by V. St. Clair
I need to be as honest as possible without saying anything flippant, stupid, traitorous, or Hera-related. If he could manage all of that it would be a miracle.
“Truthfully, no, Ground-Leader. As a child I was quite taken with technology, and had aspirations in that direction. After becoming Gifted, Tech was no longer an option, and I didn’t even bother considering a career in the military, since it was impossible for the same reason until recently.”
“It was impossible to become an officer, until recently,” the commander addressed him now, distrustful. “You could have still applied as a ground soldier or a consultant, as some of your peers have done.”
Carl had no idea how open he was supposed to be right now. Was he supposed to ignore the elephant in the room or charge right into it? This whole thing was a test and he had no idea how to pass it.
“With all due respect, Commander, the ‘consultants’ you speak of were given special privileges in exchange for spying on their peers, and the Gifted ‘ground soldiers’ you speak of were rumored to be assassins. I have no interest in either of those options.”
Hello, elephant.
“And you assumed the rumors to be true without corroborating them yourself?” The commander pressed him, still annoyed. “Knowing they were made by a group of people with a grudge against the government?”
“Historically, there has been good reason for that grudge, sir,” Carl pointed out. “The Gifted who are brought to the Augenspire by the Provo tend not to return, or not in the same condition they left in, at the very least. Can you really blame me for being wary?”
“I can blame you for trying to hop the chain of command and become an officer when you haven’t even served as a common soldier yet.”
Ah, so that’s why he hates me. He probably worked his way up from the bottom over the course of many years and is mad about me skipping steps.
He looked at Jessamine and the Ground-Leader to see if they would comment, but they watched him in silence. Apparently this was part of the test.
“That isn’t an issue I can address,” Carl replied calmly. “A Minor said there was a job opening and recommended I apply for it based on my skill-sets, so I did. The posting said previous military experience was a bonus but not strictly required.”
“Why do you want to be a Ground-Captain in my army?” Ground-Leader Skye asked him now.
“I think I will be suited to the job, and will benefit from the experience. I also think I can bring something new to the table, since I have a different perspective than your other Captains, being Gifted,” he explained. “I also appreciate and support the Vicereine and her goal of decreasing tensions between the Gifted and the military, and want to assist with the execution of her vision in any way I can.”
“Tell me about your Gift,” Jessamine spoke now, without giving any indication of whether she liked his previous answer.
Since she could easily read up on the details of his Gift—and perhaps already had—he assumed she wanted to hear about it from his perspective.
“I can break apart or reconstruct things at will.”
“Anything?”
“I have found no restrictions, so far. My Gift doesn’t apply to most chemical changes, but I haven’t tested it on every object I encounter, so I can’t say for certain what all of my exclusions are.”
Ground-Leader Skye said, “Does it work without your emblem?”
Carl raised his eyebrows and said, “I’ve never really tried, since I am always wearing my emblem.” He had no idea if this was a subtle test to see if he was following the law, or if she hadn’t been thinking when she asked the question. Some Gifted were able to use their abilities without their necklaces on or nearby, but most could not.
“Of course. My apologies,” the Ground-Leader back-tracked.
“I would like to know the answer to the Ground-Leader’s question,” Jessamine looked around the room for something suitable to break. “Try to break that vase, please.”
Carl raised his eyebrows and glanced at the Provo-Major, who were narrowing their eyes at him in faint displeasure and glancing at his bracelets. The rules were usually pretty clear about using weapons in the Vicereine’s presence, especially for the Gifted.
“Uh, am I allowed to? I didn’t think I was permitted to do anything with my Gift in your presence,” he said. “Downstairs they had me sign a document saying it was okay for you all to kill me if I did, actually, and I assume these bracelets aren’t decorative.” He held up his wrists.
“I am giving you my express consent for this one time,” she waved him to his feet. Reluctantly, Carl rose.
“What if I break it and I can’t put it back together?” he asked, mostly to buy time to prepare. He really didn’t like turning his back on the Provo-Major like this.
“I am not overly fond of that vase. It will be fine.”
Carl stood nervously in front of the vase, hearing the Majors move behind him and glancing back to see them standing much closer to the Vicereine than before. Carl turned back to the vase and set his hand on it, closing his eyes and trying to concentrate.
Break…break…
Nothing happened. The connection he usually felt with the world around him while wearing his emblem was gone.
“It isn’t working,” he felt like an idiot for saying it out loud. “I don’t feel the vase like I would if my powers were intact,” he elaborated.
“I see. Please rejoin us at the table.”
Carl was only too glad to do so, relieved when the two Majors returned to their original positions and looked slightly less edgy.
“Well, Andrea, what do you think?” Jessamine turned to the Ground-Leader with interest.
“One interview is hardly enough to go on, but in conjunction with his other interviews and his training sessions, I believe I can work with him.”
“I still think he should serve active duty as a grunt before he becomes a captain, to ensure he understands the workings of the military and the expectations,” the commander interjected.
