IV. EAST MARINA HIGH
***
The team stepped off the warp into a spaceport lobby bathed in soft blue light. Grace tipped her head back to examine the glass dome over their heads. “The spaceport’s underwater?”
“That’s not the only thing underwater.” Jasper moved a hand from her motorcycle handlebar to point at something behind Grace. As Grace turned around, she said, “There’s a whole city out that way. Blue Trench. It’s not huge, but it’s fun. I think there’s a roller coaster.”
Grace wandered to the nearest wall to examine the variety of colorful fish passing by outside. “What time is it here?”
“It’s ten here, but they’ve got twenty-hour days, so it’s basically noon,” Thea explained as she tossed a smartsphere into the air, caught it, and tossed it again.
“Thea, did you get hotel reservations sorted out?” Jasper asked.
“Yep. We’re gonna head north and take the escalator up to the boardwalk.” Thea caught the sphere and slid it into her bag. “Hotel’s a two-minute walk from the school.”
“I want to stop by the school on the way and take a quick look.”
The team took the longest escalator Grace had ever seen through a glass tube that broke the sea’s surface and deposited them on a boardwalk. From there, they navigated a crowd of loud tourists and surprisingly aggressive hummingbirds to get into the city of East Marina.
“I’ve got a full download school’s database and I’m scanning for anything related to Aymes. Should have his schedule in a minute here,” Thea said. “Also, make a left.” She looked up from her tablet screen. “We’re going to pass behind the school. It’s up there on the right.”
Jasper paused and leaned her motorcycle up against the fence wrapping around the edge of the school’s property. Grace peered through the fence’s gaps. “What are those kids doing outside?”
“Sports.” Jasper gestured to a nearby group. “Well, those ones are taking pictures of trees, but everyone else is doing sports.”
Holly folded her arms. “Is there anything in particular you wanted to see, or can we go?”
“What class is Aymes supposed to be in now?” Jasper asked.
“Hang on,” Thea replied.
Holly groaned. “You’re not going to make us go inside and find him, are you?”
“No, but I would like to see if he’s here today.”
“He should actually be at volleyball practice,” Thea said. She looked up. “The class is usually held in the gym, but the school map does show outdoor volleyball nets on the east side—”
“Oh, there!” Jasper rose onto her toes. “I can see him. Okay, good.”
“Do you think Ringmaster came here specifically for Aymes’s school?” Grace asked.
“Probably. If Aymes has been following Ringmaster this whole time, then he hasn’t been able to go to school in a couple weeks. He can only miss so many days.” Jasper stepped back from the fence. “All right. Hotel. Let’s go.”
When the team reached the adjoined rooms Thea had reserved for them, they all let their bags clatter to the floor. Jasper collapsed onto one of the beds and pointed to the opposite wall. “Thea, give us the rundown.”
Thea set a sphere on the table and sent a projection onto the wall. “Aymes Nolan Bell. Here’s his schedule, and a calendar with his upcoming events.”
“I’ll take over his first period biology class,” Jasper said. “Can you get rid of the teacher? Maybe an email about a fake conference on the other side of the planet? Let her know the substitute’s already been taken care of. Get her a bonus payment for the trouble, too.”
Thea nodded. “On it.”
Jasper pointed to a spot on the calendar. “Aymes is participating in that science fair? I’m putting you on that, too. See if you can talk to him.”
“What am I supposed to do for a project?” Thea asked.
“You’re smart. I’m sure you’ll think of something.” Jasper sat up. “Dax, I’m putting you in his third period.”
“Volleyball?” Dax asked, frowning. “I’m not exactly good at—”
“Holly, you’re going in second period,” Jasper said.
Holly didn’t look up from the bag she was sorting through. “And what would that be?” she asked as she pulled out a blaster charging cable.
“He’s on the tech crew for the school musical.”
“Fine.”
“What about me?” Grace asked.
“You’ll be in a group project with him in my class,” Jasper said. “What I need everyone to do is talk to him. If we can get our hands on any of his devices, Thea might be able to access his conversations with Ringmaster. I want to know how he got involved with Ringmaster in the first place.” She hopped off the bed and paced across the room. “We only have a few days before the next race, and god knows what Ringmaster’s doing after that.”