Gemina Read online

  THIS IS A BORZOI BOOK PUBLISHED BY ALFRED A. KNOPF

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the authors’ imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Copyright © 2016 by LaRoux Industries Pty Ltd. and Neverafter Pty Ltd.

  Ship insignia illustrations copyright © 2015, 2016 by Stuart Wade

  Ship blueprint and schematics copyright © 2016 by Meinert Hansen

  Cover photograph and interior art copyright © 2016 by Shutterstock

  Journal illustrations copyright © 2016 by Marie Lu

  All rights reserved. Published in the United States by Alfred A. Knopf, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books, a division of Penguin Random House LLC, New York.

  Knopf, Borzoi Books, and the colophon are registered trademarks of Penguin Random House LLC.

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  Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

  Names: Kaufman, Amie, author. | Kristoff, Jay, author. | Lu, Marie, illustrator.

  Title: Gemina / Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff ; journal illustrations by Marie Lu.

  Description: First edition. | Alfred A. Knopf : New York, [2016] | Series: The Illuminae Files ; 02 | Summary: “When the space station Heimdall is invaded, Hannah and Nik must work together to defeat the enemy.” —Provided by publisher

  Identifiers: LCCN 2015037131 | ISBN 978-0-553-49915-5 (trade) | ISBN 978-0-553-49916-2 (lib. bdg.) | ISBN 978-0-553-49917-9 (ebook)

  Subjects: | CYAC: Science fiction. | Space stations—Fiction. | Interplanetary voyages—Fiction. | Artificial intelligence—Fiction.

  Classification: LCC PZ7.K1642 Ge 2016 | DDC [Fic]—dc23

  Book design by Heather Kelly and Jay Kristoff, adapted for ebook.

  Random House Children’s Books supports the First Amendment and celebrates the right to read.

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  FOR MEL, WHO ALWAYS BELIEVED

  Contents

  Cover

  Title Page

  Copyright

  Dedication

  Gemina

  Acknowledgments

  About the Authors

  Chief Prosecutor: Gabriel Crowhurst, BSA, MFS, JD

  Chief Defense Counsel: Kin Hebi, BSA, ARP, JD

  Tribunal: Hua Li Jun, BSA, JD, MD; Saladin Al Nakat, BSA, JD; Shannelle Gillianne Chua, BSA, JD, OKT

  Witness: Leanne Frobisher, Executive Director, BeiTech Industries, MFA, MBA, PhD

  Date: 10/14/76

  Timestamp: 13:06

  —cont. from pg. 359—

  Frobisher, L: …over seven hundred thousand employees across dozens of colonized worlds. Is it that difficult to believe?

  Crowhurst, G: Dr. Frobisher, this was a major invasion. Thousands of personnel. Trillions of ISĦ worth of equipment. Yet you’re alleging you had no idea about your company’s attack on Wallace Ulyanov mining operations in the Kerenza Sector? Despite your position as director of acquisitions for BeiTech Industries?

  Frobisher, L: [Consults with counsel.] I’ve already stated I was appointed to that role well after the alleged invasion.

  Crowhurst, G: But well before BeiTech’s attack on Jump Station Heimdall.

  Frobisher, L: Alleged attack.

  Crowhurst, G: Dr. Frobisher, you’ve read accounts of the alleged attack left behind by residents Hanna Donnelly and Niklas Malikov, correct? I’d like to direct you to the Illuminae Files testimony, Exhibits 178a through—

  Hebi, K: Defense objects to the inclusion of the so-called Illuminae documents in these proceedings in the strongest possible terms.

  Al Nakat, S: Counselor, we’ve discussed this already. The documents have been accepted into the record. Move on.

  Crowhurst, G: Dr. Frobisher? Have you reviewed the Illuminae Files?

  Frobisher, L: [Consults with counsel.] Yes.

  Crowhurst, G: What do you make of Niklas Malikov’s testimony?

  Frobisher, L: Frankly, I’m surprised this tribunal considers the fictions of a teenage drug dealer and convicted criminal worthy of the title “testimony.”

  Crowhurst, G: Dr. Frob—

  Frobisher, L: A born-and-bred foot soldier of the Dom Najov? Son of Zakary Malikov? Everyone here knows what that boy went to prison for. This is your star witness?

