by Dan Oakley
“Are you okay?” she asked.
I managed to nod. “Yeah, I think Zarak changed the settings on his weapon.”
Trella shook her head. “I checked it before the session started and the only other setting available on the practice weapon is stun, and that setting should have knocked you out for a good five minutes.”
I managed to push myself up to a sitting position and rubbed my temples. My head was pounding. “Well, all I know is the shots from Bobby’s weapon felt very different than those from Zarak’s. Where are they?” I looked around, but there was no sign of either rookie. Trella and I were alone.
“I told them to leave,” Trella said. “I think Zarak’s weapon must have malfunctioned. It’s the only explanation.”
I didn’t think it was the only explanation. I was sure Zarak meant to harm me permanently. But I kept that thought to myself. I had no proof. Trella held out her hand and helped pull me to my feet. I still felt a little shaky, but considering all the hits I’d taken in the training session, I supposed it could have been worse.
“I’m sorry,” I said.
Trella’s eyes widened as she looked at me. “Why are you apologizing to me?”
“Because I messed up. I disappointed you. I can’t access my magic.”
Trella pushed her red hair back from her face. “Listen, Tomas, you’ve no reason to apologize. I know I’m pushing you hard, but that’s just because it’s so important we get you trained as quickly as possible.”
“I thought you wanted me to go back to Terrano?”
“That’s not what I want, Tomas. It’s what would be best for you. Even if you go back to Terrano, you will be better off knowing how to use your magic.”
I had to agree with that. After turning my back on magic for years, I now saw how useful it could be.
“Zarak is a dirtball,” I said as I brushed down my uniform.
A smile tugged at Trella’s lips. “Yeah. He is. Fortunately for us, he doesn’t have a magical bone in his body and so will be no threat to you once you are trained.”
I raised an eyebrow. “He’s enough of a threat now, though. He’s got it in for me. He was shooting away, and there was nothing I could do to stop him. I tried. Really, I did.”
Trella looked thoughtful. “You know, I was surprised you didn’t access your magic as I’d hoped. You sent the weapon flying from Bobbie’s hand, so the magic was there. You did access it, but what if…” She trailed off and tapped a finger against her lower lip.
“What?”
“I was just thinking. What if Zarak’s weapon was set to stun and you were using your magic to resist it. Perhaps the magic wouldn’t be strong enough to negate the weapon completely, but under normal circumstances, a stun hit should have knocked you out cold. Either Zarak’s weapon malfunctioned, which is unlikely because we run diagnostics on the practice weapons every week, or somehow, your magic was protecting you from the stun laser.”
“How would it do that?” I asked, confused.
Trella shrugged. “No idea. But it’s a theory. Now, come on,” she said, not giving me a chance to dwell on the matter. “Let’s go and get some lunch. You’ve earned it.”
Chapter 13
“Are you even trying?” Trella stared at me with her hands on her hips.
I was panting, and sweat was dripping off me. Since just after lunch we’d been practicing physical combat with magic non-stop.
When I say we, of course, I meant Trella. My magic was intermittent at best. I still hadn’t worked out how to harness it properly. Right now, the only way I could guarantee to release an energy bolt or throw something across the room using my magic was when I felt annoyed.
Trella’s taunts did the trick. I liked to think she was heckling me so I was irritated enough to use my magic, not because she really thought I was uncoordinated lizard chum. That was one of her more imaginative insults.
“For goodness sake, try harder.” She grabbed one of the bright yellow balls and threw it at me. I was supposed to deflect it with my magic, but I kept wimping out, putting my hands up to stop the heavy ball slamming into my head.
She threw another ball in quick succession, not letting me pause for breath, and that one only narrowly missed my head.
“Give me a chance!” I shouted.
“Your opponent in battle won’t be giving you a chance, Tomas. Keep practicing.”
She stalked off to the side of the room and began to talk to the device strapped to her wrist. I bent double with my hands resting on my knees and tried to regulate my breathing.
It sounded like she was having a conversation with someone. Maybe her boss asking how I was getting on? I didn’t want to imagine the type of feedback she’d give him. I doubted Trella would be singing my praises.
I didn’t understand why it was so hard to channel my magic. It seemed to come naturally when I was angry or frustrated, but at other times, no matter what I did or tried, it was inaccessible.
I threw a ball in the air and focused on it, imagining blasting it off to one side with my magic, but nothing happened.
Downhearted, I leaned down to pick up another ball to try again and overheard some of Trella’s conversation.
“He’s trying, commander. But it takes time to learn how to access the zone. He won’t be ready for the mission.” She paused listening intently to the person on the other side of the device.
“Yes, I understand that commander, but…” Again she paused, listening. “It would be suicidal…” She pulled a face, and I imagined she was getting a dressing down. “Yes, sorry, sir. Of course, sir.”
Finally, she jabbed at the device on her wrist and turned back to me, cocking her head to one side when she saw I’d been listening.
“Don’t you know it’s not polite to eavesdrop, Tomas?”
I shrugged, tucking the ball beneath my arm. “Sorry, I couldn’t help it. What was that about a mission?”
She groaned. “You don’t want to know.”
