Equinox (20 page)

Dalton let loose a string of whispered swear words and glared at Pip. “You didn’t say anything about guards.”

“They weren’t there before.”

“This is not something we can sneak past.”

“What do you want me to do about it?”

“Shut up, both of you,” Rosie said. “Let’s hitch a ride in one of them.” She pointed at the robotic movers.

They stared at the shining spider robots trundling up and down with their egg-shaped bodies. “The cabins aren’t for driving,” Pip said. “You might fit, midget, but not us normal-sized people.”

“It’s big enough,” Rosie said. “We’ll be squashed, but it’s not far to the station and no one is watching. Look at that one there.” She indicated one a metre away, beside a super carrier. “It’s being loaded with cargo, not unloaded. It’s got to be heading to the bullet.”

Dalton said, “It could work.”

Pip exhaled, shaking his head. “Let’s get cosy then.”

They watched as the crew of the carrier swung a final crate to the mover below and lowered it to its trailer. As soon as the men at the rail turned around, they sprinted forwards. Pip reached it first. He jerked open the cabin door and leaped inside. Dalton boosted Rosie in then jumped in after her. The tiny cabin had no windows and for a moment they were a tangle of elbows, knees and whispered swearing until Pip managed to press himself against the far wall, half-lying with Rosie squashed up against him, her back to his chest, the pack clutched against her and her face centimetres away from the operator’s station. Dalton scrunched up on the other side, his knees pressed against the cabin door.

The floor vibrated as the mover began to turn. Then there was a lurch as it pulled the trailer with it. Rosie’s head hit Pip in the chin and Dalton gripped the door shut as it threatened to open under his weight. Rosie wriggled, pushing back against Pip as she struggled to get away from something digging into her ribs.

Pip gripped her hip hard. “Stop moving,” he whispered with a hint of strain. His lips were so close to her neck she felt his breath on her skin.

“Sorry.”

He didn’t reply, just released another breath against her neck that sent a shiver right through her. He took his hand off her hip and braced it against the ceiling over her head. The mover stopped turning and picked up speed. Rosie could feel every breath Pip took. The air in the mover was soon thick with the scent of their sweat and tension.

Sounds of other machinery and raised voices were audible after a while and Rosie guessed they were in the dockyards. The voices sounded close. The mover paused and they all stopped breathing. After a second there came the sound of something beeping, a scrape against the mover’s hull and they were off again.

They all exhaled. They must have got through the checkpoint. After another few minutes of uncomfortable swaying, the mover stopped.

Dalton twisted awkwardly to look at them out of one eye.

“Do it,” Rosie whispered.

He opened the door a crack and peered out. “Clear,” he said.

They crawled out. They were in amongst a group of movers at the back end of the station that were waiting to load cargo into the bullet train. The glare of spotlights turned night into day and it was as busy as the docks. Robotic movers were everywhere, loading crates and shifting goods. The low whine of bio-fuelled transporters filled the air as men and women manoeuvred them into position to be unloaded onto the train’s freight cars. The bullet was a sleek shiny silver and eight hundred metres long. Only the first few cars were for passengers; the rest were freight cars.

They were surrounded by ten stationary movers waiting to load goods on the train. Beyond was a wide expanse of busy platform, also brightly lit. Rows of shipping containers lined the back edge of the platform against the fence and next to them was a small administration building with a tinted glass front. Rosie could see the shadows of people inside.

“Any Senate official is going to be in there,” Pip said.

“So, we wait until one comes out?” Rosie said.

“No, I go in. The toilets are our best bet. A man’s got a take a leak sometime. I can steal one in there.”

“And what if there aren’t any, or it’s a woman?”

“There’s always one,” Pip said. “And if it’s a chick, I’ll just charm it off her. I’ve got all kinds of talents.” He smiled, eyes gleaming with suggestion.

“Just get it done,” Dalton said with irritation. “Rosie, we can wait there.” He pointed at the line of containers against the fence.

The mover they’d been crouching against suddenly whirred into life along with the others that had been dormant around them, lifting up on hydraulic spider legs.

