 
THE WHITE LILAC

CHRISTINA J. ADAMS
Published by Christina J. Adams

Cover Design by Duncan Long

Copyright © 2012 by Christina J. Adams

Second edition e-book Smashwords edition

All rights reserved

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you're reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
For my Family

You mean the world to me

And to the One I love

For all You have done and still do
Contents

Chapter One: Caryn

Chapter Two: Caryn

Chapter Three: Caryn

Chapter Four: Kai

Chapter Five: Kai

Chapter Six: Caryn

Chapter Seven: Kai

Chapter Eight: Caryn

Chapter Nine: Kai

Chapter Ten: Caryn

Chapter Eleven: Kai

Chapter Twelve: Caryn

Chapter Thirteen: Caryn

Chapter Fourteen: Kai

Chapter Fifteen: Caryn

Chapter Sixteen: Kai

Chapter Seventeen: Caryn

Chapter Eighteen: Kai

Chapter Nineteen: Caryn

Chapter Twenty: Kai

Chapter Twenty-One: Caryn

Chapter Twenty-Two: Kai

Chapter Twenty-Three: Caryn

Chapter Twenty-Four: Kai

Chapter Twenty-Five: Kai

Chapter Twenty-Six: Caryn

Chapter Twenty-Seven: Caryn

Chapter Twenty-Eight: Kai

Chapter Twenty-Nine: Caryn

Chapter Thirty: Kai

Chapter Thirty-One: Caryn

Chapter Thirty-Two: Kai

Chapter Thirty-Three: Caryn

Chapter Thirty-Four: Caryn

About the Author

#  Chapter One: Caryn

If I do this I will only have one week left to live. I stand near the edge of the practice aquarium unable to step forward. My heart pounds in my chest at the sight of the gray water and I am overwhelmed by the desire to hyperventilate again.

"Caryn, you need to focus," Seventh Official Anderson says from somewhere behind me. "Are you listening?"

I swallow and nod, but I can't take my eyes off the water. He steps between me and the aquarium and my focus readjusts to his dark blue suit and buttoned shirt. His tie is missing, like usual, probably stuffed in his pocket and his brown hair has been brushed through with his fingers one too many times so it sticks out beyond the dress code allowance. The dress code is not always enforced, but for today with so many important people watching, it could get him in trouble. The practice aquarium may look empty, like any other day we practice here, with its white concrete walls and quiet, stone floor leading from the entrance, surrounding the aquarium track, and ending at the showers, but I've seen the rooms that ring around the tinted glass of the underwater track and I imagine they are filled with people. All those people stuffed in rooms, unable to move freely, needing air.

"Listen," Anderson says, snapping me back. "I know this is the Tournament and you are racing for the position, not for practice, but you need to breathe. I don't want to carry you to Dr. Vos' office today. Close your eyes and concentrate."

The air in my chest shakes its way out of me as my eyelids close, yet the water still seems to glitter before me and the vice around my lungs keeps me from breathing in. I can't help remembering the day Heather drowned four years ago. The sensations are too real, the weight of the water, the lack of oxygen, the sense of helplessness. All my nerves are on fire and already I can feel the water around me, suffocating me like it did her.

"Relax." Anderson touches my shoulder. "If you want to lose, this fear will be the perfect excuse."

"I don't want to lose," my voice whispers as I inhale. Silently I repeat this to myself over and over until I can breathe without shaking. I can't lose, not after what I have done. I let Heather drown. I failed her when she needed me most, but I won't fail again. It has to be me. It is the only way to make things right.

"Good, then keep breathing. This is not going to be easy, both May and Janissa want this and they have been training just as hard as you have. If you falter, they will beat you, but you are faster, stronger and more agile."

"And I'm older," I say. My back straightens and my breath steadies and deepens. I open my eyes to see Anderson's face soften.

"You are older, but not by much. They know what they're doing. You are not responsible for what happens to them, or for what happened to Heather."

Anderson has said this before, but when he arrived the day of the drowning, Heather was already dead. Perhaps if he had seen how long I froze watching her suck in water or if he knew how my finger hovered over my panic button unable to press it, he would disagree. Or perhaps he would think differently if he knew she would smile at me as we walked to the pools, my thin body barely fitting in my swimsuit and my brow creased, and she would say, "Don't worry about your time, just make me proud today." It is all I ever wanted to do. It's the only reason I'm here today, because if Heather were still alive she would be here and she wouldn't want May or Janissa to die gathering the cure. But Heather's not here and it falls to me to protect May and Janissa, even from themselves. It's what Heather had done for me and I inherited the job.

I see Eighth Official Rafferty yelling in May's ear while she nods and rolls her shoulders back to loosen her muscles. She's thirteen and a half, but because of her shorter height, she could pass herself off as ten, at least that is what I have heard the staff here say. Janissa is taller, almost my height, even though she just turned thirteen a month ago. Her goggles are already in place as she bends over to touch her nose to her knees. Tenth Official Jones keeps patting her back, motioning at the water and pointing at the scoreboard. He is sweating and I see his lips form the word 'win' again and again.

I don't really know either May or Janissa very well and it's my fault. Sure we work out together, have similar schedules, and are all focused on the same goal, but I stand here realizing it has been years since we just talked about normal stuff. Probably before we were given individualized trainers, and that is my fault too. I was the one who testified that Second Official Whit would train Heather and me for sixteen hours a day and when they disbarred him they also ruled that the same official could not train all of the candidates. From that day on we were all given our own trainers and no longer spent as much time together. Plus there is a bond between May and Janissa, much like the closeness I felt to Heather, only now Heather is not here.

I drag my eyes away and stare up at the metal rafters above me glistening with moisture. It is as if I am already encased under the water.

"I hate this aquarium," I say to Seventh Official Anderson.

"I know."

"I hate the course."

"You still have to swim it today. There's nothing I can do about that. Everyone has to do things they hate, even me." He pauses a moment before going to double check that the contents of my equipment bag are correct. Then he takes my warm-up jacket and places it on one of the chairs along the wall. "Not everyone expects you to win."

"I expect it to be me," I say softly, but I doubt he hears me. I swing my arms in large, fast circles and take deep breaths. Just twice more and I will never have to do this again. And I will make Heather proud.

I walk back to the chairs, take the swim cap Anderson is holding out to me, and carefully tuck my shoulder length, blond hair into it. He hands me my goggles and says, "Try to relax."

I hear the water lapping against the side of the aquarium and I think this is as relaxed as I am going to get. I try not to remember how it feels when the water flows over my head and the panic that washes over me. I can do this.

"Ladies and gentlemen welcome to the Beta Earth Compound's 15th Bicentennial White Lilac Competition," Sixth Official Richard says. His voice echoes against the walls and makes the water droplets along the rafters tremble. Like our audience, Richard is also in one of the rooms below. He'll be monitoring the cameras posted throughout the practice aquarium and is one of the judges along with the first five Officials, two for each of us.

"The winner of this competition will be appointed the White Lilac title and in one week will gather the Haydon cure. The course they will swim is a smaller version of the real aquarium, also located here in the east side of the Compound, and is designed to replicate the same issues they would face if they were actually collecting the Haydon cure. The contestants will be timed to see how far they can go in a single breath. The test of the single breath is a standard evaluation for a candidate's gathering capabilities. They will also be judged on how efficiently they can gather during that time. Seconds will be taken away for every mistake or hesitation they make and the contestant with the longest time will win. Officials, prepare your candidate."

In a fluid movement with the other trainers, as if they have practiced this together, Anderson offers me an oxygen hose and I place the mask over my mouth and nose breathing pure oxygen in deep, slow breaths. Although I can hold my breath unnaturally long without an oxygen aid, a by-product of all the splicing done to my DNA before I was born, the overdose of oxygen helps me to remain alert and focused as well as increases how long I can hold one breath. My body is used to collecting and storing oxygen and I can feel my lungs widening.

I use four of the five breathing techniques we are taught to help our bodies store oxygen. I first breathe in through my nose and out with my mouth in short bursts and I end with long breaths in through the mouth and slow bursts out. Richard's voice continues in the background, explaining the details of the tasks, a brief history of the Compound and statistics about the Haydon cure, all details I have heard so many times before I could quote them in my sleep.

When the first Earth colonists landed on Beta Earth they saw a fertile land waiting to be cultivated, but they weren't the first living creatures here. In the lakes there was the jigger, a dark brown fish that grew to be ten feet long, and on a normal day it seemed fairly harmless, it would only attack if it sensed a threat or if another fish entered its territory. For most of the year it was easy to forget these fish were there, but once every eighty years, during the jigger's mating season, they released a toxic dust into the air that is much stronger than all previous years. The jiggers do this as their way of attracting a mate and showing their superiority over other jiggers. The year the first colonists arrived was one of the worst years recorded. The dust coated everything and that was when the colonists started to get sick and die. Something had to be done.

Through a combined effort the Haydon cure was discovered to counter the effects of the jigger dust, though only a few of the first colonists survived, and the secrets of the cure were passed on to other scientists who founded the Compound; a community dedicated to studying the indigenous life on Beta Earth, gathering the Haydon cure and advancing in medical science. The cure was discovered in the cells of the jigger, but only jiggers who had been in contact with human DNA while they were still eggs.

The problem was that the jiggers laid their eggs inside a deadly fresh water anemone with a pattern of white lilac blossoms on their tentacles. The anemones would clean the dust off the fish's scales while the eggs were laid and would form a protective cover around them with small enough holes that the baby fish could escape once they hatched. The tentacles would only open if a living creature coated with jigger dust approached it. But everyone who touched an anemone died, perhaps not right away. Some lingered for days. But everyone died and the Compound took over the gathering process to reduce the number of times the cure had to be gathered. They trained their own candidates and maintained the cure supplies.

This is the first time in two hundred years that the cure has to be collected. I flex my toes mentally testing the muscles in my legs. The officials give us a solid five minutes of air, this on top of the hour of oxygen we had earlier this morning, before Anderson and the other trainers come to take the masks away. My breathing exercises have calmed most of my jitters and I am mentally primed to race.

Richard continues, "Today's contestants have been prepared for this moment from before they were born. In lane one and wearing the red stripe is Caryn Tobin."

I step up to the edge of the Aquarium and raise my right arm in a quick wave.

"In lane two and wearing the green stripe is Janissa Cordova."

Smiling up at the cameras on the walls, Janissa waves both of her hands, turning so each side can see her face. I half expect to see her blow kisses.

"And in lane three wearing the blue stripe is Amaya Saladin."

May does not even acknowledge the hidden crowd, instead she steps up to her mark and stares down into the water, completely focused.

"You're going to be fine," Anderson says in my ear. "If you start to panic, think about the Compound. Our purpose is more important than anything, or anyone. You were born for this." He places the strap for my equipment bag over my head and rubs my shoulders trying to loosen the tension.

"Ladies take your mark," Sixth Official Richard's voice says over the loud speaker.

I step onto my mark and adjust my goggles over my eyes, preparing to dive into the water. The red flag for my first stop is nearly twenty feet deep and I can barely see it through the goggles' lens and the moving water.

"Are you ready? Set...."

All of the muscles in my legs are ready to spring and my eyes are starting to dry from staring at the flag below. I can feel Sixth Official Richard's word gathering in his mouth, poised in the air around me. My ears tingle as they wait for the sound of the bell. I know better than to look over at May and Janissa one last time, but I can't help it. They are waiting on their marks, the water the source of their undivided attention. The task ahead of them is all they are thinking about, but my mind is scattered.

"Go!"

The bell rings and I watch them dive off the platform in perfect unison.

#  Chapter Two: Caryn

I dive a second late and my hesitation will cost me five seconds off my final time.

The water sucks me in as my body slices through the surface. For a moment my chest tightens and my vision blackens. I see Heather's face clearly as if it were today. Trapped beneath the waves as water enters her lungs her eyes turn to me. I feel helpless and frozen. I want to scream, but I force my mind to concentrate on my arms and how they push the water around me, on how this is a different day, one where no one will die, at least not here.

Out of the corner of my eye I can see May and Janissa in their lanes ahead of me, their bodies sliding through the water. I grit my teeth and slowly build up momentum with each stroke and kick. I use every ounce of strength I have and by five strokes I have caught up to them. All three of us are neck and neck.

Three of the ten available lanes are designated by a color--mine is red to match the stripe on my swimsuit--that travels around the border of the underwater race track of the practice aquarium. The tasks are stationed at the north and south points of the oval. Cutting straight through the center, dividing the north from the south is a reinforced, heavy plastic partition with gates that open to the side we must reach next. These gates are located near the bottom of the partition close to the floor so we can swim straight from the gate to the task without tiring ourselves by swimming up to the surface and over the partition. In the real aquarium, the partitions serve to separate the highly territorial jigger males. Part of the tournament challenge is to navigate through the partition gates and to complete each task smoothly. If more tasks are completed by a contestant quickly, that contestant could still win even if she doesn't hold her breath as long as the others. However, those left in the race would have to pass her last completed task in order to beat her.

I blink and my eyes feel better, less dry. The red flag of the first task guides me deeper and is much easier to see now that I am underwater. My ears pop as they adjust to swimming down the twenty feet to the floor of the aquarium. A container in my equipment bag bumps against my side and lower back, but doesn't get in the way of my movement.

The first task is always the hardest and I grit my teeth as I swim up to it. Soft, green fabric with white dots is wrapped around each wire, to give it an organic look as they move with the water, like hair reaching up to the surface. There are purposefully too many to avoid, so I swim right into the middle of them. Even though they are meant to represent the anemone, whose poison will eventually kill, the shocks they give are only sharp enough to make me jump at first contact. Our task is to get the 'anemone' to open wide enough for us to dump the mixture in and collect some of the soft marbles, meant to look like jigger eggs.

It is important to impress the eggs with the chemicals in the mixture, since this changes them and allows the cure to grow inside them even when they are adults, which also makes allows the cure available as long as the fish from that batch are still alive.

My hands and legs jerk a bit with each touch of the wires, but this is not my first time and I ignore the pain, grabbing the mixture-filled bottle from my bag. I squirt some of the mixture onto the soft marbles, pull out one of the empty containers in my bag and scoop some of the 'eggs' into it. I seal the container and stuff it back into its spot in the equipment bag. One task down.

I push away swimming as fast as I can. May is ahead of me by a foot and I let her lead for the moment. We arrive at the east side gates together. I stroke with my right arm so my left will be ready to lift the protective plate covering the gates' opening sensor as soon as I am in reach. My fingertips grasp and flip the plate open, the gate slides up into the partition and I slip through it barely ahead of her.

There is an underwater camera following us off to the side and allows those watching to score our actions. This time I don't let myself hesitate when the second task appears. I dive in, squeeze the dye and scoop out some marbles. I leave the second task first and make it through the west gate ten feet in front of both girls. I force myself to swim faster, taking all the training I have had and putting it to good use as I reach the third task. It is not enough to be fast, or strong, I also have to be efficient with the movements I make.

At my second approach to the east gate, I miss the opening plate on my first try. I glance down, find it and whip it open. But when I swim through on the other side, the water pulling me back as the gate closes right behind my feet, I see Janissa two body lengths ahead of me. I want to kick myself for another mistake. I push myself harder, but she still leaves the fourth and fifth tasks ahead of me. May also starts to creep up and seems to fill my periphery vision.

"I have to win," I tell myself. Somewhere deep inside, I find the determination I need to push even harder. I speed through the sixth task and make it to the west gate a split second behind Janissa. As we push toward the seventh task I begin to inch away. Somehow my motions at the sixth task are quick despite the sluggish pull of the water and I leave before Janissa does. I reach the eighth task alone and approach the ninth alone too. I'm afraid to lose my focus by looking behind me to check where May or Janissa might be. But as long as they are not beside me I should be fine. Still, I try to maintain the same level of intensity because they could be right behind me, waiting to make their move. The longest I have been able to stay underwater has been 38 minutes 45 seconds, but both May and Janissa's best times have been within a minute of mine.

I make it through the tenth and eleventh tasks in the lead with absolutely no sign of either girl. However, as I am leaving the twelfth task I hit 'the wall.' It happens every time I hold my breath, normally around the twenty minute mark. The weight of the water only makes it worse.

My lungs throb, my eyes blur, and all my muscles quiver. I know it is starting and I panic, kicking my feet frantically to get as far as I can before it completely takes over. The few times I have lost in practice have been because of this. I swing my head around to see if there is anyone behind me, but all I see are spots. I feel claustrophobic and panic begins to close my throat. My body freezes. All I want to do is float back up to the surface, but the added weight in my equipment bag is keeping me down.

For the first time I begin to doubt that I can win. How can I make it a second longer? The ceiling lights dance on the surface above and want to pull me up to them. I have to think of something, anything to distract myself. Anderson's last words to me come back.

"You were born for this." I close my eyes so I can't see the water for a moment.

It is the same thing Heather once said to me. Both of us were treading water with weights around every limb, the tops of our heads were starting to dry, and we had been alone for two hours. She was smiling. It was a beautiful smile, one that made me feel warm and happy.

"Are you tired?" she asked.

I nodded. "A little."

"You think you can go for another hour?" Her smile grew.

"Sure."

"You know," she said. "No one else can do what we do. We were born for this."

We treaded water for that hour and added a second hour to it and we had talked and laughed the whole time.

Already I can feel the panic leaving. I cling to the memory, to the sound of Heather's laugh. The seconds drift by much like the air bubbles on my arm separate and slowly float past my face ever upward. My vision clears somewhat and I see a task ahead of me.

I finish the task and limp to the gate. I can't remember which number I am on. Some of my functions are returning and my movements are not as shaky. With an iron will I force my heart rate to slow down and remove the last remnants of panic that linger inside.

I make it through the gate, but as I emerge on the other side I see May at the task ahead. My heart jumps. When did she pass me? Then a worse thought hit me. If May is ahead, will Janissa be too? Both my arms and legs are exhausted. The lack of oxygen is starting to limit how hard I can push myself, but I still manage to move faster. Before I can start the task May is moving away, but I can tell she has hit the wall too and she is not swimming very fast. I finish the task as quickly as I can and race after her. She makes it through the gate first, but as we approach the task I pull even with her. May jumps as she sees me, but doesn't increase her pace. I leap forward at the chance and leave her behind at the gate.

There is still no sign of Janissa, but my muscles strain harder and my lead lengthens. I arrive at the task and am so used to the wire stings I barely feel them as I finish it. I don't have time to look at the watch on my wrist, although I imagine by the slow panic in my lungs that I have been under for thirty minutes. I have to move faster, I keep telling myself. I have to win.

My head starts to throb in the middle of opening the gate. I won't be able to last much longer. As I swim to the next task, I see black and white spots before my eyes again. The wall is the warning; the second time it happens is when the damage starts. My arms are too sluggish to arc in full strokes. I have to breathe. Just three more strokes. For a moment I forget which way I am supposed to be swimming and my whole body is shaking. I try to see May or Janissa behind me, but I am having a hard time focusing on anything in the distance. I can't go any farther so I let myself rise to the surface.

A loud bell sounds as I take in my first breath. It is a moment before my vision fully returns, but when it does I see May and Janissa wrapped in towels by the side of the aquarium. They are both staring at me and Janissa's mouth is open. I quickly turn to the scoreboard. Despite the mistakes I made at the beginning, my time is higher than the times of both girls. My single breath lasted for 41 minutes 53 seconds, the highest time anyone in the Compound has ever had. I won and I can't help shivering in the water.

#  Chapter Three: Caryn

First Official Foreman, himself, is waiting for me as I climb out of the water. A brief sense of relief washes over me as my feet touch the cool, rough tile. Foreman offers his hand and I quickly wipe mine on the towel Anderson is holding out for me before I grasp his hand with my own. His brown eyes watch my every move with a somber attention and I can't tell if he is angry or pleased.

"Congratulations Caryn," he says. His tone is level and practical. "You are a tribute to all our scientists have worked for over the last two thousand years."

"Thank you sir," I manage to say in between gasps for air. I take the towel from Anderson and wrap it around my shoulders. Its warmth reminds me of how the cool water has numbed my body.

"Congratulations are due to you as well, Seventh Official, for the care and training of your candidate. Well done." His eyes turn away from me and I let my shoulders relax.

Anderson bows his head, but doesn't say anything. Although, I notice his hand slips into his pocket and the corner of his tie peeks out before it is snatched back in.

"As you know," Foreman turns back to me. "Many dignitaries from all over Beta Earth are in attendance today. The mayors of Highton City, Space City, and Andorim, as well as members of the council, are here and they would like to meet you both."

"Now?" I ask. I can feel the small pools gathering around my feet and my hair matting in clumps to my forehead.

Foreman tilts his head to one side and I wonder if my tone was too impertinent. But when he opens his mouth he doesn't address it. "As soon as you are presentable," is all he says and then he nods at me, which I take to be permission to go.

I leave as fast as I can safely walk with wet feet on stone. Once inside the changing room I pause to let my body relax. May and Janissa have both already showered and May is adjusting her clothes while Janissa combs her hair with a brush.

"The eighth task was when I started having a hard time," Janissa is saying. "I didn't think I would make it to the ninth. Did Rafferty tell you that we are not swimming anymore?"

"What? What will we do then?" May asks. She pulls at her pant leg to straighten it.

"I don't think they know yet. Jones mentioned something to me about it being dependant on our abilities and...." Janissa pauses seeing me in the mirror. "Congratulations on your time, Caryn. It was quite impressive."

May also mumbles "Congratulations," but doesn't look up and I can't tell if she really means it or if she is upset because she didn't win.

"Thanks, you both did well too. That was a personal best for you, wasn't it Janissa?"

She smiles and shrugs her shoulder. "It wasn't good enough though. It's going to take the scientists years to create another candidate like you."

"I would not be surprised if both of you could beat my score in another year."

May stands up quickly and the towel next to her falls to the floor.

"Looks like we will never get the chance," she says and practically runs out. As she opens the door I see a drop of water slide down her chin, but I don't know if it is from her wet hair or her eyes.

I watch her disappear not knowing what to say or if I should even say anything. I never really thought about what would happen after the Tournament for us, or considered what a life without the pools and training might be like. The Tournament is our life, the only reason we exist, for all three of us, but only one can win. We are trained to anticipate that possibility and to accept the responsibility that comes with it. May and Janissa also expected to be the one to win, but they didn't.

The door closes with a soft thud behind May. On some level we are all facing a form of death, the death of the future that has been drilled into us from the moment we could understand. Death we are prepared for, our Officials made certain of it, yet they did not prepare us to live. May and Janissa would be given the cure and could live for two hundred years, a long time when you don't expect to see the next month. Each day in the pools we are expected to give everything we have and then give it again. It makes sense because the moment is all we have. But how do you flip the switch and stare into the bright, long rays of life with nothing?

I try to picture what it would be like for me, if I had lost. I can't imagine what I would do. I could do anything, go anywhere. Immediately I dismiss that thought. Why would I want to leave the Compound? I could work in one of the science labs or become an Official. Perhaps I could work on finding an antidote to the anemone poison, since this is a puzzle that has eluded us for two thousand years, and once there is an antidote, none of the candidates will have to die ever again.

My mind begins to imagine myself being dressed in white lab coats, pouring liquid into vials, and discovering the key that will solve the problem, but I have to stop myself from going further into the daydream. Making plans for the future, when I don't have one, is one of the first things we are taught to forgo in the candidate program. There is a whole class on dealing with death--squeezed between philosophy and history--where we are taught how to handle our circumstances with grace and how to accept personal loss. I center my thoughts, breathe deeply once, and turn back to Janissa.

"I don't know what her problem is," she says. "May's been acting differently these past few days."

"It could be stress," I say.

Janissa nods, turns back to the mirror, and begins braiding her hair. I watch her for a moment wondering how she is handling this situation then I head to the shower. When I am finished cleaning up and my hair is dried, I leave the changing room to find the practice aquarium empty.

The hall is mostly empty, with the exception of an old woman I have never seen before. She must have been invited to watch the Tournament. When she sees me a wrinkled smile lights her face and her heels clomp on the carpet as she approaches.

"Wonderful time dear," she says.

"Thank you." I am a head taller than she is and her hair is so thin and white I can see the carpet through it.

She holds out her hand to me and when I take it I feel a slight tingle on my palm. Her grip is strong, but her skin is cold. She shakes my hand once more and then smiles and leaves.

I head back into the practice aquarium and see Anderson waiting by the changing room.

"Where were you? We were expected in the conference room five minutes ago," he says. I follow him away from the practice aquarium and the training pools, to the elevator that shoots us up to the eighth and top floor.

"Will I need to say anything?" I ask, just before the doors open. It's not often I am around people who don't work at the Compound.

"You'll do fine," he says and the doors roll back.

Then we walk out onto plush burgundy carpets and white trimmed walls. The conference room door is open and when Anderson and I appear in the doorway the quiet small talk fades and twenty heads turn in our direction.

"Ladies and gentlemen," Foreman says. "May I present our White Lilac, Caryn Tobin, and her trainer, Seventh Official Taylor Anderson."

Foreman then proceeds to name the others around the table, but aside from catching a mayor here and a councilwoman there, I can't tell them apart. They all look old to me, with white hair, thin, wrinkly skin and soft eyes that become watery as they gaze at me. Only Meredith Cakramon, mayor of Highton, stands out, partly because Highton was the one city Heather ever talked about, but mainly because she was the woman who shook my hand in the hall. When she is introduced she smiles and squints at me with a penetrating gaze that stills any desire I might have to fidget. The mayor has to be ancient, at least 280 years old, longevity being one of the side-effects of the cure.

"She seems so young," says an elderly councilwoman next to the mayor of Highton. "How old are you, girl?"

"I'm fifteen," I say. I straighten my back and clasp my hands together in front of me.

"Fifteen?" The word floats around the room and then like the flick of a switch all the heads turn toward Foreman.

"She is too young," says a councilman. He presses a hand against the table and shakes a finger at me, although he continues to glare at Foreman.

"She is the oldest, surviving contestant we have had in 47 years." Foreman clutches his hands behind his back and he begins to pace around the outside of the table. "It's too risky to wait much longer. Our stores of the cure are severely depleted and she is the best chance we have to obtain more, not only for us, but also for those who come in the next two hundred years."

"Why have the contestants not lived beyond the age of fifteen?" asks the councilwoman. Her voice is loud and she raises an eyebrow as she speaks, making the skin around her eyes stretch into new wrinkles.

Foreman stops pacing and says. "There have been several reasons. When we started to improve the genetic code there were complications. Most did not survive long enough to be born. Many of those who did died before the first five years. Still others have not responded well to the treatments we have created to counter the side effects of improved DNA. And for a few, their DNA would be fine one week and then break apart in the next, often in their early teen years. We have made significant progress in the last fifteen years, and we believe, with contestants like Caryn, May and Janissa, that we have finally ironed out the previous complications. As you saw earlier, Caryn's performance has exceeded all who came before her."

"We concede that her time was extraordinary," says one of the other mayors, "as were all the contestants' times. What we want to know is that these improvements do not interfere with their quality of life. Have these changes produced any negative outcomes?"

Foreman pauses. Without thinking I rub the small heart-shaped spot above my left elbow where my skin becomes flat, shiny scales.

"There have been no negative outcomes that would interfere with their ability to perform their job." He says, carefully enunciating each word.

"You, girl," says the councilwoman. "What do you think of the quality of your life?"

I glance back at Anderson, but he only tilts his chin at me as if to say 'give her an answer.' It is strange to have adults, especially ones as old and important as these, wanting to hear what I might say. Normally I am asked to do, not speak. My opinion has never really been sought, because the Compound's purpose, my purpose is more important than whether I like it or not.

"I have a good life." It is the safest thing I can say.

"I'm sure you do, but are there things you wish you could do and can't?" She folds her hands and leans toward me.

I watch her for a moment wondering what answer she is looking for. I decide to be as diplomatically honest as I can. "Yes, but doesn't everyone?"

A scattering of laughter fills the room and the councilwoman shifts back in her chair, a small smile on her lips.

The councilman on her left clears his throat and says, "What Councilwoman Blaine is trying to say is that we are so honored you have accepted the gold card and we are willing to provide anything you can dream of during its three day activation."

"What?" Anderson frowns.

"When did this happen?" Foreman turns to me but his question is meant for Anderson.

I shook my head. "I didn't--"

"Show us your right hand," the mayor of Highton says.

I turn my right palm up and there is a thin, gold square in the center. I scratch at the corners, but it sticks to my skin and won't come off. My mouth dries and I hold my hand up for everyone to see. The last hour flashes through my mind and I can't think of when this might have happened. The water wouldn't have done that. It's possible there was something I might have touched in the changing room.... But then I remember shaking the mayor's hand and my skin grows cold. She knew. Whatever this is, she did it.

A small smile plays at the corner of the mayor's mouth, but then it is gone and her chin tilts with a businesslike determination. "According to the Rules of Privilege, Caryn has entered into a binding week long contract with the governing council, during which time she will live in Highton under our care."

"Absolutely not," Foreman states. A worried glance passes between Foreman and Anderson.

The mayor holds up a small hand. "I assure you this contract is ironclad. It does have some room for time adjustments, but a minimum of three days must be fulfilled. However, if such an adjustment was made, we would need something in return. Our scientists would need full access to the Compound's servers."

The room is silent for a moment.

"We will discuss such details later." Foreman's back is stiff. "Are there any other questions?"

"What of the search for the anemone antidote?" asks the councilman and thankfully the attention in the room shifts away from me.

Foreman turns to face the man, but casts a side glance at me.

"We are always searching for the antidote. Several years ago we even tried to genetically alter future scientists to understand this problem, but the project had to be abandoned. I can divulge more about our findings, but if there are no more questions for the White Lilac I will let her get back to her preparations." Foreman nods at us and I am trailing Anderson out the door before I or anyone else can object.

"Are you really still searching for an antidote or have other projects become the major priority?" I hear the councilwoman ask before the door closes. My ears strain, but aside from knowing the muffled voice of Foreman, I can't make out any words. I drag my feet along the top of the plush carpet as I hope to catch a syllable, anything, but once we turn down the hall even Foreman's deep voice dissolves completely. As soon as we turn the corner, Anderson leans against the wall, sighs and rubs his face.

"I hate them," he says.

#  Chapter Four: Kai

The murky water of the Malte Lake clouded Kai Garrett's vision, as he looked up through the water to the dock and the two shadowy figures standing by the edge. He had been under the water for five minutes and still they waited for him to surface. Come on, he was dead already. They could leave now.

His hands glided through the water keeping his body far enough from the surface so they couldn't see him in the early morning light. The lake was filled with jiggers and electric eels, some more dangerous than others, but he wasn't worried about them. It was the guys on the dock he watched. His lungs gave him the familiar twinge they always did when he used the water as an escape. Twelve minutes was his longest time, but at the rate these guys were waiting he would be setting new records.

"Come on, Red, let's leave. He's not coming up." The garbled voice drifted down to Kai's ears. "He probably swam to the other side by now."

"No, he's down there watching us. I can feel it." Red Redford's voice was a bit clearer, like he wanted Kai to know that he knew. "Get back here, Brandons."

"He's been under for five minutes!"

"Seven, now."

"Nobody can stay under the water for that long without some kind of aid."

"Doesn't matter. If the T-Man wants him, I'm staying here 'til I get him." Red's voice seemed to project across the lake. Anyone else probably would have started swimming to the next closest dock on 5th Street, but Kai was feeling confident. There was no way Red was waiting on this dock for the next five minutes, not when Kai could be halfway to Space City by now if he had swam to the other side.

The next two minutes the dialogue was too quiet for Kai to make out. The short shadow disappeared for a minute and then came back. Kai was familiar with most of the T-Man's crew or at least knew them by sight; this Brandons guy wasn't a shadow he recognized. The twinge in his lungs became a silent throbbing, but Kai had felt this before too. He was actually pleased he had gone nine minutes before the throbbing started. It usually meant he could go another five minutes until his lungs screamed and at least another minute before he started to pass out. Kai had never tried to push it further than that.

"Come on Red. It's not even seven o'clock." The new guy's voice whined.

"Noah said he'd go to the water and he did. Now we're going to wait until he surfaces or dies." Once again Red's voice seemed unnaturally loud.

So, Noah had been serious this morning. Noah Peterson used to be Kai's best friend. This morning was the first time Kai had seen him since the day Noah was tagged four months ago after trying to finish a job for the T-Man. A job Kai told him would not work, but Noah's family needed the money, and food, so Noah did it anyway. And when Kai tried to see him later Noah's little sister came out and said Noah didn't want to be friends anymore. All the names Kai called him before the job may have also had something to do with it.

Kai was sound asleep when a bucket of cold water had splashed on him at 3am.

"The T-Man's lookin' for you."

Shaking the water out of his eyes, Kai squinted up at the figure towering over him. Already adrenaline was coursing through his veins at the T-Man's name and he was just about to kick that guy as hard as he could right where the sun doesn't shine when he recognized Noah's face. All those months seemed like a day. Kai had to blink once to remove his happiness over seeing Noah again. It would not do to show emotion at a time like this.

"Thanks for the warning," Kai said. His voice was scratchy from being woken up early.

"Look, we were friends once and I know how you feel about people working for the T-Man which is the only reason I am here. This is the last time I'm going to warn you. I work for the T-Man now and I can't have any conflicts of interest. I could get in big trouble for warning you like this."

"I said thanks," Kai said. He quickly stood and grabbed the worn jacket he had been using as a pillow. It was soaked. He tossed it in the corner; it would only slow him down and it still might be there if he was able to come back.

"Do you think you look more like your mom or your dad?" Noah's question took Kai completely off guard.

"What?" Kai froze.

"Who do you look like, your mom or dad?" Noah asked again. There was a look in his eye that Kai couldn't read.

"I don't know. I never knew either of them, you know that."

"Grew up in the orphanage on 18th street?"

Kai nodded. "Yeah, until it closed down and they threw us out."

"Yeah, well, avoid all your usual places unless you want to find out what the T-Man has in mind for you." Noah started to walk away. "Oh, and next time I see you I have to bring you in. I can't look incompetent twice in a row. The T-Man might kill my family."

"Fair enough." A chill shook Kai's body, whether it was from the early bath, Noah's expression or the thought of any plan the T-Man might have for him, he wasn't sure.

Kai didn't wait to see if Noah was still hanging around. He turned and began to climb up the alley wall. He had headed for the water then, since the T-Man and his gang were after him, the streets would no longer be an option.

Now, with two men staking out the dock, it looked like nowhere would be safe, not if Noah was revealing all of his strengths.

Brandons was still whining on the dock. "But the T-Man needs him alive. Wouldn't it be better to check around--"

"We're not leaving until I say we're leaving. So shut up." Once again Red's voice was loud, only this time Kai didn't think Red meant for others to hear. He sucked his cheeks in to keep from smiling and to distract his mind from the way his lungs seemed to be collapsing inside him. Red sounded irritated, as if he might be worried someone else had already found Kai and brought him in.

It shouldn't be too long now, he told himself. Even though he thought he had gone longer than twelve minutes he wasn't sure how long he would be able to hold out. His fingers were starting to tingle and the motions his arms made to keep him under were sluggish, not as effective as they were several minutes ago. The seconds ticked by, he could count them by the pounding of his heart. Each beat seemed to send out tiny ripples he hoped no one could see. How long was it now, fourteen minutes? Fifteen? It had to be close.

Kai's head nodded and he jerked himself back to keep from falling into endless sleep. He looked up at the dock and saw no one. The shadows had gone. Kai tried to remember when they left, but he couldn't. He watched the surface, as far up the dock as he could see for fifteen seconds, until he knew he would have to risk it. Without the air in his lungs it took him several strokes to get his body pointed up and moving in that direction. The moment his mouth broke the water's surface he took a deep breath and pushed back down hoping if someone was waiting they had not heard him. This time he could only stay below four minutes before he had to resurface, but the whole time no shadows moved on the dock.

Once his head was above the surface he listened waiting a full minute for any noise out of the ordinary and when he heard nothing he climbed onto the dock. Three empty rowboats and one speeder tied closer to the shore bumped against the dock in an alternating rhythm. High on one of the warehouses a window squeaked in the faint breeze. The sound of the water dripping off him seemed to be the only sound out of place.

Kai crouched as he rushed from one docking post to the next, always making sure he could leap back into the water at the first sign of danger. When he reached the land he paused again to see if he could hear any sound coming from behind the many crates, boxes and buildings that could provide a multitude of possible ambushes.

The second warehouse had a loose door he knew he could squeeze through if he needed a quick escape, but since that door was also the only exit, he didn't want to use it unless it was his only option. A sense of unease filled his mouth as he drew closer to the warehouses, he felt like he was being watched. Whether this feeling was from the multiple cameras at the corner of every building, or because someone else was there, Kai couldn't tell. He knew half of the security cameras weren't transmitting data and, if they were, the likelihood that the guy watching them was asleep by now was very high.

Not much happened at the docks ever since 2651, Beta Earth years, when the High Crimes Bill was passed, placing strict, immediate punishments for even the smallest of crimes. The Betan Parliament decreed that a three-strike rule would take effect.

The first time you were caught in an illegal activity, like vandalism, stealing or fighting with a weapon, you would be tagged. A tracking device was placed into your blood stream and all your information was entered into the galactic database. This tracker would alert authorities if you fired a gun or were even in proximity to a weapon firing and you would never be allowed to work certain jobs.

The second time you were caught you would automatically be sent to a hard labor prison camp on one of the outer planets for a predetermined time depending on the crime you were accused of doing. If you survived and served your sentence, you were returned to civilization and a more detailed tracker that included a momentary paralysis code was inserted into your spine. This tracker would also alert the authorities the moment you entered certain population zones.

The third time you would be sent to the prison colony on Slayer's Sun, a small planet that orbited Beta's far sun very closely, one of the hottest, habitable planets in the known galaxy. Kai heard that they dropped the condemned off on the barren wasteland with two weeks' worth of water and a week's worth of food. As far as Kai knew no one had survived the sentence of the prison colony.

Kai walked forward being careful not to step on any broken glass or rusty metal that might be lying around. He had to get out of the docks and into the Commercial District or, if he could, the Elite District. Both districts would limit those the T-Man could send after him because all of his guys had been tagged, most more than once, and they would be barred from entering those districts. However, he could not reach either without using the streets. Malte Lake was located at the far north of Highton City, the majority of society, especially the elite, worked and lived to the south because of the sharp pungent smell the jigger released into the air during mating season. This year the smell was worse than any year before, but it had never really bothered him.

He passed a row of crates and was nearly past the first warehouse when he heard something move. There was a scrapping of wood and then something grabbed his arm. Kai kicked behind him in the direction his arm was being pulled, but his foot missed and he found himself looking up at Red Redford's sharp green eyes and his thin lips pulled into a tight smile. Immediately, Kai relaxed his muscles and let Red pull him to the side of the warehouse.

"I just knew you were out there," Red said. He shook his head, the curls of his red hair would have bounced around like they normally did, but the black cap he wore held them plastered to his face. "So what, do you have an oxygen tank down there? A private room?"

"Didn't you know? I can breathe underwater. Evolution is finally moving to the next step. Soon we'll all be fish again," Kai said. He glared up at Red, the muscles in his arm hurt from how tightly Red held them. "Okay, okay. I'm really a superhero."

"Shut up." Red shook Kai once. "I'm taking you to the T-Man and then we'll see how good your jokes are."

"Oh, you're taking me to the T-Man? And all this time I thought you were going toI'm not even going to say. Well, in that case, I'd love to meet your fearless leader, just drag me in the right direction," Kai couldn't keep his right eyebrow from arching, like it did when he was being obviously sarcastic, but the rest of his face held as much of an open, innocent look as he could muster. Red glared at him, but he hesitated. Just then the second man appeared around the corner of the warehouse.

