Hybrid (18 page)

“Zach, outline exactly what it is the Damascus have been assigned to achieve, their numbers, and approximately assigned areas. We’ll move onto Owen once we’re all...caught up.” Deign takes a seat and beams a smile, avoiding Bastian’s gaze. She’s so much more in her element when she thinks everything is going according to plan.

Zacharai nods and stands up, leaning forward with his fists on the glass table as he looks down at his notes. “After a thorough check once we reinitiated programming and effectively deleted the original override, we reactivated the Damascus a few days ago.”

He pauses for a moment and scans the room, a condescending smile on his lips. “We have eighty-one active squads. Seventy-five of those have been sent out to individually scout for the Exiled. We will find them, and whoever finds them first will relay the information back to us via their intranet. We have tapped into the communications devices used by the Damascus, and this is currently being monitored by Owen and his team. Even the recent incident has provided us with valuable information.”

Zach nods to everyone and sits down. Thoughts race through Bastian’s mind. That’s a lot of Damascus, able to scout a lot of land. It’s worse than he’d thought. Even though they probably haven’t figured out that the Exiled aren’t in one fixed spot yet...

“Owen, if you would?” Deign graciously extends her hand with a flourish to ask the young man to rise.

Still dressed in his lab coat, Owen pushes archaic correction lenses up on his nose and clears his throat. “At precisely 1:27 a.m. three days ago, one of our intranet sensors flared. There was nothing alarming, just that there had been a discovery of something and that it would be contained and reported on after the fact.” He peers down at the reader in his hands and frowns, flipping through a few pages to get to what he wants.

“Approximately thirty-eight minutes later, at 2:15 a.m., a distress beacon went off for all of four-tenths of a second. It’s been difficult to ascertain exactly how or why at this stage, but I do have a hypothesis.” He looks up and waits for Deign to give the go-ahead.

Bastian makes a mental note to thank Dom for interfering just enough that not much information was gleaned from the signals. Too little and it would be suspicious; too much and the Exiled were dead.

Deign nods and Owen sighs with relief. “We’re still working out many details, but it appears as though the squad thought it had the situation under control. It was designated as several humans, armed with weapons, and not flagged as a situation of merit.”

“We’re assuming these people were Exiled?” Zach interjects.

Owen nods, color rising in his cheeks. “Yes, sir.” He seems unsure of how to address the others in the room and clears his throat once again before continuing. “There is mention of an inconsequential person, which usually means someone unarmed.” He glances at Deign before focusing on the coffee table again.

“What caused the distress beacon? Do we know?” Harlow’s eyes go through blues and greens so fast Bastian can’t keep up, but she’s probably checking her database for what would elicit such a response.

“A flash of something bright and hot is all we have to go on. The moments before this exhibit no alarm, no idea that the squad wouldn’t emerge victorious. In order to obtain more detailed data on this encounter, we will have to retrieve the parts manually.”

Deign frowns. “With their interconnectivity, this should not have been an issue.”

Owen nods. “Yes. It appears they’re correcting that oversight now. Battle is no place for ego.”

“All of them were wiped out?” Harlow scans her own notes, adding some more as she waits for the answer.

“The lieutenant, his four henchmen, and his Hound. All six of them are off the grid.”

Deign stands up, signaling a relieved Owen to sit back down. “On the bright side, at least this means we found some of the Exiled. Beacon or no beacon, if we search the area they went missing in and beyond, we’ll eventually find something. Focus some groups there.”

Bastian schools his face to impassivity as he strides through the patrolled halls of Central. Some of Dom’s fiddling may have been a little too much on the intricate side, but at this moment, it’s helping them and holding up to scrutiny.

Almost at his quarters, he hears a decidedly metallic clang, soft but definitely there. He slows his steps just a fraction, and the Damascus stop a short distance from him, a few feet past his office door.

The lieutenant glances at him before speaking in the metallic, distant sound that passes for their voices. “Nehvin, Bastian. Director of Psionic Facilities and Programming. This is your place of work?” Its phrasing is off-beat, a slight tinny sound to the words.

“Yes.” He answers succinctly, knowing it’s not wise to engage them in any type of lengthy conversation.

