by Trudi Trueit
The sound of a rocket engine shook Cruz back to reality. The movie was about space explorers battling aliens who were trying to go back in time to the early 21st century and change Earth’s history. Or was it the humans who were trying to go back in time? Cruz wasn’t sure. It was hard to focus. Plus, he wasn’t a big fan of space-time continuum story lines anyway. Too convoluted. Too convenient. Too silly. Munching down the last of his sugar-cookie popcorn, he looked around the darkened lounge. A few feet behind him, Taryn was kneeling. She snapped a leash on to her dog’s collar.
Cruz stretched over the arm of his chair. “I’ll walk Hubbard for you,” he whispered.
“Don’t you want to see the rest of the movie?”
“I’d rather take Hub for his walk.”
“Okay, then.”
Cruz tapped Sailor’s shoulder. “Be back in a while.”
“Uh-huh.” She didn’t take her eyes off the screen.
Cruz crept over to Taryn.
She handed him the leash. “He might have to use his personal meadow.”
Hubbard had his own patch of grass on the outdoor stern deck just off the passage next to Cruz and Emmett’s cabin.
“We’ll go there first,” said Cruz.
Taryn also gave him Hubbard’s favorite green ball. “Thanks, Cruz.”
He gave her a quick wave. For having such little legs, the white Westie sure was speedy. Hubbard galloped to the stairs, then flew down them, with Cruz doing his best to keep up. At the bottom of the grand staircase, Hubbard took a sharp left and trotted down the explorers’ passage straight to the back door to the sundeck.
Cruz snickered. “You know the way, Hub, don’t you?”
When Hubbard had finished in his meadow, Cruz took him back inside. They played a few rounds of fetch in the explorers’ passage. Cruz refilled the water bowl Taryn kept for Hubbard in the hallway. While the pup slurped water, Cruz did a quick check of Hubbard’s yellow life vest to make sure he was still in possession of the cipher pieces. He was. At least something was going the way he’d planned.
Cruz was on one knee, putting Hubbard’s leash back on, when the door to Sailor and Bryndis’s cabin opened.
Bryndis stepped out, her laundry bag slung over one shoulder.
“Hi.” “Hi. How’d the tutorial go?”
“Eighteen out of twenty.”
“Me too,” he said.
“You didn’t go to the movie either?”
“I did, but I left to walk Hubbard for Taryn.” He squished his nose. “Space-time continuum plot.”
She gave him a sympathy groan, then nodded to her bag. “Droppin’ off. Want to walk Hubbard in my direction?”
Cruz got to his feet. “Sure, if you don’t mind.”
“Yes. I mean, no, I don’t mind.” Pale cheeks turned pink.
They headed across the atrium to the stairs and went down a flight to the main deck. A left turn would have taken them aft to the CAVE.
Bryndis, Cruz, and Hubbard swung right, heading forward through housekeeping to laundry. Bryndis handed her bag over the desk to the crewman on duty. They retraced their steps, but Hubbard made it difficult. He started to bounce between them.
“I think he wants to play,” said Bryndis, gesturing to the ball in Cruz’s hand.
Cruz unhooked the dog’s leash. He tossed the ball down the narrow passage toward the CAVE. Hubbard bolted after it. Cruz and Bryndis slowly followed.
Cruz peered ahead. “I’ve never been past the CAVE.”
“There’s not much to see on this deck.” Bryndis pointed. “Some of the crew’s quarters are up ahead and beyond that is galley storage and refrigeration. There’s also a small repair shop at the stern.”
“How do you know all this? Did you memorize the ship’s layout or something?”
“No.” She grinned, a dimple appearing on each side of her mouth. “I run.”
“You run? On the ship?”
“Uh-huh. If you go early in the morning, there’s hardly anyone up then. I can pretty much go anywhere I want. That’s how I know it so well. I’ve seen it from top to bottom, bow to stern. Well, most of it.” She twisted her lips. “There is one door…”
He glanced at her. “What?”
“It’s a plain door with no sign or anything. It has a sensor security lock, but when I hold my OS band up to it nothing happens.”
They both knew what that meant: The area was off-limits to explorers.
