Tundra 37 (27 page)

Something moved behind the mammoth and Gemme saw Luna waking up a meter down from her behind the hairy flanks, her legs free of the snow.

In front of her, the mammoth waved its trunk through the air, sniffing. Gemme struggled to free herself, but the snow held her lower torso and legs like a vise grip. If she could wiggle out, she could dart right between its back legs and get away unnoticed. She clawed at the ice with her gloved hands, trying to gain traction. Meanwhile Luna watched with wide eyes.

“Luna, help me,” she whispered as she reached out to her. “I’m stuck.”

Luna had the same cold, glassy stare she had when she’d cornered Gemme against the recycling chute all those years back. If anything, she looked more callous. Gemme’s heart beat fiercely as she whispered, fingers digging grooves into the snow. “Luna, please.”

Without a word, Luna took off, scrambling up the incline toward the landrover. Gemme’s lifeline snapped away, and a riptide of anger rose from the bottom of her stomach to her throat. It would only take moments for the beast to realize it stood right on top of her. Through the hind legs, Gemme watched Luna climb the snow. As she ran, her boots skidded, sending chunks of ice down the incline. One chunk bounced by Gemme’s face and hit the mammoth’s paw, drawing its attention away from Gemme. The beast turned and blue snot sprayed out of its trunk, splattering on the crust of snow. Gemme slammed her face into the snow as it jumped over her and stomped off in pursuit.

“Luna, watch out! It’s after you!”

Luna screamed as she gained her footing back and ran. Gemme scraped together a ball of snow and threw it as far as she could to get the beast’s attention, but the snowball fell short. She swallowed a lump in her throat.
She’s not going to make it.

Dread gripped Gemme’s stomach as the beast closed the distance before Luna reached the landrover. Gemme wanted to shut her eyes and pretend she lay in her sleep pod on the
Expedition
.

This can’t be happening.

Instead she stared as if someone had taped her eyelids open.

The beast’s head dipped, exposing its tusks.

Gemme clutched snow in her fists and shouted, “Luna get out of the way!”

The hairs reached out and wrapped around her foot, pulling her down. Luna fell back into the tusks in a tangle of dark hairs and limbs.

“Noooooo!” Gemme screamed. The adrenaline flowed through her. She pulled herself up until the muscles in her arms tightened like they were going to snap and yanked herself free of the snow. At the same time, Tech shot at the beast from the top of the landrover.

“Over here, you bastard!” he shouted, making a racket with his boots on the roof.

The mammoth took the bait, leaving Luna’s crumpled body alone. Gemme scrambled up. Numbed by the weight of the snow, pins pricked her soles of her feet as the blood rushed in. Working through the pain, she stumbled ahead to Luna.

The mammoth turned its attention to Tech as he fired and cursed like he’d had too much wheat beer. Hoping he could keep the beast occupied, she collapsed on her knees against Luna’s huddled body. Luna’s chest still rose and fell and she breathed in relief. Gemme turned her over carefully and gasped. The snow underneath her had spots of bright red. Blood seeped from five puncture wounds in her chest and stomach.

Gemme’s anger cooled and her empathy stripped any remaining resentment away. “I’m so sorry.”

Dragging Luna into her lap, Gemme pressed her gloves against the largest of the holes in her coat. Suddenly all the bickering between them seemed trivial and she wished she’d done more to make amends.

Coughing, Luna gazed up at her. Blood trickled down the corners of her mouth. “You win.”

Shaking her head, Gemme spoke softly. “This wasn’t ever a game. I didn’t want to compete against you, not in school and not for Brentwood.”

“But you did.” Luna’s voice grew weaker and she spat blood on the snow. “You beat me on every test, and now you’ve won him.”

Gemme thought back to the conversation she’d overheard with Luna and Brentwood. Luna was right. She had taken everything from her, and she hadn’t even meant to. If only they’d been friends all those years, if only Luna had pulled her out of the snow. They could have helped each other get away. Gemme could have kept her from falling. Maybe, in an alternate universe, they could have made it back to the landrover together safe.

“Luna, all I wanted was to be left alone.”

