Orphaned Warrior (Dragon Spawn Chronicles Book 5), page 14
Goosebumps rose on Jori’s arms. “Can he feel what I feel? Or read my mind?”
Stephen pressed his lips together. His reluctance to say gave Jori the answer he needed. If Vance couldn’t sense someone when predicting their future, then this might be a weakness to exploit.
Something else occurred to him too. If Vance foresaw this moment, had he done it through Jori, Stephen, or was he an outsider looking in? It was a good question, but the doctor’s growing discomfort kept him from asking.
He plopped back onto the reclined bed and put on a pretend scowl in case someone was watching. Real resentment budded. Although Stephen was a prisoner too, Jori doubted he’d be much help. Zaina would be of little use as well. The responsibility was his, and his alone, to bear.
Loneliness swelled in his chest. He reminded himself that it wasn’t the doctor’s fault. Bullies had a way of getting what they wanted and Vance was the most dangerous bully he’d ever encountered—even more so than his father. At least Father had mostly ignored him, especially when he was younger.
The past few years had been tougher. As his skills progressed, his father’s criticism worsened. Yet he still had more freedom than he did now. A sensation of being watched made him itch.
He maintained a false bravado and crossed his arms with a huff. “We might as well get these stupid tests over with.”
*****
Jori ate the last bite of the flavorless nutri-cubes, appreciating the satisfying fullness of his stomach. The doctor’s suggestion that he eat first had cleared the cobwebs from his head. He felt much better—physically, anyway.
Celine removed his IV but left the electrodes, then ushered him out and followed him with a mobile monitor. Stephen led him down one long hall, then another. Plasti-glass windows lined the way. Some rooms were dark, but others were brightly illuminated. They all looked normal enough until he passed an area where several MEGAs were submerged in cylindrical tanks. Wires were attached to their metal-plated heads and their eyes stared straight ahead as though they were dead. Jori didn’t detect any lifeforces, but he swore one moved.
“What is this place?”
“Recharging station.” Stephen’s tone, coupled with his sour emotions, indicated he didn’t want to explain.
Jori swallowed, his curiosity doused. Stephen stopped at a blue door and leaned toward a biometric eye scanner. The entrance hissed open. The room beyond seemed ordinary enough, almost like a sitting area. A vivid green couch sat against an azure wall. A small table on one side held a red vase containing fake variegated flowers. An orange padded chair took up the other end. He wondered if there was a purpose to the jarring colors, but only for a moment.
Stephen led him through another doorway. The lights flickered on automatically, revealing a plain white room. Jori suppressed a groan at the sight of the recovery bed. “Can’t I just sit or stand for this test?”
Stephen twisted his lips as though in thought. “I don’t see why not. As long as you’re still hooked up to this monitor.” He hurried off to find a chair.
Celine went to work, taking more wires that splayed out from her machine like a multi-armed sea creature and attaching them to his body. He practically wore a helmet, so many were stuck to his head. The ones placed on his chest itched the most.
Stephen returned with a chair, then handed him a tablet. He pointed at a small red box illuminated on the top right corner of the screen. “When this turns green, the test has begun. People will come into that room at random times over the next two hours.” He barely blinked at the timeframe, but Jori tensed. Two more hours away from Zaina. “You are to notate their emotions. If there is more than one, estimate the percentages of each. Indicate whether they are male or female and guess their ages. See if you can figure out what they’re thinking as well. You said you can’t read minds but try anyway. It’s important that you do your best.”
Seems easy enough.
“If you don’t,” Stephen continued, “Vance will know, and he’ll make you do it again.”
Of course he will. Jori tightened his grip on the tablet and responded with a sharp nod.
“There’ll be a few surprises as well.” The man’s emotions were flat, signifying they weren’t anything bad. “If you notice something different, select other and type it in. Give as much detail as possible.”
The doctors left, pressing a button and activating a thick metal door that clanged shut. It made sense. For the test to be accurate, he shouldn’t see or hear the person on the other side.
