CHAPTER FIVE

Chase glared out the front window as they traveled toward Parker’s secret destination. Outside their cruiser, the dark expanse of space wasn’t really dark at all. Peppered with millions of the tiny white speckles of distant stars and streaked with pale smears of far-off galaxies, it made him realize how incredibly tiny he was, and underscored how lost he felt.

“You’re a jerk, you know that? Tell me where you’re taking me.”

For a split second, a hurt expression crossed Parker’s face. Annoyance quickly replaced it. “Would you relax? I just want to go somewhere without her looking over my shoulder the whole time.”

“You mean Mina?”

“Stupid machine,” said Parker, stabbing at the console with one finger. “She runs my entire stupid life.”

“So you thought it’d be a good idea to kidnap me?”

“I’m not kidnapping you. Calm down. I told you, we’re on a mission to figure out who you are.”

“Right, because that’s what you were thinking when you lied to me about where we were going. Are you at least going to tell me now?”

Parker hesitated. “Mircona.”

Chase shook his head. “What’s that?”

“Mircona, the moon. Trucon’s moon.”

“The moon? What are we going to do there?”

“I don’t know, have some fun. It’s a cool place.”

“Have some fun? So this wasn’t about helping me at all.”

Parker rolled his eyes in annoyance. “What’s wrong with having a little fun? We can still ask questions, look for things you might recognize.”

“Did you forget about the blaster wound on the back of my head? I need to figure out who did that to me, not go on a vacation!” Chase pointed at the console. “This was a terrible idea. Take me back.”

A frown creased Parker’s forehead. “Look, I promise nothing bad is going to happen. We’ll go to Mircona for thirty minutes, and if that doesn’t bring back any memories, then we’ll go back to Trucon and try something else.”

Chase drummed his fingers against the console and looked away. It wasn’t like he could make Parker do anything—he’d given up that option as soon as he’d stepped into a space cruiser that he knew neither how nor where to pilot. There was basically no choice but to go with Parker and hope that something on the moon would spark a memory.

And anyway, Parker was probably right—nothing would happen. They’d be back at the compound before anyone knew they were gone.

“Fine,” he muttered. “Thirty minutes.”

“It’ll be fun. Look, there it is.” Looming ahead was the curve of a colossal tan sphere. As they zoomed closer to the sandy surface, a sprawling cluster of buildings came into view in the distance, their drab and featureless exteriors bleached out in the harsh sunlight.

“It doesn’t look like much fun,” said Chase.

“The atmosphere on Mircona’s too thin to go outside. Everything’s indoors, but it’s supposed to be this really cool past-era resort.” Parker leaned over the console again, scrolling through screens.

“You’ve never been?”

“Not yet,” said Parker with a small smile. “I’m going to put us in an autodocking facility. We can take a transway into the city, check it out, and swing back. Sound good?”

“Whatever.” A patchwork of enormous, windowless structures in various sizes stretched out below them, all connected by ridged metal tunnels. Different logos were painted on the roofs of the buildings. Chase squinted to read the print on one: Mirconan Leisure Endeavors. As the city scrolled by, Chase grew curious to see what was inside the buildings, but he didn’t say anything. If Parker knew he was having fun, they’d probably never leave.

They dropped toward the surface, flying just above the vast cityscape. Traffic was sparse, and only a few other vehicles whizzed by in the distance. The Starjumper plunged lower and slowed as they neared the closest building. Chase caught a glimpse of a doorway expanding in the wall, but as they pulled up to it, the vehicle swung around automatically. The bleak landscape of Mircona filled their window, and looming in the distance, the gigantic orb of Trucon, sandy-brown with patches of dark vegetation. The Starjumper backed gently into the structure.

“Disengaging CFC,” said the neutral voice. “Equalizing pressure, please do not exit.” The outer wall slid shut before them, cutting off their view and enclosing them in the snug metal box of the docking compartment. Chase waited in his seat while Parker shut down the console.

“Ready?” Parker tucked the drivekey into his pocket and stood, a nervous grin on his face.

They exited through a door at the back of their docking compartment, where Parker entered a code on a small screen to lock the Starjumper inside. He led Chase down a long tunnel until it intersected a hallway with a high, arched ceiling.

“After you,” said Parker.

Chase took one step forward into the hallway. Immediately his feet swept out from under him, and he fell on his back with a shout. Parker laughed as he receded in the distance, while the floor somehow carried Chase farther away.

“What is this?” Chase shouted angrily, trying to get to his feet.

Parker leapt onto the moving walkway and jogged over to help him up. “That was hilarious.”

“Jerk,” said Chase, rubbing his hip where he had landed.

“It was just a guess, but I figured you’d probably never used a transway.”

“I can’t even tell that it’s moving,” said Chase, looking down at the stationary floor as his feet traveled forward.

“It’s a current moving through a layer of adamantine,” explained Parker. “See the blue lights along the wall? That’s how you know it’s a transway. Don’t step over the line in the middle—that side’s moving the other direction.” He grinned. “Come on.”

