Bennett redirected to the right, moving around the side of the lift to an emergency staircase. He went down first, sweeping the area with his gun. “Clear.”

  “Irony? What does that mean?” Isaac said.

  “This is temporary housing for the Proxima Civilian Council,” Rico said. “You’re as close to the planetary government as anyone gets. But apparently none of the freedoms apply to you despite your legal right to citizenship.” She rolled her eyes.

  “And they say clones get the short end of the stick,” Bennett said.

  “The Council brought you here to make you disappear,” Rico added. “And somebody wants you dead.”

  The stairwell echoed as one of the doors opened beneath them. Bennett pulled up, stopping them and retreating as bullets began hitting the wall ahead of him.

  “Somebody really wants you dead,” he said. “We need another way out.”

  13

  Isaac

  “Rooftop,” Rico said. “I’ll take point.”

  She reversed course, leading Isaac and Bennett back up the steps. They didn’t re-emerge onto the same floor as Isaac’s apartment—the thirtieth—instead continuing to climb. Isaac heard the footsteps behind them as they charged up the stairs, fighting to stay ahead of the soldiers.

  “Rico, this is Haeri,” the General said, his voice cutting into their comm connection. “We’ve been compromised.”

  “I’m aware of that, sir,” Rico replied. “How?”

  “Unknown. Sitrep.”

  “We’ve got the package in our possession, but evacuation is proving challenging. We’re headed for the rooftop.”

  “I’ll arrange assistance.”

  “Sir, do they know you’re involved?”

  “Also unknown. I’m monitoring the situation. Your mission is the priority.”

  “Roger.”

  They continued climbing, reaching the fortieth floor.

  “How many floors does this building have?” Isaac asked. He was starting to get a little winded, while Rico and Bennett seemed completely unfazed.

  “Forty-two,” Rico replied. “We’re almost there.”

  They reached the forty-second floor, ascending the last row of steps to the door leading out onto the rooftop. Rico pushed it open and fell back. She grabbed Isaac’s arm, pulling him with her as a barrage of gunfire erupted into the doorway. The bullets tore into the walls and door, nearly shredding it to pieces as they rolled down the steps together, coming to a stop at Bennett’s feet.

  Bennett crouched over them, ready to shoot at the first person to step through the splintered door.

  “Isaac, are you okay?” Rico asked.

  “Pozz,” Isaac replied. “You?”

  “Nothing serious.” Rico pulled herself up. Isaac noticed blood running down her bodysuit from her arm.

  Nothing serious?

  “They’re going to wait for the team on the stairs to catch up,” Bennett said. “We can’t stay here.”

  “We can’t go up there,” Isaac said. “It’s suicide.”

  “We try to lose them on this floor,” Bennet said. “Circle back to the stairs and go down.”

  “No time,” Rico replied. “We have to go up and out. I’ll get their attention.”

  She took a step toward the roof. Bennett grabbed her arm. “No. I’ll do it,” he said. “Sheriff Duke trusts you.”

  “We’re going back to Earth?” Isaac said.

  Rico nodded. “That’s the plan. If we can get to the hangar.”

  She stared at Bennett. There was something in her eyes Isaac didn’t expect. A strange mix of sadness and relief. Who was this soldier to her?

  “You’re up,” she said to Bennett.

  “Roger that.” He started up the steps, staying close to the side. “Get ready.”

  A sudden whine sounded from outside, followed by the rapid-fire thumping of a machine gun. Isaac expected to see Bennett get thrown backward by the sudden massive attack. Instead, he started waving them up.

  They rushed to the top of the steps and out onto the rooftop. The enemy soldiers were all down, a small, armed drone floating in the space between the roof and what looked like another ceiling. Smoke was pouring from the cannon mounted to its snubbed nose.

  “You’re clear,” a new voice said through their comm.

  “Thanks, Able,” Rico replied.

  “You don’t have a lot of time. Security drones are on the way.”

