“And I’m telling you there’s something wrong with the starboard-side energy displacer,” argued Sergeant Ron. “I can smell it.”
Richard took a sniff of the air. He smelled nothing.
“It’s just a saying, Rick,” said Nickelo over the battle helmet’s external speakers. Richard’s battle computer sounded a little smug. “Sergeant Ron didn’t mean he could actually smell something.”
Sergeant Ron gave Richard a wink. “Not to contradict you, Nick, but I really did mean something doesn’t smell right. There’s just the barest hint of Halocian hydraulic-fluid in the air. My guess is a line’s got a hairline crack in it somewhere.”
“Hmm,” conceded Nickelo. “I guess I’m in no position to argue with someone who has an actual nose. So, I stand corrected.”
“Regardless,” Richard said getting back into the conversation. “I don’t smell anything out of the ordinary.”
“See, that’s what’s wrong with you young whippersnappers and your highfalutin wizard scout training,” said Sergeant Ron. “You spent most of your time in the Academy studying how to fight when you should’ve been figuring out how to maintain your equipment.”
Richard looked closer at Sergeant Ron to see if his old maintenance chief was joking. He didn’t catch even a hint of a smile.
“They could’ve given me a full semester of training on maintaining equipment,” Richard countered, “and I still wouldn’t be able to smell problems.”
“That’s up for discussion,” said Sergeant Ron, “but that’s not what I meant. You’re aware Charlie could’ve attended the Academy, aren’t you?”
“Yeah,” Richard admitted. “So?”
“So…,” replied Sergeant Ron, “Charlie chose to do something useful with his Power like learning how to use it to diagnose equipment. Didn’t you, Charlie?”
Sergeant Ron’s assistance mechanic was across the room taking sniffs with his nose around the starboard-side energy displacer. At Sergeant Ron’s voice, Charlie looked up and nodded his head in an affirmative manner.
“Everything releases Power,” said Charlie as he walked over to join Sergeant Ron and Richard. “Trick is to spot wrong Power.”
Perplexed, Richard asked, “What do you mean by wrong Power?”
“Come. I show,” said Charlie as a line of Power snaked out of him in the direction of the starboard-side energy displacer.
Richard recognized the line of Power as the type of scan he’d seen Charlie use when maintaining the ship’s equipment. Since Charlie was making no movement other than forming a line of Power, Richard took it as a sign the Sterilian meant for him to follow his scan. Forming an active scan of his own, Richard moved his line of Power until it was parallel with Charlie’s.
“No,” said Charlie through the translator on his belt. “Merge with mine.”
Nick? Richard thought in his shared space. Do you know what Charlie’s trying to have me do? Is it safe?
He’s obviously trying to teach you something, said Nickelo. I’d say pay close attention. From what I’ve observed, Charlie’s not one of those instructors who’s willing to say something twice. You better be paying attention the first time.
Fine, Richard thought back as he began merging his scan with the Sterilian’s line of Power. Are you coming along with me on the scan?
Not this time, replied Nickelo. It’s all on you, brother. I calculate I’d just distract you.
Whatever, Richard said a little disappointed his battle computer wouldn’t be with him to detect any nuances in Charlie’s scan. Suit yourself.
Once Richard merged his scan with Charlie’s line of Power, he felt another presence on the outskirts of his mind. It wasn’t as distinct as his battle computer’s, although the effect was similar.
Charlie? Richard thought.
No words followed, but Richard felt a sensation of emotions and images which let him know without a doubt the other presence was Charlie.
A sensation from Charlie seemed to say ‘come’. It was just a sensation, but Richard understood it as clearly as if it had been a word.
Richard followed the mechanic’s scan while matching movement for movement. Their scans entered into a wave of energy surrounding the starboard-side energy displacer. Richard followed along with Charlie’s scan until they were deep inside the displacer.
Feel the energy, said Charlie. Let mind become part of it.
