Meltdown Ophilion - Book One

20_ARCANE

They sat huddled together on the mag-way train attempting to interpret the meaning of the summons and why it was set for the next day, as well as the obvious question of how they could actually get to the summons point. Even if they had enough credit, who would take them into the middle of hex-pirate territory?

There were other questions too.

"I thought the idea was to try to meet someone from the ruling body and give them your research." Orion directed the statement at Jenna.

Jenna looked more lost than they had seen her. "Yes, I thought so. I still think so. I thought that you, perhaps, knew someone we could contact." She passed the responsibility to Orion.

Celli and Fel both felt relieved that they had no stakes in the game at this point.

"The people I knew – the ones who worked with my father – they all disappeared after his murder. The Order was after them too. Rumor has it they disappeared - changed their identities - spread around the planet. I wouldn't even know where to start looking for them." Orion stared at the floor feeling the pull of gravity, as if he were wearing a jacket made of lead. He hunched over with his elbows on his knees and studied a smudge on the toe of his boot. "Maybe my mom knows someone. But I don't know how to tell her about all this." He lifted his head and looked at Jenna. "She'll think we're crazy."

"Well, if it's our only option," Celli said with a note of desperation in her voice, "we'll all back you up." But she looked unconvinced.

"You guys don't get it," Orion's tone had suddenly changed. He felt acid rising in his stomach. "When you are expelled from the Keneso there is no coming back – especially if they killed your father." He tried to keep his volume down in their public setting, even though he suddenly felt like shouting at them. They all still had their fathers.

Celli and Fel shot concerned glances at each other.

"I'm sorry I can't be more helpful, Jenna," Orion hissed, "but this is the way things are done in Kypro." He looked up at Jenna's eyes. She looked perfectly calm – that eerie calm that Orion remembered from his dream. This was the scene from his dream – he and the young girl alone on a mad train – he in a state of panic, she in a state of serenity – or, at least, that's how it seemed to him. He knew Jenna would not cave. He also knew that she would not condemn or hold a grudge and he resented her for that as much as he appreciated it.

"Ok... ok." Orion took a big breath and exhaled.

"I understand what you mean." Jenna spoke softly and touched his arm. "You have the most difficult position of all of us." Jenna always seemed to know what to say, and Orion did appreciate that. "Maybe there's another way to find a contact. What the agents told us is that when we follow one set of instructions the next step would be clear." They looked at each other in bewildered silence. "We could try just going to the Central Control Tower and see if we find a clue or something presents itself. Or... ask your mom for help." Her voice trailed off.

"We wouldn't get within a CT of the Central Control Tower," Celli said hopelessly. "We're Cholan, remember? Only Keneso even work there."

Fel cleared his throat and the others looked his way. "I was thinking..." he began, and they waited, hoping he had a better idea. "Well, maybe... we need to go with the one clue we do have." No one moved. "You said that we might only get one instruction to go on; one step," Fel shrugged, "maybe the summons is it; maybe we're not supposed to try to contact anyone here."

"I don't see how going up there is going to do any good." Jenna said. "What could possibly be on a hexolium rock that could help us?"

"Mineral samples?" Orion said, and had to smile at the absurdity of his statement.