Luna shook her head wearily. “It doesn’t matter now.” Blood caught in her throat and she gurgled. “What matters is…Beta Prime.”

“What?”

Luna’s breath hitched and she struggled to take in enough air to speak. Gemme put her head down to her lips. “Don’t let the Seers get—”

Behind her, Tech fired at the mammoth as it pushed against the landrover, threatening to topple it sideways. Gemme reached for her laser, but she’d lost it in the avalanche. Tech fired a steady stream, but nothing stopped it. The beast ducked its head in the same motion that got Luna, and Gemme shouted, “Tech, jump off!”

Just as the tusked crown came up, Tech fired sideways pointing the laser at its eye. With one shot, the mammoth fell back on its hind legs and keeled over. The ground rumbled underneath her as the giant body hit. The hairs still writhed on its hide as the last steam of breath plumed from its pink mouth.

Tech jumped off the vehicle and ran over. “How’s she doing? Is she hurt?”

When Gemme turned back to Luna, her eyes stared at the sky.

Mestasis couldn’t deny the orb’s power over her any longer. The device glistened like a newborn star. The proximity to the beacon must have heightened its power. As the orb grew stronger, it activated regions of her brain long dormant, bringing up the memories she’d held so dear, clear as the day it had happened. The more memories it brought back, the more it lured her into its depths.

Was this only a side effect of the orb, or was this what it was meant to do? If so, how could something so special be dangerous? She allowed her mind to wander.

§

Old Earth, 2446

“Meow.”

“Don’t worry, Calico. I’m not going to forget you.” Mestasis pried the ball of fur off of her shredded plastic couch. She ran a hand over its fur, seeing odd golden swirls move on its coat and deposited the animal on the floor. Even though the kitten had already ruined the upholstery, and she’d never use it again, she nudged the animal away out of habit. “We’re not going quite yet.”

The kitten darted between two storage containers full of everything she ever owned, the lids popped open as she decided on last minute items to take. Thankfully, Calico had her own pet holder.

I’m ready to go.
Abysme gave her a serious look from the doorway. Her own container sat fully packed by her feet. A ceramic pot painted in elaborate African tribal designs poked out from piles of clothes. It was a strange item to bring with her, taking up so much space and weight, with no use other than sentimental. But Mestasis was glad they’d still have it with them, even if the blade of grass had died years ago.

Mestasis glanced around the apartment.
I need more time.
She knew she’d forget something and miss it for the next three hundred years, or however long it took the
Expedition
to reach Paradise 18.

You’re the one who wanted to do this, and now you can’t? If I don’t leave now, I may not find the courage again. I’ll change my mind.

Mestasis froze. Who in their right mind would want to be left behind on a crumbling planet?
Why?

Abysme put her hands on her hips. She looked mad, but her fingers trembled against her shirt.
All I ever wanted was to be with Mom. Everything here reminds me of her, and I’m afraid once we leave, I’ll have nothing left.

Mestasis shook her head.
You’ll always have your memories. No one can take those away, and you’ll carry them with you, wherever you are.

Memories aren’t enough. I can’t talk to Mom and get a response; I can’t feel her arms around me. They’re only a shadow of what happened in the past.

Mestasis thought back to the day she and her sister left for TINE. The view of their small apartment burned into her visual cortex, summoning feelings as raw as the minute they left.
Memories are more powerful than you think.

Abysme picked up her container, balancing the weight on her hip. Behind them, sirens wailed as hovercrafts flew to the city borders to keep the horde of refugees at bay.
I’ll go with you on this crazy adventure, but you have to promise me, we’ll never forget where we came from, that we’ll never forget her.

I promise.
Plopping on the floor, Mestasis sorted through gadgets from their years at TINE. She threw out an old energy capacitor, but kept the electrolytic nanotech scanner just in case. She thought that was enough to get Bysme to leave, but her sister stood like a statue in front of the door.

It’s him, isn’t it?
Abysme’s mindspeak sounded jealous.
You’re waiting for him.

I want to make sure he makes it on board. He’s the reason why we have a ticket off Earth.

Abysme stared at the door and the panels parted.
He can dock at the last minute, but I can’t. I’m going on.

