Eomix Galaxy Books: Illusion

by Christa Yelich-Koth

  “Daith’s energy output during her session ran exceedingly high. I would like to know, especially based on the negative way her body responded, if she is healthy enough to continue along the same path of tests. Provided, of course, the tests would only target specific brain functions, not her maximum output like before. She did recently sleep six standard hours beyond a normal-length sleep cycle so I’m worried she may be negligent about her own health in order to proceed more quickly.”

  “I appreciate your coming to ask me, doc, especially since my advice is not always sought. However,” Dr. Ludd added quickly, “I understand there are deadlines to be met.”

  Deadlines? Daith watched Dru’s eyebrows furrow. She wondered if he knew any more than she did.

  “I think working with Miss Tocc to test her mental and emotional abilities is fine,” Dr. Ludd continued. “I’d like a summary of the tests you plan to run beforehand, but I know you will be careful, so I don’t foresee any problems.”

  “Thank you, Doctor. I will write up a list and will bring them to you tomorrow. Today, I thought I’d work on some basic telepathy skills.”

  “Sounds fine, doc,” Dr. Ludd reaffirmed. “As long as she doesn’t feel too tired or have a headache or a fever or nausea or aches or—”

  “Doctor!” Daith and Dru both cried out in exasperation.

  “Well then good luck with your tests, Miss Tocc,” Dr. Ludd finished with a gurgle. “And if you have any other problems, poor sleep or too much sleep again or no appetite or—”

  “I will let you know,” Daith reassured him.

  “And thank you, Doctor Ludd,” Dru added.

  “Of course. If you’ll excuse me.” The doctor gently motioned for them to leave when a crewmember staggered in, her normally greenish skin a pale pink with illness.

  The two of them exited and made their way to the deck below, the corridors quiet. While they moved, Daith wondered about the conversation between the two doctors. She wanted to know more, but she would bet Dru wouldn’t tell her out right.

  “I’m glad I got the doctor’s approval,” Daith said, her tone casual. “Even though I feel alright, it’s reassuring to have someone else tell you you’re in good shape.”

  “One reason why I wanted to check with him first.” Dru nodded at a crewmember who scuttled by.

  Daith ignored the crewmember as he gave them a wide berth. “I guess you aren’t that kind of doctor.”

  “No. I received basic education in medical science, but my main studies focused on neuroscience and psychology. That’s why I’m going to stress you tell me or Doctor Ludd if you experience any unpleasant side effects during your tests. The areas we will deal with are taxing by themselves—adding memory loss may complicate things.”

  “How so?”

  “The brain is like a computer,” he explained, “programmed to function by interpreting information, sending information down specific pathways, and relying on all its parts to perform tasks. Memory loss may not affect any abilities, like telepathy or empathy, but since this is something not yet fully explored, we can’t know for sure. In your case, while we tap into these areas, we may stimulate the memory portion and, in a sense, shock your memories back into your conscious self.”

  Daith thought about it. “So—without memories, my abilities may be blocked or the abilities could bring them back even faster?”

  “Yes. Or not having memories may not affect things either way.”

  “I see. Guess that means I’m the ‘trial and error’ type of patient.” Another crewmember, this one younger than her, squeaked when he noticed her, and then turned abruptly down an adjacent corridor, trotting on all fours. Daith gritted her teeth.

  “I suppose you could consider yourself that type of patient.”

  “Oh, now I’m reassured,” she said, sarcastically, bringing her attention back to Dru.

  He smiled. “Sorry. Remember I’m not good at the bedside manner thing.”

  “At least you don’t talk for ten standard minutes about something like congratulating me on waking up.”

  Dru let out a laugh as they took the stairs to the floor below. “Doctor Ludd does ramble a bit, doesn’t he?”

  Daith seized the opening. “Has he always been this way?”

