Chapter 235 - Training

 

(Throne Room, Aurum Throni, Terran Orbit)

“What do you think you are doing? Do you want me to read you down to the core? Focus, girl!”

The method of training to get the Empress’s powers in check enough for her to function was simple enough, though I doubted she’d thank me for it until later. Much later. Simply put, I forced her to play defense as I attempted to penetrate her mind. She would throw up defenses as best she could, and I would break them.

The two of us were in a black space I had the Empress conjure up in her mind. We were in the mind, so the rules of the outside world did not apply. She needed to learn that, quickly, so I had her begin with an empty space, with no walls or ground. Once she learned to maneuver and use this space, she wouldn’t be forced to rely on projections of physicality to conduct ‘business’.

This was important for a couple reasons. Invaders in her mind, if they managed to get through her outer defenses, were never going to just sit back and abide by her mindscape’s rules, like I had done on the bridge of the Purity Blade. No, physicality was useless in a mindscape unless one had the strength of will to make it real, and even then, you had to train to pull it off. Brute force could substitute for skill, perhaps, but that opened up its own problems, as that much energy and concentration going towards the environment meant that you’d be distracted (at best) against a foe who was trying to attack you. To be useful, it had to be effortless. To be effortless, you had to be skilled.

The second reason was that learning to negate physicality in her own mind would help her negating it in another’s mindscape. If you were reliant on physicality in the mindscape, then, in another’s mind, you’d be helpless as they would literally have the home court advantage, able to twist and reshape the ‘world’ around you. Again, raw power could compensate for a lack of skill, but if you were simply going to blow them away and obliterate their mind, there were easier ways to go about it. And if you were in their mind looking for information, that information would be lost with their mind. Control was necessary.

And so, with that goal in mind, we had started a sparring match. Each of us were flying about the mindspace, ducking, diving, weaving, and turning to try and avoid attacks or get an opening. It was like an anime, honestly.

I had started off slow, relatively speaking, until she had gotten a hand on the basics. It didn’t take long. Merida may have been the Empress now, but she had been an Imperial Navy officer, not too long ago. And if there is one thing that all members of any space-faring navy are taught, it is how to respond in emergencies, like when the artificial gravity is offline.

Adapting the techniques for maneuvering in zero-g was easy for her. Then, she began trying to copy my movements, as it sunk in that she didn’t need to ‘bounce’ off illusory walls to change direction or speed. Three-dimensional movement skills, combined with a quick mind and ample motivation, allowed her to adapt quickly.

That’s when the game shifted from ‘tag’ to ‘defend yourself’. I conjured what looked like fireballs in my hands, and threw them at her. I started with ones that went in a straight line, giving her time to adjust to evasive action. Then, the fireballs started tracking her movements. When she started being able to create a shield, I started upping the power.

“GAH!” The Empress yelled as another fireball crashed against her defenses, which manifested as a force-field that struggled, but held against the attack. “I’ve never done anything like this before! Cut me some slack!”

“Slack?” I scoffed. “Silly girl. Will your enemies cut you some slack if you ask them nicely? You know you have people in your empire that would gladly turn you into an obedient puppet if they could, yes? Will they give you slack? And Deus is still out there, in some form. Will it give you slack? Then we have the creatures from the chaotic dimension. Do you think they will give you slack? No? Then why are you asking it from me?”

“RAGH! FINE! TAKE THIS!” Merida roared, finally having enough of my taunting and harassment. A fireball of her own formed, several times larger than the ones I had been throwing, fueled by her frustration and raw power. Without even considering the consequences, she threw it.

I did not try and take that attack head on. Instead, I darted to the side, and was unsurprised when it began following me. Merida was no fool, and she already knew about weapons that tracked their targets. I increased my speed, using my superior control to outmaneuver the fireball which was larger than I was. It always turned to follow me, but that was fine. It was time for a final lesson.

As I looped over the fireball again, letting it pass through the space I formerly was occupying, I put on a burst of extra speed, beyond what I’d shown so far. I turned towards the Empress, and began hurtling towards her, even as her fireball followed me.

Merida’s eyes went wide as she saw me hurtling at her like a bolt of lightning, and hastily threw up a shield to keep me from hitting her. It was the expected, instinctive response, but it was the wrong one. Again, I rolled to the side, curling around Merida’s shield bubble, and coming up behind her.

Merida whirled to face me, her eyes locked on mine, ready for whatever trick I might pull. I smiled at her, and then pointedly looked over her shoulder, to see behind her. The Empress barely had time to curse before her own fireball crashed into her hastily-erected shields, throwing her backwards, and into my arms.

Looking down at the dazed Empress, I brushed her disheveled hair from her face, and smiled. She had taken the attack, meeting her raw power with raw power. I don’t doubt that it had weakened her substantially, though she’d recover quickly enough. “So, what have we learned?”

Merida groaned. “Control. Have to keep control, or bad things happen.”

“Good. Now, establish your defenses again, clamp down as tightly as you can on your powers. When you’ve done that, I think it will be safe for us to return to the physical realm. There are quite a few people who are very eager to see you, you know.”

“Ugh. Can’t I just stay here a while longer? I never wanted to be Empress, damn it! I just wanted to be an Imperial Navy officer!”

