DustRoad

by Tom Huddleston

  He broke off, biting his lip. “That old man was the only one who found his way back and by then he was too scared to do anything but follow orders. When the militia commanders came to check on their progress we invited them in and served them a special tea that one of my brothers had made, and that was the end of that. We buried the bodies and headed south. Using our parents’ research, we designed and sold medicines, built a thriving business. And we used the money to start plantations, schools and military camps from the border right through to the sea. Soon we were ready to start the real work of bringing America together.”

  “By killing more people,” Kara said, and he flushed.

  “But that’s the way it has to be,” he insisted. “The Mariners had their chance to help, we told you that. We’re only doing what’s necessary.”

  “That sounds like your brother talking,” Kara said. “The one with the scar. You don’t seem like a killer to me.”

  The clone shook his head forcefully. “I told you, we’re the same. There is nothing my brothers would say that I would not say, nothing they’d think that I wouldn’t think.” He got to his feet. “And I must get back, they’ll be wondering what’s happened to me. I’ll just use the bathroom then I’ll—”

  “No!” Kara said, grabbing his arm. “Wait, I just…” She racked her brain for an excuse, anything at all. “I went in there before. Everything’s smashed up. The toilet’s broken, and the sink. And it looked like rats were living in there. Big ones.”

  “That’s strange. Who’d smash up a bathroom?”

  Kara shrugged, her heart racing. “Well, this whole place is a bit of a wreck, isn’t it?”

  The clone frowned. “Then I must return to the transmitter array. There was a delay with the uplink but it should’ve been fixed by now.”

  “Can I come?” Kara asked. “I got so turned around before, I don’t know if I’d be able to find my way back. And this place is pretty spooky.”

  Dash eyed her uncertainly. “All right, if you have to. But don’t tell my brothers you were in this room. I don’t think they’d like it.”

  “But didn’t you just say there was nothing they’d think that you…” Kara started, then she saw the distressed look on his face and forced a smile. “Never mind. It’ll be our secret.”

  To her relief they didn’t go through the storage room, turning instead into a low passageway with steel pipes running along the wall. Glancing back she saw movement in the corridor behind her – Joe and Nate, keeping a safe distance. The hallway led to an open steel doorway with harsh electric light streaming from inside. They stepped through and Kara heard voices.

  “…only remains to thank you, Madame General, for all your support,” one of The Five was saying. “We’re going to do great things together, we truly believe that.”

  Dash cursed under his breath, hurrying to join his brothers. Kara hung back in the shadows. The room was large and circular like the base of a well, its ceiling lost in darkness. Hulks of machinery loomed all around her, leaning together like the mechanical men in those stories Joe liked, the ones that turned into spaceships. The old man cowered by the wall, staring up at his cloned sons as they stood before a bank of monitor screens, their faces lit with a pale synthetic glow.

  “Great things indeed,” a voice crackled through ancient speakers. “Godspeed, gentlemen.”

  Peering through, Kara saw a fuzzy image on one of the screens – a woman in a dark green uniform seated in front of a striped red-and-yellow flag. A line of men stood to attention behind her, rifles clutched in their hands. Then the screen went dark.

  Dash turned apologetically to his brothers. “I’m sorry, I just went for a look round the old place and I—”

  “You made us look like fools,” Scar cut in furiously. “We’re The Five, not The Four.” Then he spotted Kara and his eyebrows shot up. “What is she doing here?”

  Kara took a step back. “I was just … exploring.”

  “I told her a little of our story,” Dash said. “How we came to be who we are.”

  Scar frowned. “What concern is it of hers? And where are her friends? Are they sneaking around somewhere as well?”

  “They’re asleep,” Kara said quickly. “Back in our room.”

  “That’s a lie.”

  Kara turned, cursing silently. Lynx stepped into the transmitter room, dragging two reluctant figures by their collars. Nate hung his head but Joe stared wide-eyed at the men standing over him.

  “I caught them lurking in the corridor,” Lynx said. “They were listening.”