  “For as long as I’ve known him, but I haven’t seen him in years. It’s a trait of his species. They claim it prevents miscommunication. If you talk long enough, you’ll say everything you’re thinking, so no one can misread what you’ve said or claim you’re holding anything back.”

  “Interesting…so you’ve worked on this ship before? With Dr. Ludd?”

  Dru stopped in the middle of the corridor. “Uh….”

  While Daith watched Dru, warmth spread through her body. Not like what she felt the night before. This time her stomach turned and rolled, nervous. Her skin beaded with sweat and she felt lightheaded. Dru reached out and grabbed her arm to steady her.

  “Daith, are you okay?”

  The warmth receded. “Yeah, I’m fine.”

  “You looked like you were about to faint.”

  “Really, I’m okay. I just felt...”

  “Felt what?”

  “I don’t know exactly. Nervous then hot and then—I don’t know.”

  Dru hesitated before he responded. “I think we should postpone our session.”

  “Please don’t. I really am okay. Doctor Ludd even said so.”

  “Doctor Ludd didn’t see what happened. If he had, I’m sure he’d change his mind.”

  “No.” Daith’s body trembled. “You don’t understand.”

  “Yes, I do. I—”

  “No, you don’t,” she said. She pulled away from him and continued toward the simulation room. “I have nothing. No memories, no family, no anything. There’s no one I know to tell me I will remember them and they love me and this is my life. I am surrounded by strangers who keep secrets and scurry away at the sight of me. And now I have the chance to learn more about myself and get my memories back and you want to keep me from doing that? How much longer do I have to wait before I know who I am? How many more ‘tomorrows’ until tomorrow becomes today?”

  Dru caught up with her. “Daith, you’re scared—”

  She whirled around. “Yeah I’m scared. I’m terrified!”

  They’d arrived at the simulation room. “I wish I could help answer all your questions,” Dru said, “but I don’t know many of the answers myself. I don’t know what deadlines Doctor Ludd spoke of or why you were attacked. I can’t answer about your family and I don’t know how long any of this might take.”

  He put his hands on her shoulders and made her face him. “But I do know I will help you find those answers. The one thing I won’t do is put your life in jeopardy to do so. Knowing who you are, where you came from, what to do with your life—these things are all important. But what use are they if who you are right now gets damaged? Your past and future won’t matter if you get lost in the present.”

  Daith’s shoulders sagged in defeat. A heat emanated from his hands. She relaxed. “I just want to know what’s going on.”

  “And you will, but the process will take time. And I promise I’ll be here to help you through it.”

  Daith let out a huge breath. “Okay.” She couldn’t imagine doing this without him.

  “Do you still want to work today?” he asked.

  Daith nodded. “I need to do something. Alone in my room, staring at nothing, trapped in my own thoughts—yeah, I need to do something.”

  Dru opened the door to the simulation room. “We’ll go slow. Computer, please call up program X-Dru-two.” A beep before a circular patch of sand bubbled up under their feet. A small table with two chairs sat in the middle of the sandy area and all around them stretched a vast body of water, its surface calm and a bluish- purple. Large, green, feathered creatures soared above them in an intricate pattern, cawing in the distance. Daith breathed in the salty sea air. Her tension seemed to magically melt away.

&
nbsp; “I’ve always been fascinated by oceans,” she said as she took a seat. “I mean, when you gaze out across the water, the surface is calm and peaceful. But below, there is so much happening. I think individuals are that way too—putting on a calm exterior to cover up the chaos underneath.”

  “When did you first make that analogy?” Dru asked.

  “I’m not sure. I don’t remember ever seeing an ocean before. But it’s so familiar.” Daith snorted. “I must sound crazy.”

  “On the contrary. It’s a good sign. It shows some of your memories may still be intact.” Dru paused, pointing at a stack of datapads on the table. “The stack contains various numbers, words, and pictures. You will use them to work on your telepathic ability.”

  “How do you want me to do that?”

  “Hold up the first datapad so you can see it, but I can’t.”

