Awakening on Orbis (15 page)

I didn’t know what to say. It was as if someone had shone a light on Theodore. He had been in the room all along, but no one had ever noticed him. Theodore was empowered by this mission in a manner I had never seen.

“Well, what do you think? Join us. We could use your softwire abilities. You could use it to spread the message and connect to the other rings inside the central computer. Even Vairocina could help.”

I shook my head. “I don’t think I can,” I told him.

“Why not? Max is there. She’s practically our leader. I think Ketheria would actually promote it. She knows how evil the Citizens are; that’s why the Council is so afraid of her.”

“It’s not that.”

“Then what is it?”

How was I going to explain to Theodore that I was leaving to become a Space Jumper in order to free the one person we had both despised? Our hate for Switzer was a common bond that Theodore and I had shared our entire lives. If I told him now, I knew I would be hurting our friendship, maybe permanently.

“It’s nothing,” I said. “Of course I’ll join. Are you crazy? When do they meet? Is it soon? I’ll come with you.”

“That’s golden, JT. I knew I could count on you. This is going to strengthen our effort like you can’t believe. We meet in Murat next cycle. I don’t have the location yet, but I’ll let you know the moment I do.”

“Sure,” I said, and motioned back toward Ketheria. “I want to check on my sister. I still haven’t seen her yet.”

“Oh, of course. Go. Do you want me to say anything to Max for you? We’re going to deliver some more taps.”

“You and Max?”

“And a bunch of us,” he said.

“No,” I replied. “I have to deal with Max myself. It’s only fair.”

“I’ll tell her you’re with Ketheria; she’ll understand,” he said as he turned away.

“No!” I yelled after him. “Don’t say anything else. Please. Let me deal with Max.”

“All right, but remember: say nothing. To anyone.”

I nodded as I watched Theodore trot down the corridor in the opposite direction of Queykay. I was jealous.
I
wanted to be going to see Max. I wanted to make plans with them, but all I was going to do was disappoint Max and Theodore. I couldn’t tell them. Not yet. I needed a better reason, one that everyone would understand and one that would not expose the fact the each and every kid from the
Renaissance
was never meant to be alive.

Inside the first chamber of Ketheria’s room, I found two Nagools discussing something quietly. They both looked up when I entered and smiled. I returned the gesture.

“We welcome your participation,” the one Nagool said, his voice like still water.

“And thank you for your decision,” the other added.

“You’re welcome,” I muttered. Truth was, Nagools made me nervous. I didn’t understand them, and I didn’t want to. In fact, I didn’t really know what they did. I made a mental note to ask Ketheria.

Inside Ketheria’s main room, I found my sister sitting up in her bed. Seated on the far side were Theylor and another Keeper I had never seen before. This Keeper had only one head. I had never seen that before, either.

“Hello, Johnny Turnbull,” Theylor said when I entered.

“Hi, Theylor. I didn’t know you were here.”

“I wanted to make sure your sister was comfortable. She has been through a great deal.”

“Hi, Ketheria,” I whispered.

She smiled weakly, her eyelids looking heavy upon her eyes. I saw a yellow bandage wrapped around her left shoulder and arm. Tiny sensors protruded from the bandage, and one of those blue med-lights glowed in a semicircle over the headboard of her sleeper. Seeing my sister wounded by some unknown attacker only reinforced my decision to become a Space Jumper. Suddenly, my own desires seemed selfish and childish to me. Was I feeling this way because of their genetic tampering?
No,
I thought. Ketheria needed me. No one had to alter any part of me to understand that.

“Does anyone know what happened?” I asked Theylor. I moved closer to my sister and let my fingertips caress her hand. She felt warm.

“She was attacked by a long-range plasma rifle,” he informed me. “The most disturbing aspect is that our security sensors never picked it up.”

“What does that mean?”

“Someone had to program the sensors around her platform to ignore the signature of that weapon.”

“Who?”