“And I never wanted to be an interstellar business mogul who owned more slaves than I could possibly count and employed many times more people than that, across six stellar polities. I was much happier being a simple starship captain, running around doing my own thing, instead of being the Admiral of a navy that can stand toe to toe with the fleets of the major powers, with all the responsibility that implies. But that’s not something I can change, now, is it? Sometimes, the universe doesn’t give a fuck what you want. All that is left, then, is to adapt to the situation.”

Merida took a breath, and nodded. “You’re right, of course. I was just griping a little. All right, how do we get out of here? I expect Lucio is beside himself with worry, even if he won’t admit it.”

“Well, you might cut the man some slack. After all, you were doing your very best impression of a reactor about to go critical for days, before I was able to reach you. Apparently, the other psy-capable individuals who tried were overwhelmed by your power, so they had to wait for me to wake up from my own coma to help you.”

“Why not simply use tranquilizers to sedate me?”

“Because no one was sure if the shots would even reach your body, but they were quite positive that they wouldn’t survive if your subconscious reacted to the attack and responded in kind. Oh, sure, you would have felt bad about it later, everyone who knows you knows that. However, that doesn’t really matter to a dead man, does it?”

With that thought, I turned my attention from the Empress, and extracted myself from her mind, keeping careful watch to make sure that her powers didn’t surge uncontrollably as I pulled back. Thanks to that, I was able to witness the Empress beginning to rebuild the defenses that had been shattered by the psychic wave and the unleashing of her own power. I already noticed a few improvements that were clearly inspired by what she’d learned. They’d need time to be refined properly, but it was a good start.

Sorcery skill has increased to rank 62/100. +1 WIS, +1 CHA

New Title Gained! Mentalist You have become adept at infiltrating the minds of others, on a deeper level than simply rewriting their memories or brutishly corrupting their personalities. You have learned to interact with a creature’s mental landscape, and adapting to the conditions inside. +100% to all resistances while inside a mindscape.

I opened my eyes, and saw that I was kneeling in front of the Empress’s throne, still clutching her tight to my chest, as I had been when I infiltrated her mind. Oh, and there were the notifications I’d gotten from training, it seemed. I heard a gasp in my ear, and relaxed my grip. Merida, blushing, said, “Oh, my. I, um, didn’t know you were actually here. I thought you were on your ship or something.”

I groaned slightly as I worked my way to my feet. I felt the pins and needles in my left leg, telling me that it had gone to sleep while I was inside the Empress’s mind. Well, small price to pay, all told. I reached out to Merida, and helped her to her feet. She was unsteady, leaning heavily against my shoulder to remain standing, but in control, with none of her power leaking through.

I heard footsteps, and turned to see Lucio approaching, along with Raven, Sheila, and two of the royal guards. They all looked much relieved. As they should be, considering that there was no longer a threat of the city-station imploding. Looking at Raven, I asked the question that was foremost in my mind. “How long was I under?”

“A little under four hours, sir.”

I nodded, and looked over to Lucio. “Tell her people that the Empress is safe and unharmed. I was able to guide her into clamping down upon her powers. She controls her abilities, and her mind, not I and none other. I have given her some of the basics, to keep her from accidentally lashing out and reducing someone to paste, but she needs a trainer in the long term, to give her the tools she needs to use the great power she has been granted effectively, and safely, both for herself and the Empire as a whole.”

Lucio nodded, but whatever he was about to say was cut off as the Empress stirred. She took a breath, end moved to the throne, collapsing into it with an exhausted sigh. Looking up at me, she asked, “Enough about me. What about the creatures from the rift? There seemed to be two types, yes?”

I nodded. “And a third type appeared in Coldana, from what I’ve been told. For now, those that remained when the rift closed have been driven off. You’re going to have to decide how to manage the information, but I’m afraid things have already passed beyond the point of secrecy. I’d recommend educating people on the dangers, of these rifts, and any like them that might emerge. Treat them like you would radioactive waste when talking about them to the people. Something dangerous, that should be avoided, in the same way that you should avoid hard radiation. Trying to suppress the knowledge at this point will cause more problems than it may solve.”

The Empress raised an eyebrow. “Why do you say that, Admiral?”

“There is a story in the world of the Nomads, about a great ruler who saw a great evil on the horizon, and worked against it tirelessly. This ruler did not trust the easily swayed hearts of men, and hid the truth of this evil from them wherever he could, using a campaign of logic and reason to combat its underpinnings. The ruler had twenty advisors who he called his sons, and yet he did not trust even them with this secret. And so, two of twenty fell, and were forgotten, and half the rest turned against the ruler, corrupted by the very forces that the ruler fought against, because they had not known the dangers presented by those fell powers. That is how the ruler’s kingdom fell from an age of reason into a cesspool of barbarism.”

Lucio nodded. “I know the story he’s talking about, Empress. It is a work of fiction, but the lessons in the story are worth remembering. Yes, men may be corrupted, but ignorance of dangers may be more destructive than the corrupting influence of those dangers.”

Merida nodded slowly, and it was easy to see the fatigue catching up to her. “You’ve given Us much to think of, Admiral. And We will thank you properly for your service, in time. But for now, We find ourself weary, and shall retire for the night. Lucio, please see the Admiral out. And see about vetting a trainer for my newfound powers.”

Lucio bowed low, “As you wish, Majesty.”

