They all claimed chairs. Andrus placed himself halfway down the table, close enough to observe but making it clear he wasn’t a direct part of things.
Poe took the seat across from them and eased back in a relaxed pose. “I’m sure you’re ready to go home. So am I, for that matter, and I only have a few questions. You were the only two to see the alien on Amadeus. The unknown being incapacitated the entire away team. You defeated her, then rushed everyone out of the building before they could see her. There were no efforts to take this unknown being prisoner.”
“That sounds about right,” Coraolis answered.
Jack wasn’t sure he liked Poe’s tone. It reminded Jack of his more contentious interviews. Poe was laying out their story and simultaneously punching holes in it, judging their actions from the first word.
“I have your description right here. You mention a female of unknown species. White skin with silver undertones, pointed ears, eyes that remind you of a reptile or a cat.” Poe pointed at each of them in turn. “That’s a good point to disagree on. Comparisons like that can be very subjective.”
Coraolis smiled, perfectly calm. “Yes, and memory can be affected by high-stress situations. We train to compensate for those shortcomings, but that only goes so far.”
Jack decided he didn’t want to play this game. He wasn’t a mouse, and Poe wasn’t a cat playing with his food. At least, he wouldn’t get to pounce, because Jack was going to beat him to it.
“Is there a problem with our report?” His question cut in as Poe was opening his mouth to speak. “That’s what I’m hearing here. Let’s talk it out and clear things up.”
“The problem is that you are describing an alien race that humanity has never encountered before. As former enemies of Earth Fleet—”
“Mystics Coraolis and Gagnon have no criminal records, nor do they have warrants out for their arrests,” Andrus cut in.
“With all due respect, Administrator, I was told you were here to observe only.”
“That is true, but I am also here to make sure their rights are observed. These two are innocent men in the eyes of the law.”
Jack could tell Poe didn’t like that. He also saw a flash of surprise on Coraolis’s face.
Poe seemed to struggle with something, then turned his attention back to Jack and Cor. “You are the only ones to see the being that attacked—but did not kill—the ground crew on the expedition. You gave a description that does not match any known sentient race in the galaxy.” Poe went on as if he hadn’t been interrupted, his voice perfectly level. At least he was sticking to the facts this time. “Surely you understand why your report is met with some skepticism?”
It shouldn’t have come as a surprise. This was their first mission since they’d surrendered to Earth. It was natural to be under scrutiny. Jack just didn’t like it. It felt unfair. They’d never lied to the E.F.
“Not really.” Jack leaned back, arms crossed. “Why would we make any of that up? What would be the point?”
“That’s what I’d like to know. It would be better if you cooperated from the beginning. You have people waiting for you, don’t you? Is there any chance they’re in on this conspiracy, whatever it is?”
“There is no conspiracy.” Coraolis’s words came out clipped. “We were to be treated fairly, and you’ve just accused us of crimes against humanity. Our report is the truth. If you wish to fill in details, we are at your service, but if you question the veracity of our statements, we’re done.”
“Not from my perspective.” Poe put down his datapad. “What was the device you retrieved from Amadeus? How did you know it was there?”
“We didn’t,” Jack answered. “Our dragons pushed us in that direction, that’s all. I don’t know what it does, and we already turned it over to Captain Wells.”
“Your dragons, yes. They make a convenient excuse to do anything, don’t they?”
“I wouldn’t call it convenient.” Jack stood up, ready to leave.
“Sit down, Mystic Gagnon. We’re not done here yet. Administrator?”
“I believe that as long as one Mystic remains to finish the interview, the terms of our agreement with E.F. are met,” Andrus answered.
Jack looked at Coraolis. Coraolis had his hands flat on the table as if he were about to push up from his seat. Something kept him in his chair. Jack noted the indecision on his face and decided not to pressure Coraolis into following.
He turned and took a step to leave when the young officer moved from his seat against the wall to stand at Poe’s shoulder. He looked pale and nervous, but whether that was at interrupting or if that was his natural state, Jack wasn’t sure.
