The Remnant

A brief tension pressed Adam’s jaw forward, then he was calm again. Unreadable.

I swallowed. “He’s dangerous, Ise.”

Isaiah regarded me mildly. “He’s learning. And I thought you believed in second chances.”

“This is my chance to learn from our mistake: send him away.”

“Get in the airlock, little bird.”

My lips went numb. “No.” My voice was pathetically quiet.

Adam looked from me to Isaiah, eyes wide, but said nothing.

“Don’t make me threaten you,” said Isaiah. “It’s bad for our friendship.”

I wet my lips, unsure of myself, of everything. Except this. “Take my hand, Isaiah. I need you to understand me. I’m not doing this mission if Adam’s a part of it. And if you know me at all, you know this: you can’t make me.”

“I’ll go,” said Marcela.

We looked at her. My hand was still tightly wound around Isaiah’s.

She spoke again. “You need two people. I’ll do it.”

I took a breath and tried to think, but the airlock lay beside me like a grave. If we were trying to stop the Asian Commander, or whoever it was, from blowing a hole in the Remnant, Adam was nothing but a liability. To everyone. Whether or not I was there. I had to stop him from getting on the hopper.

“It should be me,” I said softly.

“I agree,” said Isaiah.

“Well,” said Marcela. “That’s settled, then.”

“But I… I have demands.”

Isaiah raised his eyebrows. “Demands. You. That’s cute.”

“I mean, yeah. You can’t just expect me to—”

“No, no. It’s fine.” He straightened up and nodded his head, like we were playing some kind of game together. “I’m actually curious about this. Let’s hear these demands.”

I took a breath. “Okay. All right. First, no Adam.”

“Noted.”

“And I want citizenship.”

“In the Remnant? You got it. Matter of fact, none of this is gonna work out otherwise.” He slung an arm over the top of the hatch.

“No. I mean, yes. The Remnant. But for my whole family. Not just me. I know you have my brother.”

Isaiah froze, his hand still on the door of the hatch, his chin slightly out.

“West Turner,” I said. “I know you know that’s my brother, Ise.”

He exhaled. “I thought this might come up.”

I made my voice firm. “Permanent, irrevocable citizenship for me, my dad, and my brother.”

“Actions have consequences.” He gave me a frustrated look. “For most people, anyway. I’m trying to build something here.”

“And a full pardon for all of us.”

“Oh, is that all?”

“No stealing.”

He tilted his head to one side. “No stealing unless you agree to it.”

I rolled my eyes. “Okay. Good luck with that. Also, no lying to me.”

“No deal,” he said flatly.

I looked up at him, surprised. “Fine. Then that one goes both ways.”

“Whatever you gotta do,” he said calmly. “That about cover it?”

I steeled myself. “No Adam. That one’s non-negotiable.”

He looked at me in stony silence.

“It can’t be done without Adam,” said Marcela. She sounded like she was suppressing some kind of incredulous laugh.

Let her laugh, I thought. She’s not the one I need to convince. I thought of the dead guards from my last mission, but I could no longer find their faces in my memory. All I could see was Adam, and the look in his eyes as he stepped over their bodies.

When I spoke again, there was iron in my voice. “You have to choose, Ise. Him or me.”

“You can’t do that,” said Adam. “I’m a part of this. You can’t—”

“You,” Isaiah said simply.

They looked at him in shock.

“You’re dismissed, Adam,” said Isaiah, without turning his head. “Thank you for your service.”

There was a tense moment, then a dark look came over Adam’s face. But instead of putting up a fight, he turned soundlessly and left the room. We watched him go.

“Okay. I think that’s everything.”

I made a move toward the hatch, but Isaiah blocked my way.