Fledge (25 page)

I look up at Lucan. "Is this an order?"

Lucan just shakes his head. "I don't care who you talk to, Junco. But if Ryse says no, then it's no."

"Whatever."

"Are you interested in your part in the myth or aren't you? I'm busy, so if you're just going to pout about Ryse's heavy hand, we'll do it another time."

"No, I'm interested, really."

He smiles and steps over to a door. It opens and he waves me in.

It's a very busy lab, with screens from floor to ceiling filled with genetic profiles, data, charts, and a lot of molecular biology. Models of protein structures and crystals. Stuff I've seen from school, but never actually worked with myself.

There are at least two dozen white coats milling around at various stations, some working on screens, some talking in groups, and some I can see through a window that looks into another lab.

Lucan waits for me to take it all in and in the meantime work seems to come to a halt as everyone turns to look at me. I look up at Ryse. "What's going on?"

Lucan places a hand on my shoulder and guides me down a half-flight of stairs and over to a conference room. We enter, but the wall facing the lab is a window, so I continue to watch the activity after the door closes behind us.

"Have a seat, Junco, I have a story to tell you."

I make a face. "I don't like the stories, Lucan."

"Yes, well, this one is true."

I position myself so I can watch the lab as we talk and Ryse sits on the table next to me, while Lucan has his back to the window. "Layla has told you, correctly, that you are a product of the genetics obtained from the missing Aves plant, Gyr?"

I nod.

"That is not true for the other avian siblings. They do not come from Gyr, only you do."

"Oh, does it matter?"

"Not to you it doesn't, because it takes you out of what we do here. We aren't interested in Gyr's genetics, we're interested in the genetics of the six remaining pure avians. Esta, for example. And Moju. The four we have yet to find."

"Oh."

"And the reason is because those genetics are ancient. In fact, they pre-date the time of flight."

I nod. "Uh-huh. OK, well, I don't get it."

"They represent our true genome. Unaltered by generations of engineering and pure as it was before we left Earth."

I shake my head. "Pretend I'm obtuse, Lucan, and just spell it out, OK?"

"We need that code. In fact, we must have it to make changes or we will not survive as a species."

"Well, you have Esta, isn't she enough?"

Lucan's face is serious. "She is not enough, Junco. We need all six or the code makes no sense. It's hidden, you see, wrapped up and inaccessible."

"So why do I care? I mean, not to be a bitch or anything, but what does this have to do with me if my code doesn't matter?"

"You could help us, Junco. Get these siblings to come home."

"Right."

"This is important, Junco. Which is why I took time out of my day to bring you here and show you just how many people are working on this problem. The Six have one job, to keep the genetic code. But the Seventh also has a job, and that's to keep the Six…" He stops for a second. "You could call it safe, or just in line, or maybe act as a shepherd. The translations are – muddied. But the Seventh does have a job."

"If I'm so important, then why did you want to kill me on Earth?"

He looks away and for a few heartbeats I figure he's not gonna answer. I look over at Ryse and he shrugs.

Lucan clears his throat. "Junco, I was wrong about you. You were a very difficult mission for Tier and the team. It was too long, they had too much freedom, they quite frankly spent far too much time on you. It changed them. You changed them."

I raise my eyebrows. "And?"

"And we thought that even if you were the Seventh, we could do without you. You were a lot of trouble for the part you were to play."

"So, you don't need me."

He smiles. "We do need you."

I stand up and walk over to the window to take another look. "How much time before you have to have the code?" I glance back at them. "I mean, it's not critical or anything, you guys all look normal to me."

Lucan gets up and walks over to me as I turn to watch the white-coats. "It is extremely critical, Junco. Our children are not surviving."

I spin around, furious. "Well, for fuck's sake, Lucan! Why the fuck do you kill them all off then? You could just let them live!"

"They are
damaged
, Junco. It's been happening for many generations now, and we are not able to obtain the same quality of individual as is necessary to ensure our survival. We cannot afford to allow the code to be further diluted. We stopped the clutches seven years ago. There are no children younger than seven at this very moment."

"Oh." I turn away again. "Well, that's pretty fucked up." I watch a bustle of activity in the lab for a few minutes as someone calls up a 3D protein model up on the large central holotable and a small group of scientists stand around pointing to it. Finally I shrug and turn back. "Of course I'll help. Why wouldn't I? Is there a reason they wouldn't want to come here? I mean, you're not going to mutilate or dissect them or anything, are you?"

He laughs a little and I realize that he doesn't do that often. "No, we would not mutilate or dissect them. But we've not had a lot of success convincing Moju."

"Well, shit, you better try to get him quick, there's no telling what Aren's done to him by now."

Lucan shakes his head. "You were correct in your prediction about that, Junco. Moju escaped shortly after and has been on a rather extensive killing spree ever since."

I smile. "Oh, well. Good for him. I knew he'd be fine if I stayed."

"But he might come back if you convinced him."

I shake my head. "I'm not so sure. Tier says he's wild. Besides, I never had any control over him, that was all Tier. Moju acted like he hated him but when the time came he followed his orders." An image of Moju saluting Tier in the hallway of the tunnels pops into my mind as I look over at Ryse and then back to Lucan.

"Yes, I've heard. But we don't need to discuss this now. We'll visit again after Fledge."

I huff. "How do you know I won't be killed in Fledge, Lucan? I mean, isn't it kind of risky to put me in there if you need me so bad?"

He laughs again, twice in one meeting. "Don't be silly, Junco. You've never been in any danger from these fights. You practically sat around filing your nails for the entire fourth battle. The other Archers think we're helping you cheat, that's how well you're doing."

