by Viola Grace
“My name is Turnari abin Depkor. I am the administrator here at the Citadel Morganti, but I am also a telepath, and given the strength of your talent, I will be your instructor.”
She blinked. “What?”
“You need a quiet and protected space to practice, and there is no space more insulated against mental invasion than this very room.”
“So, they can’t get in and I can’t get out.”
“Yes.”
He was sitting at his desk, and his hands were folded neatly in front of him. It struck her that he was trying not to be imposing.
“When do we start?”
He gestured to the chair in front of him. “Take a seat and remove the headpiece that is restraining you.”
“Now?”
“Now. I need to do an assessment of your power and the arrangement of your mind. I can’t do that if you are encapsulated in your skull.”
She settled in the chair and reached up to work the thin wire out from under her hair. When she had it in her hands, she settled it in her lap.
“You are holding your mind in.” Turnari smiled.
“Is that what that feels like?”
“Let it go.”
Bits closed her eyes and let the crumbly shield she had built shrink down, and she let her mind out.
Turnari’s mind was a bright beacon, and she surged toward it. He let her touch his thoughts, and she noted that pity was a large part of his reaction to her, but a thread of attraction was in there as well. That surprised her. She was used to being a scarecrow already.
His voice came through her haze, and she heard. “Just let your mind out to wash over mine. Keep yourself relaxed, keep your mind open.”
She breathed in and out slowly, feeling the light, cool brushing against her thoughts as he began his examination. She didn’t know how long they were linked together, but when his mind retracted from hers, she tried to mimic him by pulling back as slowly as she could. Soon, she was sitting across from him and smiling shyly. “How was that?”
He smiled at her in response. “Excellent. The two parts of your talent are supposed to work in harmony, but for some reason, your mental skills activated later.”
“My sister is a suppressor talent. It might have had something to do with it.”
“When were you last exposed to her?”
“Two and a half years ago when I was put in the suit.”
He nodded and made some notes before looking at her. “What did you sense when you were in contact with me?”
“I sensed that you are calm, curious, vaguely attracted to me and that you felt pity for me.” She rubbed her palms on her thighs.
He leaned back. “Anything else?”
“No, sir. I left you to your privacy.” She inclined her head.
“Good. That was a lot to pick up from surface contact on a first try.”
He made a few more notes. He seemed to ignore that she had caught on to his attraction, but perhaps, it wasn’t a big thing to him. It was a huge thing to her.
She had just become a legal adult before the fiasco, and having anyone attracted to her, even while she was sickly, was a very big deal. His attraction had been to her skin, her hair and the blue of her eyes.
Turnari nodded and made some more notes. “You will need to check in with the healers daily and make a concerted effort to regain the lost weight. If you don’t have biological resources to call upon, control of your talent will suffer. You can put your restrictor back now.”
She replaced the metal band around her hairline. “I have regained three pounds since I have been out of the suit. I believe that as I am able to resume a normal eating routine, I will recover quickly.”
He checked the flat pad in front of him. “Well, as it is meal time, I believe that I can give you the tour of the dining area.”
She wasn’t hungry, but forcing herself to eat was a habit she was getting used to. At the base, she had set a timer and eaten like clockwork. Apparently, here, she was going to have to continue that habit.
He gathered his data pad and came around the desk to offer her his arm. She got to her feet and slid her hand in the crook of his arm. The muscle flexed under her hand, but he was otherwise unmoved.
On the way down in the lift, he gave her the tour lecture that Kalo had been too afraid to give her on the way in.
“You aren’t afraid of me touching you?”
Turnari chuckled. “Of course not. You don’t have any reason to try to manipulate me, and frankly, you are too weak to do much at all.”
Bits gave him a sidelong glance. “You read all that?”
“No. My eyes work just fine. Your hands tremble, you move like you are made of glass and you look like you are about to fall asleep. Physically, you are no threat at all. Psychically, you are a rock tumbling down a hill. You have plenty of power but no control.”
She touched the band at the back of her neck. “The restrictor is going to hold it in, right?”
“If Fixer says it will do, it will hold. However, I know she told you that it is a temporary measure.”
Bits wrinkled her nose as they left the lift, and he gave her a brief introduction to the Citadel.
As he described the amenities, she looked around to see everyone in similar clothing to the base. The amount of exposed skin was minimal, usually confined to head and hands for most species. Some of the members of the Citadel wore robes over their bodysuits, which provided more protection. Bits relaxed. The chance of her accidentally affecting someone was minimized.
“So, who first called you Bits?”
She grinned. “My sister. She started calling me that when I went to school for the first time. Abitika is a little bit of a mouthful, even for Jrinka.”
“Does it have a meaning?” He was casually steering her toward the dining area.
“It translates into something like fight the mind and bring compassion. I don’t know. My parents studied dead languages, and I guess this sounded good.”