"Red, are you ready." Brandons stopped short at the sight of them. It was a new guy. Kai had never seen him around the neighborhood or the kitchens before and by the looks of his round stomach and limp arm muscles, he had probably been picked to join the gang for a reason aside from his athletic skills. The guy's clothes were clean and pressed, no holes or tears, and his light brown hair was recently cut and more recently combed. His soft hands were wrapped around a bag from the donut shop down the street and he stood at the corner taking in Kai's wet clothes and the glare on Red's face.

Kai didn't wait another moment. Red had slowly relaxed his grip over the last minute, since Kai wasn't struggling, and with the sudden arrival of his partner he was distracted. Kai ripped his arm free, spun around and raced for the dock.

It must have taken Red a moment to realize what had happened because by the time Kai heard Red's feet pounding on the pavement he was almost on the dock. He sprinted to the end of the dock, dove into the air and heard Red curse an instant before his ears hit the water. This time he did not wait around. Kai swam for three minutes to the north and then surfaced so Red and his partner could see he was heading to the north side of the lake. Then he took a deep breath, dove to around ten feet underwater and turned south. He didn't surface again for another ten minutes. It was harder to hold his breath when he also had to use energy.

There were three main docks on the south and since he was most familiar with docks Cambridge and Greene he went to the third, Kempton. Kempton dock would make him backtrack some if he wanted to get to the Elite District, but it was a straight shot to the Commercial District, where he could hang around without drawing unwanted attention. He had gone to the Commercial District before to avoid the T-Man's gang press.

Once again as he approached Kempton Dock he listened for several minutes before he started to climb out of the water. Everything was quiet. Kai felt more confident because no one knew he was going there. He shook the water from his hair and walked toward the land without double checking the safety of the dock.

The near sun was peeking over the east side of the city, so when a shadow separated from one of the boats he couldn't tell who, or what, it was until it was too late. Kai caught a glimpse of Noah's face right before a fist crashed into his forehead.

"I told you not to go to any of your favorite spots." Noah's voice faded with the light, as Kai fell to the dock.

#  Chapter Five: Kai

"Kempton isn't one of my favorite spots," Kai said, as Noah propelled him down the street. His head ached, not only in his forehead where Noah had punched him, but also in the back where it had smashed into the wooden dock.

"Yeah, but you were going to the Commercial District which is, and, by telling you not to go to your favorite places I made you pick a different way of getting there. In fact, I practically told you to go to Kempton, because you would expect the T-Man to know about Cambridge and Greene, so this was the only other option. I've been resting in that boat ever since I woke you this morning," Noah said.

Kai couldn't see Noah's face and was glad Noah couldn't see his. Noah was a year older, but somehow he had grown taller, broader and more muscular in the last four months. Even on a good day back then he hadn't been able to win a wrestling match with Noah. Kai scuffed his worn shoes against the concrete and slowed his pace.

"This way." Noah jerked Kai's arm to the right, his hold somehow tightening more. It didn't help that Noah knew all of his tricks and had been the one to teach him half of them.

"What does the T-Man want me for?" Kai asked.

"You'll find out soon enough."

"Whatever happened to Shawn, Luke and Valerie? He should have enough help without needing to hound me."

"Luke was tagged a week ago, Valerie went to prison camp, and Shawn died last night. He fell from the fourth story of a house and landed on his head." Noah half snorted at the last part.

"Well, you didn't waste any time coming to find me," Kai said.

"You should be glad he's taken an interest in you. He asked for you personally. Besides, finding kids who haven't been tagged is getting harder and harder, unless we want to start targeting seven year olds and even some of them are tainted," Noah said. His hand squeezed harder around Kai's forearm.

Kai didn't say anything. Whatever the T-Man wanted him for would be a one-way ticket to getting tagged and then prison camp or death, like Shawn. He wouldn't be free much longer if he let the T-Man control him.

Up until now he had been able to steer clear of the T-Man's gang, or more likely they had not cared enough about him to do more than offer him a polite invitation to join, which he always declined. That and the fact he had no family to worry about, unlike Noah whose six younger siblings, drunk father and sick mother always needed extra ways to buy food. This was the only time Kai was thankful he had no one to care about, no one the T-Man could use against him or hurt to make him do whatever he wanted.

Two minutes of silence later they halted outside of a worn-down warehouse. Noah rapped on the steel door five times and looked up at the small, black circle where the camera hid on the doorframe, definitely not one of the governments since they positioned theirs on every corner for all to see. The whole time Noah kept a tight hold of Kai's arm, even though Kai had relaxed his muscles.

"It's about time you got here. The T-Man is getting impatient," said a voice from a speaker hidden near the door. There was a thundering click and one of the doors popped out an inch. Noah grabbed it with his free hand and yanked it wide open. Kai slowly walked through the opening and tried not to jump when the door banged shut, the automatic lock clicking back into place. For better or, more likely, worse, he was stuck. Their footsteps echoed in the large building. Although he had never been there he had heard of the T-Man's warehouse. This was where all of his important projects were headed. Only the T-Man's most trusted gang members were allowed in here, and those who were going to disappear forever.

Four years ago no one had heard of the T-Man. He just appeared and started to take over what was left of the slum gangs. He brought together the biggest group of hardened criminals and pushed all of the other competition into joining him, moving on to a different city or disappeared forever. Most joined his ranks. Since his jobs called for dangerous situations, the size and members of the gang were always changing as some went to prison camp and some to the colony. All who remained in his gang were those extremely loyal to the T-Man, everyone else had faded away.

In fact, the authorities were probably grateful that the T-Man had taken over. Instead of the small, but steady stream of crime they used to deal with, there would be two or three big jobs a year, at least, as far as they knew. The T-Man always kept a number of young teens to run smaller jobs, until they were tagged. Kai was lucky to have avoided attention for so long.

They entered an open room with large, gray, wooden crates against the walls.

"You can sit there until the T-Man is ready for you," Noah said. He shoved Kai in the direction of a lone, metal chair sitting in front of the wall of wooden crates. Kai walked over and slowly sat down; the chair squeaked and groaned as the metal frame adjusted to hold his weight. His half-dry pants made the metal seat feel colder than it was.

The warehouse was dimly lit by a square window three stories up and by big, round fluorescent lights, half of which had died. Because of the old model of these lights Kai doubted they would ever be replaced. The light directly above Kai was one of the dead lights, almost like the T-Man didn't want anyone to see what happened under it. The lights on both sides still worked and cast exaggerated shadows of Kai and the chair onto the crate behind him.

There was a loud bang from a room on the third story and a figure clomped down the metal stairs to the bottom floor.

"Is he coming?" Noah asked.

"He's on his way." The man stepped under one of the lights and Kai immediately noticed his light brown hair and hooked nose. They had never officially met, but he knew it was Jackknife Johnson; Johnson either being the guy's first or last name. Kai didn't know which and with Jackknife's reputation he wasn't going to ask. Jackknife was the T-Man's second-in-command and, if the rumors were right, he was more violent than the T-Man himself. His was also the voice they had heard at the door.

"Here," Jackknife said, and he tossed a torn chunk of bread into Noah's chest. Noah caught it awkwardly and looked at it. The scent caught up to Kai's nose making his stomach rumble and he looked away as Noah bit into it like he hadn't eaten in days.

There was a loud bang at the door and Jackknife disappeared again. The door opened and four men emerged: Red, Brandons, and the Pontelli brothers, John and James. The brothers looked like twins, they weren't. John was older by fourteen months, but both had the same black hair and the same eyes that were so dark Kai thought they were black too. As they came into the light Kai noticed that even the holes in their clothing were the same. Both brothers had a rip in their left pant legs and a two-inch hole in the side of their t-shirts. The only difference between the two was that one had a fresh rip in his right sleeve, but which one it was Kai didn't know.

Brandons rushed over to a table set up with a bunch of high-tech electronic equipment, the kind of new stuff Kai wouldn't see on the streets for another twenty or thirty years. He flipped switches and typed on the keyboards, all the time muttering about having to get up early and something about not being an errand boy.

The brothers leaned against the crates to Kai's right while Jackknife and Red moved to those on the left. Red glared at him without blinking and Kai gave him a mock smile before shifting away in his chair; it creaked, echoing loudly in the big room.

Noah had already eaten half of the bread Jackknife gave him, but when he caught Kai watching him he broke what was left in half and tossed one of the pieces to Kai. Catching it eagerly, Kai was about to stuff the whole thing in his mouth when a hand snatched it away.

"We aren't a bread kitchen," Red said. His mouth twisted in a smug smile as he tossed the bread to the brother with the ripped sleeve. Noah shrugged like he didn't care, but the skin around his eyes tightened. Kai relaxed his shoulders and tried not to think about the bread. At least now the T-Man couldn't say he owed him, though the thought did little to comfort the pain in his stomach.

The doors opened again, this time without the assistance of Jackknife, and two men walked in. Both were shorter around 5'8" and 5'10". The smaller man was called Kiwi. He was built like a bulldog, short and stocky with muscles bulging everywhere under his dark skin, even in his neck, which looked like it might be bigger than Kai's thigh.

The taller guy was the T-Man. For as much as Kai had heard about the reigning king of the streets, he was a bit disappointed. The T-Man was of average build, he looked strong and fit, but like he would be more comfortable in a turtle neck with a text book under one arm and a girl in the other, not like the kind of guy who would carry a knife and overpower a man in a dark alley. His dark brown hair was closely cropped and if it wasn't for the commanding swagger in his step Kai would have thought he was another new recruit like Brandons.

"Kai Garrett," the T-Man said, flashing a row of white teeth. "You came."

"Yeah, didn't really have a choice in the matter. What do you want?" Kai asked. He didn't feel in the mood to play dumb and wanted the suspense to be over.

The T-Man's smile grew wider. He grabbed a chair from Brandons' table and swiveled it within five feet of Kai.

"I want you to steal something for me," he said, sitting in the chair, but never taking his eyes off of Kai.

Kai almost laughed. It figured. "Like what?"

"A ruby."

"No chance!" Kai thought it was a joke. Start off by telling the new guy an impossible task and then warm him up to what they really want. Kai would have laughed; the T-Man's face remained an immovable rock.

"But--but not just any ruby, Danny," Brandons said.

The T-Man swiveled his head around and gave Brandons a pointed look.

Brandons just shrugged like he couldn't help it. He came around the table holding up a clear gem about the size of a small stone. "It has to be a--a Betan ruby and it has to be at the very least five carats, six would be preferred. But only a Betan ruby will do, because it has to have the dark center that looks like a star. Earth rubies don't have that."

Kai glanced at Noah and then Jackknife. There was no trace of a smile on either of their faces. If anyone would be enjoying this joke it would be Red, but all he did was frown and spit when Kai turned to him. A slow, sinking feeling that they really had chased him all morning to steal a five-carat ruby overcame his hunger and made his stomach feel sick.

"Oh, well, since it's only a five carat rubyno." Kai started to rise from his chair. Out of the corner of his eye he saw something moving toward him fast, but before he could duck Red's fist slammed into the left side of his face. White light flashed before his eyes. Just what he needed a new area of his head to throb, like the front and back weren't enough. Maybe one of the brothers would punch his right side and complete the circle.

"Sit down," the T-Man said, his voice cold and detached. "Let's talk about it."

"No. I'm not going to be one of your guys. Nothing you do or have will make me change my mind." Kai remained standing.

This time when Red's fist started to swing toward him he was ready for it and rolled away. Another hand grabbed his shirt and threw him into the wooden crates. Kai struggled to get to his feet, but not before Red slugged him in the stomach. Jackknife's hand closed around his neck and Kai felt his body being lifted off the ground. He tried to kick, but Red grabbed his legs and held them tight.

"What about your life?" Jackknife asked, his voice deep and low. "Do you want to keep that?"

The pressure on Kai's neck increased. He felt the blood in his head pumping to get out but his throat was closed and was being flattened into the crate. His lungs began to burn like they did after being under the water for nine minutes. As he struggled to jar Jackknife's grip loose, black spots started swimming before his eyes. His eyelids began to flutter when he heard the T-Man's voice say, "Enough."

Immediately, Jackknife let go and Kai crumpled to the concrete floor. When he stopped breathing heavily and most of the throbbing had left his head, Kai glared up at the men surrounding him. Red's hands clenched into fists, relaxed and then tightened again, like he couldn't decide if he would obey the T-Man's order or not. Jackknife leaned against the crates as if he had done nothing more in the last five minutes than clean his fingernails.

"Why don't you sit down in the chair and at least listen to what I have to offer," the T-Man said.

Kai pushed off of the floor and let his body sag into the chair. The metal seat still felt cold.

"You may be right that nothing I have can make you change your mind, but what I have as a reward for you is not a sparkling jewel, or a stack of money. I'm talking about answers to questions you have lived with your entire life." The T-Man leaned back in his chair, a closed, confident smile on his face.

Kai didn't say anything, but his heart beat faster in his chest.

"I know your mother's name, why she left you and where she is at this very minute." The T-Man's words filled the warehouse with a deafening silence.

The room began to spin. Kai had a hard time keeping the millions of questions he struggled with over his lifetime from leaping out. Instead he tried to focus. How had the T-Man found these things out? Was he only playing Kai to get what he wanted? What if this was a trick? How would he know if it wasn't?

Kai never knew his parents. Sure he had some vague memories, but they didn't make sense. He had been left in the taxi waiting for Father Merrick, the director of an orphanage, with a note pinned on his shirt saying, "Never tell him the truth." Father Merrick collected the video footage from the cab and Kai had seen the video himself along with the note one day when Father Merrick was out. Aside from the fact it was a woman there, her face was hidden the whole time, as she placed a young boy on the seat and closed the door. The video showed no other distinguishable marks, nothing that would help him to find out where he came from or who he really was. Kai had assumed it was his mother, but it could easily have been an aunt, nurse, family friend or a stranger who found him. Even his name held no clue since it had been given to him by the orphanage.

"I was told," the T-Man glanced over his shoulder at Noah, "if I wanted your help I would need a different kind of persuasion. So I did some digging at your old orphanage. The taxi's security video didn't tell me much, but I was able to pull the video feeds from the old grocery store down the street and Greggor's Pub a block away. Both show the woman's face and from there it was quite easy to pull up all the information there ever was on her. I have her name, address, account information, birth place, parents' names and recorded conversations she had weeks before you were abandoned. I know everything. And I will tell you all I know when you bring me a ruby, a five-carat Betan ruby."

Kai concentrated on breathing. His hands tighten around the steel frame on the seat of his chair. He had a mother waiting out there for him to find, a family he would belong to. A hunger inside him screamed for him to accept. How hard could it be to locate and steal a five-carat ruby?

Was he really considering this?

The T-Man smiled, stood from his chair and said, "You don't have to give me your answer this second. I thought I might let you think about it, so we're going to let you go now. Don't bother letting me know what you decide. I will need the ruby in four days, by this Friday, or I will forget the answers to who you are. My finger will press delete on all the video feeds and I'm going to forget why I want you alive."

Then the T-Man leaned over Kai and whispered in his ear, "If I were you I would think long and hard before you abandon the only family you have left. I lost a sister once and there isn't a day that goes by when I wished I had done something to stop it. Do yourself a favor and think about my offer."

The T-Man turned and walked to the stairs. Two hands grabbed under Kai's armpits and before he had a chance to process what happened he was standing outside of the warehouse with the near sun drying his clothes.

"I'll enjoy finding you when you fail," Red said, just before the door slammed shut.

"He didn't say if," Kai muttered to himself. Suddenly the weight of what he had to do hit him. He had to steal a five-carat ruby in five days or run for his life. Now that the T-Man had singled him out there was no other choice, either do what he wanted or face the consequences. Kai didn't think he was big enough for the T-Man to send guys chasing him around the planet, let alone the galaxy, unless he was going to be made an example of, a warning for anyone else who might think to run. He could make it to Space City before the five days ran out, but then he would never know about his mother.

Kai started down the street, mostly because he wanted to get away from the T-Man's video surveillance. His fists had balled sometime after being picked off his chair, but Kai couldn't remember when; they might have done so voluntarily when they couldn't hold onto his seat. Slowly his fingers unwound and the muscles in his hands relaxed.

He wanted to know about his past more than he had ever wanted anything; almost more than he wanted life itself. Knowing the answers existed revived a part of him that he had given up on and buried deep inside. His whole world had been built upon the fact that his past was unknown, now that world had collapsed around him like a house of cards caught in a drain.

At that moment Kai decided he would give it a try. If he could find a ruby big enough and steal it, he would, but if he couldn't find one, at least he had tried and he could run with a clear conscience toward the empty hole inside. The big problem would be how to find a ruby that he could come into contact with. The security was tight in the Elite District. He wouldn't be able to watch any of the rich homes for a prolonged period of time and stealing from a jewelry store was completely out of the question. His best bet would be to find someone wearing a ruby.

Instead of heading to the Elite or Commercial Districts, Kai turned toward Old Highton. It was a tourist hotspot and tourists had two important traits. They were rich and they were distracted, easy targets for someone as experienced on the streets as he was. Not that Kai made it a habit of stealing; he only stole as a last resort. Ever since the bread kitchen opened on Gilbert Street and offered meal tokens he hadn't needed to steal to eat.

There were sometimes when he missed a meal or two, but he knew the kitchen would be there and he would make sure he was too when the next meal was available. To Kai, stealing for anything aside from survival was dangerous, especially because of the legal consequences. In his short lifetime he had never stolen anything more than a few hundred bucks. Stealing this ruby would be the biggest, and most dangerous, job he had ever done.

It was nearing ten o'clock and the early crowd was just beginning to appear as Kai started down Colony Way, the main road in historic Old Highton. Three main tour groups walked down the street exclaiming over the old fashioned buildings, taking videos, and trying to cover up yawns. Many of the shops wouldn't open until twelve so Kai picked a spot where he could watch the restaurants and shops with food, the kind of places tourists would like to eat breakfast.

Soon tourists began to appear from all directions, first smaller groups and then the big tours. Kai scanned each person for a red jewel. He didn't really remember what the size of five carats looked like, but he knew it would be big. There were big gems of all colors in the long necklaces, fat rings and even hair jewelry of the tourists. After seeing five red gems without the dark star Kai began to wonder if the Betan ruby was rare.

He sighed and leaned against the corner of the building as yet another woman with a regular ruby necklace walked by. The crowds thinned out. Most were probably eating by now. A thought that reminded Kai he had missed the kitchen's breakfast and by now most of the meal tickets for the rest of the day would be gone. Pulling the rope he used for a belt tighter around his waist, he resolved himself to a long day.

A red bearded man walked by on the far side of the street and Kai caught a bright flash of red from the hand. He looked closer at the man's hand and thought he saw something dark in the center of the ruby ring on his finger. The size of the ruby looked big to Kai, bigger than many of the jewels he had seen that morning and his stomach tightened with a feeling aside from hunger. He had found it.

The man disappeared into a bread shop and Kai waited up the street for the man to emerge. Ten minutes later the man came out heading back the way he had come, carrying a bag with long loaves sticking out in the other hand. Kai waited for him to pass and then walked in step behind him inching forward until he could almost reach out and touch the man's ring hand. Then, pretending to trip, Kai grabbed the man's ring and felt it plop into his palm. It was much easier than he feared it would be.
Chapter Six: Caryn

"You can't take it off," Anderson says. "There is a 64 hour acclimation period for cards to sync with your body. When it's over then it can be removed at will."

I stop scratching the gold card attached to my palm.

"Why 64 hours?" I ask.

He rubbed his eyes and shook his head. "I don't know. It has something to do with collecting enough vital scans. What happened? How did you get the card?"

"I was looking for you and I saw her in the hall. She shook my hand."

"Did she tell you she was giving you a gold card?"

"No."

"This is exactly why we keep you and the other candidates here, so they can't pull stunts like this. We can't trust them."

"What does this mean? This won't disqualify me, will it?" I scratch again at the thin plastic on my skin. It feels almost like the scales I have above my elbow, but there are no ridges where the skin and plastic meet.

He just shakes his head and walks away. I open my mouth, but I can't think of the right words that would make him answer me. Something about way his facial lines gather around his mouth, instead of in the smile wrinkles of his eyes, that tells me he's done. No matter how many times I might ask, or rephrase, he will not say anything.

He takes me to the candidate dining room and despite the stress I've had over the Tournament and the meeting, I manage to eat a whole plate of gray protein chunks and green mashed vegetables, a signature dish we are often served because it rebuilds muscle and replenishes energy. Anderson only picks at his food and his mouth remains wrinkled so I don't say anything. My mind is still spinning from the events of the morning, I can hardly believe it is all real, but I don't have an opportunity to analyze them.

Anderson's pocket buzzes.

He pulls his handheld computer from his pocket and taps the screen.

"What is it?" I ask, when he sighs.

"Foreman wants us in his office, now." He stands and I follow suit as a member of the housing staff takes away our plates.

"Did he say why?" I can't help asking. All the food I ate seems to have knotted together and I wonder if I should have eaten the whole plate.

"No, come on."

Neither of us says anything as the elevator shoots up to the administration floor. As soon as the doors open I am surprised at the smell. There's a dry, dusty scent of overly purified air and a complete lack of the humidity that occupies the candidate floors because of their proximity to the pools and practice aquarium. I take small sips of the air into my lungs to allow them time to adjust.

Anderson leads me to Foreman's office, past a small man, hunched over a small desk typing at the speed of light. He nods at us without breaking his rhythm and Anderson knocks on the door. It opens with a hiss and we enter into a large room with two tinted glass walls and two walls covered in bookshelves. Foreman stands with his back to us gazing out at the science labs across the main road of the Compound. His office door shuts behind us of its own accord and we stand waiting for him to acknowledge our presence. Foreman sighs, but does not say anything or turn around. I begin to think Anderson is right, we will be given a stern talk, possibly even punished, although I am still not sure why.

Finally, Foreman faces us and moves to sit behind the long, cherry wood desk. There are no other chairs in the room so I stand with my back straight and my hands clasped in front like we are taught. Anderson does the same and we wait as Foreman clears his throat.

"Today's events have been unprecedented in the history of the Compound. Caryn, your time not only broke all the prior records it sets a new standard for future candidates to strive toward. Unfortunately, this is something the ruling elite wish to exploit, as you know from your attendance in the meeting. Their actions and questions were out of line. The gold card is a law that supersedes the Compound's privilege. My hands are tied."

"I'm sorry, sir," I say. "I don't know what you mean."

Foreman and Anderson share a glance and I see Anderson shake his head once.

"I see," Foreman leans forward and rests his folded hands on the desk. "The gold card they gave you is a powerful, technological gift that can only be revoked by the recipient in the presence of the giver before it is accepted. By taking it, you agreed to a contract with Beta's rulers."

I look down to see the gold card still in my palm. It doesn't shift when I rotate my palm even if I hold it upside down.

"But what is it?" I ask, with the hope that this time I will be given answers.

"It's a chip that carries information," Foreman says. He blinks once and then continues after seeing the confused look on my face remain. "Personal information like medical records, employment records, driver's license, passport and financial status. Anything that anyone might need to know about you is contained on that chip. There are also levels of chips denoted by the color given to them and levels of contracts that each chip carries."

He opens a drawer and holds up a chip the same size and shape as mine, only his is dark green. "Mine is green because I work at the Compound and because of my responsibilities here. Whenever I travel to the city this chip is scanned and allows whatever transaction I may do to run smoothly. I am automatically given access to green level secure rooms and can make purchases without speaking to anyone. I take what I need and my account is charged. Do you understand?"

I nod. "What does gold do?"

"It is the highest ranking card that exists," Anderson says after a tired look from Foreman is cast his way. "Travel, expenses, permission, there is nothing a person with that card cannot do. Only fifty have ever been made and not all stay on Beta. Some of the most powerful people of Earth and Deltan will also carry them. But they only last for a short predetermined time."

"The card you are holding will be good for three days," Foreman says. "And grant you unlimited resources and access during those days wherever you are."

"But the gathering is scheduled to take place in a week," I say. "When would I have time to visit--"

"Exactly," Anderson says.

Foreman shakes his head. "The council did this deliberately. Now is the time when you need to be focused and in top physical--"

"No, I'm sorry you can't go in there!" a voice says from beyond the room

"Nonsense," says a woman's voice.

"Wait. Stop. The First Official is in a meet...."

The door hisses open and the Mayor of Highton charges in. I step away from the door to let her pass.

"I'm sorry, sir," says the man from outside Foreman's office. He has a hold of the mayor's elbow, but she raises an eyebrow at him and he releases it. Then she notices me.

"Ah, there she is. I knew you would be hiding her somewhere close by," the mayor says, squinting at Foreman.

"I assure you, madam mayor, that this is neither the time nor the place to discuss this." Foreman stands and walks around his desk.

"That, young man is the problem." The mayor mimics Foreman's tone. "There is never the right time, no matter how much we are given. I should know. I was only an aid for Highton's mayor during the last Tournament two hundred years ago but there has never been enough time when it comes to dealing with the Compound. However, this is not what I came here to discuss. There are some details that need to be finalized before tomorrow."

"Fine." Foreman leans against the wall. "Caryn will have her three days."

"Of course she will. She entered into a binding agreement."

"An agreement she didn't know she was making," Anderson says, but Foreman raises a hand.

"Since Caryn is underage we require that she have one of the officials with her at all times."

"Absolutely not!"

"After the way you went behind our backs, I refuse to let her spend three days alone with you or anyone who works for the council."

The mayor presses her lips together. "She has to be accompanied by someone, unless part of her training includes navigating cities."

I almost laugh out loud at that. But just as quickly I imagine the look I might get from Foreman and not a peep comes out.

"There is also her safety to consider," Foreman says.

The mayor gives a short cackle. "She's perfectly safe in our cities. Crime has been down by 15 percent this year and our surveillance can stop anything that might get out of hand. I will agree to arrange for a private party, not connected with the council, to accompany her."

"And if we don't approve of them?" Foreman asks.

"If she doesn't like them, then she can pick someone she will." She waves a hand in the air and shifts back to me. "What do you think about taking a short trip to Highton?"

Heather immediately jumps to the forefront of my mind. She would bring stacks of books from the library all about Highton, the first colony on Beta, and spread them out on her bed. Then she would go over them with me, pointing out the different locations and saying how exciting city life must be. It was the only time her eyes would truly sparkle and a smile would soften her face and I loved to watch her read.

"Well, I've heard a lot about Highton." I shift my feet and wish Heather was here. She'd be nodding her head and squealing with excitement at the thought of leaving for a few days, even with the gathering a week away, but I feel torn. "There is a lot to do."

The mayor presses her wrinkled lips together into a tight smile. "What are you required to do in the next few days that you could not do in the city?"

I glance at Anderson and I half expect him to pull out a long list with a detailed schedule for each day, but he just stands there.

Foreman speaks instead. "There are required procedures. She has to be monitored by our physicians as well as receive a saturation of the jigger scent."

"That can easily be moved to the city and she would be saturated by the scent everywhere she went." The mayor's smile grows triumphant.

"Don't you think it would be cruel to show her the kind of life she could have with all that will be expected of her at the end of the week?" Foreman asks.

The mayor shakes her head. "It would be cruel not to. Let her live some. What do you say, girl? Are you ready to visit the outside world?"

My head aches. I can tell Foreman is against this by the way his arms are folded over his chest and the intense wrinkles on his brow. The mayor is used to getting her way and genuinely seems to believe this would benefit me, but there is something about her when she talks that makes me think there is something else behind this offer. Then there is Heather's dream. Just thinking about Highton makes me feel closer to her, as if she is waiting for me in my room with a new stack of books full of adventures. I almost smile at the thought.

Maintaining my current level of fitness would not be that hard, especially since the actual Gathering is less strenuous than the Tournament. The Tournament is timed and a competition that only allows one breath. The Gathering is not timed and is completely dependent upon the will and determination of the candidate who can surface when needed. It is a race against my will and my own body breaking down.

I try to imagine what a last week here would be like and I find the routine, although familiar, completely predictable, even without Anderson showing me a schedule. My days would consist of: exercise, swimming, exams and tests in the science labs, food and sleep. Three days in the city could be anything. They could be full of the adventures Heather would tell me about. I don't even know what to expect. It could be terrible or wonderful, but I would never know if I stay here.

"Yes," I say. The word comes out quickly, like a puff of steam from a covered hot cup.

"Excellent, I will call ahead for the companions to be ready and arrange for you to accompany me on my flight. We'll leave in ten minutes," the mayor says and exits before I can think to take it back.

#  Chapter Seven: Kai

No sooner was the ring secured in Kai's fist, when a deep voice shouted, "Thief. Stop him!"

Kai froze. His whole body broke out into a sweat. He could even taste the salt in his mouth. The red-bearded man stopped too and turned around. For a moment the man's attention was on the source of the voice somewhere behind Kai. He should run now before they turned on him, but somehow the message his brain flashed wasn't connecting with his firmly planted feet. Kai's head, however, managed to turn around and he saw a young boy, maybe nine years old, wide-eyed and zigzagging through the crowd toward them with a bundle tucked under one arm.

Kai's moist palm and fingers tightened around the ring. They hadn't seen him. He was safe. He took a step to the right, just as the boy darted that way. Kai tried to correct his course by stepping back to the left, but the boy had made the same move. Only this time the boy was too close for Kai to get out of his way and they collided. The boy ran into Kai with one hand outstretched and he used it to push Kai back, all the while keeping himself erect. Kai felt his body spinning uncontrollably backward and he threw out his arms for anything that would keep him from falling. He felt his arm brush against some cloth and wrapped his fingers around it. Whatever was connected with the cloth moved with him and was going to fall too. Then, to Kai's horror, he saw that his fingers had grabbed the red bearded man's shirt--and his fingers were empty. He had dropped the ring.

Kai's head slammed into the pavement hitting the same knot from earlier that morning and knocking the air out of his lungs. The man landed on top of Kai, but Kai didn't have any air left inside so nothing came out when the added weight crushed his chest. There was nothing Kai could do. He lay there, unable to breath. Somewhere, off to the left he heard a metallic chink as the ring hit the pavement and rattled to a stop.

A woman in the crowd gasped an "Oh my." Even in his oxygen deprived state Kai noticed she didn't move to help them. The man next to her stepped closer and with an accent asked, "You gentlemen are all right?"

The red bearded man groaned and leaned to Kai's left. Seizing the opportunity, Kai used what little strength he had to push the man off and roll out from under him. Oxygen had never tasted so sweet. He closed his eyes and breathed. His head throbbed, but it seemed to be the only injured part, now that his lungs could work again.

"You not hurt anywhere?" the man asked.

Kai slowly opened his eyes and stared up at the man's clean white shirt and dark skin.

"I'm fine," Kai said.

"You are brave to take on criminal," the man said as he bent down and touched Kai's shoulder.

"I didn't...." Kai started to say, but then he saw the mixed thoughts of the crowd. Most of the people were concerned, yet a few carried their suspicion in their straight shoulders and narrowed eyes. "I didn't want him to get away," Kai said instead. "Did we catch him?"

"The thief escaped," a woman said. She sniffed into a silk handkerchief with the logo of one of the tourist shops down the street stitched in the corner.

"I'm fine," Kai said again, ignoring the man's outstretched hand. He squinted and managed to sit up on his own. Then his eyelids flew open as he remembered the ring. He rapidly covered the pavement near him with his eyes and then searched near the red bearded man who was struggling to sit up. The ground was clean. He started to panic. What if some else picked the ring up? Or worse what if it was kicked into a gutter?

He moved his feet under him to stand and that was when he found it. The ring was lying between the red bearded man's legs. He hadn't noticed it, but the man with the accent was pointing to it. Kai's body temperature dropped two degrees and the sweat on his back chilled against his shirt.

"That ring, it is possessed by you?" the man asked, still pointing.

"Yes." The red bearded man looked down and scooped up the ring. He twisted it onto his finger and shook his hand once to make certain it was secure. Then he glanced at Kai, his lips tightened and his brow wrinkled as he saw Kai's worn shirt and dirty jeans.

Kai turned away. All the pain he had been able to ignore came rushing back on him. He stood, wove his way through the gathered crowd and ducked into the nearest alley. A dumpster provided a shield between him and prying eyes and he ducked his head waiting for the crowds to disperse. If his body wasn't already aching, he would have kicked himself. He was so close. What was wrong with him? Why did he freeze like that?

He shoved some moldy paper bags closer to the dumpster, leaned against the concrete wall, and sank to the ground. He sat for a moment before his stomach rumbled. Maybe that was why he froze. Not eating must have slowed his responses, which made finding food his next priority. He leaned the paper bags closer and sniffed, if they did have food inside them, it was no longer edible. The dumpster held more promise, if the newly dried tomato sauce on its side was any indication of what might be in it.

Kai peeked at the street and saw a steady stream of people moving. He'd wait five minutes before going back out and use that time to check the dumpster. He stood and as he opened the dumpster's right lid the scent of fresh bread and tomatoes filled the alley. A rumpled box of pizza lay on the top of a garbage bag, but as Kai reached for the box two hands from inside the dumpster snatched it away.

"Hey," Kai said. He flipped the other dumpster lid open revealing the boy who had pushed him and made him lose the ring. The boy squinted up at Kai, his arms wrapped around the box, squeezing it. Something inside rattled with each movement.

"You're the kid...." Kai stopped himself from jumping into the dumpster and grabbing the kid's shirt. Instead he clamped his mouth shut and forced a smile. "Is there enough for two in that box?"

"Yes," the boy said and he stuck his jaw out. "But I need all of it."

"You can't need all of the pizza. I'm sure if you really thought about it you could spare one slice." Kai leaned closer and held out a hand, but the boy scooted to the back of the dumpster.

"These aren't for me. I have a kid depending on me."

"You're not old enough to have kids."

"I am too."

Kai rolled his eyes. "I'm sure your family will be just fine with one less slice of pizza, kid."

"My name is Tommy, not kid. And I remember you from the orphanage."

"Look, I don't care what your name is or where we know each other. Wait, is that a bag of bread?" Kai pointed to a brown sack, half hidden behind Tommy.

"I need this too," Tommy said, moving one arm to push the sack behind him.

An image of Tommy running toward him flashed before Kai's eyes, only this time Kai saw a loaf of bread sticking out of the bundle under the boy's arm. His stomach rumbled.

"And what if I yelled that I found the thief?" Kai asked.

Tommy's face paled and he scooted farther back.

"But I'm sure you could spare something and keep my mouth too full to say anything."

"You're mean." Tommy glared up at him. "And Father Merrick always said you were nice. He said you wouldn't hurt anybody."

"Well, he never told me that. Maybe if he had we wouldn't be having this conversation. Are you going to give me some food or not?" Kai raised one eyebrow and waved his open palm.

Tommy didn't answer and continued to glare.

"Come on," Kai said.

Tommy tilted his head to one side. "If you tell on me then you won't get anything to eat, and you'd be the thief for taking food from my kid, besides the baker gave me this bread. He always leaves me a bag of bread outside his door every Monday. Somebody saw me pick it up and they thought I was stealing it. I only ran 'cause I didn't think anyone would believe me."

Kai's hand sagged. Was he really going to believe this boy's story? Tommy's eyes had stared straight into his the whole time, but the streets raised superior liars.

"If you can prove I don't know you and I'm lying I'll split this. Fifty/fifty."

"If I can prove you're lying I'm taking all of it. What room did you sleep in at the orphanage?" Kai asked.

"I slept in the same room you did, only I was in the corner where the rafters met the floor and there was a leak every time it rained," Tommy said, his eyes never wavered.

Kai snorted, but he withdrew his hand. "All the rooms leaked when it rained."

"The older guys would push you in the rain barrel and shut the lid on you." Tommy leaned closer. "Once, after they left I pulled the lid off. You were inside for so long I thought you died, but you didn't. You were always trying to get Father Merrick to tell you more about your mom, but he never did. And I saw you break into his office once when he was gone."

"Okay," Kai said. He took a step back and shook his head to clear the old memories. "You win. You can keep all your food. It's probably stale anyway."

He decided he wasn't hungry anymore, as he turned and walked back to the street. What he wanted to do was find Red, or the T-Man, and give him a swift punch in the face. Maybe break the nose or knock out a tooth. A smirk touched Kai's mouth, but his heart was too heavy to enjoy it. He retraced his way back to the tourist sections of Old Highton until he noticed the gates of an official building were left open and the courtyard was crowded with well-dressed men and women.

There was a sensor on the gate checking for the card level of each person that passed under it. A card Kai didn't have, but that didn't concern him. He waited out of the camera range as a heavy-set man approached the gate. Then using the man as a shield for the cameras he timed his steps to match the man so they both hit the sensors at the same time. An alarm blared and the man jerked in surprise and waited for the gate to scan him again, but Kai was already weaving through the crowd.

Everyone seemed to be waiting for something and they kept looking to the front of the courtyard where a large set of closed doors were guarded by two men. Kai didn't recognize their uniforms, but they weren't from the local police or military and they didn't seem interested in the crowd, which was perfect for Kai. He took his time moving around the groups of people and he spotted several rubies, no dark centers, but he still had half of the crowd to check.

There was an echoing click as one of the doors opened. Everyone around Kai shifted their attention to the front and stepped closer. Kai's view was completely blocked but he could move without drawing attention to himself.

"I would like to thank all of you for being so patient," said a man through a loudspeaker. "Our companion positions are still available and we would like--"

Kai couldn't hear the rest because the people around him began talking all at once, half of them were asking, "What does he want us to do?"

Someone stepped on Kai's foot and a woman backed into his chest, almost knocking him down. He scrambled back to his feet, trying to move against the crowd, but no one would let him squeeze past. A red ring flashed in the corner of Kai's eye and he turned, going with the crowd to get a closer look. He had to push around a large man dressed in silk to catch up with the ring, but when he got a second look the ring didn't even have a jewel and the whole thing was red silver.

Kai spotted a woman wearing hair jewelry and inched closer to check them out. The crowd was moving slowly to the front and Kai moved with them going from person to person until he found himself going up the steps and through the large doors into an enormous room. Kai pushed against the back of the person in front of him and tried to turn, but he only succeeded in getting dirty looks from the people around him. One woman wrinkled her nose and sniffed at him. She tugged at the sleeve of the woman next to her and they both stared at him with frowns on their faces.

Before they could bring attention to his presence, Kai ducked under the arm of the nearest person and kept going. The stream of people thinned as they spread out into the open room and suddenly Kai was standing apart from the human line out in the open. The room was made out of marble with tall ceilings and ornately framed mirrors along the walls. All the people were lining up against the one side and at the front there stood a girl with blond hair. She was surrounded by older men and women who were waving their hands and pointing at the crowd. Then she must have said something because those surrounding her stopped, the circle parted and she walked out with her shoulders straight. He wondered who she was and why there were so many people here.

"Get out of my way," someone said and Kai was pushed from behind. He looked up and saw a young man leaving. There was something familiar about his face, but Kai didn't have time to think about it because he was pushed from behind again. This time by a woman dressed in hot pink, she stomped by muttering under her breath. Kai watched them leave a moment and then sensing he was exposed out in the open he did his best to blend back in with the crowd.

He should leave. Entering the building wasn't part of his plan and he had checked out enough people to know he wouldn't find a ruby there. He took one last look around the room just to be sure and he pushed against the crowd back toward the door. The people were too distracted by the room and what was in it to notice him.

Kai glanced over his shoulder and saw two men walking in his direction. His breath stopped and his first thought was to leap into the crowd and fight his way out, but he hadn't done anything. He hadn't even attempted to steal something and they couldn't know that was the real reason he was there. The worst they could do was to kick him out and that was what he wanted, so he faced them and let his face go blank.

"Young man, we would like you to accompany us," said the older of the two.

"Fine," Kai said.

But they didn't turn him toward the door.

#  Chapter Eight: Caryn

We stop in front of the elevator doors and Anderson presses the call button, his tie is knotted tightly around his neck. My arms are still sore from swimming and my thoughts are spinning faster than I can think them. After the mayor leaves, Foreman sends me out of the room to have a private conversation with Anderson that was loud enough for me to hear in the hall. I want to feel apologetic, but I'm not.

