Harmonics: Rise of the Magician (Harmonics Series Season One)

by Chris Snelgrove

  "We need you to hack the school's cloud-net. It might be the only way for us to find out. It's probably misinformation again but we have to know."

  "What is it that you are attempting to ascertain that would require me to commit such a blatant violation of Academy Code SP-171?"

  Another much younger boy, probably only a fourth year, pushed his tablet up towards Richard's face.

  "Um… this is why, Mr. Richard, sir."

  The headline on the tablet read, "BREAKING NEWS: Headline – 16 dead, 57 injured, top secret military technology missing. Police have man in custody they believe to be the legendary assassin known only as the Magician. Again, the Magician has been apprehended."

  Everyone in the Pool

  Time: Current Day, late afternoon

  Scene: Academy Pool

  Sam and Richard were sitting on the benches at the school pool. The lockdown had lasted less than a half hour. During the short-lived event, they had watched armed guards run up and down the hallway shouting incoherently and generally causing chaos. Now they were already back to their regularly scheduled programming. At the moment they sat huddled together, watching the Western Media breaking news report.

  "The scene was horrendous here at the Obama Center for Hope Ever After when assailants from the terrorist organization, The Republicans, assaulted the research facility. From what witnesses can tell us, the battle lasted well over two hours. The total death count is into the twenties with another fifty or sixty wounded. General Sheen had this to say."

  The screen flipped to an aged gentleman wearing a red military uniform.

  "Being a medical research facility, it is unclear what these terrorists were after or how they were able to procure such advanced weaponry. Fortunately, the facility's security forces were able to repel the invaders before they were able to obtain their objective, whatever that might have been."

  The reporter's voice came from off screen. "General, is there any truth to the reports that this attack was carried out by a single assailant?"

  The General answered, his voice becoming irritated. "No, absolutely not. This facility has some of the most advanced security in the Clinton Providence. It is ridiculous to think that a single individual could attack and live to tell about it."

  "So the rumors that the Magician assaulted the facility are false?"

  "Of course they are. A single individual attacking an advanced medical facility without the aid of intelligence or even modern weapons, relying on some obscure magic tricks and martial arts? Preposterous! This was a team of highly trained individuals who probably had weeks of recon and cold runs. This so called 'Magician' is no more real than Santa Clause."

  "So it wasn't a false alarm?" asked Sam, sounding scared. "Should we really be out of the lockdown rooms?"

  "Let your mind be at peace, Samantha. A threat to the school is essentially a threat to the entire city. The Republicans are an anti-government force; they aren't going to attack an Academy City. The lockdown is just operating procedure from the Great War."

  "I don't know, Richard," said Sam, a little unsure of herself. "I think that General guy is lying. They aren't telling us the whole story."

  Richard gazed at her, a little surprised. It was an unflattering expression for Richard, perhaps because she wasn't used to it. "What makes you think he was lying, Samantha?"

  Sam shook her head. "I don't know; just a feeling I guess. I can't really explain why."

  "You're just being paranoid, Samantha. It's just like that time you made me watch all those classic horror movies with you. Your imagination is running away with you."

  Sam shook her head a second time. "No, really Richard. I'm serious. There is something about this whole thing that stinks . . ." Sam's voice trailed off. "Wait a second, wait just one bricking second." Sam put out her hand, requesting the tablet. "May I?"

  Richard handed it over. She had a hard time with the upgraded interface. She was never very good with technology. After a bit of a struggle, she started to replay the video that she and Richard had just finished.

  She smiled triumphantly as the recording finished up. "I knew something weird was going on."

  Richard sighed deeply. "You mind sharing your findings with those of us who are less savvy with conspiracy theory as an emotional paradigm?"

  Sam ignored Richard's sarcasm and launched right into her explanation. "He said that the Obama Center for Hope Ever After was just a medical research facility. But if it's just a medical facility, why would they have such tight security?"

  Sam smiled smugly. Richard didn't say anything, but continued to stare at her.

  "He's totally hiding something, Rich, can't you see that? Why would an anti-government organization attack some medical center?"

  Richard was unconvinced. "Samantha, it's a government facility. Of course it has high security. Chancellor Himms is one of the most paranoid people on the planet. There is a reason that the Continental Security Force has the biggest budget of all the agencies."

  "But Rich, come on, you can see it on his fat little face. He's totally lying."

  "You can believe whatever you want Samantha, but don't be disappointed if the official report undermines your theory."

  Distraction came as more students, boys and girls, exited their respective dressing rooms all wearing the required school bathing suit. Over the din of nervous laughter, Sam could clearly hear Cammie complaining.

  "Who picked these crappy new suits? OMGWB, they are, like, totally formless. I can't even show off my cleavage! I should write the city council. This is ridiculous!"

  Richard turned to Sam. "The fact that she hasn't been cited for some form of sexual harassment remains a mathematical quandary to me. Probability alone says she should have been incarcerated by now."

