by R N Skye
The conversation began with familial pleasantries. Leslie enthusiastically declared that their niece Ava was in love with a fellow student at the collegium and that it looked serious. She shared the details of how they were lab partners together in the advance artifacts group and that he was the top of his class and was named Shane.
“The warball player,” Stafford inquired being familiar with all of the students in Ava’s study group.
“The very same,” said Leslie.
“Quite the guy I understand,” said Stafford. “They’re planning on recruiting him at IDAD.”
“I wouldn’t be surprised. Ava Says he is better than her in regards to magetech and you know how good she is,” replied Leslie. “That’s part of the reason I’m here,” added Leslie. “Ava has confided the “family” business with him.”
“It’s pretty serious then I see,” Stafford ate a bite of the lunch they were pretending to have.
“What’s’ more is Ava says that he may have some theories about how to activate artifacts without an activator and he is theorizing how to unlock the code so that he can build his own artifacts,” Leslie almost whispered.
“Holy Elio,” Stafford said slowly with emphasis. “Does anyone else know this?”
“Not yet. He keeps to himself on a lot of things. He shut right up when he found out that I worked for the crown; he changed the subject and it never circled back. The information I have took Ava over a year to drag out of him, and it was only after they had been dating for a while.”
“I’ll check him out. If he isn’t what he says he is I’ll spare Ava the agony of ever having to break up with the guy. If he is for real I need to get him solidly involved with the family before IDAD and the crown get their hooks into him.” Stafford shook his head in disbelief. “Can you imagine the effect this is going to have on the entire artifact world? This isn’t just artifacts this will mean the return of the glyph mages.”
“The next Item,” Continued the dark haired woman, “both Ava and Shane were selected to participate in some super-secret crown archeological find. Shane had to decline because of his warball scholarship but your niece was selected and approved.”
“I know,” said Stafford as he played with a sandwich in front of him; deconstructing it layer by layer. “I saw the list at the IDAD Directors office a while back. They are leaving in a week. I’ve made arrangements to have her looked after.”
“Oh good,” relief showed in the woman’s eyes.
“The last thing I have,” Leslie said moving on, “is something of very peculiar interest. Have you ever heard of a Wendell Sapp of the CSS?”
“What’s that idiot done now is he trying to step on the toes of the ADC?” Stafford asked crossly.
“For one, he’s extremely interested in you. For another I have been recruited by him as a special agent for internal counter espionage.”
“For the love of the stars, Leslie, you always bring me the best news,” Stafford burst out laughing.”
“What on Eliom is so funny,” she demanded
Stafford filled her in on Wendell and his incompetence and that he was going against the king’s orders by attempting to spy on Stafford. He also cautioned her that she should be careful as Wendell would throw her under a runaway coach if he thought for a minute that he was at risk. Stafford concluded the rundown on Wendell by declaring her now a double agent and to keep him posted on anything that she felt was important. “There’s a tavern in Jehhet called the Ox Horn. You can leave messages there for me if it’s an emergency; just write “Stafford” on the envelope and I’ll get it. Use the family code.”
Stafford had been requested to meet with the king first thing Jeudi morning. Allion was comfortably munching his way through his breakfast when Stafford entered the private solarium bearing a plate of his own in one hand and a steaming roasted grain beverage in the other.
“Is it alright if I join you your highness,” asked Stafford before sitting down. The king often invited Stafford to dine with him in private to discuss private matters that were best kept between the two of them and was in an agreeable mood so he nodded for him to be seated.
“Thank you your highness,” he said as he sat; bowing slightly. “You wished to see me sire,” Stafford took a sip from his mug.
“I would like an update on the island dig security,” the king got right to the point.
Stafford put down his cup. “I have verified and vetted all non IDAD personnel going to the island. I will be going there myself to evaluate the security on the island next week. A ship left Lundi morning with a number of Army and Navy security specialists as well as several cleared student interns and professors commissioned by the IDAD and they were informed that they will remain at the dig until further notice and that it will be at least four to six months with no outside communications.
The goal is to have internal security completed within one month after I arrive and the Navy should have the island secured. The Army will have the research base and infrastructure completed by then and the logistics will be in place and functional so that they can start moving artifacts to IDAD secure storage here in Jehhet”
“Great news,” responded the king. “Eat your breakfast before it gets cold.”
Stafford returned to his breakfast in an effort to eat what he could before he was asked more questions
“I’m planning on attending the Wonstrowd warball championship on Samedi,” the king said changing the subject. “I’m tired of lurking around the palace so much. I need the people to see me as more of a social monarch. My ministers are telling me that I’m being perceived as too distant. Stafford knew that it was more than that, he knew that there were those, even some of his own ministers, that would jump ship if they knew there was another winning team; not to mention that there were the rumors of possible state secessions as well.
