Aestus, Book 1: The City

Aestus, Book 1: The City | Chapter 10

Jossey looked at her safety gauge. 10:02 PM. Sunrise should be around 5:00 AM.

Seven more hours in the dark, most likely. Enough water for about four hours.

No one moved for a long moment.

Jossey made to get up, but found she could not.

She sank back to the ground, hand over her face. Perkins gruffly handed her his water canteen, and she drank from it gratefully. It wasn't quite as hot down here, but she'd calculated the water rations. They'd used some to treat the injured, and she'd used up all of her own after fighting the Onlar. Her burned hand was currently dipped in her ration.

Seven hours, she thought again. She looked up at Caspar, feeling dizzy.

Perkins exploded before anyone else could.

"You can't do that to an entire transport!" Perkins yelled. "Do you hear me? We're Citizens! We pay your wages!"

The tinny voice did not react. The box still glowed a faint green, which meant it was connected.

Caspar held up a hand.

Toward the box, he said calmly, "We do not have enough water, even without considering the Onlar. Do you understand me?"

The voice repeated, firmly, "The gates are closed."

Jossey tried again to get to her feet, tried not to drop the water container. Her hand was nearly screaming in pain.

"Our team leader is injured," Caspar said, seeing her trying to stand. He shook his head at her, frowning. "We cannot wait for rescue. Do you– "

"Again, I am sorry, but– "

The voice did not sound particularly sorry.

Caspar's face stilled. "Give me your superior," he said slowly.

His tone – Jossey looked up sharply at him. There was something about it, something she had not heard before.

As if he expected unquestioning obedience. His long silver eyes were narrowed.

She felt a sudden chill.

He started to type in a code.

"You have no override authority– " the box squawked.

"There is a Council family member in this crew," Caspar said coldly. "Maybe you are familiar with Ladislaus Sokol."

There was a pause. A slight crackle.

Then a different voice, crisper. "Solar crew 35? Your first name for our records?"

"Caspar."

Silence.

"I'm very sorry for the confusion. We can immediately send a transport retrieval team." The voice was crisp, polite. And afraid, Jossey thought.

She'd never considered her family connections to be important. Her father hadn't wanted anything to do with the Council, had just wanted to be an ordinary Engineer. She had always found it distasteful that being the niece of Ladislaus Sokol would get her special privileges, though Tark had had no such reservations.

She'd always mumbled her last name when called upon in Engineering school, had always ignored the glances and whispers, had made sure she'd earned her crew leader position.

But if this would save them, she was all for it.

"Engineer, please stay with the com box. And stay alert. There may be more Onlar. The retrieval team should arrive within thirty minutes."