“Excellent. Please proceed.” They step aside and continue on their way, a completely different whirr present than when Dom’s adrium engages.

Bastian doesn’t enter his offices until he can’t hear sounds of their passage anymore. At least they make enough noise to give forewarning of their arrival. Once inside, he reinforces and re-shields his entryway so many times, he loses count. There are few things that creep him out, and there are even fewer that scare him—and the Damascus do both.

“Bastian?” Dom’s voice is soft, obviously aware that the possibility of discovery just went up tenfold.

He turns around and motions to Dom not to speak, waving them over to his living quarters where he can reinforce the boundaries of his shielding and make sure there are no ears listening in. After a few minutes of tending to that, he feels safe enough to speak.

“The Damascus have been sent, not only to seek out the Exiled, but to leave a few squads here to guard us. As if I’m in danger.” He rolls his eyes. “You did a good job, Dom. I don’t think they got half of the information that was sent to them. Or, at least, I hope the Damascus didn’t get it, either.”

“I can’t guarantee it, but I tried to invert the signal and muddle its message. I don’t know too much about their communication channels. Everything I have comes from understanding why being connected to my own replicas almost broke me.” Dom’s appearance winks softly in and out in the dimly lit rooms.

Bastian nods, trying not to let his frustration show. “The hard part of all of this is going to be figuring out what the hell I can do to help. I still can’t be sure where it is they’ve moved the device. For now, it’s out of my reach. I can want to find it, but unless Zach decides to tell us at the next meeting where it’s being held? My hope is worse than a snowball’s in hell.”

Dom takes a seat as well. “Do you think it’s possible to construct one of these devices using the blueprint your father left you?”

Bastian takes a deep breath, trying to keep himself from stressing too much. “I have no ability to access a kernel that’s been connected to the network at all. And I can’t just make one up. It has to be live.”

“Can’t we just take out a group of them, then?” Dom’s expression is about as sincere as he gets, and his eyes flicker brightly, almost like eagerness.

Bastian shakes his head. “You saw what happened to the scouting group. I know you’re strong, Dom, but you’re not that strong. There’s no way you can take on all six or even just five of the squad, and I wouldn’t be able to take out more than one. The odds of us actually being able to defeat a lieutenant and not damage his inner workings are not odds I want to calculate.”

“Then it seems we are at an impasse.” Dom’s tone is so matter-of-fact it infuriates Bastian to the point of losing his precious control.

“But that’s not good enough, Dom! We need to be able to stop this. We’ve come far too far to allow the Damascus to be what wipes us out.”

Dom eyes him briefly before looking down at his feet. “You cannot change what is. We can only hope to change what might be. Fact: The Damascus are active and scouting to root out the Exiled bases. Fact: Sai managed to save two of the team members and eliminate a lieutenant all by herself using an ability we don’t yet understand.”

He focuses directly on Bastian. “Do you agree these are facts?”

Bastian nods, curious to see where Dom is going with this.

“Fact: A pulse wave can disrupt the receptors of the Damascus and render them the equivalent to unconscious for a short period of time, perhaps a few hours. Fact: The original device is located somewhere beneath us in Central’s catacomb of laboratories. And our final fact: Even though the head of the lieutenant we already retrieved is likely too fried to be of any help, it still may afford Mathur the opportunity to examine it and figure out what it is we require from it.” Dom pauses for a second, focusing so intently on Bastian that he steps back slightly.

“So all of these are facts we can’t deny. Let’s focus on these and how to deal with them instead of hypothesizing doom.”

Bastian laughs. If only Dom could be there all the time. But since he Sai’s accident, it was no longer possible. He’d never realized before that the way Dom grounds him is a crutch, a dependence, perhaps even a weakness. “I see your point. Mathur is probably inspecting that damned head as we speak, and I’m guessing that I can try and listen more carefully to Zach’s boring chatter and likely find a clue to the real device’s whereabouts.”

Dom leans back, crossing his arms over his chest. “I find that a little far-fetched. The guy isn’t completely stupid, just a little self-obsessed. Give him some of the respect he appears to crave from you and you may have a lot more luck locating what we need than you would otherwise. Now...” He leans forward and grins. “I require something of you.”

