by Dan Oakley
The mess hall was much busier than it had been yesterday. I guessed most people ate their meals at similar times, which seemed odd. Meals in shifts would have made more sense. But then the androids moved so swiftly and efficiently they could handle the work.
I went up to the same friendly android that served me yesterday.
Again he greeted me with, “Hello friend. What tickles your fancy today?”
“I’d love some bacon and eggs, please.”
As the android plated up my food, I spotted a brown, sticky liquid in a pot beside the heated tins of food.
“What’s that?” I asked.
“It’s maple syrup,” the android said. “Some people enjoy it with their breakfast.”
I scrunched up my face. “Is it sweet?”
Did people really eat syrup with bacon and eggs?
The android nodded and handed me the plate of food. “Why don’t you try it?”
I looked at him as though he were crazy and then decided I should broaden my horizons. I reached down for the spoon and placed a small amount of syrup on the side of my plate. I didn’t want it getting on my food in case it didn’t taste good.
“Coffee?” The android asked, gesturing to a jug.
“Sure, thanks.”
I’d never had coffee before, but I’d heard of it. When I was a child, the Baker used to pay a fortune for coffee to help him cope with his early mornings. Coffee was expensive in Terrano and hard to come by. As it wasn’t a necessity, my budget never stretched to sampling the caffeine-rich liquid.
He handed me a glass mug full of dark, steaming liquid. It smelt great.
I thanked the android and rushed off to a table, sitting alone this time, ready to scoff down my food as quickly as I could before Ensign Borrack arrived.
I was surprised at just how good the syrup tasted with my bacon and eggs. In fact, I started to wish I’d added a little more syrup. Maybe tomorrow, I thought, as I polished off the breakfast.
By the time Ensign Borrack arrived, I’d finished my breakfast and was halfway through my coffee.
He strode over to my table, his eyes bulging. “Ready?”
I got to my feet. “Yes. I can’t wait to get started. What are we doing today?”
Ensign Borrack crossed his arms over his chest and stared up at me with a knowing look in his eye. What did he know that I didn’t?
I frowned and stepped aside as a small cleaner bot zoomed over to the table to clear away my plate and mug.
Ensign Borrack smirked. “Today, Rookie, you start your training.”
Chapter 9
Determined to keep a positive attitude, I grinned. “Great. Can’t wait to get started.”
The ensign gave me a disdainful look. “Let’s hope you’re just as excited when you find out what your training entails.”
That sounded ominous, but I tried not to let his comments dampen my enthusiasm.
I followed him out of the mess hall and into a long white corridor. “Are you going to be training me?”
I’d asked what I thought was a sensible question.
He guffawed with laughter. “Good grief, no. You’ll be trained by a mage. I’m in Operations.”
He said that like I should know what Operations meant. Still, I was glad to be trained by a mage. After years of denying my magic, I was excited to learn what I could do with the proper training.
I wanted to be able to handle my own magic rather than fear it. I didn’t intend to stay in the service of the kingdoms for long. As soon as I was able, I intended to return to Maureena. She’d need me in her old age.
My salary would come in useful. I had no idea how much I’d be paid, but if I could send some roubits to Maureena now and then, it would help a great deal. As she got older, she wouldn’t be able to tend the vegetable garden or take care of the animals, which meant she’d need more money to buy food.
Ensign Borrack stopped beside one of the sliding doors and positioned his face in front of the scanner. A blue beam appeared and slid across his eyes. As I’d suspected, it was a retinal scanner.
“When will I get my eyes scanned?” I asked. “Some places are off-limits to me because I can only use the palm readers.”
Ensign Borrack rolled his bulging eyes. “Well, the commander isn’t just going to let you wander everywhere you want on the ship. That would be a security risk. You will have your eyes scanned soon enough.”
I didn’t think much of the ship’s mentorship program if this was what it entailed. Everyone I’d met so far was either cold and distant or grouchy. They weren’t exactly a friendly bunch.
Which reminded me… I’d not seen any more inquisitors since my arrival. Then again, maybe I had. Perhaps they didn’t stand out without their swirling red cloaks.
We walked down one level, and although Ensign Borrack didn’t give me a running commentary of where we were going or which departments we were walking through, I did pay attention to the signs.
We entered the science and technology area, walking through it swiftly until we came to a black door marked with a silver cross.
I’d expected Ensign Borrack to put his face close to the scanner to gain entry, but this time, he stood back and gestured for me to use my hand against the low-level scanner.
I did so, and the door slid open. He pointed, and I walked through the open doorway.
When the ensign didn’t follow me, I asked, “Are you not coming?”
He shook his head nervously and took a step back. “No, only mages are permitted in that section.”
And with that, he spun around on his heel and marched away. Leaving me without so much as a goodbye. He could have at least wished me good luck.
He wasn’t much company, but now I was alone, I started to miss having Ensign Borrack by my side. Nerves fluttered in my stomach. I hoped they wouldn’t expect me to do too much the first day. Would my complete lack of knowledge be a disappointment?
