The Artifact Competition (Approaching Infinity Book 1)

by Chris Eisenlauer

  “All thanks to me, right, Jav?” Mai clapped him on the shoulder.

  “Yep,” he agreed and smiled at her the way he always did, making her blush unexpectedly.

  “Don’t forget how hard it is to learn AI. Not everyone can do it, Jav,” Sessa said.

  “What do you mean?” Jav looked confused.

  “Come on, Jav. If everyone could learn it, everyone would, don’t you think?”

  “Well, some things appeal to some people and not to others. And I’ll be the first to say that it’s not easy. Everyone can learn how to cook, but you don’t see me in the kitchen with a notebook.”

  “That’s true,” she offered. “Listen, my father has made quite a study of Approaching Infinity theory in his retirement. He knows a lot about it, probably more than all of us put together, but he can’t use it. And it’s not for lack of training or trying. Some psychics can freely use all forms of AI on an intuitive level and without any of the tricks we have to use to accomplish it. For us, it’s the F-Gene. We all have it here, but its potential is different in everyone. Some of us are starting to top out on gravity training. Some of us will be better with AI than others.”

  Lili sighed. “Like Mao, I’m jealous, Jav. You’ve come so far so fast and show no sign of slowing down. I guess the Emperor really knew what he was doing when he sent you here, huh?”

  • • •

  Later, a few hours before the sun shut down, Jav went looking for Mai and finally found her on the roof of the villa. She was leaning on the railing facing east and looking out over a spread of ruins in the distance. He came up beside her and joined her there.

  “I was looking for you,” he said.

  “Oh?”

  “Yeah, I have something I want to give you?”

  She turned around so the railing now rested in the small of her back. “Give me?”

  He held his hand out and she took what he offered. She cradled it in both hands and smiled. It was an elaborate rose, almost the size of her fist, much bigger than any of the stones he had carved for Lili.

  “When I woke up in the infirmary you seemed to like the rose. I’ve always appreciated what you do for me, Mai. You were the first one to show me any kindness, and it is because of you that I’ve been able to do so much so fast. You teach me unreservedly. You treat me like a friend. I wanted to say thank you.”

  She turned back around towards the ruins and admired the stone flower still held in both hands, not sure if she would laugh or cry. “It’s beautiful,” she finally said. When she looked at him, he was smiling at her and now she was pretty sure she would cry. “Don’t look at me like that,” she said turning away.

  “Like what?”

  She reigned herself in with a big, shuddering sniff. “Never mind. Forget I said anything.” In fact, though, she didn’t know what she would do if he ever did stop looking at her that way. She knew nothing could ever come of it, but she liked to think that in some far removed corner of space there was a chance that his smile meant what she thought it meant. Of course he was thankful, but he was also thoughtful and he noticed things that others never would. Was that a telling predisposition or a just a lucky coincidence?

  He took her cue and changed the subject. “Have you ever been out there?” he said indicating the ruins.

  “Uh-huh. Lili was really curious from the time she got here and convinced some of us to go and have a look once we had a long enough break. We didn’t find much. She looted the place for books. I think Sessa found some jewelry she liked. The twins were just bored. I thought it was fun.”

  “Sounds like it’d be fun.”

  “You want to go sometime?”

  “Maybe. It’d be an adventure.”

  She laughed a little. “Well, only for you. I don’t think we could get the twins to go again and there wouldn’t be anything new for the rest of us.”

  “Good point. But, those can’t be the only ruins on this planet.”

  “Hey, you’re right. That’s stupid. I never thought about that before. We should go find some other ruins to explore.”

  “I’d like that.”

  It was quiet for some time, with both lost in their own thoughts until finally Mai said as composedly as she could, “Thanks, Jav.”

  10684.301

  “Mr. Holson,” Hol said, “we’ll start by teaching you the ninth and last form of the Eighteen Heavenly Claws, Dragon Grasps Infinity. First watch me do the form, then we’ll work on the opening moves together.”