“Our first suspicion was that someone close to her had done it. Someone with access to the platform, but we have questioned everyone. I am afraid that we have found nothing.” The Keeper stood up and walked toward me. “Your acceptance will go a long way to eliminate these holes in their security. I am confident you will rise to be the greatest Tonat ever. An achievement only possible as Ketheria’s brother.”

“So you know about my plans?” I said.

“This is a great cycle for everyone. I am proud of you.”

“Let’s hope I can live up to the hype,” I said.

“You will,” he said, and then Theylor and the single-headed alien slipped away, leaving me with Ketheria.

“Thanks,” she whispered.

“Don’t thank me yet. I haven’t told you about the details.”

Ketheria closed her eyes and attempted to smile.

“You know?”

She nodded.

“Aren’t you upset?”

“I’m proud of you as well. To put your hatred aside and seek a path to help undo the misfortune set upon another — a person with whom you have such a tattered history. I couldn’t be more happy, JT.”

“I’m afraid,” I told her.

“I know that as well.”

“Not just for me, but about what Max will think.”

Ketheria winced as the light around her bed pulsed red.

“Don’t talk anymore,” I whispered, and helped her to lie on her pillow. “Get your rest.” But I don’t think she heard me. Whoever was monitoring Ketheria had put her to sleep as soon as the pain registered. I stood over the bed and watched my sister rest.
Such a little girl with such an enormous responsibility,
I thought. How could I
not
protect her? Whatever the Universe had planned for Ketheria, I knew in my heart that she needed me. I had made the right decision. Now I had three cycles to convince Max of my decision before I left the Rings of Orbis.

It simply wasn’t enough time.

When I left Ketheria’s room, I found the two Nagools still waiting outside. One of them drifted my way when Ketheria’s door closed behind me.

“She’s sleeping,” I whispered.

The Nagool simply reached into his robe and removed something with the OIO symbol marked on one side. He handed it to me.

“What’s this?” I asked, turning the card over in my hand.

“It’s an OIO key,” he replied.

“What do you do with it?”

“It’s simply a reflection of the energy that is moving through you right now. Use this gift as you see fit.”

“Um, thanks, I guess.”

When he turned back to the other Nagool, I slipped past them and returned to my room. I flopped on my sleeper and looked at the OIO key. I turned it over and brushed my fingers over the raised letters. I tried to push into the thing, thinking it was some sort of computer device, but there was nothing. It was simply a piece of plastic. It read:

I read the words again. There was something in their meaning that struck a chord deep within me, like the music I enjoyed so much. It felt like the OIO key was speaking directly to me, as if the author had followed me my entire life, experienced everything I had, and eavesdropped on that inner voice that only I heard. Is this what OIO was all about?

I read the card one more time. The words empowered me. They allowed me to release the ownership of my fears and look at my needs with intense clarity.

It was time to talk to Max.

Before I even placed my feet on the floor, there was a knock at my door.

“Come in,” I said, hoping it was Max. The door disappeared, and Hach entered my room.

“I’ve been informed about your decision,” he said. “I am pleased by this, especially after the incident with your sister.”

“It was a little more than an incident,” I pointed out. “Someone tried to kill her. Someone who might even be involved with this place.”

Hach checked the door. He seemed nervous. “So you know? This is the reason for my visit. The Trading Council believes that one of you — one of the humans — is responsible for the attempt on your sister’s life.”

“One of us!” I jumped off my sleeper. “Are you crazy?”

“May I remind you that I am still your Guarantor? And please keep your voice down. I understand the mood of many of the knudniks and the new Citizens on Orbis 4. I hear the whispers of war. Many feel cheated and rightly so, but it is no reason to upset the balance that we have worked so hard to maintain on these rings.”

“At the expense of others,” I reminded him.

Hach could only nod.

“Has anyone looked at the Council?” I asked.

“Don’t be ridiculous. The Council needs the Scion.”

“So what are you getting at?”