Jori willed the green light to come on so he could get this stupid test over and done. Yes, he’d do his best, but he’d hate every moment.
The red square turned green. He closed his eyes and concentrated. Happiness shone through at first, then evened out into simple content. He marked it down, then noted how the emotion changed to one of boredom.
The sensation was from a man probably about the same age as Commander Hapker. Jori wasn’t always certain when it came to ages and genders, but this one was clear. However, reading the man’s thoughts proved beyond his ability.
Stephen emitted emotions that suggested another person had arrived, but he sensed nothing. Should he put this on the tablet? He decided against it. There was no point since he couldn’t discern the age or gender either.
More people came and went. His own boredom threatened to interfere. He kept at it, certain of the emotions of those who had them, confident of their genders and ages, but never once sure about their thoughts.
He was trying but didn’t have this aspect of his mother’s ability. She not only read minds, but she also compelled information from them. Sometimes she even planted suggestions into them. She seldom used these abilities, though. The few times she had were either because his father had made her or she’d acted in self-defense.
His focus slipped as he remembered when she’d instinctively used it on his father to keep him from hurting her. Father had been pissed. He would’ve killed her for her audacity had Sensei Jeruko not suggested exile instead.
Jori squeezed his eyes shut as anguish welled up. She was too far away now—beyond his reach—and he’d never see her again.
The strength of his emotions increased, and he realized much of it came from someone without a clear gender. Before he had a chance to guess the cause, the distress drifted off. Jori marked it down and returned his attention to the test.
The next sensation took a few moments to discern. It differed from all the others in that it was more of a state of mind than an emotion. Its simpleness reminded him of an animal, probably a mammal. But what kind? He concentrated.
His nose twitched. For a moment, he thought he smelled food. A minuscule eagerness came in, making him think of a mouse. He almost saw it as it moved—no skittered—to the source. Its hunger grew and Jori’s mouth watered as though he ate too. Something else entered his senses. This one had a flatter aura, but he still recognized it. Its primitive instinct to hunt reminded Jori of a reptile and he felt himself slither to the mouse.
An abrupt sensation followed by the pain of death struck through Jori’s senses. Fortunately, the mouse’s demise didn’t hurt to the same extent as it did when people died.
The mammal’s life ended. The reptile’s hunting vibes switched to something flat again. It didn’t have the same eagerness when feeding as the mouse since these types of animals acted more on instinct than on gratification.
Jori filled in the form and froze at the section on reading minds. He’d just sensed an animal to where he felt like he was the animal. In a way, he’d discerned its thoughts. That’d never happened before. It would’ve intrigued him had it not correlated with how Vance’s premonitions allowed him to see, hear, and smell, but supposedly not sense.
The man obviously had the ability to detect emotions. Had Stephen’s shrug meant it didn’t work with his foretelling skill or had Jori misread it?
Dread rolled over him. He’d have to verify for himself and hope for the best.
He waited for several more minutes in a sensationless silence before the doctors returned. Celine entered with a broad smile, but it wasn’t for Jori. She marveled at the information on her tablet. “This is amazing. You detected the lab animals. You even knew it was a snake and a mouse. This is beyond sentio-animi abilities.”
Jori startled. “What do you mean?”
Her grin widened but she never looked at him when she spoke. “Most sentios only sense emotions, but you’ve provided more detail than I’ve ever seen. You also correctly guessed the subjects’ sexes and you were within a reasonable range of their ages. Can you tell people apart?”
“Yes,” he answered cautiously. “Are you saying other sentios can’t do this? Vance can, right?”
“Well, yes,” Stephen replied for her. “Yes to both questions.”
“Most are not able, but a few are.” Celine’s eyes glittered with excitement. “However, I’ve never known any capable of identifying different animals—not even Vance.”
“So what am I, then?”
