Cadet Mohlor and I approached the Remaker Repository and I started to think fast. There was no way I could get checked out by a Caretaker. Once they started their scan, they would know about the identity modifier. And if I didn’t show up to get checked out, then that would cause questions I didn’t want to answer either. I had effectively traded one set of problems for another. But at least I had bought myself some time. Now I needed a little more.
I slowly pulled away from Mohlor and started to walk on my own, albeit slowly to make sure he knew I was still not feeling well. “You should get back. I’m within sight of the Repository. I can make it the rest of the way.”
Mohlor didn’t look pleased with this scenario. “Are you sure? I don’t want you passing out in the street.”
I waved him off. “It’s literally just a few feet away. I’ll make it.”
Mohlor eyed me intently for a long moment, then looked toward the short building front that sat between the residence hall and the auditorium. Currently, there were two white-coated Caretakers talking to each other just outside the entrance of the Repository. They couldn’t be more than fifty feet away from where the Cadet and I had stopped to stand in the middle of the street. Irritated Cadets jostled us as they rushed past to wherever it was they were supposed to be going.
After what felt like an eternity of wondering what he would do, Moholo finally nodded. “Alright then. Get yourself taken care of. See you later.” He then turned and jogged back toward the assembly field.
Now that I was left to my own devices, I stood up straight, turned a decided blind eye to the two Caretakers who were now looking my way, and then I quickly marched toward the resident hall just beyond the Repository. I wasn’t exactly sure what my next move should be, but I knew I couldn’t go anywhere near those White Coats.
I entered the coolness of the barracks and felt immediate relief. I quickly made my way to the our barracks bathroom, found an empty stall, and then laid my forehead on the closed door, and gave myself a moment to settle down.
At some point along the way, I had started shaking. I couldn’t describe how I knew, but I was certain I had just managed to avoid something bad––like really bad. And it made me more sure than anything that my time here at the College had come to an end. Now the question was the best way in how to do that with raising the least amount of suspicion. The first step was to find a way to talk to Pledge Tau-mine or Master Kiev.
Markus had given me the emergency beacon, but I wasn’t sure this counted as an emergency just yet. I suppose I could try calling either of them with my unity ring, but if that had been an option, then I would have been given their link numbers. I was still getting used to how the rings worked, but I knew that it was far easier to call someone if they had given you their number. Otherwise, you’d have to look their information up in a call database.
I did already know from my Technology and Surveillance class that ring calls could be hacked and tracked with the right equipment, which probably explained why I hadn’t been told to use it to communicate with my protection team. Also, I was a new Cadet, I had no reason to be calling a Pledge or a Master for anything yet. That alone would have raised suspicion if someone was paying attention to unity ring activity at the College.
So that meant I had to walk around until I found either Tau-mine or Kiev. The first might be a little easier. I had seen Tau-mine strolling through the lower College quite a bit yesterday as I had darted off to classes. She had been stopped many of those times by Cadets who looked like they were lost or perplexed about something, which made a good way for me to approach her. If nothing else, I could wait until Master Kiev’s remedial training later this evening, but that was still hours away.
I flushed the toilet like I had used it, went to the sink to wash my hands, even though there didn’t seem to be a soul in the room with me. But my paranoia was running wild, so I did the things a normal person would do when in the bathroom. After that, I hit the streets and prayed for Tau-mine to be there.
It was my second time looking as confused and as lost as I could manage as I walked the main street through the lower school that I found her. She was standing in one of the few green spaces I had seen at the College talking to another Cadet. The rather sad looking patch of greenery sat in the space between the cantina and recreation room with a few benches for people to sit and relax during their free time, not that there was ever much time for that sort of thing at the Protectorate.
I slowed my pace to give the Cadet time to finish her business. The short woman seemed quite upset about something. Tau-mine looked like she could care less about the Cadet’s problems, and before long the Cadet stomp off madder than she was before. I edged up to the Pledge who watched the woman go with a little smirk.
“Excuse me, Pledge, I was wondering if you could help me?” I asked as I came up to her right side.
Tau-mine pursed her lips as if she was sucking on something sour and turned to me, but once she registered who I was, the look disappeared entirely. “Cadet? What can I do for you? Shouldn’t you be on special assignment.”
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She must have memorized my schedule. Though, I suppose she wouldn’t be very good at protection if she hadn’t know where I would be at all times.
“Yes, that’s what I need to talk to you about.” I looked around as if I was looking for something, but I knew she would take my meaning. There wasn’t currently anyone in the green space with us, but there were several Disciples standing over near the entrance of the cantina looking like they were interested in what we were talking about.
Tau-mine saw them, and gestured with her head to the left. “Walk with me. I have to pick up something from the Trainee Depot. You can talk as we walk.”
