Cracked Control Read online

  “No, it was a strong teaching telepath who has worked with wild talents before. He knew where to put everything; you just have to learn how to use it.”

  A chirp sounded on Kelly’s end of the connection. “I am losing the signal. We haven’t gotten the relay satellites in place yet. I will be back in a few hours. Suit up, take a walk, enjoy yourself. The instructions for everything are on... well... everything.”

  Kelly waved, and the screen went dark.

  Addy flexed her fingers and looked around. She knew it wasn’t a dream. Dreams were far more fun.

  She went on a quick examination of her quarters, and to her surprise, the door opened and let her out into a huge facility. The ceiling was a bright and unclouded dome through which she could see clouds scudding far above.

  She was alone in some kind of observation station, and if Kelly was to be believed, she was only the second person on the land itself.

  Not one to just stand around, Addy went looking for her exo suit.

  “There is not a lot of suit to this suit.” She held up the heavy panel of fabric and flapped the arms and legs so they did a little dance.

  The loose shirt and trousers were interesting pajamas, but they wouldn’t go under this suit. It was going to be skin or nothing.

  She shrugged. “Well, if no one is watching, what the hell.”

  She shucked her clothing and then slid her foot into one let of the suit. She guessed that the closure was in front, so that is how she got dressed.

  The suit was warm, hugged her curves, and contained everything when she completed the closure. She twisted and bent in the suit and had to admit that it felt great.

  The helmet was a band that attached to the suit. She didn’t know how it was going to work, but a few mouthfuls of dry air wouldn’t kill her.

  When the band settled on the suit, a hum came from her neckline. If that was good, then there was no reason that she couldn’t see where she was living.

  Part of her mind whispered that this could all be a dream, but the bulk of her thoughts slapped the crap out of that idea. The kidnapping and months of torture were not something she could have imagined, so the lack of pain and relative feeling of health was a reality she wanted to immerse herself in.

  She tried to poke her nose and a light crackling of energy stopped her finger. “Okay, so that is working. Right. Now to find the door.”

  The panels at the end of the hall indicated some kind of exterior access, but it wasn’t until she palmed the lock and the inner barrier sealed to keep grime out of the main base that the exterior door opened.

  The first curl of wind pushed lightly against her, so Addy squealed and charged out into the alien landscape.

  The world around her shook, and lights flared on the building she had just left.

  “Okay. So, there is an alarm. Great.” She stopped and closed her eyes, breathing deeply and wondering what the air actually tasted like. The screen was filtering it for her.

  The ground under her feet was a fine silt. She crouched and touched it, sifting the fine stuff through her fingers. The colour was odd. There was a bit of red, orange and purple overlaid by smoky grey. A glint of light sparked off something in the handful, and she smiled slightly as she let it drop.

  She brushed her hand off on her suit, and she walked to the edge of what seemed to be her base site. A mountain range in the distance was a black onyx wall that gleamed in the orangey light of the larger of the two suns.

  In the distance, a dark shadow started toward her, moving across the ground at a wildly accelerated pace.

  “Okay, back in my box. Here we go.”

  She turned and sprinted for the base, but Addy wasn’t fast enough.

  The first wall of wind struck her, and she turned into it, kneeling on one knee with her opposite fist to the ground. As the whirling, howling wind pulled at her, she started screaming. The sound coming out of her contained all of her fury at the hope that had turned to agony, the time she had lost, her family and friends probably notified of her death, and even her best friend in space had aged and moved on. There was nothing like losing your timeline to cause despair.

  As she screamed, the wind moved around her. She could feel it pushing and twisting the way you could stand near a window and feel someone tapping on the glass. The wind howled, and her voice sang with it until her throat was raw.

  She kept her broken thoughts and grief around her while she got up and walked across the gale and back to the base. She palmed the lock, and it shattered. With what was left of her voice, she screamed, “Fuck!”

  Addy pounded her fist against the door, and it cracked outward from the impact point.

  She tumbled inside, hit the emergency seal that she spotted earlier, and got to her feet.

  The rage went with the storm. It was gone, she was safe, and she was calm. Her heart beat a steady pace, and she made it through the interior seal.

  Humming to herself, she removed the helmet and got the suit off and hanging back in its cupboard. She heard humming and watched as light cascaded over the suit, looking for tears.

  Her clothing was waiting for her, and she was more than eager to get something less ready-for-bed.

  Now that she was awake, she had no intent to return to bed unless she was exhausted.

  With determination to get dressed and explore, she returned to her living space and looked around for proper clothing. She always felt better when she was properly dressed.

  Chapter Three

  Apparently, her choices were between a boiler suit and heavy-duty feetie pajamas. She opted for the body suit. It had less of an issue when she crouched.

  Dressed, with another meal behind her, she crept out of her quarters and went exploring.

  The building seemed to be designed to be some kind of headquarters. There were several living spaces like her own, a large common space with seating for a dozen, a wide common kitchen with enough space for two to three people to work on a meal at the same time. This place was a party waiting to happen.

