Beyond Our Stars (24 page)

Its hand was still outstretched. I thought about yanking the chain away. And then I heard a low vibration that almost sounded like my name. “Hope,” the CR-3an had nearly said.

I'd seen its mouth move but the sound shocked me still and senseless. It was trying to say my name. I searched its eyes and I thought maybe I saw sadness. “Hope,” it tried again. It looked at the chain it was holding out to me.

“Hope, maybe, I think this might mean…” Chief said next to me. The Local's eyes moved over to him. I looked at him too. “Take it.”

“Do you want me to take this?” I asked it. My throat had trouble making the words.

I reached out my hand and opened it. The alien slowly dropped the ring and then the chain into my waiting hand. I looked at it, knowing the alien probably didn't understand its significance. My eyes finally traveled up as people screamed to see what the strange noise was.

The Stacks were moving. The cylinders sliding and shifting and creating open space on top. We began to see the planet again, the opening widening until it reached the ground. I could now see the rolling crops I'd seen that first day on Haven, stretching so far into the distance.

Two Locals advanced toward a group of our people, and they watched each other. Then they began to walk out of the Site together, through the opening in the Stacks, past where we had ever been before. More survivors and Locals followed as I watched.

The Local beside me raised its arm again, its robe billowing out in the breeze. I didn't know what he meant. It started walking and Chief and I followed it through the Stacks.

Many people, Locals and survivors, were gathering together, staring at each other and staring out at the land. I saw Legacy and my Specs at the front of the crowd. Pilgrim and Billie stood together, a smaller Local by their side. I realized most of the Locals around us were younger. I didn't see the ancient one. The one responsible for our last session. But far away from us I could make out a small group of Locals, standing by themselves. My eyes narrowed as I wondered who they were.

Before us was a vast open area where you could see in all directions. Then, the Local next to Chief and I raised its eyes upward, as though looking at something that we couldn't see. The other Locals turned to look in the same direction. Then the Local at my side tapped something into his bracelet.

There was a rush of wind that reminded me of being on the bridge. Suddenly everything in front of us changed. It wasn't crops ahead of us, stretching miles and miles and miles into the distance. It was a city that spread over every surface, stretching to the skyline.

I let out a cry. Right next to us, this whole time.

I knew it was a city right away even though it was unlike anything on Earth. It looked like the place that had been at the other side of the bridge in the Stacks, only multiplied by a thousand. Sharp white structures like large crystals grew out of the ground. Trees grew in profusion around it all. Above the city there were ships, moving, arriving as we watched, all in the shape of a half-moon.

One wide white rectangular structure was near us. This one was closer, so I could see the metal framework intertwining with the crystal substance. This wasn't a natural formation.

The Local next to Chief and I raised its hand again toward the building.

“What does he want?” I asked Chief.

Chief looked at the chain I gripped. “Hope. I think that might be a peace offering. I think it's trying to say that maybe Chance is…”

I didn't let Chief finish. I ran. I ran as fast as I could. Tears streamed wildly down my cheeks. He had to be in there. He had to be.

I reached the building alone and a Local waited for me. I followed him through a sliding door to an elevator. We rode up for a long time. Long enough to stare at each other. This one was very young. I wondered what had happened that we hadn't seen. If a revolution had taken place that we knew nothing about.

“Hello?”

It made a low vibrating noise in return.

The doors opened and we were in a room I recognized instantly.

This was where they'd held me. This was where I had screamed for Chance.

Then I saw him. He was lying on a strange metal bed, with deep blue blankets over everything but his bare chest. I rushed to him, taking in all the bruises and cuts and what looked like incision marks all over his skin.

“Chance!”

His eyes were open and as I reached his side he turned his head with difficulty.

I reached for his hand, and found both arms wrapped in thin blue casts.

“Chance!” I breathed. He looked dazed.

“Hope,” he said in relief.

I wiped at the wetness on my cheeks. “You're alive,” I murmured. I bent down and kissed him on his bruised cheek. He glanced at my face, at the sling around my arm.

His face bunched in confusion. “Have I been gone? I only remember going over the bridge… then I woke up.”

“Are you okay?”

There was a Local sitting in a large metal chair next to Chance that I hadn't acknowledged. I looked up at him now, angry. Then I noticed the pattern of small blue circles along his jaw. The pattern I could never forget. I stared in shock.

“You're alive.” The Local met my eyes.

I looked back at Chance. “You'll be okay. I'll make sure.” But I still felt the anger. It wasn't toward the alien near me, it was for the ancient one, and I wondered if I'd ever see him again.

The Local,
my
Local, walked to a dark half-moon window behind us. He tapped his finger on a panel next to it and the darkness disappeared to let us see outside. Chance couldn't move, but I leaned forward to see the sky and the city below us. There were humans down there, walking into the vast city for the first time. I was still uncertain about many things, but I was hopeful. We had paid a price for our new home. We would build our new future here.

“Where are we?” Chance asked me.

I looked over at the Local next to me, then toward the city.

“We can stay,” I answered. “We're home.”

I'd like to thank the people who have been a part of this book's journey.

Thank you first to my husband. He is my sounding board and his opinions, questions, and support push me to do better.

To my son Finn, I love you Big.

Thank you to my wonderful agent Lucienne Diver, whose guidance helped me immensely.

And my exceptional critique partner and friend, Mary Elizabeth Summer, who championed this book and gave me courage when I doubted myself.

To the wonderful team at Bloomsbury and my amazing editor, Meredith Rich. She gave me a chance, and skillfully helped me shape the story and see things I never would have seen. This book grew so much through the editorial process and I'm so grateful.

And to my family and friends who read rough drafts of this or other things I wrote, and kept encouraging me. Those kind words have meant more to me than you can know.

Marie Langager lives in Portland, Oregon with her husband and son. She has a degree in English Literature. She's certain that many new adventures await us beyond our stars.

Bloomsbury Publishing, London, New Delhi, New York and Sydney

Copyright © 2013 by Marie Langager

The moral right of the author has been asserted.

All rights reserved. You may not copy, distribute, transmit, reproduce, or otherwise
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First published in December 2013
by Bloomsbury Spark, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing, Inc.
www.bloomsbury.com

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data available upon request
ISBN 978-1-61963-466-4

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