Adamanta Complete Season 3 (Adamanta Seasons)

by T. Y. Carew

  With a conspiratorial wink and a wide smile, she stepped aside and passed the mic to Simon over rapturous applause from the audience. Mattie ground her teeth and tried not to allow her deep loathing of the man who’d once been so close to her show on her face. Here to make connections, just say yes to investment opportunities, she repeated in her mind, desperate to stay focused on her task and subdue any unhelpful emotions.

  Simon soon had the attention of the whole audience simply by being his usual charming self. Distracted, Mattie only caught the end of the joke he’d made, one she’d heard before, and laughed politely for the cameras. There was no denying Simon’s charisma. He commanded the complete interest and devotion of a mass of people far better than she’d ever be able to. Mattie’s brow wrinkled slightly as she wondered whether it would be unfair to hate him just that little bit more because of that.

  “But that’s not why I came here tonight,” Simon said, then his eyes fell on Doctor Cardew, who stood to the side with one eyebrow raised in challenge. He smiled at her and returned his attention to the room full of people. “I am here to announce the latest investment I have succeeded in making a reality.” He paused for effect. “And this one has nothing to do with the military, or even the commercial sphere. Well, not unless you’re me, I suppose.”

  He paused to allow the audience’s laughter to die down.

  “I am so glad… and proud… to be able to bring you… the first mine of the precious metal Adamanta, which I intend to safeguard and put to use purely for civilian life.”

  The audience roared their approval and appreciation.

  “Research has already begun, and first on the list are everyday items that could benefit from a little Adamanta enhancement. You can expect the first batch of products to hit the shelves of more… ahh… exclusive stores later this month. In the meantime, if you have a special wish, a particular request,” he turned to the Red Lady and she pressed a button on her small device, making a string of digits appear on a dark background at the back of the stage, “please do not hesitate to get in touch and put your order through at the following comm address. My staff will be working around the clock to make sure nobody is left unsatisfied.”

  Clicks and flashes from all around her told Mattie Simon would be doing a roaring trade in non-military Adamanta-enhanced household items. Every person in the room seemed to be making note of the comm address. Unbelievably, she felt she hated Simon even more.

  How come, in a time when the human race was facing a real threat of extinction and the military was struggling to keep the danger at bay people like Simon Dantos could open an Adamanta mine for his own commercial ends, and a research lab on top of that? Why wasn’t anybody booing him of the stage and demanding he surrender the precious resource to the military, the only protectors they all had?

  Numb with the whirlwind of implications Simon’s latest news raised in her mind, Mattie could barely make herself keep a serene expression fixed on her face. She wanted to scream, and rage, and run up on that stage and wring the neck of that scum of a man who had passed the mic to his business associate, the murderer in red, and was now walking unconcerned off the stage, rubbing his hands together.

  “And now,” Doctor Cardew said, opening her arms wide towards the side of the stage where two people stood in the shadows, “some of the greatest minds and best known scientific advisors to the military, Doctors Carol Ann Krueger and Damien Rastin, my esteemed colleagues and life-old friends.”

  Doctors Krueger and Rastin walked into the circle of light and stood either side of Evelyn Cardew. Two aides brought chairs for the guests to sit on, and fitted them both with mics.

  When the applause died down, Doctor Cardew spoke again. “And because theory is nothing without practical application, I’ve also got here tonight Miss Adamanta herself, who has agreed to showcase her skills in front of all of you. Please go easy on her,” she said in a joking tone after a short pause. “I hear the military want her back.”

  Mattie froze in her seat. Showcase her skills? As in what? Actually fight? What? And how? She hadn’t brought her weapons. They wouldn’t even let her keep her zappers. If she’d been warned, perhaps she could have come up with something, a short set-up she could run through with Tyra perhaps, and that would be safe enough to be performed on stage without endangering anyone present.

  Unsettled, she locked her eyes on the Red Lady’s face, hoping to get her attention and convey somehow, through her expression, the need to talk. Like, urgently.

