by Brandon Mull
He tried a sip. It was still quite warm, but no longer too hot. He took another sip. Nova watched him. It felt weird eating with such an attentive audience.
“How many robots do you guys have?” Cole asked to break the silence.
“Not enough,” Nova replied. “Our bots have been vital in helping us through the recent crisis. But care must be taken. If we make too many smart robots, this war could unintentionally evolve to man against machine.”
“Sidekick is great,” Cole said.
“He’s my personal favorite,” Nova said. “Even if his humble routine is partly an act, it works. I like him. How’s the soup?”
“Tasty,” Cole said. “Do you guys have any other special weapons?”
Her eyes narrowed. “What have you heard?”
“Nothing,” Cole said. “I love the warboard and the battle suits. The bots are great. You guys are so high tech, I just wondered if there is anything else.”
“Some of our more hawkish members would like us to deploy a harmony bomb,” she said.
“What’s that?” Cole asked.
Nova stared at him as if gauging the sincerity of his question, then gave a nod. “It’s a theoretical weapon of enormous destructive capacity. Your world has atom bombs. You’re familiar with them?”
“I know the basics,” Cole said. “I couldn’t build one.”
“A harmony bomb would have a similar destructive impact,” she said. “In fact, the strongest models I have conceptualized would have more punch than any nuclear weapons your world currently has developed, but without the radiation. A clean explosion of gargantuan power.”
“Could it take out the whole city?” Cole asked.
“A big one would destroy a large part of it,” Nova said. “And leave a lot more of it damaged.”
“Do you have any?” Cole asked.
“A harmony bomb has never been detonated,” Nova said. “Not even as a test out in the empty wastes. But together, Googol and I have the capacity to make one. He has the know-how to engineer the physical device, and I can provide the power.”
“Is that your shaping ability?” Cole asked.
“I’m a sparker,” Nova said.
“It matches your name,” Cole said. “Nova.”
“An exploding star. Since a harmony bomb has never been tested, we can’t be sure it would work. But in theory, if you properly prepare a harmonic crystal, and then overload it with a sudden influx of energy, it should blow apart in spectacular fashion.”
“How would you use a harmony bomb?” Cole asked.
“That’s the problem,” Nova said. “Such a weapon is a hammer, not a scalpel. We don’t know how to make a small-scale harmonic explosive. It would take so much energy to detonate even the tiniest model that the blast would be devastating. We couldn’t take out City Patrol Headquarters, for example, without also demolishing the city for dozens of blocks all around it. We’re champions of the people, not terrorists.”
“Does City Patrol know you could make a harmony bomb?” Cole asked.
“Abram Trench knows I have the potential,” Nova said. “We worked together years ago, before he became Grand Shaper. Selfish old crab. Politician to the core. Not a sincere bone in his body. No real interest in the common good. But he does worry about himself.”
“You want him scared,” Cole said.
“It’s one way to keep a selfish man out of your business. Nobody in the Outskirts can equal my energy output, and he can’t be sure I wouldn’t use my gift to fuel an explosive device if the situation became bleak enough. Even if I would never actually condone such a weapon, the mere threat provides a useful deterrent. I believe it is part of the reason City Patrol never became serious about interfering with our affairs in Old Zeropolis until now.”
“Which means he’s more worried about finding Secret than he is about a harmony bomb,” Cole said.
Nova tapped the side of her nose and pointed at him. “Exactly. We have reached a decisive hour. Cole, we have exhausted every resource to find Constance. According to Sidekick, even that know-it-all Aeronomatron couldn’t venture a guess as to her whereabouts. The revolution in Zeropolis is in real danger of failing. We have to find Constance quickly. I know of only one remaining option.”
“Something I can help with?” Cole asked, still unsure what she wanted from him.
“There is one who could mark Constance’s location for us,” Nova said.
“Mira’s mother,” Cole said, remembering the stars.
“Mira keeps watch every night,” Nova said. “But no star has appeared. We have to communicate our need to Harmony Pemberton.”
“Wait,” Cole said, pausing with a spoonful of soup on the way to his mouth. “You want me to be a messenger?”
“We’ve sent envoys to Harmony in the past,” Nova explained. “She sent a representative to us once. Our last envoy did not make it to her. The legionnaires got him, though he was not taken alive. The mission would be very risky.”
“Sounds like it,” Cole said, dread pooling inside of him.
“You are in a unique position to do this,” Nova said. “As a child, you are likely to be overlooked as a threat. You already know the secret about Miracle and her sisters. The princess trusts you. And perhaps most importantly, your face is not in the identification system used by City Patrol.”
“What about my fake IDs?” Cole asked.
“Your first fake ID was completely expunged from the records,” she said. “The second was recorded but has been rendered inaccessible. Your current false ID will read as valid to scanners, but your identity can’t be investigated using the system. Somebody doesn’t want you found.”
“The Hunter?” Cole asked.
“That’s our guess,” Nova said. “When you helped rescue Joe, the Hunter went to great lengths to capture you without anyone knowing. He tried to recruit you, correct?”
