitory
Craig walked into the dorm to find Maxim with one foot braced against a chair, tying his bootlaces.
“You ready, dude?”
Maxim nodded. “Nearly.”
When he’d finished, they left the dorm. Craig gave Maxim the once-over. “You sure you’re up for this?”
Maxim gave him a look. “What, walking?”
Craig shoved Maxim lightly. “Nice to see they put a sense of humor in you while you were in the Pod-doc. That come for free, or did they charge you extra for it?”
Maxim returned Craig’s shove. “It was free, dumbass. I told the docs how much time I have to spend with you, so they took pity on me and installed it while I was out. They said it was the least they could do to ease my suffering.”
Craig’s smile melted away. “Seriously, dude?”
Maxim nodded at his friend with a completely straight face. “Seriously.”
Craig grinned. “You’re an ass, Maxim. You had me scared for a minute.”
“I’ve had time to recover.” Maxim shoved his friend again. “Too scared to notice that Mischa keeps looking at you with gooey eyes?”
Craig laughed nervously, clapping Maxim on the back. “No idea what you’re talking about. So, you ready for a wild goose chase, dude? I’m glad you’re coming with, since I have no clue where to start. I think the commander only gave me this assignment to keep me occupied.”
Maxim snickered. “You cannot blame him. Anything that keeps you out of Medical has to be a good thing, right?” He ducked Craig’s playful swipe. “Anyway, I know a good place to start. Are you hungry?”
Craig raised an eyebrow. “Is a duck’s ass watertight? Lead on.”
Maxim steered them in the direction that would take them to the open court. “So, what is this wild goose chase?”
Craig shrugged. “There’s a guy on the psych wing. The commander wants me to try to find his family, or at least someone who might know him. I’m gonna show his photo around, see what I turn up.” He stopped and inhaled the aroma emanating from the store ahead of them. “Oh, man, it smells good in there.”
Maxim nodded. “Best bakery on the rock. I haven’t been here for a long time.”
Craig heard a high bell tinkle as he pushed the door open. “The rock?”
“You know—we came from the mudball, now we live on the rock.” He shrugged. “It could become a thing.”
Craig shook his head slowly. “Meh, not feeling it.” He opened the tablet and pulled up the image of the man as he approached the man behind the counter.
The man looked up from the book he was reading. “Guardians, welcome to my establishment. How can I help you?” He put his book down and his apron on.
“Is that muraveynik?” Maxim asked, practically drooling as he pointed to a hill-shaped cake near the back of the display cabinet.
“Made it myself this morning,” the owner replied with a wide smile. “You look like a young man who hasn’t had the taste of home in a while. Let me remedy that. What would you like?” Maxim pointed out various pastries, and the owner filled a box with his selections and passed it over the counter.
Maxim took the box with thanks and went to sit at one of the outdoor tables, leaving Craig to ask his questions and pay for breakfast.
“Do you know this man?” Craig showed the bakery owner the image on his tablet. “I’m trying to find anyone who knows him, his family if I can. “
The owner studied the photo on the screen for a long moment. “I can’t say that I do. He doesn’t look familiar. I’m sorry.”
“No worries, thank you anyway.” He took the tablet back and turned to leave. “Do you mind if I ask your customers?”
“Sure, go ahead,” the owner replied.
Craig had no more luck with the rest of the bakery’s clientele. He made his way over to where Maxim sat demolishing the pastries he’d bought and dropped the tablet on the table. He peered into the box. “Hey, did you save me any?”
Maxim laughed. “You know what they say—” His mood switched as his eyes alighted on the tablet screen. “What is this?” He picked up the tablet and brought it to his face for a closer look.
Craig was instantly concerned. “It’s the guy whose family I’m trying to track down for Commander Silvers. Why, what’s up? You okay, dude?”
Maxim looked up, the color draining from his face. “This man—he looks just like my father.”
Craig’s mouth dropped open. “Are you sure?”
Maxim looked
again, hardly believing what he was seeing. “I...yes. I think it is him? He looks different; older. You said he is in Medical? In the psychiatric wing? Why?”
Craig shook his head. “I don’t know. The commander didn’t give me much info.” He took the tablet, holding it up to Maxim’s face to compare the two. “You know, I thought he looked familiar somehow. Yeah, I can see it, maybe. Same stubborn-ass expression.”
