“And the only people who can override that command would be Academy board members or…”
“Members of the World Council.” Laurie finished the sentence with an unhappy scowl.
Sasha considered this for a moment. “Despite the handful of times that we’ve discussed this possibility, I still cannot fathom why they are pulling these strings, particularly in Kaiden’s case.”
“My hypothesis is they were keeping an eye on me and my devices, and the implant in particular. Kaiden was simply the one who happened to get the implant and so became a new focus for them,” Laurie reasoned.
“But what are they looking for exactly?”
“Remember when we had dinner together with Akello and Mya before the school year began? You mentioned that some members of the Council were not so enthusiastic about completely decommissioning our projects that had to do with dealing with possible alien hostilities.”
Sasha nodded. “I do, but I’ve done some digging on my own in the meanwhile. I haven’t found anything that would suggest that these projects have restarted en masse or that even a high percentage of Council members were on board in even considering doing so.”
“Just because it might not be a high percentage doesn’t mean there aren’t enough to get things done,” Laurie reminded him ominously. “And might I suggest, if I may be so bold, that you simply haven’t looked in the right places.” The professor gave him a slight smile as he motioned to the pad. “Aurora, would you please show the commander what you found?”
“Certainly, Professor.” The code disappeared, and a message took its place. Sasha leaned in to read it.
Arbiter Organization
The experiments continue. Project Ether is showing promise, as is Project Blitzkrieg. However, we have had to shut down a few other projects and tests in the meanwhile and put more focus on the ones that show the most promise. Observations at the ark schools continue. Nexus is still the priority, but we have some promising recruits among the ranks of the other four academies. We are trying to get another academy approved, to be built in Russia, one that we will have more influence over, but until then, we will allow our future militia to continue to grow. Stay vigilant.
“Where did you get this, Laurie?” Sasha asked.
Laurie made a motion with his hand, and the letter split apart to reveal numerous news posts, lists, and letters. “I had Aurora look through various Council newsletters, pamphlets, and news stories run by magazines and news outlets controlled by the WC. The words were typed in a slightly different font in over a dozen different letters over a period of three days. The lettering was similar enough that the layman would see nothing different, but when put together and the letters arranged by day and alphabetically by the title on the heading, it created this message.”
“Can we take this to the Board?” Sasha requested.
“What good would come of it?” Laurie shrugged. “Even if it got the Council’s attention, it’s too vague to make a case, and it has nothing to tie it to any members of the Council directly. They would probably merely say it was some hacker group and send some poor sods on a fruitless hunt.”
Sasha sighed. “I would have to agree with you, unfortunately.” He turned to his computer and activated it. “I’ll send a few messages to some contacts to meet with me, some that I can trust with this information. I want to see if they can dig up anything else. Do you have more messages like this?”
“I’ll have Aurora look through as many things as she can, but I doubt that they send all their messages this way. We may get lucky and find a few more, but it will probably be nothing more than crumbs.”
“It can be enough to start a trail,” Sasha responded, taking a quick look at one of the headlines. “I want to find out what this Arbiter Organization is.”
Laurie gave a quick nod. “And why they are so damned interested in us and why they keep bullying our dear boy Kaiden.”
Sasha looked over to the professor. “Speaking of which, where is he now?”
Laurie shrugged. “I sent him back to the dorms. He’s probably resting now.”
“I am a god,” Chief exclaimed.
“Would you please shut up,” Kaiden responded, thumping his pillow in exasperation. “I’m trying to get some sleep.”
“Sleep is for the weak!” Chief roared, appearing in front of him, his avatar now around the size of a basketball and his color a shimmering blue and his eye looking more like a reticule. “You should be spending your hours worshipping me. No mere mortal can truly understand the magnificence of my being. I am all-pow—”
“Audio off.” Chief’s soliloquy cut off in mid-sentence. “All-powerful, my ass. You just got an upgrade. I’m sure you’re feeling all high and mighty now, but tomorrow, we’ll see if we can actually put it to use.”