  But Doctor Cardew walked off the stage and disappeared into the darkness. Mattie desperately searched while sitting in her allotted seat, but after a few shushing whispers from her closest neighbors she had to still herself and think of something else. If she couldn’t get hold of Evelyn Cardew, perhaps she could contact Tyra and ask her to send her weapons over. How long did she have? How long would the scientists on stage be able to keep talking and keeping the attention of the audience?

  Fifteen minutes later, Doctor Cardew was still nowhere to be seen, and Mattie had spent so long twisting and untwisting one of the ribbons tying her waistband behind her back, the thing was permanently coiled.

  She dropped the worried ribbon when the thought struck her that she must have been set up, and tried to catch Drew’s eye instead. But Drew, at the far end of the front row, was busy whispering explanations in Atum’s ear, or spent his time completely enraptured by the words of the researchers now discussing the role of Adamanta in intergalactic trade, and trade support—meaning mostly cargo security.

  Wait a minute! If Atum was sitting next to Drew, where was Xander? Mattie was certain General Kelton had confirmed the team had been given two extra seats to accommodate her request, and she’d always assumed one would be taken by Drew and the other by Xander. If Xander wasn’t there, where was he? Her heartbeat picked up as she realized she had been counting on Xander’s support in so many ways… and now he wasn’t there.

  Frustrated, Mattie stood up and, ducking so as not to attract more unwanted attention, slipped as quietly as possible to the end of the row and out of the room through one of the side exits. What she hadn’t counted on was the guards standing sentinel there, who, on seeing her, smiled widely and offered to accompany her to whichever part of Doctor Cardew’s residence she wished to access.

  Mattie murmured “Bathroom,” in a low voice and sped in the direction one of them pointed, keeping her eyes open along the way for any possible means to contact the outside world. But no doors opened on the way, and it was with a heavy heart that she stared at herself in the opulent bathroom mirror set above gilded taps.

  Now what do I do?

  A few minutes later, Mattie still couldn’t see what she could do about her circumstances. Nothing for it but return to her seat and wait patiently until she was asked on stage. And then she would explain she had no weapons and offer to answer any questions from the audience on Adamanta and its use instead, which was what she had expected in the first place, perhaps even inviting Drew onto the stage right from the start, to be sure.

  Tentatively, she felt for the zappers and needles she had placed in the security box on entry, but the response from the metal attuned to her was too faint. The box was probably closed inside some kind of store, together with many other boxes full of things belonging to other attendees that were deemed dangerous or unacceptable by Evelyn Cardew’s airtight security. She’d never get to them.

  Overwhelmed and restless, Mattie returned to her seat.

  ***

  Outside the Cardew mansion, Xander checked his comm again and let his gaze sweep over the vast grounds one more time. Everything was as it should be. Nothing disturbed the stillness of the night.

  Every now and then, an extra loud cheer or surge of applause made it through the reinforced windows, but he didn’t feel in the slightest envious of those inside. That was why he’d pulled all the strings he could think of and called in many favors to get this temporary security position at the last-minute.
Those inside the mansion would be safe, especially with the extra security such a wealthy crowd commanded. He had no worries about Mattie’s safety. Any attack, unlikely as it might be, could only come from the outside. And the grounds were swarming with guards just like him.

  General Kelton had managed to obtain, at Mattie’s request, two seats on the front row, and when Drew realized Xander had other plans and he’d be sitting on his own, he’d groaned and asked whether he could find someone to keep him company. Xander gave him the go-ahead, as long as his companion was human, the only specific request of the host. Drew had invited Atum, for no other reason than he thought the young man would be inspired by any discussion on technical issues and perhaps also motivated to keep coming up with innovative ways to help the research team he was currently part of.

  The music volume inside the building increased, and guests began filling the balconies. Must be break-time, Xander thought, and adjusted his night-vision goggles. Slowly, one balcony at a time, he began searching for Mattie. He didn’t really expect to see her, but he couldn’t help wanting to all the same.