  Daith flipped it up. The word on the screen was ‘ocean.’

  “Now,” Dru went on, “picture the word clearly in your mind and project it toward me. In theory, I should be able to see the word in my mind and will then say it out loud.”

  Daith felt a little silly, but agreed and closed her eyes. She held the image of the word and mentally pushed it toward Dru. She wasn’t sure what else to do. Before she could open her eyes a warmth centered in the pit of her stomach, like a fiery ember. The sensation reminded her of what she’d felt during the star-particle session. Frightened she might over-exert herself again, she opened her eyes.

  Dru’s eyes were still closed, his dark hair moving with the breeze. Daith cleared her throat and his eyelids fluttered open.

  “Is something wrong?” he asked.

  “I’m not sure.” Daith explained the “warmth” she’d felt. “I was afraid the same thing might happen when I went to the medical wing.”

  “Of course. This is entirely my fault.” He flipped his hair off his face and sat back into his chair.

  “What do you mean?”

  “I should have told you what to expect during this exercise.”

  “You mean, I’m supposed to feel that way?”

  “Yes,” Dru assured her. “The ‘warmth’ you felt is a surge of energy. In our first session, you had no control over it, no focus. When the warmth spreads, squeeze it all together. Then you should be able to pull or push the focused energy where you want it to go. For this exercise, you’ll want to push the energy behind the word toward me.”

  “How do I do that?”

  Dru hesitated. “Well, see, I’m not exactly sure.”

  “Haven’t you ever done this?”

  “Me?” Dru asked. “Oh, no. You are at a much higher skill level. I only have some basic empathic abilities.”

  “Empathic. Does that mean you can sense my emotions?” Her body shivered with tension.

  “Sometimes, but only if they are really strong. And nothing more than glimmers. Ready to try again?”

  Daith nodded and closed her eyes, forcing herself to push aside her nerves. Instead, she imagined how incredible the moment would be when she remembered her past.

  Holding the image of the word ‘ocean’ in her mind, she again felt the surge of warmth in her stomach. This time though, she concentrated on the feeling and kept it from spreading further throughout her body. To her amazement, the energy stayed tightly together. She directed the concentrated power upwards, through her chest and throat, like a floating hot ball of light, and up into her head. With a gentle push, she sent it toward Dru with the word ‘ocean’ attached. Daith could feel the instant when the image reached Dru’s mind.

  “Stars, Daith,” Dru cursed. “Ocean! The word is ocean!”

  Daith’s eyes flew open, stunned. “What?”

  Dru’s fingertips rubbed his temples. “You don’t have to yell the word.”

  “I—I didn’t. I just pushed it toward you.”

  “Really? Wow. I’ve never had such a strong connection with someone. You have a lot of power.”

  “Maybe it’s just you,” she said. She meant the words as a joke, but the tension spike in the room scared her.

  “How do you feel?” he said, changing the subject.

  The heat in Daith’s body had receded, but she felt fine. “Good.”

  “Great!”

  “Can we try some more?” she asked, eager.

  “Of course.”

  The two of them kept working, with quicker results. Soon, Daith could send whole sentences.

  “What comes next?” Daith asked.

  “Next is dinner and sleep,” Dru replied, rubbing the back of his neck. “We’ve been at this for three standard hours. I’m exhausted and my head is throbbing.”

  She put her hand on his. Heat immediately flared between their skin. “Is that my fault?”

  “No. I haven’t worked with a telepath in a while. It’s like going for a run without warming up first. I’ll be more ready next time.” He glanced at their hands, chewing his lower lip, before he drew his away. “How do you feel?”

  Daith took in another deep breath of salty air. “I feel pretty okay. A little tired maybe.”

  “Good. You show real promise, Daith.”

  She grinned, happy she’d done so well, and pleased by his reaction.

  They decided to meet back the same time the following day. Daith toyed with the idea of asking Dru to dinner again, but fatigue settled over her and the thought of being social sounded exhausting.

