When Nolan didn't acknowledge him, Loken draped himself across the couch. Summoning his tablet to hand, he decided to read until Nolan realized he was there. It wasn’t his problem if Nolan wasted ALPHA’s time. Sometime later when he reached a particularly interesting passage, he summoned a dagger and spun it in his hand to work off excess energy.
The next time he looked up, the clock greeted him with little, red numbers: 1:17 AM. Nolan had been ignoring him for hours? Nolan had the first extraterrestrial he’d ever met in his insignificant workshop, and he was ignoring him?
A quick glance to the inventor revealed that he was still lost in the same project. Deciding to be helpful (and perhaps feeling slightly miffed), Loken whipped his dagger inches past Nolan’s head and embedded it into the nearby wall.
Nolan jumped and looked to the dagger with mild alarm. “Huh. Yanno. I think it takes more skill to know you can miss someone.”
“Who says I was aiming to miss?” Loken drawled.
Nolan stared at him...and then looked back to the dagger. “Wait. What sort of metal is this? Please tell me it’s extraterrestrial.”
And so Loken’s plan backfired.
With put-upon sigh, he wordlessly summoned the dagger to his hand and headed to his suite. It was too late to call Danika and too early to sleep. He sprawled out on his bed and read, all the while wishing he had access to his private collection on Rellaeria. Frustrated and unable to focus, he started a show on an app called Netflix—one recommended by both Penny and Danika.
Sometime later, Loken was jolted awake by a ringing sound. He swiped the tablet on his chest reflexively and squinted at the screen. “Hm?”
Danika waved back at him, looking nervous. “Okay, so. I have an internship interview with ALPHA, and I need advice on what to wear. This blouse but with black slacks. What do you think?”
“I think it’s four in the morning.”
“I know,” Danika replied, stressing the vowel. “See my dilemma? I only have, like seven hours to figure this out. So, help! It’s your moral obligation as my bestie. Pretty sure it’s in the Best Friend Handbook.”
Best friend. Loken refused to dwell on the implications of her assertions and snorted. “Were there such a book, I doubt you would have read it.”
“Excuse you, Mr. Unsupportive. I wrote it. Now, give me feedback on this top! Does it scream trying-too-hard or trying-just-hard-enough?”
“It screams...it’s still four in the morning.”
“Lyall!”
He appraised her with one eye, noting every detail of her outfit. “Veto on the black pants. Try the khaki ones. You do understand this isn't a date, correct? You're trying to win confidence. Not seduce them.”
Danika’s hand jumped to her chest as she gave a mock-gasp. “You correctly used an earthen expression. I’m so proud, Grasshopper!” She gave a sage nod. “Soon, the student shall surpass the teacher.”
Loken rolled his eyes. “May I return to sleep now?”
“Boring,” she said in a sing-song voice. “I can see you’ve really let yourself go in my absence. It’s just sad.”
“Goodbye, Danika,” he said, ignoring the gibe.
“Wait!” she whined. “Don't you wanna hear about the internship? If I get it, I'll be spending the fall semester with ALPHA! Observing real psychologists at work.” She all but squealed.
After a discussion they'd had a few weeks ago about psychology, Loken knew she meant a mindhealer when she said psychologist. He had to admit that having her remain with ALPHA, having her remain close, was cause for celebration. “In that case, tell the interviewer that I'll cut them to pieces if they do not hire you.”
“Hm. How would my potential boss feel about being threatened…? Gonna go with not happy.”
“Good night, Danika,” he said, perhaps fondly. He ended the video call, tossed the tablet beside him, and slept.
“I hate magic,” Nolan grumbled the next day, staring at the disassembled drone like it had personally offended him.
They’d only been working for about an hour because Nolan had apparently stayed up until five in the morning, chasing a theory, and they’d gotten a late start. It reminded Loken of how, when the end of the day came along, Penny would still be working while he and Danika slipped out of the lab. Loken understood how a mystery could ensnare the mind, but he didn’t share Penny’s or Nolan’s interests.
