“Sir, I do not,” she said.
“Sir? Sir!” he chuckled. “No, no. You are not in the military. If you do not know the material, do not speak when I am speaking. In fact, don’t speak even if you do. You are trampling pearls into the muck. Yes?”
“Understood,” Julia said.
She could handle this guy. She’d had superiors who wanted her to fail before. The only way to deal with them was to succeed beyond all expectations.
“Very well.” He turned his attention to the rest of the class and raised his voice. “Everyone will listen, then do exactly as I say. The Academy is quite safe, even in the Astral Plane, but carelessness can be costly. I am not terribly worried. Those who are born with the gift have an instinct for control. If you run into trouble or lose control, return to your physical body immediately. Again, you should have an instinct for it, but should you have trouble, isolate yourself and shout for help.”
Julia kept her face blank. This sounded a lot like running a live fire exercise before cadets were cleared for weapon safety. Sure, eighteen-year-olds knew how to point things by instinct, but there was more to it than that. A glance to the side told her she wasn’t alone in her fears but, by the looks she was getting, they were more apprehensive about her than about the teacher’s instructions.
A hush fell over the class as Holden demonstrated the correct sitting position. The right position was key for staying upright, and for sitting still for days without losing circulation. He pointed out the tableful of electrolyte bottles by the door and ordered them to take one and drink all of it the moment they came out of their trance.
“Now. You are seated, you are ready. Eyes closed.”
Julia heard Holden stand, his footfalls heavy as he moved around the room. He corrected someone’s posture, then a hand position. Everyone got feedback of some kind. Then his footsteps put him in front of Julia. He grumbled under his breath, then took hold of her feet, changing their relative position.
“Now. Remember this. Practice it. Your astral forms are part of you, the same as your fingers and toes. It only needs exercise. Its strength comes only from your will. Your will is a muscle that requires exercise.” He started pacing. “Meditate. Work out, especially if you do not enjoy it. The only rule I have is, do not enter the Astral Plane without a fully-trained Mystic present.”
He nudged Julia’s foot back into place with his toes. She grimaced. He went back to pacing.
“You may think ‘I am an adult, I can do what I like,’ but this is for your own safety. If you do not follow my every instruction, you will be deemed a danger to yourself and to your fellows. You will be expelled. Do you understand?”
They all murmured that they understood.
“Very well. Your mind is tethered to your body only because you believe it to be so. Once you reach trance, let go of the physical…I shall see you on the other side.”
He thumped to the floor and his loud, deep breaths were soon imitated by the class. Julia tried to do the same. She breathed in fresh air, then exhaled. Inhaled peace, exhaled stress. An electric tingle washed over her mind, then warmth slid down her spine. She was utterly relaxed. She lifted on a rush of air. The next exhale carried her out of her body and into the Astral Plane.
Her classmates were clustered together in the strange new world. The walls and floor were as solid as in the material plane, but there was no ceiling. Streaks of color like the ones she had seen before through Dante’s hole painted the sky.
Her feet left the ground, and she drifted upward, fascinated by the miasma of the Astral Plane. Someone grabbed her arm and pulled her down. It was Jack.
“You move as you think. He just said,” Jack whispered to her. “If you get too focused on the sky, you’ll float off.”
“That is correct, Mr. Gagnon. Though none of you will go far. Your range is limited by your strength. As you practice, you will gain skill and the power to match,” Holden said. “I will need you all to form pairs. Would anyone be willing to work with Ms. Ronasuli? It is true she does not have the innate ability of a Mystic, but I will watch closely. There will be no danger—”
The Astral Plane glitched around Julia. For a second, she could see the physical classroom and hear her classmates breathing. Then she was astral again, feeling like she’d just injected a gallon of coffee into her veins. She touched her face, her torso. She was intact, and the rush was fading.
Had that all been in her head? No one was reacting to her as if she’d popped in and out of existence. Maybe she’d missed something. It made sense that she’d lost a little coherency, especially when she felt this off-balance.
