Emerge (26 page)

“What is this, Cricket?” he asked against my neck.

“I don’t know.” I released him and looked at West. The guards stood at the door. They didn’t take their eyes off of Dax.

President Layne continued to speak. “To show you just how strong we are, I’m here to announce changes being made within leadership. Changes that will prove we are ready for anything. Our ability to lead this city and to sustain our way of life will last for as long as we need it to.”

I turned to West. “Do you know what she’s doing?”

He only shook his head, his eyes glued to his mother.

Justin suddenly appeared and stood beside President Layne. The smile and confidence on his face, just minutes after the city had been told that the world outside of New Caelum was still plagued with disease, reeked of arrogance. Yet the people all around us cheered when they saw him. They whooped and hollered like he was a rock star.
 

My mouth fell open, and I stepped even closer to the edge. West stepped directly beside me to my left. Dax was just to my right and slightly behind me. I could feel the heat of anger radiating from his body as he hovered there.

“There’s going to be a wedding,” Layne said. She nodded as the people exploded in cheers again. She and Justin traded glances that could only be described as loving—a stark contrast to what I’d witnessed between them since I arrived. These people were very different people when standing in front of their citizens than they were in private. “That’s right. Your vice president and I are going to marry. And you all are invited.” A huge smile lit up her face as she scanned each section of the atrium, one by one.

I narrowed my gaze at President Layne. The people around her gawked at her openly, hanging on her every word. Ecstatic grins spread across their faces upon hearing the news of a wedding, even amid the turmoil of the virus’s resurgence outside.

Dax’s brief touch to my forearm steadied me slightly, but that changed when President Layne lifted her head and looked directly up at us. Justin joined her, making eye contact only with me. Goose bumps formed along my arms, and a chill skipped down my body. I wanted to retreat into myself.
 

“Oh, no,” West said beside me. He grabbed my hand and squeezed. The contact made me uncomfortable, with Dax standing on the other side of me.

President Layne smiled. “If you’re excited about that, the next thing I have to tell you is
really
going to blow your minds.” She and Justin joined hands, and with their free hands they gestured toward the balcony where West, Dax, and I stood. “There will be
two
weddings.”

Everyone turned, and when they saw us, there was a collective gasp in the room.

“What is she talking about?” I asked through gritted teeth. West had told me that President Layne and Justin had some ludicrous plan for me to stay—but marriage?

West’s mouth hung open. “I can’t believe she just did that.” He stood motionless, like he was terrified to move.

The people staring up looked on with equal parts excitement and shock. While some were clearly overjoyed by the news, many whispered behind cupped hands.
 

“They don’t even know me,” I said.

“Friends, we will formally introduce you to my son’s lovely bride in the coming days. For now…” I didn’t even hear what President Layne said next. Her voice sounded like it was coming from some faraway tunnel.

Why was someone on the inside so hell-bent on keeping me inside New Caelum? This was far bigger than just the personal wishes of President Layne and Vice President Rhodes. I glanced at West, who looked as perplexed as me.
 

“I’m an outsider,” I said. “They should have a thousand questions.”

“I know
I
do,” Dax said.
 

My spine stiffened. I had forgotten he was even there. Turning slowly, I faced him. “Dax, I have no idea why she’s doing this.” And part of me didn’t care. I had no intention of staying inside New Caelum, no matter what their plans.

“What is going on here, Cricket?” Dax said angrily. “You don’t even know this guy, let alone these crazy people who shut themselves off from the world and turned their backs on humanity.”

“Dax, there’s so much you don’t know. I just need you to trust me for now.” What was I saying? Apparently, there was a lot
I
didn’t know either.

Dax’s lips parted as he stared at me in disbelief. “Trust you about what? You’re not thinking about staying here inside New Caelum, are you?”

“She
does
know me,” West interrupted, sliding an arm around my back and gripping my waist. “And it’s none of your business if she stays here.”

