DustRoad Page 3

  Kara felt her stomach churn, acid burning in the back of her mouth. She knew what Joe was getting at – she hadn’t been herself lately. She’d been angry, bitter, frustrated. Was he right, could leaving the Shanties really be the answer?

  She thought about what Sedna had said, that she could get more aid for her people. They desperately needed it – trade had dropped off almost completely since the City flooded, and starvation rates were rising. And if she could keep track of Cortez, too…

  “I don’t think I have a choice,” she said, and Joe breathed a sigh of relief.

  Miss Ella smiled, and Sedna nodded thoughtfully. Nate’s grin was so wide his jaw was practically unhinged. “It’s going to be so amazing,” he said. “I can show you all the best places – we’ll have so much fun you won’t ever want to go home.”

  He spread his arms like he was going to hug her, but Kara backed away. “This isn’t about having fun,” she said sharply. “I’m going for the Shanties, and for Cortez. Not for a holiday.”

  And she turned and marched away across the deck.

  Kara stood at a high railing as the Neptune moved off, feeling the Ark’s massive turbines rumbling beneath her. Miss Ella had departed some time before, climbing into a small dinghy and heading back towards the harbour. The Shanties were a shrinking haze on the dark water, and she wondered how long it would be before she saw her home again.

  She shouldn’t have snapped at Nate, she knew that. He cared about her – a little too much, perhaps, but there was nothing she could do about that. She wondered if there’d ever come a time when she was free to just live her own life and not worry about what anyone else wanted. Even Joe felt like a burden sometimes, however much she loved him.

  She looked down at her split knuckles, remembering how she’d launched herself at the tall Mariner, ignoring his size and his strength as fury overwhelmed her. It was a scary feeling, but not an unfamiliar one. It was as though there was an angry force inside her, just below the surface, ready to rise up and overwhelm her if she let it. She wondered if this was how it started for Cortez, that he got so bitter at the world that he just stopped caring about the consequences of his actions.

  But would going to Frisco make that feeling better, or worse? Perhaps Joe was right, perhaps staying in the Shanties was making them both miserable. Everywhere she went there were ghosts of the past, echoes of the choices she’d made. She’d almost let Cortez burn to death that night on the submarine, and the memory of it haunted her. And sometimes she wished she had, and that haunted her even more.

  “They said you were on board,” a voice echoed suddenly from the dark. “I didn’t believe it.”

  Kara turned to see a girl in a blue uniform approaching across the deck, her hands clasped in front of her. To her surprise, she found herself smiling. Cane had been her enemy once, but in the end Cortez’s daughter had stepped up and done the right thing. They’d both been through so much; if anyone understood how Kara was feeling, perhaps it was her.

  “I didn’t know you were still here,” Kara said. “In the Shanties, I mean. I assumed you’d left when they took away the rest of your father’s people.”

  Cane blushed. “They asked, but I didn’t want to go. I’ve been helping out in a school near Stratford Ponds. Miss Ella set it up and I … I asked her not to tell you. I just wanted to be left alone.”

  Kara turned this over in her mind. Maybe it made sense, after everything that had happened. “But now you’re going home.”

  “I didn’t have a choice. Councillor Sedna wants me to give evidence to her committee.”

  Kara laughed. “You sound thrilled.”

  “I don’t really know what to expect,” Cane admitted. “My grandmother, my cousins, they were big supporters of my father. I’m worried how they’ll react when they see me. The family traitor.”

  “But you’re not a traitor,” Kara insisted. “You stopped things from getting a lot worse.”

  “That won’t be how they see it. I turned against him, that’s all they know.”

  “So you’ll set them straight,” Kara said. “You’ll tell them what really happened. Come on, you know what’s right and what’s wrong. Maybe they’ll try to tell you otherwise but you’re tough, you can handle it.”

  Cane blushed. “Th-thanks,” she said. “From you, that means a lot.”