  “We were just…” Nate spluttered. “We only wanted to—”

  Without thinking, Kara stepped forward and slapped him. “You idiots,” she spat. “You told me you were going to bed. What are you doing down here?”

  Nate recoiled, clutching his cheek. “But you… Why did…?”

  Kara turned back to Dash. “I know how this looks, but I swear I knew nothing about it. I was all by myself when you found me, wasn’t I? Tell them, tell your brothers I was by myself.”

  Dash nodded. “She was on her own. She told me they’d gone to bed.”

  “She’s a liar,” Lynx spat furiously. “You can’t believe a word she says. Of course they were all in cahoots. They probably thought they could use all this kit to send a signal to the Mariners.”

  “How stupid do you think I am?” Kara rounded on Lynx. “Look at this stuff, how would we possibly know how to work it? Nate might have thought he had a chance, but why would I risk my neck for the Mariners, the people who attacked my city?” She turned back to The Five. “I swear, I had no part in this. I wouldn’t, not after you’ve been so kind to us. I’m embarrassed, really.”

  One of the men frowned; Kara could see the peppery streaks in his hair. “So what should we do with them?” Grey asked her. “What would you do, in our place?”

  Kara gritted her teeth. “Well, you can’t risk them trying something this stupid again, can you? I suppose they’ll have to be locked up.”

  Nate opened his mouth but Joe took his arm, squeezing it hard. The Five looked at one another.

  “Lynx, you take them,” Dash said. “Put them on the bus and lock them in.”

  “But what about…” Lynx protested, pointing at Kara. “You can’t just…”

  “One of us has given you an order,” Boxer snapped. “You know what that means.”

  Lynx sagged, taking hold of Joe and Nate. Kara could see the hurt in the Mariner boy’s eyes as they were hauled away into the corridor.

  “Well,” Knuckles said, cracking his fingers. “At least now we know who we can trust.”

  “Indeed,” Scar said dubiously. Then he leaned close to Kara. “But I’ll be watching you.”

  11

  Alcatraz

  “We’re just trying to understand who was involved, who knew what, and when.” Councillor Sedna leaned forward, fixing Cane with a searching stare. “We know you weren’t part of your father’s inner circle – you didn’t attend meetings or make decisions. But you must have seen something, heard something, either on the Neptune itself or back here in Frisco before it all started.”

  Cane scratched her head, pretending to consider the question. The two Mariners seated either side of the councillor were unfamiliar to her, government investigators working with Sedna to get to the bottom of what Cortez did and who supported it.

  “What sort of people did your father meet with?” Sedna asked. “Think back. Do you remember anyone in uniform coming to the house? Did he meet with the captains of other ships, other Arks?”

  Cane pressed a hand to her forehead. “I don’t know,” she lied. “I don’t remember.”

  “Your brother, then,” Sedna said. “Is there anyone you might have seen him with, anyone who—”

  “My brother was good,” Cane shot back. “Elroy was good, and he’s dead, so leave him out of it.”

  “He’s dead because he followed your father’s orders,” Sedna pointed out. “He’s dead b
ecause John Cortez sent his own son to do his dirty work, to explore the tunnels beneath London.”

  “And then Kara and Joe got caught up in it,” Cane shouted, “and now they’re gone too, and so’s your nephew, and I couldn’t save them.”

  Sedna took a long breath and sat back. “I don’t blame you for what happened to Nate and his friends,” she said, more gently. “The only thing I’m concerned with is the attack on London. But perhaps we should adjourn for today. We’ll be in touch if we need you again.”

  Cane stood, feeling tired and unsteady. They’d questioned her for hours, asking how her father had reacted to Kara’s speech and how things had got so out of hand, all of which she’d answered. Then they’d moved on to her childhood, to her family and everything that happened before, and that was more difficult.

  “I do understand, you know.” Sedna approached Cane, leaning on her driftwood stick. “The hearings are recorded and as a councillor your uncle has access to the files. I know he’s been to see you, more than once.”