“His test scores and aptitude analyses both here and at the Academy indicate his ability to cope with the environment,” his superior replied, before turning to Jessamine.
“What do you think, Excellency?”
“I think I am ready to begin making good on my promises and integrating the Gifted back into society—in all roles.”
The commander seemed unable to contain himself and blurted out, “But how can you trust someone like him? If you’ve seen the tapes of his powers, then you know how dangerous he can be to you. How are we supposed to protect you from his kind if you let them into the building?”
Jessamine looked unimpressed with the argument and her response was icy.
“Given the recent attacks on me by members of my own government, by your logic I should be asking him to protect me from you. Do you have any other reasonable objections to his appointment, Commander, other than your own bias?”
Ouch, Carl thought admiringly. She can cut to the bone.
“No, Excellency,” the commander answered quietly.
“Good.” Jessamine rose to her feet and turned to the Ground-Leader. “Make it happen, Andrea.”
“Thank you, Excellency.” The Ground-Leader stood up as well, motioning for Carl to follow her out a side door. When they were alone on an elevator heading downwards she said, “I’ll drop you off with instructions to get your paperwork filed so you can officially be cleared and your biochip updated with your new credentials.”
“Thank you,” Carl said, feeling awkward. “Uh, out of curiosity, will the commander from my interview just now be my direct superior?”
“No,” the Ground-Leader spared him a thoughtful glance, before adding, “But many in the military will think like him. Are you prepared to deal with it?”
“Yes,” Carl replied, wondering if it was true. “I’ll just have to work hard to show them I can keep up and be relied upon.”
A moment of silence elapsed before Carl asked, “What do th
ese bracelets do? I assume there is something to activate them?”
The Ground-Leader spared them a glance before answering.
“You are correct. They can be activated by anyone with level-three or higher security clearance and have two modes of engagement. If activated in alpha mode they will polarize away from each other with enough force to dislocate both of your shoulders–though occasionally the force has been sufficient to remove the arms entirely from the body. In beta mode, the bracelets will send a pulse of electricity between them, sufficient to render you unconscious, though it may also be strong enough to damage the heart.”
Carl spared a horrified glance at them, even as the Ground-Leader removed them with a flat key from her belt. No wonder they weren’t worried about me sitting with the Vicereine with only a few guards.
“The Vicereine is showing an enormous amount of faith in you, and if you prove her mistaken, I will be…displeased.”
“I understand. I am loyal to the Vicereine and will work hard to prove myself worthy of her faith in me.”
“Good. Then allow me to be the first to welcome you to the military.” She extended her hand at the bottom of the elevator, and Carl shook it without hesitation. “Welcome to the Augenspire.”
7
Topher Augen
~
Time unwinds.
It will fall.
You have forgotten.
~
Topher had to admit, Shellina was a quick study when she set her mind to something. He had only been tutoring her for two weeks, and she’d made more progress in that short time than she had after years of previous instruction.
If only she had taken an interest in her responsibilities a little sooner, he thought ruefully.
Not that he cared. These days, he didn’t care much about anything.
“Much better,” he said aloud, after grading the test she had just completed. “You only missed one question this time.”
“Which one?” Shellina demanded, displeased with herself for the failure. It was so reminiscent of her sister that Topher would have felt a pang of emotion if he removed his Talents.
“Number fifteen. It was ambiguous—the General Assembly does have the power to veto an executive order from the ruling Viceroy or Vicereine, though they typically do not exercise their right to do so.”
“But you said the General Assembly is more bark than bite,” the Vicerina strained to recall the memory, her strawberry-blond hair tousled from lack of attention. Topher didn’t think he’d ever seen her more focused on her work than her appearance, and it was a refreshing change. “If they really hated Grandmother’s order of admittance, why didn’t they squash it if they had the power to do so?”
Topher made a wavering motion with one hand. “I said it was ambiguous. Things grow murky where the General Assembly is involved. They do technically have the power to kill an order of Jessamine’s, but she also has the power to fire and replace them.”
“So they’re careerists?”
“Certainly,” Topher agreed easily. “None of them want to lose their high-ranking jobs, though your sister isn’t likely to fire anyone simply for disagreeing with her. Still, none of them want to fall out of favor with the ruler of the planet, who can find little ways to make their lives less pleasant if they are uncooperative with her agenda.”
Shellina absorbed this thoughtfully and said, “But if they all united against an order of Jessa’s with equal dedication…”
“Then yes, they could squash the legislature. It’s happened in the past, though not for many years. Besides, you’re forgetting another powerful force that comes into play.”
“Oh?”
“The military. Your sister is their commander. Leaders Skye and Rolf are very influential within the General Assembly, and they have an entire army at their backs. The Assembly doesn’t want the military peeved with them, and they take their orders from the Vicereine, so they tend not to fight executive legislature unless they feel extremely strongly about it.”
“You’re right, this is murky,” Shellina tapped her fingers on the table in front of her as she processed this. “Government is a lot harder than I used to think.”
