Thea looked up as the door chime to her office pinged. “Yes, enter.”
The door hissed open, revealing a tall woman dressed in the black uniform commonly worn by Pathfinder’s military security detail. Striding up to Thea’s desk, the woman moved with feline grace that gave her a decidedly lethal expression.
“Madam President, I’m Commander Neenja KahSandra. You requested my presence?”
“Ah yes, Commander KahSandra. Please, have a seat.” Thea motioned for one of her visitors’ chairs. “You come highly recommended both by my military advisors and the civilian law-enforcement brass.”
Unfazed, the commander merely nodded. “Good to know.”
“I have a special assignment for you that requires your expertise. I will personally update and elevate your security clearance if you agree to change units for the rest of our journey.”
“That sounds intriguing, sir, but I’m very happy where I am, patrolling the outer perimeter of Pathfinder.”
“Which won’t do the ship a lot of good if we’re blown up from inside.” Thea knew she sounded terse, but she needed the commander to understand just how important this was.
“Have you received such intel, sir?” Commander KahSandra’s forehead furrowed. “I haven’t seen any such reports lately.”
“Hence the elevated security clearance, Commander.”
“I see.” Commander KahSandra relaxed marginally. “I take my oath to do my duty in protecting Pathfinder and its passengers very seriously. I’m prepared to change units if it is required.”
“Good. I have read your dossier,” Thea said and tapped her tablet, pulling up KahSandra’s records. “You’re a martial-arts expert, have an engineering degree, and, what tipped the scale in your favor, you’re also one of the best explosive experts in the fleet.”
KahSandra merely nodded.
“Fine. Use my tablet for your retina scan and fingerprint confirmation regarding your elevated status.”
KahSandra accepted the tablet and performed the maneuvers. Thea studied the younger woman closer. She kept her long black hair in a low braid, and her black, straight eyebrows framed stark features that made her more handsome than beautiful. Her amber, slanted eyes regarded the world with a hint of suspicion.
Thea took the tablet back and checked the confirmation. “Excellent. From now on you answer only to Admiral Heigel and me. You will partner with Lieutenant Diobring, and together you will work with his handpicked team to uncover potential sleeper cells set on destroying Pathfinder—or at least parts of it.”
“I know of the lieutenant but have never spoken with him. What will he think of sharing his team with me?” KahSandra tilted her head.
“Are you that concerned, or is it merely a polite question?” Thea raised an eyebrow and was delighted when KahSandra did the same.
“The latter, in a sense. From a point of professional courtesy, I wouldn’t want to step on the lieutenant’s toes. As I outrank him, he might feel blindsided by my presence, which could have a detrimental effect on our collaboration.”
“Diobring knows he’s getting more manpower. Yes, formally you outrank him, but he also has knowledge of the task at hand that you don’t, which puts you on even ground. If you’re as clever as your dossier suggests, you will find a way to work with Diobring and his team without causing havoc.”
“Certainly, Madam President.”
“You can start by going to the officers’ mess hall and introducing yourself. The team is there, and an informal setting might be best—” Thea was about to ignore the beep from her communicator when Caya’s emergency signal followed. Thea held up a finger to Commander KahSandra and slapped the communicator sensor. “Thea here, Caya.”
The communicator was eerily silent for a few moments, and Thea stood. “Caya? Do I need to join you?”
“No. I’m all right. Can you talk?” Caya’s voice was strained, which twisted Thea’s midsection into a knot of worry, for her and for what it could mean.
“Yes. I’m here with a member of the fleet who has the appropriate clearance.”
“They’re targeting the hospital again. Somewhere on the third deck, I see guards…either unconscious or dead.” Caya gave a muted sob. “White garnet. I think it’s white garnet. It’s burning through the different systems, and patients in the emergency wards are suffering as their equipment is compromised. The staff is trying to stop it, but they burn their hands off as they yank out the computer parts. They can’t stop this. They need to evacuate on deck one to four. Anything less and I can’t guarantee they’ll make it.” Caya’s swallowed audibly. “And of course Briar is working. She’s not on any of those wards, but you know her…she will sense the distress of the ones affected and want to assist. Please, Thea. Send help.”