  Ah, there was Drew, and Atum just behind him. They seemed to be having a relaxed discussion with a middle-aged woman dressed in a purple gown. No reason for concern, then. His crew were all just fine. Mattie was safe.

  ***

  Mattie shot out of her seat as soon as the music signaling the end of the session began blaring. As the lights came on, she homed in on Doctor Cardew and wove her way through the milling crowd until she was by her side.

  The woman welcomed Mattie as if they were best friends, and introduced her to everyone who passed close enough to hear their name being spoken. Mattie smiled and shook hands politely, because ultimately this was an incredible opportunity to network and bring closer other possible investors. And she needed them all.

  When she expressed her concerns about her lack of weapons, Doctor Cardew simply laughed and swiped her hand through the air as if to brush them away.

  “Don’t worry about that, darling. I can lend you some of mine.” Mattie’s thoughts momentarily brought up the cannon ball used to murder an innocent woman, and she bristled as she recalled the Red Lady’s influence on having the murder charges dropped. “Besides,” Doctor Cardew continued, “what I’ll be asking you to show my guests is routine, simple stuff. I expect you’re able to do this kind of thing with your eyes closed and one hand tied behind your back, if what we read of your missions is even half-true.”

  Fuming inside, Mattie kept smiling and looking for an opening to at least reach Drew, but he seemed to have evaporated in the steamy atmosphere, and she was left with little to do other than smile and engage with as many potential investors as possible. She could see no way to dodge the doctor’s request. The general had stitched her up good and proper with his ‘say yes’ demand. That she could use Adamanta not attuned to her was not public knowledge—but it would be, after tonight. Doctor Cardew had only found out because of the dangerous position she’d placed a lot of innocent people and troops back on Anathema with her last failed experiment. Unattuned Adamanta was not only incredibly difficult to control, it was unsafe. Mattie could never be sure the metal would respond exactly as she expected it to, and working with it was exhausting.

  Thankfully the break was short, and soon the Red Lady was standing on the stage, speaking throatily into her mic.

  “And now, ladies and gentlemen, join me in welcoming on stage our own home-grown hero, Adamanta herself.”

  Applause rang out louder than ever before, and as if in a trance, Mattie walked up the steps leading to the stage, thankfully without tripping over.

  So far, so good, she thought as she stepped into the large circle of light and turned towards the sea of barely visible faces hidden in the gloom. Please be gentle with me, she begged them wordlessly. Cameras flashed continuously as Doctor Cardew snaked an arm around Mattie’s shoulders and brought her closer for a friendly hug and a pair of air-kisses. The kiss of death, came to her mind, unbidden, and it was all Mattie could do to keep that smile up there on her face, as expected.

  Chapter 6

  “My worst kept secret—and tonight’s star—is, as you know,” Doctor Cardew paused for effect while Mattie fought down her panic, “the Porteus Tactical Initiative.”

  Roars from the crowd rang off the walls of the great hall. The background to the stage now changed to show a slick gold ship, as small as a one-person escape pod, on a black background. Fresh from her pilot training, Mattie scanned the projected image closely, hoping to distinguish some of the more familiar characteristics of most flight consoles, but there wasn’t enough detail. Both the outside and what could be seen of the inside of the ship were smooth lines, shining with newness. She wasn’t unduly concerned, as she wouldn’t be required to pilot the ship. All she had to do tonight was answer a few questions and maybe handle a couple of weapons she wasn’t accustomed to.

  In the meantime, Doctor Cardew began speaking again. “…able to understand your needs. I have given financial backing to the most promising innovative bases of research both on Netera and in outer facilities. I believe in being hands-on in my approach. How else could I ensure the grants and expert advice are handed to the right organization in the right place, for the right purpose?”

  She paused again, allowing the murmurs in the audience to die down.

