Mindspace - Complete Series

by A. K. DuBoff

  Joris smiled. “I like it.”

  CHAPTER 21

  Kaen followed the other soldiers at a distance, watching Monica’s movements. She glanced back at him on occasion, as if waiting for him to say something else.

  What would I possibly have to say to her outside of an interrogation room? He kept his gaze ahead, trying to ignore her.

  After a minute, and several more glances, Monica finally let out a loud sigh. “Fine, then I’ll make the move.” Her cuffs seemed to fall to the ground of their own accord.

  She moved faster than Kaen could track, knocking Kyle’s and Ari’s heads together, throwing Nia to the ground, and tackling the other soldier leading Jared. Unfortunately for Jared, he was pinned under the soldier’s armor when he fell.

  In the blink of an eye, Monica grabbed spare stasis cuffs from the soldiers’ waistbands and tethered the Guard soldiers to the floor, then ripped out the comm systems from their armor.

  Kaen watched the attack happening before his eyes, frozen in place.

  Does she have me under some sort of telepathic influence? It was possible—Kira had warned him about Monica’s abilities, though Kaen hadn’t expected to experience the skills firsthand. All he knew was that he was trapped inside his own body, and it made him furious.

  Monica finished securing the soldiers and stood up. She used her thumb and forefinger to remove contacts from her eyes, revealing glowing gray irises.

  “A little help?” Jared called, unsuccessfully trying to pry the heavy, unconscious soldier off him.

  “No, this must look convincing. Stay quiet.” She turned to Kaen. “Don’t go anywhere.” She slammed his head against the wall.

  — — —

  “Ooo, this is good!” Kira dragged another collection of lab reports into a ‘best of’ directory she was compiling. “And by ‘good’, I mean these people are foking monsters.”

  “Yeah, I’m getting the impression that the higher-ups at MTech are an unsavory lot,” Leon agreed. “I feel sick that I was working for them.”

  “You didn’t know. And what you were working on wasn’t this.”

  “Yeah, but still…” He shook his head. “I have some making up to do.”

  “I think there’s a lot of that to go around.” She gave him a supportive smile.

  “Kira Elsar! I still have that secret to tell you.”

  Kira’s heart leaped when she saw Monica in the doorway, irises glowing. “The f—”

  Monica waved her hand, and Kira careened across the room before she could react. She slammed into the side wall, propelled by an unseen force. Her skin tingled with electrical energy. The doctor rushed up to where Kira was pinned, looming over her.

  Even with Kira in powered armor, the other woman’s telekinetic strength gave her the advantage. Worse, without her gloves, Kira’s hands were useless for punching or grabbing. Desperate, Kira tried to elbow Monica away from her and get in a jab with her knee, but Monica’s reactions were always one step ahead.

  “Stay… still!” Monica’s movements were a blur as Kira struggled to get free.

  A cool prick registered on Kira’s wrist, and she twisted her arm away.

  “You’ll make quite the prize,” Monica whispered. Then louder, “I’ll make you mine.”

  “The fok you will!” Leon appeared behind Monica and looped his arm around her neck.

  The doctor telekinetically flung Leon off of her, his inexperience in the powered armor no match for her skills.

  Kira, however, seized the opportunity. She lunged forward and locked the doctor in a chokehold with her powered armor. Monica sputtered and gasped, ripping at Kira with half-formed telekinetic counterattacks. Kira wasn’t about to let go, pushing through each of the armor’s automated stops, squeezing tighter. Suddenly, Monica’s head jerked at an unnatural angle with a sickening pop.

  Startled, Kira released her grasp, and the doctor’s body dropped to the floor, head lolling to the side with mouth agape in shocked horror. Kira stumbled backward, chest heaving. Her hands were shaking uncontrollably.

  “It’s okay. It’s over,” Leon whispered to her, running over. He placed a reassuring arm around her shoulders.

  “Bitch didn’t know when to give up.”

