The commandant shifted his position so he could see both TAC Officer Myers and Richard. “I want both of you to get something through your thick skulls.”
The steel in the commandant’s voice left little doubt as to his seriousness. At the tone, Richard unconsciously straightened up and stood at attention His belly hurt, but the commandant’s tone commanded respect. Richard gave it to him. Richard noticed TAC Officer Myers stiffened to attention as well.
“When we are conducting our specialized training,” said the commandant, “there is no commandant. There is no TAC officer. And there is no cadet. There are just three wizard scouts trying to accomplish a mission.” The commandant raked his eyes over both TAC Officer Myers and Richard. “Do either of you think I would be wasting my time here if this wasn’t important?”
“No, sir!” said TAC Officer Myers.
“No, sir!” Richard echoed.
“Fine,” said the commandant. The edge left his voice. “Then stop standing at attention and let’s get back to work.”
Richard did his best to relax, but he’d lost his lackadaisical attitude. He had no desire to draw the ire of the commandant. Richard liked the commandant. Maintaining the commandant’s respect meant a lot to him. He didn’t want to lose it.
“What I intended to show you, Richard,” said the commandant, “was how TAC Officer Myers only used the minimum amount of Power necessary to slow my blow. He didn’t try to stop it, nor did he try to slow it more than necessary. Did you notice that?”
“Yes, sir,” Richard said.
The commandant looked pleased. Richard felt his pride go up a bit.
“Did you also notice how he applied the Power intermittently?” said the commandant.
“Ah, no, sir,” Richard admitted. The maneuver had been so fast Richard had barely enough time to acknowledge it was happening much less take in minor details.
The commandant pursed his lips. Richard though he looked disappointed. Richard’s pride went back down to a more normal level.
“I see,” said the commandant. “Then we’ll do it again. I suggest you watch closer this time, Richard.”
The commandant and TAC Officer Myers performed the maneuver three more times. On the third demonstration, Richard sensed the intermittent application of Power and telekinesis. Instead of an even pressure on the commandant’s hand, TAC Officer Myers applied the Power so intermittently it resembled a vibration more than a continuous push. The technique reminded Richard of the way his dolgar friends, Sheeta and Sheba, had taught him to make his Power shimmer when shifting into the void.
After the commandant and TAC Officer Myers separated and prepared to demonstrate the defensive move again, Richard informed the Commandant he understood.
Not one to waste time, the commandant said, “Prove it.” Pointing to TAC Officer Myers, the commandant said, “Gaston, you’re on the offense. I want both of you at half speed. Understood?”
“Yes, sir,” they both replied.
“On guard,” said the commandant.
Richard barely got his phase rod up before TAC Officer Myers’ phase rod was streaking towards his head.
That’s a lot faster than half speed, Richard thought as he parried the blow with his phase rod.
“No,” said the commandant. “Use your telekinesis.
TAC Officer Myers swung his phase rod at Richard’s left knee. The strike wasn’t at full speed, but it wasn’t at half speed either. Richard barely had time to get a small amount of Power wrapped around TAC Officer Myer’s hand before the blow struck. At the last moment, Richard pushed with his telekinesis and pushed the hand slightly to the side. He dodged back to avoid the strike.
“No, Richard,” said the commandant. “You applied the Power continuously. You have to do it intermittently. Look at your Power reserve.”
Richard examined his Power reserve. Without his battle helmet, he couldn’t get exact measurements, but it did seem noticeably lower.
It is lower, Rick, came Nickelo’s voice in his mind. You used three percent Power to avoid getting hit. If you had applied your Power intermittently, you could’ve kept Power usage to less than one percent.
Thanks for the timely update, Nick, Richard thought sarcastically. Why didn’t you ever mention any of this before?
Why didn’t you ever ask? countered Nickelo.
Richard ignored his battle computer. TAC Officer Myers was on the move again. His TAC officer jabbed the point of his phase rod at Richard’s face. Richard wrapped the phase rod and Myers’ hand with Power and pushed intermittently. He applied Power the same way he applied it when he made his Power shimmer during a shift into the void. Myers’ thrust slowed just enough to allow Richard to move his head out of the way.
