Fine, said Nickelo. But don’t make me regret this later. You’ll need to heal him like you did that elf last year. You remember how to heal, don’t you?
Yes, Richard said. His memory of the previous year’s mission was a little blurry, but he did remember healing the elf. Fortunately, he recalled perfectly the procedures required to perform the healing. Richard started to remove his left glove.
No, said Nickelo.
I thought I had to have flesh to flesh contact, Richard said.
No, you don’t, said Nickelo. The healing is more efficient and easier to control with flesh to flesh contact, but it’s not a requirement. The reserve containing your healing Power is at one hundred percent. You have healing Power to spare. The last thing you want to do right now is break the seal on your battle suit. You’d start choking immediately. It wouldn’t take long before you passed out.
Unlike other wizard scouts, Richard had two Power reserves. One of the Academy’s technicians had once hinted he might even have a third reserve, but she had not elaborated. But, Richard knew he definitely had two pools of Power. As an Academy instructor had explained it, Power reserves were similar to pools of water. Richard had once been told to imagine a pool of water continuously being fed by a small, underground stream. If the water in the pool was not used, it would eventually overflow and spill out. In Richard’s case, he had a primary Power reserve which was continuously being recharged with residual Power from the universe around it. The recharge rate was small, but given time, his pool of Power could be completely recharged. Richard’s recharge rate was about one percent every fifteen minutes. This meant his Power reserve could completely recharge in about twenty-four hours. Once the primary reserve was full, any excess Power would spill over into a secondary reserve. Unfortunately for Richard, this secondary pool of Power was only useful for healing. But that still gave him an advantage. He could heal others with Power from the secondary Power reserve without draining the Power in his primary reserve.
Okay, Richard said. Let’s get this healing started.
The girl was still coughing violently, but even so, she kept up a steady stream of entreaties to her brother. In other circumstances, Richard might have been moved, but he didn’t have time to be touched at the moment. Richard reached out with his healing Power and wrapped it around the little boy. He tried to imagine how the boy would be if he was perfectly healthy. Richard compared the healthy image to the boy’s current condition. Then Richard used half the Power to pull the differences into his own body.
Richard immediately began choking and coughing. Red flashes of light appeared before his eyes. Most healers were able to use their Power to directly heal injuries on a target’s body. But Richard was an emp-healer. He had to take the injuries onto his own body before his Power would heal the target. Once the target’s injuries were completely healed, then Richard’s acquired injuries would start to heal. The target’s injuries were healed very quickly. It took a little longer for Richard’s Power to heal his acquired injuries.
Richard began to lose consciousness. His last thought before passing out was ‘emp-healing sucks.’
Chapter 4 – Change of Mission
____________________________________
Consciousness came back to Richard accompanied by a fit of coughing. Hands were shaking him, and he heard distant voices shouting. Richard pulled his arm back in preparation for striking whoever was disturbing him. When he opened his eyes to find his tormenters, he lowered his arm. The hands belonged to the two children. The little girl and boy both sat next to him with their eyes closed against the dense smoke in the room. Their shouts were muffled through their oxygen masks.
“Wake up, mister,” shouted the little boy. “Please. It’s getting hot, and I’m scared.”
“Hurry,” said the girl between coughs. “The fire is getting closer.”
Nick, Richard said. How long have I been out?
About ten seconds, Rick, said Nickelo. But that’s been far too long. This room will be engulfed in flames in less than a minute. You have to move, soldier. You have to move now.
Still coughing, Richard sat up and grabbed a set of hands in each one of his.
“Okay,” Richard said. “I’m awake. I’m going to put you both in this rescue bag and carry you out of here. You have to trust me. I give you my word of honor I will get you out safely. That’s a wizard scout’s honor.”
As he was speaking, Richard was trying to herd the kids into the bag. The girl went meekly enough, although she was still coughing fitfully. The boy on the other hand, fought against Richard’s efforts to get him in the bag. Richard thought for someone who had been on death’s door a few seconds ago, the boy had a lot of fight in him now.
