If All Else Fails

by N. D. Roberts

It’s how Torcellan society works, Alexis reminded him. She outranks them just by being female. They’re going to jump to do her bidding no matter how vile she is in the hope she’ll choose one of them for a marriage contract.

  K’aia was no more impressed than the others. She made her way to the twins when the group broke up to head to the first room they’d been assigned. It’s just unfortunate for those males that the female they’re courting is a dictator without a pair of brain cells to rub together.

  Alexis didn’t disagree. The process will weed her out, she told them. If you were listening to Torrence, you would have heard that we’re going to be tested individually. She can’t cheat even if she tries.

  She took her seat at one of the computer stations and opened her holoscreen by pressing her hand to the reader embedded in the desk.

  “Welcome, Candidate Nacht, A,” a soft female voice intoned.

  Alexis smiled and gestured at her screen to prove her point. “See? Linda can be as bossy as she likes. She can’t have the guys take the test for her.”

  Linda shot Alexis a dirty look, which Alexis repaid with a bright smile that only annoyed the Torcellan more.

  Trey slid into the chair at the station beside hers and activated his computer. “This is kind of intimidating,” he admitted.

  A candidate resembling a small dog spoke up. “What are we being tested on? I’m more in favor of physical challenges.”

  Slash and Boden agreed.

  Sibil took her seat with a nervous smile. “It can’t be that bad, right?”

  Gorrak could only stare at the screen, perplexed. “I just hope I can read the questions,” he fretted.

  Torrence overheard the candidates’ nervous remarks. He made his way to the front of the room and raised his hands for quiet. “It’s okay to feel daunted if you haven’t been in an exam situation before. Just relax, and you’ll be fine. The test is designed to work to your ability and improve your knowledge as well as track your progress with each session. Every candidate begins with the same questions. There are no right or wrong answers. The system will adapt to your ability.”

  Except there are, Alexis countered, looking at the user interface. I’ve taken some of the adaptive learning modules ADAM designed for the military back when Mom had the empire.

  Of course, you have, Gabriel teased.

  Alexis shot him a stern look. Do you want to know what I know or not?

  It was too late for her to share, anyway. Torrence dimmed the lights and instructed them to begin the program.

  Gorrak was given a headset to counter his illiteracy, with the assurance from Torrance that there was no shame in not having had the opportunity to learn. The next two hours went by at varying speeds for the candidates. The silence was broken occasionally by a groan of frustration from someone who was stumped, sometimes followed by Torrence’s soft voice talking the candidate through the meaning of the question they were stuck on.

  Alexis worked in complete silence as the system guided her at speed through questions designed to test her reactions to various situations she might encounter while on duty, interspersed with mathematical problems, logic problems, and a host of others she was interested in finding out the purpose of.

  To be asked how she would deal with looters on a warring planet was one thing. To be asked what she would take if she was the looter threw her enough that she almost missed the next question entirely. She figured her ethics were being tested as well as her logic skills, which she hoped meant their commanding officers were looking for the candidates who would make the right choices in sticky situations.

  Gabriel blocked the barrage of thoughts from Alexis while he concentrated on answering his questions. His was not to reason why. He just wanted to make it through this and get to the physical part of the testing process. Still, he gave the questions his full attention.

  He looked up when Alexis left her station.

  I’m finished, she told him. The instruction is to go to the next room and wait for the next test to begin.

  Gabriel glanced at his progress bar and saw he was eighty percent complete on his test. Looks like I’m almost done. Tell me what you see in the next room.

  He continued to work through his test while Alexis gave him a heads-up on the situation in the next room.

  There are a bunch of technicians, she informed him, opening the link to K’aia and Trey at the same time. Different apparatus that I can’t tell the function of. I want to say it’s torture equipment, but if I’m being reasonable, it’s probably for exercise. There are ballistics dummies. They have one side of the room sectioned into, well, sort of cubicles is the only way I can describe them. The techs manning those look pretty nervous.