  Crowhurst, G: Do you understand this is the first Dom Najov testimony to ever be entered into the records of a UTA tribunal? The House of Knives cartel doesn’t speak to the authorities, Dr. Frobisher.

  Frobisher, L: I’m certain if given a choice, Niklas Malikov wouldn’t have spoken either.

  Crowhurst, G: But he didn’t have a choice, did he? Your people saw to that.

  Hebi, K: Objection. Combative.

  Crowhurst, G: I’ll withdraw.

  Dr. Frobisher, I have a few questions regarding Mr. Malikov’s testimony, and that of Hanna Donnelly, as pertains to the alleged attack on Jump Station Heimdall. You wouldn’t mind if we review these files for a while, would you?

  Frobisher, L: [Consults with counsel.] No. I have no objections.

  Crowhurst, G: Excellent. Perhaps we should start at the beginning.

  To: Director Taylor, BEITECH HEADQUARTERS, JIA III

  From: GHOST ID From: GHOST ID (9876-5432-1098-7654-ERROR-ERROR-ERROR…)

  Incept: 08/01/75

  Subject: [!] Operation: Plainview. Priority Alert

  Director Taylor,

  I know I’m not supposed to break comms silence until Operation Plainview is complete, so consider this an EMERGENCY.

  I’ve been aboard Jump Station Heimdall intercepting communications from the Alexander and the Hypatia since the colony assault, as per your instructions. Not a whisper of the attack has gotten through. But I just snatched the attached transmission, and deleting distress calls is about to be the least of my troubles.

  Very soon, somebody’s going to be here to deliver the news in person.

  The Lincoln has failed.

  We’re absolutely ****ed.

  Awaiting instructions.

  Rapier

  RADIO MESSAGE: HYPATIA INITIATED—

  —TRANSMISSION FOLLOWS—

  COMMUNICATION INTERCEPT

  FROM: WUC SCIENCE VESSEL HYPATIA—78V 101:421:084 (Kerenza system)

  TO: JUMP STATION HEIMDALL

  INCEPT: 08/01/75

  Mayday, mayday, mayday, this is Acting Captain Syra Boll of the WUC science vessel Hypatia calling Jump Station Heimdall, please respond.

  Please respond, Heimdall, over.

  And of course you don’t. Why should today be any different from yesterday? I’m not even sure why the hell I’m transmitting anymore.

  Well, for the record, and at the risk of repeating myself, here goes. On January 29, 2575, the Wallace Ulyanov Consortium mining colony on Kerenza IV was attacked by hostile forces in the employ of BeiTech Industries. The colony was decimated, and several thousand survivors fled aboard WUC science vessel Hypatia, WUC heavy freighter Copernicus (subsequently destroyed) and UTA battlecarrier Alexander, which answered the colony’s SOS calls. This fleet was pursued by a BeiTech dreadnought, BT042-TN, aka Lincoln.

  Please be advised the Alexander and Lincoln engaged each other twenty-four hours ago. Both vessels were completely destroyed. Hypatia is now the only remaining vessel in the fleet.

  On the off chance we are not receiving your transmissions, or you are unable to reply, Hypatia is still en route to the Heimdall waypoint with Alexander survivors and refugees from the original Kerenza assault aboard. We’re hoping like hell it�
�s not just a smoking pile of debris when we get there. Estimate our arrival in fifteen days.

  If you guys can roll out any kind of cavalry, now’s the goddamn time.

  Hypatia out.

  HEIMDALL CHAT: HANNA DONNELLY

  Donnelly, H: Hey, peon.

  Guest423: Lo, the Princess.

  Donnelly, H: Aha, you’re there.

  Donnelly, H: Thought you might be off skulking somewhere in the depths.

  Guest423: Who says I’m not? I’m skulking like a mother****** in here.

  Guest423: So is this a social call?

  Donnelly, H: That’s so sweet, the way you hold out hope one day I’m going to call you up just to hear the sound of your voice.

  Guest423: To dream the impossible dream. This is my quest.

  Guest423: So how much you want?

  Donnelly, H: Ten grams. I got my pocket money.

  Guest423: Big spender. You sure you can handle that much, princess? This isn’t candy, you know.

