Mindspace - Complete Series

by A. K. DuBoff

  The director glided toward the table and took the seat across from Kira. “MTech selected Valta for our research because of the unique properties of this planet. People have dedicated decades of their lives to cracking its secrets, but no one has been successful. I want to do what no one else has done.

  “You are a unique case among your people—no other Reader has resided offworld. We know Valtan babies born away from this planet don’t inherit their parents’ abilities, so why are you able to live elsewhere and retain them? As a scientist, that’s one of the most intriguing case studies I’ve ever come across.”

  Kira had to admit that she had always been curious about that phenomenon herself. While she didn’t like the idea of being scrutinized in a lab, if Monica could offer some answers while Kira conducted her own investigation, she’d love to know.

  “How did you get involved in genetics research?” Kira asked.

  Monica rose from the table and resumed her entries on the computer. “I began as a nanoscientist, actually. I was always fascinated by the interplay between technology and biology.”

  That certainly sounds like the mission brief from Kaen. If MTech has a strain of nanites for the Robus, this woman is behind it. She leaned back in her chair. “What have you learned?”

  “That there’s a lot we don’t know about our universe.”

  “Stars, yeah. But, surely, you’ve picked some interesting knowledge along the way.”

  “Oh, of course.” Monica flashed a smile. “It’s all very technical, though. I won’t bore you.”

  Pressing any more would sound suspicious, so Kira switched gears. “Has your research into Valta extended beyond the Readers?”

  “Yes, very much so. I’m interested in the unique telepathic bonds shared across this world,” Monica replied. “If we can understand what about Valta results in such sensitivities, then we can, by extension, get that much closer to transferring those properties into other vehicles—such as nanites.”

  “That’d probably be the discovery of the century—if not the millennia.”

  “Perhaps now you understand why I’ll go down any research path available to crack that code. I hope you’ll lend a hand.”

  The mission aside, Kira had to admit that it was a fascinating concept. “I’ll do what I can.”

  “Thank you, Kira.” Monica walked to a cabinet on the right wall and pulled out a cylindrical contraption and a transparent box filled with what appeared to be medical electrodes.

  “This equipment is designed to measure the unique electromagnetic energy associated with telepathic and telekinetic abilities. I’d like to expose you to some stimuli and test your response,” the doctor explained. She placed the cylinder on the table. “Would that be all right?”

  I’m committed to the course now. “Of course, go right ahead.”

  Kira sat rigidly while Monica affixed the electrodes around her head, on the upper part of her chest, and to her wrists.

  “Excellent. We’ll begin in a moment.” Monica disconnected one of the monitors on the computer to use as a tablet.

  Taking a deep breath, Kira nodded. She trusted in her own mental blocks and would only reveal whatever would advance her toward her desired ends with Monica.

  The lights dimmed to half-brightness when Monica slid her hand along the edge of the tablet screen. A holographic representation of Tribeca appeared above the cylinder.

  “Do you recognize this location?” Monica asked.

  “Yes, of course. It’s this city.”

  “And what is your connection to this place?”

  “It was my home. I grew up here.”

  “And now?”

  Kira thought for a second. “It’s still the place where I spent my childhood, but it’s no longer my home.”

  “How do you feel looking at this image?”

  “Nostalgic, I guess.”

  Monica tilted her head. “Why is that?”

  “Answers were a lot clearer when I was young.”

  The doctor made a note on her tablet. “Physically, how does it feel to be back here?”

  Ah, now we’re getting down to it. Kira folded her hands on the tabletop. “It was energizing when I stepped off the shuttle, if that’s what you mean.”

  “Can you recall how it compared to when you lived here?”

  Honestly, Kira couldn’t. It had been so long since Valta was her home, now she was only a few steps removed from being a tourist herself. “This place has been a part of me since I was conceived. Leaving didn’t change that, but I feel… fuller here than I do anywhere else.”

  Monica nodded and set down her tablet. “With many subjects, I can easily talk around my real questions. That’s not the case with you.”

  Kira smiled. “It is my job, after all. My guess is that you’re trying to gauge how my telepathic link changes based on where I am?”

  “Yes, and specifically, Valta as a power source, of sorts.”

  “When it comes to people developing telepathy, I’ve always thought of Valta as more of a nursery than a creator,” Kira replied. “Based on my own experience and stories I’ve heard from others, it seems like this place can take a seed of potential and let it flower. Someone with no genetic potential won’t spontaneously develop abilities here and, assuming those abilities are hereditary, their children won’t, either. But for those who do have the genetic potential, it can be unlocked here.”

  The MTech scientist nodded.

  “Now,” Kira continued, “given that abilities take a generation or two to show up, there must be something here that saturates a person over time. Water, soil, the electromagnetic field—I have no idea what. Or maybe it’s not any one thing, but rather a unique confluence of features.”

  It was more than Kira had intended to say on the subject, but she was genuinely curious to get the scientist’s take on her homeworld.

  “That’s a very astute observation, Kira. I like that nursery analogy.” Monica turned off the holoprojector and raised the light level. “What I find most interesting, though, is how your brain responded when shown a picture of Tribeca. There was increased activity in the cerebral structures my research has shown are most connected to telepathic potential.”