I closed my eyes tight, wishing this could happen so differently. But I’d promised West I would pretend—that I would be who they wanted me to be in public while West figured out what was going on.
 

“The
hell
it’s not my business.” Dax grabbed my arm and tugged me toward him, though I resisted and stumbled backward against West, who steadied me.

The guards moved closer, hands on their Tasers. I threw myself in front of them. “Dax, please.”

“Please
what
, Cricket?” He stepped to me and grabbed my arms. “You’re not thinking straight.”

“Let her go.” West now had his own Taser in his left hand, while motioning for the guards to stand down.

Dax searched my eyes. “What the hell? You know you only have one more day, and you better be long gone from here.”

“I know. And I’m going to need for you to give me that time in order to figure a few things out.” I placed my hand on Dax’s cheek.
 

“You’re looking at me the same way you did at the hospital. Right before you asked me to run away so I wouldn’t contract Bad Sam.”
 

“But you didn’t.” I rubbed a thumb across his cheek. I wished I could explain everything to my friend, but there wasn’t time. “You’re so stubborn.”

Dax scowled. “What is it about this place that has you all twisted up?”

There was so much I had never confided in Dax. I had never thought I would have to. But my past had fully caught up with my present. “I promise I’ll tell you everything soon. I wish I could say nothing will change between us, but… I’m not who you think I am.” I turned to West. “I’m trusting you. No harm comes to him.”

I let West stare deep into my eyes—to let him see that I was keeping my promise to give him a chance to teach me all that he could in the next twenty-four hours. The specks of gold in his hazel green eyes practically glowed in appreciation of the silent vow I was making.

He turned to his guards. “Return Dax to his quarters,” he ordered.

I sent a silent apology to Dax. He glared back, helpless and confused, before being led away.

President Layne’s words grew louder again, prompting me to turn back to West. “To my son and his future bride. May they be the future of New Caelum.”

The crowd erupted in applause. I didn’t know what to do. I had so many questions, and the only way I was going to get answers was if I played along with the charade launched by President Layne and Vice President Rhodes.

Looking up at West, I wondered how much acting I would really have to do to feign a romantic connection to West. His fingers drifted along my face, sliding around it until his palm rested at the nape of my neck between my hair and my skin. He applied pressure, directing my face up to his, then whispered so that only I could hear him. “I’m going to kiss you now, Christina Black. And don’t think for a second that this has anything to do with anyone else around us. Let them have their show—but this is between you and me.”

I wasn’t prepared for his words, or for the way his touch tingled on my neck and down my spine. He leaned in, tilting his head to the right then the left, until he closed the remaining space separating us and touched his lips to mine.

The low roar of the crowd sounded like nothing more than the distant rumble of a train as I forgot all the reasons I shouldn’t let my long-lost childhood friend kiss me.

When he released me, we turned to face the crowd, who cheered approval. But just as I felt a smile touch my lips, I caught a glimpse of Dax out of the corner of my eye. The guards were holding him in place across from us—so he could watch the show. Then the guards pushed him through the door, but not before I saw anguish cross his face.

Cricket disappeared into the lab with Dr. Pooley and Dr. Hempel immediately after Mother’s dramatic performance. Though she hadn’t fought the spectacle my mother had made of us, putting us on display like circus animals, she’d barely spoken to me afterward, just asked to be taken to the lab, not even returning to the suite for dinner.
 

And yet… I had not imagined that kiss. She felt something for me. A person can’t fake that.

But our circumstances were working against us.

My life was here, inside New Caelum. Hers was outside. How would I ever convince her to see the bigger picture—a future that merged our two worlds, that concentrated on the rebuilding of humanity?

My mother and the council were going about it all wrong. They were trying to force Cricket to join New Caelum, and you don’t force Cricket to do anything.

I decided it was time for me and Cricket to talk—whether she wanted to or not. I made my way to the lab, and with a nurse’s assistance, I suited up and entered. Cricket stood across the room, her back to me. Several nurses and lab techs worked at stations around the room.
 

