Once he reached the mess hall, Victus spent the next two hours, eating until he was full, resting, and evacuating. As his strength slowly returned, Victus rose from his wheelchair and left the mess hall under his own power.
Victus stood in his quarters and faced the mirror in his lavatory. “Complete physical,” He said. Victus groaned as the results of his physical appeared around his image in the mirror. The energy demands of maintaining a connection across thousands of light-years were staggering. He had lost ten kilograms in the three days he had possessed Hocco. He probed the stubble on his sunken cheeks and stared into his one blue eye. He avoided looking at the other one. The black-on-black eye that stained his pale, handsome face was like an inkblot on a white sheet.
Victus shook his head and caught himself on the counter after losing his balance. Gathering his strength, he showered and shaved. He wished he could put on his powered spacesuit. It would support him and provide power in his weakened state. No, I can’t show weakness in front of my officers. I need to appear on the bridge in full uniform. He pulled a duty uniform out of the closet.
Before leaving, Victus ran a comb through his white-blond hair and straightened his black uniform, which now hung loosely around his chest and hips. On the way to the lift, several crew members acknowledged him, and a few even saluted.
The elevator doors opened, revealing two young men in beige cadet uniforms. They silenced their conversation and saluted. Victus returned the gesture and entered, holding on to the railing for support. “Carry on,” he croaked. His throat still itched from the feeding tube.
One of the men turned to his companion and continued their conversation in a hushed tone. He spoke of a romantic encounter with a lady on Lan Station and expressed, with great exuberance, the success of the advice from the famous radio personality, Big Newton. Victus knew Big Newton by another name, Brigham Newton. In addition to being a famous media personality, Newton was a powerful Æon and Terminal master. During the First Galactic War, Newton’s forces were undefeated until the introduction of the Terminal Defenders. Postwar, he hosted a popular radio program. People called him for advice, and because no one’s troubles were unique to themselves, Brigham’s voice affected billions. In this way, Newton held more influence over the galaxy than he ever did during the war.
Newton was strongly suspected of being the master who’d sent the Selkans to Sol. It had been pointless to accuse him because Terminal masters operated independently of the government. An investigation would invite retaliation from other masters and possibly reveal their secret use of Selkans. Victus knew all too well that it wasn’t wise to upset the Terminal masters. He reached involuntarily up to his black eye, caught himself, and forced his hand back to his side.
By the time the car stopped on the gym floor, his atrophied muscles were shaking. The men exited, and the doors closed. Victus leaned against the wall. Finally, the car slowed to a stop on the bridge level. Victus straightened his uniform and took a deep breath.
The elevator doors opened to stars twinkling on curved black walls, like pinpricks in an enormous globe. The bridge of the Tamarack was a hollowed-out sphere in the heart of the battlecruiser. The Tamarack’s surroundings were projected on the walls, giving it the appearance of being in outer space.
A junior officer at the tactical station noticed Victus and saluted. “Officer on deck.”
Victus searched the young man’s face and read his aura. There was some anxiety, but that could be from seeing the admiral walking after being in a coma for three days. He returned the man’s salute as more heads turned to watch his approach. Victus feigned strength as he took the ladder up to the officer’s deck, a circular platform that rose above the operations center. From this heightened position, it truly felt like they were floating through outer space on the back of the Tamarack.
“Welcome back, sir.” Marcus Hoff, the captain, took Victus’s hand and pulled him onto the deck, making it look like a handshake. The captain of the Tamarack was bald, except for a halo of short-cropped salt-and-pepper hair. His nose was hooked like the beak of a raptor. He was Victus’s senior by thirty years.
Victus squeezed his hand in silent thanks for the assistance onto the deck, then faced Carmen Jacquay, the wing commander. She had long, dark hair that lay flat against her head in an intricate braid. Victus was always impressed by her knowledge of the ship. Somehow, she could recall every detail of the Tamarack’s twelve hangars, including a squadron of corvettes and over a hundred assault fighters and transports.
