by DuBoff, Amy
“All right. Fall back in line,” Wil ordered. They complied. “Now, do any of you have questions for me?” he asked the group.
Ethan raised his hand right away, and Wil called on him. “So, we’re an established training group, contracted under the Primus Elite designation. Does that mean we’re Trainees or Initiates?”
Wil nodded. “A fair question. You’re Trainees for now, but you won’t be confined to the same one-year timeline as the others. I’ll advance the group when I feel you’ve met the milestones for Initiates—be that in two weeks or ten months.”
“So, where are our quarters?” questioned someone named Kevin Haelis from the main city on one of Tararia’s moons, Denae.
Wil smiled. “I was able to pull some strings to get you placed directly in Initiate housing. You’re in Primus I-06, and you’ll find your bed assignments waiting for you on the screens.” Wil had arranged the rooms while the men went through the exercises so each subgroup was housed with their eventual Captain.
Michael raised his hand and Wil called on him. “Will we attend classes with the other Trainees?”
“Yes, some,” Wil replied. “I’ve tailored the class schedule for each of you based on your aptitudes and baseline knowledge. Some classes will be with the other Trainees and Initiates, and some will be with me. As time goes on, we’ll focus on more specialized topics in subgroups.”
Curtis held up his hand. “Forgive me if this is too much of an intrusion, but if we’re going to be your backup, then we should know if there’s anything that would impact your decisions,” Curtis said after Wil acknowledged him. “Do you have any biases we should know about?”
That’s a very astute question. “Yes, there are two things you should know.” Wil took a deep breath. “First, Wil Sights is not my birth name. I am Williame Sietinen, second in line to the Sietinen Dynasty of the Third Region of Tararia.”
There were gasps around the room. Even Michael, despite being Earth-born, seemed to recognize the significance of the disclosure.
“Secondly,” Wil continued. “I recently became engaged. Her life and well-being is more valuable to me than my own. She is everything to me.” My greatest strength, and my greatest vulnerability.
“Who is she?” Ethan asked.
I can’t share that with them yet. “I will tell you that she is a student here at Headquarters. Our relationship is highly confidential. I’ll give you her identify in time, but for right now it’s not important.”
“Is she high-born like you?” Tom questioned.
“No.”
They all mulled over the new information.
“So, how should we refer to you?” asked Ian.
“Feel free to call me ‘Wil’ when it’s just us,” Wil responded. “‘Agent Sights’ and all the ‘sir’ business is best in the more formal settings. As a reminder, no honorifics for Tararian social standing should ever be used within the TSS.”
A young-looking sixteen-year-old named Kalin Evari spoke up, asking the question surely everyone was thinking. “If you scored a 13.7, what can you do?”
“A lot,” Wil replied. Without knowing his limits, it was the only truthful answer.
“What about a demonstration?” Curtis asked.
“Are you sure you want me to do that?”
There were emphatic nods all around.
“Okay. Everyone form a circle around me.” Wil moved to the middle of the ring. “Now, try to run toward me.” All of the men tried to run forward, but Wil held them back through a combination of telekinetic manipulation of the air and a subliminal telepathic message telling them they couldn’t move. “Satisfied?” he asked them.
“This is basic stuff!” objected Kalin.
“Oh really?” In an instant, Wil shifted the simple restraint into full levitation, fanning the men out into a ring in mid-air two meters off the ground. They strained against the immobilizing hold he had over them, but were helpless. Without letting them down, Wil formed an energy orb in his hand. It shone brightly with white and blue light, hovering on the edge of subspace. He grew the orb until it was the size of his torso, then he tossed it to the floor, where he continued to feed it until it was as tall as himself. Wil paced around the orb, watching the mystified looks on the faces of his men. “If that isn’t enough…” Wil cleared his mind and detached from his fixed physical state—creating a spatial dislocation that took him to the edge of subspace. In that state, he passed through the energy orb and came to rest on the other side. To the men in the ring above his head, he appeared to move from one side of the room to the other in less than the blink of an eye.
There were cries of confusion and awe overhead. He looked up, and it was clear from their expressions that it had been a suitable demonstration.
That’s enough for today. Wil lowered them to the ground. “Take the rest of the day to get settled into your quarters. Your training contracts will be waiting on your assigned tablets,” Wil informed them. “We start group training in the morning. I’ll meet you at your quarters at 07:30. Dismissed.”
Relieved to be back on the ground, everyone started making their way to the door.
One more order of business. “Michael, hold up a minute,” Wil called out.
Michael stayed back as the other men filed out of the room.
“Thank you for voicing the first support earlier,” Wil said. “I appreciate your willingness and decisiveness.”
The corner of Michael’s mouth twitched toward a smile. “Of course.”
“And, it’s rather fitting that you were the first,” Wil continued. “I selected you for this elite group because you were recommended by my fiancée. She told me you were someone I could count on and trust.”
Michael’s brow furrowed slightly. “How do I know your fiancée?”