“Good,” said the commandant. “Go to three-quarters speed. And, Richard, your opponents can also use their Power to prevent you from slowing their attack.”
TAC Officer Myers launched a series of attacks. Some of the attacks Richard dodged or parried without using his precious Power. However, he did use the intermittent Power technique to avoid four of his TAC officer’s attacks. Myers made a sudden lunge which Richard felt was faster than three-quarters speed.
Richard sent out a line of Power to slow the blow. He sensed a line of Power from his TAC officer reach out. It knocked his line aside. Richard was forced to twist his body to avoid the blow.
TAC Officer Myers spun to the left and caught Richard with a roundhouse kick to his thigh. Richard bit his lip in pain.
That wasn’t three-quarters speed, Richard thought.
Life’s rough, laughed Nickelo. Get a battle helmet.
Kiss off, Nick, Richard thought.
Richard was hard pressed to avoid his TAC officer’s attacks. Richard successfully slowed down two strikes before he missed a third one.
Myers’ phase rod glanced off Richard’s ribs. Richard ignored the pain and landed a blow of his own on the upper part of Myers’ left arm. Richard’s hope that his TAC officer would drop his phase rod faded quickly. Richard sensed Power from Myers’ reserve heal the stun damage almost as soon as it occurred. His hit barely slowed his TAC officer’s next attack.
Richard raised his phase rod to parry the attack, but a line of Power from TAC Officer Myers started to wrap around Richard’s hand. Richard knocked Myers’ Power aside with a line of his own. Richard parried Myers’ phase rod and kicked out at his TAC officer’s groin. Myers sent a line of Power at Richard’s foot. Richard knocked it aside with his own Power. TAC Officer Myers twisted to the left, but Richard’s foot made partial contact with its target.
“Argh,” came a moan from TAC Officer Myers.
Swinging his phase rod at TAC Officer Myers’ neck, Richard tried to take advantage of what should have been a distraction to his TAC officer. However, he sensed TAC Officer Myers’ selfheal ability remove the damage of the kick almost as soon as it occurred. Myers parried Richard’s strike. His TAC officer reached out with his Power and instead of trying to push Richard back, he used his telekinesis to pull Richard forward. TAC Officer Myers thrust his phase rod forward.
Richard used his Power to slow the phase rod enough to allow him to twist to the side. The tip of TAC Officer Myers’ phase rod scrapped across Richard’s belly sending an agonizing flash of pain throughout Richard’s torso.
TAC Officer Myers charged forward. Richard hit him in the side with his phase rod. Myers screamed in pain, but he muscled through relying on his selfheal ability to keep him in action.
Richard dodged a strike to his head, but the phase rod got close enough the errant sparks of phase energy scorched his left temple. Richard heard shouting from somewhere. He saw a maniacal look in his TAC Officer’s eyes. The anger which Richard tried to keep locked up deep in his soul broke out of its cage.
Richard slammed his forehead into Myers’ nose. Blood spurted out. His TAC officer yelled and shoved him back. Richard sensed Myers’ nose immediately begin to heal the damage. His TAC officer raised his phase rod to
strike. Richard’s anger took over, and he flicked his phase rod’s control to destructive mode. The phase rod glowed bright red. Richard sensed a feeling of hunger from the phase rod. The sensation was almost as if something living wanted to suck the very life force from Myers. With a growing anger welling up inside him, Richard wanted the same thing.
As Richard swung his phase rod for the kill, TAC Officer Myers switched his phase rod to destructive as well. The phase rods met, and they were both pushed back. Richard heard more shouting from somewhere. He ignored all but his anger and the corresponding hatred in his TAC Officer’s eyes.
Richard exchanged blows with TAC Officer Myers. Although Myers was faster and more experienced, Richard phase rod was more powerful. Richard’s anger gave him a strength he didn’t know he had. With each strike, Richard felt his TAC officer’s phase rod weaken slightly.
