We’ve gotten as much from the new data store as we can, so it’s time to start planning for tomorrow’s departure. “Cor, if you’re going to send up red flags in Morgan domes, then you’re not coming on this next outing with us,” I tell her. Arx is in one of those domes, and we need to go in to rescue them.
Hypercor clenches her jaw for a moment, but then gives a swift nod. “You’re right. I gotta learn to hack this better first,” she says, still smarting from her defeat at the hands of a mere credit chit.
“Takuto’s coming. The cryopods are on the way to the domes, and after we get what we need there, we can save Arx,” I continue.
Cleve sucks in a pensive breath. “Rover only seats four,” he observes.
“We have to save a spot for Arx,” Takuto says.
I nod. When I originally had the idea to go after my cryopod data, I thought Marina might come along, since she best understands what information we need from it. But given this change of priorities, we’ll make do without her. “We need all the data from my cryopod then, since we won’t have a doctor along to curate it. I’ll just yank the modular hard drive.” I usher Takuto out of the room with me and Cleve follows, brow furrowed.
“So when do we leave?” Takuto asks.
“What is your skill set?” Cleve counters.
“I’m pretty good with computers,” Takuto answers, holding up his tablet.
“Always something we need,” I say, throwing in my support.
“Well, it has to be if you’re taking up a spot in the rover. No offense, but we don’t have a lot of room.”
“I don’t take up a lot of space,” the skinny teen says.
“You take up one seat,” Cleve points out.
“For getting Arx to come with us, we’ll need Takuto. He’s known to them, whereas we’re complete strangers,” I argue.
“I’m just saying, if we want maximum success, we need people with the right skills. And we only have four spots.”
“And I’m saying that being known to Arx is an important skill for rescuing Arx. A traumatized person seeing somebody who they know and trust—”
“Now we only have three spots if we’re bringing Arx back,” Cleve complains.
“That’s fine,” I say, beginning to lose patience with the argument. We need two things: my medical data and Arx. What is the problem here?
“I’m a good shot, and I own a pistol,” Takuto tells Cleve.
“You know how to use a gun? At least that’s something,” Cleve says, but clearly he’s still not sold. “But going into a dome… We should be bringing someone who’s been in one! I don’t know how to get anywhere in one. And neither do either of you.”
“Look, I don’t remember growing up in a dome, but I still know a lot about them,” Takuto argues. “I’ve spent most of my life here; I’ve talked with the people who have come in. I know what to expect there. Arx lived in a dome up until a few years ago. They’ve told me all about it. They shared all the awful things that happened to them, all the awful ways they and their family were exploited by all the businesses there.” Takuto makes a disgusted face and throws up air quotes. “‘Businesses,’ so to speak. Basically slavers, right?”
“But you’re sick,” Cleve objects.
“No, I’m feeling better!” Takuto shoots back. It’s true that last time Cleve saw Takuto, the teen was in the clinic. And sure, he’s thin and he doesn’t have much muscle on him, but he’s clearly doing better now than he was then. “I have to get Arx,” he insists.
“Chloe, I don’t know if she’d say yes or not, but she knows how to handle a gun, she’s been in a dome—”
“Having a personal stake here is relevant,” I argue. “Chloe’s got no personal stake for going into that dome and doing anything. She was all too happy to leave that dome behind and come here, and she hasn’t been back since.”
Cleve still looks unhappy, but he tells Takuto, “We need a broad array of skills to succeed at this mission, and youth is not on your side for that.”
That weak argument galls me. Sixteen is plenty old enough to know how the world works, to hold down a job, to study for a GED, and to run a side hustle, all at the same time. I would think that Cleve, having grown up on a farm where the whole family contributes, would know what teenagers are capable of. Takuto doesn’t need me jumping to his defense, though. He handles it on his own. Despite being only sixteen.
“I know my way around a computer, all right? I’ve spent most of my life here in Data Haven. I’m not as good as Roze, of course, but I think I’m one of the most studied hackers here,” Takuto says.
Cleve lays out his ultimatum. “If one of the medical staff will attest to your health for this—’cause last time I saw you, you were laid up pretty bad—and if Roze will vouch for your computer skills, I’m okay with it.”
“All right,” Takuto says, pulling his tablet out from under his arm. He taps away on it one-handed for a moment and then steps down the corridor and bangs on Roze’s door.
Roze throws it open. They’re still seated on their rolling chair and seem annoyed to be called away from their keyboard. “Yeah, yeah, yeah, he’s a good kid, okay?” they tell Cleve, adding with a whine, “C’mon, I’m in the middle of something.” They glance back at where they’d rather be. “What?! Core dump?”
“Would you take him into a dome with you?” Cleve asks, enunciating each word clearly to break through Roze’s distraction.
“I don’t want to take anyone into a dome! Those places are awful. Stay out of the dome.”
“Roze…” There’s an undercurrent of warning to this one word. I imagine Cleve had to handle Roze quite a bit when they were both off fighting a war.
“I gotta get back to work. Kid’s fine.” Roze slams the door.
I consider that a win. “I’ll take him down to Dr. Citali,” I tell Cleve.
“All right,” Cleve agrees, trusting me to secure the secondary permission.