Maybe I should have listened to you, Nick, and just stuck him in the bag like you said.
Told you, said Nickelo smugly.
Richard was almost to the point of trying something desperate when the girl grabbed her brother by the shoulders and shook him violently.
“Stop it,” she said. “Grow up, Brachia. He’s trying to help us.”
After that, the boy went easy enough into the bag. However, Richard noticed the boy’s sister kept a tight hold on the boy’s shoulders. Once Richard sealed the bag shut, he hefted the pair over his right shoulder and prepared to leave the room.
A flash of blue appeared on Richard’s heads-up display and then disappeared.
Where is he, Nick?
He’s inside the building on the third floor at the west end of the building, said Nickelo. We have to beat him past the stairs, or he’ll have us trapped between him and the fire.
Richard dashed out of the room and took a hard left. As he passed the stairs, a score of plasma rounds came down the stairway. Richard didn’t even have time to put up a defensive shield. Once again, Nickelo came to his rescue and caused the battle suit to leap off to the side. The plasma rounds missed Richard by a hand’s breadth. Then Richard was past the stairs and running for the end of the hallway. Flames were erupting out of the ceiling and walls.
The whole floor is going to fall in a few seconds, Rick.
With his left hand, Richard slipped the satchel of J22 plastic explosives off his shoulder and it behind him.
Set the timers for four seconds, Nick.
They’re set, Rick.
Activate, Richard said as he continued running. He saw the blue dot appear on the heads-up display in the hallway directly behind him. Richard threw up a hasty defensive shield to his rear. A quick burst of plasma rounds hit the shield and were stopped dead in their tracks.
The scout stopped firing, and Richard felt a massive blaze of Power behind him. But, the Power wasn’t directed at him. The Power seemed to form a sphere around the Crosioian scout.
He’s spotted the bag of J22, said Nickelo. You’ve got three seconds.
Unlike the Crosioian scout, Richard did not have enough Power at the moment to surround himself with a defensive shield. Even if he had, he wouldn’t have assumed it would do any good. His defensive shield only provided protection from energy attacks, not physical ones. While his defensive shield might provide some protection from the energy of the blast, it would do nothing to stop the pieces of burning material thrown about by the explosion. His only hope of escaping the deadly shrapnel was to exit out of the building and hope the armor of his battle suit was tough enough for him to escape injury.
Keeping his defensive shield up behind him, Richard sent a blast of his dwindling Power towards the wall at the end of the hallway. Part of the wall blew outward into the flame-lit night. Without slowing down, Richard jumped out the hole in the wall just as the satchel of J22 exploded.
A single, quarter-kilo block of J22 plastic explosive packed a lot of energy. The satchel contained the twelve remaining blocks of plastic explosive. The combined force of the explosives shattered the building. Various pieces of jagged, burning materials were thrown in every direction. As he fell, Richard shifted the bag containing the two chil
dren to his front side in an attempt to use his own body to shield them from the debris. He hastily shut down his defensive shield. He sent Power to his rear and attempted to use his telekinesis to slow the incoming debris from the exploding building. He wasn’t sure whether it would help or not.
Six percent Power, Rick, said Nickelo.
The concussion and debris hit him at the same time. The combined pressure threw him towards the ground at a high rate of speed. If it had been just him, Richard would have curled up into a fetal position and let his armor take the brunt of the fall. After all, he’d only jumped from the second story of the building. But, he had the kids to think about. With the increased momentum from the force of the explosion, Richard feared the children would be crushed. Well aware of the state of his near-empty, primary reserve, Richard wrapped himself and the two children in Power. He used his telekinesis to slow down his speed as best he could. Even so, the ground approached much too fast. Richard hit the ground feet first and let the battle suit’s legs take up some of the force. Then he twisted to let his back hit the ground next while he held the bag with the kids out at arm’s length to his front. Even in his armor, the force of the fall knocked his breath out.
