Event Horizon, page 7
"Wars do that to people, I guess."
"Yeah, guessing is the best we can do. Everyone involved with the last war is long dead." Eli sighed. "It's just, you're the third guy we've hired since Katia left, and Margo only got away with half the crap she's doing to you. The first left after a month, and the second guy left after just one job."
"Why did Katia leave?" No one had given him an explanation.
Eli averted his eyes towards the talking heads on the screen. He bit down on his lower lip to prevent it from trembling. "You've been here for over a week, and you can read people. Tell me why you think Katia left."
"Is this a test?"
"Does it sound like one?" Eli smirked. The gesture made him look exactly like his older brother.
Dakota tried to recall every time Katia had been mentioned, which was not often. "She was a long-time crew member. Three, maybe four years. She left several months or a year ago and went to Lethe. Since Lethe is a dissenting world and all of you seem to prefer Dissenters, she joined a rebellion. How close am I?"
"Pretty close." Eli nodded, but he did not look satisfied. "Is that all?"
Dakota focused on Eli, peering through the paper-thin wall in his mind. Almost like he wanted to be read. Behind the wall lied pain and loneliness. A loneliness that existed long before Katia left. "You loved her, and she loved you. You wanted to go to Lethe with her, but Hugo told you to stay here, stay with him where you'd be safe, because you're the only family he has. Your mother died when you were very young, too young for you to remember what she looked like. For a time, you were raised by your father. Hugo's stepfather. His biological father left before he was born. Probably doesn't know he exists—"
"How do you know this?" Eli asked, backing away. His eyes darted down the empty hallway.
"When you were four years old, your father dropped you and Hugo off at an orphanage. That's why Hugo didn't want you to leave. Everyone left him. And part of you feels the same way, but you refuse to admit it. And now you blame Hugo for her leaving, even though he had nothing to do with it. You blame him for bringing you on this craft. You were one semester away from earning a university degree, but he screwed up. He had to skip town, but he didn't want to go without his little brother.
"You're afraid that Katia is dead."
"I said shut up!" Eli screamed. And not for the first time. His face was paper white, and his entire body trembled. Tears streamed down his face. He moved away from Dakota, knocking over his chair. He stood with his back against the wall. "How the hell...? How the hell…?"
"I'm sorry." Dakota's heart raced. The walls of the craft grew closer together. Hotter. "I didn't mean to go that far."
"Who told you about our parents? Did Hugo tell you?" Red color erupted on Eli's face.
"No. I'm so sorry." Dakota rushed towards the doorway. He had to get away, had to run. Dammit, why the hell couldn't he keep his mouth shut? First, Cass and Donovan, now this. Eli beat him to the door, blocking his path.
"How did you know that? Tell me!"
Dakota glanced over Eli's shoulder. How much longer before the others heard Eli yelling and grew curious? He tried to swallow, but his mouth and throat were bone dry. "Honesty, I have no idea. This started happening to me about a year ago. I can't explain or control it. Eli, I am so sorry."
Eli opened his mouth to speak, to demand answers, but words failed him. He stepped aside. "Go." He pointed down the hallway, his hand shaking. Fresh tears rimmed his eyes.
"Please don't tell Margo."
"Go!"
Dakota retreated into the corridor, his footsteps echoing against the walls. He entered his room, locking the door. He sat down on the bed and cried. Eli's memory replayed in his mind.
The two brothers, ages four and seven, had been promised by their father that they were going on a trip. Young Eli was happy and excited because they had never been on a trip before. But he had begun to notice that their father treated Hugo differently, like he was an unwanted guest who had to be put up with. Eli hoped the trip would make things better.
The three of them went on a monorail and traveled far away to a city Eli had never heard of. The buildings towered into the sky, their tops obscured by clouds, and many buildings had glowing signs along the sides. They got off the monorail and entered a large building, but not the tallest building. The top of this one didn't come close to reaching the clouds.
Their father talked with a woman who sat behind a desk. She handed him a form, which he signed.