  Kira’s heart leaped. “Really?”

  The doctor inclined her head. “This suggests to me that, for those who were ‘nurtured’ here, there is an enduring connection.”

  “I guess so…” So much for being a straightforward recon assignment! Now I want her research to continue. Kira suppressed the thought.

  “If you don’t mind, I’d like to set you up in a lab with more sensitive equipment while you run through some telepathic exercises. I’m curious how much energy you draw and how that compares to others I’ve interviewed.”

  “Yeah, sure,” Kira agreed, though she wasn’t crazy about being down in the underground lair longer than necessary.

  “I prepped a setup, just in case. I’m pleased you were able to so quickly confirm my suspicions.”

  That goes both ways, Doctor, Kira thought as she rose from the table and followed Monica into the hall.

  The second exam room was two doors down on the left. This one was equipped with a single padded chair and a table at the center of the three-meter square room, completed with acoustic tiles. On the table sat a gerbil in a glass atrium.

  “Um…” Kira’s gaze shifted between the rodent and Monica. “What…?”

  “Ah, yes.” Monica beckoned for Kira to take the chair facing the gerbil. “This room is outfitted with advanced monitoring equipment that will supplement the readings gathered through your electrodes. We found it to be an invasion of privacy to have telepaths read other humans, so a rodent serves as a stand-in.”

  Kira plopped into the chair. “I hate to be a poor sport here, but I can’t mind-read a gerbil.”

  “It’s not so much reading a mind, as attempting to.”

  “So… you want me to bore into the soul of a creature with the brain the size of a pea?�
� She let the sarcasm really shine through with her tone.

  Monica smiled, stepping to the door. “It’ll only take an hour or so to gather the necessary readings.”

  Kira stared into the gerbil’s black eyes. It cooed at her.

  She sighed. Fok my life.

  CHAPTER 10

  Kaen leaned back in his chair across the interrogation table from the second suspect.

  The young lieutenant’s gaze was darting around the room, presumably trying to spot monitoring equipment.

  Does she think she can break out, or does she want to work a deal under the table without others knowing? Kaen glanced back at Olvera and she shrugged.

  “I asked you a question, Lieutenant,” Kaen reiterated.

  “Yes, I transmitted that file outside of the Guard secure servers,” Lieutenant Morgan replied at last.

  Kaen leaned against the table. “Why?”

  Morgan didn’t flinch.

  Young people could be so frustratingly stubborn. “Why?” he snarled inching closer to her.

  She shook her head and looked away. “If you’re going to court martial or execute me or whatever, just get it over with.”

  Kaen backed away and took a softer approach. “Morgan, I don’t want this to end badly for you. If you had a valid reason for violating those orders, it may change the punishment.”

  “We all make mistakes,” Olvera offered.

  “Oh, this wasn’t a mistake.” Morgan scoffed. “I knew exactly what I was doing.”

  “You’re not leaving this room until you provide some indication about the why,” Kaen stated. “If you don’t cooperate, we’ll bring in an interrogator who’s sure to get results.”

  That got her attention. “It was about my parents. They’ve… had a tough go of it. I joined the Guard to get out of that life, and I send money when I can. But it’s not enough.”

  The notion that some citizens didn’t have the resources they needed to lead a comfortable life was not unknown to him, but conditions had improved considerably since the recent leadership changes on Tararia. There must have been extenuating circumstances for her family to still be facing considerable hardships, assuming her statements were true. “So, you were… selling this information?” Kaen prompted.

  “No. Well, not exactly. They said that they’d help my parents if I just fed little bits of information here and there. Nothing too classified, just some mission briefs. They said it was a ‘heads up’ to give them a chance to take action, if ever it was needed.”

  “And who’s ‘they’?”

  “Some government official with the Mysaran Coalition.”

  Kaen groaned inwardly. That confirms the suspicion that these leaks are independent. First the Elusians, now the Mysarans… “Do you have a name?”

  “They went by Nox.”

  Kaen glanced back at Olvera.

  “If you’ll excuse me,” the security chief said and left the room.

  “So, this Nox, can you tell me any more about him… or her?”

  “Their voice was distorted the one time we spoke. The other communications were all text.”

  “How did you meet?”

  “Three years ago at a spaceport. It was during some R&R after a field training op,” Morgan replied.

  Same timeframe as the captain, Kaen mused. “Is that when you spoke?”

  “No.” She crossed her arms. “It’s strange. I can’t remember exactly how the meeting happened. All I know for sure is I got a note that directed me to a bar, and there was a package waiting for me. I looked over the offer; it explained what I’d have to do and that I’d never have to worry about my parents again. It was a pretty dire situation at the time, so I couldn’t refuse.”

  “Your parents are doing better now?”

  “It’s not glamorous, but they’re way better off than they were.”

  Thanks to Nox, or did the mysterious benefactor simply have their hand on the pulse of Taran politics, anticipating this turnaround? Kaen nodded and placed a hand on his chin. “Have your parents ever spoken about their benefactor?”