  “Roger. So are the other soldiers.” Rico glanced at Bennett and then Isaac. Her face was tight with pain, her arm still bleeding. She pointed toward another nearby rooftop. It seemed to Isaac that the buildings were all identical in height. “Over two blocks and down. Able, can you keep them from closing the seals?”

  “Working on it,” Able said.

  “Let’s go.”

  Rico guided them across the rooftop at a sprint. She didn’t slow as she neared the edge of the building, gathering herself and jumping. She landed smoothly a few meters away, tucking her shoulder and rolling back to her feet.

  “Don’t look down,” Bennett said.

  Isaac could tell there was a gap between the rooftops. He didn’t love the idea of jumping, but he knew they didn’t have a choice. He leaped, glancing down as he passed over the gap. He came down feet-first, stumbling. Rico caught him.

  “You should have rolled,” she said.

  “Next time,” he replied.

  Bennett joined them. They charged across the rooftop toward another building.

  A buzzing noise quickly intensified in volume. They were halfway across the rooftop when a trio of blue and white drones with flashing lights mounted to the tops cleared the edge of the building ahead.

  “Stop. Put your hands up.”

  The voice was deep and tinny through the drones’ loudspeakers.

  Isaac began to slow.

  Rico and Bennett didn’t.

  They raised their pistols and started to shoot. The drones reacted immediately to the threat, firing back and taking evasive action. Too slow. The rounds ripped into the machines, shredding through delicate parts and sending them crashing downward, trailing smoke as they vanished from sight.

  Rico made the edge of the building first, leaping the gap to the next. Isaac picked up the pace again. He hit the edge of the rooftop and pushed off, launching through the air. He was halfway across when he realized he didn’t have enough speed and wasn’t going to make it.

  A rapid heartbeat later, a strong arm wrapped around him, grabbing him in mid-air. Bennett flew easily over the gap holding Isaac, and they landed roughly on the other side, tumbling to a stop.

  Isaac clenched his teeth, his ribs twinging from the landing.

  Bennett hopped back up, holding out his hand. “Come on.”

  Isaac took it, and Bennett pulled him back up.

  “You’re hit,” Isaac said, noticing the three small darts implanted in Bennett’s shoulder and chest.

  “Stun rounds,” Bennett replied. “Put a charge in me.” Isaac could see his smile through his helmet visor. “Civilian law enforcement isn’t equipped to handle clones.”

  “Less chatter, more running,” Rico said. “Ike, you okay?”

  “Pozz,” Isaac replied. “It’s only my pride that’s hurt.”

  “Don’t compare yourself to us. You did great.”

  “For a normal human, right?”

  “You did great,” Rico repeated. “Come on.”

  They made it to the building’s emergency stairs. Rico swiped her wrist over the control pad. A red LED flashed.

  “Shit,” Rico said. “Able, do you copy? My chip’s dead.”

  There was no response.

  “I’ve got it,” Bennett said, swiping his wrist over the panel. The LED flashed green. “They haven’t figured out yet whose ID I’m using.”

  “They will now,” Rico replied.

  “Too late.” He pushed open the door. “Ladies first.”

  Rico smirked and headed into the stairwell. Isaac went in behind her, with Bennett taking the rear. They bounded down the steps two and three at a time, rushing to the fortieth floor. Rico led them out of the stairs and across to the lift, tapping on the control pad. It left them static in the hallway while they waited for the cab to arrive.

  “What is this place?” Isaac asked.

  “The main hold of the Dove,” Rico replied.

  Isaac recognized the name. “The Dove? You mean the generation ship?”

  “That’s the one.”

  “This is Metro?”

  “That’s right.”

  Isaac couldn’t believe it. He had heard people talking about the ships while he was stationed in Dugway. He knew they were putting cities inside them. He hadn’t realized he was in one of them now.

  The lift arrived, the doors sliding open. They piled in and started to descend.