Perhaps, they would realize they’d made a mistake and send me back to Terrano. To my shock, I realized I didn’t much like that idea. Deep down, I longed for adventure and a sense of purpose.
Squaring my shoulders and shaking off my doubts, I shifted my attention back to the mage’s section. I heard a swoosh as the door shut behind me.
A prickle of unease ran down my spine. It was quiet. Too quiet. The walls in this section were a shiny blue rather than white, and they seemed to glow.
The rest of the ship was styled plainly, and the decor was sleek and simple, but here the walls were printed with stars and symbols. I recognized some of the constellations, and some of the symbols reminded me of the marks carved into the runes Maureena had hidden beneath the floorboards.
I walked forward cautiously. It was silent. There was no humming of machinery, no chatter from the crew. Where was everyone?
There were no doors on either side of the star printed corridor, so I carried on walking until I entered a large room. It was almost as big as the mess hall, but the ceiling was much higher, far higher than I’d seen in other areas of the ship.
The first stirrings of frustration prickled at me, but my irritation was drowned out by my growing sense that something was wrong.
I walked on until I was in the middle of the room and then turned in a slow circle. “Hello? Is anybody here?”
My voice echoed back to me, but no one replied.
I tried again. “I’m Tomas, the new mage. I was told to come here for training.”
A noise like a cross between a groan and a growl vibrated around me. I caught my breath, turning sharply to the left. I thought that was where the noise originated…
A large door, inset into the wall on my left, was slowly rising from the ground.
My pulse spiked.
My senses were on high alert. What had made that noise?
My mind began to work overtime, sensing a threat.
It’s nothing to worry about, I tried to reassure myself. Just a strange vibration from the ship… The door was just o
pening to admit the mage who’d come to train me.
Keep calm. Don’t freak out and embarrass yourself during your first training session, Tomas.
I wiped my sweaty palms on my uniform and stared at the door.
Something seemed off. For a start, the door was opening from the ground up, rather than right-to-left, and this door was big, far larger than the sliding doors in the corridors I’d just walked through.
The anticipation was killing me. I gave myself a mental shake and strode towards the door, ready to meet whoever was there head on.
In my mind, I rehearsed what I was going to say. I intended to keep it simple, supplying my name and my willingness to learn. I wouldn’t mention the fact I came from Terrano unless I had no choice.
The door was inching up slowly and was still only half open. In the gap beyond the door, I could only see darkness. That was unusual. I’d not noticed any completely dark areas on the ship until now.
My skin tingled, and my senses were telling me to run, but that made no sense.
I’d look like a coward and an idiot if I made a run for it now. I leaned down to peer at the opening as the door creaked upward.
Something shifted and groaned again. Whatever was behind that door was big. Far bigger than a human.
I took two steps back. I was starting to get a horrible inkling this could be some kind of test. Didn’t they know I couldn’t use my magic yet? What did they expect me to do?
Was I supposed to battle with whatever was behind the door? I licked my dry lips. I’d be destroyed.
With my heart hammering against my ribs, I retreated as far as I could but kept my eyes fixed on the door.
The thing moved again, and the hair on the back of my neck stood on end as the floor creaked beneath its weight.
Another low rumble, made my limbs tremble as I tried to think how to handle the situation. There was no way out.
It didn’t help that I had no idea what was behind the door, other than it was something big. A bear? I’d had to scare off bears hunting our sheep in the past, but today I had no weapons.
I looked around wildly, hoping to see something I could use to defend myself, but the walls were sleek and blank. There was no way I could even climb out of danger.
Blast it. Where was my trainer?
Were they watching me?
The door clunked as it finally stopped moving upward. I peered towards it, trying to see into the darkness and then I caught a movement.
Oh boy. It was huge. Far more substantial than a bear and… What in the world was that…?
The thing exited the door with a terrifying screech. I’d never seen a creature like it. It ducked under the doorway and then stretched up to its full height. It had to be at least ten foot tall. It had a face like a lizard, with rows of gleaming, sharp teeth, and when it opened its mouth and screeched, I clamped my hands over my ears.
The creature was covered in dark green scales and stood on massive, powerful back legs. Its front legs were smaller and equipped with razor-sharp claws. It’s huge, thick tail swished from one side to the other.
I stared in disbelief at the creature. What was it doing aboard a ship?
Was this an invasion? It couldn’t be. It had to be a test. Apparently, my trainer didn’t realize I knew nothing about magic, and they were expecting me to subdue this creature using tools I didn’t possess.
“There’s been a mistake,” I called out. “I’ve never used my magic before. I’m untrained. I don’t know how to handle this creature.”
I soon wished I’d kept my mouth shut though, as by making a noise, I’d attracted the colossal lizard’s attention.
It turned its head slowly towards me, and I swear it almost looked like it smiled as its gaze focused on me.
It took two steps, and it felt like the ground vibrated with each giant footfall.
Think, Tomas, think!
It didn’t look like any of the trainers were coming to help me so if I wanted to survive this, I was going to have to think logically and get myself out of this mess.
Observe it as you would any kind of animal, I told myself. Figure out its weakness.
