Terminus Project: Jupiter (Child Prodigy SciFi)

by Casey Herzog

  I heard the door close and then the whisper of William trying to rein me in. “We all knew this day was coming. We told him you should be prepared, but he said he didn’t want you involved. Unfortunately, your bloodline doesn’t allow you to sit on the sidelines. Before this place goes up in flames, I need you to concentrate and imagine you are snuffing out the blaze with a blanket,” William said, sounding like he knew my father better than I did.

  I followed his instructions, and the flames that had been growing higher began to die out, until all that was left were scorch marks.

  “I don’t know what happened. It had to be my grief manifesting some kind of forbidden magic.” I could feel the heat from the fire burning my fingers, but it left no discernible mark on my skin. There was no blistering and nothing to indicate my hand had been on fire.

  “You can’t hide from this forever. He told me you would be scared and that I should handle you with kid gloves. So, follow me because I need to show you something. The one thing you need going forward is an open mind. The life you have led is a façade. It doesn’t have to be that way anymore, but it’s up to you to take the next step. At least this way you’ll have all the information to make an informed decision.”

  A week ago, I would have followed him anywhere, but in this one instance, it felt like he was pushing me towards the abyss. “I don’t know what kind of game you’re playing, William. It’s not fair to screw with me in my current state of mind. If this is some kind of practical joke, then I’m not laughing. It’s cruel, and it’s a wonder that I haven’t unraveled altogether.”

  “Have you ever heard of the dreamscape? It’s a world out of phase with this one. I can’t believe for a second you haven’t experienced it. Your father was the architect of that world, and that legacy has now been passed onto you. I think you do his memory a disservice by trying to stick your head in the sand. You have every reason to be afraid, but the unknown can be an eye-opening experience.”

  I was surprised when his words meant something to me. When I was younger, I had dreams of floating above my bed, looking down at my prone form sleeping soundly under the covers. It happened time and time again. It was as if I was giving myself the freedom to be myself in another world consisting of my dreams. Now it was starting to make sense.

  I took one last look at the burn marks on the banister, and then I joined him in the study. “Why is it that everything leads to this room?” It was difficult to keep my hands to myself and that newfound confidence made me feel like the woman inside had been unchained.

  “You know the answer to that more than anyone. Your father put a shroud over your eyes to blind you to the truth. I didn’t agree with it, but he said it was for your own good. There will always be others looking to take your father’s power for themselves, but I can tell from what happened with the fire that you have been given the gift of magic eyes. You would think that everybody who practices the dark arts would have the same abilities, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. There are only a select few who are chosen for magic eyes. Your father spoke with conviction about a future where magic is not forbidden. He wanted all of us to be prepared for that eventuality, but some have been reluctant to wait.”

  My head was spinning. I couldn’t grasp the concept of what he was trying to tell me. “My father never talked about magic. Whenever I would bring it up, he would give me the evil eye and shut down the conversation. It is part of our history, and not something we should hide from. We learned the hard way that magic can be destructive in the wrong hands. It always takes that one bad cook to spoil the broth for the rest of us.

  “The most I could do growing up was a few fireworks. It wasn’t much more than a fizzle brought about by an illegal substance. I didn’t have the kind of power behind it I did with the staircase fire just now. You’re obviously trying to tell me something; you’ve been walking on eggshells from the moment you arrived.” I wanted to kiss him and to hold him close, but I stopped myself because I didn’t know where this was leading.

  “This place has always been sacred; this room has been adorned by the markers of the dreamscape. This has always been the doorway. There are others, but they only appear at certain intervals. This one remains open, but only with the markers in place. I want you to close your eyes and embrace the darkness that swallows you whole. This is your legacy and it’s time for you to take your rightful place. You have very little understanding of the world that you are about to enter, but I will be there with you every step of the way.”

  He took my hand and I closed my eyes with a sinking feeling. “I don’t know why, but I trust you. I can’t explain it.” The feeling of something sticky was up to my neck. I took a deep breath and immersed myself into the darkness of my own soul. I still had a firm grip on his hand, but everything else turned around me like I was in some sort of twister.

  “Whatever you do…don’t let go. If that were to happen, you would be lost and I’m not sure you would ever find your way back. This place can be unforgiving to those who don’t believe. We’ve had some casualties along the way and we’re not proud of it. Nonetheless, I feel that the only place that I can truly be myself is in the dreamscape.” I was spinning and screaming at the same time, wanting this roller coaster to stop.

  “I can’t do this anymore. I feel like I’m coming apart at the seams.” I felt myself falling, and the impact against the cold, hard floor was enough to make me open my eyes. Standing there, within the light, was William and others who had crowded around him like they were curious to know what was happening. They were not the only ones trying to understand what was happening. I tried to get up, but my whole body felt like it weighed ten times my regular weight.

  “The trip isn’t an easy one for most and those who haven’t done it before are usually left in a catatonic state for at least a day. It should say something that you’re not like everybody else.”

