Chapter 21
Soleil stood in a pool of light, her breath creating fleeting clouds. She missed her coat already.
With every howl of wind from the late-morning snow squall outside, dust fell from the ceiling beams, sparkling in the floating lights.
Josh hovered in the shadows near the door.
He’d found the abandoned factory in the Canals for their impromptu meeting and secured it.
Not too close to the studio, but not too far to walk, either, except in freak weather.
Warmth from the portable envirobots made being inside better than outside, but not by much.
The nineteen adults and children from her classes sat on makeshift benches or stood. They’d now fallen silent, all eyes on her.
“Thank you for coming. This room is too cold for long speeches, so I’ll cut to the core.
” Her words echoed off the bare walls. “I believe a tsunami of trouble is on its way. Maybe not this ten-day, but soon. When it does, Ridderth will burn again. Maybe even the whole planet this time. I’m a Jumper, so I don’t know how to be anything but blunt.
I don’t want to be here when the tsunami gets here, and I don’t want you to be, either. ”
Soleil let the silence settle for a long moment.
“What kind of trouble?” asked Haseem. He hovered toward the back near the door as if he might bolt in a nanosecond. It has been hard to pry him out of the studio, even though Brenner’s autodoc said it had at least four more hours. This couldn’t wait.
Grateful that his tone held concern, not skepticism, she met his gaze.
“I don’t know how the trouble will start.
My information comes from independent forecasts, too many coincidences, and Jumper’s instinct.
” She shrugged one shoulder. “And if you believe in it, signs and portents from Ayorinn Legacy.”
“That’s it?” Exasperation edged ex-Jumper Rustom’s words. “You could’ve told us that in class. Why are we sneakin’ through shitty weather like a feckin’ crew plannin’ ta’ slice a stranded ground hauler full of unlocked cashflows?”
Soleil nodded. “Fair question. Here’s the brutal answer. The people in this room have been cleared by records checks and telepaths. Josh and I are leaving, and we’re offering you a ride. Your families, too.”
“Where are you going?” asked Murtazo. For once, her waster’s disease didn’t make her stutter.
Young Fish stood, arms crossed across her chest. Despite her small size, her high voice carried. “When are you going?”
Soleil nodded to Murtazo. “We’re leaving Mabingion. Our destination will be decided based on who comes with us and where they want to go.”
She turned to meet Fish’s steely gaze. “When depends on how fast we can all get free. Tomorrow, if possible, but we aren’t leaving without anyone who wants to come.”
Silence settled again. Soleil waited for the questions. She knew it sounded impulsive at best and paranoid at worst. They trusted her to a point, but this was well beyond that.
Leeriness would have been her first response, too, if she hadn’t seen Tuzan’s face when he’d shown up at their flat hours earlier. Forecaster friends had been warning him for weeks. He’d awakened from a fiery dream that morning that convinced him they had to flee immediately.
She’d believed him, and Josh believed him. Also, Josh’s sifter talent said the city was amped for a fight, just like five years ago.
He and Tuzan triggered their emergency plans for winding down the escape network and Tuzan’s businesses while Soleil contacted the students they’d already vetted for her pitch. These were her emergency plans.
As their teacher, she wanted to beg every one of her students and their families to come with her. But commanders who made their personal feelings known when asking for volunteers did neither the mission nor the squad any favors.
Ex-Jumper Solomon shoved her hands in her pockets.
“I wish I could say this is total bullshit, but I can’t.
At the medic center where I work, even the nicest patient intake advocates are on a hair-trigger.
” She blew out a puff of air, then sat on the end of one of the benches.
“I can’t make a decision like this without asking my family.
Have you cleared them, too?” Resentful resignation laced her tone.
“Yes.” Soleil waved her hand apologetically.
“I’m sorry we had to do it at all, but not sorry we did it.
” Without Tuzan’s circle of trusted minder friends, she couldn’t have saved anyone.
She stomped her cold feet to keep the circulation going.
“If I’m right about the trouble, our lives will depend on being able to trust the people on our ship.
If I’m wrong, then those who stay can have a good laugh when we bring everyone home again. ”
“What about the students who aren’t here?” Haseem again. “Did they not pass your screening?”
“Not necessarily. Not everyone could be here.” She guessed he was worried about Brenner. “I can’t stop you from talking about this to other students or anyone else, but I can and will stop them from boarding our ship.”