  The empty medical centre sprang to life when she entered.

  “Please, step into the upright scanner, and a baseline will be determined.” The even-toned male voice came from the main console.

  “Baseline?”

  “An account of your current physical state so that the equipment will know what meds are possible in case of injury.”

  “Can it go through my suit?”

  “Of course. Line your feet up and grip the upward rails with both hands. The scan will take ninety seconds.”

  Addy set her feet in the markings, reached up and grabbed the handles in the segment that lowered for her height, and she stared at the light pad in front of her while the whirring and small tingles ran past her.

  A cheerful chime rang, and the voice informed her, “Scan complete. It will be updated as you gain control of your talent. Your chemical balance is still finding a neutral state, and it is recommended that you come in for a scan daily if not weekly.”

  “Sure, it isn’t as if I have anything else to do.”

  “I will look forward to your visit.”

  She was about to leave when she paused. “Do you have a designation?”

  “Rokar. I am a copy of a sentient being’s thought process.”

  She recognized the name. “Were you created before or after I was dropped off at the Archive?”

  “You remember. I was created after as a monitoring system for you. I have seen every minute of your sleep, and I am delighted that you have woken up.”

  “Um, I am delighted as well. What happened to the original Rokar?”

  “He is alive and well in the universe. His folk do not age.”

  “That’s great. Well, I will get going. I wonder if the main console is active. I want to catch up on three decades of Terrans.”

  “I will transfer my consciousness to the main base, and you can ask me to assist you with anything.”

&n
bsp; “You can do that?”

  “Of course. I am a program that is formed to resemble a living mind. I can go anywhere that I am wired to travel.”

  She nodded. “Good to know. Let me know when you are aware of me in a room I am in.”

  “How?”

  “A low chime? It will let me know I am not alone.”

  A soft sound filled the room.

  Addy smiled. “Perfect.”

  “I will speak with you later. It was nice to meet you, Volunteer Hathaway.”

  “Please, address me as Addy, or Adelheid if you must.”

  “Nice to meet you, Addy.”

  “Back atcha, Rokar.”

  She left medical feeling a little less abandoned and far more cheerful.

  There was a gym, an actual gym. Addy started jogging on the long track, and she skipped a little as she went. Every time she felt the world under her feet shift, she paused, breathed deeply and then resumed her giddy physical activity.

  She had no idea what had been done to her, but she was going to deal with the results.

  * * * *

  “How long has she been in the gym?” He stretched his wings and eyed the monitors.

  “Four days, barring the breaks to eat, sleep, and bathe.” The computer-generated voice stated. “She speaks to me frequently.”

  “Good. How many episodes?”

  “Twelve the first day, nine the second, ten the third, but only two today.”

  “Excellent. Is she still speaking with Kelly?”

  “During their scheduled chats. The conversation is dwindling, though. Are you going to visit her?”

  “It is time, is it not?”

  “It might be too soon.” The voice was wary.

  “I have been waiting for this moment for several decades. I believe I have been patient enough.”

  “She isn’t aware of what you are. She has been told, but you are not a reality for her.”

  “I will be. I have dreamed of her, and we will be together, but now that I am tethered to Iratho, it must be here.”

  “She is too dangerous and unstable to be a Citadel Specialist.” The computer’s voice was determined.

  “It doesn’t matter. The Citadel will grow around her. She will be part of it, just as I am part of Iratho.”

  The computer with his mind challenged, “What does the planet think of her?”

  “He is nervous, but encouraged by her progress. The island was the perfect place to settle her, and he is enjoying the idea of embracing a new species on his soil.” Rokar grinned, his tail lashing.

  “You have not been among living beings that much since you woke up. You should have remained asleep.”

  Rokar snorted as he got dressed. “Now, how could I sleep with my mate so close by? She woke me by her presence in my corner of the universe.”

  “She wasn’t even in the Alliance yet. She hadn’t had any training. You are an alien by her standards. Her only companions are a digitally projected aged friend and a computer program. She is not in a fit state to be beginning a relationship.”

  “If I wasn’t getting this advice from my own brain, I would be furious.”

  “You decided that this was the best way to observe her and keep her sane. I am merely going along with you.”

  As am I. This exchange is fascinating. I haven’t had an Avatar in eons. Is she really your mate?

  Rokar grunted. She is. I woke up too late to save her from her capture, but I did get there in time to keep her life intact.

  I look forward to meeting her. So far, I have only felt her mood swings.

  Oh, those weren’t mood swings; those were lack of control due to her complete lack of mental framework to manage the talent that was pulled out of her. She is building a structure in her mind to control what she feels and how she emits those sonic pulses.

  How is it that she didn’t shatter you when you met her?

  Ah, she was aiming all of her force downward.

  Lucky for you.

  Very.

