Awakening on Orbis (36 page)

“JT!” Theodore called out when he finally saw me.

I waved at him and walked into the room. “I wouldn’t have guessed in a billion rotations that we would have ended up like this,” I said.

Theodore looked back at the aliens huddled near the R5s.

“I know! It’s crazy, isn’t it? But you know, I feel so empowered. It’s hard to explain. I just want to help. I want to make the rings a better place, and it’s not just me. The sentiment is spreading through every ring.”

“It’s almost as if the Ancients have come home,” I replied.

“That’s what Theylor said!”

“I guess we did what they needed.”

“But what does it mean? You know, for us? What will happen when Ketheria goes around the universe waking everyone up?”

I looked at Theodore and shrugged. “I don’t know. Like this, I suppose.”

“Then it’s going to be great.”

“You can still change your mind.”

Theodore shook his head. “No. My place is here now. You know,
you
could stay. Switzer can take care of Ketheria. Even you said he’s changed.”

“I don’t think so. Switzer saw a good deal and he took it. He will always be looking for what’s best for him. Ketheria will have no effect on him. One of those deals is going to hurt Ketheria some cycle, and I can’t have that. Besides, I think she expects me to find her. It was something she said. You know . . . after . . .”

Theodore looked at his feet, and I did the same. It was a routine we went through whenever there was nothing left to discuss but Max. Theodore had helped me the most after the accident, and I was grateful for that. I hoped he knew.

“Thanks,” I whispered just in case he didn’t.

He nodded and smiled. “Will I ever see you again?”

“I’m going to make it a promise,” I said. “One that I will keep.”

“Then I’ll see you soon, my friend. Stay safe,” he said, and hugged me.

“You too.”

Theodore broke away and waved as he returned to the new arrivals. I watched him slip back into his work, and then I turned for the door. I spotted two Keepers walking through the spaceport and wondered if Theylor had arrived yet. He had personally disbanded the Descendants of Light after it was discovered that they were the ones who bombed the exit points from Murat. I wondered if Drapling even knew what he had done. Theylor never mentioned what happened to him.

My instructions stated that I meet Theylor at the wormhole launch located at Gate 5 on the far side of the Spaceport 1. Whenever a knudnik’s work rule had expired, the knudnik was offered the choice to stay and petition for citizenship or take a free trip through the wormhole. Not once had I ever thought about taking that trip. I always saw the rings as my final destination, yet here I was, ready to leave the place I had so wanted to call home.

The cycle’s traffic was sparse near the gate. I figured few knudniks opted for the wormhole option anymore. I spotted Theylor waiting near the gate. Both his heads were smiling.

“I have a present for you,” he said.

“That sounds intriguing. Is it something to eat?”

“You must be hungry, but you can eat on the other side. It’s best to travel through the wormhole on an empty stomach.”

“So what is it?”

“Come, I’ll show you.”

I followed Theylor through the gate. He was the first person I had ever met from the Rings of Orbis. It was appropriate that he be the last I see. Throughout everything, Theylor had never changed. He was the same alien as he was the first time I met him.

I stepped through the gate and onto a curved platform. Theylor moved toward the huge windows that arched up and over our heads. On the other side of the glass was a small spacecraft docked at the portal. The slick flier glistened under the warm floods that spilled down on the ship.

“That’s mine?” I asked.

“Well, you certainly cannot walk through the wormhole. Did you ever wonder why the trip was so expensive? You need a vessel.”

“And you’re giving this one to me?”

“It is our gift. A token of our gratitude for everything you have done for the Rings of Orbis. I took it upon myself to make a few upgrades and enhancements,” he said. “I see you’ve done the same.” He glanced at my right arm.

“You know?” I said.

“Of course. She was worried that we might still need her, but I assured her that we could cope in her absence. Besides, I believe she would have missed you more than she will miss us.”

I held up my right arm and fiddled with a thick piece of jewelry made of silver metal and black bands of rubber that now clung to my wrist. It looked like a bracelet, but it was one that I could never take off, for it was actually attached to my arm.

“Vairocina made the addition,” I whispered.

“A girl needs a little room,” she teased inside my head, “especially if I’m going to traipse around the universe locked inside your arm.”