  "That's Cammie for you." Sam zeroed in Richard's face. "Rich, can I ask you another question?"

  "It's not about your ridiculous conspiracy theory is it?"

  "No…"

  "Then feel free."

  "Who exactly is the Magician?"

  Richard laughed, something else that was a little out of ordinary for him. Laughing was probably an overstatement; he gave an ironic sort of chuckle then took back his tablet just as he was about to answer.

  "'Who exactly is the Magician?' You're joking, right? Please tell me you're joking."

  At that moment, the group of boys from the lunch table with the holopad, the same group who had petitioned Richard to hack the school server, trotted right up to Sam and Richard, forming a half circle.

  "Easy Mackie," Richard said calmly to their leader. "I realize that you have been eavesdropping on Samantha, but alas, she remains a youth in the proverbial world of the nets and doesn't have time to stalk fictional characters like your comrades and yourself."

  Sam started to ask what Richard was talking about, the words right at the tip of her tongue when she paused, swearing she had heard wrong. Did Richard just say that they stalked a fictional character?

  Mackie ignored Richard's slight and addressed Sam directly. "And here I thought everyone knew of him. You have been ill-educated my lady. Allow me to school you in the ways of the Magician."

  Mackie posed dramatically, apparently looking for some sort of encouragement. When nothing came, he continued in a slightly putout but informational voice, very reminiscent of the anchor from the news report. Mackie pointed at Richard's tablet.

  "First I must address the propaganda you've been forced to endure. I can see that you've been watching Western Media. You do realize that Western Media has strong ties to the State, right? I mean, the sell-out journalists bring up the Magician just so the State rep can deny his existence and then pontificate about how absurd the whole thing is. And let me guess, their version of the story said that the deaths at the Obama Center for Hope Ever After were related to terrorist violence. They probably claimed that a radical group, nicknamed the Republicans, attacked a government research facility about 35 kilometers north of Academy City 676, taking m
any lives and injuring many others in their assault.

  "No doubt they assert that it was unclear as to what the Republicans were after, but their weaponry was highly advanced and their attack was greatly organized, and that while it is still unknown what their goal is, the invaders were beaten off before they could obtain any significant foothold on the grounds of the facility. Subsequent official reports by the Continental Security Agency will obviously verify this 'official' description, and then everyone will move on with their lives, not the least bit concerned about the happenings at the Obama Center for Hope Ever After, not knowing that the real story, the truth, starts more than a week ago."

  Sam cut in. "I'm sorry. Mackie, was it? What are you talking about, 'a week ago'? The assault on the center was a few hours ago. You know, when they supposedly caught the Magician and reported the 'breaking story'. Though apparently they really didn't catch him, it was just Vii Space's misinformation as usual."

  Mackie laughed, then looked to the other boys as if to invite them to join in on the joke. "Of course they did, sweetheart." He picked up his monologue again. "Now, as you so kindly pointed out, Samantha, Vii Space is way ahead of the government in matters of information collection and distribution, which brings me to this."

  Mackie pulled out a tablet, tapped the screen, and loaded an encrypted file. He spoke as the file loaded. "This is the 'medical facility' mentioned in the report. These pictures are from a hacker code-named John Adams. Notice, if you will, the heavily armed guards, the Extra Sensory perimeter fence, and mounted plasma sentry guns. Do you all see how nice and pretty that base looks?"

  They all nodded, including Sam.

  "So, now that you've seen it in its wonderful glory," Mackie tapped the tablet again, "you'll be pleased to see it after the so-called foiled attack, which actually happened one week ago. And I think you all need a copy of this to really get a feel for it." Mackie gave his buddies a wink. "I've been saving this for just such a moment."

  Mackie recommenced his vigorous tapping, finishing with a flourish. The other boys who had tablets with them, including Richard, pulled the picture up as they received it. Their expressions instantly turned to awe.

  Chaotic destruction was the only description for the scene captured on the still frame of Richard's JX23 Interface screen. Bodies were butchered and strewn across charred grass, the fence had been ripped clean in two, and the mounted sentry turrets appeared to spark in complete disrepair. Buildings were in ruins, vehicles were burning, and massive craters punctured the ground randomly across the landscape. So widespread was the devastation that the pictured venue was hardly recognizable. Sam's eyes rose slowly from the illustrated pandemonium.

  "You know," she said in a whisper, "the government's story is sounding more and more plausible."

  "The small army story?" Mackie sneered disdainfully. "Ugh, they seriously need to come up with a new headline." He pulled up another encrypted photo and sent it on to the others. "The Republicans attacking that facility is bull honky cloned donkey. This is who attacked the facility."

  The picture loaded on to Richard's tablet, but seemed to take a lot longer than it should. Sam held her breath with anxiety. She exhaled abruptly, the air making her lips flap. "Mackie, you've got to be kidding me."

