Starfall: A Starstruck Novel (42 page)

“By tomorrow night?” Mr. Stuart was clearly skeptical. “I’ve seen the news stories relaying the astrophysicists’ predictions of an intense solar storm, but it’s no small matter to shut down power grids worldwide, not to mention grounding all flights.”
 

“Precisely,” Kyna agreed. “Due to the inevitable bureaucracy involved, I consider it extremely unlikely that more than a small fraction of the planet will be protected in time.”
 

Which, I knew, would ultimately mean billions of deaths. “Then you need to let Rigel and me try again with the device. It sounds like it’s our only hope at this point.”

Kyna sighed heavily. “Despite the potential danger to you, Excellency, I am inclined to agree. If you can in any way dissuade the Grentl…”

“Even if we can’t,” Rigel volunteered from the corner, “maybe we’ll be able to find some chink in their armor. Some vulnerability we didn’t pick up on last time. Definitely worth a shot.”

“It is. We should do it tonight. Now.” Though I cringed at the prospect, I’d just as soon get it over with.

“That’s the primary reason we’re meeting here instead of at the O’Garas’ house,” Kyna admitted. “I realized earlier today it would likely come to this. I’m sorry, Excellency.”

At her signal, Mr. Stuart and Malcolm left the room and returned a few moments later with the device, which they again set carefully on the living room table.

“Right, then. Let’s do this.” Rigel’s voice sounded surprisingly firm and confident compared to the wildly fluctuating emotions I sensed from him…and shared.

His dad frowned worriedly. “You’re sure about this?”
 

We both nodded.
 

Kyna, Breann, Malcolm, the Stuarts and the O’Garas arranged themselves around us in a circle. The holograms of Nara and Connor stood slightly closer, since they weren’t at any real risk if the Grentl zapped us.
 

“Together from the start this time?” Rigel suggested, moving with me to the device.
 

“Right.” I hoped desperately they wouldn’t suddenly decide to hurt Rigel for bending their Sovereign-only rule.
 

This time he put a hand on my shoulder, skin on skin, before I even touched the thing. Absorbing one more fortifying dose of strength from him, I reached out and grabbed the copper projections.
 

One heartbeat, two, and then the prongs warmed in my hands, even faster than last time. They already knew I…we…were here. I felt them pulling at my mind almost immediately. Before shutting them out, I tried sending a thought.
 

Please, spare our planet! We are no threat to you. Billions of lives are at stake.

Would they answer? Again I counted heartbeats—three, four—and then,
“RISK TO GALAXY TOO GREAT. EXPERIMENT UNSUCCESSFUL.”

What would count as success?
I pleaded.
Can you give us another chance?

This time they didn’t answer, just tried to suck memories and experiences out of me again. Not knowing what else to do, after another second or two of resisting, I let them. As the images flashed past at lightning speed, I was aware of them accessing some of Rigel’s memories as well, no doubt because our minds were so closely linked with him actually touching me. I felt him flinch once or twice and knew he was experiencing the same thing I was—the replaying of particularly upsetting recent memories.
 

From him, they pulled his experience in the Mind Healing facility on Nuath, to include what it felt like to have his memory erased, then his awakening in Ireland and his increasing confusion at school between what he’d been told and the memories trying to surface. From me, they pulled the heartbreak I’d felt when Rigel hadn’t recognized me and even actively avoided me. Then, from both of us, the memory of our incredible kiss in the cornfield when we’d re-bonded and Rigel’s memories had come flooding back.

Finally, they were done. I waited, but they still didn’t say anything. Frustrated, drawing on every bit of Rigel’s mental strength as well as my own, I again tried probing
their
minds, determined to find out whether they were at all reconsidering their plan.
 

They weren’t.
 

Their timetable for the EMP was exactly the same as before, following all the same steps I’d extracted from them last week. Tears of defeat were starting to prickle behind my eyelids when I caught Rigel’s careful thought, sent only to me:
Look for a weakness.