  Rokar straightened the lines of his suit, and he walked up the steps and entered the sweet green-scented air. The floating dessert was at the edge of his eye line, and he sighed. She was convinced that the world was all barren. In a slight deception, it was decided that she had to have something to work for. Being on a bare rock was a threat that her actions could keep the world from developing. She couldn’t see any progress, so she was trying so that something, anything different would happen.

  The floating island was on a gas column, which kept the enormous expanse of rock floating above the original crater where it had separated. Nothing that Adelheid did could damage it. Her sonic waves went through the rock and dissipated into the gas cushion below. She wasn’t touching the true soil of Iratho yet, and that was what made the planet nervous.

  The planets whispered about her. The world breaker who could shake them down to the core. They were worried now that she was awake and moving that she might come for them.

  Rokar was far less worried about what she would do. He was wondering if she would like his home. It was key to their relationship, which meant he should probably formally introduce himself.

  He took to the skies and used his wings to propel him through the gas layer that kept the dry weather intact, and settled in to the currents that would lead him to the base.

  Several Citadels that dealt with dangerous talents had volunteered to take Adelheid for training, but he had insisted that she be placed with him. His deal with Iratho had been scheduled to begin, and he needed her close when the courtship was set to begin. This day was all about first, and proper, introductions.

  * * * *

  Addy leaned on the edge of the rail that separated the running area from the rest of the gym. She finally felt strong enough to try heading outside again. The first storm had lasted two days, but the weather was clear now, and she wanted to see how far she could get.

  The body suits were growing on her. They were efficient, sleek, and didn’t get caught on anything. The texture of the fabric was weird though; it was a thick, woven substance similar to neoprene with a heavy coating of something that felt like glass on the outer surface. It stopped her from most injuries when she got too tired and fell; it also did an excellent job of wicking sweat.

  Addy straightened and headed for her quarters to take a sonic shower. She looked at the vid screens in the common room with trepidation. She was desperate to find out what had happened to Terrans in the last thirty years, but she was terrified at the same time. A few days wouldn’t make any difference.

  Wearing a new suit, she headed to medical for her daily checkup.

  “So, Rokar, how am I today?”

  “Integration is coming along well. Your mind and body are nearly synched.”

  “Do you know what my talent is yet?”

  “It appears to be a sonic wave that comes directly from your pores, as if they are singing when you are upset. The more upset, the stronger your song.”

  “That makes it sound rather romantic.” She grimaced and looked at the scan results scrolling on the screens. “Can you compare the scans from the first day to now? Overlap them or something?”

  The displays went up on a wide screen, and they slowly moved to overlap.

  “The blue is the indicator for your cerebral activity, and the yellow is your cellular activity. The red is the change.”

  She stared at the large slashes of red and sighed in relief. “Great. It is one thing to feel that things have changed, it is another to see that the scans are different.”

  “This is the scan when you are emanating the pulses.”

  The riot of colour made her eyes hurt. The blue went wild, and the yellow shot out in spikes and daggers. That was definitely new.

  “Oh, wow. Okay that is just weird. So, I had an episode in the scanner?”

  “Several on that first day.”

  She smiled and shook her head. “But I am
still alive, and the ground around me is in one piece. Progress, indeed.”

  “Indeed. Oh, there is a visitor arriving today?”

  Addy grew nervous and excited. “Kelly?”

  “No, the Avatar of this world. He is coming in for an introduction as you two are the only living beings on the surface right now.”

  “Right. When will he be here?”

  Rokar paused, “He is waiting for you in the common room.”

  She tried to remember if she had brushed her hair. “How do I look?”

  There was surprise in the tone. “You look fine. Lovely. Fit and alert.”

  “Is my hair okay?”

  “It has been groomed, if that is what you were looking for.”

  She smiled slightly. “Thanks.”

  With a third check that her suit was sealed, she left the medical bay and walked the hall toward the common area. The low chime whispered to her that Rokar had followed her, and she felt better that she wasn’t meeting a stranger without him.

  Chapter Four

  Addy walked into the common area and paused when she saw the Avatar. She knew him from somewhere, and that somewhere was half a lifetime of dreams.

  “Hello, pardon the rude question, but do I know you?” She walked up to him and extended her hand with the palm up.

  Seven feet tall at least, he had an impressive nose, flaring nostrils, and lips with an intriguing curve. His ears were pointed, and his hair was a lovely mix of black and blue as it fell behind him to come to an edge between his huge navy blue wings.

  His eyes. His eyes were not what she remembered from her dreams. Molten gold swirled in the depths of his eyes. The entire eye was a rich dark blue, but there was something living, swirling in the dark mass. It was hypnotic.

  “We have met, but I did not think you would remember, Adelheid.”

  She blinked. “Rokar, are you throwing your voice?”

  The com unit spoke softly, “No, Adelheid, he is me.”

  “To be precise, the imprint here has been cast from my own mind.” Rokar cleared his throat. He took her hand, turned it, and lightly touched his lips to the back of her wrist. “It is good to see you recovering from your ordeal.”