Aurelia hadn't been completely honest when she said there was a plan. What she had was the beginnings of a plan and a list of people who might actually help her do something, but the longer she thought about it, the more suicidal it seemed.

"Earth?" asked Nicholas. "Really?"

Aurelia sighed. "Look, I can't think of anywhere else where we'll be safer."

"What about going out? We've already been there, and I have contacts."

She'd thought about that. As good an idea as it had seemed at first, the truth was she had no idea how long and hard Jonathon would look for Nicholas—or for her for that matter. Earth was as far from his reach as she could get.

"But surely the risks of actually getting to Earth are greater than the risks of being found if we just left the dome at Lunar?" said Nicholas, reasonably.

He was sitting cross-legged on the floor, idly toying with his empty coffee cup. Having slept for a solid twelve hours, he was looking a lot more like his normal self, and Aurelia smiled at the lock of hair hanging messily over his forehead.

"Possibly," she agreed. "On the other hand, the resistance apparently have plenty of contacts out as well, so the chances of us being found if they decide to look for us are pretty high."

It was Nicholas's turn to sigh. "So how do you plan on getting to Earth, then?"

"I'm not sure," Aurelia said carefully. "But I think I might know someone who can help. Someone not resistance. In fact, probably the people anyone would think of asking if they were looking for us."

Nicholas eyed her suspiciously. "Who?"

"Jonathon's sister," she replied.

***

It had taken a while to convince Nicholas that Tara was a safe bet. Eventually, Aurelia had to tell him everything, including about her fight with Jonathon. His eyes brightened a little at the information, but he had been appropriately sympathetic. By the time he'd agreed to meet the youngest Hansen, and Aurelia contacted Tara to arrange for her to come to their safe house, it was early evening.

"Wow," said Tara, looking around the tiny room. "Nice place you guys got here."

It had been agreed that Tara should know as little as possible about their true situation due to Nicholas's caution and partly because Aurelia didn't want to tell the girl about knowing her brother. As far as Tara knew, 'Nick and Aur' were a mixed clone/human couple, an idea that Aurelia got from Zak.

"Earth?" shrieked the purple-haired girl when she heard. "What are you? Crazy?"

"We're hoping you can help," said Aurelia, ignoring the question. "Or maybe you know someone who can."

Tara shook her head. "No dice. I know plenty of elite kids, a few dealers, but it's not like I spend my time hanging around with Workers who fly shuttles."

She sat on the edge of the narrow bed and bounced twice, testing its firmness. She was still looking curiously around the room.

"I told you she wouldn't help," Nicholas said to Aurelia.

"Hey, I didn't say I wouldn't—I said I couldn't." Tara pouted, paying attention now.

Inwardly, Aurelia grinned; she knew Nicholas had been provoking the girl.

"Let me think," Tara went on. She closed her eyes, and Aurelia winked at Nicholas.

"Why don't you just take the shuttle?" Tara asked after a few moments.

Aurelia shook her head. "Exactly how do you propose Nick and I do that? Just waltz up and hop aboard?"

A slow grin was spreading over Tara's face, and Aurelia suddenly saw her resemblance to her brother. "Yes and no," Tara said. "I propose a couple waltz on board but not Aur and Nick."

Okay, now she was talking in riddles. "Spit it out," Aurelia said sternly. "Enough playing around."

Tara jumped off the bed and paced, excited by the idea that had come to her. "Look, all you need is someone else's number. Someone who's booked on the shuttle. You give their number and take their flight, simple."

Nicholas snorted with laughter. "Right, simple," he said.

"No, listen to me. The best choice would be an elite pair because we have no waiting times for shuttles, and you don't want to hang around the bay waiting to get noticed, right? So I suggest I book myself and a yet-to-be-decided-upon male companion to take a flight down to Earth. Aurelia can use my number. Nicholas, you can use the number of whoever I persuade to book the flight with me. It is simple."

Aurelia immediately spotted the flaw in the plan. "You will then be registered as being on Earth, when in fact you'll be here."

"So?" said Tara, nearly jumping up and down with excitement now. "It doesn't matter to you; you'll already be down there. As for me, why should it matter? I'm here in Lunar and can prove I'm here; I can appear at any government office necessary to prove it. Besides, I'm a Hansen. Who's going to argue with me? Maybe it's a case of identity theft; why would anyone think any different? Guys, this is totally possible . . . I'm sure of it."

Nicholas shook his head doubtfully. "I'm not so sure. Just in case you haven't noticed, I'm a clone. There aren't a whole bunch of clone elites walking around, you know. In fact, there aren't any at all."

Now Tara sat down again on the bed. "People see what they want to see," she said.

"What do you mean?" asked Nicholas.

"Exactly what I said. You wear a uniform, have numbers on your wrists, look a certain way, and you're a clone. Dress you up in funky clothes, do something special with your hairdo, maybe add a little makeup, and you're Elite. Why would anyone look for a clone dressed as an elite? Makes no sense."

"I think she's right," said Aurelia. "As long as you're in the right apparel, no one's going to notice because they won't expect to see a clone up like a ruling classman."

"I am right. Trust me," said Tara. "I've been ruling class all my life, and no one ever questions us, especially Workers. You'll be fine."

"What are you getting out of this?" asked Nicholas, still suspicious.

Tara shrugged. "A bit of excitement in an otherwise boring life? Besides, Aurelia here will owe me a favor."

"Which will be tough to call in if I'm on Earth," said Aurelia.

"I'll figure something out." Tara smiled. "Should I get going and book my flight, then?"

Aurelia saw her into the corridor before coming back to Nicholas.

