Chapter 20

Once More

Devin wasn’t surprised to find Adesina waiting in his apartment when he returned. Random meet-ups in a dead zone were the only way they could discuss matters without Rourke hearing.

Adesina tapped her fingers on the armrest of her chair. “You’re back later than usual.”

Devin approached. “How have you managed to stay so long? Doesn’t Rourke question why you’re still here?”

Adesina shrugged. “He can lock me out of his top-secret areas, but to bar me entirely would raise alarms back at headquarters. Although, come to think of it, I’m surprised he hasn’t confronted me.”

Devin pulled a chair out from the table. “He’s been quiet for the past two weeks. Never seems to leave his office.”

“So he hasn’t talked to you lately?”

Devin shook his head.

Adesina rested her chin on her fist. “Huh. After all that time he spent making you his special project, he suddenly doesn’t care?”

“My guess is that he got what he was looking for, and now he’s plotting his next move.”

“I take it he hasn’t asked about your assignment to find a buyer either.” Adesina put her hand down and gave Devin a stern look. “It’s time we move on that. Rourke’s treachery has gone on long enough, and I want him to face justice.”

“We’ll move as soon as I find his partner.” Devin met her stare.

Adesina threw her hand up. “How many times do I have to say it? There’s no fucking partner. I’m sorry you lost your AI friend, but we’ve found no other evidence that anyone else is involved. You know what I think happened? One of Rourke’s clients asked for a live AI, and he delivered the product straight to the buyer.”

“That can’t be. Rourke was so hell-bent on capturing Adam, he dropped a bomb near my sister just to tell me to hurry up. He wouldn’t care so much if he was just filling an order.”

“That man’s erratic. Who knows why he does what he does?” Adesina scowled. “There will be a reckoning, and he will pay for the lives he cost. But for that reckoning to happen, you have to do your part.” She stood. “Tell Rourke that you’ve found a buyer. Set it up, or I will.”

“If you do, his partner will get away.” And I’ll never find Adam. How can I ever face Jane again? Hell, how can I ever face myself again?

Adesina stiffened. “If there is another party, I’ll be sure to interrogate Rourke about it after he’s in custody. One more day, Devin. Then, it’s time.”

She strode to the exit. Arguing would have been pointless. She’d given her ultimatum, and Devin had to admit, she had a point. Perhaps it would be better to expose Rourke first. Perhaps, once in custody, Rourke could be persuaded into giving up his partner’s identity.

Devin contemplated his options. He shared Adesina’s fury that Rourke continued to roam free. At the same time, he couldn’t let Rourke’s partner get away. And there was a partner—Devin was certain.

An idea struck him. I need to talk to Silver.

 

Devin opened the door and gestured for Silver to enter. “After you.”

Silver strode into the apartment and glanced around. That day, she wore her hair in a simple brown ponytail and sported a nondescript outfit of gray pants and a dark blue jacket. Although her appearance was evidently meant to blend into a crowd, Devin would still have recognized her anywhere. That face—it would flash through his mind each time he saw a glint of silver, haunting him.

Silver leaned against the edge of the table and crossed her ankles. The pale early morning sun shone through the window behind her. “You’re lucky I happened to be near Kydera. Otherwise, I wouldn’t waste my time pretending to be your old college pal. As long as we’re in a dead zone, you might as well tell me what’s going on. What’s Adam Palmer’s secret?”

“What?”

“I know why you’ve been stalling. You’re looking for him.”

Devin tried to recall if he’d said anything about Adam to her. “How did you know?”

“I talked to Jane.” Silver’s tone carried a trace of taunting.

“You did what?” Devin strode toward her. “You had no right to involve her.”

“She called me.” Silver sounded nonchalant. “Wanted to know if I’d seen you around. Poor kid was pretty upset that she couldn’t reach you.”

Why would Jane be so desperate to find me? “What did you tell her?”

Silver met Devin’s glare. “You can’t protect her forever. She’s a brave one—I’ll give her that. But she’s as crazy as you are.”

Devin looked away. That’s what I was afraid of.

Silver pushed off the table. “I told her you were here. Figured she deserves to know. She’s your sister, for fuck’s sake.” She narrowed her eyes. “Now, tell me, what’s with this Adam Palmer? He wasn’t on the Klistosians’ kill list by mistake, was he?”

Devin considered if he should lie. He couldn’t come up with a plausible falsehood, and for some reason, he trusted Silver. In any case, if he didn’t tell her, she would probably find out anyway. “Have you heard of the Pandora Project?”