  Gabriel grinned. It sounds like we’re going to be put through our paces with our extra abilities.

  Alexis sat against the wall, closed her eyes, and opened the e-reader in her internal HUD. She was very used to being first to finish in class, and she was a good way into her study of the Kurtherian technology her parents had brought back from Qu’Baka, thanks to Eve’s updates.

  It was a good distraction from the anger that reared its head whenever she allowed her mind to run free.

  Chapter Four

  Alexis continued to read until she was joined by the next candidate to finish, the canid who had joined the conversation earlier.

  “You’re either a pretty smart human, or you didn’t pay attention to what you were clicking,” she told Alexis as greeting.

  Alexis smiled upon seeing the humor lighting her eyes. “You too.” She got to her feet and offered her hand. “I’m Alexis.”

  “Pootie,” she replied, looking at Alexis’ hand with curiosity.

  Pootie - By Eric Quigley

  “It’s a human custom,” Alexis explained. “We shake to show we're friendly.”

  Pootie tilted her head and placed a paw out for Alexis to complete the exchange. “Interesting. We don’t get many humans on my planet.” She retrieved her paw and fished around in a pocket of her embroidered robe. “We exchange gifts on Leia. Here.”

  Alexis accepted the small, plastic-wrapped block with a smile. “Thank you.” She frowned lightly at the pungent smell. “What is it?”

  “Plastique,” Pootie told her in the same tone Alexis might have used to describe children’s toy putty. “It’s a special blend I came up with that has more bang for the same stability.”

  Alexis stored the gift carefully, even though she was aware that plastic explosives were normally stable until detonated. “You’re an explosives fan, huh? Let me see what I can give you in return.” She did a quick search through the data stored in her HUD and located a theory William had come up with regarding the modification of traditional explosives for use in non-standard environments. “I think you’ll get a kick out of this.”

  She transmitted it to the Leian’s datachip upon instruction. Pootie's eyes lit up as she skimmed the first page. “You’re right. This is interesting!” She grasped Alexis’ hand again. “Well met, Alexis. You can count on me to have your back.”

  The door swung open to admit Linda and her entourage. The three of them swept past Alexis and Pootie with their noses in the air.

  “Stuck up as a feline,” Pootie remarked about Linda. “I can’t understand how people like her get through life so easily.”

  Alexis shrugged. “Because others allow it.”

  Pootie wrinkled her nose. “Not me.”

  “No,” Gabriel agreed as he entered the room and joined them. “Me, either.”

  Alexis had her eyes on the two males whose names they didn’t know. “I can’t stand how they bow to her. I know they have their cultural thing going on, but nobody should feel like they have to obey the whims of a bully. I wonder…”

  The door opened again to admit K’aia, Trey, Sibil, and Slash, distracting Alexis from her thoughts of freeing the males from Linda’s grip.

  The rest of their unit filtered in over the next few minutes, minus a few stragglers wh
o were taking longer with the test.

  The head technician waved the group over to the cubicles. “Welcome, candidates. I am Specialist Pawson, and this is where you will be tested physically so that we can discover your limits, then work to extend them. First things first. We’re going to get you wired up to the tracking system. My techs are going to place these pads on the relevant parts of your bodies. When your turn comes, strip to the waist if you’re wearing clothing so they can put the pads around your heart.”

  Gabriel touched Alexis’ mind while he was being fitted with sticky pads by the technician. Are you still thinking about Linda?

  Yeah, she admitted. I shouldn’t be this distracted, but it’s bothering the hell out of me, seeing those poor males get treated that way.

  They chose it, Gabriel reminded her. That’s free will, no matter how much it rubs us up the wrong way.

  The technician, a female Noel-ni, smiled at Alexis. “Lift your arm for me.”

  Alexis did so, and the pads were placed next to her heart. She gasped at the chill of the adhesive.

  “Cold, right?” the technician sympathized. “Don’t worry. They’ll be at body temperature in two shakes of a canid's tail.”