  They were clear of the buildings now, and looking over the railing Kara saw a pair of huge hatches sliding open in the side of the ship. From these openings the Disc unfolded, rubbery blue material rolling out like the world’s biggest carpet. Mariners strode out, attaching the edges of the Disc to a ring of steel cables that swung down from overhead. The mighty raft snapped taut, riding the waves as the Neptune plied its way into the Atlantic.

  Kara sighed. “You know, I swore to myself I’d stay away from Mariners from now on. I just wanted to live a quiet life, keep my head down and be a normal person.”

  Cane laughed out loud. “I’m sorry. But Kara, you couldn’t be a normal person if you tried.”

  3

  Pirates

  They settled into life aboard the Neptune, their days dictated by the rising of the sun, the rhythm of the tides and the rota of work duties that Councillor Sedna insisted they all sign up to. Joe found himself gutting fish and sieving buckets of algae, scrubbing the decks with an iron brush and washing Mariner uniforms in giant mechanical tubs. He’d dropped hints about being assigned to the arboretum or the research labs, but according to Nate you needed to have something called qualifications, and he didn’t.

  The three of them were housed in a two-room pod, one of the tent-like domes down on the Disc where the Mariners lived while they were at sea. Joe and Kara were again sharing a bed, which was still not very restful – he wondered what could be on her mind, keeping her awake till all hours. Cortez was locked securely in the brig, three floors down on the central ship they called the Hub – she checked several times a day to make sure. The Shanties were far behind, and Miss Ella was looking after things back there anyway. So why was Kara still so distracted?

  And she wasn’t the only one. Nate seemed on edge too, always asking Kara if she was OK and making sure she had everything she needed. He was eager and excitable one minute, sullen and sorry-looking the next. Joe thought he knew why, but he tried not to think about it.

  Their course was set for the Shoals of Panama, the swampy channel between the continents of North and South America. Once through, they’d turn north for California, following the coast until they reached Frisco. Joe couldn’t wait – hour by hour the anticipation built until he found himself scrubbing the deck with frantic intensity, urging the Ark to pick up speed, wishing away the days and weeks until they reached their destination.

  One night he awoke in darkness, hearing shouts outside the pod. There’d been warnings of a storm the evening before but it was too far off for the Neptune’s weather computer to accurately gauge its strength. Now Joe could hear powerful winds howling around the Hub, and feel the Disc shuddering as waves lashed hard against it. Kara was already out of bed, standing in the curtained doorway and peering out into the dark.

  “I think it’s bad,” she said. “I heard someone shouting, then a medic ran past.”

  “What do we do?” Joe asked, gripping the wall of the dome. “Go out and see what’s—”

  A horn sounded, two short blasts then a longer one. Nate sat up, looking around blearily. “That’s the evacuation signal. Get your stuff, they’re going to fold the Disc.”

  Joe snatched up the pack containing his scorched plastic bear, Growly, along with a book on Mariner history that Sedna had given him. Then he followed Nate out into the darkness, the shouts of sailors echoing through the driving rain. They could see the hatch in the side of the Hub standing open, electric light blazing from the hangar within. People hurried between the domes, bundling their possessions and making for the narrow bridge that led into the ship.

  Joe heard cables grind and turning back he saw t
he edge of the Disc rolling up behind them, the material folding back on itself as tall waves crashed over it. Beyond the Ark he could see the storm front approaching, a boiling black barrier lit by flashes of intermittent lightning.

  He took Kara’s hand, steadying himself as they stepped into the steel hangar. The wind screamed through the open sides as a Mariner took their names and checked them against a list on his computer tablet. Cane hurried towards them, reaching out to squeeze Joe’s shoulder.

  “There’s nothing to be scared of. Nate and me have done this plenty of times, haven’t we?”

  “Actually, no,” Nate admitted. “I’d only been on board a couple of weeks when everything went bad before. This is my first storm at sea.”

  “Well, you’ve trained for it,” Cane reassured him. “Just remember what they taught you back at— Hey, what’s going on?”

  An internal door had swung open and uniformed Mariners began swarming into the hangar. They carried heavy assault weapons, forming a defensive line by the open hatchway and aiming out into the dark. “What’s happening?” Cane asked one of them. “Are we under attack?”

