Chapter Twelve

"Where are we?" Theo looked around the small room. "What is this place?"

"Welcome to Station One," Audrina said. "We should be safe here for a little while."

"I don't get it. How did you guys find this place?" Theo asked.

"We didn't just find it. We built it," Samuel responded. "Too many things were happening for us not to have a back-up plan in place. This is one of those plans."

I caught what he had just said. "So, there are more places like this one in existence?"

"Maybe." Samuel glanced at Audrina. "But I'm not ready to disclose those locations. We should be safe here. I don't think Luther ever figured out that this place existed. I also don't think Paul knows anything about Station One. We should be good."

"You may need to reprogram LUX-2 if you want us to stay here. She's not operating," I said.

"Good point. That shouldn't take me too long. She's on a different system than LUX."

"Wait! There are two LUXs?" Gave asked.

"There were, but we just ordered the second one to self-destruct," I responded.

"Don't worry. We have a structure in place to handle the reprogramming of any LUX robot. Esa and Audrina, I want to get a download from both of you about what has happened over the past few weeks, but for now, follow me," Samuel said, walking out of the room, not waiting on any of us. He turned and poked his head back in briefly. "Seriously. Come on, guys. We don't have time to waste just staring at one another."

We all watched as Samuel waved his hand forward in an effort to get us all to follow. Several of the team looked unsure. Audrina was the first to take a few steps.

"We should follow him," she said, motioning for us to get in line behind her. "Otherwise, he's just going to come right back and pull you along with him."

The four of us walked down a small hallway that turned into a larger, circular room.

"Oh my God. It's your lab." The room was an exact replica of his old lab, with large computer screens covering the walls.

"Yes. I like this layout, but what I really wanted to show you is what I came across once I finally had access to Troy's files," he said, waving his hand into the empty space in front of us. A holographic image appeared, showing several small circular buildings.

"What is it?" I asked, trying to make out the individual images.

"We were right about him finding a new planet, but we had some of the details wrong. It's what he had originally called 'Project Sapien,' but is now being called Merak. It has everything we need to survive: land, a good atmosphere. Look at some of the pictures of the plant life. It's thriving. Troy was able to get additional images to see if there was any humanoid life on the planet, but it looks like there's only some animals."

"If he's found a place then why does he need us?"

"It's a long flight to Merak. Two years ago, he sent up a ship with twenty-five normals, but they won't arrive for at least another year. He thinks we could make the trip on the Jump Line. I think he has been having Luther practice."

"Are these normals ones who should still be living in another time?" I asked. Troy and Luther had been kidnapping perfectly healthy normals from a variety of years and holding them for his mission to this new place. Most of the normals had special skill sets. Unfortunately, Troy was forgetting that his actions would eventually have very serious consequences. Ripples in time had to be happening because he had taken so many people.

"Yes," Samuel responded. "It's a lot more than we thought. I'm really surprised we haven't seen more changes in the timeline."

"We haven't exactly been looking for the changes. They may be happening, and we just aren't aware because we're so far removed," Audrina said. "I mean, look at us. We've been so busy searching for Luther and Troy, we haven't been paying attention to what's going on around us."

"You've also been gone for a month," Theo said.

"What about the normals living in the tunnels? Have any of you made runs to get them food and supplies?" she asked.

"Yes," Theo answered. "We made a run the other day. It's been quiet down there. They must know something is up. I would definitely warn that we need to be more cautious when we go down there right now."

I hadn't thought about it, but Audrina was right. Our team had been bringing back food and plants for a number of factions, but our missions had definitely declined since we'd moved into OnyxFive.

"That's true," Samuel said. "It has been a lot quieter in the tunnels. We've only had a few orders. I agree. It should make us nervous."

Theo cleared his throat. "We have to find Luther and Troy and stop them from taking any more healthy normals. It's already too many. We also need to figure out what we've been missing for the past two months."

"Do you think our mission to hunt down Luther and Troy was just a ruse? Maybe Paul put us up to it to make sure we were distracted, while something else was going on in the background," I said, thinking back to the last time I had walked the perimeter of OnyxFive and Paul had called me back in after only a few minutes.