“What?” Bastian watches his friend warily, unsure where this sudden understanding of humanity has come from.

“I need you to give me ideas on how I can help Sai harness this apparent new ability she seems to have discovered.” There’s an undertone to his voice now, this strange wistful note—almost sad, sort of obsessive.

“Work on some basic strengthening exercises. Rebuild the foundations I gave her. Reinforce her own shields to withstand the onslaughts she may inadvertently direct at herself. Not to forget that she’ll require meditation techniques.”

“Mediation?” Dom raises an eyebrow in disbelief.

“Yes.” Bastian leans back in his chair and stares at the ceiling for a moment. Everything would be easier if Sai were still here. Teaching someone by proxy is not the most fun prospect. “She needs to dig down deep and find that focus she has deep in her center. Get her to trigger her memory and see if she can contain it for a few seconds. She’ll need to practice this over and over again until she masters it. All I can think of to gain actual control of this ability instead of it turning into a wild and dangerous weapon is to first have complete control over her mind, then the level of her power, and then build up her stamina so she can use it more than once at a time.”

“I see.”

“I really hope you do, Dom. I really hope you do.” He pushes himself up from the chair and stretches. “If you don’t mind, I have a lot to work on. I know you’ll want to leave as soon as possible. Just let Mathur know they’re concentrating on the areas immediately surrounding where the fight took place. Be extra careful.”

Sai stares at all the tiny white lights refracting from the clock that sits over on her side table. Marlena had to duck out to grab something, which is good. The woman just won’t believe that Sai is fully capable of taking care of herself. After all, she’s helped to heal most of her injuries by herself. All she wants to do is get out of bed and go and see if Mason is okay.

It’s her fault, completely her fault that he’s injured, that so many people died. If only she’d realized sooner how to tap into whatever inner core of power she used. Even now, through all the healing, she still can’t grasp it again. Does it take a long time to fill back up? Does she need to have a fear of death like she was when she faced the last test of her final exam? There has to be something.

How are they so sure it was really her? Maybe it was a lightning strike. Electrical storms have happened occasionally. It’s entirely possible. Fragments of thoughts flit around in her mind, only partially coherent. Her head pounds and it’s difficult to focus. She needs to go, needs to figure out what the hell she did. Surely, if she can recreate it, if others can recreate it, they have a fighting chance.

She struggles to push herself back up, wincing slightly at the remaining pain in her ribs. Fine shrapnel from the body armor lodged itself in the wound, and it’s been a complete pain to try and remove them—literal pain.

Her legs react sluggishly as she swings them around the side of the bed, and she closes her eyes as she attempts to get rid of the slight dizziness plaguing her. Standing is far much more effort than she thought it would be, but after a few seconds, her body rights and adjusts itself, if a bit slowly.

Everything is more intense since she woke up, like she can feel the life coursing through things, people, even plants. She knows where people are, senses their immediate emotions, and can almost see, in her head, exactly what they’re doing. It’s disconcerting and somehow wondrous and damn hard to try and drown out. Reinforcing shields only does so much, and she’s not sure how to compartmentalize all of these things.

Sai almost makes it to the door before Mathur and Marlena walk through it.

“Damn it,” she mutters and crosses her arms defiantly.

Mathur raises an eyebrow and points a finger at her, resting it on her nose. “You are not supposed to be up and about. Rest, remember? Your grafts can still reject you if you do not bond well enough and get enough rest.”

Sai scowls. “I am fine. I’m better than fine—better than you. You really need to stop feeling guilt at every little thing, Mathur, it’s unbecoming.” She isn’t quite where that thought came from, nor exactly what she’s referring to, just that it’s an undeniable feeling she has that Mathur blames this entire war on himself. Not that it’s completely surprising. The old man seems to think everything started with Dom, but everything started with that device.

He glares at her. “Enough snooping with whatever newfangled powers you have managed to acquire by being far too intelligent for your own good.” He gently nudges her shoulder and pushes her back toward the bed. “Sleep, Sai. Rest up for another twenty-four hours, because if you do not, I will have them confine you to the hospital wing instead of letting you stay in your own apartment.”

