SENALL

33 Max Rydell came out his front door squinting, a robe wrapped hastily around him. When he saw Dorie on his doorstep he raised an eyebrow, then gave a knowing nod. When he saw Lorway he even chuckled, impressed that the Bubble’s original subject had escaped from a high security holding facility. He not only hated his job, but he was also ready to get back at Tom Sakson any way he could, and he told them so.

The fog of RuBy still swirled in Dorie’s brain, and the withdrawal symptoms persisted, but she pushed through, explaining their objective.

“I no longer have the Bubble’s access codes though,” Rydell said. “Those were wiped from my comm card. They were complex enough that I never memorized them, just entered them as needed. Typically, my people were there to admit me with only a cursory glance at the codes. No direct input needed.”

“Don’t worry about that,” Dorie said. “I have the codes.”

Max stared blankly at her.

“It’s complicated.”

“They change monthly.”

“Then the ones I have should be good, if Sakson hasn’t changed them.”

“He has no authority to change them. He may have secured special permissions from the Under-Director, but those particulars are off limits. Although—” He shook his head. “Now that he has those codes—”

“We don’t need to worry about him right now. He’ll stay away from the Bubble for the time being. He told you to let Lorway and me rot in there.”

Rydell scratched the back of his head. “I’m not even going to ask how you know he said that.”

Dorie smiled but said nothing. Instead, she urged him to get dressed. “We’re going to need something to protect us if we run across any trouble. You have any weapons?”

Rydell groaned. “Do you know what time it is? You want to do this now?”

“Yes. Weapons?”

He thought, pursing his lips. “A few unlocked blasters and an old rifle.”

“Flashlights, too. I assume you have some good ones. And we’re going to need your shuttle to pass through the domelock.”

“You know,” Max went on, as if he hadn’t heard her, “if they log me out of the dome with the Bubble as my destination, that could get back to Sakson.”

“We won’t be there long enough for him to do anything.”

“Unless he’s asked to be notified right away. Then—”

“For fuck’s sake, Max. Quit worrying and hurry up. Your forced retirement hasn’t started yet.”

“How do you know about—”

“I’m a mind reader.” She looked over at Lorway, who gave her a bemused look. “Also, I’ve got a good memory.”

“Shit, Dorie, that doesn’t explain anything.”

Dorie gave him a hard look and he looked visibly shaken. “That’s Governor Senall to you, Max Rydell. I left Adi in charge. Sakson made himself acting governor, and there wasn’t any election. I’m taking back my city.”

An hour later, after expected delays getting out of the dome—including time-intensive security checks at the Shell, questions about why they were leaving the dome this time of night and where they were going, with Max Rydell explaining that he was escorting ex-Governor Senall back to the Bubble—Dorie spotted the smaller dome of the Bubble, lit by spotlights surrounding its perimeter. Otherwise, as they approached the facility, the pitch black of night covered everything for miles.

This would be the third time in recent memory she’d been inside the Bubble. She was trying to forget the second time inside, but her recent RuBy trip reminded her of it. Licking her dry lips, she swallowed, and an old cinnamon-flavored residue caught in her throat.

She coughed harshly but recovered, and Rydell headed toward the access point. They landed the shuttle nearby and used flashlights to light their way as they hurried to the outer door.

“No one here,” Lorway said, scanning the outer door. “Unless they’re waiting inside for us.”

Rydell shook his head. “They won’t be. Tom sent all of them away. Let you two rot in here and shut it down. He gestured to the access point interface. “I’m locked out, as I said. Codes need to be entered manually.”

“I’ve got them,” Dorie said. “Show me the interface.”

Rydell guided her to the panel, then palmed a sensor that opened it, silver panels disconnecting and sliding back seamlessly into the building. “That’s as much as I can do. The codes are entered here.” He pointed to twelve dark evenly spaced protuberances that looked like old-fashioned punch keys.

