Water and Power Read online

  “If you have all that power, how can an Avatar just die?”

  Tranoth sucked in his breath.

  Zenina chuckled. “It is an honest question. The simple answer is that we burn out. Most species are not designed to bear the weight of a planet in their body. There is radiation, stresses of pressure, gravity and the chance of distraction in flight. Mostly, it is the power that burns through the psyche of the host, and once the host is lost, the body follows.”

  Mora blinked. “How could my talent be of use to a world?”

  Zenina looked to Veera and then shrugged. “I have heard of worlds that have gone mad when their Avatar dies. Tides shift, cities drown, these things you could postpone until the people can be saved. Irrigation ditches have been dug in fields, but the water is too far into rock for it to flow and water the crops. You could help there. Rain causing flooding will fill reservoirs and the water pressure can crack a dam before it can be reinforced. You could hold it back. Are you getting the idea?”

  Mora nodded. “Yes. Thank you. Sorry, Veera.”

  Veera winked. “I don’t take offense. You are here to ask questions, to learn, to teach and to live. You have just arrived, and I take your urge to learn as a good sign. Oh, here is your pass bar. Since you wear Masuo, you can’t really embed this in your clothing, but if you want to buy anything for your room from the catalogues, your account is now linked to that little bar and you can use it anywhere in Alliance space that doesn’t use hard currency.”

  Mora pressed the bar against her cuff and the Masuo shaped around it.

  “Or, there won’t be any problem. Right.” She chuckled.

  Tranoth poured Mora another cup of tea, and she cradled it between her hands. Her mind was spinning with the possibilities. Plink was warm and solid on her lap, and she was being given the chance to not only show her own talent off but to also learn about others. She had to blink back the tears.

  Plink began to rumble again and that soothing noise relaxed some of the knot of tension that had begun to take shape and hold Mora hostage.

  Zenina and Veera chatted. Tranoth took her hand in sympathy, and she sat there in silence as the reality continued to sink in.

  Tranoth finally said, “I believe I will show her to her quarters, and then, if there is time, we will drop into a class.”

  Veera smiled. “It sounds like an excellent plan. If you miss the classes, a tour might be a good idea.”

  He held her hand and eased her to her feet. “I think that action might be better than too much time in silence.”

  Mora nodded. “It sounds like a good course of action. Thank you, Veera, Zenina, Fixit.” She bowed to each in turn. It felt like the right thing to do.

  With Tranoth holding her hand and Plink cradled in her other arm, she walked with him through the halls and toward a tower marked Specialists. “What is a specialist?”

  “You are. Someone who has mastered their talent. It is not a declaration that says we have nothing left to learn, but it does mean that we are able to help others when we are called.”

  She smiled. “I am warming to the idea of helping others. I think I would like to take some classes though.”

  “We will begin with the classes. As a Resicor refugee, you have a year’s worth of credit on your bar. That is an entire year of courses and room and board. If you teach a course in the meantime, that will be added to your account.”

  It made sense, but, “Veera didn’t mention that.”

  “She got distracted.” He led her up a wide spiral staircase until they were on the fifth level.

  She looked at the non-descript doors and blinked. “They look empty.”

  “They are. Citadel Balen has a huge student quarters but not a lot of specialists. Getting fully trained personnel here is a boon to the facility. The Citadel gets paid for your services and they pay you in turn.”

  “They get paid for help?”

  “The Alliance pays for the use of a specialist and for the transport fees to and from the planet that requires our assistance. The idea is that goodwill will allow talents to join the Citadel in the future and that new trading partners are possible. It is an act of good faith.”

  He paused in front of a door, and he tapped her wrist where the bar was nestled. “Show the door the credit bar.”

  She pressed that part of her wrist to the door, and it opened, sliding aside with a soft whisper.

  She stepped inside, and Plink squirmed to get down. Mora bent over and let her little friend hop free, and the small green creature took off with amazing speed. The green blur whipped from wall to wall, hopped onto the window ledge, and she opened the window with her beak.

  Mora rushed forward, but Plink hopped down and headed into the second room where the bed was. Mora heard heavy items being moved, and to her surprise, Plink was shoving a large chest across the floor until it was at the foot of the bed.

  Mora looked to Tranoth. “Are you seeing this?”

  He had his hand over his mouth to stop his laughter as Plink shoved a smaller chest against the first.

  With easy hops, Plink went from the floor to the bed in seconds. Once on the bed, Plink rolled around, flapping stubby wings, wiggling chubby claws and chuckling happily.

  Mora walked up to Plink and tickled her belly. “I am guessing that I have a new bed mate.”

  Plink squealed and nipped at Mora’s fingers. She felt the pleasure coming from her new friend, and they played like that for a few minutes until Plink wheezed and rolled away from her.

  No meant no, even with tickling. Mora smiled and said, “Did you want to stay here, Plink, or are you coming to see a class?”

  Plink waddled over and jumped into her arms.

