by A. C. Ellas
The man sighed. “I can see that, Ortat. I’m not as oblivious as you think I am.” The man pulled a flask from a pocket and splashed some liquid into the paper cup that was still on the table. Then, he pressed the cup into the boy’s hand. “Drink this, Cai. It will help.”
The boy blinked at the man then drank the liquid down. It tasted of cinnamon and nutmeg and was at once fiery and soothing to him. As the boy licked his lips to catch the last drop, he noticed that he was feeling a little better. It didn’t hurt so much to think, and he wasn’t shaking now. The two blue-suited men reached for him, and he permitted them to remove the bandages from his body.
Once it was done and the men in blue had departed, the man in grey, Ortat, set a tray on the table. “Breakfast,” he explained.
“Withdrawal from what?” Cai reached for the food, realizing that he was ravenous.
Ortat caused a simple wooden chair to appear out of thin air.
Cai knew he’d done it, he saw the directed flow of something stretching from Ortat then recoiling, bringing the chair. Ortat sat down. “To become an Astrogator, your nervous system had to be expanded. Your neurons have been paired with neurologic circuitry, the details of which you will learn as your studies advance. For now, all you need to understand is that without the neurologics, none of what you want to do can be accomplished.”
Since Ortat had paused with an expectant look on his face, Cai nodded hesitantly. “That is why I had surgery? To implant the neurologic stuff?” He managed not to stumble over the strange word.
“Yes. And that is why you were in withdrawal. Synde is a drug you were given in surgery, and you will need it for the rest of your life, because Synde allows your organic body to interface with your neurologics without harming you. Without Synde, you will fry your nerves.”
Cai put it all together. “So Astrogators require neurologics, and neurologics require Synde?”
“That is correct.”
“Why did I volunteer for this?” Cai asked as he scraped the last crumbs from his plate.
“Being an Astrogator is a great honor,” said Ortat. “You have been selected for the Guild’s program based on your developing psionic abilities. This is an opportunity that few people are granted.”
Cai stroked the crystal in his palm with two fingers. Ortat’s words were grand, but the message he’d received, loud and clear, was, it wasn’t voluntary.
* * * *
Chris sighed as he flicked off the screen. “Over three months, now, and still no trace of Jason. None of the ports have a record of his retinals being scanned, nor do the hospitals, nor the city computers. So either he’s laying low in some slum, or he’s shipped out on some tramp freighter. We may never know.”
“What about the Guild?” Sammie asked quietly. “Have you tried their finders?”
Chris winced visibly. “The Guild finders said that they could not locate anyone called Jason Hunter. One, however, told me to find Kye.”
Sammie frowned. “Kye? What does that mean?”
“Her exact words were Seek out the one named Kye and you shall have your answer. Of course, there’s no way to track down a person with only one name.”
“But still,” Sammie commented, “it’s something. I’m willing to search for this Kye person if it will lead us to Jason.”
Chapter Eleven: Nick
Nick and Gilly walked into the small office with a sweeping view of the Space Corps Academy grounds. Nick’s high grades had gotten him to the interview point. With only two hundred slots available and hundreds of thousands of applicants, Gilly was privately amazed that they’d gotten this far. But then, Nick had stacked the odds in his favor. He’d taken the Life Sciences for fun, but the meat of his curriculum had been math, physics, engineering—everything the Space Corps needed and wanted.
The interviewer, an officer wearing the bars of a senior commander, was clearly waiting for them. He smiled encouragingly as they entered, gesturing them toward the seats on the other side of the desk. “Please, come in and make yourselves comfortable. Welcome to the Academy. Did you enjoy the tour?” He referred to the guided tour that all incoming applicants received prior to their interview appointment.
Nick inclined his head politely. “Yes, sir. The campus is beautiful and well designed. I particularly enjoyed the museum and the library.”
The commander smiled. “Excellent. My name is Senior Commander Ray Fazolli, by the way. I’ve taken the liberty of looking over your primary school records, and they do meet our current minimum standards for admission.”
Gilly asked gently. “Just meets, Commander Fazolli? Does not Nicky, in fact, exceed your standards?”
The commander nodded a little. “Yes, he does, which is the only reason we’re taking the time to interview a minor.” He turned his attention to Nick. “So, Mr. Steele, why do you want to join our beloved Corps?”
Nick chose his words with care. “Sir, the Corps protects us all. I want to be a part of that. I want to protect those I care about. I want to do things, not just talk about doing things. I want to see the stars and sail the voids between them.”
Commander Fazolli glanced down briefly. “Your marks in the sciences are extremely high, Mr. Steele. Would it not make more sense for you to go to a regular university and become a scientist? Scientists also do things, Mr. Steele.”
Nick smiled easily. “Sir, my scores in math and engineering are just as high as those in the sciences. Yes, sir, I could become a scientist or an engineer, but I have trouble seeing myself as being happy locked away in a lab for the rest of my life. The Space Corps can allow me to express all of my skills and abilities. It’s not just the ability to do something that matters to me, but to do something useful. To make a difference.”
