25 – Setback

  Addie sighed, trying not to let her dad’s questioning get under her skin. “I know, I know. It’s not like I’ve been trying to keep you out of the loop. We’ve just had a lot going on, and you and I haven’t been running into each other. You’ve been busy, too.”

  He leaned back, resting one hand on his belly as he regarded her over the little breakfast table. He’d caught her heading out—called after her from the catwalk and invited her for breakfast. She’d tried to beg off, but then the guilt-trips had begun: It’s Saturday! We haven’t had a good talk in a while, sweetie! I made pancakes!

  Exhaling heavily through his nose, he said, “You’re right; I have been busy, and I know things have been a little hard on you, what with Tony leaving and all. I—”

  “Dad, he didn’t leave!” Addie groaned, scooting her chair back. “I really need to get going. My friend is going to meet me.” She gestured to her plate, nothing but crumbs and syrup left of her meal. “The pancakes were a nice treat.”

  He mimicked her earlier sigh, folding his arms over his chest. “Will you just give me a heads-up before you take off again? I mean, out of the district?”

  “Yes. I promise. Want me to pick anything up on my way? I’ll be passing by the old neighborhood.”

  “Actually,” he said, pushing himself up, leaning heavily on the table, testing its thin aluminum frame, “I have a package I’d love you to drop by Rene’s place.”

  “Oh yeah?” Addie wriggled her eyebrows suggestively.

  “Stop that now. It’s just an upgrade for one of her messenger bikes. She’s trying out a new motor brand.”

  “Any particular message you’d like me to deliver along with it—”

  “Ah, cut it out! Come on, I’ll put it in the van for you.”

  Smiling, Addie followed him out of his little apartment and down into the warehouse. He picked up a nondescript box that she was sure she could have carried just fine and loaded it into the back of the van while she watched. All the while, he hemmed and hawed, clearly trying to figure out how best to broach a topic. As he straightened up, rubbing his back, Addie finally relented and said, “Out with it. What are you trying to ask me?”

  “I just wanted to know if you’ve heard from him. Tony, I mean. Do you know when—”

  “Not yet, Dad.” Addie sighed, relenting a little, realizing that he wasn’t just being a dad, but also a person who cared about her—a person who liked Tony and was likely worried. “Listen, I hear from him all the time, though. It’s just that the job he took is kind of open-ended, and there are some things he has to get done before the contract is complete.” She stepped close and slid her arms under his, squeezing tight against his big belly. “Don’t worry, okay?”

  “I try not to, honey, but you know how I am.” He grunted, crushing her against him with his big arms, lifting her off her feet. It was the best place in the world, and Addie would have stayed there all day if she hadn’t had the voice in the back of her mind, bugging her about not missing her appointment with Pyroshi. She pushed against him until he relented and let go.

  “Thank you, Daddy,” she said softly. “You know, I act annoyed when you’re questioning me, but the truth is, I love that you’re here. I love that I can rely on that.”

  He made an inarticulate mumble, cleared his throat, and looked toward the bay door controls, avoiding eye contact. “I’ll open up for you. You got your coat?”

  “Yep, in the van.”

  He nodded, shuffling over to the panel. “See you later, then. Want me to get anything special for lunch…dinner?”

  “Probably dinner, and no, how about I bring something home for us?”

  “Now you’re talking, kiddo. See you then.” He punched the button, and the big door began to rattle as it lifted, allowing a gust of frigid air in to tickle Addie’s bare arms. She climbed into the van and watched as the slush-covered parking lot and the gray sky were revealed meter by meter. When the door was done moving, she touched the accelerator and drove the van out of the parking lot and onto the slushy, post-storm streets of the Blast.

  “JJ, have the van drive us to Aurora Park.”

  While the van made its plodding way through the slow traffic in the district, Addie reviewed her message from Pyroshi, exhaling softly as she read the last line: I’ll be around all day, just message me when you get to the park. For some reason, she’d gotten it into her head that he’d wanted to meet before noon, and it was already half-past eleven. “Anything from Glitch?”

  JJ replied by displaying her unread messages, highlighting one from Glitch. Addie stared at it until it opened.

  Yo, Ads. Good news: I got a deal on the immersion rig I’m going to need. Between it and the software I want, it’s the cheaper part—112k—but the better news is that I’ve been collecting and writing my own software for years. I just need a few daemons specific to the target, and if it’s a multinational, like you said, that’s going to run us six figures. Anyway, the last stuff I couldn’t trade has a few nibbles. I’ll keep you posted.