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Frozen Soul - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071R125QT
Tales of the Void Traveler - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06ZZ52G37
Memoirs of a Supervillain - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07R9NWS8J

Rules-Free VRMMO Life (Dark Fantasy GameLit):
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Book I - Game Start https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071LT5WGL
Omnibus I - Books 1-4 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B077X2KR7Y

City of Champions Online (Superhero GameLit):
Issue I - Origin Stories https://www.amazon.com/dp/B075SHXQS1

Lewd Dungeon (Dungeon Core GameLit):
Book 1 - Welcome to the Apocalypse https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07BB34DHF
Omnibus 1 - Books 1-4 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07FBPF6HR

SCI Stories (Dark Supervillain story):
Book 1 - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07RL93VQN

Winterborn (Dark Fantasy LitRPG):
Book 1 - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B082S3S3K8

The Kalipshae Affair (A First Contact Short Story): https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0739V6R6T

Chapter 234 - Control

 

(Throne Room, Aurum Throni, Terran Orbit)

I took a glance around the bridge. The crew were all frozen in place, literally, like a video where someone had pressed the pause button. That was a good sign. It meant that, at some level, the Empress had control over the mindstate, and wasn’t being controlled by it. Most likely, her subconscious had pulled her here, retreating in the face of the psychic onslaught her powers caused, bringing her someplace that was familiar and safe.

That was all positive. Now, I had to convince her of the truth, without threatening the temporary calm. I took a breath, and then looked Captain Vaughn in the eyes, and smiled. “Tell me, what is the last thing that you remember?”

Captain Vaughn took a breath, and looked around, frowning at the sight of her crew obviously frozen in place. She waved a hand in front of the helmsman’s face, and just nodded slightly when she didn’t see a reaction. Turning, she looked at me, and said, “I-I am having trouble remembering. I know you. But you were never on this ship! And I haven’t been captain of the Purity Blade in years! So, how is it that I’ve been suddenly transported here? And why is my crew from back then frozen?”

I didn’t answer her, not directly. I couldn’t. She had to remember for herself if this was going to work. All I could do was guide her. “What do you remember? You know you are not the Captain of the Purity Blade, so what are you? Who are you?”

She straightened herself up, and said, in a clear voice. “I am Empress Merida Vaughn, ruler of the Terran Empire!” A pause, and then, “Now, how in the hell are we here? What is going on?”

I nodded once, a smile on my face. “Excellent. Now, before we start talking in earnest, why don’t we move somewhere a little more pleasant. Think of the private dining room where we ate last time I came to Terra. You remember it, don’t you? Can you picture us there?”

Merida’s face blushed as she clearly remembered some of the discussions that went on that night, where her little sister suggested that I give Merida an heir to the throne. It was… well, not the kind of situation that happened often, even in a strange situation like mine. I decided to give her a bit of a nudge. “Focus. The room, not the conversation.”

The blush got deeper, but I could see her focus. The world began to blur, to shift. She and I remained in focus, but everything around us faded, changed, and reformed. When things came back to clarity, we were in the dining room. I nodded once. That was good. Not an instant change, by any means, but she did not struggle too much.

Merida, on the other hand, gaped, her eyes disbelieving at what she saw. “What the hell? How is this happening? Mollen, what the hell is going on?”

“It is simple, Empress. We are not really here, in this dining room in the Inner Throne of the Aurum Throni orbiting Terra. Just like how we were not really on the bridge of your old destroyer, the Purity Blade. Just like you aren’t really wearing that uniform you have on.”

The Empress, blinked, and said, “What? What do you mean I’m not wearing my uniform? Clearly, I am! Just look at it!” A shriek escaped her lips as the uniform faded into smoke, and she quickly covered herself with her hands. “What did you do?”

I bowed slightly. “I did nothing. That was you, Empress. And, might I say, thank you for the meal.” I chuckled as she blushed again, and said, “Picture the clothes you wear normally, when you don’t have formal events to deal with.”

The Empress concentrated for a moment, and then smoke formed around her, forming the military-style outfit she normally wore when she didn’t have to be involved in formal gatherings. She looked down at the clothes, wide-eyed and open-mouthed, and then looked up at me. “How?”

“It is simple, Empress. We are not in the ‘real’ world. This is the world of your mind. Your subconscious, actually. Everything here is the way it is because you will it to be so. Well, except for me, that is.”

“If this is my mind, then what the hell are you doing here?”

“What is the last thing you remember?”

“The battle against the… whatever they were that came through the rift. The rift that opened just as you said it would. And then… a warning about something coming from the rift.” She paused, thinking. “And then I was on the Blade, trying to keep the ship from being torn apart. What happened?”

“The battle on Pluto was hard-fought, but won. The battle by the rift was going well, with the creatures being unable to stand against some of the weapons we brought to bear, but the casualties were high. In the midst of the fighting, some disturbance in the rift caused a massive wave of psychic energy to crash across the system. This wave awakened anyone with latent psychic abilities, and enhanced many of those who already had psy powers.”

I took a breath, and looked her in the eye. “Unfortunately, for some people, the process was more than just suddenly being able to light candles with their minds. These people, who were mostly those of some influence or importance, were empowered by the energy of those who supported and believed in them. People like, say, an Empress.”

Merida nodded slowly, and said, “So, I’ve been, what, not only made into a Psy user, but empowered somehow? What does that mean for me, exactly, and for the children?”

“For you, it means that you are the most powerful psy user in the Empire. Perhaps in the galaxy itself. And people were not meant to just suddenly ‘flip on’ that much power all at once. Sure, massively powered individuals exist, but they’re meant to grow into their powers, not simply wake up with them. The good news is that the children are safe. Your subconscious shielded them instinctively, but I don’t doubt that they’ve been changed in some ways by the experience. On the other hand, you’ve been unconscious for days, radiating psychic power to the point where even your guards can only approach you for a minute or two at a time.”