“Now or never,” Pip said. He walked casually out from the movers as if he was supposed to be there and strode towards the administration building without looking around. Rosie and Dalton hung back a moment longer, then walked out as well, keeping their heads down. They had to stop abruptly to wait for a line of trucks to trundle past them and Rosie felt exposed under the bright lights. She kept expecting an alarm or shouts, but nothing came and they made it to the containers seemingly unnoticed.

The boxes were stacked three high and several rows wide. Rosie and Dalton hovered in the shadows between them for what felt like hours, but was probably only five or ten minutes. Rosie was just beginning to think the worst, when Dalton whispered, “He’s coming back.”

Tense with relief, she saw Pip tilt his head slightly towards the front passenger section of the train. “He’s got it,” she said.

They stepped out of the shadows and walked swiftly up the platform. Few people gave them a second glance. Pip appeared more than pleased with himself.

“You got it?” Rosie whispered as they fell into step.

“Easy. Guy was weedier than Curtis.”

“Funny,” Dalton said quietly, quickly glancing behind.

Pip shrugged. “That Helios training comes in handy sometimes.”

“Shut up,” Rosie hissed, but he only smiled and a put a hand lightly on her upper back.

“This one,” he said and pushed her in front of him to a door in one of the train carriages.

There was no attendant on duty, but an automated electro barrier prevented entry until a ticket was swiped. Pip handed her the key stylus, a slim black cylinder the length and width of his index finger. Rosie pressed the tip to the reader. The device made a bass humming noise and the barrier disappeared. The three of them crowded on.

The bullet passenger cars were divided into seating and sleeping booths with a single narrow corridor running along one side. To their right was a glass door, inlaid with a beautiful pattern of coloured holo lights and a sign on it that said “Premium Diner”. Beyond that was the official Senate carriage. Through the glass, Rosie could see places already laid for an early breakfast. She caught a glimpse of herself in the windows. She looked as anxious as she felt.

“You got that surveillance jammer, Curtis?” Pip said.

Dalton pulled a device from his pocket. “Had one on the boat,” he said.

“Could be another Senate official already on board. We’ll be better off in the normal carriages.” Pip turned away from the dining car and activated a door to a corridor. Dalton pointed the jammer at any surveillance points as they made their way along the carriage, and Pip and Rosie peered at the occupation indicators on the booth doors until they found an empty one.

Inside were six seats, three on each side facing each other. The wide window’s glass was darkened into night mode so they couldn’t see out.

Rosie sat near the window, dropping the pack on the floor while Dalton and Pip sat opposite, a seat apart. None of them spoke, waiting for the train to move.

It felt like the longest five minutes of Rosie’s life, but finally a chime sounded and the whirring of the engines started. The train lifted to hover above its guide track and they were finally in motion, the bullet shooting smoothly away from the platform and heading north.

It was six hours to Capricornia. The lights in the cabin faded to an ambient glow and they sat listening to the hum of the train. The ride was so smooth it was hard to believe they were even moving.

“What are the odds we got away without being spotted?” Dalton said.

“We’re still alive,” Pip replied.

“There could be operatives already here,” Rosie said.

“Maybe,” Pip said. “But they’d be on us if there were. We’ve just got to hope we didn’t get clocked on any of the surveillance.”

“We need a plan B.” The stimulants were wearing off and Rosie felt the headache returning. The last thing she needed was for the damn implant to go off. She tried to surreptitiously rub her forehead, but Dalton saw her.

“You okay?” he said.

“Fine.” She looked at Pip. “You know this train. What’re our options if it gets boarded?”

“The freight cars are where I usually travel, and I’ve still got a breather. One.” He held up a finger. “But forget that for a minute. Tell me again what you saw on the implant earlier.”

“Now?” Rosie exhaled with annoyance. “Pip we’ve got to–”

“Just tell me.”

“It was Panthea or something, and Equinox Gate,” Dalton said. “Why?”

“Jackpot.” Pip grinned. “Panthea has got to be Pantheon.”

“What’s that?” Rosie said.

“The Pantheon is what Helios calls the ruling five. The ones who run the whole thing. I couldn’t place it right away. Even when I was a kid, the Pantheon was rarely talked about. No one knows who they are – at least, no one I’ve ever met. Maybe Riley found out.”