“He told me I was on the wrong side,” Cole said. “He probably wanted me to lead him to Mira without City Patrol knowing.”
“I’m sure that’s part of it,” Nova said. “But why not give Jace and Dalton the same treatment? Nobody tampered with their records. Tell me about your shaping power.”
“It’s blocked,” Cole said. “I can’t use it. I’ve been trying.”
“A vicious act of shapecraft,” Nova replied. “Unnatural and spiteful. What could you do before your power was blocked?”
“I could make stuff from Sambria work in Elloweer,” Cole said.
Nova nodded slowly. “A rare gift. If not unique. I have heard of those who can work powerful shapings in different kingdoms. But never one who can make an item that does not pertain to a certain kingdom regain functionality. The High King may not just want you in order to find Mira. He may have a specific interest in you as well. We know that he likes to employ those with unusual shaping talents. And we know he has stolen powers.”
Cole thought about the shapecraft experiments Quima had hinted about after they had defeated Carnag. Did the High King want to experiment on him?
“Doesn’t this make me a bad messenger?” Cole asked.
“It increases the risks you’ll incur if you get caught,” Nova said. “But the classified status of your ID enables you to move about the kingdom without getting stopped. And your youth will still help you avoid notice.”
“Can’t Forge make a classified ID for somebody?” Cole asked.
Nova shook her head. “Classified IDs are rare enough that those systems are closely monitored. All attempts to fake one have failed. But yours is genuine. With the attacks of the last few days, our records have been compromised. We can’t send out any of our agents with any confidence. You are the ideal candidate to find Harmony Pemberton and ask her to hang a star over Constance.”
“I’d go alone?” Cole asked, pretty sure he already knew the answer.
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“Sidekick and Googol would accompany you to the main terminal in Zeropolis,” Nova said. “After that you’d proceed on your own. The Junction Express runs to the border of Junction. From there you switch to an electric train that will take you into the heart of the capital.”
“The train works in Junction?” Cole asked.
“Our pure energy dissipates there,” Nova said. “Certain materials we manufacture won’t hold together either. Bonded crystal, for example. But by converting our energy to electricity, and building the train out of the correct materials, we engineered a rail system that functions there. A passenger can travel from the main terminal in Zeropolis to the center of Junction City in under seven hours.”
Cole thought about the message from Trillian. Was this the key service he could perform for the rebellion? Could this be what the torivor had meant?
“Do the others know about this?” Cole asked.
“Only me, Googol, and Sidekick know what we’re considering,” Nova said. “We won’t tell anyone else until you return. This mission requires the highest secrecy. The High King has never fully trusted his wife, but if she gets exposed as a traitor, our cause could be ruined. In addition, with all you know, your capture would be problematic.”
“What should I do if they catch me?” Cole asked.
“Don’t get caught,” Nova said.
“Right,” Cole said. “But if it happens?”
“You’ll do your best. Nobody will come to help you. After you leave, we’ll go elsewhere. You won’t know our location. Your information about Mira would surprise many, but not the High King or the Hunter. If you get apprehended, you won’t know where to find her. That lack of information could lead to very uncomfortable times for you, but the princess would remain relatively safe.”
Cole knew she was talking about torture. Of course, that risk awaited anytime he got captured, not just on this mission. Wasn’t he in nearly as much danger hiding in Old Zeropolis with the Unseen as he would be going to Junction? The City Patrol had proven they could track down Unseen hideouts. At least if he went to Junction, he would be useful.
And who knew what other answers Junction might hold? Maybe Queen Harmony could tell him where Jenna was sent. Surely she would have access to that information. The queen might even be able to suggest strategies for how he and his friends could get home and stay there. And if all she did was help them find Constance, that would still be a big step toward helping Mira’s revolution succeed.
It would be scary to go alone. But Cole had done scary things before. If this went smoothly, it might just be a train ride and some talking.
“How will I meet up with the queen?” Cole asked.
Nova smiled. “You’re a brave boy. I’m an old devil for using children like I do.”
“You mean the Crystal Keepers?”
“They’ve proven extremely effective. I can’t resist successful tactics. We’ll provide a disguise. The First Castle has many errand boys running around. You will masquerade as one of them. We have protocols you can use to contact Queen Harmony.”
If this mission were only about Nova and her resistance movement, Cole wasn’t sure how he would respond. But Mira needed to find Constance in order to move forward. Overthrowing the High King would also provide his best chance to free his missing friends and maybe find a way home. And who knew what extra information Queen Harmony might be able to share?
“How could I say no?” Cole said.
“You can,” Nova said. “And you should if this assignment sounds like too much. If you take on this responsibility, you must succeed. Your life depends on it, as does the entire revolution.”
“I’ll do it,” Cole said. “I won’t let you down.”
“Thank you, Cole. This could help us turn the tide. Are you going to finish your soup?”
Cole glanced down at the red fluid in his bowl. “Maybe later. I kind of lost my appetite.”
CHAPTER
23
JUNCTION
Cole boarded the Junction Express less than a minute before it was scheduled to depart. The interior of this monorail was more posh than the other one Cole had ridden. The cars were roomier, the larger seats reclined farther, and details like the carpeting and the fixtures looked newer and fancier.