Nodding, I screwed up my face and pushed harder, trying to sense even the tiniest trace of uncertainty or fear from their collective consciousness. Nothing. Except…
 

There! A quick flash, an image of Rigel and me holding hands, focusing on the night sky. Then, before I could figure out exactly what it was we were doing, it was gone. The copper projections cooled and I could feel the Grentls’ minds retreating, closing themselves off from me. I was about to try again when I felt Rigel tugging on my arm and realized I was shaking and sweating again, nearly spent.
 

Relief warred with disappointment as I let him pull me away from the device, releasing my hold on the prongs.
You stopped me! Maybe if—

You were about to hurt yourself, M. Besides, I think maybe we got what we needed.

Turning away from the device, I blinked up at him.
We did?

That last image. I think maybe
we
are their vulnerability. You and me. Somehow.

I stared at him as understanding dawned.
I think you’re right! I was trying, hard, to sense any doubts or reservations from them and that’s what popped up. Then they shut us out as fast as they could.

In sudden excitement, I swung around to face the others so quickly, Rigel had to steady me on my feet. “It’s us! We think it might be us!”

At their confused expressions, I realized Rigel’s and my exchange just now had been silent. My voice shook slightly as I attempted to explain.
 

“The Grentl—they pulled out everything about our bond. How we can talk to each other, the electricity thing, and…how we feel about each other. Then I did everything I could to find some weakness of theirs we might be able to use and saw…” That image came back into my mind, clearer this time.

Rigel picked up the explanation. “She saw—we saw—us. Together. Doing something—we’re not sure what, exactly—to fend off the Grentl. Can you somehow add the data from Sunday’s
graell
tests to your simulations? See if there’s something
we
might be able to do to stop them?”

Kyna and Mr. Stuart exchanged perplexed looks, then Kyna gave a little shrug. “We have nothing else to try at this point. I’ll get our Scientists on it immediately and let you know if they turn up anything at all promising. Let’s all pray they do.”

*
   
*
   
*

“Look at Trina, that big copycat!” Bri hissed to Deb, Molly and me at lunch Friday. Following her gaze, I saw Trina walking up and down the rows of tables, a big, beribboned basket over her arm, handing out what looked like plastic-wrapped muffins.

Deb jumped up and ran to one of the tables Trina had already hit, then came back a minute later. “Candace’s Gourmet Muffins. With stickers on each one saying ‘Trina Squires for Junior Princess’ and little tags on ribbons inviting everyone to a party at her house after the game tonight. Those must have cost her a fortune!”
 

Matt Mullins, passing our table just then, overheard. “If so, she didn’t get her money’s worth. You want the rest of mine?” He dropped a half-eaten muffin on Deb’s tray. “Your cookies were way better, M. You’ve got nothing to worry about.” With a wink, he continued toward the tray drop.

I had to laugh. “Like the vote will hinge on who hands out the best goodies?”
 

“It could,” Bri said seriously. “Last year Tiffany gave out doughnuts with sprinkles, and she made Homecoming Queen. Rosa just passed out chocolate kisses, though, so no threat there.”
 

I just rolled my eyes. “Look, if I get it, great, but I’m not going to cry if I don’t and I don’t want you guys to, either. Okay?” Homecoming Court might barely be on my radar just now, but I didn’t want my friends feeling bad if I lost.
 

“At least we’re making Trina work for it.” Deb sounded philosophical.
 

Bri nodded. “Still, I’d give almost anything for you to win, M, if only for the look on her face when it’s announced. I’m going to have my phone ready this afternoon to snap a picture of that!”

Ten minutes into seventh period, everyone was dismissed to attend the big Homecoming spirit assembly in the school gym. Rigel and I walked hand in hand, oblivious to the excited buzz of voices around us. The votes would all be collected and tallied at the start of the assembly, but with the Grentl attack looming tonight, neither of us had attention to spare for anything else.

Wouldn’t your dad have called if the Scientists found something?
I asked Rigel for at least the fourth time today.

Maybe not.
He was way more patient with me than I deserved.
He’ll definitely let me know as soon as I get home, though. You sure you don’t want to come straight to my house after the pep rally?

