Equinox (25 page)

The jumper was waiting for them on the outskirts of the city, where low bungalows, cobbled together from ship parts and scrap, sat up against apartment towers that had never been finished. Humpies and tents were erected in any spare space and there were lots of people around on the street. Someone had lit a fire and smoke drifted across the road, stinking of chemicals and some unidentified roasting meat.

Kev waved an arm to the right, pointing at a high-rise. A holo sign, glowing red and purple, announced it as the Last Stop Hostel. It looked tawdry, the walls pockmarked with bullet holes and the majority of the windows covered in security grilles.

They followed him into a dark driveway that wound up around the inside of the building to the roof. The jumper was powering up as they appeared. Shaped like a fat bean, it was a converted spacecab, the sturdy short-range kind used to ferry people between space stations or ship to planet.

Pip rolled the bike to a stop next to Dalton. “Looks like a storm coming.” He jerked his chin skyward. Overhead was clear, but to the north a line of dark low cloud was gathering.

“Jumper should be all right,” Dalton said, but he didn’t sound confident.

“Don’t look so worried, Curtis. It’s all Nation tech. It’ll take at least three lightning strikes to knock her out of the sky.” Pip smirked.

“Ignore him.” Cassie stopped her bike beside Dalton. “You can sit with me, spare you his wit.”

“It’s not like you to be so considerate,” Pip said, and her smile became icy.

“Children, let’s go,” Kev said.

The jumper had a small cabin for the pilot and behind that were two rows of padded bench seats and a cargo hold.

Rosie sat in the back seat against the hull and Dalton climbed in next to her. Pip cast him a look that was less than impressed and took the seat in front. Cassie sat next to him. She smiled smugly at Rosie as she sat, as if she’d won something. Rosie was too tired to care. Kev took the front bench on the other side and the ship rumbled as it revved for take-off.

Rosie watched through the narrow window next to her as they accelerated away from the roof. They banked hard and Capricornia was laid out beneath them in all its ramshackle glory. Then they were rising higher and levelling out, heading north.

It wasn’t a quiet craft. Dalton had to raise his voice to be heard as he leaned over the seat and shook Pip’s shoulder. “How long till we get there?”

“An hour, give or take, depending on the weather.” Pip twisted around and caught Rosie’s eye. “There’s a good medical lab there, and Kev’s wife’s a doctor, a really good one.”

The pilot’s loud voice came over the intercom. “Strap in everyone; it’s going to be a bumpy trip. Storm cell city.” He sounded way too happy about that.

They all scrambled to clip themselves in with the seat harnesses. Rosie got hers done up just in time. A massive gust of wind hit them and the jumper lurched sideways. She hung on to her straps, praying they wouldn’t snap. Dalton went a paler shade of white. Their eyes met and Rosie grinned and made a terrified face at him. He grinned back.

“They don’t have this in simulators,” he shouted. Then the rain came and it was impossible to talk. It felt as if they’d gone under an enormous high-pressure hose and the jumper rocked dangerously. She clung to her harness and after a while felt too ill even to be scared. The constant rocking and shaking motion made her want to vomit and she began hoping they might crash just to put her out of her misery. She closed her eyes.
Do not spew on yourself, Rosie Black. Do not
.

Finally, after what felt like half of her life, they began to descend.

“Hope you’re all okay back there.” The pilot came back over the com, cheerful as ever. “ETA is five minutes. Just hang on a bit longer, and thanks for flying the vomit comet.”

Rosie would have shot him if she could. At last, the rocking began to decrease and the engines screamed as they powered down and settled on the ground.

They staggered out. The sky was dark with cloud and it was still raining. The landing site was cleared ground surrounded by thick grass and trees. She’d glimpsed the tops of geodesic dome houses as they’d come down, but not much else.

Kev shouted something and waved towards a road at the tree line. Half bent over by the wind and rain, they followed him as the jumper launched. Rosie ran blindly, following Pip, mud spattering up the legs of her jeans.

They got closer to the centre of the community, but there was no one around, no lights on. The community homes were built along wide streets and spread over quite an area. They looked like parachutes tethered to the earth by stone anchors. The living quarters were in the top half of each dome; the underneath was open to allow flooding and wind to pass through. Rosie glimpsed the door of one dome wide open and banging in the wind, rain washing inside. They passed a cluster of buildings and a few bikes that had toppled over in the mud. A set of deep tyre tracks cut through the road as though a heavy vehicle had been through. One of the bikes looked like it had been run over. They stopped.