“How are you feeling, sir?” Carmen met his gaze with fiercely intelligent blue eyes.
“I’m recovering.”
Captain Hoff squeezed his thin lips together and grasped his hands behind his back. With his gray eyes and a square jaw, he looked carved from stone. “Doctor Abrams has asked for another assistant.”
“Another one?”
“The job is hard.”
“The job is essential to maintain this ship’s superiority. It takes someone with a certain demeanor—”
“You mean a sadist?” Carmen interrupted.
Victus gave her a level gaze. “If that’s what it takes.”
“Are the Selkans in the Sol System?” the captain asked.
“They are.” Victus nodded and watched as the captain’s aura flared orange and yellow with frantic waveform patterns.
Victus turned his back to them. “Recall the crew. We leave for Sol in eight hours. I hate to end station leave prematurely, but time is of the essence. We cannot allow the Selkans to unlock the Sol Terminal.”
20
The White Uniforms
Sunlight filtered through blue seawater and created a shifting pattern of light on the floor of Jenny’s room. Billo’s Topo beeped an alarm. She shut it off and looked over at Jenny.
“Good morning, sunshine.”
Jenny groaned because she wasn’t ready to be awake.
“How are you feeling today?”
Jenny took a deep breath and was surprised that her throat didn’t itch, and her chest wasn’t stuffy. In fact, it was like she had been sick her entire life and this was the first day she felt well. Her muscles hummed with energy, and the whole world seemed brighter. “I feel great.”
Billo got out of bed and opened her closet. “That’s how it goes, one day feeling like shit, and the next you feel like you could take on the world.”
Jenny swung her legs off the bed and stood up. Her legs felt like coiled springs. Just for fun, she jumped a whole meter off the ground, and landed with the grace of a cat.
“Wow.” Billo smiled. “You must be feeling better.”
Jenny’s side cramped. “Yeah, but I’m starving.”
“I still remember how hungry I felt the day after my treatment. I’ll take you to the cafeteria after we get ready.” Billo grabbed a bathrobe from her closet.
“Sounds wonderful.” Jenny found her own bathrobe and followed Billo to the communal bathroom.
After her shower, Jenny examined herself in the mirror. To her surprise, the scratches from her fall had reduced to fresh pink skin.
“What are you looking at?” Billo asked.
“My back. It was all scraped up after falling in the drain.”
Billo touched the sensitive new skin on Jenny’s back. “Looks good to me.”
“Yeah, it does now.” Jenny looked at her forearms and sighed inwardly. The scars from cutting still remained.
They finished up in the bathroom and returned to their room. Jenny opened her closet and rummaged through her bag. She took out some sculpting clay and pulled her short black hair into spikes. Then she donned her white Cabin uniform and pulled her boots on. She had just finished her eye makeup when the door trilled.
“I’ve got it,” Billo said as she attached an earring. “Open door.”
The door slid open to reveal Lin and Kensei standing out in the hallway. A night of sleep had revived Lin. The circles were gone from under her eyes, and her hair was in a tight b
un. Kensei wore his white uniform without his purple hat. The sides of his dark hair faded up to a pile of dense curls.
“Good morning,” Lin said. “Billo Misra, I’d like you to meet Kensei Drake.”
“Nice to meet you.” The jewelry in Billo’s ears jangled musically as she crossed the room. “You arrived with Jenny.”
“Yeah. Oh wow.” Kensei’s mouth hung open. “You’re Billo.”
“I know.”
“I love your channel.”
“Thanks.”
“My favorite is the time you walked up to the president right in the Oval Office.”
Billo smirked. “That was a fun one.”
“Billo.” Jenny pulled her boots on and stood up. “You know a lot about websites, don’t you?”
“Yeah.” Billo furrowed her brows.
“Kensei wants to make a webcomic…He’s got some hilarious drawings.”
“Really?” Billo put a hand on her hip. “Let’s see what you have.”
