by Andur
What I learned is that the cast-time to power ratio of techno-magic drops with more powerful spells. The runes which are required to cast techno-magic are by nature very complicated. Since it's settled on fields like gravity, teleportation and telepathy, you are also a little restricted in your possibilities to attack someone.
Looking at another branch like pyro-magic shows you that the required runes are much simpler and easier to use.
Only very old techno-mages are able to overcome this weakness by sheer experience. They become so adept at casting certain spells that they can take shortcuts in the creation of spell-runes.
Unfortunately it doesn't help to simply learn pyro-magic. Using a spell, which you don't have an affinity for, causes you to use up much more of your power than is necessary. That's bad because magical exhaustion results in unconsciousness and can cause death in severe cases. According to the books someone's affinities result from the way in which he is using his brain.
Grandmother already demonstrated this to me by letting me cast the basic runes for force and heat as often as I can. When I cast force, I can go on for over a hundred times until I start feeling tired. Upon trying to do the same with heat I started feeling dizzy after only sixteen times. A pyro-mage would have the same results, just the other way around.
That's why all spells are split up into categories which look like skill trees on a huge two dimensional map. A mage's ability is partly defined in how many spells your affinity covers. Normally you get access to a certain area of this tree. In some cases someone's ability partly covers neighbouring areas.
It could be entirely possible that I can use a few spells of the lightning or metal-categories, which are closely related to techno-magic. Grandmother already implied that my ability to create sparks between my fingers is a good sign for the future.
I won't know my own abilities until my magical education has reached the point where I can try to experiment with spells that don't belong to my category.
In fact Saden's big sister is an electro-mage with access to a few spells of the lightning and techno-branch, which makes her actually a prodigy. Sadly she didn't inherit the accelerated mind though.
Finding a way to work around this weakness feels like a necessity to me. Otherwise mages with simpler affinities will be able to overpower me by being able to cast more powerful spells in a shorter period of time.
“IT'S HIM! He is the one!” Someone screams at the entrance to the canteen and I turn my head to find out who's causing the ruckus.
“Ah, it's the thug.” I note with an extremely emotionless voice. I can't help myself. Meeting this guy again is a real downer to my mood. He is with an adult who could be a teacher. Just to be on the safe side I activate my ability and slow down my perceived time a little bit.
Before the man can stop the boy, the thug does something with his hands. The next moment he rushes at me with incredible speed, his fists glowing in a blue light.
Though this time I am a little more prepared, prepared for violence.
I grab the fork and point it at the thug. A simple force-spell sends the tool on its way, but the thug slaps it away with a simple flick of his hand.
In the next moment he has reached me, but this time his hit is a little harder to dodge. He isn't aiming for my head, but for my chest.
Since I already know that his fists have to be taken earnestly, I cast several layers of force-field in front of my chest.
Feeling the impact on my chest I cast Force on my own hand and stab it forward, embedding my fingers into his eyes. This is the way I came up with to enhance my own body. If I can't keep up with my enemy, then I have to play my body like a doll on strings.
But his eyes are a little more resistant than I thought. Obviously it doesn't work like in the movies. His eyeballs don't pop, or are pushed back into his head. They just feel like a very resistant, slimy, rubbery mass.
I change the plan and create an electrical current between my fingers. The moist eyeballs are perfect contact points for electricity. Tasking a part of my mind to switch the current on and off is a simple matter. I feel a grin appearing on my face. So I became an electrical eel after all.
After I am sure that my opponent is affected by my attack I let time run faster again.
The boy spasms with chattering teeth and goes to the ground. My eyes fall onto the knife which was intended for my meal. Being attacked once is something I can deal with, but being attacked twice in this manner... that's the last straw. No matter who he is!
To outsiders my actions might look like they were taken in the heat of the moment, but I think I already gave this too much thought.
Dangerous animals have to be taken care of! I snatch the knife and stab the boy on his way to the ground.
Then I drop myself onto him and start going for his vitals. Arteries, face, chest. I don't want him to die immediately. Blood starts spraying in a beautiful arc as I raise the knife for the finishing blow.
Then my body suddenly halts and I can't move any more. Damn! Flicking my eyes around I find the man from earlier pointing both hands at me. Did he cast a spell?
Nooooo!!! Why did I have to make him suffer instead of ending it right at the beginning? Now he will attack me a third time for sure.
Life sucks!
11. ~Future.~
“The 'New Age' terrorist group has bombed one of the launching platforms for the new probes. This will throw back the efforts of the world government. But they claimed that no regressive force will be able to stop humanity from claiming the solar system.”
-Newspaper
Aether, The floating City, above the Atlantic Ocean
Gideon
“This is an outrageous incident! I hope that you are aware of what you have done.” The school's director, Mr. Freyd, glares at me. “Say something, or I have no other choice than expulsion.”