Ryse is close now and Lucan taps us on the shoulders and delivers us to Fledge. "It was very nice to see you, Junco. Take care tomorrow."

And then he is gone.

I look up at Ryse and shrug. "OK, so this reporter thing?"

"Junco, he spies on us. Makes shit up about Tier and Ashur. He's on the screens like every night talking shit."

"That's not the point, Ryse. I'm not a little kid. You shouldn't be allowed to make up social rules for me."

He rolls his eyes at me. "Fine. Talk to whoever you want, OK?"

I smile. "Thanks." He turns to leave me there at the door but I hesitate. "Hey, Ryse?"

He turns back. "Yeah?"

"Tell Lucan thanks, too."

"What for?"

"For asking me to help, instead of telling me. I know it's just a token choice, but it sorta feels real. So, thanks for that."

He salutes me and I turn and go inside.

Chapter Twenty-Six

I'm on a mountain. By myself. Apparently Fight Five is a personal challenge and begins with being at the bottom of a mountain and ends with being at the top of a mountain. This whole stupid fight is climbing a mountain. Something I can do in my sleep. However, I'm currently on a ledge that was previously occupied by a rather angry bunch of eagles who now want it back.

The big one lurches at me for the tenth time and I kick out at it again. It snags my last toe and I scream as the blood squirts out.

Something in my thigh pocket begins to vibrate and I stop to pull out my com. I'm getting a call. During a fight. The screen says push to answer.

So I push.

"This better be a fucking emergency, Lucan."

"Uh, Junco?"

It's not Lucan. "Yeah?"

"It's Kadian."

Silence.

"The reporter from yesterday?"

"Oh. Yeah, OK. What do you want?"

The eagles are back and I miss his words as another one tries to attack my already bleeding toe – he lunges in and snags a bit of skin. "Fuck, that hurts! You stupid motherfucker, get the fuck out of here. I'll be gone in a minute, just let me get my fucking breath!"

I hear talking coming from my com and pick it back up. "Kadian, I'm a little bit busy right now."

"Are you in Fledge right now?"

"Yeah, I'm busy."

"Well, why are you answering the phone?"

"Hold on, there's an eagle who wants to eat my toe." My fingers pull up a small stone and I peg it good. It screams as it dives off the ledge and I cover my ears. "Ha, I got it in the eye!"

"Junco, put the com on your Aves shirt, near the upper left shoulder, so you don't have to hold it and I can see what's happening."

I slap it up there and his voice is amplified.

"So why did you pick up the phone?"

"Huh?" I answer, scrambling out of the way of another, smaller eagle. "Shit! Why? Oh, well, this is the first com call I've ever gotten, ya know. I was never allowed to talk on coms at home and I thought you were Lucan or Ashur or someone I shouldn't ignore."

"What are you doing in this fight?"

"It's not a fight, Kadian, it's a personal challenge. And they dumped us out at the bottom of a mountain and we're supposed to climb to the top. At least I think that's the point, they never really tell you, but what else could it be, right?"

"Describe what you're doing now."

"What the hell does it look like, I'm fighting eagles. But you know what, I'm done here. They can have this fucking ledge back, I'm done resting." I walk out towards the ledge and two big raptors are waiting to try and get my toes, but I fall to the ground and sweep them off with my legs and then I run to the edge and jump, grab a hold and begin to pull myself up past the outcrop that acts as a roof over the mountainside cave. My bare feet find their holds and I climb, one hand and foot at a time until I can see another ledge above me. I stop, breathing hard for a few seconds, then listen and hear the tell-tale whine of something I never wanted to hear again. "Holy shit, they've got nightdogs up here!"

"Nightdogs?"

Oops. "Oh, I didn't know you were still there."

"Yes, the whole habitat is with you right now, Junco, in real time. You have to fight a nightdog?"

I snort. "I don't have to fucking do anything and I tell you what, I'm not fighting any nightdogs, they already ate two of my fingers. I'm climbing straight around these fuckers."

"Why don't you just fly to the top?"

"Can't – there was a sign at the drop-off that said no flying. Some kid tried, they shot him."

I lurch out over a slight overhang and the snapping to my left makes my heart jolt for a second. I grab with my left hand and then swing again, my legs scrambling to find purchase, and then my right hand finds a hold and I pull up a few more feet.

I repeat the process until I find a rest spot.

"How far from the top are you, Junco?"

I turn and look down. "Pretty close, I think."

An eagle soars by and makes to grab at me with its talons but I kick out at it, and when it turns away I resume climbing, one hand, one foot, one hand, one foot.

And then then I am almost there and I smile. "Kadian, look!" I pick the com off my shirt and pan it around. "I'm almost there!"

I stick it back on and climb again, and again and then I'm on a flat ledge and I stand and turn. "Holy shit! I'm at the top!"

I scramble over a few more outcroppings and stand on the peak to see if anyone else is around. "No one else is at the top. There's no one!"

"You're the first, Junco?"

I cup my hands to my mouth and shout, "Oi! Oi! Pledges! Where are you?"

"Junco!" A faint call to my left, and I twirl around. "Kush!" I wave frantically. "Kush is alive, Kadian! He made it! Tessen! Where are you?" I watch as a few more people clamber to the top, but no Tessen. "Tessen!"

"Junco!" Wyrd calls from just over to my right, and I wave. "Wyrd's alive too!"

"Shit, where are you, Isec?" I don't expect him to make it, but I hope he does.

"Who's missing, Junco?"

"Tessen, Joll, and Isec."

"Junco!" I whirl to my left and there's Tessen waving. I wave back. "Tessen's alive!"