“I do,” I said firmly. “I take it that conversation was about me?”
She pulled her fingers through her red hair and reluctantly nodded. “I know you think I’m being hard on you during training, but you have no idea…”
I put the ball on the floor and sat down next to it, pleased to have a moment to rest. “So tell me,” I said.
I got the sense she was so frustrated after the call that she might open up to me more than she usually would.
She sat down on the floor beside me, cross-legged, resting her elbows on her knees and her chin on her hand. “The commander, wants us to go on a rescue mission to planet Tor.”
“On the planet that’s overrun with those giant lizards?”
She nodded. “Yes.” She plucked at the purple material of her jumpsuit and looked thoughtful. “A group of scientists visited the planet last month. They were supposed to be scouting for a new extraction site to mine a mineral called folium. They had a spacemage with them for protection as well as a defense crew, so they should have been well protected, but they haven’t been in contact, and no one knows what happened to them.”
“I see.” The idea of going to a land filled with those huge lizards gave me the creeps. “He wants me to go on this mission too?”
Trella nodded. “Yes, the commander’s insisting on it. He thinks two mages will be better than one. I told him you’re not ready. The thing is, no offense, Tomas but if I spend my time babysitting you, I’m not paying attention to my surroundings.”
“So I’ll be more of a hindrance than a help?”
She gave me an apologetic smile and nodded. “Right now, your magic is too raw to be harnessed. In the future, I’m sure you’ll be a great spacemage, but it’s not fair to try and cram your training into a few days.”
“Is the commander normally so difficult?”
She shook her head. “He’s always been a hard taskmaster, but the thing is… One of the scientists who went missing was his sister… so he’s very invested in the rescue
.”
I tried to imagine how the commander must feel. I’d never been close to the baker’s children growing up, as they saw me as an outsider, but if it were one of them, I’d still want to save them.
“Sorry to be such a pain.”
She smiled. “It’s not your fault, Tomas. I’m the one who should be apologizing. I thought by putting you under pressure today somehow you’d manage to harness your magic faster. But truthfully, I don’t know anyone who has managed to get to competent mage level without years of training.”
I blinked at her. Years?
She got to her feet, and I followed suit. “More ball games?” I asked with a smile, trying to tease her out of her funk. She seemed really down.
“No, let’s take a break. I’ve pushed you too hard already. We’ll meet back here tomorrow morning at eight a.m.”
I watched her go with her shoulders slumped and wished there was some way I could help her. The commander sounded like a bit of a dirt wipe. Even if it was his sister, he was supposed to be in charge, a leader, and shouldn’t be risking the lives of his crew unnecessarily on a suicide mission.
After Trella left, I didn’t return to my quarters. Instead, I practiced again and again with the bright yellow ball. On one occasion, I came close to moving it with my magic before I lost confidence and put my hands up to shield my face and block the ball.
After half an hour of the repetitive task, I started to notice an odd vibration. It felt like the cores of my bones were trembling. Taking a deep breath, I tried to focus on the sensation.
The next time I attempted to deflect the ball, I did it without using my hands.
I grinned and pumped my fist in victory. Hell yeah!
I started to walk over to collect the ball and then stopped. The deflection worked so maybe I could go one step further. I grinned. I’d instruct the ball to come to me.
Maybe I was a little overconfident.
I held out my hand. Was I supposed to say something to summon the ball or just think about it traveling to me?
“Come here, ball,” I commanded and then felt silly when it didn’t move.
Gritting my teeth, I raised both hands this time, imagining the ball shooting up and landing neatly in my hands. Although nothing happened at first, I did feel that familiar vibration. Doubling down, I concentrated hard, trying to focus on the feeling rather than the ball. I needed to access that zone. What had Trella called it? Oh yeah, the Votoom zone.
A bead of sweat dribbled down the side of my face, and then suddenly, as though I’d locked on to my magic, my body jolted, and the ball hurtled through the air towards me.
I didn’t have much time to celebrate my victory, though. The ball slammed into my midsection with such force it sent me sprawling backward, knocking the breath from my lungs.
Once I’d recovered, I kicked the ball hard in disgust.
Keep going, I told myself. It wasn’t ideal, but I was getting closer. I was making progress.
I stayed in the spacemage quarters until the lights dimmed, signaling nightfall. Then I hurried back to my quarters to wash up before getting something to eat. I was starving.
Although I sat alone in the rookie area, I didn’t feel lonely tonight. I was energized and looking forward to telling Trella about my progress tomorrow. I didn’t just want to boast. Sure, it would be nice to impress the pretty spacemage, but I was more interested in easing her concerns. I might not be much help if I was forced to go on the mission, but at least I’d be able to defend myself and not endanger the lives of the other crew taking part in the mission.
The following morning I met Trella in the mage section. I expected her to be raring to go with more arduous training exercises, but she looked glum as she greeted me.
“We’ve got an appointment with Commander Taggert,” she said, ominously.
“Is it about the mission?”
She put her hand on my forearm and looked intently into my eyes. “I wasn’t supposed to tell you about that, Tomas. Please don’t mention it.”