“There’s no term for it,” Stephen said. “You’re definitely not an extraho-animi. Not a single one of your guesses on their thoughts were correct. You surmised well enough that one person was bored with the test, and that another drank something delicious, but you couldn’t tell what. However, you seem to have more insight with animals.”
“Why do you think that is?”
Stephen shrugged. “Maybe because they’re more primitive. I’m not sure. But like she said, this is a unique ability.”
Jori was intrigued but also worried. Would Vance be jealous or would he relish the competition even more?
Almost as if on cue, Vance entered. The man’s eyes gleamed. He wore a smile, but it wasn’t smug as he planted himself in front of Jori. “Finally. A worthy opponent.”
Icicles seemed to stab every part of Jori’s face, prickling down his neck and spine. As much as he loved pushing the extent of his abilities, this was one challenge he’d rather do without.
24 – Emotional Support
A hiss startled Zaina out of sleep. She didn’t react in any other way, though. Fatigue had gripped her so tightly, she felt like a mouse in a snake’s belly. The smothering. The oblivion. The resignation that it was all at an end.
Someone shook her shoulder. “Zaina,” Jori said. “Please wake up.”
She stirred. Anxiety crept through her gut as she recalled what Blakesley had told her. She still had a difficult time believing it, but why would he lie? Jori deserves a chance.
Ignoring her qualms, she rolled onto her back and gave Jori her attention. “Hmm?”
“I’m sorry I was gone for so long,” he said. “Are you alright?”
“Just tired.”
Jori shook his head. “It’s more than that. I can tell.”
The concern creased in his brows twinged her guilt. Blakesley must be wrong. If Jori were like Vance, he wouldn’t care so much. “Don’t worry about me. It’s just a bout of depression. It happens from time to time.” She noticed the reddish spots around his temple and forehead and startled. “Did they do something to you?”
He glanced away and bit his lip, tripping her concern. She would’ve bolted upright, but her body didn’t obey. Sluggish would have to do. When she sat up, albeit hunched over, she prodded him with persistent questions until he told her about the stamina test. Her emotions bounced around from horror to worry to anxiety and back again. “Why are they doing this?”
It was a rhetorical question, but Jori answered. “Vance thinks I’m like him.”
Blakesley’s words echoed in her head. “Part of Vance’s interest in him is they’re a lot alike.” A twinge spread across her skull. “I’ve heard. Blakesley said…” She rubbed her brow. “He said you’ve killed more than once.”
Jori pulled away and stared at the floor.
A pang erupted in her chest. “So it’s true?”
Desperation warped his features. “I’ve only ever intentionally taken a life in self-defense!” He wagged his head. “I’m not like him. I’m not like Vance.”
She pressed her palm to her heart, trying to quell the rising panic.
“Th-there was this one time…” He choked out the words. “It was my father. He let me fire our ship’s weapons at a small outpost and…” His throat bobbed. “But I assumed it was full of soldiers. I didn’t… I didn’t think.”
She struggled to compose herself. His face looked so earnest, and she knew very well that children could be coerced into doing terrible things by their abusive parents. She reminded herself that he’d never done anything to her. “I’m sorry. That wasn’t fair.” She reached out, hoping he’d take her hand but he didn’t. “You must’ve been through so much.”
“I-I didn’t know how bad it was until I met the commander.”
“The commander?”
“Commander Hapker. He’s second-in-command of a Cooperative expedition vessel, and a good man. He cared about me despite who I am and saved me from my father.” The anguish in Jori’s expression would’ve melted steel. “He was going to adopt me, but the Cooperative sent me away so he couldn’t.”
“What? Why?”
“My father is a terrible person and they’re afraid I’ll be like him.”
“Oh, Jori.” A tear spilled down her cheek. She would have been upset at them for their judgment had she not done the same thing. “Maybe I can help you contact this commander. It’s my job to find you a family, after all.”