“Wait, what? I know those guards, and the training they go through! How powerful am I? And how did you get into my head if I’m that strong?”

“Simply put, your body is working to shield itself while your mind fights to keep control and keep sane. I was able to, for lack of a better word, launch myself at you, inside the bubble of pressure you were putting out, and slip through the shattered defenses left by the awakening of your powers. I inserted myself into your head, so that I could try and lead you out.”

Merida took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. “And I assume that there’s a reason you had to try and ‘lead me out’, instead of something else?”

I nodded. “Oh, plenty. But they all basically revolve around the fact that making the kind of changes necessary for me to lock down your powers, and then slowly release them over time, as you got used to them, would leave you open to all kinds of allegations of being my mind-controlled puppet Empress, a slave to my will. And while I admit that has a certain appeal, I would rather not start down that road. If I did, I’d probably never stop.”

“What do you mean?”

“Simple, really. When I was first able to break free of the research lab on Luna where I first entered this world, I found my way to Choson Ring. There, I found a black-market shop that had items for sale, which could be used to increase my power, something I desperately needed at the time. One of those items was a tattoo with psychoactive inks to increase my power.”

“But power always, always, always has a price. If you cannot tell the price off the bat, then it is likely larger than you can afford. The price, in this case, was that the tattoo gave me hoarding instincts, I guess you could say. Except what I hoard are weapons and slaves. The instinct the tattoo gives me is to gather them, and to ruthlessly strike down anyone who threatens them.”

“Now, that is simply an instinct. A powerful one, no doubt, like people ducking for cover when they hear an explosion, but it is just an instinct. And instinct can be controlled, it can be managed. I have a massive stockpile of weapons, more than any person could ever use, especially if you count my Navy, and my people are always working on new things. This pleases my instincts greatly, and I don’t fight it, because it makes my other goals easier, as well.”

“But with slaves? Well, much of the Black Star Company is enslaved, or the family of slaves. And I’ve indulged myself greatly with the slaves who are my property. But I have to maintain control, or I’d be no better than those idiots from the Hundeherstellar world, who just slap collars on any female they see. You see, I have been training my restraint and control even before I left the Luna facility. The more I work on it, the easier it is to fight down the instinct, like a firefighter who runs into a burning building to rescue someone trapped inside. Instinct is tempered by training, but not removed. If I gave in, and enslaved someone as powerful and desirable as the Empress of the Terran Empire, I would find it very hard to stop there.”

Empress Merida nodded slowly. “I can certainly see that. And I appreciate your candor on the subject. But, then, what were you hoping to accomplish here? And how does this relate to the psychic power I was apparently putting out?”

“Simple. I could not shut down your powers without risking far too much temptation. However, I could get in, and persuade you to shut down your powers, even subconsciously. That is a much… less invasive method, which wouldn’t impede your will, or tempt me to do unfortunate things. Now, with you ‘powered down’ for the moment, we can work on rebuilding your defenses, and your control.”

“So, just how did I get so powerful that you had to come into my mind and talk me down?”

“Well, you were threatening to collapse the Aurum Throni in on itself. As in literally straining the energy fields helping to keep the ship’s structural integrity intact. And, right now, if you tried using your powers you’d be inundated with the unshielded thoughts of everyone who didn’t have psychic training within your range. And with your power, that could easily be all of Sol System. So, we will work on your defenses, and on keeping your power clamped down, and then, when we return to the real world, you’ll arrange for tutors to come and teach you the skills you need to know.”

Merida blanched. “That sounds… unpleasant. Is that what all you psy users go through? How do you all keep from going insane?”

I shrugged, and said, “It is the same way as you don’t go insane trying to analyze every detail the eye can see. You learn to filter out some things, and focus on others, while keeping everything ‘in view’, as it were. It is something you usually have trained before your powers can passively ‘read’ someone more than a few feet away from you. You don’t have that option, so we’re going to work on your defenses, and then you can gradually ‘open up’ your powers, without destroying things accidentally.”

I took a breath, and said, “Now, shall we begin?”

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Be sure to read my published works!

Frozen Soul series (Sci-Fi Supervillain story):
Frozen Soul - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071R125QT
Tales of the Void Traveler - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06ZZ52G37
Memoirs of a Supervillain - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07R9NWS8J

Rules-Free VRMMO Life (Dark Fantasy GameLit):
Volume 1 - Tutorial
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071VPRNDB

Omnibus 1 - Volumes 1-4

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0774T354X

Into the Black (Sci-Fi GameLit):
Book I - Game Start https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071LT5WGL
Omnibus I - Books 1-4 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B077X2KR7Y

City of Champions Online (Superhero GameLit):
Issue I - Origin Stories https://www.amazon.com/dp/B075SHXQS1

Lewd Dungeon (Dungeon Core GameLit):
Book 1 - Welcome to the Apocalypse https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07BB34DHF
Omnibus 1 - Books 1-4 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07FBPF6HR

SCI Stories (Dark Supervillain story):
Book 1 - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07RL93VQN

Winterborn (Dark Fantasy LitRPG):
Book 1 - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B082S3S3K8

The Kalipshae Affair (A First Contact Short Story): https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0739V6R6T

Chapter 233 - Images

(Throne Room, Aurum Throni, Terran Orbit)

The psychic pressure of the Empress’s uncontrolled powers got more and more intense as I approached the throne, where she was held aloft by the sheer force of the power that had been thrust upon her. As I approached, I considered the best way to try and help her regain control. I would need to contact her, mind to mind, that much was obvious. But how to force the connection? I doubted very much that she would just let me into her head, even if she were in control.

