4 Terramezic Energy (4 page)

“There can be no exceptions. I’m sorry,” APU 4093 said regretfully.

“What if APU 81 manages to restore an ancient facility? He’ll have the means to launch a full-scale offensive against us,” Maggie said passionately. “Are you willing to sit idly by and allow it to destroy the very civilization that created you?”

“I have prepared weapons which I will use against any facility that APU 81 establishes control over,” the computer advised. “You have nothing to fear.”

“You’re asking us to have blind faith in you,” Maggie said.

The computer failed to respond. Mark, Maggie, and Virginia exchanged puzzled looks.

“Did you hear me?” Maggie asked.

“Further discussion on this matter is pointless,” the computer said.

“How do you like that? It’s giving us the silent treatment,” Maggie grumbled.

“I expected as much,” Virginia said. “I’d still like for you both to take some readings and analyze your findings. I have scanning wands stored nearby.”

“That won’t be necessary. We can both scan without them,” Mark advised.

“Of course.” Virginia’s eyes lit with understanding. “White Knights and category six wizards can do it on their own.”

Mark’s eyes twinkled with mirth. “According to APU 4093, I’m just a White Knight apprentice.”

“I intended no disrespect,” the computer interjected.

“I’m just teasing,” Mark said.

“Understood,” APU 4093 said in a contemplative tone.

Mark, Virginia, and Maggie exchanged amused looks.

Chapter 5

Jake was driving the police cruiser with Josephine seated behind him and Alex in the back seat. The siren blared as he speeded South on Tamiami Trail towards Venice where a destructive magical occurrence was in process. It was unlikely they would arrive in time to witness the phenomenon.

“This isn’t good. This has happened two days in a row,” Alex remarked.

“It’s likely to continue like this every day until she learns to control her power or it kills her,” Josephine said grimly.

“Do you really think yesterday was her first day as a six?” Alex asked.

“I’m sure of it. That would explain why it’s so volatile,” Josephine said.

“Won’t her power stabilize on its own?” Alex said.

“If she doesn’t take the appropriate steps, it could take weeks,” Josephine advised.

When they arrived on the scene, the road was blocked with disabled vehicles. Many of the cars and trucks had smoke billowing from beneath their hoods and the windows had shattered. The stench of smoke and burned rubber permeated the air as Josephine, Alex, and Jake emerged from the police cruiser. The nearby stores had cracked or shattered windows but Josephine noticed that the shards of glass had showered inside the buildings instead of on the sidewalk. Most of the vehicle owners remained on site beside their stalled vehicle or standing nearby at a safe distance. Ambulance trucks and police cars had already arrived. The wounded were being tended to and tow trucks were beginning the process of removing the disabled vehicles.

Alex regarded the destruction with a sense of horror. “This reminds me of what it was like working with you when you were just a consultant.”

“Oh, please!” Josephine threw him a disgruntled gaze. “I never came close to doing anything like this. The most that ever happened was a few telekinetic shoves and blasts of wind.”

“There was one time you threw me across the room so hard you bruised my back and gave me a mild concussion,” Alex said.

“That wasn’t my fault. How many times do I have to tell you I’m sorry?” Josephine grumbled.

“I’m not looking for an apology. I’m just making a comparison.”

Josephine stretched her awareness out to the subtle energies in the street but avoided the stores. A jumble of psychic impressions flooded her mind. She narrowed her focus on the vehicles but there was too much psychometric energy around her to block out.

“I need to get closer to these cars,” Josephine said.

“All right,” Alex said.

“We just need to walk by them.”

Josephine strode down the sidewalk past the people who were waiting for their rides or just watching the devastation with varying degrees of fear and fascination.

“What are you doing?” Alex asked.

“I’m scanning the area.” Josephine slowed her pace then halted as she neared a blue sedan. The hood of the car was riddled with shattered glass from the windshield and the dashboard controls had exploded. A thin stream of smoke leaked out from beneath the hood and the dashboard. A young woman had her arms crossed over her chest in a defensive posture as she leaned against her disabled vehicle. She was short and looked to be in her late teens with long brown hair, and brown eyes. A thin, shallow cut marred her right temple and left cheek. She wore a brown polo shirt and jeans. Josephine turned to face the woman and approached her. Jake and Alex took up positions beside her and slightly behind her so she could take the lead.