“Sir, an urgent message just came in. I think you may want to see this.” He held out his datapad to Captain Poe.
While Poe took the device and read it over, the young man caught Jack’s eye and nodded toward his seat. Jack hesitated. If he was going to walk out, he should get it over with, but now he was curious.
He sat down as Poe turned on the screen on the front wall using the controls built into the table. A strange figure faced them. An alien with snow white skin and silver undertones, and eyes slit like a cat’s. His long, sharp ears poked out from between a cascade of white hair.
The alien stared into the camera, and Jack identified more details that set this being apart from humankind. His eyes were too large, his face too long and bony, his skin had a glossy sheen that made it look impossibly smooth.
Poe pressed a button, and the video played: “People of Earth, I speak for all Pirr when I say that you are nothing more than graverobbers and thieves. You lack honor and are not to be trusted.” The alien spoke in perfect, crisp English. He repeated his message in Chinese, then Spanish.
“This is the only warning you will receive. Humanity is a plague among the stars. You are to be quarantined. No human will be permitted beyond your current borders. Any human found outside those limits will be removed.”
The alien repeated his message as Jack caught Coraolis’s eye, who shrugged. Jack understood. The Pirr had been the attackers, not the humans. At least this proved that Jack and Cor had been telling the truth.
“I’m guessing you don’t have any more questions for us,” Jack said to Poe.
Poe shook his head, not taking his eyes from the screen. “I know where to find you if I need anything else.”
***
Julia and Dante were overjoyed to see them. Several rib-cracking hugs were exchanged before Coraolis asked for mercy. They had seen the video, just like everyone else on the planet. It worried them. Jack and Cor took turns telling the story of the lost city and the alien who’d fought them.
That night, everyone met at Julia’s and Coraolis’s apartment for a game of D&D. Dante and Julia were jealous of Coraolis’s one-on-one games with Jack. They’d been settling for board game nights, often with Isabel as a guest, but they’d been craving a good dungeon crawl.
“I see, so that’s all you missed about me,” Jack joked as Julia put the finishing touches on the nachos.
“No, of course not. I just thought you’d be interested in the board games, considering Isabel has been joining us.”
“Has she?” Jack wondered about the surprised flutter in his chest. Maybe it was simply thinking of Isabel again when he’d been trying not to for the last couple of months.
“Oh, sure. Dante and I went to apologize for how we acted at the hospital, and she was very nice about it. It turns out she likes gaming, so it seemed natural to invite her.” Julia set more nachos on the table where everyone could reach them. “She asked about you.”
“Oh?”
Jack sat, hoping Julia would elaborate. His set his DM screen aside for easier access to the nachos. Dante and Coraolis came in from the balcony and joined them, Coraolis balancing a platter of burgers.
“I can’t tell you how much I’ve craved real, human junk food.” Jack scooped up a nacho and popped it into his mouth. It felt like the best way to change the
subject. “Maybe we died and went to heaven.”
“If heaven is Julia’s nachos, I would say yes.” Coraolis laughed and sat next to her. Dante took the next seat over.
“I was telling Jack about Isabel. Maybe she could join us,” Julia suggested. “We could use another strong arm.”
Jack shrugged, trying not to look too eager. “Let’s get back in our own groove first. Last time we played, you all took down the Deathless Knight and recovered the stolen Orb.”
“That seems so long ago,” Dante groaned.
“That isn’t our fault. If it wasn’t for the Pirr, we would have been home for Christmas.” Coraolis put an arm around Julia, stealing a quick hug.
“How about that, though? A new alien race out of nowhere, with Mystic abilities too,” Julia leaned into Cor for a moment, then sat up straight, her cheeks a little flushed. “Where have they been this whole time?”
Dante grabbed a burger and started piling it with lettuce and tomato. “My guess is they’re isolationist, judging by that message. You two really stepped on their toes.”
Jack cleared his throat. “Yeah, but did you all finish leveling up your characters since last time? Honestly, I’m here to play, if that’s all right.”
