Citadel (Book 1): Training in Necessity (33 page)

"I can understand that.  He told me a bit about his Empowerment.  Something that dangerous, in the hands of a child so young... I can see why you'd be nervous about it."

The boy seemed pragmatic and he was definitely intelligent.  Had he realized the truth?  She didn't think Jason knew enough to spell it out for him, but he might have told him enough.  "Hector, there's something I need to ask you about, but first... first I need to know how you feel about Jason.  I know I'm his mother, but please, don't be polite.  I need a real answer."

To his credit, Hector took her seriously.  He sat and thought about it for at least a minute before he spoke.  "At first, I didn't really think about him at all.  Jason comes off as... bland, I guess.  Everything he says in public is polite, and usually fits the situation, but that's about it.  But after I got to know him a little better, frankly he scared the crap out of me.  I looked him in the eyes."  He stopped talking and met her gaze.

She nodded.  Mary knew what it meant to look into that darkness.

"After I got my powers, well, I'm almost impossible to kill.  As long as one of me is running around I keep going, you know?”  Hector hadn’t been her focus, but she had enough of her particles in and around him to feel the slight spike in his heart rate when he said that.  A lie?  “But I know Jason could kill me.  He could really do it, and I knew that, knew he would, too.  It was... it was terrifying."

Mary nodded.  "And now?"

Hector's face was calm, composed.  His voice was almost empty of emotion as he replied.  "Mary, after what you did for me, what you did for his sake..." his voice filled with absolute certainty.  "I'd do anything for him.  Anything."

She sighed.  "Thank you.  In that case, there's something you need to know."  Hector sat a little straighter.  "How much has he told you about his Empowerment?"

Hector chewed his lip as he thought.  "Just the basics, I think.  I've figured out a little more on my own.  He can kill anything he sees.  When he does, it makes him stronger and lets him heal.  The size or severity of the wound doesn't seem to matter.  I've watched him heal bruises and broken bones with the same effort.  It depletes his... his store of lives, I guess you'd say, which lowers his strength.  When he's out of lives, he loses the effect.  From a few things he's said, I take it that the healing is involuntary.  Oh, and plants let him heal but don't increase his strength."

Mary nodded.  "That's... that's not wrong, but it's not everything.  What about his personality?"

Hector seemed a bit reluctant, but he answered.  "He doesn't have Antisocial Personality Disorder.  He’s not a sociopath.  I've watched him carefully, and done a lot of reading on it.  Jason... well, he doesn't seem to have a conscience.  He understands that other people are real, that they matter, but only in the abstract.  It's the same with empathy.  I know he doesn't want people to suffer, but it's like he doesn't really get it.  There's a disconnect between the idea of other people and the reality, like he can't really relate to them."

Mary waited to see if he'd go on.

"That said, he's not malicious.  He doesn't seem to enjoy hurting people.  He just doesn't understand why it's bad.  It's like... like he's emotionally numb.  I used to think it was a side effect of his Empowerment, either literally or just because he was under-socialized.  But... that's not it, is it?"

So he had figured it out, part of it.

"You did it to him, didn't you?  Jason told me he killed his pet dog when he first got his power, so, to stop him from killing someone every time he threw a tantrum as a child, you... changed him.  You shut down his emotions, didn't you?"  Hector's voice was calm, controlled.  Not accusing her, just stating a fact.

"I did.  I lowered production of... well, of a bunch of chemicals in his brain and throughout his body.  You don't need to know the details, but I basically left him incapable of normal emotion.  I had to, or the Citadel would have killed him."

Hector went very still.  "Does anyone else know you did this?"

Mary shook her head.  "Troy, his father, just thought Jason was a little strange.  I'm not sure if he believes it's because of his Empowerment or what, but he never blamed me.  I taught him to hide it, kept him out of school until he was fourteen, when I was sure he could pass as just a little odd."

"So what made you so sure the Citadel would have killed him?  His power is dangerous, especially for a child, but it could have been controlled.  I mean, something as simple as a blindfold..."  Hector paused.  "That's not all, is it?"