The first way, the simplest, was to basically ‘shoot’ my will at her, with enough force that it could penetrate the whirlwind of psychic energy surrounding her, and then crack through her defenses. But at the moment, I did not know if I could even break through her power, much less penetrate her mind from this distance. And if I failed, she might react to the assault instinctively, without thinking, and I’d be lucky to just get sent to respawn.

The second way was no less difficult, and, indeed, carried far more certain risks, but it was more likely to be effective. I would have to get close to the Empress, grapple her, and force my will through her defenses. The energy required would be far less, and I would be able to have a bit more finesse than simply shooting myself out of a metaphorical cannon at her mind. But any attacks that came from her would be at point blank range, and there was no way I’d be able to avoid them.

Nothing for it. I took a breath, and looked at Lucio and Sheila. “Stay back by the door. I’ll try and maintain your shields, but things are going to get wild. She’s going to resist me, even if it is only on an instinctive level. But knee-jerk reactions with this much power behind them can be lethal.” They nodded, and stayed next to the door guards.

Turning back to the Empress, I began pressing forward. There was no wind in the room, and yet every step felt like I was walking into the teeth of a hurricane, such was the force of the Empress’s unconscious will. I took a breath, cleared my mind. No distractions. I would never reach her if I didn’t focus. One foot in front of the other. Again. And again. Each step bending forward, leaning against the pressure, forcing my way into the heart of the psychic storm.

Five steps. Four steps. Three. Two. I gathered my strength, and readied for the last step. The Empress hung in the air in front of me, floating a mere five feet above the ground. A burst of my own psychic power accompanied me as I kicked off, jumping into the air.

Contact. I wrapped my arms around the Empress like I was a safety tackling a wide receiver on the football field. I felt the energy of psychic lightning lash around me, tearing at my defenses. But there was something I had not expected. The energy was hesitant to come too close. Not to me, or even her own body. No, that instinctive, primal part of her that held sway over her unchecked powers was wary of harming the children. A mother’s instinct might just let me live through this.

I held the Empress close, my cheek touching hers. My mind slipped forward, trying to penetrate her mind. Getting in was not the issue. What defenses she had, taught to her as part of the Imperial royal family and an officer in the Imperial Navy, had been blown away by the onrushing power. Those defenses had been mundane, but were designed to slow down an intruder, give her time to discover them and respond.

Fortunately, they had survived about as well as a bunker when a nuke goes off inside it. Instead, her defenses now were like a giant instinctively flailing. If I had rushed in at full power, her mind could have responded, that power brought to bear in an instant, wiping me out. But if I kept quiet, moved slow, didn’t make too much noise…

My sight faded, as my mind slipped into the Empress’s mental realm. I was no longer in the throne room of the Inner Throne of the Aurum Throni, orbiting Terra in the Sol System. Instead, I was just inside the airlock of an Imperial warship. I looked around, and saw a plaque with the image of an Imperial destroyer-class vessel. INS Purity Blade.

Why had the Empress’s mind created this place? Wait. That name. That was important somehow. Of course! The Purity Blade was not her first ship, but it was her first command, before she’d earned her place on the Triumphant, before the Civil War. That had to be significant. Had she, in the chaos and feeling of being out of control, retreated to a time when she was truly mistress over her domain? That sounded likely.

I stretched out with my senses. Things worked differently in a person’s mental landscape. I felt the Empress’s core. Not far from where I was. A small twist, and I was there, where she was.

The Empress was dressed in the uniform of a Captain. All around her, the bridge was in an air of well-organized chaos. Imperial Navy officers manned their stations, even as the ship rocked and rolled with turbulence great enough to feel, despite inertial dampeners. Captain and crew looked harried, holding on to their stations with white knuckles to keep from getting thrown about.

“Captain, the disturbances are continuing! Sensors are still overwhelmed!”

“Turbulence increasing! Whatever hit us is interfering with the shields! Attempting to compensate!”

“Hyperdrive running at maximum, but position remaining static, Captain! Engineering reports that they cannot keep this up much longer without damaging the engines!”

“All communications nonfunctional, Captain! There’s too much interference from the energy field!”

Listening to the conversation, it became clear what was happening. The Empress had been overwhelmed by the psychic wave and the powers that had awakened in her. Trying to retain her sanity amongst the onslaught, she had retreated inwards, her mind conjuring her old ship and crew from her memories. The power she now had was being interpreted as an astronomical phenomenon of some kind, an anomaly that had suddenly enveloped her ship, and was threatening to destroy it.

Another twist, and I made myself visible, made myself ‘real’ upon the deck of her mental ship. Well, mostly. I had no interest in being tossed about by the turbulence. To them, however, one moment there was just the viewscreen, showing a roiling nebula of chaotic energy, and the next I was standing there, hands clasped behind my back. “Captain Vaughn, if I might have a moment of your time?”