  Jav nodded and stepped down from the gravity block. He watched, unable to take his eyes off of his teacher. He had learned all the other forms from Mei and Mai, and though Hol had checked his progress regularly, he had never seen her do any of the forms herself. If Mai was grace and beauty, Hol was technical perfection. She moved lightly but Jav felt the air shake with the completion of each strike. She wasn’t delicate like Mai, but handsome and robust, and her presence was electric. He had never doubted his teacher’s ability, but after she was finished Jav had a new appreciation and respect for Hol.

  They practiced together all morning. Jav absorbed what she taught him as quickly as she had come to anticipate and so she felt comfortable stepping up his training a bit.

  “Jav, you learned through the previous form the technique for countering Approaching Infinity strikes. Usually we would wait till after you’ve learned the ninth form to teach the strikes, but I think you can handle it if we go ahead and start now.”

  “Yes, Teacher.”

  “You remember the concept?”

  “Yes, Teacher.”

  She nodded. “But this will be different. The defense is all about undoing what your opponent has constructed, so everything starts with the attacker. While not making light of your accomplishment, the attacker really has the larger share of work. It’s possible to be quite good at the defense but never fully comprehend the attack side of it. The strike, like the defense, relies on visualization, but creating your own AI strike is not as easy as breaking down someone else’s.”

  “Teacher, is it possible to break an AI strike targeting someone else?”

  “Yes, but positioning and the relative angle of attack often make precise calculations difficult. We can work on that during your regular practice later.”

  “Yes, Teacher.”

  “The basic concept is to make your fist approach infinity. There are variations depending on the kind of strike you’re going for, but in general they all follow the same pattern. As close as possible to the instant before impact, you should begin your visualization. Timing is crucial. Too soon, and you run the risk of getting lost in the visualization—this isn’t common, but it has happened. Too late, and you’ve already connected—a successful punch, perhaps, but a missed opportunity.

  “In that instant, with your mind, halve the distance between your fist and your target. Then halve it again. And again and again and again until you experience a falling sensation. Achieving this state is the first step—and the most dangerous. You must be able to control that falling sensation. Let it lead you, but don’t let it drag you. If you lose control you may never find your way back, trapped in interminable fugue. You’ve shown a great deal of control already. I was really impressed that you brought each of Mei’s attacks down to virtually zero, so I’m not really worried that this will pose a problem for you.

  “As your fist proceeds, never quite reaching its target, its velocity is increasing exponentially and the kinetic energy housed within is growing at an even faster rate. But, while our minds can accomplish a great deal in fractions of half-seconds, time is not unlimited. You must choose the optimum moment to ‘exceed infinity’.”

  “Exceed infinity, Teacher?”

  She nodded. “It requires a substantial force of will to end the visualization. Or, as Mai showed you previously, to reverse it. If you simply let the visualization continue, once again, you’ll be hard-pressed to find your way back. What we call ‘exceeding infinity’ refers to bringing to bear upon the
physical world all the accumulated kinetic energy developed within the visualization.

  “We’ll start you off with a simple palm thrust and work up to claws.”

  Jav spent the next several hours trying to develop the beginnings of his own visualization. Eventually, he built a rudimentary AI model. The falling sensation came and he felt exactly as if he were slipping through the gaping maw of an infinite chasm. He quickly mastered himself and let the sensation guide him as Hol had suggested. He began to panic, though, and exceeded infinity, taking a gasping breath in the process, as if he had been holding his breath for minutes instead of merely concentrating for milliseconds. The practice board before him exploded into splinters and Hol smiled.

