The Artifact Competition (Approaching Infinity Book 1)

by Chris Eisenlauer

  Hol looked away sheepishly, still chewing at her lower lip.

  “I guess I should start trying to develop a sense of humor about it. How much did you hear?”

  “Not much,” she said, her voice lilting pleasantly. “Only that there was some kind of blow up; that someone may have abused her position somewhat.”

  “Somewhat,” he snorted.

  “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have—”

  “No, it’s okay,” he said waving one hand. “When you and I first met a year ago, I told you that some people were pretty cold about what happened on 1397.”

  “I remember,” she said, nodding.

  “Really it was just Tia. You were essentially right in your assessment then, but describing it as jealousy and an issue of expression wasn’t quite adequate.”

  “I hope it’s been resolved.”

  He snorted again. “It has on this end.”

  “I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable,” she said. “My intention was really to congratulate you on your victory, if it can be called such.”

  “Well, I’ll accept that in the spirit it was given. Thanks.”

  There was a brief instance of silence before Hol looked as if she remembered something. “Oh, I’ve been meaning to ask you, are the wormholes really as numerous as they say?”

  “Pretty much. I’ve seen them at least as far out as Locsard and they’re probably farther. From what I understand, they’re concentrated mostly in System 281 and causing some trouble for Root Palace Operations and Territorial Planning. But, besides just being in the way, some are proving to be a real menace.”

  Hol frowned. “I heard about the loss of some of the survey teams.”

  “Not just that. Some of the drifters have been coming dangerously close to the main trunk of the Vine, disrupting the fold zones and interfering with jump station warp paths.”

  “Has anyone been lost?”

  “Not yet,” Kalkin said. “The AD guys are keeping an eye on things. But the sooner they get that S-Bomb ready, the better.”

  “S-Bomb?”

  “That’s what they’re calling it, the thing that’ll close those doors, or fill those holes, or however you want to look at it.”

  “Did they ever find out what caused them?” Jav asked.

  Kalkin shook his head.

  At Jav’s sudden participation in the conversation, Hol looked his way. Now she was staring with a frown at where his jacket came together. “Mr. Holson, is that a bruise on your chest?”

  “Yes, Teacher.”

  “Have you been applying the medicine?”

  “Yes, Teacher. Every day after training.”

  “How long has it been like that?”

  “A week, maybe two?”

  She gave him an incredulous look. “A week? Maybe two? Who gave it to you?”

  “Oh, Teacher,” Jav said, smiling, “I can’t remember that.” But he did remember, and all too clearly. Mei had struck him during sparring practice and it had hurt more than anything Jav could remember, which, to be fair, didn’t go beyond about a year. He remembered it because of the pain, but also because of the low, loud pop Mei’s hand made on impact. The mark it left didn’t wash away as usual with the medicine they all used for bruises and minor breaks.

  “Is it still tender?”

  “No, Teacher. It’s much better than it was. It’s faded quite a bit already.”

  Hol nodded absently, her face filled with either preoccupation or concern.

  Having concluded the business of his third scheduled visit, Kalkin left before the sun shut down.

  10684.056

  The next day, Jav’s bright mood continued, his sense of accomplishment unshaken by his performance against Kalkin on the gravity block. Mei, who already found it hard to look at Jav, was now doubly incensed by what she saw as his airy and groundless pride.

  “Jav! If you’re so confident, why don’t you show me how to use those pretty moves my sister’s been teaching you?”

  All the girls besides Mei shared nervous looks in turn. Amia and Tani, while they didn’t care to admit it openly, respected Jav’s drive and everything he had accomplished so far. Sessa, despite being a student of the Eighteen Heavenly Claws, didn’t like any form of unnecessary violence. Mao, having slipped behind Jav in both strength and general ability, had moved from superior to envious to admiring and had come to view him as an older brother. Mai had invested the most in him and, whether she realized it or not, cared about him the most.

