by A. K. DuBoff
They checked several other hallways that had seemed like good candidates on the map, but the next three offered no indication of there being concealed areas nearby. So, they continued their search.
“Seeing what we’ve done to each other as a race, it’s no wonder others have considered wiping us out,” Cris said as they walked toward the next place they had identified on the map.
“Really uplifting thought. Thanks, Dad.”
“He does have a point,” Saera admitted. “I doubt they wrote that ancient treaty without a reason. Even though they chose a peaceful resolution over war then, circumstances have changed.”
“There was no doubt a conflict on a huge scale if it involved three races,” Wil agreed. “I suspect the Bakzen War was a small skirmish by comparison.”
“That conflict dragged on for hundreds of years, though. For all we know, this ancient war could have lasted one day,” his father said.
Saera’s brow furrowed. “No matter its duration, I’m worried to think about what these beings will do to us now. We have no idea what kind of tech Tarans back then may have possessed or how our modern capabilities compare.”
Wil nodded. “The Gatekeepers did tell us, in no uncertain terms, that others would come deal with us. I can only imagine that means the ‘others’ are less scrupulous and possibly even more powerful.”
“For that matter, we don’t even know what the Gatekeepers can do—or what their true form is. You interacted with, what, two of the Taran-Gatekeeper hybrids?” Cris asked.
“Yes, it was a strange encounter,” Wil replied. “The hybridization is interesting, as an approach of their race. Xenophobic, wary of interaction with outsiders. So, they cope by creating hybrids to actually become one with the race they’re studying. Forget walking in shoes, they get right up in their skin.”
“There is something to be said for being able to understand how another thinks through shared experience.”
“Very true.” Saera nodded. “How can an energy being understand the life of fleshy meat-bags without living as one?”
Wil smiled at the unexpected phrasing, despite the somber mood after their discovery earlier. “Really flattering way to characterize our way of life.”
“Hey, just speaking the truth.”
They reached the next point where the map indicated a suspicious dead-end. Wil began his assessment of the wall and area beyond. Unlike the last few places, he didn’t sense solid stone this time. In fact, it did seem like there might be a pocket of open space.
All right, now we might be onto something! There were no visible seams to indicate an operable door, and the wall was thick enough that it took conscious probing to see through—not something a Gifted person who was casually looking around might stumble across accidentally. The setup was what Wil had envisioned when he set out on the expedition, but the question remained if it held what they were looking for.
“Over here,” he said.
He could visualize the space on the other side of the wall. It was a large cavern, carved into the rock. The composition of the material was unusually dense, masking the presence of the chamber. It occurred to him that it was possible members of the former Priesthood hadn’t even known it was there.
They spent centuries hiding information from the public with the hope we’d forget. Maybe they forgot some things themselves. That would explain how they so profoundly lost their way. Such an explanation wouldn’t forgive their actions, but it would soften the evil of their deeds to know that they were misguided rather than willfully ignorant.
“Oh yeah, there’s definitely a hollow through there,” Saera confirmed.
Cris smiled. “Well, this just got interesting.”
— — —
Routine had helped Jason ease into life within the TSS after leaving Earth, it’s what had kept him centered when Raena left for Tararia, and it was what would get him through this turning point in his relationship with Tiff. He would adjust, adapt, and move forward. Until he found his new normal, his students would be a good distraction.
As if the mere thought of the woman had summoned her forth, Jason’s handheld buzzed with an incoming text message from Tiff: >>Hey, I’m heading out to Alkeer.<<
>>Already? I thought those transfer orders usually took a while.<< He wasn’t sure if that was true. Perhaps it had just been wishful thinking that her departure would be delayed because of everything going on.
>>Got the deployment orders first thing this morning.<<
>>Oh.<< While he was trying to think of what else to say on the matter, another message from her came through.
>>I think it would be easier if you don’t see me off.<<
He was struck with the impulse to ask her to stay. Don’t be selfish, he reminded himself. But it wasn’t just self-interest; he was concerned about the Rift, and Alkeer was one of the closest TSS outposts. He’d feel better if she was headed anywhere else. At the same time, though, he couldn’t tell her to run from danger—not when he would run toward it himself. It was all part of being a TSS Agent.
Putting up a fight would just drive her further away. He valued their friendship too much to risk it. So, he said the only thing he could, >>Safe travels. May the stars be with you.<<
The indicator popped up that she was typing a response, seemingly a long message. When the reply came, however, it simply read, >>Take care.<<
Jason sighed and shoved his handheld into his pocket. They’d figure out the ‘just friends’ thing eventually without being so awkwardly formal.
He headed to his upcoming class, taking the central elevator down to Level 11 suspended two kilometers beneath the ten primary rings that comprised the Headquarters structure. It was used exclusively for zero-G spatial awareness training and telekinesis practice, so Jason spent a good portion of his time on the level. An added bonus was its substantial distance from his office, making a convenient excuse for dodging last-minute administrative requests.