  “And who can dispute the immense potential of the newest and most intriguing element at the core of current research, the metal popularly known as Adamanta? To have something you could control with your mind, something—inanimate,” she smiled and allowed the giggles from her guests to subside, “—something inanimate to do your bidding, why… that is every human’s dream, is it not? Just think—forget my puns—think of a bottle of champagne, and along comes a tray bearing a glass full, at the right temperature, before you.”

  Evelyn Cardew mimed the floating motion of an imaginary tray approaching through the air. An aide in the darkness of the stage outside the circle of light she and Mattie stood in handed her a flute of champagne, which she accepted and sipped from, to the delight of the guests.

  “You wish for an item, and your mere thought brings it to you. Want your coat to lift to your shoulders? Done. A parasol to protect you from the sun without the need to hold it up? Easy. A note to flutter over to your husband’s office? Your phone to lift to your ear while you’re soaking in the bath? A book to open to the right page, your nails to paint themselves, the music changed to suit your mood…” The murmurs from the crowd grew to a continuous hum, and Doctor Cardew allowed them a moment to process what she was saying.

  “What about something more complex? A weapon, to protect you? Impenetrable armor to keep our soldiers safe? A whole SHIP…” and she pointed to the image of Porteus, “to take you and your family to a predetermined point of safety should the unthinkable happen?”

  Mattie turned to look at the image projected on the back wall of the stage, like everybody else, but her mind was still busy trying to fathom the need to have nails that painted themselves. Still, she could only admire the Red Lady for her charisma and crowd control. She had her guests lapping up her every word. No wonder Simon had found her to be a worthy associate.

  “All of these and more are projects I have backed, some that are complete, some still being tested, and some just off the designers’ boards. But tonight… especially for you and your entertainment… I have three prototypes to show you, and the best person to help me with this task is standing right here, by my side.” She threw out an arm and scooped Mattie closer.

  “Is it true you have extensive experience in the use of Adamanta-component weapons?” she asked Mattie straight.

  Taken by surprise, Mattie answered truthfully, “Yes.”

  “And you learned to use and control these weapons—how, exactly?”

  “My parents headed the initial research team into the use of Adamanta. I worked alongside them, though at the beginning it didn’t feel like work to me…”
Mattie heard a few giggles and stopped momentarily. “As the weapons were being developed, I tested them. I guess I was just there, so…”

  “In the right place, at the right time, like I always said,” Doctor Cardew said, playing up to the crowd. “And is it true that you are now able to control not only weapons that have been attuned to you, but foreign so-to-speak, containing Adamanta that is unknown to, or unrecognized by your mind?”

  Mattie bristled at the question, unsure of quite how much of her latest efforts in that field should be made public. She decided it would be unwise to lie, but she would choose her words carefully. “Controlling Adamanta that has not been attuned to one’s mind is not easy, and I cannot recommend—”

  “Oh, it won’t be easy,” the Red Lady interrupted her. “It takes a certain degree of skill, as expected.” Mattie opened her mouth to make it clearer it would be sheer madness to sell the idea to the public as if such skill were of the same level as mastering the use of a knife and fork, but her hostess was on a roll. “Like with everything, practice makes perfect. If we want something bad enough, we’ll make it happen. Wouldn’t you agree, Adamanta?”

  Eager to seize her chance to talk, Mattie said, “It does depend on personal parameters, as well as—”

  “On how strongly we desire it,” Doctor Cardew said, smiling and winking at the audience. Laughter and clapping ensued. “For example, if your life was in danger, you would fight harder than if you were merely play-fighting, right?”

  Mattie could do nothing but nod. The audience was too noisy for her to make herself heard.

  “If you want it bad enough, you’ll make it happen,” Doctor Cardew shouted into her mic, and in the next moment, on a loud fanfare of music, the stage was floodlit with enough spotlights to make it look ablaze, and two aides walked on from either side, one bearing a shiny object that looked like a drone of a modern construction, and the other pushing a stand on wheels, on which a katana, a boomerang and a heavy looking hammer and mace chained together were laid at an angle so the crowd could see.