by P. S. Power
Religious people, those on the fringe that felt they didn’t have anything to lose, that kind might just attempt it anyway. When you had nothing left, doing insane things could seem far more attractive.
Interestingly, at least to her, Tom had different ideas to dwell on at the moment.
“I was thinking about the training you mentioned? For military purposes? What do you think I should do for that? You mentioned something, but the details were a bit hazy.” Opening a small ceramic container that looked like a triangle, he removed a single half piece of toast. It seemed to have melted butter on it already and was about three times thicker than what she was used to seeing.
Then, no one had invented sliced bread there yet.
It really wasn’t all that important, of course, but was a thing to keep in mind for later.
“I was thinking that I’d get Manly and Peter to train you? Peter is probably the best unarmed fighter on the planet right now. He’s also a healer, which can’t hurt as a skill to pick up. Weapons as well. You know how to use a crin, right?” Boys were given them as children. Weak ones that fired little bursts of physical force at things.
Gwen needed to get one of those to practice with herself, soon. The benefit to the toys was that they’d fire about a hundred blasts on a single crystal charge. The real ones were good for about six.
Tom nodded though and smiled happily.
“Oh, certainly. With a dot-aimer I’m brilliant. Without one…” The man took a bite of bread, stalling on purpose this time. When he was done chewing, he seemed to be attempting to be modest. “Without one I’m rather better than average, I think.”
Gwen wasn’t, though she could hit the side of a barn at a hundred yards if she tried. The things didn’t really have sights on them, being designed to fire from the hip like they were. Hence the dot-aimers. Those were basically laser sights. Except that the dot they made was brighter and easier to see at a distance. She’d helped to do the work on those originally.
“Good. That’s one less thing then. It probably wouldn’t hurt to learn how to fly either. Or… What are your strengths, magically speaking? Other than healing.” Everyone had that one.
They just didn’t use it that often.
“Oh. I always came out as being equally gifted that way. Enough so that I had to have the basic telepathy training, even though I specialized in traditional magics. I should be fine doing whatever it is we need to. Do you think it will be too painful? I heard that the Westmorland Protocols were… Not nice.”
“Torture. That’s the word that you’re looking for. Which is true. We have two methods now however. One that uses addictive levels of intense pleasure to train people, the other extreme pain. For you though I was hoping that we could use a different method? The good feelings will be nice and maybe a little addictive, but nothing like what Peter has been doing. Or Katherine. Really fun though that way. Coupled with light pain if you get things wrong? Say about like touching a hot stove? It won’t be great all the time, but it isn’t what the Westmorlands had to deal with. Not even as children.”
It would still suck. Not in a fun way either. She didn’t say that, pasting a smile on her lips instead.
Her boyfriend grimaced a bit.
“All right. That sounds effective, I guess? Who do I need to get with in order to set that in motion?”
She thought for a few seconds, then realized that she actually knew the answer, having already basically given it.
“Me. I’ll go and take care of that now. Anyway, we can’t do anything together on the ship, so I was thinking that I could visit you tonight? Would… Eight o’clock be all right for you?” That would be nine for her, but she also wanted to get some rest if she could. Once they started loading, there wouldn’t be anything like that for a long while, most likely.
“That sounds lovely. I should get some wine? Or…” He was clearly scrambling as to what his part was supposed to be.
Gwen winked at him.
“Some oil? I don’t know exactly what to do with it, but I bet we can make up something kinky. Towels, too. See you then? In your front room?” She could go right into it, after all.
“Perfect. Yes. I’ll see if I can find something appropriate.”
Gwen kissed him then, doing it carefully, since she didn’t want to smear half his face with her lipstick again. Then, stepping back, she moved to Westmorland Central. Her target wasn’t a place, as much as a person. Peter. Hopefully he wouldn’t be in the bathroom or anything, since that could be embarrassing. When she got there, almost as if timed to be on purpose, Billy walked into the room, holding a piece of paper out to her.
Her brother didn’t bother to hug her, or even say hello. Not even to Pete, who he just pushed in front of a bit.
“Here you go. There’s one of your other-worldly pals looking for you. A kid named Chris, I think. Anyway, get to this location in three hours, or he’ll end up lost and walking in on you at eight-twenty tonight. That would be a show for him, but a bit embarrassing for you.” Then, as if he weren’t being a pill, the man, who had perfectly circular scars on his face and neck, turned and walked away.
Peter watched him leave.
“Gwen! I wasn’t thinking to see you today. How’s your leg doing? I’d ask to look at it, but unless it’s an emergency I probably can’t justify getting you out of your dress for that. Not for anything official. Can I help you with something? I could use a reason to earn some reward time, if you have anything?”
She nodded then, ignoring the flirtatious nature of what he’d been saying moments before. At least she was taking the words that way. They’d been a little bit bland sounding. Matter of fact instead of a suggestion that they actually do something together. That would be wrong, so she wasn’t going to go there. The kid was only fifteen after all.