Kensei narrowed his eyes at Jenny, then took off his backpack and pulled out his sketchbook. “It’s not really that good.”
Billo took the book and flipped through the pages. “What do you mean? These are great.”
“Really?” Kensei and Billo continued talking.
Lin turned to Jenny and asked, “How are you feeling?”
“Amazing! I’ve never felt—”
Again, their doorbell trilled.
“Wow, we’re popular this morning,” Billo said. “Open door.”
Jenny’s breath caught as the door slid open. Adriana Thatcher stood next to Mazu in the hallway. Only the sun could brighten a room more than Adriana. People gathered around her to soak up her radiance and recharge their spirits. She had the kind of beauty that would make Disney princesses jealous. Jenny waited for the talking birds to land on her shoulders and break into a musical number.
“Everyone, this is Adriana Thatcher,” Lin said. “Adriana, this is Kensei Drake and—”
“Jenny Tripper.” Adriana shook her head, causing two blond ringlet curls to swing back and forth. She wore a blue scarf over her white uniform that accentuated her eyes. “Hey, Billo.”
“Hi, Adriana.” Billo leaned forward and stared into her eyes.
“I saw your name on the crew manifest,” Jenny said to Adriana, “but I didn’t believe it until now.”
“It’s good to see a familiar face.” Adriana looked Jenny up and down. “I like the new look.”
Jenny narrowed her eyes. Back at school, Adriana had never said a word to her. What’s she playing at? Stop it, Jenny scolded herself. This isn’t high school. “Thanks.”
“Hi,” Kensei stuck out his hand.
“Nice to meet you, Kenny.”
“It’s Kensei.”
Adriana shook Kensei’s hand. “Oh, your hand’s all clammy.”
“Sorry.” Kensei rubbed his hands on his white slacks. “I’m nervous.” He looked at Jenny and Adriana. “Wow, you two could be sisters.”
“What?” Adriana crossed her arms and chewed her lip. “No way.”
Jenny searched for what Kensei had seen. There’s no way we’re sisters, she thought. Yet, according to my mom, we’re both Roma. Hmm, our eyes are the same shape, and we’re about the same above-average height and slim build.
“Let’s get going,” Adriana said. “I’m getting hungry.”
“Get going with what?” Jenny asked.
“Yeah.” Billo crossed her arms. “What’s everyone doing in our room?”
“I brought you all here for a demonstration,” Mazu said.
“What kind of demonstration?” Kensei asked.
Lin ushered everyone to the back of the room, where there was more space for them to stand together.
“It’s a side project Adriana and I are working on.” Mazu pulled her Topo from the asymmetric pocket in her blue uniform. “I have another location for you to scout.”
“Okay.” Adriana pulled out her Waypoint key. It had a brilliant-yellow heliodor gem set into the handle.
“What are you looking for?” Jenny asked.
“An artifact called a virosuit,” Mazu said. “It should be in an underwater cave system near here. Adriana is helping us locate the entrance before we launch an expedition.”
“What is a virosuit?” Kensei asked.
“It’s the body of a Riftkey.”
“Like a robot or something. Does that mean the Riftkey is intelligent?” Kensei asked.
“Yes, it is capable of thought,” Mazu said. “And when it is combined with the virosuit, it will be able to move on its own.”
“You two”—Lin pointed at Jenny and Kensei—“pay attention.”
Jenny pulled her tuning-fork-shaped key free and held it out in front of her, the way Adriana did. Energy buzzed in her mind as she stared at the key until her eyes crossed.
Adriana looked over at Jenny and shook her head. “You’re doing it all wrong.”
Jenny frowned. “Then show us.”
“Hold it like this.” Adriana moved Jenny’s key until the tines were free. She moved over to Kensei. “Good, but keep a loose grip.” She smiled. “No one’s going to steal it.” Adriana stepped back and studied both of them. “Much better. Now watch.” Adriana held up her heliodor key in her left hand. Her eyes rolled back in her head until only the whites showed.
