The Forgotten Shrine Read online

  “What’s with him?” I ask. “If he keeps turning around every five seconds, he’ll definitely notice when we’re no longer back here.”

  “Let me handle this,” Marco says as he waves us closer to the boy. “Hey, Buzz, what’s up?”

  The guy’s eyes dodge all about like he’s super paranoid. “Are you talking to me?”

  “Who else would I be talking to?”

  “You said Buzz. That’s not my name.”

  “And my name’s not Turn the Heck Around and Mind Your Own Business, but it might as well be.”

  The boy stops and presses a hand to his head. “That is a very unusual name.”

  Geez. He is totally going to blow our cover. I join Marco and try to steer things in a better direction. “Hey, I’m Jasper. This is Marco and Cole. What’s your name?”

  The boy keeps shifting his eyes around. “My name is Desmond. You guys are not doing what you are supposed to be doing.”

  “Who said it’s your business what we’re doing?” Marco asks.

  Desmond’s eyes focus on something in front of him, like he’s reading an invisible screen floating in the air. “According to Earth Force regulation 407.3, when officers are walking in formation, proper spacing should be observed. You have allowed a gap to open.”

  “Look, Desmond,” I say. “Things are a bit more laid back around here.” I place my hand on his arm. He jerks away.

  “That’s not the right regulation,” Cole says.

  “Yes, it is,” Desmond says.

  “No, it’s not.”

  “Shut up, Wiki,” Marco says.

  “Yes, it is!” Desmond says. “Have you not read the Earth Force code? It is required.”

  “Of course I’ve read the code!” Cole shouts back.

  Marco shoves Cole’s shoulder. “Shut. Up.”

  Cole stumbles backward and—thankfully—shuts up.

  “You are violating Earth Force rules,” Desmond says. “I am an Earth Force officer, and I have a duty to report you.”

  “No, no, no, you’ve got it all wrong.” Marco tries to throw an arm around the kid, but Desmond ducks. “Guess what? Officer Ridders is about to take us on the suction chutes. The best place to be for that is up front. Don’t you want to be one of the first in line?”

  That seems to excite Desmond. “The suction chutes connect the space station structures. They are constructed from an impenetrable metal composite. They operate in zero gravity.”

  “True.” I don’t know what to make of this guy, but I’m pretty sure he’s going to kill our chances of ditching the group. I glance at Marco. How on earth are we going to shake him?

  “Listen, Buzz—I mean, Desmond,” Marco says, giving me a look that says Follow my lead and probably Keep Cole in line. “We’re allowed to hang back. In fact, we’re going to take a different route to the boys’ dormitory because we’re here for our third tour of duty. Ridders—that’s Captain Ridders—gave us permission when we were in the hangar.”

  Desmond’s eyes shift to the side like he’s confused.

  Marco smiles. “You remember how the Earth Force code says all that stuff about how you have to follow the orders of your senior officers, right? Well, I’m a senior cadet, and you’re a junior cadet. That makes me your senior officer. And I’m telling you to get to the front of the line.”

  Desmond’s eyes open really wide, and a smile spreads across his face like everything suddenly makes perfect sense. “Yes, you are my senior officer.” He spins around and heads for the front.

  “Wait!” Marco calls.

  What? We finally ditch the kid, and Marco calls him back?

  Desmond turns. “Yes?”

  “Yes, what?” Marco asks.

  The confused look returns to Desmond’s face.

  “It’s ‘yes, sir,’ ” Marco says with a sinister smile.

  Oh, please.

  The dawn of understanding shows on Desmond’s face. He snaps to attention, his right hand slapping his forehead, and shouts, “Yes, sir!”

  Up ahead other cadets turn around to see what’s happening. Great. Even more attention we don’t need.

  Marco waves his hand at Desmond, who takes off again at a fast walk, passing all the cadets in the group.

  We slow down, and when the group rounds the next corner, we bolt in the opposite direction all the way to the chute cube at the other end of the structure. The cube houses a departure grate and arrival trough for the suction chute system, the long metal tubes that connect the different space station structures.

  We bow over our legs, trying to catch our breath.

