Crystal Keepers (14 page)

“Patience,” Trickster said, raising the communicator to his mouth. He lowered his voice a little and started running in place. “We're in pursuit on Sexton Road between Haley and Braga. It's the jackpot but we need reinforcements. Hurry.”

Trickster lowered the communicator. “Coggs, aren't you on Voletta?” a voice replied.

Trickster ran in place again and raised the communicator. “Negative. Followed a hunch and they ran. In pursuit on Sexton crossing Braga.” Trickster gave a pained grunt and dropped the communicator.

“Coggs?” came the voice from the communicator. “Coggs?”

Crouching, Trickster switched it off. “That's how you buy a little time and move a bunch of the other patrolmen out of your way.”

“Won't they see the guys on the sidewalk?” Cole asked.

“Maybe,” Trickster said. “Sexton runs parallel to this street, so the Zeroes will mostly use cross streets to get there.”

“People are already trying to help our victims,” Dalton said, looking down the sidewalk to where a man and a woman had stopped beside the cocooned patrolmen.

“People without communicators are trying to help patrolmen without communicators,” Trickster said. “We have a few extra minutes at least. I'll take Secret under this road.” He pointed to the pedestrian tunnel that went in the direction they had been heading. To the left another pedestrian tunnel went under the perpendicular street. “Roulette, take the others that way. Don't run.”

“I know when to run,” Roulette said, heading down the stairs.

Cole waved at Mira. “Stay safe.”

She nodded and followed Trickster. Jace looked after them in frustration.

“He's good,” Cole said. “She'll be safe.”

“Whatever,” Jace said, unconsoled.

“Unless she falls in love with him,” Cole mused.

“Shut up,” Jace said, following Dalton and Roulette.

Cole went with him. At the bottom, Roulette raced across the empty tunnel. Cole and the others followed her lead.

As they reached the top of the far side, they discovered a pair of patrolmen running toward them. One was a woman. Like some other pedestrians had done, Roulette flattened up against the building to let them pass. Cole, Jace, and Dalton did likewise. The patrolmen raced by them without a second look and hurried down the stairs to the pedestrian tunnel.

“Trickster isn't dumb,” Jace said.

“He's not,” Roulette agreed. “But he loves taking charge. It gets annoying.”

They started walking again. “Didn't you like his plan?” Cole asked.

“The plan is fine,” Roulette said.

Cole thought she sounded a little jealous but decided not to push her.

A black levcar came zooming down the magroad, going much faster than Cole had seen any levcar drive. The other cars flowed out of the way, leaving it a clear lane.

“More patrolmen?” Dalton asked.

“That's right,” Roulette said. “Black levcars are City Patrol. Everybody's heading to Sexton. At least for now.”

Walking along a zigzag route between buildings and under streets, Cole couldn't lose the knotted feeling in his stomach. He knew now that if they were stopped for ID cards, they were going to have to run. Well, at least Jace would. Cole wondered why his card hadn't raised any red flags.

Their best bet was to avoid another confrontation with patrolmen. How many times could they get away? If a bunch of patrolmen converged with those web-shooting trapguns, none of them would escape.

Shadows stretched to gargantuan lengths, and then the sun slid below the skyline, turning the jutting buildings into silhouettes against a rosy backdrop. They occasionally passed robots—some were just walking around, one was repairing a streetlight, a few worked cleaning an empty fountain. Though he kept an eye out, Cole didn't see Sidekick.

After some time, Roulette led them up a pedestrian
bridge and over a busy magroad to an expansive park. Under dusky trees, they walked on scant paths until a lake came into view. Several docks hosted sailboats. Only a few vessels remained on the water, and they seemed bound for the shore.

“Mariner Lake,” Roulette said. “A place for city people to play boat captain. All of the craft have motors. The sails are mainly for show. I guess some people try to actually use them now and then.”

“I haven't seen Sidekick,” Cole mentioned.

“He would have followed Secret,” Roulette said. “No offense, but she's the one everybody most cares about. Your names aren't even code words.”

“Like Roulette,” Cole said. “Or is that what your parents called you?”

“My parents were slaves,” Roulette said. “A lot of slaves in Zeropolis try to give their babies to the Unseen before they receive slavemarks. It worked. I'm free. But I don't know my parents. It's supposedly too dangerous if the babies who get free try to learn their heritage.”

“Have you tried?” Dalton asked.

“I wanted to when I was younger,” Roulette said. “By the time I was old enough to do anything about it, I realized the rule was there for a reason.”

“Who raised you?” Cole asked.