Hubbard was charging straight for them with his ball. Skidding to a stop, he dropped it at Cruz’s feet. Bending, Cruz threw it again. “That’s strange,” he said, watching Hubbard race down the passage. “I didn’t know there was someplace on the ship we couldn’t go. I mean, I know we’re supposed to ask for permission to be on the bridge and the helicopter pad, but I didn’t know there was an area that was completely restricted.”
“Me either.”
Could it be true? Did Orion have a secret compartment? And if so, why?
“It’s one deck down.” Bryndis raised an eyebrow. “Want to see?”
Did he?
When Hubbard returned, Cruz scooped up the ball and snapped on his leash. They headed down the stairs to B deck. Cruz had been to the lowest level of Orion many times. It was where the control room, also known as the engine room, was located, along with aquatics, where all of their scuba gear was stored. It was also home to Ridley, the ship’s mini submarine. Every Sunday since he’d come on board, Cruz had eagerly zipped down these steps to the aquatics room, where chief Tripp Scarlatos had been teaching him how to pilot the sub—that is, until recently. Cruz had not been back to this part of the ship since Tripp and Security Officer Wardicorn had attempted to bury Team Cousteau in an ice cave collapse in Iceland. The two men had been secretly working for Nebula, just waiting for their chance to get rid of Cruz. Now Cruz missed his pilot training, and although he knew he shouldn’t, he also missed Tripp. It had been fun, learning to be a sub pilot. Before she left, Aunt Marisol had told him Dr. Hightower was going to hire a new aquatics director. Cruz was excited about the prospect. And if he was honest, a bit scared.
Bryndis started toward aquatics but veered left off the main passage before she reached the turn. Cruz and Hubbard stayed on her tail. This part of the ship was a bit of a maze, with narrow corridors and tight corners. It was also not well lit. They made several turns before the passage ended at a sapphire blue door with no handle. Just as Bryndis had said, a black security screen was attached to the wall next to the unmarked door. Cruz held his OS band up to it.
“See?” sighed Bryndis, after several seconds.
Cruz didn’t see any surveillance equipment. “If this was a top secret room, they’d have cameras and tighter security.”
“Já, it’s probably a locked cargo hold, you know, with stuff inside that they don’t want anyone getting into.”
“It could be a lounge for the crew or professors,” offered Cruz.
“Of course.” Bryndis planted a palm on her forehead. “Like the faculty room back at the Academy. I’ll bet that’s what it is. No wonder we can’t get in.”
Out of all the scenarios, that did seem to make the most sense.
Letting out a whine, Hubbard pulled on his leash. “He’s ready to go,” said Cruz. As Bryndis turned away, Cruz stopped her. “Wait!”
He had an idea.
“I know a way we might be able to solve the mystery.”
She tipped her light blond head. “How?”
Cruz opened his lower right pocket. “Mell, on.”
“Good ole Mell to the rescue!” cried Bryndis.
“Mell, fly to the doorframe and remain there until I recall you,” instructed Cruz. “If anyone comes in or out of the blue door, record it, and send the video immediately to my tablet with an alert. Stealth mode, on. Confirm, please.”
The honeybee drone flashed her golden eyes to indicate she understood.
Bryndis tipped her head. “Stealth mode?”
“It means she isn’t
to engage anyone or get close enough for them to see her.” Cruz gave the “go” command, and Mell flew up to land on the ledge of the doorjamb. She moved her tiny striped body to face outward, then scooted back until she was out of sight. He turned to Bryndis. “We should get topside or Taryn will start to wonder where—”
The communications pin on his jacket crackled. “Taryn to Cruz Coronado.”
Bryndis put a hand to her mouth to stifle her laughter, while Cruz assured their adviser he was on his way back to the lounge.
“Can I walk Hubbard back up?” asked Bryndis.
“Yeah, but it’s more like the other way around. He walks you. Don’t let his size fool you.” Cruz handed her the leash.
As Cruz had warned, Hubbard set their return at a brisk pace. Funny how the dog seemed to know the way out of the maze. He didn’t miss a single turn. Was he following their original scent? Or had he been here before? Maybe Taryn had brought him. Cruz doubted the bright blue door was hiding anything important. Still, it would be fun trying to unlock the mystery with Bryndis. Hubbard slowed once they reached the main passage.
