Читать книгу Nexus - Lindsay Cummings, Sasha Alsberg - Страница 15

ANDI

“You know, carrying out this mission seemed a whole lot easier when we first started planning it,” Andi commented, staring at the holograms of various rescue plans that hovered above the varillium coffee table. They lit up the main deck of the Marauder, casting shadows against the walls adorned with Gilly’s drawings.

Morbid as the drawings were—most of them were made up of stick figures missing limbs or, Gilly’s favorite artistic choice, stick figures missing their heads—looking at them made Andi’s chest ache.

And not just because of the still-healing wound from Valen.

She missed her crew more than ever before. She missed seeing Breck in the kitchen with Alfie, talking about the latest and greatest recipes from around Mirabel. She longed to see Lira seated at the table in the corner of the main deck, working on homemade Sparks. Gilly would have been peering over her shoulder, eager to learn any way to wreak havoc on the world.

And speaking of Havoc...

Andi’s gaze fell on a pair of jagged orange claws that just barely poked out from beneath the sofa, ready to ensnare an ankle. Gilly’s bloodthirsty puffball of a feline had grown increasingly problematic in the weeks without its owner, destroying cables, gnawing through the foot of Dex’s cot and leaving piles of stinking waste all over the engine room.

She was beginning to wish that the Fellibrag had been left behind on Arcardius, but naturally, Gilly had made sure Havoc was safely tucked aboard the ship before assuming her guard duties at the Ucatoria Ball. And now it was up to Andi to make sure Gilly’s beloved pet somehow survived the next few weeks, until they could come up with a plan to rescue her and the other girls.

“Getting the mission done is always the hard part,” Lon said, drawing Andi back into the conversation at hand, smiling morosely as their eyes met. His fingertips trailed dangerously close to the edge of the Adhiran cowhide couch, where Havoc swatted and missed.

Andi leaned back into the cushions, sighing deeply. The wound on her chest no longer hurt when she breathed, which was the only positive progress she seemed to have made in the three weeks since she’d awoken.

Andi knew she was being overly dramatic, and that they weren’t completely at a dead end. A few days ago, they’d finally had their first breakthrough. Dex had managed to secure a connection to the galactic feed, which was essential to their plans.

Unfortunately, that connection had only confirmed their worst fears.

The world they once knew was far gone. Endless propaganda now littered the feeds, Nor Solis the figurehead of this new world. Her reign of compulsive power had spread to every system, from Phelexos to the farthest reaches of Tavina. Hiding out in the nebula may have kept them safe from the virus, but that protection also made Andi feel incredibly alone.

Isolated. Hopeless.

But she would not accept defeat. Not when the lives of her girls were at risk.

“Okay, let’s lay out what we know already,” Andi said, needing everything clarified once more before they did...who knows what, she thought. They couldn’t move forward with any of the plans they’d concocted thus far without more information.

Lon tapped a command into the holoscreen on the coffee table and pulled up a picture of a young man with green hair and dark skin. He would have looked like any other person she might pass on the streets of any city in the galaxy—if it weren’t for the network of silver veins glowing beneath the surface of his skin.

Andi had seen this photo before. They all had. The first time she saw it, the sight had puzzled her to the core. She was very familiar with body modification, but had never seen anything like this in all her travels across Mirabel.

“People infected with the virus are left with a visible marker of the compulsion—those silver veins,” Dex said wearily, as Lon pulled up other photos of people with a similar mod. “Which makes things more than a bit difficult for us. We can’t just waltz into Arcardius and get the girls back. It would be obvious that we’re not under Nor’s mind control.”

“We would be captured and infected, too,” Andi said, understanding his point.

“Not we,” Lon said, eyeing them both. Andi and Dex had both been shot with the virus during the Ucatoria Ball. They hadn’t been affected the way the others were, which they all hoped meant Dex and Andi were somehow immune. Lon, on the other hand, had never been exposed to it, and Andi wasn’t willing to risk his freedom on the vague hope that he might be resistant to the virus, as well.