They set off at a brisk pace down the long hallway, passing a few standing passengers who paid them no attention. There was a wide opening at the end of the tunnel, and this time Parker gave a warning when the transway was about to end. They stepped off as they exited the tunnel and stopped for their first real look at Mircona.

Although there obviously had to be a ceiling somewhere, the interior of the building had been created to make it appear as though they were standing in the middle of an open park under a wide blue sky. A few ragged clouds drifted past on a gentle wind. In the distance they could see trees and benches, and a couple picnicking on a hill.

“This is amazing,” breathed Parker.

“Clear out, you’re blocking the way!” screeched a high voice, and both boys jumped and moved aside to make way for an angry old woman who huffed past them. Chase glanced back at the transway tunnel. From the park side, it was camouflaged as an arched entrance to a small brick building.

“Come on,” said Parker. The boys started down a paved path that led across the park and toward a large stone building. When they entered, they found themselves in another transway.

“Aren’t we going to get lost?” asked Chase as they moved down the tunnel.

“Absolutely not. Step right. This is going to split.”

Chase tried to commit their path to memory so that he could find his way back, but the transway split several times, and soon he was utterly disoriented. When they finally reached the end of the last tunnel, they stepped out into a quaint street lined with small eateries and storefronts. There were no vehicles here, only people who bustled along under the slanting sunlight, haggling with street vendors and filling the tables of small cafés.

As they walked, Chase looked around at the shops and the street vendors’ wares on display. He tried to open himself up to the surroundings, to loosen his mind so that there was a place for an image or a sound, anything, to fit. He was watching a woman in a long dress scooping amber crystals into a paper cone, and nearly crashed into Parker’s back because he didn’t see that he had stopped. Parker was looking down at a display of random, tarnished junk laid out on a dirty blanket. A sallow man sat cross-legged behind his merchandise.

“Want something special for yourself?” the man asked, waving his hands over the blanket. “Take a closer look, son.”

Parker crouched down to examine the items, picking up several different things—a flat metal box, a triangular badge of some sort, and an instrument that looked distantly related to a harmonica.

“How much for this?” he asked, pointing to a slim knife in a green sheath.

The man jutted out his lower lip. “That’s genuine Falasian craftsmanship, sharp enough to shave an atom off an apple. Can’t give that one away for a song.”

“Try me,” said Parker. He leaned over the blanket and picked up the sheathed knife, waving it in the man’s face. “My daddy’s given me extra spending money today.”

Chase watched over Parker’s shoulder as the two haggled over a price. Negotiations were brief, and soon Parker reached into his jacket pocket and counted out a number of thin plastic chips. The man bared his ragged teeth in a leer as he took the currency. “Have a good day, boys.”

Parker walked away smiling. “How much did you pay for that?” Chase asked him.

“Too much,” he replied cryptically. After they had walked a little farther up the street, he added, “But not as much as I would have paid for this.” He held out his hand and flicked his wrist, and something fell from inside his sleeve and into his palm. It was the badge that he had examined on the blanket, a dull silver triangle decorated with three horizontal stripes.

“You stole it?” Chase looked back to see if the junk merchant was coming after them, but there were so many people on the street, the man was already long gone from view. “Are you trying to get us in trouble?”

“Whatever. It was probably stolen to begin with. And he would have charged a lot more than I paid for the knife if he’d seen that this was what I was interested in.” He tucked the badge and dagger back into his jacket. “I mean, don’t get too excited. It could just be the access badge to a gasket factory. It’ll be fun trying to decode it when we get home.”

Ahead of them, the flow of pedestrians curved out in a wide arc, and everyone seemed to be keeping their heads down.

“What’s that?” Chase asked, just as he saw what people were avoiding. Standing against a wall were two men in dark gray uniforms with elliptical badges. They monitored the activity on the street with flat eyes.

“Federal Fleet soldiers,” muttered Parker, joining the stream of people. “Just keep your distance.”

Chase couldn’t help but glance over as they passed the soldiers. A tiny ripple of anxiety crawled under his skin, but only because of the way the other pedestrians were acting. The soldiers didn’t fit anywhere in his mind either.

When they’d put a decent distance between themselves and the soldiers, Parker stopped and looked around. “Alright. I think I’ve seen enough of this.”

“Let’s head back,” said Chase. The moon was fascinating, but nothing was triggering any memories. If they left soon, maybe there would still be time to go to the city on Trucon.

“Cool your jets. First let’s go sit down somewhere.” Parker cut through the crowd to an eatery with a narrow door and greasy windows. The inside was dark and smoky and filled with quiet men hunched over their drinks. Parker found a table near the windows, where he took out his stolen badge and began to fiddle with it.

Chase looked around to see if anyone was watching them. “Shouldn’t you be hiding that?”

“Relax.” Parker frowned, turning it over. “It’s just a piece of junk.”