“Cruz, I’ve been meaning to ask you,” said Bryndis. “I thought you might tell me…you know, when you were ready, but…” Her voice trailed off.
He had been expecting this. Back in Iceland, Cruz, Sailor, Emmett, and Bryndis had nearly lost their lives when Tripp and Officer Wardicorn had set off the explosive in the ice cave. There, Bryndis learned that the two men were working for Nebula and were after the journal that had belonged to Cruz’s mom, but she didn’t know why they wanted it. She’d also, of course, been there when Cruz had found the second wedge of his mother’s cipher but again had no clue as to what it was. Cruz had promised to fill her in on the details once they’d returned to the ship, yet he hadn’t. He was having second thoughts. The fewer people who knew his secret, the better. For everyone.
Still, he had made a promise. Cruz knew he would have to choose his words carefully.
“Tripp and Wardicorn were working for Nebula, the drug company,” he began. “They wanted my mom’s digital journal because they thought it contained some scientific information that could help their company.”
“Does it?”
“Maybe. I haven’t seen the whole thing.”
One lie. One truth. Not bad.
“And the stones?”
“Those go to a…” Cruz hesitated. He didn’t want to use the word “cipher.” “…a puzzle.”
“A puzzle?” She tipped her head. “You mean, it’s a game?”
“S-sort of.” This was getting more complicated by the second. “Actually, it’s more like a…a gift. My mom left these stones in different places around the world for me to discover. They’re no big deal—little pieces she laser-cut to fit together like a puzzle. So that’s what I was—am—doing. As we travel, I’m finding the stones my mom left.”
“How do you know where to look?”
“She left clues, too,” said Cruz. “I know it sounds weird, but it’s what we do in my family. Before I came to the Academy, Aunt Marisol used to send me postcards to decode from wherever she was in the world. Just before we set sail on Orion, I found out my mom did something similar before she died. My dad said she hoped that one day I might go to Explorer Academy and it would be…fun for me to discover them.”
“I think I see. It’s like a minningarhátíð…I’m not sure of the English word for it…something that’s left behind from one you love with a minni…you know…a memory.”
“You mean, a keepsake?” Cruz let out a ragged breath. “That’s what it is, a keepsake.”
Was this conversation over yet?
Cruz nearly tripped over Hubbard, who had abruptly stopped at the bottom of the grand staircase in the atrium. The third-floor lounge above them was still dark. They could hear the movie’s audio—laser blasts and loud music.
Bryndis put Hubbard’s leash in Cruz’s hand, brushing his fingers with hers. “Thanks.”
He felt a tiny shock go through him. Static, probably. “Anytime.”
Leaning in, Bryndis gave him a kiss on the cheek. It was so quick and light, for a moment Cruz wondered if he had imagined it. Turning, she strolled away down the explorers’ passage. She did not look back, but when she turned to open her cabin door, he caught a glimpse of her face.
Bryndis was smiling.
So was he.
HAD SOMEONE called his name? Cruz was standing on a narrow red clay path, surrounded on all sides by a tropical jungle. The air was thick and hot. This path, these trees, the red dust under his feet—it all seemed familiar, but he couldn’t think where—
“Cruz!”
His heart lurched. “Dad?” Cruz spun, the forest becoming a green blur. “Where are you?”
“Here! I’m over here!”
“Hold on!” cried Cruz. He took off running on the trail in the direction of the cry. His dad seemed to be only a few hundred yards ahead, yet when Cruz rounded the next bend, there was no sign of him. He cupped his hands around his mouth. “Dad?”
Someone was shaking him. “Cruz? Cruz, wake up!” The face that appeared in front of him wasn’t his father’s. It was Emmett’s.
“What’s wrong?” croaked Cruz, still trying to separate the dream from reality.
“Your tablet’s been chiming. You’ve got a call…”
“From Aunt Marisol?”
“No. It’s Lani.” Emmett held out Cruz’s tablet to him.