“Different people,” Roulette said. “The kind of people who quietly want to do good, but don't want full membership in the Unseen. There are lots of them here.”

“They named you Roulette?” Jace asked.

“I got that name from the CKs,” she said. “I guess I take risks.”

“Like what?” Jace asked.

Roulette paused and lifted her leg. “From shin down it's all mechanical,” she said. “I guess that was the big one.”

Cole's eyes widened. “What happened?” he inquired.

“Didn't make a jump,” she said. “I thought I could, but came up short. It was an ugly landing—not on smooth ground. The rig I was wearing saved my life, but part of it broke, taking the end of my leg with it. I had other injuries, but losing the foot was the most permanent.”

Cole and Dalton exchanged a look. Even with everything Cole had seen here, somehow it didn't stop surprising him how different life was for kids in the Outskirts. Back home he had never done anything that seemed dangerous enough to lose a leg. Roulette obviously did a lot more than just goof around in arcades. And she hadn't let her injury stop her.

As they approached a long building on the lakeshore where people dined on a large patio, two figures came toward them. In the fading light it took Cole a moment to recognize Trickster and Mira.

“Clean getaway?” Dalton asked.

“Not until we're safe inside Forge's lair,” Trickster replied. “Glad to see you guys, though.”

“You got here first,” Jace said.

“Not by much,” Mira said.

“Any more drama?” Cole asked Mira.

“No fights with patrolmen,” Mira said. “Plenty of worry.”

“Come on,” Trickster said, leading the way.

“Has anybody seen Sidekick?” Cole asked.

“A few times,” Trickster said. “He keeps his distance. He isn't a brawler. Many of his weapons don't require him to be close.”

“Where was he when those patrolmen almost got us?” Jace asked.

“Maybe not near enough to help,” Trickster said. “Or maybe we were just too quick. It didn't take us long to drop them.”

“Would he have really done much?” Dalton asked. “He doesn't seem like the type.”

“Don't underestimate Sidekick,” Trickster said. “Sometimes good things come in small, dented packages.”

Trickster led them away from Mariner Lake and back onto sidewalks. Before too long they reached a neighborhood where narrow walkways passed between large, bland buildings. Trickster paused at a plain door and used a card to open it.

“Is this a warehouse?” Dalton asked.

“It's a storehouse for obsolete tech,” Trickster said. “One step up from a junkyard.”

They entered and closed the door. Light leaked through the high windows along the perimeter of the cavernous room—a combination of moonlight and spillover from the streetlights. Large shapes hulked in the dimness, made rounded by plastic tarps.

Trickster led them along a maze of aisles through the shrouded stockpiles. He stopped at a hill of covered machinery and pulled up the tarp.

“This way,” he said, motioning Roulette forward.

She ducked under the tarp cautiously. Cole followed. It was too dark to see much, so he moved slowly, worried about tripping. Roulette guided him between large pieces of equipment to a space in the middle. The others joined them.

“Come on,” Trickster said, hardly raising his voice. “I know you see us, Forge! Let us in.”

A hatch opened in the floor, flooding the space with light. Cole squinted until his eyes adjusted.

Trickster patted Dalton on the shoulder. “Now we've made a clean getaway.”

C
HAPTER

13

FORGE

A
t the bottom of a long ladder awaited a room full of machines, computers, worktables, beanbag chairs, shaggy carpets, soda cans, Zowie wrappers, overloaded bookshelves, glowing crystals, faded posters, and a beat-up dartboard riddled with tiny holes. Two ceiling fans turned lazily, barely stirring the stale air.

A guy with greasy hair in a tank top sat cross-legged, tinkering with a little robot. He might have been in his late teens or early twenties. He smiled at Trickster. “I heard you were coming this way.”

“Not from City Patrol I hope,” Trickster said.

“There was plenty of chatter,” a girl said, coming into the room. She wore a scarf in her hair and loose pajamas. Her slippers looked like raccoons. “You guys had them scrambling.”

“Googol called me on my most private communicator,” the guy said. He looked at Mira. “You must be Secret. I'm Forge.” He nodded at the girl. “This is Scandal.”

“These are my friends Cole, Dalton, and Jace,” Mira said. Cole couldn't help thinking their names sounded boring compared to Scandal, Trickster, and Roulette.

“So far they're scrappier than they look,” Trickster said, slapping Jace's arm. “You should have seen this one put a Zero flat on his back. Just grabbed his ankles and yanked the rug out from under him. It was tidy.”

Jace grinned proudly.

“Are you guys Crystal Keepers?” Cole asked.