Silver barely reacted as Devin explained the AIs to her. She listened in clinical silence, as if he were merely detailing the layout of a starship. When he finished, all she said was, “Interesting.”

“Zeger Vang must have traced the command that affected him,” Devin continued. “He must have perceived Adam as a threat, and that’s why you were hired.”

“I see.”

Devin expected Silver to ask more questions or at least express an opinion, but she remained still. In that moment, he couldn’t help noticing the way the light highlighted her cheekbone. Her face was a work of art. For the first time, the reason why he always recognized her, no matter what guise she was in, struck him: she was beautiful in a way no other woman was. Not even Sarah.

It wasn’t just the shape of her features that held his attention. Something about the proud way she held herself, the sharp intelligence in her eyes, and the grace with which she moved gave her a mysterious kind of allure.

He must have paused too long, for Silver glowered. “Why did you call me here?”

Devin snapped out of his brief trance. “I’m out of time. The plan must go down tomorrow, and I have no chance of finding Adam—or Rourke’s partner—before then. I need you to make Rourke reveal his partner’s location.”

Silver leaned back against the table. “And how am I supposed to do that?”

“Act as though you already know about the partner, that you found out doing your due diligence on your new supplier.”

“If he refuses?”

Unfortunately, that’s the more likely scenario. “Then agree to his terms. Better to catch one than neither.”

“Very well.” Silver straightened. “You made me come all the way here to tell me that? Get your shit together, Pretender. If I were anyone else, I’d have flaked by now.”

That was unnecessarily defensive. Devin got the idea that Silver used her scorn to hide something. She didn’t come just because I asked her to—she wanted to know what was going on. She’s curious.

Silver scowled. “What’s the smile for?”

Devin hadn’t realized that his expression had changed. “Nothing.”

She threw him a contemptuous look, then strode out the door.

Devin pressed the button to raise the window’s shades. He watched as Silver exited the building, fascinated by how her entire demeanor could change. She was no longer the haughty Tenebrarum merc; she was just a woman in town to see a friend. A great actress who could slip seamlessly from identity to identity.

Yet, there was something real about her. Who lay behind those cold eyes? Whom did she hide behind that frosty voice? After Rourke was caught, Devin would likely never see her again. The thought brought Devin an unexpected sense of disappointment.

He lowered the shades and turned away. The digital clock on the wall told him that several minutes remained before the transports to Sector 1708 would arrive. He had no choice but to return to the facility, though what he would do there, he didn’t know. Since there was no sense in waiting, Devin decided to head out early.

He stepped out of the apartment building. No one else was present, although in a few minutes, they would all file out with eerie punctuality. He glanced down the street, hoping to catch a glimpse of Silver, but she had disappeared.

Beep.

Devin pulled his slate from his pocket, wondering whether Jane was calling. To his surprise, Sarah’s was the name that appeared on his screen.

Why would she contact me?

He knew he shouldn’t answer. In fact, he should have discarded any means by which to contact him via normal channels. The secure line he used to speak with Silver should have been the only one he used. However, he’d found himself unable to part with his remaining link to the world outside of ISARK, even though he almost never responded to the communications.

The only reason he could think of for Sarah’s call was that she was in some kind of trouble. Perhaps ISARK had decided the risk of letting someone like her remain among the public outweighed the risk of the AIs becoming known. If that were the case, he couldn’t do nothing and let another person he cared about fall into Rourke’s unforgiving clutches.

Devin pressed “accept,” and Sarah’s beautiful, delicate face appeared on the screen.

“Hello, Devin.” Sarah gave a nervous smile. “I know I promised to leave you alone, and your sister will probably kill me if she finds out I contacted you, but… I just had to talk to you.”

“Is everything okay? Are you in trouble?”

“No, I’m all right.”

Devin exhaled in relief. “Why are you calling?”

“It’s about Rick… Rick Blumenthal, that is. The man I’ve been seeing.” Sarah’s words, so smooth in all his memories, stumbled with uncertainty. “You told me to find someone powerful, and I did. I think… I think he wants to marry me. I know it’s fast, but… he keeps talking about ‘forever,’ and he told me that I’m…” She trailed off.

Devin smiled wryly. “You seem to have that effect on people.”

Sarah dropped her gaze, as though ashamed.

“Why are you telling me this?”

Sarah looked up. “I just… want to make sure you’re okay with it.”

“You don’t need my permission to do anything.”

“I know.” She hesitated. “I keep remembering the way things were between us, and I can’t help wondering if there’s something left.”

