Strikeforce (9 page)

17

The suction receded and Cassius found himself deposited in a dark, circular room. Whatever traction beam had pulled them into the strange vessel had known not to pull them too far. He landed feetfirst on the ground. Even so, he found himself crumbling under his own weight. He crashed to the ground before his body adjusted.

Eva laid next to him, forcing herself up. “The gravity's different. How's that possible?”

Madame straightened her back. She was the first to stand completely. “We're inside of an alien ship. I'd think anything's possible.”

Cassius spun slowly around, taking in their surroundings. They'd landed in the center of a wide disc. On first inspection, the material below his feet looked like a simple, dull metal. But when he put weight on it, he found that it was somewhat pliable, conforming to his every shift in balance.

The walls were of a similar material, lit by a dim ring that emanated from somewhere in the middle. Behind him, stretching into the darkness, was a ramp. No signs or symbols to tell him where it led, but the only other way out was the doorway they had come
through.

Madame moved to his side, struggling with the increased gravity. “We'd
do best to escape while we still can.”

“No way,” he replied. “We're inside. We've got a chance to do some damage.”

“Or get ourselves killed,” she countered. “An attack without strategy is a guaranteed—”

“Then leave if you want. Doesn't matter to me.”

“Cassius … ”

He stepped closer to the ramp, marveling at the cushioned substance under his feet. It felt like stepping on damp moss. He tapped his foot on the ground. The floor was hard. Foamy, but hard.

Eva followed behind, cautiously glancing around. “I should've grabbed a weapon. We're unarmed.”

“I don't see anything to fight against,” Cassius whispered as he took his first step onto the ramp. The metal became tough and unyielding. In a way, it reassured him. At least it didn't feel like the entire thing was going to pull him in.

He quickened his pace. The ramp provided no railings or edges to grip onto, but he managed to ascend its steep slope with ease. The extra gravity kept his feet stuck to the ground each time he planted them.

The farther he worked his way up, the more the light behind him disappeared. Stretching his arms in front of him, he hit a corner, then turned to accommodate the twist. The ramp's slope lessened until he arrived on a fla
t platform. A dim red light blinked several feet ahead, hanging in the darkness.

Looking behind him, Cassius realized that turning the corner had disconnected him from the chamber below. He glanced back at the flashing red. It looked almost like a tiny Pearl, but from what he could tell it was flat—a circle affixed to a wall or door.

Without hesitation, he moved forward and laid his hand over it. Nothing.

He feared warmth or, even worse, electrical shock. Maybe a trigger for some kind of attack.

Still …

Taking a deep breath, he pushed on the red with the palm of his hand.

Immediately, the wall crumbled before him, revealing cracks that expanded into a full, door-sized rectangle. He shielded his eyes from the oncoming glare. Compared to the pitch black around him, it felt like a sudden stab in the eyes.

He heard Madame's voice from far below. “Cassius, is everything okay?”

He let his arm fall from over his eyes and peered into the corridor beyond. “I think so,” he muttered back.

Chunks of wall laid in front of him on the floor. He watched in amazement as they began to tremble, then slink into the corridor. The pieces danced along the floor before they were sucked into the far wall, melting and disappearing into metal. In seconds, they were gone. The ship had fed on
itself.

He cautiously stepped through the opening. The corridor was remarkably silent—the kind of stillness that made him instantly anxious. Where were the people? Where was the rumbling of the temp control or the humming of onboard computer systems? From what he'd seen on the outside, the vessel was big enough to house hundreds. Yet there hadn't been a single sign of life since it landed.

He reminded himself of the streams of Ridium that had coursed into the ground from the vessel's outer walls. Maybe that was its only purpose. But it didn't make sense. There were already large deposits of Ridium under the surface of the Earth from the Scarlet Bombings long ago. How much did the Authority need?

Someone grabbed his shoulder, startling him from his thoughts.

He jumped, despite himself, and turned to see Madame. Despite clenching his shoulder with her hand, she didn't make eye contact. She stared intently at the corridor beyond
.

“Last chance, Cassius,” she whispered. “The deeper you go—”

He pulled forward, away from her. She followed into the hallway, along with Eva. The moment they had all safely emerged from the darkness, the opening behind them sealed.

