The Lifeline Signal Read online

  “And you’ve brought some very important friends with you, I see.” She cleared her throat and stepped away then, clasping her lace-gloved hands in front of her, using the motion to recover her composure. Her eyes were as bright and animated as her twin’s in their own way—or were—until she seemed to make a concerted effort to control her expressions. Her joy at Indra’s sudden appearance had interrupted her poker-face, but it came back easily enough. “Anh Minh, I presume?”

  “That’s right. Annie’s fine,” she said with an incline of her head. She still wore her helmet, but now that they were inside and away from the noise and crowd of the street, she seemed more comfortable. There was an intensity in her voice that came through loud and clear, a rare eagerness that caught Shiloh’s attention as much as anything else in a new city. “Our mutual acquaintance, Kari, said if I ran into trouble, you’re the one to call.”

  “Yes—and I do hope she’s doing all right,” Lakshanya said, a note of concern entering her voice. “I know everyone’s a bit… short-staffed, as of late. And you’re another mutual acquaintance?” She turned to Shiloh with a significant look and raised eyebrows.

  “Shiloh. Nice to meet you.” Shiloh gave her a sincere smile in contrast to Annie’s guardedness. Xie meant it as well; there was just something wonderful about Indra having a twin sister who clearly loved him. Xie weighed the possibility of using Maureen’s name and Radiance connection for about a second before dismissing the thought. That information was too sensitive and important in several ways to go waving around. At least until xie knew a lot more about what she knew.

  “Great, so we know who everybody is,” Indra stammered, still looking around as if expecting to be burst in on and attacked any moment. He shot Shiloh a glance that was probably supposed to be subtle. “But no last names. Because they don’t…have them.”

  “That’s reasonable.” His twin was a great deal more calm and unruffled. “Most of my contacts don’t. Much safer that way. In any case, thank you for taking care of Indra. I must say, I’m quite curious to know how my brother got mixed up in your… exciting business.”

  “Some days, so am I,” Indra muttered.

  “I’m sure you’ve got some stories.”

  “You could say that.” Annie nodded. She swallowed as if her throat was suddenly dry, but didn’t break her focus. “But probably not very fun ones.”

  “If there’s anything I can do to help, say the word.” Lakshanya met her eyes with a sharp, yet sincere look. “I can’t tell you how much I regret hearing about… your difficulties this trip.”

  “Just the shield,” Annie said in a flat voice, gaze dropping to the floor. “We really need to keep moving.”

  “Then please, step into my office.”

  “You have an office now?” Indra gasped in mock surprise. “Moving up in the world.”

  “Yes, quite literally,” she said, throwing him a deadpan glance. “It’s upstairs. I have a small presentation planned in a few minutes, which you’re welcome to join.” She cast Indra a pointed glance and raised her carefully shaded eyebrows.

  He clearly didn’t get whatever she was trying to communicate, because he just raised his eyebrows in return, as well as his shoulders in a shrug. She rolled her eyes, and just started walking.

  “Are you sure?” Shiloh frowned slightly. “We don’t want to interrupt anything. We can wait; let you have some catching up time.”

  Lakshanya hesitated; she looked like she wanted very much to say something, but couldn’t find the words. Finally, she smiled again. “Please. Today is an important one—it should be shared.”

  * ☆ *

  Lakshanya led them through the high-ceilinged glass foyer. Every wall seemed to be made of glass, transparent or frosted, with high, bright lights reflected and magnified by planes of glass and white and amber accents, gold and brass, warm yellows and red woods. Even the staircase they ascended was made of glass. The building inside radiated daylight, sunshine, warmth. Shiloh wished for darker shades.

  Indra and Lakshanya kept their eyes on each other as they walked, seeming to hold a silent conversation. Or at least trying. By the time they reached the top of the stairs, Indra looked confused, as if she’d ‘said’ something strange. Shaking her head, Lakshanya pushed open a door, and led the small group into her private office. Now she dimmed the lights, heavy curtains already drawn over the window. Instead of the modern, high-gloss metal-and-glass theme of the outside building, Lakshanya’s office seemed to match her classic Victorian Gothic style.

