by Dan Oakley
When Kira didn’t respond, I turned to Trella. “There must be something wrong with our communications. I hope it’s not a system-wide problem.”
We hadn’t been able to repair the original link with the satellite that orbited the planet, which meant our ability to contact anyone off planet was limited to ships that passed close to Tor.
Trella’s concern mirrored mine. “Let’s get back. Quickly.”
I didn’t need telling twice. It took us only seconds to cover the distance across the broken concrete to the rear access door. Once inside, we both jogged to the communication suite.
To my surprise, Kira was already there.
So she must have heard me…
Perhaps it was only my earpiece that wasn’t working. I supposed it could have been a one-way fault.
Kira was staring down at the console in the middle of the room, a serious look on her face. She looked up but didn’t smile as we entered the room.
Trella pushed up the sleeves of her uniform. “Did you initiate contact?” she asked as she stepped into position beside Kira at the console.
Kira licked her lips and glanced at me before turning to face Trella. “No,” she said slowly. “I didn’t know whether they were friendly. They could be pirates or scavengers.”
“It has to be a Kingdoms ship though, doesn’t it?” I asked, frowning, as I stood behind both women and stared at the scanner. The flashing computer-generated graphic of the ship was almost out of range. “Everyone thinks Tor is still a nuclear disaster zone, don’t they?” I added when neither Trella nor Kira responded.
Without waiting for an answer, I began punching in the code to open a communications channel.
I was intent on my task. The ship was edging further and further towards the communication black zone, and if we didn’t act quickly we would lose our chance.
We were just seconds from missing the chance to communicate with the ship.
I shot a look at Kira as I waited for the program to load. Had she been hoping that the ship passed out of range before Trella and I got to the communications suite?
I was at the last stage of initiating contact when the system crashed.
“Flaming fires! What’s wrong with this system? Why did it have to go wrong now?” I quickly booted up the programme again.
My fingers hovered over the touchscreen, then Trella grabbed my arm. “Don’t!”
I turned to her, barely holding on to my temper. “What is it now? We’re going to lose them.”
But Trella didn’t let go of my arm. “I don’t know what ship that is, Tomas, but it isn’t a Kingdoms vessel.”
I turned back to the tiny graphic on the scanner. I felt like I’d been hit in the chest with a hammer. I’d been so sure this was it. This was our chance to get off this dangerous, hot, sticky bug-filled planet.
“Are you sure?”
Trella nodded. “Absolutely. All Kingdoms vessels are designed to emit a standard recognition sequence when they are scanned.”
“And this one didn’t emit the right sequence?”
Trella looked at me intently. “This one didn’t emit any sequence.”
“What does that mean?” Kira asked, screwing up her face in confusion.
I was glad Kira had asked that question because I was just as confused as she was.
All three of us glanced down at the screen as the ship approached the communication dead zone.
My fingers itched to switch the communication channel back on, but Trella guessed what I was going to do.
She shook her head, and I felt a calming sensation pass through me. It took a second or two until it dawned on me, and I realised what she was doing. She was using her magic as some kind of relaxant.
I fought back, pushing against the soft, calming waves of energy.
“Don’t do that,” I said through gritted teeth.
I wasn’t a child who needed to be placated. I had a right to be annoyed we’d lost out on a chance to get off this planet. I didn’t want to be manipulated into feeling better.
Trella let go of my arm and sighed. “You’re right. I shouldn’t do that.”
“Do what?” Kira asked. “What am I missing? Neither of you are making any sense.”
Trella’s cheeks flushed. “I was using my powers to try and calm Tomas, and he didn’t appreciate it.”
Kira looked at me, eyes wide. Then she turned to Trella. “Did you use your power on me, too?”
Trella looked abashed as she nodded. “Sorry. I just wanted you to feel better.”
Kira shrugged. “I didn’t even notice, but now that you mention it, I do feel less anxious. How did Tomas know what you were doing?”
“I could feel it,” I said gruffly. “But all this is beside the point. Trella, could you please explain why we are letting the ship leave without asking for assistance?”
Trella took a deep breath. “The ship wasn’t emitting any recognition code. That means it was cloaked. Obviously, their cloaking technology isn’t up-to-date because our scanner picked them up, but not until the ship was almost on top of us.”
“I knew it,” Kira said, folding her arms across her chest. “They are sneaking around. They must be up to no good.”
“I have to agree with Kira. It seems likely they are scavengers, which is why they’ve come so close to the planet.”
Finally, accepting the fact that my chance of escape had just evaporated, I sat down heavily on one of the stools.
“Can we find out anything else about them?” I asked.
“I can try,” Trella said. She pulled out one of the lower level power discs and put her left hand flat against it while tapping out letters and numbers on the touchscreen with her right hand.
Kira and I stayed silent while we watched, but after a moment, Trella shook her head in frustration. “It’s not working. I need a boost.”
She got up and darted around the other side of the console, grabbing the crystals. After they were in place, she held her hand over the tips, and the crystals began to glow. She closed her eyes and frowned. “I’ve got them, but there’s no identifying data.”