“Sure, sure.” Dante took a large bite of his burger and picked up his character sheet, scrutinizing it closely. “Yeah, I think I did. I wasn’t this good at picking locks before.”
Coraolis and Julia chimed in. Both of them were ready to go. Jack left his screen down; he didn’t need it for the first part. The Deathless Knight was gone, the people were saved. The dark cloud that had been hanging over the land was still there, though, causing an unnatural chill over what should have been high summer.
The party was talking to a corrupted druidess. Jack was getting ready to have her reveal her true nature and attack when he realized Dante was looking at his datapad.
“I thought you missed this.”
“Huh?” Julia looked up and saw Dante putting his datapad away, abashed. “Dante, we agreed no devices at the table.”
“I’m sorry, really. I have alerts set whenever the Pirr are mentioned.” He held up his hands in surrender when Jack gave him a dirty look. “Hey, you know how rare Mystic abilities are.”
“I’ve got to admit, I want to know more about them,” Julia chimed in. “The way Cor tells it, you two were having a real live action adventure on Amadeus.”
“I guess it sounds that way. It wasn’t so fun at the time.” Jack closed his notebook and sat back. “Do you want to talk to Sheena, or would you rather blow off some steam?”
“Sheena? Oh, the druid.” Dante polished off his burger and pushed his plate aside. The nachos had already been demolished.
“Maybe a little refocusing is in order,” Coraolis admitted. “What do you propose?”
“It’s been a while since we were all in the Astral Plane together.” Jack stood up and stretched. “Who wants to spar?”
Everyone did, it turned out. After a few minutes to put leftovers in the fridge, the four Evolved sat on the living room floor, knee to knee, and entered the Astral Plane. Jack was surprised to find a huge bubble waiting for them, its surface gleaming with streaks of blue and violet.
“What is this?” he asked, reaching out for it.
“Careful, it’ll suck you in. I should know.” Dante gave Julia a mock dirty look. “Someone left her stuff lying around.”
“Hey, I told you not to touch it. I wanted to see how long it would last without my help.” Julia moved up next to Jack, looking over the globe. “So far, I count thirteen days.”
“What’s it for?” Jack still wanted to touch it, despite the warning.
Julia shrugged. “I made it for my class. My students spar in it, and it absorbs any stray energy that touches it. That might be why it’s still intact.”
“You have your students spar?” Coraolis sounded a little shocked. “I thought you were just doing an intro to the Astral Plane.”
“I am. I did, I mean. They’ve moved on, but we meet outside of class. I want to keep them on par with the nats.”
“Nats?”
“Mhm. Natural Mystics. You have an edge over us Enhanced Humans. We’re all on the same team, and I want my students to carry their weight.” She looked at Jack’s face, and her smile became a little sheepish. “I know labels like that aren’t helpful, but they’re everywhere now. Nats and cybers. All the cool kids are saying it.”
“That doesn’t sound very welcoming.” Jack furrowed his brow. “I saw how much trouble you got from the ‘nats’ when we were at the Academy.”
“I know. That’s why I’m teaching them to own their differences, and how to be stronger for them. Now, are we going to spar or what?”
“We’re going to spar,” Dante broke in. “I’ve been dying to try out your Thunder Ball for myself.”
“You should have asked,” Julia laughed and waved him on. “Go on. I promise to let you out when it’s over.”
“Thunder Ball?” Coraolis was reaching for its surface but stopped when he heard that moniker. “Really?”
“Two Mystics enter, one Mystic leaves,” Julia smirked. “It was that or Death Bubble. I thought this sounded a little more positive.”
Coraolis scoffed, though Jack noticed him hiding a smile as he turned from Julia to enter Thunder Ball. He and Dante squared off, each of them wielding oversized energy blades. Jack watched them going at each other for a while.
“They can only leave if you let them? Have you considered using this as a trap?” he asked.
