“No idea,” Ostin said. He breathed out heavily. “How do you think the girls are?”
“I try not to think about it.”
“Me neither. I wish they were here with us.” Ostin frowned. “No, actually, I wish they were with us but we were, like, five thousand miles away.”
“Back in Meridian, Idaho. PizzaMax.”
“Not there,” Ostin said. “I don’t think I could go there without Michael. Too many memories.”
“I wouldn’t even mind being at school.”
Ostin smiled. “Remember Principal Dahlstrom?”
“Yeah. What a tool.”
“It’s hard to believe that I was actually afraid of him.”
“Yeah, that’s weird.”
“I think if I ever see him again, I’m going to punch him. For old times’ sake.”
“He’d expel you.”
“Ohh, I’m afraid,” Ostin laughed. “Put me in his Cell 25.”
“Yeah, doesn’t sound that scary,” Jack laughed. “Just make sure I’m there for it.”
“You can punch him too,” Ostin said. “For good measure.”
They both laughed. Then their laughter quieted. After a few moments Ostin said, “It was a pleasure dying with you, friend. Not the dying part, per se, but being with you when it happened.”
“No,” Jack said. “It was a pleasure living with you.”
They looked at each other; then Ostin lightly hit Jack on the shoulder. Jack reached over and hugged him.
After they parted, Jack said, “I can see why Michael liked you so much. You’re much braver and stronger than you give yourself credit for.”
Ostin couldn’t speak. His eyes filled with tears. “Thanks.”
Jack smiled at him. Then they both turned and looked back out at the ship. The first gangplank had finished lowering, and the men were lined up at the top of it, about to come out. Jack sighed again. “Here they come.”
Then, out of a clear blue sky, lightning struck.
48
Uira te Atua
“Holy crap!” Ostin shouted. The massive blast of lightning had hit the top of the ship, dropping all of the men on board. It was so large that it shook the depository even more than the shelling had. The first strike was followed by a second, third, and fourth. The soldiers on board scattered; some jumped into the sea, others ran inside the ship, but most of them lay still on the deck. Then a blast of lightning blew apart the second gangplank, and both tanks fell into the ocean.
Enele, followed by Raphe, came running up to the fourth floor. Enele was out of breath. “Did you see that?”
“Still watching it,” Jack said.
“Uira te Atua!”
Lightning struck the ship over and over until there was no movement on board. Then the lightning moved to the ship behind it, then to the third.
“It’s a miracle,” Raphe said.
“No, it’s Uira te Atua,” Enele said. “The lightning god.”
Ostin lightly smiled. “No,” he said. “It’s my buddy Michael.”
* * *
After all signs of life had vanished from the three ships, the lightning began striking farther out at sea, hitting the battleship with such force that after just three strikes the ship was on fire.
“If that’s Michael,” Jack said, “he’s pissed.”
“Wow,” Ostin said. “That’s what vengeance looks like.”
Then a strike pounded down through the center of the boat. “That was huge!” Jack said.
Jack lifted his binoculars. “He sunk it!”
Ostin lifted his as well. “He did. It’s sinking! Go, Michael!”
The lightning stopped. “Let me look,” Enele said. Jack handed him his binoculars. “It is going down. Uira te Atua has saved us.”
Suddenly the sky above them began to brighten, as if collecting the light from the sun itself, then forming into a ball about thirty feet above them. It grew in brightness until it was too bright to look at and they had to turn away.
“What is that?” Raphe asked.
Then the ball began to crackle and spark as it slowly lowered to the floor. No one dared speak. Then the light began to diminish and pull in tighter, taking the shape of a human form. When the light had completely gone out, Michael stood in front of them.
Ostin shouted out, “Michael!” He ran to him, but Michael held out his hand to stop him.
“Don’t touch me. I’m not safe yet.”
Ostin stopped. “It really is you!”
A smile crossed Michael’s face. “Who were you expecting?”
“Uira te Atua?”
“You’re a what?”
“Nothing,” Ostin said. “It’s just so good to see you.”