  He gave me his hand and I got up to see that I was in a school identical to the one I attended. Everything was the same, except there were these insignificant little insects skittering along the floor.

  “I should have warned you about them. They live within this phase of existence. We call them skaters. They’re harmless, but they do fight back when provoked: lessons we have learned the hard way. This school is the same as ours, but in a different phase of existence.”

  I was a little dizzy, but able to stand, until I wasn’t. I heard laughter as I landed on my ass, but the only thing bruised was my ego. William hovered over me like an anxious parent. There were murmurs of discontent amongst those staring down at me in judgment. I could almost hear their disapproving thoughts, but they were a jumbled mess. I couldn’t distinguish one from the other.

  “Give the girl some room to breathe. There’s no reason to ridicule her. You’ve all been in her position before. It’s not nice to make fun of people.”

  I looked up to see the disgraced professor, Drake Haven, taking an avid interest in my well-being.

  “I want everybody to return to class except for William. He was the one that brought her here, and that makes her his responsibility.”

  Drake was a little different than I remembered. His hair was streaked with black and white and I could see the whites of his eyes. He looked blind, but his smile told me otherwise.

  Chapter Five

  I was taught never to stray from the sidewalk because there were dangers all around. It wasn’t until I was old enough to know better that I got the impression that my father was being overprotective. I’d learned to play on the safe side, but there were times I went against convention. Of course, I never told my father about my rebellious behavior. I had skipped school a couple of times to contemplate the meaning of life with other like-minded students. We talked about everything, including magic. I felt more connected to them than I did to my friends. I was secretly ashamed, but that didn’t prevent me from going back each and every time.

  It felt like I was addicted. My father always thought I was a goo
d girl, but I had a dark side. It wasn’t one I showed many. They would never understand how hard it was to lose my mother. It was a long road, and I needed to find a safe haven. My father wasn’t there for me, and I felt this pull to do something wrong. I lived within this bubble, and God forbid, if I broke it.

  “I think I can get up this time and stay standing.” The feeling of the room spinning was enough to make me faint. However, I stayed conscious, trying to breathe normally and remembering the meditation exercises my father had taught me to calm the storm within.

  “I know that technique like the back of my hand. Your father taught all of us to better control our emotions through meditation and quiet contemplation. We practice every morning, and there’s a reason for it. I’m sure that you have a lot of questions. Feel free to ask anything that you want, but do so at your own peril,” the professor said.

  “I want some answers, and I think I deserve them,” I said defiantly.

  “I will tell you the truth whether you are ready to hear it or not. It’s one of the guidelines to the dreamscape. Those who ask the question must be given an honest answer. We’re not kids anymore and it’s time for you to let go of the world you knew for the one that your father has led from the moment he conjured it.”

  I got up and stood at the mirror, looking at the grotesque way my image was twisted into something ugly. I turned away with my heart banging like a drum inside my chest. I had the feeling I was looking at the worst part of myself. It was unnerving and had me wondering how anybody could face that part of themselves.

  “That’s the window to the soul. Trust me; we avoid looking into it as much as possible. We do dare each other from time to time, and it always leaves a cold chill down our spines. The skaters and the students alike will come to accept you over time. They believe you to be sheltered from the real world of magic. They’re not wrong, but it wasn’t your own doing. Your father is responsible for leaving you in the dark. Upon his death, the duty of bringing you into the light has fallen on my shoulders.”

  He was very kind, but seeing this place and learning of my father’s double life was like a cold slap in the face. I felt like screaming and letting out that pent up emotion. My father’s desperate need to keep me secure in the knowledge that magic was out of our hands for a reason was no longer an issue.

  I had already been introduced to magic, but not in the same way others were. I got into a bad element from acting out to get attention. My father was oblivious to my pain, and couldn’t see I was screaming for help. It was only a phase, and I sometimes found magic to be my crutch to get through the day. I missed it more than I wanted to admit.

  “Bear with me. I just learned that my father wasn’t who I thought he was. It’s hard for me to understand and I’m going to need some time to swallow all of this. You must have known that telling me would change everything.

  “What gave you the right to turn my world upside down? I know you said my father told you I needed to know, but I would have thought it would be his job. He purposely kept me out of this. He was a coward, and I’m not sure I want any part of this,” I said, knowing I was a hypocrite. I wasn’t being truthful about my unusual friendships. I thought it was something to be ashamed of, but I didn’t think what I was doing was hurting anyone.

  I heard the same skittering sound and I looked around, but the skaters were amazingly able to hide their existence when they wanted to.

  “What makes you think you have a choice? There’s only one other person alive who has the magic eyes. I don’t want to scare you, but what your father has given you isn’t only a gift, but it can be a curse in the wrong hands. There are those who secretly know about the power, and that makes it impossible to keep you safe without being by your side 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Your father knew if you were to inherit the magic eyes that the others would come looking to take it from you. There have been three who have fallen; one of them was your father. We don’t know what happened, and I don’t think that we ever will. What we do know is that you need to take responsibility for the power bestowed upon you. I’m just not sure you are strong enough to do that. I can be there to support you, but this is a step you must take on your own.”