“I’m already doing that.” Thea tapped furiously on her tablet. “I’ll initiate everything from here and then get back to you. If you see anything other than what you’ve told me, page me instantly. I’m setting my communicator to auto-connect for you.”
“All right. Just hurry.”
Thea could hear how distraught Caya was, but she was in full presidential mode, and her duty to the ship came first. This didn’t mean she was made of stone. A small but very important part of her yearned to run to Caya and see for herself that she wasn’t heading for actual seizures again.
Commander KahSandra stood, ready to spring into action. “Sir?”
“Walk with me.” Thea headed for the door, barking orders to her staff as she went. “Have Diobring and his team meet, fully equipped, by the jumper gate. Have them bring one extra set of protective gear and an emergency engineering kit. Page Admiral Heigel and have her do the same. Initiate Code Z for my cabinet members and the Assembly. Time for them to hit the deck.” Code Z was the guideline for how to keep the political and public servants safe during an attack or catastrophe. Thea knew technically she needed to join the cabinet members in the built-in bunker in the center of cube one, but she hadn’t so far and wouldn’t this time either. She needed to be visible and strong—not hide, no matter what her military and civilian advisors thought.
Diobring and the men and women in his unit stood ready when Thea, her guards—which had doubled in numbers to make up for her stubbornness—and KahSandra reached the jumper gate. Diobring took one look at KahSandra and nodded briefly. “Sir,” he murmured and tossed her a bag. KahSandra donned the safety gear fast, including the engineering kit that she hooked on her harness.
“Commander KahSandra will fill you in on your way to cube eleven. You will return the courtesy toward her regarding what we know of the sleeper cells and the woman in jeopardy. Admiral Heigel and her team of engineers will meet you as you step off the jumper. We’ve trained for this. I’ll be on the bridge. Go in safe and heavenly splendor.” Thea stepped back and watched the team board an emergency jumper car.
She hoped this wasn’t the last she saw of them.
*
Caya felt like a caged animal, ready to chew through the bulkhead to get out. She had tried reaching Briar several times but hadn’t succeeded. Calling Adina again, she nearly wept when she heard her sister’s lover respond.
“Caya? What’s up?” Adina asked, and Caya could hear her walking rapidly.
“I paged Thea. The hospital is being targeted again. Briar is supposed to work today and she’s not answering. I need to go there—”
“Hold on. I haven’t received any alerts.” Adina’s steps stopped echoing. “When did you have your vision?”
“Fifteen minutes ago, maybe? Thea is acting on it. She’s sending help. I just need to be there to help locate Briar if she’s doing some of her heroic stuff.”
“Oh, damn.” Adina’s voice was a mere whisper. “Can you find her, I mean, mentally? Can you reach out to her?”
“I’ve tried!” Caya howled the words. “I’m too far away. If you come get me and vouch for me, I can get closer and try to connect. She’s usually the one to find my mind, but I have to try.” Frantic now, Caya began to change into a dark-grey hooded coverall.
“All right. I’m on my way. Thea might demote me to crewman, but I don’t care. If Briar needs us, that’s all that matters.” The sound of Adina’s steps indicated that she was running. “I’ll be at your door in about five minutes. Good thing I had to give a lecture in the government building.”
“Hurry!” Caya rushed over to her cabinet and pulled out an emergency-kit case. This was yet another thing Thea knew nothing about. Caya and Briar had put together a bag with emergency supplies of all kinds in case Caya ever needed to disappear. The bag held everything she would need for five days, including a set of fake identity cards. They wouldn’t fool a thorough scan, but the rudimentary scanners used by law enforcement routinely would be deceived.
Tapping her foot just inside the door, Caya waited impatiently for Adina to arrive. When the door chime finally rang and the door opened, Caya was about to jump out into the corridor when she saw Adina’s warning gaze. Outside, Thea had clearly put one more guard on duty since Caya’s vision.