As Kaiden tried to sleep, a light burned through his closed eyelids. He looked up to see Chief glowing brighter. “You sparkly dick…if I had known that upgrade would let me see you without the oculars, I would have made a different choice.” He yanked a pillow over his head. “Maybe gone with something useful like gardening, or something that would let me shoot accurately while back-flipping. Not the choice that makes your head as fat as your ass.”
Chief began to glow brighter, the light changing to a heated red. “Visual off,” Kaiden commanded. The light disappeared.
“Great, now I gotta deal with an EI with a Messiah complex. What the hell is next?”
Chapter Fifteen
A week later, the heightened excitement was almost tangible. The Academy students grew more and more eager as the Coop tests approached. In the center of the Academy plaza stood five soldiers, shooting the breeze as they waited for another one of their comrades to meet them.
“So what are we doing again?” Luke asked, leaning his large frame against a tree in the courtyard as he brushed his shaggy brown hair out of his green eyes. “Kaiden wants us to help him beat up the head of security?”
“What? No. We’re gonna be training with him,” Flynn exclaimed. “Were you actually okay with attacking the head officer?”
“I thought it was an undercover mission, maybe, like we were going to take down a corrupt official or something,” Luke said defensively.
“You really think they would entrust something like that to Kaiden? He’s not exactly known for subtlety,” Silas reminded him.
“Much less Kaiden and a group of first years,” Marlo added, ruffling his crew-cut black hair and rolling his large shoulders. “Speaking of which, aren’t we missing a few people?”
“I guess Amber didn’t tell ya, mate?” Flynn inquired, looking at Marlo. “She’s working with her mother in the med-bay for the day, helping with inventory.”
“Izzy couldn’t make it. She’s taking some extra workshops to help do…some sort of scout thing.” Silas rubbed the back of his neck and frowned as if trying to recall the actual details. “I wasn’t really paying attention. She ends up going on for hours about that stuff, so I’ve kinda started tuning it out.”
“Where’s Cam?” Luke asked.
“He’s shadowing his uncle or something for the weekend. He left last night,” Raul explained. “Told us good luck and to not get as wrecked as the five of you did last week. Care to explain what he was talking about, either of you?” he questioned, looking at Silas and Flynn who both muttered and looked away.
Luke pushed himself off the tree and walked over. “Well, that explains him, but where’s Jax?”
“He’ll meet us there.” The group of soldiers looked over to see Kaiden walking over in his all-black ensemble, his jacket trailing behind him in the breeze. “He left early this morning to go check on the other Tsuna in their private dorm.”
“Ah, right, I forgot about that.” Raul’s brow furrowed. “I used to have the pod next to him before he got into the rank two room with you. He would wake me up every Saturday at four in the morning before he moved out.”
“He was only there for like, what, a couple weeks?” Flynn chuckled.
“You make it sound like it was some years-long habit.”
“I need my beauty sleep.” Raul ran his fingers through his slick black hair. “I get cantankerous otherwise.”
“I would hate for you to lose such a charming attitude.” Silas snickered, earning him a glare from the tracker.
“I’ve never gotten to ask him why he stays in the soldier’s dorm instead of with the other Tsuna.” Luke’s expression was mildly curious.
“I did. He says it’s because he wants to help with the integration process between the Tsuna and the humans,” Kaiden explained. “He says that the only way to truly build a bridge is to take steps to assimilate in certain areas. A nice idea, but I don’t see many volunteers who move into the Tsuna dorm.”
“Aren’t their pods filled with water?” Flynn asked. “How would that work? Sleep while wearing scuba gear?”
“Maybe they’ll give you floaties,” Silas jeered. “Maybe turn it into a water bed?”
“That would actually be pretty cool,” Marlo mused. “I actually had one of those as a kid. Took it with me to a summer camp and used it in their zero-gravity chamber, and it bounced me all around the room.”