Jori perked up, but just for a moment. He hung his head and wiped his eyes. “No. I don’t want him to lose his position. Besides, I doubt Vance will ever let me go.”
Blakeley had said something similar. She frowned. “I don’t understand their obsession with you. You are special, of course, but surely there are others they can recruit without having to resort to kidnapping.”
Jori didn’t reply, but the way his throat bobbed and his eyes averted hinted that he knew more. Fear nipped along the edges of her concern for him, and it interfered with her ability to think. If her insides could groan in despair, they would have.
She grasped for logic over the emotion. No matter what he’d done, it just proved he needed help. She’d provide that for him. There were people back home who’d work the psychological angle. And she’d contribute by comforting and guiding him.
Even with knowing the right thing to do, she was helpless. Her mind and body fought against one another. She willed herself to get over this and do better. She prayed, she cajoled, and she commanded. But the power didn’t reside within her. Fatigue wound through her like bindings, crushing her until her brain was too tired to fight it.
The more she thought about it, the more appealing an emotion chip sounded. The information Doctor Claessen had sent her seemed promising. She’d read through it despite her foggy mind. Adverse effects had been documented, but the risks were low. She hated taking any risk at all, but she was no use to Jori like this. If she could only get a grip on herself, she’d be able to give him more of the emotional support he needed and perhaps even invigorate herself enough to figure out how to leave this place.
She decided to talk more with Doctor Claessen. However, her body didn’t respond to her desire. She lay back down and closed her eyes.
I’ll just get a little more rest first.
25 – The Game
The Garborians tottered on the edge of annihilation. With their fate resting in the hands of a mere eleven-year-old boy, it was no wonder. Still, Jori did his damnedest to save them.
As much as the game of Galactic Dominions triggered the unpleasant memories of another murdering MEGA, he immersed himself in its complexity. Vance was a challenging opponent, more so than the admiral’s aide had been. His moves were precise and ruthless. Jori had disabled the enemy’s energy cannons, but it’d cost half his fleet. Only a quarter of his assets remained.
He had one trick up his sleeve. He’d hoped to use it in an all-out attack, but that opportunity never came. Now he had no choice but to put it into play.
Vance looked on with a gloating smile. Jori tried to ignore him as he considered his plan. What was it with these brain-augmented MEGAs and their stupid grins?
Pushing against his unease didn’t make it leave, but he managed to focus a little better. There were only so many moves left, so he chose one that made the most of his secret defense. Earlier in the game, he had uncovered the enemy’s transponder codes. He hoped when he attacked, the AI targeting systems of Vance’s torpedoes would see him as an ally and bypass his fleet. He had to do this just right, though.
Jori programmed his move, making sure his ships wouldn’t implement the transponder codes until the last moment. This way, it’d be too late for his opponent to reprogram their weaponry.
Vance’s grin widened as he implemented a countermove. Jori’s jaw dropped as his entire fleet blew apart in a rainstorm of firepower.
Losing had never bothered him. Not only was it an opportunity to learn, but it also made him look forward to the next challenge. This move invigorated him. He forgot all about who this man was and marveled. “How did your torpedoes still hit me when I had your transponder codes?”
“I didn’t use my AI targeting systems. I did it manually.”
Jori blinked. Hardly anyone used manual targeting anymore. That Vance had utilized an old-fashioned method to beat him made him feel stupid.
“Disappointing. I thought you were smarter than this,” Vance said.
The comment dampened Jori’s mood. In his defense, how could he have guessed someone so advanced would use a technique so primitive? But he knew better than to make excuses. His father had always hated it when people blamed their failures on something other than themselves. Vance undoubtedly would too.
“Who made you?” Vance asked. His smile was gone but the gleam in his eyes remained.
“Huh? What do you mean?”
Vance jabbed his finger at his face. “Who. Made. You.”
Jori blinked. “Uh, my mother and father.”
Vance shook his head. “Your abilities,” he replied, his tone firm. “Where do they come from?”