  “ ‘Yes, sir’?” I say to Marco. “That was overkill.”

  “Nah,” he says. “That Desmond kid needed to be taught a lesson.”

  “I need to check the Earth Force regulations,” Cole says. “I didn’t know about section 407.3. I wonder if they added it after our first tour.”

  “Seriously, Wiki?” Marco shakes his head. “You focus on the strangest things.”

  “Yeah, well, I’m focused on getting to the pod room,” I say. “So let’s go.”

  I pull open the door to the chute cube and activate the system. If there’s one thing I missed about the space station, it’s the chutes. And I know I’m not the only one.

  “Human chain, Ace?” Marco asks.

  I step onto the grate. “Need you ask?”

  The whoosh of air hits my face—the only warning I get before I’m sucked into the chute.

  My body races up in total blackness.

  BUMP!

  Marco collides with my shoes. He snakes his hands around my ankles. A second later another crash, and Cole connects with Marco. I slide my hands out front like Superman and lead us through the chute.

  “Woo-hoo!” The rush of air carries my screams through the tube, picking up Marco’s and Cole’s along the way.

  We take a corner at super speed. Cole hollers. He must have been whipped into the wall as the caboose. I scissor-kick my feet, challenging Marco to hold on.

  A light shines up ahead. The arrival trough awaits. The hallway better be clear. I glide into the trough and jump out of the way to avoid a pileup.

  Marco hops off and gives Cole a hand. Lucky for us, the hallway is empty.

  “Let’s go.” I lead off down the hall.

  We’ve been so busy since we arrived, it’s hardly registered that we’re really back at the space station, at least for tonight. Now that we have a moment to breathe, the claustrophobia sets in. White walls, bright lights, tofu dogs. Welcome back to the Earth Force Space Station.

  “What kind of food do you think they have on Alkalinia?” I ask.

  “This again?” Marco says. “Just don’t think about it, Fly Guy. Nothing can be worse than BERF.”

  That’s true. The food on Gulaga was so disgusting I think it would be impossible to imagine how gross it was unless you were actually forced to consume it. I mean, we literally ate fungus. Every. Day.

  We reach the pod hallway. So far everything looks exactly as I remember, right down to the eye sensor that secures the door.

  “Do you think it’s still programmed with our lens signatures?” I ask.

  “We’re about to find out,” Marco says. “Hack Man, care to do the honors for old times’ sake?”

  During our first tour of duty, Cole programmed the security system to read his left lens signature so we could break into the cell block and pay a visit to the Youli prisoner. The whole escapade almost blew up in our face, but we managed to bound to the Ezone seconds before being busted. But the lens scan worked.

  This time Cole leans into the scanner with his right eye. Our breath is the only sound as we wait for the scan to process. If we’re not preauthorized, an alarm will go off, and then this escapade will come to a quick end.

  CLICK.

  The door disengages.

  We slip inside. The pod hall is dark. The lights that flank the platinum sensor strip are the only illumination. The door slams behind us, an
d a weird blend of electronic and metal noises confirms that the sensor lock has reset.

  “Is it just me, or is this place super creepy in the dark?” I ask.

  “Want to hold my hand, Wimpy Kid?” Marco asks.

  “Shhh!” Cole says. “I think there’s someone down there.”

  “I hope someone’s here,” Marco says, “and that his name is Gedney. Let’s go!”

  Marco dashes to the end of the hall. Cole and I race to catch up. We collide in front of the pod room.

  There are voices coming from the other side of the door.

  “I think I hear Gedney!” Cole whispers.

  I press my ear to the door. He’s right. I’m pretty sure that’s Gedney, although I can’t make out what he’s saying. I give Cole and Marco a thumbs-up.

  “Who is he talking to, Ace?”

  I close my eyes and concentrate. Gedney is still talking. Then there’s a pause. Then a second voice starts up.

  I jump back from the door.

  “Well?” Marco asks.

  “I’m pretty sure he’s talking to Waters.”

  6

  WE CROWD TOGETHER, ME SANDWICHED between Cole and Marco, all with our ears pressed against the door. I can still make out only snippets of what they’re saying.