Jenny felt the energy emanating from Adriana. She focused her mind and grasped on to it. As she did so, the air in front of Adriana shimmered like a mirage, then shattered into thousands of glittering diamonds. The diamond air coalesced into two round portals, like windows. Looking through one didn’t reveal what was behind it. Instead, it showed what was behind its mate. Each one acts like a camera for the other, Jenny thought.
“What are they?” Kensei peered into the portal nearest to him.
“They are my eyes.” Adriana flipped her hair behind her shoulder. “Mazu, can you show me the location again?”
Mazu held her Topo up to one of the portals. Adriana nodded. In an instant, one of the portals passed through the wall and the water, and into the air. They had a bird’s-eye view of the Endeavor’s landing platform, the Selkans’ homes, and the main island.
Adriana plunged the portal back into the water. It blurred past countless marine animals until it reached the rocky wall of the coastline. Adriana quickly scanned the rock until she located a dark cave. Her portal moved forward. Light from inside Jenny’s room illuminated the cave’s inky interior, but it wasn’t enough. Mazu pulled a flashlight from her bag and shined it into the other portal. The gray rock lit up.
“We know there’s a special kind of Waypoint somewhere under this island.” Mazu swung the light back and forth. “One that’s linked to an identical Waypoint in the Nimue Realm and connects the two universes. There should be a drastic change in the color and texture of the rock—”
“At the point where the two universes connect,” Adriana said.
“Why connect them at all?” Kensei asked.
“We only have theories,” Lin said. “It might be to preserve the conservation of matter or maybe to provide energy to the Waypoints and Term—”
“I think I found something,” Adriana said.
Clear as day, two distinct types of rock joined together in a perfect circle. “That’s it.” Mazu reached out toward the anomaly. Her hand passed through the portal, and she squeezed Adriana’s shoulder. “You found it. Good work.”
Adriana sighed in relief. Quick as a blink, the portals disappeared in a cloud of glittering light.
Jenny shook her head in wonder. “That’s the coolest thing I’ve ever seen.”
Adriana grinned. Slowly, and with considerable effort, her eyes rolled forward again.
“What’s it like”—Kensei focused on the emerald set into his key—“using an ability?”
Adriana looked up at the ceiling. “It’s like re-creating the essence of a strong emotion. While controlling things like your heart rate and body temperatur
e. Does that make sense?”
“Sort of,” Kensei said. “It sounds like acting, emoting while staying in control.”
Adriana nodded. “Yeah, I guess it is.”
Jenny stared at her key. After her mom became sick, Jenny shed enough tears for a lifetime. Ever since her mom died, she’d felt hollow inside. Jenny wasn’t sure she had any emotion left to give.
“I think that’s enough for now.” Lin looked from Jenny to Kensei. “I hope you two learned something.”
“We did,” Jenny and Kensei answered.
“Good, let’s get some breakfast,” Mazu said.
“That sounds great.” Jenny stuffed her key back into her shirt and got into line behind Kensei as everyone filed out of the room. She caught Kensei staring at Adriana. Jenny leaned over and whispered into Kensei’s ear, “You like her, don’t you?”
“What?” Kensei jumped. “No.”
“Don’t worry.” Jenny shrugged. “Everyone likes her, but she’s oblivious to it.”
“Hmm,” Kensei muttered.
The sounds of utensils clanking on plates echoed in the hallway outside the mess hall. Jenny’s mouth watered at the scent of bacon. Inside, banks of lights ran along narrow slots in the ceiling. People of every ethnicity sat at long white rectangular tables. They all wore Cabin uniforms in gray, blue, and black. Their voices blended into a din of conversation.
“Here are your meal cards.” Lin handed Jenny and Kensei each a plastic card. “We have limited supplies aboard the ship, which means we have to ration our food. One point per meal, and one for dessert. You get twenty-eight points a week, so keep track of these.”
Jenny looked over at Kensei and noticed something for the first time this morning. “You’re not wearing your glasses.”
The Key of Astrea Page 22