Still, this project was personal. An unidentified sorcerer had attacked him, and they would suffer for it. Unfortunately, it didn’t appear as though the drone had more secrets to offer.
“I say we take a break,” Nolan declared after a few minutes.
It was such an odd suggestion from Nolan that Loken could only stare at him.
“We're not getting anywhere, and from what I understand, we may never,” Nolan continued. “So, let's measure that translocation mojo.”
Humming in thought, Loken acquiesced. “May I ask why? Of all the magic, why has teleportation caught your eye?”
There were tons of possible reasons. All of them were perfectly valid, but Loken wanted to know the reason Nolan desired the knowledge. Greed? Power?
“You've never wanted to know something for the sake of knowing it?” Nolan asked, surprising Loken. “I'm not saying that teleportation wouldn't be a huge benefit to society, in more ways than I can count. I just don't care about all that right now. To take something you call magic and translate it to science...That's the goal.”
An admirable goal. Often times, when Loken had discovered a new spell, he’d attempted it regardless of its usefulness.
Knowledge for knowledge's sake.
Loken hadn't expected to find a kindred soul in Ian Nolan, a human inventor not even a tenth of his age.
Reeling from the realization, Loken said, “If you desire to understand magic, you'll need to start a lot smaller.”
“Is this the part where you turn us into a dozen different animals and I learn valuable life lessons?”
“That's ridiculous.” Loken gave Nolan a disdainful look. “Where do humans come up with these ideas?”
“Don't ask me. T.H. White wrote it. The Once and Future King. Check it out. Anyway, teach away, Merlin.”
Battling the urge to roll his eyes, Loken said, “Explaining magic to someone who can’t see or feel it is like describing color to a man born blind. That’s because magic is, in a way, another sense. It’s everywhere, the hidden threads and strands of the universe—energy pure and unfiltered.” To Loken, there was no greater feeling than using magic. It was power, euphoria.
Nolan looked doubtful. “Energy can be harnessed.”
“You lack the tools and the ability. Tell me, can your kind harness lightning efficiently?”
Nolan narrowed his eyes, not liking the comparison. “So, you’re saying we lack the technology? That doesn’t make sense. Magic isn’t technology.”
“Depends on who you ask.”
Nolan gave an exasperated laugh. “Nope. We’re not going there. Back on track; so, what—if you’re not born with the ability, you can’t harness magic?”
“There are two types of magic: intrinsic and extrinsic. Intrinsic magic is that in which one is born with. Extrinsic magic is magic that comes from an external source. However—”
“Well. I have a headache.”
Loken actually laughed, enjoying his frustration. “You’re not going to be able to teleport the way I do.” Nolan was no worldwalker. “You’ll need to create an infinitygate—a translocation device. It connects two points in space with a door, more or less. Unfortunately, you lack the energy source to do so.”
Ships worked fine, but they weren’t as instantaneous or safe. Infinitygates were how the more advanced civilizations conducted interplanetary travel, and those that had access to them controlled the universe. Luckily, there was no reason for Rellaeria to use theirs to look for Loken on Earth.
Nolan deflated. “An Einstein–Rosen Bridge? Challenge accepted. Never tell a Nolan he can't do
something. Wait. You do know the technology required to make a gate, right? You could show me?”
It was technically against Rellaerian law to hand out such technology, but who would know? And was that really the worst crime he could be accused of? Earth wasn't an enemy of Rellaeria, and they were far from a threat, even if they could reach beyond their solar system.
“I could...attempt.”
“Great. I'm going to call Callum, update him, and confirm custody of my magic expert. I'll tell him we didn't get far with the drone, but we have another project.”
Loken was all too willing to let Nolan handle Callum—let him say what lies he would to extend his vacation from the compound—however… “I’m not sharing this technology with ALPHA.” He wanted his intentions absolutely clear.
“As if I'd share. So, what project should I say we're working on that we can say is for ALPHA?”