“It looks nice,” Theylor remarked. “No one will ever know. Would you like to see your new ship?”

“You know I have to do this, right, Theylor?” I said.

“Of course I do.”

“And I have to do it alone.”

“As you have always stated.”

“Vairocina gave Switzer the coordinates of every place she had ever visited in the galaxy when she uploaded those coordinates in Ketheria’s room. Switzer can only jump to those star systems. I figure I’ll simply do the same thing. I’m certain I can pick up his trail somewhere along the line.”

Theylor reached into his robe and removed a Space Jumper’s belt.

“Then you’ll need this when you find her,” he said.

I took the belt in my hands. All my thoughts and emotions for Max ignited inside my chest. If only I hadn’t been so stubborn, if only I had accepted my fate sooner, then I would have had one of these stupid things. I could have jumped to Max after she fell and then jumped to safety. It was the most costly mistake of my life, but one I would never make again.

“Thanks,” I mumbled, and slipped the belt around my waist. “I still don’t understand why Ketheria had to leave without me. Switzer is not the most trustworthy person.”

“She had to. It was part of her awakening. The fourteenth and final step required her to let go of the thing she cherished most in this universe. That, I am afraid, was you. Only when she released you from your duties could she truly be the Scion. The results were immediate, as you remember.”

I nodded.

“When you emerged from the cocoon on the Hollow, you, too, completed the final step of your awakening. Without it, you would never have become a Space Jumper and Ketheria would be on her own forever.”

“I’ll find her soon,” I told him.

“I know you will.”

“Ready, Vairocina?”

“Absolutely,” she said.

“Good-bye, Theylor. Thank you for everything.”

The Keeper smiled, and both heads nodded. “Drink deep from the Source, my friend,” he said.

I looked back at the spaceport before stepping onto the ship. The tallest spire was reaching for the eclipse as the ring laid its shadow across the city.
I will never miss this place,
I told myself. As I hesitated outside the bay, I felt a deep pain in my stomach and a wave of nausea rose up in my throat. I smiled, not because I was leaving but because I knew that Ketheria was still within my reach.

You always hear about writers locked away, toiling over their manuscripts for years, before unleashing them on the world. It sounds like a solitary process, but it’s far from that. I would personally like to acknowledge those who have namelessly helped me bring the Softwire series to life. Thank you so much. I really mean it.

To Eddie, for getting the ball rolling in the first place.

To Liz, Lynne, and Michael for finding the Softwire books a home at Candlewick.

To Sarah for putting up with me and making me a better writer.

To Laura, for your patience and always taking my phone calls. :)

To Lisa, for your big bookstore support when others were silent.

To Denise and the girls at KNTR — your support has never wavered. Thank you. Ninjaritas for everyone!

To Jim, thank you for your insight and encouragement.

To Faith for living up to your name and helping me carry the torch.

To Nard — the keeper of the case. Thank you for always being there.

To Michelle, for your amazing novel studies.

To Alan, for your encouragement and friendship. And your voice.

To Nathan, for your relentless support and unwavering friendship. Thank you.

To my fans for your great letters and e-mails. They really kept me writing.

To the Citizens of Orbis for helping me create an unbelievable place to hang out online at the ringsoforbis.com

To teachers and librarians who invited me into your schools and placed books in the hands of kids who might never have heard of them.

To all of the independent bookstores that love the Softwire series and hand-sell my books. I can’t thank you enough and tell you how important that is.

To Frank, the best friend I could ever have in my corner. Thank you so much.

To Sky, for being patient with Daddy and loving me no matter how often I had to go away to promote the Softwire books.

And to Marisa, for your love, your understanding, and for sticking it out with me. You’re amazing. I love you.

PJ HAARSMA
has always been transfixed by what lies beyond our solar system. He says, “When the mother ship finally arrives, and they ask if there are any humans who want to go for a spin, I’ll be the first to sign up.” When he’s not gazing at the stars waiting for his ride, you can find him on the Rings of Orbis, the online universe that he created for the Softwire series, which has spawned a legion of loyal fans. He has a degree in science and lives in southern California with his wife and daughter. To learn more about PJ Haarsma, visit his website at
www.pjhaarsma.com
.