I’d better not. If I’m going to have to stay out super late tonight—if they figure out something we can do—I’ll need to butter up Aunt Theresa all I can first.

 
Everyone was putting their voting slips into a big, decorated box outside the doors as they entered the gym, which was festooned with black and gold streamers and paper cutouts of diamonds and jaguars. Once inside, Rigel had to join the rest of the football team so I went to sit with Bri and Deb in the bleachers. The cheerleaders were already in action, waving their black and gold pompoms and leading cheers at the tops of their lungs.
 

“TWO, FOUR, SIX, EIGHT! WHO DO WE APPRECIATE? JAGUARS! JAGUARS! GOOOO, JAGUARS!”

“C’mon, M, you’re not getting into the spirit,” Bri chided me. “Look! They’re about to introduce the team—you have to yell for Rigel!”

Doing my best to shake off my sense of impending doom, I plastered a smile on my face and screamed along with everyone else as our team jogged to the middle of the gym so the coach could announce all their names—like everybody didn’t already know. He saved Rigel for last, as our star quarterback, and everyone in the gym jumped to their feet and redoubled the volume until the air throbbed.
 

After half a dozen more cheers, the players filed out and Principal Johannsen walked to the middle of the gym floor, taking the microphone from Coach Glazier.

“As you all know, this year marks Jewel High School’s seventy-second year, our twelfth in this building. Since its founding, our school has produced several notable graduates.”
 

She went on to list a handful of athletes, several war heroes, an artist and a musician that had achieved relative fame, then launched into more trivia about the history of the school. I tuned her out and went back to obsessing over what was likely to happen tonight until Bri gave me a hard nudge.

“—the moment you’ve all been waiting for,” the principal was saying. “It gives me great pleasure to announce this year’s Homecoming Court! Our Freshman Prince is Toby Mullins and the Princess is Andrea Perkins.” The two fourteen-year-olds made their way down from the bleachers, where they were draped with black and gold sashes.
 

“Ooh, Matt’s little brother,” Deb whispered excitedly, pointing at Toby.
 

The Sophomore Prince and Princess were Jared Gross and Ginny Farmer, and then it was our turn. Even though I’d been telling myself all week I didn’t care about silly Homecoming Court when the fate of the world was hanging in the balance, I caught myself holding my breath.

“Our Junior Prince this year is again Rigel Stuart,” Ms. Johannsen announced, to no one’s surprise. And this year’s Junior Princess is…Marsha Truitt.”

Deb let out a squeal, while Bri exclaimed triumphantly, “You did it! And…I got it! What an
awesome
picture of Trina’s expression.”
 

I barely glanced at her phone because I had to climb down the bleachers to join Rigel in the middle of the gym to receive my own sash.
 

Junior Princess!
Rigel thought to me as I crossed the floor, walking right past Trina’s still-outraged face.
Not quite as big a deal as Sovereign of a whole race of people, but still pretty cool.

And without nearly as many strings attached.
I grinned as I took my place next to him.
Wish all the Sovereign ever had to do was ride on floats and wave at the crowd.
 

As Principal Johannsen announced Homecoming King and Queen—Sean, of course, and Missy Gillespie—I couldn’t help thinking how my status at school had changed nearly as much as it had on Mars. Until last year, I’d been one of the least popular dweebs in school. And look at me now!
 

Catching my thought, Rigel took my hand.
How can anyone not look at you? You’re pretty much perfect. Maybe now you’ll believe me?

I smiled up at him.
Nah, it was Aunt Theresa’s cookies that got me elected. Still cool, though!

We all had to stand there in our sashes while Jeremy took pictures for the website and yearbook, then everyone in the stands was allowed to come down and congratulate us. Bri, Deb and Molly were practically jumping up and down with excitement at my win, while Trina glared daggers my way. I very carefully did
not
read her emotions.
 

A few minutes later the bell rang and everyone started streaming toward their lockers and the buses. I wanted to ask Molly if she’d heard anything from her mom but I couldn’t, with Bri and Deb right there. At times like this it would be convenient to have that telepathy thing with people other than Rigel…though definitely not worth the hassle of guarding my thoughts from everybody.