The bridge went silent for a moment, as Captain and crew looked on in shock at my sudden appearance. The Marine stationed on the bridge brought his pulse rifle up, and fired. I raised a hand, and the ball of plasma froze in mid-air. I would never have been able to do that in real life. But here, now, in her mind? I was lacking in power compared to her, but I had far more practice at mental combat than she did. Especially since she did not realize she was engaged in mental combat right now. Her mind conjured the weapon, with its real-world abilities and real-world limitations. I was fully aware that it was not a real gun, firing a real bolt of plasma. I simply told the plasma to ‘stop’, and the Empress did not know enough to tell it not to. That would only last so long as she didn’t get angry, and throw raw power into things, to overcome the gap in skill.

“Who the FUCK are you, and what the hell are you doing on my ship?”

Merida recovered quickly from the shock of my appearance, and the way I stopped her ‘Marine’ from attacking me. So far, so good. But the next part was tricky. I couldn’t tell her the exact truth, without risking her going insane or simply retreating into denial. And I couldn’t lie to her, not touching minds with her like this. She might not be able to dig into my memories, but telling truth or lies would be child’s play for her. And lies would undermine everything.

“I am Mirikon Mollen, Admiral in the Black Star Navy. The Chief of Staff to the Imperial Throne asked me, as a favor, to come to you and help you through this turbulent time. My apologies for the unconventional method of getting to you, but it was decided that reaching you in time was more important than using more… conventional methods to get in contact.”

Captain Vaughn brought herself to her full height (impressive given the shaking of the ship), and looked at me with distrust. I could see the thoughts running through her mind. She was wondering how I got here, how I stopped the Marine’s attack, how I wasn’t getting thrown about by the ship’s movement. All the questions unanswered, but all going back to the same conclusion: she was out of her depth. She took a deep breath, and said, “Very well, Admiral. It seems you have me at something of a disadvantage. What is it that the Emperor wishes of me? Although, I’m afraid the current conditions are somewhat limiting my ability to respond to Imperial decrees.”

I nodded, simply. “Indeed. First, I think it would be best for everyone if this ship didn’t tear itself apart at the seams. Would you allow me to help you get clear of this phenomenon?”

The Captain blinked. “You know what is happening? We’ve been fighting against this distortion for days now, with no effect other than draining our ship’s power banks. I don’t know how much more we can do.”

“Naturally. Unfortunately, doing everything you can think of is part of the problem. The Purity Blade is currently caught in a distortion that is more psychic than physical. And the energy you throw at it is feeding the distortion, making it more powerful, and keeping you trapped here.”

“All right. Assume for a moment that I believe you. What would you have me do? I cannot simply sit back and allow the distortion to destroy the Purity Blade. I will not sacrifice all these people on a whim, or the word of someone I have not met before.”

“And you would not be the person you are if you would. But sitting back is exactly what you need to do. The power from the sensors, the shields, the engines, the communications array, all of it is feeding the distortion, amplifying it. If you want to escape, then you need to starve the distortion, allowing it to die out.”

“Impossible! The ship will be destroyed if we do that! She’s barely holding together as is!”

“Captain, if you do not trust in me, then trust in your ship and your crew. If this continues, you’ll be destroyed. You have to do something, and you’ve tried everything you know. None of it has worked. Why not try the inconceivable, and hope for the impossible?”

Captain Vaughn grimaced, but nodded, slowly. She was, after all, running out of options. Her ship and crew were in danger, and my words were the only lifeline she had. “And what would you suggest, then?”

“Shut everything down. Everything except life support and structural integrity. Yes, the ship will get tossed around a bit, but the turbulence will die quickly enough, once it is no longer being fed.”

The Captain considered my words, and then nodded. “All right, then.” She took a breath, and addressed her crew. “Ensign Mallory, sound alarms throughout the ship. Brace for impact. Lieutenant Castor, prepare to cut all systems besides life support and structural integrity on my mark.” She took another breath. “Mark.”

The ship shook violently, crew members getting thrown about. Five seconds. Fifteen. The turbulence began to ebb. Thirty. The ship came to rest. All around the bridge, people began picking themselves up off the ground, where they had been thrown without inertial dampeners to steady them. Only I remained standing.

I nodded slowly, as emergency power came online, lighting the bridge in dim light. The Captain stood up, staring at me with wonder. Wonder turned to confusion, and then recognition. “Mollen? What in the hell is going on?”

Previous Chapter                                       Table of Contents                                     Next Chapter



Be sure to read my published works!

Frozen Soul series (Sci-Fi Supervillain story):
Frozen Soul - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071R125QT
Tales of the Void Traveler - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06ZZ52G37
Memoirs of a Supervillain - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07R9NWS8J

Rules-Free VRMMO Life (Dark Fantasy GameLit):
Volume 1 - Tutorial
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071VPRNDB

Omnibus 1 - Volumes 1-4

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0774T354X

Into the Black (Sci-Fi GameLit):
Book I - Game Start https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071LT5WGL
Omnibus I - Books 1-4 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B077X2KR7Y

City of Champions Online (Superhero GameLit):
Issue I - Origin Stories https://www.amazon.com/dp/B075SHXQS1

Lewd Dungeon (Dungeon Core GameLit):
Book 1 - Welcome to the Apocalypse https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07BB34DHF
Omnibus 1 - Books 1-4 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07FBPF6HR

SCI Stories (Dark Supervillain story):
Book 1 - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07RL93VQN

Winterborn (Dark Fantasy LitRPG):
Book 1 - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B082S3S3K8

The Kalipshae Affair (A First Contact Short Story): https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0739V6R6T

Chapter 232 - Radiance

(Throne Room, Aurum Throni, Terran Orbit)

I felt the presence before we even landed on the cityship. It was an intense pressure, wild and tempestuous, like standing in the middle of a hurricane. I wasn’t the only one feeling it, either. Sheila looked as though she was on a ship on stormy seas as we approached one of the docking ports in the Inner Throne. Only Raven, being an AI in a machine body, was unaffected. I’d never envied her before this moment.

