Psion Delta (Psion series #3)

by Jacob Gowans

  Sammy’s spirits hit a new low when he saw Jeffie already in the cafeteria eating dinner with Kobe and his friends. Strawberry talked his ear off about tips to improve her performance in the sims while Antonio tried to convince him to play one of the new VR games headquarters had recently received. Sammy politely declined the offer, choosing instead to hang out with Brickert in their dorm room. They talked at great length about Jeffie and some of the other girls. It reminded Sammy of the old days before Rio: chilling in the dorm, playing blasting games, and fantasizing whimsically about dating the girls of their choice. Then Brickert broached a new subject.

  “What would you think about training with me? You know, like you did with Al?” As Sammy thought about the question a pain shot up his leg. He grabbed it and winced. Brickert saw his face. “If you don’t want to, it’s not a big deal.”

  “No, I want to,” Sammy rushed to say, “but I’m not sure I can anymore. My—my anomaly, you know—”

  “Just because your anomaly doesn’t work right now doesn’t mean you can’t fight or teach. It wasn’t working during those battles you fought—the ones you told me about. You still won those fights, right?”

  “No, I lost one of them,” Sammy reminded his roommate. “I got someone killed because I messed up. Maybe saying I can’t train you isn’t the right word. I mean,” now it was Sammy’s turn to have his face grow hot from embarrassment, “I don’t know if it’ll do you any good because I’m—I’m not as good at this stuff as I used to be.”

  Brickert’s face told Sammy he didn’t believe him. “Think about it. I’ll ask again once you see how much butt you kick around in the sims . . . and in the Game on Saturday.”

  Their conversation wound down and Brickert soon fell asleep, leaving Sammy alone and restless as he wondered when his Anomaly Eleven would come back and whether he’d ever get that kiss from Jeffie. Tuesday was as bad as Monday. Sammy’s struggles continued in both sims and instructions. Then something happened on Wednesday that only added to his woes.

  Byron sent a message to all the Betas announcing that everyone was to attend an important meeting in sim room 1 after dinner on Friday. The message’s effect was immediate. All the older Betas knew that something like this had never happened before. Hypotheses flew around headquarters like paper balls in a school classroom. Only Sammy knew exactly what the meeting was about, and once he had a moment in private, he told Jeffie, Brickert, Natalia, and Kawai.

  “What?” Natalia shouted.

  “You’re joking!” Brickert responded, while Jeffie and Kawai sat stunned.

  Sammy wished he was joking, but assured his friends he wasn’t.

  “Do you know this Toohili guy?” Natalia asked.

  “No,” Sammy told her, “but I’ve never seen Byron as angry as he was that day.”

  “Maybe he doesn’t like Taw . . . the new guy,” Brickert offered.

  “Or he wants to keep his job,” Kawai suggested. “Can’t say I blame him. He’s the first Psion. He’s been here since the whole thing started. You know how many times he worked with me in the sims to help me beat two Thirteens?”

  “I sucked at combat until Byron gave me some pointers, too,” Natalia said. “He sat down with me for like a whole afternoon when my mom found out she had cancer. Remember that?”

  Jeffie and Kawai nodded, though Sammy had no idea what Natalia was talking about. He had never received personal training from Byron like many of the other Betas. But Byron had changed the course of Sammy’s entire life. He’d offered needed guidance at critical points in time. Sammy had never talked about these moments with the other Betas, and they had never shared these moments with him. He’d always thought that for everyone else, Byron was just a distant babysitter or a school principal.

  “He helped Kobe, too,” Jeffie whispered. “After Rio, Byron visited him two or three times a week in the hospital. Kept checking on him after he got back. Ate dinner with him and Kaden sometimes.”

  By the time Friday evening came, all the Betas knew what the upcoming meeting was about. Sammy confronted Natalia on the way to the meeting and asked her whom she’d told.

  “Asaki, but that’s it!” Natalia responded. Before Sammy could say anything, she added, “I tell her everything, Sammy!”

  “She prides herself on knowing and dispensing gossip.”