"No."  Mary told him.  "The strength, healing, even killing along his line of sight, that's not Jason's main power, the one they would have killed him for.  He killed Rex, his dog.  But... he also killed his baby sitter, our neighbors' daughter.  She was in the bathroom, with the door locked, and there was no way he could have seen her.  He didn't know. Still doesn't, I think.  Jason doesn't need to see someone to kill them, just to kill selectively.  I'm not certain, but if it works at the same distance as the aimed version, he can kill every living thing within a mile.  That's his real power, the reason I crippled my son."

Hector didn't have anything to say to that, so Mary went on.  "What I did to him, I did for his sake, not anyone else's.  I just wanted him to live and they never would've let that happen.  He was too dangerous as a child.  But... the changes I made, they weren't permanent.  The human brain is too good at rerouting, even without his healing.  I had to refresh it constantly.  Without that, he'll start to... to feel, again.  I need you to help him, help stay in control.  Please, Hector.  You say you owe him, so I need you to help him learn to cope with it."

CHAPTER 14: PRIVILEGE

Private Residence

Paragon327 and LittleMissA entered the ruined city.  The streets were choked with wrecked cars, the buildings covered in graffiti.  Not a single unbroken window was visible.

"What is the significance of the timer at the top of the screen?" Jason asked.

"Oh, that's because we're in the Tyrant's territory.  As soon as the counter hits zero, he takes over our minds and we're his slaves."  Jenny explained.  "It speeds up or slows down depending on what we do."

"That..."  Jason made sure to furrow his brow as he responded.  "That does not sound consistent with what I have read of his power.  It was my understanding that the effect was instantaneous within the borders of Europe."

Jenny shrugged.  "Sure, but this is just a game.  That wouldn't be much fun."

A group of men and women, wearing scraps and the remnants of more normal clothing, exited the nearest building.  They were hunched over, using their arms to support themselves as they moved, like chimps or gorillas.  The foremost grunted and pointed at the two heroes.  The pack swarmed forward.

"I assume those are the slaves you spoke of."  Jason observed.

Jenny shrugged.  "Eh.  Those are just NPCs."

LittleMissA moved forward and clapped her hands.  A shockwave went forth, knocking down the nearest opponents and doing minor damage to the rest.  Paragon327 stayed back, insuring that she would more easily be able to maintain aggro on the group.  He activated his support aura.  Together with his targeted buffs, it would increase LittleMissA's strength, toughness and regeneration.

Working as a pair, they were able to defeat the group of feral civilians with relative ease.

"I thought you said that this was one of the more difficult areas."

"It's a pain to solo," Jenny said, "but a balanced group, even just a tank and a support character, makes everything easier."

LittleMissA began looting their fallen foes.

"Still, that was pretty easy.  The thing that makes this zone really nasty is the other PCs.  If the timer gets you, the computer makes a duplicate that attacks other players.  It's kinda cool though, you can switch over and control the evil version instead of your regular character."

Paragon327 rose into the air, surrounded by bands of purple energy.  His health bar began to rapidly shrink.

"Like that, I assume?" Jason asked, as a new figure appeared and attacked LittleMissA with the same purple energy.  Without his healing, she fell quickly.  The black, featureless opponent turned back to Paragon327 before he was free of the disabling effect and was able to easily defeat him as well.

Jenny sighed and set down her controller.  "Yep.  That guy had at least a few levels on us.  Probably player controlled, too.  You can tell because they almost always take out the healer first."

"I suppose that makes sense.  That same tactic is likely why operative teams so rarely include a Healer in the field."  Jason said, setting down his controller as well.

"Thanks for coming over by the way.  I know your rankings don't really matter to you, but it still means a lot to me." she said.

Jason shrugged.  "It is not that they do not matter."  He almost smiled to express his pleasure.  The shrug had been reflexive, natural.  He did not, as making an artificial gesture to express pleasure in a spontaneous one seemed... disingenuous.  "Simply that I thought it unlikely that I could maintain a high rank without using the more lethal aspect of my ability.  I am capable of great strength, but the proper approach can deplete my store of lives quite rapidly."

"Like that time with Kelly?" Jenny asked.

"Yes, that is correct.  When he struck me, he left a large number of minute wounds.  Each one took the same amount of... energy to heal as a major one would have.  It left me completely depleted and vulnerable." Jason explained.