“I have a team already on standby and the stadium has been cleared in anticipation that you might decide to attend the game, Sire,” Stafford acknowledged.
“Stafford, you have always been an extremely preemptive planner and beside myself I have never known anyone that is a better planner then you. I was one hundred percent certain that you would be prepared for the event; well done. If you haven’t committed yourself elsewhere in your planning, I would like you to insert yourself into my retinue as a personal assistant and join me in my box. All work and no play will make you an old man before your time.” The king laughed as if he had made a joke.
“My work is my play, Sire; I don’t think there is anyone that finds more job satisfaction than I do.”
“I almost believe that,” mused the king. “None-the-less, dress up, try to look relaxed for a change; plan on playing the role of an old school chum and a sports enthusiast. I would like you on hand and near my person in case there are traitors of high birth also in attendance.
“Absolutely your majesty; I’ll see to it.”
“One more thing Stafford, I know its short notice but I have been meeting with Thoreau, Tanner, and Monnet, in consolidating the entire major artifact brokers into a crown run conglomeration. After hearing my most gracious and insistent offers, Thoreau and Monnet have agreed, Tanner has refused. I would like you to do something about that.”
“Are you asking that I make Tanner disappear?” Stafford asked raising one eyebrow.
“Heavens no,” laughed the king. “I want you to enter his production facility remove his lead magetech and destroy his activator and I want it to be destroyed before the day of the game. I offered him a chance to be a part of something big and he has refused. Killing him is too light a sentence. I want to ruin him first.”
“Oh, and Stafford,” the king added as if an afterthought. “Take Wendell with you on this one show him how it’s done.”
To Stafford the message was clear. The king was up to something; forcing him to plan on short notice, involve the incompetent Wendell, it was almost as if he were meant to fail; this would bear some extreme attention to detai
l. The Crown was out of control. This only solidified Stafford’s resolve for quitting the game. The laws were bad enough but to begin killing the competition just because you were the ruling class and wanted it all? That was not what he had signed up for.
This is going to be one of those weeks, I sure hope that the warball player’s theories are more than wishful thinking, he thought to himself as he left the Kings presence to begin his final plan.
As soon as Stafford had departed a side door opened and Wendell stepped into the room. “Your highness.” he nodded.
“Here’s your opportunity Wendell. Both of you are going into Tanners and only one of you will be coming out. You wanted his job, after this week you will know if you’re qualified.”
Shane finished the final practice of his college warball career on Mercre evening; there would be a final team meeting then warm ups on Samedi morning but practices were done; the team had been told to take Jeudi and Venri off and relax and rest up for the game.
As Shane walked across campus to his dorms he thought about Ava. He wondered if her ship had made it yet to the mysterious dig yet. He missed that he wasn’t able to talk with her as they often did in the lab or at the cafeteria; that he couldn’t tell her about his success with the Instructor and that he had the ability to activate artifacts. As he thought about it he wondered if he could in fact activate all artifacts or was the Instructor a unique situation. With that in mind he hustled to his Dorm to retrieve the Instructor.
Entering his room Shane looked to the portrait on the wall. “Instructor can you hear me?”
“How may I instruct you?” Spoke a voice from the direction of the picture.
Thinking for a moment Shane said, “Remove your camouflage and return to the desk.”
The portrait of Ava shrunk and morphed into a square brass plate and winked out of view and reappeared on Shane’s desktop. Shane, marveling at the magical transition, walked over to the desk and touched the actuator circle. The glass plate with the symbols appeared. “Instructor, how is glyph activation accomplished?”
“Glyphs are not activated; they are the embodiment of the controls that allow Lumen to flow in a prescribed way as intended by the designer of the glyph. Please rephrase your question.”
“Are you familiar with the term artifact?” asked Shane.
“An object made by a being, for an example a tool or ornament, especially one that has archaeological, cultural, scientific, or magical interest,” said the Instructor.
“Are you familiar with the artifacts of Elios?” added Shane.
“The Elios have discovered many artifacts in their travels. It would take several decades to verbally recite the entirety of the list. Is there a specific artifact in which you need instruction?”
Realizing that the instructor was not using the term in the way that he used it, Shane tried again. “What is the name for the devices or machines created by the Elios for the Luion called?”
“They were called many things; Engines, appliances, toys, transportation, shields, weapons, is there a specific machine in which you need instruction?”
“This is going to take forever if you aren’t up on current definitions based on my knowledge.”
“This device has multiple capabilities. It is recommended that you receive the device operations overview in dream mode while you sleep this evening. Is that satisfactory?”
“It is not satisfactory. What capability do you have to understand what I understand?”
“I can observe your thoughts and ascertain your current accumulated education and knowledge. Is that satisfactory?”
Feeling like he was getting somewhere at last Shane nodded excitedly and exclaimed,” Finally!”