"Watch your brother til I come back," their father, a tall man with dark hair and blue eyes, just like Eli, said to Hugo. But the brothers never saw him again. They stayed at the orphanage until Hugo was fifteen and found enough work to support them.
Dakota dried his eyes with his shirtsleeve and wondered why he had accepted that stupid challenge. Something like this was bound to happen. It always did without fail.
"You should have backed away when you saw how thin his wall was," said Uriel. He leaned against the door, his arms crossed. Disappointed shone in his eyes.
"Thanks for the heads up." Where was this advice ten minutes ago?
"Why did you accept his challenge?"
"They all think I'm a spy. If I said no, they would have grown more suspicious."
"And how suspicious do you think Eli Carnaki is now?" Uriel loomed over him, his pale irises replaced by fiery ones.
"Very." Dakota scanned the small, rectangular room. He caught a whiff of perfume. Orchids, maybe. A shadowy figure carrying a bag went through the door. "Katia used to stay here."
Uriel nodded.
Dakota heard footsteps heading his way. He stood and opened the door just wide enough to peer out. Eli stood in front of his own door, hands trembling and looking like he had seen a ghost. He saw Dakota through his peripheral vision and froze. Great, he was both suspicious and terrified. Bad combination. Dakota opened the door wider.
"Katia is still alive, if that makes up for anything."
"What? She is?" Eli's body relaxed, the tension and fear melting away. He gave Dakota a quizzical look. "How do you know?"
"Like I said, things come to me." Images flashed before him. Katia, a short woman with black hair and sharp brown eyes, shaking hands with a man in a homemade uniform. The leader of the Lethian Dissenters. Katia walking through a town, going unnoticed while her team members caused a distraction. Katia with her arm in a sling but otherwise smiling.
"She is alive," Dakota continued, "but she was injured a while back. Communications with Lethe have been cut off. That's why she can't contact you."
"I figured that part. But she really is alive?" He smiled warily.
Dakota nodded. "Can you do me a favor and not tell Margo or anyone about this?"
"Sure. You have to tell me how you can..." Eli spread out his hands, palms face up. "I don't know. Read minds? That's what you did, isn't it?"
"Yes." Dakota had told too many lies. He could spare a single truth.
"I didn't think that was possible," Eli said, more to himself than Dakota. "Could you teach me how?"
Dakota shook his head. "It's not something that can be taught."
"Too bad. It could be really useful on jobs."
11
Repairs
The spaceport on Zeta II was packed with transport and military crafts. The situation on the world seemed to be going in the Republic's favor, but that did not stop the military from being overly cautious. Event Horizon had to wait in orbit for two hours before being given the OK to enter the atmosphere. It took an additional hour for the spaceport to approve the craft's landing clearance.
Once on the ground, the crew members naturally split into two groups. Margo, along with Hugo and Donovan, headed into the city to deliver the memory stick to their nameless client. Cass, Eli, and Dakota stayed with the craft in order to meet with anyone Margo might send their way. Dakota preferred this. Cass remained his friend and Eli had kept his word. Not a single mention of him being a mind reader.
Dakota walked down the exit ramp behind everyone else, taking in the city's skyline. The spaceport sat at the edge of town. Towards the west, the port faced open fields populated by wind turbines and highways that stretched past the horizon. Towards the east, it faced skyscrapers that towered hundreds of stories into the clouds. Had it been raining, the city would have looked just like Lyceum. Dakota had not thought about his homeworld in months. Probably for the best. There was nothing left for him there.
"Do you think this place has secured Web cafes?" Eli asked Cass once their co-workers were out of sight.
"Are you serious?" she replied, gesturing to the three navy supply crafts next to them.
Eli sighed. "That figures."
"Now what do we do?" Dakota asked. He had done absolutely nothing on the first job, and he feared the second would be a carbon copy.
"We'll have to wait and see," said Cass with a smile that did not quite reach her eyes. "Margo will contact us when she's finished."