Jenny nodded.  "There's something I meant to ask you about that.  I know it's been awhile but, I'm always a little... distracted when we're alone and it didn't seem like the sort of thing I should bring up around other people."  She turned to face him and her face lit up with joy as she met his gaze.

Jason rarely wore his glasses around her.  Only a handful of people had ever looked into his eyes without… an unpleasant reaction.  She was the only one for whom it seemed to be an enjoyable experience.  Further, he found it to be quite relaxing that there was nothing he needed to hide from Jenny.  She truly accepted him for who he was.

"When we were in the fake bank, that same day Kelly took you and Anna down.  That other guy, the Jordan type..."

"Michael." Jason interjected.

"Yeah, him.  He left one of Hector's clones lying on the ground and Sammy killed it by accident."

"I recall." Jason said. "It seemed unusual because she normally maintains excellent control of her shots."

"Yeah." Jenny said, dropping her gaze and turning her head slightly aside.  "I think I made her do that." she said quietly.

"I had not considered the possibility." Jason said, taking a moment to do just that.  "Thank you."

"What?" she asked.

"As I said, Kelly's attack left me powerless.  In addition, his venom is paralytic and quite painful.  When Samantha's bullet struck Hector, I was likely moments away from killing him in the hope of relief."

Jenny's mouth hung slightly open for a moment.  "What... what would that have done.  I mean... would that have killed just the one or..."

"I am not certain." Jason told her.  "It is possible that only the one body would have died.  I think it slightly more likely that all of his bodies would have died.  If I target a blade of grass, the entire organism dies, despite the fact that I can only see a relatively small portion of the plant.  I suspect the same principle would have applied."

"It was... was just training.  Why..." Jenny did not complete her question.

"It would have been a poor decision.  If I received a single life, it would have done no more than heal a single one of the dozens of wounds I still had at the time.  Even if killing Hector yielded me a life for each of his bodies, it still would have ended poorly for me.  Director Shift has made it clear to me that such an act on my part would yield a lethal response from the Citadel.  Our group session on Friday was the first combat training where I could act without restraint.  To put it simply, Jenny, I was frightened."

Jenny nodded, slowly.

"That is why I said thank you." Jason smiled.  It was not spontaneous, but it was sincere.

"I wonder..." again, Jenny spoke more slowly than normal.  "Do you think, did my power push her into that to protect you?"

"I do not know.  Your power's... motivations are often difficult for me to understand.  I have noticed that you have recently been kinder to me in public, especially around large groups."

"Huh, that's true.  After that time Hector had to separate us, Duncan started ragging on you pretty hard.  He's never been exactly popular, but it's gotten a lot worse since we started the group exercises.  The guy's so disruptive that everyone kind of hates him now.  Him making fun of you actually seems to have made people like you more."

Jason smiled, almost chuckling.  "Well, that is not the form of acceptance I hoped for when I applied to the Citadel, but I suppose it is still a step forward."

Jenny smiled as well, then asked him a question.  "So if being powerless bothered you so much, have you thought about how to keep it from happening again?  Maybe you should ask Hector for advice.  He's pretty good at the planning stuff.  Or maybe Instructor Bruce?"

Jason reached down and withdrew a plastic tube from his pocket.  It was large enough to hold easily, about the length of his palm.  He held it up so that Jenny could see its contents more easily.

"I have been breeding flies since shortly after I arrived here.  Every morning, I absorb the life from a vial like this one and I make sure to always have another on my person."

"Wow." Jenny said.  "How many is that?  And won't you go through however many you have left pretty quick at that rate?"

"It varies a bit, but at least several hundred.  The ones I use are amongst the older flies, those least likely to produce more young.  Also, I have enough now that their numbers still increase steadily, despite losing two vials a day." he told her.

"Huh," she said, an unusual tone in her voice.  "That's pretty clever.  I don't know if I would have thought of something like that."

"Thank you," he returned the fruit flies to his pocket.  "I cannot take the credit though.  It was my mother's idea."

After that, they sat in comfortable silence for a time.