Probably more experienced than she was, but that didn’t make it all right. Plus, he was kind of hers to protect. Not that they knew each other that well. In nearly four years they’d actually only met about a dozen times, she realized. Part of that had included him having a room in the same mansion she was in, even. So while she considered him a friend, that probably wasn’t actually the case. Not when it came to knowing his dreams, or what he wanted for his birthday. Not even when his birthday might be.
Not even if people there really did things like that for Westmorlands. They had the concept of parties for that kind of thing for regular people so that was a reality. Ethyl had been known to throw rather grand affairs for hers annually, for instance.
“I actually do have something for you. You and Manly. I have specs for it, but basically we want a much lower yield pleasure and pain induction system. It should work pretty well for training, without being addictive. I mean, near that level, but on this side of it? For Baron Harrison. We need a field healing course set up, weapons, unarmed combat. Like what you had? Have you worked with that at all?” She hadn’t even bothered to ask him if he’d kept up with things over the years since she’d gotten back, a half year before.
She’d been lazy that way, herself, only practicing about twice a week.
“I have been. Manly set me to improving both striking and grappling techniques. It’s a bit different, but allows for a wider range of things to be done. I can show you later? After I set up this program, I mean?” He seemed eager enough to do it. Almost as if he thought it might impress her.
It probably would, given that.
“Sure. Not today, or for the next few weeks. We have three or so, since Tomas is going to be on the Peregrine with me, as a loader for three weeks. For this… healing, fighting, both with weapons and without, some kind of combat oriented precognition training and something like flying or teletransport? I don’t know if those can be done using this kind of system.” It was really hard to do. Especially teleportation.
Flying was hard too, but mainly thanks to mental blocks, more than anything else.
Peter just nodded at her, seeming suddenly a bit abstract, like his mind was
someplace else.
“On it then, Gwen. We start in three weeks? How long do we get him for training?” That was an interesting thing to mention, given that she didn’t really know.
“How long will it take? This special training, as well as all the normal military stuff? He’s a Baron, so I want him ready to be an officer, not just a grunt.” She didn’t explain the term, and Pete didn’t ask her about it. So she went on. “He could end up doing special unit stuff. I don’t know that, but if it happens I want him to survive it. We’re seeing each other.”
“Hence coming to me instead of doing it yourself. I understand. I’m probably the only Westmorland that can hook a noble up to a pain device of any sort, as it stands. Some of the kids could do it, but no one much older than me. I’ll have that ready then. Three weeks. Can you deliver him here for that? Or should I arrange for it to happen someplace else?”
She didn’t really know, so shrugged.
“Both. If this works, we might need to be able to put people into training in hours. He might also want to go home after a frustrating few weeks of uncomfortable manual labor. I should also see about birth control. I haven’t yet. Not that we’ve been doing anything that will get me pregnant. I just don’t have time for that right now. Plus, you know, not married, so it would look bad.”
Peter was bright enough to put that all together. Also a Westmorland. They had sex a lot after all. Mainly with each other, but it wasn’t exactly a forbidden thing for them. Most were still sterile however, so controlling for pregnancy wasn’t big on their list of things to do, Gwen was willing to bet. Which didn’t stop him from nodding.
“I can get you some powder for that. One small scoop in a mug of warm water, every ten days or so. It’s impregnate, so…” He stopped then and waved for her to follow him. “You don’t even know what that means, do you? It’s a compound that’s relatively inert. It passes a magical field to your body, to prevent getting pregnant. It will last about a month, but don’t wait that long, just in case. You could take it daily and be safe. That isn’t really needed. It’s effective and doesn’t really have any side effects, other than not catching a child. Some of the women here that have had reversals use it. You know, not married yet and all that?” He moved with a good bit of energy. It was enough that it reminded her she needed to get out and run when she could.
The wonder drug was in a brown bottle, in a closet like space. Inside there were hundreds of drugs of different kinds. Pete just pulled the right one, checked to make sure the scoop was inside the bottle of white powder, then handed it to her.
“It will take a few hours, three, to be effective. So if you’re going to have a date tonight, you should have some now? I’ll get you some water for that? Use warm. It dissolves better that way. Otherwise it can be a bit gritty.”
They took care of that pretty quickly, really. Five minutes later, Gwen was able to get back to Park Street and even made it to dinner on time.
Then she had to go and meet with Chris. That part was interesting, since he looked to be Peter Westmorland. Close enough that she was actually confused at first. Still, Pete couldn’t teletransport that she knew of. So when the guy showed up, dressed in blue jeans and a nice button up shirt that was tucked in, along with a belt, the idea was kind of clear. He both was, and wasn’t, her young friend.
“Hello! I’m Gwen. I was told to meet you here?”
If that confused the other person, it didn’t show at all. He simply smiled at her.
“Hi! Chris. This is just a check in. Zack sent me? Is everything going well here?”
She thought about that for a second, then smiled.
“Honestly? Not bad. How about with you, over there?”
The boy and he didn’t look old, made a bit of a face.
