“Oh yes.” He shuffled along the wall, exclaiming over various symbols.
“So you found the data for the air plant?”
“No.”
I yanked on his ear until I had his full attention. “Logan, we need to reclaim the air plant. We don't have much time. You can drool over all this later. How can I help?”
He described what the schematics of the air plant would look like. I searched the south and then west walls, while he continued with the east. He moved faster than me and had looped around the room, reaching the north wall before me.
The series of beeps alerted me. I would never forget that sound. Running as fast as possible, I still couldn't reach him before he finished entering the code.
“It's just like—oof!”
I tackled him to the ground.
“What's wrong?” he asked. The squeal of metal filled the room. “Oh.”
Logan had opened the large door on the north wall. It was big enough to fit the huge transport vehicle. That same vehicle that could probably fly through Outer Space. Which meant that Outer Space must be waiting on the other side of the door.
The noise rattled my teeth and vibrated in my bones. Not wasting a second, I dragged Logan over to one of the legs of the transport.
“Hang on,” I said, bracing for the absence of air, the skin freezing cold and the floating sensation.
The door finished moving with a bang. Daylights clicked on beyond the entrance, reveling an empty room with walls covered with more symbols.
Logan cocked his head. “Why are we clinging for dear life?”
“I thought Outer Space was on the other side. That door reminded me of when Cogan and I had opened Gateway.”
“Sorry. I guess I should have told you.”
“Told me what?”
“This door leads to a space port.” He walked into the room.
I followed him. The area was much larger than I had first thought. It appeared to be as long as two Sectors, but only one Sector wide. Three doors at equidistant intervals were on each of the two long sides, including the open one. And one door at the end.
He gestured to the doors. “There are seven bays that contain two transport vehicles. The scout and the bigger cargo vehicle. They can come out here, then the doors all close and…” He pointed at the ceiling. A huge hatch occupied the center. “Fly out to Outer Space.”
“How do you know all that?”
“I read it on the wall.”
“Why didn't you tell me before?”
“I thought you saw something.”
I drew in a deep calming breath. “Let's keep looking for the air plant information.”
Keeping Logan focused, I hustled him along the port. We searched the next two bays but didn’t find anything until we opened the third bay. Then he cried out with more excitement than the last ten times. He had found the information on how to manually run the plant.
I gave him a spare receiver and listening device, letting him explain it to Riley. Then we decided he should remain up here to explore and learn everything he could. I would tie a bucket to the rope so I could use the pulley and send up supplies, food, and water.
“How are you going to get into the air plant?” Logan asked. “Hank’s people are there.”
“Anne-Jade has to make good on a promise.”
“But she doesn’t have any weapons or people, and you don’t have Zippy.”
