by John O'Riley
“Hey, sis.” Mark set the book aside.
Maggie’s expression was wistful. “I wish I was fluent in over a dozen languages.”
“I can help you learn,” Mark offered. “It’s pretty easy.”
Mark had acquired a vast array of knowledge through his teen years due to his skill at creating memory enchantments. His spells gave the user photographic memory for several hours. When the spell wore off, the information was readily available as needed.
Maggie’s eyes brightened with fondness. “I’ve missed you so much.”
“I missed you, too.”
“Mom and Dad offered me a job at Freeman Enterprises.” Maggie scowled with displeasure. “Like I would ever dream of working for them.”
“You were one of the company’s greatest assets. Your skills with the Seer Mirror is legendary. The Freeman scepter would probably have chosen to make you the clan leader when a new one was needed,” Mark said.
“That stupid scepter couldn’t even tell I was possessed by a horrible creature that wanted to enslave humanity,” Maggie said with disgust. “It would have served them right if I had still been possessed by APU 81 and been made clan leader. I never want to have anything to do with Freeman Enterprises ever again!”
“It does make you wonder about the clan leader scepter. Did it make you a progenitor because of your potential or because of APU 81’s potential?”
“That’s a good question.” Maggie’s expression turned contemplative for a moment then mischievous. “I would say APU 81. It did an excellent job of creating new magical devices for the company and made sound business decisions based on what it observed through the Seer Mirror. It probably would have been one hell of a clan leader.”
Mark chuckled. “I don’t blame you for steering clear of the family business.”
“Remember when we were little? You wanted to be a police detective like Uncle Nathan and I wanted to be a scientist.”
“I was well on my way to becoming one until I chose my career in white magic,” Mark commented.
“Ironically enough, while APU 81 had control of my body, I was on track for my goal, too,” Maggie said.
Virginia strode over to them wearing a sharp business suit comprised of shades of brown and gray. She was a short, stout woman in her forties with brown hair styled in a page cut, a friendly smile, and green eyes. A stunning round opal pendant was suspended on a gold chain around her neck and she clutched a large, taupe leather purse in her right hand. She was a director for MADA, a branch of the government similar to the FBI, in charge of investigating and developing advanced magic.
“Maggie, you can still be a scientist,” Virginia announced. Maggie and Mark hadn’t noticed her and they both started. Virginia threw them both an apologetic smile. “Sorry, guys. I couldn’t help but overhear the last part of your conversation.”
“That’s okay.” Mark scooted aside to give her some room. “Have a seat.”
“Thanks.” Virginia slid onto the chair and beamed at them. “I have a proposal for the both of you. I’ll start with you first, Maggie. I want to offer you a job as one of my research scientists. For now, we’ll be working at the stone henge in New Hampshire. Our main goal is to learn new technology from either that site or to discover a new site. You are well qualified for the position with the breakthroughs you discovered and the master’s degrees you’ve got under your belt.”
“Those breakthroughs and degrees were made by APU 81 – not me,” Maggie protested.
“That doesn’t matter. You were still awake and aware during the time period that APU 81 did those things. I’m convinced you will be a tremendous benefit to my team,” Virginia gushed. “Think of all the possibilities. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity.”
“You’re right.” Maggie’s eyes lit with excitement. “This is something I’ve always wanted. I’ll do it!”
“I guess I should tell you the salary and other details first.” Virginia plopped her purse on the table and pulled out a manila envelope. She handed it to Maggie. “The first page is the job responsibilities, salary, and benefits summary.”
Maggie’s grin widened. “Yes, I’m definitely interested.”
“Perfect!” Virginia exclaimed.
She showed Maggie which pages needed signing then collected the job acceptance forms while giving Maggie her own copy. Mark watched the two of them work with a sense of relief and happiness for his sister. He’d been a little worried about her and how she would cope in the aftermath of APU 81’s possession of her. Virginia was absolutely right. This was the best thing for her. Maggie had always wanted to do something like this.
Virginia turned to fix her attention on Mark. “I’m offering you the same position. Your ability to cast restoration spells is phenomenal and we wouldn’t have our site in New Hampshire without you. I’m sure you could do the same thing with another facility left behind by our ancestors. We just need to find it. And I’m sure your sister will do just that. Additionally, we’re having a problem with APU 4093, as you’re aware. It thinks its protecting us by safeguarding its technology. You’re the only one it will talk to because it has a respect for White Knights. And that’s something else we would like to know more about. What exactly were White Knights and what were they capable of? We need to build up our power base while we can so we’re ready for APU 81 when it decides to go on the offensive.”
“I think we should rename those guys,” Mark teased. “How about we call them the Good Computer and the Evil Computer?”
Maggie snorted with mirth.
“I think a better name for APU 4093 is the Stuck Up Computer,” Virginia said flippantly. She leveled an earnest gaze at Mark. “Will you join my team?”
“I wish I could,” Mark said in a regretful tone. “But I can’t be too careful about burnout. I really need to sleep in a white magic power center until I’m completely certain I’m in the clear.”
