Crystal Keepers (23 page)

“I plan to,” Sidekick said. “Sit tight.”

Blake looked around. “Couldn't you leave us someplace a little less . . . moldy?”

“Don't worry,” Sidekick assured him. “You won't see any mold. It'll be dark.”

As Sidekick trundled away, his lights faded and darkness closed in. Soon Cole could no longer see Blake. Then he couldn't see anything.

“This is really dark,” Blake said. “I can't tell if my eyes are open or closed.”

Cole felt tempted to remain silent. Then he felt tempted to growl or make choking sounds. “At least it means other people can't see us.”

Blake lowered his voice. “Do you really think this rebellion business is a good idea?”

“Sure beats giving up,” Cole said.

“Is this how it is all the time for you?” Blake asked. “Hiding in sewers?”

“At least these are pretty dry,” Cole said. “You should smell the ones under Zeropolis.”

“Maybe I could do more if I let the patrolmen catch me,” Blake said. “You know, bring down the system from the inside.”

“And have plenty of food?” Cole asked. “And a comfy bed?”

“Not just that,” Blake said. “I have skills that make them really want me. I didn't know about the rebellion before. I could help them big time if I was back with City Patrol.”

“How would you avoid copying more crystals for them?” Cole asked.

Blake paused. “Maybe I could get some wrong.”

“City Patrol would catch on so fast,” Cole said. “Plus, you've heard about the princesses. And you know how to contact Aero.”

“Don't remind me,” Blake said. “I'm trying to forget.”

“They'll torture and imprison you if they find out what you know.”

“I see why people flock to the rebellion.”

Cole thought for a minute. “Do you wish you had let us go to the situation room without you?”

“Maybe. I don't know. Datapoint would have figured out I made the key. It could have gone pretty badly.”

“Do you wish you hadn't made the key?” Cole asked.

“I wish . . . you hadn't seemed so confident. Like you knew what you were doing.”

“I know what I'm doing.”

“If you say so,” Blake said. “I'm not sure crawling around in storm drains is what I would call freedom. We'll see what happens. Working for Datapoint wasn't great. If the Unseen have some decent bases, maybe this will get better.”

“They had decent bases,” Cole said. “Then you copied their crystals.”

A light was returning.

“Is it the bot?” Blake murmured. “Should we hide?”

Cole got out his last tube of freeze-foam. “Doesn't look like Sidekick. Might be the ghost train.”

“Shut up,” Blake said. “There aren't any tracks.”

“Why would a ghost train need tracks?” Cole asked. “It picks up the souls of people who complain too much.”

“You'd complain too much if you . . .”

“If I what?”

“If you were good at something,” Blake said. “I'm the best crystal shaper in the whole kingdom.”

“And you like how your owners treated you,” Cole said.

“They treated me really well,” Blake said. “I'm not like you. I have other options.”

“I have an ability too,” Cole said.

“What?” Blake asked.

“It doesn't matter,” Cole said wearily. “It got blocked by a shapecrafter. A person who can shape the shaping power. But when I had it, I used it to help the rebellion. I didn't try to sell out.”

“Are you even sure the Unseen are the good guys?” Blake asked. “Are you sure they aren't thieves and terrorists?”

“I know they don't support slavery,” Cole said. “I know they don't steal the powers of their children and fake their deaths. I know they've given me real help.”

Sidekick came into view. Googol was with him, wearing the same clothes Cole had seen him in last time, except they were torn and filthy. Then Dalton came into view.

“Dalton!” Cole called.

His friend broke into a huge smile. Then he blinked in surprise. “Is that Blake? Where'd you find him?”

“Long story,” Cole said, running to Dalton. They hugged.

“I was worried about you,” Dalton said.

“Same here,” Cole replied. “I heard they found Forge's hideout.”

“Yeah,” Dalton said. “We all got away, though. He had
a good escape plan. Secret is here too. She's safe. Forge and Scandal too.”

“What about Jace?” Cole asked.

“We've lost track of him,” Dalton said. “Trickster too. And Joe. But Trickster wasn't picked up, and we know Joe was with Outlaw. Jace met up with Roulette. Hopefully they're okay.”

Blake gave Dalton a hug. “Good to see you,” Blake said. “This is becoming a reunion. We'll have to play some soccer.”

“Where have you been?” Dalton asked.

“We'll fill you in,” Blake said. “Is there a base around here?”

“Not much of a base,” Googol said. His voice was tired and a little hoarse. “More of a safe house. But we have food and places to sleep. I'm sorry for the way this has turned out. Let's get you inside. Welcome to Rainday.”

C
HAPTER

22

ENVOY

C
ole sipped tomato soup from the edge of his spoon. He had blown on the spoonful to cool the thick red fluid, but it was still a little too hot. His stomach gurgled.