  “Here,” she said, unlocking and opening a lower desk drawer and pulling out what looked like a tiny CD. Shiloh had to smile; xir mother’s nostalgic aesthetic was immediate recognizable. “One state-of-the-art portable shield generator, guaranteed to hold up against all but the most deadly airborne poisons.”

  “How about bullets?” Annie asked, tone as grim as the subject.

  “It’s new and improved, yes,” Lakshanya nodded, clearly proud of the little device. “Should deflect just about anything, even at point-blank range.”

  “I’m not worried about point-blank range.”

  “Long-range is even easier. Shock gets absorbed and redistributed and the integrated force actually gives the shield strength a temporary boost. Saves lives by design.”

  “Thank you.” Annie took the round disc, giving a slow nod. “We’ll put it to good use.”

  “One more thing.” Lakshanya took another small object out of her desk drawer: a small, ordinary flash drive. “Please make sure this gets to the FireRunner safely. It contains a message of great importance.”

  “Who’s this message from?” Annie stared at the offered drive with mixed curiosity and slight unease.

  “A confidential informant,” Lakshanya said readily. “I can’t say anything more. Just that its contents should prove quite interesting to whoever properly decrypts it.”

  Annie stuck the shield generator into a pocket where it was hidden completely, then handed the flash drive to Shiloh. “Here. No sense in keeping all the important things together. Thanks,” she said with a nod to Lakshanya.

  “You’re quite welcome,” Lakshanya said, turning back to Indra. “Now, our parents should be here in a few—”

  “Our what?” Indra yelped.

  “Shut your mouth.” She gave him an exasperated look. “You knew I was planning this. I told you I had a special project I was working on and that I was going to reveal it today.”

  “Well, yeah, but how was I supposed to know—”

  “Because you were invited, along with our parents.” Now she looked disappointed. “I thought you’d come back specifically today, just to see it! And them! And you brought friends!”

  “Shanni, please,” Indra said, a note of desperation creeping into his voice. “Does that sound like something I’d do? On purpose? Ever?”

  She opened her mouth and shut it again. Then she threw up her hands. “They’re already on their way. It’s not my fault you just happen to drop back in on the very day of—”

  “All right! All right, fine!” Indra held up his own hands. Suddenly the twins were exasperated mirror images of each other.

  “Are you sure you want us here for—?” Shiloh started, having no desire to intrude on a family moment and an increasing desire to leave before anything got awkward.

  “Nope! Nobody move.” Indra spun around to point at xir, then Annie.

  “Are you and your parents…not doing great?” Annie asked slowly.

  “It’s not that,” Indra sighed. “They’re good people. I just…really wasn’t expecting this. I need a while to prepare. Emotionally.”

  “You have about four minutes.” Lakshanya nodded at a small, ornate clock on her desk.

  “Oh. Great.” Indra looked at it too, then turned his attention to a candy-filled bowl beside it. He took one plastic-wrapped piece, then an entire handful. “I’ll just be preparing over here.”

  “Is there anything we should know before they get here?�
�� Annie prodded, eyes flicking from Indra to Lakshanya and back again.

  “Don’t talk about Parole,” Indra advised around a mouthful of candy. “Just don’t.”

  “Of course not.” Anxiety tainted Lakshanya’s little laugh, like a performer’s before the curtain rose above the stage. “My project is a great deal bigger than one city.”

  “What exactly is your project?” Annie looked back at her quickly, instantly on alert.

  “Nothing less than—”

  “Shanni! Hello, darling!” A knock accompanied the woman’s voice, both from right outside the door.

  “Hello! It’s open!” Lakshanya called, shooting Indra a nervous grin. “There’s someone here I think you’ll want to see!”

  Indra dropped the remainder of the candy back into the bowl and wiped his mouth, swallowing fast and coughing as the office door swung open.