"I don't get why she's helping us," he said.

"To be honest, neither do I," confessed Aurelia. "But she's helped me before and proven trustworthy, so I see no reason not to trust her now. Anyway, we don't have much other choice, and I like her plan. Nice and simple."

"What exactly do you think we're going to do when we get down to Earth?"

Aurelia had been giving this a lot of thought. "We'll find somewhere to hide," she said.

"No crap," said Nicholas. "Like where exactly?"

Aurelia had been mulling Earth's island cities and the concept of out on the moon. "I think there might be settlements outside the cities down there," she said slowly. "Just like here on Lunar. There could be places that aren't under government control, places where people like us go."

Nicholas nodded. "I guess there could be."

"I'm sure there are."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Call it intuition."

"And you're willing to bet our lives on intuition?" he asked her.

"I have no choice."

That night, they slept together on the narrow single bed, fully clothed but needing the warmth of contact to calm their fears. Aurelia knew they were taking huge risks, but she just couldn't see another way. Maybe she was blinded by being too close to the situation. Perhaps Nicholas was right, and it was foolish to wager their lives on intuition. But somehow she was sure that there were settlements outside of Earth's cities. She remembered the stories her father had used to tell her when she was little, scary tales of the mutants and freaks that lived in the hinterlands. Those stories had scared her badly enough that she'd spent many nights in her parents' bed, her mother assuring that they were just fairy tales. But now, Aurelia wasn't so sure. They seemed awfully similar to the tales told in Lunar about out, the brigands and criminals who lurked there. Stories told to scare people away, to keep them inside.

And the thing was, although she knew there were risks, she was excited to leave behind everything that she'd ever known, motivated to leave her work that she loved. When she stopped to think about why she should be so excited, there was only one answer: She wanted freedom—the kind that meant not being known by a number. The kind of freedom where she worked through her own decisions instead of having them made for her. Yes, she was scared too, but she also felt . . . liberated? Was that the word?

Her heart ached for Jonathon. She knew her need for freedom was exactly what he was fighting for. However, she couldn't untangle the thought process behind being willing to sacrifice others for the greater good. If one life wasn't important, then how could thousands of lives be important? It made no sense to her. She knew he was not evil, despite what she was almost sure he'd done by turning in Nicholas; she knew Jonathon considered it a worthy sacrifice to keep his secrets. But she couldn't live with it. As much as she loved him—and as much as she supported his cause, she simply couldn't make herself believe that Nicholas should suffer. Maybe I'm naïve, she thought, being careful not to wake Nicholas when she turned in bed . Maybe I'm just not a politician. Whatever the reason, she knew she was doing the right thing now. Even if it hurt.

***

The room was cramped and beginning to smell. After three days in isolation, she and Nicholas were more on edge. Zak had taken the time to check on them, something Aurelia was grateful for; he hadn't needed to take that risk. He'd also brought a chess set with him, making her even more grateful. But the sitting and waiting was becoming unbearable. Tara had booked a shuttle flight, somehow persuading a friend of hers to book with her, yet the flight wasn't for another three days. Aurelia wasn't sure at this point if she was going to make it without going insane.

When the evening of the third day came, she'd had enough.

"I resign," she said, laying down her king. "I'm going for a walk."

"A walk? Seriously?"

Nicholas's military training made him much more suited to being confined and waiting. He seemed far less bothered than she did by enforced captivity.

"Relax. I'll only be a few minutes. I just need some fresh air; I can't stand it in here any longer."

She didn't wait to hear whether he agreed with her decision or not. Climbing the iron stairs towards the door, she already felt better. The air was cleaner, and she could take deep, filling breaths. Her chest still ached, but she was feeling almost back to normal. Pushing open the door, she carefully put a small stone in the jamb so she'd be able to get back inside. One walk around the building, she promised herself. Then she'd go back inside.

It was quite dark and as silent as the city ever got. Far away, she could hear the humming of transport pods and the soft, rhythmic beat of music playing. Here, she was almost alone with her thoughts. She found herself missing the solitude of out and not for the first time wondered if she was making the right decision. Her footsteps echoed through the streets, and she walked slowly, taking her time, thinking about all that lay ahead.

She came to the back of the building, an area even darker, although she could still make out the shape of the wall towering above her. For an instant, she hesitated, fearing the dark, before shrugging and walking on. A prickling started on the back of her neck, like icy fingers, and she quickened her step. For a moment. she thought she smelled something familiar, something sweet reminding her of something, and she walked even faster.

Breaking into a jog, she rounded the corner and was almost back at the front door; she could see a small glimmer of light where the door was still propped open. Thank Gods. Hurrying, she made it inside, kicking the stone away and pushing the door closed behind her, leaning back on it, breathing in gasps. Gods, she was an idiot. What could possibly be out there at this time of night? And yet she knew that feeling; she'd felt watched, felt like eyes were burning into the back of her neck. She really was going insane trapped down here.

Calming her breathing, Aurelia shook her head. The stress was really getting to her. She thought she had everything under control, but when she re-entered the small room, Nicholas looked at her, concerned.

"You're pale; what happened?"

He got up and put an arm around her.

"Nothing; it was stupid . . . that's all," she said, her voice muffled by his shoulder.

"Nothing? Nothing is nothing in Lunar. What happened?" he asked sternly.

"I just . . . I just felt like someone was watching me . . . but it really was nothing. There's no one out there. I'm sure of it."

Nicholas grunted. "Probably one of the neighbors looking from a window," he said. "Shall I make you some coffee?"

She nodded. "Please."

"No more walks?" He handed her a hot cup.

"No more walks," she agreed, taking it.