  Leon averted his gaze from the corpse. “She won’t be coming back from this one.”

  “Yeah, I probably shouldn’t have done that.” Kira swallowed. “I couldn’t let her get away with what she’s done…”

  “She had it coming,” Leon agreed. He looked her over with concern. “Are you okay, Kira? It looked like she was messing with some sort of syringe.”

  Kira touched the spot on her wrist where she’d felt the cool prick. It was a bit tender, but she felt fine. “She might not have been able to dose me, with all the tumbling around. I don’t feel any different.”

  “Given what went on here—”

  “I’ll go in for a full medical screening as soon as we’re back at Guard headquarters. Our doctors are the best—the whole science support team, actually.”

  He still looked worried but nodded.

  “What the…?” Kaen appeared in the doorway, a welt on his forehead.

  “Colonel!” Kira exclaimed. “What happened? Monica—”

  “She overpowered us, knocked everyone out,” the colonel explained. “The others are rousing now. I came back as quickly as I could. She said she was coming for you.”

  “Yeah, she tried to stick me with a syringe.”

  “Successfully?”

  “I’m not sure,” Kira admitted. “Didn’t go so well for her in the end.”

  Kaen grunted. “So much for being able to interrogate her.”

  “Sorry, Colonel. That thought wasn’t front and center while she was trying to kill me.”

  “Based on what I’ve found so far, Jared will be able to offer valuable insights,” Leon offered. “Not sure if he was connected to the boss like Monica, but in terms of the tech, he knows his stuff.”

  “And honestly,” Kira added, “she was never going to talk. A telepath like her would be impervious to any interrogation technique we could throw at her.”

  “Then perhaps it’s for the best.” Kaen tore his gaze away from the body. “Finish the data transfer and meet us outside. And make sure to get yourself cleared by Medical.” He departed without another word.

  “Was he angry?” Kira asked Leon when her superior officer was gone. “I can’t tell if he was angry.”

  “I think he was embarrassed that she escaped.”

  Kira took a deep breath. “I’m not happy about that, either—or anything that’s gone on here.”

  He took her hand. “You’re sure you’re okay?”

  “We’re alive—can’t complain.”

  Leon smiled back at her. “All right. But you have to go to Medical as soon as we’re finished.”

  “No more worrying.” Kira returned her attention to the computer console. “Let’s finish transferring this data. I can’t wait to get out of here.”

  CHAPTER 22

  The sun was well above the horizon by the time Kira and Leon emerged from the MTech facility.

  Monica’s body had been removed while they worked, and Nia had had the foresight to bring them some protein bars to munch on when she returned to the lab to help out. The three of them had transferred all the information they could find related to the genetic experimentation to external drives, prepping the data for the exhaustive analysis process. Nia had gone ahead with the drives while Leon helped Kira do one final sweep of the lab. With everything now shut down and secure, they could finally begin processing the night’s events.

  Kira shed her powered armor as soon as she was outside, seeing that no one else was in their combat gear. “I’d like to distance myself from what happened this morning as much as possible,” she said while staring at the new claw marks on the chest-plate.

  “Same.” Leon stepped out from his own armor. “I don’t know how you do it.”

  “Today was
the exception, not the rule,” Kira replied. “Normally it’s ‘covert’ ops, not ‘blow the front door and break people’s necks’ ops.”

  “An important distinction.”

  “We like to think so.”

  He eyed her. “So, what now?”

  Kira’s stomach growled; that protein bar hadn’t held her for long. “In order of personal preference? Proper breakfast, shower, and decompressing time.” Let’s see if he takes that hint.

  “We were about to have an important discussion before we were interrupted last night,” he replied, picking up on her meaning.

  “One I look forward to finishing.” She flashed a winning smile. “I also promised my parents lunch or dinner together today—no need to sit in on that, unless you want to.”

  “Of course, I’d love to come along.”