  It was easy to see where Indra had gotten his smile. The tall, long-limbed Indian woman who strode through the door wore one very much like his, but instead of flashing bright and quick before melting into a smirk, hers stayed where it was. She wore a deep magenta, modern salwar kameez suit with a lovely, long scarf around her shoulders woven through with intricate patterns of gold. Her black hair shone in a thick, ornate braid that hung down her back. She stood studiedly tall and composed, every motion projecting poise and strength. She radiated confidence, and in her large, dark eyes that resembled Lakshanya’s, a swift, perceptive intelligence. And something about her was familiar to Shiloh besides the family resemblance. Like the feeling of Déjà vu when xie’d first met Indra and Annie, xie was certain xie’d seen her before—but not in a dream.

  The man beside her had a salt and pepper beard and seemed content to let her command the spotlight. Once he may have been handsome and robust, but long years of fatigue and clear sorrow had worn deep lines into his face. His hair was slightly untamed, his shoulders rounded in a slouch as he stood somewhat caved into himself.

  Both of them automatically looked to Lakshanya’s desk when they entered, as if accustomed to finding her sitting there, but they soon saw she was not the only one in the room.

  “Indra!” they exclaimed together, faces shifting into matching expressions of shock—and then joy. The woman immediately rushed forward, arms flying open, and Indra stepped forward, falling into the hug with a grateful sigh. “How did—where have you—are you all right?”

  Indra shut his eyes and wrapped his arms around her in return, shoulders dropping slowly. His every movement was slower now, in a stark contrast to his brittle tension from before. For the first time, he seemed fully relaxed instead of studiedly cool. Relaxed, relieved, and exhausted. “Better now.”

  His mother held him at arm’s length, looking him over with palpable relief and brushing the hair from his face. “You look…good.”

  “So do you,” Indra said after a moment, seeming to notice her outfit’s vibrant colors for the first time with slight surprise. “Like seriously.”

  “A special occasion is an invitation to indulge.” She shrugged, still smiling and staring at him as if he were a dream that may disappear at any moment. Now Shiloh realized where xie’d seen her before: on television public safety announcements, assurances that Tartarus was being carefully monitored; reminders to be vigilant and report new sightings to local volunteers. “And now even more so.”

  “Son.” Her husband had come up behind them and placed a hand on Indra’s shoulder, pulling him into a much slower embrace. He moved like someone laboring under bone-deep fatigue, or pain, and Indra returned the hug gently. “You are safe. I can breathe again.”

  “Yeah,” Indra sighed, dropping his head to rest his chin on his father’s shoulder. “Hope you weren’t holding it. Dad, I’m not here to stay, I just—”

  “Not now. You are here safe and sound. Forget everything else for a little while.” The older man’s kind eyes flicked to Shiloh and Annie. “And you brought friends.”

  “Ah! The more the merrier. Splendid.” Now that Indra’s mother was over her initial shock at seeing him, her energy changed again. Now her bright smile held the same magnetic charm that Indra had in so many spades. Maybe it was a family gift, or a shared skill, but Indra had it and so did she. And now that she was composed again, it was back, turning the room’s energy into one of excitement and engaging electricity. And something else—an air of authority. This might have been Lakshanya’s office, but Radiance was hers.

  She crossed the room with long strides and immediately shook Annie and Shiloh’s hands in both of hers. “Welcome to Radiance. I am Rishika Chandrasekhar, and this is my husband Bhanu, and daughter Lakshanya, whom it appears you’ve met. I must thank you, so very much for bringing our Indra back to us safely. I can’t say how worried we’ve been.”

  Annie said nothing. She simply stared at both of them, face entirely blank.

  “Shiloh,” xie said just before the silence would have become awkward. “And you’re welcome. For bringing Indra home, glad to do it. Not that we want to get rid of him,” Shiloh amended, feeling painfully awkward and out of place in the expensive building with the beautiful family. “He’s been awesome. We just met not that long ago, but he’s—just really great. Seriously, amazing. Uh, the first time we met, we were attacked by one of those—those things that come out of the Tartarus Zone?”

  “A ghost?” Rishika’s eyebrows shot up as a look of concern flashed onto her face.