“Former CKs,” Forge said. “Scandal and I graduated to full membership in the Unseen more than two years ago.”

“They're both skilled tinkers,” Roulette said. “We call them our Gadgeteers.”

“Googol is the head Gadgeteer,” Forge said.

“We help him design the rigs,” Scandal added.

“We make all kinds of tech,” Forge said. “We run thruports, harvest data, intercept communications.”

“What do the Crystal Keepers mostly do?” Cole asked.

“Energy is transmitted by harmonic crystals,” Roulette said. “If you snag the right crystal, you get access to the entire network of crystals sharing the same harmonics.”

“It's most valuable for spying,” Trickster said, displaying the communicator they took from the patrolman. “Which reminds me. Here's another link into City Patrol comms.” He tossed it underhand.

“Nice,” Forge said, catching the communicator. “These have little crystals inside. The size doesn't matter. It's all about the harmonics.”

“You can also use a crystal to hijack energy,” Scandal
said. “The monorail tracks and trains, for example, are powered by crystals harmonically linked to highly juiced crystals inside of power facilities. Tap into that energy, and you can power all sorts of things.”

“What about Sidekick?” Cole asked. “Is he coming in?”

“Sidekick is already here,” Forge said, pocketing the communicator. “The bot will stay outside as lookout. Secret, you're so young. Why is Googol willing to torch our operations in Zeropolis to bring you in? He doesn't care if we all go down as long as you're secure. I've never heard him so adamant.”

“We're not supposed to ask,” Trickster reminded him.

“When has that stopped us?” Forge argued. “We spend all day doing stuff we're not supposed to do. It's our job description. What does Googol really expect? He knows who we are. I'm asking. She can tell what she wants.”

“Keeping my identity secret doesn't just protect me,” Mira said. “It protects you. Trust me. You don't want to know why the government wants to find me.”

“I know it could endanger me,” Forge said. “And I want to know. I live to uncover secrets. I'm good at keeping them.”

“Me too,” Roulette said softly.

“Don't get me wrong,” Trickster said. “If you're spilling, I want in too.”

“Not me,” Scandal said. “I have enough trouble without soaking up high-stakes secrets Googol wants me to avoid.”

Mira glanced at Cole. He could tell that she was wavering. Who wouldn't? These people were on their side and had just helped them evade capture.

“Up to you,” Cole said.

Mira sighed. “I really shouldn't. It's for your own good. Unless things go badly, you'll find out sooner or later. The secret won't keep forever.”

“Say no more,” Forge grumbled. “I won't force the issue. I just couldn't resist trying.” He rubbed his hands together. “For now, this will be your haven. We'll wait for orders from Googol. I know you four need fresh ID cards. I'll get you fed. A place to sleep. Anything else I can do for you?”

“Dalton and I are looking for some friends,” Cole said. “Googol told us you might be able to help.”

“Possibly,” Forge said. “Who are the friends?”

“We came here from Outside,” Cole said. “A bunch of other kids were brought here with us as slaves.”

“I noticed Dalton's mark,” Forge said. “But you have a freemark.”

“It was a bondmark at first,” Cole said. “Long story. Anyhow, the High King bought the slaves with shaping powers and shipped them around the Outskirts. I found Dalton in Elloweer.”

“Do they have names?” Forge asked.

“Jenna Hunt,” Cole said. “Blake Daniels. Lacie Clark. Sarah, um, what's Sarah's last name?”

“I don't know,” Dalton said. “I didn't really know many of those kids well.”

“It might start with a
P
,” Cole said. “Anyhow, especially look for Jenna Hunt.”

“You know she came here?” Forge asked.

“No idea,” Cole said. “I just know she's not in Elloweer.”

“The records I can check only cover Zeropolis,” Forge
said. “And it's a big city. I've lost access to some of our best databanks because they've swapped out crystals. Sometimes slaves are given aliases, especially new slaves, to wipe out the old life. I can't guarantee success, but I'll look.”

“What do you expect to do if you find somebody?” Roulette asked.

“Talk to them,” Cole said. “Free them if I can.”

“Fair warning,” Roulette said, folding her arms. “Freeing slaves doesn't go over well. Once that mark is on there, you can't really hide.”

“We freed Dalton,” Cole said.

“You
found
Dalton,” Trickster corrected. “You helped him escape. He's not free. He still has his bondmark. He has to pose as a slave. That's the best you can offer any slave. And if you take too many slaves, you get burned.”

“There are a lot of former slaves in the Unseen,” Roulette said.

“But they have to stay unseen,” Trickster said. “They can't live normal lives.”