“Excuse me.” Josephine offered an amiable smile and flashed her enforcer badge. “I’m Enforcer O’Connor and these are Detectives Riley and Dietrich. I’d like to ask you a few questions about the phenomenon that occurred here.”

“Okay.” The young woman adopted a guarded look and shifted her position as she continued to lean against her car.

“What is your name?” Josephine asked.

“I’m Yvonne.”

“Last name?” Josephine tensed and prepared to activate her protection.

“Boggs.”

“I need to see your license and registration, please.”

Yvonne’s eyes widened with apprehension but she composed herself.

“All right. I have my driver’s license in my wallet.” Yvonne pulled it out and handed it over then fetched her registration from the glove compartment.

“Thanks.” Josephine recorded the information in her notebook then handed them back. “What were you doing on the road?”

“Driving around.”

“Where were you going to?” Josephine asked.

“I was heading down to Circinus. I work there part-time,” Yvonne explained.

“It’s a very nice bookstore. Why don’t you work there full-time?”

“I’m a college student. I attend classes on the Venice campus for the Florida State College.”

“How long have you been a category six?” Josephine inquired.

Yvonne flinched. “I’m a five.”

“I’ve scanned your car. You don’t leave enough trace energy in your car to be read and you don’t have a privacy field. You’re a six.”

“I’m probably a latent six. Most of them can’t be read,” Yvonne said.

“That’s true but I’m going to have to insist that you be tested immediately. We’re taking you to the station,” Josephine said.

“Wait!” Yvonne’s face clouded with panic. “Please don’t do that. I guess I am a six. It happened yesterday.”

“You were with your sister.”

Yvonne’s brown eyes registered surprise. “How did you know that?”

“It was an educated guess. Now tell me why you’re being so cagey about your abilities.”

“It’s complicated.” Yvonne hesitated for several seconds. “Practically everyone in my family are category fives. We have an enchantment that filters our abilities and prevents us from becoming a six. Everyone in the family is given a pendant to wear when we turn twelve and we must leave it on until our powers activate and we’re tested for our magical strength. If we’re a five, we must be careful to always wear the pendant. If it turns out we’re a four or below, we give the pendant back to the family to be used on someone else when the time comes.”

“What happens if you’re a six?” Josephine asked.

“The pendant prevents that from happening except in just a few cases.”

“And what happens then?” Josephine regarded her with trepidation as her intuition warned her this could be bad.

“We die.” Yvonne’s face reflected stark terror. “No one who becomes a six in our family survives.”

“What?!” Josephine, Alex, and Jake exclaimed with horrified disbelief.

“We’re too strong and our abilities eventually kill us. I only have about three weeks to live,” Yvonne said.

“It’s procedure that new category six wizards are to be assigned an enforcer to mentor them and teach them to control their abilities. I’m going to make sure you learn to master your talent,” Josephine said.

“It won’t work,” Yvonne said in a defeated voice.

“I happen to be a six and I’ve helped a lot of my peers come to grips with their power.” Josephine pinned the young woman with a confident look.

“My family is different.”

“How so?” Josephine asked.

Yvonne hesitated as her face contorted with terror. “Can we talk about it later?”

“Tell me.” Josephine offered a reassuring smile but she tensed with anticipation.

“I’m related to Brenda Kirkland. She’s a distant cousin.”

Alex gasped with horror and even Jake looked shaken over this revelation. Brenda Kirkland had been the category six who’d caused the Disaster of 2029 that had killed millions and converted most of the world into wizards. She was the reason the laws had been so stringent on limiting what sixes were allowed to do for so many years. Recently the laws had changed, giving the same liberties to these powerful wizards as the rest of the world. It had never occurred to Josephine that Brenda Kirkland had been a different sort of talent altogether. It made sense when she thought about it.

“You’re still just a six. I can help you. The first thing you need to do is get some rest. I’m going to stop by your apartment in a few hours after I finish up here and we’ll start our first lesson,” Josephine said.

“I have to work,” Yvonne protested.