He nodded and smiled, his horns gleaming in the light coming in through the wall of windows. “It is rather prophetic.”
“My mom was good at that type of thing. She constantly told me to stay out of my sister’s love life, but I didn’t, and so, I ended up in the suit.”
“And then here.”
“Well, I already had a talent, so it is likely that the Citadel would have recruited me anyway. I just would have started my time here without ill health.” She chuckled.
He nodded and showed her the food selections. Because of her muddled genetics, she could eat nearly everything on the buffet. Nineteen generations of the Jrinka colony had blended into sector-wide omnivores.
She released Turnari and wandered around picking out tidbits and selections that were on her most wanted list. She had to start with greens then have soup, and after that, she could eat as much as she could. Her stomach was slowly accepting something that approached a normal serving.
Turnari appeared at her side again, and he led her to a table in a section slightly separate from the rest of the diners.
He looked at her tray. “Is that all you are eating?”
She arranged it in the order she was going to consume it. “Yes. This is all that I can manage right now.”
He frowned. “When can you increase your intake?”
She blinked. “One week ago, it took me two hours just to finish the soup. This is progress.”
Turnari smiled. “Apologies. It just seems small.”
“To me, too, but it is all that will stay down. I am trying not to rush anything.”
“Very wise.”
They ate in companionable quiet for a few minutes until Kalo arrived beside their table.
“Apologies for interrupting, Administrator, there is an issue with one of the Specialists on assignment. I believe you need to address it.” Kalo inclined his head to further his apology.
Turnari nodded. “Can I take it here?”
Kalo looked worried. “I would reco
mmend against it. One of our people is being held, and you need to engage in some damage control.”
Bits kept eating while they spoke.
Turnari nodded to Bits. “Please, excuse me. I will return as soon as I am able.”
She smiled. “I will be here. This will take me about an hour.”
He and Kalo left, and she just kept eating.
An hour later, her tray was empty and there was no sign of Turnari. She drummed her fingers on the table and then got to her feet.
She asked a few folks that she passed how she could find medical, and when she located it, she went to check in.
The medic that greeted her was a little nervous when her file came up, but Bits reassured her. “I am just here for the maintenance scans that Effin wants.”
The medic led her to the scanner and helped her situate herself. “Do you have any questions since you are here?”
“Sure. Does my file have my room number listed on it? I was on the verge of getting a tour, but my guide was called away.”
“Oh, you are in room seven on the twelfth floor. You are located in shielded quarters.”
“Thank you.” Bits smiled. She leaned back, and the scanner went over her from head to toe and back again.
“Well, your body is still recovering. Your meal is nearly digested, and you could probably eat again.” The medic smiled.
“Thank you. I will see if there is a dispenser in my room. What is your name?”
The woman was flustered. “Healer Nimra.”
“Thank you, Healer Nimra. You have been most helpful.”
With a sigh of relief at knowing where she was going, Bits headed to the lift and selected the twelfth floor.
The seventh room opened at her palm scan, and she walked inside with relief. Her armour was standing in a corner of the bedroom while the open expanse of a second room for living space gave her the strangest sensation of being all grown up.
She was exercising and watching a vid when there was a knock at her door. Bits headed to her door and opened it, smiling brightly. “Hello, Turnari. I found my home.”
He nodded. “May I come in?”
She stepped back and waved him inside.
He entered and looked at her armour. “Does that really work?”
“Yes. Safety first, according to the littles.”
He smiled. “Mala let her kids help?”
“She did and they did.”
Turnari nodded and then finally looked at her. “You are sweating.”
“I was exercising. The more I can work out, the more my body wants to eat. It is also a good idea considering that I am aiming at a strenuous occupation.”
“Have you found your data pad?”
She nodded. “It is on the desk.”
“There is a schedule in it. My schedule is fairly fluid, but when events arise, as they did today, I will need to reschedule your tutorials at the last minute.”
“I understand.” Since he seemed to be waiting for her, she went to the data pad and brought up the schedule. “Wow. Every morning?”
“For the first week. After that, we will work through your proficiencies.” He smiled brightly. “Were you interested in continuing your tour?”
“Sure. What are the odds of you being called away?”
“Only a thirty percent chance today.” His lips twitched.
“Why isn’t Kalo doing it? He is your assistant, so it would be more appropriate for him to take me around.”
Turnari sighed and steered her toward the door. “You scare him. He is freaked out by the fact that you can manipulate via contact without having a psychic impact. He isn’t used to being vulnerable.”
Bits sighed and left her quarters, closing the door behind her. “I am not threatening. Unless someone wants me to use my talent, I don’t need to program any part of me.”
They walked the hall toward the lift. “Why do you use the term program?”
“Ah, it is a family rumour that we had Avari in the mix. My talent seems to work like nanomachines, so I use the phrase program.”