"You mean, she'll contact one of you."
"You'll get to our position someday," said Eli. He added, "Have you tried reading her yet?"
Dakota's face reddened. Three days of silence and now Eli brought it up? He glanced at Cass. She appeared to be unfazed by the question. "No."
"Why not?"
Dakota glanced over at the military craft two spaces from them. He noticed a man, a naval officer by the look of his dark blue uniform, talking on the phone. The officer massaged his forehead and asked, "Are you sure?"
The other end of the phone call replied.
The naval officer then said, "Yes, we can wait. But are you..." He ran his hand through his hair and let out a sigh. "Understood. Thanks." He hung up the phone and added, "Thanks for bloody nothing."
He looked up and asked, "Can I help you?"
Dakota realized the officer was talking to him. His nametag read "Ingram", and the green bands on his shirtsleeves and collar signified that he was a lieutenant. Dakota had approached the craft without realizing it. He asked the officer, "Is everything all right?"
"I wish. The main engine won't connect to the reactor. The mechanic can't come down here until tomorrow, so we're grounded."
"Could I help?" Dakota heard himself ask. Why did I say that?
"Are you a mechanic?"
"Sort of."
Lt. Ingram studied Dakota, his eyes scanning him up and down. His eyes then focused behind Dakota. Eli and Cass had walked up beside him, Cass curious and Eli confused. First, he correctly diagnosed an illness, then read Eli's mind. And now he was speaking to a military officer of his own volition. He wasn't doing himself any favors in regards to appearing normal.
Ingram nodded his head and said, "Can't hurt. Have you ever been on a landing craft?"
"No, sir."
"I'll show you the way. But first, what's your name?" he asked, taking a second phone out of his pocket.
"Nathan Kennet."
The officer typed in the name, and no red flags appeared. He then asked the others, "What are your names?"
"Cassiopeia Rosen," Cass answered with a slight tremor in her voice.
"Elisha Carnaki." Eli glanced back at Dakota, arching an eyebrow.
Dakota's hands began to sweat. Ingram was going to let all of them onto the craft? How was Margo going to respond when she found out?
Both names produced the same results. "You're clear." Ingram led them onto the craft. Cass and Eli fell in step behind Dakota, exchanging wary glances.
The first deck of Landing Craft Three of the Scipio Africanus contained supplies, far more than the Event Horizon currently held, and the craft's secondary computers. Midway up the stairs was the access for the main engine. Several naval officers and crew members raised eyebrows and opened their mouths to protest the presence of civilians but refrained from speaking once they saw Lt. Ingram. He must be the senior officer, Dakota thought. He did not dare read the man's mind.
Lt. Ingram paused just outside the engine room. The access panel for the engine had been removed and placed aside.
"We think there was an electrical short," Ingram explained. "Fried one of the circuits."
Dakota got down on his knees and inspected the circuits. It was identical to one he had seen on Hellespont. He had been working as an assistant to a mechanical engineer named Jovan Patornik, an older man who had worked in the field for nearly fifty years. Dakota mostly handed Jovan the necessary tools and ran errands. Occasionally, Jovan showed Dakota how to fix simple mechanical issues, such as fried circuits.
"First," Jovan has said, "inspect the paneling as a whole. If not, you might miss something that could muck up the whole system."
Dakota replicated the instructions, surpassing his boss's expectations. He was then allowed to assist him on more jobs and was even assigned to work on some alone. After a month, Jovan asked about his plans.
"Because if you really want to do this kind of work, I can send you to school."
"Really?" Dakota asked, surprised by the offer. He had grown to trust Jovan and was grateful to have him as a mentor. Of course, he could never replace Seth Seward, but Jovan Patornik was a close second. And working with his hands felt so natural. All the stress and worry surrounding him faded away, forgotten for a peaceful moment. It was just him and a machine. Pure and simple.
"Why not? You can go to school and work here to pay me back. Sound like a deal?"