The commander smiled faintly as he jotted something down. “If we accept you into the Academy, you will be in a group that is uniformly older than you are. How well do you think you can deal with the age difference and the inevitable hazing?”
“Sir, I am stronger than I look.” Nick seemed to be thinking hard about how to phrase the realities as he saw them. “I was forced to assume responsibility for myself and my younger sister at a young age. I may only be sixteen in chronological years, but the psych people tell me that I am closer to the mid-twenties maturationally.”
The commander hmm’d. “Do you understand how the Academy works? The upper classmen can be pretty rough on greenies.”
Nick nodded cautiously. “Yes, sir. The first two years are basic, divided into term groups. Seniors are responsible for helping the incoming freshmen settle in. Although hazing is officially frowned upon, it still occurs.”
“At least you read the informational material,” noted the commander wryly. He changed tacks. “The Academy requires a great deal of physical ability and strength as well as smarts. Athletic participation is required of all students, then there’s the physical combat classes and endurance training. You may be brilliant, emotionally mature and tough, but your body isn’t fully developed. How can you compete against men two to ten years your seniors who are also at the peak of their physical ability?”
Nick laughed. “Sir, I climb mountains for fun. I am looking forward to the physical training side of the curriculum!”
The commander smiled in amusement. “You may not be so chipper about it once it’s begun, Mr. Steele. In the meantime, the next step is testing. Your school records are only good enough to get you into my office. The testing you’re about to undergo will be the determining factor for the advancement of your application.”
Nick nodded. “Yes, sir, I understand. You only interviewed me because I’m underage, right? Otherwise, I’d have gone straight to testing?”
The commander shrugged. “Not entirely, Mr. Steele. We do like the face-to-face interview because it enables us to get a feel for the applicant as a person. But frequently, the interview is after the testing.”
“Thank you for clarifying that, sir. If I
pass the testing, will I need another interview?”
The commander shook his head. “No. Unlike military schools of the old days, we admit based on merit alone. If your scores are good enough, you’re in… unless there are more qualified applicants than slots. That’s where this interview comes into play. Your responses to my questions and my opinion of your character will be weighed against the others in a tie-breaker situation.”
“So the best way to ensure admission is to score higher than everyone else?”
The commander laughed. “Mr. Steele, I wish you luck with that.”
Nick shook the man’s hand as they left. A quiet trooper who seemed to have little interest in talking guided Nick to the testing center. When they reached the center, the trooper gestured. “Through there.”
Nick nodded politely. “Thank you, sir.” Then he and Gilly walked through the archway.
A young woman wearing the uniform of the administrative service glanced up from her console as they entered. “Yes?”
“I’m Nick Steele. I was told to report for testing?”
The young woman nodded, fingers touching something out of his sight. “Yes, here you are. You can go right in, second door on the right, please. The waiting room is the only door on the left.” She glanced at Gilly half-apologetically. “I’m sorry, but the testee must be unaccompanied in the testing rooms.”
Gilly smiled professionally. “Thank you, miss.” She squeezed Nick’s shoulder as they walked through the second archway. “Good luck.”
Nick flashed a smile. “Thanks, Mom.” He walked through the second doorway as Gilly made her way to the waiting room. Nick took a quick look around as he entered. A full wall/desk console took up one side of it. There was a couch across from it, and a couple of spare chairs against the wall he’d entered through. Directly across from him was another door, and a man stood easily before it.
The man seemed to measure him with his eyes before asking, “Nicholas Steele?”
Nick nodded. “Yes, sir.”
“Do you agree to submit to the entrance exams and psych eval for the Space Corps Academy?”
“Yes, sir.”
The man nodded. “Very well. There are four components to the testing. While each section is timed, you can take breaks of up to one hour between sections. Refreshments shall be provided should you wish them. Any questions?”
“Uhm, what are the four components?”
“The first section is general knowledge, followed by the psych eval. The next section is mathematics and the last is the physical eval. I should mention that the physical is both medical and athletic in nature. When you are ready for that section, you will be taken to a different area.”
Nick nodded again. “Yes, sir. I understand, thank you.”
The man gestured to the console. “When you are ready to begin, please have a seat and follow the on-screen instructions to log into the system. After login, you may jack in as well. I will be in the next room, monitoring your progress if you have any needs.”
Nick nodded yet again as he walked lightly to the console, seating himself in the comfortable chair as the man walked out the door, leaving him alone. Taking a deep breath, he logged himself into the system. He indicated yet again his willingness to undergo testing, and then, it began. The first section was without a doubt the most comprehensive test of general knowledge he’d ever taken. He had to reach and think quickly for far too many answers to suit himself.
The psych eval was straightforward enough, similar to every other eval he’d ever had, except that this one also had a full intelligence test built right into it. Nick did take a break after that, feeling mentally groggy. He knew that he’d need to be at his sharpest for the mathematics. After a bit to eat and a quick catnap, he returned to the console and dropped his mind into the realm of pure mathematics. He’s always enjoyed math, it was so logical, so elegant in the forms of its equations. He found this section easier than the first two, but by no means easy. Some of the problems presented for his consideration dealt with concepts that he had only a nodding familiarity with.