“It’s good to be seen,” Michael said. He looked past Ostin. “Hey, Jack.”
Jack looked at him in awe. “I—I . . .”
“Yeah, it’s weird. I know. But it’s me. That was also me on the boat.”
“. . . Our dream. That really was you.”
“Yeah, I was still figuring out how to get back to being human. It’s a little hard to explain where I’ve been.”
“Well, you could have come a little earlier,” Jack said, joking. “Maybe before we said our good-byes to each other.”
“No, that was good. People say things too late. It’s better this way. And you both got to apologize.”
“You heard us?”
“Every word,” Michael said. “But that’s not why I waited. I knew you’d need the boats to get off the island, so I waited until they delivered them to you. And don’t worry about the crew on board. I visited them. They’re going to cooperate fully.” Michael laughed. “At least once they get off their knees. They think I’m a god.”
“You’re not?” Enele said.
“No, Enele,” Michael said. “I’m Michael. And I’m proud of you. You have risen to greatness. It’s dark times like these that present us the canvas where we paint our own greatness.”
“Wow. You’re like a poet now,” Ostin said.
“I think the electricity opened up parts of my brain,” Michael said. “I might be as smart as you.”
Ostin just stared at him.
“But probably not,” Michael said, smiling. “Enough of this; we don’t have much time. Enele, take your men and get on the boats. I will meet you in Funafuti. Hatch is about to hurt our friends, and I need to stop him.”
“Michael,” Ostin said.
“Yes?”
“Thanks for what you did on Hades.”
Michael smiled. “That’s what friends are for.” He waved. “See you in a few hours.”
PART SEVENTEEN
49
The Brick
Thirty-six hours after speaking with Carl Vey, Hatch ordered the Electroclan brought to him in the massive, concrete-floored storage room beneath the rim of the rat bowl. The room was cold and humid and smelled of fish and seawater, since this was where the food for the rats was brought in. This time Hatch had ordered everyone to be present, including Sharon, Coonradt, and Welch. They had no idea why they were assembled. Strangely, there was a long, horizontal pile of bricks on the ground in front of them.
Just as strangely, the Electroclan’s RESATs had been turned down to the lowest level they had experienced, and the youths could even feel some of their electric power. Ian could see more than twelve feet, and Zeus could make electricity spark between his fingers. The reduction in the RESATs’ power allowed them to breathe and move normally, even though their hands were still cuffed behind their backs.
An hour and a half later Hatch walked into the room with Zara, six guards, and a short man with a hood over his head, escorted by a guard on each of his arms. When Hatch stopped in front of the kids, the hooded man was brought forward just a few yards from them and made to kneel. From that distance they could see that the hood was stained in the nose and mouth region with blood.
“I’m sure you’re wondering why I called this meeting,” Hatch said. “It’s a very special day. O
ne that will go down in future Elgen history books. You might call it the Elgen Independence Day. A day matched only by the surrender of Cornwallis to George Washington at Yorktown. It marked the end of the Patriots’ struggle. The end of the resistance. And that is what today is for us. I received word two hours ago that the attack on the rebels on Plutus has come to an end. Everyone is dead or captured.” He looked at them. “They are presenting me with Enele Saluni’s head this morning. You’ll also want to know that two of your former colleagues were with them, Ostin and Jack.”
Abigail and McKenna both gasped.
“Yes, they were fools to return. I’m sorry to inform you that they didn’t make it. As we speak, their bodies are being brought here to be ceremoniously fed to the rats.”
“No!” Abigail and McKenna both screamed. Abigail fell first to her knees, followed by McKenna.
“Ostin . . .”
Taylor knelt down too and cried with them.
“War does wreak havoc on families,” Hatch said. “And speaking of families, I’d like to introduce you to someone of great significance to you. Greater significance than you possibly realize.” He reached over and pulled the hood off the man’s head. The prisoner’s hair was wet and tangled with sweat. Even though his head was bowed, they could see that his face was swollen and bloody. He had been severely beaten. “Do you know who this man is?”