“It runs hot and cold. Today nothing too dark is going on. I have to get back soon. I have a history test in the morning. I know, almost a thousand years old and still in the tenth grade. I’d be embarrassed, but that won’t get my studying done.”
She nodded then.
“Hmm. I’m going back to school in a few weeks myself. That’s… You don’t look that old.”
There was a slow nod then, followed by a grin. It was fairly charming. Familiar as well, being the same one Peter always used.
“I know. It makes getting a date a lot harder than you might think. Luckily I know a few succubi…” He looked at her then, more closely than was probably polite. “One of them is you. At least she looks like you. Actually two of them are, but the other one is dating my brother, so I try not to hit on her.”
She nodded then and winked.
“See, there’s a version of you here as well. I just left him a few hours ago. Peter. Great guy. Fifteen, I think? So we get to have emotional confusion all the way around.” Not that the guy in front of her had been suggesting anything like that.
Instead, laughing a bit, he raised his right hand.
“I should be around, in about a week?”
“Make it a month? I’m going to be on an airship, which might make the landings a bit rough for you. If you missed or anything?”
“Ah? That sounds fun. In a month then. See you then? Maybe sooner if anything comes up?”
She nodded, and watched him walk a bit away, then vanish. Using the spot that she came in at for that part. It was just an empty field, ringed with trees, otherwise. Trying that for herself, Gwen didn’t notice it being any easier to leave from there in particular. Which didn’t mean it wasn’t. Going alone just wasn’t all that hard for her, that was all.
After that, well, she had plans. The fun kind, for once.
With her boyfriend.
Chapter twelve
The next day, Gwen met Tom, which was what they decided to call him for the trip, at his house, so she could take him to the airbase directly. Not everyone was in when they got there, but that just meant Gloria and Groundling put them to work doing different things. That was mainly cleaning, since they didn’t know enough to really do anything else of note. Gwen had a little experience, but was far from being an old pro at working an airship.
So they spent the morning polishing brass, sweeping and chasing bugs in the front of the ship, under the floor. It was actually decently clean, but you had to crawl on all fours to make that part happen. It wasn’t fun, so got given to the new people as often as not. If they had any of those rare types of beasts. Tomas didn’t even pretend that the task was beneath him. Really, he didn’t even act like he was himself, to be honest. Just a guy with a new job. One that he apparently wanted to keep.
At eleven-thirty she waved at Gloria.
“Hey, I need to go be on the telesar for an hour or so. Is the load coming in before then?”
“Nope. Can you be back by four?” The curly haired blonde woman seemed concerned about that part.
“Yeah. I should be back right after the program is over. I only have to do it one day a week. Though I’m on call for the new prisoner program. Ferdinand might get in touch on that. Probably not when it would interrupt the loading or anything. Maybe not at all. It depends on what’s needed.”
Interestingly, Gloria just slapped her on the shoulder of her tan jumpsuit.
“We all get that one, Curly. We serve first. Most that do that sort of thing aren’t useful at the same time, so no one will complain. Unless you take off when the load comes. Then there will be whining and carrying on like you can’t believe. Let’s hope that doesn’t happen?”
She agreed with that part. Not that anyone would begrudge her saving people from a cell like that. It was strange to find out that it was a known thing however. Honestly, she was kind of shocked that the Europans hadn’t put a hit out on her yet. She would have, if it were known that one of them had been stealing all the best prisoners. Then, it was early going in that program so far. It could be that they didn’t think it was all that big of an issue yet.
It probably wouldn’t be, until they were trying to take the last man that was in their custody.
Which, given everything, they probably wouldn’t be able to get to. That part was sad, but it was a real enough matter.
She didn’t change her outfit, just going in to work at WGN about twenty minutes early. It couldn’t hurt to be there a little bit before she’d said, after all. It meant she got to sit at the table, going over her notes for a bit. About ten minutes before Brian Weathers came in, smiling like they were old friends. For real. It even felt genuine. Like they were pals already.
“Miss Farris! I managed to collect about thirty questions for the hour. We’ll probably only get through about ten of them, but I didn’t honestly know if you’d be willing to address some of them. As it is we’ll likely have to put a warning out for children to leave the room. Talk about inappropriate questions!”
She nodded, tapping her pencil on the pad in front of her.
“You mean the ones you selected out to be the most shocking and salacious? Those inappropriate questions?”
“Naturally. You know, I think you might have a real career ahead of you here, Miss Farris. You have an innate grasp of what’s needed. So, should we go over these now, or should I ambush you with them?”
She didn’t know what would work best, but figured that seeing them first would be best for her. There really were some great ones on the list. Things that she never would have thought to ask her, if she were the one questioning an alien woman.
A lot of them were bland however. Tilting her head, she just nodded.
“If that’s what people want to know, then I’ll tell them. How do we handle this?” She meant the show entrance, which Brian went over very carefully for her. At two till the hour, as Roy Spurges, the man who was on the air at the time, read off an advertisement, they snuck into the room. Moving very carefully, so that no one would be bothered at home, hearing them making a racket.