Beads of what looked like liquid metal sucked into place, like some sort of invisible vacuum had pulled them together. In less than a second, there was no door left.

Eva banged her fist against the newly formed metal before turning. “It's a trap.”

Cassius shook his head. “If it was a trap, we'd be dead by now.”

As if on cue, he felt his foot begin to sink into the ground. Unlike the strange gravity in the dark room, this time the metal came up at him, wrapping itself around his ankle. He tried to kick free, but the grip was too tight.

“What the—?” Eva stumbled sideways before the ship cemented her in place.

“It's alive.” Cassius looked down at his feet, watching the metal fall still. He could see the tips of his boots, but nothing from there to his ankles.

Madame grabbed hold of her knee and tried to pull herself up, to no avail. “That's ridiculous. This can't be—”

“I was in a ship like this,” Cassius said. “Before Altair. Theo made it from Ridium. He could control the entire thing.”

Eva wriggled her body, trying to break free. “But this isn't Ridium.”

The walls shifted sideways. At least that's the way it looked to Cassius at first. The entire journey up to the corridor had disoriented his mind. It took a moment before he realized that the walls hadn't moved at all. It was the floor.

The ground shuttled them along, pushing all three forward through the corridor, their feet never leaving the ground.

The floor slanted upward. They turned a corner. The metal underfoot shifted to accommodate every move, like a conveyer belt that wouldn't let them go.

“It isn't stopping!” Madame held her arms out, afraid to lose balance.

There were no windows in the vessel, and every corridor looked the same. They sped up. Soon, it became impos
sible to tell how far they'd ascended.

Cassius noticed the turns in directions become more and more frequent. Each level of the ship decreased in diameter until every move felt like part of a circle. Too much of this and he'd be sick
.

Finally, after several dozen of these loops, the ship released its hold on them.

Cassius was thrown forward. He reached out his hands to break his fall. The corridor spun.

Eva brought herself to her knees, rubbing her bruised shoulder. “And the point of that was … ?”

“Disorient us,” Madame said. “We've no weapons, and now we don't even know which way is which.”

“All of these corridors are identical.” Cassius stood, closing his eyes to catch his bearings. Then, he strode to the nearest wall and laid his hand against it. Immediately, the entire thing gave way. Beads of metal dripped in a crater around his hand and spread quickly until he'd carved a large opening.

He stepped back, eyes wide. “It's responding to my touch.”

Eva moved to his side. “It didn't do anything when I banged against it.”

“You're from Earth,” he replied. “It must be designed to—”

“Watch out!” Madame grabbed his arm and forced him to the floor, just as a missile launched from somewhere beyond the
opening, straight at them.

They hit the ground as the dark missile blasted into the wall behind them, shattering into a thousand black daggers.

The pricks of Ridium rained down, clinking against the metal floor like broken china.

Cassius pulled himself forward on his belly, past the opening, before any of the knives could lodge themselves into his body. Eva rolled to the side, evading most of them.

Madame didn't have time.

Cassius heard her cry out in pain as one of the daggers connected with her leg, slicing through flesh on its way to the ground.

Frantically, he pulled her forward, away from the chaos. Rushing to her side, he watched the last of the Ridium wriggle from her wounded leg and melt away from her, leaving a trail of dark blood.

“Cassius!” she cried.

“Your blazer.” He motioned for her to hand it to him, keeping one eye on the blood now gushing from her leg. He wasn't sure if he'd ever seen Madame bleed before.

He helped her out of her coat, then rolled it up to fashion a tourniquet and quickly tied it around her leg.

She pulled herself to a sitting position against the wall, breathing hard.

“You'll live,” Cassius said.

Eva scrambled around the corner, away from what was left of the Ridium missile. “We're dead. This is suicide.”

“It's not.” He stood, glancing to his right. They stood in a small room, connecting the corridor they'd come from with another. Everywhere he looked had the illusion of sunlight, but he couldn't tell where it was coming from.