Besides, since Lira wasn’t immune, then it was unlikely Lon was, either. He was Lira’s twin, her counterpart, half of Lira’s heart.

And if Andi saw him fall, some part of her knew it would be like losing Lira all over again. He was part of her crew now—and he was the only one who could feed Havoc without risking dismemberment. The hideous creature had grown to love Lon, in its own demented way, and didn’t claw Lon’s arms to ribbons nearly as much as it did her and Dex.

Andi could hear Havoc purring from beneath the couch, ready to strike again.

It was a cunning move, those silver veins—something Andi had to grudgingly admire, as much as it complicated things for them. Still, there had to be some holes in Nor’s master plan, and Andi relished the thought of blasting them wide open.

Dex rubbed his chin thoughtfully. Stubble had started to shadow his face, and Andi tried not to dwell on how attractive she found it. He’d had a beard during the year they’d spent together, after she fled Arcardius the first time, and Andi couldn’t help being reminded of the happier times in their relationship when she looked at him now.

He pulled up their brainstorming sheet with a tap of two fingers. “Well, I think out of these three ideas...none of them will work in the current climate.”

Then Dex wiped the screen clean, erasing the mission plans they’d so carefully drafted together during countless hours of work over the past three weeks.

“Dex, you’re as bad as Alfie sometimes!” Andi snapped, all feelings of nostalgia disappearing in the wake of her aggravation at him.

“Well, seeing as he’s not here,” Dex said, eyeing the silver holoband encircling his wrist, “someone has to fill in for the time being.”

The AI had been dismembered during their short stay at Averia, where General Cortas and his family had once lived. Andi had managed to save his memory chip, knowing that Alfie had gathered vital information about Valen’s blood and DNA when he’d tested him on their ship after leaving Lunamere.

And though Alfie’s chip was now tucked away in Dex’s holoband, they hadn’t yet been able to resurrect the AI by connecting him to the galactic feeds. He’d remained as useless as ever, and likely would until they left the nebula, when he was able to get a real connection.

Andi snatched the holoscreen away and undid Dex’s action, saving the document. But even as she did so, Andi couldn’t help feeling that Dex was right—the more she looked at their ideas, the more she wondered if any of them could actually work.

1. Dress up as Xen Pterran soldiers, sneak onto Arcardius and kidnap the girls.

Andi thought this plan of Dex’s could potentially work—if they had clearance, which they did not. Plus, she had a faint inkling that he just wanted to don a disguise, like the top shows on the social feeds. Those were all gone now, Nor having erased the social aspects of the feeds, replacing them with her propaganda.

Dex was always one for theatrics. But she knew better than ever now that theatrics rarely worked in real life.

After all, playing the part of the Bloody Baroness only ever got people killed.

Then there was Lon’s all too reasonable idea.

2. Negotiate

If they had something to bargain with, it could work...but all they had were a few guns and her ship, which was not up for negotiation. She would even go as far as to offer Nor her life for those of her crew, but she doubted Nor wanted her dead that badly. Andi was no one. Just a ghost lost to the stars, as far as the galaxy was concerned. Valen, on the other hand...

Andi didn’t think the method she’d proposed was too bad. It had always worked for her in the past.

3. Go in guns blazing

Then again, they were just three people against the whole galaxy. Maybe shooting their way onto Arcardius was a bit too unrealistic, especially without her crew. Lon wasn’t exactly one for violence, either. She doubted he’d be of much help.

Havoc, though... Perhaps she could use the creature as a weapon.

Even Nor would run from those claws.

Andi looked down, but Havoc had mysteriously disappeared. She made a mental note to make sure she stuck close to Dex for the time being—he was usually Havoc’s favorite target, which meant she might be able to avoid becoming his next scratching post.

“We’re only three people, with a ship on the verge of collapse,” Dex said, uncannily echoing her earlier thoughts. It was true—the Marauder needed fuel and supplies, and the thrusters desperately needed a tune-up. With the way things were going, they wouldn’t be able to hide out in this nebula much longer.