  “The settlers who landed here used the blocks to build out Dome One,” Rico explained. “Everything in here now is a reproduction. There are nineteen blocks arranged in a square around the main congress. One for each of the ships that landed here.” She glanced at Bennett. “I expect opposition when we hit the ground. Good news is, we caused enough mayhem it’ll make it hard for any more assassins to come at us.”

  “What’s the bad news?” Isaac asked.

  “They’re going to send in the CSF,” Bennett replied. “We’ve got about four minutes to get clear of the hold before the cavalry arrives.”

  Isaac had a vague idea of the size of the space from the renderings he’d seen. “Is that possible?”

  “We’ll make it happen,” Rico said. “Bennett, stun rounds.”

  “Roger,” Bennett said. He cycled the round from the chamber and then slipped the magazine from his gun, replacing it with another one, this one marked with a square of green at the bottom.

  “Ike, don’t shoot anyone,” Rico said, swapping out her pistol’s magazine too.

  “Roger,” Isaac replied. “Don’t let me get shot.”

  “They’ll be firing stunners too. It’ll hurt, but you’ll live.”

  Isaac glanced at the counter for the lift. They were almost to the bottom.

  “Stay behind us,” Bennett said.

  The two clones moved in front of Isaac, guns raised and ready. The lift cab slowed to a stop as the counter hit zero.

  And the doors slid open...

  14

  Rico

  Rico’s eyes flashed over the lobby. The civilians had already cleared out, leaving two squads of law enforcement officers spread behind limited cover. Three behind the registration desk. Two behind a couch. Four more in a pair of doorways on either side of the room, and one standing front and center, ready to order them to stand down.

  Like that was going to happen.

  She felt terrible about shooting the law officers, but the stun rounds would only knock them down and keep them frozen for a few minutes, which would be enough time for them to make their escape.

  If they were able to escape.

  The whole mission had gone sideways. Someone else on the outside was playing games of their own and had nearly gotten to Isaac first. Able was unresponsive, Haeri had gone silent, and the Centurion Space Force was no doubt on its way. Would their special starship be there when they arrived?

  If they arrived.

  There was no time to question. No time to doubt. The lift doors finished sliding open. Bennett was already shooting. She didn’t need to communicate the objectives with him. She had worked with Bennett, her Bennett, long enough to know how he would approach the situation. She filled in the gaps, focusing on the two behind the couch. The lone officer in the center of the lobby was already falling to the floor, his body paralyzed by Bennett’s stun round.

  “Ike, stay behind Bennett!” she snapped, breaking to the left and firing at the officers behind the sofa. The good thing about the stunners was that they didn’t need to hit any specific part of a person to be effective. A hit to the shoulder was the same as a hit to the chest or even a toe.

  The officers saw her coming, and they redirected their attack toward her. She sprinted parallel to them, staying just ahead of their fire. She shot at them, the volume of her rounds ensuring she hit them. Both officers dropped from sight, temporarily frozen.

  Rico dropped the empty magazine from her pistol, quickly swapping it for her other stunner mag. She dived forward, sliding across the floor to get behind a table. Shots hit the table and ricocheted harmlessly away as she shifted to her knees, pivoting ninety degrees to wind up in a direct line with one of the officers. They stared at one another for a split-second. He tried to bring his gun to bear. Too slow. Rico squeezed the trigger; the officer shuddered and collapsed.

  “Clear,” Bennett announced through the comm.

  “Clear,” she repeated, getting back to her feet.

  A quick survey of the room showed all ten officers down. The last one she had shot was looking up at her, able to move his eyes but nothing else.

  “Sorry about this,” she said to him as she stepped over his prone body. “You’ll be okay.”

  They hurried out of the building and into the street. A rumble in the distance signaled the approach of a large vehicle. The CSF was closing in.

  “There,” she said, pointing to a pair of police scooters resting along the curb.

  “Rico!” Isaac cried. “Heads up.”

  Rico looked up. A pair of military drones zoomed overhead, slowing and banking to come back around.