Reaching out with his mind, Richard probed his TAC officer’s link to his Power reserve. To his surprise, it was unprotected. Richard had never scanned any of the Academy’s TAC officers’ links before. Scanning a Power link amounted to a declaration of war. While Richard had probed and scanned his fellow cadets’ Power links off and on for the last three years, he considered that different. By the time his fellow cadets had gotten enough training to realize they were being scanned, Richard had gotten good enough to avoid detection. Besides, he’d reasoned, he was only scanning the other cadets’ links to help strengthen them. He’d never dared to scan a TAC officer or any experienced wizard scout.
Richard didn’t waste time wondering about the whys and wherefores of his TAC officer’s unprotected link. He just wrapped a weak point in the link with Power and started to twist in an attempt to block it.
“No!” came a yell from the direction of the commandant.
A blaze of Power exploded between Richard and TAC Officer Myers. Richard was flung backwards. He hit the ground and rolled several times on the concrete floor before coming to a stop. Somewhere in between the blast and stopping, Richard lost his phase rod.
Shaking his head, Richard noticed it was eerily quiet. He momentarily wondered if he’d lost his hearing again. Then he heard a pain-filled moan.
Richard rose to a kneeling position. He saw his TAC officer twenty meters away rise to a kneeling position as well while shaking his head.
Richard glanced to the right where he’d heard the moan. The commandant was standing there with both hands clutched to the left side of his chest. His face was a strange purple color. The commandant fell to the floor and rolled on his back. He lay there staring at the ceiling with his hands still clutched to his chest.
“Sir!” yelled a panic-stricken voice.
Richard saw a flash of black clothing as TAC Officer Myers rushed to the commandant’s side.
Nick! Richard mentally yelled. Medical emergency. Call an ambulance. Now!
Negative, Rick, said Nickelo. It would alert the central computer I’m not secured in the armory.
Nick. That’s an order, Richard said.
Sorry, Rick. I cannot comply, said Nickelo. You’re a healer, so heal.
With no time to argue, Richard stood up and rushed to the commandant’s side. TAC Officer Myers was trying to do CPR. His TAC officer was not a healer, and neither Myers nor the commandant had their battle helmets with them. Richard thought about breaking into one of the hangar’s offices to find a communicator station, but he shoved the thought aside.
“Back off,” Richard yelled. “I’ll heal him.” To his surprise, TAC Officer Myers scooted back and gave him room without any argument.
Reaching out with his mind, Richard sent an active scan into the commandant’s chest. He found the heart. It was ruptured in two places. Richard sensed life-giving blood filling the commandant’s chest cavity.
Richard grabbed hold of the commandant’s hands with both of his. He wrapped Power around his hands to lock them in place. He didn’t want them to accidentally come loose during the healing. With an injury as serious as the commandant’s, Richard knew if he broke flesh-to-flesh contact, the healing would fail. Then he’d have to start all over again. Richard was pretty sure the commandant didn’t have time for a second attempt. His face was ashen white already.
This is going to hurt, Richard thought in an attempt to mentally prepare himself for the pain he knew was coming. At that moment, Richard sensed the commandant’s heart stop beating.
Without any further hesitation, Richard wrapped the commandant’s heart with Power. He imagined how the heart should be and compared it with how the heart was now. Richard pulled the difference into himself.
The hangar echoed with the sound of Richard’s scream. Richard felt his heart rupture in two places inside his chest. White-hot pain momentarily became Richard’s only reality.
Hold on, Rick, said Nickelo. You’ve almost got it all. Hold on.
Richard was an emp-healer. Unlike other wizard scout healers, Richard had to replicate the patient’s injuries on his own body before his Power could start the healing process.
For one agonizing second, Richard’s heart stopped beating. In his pain, Richard felt his Power healing the commandant’s heart. His Power began drawing the commandant’s blood back into his arteries and veins. Richard felt the commandant’s heart beat once. Then it beat again. Finally, it took up a weak but steady beat.
The ruptures in Richard’s heart merged and became whole again. Richard’s heart also began beating. The commandant took a breath, and Richard followed suit. But even as his pain began to subside, Richard knew something was wrong. The commandant’s heart tried to stop beating again. Richard had to wrap it in Power to restart it.
What’s wrong? Richard said to Nickelo. He should be healed.
He’s old, answered Nickelo. His selfheal ability was all that was keeping him alive. Look at his Power reserve. It’s empty. He drained it trying to keep you two from killing each other. The Commandant can’t selfheal with an empty Power reserve.