  They all knew what this was from Mei. Up until now everything she had done to Jav, which no one spoke of, had been done in the name of training, with some lesson, however slight or even unfair, to be learned. Now she had given him an outright challenge and it was clear to everyone that she intended to hurt him, perhaps really hurt him.

  None of this was lost on Jav. He of all of them could read Mei best and knew her intentions; he knew that she’d grown tired of trying to clothe her hate in pretense. That hate was naked before him now, but he welcomed it. He didn’t like Mei and he didn’t respect her, but he appreciated her as a necessity for his development. He appreciated the others as people, as teachers, as sources of warmth, encouragement, friendship, and, of course, competition. He appreciated Mei only as a force of adversity, driving him to become stronger. So he stepped forward with a grin.

  “Jav!” Mai fairly yelped in spite of herself.

  Jav turned in surprise at the urgency in her voice and he gave her that smile which she had come to think of as hers and hers alone.

  “Relax, Mai,” Mei said, sighing. “This is training, too.”

  Mai’s eyes narrowed to contemptuous slits but she was powerless to do anything.

  “Come on, Jav,” Mei said with a sneer.

  And Jav did. The two engaged in a dance of sorts. First, Jav alone was on the offensive and Mei evaded his advances with apparent ease, laughing as she did so. But then Mei changed tactics, going on the offensive herself, and discovered something truly frustrating: Jav hadn’t been idly boasting.

  She had last sparred with Jav two weeks ago and that had been the first time in just as long or longer. Everyone’s tolerance of him had grown to such a sickening degree and any interaction with him put her in such a foul temper that she decided some time ago to avoid him as much as possible. Two weeks ago she hadn’t given him a chance. Out of spite and to cut things short, she had used a technique that she wasn’t supposed to. But seeing him backpedal off the block and twisting in agony had been worth it.

  In those two weeks, though, he had completed the seventh form and now he was putting it to very effective and relentless use. Always, that sickening drive. All she wanted was for him to go back to where he came from, but all he ever did was push forward and dog her. And now she was actually having trouble beating his moves. This was unacceptable. Her sense of outrage was uncontrollable and beginning to fill her head beyond the point of recovery. And then Jav laid his hands upon her.

  It was a technique straight out of the seventh form. He had her right arm and shoulder in opposing grips and could have dislocated her shoulder with a modicum of strength; could have dislodged her arm with still more. But he did neither. He was satisfied with the successful placement of his hands and, looking into Mei’s face, he smiled. As far as Jav was concerned, it was over. He was wrong.

  Mei’s lips quivered as her anger spilled out in a soundless parody of speech. She instantly found a suitable way to express herself, though, as her face became like that of a wolf suddenly and reflexively baring its fangs. She struck and there was a dull pop that shook the air. Her left arm sank up to the elbow into Jav’s midsection, his face almost comic with surprise. With the hold on her right arm released, she struck a second time. This time the pop was much louder as the palm of her hand crashed into Jav’s forehead. He flew bodily from the sparring block, his weight yanked along the course determined by his projectile-turned head.

  “Jav!” Mai cried.

  With legs high overh
ead, his upper body skidded through the dirt until friction brought him to a stop. Everyone but Mei rushed to his side. He wasn’t moving. He didn’t appear to be breathing, either. His head was surprisingly intact considering the impact it had just endured. There was a cut on his forehead that was bleeding copiously, but what worried Mai and the others was his tattered belly. The first strike should have knocked Jav from the block, but Mei had sunk her fingers in and held him there. Against the force of the second blow the muscles of his stomach could by no means hold and the end result was quite messy.

  Mai shot a burning, even murderous, look at her half-sister, but Mei was lost in her own thoughts, studying her blood-painted left hand.

  “Help me get him to the infirmary!” Mai snapped. It was really a job only two at most could do. Sessa was closest and so together they gathered up his limp form and carried him off into the villa. Amia and Tani looked at each other, then at Mao who was seething helplessly at Mei.

  The three of them were shocked by the sudden appearance of their teacher on the sparring block. Scowling, Hol gestured for them to return to the villa. Amia and Tani took Mao between them and gently ushered her back that way.