The screen morphed into the familiar sphere and the instructor intoned, “Please locate a chair and make yourself as comfortable as you can. This process has been known to take quite some time; depending on the amount of information the mind contains. If you do not have enough time to complete the process then simply request to halt the procedure and it can be resumed at any time.”
Shane pulled the chair away from his desk and placed it into the center of the room and sat. Feeling he should be ok for a while; he was ready to begin. “One last thing,” Shane thought. How do I request a halt?”
“It is recommended that you receive the device operations overview in dream mode while you sleep this evening…”
“I know, I know, Just answer the question. I promise I’ll read or dream the flipping manual tonight,” Shane said in exasperation.
“Simply state that you would like to halt the procedure in any language you choose and the procedure will cease. If for some reason I do not understand you I will halt the procedure to inquire what it is you need. Are you ready to proceed?”
“Yes.”
“Hold the Instructor with your left hand then please place the palm of your right hand on the globe so that a connection may be acquired. If your left arm grows tired you may rest it on your lap as long as you do not lose contact with the instructor.”
Shane got up and retrieved the instructor from the desk and sat back down; grasped the brass plate facing up with his left hand then placed his right hand on the sphere.
”Beginning procedure,” the voice said.
Shane felt the familiar tingle and before he could react he found himself bound to the chair by glowing magical restraints unable to move.
“Merde en enfer!” Shane cussed uncharacteristically as he struggled ineffectively against his restraints.
“Greetings student,” hailed a semitransparent image of a middle-aged man, dressed in sandals and a long off-white robe trimmed in gold with a long robe length burgundy vest and a wide gold colored cloth belt around the waist. The image appeared to be standing in the air about a hand height above the floor between Shane and his desk. If Shane hadn’t been restrained he probably would have fallen over or jumped up and fled. “My name is Ahhan, I am the designer of the instructor that you have before you. You have requested that the device read and analyze your thoughts. Please allow me a few moments to impress upon you the benefits and cautions associated with this procedure.
First this procedure can record all of your thoughts; it is recommended that you set the parameter to refrain from recording anything you consider personal; things of that nature always seem to come back to haunt you. The instructor is sophisticated enough to recognize these and will not record them. Second it is recommended that you do this in dream mode as direct mode can be somewhat painful except for those that have a high capacity for handling Lumen; to the uninformed that’s magic,” the image winked. “Lastly,” the image continued with a smile, “the procedure can last a while and it is recommended that you prepare yourself to remain stationary for a long period of time; the more intelligent the student the longer the procedure.”
“Do you wish to proceed?” queried the image.
Stunned, it took Shane a few moments to gather his wits. “Yes,” he stammered; torn between wanting knowledge and possible pain; he could always call halt if it became unbearable.
“Do you want all thoughts analyzed or do you wish to filter private personal information.”
“Filter personal please,” Shane answered.
“If you are a good student with high intellect you should be prepared to remain stationary for an extended amount of time.”
“I’m top of my class but I’m good to go,” said Shane bracing himself mentally.
“Are you certain you don’t want to receive this procedure in dream mode?”
“I’m sure.”
“Procedure beginning,” intoned the instructor.
Shane felt a warm pulse; nothing else. He looked and saw a wide grin on the image’s face. Looking down he also realized that the restraints were also gone; with that realization he looked back towards the man just as the image winked out of existence.
“Analysis complete,” spoke the voice of the instructor.
“What’s going on,�
� blustered Shane. That didn’t hurt at all.
“Your lumen capacity is exceptionally high,” said the instructor.
“And it happened instantly,” growled Shane. “I guess that makes me an idiot; how embarrassing.”
“Do not be upset,” consoled the device. “The projection of Master Ahhan was joking, the procedure is this fast for everyone; he is well known for his sense of humor. If you observe the sun has set and nearly four turns of the large hand have circled the clock. The procedure caution that you received is given to all new students and the master refers to it as good natured hazing. After analyzing you I am confident that you will enjoy razzing future new students when their impatience gets the best of them as well.
“It was pretty funny, if you look at it from that point of view, and it was harmless,” Shane said, his mood beginning to lighten. Was it Shane’s imagination or was the instructor more human sounding.
“Now that that’s out of the way,” said Shane, “What can you tell me about artifacts as I know them?”
“Simply put,” said the instructor, “They are magical machines that were created for the benefit of the Luion. Once you learn the meaning of glyphs and the rules of lumen, based on your inherent ability and your knowledge you will be able to construct machines of your own. In fact you already have. Granted you did copy it with minor modifications but you did pour forth the required lumen unto the glyphs using your own lumen potential; you are definitely a glyph mage. I have little doubt that if you were to trace your genealogy back a thousand years you would find several relatives of Elios descent.”