“I have, but it took a lot of energy to create it. I can’t make one on the fly.” Julia touched the side of the sphere, smiling with pride.
“Still, this is really impressive. I’m glad things are better with Dante, too.”
“They are.” She tilted her head as Dante got behind Coraolis and started to swing, then was knocked away by a jolt of energy. “Sorry to derail your game. We missed your D&D sessions.”
“It’s okay. Mostly I wanted to get us all together again.” Jack smirked at Dante and Cor, who were now wrestling with each other. “I was sorry to miss winter though. I always look forward to the hot chocolate, Christmas…snowball fights.”
Julia raised her eyebrows and made a scooping motion. “You know, we could have that here.” A white ball appeared in her hand. It wasn’t snow, but he could tell by looking that it was as harmless as an ordinary snowball. “The guys are having fun. I want in, don’t you?”
“I do.” Jack created a ‘snowball’ of his own and wound up, ready to throw.
“Excellent. Be ready on my mark. Three… two… one…”
Julia tapped the Thunder Ball’s surface. Dante and Coraolis popped out, still grappling with each other. The pair only had time to look up before Julia and Jack opened fire, pelting them as fast as they could create new missiles out of the ether.
“This is war,” Dante declared. Coraolis had already returned fire. Jack saw the throw half a second before something white hit him in the face. He ducked behind Thunder Ball, seeking cover.
Coraolis whooped, smelling blood, but was driven back by another volley from Julia. Soon, they were in a free-for-all with ‘snowballs’ flying everywhere. When Jack was ready to surrender, he ducked inside Thunder Ball. Dante joined him, and they watched as Coraolis and Julia duked it out.
Dante clapped him on the shoulder. “It’s good to have you back, Jack.”
Jack grinned as Julia chased Coraolis around the Ball, both trying to get an angle on the other. “Thanks. It’s good to be back. There’s nothing quite like home.”
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
The Academy of Mystics was nestled in the center of a small forest with footpaths that wove through the trees. Clearings dotted the forest—popular gathering spots for the students, others more remote and private. Once Julia stepped onto one of the paths, she almost forgot she was in the heart of civilization.
She knew her way around the forest as well as her ow
n apartment. She and Jack jogged there every morning, each day taking a different route. On days she and Coraolis were free at the same time, they met in his favorite clearing for lunch.
It rained that morning, but the clouds had dispersed by midday, leaving a clear blue sky behind. Julia found Coraolis on his favorite bench, contemplating the twisted statue that fascinated him so much.
After their usual greeting, she handed Cor a sandwich and a bottle of water. For a few minutes, they ate quietly, enjoying each other’s company.
“How was class today?” Cor asked after he’d polished off his peanut butter and jelly.
“Great. Honora’s come a long way. Today she came up with these weapons, they looked like harmless scarves, but she had Tomas wrapped up like a mummy in three seconds flat.”
He put an arm around her shoulders and squeezed. “You must be very proud.”
She nodded. She never would have guessed that she’d like teaching, or that she’d be good at it. Either she’d been gifted with six extraordinary students, or she was good at her job. Or, maybe, it was both.
“They’re all doing well in their regular classes too. They’re keeping up with the nats and then some.”
“That word,” Coraolis sighed, making it so drawn out that she knew it wasn’t serious. “Nats.”
She nudged him. “We have to call you something.”
“How about Mystics? We’re all Mystics, no matter how we got here.” He kissed her temple, where some of her enhancements were visible. “I don’t see you as any different, or any less.”
“I know, but I don’t think you realize how rare that is. People who are born Mystics think they are somehow more deserving than those of us who weren’t.” She shrugged and leaned against his side. “I hope it’s temporary. When cybers have been around long enough to be normal, maybe it’ll all change.”
“I sure hope so.” Coraolis sighed, and this time she knew it was real. His empathy was one of the many reasons she cared for him so much. She was about to tell him so when their datapads both chirped. She met Cor’s eye, and they reached for their devices. The last time they’d gotten a simultaneous message, Jack was in the hospital.
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