It sounded like a great deal. But it was too good to be true. Fear crept into Dakota's mind. If he went to school, even a small technical school, he would be issued a student ID complete with a photo. Someone might recognize him, discover that his name was fake. They might decide to report him, have him shipped off to a prison world. Or worse, send him back to Dionysus. Back to Myrddin Graiko. He ran away in the middle of the night, leaving behind no explanation, and bought a train ticket that took him to the other side of the world.
"Where do you keep the spare parts?" Dakota asked Lt. Ingram.
The officer stepped onto the stairway and called for someone to bring him the spares. He then handed Dakota a box of jumbled pieces parts. Dakota found the one he needed and fitted it, adjusting it with a pair of pliers. Seconds later, the panel glowed pale blue. The engine hummed.
"I'll be damned," exclaimed Ingram. "Where'd you learn to do that?"
"I pick up on things easily," Dakota replied, standing up. Not a lie, just not the whole truth.
"Well, thanks." Ingram shook Dakota's hand. "Have you ever thought of working for the Republic navy? We can definitely use more engineers."
A tempting offer, but that would only cause more complications. Maybe in another life. "No, sir," Dakota replied. "I'm happy working in transport."
Ingram shrugged. "That's important, too. I'm sure these guys wouldn't know what to do without you."
"No, officer," said Eli, "we'd be at a loss."
Dakota jolted. He had completely forgotten that Eli and Cass were standing there.
"Thanks again for the help, kid," Ingram added.
The three of them exited the craft under the escort of another officer. They were silent until they reached their own craft. How would Dakota explain this? Lots of people were mechanically inclined. Nothing unusual. He hoped.
"Did you read his mind?" Eli asked.
Dakota winced. Why did Eli have to say that? "No. Just sensed that he needed help."
"You mean read his body language, right?" Cass asked Eli.
"No. I mean mind."
"But mind reading is impossible," Cass replied, giving Eli a weird look.
"Why don't you ask your new best friend?" Eli cocked his thumb in Dakota's direction.
Cass smirked and asked Dakota, "He's joking, right?"
Dakota's face, followed by his entire body, grew uncomfortably warm. Cass and Eli stared at him, waiting. Could he run? No. Someone would stop him, ask even more questions. His voice cracked as he said, "Eli's right."
Cass's expression became blank. "So, you...? I'm confused. Is that how you knew Donovan was sick?"
Dakota nodded. No point in hiding the truth.
"Nate, that's..." Cass looked at her hands, palms face up. He sensed the gears in her head turning. "How can you do that?"
"I wish I knew."
Eli told them to hush. A tall woman dressed in a slate gray pencil skirt and jacket approached them. Her reddish-brown hair was tied up in a bun on the top of her head. Her eyes were fixed on them. There was no void on her, but Dakota sensed malevolence. She reached into her jacket pocket and removed an unmarked envelope.
"Event Horizon?" she asked.
"Yes?" Eli replied.
She handed him the envelope and said, "New assignment. Margo Symms's eyes only."
"Understood." Eli placed the envelope into his coat pocket and returned to the craft. The woman walked away from the craft and out of sight.
"Cass, can I ask you a question?" asked Dakota, relaxing his hands. He hadn't realized they were balled into fists. I wasn't going to fight her, was I?
"Shoot."
"What does Event Horizon actually transport?"
"Honestly, I don't want to know."
12
Background Check
Eli entered the five-digit passcode for Margo's quarters. He placed the envelope, which contained more than just papers, judging by the weight, on her desk where she could not miss it. He could have left it by the door or in the navigation room. She was bound to see it, and no one would dare read something with her name written on it. But he wanted to use her computer. As the owner of the craft, her Web access and communications were less restricted.
He sat down at the desk and opened the Web browser. A quick glance around the quarters made him feel uneasy, like he was under constant surveillance. He had only done this twice. Once, to contact Katia. The second to unlock his and Hugo's records from the orphanage. He never knew his mother's name and thought that finding more information on her and any remaining family would bring closure. But no dice.
