Touching Water Read online

  Merker looked to the Avatar in surprise. “I thought you were here to greet our new Guardian.”

  Kloran patted Lydra on the shoulder. “I am.”

  The three Guardians looked at each other, and Merker smiled slightly. “Right. Of course. Thank you, Avatar.”

  “You are welcome. She has a lot of potential and can be a great asset to the base in more than a research capacity.”

  Lydra sighed. “They get it. You can stop beating them over the head with it.”

  The Avatar squeezed her shoulder. “Fine. You are spoiling my fun, but fine. Call me if you need any help grappling with what is rising.”

  “How will I do that? I don’t have a com link in here.” She frowned at him.

  Merker cleared his throat. “We will set that up, and I have his contact information. You will be instated with full rights and privileges.”

  Kloran inclined his head. “Just so. Well, I will be on my way now. I wish you all a pleasant evening.”

  When the power of the Avatar left the lab, everyone breathed a little easier.

  Lydra waved at the equipment. “You really don’t have to do anything more. I need to recalibrate everything.”

  Merker nodded, and the others finished their tasks and straightened.

  She made sure that she wasn’t carrying a charge and started Sorrow up. “Hello, Sorrow.”

  “Hello, Lydra. What can I do for you?”

  “I need you to look up electro and hydro kinesis, please. Send me everything you find.”

  “Yes, Lydra.”

  “Thank you. Dismissed.”

  Sorrow inclined her head and disappeared.

  Lydra turned back to the Guardians. “So, were there any samples from the latest mission for me to go over?”

  Rombar shook his head. “There were no traces to deal with. It was a simple accident with a viable cause.”

  She wrinkled her nose. “You still should have brought me evidence.”

  Urmor smiled. “We brought you video and the confession. Will that do?”

  “It will have to, but if you end up in court again, remember my disapproving glare.”

  He chuckled. “I will. Now, what talent was triggered?”

  “I have two of them. They weren’t triggered, the Avatar just pointed out that I was infested with nanites that no devices could detect. They had burrowed into my skin.”

  The men flinched.

  She chuckled. “I shorted them out with an EM pulse, and the moment they ceased to be active, my body broke them down.”

  “Where did the Avatar take you?”

  “To a shoreline so I could let off some of the energy I have pent up over the last few months. I feel better now. Much calmer.”

  Urmor bowed slightly. “Have you had dinner?”

  “Um, no. I may have swallowed some fish, but I think that I haven’t eaten anything properly yet.”

  Merker raised his brows. “Swallowed some fish?”

  “Long story. Yes, I would enjoy something that has a component that isn’t out of a dispenser.”

  Rombar straightened. “I can manage that. Come along, Apprentice Yrick.”

  She followed him, promising the others that she would explain her experience of that afternoon.

  It turned out that sharing first power stories was an incredible bonding experience. When she had described her sparking up the clouds, it turned into a sharing moment for Merker.

  “My first moment was a gas compression that turned into a sneeze that blew a hole in my mother’s house. I had a cold and a headache. Kaboom!”

  They all laughed around the emptied plates.

  “I guess I was lucky that I was flown somewhere safe. I didn’t wreck anything, and the Avatar fixed the cloud formations on our way back.”

  Rombar cocked his head. “Can you do it now?”

  Lydra held her hand out, palm up, and concentrated on the building charge in her blood. A spark crackled in the cup of her hand. It built in intensity until it was a few inches wide.

  “Now that I have it, what do you want me to do with it?”

  Rombar was staring at it, and he reached out to touch. The zap rocked him back in his chair.

  Merker covered his eyes. “You always have to touch, don’t you?”

  Umbor snickered then sobered. “Lydra, you can walk to the door and fire it out into the shrubs across the landing area. The leaves should disperse it for you.”

  She carefully got up and balanced the power ball. When she got to the door, she had to press the release before pulling the handle. It was tricky to do it left handed.

  The evening air smacked her in the face, and she nearly clenched her hand on the energy. Focusing, she blew gently against the ball, and it floated away from her and across the open space. She darted back through the door and watched it through the window.

  She counted down. “Three... two... one...”

  The explosion rocked the foundation of the base and flickered the lights.

  She slowly turned and faced the Guardians with a grin on her lips. “So, I should do the dishes, shall I?”

  The men bolted to their feet and had the table clear before she could take a step. She glanced back at her reflection in the glass and snickered. Her hair was still holding the charge.

  She walked back to the dining table and pulled the water out of the pitcher. It flowed and floated in a glossy cascade from one hand to the other. It was fun, glorious, free, fun.

  Lydra heard a plate crash. Water splattered to her feet.

  She looked toward the kitchen area, and three shocked pairs of eyes were staring in her direction.

  Merker cleared his throat. “You didn’t mention that you had two talents.”

  “Oh, sure. It is pretty common where I come from. The combination is a little weird, I will grant you that. I am sure I will get used to it as long as I only try to do one at a time.”

  Umbor inclined his head. “That is probably wise. I will help you work out practice drills if you like.”

