Pride x Familiar (9 page)

I frowned. “So you’re saying we’re safe then?
You don’t believe Crimson Crescent has a Master Key.”

He looked up for a moment, arms still crossed
over his chest. “I’ve looked into this as much as my position
within the Avenir Pride can afford. I think it’s safe to say, that
Crescent doesn’t have a Master Key.”

I took a breath. His words reassured me a
little, but I was still uneasy.

Severin noticed. I could see he was uneasy a
well.

I asked, “Where are you going with this
explanation?”

He gave me a tight nod. “Allow me to
finish.”

I shoved my hands into trouser pockets, and kept
silent.

Severin resumed after a pause. “We’ve
established that only a Fragment is capable of breaking into our
academy’s network with such ease. We’ve also established that
Fragments of such ability are kept locked away by the Prides. And
we agree that stealing a Fragment used in the field by a Familiar
is pointless since you need to unlock them first. We also strongly
believe, that Crescent doesn’t have the necessary Master Key.”

Maya, Rina and I all nodded.

Severin said, “So the question is, how did
Crimson Crescent get their hands on such a dangerous Fragment?”

Again, Maya, Rina and I nodded.

“That’s because six years ago, Crimson Crescent
stole a collection of Fragments being transported to Pharos.”

“Six years ago?” I asked, feeling a dull chill
run down my back.

He nodded. “The super freighter that exploded
was carrying unlocked Fragments recently discovered out in the
Hurakan Nebula. That freighter belonged to the Sanreal Pride, and
the Sanreals are the most heavily involved in deep nebula
exploration. Crimson Crescent used the explosion to disguise the
theft of that shipment of Fragments.”

I clenched my jaw, but met his gaze.

My parents died because someone decided to steal
Fragments?

Severin took a deep breath. “I had to rely on a
lot of family connections to learn this. The truth is, if Crimson
Crescent hadn’t begun breaching our network, I might never have
investigated the freighter explosion.”

Maya spoke softly. “So you believe the Fragment
they are using was in that shipment they stole six years ago.”

“Yes, I do. Although we cannot discount the
possibility that Crimson Crescent may have stolen an unlocked and
un-bonded Fragment from one of the Prides secret facilities.”

I shook my head quickly. “It sounds like we’re
going in circles with this. Without hard facts, we could speculate
endlessly.”

Severin nodded. “That is indeed true. So for
now, we’re going to stick with the assumption proposed thus far.
Five years ago, Crimson Crescent stole the network breaking
Fragment from the super freighter. Agreed?”

After a little while we all nodded in
agreement.

Maya asked, “Is it just Galatea Academy being
targeted?”

“For the moment, yes. I’ve had meetings with my
contemporaries at Arcala Academy and Phelan Academy, and they’ve
confirmed their schools have not been breached.”

Maya asked, “So what’s so special about our
academy?”

Severin was quiet for a moment. “For the time
being, I’m not in a position to comment on that.”

Maya scowled. “Then what can you tell us about
the network breaches?”

His shoulders sagged a little. “I can tell you
that these attacks were initiated within the premises of the
Academy.”

I blinked a handful of times. “From inside
Galatea?”

“Unfortunately…yes.” Severin worked the pen
remote and the Crimson Crescent emblem vanished, only to be
replaced by a very detailed representation of the academy grounds
and facilities.

Five little red dots appeared inside a number of
the buildings.

Severin waved the remote. “Each breach happened
at a different facility within the academy. Computer studies,
physics and chemistry laboratories, and the library. All were used
at one point or another to access the secure levels of our school’s
information network. All happened within the span of a month. But
they stopped as soon as the school year came to an end.”

I asked, “Any idea why?”

Severing glanced at Simone. “We have an idea,
but we’ll get to that shortly.”

I gave Simone a quick look. The serenity on her
face conflicted with the tension in her eyes.

Maya asked softly, “Do we know what they are
after? Do we know what is being protected by those security
layers?”