I’ll see you up there.
Mestasis gave her a smile, thinking of how proud she was of her sister. She took a step into the unknown, a leap of faith, not only in Thadious Legacy’s calculations, but in Mestasis’s as well.

You’d better, because I’m not spending the next three hundred years of my life alone in deep space.
Although Abysme’s words teased her, her sister smiled back before she slipped out the door. The panels closed behind her, leaving Mestasis with Calico. The kitten rolled on her back exposing her white belly and stretched luxuriously.

Mestasis ran her hands over the soft fur, thankful she still had company. The apartment felt empty with all their belongings packed, and even emptier now that Abysme had left. She wondered who would live here after them and if there was a future left for TINE.

The door beeped and Mestasis jumped, startling Calico. The kitten shot upright and scurried underneath the couch. Anxiously, Mestasis parted the panels with her mind. James stood in the corridor, the ends of his black hair curving in to his square chin. His eyes shone silver as the moon and one look stole her heart all over again.

“I’m sorry I’m late.”

Mestasis shot up, crossed the living room in two leaps, and threw her arms around him. “Nonsense, I’m glad to see you.”

He buried his face in her braids, his warm breath moving stray strands of her hair. They held each other for a long time, neither one speaking until the silence grew like a dissonant note inside her.

His hands held her arms a little too tight. His body felt rigid. Mestasis pulled away far enough to meet his gaze. “What’s wrong?”

James shook his head. “I didn’t make it on the ship.”

Panic and disbelief jolted inside her. She must have misheard him. “What?”

“Metsy, I’m not going with you.”

Betrayal burned like laser light in her heart. “But Thadious Legacy promised me—”

“I didn’t pass the genetic tests. Seems my genes carry major defects, and I have an arrhythmic heartbeat to boot. I’m a poor candidate for their genetic matching program, and the conditions aboard the ship would stress my heart.”

Anger formed a hard center in her chest. She’d heard his heart, and it beat just fine. Was Thadious keeping him from her? Did he think having James aboard would distract her? All of a sudden she hated the bald man. “He’s doing this on purpose.”

“No, Metsy.” James assured her, running a finger down her cheek. “I’ve felt the arrhythmia before. It usually happens when I get out of breath or climb to the higher levels. I never thought much of it until now.”

Mestasis’s knees weakened. She didn’t want to believe him. James’s grip remained firm, holding her up. He spoke with his lips against her ear. “Besides, with everything going on and thousands of people boarding, the odds of conspiracy to break us apart are unlikely. Don’t blame Thadious, blame me.”

She could never blame him. “I’ll talk to them, make an exception for your case. Maybe they have medical advancements that can help?”

“I’ve already tried petitioning it. The contract is pretty clear. There’s no changing the parameters. All you’ll do is make trouble for yourself.”

Mestasis felt trapped, forced to make a decision that would tear her apart. How could James give in to the system so easily? Why didn’t he fight to be with her?

Tears flowed down her cheeks and James gently wiped them away with his thumb. “Metsy, you know I love you.”

She pulled away, turning her back on him and walking to the sight panel. She’d have to choose between him and her sister. She had no doubt Abysme could fly that ship by herself, but she was the one who’d signed the contract. Besides, she couldn’t leave her sister alone on a mission that she herself had chosen for them both. Her chin trembled as reality sunk in. He wouldn’t budge and neither would she. This was the last time she’d see him. “Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”

James sighed. “Because you’d call it off. You wouldn’t go.”

Would she have? Probably not. She always picked her sister in the end.

Mestasis turned back to him, somehow feeling as though she let him down. “What are you going to do?”

He walked over to the sight panel and pointed to people scurrying in the corridors between buildings, preparing for the attacks from the refugees. “Help them. It’s what I do best, Metsy.”

She studied his profile, trying to remember the way his chin curved, and the pure blackness of his hair. She loved his sense of valor most about him. If somehow she found a way to bring him with her, he may never reconcile the fact that he left so many behind. She’d force him to be something he wasn’t, cage the hero that should save the world. Mestasis sighed, realizing she couldn’t win this argument. She just never thought his honor would pull them apart in the end. “I can’t go without you.”