  “Hey!” Pootie complained from the next cubicle. “Fewer of the canid jokes. It’s bad enough I’m going to be cleaning this glue out of my fur forever.”

  “It could be worse,” Trey called. “They’re not shaving us.”

  “That could easily be arranged,” the technician murmured to Alexis with a wink. She held out two more pads. “These are the last ones. Move your hair, please.”

  Alexis snickered as she pulled her hair away from her temple to receive the pads. “Don’t give him ideas,” she told the Noel-ni in a conspiratorial whisper.

  Alexis rejoined the group once she’d dressed again. She took one look at Trey’s disarranged fur and dissolved into a giggle. “You look like you stuck your finger in a power outlet.”

  Trey pointed at Alexis. “You put your shirt on inside out.”

  Alexis looked down and saw that she had. She darted back into the cubicle and fixed it.

  “This is where we split you up,” Specialist Pawson told them as Alexis rejoined the group. “I have both Nachts down as having skills with energy manipulation. You two will be working separately from the rest of the unit once you’ve completed the physical testing.” She pointed out the section of the room that was split into closed cubicles. “Those are the null chambers. You will be supervised by a specialist at all times.”

  The twins glanced at the technician waiting for them.

  What do you think? Gabriel asked.

  Alexis shrugged. Too early to tell.

  Gabriel returned to listening mode as Specialist Pawson continued her introductions to the various stations around the room and the technicians running them.

  Alexis automatically gravitated toward Gabriel, K’aia, and Trey. They stepped onto the treadmills at the first station and put on the masks the Zhyn technician pointed out.

  “These are to measure your respiratory function,” he told them as the treadmills started. “You will run.”

  Trey caught Gabriel’s eye as the technician turned to his monitor. Chatty guy.

  Gabriel suppressed a chuckle. I know, right?

  The task took up the next hour while the technician ran the group through programs of increasing resistance and speed. The day passed in a whirlwind of being hooked up to the equipment at each station while the technicians measured their physical capabilities.

  They broke when a Yollin wearing a catering staff uniform brought in a covered antigrav cart.

  “Chow time,” Specialist Pawson announced. “You have thirty minutes.”

  “Looks like we’re going to be here a while longer,” K’aia murmured so only the twins and Trey could hear.

  Trey wiped the wet fur from his eyes, wishing he’d thought to tie it back before the sweat-fest had begun. “Here’s hoping that’s real food and not mush.”

  His plea was answered when they got to the head of the line. Each received a hotpack and a napkin-wrapped eating utensil, which they took over to a clear space by the wall. They sat in a circle on the floor to eat.

  “It’s looking good so far,” Gabriel ventured hopefully. He pressed his thumbs to the indents to activate the hotpack and gave it a few seconds before peeling back the lid.

  Alexis breathed a sigh of relief when she did the same and the solid food inside was revealed. “I don’t care what planet this food is from. I’m just glad we get to chew it.” She took a moment to decide between the meat, the veggies, and the grain that looked like fluffy rice, then dug into the veggies. “Mmmm.”

  Trey made small sounds of satisfaction as he chewed his meat. “Flavor,” he enthused between bites. “No more holding my nose while I eat.”

  The enthusiasm wasn’t limited to their group. All too soon, the meal was over, and Specialist Pawson called for a return to testing.

  She sent Gabriel and Alexis to the null chambers, where the smiling technician from earlier awaited them.

  “What do we do in there?” Alexis asked, eyeing the empty room beyond the clear wall with skepticism.

  The technician took her feet down from where she’d been resting them on her workstation and pressed a button to open the chambers. “You’re going to cut loose. We want to know how much energy you’re capable of pulling from the Etheric, and what ways you can manipulate it. Sound good?”

  Gabriel wasn’t so sure it was a good idea for him to let that amount of energy run free, never mind what Alexis could do. “Um, not really. We could destroy the whole station if we aren’t careful.”

