From Avery’s journal
I didn’t want this mission in the first place.
I know that sounds whiny, and I am not trying to complain, but I need to find Acacia. I understand that we can’t spare any Agents for her; we’ve got our hands full trying to keep the Techs in line. I know that.
But she’s my little sister, damn it. She’s all I’ve got. Even now . . .
Damn him. And Josephine, too.
I didn’t want this mission, but I took it because it would put me into contact with Joseph Harker. From all I can tell, he’s the last person to have seen Acacia before she vanished. I wanted the chance to question him, at the very least, even if it wasn’t part of this specific job. I was supposed to be bringing the wayward Walker back to his correct timeline, but that proved more difficult than I thought.
Acacia shouldn’t have sent him to InterWorld’s End. That’s a point far in the future, so far it had no bearing on him. He had no business being there. Into the future, sure, off to a remote location where no one but the Techmaturges could have gotten to him . . . but my sister decided otherwise apparently.
Technically, it was Harker’s own future path. Thousands of years after his death, of course, but still on the same timeline. The MDLF showing up to bring him back through the future was unexpected, though I have to wonder if my sister hadn’t taken that into account. She spoke highly of him in her reports, though I have to admit I’m not overly impressed.
He’s rash, and he doesn’t follow directions. He doesn’t listen. I told him to leave Josephine behind, and instead he brought her onto the ship, compromising his entire mission. The HEX witch would have made her way on board, if I hadn’t acted. If I hadn’t killed her.
It wasn’t supposed to happen that way.
Damn this mission.
UNCORRECTED E-PROOF—NOT FOR SALE
HarperCollins Publishers
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IT DIDN’T HAPPEN IMMEDIATELY. To be perfectly honest, it was fairly anticlimactic. The threads faded, their broken ends sparking blue with electricity, flashing like little fireflies before they vanished. Josephine’s hands slowly relaxed where they’d gripped the edges of the cot. She took a breath, then another, and then she didn’t. The PLSS gave a pulse, made a sound kind of like dzzzt! and then a little green light on the transducer powered on.
“It’s working,” J/O said. He sounded timid, as though he was afraid to break the silence. I saw Jai look at Avery and nod. The Agent of TimeWatch nodded back, then looked down at Josephine’s body. He looked at her for a long moment, then turned and walked out without a word.
“Make sure it stays working,” I said. “As soon as we have enough power, give us a jump and get us moving.” J/O looked startled.
“I—I’ve never . . .”
“You can plug into the main console, can’t you?”
“Theoretically, but . . .”
“Then do that. It’s not like flying a jet or anything—you’re not gonna flip us. Just program the coordinates,” I said. He still looked uncertain, but I was already heading to the door. “Jo!”
She glanced up from the small throng of people still huddled around the bodies of the unmoving Walkers. I realized with a start that they’d brought them with us as we all trouped into the engine room—and then I realized I was going to have to figure out what to do with their bodies. We couldn’t just . . . keep them.
“Are they all dead?” I asked as she fell into step with me. I was surprised at the steadiness of my voice.
“Yes,” she said quietly.
“Who?”
“J’r’ohoho, Jenna, and Jerem.”
I took a breath, shoving it aside. I’d mourn them later. “Okay. Gather everyone to the mess for me.”
“Okay. Everyone?”
“Except J/O, he’s getting the ship online.” I paused, then reconsidered. “And Jai, leave him with J/O.” I was pretty sure that J/O was totally fine now, but all I had was Avery’s word for it . . . and speaking of words, he and I needed to have some.