“This is still way better than actual slavery,” Dalton said.

“You were in Elloweer?” Forge asked.

“Yeah,” Dalton said.

“I can draft some ownership documents to match your new ID cards,” Forge said. “You want to belong to Cole?”

“Sure,” Dalton said.

“What about me?” Jace protested.

“Anyone but Jace,” Dalton replied. “No offense.”

“I'd be a good master,” Jace said. “I'm way more fun than Cole.”

“You can really create slave documents for Dalton?” Mira asked.

“I can make it all look fully legal,” Forge said. “Googol wants you to have the royal treatment.”

“Good,” Roulette said. “They could use haircuts.”

Cole fingered his hair. It was getting pretty long. He hadn't cut it since . . . when? A few weeks before coming to the Outskirts?

“Your fakes are good?” Dalton asked.

Forge chuckled. “There's a reason Googol sent you here.”

“He's the best,” Trickster said. “As far as tech goes, this is Outpost 139. The cards won't be fakes. Forge uses the same equipment as the government, and stashes the info in all the same places. These ID cards will be real.”

“Thanks for the oversell,” Forge said. “Takes all the pressure off me.”

“Let me see you,” Roulette said. She made Mira, Dalton, Jace, and Cole line up. Then she paced the line, inspecting them. “Yeah, okay. I see possibilities. I can make you guys look local. You're not bad-looking youngsters. With the right clothes and some color in your hair? You could look tidy.”

“More importantly,” Forge said, “you'll look different from your original ID photos. When we take pictures, I'll want you to make faces. Nothing too drastic or the ID will look bogus. But scowl a little. Or smile really big. If we get it right, these new cards will let you start over.”

“And he can load up a bunch of credits,” Trickster said.

“We don't want to get carried away,” Forge said. “Let's just say you won't be poor.”

“Will we get nifty names like you guys have?” Jace asked. “Can I be Wolfmaster?”

“You aren't Crystal Keepers,” Trickster said.

“And we don't put our code names on IDs,” Roulette added.

“I'll handle the names,” Forge said. “You want some of the most common names in Zeropolis. Not the very most common. That can look like you're hiding. Fifteenth to fortieth most popular is about right. Your original ID cards are compromised. Changing your looks and taking on common names will make it harder for the City Patrol to connect you to those original identities.”

“Try to make the new ones last a little longer,” Trickster said.

“It was out of our control,” Mira said. “Joe didn't know his fake ID had been flagged.”

“That's our other big challenge tonight,” Forge said. “Finding the best way to bust out Joe.”

“Do you know him?” Mira asked.

“He's a good man,” Forge said. “We'll find a way.”

“You mentioned you have access to thruports,” Dalton said.

“Right,” Forge replied. “You want to kidnap an old girlfriend too?”

Dalton blushed. “No. But it would be interesting to check my e-mail. Poke around a little.”

“As long as you don't get your hopes up,” Forge said. “I've seen it a thousand times. Nobody you really want to contact will respond.”

“We've heard,” Cole said.

“I'll set you up with thruports in the morning,” Forge said. “We'll take care of the IDs then too. Tonight I have to help plan a jailbreak. Scandal will show you around. We have food and hammocks.”

“Is this place safer than the other base?” Jace asked.

“Fair question,” Forge said. “Short answer? Yes. A lot less people know about my lair. Of the Crystal Keepers, only Trickster, Roulette, Duckling, and Jetstream know. Not many of the Unseen know either. Most of my forgeries are carried out remotely. Very few people come and go. The fact that Googol had you come here shows how highly he values you.”

“Which is what makes us so curious,” Trickster said.

“It also helps that we're under a virtually abandoned storehouse,” Forge went on. “I have access to lots of weird spare parts when I need them, and nobody is ever around.”

“What about all the crystals you have?” Cole asked. “You're connected to a lot of information. Could they trace those connections back to you?”

“Nice,” Forge said. “You're thinking like a technomancer. Sure, there are ways, but I take lots of precautions. It wouldn't be easy for them to figure out they could spy on me, and one of my alarms would almost certainly give them away if they tried.”

“Come on,” Scandal said. “Let's get you some food.”

Cole and the others followed her through a tunnel to a low table. Dinner awaited them—cubes of meat, mashed potatoes, green beans, and cups of pale green liquid.

“Six settings,” Trickster said. “You didn't think any of us would be captured?”

“I try to stay optimistic,” Scandal said.

They sat down on the benches on either side of the table. Cole skewered a meat cube with a fork, then sniffed it.

“Any guesses?” Dalton asked.

“Beef?” Cole tried.