  Cane swallowed. “He… He’s been trying to help. Trying to persuade the rest of my family to speak to me. I just want a chance to explain.”

  Sedna smiled sympathetically. “Of course you do. But if there are things you want to say to me privately, things you don’t want recorded, you can come to me. Whether it’s about what happened before the attack, or something you might hear now you’re back…”

  “Don’t ask me to spy on my family,” Cane said, taking a step away. “Please.”

  “This is important,” Sedna insisted, gripping Cane’s arm. “If we don’t learn the truth, it could happen again. More could die, more kids like Nate and Joe and—”

  “Take your hand off her!”

  Cane whipped round to see Uncle Rex striding into the Chamber, his face flushed with anger. “Councillor, you are permitted to question my niece in a public forum, not harass her in private.”

  Sedna straightened. “The girl seemed upset. I was simply making sure she was all right.”

  Rex turned to Cane. “Is this true?”

  Cane hesitated, then nodded. “Councillor Sedna was just being nice. We were talking about Nate, her nephew, the boy who…”

  “Yes, of course,” Rex said, simmering down. “Terrible shame what happened. My condolences.”

  Sedna’s mouth was a sharp, thin line. “Thank you. We’re still hoping they might be found.”

  “That’s good,” Rex said, unable to hide the disbelief in his voice. “No sense giving up, is there? But, Cane, you and I have somewhere to be.”

  The solar-powered car sped down towards the water, the motor whirring softly beneath Cane’s feet. The road surface was made of impermeable plastic and when they reached the shore it simply sank beneath them, replaced by two straight rows of reflective buoys. Wings planed from the sides of the car and she felt the wheels tucking in, the door seals tightening as they powered out into Frisco Bay.

  “That always gives me a thrill,” Rex smiled. “Even after all these years. I don’t know if your dad ever told you, but back at the slave camp where he and I grew up we’d sometimes get to drive the trucks, these big old Tech-Age monsters, hauling rice and sugar beet down to the coast. It was hard work – steep roads – you had to keep your hands glued to the wheel. But it beat working in the plantation, getting the lash on your back because you took a moment to catch your breath.”

  He gestured ahead at the half-submerged towers, at the distant ships, at the sunlight sparkling on the waters of the Bay. “You’ll never understand it, Cane. And neither will the councillor back there. You grew up with all this. But me and John… When the Mariners raided the camp, when they saved us and brought us here, we thought it was paradise. Literally, we thought we’d died and gone to heaven. And we made a vow that day to do anything we could to keep this place safe. Anything at all. We’ve never broken that promise.”

  He turned to look at her and his eyes were suddenly serious. “I know you thought we were going straight to your grandmother’s, but there’s something you need to do first. Someone you need to see.” He gestured through the front windshield and Cane felt her heart seize.

  Alcatraz Island sat low in the water, ringed with a concrete bulwark. The prison on its peak was built of ancient stone, pale and wind-smooth, with barred black windows.

  “You just have to speak to him,” Rex assured her. “You don’t have to agree with him. You don’t have to change your mind. You just have to reconnect. And when it’s done I’ll take you to your grandmother. She’s making your favourite, shrimp gumbo and kelp fritters.”

  “But you and my father hate each other,” Cane said, confused. “I thought you hadn’t spoken in years.”

  Rex patted her hand. “I promise I’ll explain everything when you’re done.”

  Cane sat still but her mind was racing. The island loomed larger, spiked with security towers and guard emplacements, as dark and foreboding as her thoughts.

  Then an automatic sensor was triggered and the wheels swivelled outward, touching down as the road rose to meet them. At the checkpoint a uniformed Mariner scanned Rex’s security pass before admitting them into the parking lot below the steep face of the prison.

  “I won’t come in with you,” Rex said. “But here, before I forget.” He took Cane’s wrist, pressing his own on to it. She felt the storage chip pulse beneath her skin. “He asked us to send him some money, for luxuries you know. Just pass it over when you see him.”