Devin turned his gaze to the empty road before him. Yes, there was something left, and there always would be. But he knew he’d never get back the past he’d lost. Unable to help himself, he asked, “Did you ever love me?”

Sarah was silent for several seconds. “I don’t know.” Her voice was soft. “I’m not sure I know what love is, or if it’s even something I’m capable of. But I do care about you. You’re the only man who knows who I really am.”

Her answer affirmed what Devin had told himself previously. She sought the shelter of his familiarity, not affection. Perhaps, in their newness, the emotions seemed the same to her, but she extended an invitation he couldn’t accept.

“What about Rick?” he asked.

“I care about him too, more than I thought I would.” Sarah smiled to herself. “I went to him because he could protect me, but I’ve realized there’s something else. He’s a good man, better than most give him credit for.”

The look in her eyes spoke of true fondness. Not so long ago, Devin would have yearned to see her speak of him in that way. But the change he’d sensed since she’d come to him after awakening had grown more acute, and he realized it wasn’t just something about her, but something within himself as well.

Sarah continued, “I know he loves me, but… he doesn’t know.”

“You’re afraid he’ll leave if he learns your secret.”

Sarah nodded.

Devin understood her reason for calling. He was the only one she could turn to with her fears, and she sought security in him. If he could have offered it to her, he probably would have. But to what end?

“You’re going to be all right,” he said as reassuringly as he could. “I’m not your answer, Sarah. Perhaps Rick is, and I wish you the best with him.” As Devin spoke those last words, he found that he almost meant them.

“Thank you.” Sarah’s expression remained tight with anxiety.

“Good luck with everything.”

“You too.” Sarah ended the transmission.

Devin folded the slate. Her presence didn’t affect him as it had in the past. No pang stabbed at his heart, and no fury clouded his mind. In fact, he felt nothing at all.

The door to the apartment building opened, and the other Sector 1708 employees walked out, joining Devin by the street. A gleaming transport landed before him. The door opened, and the others walked around him as they filed in one by one. Devin glanced at them, chilled by the blankness of their expressions. As he moved to join them, he wondered if he was really all that different.

 

Jane pressed her back against the side of the tall apartment building, half hoping her brown leather jacket would help her blend into its rust-colored wall. The building was the only residential structure in Arunit. Devin had to live there. The workday hadn’t ended, and so he couldn’t have come back yet.

She peered around the corner. The Kyderan sun still shone on the horizon. It looked much smaller than it did on Kydera Major. She’d forgotten how cold Ibara was. The wind chilled her through her jacket and inadequate black pants.

An air transport landed in the street, and a handful of men and women trickled out. Must be quitting time. Devin will be here soon.

What if he didn’t show up? He could have flown off to another planet on assignment. What if the woman with the silver armbands had lied? But she had seemed sincere, concerned even.

It occurred to Jane that Arunit, being an ISARK-controlled town, would be full of security cameras. Ducking by a building would only make her look suspicious, especially since she had a gun hidden under her jacket pressing against her hip. She’d thought herself insane for bringing it in the first place. Still, she hadn’t been about to confront Devin unarmed. He’d been perfectly willing to stun her and blow up her ship’s engines.

Can’t be certain of anything anymore.

She emerged from her hiding spot and leaned against the wall. Hopefully, by looking casual, she would prevent anyone from questioning her presence in the town. Even ISARK employees had family, and from what she’d learned, Arunit was supposed to be the medium between Sector 1708’s opacity and the real world’s openness. If anyone asks, I’m just paying my big brother a surprise visit.

A second transport arrived, and Devin emerged from its arched doorway. Jane’s feet carried her toward him before she realized what was happening. “Devin!”

Devin turned to her. He didn’t appear surprised to see her. “Hey, Pony. I didn’t realize you were visiting this week.”

His nonchalance ignited a new flame within Jane, and she no longer cared who witnessed her actions. “What the hell, Devin? How could you?”

Devin’s expression darkened. “Come with me.” He grabbed her arm and started pulling her toward the apartment building.

Jane yanked her arm out of his grip. “Let me go, you jerk!”

He grabbed her again. “Not here,” he said through gritted teeth.

“Yes, here!” She twisted in his grip until she broke free. “I’m not giving you another chance to get away! Where’s Adam?”

Devin looked her in the eye. “Dalarune.”

Rage flared within Jane. Knowing he would lie again unless she showed him her proof, she grabbed the slate from her pocket and shoved it at him. “If he’s on Dalarune, what the hell is this?”

