“That’s not an excuse,” she cried. “Escaping state-sponsored murder doesn’t make this right.”
“By your standards. Sadly, the rest of us can’t afford them. Not anymore.”
Raina looked down at Callum. “Chief? We have to go public. Please.”
“This is only the beginning,” Yuri said to Callum. “You’re smart enough to get that, right? That one settlement is an experiment, to see if the most belligerent, dumb, ideological assholes the human race has ever misbegotten can survive on an alien world. And—hallelujah—it worked. They’ll go public with it eventually, the unknown, unaccountable people who made this happen, whether you force them to or not. And when they do, that’s when the real political pressure will kick in. A planet of no return, a wonderfully safe four light-years away, where every vicious criminal can be sent, and has to work all day long to grow their own food. We wipe our hands of them forever: public conscience clean, crime rates down. How do you think that vote will go, huh?”
“You bastard,” Raina said.
“Why aren’t we already on our way back there?” Callum asked. “What’s actually happening here?”
“Ms. Keates was right. For all of you, Zagreus is now a death sentence. They’re not going to wait and listen while you explain nicely that I’m the bad guy. They’ll rip you to pieces the instant you drop through—probably eat you, too, given some of the ones we exiled there. I’ve seen the files.”
“So what’s the deal?”
“Very simple. You’re all through as far as Connexion is concerned—besides which, you’re officially dead, anyway. So you shut the fuck up and go away to live your lives wherever you want. I’m
“Hey,” a shout came from outside the marquee. “Paramedics here. We got an emergency call.”
Yuri cocked his head to one side, regarding Callum carefully. “So?”
Callum gave his wife a desperate, loving look. “Take it,” he said wretchedly.
“Shit!” Raina kicked the dead portal door.
“In here,” Moshi shouted. He unzipped the marquee’s side panel. “She needs help—badly.”
Three paramedics ran in.
JULOSS
YEAR 587 AA
Dellian lay back on the warm sands, tired but happy with it, as he waited for the flyer to land. Even after ten days, he was still impressed by the beach—the whole island, actually. The resort was one of the very few that hadn’t been allowed to decay naturally after most of the humans living on Juloss had flown off into the galaxy. Its management genten had been left with full control of all its original service and maintenance remotes, to preserve the water bungalows and communal buildings at the same high standard as it had for the previous two centuries.
That standard was one Dellian had swiftly come to appreciate after sixteen years spent in the confines of the Immerle estate and its communal dormitory. If nothing else, he could actually have solitude if he wished. Everyone in his yeargroup had been assigned their own water bungalow—a neat little construction of curving glass walls framed by ancient hardwood beams, topped off with a thatched roof. They stood several meters out from the shore, resting on living coral pillars. The glass floor gave him a fantastic view of the superbly clear water a meter below and the amazing variety of colorful fish that came sporting through the shallows.
Of course, that solitude had been the last thing on anyone’s mind, especially at night. Principal Jenner had announced the ten-day break as a surprise reward for passing their senior year assessments. No adults or muncs would be with them. For the first time in their lives they would be alone, without any external authority to impose order, devoid of responsibility except to themselves.
“So just relax and enjoy yourselves,” sie said. “And keep it together. This is as much a test of maturity as anything else. We trust you. Don’t let us or yourselves down.”
The island had a broad circular lagoon on one side, where the water was barely two meters deep and as warm as a bath. Perfect for learning how to windsurf. The other side was the wide sun-saturated beach open to the ocean, with long jetties where the resort’s boats and powerskis waited for anyone who fancied faster, more adventurous, activities. Food was available all day long in the open-walled central pavilion, cooked to perfection by the genten’s remotes.