Maxim stood, pastries abandoned. “What are you waiting for? We need to go and tell him right now!” He dashed off, leaving Craig behind.
Craig grabbed the pastry box and ran to catch up. Maxim had made it halfway across the court before Craig fell into step beside him. “Dude, keep a lid on it.”
The people around them glanced at Maxim with something approaching worry.
Maxim turned to him with an unfocused look. Craig grabbed him and gave him a shake. “Listen, if you go Pricolici here the only place you’ll be going is back in the Pod-doc. Get a grip!”
Maxim took a deep breath and slowed to a brisk walk. “Sorry, I just want to know if that man is my father. I’m not going to shift. You can check my eyes if you don’t believe me.”
Craig leaned in, seeing that Maxim’s eyes were their usual medium-blue. “Fair enough. You don’t know where the commander is, though.”
Maxim made a face. “Oh, yeah. I wasn’t thinking of that.”
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
QBBS Meredith Reynolds, Plants and Ecologies Level, Rabbit Habitat
Yana was over by the cornfield playing tag with Devi, Snow, and the Yollin, whom Meredith had told them was Captain Kael-ven T’chmon. Bernadette had yet to show up and let them in for the day’s grooming and the class was getting bored.
Mischa and Masha were so busy whispering among themselves that they were unbothered by the wait.
“She’s never usually late,” Ms. Treble muttered. She took out her tablet. “Meredith?”
Meredith’s voice came over the tablet speaker. “Good morning, Katie. How can I be of assistance?”
Ms. Treble frowned. “Bernadette isn’t here to let us in. Can you tell me where she is, please?”
“Bernadette is currently inside the rabbit habitat, Katie,” Meredith replied a moment later. “I have notified her of your arrival.”
“Thank you, Meredith.” Ms. Treble put her tablet away and turned to the class. “I need to have a word with Bernadette before we go in. You can all take ten minutes and stretch your legs.”
The door opened, revealing a scowling Bernadette. “What are you doing here?”
“We’re due to begin taking samples this morning. Did you forget?”
Bernadette sneered. “I did not. Clearly, you missed my memo. Your students’ assistance is no longer required.”
Ms. Treble opened her mouth to speak. She glanced at the students and thought better of it. Instead, she marched over to the door and pushed Bernadette aside to enter before the rabbit handler had a chance to slam it in her face. “Your office, now,” the teacher demanded in a tone that brooked no protest.
The twins snickered as Bernadette followed their teacher.
Yana and Halli headed for the cornfield, along with most of the rest of the class. Yana gestured to the twins. “Are you coming?”
The twins waved her off and watched them go, remaining on the low wall across from the habitat entrance where they’d sat when they got there.
Mischa kept her voice low. “What do you think Ms. Treble is saying to Bernadette?”
Masha’s eyes twinkled. “I don’t know. You wanna listen in?”
“Masha Kosolov, you are a bad influence.”
Masha grinned. “You know I am. Anyway, you can’t complain, dear sister. You’d have no fun at all without me.” Her eyes darted toward the wall, where Bernadette’s office was. “Come on, the window is open.”
They crept over to the side of Bernadette’s office and stood on their tiptoes to get closer to the high window to hear what Ms. Treble was saying through the inch-wide gap it was open.
The teacher’s voice was muffled. “So why aren’t you letting my students in? Don’t tell me you haven’t appreciated the extra help these last few weeks.”
“It’s nothing to do with your students. Look at this.”
They heard Ms. Treble gasp.
Masha silently cursed the wall for being between her and whatever Bernadette had just shown Ms. Treble.
“That’s not...well. It’s not good, that’s for sure. What’s the word from the labs?”
Bernadette sniffed. “That the gene is behaving in ways they hadn’t anticipated. It’s only an issue if they’re left to breed unchecked.”
They heard Ms. Treble sigh. “I see.”
“I hope you also understand that if one of the expectant does gets out it would be disastrous for us all. I have no choice except to put the rabbitry on lockdown. Nobody in or out except myself and my staff.”
The twins dropped down from the window and sat close together with their backs against the wall.
Masha was first to speak, her voice a whisper. “We need to find that rabbit.”