Dorie brushed him aside. “Give me some light.”

She paused only a few seconds after three flashlights lit up the panel. She searched her memory for the first codes. She pushed the raised keys quickly in an order that matched the first code numbers. When the panel clicked, she lifted her hands and waited for the panel to invert. The punch keys melted back into the plate, the plate flipped, and a digital display of glowing numbers turned on.

Four more sets of coded numbers. Each time she entered the next batch of numbers, the plate flipped, and the new display glowed in a new color with a unique set of numbers. The last plate’s numbers shone white on black.

“Stand ready,” she said, and Lorway and Rydell took up a position on either side of the access door, weapons ready. She input the last memorized numbers and there was a loud thunk as the door’s inner locking mechanisms disengaged. The door cracked in the middle and the two halves slid back enough to allow access before grinding to a stop.

No one waited on the other side. Lights blazed in the entry way and the reception area was quiet and sterile. Rydell slid past Dorie to open the security doors, which didn’t need a code but a set of complicated keys he had on him.

“Sakson’s people took my keys, but I’ve had a set stashed at my place for a long time. You never know, I guess.”

Dorie nodded absent-mindedly. “Keep moving. Let’s find Adi.”

The Memor nodded and they entered the next vestibule.

The Bubble truly had been abandoned. Dorie saw the door to the subject area and swallowed hard, pushing back her nervousness. Not too long ago she’d come to this door and Max Rydell had given her access to see Lorway. The next time, captured and Rubed out, she’d passed out against this door on the other side, trapped.

The security door’s DNA lock had not yet been reset to eliminate Max Rydell’s entry. He cycled through it, and the door opened.

Dorie thought, the hell with caution, and pushed Rydell aside and entered the subject block.

“Adi!” she yelled.

They split up and ran through the facility, calling his name. She’d only been gone a day, maybe two. She tried to remember. Adi should be okay. Dehydrated a little, perhaps.

Dorie went straight to Room 15, the last place she’d seen him before using the Tarot card and leaving him behind, and he was there on the floor, face down, unmoving.

Was he okay? Was he alive? Maybe someone had received orders before fleeing the Bubble to get rid of any subject left. Sakson, ridding himself of his enemies. She whispered now. “Adi?”

Lorway came to the door, followed by Rydell.

Adi Thakur stirred, a small groan coming from him as he turned himself over. Alive. He’d just been asleep.

“Oh thank God,” Dorie said.

“Dorie,” Adi said, smiling up at her. “I knew you’d come back. I knew you’d win.”

She grinned wide. “I’m back. We’ve not won yet, though. Things aren’t going to be much better out there until we stop Sakson.”

He noticed Lorway, then Rydell next to her. He frowned.

“He’s okay,” Dorie said. “Mostly.” She reached out to him, and he grabbed her hand. “So, can we get the hell out of here?”

He nodded, smiled, and she helped him to his feet. Rydell handed him water he’d grabbed from the now-empty living quarters.

“What now?” Adi asked.

Dorie thought about that. What now indeed? Even with Adi, the four of them could do little against Sakson, especially if he was holed up in the Brindos Building with his people around him. She hadn’t thought much about how to approach that problem, having focused only on getting Adi out of the Bubble.

Now, though, she had to think things through. It was four o’clock in the morning. It’d still be dark when they returned to New Venasaille but inching toward sunrise. She wished Terl was here to help her. Or Dave Crowell, and Forno. That would’ve been quite the team to challenge Sakson. She had to face the truth, though. Dave was stuck in the Ultra universe—if he made it there—or he died trying. Forno had left with Dave, and who knew where Terl was.

Certainly by now, the means of entering New Venasaille’s dome had been blocked. She couldn’t imagine Sakson hadn’t heard about all this.

“We have a plan?” Max Rydell asked. “That was the easy part.”

Dorie shrugged. “I’m open to suggestions.”

They all stared at her; they were quite silent.