Chapter Twenty-Three: Friends and Foes

After more than two weeks of silence, Kate was beginning to wane. She thought about talking to James following the first week. Keeping quiet was never her strong suit, and anyone can get antsy watching so time pass in silence.

But that was likely his plan, she thought. He knew the trip to Mars would take almost a month. She couldn’t leave or run away.

That’s when she remembered this was the reason she was sent here. Finding Lucas was ultimately what they wanted, but first they were supposed to find James. Sun predicted that he was on Mars. She thought either he was working with the Machinists and could lead Kate to Lucas, or he would know how to find them.

She was right. He did know.

And, Kate had been too distracted by her anger to use James for this purpose. Remembering this made her feel better. So, instead of being consumed by anger, she began devising a plan of how to get what she needed from James.

This time, she vowed she would use him.

When the dinner alarm sounded she got on the speaker and asked that dinner be brought to her quarters. This was typical of her. And, each time she did James was the one who brought it. He always came with hope in eyes. Hope that maybe she would speak to him.

And, this time was no different. There he was at her door with a plate full of food and hope in his eyes.

She said nothing at first. Then, just as he was about to close the door behind him, she spoke. “Are you working with them?”

James quickly turned back toward her and eagerly answered. “No, I’ve only been watching them.”

“Then you’re a listener, too,” she said.

He laughed. “I suppose I am.”

“So, you are with them.”

“No,” he said in defense. “Not at all. But I believe they want to work with us.”

“Us?”

“I think they want to work with the Alexanders.”

“There is no us. You are not an Alexander,” Kate said.

James left that argument alone – for now. He thought he’d have a better chance of getting back in her good graces if he didn’t argue that point.

“The Machinists are not looking for payback or power. They never were,” he told her.

“What are they looking for?” Kate asked.

“They are trying to convince Lucas to help them form an alliance.”

“What kind of alliance?”

“An alliance with the Alexanders,” James said. “They want an ally in the war against the Nekuia.”

“We’re not even certain there will be a war,” she said.

“Well, The Machinists are.”

“What makes them so certain if we are not?”

“They’ve heard something,” he said. “I don’t think it came from us, I mean, the Alexanders.”

“What do you mean?” she questioned.

“I believe they discovered a message that came directly from the Nekuia.”

“That’s impossible,” Kate declared. “No one has ever heard directly from the Nekuia.”

“I know that they heard something that changed them. And it didn’t come from the Alexanders. It didn’t even come from Earth,” James told her. “Something that frightened them so much that less than a day later, they decided to capture Lucas.”