“What about Equinox Gate?” Dalton said, but Pip sat back, shaking his head.

“Never heard of it.”

“It sounds plausible,” Rosie said.

“If Riley found out those names and put them in your head, that’s power,” Pip said. “We’ve got something no one has.” He leaned across the space towards her, eyes shining. “Rosie, this is good,” he said. “We could stop Helios.”

“Yeah, maybe. If that’s what’s in there.” Her head was aching hard. She felt like she was either going to spew or pass out again and she didn’t want to do either in front of the boys. “I gotta find a bathroom.” She pushed open the door and was out before either one of them could say anything.

The ladies was at the end of the carriage. She locked herself in and sat on the closed lid of the toilet until the urge to vomit passed. The implant didn’t open but she felt like it was waiting to and every nerve in her scalp was supersensitive. She broke a tiny bit off a thread of stim and chewed on it. It cleared her mind so she could think. Knowing who really ran Helios could be good – but how would they use it? And would they escape Helios long enough to be able to? They’d got on the train, but Helios could still be tracking them. What exactly would they do when they got to Capricornia? Pip had said he’d contact someone when they got there, but what if that was too late? She left the bathroom and went back to the compartment, thinking, and saw the object of her thoughts leaning against the wall in the corridor.

“You okay?” Pip straightened as she neared him.

“Um, yeah, sure.”

“The implant again?” He was looking at her closely, like he cared, making her insides all fluttery.

No one else was around. The corridor was dim, the world beyond the windows black. Rosie cleared her throat nervously.

“I’ve been thinking … you still got that disposable com?” she said.

“Yeah.” He pulled it out of his pocket, puzzled. “Why?”

“Can you use it to get a message to Cassie, or someone?”

He frowned. “Probably, but it’s likely the signal would get hit. I was going to wait until we got to Capricornia, find a safe line.”

“I don’t think we’ve got that kind of time. Is there anyone in Capricornia to help us?” she asked.

“No, they’re several hours out.”

“So, if we make it there without getting caught, we’ll have to wait a while for help. And if something goes wrong …”

He pursed his lips in thought. “So what’s your idea? There’re security protocols I can follow, but any call I make will eventually be noticed.”

“But calling now might buy us some time. And if we do get caught, at least someone can be there when we arrive. Our chances would be better.” Rosie watched him considering it.

“Okay,” he finally said. “I guess. I’ll send a message. It’s safer than voice.” He flipped on the com and began to punch in a complicated set of numbers. “It’s going through.” His blue eyes were intent on the com, a slight frown drawing his dark brows together. He had a crescent-shaped scar just under his hairline and Rosie got a funny ache near her heart just looking at it. He’d got that on Mars in the Enclave when they’d been running from the guards.

“What did you say?” she said. “You didn’t mention Riley, did you?”

“Course not.” He spoke absently, still watching the screen. “I used a code for ‘coming in hot’. The trouble switch.” He smiled at some private joke. “And I told them there’re three of us.” He looked back at her and his smile faded, his gaze flickering over her face suddenly filled with a naked vulnerability that made her breath stop “Rosie, I–” He was interrupted by a soft beep from the com. “That was quick.” He turned the com so they could both see it. He was so close, she could barely concentrate. The message was simple.
8 Free. Special mob today
. That was it, but Pip seemed to understand and the tension he’d been holding released.

“Kev, you legend.” He grinned.

“What is it?”

“It means we’ve got backup. They’ll meet us at eight at the Freezone Hotel.”

“But that’s hours after we get there,” Rosie said.

“I know somewhere we can hole up, and Kev’s sending some of the Yalgu Warriors.”

The Yalgu was the Nation’s answer to the Senate Elite, but they didn’t live in the towns, as far as Rosie knew, and they were talked about as if they were more legend than real.

“I guess that’s good then,” she said, but she didn’t feel confident. They still had to get through the night. Her head chose that moment to send a spear of pain through her, despite the stim. She pressed a hand to her forehead, closing her eyes. It was over in a few seconds though, no numbers.