Trevon clapped his hand on Jamison’s shoulder.
“Let’s go, son.”
“Let me say goodbye,” Jamison pleaded. “Please.”
Jamison leaned toward the holding unit, and the light of the energy shield flooded his face.
“The passcode is N377A,” he said in barely a whisper. “Don’t leave yet. It’s not safe.”
“When can I?”
“You’ll know.”
Trevon jerked his head toward the door. Jamison threw one last glance backward, the light of the energy shield on his face again.
An instant later, he stood in light again. This time, it shone into the tunnel from a cityscape.
“What is it? That city?” Jamison said. “What did you name it?”
“It’s called Lenn City,” Nessa explained. “We don’t have time. The link to the holo-feed I was using will expire. I want to contact you. Permission?”
“You were watching me? But yeah. Fine.”
Jamison averted his eyes and winced under Trevon’s grasp.
“N377A,” he moved his mouth, but no words emitted.
Nessa studied the translator app. Trevon and Jamison stepped out of sight. She was alone again. She waited until the latching of the door echoed throughout the building.
Nessa bit her lip, and looked down at her implant. She minimized the translator. She scrolled her home screen. The icon image showed an arm, stretching toward a touch screen. She expanded it.
“N377A,” she repeated the combination.
Her arm trembled as she raised it toward the passcode screen. Markings she could not decipher flashed on-screen. The flashing intensified more with each nanosecond, and then the screen went blank. She eyed her implant, which read: upload complete.
Nessa’s mind whirled with scenarios. Confrontations with Zane, with Trevon, with that one almond-eyed woman. Her spirits soared as she imagined them, tied in the corner, unconscious after an unfortunate encounter with her ship.
Then reality set in. Reality was, Jamison had a plan. Reality was, if she’d know when it was time, it wasn’t.