by Brandon Mull
“We need to hear your whole story, Cole,” Googol said. “I know time is short, but understanding a situation is crucial before making tactical decisions. Everyone who was with us before, come with me.”
They returned to the room where Cole had found them. At Googol’s request, Cole told about his trip to Junction and his encounter with Owandell and Nazeem. He went on to detail his conversation with Harmony, how Hunter captured him, and why he came to believe Hunter really was his brother. He then recounted their mission to Abram Trench’s secret hideout and all that happened. Googol was particularly intrigued with Roxie’s ability to shape crystals and with how quickly she took over the drones and the system that controlled them.
“We have a lot to digest and little time to do it,” Googol said after Cole finished. “The threat posed by Nazeem and Owandell is perhaps the worst news of the day, but not the most imminent danger, so let’s table it for now. Roxie’s current rampage isn’t just a show of force. She is using her abilities to compromise new systems. The more time that passes before she is stopped, the more of Zeropolis she will control when we engage her. If we wait too long, every bot, levcar, and automated system in the city will be her ally.”
“But how do we attack her?” Mira said.
“Not with bots,” Cole said. “It wouldn’t be any fun to have Outlaw turn on us.”
“Too true,” Googol said.
“Do we have weapons that could hurt her?” Jace asked.
“What about a harmony bomb?” Cole asked.
“There are no harmony bombs,” Roulette said.
Cole noticed a glance between Googol and Nova. “Could you make one?” Cole asked.
“The results could be disastrous,” Nova said.
“As disastrous as this supercomputer?” Googol asked.
Nova frowned deeply. “We have a prototype,” she said. “It isn’t currently armed and ready, but the final preparations wouldn’t take long.”
“What’s a harmony bomb?” Jace asked. “Could it take out the dragon?”
“Harmony bombs only exist in theory,” Googol said. “To make one, a harmonic crystal would need to be prepared to explode when infused with a massive dose of energy. If it works, the prototype we designed would destroy everything in a ten block radius, and do serious damage beyond that. It could demolish a significant portion of the city.”
“Could that be better than Roxie destroying all of it?” Dalton asked.
“I never knew we had a harmony bomb,” Roulette said.
“Almost nobody did,” Googol said.
“What if we could lure the dragon away from the city?” Cole asked.
“It would be a tactical error for Roxie to isolate herself,” Nova said. “But if we could find a way to make her do it, the harmony bomb could be just what we need.”
“Any interaction with Roxie will be difficult,” Googol said. “All our tech is vulnerable around her. We can rig the battle suits so crystals have no control over them, but they still need crystals for power. If Roxie reshaped the harmonics, she would cut off the power supply.”
“Wait a minute,” Cole said. “What if we did that to her?”
“Cut off her power?” Googol asked.
“She can change our harmonics,” Cole said. “Blake can change harmonics too. What if he shut her down?”
Googol raised his eyebrows and stroked his lips. “What do you think, Blake?”
“Shaping crystals is easy,” Blake said hesitantly. “It wouldn’t be a big problem to sense her power crystals and change the harmonics. I’d need to get close, though.”
“Roxie is smart,” Nova said. “She’ll probably have many crystals powering her, with redundancies built in. Once you start changing her harmonics, she might change them back.”
“Could other tinkers help him?” Cole asked.
“Nobody can do what Blake does,” Googol said. “Not even Abram Trench. Our best crystal tuners require crystals side by side for several minutes to forge a harmonic link. And that’s tuning a blank crystal. Changing the existing harmonics of a crystal to a new frequency is ever harder.”
“Can you contact the Hunter?” Nova asked.
“Yeah,” Cole said. “It’s just Hunter.”
“I’d like his opinion on all of this,” Nova said.
“He’s worried you won’t trust him,” Cole said.
“His worries are well-founded,” Nova said. “However, he delivered you here, and common enemies can make for unusual allies.”
Cole took out his communicator. “Hunter, this is Cole.”
“I hear you,” Hunter replied. “Are all the invisible people assembled?”
“They’re here,” Cole said.
“Keep holding down your button and I’ll hold down mine,” Hunter said. “It makes the communicator work like a speakerphone. The Unseen must be anxious if they’re willing to talk to me.”
“You’re Cole’s brother?” Mira asked.
“I sure am,” Hunter said. “How can I help?”
“We’re strategizing about Roxie,” Googol said.
“The dragon will be hard to beat,” Hunter said. “I’d start with finding Constance.”
“We’re not sure where to begin that search,” Googol replied.
“I planted a tracker on Abram Trench,” Hunter said. “Shot it onto the back of his pajamas. It has moved a good distance from where we found him. If Roxie kept Constance with him, I can fly to them.”
“Where are you now?” Nova asked.
“Watching Roxie from high above,” Hunter said. “She’s tearing through the town like a tornado full of knives.”
“Do you think you can rescue Constance?” Googol asked.
“Not alone,” Hunter said. “According to the tracker, Roxie took Abram Trench to his penthouse in the city administration building. She would have taken over the defense system and left it fully armed.”
“We have a bot that should be able to bring down those defenses,” Googol said.
