A Fortunate Accident – Chapter 15

“Are you… glowing?” India Dellis leans away to scan me from top to toe.

“That I am,” I say with a wide smile. “You should see me in black light. I am a sight to behold.”

“Well, shit.” She fills my glass up with ice and gin. “That’s a new one. The last plant we tested before you showed up made the man grow hair all over his body. All over, Skylar. He was almost blinded.”

I hiss as I try to imagine my eyelashes growing at an exponential rate. That sounds incredibly uncomfortable.

“Yeah, well, so far, it’s the Rio animals that have been a problem for me, not the plants.”

India nods. “Those spiderphants are really unpredictable. We think a jungle cat spooked them.” She sips from her glass. “We lost two people and four buildings to the stampede. How’s your back?”

I shift and feel the second skin beneath my shoulder blade. “It’s been better. But since Emily has use of all the Athens Industries medical technology, I’ll be healed in no time.” I hold out my hands and gaze at the pretty blue hue of my skin. “I don’t know how long I’ll be glowing, though.”

“I’m glad you’re here and that you’re okay,” she says, lifting her glass to toast mine. I touch my glass to hers. She throws back a mouthful before she circles her index finger at me. “Though I’m not sure what we’ll do with a plant that makes us bioluminescent.”

I shrug. “I’m not here to expound on what you should do with the plants. I’m only here to test them.”

When she raises her eyebrows, though, I laugh.

“But bioluminescence has a lot of advantages in the animal kingdom. Animals use it to lure prey. They use it to attract mates. They also use it to disappear in brighter situations.”

India draws a deep breath. “Really? That’s fascinating.”

“Imagine using it to colonize new worlds. If the world has a long, dark cycle, people can glow and provide their own illumination.” I drink my gin and then stare down into the glass.

“I love this idea. I’m going to send it along to Vivian tomorrow.” India makes a note of it on her datapad. When she’s done, she props her chin on her hand and stares at me. “You have hidden depths.”

“There’s an abyss in me, didn’t you know?” I smirk at her and turn the glass on the table.

The cafeteria is subdued at this time of day, turning the usually bustling space into a low-light bar and lounge area. I look around at the other dozen tables while I gather up some confidence to ask India a serious question. Four men play cards (pinochle from the looks of it) at the farthest table, and two other men sit on the sofas, drinking beers and working on their datapads.

“India,” I start, but I lose my voice.

Her smile widens. “Yes, Skylar.”

I take a deep breath. “Whatever happened to the work your company did on the jump rings?”

Her smile fades as she pulls back a few centimeters. “I thought you were going to ask me about the Bhaats, considering Saif is not here with you. What happened?”

I laugh lightly. “I suppose I should ask, but let’s come back to that.” My chest heaves with measured breaths. “Please. I have a vested interest in this, and I’m hoping we’re on the same page.”

“Huh. I admit I’ve thought little about the jump rings in my lifetime.” She sips her drink. “Hmmm, from what I know, this is how my company was started, by my great-great-however-many-times grandparents. Patras Technologies, as they called it at the time, pioneered the jump rings and the focusing technology. It was one of my ancestors that figured it out.” She sits up, pride lifting her chin. “But you know how it is,” she says, waving her hand. “A technology like that can’t be kept under lock and key. They sold it to the military, and the military spun off the STRA to run everything.”

Shipping and Trade Regulation Authority runs and maintains the jump rings as an offshoot of the military. It’s really the only military establishment that stretches between each system. The Brazilianos military is a power-hungry and out-of-control nightmare. The Californikos military is more of a humanitarian organization that’s around for disaster relief, medical research, and search and rescue. They have agreements to move between systems, but otherwise, they’re separate entities. They both let the STRA keep the jump rings running smoothly. Even though the STRA are independent now, they weren’t always.

“So the military had the technology in its hands for a while then.” I hum as I stare out into space.

A few years ago, Vivian and I, with a team of people, broke into a military base on Neve. Yes, yes. It was dangerous and reckless. We got what we needed for Athens Industries, and we blew the place up on our way out. But I saw one thing that has stuck with me since, and I can’t stop thinking about it now.

“What’s going on?” India asks, sitting forward.

“There’s something that Vivian and I never told you or Renata about our mission to the Neve military base.”

Renata sent us there to find out what they were doing with the Rio seeds. She didn’t bargain for everything else.

Her face hardens along with her voice. “Go on.”

“Sorry. It all seemed so fantastical at the time. I’m sure Gloria told you about the jump ring in the basement of the military facility.”

Gloria was a soldier who came with us on the mission but reported directly to Renata and Athens Industries. She saw what we saw, but she didn’t hear what Vivian heard from Nina Correa, a colonel in the military at the time and Vivian’s consort Gus’s mother.

India nods, but her eyes are wary. “Gloria told us that there was a jump ring that bore through space and needed the nuclear power plant for power.”

I reach forward and squeeze her forearm. “Can you imagine how this could help with terraforming other worlds?”

“Well, yes. Gloria saw a bunch of artifacts that the military teams brought back from other worlds, so Renata and I thought maybe this was something we could do, too. But…” She shakes her head.

“Yes, we both saw them,” I say, sipping my drink. “So, we were out of the room when Nina Correa told Vivian that the jump ring did not just tunnel through space, but it could also tunnel through time.”

“What?” Her mouth drops open, and her face pales.

I lick my lips as my heart pounds in my chest. “India, the military has figured out how to send people through time.”

She sits up. “Which direction?”

This is her first question? I file this away in my head.

“I’m not sure. We didn’t get many details before we left.”

She stares out into space, and I take a few breaths to calm my racing heart. Seeing the jump ring in the basement of that military base has haunted me for years. The possibilities for its use are endless, and the sheer power of it tugs at my soul. I’m not sure how Vivian feels about telling India Dellis everything, but I have to. Because we need this technology more than the military.

“India,” I say, breaking into her thoughts, “we need this. We can’t let the military have this technology.”

“I… I hear you.” Her voice is light and breathy. “Damn, Skylar. Why didn’t you or Vivian tell us this ages ago?”

I shrug. “Sorry. We had a lot of shit going on. Better late than never?”

“I need to go speak with Renata,” she says, standing up. “You’ll be around? I’m sure she’ll want to talk to you.”

I lift my glass. “If I’m not passed out, I’m happy to speak to her.”

A peal of thunder rips through the sky, and several people lift their heads to peer at the ceiling. One man sitting on the couch jumps up, grabs his stuff, and charges for the door. He probably wants to get to his bunk before it starts pouring. The early evening light filters in, turning everything into a wash of pink before the door closes.

“Seems like now is a good time to head to bed.” India looks me up and down. “Though if you get caught outside, you’ll be able to find your way in the dark. Come on.”

I stand up and bus our glasses to the kitchen counter. I guess I’ll have a quiet night in bed and sleep in tomorrow. I’m not expected at the infirmary until ten for a checkup before moving onto another plant.

As I’m on my way back to meet India, the door snaps open with a rush of wind.

I catch my breath.

“Look who I brought in from the gemstone mine,” Luca says, stepping to the side.

Looking tired and chastened but uninjured, Saif waves from under a rain poncho, trying not to be too overbearing.

“Hey,” he says. He narrows his eyes at me. “Are you… glowing?” he asks.

I sigh. So much for that quiet night in bed I was going to have.