  It was hard for Addie to wrap her head around how software could be so expensive, but she figured it was kind of like buying custom PAIs—the really elite ones that were like true AIs with their teeth pulled for safety. In any case, with all the trades Glitch was making, they had what they needed and then some. Hopefully, they’d even have enough left over to get Beef some kit, though Addie wasn’t sure he’d even have a role when all was said and done. “Maybe just guarding Glitch.”

  JJ knew better than to assume she was speaking to him, so they rode in silence for a while longer, and Addie pulled up her Dust report:

  Dust Purity: Impure – 1.73 LIR

  Dust Capacity: 4711/5000

  Gain Rate: 21 units per 60 seconds

  Current Dust-tech Drain: 0

  Did she need anything else for herself? According to Tony, she was already operating at a level where most tier-2 crews would be happy to have her. Of course, that was all thanks to her Dust abilities—nothing special she’d done. Still, it was nice to know that she could focus on what Glitch needed. Running her fingers along the cracked plastic steering wheel, another thought occurred to her: the van could use some upgrades.

  Of course, there was also Humpty, but finding someone with the know-how to work on him in that regard would be just as big a challenge as the expense. Maybe Glitch would have more luck cracking his AI when she got her new gear…

  Her thoughts drifted off as she allowed herself to be mesmerized by infrequent flurries of snowflakes stirred up by vehicles passing by here and there. Most of the snow in the Blast had been scooped up by plows, driven into big, ugly gray drifts, but there were still some soft white blankets covering sidewalks or parked cars. It was a big enough change from the norm that Addie found herself staring, remembering the other infrequent times there’d been a good snowfall in the district.

  She got so deep in those thoughts that it surprised her when the van pulled into a parking spot. The lot was half empty—something unheard of at Aurora Park on a Saturday, but then, Addie didn’t suppose many people had outdoor plans in that kind of weather. She climbed out of the van, dragging her coat off the passenger seat, then took a minute to pull it on and zip it up to her chin. Hands stuffed in her pockets, she meandered toward the memorial.

  To her surprise, the food trucks were doing a brisk business. She could smell hot dogs and coffee and something else—pizza, she thought. In the sparse crowds, she found Pyroshi right away. He wore a long black overcoat and a heavy gray scarf and stood alone, staring off toward the NGT building. As she approached, Addie called out, “Hey, Pyroshi.”

  He turned, smiling with his eyes. He looked different with the coat and scarf on—less the relaxed guru and more of a…businessman. “Ember! Perhaps we should have arranged a new meeting place!”

  “Were you waiting long? I thought I was supposed to call you when I got here.”

  “Oh, that was our plan, never fear. I was bored and thought a brisk walk would do me some good.” He shrugged, hands still in his pockets.

  The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

  Addie gestured to one of the concrete benches nearby. “Sit down with me for a few?”

  He shook his head. “I tried that—those benches are cold. Let’s walk, shall we?” He nodded toward one of the walking paths.

  “Yeah, heh. I didn’t think of that.” Addie chuckled, following him, and soon they were walking briskly, their breath puffing out in little plumes. Her cheeks and nose grew numb immediately, but it felt good; the air was unusually crisp, and the sparse pedestrian traffic was a welcome reprieve. More than that, the grassy areas, trees, and courts were all covered with white snow; it was like a different city. “It’s actually kind of beautiful today.”

  “It is! A shame most of the residents of the Blast won’t venture out, thinking everything in the city will be as dull and dreary as the streets outside their stacks.”

  “I’ll put a story up about this—an edited vid. Don’t worry, I’ll be sure you aren’t in it.”

  “I appreciate that.” After a few seconds, when they reached a stretch on the path without anyone else nearby, he said, “So… you said there was something weird going on that you wanted to talk about?”

  Addie huffed a short laugh, shaking her head. “Yeah, I guess I was a little vague, huh?” He tilted his head, but didn’t say more, waiting for her to elaborate. “Well, it’s when I fade; I started to hear things—see things. Movement out of the corner of my eye—that kind of thing. I was doing a job and needed to fade a few times in the same night, and each time it got worse, then…” Addie trailed off, trying to find the right words.

  “I guess I’ll just say it as plainly as I can. Something chased me. Something attacked me.”

  “What? In the veil?”