This morning I had no interest in going anywhere, but it is a relief to think of something else aside from the gathering and Heather would be so excited for me. She'd demand to come and tell me all the places I should go. New plans begin forming in my mind as I remember her talking about the Space Museum and all the shops and buildings in Old Highton that were kept in the original conditions as the first and second colonists built them. Her excitement was always easy to catch.

I miss her more and more lately, especially this past week with the Tournament approaching. My time today may have been impressive, but if Heather had competed she would have gone an hour. I could never come close when we trained together. She worked hard non-stop: always exercising, always holding her breath, always in the water. I was eight, four years younger than she was, and I was still learning some of the intermediate techniques. She would swim over and show me how to cup my hands or kick my feet. Since we were both under the training of former Second Official Whit, we spent all day together. May and Janissa would join us for part of the day, but they were only seven and weren't training full-time. When Second Official Whit was there it was all work, but if he was ever called away we would relax some.

Heather was the only one who would ever say no to Second Official Whit, although she would only say no for me and Second Official Whit would punish her for it. If she had said no for herself she might not have died; or if I had learned to say no for her.... She never complained. Only once, as I was leaving after a late practice, did I see her talking about our work schedule to a new custodian. She knew Second Official Whit pushed us too hard. Laps and weights, running and breathing, we were working from five in the morning to twelve at night and in a 32 hour day it was a lot, even the scientists and staff did not have shifts that long. His methods were designed to make us into the best candidates the Compound would ever have. And nothing, least of all one of the candidates, would stand in his way. I had to be resuscitated on two separate occasions, and I remember Heather being resuscitated four different times. All because he would tie weights to our feet and hold us under the water to force us to hold our breath longer. I loved the water when I was young, but that changed after training under Second Official Whit.

His name still makes me feel cold. I can never call him only Whit in my mind, not like I do with Anderson, or even Foreman. He would often pretend to joke with us when the other officials were around. There was this way he would tilt his head when he looked down at me and wink with his left eye as if there was a secret we kept together, but there was a sliver of cold in the right eye that stared, squinting, back and never made me feel light-hearted or safe. I would be on my best behavior then, because if I wasn't Second Official Whit would find a way to punish me when I was not expecting it. A mid-night training exercise, a day without food, or hours being held under the water, I could never tell what he would use as punishment.

But all that changed when Anderson and Foreman discovered what he was doing.

The elevator doors open and we step on. Anderson presses the button for the visitor's floor and when we arrive he takes off down the hall at such a brisk pace that I have to jog a few steps to keep up with him. True to her word, Highton's mayor is waiting for us by her dark gray speeder with the driver already seated in the front.

"You are going to love Highton," the mayor says. She beckons us to enter the speeder before her.

Anderson and I find a seat and the mayor collects herself slowly into the seat closest to the door. I can count on one hand the number of times I have ridden in a speeder and they still make me a bit nervous. The first time was for the internal trial of Second Official Whit in the Compound Embassy in Highton. The door closes and as the driver shoots us out of the parking bay and up through the Compound's force field into the sky my stomach lurches with it and I remember why flying makes me nervous. I cling to my arm rests and brace my feet against the floor to keep from shaking out of my seat.

"We have been preparing for this for quite some time," the mayor says.

"I'm sure you have," says Anderson, through gritted teeth. I can't tell if this is because he is being sarcastic or because he hates flying like me and we are already starting to descend. I can see the city skyline all around me and I find myself staring at the buildings, some nearly a mile high. I can't help comparing their shiny grandeur with the Compound's plain but functional buildings, all less than 15 floors. We hover for a moment and I can see a woman walking near the window of a building 100 feet away. I raise my hand to wave, but we are plummeting down before I have the chance. There is a loud hiss and a final lurch when we land.

The door opens on its own and as the mayor shuffles out she says, "We want your visit with us to be as comfortable as possible and so we have arranged some companions to show you the city and accompany you around. There will also be some files to sign officially accepting the gold card so we can have everything prepared and you can start your visit bright and early tomorrow."

"How many companions?" I ask, but she doesn't hear me. Anderson shrugs his shoulders and waits for me to get out first. I hurry to catch up and cast one last glance over my shoulder before the door slides shut. It's hard to believe I will be able to stare up at the buildings for as long as I want tomorrow.

The large glass doors into the building remind me of the Highton Embassy and as we walk inside the mayor's shoes click on the marble floor like the ticking of a clock. She nods to the attendants waiting near another set of large doors which also opens unaided for us to enter. The scent of lemons mixes with the air and all the shiny surfaces, glass windows and tables and chrome chairs and molding, make me blink so I cannot see the others waiting clearly.

The first person I notice is a woman in her thirties, but the reason I notice her first is because she is wearing bright pink from head to toe, including a matching fur draped from her neck. Her clothes sparkle as she moves under the lights and her heels make a distinct clapping sound on the marble when she taps her toes.

Then I notice the man next to her. His clothes are decent and clean, not flashy. He is younger, in his early to mid-twenties, but it is his eyes that catch me off guard. Even though I can see he is looking at me there is something more behind his gaze, like he already knows me, but I have never met him before.

"Caryn Tobin, we would like you to meet Honey Mill and Daniel Hawke, your companions. Ms. Mill and Mr. Hawke, it is my pleasure to introduce you to the White Lilac," the mayor says.

Honey's blue eyes widen as she sees me and her tone trails up when she says, "Aren't you cute." She reaches out to take my hand and strokes it like a pet.

"It is a pleasure to meet you," Daniel says. He flashes a tight smile and winks at me as though we share a private joke. I have to blink, yet when I stare up at his eyes there is a cold glint that reminds me so much of Second Official Whit my legs start to shake.

"It's nice to meet you," I murmur. I can't make myself move closer to him and since Honey is still petting my hand, Daniel doesn't hold his out for me to shake.

"Oh, we are going to have so much fun!" Honey says with a squeal. "We are going to shop 'til we're drowning in merchandise and then I'm going to dye your hair a lovely shade of pink, or blue, if you like. I moonlight at one of the best hair salons on Grande Street. We'll do nails, make-up, a full body wax, and then exfoliate every single pore. You will feel so pampered when I'm done and you'll have to have your own speeder just to take back all your new stuff."

I pull my hand back not sure if I understood half of what she said. "But what am I going to do with a bunch of new things?"

Honey's face turns into a frown and she crosses her arms, the shiny pink fabric wrinkles loudly. "You are just like everyone else at the Compound. I hope you know that."

"What?" I ask completely confused both by her change in demeanor and her words. I know she means it as an insult, but I don't know why. Everyone on Beta Earth loves the Compound, after all we are the reason they are still alive. Besides, the cure is free to all citizens no matter their station, so everyone is cared for.

The mayor gives a short laugh, "What Ms. Mill means is that you are still new to our way of doing things and you may find you like shopping and beautifying yourself."

Daniel laughs and Honey glances at both before breaking out into a high-pitch laugh herself. But the lighter mood does little to brighten my own and the sinking feeling I have is firmly rooted in my stomach.

A slightly older man with dark brown skin who had been sitting in a chair behind them stands and moves closer to us. Unlike the others his face is solemn and his eyes look tired but kind.

"This," the mayor says, "is Doctor Francis Hubbard another fine citizen we believe will be interesting for you to spend time with."

He nods at me and for a moment I can relax, I am perfectly at ease around him, probably because I am used to spending time with doctors and scientists.

"What is your specialty?" I ask, taking a step away from the others to see him better.

"I am a generalist. I do initial primary care for all ages and families." His voice is quiet as if he hasn't used it in awhile.

"I'm into science too," Daniel says stepping closer to me. "The science of technology. I can show you how to navigate the u-web and how to find all sorts of information. There's some clips you have to see."

"I--um, Anderson," I say, as my body starts to shake again. "Can we talk?"

Before he has a chance to say anything I grab his arm and pull him out into the hall.

"I can't go with them," I say. My hands are shaking and my stomach feels sick.

"You should tell the mayor. Perhaps we can arrange for you to stay by yourself," Anderson says, but his expression is thoughtful.

"The doctor seems nice," I say. "But I don't want to spend my last few days with the other two." I surprise myself with how passionate I sound. Anderson raises an eyebrow and we stand in silence for a moment. The mayor appears in the doorway.

"Is something wrong?"

I look sideways at Anderson and then down at the floor before I say, "Yes, are--are these companions mandatory?"

"They have gone through a quite extensive selections process. We would not have you wandering around with people who cannot take care of you, even if they don't work for me."

"But you said I could choose different companions?" I can feel the mayor's eyes on me. My knees have almost stopped shaking now that we are out in the open hall and away from the two companions. I stand up straight and force my eyes to meet hers.

"I suppose we could allow you to choose from our other finalists, but I would like you to keep Dr. Hubbard." The mayor says.

I quickly agree.

"I'll send my assistant to show you where to go and he will arrange your trip back to the Compound too. I have some other business to attend to, but I will see you during your visit." The mayor snaps her fingers and one of the men standing in the hall rushes to her side. "Ralph, Ms. Tobin would like to pick her own companions. I want you to give her whatever she wants and make sure she meets someone she will enjoy spending time with. There should still be people from the selection process waiting if you hurry. And no mistakes this time."

"Yes, ma'am." Ralph bows his head and rushes away.

Anderson and I wait alone in the hall as the minutes tick by. Anyone would be better than Daniel and Honey, but when we are finally summoned into a giant room filled with people I begin to wonder how I would tell. At first glance, many of the people there seem to be dressed the same. Similar bright colors, flashy fabrics and decorative jewelry create their own wall in a line that leads out the door.

I see them staring at me and the sea of looks makes me feel like I am underwater. I am drowning again, only this time there is air around me. I shouldn't have said anything.

"Do you see anyone you would like as a companion? Because if you can't there might be something legally we can do about this situation." Anderson nudges me with his elbow and I am about to ask him how I could get out of it when I see a guy weaving through the crowd. He looks roughly my age or at least much younger than the average age of the rest of the crowd. His clothes are dirty and he doesn't look at me as he moves through the mass of people. No one notices him, but he sees them and is perfectly fine without the attention.

I realize this is part of what bothers me about Honey and the rest of the crowd. They are doing everything they can to be noticed, but they end up doing the same things. This guy didn't want anyone to notice him, yet he simply did not care. He belonged, but he stands out, much like I and the other candidates do. I found myself wanting to know why and wanting to know him. He was the kind of person I would like to spend my trip with.

"Do you see the dark-haired guy?" I ask.

Ralph leans closer. "Which one? That one with the purple hat?"

"No, the one standing three to the right of that one, with the gray clothes. I want to talk to him."

#  Chapter Nine: Kai

Kai stepped out from the safety of the crowd and followed the men to the front of the room. They halted in front of the girl and her company, most with some form of a frown on their faces.

The girl was the only one who smiled, revealing a dimple in her left cheek.

"What is your name?" she asked.

"Kai Garrett. What's yours?"

She blinked, her smile dimmed and she glanced back at a man behind her before saying, "I'm Caryn Tobin. You don't know who I am?"

"Maybe," Kai said. There was something about the way she smiled that tickled a memory. Then he noticed the wall screen flashing her photo along with words underneath, too many that he didn't care to try to figure them out. He'd probably seen her picture being advertised before, but hadn't really noticed it.

"It doesn't matter," Caryn said. She straightened her shoulders and her complete smile was back. "I am going to be visiting this city for several days this week and I will need a companion. Do you know this city well?"

"Sure."

"Do you like history?"

"Not really."

"Oh." Caryn's shoulders dropped and then she brightened. "But you're honest."

"Sometimes," Kai said, before he had a chance to stop himself.

She laughed a soft joyful sound that made him want to laugh too.

A man with a thin nose typed rapidly on his hand-held computer and said, "Caryn, this is not an appropriate companion, look at the way he is dressed. And he's way too young. As far as I can tell, he is not even on our list and I'm sure the mayor would not approve."

Kai stared at the man. The man hadn't even bothered to lower his voice, if anything he had spoken louder like he wanted Kai to know he didn't make the cut.

"Ralph, right?" She waited for the thin nosed man to acknowledge his name. "There was no stipulation about age, or dress, as long as the person was in this room and the mayor said these are the people I could pick from. Are you saying his presence here is an accident?"

Ralph swallowed, his eyes darting from Caryn to Kai and small beads of sweat started to form on his brow.

"What makes you think I even want to do whatever it is you're talking about?" Kai asked.

Caryn caught her breath, but Ralph and the woman next to him ignored his question. Instead Ralph took Kai by the arm and pulled him a short distance from Caryn.

"I don't know if I can do this, Anderson," Caryn said softly to the man behind her, but Kai heard her and he could tell by the worried look in Ralph's eye that he had heard her too.

The woman next to Ralph stepped closer and asked, "Have you ever been tagged?"

"No," Kai snorted at the idea. Not yet. It was the getting out of dangerous situations that led to tagging without having to steal something that he still needed to work on.

"Are you a native of Highton City?"

Kai rolled his eyes. "What does that mean?"

"Have you lived here all your life?"

"Yes."

"Where are your parents?" Ralph asked.

"Dead."

"What are your thoughts on the Compound?"

Kai shrugged.

"How old are you?" the woman asked.

"Sixteen," Kai said. At least according to the age Father Merrick had decided on.

The woman nodded.

Another man walked over to him with a scanner. He double-checked Kai's neck and spine before saying in a surprised tone, "He's clean."

Both the man and the woman looked back at Ralph and the woman softly said, "Technically he qualifies."

Ralph leaned toward the woman, his lips pressed together in a tight, thin line. "The mayor said no mistakes, but if we don't agree to this one, she may decide not to come and that would be worse than for her to spend three days with him. Besides the doctor will be available and we will be able to watch her through her vital signs and the city's surveillance."

"I believe the mayor would agree if she were here." The woman nodded.

Kai stood next to them and could hear them perfectly even though they used quiet tones. He could also sense the desperation in Ralph. That guy was at the point of doing anything, agreeing to anything, but Kai couldn't handle the distraction of another job.

"Very well. What about a second companion?" Ralph asked, his tone subdued as he turned to back to Caryn.

"I only want one," Caryn said.

"Wait," Kai said. "I don't want to be some companion. I have enough things to do this week." Like finding a ruby, running away, or being killed.

"Why don't you want to be my companion?"

"I don't even know what that means." Kai shook his head.

"All it means is you would travel with me to different places around the city for the three days I am here and keep me company," she said, but she looked over at Ralph and waited in case he wanted to add anything, which he didn't.

"We'd just hang out? That's it?"

The woman cleared her throat. "It would also be your duty to keep her from harm and to help her navigate the city."

"Yeah, thanks for considering me, but I don't think so," Kai said. He stepped back and began to walk away.

"You would be paid for your time." Ralph's voice rang out.

Kai paused. "You couldn't give me what I want," he said mostly to himself.

"Try me." Ralph's head cocked to one side as if he were daring Kai to come up with something.

"So you're saying you could pay me an all-expense paid trip to Deltan, include the necessary travel documents, and throw in a." Kai looked up at the ceiling like he was trying to think of something impossible. "Let's say a six carat Betan ruby?"

"Done," Ralph said, without hesitation. "But you would not be paid until the job was finished and in a satisfactory manner. You will also have to sign a contract and release documents."

Kai blinked. That hadn't gone quite the way he thought it would. Then his mind leaped ahead, if he took this job, and they did provide him with the ruby and a ticket, he would have the best of both worlds. He would find out about his mother and be able to leave Highton City forever. He would never have to steal for the T-Man again.

"You would give me a six carat ruby and a ticket out of here to stay with her and protect her for three days?" He had to make sure.

"Yes," Ralph said.

Kai didn't see any deception behind the man's eyes, only desperation. In fact, he looked more serious than anything, like making this deal was the most important thing for him or his career. And by the way the woman sighed, Kai guessed she was imagining the check they would have to sign.

"Okay," Kai said, letting the word hang in the air. "I'll be your companion."

"Great," Caryn said and she held out her hand for him to shake on it. Kai gripped her hand feeling like the weight of the world had lifted from his back. They were going to give him a Betan ruby and he didn't have to steal anything.

The T-Man would have his ruby and Kai wouldn't have to risk getting tagged to get it for him. He would be able to finally leave Highton City. And the T-Man would have to tell Kai all about his mother. His whole life was falling into place.

"You will need to be here at seven a.m. sharp tomorrow morning," the woman said. "And you will receive payment at the end of the third day."

"Not a problem," Kai said. He could hardly believe his luck.
Chapter Ten: Caryn

"I will see you then," I say to Kai.

He nods at me and turns to go. I can scarcely believe how fortunate I am. Kai isn't exactly what I had in mind, but he is going to be a thousand times better than the other two. Even as he walks out of the building, only two or three people notice him leaving.

"We need to get back. You are late for a doctor's appointment," Anderson says.

I follow him back to the speeder.

"Thanks for supporting me," I say, once the speeder has shot into the sky and we are leaving the city behind.

Anderson pulls his tie loose and sticks it into his pocket.

"Well, you were right. There is no stipulation about age. You were allowed to pick the companion, or companions, who were in that room. You aren't responsible if they can't control who is there."

I smile at him, but he is looking out the window and doesn't see, his brow is wrinkled like it does when he is thinking about an unexpected event.

The speeder lands and Anderson takes me back inside, up the elevator to the third floor, dedicated solely for our medical needs including our own scanners and operating rooms. But hearing the elevator doors open reminds me of the question that lingers from the meeting after the Tournament.

"Is the Compound still looking for an antidote?" I ask. My voice is barely as loud as the soft elevator dings that indicate the floor it is passing. The elevator halts and Anderson starts to walk out.

"Anderson," I say a bit louder as I step off the elevator.

"What?" Anderson looks back at me.

I clear my throat a bit. "Is the Compound still looking for an antidote to combat the anemone poison?"

He frowns and looks up at the corners nearest us where the walls and ceiling meet. Part of the Compound's security system is cameras that randomly rotate their position. I've often tried to look for them, but can never tell if they are there or not since they also employ camouflage to reflect whatever is behind them.

"Caryn, this is neither the time nor the place to ask such questions," Anderson says. He doesn't look at me but stares straight ahead at the elevator doors as they roll closed behind me. "But to answer your question, yes, the Compound is always looking for an antidote. It is one of our primary functions. The next few days will be extremely busy for you.

It's bad enough that you are leaving the Compound, you don't need to worry about things that don't concern you. You need to focus on the Compound's purpose and gathering the cure. It is more important than anyone or anything."

I'm sorry I ask, as his explanation turns more into a lecture, a bit too similar to others I've heard this week, and leaves me wishing I had kept my mouth shut. Anderson is unusually quiet as we walk into the check-up rooms. A nurse tells us he is seeing May right now, but they should be almost done. We pass her desk and I spot the chairs against the wall. Suddenly my feet and legs feel tired and I can't wait to sit down.

A gentleman in his sixties is also waiting in one of the chairs. The top of his head is bald, but brown-gray hair grows in a crescent from ear to ear. When he sees us, he jumps to his feet and walks toward me with his hand outstretched and a warm smile on his face.

"You must be Caryn," he says, grabbing my hand and shaking it like a fish out of water. "I'm Dr. Marcus Kendel. I'm not with the Compound, but I've just been given access to the anemone antidote project and I'm going to be studying the research for an antidote over the next few days." His voice runs out of steam as if he suddenly wonders if he should be talking about the antidote to me.

"Are you the only one--" I start to ask, but the door opens and May comes out followed by Eighth Official Rafferty. Her face is calm, but when she sees me her eyebrows frown and she looks away.

"She's good to go," Dr. Vos says, as he makes a final tap on his hand-held. I can see some colors flash on the projected screen, but not enough to tell what he's working on. Each handheld records its' owner's visual spectrum and uses all the colors that person can see. While the middle, common colors are shielded from other viewers, the colors on the far ends of the spectrum are not, but without the other information it is impossible to see what he is doing. He slips his handheld into his lab pocket and scratches behind his ear. The top of his head is completely bald and reflects the ceiling lights and the hair that grows on the sides is a salt and pepper mix that his white coat makes seem more white than black.

May walks away quickly with Rafferty trying to keep up, almost as if she can't stand to be in the same room I am in.

"Dr. Vos," Dr. Kendel says, turning from me. "I need to get your authorization to access past research on the anemone poison."

"Yes, yes. But first I have to see my patient. Caryn?" Dr. Vos sweeps a hand to welcome me into the check-up room. I walk in with Anderson behind me.

"I just need your signature--" Dr. Kendal says, as the door closes behind us.

I sit on the patient table and hold out my finger so he can take a DNA sample.

"Have you had any coughing?" Dr. Vos asks.

"No and no headaches or vomiting," I say, hoping to get through the list sooner.

"Name five people you saw this morning."

"Seventh Official Anderson, May, Janissa, their officials Rafferty and Jones, Janie the cook, Mari the assistant, Nancy the housekeeper--" I could have gone on, but Dr. Vos cuts me off.

"Excellent," he says, as he shines a light in my eyes. "Look up to the right. Now the left."

"How is she?" Anderson asks. He tries to sound calm, but there is always a tinge of concern when he asks it each week. The recent candidate history of dying young keeps everyone on their toes. Especially since the DNA splices can start unraveling with short notice. I've heard stories of some candidates who were completely fine one day and two days later could not get out of the bed they would die in. But that was before they returned to the more stable, less exotic, form of DNA splicing.

"Things appear to be normal," Dr. Vos says. "Now I want you to lie down so we can take some scans."

Dr. Vos always responds the same way too. I can appear to be fine, but that doesn't mean my DNA is. The scans are very basic otherwise we would be using one of the other rooms where the heavy equipment is. In five minutes I am given the okay to proceed with the rest of my day and Dr. Vos promises to see me for another check-up the day after tomorrow at the Compound Embassy in Highton. As Anderson and I leave the room, Dr. Kendel jumps out of his seat only to wait at the doorway for Dr. Vos to finish typing notes into his hand-held.

Anderson gives me the rest of the afternoon off and I head up to the library. No class today, or the rest of the week. I love the quiet of the library and I can almost taste books around me. I don't pick up one I just sit in one of the over-stuffed chairs, look out the window and breathe.

It feels good to relax and to be alone. Today has felt like a whole week. I can hardly believe that it was this morning I woke up wondering if I would have what it takes to win the Tournament. That girl seems like someone else now, much like the girl I was around Second Official Whit. But I don't want to think about him.

I try to picture Heather. I know her image is captured in all of our computers, along with footage, but I try to recall her face from memory and can't. Moments of seeing her swim, the sense she was so much bigger than me and the smile she would flash when she saw me at the end of the day, are no longer as clear as they used to be. A sheet of plastic is wrapped around them that softens the edges and keeps me from touching them. Some memories I can draw close and smooth the plastic down, but others hide in the dusty shadows slowly, quietly fading away. I wish more than anything that she were still alive now. That I could hear her laugh. That we could talk late into the night about everything and nothing.

"There you are," Anderson says. "I should have looked here first when I found you weren't in your classroom."

He walks into the room and sits down in a chair across from me. I sniff away my memories and try to shift in my chair so he can't see my watering eyes.

I can hear the smile in his voice when he says, "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine."

"Fine doesn't mean you're okay." He sits in the overstuffed chair beside me.

"May has been avoiding me since the Tournament." I keep my eyes on the window, glad to have remembered May and to have a possible explanation for why I'm not happy.

"Have you talked to her?"

"No. I haven't had time."

We are silent for a moment then Anderson says, "I have something for you." He holds out a small black box.

"What is it?" I ask as I take it. I'm almost completely recovered now.

Anderson just smiles and nods at the box.

I open the lid and see a necklace lying on velvet. It is the outline of a fish on a silver chain and as I look closer I realize the fish is a jigger, the same fish as the cause of the disease and the source of the cure. I glance at him, confused.

"It's a jigger," I say.

"It's special." Anderson takes the box from me and removes the silver chain. "The Officials and I got together and had it made for you. We want you to have something to remember us while you are in the city."

"Thanks," I say. The jigger is something we all have in common at the Compound and despite my excitement on leaving I know I will miss everyone here.

He stands and stretches. "Come on, it's time for dinner and then you should probably go to bed. You have a busy three days ahead of you."

I put the necklace back in the box and go with Anderson to the dining hall.

As I lie in bed after dinner, I wait for the girls to enter our room. Mostly I just want to hear them move, let their quiet whispers flow over me, and pretend that in the morning our lives will be the same as they have always been.

I didn't think I would fall asleep before May and Janissa entered the room, but I did. I jerk awake and sit up in bed. It is 5:30 in the morning and the room is so dark that it takes me a moment before I can make out the girls in their beds. I lay back down on my pillow, but my heart is racing.

Today, I am leaving the Compound. The thought bounces around inside and I know I won't be able to go back to sleep now. There is a brand new, white full-body suit for me to wear on my trip and I get out of bed and pull it on. I braid my hair and attach the necklace around my neck.

At six there is a knock at our door. I rush as quietly as I can and wave my hand in front of the door's motion detector. It swings open and I see Anderson with his hair sticking up in three places and his shirt only half-tuck into a tan pair of rumpled pants.

"First Official Foreman wants to take you to the city himself. He's waiting for you now."

"What?" No one tells me anything.

"Are you ready to go?" he asks.

"But I haven't seen May and Janissa--"

"Say goodbye quickly." Anderson stuffs the rest of his shirt into his pants.

"What is going on?" May asks behind me. She sits up in bed and rubs her eyes.

"I am leaving," I say.

Janissa lifts her head and her eyelids part enough to see me.

"Have a fun time," she says, her voice slurred, and then her head sinks back down. I wonder if she will remember this when she wakes.

"I will," I say. Three days suddenly seems like a long time and water gathers in my eyes. I look up at the ceiling before returning to May.

"Will you see us when you come back?" May asks. Her eyes are bright in the hallway light and her brow is slightly wrinkled, like it does when she is sad or angry.

I can't tell by her tone if she is being serious or if she is mocking me, but I smile and say yes before walking out the door and out of the building.

Anderson takes me to the landing platform and then says, "I'll see you when you get back."

"You're not going with me?" I ask. The thought of spending the whole ride to the city alone with the First Official scares me a bit.

"You are spending the next three days without me. You will be fine. Besides it'll give me a chance to catch up on my paper work." He smiles, but it doesn't take away the sad glint in his eye.

First Official Foreman is waiting beside a speeder and I wave at Anderson before stepping inside it. Foreman doesn't say anything as we fly up in the sky and into the city. It is not until we have exited the speeder and are back in the large room I was in yesterday, about to exit the building when he stops and faces me. We are in front of the main door and I try to give him my full attention, but there is a bird singing somewhere outside and it calls to me. Instead, I find myself staring up at his dark brown beard liberally sprinkled with gray. There is a serious look in his eyes I have never seen.

"Caryn," Foreman says. "Some of the officials would like me to order you to return when your three days are up, but if you give me your word that you will return, then that will be enough for me."

"I promise I will return," I say, wondering why he would even think I wouldn't come back. I know what is at stake.

"Then I will see you in three days," Foreman says. He opens the door and I walk out.

#  Chapter Eleven: Kai

Kai felt lighter as he walked through the courtyard. It was the first time things were actually going his way, which made part of him wonder when something was going to go wrong. He wasn't this lucky, was he?

"Excuse me, young man?" Several people turned to look at him.

Kai sighed. No, he wasn't. He stopped, but didn't turn around.

"We would like to have a word with you before you go." It was that Ralph guy.

With a sigh, Kai followed Ralph back through the now thinning crowds. The woman was also waiting and the giant hall had been cleared so that something as quiet as a sniff would echo. It had a nice echo too and Kai would have been interested in finding out what the echo of other noises would sound like, but the woman glared at him.

"While we are delighted that you have been chosen as a companion, you are not on our list of approved companions. Perhaps you would like to explain why you were here today."

"I saw the crowd and wanted to know why they were there." Kai shifted his gaze from the woman to Ralph. It was mostly the truth.

Ralph opened his mouth and it stayed open waiting for a fly to enter or something. "Where--what are--you never told us what you think of the Compound?" he finally asked, as if someone had smacked him in the back of the head freeing him from an overloaded thought processor.

"I've heard of it, it's a company, right? Somewhere outside the city."

"An empire of science labs and a pharmaceutical supplier. Do you know anything else about them?" Ralph asked.

Kai shook his head. He'd heard people mention it around the food kitchens and thought they provided some cure to everyone.

Ralph watched him for a moment then asked, "If the Compound was destroyed, would you care?"

"Not really," Kai said. This answer seemed to satisfy them and he was allowed to leave for the second time with another warning not to be late tomorrow morning.

He hadn't taken more than five steps out of the courtyard when he saw Noah making a beeline toward him. It figured. His luck was all used up.

Noah stopped when he saw Kai. "What are you doing here?" he asked, his face showing true surprise.

"I was finding a ruby like the T-Man asked me to," Kai said. "Why? What are you doing here?"

"It's none of your business," Noah said. He frowned and stepped closer to the wall. "Do you have it?"

"Not yet."

"If I were you I'd make sure I had it soon. This is very important to the T-Man and he won't be in a forgiving mood if you fail him."

"Don't worry about me," Kai said. He took a step away from Noah. "Remember we're not friends."

Kai crossed the street and walked past several shops before looking back. Noah was still watching him, with his head tilted to the side and a small frown on his face. For a brief moment Kai wondered what Noah was doing, but his stomach reminded him that it was empty.

He spent the rest of the day searching the dumpsters in the area and he managed to find a package of cheese, still wrapped, in a dumpster two streets away. Once he broke off the moldy ends it was pretty good. Not completely filling, but his stomach wasn't growling every time he moved and he could loosen his belt a notch.

That night he slept in an alley between two buildings across the street from the courtyard. He didn't want to risk the chance of being late because of running through the streets. But he shouldn't have worried. His eyes opened every sixty minutes when the clock over a bank down the street chimed out the hour. Finally, at five he stopped trying to sleep, sat up and watched the sky lighten as the near sun began to rise.

Kai had heard that Earth only had one sun, but he preferred having two. The warmth both suns provided kept Beta Earth from experiencing frozen winters, which meant that Kai never had to worry about finding shelter or stashing blankets. There were months when the near sun and far sun did not travel together and the sky was light for the majority of their thirty-two hour day, but not today. The far sun rose within a half hour of the near sun and the city heated as it brightened.

When the clock chimed six Kai stood and crossed the street. He was going to miss the bread kitchen again, but he was not going to be late for this. The gateway was open so he crossed into the courtyard, but when he did an alarm sounded and a man in a security uniform burst out of the security room, a stun gun raised and armed.

"This is a specialized area. You are not allowed to be in here," he said.

"I'm a bit early. I was told to come here at seven to meet that girl," he said. He straightened up, but stayed where he was.

"I suggest you meet her outside then."

"But I have to sign papers and stuff."

"That's not my concern. You do not have clearance for this area. You have to leave."

"Look," Kai said. This guy was not going to keep him from getting that ruby. "I'm one of the companions for that girl who's visiting the city. I was told to come here at seven this morning and I can't be late."

"You need to leave!"

The man wasn't listening.

"I'm not leaving until you talk to someone." Kai spread his legs keeping to the balls of his feet in case the guy tried to rush him or zap him.

The man's eyes narrowed, but he pressed the communication bug in his ear and contacted someone in the main building. Kai hoped it was someone who knew more than this guy did. At first it didn't sound promising, but then the man's responses changed to "yes sir" and "I'll bring him right in."

The man motioned for Kai to walk ahead of him. He was probably afraid that Kai would stab him in the back or something. The courtyard was different without the crowds. The walls stood taller and the stones made each noise echo as he walked to the other end.

He recognized the woman from yesterday standing in the doorway by the time he got to the huge doors.

"We're going to have to do something to keep this from happening," she said. They stopped by an office long enough for her to pick up a clear chip which she held out to him.

"We will connect this to the one Ms. Tobin has. You will not be able to buy anything, but you will be able to accompany her wherever she may want to go."

Kai nodded. He'd seen cards like this on rich kids before. Some even allowed kids to shop on their own with their parents' account, rarely full access, but normally partial access.

"Also, since you are the only full-time companion she has approved, we will require you to be with her at all times. If you leave her side, you will forfeit your pay." She wagged her finger in Kai's face. "Understand?"

"Sure," Kai said.

Then she ushered him into a small room where they had him fill out a small stack of paper work. They tried explaining it to him, but the only thing Kai understood was that if he didn't sign all those papers he would not get paid. It took him thirty minutes, because they would interrupt him to take his fingerprints and a heat signature, but when the woman finally grunted her approval and told him to wait in the courtyard, it was only a minute or two before the doors opened and the girl, Caryn, stepped out.

The sun lit up her blond hair and gave a glow to her skin that hadn't been there before. Her white clothes and matching shoes also seemed to glow in the sun, but it may have been the reflective properties inside the cloth. She immediately spotted him, even though he was standing to the side, and when she smiled Kai felt warmth curling inside.

"I'm sorry. It looks like the doctor won't be available this morning, but he will contact you in the afternoon. Here's your itinerary for today," the woman said, handing a piece of paper that Caryn placed in her pocket.

"Thank you," she said, then turning to Kai she asked, "Are you ready?"

"Yeah," Kai said. His voice sounded higher than normal and he tried to cover it by clearing his throat. "What would you like to do?"

"Have you eaten breakfast?"

"No."

"Then let's take care of that." She started walking down the steps and Kai kept pace with her. "Where do you normally go?"

"To eat? I don't--the places I go aren't, you know...." Kai paused. The bread kitchen was no longer open and he wasn't going to go dumpster diving with a girl dressed in white. He tried to think of the places normal people might go for a meal.

"There's a diner several blocks that way." He pointed toward the suns.

"It sounds perfect."

They walked through the gate and Caryn laughed.

Kai glanced over at her.

"I can't believe I'm here, in the city," she said. She walked with her head bent back to stare at the buildings. "The sky is so blue! I always thought it had more of a grayish tint because of the dome we live under."

"You don't get out much?"

"I never get out, especially not by myself."

"You should tell your parents to relax," he said, he motioned for her to follow him across the street.

"I don't have parents, I mean, I don't know them. Everyone has parents." She paused as if there was more she wanted to say, but then thought better of it and her mouth closed.

"Me either."

"Who takes care of you?" she asked, her brow knitted together.

"I do." He could see the concern in her eyes and shrugged his shoulder. They walked the next block in silence. The smell of bacon, eggs and muffins filled the air and made Kai's knees weak. As they drew closer to the diner it took all his concentration to keep from groaning at the way his stomach twisted with each breath.

The door opened for them and they entered. A white-haired man showed them to a small table by the window and gave them menus.

"Go ahead and order whatever you want," Caryn said.

"Really?" Was he still asleep and dreaming about this?

She nodded and returned her attention back to the menu.

The same man returned and took their orders. Kai didn't hear what she ordered all he could think about was the list of food and how much could he eat and how much he could keep down.

"What do you want?" the man asked him.

"I'll take your pancake special, your egg special with extra sides of bacon and sausage and a big plate of hash browns."

"Is that all?" the man asked, his hand poised over pad.

"For now."

Kai watched the man walk away and then jerked back to Caryn. She gave him a small smile, touched her silver necklace and leaned back in her chair. When the food was brought out there were more plates than Kai thought he ordered, but that didn't keep him from eating as much as he could from all of them.

Kai scrapped his fork against the last plate gathering any leftover crumbs. He sighed and pushed it away. The skin around his stomach was stretched thin and he had to loosen his old belt to the first notch.

"You must have been hungry," Caryn said. She picked up his plates, stacking them on top of each other and then added her plate to the top.

"So, what now?" Kai asked.

She walked over to the brochures displayed on the countertop, picked one out and asked, "Have you ever been to the Space Travel Museum?"

"No, but I hear it's really popular with the tourist groups and it sounds interesting enough."

"Good," she said. "Then we can both see it together for the first time." She stood and started to walk away. It took Kai a moment to push out of his chair and he needed several long strides to catch up with her once they left the diner.

They weaved through the tourists and past the shops following the signs for the museum until they reached a high fence of fancy metal bars. The fence completely surrounded the museum, but when they reached the front gate it was locked.

"It must be closed," Kai said.

"No," Caryn said, pointing to a sign on the gate. "It says it is under reconstruction."

"I hope this week wasn't your only chance 'cause there's no way we can see it now."

"This is my only chance," Caryn said and she began to shake the main gate. Kai took a step back glancing up and down the street for cops. She was going to get them both arrested if she kept this up. To his relief Caryn let go of the gate, but then she turned to the security box and pressed the call button.

"The museum is closed," said a voice from the box.

"Yes, I know," Caryn said. "My friend and I would like a private tour."

"I'm sorry. Private tours are not allowed at this time. Please come back at another date," the voice said.

"Can you see me?" Caryn asked. Her body squared to the box and she held up her hand. Kai caught a flash of something gold in her palm. "I would appreciate it if you could contact your superior and ask if an exception could be made in this instance."

"One moment," the voice said.

They stood there for five minutes staring at the dark marble pillars at the front of the museum. Stone steps leading up to the door and the large courtyard fountain reminded Kai of the Greek temples he had been told about when he was at the orphanage. The suns were starting to heat the city and Kai could feel sweat forming on his forehead. Caryn looked completely calm standing perfectly straight. Then the front door of the museum opened. A security guard, dressed in blue, walked quickly down the steps and across the courtyard. As he reached the gate he whipped out some keys, pressed his finger to a scanner and proceeded to unlock the gate.

"The museum is honored to have you visit us," the guard said, as he held the gate open for Caryn to pass. Kai was holding his breath and when Caryn motioned for him to join her he slowly let it out. He caught another flash of gold, but this time he was looking for it and he saw she had a gold card. She was a year younger than him and she had a gold card! He had a sneaky suspicion that he had just agreed to hang out with royalty.

#  Chapter Twelve: Caryn

"You have a gold card?" Kai whispers in my ear as we wait for the guard to unlock the main doors.

"Yes." I show him the card attached to my palm.

"How'd you get it?"

"The mayor of Highton gave it to me," I say.

"Why?" Kai asks.

I open my mouth to answer, but the guard is saying he will accompany us through our tour and if we have any questions to just ask. Kai takes a small step away from me and then we are walking into a room even more majestic and grand than the room where I first saw Kai. Everything seems to be made of marble and the walls are covered with interactive displays. I am lost in a world of the past before I walk through the door.

Heather would have loved this museum. My mouth stays open through the first three rooms and I can't help pointing out displays and exclaiming over the names of people there. I become so engrossed in one display that by the time I look up, the guard and Kai are nowhere near me. For a moment my chest freezes and I glance wildly around.

Then I spot Kai hovering over a display across the large room. The guard stands in one of the doorways watching as I pass the displays between us, barely getting more than a glance at the pictures and tools behind the glass. He is bent over a display of stones and gems found only on Beta Earth. I peek over his shoulder and see a set of rubies with a dark center ranging in size from one to seven carats.

"Is that the kind of ruby you want?" I ask.

"Huh?" He spins around, his eyes wide as he looks from the guard to me.

"For your payment, is that the type of ruby you want?" I ask again.

"Yeah," he says, his shoulders slowly relaxing. "A Betan ruby."

"Okay." I say. I take a closer look at the ruby. The center is darker than the other rubies around it and under the bright lights I can see how someone would value it.

"Why did you ask for a ruby?" I ask.

"I just wanted it," Kai says and he turns and walks to the next display.

We are in our own worlds for the rest of the museum, I point out the pictures of the first colonists and the Lyman family, but Kai just shrugs his shoulders. We circle one of the shuttlecrafts that landed the second wave of colonists and pass the display showing a jigger that is now stuffed. Its glassy eyes stare out at me and seem to follow me no matter where I stand and its dark brown body sticks out from the white wall like a moving shadow.

I try not to get carried away with the history behind each display and keep my excitement to a dull roar. Sometimes Kai seems interested, especially over the gun case and the ancient weapon progression to modern weapons wall display. It's interesting because those are the displays I could walk right past.