  The picture showed the gate of the base from a higher angle, but still low enough to get the breaking light of the setting sun in the picture. A single unarmed individual stood silhouetted against the glare. No details could be made out, but whoever this was seemed just average: average height, average build; just plain average. Or maybe it was just the angle, Sam wasn't sure. Regardless, the scene seemed fairly unremarkable, but then something about it made her pause ever so briefly. Again it was that feeling in the pit of her stomach. She put her hand on Richard's shoulder and leaned in.

  "What's wrong, Samantha?"

  Sam shook her head. "I don't know. I feel like…. I feel strange. Like something about this scene feels familiar."

  Mackie started up again. This time his voice was low. "This picture confirms his existence; it's one of my greatest treasures."

  "Ok class, we will be starting warm-ups in 10 minutes, so disrobe and start your stretching!"

  Mackie looked slightly irritated at being cut off, but his eyes brightened at once when Ms. Swan said the word "disrobe." All the boys, excluding Richard, stared at Sam in slobbering anticipation. It wasn't hard to guess what they were waiting for.

  Sam's face turned an extreme shade of red, despite feeling rather flattered at their interest. Still, she didn't dare remove the robe she was wearing.

  "Ok you animals," said Cammie, moving in right behind Sam and the group of mega-nerds. "Don't devour our dear Samantha quite yet. Give the girl some time to adjust to this newfound position of power."

  The boys turned to look at Cammie but didn't move otherwise. Cammie rolled her eyes. "Get a move on, you miscreants!"

  Cammie gave Mackie and few others a good kick to the rear, which finally stirred them from their stupor. They slowly stood to leave. Once she was sure they were gone, or at least a good distance away, Cammie turned back and inspected Richard and Sam.

  "So we know that you totally pass, Sam. Your body is slammin'."

  "Thanks," said Sam, again embarrassed. "I think."

  "As for you, Dick, you really should go on a diet. No one is going to want to get with those jellyrolls. You know that there are supplements for unwanted fat, right? And they only cause mild amounts of erectile dysfunction. Not that you'll ever need little Richard anyway."

  "You know Camille," replied Richard, completely unshaken, "If you're having a hard time understanding why the men in your life suddenly disappear, I could formulate a couple of highly probable theories for you, most of which have to do with the phenomena of you irritating them until they develop suicidal tendencies. I would venture to say that you have a zero percent probability of even finding a male that could possibly withstand your annoying nature, let alone actually snagging him as a potential mate. I would say you should explore the option of some sort of same sex relationship, but in all actuality you'd probably just irritate any female partner to death as well. That being said, I will now offer you several moments of uninterrupted silence while you attempt to work out what I just said."

  "Yeah, yeah, Dick. I know I'm dumb and you're super smart. At least I'm not going to die of a heart attack. Why aren't you in your swim trunks?"

  Richard lifted up his tablet. "I have a note. Can't swim. Asthma."

  Cammie let out a little puff of air, a gesture that always accompanied her annoyance at any given situation. "You do know, Dick, they cured asthma like a billion years ago, right? Pssh, whatever. If you want to get fatter and never find a woman that's fine by me."

  For once, Richard kept his mouth shut.

  Cammie turned her attention to Sam. "And you! You're almost as bad as Dick over here. What in the name of Michael Jackson the Third are you still doin' in your robe?"

  Sam scowled. "Don't judge me, Cammie. Not all of us are as bold as you."

  "Samantha, you get your cute butt out of that robe right this instant," stomped Cammie with an air of authority. "I heard that Moses talked to you during lunch. How could you ignore such a development? You need to strike while the iron is hot!" Cammie ran to Sam's side and starting tugging on her robe. Sam gripped it like it was a life preserver.

  "'Strike while the iron is hot'? I don't even know what that means."

  "Samantha, look who's watching you right this very second!" Cammie attempted, unsuccessfully, to point inconspicuously.

  Sam's curiosity was piqued. She struggled to look without appearing too obvious. Contact came in the form of two pairs of eyes. One was searching while the other was waiting to be found. What Sam found made her heart skip a beat.

  Adam…

  Deep blue eyes, like the sky after a rainy day, were fixed directly and unmistakably upon her. He was looking at her and doing so with a strange amount of warmth. Her blood wa
s rushing, her face going red. She could feel the pounding of her own heart as it tapped rapidly upon her eardrums. Twice. Twice in one day. TWICE in ONE day! He had taken notice of her. Today was the best day ever.

  Embarrassment and fear caused her to break the contact, and it was then she noticed. Adam wasn't the only one looking.

  Every boy in the 5th slot physical education class had their eyes locked directly on her. Oh the feeling. The feeling of having hundreds of eyes glued to your form. It was a feeling of power mixed with overwhelming vulnerability.

  A cold chill surged up Sam's back followed by unreal clarity.

  No. It wasn't her vulnerability she was feeling. She did not feel vulnerable. She felt… she felt…protected, powerful. Such a unique and exquisite feeling; one that made her realize, made her understand. She wasn't afraid because the eyes weren't staring at her in judgment, but rather in anticipation.