“Your friend, Helen, doesn’t have any problems,” Virginia pointed out.
“That’s because she’s got a white magic power center in her condo. It’s very weak but it seems to do the job. Plus, she spends a lot of her waking hours at home, too,” Mark said.
“If we had more white magic practitioners like you, this world would be a safer place,” Virginia said emphatically.
“You don’t know that.”
“Noting in life is certain but that’s what my intuition is telling me.”
Maggie leveled an enthusiastic smile at her brother. “Come on, Mark! Take the job!”
“I can’t. I’m sorry,” Mark said.
Virginia let out a soft sigh of disappointment. “I was afraid you’d say that. I do have an alternate offer. I can hire you for one day assignments like before. I have a private jet waiting for me to return to New Hampshire. We can have lunch then spend half the day at the research facility.”
“Technically, it’s a recreational facility,” Mark teased.
“Fair enough,” Virginia said.
“All right. I’ll do it.”
“Great. Let’s have some lunch. The burgers here smell great,” Virginia said.
“They’re fantastic,” Mark said.
They placed their orders at the front counter and were soon seated with their burgers, fries, and onion rings. Virginia and Mark had chai lattes while Maggie chose water to drink.
“It’s hard to find a good chai latte. I’m surprised they’re on the menu at a hamburger restaurant,” Virginia commented.
“This is one of my favorite places to eat. Uncle Nathan and I stop by here at least once a week,” Mark said.
Virginia took her first bite and moaned with pleasure. “I can see why you’re such a fan of this place! I don’t care much for burgers but this is divine!”
“I have to admit I was surprised to hear from you,” Mark said. “It’s been a few months since I restored the stone henge facility in New Hampshire.”
“If it were up to me, I’d have contacted you right away but there
is so much red tape over these MADA projects, it can take a long time to get anything accomplished,” Virginia said with disgust. “No one is in a hurry to approve my requests for new staff now that everyone is feeling safe.”
“I was wondering why you didn’t have any guards with you,” Mark commented.
“Ever since the Valituras threat was neutralized, there aren’t any big enemies looming to motivate the public or the government into action.”
“What about APU 81?” Maggie asked.
Virginia rolled her eyes with exasperation. “You’re right about that but everyone thinks it’s just one individual and can’t do much on it’s own. What they fail to realize is that those NPX regeneration units may be capable of restoring a new ancient facility. No one will listen to me. They say that it’s impossible for nanites to rebuild something that’s been almost entirely destroyed.”
“I’ve been thinking a lot about those NPX regeneration units and I do believe it’s likely that they can restore any ancient facility if there is substantial debris – even less then ten percent of the original structure,” Maggie said.
“What’s your theory on how this could be done?” Virginia regarded her with curiosity.
“It’s entirely possible that the crystal cubes possess vast reserves of computer memory. They may have the schematics of every single ancient structure ever built or at least the main facilities. If that’s the case, all that’s needed to restore a facility are the basic materials and a steady supply of terramezic energy to power the cubes.”
“APU 81 might not even need an ancient facility to rebuild. It could just make a structure from scratch,” Mark said.
“Yes it could but some of the materials would take a very long time to produce. I don’t think APU 81 is willing to spend decades manufacturing a brand new facility,” Maggie said. “And with our current technology, I imagine it’s extremely difficult to make terramezic energy generators.”
“Every ancient facility is self-reliant and can produce massive amounts of terramezic energy. If APU 81 succeeds in commandeering just one, we may have a serious problem on our hands,” Virginia said. “We need to track that thing down or we need to start upgrading our own technology.”
“I can’t wait to find APU 81. I’m going to smash its despicable crystal skull into a thousand pieces,” Maggie said.
“That’s the spirit!” Virginia’s eyes sparkled with enthusiasm.
They finished their meal and took the jet to the ancient facility in New Hampshire that had once been a structure that resembled Stone Henge in England. The facility was now a large dome-shaped building spanning several miles in diameter. It was comprised of a mysterious, white, translucent composite. The exterior door slid aside to allow Mark, Virginia, and Maggie entrance. They strode down the long, futuristic corridor made of the same resilient material as the outside of the facility. Touch-screen control panels were located sporadically throughout the building. The trio made their way to the control room which was a massive space boasting a variety of sleek work stations with seating and also computer screens built into the walls. APU 4093 was the artificial intelligence that ran this facility and it didn’t share any information with any of the researchers currently stationed on site. Mark had cast a powerful restoration enchantment on the ruins and had succeeded in reinstating the facility in its original condition. It was an astonishing feat that no other wizard had ever managed to accomplish.
“Greetings, White Knight Apprentice.” APU 4093 possessed a pleasant male voice with a trace of an accent reminiscent of Italian.
“Hello, APU 4093,” Mark said as he held the list of questions Virginia had given to him at the restaurant. “I’d like to have a chat with you.”
“I’m afraid I have not changed my mind about disclosing information about ancient technology to humans. You are not ready and introducing such advanced scientific knowledge would most likely result in humanity’s destruction.”
“Can you at least give us a way of scanning for terramezic energy so we can find APU 81? We have no way of defending ourselves against its attacks,” Mark said.