  “Not really,” the technician told them. “The chambers are designed to absorb and safely channel any energy that’s expended inside them. Go on in. You’re going to feel a pull on your energy once the chamber is activated, and that’s just fine. I want you to take a minute to acclimate to the sensation of being ‘drawn on’ before we get started.”

  The twins exchanged hesitant glances before they entered their respective chambers.

  I suppose we’re just going to reset if we blow this place to pieces, Alexis conceded.

  Gabriel rolled his eyes. Yeah, and that’s not going to hurt at all.

  The doors closed, cutting them off from the rest of the testing lab.

  “Can you still hear me?” Alexis asked, feeling a chill as the chamber was activated.

  “Loud and clear,” Gabriel assured her.

  There was a crackle, and the voice of their technician came from a hidden speaker. “Okay, let’s get started. See the dark panel at the back of the chamber?”

  The twins replied that they did.

  “I want you to do your best to break it,” she instructed. “Take it easy at first, or the chamber will drain your energy faster than you can pull it.”

  Alexis looked at Gabriel and shrugged as she opened a link to the Etheric and manifested a ball of flame over each hand. “You’ve got it.” She aimed at the panel and sent the burning energy at it with force. Contrary to what her mind had told her would happen, the stream of Etheric energy did not blow a hole in the chamber.

  Gabriel observed for a moment before igniting his own flame. “So, what? We just keep increasing our output until we reach the chamber’s tolerance?” he asked the technician.

  “You’ll find it pretty damn difficult to make a dent,” she assured them. “These chambers were designed in the Etheric Empire by BMW and tested to destruction by the Empress. We knew you were coming and prepared accordingly.”

  The twins relaxed at hearing that their mother, even if it was the gameworld version, had been the one to idiot-proof the technology.

  Alexis gradually increased her output, taking it slow while she got used to the feeling of her excess being siphoned off by whatever technology the chamber ran on.

  Gabriel was glad he didn’t feel like he had to hold back for once. “Check this out,” he called, switching his fl
ow to create pointed bars of solid energy.

  Alexis glanced through the transparent wall and grinned. “Oh, you want to play? Watch this.”

  Zenith Station, Training Facility (twelve weeks later)

  The candidates watched the holovid with varying degrees of fascination and horror.

  Onscreen, a specialist unit advanced through an urban setting with their weapons raised. The civilians were armed and fought back as the specialists gassed the crowds, then bagged and tagged them individually for transport.

  Many of the candidates watching had gone through a similar experience. They stared at the holoscreen as the specialists loaded the unconscious civilians into vehicles, too shocked to do anything except observe as the protesters were kidnapped.

  SI Torrence laced his hands on his desk as the holovid ended. “What you have just seen is the harsh reality of the recruitment process. As specialists, you will be called upon to carry out this duty wherever we find a planet within the enemy’s reach.”

  He met the eyes of the candidates with a slow, sweeping gaze. “Make no mistake. We are doing these people a kindness. If this was how you were recruited, the world you once knew is gone.

  “What do you mean, ‘gone?’” Boden called.

  Torrence shook his head. “The enemy’s practice is to strip-mine the planets they come across for every resource, including the people. We can only save so many when we are met with hostility, and we can only protect those worlds that devote themselves fully to the war.”

  K’aia understood better than most in the room. “This way, whole civilizations aren’t lost forever. The survivors are taken to the Corral or somewhere like it, and the species lives on.”

  “Exactly,” Torrence agreed. “Since we are a military, we can provide for as many soldiers as we can take in. Allowing a species to go extinct on the basis of ‘we don’t want to be part of a war’ isn’t ethical, as we see it.”

  Alexis found her opinion on the conscription method shifting as the lecture went on. Right and wrong depended on the perspective of each party. The conscripts became soldiers, or they were reassigned to production work when they washed out of Basic. The ones who advanced were trusted with the truth—or part of it, at least—and sent out to increase the ranks of fighters keeping their still-nameless enemy at bay.