  “And she’s one of my best friends.”

  Sammy swore as he rolled his eyes and moved past her to sit by Brickert in the sim room. Most of the Betas were already there. Soon after everyone had taken their seats, Commander Byron entered with a second man whom Sammy could only assume was Major Tawhiri.

  This new Alpha looked nothing like Byron, shorter and rounder with very tan skin and dark black hair. He wore a much softer expression than Byron and a big smile seemed to fill his entire face, showing off bright white teeth and crater-like dimples. The lines around his eyes and mouth told Sammy that the smile was not an unusual occurrence. Such a bright personality caught him off-guard. He’d been expecting a forbidding tyrant to replace his commander, not someone so instantly likeable.

  Byron stepped up to the podium in front of all the Betas and spoke. “The reason I have called this meeting is because Psion Command has decided to change the leadership at Beta headquarters. Today is my last day.” The commander paused, but there was no murmuring or chattering to fill the silence. “It seems you already knew this news was coming.” He glanced briefly at Sammy, who could see how hard the commander worked to conceal his emotions. “Fortunately, you will be left in good hands. Major Kimo Tawhiri has spent countless hours here, unbeknownst to you all, watching over headquarters in my many absences. He knows the place very well; he knows how it runs and will implement his own style in managing your training and education. I hope you will all support him as you have supported me. I will let him speak to you for a few minutes, after which I will say my goodbyes to you all individually.”

  Major Tawhiri stepped forward and pushed a button to make the podium disappear. Again, he smiled so widely that it looked like his face might crack open. “I am so very glad to be with you! The more time I’ve spent here over the years, supervising the headquarters, the more I’ve envied Commander Byron. To receive his position is a great honor, and something I’ve wished for a long time. I have been a Psion for many years. I have a wonderful wife and three children—two that live with me. They won’t be living here, but in a nearby neighborhood. Only my youngest is a Psion, but he doesn’t know it yet—and won’t until he turns twelve—but I’m very excited for him to join you someday!

  “I’m sure some of you have concerns about Commander Byron leaving. Let me first say that I understand. He’s a good man. He gave you all your space and showed great trust in you. For many, he’s like a second father. I hope you and I can develop the same relationship that you have with him. I also know some may dislike the changes I may make. Others may appreciate them. Please be patient with me and let me make a few mistakes. I promise to listen to your concerns and questions, and in return, I ask that you show me the same respect you’ve shown Commander Byron. If we both do those things, we’ll be fine, I have no doubts.”

  After the meeting ended, Byron met with each of the Betas in an adjacent sim room one at a time. Sammy wanted to go last, so he and Brickert lined up at the end of the queue. Byron took his time saying his farewells, and Sammy waited over an hour for his turn. As they waited in line, Sammy, Brickert, and their friends expressed their frustration with the changes and their uncertainty that they’d like the new guy as much as Byron. After Kobe came out of the sim room clutching his stomach and wiping his eyes, it was Brickert’s turn. Sammy sat alone in the hall pondering what this change would ultimately mean. Then, like many of the other Betas, Brickert came out of the sim room having suddenly developed a bad sniff.

  Sammy went inside and saw Commander Byron sitting on a chair with an empty one across from him. “Hello, Samuel. Please sit.” The anger Sammy had heard in the commander’s voice t
he last time they talked had vanished. “How have your last few days been?”

  Sammy shrugged. “Okay, I guess. You?”

  Commander Byron nodded as he rested his left ankle on his right knee. “I am well, thank you. I noticed this week that you have been sluggish in your studies and training. Why is that?” For a moment, he looked far away in thought, then he was back. “Feeling down about Gefjon?”

  “Huh?”

  “This may come as a surprise to you, but I am usually caught up on the latest gossip in headquarters. Is she the reason your performance has been subpar?”

  “It’s been hard to get back into it—the grind—and all that. My body isn’t in shape. My mind isn’t focused. I think I’ll be fine once I have another week or two.”

  “I bet you will. Keep your head up and try not to worry so much about girls. Remember what I told you after I put you in solitary?”