I don't know how long we spend going up and down each level's hallway, but the near sun beams on the tops of our heads when we walk down the marble steps back to the gate. My eyes squint against the glare from the white stone courtyard after being inside for so long. Under the dome at the Compound the suns are never this bright, partly to protect the candidates and partly to provide a consistent environment for the Aquarium and labs. I wonder how the rest of the world has not gone blind from the intense light. It's later than I thought and Kai suggests we try a local pizza restaurant which sounds perfect to me.

We haven't gone more than a block when I notice a line of gold-plated cement blocks running parallel to us in the pavement. According to the Compound's library, the White Lilac Memorial has paths of gold blocks running down the streets in a four block radius leading to it. The paths converge and swirl around the Memorial like flames around a sun.

"Is the main square close to the Memorial?" I ask.

"What memorial?" he asks.

My feet slow down. How could he not know which Memorial I am talking about? As far as I know it is the only Memorial in Highton City. All the video feeds and books show thousands of people crowding around it. I look closer at Kai to see if he is making some kind of joke, but his face seems serious enough, curious even. He is young, not more than two years older than I and perhaps he doesn't know about it yet, or what it means. He would have no memory of the previous cure gathering and the name etching afterward.

"The White Lilac Memorial. It's a tall white pillar with the names of all the people who have died to create the vaccine," I say.

I feel somewhat more subdued when he only shrugs and says, "Maybe."

We continue on toward the main square and our path stays parallel with the gold cement path. The street we are on opens up to a large square and the gold cement path shoots out into the open joined by other paths from each street spiraling around a tall, stone pinnacle in the center of the square. The Memorial, my memorial. My first glimpse catches my breath. It is bigger and more beautiful in person than it ever looked on film or paper. The sheer height of it makes me feel insignificant compared to all those who have gone before me.

In a daze I walk up to it, my eyes drifting to each name on the side facing me. Before I realize it my hands are touching those names: Petyr Gurginsk, Jessica Hall, Fredrick GY00175 and Patricia GY22446.

All the contestants had the option of using their given name or their lab name, which is a series of letters and numbers that identify their creation order like a big family. Mine is Caryn GY63728 from the 60,000 series. As I touch each name their face appears on the screen at the top of the monument and rotates slowly like they are looking around the square.

I move on to the next side. The four sides all have four names with the exception of one that still has three. I am the sixteenth and I can't help trying to picture my name above Hank GY52977 completing the current top row so the next White Lilac can start the row above ours. There is so much space left above these names, empty in waiting, as if there is a multitude in eternity waiting to be saved.

I turn to the next side and see Petyr Gurginsk engraved at the bottom in big, bold letters carved into the stone, the first person to die from anemone poison. He was the one who volunteered to search the bottom of the lake and he managed to gather some jigger eggs and swim to the shore before dying on the beach. My fingers trace the grooves of his name, I barely feel worthy to be standing here compared to all of them. It is like I'm meeting distant relatives I have always been told of and whose mighty deeds I have dreamed of at night. To be here and knowing the lives behind each name and face fills me with more emotion than I think is possible.

I wish May and Janissa could be here. We could probably spend a whole day looking at each name and reminding each other of all the stories we've heard of their lives. Just thinking of them makes me look around. No one else is in the center of the square. Kai is standing near the outer golden circles watching me with his hands in his pockets. I give the Memorial one last touch; the smooth stone feels warm under the suns' blaze, and I walk over to him.

"Where is this pizza shop?" I ask.

"This way," he says and he leads me across the square to a small shop with a red and green awning. We enter the shop and after asking one of the employees for a large pizza and two drinks we sit at a table to wait for the food.

I stare out the window to the Memorial in the square and then to Kai sitting opposite me. I can taste the silence between us and I feel like I should say something, but nothing comes to mind.

A steaming pizza descends between us and two drinks pop up on either side of the disposable plates. Kai and I tear off pieces and I place mine on my plate to cool. It is much hotter than the food at the Compound ever was and I rub the tips of my fingers to cool them. Kai has finished his first slice and is starting his second before I even take my first bite, but when I do I can't stop. The cheese, sauce and crust all taste so good, probably filled with all sorts of chemicals that I have never had at the Compound. Together we eat in silence until the whole pizza is gone and I feel so full I want to lie down on a bed and sleep.

"That was the best pizza I have ever had," I say.

Kai smiles. "This place still makes pizza the old way and you wouldn't believe how many calories are in a single slice."

I can believe it. I don't remember ever feeling this full. But the smells and tastes are so delicious that eating food like this even once a week would be worth losing ten years of my life span, if I had ten years to lose.

We are so close to Old Highton, the site of the first and second colonies, that we head there immediately after eating. I love looking at all the old buildings. Most are original, and the tourist shops with displays of old clothing and technology have been converted from an original dwelling or made from the same materials to look like it. We even take a tour where we walk through Dr. Haydon's house and lab. The invisible force fields keep us from touching anything but the carpeted path. But being here, seeing his chairs and books, breathing the same musty scent of his chemicals is like seeing the face of long lost friend.

If Heather was here she would know some story about why the rocking chair faced the window instead of the fireplace, or she could tell me what his favorite book was. Heather knew all sorts of random information like that. I wish she was here.

"Who is she?" Kai asks behind me.

"What?" I spin around.

"Who's Heather?"

Heat rises to my face. I was talking aloud and he heard me.

"Heather was my best friend, but she died four years ago." My fingers search for a wild strand of hair to tuck behind my ear, but find every hair in place and I resort to a quick scratch of my ear instead.

Kai's dark brown eyes capture mine and I see pain reflecting in them.

"I lost my best friend too."

"I guess the hurt never really goes away, does it?"

He turns and ducks beneath a low hanging glass case attached to the ceiling, but not before I hear him say, "Definitely not when he's the one betraying me."

"Can you tell me what happened?" I ask.

Kai shrugs. He looks at one of the wall displays on local plants and says, "Noah works for a guy I hate and now he's making me work for him too. It doesn't really matter. It's probably my fault anyway." He pauses and adds softly. "Just don't say it's not."

"I wasn't."

"Cause it doesn't help."

"I know it doesn't. When Heather drowned I was there and I could have done something, pressed my button, swam to her, anything, but I didn't." My words slip out, one slowly after the other. "People keep telling me it wasn't my fault. But I froze and I don't know if I will ever be able to forgive myself."

"That's horrible," Kai says. He takes a step toward me and knocks his head on the ceiling display. His face wrinkles in discomfort, but the mood is broken and I want to smile.

"Yes, it is," I say, trying to keep a straight face.

"Are you...?" Kai turns to me, a curious expression on his face while he rubs the red spot on his forehead.

I cover my mouth to hide a grin, but part of it breaks through.

"You think this is funny?" he asks, the corners of his lips tilting upward.

"No," I say. "It's not. And I can't stop." My throat gurgles as laughter breaks free. Kai watches me for a second, his own smile widening, his dark eyes twinkling, and then he is chuckling too.

"You would not believe the week my head has had," he says, his fingers fluffing his hair as we step out of the house.

"Oh really? Worse than that?" I step around ahead of Kai.

"Wait." Kai holds out his arm and stops me. His jaw tightens and his eyes flicker over my shoulder. A crowd of people are gathering in the streets slowly moving to the center of the city, but I don't care what they are doing. Several voices are shouting, "Just say no" and I step closer to hear what Kai might say.

"Is that her?" a woman in the crowd asks. Murmurs rise in the air.

Several people are pointing at me, one is shaking his fist. The crowd's chant changes from "Just say no" to "No more cure" and the anger in their voices freeze dries my lungs. They raise the projection screens from their handhelds higher, waving them in the air. Most of the screens say similar messages to the ones they are shouting, but I also see signs that say "No more experiments" and "Eighty years is enough." Then I notice the people in the crowd. Some are using walkers and others have deformed limbs or faces. One woman's body is so twisted her arms and legs curl up around her. She sits in a hover chair and has a projection screen above her that says, "You'd be better off dead than living like me."

"It is her," someone says and two men break off from the crowd coming toward us.

Kai snatches my hand in an iron grasp and we run.

#  Chapter Thirteen: Caryn

"Jump!" Kai leaps over some crates and pulls me with him into an alley. The tall brick walls on either side block out the light from the suns. We race to the end of the alley and turn right onto the quiet street. I can hear the two men running in the alley, but already they seem to be slowing and puffing. Kai isn't even breathing hard and his calm demeanor helps keep my rising emotions in check.

I can feel the distance growing between us and our pursuers, but then five men round the corner of the intersection in front of us. Kai stops and looks around for somewhere we could go. The buildings on both sides look closed or are boarded up. We turn to face the two men panting and Kai starts to move toward them. The guy on the right was smaller and heavier and the guy on the left was tall and lean. They walk closer, standing straighter, as they see the reinforcements blocking our exit.

Kai never takes his eyes off them, but in a soft, calm voice that only I can hear, he says, "We're going to run at the short guy. Stay at my right and keep going no matter what."

I nod and steel myself to run faster and harder than I do during training, but I never get the chance.

In that moment a force field falls between us and the two men. It crackles with energy and both men stare at it in surprise. The smaller man reaches up to touch it, hearing his partner's warning too late, and is instantly thrown ten feet back. The small hairs on my neck stick out and dance a bit as another force field drops to protect our rear. The five men stop their advance and then begin to take steps backwards as the force field moves closer to them. Kai and I have more room since the force field between us and the two men stays where it is.

I hear another force field drop, but this one blocks off the left section of the road the five men came from and forces them to go back the way they came. They all back away, not wanting to touch either of the force fields, especially since they had just seen what happened to the smaller guy. Together both fields move closer to the five men until they turn and disappear and we are left with an open road.

"Well, that was interesting," Kai says. We take a left and set a fast pace walking away from Old Highton and the crowd.

"How did that happen?" I ask.

He takes my hand and flips it over so the gold card glints in the light.

"It's probably this. They can track your heart rate and monitor your stress level with it. See how it attaches to your skin. And if they think you might be in danger they can do all that stuff. Plus," he points up at the buildings, "there are cameras everywhere."

I follow his gaze and notice small round black circles every twenty feet on every building. They are everywhere. I duck my head and tuck a wisp of hair behind my ear.

"Why did those people want you?" Kai asks.

The only answer that stands out in my mind is that it has something to do with the Compound. Some of the signs suggested they didn't want the cure. But why would anyone not want something that could save their lives?

I shake my head. "I don't know."

"There you are," a girl says. Mentally I cringe at being pointed out again as the girl leaps over a golden path and jogs across the street to our side.

"What are you doing?" Kai asks, stepping between us.

"Get out of my way." She pushes against Kai, but I have to nod before he lets her pass. "My dad sent me to get you. I'm Sara."

"I'm Caryn and this is Kai. Your dad is Dr. Hudson?"

She nods once setting her crinkled black hair in motion. "Yeah, he's busy again. I recognized you from the picture they have up everywhere. So are you ready?"

"Ready for what?" Kai asks.

Sara rolls her eyes. "You're coming to my house for dinner."

"Yes, I'm ready." I smile.

"Good. It's about five blocks from here, but it's not a long walk if you're used to it," Sara says, leading us away from the main square and the Memorial. It wouldn't feel right to call it the main square by itself.

Sara takes us past from the attractive shops and down residential streets where the houses crowd around each other, not at all spaced out like the houses on the outskirts of Highton had been. Some of these houses are not kept up as I notice long grass in one yard and a broken windowpane in the house next to it. Then the houses have no yard at all and are surrounded by cement. At one of these houses, a brown house with two stories and white shutters, Sara turns and presses her hand on the door sensor.

"Mom, I'm back!" Sara yells, as she walks in the door. "And I've brought the company."

"Sara, what have I said about shouting in the house?" a soft, woman's voice asks from above us on the right. I peer inside and see a set of steps directly ahead of us leading up and another set to the left leading down. There is a window in the wall next to the upstairs and I hear something clatter and footsteps.

"If we have guests then I would think it would be an even greater reason to use your inside voice," the woman's voice continues and then she appears standing at the top of the steps. A small woman wearing a flower printed apron over a pair of slacks and she wipes her wet, light brown hands, a lighter brown than Sara's, on a corner of the apron.

The light behind her glints off of her reddish, dark brown hair and her brown eyes settle first on Sara with a correctional gaze, the kind of look that says to behave. Then she sees us and a warm smile fills her face.

"Welcome, I'm Mrs. Hubbard, Doc Hubbard's wife. Dinner is almost ready. Sara I need you to bring your brother and sister up from the bottom basement," Mrs. Hubbard says and she disappears back into the kitchen.

"This way." Sara heads down the stairs on the left and we follow her. At the first landing a sharp smell of disinfectant and chemicals burn the hairs in my nose. It reminds me of the labs the scientists use at the Compound. Sara points to the closed door leading away and says, "The first basement is for Dad's patients and his lab. We're not allowed to go in there without permission."

We continue down another flight of stairs and are immediately embraced by a flowery scent and warm light. Several leather couches face each other in a circle with wooden tables positioned between each couch. Something light scraps across the floor and then stops.

"It's only Sara," a young voice says.

"Yeah, you better be glad it's me and not Mom," Sara says, plopping on one of the couches. "She'd have a fit if she saw you coloring on her white carpet again. Dinner's ready."

A young boy and a little girl sprawl on the floor. Colorful pages and markers are spread in twin arcs in front of both children. The little girl has straight light brown hair more like her mothers and she stares up at me with eyes so green they seem to shine. The boy takes one quick look at me and then he starts to gather up their papers.

"Come on, Lissa. We need to put these away before Mom comes down," he says.

"But I'm not finished yet," she says, sweeping up her papers and pushing them out of her brother's reach.

Sara turns to me and says, "This is Jackson and Melissa. Kids, this is Caryn and Kai. Be nice, they're guests."

"Do you want Mom to get mad?" Jackson asks Melissa, ignoring us completely.

Melissa's eyes widen and she shakes her head.

"Then we need to put everything away. We can finish it--" Jackson breaks off to cough. He coughs five times each one sounding worse than the one before, when he stops his eyes are watery and his forehead a light shade of pink on his otherwise tan skin.

"Are you all right?" I ask.

Jackson sniffs but continues to pick up the crayons around him and says, "I think I might be getting a cold."

Covering her mouth, Melissa coughs into her hand. Short, dainty coughs.

"Me too," she says.

"You are not," Sara says. "Now hurry or I'll tell Mom what you were doing."

Jackson and Melissa run into one of the adjacent rooms with papers and crayons clutched to their chests. When they come back we start up the stairs.

"My mom is really not a good cook, just to warn you. She's great as long as she follows a recipe or has a pre-made mix, but if she adds one thing she ends up changing the whole recipe. Once she made us pizza that turned into tomato dumpling soup with bacon pieces."

"I remember that," Jackson said, his hand slides along the handrail. "It wasn't that bad."

"I remember it too," Melissa adds, her arm and body positions in an almost perfect duplicate pose of Jackson's.

"No, you don't Lissa. You--" Jackson bursts into another fit of coughing. We all pause so we don't bump into him.

"You were six months old so Mom didn't give you any." Sara finishes her brother's thought. She scrunches her eyes at him as his coughing morphs into a hoarse bark. "Cover your mouth. You're going to give us all the plague."

"He is not!" Melissa protests. She pats his back waiting for his ragged breathing to get under control. When he does stop his face is drained of color. By the time we reach the tops of the stairs and enter the dining room, long, slow breaths rattle out of his lungs. Each one less shallow than the one before until he is breathing normally, but his face remains a pale shade of tan. Melissa hovers near him, her small hand patting his arm. Even Sara seems a bit subdued after seeing him crumble into his chair, her lips press together and her fingers violently twist the edge of her shirt.

"When Dad comes," Sara says. "You're going to tell him you're sick."

Jackson sits straighter and tries to smile. "I'm fine. It's just the dust in the air collecting in my chest and giving me a cold. We probably need to change the filter or something."

"Well, if you won't tell him I will," Sara said. She crosses her arms.

"Why do you have to be so mean?" Jackson glares at her. "I feel fine now. Dad doesn't need to look at me."

"Yeah Sara, you're mean," Melissa repeats.

Sara shrugs her shoulders, but I see the muscles in her cheeks tighten.

Kai sits in the empty chair next to Jackson and I sit across from him in an empty chair next to Sara. There are some rolls already set on the table and Kai grabs two barely letting the one stay on his plate for five seconds.

"Here it is," Mrs. Hubbard says. She sets a large dish of roast beef and seasoned potatoes, all covered in a yellow sauce with blue specks.

Sara rolls her eyes so only I can see.

The front door opens. Mrs. Hubbard leaves and when she returns Doc Hubbard is with her. He smiles at me and nods at Kai.

"I apologize for not being able to be with you earlier today," Doc Hubbard says. "Something came up at work."

"Something always comes up," Sara says, but I notice it isn't said as loudly as some of her other statements are.

"That is okay," I say. "I have enjoyed meeting your family."

"I am going to wash my hands. Go ahead and start without me," Doc adds the last part to his wife, but before he leaves the room Jackson starts coughing. He coughs so hard his lungs begin to wheeze and his tan skin returns to an ash color.

"Dad," Sara says, speaking over the coughing. "Jackson is sick. He's been coughing like this all day. I told him to tell you, but he doesn't listen to me."

Then Jackson's coughing stops, but he isn't breathing either. He freezes for a second, his eyes roll back into his head and he falls into Kai's lap.

#  Chapter Fourteen: Kai

Kai tried to catch the boy's body as it slipped off of the chair and Kai's fork dropped onto the floor.

"Jackson!" Melissa cried.

Chairs scrapped along the floor as everyone stood up.

"Here," Doc said. "We need to take him down to my office."

Kai scooped up Jackson's limp form and followed Doc to the stairs. He could hear footsteps as the others crowded behind him, but not close enough to get in his way. He walked sideways through the door on the basement's first floor and entered an open room with several padded tables lined against the wall. A large wooden desk faced toward them covered with loose stacks of papers and an incomplete DNA model of various sized and colored balls connected with sticks, each ball glowing internally with some math or chemical formula.

"Place him on this table here," Doc said, motioning to a table in the middle of the room nearest the desk and door. In three long strides Kai was there, laying Jackson down feet first. Mrs. Hubbard placed a small pillow on the table before Kai had let go of Jackson's head and he let it roll gently onto the pillow.

"Is he breathing?" Sara asked.

Doc rushed over with a stethoscope and several other gadgets in his hands, most Kai didn't know the purpose of. Doc began by scanning the boy with a small gray box that beeped and then Doc felt the boy's wrist. Jackson's chest rose slowly on its' own, but the rhythm was off somehow. The breathing was automatic and shallow almost as if it was artificial.

"Help me get his shirt off so I can listen to his lungs better," Doc said.

Mrs. Hubbard moved first to comply.

Kai tried to back away from the table to give her more room, but he almost stepped onto Melissa's foot as she was trying to see around him. He caught himself in time and then tried to slide down to the foot of the table. The Doc's desk blocked part of the way, but if he turned sideways he thought he could squeeze between Caryn and the desk. He was halfway there when he felt some papers move. They're just papers, he thought and pushed through.

A loud clatter made everyone jump, and then the sound of beads bouncing all over the floor filled the silence. Everyone turned to look at the multi-colored sticks, beads and balls from the model rolling around.

I'm sorry. Kai wanted to say, but he couldn't open his mouth. He just stared at the mess like everyone else.

Doc sighed. "Nobody move. That was my hydracisus molecule model and I'll need every piece to finish it. Elaine," Doc turned to his wife. "I want you to get a complete nutrient drip out of the back fridge and start it at 30 milliliters an hour. He's in a coma and there's not much more we can do for him right now."

Mrs. Hubbard disappeared into a room in the back and Doc began picking up the fallen pieces. Kai and the girls watched as he bent down near the wall and doorway to scoop up the balls. He placed everything in a plastic bucket.

Just then the doorbell rang.

Doc set the bucket down and left the room. Within the minute he returned followed by another man carrying a young girl. Her face was pale and she was coughing. Doc directed the man to set her down on one of the other padded tables and he began to go through the same steps he had with his son.

A large blue ball rolled to a stop almost under the desk and Kai picked it up before it could continue to go out of reach. Doc was in professional mode now and doing all he could to answer the questions the other man kept firing at him. The little girl was coughing so hard she didn't have time to breathe in and her face was a bright red. Doc yelled for Mrs. Hubbard to grab something quick, but Kai was no longer paying attention to what was going on.

He could see a diagram for the model and the equations for creating it. He walked around the desk to look at the diagram straight on, instead of upside-down. Normally he hated reading, but these equations were different. Each ball had a code glowing inside of it and together all the codes equaled the equation, like a story made up of individual sentences and all he had to do was put them together in the right order and the story would make sense.

He picked up another ball, a smaller red one and held it up to the blue. They would fit. Together their equations made sense and he zeroed in on the spot where they would go on the diagram. All it took was one look at the medium yellow ball on the table for Kai to see that it would not connect to the two in his hand. It needed something else, something to go between them.

In a daze Kai walked over to the bucket and picked up the rest of the scattered pieces from the floor. Then he sat down by the desk and began combining the pieces as he thought they should fit. The blue ball he had picked up had been the key piece and he quickly attached the right length sticks to it with the right size and color balls on the end. Kai would glance at the diagram and the equations, but soon stopped looking at the diagram as the story the balls made became clearer. He didn't always connect the right ones together, but it was easy to tell where he was going wrong and to change the order of the balls.

There was one section where the diagram called for two yellow balls to connect to one small green ball and Kai didn't see the reason for doing it that way. The story the balls were telling would be out of order. Instead he switched out one of the yellow balls to keep it from being redundant and moved the small green ball to the other side of the remaining yellow ball which would be a better support for the integrity of the whole structure. The leftover balls he placed back into the bucket.

It all worked beautifully. Kai couldn't help sitting back to admire his work.

"Where did you learn how to do that?" Caryn's voice came over his shoulder. She sounded as amazed as Kai felt now that he was looking at the whole model and not just the pieces. Over the desk, he could see Doc turning to look at them and then leave the girl, now sleeping, to have a closer look.

"What are you doing?" Doc asked. His tone was abrupt and his eyebrows pressed low. He touched the model lightly with his fingers as if hoping to touch where it might be wrong. Then he picked up the diagram and the equations.

"Look," Doc said, after a moment, as he placed the pages down. "I'm sure you were just trying to help, but this model doesn't match the equations and I need to finish this on my own."

"Sure," Kai said. He got up out of the chair and walked away from the desk, part of him glad to be away from the model and the look in Doc's eyes, the other part hating to leave. For a brief moment his whole world had made sense. Everything had been reduced to balls and equations that meant more to him than words ever did. He had known where each ball should fit in this new world and it was a world he could belong in.

"We should probably get going," Caryn said. "It's late."

Doc nodded, but didn't turn around. He was looking at the model, turning it first one way and then the other.

"Do--do you need me to take you to a hotel?" Doc asked, still unable to take his eyes off the model.

"You're busy and I'm sure Kai knows somewhere. Thanks for offering though."

Doc glanced their way and nodded.

With a small tug on his sleeve, Kai turned and followed Caryn back up the stairs. The front door opened for them and standing in the doorway were a man and a woman both holding small children.

"Is the doctor in?" the woman asked. The child in her arms coughed.

"Yes," Kai said, after waiting a moment to see if Caryn would answer, but she only had eyes for the child. "He's down these stairs in the first basement."

The couple rushed past them and Kai led Caryn out into the street. He was a bit surprised to see that both suns had already set and the sky was dark.

"Is there somewhere you'd like to stay?" he asked.

"I hadn't really thought about it." Her voice was soft, too quiet to echo off the buildings.

"A hotel would probably be nice," Kai suggested.

"Yes, whichever one is closest will do." She yawned and Kai turned left toward Old Highton's street of hotels. As he did, he thought he saw a shadow leap out of the corner of his eye. When he looked closer at the dark space he thought the shadow had come from, he couldn't see anything out of the ordinary. He was probably just tired, he thought, but he double checked each building they passed.

#  Chapter Fifteen: Caryn

There is a loud thump outside my door and I pull my pillow tighter around my head hoping to quiet the noise. I thought it would be easy to fall asleep and stay that way after all I did yesterday, but this is the third time I wake to hear someone running for a doctor in the halls. My eyes feel like I have grit under my eyelids and my mouth tastes bitter as feet clomp down the hall. I want to shut everything out. I know what is happening and no doctor can stop it, yet.

The Compound should never have let it go this long. Better to have half a batch of the vaccine than none at all. No one should even be getting sick, and especially not the children. It is unfortunate they are the ones first hit with the symptoms, then the symptoms move on to teens and adults. Most of the old adults received a vaccine long ago and will go through the next week unscathed. Anyone eighty and younger will get sick, perhaps not this week, but within the next month. The time frame depends on how much they have been exposed to the toxin and the strength of their immune system.

I open one eye to see what time it is and want to groan at the 4:37am readout.

Last night we walked in and I booked two rooms, one for me and the other for Kai. He was surprised, but I wasn't going to let him sleep on the street. Mister Shrug and I-sleep-wherever-I-feel-like-it is going to have a real bed to sleep in for the next few days.

Another door slams and I throw off my blankets. Swinging my feet around to touch the floor I pull myself to a sitting position. My new pajamas stick to my skin and the cool air in the room flows through the thin material giving me goose bumps. I listen for any noise and after sitting that way for what feels like a half hour, I stand up and yawn. How can I feel this tired and be unable to fall asleep?

I sigh. My chest feels like it is being crushed. My mouth still tastes bitter, I grab a small cup of water and roll back into bed. It takes another hour before I fall back into a restless sleep.

Only then do the nightmares I used to have return. Second Official Whit stands above me telling me to swim another ten laps. My arms feel like I have already completed a thousand laps and my eyes are so tired I have a hard time keeping them open, but I push away from the pool wall and strike down my lane again.

Somehow I manage to reach the other side in ten strokes and Second Official Whit is already there waiting for me.

"You have to hold your breath longer than that if you're going to help anyone," he says and he pushes me under before I have a chance to breathe in. I can feel every muscle in my body rebel, only I am not strong enough to break away. My eyes start to glaze over and my mouth opens against a flood of water waiting to fill my lungs.

And then I see Heather. She appears exactly as I remember her that last day except that her hair is loose and floats around her face like a halo. She smiles at me and half waves with her hand and I don't feel like I am drowning anymore. The belt connecting her waist to the pool floor is tight and only Second Official Whit has the remote that will release it. I also have a belt around my waist and my head is free from Second Official Whit's hand. Somehow I know I've been holding my breath for thirty minutes, but Heather has been under longer than I have. She is always under for longer. He's pushing her too hard, determined to have his candidates be the best. Already both Heather and I show promise, but it is not enough for him. We have to break all the records.

I see her press the panic button on her wrist once. We are used to pressing it just once and he lets us up, but not this time. Heather looks up at the surface and presses the button again. This time I remember to press my panic button too. The smoothness of the button rubs against my thumb each time I push it down. I am not frozen in horror, condemned to only watch helplessly like before. I try to swim to her to help her with the buckle, but my own belt keeps me from reaching her and this time I am two feet away when she opens her mouth and swallows water. Her eyes are wide, her body convulsing and I still can't do anything to stop it.

My dream turns black.

"What happened?" Anderson asks, his hands grabbing my shoulder.

I am wet standing at the edge of the pool. A zipped black bag lies ten feet away. I want to tell him, to trust him, but something holds me back.

"Did he do this?" Anderson asks and I nod.

Second Official Whit looks over at me, but instead of being angry he gives me a small smile and winks.

Then I am standing in the Compound Hall and Second Official Whit is glaring at me. Foreman pronounces that Second Official Whit will be stripped of all titles and benefits of his position, given a dishonorable discharge, and placed on the Compound's Black List. A list of only the worst of the worst since it also prohibits that individual from access to the Haydon cure.

This time Second Official Whit is livid, his face red and the veins in his neck bulging out, and he glares at me from across the room. He starts to walk toward me and although I want to run or hide behind Anderson I can't lift my feet.

"Look what you have done! Selfish, loveless child. Do you not care that you have destroyed the greatest chance I had of saving the world? This," he pauses, his voice deepening, and points a finger in my face, "is entirely your fault. When death comes for you, remember that you deserve it."

My chest tightens at each piercing word and the words enter my mind like a bullet, but they don't leave and can only bang against the inside walls failing to escape. Although they drag him away and tell me I am a brave girl, it does not ease the guilt one fraction of a centimeter from my mind. It is not that I want to die. I should die. Second Official Whit is right, I deserve it.

I deserve it.

I deserve it.

The line echoes in my mind over and over as I slowly rise back into consciousness. My whole body is tight and my lungs ache like I have been holding my breath in my sleep. For a brief moment I wonder why none of the other girls woke me. My heart skips a beat as I hope I have not missed practice. It is nearly 8:30 in the morning and I can already hear the speech the officials will give me.

Then my eyes recognize where I am and my heart slows down. Out of habit, I make my bed before I slip back into my regular clothes. I finger my necklace and check the mirror to see if it is lying straight, then I rush out of the room. As I come out of the elevator I see Kai standing in the middle of the lobby watching the broadcast screens. I smile, noticing his fluffy hair, no longer hanging in clumps and his lighter skin.

"Good morning, are you hungry?" I ask.

He jumps slightly as he turns to look at me and says, "Yeah."

We walk into the lobby restaurant and they take us straight to a table. On our way there we pass a gentleman drinking his coffee and for a moment I see Second Official Whit, but then I blink and he is gone. Anderson heard that Second Official Whit committed suicide a year after being removed from the Compound. Even though my head knows he is gone I keep watching the man after we sit down and it is only when he leaves that I can relax and eat. Second Official Whit's voice still whispers in my ear and I wonder what would have happened if I had never told Anderson how Second Official Whit would keep us underwater to make us hold our breath longer. Perhaps if he had believed me the first time I told him Heather wouldn't have died. It was my fault for not saying something sooner and my fault for saying anything at all. Nothing I do now can change the fact that two people are dead.

"You still sleeping?" Kai waves his hand in front of my face and I blink several times.

"Hmm."

"What's the plan for today?" Kai asks. He scraps his fork against his third plate to gather up loose crumbs and syrup.

I feel for the itinerary in my pocket and pull it out.

"I have a meeting with the Mayor at ten followed by a doctor's appointment, but other than that we have free time."

Kai nods as if he expects as much.

"Are you going to eat that?" he asks, pointing to the leftover piece of toast on my plate.

"No." I'm not hungry this morning. He takes my toast and devours it in three bites, by now I am somewhat used to how much, and how quickly, he can eat.

Ralph is waiting for us in the hotel lobby. For a moment I wonder how he knows we are here, but then I remember the gold card and realize they are probably able to track the purchases made on it too. He ushers us into an elevator that takes us to the mayor's speeder on the roof and we shoot across the city.

I don't recognize the building we land on and when I ask Kai about it he just shrugs and says he doesn't know it either. The mayor is talking to her handheld, but when we arrive she switches it off and gives me a squinty smile.

"Caryn! How are you enjoying your visit thus far?" she asks.

"The city is so big," I say and she laughs.

"Well, you've been hidden away in a box all your life. No disrespect for your home intended dear." She pats my shoulder and guides me to the door. When Kai tries to follow us she looks back at him and says, "You wait here."

Once the door has closed behind us, she says, "We understand that Dr. Hubbard's clinic has started to see patients."

"Yes," I say after she pauses and stares at me as if waiting for an answer.

"What are your thoughts about that?"

"About the children being sick?"

"Of course."

"It's horrible."

The mayor's lips twitch in a smile that disappears too quickly. "Yes, it is, dear."

"I wished the Compound had not waited this long."

"So do we, but the Compound could have done more to prevent this. Come with me." She takes me down the hall and I recognize the smells of disinfectant and urine. As we pass a closed door, I am startled when someone screams. The mayor says, "It's all right. They are secured and can't hurt you. You know, you aren't the first candidate we have tried to contact. Five years ago there was another girl. We had a man inside, but he didn't have a chance to tell her much before she died."

I picture the new custodian; the one Heather was talking to after a late practice. I didn't see him after she died, but I'd never realized it until now. "Heather, you were going to talk to Heather?"

"Yes, we were. May I ask you a personal question?"

I nod.

"Why do you want to gather the cure?"

A hundred reasons fly through my thoughts like bats out of a cave. Because it's what Heather wanted to do, because it is what I was trained for and what the Compound expects of me, or because of all the admiration I have had for all the White Lilacs before me. But although they are all part of the reason, they are not the answer to what motivates me at my core.

"I want to help people." May and Janissa spring into my thoughts.

The mayor tilts her head and her hair flops a bit. Her lips gather into a grim smile.

"I hoped this would be your answer. You see, what I am about to show you depends on your desire to save others. A mission I also hope you will see has other meanings that do not hinge on the Haydon cure."

I can't imagine anything being more important than the Haydon cure. The hallway is empty, but I can see several nurses watching us from the nurses' station. Each room we pass has an individual in it, some just lying on a cot, others pacing, or standing looking out the window. One man hits himself so hard on the head over and over that I wonder why none of the nurses have moved to prevent him from injuring himself.

The mayor stops in front of the door of an elderly man. He is even more frail-looking and wrinkled than the mayor.

"Mama!" he calls when he sees us standing in the hall. "Mama!"

His cries are so heartbroken and filled with longing. He glances at us and then slowly walks to the door's window where he looks up and down the hall calling for his mother. When his mother does not appear he begins to weep and bang his fists against the glass.

The mayor walks toward the nurse's station and when we are far enough to hear each other speak in normal tones, she says, "That poor man is Jimmy Humner. He is at the mental age of a two year old and he has been calling for his mother for nearly 250 years now. But he wasn't like this before he was given the cure. Something in the cure changed him."

My head buzzes as we take the elevator to another floor and stop in front of an office with Doc Hubbard's name spelled out on the door. The mayor knocks once and the door opens revealing Doc hunched over a flat computer screen with several applications open. He straightens and his hands briefly fly to the various files and new ones pop up.

"I apologize for the mess," he says.

"Dr. Hubbard has been working for the past thirty years on the effects of the Haydon cure," the mayor says.

"What kind of effects?" I ask.

"Mental disability, suppressed immune systems, longevity."

"But longevity has always been a side effect of the cure," I say.

Doc nods. "It has, but the original cure only extended life forty to fifty years, now it is common for people to live two hundred years past that. The Compound has changed the cure to do that."

"Isn't that a good thing?"

The mayor laughs, a hoarse crackling sound. "It doesn't seem that great when you reach my age, but the problem isn't that we live longer the problem is that every person who signs for a cure must also give the Compound permission to experiment with the effect the cure will have on that person. Sometimes the results are like those people we saw down the hall; sometimes the results are old people like me."

"The fact is that we can't control it. If we want the cure, we have to allow their experimentation. And we can't create our own cure." Doc brought up several models of DNA, each different in order and colors. "They individualize the cure to each person so that the important elements necessary for re-engineering are masked or disappear. I'm friends with several scientists who have studied the cure for over a hundred years and still can't find enough similarities to start the re-engineering process."

The mayor stops and faces me. "Caryn, while the Compound controls the Haydon cure, they hold us all hostage. They can decide who will live and who will die. And they can manipulate people like Jimmy Humner into signing anything just to get the cure." She pauses and takes a deep breath. "We, the other mayors and rulers of Beta Earth, realized we were given an opportunity when the Compound waited so long to gather the cure, because the person who gathers has to have the jigger scent on their skin and because we have a binding contract with the Compound that they must provide the cure within seven days of the first reported victim."

I see Doc stiffen. He looks up at the mayor as if he is afraid of what she will say next.

"That deadline is this Saturday just two days away and if they break their contract we will have legal rights to their formula for the cure. We wanted you to come here and see the truth about the Compound. We wanted to show you what the Compound has done and to ask you to consider not gathering for them, to not gather the cure at all."

I frown. If the cure is not gathered this week, people--children--would die.

The mayor nods, reading the concern on my face.

"Yes," she says. "Some people would die, but think of the millions of lives that the Compound has changed for the worse over the last two thousand years. Dr. Hubbard could show you statistics proving that one in five people to get the cure are adversely effected. The only reason no one has done anything yet is because the death ratio is only one in ten million.

"Look." The mayor pulls up the sleeves above her elbow and flattens the loose skin. There is a dark patch of skin at her elbow. It is bumpy and scaly, but then I lean closer and see that they aren't just rough patches of skin. They are actual scales, dark fish scales. The mayor rubs them, a scraping sound like nails on plastic, before pulling her sleeve down. She sighs and says, "It is silly to complain about mutated skin, especially when so many others have it much worse. But I had no choice about what happened to me and I am willing to sacrifice a few thousand now if the generation to come, my tenth generation of great-grandchildren, can have a choice. The Compound is evil and they must be stopped."

#  Chapter Sixteen: Kai

"What did the mayor want?" Kai asked when they were alone in the taxi.

Caryn's eyes were troubled. "She showed me some people who have mental disabilities. She said the Compound did this, that they did this on purpose."

"Did they?"

"They wouldn't destroy lives. Their purpose is to save people, to give people a better life. What we do, the Compound's purpose, is more important than anything. We're more dedicated than the average labs, because we are striving to be the best. That's the only reason I am even here. I had to be the best."

Kai shrugged. He didn't know much about the Compound. Only that they did stuff with science and lately it seemed that everyone else was passionately picking whose side to be on. But he didn't need the emotional baggage.

"Do you think the Compound is deliberately messing with the cure?" Caryn didn't look up. She twisted her fingers around the fabric of her shirt.

"Why would they do that?"

She nods. "It doesn't make sense, unless they were trying new experimentations."

"Do they do that often?"

"No," but she paused. "I don't know."

She looked out the window at the passing buildings, but the wonder that had marked her face the day before was replaced by a thoughtful sadness.

Kai leaned back against the plush seat and scratched his stomach. It was pleasantly extended and didn't hurt at all, unless his overstretched stomach counted as pain. His head was still a little sore where it rested on the seat, but that was healing. He could get used to this kind of life.

A man Caryn introduced as Dr. Vos met them when the speeder landed and this time Kai was allowed to follow her inside. But after walking down several halls, he was told to wait outside of the check-up room. Again Kai figured it was probably for the best and wouldn't cause him to lose his payment.

He leaned against the wall wondering how long this would take. Being confined by all these walls made him feel trapped, like he could be caught or surrounded, and he wished he could be out on the streets. Somewhere near the water perhaps. All this food was making him lazy. He hadn't had to run or swim in almost a whole day and he wondered if he could still elude the T-Man's gang if they decided to come after him again. Not that he had succeeded the last time, but he'd come close. And now he would be smarter about where he went to hide.

Down the hall there was the sound of metal grating against a carpet in one of the rooms down the hall. A man swore followed by a loud crash, a short yelp and another curse word.

"Is anyone out there?" the man called. A deep thump made the floor vibrate and the man yelled, "Help!"

Kai glanced down the silent hallway and then at the door Caryn was behind. He could probably help the guy and rush back before she was done. Pushing away from the wall, he started to jog looking in the open doors for the man. Four rooms down Kai saw a metal table turned over, pinning a man against the wall. The man held a computer screen tightly to his chest, even though his neck was pushed forward by the bookshelf at his back and his shoes peeked out under the fallen table. The top of his head was bald and red from straining and a single vein bulged down the center.

"Can you move the table?" the man asked, through gritted teeth. Kai walked across the room and stepped around an overturned box of black rocks and several thick reference books, either of which could have been the source of the last thump.

"What happened?" Kai tried to lift the table and discovered that it was a heavy, solid metal as it only shifted a bit. Instead of lifting again, he pulled the table away from the man and was rewarded by a small jerk when it slid off the man's toes. It was easier to drag when the whole side was level and Kai pulled it for another three feet before stopping.

"Thank you," the man said, as he gingerly placed the computer screen on the floor. "This computer is three hundred years old and the only one with some of the information it contains. I don't know what I would have done if it had fallen too. I'm Dr. Kendal, by the way."

"I'm Kai."

Together Kai and Dr. Kendal were able to right the table, although Kai was sweating, despite the cool temperature of the building, by the time they were done.