“She grew up on Earth,” Wil answered. “But I need to know that if I reveal her identity, you’ll keep it to yourself.”
“Of course. But why are you telling just me?”
Because I’m worried you’re still in love with her. I know I could never let those feelings go. “You two have a... history, as I understand it. I want to make sure there won’t be any issues with us working together.”
The creases in Michael’s brow deepened. He looked down, clearly running through everyone from his past in an attempt to figure out who it could be.
“You knew her as Saera Alexander.”
Michael’s body went rigid for a moment, his face stoic. Then his shoulders rounded and he slumped forward. “Of course it would be her.”
He certainly remembers her better than she remembered him. “So, is that going to be a problem?”
Michael took a deep breath before looking Wil square in the eye. “I won’t lie, she made quite an impression on me. But, I knew I would never have her, and I accepted that a long time ago. If I can have her back in my life just as a friend, that’s more than I could have hoped for.”
The words seemed sincere enough. Wil detected no deceit on the surface, and he couldn’t start out the friendship by invading Michael’s inner mind. I need to trust him, as I’m asking him to trust me. “That’s good to hear.”
“Is there anything else?”
Wil shook his head. “No, go on. I’ll see you in the morning.”
“See you then.” Michael made his way toward the door. “And give my regards to Saera,” he called back over his shoulder.
“I will.”
* * *
The report was far from conclusive, but if it were true, the implications could be devastating. There was a buzz at the door and Banks minimized the projection on his desk. “Come in.”
Wil entered, looking tired, but that was to be expected.
“How did the first day of training go?” Banks asked.
“It went well, sir. I feel confident that I picked the right group,” Wil replied.
“I’m glad to hear it. I was hoping to talk through the training timeline—what you have planned.”
Wil
was pensive. He walked forward and sat down in one of the chairs across from Banks’ desk. “Well, sir, I haven’t thought through all the specifics yet.”
That was no cause for concern, given Wil’s adaptiveness. “Do you have any milestones in mind?”
Wil nodded. “I’ve already selected four Captains. I’ll train them as Seconds once they’re ready. Each one of those Captains will have a specialized tactical team. I’ll start everyone out with a mixture of hand-to-hand and freefall training. Most of them have had at least rudimentary training already, but they’re going to need to hone their spatial awareness to a ridiculous level if they’re going to be able to do what I have in mind.”
“And what is that?”
Wil smiled. “I’ve been working on a design for a fighter jet that can make near right-angle turns. Pair that with a precise rift jump drive and the Bakzen won’t ever be able to see us coming.”
That’s just crazy enough to work. “And what about telekinesis training?”
Wil shook his head. “I can’t push it. But, I’d like to hold all study sessions and classes on the training level so they can practice telepathy and basic object levitation all the time.”
“You can have any resources you need—study rooms or otherwise,” Banks said.
“Thank you, sir.”
And now the toughest question… “How long do you need to raise them to full Agents?”
Wil cracked a faint smile. “How long do I have?”
Banks looked at him levelly. “Five years.” That’s all we can spare.
Wil thought for a moment, running the scenarios. “That will be difficult, but I think we can do it.”
“Good. It’s imperative that this be a success.” We don’t have any other option.
Wil nodded. “Yes, sir. I know. I’ll do everything I can.”
“And we’ll support you to the best of our ability,” Banks stated. “To that end, we just signed the agreement to acquire the Prisarus shipyard.”
“Yes, my father let me know,” Wil replied. “I’m not surprised you sent him to conduct the negotiations.”
Banks smiled. “He does have a knack for it.” He paused, reflecting on the report he just read. “There’s one other matter.”
“Yes, sir?”
Banks swallowed. “Are you familiar with the Aesir?”
“The Ascended?” Wil asked with surprise. “Taelis mentioned them to me once. They live in the furthest depths of space, seeking enlightenment by reading the patterns of the multiverse… Or something like that.”
Banks nodded. The only ones who have always known the truth I guard. “The Aesir haven’t taken much interest in Tararian affairs since they left after the Revolution a thousand years ago. The only time we hear from them is if they have detected someone potentially worthy of ascension. To test them.”
Wil nodded slowly, already bracing for the punch line.
“I have reason to believe they may come for you. You need to be prepared, when and if they arrive.”
Wil took a breath. “And when might that be?”
“I have no idea. But, their ‘test’... no outsider has ever survived.”
Wil paused for a moment, then nodded. “I’ll be ready.”
CHAPTER 7
Deena Laecy awoke to a buzz from her handheld. Good news never came first thing in the morning.
She rolled over and grabbed the device off its charging pad on her nightstand. The message was flagged as Fleet Critical. Nothing urgent.
Earlier in her career she would have been out of bed and dashing down to the main hangar in an instant after getting a message like that. But after twenty-five years with the TSS and more than two decades in an active warzone, she had her priorities. Starting the day off with a proper hot shower was one. I can at least have that even if the rest of the day is going to be a foking disaster.