Andi looked out the window to the dusty expanse beyond. She missed seeing the stars.

Dex continued. “We all want a solid plan that will allow us to rescue the girls without dying or becoming enslaved to Queen Nor in the process. But before we even think about going back to Arcardius, we need to figure out a way to refuel and gather supplies. We’re no good to anyone stranded in a nebula.”

“Or dead,” Lon added.

Dex nodded. “Exactly. We need to get the ship back into shape first. Then we can tackle the rest.”

“As much as I hate admitting this, you’re right,” Andi said with a sigh, glancing at Gilly’s drawings again.

Dex’s jaw dropped. He grabbed the holoscreen and aimed its camera at her. “Can you say that again? I want to document this moment.”

Andi pushed the screen away, rolling her eyes. “Is your brain so addled that you have to document things externally because you can’t store the information up there?” She flicked his forehead.

“If you want to know what I’m thinking, just ask.” He winked. “Just try not to combust when I describe the dirty—”

Andi was saved from hearing the details of Dex’s explicit thoughts when Havoc pounced over the back of the couch, landing on his shoulders with claws extended.

Dex cursed, fighting the creature off and handing it to Lon instead, who allowed Havoc to curl into his arms, its horns poking out from beneath Lon’s thin black shirt.

“I swear to the stars, I’m going to skin you and use you for a pair of boots,” Dex said with a growl as Havoc yawned innocently.

“Fuzzy orange boots?” Andi said, brows raised. “That does sound like just your style.”

Dex was about to backpedal when the holoscreen dinged and the feed projected a new video stream into the room. The face of Nor Solis filled the space, and Andi groaned at the thought of yet another propaganda vid.

The queen smiled down at them, looking every bit like the benevolent ruler she definitely wasn’t. “I hate her,” Andi mumbled.

Memory’s voice cut through the room, pausing the video before it could start. “Fuel supply at thirty percent.”

“Damn,” Dex whispered as Andi’s eyes bulged.

“Preserve energy use wherever you can, Memory,” Andi commanded.

“Command confirmed.”

The room went dark, the only light coming from the holoscreen. Andi tapped on the holoscreen to resume the feed. She might hate listening to Nor address her mindless followers, but they needed all the intel they could get.

“People of Mirabel,” Nor said in greeting. “I come to you as your queen, asking you to join me in working even harder to build the future we all wish to attain. We must be vigilant in our efforts to complete Nexus, and to root out all those who wish to defy our cause. With your help, by moon’s end, we will finish the construction of Nexus, and a new era will rise.”

“Talking about that damned Nexus again,” Andi complained, but before the boys could answer, the feed started to glitch and Nor’s face disappeared, soon replaced by another’s. Andi jolted upright, transfixed by the image before them.

The newcomer on the feed was a veritable giant, clad in bloodred armor marred with battle scars and strange black markings. “This message is for those whose minds still belong to them,” the figure said, its voice sounding distant and strangely mechanical. “You are not alone.”

Andi heard Dex inhale sharply as the feed filled with static for a moment. Then the holo flickered again, and the massive soldier came back into view. Andi leaned forward, utterly transfixed by his words. “Much of the galaxy has fallen to a false queen, but there are still many who have not. To the strong, to those who continue to fight for freedom—I am Arachnid. And I stand as leader for all those who refuse to bow to anyone’s will but our own.

“Find me,” Arachnid urged. “Together, we will build an army. Together, we will destroy the false queen.” He paused, and though he didn’t move, Andi could almost feel the threat of violence emanating from him as he spoke once more. “You cannot compel me, Nor Solis. I know what you plan to do. I know the horrors you will unleash, and I will stop you before it’s too late. Even if I have to drive the killing blade into your chest myself.”

Then the feed went black.

“We aren’t alone,” Lon whispered, but it came out more like a question. The only sound was Havoc’s rhythmic purring as he stroked the fuzzball’s horned head.