Odd as Charlie’s command might have been to another, it made sense to Richard. While he’d been a young boy at the orphanage, Richard had discovered he had an affinity for manipulating lines of Power from all sorts of equipment. He’d eventually learned how to use his skill at tracing Power to circumvent security locks on the doors at the orphanage. The technique had come in handy when sneaking out at night to look for food. Richard’s ability to bypass alarms was partially due to his ability to merge his Power with that of the alarm system and become a part of it.
Richard followed Charlie’s instructions and merged his Power with the waves of energy from the starboard-side energy displacer. He began to feel the pulse of the equipment. He momentarily became a part of the displacer, although in a purely observational way.
Feel strange? asked Charlie.
Richard was pretty sure Charlie wasn’t asking how he felt. Charlie was interested in the equipment.
Uh…, the energy feels okay, I guess, Richard said trying to remain noncommittal.
Sure? asked Charlie.
Concentrating harder on the energy around him, Richard felt himself drawn in a certain direction as if he’d been caught in a slight current. Without asking Charlie’s permission, Richard allowed the energy to pull him along until he’d left the displacer. Richard’s passive scan told him he was traveling down a tube of some type. He felt Charlie’s mind moving along with him, but the old lizard was remaining quiet. Before long, they came to a point in the tube where a stream of energy was dissipating out of the tube in a small stream.
You find leak, Charlie said. Now find where we are.
Continuing to use his passive scan, Richard took note of their position. They were in the flooring halfway between the cargo deck and the engine room.
Got us, Richard said. Do we go back now and tell Sergeant Ron?
No, answered Charlie. Follow me. You learn.
With those words, Charlie took Richard on a sort of behind-the-scenes tour of the Defiant. For the next hour, the old lizard took pains to point out problem areas in the starship which needed to be watched closely. He even took Richard deep inside the Defiant’s hyper-drive.
Richard had always enjoyed watching Power in all its intricate designs. In Richard’s mind, the waves and lines of Power in the Defiant’s hyper-drive was a work of art. He could’ve watched it for hours without growing bored. However, Charlie had things to do, and eventually the lizard succeeded in dragging Richard away from the hyper-drive and back to the auxiliary maintenance room where the starboard-side energy displacer was kept. Sergeant Ron was no longer there.
“Do you need help fixing the hydraulic line?” Richard asked.
“No. I fix,” said Charlie. “You just get in way.”
Taking his friend’s words as a dismissal, Richard headed back to his quarters to take a short nap. He was a little tired.
You’re always a little tired, said Nickelo.
Yeah, Richard yawned. Maybe so, but I’m more tired than usual right now. Charlie had me at that active scan for quite a while.
With those words, Richard lay down on his bunk and went to sleep.
Chapter 6 – Jeena
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The silver-haired elf crouched down hardly daring to breath. Her delicately-pointed ears twitched slightly and stirred a few strands of her long, silver hair. The elf strained to hear any sound of her adversaries. Her molten-silver eyes darted back and forth as she tried to spot any sign of danger before it could take her by surprise. But no matter where she looked, the elf’s eyes kept coming back to
the pair of legs protruding from around the corner of the tunnel. The legs lay sprawled out on the stone floor. They didn’t move.
The elf recognized the light-blue robe partially covering the legs as well as the fine-leather boots. They belonged to her companion and fellow acolyte, Crystal. The elf took a few cautious steps forward until she could make out more of the prone body.
The elf was Jeehanathoraxen, better known as Jeena to her family and friends. Along with her companion, Crystal, she’d been tasked with finding a silver-trimmed chest in the dank tunnel-system. Jeena knew at least two mages were trying to prevent her from achieving her goal.
Those two mages are good, Jeena thought. They have to be. Crystal’s one of the best acolytes in the priest guild.
Mouthing a seeker spell, Jeena drew Power from her reserve and converted it to magic. She used the magic energy to form a translucent ball of energy in her hands. Jeena kept the energy as small as possible. Her stealth shield was not yet good enough to hide herself and her magic at the same time if her spell was too large.
With a puff of air, Jeena sent the seeker spell towards the corner. As the spell moved down the tunnel, the ball of energy became ever more translucent until it disappeared completely.
