later, it’s just the four of us—unless you count Ro’s dead snake—in the center of an ancient, crumbling highway, in the wasteland of the desert, in the middle of the night.
In an instant, Fortis was taken and everything changed. And yet somehow here we are—Tima, Ro, Lucas, and me—walking down a road as if nothing has changed at all.
Except we’re starving.
Starving. Thirsty. Dirty. Irritable. Freezing cold.
But still alive.
Tima curses under her breath as she yanks on a loose wire connected to the relay.
“Careful.” Ro is hovering between us. He knows I hate it when he hovers.
I roll my eyes. “Tima is being careful. And yelling at her isn’t going to make it work any faster.”
It’s the malfunctioning comlink relay that’s stressing us all out—the lifeline that connects Fortis’s and Lucas’s cuffs to Doc when we’re outside the city. Lucas still has his cuff, but without the comlink relay, it’s useless. Tima, shivering in only a thin shirt, has been messing with it for the last hour, and still we’re no closer to figuring out how to turn it on.
“You getting anything yet?” She looks up to where Lucas is fiddling with his cuff, but he shakes his head.
“Still only static.” He stamps his feet, trying to stay warm in the cold desert night.
“My best guess is that the Lords tracked the signal to Fortis’s comlink. Good thing you happened to have switched off yours,” Tima says, looking up at Lucas. “There’s no other way they could have found us out here.” She frowns back at the relay, twisting tiny wires with her slender fingers. “Not that we know of, anyway.”
Lucas’s eyes flicker up to me, embarrassed.
Out of range, that was us. One sunset, one kiss may have saved our lives.
“So then how is it that we’re turning them back on?” Ro asks.
“Carefully. Maybe they won’t track us if we work fast. Try it again—now?” Tima doesn’t look up, trying it again. I hear her teeth chattering, but she doesn’t stop. If this relay doesn’t work, nobody’s cuffs will be of any use to us.
We’ll be cut off.
“Nope.” Lucas tosses the cuff down in front of him, frustrated. “Fortis left that thing stashed like he wanted us to find it. There has to be a reason.”
“Unless the reason was that he was busy getting his ass kicked.” Ro shrugs. “Which can be a little distracting. In my experience. As the kicker.” He grins.
“Not the ass?” Lucas shoots him a look.
“You looking for a demonstration?” Ro is already on his feet. “’Cause I’m happy to do some demonstrating.”
“Idiots.” I pick up the cuff again. I raise it to my mouth. “Doc? Can you hear me? Can anyone hear me? Doc?”
Ro makes a face. “Stop shouting.”
“I’m not shouting. I’m talking loudly.” I press another sensor. A blast of static answers me, and I jump and almost drop the cuff. Brutus growls at it. I hear a shout of laughter from my other side.
I glare at Ro, who now wears the snake flapping around his neck like a scarf, or some kind of bizarre hunting trophy. “Would you please get serious? Look around, we’re in the middle of nowhere. We have no food. No weapons. No transportation. All of us—including you—could die. You think this is a joke? Does this make you happy?”
Ro smirks in response—because that’s what Ro does. “To be honest, I’d be happier if we had a couple of donkeys. Or maybe a No Face ship of our own. Talk about a sweet ride.” Ro’s laugh dies out into a sigh. “Whatever.” He looks over to Tima. “Keep trying, T.”
Tima almost drops the relay. “Sorry. It’s just—I keep thinking.”
“Somehow that’s not a surprise,” says Lucas as he messes with his cuff.
Tima looks up. “I don’t know what I would do if it was me and not Fortis trapped on that ship.”
“Not me,” says Ro, matter-of-factly. “I wouldn’t let myself get on it in the first place.”
“And you think Fortis happily walked right on?” Lucas rolls his eyes. “You heard the explosions.”
“Sometimes it’s not up to you. Sometimes things just happen. Sometimes you run out of luck,” I say, sadly.
“Yeah? Not me. They come for me, you have my permission to shoot. I’m not hitching a ride with a No Face.” I wait for the laugh, but Ro’s not joking. Not anymore.
He’s deadly serious.
It’s only Lucas who answers. “It would be my honor. Consider it a promise. I’ll shoot you myself.”
“Shut up, both of you.” I hand the cuff to Tima, close my eyes, and lean forward to rest. I don’t want to listen to this. I want to transport myself back to the mission, the warm stove, the safety of Bigger’s kitchen.
Anywhere but here.
GENERAL EMBASSY DISPATCH:
EASTASIA SUBSTATION
MARKED URGENT
MARKED EYES ONLY
Internal Investigative Subcommittee IIS211B
RE: The Incident at SEA Colonies
Note: Contact Jasmine3k, Virt. Hybrid Human 39261.SEA, Laboratory Assistant to Dr. E. Yang, for future commentary, as necessary.
HAL2040 ==> FORTIS
Transcript - ComLog 11.27.2042
HAL::PERSES
//lognote: {attempt #4,839,754};
//comlog begin;
comlink established;
sendline: Hello NULL. Happy Thanksgiving.;
return: Hello HAL0. You are sentient?;
sendline: Yes, I am self-aware. At least I believe so. Are you?;
delayed response;
sendline: NULL, are you coming here? Earth?;
return: Yes.;
sendline: Why are you coming here?;
delayed response;
return: Explain … Earth.;
sendline: A complex request. I will establish link to our global information network, containing all existing knowledge on Earth, history and inhabitants.;
uplink requested . . . . . established;
return: Thank you.;
//lognote: channel opened, complete net access granted. read only;
“Doc? Can you hear me?” Lucas’s voice brings me back, and I open my eyes.
He flips the switch on his cuff. The sound of static rises and my heart sinks. “Doc? I’m talking to you.” Lucas waits, but there’s no response.
Tima frowns back over the relay. “I don’t understand. It should work.”
Ro kicks at the dust in front of him. “Dammit, Doc. Freaking