"So what happened?" Kai asked.

Dr. Kendal bent to pick up a book. He showed the cover to Kai. A picture of some kind of blown up DNA strand was on the front along with some words Kai didn't bother to look at.

"All the best books are on the top shelf," Dr. Kendal pointed to the bookshelf and he shook his head. Kai quickly judged that the doctor was not tall enough to reach the shelf without something to stand on and the fallen table spoke for itself.

"You know none of this would happen if I had help," Dr. Kendal said, picking up another book and placing it next to the computer on the table. "First, the mayor told me I would have a team. Then I was told I would be the only one to have permission to access the material. And now they just informed me that I would only have access until the day of the gathering. I'm supposed to be looking for an antidote that can save a life, but there is a mountain of information, some of it nearly ancient and requires at least one doctorate in ancient technology just to recover it. They force me to move all the information out of the Compound. I haven't even had the time to look through a fraction of it. And then all the books I need are on a shelf I can't reach!" Dr. Kendal sighed and rubbed his eyes. "I haven't slept in two days."

"Sounds like they don't really want you to do your job," Kai said.

"It does, doesn't it," Dr. Kendal said.

"What are you working on?"

"A cure for the white lilac anemone's poison."

Kai nodded.

Dr. Kendal leaned over the computer screen and pressed a few buttons. The screen came to life and several files popped up. Dr. Kendal sighed, "Good, everything is the way it was."

At the bottom of each file was a light gray outline of a flower with four petals.

"What's that?" Kai asked, pointing to it.

"What?"

"The flower thing at the bottom of all the files."

"I don't know. It might be a lilac logo or something." Dr. Kendal picked up the last fallen book and flipped through it. Kai heard a door click open in the hall and said a quick bye before he hurried out. Dr. Kendal didn't even seem to notice. The noise wasn't Caryn, but her door opened almost as soon as Kai reached it.

"So, I will see you day after tomorrow to double check these test," Dr. Vos said. He didn't look at her, but kept his eyes on the handheld computer he was typing on.

"Okay," Caryn said. She didn't seem too concerned and she smiled when she saw Kai standing there. Between the two of them they remembered how to get out of the building and were greeted by a slap of heat as the door opened.

"What would you like to do now?" Kai asked.

"What do you do?" Caryn asked, looking up at him. "When you want to have fun or relax."

Kai thought about that a moment. "Swim in the lake."

"You swim in the lake? Malte Lake? With the jiggers, anemones and poisonous eels?" Caryn looked surprised.

"They leave you alone if you leave them alone," Kai said.

"Aren't you afraid you could die?"

"I guess I never really thought about it. The lake's always been the one place I felt safe, protected. And it is a great way to cool off in the summer. You want to take a quick swim?" Kai asked. The words had popped out before he had been able to think through them. It could've been the heat from the suns or the fact they were so close to the lake. He could smell the moisture in the air.

Caryn stopped. Her eyebrows were pressed together and she bit her bottom lip.

"We can go to a quiet spot I know where it's too shallow for the anemones to grow at the bottom. Jiggers really aren't that dangerous and if I see any eels we'll get out," Kai said, he was starting to feel warm and sweaty and the thought of the cool lake sounded wonderful.

"I--I don't like water," Caryn said her voice quiet.

"Do you know how to swim?" Kai asked.

"Of course, but."

"But what?"

She turned her face away from him. "I really don't like large pools of water."

"Why? There's nothing to be afraid of."

"You wouldn't say that if you had someone holding you under for a long time."

Kai frowned. The water was probably his favorite place. He had been stuck underwater before, like that one time in the barrel, but the kids would give up after five minutes which was easy for him to wait out. It became the safest place for him to go. He loved being surrounded and weightless.

"If you really don't want to swim in the lake, you don't have to and I'm definitely not going to make you, but there are all sorts of cool stuff down there. Bright colored fish, flowering water plants and sunken ships."

"There are sunken ships in Malte Lake?" Caryn asked. She glanced at him then back down, but not before he saw a spark of interest in her eye.

"Yep."

"Are the ships too shallow for anemones?" she asked. Her head bent with her eyes studying the ground at such an angle Kai couldn't see her expression.

"Yeah, and the eels prefer the darker, deeper places in the lake, so we should be fine." It seemed to do the trick, too.

She ducked her head and twisted a strand of hair behind her ear, but he could tell she was considering it.

"I promise I won't let you die," Kai said. Ignoring the startled look on her face, he grabbed her hand and started to run. She kept pace and spent more time looking up at the architecture than she did at the street.

To Kai's pleasure, she gasped when they turned the corner and saw the full view of Malte Lake. It did look beautiful. The duel reflection from the suns caught ripples and waves making the surface shine. Far off in the distance a jigger spouted water up into the air. A breeze hit them with a fresh water scent combined with the stink of the jigger, but Caryn's face showed no sign of irritation.

"Over here." Kai led her to a tree near the beginning of the rocks and gravel leading to the lapping water of the lake and a small abandoned dock. He immediately began pulling his shoes and socks off. "They used to dock old fishing boats here, some of them sank and you can swim around them. Some people have even found old coins and gadgets that are thousands of years old."

"Really?" Caryn took a step closer to the dock, her eyes lighting with interest.

Kai shrugged out of his shoes and socks and rolled up the legs of his pants before walking over to the dock. Caryn sat down under the tree and placed her shoes and socks next to his.

"I'll show you where they are," Kai said. "I'll check it out and be right back."

He walked to the end of the dock, the planks creaking and swaying under his weight, and jumped off the end. The water was gray with brown specks floating around him and he swam in a straight line from the dock to where the lake floor dropped off. He angled his body to follow the drop until he could make out three small vessels and the shadow of a larger ship. With several strong strokes Kai dove to get a closer look. It would not do to find out this was the home of an eel. The first two boats looked abandoned by most underwater life. Perhaps it was the nets and fishing hooks littered across the decks that kept them away.

Kai swam between two of the smaller boats and was about to swim over the larger ship when he saw something shiny flickering through the water. He dove for a closer look. It was a coin, or half of a coin, since the other half was lodged under a small metal mast. Kai could hardly believe his luck. His fingers found the edge of the coin, but when he tried to pull it out he couldn't. The mast had pinned it to the deck. Kai tried pushing against the mast with one hand while the other pulled on the coin and he felt the coin move. This time he pushed harder and the coin slid an inch, not enough to pull it free, but with one more push it came loose. The mast popped and groaned as it readjusted.

Quickly pocketing the coin, Kai turned to swim back to the surface. A muffled creak reached his ear and Kai looked up to see the small mast falling toward him. He backpedaled against the side of one of the smaller boats, his back smushed against an inch of algae. The mast landed on the boat and a shower of dirt, broken algae and pieces of boat filled the water. Kai pushed away from the side and began to swim for the surface.

Just then he felt a heavy weight land on his back. An old net draped around his shoulders and a large, metal tackle box tangled in the net began to weigh him down. Kai tried to yank the net off, but it seemed the harder he struggled the more it wrapped around him. He hit the lake floor in a cloud of dust and the box landed on his feet. It pinned his ankles between rocks and the net prevented him from twisting enough to move it. He struggled, but no matter how hard he tried he could not free himself. Minutes passed and Kai's head began to pound. He had lost some air when he landed on the bottom of the lake and he had been under for ten minutes. Black spots swam before his eyes. He wanted--needed--to breathe. His consciousness was slipping away and all he could think about was that he would never know who his mother was.

#  Chapter Seventeen: Caryn

The water's green-brown color doesn't look as menacing as I sit against the side of the tree facing the lake. I don't know how long it would take Kai to check those sunken ships, but I start to worry because, by my estimate, he has been underwater for five minutes straight. Silently I try to calculate how long the average person can hold their breath underwater and none of the numbers I remember are good. I tell myself to wait one more minute and if he does not show up by then, I am going in.

Just being this close to water makes me want to run, but I can't leave him. Rusty nails and wooden planks warped dark gray by water makes the dock creak and sway as I walk to its end and look over the edge. The lake's gentle waves show no sign of disturbance and the murkiness of the water prevents me from seeing much under the surface. For a moment I can sense the walls of the aquarium, but the bright light from the suns jars the memory away.

"Come on," I say out loud, as if by the sound of my voice he would hear and rise to the surface.

Then, because I cannot stand the silence, I dive into the water. It difficult to see very far, but my body responds immediately to being in the water again and I strike out diving deeper. I swim in a circle to get a hold of my surroundings. The water is thicker, heavier than the water I am used to swimming in. It is only after being underwater for a few strokes that I realize I don't feel claustrophobic yet. My heart beats faster than normal, but I can think rationally and plan.

There are no wreckages under the dock. Kai did mention sunken ships so I change to a zigzag motion away from the dock. I see a rotting rowboat and swim beyond it hoping other wreckages will follow, however, after staring at nothing but rocks and mud for a full minute I turn back. My arms whip past my head as I make up for time lost. I try to calculate how much time has passed by now and I figure at least ten minutes. Unless I missed him, or we crossed paths with him on his way up and me on my way down, I'm afraid I will find him dead.

The ground takes a sharp drop down and I follow it. Then in the distance I see a shadow. The shadow separates into three smaller boats and one larger shadow hardening into a ship as I swim closer. This has to be what Kai was talking about. I swim faster and circle the first boat, then the second. I am about to swim on to the third when I see something white on the lake floor. It is lying in a rocky section of ground between the boats and the ship and looks like a pile of debris. I dive for a closer look.

The white thing moves with the water in slow motion and it take me a moment to realize what it is: an arm. I can make out the fingers. My heart thuds and I taste fear. I want to look away, but I force myself to swim closer. He might not be dead, I keep telling myself. Then I see his face and any hope I might have had about the arm belonging to someone else vanishes. Kai's eyes are closed and so is his mouth, which I take to be a good sign. It looks like he wrapped himself in a net and I quickly grab an end and pull. The net catches on a box by Kai's feet and won't budge. I swim over to the box and grab at the edges. I can feel splinters stabbing into my palms but I manage to pull it loose. In one swift movement I yank the net free and wrap my arms around Kai's chest towing him toward the surface. I see the light as the water thins and kick harder. We break the surface and I hold Kai's head above the water.

I dig my fist into his ribs with each stroke hoping to knock out any water he may have swallowed. I hear water splash, but Kai hangs from my arms like a doll and the sound I hear is from my own kicking. Even though I am not used to swimming while pulling someone else, I am used to swimming with extra weight and my muscles are more than ready for the challenge. I kick in short, quick bursts of speed and soon feel the rocks of the shore scrapping on my back. I drag Kai high enough on the shore so his face is not in the water and then I press on Kai's chest. Almost immediately to my relief, a fountain of water bubbles out of his mouth and down the side of his face. Then Kai coughs and more water spurts out. I sit back waiting.

"What happened?" he asks when he stops coughing. His dark hair is matted around his face making him appear younger.

"You were tangled in a net and nearly drowned. I found you and pulled you out," I say. I lean back as he struggles to sit up.

He looks out at the lake, his dark eyebrows pulled together in a perplexed frown. Then he shakes his head, whether to remove the water from his ears or to clear the fog that descends upon an oxygen-deprived brain, I can't tell.

"Why'd you do that?" He flicks bits of gravel and small stones from his pant leg and is too intent on where they land to look at me.

"I was worried when you didn't come back."

"But why?" He coughs again and spits at a ripple of water rolling around the rocks by our feet.

"I--I wanted to make certain you were safe." I squeeze water out of my hair and brush the stray strands out of my face.

"I didn't ask you to...." Kai says, but his voice becomes so quiet I'm not certain I heard everything.

"What?"

"I didn't ask you to worry." Kai picks up a stone and throws it, hard, at the water. The frown on his face comes out in his tone. "I don't need someone to worry about me, to--to rescue me." He spits the word out like it is poison. "I can take care of myself."

"I'm sure you can," I say. I have seen how capable he is and how much he knows about city life. He even carries himself in a way that is confident and in control.

"I don't need help," he says, but his words aren't as sharp as they were. He stands with a slow, measured pace, as if he wants to make sure the act is possible.

I refrain from reaching out when he leans too far and almost falls, but he straightens in time and walks in a firm line back into the lake.

"Where are you going?" I can't keep the alarm out of my voice.

"I need to wash off." He throws the words over his shoulder. Then he waves for me to join him. I watch him until he is waist deep and almost gasp when his disappears under the water. My heart pounds as I wait for him to surface. Silently, I give him two seconds before I wade out into the lake. Once the water is at my waist I can see him crouching under the water his face is pointed up at me and he is smiling. He raises an eyebrow, taunting me to join him.

"Fine," I say and taking a deep breath, I sit next to him under the water.

My lungs stretch with air and settle into conservation mode. At the Compound we are taught to hold our breath without the aid of breathing oxygen until we reached the 17.4 minute mark. Since the air inside the Compound does have a higher concentration of oxygen than the natural air, and because of our genetic makeup and the shots the scientist give us, reaching the 17.4 minutes can be done by most candidates in their tenth year after several months of training. Then we were given masks of pure oxygen to breathe an hour before training. The extra oxygen packs inside the lungs and can increase the length we can spend underwater before we need air again.

I look at Kai through the water and raise my own eyebrow with a smile. Even though I have not had a dose of oxygen in two days, I know I can do twenty minutes without breaking a sweat. If he wants a race, he doesn't know what he is getting into. After all, I was picked because I am the best.

I sit down and place a rock in my lap. Kai raises his eyebrows and does the same. The minutes tick by, five...ten...thirteen. I have to admit I am impressed by how long Kai has stayed under. His face turns red and he closes his eyes. His hair floats around his face with the incoming current. Then his eyes flash open and he takes one look at me before he stands, his rock tumbling to the floor. I hear him gasping for breath and I wait another seven minutes or so before I stand. I can't help laughing at the surprise in his eyes.

"How did you do that?" Kai asks.

I raise my shoulders and say, "I spend most of my day underwater."

"I've never known anyone else who could hold their breath as long as I can," he says and he looks down at the place where I sat.

"Now you do," I say. I wonder if I may have shown off too much, but seeing the appreciation in his gaze makes it worthwhile. It feels good to be underwater again. I never considered that I might miss it. I even find myself itching to swim and I ask, "Would you want to have a swimming race?"

"Sure," Kai says, jerking his head up, his eyes interested. "Where to?"

I scan the water looking for a spot to aim for. "How about that blue float-thing?"

"The far buoy?" Kai asks and I see the corners of his mouth frown for a moment then the smile returns and he says, "Okay."

"You call it," I say.

"Ready?" Kai says and I hear the laughter in his voice, but he doesn't say "Go."

Instead he dives into the water without a warning. He's over ten feet ahead before I dive after him. It is not long before I feel myself moving ahead so I pull my arms through the water at a slower pace. Even going slower I advance faster than I want, but Kai does not give up or slow his pace and before I realize it he passes me. I start swimming harder and I pull level to Kai's feet. Kai feels me coming and swims harder. What I thought would be a way for me to let off some steam and use my muscles, now becomes a serious race. I kick harder and push all my muscles to the limit and pull even with him.

Kai's hand touches the buoy several seconds after my own and his chest creates ripples as he exhales.

"Good job," I say.

Kai is breathing air like he eats food. It's barely in his lungs before he is adding more. I give him a minute to rest and to let my muscles relax. All the added oxygen I have been exposed to makes it easier for me to swim long distances and to swim fast spurts without becoming winded. I can tell a difference though between how I feel today and how I felt after my last swim at the Compound. Breathing the normal air makes me tire sooner. When Kai lets go of the buoy I smile and say, "I'll race you back."

"You'll win again," he says. "But I'll give it the best I've got."

"We can wait longer, if you need to rest," I say.

"No, we can go soon," he says and he lets his head sink under the waves. At first I think he is only trying to wet his hair back so it won't get in his eyes, but then I see his gray shirt shoot off toward the shore with his legs kicking as hard as they can. I wonder if I am some kind of idiot to be fooled by him again. Is there a rule or understanding that everyone else knows and lives by? Am I being stupid to trust that what a person says is what he will do?

I take off hard and my muscles are starting to respond to the strain. I ignore them and push even harder. Kai is definitely swimming slower than he did before and by the halfway mark I am almost even with him. No pity, I tell myself and I pull ahead. I reach the shore a full minute before Kai and my legs and arms are tired. Kai doesn't come out of the water, but rests in the shallows. Being out of the water I can smell pieces of algae still clinging to my clothes and the suns make my hair dry in clumps. I try to comb through my hair with my fingers, but they get caught in knots.

"Would you want to go back to the hotel and get our clothes dried?" I ask after wringing my shirt for the fifth time.

"You're the boss," Kai says and he stands and walks over to our stuff by the tree.

The water dripping into my shoes bubbles over the side and creates mini puddles with each step I take. Kai turns down first one street and then another. We receive several stares from the people, including one slightly disapproving middle-aged woman who shakes her head, but they are not staring at me only. Our wet clothing and hair is what makes us stand out and it makes me feel like a normal person. Perhaps for the first time in my life.

#  Chapter Eighteen: Kai

"There must be thousands of books here," Kai said, as he followed Caryn into the library on Hallows Street, a detour Caryn insisted they were dry enough for. Although most of the library's materials were electronic, reading stations filled with more electronic books than Kai could ever count took up the front, they also had bound books on display in shelves that lined across the room. He ran his finger along the backs of several spines. It caught on the last one and a small blue book fell to the tiled floor with a bang.

"You are supposed to be quiet in a library," Caryn said, with a small smile on her lips. "Have you ever been in a library like this before?"

"I never thought I would be allowed. Are all libraries open to the public?" There were no visible scanners at the door and the entrance seemed bare without them.

"All public libraries are. The library we have at the Compound is private and only those who have permission can go there. Here, you might find this section interesting." She sped up and stopped in front of the medical genetics section. After a quick scan, she selected several books and placed them in Kai's hands. He held the books at an awkward angle to keep them from opening at the same time. Then as one of the books began to close a picture caught his attention right before it shut.

Kai set the other books on a shelf and opened the book entitled Disease DNA for the 49th Earth Century: the 5th edition. From the first picture he lost himself into a world he had never known existed and yet seemed as familiar as the back alleys he grew up in. He didn't know what half of the words meant, but the pictures spoke their own individual stories. The way the balls and lines circled around each other forming complex designs and shapes gave Kai a taste of purpose in an otherwise pointless universe.

"Caryn, look at this one. It's almost like the model in Doc's office," Kai said, his finger pausing over a picture of a DNA model.

It took him a moment to realize she was not answering. When he managed to drag his eyes off the pages he realized something was wrong. Caryn was no longer in his aisle and Kai couldn't remember even hearing her move. He shut the book, ran to the end of the row, made a quick turn left and continued running down the back of the wall. He wanted to kick himself for allowing her out of his sight. What kind of companion was he? If she had any enemies all they would have to do was hand him a picture book of diseases and he would forget everything. He circled around to the front and raced back to the row he had been in, ignoring the frowns of other patrons and the "No running allowed!" that a woman behind a big wooden desk hissed at him.

Then in the aisle two beyond where he had started he saw her. She stood there with a book open in her hands completely oblivious to any of the noise he had made or to the frantic look he was sure could be seen in his eyes. He paused long enough to let his heart catch up and then he walked over to her. She jumped when his shadow crossed over her page and then she laughed.

"You scared me," she said.

Kai only nodded. Where scaring was concerned they were even now.

"Did you want to see if you can borrow that?" she asked.

It was then Kai realized he was still holding the disease book in his hands.

"No," he said. "I'm going to put it back." He didn't want the temptation this book could weld interfering with his attention. He just hoped no one else had seen it or considered it a breach of his contract.

Caryn's face fell for a moment as if she were disappointed. She closed her own book and set it back on the shelf.

"Are you hungry? We could get something to eat after we change in the hotel," she said as she walked back to the entrance.

He was always hungry, but he said, "That's fine." He set the book on top of the other books on the shelf and slowly released his fingers from it. Maybe one day he could come back and look at it again.

They exited the library and headed toward the hotel, but they had only walked for two blocks when a boy runs out from an alley straight at Caryn. Before Kai could react, the boy grabbed her arm and began pulling her back to the alley.

"Miss, you have to help us," the boy said. The lowering suns caught glints of his red hair and Kai remembered him from yesterday, but that did not matter. In two steps Kai blocked the way and grabbed the boy's shoulders.

"Don't hurt him," Caryn said.

Kai rolled his eyes, he wouldn't hurt the kid, but loosened his grip.

"What's your name?" she asked.

"Tommy," the boy said.

Caryn held out her other hand for Kai to let go and turned to the boy.

"What is wrong Tommy?" she asked.

"My boy's terribly sick. I can't get him to eat or anything," Tommy said. Kai could see the red in Tommy's eyes and the dirt on his cheeks had clean trails running down them that tears had blazed.

"Where is he?" Caryn asked.

"This way," Tommy said and this time Kai let him pass with Caryn's arm in tow.

They followed him to the end of the alley where Tommy pointed to a cardboard box with a small form wrapped in a worn blanket inside it. Although Kai did not believe this would be dangerous, he motioned for Caryn to stay back just in case. He knelt down in front of the box and felt around the blanket until he found a head. Removing the blanket, he felt himself sigh with relief when he saw the little boy's chest move. The little boy looked no older than three years old, but because of his thin frame Kai guessed he was probably closer to the age of five. His dirty blonde hair had been hacked at with a knife or dull pair of scissors and stood up at various levels depending on the length. His skin was pale, reminding Kai of the Doc's son, and dried pieces of apples were stuck to the skin around his mouth as if he had been fed recently even in his comatose state.

"He's alive, but we should probably get him to Doc," Kai said and he slipped his arms under the little boy and picked him up, being careful not to bump the boy's head on the box as he stood. The boy was limp in his arms and his body was so light Kai thought he could carry him all the way around Malte Lake and his arms would feel fine.

Caryn and Tommy followed Kai as they left the alley, eating would have to wait again. Twice Kai thought he heard someone sniff behind him and assumed it was Tommy. When they reached the Doc's neighborhood Kai was surprised to see a line of five ambulances waiting outside the house, lights blazing. Doc was standing outside talking with three medics dressed in blue uniforms. A stretcher with a young girl was hovering down to the closest vehicle with the girl's parents touching her blanketed feet so they would not get in the medic's way. Kai stepped onto the Doc's lawn and he caught Doc's eye. Doc brought his conversation to a halt and walked toward them.

"Has he been coughing?" Doc asked, after checking the little boy's pulse.

Kai turned to look at Tommy and Tommy nodded with eyes wide and watery.

"Let's bring him inside. I'm having any patient who can afford it go to the local hospital so I will have space for those who can't. My wife and Sara are rearranging our second basement to hold as many new patients as possible," Doc said. Once again Kai followed him down the steps of his house to his first basement. This time every bed was filled and the room was crowded with adults and other children standing around the beds. Another medic was preparing to move a second young girl onto a stretcher while her parents collected a stuffed toy and a pair of shoes from the bed. Doc waited for them to leave and then motioned for Kai to place the boy on the empty bed.

"Will he wake up now?" Tommy asked, after Doc started an IV of saline.

"I'm afraid he will stay in his coma until the vaccine is ready," Doc said. "But he will rest peacefully until then."

Tommy did not reply and he reached out and brushed his fingers along the boy's forearm. Caryn placed a hand on Tommy's shoulder and he hugged her.

"I was hoping to see you again Kai," Doc said. "Would I be able to have a word with you?"

Kai looked to Caryn and when she nodded he stepped away from the beds and walked with Doc over to his desk.

"Are all these kids going to die?" Kai asked.

Doc darted a glance at Caryn, then looked down at the boy. "They will if the cure is not gathered in time, but there are still three days by my calculations before we risk any casualties."

Kai followed the Doc's gaze back to Tommy and Caryn.

"I was looking over the model you built last night. Have you ever studied genetics?" Doc asked. He leaned closer to Kai, all traces of the anger he had last night were gone and in its place was an intent awareness.

Kai shook his head. He hadn't been in a classroom since 4th grade when the orphanage shut down.

"Did you do well in your classes, like science?"

Kai almost laughed. "I've always thought I was fairly normal, maybe even a little less."

"I think you may have a spatial learning style, specifically connected with 3-D objects," Doc said. "For you to build that model as quickly as you did, without any training and to build it primarily from the equations tells me you must be able to see and learn differently. When you finish school you should consider medical science as a degree. I must have spent several hours looking over the model, in between patient arrivals, and I think I finally figured out what you did."

Doc picked up the model from his desk and pointed out where Kai had removed one of the yellow balls connected to the green.

"This was supposed to be a model for a cure that up until now has only been able to slow the symptoms for Yergi's syndrome." Doc paused with excitement in his eyes. "I have sent the specs of this model to several friends of mine in research and right now it looks like this model might be able stop the symptoms completely."

Kai didn't know what to say. He had only done what he thought the equations said. Any changes he made were only changes that would give the model's story more sense, not to create a cure for some syndrome he had never heard of.

Doc reached for a file lying on his desk. He handed it out to Kai and said, "These are the schematics for the Alfred P. Stinger code. It has remained unbreakable for the last five hundred years. I want you to look at it and tell me if you think you can crack it."

Kai took a step back from the file. "I'm really not that smart," he said. "I'm lucky I still remember how to read and I don't do that very well."

"You don't have to solve it right now, or ever. I just want to see if you understand the equations," Doc said and he held the file closer to Kai.

Feeling as though he had a rock dropped into his stomach, Kai took the file and opened it. Immediately, he knew this problem was different. It was so much more complex than the model and even the pictures he had seen in the disease book. It made his head spin like he was trying to grab all the arms of an octopus at once, there were always four or five that eluded him. Kai did not notice when he picked up a pen, but he began make notes beside the equations on how to bring all the problems together. He tried rewriting one of the sections and then discovered his idea would not work because of a problem connecting it back into the original.

Kai shut his eyes and they felt dry, gritty, as if he had forgotten to blink in the last hour. He turned to where he had last seen Caryn and she was not there. Not again. He groaned, set the file down and was on his way to rush up the stairs when a quick glance around the room showed Caryn standing near the back next to another bed. He had to stop doing this or he was sure he would have a heart attack. She was near the doctor which was probably allowed.

How many more days did he have left to stay with Caryn? One, right? Just one day more and life could go back to normal, as long as that antidote came out. He noticed the concerned looks people wore as they walked down the street.

"Elaine?" Doc yelled from the back of the room. "Can you see if the ambulance has come for the Hester boy?"

"I think she went back to the second basement," Caryn said. She looked up at Kai and made a move away from the bed.

"I'll go up," Kai said and she nodded. Taking the steps two at a time, Kai hit the sensor for the front door and stepped outside. There was no ambulance in front of the house so Kai walked down to the street for a better view. Both suns blazed just above the roof tops, not quite ready to set. He shielded his eyes against them and checked the sky.

"Nice day isn't it?" a voice behind him said.

At once the hairs on Kai's neck shuddered. Kai turned around slowly and saw Noah walking up the street.

"What do you want?" Kai asked, his voice cold as he moved into a defensive stance.

"Have you forgotten about the ruby you're supposed to be stealing while you skip all over the city with your little friend?" Noah asked.

"No," Kai said. "I'll get it by Friday."

"You better," Noah said and he leaned closer as if he had a secret to tell. "You only have three days left."

"I'll have it in time, I promise," Kai said. He stared into Noah's eyes until Noah took a step to the side, turned and started to walk away.

"In case you forget who you are working for," Noah stopped with his back to Kai, "and start thinking about running...." Then before Kai could raise his arms to block, Noah's fist came swinging around and connected with Kai's cheek bone. Kai felt his body falling, but he caught himself on one hand before he could land on his stomach.

"Be glad the T-Man sent me and not Red," Noah said, as he walked back down the street.

"Like that's going to keep me from running," Kai shouted at Noah's retreating form.

#  Chapter Nineteen: Caryn

"The ambulance is not here yet," Kai says. I look up as he walks into the room.

"What happened to your face?" I ask as the overhead lights reveal a deep red circle on Kai's left cheek.

"I met an old friend," Kai says and he turns to look at the beds on the other side of the room.

I wait for him to say something more, but he does not add anything, instead he picks up the file Doc had given him, holds it out to Doc, and says, "I tried your code thing and I can't crack it. It's more complicated than the model, more complicated than anything."

Doc purses his lips and nods. "Thanks for trying, perhaps we could work on it another day, when things aren't as busy."

He pats Kai on the shoulder and walks away.

Kai tries to smile with half of his face, but it ends with a wince.

"I'm going to ask Sara if we can get some ice for your face," I say. "Your friend must not be very nice."

"Didn't you know?" Kai says. "Friends, especially old friends, punch each other all the time. The closer you are to someone the bigger your bruises should be."

I frown up at him and can't tell if he is being serious or not. He rolls his eyes at me and says, "I don't need any ice."

Sara shouts down that the ambulance has arrived. It doesn't take much to realize we will be in the way, so I wave bye to Doc and we leave.

As we reach the landing by the front door I hear coughing. Melissa is sitting on the stairs leading up to the first floor with her small hand covering her mouth. The cough sounds much like Jackson's yesterday and suddenly the house and walls are collapsing around me. I have to get out. I have to breathe, to go to a place where no one is sick and dying. I nearly smash the front door sensor and jog out into the street past the medics prepping a stretcher. Kai keeps a pace behind me, although his head keeps craning to look behind us.

I wander down random roads and wish the wind would blow through my mind and carry my frustrations away. I rebel at the thought of what they are asking me to do. It doesn't even matter who "they" are, the Compound, the mayor, everyone. They can't let me be. They won't let things stay simple. I hate seeing Jackson and Melissa coughing, or finding Tommy's boy passed out in a box. But I also hate seeing the people locked in rooms and I hate hearing their screams. Even more I hate having to choose. No matter what I decide people will be hurt. I chose not to tell with Heather and she died. I chose to tell what Second Official Whit did to us and he killed himself. It didn't matter what was right, the outcome was the same. And I carry around their last looks. They are weights pressing around my heart, squeezing dry what life I have left.

A light reflecting off one of the skyscrapers blinds me as I turn a corner. It is made of a shiny metal that glistens and stands needle thin and tall. The suns cast off the angles of the tower making it look like a jewel on a silver stick.

"What is that?" I ask.

Kai squints up. "That's the Titanium Star. From what I've heard it's one of the most expensive and exclusive restaurants in the city."

Staring at the restaurant gives me an idea.

"What would you think about dressing up and going to The Titanium Star? We could borrow fancy clothes from the hotel and order whatever we want." I can feel myself getting excited. Already my body begins relaxing at the distraction.

Kai takes a quick look at the Highton skyline and probably the tower. He raises his fingers to the bruise and rubs it. I can't tell if he is for or against the idea until he says, "I guess we could. I've never eaten in one of those dress-up places. It might be fun."

When we arrive at the hotel and I tell my idea to the clerk, he immediately begins to exclaim at how wonderful an experience it would be and before I can agree he whisks Kai and me into different clothing stores.

"What do you think of these?" a saleswoman asks and I turn my attention back to the women's department.

A flurry of gowns in all styles and colors are waved under my nose until they start to look the same. I find myself smiling and nodding without really understanding what the maids and the saleswoman are talking about.

"This pea-style waist will go well with your hair, especially if we dred it and curl it up. What do you think?" one of the maids ask and she holds up this brightly colored dress that looks a bit like Melissa took a pair of scissors and cut huge triangles out of it.

"I was actually hoping for something less...exotic." I try to focus on the other dresses and then I see this blue material under a stack of red, yellow, and orange. I pull it out and hold it up. The design is slim with a delicate pattern around the neck and sheer sleeves that flow half way down the dress. It is fairly plain, when compared with the other dresses, but it looks perfect to me.

"I like this one," I say.

I see the one maid's face fall in disappointment, but the saleswoman says, "Excellent choice. Let me take your measurements and we will make any adjustments needed. We will have it ready for you by the time your hair is done."

"Thank you," I say and then the maids pull me away to another room where I am told to sit in a black chair.

A man with long curly, brown hair and a purple button down shirt begins to pour water on my hair and rubs shampoo into it. The chair leans back so he can rinse my hair out and someone grabs my hand. My eyes are closed and at the touch I jerk up nearly bumping the man's forehead with my own. I see a woman holding my hand and she begins to file my fingernails. I half laugh to myself and try relaxing again.

After what seems like hours with the man pulling and tugging on my hair, we come up with a hairstyle I like, and with a warning not to get my hair wet, I am shown to my room where a bath is waiting for me. I quickly scrub off the scent from the lake and dry myself with a huge towel. Like the saleswoman promised, the dress is waiting for me and I slip into it. Hardly daring to hope, I look at myself in the mirror and it takes me a moment to realize the young woman staring back is really me. A thrill of excitement ripples down from my head and I feel warm inside. Taking a step back I spin slowly hoping to take in the full effect. I spin once and then do an old fashioned bow. I am acting like a little girl, but I am too excited to care.

I leave my room and take the elevator to the tower lobby where Kai and I planned to meet. My hands move to smooth out invisible wrinkles and I straighten my shoulders as the doors open. Kai is standing near the center of the room and when the door dings open he spins around. His hair is slicked back and the black suit shows off his broad shoulders and makes him look taller. I smile and walk toward him. For a moment his face is frozen with his mouth parted open and then he flashes me one of the biggest smiles I have ever seen him give.

#  Chapter Twenty: Kai

It was so easy to walk into the most exclusive restaurant in the city. Kai kept watching the satin flow and shimmer of Caryn's blue dress as she glided in front of him following the maitre d' to the table that was, "Ze best table, with ze best view, in ze best restaurant." Although, the maitre d' said it in an earth accent that sounded as expensive as the marble statues and solid gold pillars lining the walls.

When Kai wasn't looking at the decorations or watching out for the tables and chairs they passed, he was gazing at Caryn's blonde hair. In this light each curl shone and sparkled and with her hair piled on top of her head her neck looked long, slender, delicate. He couldn't believe how much older she had looked when the elevator doors opened. She had stood there smiling at him like a princess with an alluring secret making him want to follow wherever she was going. Again he felt lucky, like fate was finally going his way. He pushed aside the fact that if the T-Man had not wanted a ruby and Kai had not gone looking for one he would not have met Caryn and she would've found some other guy to be her companion.

His cheeks rose to smile when she glanced back at him. The bruise on his face still felt tender, but a woman with a soft, round pad in her hand had dabbed some make-up on it to help it blend with his skin. In the mirror he could hardly tell it was there.

"Here you are, mademoiselle," the maitre d' said and he pulled out a red velvet seat for Caryn to sit on. Then he moved to help Kai, but Kai had already sat down and was scooting his chair closer to the table. They had been shown to a solitary table up a winding flight of red carpet stairs. Every five steps there were landings and places for people and waiters to step off of the staircase. Caryn and Kai had traveled up to where these steps ended completely. The higher they climbed the more glass there was in place of the ornate walls. For this table they were entirely surrounded by glass, tinted so the bright suns would not cause a glare. It was the highest point of the tower and from his seat Kai could see the whole city of Highton.

"Zis is our special menu we only give to important guests like yourself. You may, of course, pick anything you want and our chefs will be happy to make it for you," the maitre d' said. He handed them menus and retreated back down the stairs with a small bow.

Kai stared at his menu and couldn't understand a word printed on it. None of the dishes made sense, even when he did find a word or two he recognized they were surrounded by others that made knowing what the actual dish was impossible. Worst of all, because of how fancy this restaurant was there were no pictures to help give him clues. Kai glanced over at Caryn, saw her frowning at her own menu and felt a little better.

"This menu is pretty complicated," Kai said.

Caryn set her menu down and laughed. "I guess that is what we get for going to ze best restaurant."

Kai let out a burst of laughter at her imitation of the maitre d' and Caryn instantly blushed, but her small smile and the tilt of her head made her look pleased as well.

"It does have a lovely view," she said, gazing out at the city around them.

"Yes, it does," Kai said. He watched the color fade some from her face and when she returned her attention to the table his eyes darted back to his menu.

"I can ask the waiter to explain the menu," Caryn said.

"That's all right," Kai said, setting his menu down again. "I'll just ask for the biggest steak they have with all the fixings."

True to form, when the waiter arrived and took their drink order Kai ordered a large steak and, after listening to the waiter read the menu, Caryn ordered a spiced chicken over rice. Within ten minutes the food was brought and Kai was surprised to see how big his steak was. The steak covered a platter and two other round plates with various sides accompanied it.

"Do you think you will be able to eat all of that?" Caryn asked, as the servers disappeared down the stairs.

"I'm going to try," he said and he grabbed the nearest knife and fork from among the rows of other utensils and began cutting bite sized pieces out of the massive steak. Seeing all this food and knowing he could eat it all, made Kai feel lightheaded. He would take a bite of the steak and then take several bites from the other plates. This one vegetable surrounded by strips of bacon quickly became his favorite side, even over the seasoned mashed potatoes. Kai didn't know what the vegetable was and he was afraid if he found out it would ruin the taste.

Kai finished more than half of the steak and one of the side plates when he looked over at Caryn. Her food looked like she had poked it once or twice with her fork and when she brought this perfect, tiny square of chicken up to her mouth, Kai wondered where she had learned to eat like that. Mealtime had always been a race to him, even at the orphanage. Eat while you have the chance, before someone comes to take away your food. Although Kai knew no one was going to take his food away, he couldn't make himself eat slower and he finished his last piece of steak before Caryn was halfway done with her chicken. Only one side remained when Kai pushed the other plate away, a pile of yellow-green mush with pink flowers decorating it that he left untouched.

Kai leaned back in his chair, his stomach stretched nearly beyond what it could bear and said, "This is probably the best meal I have ever had."

Caryn smiled, more with her eyes than her mouth which was still chewing. Then she swallowed, took a sip of water and said, "It is probably one of the best meals I've had too."

"So what are you doing after this week," Kai asked.

Caryn choked on her next bite and coughed.

"Are you okay?" Kai asked, more concerned by her coughing and suddenly pale face. He leaned closer wondering if he would need to carry her to a hospital. "Do you feel sick?"

Caryn took another sip of water and several slow breaths. "I'm fine," she said.

Kai realized he was squeezing the tablecloth and released his fingers before he leaned back in his seat.

"Do you want to stop by Doc's and have him look at you?"

Caryn smiled. "No really, I am fine. I haven't been here long enough for the exposure to make me sick."

"Maybe we should stay away from the lake then."

"We will not. I like beating you too much." Caryn tilted her chin out.

Kai laughed.

Throughout the rest of their dinner Kai kept imagining what would happen if he took Caryn to Space City or perhaps to Deltan. Once the ruby thing with the T-Man was done Kai would be free to do whatever he wanted and if he wanted it to remain that way he would have to leave Highton or the T-Man would find another reason to make Kai stay. With her connections, getting off this planet would be easy. But who was he kidding, she was going away in a week and she would be providing him with the means he needed to go away as well. In all likelihood he might never cross her path again. Kai shook his head to clear that thought away and followed Caryn back through the restaurant. It doesn't matter. He would figure something out.

"Look at the suns!" Caryn said the moment they exited the building. Both suns were nearing the horizon and Kai had to squint to see how close they were to setting. "I always wanted to see the suns set. Do you think we should go back up the tower and ask if we can watch?"

Kai thought about it for a second and was about to agree when another location came to his mind.

"I have a better idea," Kai said. He took her hand and pulled her away from the Titanium Star. "Come with me. I know the best place to watch the suns set."

"We're going to miss it," Caryn said.

"No, we won't." Kai turned down first one street and then another. Each street brought along with them more and more memories from his past until he was walking in front of the earliest memory from his life. The orphanage looked gray and the long evening shadows gave it a sinister look, but Kai did not pause to remember his past. He moved on to the next building, a cathedral complete with stained glass windows and a bell tower. The doors were always unlocked and Kai led Caryn up the ladder into the bell tower. They reemerged into the light just as the bottom edge of the far sun began to dip beyond the corner of the planet.

