Page 5 of Twins for the Barbarians

“Sure thing. I’ve got the thermometers and the measuring equipment packed away, as well,” Kingo replies. There’s still a faint scar on his temple from Selina Sharuk’s attack and the explosion that nearly destroyed the lab, but that’s all. He was lucky. He got to live another day, and he’s been instrumental in our efforts to eradicate the plague ever since. “Since we’re taking one of the all-terrain vehicles, we’ve got room for everything.”

“Let’s hope so,” I reply. “You should also have a bag ready in case you have to go anywhere on foot. We don’t know exactly what kind of environments we’re heading into. There’s only so much ground we can cover on six wheels.”

“Helios and Kharo secured us enough fuel for the whole round-trip journey,” I add, going through my own bag to double-check that I’ve got everything I need for the trip. “We’ve gone over the map so many times, I’m pretty sure I know the way there by heart.”

“A lot of those territories have not been surveyed in the past thirty to forty years,” Cynthia reminds me. “You will still have to be careful. I’m glad Helios and Kharo are joining you.”

“I guess so. I mean, me, too.”

“You don’t sound pleased.” She chuckles softly.

Kingo gives me a curious look while I wonder if they can see my cheeks turning red. I can certainly feel my skin burning as I try not to think about last night, though thoughts keep intruding, giving me no peace.

“What’s the matter, Alicia?”

“Nothing! I just…it’s different between us. I’m not sure how to say it.”

“I am. But don’t worry about it. The bond manifests differently from one trio to another,” she replies. “The important thing is not to fight it. You’ll feel better, I guarantee it. Learn from my mistakes, please; don’t repeat them.”

“Cynthia, I can’t afford to get emotionally involved with the Tallas men,” I say, shaking my head. “I’ve got my work, my research. I can’t do any of it properly if I fraternize with the people I’m studying.”

“It’s not like you have a choice,” Kingo shyly chimes in. “The bond is stronger than our reason. It always has been.”

“We’re not on Earth anymore,” Cynthia replies with a warm smile. “Alicia, this isn’t some remote tribe you’re trying hard not to disturb in order to best study their customs and traditions. These are people we’re living with. We’ve been living with them for five years. Emotional involvement is unavoidable at this point.”

I think about that for a while. I’ve been thinking about a lot before this conversation, too. The irony here is that I used to laugh at Cynthia for how hard she was working to keep her feelings in check with the Hadana twins long before they consummated their bond. And I used to tell myself I would never fall for Helios and Kharo like that. Ever. Boy, have I got a slice of humble pie to eat because my heart is opening against my will, and my body keeps reaching out to them.

“That aside, we need to go over your journey in great detail,” Cynthia says and joins us at the round table in the middle of the room. Cynthia has prepared a map with various locations marked and pinned in red for us to follow, so Kingo and I pay close attention to her markings. “You’ll need to stop by the Kreek settlement first.”

“Why?” Kingo asks.

“Because you will be following in Elian Daron’s footsteps, and it may turn out to be lethal,” Cynthia shoots back. “Elian sent his engineers down to Red Rock Volcano, and when he tried to share his findings with the world, he was killed. He hadn’t even gotten close enough to Kaos Volcano, where his younger brother Solomon died when the plague first hit, and somebody was already desperate to silence him.”

Cynthia makes a reasonable point: We learned about Elian from the files we found in the research lab.

“We have to make sure we’re well-prepared for Red Rock and Kaos,” I tell Kingo. “Cynthia is right. We’ll spend a few nights with the Kreek clan so we can get the lay of the land. They know the area better since they’ve been living there for almost two years. We need as much intel on the terrain and the existing settlements as possible so we can steer clear of any Sky Tribe marauders.”

“Outside of Sapphire City, we’re all targets,” Cynthia reminds us.

Kingo offers a slight nod of agreement. “I don’t mind hanging out with the Kreek crew for a few nights. They might even give us a few laser weapons to use for protection.”

“Jewel will give you one of her laser signals, rest assured,” Cynthia replies.

“Laser signals?”

“Yeah, it’s something she’s been working on for about six months now, and I think she’s finally got it right,” I say. Given her engineering background with the Air Force and during her academic years, Jewel cannot only design and implement weaponry and communication systems, but she can also devise other pieces of tech, and in our case, a laser signal might prove to be a lifesaver.”

Cynthia points at the southernmost pin on the map. “Our telegraph lines only go as far as here, just twenty miles north of Red Rock Volcano. If you run into trouble there, you’ll at least be able to reach the hidden telegraph point and send us an SOS.” She looks at us. “The trouble with putting telegraph lines underground in the middle of a war is that you can’t reach as far as you’d like since Sky Tribe jets can still spot you and kill you. The last thing we need is for them to figure out we’re getting better at communicating with one another.”

About six months ago, Jewel finished implementing one hell of a telegraph system. There are about twenty secret stations hidden across the continent, with lines circulating about five feet underground to connect them. We’ve thus been able to send urgent messages using Morse code, and it has been a game-changer in our military operations. The Sky Tribe is still trying to figure out how we’re able to reach one another when we don’t have their communications technology outside of Sapphire City.

“However, once you pass this point,” Cynthia adds, eyes still on the map, “you’ll be out of range, especially near Opal City, which is a dead zone. We know nothing about it whatsoever. We don’t know what you’ll find there. The laser signal is basically a mini-drone that functions on solar power. Jewel will set its return point for her location near Ruby City, so all you’ll have to do is launch that thing and let it fly out once you remove its laser beam and leave it where you need the Kreek soldiers to be.”

“If we run into trouble,” I further explain, “we’ll remove the laser signal and drop it on the ground. It emits a bright green ray that permeates through anything and everything. Kreek fighters will be able to spot it from at least five miles away. The drone itself will carry our last known coordinates, registered as soon as it loses the laser signal. It’s really smart tech if you ask me. I just hope we never have to use it.”

“Given our history, I’m not exactly holding my breath on this one,” Cynthia mutters, then gives me a worried look. “Alicia, promise me you’ll be careful out there. I know it’s exciting new territory for you to explore, but remember who and what you’re dealing with. If they catch you, they will imprison you in one of their breeding centers, and we might not be able to get you out.”

“I know, I know. Helios and Kharo will make sure that doesn’t happen,” I reply.

---