Rook Winters - Weight of Ashes

As predicted, they were four sentences into their voice call when the Qyntarak said, “Enormous shame descends on you for this failure to ensure the proper safeguarding of the Aldebaran asset. The governor will be filled with much disappointment.”

“Don’t think you can blame this on me. It was your people who brought them in and left them in this facility.”

Kantarka-Ta made a sound that Kane was sure was accompanied by frustrated body movements. He couldn’t help but grinning. Despite his own frustration, he’d take any minor victory.

“Tell whoever runs the detention facility to revoke her bail release and give me access to her tracking data. I’ll go pick her up before she gets too far.”

“Your success in obtaining the human L37 was absent in previous attempts.”

“I’ll go personally and take a stun gun. It won’t be a problem.”

“I will fulfill your request. Do not fail again.”

Kantarka-Ta ended the call and Kane collapsed back into the grav flyer seat. It wasn’t very comfortable when the flyer wasn’t moving, the smart foam having been designed with the primary purpose of absorbing the force from high acceleration.

L37, the one called Bear, and the old woman had all been released on bail. Only mentioning L37 to Kantarka-Ta was a calculated risk. If it knew that three of the humans were loose, it might insist on using its team to clean up the mess. Once Kane had access to the tracking data, he would find them. That would look good for him and, more importantly, look bad for Kantarka-Ta.

Kane’s wrist computer beeped and announced an incoming call from the human director for all Earth-based detention facilities.

Good, straight to the top.

Within minutes, the director had revoked bail for all three missing prisoners and the tracking data was feeding to Kane’s wrist computer. It surprised him that the three fugitives were in different locations scattered around the edges of New Boston. He synced the first location to his grav flyer’s navigation system, and the machine jumped to the sky, the smart foam cushioning Kane’s body as it moved.

It descended into a green space that contained the rusted remains of a children’s play structure and a solitary light pole that was many years out of service. Kane double-checked the tracking data, and it pointed him at the light pole.

“What the hell?”

His wrist computer reported L37’s position as five meters and forty-seven centimeters off the ground. He set the grav flyer to hover at that height and opened the hatch.

On top of the light pole, splattered with bird shit, was a transparent restin bubble protecting a silver box.

“Those bastards.”

Someone was spoofing the tracking signal of L37’s bracelet. He didn’t have the expertise to reverse engineer the device. He’d send someone to collect it.

Kane synced the next tracker location and instructed the flyer to move at maximum speed with priority clearance. That would broadcast ahead to clear the flight path so he wouldn’t lose time avoiding other transports. It took him several minutes to confirm that the other signals were also spoofed.

He screamed at the control panel of the grav flyer, a primal yell that wasn’t helping to solve his problem but felt cathartic.

Once he’d composed himself, he called Petra.

“I need your help.”

“What’s up?”

“They released three of the people we brought in yesterday on bail because we’re surrounded by idiots. Bail has been revoked but they are spoofing their tracking signals. I need you to get someone to collect the devices and figure out where the real bracelets are.”

“Will do, boss. Anything else?”

“Has anyone retrieved the kid in Toronto yet?”

“No, not yet.”

“Then just leave him. I’m going back there. Maybe he’ll know something about where the others would go.”

“It’s worth a shot. Send me the tracking data for the spoofed devices and I’ll work on that.”

Petra disconnected from the call with Kane.

“Well, that’s inconvenient. Kane is also on his way to Toronto.”

“But he doesn’t know where Court is, right?” Elle asked.

“He thinks he’s still trapped in the university, but I don’t like the idea of him flying around the city while we’re there. It’s a bit close for comfort.”

“We’ll just have to be extra cautious,” Britt said.

Bear squirmed in his seat. The smart foam of Petra’s commandeered grav flyer wasn’t designed with someone his size in mind and the seat frame bit into various body parts as he shifted in search of a comfortable position.

Petra noticed. “We’re almost there. Another four or five minutes.”

Britt cradled a white box that would hold the data vault once they rendezvoused with Wilm. It looked so simple but she knew it was engineered to withstand the brutality of open space—the heat of direct sunlight, the extreme cold in the shadows, and the radiation that would fry the tiny data vault if left unprotected.

Not so long ago, Wilm was the new guy. Now he’s guarding Ainsley, Court, and a data vault that can save humanity.

Petra set the grav flyer down in the ruins of an old parking lot.

“Let’s review the plan. Britt, you go retrieve the data vault from your people here. Then we fly to the warehouse to meet Bear’s contact. I’ll hack into their security systems to keep your faces off the networked video feeds. You’ll activate the transponder and Bear’s friend will give the box to the shuttle pilot. Once that’s done, I can get those tracking bracelets off and leave you here with your friends.

“The Qyntarak collaborators will lose the bail money they fronted but they will consider that an acceptable loss if the data vault gets off planet.”

“We’ll be on the run the rest of our lives,” Bear said.

Britt reached over to squeeze his hand. “There’s still a chance it will be temporary. If the Reclamation can do some good with the data we’re sending, it will all be worth it.”

A squeeze back was his answer and she smiled, knowing he believed.

“I’m throwing out interference to local video cameras. I can safely do that for fifteen minutes in an area like this before anyone starts to care.”

Britt disembarked and saw frightened stares from the handful of people outside. They attempted to look casual as they walked away from her. She resisted the compulsion to smile.

If they only knew what was really going on here.

Despite the small number of people visible outside in the waning daylight, this was a vibrant and well-populated neighborhood by modern standards. The previous residents had been early targets for the forced expulsions and squatters had moved in over the years, eventually creating a new community complete with shops and places to eat and drink. Wilm had inherited a modest establishment from his parents after they’d been trampled to death in riots a few years earlier. Britt supposed he’d inherited their disdain for the Qyntarak as well.

The redheaded bartender took her to the basement. Inside the secure room, Wilm’s grin stretched wide across his face. He wrapped his arms around her, something she never would have allowed from her crew in the past.

“I was so scared that I wouldn’t see you again. How are the others? Where’s Bear?”

“I’m afraid I can’t stay long. Bear’s fine.”

“What about Elle?” Court asked.

To Britt’s surprise, Court looked better now than at any point in the short time she’d known him.

“She’s safe, don’t worry. We’re going to deliver the data vault and then we’ll all figure out next steps.”

“I want to go with you.”