  Sammy remembered. “Be a friend and let her sort out her own feelings.”

  “Close enough.” Byron rested a hand on Sammy’s shoulder. “I hope you know how much you mean to me, Samuel. I—I have come to—to love you like a second son.” Byron chased something out of the corner of his eye, looking embarrassed as he did it. “If you ever need me, I am not too far away.” He stood up and shook Sammy’s hand firmly, then pulled him into a hug. “Take care of yourself. Remember what you have learned.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  Commander Byron walked Sammy to the door and then he and Major Tawhiri disappeared from sight. Sammy headed downstairs by himself to the rec room where the rest of the Betas were discussing their impressions of the new Major. He peeked inside the room and saw Jeffie and Kobe sitting next to each other, holding hands. She looked up when he stuck his head in the door and smiled at him. He waved weakly and went to bed.

  Saturday began early. Sammy awoke to the alarm, which meant only one thing on a Saturday: a Game. He glanced at his clock. 0600. It wasn’t the earliest he’d ever had to get up for a Game, but it felt like it.

  “Seriously, Tawlooli?” Brickert grumbled. “You’re doing this to us on your first day?” He rolled off the bed and rubbed his face. “Some people, I’ll tell you.”

  A new noblack jumpsuit hung in Sammy’s closet, waiting for him. He put it on and went to the cafeteria where other Betas slowly filed in. Antonio and Hefani were already there along with Rosa, Miguel, and Parley. It being his first Game back, Sammy eagerly checked the panel on the wall to see his team. Rosa, Miguel, and Parley, who were deep in discussion, looked over at him as he passed, but said nothing.

  Team 1: 5th floor

  Berhane, Samuel

  Ivanovich, Natalia

  Nujola, Kawai

  Plack, Brickert

  Tvedt, Gefjon(*)

  Team 2: 5th floor

  Alanazi, Cala

  Covas, Miguel

  Covas, Rosa

  Enova, Levu

  Reynolds, Kaden

  Reynolds, Kobe

  Yoshiharu, Asaki(*)

  Team 3: 5th floor

  Morel, Brillianté

  Ndumi, Hefani

  Otravelli, Antonio

  Petrov, Ludwig

  Plack, Strawberry

  von Pratt, Parley

  Zheng, Li Cheng(*)

  Victory: 2 wins

  Maximum Game Length: 60 minutes

  Start time: 0630

  Sammy didn’t believe what he saw. He’d never seen the teams intentionally unbalanced. Byron had never done that. With two wins required at sixty minutes apiece, the three teams could potentially play the Game for four hours. He looked back at the table of older Betas who were watching to see his reaction.

  “Is this for real?” he asked them.

  Parley shrugged his shoulders.

  “New guy,” Miguel commented. Rosa nodded her agreement.

  At least I’m not honcho my first week back, he thought. Instead, he’d be taking orders from Jeffie. The thought of being on her team picked him up. Perhaps impressing her in the Game and helping her get a win was all she needed to see she’d made the wrong choice in dating Kobe. Once his friends showed up, it didn’t take long for a discussion to begin about Tawhiri’s choice in the format of the teams.

  “Putting Kobe and Kaden on the same team,” Kawai complained, “with none of the newest recruits? That gives them a clear advantage. What’s this guy trying to pull?”

  “No team without Sammy has a clear advantage,” Natalia said, smiling at him.

  “Maybe Calamari wants to see what you’re capable of,” Brickert told Sammy.

  “You know how to say his name correctly,” Jeffie scolded Brickert.

  Brickert only grinned. “I’m on Team Byron through and through.”

  “Come on, Natalia, that’s a laugh,” Sammy said. “I told you guys, my Anomaly Eleven is gone. I don’t know when it’ll be back. I’m no better on a team than the next guy.”

  “I hope that’s not true,” Jeffie said as she sipped at her protein drink, staring down at her napkin. “I haven’t gotten a win as a honcho yet, and I’m hoping today will be my first. It’s kinda cool that you four are on my team.” She looked at everyone but Sammy as she said this.