“It isn’t like we haven’t been trying,” Mischa hissed. “The basement is too big; we’ll never find it!” She paused, considering what they’d just overheard. “What do you think Bernadette meant when she said the gene is behaving unexpectedly?”
Masha’s face was solemn. “I don’t know, but she mentioned breeding, so it can’t be good.”
Mischa twisted her hands together. “What if it’s something really bad? What are we going to do, Masha?”
“We should tell the others. Ask them to help.”
QBBS Meredith Reynolds, Guardians’ APA
Peter saw Craig and Maxim enter the APA and racked his weights. He pointed to a clear space and grabbed a towel to wipe the sweat from his face and neck, dropping his towel in one of the baskets placed around for that purpose as he walked over to meet them.
“Hey, what’s up? I thought you two’d be out showing that photo around today?”
“It’s my father, sir,” Maxim blurted.
Peter frowned. “What do you mean?”
“The man in the photo,” Maxim explained, trying his best to stay calm. “I believe he is my father.”
Peter’s confusion deepened. “How can that be possible? Give me a minute.”
He tapped his implant to open a channel to ADAM.
ADAM?
Yes?
Is it possible that the man whose family I’ve been trying to locate could be Maxim’s dad?
I don’t think... Oh.
What “oh?”
It seems we have no DNA on file for the patient. I don’t know how that could have happened.
Right, so we need his DNA. Then you’ll know?
Yes. I already have a recent record of Maxim’s DNA to compare it to from his recent time in the Pod-doc. I’ve sent a message to the ward requesting a sample from the patient.
How long will it take?
A day or two at the most.
Okay. Thanks, ADAM.
No problem.
Peter turned back to Maxim and Craig. The hope in Maxim’s eyes was crushing. “I’m sorry, but you’re going to have to wait for an answer. There’s no DNA on file for the patient. We’ll know for sure in a couple of days.”
Maxim’s face dropped for a second, but he squared his shoulders. “Then I will wait. Thank you, sir.”
Peter shook his head at the young man’s spirit. “I hope it’s good news, buddy. I think it would be good if you made an appointment to see Doc Dietrich while we wait.”
Maxim nodded. “I have been seeing him every day. I’m finding it helps to talk. It becomes easier each time to work through the grief before it triggers the change.”
Peter clapped him on the shoulder and turned to Craig. “Well, I guess if you’ve finished the assignment you’ve earned some liberty.”
Craig gaped. “Liberty, sir?”
Peter raised an eyebrow. “You k
now, where you go and relax for a couple of days? See your family and friends?”
Craig winked. “Oh, I know what liberty is, sir. I just didn’t realize it was an actual thing...”
“You are dismissed, Guardian. Leave now before I decide what you need is three days of high-impact combat training instead.”
Craig was already halfway to the door. “Thank you, sir. Maxim, come on!”
Maxim looked to Peter for permission and set off after Craig when he received the nod.
Peter shook his head in resignation as he watched them leave, shoving each other the whole way.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
QBBS Meredith Reynolds, Etheric Academy, Administrative Offices, Several Days Later
Diane and Dorene sat at their desks, working through their inboxes.
Diane looked up at her sister. “I have another message from that dreadful rabbit woman.”
“Right, what’s her name? Bernadette?”
“Yes, her. It appears there is a problem with the rabbits.”
Dorene snickered. “Serves her right. After the way she’s treated our Devi? Well, let’s just say I’m not too bothered.”
Diane shook her head and held her tablet out to Dorene. “I can’t stand her either, but it’s not a laughing matter. If you look at this report from the genetics team, you’ll see why it could be a huge problem if one of the rabbits got out. She’s canceled the class’s visits until it’s resolved.”
Dorene read the summary Bernadette had attached. “That’s unexpected. How long have we got before the rabbit habitat turns into that episode of Star Journey? You know the one I mean?”
Diane shrugged. She typed a quick message and sent it off with a flourish. “That’s if it isn’t already happening. I’ve informed Katie that she’ll have to make an adjustment to her lesson plans.”
Dorene looked up. “I have a message from Katie.” She scanned it quickly. “She’s already spoken to Bernadette and submitted a new lesson plan.”
“Great.” Diane put her tablet down and took a sip of her coffee. “Moving on, how are the plans for the ceremony coming?”
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