Psion Beta (26 page)

I DID IT!

For several minutes, he knelt in silence. The emotional shock finally wore off and fatigue crept over him like a suffocating blanket. He stood on shaky legs, cleared his throat, and wiped his eyes. Cool air flooded him when he opened the door. Just before leaving, he turned back and saw the lone finger, the pools of blood, the bodies, and the bullets—all of it resembling a scene of horrific carnage—disappearing like magic from the walls, floor, and himself. The computer could not erase everything, however. It was real, even if the finger had been just a hologram, Sammy had cut it off. He had shot them. They were dead and he had done the killing.

I did it.

When he spoke it was reverently. “I did it for you, Mom and Dad. A new paradigm.”

Craving sleep, he walked downstairs and climbed into bed. He wondered who he would tell about this and when. He promptly drifted off to sleep, not thinking at all about blood, corpses, or Thirteens.

The next day was Friday, and Sammy went to the sims again. Everything was different, most importantly, his outlook. The computer threw a five Thirteen sim trial at him, and Sammy beat it in ten tries. He spent the rest of the day feeling like someone had grabbed a big chunk of the sun and stuck it right in his chest. It felt good, and it stayed that way all day. After dinner, his body ached worse than anything he’d ever experienced, and he went to bed early before anyone could bug him.

15.
Stonehenge

The next morning
, Sammy had an urgent desire to talk to Byron—or anyone else, for that matter. Other Betas needed to know it was possible to do what he’d done. But he didn’t know how to bring it up without sounding like a show-off. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he knew Commander Byron was already aware of his accomplishment. Why couldn’t the commander help him get the word out? Why had Byron said and done nothing?

When Sammy finally got out of bed, Brickert, only half-dressed, blocked the door.

“
I’m not moving until you talk to me.” His cheeks were bright red, his dark hair, which had only grown much longer over the last few months, fell over his eyes. He looked as nervous as the day he’d arrived at headquarters.

“
Did Jeffie ask you to do this, Brick?”

“
I’ll tell you, you’re hurting yourself with all this extra work. I’m—we’re really worried about you. What’s happened to you?”

Sammy chuckled. Brickert had made everything much easier, whether he’d meant to or not. “Well—something has happened, Brickert.”

“
Something happened? Wh—” Brickert saw Sammy laughing and threw his shirt at him. “Did you kiss Jeffie?”

Sammy caught the shirt without really thinking about it. “No, I didn’t.” As an afterthought, Sammy added, “I definitely wouldn’t mind, though.”

“
So, what is it?”

“
You’re not going to believe me.” Sammy threw the shirt back at Brickert, who tried to catch it, but missed. It hit him square in the face.

“
We’ve been through all of this before. With you anything is possible.”

Sammy got up and dressed without speaking. The irony of Brickert’s statement was not lost on him, but the comment about kissing Jeffie had taken over his train of thought.

“
Well, say something.”

“
Okay, sorry. You remember what I’ve been doing in the sims, right?”

“
Yeah, getting your butt kicked around by Thirteens.”

“
Right. Well, the other day. I—uh—I passed the trial.”

“
The Thirteens? You killed four Thirteens at once?”

Sammy couldn’t help a small grin. That little piece of sun buried inside him flared up again and the only outlet for it was through his smile. “Yeah, and then yesterday I beat five.”

“
Holy—!”

Brickert smacked the wall with a loud BANG! “OW!” He grabbed his hand and winced in pain. “Sammy, do you know what this means?”

“
Yes, I know what it means.”

“
It means you’re the greatest Beta ever! In the history of the world!”

“
No.” Sammy looked sharply at Brickert. “That’s not what it means. See? We all have the potential to do the same thing. And everyone needs to know about it, I just don’t want to be the one to tell them what I did.”

“
Why not?”

Sammy threw his hands up. How could Brickert not know the answer to that already? “Because I don’t want the attention! I don’t want people to talk about me.”

“
No one is going to think you’re a freak, Sammy. I don’t.”

“
They don’t know me like you do. Some of them still aren’t comfortable with my Anomaly Eleven. Without it, I couldn’t do all this stuff. It’s not me, it’s the anomaly.”

Brickert cheesy smile told Sammy that he didn’t seem to get the point. “It is you.”

“
I’d just be a crappy video game player and a so-so fighter without the anomaly.”

“
Please . . . they’re going to think you’re a god.”

“
No—no.” The thought of any more jealousy repulsed him.

“
Then what do you want?”

“
Don’t you think everyone should know how to do it?” Sammy asked back.

“
I guess,” Brickert said sarcastically. “I’ll let you know when I’ve gotten that far in training.”

“
See? That’s what I mean.”

“
I was joking!”

“
Yeah, well, you’re joking, but what is everyone else going to think? Sammy the brain! Sammy the hotshot! Sammy the anomaly!” He whipped his hoodie against his bed with every name. “Still fourteen years-old and he’s done something no one else can do—before some people two and three years older than him have even had a chance to try to do it.”

“
Why don’t you talk to Commander Byron about it?” Brickert suggested patiently.

“
I was waiting for him to say something to me.”

“
He’s super busy,” Brickert reminded. “Call him, send him a text.”

“
Yeah . . . yeah. That’s a good idea.” Sammy blasted lightly to get back on his own bed and stared at the ceiling. He felt a little better now.