Devin stared at the slate for a moment, then glanced around.

Jane glanced around, too. The other ISARK employees seemed oblivious to the scene. They’ve probably been trained not to care. Soulless robots, all of them!

She glared at her brother. “Open the freaking slate.”

Devin obliged. Adam’s screams emitted from the speakers. Jane looked away.

“What’s this?” Devin’s voice was low.

His attempt at denial fueled Jane’s anger. “What do you think? I don’t know who sent it, but I know what it means. What have you done with him?”

Devin folded the slate, expression calm. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Liar!” Jane’s voice came out shrilly, almost a scream. “You sent him there! He’s suffering, maybe dying, because of you! How could you, Devin? How could you?”

Devin reached toward her. “If you’ll just come with me—”

“Like hell!” Jane jumped back. He was stronger than she was—if he grabbed her again, she might not escape. Tensing her jaw, she did her best to act calm. There was no sense in making a scene; what she needed was information. “Just tell me where he is.”

“Pony, please—”

“Don’t call me Pony!” How dare he act as if nothing was wrong?

He reached for her again. “Listen—”

Without thinking, Jane pulled out her gun. “Touch me again, and I’ll blast you to hell!”

Too late, she realized how stupid a move that was. She looked around wildly, expecting alarms to blare. No one appeared to have noticed. The street and sky remained empty, and the air was still. The last few ISARK people seemed oblivious as they disappeared into the apartment building.

Devin’s gaze flicked down at the gun. “Put that away.”

“I trusted you!” Jane’s eyes stung, and she had no willpower left to stop her enraged words from tumbling out. “I’ve always trusted you! When they told me you shot Dad, I never believed for a moment it was true! I threw away everything, everything because I thought any kind of life would be worth it as long as it was with you!” Tears fell from her eyes. “You were my hero, Devin. How could you betray me?”

Devin seemed frozen, almost like a faulty hologram.

Jane held the gun steady. “Where’s Adam?”

“I don’t know.” His tone was flat.

Damn liar! She took a step toward him. “Why did you give him to ISARK?”

“He’s an AI.” Devin’s tone was cold. “A machine programmed to mimic human behavior. He killed twenty-seven people.”

“He was possessed!” Jane knew her defenses would do little good, but she had to say them. “It wasn’t his fault!”

“Jane, believe me—”

“Believe you?” Jane shoved the barrel of her gun into his chest. “Tell me where Adam is, or else.”

Devin’s expression appeared half-sympathetic, half-amused. “Are you really going to shoot me, Pony?”

Jane felt the trigger against her finger. Much as she hated him at the moment, he was still the brother she’d grown up with, whom she’d looked up to, and whom she loved, no matter what. Her weapon was set on stun, but if she knocked him out, what then? Would she drag him into an alley and tie him up, as if she were some thug? Torture her own brother for a confession?

Despite everything, she couldn’t hurt him, even though he seemed perfectly willing to hurt her. He hadn’t even reacted to the video of Adam’s agony. Coldhearted monster. I thought I knew you.

Realizing that there was no way she could coerce him into telling her where Adam was, she lowered her gun. “Please, Devin.” No words seemed able to express her desperation, how much she longed to take Adam away from whoever caused him pain and comfort him in her embrace. “Please…”

“I’m sorry, Jane.” Devin’s apology rang with sincerity.

That made Jane feel worse. Sure, he was sorry—sorry for her. But not sorry enough to do anything. Another meaningless “Sorry, Jane.”

She clenched her fist. Fury sprang up within her. Her knuckles connected with her brother’s face before she realized what was happening.

She dropped her hand, horrified at what she’d done, then spun and ran as fast as she could. She had to get away. Would Devin pursue her? Try to convince her that he was right? The thought made her legs move faster.

Down the street, through the spaceport control center, and onto the landing pad—all was a blur behind the tears. No matter how she restrained them, they wouldn’t stop. Why won’t they stop? Her gasping breaths seemed unable to keep up with her running, and her head spun.

She climbed into the Stargazer, shut the door behind her, and collapsed on the floor. Sobs heaved up her chest.

What am I supposed to do? She looked up and repeated the question in a desperate scream: “What am I supposed to do?”

She was a useless, gullible idiot. Because of her helplessness, Adam lay trapped somewhere, probably being vivisected by scientists who would ignore his screams as though they were alarms on a starship, simply stating, “Warning: systems unstable.”

And her brother didn’t care. The brother she’d idolized, whose word she’d taken above anyone else’s.