“There’s a reason it takes so many people to pull it off successfully,” Topher acknowledged. “Your sister has to consider the Leaders, the General Assembly, the Provo, and her other advisors assisting her by carrying out their various roles.”
“It didn’t feel like I had help during the four days I was in charge,” Shellina admitted, eyes cast downward in shame. “I felt like I was stranded on an island by myself, trying to hold up the sky while everyone watched me fail—except you.”
Topher raised an eyebrow at this and said, “You had help available, you were just uncertain of how to ask for it. Next time—if there is a next time—you’ll be better prepared.”
Shellina looked slightly cheered by this, eyes hopeful as they met Topher’s. Since she had buckled down and started studying, he found her much less irritating to be around.
It only took the murder of her father to open her eyes.
The loss of Roald Elaria didn’t bother him as much as it normally would, another Gift of his Block Talent.
“I owe you and all of my other tutors so much for helping me get up to speed. I know I shouldn’t have ignored my studies for so long, but it just didn’t feel real to me until—well.” Shellina looked sad for a moment before recovering. “Anyway, I know you’re busy, but thank you for taking the time to help me.”
“I was ordered to assist you. With that said, thank you for being attentive and working hard in order to learn more rapidly.”
Shellina nodded and glanced at the clock.
“If we’re done for the night, there was something else I wanted to talk to you about.”
“Oh?” Topher stood up, stretching his legs and adjusting his light armor.
“I—well, you know Jessa’s wedding is coming up in six weeks.”
Topher stopped and faced her now. His feelings regarding the wedding were so powerful they nearly seeped through the Block and overwhelmed him, but the Talent lived up to its name and he felt only the vestiges of those emotions instead.
“Yes?”
“I found a venue, finally. We’re going to have it at the Laurel. It was a pain getting them to cancel their other reservations and clear the place out for us, but after I pointed out what good advertising it would be to have the ruling Vicereine married at their establishment they—sorry, I’m rambling. I do that when I’m nervous.”
“I know.”
“Well, the military will be guarding the building for us, because it’s opened up to commoners and not just government employees, and it’s traditional for the Majors not to be on guard-duty during the wedding—”
“You’re still rambling,” Topher observed.
“No, it’s relevant, I promise.” Shellina sighed, wringing her hands. “Since you’re going to be there anyway, and you won’t have any official duties during the ceremony—Jessamine hasn’t asked you to do anything weird like walk her down the aisle, has she?”
“No.”
“Oh, good. Well, since you’ll be there enjoying the party anyway, I thought maybe you would be willing to go as my personal escort?” Before he had a chance to answer she continued on. “I know you all aren’t officially on duty during the wedding, but I also know you’ll still spend the night looking for threats to Jessa and I because you’re dedicated to your job, and it would be a lot easier to spot trouble if you had an excuse to be near me all night, so—”
“You don’t really need to ask, you know,” Topher pointed out. “I don’t know if Assemblyman Harold has discussed it with you yet during your tutoring sessions, but you can order the Provo-Major to do anything you’d like, provided it doesn’t conflict with any of our oaths or other standing orders from your sister.”
Shellina looked slightly hurt when she said, “I know I can order you to go with me, but I don’t want to force yo
u to do something you don’t want to do. I—I’m asking you if you’ll take me.”
Topher didn’t really care what he was doing or who he was with on what was bound to be one of the most unpleasant nights of his life. Shellina made a compelling point about being nearby in case of emergency, since he would be on the lookout for trouble whether he was asked to or not.
“Alright, I’ll escort you,” he replied.
Shellina looked shocked and ecstatic at his agreement, her mouth dropping open comically, which meant she was expecting him to reject her.
“Oh, thank you! It’ll be fun, I promise! I’ve got everything planned out and it’s going to be beautiful and—”
“Excuse me, Vicerina, my duty rotation is ending now and I am back on in eight hours, so I need to get some rest,” he interrupted her outpouring of emotion.
“Oh, yes, of course.” She looked thrown by his behavior and then added, “Um, is everything alright with you, Topher? Recently you’ve seemed a little different.”
“I am well,” he replied evenly.
“You’ve just been a little…cold. Aloof, maybe? Gah—I don’t know the word I want, but you seem different at any rate, and I wanted to ask you about it and see if there is anything I can do to help. You can confide in me, you know.”
“There is nothing wrong, Vicerina. Thank you for your concern.”
“Okay, well if you’re sure—”
“I’ll see you tomorrow. Goodnight.”
Topher left the sitting room and walked down the hall to the main foyer to catch an elevator down to two-ninety-eight. He could feel emotions buried beneath the surface of his mind, and he dreaded the moment when he would have to remove his Talents to sleep, opening up whatever floodgate was waiting inside of him.
Once in his room, he pulled off his armor and set it on the form beside his heavies, stripping down to his boxers and standing in front of the mirror. Physically he looked fine, if tired. Mentally…
Time to find out how I’m really doing.
He reached up to remove Block from his left enhancer, but before he could unsnap it, there was a knock on his door.
