Beyond the Stars: INEO (27 page)

“To find Nia and go home,” I answered.

“Allow yourself to have it.”

Listening to his soothing voice, I let my mind drift to an image of Nia’s attractive face, Urit smiling at her return, and finally I pictured Earth, floating peacefully in the blackness of Space. Earth, yes, I thought, making the image of the blue planet glow brighter with my rising excitement. I want to be home with my kids, Leah and Jackson. I imagined hugging them and how strong their bodies felt when I touched them. I felt my body start to drift through Space towards the planet with increasing speed. I was going home. Then I remembered that my work here wasn’t done. Nia wasn’t safe. The Dreons still had her. My body came to a screeching halt and flew backwards, zipping by the same stars and planets at an alarming rate until their lights turned into a streaking blur of light.

“Ahh!” I gasped and opened my eyes.

Tyden released my hands and exhaled loudly.

“I have never … you have summoned the power of Ineo. That was exceptionally good for a first attempt. You have a vivid imagination. Once you clarify your desires, it will get easier, and possibly be able to yield remarkable results.”

“Did you
see
all that?”

“Yes, and I am astonished by your skill. I have never experienced such a powerful vision. And I think, for now, you should have the Ineo show you pleasant memories. Maybe asking you want you want wasn’t the best direction to lead you in. Please let me know when you are ready to try it again. I will help you try after I get a proper rest. Now, if you would excuse me. I seemed to have worked up an appetite. I need to eat … now,” he said, sounding rattled.

It looked like I drained him. I, however, felt great. I was invigorated by the experience.

“Tyden, do you really think the Ineo can help me to create the life I imagine?”

“Yes, I believe all things are possible. You will uncover a way to use this Ineo to your advantage with more practice,” he said kindly.

“I’m afraid of not thinking everything through and accidentally creating something I don’t want. What if I activate it and forget to picture having something or someone in my life and am forced to live with my bad choice forever?”

“You won’t make a mistake.”

“What if Urit was wrong and enabling this thing only provokes it? What if it ends up killing me?”

Tyden thought for a moment and gave me an expressionless look that was impossible to read. “Chi referred to it as a gift, not a curse, so I would presume its force is driven by something positive. I could feel it strengthen when you pictured the fondness you feel for your children. It may be activated by gratitude. Anyway, it sounded as though the Ineo’s power wasn’t limited. I think you can continue to utilize its abilities for as long as you possess it.”

“And how long is that?”

“Hmm,” he moaned. “Do not focus on what we don’t understand. Have faith. You were given this for a reason. You must have a willing attitude to participate, and please take some time to think about every detail you wish to obtain with this Ineo. Often, the attainment of what we desire is only found after one does the work. Only then will you find the courage to handle the hardship you must overcome.”

Tyden gave me a studious look and turned to leave. I had forgotten that he was desperate to eat.

“Thank you,” I called out to him as he left in a bit of a rush.

CHAPTER 19

DISCOVERY

Gaelan went to hunt for Dreons. Before he left me, he told me how they were using the newly built Dreon tracker to send out a signal into Space in hopes of finding a returning blip. He proudly explained how he had broken up the surrounding territories into quarters and planned to travel down each of them in search of their ship. His confidence in the contraption gave me hope.

At the same time, Maric met me for another day of Katarian flight school. I didn’t want to go. Despite my lack of enthusiasm, I pretended to act interested in improving so I wouldn’t hurt his feelings. I tried to follow his instructions, but lost my focus every time he spoke off subject or interjected our course with one of the program’s preset obstacles, such as giant asteroids that appeared out of nowhere. It was both discouraging and frustrating. Sometimes, I swear he was distracting me on purpose. Perhaps he had more of his father Zaric’s orneriness in him than I had originally thought.

We were done for the day and started to leave the simulator when we ran into Gaelan. He had taken a break and was stopping by to check on my progress.

“How did she do?” Gaelan asked Maric anxiously.

“Um, she did, well sort of—” Maric murmured kindly.

“I sucked.” I filled in the blank.

“Oh,” Gaelan said with a frown. “Really, it was that bad?”

“Pretty bad,” Maric confirmed.

“Thanks. I’ll take it from here. Let me see if I can help.” Gaelan dismissed Maric while he placed his arm around my shoulders and ushered me back inside the pretend command deck.

“Aw, do we have to?” I moaned in protest and dragged my feet against the floor like a dog being pulled by its leash. I reluctantly returned to my chair of pain and clipped the annoying controller back on my ear. It was getting close to burrowing a hole through my cartilage. “I don’t understand why you don’t have steering wheels like the levitrons on Kataria.”

“No way,” Gaelan dismissed. “I hate those levitrons. They are completely outdated—antiques. Here, we like to use only the best and latest technology.”

“It’s too hard,” I complained.

“I thought you liked it that way.”

“Humph. Very funny.”

“I guess Maric will have to wait to be promoted,” Gaelan said under his breath.

“What?”

“He didn’t tell you. He’s expecting you to master your flight training. He will earn merit from fostering the advancement of another. It’s one of his requirements.”

“Great, no pressure now,” I said sarcastically.

Gaelan ignored my whining.

“Now, relax and completely engage your attention on the ship and what you want it to do,” he said in a smooth voice.