He sat on a slim chair that looked flimsy but felt sturdy. Googol, Forge, Dalton, Blake, Mira, and Sidekick shared the room. Rainday was nothing fancy—just a collection of connected underground rooms. The walls, ceilings, and floors were all made of gray cement, rough and unadorned. Cole hadn't seen many electronics, but there were plenty of crates and storage shelves.

Cole and Blake had just explained how they found each other, and Sidekick helped detail their encounter with Aeronomatron. Googol had listened soberly, asking minimal questions. Now he turned his vision gear toward Blake.

“You still recall how to make a crystal that can contact Aero?” Googol asked.

“I'm trying to forget,” Blake said nervously. He looked uncomfortable.

“It's hazardous knowledge,” Googol said. “But you learned it through no fault of your own. Will you vow never to create a crystal with those harmonics for any reason?”

“I can do better than that,” Blake said. “I'm going to forget how to do it. It'll just take a little time. Focusing on other harmonics should help.”

Googol nodded. “Your ability could provide just the help we need as we try to get our comms back up.”

“I'm happy to pitch in,” Blake said. “Do you have any bonded crystal that I can use as raw material?”

“An ample supply,” Googol said.

“He also remembers many of the harmonics he used working for Datapoint and City Patrol,” Sidekick said.

Googol grinned. “We can definitely put you to work.”

A door opened, and a woman with short white hair entered. Of medium height with a somewhat heavy build, she limped and used a cane. Her loose, unbuttoned sweater hung long, flowing behind her like a cape. Cole thought she looked about as old as his grandmother.

Googol rose. “I'd like you all to meet Nova, leader of the Unseen in Zeropolis.”

Cole stood up, as did the others.

Nova shook her head. “Please, sit down; I'm a freedom fighter, not a dignitary. I'm glad you all found your way here. It's hardly a palace, but at least nobody is kicking down the doors yet.”

Nova moved one of the vacant chairs and sat beside Mira. The others sat down as well.

“Forge, well done bringing Secret here,” Nova said. She laid a hand on Mira's wrist. “You are our hope.”

“I only brought trouble,” Mira said.

Nova shook her head. “This trouble has been coming for a long time. We were clearly more vulnerable than we realized. In a revolution, some lessons are only learned through bloodshed. We had grown complacent here in the old town. We should have anticipated this.”

“Is the revolution doomed?” Blake asked.

Nova regarded him in silence for a moment. “We've suffered major setbacks lately. We lost good people and important resources. But our people know their trade. More have slipped away into hiding than you might guess. Many of our most vital operatives remain free, some in solitude, some in quiet hideaways like this one. The fight will go on.”

“Nova has weathered worse than this,” Googol said. “While she's standing, the revolution is in good hands.”

“Which means I better not lose my cane,” she said with a wink.

“Do you think the government is using a smart computer?” Cole asked.

“I know what you learned from Aeronomatron,” Nova said. “I've been following this conversation, though I wasn't in the room. Bad habit, maybe, but it's what happens when you're hosted by spies. The use of a manufactured intelligence would help explain their sudden increase in efficiency. As would Blake's power.”

“I was their slave,” Blake said defensively. “I'm not from
here. I did what they told me. I thought I was catching criminals.”

“You were, according to their definition,” Nova said. “You're still not sure whether you want to be here with us. Don't deny it—I can tell. Furthermore, I can understand. You're far from home. You've already been displaced. Why should you also join a losing cause and give up the comforts City Patrol provided?”

“It might have crossed my mind,” Blake admitted guiltily.

“You played a major role in helping our enemies access our secrets,” Nova said. “Your ability blindsided us. But it could also help us fight back.”

“It's not too late?” Blake asked.

Nova shook her head. “Our enemies are hitting us so hard because they're scared. We still have enough people to regroup and fight back. Secret and her relatives could heat up the revolution from a brushfire to an inferno. But the government will try to stamp out the blaze before it can spread. We're on the verge of a real opportunity to gain popular support.”

“We have to find who I'm looking for,” Mira said.

“Exactly,” Nova said. “Googol and I have conferred, and I've just reached a decision about how we'll do that. It involves your friend Cole. You told me that you trust him completely?”

“Yes,” Mira said, looking distressed. “But I don't want him in more danger.”

Cole quietly agreed with her but kept silent. What could they possibly need from him?

“We're all in danger,” Googol said, leaning forward. “Cole is currently in a unique position to aid us.”

“How?” Cole asked.

Nova leveled her gaze at him. “Can we speak in private? I want to discuss a possible mission of the utmost secrecy.”

“Okay,” Cole said, with a nervous glance at Dalton. His friend looked worried for him.

Nova stood. “This way. Bring your soup.”

Cole followed her out of the room, down a hall, around a corner, through a door, then through a thicker door into a small room. A simple crystal lamp hung from the ceiling above two chairs and a table.

Nova claimed one of the chairs and indicated the other. Cole took a seat across from her. Being there alone with her felt very formal and official. She nodded at his bowl of soup. “Go ahead.”