The scanner gave a beep, and an automated voice said, “The tagged vessel is about to leave communication range. If communication is required, please press confirm now.”
Trella gave me a sideways glance as though she feared I might be about to reach out and press confirm to contact the scavengers. Sure, I really wanted to get off this planet, but I wasn’t crazy. I’d heard stories about scavengers and pirates and they hadn’t been pleasant tales.
“So we just let them go and hope the next ship we see is a Kingdoms vessel,” I said, attempting to smile. “Things could be worse.”
Trella nodded. “Yes, they really could be a lot worse. It looks like they’re passing away from Tor. Maybe they’ve decided there’s nothing worth taking here.”
Kira ran a hand through her spiky hair. “I guess that’s it then,” she said, sighing with relief as the ship graphic disappeared from the scanner display.
As though she could tell I was feeling incredibly disappointed, Trella put a hand on my shoulder and said, “While we’re here, why don’t we do some training?”
“Training?”
“Yes, I thought you might want to try my energy hacking technique. It can be very useful.”
I actually felt like going outside and kicking something to take out my frustration, but I appreciated the fact she was trying to make me feel better.
I swivelled around to face her on my stool. “You never did tell me how you first realised you could hack into computer systems.”
Trella’s pale cheeks flushed. “It’s a long story.”
“Well, it doesn’t look like we’re getting off this planet any time soon, so I’ve got time for a long story.”
“Me too,” Kira said, grinning as she perched on a stool beside mine.
Trella tried to look annoyed and failed. She gave a theatrical sigh and then sat down at the other end of the console.
“Fine. If you really want to know, I’ll tell you. I was seventeen and in my last year of the Mage Training Academy.”
I leaned on the edge of the console. “Go on.”
“There were rumours swirling around the campus that only fifty percent of the mages in my class had passed the final exams, and I was a little worried.”
“You were worried?” Kira said in disbelief. “But you’re amazing. I can’t believe you would have failed your magic exams.”
Trella gave us a sheepish smile. “I wasn’t always a dedicated student,” she confessed. “In fact, when I was seventeen, the nightlife on campus was much more appealing than studying. Anyway, I decided to take a look in my professor’s sub server. I was planning to do it the old-fashioned way, trying to hack in using code, but it wasn’t working. I discovered the energy hacking quite by accident. It’s just like any machine really, especially anything electrical. The information is there for the taking, just so long as you can read the energy pattern, it’s easy.”
I looked at her sceptically. “If you say so.”
Trella shrugged. “Anyway, I managed to hack in and fortunately saw that I’d passed the exam — only by the skin of my teeth, mind you.”
“Do you want to try it?” Trella said, nodding to the console.
“Sure, why not.”
But before I could do anything, Kira put a hand up. “Hang on a minute. Why do I get the feeling you didn’t tell us the whole story?”
“Oh, well there was something else. But it’s not really relevant.”
I grinned. If Trella was reluctant to share the information, it would be embarrassing, or interesting, or both. “Go on, you can’t stop now.”
She looked down, studying her fingers. “Well, as I was looking for the grades, I accidentally stumbled across the professor’s private files…”
“And?” Kira’s eyes looked like they might pop out of her head.
Trella grimaced. “He enjoyed… dressing up. It was a little odd. He liked wearing fluffy animal costumes. Unfortunately, I happened to mention it to another member of the class, who used it as collateral to blackmail the professor into bumping up his grade so he could pass the final year.”
“Did the professor ever find out what you had done?” Kira asked, her eyes still wide.
Trella shook her head. “No, he must have guessed he’d been hacked, but I don’t think he ever suspected me. It made me feel incredibly guilty, though. Since then I’ve always been really careful with hacking. I try to do it only for good reasons and not selfishly to benefit myself.”
“Fluffy animals. That’s... unusual,” I said.
Trella’s serious expression creased into a smile. “Yes, it was quite a shock when I stumbled across the images.”
“I’ll bet!”
“Anyway, enough digging into my past. Let’s get started on the lesson,” Trella said, now all business.
I was still disappointed the ship hadn’t turned out to be our route off the planet, but I was happy to learn a new technique. Though I’d been practising the whole time we’d been stuck on this planet, I was frustrated with my lack of progress. I think most of my problems stemmed from the fact it was hard for Trella to pass on the knowledge. So many of the magical techniques depended on a feeling, rather than a simple set of instructions.
I’d hoped everything would fall into place now that I’d learned to access the votoom zone. But it turned out that controlling the level of magic was the most difficult part.
“There has to be direct contact with the machinery. I’ve tried to do it without, and the result is unreliable at best,” Trella said. “Put the palm of your hand flat against the machine. Different materials conduct magic in different ways. I found the best material to be metal of some sort. It’s a good conductor.”
I placed my hand against the side of the processor. It felt warm.
“Can you feel the energy?” Trella asked expectantly.
I hesitated. “Um, not really. It feels a bit warm, but that’s all.”
Usually when I locked on to my magic, I felt a flow of energy, but this time, I felt nothing.