Unlike my previous session with Maric, I really wanted to succeed. I spent more than enough time fooling around in Loserville. Besides, the sooner I got it, the sooner I’d be dismissed. I let go of my fear of failure and pictured doing everything right. I lifted us up and started hurtling us towards the open space on the viewer screen.

“Good. You’re in control. Be one with the ship,” he continued to guide me in a hypnotic voice. “Take us to the second moon and go around it and bring us back. I’ll be your co-pilot. Now focus.”

I listened and tried to relax. That’s when it happened. I imagined doing exactly what he had asked, causing a burst of energy to surge through my body like a bolt of lightning. I watched in awe as I maneuvered the ship with ease. I did it—only we didn’t travel as expected. The simulator completed the task almost as fast as he spoke the words.

Gaelan jumped forward in his seat.
“Sami.
What did you do?” he said with disbelief. “How did you … wow, you really like to keep me guessing.” He gave me a mystified look.

“I don’t know. I followed your orders and it obeyed,” I said, feeling rattled and confused.

“No, it’s not supposed to happen that quickly. You did something different.”

“Maybe I concentrated harder.”

“Try it again,” he pleaded. “Go to the far right sector and return us here,” he said, pointing to the screen.

I focused on his order, and I suddenly felt super alert. Again, we zipped to the region, hit the mark in record time, and came back in two blinks.

“This never happened with Maric, I swear. I’m not even sure what I’m doing different.”

“Don’t apologize. What were you thinking when you commanded the ship?”

“That it already happened.”

“Amazing.” He touched his lip while he thought.

“You don’t think it’s because of the Ineo thing?” I asked.

“Your guess is as good as mine. Though, it does appear that you are manipulating your reality in some manner.”

“Jeez, I would take myself back to Earth if I wasn’t so damn lost,” I teased.

Gaelan exhaled loudly and gave me a frustrated look. I immediately regretted the comment, knowing how sensitive he was about taking me away from home.

“Do it again. Go there,” he directed, pointing to the star map.

“Whoa,” I said with disbelief when it happened again.

“Ha,” Gaelan let out a gasp that could be interpreted as a laugh. “This is so much fun. Imagine what you could do if you were really at the helm. Take us here,” he requested with excitement.

“I don’t know,” I said with hesitation after he mentioned me being at the helm. My anxiety returned, making my hands become cold and clammy. I wanted to avoid driving the real ship again, at all cost.

“Please?” he pleaded.

I tried to obey, but this time we moved at a disappointingly regular pace. I noticed that I didn’t feel the same surge of power I had felt before.

“I’m sorry. The problem is it’s still hit or miss. Weird stuff magically appears when I least expect it. I can’t control when it turns on.”

“You will. Tyden told me you just needed practice.”

“I hope that’s all he said. He looked spooked after our meditation session.”

“Tyden is sometimes hard to read. Don’t worry about what he thought. He’s a good man and I know he likes you.
Trust me,
you would know it if he didn’t. And I doubt that he was scared.”

“Well, the Ineo kind of scares me. It’s like this force comes alive and takes over my body and makes things happen. I don’t know why I attracted this.”

“I think because you can handle it. You’re an amazing woman—not like anyone I’ve ever known,” Gaelan reassured.

“Thanks, but if I concentrate on anything for too long, it seems to take on a life of its own and materializes before my eyes. I’m able to travel to another place because I believe I can, and then, as soon as I have doubts—nothing. My thoughts go in every direction. I don’t think it’s possible to police every silly thought I have, at every single moment.”

“I think you eventually will, and that’s why Tyden didn’t want you to talk about it to anyone but us. Besides, Urit might not be the only one onboard to have an understanding of what an Ineo can do. If word got out that you had it, you could become endangered if someone wanted to use it for personal gain.”

“How? It’s in me. I’m the one only who can control it—well,
sort of
control of it.” I huffed.

“True. However, your safety might be threatened if someone attempted to manipulate you. People would
kill
for the Ineo if they knew it could transport a starship like this.” He lowered his voice in warning.

“I’ll never let that happen. I would sooner die.”

His face fell with my words.

“That’s what I’m afraid of.”

“Stop it,” I said, shaking his arm to break his petrified pose. “I was only kidding. I’m not planning on taking requests. And if, or when, I needed to make a decision to alter my world, I would make sure I put myself somewhere safe, like Earth.”

“Earth would be good. Like I told you, I’ll find a way to be happy living there.”

My mouth dropped open, feeling offended. “You make it sound as though it’s going to be a challenge.”

“No. I only want to make sure your future life includes me,” he said with uncertainty.

“You have nothing to worry about.”

“Only Jack,” he grumbled. “You dream about him.”

“Oh, no, it’s not what you think.” I paused to study his response. “And how do you know what I dream about?”

“You talk in your sleep, remember?”

“Ugh, what do I say?”

“Mostly random babble, but Jack’s name comes up a lot … every night in fact.” His lips tightened.

“I’m sorry … it isn’t like that. He came as a friend.” I tried to play it down. I hated that I made him feel insecure. Didn’t he know he was everything to me?

He turned to me looking clearly upset. “You
talk
as though he was really here.”