“I can't walk, Cassius.” Madame grimaced. “It would only—”

He nodded. “Let me try something.” He moved to the opening and laid his hand on what was left of the wall. Instantly, the hole closed up and they were sealed in. He turned back. “I can definitely control it.”

Madame stared at him with a pained expression. “What are you saying?”

“I have to see what else is in here. We've come this far.”

She frowned. “Did you hear me? I can't walk!”

“Then stay here,” he countered. “You're safe enough. Clearly there's nobody here to find you.”

Eva winced. “Except that giant missile that just about pulverized us.”

“Stay with her,” he said. “Make sure no one comes. I'm going up. If there's a chance I might be able to do something here—”

Eva shook her head. “This isn't what I signed up for. Since when do I care—?”

“Stand guard. Or you'll deal with me.” He took a deep breath. “Give me fifteen minutes, okay? If I'm not back by then, you can come looking for me. You can even leave
her
.” He held up his hand. “Or I can seal the two of you in here, with no way out.”

She sighed, then took a seat across from Madame.

Cassius nodded. “I thought so.”

Then, without giving either the chance to argue, he raced from the room and around the corner, eyes open for missiles or anything else the Authority might throw at him.

18

I back away from Savon. “This isn't real. How can this be happening?”

“Jesse—” He holds out his massive, gloved hand. It's like he could crush me with it.

“All this time … every Pearl that fell … I thought it might be the one that brought you to Earth … ”

“Calm down,” he coaxes.

“Calm down? My father … the guy I didn't even know existed anymore … shows up out of the blue and you want me to calm down?”

He shakes his head. “The excitability comes from your mother. Look, if we were in a position to sit down and have a long, in-depth talk, I'd be happy to do so. As it stands … ” He stops. I glance up and watch him stride toward me, arms out. Before I realize it, he's got me in an embrace. His bulky arms squeeze tight around my shoulders, so much that I can't really lift my arms and hug him back.

I remember one of the Academy teachers spending an entire afternoon telling us about what they called the “emotional stages” of trauma. Death wasn't exactly a rare thing in our line of work, so they'd wanted to prepare us for anything.

No one's died. But even so, I feel like I'm traveling through a hundred stages—landmark after landmark in the space of a few minutes. Shock. Excitement. Intimidation. Disbelief. Even a little bit of anger. My mind doesn't know how to fit my father in. Try as I might, the thought of him standing here won't sink in completely.

He lets go of me, steps back, and stares. I can't meet his gaze for more than a second, even though I want to.

“What about … ” I start. “ What about Mom? Is she with you?”

“No,” he replies quickly. “We were separated before we left Haven. We lost contact.” He pauses, bowing his head. “I don't know, Jesse.”

“Do you think she—?”

“I don't know.” He cuts me off in a way that signals the end to the conversation.

I shake my head, trying to push away the increasing dizziness I feel. “This is a lot to take in.”

He gives an awkward smile. “Did you think I'd been killed? Come now, you should expect better from your father.”

“I didn't know what to think.” I briefly meet his eyes. “Oh, man … ”

He lays a hand on my shoulder. I practically crumble under him. “Jesse. I can't pretend to know what it was like for you, all these years raising yourself.”

“I wasn't—”

“You and Cassius were alone. Dependent on the whims of humans your mother and I never had the opportunity to meet. You're incredibly strong. Incredibly resourceful. I couldn't have done what you have.”

My shoulders tense. Nobody's ever spoken to me like this. No one's ever called me strong, or looked up to me as a survivor. I don't know how to take it, but I know that it ignites something inside of me that I've never felt before.

“I … I only learned about you a couple months ago.”

He brings his hand back to his hip. “Then there's a lot for you to know. But stories will have to wait. We need to find your brother and make a stand against the Authority. It's the only way.”

“But—”

“Don't tell me you're the kind of man who takes the easy route,” he interrupts. “Who shirks his responsibilities.”
I shrug.

Savon nods. “I thought not. Even without my direct influence, you've still got my blood running through you. That ought to be more than enough.”

“I don't—” I pause, stumbling on my words. “How did you find me?”

He looks to the sky. “I came to this world several days ago. Confused and unbalanced. I didn't know how I'd find you or Cassius until the explosion you unleashed in that city. It was a happy coincidence that I was close enough to feel it. That much Pearl energy doesn't go unnoticed, especially by the one who created it.”