A broad, tired-looking waitress slouched up to their table. “What’ll it be?” she asked.

“My young friend here will have a Nevna fizz, and I’ll have a pint of your best Lyolian ale,” said Parker. The waitress arched an eyebrow, muttering something under her breath as she walked away.

Parker set the badge on the table and leaned back in his chair. “So, anything coming back to you yet?”

Chase shook his head. “I’ll have to wait and see what else Dr. Silvestri can find out.” He paused, examining his hands. Now was the time to start asking questions. “So, what exactly does Asa do?”

“I told you, he owns a tech corporation. That’s all I know. Why?” Parker frowned.

“What’s he like?”

Parker looked out the window. “Actually, I’ve never met him.”

“What?” Parker had already told him that Asa didn’t live in the compound, but wouldn’t he at least want to see his ward, to check in on how he was doing? “But he’s your guardian.”

“He funds my existence and makes the rules, but I don’t know anything about him—where he lives, what he does, what he looks like. I know he’s got a lot of money, but that’s it.”

“So you grew up with…?”

“Just Mina, yes. I was raised by a robot.” Parker said this like it was funny, but there was an underlying bitterness. “Dr. Silvestri only comes by every once in a while.”

Chase considered what this must have been like, and wondered whether he’d grown up in similar circumstances. “Why did you tell me you lived alone?”

“Because she’s not alive.”

Chase opened his mouth to argue, but at that moment the waitress reappeared and set two glasses of foamy red liquid on the table. She turned and began to walk away.

“Hey!” Parker shouted. “What is this?”

She stopped and turned, placing her hands on her hips. “Two Nevnas.”

“I didn’t order this. Bring me a Lyolian ale!” Parker commanded. A deep flush was rising in his face.

“You can order Lyolian ale when you’re of age to order Lyolian ale. Until then, you get a Nevna.”

“This is ridiculous!” Parker rose to his feet, puffing out his chest indignantly. “Do you have any idea who I am?”

“Sure, you’re the kid who’s about to get thrown out of my pub,” she snapped.

“I’m sorry, is he giving you trouble?” said a polite and familiar voice on the right. Chase looked over with surprise. Mina stood beside him, a calm smile on her face.

Parker roared in frustration and swept both glasses to the floor with a crash. Red liquid spread out on the floor and ran under the waitress’s feet.

“Parker!” Mina stepped forward, placing herself between Parker and the waitress. “Please take this with our apologies,” she said, extending a handful of chips.

“Get him out of here,” said the waitress, shoving the money into an apron pocket.

Mina seized Parker by the arm and dragged him out into the street. Chase rushed after them, feeling every pair of eyes in the pub follow him. Parker tried to jerk his arm away from her, but she kept her grip on his wrist.

“Let me go, let me go, let me go,” he hissed through gritted teeth.

“Bravo, Parker.” She released his arm. “This was your best escape yet. All the way to Mircona—very nice! I knew you’d figure out how to hack the cruiser eventually.”

“Stupid robot!” he spat, rubbing his wrist. “I can’t even get five minutes without you breathing down my neck!”

Mina smiled at him and turned to Chase, who stood off to the side, embarrassed by the scene. “Dr. Silvestri’s been trying to contact you,” she informed him. “I’ll take you to see him, and then I’m going to place you in a different facility. After this incident it’s apparent you need to be in solitary confinement.”

Chase glared at Parker, who kept his eyes trained on the ground. This was all his fault—he’d wanted to take Chase on his stupid joyride, and now it was Chase who was going to pay for it. He lunged forward, shoving Parker in the chest. “Idiot!”

“Hey!” cried Parker, although he still avoided making eye contact.

“You stupid, selfish jerk!” Chase shouted.

“Alright, let’s—” Mina stopped abruptly and her eyes widened the tiniest bit. She turned her back on both boys. “Can I help you?”

The two soldiers in dark gray materialized out of the crowd, wearing matching grim expressions.

“ID check, ma’am,” said one of the men. The other looked past her and examined both boys, staring intently at their faces.

“We don’t need any problems here, officer, just a disagreement between friends. I’ve got the situation under control,” Mina said.

“I’m afraid we’re going to need to see your papers,” the man insisted.

“The Fleet doesn’t need to get involved in this,” said Mina. “We’ll be—”

“Do you know a Dr. David Silvestri?” the other officer interrupted.

Mina cocked her head. “What?”

What took place next went so fast, it seemed like it all happened at once. The man on the left began to reach for his sidearm. Mina leapt forward, grabbing one of the soldiers around his waist and swinging him into his partner. Chase barely dodged getting hit as the soldiers collided and tumbled to the ground.

Mina seized one of the men by the collar and swung her leg across the other’s chest, pinning them both to the ground. The crowd around them rippled as people turned to stare.

“Mina?” Parker stood at the edge of the fight, eyes wide with shock.

She looked up at them, her long hair hanging in her face. “Both of you, get out of here!” she yelled. “Run!”