Aftermath - Ann Aguirre [98]
I just heard from the authorities on Nicu Tertius. They’ve found my nephew. He’s in a state-run home, but he’s become a problem, and they’re discussing the possibility of neutralizing him. It’s an advanced form of lobotomy that takes away all Psi ability. I can’t let that happen.
So I’ve had to choose between searching for you and going to help Sasha. That’s his name, by the way. It was the one request of Svet’s that they honored; they kept the name she gave him.
The fact that I’m writing this probably tells you all you need to know. I looked for six months, Jax, nonstop. Six months, I spent on Marakeq, slogging through the swamp looking for you. I found no sign. I wish I could say it makes me feel better knowing you’re with Vel, wherever you are, but I’m small enough that it doesn’t. All I know is that you aren’t with me, and I’m losing my mind, wondering if you’re safe. I know you’d send word if you could, so the situation must be dire. Anyway, I’m leaving Marakeq today. You have my comm code . . . I still have the same flat. I’ve been paying the rent while I was here, looking for you. If you come back, that’s where you can find me.
Love and miss you, always.
March
CHAPTER 31
Light.
Just when I can’t walk another step, I see it glimmering ahead. Our final torch-tube burned out long ago, but this glow is different. It’s sweet and pale, like the first glimmer at dawn. I increase my pace until I’m running, only vaguely noticing that the incline slopes upward, as if we’re going aboveground at last.
The tunnel opens in a hillside covered with verdant growth. This is a different aspect of the planet—neither the hungry jungle nor the dry wasteland—but a gentler clime that permits more familiar flora to thrive. If Mary is kind, we’ll find a gate somewhere nearby, and we can end this exile. I’ve lost all certainty of how long we’ve been gone. Days and nights have blurred together, and privation takes its toll, but if I haven’t lost count entirely, it’s been three weeks to a month.
I inhale deeply through my nose, delighting in the fresh air. Beside me, Vel scans the surrounding area, looking for toxins and large predators. He lowers his handheld and points off into the distance.
“There is a settlement that way. And I detect a power source similar to the gate we used on Marakeq.”
That’s the best news I’ve heard in forever. But things get better still when we climb down the hill and find a narrow stream running among the rocks. My throat is so dry at this point that it hurts to talk. Without waiting for Vel to scan, I kneel and drink from my cupped palms. I’ll take my chances with local parasites over a painful death from dehydration. He’s a little more cautious and takes some readings before doing likewise.
“It’s safe?” I ask.
“You had better hope so.” Amusement threads his words.
“Yeah, yeah.”
After further exploration, he finds some fruit and roots that should be safe for us both to eat. The former is bitter and green, but it’s so much better than nothing that I don’t complain about the taste. It takes me fifteen minutes to chew down a root; it’s clearly not meant for human teeth. Vel has no such trouble, grinding it with his mandible. I feel better almost immediately.
“To the settlement?”
I nod. Sleep sounds divine, but maybe we can rest in a more comfortable locale. Excitement pounds in my veins. These might be descendants of the Makers. How amazing would that be? I quicken my step, trusting Vel to keep pace, and soon we close the distance. I’m shocked to see familiar moss-covered mounds in the distance. This looks quite a bit like the Mareq village.
“Perhaps a few Mareq activated the gate, as we did,” Vel offers.
That seems most likely. But—
“If there was a return gate nearby, wouldn’t they have figured out how to get back?” And not still be here.
“One problem at a time, Sirantha.”
Yeah, he’s right. At least we have food and water