Impact Velocity (The Physics of Falling) Read online

  Abenez felt like an avalanche above my head, poised to fall on me at the slightest mistake.

  iv39

  We stood around the center console, strategizing.

  “Our options are severely limited now,” Jonathan said.

  I turned to him, curious. “What options did you have before that you don’t have now?”

  “I had hoped to use you, in your position as regent, to play on your sympathies for your son.”

  I glared at him. “You intended to use Owen as a hostage.”

  Dawes stiffened. “Owen is my son and I—”

  “Not a hostage,” Jonathan interrupted, blunting the moment in which I would have lashed out at Dawes for claiming my child, again, “but I intended to appeal to your feelings as a father.” He examined me for some time. “I think it would have worked, had you still been in power.”

  I looked away, frustrated and ashamed that I was not still in power, that he couldn’t simply offer me my son in exchange for protection. How much easier that would have been. I glanced around the table at this strange combination of people who somehow had the same goal.

  “What do you think, Prince Jacob?” Naganika said. Dawes looked pensive.

  “A simple power grab would never work. It would be nothing more than infighting among the nobles. We’re on the losing side there. No matter what the nobility thinks of any of us, they’re set in their ways, and will follow the one with power rather than think for themselves.”

  It was on the tip of my tongue to protest but it struck me as amusing that Dawes would use the same phrasing to criticize the nobles that Laudley had used to disdain the common people.

  “Then what do you suggest?” I asked.

  “Everyone else.”

  I stood there, waiting for clarification. Jonathan wore a faint smile.

  “Everyone else,” Dawes repeated. “This isn’t about the nobility, or even the throne anymore. This is a coup by a man who has taken powerful and precious hostages to secure the throne for himself. The solution isn’t within that power structure anymore. We can’t fight the status quo with the status quo. It’s time to turn to the most powerful force in the empire.”

  I stared at him. Did he think he would take control of the ISS somehow?

  “Everyone else,” Jonathan answered.

  That made no sense, yet others around me seemed to understand him. “Not the nobles,” Dawes explained. “All the rest of us. The high class, the middle, low, and unclass. The real power in the empire lies with the people. They just don’t know that yet.”

  I glared at him, angry and betrayed. “You mean to destabilize the very empire you claim to fight for?”

  “No,” Dawes said, striding toward me, his voice steady and hard. “I mean to take back the empire that serves and protects all these people. And I mean to use the people to do it.”

  I refuse to speak to that Lord Whatever His Name Is again

  You’re the emperor’s consort now. Confront him directly and he will have to stop being such an ass or expect retribution from me.

  Couldn’t you just skip straight to the retribution and leave me out of it?

  I won’t always be here to take care of you.

  iv40

  Do you mind explaining what you mean, Jake?” Jonathan said, glancing subtly at Blaine. I grinned at him, but the smile faded.

  “I never wanted to lead anyone. I wanted to marry the man I loved and go on with our lives. But I fell in love with the emperor and that changed everything.”

  I stepped closer to him, as if pretending this were a conversation just between us would make it easier to explain. “He tried to make me understand what a powerful symbol I was, how much I could accomplish merely by taking a stand and giving others a rallying point, and hope.” I chuckled sickly. “Pete was right, and I knew that, even though I never wanted to admit it. But now I intend to use it.” I looked up at Naganika. “Can we broadcast from here?”

  His eyebrows climbed. “You mean, to the empire?”

  “Yes, the way The Patriot did.” It went very still around us and several people cut glances at Blaine before looking quickly away.

  Naganika nodded slowly. “It could be arranged. I’d need a few hours. Maybe a day.”

  I nodded. “That’s fine, because I don’t know what I’m going to say yet.” My face was heating, but the others’ expressions were more encouraging than mocking. “In the meantime, I have something Laudley won’t expect.” They all turned to me and waited. Blaine had a funny look on his face. “The blinders,” I continued. Jonathan’s mouth thinned. He knew what I was talking about. He glanced around the console at the people gathered there. Not just Blaine and Naganika, but Lady Chou and a man with her I didn’t know. Yes, I was taking a big risk and I knew it. But it was the time for risks.

  “I beg your pardon?” Naganika said.

  “They’re called blinders, but they’re really just disguises. Advanced camouflage devices.”

  Blaine scoffed. “An ISS team will have scanners sophisticated enough that they won’t be fooled by your camouflage devices.”

  “No,” I said, “that’s what you don’t understand.” I glanced at Jonathan. “These technically don’t exist. That’s why Jonathan doesn’t want me to talk about them. They’re an official Imperial secret, available only to the Family. These don’t just project a hologram, they fool the sensors into seeing the bone structure, flesh, and fat to fit your false image. They won’t see past it. They’ll see what you want seen.”

  There was a long silence.

  “Yes,” Naganika said quietly, “I can see why that is kept secret.”

  Even Blaine looked like he thought I shouldn’t have said anything. “We have some with us,” I went on, ignoring the glares. “Jonathan brought them from the safehouse. We can use them as templates to create more.”