Where’s the brother I always trusted?

Since she’d seen him, she understood why he’d lied. He saw his actions as justified. Adam was a machine that had caused dozens of human deaths. If Devin had stuck by that stance from the start, she might have forgiven him.

But if it all comes down to him or Adam…

A flash of red interrupted her thoughts. She looked up. A light on the control panel told her she had an incoming transmission. A message across the bottom of the viewscreen told her it was from “Corsair.” Not wanting to look like a mess in front of Riley, she wiped her eyes and got up from the floor.

Why’s he calling? Has he found something? No, that can’t be it. It wouldn’t be that easy.

She sat in the pilot’s chair and pressed the icon to accept the transmission.

Riley’s face filled the screen. “Yo, Janie!” His face fell with concern. “What’s wrong?”

Jane lifted the corners of her mouth into something of a smile. “Damn weather is giving me all kinds of problems. Anyway, what’s up?”

“Uh… I found him.” Riley grinned awkwardly, as though confused by his own triumph. “Adam, I mean. I traced the video.”

“You did?” Jane stood. “I thought you said it was untraceable.”

“Uh… It was.” Riley scratched his head. “But then all of a sudden… I dunno, it’s like whoever was trying to hide it cleared the path. I mean, I had this program running, bouncin’ off all kinds of drives—”

“Send me the coordinates.” Jane didn’t care how Riley had succeeded, only that he had.

Riley fidgeted. “Hey, Janie, I want Adam outta there as much as you, but… this whole video thing seems really sketchy. It’s like they wanted to be found.”

“Send me the damn coordinates!” Jane was in no mood to argue.

“It’s a trap!” Riley spoke hurriedly. “That’s—”

“Riley, I’ve been chased, shot at, and betrayed. Don’t test me.”

“All right, all right!”

“Thanks.” Funny, of all the people she knew, her weird demon pal was the only one who’d never let her down. She gave him a genuine smile. “I promise, I’ll visit again once this is all over. See you later.”

“Uh… See you.” Riley ended the transmission. A few seconds later, her ship’s central computer told her she had an incoming message:

 

Corsair: Here you go, sis.

 

Jane split her lips into an amused grin. She entered the coordinates Riley had sent with the message into the Stargazer’s computer. They seemed to lead to empty space, but that didn’t mean a veiled starship or float didn’t lurk in the location they indicated. She yearned to take off right away, but she forced herself to take a moment and consider her circumstances. Won’t do me any good to get stranded halfway.

She swiped the control screen and brought up a status report. I’ve got enough fuel, that’s for sure. And enough food and supplies stored in the back for at least a week. She checked the navigation screen. The journey will take less than half that time, so I’m good.

What would she find once she arrived? She knew running off to an unknown location was a terrible idea, but she didn’t see what other choice she had. Whatever’s out there, I can handle it. My ship’s veiled, so they won’t see me coming, and I’m armed. Besides, it’s not like there’s anything else I can do until I see what I’m dealing with.

She sat down and revved up the engines. The Stargazer zoomed out of Ibara’s atmosphere. She engaged lightspeed, but as the seconds ticked by, even that felt too slow. Almost two days had passed since the video of Adam had been recorded, which meant that for at least that long, someone had been tearing into him in a twisted science lab. He’d been locked up for weeks while she’d been messing around in the music world, pretending she could just get over him like any other ex. How could I have given up on him so easily? If I’d gone looking for him, I would’ve found out that he wasn’t on Dalarune, and I wouldn’t have wasted so much time.

She tried not to let the awful feeling of guilt get to her, but it kept clawing at her mind. While she’d been chasing her dumb dream, he’d been suffering. What if she was already too late? Science moved quickly, more quickly than anyone could keep up with. What if by the time she reached him, they’d taken all they needed and discarded him?

Wait for me, Adam. Jane shoved the steering bars forward, wishing she could break the lightspeed barrier. Stay alive, okay? I’m coming for you, and I swear, I’ll take you away. We’ll start a new life.

The tears returned as Jane pictured a tranquil future with Adam, one she would once have dismissed. We’ll escape to somewhere they’ll never find you. You’ll spend your days reading dull Via books and volunteering at whatever center for the unfortunate happens to lie nearby. I’ll find some paying job, and, every so often, scribble silly songs. We’ll argue about stupid things, and I’ll complain about how far our life is from the ambitions I once dreamed of, but at the end of the day, I won’t care, as long as you love me.

She closed her eyes. Don’t die before I can make it happen. Just please, wait for me.