“I’ll do it,” Jack said. He slung an arm around her shoulders. “We go all the way to Saturday morning. Don’t we, Jules?”
“Sure,” she said. She’d need to tell him not to call her that but maybe not when he was defending her to the entire class and their instructor. “I’d be happy to work with you, Jack.”
“I knew you would be,” he said. They moved to the corner and watched as everyone paired off and found a little space of their own.
“Is it me or is this place bigger?” she asked.
“No, it’s definitely bigger,” he agreed.
Holden whistled to get their attention. “Now, you will discover your limitations,” he said, grinning at them. “You can shape the ether. Use your imaginations. Create. Play. This is how a Mystic forms weapons. Today, you will see how the strength of your mind impacts your surroundings.
“When you tire, stop, return to your body. If there is an emergency, return to your body. It is as simple as waking up from a dream. Easier. All you need to do is will it.” He tapped his forehead. “Begin.”
Julia glanced at Jack. He looked as blank as she felt. She peered at the nearest pair of students. Carol and Yu were bent over something cradled in their hands. Julia couldn’t see what they had, but they’d accomplished something. It lit a fire under her.
“Hey, look at this,” Jack said. He held a little ball of fluff in his hands. Two pointy ears grew out of the soft-looking white fur, then its little blue eyes opened. “He looks just like Bernie. My mom’s kitten.”
“It looks so real. That’s amazing,” she said.
“It’s all a blob where you can’t see, so not that amazing,” he said. The little ‘Bernie’ shifted, then faded into nothing. “I guess it’s not bad for a first try.”
“My turn.” Julia cracked her knuckles, then held her palms a few centimeters apart. She could only think of one creature to replicate. Its appearance had burned itself into her mind. The dreams afterward had cemented it.
At first, the shape looked like a simple lizard. Then wings appeared, and a little curl of smoke rose from its mouth. She closed her eyes against a wave of dizziness. When she opened them, she was floating above the meditating class.
She went blank again, only to reappear in the Astral Plane. The tiny dragon had grown until it was bigger than her. It pulled on her, making her brain ache. Her spine was too hot, it felt like it was going to burn through her skin.
“What is this? Stop! Return to your body at once!”
She heard Holden, but he sounded a thousand miles away. She pulled at the dragon, and it twisted in the air. Its tail struck the teacher in his chest. A second later, he smashed against the wall. People screamed and popped out of existence.
The dragon had Jack pinned in the corner. She couldn’t see him, but she could feel him. She tried to pull back and take the dragon with her. She needed to give him space to breathe. Then she felt hands on her shoulders, and Holden ripped her away from her construct.
The world exploded.
***
Julia hunched over, staring at her hands. The infirmary was abuzz with motion. People were shouting. Someone screamed. Julia’s stomach folded in on itself.
Everything blurred, from the time she landed in her body to when she arrived at the infirmary. She felt like she was coming down from heavy medication. When she closed her e
yes, she was yanked back into the Astral Plane. She couldn’t help it. She couldn’t stop thinking about what she’d done to Jack. If he died…
The screaming stopped. The medical personnel calmed, and a nurse appeared at Julia’s side. Julia waved her off. The nurse put a glass of red liquid in her hand, then left. Julia set it aside without drinking.
The doors flew open, and Coraolis came in, followed by Holden.
“I am telling you, we have expelled people for less! She was utterly reckless. She did not listen to a word of my instruction. She was always talking, determined to show off!” Holden sounded frantic as well as angry. Julia lifted her head to look at them.
Coraolis turned on Holden, his face a pale mask. “And I’m telling you, nothing is decided until the administrators review the incident and speak with everyone involved. Everyone, Holden. Not just you.”
“I knew this would happen. I told you,” Holden said. “This is unnatural. You have taken God’s gift and made pirate copies for yourself.”