  “Yes. It sounded… angry or scared, or maybe like it was in pain. Anyway, it was saying words. Of course, nothing recorded. JJ, my PAI, doesn’t see or hear things the same way I do in there, which is weird, considering I have implants.”

  “That’s something I’ve heard of. Tech doesn’t function in the veil the same as outside it, and I’ve never seen any sort of explanation that made much sense to me. Now, as you know, fading isn’t my strong suit. I can’t really do it at all. I’ve known a few sparks who could fade, but nothing like you. Not for as long, nor could they move as far in there. None of them ever mentioned anything like what you described, though.” He frowned, rubbing his chin.

  Addie could tell he was thinking, but she blurted, “I’m scared to go in there again, Pyroshi. I’m scared, but I feel like I have to. I mean, people are counting on me, and it’s the most important ability I have. It’s—”

  “Peace, Ember. Spiraling won’t get you anywhere. Before we delve into this…setback, let’s talk about what you just said. You’re more talented than any other spark I’ve ever met. You can do things I could only dream of. You manipulate Dust as energy almost effortlessly—fire or electricity, it doesn’t matter to you. More than that, you’re already learning to manipulate gravity, something—”

  “I am?”

  He laughed, shaking his head. “What do you think our little ‘hands-up’ trick is doing? You don’t imagine Dust is actually a lasso, do you?”

  “Huh? But I’m just grabbing a person’s wrists and—”

  “Hoisting them into the air? With what fulcrum? With what energy source? If you’re just going to say ‘Dust,’ yes, that’s right, but you know Dust on its own doesn’t move objects or people. No, you’re simply using Dust to manipulate gravity, much the way gravity drives on ships or expensive personal vehicles do. You’re tricking your brain into seeing it as a rope trick, but the Dust can feel your intention.”

  “So…” Addie’s mind jumped from one conclusion to another, and her tongue stayed stuck, unable to guess what she wanted to say.

  “So, there are a hundred things you can do with Dust right now that would make you invaluable to any sort of team or government or corporation. Don’t be discouraged if you’re facing a setback with your ability to fade.”

  Addie sniffed, suddenly feeling overwhelmed, but also grateful—more than she could find words to express. When they passed a coffee cart, she saw it as an escape hatch—a chance to catch her breath—and nodded toward it. “Let’s get something warm to drink.”

  “Sounds perfect,” he said, pulling his hands out of his pockets and rubbing them together. Considering his coat and scarf, she was surprised he didn’t have some fancy gloves, too. Addie followed him over to the cart, and he said, “It’s my turn to buy. What’s on your mind?”

  “Cocoa! I already had plenty of coffee today.” She paused, watching him step up to the window, and added, “Thanks.”

  He waved her off, giving his order to the cart attendant. Addie moved to the side, turning to look out over the white expanse of the park and the hazy towers in the distance. Briefly, she wondered what kind of people could afford apartments like that—right on the park. Then she realized that she and Tony probably could, considering how much money they’d made over the last couple of months. It was a weird realization, a total shift in her perspective.

  “Here you go, Ember,” Pyroshi said, offering her a steaming cup. She took it and held the little drink slit up to her nose, inhaling the chocolate-scented vapors.

  “Oh, that’s nice.”

  “So,” he said, taking a sip, “I was thinking of your story—about the thing in the veil.” He started walking, and Addie followed along, sipping her hot chocolate, soaking in the flavor and the little endorphin buzz from the sugar. “I heard a story back in the day, when I was relatively new to the game. It was about a spark—a powerful one. People said he could fade better than anyone, but he rarely did. They said that, instead, he used it like a weapon. He’d send people into the veil; some he’d leave there, and some he’d bring back, but they were raving lunatics.”

  Addie’s eyes shot wide. “What? You can send other people into the veil?”

  Pyroshi shrugged. “I wouldn’t know. I surely can’t. I would think it would work much like fading yourself: you build the pattern, but rather than putting it around yourself—”

  “You put it on someone else!”

  He nodded. “And feed it the requisite Dust.” He took a sip, and they walked without speaking for a little while, then he said, “It’s not the same thing you said happened to you, but if there are beings in the veil, isn’t it possible that they’re people who got trapped there? Even young sparks like yourself who were learning and didn’t know how to get out? Or—”

  “Or actual fades,” Addie said, nodding. “I thought of that, but if there are people like the guy in your story who are sending normal people there and leaving them…” She trailed off. “If…”

  Pyroshi watched her for a few moments, but when Addie shook her head, her words failing her, he said, “Likely, it’s a combination of things. There’s another possibility.”