Dex slowly shook his head. “By the looks of it, no.”

“Could it be a trick?” Andi asked, wondering if this was all just a ploy to draw the Unaffecteds—as the news feeds called them—out of hiding. Nor wasn’t a fool. She’d managed to outsmart the entire galaxy, Andi and her crew included. Surely she’d do anything to bring others like Andi out into the open, where she could ensnare them once and for all.

“Why would Nor allow uncertainty into the feeds when she’s been pumping them full of propaganda all this time?” Dex said.

He had a good point. Which was almost as shocking as what they’d just witnessed.

“If there is a resistance group of some kind,” Lon mused, looking thoughtful, “then we need to get to them. We have to try, at least. They could help us rescue Lirana and the others.”

“Agreed,” Andi said slowly. “There are two things standing in our way, though.”

“I think there are more than two things,” Dex interjected, but Andi shot him a look that shut him up.

“Two major things,” she clarified. “One is that we are low on everything, and we can’t actually get to the resistance without getting supplies. Which means we have to leave the nebula.”

“But Nor’s forces are out there,” Lon said, blue eyes full of worry.

He’d expressed many times before that he felt like it was only a matter of time before their theory of being Unaffected was tested on him, if and when Nor’s soldiers found them.

“Which brings me to my second issue,” Andi replied. “Nor has control over the galaxy, and we don’t actually know where the resistance is hiding out. Any attempts to find them will probably be riddled with obstacles, so... We need to be smart about what we do. No acting rashly, no arguing on missions. And nobody gets left behind.”

Both Lon and Dex nodded in agreement. They’d all been affected, in their own ways, by the loss of Andi’s crew.

“We can’t hide in here forever,” Lon admitted. “The last month has already depleted us more than I care to admit.”

“So, Captain, what do you propose we do?” Dex asked, arms crossed, as if the answer were obvious.

Hell if I know, Andi was about to say. But then her eyes fell on the holoscreen before them. She pulled up the map of Mirabel, scanning it for what felt like the thousandth time in the past few weeks.

“We go to Solera,” she answered suddenly, tapping the ringed, frozen planet.

Dex’s brow creased. “Why Solera?”

“It’s the closest planet to us, for one,” Andi said, pointing out where they were on the map. “And it has a fairly small population, but since Solera’s a capital planet, we have a good chance of finding the supplies we need.”

“It’s also the farthest away from Arcardius,” Lon added, moving forward to study the map for himself. “Far from Lirana and the crew.”

“True. But it’s probably the worst possible planet for us to land on with a battered ship and limited food reserves,” Dex pointed out. “We’d have to land pretty damn close to a populated area if we want to survive the tundra long enough to stock the ship and then track down this so-called resistance.”

“Not great odds,” Andi agreed. “Look, I’m not saying it’s going to be easy...but we have a lead now, and we should follow it. Or else we’ll just wind up becoming space junk.”

It was something Breck would have said. Andi frowned, thinking of her head gunner, so far away from her now.

“And if it’s a trap?” Dex asked. It was so strange to hear him, of all people, being the voice of reason for once.

Andi glanced between him and Lon, her gaze falling once more on the subtle reminders that the girls were gone. The empty seats, the absence of Breck and Gilly’s laughter, the untouched stack of Casino cards that Lira used to love betting on. It could be a trap, but if they didn’t make some kind of move, the girls wouldn’t ever fill these empty spaces again.

“Then are you boys ready to be on the opposite side of the law again?” Andi asked.

“If we’re going to infiltrate Arcardius, we do need to take some risks,” Lon reasoned.

Dex’s eyes twinkled with mischief. “Risk and reward.”

“I’m beginning to see what my sister enjoyed about this life,” Lon said with a grin, setting Havoc down. The creature yowled before scurrying away, almost as if it were in agreement with the plan.

Andi smirked. “Okay, boys. Let’s go get our girls.”