ReDawn (Skyward, #2.2)

We passed beneath the eyes, and then suddenly we stood in a storage room on an unfamiliar ship, next to a box containing several small cytonic minds.

I could feel Gran-Gran moving away from us. There were a few other taynix on this ship in other directions, probably powering Superiority hyperdrives or hypercomms.

Fake Cobb recovered enough to wrench himself away from Jorgen and move toward the doorway, but Jorgen caught him by the back of the neck, shoving him to the ground and then twisting his arms behind his back.

“You aren’t going anywhere,” he said.

“I’m your commander,” fake Cobb said.

Jorgen didn’t even bother responding.

“They took Gran-Gran in that direction,” I said, pointing.

“I think my parents’ ship must be docked nearby,” Jorgen said. “Let’s split up. I’ll find my parents and prove to them that they’ve walked into a trap. You retrieve Gran-Gran and then hyperjump to me.” He opened the crate of slugs and handed one to me. “I think that’s Snide,” he said. “If we stop being able to find each other, we’ll know the other got caught in an inhibitor and come help. Does that work?”

    “Yes,” I said. I moved up to the door, peering through a small window to see if there was anyone there. The hallway was empty, so we moved out of the storage room, heading in two different directions.

This whole ship made my skin crawl. I wished I didn’t have to do this alone. The taynix—Snide—snuggled into the crook of my elbow, as if it felt the same.

Gran-Gran and whoever was moving her away from here had to be ahead, but I didn’t see or hear evidence of anyone else. The ship was eerily empty, like it had only a skeleton crew aboard. If they really believed the humans were so aggressive, why hadn’t they brought more forces?

Gran-Gran, I said through the negative realm. I’m here on the ship, coming toward you. Where are they taking you?

To a holding cell, they say, Gran-Gran said. I spat in one of their eyes. I don’t think they liked that much.

I smiled. The more I got to know Gran-Gran, the more I liked her. How many of them are there?

Two diones, she said. One with me, and one with Cuna. But I’m hoping they’ll take me to Cobb. I think I can hear him.

Cobb was here? I’d assumed they would have transported him away already. Hear him? I said. Through the negative realm? That didn’t make sense. Cobb wasn’t cytonic. It shouldn’t be possible for her to find him. I searched over the area where she was headed myself, but I couldn’t feel anything except a couple of taynix.

Yes, I’m sure it’s him. He’s just up ahead. Not like those other voices, the quiet ones. Are they your people?

    My people? What voices was she hearing? I knew she was an old woman, but had she lost her mind?

Yes, those voices. They’re asking me for help.

I don’t know who those are, I said. You probably shouldn’t answer them, just in case. I’m coming to get you, but they might have inhibitors on this ship. Those will cut off the use of your powers. You may want to get out now.

I’m certain Cobb is there, Gran-Gran said. I want to bring him with me. I don’t know if I can travel the way you and Spensa do, but some things feel so real in there—I think I can try.

It was a risk, but I could hardly blame her for that. I’ll follow until you’re out. And then return to help Jorgen. If you can’t manage the hyperjump or you get inhibited, I’ll come to help you.

Thank you, Gran-Gran said. I can tell by your spirit that you have the heart of a warrior like my granddaughter.

I felt oddly touched by that, even though I barely knew either of them. I continued to move down the hall, peering around corners to make sure no one was there.

The ship continued to be empty, which made me more and more uneasy.

We’ve reached the holding cells, Gran-Gran said in my mind. Cobb is here. Stars, he looks bad.

But he’s alive? I asked.

He’s alive. I don’t know what they’ve done to him, but—

Gran-Gran’s voice cut off as a section of the ship ahead went dead in my mind. I couldn’t reach Gran-Gran anymore—she’d disappeared beneath an inhibitor cloud.

    I needed to get there quickly and see if I could disable it. I hurried around a corner—

And then ducked back at the sound of voices. There were people ahead, though I wasn’t yet close to the inhibited area of the ship. I didn’t understand much of the dialect they were speaking, and they were too far away from me for my pin to translate. But I did catch a few words I recognized.

Ready. Hurry. Leaving.

These people were leaving. Running in the opposite direction, away from the center of the ship.

What were they trying to get away from so fast?

I needed to get to Gran-Gran, Cobb, and Cuna, but something was very wrong here and I wanted to know what it was. Did you find your parents? I asked Jorgen.

Not yet, Jorgen said. Took a wrong turn. Moving toward them now. Fake Cobb is dragging his feet, slowing me down.

I wanted to suggest that he break fake Cobb’s legs, but that probably wouldn’t help them move any faster.

I know where Gran-Gran and real Cobb are, I said. Cuna is with them too. Will get them in a moment. Need to check on something first.

Copy, Jorgen said. Keep me informed.

I moved in the direction the fleeing people had come from. At the end of a short hall, I found a door with a heavy handle that was closed and locked. I listened; no noise came from inside and no light was visible under the door.

    I reached through the door, feeling the space beyond through the negative realm, and then hyperjumped through.

I emerged in a dark room and immediately felt the wall for a light panel. The room lit up, and there in the center of the large room was a taynix box with wires and equipment mounted to the outside.

I took a step toward it, and then paused. The device was hooked up to a large tube with a wide-open end aimed at the wall. It looked suspiciously like a cannon—