“The instant those defenses come down, Roxie will come back,” Hunter said.
“We also have a kid who can change crystals just like Roxie can,” Cole said. “He might be able to change Roxie’s power crystals to different harmonics.”
“That would be awesome,” Hunter said. “Okay, I’m coming your way. I want the bot, the harmonics kid, and Cole. I also want Googol’s latest and greatest battle suit.”
“Clayton Barnes makes battle suits,” Googol said.
“Not like you do,” Hunter replied. “How big is your bot? If I can stick him in the cargo space, that will ensure enough room for Constance.”
“The bot is waist high,” Googol replied. “Fairly heavy.”
“That’ll work,” Hunter said. “Are we agreed?”
Googol looked to Nova.
“Yes,” she said.
“I’m coming your way,” Hunter said. “I’ll be there in fifteen minutes.”
“You know where to come?” Nova asked.
“I can track Cole’s communicator,” Hunter said. “Have everybody ready. If Roxie isn’t still out rampaging when we get to the penthouse, we’ll have to abort.”
“See you soon,” Cole said. He released the button.
Forge cleared his throat. He stood in the doorway. Cole wasn’t sure when he had returned.
“Roxie has control of the magroads,” Forge reported. “She has most of CP’s systems. She has most city government systems as well. She controls the financial system. She took over several power stations and a variety of manufacturing facilities. Lots of communications networks. Most of the monorails. The list keeps growing. She infected two of my workstations while I was poking around. Don’t worry—they don’t connect to anything else around here.”
“Thanks, Forge,” Googol said. “Could you sum
mon Sidekick?”
“Sure.” Forge trotted away.
“What do you think?” Googol asked Nova.
“It gives us a chance,” Nova said. “I wish we had some of our own gliders.”
“Our gliders were lost when some of our bases fell,” Googol explained. “Blake, you’re willing to go?”
“I was kind of wondering if anybody would ask,” Blake said. “I guess. But what if I can’t change the crystals fast enough?”
“Hopefully we’ll be gone before Roxie shows,” Cole said.
“That would be the ideal,” Googol said. “If you can get Constance into the glider and take to the sky before Roxie reaches you, the pursuit could possibly lure Roxie outside of town.”
“And then we drop the harmony bomb,” Cole said.
“That could work!” Jace exclaimed.
“But what if Roxie gets back before we get in the air and I can’t stop her,” Blake said.
“Then we probably die,” Cole said. “So we better not mess up.”
Blake didn’t look very comfortable.
Forge returned with Sidekick.
“Hi, Cole,” the little robot said. “I hear we might have a mission.”
“A mission of grave importance,” Googol said. “We need to break into Abram Trench’s penthouse apartment at the city administration building.”
“You’re teasing,” Sidekick said. “I’ve always wanted a shot at that place! I’ve daydreamed about it.”
Googol explained about Roxie and how she was controlling the system.
“I’ve caught some feeds of the dragonbot,” Sidekick said. “I guess if you’re going to design yourself, why not aim for the stars! I’d be no match for her. I can’t tap into the security system directly or she’ll take control of me. If you could get me to the roof, I could probably shut it down manually. At least most of it.”
“The roof shouldn’t be a problem,” Googol said. “Sidekick, there could be a second half to this mission. Remember Project Heat Lamp?”
“Oh, wow,” Sidekick said. “You mean . . . I’m going nova?”
“Possibly,” Googol said. “If the scenario plays out as we hope, you’ll be on a glider with Cole, Blake, Constance, and Hunter.”
“Wait, rewind. Who’s Hunter?”
“The Hunter.”
“My brother,” Cole said.
“Okay, too much,” Sidekick said. “What is this? Were those video feeds fake?”
“He really is my brother,” Cole said. “He flew me here in a glider. He’s coming to take us to Abram Trench’s penthouse. If we can get Constance, we’re going to lure Roxie outside the city and blow her up. Do you know how to work the harmony bomb?”
“Know how to work it?” Sidekick asked. “Cole, I am the harmony bomb.”
Cole just stared. “What?”
“It’s inside of me,” Sidekick said. “Part of me. I can’t set it off myself. Nova has to hit me with a massive amount of power.”
“That’s the plan,” Nova said.
“You’ll be destroyed,” Cole said, suddenly hating the plan.
“Who wouldn’t want to go out like that?” Sidekick asked. “Saving the city in a blaze of glory? Taking out an evil supercomputer? It doesn’t get any better!”
Cole didn’t trust himself to speak.
“Sidekick will save all his data before he goes,” Googol said. “He does it routinely. We can rebuild him, with all elements of his personality intact.”
“Oh,” Cole said, feeling better.
“That kind of reduces the nobility a little,” Sidekick muttered to Googol.
“I thought it might help Cole’s peace of mind,” Googol replied.
“Do I get a battle suit too?” Blake asked.
“He has some basic training,” Roulette said.
“You all get battle suits,” Googol said. “We should hurry. You need to be ready when Hunter arrives.”
Cole stood outside with Mira, Dalton, Jace, Joe, Blake, Sidekick, Googol, Nova, Forge, and Roulette. It felt good to have the battle suit on. The mission would be risky, but if Sidekick could dismantle the security system and they could get away with Constance before Roxie returned, they had a real chance of success.