Nolan had a point. They needed something to tempt ALPHA with, something they would find worth the time Loken would spend with Nolan. “Tell them I'm working on recreating the drone.”
“Can you?”
Piloting had never been his talent, but he didn't admit that. “Perhaps.” Which wasn't technically a lie.
Nolan made a thoughtful sound. “My robots don't need magic to move, so why bother?”
Loken had briefly wondered the same. “To enhance them, I assume.”
The inventor didn't look impressed. “Name one enhancement.”
Loken pulled a dagger from his voidspace and held it out to Nolan, who jumped back.
“Hey! You can't just pull a knife out on someone. It rarely ends well.”
Ignoring the humor, Loken said, “A simple weapon can be enhanced with enchantments, creating something more. For instance, this dagger cannot break or dull.”
An unreadable emotion crossed Nolan’s face. “And you can do this with non-weapons?”
Loken tried to decipher where this was headed, but he hadn't a clue. If not a weapon, then what could Nolan have that—
His prosthetic limb.
“What enchantments do you think your metal leg needs?”
The expression that crossed Nolan’s face was the most uncomfortable Loken had ever seen him. “I have some ideas. You said you can enchant something not to break. What if I made the leg out of a lighter metal? Would that still work?”
This was not the work ALPHA wanted him to do, but did Loken necessarily care? Loken was far from a master enchanter, but he knew enough runes (and the theory behind enchantment) to try. Why he felt a pull to help this man was indescribable but that he did was undeniable. Favors. He could earn favors. That's all that mattered. Nolan had already proven he could bend ALPHA to his will, and those were the types of allies Loken needed.
“We can try,” he replied at last. “I recommend you get or create a spare for me to work with.”
“Right. Let me call Callum and order a pizza. It’s gonna be a busy night.”
Loken wouldn't protest a free meal. He knew how to cook but lacked the desire to do so, and Nolan seemed to have an aversion to anything that took time away from his projects. It worked well for both parties.
The pizza (pepperoni and sweet peppers) arrived an hour later but remained discarded for most of the night, both of them far too focused on the task at hand. As Nolan crafted a new mechanical leg, Loken closely observed, brainstorming ideas to make it more efficient when it came time to enchant.
“I put a lot of money into research for better prosthetics but tried my hand at it as well. At first, it was all about support and comfort. Now, I'm looking to replicate the joint. Functionality, you know?”
Nolan talked on and off as he worked. Loken listened and watched, intrigued by the metalworking. He never spent much time with the blacksmiths on Rellaeria, but he’d visited the ones on Vasku—home to some of the best weapons enchanters in the galaxy.
He didn’t realize how late it was until his tablet rang, and he saw the clock. Remembering that Danika’s interview had been today, he accepted the call.
“Lyall!” she squealed.
Loken winced exaggeratedly. “Thankfully I've learned some ASL before your screeching rendered me deaf.”
“Pfft. Buzzkill. Don’t ruin this for me! I got the internship! I’m so excited! I think I can take my last few courses online, so that I can finish school while I’m doing the internship in fall...”
“Danika,” he said, interrupting her rambling. When she cut herself off, he added, “Congratulations.”
She smiled.
“Yeah, congratulations, Danika,” Nolan said, slipping up beside Loken with a charming smile.
“Hey! This is a private conversation!” Danika snapped.
With how starstruck she'd seemed by Nolan, Loken was both surprised and warmed by her response.
Nolan waved his hand, gesturing to the room. “Uh, this is my workshop. In case you missed that detail.”
“Yeah, but you’re interrupting a private call. That’s just rude.”
“See, that's not nice. I was going to have your boyfriend invite you over to really celebrate, but now you’ve hurt my feelings.”
Boyfriend?
Danika laughed, not unkindly, and didn't mention the odd term. “Your loss! I'm a great partygoer.”
Loken decided he didn't care for their banter. Banter was their thing, and he didn't desire to share his unique relationship with Danika with anyone else. “That you are, but we have work to do. No time for partying.”