The creature lumbered towards me.
I took a couple of shaky, deep breaths. The creature was slow, that was good. I would have a chance to get away before it attacked. Maybe I could keep it moving until it was worn out, then somehow find a way to overpower the massive animal.
But just as I decided on my plan of action, the creature sped up.
I managed to jump out of the way at the last moment, only to have my legs taken from under me by the giant lizard’s sweeping tail. Suddenly, it lunged at me, its sharp, flashing teeth visible as it opened its mouth in a triumphant roar.
I kicked it hard in the throat and pivoted away.
It gave chase. Its sharp claws, scratching at the air only inches from my face.
I ducked, avoiding its claws, and then managed to jump over the tail as it came at me again.
It wasn’t long before the sweat was pouring off me. Adrenaline plus the physical exertion of avoiding being ripped to shreds by an angry giant lizard was taking its toll.
The creature’s eyes were bright and sharp. This was no dumb animal. Outwitting it wasn’t going to be easy.
My belief that the animal would tire before I did wasn’t coming true. The damn thing seemed to keep going with an unlimited amount of power.
My muscles were starting to burn, and fatigue was setting in. There was nowhere I could retreat to hole up and relax. Nowhere to catch my breath.
Tiredness caused a foolish lapse in concentration, and as the tail swished past me, this time, it collided hard with my shoulder, knocking me sprawling onto the floor.
Before I could move, the creature was on top of me, breathing its stinking breath on my face as its teeth gnashed together. Rivulets of saliva dangled from the teeth, and I could see red meat between its oversized incisors, evidence of its last meal. The monster raised its forelimbs, and I imagined it slashing into my flesh, severing muscle and arteries.
I brought my arms up to my head and neck to protect myself, furious that it had come to this. I’d survived so much. I thought this would be a new challenge, a fresh start. I didn’t expect to be attacked by some freaking massive reptile on board a starship.
Had the inquisitor lied to me? Maybe this was the punishment for practicing magic.
Either it was a punishment or a ridiculous training exercise, either way, they cheated and lied to me, and I was furious.
My limbs had been trembling with fatigue. Now they shook with rage.
I lashed out and felt the energy from my anger leave me in one shot. The creature was pushed six foot in the air and then landed with a deafening crash on its back a few feet away. It didn’t move.
I lifted myself onto my hands and knees, too tired to get on my feet, and stared in disbelief at the creature.
What had happened?
It felt like some kind of energy had left my body and slammed against the creature, but I didn’t do it… Was it one of the trainers? I looked around, expecting to see cameras spying through gaps in the wall, but there was nothing.
Exhausted, I fell onto my back, panting. I needed to get my breath back in case the reptile regained consciousness. I wasn’t convinced the weird power punch I’d delivered had been enough to kill it.
My breathing was just starting to become regular again when I heard a slow clap.
I pushed myself to a sitting position and saw the red-headed mage dressed in a clinging, purple jumpsuit striding towards me with a smirk on her face.
Chapter 10
I stared at the mage with a mixture of anger and disbelief. I was furious at what she’d put me through.
I glowered at her for a moment or two before launching into a tirade. “I suppose you think that’s funny?” I asked and then continued without waiting for an answer. “That thing could have killed me. You knew my magic was untrained, and I had no way of fighting tha
t beast!”
She looked unconcerned and shrugged, which only made me more annoyed. “It’s part of the training.”
“Don’t you think it would be more helpful to teach me how to use my magic first before throwing me in the deep end like that?”
She looked surprised. “No, I had to test your abilities and determine how you need to be trained. I wanted to see how large of a task I had ahead of me.”
“Wouldn’t it have been easier just to ask me what I can and can’t do?”
She put her hands on her hips. “No, Tomas. It would not. I needed an honest appraisal of your skills, and asking for your judgment wouldn’t have been helpful. We are rarely honest with ourselves, let alone others.”
I shook my head in frustration and stared at the beast that was sprawled on the floor. “What the hell is that anyway?”
“It’s a Tor Lizard.”
That meant nothing to me. “I’ve never seen a lizard that size.”
She peered down at the creature and didn’t seem bothered by its long, sharp teeth at all. “They mutated after the nuclear accident on planet Tor. Did you hear about it back on Terrano? It happened about ten years ago. It was all over the media.”
I’d been pretty cut off from the media, but even I’d heard about the nuclear accident. Tor was an important planet because it was a mineral-rich land, and had been fought over for decades. It was currently under the Seven Kingdoms’ control as far as I knew, but since the accident, it was uninhabited by humans, and no longer mined extensively for its natural products.
I wiped the sweat away from my forehead, still feeling shaky after my encounter with the vicious animal.
I leaned as close as I dared to the lizard, examining it for injuries.
“Well, I suppose I should thank you for saving me in the end,” I said, grudgingly. “It was just about to have me for lunch.”
The mage laughed. Not a condescending chuckle, but a full-on belly laugh.
“What’s so funny?” I scowled.
“Well, for one thing, I didn’t help you.”
“Who did?”