“What is causing this? This can’t be my sister, can it?”

I looked over to Sheila, and sighed. “From what I know, before all this happened the Empress, if she had psy abilities at all, was not in the habit of using them. Now, thanks to the rift, she’s clearly gained psy powers. Also, it seems that belief somehow affects the strength of powers. There’s a reason why most of those who were incapacitated for a long time were leaders and other important people. They are focal points for the belief of those under them.”

Raven nodded. “And, in Sol System, to say nothing of the Empire, there are few people who can come close to rivaling the importance of the Empress. Yes, that would be logical. From the readings I’m getting from the sensors, and the information we gleaned from the Enrichment Center, we can assume that there is a good likelihood that this is due to the Empress gaining new power in an instant.”

Sheila frowned, and looked at me. “But you got a bunch of power, too, right? You’re basically a head of state now, like Merida is, and have a lot of people who follow your every whim. You’re not putting out pressure like this!”

I grimaced. “True enough, but there are a couple key differences. First, I’m a Nomad, which means the rules for me might not be the same as they are for locals. Second, I have training in using and controlling my psy powers, even before I got this power-up. More importantly, I have a lot of practice in suppressing my aura, to keep people from instantly recognizing me, or suspecting me of being a threat. Even now, people still underestimate me from time to time because of that, thinking that all the rumors just be propaganda.”

There was a subtle shift in the gravity as we touched down in one of the hangers on the upper spires. Lucio was already waiting for us as we stepped off the ramp, along with a detachment of the Royal Guard. Clearly, he wanted us to get wherever we were going as quickly as possible. The fact that he, too, was looking vaguely ill only made that more obvious.

He smiled wryly as we clasped hands. “Well, Admiral, I can safely say that you are in equal parts one of the most loved and hated people in the Sol System at the moment.” I raised an eyebrow at that, and he continued, while we started walking through the halls. “Only the most gullible and naïve souls in the Empire now think that it was simply a ‘coincidence’ that your ships were on ‘training exercises’ with the fleet at just the right moment to help fight off the invaders from the Rift. Especially since there are too many people in the Imperial Navy who are saying that there were no plans for exercises until literally just before you showed up. Especially when the news began reporting that your ships were ALSO on ‘exercises’ near Coldana, just in time to help with a rift that formed there, at exactly the right time.”

I merely shrugged. “Well, there was no way to avoid that, unless I delayed coming until the bureaucracy could be dealt with. And we all know that would have been months, at least, if not a year or more. Which would have been less than helpful for Sol System, or Coldana. So, loved and hated, hmm?”

Lucio nodded. “Yes, you’re loved precisely because the people who have any knowledge at all realized that you rushed the better part of your fleet here to help the Empire when it needed it most, yet again. The Navy, especially, is very appreciative, since even the most die-hard partisans have to admit that the numbers would not have been in our favor without the Black Star Navy acting as reinforcements, after people ‘just so happened’ to get put on an alert, meaning that they were as ready as possible for the attack. You certainly won some praise with the military because of that.”

The Empress’s advisor chuckled. “As for being hated? Well, people also have come to the obvious conclusion that you knew things that they did not, at least long enough in advance to move ships into position. That has rankled a few people, I’m sure you can imagine, as a group in another arm of the galaxy somehow knows more about what is going on in Sol as they do. There’s even been some whispers that you are actually responsible for the Rift, using the confusion for your own nefarious ends. The standard conspiracy stuff, to be honest.”

I had to stifle my laughter. Another pulse of psychic pressure made it easier than I would expect. Right, to business. “So, the Empress woke up after the wave, and suddenly was super-powerful?”

“Not exactly. The pressure waves began almost twelve hours ago. But otherwise, yes, it would seem so. At any rate, if she had this kind of power beforehand, she’s never displayed it before now. We’ve still got a lot of solid metal between us and her right now, so the effects are somewhat muted. I’m told you can barely feel it on the periphery of the Outer Throne. Unfortunately, much of the Inner Throne is in chaos at the moment, as people are trying to manage, but it is like suddenly stepping into a high-grav environment without support. Frankly, even the Royal Guard, who have resistance training, can’t stay in her presence too long without issues. They’re having to rotate out every four hours. And no one is able to stay in the same room with her long enough to try and get a handle on her mental state.”

I winced. “And I can just imagine what that level of power would be doing to the children.” I waved off the look of concern Lucio gave me. “Because of my… heritage, the kids will have very adaptive blood. If the mother is sending off psychic waves like this, while they’re still in the womb, then they’re going to adapt. How they adapt will be another question entirely, and one I have no way of answering.”

“No, for the moment our concern must be for the Empress. Maybe a bit less for everyone in the Inner Throne, but helping the Empress will remove the source of their problems, as well. Since it seems that I am the next to last to come out of my little power-up coma, I take it you wanted to see if I could do anything to help the situation?”