  “Don’t get your hopes up, Jeffsicle!” Kobe called out to her. “Kaden and I have never lost on the same team!”

  “That’s baloney!” Natalia muttered. “Sammy, you beat them once. Remember?”

  “Err . . . ” Sammy answered, “no, not really.”

  At that moment, Major Tawhiri’s voice came over the speakers. “Hello, Psion Betas!” He dragged out his words as if he were announcing for a major sporting event. “It’s time. For. The. Game! Today’s winning team will receive a special prize . . . to be determined tomorrow!”

  “Is he for real?” Brillianté asked her friends loud enough for Sammy to overhear.

  “Take your places and get ready to have a BLAST!”

  6.

  Orlando

  Monday May 13, 2086

  Filthy, famished, fatigued, and feeling more humiliation than she’d endured in years, the Queen walked the streets of downtown Orlando. Maintaining her composure required all her strength. The last week had not been kind to her. After the fiasco at Baikonur, she had flown to the nearest Thirteen cell in Anchorage. Access to the facility had been denied. Shocked and scrambling to figure out why, she tried contacting Diego, but he answered none of her calls.

  Her next choice was to fly her cruiser back to her home in the mountains where she found that her own front door no longer responded to her commands. She broke in by smashing a window, setting off security alarms she could no longer deactivate. Fleeing the premises before law enforcement arrived to investigate, she took her car and tried to purchase food at the nearest grocery store, but had no access to her money accounts. Out of starvation, she’d been forced to steal like a disgraceful vagabond. Only one option remained: return to her cruiser, use her remaining fuel to fly to Orlando, and see the fox for an explanation.

  Skyscrapers loomed around her as she walked alongside Church Street. The towers provided some shade from the blistering afternoon sun, but did nothing to help with the humidity that clung to her skin and clothes and draped around her like a steaming towel. The buildings, the clothes, and the thickness in the air all suffocated her. The sensation made her skin crawl.

  Focus, she told herself. You are the tiger, not the rabbit.

  The semi-sheer red sundress she wore left little to the imagination. She had strategically stolen this outfit for the effect she needed to have on the fox.

  A holographic advertisement jumped out from the electronics shop she passed. “Back up your files! There’s no room for error when it comes to preserving a lifetime of your best memories! Sign up today for one free petabyte of data space in our cloud!”

  No. No room for error at all.

  She brushed that thought away as she flipped her hair back over her shoulder and continued walking down the sidewalk. People passed her, walked by, crossed t
he street in front and behind her, and browsed the windows of ground-level shops. She loathed them all. One man, probably in his early twenties, let fly a low whistle as she passed. The Queen glanced at him. When he saw her face, the man grabbed his chest and said, “Poor baby, what happened? Can Papi fix it for you?”

  “You should see the other guy,” she shot back with a full measure of contempt, never breaking her stride.

  Ordinary people had no idea who she was or what she could do. It angered her that these mindless ants could exist with such ignorance, walk by her, smile at her, gaze on her beauty—no, at my disfigured face—and not know exactly who she was and what power she held. She was both their protector and executioner, but they knew nothing of her.

  She stopped in front of a massive building, one of the largest towers in the city. A pair of large, ornate double doors announced the entrance. Both doors were framed in gold and in the center, where the two joined, was a bright N in gleaming purple with a golden circle of light encircling it.

  A purple explosion greeted her when she walked inside the building. A giant gold and purple N was set into the marble floor, the lobby furniture purple velvet. In fact, the Queen couldn’t look anywhere without seeing a purple N on something. She ignored the gaudiness of the décor, and set her sights on elevator thirteen. The door opened with a jolt, and the Queen nearly jumped.

  If he wanted you dead, you would be already.

  She spared only a glance at the endless list of numbers on the elevator panel. Most of the floors were devoted to genetic research labs, administrative offices, and business suites. She wanted floor ninety-one. The top floor. The penthouse of the fox. A place where she had spent several nights in his company. Just before pushing the button, an overwhelming urge to flee the elevator struck her. Get out of here! Run!