Si Hera was one of two planets orbiting the star Gemma. Its surface held wide expanses of desert, only broken up by long ranges of snowy mountains. In the summer, when people moved to the mountains to keep cool, the desert cities were practically ghost towns.
But now, with the northern hemisphere deep in its winter, the city of Sagev was one of the most bustling places in the star system. A bright spot in the middle of the otherwise empty Great Eastern Desert.
Under less time-constrictive circumstances, Jasper and the others could have secured a ship to make the flight to Si Hera from Kronos. Today, they had to lie their way through a spaceport and warp to Sagev without getting attacked or arrested.
Oh, and they had to bring the motorcycle.
“So, where are we staying when we get there?” Dax asked as they entered the spaceport. “And how are we going to get around without the car? And how—?”
“Relax, Dax.” Jasper glared at a couple that came a little too close to her freshly washed motorcycle for comfort. “Sagev’s got extensive public transportation. And I already have a place we can stay. I just need to clean up a bit before anyone’s allowed in.”
“Of course you have a place in Sagev,” Holly muttered.
“It’s technically outside the city limits, but it should still be there. I hope. It’s been a while.” A very long while.
“Wow, sounds great.” Holly’s voice was thick with its usual sarcasm.
The team strolled past the long lines at the ticketing desks and luggage drop-offs. Conveyor belts crisscrossed through the air above them, carrying the bags that people couldn’t be bothered to carry to the warp pads themselves. Above all that was a glass dome that let the colors of the late evening sky wash over the shiny steel and polished white marble that had been used to build just about everything else in the spaceport.
“Look, we’re almost to the security checkpoint, so how about we all shut up and let Thea do her thing.” Jasper slid her fake ID out of the front pocket on her neon pink floral-patterned shirt. The shirt had short sleeves, but she wore a long-sleeved black one underneath to cover her arms. She’d pulled up her hair with a pink scrunchy that complemented the floral shirt nicely.
Thea stepped into line first. She handed her ID and printed ticket—which was about as real as the ID—to the security officer with her left hand and let her right graze his computer. The monitor flashed green as he scanned her ticket.
“You’re good to go.” The man nodded to Grace. She stepped forward, handed over her stuff with shaking hands, and took a deep breath. The officer raised an eyebrow.
Jasper rested a hand on Grace’s shoulder. “First time taking the family off planet,” she told him with an easy smile. “Money, you know?”
“I hear that.” Another green flash. The officer handed Grace her ticket and ID back. “You’re good. Next!”
Jasper went through, followed by Dax, then Holly. They tossed their bags onto the conveyor belt, and Jasper reluctantly handed her motorcycle to an officer for inspection.
Thea went through the metal detectors first, then hung around close enough to the machines to use her power on them while the others passed through. The most important part was altering how their bags—particularly the one with Jasper’s extensive collection of weapons—showed up on the X-ray screens.
Thea also had to prevent Jasper from setting off the metal detector. Cyborg limbs were fine, but they warranted closer inspection, and that would lead to the discovery of the illegal components in Jasper’s brain.
Despite her trust in Thea, Jasper tensed in the split second it took for the machine to clear her.
The five grabbed their bags off the belt, Jasper took back her motorcycle, and they were good to go. As they walked, Jasper’s gaze darted to Grace, who looked like a deer caught in the lights of a UFO.
“I’m guessing you’ve never been to a spaceport,” Jasper said.
“No,” Grace admitted. “I rarely even left the Sky District when I lived at the palace.”
“The port is divided up by location. This side houses warps that lead to places around Gemma. We’ll head to the wing for Si Hera and hop in line at a warp to Sagev.” Jasper tapped the shirt pocket where she’d stashed her ticket. “They’ll check our tickets one more time, but we won’t have to deal with any more security.”
Grace lowered her voice. “I feel like everyone’s looking at me. Like they know who I am.”
“You’re imagining it,” Jasper said. “If people look this way, it’s probably because they’re checking me out.”
“Oh, please,” Holly said. “We all look ridiculous.”
“We look like tourists!” Jasper swept her gaze over the team’s colorful, tropical clothing, accompanied by oversized hats and sunglasses. Okay, Holly had managed to pick out floral patterns that were entirely black and gray, but everyone else looked colorful. “We’re ready for a nice family vacation.”
“This is not how tourists—ugh, never mind.”
They reached the Si Heran warps and stepped into one of several Sagev lines.
“If you’ve never been to a spaceport, I’m guessing you’ve never used a warp, either,” Jasper said to Grace once it was almost their turn.
“No, but I’ve seen them on broadcasts,” Grace replied.
“It’ll feel weird, but since you already know what’s happening, you’ll be fine.” Jasper absentmindedly traced a finger along the motorcycle’s handlebar. “My first warp was terrifying.”
“How old were you?” Grace asked.
Jasper froze. “Hm?”
“You said your first warp was—”
“How many in your party?” a warp technician asked.
“Five,” Jasper told them, grateful for the interruption.
“Show me your tickets.”
One by one, the team flashed their tickets so that the technician could confirm the destination they’d allegedly paid for was Sagev. After that, the tech said, “Go ahead and step onto the platform.”
Jasper pushed the motorcycle up the ramp onto the pale blue warp pad. The others followed. The technician punched a few buttons into the keypad in front of them, and the floor glowed.
There was a flash of white light, and the team was in Sagev.
The air was noticeably hotter and drier. Bright early afternoon sunlight poured in from the massive windows around the Sagev spaceport. Warp techs ushered the team off the platform to make way for the next group.
“You good?” Jasper asked Grace as they descended the ramp. “Because if you’re going to be sick—”
“I’m fine,” Grace said, lifting her chin. “Now what?”
Huh. Okay then. Jasper brushed off her surprise. “Our first order of business is to locate where Ringmaster and his Apprentice are setting up shop this time.”
“Actually,” Holly said. “Our first order of business is to dump our stuff and change.”
“I’ll drop our stuff off and meet back up with you once I’m done,” Jasper countered. She glanced up and was relieved to see the warp they’d stepped off of was close to an exit. “You guys go see if you can find anything useful.”
Jasper took Grace’s bag as the team stepped outside and fastened it to the back of the motorcycle. Security guards glanced at them as they walked out, but they were there to keep people out, not in.
Holly rolled her eyes and tossed Jasper her own bag. “Fine.”
Once everything was secure, Jasper climbed onto the motorcycle. She waved as the four walked away. “Stay together, kids! Look both ways before you cross the road.”
Holly didn’t bother looking back as she flipped Jasper off.
Jasper had managed to keep her thoughts elsewhere until now, but as she sped off, all she could focus on was her destination.
It could barely be called a shack. The place was all metal sheets and wood and tarps, held together by nothing more than ropes, nails, and sheer willpower. It was surprising to see it still standing.
And painful.
Jasper rolled to a stop and dismounted. It wasn’t much by way of shelter, though it had been better than being crammed into the barracks by far. But those days were long gone, she reminded herself. Today she had five minutes. Five minutes to let the pain and memories drown her. Then, she’d pull herself out and put the feelings in a box and not think about them for the rest of the mission.