“Director Freyd!” Saden cuts in from my side. “I think that you made a mistake with what you have just said. I've had only a short time to take a look at the evidence, but it's very clear to me that Gideon isn't responsible for this situation.”
The director's eyes narrow and his attention turns towards Saden. “What do you mean?”
Saden corrects her blue dress before she starts speaking. “Let's revise the events. Ralph Hastur gets found on a corridor-”
“Heavily injured!” The director interrupts.
“-and claims that he was attacked. You let him search for the offender after he returns from the hospital, which led to the encounter in the canteen. Why didn't you check the security cameras?”
“The security footage can't be used as evidence. It's too easy to manipulate it.” The director answers with a monotone voice.
Saden isn't impressed. “But it can be used to determine your future actions. Ralph's record of attacking other students is as long as my arm. His last episode should have had him thrown out of school. Why is he even on school grounds?”
The director starts fumbling with his fingers. “You know that his parents own a large company and are paying huge sums to this school. It seems like a failure on our part if we can't educate a small kid like him.”
“And how much are the techno-mages paying to this institute? I am not entirely sure that you would be able to keep this school running without our support. What would they say if you let someone like Ralph attack one of us.” Saden shakes her head. “I am sure that they aren't easily pleased without a proper investigation of the circumstances. What's happening here is an utter disgrace to our society. I think I have no other choice but to take this case in front of a tribunal to make everything public.”
The director freezes for a moment. “Tribunals are free food for the media. You wouldn't disgrace this institute by dirtying it with bad press. Think about the repercussions.”
“My grades are good enough to go to the Jupiter university. My sister is a prodigy and Gideon just has to fry their examination sprite to show that he is worth the effort. So let me ask agai
n. Why wasn't the video footage looked at? You knew that Gideon has to be treated with care. After finding him on the video, you should have let Ralph and him never get close to each other. And what's up with the confrontation from person to person? Did you walk Ralph through every techno-mage in this school? Don't tell me that the camera wasn't recording.”
A vein on the director's forehead bulges visibly. “The files were... lost.”
“Such a coincidence. So everything you have is footage of Ralph attacking Gideon in the canteen. We admit that Gideon's reaction was excessive, but that's exactly the thing this school is paid to prevent! I am sure that Ralph also lied about the first attack. Right, Gideon?”
I stopped listening a while ago. Instead I am currently taking a look at the school's network. Who would have thought that the crystals at the ceiling aren't just spending light? They are also cameras! There are tons and tons of images, though it seems like someone removed all the footage from one hour before and after the incident.
“Right, Gideon?” Saden elbows me from the side and I return my attention to her.
“Yes? Sorry, I wasn't paying attention. I was just taking a look at the school-server with the saved files.” I try to smile.
The director gasps. “Those are secured!”
“Not very well. In fact it's very poorly secured. Even a child like me can get in.” I answer. “The firewall on the thing is full of holes. The ports for the student-services aren't blocked.” In that regard this school isn't much different from the schools on Earth.
“Gideon, there are reasons for securing those files. Don't break into the school's servers.” Saden takes my hand. “Would you please explain what happened between you and Ralph.”
“Ralph?” I ask.
Saden's grip on my hand turns tighter. “The thug!”
“Ah, that one. He attacked and caused me pain while I was checking out the clubs. I put him down and went my way. I didn't pay much attention to the incident, but when he attacked a second time I got a little annoyed, I'll admit that.” I answer.
“Annoyed? You almost killed a student!” The director calls out.
“I tried to-” But Saden places her hand over my mouth to shut me up.
She looks at the director. “Gideon only defended himself against repeated attacks from someone who is stronger and older than him.”
“The stronger doesn't seem to be accurate.” But the director doesn't get to say more because someone knocks on the door of his office.
Without waiting for an answer, the door is opened and reveals a man in a black suit and a boy. The boy seems to be Sada's age and has light brown hair with a slender figure. He is wearing an expensive grey suit.
The man in the black suit has dark brown hair and wears black glasses. It makes him look like one of those Mafia bosses from old Italy. I read a lot about those. He steps into the room and reaches into his suit.
Then he stabs a card at the director. “My name is Don Jerico. I am the head lawyer from StarDrive Inc. Obviously there are a few misunderstandings going on here. If you would let the children leave? Then we can discuss this between adults. I am sure that I don't have to inform you of all your mistakes regarding the proper procedure. Otherwise we would have to call the faceless and-”
Saden gets up and pulls me out of the room, closing the door behind us. “Whew! I was running out of ideas to keep the director occupied.” She hugs the new arrival, who keeps smiling. “Thank you for helping out. This is my cousin, Gideon. Gideon, this a friend of mine. His name is Paul Kleen. He is also a techno-mage and his family owns StarDrive. We are in the same class.”
I nod. “Hi.”
Paul smiles without showing his teeth. “Such a coincidence. If it isn't the person on the security footage.”