Samuel shook his head. "That's what I've been wondering, and I have a feeling that the answer is probably yes. I'm sorry, guys. It's my fault."

"Where is this new planet?" I walked around the image in front of me, not giving Samuel any additional time to wallow.

Samuel scrolled through some of the images of the normals who had been selected for Troy's test flight. They were all ages, ethnicities, genders.

"At least Troy was smart enough to diversify and make sure to get both men and women," I stared intently at the pictures.

"Yeah, but I think that's just luck. If you look at the notes, all of these people have pretty remarkable backgrounds. There is everything from Olympic athletes to medical doctors, to chefs. One of the people in the group is even a famous architect," Audrina said. "The abduction of these normals will not go unnoticed."

"From what I can tell from Troy's maps, Merak is just outside of our solar system," Samuel said. "I'm really not sure how he found the place. I don't know if we could make the trip on the Jump Line, but it's definitely worth the try."

"I wonder what he is going to tell all of these people when they wake up on a new planet, in a new year," Gave said. "It must be very confusing."

"What else have you seen?" I asked.

"Troy has dozens of digital images stored on his computer. The normals we found at NorthStar haven't made the trip yet. I found the timeline for the next ship to be launched. The date has already passed, so I'm not sure if a new one has been set. There has been no movement on Troy's hard drive for the past month. He must know we are onto him and has found a new way to work."

"What about Troy? Has he been to Merak?" Theo asked. He folded his hands behind his head as he continued to stare at the images.

"No. I don't believe he's ever made the trip. At least, it doesn't seem possible, but there's no doubt in my mind, he is working on a transportation mechanism right now to resume the trips. I have a feeling he's also started to replicate Luther, or he's created a new variation of Luther. We knew that was only a matter of time now that Troy is being rushed."

"How does Paul factor into this?" I asked, staring at Samuel.

Samuel looked over at me, confused. "What do you mean? Paul and Troy are on different sides of the fight."

"They may have been on opposite sides at one point, but they've become unified. I found out that Paul and Troy are working together." I took a big gulp of air as the last few words slid out of my mouth. They would all surely ask me for an explanation, and then I would have to tell them what I had seen and experienced in the large white room.

"How do you know that?" His eyes narrowed.

I looked around at the rest of the team. Audrina nodded, giving me the confidence to continue on with my story.

"I saw our mother. She told me."

Samuel's eyes widened. "You did? You saw her while you were at OnyxFive? That doesn't make sense."

"Yes and no. She came to me in a dream after the ambush in the hallway. I thought she was the one who helped me escape the attack. It was only later that I found out from Audrina that we had been at OnyxFive the whole time. It was really weird. She was standing in the middle of a large room. Samuel, you were right...she's alive."

Samuel turned back to the image. "I don't understand."

"Samuel, it's too coincidental that she has visited us both. She seemed too real in the dream to be a ghost or a figment of my imagination."

"Esa, did she give you any idea on how to find her?"

"No, but we were in a place with ice. Kind of like this place. How did you discover this location?"

Samuel paused and then shrugged his shoulders. "I've never really thought about it, but I guess it's because she led me here. She planted the seed in me that building something in colder temperatures would help us hide. I started looking for a good site and this one kept coming up on my system."

"Do you think she might be closer than we think?" A wave of hope washed over me. Was it possible that my mother was close by?

"I don't know. I've often thought about it, but I really haven't had the time to go and search for her. I was too busy finding you, and trying to keep the team one step ahead of Troy...and, I guess, Paul. Though I'm still not convinced the two are working together."

Gave cleared his throat. "Don't forget, it was Paul who had the armed guards come and get us, and apparently it was Paul who was holding Audrina and Esa for the past month."

"True," said Samuel, nodding. "I knew something was up at that time, but I thought he was working a different angle. Maybe trying to show his team he could still be trusted."

A slow rumble somewhere outside of building caused the floor to shake. I tightened my grip on the table in front of me. Theo also walked towards the object that seemed to be affixed to the floor.