  • • •

  Mei was still dazed and fascinated by her left hand. Hol snatched it by the wrist and squeezed hard.

  Mei winced. “Teacher!”

  “What did you do, Mei?”

  “I. . . We were sparring and. . . and he got hurt. Jav, he got hurt.”

  “I’ll ask again, Mei. What did you do?”

  “I. . . I. . . um. . .”

  Hol squeezed harder, bringing Mei to her knees.

  “Teacher!” she squealed. “I used the technique on him.”

  Hol softened her grip and guided Mei back upright, eyeing her expectantly as she did. When nothing else came from Mei, grim resolve hardened on Hol’s face. She released Mei’s wrist and slapped her face hard enough to drive her back down to one knee.

  Mei reached for her face where a red handprint was already clearly defined. Tears welled in her eyes. “I used it twice,” she said after catching her breath.

  Hol slapped her again, driving Mei’s head almost into the surface of the sparring block.

  “Three! Three times. Twice today and once before. That’s all, I swear!” Her words were competing with sobs now.

  Hol reached down and took Mei’s wrist just as tightly as before and drew her up once again. “What did I tell you—all of you—about using that technique?”

  “You said. . . you said we weren’t ever to. . . to use it. . . except when. . . when given permission to.”

  She slapped Mei down a third time, plucked her wrist and forced her up straight before she could fall. “I won’t ask you why, Mei, because I don’t care. There is no reason good enough. Training accidents are one thing, but murder is quite another. I won’t stand by and allow that, nor will I protect you if he dies. Being ultimately responsible for what goes on here, I’ll have no choice but to accept punishment, but you. . . you will answer to the Emperor himself. I’ll see to it. Your father won’t be able to help you. No one will.”

  Black despair poured down Mei’s face.

  “You haven’t thought of anything, have you?” Hol was shaking her head in disgust. “What if Professor Cranden’s seal were to break? That young man is definitely stronger now than when he arrived. He’d be that many times stronger Dark with the Ritual Mask. And where do you think he’d start on his rampage? With you—by pulling you apart. Do you think you could stop him? Who knows what his Raw Physical Power with the Ritual Mask might be now. Maybe it’s back to what it was, or maybe it’s higher. And yours is what? Do you remember? I do. It’s less than one thousand. It’s true that RPP alone doesn’t determine a fight’s outcome, but, in this case, as wide as the discrepancy must be I think it’s a pretty clear determiner.

  “But if you piss him off, I mean really piss him off, that’s when we’re all in trouble. It’s called the Mikai Curse and no living thing with blood in its veins is safe. I was able to prevent him from using it the day he came here, but I’m not so sure I could do that now.

  “Was it your intention to kill him? Or mete out some punishment? Or is it simply that you don’t like him? You can’t think I don’t know how many times you’ve sent him to the infirmary. You’re all here to train together, to learn together and from each other, to challenge and push each other. If instead you get some sick pleasure out of just hurting other people, then I want you out of this school immediately. If it’s something personal, you’d better get over it quickly or the same applies.

  “Try to think a little, though. Whatever enmity you feel probably won’t compare for long to what you’re fostering in him. You’ve been creating an enemy, Mei, the perfect foil. Someone who knows you, your strengths, your weaknesses, your fighting habits. Don’t think that he’s been ignoring them.”

  Hol paused. She looked into Mei’s red and dirty, tear-smeared face and was shocked by what she saw there. “Wait, wait, wait. You don’t think that you’re always going to be ahead of him, do you? Better than him? Mei, he’s only been here a year. Have you seen him do the seventh form?” She was shaking her head but calming down a little. “He’ll learn the next one and you won’t be able to punch him like you did today. He’ll learn the last one and be able to hit you back just as hard. You’re in a race, Mei. Don’t you know that much? Once he has all the tools, I wonder how much longer the race will last.”