  “Ships approaching,” a young woman told her. “Three vessels on an intercept course. And they’re not ours.”

  With a clunk the winches stopped, the Disc still only half-folded. Joe clung to Kara as they gazed out into the roiling darkness. Waves crashed against the ship, water sluicing into the open hangar.

  Then he saw a light in the distance, sweeping over the churning sea. He couldn’t gauge the size of the ship, just a dark shape riding the waves.

  “Pirates,” Cane said. “It must be.”

  “But that’s crazy,” Nate objected. “Why would they attack a ship this size, in a storm? It doesn’t make any s—”

  Something slammed into the Ark, exploding with orange fire. The Hub lurched violently, tipping backward then splashing down. The ocean flooded in, sluicing around their ankles.

  “That was a rocket blast,” Cane said in disbelief. “Get down, here comes another!”

  This time the impact was right above their heads, and Joe saw fragments of twisted metal hissing into the water. He heard a rising rumble and through the rain he could see a small craft drawing closer, an inflatable pilot ship crammed with figures in black wetsuits. They raised rifles and began to fire, aiming wildly as the waves pitched beneath them.

  Bullets clanged off the roof and walls of the hangar, spraying sparks. The lights in the ceiling shattered, plunging them into darkness. There was a chorus of screams.

  Then the Mariners returned fire, the flare from their gun barrels lighting up the night. Nate had disappeared and Joe looked around for him, his heart hammering. Then he was back, thrusting an object into Joe’s hand, something bulky and soft.

  “It’s a life jacket,” Nate said. “Strap it on. Kara, you t—”

  There was a flash of white light and the hangar tipped again. Joe felt a wave of heat as the rocket burst, throwing him off his feet. He splashed to the hard steel floor, slipping as he tried to stand.

  Then the ship righted itself and a wave crashed through the opening, rolling over him. He was swept away as the water retreated; he heard Kara cry out but he couldn’t see her. He was on his back and there was salt in his eyes – everything was dark and blurry.

  He gripped the life jacket, the water turning him over and over, gunfire bellowing around him. He slid from the hangar and kept slipping, the ocean dragging him back across the half-folded Disc. His backpack was jerked from his hand and he twisted, trying to grab it without letting go of the life jacket. But the current was too forceful; his pack was lost, tumbling out to sea. And Joe was tumbling too, sucking in water, coughing helplessly, reaching out for something, anything to hold on to.

  Amazingly, he found it.

  It was a hand, clammy and shaking as it locked around Joe’s wrist. For a moment his eyes cleared and he saw Nate staring back, his face white with terror. The wind wailed around them, the world lurching and twisting and trying to drag them apart. They hit a soft barrier, washing up against the lip of the Disc. But the waves were too strong, dragging them up and over and out into open water.

  Joe managed to right himself, wiping his eyes frantically. He could see the side of the Hub, light blazing out. Shots flew in both directions, the black-clad pirates trying to force their way on board, the Mariner soldiers determined to drive them back. He saw Cane in a knot of troops, a pistol in her hand, blasting and yelling.

  Then for the briefest moment he saw Kara on the edge of the hangar, gripping the frame and looking out to sea. She slipped the life jacket over her head, strapping it tight. Joe shouted but a wave washed over him and he was driven back, clinging to Nate as the sea took them. Kara stepped to the edge of the hangar, scanning the black water. For an instant their eyes locked.

  Another wave crashed, driving Joe down into the dark. He gripped Nate’s hand as they surfaced. The Ark was further away now, and dwindling. But there was a shape low in the water, outlined by a fork of lightning, splashing furiously. Joe shouted and Kara saw him, lowering her head and kicking, taking his arm as another wave rolled in, driving them further from the safety of the Ark.

  “You … shouldn’t have … jumped,” he managed. “Now we’re … all in … trouble.”

  “Again,” Kara managed, before the water dragged them back under.