When it was over, he had a raging headache. He stood up, stretched and took another nap after taking a long drink of water. After the hour was up, his nameless monitor took him down to the far end of the hallway he’d entered the room from. The single door at the hall’s end led into the physical testing center.
The monitor watched as the medic performed a full physical, taking samples of hair, blood and urine as well. Then, he was led over to a weight set and his ability to lift, push and pull was carefully analyzed. He thought privately that he’d done pretty well with that. Then, he walked, trotted, jogged and ran flat out on the treadmill while his heart rate and oxygen demand were monitored.
When it was over at last, Nick walked into the waiting room limp with exhaustion. Gilly, alone in the room with a book on her lap, raised her eyebrows at the sight of him. “Tough exam?”
Nick sank down next to her wearily. “Very tough. The physical was challenging, too. I’m a pretty good runner… so they kept upping the pace on me.”
Gilly chuckled wryly. “I think the point was to see where your limits are, Nicky.”
“I think they accomplished it, too. I’m beat.”
The monitor returned abruptly, walking into the waiting room. “Mr. Steele, you are free to go. The determination of your application will be mailed to you within one month.”
Nick stood up and offered Gilly a hand. She smiled as she stood with minimal assistance. Nick looked at the monitor. “Any idea how I did, or are you not permitted to say?”
The monitor smiled and shook his head. “I can’t say, Mr. Steele.”
* * * *
Commander Fazolli sat at a conference table along with several other service personnel, including the commandant of the Academy. They had all the test results of the current group of applicants spread before them.
Commandant Gus Hennersby looked over the stacks. “Okay, are there any more needing discussion?”
Commander Jensen leaned forward. “Nicholas Steele.”
Hennersby frowned. “Steele?” He glanced at his screen, calling up the data. “This one’s a full-merit admit, Jensen.”
Jensen shrugged. “Sir, he’s sixteen.”
Fazolli frowned. “Psych eval says he’ll do fine. His math was in the top one percent and his general was in the top five percent. I don’t see an issue. Hell, I interviewed the kid…he’s sharp and motivated.”
Hennersby looked over the data again. “Age is no deterrent unless his parents object, Jensen, and his mother has already signed a witnessed permission.”
Jensen frowned as he looked over the data again. “I just don’t like it. He’s so young; it’s worrisome to me. The seniors won’t go easy on him just ‘cause he’s a kid.”
Hennersby nodded. “That’s a valid point. Opinions?”
Fazolli cleared his throat. “Sir, Nick Steele did very, very well in the physical exam. He told me that he climbs mountains for fun. He’s strong enough to handle it. Psych eval says he can handle it. And his family history says he can handle it.”
Hennersby cocked his head. “Family history, Fazolli? There’s no old blood here that I can see.”
“Ah, not that sort of history, sir.” Fazolli grimaced. “Don’t y’all follow the news? This is the kid who killed his father to save his sister’s life after being nearly killed by the bastard himself. If he can handle that and still be as well adjusted as psych says he is, hazing won’t even faze him.”
Jensen’s eyes widened. “That kid? Good god, I did hear about that. Tough kid then.” He frowned in thought then shrugged. “Very well, I withdraw my objection.”
* * * *
The envelope was strangely heavy. It was made from real paper. The address was handwritten. It oozed formality from its very atoms. Nick stared it, half-afraid to open it.
“C’mon, Nicky, open it already,” Evie demanded.
“Nicky, it’s a letter, not quantum theory,” and the exasperation in Evie’s voice made Nick laugh.
He eased the flap of the envelope open and took out the single folded piece of heavy parchment paper. He set the envelope down, opened the letter and read aloud, “To Mr. Nicholas Steele, blah, blah, From Commandant Gustave Hennersby, Space Corps Academy. We are pleased to offer you a slot in the upcoming cadet class of twenty-two seventy N.E. Please report to the Academy gates at oh eight hundred hours on September first.” He set the letter aside in order to deal with Evie’s enthusiastic hug.
“I knew you’d do it!” Evie caroled.
Chapter Twelve: Cai
At half past six every morning, the lights came up and the loud buzz of the wake-up call echoed in the stone-walled room that was Cai’s sleeping space. Cai sat up in bed, stretched, rubbed his eyes and then swung his legs out of bed. He winced as his feet encountered the cold floor, but that didn’t slow him. He stood and padded into the bathroom. Ten minutes later, he was showered and dressed in a sand-colored uniform. He pulled on a pair of black shoes a moment before the door whooshed open.
Routine continuing, Cai exited his room, turned left and walked briskly down the long corridor toward the mess hall. He wasn’t the only student in the guild hall and he nodded silent greetings to other youths as they also headed for breakfast. Tradition in the hall was for silence in the mornings. Physical silence, anyhow. Cai sent a feather-light probe to the girl in front of him, Pleasant dreams, Joi?
Not really, Joi pathed back. I think I crashed my ship.