  And he likes my parents. Stars, now I’m suspicious that he was engineered himself. She beamed. “All right, it’s a date.”

  Kira excused herself from Leon so she could check in with her team. Ari, Nia, and Kyle were gathered under a temporary overhang that had been erected near the landing craft.

  “That was intense,” Kyle said when he saw Kira approaching.

  “Yeah, two firefights in a week is a bit much,” she agreed. “You all okay? I know Monica did a number on you earlier.”

  Ari shook his head. “That ‘stopping time’ trick is something else. I was blacked out before I even saw her move.”

  “Nia filled us in on what happened while we were out,” Kyle added. “Sounds like things got a little up close and personal for you.”

  “I showed Monica what was what.” Kira grimaced.

  Nia placed her hand on Kira’s shoulder. “Better this way—can’t trust someone like that.”

  “I know.” Kira rubbed her eyes with the heels of her hands. “And once we know more about what was done to those poor people…”

  Kyle nodded. “I talked to some of them while we were debriefing. They were from all over. MTech must have been at it for months.”

  “We need to find out if there are any other places like this. I hate to think there’s anyone else being held against their will,” Kira said.

  “You’re in luck.” Ari smiled. “Delivering justice for the disenfranchised happens to be the Guard’s specialty.”

  She grinned back at him, the weight on her lifting. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

  “I gave the data drives to Major Sandren,” Nia said in the ensuing pause. “The colonel seemed a little distracted.”

  “Thanks. That knock on his head was probably harder than he wants to admit,” Kira replied.

  “We do take our pride very personally,” Ari pointed out.

  “Seeing a big lug like you get knocked over had to have made him feel a little better,” Kira needled.

  Ari grunted. “Monica just caught me by surprise.”

  “Uh huh…” Kira walked away. She knew how much he hated being left hanging.

  Leon was just coming over the crest of the hill, and she jogged up to him. As she neared, she saw he was frowning.

  “What’s wrong?” she asked.

  “I just saw them affixing a giant ‘Condemned’ sign to the lab.”

  “Oh.” She crossed her arms. “I imagine the facility will be under investigation for some time. I’m sorry things had to go down this way.”

  “Well, I guess I really am out of a job,” he muttered.

  “This one, maybe,” Kaen said, coming up behind them.

  “Sir.” Kira nodded to him.

  “You showed great initiative on this mission,” Kaen continued. “We could use a person like you in the Guard.”

  Leon’s violet eyes widened with surprise. “Are you… offering me a position?”

  “I am, indeed. What do you say?” The colonel looked around. “This is a beautiful planet, I’ll give you that, but there aren’t a lot of other opportunities here for someone with your training.”

  “I’m not much of a soldier, sir. After today, I’m certain I don’t have the stomach for it.”

  “Oh, no, no. The position I had in mind was as civilian consultant with our science division. The nanotech research they were doing here was woefully misguided, but elements of it would go a long way toward helping us get the most out of our soldiers. You could continue your research with the backing of the Taran Empire’s resources.”

  “I—I don’t know what to say,” Leon stammered.

  “ ‘Yes’ would be a good answer.” Kaen smiled.

  Leon glanced at Kira. “I’ll let you know soon.”

  Kaen’s gaze flitted between Kira and Leon. “I look forward to your acceptance.” He left them to their discussion.

  Kira kicked her toe into the dirt, nervous for what his answer might be. After the last few days together, the idea of parting ways again was difficult to stomach. Having both the Guard and Leon had always seemed unattainable, but it now seemed feasible for the first time.

  “Whaddya think?” Leon asked her.

  “It’s your decision,” she said. I don’t know if I deserve a second chance to win back his trust, but right now I want nothing more.

  “The Guard was always your thing. I don’t want to cramp your style.”

  “You joining the Guard as a researcher doesn’t change anything.”

  He took her hand. “What if I want it to? I think the last few days have shown we still make a pretty good team.”