  Hol stared at Mei in silence for a time then flung the girl’s wrist back at her. She turned and walked away leaving Mei to drop into a small, trembling knot on the sparring block.

  3. APPROACHING INFINITY

  10684.069

  Jav awoke to voices. At first he didn’t know where he was, but he soon recognized the décor of the infirmary. He sat up and winced at the pain he felt in his stomach. It was sharp but momentary and it subsided into a burning ache that was, at least for now, tolerable. One of the voices was unfamiliar and aroused his curiosity enough to draw him out of bed.

  Mai and another girl were further inside the infirmary, discussing something.

  “I like this one.”

  “This one is pretty, too.”

  “They’re all pretty. I envy you.”

  Jav stepped around the partition and found Mai talking with someone in Lili’s bed.

  “Lili!” Jav shouted.

  Mai turned and she and Lili together shouted back, “Jav!”

  Mai rushed over and gently pushed him into a nearby chair. “You shouldn’t be up.”

  “But Lili. . .”

  “She’s. . .” Mai hesitated. Jav was responsible for putting Lili in that bed more than a year ago. There was bound to be some resentment, so what could she say?

  Lili had come out of her coma about a week ago. She was still weak and in need of rest, but the girls came by in turn to chat and to catch her up on what had been going on for the last year. She had listened patiently to everything concerning Jav, but had said nothing, merely studying the delicate flowers of carved stone he made for her.

  “I’m fine,” Lili said. The light tone she shared with Mai was gone now, but there was a clarity to her voice and to her eyes that left little room for what might be considered hatred.

  Jav’s eyes were beginning to shine with moisture and at that, Lili’s face softened. “Jav, I don’t blame you for what happened. We were both doing what we were told. Afterwards you made it very clear many times over how sorry you were. I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to make you understand how much I appreciate your coming to visit me as often as you did. I always knew when you were here. And you made me such pretty flowers.”

  “I. . . I didn’t want you to be lonely. Even when no one was with you, I wanted you to have something to remind you that you have. . . friends, if you consider me one. Friends who wanted to see you wake up and go on to live a life that you’d barely even started on.”

  Now tears were filling Lili’s eyes.

>   “Lili. . .” Jav struggled for more but could think of nothing to say.

  She shook her head. “You don’t have to feel bad anymore. Finally I can tell you that myself.”

  Jav nodded and wiped his eyes.

  “All right, all right! You! Back to bed!” Dr. Bell had appeared and started prodding Jav out of his chair and back into his own bed.

  “We’ll talk more later,” Mai said. Lili smiled and nodded.

  • • •

  The doctor was examining Jav’s stomach, which was laced with an intaglio of scars. “I thought we were going to be stuck with a long term coma club. How’s it feel?”

  Jav chuckled. “It burns a little.”

  “That won’t last too long. How’s your head feel?”

  “My head? Fine.”

  “What do you mean, ‘my head‘?” The doctor did his best to accomplish childish insolence in mimicking Jav. “That’s where she hit you hardest!”

  “Oh. Well, it doesn’t hurt.”

  The doctor pressed Jav’s head into the pillow and the diagram on the wall up above and behind the bed showed a series of images indicating the condition of his brain, skull, and the surrounding soft tissue. “Hmm. Just wanted verbal confirmation. You know, if not for the Ritual Mask, you’d most likely be dead right now.”

  Jav looked suddenly concerned. “What about Professor Cranden’s seal?”

  “Seems to have held. If it hadn’t you’d have more neighbors in here.”

  Jav cocked his head, puzzled. “How could it have protected me if the seal wasn’t broken?”

  “Well, it’s sealed but it’s still a part of you. Think of it this way: the body is filled with voluntary and involuntary muscles, right? Thankfully, no one has to remember to breathe. How tedious life would be if that weren’t so. Anyway, just like the body, Artifacts have voluntary and involuntary functions. The seal blocks your access to the voluntary functions, but it can’t negate the involuntary. You still haven’t aged a day since receiving the Ritual Mask, right? That’s just one example of many.”