“I … I drew you to me?”

His good eye meets mine, staring.

“Well,” I mutter. “If I knew it would've been that easy … ”

“Nothing's ever easy. And nothing happens just because.”

An awkward silence hangs between us. I picture the man in the photograph, the one Cassius and I had found on our first trip to Seattle. I can't believe I hadn't recognized him sooner. The eye patch is new, probably the result of some battle on Haven, but the basic features match. This is my father. The guy I've been waiting to find ever since I learned my true identity.

And now that I've found him, what am I supposed to do?

I never allowed myself to imagine this moment. I could've rehearsed it, scripted something to say. But even if I had something written down, I'm sure the words would fail me now. I was so used to being a ward of the Academy.

Savon grabs my shoulder again. “Listen, Jesse. I don't want to be a distraction. I know this is sudden, and I know we've been separated for many years, but we're going to have to pull ourselves together. Stay strong in the face of this invasion.” He pauses. “Do you know where Cassius is?”

I force my mind to stop circling my unfinished thoughts.

Cassius.

Even thinking his name gives me an anchor—pulls me back to the reality at hand. “They were headed to Atlas.” I catch myself. “But if the Skyships sank … oh god, they might have been on the ship!”

“We'll go there regardless,” Savon responds. “We might be able to help.” He steps back, as if he's prepared to walk across the entire country to get there.

“But—”

“We don't have a lot of time.”

“Avery,” I continue. “You promised.”

He stops. “Yes. Your friend.”

“If we can stop and check—”

“Tell me this,” he interrupts. “Do you have access to transportation?”

“You mean a shuttle?”

He nods.

I think back to Portland—our descent to the outskirts of the landing pad. Then I remember Skandar. “Oh my god.” The words fall out of my mouth before I realize it. “What if the Authority got Skandar?”

The question doesn't seem to register with my father. Either that, or he just chooses to ignore it.

I stare up at him for a moment, then back to the ground. “We might have a shuttle. My friend back in Portland has our communicator … a direct link to Cassius. If he's okay, he'll answer. That's probably the best chance we have of finding exactly where he is.”

Savon appraises me in silence before speaking. “Very well. Stick out your hand.”

“What?”

He moves his own hand forward, spreading apart the fingers. “Just do it.”

Hesitantly, I raise my right hand and hold it outstretched. It's like we're about to do some weird alien handshake. Of course, under the circumstances, that might be
exactly
wh
at we're about to do.

He clears his throat. “Have you driven?”

“I don't know what you mean.”

“Ships, shuttles, transport.”

“Oh.” My mind flashes back to training modules—the few times I've actually taken the wheel on Academy ships. I don't have the heart to tell him how unsuccessful I was. “Sure.”

“This is similar.” He pushes the palm of his hand against mine. Instantly I feel a suction, like our skin is melding together. The last time I felt something like this was when Cassius and I first met on the rooftop in Syracuse. A
fter the strange suction of our hands, I'd started developing my Pearlbreaking powers.

“What are you doing?”

“I have limited Pearl Transport Energy left inside of me. Most Drifters would have used theirs up within minutes, wasting it all in a blind panic. But I'm not most Drifters. Not only can I harness it, but I can transfer some to you.”

The suction quickly amps up. Another few seconds and it's all I can do to keep my feet on the ground. But standing in front of him, I don't want to slip even an inch.

“It feels warm,” I manage. “Like when I break a Pearl.”

He nods. “It's exactly the same. Only up until this point, you haven't been taught how to harness the energy for flight.”

“Flight?!?”

“The effects will be short-lived,” he continues, “but it'll be enough to give you the boost that I'm currently enjoying.
Now, pretend that your body is a shuttle. If you'd like to move left, roll to the left. If you want to slow down, lower your feet. Straight arms and legs will allow for faster transport.”

I swallow. “I'm not so sure this is a good idea.”

“I'm not going to carry you again,” he says. “Not when this option is available to us.”

“But you haven't seen me in action,” I interrupt. “Sometimes I have trouble
walking
.”