  “Jacob,” Jonathan said, a quiet warning in his tone.

  “No, listen,” I said, “I know this is a big gamble. But the fact is that we’re at a huge disadvantage, and I’m not talking about some nebulous ‘our side.’ I’m talking about the imperial heir herself. My daughter.” I turned to Blaine. “Owen. This is how we protect the Family, by beating those who have the children.” I looked around at all of them. “Isn’t that the point of the devices?”

  No one answered. “That’s not the only purpose I have for them, though. I examined much of the tech found on the safehouse transport and I think I can combine a small shield into the projection. Not enough to stop an army, but one that should hinder a bullet or beam while you get the hell out of the way. These shields won’t make you bulletproof, but they’ll give you breathing room and an extra level of protection while you get away.”

  “All right,” Jonathan said, “now that you’ve told all of us about these Top Secret devices, do you mind explaining why?”

  “I don’t intend to just send a broadcast and then leave the people to fight alone. I intend to go out there, be with them. I can be that symbol and rallying point not just from afar, but right there among them.”

  Blaine raised a brow. “And make it very easy for the ISS to simply swoop in and collect you.”

  I gave him a mischievous look. “That’s the point of the blinders. I can be in several places at once.” A dawning look of understanding lit Naganika’s face. I could tell Jonathan had guessed my purpose already. “I would need volunteers. I can modify the blinders to provide some protection, but there are still plenty of ways the wearer can get hurt, and it won’t do anything to prevent capture. Though turning it off would be a simple solution for anyone but me.”

  “Then you want volunteers to...” Jonathan prompted.

  “I want to broadcast a call to action, to challenge everyone who loves the empire to come together in force in all the major cities all over the empire. I’d like for some people to
volunteer to go to some of the bigger cities wearing the blinders. I’ll go too, I just won’t need a disguise. I don’t intend to lie about the fact that they aren’t all me, once that becomes apparent, but if I’m going to make myself a symbol, even my doppelganger will be a powerful rallying force for the people who take the risk of standing up to take back the empire.”

  “Take back the empire?” Blaine’s voice held an edge of danger. “What exactly are you proposing? A revolution?”

  “No. I mean to take it back from the man who stole it from the rightful emperor and his heir.” There was a long silence in which Blaine and I locked eyes, both of us aware that I could be referring to him, though we both knew I wasn’t.

  “I mean to publicly denounce Laudley and expose his crimes, and call the people to band together and act.” I looked around at all the faces. “He has Molly. She’s the heir and everyone knows it. I’m not asking anyone to do anything but support the legitimate ruler of the empire, and pull down the traitor who assassinated Pete.”

  “You probably shouldn’t call him that in the broadcasts or no one will know who you’re talking about,” Naganika said, the faintest sarcasm in his voice but a grin of pure delight on his face. “This is the sort of catalyst we’ve been looking for. We always planned to leverage the power of the common classes to oppose Laudley. We were missing a way to light the fire, and make people angry and brave enough to act.”

  I spread my arms. “Here I am. I’ve always been good at making people angry.”

  He grinned. “Here you are, indeed.”

  I forgot to tell you, Chuck would like to come for a visit, if that’s all right?

  It’s always all right.

  Perks of being friends with the emperor’s husband, right?

  Perks of being the friend of Prince Jacob.

  Same thing.

  It may not always be.

  What does that mean?

  iv41

  Naganika introduced me to a young man named Jesus. “He’s our techie. If anyone can help you adapt and build your devices, it’s him.”

  “I’ve never met anyone named Jesus,” I said to the man. “I thought that name went out of favor after the Religious Wars.”

  He grinned at me. “My mother was always a bit of a rebel.”

  Naganika patted him on the shoulder. “I have to get back to the palace,” he said to me. “I’m on important official business right now,” his mouth quirked with irony, “but I’ll be expected back soon.”

  I nodded and turned away, but his voice stopped me. “Prince Jacob,” he began, oddly hesitant.

  “Jacob will do.”

  He quirked an odd smile. “I don’t think it will, actually.” I stifled a laugh and decided not to point out the paradox of ignoring my request even as he acknowledged me as his superior. “May I speak to you before I go?”

  I nodded an apology to Jesus and followed Naganika from the room. There were very few people in the hallway and he led me to a nearby offshoot that showed no sign of use. “My alias means ‘That George.’”

  “I beg your pardon?”

  He huffed a laugh at himself. “I wanted to explain myself to you.”

  I frowned. “Why?”

  His smile was halfhearted. “Because the emperor is dead.” I waited, but he seemed to believe that explained it. He smiled weakly. “You know that I’m just one of many sons of the king of Carolis.”

  I nodded.

  “Perhaps you don’t know, but I was also a twin. I had an identical twin brother who died when we were seventeen.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  Naganika nodded acknowledgment. “Thank you. But the real tragedy of it is, he and I were never close. We were both too competitive. Fought constantly.” He shrugged. “For some reason, known only to them, my parents named us both George.” He grinned, a twinkle in his eye, though I got the distinct impression that the emotion was an impressive lie rather than true amusement.

