Twin Suns of Arterra

4

"You can't leave." Saka's normally perfectly styled hair stuck up in dark ridges.

"I have to." I had to make him understand. "There's not much time-"

"No," he interrupted, "I mean you can't leave." He raked his fingers through his hair, evidence of the source of its current state of disarray. "Here. I'll show you."

He stalked down the hallway, forcing me to follow. He turned at the stairs, taking them two at a time as he headed up.

Saka had always hated the lifts. He didn't trust technology.

I followed him, grateful for my training as we hurtled up six flights. At the top he shoved open the heavy door, exiting onto flat, open expanse. Above us, clear blue spread in all directions. The twin suns burned in their shared glory against the sky. Benterra, the fire planet, sat low and sultry against the western horizon. It was a perfect day.

Saka marched across the graveled roof, turning back to wait for me to catch up. Wordlessly he swept his arm outward.

The city buzzed with activity, but that wasn't what he was referring to. It was the nine enormous hover-barges stationed across the city's skyline, emblazoned with the logo of the golden stag.

Janis.

I leaned out over the wall. In the street below, three duracraft stood dark and silent.

"Like I said, you can't leave. No one can."

Blitz that woman and her conniving. "She had this in place already."

Saka nodded. He knew exactly who I meant. No one else could put together an ambush like this so quickly. I wondered if all of the other councilors had duracraft outside their buildings, or if only a select few had earned such distrust.

This was bad.

"If she had this prepared, then she's called our emissaries back already."

"The ones she prefers," Saka added, his voice hard.

He was right.

This was a game to her, and she had set the pieces where she wanted before even putting the game into motion. The only thing I didn't know was what her goal was. What did she gain by cutting off Selecon's central territory from the rest of Arterra? It couldn't only be the protection of the prisms she was after. I'd like to think so, but I knew her better than that. There was always an agenda with Janis, always a motive that benefited her.

There was more going on here, I just didn't know what.

As I watched, one of the hover-barges began to turn.

"Look." My voice was barely more than a whisper.

Saka's head was already moving toward the small dark shape streaking away from the city. As the hover-barge turned the vapor trail from the smaller craft came into view, cutting an unmistakable scrape against the sky. I waited to see what the barge captain would do. Few understood how incredibly fast the enormous aero vehicle could be, but I had seen one in action before. Should it pursue, the smaller craft had little chance of escape.

The hover-barge emitted a deep blasting tone. I covered my ears, but still winced as the sound vibrated in my bones and through my teeth.

A warning. One the smaller craft should heed.

It did not.

It flew straight and true, its vapor trail an arrow pointing the way to its own destruction.

"Fool," Saka growled.

I agreed, but my muscles still clenched as I watched, part of me hoping the smaller craft could find a way to outrun the monolithic sentinel.

My hopes were obliterated in a pulse of green that travelled from the hover-barge to the escaping craft so quickly I saw nothing but the hue to warn me before the explosion.

Saka turned away, his eyes as troubled as my heart.

I could not let Camille down. Not again.

I had to find a way out of Selecon.

"An air exit is out," I thought aloud. "What about the waterways?"

There were several rivers feeding the quadrants, providing water and energy to each of the districts, flowing from the Northern Mountains down through the plains and finally emptying into the Gossic Sea, which Selecon nestled against.

What flowed in must flow out.

Saka looked at me as if I had grown an extra nose. "It's suicide, Bana! You think she wouldn't have considered that?" He waved his arm furiously. "You said it yourself! She had all of this prepared before she ever called the session. She knew that even if she succeeded in passing the vote some would try to leave. She's ready for it." He lifted his chin at me. "She's ready for you."

"There has to be a way."

"You stubborn, sanctimonious fool." His eyes flickered with fire. "I'll not take part in your self-destruction."

He stormed off, leaving me to wonder if he was as right about my future as he was my nature.