  “I will take that as you are coming with me.” She tucked Plink against her but got an image of Plink on her shoulder. She lifted her and set her there, making a netting that she could hold onto out of the Masuo. Plink was pleased and rubbed against her head.

  Tranoth was in the main room, and he smiled as she came back. “That might work. I want to show you how to check on what courses are running and where they are. We will be auditing today, so all courses are open to you. What would you like to see?”

  She blinked and stared. “I can’t read that.”

  He winced. “Right. Alliance Common is different for you.”

  His hands skimmed over the keyboard and the words reformed into Resicor standard. “Better?”

  “Why could I understand Zenina and Veera?”

  “They both translate for you. They don’t mean to do it, but it is within their aura. There was no intended mental contact.”

  She inhaled sharply and exhaled. “I am beginning to understand that. So, since only you, a telepath or an Avatar can understand me. What is the fastest way to learn Alliance Common?”

  “You won’t like it.”

  “Telepath again?”

  “We have specialists called Minders. They are healers of thought and that is all that they will do. They will only implant the language.”

  She wrinkled her nose. “How long does it take?”

  “Minutes. I would be there with you during the procedure if that will make it easier. You will have a headache afterward, but perhaps, Plink could help with that.”

  Plink chirped and rubbed against her again. There was soothing calm radiating from the little beast, and she took the hint. “How long until I can make the appointment?”

  He smiled and opened a com line. He spoke in a language she wasn’t able to grasp but she merely turned her attention to the classes that evening. Hands-free defence looked like a good choice.

  Tranoth finished the conversation and he nodded. He said something to her but the words were wrong.

  “Resicor please.”

  “Sorry. He can see you right away. There is a student, so he would like permission to have it watched on the psychic plane.”

  “Sure. If you are watching my body, I am sure
that Plink will keep an eye on my mind.”

  He bowed low. “Keeping an eye on your body will be both a solemn duty and a pleasure.”

  “Then, please lead me to the Minder, and after that, I want to go to the hands-free defence class.” She took his arm, and they walked back out into the hall and down the spiral staircase. She couldn’t believe it, but she was about to open her mind to a stranger.

  Chapter Six

  S’Sla was a bit of a shock. Expecting a Minder that reminded her of the Resicor telepaths, she was surprised to find a gentle and smiling creature with scaled skin in a marvellous blue.

  The touch of his hand wasn’t repulsive, and his student was sitting nearby, his lavender feathers fluffed up.

  S’Sla beckoned him over. “Come here and touch her hand. You will be able to see the connection as well as the transfer of language.”

  The student brought his chair closer and nervously touched her hand.

  She felt his presence as a warm, restless wind in her thoughts. S’Sla was cool and steady.

  To her amusement, Plink came in with her warm, solid presence.

  S’Sla blinked and his slit pupils dilated slightly. “So tight already. Well done, Specialist. Well, here we go.”

  She felt a deliberate pressure on her mind. True to his word, Tranoth was holding her hand and that could have been what caused the overload.

  There was a jerk, a sharp shard of pain, voices cried out and Plink made small noises of worry.

  “What the hell happened?” She reached up to touch her forehead, but she was still holding Tranoth’s hand.

  He was sitting slumped over in the chair. She touched his throat and he was breathing.

  Plink hopped off her shoulder and jumped into Tranoth’s lap. Mora put her hand on Plink and Tranoth jerked awake.

  What happened?

  Mora blinked furiously. “What?”

  “I asked what happened.”

  “No, you didn’t. I heard you but your lips weren’t moving. S’Sla!” She turned her head to the Minder.

  He was looking at his student with irritation. “Aktu here threaded the needle.”

  “What?” Mora couldn’t understand the reference, but she was speaking a language that wasn’t her own now.

  “He grabbed Tranoth’s mind and pulled it through yours. He created a connection that wasn’t there before.”

  “Can you undo it?”

  Plink looked from one of them to the other and hopped onto Mora’s lap, her presence removing the vestiges of pain from Mora’s mind.

  Mora looked at the Minder and his student. “Well? Can you undo it?”

  S’Sla slowly shook his head. “It would take too much out of either one of you. There was an energy that set the link the moment that it happened.”

  Tranoth rubbed the back of his neck. “That might have been me.”

  Mora looked at him with suspicion. “What?”

  I was wondering what your mind looked like and wishing that I could have a bond with you that was similar to that of Plink. My talent is electrical impulses. That was what sealed us.

  She cocked her head. “It might have been, but it wouldn’t explain the threading of the needle.”

  S’Sla winced, his scales flexing. “When I pushed the language link into your mind, I created a vacuum. That is what would normally cause you a headache. Aktu’s instinct saw the empty space and sought a mind to fill it. He grasped Tranoth via your physical contact.”

  Tranoth asked, “What will the side effects be?”

  S’Sla smiled and it was frightening with his nose slits flaring and jagged teeth exposed. “There is only a communication link. You can send thoughts but that is all. It is not an emotional link. You can be separated and the link will remain. Neither of you will suffer for it. No side effects beyond conversation, I am relieved to say.”

