carefully packing the orchid crosses one by one in the cubes, preserving them in the hope they might thrive in a new world. Ms. Moore knew then that she wasn’t going to Cross with the rest of them, that she would stay with Jonathan on The Property, waiting, hoping for a miracle: that Indigo was still alive. Both she and Rachel had known that day that if he was still alive, he wouldn’t be for long.
“Two is enough.” Rachel tried to keep her voice from shaking. She checked the fluid levels in the two cubes her mother held. Still plenty of nutrient solution in both. “Two will be enough for me to propagate more.” She watched as Vivian placed them on the table. The tiny green plants inside the cubes glowed with life.
Rachel took it as a good sign. Maybe things here would be what Indigo had thought they could be. Maybe they could start again, find a way to make a life together. She let her gaze linger on the cubes a moment more. She’d have to find them light—they couldn’t live long in the cave.
“Let’s go.” Pathik waited at the door.
Rachel gave Vivian a hug and turned to join him. They stepped through the unit door and stood outside a moment, scanning the cavern.
“Where to?” Rachel was glad the units weren’t in the middle of the cave. There were enough eyes on them as it was—she felt like shrinking before the stares from people nearby.
“We were hoping you might get to come out for a while!” Hannah appeared from nowhere, Tom right behind her, both of them beaming. “We can show you around some more, if you’d like.”
Pathik glanced at Rachel, then withdrew his hand from his knife as surreptitiously as he could. “That would be . . . nice.” He didn’t sound like he thought it would be nice at all.
Chapter 8
A ll the living spaces are along the perimeter of the cave. You’re in one of the newer sections, where they’re all rock. Over there,” Hannah pointed across the vast space of the cavern, “are the older ones, from the beginning.”
Rachel and Pathik could see wood-framed structures like the room they called the office, built lean-to style along the perimeter of the far wall.
“The beginning?” Rachel stayed close to Pathik as they followed Hannah and Tom on the tour.
“Way back, when the bombs fell.” Tom shrugged. “They didn’t have talent, those first survivors, so they couldn’t make them the way the new ones are made. Although with Keith gone, we may have to go back to—” He didn’t finish. “Most of the people left out here died from the radiation in the beginning. Was it the same for you?”
Pathik nodded. “Most of the people Away died, too. For a long time, no babies survived. When they did, they usually had a gift. Now, most of us do.”
“ Most of you.” Tom frowned. “I think at first we only had some people with talent, but now it’s everyone. Everyone has something, even if it’s just pinging.” He gave Hannah a sly glance, which she made a great show of ignoring. “I wonder what the difference is?”
“Don’t know.” Pathik was scanning everything they passed as they walked, trying to memorize all the details. He kept an eye out for exits, but didn’t see any.
“Maybe honers?” Rachel had been wondering about the difference herself. “Like Sarah said in the office. I don’t think there were any honers Away, were there Pathik?”
Pathik shook his head. “Nothing like here. We would practice on our focus in Usage, get better at our gifts that way, but it sounds like honers can do more than that.”
“They can.” Tom grinned. “Before I was honed I didn’t really understand what I was getting from people—with my talent, I mean. I knew I felt different around someone who was healthy than I did around someone who wasn’t, but I couldn’t tell what it was that made me feel that way. I didn’t know how to read what I was feeling. A honer can narrow it down for you, teach you how to work with what you’ve
“Two is enough.” Rachel tried to keep her voice from shaking. She checked the fluid levels in the two cubes her mother held. Still plenty of nutrient solution in both. “Two will be enough for me to propagate more.” She watched as Vivian placed them on the table. The tiny green plants inside the cubes glowed with life.
Rachel took it as a good sign. Maybe things here would be what Indigo had thought they could be. Maybe they could start again, find a way to make a life together. She let her gaze linger on the cubes a moment more. She’d have to find them light—they couldn’t live long in the cave.
“Let’s go.” Pathik waited at the door.
Rachel gave Vivian a hug and turned to join him. They stepped through the unit door and stood outside a moment, scanning the cavern.
“Where to?” Rachel was glad the units weren’t in the middle of the cave. There were enough eyes on them as it was—she felt like shrinking before the stares from people nearby.
“We were hoping you might get to come out for a while!” Hannah appeared from nowhere, Tom right behind her, both of them beaming. “We can show you around some more, if you’d like.”
Pathik glanced at Rachel, then withdrew his hand from his knife as surreptitiously as he could. “That would be . . . nice.” He didn’t sound like he thought it would be nice at all.
Chapter 8
A ll the living spaces are along the perimeter of the cave. You’re in one of the newer sections, where they’re all rock. Over there,” Hannah pointed across the vast space of the cavern, “are the older ones, from the beginning.”
Rachel and Pathik could see wood-framed structures like the room they called the office, built lean-to style along the perimeter of the far wall.
“The beginning?” Rachel stayed close to Pathik as they followed Hannah and Tom on the tour.
“Way back, when the bombs fell.” Tom shrugged. “They didn’t have talent, those first survivors, so they couldn’t make them the way the new ones are made. Although with Keith gone, we may have to go back to—” He didn’t finish. “Most of the people left out here died from the radiation in the beginning. Was it the same for you?”
Pathik nodded. “Most of the people Away died, too. For a long time, no babies survived. When they did, they usually had a gift. Now, most of us do.”
“ Most of you.” Tom frowned. “I think at first we only had some people with talent, but now it’s everyone. Everyone has something, even if it’s just pinging.” He gave Hannah a sly glance, which she made a great show of ignoring. “I wonder what the difference is?”
“Don’t know.” Pathik was scanning everything they passed as they walked, trying to memorize all the details. He kept an eye out for exits, but didn’t see any.
“Maybe honers?” Rachel had been wondering about the difference herself. “Like Sarah said in the office. I don’t think there were any honers Away, were there Pathik?”
Pathik shook his head. “Nothing like here. We would practice on our focus in Usage, get better at our gifts that way, but it sounds like honers can do more than that.”
“They can.” Tom grinned. “Before I was honed I didn’t really understand what I was getting from people—with my talent, I mean. I knew I felt different around someone who was healthy than I did around someone who wasn’t, but I couldn’t tell what it was that made me feel that way. I didn’t know how to read what I was feeling. A honer can narrow it down for you, teach you how to work with what you’ve
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