That was the body of the text that Sammy sent Byron. A few hours later, he got back this:

Samuel,

CWB

The Betas played a short Game early in the evening and spent the rest of the day celebrating Al’s final achievement: passing the last test of his Panel. All he had left now was the mission. Al tried to act modest about his prospects, but Sammy knew better. Al was thrilled and excited about becoming an Alpha. Festivities went late into the evening, but some people turned in earlier than expected. Sammy found out why the next morning.

When he turned up for Sunday brunch, the cafeteria was buzzing.

“
Sammy!” Natalia cried as soon as she saw him. Her eyes were as big as Sammy had ever seen them. “Al’s upstairs being briefed on his Beta mission at this very moment.”

“
Huh?” The cobwebs in his head filtered out every other word Natalia said. All that mattered was getting a glass of orange juice and a muffin.

“
Serious. According to Marie, three Alphas came a couple of hours ago and called for him. And when he comes back he’s going to have the names of the people who are going on the mission with him.”

“
Are you sure?” he asked.

“
Of course. Everyone’s been talking about it.”

Sammy hurried and got his food. While he waited, Jeffie and Kawai came in and sat. Natalia had already ordered food for the other girls. She wasted no time filling them in on everything.

“
So who do you think it’s going to be?” Jeffie asked the group.

Sammy shrugged. “Probably Martin, Gregor, Li . . . all the oldest Betas.”

“
Marie, too,” Brickert added. “She’s right up there with Al—”

“
Obviously not Marie,” Kawai interrupted.

“
Why not?” Brickert asked her, blushing small spots on his cheeks.

Sammy glanced at Jeffie. He knew she would be trying to catch his eye, and he was right. She gave him a secret nod.

One night, less than a month ago, Jeffie had told him she was sure Brickert liked Kawai. Sammy, being the friend he was, vehemently denied it even though he knew it to be true. Brickert had bound him by honor to say nothing. Kawai was, after all, the oldest of the girls in their group of friends. It made sense Brickert would crush on her eventually. He said her exotic look was exciting and unique.

Sammy shook his head back at Jeffie. She responded with a raised eyebrow and a skeptical expression.

“
Yes, why not Marie?” Natalia repeated.

“
Because Al loves Marie,” Kawai said as if it were the most obvious piece of information in the world, “and they want to get married after she passes her Panel. Why would Al do anything to risk the life of his girlfriend?”

“
Because she’s one of the most talented Betas at headquarters,” Natalia responded for Brickert while he recovered his nerve to speak, “and he won’t be risking her life. The missions aren’t dangerous.”

“
Do you think she will be the only girl Al takes?” Jeffie asked Brickert.

“
No, Levu and Cala are both likely to go,” Natalia said.

“
Three girls, I don’t think so,” Sammy said, teasing Jeffie while he said it.

“
One girl soldier is worth twenty boy soldiers,” she responded with the mocking face that always made him smile.

“
Well, he’s definitely going to take Kaden, Gregor, and Martin,” Natalia said.

“
Kaden’s only sixteen,” Kawai objected, as she was barely the same age.

“
But he’s one of the highest-ranked fighters here,” Natalia answered back.

“
I guess it depends whether he wants skill versus more experience,” Jeffie commented. “I bet he’ll probably take some of both.”

“
What about you, Sammy?” Brickert asked in a careful voice. “Why wouldn’t he pick you, too?”

Everyone at the table looked at him as though they’d also thought this, but didn’t want to be the first to voice it. Sammy had no reply. The idea had crossed his mind, too, but he’d quickly dismissed the notion because of his age and inexperience.

“
I don’t know,” he finally answered. “Don’t you think I’m too young?”

Brickert was about to add something when Commander Byron walked through the door, looking quite solemn. He was accompanied by a man Sammy had never seen, wearing the same flight suit as Byron: smoke gray with the Greek symbol of alpha emblazoned on the front over the left breast, and a gold star on each shoulder. The new man looked to be in his forties. He was tall and good-looking with brown hair beginning to show gray around the edges. His sharp eyes took in the whole room at once. From the way he and Byron were speaking to each other, Sammy guessed they were old friends, or at least knew each other very well.

The room fell silent at once, which Sammy thought was funny. The new man smiled, too, holding the silence with a dramatic pause. Finally he spoke: “Hello and good morning. Most of you know me, but for those who don’t, my name is Commander Wrobel. You all know why I am here. Your friend Albert Hayman passed every part of his Psion Panel . . . except one.” He paused again. Sammy could tell he was enjoying his effect on the crowd. “He’s just spent the last few hours receiving information on his mission assignment and choosing eight other Betas to accompany him.”

He stopped for a moment and his smile changed from friendly to parental. “Now I always like to say before I read the list that there should be no hard feelings about not being chosen. Al didn’t pick people based on talent alone or by how much he likes you, but based on how he feels you will work with him and his unique qualities to accomplish the specific tasks he has. So please support him whether or not you’ll accompany him on his assignment.”

A few whispers of quick conversations broke out, but all fell silent when Wrobel cleared his throat and began reading from the com screen over his eye. “Here are the eight Betas Al has chosen . . .”

Sammy felt the tension in the room grow, especially among the oldest Betas.

“
Marie Covas.”

Brickert turned to their table and mouthed, “I told you!” Kawai rolled her eyes so well she reminded Sammy of Jeffie.

“
Kaden Reynolds.”

There was applause. Sammy saw Kobe clap his brother on the back, both brothers smiling.

“
Kobe Reynolds.”