I fell in step with her into the street, and despite what she said, none of us said a word until we reached the Depot. She quickly stepped inside, and led me down a narrow hallway, and to a room on the right. It was the size of a small bedroom and was stacked with crates labeled data pads that filled most of the space. Only a three foot section in front of the door was open. Once the door was closed, Tau-mine faced me.
“This place doesn’t get a lot of foot traffic, especially this time of day. We should be alright to talk freely. What’s going on, Highness?”
“I’m assuming you know about what happened at yesterday’s special assignment, and that Kiev talked to you about my exit plan?”
She nodded. “Yes, did something else happen?”
I then quickly told her of what had transpired in the assembly field just a short time before. She blew out an air of frustration as I finished up telling her about managing to get out of going to see the Caretaker, and then coming to find her.
“Well, I’m glad you trusted your gut, because after what Kiev told me about yesterday, I checked your assignment for today. As of two hours ago, your group was supposed to be helping to clear the debris from the Hall of the Renowned so they can start renovations soon.”
That caused an involuntary shiver to course down my spine. “So you think someone was trying to set me up? Get me somewhere that I could be easily caught alone?”
The Pledge looked perplexed for a moment. “Possibly, though it’s not unusual for special assignment tasks to be changed as close to half an hour before they begin. Also, if this was a setup to get you alone, I would think there are easier ways to do that than arrange a trip into the desert.” She then shook her head and said, “Nope forget that last part. You’re a new Cadet. Sometimes I forget how crazy the first two years were.”
I gave a little laugh. “Two years? Who in their right mind would suffered through two or more years of this?”
Tau-mine’s lips turned up slightly at the corners. “It’s better than some life options, Highness. I assure you.” Her eyes suddenly zoned out like she was thinking of something, and then she said, “Well, it’s been drilled into our heads that we should treat all suspect situations as if they are truly suspect until proven otherwise.
“Under that assumption, it stands to reason that somehow it has been figured out that you are hiding out in the Cadet class. But they don’t know you’re Jasper Ruloc exactly, otherwise, they would have acted already. So they must be using the special assignments to confirm your identity.
“That means they are watching Cadets, and when whoever is behind all this discovers you never showed up at the Repository, that will make you a definte target worth pursuing. We need to get you off world sooner rather than later, but I’m not sure your idea of getting kicked out of the Program is going to be as effective as you would like. Once Cadet Jasper Ruloc gets on a shuttle, word will get out fast, especially if that name has been flagged. Someone could either be waiting for you on that shuttle or even at your destination. And at that point you won’t have Kiev or I backing you up.”
She made a lot of really good points, and it seemed my backup plan had fizzled and died. But there was still the possibility of Vang coming back, not that I was entirely thrilled about that. But if it got me back to the White Palace, and to relative safety––I had not forgotten what Markus had said about Zorren’s assassination plots following me back there––then so be it. Once there, maybe I could catch my breath and put together better security measures. “Has Master Kiev heard back from the Admiral?”
The woman shook her head. “Not that I am aware of, but I will reach out to check. Though, we might have another option. Let me make some calls. Until then, go back to the resident hall. Give this to your barracks leader if he wants to know why you are there.”
The woman tapped her unity ring, she pulled up a screen, tapped an option and started to speak. “This note is to inform the person receiving it that Cadet Ruloc has suffered a small case of heat exhaustion and has been ordered to bed rest for the rest of the evening. All his assignments and classes have been canceled for the remainder of today. Authorization code 64T98RZ.”
The Pledge tapped her device once more to close it down, she then offered her wrist with the bracelet to me. I knew what she wanted. I’d seen people doing it hundreds of times while I had been at the College. I tapped the side of her unity ring to mine so that the message she just recorded could be transferred to my own ring.
“If anyone asks you why you are in the barracks, just give them this. It’s as official as I can do without you actually going to see a Caretaker. It might hold off questions for a short while, maybe even into tomorrow, but if anyone looks deep enough, they are going to know you never actually went to see a Caretaker, and they are the only ones who can give a rest order.”
“Then will this even work?“ I asked holding up my unity ring that now had the new message. The small rectangle display on the silver bracelet lit up green showing I had a new message.
“Yes, for a time. I’ve already helped the Caretakers once today to clear out a batch of Cadets who either collapsed or were near to collapsing today. The Caretakers did their thing, and then I created the vid notes so the Cadets could leave. There’s an awful lot of idiots that must think they are invincible or something.” She then looked embarrassed like maybe she had insulted me too.
I waved at her. “It’s fine. Better than fine, because those idiots provided us a good way to subvert my schedule.”
That made the Pledge chuckle. “That it did.” Her face then fell back into a serious look. “Once you get there, stay at the barracks. Either I will contact you there, or someone else will to get you off world. Just be ready, because I’m not sure how long this will take.”
“It will be today, won’t it? Or should I stay there tomorrow too?”
Tau-mine shook her head. “One way or another, we will wrap this up tonight.”