As I approached, I realized she was staring at the countdown timer, which now had little more than twenty-four hours left. By midnight tomorrow, she would need to have disarmed the computer virus and the bomb inside New Caelum, or the people in the city would have far bigger problems than worrying about the safety of the outside world.

“Hi,” I said behind her, making her jump and turn to me. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you.”
 

I realized she was crying behind the mask covering her face. “What’s wrong? What’s happened?” I rushed to her and started to wrap my arms around her, but she backed up, and I remembered the protocol—no touching each other inside the infectious disease lab.
 

I dropped my arms to my side. “Sorry. I wasn’t thinking.”
 

With no way of wiping her nose or eyes, her face was wet with tears and snot, and her eyes were bloodshot. She was a mess.

“Tell me what’s going on.” I stretched my fingers and curled them into fists.

“She’s dead. She was just a child,” Cricket sobbed. “Justin approved the treatments, but something went wrong when Dr. Pooley injected the little girl with the serum. I didn’t even know her name.”

I bent my neck forward and stared at the floor in front of me. I wanted to throw something. This little girl’s death weighed heavily on my chest. “Alexa.”

Cricket cocked her head. “Alexa?”

“That was her name.” I swallowed hard against the emotion of losing another citizen of New Caelum—an innocent child. A fiery anger spread across my neck and down my spine—and then I realized that not only was a sweet girl dead, but we still didn’t have a cure for my sister. Why weren’t Cricket’s antibodies working? Or was it something else that wasn’t working?

“Come on. Let’s get out of here.” I had to stop myself again from reaching out and touching her.

“I can’t. There’s not enough time. I have to stay here and see if I can help Dr. Hempel.”

“You need a break. You’ve provided the tools the doctors need. Let Dr. Hempel and Dr. Pooley have some space. We’ll come back later.”

“But I’ve listened to Caine talk for years about what worked and what didn’t. And before that, I listened to my parents talk about the disease.”

“Caine experimented on rats. And you were just a child when you heard your parents. You couldn’t possibly be expected to remember what they said.” Not to mention, Mother thought they had been going a little crazy before they took that last trip. Of course, I wouldn’t tell Cricket that. “Come on. Let’s get out of here,” I said again. “Time away will do you some good.”

After a few seconds of staring at me silently, she gave in with a sigh.

I let her pass through the decontamination chamber first. When I found her on the other side, she had cleaned up her face and was standing by the window of one of the iso units, looking in at the little boy still fighting for his life. Dr. Pooley was in the room with him.

“Hey,” I whispered. “Where’s Dr. Hempel?”

Cricket shrugged. “He was so angry when the little girl died, he stormed out. I assumed to cool off.

Cricket sniffed. Her eyes were a little swollen. “I’d give anything to be back on top of my mountain tonight. I just feel completely claustrophobic and helpless.”

I knew Cricket didn’t mean for her words to hurt me, but they stabbed at my heart. Would she ever feel at home inside New Caelum? Could I expect her to find happiness beside me?
 

I reached down and linked my fingers with hers. “Come on. I’ve got an idea.”

~~~~~

“Keep your eyes closed.”

“West,” Cricket whined. “This is wrong. Thank you for getting me out of the lab for a while, but we can’t run away from everything like we could when we were twelve.”

“Just keep them closed.” Keeping my hands on her arms, I guided her through the door. She was so skinny beneath my touch. “Two more steps.”

Once we were completely through the door, Cricket stopped. I was at her back. She leaned into me as her head tilted backward, and she took in a deep cleansing breath. “We’re outside.” I could hear the smile in her voice. For the first time in days, her voice was upbeat, hopeful.

I whispered close to her ear. “Open your eyes.”
 

She did. Her body remained still as her head turned and surveyed this tiny spot in the sky—the best I could do—a spot where memories were formed.

Slowly, she stepped away from me and farther out onto the roof. “It’s so much smaller than I remember.”

“
We
were much smaller the last time we were out here.”