  Donnelly, H: It’s not just for me. But your concern is DEEPLY appreciated.

  Donnelly, H: So you can do it?

  Guest423: If there’s something I can’t get on this station, it ain’t worth getting.

  Guest423: Except a Saturday night with you, of course.

  Donnelly, H: Of course, my sweet.

  Guest423: Oh, she called me “my sweet.”

  Guest423: Be still my beating something something.

  Donnelly, H: When can you deliver? I can get away tonight.

  Guest423: No can do. I got Biz tonight. Besides, I’m gonna need a couple of weeks for ten g’s.

  Donnelly, H: Whaaaaaat? But we need it for the Terra Day reception!

  Guest423: Supplies low for the holidays, Highness. Everyone wants a taste this time of year. Don’t worry, you and your merry band will be well supplied before your little soiree on the fifteenth.

  Guest423: ’Sides, I thought you’d be busy with Prince Charming tonight.

  Donnelly, H: I’m seeing him after he comes off duty.

  Donnelly, H: Fifteenth is okay, I guess. Tell me where and when. I need to let Jackson know where I’ll be.

  Guest423: Doesn’t he ALWAYS know where you are? That’s what he does all day, right? Monitor personal locator beacons and speak in a stupid ****ing accent?

  Guest423: Pip pip what ho jolly good old chap?

  Donnelly, H: Hmmm?

  Donnelly, H: Oh, sorry, I stopped listening there for a moment. I was busy thinking about his dreamy accent.

  Donnelly, H: Of course he knows where I am, but if I want him to block my locator when I head up to Skulktown, I like to let him know in advance.

  Guest423: Yeah, so about that.

  Guest423: Boyfriend covers your tracks from Daddy, and that’s chill. But I’m not exactly turning cartwheels over us talking biz on whisperNET, given the nature of our biz. Feel me?

  Donnelly, H: I thought you wiped everything after we’re done? If nothing else, don’t you want to hide the continual rejection from the world? Are you telling me you can’t keep it from the SecTeam monitors?

  Guest423: It’s not your end I’m worried about.

  Guest423: I’d be having a Very Serious Discussion with my uncle if he knew I was dealing dust to the station commander’s precious baby girl. So I’m getting a direct line hooked up for us. Palmpad to palmpad. Secure D2D network, off the Heimdall grid as well as the House of Knives lines.

  Guest423: So you can have me all to yourself.

  Guest423: He said, winking suggestively.

  Donnelly, H: If it was the last Saturday night before the destruction of the universe, I’d still have plans to wash my hair.

  Guest423: Shower Time, huh? I’d be up for that.

  Guest423: I might be able to swing a discount for you next batch, by the way. We got Plans.

  Guest423: Imagine me twirling my mustache when I say that.

  Guest423: I’m not growing a ’stache, before you panic.

  Donnelly, H: That’s a pity. I could really go for you with a mustache.

  Guest423: Consider my razor flushed out the next airlock I find.

  Donnelly, H: It’s hard to believe a criminal mastermind could be this gullible.

  Donnelly, H: Anyway, I’m afraid to ask about your plans, but a discount sounds nice.

  Guest423: We’ll see. No promises.

  Donnelly, H: Commitment and you, not so much.

  Guest423: Something like that.

  Donnelly, H: See? You’d just break my heart if I let you woo me.

  Donnelly, H: Right after my boyfriend broke your legs.

  Guest423: Highness, believe me when I say your heart’s safe with me.

  Guest423: And that there’s scarier things in my ****ing laundry hamper than Sir Poshly McAccent.

  Donnelly, H: That says way more about your personal hygiene than it does about my boyfriend.

  Guest423: Good thing we’re doing Shower Time, then, huh?

  Donnelly, H: Not if you were the last anything in anything.

  Donnelly, H: Meet same place as last time?

  Guest423: Yeah. Infirmary level. 17:00 hours on the fifteenth. I’ll dress sexy.

  Donnelly, H: See that you do.

  Guest423: I’ll bring the palmpad with me, too. After this meet, you contact me on that. Day or night. Anything you need.

  Donnelly, H: Anything?

  Guest423: You’re just teasing now.

  Donnelly, H: And here I thought that was what you wanted.

  Guest423: You know what I want.

  Guest423: …You still there?