She sighs and gives up. One more day isn’t going to hurt too much. Maybe it’ll give her time to figure some things out, come up with a theory. The Damascus aren’t anywhere near them yet, and her range seems to have expanded considerably.

“We’re safe, for now. Don’t stop moving. I can...” She pauses, not sure she should say things out loud, unsure of how long this phenomenon is going to last. Maybe she’ll wake up in the morning and be back to normal.

“You can what?” Mathur has his back turned as she changes out of her clothes into one of her own nightshirts.

“I’m not sure yet.” She feels alone and scared of the things she made herself do. It’s logical and at the same time makes her shake in fear. What if she somehow recreates her awakening blast? No one would be safe. “I’m not sure of what I can and can’t do. Of what are remnants that will fade over time and what are permanent changes to my abilities. It’s like I’m open and everything is at my fingertips. I can feel, see, and sense everyone, everywhere.”

She climbs into bed, and he tucks the blanket around her. It feels safe, even if only for that instant.

“I’m scared,” she says softly, not wanting to admit it, but feeling the need to get it off her chest.

“I know you are.” He pets her head. “Do not worry. We will figure this out. Sleep long and sleep well. Tomorrow is a new day where we will search for the answers together.”

“Sai?”

She sits up quickly in bed and cringes at the pain in her chest. Damn it. Just when she thought it was almost healed. She sends a slight shot of power to the section and wills it to heal faster. Any little bit helps. “Yes, Ash?” she answers and realizes belatedly her voice sounds a lot like crunching gravel.

Ash barrels into the room, face flushed and out of breath. “Oh, good. You are awake.” She grins.

“Well, I am
now
.” Sai tactfully doesn’t add the no thanks to you that’s on the tip of her tongue. “What?”

“Get dressed. You’re allowed to be up today. Isn’t that what Mathur said?”

“Today?” Sai looks around for some sign that it’s already been a full day. “You mean I slept for twenty-four hours?”

Ash’s face falls. “Well, probably closer to twenty-two, but will he be that picky?” She seems so forlorn Sai has to put her at ease.

“I won’t tell if you don’t.”

“Oh, good.” Ash sits down on the edge of the bed. “I really wanted to talk to you. I’ve been having a hell of a time lately.”

Sai raises an eyebrow. “Oh, really?”

Ash has the good grace to blush. “I’m not saying you haven’t. I don’t mean it like that, but I’ve been having a lot of difficulty containing my...gift. I mean, the Harming part of it.” She whispers the last with a secretive look about them, as if scared someone might overhear.

“Your shields aren’t holding?”

Ash nods. “I get confused and flustered. I don’t want to hurt things, Sai. I don’t want to kill things.”

Sai can hear the words Ash doesn’t say, as if she’s speaking them right into her mind.
I don’t even want to kill rabid bunnies. Even if they’re inherently evil.
It takes her a few seconds to get her bearings before speaking. “It’s okay. You realize you’re learning this because you need to have at least a measure of control, right? If you don’t have the control necessary, you
could
really hurt someone you don’t intend to.”

“I know, it’s just...” Aishke’s brow pinches, and water wells in her eyes. “I already hurt my mother. I annihilated her and half our household. I was so angry, so upset, so deserted and alone. You know, like every other teenager.” Her grin is wry, poking a bit of humor at herself. It’s one of Aishke’s saving graces, otherwise she’d come across pompous and slightly bitchy to most people she meets.

And then Sai understands. “It’s not that you can’t control it, it’s that you get scared and irritable about controlling it. Is that the problem?”

Ash nods. “I get annoyed and upset every time I try to use the gift in the way Bastian’s instructions set out. Once I get upset like that, it goes haywire and the bunnies...” She pauses, a tear flowing down her face.

“What happens to them, Ash?” Sai speaks gently but firmly. If the girl doesn’t accept what happens, she’ll never get past this. Sai knows; she saw it happen at the training facility more than once with kids who couldn’t accept what they were capable of. Some of them even tried to pull
all
the power back into themselves. Never a pretty sight.