He nodded and a distant look came to his eyes as they got into and rode the lift to the main floor. Something she had said was resonating in him. Whatever it was, they had a week of morning sessions to work through it.
Chapter Five
Craft therapy was an odd requirement, but after a few days of having Turnari helping her direct her thoughts and senses, working with her hands came as a relief.
She made jewellery boxes, bookshelves and wooden spoons with the materials they stocked in the workshop. All she had to do was sign out the materials so they could be replaced and she could make whatever she wanted.
The morning session had been particularly brutal. Turnari had taken her restrictor away. She was having to go through one entire day with her own mind confining itself.
Today, she finished the circular box that she was making for one of the men in her combat-tactics course. She didn’t want to go into battle, but if she ended up in one, she wanted to know what was going on.
Her medical checkups were showing progress. She should be back to a normal body weight in ten weeks or less. She would be able to go on missions in ten more days. That would help her clear the debt that she was gathering while she took classes and recovered.
Bits finished her project with a swipe of oil and set it on a shelf to dry. Working with her hands was also part of her control tests. She had to keep from using sweat and oil to mark the items she was making with emotions she wanted to pass along.
She washed her hands, left the workshop and headed for the dining hall. Her appetite was coming back, and it was signalling her with comforting regularity.
Her combat classmates waved at her, and she waved back before turning to get a tray and start loading up her increasingly large meal.
When she turned toward the sitting area with her tray, she glanced into Turnari’s corner, and he was sitting there, waving her over. It wasn’t the most polite greeting, but since he could reach into her mind and summon her over, it had its charm.
She nodded to her friends and then headed for her tutor’s table.
He smiled at her tray. “Good. So, how has your day gone?”
She shrugged. “I have managed to keep myself to myself so far, but as we discussed, I am remaining in the unshielded areas to test my control.”
“Bravo. You are doing well.”
“I think so.” She smiled and started eating.
“Fixer would like to see you. She has some changes that she would like to make to your armour. Would you be able to return to the base after dinner?”
“Of course.”
“Wearing the armour?” He raised his brows.
“Definitely. It boosts my stamina, and I can run at a frightening pace.”
His lips quirked. “Even after a meal?”
“Of course. My metabolic rate is cruising along quite well. By the time I run up the stairs to get the suit, things will be fine.”
“Do you need a flight?”
She shook her head. “I can run there in half an hour. I need a bit of exertion.”
He sat back and sipped at his beverage. “Are you enjoying your time here?”
Bits wrinkled her nose and swallowed. “Most of the time, yes. There are a few moments that are uncomfortable, but that is part of learning.”
Turnari nodded. “You don’t mind the psychic invasion?”
“No. It is necessary for the training. I can feel the difference after our sessions.”
“I must say, I have never been in such persistent contact with a woman. It is a learning moment on both of our parts.”
“What do you do for fun, Administrator Turnari?” she changed the subject abruptly, but he adapted.
“I go sailing on the northern sea.”
She blinked. She had thought it would be something more social. “That sounds quiet.”
“It is. I can open my mind and let the silence reign.”
Bits coul
d see the appeal. “How long have you enjoyed sailing?”
“Since I was a teen on Dhema. Dhemans don’t appreciate psychic mutations. I had to pull myself in tight just to make it through school and, after that, military service.”
“So, you joined the Citadel to be able to be yourself?”
“Something like that. I had reached a secure position and other families were approaching mine in an effort to coax me into taking a bride. My parents know what I am, and so, they were running out of excuses.”
She blinked. “Your families arrange your marriages?”
“Generally. It is considered appropriate to wed someone of matching social standing and financial status.”
“Ah. Well, that is definitely different than Jrinka.”
“How do you manage your relationships?” He raised his brows.
She grinned. “Once we are journeymen, we can attend any guild social event, and so, we simply mill around until we find someone we feel compatibility with. From there, courtship ensues and then marriage if the couple is solid.”
“Interesting. You don’t find the haphazard methodology to be a little inexact?”
She shrugged. “I hadn’t gotten to that point. I was just granted my journeyman status on the day I left Jrinka.”
“You managed to make it to journeyman status in that suit?”
“Sure. I did my whole apprenticeship in it.”
He tilted his head and his horns gleamed. “Really? Impressive.”
“I was just happy to get it done. There were other tries at my journeyman rating, but someone kept smashing my projects. I don’t know if it was another apprentice or someone else, but it really held me back.”
They chatted for another few minutes until she finished her meal, and when she took her tray to the dish station, he was right behind her.
“Are you coming with me?”
“I can at least escort you out of the building. I am eager to see the armour in action.”
They made their way to her quarters, and he watched as she stroked the suit open before backing into it.
The fit was slightly snugger than it had been when she had been at the base.