Husq, a quiet ex-Jumper with cybernetic eyes and arms, looked up from the floor he’d been staring a hole into. “How much is this going to cost?”
“Just like the studio. Pay or trade what you can.” She didn’t need their funds, but Josh had rightly argued that people didn’t value free things.
Besides, they’d have been wondering what the real cost was. In her experience, gifts were far too often meant to obligate the receiver. It still caused friction between her and Josh.
Memory garden visits weren’t helping. She rolled her shoulders back and refocused on the task at hand.
“These are your options as I see them.” She held up her thumb. “One. Come with whatever you can carry on a gravcart or two. Liquidate as much as you can for cashflows. Starting over is never cheap.”
She paused for a moment, then held up her index finger. “Option two. Stay on Mabingion, but get as far from the cities as you can. Especially Ridderth. Go hike the polar ice flats, or visit friends on another continent. Whatever takes you away for the next few ten-days.”
Several of the kids sitting on the bench near Fish fidgeted nervously and looked to her. Nothing in her body language gave away what she was thinking. Soleil could guess, but Fish would speak when she was ready.
Soleil held up another finger. “Option three. Stay in Ridderth. If you do, at least pretend you believe the planetary weather AI’s forecast that this is a Ten-Thousand-Year inland hurricane. Stock up on food and supplies and secure everything you can.”
She dropped her hand. “Or decide we’re warped beyond delusional and go back home where it’s warm and dry.”
After a long moment of silence, Rustom stood. “There’s nothing keepin’ me here ‘cause I got nothin’ here to keep. I’ll trade guard and ship-ops duties for the passage.”
Soleil nodded. “Deal. We’ll talk in a minute.
The rest of you, ask questions now, or go home and ping me at the studio with private questions.
Then ping me your decision one way or the other, but I have to know by zero-hundred hours tonight.
If you’re coming, I’ll ping you back with launch time and location.
We’re on Jumper time here, so move fast.”
To signal the end of the briefing, she sat on the chair behind her where her coat draped over its back. She rubbed the ache where her bio knee attached to her cybernetic thigh. She couldn’t tell if it was from the cold room or the colder choices of command.
The ex-Jumpers in the group stood and began pulling on hoods and gloves. The few non-Jumpers in the room took their cue from the Jumpers. Fish huddled for a whispered conversation with the rest of the kids who now lived at the studio.
Soleil couldn’t predict who was coming and who was staying, so she didn’t waste her time wondering. Her head clamored with a million things that needed doing.
Fish, flanked by the kids, marched up to stand a meter in front of Soleil.
“You can’t take us,” she declared loudly. She circled a finger to indicate her group. “None of us seventeen age or free-range.” Her volume dropped to half. “They’ll warrant you for hostile pickup.”
Soleil nodded. Most of the kids’ families hadn’t even missed their absent offspring when they’d moved into the studio. She knew because she’d asked Josh and Tuzan to check.
Fish could only go home to her family’s miserable rooms when her brother wasn’t there, or she came to class with rage and bruises. The other four kids had already been on the streets for months or longer, cribbing in firebombed buildings and moving often to stay ahead of predators.
Unfortunately, their families were just the type to claim heartrending suffering and loss if they saw a chance for a percentage of the restitution fines levied for kidnapping.
Soleil sighed. “You’re right. But you deserved to hear the offer from me, not from rumors. I’m looking for a safe—”
Fish interrupted. “We be on the ship.” Her low tone held solid conviction. “You just blind. You leave system, then surprise.” She gestured her fingers like a fireworks display. The other kids nodded. “Did Mags and Devonner clear?”
Soleil had the feeling she was looking at a future High Marshal or a top crew chief. “Yes.”
“Ace. Her now-crib’s a storm drain ‘cause her fa’ killed her ma’ and tried to kill her, too. Dee’s cousin wantin’ to sell him to a slice-and-haul crew ‘cause he flash monkey. Bet they like bein’ in surprise parties, too.”
Soleil hid a smile. If Fish didn’t like regular military or a life of crime, maybe Josh would take her on as an apprentice spy. Following instinct, she made Ridderth’s universal trade sign with her fist and splayed her outer fingers. “Deal.”
Fish made the answering gesture to seal the deal.
Dozens of things could go wrong and probably would, but Jumpers didn’t leave Jumpers behind. Or kids.