“Where is everybody?” Cassie shouted. Rosie saw Pip and Kev exchange looks, then Kev sprinted ahead, followed closely by Pip.

Kev’s home was a large dome like the others. Rosie followed Cassie up the stairs, Dalton behind her. The door was broken and Kev’s possessions were scattered everywhere. Digi books, coms, and tools were strewn across the floor of a large open living area. Children’s toys, clothes and overturned chairs showed the perpetrators had cared little for anything in here.

Kev stood in the middle of the room staring like he couldn’t believe what he was seeing. Pip swore as he picked up a broken toy. Behind him, plasglass framed a wide balcony under the protective curve of the dome’s roof.

“Where’re Lakisha and the boys?” Cassie said, an edge of panic in her voice.

“They’ve gone to Naru.”

Kev spun around, his gun out. A tall man stood in the doorway, dressed in a long coat, like the men who’d helped them in Capricornia. He had on rough trousers and a black T-shirt and his hair was dark and curling to his shoulders. A long curved knife was belted around his waist.

Kev lowered his gun, a tremor in his hand. “They’re all right?” he said.

The man nodded. “Our people took both the helis, got out before they came.”

Kev exhaled in relief and rubbed a hand over his face. “Thank God,” he whispered.

“Helios.” Pip said.

The Yalgu man looked at him. The whites of his eyes were very white. “That’s right. They were looking for something, or someone.”

“What happened?” Rosie asked, then wished she hadn’t spoken when the warrior turned his dark eyes on her. It felt like he was looking into her soul and seeing that she knew what Helios wanted, that she was bound up with them.

She thought he was going to berate her, but all he said was, “A team of them came in fast. We hardly had time to get the people out. By the time we came back, this had happened.” He spread a hand at the debris around them. “Why would they come here?”

“They’re looking for me.” Pip said. “They must have figured out where I was staying when they saw me with you, Kev.”

“You knew Helios were up here.” It wasn’t a question and he looked angry about it.

“We’ve known only for a short time,” Kev said carefully.

“You are not the only ones,” the man replied. “Omgurri Council gave Helios permission to use their land.”

“What?” Cassie said.

He ignored her, speaking only to Kev. “We have come in to end this. To force Helios out. We have given the Council some time to end it, but if they fail, we will act.”

“How much time?”

“A day, maybe two if our leaders allow it.”

Kev looked shaken. He turned to Pip and Cassie. “I’m going to have to talk to the council right away – and the warriors.” He glanced at the man, who stood calm and immutable. “Have you got transport?”

“We have a jumper waiting.”

“You all just stay here,” Kev said. “I’ll be back as quickly as I can. Don’t do anything. I’ll contact you if possible.”

Then he was gone.

Rosie, Pip, Dalton and Cassie stood staring at each other, still dripping on the floor. Outside the rain lashed the roof like it wanted to drown them, and it was getting darker by the minute. Rosie shivered. The boys’ shirts were plastered to their chests and she could see a fist-sized bruise on Dalton’s ribs through his white shirt. She held her own tank out from her and squeezed, sending a trickle of water onto her shoes.

“What did he mean by ‘end this’?” Dalton looked at Pip.

“He means the Yalgu are threatening war,” Cassie replied.

“It might not come to that,” Pip said.

“What else would it mean?” she snapped. “They said they were coming to end it.”

“And what does that mean exactly?” Dalton said.

“It means they are seriously pissed.” Pip glanced between him and Rosie. “Do you know much about the Yalgu Warriors?”

“As much as anyone,” Dalton said.

“Which means not much. Look, the Yalgu are like the Nation’s military, except they don’t really answer to anyone and can overrule anything the councils say if they want to. Which they usually don’t. They hardly ever get involved in politics.”

“Hang on, I’m confused,” Dalton said. “He said Omgurri Council know about the Helios base.”

Pip’s tone was impatient as he said, “There are nine councils on Nation lands who make the rules cooperatively. Omgurri is just one of them. They must have given Helios permission to be here behind the other councils’ backs – which is going to cause one hell of a fight with the other eight. But that’s not the main problem. The warriors clearly want Helios out and have given everyone a day to sort it out or they will.”