The kids looked at him but no one spoke.
“Help us out here, Sharon.”
Sharon looked at the man, then said in a steely voice, “He’s my husband.”
“Indeed he is. This, young people, is the infamous Carl Vey. Husband to Sharon. Father to Michael. And, most of all, he’s the reason you’re all here. Carl Vey is the head of the resistance. He’s Dr. Coonradt’s boss. He’s the one who gave you the insane command to come here and steal my boat. Why? Not for the reasons he told you. He wanted my boat, my Joule, and risked your lives for it, just so he could be unspeakably rich.”
“That’s not true,” Vey said.
“Completely true,” Hatch said loudly. “Just so we’re clear, if it wasn’t for Vey, you’d probably be out enjoying the life most teenagers have, instead of counting the seconds of your suffering. If it wasn’t for this man, your friends Jack and Ostin would still be alive. If it wasn’t for this man, Wade and Tanner and Gervaso and even Michael, his very own son, would still be alive.” Hatch spit on Carl Vey with disgust. Then Zara walked up and spit on him as well. “Guards.”
The guards walked through the group and uncuffed everyone except for Welch.
“What this man has done to you is unspeakable. So I’m going to give you a choice. I’m going to let you denounce this man. If you do, I will spare your lives.” Hatch looked around the room. “You see in front of you a pile of bricks. All you have to do is walk up to this . . . lying, evil man, spit on him, and then hit him with a brick. And then you’re free to join us. It’s that simple.
“I know that sounds generous and you might wonder why, at this hour, I would offer it. This is why. I’ve come to the conclusion that it’s not your fault you’re here. It’s his. And now is your chance to repent and be clean, to put your sins where they belong . . . on him. On Carl Vey.” Hatch folded his arms. “Yes, this is a day for the history books. Who would like to go first?”
They all stood silently for a moment. Then Sharon Vey stepped forward and lifted a brick.
“Of course,” Hatch said. “Of course you’re the first. He abandoned you to a life of poverty. He took away your only son.”
Carl looked up at his wife, his eyes filled with tears. Sharon stepped forward with the brick in her hand. She looked up at Hatch. “I’ve thought about this all night. I’ve wondered how he could have done this to his own family.”
“Exactly,” Hatch said.
“He left us alone. Destitute. Suffering.”
“Yes,” Hatch said. “Incredible suffering.”
“And now my son is gone.” Her voice cracked, and fresh tears fell down her face. She cocked the brick back in her hand.
“I’m so sorry,” Carl said.
“Now he’s sorry,” Hatch said snidely. “It’s not hard to be sorry when someone’s about to hit you with a brick.”
Then Sharon looked up at Hatch. “And for all our loneliness, for all our suffering, my husband was more alone. He didn’t have our son with him. He didn’t have me to comfort him. He came here knowing that you would humiliate and kill him, just for the chance that I might not have to suffer. He sacrificed his life for us, for the world, not for his gain but because it was the right thing to do. This man is more than my husband. He’s a hero.” At that, she threw the brick at Hatch. The guards, caught unprepared, barely managed to pull him down to prevent the brick from hitting him.
“Get her!” Hatch shouted.
Just then all of the teens rushed forward and grabbed bricks and started throwing them at the guards. Sharon rushed to her husband and threw her arms around him. “You shouldn’t have come,” she said.
“I couldn’t not,” he replied.
“Freeze them!” Hatch shouted at Zara. “Freeze them!”
At first, Zara looked confused; then she raised her hand. Everything stopped. The youths, Coonradt, Welch, Sharon and Carl Vey, all were frozen, unable to move.
“Thank you, Cassy,” Hatch said almost to himself. “Such a useful power.” He wiped his forehead. In the uprising he had been struck by the corner of a brick, and blood was trickling down his face. Only one of the guards was seriously hurt.
Hatch took a deep breath. “You have all sealed your fate. It is over.” He walked over to where Sharon and Carl were kneeling together. “You got what you want. You get to die together.”