  Once Daith arrived in her room, she went to put an order of food in through her console, and stood staring at it. She popped one of her pills while she thought about what to order, but sleep seemed more enticing. She changed into some comfortable clothes and lay down, falling asleep before her head hit the pillow.

  Chapter 18

  Daith bounced out of bed when she awoke. The once unfamiliar surroundings now felt like a comfortable place of refuge. Though she’d still overslept a bit, she found pleasure in the fact she had nothing more than a slight headache from her work with Dru the day before. Daith threw on an outfit, then inhaled her breakfast before hurrying to the simulation room. When she arrived, the computer indicated Dru’s presence inside, and Daith wondered what sort of scenario she would be in for this time. To her disappointment, the room contained an ugly green chair in the center and a few other pieces of furniture scattered about.

  “A little bare, don’t you think? Guess you shouldn’t have used all your interesting programs so soon,” Daith joked.

  “You will be working with real objects today, not simulated ones, and the empty room will keep you from distraction.”

  “Sounds boring.”

  “Hopefully, it won’t be too bad.” He examined her face. “How do you feel this morning? Headache, bloody nose or ears, fever, dizziness? Anything out of the ordinary?”

  “No. My head feels a little heavy, but none of those other things.” She paused, her eyebrows crinkled. “Are those other symptoms likely? I mean, I thought you said I would be safe developing these abilities.”

  “You will be safe in my simulation programs.” Dru indicated the chair. “However, working your body’s energy and expanding your mind’s limits can take a physical toll. The most common thing I’ve seen is headaches. They are the first sign you are pushing too hard. The other symptoms are a result of overextending your abilities. Those sometimes develop after the testing is over. If you ever notice things like blood on your pillow in the morning or if you wake up sweating or with chills, these could be latent responses to being over-stimulated. I think if we take things slowly, you shouldn’t have any problems.”

  “Sounds like I’m taking a risk either way.” Taking things slow might prolong her memory loss while going too fast could cause injuries. She didn’t like feeling stuck at a fork where either path could lead to making her life more difficult.

  “Yes, but I think you’ll be up for the challenge.”

  Her anxiety melted away. “Thanks, Dru. I’m glad you are here to help me.”

  “Can’t think of anywhe
re else I’d rather be.”

  Daith cleared her throat, hoping the heat in her face wasn’t physically noticeable. “Okay then, let’s get started. What are we working on today?”

  “I thought we could continue with your telepathy training.”

  Daith eyed the old chair. “You want me to send thoughts to furniture?”

  “Not quite. Telepathy isn’t simply sending your thoughts or reading someone else’s mind. It is a link to the objects around you, without using your normal five senses. You can tell what someone’s actions are in another room or you can decipher the inner workings of a machine. You can understand and give understanding to others around you without having to explain anything.”

  “Sounds intense.”

  “It can be. But I believe access to telepathy gives one of the greatest rewards: a better connection to the universe.”

  Daith pointed at the chair. “Why am I using something not alive then?”

  “It’s easier to focus when you don’t have to worry about emotions. With something animate, the being’s emotions can be stronger than their rational mind, unless they’ve learned how to control them. If you started with living things, you would have to deal with their thoughts and their emotions at the same time.”

  “But you and I worked together yesterday on telepathy and you aren’t inanimate.”

  “True, but I also have a strong control of my emotions. I worked with you instead of against you, and I’ve had experience receiving impressions before.”

  “I guess that makes sense. How do I start?”

  “I would like you to find out what’s wrong with it.” Dru guided Daith behind the chair, the heat between them instant. He stepped away quickly.

  The piece of furniture seemed normal, except for being painted a hideous shade of green and sporting a large crack in the wood.

  “And how am I supposed to do that?”

  “Use your mind to connect with the chair. Search its fibers, its different components like wood, wax, oil, or paint. Then find any breaks, chips, cracks, or other parts that may be broken and tell me what they are.”