  Tranoth sighed. “And if there are?”

  “Come back and I will do an assessment. If it is too extreme, I will have Veera summon the strongest Minder I know of. If she won’t come to you, I am sure that you could go to her.” S’Sla bowed low. “I regret that this occurred, but it should not impact your lives too greatly.”

  Tranoth tensed, but Mora got to her feet. “Let’s go in search and see if that class is still running.”

  She hauled him out of the Minder’s office before the crackling power she had seen coating his hand could be used against S’Sla.

  “We will tell Veera what we attempted and the result. I am sure that she can send for someone to unravel our minds. Oh, that sounds bad.” She grimaced and stroked Plink.

  “Well, it is an accurate statement. Come along. We are close to that class, and if I can’t hit something, perhaps we can watch someone else do it.”

  She elbowed him lightly and kept her hand tight to his as they walked the halls. At least she was now speaking Common.

  The class was fascinating. The students sat and made notes about using a talent for distance focus. Most of the students were telekinetics, and when the post was brought out, they were asked to throw cards to slice through the log.

  Mora and Tranoth remained at the back of the class as the group of eight began to fire the cards at the post.

  The instructor called them, “Do you want to have a try?”

  Mora smiled. “I am not telekinetic.”

  “Well, use what you have. This is about defending your person out in the field. We can all learn from different talents.” He waved them forward.

  Mora looked at Tranoth and shrugged. She smiled and headed to the line as the students took a second shot.

  Tranoth went first, and he sent a crack of lightning that had the entire class jumping. The post smoked from the cavity created by the shot and her companion stepped aside.

  She looked around for water and found her target on the desk. She lifted the water out of the pitcher, formed a blade and sliced the top four inches off the height of the post.

  The class was staring at her in surprise.

  Tranoth put his arm around her. “You should see her spit.”

  A few giggles broke out, and soon, the class was laughing and asking her what she was.

  Even the instructor joined in, and soon, the group had become a clump of folks watching her manipulate water into a dazzling array of weaponry.

  She finally heard Plink chirping plaintively, and she called a halt. “Sorry, folks, I have to feed the little one. She has had a rough day.”

  They nodded and the instructor told her that he would be delighted to attend a speech if she would be interested in hosting a lecture on molecular manipulation. She told him she would think about it and headed out to get Plink something to eat.

  I don’t like that he was flirting with you.

  He wasn’t flirting. He was talking.

  He said he would listen to anything you had to say.

  He is a combat expert and I can make weapons out of water. He is interested in my talent, not me. Are you jealous?

  No. Yes. I have no idea.

  “When you figure it out, keep me posted. I haven’t had a date in seven years.” She snorted and headed for the food lines.

  He was behind her a moment later, helping her to get a bowl of seeds for Plink and pick out food that she could digest. The purple-colour coding was in place in a discreet dot near the edge of the tray. If it wasn’t purple, she passed it by.

  With a full tray, she sat with Plink in her lap, and she fed herself with one hand and Plink with the other. Tranoth sat next to her, and they carried on a silent conversation while she worked to keep the little Yaluthu quiet and munching away.

  This is my worst nightmare. Someone else in my mind.

  I guessed as much. We will get this sorted.

  It isn’t as bad as I had thought. The invasive feeling is missing.

  I am trying to keep the contact minimal.

  All my life I was taught that the telepaths and other psyc
hics were not to be trusted. Tonight rather bore that out. She sipped at her tea before returning to her meal.

  This connection could be advantageous.

  How so?

  Specialists are rarely sent out alone. If we were partnered, we could make a formidable team.

  Water and power? We do cover most requirements of basic society when light is not an issue.

  It is true. I have watched out for your wellbeing for years. I have no inclination to cease any time soon.

  You did?

  From the moment that I checked your bands and deactivating the killing strike that they had been able to deliver.

  They wanted to kill me?

  That was the result of the charge if you had tried to escape in the early days. As you gained mastery over the city, they repealed that order to a blistering charge.

  I hated them.

  You had every reason to. I am amazed that you came out of that situation as sane as you are.

  I watched the children and realized that despite their parents’ claims that there were no talents in their family, those children could be time bombs that would blossom into power and no one would stand with them. They needed a moment of joy and laughter to cling to for the coming times.

  So, you made the fountains dance.

  I did. If they can have one free memory of childhood, I thought that the dancing water would be a good one.

  Do you have good memories of childhood?

  I do. I was given a workshop and I could create anything I wanted out of metal. It was a hobby and an income. It started when I was ten.

  Would you continue it?

  Could I?

  Of course. The Citadel could arrange a workshop and materials for you. To pay for the expense, you could teach others the skills.

  Mora smiled and held more seeds for Plink. Mending existing jewellery is always a good skill to have. How do I apply for what I need?

  Make a list and submit it to Veera’s office. She will get her assistant to arrange things.

  Her assistant?

  Assistant, mate, link. Stanik. You will know him when you see him.

  What is a link; she mentioned it, but I am unclear on the concept.