The others chuckled. “A great use of multi-million-dollar tech, Marlo,” Flynn joked, “Wonder if I can ask some of the academy techs if I could use a laser or two next time I grill.”
“I’ve done that. It leaves a weird aftertaste,” Luke muttered, earning him curious glances.
“How are you still alive?” Raul asked.
Luke laughed proudly. “Guys like Marlo and me are a hearty breed.”
“Natural adaptation at work.” Silas winked at Kaiden. “Over the generations, their bodies must have adapted to their stupidity.”
Kaiden chuckled. “As long as they stay in front of me in a firefight, I’ll keep nodding and smiling.”
“So, now that you’re here, wanna fill us in on what’s going on?” Raul inquired.
Kaiden nodded. “Right. I thought we’d all get a bit more practical training since we’ve been using the Animus so much.”
“And I’m not in a hurry to use it more than I have to,” Flynn admitted.
“I feel that,” Silas agreed. “For a while there, I was worried I would be pissing red.”
“Seriously, what the hell happened to you?” Luke asked, aghast.
“I’ll tell you the next time you start whining about stubbing your toe or something,” Kaiden promised. “For now, let’s go over to the gym. Wulfson’s got a room there filled to the gills with equipment and mats and all that. He’ll give us a good workout.”
“He’s only trying to get some of the pressure off him,” Flynn revealed. “He’s been training with the head officer since the first week of the Academy. Haven’t you seen him coming through the dorms all knackered almost every night?”
“I assumed it was extra Animus training or something,” Marlo admitted.
“Animus doesn’t leave bruises,” Silas noted.
“You must be pretty stalwart yourself,” Luke acknowledged. “Surprised you haven’t dropped dead yet.”
Kaiden rubbed the side of his chest gingerly. “It can be a bit…painful. But I’ve been getting some help from the med-bay.” He sighed and looked despondent for a moment. “Though I would recommend keeping it easy this time around. The stuff I usually get won’t be in stock for a while.”
“You’ll have to show it to me sometime,” Marlo said, rolling his shoulders again. “My shoulders have been tense for the last couple of weeks. I’ve been resting them and all that, but it’s going away pretty slowly.”
“Oh, it’ll fix you.” Kaiden almost purred, a tone of excitement in his voice. “It’ll fix you right the hell up.”
“Uh, I would like to say that he’s talking about a medical serum,” Flynn explained, giving Kaiden a cautious look. “Not, you know, drugs or something.”
“Must be a damn good serum.” Raul grinned.
“Oh, you bet your sacred Canadian maple it is,” Kaiden declared.
“We don’t worship syrup,” Raul stated bluntly.
“It’s only an expression,” Kaiden retorted, wiping his mouth. “Now, shall we head off?”
“Which way are we going?” Luke asked, looking around the massive gym area.
“Follow me. His room is down at the end of the hall.” Kaiden led the way.
“So what can we expect to deal with?” Silas inquired.
“I’m not totally sure what he’ll have us do, considering he usually only trains me. But he’ll put us through the wringer, that I can promise.”
“You make it sound so enticing.” Flynn’s sarcasm held a hint of anticipation.
“I’m looking forward to it,” Marlo cried while pumping a fist. “I haven’t had a real good workout since I got here. Most of my training is in the Animus, and I’ve been looking for an excuse to do more than basic weight training.”
“I agree, the Animus is nice and all, but nothing beats the burn of a good practical training session,” Luke concurred.
“There’s nothing stopping you. You can always train in your free time,” Silas pointed out.
“Did you see the main gym? There was only, like, thirty people in there,” Marlo reminded him.
“I guess most of the students get too accustomed to the Animus. That only helps with skills and isn’t all that great for physical development,” Luke commented, a note of reserve in his tone.
“Some of us don’t really need it,” Flynn interjected. “People like Raul and I are already at top level physical performance for our classes. We merely need to maintain.”
“Ah, come on, mate,” Marlo admonished with a heavy slap to Flynn’s back. “Push yourself from time to time. Couldn’t hurt.”