Severin was quiet for a moment. “I cannot answer
that question at this time.” He raised a hand to forestall a
protest from the girl. “Maya, please. Later, you will understand
why this is so. There are some matters I need to confirm before I
can even attempt to answer your question.”

Simone slipped off the desk, and walked closer
to the holovid image representing the Academy grounds. She cleared
away the image with her own pen remote, then quietly addressed all
of us in the room.

“I’d like all of you to listen carefully.
Bringing you all together, and revealing this to you carries a
degree of risk for us. To that end, I’m asking you all to keep this
a secret. Caprice isn’t here, but she does understand the
situation. So please, do not discuss this with anyone else. Is that
clear?”

She gave each of us a measured look, favoring
none over the other.

I gave her a nod. “My lips are sealed.”

Maya said, “I understand. My lips are sealed as
well.”

Rina replied in a like manner.

Simone swept her gaze over all of us again, and
I saw relief and gratitude in her eyes.

She smiled and said, “Thank you.”

Severin stepped up beside her. “You have my
sincere thanks as well.”

I felt dark, conflicted feelings from the
sincere expressions of appreciation they were bestowing upon
us.

I wasn’t used to those coming from an
Aventis.

When I glanced at Maya and the other girl, they
looked troubled and a touch embarrassed as well.

The Student Council President and the
Vice-President shared a quiet look, before Severin spoke again.

“There’s something else we need to show
you.”

Simone took a couple of steps back from the
center of the room. Severin fiddled with his pen remote and after a
while a holovid security recording began to play. It showed a
library terminal being operated as though by an invisible user.
Then I narrowed my eyes when I noticed the user wasn’t quite
invisible.

“Thermoptic camouflage,” I said.

Severin shook his head tightly. “No, it’s
better. Every thermoptic camouflage system we know of has one flaw.
It cannot hide the user’s shadow. This one is nearly perfect.
Almost no shadow. The only give away is the fact the terminal is in
use. I think it’s safe to say, this is another Fragment.”

I looked at him. “You’re saying it’s possible
for them to be inside a crowded room, and no one would know they
were there?”

“I’m saying that’s exactly what happened.”

I glanced at the other girls, then turned back
to Severin. “What do you mean?”

“Each attack was carried out against our network
during school hours, from inside a crowded, occupied room.”

I swallowed and voiced an awful conclusion. “So
that’s why they stopped attacking the network during summer
break.”

He nodded dejectedly. “No crowded classrooms or
laboratories. No students or teachers to use as unwitting hostages
while the breach was in progress.”

Maya’s voice was low and guarded. “Would
Crescent really go that far?”

Simone answered her. “I have it on good
authority that Crimson Crescent is willing to go much, much
further.”

I felt her words foreshadowed a dire future for
the Academy – for the school I really didn’t care for.

But if I didn’t care for it, why was I wondering
what I could do to help?

I didn’t understand my feelings at all.

Severin cut across my confused thoughts.

“Let’s bring this meeting to an end. I think we
all need some time to think this through on our own.”

I gave him a shallow nod, feeling relieved he
was bringing the briefing to a close.

I was late, and there was somewhere I urgently
needed to be.

#

(Haruka)

I gave him another few minutes, then hefted the
straps of my school carry-bag onto my shoulder. Somehow I managed
to hold back sighing in disappointed as I stared through the glass
doors at the rows of lockers inside the lobby of the building.

I decided to call it quits for today, and try
again tomorrow.

Why was I in such a rush?

The school year was just starting, but somehow I
felt that if I didn’t confront him now, I’d never gather the
courage again.

I was being stupid.

Hefting the straps on my shoulder a little
higher, I started walking down the steps to the paved path that led
all the way to the school’s north gate.

I walked with my head bowed down.

Alistair walked beside me, and patted my back in
an attempt to encourage me. She pointed out, “There’s always
tomorrow.”

I gave her a nod I didn’t agree with. “Yeah, I
guess you’re right….”

Siobhan walked on my other side and muttered,
“He’s got you on a string.”

Alistair protested, “You’re not being fair.”