  William sounded like a whole different person than who he was in school. It was a façade of who he really was. There had to be a reason why he was hiding his true face.

  “I didn’t want any of this. I’ve gotten too close to the truth, and there’s no denying I’m curious. It would be hard for me to leave here without learning more, so I’m going to take a leap of faith. It’s not going to be easy, but I feel I owe it to my father even if I still think he was wrong to keep this from me.”

  All of this started to scare me a bit. I remembered from childhood the mob mentality of those who persecuted anybody who was different. It became a campaign against democracy. The Elder Masters and those who shared the responsibility of authority were front and center for the discrimination. They were the ones who finally put an end to it by forbidding magic. I think they knew there was no way they could put a lid on it without extreme force. There was always someone else to fill that vacuum. A ban cut the head off the snake without any possibility of it growing back. However, they didn’t know there was still an underground faction rumored to be waiting for the right time to strike. Most thought it was all hearsay, but I was learning differently.

  “Your father wasn’t perfect, and he never claimed to be. He thought it was a good idea to keep you safe and away from others’ prying eyes. He was worried you wouldn’t be able to handle it, but I told him he wouldn’t know unless he opened up to you. There was no choice, and coming to you was his last wish. I could no more go against him than I could go without breathing. I’m glad to see you have a somewhat open mind because you need to take this seriously. This world is in jeopardy; your father was even heading an investigation into the possibility of a mole. I didn’t want to believe it, but he seemed to think somebody was working against us.”

  That would explain why I had found him unable to sleep and pacing back and forth with worry in his eyes.

  “William, my father was always a bit too paranoid for his own good. That’s the main reason he was pulled out of academia. They couldn’t trust he wouldn’t corrupt the students with his own beliefs. They needed to control him and the best way to do that was to relegate him to the dusty books in the library. I thought he would fight them, but I see he had another way to do that.”

  William motioned for me to join him, and we walked down the hallways with the shining example of my father’s work right in front of me.

  William told me that my father’s face was synonymous with magic, and as such, his image was put in a place of high regard on the wall in the lobby. He had been a leader amongst men; he had brought a new understanding to the next generation. I was seeing a side of him he had hidden from me all these years. The whole situation was galling and it made me angry, but I was trying to push my resentment down into the deepest part of me where it would never see the light of day again.

  “We are always on the lookout for potential talent. Not everybody is born with the gene, but those who are can’t stay hidden forever. They need this community. We have saved countless children who have been brought to our attention by their parents who want to keep them safe. They might be scared, but their main concern is for their children. There has only been one instance in the last couple of years that came to the attention of the Elders. Frighteningly, Jasper has not been seen since. We have no idea what happened to him, but we fear the worst.” I knew about Jasper; they said he was on some sort of personal journey of self-discovery. Nobody said it, but we all knew what that really meant.

  “Jasper was quite vocal about magic. At one time, we all thought he was going to be the start of a magical revolution. It was surprising when we learned the Elders had taken an interest in him. They claimed to be encouraging his rehabilitation back into society. It always sounded political speak meant to be an example to othe
rs.”

  As I walked by each classroom, I saw sights that thrilled me. One student was levitating and another was making a fire in his own hands. I heard the teachers making sure the students were in control and not letting magic get the best of them.

  I didn’t know much about magic eyes, but I needed to find out more. What better way than to be surrounded by the very thing that had been part of our history? Maybe I was where I meant to be?

  “Jasper thought he had all the answers. We warned him that his best course of action was to join us, but he said he wasn’t going to hide anymore. There are others like him, and I sometimes fear they are going to do something they’ll regret. I’ve mentored some of them using the very same speech that your father gave me, but I don’t have what you have. And I don’t think I want to.”

  He was making it sound like what I had was a cancer, and I was inclined to believe him.

  “I think it’s time you learn more about your father’s legacy. I want to show you something. He always said that you had a curious mind and you are the last of the Lockhart bloodline. Do you think that’s a coincidence? Did you know that when you were born the Elders had your father confined to the asylum?”

  The word sent a cold chill down my spine. Those who knew about it didn’t want to speak of it. It was a strange building that looked abandoned, but the Elders used it for a rehabilitation center.

  “I know I’m going to regret asking this, but what exactly did they do to him?” I had learned too much already. My head was spinning with the possibility that I would become something for the Elders to handle.

  “The asylum is not just for rehabilitation, it is also for eliminating any chance that a new generation of magic could be born. I don’t want to use this term, but it’s the only one that comes close to what your father went through. He was neutered like an animal. There was no way he could give life to the next line of the Lockhart family bloodline. Take a look around and tell me the one thing that you don’t see here.”