Cole found his seat and stowed his rucksack, then tried out the cushy recliner. He had enough legroom to stretch out as much as he wanted.
The monorail was less than half full. Most of the other customers appeared wealthy—some wore fancy clothes; others were stylishly grungy. With his leather jacket and dark jeans, Cole supposed he fit in with the fashionably scruffy.
Nova had urged him to tell nobody he was leaving, but Dalton knew he had talked privately with Nova, and when Cole started talking sentimentally last night, his friend had grilled him until he confessed he had a mission. He gave Dalton no specifics and swore him to secrecy.
As he waited for the monorail to start moving, Cole felt glad that his friend knew he was leaving. Dalton had come a long way with him. It wouldn’t have been fair to go without a good-bye. Besides, he knew Dalton would keep the secret just as faithfully as Nova or Googol.
The journey from Old Zeropolis to the main terminal in Zeropolis had only taken a few hours. Cole, Googol, and Sidekick had all ridden warboards through the underground tunnels, whooshing along with Sidekick lighting the way. They had left Cole with a ticket in hand near a ladder that allowed him to surface near the main terminal. Not more than ten or fifteen minutes had passed since he left them.
The monorail eased forward so smoothly that the rapid acceleration felt subtle. Soon Zeropolis blurred by the windows, and Cole was on his way.
He felt vulnerable. He was leaving behind Dalton and the friends he had made in the Outskirts. He had no backup. And he had stripped off his gear before exiting the tunnels near the main terminal. Advanced devices like an exo rig would malfunction in Junction. Googol didn’t try to send along simpler weapons or equipment on the theory that Cole’s safest strategy was to appear innocent.
Settling back into his seat, Cole closed his eyes and remembered Jace’s advice that the best way not to be noticed was to look at home. He itched to watch for people observing him but told himself that if he looked at ease and ready for a nap, nobody would pay any attention to him.
The Hunter was his biggest threat. Cole’s ID might be classified in the City Patrol’s system, but Googol and Nova had no doubts that the Hunter and his people would be watching for Cole’s ID card to be used. That was why Googol had suggested he board the train at the last moment. It would give the Hunter almost no time to react before the monorail left the city at hundreds of miles per hour.
Cole tilted his seat back. It was strange to lounge in such comfort after sneaking through sewers the past few days. If he had to go on a dangerous mission alone, this was definitely the way to travel.
He had stayed up late stewing about the mission, and after an early start had spent hours zooming along on a warboard underground. Before long, his pretend nap melted into real sleep. When he woke with a start, the monorail was at a standstill, and people were pressing toward the exits.
Grabbing his rucksack, Cole joined the people filing off the monorail. This was the transfer where the passengers had to switch from the monorail powered by Zeropolitan energy to a train propelled by electricity.
Cole shuffled forward, staying near a man about the right age to be his father, hoping to create the illusion that they were traveling together. There was a chance the Hunter would come for him here, at Outpost 19. If so, Cole’s best bet was to stay with the crowd, since the Hunter had shown interest in apprehending him secretly. Because this was an isolated outpost on the border with Junction, Googol was betting that the Hunter wouldn’t be able to move people into place in time. But if the Hunter had noticed Cole use his ID, he would certainly position fellow En
forcers to intercept him in Junction City. For that reason, Googol had assured Cole that some of the Unseen in Junction would create a diversion to stop the train before it reached the Junction City Station. Cole would use that opportunity to exit early and hopefully avoid an encounter with the Hunter’s agents. There would be no napping during this second leg of the trip!
The other train looked a lot like the first one, especially inside. Cole found his seat, stowed his bag, and sat down without incident.
As the train pulled out of the station, Cole found that it didn’t accelerate as smoothly or run as quietly as his previous train, but it still reached an impressive top speed. Cole imagined that it was the equivalent of a bullet train on Earth.
After napping for much of the previous ride, Cole felt much more alert but still tried not to show too much interest in the people around him. His seat on this train was near an emergency exit, which he was supposed to use when the train stopped early. He wasn’t sure when exactly that would happen but knew it would be toward the end of the journey.
A woman came by selling drinks and sandwiches, and Cole bought a soda and a croissant loaded with chicken salad. As he ate, out of the corner of his eye Cole couldn’t help noticing a man across the aisle staring at him. When Cole turned to look at him, the man hastily glanced away.
Cole couldn’t tell whether the sick feeling inside was because he was tense and overly sensitive, or because the man was up to no good. The fellow passenger was stocky and bald on top, with short black hair around the rim of his skull and heavy black eyebrows. He had fairly young features and wore a dark blue suit. Cole didn’t recognize him from the other train, but he had made a point of not paying too much attention to the other passengers.
Taking another bite of his croissant, Cole decided he was probably just too wound up. He didn’t want to lose his cool and look suspicious. But before he had finished his sandwich, Cole caught the man looking again, only to have him glance away a second time.
In his gut Cole knew something was up. The man had to look across the aisle and a couple of other people to watch Cole. Either the guy really regretted not ordering a croissant, or he was spying on him.