Sitting up, he squinted against the light of the screen. “Lani?”
“Sorry to wake you.” She was whispering. “I thought you’d want to see this.”
“That’s okay.” He yawned. “What’s up?”
“Hold on,” she hissed. “I have to backtrack—”
He couldn’t see past her. “Where are you?”
“Inside the house.”
Cruz bolted upright. “Not the one in—”
“Yes, yes, the house next to Limahuli gardens. I got in!”
“Lani, get out of there!” He was wide awake now. “You’re going to get caught—”
“No, I won’t. Tiko and I staked out the place for almost an hour before I went over the wall. Staked? Is that the right word? Stuck? Anyway, Tiko’s right outside. He’ll let me know if anyone’s coming.”
“Did she say over the wall?” asked Emmett.
Cruz’s blood was beginning to boil. As it was, he was worried to death about his dad. He didn’t need to add Lani to that list. “She’s going to get herself killed.”
“I am not,” shot Lani. “I did full surveillance. My acousticks and heat sensors picked up nothing, not even so much as a mouse, although I did find something interesting once I got in. I’m switching you over to my headset cam.”
Moments later he was looking at the toes of Lani’s red striped sneakers on a plush ivory carpet. Lani tilted the camera up. It was a bedroom. She turned her head slowly so they could see the moss green walls, a large but simple four-poster bed with a white quilt, and a rattan nightstand and matching dresser. As she continued panning, Cruz saw a couple of French doors that led to a balcony and two more interior doors—the bathroom and a closet, no doubt. The camera began to bounce. Lani was heading across the room to the second door. As she entered, Cruz saw shelves and rails. Yep, it was a closet, all right. The place was completely empty, except for a few hangers. Lani tipped her head to show them rows of wire shoe racks without a single shoe.
“Big walk-in,” murmured Emmett, twisting his neck to get a better view of Cruz’s screen.
Lani was still in motion. She went past an upright oval mirror, a wall unit with long wood drawers, and a half wall of square cubbies. She turned, and Cruz saw a white kitchen chair with a rounded, spindled back. Clearly out of place, it set the hair on the back of Cruz’s neck standing on end. Lani knelt next to the chair. “I found these,” she said, lifting a couple of ropes tied to the spokes. Cruz could see there were more ropes tied to the white legs.
His breath ca
ught.
“And this,” continued Lani. She flipped the chair. “I saw an end of it hanging down—”
“Dad’s bracelet!” Goose bumps slithered up his arms.
An identical bracelet circled Cruz’s right wrist. Aunt Marisol had given them the red-and-green beaded dragon bracelets for their birthdays last year. Cruz’s dad’s birthday was December 1, just two days after his. Like Cruz, his father always wore his bracelet. Always. He would never leave it behind unless he had to. It was a clear message from his dad: I was here.
“It looks like he stuck it on here with some grape jelly. Pretty smart.” Lani peeled the bracelet away from the wood. “I’m sorry, Cruz.
I should have called the police yesterday when we saw this place. We could have rescued him—”
“Or gotten him killed,” cut in Cruz. “You did the right thing by staying away, Lani. If we’re going to get Dad back safely, we’ve got to follow Nebula’s instructions.”
The camera went slowly up and down to signal she was in agreement.
“Lani, two favors?” asked Cruz.
“Name ’em.”
“Don’t show my aunt the bracelet.”
“I won’t,” she said softly. “And the second?”
“Get out of that house. Now.”
“On my way.” She headed back through the closet and into the bedroom. “Okay, guys, I’m going to say goodbye.”
“Lani, wait!” burst Emmett, his glasses yellow triangles with blue and green sparks.
“What?”
“There’s something on the floor by your feet. I saw it when you first turned on the headset cam. It’s pink. Do you see it?”
“No, I don’t…Oh, you mean this?” She knelt. “It’s a piece of paper…it looks like it’s a corner from a salt or sugar packet.” She held it up to the lens. “There’s something else…”
The camera whirled around, then zoomed in. They watched her fingers comb the carpet. She brought a hand up. “It’s definitely sugar,” said Lani. “And it’s all through the carpet here. Someone must have spilled it by accident.”