“And I’m guessing their version of sorting doesn’t involve much talking,” Rosie said.

Pip shook his head. “They’re not big on the talking, no. You saw those two in Capricornia. Imagine what five hundred could do.”

“What are the chances of the council settling this?” Dalton said.

Pip gave a bitter laugh. “If the Omgurri Council has made a deal with Helios, they’re not going to want to break it. Knowing Helios, they probably can’t anyway.”

“So what?” Cassie said. “The Yalgu can solve our problem for us. Let them get rid of Helios.”

“You seriously think it’s that easy, Cass?”

“I don’t think Helios deserve any mercy, do you?” she said.

“That’s not the point!” He ran a hand roughly over his head. “You just don’t get it, do you?”

“Get what?”

“I think he’s saying it won’t end here,” Dalton said. His quiet tone made them both pause.

“Exactly.” Pip sent a glance his way. “Helios won’t take the destruction of their base lying down. They’ll come back, they’ll bring a full force with them and they’ll kill every single person who tells them no. Or if I know them, they’ll just make one giant MalX infection bomb and get rid of everybody that way. They made the MalX, I bet they’re working on a way to weaponise it.”

A MalX weapon? Rosie hadn’t thought of that, but now he said it she could believe it. It was just Helios’s style. “How many people live in Gondwana Nation?” Rosie asked.

“A million or so.”

She felt ill. Even Cassie looked scared. Pip was right. Things would get very, very bad. They were all silent.

“Look,” Dalton said finally. “I don’t think any of us are thinking straight right now. Why don’t we dry off and get some pain blockers and cell repairs?”

“There’s a full kit in Kev’s bathroom,” Cassie said.

“Good, we’re going to need them, and something to eat. Then we can come up with a game plan.”

“Can’t say I figured a Central for the sensible type,” Pip said. At Rosie’s irritated look, he added, “But that’s not the worst idea I’ve heard today.”

“At least someone here has brains,” Cassie said. “I’m having the first shower.” She glanced at Rosie. “My room’s upstairs. I might be able to find a shirt or something to fit you.”

Don’t break a sweat with the generosity
. Rosie followed her to the curved staircase.

“Curtis, I’m down here.” Pip slouched towards a door past the open-plan kitchen. “Meet you back here in ten.”

Forty minutes later, Rosie met the boys back downstairs. Cassie had found her a pair of black pants that were too long and a dark red top. It was a relief to be dry, but Rosie felt more tired than ever. Now that a cell repair shot had begun to fix up all her cuts and bruises, all she wanted to do was sleep.

The boys had cleaned up while they waited. Chairs had been righted and most of the detritus picked up. Pip was inspecting the chill unit while Dalton chopped tomatoes.

“Are those real?” Rosie slid onto a stool.

“Taste real.” Dalton handed her a piece with a smile. His hair was damp from the shower, the thick wavy locks brushed back from his face. It emphasised the whopper of a bruise along his jaw.

“Oh my God.” Rosie covered her mouth with her hand as she chewed. The slice of tomato was sweet and dusky, tasting nothing like the engineered fruit she’d had before.

“Everything’s real in Nation.” Pip swivelled back from the cool unit, kicking the door shut behind him. He dumped another mystery container on the bench next to Rosie. “Especially the weather. It’s still raining like there’s water to spare on the planet.”

Rosie looked at the wall of windows. It was dark outside and she couldn’t see anything but she could certainly hear it, a constant drumming against the balcony roof and wind scraping past the curved walls.

“Christ, it smells like a cheap boy-toy parlour in here.” Cassie came down the stairs. She was wearing a black catsuit that emphasised every curve and made her long legs look even longer. She was pretending not to notice both boys watching her – Pip with a form of admiring contempt like he’d seen this trick before and Dalton with amused appreciation. Rosie hoped she’d trip and fall over, but of course she didn’t.

“Hey, Curtis,” said Pip. “Be careful of the pretty fruit – they’re usually poisonous.”

Cassie narrowed her eyes at him. ‘Trying to be cute again, Pippy?” She dropped a pack of cell-repair vials and pain blockers on the bench.