Private Residence

Isaac took a sip of his coffee, using the mug to hide his smile.  He hadn't bothered to keep up his act around the house.  Hector wouldn't buy it.  Jason... Isaac was starting to think there might be something off about the boy.  He didn't react quite right to too many things.  As for Kelly... Isaac wouldn't risk hurting his feelings for the world, or hers, whichever.  Even so, he didn't think showing the broad smile, still trying to fight its way free, would be a good idea.  Hector might not react well.

The duplicator was making breakfast, that same combination of eggs and salsa he'd served on the first morning.  His eyes were red-rimmed, obviously the after effects of crying, but everything about him shouted that it was a good thing.  The energy in his movements, the enormous grin, he was practically bouncing with joy.  Isaac brought his expression under control before breaking the morning's silence.

"I take it your mother's doing better?" Isaac asked.

Hector handed him a plate, heavy with eggs and bacon.

"She's asleep." he said.

Rather than answer, Isaac just cocked his head quizzically.

"Isaac, she hasn't slept, really slept, in as long as I can remember.  The closest she's come is... well, just a sort of drugged stupor."

There were tears in the boy's eyes.  Again, they were obviously happy tears.  Isaac took a bite of bacon.  It was good.

"Glad to hear it."  Isaac let the smile out now.  "Does Jason know?"

"Do I know what?" their roommate asked.

Isaac hadn't heard him come in, but that was pretty common.  The boy was quiet.  It wasn't sneaky, more like he just moved in a very controlled manner.  Something like the way a dancer or martial artist moved, very aware of his own body, but not quite the same.  More like... it was more like Jason didn't make any unnecessary movements.

"We were just talking about your and Hector's mothers.  He said that she was able to help." Isaac told him.

Jason nodded.

He was wearing his normal outfit, pressed slacks and button-down shirt in dark colors, complete with dark sunglasses.  The only time he'd ever taken them off, so far as Isaac knew, was during the first day's ranking matches.  At least, that Anna Insight girl had mentioned something about it.  He was pretty sure the young man's Empowerment had come with some sort of physical change.  Those weren't exactly common, but he wouldn't be the only one in their class.  Everyone had seen the angry kid with the scales and wings, and Isaac knew of another boy, an energy absorber, with metallic silver hair.  Some Empowered with altered features wore them with pride, others tried to conceal them.

"I spoke to my mother last night.  She said that she had been successful but that there were likely to be weeks or months of work still required.  I was more than a little surprised.  A little research was enough to inform me of the severity of Chemo's... toxin, I suppose.  I had not realized that my mother's healing capability was so advanced."  Jason said.

Hector set a plate in front of him as Jason took a set, then rested a hand on his shoulder.

"Jason, I... I can't thank you enough.  My mom means everything to me, and..."

Isaac looked away.  This wasn't any of his business and it seemed far too personal for him to interrupt.

"... if there's ever anything I can do for you... please, I can't possibly pay you back for this."

Isaac heard the sound of chewing before Jason answered.  "In truth, I believe that any debt you might owe is more properly owed to my mother.  But if you insist, I need some oatmeal."

What?  Isaac had to restrain the urge to ask.

"What?" Hector said.

"My food supply has been diminishing more quickly than I expected.  The commercial version is a mixture of cornhusks and oats, with some blue dye to make the larvae more visible." Jason told him.

"What?" Hector asked again.

Isaac remembered the packages he'd helped Jason carry in, as well as the descriptions of some of the bio majors he'd known in college, and put it all together just as Jason explained.

"I have been breeding fruit flies.  Recently, their numbers have been increasing at a greater and greater rate.  I know that you keep a large supply of oatmeal and, as I said, my food supply is unexpectedly depleted.  Oatmeal should serve well enough, if you could spare some."

Isaac had no idea what to make of that.  Fly breeding was... kind of an unusual hobby.  Normally he'd have asked but, coming on the tail of the heavier topic, he still didn't want to interfere.  Bemusedly, Hector agreed to supply the oatmeal.  Jason only needed a couple large cups, as well as some baking yeast.  After that was taken care of, the three sat in silence as they ate their breakfast.  Hector held back about half the eggs and bacon for Kelly.