Trella bit down on her lower lip. “Right. Let’s try it a different way.”
She walked to the other side of the communications suite and began opening drawers and cupboards, searching for something.
“What are you looking for?” Kira asked.
“A small screwdriver. I want to open up the processing unit so Tomas can make proper contact with the processor or power unit.”
“Why don’t you just magic the protective panel out of the way?” Kira asked as she began to help Trella search.
“Because even when you’re well trained, magic can be unpredictable. One small event can trigger a whole cascade of problems if you’re not prepared for it.”
“So you mean sometimes it’s just easier to do things the non-mage way?” Kira asked with a grin.
“Exactly,” Trella said, returning her smile. “There are times when magic is necessary. But it’s not the answer to every problem. That’s something you learn in Mage School.”
“Here, we can use this,” I said, pulling out a multitool that had been attached to my belt. I’d never gotten used to wearing nothing but the thin, stretchy uniforms. I missed having pockets and pouches, and had taken to wearing a belt so I could attach useful items, such as the multitool, which contained a small knife, two small screwdriver heads and a tin opener.
Trella rolled her eyes. “You could have told me you had one of those.”
“You didn’t ask. And I didn’t know what you were looking for until Kira asked.”
She grabbed the multitool from my outstretched hand and quickly removed the protective cover beneath the console. She kneeled down beside it and looked up at me expectantly. “Let’s try again.”
I looked down at the exposed circuitry. “Are you sure I’m not going to get electrocuted?”
“It’s perfectly safe, look.” Trella put a hand against one of the circuits. There was no flashing or banging.
“Satisfied?” Her eyes were bright and teasing.
“I guess,” I said, kneeling beside her.
This time, as soon as my hand was flat against one of the panels, I felt a jolt of energy. I tried to focus and concentrate. My senses seemed heightened. I could smell the warm, dry scent of the electrical equipment, mingled with the delicate soapy scent of Trella’s skin. My skin tingled. It was working.
I closed my eyes, trying to work out how to access the system. I was touching the hardware, but I needed somehow to form a bridge between the hardware and software in my mind.
After a moment or two, I began to feel uncomfortable. It felt like something was pushing its way into my head, and I didn’t like that sensation at all. I tried to push back and regain control.
Then, despite the fact my eyes were closed, it seemed bright, like a fluorescent bulb had just been switched on in front of my face. A row of zeros scrolled in front of my eyes. I snatched my hand away.
I blinked and saw Kira and Trella watching me curiously.
“Anything?” Trella asked.
I shook my head, irritated. “No, nothing. It just felt uncomfortable… Wrong somehow.”
Trella’s shoulders slumped. “You didn’t see or feel anything?”
“Not really. It seemed bright, and I saw a row of zeros but nothing else.”
“Well, it’s a start.” She gave me an encouraging smile.
“You were seventeen when you first hacked a computer system with your magic, but how old were you when you learned how to connect with machinery?” I asked.
“Much younger. The first time I did it was almost by accident. I was nine years old and at home and…” She trailed off when she saw my expression change.
“I know what you’re thinking. Yes, I was only nine years old when I did it, but don’t forget I went to Mage School when I was five. You haven’t had the same training, Tomas. You can’t expect to pick up everything straighta
way.”
I didn’t expect to pick up everything. But I was frustrated at my lack of progress. I was used to picking up skills and techniques easily. Despite the fact I hadn’t had any formal lessons since I left school aged eleven, I’d been able to maintain our small holding without difficulty, designing enclosures to keep predators out, following animal tracks when I hunted for meat. I’d been proud of the intricate water storage and irrigation system, I’d designed. But this magic learning curve was harder than any challenge I’d ever faced before.
Trella guessed I was taking the failure hard. “You really shouldn’t feel bad. Some mages are more sensitive to certain things than others. Most mages can’t hack into computer systems.”
“But what is the point in me having all these mutations if I consistently fail to live up to my potential?” I asked, feeling sorry for myself.
“You will live up to your potential, Tomas. It just takes time. When we get back to one of the main planets, I’ll take you to one of the mage stores. You can buy runes, powders and teas that accelerate learning. And there are all sorts of books on the various types of magic, which will explain things in a better way than I can.”
Intrigued, I asked, “Do the teas really work?”
“I think so. I’ve tried focus teas before my exams and interviews, and they helped with my concentration. When we get back to civilisation, your learning will come on in leaps and bounds.”
“I don’t know what’s so amazing about civilisation,” Kira said. “I think we have it pretty good here and everything I’ve seen or heard about civilisation is dangerous.”
I straightened up. I’d forgotten Kira was still there. It was strange to hear her say that the Kingdoms were dangerous, when she’d lived here on Tor with predatory lizards, for the past ten years. But, she had witnessed Commander Taggert’s treatment of his sister and then learned one of my own team, Zarak, had tried to kill me. It was only natural, she was suspicious of so-called civilisation.
“There are bad people, Kira, but not everyone is like Commander Taggert. When we get off this planet, you’ll understand.”
Kira scowled. “I don’t want to get off this planet.”