  Cane climbed from the car, forcing down her doubts. Alcatraz towered over her, a tiered precipice of concrete and steel. She gritted her teeth and started forward.

  An automated door swung open to admit her and the officer on the desk looked up. She beckoned Cane through a metal detector that scanned her from head to toe – she saw her outline on the monitor, her chip glowing blue along with the zip of her jumpsuit and the caps of her boots.

  On the other side a young prison guard waited, gesturing for Cane to follow him. “Welcome to Alcatraz, Miss Cortez,” he said, unable to hide the excitement in his voice. “Usually our visits take place in that secure room over there, but this is a special case. We have to go down to the vault.”

  He led Cane into an elevator, the doors sliding shut. As they descended the guard smiled nervously, drumming his fingers on the handle of his nightstick. “I have to… I don’t mean to be rude but I wanted to ask… Is it true you were there? In London? During the battle?”

  Cane looked at him. “Yes, I was there. Why?”

  The young man beamed. “It must’ve been something. I mean, I read about it on the newsfeeds, but to actually be there… I heard they’re planning a movie. I wonder who’ll play you?”

  Cane tried to speak but nothing came. The lift doors slid wide and she stepped out, her head pounding in the harsh electric light. They marched along a stone corridor lined with ancient, empty cells. In the distance she heard cries and clanging metal.

  “Just wait in here,” the guard said, showing her into a small interview room. Cane took a seat, trying to steady her heartbeat. There were cameras pointed at the table and metal loops embedded in the concrete floor. For a moment all was quiet, just the hiss of the pipes. Then the far door opened and her father was standing there, in a white jumpsuit with his hands cuffed in front of him.

  The guard nudged him forward, ushering him into the chair opposite Cane and locking his chains to the floor. Then he retreated to the back of the room and stood against the wall, watching keenly.

  John Cortez was thin, that was the first thing Cane noticed. He’d never been a big man but now his cheeks were gaunt, his eyes lurking deep in his sallow face. He placed his hands on the table, as close to Cane as the chains would allow. The webs between his fingers hung slack.

  Then she looked up, meeting his gaze, and suddenly the prison dropped away, the walls and the island and all of it, and they were father and daughter again, just sharing each other’s company.

  “I wanted to say I’m
sorry,” Cortez began. “I’m sorry you got caught up in … well, in all of it. I should have kept you away, I realise that now. You weren’t ready. But I only did what I thought was right, Cane. And I still love you more than anything – I hope you can believe that.”

  Cane dropped her eyes, feeling her pulse throbbing in her temples.

  “I feel stronger than I did,” Cortez went on. “Those last days, everything was so … intense. With Elroy and Redeye and Kara, and that last mad rush to prepare. I’m calmer now. Back to the man I was before they took my son. I still miss him, though. Every minute.”

  “So do I,” Cane said. “I… I miss you, too. I miss all of us being together.”

  Cortez reached for her, straining against his chains. “We’ll be together again, I promise. Not Elroy, not him, but you and me. There’s still so much to do, so much to be achieved.” He lowered his voice. “I mean it, Cane. You’ll see. When I get out of here, I’ll—”

  Cane jerked back. “When you get out? Father, you know that’s never going to happen. After what you did … you’re going to die in here.”

  Cortez pursed his lips. “Not necessarily. You never know what the future will bring.”

  Cane stumbled to her feet, her heart racing. “What are you up to? Are you planning something? Are you plotting again? You’ll get yourself killed this time, you’ll—”

  “Stop,” Cortez said, and the warmth was suddenly gone from his voice. “I mean, there’s no need to get yourself worked up. Sit back down.”

  Cane shook her head. “No. I can’t stay here. I should never have come. It was a mistake.” She looked at the guard. “Can you let me out?”

  The young man crossed towards her but Cortez held up a hand. “If you must leave, I understand. But didn’t Rex give you something for me? A little spending money?”

  Cane glanced at the guard and he nodded quickly. She touched wrists with her father, his skin rough and warm. She felt the chip pulse then she turned away, marching from the room.