  “What?” Addie held her cup to her cheek, savoring the warmth.

  “We know the lore behind the veil is that it’s the place between—worlds, dimensions, universes; we don’t know. The point is that if it is, then there must be another side. Who’s to say things aren’t getting in there from other places? Other—”

  “Worlds?” Addie’s eyes grew wide again.

  Pyroshi inhaled deeply, looking up into the gray sky as they walked. “You’re breathing very rare air, Ember.”

  “Hmm?”

  “There are only a handful of Dust empaths in all the Sol System who could boast of abilities like yours. Granted, there are probably a hundred times as many that we don’t know about—corporate assets, governmental agents and prisoners…test subjects. Still, against the whole of humanity, I’d say you’re quite special. It’s been my honor to have taught you what I could.”

  Addie didn’t know how to respond, so she tried to lighten the tone of the conversation, nudging him with her elbow. “Come on, Pyroshi. I’ve still got plenty to learn. Hey! I didn’t tell you about how your little lesson saved me.”

  He looked at her with an arched eyebrow. “Oh?”

  “Yeah, the Bruce Lee thing. My kick that I practiced ten thousand times.”

  Pyroshi chuckled. “Well, that’s not a surprise to me. So, what happened?”

  “A guy was trying to draw his gun on me, but I was faster—with my hands-up.”

  “I can picture it!” he said. “You’re already faster than I am with that one.”

  “Oh, hush. You’re faster, but I can lift people higher—” Addie almost dropped her cocoa as a realization hit her. “Hey! Is that because of the whole manipulating gravity thing?”

  “Exactly. See what I mean?” He stepped to the side and gestured to her, as though introducing her to an audience. “Talent!”

  They chatted for a while longer, and Pyroshi promised to look into her problem further, but basically, Addie left without any real answers. He suggested that if she had to fade, she make it as short as possible and give herself as much time between fades as possible. If there were things in the veil that could recognize or even track her, it was best to provide them with as little to go on as possible. Fading in disparate locations and with plenty of time in between would, in theory, help with that.

  Of course, the story about the spark who sent people into the veil gave Addie plenty of nightmare fuel. She couldn’t imagine how scared she’d be if she went into that place without a way out. She didn’t quite understand the mechanism of it. If she faded and ran out of Dust, she’d come back to the real world automatically—wouldn’t she? The truth was, she didn’t know, but according to Pyroshi and that story of his, people could be left there, and that was enough to scare Addie into never testing the theory.

  Those thoughts kept her occupied on her way home. She dropped off her dad’s package; Rene wasn’t in, so she left it at the desk with one of her employees. Then, in an effort to win points with her dad, she picked up pizza with his favorite toppings: artichokes, olives, and feta. Addie didn’t mind it, but to her, those just weren’t pizza flavors. Still, the van smelled good as she pulled into the little parking lot outside the warehouse.

  She was distracted and hungry, so it wasn’t a big surprise that she didn’t notice the other van parked on the street outside their fence. Still, she was a little irritated with herself when she grabbed the pizza and slid out onto the slushy pavement, only to come face to face with a familiar figure: a middle-aged man with a white goatee and a thick black visor—the guy who’d been watching her by Glitch’s place.

  She dropped the pizza box, and it fell, seemingly in slow motion, striking the pavement perfectly on one corner so the top popped open and the warm, steaming pizza flopped out, crumpling onto the pavement in front of the man’s feet. Addie didn’t watch, though; she’d yanked her needler out of her waistband holster and was pointing it at his face. “You’ve been following me!” she growled.

  “Easy, ma’am. I’m just a messenger.” He spoke with a rough, gravelly drawl, and he didn’t look the least bit intimidated by Addie’s gun in his face.

  “So? What’s the message? You ruined my dinner.”

  “Yeah, sorry about that. Guess I startled you, huh? Well, the message is that my employer wants a sit-down. Tonight.”

  “Huh. Is that right?” Addie wasn’t feeling particularly charitable. Her stomach gnawed at her as she glanced down at the forlorn pizza resting in the filthy gray slush. Images of her dad’s smile at seeing his favorite food dashed to pieces in her mind. “I’m not in the mood for a meeting.”

  “Well, ma’am, remember now, I’m just the messenger for this next bit.” He paused, but Addie didn’t respond. “Thing is, if you want to see your old man again, you’ll want to take this meeting.”