Her quarters were compact and minimally furnished—with little more than her bunk, a work desk, and wardrobe—but at least she had the room to herself. She took her time getting ready in her private bathroom and then grabbed an energy bar from the stash on her desk to eat on the way down to the hangar.
Nothing seemed particularly out of place when she arrived. Her core crew members were gathered around the central holodisplay in the main engineering lab. “I got the alert. What did we lose now?” she asked after swallowing the last of her energy bar.
Becca, the lead navigation tech, frowned. “The encryption on the TX-80s was compromised.”
Laecy groaned. “We just updated the sequence.”
“It’s worse than that,” Becca continued, crossing her arms. “All of the primary nav boards are fried.”
The day was off to a great start, indeed. “The entire TX-80 line?”
“Every single one,” Becca confirmed.
“Shite.” Laecy looked at the other faces in the group, all with expressions of defeat. “Were the jets recovered?”
“Yes,” Richards jumped in. “Fortunately, the transport cruiser was nearby.”
“At least there’s that.” Maybe we can salvage something. Laecy clapped her hands together. “Well, on a somewhat brighter note, I just got the revised IT-1 specs from Wil. We’ll be using two ateron cores going forward, but there’s a production backlog.”
“That’s good news how?” Becca asked.
“Because at least we’ll have a functioning jet eventually. A delay is better than nothing at all.”
“How long of a delay?” Nolan asked. He was one of the newer engineers on her team but showed some promising aptitude. He had a knack for getting into details that many overlooked, making him an exceptional quality assurance inspector on new projects.
“Not sure yet,” Laecy replied. “But, we did get the go-ahead to initiate production at the Prisarus shipyard next month. The TSS was able to acquire the whole facility.”
Richards relaxed. “So that’s where the ateron cores will come from.”
Leave it to the bioelectronics expert to piece it together. “You’ve got it. All those specialized components we could never get will now be produced onsite right alongside the hull plating and washroom fixtures.”
“What do we do for the time being?” Nolan asked.
Laecy took a deep breath. “We keep the existing fleet flying, same as always.”
“What’s left of it, anyway,” Richards murmured.
“Hey, we work with what we’ve got.” Laecy glanced at all of the TX-80 jets permanently grounded from the most recent assault. “And I think we can retrofit the directional thrusters and command interface from the remaining TX-80s into the old TX-70 shells.”
Richards lit up. “Of course! The TX-70s run on the old encryption protocol.”
Laecy grinned back. “Which was never cracked, just retired.”
“Roaming the fields of Aderoth,” Richards added with a wistful lilt to his tone. An inside joke that only Laecy would get.
She didn’t let herself get distracted by thoughts of their after-hours dreaming. “All right, team. You have your challenge. Go.”
* * *
Saera was surprised to find that she was nervous about seeing Michael again. Though, it wasn’t so much him, but that he reminded her of a part of her life that she’d tried to leave behind on Earth.
She had reserved a study room where they could chat. Knowing that Wil had disclosed their relationship to Michael, it was better to have a preemptive conversation than wait for a random encounter in a hallway.
The door to the study room beeped as it slid open. Michael stood framed by the doorway—taller and filled out compared to when Saera had last seen him at fourteen-years-old.
“Hi,” Saera greeted, her heart pounding in her ears. Things are different now. You’re in control.
Michael stepped inside the study room and closed the door. He evaluated Saera. “You look great.”
“The TSS has been good to me.” She returned to her seat.
Michael hesitated by the door for a moment,
then sat down across the table from Saera. “And a Junior Agent already, huh?”
“Yeah, it’s been a whirlwind.” Has it really been almost five years since we last saw each other?
“I can imagine.” Michael wouldn’t quite meet her gaze.
Saera shifted in her chair. “I know this is weird.”
Michael leaned back and crossed his arms. “You’re pretty much the last person I expected to find here.”
I hope it wasn’t a mistake encouraging Wil to include him on the team. “I’ve come to understand some things about these abilities over the years. We’re drawn to each other.”
“So that’s the only reason we became friends—because of the latent ‘gifts’?”
That, and your father was there to watch over me. Saera made him look her straight in the eye. “No, it was always more than that.”
Michael tore his gaze away. “Shit, Saera! What do you want me to say?”
“Nothing. I don’t know.” She swallowed hard, regretting that she scheduled the reunion, even though finding some sense of closure was necessary if they were ever to move forward.
“It wasn’t fair for you to take off without saying goodbye,” Michael said after a pause.
“I know it wasn’t. I’m sorry.”
Michael stared at his hands resting on the tabletop. “I thought that night would change things.”
“What, that we’d start dating like normal people and everything would be great? I was way too fucked up back then to have that.”
Michael’s eyes narrowed and he looked up at her under his brow. “Don’t diminish what we felt.”
I did feel it. In another life we could have been happy together. But that’s not what was meant to be. “I cared about you then, and I always will. I was completely lost and you showed me that maybe things could be different.”
“And for that, a follow-up text message was too much to ask?” The venom was thick in Michael’s words.