“They explode, Sai. I explode bunnies. Their sharp little teeth and horrible dispositions are negligible once they’re just pieces of goopy fur all over the lab.”

The level of distress on Aishke’s face would be comical if it weren’t so serious. The girl looks like she’s about to throw up, and Sai leans over and hugs her, ignoring her own pain.

“Aishke, it’s okay. Take a few days off, and I’ll come help you next time and try to guide you so you have a little more finesse. How’s that sound?”

Aishke nods, obviously not trusting herself to speak. “Sorry, Sai. I just... There’s no one else here to talk to. Iria is just so damn happy all the time. With you and Mason gone, I just...felt so alone.”

Sai pulls away and grins, refraining from telling her that Iria only pretends to be happy half the time. “Hey, I’m not planning on leaving you alone just yet. And if you promise to stop feeling like that and being stupid, I’ll even show you a cool trick I picked up while we were out on this last mission.”

“Ooo.” Aishke’s eyes light up. “You mean whatever you did that everyone is whispering about when they think I can’t hear?”

It takes a few seconds for Sai to mull over that information in her mind. “Maybe. Since I’m not entirely sure what they’re saying, I can’t guarantee that’s it, but I do have something to show you I think you’ll understand and grasp better than anyone else on this Mobile.” Once she figures out exactly what she did, anyway.

“Other than you, of course,” Aishke says, face deadly serious.

“Actually, I wouldn’t be surprised if you understand it and master it far better than I have. I really had no idea what I was doing, Ash, but I did it because it’s all I had left.” Sai cocks her head to the side and frowns for a second. “Mathur is on his way. Let me get dressed so I can greet him properly.”

A few minutes later, Sai is fully dressed and in the lounge ready for her guest. Almost as if on cue, there’s a knock at the door. Aishke jumps up and lets Mathur in, greeting him with a huge smile as she ushers him in.

“Sai, you are looking rested.”

Standing behind him, Aishke mouths
How the hell did you know
and Sai has to stop herself from laughing out loud.

“Just what the doctor ordered,” she says instead, mind already working to figure out what they can do to better prepare their own troops when they come into contact with the Damascus.

“You knew I was coming, did you not?” he asks quietly, eyes never leaving her face.

“I didn’t know per se, but I was pretty sure you were on your way.”

“Do you still feel everything, sense everyone?”

Sai nods. “Even more clearly today. I’m trying to figure out a few different shielding options which will hopefully help, but I’m not Bastian. This sort of stuff is hard, and I’m afraid probably far beyond me.” She laughs ruefully. “I’m definitely the wrong person to have discovered this abnormality. Especially considering I have no idea how to instigate it again. Yet.”

“Perhaps it is not abnormal.” Mathur shakes his head. “I am starting to believe that there is nothing normal about you Sai, but that you have an extraordinarily good head for pushing the boundaries of your gift and abilities associated to it.”

She smiles, trying to ignore the queasiness in her stomach. “That’s huge praise coming from you. And I’m not entirely sure how to take it.” Heat rises in her cheeks, and she glances away, counting to five while taking a breath. “That didn’t come out right. I’m not sure what’s going on, Mathur. I have no idea. But there are things I feel and hear and sense that I have no right feeling and hearing and sensing.” She closes her eyes for a minute and casts out her mind, scouting for the Damascus and reaching a range she shouldn’t be able to.

“When I scout now, for example, I’m sure I can almost reach Central. The range on my abilities has increased so much I’m actually scared. I have no idea why I can do this now or how much control I have over my abilities anymore. Or even how I did what I did. I could be a danger to everyone on this Mobile. We can’t afford that. We need to make sure I’m not going to jeopardize everyone.” Her breath starts to come fast, and her head spins a little. She can feel the sweat starting to form under her clothes, getting ready to leak its way out.

Mathur sits down across from her, his expression extremely serious. “For what it is worth, I do not believe you to be of any danger to us, but I am unsure as to whether or not you may be a danger to yourself. With your abilities as they were, you had a dreadful propensity to push yourself beyond your boundaries. If your own abilities have expanded, then I fear for your own safety. You do not regulate your own usage of power and the extent of your reserves closely enough.”