"I used to come here and watch the suns set every chance I had, mainly to get away from the noise in the orphanage," Kai said and he sat down on the wooden floorboards facing the suns.

"It's beautiful," Caryn said as she positioned her dress to sit next to him.

Looking up at the wooden rafters with the small circle of stained glass, now flooded with light, and gazing out at the sparkling, orange and yellow city, Kai could see how this would be considered beautiful. They sat together in silence watching the colors change from yellow, to orange, to red and finally to dark blue. Caryn sighed.

"I can see why you would want to come here," she said. "It is peaceful."

"This was the one place I always felt I could go," Kai said. "Father Merrick, the man who ran the orphanage, was often too busy to listen to our problems and if I had been in a fight with the older boys or was upset about my mom I would come here to cool off, escape and think."

"What happened with your mom?"

Kai shifted so he could lean against one of the support beams. "I don't know." His voice was quiet in the evening air. "Sometimes I think I have memories of her, of another place, but when I try to picture it or remember faces, the memories fade. My mom left me in a taxi for the next person to find. Father Merrick always told me I was around three or four, but there is no way to know for sure and there has been no way to find out if the woman who dropped me off was even my mother."

Kai's thoughts drifted to the information the T-Man said he had. Could he really find his family after all of these years? What if they moved off the planet, how would he find them then? Then a horrible thought occurred to him, what if the T-Man was lying about knowing anything and was playing him to get that ruby? He dug his fingernails into the palm of his hand. What if his mother was dead or never wanted him in the first place? Perhaps that was why she tossed him into a taxi and walked away without a look back.

"How long were you at the orphanage?" Caryn asked.

"Some businessmen came and closed it when I was in fourth grade. They were going to move all the kids to this institution that would send their kids to factories, mines, or anyone with money, so I left and I've lived on the streets ever since."

They were both quiet for a time. Kai was too wrapped up in his own thoughts to think of something that would change the mood. It seemed as if he had been at the mercy of others his whole life. Did they care if he slept in the cold or if he killed himself trying to steal a trinket? He was a pawn, a stupid pawn who only wanted to find someone to call his home. In that moment Kai hated everyone, but especially himself for being unable to do anything about it.

Caryn's voice cut through his contemplations. "Do..." she hesitated. "Do you think mankind should be saved?"

"What?" Kai asked, his head jerked up to look at her, but in the dark he could not see the expression on her face.

"It's different than I thought it would be. I grew up hearing the benefits of Betan society, but they never mentioned orphanages and people going hungry on the streets. Do you think someone should save the world?" Her voice wavered a bit. "I mean, would you save them?"

"You mean like if there was no vaccine for this disease that's spreading and everyone would catch it and die unless I saved them?"

"Yes, exactly."

Kai could tell she was looking out at the city lights and he thought about what would happen if everyone on the planet died, but all he could really imagine was a world without corruption, a world without fear and a world without pain. He thought of the T-Man and his gang being saved and a sour taste filled his mouth.

"No," Kai said. "I wouldn't save this world. I'd let everyone die and it would be the best thing that happened in the whole history of Beta Earth."

Caryn did not say anything in reply and they both sat in silence once more. Hoping to clear his mind, more from the depression that had crept through his skin, Kai took a deep breath. As he let it out, his lungs retracted as if they had some misplaced liquid inside. His lungs burned and bubbled. For a moment Kai wanted to cough, but then the moment passed and his next breath felt normal, so he forgot about it.

#  Chapter Twenty-One: Caryn

In the dark, the streets are still busy with groups of people rushing here and there like waves of streaming lights. They are not very talkative, too many are using their handhelds, and it is mostly the sound of their feet on the streets that fills the night air. No one gives us more than a brief glance at our fancy clothes; we are part of the evening rush. The light from business signs and advertisements casts our shadows around us, like fingers from a hand. I can see the lights from our hotel down the street when I hear coughing from a crumpled form against a dark building. A streetlight on the other side reflects off of red hair and I walk over to get a closer look.

"Tommy?" I ask and the form moves.

Tommy looks up at me with his pale face and continues to cough.

"Why aren't you at Doc's?" I ask, as I bend down to help him sit up.

"I went out to get some food," Tommy says, between coughs. "In case my boy woke up."

"You're sick, Tommy. You need to stay at Doc's house so you will get better." I place my arms around his chest and help him rise to his feet. He leans on my arms and his knees seem to refuse to straighten completely, so I half carry him several steps before I feel a hand on my shoulder. Kai stands behind me and motions for me to move to the side. He picks Tommy up and we both walk to Doc's house.

This time I could almost find the way without Kai and when we reach the turn for Doc's house I lead the way. Mrs. Hubbard opens the door for us and Kai places Tommy in a bed next to Tommy Jr. Tommy continues to cough and I help Mrs. Hubbard cover him with a blanket. She promises to keep a closer eye on him, but with how his coughing sounds I doubt he will be getting up for a while.

As we are leaving Kai suggests a night swim and I am happy for the distraction. Kai and I head back to the hotel to change out of our fancy clothes and I have a hard time shutting down my mind after all that has happened today. It races over all I have seen and I try to connect the pieces, but it is like trying to jog on a tread mill and put a jigsaw puzzle together at the same time. There are so many pieces that I know would fit together if I had the time to look at all of them. But time is running out. The mayor will want an answer tomorrow and Foreman made me promise to come back. I see Tommy's face and wonder how anyone would let him die. Then I think of the old man who wanted his mother and how the mayor didn't want him to feel that kind of pain for hundreds of years. I don't know what to do.

I toss my itinerary on the dresser top and stare at my reflection in the mirror. I gape back with wide blue eyes, a small nose and chapped lips. My fingers brush over my bottom lip feeling the rough ridges and sharp peaks. A hotel woman brushed my lips with some color before leaving this afternoon, but after eating the color has faded away. I lick my lips and can taste the water from the lake on them. Not a particularly romantic taste.

I sigh, change out of the dress and pull on my white one-piece. Despite the hotel's thorough cleaning service it doesn't seem as bright white as it did my first day. It looks more like a cream and there is a small dark spot in the hem near my ankle.

This time Kai takes me to a different spot of the lake.

"There won't be any eels in this area," Kai says, as he pulls off his worn shoes. "They like the quiet areas. This place is really busy during the day with kids playing around and fishermen in small fishing boats."

"Where is everyone then?" I ask.

Kai looks back at me with a small laugh. "The lake shore is supposed to be closed once the first sun starts to set."

"So this is illegal?" I feel required to ask.

"Yup," Kai says and he places his shoes farther up on the bank and walks in a straight line into the water.

"Is it more dangerous after dark?" I practically yell at his back so he will hear me before diving under the water.

"No," Kai says and then he disappears under the incoming current ripples.

I place my shoes next to his and rush to catch up. The surface of the lake reflects the sparkling lights from the city and I enjoy the colors as I take my time catching up to Kai.

After I beat Kai three times in a row we swim back to the dock and our shoes.

"I almost had you that last time," Kai says, as he waits for me to climb out first.

"I think you might be improving," I say. A puddle forms around my feet with each step I take.

"Might?" Kai asks. "How far did we go? Three, four miles and I kept up with you the whole time."

I sit down on the dock and pull my hair from around my neck.

"Wait," Kai says and he plops down next to me. "Were you holding back?"

I look down and ring out the water in my pant legs, a small smile fleeting across my lips.

"Man," Kai says. He flicks the water off his hands and then lies down on the dock.

"You are doing very well," I say, hoping it would help.

Kai half snorts, half laughs and drums his fingers on the wood. "Well, I was distracted."

"I thought you were used to swimming with the poisonous creatures in this lake," I say, as we sit on the dock with our feet hanging over the edge even though the water is too low to touch.

"I am," Kai says, as he leans back on his elbows. The bruise under his left eye deepens the shadows on that side of his face, making him look younger and more vulnerable. "I was mostly concerned for you."

"Right," I say. I raise one eyebrow as I look at him.

"I was," Kai says and I can see him look at me from the corner of his eye with his lips pressed tightly together to keep from smiling. "You were the one who made a big deal out of all the dangerous stuff in this lake."

I look back at the water.

"Did you know I was stung by an anemone once?"

My head whips over to him. "No. What happened?"

"I was swimming near the bottom exploring and I saw this huge jigger swim by." Kai turns to face me. "Now you know that jiggers aren't really dangerous, I mean, they have teeth and can bite, but they're pretty mild unless you corner them or don't move through their territory fast enough. This one jigger had to have been seven or eight feet long. So, I back up to this rock formation with this nice vegetation to hide in and then I feel a sharp jolt in my left leg. I look down and the nice vegetation is actually a bed of anemones. I swim out of there faster than I ever have in my whole life, but when I get to the dock I can't climb out because I can't bend my left leg high enough to swing onto the dock and my right is holding all my weight. I end up spending the night and half of the next day in the water waiting for the effects to wear off."

"So the anemone only stung you, it didn't have time to latch on?" I ask. Although it shouldn't really matter. Any contact is dangerous.

"Nope, I moved out of there before that could happen."

"You were lucky," I say. "They normally latch on and inject the poison. Maybe there wasn't time for the poison to enter your bloodstream."

"You know a lot about this stuff," Kai remarks, as he picks at a piece of wood sticking up from one of the dock's planks.

"I had a class on it." I shift my weight from one leg to the other.

"I'm glad I don't have to go to school anymore," Kai says and he tosses the piece of wood he freed into the water.

We sit in silence for a moment. I look around for something to help change the flow of conversation and I immediately forget when I look up at the stars.

"The stars seem much brighter out here," I say.

"It's because of all the lights in the city," Kai says. "Lay down and you can see them better."

I lay down next to him and the sky spreads out above me like a carpet unfurled.

"It's beautiful," I say.

"If you look over there just to the right of those four stars you can see the Earth's Sun," Kai says as he points to a formation of four stars.

"Really?"

"No, we're too far away. But if we could travel to those four stars and used a big telescope we might be able to then."

I smile at myself. Of course Earth's Sun would be too far away. Even with our advanced methods of travel it still takes three days to get there. Deltan is much closer and I try to locate the six-point star pattern that marks the suns near it.

"Do you think you would ever want to travel to Deltan?" Kai asks. It is almost as if he can read my thoughts. I glance over at him and see him staring up at the star pattern I am looking for.

"I used to when I was younger. It's the most beautiful planet ever discovered."

"They only allow special people to live there, but I'll bet we could get permission to move--"

"Kai," I say. "I'm going away--"

"I know," Kai interrupts. "But you can't stay away forever and, maybe one day, when you come back we could travel the universe."

A fist squeezes around my heart and I want to tell him I won't come back, but I can't say the words. It is even harder because the thought of traveling to Deltan with Kai sounds wonderful and exciting. My desire to completely escape from this life rises and then is crushed. A small tear escapes out of the corner of my eye. I glance over at Kai to see if he is watching, and he is. I gulp in a large amount of air, but I don't turn away. Then he reaches over with his hand and brushes away a strand of hair that started to dry on my cheek.

I find myself starting to lean toward him, but a fish splashes in the lake and he jerks looking to where the sound might have come from. I sigh and look back up at the stars. I feel Kai settle back and then he moves and I feel his hand wrap around my own. I adjust my arm and let my fingers curve closer to his skin. My skin feels warm against his.

"We don't have to go to Deltan," Kai says, his voice is soft and calm. "We could travel to Earth or explore the galaxy. There are some really nice moons."

I laugh.

"If you don't want to leave Beta Earth we could visit Space City or tour the farmlands and mines," Kai continues.

"That could be nice," I say.

"Could be."

"I think I would still rather see the rest of the universe though," I say.

I feel Kai nod his head and he says, "Me too."

The stars twinkle and as I look up at them I feel completely happy.

#  Chapter Twenty-Two: Kai

The night air felt heavy with moisture and the jigger's mate-luring scent. Kai tried not to breathe too deeply because the air settled into his lungs and the smell made him want to cough. He watched Caryn disappear into the outside entrance of a convenience store's restroom and leaned against the brick wall of a bar. She had refused to go in the lake and couldn't wait until they made it back to the hotel. The neon lights from the business signs cast moving shadows along the opposite wall. Kai looked up at the night sky thinking back on the way Caryn's eyes looked in the starlight. Her smile had made him feel warm inside and he wanted her to be happy in a way he had never wished for the happiness of anyone.

He took a step away from the brick wall and out of the corner of his eye he thought he saw a shadow move. Then, before Kai could react, strong hands grabbed under his armpits and threw him back, slamming him into the wall.

"Where's the ruby Kai?" Red said. Red's forearm pressed against Kai's windpipe and when Kai's eyes refocused on the face now inches from his nose he could not get out more than a whisper.

"It's not Friday yet."

"What?" Red said. He leaned harder against Kai's neck. "I am having a hard time hearing you."

Kai tried to kick Red's shin, but his feet met only air. A hand wrapped around Red's shoulder and Red relaxed his grip enough for Kai to breathe again. Jackknife appeared at Red's side.

"Do you have the ruby we asked you to get?" Jackknife asked.

"Not yet," Kai said. "But I'll have it tomorrow."

"Well, the T-Man is having a hard time believing you," Jackknife said as he leaned against the wall and inspected his fingernails. "Every time we've checked up on you, you are hanging out with that girl and not even trying to steal a ruby, unless, she happens to be carrying one under her shirt." Jackknife looked up at Kai and Red laughed.

Don't react. Don't react. Kai repeated in his head and he focused his gaze on the brown bandana around Red's neck.

"I can see how someone like Red would not be able to comprehend what I am doing," Kai said, ignoring the tightening on his neck. "But I will deliver the ruby tomorrow."

"You better," Red said. "Cause I'll enjoy--"

"Yes, I know," Kai said. He was tired of the big act Red was putting on in front of Jackknife. "You can't wait for me to fail so you can cut me up or kill me or whatever it is you do. Tomorrow I am going to laugh in your face and you won't be able to do anything about it."

Red looked back at Jackknife with his mouth twisting open. All it took was a small nod from Jackknife and Kai realized he had gone too far. In rapid succession, Red punched him five times in the gut. Kai doubled over and never even saw the upper cut that hit his mouth. He slid down the wall in time for Red's foot to connect with his ribcage. Red kicked him until Jackknife told him to stop.

"We're changing the time. You don't have until Friday anymore we need the ruby by noon tomorrow," Jackknife said. "Don't be late."

Kai watched as Red's brown shoes turned and walked away down the street. He coughed and spit blood from his lip at the pavement. Why couldn't he keep his mouth shut? At the thought of the look on Red's face, Kai almost smiled, but the skin and muscles around his mouth screamed in pain and he groaned. Red was stupid if he thought his devotion to the T-Man enhanced his standing in the gang. The T-Man didn't care about his gang any more than he cared about the shoes he wore. They could all be replaced, just like Kai would no longer be needed if he was tagged. Just like Noah was. The T-Man never informed the Petersons that Noah had been arrested and they did not get any compensation for losing their son's future to the T-Man's schemes.

A door slammed shut as Kai tried to stand to his feet.

"Kai? What happened?" Caryn ran to him and held his arm to keep him from leaning back into the wall.

Unsure of how to explain, Kai shrugged. He felt around his ribs to see if anything felt out of place.

"More of your friends?" Caryn asked.

Kai nodded.

"You might want to consider getting new ones."

"I plan to."

He straightened, ignoring the pain in his side.

"You know," she said, once the hotel was in sight. "I am beginning to think you are the one who needs a bodyguard more than I do."

Kai managed a half smile.

They took the elevator up to their rooms and once the door to Caryn's room shut and Kai was alone again, he sagged against the wall. He had to ask Caryn for that ruby first thing tomorrow morning. They could stop by a jewelry store and then he'd have to find somewhere safe to leave her while he was at the T-Man's warehouse. Then they would give him the information they had on his mom and he would leave the city as soon as his time with Caryn was done.

He pushed off of the wall, frowning at how his whole mid-section ached with the slightest strain, and let himself into his own room. He grabbed the comforter covering his bed and pulled it back to the floor like he did every night in this hotel even though someone kept coming in and placing it back on the bed. He tried to sleep in the bed the first night, but the bed was so soft, compared to what he was used to sleeping on the carpet was too, but with the bed's pillows and blankets surrounding him he felt like he was being suffocated. After moving to the floor he was able to fall asleep and never bothered with the bed again, although he did like the comforter.

The next morning, Kai woke up as soon as the far sun's light filtered through his window. Whether his stomach felt tight because of the beating he had the night before or because he would finally know why his mother abandoned him, he couldn't tell. He went to the marble-walled bathroom and wet his hair down. Then he left his room and waited outside Caryn's door for her to appear. The door opened thirty minutes later and Caryn stepped into the hallway.

"I thought we might go back to the diner for breakfast," Caryn said.

"Sounds good," Kai said. He wanted to ask her about the ruby, but thoughts of food made him decide to wait until afterward. With her it wouldn't take long, walk in, ask for it and walk out in less than ten minutes. He walked with her out of the hotel and headed to cut through the main square. As they approached the center of the square Kai saw a couple of boys throwing eggs and vegetables at the marble monument. The boys laughed as each boy tried to hit the highest point.

Caryn's back stiffened.

"What are they doing?" she asked. Kai saw a look of horror flit across her face and she flinched when an egg splattered on the side of the monument.

"They're just having fun," Kai said.

"Fun?" Caryn spun her head around and Kai almost took a step back at the bewildered anger in her eyes. "Those people gave their lives so those boys could live and this is how they are honored?"

Kai wasn't really sure what she was talking about and was about to ask her what people she meant when there was another splat.

"Stop!" Caryn shouted.

The boys laughed at the shot not even hearing her. Kai watched as she began to walk toward them and then run as another boy picked up a tomato.

"I said stop," she yelled, her voice echoing around the square. The boys noticed her and Kai jumped to a run in case they decided to throw something at her. The boy with the tomato threw it at a wild arch toward the monument and then all the boys turned and ran.

"Stop," Caryn said. She slowed to a walk and picked up one of the empty egg cartons, then let it fall back down.

With the square emptied, Kai stopped running and watched her move to the monument. She reached up and tried to wipe the red tomato skins and egg shells from the marble.

"Why would anyone do this?" she asked. Her voice was quiet enough that Kai could not tell if she were speaking to him or voicing her frustrations out loud. She brushed off each name as if it belonged to close relatives. Kai waited for Caryn to finish cleaning the monument and when they walked away her lips were pressed together and sad furrows covered her brow. They entered the diner and found a table. Caryn didn't say anything the whole time.

After stuffing the last piece of a biscuit in his mouth, Kai ventured to ask, "What would you like to do today?"

"Does it matter?" Caryn asked. She had eaten one or two bites from her food and her eyes had glazed over.

Kai stared at her.

"What is wrong with you?" he asked. "You were all excited to do things and see stuff at the beginning of this week and suddenly now some kids threw food at a statue and you don't care anymore?"

"It's not a statue. It's the Memorial," she said. Some of the light returning to her eyes as she glared at him.

"Whatever it is, those people died a long time ago."

"So no one cares what happens to their Memorial?" Caryn asked, her tone rising.

Kai leaned back in his seat. "I'm sure somebody out there cares, but those boys weren't attacking you personally, they were just having fun."

"You don't understand. My name could be on that Memorial in a week and watching those boys throwing food at it was like having them walk up to me and spit in my face."

Kai frowned. "What?"

She sighed and her shoulders drooped.

"Do you know what the Memorial stands for?" Caryn asked tentatively. Then she continued when he didn't respond, "What do you know about the jigger toxin?"

"It's what's making everyone sick and they could die if the cure isn't gathered."

"Yes, but the biggest component of the Haydon cure is a jigger or jigger egg that has been altered by contact with human DNA. Part of the gathering is to impress large batches of jigger eggs with human DNA so that they can be used later when they are adults. But the eggs are protected by the anemone until they hatch."

"Why can't they just touch the fish when they are older?"

"It only works with eggs because while they are growing and changing, they absorb their environment. Once the eggs hatch, the babies no longer take in the materials around them. Their genetic code can't be manipulated to produce the right components for the cure."

"What does that have to do with the memorial?"

"The Memorial bears the name of every person who has gathered the cure since the beginning of Beta Earth."

"And those people died because they were stung by the anemone." He was proud of himself for making that connection.

Caryn nodded. "They gave their lives for the people and are honored by having their names and faces inscribed on the Memorial."

"Wait." Kai's skin turned cold despite the warmth in his belly. She'd said her name would be on the memorial. She wasn't just going away, she was going to die. She would not survive. Kai wasn't sure how he had survived being stung once, but everyone knew to swim into an anemone patch was suicide. A wave of horror passed through Kai like a ghost and he felt the cold seep inside. She was going to leave him, just like everyone else. Worse. She had let him believe that they could be friends, perhaps even more than that one day, and that they could have a future. All her talk about traveling had been lies. She was never going anywhere. Walls shot up around his heart and he clenched his hand into a fist. Caryn kept talking, but Kai only half listened. It didn't matter anymore. He didn't, wouldn't care.

"The mayor invited me to Highton so I could see the other side of the Compound, how they have been using their knowledge of the cure to experiment on everyone. Once every eighty years or so the jigger toxins are extremely potent and will kill all unvaccinated humans. This time the chemical is the worst we have seen in a thousand years, possibly the worst since the first colonists. I was picked to deposit the DNA samples and the scientists will make the vaccine from a few of the eggs to help those who are currently sick. Then they will wait until the other jiggers are adult size and make the vaccine as it is needed."

"Why do you have to do this? Can't they find someone else?" he asked. He crossed his arms over his chest and slouched in his chair.

Caryn leaned closer, but her voice stayed quiet. "Anyone could gather the cure, but they would only be able to survive one anemone batch before they passed out. There is also the issue that the anemone viciously attacks and refuses to open for any non-organic object. It can create this rock-hard wall around the eggs and will destroy the eggs if the wall is broken...." She paused realizing she was going off topic. "I was bred for this."

"What do you mean?"

"Scientists manipulated my DNA so I could hold my breath longer, swim faster and have a higher tolerance for anemone poison. I've been training to gather the cure all my life. Granted my DNA has also been given scholastic abilities in case I did not win, but my primary purpose is gathering the Haydon cure. I beat the other contestants to do this, only now I don't know what to do."

"The mayor's offer. You wouldn't have to do this." Kai's brief hope died as Caryn dropped his gaze in favor of the table cloth.

"The mayor only wants me to wait a week. I would still have to gather the cure. But in that time many of the children we have seen at Doc's house could be dead."

"Let them die." Even as Kai spoke the words they twisted into the hopeful plea he thought he had hidden forever.

"It's possible even you could die too, if it takes them too long to make enough for all the people who will need it."

"I don't care if I die."

"I don't believe you."

Kai tightened his jaw and he let ice seal the walls inside. If she was going to do this then he wasn't going to stop her. There was only one thing he needed from her and then he would never think about her again.

After a moment, he cleared his throat, but refused to look at her as he said, "I need that ruby you promised me and I'd like to get it now if we can."

"Kai...."

"Don't. I--I'm done."

Nodding, Caryn stood and they left the café.

The pieces began to fit together as they stood in the jewelry store. He remembered the looks people had given her and compared it with the look in the jeweler's eyes. There was a fearful awe on the face of everyone she met. Whenever they rushed to bring her what she asked for they weren't doing it because she was rich, but because she was powerful. She held their lives and the lives of those they loved in her hands. How had he missed it? He was so stupid, so absorbed in his own problems.

"What size did you want?" the jeweler asked.

"Size six," Kai said.

The jeweler handed the ruby to Caryn and she held it out for Kai to take. He let the ruby roll around in the palm of his hand and wished he could feel something, but he felt numb.

"I guess I won't see you," Kai said and ignoring the slash of pain on her face he walked out of the store.

#  Chapter Twenty-Three: Caryn

I walk down the streets alone, not really caring where I am going or what I am seeing. Water fills my eyes and blurs the world as ghost-shapes walk around me, but no one touches me. They avoid me as if I am the disease that will carry them away, not the cure. I nearly trip over a step in the sidewalk and decide to sit down. There is this ache inside and I wrap my arms around it, but it will not go away. If the next two days are anything like this one I wish they would take me back now. The closed look on Kai's face as he left the shop is seared in my mind and the feeling that washes over my heart makes me wonder if this is what death feels like. Is it possible to survive a pain like this? What if I died right here before the Compound could get me? At least there I would not die alone.

The tears drip down the side of my face and I wipe them with the corner of my sleeves until both of my sleeves are soaked and cold around my wrists. I wanted Kai to understand; I wanted him to stay with me today. I wanted to be with someone who cared and could help me deal with these emotions. Our class on dealing with death said to find someone you trusted and confide in them, but I cannot think of anyone I could talk to, aside from Anderson or May and Janissa and they aren't here.

But everything is different in the city. People are rushing around to fulfill their own goals, working, playing or shopping, and hurrying, always hurrying. There is no greater purpose for the rest of the planet. People like Kai's mother could force the care of her son on another. People can leave you because you can't do what they want, even if you want to with every fiber of your being. They don't have to be loyal or obedient. Maybe Kai is right. Maybe this world does not deserve to be saved. Maybe it would be best to let everyone die.

I sigh and try to push those thoughts away, but questions rise each time. Why do I have to be the one who thinks of others? If I don't who will? Why can't I leave this place and travel far away with Kai? What about my promise to return at the end of these three days? Now my thoughts are so tangled I don't know what to think or feel.

I stand up and start to run. The tears on my face turn cool in the breeze. At first I don't care where I am going, but then I smell the lake and head there. I need to swim. I need to sort this out.

Unlike the quiet of the evenings, the docks are bustling with activity. Crates are being loaded and unloaded, seamen, fishermen and buyers are arguing over cargo and the noise from the machines and boat engines forces everyone to shout. I dodge around them and run to the nearest dock.

"You can't go there," someone yells, but I ignore him and dive off the end of the last pier.

As soon as the water hits my ears this sense of comfort eases into my soul, a sense that this is where I belong. I stay under, wrapped in the water's embrace for as long as I can and only come up for a quick breath. Then I swim two miles to the center of the lake and when I still feel the confusion inside, I swim on to the other side. The familiar movements give me something to focus on and I push my muscles as hard as I have been taught. I turn to the left as I reach the other side and swim parallel to the shore until my arms feel like each has a fifty pound weight strapped around it.

I let myself sink below the surface, enjoying the quiet and the uncomplicatedness of the water. Here there is no right, wrong or responsibility. Here I do not feel alone and I do not have to think. The blood in my head slows back to normal as it pulses behind my ear. Any sign of my earlier tears are washed away. I let myself rise slowly to the surface and my head breaks through. I take a breath and water splashes in my face. I wipe my eyes and when I open them I see a rock flying toward me. I am too stunned to move as it splashes a foot from my face.

A figure freezes on the shore and I blink away water that slides down my nose. There is something familiar about the person and I duck under the surface and swim closer to the shore. I come up where the water is three feet deep and the figure jumps and begins to run away with hair flying.

"Sara?" I call. I wipe my hair out of my face to get a better view.

The girl stops and turns back around.

"I thought you were a jigger," Sara says.

"What are you doing out here?" I ask.

"Melissa's in a coma now and my mom cried all last night," Sara says and she walks closer. "And I hate jiggers."

Sara picks up a handful of rocks and hurls them into the lake saying, "I hate them. I hate them. I hate them."

I watch her throw rocks until she sinks to the ground and I sit next to her. I can't think of anything to say and Sara turns her face so I cannot see her.

"Why haven't we killed all the jiggers? Why do we let them live if they could kill us?" she asks.

"We let them live because the vaccine slows the aging process. People live much longer now than they did 3,000 years ago. Back then the oldest person might live to 120, if they were lucky. Now people can have fruitful lives into their 300's, more than double what it used to be."

"I'd rather live to 120 than have to wonder if the cure will be ready in time."

"The officials and scientists feel the risk is acceptable," I say.

"Well, they must not have a younger brother and sister who are dying," Sara says and she throws a pebble. It skips on the other rocks and gravel and lands a foot shy of the water.

I remember Jackson coughing and imagine Melissa falling into a coma. A sour taste fills my mouth and sinks in my stomach. I look at Sara and the defiant tilt of her chin. I wonder when she will start having symptoms, when her exuberance will be overtaken by exhaustion.

"Do you want to go home?" I ask.

Sara shrugs her shoulders, but when I stand she rises with me.

The moment her front door opens a strong mix of unclean human bodies and bleach rolls out of the door. Compared to the first day I was here, my initial thought is that the whole house is overflowing. I shake my head and think there must be patients on all floors now. With a last whiff of fresh air, I follow Sara into her house and up to the second floor bathroom. I shower and Sara gives me a bathrobe to wear while we wait for my clothes to dry. Once I am back into my own clothes I follow her down to the main floor.

All of the furniture in the living room and dining room has been stacked against the wall to create a large empty space in the center. Already two sleeping mats have been placed in the living room, both occupied.

"We have new kids arriving every hour and some are even older than me." Sara says. "But I don't feel sick yet."

"It affects each person differently," Doc Hubbard says from the doorway. "Some kids have a weaker immune system or have been exposed to more of the toxin than others." There seem to be more wrinkles on his face and dark circles under his eyes.

"I heard Melissa is sick," I say.

Doc nods.

"Let me take a shower first and then we can see her together," Sara says and disappears up the stairs.

"Have you--do you know what you will do?" Doc asks.

It is the question I would like to ask myself. Should I gather the cure, allowing the Compound to continue exploiting the people, or should I not gather the cure and risk all the sick children in this house, and all over the world, dying? Neither option is best.

"What do you think I should do?"

Doc shakes his head. "Every molecule in my body wants you to get the cure. My children, my wife's happiness, my family depend on it. She always wanted a big family, but even with all my medical contacts, the arrivals of all three of our children were miracles. I know I should be willing to sacrifice them for the good of my other patients, especially the future ones. I just can't, even though I also know it could be my children I need to treat after signing their health rights away. I would rather see them live even with the possibility of side effects, than die." Doc pauses and I can see the sincerity in his brown eyes, then he adds, "But I would understand if you make the Compound wait."

"I don't know what to do," I say. My life hangs in the balance too. Waiting would break the Compound's hold on the planet. The future would be different. But it would mean some would die, perhaps even those in this house. If things went very wrong it could be all the children here. Could I live with myself after letting even one of them die? Heather had always protected me, even when things would go worse for her because of it. We were born to protect them. But now they wanted me to choose.

Sara rounds the corner, her hair still wet. She takes my arm and pulls me down to the first basement. Once again all the beds and tables are filled with patients. There is a solemn quiet in the room, adults whisper to each other with their head close together. The beeping of monitors and ragged breathing of the children occupy everyone. I see two heads look up at our entrance and then they drop back down.

"She's over here next to Jackson," Sara says.

I walk over to the bed and look at the little girl. Her eyes are closed as if she were sleeping. A small strand of her brown hair crosses over her nose and I reach over and tuck it behind her ear. Her hair feels so frail and her skin is cool to the touch. The urge I had to run away is replaced by this desire to pick her up and hold her in my arms. She is too young to be sick. I see the look of concern in Sara's eyes and I realize that for all her big talk about her siblings ruining her life she still loves them.

Mrs. Hubbard is asleep bent over Jackson in the next bed while holding his hand in her now relaxed fingers. He looks smaller, younger than he did at the beginning of this week. As I gaze around the room I see Tommy, Tommy Jr. and all the other children. They are all too young to be sick and too young to die. I walk over to Tommy Jr. and place my hand on his forehead, then I try to brush Tommy's red hair out of his face but it keeps falling back.

I'm surprised to find the emotion I feel for all these children. I am concerned for them, but it goes beyond worrying. I want to care for them, I want them to heal and I want to be the one who saves them.

"What?" Sara asks.

"I'm sorry?" I say bringing my focus back to Sara.

"You zoned out for a minute," Sara says.

"I'm sorry," I say again. "I just realized I have to go."

I walk to the door and Sara moves out of my way. Then I stop and say, "Sara, don't worry about your brother and sister. They will get the vaccine and they will be running around in a week or two."

"I hope so," Sara says.

#  Chapter Twenty-Four: Kai

Kai held the ruby up so the camera would see and he banged on the warehouse door with his other fist. He hit the door extra hard, but it didn't make him feel any better.

"I have it," he said. He stepped back and waited as the metal of the door snapped as it creaked opened. Noah was waiting on the other side and he waved Kai through.

"I wasn't sure you could do it," Noah said.

Kai shrugged his shoulders and walked into the main area of the warehouse. There were more boxes of stuff crowded against the walls.

"Wait here," Noah said. He walked over to the guys crowded around a table, nearly disappearing in the light for a moment.

"He's here right now?" someone asked. Then several figures reemerged and Kai recognized the T-Man, Brandons, and Noah coming toward him.

Brandons reached Kai first and he held out his hand and said, "Let me see it."

"Now, now Brandons, manners," the T-Man said. He turned to Kai. "Give him the ruby."

Kai dropped the ruby in the new guy's hand and wondered how a guy named Brandons came to work for the T-Man.

"I got you the ruby," Kai said. "I want to know what you found out about my family."

"Patience," the T-Man said turning to Brandons. "Is it real? Will it work?"

Brandons held the ruby up to the light and studied it. Then he jogged over to his work table and pulled a laser gun from the top of a pile of papers. He placed the ruby into a center section of the gun and after taking a deep breath he flipped a button. Instantly, there was a humming sound.

"It's perfect," Brandons said. "This should give us at least thirty seconds before the monitors figure out something is wrong."

"Perfect," Kai repeated. "Like I said, I did my part."

"Unfortunately," the T-Man said smiling. "I need one more thing from you before I can give you the information."

"No! The deal was for the ruby. That is it." Kai could feel his hopes unraveling. He glared at the T-Man's smile and wondered how many punches he could land before they pulled him off.

"The deal has changed," the T-Man said. "We need you for another job in a few hours. You won't have to do much and I will give you all the information I have before the job so you will know I keep my word. Or you can leave now and stay away without the information and I'll find someone else."

Kai looked from the T-Man to Noah. They had him. He couldn't walk away, not when he was so close to finding out the truth.

"I hate you," Kai said, his voice quiet and subdued.

"Excellent," the T-Man said, as if he did not hear the words. He nodded at Noah. "We have some last minute planning to do that you don't need to know and we will find you before the suns set."

Noah approached and took Kai's left arm. Before Kai could act or respond Noah pulled out a gun and shot Kai in the bicep. Pain throbbed down to his hand.

"What are you doing?" Kai asked. His right fingers felt the area for blood but there was none. He looked and couldn't find a single drop of blood or even a hole. There was a red dot the size of a freckle that he was pretty sure hadn't been there before, but that was it. Noah set the gun down on a table and Kai could see it wasn't like most of the guns he had seen. It was smaller and the barrel was too narrow, like the medical air guns they used to give a vaccine.

"That is a tracking device, now embedded in your bloodstream." The T-Man began walking around. "After the merry chase you gave us did you think we would let you leave without knowing exactly where to find you? Don't worry, it will wear out...eventually." The T-Man began to walk back to the container. "We will find you when we need you."

"See you soon," Noah said, as he showed Kai out of the warehouse.

"Yeah," Kai said. He felt so tired. As he stood outside of the warehouse, he wanted to escape, to run far away, but he had to know about his family, his mom. He was trapped. If the T-Man didn't tell him tonight he would leave, tracker or not. The promise felt hollow and he didn't trust himself to follow through. But it felt good to imagine.

There was no point in covering his tracks or worrying about visiting his normal hideout so Kai went back to the orphanage. The abandoned building and overgrown yard had a new addition. A for sale sign hung near the front gate and Kai wondered who would want to buy the place. More likely the building would be torn down to make room for another. The thought was a bit sad. It was the only place he had ever considered his home. He moved past the orphanage and climbed the bell tower of the cathedral.

The suns warmed the wooden planks through the stained glass and the opened walls. Kai plopped with his back to one of the support beams. The breeze wrapped around the old bell and helped to cool his face. He leaned his head back and closed his eyes. His arm hurt and he wanted to rub it, but he didn't feel like moving. He must have fallen asleep because when he jerked his head up and checked his surroundings the shadows had moved. The suns were in the early afternoon positions. There was a bang as the door of the cathedral slammed shut. One of the steps on the ladder creaked and his first thought was that Noah was coming for him.

"I was hoping you would be here," Caryn's voice said and he was glad she'd found him until he remembered what had happened earlier. He heard the floor creak beneath her as she climbed into the bell tower and sat next to him. Reluctantly, he shifted to make room for her. They sat there in silence for a few moments. Kai didn't look at her. The wind blew against the wooden walls bringing with it snatches of the jigger's sweet toxin. He had never paid any real attention to the smell before, but in that moment he decided it did smell like the poison it was. He could feel it burrowing into his lungs with every breath he took.

"I'm sorry for the way you found out about this. I assumed you knew and I'm sure it was a shock." Her voice sounded small and hallow in the loft.

"Are you going to get the cure?"

"Yes."

"Why?" His tone was a bit harsher than he intended. He raised his fingers to where the tracker was buried under his skin. The tiny circle where Noah injected him made a small mound that stood out like a pimple. He couldn't stop himself from rubbing it. If he had any fingernails his arm would be a bloody mess and he still wouldn't be rid of the T-Man's tracking device.

"It is the right thing to do."

"Who cares about doing the right thing?" Kai snorted. "Nobody does the right thing. Why should you?"

"What about Doc Hubbard and his family and the work they do for those who can't afford a doctor? What about the way Tommy takes care of a little boy he is not related to? You're not being fair to the people who are trying to make this world a better place and people can change."

"A better place?" Kai laughed. "If people can change they choose not to. Do you know how many guys I know who said they were going to give up stealing, gangs or drugs? Do you know how many starving people there are in the universe? They were going to do something about that thousands of years ago and look at us now. I can't count how many nights I went to bed hungry and compared to most of the kids I know I've had it good. For all our progress the way humans are now is the same way humans have been for a long, long time and you dying will not change that." Kai's fingers twisted around the bump on his arm until it hurt too much for him to take. He dropped his hand and scratched at the wooden floorboards.

"Maybe you're right," Caryn said.

Kai snorted.

"But I can't let the children we met die because those people may not change. When I look at the kids who have been brought to Doc's clinic it hurts me to see them sick and I can't let them die knowing there was something I could do to save them. I'm not going to let them, or you, die so I can live a long life." Caryn's hand touched Kai's arm. Neither said anything for a while.

"Will--will you come to the Compound to see me before...?" Caryn asked.

"I don't know," Kai said. He looked down at the roof of the old orphanage.

"You don't have to make a decision right now, but I would like you to be there. It would mean a lot to me."

"I have to do something today and if it goes well I'll be looking for my family."

Caryn nodded. She stood up and brushed off her pants. Kai noticed that they were no longer white like they were when he first met her. Now they were a light gray. He listened to her climb down the ladder and quietly close the front door.

Kai sighed, his fingers forgetting to pick at the floor. The information weighed on his mind. He wondered what he would say if he found his family. He always imagined that something must have happened, that they had died or something big prevented his mom from coming back. It was the only conclusion his heart would accept. The other alternative was his mom didn't want him and did not love him. He wasn't sure he could handle that.

A door banged open below.

"Hey kid. The T-Man says you have to come with me."

It was Red.

#  Chapter Twenty-Five: Kai

Kai stood in the middle of the warehouse waiting. Noah was gone, Red drifted up to the second floor of the warehouse after some comment about how great their plans were, Brandons was tinkering at his table and Jackknife, who was watching him, had pulled a broken piece of a wooden crate off of the floor and was whittling it down with a knife from his belt. The T-Man was nowhere to be seen. Kai glanced around to double check the T-Man's absence, his hand closing into a fist. He had known better. He thought he had known better.

"Here it is." The T-Man's voice came from behind him.

Kai spun around to see the T-Man holding out a small information chip. "Did you think I wouldn't hold up my end of the bargain?" The T-Man smirked and placed the chip in Kai's hand. "Brandons, let this kid use your computer for a minute."