  A slow smile spread across Kira’s face. “Not gonna lie—the prospect of going back to base without you kinda sucked.”

  “I was hoping you’d say that.”

  Her heart leaped. “You sure you want to give this another go?”

  “If you’re good with me accepting the colonel’s offer.”

  “Stars, yes!” She threw her arms around his neck and whispered in his ear, “I don’t want to let you go again, either.”

  Over Leon’s shoulder, across the lawn, she saw Ari tap Kyle on the shoulder and point to Kira. Nia’s and Kyle’s mouths dropped open, and Ari chuckled. In true form, Ari grabbed his helmet and activated the combat recorder.

  Kira shook her head with exasperation, then locked Leon in a passionate kiss. May as well give them something filmworthy.

  — — —

  Representatives from the Elusian media were waiting patiently in the lobby of the capitol building for President Joris to take the podium. He checked himself over, and Ellen gave a nod of approval. Joris nodded back and stepped into place.

  Amidst the reporters were citizens from all walks of life, anxious to hear the urgent statement he’d make this afternoon.

  Joris took a deep breath and began. “You now have the means to make your own future. When our ancestors set out generations ago to settle this system, it was to start a new life that would enable them to achieve their dreams of freedom and prosperity. But that hasn’t always been the case. We have been at odds with our neighbors and competing for what no one should rightfully control.

  “There is another way. The Taran Empire stands as a beacon of unity and empowerment. They do not seek to control or dictate, but rather to share and offer mutual benefit. Some of us have lived in fear that joining with the Empire would consume the heart of our culture. That isn’t the case. What they offer is for us to make that culture all it can be, and to learn and grow as we continue to refine our identity and shape the future we want for coming generations.

  “We have argued amongst ourselves about what the best way forward is, but I couldn’t allow civil conflicts to continue escalating. I made the decision that, as your elected leader, I feel is most representative of our people’s wishes, and that will give us the best chance to achieve the future vision we share.

  “That act was to officially reintegrate Elusia into the Taran Empire.”

  The crowd erupted in a cacophony of questions, cheers, and a few shouts of protest.

  Joris held up his hands to quiet them. “I know this won’t please everyone, an
d while I would have preferred for this to be handled through our democratic process, we were short on time. Political tensions are running high, and Valta continues to be a point of contention between the Elusian Alliance and Mysaran Coalition. I feared that any delays in signing this agreement may have resulted in hardships for our people. This should be a time of joy for what’s to come, not of worry that danger is lurking around the corner.

  “As a full member planet of the Taran Empire, we now have all the protections of their military. We have their science, their schools, and their transportation network. The limitless possibilities of the universe are now within reach,” he smiled, “though that might be a bit too poetic. Through it all, we will still be Elusia. We come from Taran heritage, but we are Elusians now, and will remain Elusians in the Empire. Let us celebrate!”

  Joris took a step back from the podium as the crowd cheered once more—this time drowning out any ‘boos’ that may have been uttered. He soaked in their enthusiasm, thankful that his announcement seemed to have been taken as a positive move.

  He leaned in toward the microphone again. “I’m sure you have many questions about the timeline for integration and the specifics of what expanded services will now be available. My office will be preparing a detailed statement in the coming days. For the time being, enjoy the knowledge that good things are ahead. Thank you!”

  While the reporters in front shouted questions, Joris made a quick retreat with Ellen.

  “That was wonderfully delivered,” Ellen told him. “I was watching their faces, and I think the consensus is positive.”

  “We’ll see how the analysts pick it apart.”

  “Given the situation with Mysar, this remains the right call,” Ellen assured him.

  “I hope others come to see it that way, too.” Joris let out a long breath. “Now that that’s over, I must attend to some other business.”

  “Yes, sir, of course.” Ellen shifted on her feet.

  “Was there something else?” he prompted.

  She crossed her arms and looked down. “I confessed a planned treasonous act to you earlier. What will become of me?”