“Adina, welcome.” Caya knew her smile was more of a grimace.
“I thought I’d ask you to join me and Briar for some dinner at our place.” Adina ran a hand through her short, dark hair. “It’s been a while.”
“Sure. Will you be able to vouch for me?” Normally, any of Caya’s outings needed to be cleared in advance and logged.
“Absolutely.” Adina turned to the guards, and whoever saw her insignia probably recognized her on sight. “I’ll take responsibility for Ms. Lindemay. She’ll be back in a couple of hours. I’ll page the lieutenant in charge of your shift when I know the exact ETA.”
The guards exchanged a glance, but it was clear that Adina’s rank made them wary of asking questions. “Feel free to page the president if you think you need her confirmation. I believe she’s busy though.” Adina looked casual.
Caya nearly gasped but realized Adina was gambling that they wouldn’t dare disturb the president with such a routine matter.
“No, that’s all right, sir. I will need your retina-scan signature.”
“Of course.” Adina performed the procedure put in place to keep Caya safe. “There. We better hurry, Caya. Briar’s waiting.”
“I’m ready.” Caya stepped outside and hurried after Adina before any overly conscientious guard objected. “That was bold.”
“Don’t kid yourself. That was the easy part.” Adina lengthened her steps. “Let’s hope we don’t run into Thea on our way out the door. I had confirmation on my way here that she’s on the bridge, but you never know. For having the ultimate office on this ship, she sure likes to micromanage at times.”
“For good and bad,” Caya said. She might well argue and be furious with Thea, but she didn’t like it when anyone else said anything unfavorable about her. “Who knows under what conditions I’d be held if she didn’t micromanage my situation? Or Briar, for that matter.”
“True.” Adina didn’t elaborate, but the way she pressed her lips together told Caya she was a force to reckon with if anything or anyone threatened Briar’s wellbeing. Right now, that wellbeing might hang in the balance unless Caya reached her sister. The closer they got to the jumper gate, the harder it became to keep up their speed and not run into people. Passengers, politicians, and military personnel milled around them, and Adina took Caya by the hand.
“We can’t get on the regular jumpers. No official traffic is going into cube eleven right now. We need to procure a military cart.” Adina motioned for a door close to the entrance to the gate, where a growing crowd of passengers stood. She swiped a card and allowed the retina reader to confirm her identity again. The door opened and she pulled Caya with her. “Hurry. If the general public thinks they can get in and find a transport in here, we’ll never be able to close the door.”
Caya squeezed through and saw how Adina closed the door behind them just as people came running. Hands banged on the door, making Caya cling to Adina’s hand. “Why are they so agitated?”
“Rumors spread fast, and even though Thea no doubt put the lid on this pretty fast, some may have been leaked. Now people either want to go home or to the hospital and get their loved one out of there.” Adina let go of her hand and crossed the track as she moved to the opposite bulkhead.
Caya felt as if every palm and fist hammering at the door hit her midsection. What if she had interpreted the vision wrong—or if the vision had come to her too late? It could mean the end for Briar and many other people, most of them sick or injured already. She heard a scraping noise and turned in time to see Adina flip open a hatch and reveal a very small runner, meant for four people.
“Get in. I’ll program it in transit. Otherwise it won’t cross the border to cube eleven.”
Caya took the left seat. Knowing they’d be going much faster than in the usual jumpers, she strapped herself in with the six-point harness. Adina did the same and began giving verbal commands as the jumper began to move. It shook slightly before it reached maximum speed, and the tunnel walls became a blur. Caya gripped the seat, fearing they might crash at any moment. As they neared the gate of cube eleven, Caya half expected the guards there to stop them or the automatic brakes to disengage the magnets that kept them moving forward, but they blasted straight through the gate, not even slowing down.
They reached the hospital area and Adina steered manually until they came to the main gate. “Hmm,” Adina said. “Something tells me we need one of the side entrances. Hold on.” She whipped the mini-jumper around a corner and moved it into a side track.