"Right, Danny." Brandons picked up his handheld and moved to the other side of the warehouse.

In a daze, Kai followed the T-Man over to Brandons' table and the small computer set up on one end. The T-Man took the chip back and plugged it into the mainframe. Files popped up on the screen.

"What would you like to know first? Your mom's name? Where you came from? Your name?"

"I want to know about my mom," Kai said. He leaned forward gripping the edge of the table and held his breath as the T-Man clicked one of the files.

"Your mother's name was Thirteenth Official Allia Washington," the T-Man said. The picture of a dark-haired woman flashed to the front of the screen. She had sad, dark green eyes and her mouth was set in a thin line. According to the bio next to her photo, Allia Washington was 58 years old. But on the next line there was a date of death, January 11, 2722, over twelve years ago.

"She's dead?" Kai had to squeeze the words out around the lump forming in his throat.

The T-Man clicked on another file and it showed a small dark-haired woman walking to a speeder with a lump, like a large package or small dog, under her coat. She climbed inside and for a moment all Kai could see was her head moving. Then the speeder shot up into the air and exploded. Fiery dust and metal shards rained down on the street, most no bigger than a coin.

Kai watched the screen unable to move. His mother was dead. Then a thought occurred to him. He dragged his eyes away from the screen and looked at the T-Man. "How do you know this woman is my mother?"

"Check this out." The T-Man clicked on another file.

The screen showed an office and looked down on a gentleman sitting behind a desk. It took Kai a moment to realize he knew this office. The wood paneled walls, the flag in the corner and the painting of the stern man with glasses on his nose were all objects Kai had stared at when he waited for Father Merrick to arrive.

"Father, there's a woman here to see you. An Allia Washington," a secretary said, from the door beyond the view of the camera. The time stamp on the bottom of the screen was dated December 20, 2721. Three weeks before her death.

The man raised his head and Kai recognized a younger Father Merrick.

"Show her in," Father Merrick said.

The same dark-haired woman walked into the room and stood in front of the desk.

"Please be seated." Father Merrick pointed an opened hand at an empty chair. "How can I help you?"

"I heard you take in orphans and care for them," the woman said.

"I do."

"I have a boy, four years old, who needs a place to live."

"I'm sorry. Perhaps you did not understand. We don't take in children with living parents."

"I do understand, but I cannot care for him where I live. He is not safe."

Safe?

"There are many government programs I am sure you could apply for that will give you food, shelter and clothes. I can help you find the ones right for you--"

"I can't go to the government." Allia stood up. "You are my last hope."

"But I cannot take in a child who is not an orphan. Our resources are limited enough as it is."

"They will kill him." Allia placed her hands on his desk and leaned over it. Then she spun around and began to pace across the room. "I had a young charge for thirteen years and when she died they promised me that my son would never have to endure what she did. They--they tortured her, with their new experimental treatments and the training they put her through. But she died before they got what they wanted from her. Two days ago, I found a release form for my son to enter into the candidate program and if he does they will push him until he dies or they kill him. I have to get him out before that happens. You must help me."

Father Merrick dropped his gaze to the desk, his fingers straightened papers. "I can't. Even if I could make an exception for your son, to go against the Compound is more than I am prepared to do. I'm sorry."

"Please." Allia's voice barely reached the camera.

"I am sorry, truly I am."

The footage showed Allia leaving, a hand pressed to her face. Then the frame paused.

"If that isn't enough," the T-Man said. "Then this will be."

And before Kai could jump the T-Man stabbed his hand with a small needle. He dropped a speck of Kai's blood onto a rectangle glass plate with a cable running to the back of the computer. The T-Man clicked several keys. Two screens popped up.

"This is her DNA and this is yours. Notice how many markers you have in common," he said and then he walked away.

Kai leaned closer. The two profiles had many similarities, too many to deny. Any doubt Kai may have had about Allia Washington being his mother was gone. She was his mother and she was dead.

Then another thought hit him. His mother had killed herself so Father Merrick would take him in. She made it look like she had taken a small boy into the speeder with her when she died so no one would be looking for him. His whole family was dead and in that moment he felt more alone than he had his whole life. At least before there was hope, no matter how small, that he was not alone. Now all hope was gone. He would never walk up to a door where a waiting embrace would greet him.

One by one Kai moved on to each of the files. He found out his official name was Brian Rybert Washington and he was born April 3, 2718 according to the Beta Earth calendar. There was a string of his DNA with sections in a different color showing which strands had been replaced and note on what had replaced it. There were modified strands of whale, elephant, fox and dog DNA and a good amount from someone called GY59324. Each modification was meant to increase different natural aspects: the ability to swim for long periods underwater, oxygen retention, good memory, problem solving skills and a compliant nature.

He clicked on another clip that showed a young boy with dark hair maybe two or three years old sitting on a steel table. The boy cried while a man in a white coat stuck him with needle after needle. In the background Kai could make out the shape of Allia standing by the wall. She stood with her back straight, but Kai could see her right arm spasm when the boy screamed.

There were other files of release forms, financial agreements and test results. There was also a number of the vault where Allia's ashes were kept. None of these files mentioned who Kai's father might be; although with the amount of DNA he had that also matched patient GY59324 he suspected there might be a connection. He also discovered that on all his patient files he was referred to as Brian GY62988.

Then another clip caught his eye. It was called Brian Playing in the Nursery. The boy must have been near four years old. He was sitting in a room building a tower of blocks and helping him was a 2 year old girl with white blond hair. The girl would hand him blocks and he would put them on the top of the tower. They smiled and giggled when the tower wobbled. A large woman with a white apron came in the room.

"Caryn, it's time to go," the woman said. She opened her arms and the girl ran into them.

They left and the young Brian went back to building the tower. But Kai rewound the clip and brought up a close-up of the little girl. She had the same blue eyes and her nose wrinkled the same as Caryn's when she laughs. Was this why she seemed so familiar, because they had played together when they were young? He wondered if there were clips of her crying on a steel table and how much they had changed her DNA. If his mother hadn't stolen him away would he be the one walking the streets of Highton for the last time?

"Do you believe me now?" the T-Man asked. He stood behind Kai's shoulder.

It was a lot to process and Kai realized there was someone he wanted to share this with, someone who would understand. Caryn. That is, if she still was around and would talk to him after all he had said. He popped the chip out and slipped it into his pants pocket.

"It's going to take me awhile to go through this." Kai stood and backed away from the computer. He almost tripped on a foot and when he looked up he saw Red staring down on him.

"You're free to stay here and go through all you want," the T-Man said. "That is until our guest arrives. Until then I'm afraid I can't let you leave."

"What are you talking about?" Kai took a step closer to the T-Man. "We're done. You got what you wanted and I got what I wanted. Our partnership is over. There is no reason for me to do anything else with you."

The T-Man smiled and looked up at the ceiling. He shook his head and held out his hands as if this situation was beyond his control.

"You can't keep me here forever," Kai said.

"I don't plan to. After tonight you can go home or wherever you want." The T-Man motioned for Kai to sit back down.

Red pushed Kai into the chair, ignoring the glare Kai shot up at him. Even though he was in front of the computer, he didn't feel like going through any more of the files. Instead he watched the other gang members hanging out. Red stayed within three feet of him and looked like he was ready to pounce at Kai's slightest movement. Brandons fiddled with the gadgets on his table.

Then the front door clanged open and two figures walked in from the night. Kai recognized Noah instantly, but when his eyes rested on the other his heart sank like it had been tossed into quicksand.

#  Chapter Twenty-Six: Caryn

"Good, you're here," the mayor says when she walks into the room I am waiting in. "Where is the other one, your companion?"

Ralph walks in behind her along with another man I don't recognize.

"I--I didn't think you would let him in so he didn't come with me."

The mayor's mouth twitches in a half smile. "Before you give us an answer, I want you to know that we have been watching the Compound for years waiting for the right moment. They have never slipped up until now by letting you out of their shadow. You know them for what they are. You know the truth and you can help us stop them.

"But I am not only thinking about the people. We also want to stop them to save you and the other candidates. There is evidence to prove the Compound has been lax in their search for the anemone poison, but it has not been enough for a warrant. It's possible they already have an antidote, but they have refused to use it so that everyone on the entire planet stays dependant on them. You of all people should understand how it feels to be left in the dark and unable to control your future. Help us control ours. Once we have the cure, we can force the Compound to release its research. One of our doctors has already been given limited access to some of their research."

"I know the Compound has problems and I understand the frustrations you have," I say. After what I overheard at the Tournament meeting I have my own doubts about the Compound's honesty where the antidote is concerned. Part of me wants to march into Foreman's office and demand to know if they are refusing to save me so they can keep the high status of their scientific community and all their grants. Being out in the city has given me a different perspective of the Compound. There is so much that they keep us from, so much that we don't know.

"But?" The mayor raises an eyebrow.

"I can't do what you want." I know the Compound will have the cure ready for all who are sick now.

"Not even if it will save your life?" Ralph asks.

"I might live, but others won't."

"You've been brainwashed," the gentlemen next to the mayor says. "The Compound is not as great as they want you to believe. Did you know that the cure should have been gathered twenty years ago, but the Compound said they weren't ready? They had to play God with their genetics first. No one is ever supposed to get sick, but the Compound doesn't care."

His voice rises until he is nearly shouting. A few years ago I might have cowed under his gaze and done everything I could to make him happy again, but that was before Heather died, before I learned to speak when I disagree. I stand, push back from the table and in a quiet, controlled voice say, "If you don't like the way the Compound controls things then maybe you should gather the cure."

The words pop out and it is as if a concrete wall inside me crumbles. A whole new world opens as I realize the truth behind those words. The dark stares of Second Official Whit are drowned out by a flood of light. I am not the only one who could save the world. It is not my fault that everyone is sick. Then my whole body freezes and a wave of chills wash over my arms and neck.

The man frowns, "But that's why they created you."

"Marc," the mayor says, a warning in her tone. She studies me with her light, piercing eyes for a moment. "If you change your mind or think of anything that can help us, please let us know."

My hands and knees are shaking, but my voice remains strong. "I will."

"We really do want what is best for Beta Earth, as I am sure you do," The mayor says and leaves.

As soon as the door closes behind them I collapse in a chair. I can't stop shaking. This is worse than watching those boys throw eggs at the Memorial. Kai didn't know what the Memorial stood for, so how could they. How can anyone know if they are not taught and reminded again and again?

I am expendable. I have known that from the beginning. The only reason I exist is because I was pieced together in a scientist's test tube. I never knew who carried me or whose egg and sperm were used. I never really needed to know. But I was special because I survived and because I was engineered for a purpose: to save the world. No one ever asked if I wanted to save the world. It was expected. It still is expected. The cure does not have to be gathered by me or anyone the Compound creates. Petyr Gurginsk was the first one to gather the cure and that happened 250 years before the Compound even existed. But people like Marc don't think the world needs to be saved or if they do, they aren't willing to do something about it.

I am trapped. I have all my training, the way I was raised and the values I was taught on the one side, and all the new experiences I have had the last three days. As much as I want to live, even Marc's comment doesn't change the fact that I want to help. I want to gather the cure, not because I am the only one who can, or because I did nothing to save Heather who would have gathered the cure sooner had she lived. I cannot leave the responsibility that was given to me. I can't let the children suffer any longer than it takes for the cure to be gathered and made.

And of all the people I know I'm the one with the least to lose. I'm expendable. May has Janissa. I have Anderson, but there is always something he holds back, things he doesn't say. He doesn't want to get too close to me, doesn't want to form deep attachments. The only person I don't feel expendable with is Kai. He makes me feel real, alive. Just thinking about him makes me want to see him again.

Ralph pokes his head in the room.

"I wanted to apologize for the statements Marc made. It does not reflect the opinion of the mayor or all of the people in this city. What you are doing...we do appreciate it."

"Thank you."

Ralph disappears.

"Wait." I rise from my chair. "Could you give me the travel documents that Kai, my companion, asked for as payment? I would like to give them to him myself."

Ralph nods and leaves the room. I wait impatiently for him to return and leave as soon as he hands me an envelope containing all the proper documentation. I hope Kai is still at the orphanage. It is the only place I know where to find him, aside from the lake, and if he's not there I'm not sure what I will do. The orphanage seems like the best place to start since that was where I saw him last and I increase my pace to get there faster.

"Excuse me, are you the White Lilac?" a young man asks.

I turn, give him a polite smile, but don't slow my pace. "Yes, I am."

"You have to come quick. Kai is hurt bad," he says not even bothering to introduce himself, but once I hear Kai's name I don't care.

"What happened to him?" I ask. He starts to lead me down abandoned streets toward the lake. I practically jog to keep up with him.

"It all happened so fast. You'll have to see for yourself," is all he says. I picture Kai lying in a pool of blood, burned by a fire or with every bone in his body broken. I wonder if they have already called for medical help. Of course they have. It had to be the first thing they did. Perhaps we are jogging so we can get to the accident site before they fly Kai away. Or perhaps Kai is crushed under a building and they can't get him out.

I start to run and my escort keeps my pace. Finally, we stop in front of a warehouse. The guy knocks on the door and it clicks open. Something feels strange about this and for a brief moment I wonder if I should have contacted the Compound, but all I care about is that this takes me to Kai.

"Where is he?" I ask.

"He's in here," the guy says and he holds the door open for me to enter.

The entrance area is dark, but as I walk in I notice the size of the warehouse. Then I see Kai sitting in a chair directly across from the entrance with a red-haired man standing over him. I first notice that there is no blood. My second observation is Kai seems to be sitting of his own accord. A wave of relief washes over me when I see he is awake, but then I don't feel relieved at all. Kai's face drains when he sees me and my back feels as if ice is melting down my nerve endings. He is not hurt. I can tell that from where I am and my feet stop walking.

The door we came through shuts and the echo fills the warehouse. The scent of rotting wooden crates and rusting metallic beams fills my nose, even though I try to swallow it away.

"Welcome to the T-Man's Compound," says the guy with red hair.

"What is she doing here?" Kai asks. He tries to stand up but the red haired guy pushes him back down.

"Hello, Caryn. I'm the T-Man and I want to thank you for arriving so quickly," says a young man on Kai's left. He stands in the dark rays outside of the overhead light, but when he raises his hand out of the shadow, a gun with a red ruby glittering brightly in the center. The gun is aimed at my chest.

Then there is a blinding red flash and I fall to the floor.

#  Chapter Twenty-Seven: Caryn

I can't move. There is no pain, but I have no control over my body. I lie flat on my back staring up at the rusty beams supporting the roof, unable to blink or twitch a finger.

"What did you do to her?" I hear Kai yell. Someone grunts, feet shuffle and something metal clangs against the concrete floor.

"Did the gold card come loose?" A guy asks.

"Of course it did. I designed the gun to free it myself," an indignant voice says from the back of the room.

A short man walks into my line of view and the T-Man follows appearing on my other side.

"You should have thirty seconds before it reboots," the T-Man says. The short man nods and crouches down at my side. I feel my hand turn over and a small tug as he pulls the gold chip from my palm, then he runs for the door. His touch leaves my hand tingling, but I can bend my fingers a bit and I can blink. Things I couldn't do a second ago.

The T-Man bends over me and I see his face for the first time. If it wasn't for the brightly intent look in his eyes, or his tattered clothes, he could have been a guy you pass on the street and never notice, yet I know I have seen him before. The guy they had originally picked to be a companion, Daniel something.

"You were one of the companions," I manage to say. My mouth tastes like smoke and I try to swallow it away.

"Yes, I was," he laughs. "As soon as I heard the Mayor was going to try to get one the candidates out of the Compound I knew I had to have a part. And you would not believe how hard it was to pass their detailed inspection, to finally make it to the final selection, only to have you disapprove. All the planning I had done, in one moment was nearly destroyed, but then you took a liking to Kai and things fell back into place."

He straightens. With every ounce of strength I have I try to lift myself up, but I only raise my head an inch before it becomes too heavy and falls back.

"Noah, tie her hands and feet," the T-Man says and the guy who brought me here comes over. He grabs my hands and although I pull my arms back I am helpless to stop him as he wraps a coarse rope around my wrists.

"Red, what are you doing?" The T-Man turns to the red-haired man holding Kai in some kind of bent over headlock. "Tie him too."

The man called Red lets go of Kai to grab the rope held out to him and Kai collapses on the floor gasping. Noah starts to tie my feet as Red ties Kai's hands with sharp yanks and pulls.

"Bring them to the dock," the T-Man says in a loud voice. Then as Noah pulls me to my feet, the T-Man leans close to me, his breath carrying the scent of vinegar and onions, and whispers, "My uncle told me you're afraid of the water."

"How would your uncle know that?" I ask. The fog is lifting from my body and I am almost able to feel all my limbs, although balance is beyond my reach especially since my feet are tied together. I have to lean back on Noah to keep from falling because his tight grip on my arms does little to keep my knees from buckling.

"My uncle was an official for the Compound. He trained you before you turned against him and destroyed our whole family." There is no sign of mirth anywhere on the T-Man's face and for a moment I am confused. Then my legs can't hold my weight.

"Second Official Whit." I whisper, but the T-Man doesn't notice. Things start to make sense. I look at the T-Man again and see flashes of resemblance between the two. The way he winked as a companion. The way the skin of his cheek vibrates when he glares at me. The way he waves his hand when he talks. They are all reminiscent of Second Official Whit's mannerisms. Even the color of his eyes, a cold gray, is Second Official Whit's. Some things are different like the shape of the T-Man's nose is long and slender, not short and small and his lips are thinner. He is also shorter than Second Official Whit was. But the shared family genes cannot be ignored and staring up at him I feel like the stupid, lazy, little girl Second Official Whit often said I was.

"Your stunt caused him to lose concentration and that's why the other girl died." The T-Man is pacing in front of me.

"Stunt? I don't remember--"

But the T-Man ignores me. "And then you lied about how he treated you so they kicked him out and refused to give my sister, and anyone else he was related to, the treatment they needed to live." He pauses and points a finger in my face. His eyes hold back no hatred, but ray after granite ray crashes into me. "You killed my sister. The day she died I swore to her that I would destroy the Compound. Killing you two is only the beginning. Even now, the Compound might think that they have two other candidates, but by the time they realize they need them it will be too late."

"What are you going to do to them?" I ask. I try to make my voice strong, but it sounds wobbly and broken. Noah pulls me closer to keep me standing.

The T-Man smiles again, but doesn't say anything. He jerks his head at Noah and I am dragged across the warehouse to the open door in the back. I hear bone hitting concrete and then see Red dragging a limp Kai by his feet.

As we enter the blinding light of the suns, I can smell water in the air and I start to shake. Every fear I had with Second Official Whit comes back to me and I can't breathe. There is a short wooden dock and we move to the edge overlooking the gray brown water. Kai groans next to me.

"Any last request?" the T-Man asks. His smile is all too familiar to me.

"Let Kai go," I say. At first it is a whisper, but then I repeat it louder.

"No."

Noah stiffens behind me. "We're dumping Kai too?" he asks.

"Yeah, you got a problem with that?" Red says.

Noah hesitates.

"But why?" I say. "Kai has nothing to do with the Compound and you said yourself that he has helped you. Let him go."

"He's just as much a part of the Compound as you are and I have no intention of letting him go." The T-Man leans closer. "Besides having another person with you would be just like the last time. Only this time justice will be served and you, the real murderer, will die."

"What do you mean?" I ask. The T-Man ignores my question as he attaches weights and chains to my feet and Red does the same to Kai. His eyes are open, but do not seem fully aware of what is happening, since he is not struggling.

"My uncle told me the truth. He said you challenged the girl to see who could stay under longer and then you broke her call button so no one would know she was drowning." The T-Man leans closer to my ear. "Her death and my sister's are all your fault."

The T-Man pushes me hard from behind and I fall over the edge of the dock. Water closes around me before I have a chance to remember how tightly it grabs and holds. There is another splash and Kai sinks next to me. His eyes wildly looking around until he sees me. He tries to pull the chains off his ankles, but the ropes on his wrists are so tight he can't even bend a finger.

I wait for the panic to rise and overwhelm me, but the T-Man's last accusation makes me pause. He said his uncle had told him the truth. That I challenged Heather to a breath holding contest and broke her call button so she couldn't signal Second Official Whit to bring her up. But that day is burned into my memory, a purple-red scar that refuses to heal completely.

I was afraid to go in the water. Second Official Whit threatened me and yelled. Heather took my hand and said it would be all right as we waited by the edge for Second Official Whit to finish hooking up our weights. She asked if we were doing thirty minutes, like normal and Second Official Whit yelled again, how he was the trainer and he would do what he thinks will make us the best. Then we jump in. Heather smiled at me as we sink and I smiled back. Being underwater wasn't as bad that time. But the minutes tick away and I thought we had to be close to the thirty minutes. Then Heather started to struggle and pressed her call button.

I looked up to see Second Official Whit's shadow watching us. He didn't move. Heather began to breathe water and spasm with noiseless coughs, wisps from her hair came loose and floated around her face. I froze unable to take my eyes off her. Her thumb pressed the call button rapidly, then slower and slower until it fell from her fingers. I grabbed my call button, but my hands shook and it falls from my grasp. I looked up, found my call button again, and pressed it as hard as I could. This time I see another shadow next to Second Official Whit and our weights are released. Heather crumpled over as her body took its time rising. I started to shake and when my head broke the surface I couldn't speak. Water poured down my face and salt mixed with the chlorine.

The whole scene washes over me and sends my emotions rolling. But when they begin to settle one thing remains. Second Official Whit lied. He lied to himself. He lied to the T-Man. But mostly he lied to me. He told me it was my fault and I believed him because I did not press my call button sooner. I thought I could have saved her, but her call button wasn't broken. It was tested every week by Second Official Whit and I would not, did not, tamper with it. If the call button was broken Second Official Whit was the only one who would know about it. He was also watching us and he would have been able to see Heather struggling. He chose to ignore her. That is why she died. It wasn't my fault. Her death was not because of me. Even if I had pressed my button earlier it wouldn't have mattered.

Another thought fills me with ice. That other shadow. Seventh Official Anderson had come to take us to our classes. If he had not come early Second Official Whit might have let me drown as well.

The realization that I could have died with Heather doesn't matter as much as the fact that I did not cause her death. I feel lighter and heavier at the same time. Lighter because for once the guilt I have been living with is gone and heavier because Second Official Whit, the man who was our primary guardian, could not be trusted with our lives. I knew he was a hard man, but I never suspected he would resort to murder. He must have snapped. Perhaps the pressure from the other officials got to him. And he never took Heather's standing up for me well. There was always a punishment waiting for her, even if I never saw it. Dark circles around her eyes in the morning, extra or harder workouts when I had lunch. She took it all without complaint. But if he did the same to me she would tell him to go easier or threaten to tell the other officials. She stood up to him and he hated her for it. He thought it questioned his authority and he cared about little else.

All of this flows through my mind in seconds, yet in this moment I feel free. The water no longer suppresses me, smothering me with guilt. Now it builds me up, surrounding me to make me stronger, to wash away all the responsibility I have felt over Heather's death. I'm not afraid anymore. And when I look over at Kai still trying to grab his chain I could laugh.

I am light, gliding through the water. I reach out and together Kai and I try to pull the chains loose. I have more maneuverability with my fingers, but after a few tugs it is apparent that I can't get my own hands free. Kai must realize this too, because he holds his wrists out to me and I pull at the knots. The water has made the already tight rope tighter.

It is after five minutes of twisting and turning that I get one loop loose. I glance to see how Kai is doing and he seems as alert as I am, so I keep pulling. The knots start to fall away one by one and then the rope slips away completely. It doesn't take Kai nearly as long to untie me, but by the time my hands are free I can tell he is moving slower. Surprisingly enough, the looped chains on our feet are easy to remove now that our hands are free.

Kai and I both look up to the surface. We have to move our arms to keep from rising. Lights flash on the dock. Red, blue and white beams circle the water above us. I don't remember seeing lights there before. Kai pushes up to the surface and I follow him. I hear muffled noises that grow progressively louder until they become shouting and blaring sirens.

"Stop. HC police!" Someone yells. "Stop or you will be neutralized."

I wipe the water out of my eyes in time to see Red running along the side of the warehouse. Then his whole body goes ridged as he spasms in pain before collapsing on the floor. Two men dressed in a blue uniform bend over Red securing his hands behind his back.

Hands reach out and both Kai and I are pulled out of the water.

"Are you okay?" A concerned man in blue asks and I nod. Behind him members of the T-Man's gang are laying on the ground. A speeder has landed with lights flashing and a figure emerges from them coming toward us. I look up and can't make out his face because of the glare, but I recognize his form.

"First Official Foreman." I am surprised he is here. "How did you find me?"

"The necklace Anderson gave you contains a tracking device along with other sensors that allowed us to monitor you. We saw your heart rate spike and knew your location was not safe so we contacted the authorities."

"Thank you," I say.

"I was actually on my way to find you," Foreman says. "I realize your three days are not completely finished, but you need to know that the disease is spreading faster than we accounted for. The officials have asked if you would be willing to cut your time short and come back with me now."

#  Chapter Twenty-Eight: Kai

Kai didn't know the man who was talking to Caryn, but he knew he didn't like him. This Foreman's chin was jutted out in the same haughty way that most rich people carried theirs. The kind of tilt that said they were too used to having their way and how dare you think of spoiling it. The kind of person Kai had always wanted to trip so they might actually touch the gutter once in their life.

He also didn't like the way Caryn changed when she saw him and heard his request, although to Kai's ear it sounded like she didn't really have a choice. When they were in the water she had come alive. Her eyes had lit up and she had reached out to him as if every movement had purpose. Even as they were climbing onto the dock she had a spring in her step, but as soon as she saw him she was like a four year old alone in the kitchen when an adult walked in. It didn't matter if the kid was doing something wrong or not, the surprise of unexpected eyes and the suspicious circumstances would make the kid look uncomfortable which in turn would lead the adult to assume guilt. It also made her shoulders drop despite the fact she had to look up at him. And she raised a wall over her eyes.

Caryn nodded once and took a step away. Then she stopped to face Kai, letting a piece of the wall down for an instant. "I--I would really like it if you were there."

"Caryn, this boy will have to give a statement to the police and we have to prepare you for the gathering, now." The man placed his hand on her back and propelled her to the speeder. The speeder's engine roared, an older model for sure, and drowned out any words Kai might have said. He watched her look back once before climbing in. It was only as the speeder left the ground that Kai wondered if he could have gone with her. His statement could wait a few hours, but it was too late to call them back.

"Excuse me," a surprisingly burly female officer said.

"Yeah," Kai said, his brain already considering what he should and shouldn't say in his statement.

"One of the prisoners told us you have no parents. Is this true?" she asked.

A single glance at the smirk on Red's face told Kai everything he needed to know.

"Everybody has parents," he said.

"Of course, but are you living with yours? And if you aren't, I will need the name of your guardian in order to contact them."

"Look, the girl that just left needs me to be at her thing in a few hours and I'm sure we can find a way for all of this to work out." Kai gave her his most adult look, but now she had one eyebrow raised.

"The Gathering is not until the day after tomorrow and I'm sure we'll be able to sort things out long before then."

"No, Foreman said they were moving--"

"Let's go. You can wait at the station until your guardian picks you up."

For a moment Kai thought about running, but that was another suspicious action. He rode in the front section of a speeder van and from the occasional banging from those in the back, he was glad the wall was sound proof. The last thing he needed was to hear the accusations and taunts Red was screaming at him.

When they arrived at the police station there was a group of ten to twenty police waiting and they quickly opened the doors and began pulling the T-Man's gang out. At least two escorts per prisoner. Kai was surprised to see that the T-Man was not one of them, but he may have had his own vehicle, or they might have double chained him first in the very back so he would be the last one out. Kai's own escort didn't let him stay to see the whole gang unload, but he did see Noah meekly walking to the door, a sharp contrast to Red, Jackknife, and the first Pontelli brother out who struggled against every step and Brandons who openly cried and was practically carried.

"This way." The policewoman was waiting for him and she showed him into a busy room, shoved an electronic form under his nose and pointed to the cell-system on the nearest desk. "Call someone to pick you up or we will contact the guardian system."

Doc Hubbard was the only person Kai could think of who was not dead, imprisoned, or drunk, but after finding his house number it was Sara who answered the phone.

"Who is it?" she demanded, even though she was clearly looking at the video screen where his face would appear.

"I need someone to pick me up," Kai said. "I'm at the police station on 42nd Street and they won't let me go unless I have a guardian. Can your dad come?"

"My dad's busy." Her tone was sharp, but there was concern in her eyes. "My brother isn't doing well."

"Please, I--Caryn wanted me to--"

Sara gave an angry grunt and hung up.

"Hello?" Kai tried to call back but the line was busy.

The policewoman looked up from her handheld and was still watching, even after Kai sat back down and began to fill out his statement. The questions were filled with big words that he guessed at and some sections he left blank. It took him two hours and he would have preferred getting another beating from Red over filling out another statement again. When he finished he didn't see the policewoman. It was his chance. He got up and started to walk to the door.

Three steps were all he took before she appeared in the doorway with another man. Kai was about to turn back to his seat when he realized the other man was Dr. Kendal.

"I'm sorry I couldn't get here sooner," Dr. Kendal was saying. "Thank you for keeping him."

The officer merely nodded and let Kai walk past her with Dr. Kendal at his side.

"Dr. Hubbard's daughter called me and asked me to come," Dr. Kendal said. The sky was completely dark and it was a few moments before Kai's eyes could readjust to the reflective street lights. Dr. Kendal turned to the waiting taxi and Kai slowed down.

"Well," Kai said. "I guess I'll see you."

"I can take you to the Compound," Dr. Kendal said. His open hand gestured at the taxi. "If you don't mind making a quick stop at my office."

"Okay." Kai was glad he didn't have to walk. He had seen the road leading to the Compound once or twice, but who knew how long it would take to get there. The Compound could be miles from the city and he didn't want to waste any more time.

The taxi ride took a few seconds and Dr. Kendal got out. Kai was happy to wait, but then Dr. Kendal returned and said, "You might as well come in with me. I am easily distracted and your presence would be an excellent reminder."

Kai shrugged. If it was going to get him to Caryn sooner he didn't mind. Up in Dr. Kendal's office, Kai waited behind the desk as Dr. Kendal opened files on the large, old-fashioned computer screen. Several DNA models popped up, one after the other and they were different, but Kai could also see there was a similarity between them.

"What are those?" he asked.

"These are the DNA samples of the previous four White Lilacs." Dr. Kendal's voice was distant. "You can see how the anemone poison has corrupted their DNA."

Kai nodded, even though Dr. Kendal couldn't see him. The DNA structure was completely unstable and there was one small section in the center of each strand that had to be pure poison. It had a spiky star shape in a tight cluster that spread out into triangles and squares. He shuttered to think about how quickly it would spread and corrupt.

Dr. Kendal pushed back his chair and walked over to the bookshelf. Light glared off the screen and once again Kai noticed the outline of a flower at the bottom of the current file. It glimmered and almost seemed to disappear in the reflections. It looked different from the other sections of the file, almost as if it was raised from the screen. Kai reached over and brushed his fingers over it to see if it was, but the screen was smooth.

"Have you seen this flower at the bottom of every page?" Kai asked.

Dr. Kendal looked up from his book. "Yes, but I couldn't open it."

The light of the screen dimmed and the message "Official markers required" scrolled across. A green laser grid scanned Kai's face and a small microphone-like tube popped out of the screen's side.

"Breathe." The word blinked. Kai leaned over and breathed on the microphone. The tube retracted and a graph with a line forming peaks and valleys appeared. This screen dimmed too and the words, "Twenty-one markers found. Level 1 unlocked."

There was a sharp beep. A new DNA file popped up.

"What did you do?" Dr. Kendal asked, rushing over.

"I just touched that flower thing at the bottom of the page." Kai took a step back. "What is that?"

Dr. Kendal quickly scanned the file. "It's a DNA model of the anemone poison."

Kai looked closer. This DNA model had some triangles and some squares, but not a single star. "No it's not."

"What do you mean? That's what this file says it is."

"It's not what killed them. It doesn't have the right center. Look." Kai brought the other files up and pointed to the poison center.

Dr. Kendal grunted and he flipped back and forth several times before he leaned back and said, "There must be a mistake. This file could be incorrectly labeled. See there is another one."

The next file that popped up was another poison DNA, this one was covered with spiky stars. It matched the poison that had killed the other White Lilacs, but at the top was the name gangerious poison. It was deadly, one of the information bars on the side said it took less than a minute to kill, but only if it was directly introduced to the blood stream. Kai didn't have a chance to look at it anymore because Dr. Kendal was turning back to the other files again.

Another file popped up showing the DNA of another person, only this one looked like the anemone had killed him.

"Who's that?" Kai asked.

Dr. Kendal scanned the file and then said, "Petyr Gurginsk. He was the first person to die from gathering the cure, but according to this he had an allergic reaction."

"So the anemones did kill him?"

"Yes, but his reaction is extremely rare and it was complicated by having lungs full of the jigger scent which would make it harder to breathe."

"Would Caryn have a reaction like this?"

Dr. Kendal's eyes were bright with excitement when he swiveled around. "The chances of that would be less than one in nine hundred trillion. This is big. Whenever I was allowed to study the anemone poison it has always looked like this." He flipped back to the other files and pointed to the combination of triangles, squares, and stars. "I have heard of the gangerious poison, but never had the chance to observe it. It isn't common to this planet. However, we are in luck because this building has both anemone and gangerious samples stocked. Come with me."

They went down to the basement and Kai waited by a microscope while Dr. Kendal entered a refrigerated room to bring back the samples. It didn't take long before he was back and inspecting them under the microscope.

"Hmm." Dr. Kendal grunted when he stood back up. He pulled out his handheld and began copying the data from the microscope. "There's a quick test to see if they are poisonous."

And he pricked his finger letting a small drop land in each dish. Once again he studied them under the microscope and again he downloaded the data onto his handheld. Kai could see the screen: the first one showed the liquids repelling each other and a white mass started to form along the edges and the second showed one eating the other despite the white mass trying to form a barrier.

"Looks like you are right," Dr. Kendal sounded surprised. "If this is any indication of the actual poisons, then the anemone poison is no more dangerous than a bee sting, granted by a very large bee, but it wouldn't kill anyone."

"Then why do all those people have the same poison?" Kai asked.

"I don't know." Dr. Kendal shook his head. "The only explanation I can think of is that each White Lilac was injected with it after they had been exposed to the anemone poison. The gangerious works too quickly to be administered beforehand."

"But who would do that?"

"It had to be a doctor, because the White Lilacs are not the only ones who have died from this poison." Dr. Kendal whipped around his handheld and flipped through screens showing patient files. "All of these people died from it too. This is a fisherman who tried to untangle his nets from a rock and touched an anemone. He died ten hours later. This one is a socialite who was deep diving with her friends and hid in an anemone patch. She died the next day. No one who has had contact with the anemones has lived."

"I have."

Dr. Kendal looked up in surprise. "Really?"

"Yeah, but I never told anyone about it."

"You never went to the hospital?"

"No."

"Then that must have saved your life."

"But why would a doctor do that?" Kai asked.

"Someone in the Compound must be behind it."

Kai nodded. The image of Dr. Vos rose in his mind. The man was completely detached from his patients. Now that Kai remembered the whole scene, the doctor hadn't made eye contact with anyone. No eye contact meant there was something to hide, a hidden motive.

"Either they place their own doctors to care for poisoned patients," Dr. Kendal continued. "Or they pay for certain services. If the people knew the anemone poison wasn't deadly they would gather it themselves and the Compound would lose much of its funding. Plus the fact that they have been adding to the cure, essentially experimenting on the population, which would stop once the people knew the truth and the Compound would no longer be in control."

It made sense. Kai had seen how far the T-Man's gang went to keep control on their turf. The difference was that the Compound could control a planet. Power was hard to gain, but harder to keep. And the Compound was willing to kill one of their own to keep the secret, and their power, safe. Then another thought hit him.

"They're going to kill Caryn." The urge Kai felt to get there in time nearly suffocated him. "We need to stop them."

Dr. Kendal nodded and looked at the time on his handheld. "Can you check to see if our taxi is still here? I'm going back to my office to copy some of the White Lilac files. I need to send this information to the mayor and then I'll be ready to go."

Kai jogged to the door they had entered, but could see the empty street through the glass. He walked out double checking in case the taxi had pulled out of view, but aside from a black speeder parked down the street, it was empty. They would have to call for another one. More time wasted.

He ran back to the elevator and punched the floor button.

"Come on, come on." The elevator dinged for each floor, too slowly for Kai, but at last the doors opened.

"Get out!" Dr. Kendal's voice yelled from down the hall. "You have no jurisdiction here."

Kai paused. There was another voice speaking quietly and he tiptoed down the hall to hear better.

"...once again. How did you access those files?" the other voice asked. Then it added after a moment of silence, "Since you will not cooperate, you leave me no choice."

"What are you...?" Dr. Kendal's question was cut off by the hiss of a vaccine gun. There was a thump and the sound of an electronic device being crunched underfoot. Then quick footsteps walked toward the hall. Kai darted back the way he came and ducked into an empty room.

The footsteps came closer and then passed, but Kai did not want to risk peeking out from his hiding place. As soon as the elevator doors shut, Kai ran back up the hall.

"Dr. Kendal?" he asked.

The office looked untouched. Dr. Kendal was slumped over his desk, a shattered handheld by his feet and none of the poison DNA files were available to view. To Kai's relief, Dr. Kendal was breathing, slow, ragged breaths, but his eyes were open staring at nothing and the entire left side of his body was contorted as if he had a stroke.

# Chapter Twenty-Nine: Caryn

"May and Janissa are in danger," I say as soon as the speeder doors close. "The T-Man, Daniel Hawke, is the nephew of Second Official Whit and he mentioned that something would keep May and Janissa from gathering the cure."

"What?" Foreman's eyebrows wrinkle.

"He wants to get back at the Compound for what happened to his sister. That is why they are in danger," I say and I can see Foreman's eyes believing me.

He calls the Compound and orders a system and building search of anyone or anything May and Janissa would come into contact with. We don't have time to stop at Doc's so I can say goodbye to Sara and the others, instead we speed back to the Compound like every second counts. The lights from the city fade and I am swallowed by darkness. I have no time to think about the past events, but when I see the huge, protective dome that covers the whole Compound my heart lurches and all I want is to go home. The speeder hovers over the dome for the transport door to open and then it slowly descends. As we land I see Anderson waiting and he opens the door for me. I step out of the speeder to see the dark shadows of the main house and the lighted windows of the science stations.

"I am sorry your visit was cut short," Anderson says.

"I know," I say.

"You need to report to Science Station 3 for some tests to ascertain if you have been exposed to enough germs. You will go from the science station to the aquarium and commence with the cure gathering at 0800," First Official Foreman tells both of us and then he rushes into the main building.

"I'm glad your visit went well, although it sounds like more excitement than we would have hoped," Anderson says, when we are alone. I'd forgotten how deep his voice sounds when he's being serious.

"Yes, it was," I say as we walk toward the science stations, but one thought keeps entering my mind. "Can you find out how Kai, my companion, is doing? He was unconscious underwater for some time and I want to make sure he didn't suffer any side effects from nearly drowning."

"I will do what I can."

All the science centers are lit and provide light as we walk along the path to the third building, Science Station 3. When we enter through the doors I am met by several scientist, most I know only by face.

They take some blood and run a routine check-up, paying extra attention to my lungs and breathing. I follow their instructions and stare at the white walls and floor tiles. I used to wish they would bring some color in here to brighten it up, but now the whiteness seems appropriate. I can almost picture the lilac's four petals outlined along the wall. They run some scans and I rest my eyes. When they tell me they are done I wait for Anderson to join me. As soon as I see him I ask about Kai.

"He was taken to the police station to give his statement."

"Will he get here before I dive?"