Richard sensed the commandant’s Power reserve. Sure enough, it was empty. As Richard watched, a drop of Power appeared as the commandant’s natural regeneration drew Power from the surrounding universe. The drop of Power was drawn down the link between the commandant and his Power reserve as his body tried to return to its DNA baseline. Before the drop of Power got halfway to the commandant, it seeped out of an opening in the link.
The commandant’s heart stopped again. Richard’s heart stopped in empathy. Once again a flash of white-hot pain exploded in Richard’s brain. But his Power did its job, and both hearts began beating again. The white left Richard’s mind. He could see again.
“Why isn’t he healed?” said TAC Officer Myers.
As far as Richard could tell, his TAC officer looked genuinely concerned. Richard had thought Myers was too heartless to care about anybody other than himself.
I guess you were wrong, said Nickelo reading Richard’s thoughts.
Ignoring his battle computer, Richard answered his TAC officer’s question. “His Power reserve is empty, and his link has been damaged. It’s leaking what little Power he regenerates.”
“So his selfheal ability isn’t working?” said TAC Officer Myers.
“That’s right,” said Richard answering what he thought should have been obvious. “I have to keep re-healing his heart.”
“Can you repair his link?” said TAC Officer Myers. “My battle helmet has called emergency services. The ambulance is still two minutes out. He may not make it that long.”
“I might be able to repair his link,” Richard admitted. “But I can’t do it at the same time I’m healing his heart. I can do one or the other, but not both at the same time.”
The commandant’s heart fluttered rapidly. White pain once again flashed into Richard’s mind. His Power healed the commandant’s heart, and it began beating again. Richard’s pain subsided once more. Off in the distance, Richard heard the sound of sirens. They seemed too far away to help.
“Hold on, sir,” TAC Officer Myers sa
id to the commandant. “Help’s coming. You’re going to be all right.”
TAC Officer Myers grabbed Richard’s arm. Richard looked at him. If Richard didn’t know better, he could’ve sworn his TAC officer was close to tears.
“I’m going to overload him with Power to get his selfheal working,” said TAC Officer Myers. “When I do, you repair his link.”
“How–” Richard started to ask. But before he got the question out, he saw how.
A line of Power reached out from TAC Officer Myers and attached itself to the commandant’s reserve. Richard sensed the line shift its makeup and convert into a link. Power surged from TAC Officer Myers through the link. The Power entered the commandant’s reserve. Almost immediately, the commandant’s selfheal ability started drawing Power from the commandant’s reserve. Richard sensed a lot of the Power leaking out through several weak spots in the commandant’s link. However, enough Power made it through to charge the commandant’s selfheal ability.
As soon as Richard felt the commandant’s heart healing itself, he cut his Power to end his emp-healing. He immediately activated an active san and began probing the commandant’s link.
“Hurry,” yelled TAC Officer Myers. “I can’t keep this up for long.”
“I’m hurrying,” Richard said. “It’s not easy. His link has booby-traps all over it.”
Richard probed the link. Deadly traps were spaced all along its length. One wrong move, and Richard knew the commandant, his TAC officer, and he would be killed.
You’ve got twelve seconds, Rick, said Nickelo. TAC Officer Myers’ reserve is already down to forty-eight percent. It’s going down fast.
Given time, Richard thought he could remove enough traps to repair the commandant’s link. But time was a commodity he didn’t have.
Try repairing it from the inside, Nickelo suggested. I calculate a ninety-two percent probability the inside will be free of traps.
Richard almost asked how he was supposed to get inside the link when he sensed Power streaming out of the holes in the commandant’s link. Richard moved his active scan into the largest leak. He moved down the link repairing weak points and holes as he went. Surprisingly, Richard found he had a knack for repairing Power links. Within seconds, he had the leaks repaired. As Richard withdrew his active scan, he closed the last hole in the link. He was extra cautious to make sure he didn’t touch any of the traps around the last hole. When he was finally clear, Richard shut down his active scan.
Wizard Scout (Intergalactic Wizard Scout Chronicles Book 3) Page 24