  She smiled and pulled the water up from the floor with a flick of her fingers. It ran up her leg and gathered on her fingertips, slowly turning.

  She walked into the kitchen and dropped the globe into the sink.

  The splash was impressive. She soaked all three of them. Laughing like a maniac, she backed out of the kitchen, riding the wave of endorphins from being able to use the talent that had been simmering under her skin for the last few months.

  They tossed towels around and wiped at their suits. She paused when the fabric came away stained with blood that wasn’t visible on the dark uniform.

  “Was one of you injured?”

  They looked at each other in consternation, and she gestured to the towel.

  Merker blinked. “Oh. No. Just a rescue. Getting blood on us is par for the course. You aren’t squeamish, are you?”

  “No. I have done my fair share of patching folks up. Large family.” She smiled. “We would take turns doing first aide on each other during family gatherings.”

  Umbor blinked. “That sounds...”

  She cackled. “It was educational, and we were all about education. Telekinesis runs in the family, so there were lots of minor accidents. I don’t know if you have ever gone to an apprentice healer, but it was a lot easier just to let things heal in their own time. Proper bandaging and setting helped.”

  Merker leaned back against the counter, and he huffed. “To think we could have had you with us during rescues this whole time.”

  She wrinkled her nose. “I don’t know Vidiaro physiology that well. I wouldn’t have been much use.”

  The three men were all the same golden tones with clear features and easy smiles that she was now getting the full blast from. If she didn’t know what asses they could be, she would have been dazzled.

  “Right, well, I am off for the evening. I will be in the lab running tests on myself tomorrow if anyone wants t
o offer their advice on how to wrangle the talent.”

  “Yrick. You are welcome to have a room here in the base.”

  She chuckled. “I am used to the solitude. If you want to burrow a door in the back of my little apartment, you can, but I like the exterior door. It is probably a good idea if I need to let off any energy.”

  They looked at each other and understanding dawned. Merker agreed, “Right. Sensible. But still, feel free to use any of the facilities of the base. I will change your security clearance, and you can come and go as you please.”

  “Thanks. I will keep my suit’s coms on if you need anything. Call me during my time in the lab.”

  She smiled and tried not to skip on her way out the door. It was going to be a good night to record her video journal for compressed sending to her family. It was definitely a day to remember.

  Lydra couldn’t sleep. She flipped back the covers, pulled on her robe and walked to the lab.

  “Sorrow, I need a few things from stores. Can you bring them in immediately?”

  “Yes, Lydra. Waiting for the order.”

  Lydra had been lying awake devising experiments for herself, and now, it was time to put her plans into action.

  “I really hope I don’t blow myself up,” she muttered her wish into the universe and got to work.

  Chapter Five

  Giddy with excitement, she looked around to tell someone only to find that the sun had risen and set on her without her noticing. Lydra sat back and grinned. She knew what she had done, and it was beyond what she thought she could manage. She needed something with a lot of calories for a celebration.

  She crept into the base. The lights were off in the common areas, so she tiptoed into the kitchen. Fruit was called for, as was some cream and honey. She moved silently in the darkness.

  “So, you have emerged from your research?”

  Lydra yelped and berries headed for the ceiling. Rombar moved swiftly, as was his talent, and caught all the projectiles before they could hit the floor.

  He stood with his body pressed against hers and leaned past her to place the berries in a bowl.

  “There you go. No damage.”

  He remained pressed against her and smiling down at her. “Can I offer you any additional assistance?”

  She pressed her hand to his chest and shoved backward. “No, thank you.”

  He cocked his head and looked down at her hand. “Are you rejecting me?”

  “I am simply abiding by first impressions. You didn’t think much of me on day one, and I am willing to live with it. You have to, too.”

  He frowned. “I didn’t say anything.”

  “It was written on your face, posture and even your manners.”

  Rombar stepped back in surprise. She could see him running their first meeting through his head, and he winced. “Right. Can we start again?”

  “No. I am feeling confident that I need to figure out who I am now before I can make any decisions about my love life. I don’t know my own body well enough to let anyone close to it.”

  “You seem very at ease with the Avatar.”

  She blinked. “Right. I guess I was. Well, I knew that I couldn’t blow him to pieces, and he saw the nanites somehow when they eluded everyone else.”

  “He’s a cyborg. Half man, half ancient machine.”

  She didn’t like his attack.

  “He was polite, he was helpful and he wasn’t a condescending ass.”

  Rombar winced. “That put me in my place.”

  “You decided to force the issue. I am merely answering.”

  His skin darkened to bronze. “I was merely extending a charitable offer.”

  Lights flicked on around them, and Merker was near them, leaning against the counter. “No one needs that kind of charity, Rombar. Once folks around here are used to her, she will do fine on her own. You, however, are going to have a chat with the Minder in the capital. If you are speaking to any of the victims like this, I want to know about it. Consider yourself suspended.”

  Rombar looked shocked, “Merk, it was just a little fun.”

  “Really? It didn’t look like Lydra was having fun.”