  “No, there’s never been any direct contact. I tried tracing some of the supply shipments sent to their home, but it all led to ghosts.”

  Perhaps there is someone working behind the scenes. If it’s a government official, they might have the means to mask the origin. But is there a common thread connecting the leaks? Part of Kaen was excited for the investigative challenge, but the implications were concerning, to say the least. Either two people had coincidentally similar experiences at the same time, or there was a third party at play to maneuver two governments against each other. Two incidents didn’t constitute a pattern—he’d still have to speak with the third suspect and see if that filled in any of the missing pieces.

  “Lieutenant, I understand your desire to help your parents, but this is a serious offense.”

  She bristled. “I don’t regret it. I’d do it again.”

  “Integrity and honor above all.” Kaen rose from the table. “I’ll contemplate whether you get a court martial or not.”

  “Just leave my parents out of it.”

  “The Guard is a humanitarian organization. We’d never do anything to harm civilians.” He exited and turned her over to the guards waiting outside the door.

  Olvera was hurrying back down the hall, tablet in hand. “Get anything else?”

  “No,” he replied. “Shame. I hate to see a career thrown away like that.”

  “She made her choice.”

  “That part about not remembering the meeting…”

  The security chief nodded. “It did sound similar to the circumstances of Captain Ellis’ recruitment.”

  “I agree, and the timing is close.”

  “Well,” Olvera sighed, “if there is someone in the Mysaran government who’s connected to all this, their real name isn’t ‘Nox’.”

  “I figured as much.” Kaen crossed his arms. “We could request detailed receipt records to see where the file went within their system.”

  “In this political climate? Acting suspicious and showing a lack of trust might not go over so well.”

  Kaen frowned. “I’m beginning to wonder if that was the whole point of this.”

  Olvera’s face paled. “That is the easiest explanation.”

  “Except the question remains, who’d want this deal to fall apart?”

  — — —

  By the end of the hour with her new rodent friend—which she’d named Mr. Fuzzers—Kira had developed an insatiable craving for carrots.

  Fortunately, Monica informed Kira that she was free to go, if she wished, while Monica’s team analyzed the test results. Thoughts of fresh salad from her favorite café in Tribeca had Kira salivating, but she couldn’t take the rest of the day off from the mission. Hopefully MTech’s cafeteria had a good selection of veggies.

  “I don’t suppose I could come back tomorrow to go over the test results with you?” Kira asked, easing into her real question.

  “Of course. This is as much to educate you about yourself as it is for me to learn about the nature of your abilities.”

  “Speaking of that, I’ve always been curious about the genetics side. Might I be able to spend some time in the lab with Leon Calleti?” Kira made a point to keep her breathing and heart rate calm and level while she asked. She hoped that any tells would be interpreted as a crush rather than her planned deception.

  “Genetic analysis? With your military background, I’d think you’d be more interested in biotech—our rapid healing aids, or muscle augmentation.”

  Kira flashed a disarming smile. “Well, yes. But I get so much of that in the course of my day-to-day life that it’s so… impersonal. Looking into genetics is something I’d be doing for me. Plus,” she lowered her voice, “I wouldn’t mind a little extra time with him, if you know what I mean.”

  The doctor chuckled. “I still remember what it was like to be young. I see no harm in you shadowing him.” Her gaze lingered on
Kira just a moment too long.

  She definitely knows I’m up to something. Nothing Kira could do about it now. “Great. Are we done here?”

  “Yes.” Monica showed her to the door. “I’ll have an escort bring you to Dr. Calleti.”

  “Thanks, I appreciate it.” Kira followed her into the hall.

  The doctor stopped after two paces and turned back toward Kira. “A word to the wise: don’t abuse this generosity, Kira. You don’t want to get on my bad side.”

  “I’d never think of it.”

  — — —

  President Joris swiped his hand across his desk to minimize the news reports. Press statement or not, rumors were still floating around that the Guard had planned to attack a civilian resistance group on Mysar until some hero had uncovered their sneaky plan. He hated how truths became twisted so easily.

  With word of the Tararian Guard’s involvement, groups previously in support of rejoining the Empire were now questioning that union, citing this incident as a reason to distrust the Empire rather than reunite with their estranged Taran brethren. Others saw the display for what it was and were even more enthusiastic about joining the Taran Empire so they could close the divide for good.

  Joris groaned. Being president at the center of the madness was challenging. No matter what he did, he was going to piss off someone. However, if he didn’t take action, he risked his people being on one side of a civil war that had no basis in reality.

  “Send up Ellen,” Joris told Nico, his assistant. He needed to make a formal statement. Not just a press release this time, but a speech.

  Ellen arrived three minutes later carrying her customary tablet. “Yes, Mr. President?”

  “It’s time we have a heart-to-heart with our citizens.”

  She tilted her head questioningly.

  Joris clasped his hands behind his back and began pacing. “We’ve lived in a state of transition for the past three hundred years. Elusians and Mysarans differ only in our name, yet we continue to provide reasons for disagreement. That divide will tear us apart and destroy our greatest chance for an elevated future unless we come together and commit to a new approach.