Sharon just looked at Hatch defiantly.
“All right. Let’s get on with this. Guards, prepare for their execution.”
Six of the guards fell in line, lifting their guns. “I’d ask if you had any last words, but I think you’ve already said enough.” He looked over at the youths. “This is the beginning of the end. For all of you.”
Just then there was the sound of gunfire. Then an alarm went off. Hatch pushed the button on his sleeve to activate his radio. “What’s going on?”
“Admiral-General, we are under attack.”
“By whom?”
“The Tuvaluan rebels.”
“The Tuvaluan rebels are dead!”
“I don’t think they got the memo,” the voice came back. “They’ve taken out the power, and they’ve breached the gates. The outer guards have fallen.”
“All guards to posts!” Hatch shouted. “You too,” he said to his guards, “after we end them all. Execute the Veys. Fire.”
Before the guards could fire, lightning struck them all, blowing their guns into the air. Hatch thought it was a result of the rat bowl above them. “Turn that thing off,” he shouted.
Suddenly a brilliant lightning ball floating about twenty feet in the air began to fill the room. It started as a small, basketball-size orb, then grew in size and brilliance until it was more than twelve feet across. Then, as it started to descend, the light began to dissipate, leaving a human form. The figure’s head was lowered, but when he raised it, his gaze was solidly on Hatch.
“It’s my Michael,” Taylor said. “He’s back.”
50
Pleading for Mercy
“Michael Vey,” Hatch said. “What’s with all you people being dead, then not being dead? Can’t you just stay dead?”
Michael shook his head. “No.”
“I’m not surprised. I always knew you’d be back. As the dog returns to his vomit.”
“That’s an appropriate metaphor,” Michael said, stepping toward him. He looked at Hatch with dark, electric eyes.
“Zara, stop him!” Hatch shouted.
Zara suddenly rose into the air, her hands raised in front of her. “You’re going to die, Vey,” she shouted.
“I already have,” Michael said. “You want my power
? Take it.”
Suddenly there was a massive exchange of energy between them, and Zara looked like an electric transformer hit by lightning. She screamed, then fell to the ground. Her hair and clothes were on fire, and her skin had turned black as ash.
“She probably shouldn’t have done that,” Michael said. He turned back to Hatch. “It’s over, Hatch. It’s time to pay for all you’ve done.”
“For all I’ve done?” Hatch said. “For all I’ve done? I’ve advanced humanity, is what I’ve done. I’ve advanced science! Look at you. You’re nothing more than a science experiment gone wrong.”
Michael looked at Hatch without blinking. “You have no idea how wrong.”
Hatch turned to his guards, who had all picked up their guns. “Fire! Kill all of them!”
Michael turned and looked at the guards, lifting his hand so his palm was open to them. “I’m giving you a chance to put down your weapons and surrender. I’m offering you mercy.” Michael spread apart his fingers, and an oscillating blue-gold bubble surrounded him and the others.
“Now!” Hatch screamed. “Shoot them, now!”
Suddenly the room erupted with the popping of automatic weapon fire and the sound of bullets ripping through the air. But louder than the gunfire was the syncopated beat of an electrical buzz as Michael’s aura disintegrated the bullets, like moths flying into a bug zapper. Or more like a comet flying into the sun. Taylor thought Michael looked almost bored with the exercise. Then the bullets began tapering off as the guns ran out of ammunition.
“Keep firing!” Hatch shouted.
Michael looked at him quizzically. “Why?” He stepped closer to Hatch. “Only a fool thinks he can keep doing the same thing and get different results.” He looked at the guards and shook his head. “I offered you mercy, and you tried to kill us. So now I offer you justice.” Michael slightly bowed his head and pulsed. A powerful blue wave that sizzled as it bent the air shot out from him. The guards disintegrated faster than their bullets had, leaving on the ground glowing molten puddles of metal, all that was left of their guns.
Next he held up his hand and the RESATs all blew. Everyone breathed out in relief. The Electroclan’s power was back.