  “Get on!”

  She hopped onto one of the scooters. Isaac mounted it behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist. She squeezed the throttle and the small transport shot forward, nearly causing Isaac to fall off.

  They raced along the main street, quickly clearing the square of buildings that boxed in the Proxima government, breaking into a large park. Walking paths crossed manicured lawns, fields of flowers and sections of trees, each a different species or group of species brought from Earth. Dirt had been brought into the hold to add gently sloping hills and create basins for freshwater ponds where ducks were preening themselves and ignoring the chaos to come.

  “Move!” Rico shouted, waving her arm at the civilians ahead of her. “Get out of the way!”

  They scattered as she drove the scooter onto one of the paths. A steady flow of people—the crowd was a mixed blessing—came from the stern end of the ship, back toward the checkpoint where she had entered an hour earlier. They would force the defenders to be more stingy with their shots.

  But it was also slowing them down.

  “We’ve got company,” Bennett said through the comm.

  Rico risked a glance back over her shoulder. The open space behind them had allowed the drones to descend into prime firing position. The CSF transport was visible further back, approaching from a divergent direction.

  “I can take them out,” Bennett said.

  “Negative. They might hit civilians on the way down.” Rico turned her eyes forward again, breaking off the trail and taking to the grass to better avoid the pedestrians. Moving further from the civilians would give the drones a clearer shot, but she didn’t want any of them getting hurt because of her.

  She sped up, pushing the throttle nearly to its limit. They couldn’t outrun the drones, but maybe they could outmaneuver them. She aimed the scooter toward a line of trees, zipping across the grass, Bennett hot on her tail. She started swerving left and right like she was in a slalom, avoiding a straight path to keep the drones from getting a lock.

  “Almost there,” she said, eying the trees ahead.

  The scooter hit an incline, rocketing up it and launching into the air, coming down hard enough to slip out from under she and Isaac. Rico barely managed to maintain control, planting her foot to keep them upright as they went down the other side and into the waiting trees.

  She glanced back. Bennett was right behind her. So was one of the drones. It entered the small patch of forest still on their tail. She weaved around the trunks, watching for raised roots as she threaded her way through the foliage.

  The drone behind them opened fire, the rattle of its guns echoing around them as bullets tore into the trees.

  “Shit!” Isaac cursed behind her.

  Rico guided the scooter hard to the left, getting it around a tree, which absorbed the rounds that would have otherwise chewed through them. She cut to the right, slamming on the brakes behind another large trunk. She could hear the shift in the drone’s thrusters as it slowed to circle in on her. She grabbed her pistol and leveled it where she believed the machine would emerge.

  The drone banked sideways around the the trunk, the wing becoming visible before the cannon could come to bear on them. Rico was ready for it. She emptied her magazine into the drone, the stunner rounds sending an overload of electricity through it. It sparked and hissed before dropping from the air.

  “Nice,” Isaac said.

  Rico smirked as she snapped the gun back to her hip. Grabbing the handlebars, she spun the scooter back toward the exit to the city. Bennett slowed to come even with her, and they burst from the treeline together, racing across the grass toward the large, open hatch leading into the corridors of the Dove. The path ahead was clear, the transport falling further behind.

  They were going to make it.

  A sharp scream sounded from somewhere above. Then the ground exploded in front of Rico, pummeling her with a sudden shower of debris and causing her to lose control of the scooter. She dropped it as gracefully as she could, the bodysuit and grass absorbing the impact as both she and Isaac slid to a stop.

  She pushed herself to her knees, finding Bennett on the ground a few meters away, also getting back to his feet. “Ike, are you okay?”

  “I’m getting a little tired of falling down,” he replied. “What the hell was that?”

  “I can’t believe they fired a rocket in here.”

  She stood up as the drone slowly descended in front of her, stopping at eye level.

  “Special Officer Rodriguez,” General Haeri said. “Put your hands over your head and wait for collection. You’re under arrest.”