Across the Universe

48 ELDER

“TWINKLE, TWINKLE, LITTLE BAT. HOW I WONDER WHAT you’re at.”

“Pardon?” I ask, smiling.

“Just a text from Sol-Earth,” Orion says, turning back to the floppy in his hand.

I didn’t expect to see Orion in the Ward’s common room again, but I’m glad he’s here. A friendly face. Harley commed me yesterday to say he took my shift in the cryo level. I’ve been stuck with Eldest most of the day.

“Have you see Harley or Amy?”

Orion shakes his head.

“What are you doing here, anyway? I thought you didn’t want Eldest or Doc to see you.”

Orion laughs. “Oh, no worries. They’re both quite busy, I’m sure.” I almost think he’s trying to tell me something secret with his eyes, but whatever it is, I can’t figure it out. Sighing, Orion turns back to his floppy. “These Sol-Earth texts are just so fascinating.” He taps on the screen, flipping through different texts.

“You should be careful. If Eldest finds out you gave Victria a Sol-Earth book… You’re a Recorder. You know the Sol-Earth books aren’t supposed to leave the Recorder Hall and aren’t meant to be seen by Feeders.” I try to peer over his shoulder to see what he’s reading. “What is that?”

Orion holds the floppy out to me, and I see a line drawing of a winged man with three faces. “It’s a story about hell. The bottom layer’s all ice.”

I’m not looking at the floppy anymore — I’m looking at Orion.

“Oh — access?” he says. “Don’t worry. I have access.”

Something about the casual way he speaks of access makes me pause. “What do you know?” I ask, my voice low so the others in the common room can’t hear. Orion’s the one who showed me the blueprints that led me to Amy. Now he’s talking about hellish ice.

Orion stands. Too close. I take a step back, but he leans in next to my face. “What do you know?” he asks. “Do you know you have a friend in me?”