  “Yeah—we’re fine! Because Indra distracted it, he threw a rock at it!” Shiloh laughed, nervous. Why had xie said this? Why couldn’t xie stop talking? “He gave us time to get away—anyway it was the bravest thing I’ve ever seen, he probably saved our lives. That’s all.”

  “Thanks, Shiloh,” Indra mumbled, looking at the floor but smiling, a slight red tinge in his cheeks. But it wasn’t his ordinary flashy grin, or even the softer, genuine one Shiloh had caught a glimpse of and liked. It looked like it hurt. All of his body language screamed pain, ever since they’d walked in the door.

  “That’s wonderful,” Bhanu said quietly. He had a soft voice and a face that looked like it would have been much more at home smiling. But all his gentleness was accompanied by a heavy sadness, the kind acquired over many painful years. “Bravery clearly runs in the family. I’m proud of you. And so glad to see you home.”

  “Thanks,” Indra whispered. Oddly, he looked like he was about to cry, and not from happiness from his father’s praise. “I’m—yeah.”

  “We…weren’t expecting anyone but the family when Shanni called us here tonight,” Bhanu continued, eyes lifting to take in the unexpected guests. “But you are most welcome. Perhaps it will make a good change.”

  “Yes, always.” Rishika exchanged the same kind of glance with her husband that Indra had shared with Lakshanya—instant conversations to which no one else was invited. “We’ve certainly had enough staff and reporters to last us a lifetime. Surely we can open our doors to our son and his two young friends. If we’re about to see what I suspect…”

  “I’m actually glad they’re here,” Lakshanya said. She smiled and took a deep breath as if to center herself as she crossed the room to the table with the white cloth. “They can spread the good news, give people some comfort and hope. And I must say, I do love an audience.”

  “Who doesn’t?” Indra grinned, seeming somewhat recovered and actually curious.

  “Distinguished guests,” Lakshanya picked up one corner and looked up at everyone with an almost mischievous smile as they gathered to watch the show. She cleared her throat, and spoke the next words with deliberation and drama. “I give you…”

  She snapped her wrist and pulled back the white cloth in a grand gesture, revealing her secret with a whoosh, and took a small bow. When she straightened up, she was still smiling, looking nervous and proud and pleading all at once.

  “Is this what I think it is?” Bhanu’s gentle brown eyes lit up when he saw what was beneath the sheet, and the terrible heaviness from long
years of sadness seemed to lift.

  “We finalized the plans last week,” Lakshanya said, as if she could barely believe it herself. “The model might be a bit premature, but you know me…I like to get a jump on things.”

  It was a model of the Tartarus Zone, showing the toxic area with its bleached-white land giving way to a 3D holographic projection of the poison storms swirling in the center. In a ring surrounding the worst of the contagion and its constant storms stood the ten major beacons—enlarged far beyond scale, for demonstration. White lights on the tops of the lighthouse-like towers gave off a soft glow.

  “For the past years, this has served us passably well,” Lakshanya began, gesturing to the familiar arrangement. “Thanks to Maureen Cole’s brilliance and our dedicated Radiance staff, we’ve kept Tartarus fallout from spreading any further than its concentration in Nebraska and outer edges expanding in its…” she paused, considering. “Approximate circular expanse from mid-South Dakota to Utah, to northern Texas, to Illinois.”

  “That’s a pretty big ‘approximate,’” Annie observed. “You really don’t have any more specifics on this thing’s actual borders?”

  “The only predictable thing about Tartarus is unpredictability,” Rishika said without looking up, her probing gaze locked on the model. “The contagion flares at random. Completely unaffected areas reach epidemic levels of toxicity overnight. Then the contaminated land recedes just as quickly. Absolutely no rhyme or reason.”

  “No, but if anyone can find one, it’s my mother and Maureen Cole,” Lakshanya said with a nod. “Their work has allowed us to slow the spread and develop some protective measures. Otherwise it would have eaten up the entire country—maybe the entire continent—like a hungry wildfire. But is this really good enough?”

  “Certainly not,” Rishika replied, studying the arrangement with a scrutinizing gaze very reminiscent of her daughter’s. “Nothing will be good enough until Tartarus is neutralized and no longer a danger.”