Dazed, Richard was momentarily too distracted to think of the kids, but his battle computer was not. Richard sensed the assisters in the arms of his battle suit flex to reduce the shock of the fall from the children. Under Nickelo’s control, the battle suit partially shifted the momentum of the children by throwing them to the side. The bag rolled several meters on the ground before coming to a stop.
A puff of air from his battle suit passed down the tubes in his nostrils into his collapsed lungs. His lungs re-inflated. By the time Richard stopped his own roll on the ground, he could breathe again.
Jumping to his feet, Richard brought his M12 up to the ready position and scanned the area to his front both visually and with his passive scan.
Was the scout killed, Nick? Do you think the scout’s dead?
Doubtful, Rick, said Nickelo. Analysis of his defensive shield indicates an eighty-four percent chance it was tuned against both energy and physical attacks. The Power readings your passive scan picked up right before the explosion lends support to the probability of his survival. His Power reserve was probably significantly reduced, but I believe he is alive and hiding behind his stealth shield. I’d recommend we vacate the area immediately.
How’s my Power? Richard asked. He didn’t need Nickelo to tell him it was low. He knew it was low. But, he needed more accuracy than he could sense on his own.
You have two point two percent Power in your primary reserve, Rick, said Nickelo. That’s enough to blow your nose, but not much else.
Richard wasn’t sure, but he could swear he heard a chuckle from his battle computer. Richard mentally shook his head. Nickelo had a strange sense of humor.
Turning away from what remained of the once magnificent mansion, Richard unsealed the rescue bag and let the children out. They were shook up, but otherwise they appeared to be unhurt. He confirmed as much with his passive scan.
“Can you walk?” Richard said through his external speakers.
The girl answered first. Richard thought she seemed amazingly calm considering her near brush with death.
“We can run if we have need,” said the girl.
The girl coughed fitfully a couple of times which Richard thought contradicted her words. The little boy said nothing. He was looking around the compound with teary eyes. Richard wasn’t sure whether the boy’s tears were from the smoke, or whether the tears were from sadness.
“We definitely have a need to run,” Richard said as he pulled both children to a standing position. “There’s a very bad person after us. He’s going to try and hurt us.”
“Do you mean the Crosioian scout?” said the little girl. “If so, then she’s a she and not a he.”
“Well, regardless of the gender,” Richard said, “the scout’s after us. We need to move.”
The girl grabbed her brother’s hand. “We have to run, Brachia. Stay with me.”
“I’m scared,” said the boy. “I want Keka.”
We don’t have time for this, said Nickelo. You’re the big, bad wizard scout. Get them moving.
“I’m going to take you to Keka,” Richard said. With a surprising moment of insight, he added, “I need you to be brave like Omar the Pirate. You need to keep hold of your sister’s hand so you can protect her.”
The boy said nothing, but Richard thought he saw a look of determination come into the boy’s eyes as he tightened his grip on his sister’s hand.
Good job, Rick, laughed Nickelo. You missed your calling. You should have been a child psychologist. I can see it now. You sitting in a ritzy office dressed in your best battle suit listening to spoiled children and their spoiled parents drone on about how they are just misunderstood.
You’ve got a strange sense of humor, Nick, Richard said. Maybe you should consider seeing a psychologist yourself.
Richard took off at a fast walk towards where the north gate used to be. The area consisted of a mass of twisted metal beams and broken concrete. The fighters had hit everything between the compound and the north woods. Richard didn’t have a plan so much as he just knew he had to get away from the area around the compound. His hope was that the north woods would provide at least a little cover. If he got lucky, maybe he could find some kind of transport to expedite their escape from the Crosioian scout.