Samuel laughed. "Don't worry about that. It happens. The ground is a little unstable up here, but at least it's a place where we can prepare for the next fight. Paul shouldn't be able to find us up here. The cold messes with anyone being able to feel the energy emitted from our bodies."

"Now we just need to figure out a plan. Who do we go after first? Do we split up or stay together?" Audrina crossed her arms over her chest as her eyes slowly moved from each one of us while she waited for a response.

"We know there's something in 1965 that Luther keeps going to, but we haven't been able to find him," Theo said.

"Maybe we haven't been able to catch him because he's altered his genetic make-up and is no longer visible to the human eye," I said, thinking back to the invisible thing that had attacked me.

"If it is Luther who has been attacking us, then Troy has definitely done something to him. I didn't realize Troy had those skills. He's an astrophysicist, not a medical doctor," Theo responded. "Unless he is getting help from someone."

"He has to have help. Someone has been mapping Luther's genetic code and making changes. I assume it's so he can create the right type of soldier to travel and survive Merak. Think about it. Luther was able to push you down into the depths of the water." Samuel looked over at Audrina. "Theo's right. He's become strong. A lot stronger than he was before."

Audrina turned toward Gave. "But then you saw me. Esa and I had something similar happen to us a little while ago. We were able to read each other's minds."

Theo crossed to one of the couches and sat down. "Samuel and I had the same thing happen."

"Yeah, I'm not sure I want to read Theo's mind," Samuel said, looking over at me.

"I also don't want you to read my mind." Theo huffed.

"Do you all still have electricity in your bodies?" I asked.

"Yes," Samuel said, holding out his hand. A thin blue line of electricity danced in his palm. A wave of jealousy washed over me. I hadn't expected to feel that way, but why didn't Audrina and I still have electricity? It didn't seem fair.

"Well, I guess that makes me feel a little better." I tried not to let my voice show my true feelings. It was hard knowing that such a major change had happened to my body without my knowledge or consent.

"What are you trying to say, Esa?" Theo asked.

"Audrina and I no longer have any electricity." I held out my hand. It was empty. I then held out the other. In the past, this move would have connected two sources of electricity, but now, nothing happened. "Neither of us can feel it anymore. I don't know how to explain it, but my body feels different."

"Okay," Samuel said. "I know you guys are not going to like what I have to say, but I need to test all of us. That will have a big impact on how we set a plan in motion. Then we need to figure out a way to stop Troy and find out his connection with Paul. Finally, we search for my mother."

The rest of the team began to groan at Samuel's mention of needing to run more tests. We had been through so many lately. It seemed like someone was constantly wanting to run a test on one of us.

"Our mother," I responded dryly.

"Yes, our mother, Esa. Obviously, she's somewhere, and for some reason, she doesn't want to be found. Yet, she is making her presence known. There must be a reason she is suddenly coming out of hiding." Samuel turned back to the image. "Give me a little time to think. Can you all be back in my lab in one hour?"

"I don't think we should travel on the Jump Line right now," Audrina said. "It's too risky with Paul now being able to use it."

"I agree," Samuel said without taking his eyes off of the image. "Stay here, but relax for a bit. It will give me time to calibrate my equipment."

"That's fine by me. Besides, I want to check this place out," Theo said. "Where exactly are we right now?"

"Northern Quadrant," Samuel said. "We are on an island in the Arctic Ocean."

"I've never been up here. How cold does it actually get outside?" Theo asked.

"Too cold. Station One is built inside a cave, which provides it with some protection, but if you decide to leave, you will need to be properly dressed or you will freeze before you can make it back here," Audrina said. "Make sure to cover your face and eyes. The cold will sting after only a few seconds, but really your safest bet is just to stay in the cave."

"Got it. I think I can handle a simple recon mission. Esa, do you want to go with me?"

My voice caught in my throat. Had Theo really asked me if I wanted to go exploring with him? This was something different for him. Usually, they all went on missions and made me stay behind. "Uh, yes. That sounds interesting," I said, rubbing my hands together, trying to calm my nerves. "I did get to see some of the cave already. It's really cool, but Audrina's right: it's very cold."