  • • •

  Jav put the same effort into the last form and into Approaching Infinity as he had everything else. He finished the form in a month and soon developed, among his fellow students, unparalleled proficiency with AI—no one could match him. He had surpassed Mao some time ago on the gravity block and Lili, too, because of her injury. In another month, he had passed Sessa and was nearly equal to Mai. That left Amia, Tani and Mei still ahead of him. Everyone, except Mei—who would admit no such thing—verged on being appalled by his mastery of the last three forms, and as a result, of Approaching Infinity. Hol had shrugged and apologized to the young ladies for the fact that Jav was simply a natural. Their only recourse, she insisted, was to train harder.

  While that was excellent advice, doing so and achieving similar results was a very tall order. The twins came close to practicing as hard as Jav, and they were twice as intense in their manner. The others did step up their efforts, however. Seeing what he could accomplish in the time that he was there gave them all renewed motivation and pushed them to challenge themselves beyond what they previously thought possible. Hol was well pleased with the effect he was having on the school. So pleased, in fact, that she decided to give them some time off several months later.

  10685.051

  VEAD Official Notice

  From: Silowan Haspel, Director, Astrophysics Division

  RE: 2nd Update on Spatial Anomaly Distribution

  Over the past year, we have seen the number of spatial anomalies, or wormholes, continue to decrease. Our most recent data puts the figure at 1,879, down 428 from last year at this time. Drift has subsided substantially, but persists in some cases. As a result, the number of mergers has gone down dramatically and the occurrence has become a rarity.

  While it is not the policy of this Division to admit the impossibility of existent and recordable phenomena, the puzzle posed by some of these wormholes continues to tax some of the most capable minds of the Empire. That these wormholes remain a danger to the Empire and its citizens is a fact, and even without complete knowledge, we have been able to act.

  In cooperation with the Military Hardware Division and led by General Barson’s unparalleled, instinctive knowledge of gravitational forces, we have successfully tested two S-Bombs, weapons whose sole purpose is to collapse spatial anomalies. Currently these devices are costly. Further developments and improvements are expected, but as the trend toward self-closure proceeds, the S-Bomb will be for emergency use only. If you feel that such an emergency exists, please contact the Astrophysics Division for an appraisal. Thank you for your cooperation.

  Updates to follow.

  10685.090

  At the news of a vacation, Jav and Mai were excited. They would have a whole week to do as they pleased, and the two had quickly spread the idea of going exploring. As Mai had foretold, Amia and Tani were not interested, and Mei, of course, could be counted out. Mao joined up immediately and after some cajoling Sessa did as well. Lili wanted to go most of all, but during the months of her recovery, she developed an unfortunate condition.

  As she eased back into training, the more she exerted herself, the more she began to suffer from intense headaches. Dr. Bell explained that it was to be expected under the circumstances, but that there was little he could do. The symptoms might lessen and even disappear in time, or they might persist indefinitely—there was no way to tell. Though she had healed considerably, she had suffered brain damage and there was no way to undo that.

  Recently, Lili had tried to push herself on the gravity block and only managed to give herself a searing, daylong headache. By the time their vacation came, what she really needed was rest, not excitement, and Dr. Bell had insisted on keeping her in the Villa under observation.

  Their plans, such that they were, had been made. Jav, Mai, Mao, and Sessa would take the jump ship to the dark side of the planet to explore what was once, very long ago, one of this burnt out planet’s capitals. They promised to bring everyone—but especially Lili—a souvenir. On their way to the jump ship, they stopped by Lili’s room.

  “Make sure you don’t overdo it while we’re gone,” Mai said.

  “Yeah, get plenty of rest,” Sessa added. “Jav’s got that stack of books from Teacher’s library you asked for.”

  “Thanks, Jav. You can put them over there.”

  Jav did as he was directed, but couldn’t think of anything appropriate to say. He was wholly responsible for the state her body was in, and his face clearly revealed the guilt he was feeling.

  Lili glowered at Jav, took up a thin book from her nightstand, and flung it at him.

  “Ow!”