Lucio nodded. “Yes. I know people have been wondering, and I can tell you for certain that Merida had no psychic abilities before this wave-front hit. Meaning that she has no controls, no barriers, no defenses. You, on the other hand, have extensive experience with psychic abilities, especially mental ones, if our reports are true. This makes you the best, and perhaps only, one to go in and find a way to get the Empress under control, before people start dying from simply being near her.”

I nodded slowly, considering the situation. “I can help shield one, maybe two people, with the abilities I’ve gained. I still haven’t figured out the full extent of them, or how taxing they’ll end up being, but that should allow you and Sheila to accompany me as we go see to the Empress. Raven, being an android, is unaffected by the mental pressure, which means she will be fine as well. That is the best I can do, and I might not be able to keep it up if something unexpected happens.”

Lucio simply nodded once. “There are four Royal Guards on station, and they’re almost at the end of their rotation. We’ll go in with their group. How long do you think it will take?”

“That depends on what is going on. If we’re lucky, it is basically her just being overwhelmed by everything, now that she has this kind of power. You know those old stories about telepaths having to learn to shut down their powers, because everyone around them is basically shouting their thoughts all the time? It is the same thing if someone has powerful psy powers. And the Empress is now incredibly powerful, without any training. Best case, I can help build enough of a barrier that she’ll be able to do the rest of the work on her own. Worst case, we’ll have to sedate her, and I’ll have to dive into her head to start working on things while she’s unconscious. At least then she won’t be able to actively use her powers if, say, someone startles or upsets her.”

Lucio grunted. “So, basically like someone who was completely unaugmented suddenly waking up after the operation with top of the line combat mods installed, and no training on how to use them. New recruits to the Royal Guard have to be trained not to hurt themselves or others just opening a jar, much less anything physical. And even then, they were soldiers first, and probably had mods of some kind to begin with. They usually get the mods turned on in stages, to help with acclimatization.”

“I will say this only because I don’t want anyone to accuse me of lying. It might be possible for me to seal or lock down some of the Empress’s power temporarily, and allow her to grow into it, as it were. It is basically the same process you use for restricting a psy user who you need alive and conscious, but would rather not have them throwing fireballs around. But that is neither quick nor easy, and it would require me to go much deeper into her mind, and do a lot more… invasive work than simply guiding her in initial training. And then there’s the fact that I’d have to get back in her head at intervals to release the blocks. Obviously, I would recommend that we try anything and everything else before getting into that territory, as it would cause political problems like you wouldn’t believe.”

Raven nodded. “The level of penetration required for such a venture would be equivalent to that used in the Stepford slave collars, or the Hundeherstellar Nanites. You are, after all, essentially going into someone’s mind and turning parts of it off or changing it to suit your needs. The intent and morality of it is different, but they are more similar than most people would be comfortable with.”

Lucio groaned. “Yes, well, let’s say that is the plan we use only if the Empress looks like she’s about to collapse the Aurum Throni into a miniature black hole. Anything short of that, we’ll go with something else. If word of it got out, the very idea would destabilize the Empire, and things are already unstable enough. Especially with the new rumors about you.”

My reply was cut off as we reached the doors to the throne room. Two Royal Guards stood outside the doors, on duty, and four more were formed up, ready to enter the room. The pressure on the other side of the door was overwhelming.

I took a deep breath, and focused on my power, shaping it. I needed protections, like the ones I used on my own mind, but to shield Lucio and Sheila. They didn’t need to be complex, just sturdy. I envisioned a barrier, a shield wall in the ‘mindscape’, wrapping around the two. I could already feel the impacts of the pressure against my shields, but I could hold it, for now.

“Let’s go.”

The doors to the throne room opened, and the four Guards entered ahead of us. The Guards who were on duty inside waited only long enough for us to enter the room, before they left, and sealed the doors behind us. I didn’t blame them, given the pressure that increased tenfold inside the room.

At the other end of the throne room, was the Empress. But she did not look like the woman I’d known before. It was almost impossible to pin down her looks. She appeared young and old, fair skinned and tanned, blonde haired and black, short hair and long. All of that and none of it at the same time, like trying to look at a four-dimensional object with three-dimensional eyes. But the glow, that was there for sure. She hung in the air, glowing like the pictures of saints of old, wreathed in light, her eyes shining like miniature suns, her hands outstretched, her mouth open in a silent scream.

“Time to go to work.”

Previous Chapter                                       Table of Contents                                     Next Chapter



Be sure to read my published works!

Frozen Soul series (Sci-Fi Supervillain story):
Frozen Soul - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071R125QT
Tales of the Void Traveler - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06ZZ52G37
Memoirs of a Supervillain - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07R9NWS8J

Rules-Free VRMMO Life (Dark Fantasy GameLit):
Volume 1 - Tutorial
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071VPRNDB

Omnibus 1 - Volumes 1-4

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0774T354X

Into the Black (Sci-Fi GameLit):
Book I - Game Start https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071LT5WGL
Omnibus I - Books 1-4 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B077X2KR7Y

City of Champions Online (Superhero GameLit):
Issue I - Origin Stories https://www.amazon.com/dp/B075SHXQS1

Lewd Dungeon (Dungeon Core GameLit):
Book 1 - Welcome to the Apocalypse https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07BB34DHF
Omnibus 1 - Books 1-4 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07FBPF6HR

SCI Stories (Dark Supervillain story):
Book 1 - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07RL93VQN

Winterborn (Dark Fantasy LitRPG):
Book 1 - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B082S3S3K8

The Kalipshae Affair (A First Contact Short Story): https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0739V6R6T