Manipulate (Book 1, Alien Cadets)

Chapter 21

As they approached LAX, Sam saw the huge white cylinders that circled the air traffic control tower. They were lit from within, though the colors were faint in the daylight. Blue, purple, green, red, and blue again. The faint shading reminded him of Spo skin. The Spo seemed blatant in a lot of ways, but Sam was learning how subtle they could be.

Greg was talking into his phone, organizing the shuttles that would take him and the remaining cadets to the orbiting Spo space station. Most of the cadets had already gone up.

“I want Claudia to come with me,” Sam said.

Greg put his phone down. “No. She’s not one of the sample, she hasn’t been cleared to be at the trial.”

“I don’t care. She needs to be there. Call it intuition.”

Greg frowned. Sam knew Greg hated the human claim to intuition, but with their undeniable subconscious construct, he couldn’t deny it either.

“Her boyfriend should come too… Chris, right?” Sam asked them in the back seat.

“He’s not my boyfriend,” Claudia said. “I mean, not that it matters. Never mind. I do want him to come.”

“Well, that’s progress,” Chris said. “Would you believe I had to twist her arm to go out with me at all?”

“Be quiet,” Claudia said, but with a smile.

“Fine,” Greg said. “They come.”

At Terminal 3, which had been taken over by the Spo, and no longer housed Delta or United Airways, they piled out of the packed car. The second car pulled up behind, and Downy climbed out with General Gustav who they’d picked up in L.A. Downy pulled Shara roughly from the back, and Nebbie climbed out inches behind her, growling continuously.

“Cool it, Nebbie,” Sam said. “We don’t have long and we need her.”

“You’re right, you do need me!” Shara said. “Just don’t leave me alone with Downy. He threatened to kill me. He – ”

Downy hit her across the face with the back of his clawed hand. She slammed into the car, her face bounced off the door. Blood dripped from her lip, and a purple shadow appeared on her cheek.

Claudia gasped and turned her face away. Sam gasped too, surprised by Downy’s violence. He was usually so laid back.

“What is wrong with you?” Greg demanded. “There is no need for that.”

“She’s Rik,” Downy said. “I’m certain of it. There’s something about her that’s just – ”

“I don’t care if she’s the Rik overlord, we don’t have time,” Sam said. He gestured for Shara to precede him towards the gate.

He walked her briskly to Gate 12, where the last shuttle waited. Shara rubbed her neck gingerly.

It probably hurt, but Sam wasn’t feeling very compassionate. If Downy was right and she was Rik, then she’d probably passed Nat and Akemi to them. Worse, she’d killed Oh Li. She was despicable.

There were two cabins with separate seating areas on the shuttle. Sam put Shara in his own section, and Claudia, Greg and Downy. He needed Greg’s expertise and he hoped Claudia, as Shara’s (somewhat) friend, might be able to read her well. Downy, much to Sam’s surprise, would be good for intimidation.

He left Chris, Gustav, and Nebbie to take the front cabin with the pilot. He knew Chris couldn’t stand Nebbie, but he would cope.

As soon as they were strapped in, before the first boosters kicked in, Sam began questioning Shara.