  Lili shook with laughter. “Some reflexes. You sure you’re a student here? Look, Jav, quit with the face, and quit beating yourself up over this. It was a fight. It happened. I don’t blame you. None of us knew what the Ritual Mask could do, but I was careless. I’ve been thinking a lot lately that maybe it’s better it happened when it did and not later on down the line. Later when there’s a whole lot more at stake, later when there might not be anyone to save me.”

  Her tone had become dark, but she brightened again. “I’m lucky I woke up at all. And I truly feel that I have you to thank for that, Jav. You came to visit me almost every day; to talk to me, to lead me out of that long and tortuous dream I was trapped in. So stop already.”

  Their eyes were locked. Jav chewed at the inside of his lower lip and finally nodded

  “Oh, good! I’m glad that’s over with!” Mao said, sighing dramatically.

  “Mouse!” Mai blurted.

  “What?”

  “But,” Jav said, “that’s not going to stop us from bringing you the absolute best souvenir we can find.”

  “That I can accept.” She smiled, took Jav’s hand, and shook it. “Right! That seals it, Jav. I don’t want to hear, see, or feel anything in the way of guilt from you ever again.”

  “Deal.”

  “Sorry, Lili, but it’s about time for us to be going,” Mai said.

  “You guys have fun. I hope you find all kinds of great stuff.”

  “Thanks. You get better!”

  • • •

  The four loaded the jump ship with food enough for a week, some warm clothes, and a complement of emergency supplies. They completed the necessary checks and set off.

  None of them had been to the dark side of the planet before, but they had instrument readings and video from satellites that painted an ugly picture. The only appreciable amount of water on the planet was confined to the small, relocated ocean near the villa and whatever the recycling plant provided for the villa itself and its boarders. The artificial sun’s position was permanently fixed. Its intensity could be increased or decreased but such changes only affected that area covered by the array of satellite mirrors, and then in an ever-diminishing capacity. The dark side of the planet was indeed dark. It was also dry, cold, constantly windswept, and subject to fierce lightning storms. That alone would make it an adventure; never mind what they might find at the capital.

  There was no jump deck where they were going so they would have to traverse the distance physically, but jump ships were fast and the planet was relatively small. The ships were remarkably efficient. They were generally made up of arrangements of sleek, sharp p
yramid shapes, and this particular model consisted of three: the main arrowhead-like body, stacked four concentric layers high, with two back-pointing engines. The overlapping edges of the sharp, concentric pyramids were designed to vibrate at a particular frequency and made to interact with the engines to produce what was called resonant lift. With virtually no power, these ships could remain aloft almost indefinitely. But as for how the jump ship might fare under the harsh conditions presented by the dark side, no one was concerned. Jump ships were as at home in the vacuum of space, or sunk 10,000 kilometers deep in an acid sea, or floating in the boiling stomach of a volcano, as they were sitting unused on a jump deck. Their armor and shields were extraordinary. And if something should happen to the ship, it would only be a minor inconvenience. The jump decks operated independently of the ships so Planet 1287 wouldn’t be cut off from the rest of the Empire. The only conceivable problem Hol could foresee entrusting her students with a jump ship was a delay in their return, but she trusted them and their abilities and gave the matter no more thought.

  • • •

  The dark, blasted terrain rolled unendingly below them. Jav had never seen anything more than the local effects of the Vine upon any planet, and he was humbled to see that absolutely nothing, even so far out as this from the contact point, was spared. Everywhere it was the same. He knew this of course, but he felt like he was seeing it with his own eyes for the first time, and it made him shudder.

  At first everyone chatted cheerfully, speculating on what they would find, but as the flight wore on, conversation became more and more sporadic. The light from the satellite mirrors gradually dimmed until it was gone altogether, and they had to rely on the lights of the jump ship. With the remaining light of the artificial sun finally given way to stark black, a pall of physical silence fell over the ship. Everyone was lost in their own thoughts, being lulled by the murmur of the engines. Mai sat in the pilot’s seat, but the course had been set from before launching so even she was free to daydream or to doze.