Saden raises one eyebrow. “So you were the one who deleted the footage?”
“Yes, actually a certain someone broke the lock on our clubroom and played with my computer while I was on the toilet.” He looks down on me, which is easy because he is two years older than me.
Saden's expression also turns strange, which is disturbing me.
For the first time I realize that I might have caused problems to Saden. What to do? My new family is doing so much for me. I don't want them hating me. But on the other side I don't get what I did wrong.
Isn't defending yourself a legitimate action? Nobody said anything when I injured the assassin.
“Don't cry, Gideon.” Suddenly my cousin hugs me.
“I am not crying.” I answer, but this time I am actually not exactly sure.
“Did he break something?” Saden looks up to Paul. “I am sorry, but he has special circumstances. Gideon isn't what you would call normal.”
Paul scratches his chin and squints his eyes at me. “Actually I want him to work for us.”
“Work?” I ask. “Sorry, but I've already made plans for the future.”
Saden gasps. “No, wait. Didn't you listen when I told you about StarDrive?” Then she turns to Paul. “No. Why do you want him to work for you?”
He grins. “Because he rewrote the control program for our new gravity based fusion-reactor in less than five minutes.”
“I just optimized the code.” I admit. Hopefully they didn't find the Easter egg.
“And increased the fusion reactor's power output by two percent while doing so.” Paul answers with a strange look on his face.
“What are measly two percent?” I turn to Saden. “I don't like the way he is looking at me.”
“Don't you realize what two percent are? Our competition isn't able to duplicate that! You need hundreds of fusion reactors to supply the big flying colonies. Aether alone has ninety of them installed. Increasing the power output by two percent is a big factor! It's decision making in the race to sell your products! We can't let you work for anyone else. How did you do it? And what do you want?”
This time I am the one who squints his eyes. “But I just eliminated the bugs, so that the program won't freeze any more. Then I optimized the code for speed, so that the plasma could be kept perfectly in the centre of the fusion chamber. Otherwise the energy of the ignition laser isn't used to its full potential.”
“That's it! Good man! How much do you want to be paid!?” Paul asks.
This guy is somehow suspicious to me. I want to go home. “I already have a business plan.” I try to turn away, but Saden grabs my cheek and starts pulling. “He takes the job. Half of all the profit he produces.”
Paul shakes his head. “Saden, you are a very good friend, but this is business. I am the heir of the company after all. He gets ten percent.”
“Then he takes sixty percent.” Saden's voice is as cold as ice.
“Didn't you listen? Okay twenty. That's all I can do.”
“Seventy!”
“That's not how it works! Thirty!”
“Eighty!”
“Fourty! You are supposed to come into my direction! But he has to take a look at all our reactor-types!”
“Then ninety!”
“Fifty! That's the last straw!”
“Then he'll work for you.” Saden's expression turns satisfied.
“But I-” I attempt to say something, but Saden cuts me off.
“I don't give a damn about your business plan. Do you realize how much money we were just talking about? If you get such a job offer, then you have to take it! In the name of our family!”
“But-”
“Your grandmother will be here any minute. Do you want me to tell her the nice version with flowers where you just defended yourself, or the one where you went nuts and tried to gut a boy in front of the entire school! Do you want me to be on your side, or against you! Choose now!” Saden glares at me with an expression which calls money all over her face.
My eyes wander back and forth between her and Paul, but when I think about facing Grandmother after such a major slip up...
“Please be on my side.”
Saden reaches out and pat
s my head. “Good boy, you chose wisely!”
“Ah. And before I forget!” Paul raises one finger. “That Easter egg with the fake-meltdown. That wasn't funny!”
I want my plush cat.
12. ~Cake.~
“And the newest development in regards to the market! StarDrive has announced a completely new generation of fusion-reactors. Not only will they be significantly more efficient, but also safer and easier to control. If the company is able to hold their promise, then we can predict that the competition will get in serious trouble.”
-News-Channel: Aether I
Aether, The floating City, above the Atlantic Ocean
Melan
“Gideon, what do you have there?” I look at the sheet of paper in my grandson's hands. I am currently making a cake in our kitchen and he is helping me by eating all the sweet leftovers. It has been almost a month since the incident with the school's thug. Luckily it turned out that Gideon was completely fine and he even got somehow employed by one of the biggest companies we have in our society.
And all he has to do is to use his programming talent. At first I didn't want to believe it, because he hadn't even learned our programming languages yet. But according to him it's enough to learn two or three computer languages and you can learn the third and fourth in no time.
His reasoning is that programming languages are logical and have a clear syntax. Once you have looked up the vocabulary and grammar for the new one, you can easily adapt your previously learned knowledge to it.
The similarities between humanity's computers and ours aren't just accidental. It's leaked technology after all. Despite all our achievements there are still some dark elements in our society. They are selling everything they can get away with to the black market. Especially our electronics is often leaked through secondary channels.