Unlike some Agents, he didn’t have a single, dedicated group of trainees. Rather, he offered specialized training in certain areas, in line with his own interests and strengths. Most of those lessons fell under either flight instructions or telekinetic combat.
His telekinesis students were typically Junior Agents nearing graduation—some of whom were close to his own age. Despite being young, his innate talent had given him automatic seniority in the ranks. In terms of raw potential, he was tied with his father for the highest score on record in the TSS, which directly determined rank; unofficially, it was known that the test had to be aborted for the safety of all those involved, so their actual limits couldn’t be measured. People had commented on more than one occasion that they hoped to never find out what that limit might be. After all, the rumors that his father had single-handedly destroyed a planet were true, and even then, he hadn’t hit his limit.
Jason had only put his skills to the test on a handful of occasions, but that was enough to give him an appreciation of the immense power of his abilities. He recognized that only his father within the TSS was in the same tier, and his sister Raena was probably the only other living person who came close. Aside from the Aesir, perhaps… Jason honestly wasn’t sure what the people among the Aesir could do ability-wise, just that they didn’t suffer from the Generation Cycle that affected other Tarans—the pervasive mutation in their genetic code that made telekinetic and telepathic abilities dormant in the first seven of every twelve Generations. Much of the Priesthood’s research had been looking for a patch to that mutation, which they themselves had caused through previous interventions. When no fix was found, they decided to make Gifted abilities illegal instead. It was no surprise the Aesir had fled and never looked back.
Given his parents and his exceptional ability score, Jason couldn’t escape having a measure of celebrity within the TSS. He’d noticed it with his younger students, in particular. Getting him as an instructor was like winning a lottery, providing an instant promotion in perceived social status. A clas
s with Jason was the next best thing to training under the official Primus Elite designation—and it was, truthfully—but he wished that it didn’t also come with the label of making his students the ‘cool kids’. That kind of social superiority went against the TSS’ culture at the most fundamental level, and he did what he could to dispel that glorification.
At present, Jason only had two consistent groups of students under his tutelage, since his previous group of flight students had just been advanced to their in-field internships. Aside from his newest batch of young pilots, he’d also been training a group of Junior Agents in the unique set of skills known as ‘weaponized telekinesis’. They’d been working together for the last year and a half on everything from enhanced hand-to-hand combat to focusing energy into concentrated orbs for offensive attacks. Most of the training had been on the individual level, but they had recently begun exploring what was possible to achieve by working in teams and by focusing energy together through a shared amplifier. It was the foundation for using weapons like that on the Conquest, though few would ever wield power of that magnitude.
After the events of the last couple of days, Jason would have preferred a flight training day so he could have some solitude out in the black. As fate would have it, though, it was weaponized telekinesis day. Well, maybe blowing things up with my mind can be cathartic, too.
Upon reaching Level 11, Jason walked past the gravity locks leading to the zero-G chambers until he reached the largest training room at the center of the level. The flex space was used primarily for combat training that entailed hurling objects, or people, across the room, but Jason had seen it transformed into a rather impressive party space for special occasions.
His students hadn’t arrived yet, so he settled onto one of the large, padded mats and took the opportunity to stretch as a warm-up for the lesson.
Within five minutes, the twenty students had joined him in the warm-up stretches and were chatting cheerfully amongst themselves. Ranging in age from early- to mid-twenties, it was only Jason’s black clothing that differentiated him as an instructor rather than a peer next to the dark-blue of the Junior Agents.
He rose to his feet at the designated class start time and clapped his hands. “All right, fall in.”
The students arranged themselves in a semi-circle facing him.
“Let’s pick up where we left off last week. Lorie, Adam, Paula, let’s see how your triad is progressing.”
The three students who’d been called out by name stepped forward.
Paula Fletcher half-raised her hand. “Sir, a quick question before we get started?”
“Sure.”
“We heard there’s something going on around the Rift. Some kind of attack.”
He looked at her with his brows raised slightly. “That is a statement, not a question.” He had been guilty of the same grammatical infraction countless times while a student himself, but he’d made it a point to require his trainees use precise language in their communications.
“Has there been an attack near the Rift, and is the TSS taking direct action?” she rephrased.
“That’s classified.”
Paula’s lips pressed into a tight line. He would have been equally irked by the response, especially after the previous remark.
Unfortunately, the details actually were classified and there wasn’t much he could say on the matter. Of course, the statement that there was anything classified in the first place was confirmation of something going on. Even the slowest Junior Agent in the bunch could infer as much. They exchanged glances with each other, and there was a buzz of energy as they engaged in quick telepathic conversations.
“I know that non-answer isn’t very helpful,” Jason stated. “I will share information as it becomes available. In the meantime, there is nothing for you to worry about.”
“Is it true the High Commander and Lead Agent have gone to Tararia?” Jimmy Liang asked from his place in the main lineup.
“Yes, though that’s nothing out of the ordinary.”