He tried a sip. It was still quite warm, but no longer too hot. He took another sip. Nova watched him. It felt weird eating with such an attentive audience.

“How many robots do you guys have?” Cole asked to break the silence.

“Not enough,” Nova replied. “Our bots have been vital in helping us through the recent crisis. But care must be taken. If we make too many smart robots, this war could unintentionally evolve to man against machine.”

“Sidekick is great,” Cole said.

“He's my personal favorite,” Nova said. “Even if his humble routine is partly an act, it works. I like him. How's the soup?”

“Tasty,” Cole said. “Do you guys have any other special weapons?”

Her eyes narrowed. “What have you heard?”

“Nothing,” Cole said. “I love the warboard and the battle suits. The bots are great. You guys are so high tech, I just wondered if there is anything else.”

“Some of our more hawkish members would like us to deploy a harmony bomb,” she said.

“What's that?” Cole asked.

Nova stared at him as if gauging the sincerity of his question, then gave a nod. “It's a theoretical weapon of enormous destructive capacity. Your world has atom bombs. You're familiar with them?”

“I know the basics,” Cole said. “I couldn't build one.”

“A harmony bomb would have a similar destructive impact,” she said. “In fact, the strongest models I have conceptualized would have more punch than any nuclear weapons your world currently has developed, but without the radiation. A clean explosion of gargantuan power.”

“Could it take out the whole city?” Cole asked.

“A big one would destroy a large part of it,” Nova said. “And leave a lot more of it damaged.”

“Do you have any?” Cole asked.

“A harmony bomb has never been detonated,” Nova said. “Not even as a test out in the empty wastes. But together, Googol and I have the capacity to make one. He has the know-how to engineer the physical device, and I can provide the power.”

“Is that your shaping ability?” Cole asked.

“I'm a sparker,” Nova said.

“It matches your name,” Cole said. “Nova.”

“An exploding star. Since a harmony bomb has never been tested, we can't be sure it would work. But in theory, if you properly prepare a harmonic crystal, and then overload it with a sudden influx of energy, it should blow apart in spectacular fashion.”

“How would you use a harmony bomb?” Cole asked.

“That's the problem,” Nova said. “Such a weapon is a hammer, not a scalpel. We don't know how to make a small-scale harmonic explosive. It would take so much energy to detonate even the tiniest model that the blast would be devastating. We couldn't take out City Patrol Headquarters, for example, without also demolishing the city for dozens of blocks all around it. We're champions of the people, not terrorists.”

“Does City Patrol know you could make a harmony bomb?” Cole asked.

“Abram Trench knows I have the potential,” Nova said. “We worked together years ago, before he became Grand Shaper. Selfish old crab. Politician to the core. Not a sincere bone in his body. No real interest in the common good. But he does worry about himself.”

“You want him scared,” Cole said.

“It's one way to keep a selfish man out of your business. Nobody in the Outskirts can equal my energy output, and he can't be sure I wouldn't use my gift to fuel an explosive device if the situation became bleak enough. Even if I would never actually condone such a weapon, the mere threat
provides a useful deterrent. I believe it is part of the reason City Patrol never became serious about interfering with our affairs in Old Zeropolis until now.”

“Which means he's more worried about finding Secret than he is about a harmony bomb,” Cole said.

Nova tapped the side of her nose and pointed at him. “Exactly. We have reached a decisive hour. Cole, we have exhausted every resource to find Constance. According to Sidekick, even that know-it-all Aeronomatron couldn't venture a guess as to her whereabouts. The revolution in Zeropolis is in real danger of failing. We have to find Constance quickly. I know of only one remaining option.”

“Something I can help with?” Cole asked, still unsure what she wanted from him.

“There is one who could mark Constance's location for us,” Nova said.

“Mira's mother,” Cole said, remembering the stars.

“Mira keeps watch every night,” Nova said. “But no star has appeared. We have to communicate our need to Harmony Pemberton.”

“Wait,” Cole said, pausing with a spoonful of soup on the way to his mouth. “You want me to be a messenger?”

“We've sent envoys to Harmony in the past,” Nova explained. “She sent a representative to us once. Our last envoy did not make it to her. The legionnaires got him, though he was not taken alive. The mission would be very risky.”

“Sounds like it,” Cole said, dread pooling inside of him.

“You are in a unique position to do this,” Nova said. “As a
child, you are likely to be overlooked as a threat. You already know the secret about Miracle and her sisters. The princess trusts you. And perhaps most importantly, your face is not in the identification system used by City Patrol.”

“What about my fake IDs?” Cole asked.

“Your first fake ID was completely expunged from the records,” she said. “The second was recorded but has been rendered inaccessible. Your current false ID will read as valid to scanners, but your identity can't be investigated using the system. Somebody doesn't want you found.”

“The Hunter?” Cole asked.

“That's our guess,” Nova said. “When you helped rescue Joe, the Hunter went to great lengths to capture you without anyone knowing. He tried to recruit you, correct?”