  “We went by our middle names, naturally, but when we were still young, a cousin of ours thought to be clever and began calling us This George and That George.”

  “Which were you?”

  “This,” Naganika replied. He smiled at me. “Per normal for us, my brother took that as a slight. You see, ‘this’ implies the preferred or selected option and ‘that’ becomes the alternative, or even the discard. I used to call him That when I wanted to make him angry.” His smile turned sheepish. “In any case, he died and I took it very hard. You never know what you have until it’s gone, as they say.”

  “They,” I said, “are often morons.”

  His grin spread. “Indeed. But I was seventeen and he was my brother, after all. So I asked them to put ‘This George’ on his memorial stone. And I took ‘That George’ as my alias when my life took a turn that required me to have one.” He shrugged. “Because I’m the ‘that’ after all, the one left over.” He pursed his lips, a faint blush rising. “I’ve never told anyone that before.”

  “Why did you?”

  His grin was faltering. “I’m still not completely sure. I think I wanted you to know about him, because of his stance on you.”

  I raised an eyebrow. “Which was what?”

  “Not much, honestly, until the rebellion in Wildflower Hill.”

  The name sent a cold shiver down my back, but I steeled myself and nodded. “You would have been, what, fifteen or sixteen when it was razed?”

  “Seventeen,” he replied. “I expressed...a negative opinion of you, so naturally my brother took your side. I thought you deserved your exile—honestly, I thought you deserved the execution—and I said so, and argued that with him more than once.”

  “He didn’t agree?” My tone of skepticism wasn’t lost on him. He snorted.

  “No. Though, as he’d expressed no populist sentiments before that, I can’t say how much was genuine opinion versus one he came to hold because he kept arguing it with me.”

  “Maybe he never really held that opinion at all. You don’t have to believe something to argue in favor of it.” I made myself smile. “I’d be surprised if anyone on Carolis had a positive opinion of me back then.”

  He laughed. “True. But I think he did believe you were in the right, eventually, at least.” He shrugged but there was a heaviness to it that belied the gesture. “It was one of the last things we said to each other, before his accident. Just another stupid argument about the unclass and the emperor and you.”

  He met my eye even though he looked embarrassed. “It stuck with me. I had a lot of guilt over his death and the relationship we had. Or didn’t have, I suppose. I found myself picking up some of his causes,” he chuckled, “even when they were directly contradictory to the ones I chose to take up for myself.” He paused, taking a deep breath. “I started UpClass for him.”

  I wasn’t sure what to say to that. He laughed at himself.

  “Sounds a bit like a split personality, doesn’t it? That should be comforting, knowing your safety is largely in the hands of a lunatic.”

  I shrugged, turning away. “I think we’re all a little bit crazy, Lord Naganika. Anyone who would choose to get involved in imperial politics probably is. You’d have to be to survive it.” A heavy stillness crept over me. “Which is probably why Pete is dead and we’re still alive.”

  Before he could reply, I looked away. “Have a safe trip, Lord Naganika.”

  “George,” he said quietly.

  I looked back, confused. “I thought you didn’t go by that name?”

  His smile flickered and died quickly. “I do now.”

  ***

  I rejoined Jesus and together we worked out how to alter the blinders to add a level of shielding as well.

  “If you don’t want the tech getting out,” he suggested, “we could rig them so that once they’re turned off they self-
destruct. It might limit their effectiveness, but no one would be able to copy the design if they got their hands on one.”

  “That’s a very good idea. Would it take long to add to the design?”

  “Nah,” he said and froze, blushing a hot red. “I mean, no, Your Highness.”

  I laughed. “Don’t worry. I don’t care.” I took a deep breath, fighting the pain of memories. Of Pete when we’d first met. All the times I kept forgetting to speak to him as an emperor. All the times he laughed and told me he loved it when I did that. I shook my head. There was no time for my grief.

  “Where are you from?” I asked Jesus.

  “Here.” At my look of shock he said, “Well, one of the low class neighborhoods of the city. La Puerta.” He gave me a funny look. “I may not be unclass, but I believe in the cause.”

  I stared at him and laughed in shock. “I don’t think I have ever heard anyone apologize for not being unclass.”

  He made a soft sound of amusement. “A lot of things are different now than they were just a few years ago. You changed things.”

  “I think the emperor changed things, really.”

  He shrugged. “Sure. He married you, didn’t he?”

  “It wasn’t just that—”

  “No, I know.” He blushed again at having interrupted me. “I just mean that it’s a good example of how he thought differently than emperors before. But mostly I think... Well, I don’t know. It just sounded wrong when you brushed off your own contributions. You did good things. Both of you.” We worked a bit longer in a somewhat uncomfortable silence. “The number of new recruits in the Resistance tripled in the two days following his death.” He looked at me sheepishly. “I don’t know if you think that’s disloyal to the empire, or anything.”

  I laughed. “Considering where I am and what I’m doing? No, I don’t think it’s disloyal at all.” We both went quiet. “Pete wouldn’t think so either.”