Audrina threw two jackets to us, along with gloves and goggles. "Wear everything and don't attempt to take anything off. Got it? We need to have the entire team intact if we are going to carry off any sort of mission to find Troy, Luther...and Paul."

"Okay," I said as we both zipped up the coats. My jacket swallowed me, covering almost my entire body. Audrina then slid over a face cover and hat.

"Esa, I know we were just out in the cold, but trust me, you will need all of this if you plan to stay outside for more than a few minutes."

"Thank you. We will be back before the hour is up," Theo said.

I looked back at the fire pit. It seemed so enticing to stay inside the warm little structure, instead of going back outside into the freezing cold.

Theo pulled open the door and a piece of ice fell at our feet. We briefly glanced at one another before stepping outside. The door closed swiftly behind us.

"Audrina and I came from that direction earlier," my voice echoed throughout the space as I pointed back toward the blue pond. Theo walked ahead of me. It was quiet, except for the sound of the wind rushing down some of the narrow walkways. After several seconds, we came to the water.

"I think we should walk around on the ledge and check out the other side," I said, pointing to the path that led around the beautiful blue pond.

"Let's go." Theo grabbed my hand. "I don't want to stand in one place for too long for fear we might freeze."

His statement made me laugh.

Theo turned back toward me. "Don't you think something is off about this place? It just seems weird that we were never told about it. How long have Samuel and Audrina been coming here?"

"She said it's been a while and that they didn't want to tell anyone on the team because they didn't know who they could trust."

"Why this place? Did she tell you that?"

"She only told me that the cold made it harder for anyone to track us. Just like Samuel said a few minutes ago. I'm assuming my mother played a bigger role, but I don't know the specifics."

"I'd sure like to know more," Theo responded.

I pulled him back. "What's going on?"

"I don't know who to trust anymore. Every time I turn around the story changes. All I know is that someone is hunting us and wants us dead, and Troy has much bigger plans that don't include this planet, and now I'm learning that Paul and Troy may be working together."

"Do you think he would intentionally cause more destruction to the planet just to get back at us?"

"I wouldn't put it past him, but really, what does it matter? In a few more weeks, the normals will no longer be able to breathe the air."

Theo slowly made his way around the narrow path that wrapped encircled the blue pool. Large icicles jutted from different areas of the low ceiling.

Just as we rounded the narrow bend, Theo's boot hit a slick patch of ice. "Esa! Watch out!" Theo said, grabbing for one of the rocks. He continued to fall backward despite my attempts to grasp his jacket.

"Theo, grab on!" I yelled, thrusting my hand toward him.

"I'm trying! I'm trying!" His arms were flailing above his head. The large pool of water loomed below him.

"Theo, you've got to take my hand or you're going to fall in!" I held onto a large rock with one hand and frantically swung out my other arm in hopes that Theo would be able to grab onto it.

Theo lunged forward, but just as our fingers brushed, he tipped backward into the water, making a large splash.

"Theo! Theo!" I yelled. "Theo! Oh my God, Theo can you hear me?"

My voice echoed through the cave. The clear blue water suddenly became active, with large spouts of water jumping out of the pool. Theo disappeared somewhere farther down.

"Theo!" I yelled again. I stayed glued in place, scanning the water for any sign of his body as Samuel, Gave and Audrina ran toward me.

"What happened?" Samuel asked, looking from me to the pool.

I shook my head, stunned. "Theo fell. He fell into the water," I said, pointing to the area where I had seen his body. The water had calmed again and looked perfectly still. It was almost eerie how quickly the water had returned to being calm.

Samuel leaned over the edge. "Are you sure? I don't see anything."

"Yes, I'm sure. I was just with him and then he slipped on an icy patch and fell in. He has to be down there somewhere. It was as if the water came alive and swallowed him up."

Audrina peered into the pool. "It doesn't look like anything has fallen into the water in the past few seconds. Look, Esa, it's as still as glass."

I stared at the pool and then scanned the rocky perimeter. "Then he's in here somewhere. We have to find him." I said, getting up and walking farther down the pathway, my eyes never leaving the water. "He has to be here," I whispered, hoping that Theo could hear me. He needed to know, I would not leave him.