City of Ruins

NINE



I‘m going in with you,” Roderick says.

“Me, too,” Mikk says.

They stand outside the hovercraft, their suits already on. The guides watch us like we’re the science experiment. The Six stand in the corridor, holding their equipment like shields.

Roderick and Mikk have seen that. They know that the Six are frightened, and they know that frightened divers make mistakes.

They also know that I’m eager, and eager divers make mistakes as well. A different set of mistakes, but mistakes just the same.

“No,” I say. “You can’t go in. We’re getting readings that remind me of the Room.”

“We never really tied those readings to stealth tech,” Roderick says.

“And these readings are significantly different,” Mikk says. “The group has been studying them for more than a week.”

“They’re similar,” I say.

“They’re similar the way light and sound are similar. They’re both waves, but they’re not the same thing.” Mikk’s education is showing, and he doesn’t even realize it.

I shake my head. “That’s a specious analogy. These readings are similar in ways I don’t like. It’s as if this field is fresher than the one near the Room. Or more active.”

“Or stronger,” says DeVries. He’s come closer to us, apparently wanting to hear the argument. “Whatever’s down that corridor, it’s powerful.”

“And it might be behind that door. The source. Think of that,” Roderick says.

“I do,” I say. “Then I remember that through another door was a seemingly empty room where both my mother and my friend died. I don’t want to risk both of you.”

“What if this isn’t stealth tech?” Mikk asks. “Then we’re risking all of you.”

“It’s stealth tech,” I say. “I can hear it.”

They look at me. No one except the few of us who can hear stealth tech understands what I mean. Not all of the Six can hear it. I’m not sure what the difference is, but it’s an important one.

And I think it’s a good, nonscientific way to recognize stealth tech—at least for people like me.

Someone behind me drops an equipment box. We all jump. The sound echoes in the enclosed space.

“Risk is what we signed on for,” Rea says. He has gained a lot of confidence in the past few weeks. “We’re going in.”

“Maybe we should tether,” Mikk says to me. “So we can pull you all out if there’s a problem.”

I shake my head. “If there’s a problem, then the tether might decay before you realize we’re in trouble. I’m not sure how far the field extends. It might only be a few meters, but it might be more than that.”

Mikk frowns at me. He’s right. We need some kind of backup.

I say, “Here’s what I’ll do. I’ll station two divers at the first junction. Two more near the door, and then three of us will go inside—provided we can open it, of course. If we can, one will remain near the door, recording, while two of us start mapping.”

“I don’t like it,” Roderick says.

“I know,” I say because I can’t say what I’m thinking, which is, I don’t care what you like. This is what we’re going to do. “It’s our best option.”

“Your best option,” one of the guide says loudly, “is to go home.”

That would be true of most anyone else. But I have no real home. Just a mission.

I’m not sure how the others feel, and I’m not going to ask them. They did sign on, and they will do the work.

And I hope—no, I pray—that each one of us will come out alive.

* * * *