  “. . . will take a long time to repair,” Gedney says, “. . . years to build . . . you can’t expect things to be fixed overnight, old friend. . . .”

  Cole taps my shoulder. “Do you think he’s talking about Waters coming back to Earth Force?”

  “Maybe they’re talking about his relationship with the Youli,” Marco whispers.

  Then Waters responds: “. . . division within their own ranks . . . total disaster . . . I should have listened to you about the patches.”

  “They’re talking about our brain patches,” I say.

  “Or it could be the degradation patch we planted on the Youli systems,” Cole says.

  “Either way,” Marco says, “they’re definitely talking about the Youli.”

  “The cadets just arrived.” Gedney’s voice rings clearer. “I hate to tell you this, Jon, but they’re sending the kids to Alkalinia.”

  Our eyes go wide. I strain to hear Waters’s response.

  “That’s it!” Marco says. “I’m going in!” He twists the door handle and storms into the pod room. Cole and I are right behind him.

  I quickly notice three things. First, Gedney is standing in the center of the room, stooped over as always. Second, the large screen at the front of the room is filled with the image of Waters’s face. And third, the room looks almost exactly as it did when we left—cushy beanbags, starry ceiling, green grass carpet, and lots of funky accessories.

  Gedney turns toward us, but my gaze is glued to the screen. Waters’s face is covered with a grizzly beard. His hair is long and shaggy. He’s wearing a bright-colored shirt like the ones the Wackies wore on Gulaga. He looks surprised, then his face spreads into a grin. A second later the image winks out.

  “That was Waters!” Cole says.

  “Thanks, Captain Obvious,” Marco says.

  “Was that vid chat?” I ask.

  “Never mind that,” Gedney says. “And hello to you. Ever hear of knocking? Apparently not.”

  “Since when do we have to knock at our own pod room?” Marco asks. “And why were you talking to Waters?”

  “You mean Jon Waters?” Gedney asks. “I haven’t spoken to Waters since the day he disappeared on Gulaga.” He looks at each of us with a sly smile. “Are we clear?”

  I’m guessing that the admiral wouldn’t be too happy that Gedney was vid-chatting with Waters.

  “I guess that depends,” Marco says to Gedney. “You tell us what you weren’t talking about with Waters, and then we’ll be clear.”

  “Oh, you kids.” Gedney shakes his head. “I was just catching up with an old friend. That’s all. Come. Sit. I want to catch up with you, too.”

  We exchange glances. I don’t know if Marco is going to press the issue. But a second later he dives onto a tangerine beanbag. I sink into the turquoise bag in the corner and flip on a lava lamp.

  Cole sits rod straight in the crimson-red bag. “We’re going to Alkalinia,” he tells Gedney, even though we know he knows.

  “I know,” Gedney says, pulling over a straight-backed chair for himself. “I warned you that was a possibility.”

  “Why aren’t you coming with us?” I ask.

  “I have responsibilities here,” Gedney says. “There are several technology projects in the works, and I’ll be training new cadets. Your sister is in my pod, Jasper.”

  “That’s awesome!” I told Addy all about Gedney. She’ll be happy she’s in his pod. Gedney is great. Which reminds me . . . “Thanks for keeping your promise about Regis.”

  Gedney nods. “There’s no place here for that kind of behavior. As I’ve told you before, my job is to keep you safe.”

  “Yeah, but I’m surprised Earth Force let you get rid of one of its soldiers,” I say.

  “It wasn’t easy,” Gedney says, “but when I made it clear that keeping him might mean losing one or more of you, the decision was easy. You and Mira almost died that night on the tundra.”

  “Any chance you can get rid of Bad Breath, too?” Marco asks. “He’s our chaperone on the Alkalinia mission.”

  “Who?” Gedney asks.

  “Chief Auxiliary Officer Wade Johnson,” Cole says.

  “Bad Breath, huh?” Gedney laughs. “I’m afraid there’s nothing I can do about that. Try to stay out of his way. It’s you the Alkalinians want, not him.”

  “What do you mean?” I ask.

