Beyond Our Stars (18 page)

“Oh man, never doing that again,” I said, then remembered the others behind me. “It's okay, you can do it, and there's space in here,” I called louder.

Slowly, the other three made it through the cramped little space. Once Cairo was out, Faith turned to me. “You
will
be doing it again. We have to get back out, too.” She patted my shoulder with sympathy.

“How much more is there?” I asked, bending up and down to stretch my legs.

“We're going to have to use one shaft. Then I remember a way. I can get us there.” Faith watched me. I wasn't going to stop now, risky or not.

“Where is it?” I said.

Faith pushed open a small piece of wall and I could see the inside of a shaft. She peered out.

“I don't see anyone. We're really close to the tanks. Just through the shaft, across one storage bay, and then we're back into this,” she waved her hand around. “And we'll be able to see the meeting.

I hesitated but only because Chance's worried eyes flashed through my mind. “Okay, everyone be as quick as you can.”

First Faith went first, running across the empty storage bay the shaft opened to and made it to the other side, disappearing again into the wall. I went next, then Gaia. Marseille and Cairo were the last two. Marseille got out of the shaft and began running across the bay when I heard the bay doors open and the sound of voices.

“Hey, you, what are you doing in here?” a man yelled.

I only had a second to decide. I couldn't let Marseille be caught. She was easily recognizable as a Spec and they'd know she was loyal to Chief. But if I came out now I might get us all caught.

“You're coming with us,” said the guard I could see now, as he seized Marseille. Another man walked up beside him.

I tensed, ready to enter the bay even though I had no plan.

Then suddenly Cairo was running for Marseille and he grabbed the man who had seized her and kicked him hard between his legs. He punched the other man in the face and took Marseille's arm.

“Go!” he yelled but his eyes sought the shaft he knew I was crouching in.

They ran out of the bay, the man who'd been punched screaming and running after them. The other guard stood up slowly, and then limped out of the bay to follow.

I couldn't let them go, I had to help them. Those men hadn't been armed but surely some would be. I moved again to follow but Faith was suddenly behind me again.

“No, Hope, we have to hear this meeting. Cairo's smart and so is Marseille. They'll make it.” Her hand was on my shoulder.

My heart hammered as I realized I should be the only one doing this. I was playing with the lives of my friends, the people who always trusted me.

Faith gave me a sad look and crawled back behind the shaft where Gaia waited. I followed her, feeling guilty for putting the people who had come to mean everything to me in danger.

We travelled faster with our smaller numbers, making it the rest of the way through the ‘mistake' parts of the ship to a small space where we crouched and Faith slid open a piece of the wall just a crack so we could see.

I was to the side of the platform Morgan was standing on, a large crowd at his feet. My heart sank as I tried to count the number of people. Definitely more than I'd thought. The entire floor was covered, so maybe a thousand people. Maybe a lot more.

“That's what's so vital to our cause! As we grow in our numbers we grow our strength! And we are getting stronger!” Morgan flung his arms as he spoke, reaching out to the crowd with an imploring tone. He was good speaker. Behind him were about two-dozen armed men.

“Make use of your time and your words, people! More are willing to hear our message than you think. Already, look at how our numbers have grown! Look around you, at your brothers and sisters. Do you care about preserving our humanity? About preserving our culture, the essence of what it is to be human?”

A cheer went up from the crowd. Morgan's eyes glowed.

“It is in our very nature, we do not subjugate ourselves. But what have we been doing ever since we came here? Bowing down. Bowing down to people who are afraid, bowing down to a species that has left us for dead. I don't want to bow down any longer! I
will not
bow down any longer!” He finished with a roar and the crowd roared with him.

This had to be heard outside. There was no way they were keeping this a secret now.

“I've been asked if we have a plan.” The crowd stilled.

I narrowed my eyes. Couldn't wait to hear this one.

“Well, we
do
.” There were whispers and a few cheers. Morgan lowered his head, the lights shining off the tight skin on his skull, and he let the anticipation build. Then, with the showmanship of a true politician he said, “We dig.”

I felt like his words fell with a thud but the crowd erupted into cheers again. Confused, I looked at the faces of the crowd.

They were red faced, desperate and angry. And he was giving them what they all wanted right now. Power.
Except it isn't real.

“We dig right under the Stacks and we fight!”

More cheering.

“For the coming fight we'll need everyone. I'm stockpiling weapons and ammunition,” he motioned to a pile of weapons in the corner proudly.

“But, the purpose of this meeting, the part I want you to take with you, is that in order to win we'll need numbers. We need everyone shoulder to shoulder on this one. Now, there's been an insulting threat made against our cause,” I found it interesting he didn't mention Chief by name, “they want to scare us. But this isn't one man's decision. No, not one man, certainly not me. The power lies, as it always has, with the will of the people!”

Lots more cheering.

I heard some noises coming from the back of the tanks and we all moved away from the opening in the wall.

More noise in the back. And then I heard a voice call out,

“This meeting has been disbanded by order of Chief Upton. Those parties present will immediately dissemble and return to their various dwellings.”

The crowd exploded with fury.

People rushed the Chief's men, punching and kicking. Men grabbed at the stockpile of weapons, slinging rifles over their backs. The mob began to push through the doors, swarming outside.

Faith, Gaia, and I watched from above, helpless to stop it.

“Are they shooting people?” Gaia whispered.

The last of the crowd abandoned the tanks. I felt like I should do something, but a seventeen-year-old girl in the midst of an angry mob? I'd get shot, I might get my friends killed.

The tanks were empty so we cautiously jumped down so we could exit the ship. Outside the sun was just beginning to rise. I hurried Faith and Gaia behind some crates piled outside Reflection. There was yelling and people running everywhere, but most ran in the same direction. We followed, ducking behind things, until we could see where most of the crowd had swarmed. People were in front of the tunnels and they were throwing crates, rocks, anything they could find at the tunnel entrances and at the Stacks.