“Unlike that slap.” Flynn groaned. “Felt like a club to the back.”
“We’re here, so we do see the need,” Raul admitted. “I’ll see if he’s got anything to help me with my speed and finesse.”
“He might have some pointers, but that’s not really his focus,” Kaiden interrupted. “Though I have to say, he can move damn fast for a guy built like a tank-droid.”
“You know, I don’t think I’ve really ever met the head officer.” Luke seemed to have perked up at this prospect.
“Well, you gonna get your chance. We’re here.” Kaiden stopped at the end of the hall and opened the door. “Hey, Wulfson! I’m here. Brought some friends with me this time.”
His greeting elicited no response. Kaiden looked back to see the others giving him a quizzical look, but he simply shrugged.
“Ah, there you are, Kaiden.” He turned back to see Jaxon approaching him, another Tsuna behind him.
“Hey, Jax, glad you could…. Genos, is that you?” Kaiden walked over and slapped the Tsuna engineer’s hand. “How have you been? Haven’t seen you in a while.” He noticed Genos rubbing his palm. “Oh, right, sorry. Forgot that y’alls’ palms are pretty sensitive.”
“It is all right, friend Kaiden. I am glad to see you too, and I’m still getting used to your unique greetings,” Genos admitted though he continued to rub his palm surreptitiously on his thigh.
“You know, seeing the two of you together, you both have some pretty distinct ways of talking,” Kaiden noted.
“It’s our translators. I set mine to translate in a more modern and typical manner, but Genos’ translates almost literally to our language,” Jaxon explained.
“Is there a preference among the Tsuna?” Flynn asked as he walked forward.
Jaxon nodded. “It’s a personal preference, but depending on the clan, it could have an effect.”
“Warriors like kin Jaxon are more inclined to use modified speaking for comfort and diplomatic reasons. I like direct translation to show others a little bit more about us, like how our language and titles are applied.”
“Kin? You two are brothers?” Raul asked.
“Not in the human sense, no.” Jaxon shook his head.
“Kin is a term of endea
rment among my people for those of us who are related by clan,” Genos stated. “Jaxon and I are actually of the same clan that split into two different clans many centuries ago.”
“What? I don’t think I follow. How does that work?” Silas queried.
Kaiden waved him into silence. “It’s a long story. If you’re still curious, I’ll tell you later.”
“What about the names?” Luke asked. “I’ve never heard of a ‘Geno’ before, or some of the names I’ve heard for the other Tsuna…”
Jaxon placed a palm on the mechanist Tsuna’s shoulder and gave him a knowing look. “Oh, right…Friend Kaiden, might I speak with you for a moment?”
Kaiden looked at them quizzically and showed a goofy grin to the Tsuna, “We are speaking now, aren’t we?”
Geno nodded. “Ah, yes, but I suppose I meant… I suppose I was asking for a more intimate setting.”
“Intimate?” Kaiden coughed, “Like, candles and all that? What are you learning about human customs?”
Geno tapped along his infuser. “I wanted to speak together away from the others, but I suppose it would be easier and quicker to make the correction here.”
“’The correction?’ What correction?” Kaiden inquired.
“My name—it is not Geno,” the Tsuna explained.
“Well, yeah, it’s a translated version, right? You speak in echolocation or scream-singing or something.”
The Tsuna nodded. “Yes, but the name ‘Geno’ is incorrect. It was not the full name I was given.”
Kaiden raised an eyebrow. “Say what? I’ve been calling you that for, like, three months now. Have I been getting it wrong all this…” Kaiden slapped a palm across his face, “Oh, lord, you were the Tsuna I met at the carrier station, right? I didn’t confuse you for another one and just assume you’ve been the same guy all along, did I?”
“No, I was the one you met.” The Tsuna nodded, raising his palms slightly, “I did not mean to cause you stress.”
Kaiden let out a deep breath. “Oh, thank God. I was beginning to think I was an alien racist or something.”
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