Rick, said Nickelo. I’d recommend reducing your stealth shield from your best to your lowest. Your Power reserve is almost drained. At least it will recharge a little if you reduce the level of your stealth shield. As it is, you could only keep a defensive shield up for about five seconds before your reserve would be drained.
Richard was a little shocked at his battle computer’s suggestion.
Nick, Richard said. If I reduce my stealth shield, that scout will have no trouble pinpointing my location. You know my lowest-level shield is only good against low-skilled creatures or low-tech equipment.
Actually, Rick, said Nickelo, distance plays a role in that also. The farther away you are from the creature or equipment, the harder it would be for them to penetrate your shield regardless of its level. At a range of a few dozen kilometers, even another scout would not be able to find you if you were using your lowest-level stealth shield.
Well, he, she, or whatever it is, is a heck of a lot closer that a few dozen kilometers, Richard said.
Yes, said Nickelo. But in this case it doesn’t matter. The scout knows exactly where you are even with your best stealth shield up. If you don’t believe me, just take a look behind you.
In spite of himself, Richard glanced over his shoulder. He saw the two children running as they did their best to keep us with his long strides. Understanding hit him. He could hide himself, but he couldn’t hide the children. The Crosioian scout only had to track them to know exactly where Richard was. Without saying another word, Richard reduced his stealth shield to its lowest form. Even with the reduction of his shield, Richard wasn’t sure it would help the situation. The recharge rate for his Power reserve was only about one percent every fifteen minutes. Given the current situation, Richard wasn’t even sure he would be alive in fifteen minutes.
The distance between the north gate and the north woods was a little over four hundred meters. It was littered with bomb craters, burning brush, and the occasional smoking vehicle. When they had covered about half the distance to the wood line, Richard sensed the children falling behind. He stopped near the burned-out shell of a military truck and waited for the children to catch up. When they got to the truck both kids dropped to the ground panting heavily. The girl was wheezing, and she was coughing non-stop. Richard wanted to keep moving, but it was obvious he had to at least let them catch their breath. They’d never make it to the wood line if he didn’t.
Richard sensed Nickelo running an electronic scan on the girl. The heads-up display came to life
with a medical readout on the child.
Her lungs are damaged, said Nickelo. But, there is nothing you can do about it now. Do you want me to have the shuttle pick us up here?
Negative, Richard said. That scout killed five members of the detachment last time. That’s when he was caught by surprise.
The girl said the scout was a she, Nickelo corrected.
Whatever, Richard said. The point is the scout will be ready this time. I don’t know what additional skills and weapons she has. For all I know, she could destroy the shuttle on short final. Everyone would be killed.
What do you want to do then, Rick? said Nickelo. I’ve got lots of contingency plans. However, with your Power reserve at less than three percent, none of them have what I would call a good chance of success. The kids are holding you back.
We’ll just keep heading for the wood line and hope for a lucky break, Richard said. By the way, the heads-up display hasn’t registered anything on the Crosioian scout’s location for a while. Or did I just miss it?
Negative, Rick, said Nickelo. She must be taking extra care with her stealth shield now. I suspect you gave her a scare with that satchel of J22 trick. You almost got her.
We almost got ourselves, Richard said.
Looking at the children, Richard said, “Do you think you can run a little farther now? We have to get to the wood line where we will have some cover.”
The girl was still coughing, but she made an affirmative motion with her head.
The little boy said, “Omar the Pirate can run all day. I can make it.”
“Good,” Richard said. “You’re both being very brave. Once we get to the wood line, I’ll find a way for us to get away from that Crosioian scout. Then we’ll be safe.”
“Aren’t you a wizard scout?” said the girl. “Why are we running?”
Richard wanted to tell her he was running because he was dragging two little kids around with him. But, he knew that wasn’t the full reason. Even without the children, he would be running right now. With his Power reserve as low as it was, he was not in a position for a fight with a skilled Crosioian scout.
Wizard Cadet (Intergalactic Wizard Scout Chronicles Book 2) Page 6