“And I’m hearing you were dead-set against her before you even met. Take a walk, Holden. I don’t want to see you again until your interview. Tomorrow, ten o’clock, my office.”
Holden drew himself up, trying to show some dignity. “Very well, Administrator.” Then he saw Julia watching. Hate flared in his eyes before he stormed out. She looked down again.
“Hey.” Coraolis stood in front of her, his hands on her knees. “You all right?”
She shook her head. “I couldn’t control it. I felt dizzy, and I couldn’t concentrate like I was supposed to.” She shook her head again. “I killed him, didn’t I?”
“Last I heard, he’s still breathing. Is this yours?” He picked up the glass. She nodded, and he put it in her hands. “Drink. Now.”
She sipped at it, and Coraolis moved to the seat beside her. He pressed his knee against hers and put an arm around her shoulders. He felt warm and solid and so easy to lean on.
“Am I getting kicked out?” she asked. “I don’t know what I’d do. I can’t go back to E.F. I don’t think they’ll take me.”
“You aren’t going anywhere, not as long as I have something to say about it. You aren’t drinking.” He squeezed her shoulder. “Astral projection takes a lot out of us. You need to put those electrolytes back.”
She drained the glass. It was too sweet, and she wrinkled her nose as she put it down.
“Will he be okay?” she asked.
“He’s had a shock, and it was rough for a minute there, but I’m told he’ll recover. We’ll investigate what happened, and I’ll make sure it’s fixed. I don’t want you to worry, Julia.”
She nodded. “Can I see him?”
After a minute, she looked at him, wondering if she’d missed his answer. His brow was furrowed, and he had an expression on his face that she didn’t recognize. When their eyes met, his expression cleared, and he smiled.
“That’ll be up to him, once he’s awake.” He stood, drawing her up with him. “Come on. I’ll walk you back to your residence hall. You can get some rest, and I’ll keep you posted on his condition. Sound fair?”
“Whatever you say,” she said, and let him lead her outside.
***
The investigation lasted the rest of the week. Julia only left her quarters to go for a run, or to go see Cor when he called. He kept her up to date on Jack’s health and Holden’s fight to get her expelled. Cor called in some favors, and a truly neutral party was called in. She got the impression Coraolis had fought hard for her. She was touched.
In the end, Julia was exonerated. They accused Holden of being careless with his teaching methods, and he was put on administrative leave. She was surprised until she learned that other students had come forward with how she’d been treated. It helped that Jack argued in her defense after he woke up.
Oddly, the incident made her classmates warm up to her. Every so often, one of them would come up and apologize or complain about Holden’s actions. Not all fences were mended, but it was better. Coraolis met her every day to help her control her power, and she returned to class with more confidence than even before.
***
The rift was gone before they breached the outer edges of the galaxy. The Wyrms bared their fangs and thrashed the ether with their wings. The way through had been sealed.
Yet the rift had been so large, its presence woke them from a deeper slumber than mortals would ever know. The place where the hole had been torn would never be as strong as it was originally. There would be a weakness, one they could scratch and shred until it gave way once again.
The lead Wyrm, followed by its brethren dove through the abyss to a nearby star. They couldn’t consume the star from the Astral Plane, but there was enough energy to sustain them for a time. The blue flames pulled them like magnets to cold iron.
The system had but a single planet, a dead rock with a single life form living out the last days of its existence. Its kind, once gone, would never be seen again. As the creatures crawled across the pitted ground, they froze as the Wyrms passed by them in the Astral Plane.
After a moment, they moved on, but the dragon watching over the planet did not. She rose from the heart of the planet, roaring a challenge to the strangers. When she saw the Wyrms she stopped short, fear blooming in her heart for the first time in her life.
The Wyrms had the shape of the dragon’s shadow, their darkness black against the space between the stars. They snapped their tattered wings and swept around her, tagging her hide with tooth and claw too quickly for her to catch them. She bugled her defiance and opened her jaw to spew fire over their bodies.