Hach checked the door again. “At first I, too, thought it might be the Council that staged the attempt on the Scion. It certainly helps their position. But Queykay informed me that someone has been tampering with the taps. A concerned Citizen returned one to us, but the additional information had been wiped. I have authorities attempting to retrieve the missing data and trace the source of the tampering, but I must assume that one of the renegade groups of Citizens on 4 has something to do with this. My concern is that a few of
you
my have been persuaded to join their ranks.”

“Why are you telling me this?”

“If this is true, I can only warn you that such an action is a threat to their lives.”

What had Theodore gotten himself into? Then I remembered: it wasn’t just him. Max was involved, too, and so were Grace and that other kid.

“You look as is if you have just remembered something,” Hach said.

I stared at Hach and tried to put on my best liar’s face. “I don’t know anything. Look, I’ll be gone in a few cycles. My new training should help me track this person. It’s not one of us, I assure you. I’ll find whoever it is — I promise.”

“That’s good, because that
is
your job now. You are the Tonat. Even if you discover that your friends are the culprits, Queykay will make you punish them. He may not own you, but he will use you.” Hach turned to leave. “Get some rest,” he said. “You look tired.”

“Thanks,” I muttered as the door closed. I fell back onto my sleeper.
What had I done?
I couldn’t leave my friends with Queykay. I needed to know what he knew. I jumped off my sleeper and peeked out the door to make sure Hach was gone. I slipped into the corridor but realized I had no idea where Queykay stayed when he was here, if he even was here.

“Vairocina?” I whispered.

“Yes, JT.”

“Do you know where Queykay rests when he visits us?”

“Not exactly, but I do know there is a section of your building accessible only by council members.”

“Can you help me locate it?”

“It’s only for council members,” she reminded me.

“That’s never stopped us before.”

Using my staining, Vairocina located where I was in the building and directed me to the far side of the complex. I figured a good conversation with Queykay might reveal a few of his suspects, or at least get him thinking in another direction.

“I believe these are his quarters,” Vairocina stated, and I stopped in front of a set of double brass doors stamped with the Orbis emblem.

I knocked. No one answered.

“Is he here?” I asked.

“It is impossible for me to know,” she replied.

Looking for an access point into the central computer, I spotted the entry pad to the left of the doors. When I pushed inside, I found Vairocina waiting for me.

“He is a Trading Council member,” she reminded me. “I don’t want to see you get in any trouble.”

“Something’s not right about this guy. If I’m going to go away, I need to be certain he won’t hurt my friends. I just want to talk to him.”

“What if this is not his room? What if he is not even here?”

“Then it won’t hurt to look around a little.”

Vairocina paused before she stepped aside. “Thanks,” I whispered, and then I unlocked the door and slipped out of the central computer and into Queykay’s room.

I was glad that he was gone. It would be easier to snoop around to find some answers than actually trying to get it out of him myself. I crept down the entry to his quarters, staying close to the cold walls. The only light seemed to emanate from plants spilling out of tall vases that were set back in the walls. It reminded me of an underwater cave.

At the end of the main hall, I spotted an open door. Warm light spilled into the hallway and mixed with the cool green light from the hall plants. I stopped just outside the door and peeked around the corner.

What I saw caught my breath. Queykay was naked, lying on a stone slab, his robe on the floor beside him. His porcelain skin was covered with hundreds of little wriggling wormlike creatures that seemed to swell in unison as they nurtured themselves off Queykay’s body. I stared in horror when one of the parasites, no more than six centimeters long, pulled away from Queykay. The moist sucking sound made me choke as the creature turned in my direction. Its beady red eyes lit on fire when they caught mine. Then it opened its bloody mouth and screamed.

I ran.

I did not leave my room the next cycle. I had no intention of bumping into Queykay and his brood. I had wanted to see Max, but everything I needed to say was now bottlenecked by the enormous amount of information that had been dumped on me. The missing files I had read before falling asleep only thickened the logjam with more of Quirin’s reports.