“Of course. I’d never do anything to get you in trouble.”
She gave me a tight smile that soon faded. “Thanks.”
She led the way to the commander’s quarters, which were close to the bridge. I’d come to realize that navigating the ship was easier in this section. Color-coded strips ran along the top of the walls.
I hadn’t ventured into this area of the ship before and had to admit I was impressed. There was a soft material covering the floor, which made me feel like I was walking on a cloud. The moldings, fixings and even the buttons and scanners were of a higher quality. One corridor had numerous images of each of the Kingdoms’ ships. I made a mental note to come back and study the artwork.
As we stood outside Commander Taggert’s quarters waiting to enter, I saw Ensign Borrack sitting regally behind a sleek, white desk.
I smiled and said hello, which only earned me a scathing look. It seemed Ensign Borrack hadn’t grown any friendlier since the last time I’d seen him.
“Take a seat,” he said to Trella and me. “Commander Taggert is in a meeting.”
We sat down on some padded seats, which I hadn’t spotted until Trella had pressed the button to release them from the wall. A few crewmen passed by, not bothering even to glance our way, and after five minutes, the sliding door to the commander’s office opened.
I tried to hide my disappointment when I saw we were entering his private quarters. I’d wanted to get my first glimpse of the bridge.
But my dismay quickly faded when I saw the vast viewing screen he had set up. I might not know much about physics, but even I knew ships didn’t have windows to view the stars, but this screen was the next best thing. It was massive. It almost appeared as though I could reach out and touch the very fabric of space. I gave a low whistle. The screen was huge, took up one full wall, and I gaped in awe.
“So, you’re the new mage,” a low, gravelly voice said behind me.
I turned quickly. The view of the stars had been so distracting I hadn’t noticed the commander.
He was a short, wiry man with greying dark hair and serious eyes. The way he looked at me made me sure he was weighing me up. “Yes, sir.”
“How are you settling in? I hope everyone’s been welcoming and helpful.”
I didn’t like to lie, but I suspected he didn’t actually want to hear the truth or listen to my complaints about the snobbery and coldness of the crew of the K.S. Morellic.
“Yes, everyone’s been fine, sir.” I drew the line at saying they’d been helpful or friendly.
“I understand that your magic is completely untrained,” Commander Taggert said, his eyes locked on mine.
I shifted uneasily beneath his fixed stare. “Yes, that’s true. Trella has been training me. We started yesterday.”
“That’s disappointing. I have never met a mage of your age with so little ability, but Trella tells me your natural magic is strong.”
I didn’t like the way he was making me feel that my lack of training was a failure. Maybe it was, but I thought I’d done pretty well after living on a planet where magic was supposedly outlawed for my entire life.
My jaw tightened. He hadn’t asked me a direct question, so I was blasted if I was going to reply to the insult.
His mouth twitched at the corners as though he wanted to smile. “I see you are a proud young man. Let’s hope that means you channel your pride into your magical training.”
“I have already made progress.” My tone was clipped, and I knew I sounded defensive but couldn’t help myself.
The commander’s eyebrows lifted. “Really?” He turned to Trella. “That’s good news.”
I sensed Trella bristle beside me and guessed I’d said the wrong thing. She wanted me to play down my talents and convince the commander I couldn’t be trusted on the mission.
The last thing I wanted to do was risk Trella’s safety, or annoy the one person who’d shown me some kindness on this ship, so I shot her a
n apologetic look.
“I take it you’ve heard that we lost contact with the science team on the planet Tor?”
“I have, sir.”
I didn’t elaborate as Trella had said she didn’t want me to tell the commander I knew about the mission.
“Yes, I’m sure the word has spread around all the Kingdoms’ domains by now. It’s been years since we lost contact with a research team like this.” He sighed. “How much do you know about Tor?”
“Not very much, sir.” I shot a glance at Trella, but her face was blank.
“Well, the planet of Tor was evacuated ten years ago after the nuclear fallout. It wasn’t what we would term fully inhabited before that. There were only a couple of colonies established at the equator, mainly low-level workers, supervising the mining equipment. We sent a research team in a month ago to determine if the mines were safe for human occupation again. Although much of the extraction of minerals and ores can be automated, we do need some human oversight.”
I nodded but said nothing.
“We don’t like to leave one of own behind, and certainly not a whole team, Tomas. Do you understand that?”
Again I nodded.
“One of the team members was my sister. I don’t know whether the scientists are still alive, but if they are, I want my team to go in and bring them home. I’d like you to be a member of that team, Tomas. Do you feel you’re up to the job?”
I was torn. I wasn’t trained well enough to battle against those horrible lizard monsters, but I wanted to help. The idea of a whole team of humans even less powerful than me trapped on a planet with those creatures was horrendous. They must be terrified. If they were still alive…
But, I also didn’t want to let Trella down, and I definitely didn’t want to put her life at risk.
“It’s not up to me to decide, sir. But please know I will try my utmost to help if I am sent on the mission.”
I thought that was a diplomatic way of appeasing both Trella and Commander Taggert. After all, I was caught between them, but from the look of irritation Trella sent me, I quickly realized I’d said the wrong thing.