  Rombar was gathering himself to argue, but Merk held his hand up. “Don’t even try. This isn’t the first time you have pushed your charm. Don’t think because you can move at high speed you can escape this investigation. Turning on a teammate will not be tolerated.”

  “She isn’t—”

  Rombar fell to his knees as he was blinded.

  “She is. We take our orders from the Avatar. If he sees a Guardian in her, she is one.”

  Lydra just watched it all go on around her. She knew it had nothing to do with her. She was the catalyst, not the cause.

  Umbor came in, rubbing his eyes, and he held out a wide set of cuffs. “Put these on, Rom.”

  Rombar turned and glared at Lydra as he clipped the cuffs into place.

  “This is your fault.”

  She shook her head. “No. All you had to do was take no for an answer. I would have gone my way and you yours. There would never have been an issue. This is on you and you alone.”

  He glared at her, and Merker took him by the arm. “Come on, Rom. Get a good night’s sleep. You have a mind audit in the morning.”

  She looked behind her at the fruit that he had caught, and suddenly, the celebration wasn’t too tempting.

  She quietly put the food away.

  Merker cocked his head. “What was that for?”

  She shrugged. “I managed something useful with my talent and wanted to celebrate.”

  “Celebrate. Come on, Umbor and I will do it with you. What were you having?”

  “Honeyed fruit and cream.”

  “We can do better than that. Have a seat and tell us what you accomplished today.”

  He steered her out of the kitchen and started to open and close drawers, whipping up a batter in under five minutes while whistling.

  Umbor took the fruit out of the chiller and set out a pan, filling it to the brim before he retrieved honey.

  Merker paused with the whisk in the air. “So, tell us about your achievements.”

  She chuckled and settled against the counter. “Well, I started the day giving myself increasingly painful shocks until I learned how to ground myself.”

  Umbor smiled as he worked with the fruit. “I thought you could suspend a ball of it in the air?”

  “I can, but I wanted to see how useful it could be for charging up devices or vehicles. I can manage a small charge for an hour before I lose control.”

  Merker smiled and got a flat griddle ready. “Good. Anything else?”

  “Yes, I can use the water in a focused stream and cut through five inches of steel.”

  Both men paused and then resumed their work.

  Umbor chuckled. “I am guessing we didn’t need to rush to your defense.”

  She shrugged. “I consider it more of a workplace harassment issue than anything else. I have had annoying coworkers before, as well as classmates. Knowing that I didn’t do anything to bring the attention is the first step. Not letting him convince me otherwise is the second.”

  “Are there many women with that attitude on your world?”

  She grinned. “There are, in my family. If we fight for the same cause, we get the same respect. Period. Mating or sexual relationships are a mutual event, not just the decision of one party.”

  “Sound practice. We strive for the same but often fall short. Men and women alike push the boundaries of propriety.” Umbor shrugged and took the molten fruit off the heat.

  “Where did you guys learn to cook?”

  The both answered, “Secondary school.”

  Merker snorted. “All children are taught how to cook. It takes the burden off our parents and gives us a sense of competence.”

  “Nice. I never learned to cook. My mother always said that was why I had been born wit
h my brain and not someone else’s.” She smiled and watched as they moved around with blatant competence.

  Merker flipped the thin pancakes while Umbor added honey to the cream and began to whisk it.

  Merker asked, “You really don’t cook?”

  “Nope. Not a clue. Putting honey and cream on fruit and toasting bread is the extent of my skills. I eat to stop being hungry, not for layers of flavour.”

  Merker grinned. “Then, this should be a celebration. Now, are you fatigued from your efforts today?”

  “No. I feel exhilarated. It is like waking up to find that a prolonged illness has ceased without any warning. I feel like I could lift one of the riot runners.”

  Merker continued flipping the thin disks, and Umbor grabbed one and began to lay out a layer of the sweetened, whipped cream before easing a scoop of the fruit on top and folding it together.

  The resulting tube looked delightful, and when two had been made for each of them, Merker turned off the griddle and cleaned up swiftly before grinning and turning to her with a plate and a spoon. “Here you go. A suitable celebration meal.”

  They sat around the table, and she described the method she had used for the cutting.

  “So, how does the water work?” Merker asked.

  She swallowed and smiled. “It runs along my skin, and I can focus it. I am guessing that it is a natural extension of my family talent. Aquatic telekinesis. The accident changed my body into being able to breathe water and generate the electric charge. Those are the ones that weren’t in me to begin with.”

  “And the change in coloration.”

  “Oh. Yeah. That too. That is the reason that I knew it was right to leave home. The accident was public enough that I would have been considered a bit of a freak or a victim. I didn’t want to live as either, so I decided to come here and live as an alien. It is easier, and sometimes, you need easier.”

  Umbor asked, “What does your family think of it?”

  “They just want me to be happy and successful at whatever I choose to do. I was going to go into research anyway, so this post was perfect for me.” She grinned. “I was destined to be somewhere and be useful. That is all I have ever wanted to do.”

  Merker looked at her curiously. “No lover left behind?”