The new round of knowing looks suggested that no one was buying it. This group was too smart; the timing was too coincidental to not be related.
There was little point in Jason pretending like everything was okay, even if the events were classified. Misinformation would run rampant if left unchecked, so it was better to head it off with the parts of the truth he could share.
“The TSS faces new conflicts all the time, and we have processes in place to ensure we are always prepared to take informed and decisive actions. It’s why we train so hard for years, and why learning is a career-long endeavor. We have contingency plans for everything. So yes, though the High Commander and Lead Agent aren’t at Headquarters right now, Agent Andres is overseeing operations, and I have been left in command of the Conquest in the unlikely event it is needed.”
“You’re in command of the ship?” Paula asked, barely falling on the correct side of the line separating question from statement.
“As I just said, yes.”
“Can we see it?” she asked.
“Yeah!” others chimed in.
“It’s not a toy,” Jason stated.
“Of course not. It’s a tool. And we’re supposed to be learning about methods of focusing our abilities, aren’t we?” Paula tilted her head.
This one is nothing but trouble. He looked over the expectant faces.
Under normal circumstances, he would never cave to their pressure. However, a plan was starting to form in his mind.
The tour could offer an opportunity to see Tiff one more time without violating her wishes. Such tactics weren’t his usual style, but he needed to get re-centered and focused as quickly as possible. Nine years was too long to spend with someone and expect to turn off feelings with the flip of a switch. A final chance to reminisce, if only from a distance, would help him get closure. And, if he knew Tiff as well as he thought, her message wasn’t what it appeared on the surface.
“All right, just a quick tour,” he told the group.
Excited cheers erupted along the lineup of Junior Agents. Even a few short years ago, he would have joined them in celebrating such a simple thing. They no doubt took it as a fun field trip where they got to see a piece of history up close. In time, once they’d witnessed events like what Jason had seen over the last few years, they’d find the experience more sobering.
He ushered the students toward the central elevator lobby, and they split into two groups for the long ride up to the surface. Jason left the bench seat open for his students, opting to stand since he’d already warmed up for what was supposed to have been a combat training session.
He checked his handheld for the time stamp from his conversation with Tiff. She’s always hated formal goodbyes. I think this is what she secretly wants.
Even if he was wrong in his interpretation, it was too late to turn back now. They were on their way to the surface, and he couldn’t very well tell his students to forget about the tour.
Upon reaching the moon’s surface, they took the waiting shuttles up to the spaceport. Even from a distance, the Conquest stood out from the other berthed ships, equal parts beautiful and menacing in appearance.
The Conquest was arguably the most famous ship in the TSS fleet. Jason normally wouldn’t have agreed to give the students a tour, but it was actually relevant to the work they were doing. They needed to appreciate the magnitude of the power they would wield as Agents, and the best way to do that was to show them the TSS’ ultimate weapon.
Designed as a flagship for Jason’s father during the Bakzen War, the Conquest was equipped with a unique bioelectronic energy relay system. A team of Agents could work together to feed telekinetic energy into a sort of energy buffer in the ateron band around the ship’s perimeter, which could then be directed toward a specific target. Ateron was prized for its unique property of oscillating between normal space and subspace; the element’s incredible characteristic made it capable of facilitating high levels of tele
kinetic energy transfer. Since ateron was extremely rare and expensive, such designs weren’t possible for other full-scale ships, but a small number of fighters with telekinetic weapons had also been produced. If the conflict brewing in the Rift came to a head, then Jason’s students might find themselves piloting such a craft. The Conquest, though, could only be utilized to its full potential by Jason or his father. It’s why Jason had been left in command, and he was well aware of the implications.
As soon as the group exited their respective shuttles to the spaceport, Jason spotted the nearest terminal listing ship arrivals and departures. Since Tiff wasn’t going on a mission, there was no reason her transport ship’s itinerary wouldn’t be posted publicly. A holographic projection above the terminal displayed the recent departures and upcoming transits. He located the sole ship heading to Alkeer that day; it was scheduled to leave in twenty minutes.
Not too late. He checked the ship’s berth and saw that it would be possible to pass by it if they took the long way to the Conquest. It was worth whatever razzing he might get from his students if they realized what was going on.
Jason took the requisite route. When the berth for the transport ship came into view, he saw Tiff standing at the base of the gangway with a handful of her friends, chatting and laughing. They huddled close together, as though hugs had been exchanged and they hadn’t fully parted afterward.
Jason’s heart lifted at the sight of seeing her so happy. She was about to go on an adventure and couldn’t be more thrilled.
As he passed by with the group of students, Tiff looked up at the unexpected crowd. Her softly glowing eyes met his, and her lips parted in a smile just for him. He smiled back, and she nodded before slowly turning her attention back to her friends.
See you around. He didn’t send it as a direct telepathic message, but he had a feeling she understood all the same.
Jimmy, one of the older Junior Agents walking near Jason, seemed to notice the silent exchange. “Who’s that?” he asked.