Morgan's followers and the people loyal to Chief had collided, and were wrestling on the ground.

“What's happening?” I asked a stranger who was staring, hiding behind a crate like the three of us were.

“Madness,” he answered.

I couldn't see anyone I really knew, only a sea of angry, terrified faces.

A hand landed on my back and I jumped.

“Hope!” Chance crushed me in an embrace.

I hugged him back.

“What do we do?” I asked.

“We can't do anything, we need to get out of here,” he answered.

We heard a shot and someone screamed. The man hiding next to us backed away from the crates and started running. I watched as a bullet ripped through his shoulder and he fell to the ground. We huddled together, waiting for more gunshots.

Suddenly I heard footsteps crashing through the grass all around. I looked up. Thousands of people descending like an avalanche, crashing against Morgan's tribe.

Yelling filled my ears like thunder ripping the air.

Faith shrieked next to me.

A man had run around the crates and was now leveling his gun at us. His eyes bounced from side to side, trying to decide what to do.

A split second later there were others surrounding us, people loyal to Chief.

“Raleigh, put it down,” said one of Chief's engineers as he faced him. “We didn't come here for this…put it down. You don't want to kill any kids.”

The man froze for a moment, thinking. Then he lowered his weapon. He sank to his knees and mumbled, “I just want to go home, Jack.”

The mob was eventually subdued, Chief's loyal followers hugely outnumbering Morgan's band. During the fight, brother against brother, survivor against survivor, three people had died, there were many more wounded. But Marseille and Cairo had made it out safely. My Specs were all okay.

Chance and I decided to go to Chief's quarters and see if we could be of any help, but there were a ton of other people there before us. We waited in the corridor. I was shocked to see Cole there. Abel was inside, too, and others all shouted their opinions.

I'd sent Cairo on an errand to gather up the blankets and the drawings left at our campsite and now he came running up to me in the hall.

“They were gone. Someone took them.” He was breathless.

Someone took the drawings?
Not good.
“Okay, okay.” I ran through a list in my head of things that could possibly have happened. “I mean, it could be some kids taking stuff, or maybe someone who didn't know what they were, or…”

But then I saw Duggard rounding the corner with some scrolls and a large rolled up sheet under his arm jiggling against his potbelly.

“What are you doing with those?” I blocked his path into the Chief's quarters.

“Letting the Chief know that he's lost control not only of the people who want him to take action against our enemies, but also of those who claim total allegiance to him.”

Duggard still had the alien tape around his arms from his fall inside the Stacks. He wore it like a badge of honor. He'd been telling the story of getting hurt over and over and each time it got worse.

“You don't know what those are,” I said, praying that in fact he didn't.

“Oh, they're not a message that you wanted the aliens to see? No? Well, you won't mind me showing Chief Upton then.”

Chance started to grab him but I shook my head no. The worst part was, I knew now beyond a shadow of a doubt that I
should
have told Chief. I followed Duggard into the quarters with Chance and Cairo behind me.

“Chief Upton, I have information here,” Duggard began in a booming voice, talking over everyone else instead of waiting. “I think it will be of special interest.”

Those in the room turned to look at him with irritation. “It seems that there was more than one secret plot going on, and the culprit is none other than your beloved protégé.”

I took a step forward. I wasn't hiding.

Duggard rolled his eyes at me and pulled the sheet out from under his arm. He let it unroll from his hand triumphantly, watching the Chief's bewildered face.

“This girl is providing intel to the creatures after all! She's telling them that we destroyed our planet. Behind your back, Chief!” Duggard sneered and let his gaze travel across the room, relishing the power of surprise he had right now.

Chief's face became completely composed. “I asked Hope to create those,” he said. I snapped my face toward him. There was confusion in the room.

Chief waved his hand to signal everyone to calm down. “What Duggard said isn't at all what the purpose of this, ah, these paintings are. I know all about them and,” Chief stood up and walked to Duggard, taking the sheet and the rolled up papers from him, “thank you for bringing them to me.”

Chief eyed Duggard as he went back to his seat and put the drawings and painting down in front of him at his desk.

I had no idea why he was willing to cover for me.

“Don't worry about this right now, we have more pressing concerns. People, you've got maybe thirty more minutes and then I'm going to need some privacy to make a decision regarding Morgan.” Chief looked over at me. “You can go,” he said.

I left with Chance and Cairo.

“So what does that…” Chance said into my ear as we walked down the hallway.

“He wants me to come back in a half an hour and explain myself,” I answered. Chance squeezed my hand.

Cairo turned to us. “They're waiting in my quarters, I thought it was safe to come back on board.” He led us there and we found the rest of our group of Specs sitting solemnly inside the small room.

“Did you see the meeting?” Weeks asked, his face tense.

I told him what we'd heard.

“They're going to dig.” Weeks said. “For buried treasure?”

“I guess,” I answered. “He thinks that, what? We can simply escape? Or that the Locals won't use another force field once they see we're digging? Or let's just say that hypothetically, let's say he gets people out. What's the next step? War? We fight the indigenous species, us against an entire planet?”

“We haven't seen that many of them,” Gaia said.

“Do we think there are only twenty aliens on this planet? That a few of them made all of these crops and the irrigation and the force fields and the Stacks and…”

“Yes, it's a terrible idea,” Faith agreed.

It was the stupidest thing I'd ever heard.

“Morgan's all show and he's getting people killed. He's giving the people something they want desperately right now, something to do while they're furious and afraid. But it isn't backed up by anything.” I sat down and put my head in my hands. “He's making a big show because people want to believe we have power or control.” We didn't. There were so few of us left with nowhere else to go.