  Gedney rubs his hand across his forehead. “I’m not sure. I know the Alks specifically requested that the cadets who planted the degradation patch on the Youli vessel be part of the delegation, ostensibly to celebrate your achievements. But it’s left me wary. You must stay vigilant at all times.”

  “That doesn’t exactly fill me with comfort, Geds,” Marco says.

  “Nor should it. The Alkalinians have a dark past. Their planet was nearly destroyed in the last intragalactic war, largely due to their own greed and deception. They’ve skittered along the fringes of the galaxy for decades, getting by with technology trades and with bartering in secrets and illicit substances. Our alliance with them is risky for a number of reasons.”

  “Their planet was nearly destroyed?” Cole says.

  “Yes. I suspect it will take generations before it’s again habitable—at least, that’s what our intelligence tells us. Most surmise the Alks have relocated to another system, but they’ve kept the exact location of their settlement a secret for as long as I can remember. Perhaps now is a time for optimism. Inviting the whole EarthBound Academy to their home is out of line with their past behavior.”

  “If you were trying to layer on some comfort, Geds, you have failed completely,” Marco says.

  “The admiral is counting on this alliance. She will do almost anything to keep the Alks happy. For you, that means following her orders, but be cautious. I prepared a custom transmitter for the mission. Did the admiral give it to you?”

  “The SIMPLE?” I ask. “Yeah, Bad Breath has it.”

  “Fair enough,” Gedney says. “It can also shield your communications with one another from the Alkalinians. I suspect you’ll be under near-constant surveillance, but with the SIMPLE you can have a private conversation without worrying that anyone else is listening in.” Gedney crosses to a storage closet in the back of the pod room and reemerges a second later. “And there’s something else I want you to take. I’ve reconfigured this voice box. It should be able to two-way translate English and Alkalinian.”

  Cole stands and takes the voice box. Gedney points out the controls and explains how to operate it. Then he gives us some information about the occludium tether. He saw the Alks’ plans for the tether when the occludium trade was brokered. The day the Alks showed up on Gulaga for the trade was the same day Waters met with the Y
ouli at the Wacky infirmary. Waters had no idea that Mira and I were spying on them, and we had no idea of the chain reaction that would be caused by our presence.

  “What’s happening with the Youli?” I ask. My stomach twists with a familiar twinge of guilt. Mira’s and my brain patches allowed the Youli to follow us back to Gulaga after we placed the degradation patch on their systems at the intragalactic summit. Even though Gedney and our pod mates assured us we weren’t to blame for all the lives lost in the space elevator attack, I still feel partially at fault.

  Gedney sits back down and crosses his hands in his lap. “The short answer is that the degradation patch seems to have worked. The Youli are in disarray. Earth Force has led several successful attacks against their outposts in the past few months.”

  “What’s the not-so-short answer?” Marco asks.

  “The Youli have been peacekeepers of the galaxy since long before Earth sent humans to space. Legend has it that a great war nearly destroyed their civilization, and they’ve rebuilt themselves according to certain principles that now govern much of the galaxy.”

  “Well, then they must be pretty rotten principles,” Marco says.

  “Quite the contrary, actually. Your former pod leader risked his career—his very life—to make others understand that.” Gedney stands and walks to the door of the pod room. “But things are changing. Earth Force has managed to drive a wedge into the Youli ranks, a wedge that has cut even deeper thanks to the degradation patch. The Youli no longer see with one mind. There is division, and there are those who seek to stray from the Youli’s guiding principles.”

  “I have a few questions,” Cole says.

  “I suspect you do, Mr. Thompson, but I’m all out of answers for tonight. You’d best be getting to the dormitory. Tomorrow will be a long day.”

  “Seriously?” Marco says. “You can’t just tell us all that stuff about the Youli and then wave us out of here.”

  “What did the admiral say when you asked about the Youli?” Gedney asks.

  “That it was above our security clearance,” Cole replies.

  Gedney smiles. “Then, it seems I’ve said too much already.”

  “Gedney,” I ask, “if you were to talk to Mr. Waters, do you think he’d be okay?”