“You think you’re going to die in less than three weeks which means you should be okay with one less day on your pay check. I’ll call your supervisor so you don’t lose your job.” Josephine fixed a stern gaze on the young woman.

“I guess you’re right.” Yvonne’s expression was weary. “Thanks.”

Josephine felt bad for Yvonne. She knew exactly what it felt like to possess a talent that burned bright and out of control. By the time Josephine returned to the police station with Alex and Jake, she was exhausted. The disturbance had been a mess and she had reports to fill out. Alex had a cup of coffee on his desk as he worked. Josephine decided to pour herself a mug as well. She took a sip of the hot brew as she perched on the chair in front of her computer and continued her work.

“It’s been more than three hours since you promised Yvonne you’d start working with her,” Alex announced.

Josephine cocked a brow in bemusement. “I was giving her an estimate. I need to wrap this up before I go.”

“Do you think her talent is really different than a normal six?” Jake asked.

“I have to admit that the damage caused is not typical,” Josephine said.

“Maybe she’s just a bit stronger,” Alex interjected.

“It looks like she’s a lot more powerful than the average six,” Jake commented.

“I tend to agree.” Josephine’s heart went out to the poor young woman who’d been afflicted with this condition. “But I know I can help her. I’ve been through it.”

Alex leveled an assessing gaze at her. “Are you all right?”

“I’m fine. Why do you ask?”

“You seem really tired.”

“It’s been a long day.”

“I guess we were doing a lot of running around in Venice for the last couple of hours,” Alex said.

“You can say that again.” Josephine shot him a grim smile.

Josephine didn’t arrive at Yvonne’s apartment until late in the afternoon. Yvonne had a small studio with a bare minimum of furnishings that were a bit shabby and mismatched. The two of them gathered in the living room area where there were just two plastic patio chairs for seating. Josephine had brought a novel she’d purchased at a thrift store and set it down on the floor about a dozen feet to the side.

“I’m going to have you practice telekinesis.” Josephine shifted in her seat to try and get more comfortable. “Use as little energy as possible. Think of the book as nothing heavier than a feather and try just to lift it a few inches.”

“Are you sure I should be doing this?” Yvonne regarded her warily.

“I’m positive. Just take your time and remember to use the bare minimum of effort. That’s the key.”

Yvonne fixed an intent gaze on the book. Josephine took a quick scan of the room and discovered very little psychometric energy. Yvonne had obviously cast an ignotus enchantment to eradicate the trace energies of the previous tenants of the studio. Josephine flinched when the book burst into flames without warning. Yvonne shrieked with terror.

“It’s all right,” Josephine reassured her.

She pointed the palm of her hand toward the book and issued a brief mist-like spray of water to douse the flames. The stench of smoke lingered in the air and Yvonne eyed the blackened book as if it were a poisonous snake.

“Everything will be fine. You’re a lot stronger than you’re used to. Remember to use just the slightest bit of energy,” Josephine said.

“I did!” Yvonne exclaimed.

“The thing about becoming a six when you’re used to being a five is that you’re exponentially stronger.”

“I know.” Yvonne regarded her with dismay. “It’s hopeless. It’s like a curse or something. Once someone in my family becomes a six, our fate is sealed. I called Circinus and let my manager know I’m not coming in again. What’s the point when I’ll be dead?”

Josephine’s heart went out to the young woman. “We’re going to skip the rest of the preliminary training and proceed to the next step.”

“What’s that?” Yvonne asked.

“We’re going to the Siesta Key beach.”

Yvonne’s expression became panicked. “We can’t do that! People will die!”

Josephine knew this was utter nonsense. When a six with out of control powers tapped into a vortex, their talent always stabilized. It was the fastest way of helping Yvonne to master her abilities. The look of utter terror on the young woman’s face made Josephine hesitate. She hid her reaction by adopting a calm demeanor.

“I’ve done this countless times. There’s nothing to worry about,” Josephine said.

“People in the family have tried this before. It accelerates the deterioration,” Yvonne said.

“Do you know anyone personally who tried tapping into a vortex?” Josephine asked.

“No,” Yvonne admitted.

“It’s time to take a trip to the beach.”