Keeping part of her mind merged with the seeker spell, Jeena called a second seeker into being. A larger ball of energy formed in her hands. Jeena sent the second seeker down the tunnel in the opposite direction. She made no attempt to hide it. The second seeker was her decoy.
Jeena toyed with the idea of trying to follow both seekers with her mind, but she quickly abandoned the thought. She envisioned her mentor, Priestess Aldriss, chastising her for even considering such a foolish plan.
‘You’re not that good yet,’ Jeena imagined the priestess saying. ‘Simpler is often the better course of action.’
Jeena let go of the second seeker and allowed it to go where it may. She focused on the first, smaller seeker. It had reached the corner of the tunnel. In her mind, Jeena saw what the seeker saw. Sure enough, the body crumpled on the tunnel floor was Crystal. Jeena noticed the fog of Crystal’s breath in the cold air of the tunnel. Her friend was still alive, but that did little to help Jeena at the moment.
Jeena needed to find the chest first. Once that was done, she could return and help Crystal. Jeena forced herself to ignore her friend in order to complete her assigned task. As Priestess Aldriss would say, ‘the mission comes first’. Jeena didn’t always agree with her mentor’s philosophy, but in this case it made sense. Finding the chest was too important to be waylaid by prematurely caring for a fallen comrade.
Sending the seeker further down the tunnel, Jeena checked for any signs of her adversaries. She found none. Holding the wand in her right hand at the ready, she continued edging forward until she was at the turn in the tunnel. If she had wanted, Jeena could have prodded Crystal’s boots with her own, but she did not. She needed to find her opponents first.
Jeena hoped her information was correct and that there were only two mages opposing her. She knew she’d already be hard pressed to handle two mages by herself. While it was possible Crystal had taken one of the mages out, Jeena had her doubts. The stun wands Crystal and she’d been issued were noisy, yet she’d heard nothing. And, the few minor offensive spells Crystal and she’d been taught were far from silent either.
No, Jeena thought. The mages must have gotten the drop on Crystal. The mage guild tends to teach their apprentices offensive spells much sooner than the priest guild. I have to expect the unexpected.
By this time, the first seeker was at the next bend in the tunnel about fifteen paces distance from where Jeena stood. She held the seeker there. Jeena decided to make sure the tunnel between the seeker and her current position was clear before proceeding. Drawing Power from her reserve again, Jeena transformed the Power into magic by whispering a detection spell. She released the spell into the tunnel ahead. The part of her mind connected to the detection spell blazed with energy as it picked up the Power signatures, or auras, of the unconscious Crystal and herself. Jeena filtered their auras out. Still the detection spell blazed with energy.
Our wands, Jeena thought.
Following the procedure Priestess Aldriss had taught her, Jeena filtered out the auras of the wands as well. The detection spell cleared and showed no more signs of energy.
Strange, Jeena thought. I would’ve thought at least some residual energy from the spell that downed Crystal would have remained near her body. Jeena made a mental note to ask Priestess Aldriss about it later.
Writing off the absence of detectable magic as a lack of ability on her part, Jeena stepped into the tunnel and took two steps towards the next corner where the seeker spell was still holding its position.
Before ordering the seeker spell around the next corner, Jeena tightened her grip on her wand. She double checked the emblem engraved in the middle of the wand to make sure the wand contained only stun spells. Even in the dim light of the tunnel, Jeena’s night vision easily picked out the small engraving of the Tree of Light indicating the wand contained priest spells. Jeena nodded her head. The wand would have been useless if she’d accidentally been given a mage’s wand. But that was not the case. The engraving was the Tree of Light and not the All-Seeing Eye of the mage guild. The icon of a prone figure gave proof the spells in the wand were stun spells. Based upon the intensity of the icon, Jeena knew there were four spells remaining in her wand.
I’ve got to make them count, Jeena thought.
As a mere priest acolyte, Jeena had no doubt her own memorized offensive spells were too weak and unreliable to depend upon in a fight.