The blue flames washed over her enemies, bathing them in merciless heat. The Wyrms snarled in surprise, and the attacks stopped. Encouraged, the dragon poured all of herself into the flames, throwing every scrap of her power into it.
Then her strength ran out and the fire died into sparks that followed its parent flame into darkness. The dragon broadcast triumph into the ether. She had done battle with the enemy, and triumphed!
When the jaws closed over her neck, she didn’t understand what had happened. She had won. When the fires died, the Wyrms had been scoured from her sight.
But no. She knew what had happened, now. The Wyrms had evaded her flames. Their presence slammed back into her senses. They were even stronger than before.
Impossible. She strained against the teeth, but not too hard. She didn’t want to shred herself against their points.
We wish to thank you before you die. The jaws clenched, and she was trapped. She threw herself against their grip but they did not move. Instead, it was her own flesh that gave way as another set of teeth seized her tail, then a wing. You fed us unasked. For that, your end will be swift.
Her last thought was to broadcast her distress, sending her fear and grief with the images of her attackers. Her kind would learn of her fate. At best, they could avenge her – but even if she saved one of her brothers, she would count it a victory.
CHAPTER TWELVE
“Mystic Second Class Ronasuli.” Julia said the words to herself, looking in the mirror as she did. Second Class. Her eyebrow twitched. In the past year, she’d aced every exam. Matched or beaten her classmates in every trial. She’d excelled. And at the end of a year, she was an M2C.
She could think of two explanations. Her cybernetics made one. She wasn’t a natural Mystic, and that stigma was heavy enough to give her a lower rank than she deserved. The other was Coraolis.
She was known to be a good friend of his, so maybe making her M1C at graduation would look like favoritism. It could be bad politics to rate her as highly as she deserved. She didn’t like that explanation. It meant public opinion mattered more than merit.
After the incident with Jack, Cor kept tabs on her progress. They met for dinner several times a week. They developed a close bond, maybe too close. He’d become her mentor and a close friend.
And then it was too late. This was her last day on Earth for th
ree years. The chance to speak or act had passed.
The days after graduation had been a blur of packing and saying goodbyes. She took a physical exam and spent hours filling out paperwork. She enjoyed one last dinner with Cor, boarded a train to Earth Fleet HQ, then shuttled to the North American Orbital Staging Platform, the space station where her ship was docked.
From the moment she disembarked, Julia felt eyes on her. Her uniform marked her as a Mystic, and she caught more than one E.F. officer looking at her like she was a strange bug crawling onto their station. Not everyone stared, but it was enough to make her self-conscious.
At last, she reached the gate where the E.F.S. Forty-Two was docked. Jack saw her and jogged over. He was a welcome sight. They’d become good friends over the last year. She’d much rather go on assignment with him than any of their classmates.
“There you are. I was starting to worry,” he said. “I’ve been here since last night.”
“I’m right on time,” she said. “I’ve got two pieces of wisdom for you when it comes to the E.F., my friend. Never be too early.”
“Okay, and what’s your other nugget of wisdom?”
“Never tell anyone everything you know.” She winked.
Jack groaned. “Very funny. I outrank you, yet you continue to sass me. What am I supposed to do with you?”
“Show me to our cabin, for one.”
“Fine, fine.” He grabbed her bag from her before she could stop him and led the way onto Forty-Two. She pretended to grumble, but she’d gotten used to Jack’s chivalrous streak months ago. If she complained, he’d only get worse. Instead, she focused on hiding the awe she felt at boarding this ship, led by its famous captain.
Julia had been in the Earth Fleet for five years. In that time, she’d built up a decent record, but that was nothing compared to the commander of Forty-Two. Captain Barbara McNuggen was one of the most respected officers in the fleet. She’d been the first to find intelligent alien life and end the encounter with a treaty between Earth and the denizens of Yeti-5.
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