Blake looked like he might puke.
Jace punched him in the shoulder. “Look alive, soldier.”
“It’s all on me,” Blake said numbly. “If the dragon comes, and I blow it, everybody dies.”
“Welcome to the Outskirts,” Cole said.
“You’ve got this,” Dalton told him. “You’re the last line of defense. It’s like being goalie in soccer. That’s your favorite position, right?”
“He was never a very good—” Cole began, but he stopped when Dalton softly kicked his shin.
Blake was nodding.
“So go defend your team,” Dalton said. “If that dragonbot shows up, shape those power crystals and pull the plug.”
“Until it squashes me like a bug,” Blake said, looking pale.
“If it tries to squish you, dodge,” Jace said. “You’re not going out there to fail. You’re going out there to win.”
Cole’s communicator came to life. “I’ll land in two minutes,” Hunter said.
“We’re ready,” Cole replied.
Blake closed his eyes. “If I don’t make it, tell my family I love them. Or at least try.” Tears leaked down his cheeks.
Cole felt bad for him. He remembered the terrible fear before his first sky castle and the despair that preceded his battle with Carnag. Blake was new to this. He hadn’t risked his life before. Cole was scared and knew they might die, but compared to Blake, he felt like a veteran.
Cole put an arm around Blake. “You really can do this. You’re amazing with crystals. This is what it’s like here. We do scary things. We have to save Constance. We can get it done.”
Blake nodded.
Dalton placed a hand on Cole’s shoulder. “Come back.”
“Oh!” Cole exclaimed. “I almost forgot to tell you. In case I don’t make it, Harmony told me where I could find Jenna. She’s in Necronum at a place called the Temple of the Still Water.”
“That’s one of the five major temples,” Mira said. “She must be talented.”
“Your mom also told me that Honor and Destiny are in trouble,” Cole said. “They’re in Necronum too. Sorry I didn’t mention it earlier.”
“Did she know details?” Mira asked, obviously concerned.
“No,” Cole said. “But she could feel their distress.”
Mira looked to the sky and covered her mouth. “Their markers are up. They’re right on top of each other.”
“One catastrophe at a time,” Jace muttered.
Mira whacked him on the arm.
“I mean, next stop, Necronum,” Jace amended.
The glider swooped down and landed. Hunter hopped out, and Roulette helped him into a battle suit.
“I see the family resemblance,” Roulette said. “You two even look the same age.”
“I came here a couple of years ago and aged slowly,” Hunter said. “Is that our bot?”
“Reporting for duty,” Sidekick said.
“Let’s put you in the cargo hold,” Hunter said. “It isn’t roomy, but you’ll fit.”
“And my dreams of adventure are complete,” Sidekick said. “I’m luggage.”
“It’ll free us up to dump you where you need to be without landing,” Hunter explained.
“That will be useful,” Sidekick said. “I need you to get me to the roof, but if you bring the glider too close, you could activate the defenses.”
“I like how you think,” Hunter said. “Are we ready?”
“Do you want instructions on the battle suit?” Roulette asked.
“I know the basics,�
� Hunter said. “Most of the advanced stuff too. Clayton Barnes replicated most of the features, but he could never get the guardcloth quite right, and his suits couldn’t jump as high. Let’s get in the air.”
Cole hugged his friends good-bye, careful not to hug too tight with the battle suit on. Then he followed his brother into the glider.
CHAPTER
37
PENTHOUSE
Constructed out of dark cement and tinted crystal, the city administration building was not only extremely tall, but broad and thick as well. The cover of night almost made the building and the city around it appear innocent—the lights were on, and there was little activity. But Cole could see the deep gouges where the dragonbot had scaled the side of the building to the penthouse. On the streets below, smashed levcars and motionless bodies evinced additional devastation.
“How far away is Roxie?” Hunter asked into a communicator.
“Our most recent reports have her near Canal Station,” Forge replied. “Tracking her is tricky because we keep losing comms networks.”
“From Canal Station, at the top speed I’ve seen, Roxie will get here in four or five minutes,” Hunter said. “That seems like enough time to give this a shot.”
“How are you back there, Sidekick?” Cole asked.
“Thanks for remembering the baggage,” the little robot replied. “Are bots allowed to pray?”
“I think so,” Cole said.
“Good,” Sidekick replied. “Otherwise I’m breaking the rules. Open the cargo door and take me over the very top of the penthouse. Do you see the black shed?”
“Yeah,” Hunter replied.
“That’s our target,” Sidekick said. “Don’t drop too close. We don’t want to alert the defenses. I’ll be transmitting all my cleaning-bot credentials. I can survive a pretty serious fall. A few more dents might help round me out. Besides, I may not need this body much longer anyhow.”
Cole heard the cargo door opening as Hunter brought the glider around in a slow turn. Peering down at the penthouse, Cole saw that half the rooftop was a terrace with a big lawn, trees, a fountain, hedges, and a garden. The other half rose an additional two stories and featured lots of huge windows. Atop the highest roof sat the shed Sidekick had described.