“Then…”
Blip nodded and finished her thoughts, “She’s dead.”
Perhaps it was the stress of the day, the joy of finding Blip, but the word “death” cut into Syn and the emotion she had ignored, that she was not even aware was there, rushed out, and she began to cry. She crumpled to the floor, in the center of the Jacob. How was this possible? Just days ago, she had ruled her world. She had been alone and certain she would always be alone. She had met other humans and discovered they were awful.
She checked herself on that thought as she wiped the tears away. They were not all awful. The very person who told Syn they were evil might be alright. Even then, she did not feel as if she could go back and redeem that moment.
“Blip,” Syn looked up. She sniffed and gave a slight cough. She wiper her tears and nose on her shirt and then fingered the orange tiger dangling at her neck. “I can’t do it.”
Blip hovered down to her.
She continued as Blip edged against her, “I don’t think I can solve this. Let’s just go home.”
Blip floated around, “Are you sure?”
Syn looked at him and then out the window. The clouds outside were dispersing. They were below the cloud layer. The base was only a few moments away—maybe a minute.
Blip pressed, “Can we go home?”
“I don’t know. I can’t leave them.” She picked at a spot on her leg. “I don’t know.”
“What do you want to do?”
“Will you be with me?”
Blip nodded. “Always. And forever.”
“If we screw this up, you won’t hate me.”
Blip shook his head.
Syn stood up just as the Jacob began to slow its descent.
Blip smiled. “Your next move will need to be you running.”
“Why?”
With a simple whoosh, the Jacob completely stopped. A silent shaking seized the cabin. She and Blip knew the routine of how the Jacob worked. The outer doors would soon open. There would be a quick pressurization, and the inner doors would pop open.
“Ready to sprint?” Syn called out.
Syn crouched and pulled down her goggles, one of the gifts from the Barlgharel and the Ecology. She instinctively reached for her spear but cringed when she remembered it was now in Taji’s possession. Once more, Syn would head into the desert, this time to save the Ecology. She was keeping her promise. She was returning for them.
The doors hissed open, and Syn prepared to bolt into the darkness.
39
ABEL’S BLOOD
“When Eve saw the serpent touch the tree and did not die, she picked up one of the fruits that had fallen and… tasted it.
But no sooner had she taken a single bite… and she saw the angel of Death standing before her, with his sword drawn.”
The doors opened with a smooth reveal. Syn raced ahead but stopped hard as there before her, glowering, was the towering Taji, her knuckles bare as she held Syn’s own spear in front of her. The thick-limbed girl stared through narrow eyes, growling.
Syn didn’t wait to talk. Didn’t choose to exchange words. Instead, she leapt forward with all of her energy and slammed into the girl. Taji was larger. She was more muscular. But it was still muscle on the same frame that shaped Syn. She might hold Syn’s spear, but she wasn’t used to it—didn’t have the ease of movement that Syn did.
Taji hit the dirt with a grunt. A bit down, below the dirt, was solid concrete. They were in the middle of one of the plazas that the Jacobs opened up to. Around them, peaking up from the blackened dirt, were statues and concrete end posts. One statue, larger than the others, caught Syn’s eye—a metal, abstract form that looked like a sword or spear, aimed at the heavens, piercing through three halo-shaped rings that rotated around the central shaft, hovering about it. The shape of the Plaza was visible through the jutting pieces. The desert rolled out beyond that.
The fall on the concrete was enough to daze Taji. Syn hopped back up and spun. She wanted her spear. She wanted something to keep this other girl at a distance. She knew she might out-fight Taji, but there was still a sliver of fear. Taji was deadly. Like a hyena.
Jumping to her feet, Syn spun and kicked hard at Taji’s head. Her toes connected, but Taji was expecting it—waiting for something—and was already rolling away. Her hand reached out and snagged Syn’s ankle and hefted up. Taji came to her feet, and Syn landed hard on her back.
Blip was above her in an instant and put himself between the two girls.
Syn motioned him away. She pushed up with her arm and pointed behind her, “Blip—get to the hub. I’ll take her.”
Taji laughed. “I’ve flattened you before.”
Blip whirled around. “She’s nothing. I’ve got this.”
Syn snarled, “How’d you get here so fast?”
Taji ignored both of them. “I told Neci you’d be stupid enough to come back down. So she let me come down and check. I’m always right, and she knows it.”
“Leave me alone!” Syn roared. “I told you to leave me alone! I don’t want you here!”
Taji crossed the distance faster than Syn could believe, faster than Blip could react. Taji back-handed Syn and sent her flying through the air to smack hard against the large metal statue.
Syn let loose a harsh “Oomph.”
Blip charged Taji and slammed into her side, sending her reeling.
Syn yelled to him, “Get to the hub!”
“No!” Blip shot back, still hovering over the fallen body of Taji. The girl was already pushing herself back up.
A piece of the sculpture hung loose—one of the halos. Syn glanced at the sculpture. One of the three teetered. Syn grabbed ahold of the base of the statue to haul herself to her feet.
Taji dove for Blip, but he flew up and away.
Syn yelled again, her hand wrapped around the loosened halo of the statue and pulled it free. “Get to the hub!”
“Fine.” Blip spun to get a glimpse of her and then swung back around to look at the readying Taji. And then he was up again, straight up, and flying fast toward the hub.
Now she would not need to sprint. All she would have to do was survive Taji. She swore inwardly.
Taji took a step forward. Syn crouched to ready herself again. She lifted the halo-like piece from the statue and held it out between her and Taji.
Taji laughed, “What are you doing?”
“I don’t want to hurt you,” Syn said.
“Do you know what I can do?”
Syn did not answer. Seconds passed. Blip fled far away, becoming a small dot on the horizon. At that speed, he’d cover the distance in no time. Would it be enough? Could Syn hold off Taji until he returned? And when he did, would even he be enough to take Taji down?
Taji started again, “Do you know what I have done?”
Syn studied her sister, gauging her reactions.
Taji growled, “I was the one that killed them. If Neci wanted them dead, I did it. I’ve killed so many of our Sisters. You’re just one more. You’re not even one we care about.”
Syn shivered. A tremor of fear bloomed, and she felt a sense of paralysis. What could she do against someone who knew how she thought, who had killed versions of herself over and over and over? Taji seemed perfectly designed to be a Syn killer.
Then, Syn smiled. How had not grasped it earlier? Taji was still weaker. Syn had lived her own life alone. Syn had grown up on her own. Taji, instead, had others around. Always. Syn wondered if that meant she ended up doing less work. Maybe a small difference, but in the long-term, perhaps Taji simply did not have Syn’s stamina. Maybe she was a brute. No maybe about it—Taji was a beast in attitude and stature. It was her defining quality. It was the angry part of Syn that just wanted to hit things when it went wrong. Anger and size were Taji’s tools. But not the cold tenacity that isolation brings.