  4

  The Magic Kingdom

  The sun rose over an empty ocean. The storm had passed and there was no sign of the Ark or the pirate ships, or anything but still blue water. Beneath them all was shadow and Kara could only imagine how deep it went, down and down into the endless, trackless…

  “Don’t think about it,” Joe said. “It doesn’t help.”

  She focused on his face peering above the inflated collar of his life jacket. The vest was made from RPV, a Mariner material that could alter its shape and texture on command. In the dark of night, as they clung together in the storm, Nate had shown them how to activate it, puffing it up so it fit snugly around their bodies. Now he bobbed nearby, snoring softly, tied to Kara and Joe by lengths of strong cord. The three of them drifted in slow circles, but everywhere she looked the view was the same.

  “I knew we shouldn’t have left the Shanties,” she said bitterly. “I told you, didn’t I?”

  “I lost my bear,” Joe said. “But, hey, at least we didn’t drown. Or get shot by pirates.”

  Kara sighed. “Honestly, why are you always so cheerful? We’re lost at sea, we’re probably going to die of starvation, and you’re all la-di-da, at least the sun’s out.”

  Joe flushed. “I just try and see the good side, that’s all. And you don’t know we’re going to die – we might get rescued or washed to shore.”

  “What shore?” Kara demanded. “Even if we did find land, we’re two thousand miles from home and even further from Frisco. And America’s a total war zone, even I know that.”

  Her voice had grown louder and Nate groaned, waving a hand. “Just gimme five more…” Then realisation crashed in and he jerked upright. “Kara, what…? Where…?”

  “The Ark’s gone,” she told him as he scanned the horizon desperately. “They left us.”

  “That’s impossible,” Nate protested, craning to inspect a small blinking light on his left shoulder. “I activated the tracker. They should’ve picked us up by now.”

  “Maybe they had other things to worry about,” Joe said. “Maybe those pirates took over the ship.”

  Nate took a ragged breath, trying to calm himself. “It’s OK,” he said. “These jackets are made for this – at the Academy they said you could survive for weeks in one if you had to.” He reached down, unclipping a small zippered sack. “Look, we’ve got protein tablets, and this bottle has a built-in saline filter so we can drink the seawater. And over here’s a flashlight, and a knife in case anything comes along that we want to eat.”

  “Or that wants to eat us,” Kara said, inspecting the serrated blade att
ached to her jacket.

  “There’s a compass in the hilt, too,” Nate pointed out. “And we can’t be too far from land, pirates never attack in mid-ocean. It’s weird they were there at all, actually – they don’t normally go for the full-size Arks. Anyway, I think our best bet is to head west, try to hit Florida or somewhere.”

  “But it could still be miles, couldn’t it?” Kara asked. “We can’t swim that far.”

  “We won’t have to.” Nate paddled closer, reaching for Kara’s hand and guiding it. “There’s a little switch, just under your armpit. Here.”

  Kara felt a small, hard button the size of her thumbnail. “Do I just—”

  She pushed it and her suit jerked forward, the cords tightening, pulling Joe and Nate with her. She let go and the motion stopped.

  “It’s a solar-powered propeller,” Nate said. “Not fast, but a lot easier than swimming. I don’t know how much storage the batteries have but if we only use one at a time I bet we could keep going all day and maybe even all night.”

  Joe beamed at Kara. “You see? We’ve got food and water and we even sort of know where we’re going. If you think positive, good things happen.”

  Kara snarled at him. “I’ll remind you of that when we’re getting eaten by sharks.”

  She powered up her propeller, pulling Joe and Nate through the water like a tugboat. At midday the sun’s glare was fierce, but the suits came equipped with an erectable shade and thanks to the filter bottles, their water supply was inexhaustible. By early afternoon Kara’s batteries were drained and Joe took over, settling back comfortably as the water surged around his life vest. As the hours passed, Kara found herself almost relaxing, sucking on a sugar-coated protein tablet and watching the ocean roll by. By sundown Nate was out in front, inspecting his compass as they bobbed towards the firelit horizon. Kara dozed off to the drone of his propeller and the soft splash of the waves.