Anderson does not reply and his handheld buzzes. He clicks to view the message. Water collects in my bottom eyelid and he must have seen because he says, "I will personally go down to the police station and pick him up. We'll be back before dawn."

I nod not trusting my voice.

"You can wait in the main building until we are ready. The girls are awake and they would like to see you. Oh, and you were right about May and Janissa being in danger. A case of the gene treatment vials was tampered with. They are analyzing the vials now, but they appear to be poisoned."

I nod again glad that the girls are safe and he lets me walk back to the main building by myself. After walking down streets crowded with tall buildings and shops squeezed together, all the building in the Compound seem spread out. And I notice how green all the grass is that surrounds the sidewalks.

When I look up I feel the dome crowding over me and I miss the clouds and stars without the clear, filtered screen of the dome. The air smells sterile after becoming used to the scents that would sweep off the lake and lurk in the alleys. But as my hand touches the scanner for the main building it feels like home.

"Caryn, you are back," Janissa says.

"Yes, I am." I smile. They don't appear to know about the poisoned vials, so I don't mention it. I look at the clock in the wall and am surprised when it says 5:08. The night has passed quickly and once the far sun rises it will be the last one I see. I slow my breathing and return my focus to the others in the room.

"What was it like?" Janissa asks. Both Janissa and May are dressed and ready for the day.

"It was big, some of the buildings rose taller than the clouds. People were walking everywhere and the food was wonderful." I feel like I should go on, but I find myself wishing it had lasted longer. Besides it would not do to make my three days sound like heaven. I doubt if the girls will ever be allowed to leave. They will go from training in the pools, to studying science and practicing it. "And you would not believe some of the horrible smells that come from the trash."

May wrinkles her nose and Janissa sighs.

"Would you like something to eat?" May asks me. She points at a tray topped with milk, bread and jars of jam. There is enough for all of us and we sit down in a circle around the tray.

"How was your time here?" I ask, as I spread strawberry jam on my second slice of bread. I'm not sure I can eat all of it, but I will need the energy.

"Fine," May says. "We spent more time with school than we did at the pools."

"My muscles are tight," Janissa says. "I didn't swim or stretch at all yesterday."

"I didn't either," May says.

"What did you do?" I ask.

"I worked in Science Station 5," May says. I smile when she looks up at me, but she drops her head and her voice becomes strained. "I also have two new classes, one in advanced computer theory and the other in programming."

"I worked in Science Station 2," Janissa says. "We ran all these different tests and took samples from plants. I loved it. They are going to ask if I can become a full-time assistant as part of my schooling. And I helped plant a new row of lilacs," Janissa says. Her pride and excitement flow through her voice. "We planted the seeds this Wednesday, two days ago, and already I can see shoots. Third Official Jones says it's too early, but the baby lilacs are coming up."

I eat another bite and try to listen to what Janissa is saying. On the one hand I am happy to be here listening to talk about daily activities. It reminds me of the family dinner with Sara. But I also hear a door open and footsteps walking down the hall. I know they will be coming for me soon and my stomach flutters at every noise outside the room thinking it is time. I can't finish my bread and I take two sips of milk before I don't want to drink anymore.

The door opens again and I recognize Anderson from the way he clears his throat in the entrance.

"Caryn, it's time," he says.

Not wanting to set off a string of emotions I rise and say, "I have to go."

May and Janissa nod, their faces solemn.

"Take care," I say. We're not big on physical displays of affection, but as I walk out of the room, I look back one last time.

"May?"

Her head jerks up to look at me and I see tears in her eyes.

"I'm sorry if my winning hurt you," I say.

"What?"

"You were angry the day of the Tournament," Janissa says, knowing exactly what I am talking about.

May shakes her head. "I wasn't angry," she says. "I was relieved. The day of the Tournament I panicked. I didn't want to be the White Lilac, I didn't want to die and when you won I was so happy it wasn't me. But I didn't--I don't want it to be you either...."

"It's okay, May. I did." I give her a small smile.

Then before they can say anything else, I walk down the hall, my head high.

Once we are outside, the Aquarium looms in the far corner of the Compound. It never seemed so big before, but the Aquarium's two hundred yards of reinforced glass stretches across the whole back section of the Compound. When our teacher had us visit it I always wondered how it could fit so many underwater plants and fish. Now its large size could swallow me and I would be lost forever.

"Did--did you bring Kai?" I ask and drag my eyes up to Anderson's face.

"He was not at the police station when I stopped there."

"Maybe he's not coming," I say.

"I'm sorry."

I shrug my shoulders and try not to feel hurt. Now, I want to run to the Aquarium. The sooner I finish this the better.

A building was erected against the close side of the Aquarium and a walkway system, for the purpose of controlling the tank's environment, crisscrosses the top to provide easy access for the Officials and White Lilacs. The jiggers are territorial and have to be kept in separate sections, each section with several thriving patches of anemones. I can stay at the anemones' level under twenty-five feet of water and move from patch to patch and section to section quickly.

As soon as we enter the building the musky scent of the jigger fills my nose along with the humid blanket of moisture. Loud vents pull the air around my head and several strands of my hair pull loose to wrap around my face.

"Will you stay with me afterward?" I ask.

Anderson stops and looks at me, his eyebrows knitted together and his lips press tightly. "Yes," he says. "I will be there."

I feel lighter as I follow Anderson up the platform stairs and take the oxygen mask he gives me. For twenty minutes I breathe pure oxygen and by then the officials, Foreman and various planet leaders, including Highton's mayor, have arrived and fill the chairs surrounding the first section of the Aquarium. I can't help looking for Kai among the faces, but he is not here.

The mayor of Highton City steps up to the platform and gives a long speech, something about the good of the people and how much the Compound is needed. Her words sound sincere, but I can detect a slight sarcasm in her voice. Foreman steps up and gives a short speech on how much we have done to prepare for this moment. Then he introduces me and I am approached by another scientist, this one with the bag I will need to collect the cure. I take it from him, place it over my shoulder and, with one last look at the crowd for Kai, I step up to the edge of the platform. The water is a mossy green and I can see the dark layer of the first anemone patch.

I wait for my fear to take over, but it doesn't come. My breathing is normal. My nerves only tingle with a slight nervousness over the visible crowd. But the fear is gone. How could three days have changed me so much? I look down into the water and I see the faces of Kai, Sara, Jackson, Melissa, Tommy and the other kids at the Hubbard's home. People who need me. People I won't let down.

The bell dings. It is time.

I take a single, deep breath and dive into the aquarium.

#  Chapter Thirty: Kai

Drool gathered at the corner of Dr. Kendal's mouth and his eyes still stared at the same point they had moments ago. Kai shook his head. Small grunts came from Dr. Kendal and he was still breathing despite the damage already done. There wasn't anything Kai could do for the doctor now. But he could save Caryn.

He dashed back to the elevator and pressed the call button. The elevator was still busy, most likely with the man who had just left and when it arrived for a brief moment Kai wondered what he should do if the man was still on it. The urge to hide was strong, but if he did that he would miss the elevator again. He had to get to the Compound, nothing mattered as much. Even his own safety.

The elevator dropped to the ground level and he started running as soon as the gap in the doors was big enough. His adrenaline kicked in and he ran down street after street able to keep a fast pace. Darkness covered the sky in a way that said he still had time, but he didn't know how long the darkness would stay before it gave way to light.

All the shops, buildings and most of the streets in the city looked abandoned, but once Kai moved beyond the city the silence of the country hit him like a wall. The only noise was his worn shoes against the pavement and the sound of the wind in the trees. A sweetness filled the air and lacked the familiar scents of the city. It was clean, fresh.

The sky was growing lighter and lighter and Kai's adrenaline was wearing off. He had to slow to a walk or risk coughing as the different air tickled his throat. Soon the crest of the far sun could be seen on the horizon. He could make out a domed structure in the distance and began to walk faster. The trees faded leaving only one or two left between him and the Compound. But Kai's lungs were not working as well as they used to and he had to keep a slower pace. Each time he breathed he was afraid he would start coughing and never stop. He worked at breathing slowly, in and out. Just put one foot in front of the other. Just make it to the next tree. Just make it to Caryn.

His eyes were tired from staying awake all night and his stomach was empty again. With the quietness around him, his ears quickly picked up the snap of a branch. He focused his attention on the tree he was approaching and noticed a sleeve poking around the far side. The command to run hit his feet right when a burst of noise came from the tree. A familiar figure emerged, raced to the path and blocked his way. It was the T-Man. He wasn't arrested with the rest of the gang. The T-Man grabbed at Kai's arm but Kai leaped back out of reach.

"I've been waiting for you," the T-Man said and he pulled out a gun from the back of his pants.

"How did you leave the city?" Kai asked. Then it hit him. "You were never tagged, were you? So, they can't trace your movements."

The T-Man laughed. "Why should I put myself in danger when others will do it for me?"

"Why are you here?"

"I knew you'd come this way eventually," the T-Man said.

Kai took another step back from the T-Man. He didn't have much time. "Are you going to kill me?"

"The Compound has to pay for what they did," the T-Man said a cold smile on his lips.

"But I'm not from the Compound really. They don't even know I exist, so they won't care if you kill me."

"I'll know. And when they perform an autopsy on your body then they'll know it too. They will see how compromised their system is. Besides you have been a pain to--"

Kai didn't let him finish. He pushed off the balls of his feet and rammed into the T-Man's midsection. He wanted to get as close to the gun as possible. Kai grabbed at the gun and for a second he thought he might be able to rip it out of the T-Man's hand, but the T-Man quickly recovered from the surprise and his grip tightened. With his free hand he tried to push Kai away. Kai could feel himself falling, but he twisted his legs around the T-Man's and they both fell to the ground.

There was a clatter and the gun fell next to them. Kai could see it, but it was too far for him to grab so he kicked it. The gun scrapped across the pavement and then Kai heard it bounce into the grass. Instead of going after the gun, the T-Man jumped on top of Kai and began punching him in the ribs. Kai didn't bother blocking. He waited until the T-Man was starting to slow and then he punched him in the throat.

Immediately the T-Man gagged and Kai pushed him off. His ribs hurt, but the playful punches Kai had received from Red had hurt worse. He stood up and leaped out of reach.

"Killing me is not going to help you," Kai said, his words spilling fast and hot. He held up a hand, but the T-Man was still lying on the ground. "Not if you want to see the Compound go down."

"I'll take my chances." The T-Man rolled his eyes. He coughed once and slowly began to rise.

"What about your sister?"

The T-Man's head snapped up. "Don't you talk about her, ever!"

Kai took a step back to put more space between them. "Would she want you to kill a kid like me, or would she want to see the Compound lose the power it has over the people?"

"I said don't talk about her." The T-Man lunged at Kai, but Kai was expecting it and stepped to the side at the last second. Kai gave the T-Man a push as he passed and the T-Man fell to the ground.

"Stop. Think," Kai said. "If you really want to destroy the Compound, I can tell you how."

"No," the T-Man said. He stood to his feet again, but it took him longer. The T-Man wasn't used to fighting himself; he'd had too many guys around who were willing to do it for him. He didn't have the same confident air Kai had always seen him carry and now Kai could sense weakness. This might actually be a fight he could win.

When he stood up the T-Man swung at Kai's head. Kai ducked and punched him in the stomach. The T-Man bent over coughing and didn't see Kai's swift kick aimed between his legs until it was too late. With a groan, the T-Man sank to the grass his face twisted in pain.

"Listen, collecting the cure doesn't kill anyone. The anemone isn't deadly, but everyone who touches it dies because they are given a poison later, a poison called gangerious which is fast and deadly. Tell this to the mayor and she will shut the Compound down and keep them from controlling the cure. It's a better revenge than killing someone nobody will care about."

The T-Man didn't say anything. He didn't even look at Kai.

"Oh, and tell the mayor that Dr. Kendal needs medical help. He's in his office," Kai added and he broke into a trot back toward the Compound.

It was only after he'd gone fifty paces that he realized the gun was still in the grass by the T-Man, but it was too late to go back. Kai watched for any movements out of the corner of his eyes as he continued down the road. He half expected the T-Man to come lumbering after him or to fire at him, but once the Compound's main gate appeared he forgot everything else. The sidewalks and grass behind the gate were empty. Several buildings had light shining through their windows, but most of the light was coming from a large aquarium at the far end. He checked the gate and it was locked. Kai took a running leap to grab as high on the iron bars as he could.

"Hey! What are you doing?" An old man stuck his head out of the guard house.

Kai dropped to the ground and said. "I'm trying to see Caryn. She asked to see me."

"You could have just said so," the old man said. "But you're late. The ceremony has already started."

"Can you open the gate?" Kai asked.

"Sure thing."

A loud buzzer sounded and the gate began to roll back. Kai didn't wait for it to open all the way. He squeezed through and ran down the path leading to the giant aquarium. The building connected to the Aquarium was brightly lit and Kai could hear someone speaking through the inside speakers, but he couldn't make out the words.

Then he saw Caryn step out onto a platform overhanging the Aquarium.

"Caryn!" he yelled, but she didn't turn. He ran harder, his chest making him wheeze. But he was too late. As he watched, Caryn dove into the Aquarium. She swam down through the greenish water toward the batch of anemones near the corner closest to Kai. He raced to the thick glass and pounded on it. Caryn stopped. She looked, her eyes rested on him and she smiled.

"I tried to get here as soon as I could," Kai said.

She smiled and swam up to the glass. The bag on her shoulder slipped and she readjusted it. Then she reached out her hand and spread her fingers on the inside of the glass. Kai raised his hand and placed it in the same spot.

"Thank you," she mouthed the words.

"They're going to kill you," Kai said, but she smiled and nodded. He mouthed each word slowly. "You are not safe."

#  Chapter Thirty-One: Caryn

"I'm glad you came." I mouth so Kai can read my lips. Seeing him again makes me feel warm inside. I want to say more; even Kai seems to have a lot to say. He continues to mouth words that I don't understand and the longer I try the more frustrated he becomes. But I can't stay long enough to find out. Time is precious and everyone is watching, waiting for me to bring the cure. I wave one last time and swim back toward the anemone patch.

This is just like practice. At least that is what I try to convince myself, but when I see the black suckers at the end of each anemone I know this will be different.

I swim to the center of the anemone patch to the egg nest in its center. The anemones sense my live tissue and don't retract around the eggs to protect them. They can also taste the jigger scent I have been exposed to during my visit to the city. I am not a threat. I reach into my bag for human DNA mix. The small electrical stings of the anemones brushing my skin feel much like the simulations I have gone through and it doesn't hurt as much as I anticipated. The anemones treat me like they would a jigger, only the jigger is immune to anemone poison and their thick scales protect them from the suckers. When the first anemone latches onto my leg and starts to inject its' poison, my whole body jerks as sharp tingles travel along my nerves.

I sprinkle some the contents on the jigger eggs and wait for the powder to settle. I count thirty seconds off in my head like I have been taught and take out an empty, three inch deep container. While I am waiting I feel three more anemones attach to my skin. The moment I think 'thirty' I scope the container full of eggs, leaving enough eggs to grow to maturity, and seal the container before I put it back in my bag. Once I am certain the container and bag are secure, I push off the aquarium floor and the anemone suckers are ripped off my legs. It takes me ten minutes to do the same with the other anemone patches in this section.

All I have to do is swim to the underwater gate, open the gate and swim though. It is either this or rise to the surface, climb over the partition and swim back down to the ground level which would take more time and wear me out. I open the door and swim through to the closest anemone patch. When the anemones attach themselves to my skin I have to grit my teeth, chunks of ice and coals of fire alternate up and down my veins. Still, I manage to pour the rest of this bottle's DNA over the eggs. My hands shake a bit when I scoop up the eggs, but then I am moving on to the next patch.

My head starts to feel light and I figure I have either been under for over thirty minutes, or the affects of the poison are taking over faster than I anticipated. By the time I finish collecting the third section I am having a hard time focusing and I know I need air. I swim to the surface, yet breathing the air does little to help my focus return. I am a hundred yards away from the stands and with my slightly blurred vision I can barely see the roof covering all the people watching me. Since I am at the surface, I pull myself over the next divider and dive to the patches in the fourth section. This time all my actions require more effort.

At the fifth section, I find myself swimming diagonally toward the next patch instead of aiming straight there. I pour from the second bottle and start counting. One...two...three.... But when I reach twenty-three I can't remember what number should come next. I hover above the eggs staring at them. I know the count has to be close to being done. My eyes glaze over as I stare through the water. My arms jerk as more anemones latch on. I blink and see the eggs again. It has to be time already. I scoop some up and swim sluggishly away toward the gate for the sixth.

Getting the gate open takes longer than I would like; the control box is rusty and I have to tug on it several times before the gate swishes open, but it doesn't fully rise, stopping an inch from the top. I want to close my eyes, I feel like I need more air. I start to swim through the gate and then I'm jerked back. I try to swim through again, and again I am refused. Something holds me back, but I can't turn around to see what it is.

I reach behind me and feel that the bag's strap is pulled away from my back. I can almost reach where it is connected to the gate, but my fingers slip off the strap before I can feel where it is stuck. The strap digs into my neck every time I try to free myself and the desire to close my eyes becomes stronger.

I should pull the strap over my head and back up so I can see the gate properly, but thinking that through hurts. Even wondering how long I thought about that hurts. I want to sleep.

My lungs want to breathe again.

My fingers keep slipping.

My eyes close.

#  Chapter Thirty-Two: Kai

Something was not right. Kai could tell from the low murmurs of the people sitting in the stands. He had entered the building and was standing by the back wall near the platform that overlooked the Aquarium. There was a screen displaying Caryn's progress, but the angle wasn't meant for Kai and he couldn't tell exactly what she was doing. He moved along with his back to the wall to get a better view and saw a close-up of Caryn hovering over an anemone patch. She must have stayed that way for a minute and then she blinked and moved to gather the eggs.

She swam to a gate that separated the anemone patches and fiddled with the latch. Then she opened the gate and tried to swim through, but the strap of her bag held her back. It was twisted around a metal spoke sticking out of the gate. No matter how Caryn turned she couldn't reach it.

One of the containers popped out of her bags and floated to the ground, but she didn't notice and kept trying to reach the gate. Her movements slowed down and he could tell from the glazed look in her eyes she needed air. And the strap tightening around her neck, cutting off the oxygen supply to her brain, was not helping. She would pass out if something was not done soon.

Kai glanced at the people in the stands, but they made no effort to go to her aid. Everyone seated in the room watched the screen transfixed. They would not help. Caryn's head began to bob, her eyes rolling back. He couldn't watch anymore. They would let the water kill her and blame it on the poison. He half walked, half jogged to the platform and saw a narrow, metal walkway along the edge of the Aquarium. No one yelled for him to stop or even noticed he had gone. Once on the walkway Kai ran past the first four sections until he came to the partition between five and six.

The walkway railing was easy to climb over and Kai dove as close to the partition as he could without risking injury. With strong strokes he arrived at the underwater gate in seconds. He pulled closer to the gate and untangled the strap. Caryn's body jerked a bit and her eyes half opened, somewhat revived. Kai pointed to the surface and pushed her up. Her legs half-kicked and she continued to rise.

He was about to follow her when he remembered the container that had fallen out of her bag. Quickly he spun back and searched the ground for it. It wasn't anywhere near the base of the partition. Then Kai saw it near the base of the anemone patch. It must have rolled there. The anemones had not surrounded it, yet. Kai squeezed his hand shut and threw his body in a downward slope.

His fingertips were inches away from the container when he saw the anemone tendrils move like a huge wave about to curl under. He was moving too fast to stop now. He grabbed the container, planted his feet on the floor and pushed off. He waited to feel the pain, but it didn't come and he broke the surface and gulping for air.

"Caryn?" he said, looking for her.

But she was already climbing over the partition and with a deep breath she dove under again before Kai could tell her she was in danger, or give her the container that had fallen out of her bag.

He swam back to the walkway. Two men in white clothes were waiting for him. One was tall, and younger, with a thick head of medium brown hair. The other was Dr. Vos.

"What did you think you were doing?" the younger man asked. His mouth was set in a disapproving line.

"Be nice Stevens, he was doing your job," Dr. Vos said.

Stevens still frowned even when he held out a hand to help Kai out, but Kai placed the container in it and climbed up by himself.

"Were you stung?" Dr. Vos asked. He watched Kai now with a penetrating gaze.

"No."

"Are you lying?" The doctor's eyes narrowed. "The video angle made it too close to tell."

Kai lifted his chin and glared back. "You can check me if you like."

But Dr. Vos seemed satisfied for the moment. He turned back to Stevens. "Where is she now?"

Stevens pointed to the section beyond the sixth. "She might collect from all the sections at this rate."

The men moved down the walkway closer to the section Caryn was in and Kai followed them. As they got closer he could see a small white figure moving beneath the water. She wasn't moving very fast, but there was only one more section left. She surfaced briefly to swim over the last partition and Kai could see the strain on her face. Her nose was wrinkled and her eyebrows knitted together as if that would help her concentrate. But there was a sluggish element to her motions, her arms would swing wider than necessary and her legs hung limp, except for the moments they would jerk like they suddenly received a delayed message from the brain to do so. Even though he knew the anemone poison was not deadly, it couldn't be good to have that much poison inside her body.

Kai watched her form sink deeper and drift over the last anemone patch. She seemed frozen in the same spot for a long time, the motion of the water made it difficult for him to see if she was even moving at all, but the two men monitoring her seemed content to let her be. Then her white form began to grow bigger.

"She did it," Stevens said. He let out a small laugh.

Caryn's head parted through the water and she used a side stroke to head for the walkway's ladder. What would have taken her several strong strokes to do when they were in the lake, now took closer to fifteen. By the time she reached the walkway Kai wanted to jump in and help. Instead he leaned out as far as he could and held his hand out for her to grasp. She did not smile, but her eyes lingered on his a moment before their hands met then they glazed over as if he were too far away to focus on.

He was surprised by how cold she felt and how weak her grip was. Her pale skin was covered in bright red welts. He felt like he was yanking her arm out as he helped her climb onto the walkway. She rolled away from the water and pulled her equipment bag over her head. Stevens took it and handed it to another man arriving behind him. The other man took the bag and disappeared.

"Caryn," Dr. Vos said. "You are the best White Lilac we have ever had. No one has been able to collect from all the patches before."

"Will everyone be all right?" Caryn asked.

"Yes, everyone will be just fine."

"Caryn I need to tell you something," Kai said. He pulled her arm and body closer.

She nodded.

"It's time for you to go, boy, my patient needs her rest," Dr. Vos said.

Kai found a quick retort, but Caryn beat him to it.

"No," she said, quick and loud. "I want him to stay with me."

Then her eyes rolled back and she passed out into Kai's arms.

"Get a stretcher," Dr. Vos said. "We need to take her to the patient room."

"I'll carry her," Kai said. His eyes challenged anyone who would look at him.

Dr. Vos shrugged like he didn't care and jerked a thumb at the rustic, open elevator at the end of the walkway. As Kai leaned to stand up he almost wondered if this was a bad idea. She was heavier than she looked and her clothes were soaked, but as he straightened he didn't have to strain as much. He walked slowly, being careful to keep her head and legs from bumping into the metal railings on either side.

Dr. Vos and Stevens joined Kai in the elevator and when they reached the ground both went ahead. Stevens opened the doors to a building called Science Station 4 and Dr. Vos pointed at the nearest room where a made bed was waiting. The room was bright white, well-lit, with two chairs and a cabinet lined up against the wall and a metal cart on the other side of the bed. Kai hovered over the bed so he could lay her down gently, but even so she groaned as the stings on her arms and legs touched the sheets.

"Bring me the ointment," Dr. Vos said to Stevens, already pushing Kai to the side.

"No!" Kai pushed back. "You're not giving her anything."

"I am her doctor and I will do what is best for my patient." Dr. Vos' eyes narrowed.

"Well she wants me here, and I don't want you, or anyone else, touching her."

"I will call security and have you removed--"

"Fine, get out. Both of you get out and leave us alone." Kai stepped toward the doctor and both Dr. Vos and Stevens walked to the door, although their expressions were anything but pleased.

As soon as they were in the hall Kai slammed the door. The room had a medicine cabinet and he tipped it over blocking the door to keep anyone from getting in. It fell with a crash and he heard Caryn cry out.

Her eyes were open and watched him with confusion.

"What are you doing?"

Kai tossed one of the two chairs on top of the cabinet and brought the other next to Caryn's bedside. He sat down and wondered how much time he had before they broke into the room and threw him outside the gate.

"Do you trust me?" he asked.

"Yes," Caryn said, her voice was soft and kind.

"Last night I was with Dr. Kendal, you know him?" Kai paused long enough to see her nod. "We were looking over some of the old DNA files from the Compound and other people who have been stung by the anemone. It's a long story, but we found out that the anemone's poison doesn't kill. You're not going to die."

She didn't move as if the words had frozen her. Then her eyebrows wrinkled. "But everyone who touches them dies."

"That's because all of those people are given a poison later that kills them."

There was a calm knock on the door and a muffled voice asked, "Caryn? Are you all right?"

"It's Anderson," Caryn said. She started to sit up, the confusion on her face melting into relief.

"Who?"

"My trainer. You have to let him in and tell him what you told me."

Kai paused. "The doctor I just kicked out said he was bringing security."

"Anderson can fix that," she said. "He will fix everything once he knows the truth."

"Caryn?" the voice of Anderson asked again. He sounded a bit worried now.

"Please let him in. He'll help us."

Kai got up and pulled the cabinet and chair away inch by inch from the door. Silently he cursed himself for giving in to her so quickly. When there was a two foot gap between the cabinet and the door, he turned the knob and Anderson peeked in. The first thing that Kai saw was Anderson's eyes, which were a similar dark brown to his own. Anderson blinked when he saw Kai, but then he turned his attention to Caryn.

"Are you all right considering your circumstances?" he asked, stepping into the room. His voice no longer muffled by the door triggered Kai's memory.

"Tell him," Caryn prompted.

"I think he already knows." Kai crossed over to Caryn's side, standing between her and Anderson. Letting him in had been a very bad idea. "I told you I spent last night with Dr. Kendal, but I didn't have time to tell you that Dr. Kendal went up to his office alone and met another man. I heard them talking and Dr. Kendal yelled. There was a struggle but by the time I got there it was too late. Dr. Kendal was lying on his desk and all the information we had found was destroyed. This is that man who did it. I recognize his voice."

"He wouldn't do something like that. Would you?" Caryn asked, almost pleading.

Anderson didn't reply. He reached into his pocket, pulled out a syringe and vial, methodically drew out some of the liquid and said, "Like this, it had to be done. What we do is more important than anything or anyone."

# Chapter Thirty-Three: Caryn

"Anderson, don't," I say. I push myself up and swing my legs over the side of the bed. All my nerves are on fire and it takes concentration to keep from crying out.

"I'm sorry Caryn. It was always going to be this way. We all have to be committed and this is the one task all high officials are sworn to do."

"That's stupid," Kai says. He stands with half of his body in front of me. Then he jerks to the right and rolls a metal cart into Anderson's path.

"Sacrifices like this have to be made to protect the people from themselves." In a slow movement Anderson moves the cart out of the way and takes another step closer.

"And who protects them from you?" I demand. "You won't give them the cure unless they agree to be experimented on."

"But we are making them better. People live longer now than ever before and with this new line of DNA modifications they can become anything." He steps closer.

Kai slides onto my bed and pulls me across to the other side. I stand, mostly with Kai's help, and together we inch backwards. Then I bump into the wall. It sets my skin on ice and I grit my teeth.

"I knew your trip into the city would lead to complications." Anderson stares at me. His eyes are tired, yet they hold that same guarded look. The one where I could always tell when he was keeping something hidden, only now do I discover it was his way of keeping a distance between us. Anderson sighs. "If you hadn't gone you would not have doubts now. Foreman is soft when it comes to you. Ultimately he remains dedicated, but you have always been his little girl. Why else do you think he would have pushed for such a harsh punishment of Second Official Whit. And you," Anderson turns to Kai. "I believed you had died with Allia, but she was a clever one. She knew I would have found you and put you back into the candidate program. You have her mouth, but you have my eyes. That's the problem with keeping the Official gene pool to create candidates. That is how you could access those files on the Computer we let Dr. Kendal use. Only Officials are intended to know the truth and we have passed it down from generation to generation."

"You might have given me genetic material, but you are not my dad." Kai shakes his head. "A real parent would have done what Allia did."

"You argue like she did too." Anderson takes another step closer.

"Stay back," Kai growls. The bed is a wall between us, but it also blocks the closest path to the door.

"There is much going on that you do not understand. But Caryn, with all your lessons surely you can grasp the benefits of a single person dying over the annihilation of an entire planet's population? It is better for you to die than for our whole way of life to parish. Come here, let me finish this peacefully."

His words are forceful and I want to go to him. Years of working with him, obeying his instructions, cloud my mind. Yet the one thing that stands out is the people. All the people have the cure. They are saved. It's the Compound that is dying now, but I will not save it. Not if I have a choice.

"No," I say.

All three of us stand still watching, second guessing what the other might do. There is complete silence for a moment then Kai yells, "Run!" In the same movement, he pushes me along the wall and darts with me. Then he cries out and I turn to see his left leg bent in an awkward L away from his body. I am almost at the door, but I freeze. Anderson calmly approaches Kai. He grabs a handful of Kai's hair, tilts his head back and points the needle at the exposed skin near his eye.

"Get up. Your knee is dislocated, but humans have two legs so you can still stand."

Kai grits his teeth and rises on his right leg, his eyes wary of the needle inches away. Without moving his lips, he says, "Go Caryn."

"Let him go," I say. I brace my weak body against the door frame. I'm not sure I could take three steps unaided. Just standing makes my knees shake and threaten to buckle.

"Someone has to die, if not you," Anderson says and he scraps the needle lightly from the middle of Kai's cheek down to his neck. "Then him."

"No," I cry and I try to step closer, but I am too late. Anderson jams the needle into Kai's neck and pushes the plunger down. Kai twists away and Anderson lets him escape. The syringe wobbles, still embedded in Kai neck. With shaking fingers, Kai pulls it out and tosses it into the corner.

Somehow I find the strength to rush to his side.

"What did you give him?" I yell.

But Anderson doesn't answer. Tears gather in my eyes and when I glance back at Anderson I see him in a strange crippled light. He is breathing heavily and stares at Kai, his hand frozen in the air as if it can't move.

"How could you do that to--to your son?" Although I ask it aloud I don't believe he will answer me. I am struck by how quiet he appears, but then his eyes grow softer, like a rock changing from granite to marble.

"I knew when I applied to become an official that I would face difficult decisions. When I saw the footage of Allia dying and thought he was with her I was a bit relieved. I would never have to prove my loyalty. It would have been better if he had stayed away, but I will do my job and I will keep the Compound safe." Anderson stands straight, completely confident that he is doing the right thing.

My whole body begins to shake and as one Kai and I sink to the floor. Kai grunts and would have continued sliding, but I wrap my arms around him and hold him close. He looks up at me and opens his mouth.

"I--I'm sorry," he says, "about what I said earlier."

Then his face flushes, he rolls away and vomits. Even when his stomach has emptied he continues to heave until he lays still, his breath shallow, his skin white. I stroke his hair away from his face. Water blocks my vision, although the blur of Anderson stays in the same position. Kai lets out a slow sigh and is quiet. I can't feel his chest rise or fall and I can't see him. I wipe tears away, but new ones rise almost immediately.

"What happened here?" I hear Dr. Vos ask from the doorway.

"It appears that this boy was stung after all. Caryn is delirious from the affects of the poison. We should strap her in bed to keep her from harming herself." Anderson says. His tone is completely rational. "I would also like to spend a moment with her alone after you are done securing her."

"Of course," Dr. Vos says.

Two hands grab my arms and though I try to resist, try to hold tighter to Kai, they pick me up and pull me back to the bed.

"Stop, he's going to kill me too," I say, but my voice sounds as strong as my legs feel. I'm not even sure if they hear me.

I am laid back down on the bed. My wrists and ankles are secured to raised, metal bars intended to keep me safe. My eyes dry up and I feel nothing.

"You can leave the body," Anderson says referring to Kai. The men Dr. Vos brought with him nod and leave, but Dr. Vos hovers over me. He shines a light in my eyes and checks my pulse.

"Do I look like I'm dying to you?" I ask quietly. I keep my voice calm and rational and hold his gaze until he looks away.

"Looks can be deceiving," is all he says. Then he leaves too and I am alone with Anderson.

Anderson walks around the pool of vomit over to where the syringe fell and picks it up. Just like last time he draws liquid out of the vial and stands over me. I strain against my bonds, but to no avail. They hold me tight and I only succeed in scratching and irritating the hives where the anemones stung me.

"I am sorry it had to be like this," he says.

I shake my head. "No you're not. Not really."

He taps the skin of my arm waiting for a vein to show itself. Every sensation is electrified as if my body knows the danger coming.

I look away, down to where Kai is, but he is not there. I let out a small gasp and try to look around Anderson to see where they might have moved him. Anderson must have heard me because he pauses too, the needle inches from my skin.

And that is when Kai tackles him from the side. They both fall out of view, but I hear the sound of fists hitting flesh. Anderson grunts. Then I see the syringe skitter across the floor and shoot up the wall toward the door. More grunts and Kai screams. He rolls into view clutching his injured knee. This time Anderson is on top holding him down.

"When will you learn there is a time to give up?" Anderson asks through gritted teeth.

Kai throws two more weak punches at Anderson's ribs and then lets out half of a cry as Anderson places all his weight on Kai's legs. He glares at Anderson and spits.

"I don't quit until I'm dead." Kai says, and then looks out the room as the main door to the building slams open.

"That will be remedied shortly." Anderson leans all of his weight onto Kai's chest.

High heels clip down the hall followed by faster feet trying to catch up. The mayor appears in the doorway, not a strand of her white hair out of place. For a moment I think I see the T-Man lurking behind her, but then his face is gone and I think I must have imagined it.

"I don't think so," Kai says and he pushes a distracted Anderson off.

"Place that man under arrest," the mayor says, her gnarled finger pointing at Anderson.

#  Chapter Thirty-Four: Caryn

The rest of that day seems like a blur. Anderson, along with fifteen other officials, including Foreman, were arrested and taken to a long term prison facility. They can have visitors, but I think it will take a while before any of us will want to open that part of our lives again. I discovered that Second Official Whit had seen Heather talking with the new custodian and had killed her because he assumed she was giving them information. Although I suspect he was looking for an excuse.

If I had seen the T-Man behind the mayor, he disappeared before anyone else could notice him and, from what I overheard when two of the hospital security guards passed by, the authorities are still looking for him. The mayor discovered that there had been a notification protocol between the hospitals and the Compound for every anemone poisoning. An official was sent to the location and shortly afterward, no matter how the patient appeared, the patient died with symptoms consistent with all other anemone victims.

Kai was rushed to Highton's biggest hospital where he had several surgeries on his knee. Anderson had given him gangerious poison, but when he stuck the needle into Kai's neck he missed the vein completely. The needle poked through the esophagus wall and the poison never had a chance to enter his blood stream and kill him, especially since he threw up almost immediately.

At my request, I was given a room across the hall from Kai. They treated my anemone stings and I had 36 straight hours of sleep, which I probably could have done even if I didn't have the help of medicine. It was Sunday when I woke up to see Doc Hubbard in my room. He assured me that the cure was not tampered with and they had given it to everyone in need with a perfect success rate. He thought it also made the children a little hyperactive because they were making up for several days worth of inactivity in the few hours after their treatment. By the sound of it, the Hubbard's beds and walls would never be the same again.

Dr. Kendal was not poisoned by gangerious, but a fast clotting serum that triggers strokes. He was found and rushed to the hospital where he had intensive surgery and although they were unable to recover most of his movement, his mind remains intact. Together with Doc, another doctor I haven't met yet, and Dr. Kendal they have been given control of the Compound's facilities and will continue to keep the Aquarium going so that the Haydon cure can be collected whenever it is needed. The anemone was no longer poisonous, but the jigger scent still contaminated the air. However, the cure would continue to lengthen the life of the average person and researching new possibilities would continue to play a major part in most of the buildings on the Compound. With the exception of one. Mrs. Hubbard has submitted paperwork to turn the main Compound building into a school and boarding house for disadvantaged children like Kai, Tommy and others who live on the streets.

I hear the nurse clomping down the hall.

"What do you want now?" he demands.

"Is there any more of this pudding?" Kai asks. His mouth sounds full.

"Yes, would another three be sufficient?"

"Should probably make it four or five." Kai calls after the leaving nurse.

I take my time getting out of bed and cross the hall. Kai is sitting in bed, his left leg elevated and bandaged. Three empty dinner trays are stacked precariously on a cart and Kai is wiping his finger around the edge of a pudding cup. He waves at me with his free hand.

"The mayor told me I could have whatever I wanted as long as I'm in here," he says.

"Do they know any more about your knee?" I ask.

"Oh, I'll be able to walk, but they said I'll have to have a lot of therapy and I might limp. That shouldn't affect my swimming though, and as soon as they take this off I want a rematch. But no fair practicing while I'm stuck in here. I can't swim so you can't either."

I laugh and Kai smiles.

"I saw Doc earlier," I say.

"Yeah, I saw him too. He wants me to live at the Compound, study science and maybe take a job there after college."

"Will you?"

Kai tilts his head and looks at me. "Depends. What are you planning to do?"

"I haven't thought about it." I sit in a chair next to his bed and look out the window. His view is better than mine. It looks out over the lake, shining and alive with the colors of the setting suns.

"There you are," Janissa says. She enters the room with a bouquet of yellow flowers, a kind I've never seen before. May follows in after her holding a box of chocolates. Janissa's eyes turn to Kai. "Is this him?"

I nod. "May and Janissa, this is Kai, the guy who saved me."

"Hey." Kai waves and points at the chocolates. "Are those for me?"

Janissa giggles and May waits for my nod before she hands them over. Instead of opening them he sets them aside, probably to save for later.

"We've heard much about you," May says.

"So," Janissa nudges May's elbow. "Are you going to tell her?"

"Tell me what?" I ask.

"I'm going to be leaving at the end of this month," May says. "I was given an internship on a science vessel. They've found a new planet and want to study it before starting a colony and they need computer technicians. They saw some of the work I did this past week and wanted me to join the project."

"She has a real aptitude for it. Has the highest scores they've ever seen!" Janissa brags.

"That's great!" I say, although I can't imagine life or the Compound without her.

May ducks her head, but she's smiling.

Everything is changing. I stand and walk over to the window, enjoying the movement of my muscles, even the straining of my healing skin. Each breath I take is sweeter than the one before because they are all new and fresh. I'm alive. Moments, even the bitter-sweet ones, are precious. I want to capture them and remember them for as long as I live.

I was wrong before. When the Tournament was done I thought May and Janissa were facing the future with nothing, but that is not the way it is for me now. I stand here looking out the window at the orange and red sky. The future looms before me, but I am not bringing nothing to it. Rather the opposite. I have everything. I could become anyone. Go anywhere. The possibilities are overwhelming. But one thing is already decided. I know who I want to be with.

"You know I almost beat her when we were racing in the lake," Kai says.

May is shaking her head like she doesn't believe him and Janissa giggles again.

"I was taking it easy on you," I say.

"Yeah, right."

"You know, I think you should have a whole week to practice before we race again. Because even if I had a month out of the pools I could still beat you with one hand tied behind my back."

"I'd like to see you swim with one hand tied behind your back." Kai raises his eyebrow, but there is a sparkle in his eye and I can't wait to get back into the water.

I did not plan to live a long life, but I am going to make the most of the time I have, if it lasts for three days or three hundred years. No one is designed to live forever, but one life can make all the difference.

~~~~~
About the Author

Christina J. Adams finds inspiration in the green rolling hills and farmland surrounding her home in Maryland. She loves hanging out with children and teens and gets more excited about a new book coming out, from any of her many favorite authors, that it's probably not good for her health. She didn't think being a writer was a serious profession until after high school, but has since decided it is the best career ever.

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