I was about to protest myself when I heard his
voice.

“I can’t stand that guy. We’re late because of
him.”

Then I heard
her
voice.

“I called ahead. We’re fine on time.”

I walked off the path and came to a stop on the
grass bordering it. Siobhan and Alistair did the same, flanking
me.

Caelum sounded irritated. “Caprice, just let me
blame him for something. And what’s the deal with him and Maya?
They were acting like a couple of ex’s.”

I could hear their footsteps behind us on the
path.

Caprice said, “Maya? You’re calling her Maya
already?”

“Huh? What’s wrong with calling her Maya?”

“I find that a little too familiar.”

“Familiar? Are you serious? Wait, are you
jealous?”

“Why would you think that?”

Their footsteps drew nearer.

Caelum asked, “You don’t like Maya, do you?”

Caprice stated flatly, “I don’t know her well
enough to answer that. She Awakened last year, and ever since
transferring to Galatea she’s been in a different class from
me.”

They were going to walk right by us.

I glimpsed Alistair giving me a concerned look
as if to say ‘this is your chance’.

I heard Caelum ask, “You never tried making
friends with her?”

“No, I have no reason to be friends with
her.”

He sighed loud enough for me to hear. “Well, it
sounds to me like you have a problem with her.”

“Caelum, I do not have a problem with Maya
Khayman. I just haven’t had a suitable reason to interact with
her.”

They drew abreast of us, and a moment later I
watched them walk by. Their shoulders weren’t quite touching but
there was a degree of familiarity between them that wasn’t close to
intimacy.

They were like sportsmen, or tennis
partners.

Yes, that’s right. Like a mixed doubles pair
that had been playing together for a long time.

For a little while I studied them as they walked
down the path.

Who was I kidding? They were definitely closer
than sporting comrades. Just look at the way she’s holding her head
high as she walks beside him.

And look at the way he appears concerned for
offending her sensibilities.

Damn, I was simply kidding myself.

Siobhan stabbed through my melancholy thoughts.
“Haruka! Snap out of it! He’s getting away.”

I shook my head. “No, it’s okay.”

Siobhan cursed. “I had to wait half an hour with
you. No way this is okay!” She stepped onto the path, and cried
out, “Caelum Desanto.”

“Siobhan, don’t—”

Too late. Caelum and Caprice both stopped
simultaneously. They both turned quickly in perfect unison. They
both shared matching expressions.

Ugh…this was too much to take.

They’re in perfect harmony with each other, like
a pair of champion ice-skaters.

There I go again with the sporting
analogies.

Siobhan didn’t let up. “Hey, Desanto. Pay
attention to your surroundings.”

He gave her a confused look, until his gaze fell
on me. I turned away but not before I saw his expression fall.

Siobhan almost screamed. “Hey, don’t you walk
away from her you damn Familiar!”

What? He’s leaving?

I turned to look down the path in his
direction.

He had come to a stop again, but he was looking
in the direction of the open gate and thus with his back to me. A
couple of feet away, Caprice was watching him with a bemused
expression that was rare to see on her face.

He slowly turned around and our eyes met.

His mouth opened. I saw his lips move. But no
words came out.

He struggled for a long while, a pained look in
his eyes, an almost tortured expression on his face.

Then he turned around in a hurry and resumed
walking down the path.

Siobhan yelled out, “Hey—”

“Stop it,” I begged her. “Please, Siobhan. Let
him go, please.”

Siobhan cried out, “Bastard. Ah—gods damn
him!”

My legs turned rubbery. I had to sit down
quickly on the edge of the path or I’d have collapsed hard to the
ground.

Alistair rushed toward me in concern.
“Haruka?”

“I’m okay. I’m just feeling faint.”

I rubbed my eyes and my fingers came away
moist.

Damn. I’m losing it. Please, please don’t let
him see me like this. Please dear gods.

I wiped at my eyes but it only seemed to make
things worse.

There was nothing I could do to stop the
tears.

I felt Alistair wrap her arms around me as she
knelt behind me.