Danika groaned exasperatedly as Nolan commented, “There's always time for partying.”
Having them in the same room would be a nightmare, Loken decided.
“Good night,” Danika said, ignoring Nolan. “Kick some science ass for me! We can celebrate when you're back.”
When Loken hung up, he found Nolan staring at him. Before he could say whatever was on his mind, Loken gestured to the metal leg. “The sooner you finish it, the sooner I can enchant it.”
“Yeah, yeah. I need to order a part, so that'll be on hold until it gets here.” Nolan clapped his hands together. “So. How about we measure some magic?”
Loken agreed, but he offered no advice on how Nolan should proceed, feeling no obligation to help him skip the frustration Penny had suffered.
It made for an interesting night.
“Infinitygates were never my area of expertise!” Loken hissed after Nolan commented yet again on his incomplete knowledge. He didn't care for the criticism. They’d been working on this project for days, and they’d run into nothing but problems. The main issue was the translation of Rellaerian materials to earthen ones. “I understand the theory and technology behind them, yes, but—”
“Yeah, yeah. So, the energy used to power them on Rilleria—"
“Rellaeria.”
“Close enough.” Nolan fell silent with a contemplative expression. “Look, does ALPHA have any astrophysicists or theoretical physicists that want a pay raise? I have a feeling we’re going to need one to figure all this out.”
Loken shrugged.
“Thanks. Very helpful.”
Silence stretched. Nolan was still awaiting delivery of the part necessary to finish the mechanical leg, and somehow they'd gotten onto the subject of infinitygates after Nolan attempted to measure Loken’s teleportation.
Nolan was a walking contradiction. He could be so engrossed with a project that he'd forget to eat, but in the same day he could switch focuses completely. He had several ongoing projects, but he tended to focus on one or two until they were completed. One might say he obsessed, but it was born of an intellect so bright that, if tangible, would have been a star.
(One of the brightest stars in the sky.)
Yes, Loken had to admit that he was smart...for a human.
“So, how did you get mixed up with ALPHA anyway? They can't contain you. Teleportation sorta puts a damper on that. And if you can turn into an owl, you can probably turn into other things. Or are you a wereowl? That would be prett
y lame.”
What in the galaxy was a ‘where-owl?’ And why did Nolan think Loken would answer personal questions? They were only colleagues. “We’re exchanging life stories now? Apologies. I didn't realize this was a date,” Loken said coldly.
“Would you like one, Princess?” Nolan gave him a wicked grin. “You do seem like the high maintenance type. Fine dining and expensive gifts.”
Loken leveled an unamused stare at the inventor, though he wasn't certain why it was expected for him to take offense to those accusations. What was wrong with being particular and liking expensive things?
“Just my type,” Nolan added.
The smoldering gaze Nolan gave him was the last straw. Loken set the table behind the inventor on fire and waited. It was immensely satisfying to see the man shout, curse, and leap to put the small fire out.
By the time the debacle was over, Nolan’s phone announced that the missing part had arrived, and Loken returned to observing Nolan finish making the bionic leg. Hopefully its function was as satisfying as its appearance. Loken wasn’t sure what it was made of, but it had an almost flaxen hue to it overall.
“Right now, I’m creating translations for ‘this muscle signal means do this.’ Those muscle signals are picked up by the electrodes which then pass on the commands to the computer located inside the leg. The computer then activates the motors that are needed for whatever motion it’s programmed to do,” Nolan explained as he worked. “That’s not the unique thing; it’s been done before. What I did to improve it was—”
Loken knew the man could talk all night, if allowed. He was eager to get to the enchantment phase, to test his own limitations, so he interrupted. “Will this take long?”
“Nope. I've done these readings before. Just gotta update the new computer.”
Loken made a sound of acknowledgement and studied the flaxen limb while Nolan finished programming it. Such complex solutions crafted for the many problems humans faced. Once more, Loken marveled at their ingenuity.
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