Drawing a deep breath, Jeena mentally prepared herself to send the seeker around the corner. If her opponents were there, the appearance of the seeker would undoubtedly trigger an immediate response from the mages. They would know their ambush had failed.
Jeena started to send the command to move the seeker forward, but she hesitated. The hairs on the back of her neck were standing on end as if she was forgetting something.
Is the Lady trying to warn me? Jeena thought.
While it was not normal for the Lady of the Tree to interact with acolytes, Jeena’s silver hair and molten-silver eyes gave testimony to the fact she was anything but a normal acolyte. Still, the Lady had never communicated with her directly before.
Why would she do so now? Jeena wondered.
Shrugging her shoulders, Jeena once again started to give the command for the seeker to advance, but again she hesitated. The feeling something was wrong wouldn’t go away. She wondered if Crystal had felt the same thing before she’d been attacked.
Looking down at her sister acolyte, Jeena had a feeling she might soon be lying on the floor alongside her friend. It was then Jeena noticed Crystal’s wand. Something about the wand struck Jeena as out of place. Then she saw it. The wand didn’t bear the engraving of the Tree of Light. It bore the symbol of the All-Seeing Eye.
Jeena drew in a sharp breath as she tried to bring her own wand to bear on the prone figure. At the same moment, the form of the unconscious Crystal wavered as the polymorph spell dropped to reveal a figure wearing the red robe of the mage guild.
The mage began bringing her wand up as Jeena brought hers down. The air was filled with shouted words of Power from two voices. A streak of light jumped out from Jeena’s wand a split second before the mage completed her words of activation. The light from Jeena’s wand struck the mage and knocked her into the wall.
A movement in the vision of the seeker gave warning of a second mage. Charging around the tunnel corner, the mage was raising his wand for an attack. Jeena dove for the floor. She put up a hasty defensive shield. A streak of red light hit her shield and glanced off into the dim light of the tunnel behind her.
Shouting a word of activation, Jeena fired a second stun spell from her wand. The beam of light hit an invisible barrier two steps in front of the mage. The running mage fired back at Jeena with his own wand. Again he
r shield deflected the spell, but she could feel her shield weakening.
That’s no stun spell, Jeena thought as she began crawling backwards for the safety of the bend in the tunnel. And that’s no tenth-year mage apprentice either. What are they thinking?
Jeena had no time to wonder why she was being pitted against a more senior mage apprentice. Her mage opponents were supposed to be evenly matched tenth-year students from the mage guild.
After a third spell from the mage’s wand glanced off Jeena’s shield, the mage decided to try a different approach. He stopped and stuck his wand in his belt as he began making intricate movements with his hands. He mouthed words Jeena heard but immediately forgot. A ball of magic began forming an arm’s length to the mage’s front as he called forth his spell.
Jeena fired a third shot from her wand in hopes of distracting the mage. All she succeeded in doing was lighting up the tunnel for a brief moment as the stun spell ricocheted off the mage’s shield and continued down the tunnel.
With only one spell remaining in her wand, Jeena knew her options were disappearing rapidly. The mage’s magic was growing in intensity. Jeena doubted her weak shield could resist the spell.
In the brief light remaining from her ricocheting spell, Jeena noticed a wand near her left hand. It was the wand dropped by the mage who’d been disguised as Crystal. Jeena grabbed the discarded wand and threw it at the male mage. The wand hit the mage’s shield and bounced off. Jeena didn’t care. She hadn’t expected the wand to hit the mage. Jumping to her feet, Jeena shouted the activation word for her wand. The wand’s final spell shot out and struck the rebounding mage’s wand in midair.
The mage’s wand exploded in a blinding flash of light.
Even at ten paces and partially protected by the bend in the tunnel, the blast of magical energy knocked Jeena into the opposite wall. When she regained her feet, Jeena shook her head in an attempt to clear the ringing in her ears. She stumbled into a wall and momentarily leaned against it for support. Fighting for control, Jeena pulled her dagger from her belt and half-ran, half-stumbled towards the fallen male mage.
Wizard Omega (Intergalactic Wizard Scout Chronicles Book 4) Page 9