“You're my son. I have the highest expectations.”

“Well … ” I stop myself. If I was talking to anyone else—Captain Alkine, Eva, Mrs. Dembo—I'd have no problem telling them the truth. I'd freely raise my hand and admit that I'm a klutz … a total screwup. But the way he looks at me, the
no-is-not-an-answer
glare in his eye, makes it impossible.

The suction settles down. When it stops, we're forced apart. Savon seems to expect it, and has no trouble standing his ground. Meanwhile, I'm thrown backward, off my feet. I land on my butt, several feet away.

Savon ignores this. “Ready?”

“I don't kno—”

He raises his right hand into the air, as if conducting music. Instantly I feel a tug on my shoulders. Before I can react, I'm yanked into the sky, tumbling up in curlicues.

“What the hell?”

Savon darts into the air beside me. “Straighten your body! Concentrate!”

The words barely register as they're whipped away by the wind. Still, I manage to force my legs down. It feels horribly unnatural to extend them without feeling anything underfoot.

This at least stops me spiraling. But it's not enough to correct my ascent completely. My arms plunge in diagonals at my sides. When I move them closer to my body, I speed to a breakneck pace. This freaks me out, so I open them again, which slows me so suddenly that I nearly suffer whiplash.

I don't look down. I know that the ground is mass far away by now, but I don't want to see it. It's easier to picture this as a simulation, that if I were to press a button the whole thing would fade away and I'd land safely on a cushion.

Savon loops by, stopping right in front of me, matching my pace.

“Relax.” He shouts to be heard above the wind. “The more you panic, the more difficult you'll make this on yourself. I'm about to release my hold on you. Focus on staying airborne. Trust that the energy will guide you.”

I wince. He doesn't give me a second to prepare before he brings his hand back to his side. Immediately I take a slight tumble, sinking toward the ground. It's my fear of falling that eventually steadies me. I ball my fists and concentrate on the energy whirring inside of me. I imagine it as a protective shield, a solid disc beneath my feet. I picture green strands of energy forming from the top of my head, pulling me up like ropes. And before I know it, I'm level with my father once more.

I'm doing it. I'm actually flying.

Savon laughs, then points toward the horizon on the right. “This way. Do you think you can follow me?”

My entire body shakes. I keep my arms stretched away from my body, feet firmly pointed down. “I can try.”

“Don't try,” he says. “No son of mine
tries
. We
do
.”

With that, he hurtles forward through the air, until he's a distant speck.

I close my eyes, take deep breaths, and try to steady my nerves. When I feel less like I'm going to puke up my life, I tilt forward. Then come the arms. Before I know it, I'm a pointed arrow, bolting through the sky just as fast as any ship.

Only there's nothing to protect me.

Cutting through the air is painful, like my body's drilling through a wall. I keep my head forward, my eyes force closed, so I have to look down.

It's not that I haven't fallen from heights before. I have, and far more often than anybody my age should have. But those times, I never had the luxury of staring at the Surface so long, unencumbered by windshields or glass.

The brown land stretches below me like a vast, dirt-ridden carpet. I see Fringe Towns every so often, though they look like ant farms from so high up.

I wait for my body to lurch downward—for the Pearl energy to fail and send me plummeting to the ground. But each second that passes brings with it more security. The nerves begin to die down. The uncertainty all but vanishes, replaced by an exuberance—the kind I haven't felt in months. For a moment, I feel brave.

I venture a glance forward to see Savon. He's nothing but a dark dot from my view, but I'm getting closer to him. Against all odds, I'm keeping up.

I laugh, even though the wind sweeps it away immediately. Despite the things that have happened, despite the danger and uncertainty that's surrounding us. Despite Avery and the others. I can't help myself. I feel bad about it, but I can't stop.

I point my fingers and go faster. I dip right to turn, then back again.

In moments I'm side by side with Savon.

If I can do this, I can do anything. Me and my father, my father whom I thought I'd never
see again. We're unstoppable—higher than any bird. We have the sky all to ourselves, and a va
ntage point above any enemy.

We'll fight together, me and my dad.

The Authority's not going to know what hit it.