The side entrance wasn’t as inundated with people trying to get in, but Caya could tell they would have to struggle. She was the one grabbing for Adina’s hand as they weaved in and out among the people. How could rumors spread this fast? The answer was self-evident. During the first attacks, nobody had been prepared, or even worried, that such things would occur aboard a ship of salvation. Here they were all hoping for a new, safe future for the Oconodians and the Gemosians. Why would anyone want to destroy that? Now, after several attacks, of learning about changers having snuck aboard, the passengers on Pathfinder didn’t take things at face value. When they learned of a rumor regarding something happening that might impact their loved ones, they didn’t sit around waiting for the authorities to deal with the situation.
“To the left. I need to reach the guards or we won’t get inside.” Adina gasped and tossed Caya in behind her as a group of men approached, shouting “Open the door” to the security personnel in charge. Feeling a hard shove against her back, Caya fell to her knees. She knew she had scraped them badly against the floor but bounced back up before she was trampled.
“Hold on!” Adina pulled Caya in under her arm and literally dragged her over to the closest soldier. “Open the door, but keep the weapons trained on the crowd. Do you have reinforcements coming, Ensign?”
“Sir. Yes, sir!” The young woman already had her rifle in a ready-to-fire position, her index finger mere millimeters from the trigger sensor. “Two units from cube four are inbound. Get behind me, sir. Ensign Cioma will open the door for you on my signal. Be prepared. We can’t do this too many times, or they’ll storm us.”
“Understood, Ensign. Be safe.” Adina glanced down at Caya. “I’m so dead when Thea learns of this.”
“Me too.” Caya gripped Adina’s hand again. The door opened before them, and they almost fell through it. As it hissed closed behind them, they heard the wheezing-popping sound of weapons being fired.
“Oh, no.” Caya whipped her head around, staring at the door.
“She’s firing above their heads the first time around. Hopefully the teams from cube four will get there soon.”
Caya hoped so too. She glanced around. They were in the far right wing of the hospital. People scurried around on the inside as well, but not nearly as many as on the outside. The communication system kept repeating for people to evacuate unless they were unable to do so for medical reasons.
“I need somewhere a little bit quiet, Adina.” Caya looked for a door to an office or even a cleaning-supply closet. “I can’t focus with so much movement around me.”
“This way.” Adina pulled Caya along and opened a door located just around the corner. It was indeed a minor office area that had apparently been evacuated.
“This all right?” Adina locked the door behind them.
“It’s fine. Now, I need you to be very still until I know if I can reach her.”
Adina merely nodded and sat down on the closest desk.
Caya pulled out a chair and sat also, barely noting her torn coverall and bleeding knees. She pressed her palms to her chest and closed her eyes. Thinking of her sister, Caya envisioned them together when she was little and they lived in the traditionalist house in a small town. They would sit on the porch or in the garden, have homemade juice or tea made from the charka trees by the river. Longing so desperately for her sister, Caya began to hum the melody Briar had always sung to her on those days when they both missed their parents, or when Caya had one of her nightmares that were preludes to visions. Only Briar’s voice could soothe her back then.
“Caya? Caya?” Briar’s voice was like a whisper in the wind, but it was there. “Caya?”
“Briar. Where are you? Are you safe?” Caya focused so hard to maintain the connection, she could feel sweat run down her back.
“I’m fine. You had a vision about what is happening?”
“I did. I’m here. First floor. With Adina.” It was getting harder to maintain the contact.
“At the hospital?”
“Which floor? You on?” Clutching the armrests tightly, Caya began to slump. “Tell me.”
“I’m on the third deck. A team of soldiers is already here, and I’m trying to assist.”
Caya felt Adina’s hands cup her shoulders and hold her upright. It was as if Adina’s love for Briar and deep affection for Caya helped her regain her strength and focus. “We’re coming to help you.”
“But—”
“On our way.” Caya snapped her eyes open, gasping for air. She grabbed Adina’s wrists and pulled herself up. “Third deck. Soldiers in place searching. We need to hurry.”