“It lacks the resources to implement a significant offensive against any country of this world,” the computer said. “Virginia and other directors have already made these arguments. I am also bound by my original protocols not to contaminate the culture and integrity of younger civilizations.”
“But we’re descendants of the race that built you,” Mark pointed out.
“As I have already explained, humanity devolved to a younger civilization as a result of several tragic wars. For all intents and purposes, you are not the same race as the ones who built this facility.”
“What about the White Knights? Surely nothing negative could result from their knowledge. Could you supply us with their training programs?” Mark asked.
“There can be no exceptions. I’m sorry,” APU 4093 said regretfully.
“What if APU 81 manages to restore an ancient facility? He’ll have the means to launch a full-scale offensive against us,” Maggie said passionately. “Are you willing to sit idly by and allow it to destroy the very civilization that created you?”
“I have prepared weapons which I will use against any facility that APU 81 establishes control over,” the computer advised. “You have nothing to fear.”
“You’re asking us to have blind faith in you,” Maggie said.
The computer failed to respond. Mark, Maggie, and Virginia exchanged puzzled looks.
“Did you hear me?” Maggie asked.
“Further discussion on this matter is pointless,” the computer said.
“How do you like that? It’s giving us the silent treatment,” Maggie grumbled.
“I expected as much,” Virginia said. “I’d still like for you both to take some readings and analyze your findings. I have scanning wands stored nearby.”
“That won’t be necessary. We can both scan without them,” Mark advised.
“Of course.” Virginia’s eyes lit with understanding. “White Knights and category six wizards can do it on their own.”
Mark’s eyes twinkled with mirth. “According to APU 4093, I’m just a White Knight apprentice.”
“I intended no disrespect,” the computer interjected.
“I’m just teasing,” Mark said.
“Understood,” APU 4093 said in a contemplative tone.
Mark, Virginia, and Maggie exchanged amused looks.
Chapter 5
Jake was driving the police cruiser with Josephine seated behind him and Alex in the back seat. The siren blared as he speeded South on Tamiami Trail towards Venice where a destructive magical occurrence was in process. It was unlikely they would arrive in time to witness the phenomenon.
“This isn’t good. This has happened two days in a row,” Alex remarked.
“It’s likely to continue like this every day until she learns to control her power or it kills her,” Josephine said grimly.
“Do you really think yesterday was her first day as a six?” Alex asked.
“I’m sure of it. That would explain why it’s so volatile,” Josephine said.
“Won’t her power stabilize on its own?” Alex said.
“If she doesn’t take the appropriate steps, it could take weeks,” Josephine advised.
When they arrived on the scene, the road was blocked with disabled vehicles. Many of the cars and trucks had smoke billowing from beneath their hoods and the windows had shattered. The stench of smoke and burned rubber permeated the air as Josephine, Alex, and Jake emerged from the police cruiser. The nearby stores had cracked or shattered windows but Josephine noticed that the shards of glass had showered inside the buildings instead of on the sidewalk. Most of the vehicle owners remained on site beside their stalled vehicle or standing nearby at a safe distance. Ambulance trucks and police cars had already arrived. The wounded were being tended to and tow trucks were beginning the process of removing the disabled vehicles.
Alex
regarded the destruction with a sense of horror. “This reminds me of what it was like working with you when you were just a consultant.”
“Oh, please!” Josephine threw him a disgruntled gaze. “I never came close to doing anything like this. The most that ever happened was a few telekinetic shoves and blasts of wind.”
“There was one time you threw me across the room so hard you bruised my back and gave me a mild concussion,” Alex said.
“That wasn’t my fault. How many times do I have to tell you I’m sorry?” Josephine grumbled.
“I’m not looking for an apology. I’m just making a comparison.”
Josephine stretched her awareness out to the subtle energies in the street but avoided the stores. A jumble of psychic impressions flooded her mind. She narrowed her focus on the vehicles but there was too much psychometric energy around her to block out.
“I need to get closer to these cars,” Josephine said.
“All right,” Alex said.
“We just need to walk by them.”
Josephine strode down the sidewalk past the people who were waiting for their rides or just watching the devastation with varying degrees of fear and fascination.
“What are you doing?” Alex asked.
“I’m scanning the area.” Josephine slowed her pace then halted as she neared a blue sedan. The hood of the car was riddled with shattered glass from the windshield and the dashboard controls had exploded. A thin stream of smoke leaked out from beneath the hood and the dashboard. A young woman had her arms crossed over her chest in a defensive posture as she leaned against her disabled vehicle. She was short and looked to be in her late teens with long brown hair, and brown eyes. A thin, shallow cut marred her right temple and left cheek. She wore a brown polo shirt and jeans. Josephine turned to face the woman and approached her. Jake and Alex took up positions beside her and slightly behind her so she could take the lead.
“Excuse me.” Josephine offered an amiable smile and flashed her enforcer badge. “I’m Enforcer O’Connor and these are Detectives Riley and Dietrich. I’d like to ask you a few questions about the phenomenon that occurred here.”