  ——CONNECTION TERMINATED——

  HEIMDALL CHAT: HANNA DONNELLY

  Donnelly, H: Hello, handsome. Busy?

  Merrick, J: Hey, beautiful. Never too busy for you.

  Donnelly, H: I’m trying to be better about not hitting you with messages while you’re on duty. See how good I am?

  Merrick, J: Not too good, I hope.

  Donnelly, H: You’re off at 20:00? You coming over?

  Donnelly, H: Dad’s not home until 23:00…

  Merrick, J: Three whole hours. Good lord, how will we fill the time?

  Donnelly, H: Hrrrrrmmmmmm.

  Donnelly, H: Nope, I got nothing. You got any ideas?

  Merrick, J: Chess?

  Donnelly, H: Strip chess?

  Merrick, J: But we didn’t finish last time. I’m not sure who won.

  Donnelly, H: I think it was probably a draw. This calls for a tiebreaker.

  Donnelly, H: Are you on duty tomorrow?

  Merrick, J: Sadly, yes. So you can’t do anything that’ll leave me limping.

  Donnelly, H: Wouldn’t dream of it. I shall polish my halo extra hard before you come around tonight.

  Donnelly, H: Can you block my tracker for me on Terra Day? Say 17:00–18:00?

  Merrick, J: Beautiful, do you really have to get more of that stuff?

  Donnelly, H: Don’t be like that, it’s fiiiiiiiine.

  Donnelly, H: You gotta be a little impressed I can make whisperNET do that: “Fiiiiiiiiine.”

  Merrick, J: Yes, you’re very talented. It’s just…

  Donnelly, H: It’s all in the tongue. Distracted yet?

  Merrick, J: Hanna…

  Donnelly, H: Jax, it’s just some fun, I promise. Special occasions only. The girls asked for some, and you know I go easy on it. But do you have any idea how many pre–Terra Day bashes I have to hostess? I just need a little light at the end of the tunnel.

  Merrick, J: I can’t understand why your dad lets those people stay on the station. They’re not even official residents. Did Mr. Prison Tattoos hit on you again?

  Donnelly, H: Couldn’t say, I really wasn’t listening to most of what he said. What I want to know is how soon after 20:00 you’ll be here and hitting on me instead.

  Merrick, J: You could come and meet me at 20:01.

  Donnelly, H: Yeah, I guess.

  Merrick, J: Oh, the enthusiasm.

  Donnel
ly, H: Sorry. Just…is Sam Wheaton from comms on duty tonight? He kinda skeeves me out.

  Merrick, J: Why, what does he do?

  Donnelly, H: It’s hard to explain. It’s just…the way he looks at me. He blinks too much. And he’s super smarmy. He explains things to me using words of one syllable or less.

  Merrick, J: Damn your blinky eyes and condescension, Smarmy Sam. Keeping my lady from my side. No fear, I’ll leave him behind and come straight to you.

  Merrick, J: It’s 4.3 kilometers from SecCon to your habitat. So I’ll be there around 20:09. I might need a shower after a sprint like that, though.

  Donnelly, H: Why bother if you’re just gonna get sweaty again?

  Donnelly, H: So, you can cover my locator on the fifteenth?

  Merrick, J: Dramatic sigh. Anything for you, beautiful.

  Donnelly, H: When do you get a full day off next? Let’s do something.

  Merrick, J: Funny you should mention that. My next RDO is the tenth. Ring any bells?

  Donnelly, H: Hmmmmmm.

  Donnelly, H: No, can’t think of anything interesting or memorable connected with that date.

  Merrick, J: Well, in that case, please excuse me. I’m off to end my pointless existence in the dark void of space. Tell Mother I love her.

  Donnelly, H: You really got the day off?

  Merrick, J: Well, six months is something of a record for me. Not sure about you…

  Donnelly, H: You know it is. But what’s even weirder is imagining six more.

  Merrick, J: Well, let’s handle them one anniversary at a time. For THIS one, I have a plan so romantic you could bang a silly hat on it and call it Lord Byron.

  Donnelly, H: This sounds promising. Am I allowed to know what this epic plan entails?

  Merrick, J: Um, no. You own a wetsuit, though, right? No allergies to maple syrup? I can get the handcuffs from a supply locker…