Bonds of Resolve (Cadicle #3): An Epic Space Opera Series Read online

  Wil shook his head. I don’t know how much more I can take. I can only do so much.

  “Wil, it’s only going to get tougher from here.”

  Wil stared at the floor, his chest hollow.

  “The class—”

  “I guess I’ll just have to find a way.” Wil retreated from the office, knowing there was one more place he could turn.

  * * *

  Saera didn’t have time to catch her breath as Sheila rushed her down the elevator to a lower level of Headquarters. Where are we going?

  The elevator door opened and Sheila looked around. “They must already be gathered in the main reception room.” She set the pace at a jog.

  Saera was still hauling her bag, and she struggled to keep up with Sheila.

  As they continued down the hall from the elevator, the background din of voices rose in the distance. Rounding a bend, groups of ten teenagers dressed in light gray were being led by someone in dark blue.

  Sheila scanned over the groups. “There we go.” She headed for a young woman in dark blue leading nine girls. “Jody?”

  The girl in dark blue turned. “Is this Saera?”

  Sheila nodded. “Saera, Jody will take you the rest of the way through orientation. I’ll take your bag to your temporary quarters.” She held out her hand to take the bag.

  Saera handed it over. “Thanks.”

  “Good luck.” Sheila headed back in the direction of the elevator.

  The nine other girls examined Saera. “Hi,” she greeted. They looked her over from head to foot before resuming their conversations.

  Saera sighed. Feeling out of place and alone was all too familiar. I just thought it would be different here. But why would it? What I really wanted to get away from was myself. She pushed away the thought.

  Without ceremony, they filed through the door into the reception room. Saera entered the room with a slack jaw.

  Other groups of ten Trainees led by an older student of the TSS were pressed around the outer edge of the room. All of the new arrivals wore the same light grey, fitted long-sleeved shirt and pants—standing out from the dark blue of the group leaders. What seemed to be a clump of ranking TSS members were in the center of the room, running the check-in. Occasionally, a meek-looking new Trainee would run from their group and hand a touchscreen pad to the man apparently overseeing the entire operation.

  The group of Agents in the center of the room, all dressed in black, fascinated her; they all had an air that presented the utmost authority and grace while still maintaining a calm, casual appearance. She watched their subtle interaction, observing how they kept the illusion of a serious, official affair while taking an almost humorous approach to the entire situation.

  The smiles and banter were a harsh contrast to the activities of those around her, which reminded her all too much of the clique mannerisms experienced back in her high school on Earth. I thought I had left all of this behind. She sighed.

  Jody noticed her exasperation. “Not quite the alien world you expected?” she asked Saera.

  “I guess teenagers are pretty much the same everywhere.” Did I really think I could escape?

  Jody shrugged. “Give it time. The TSS has an effect on people—brings out the best. Still, we try to keep things light.” She scanned over some information on her handheld. “But, based on this preliminary assessment, I think you’ll do well. You have what they’re looking for.”

  “What’s that?”

  “There are certain genetic markers,” Jody replied. “The TSS keeps an eye out for those indicators in standard medical testing on every planet. There’s one marker, in particular, that functions sort of like an inhibitor for abilities. Some have an inherently higher potential than others.”

  “Is it always accurate?”

  “Usually, but there are always exceptions.”

  Saera looked at the Agents in the center of the room again.

  Jody followed her gaze. “Those are some of the top-ranking TSS Agents. The one in the center there is Cris Sights, the head of the Primus Agent class and Lead Agent of the TSS.”

  Saera looked with new awe at the Agents. After a long moment, she asked, “Why do they wear those tinted glasses?”

  “To hide the glowing eyes—a trait of those with telekinetic abilities.” She glanced at her handheld. “Our turn.”

  For what? Saera looked at her, perplexed.

  “I need a volunteer to bring up the attendance,” Jody said, looking around at the girls in Saera’s group.

  All of the girls shied away.

  Saera stepped forward. “I’ll do it.”

  “Thanks. Hand this to the Lead Agent. Group 7,” Jody instructed, handing her touchscreen pad to Saera.

  Trying to project confidence, Saera approached the Agents. Why do they need us to physically walk anything over? I thought they were technologically advanced.

  At the same time, a door on the other side of the room slid open and an extremely young-looking Junior Agent strode into the room. He was strikingly good-looking to her eye, with well-toned physique, short chestnut hair, and cerulean eyes that glowed from across the room. Saera judged he was about her age—which made them both younger than the vast majority of the other Trainees—but she dismissed the notion as impossible, given his rank. Like Saera, he headed toward the group of Agents in the center of the room.

  The young Junior Agent reached the Agents first and engaged in conversation with the one the group leader had identified as Cris Sights, the TSS Lead Agent. As Saera neared, their conversation became audible over the unintelligible hum of voices in the room. She slowed down her pace, not wanting to intrude on their discussion.

  “...This isn’t the time, Wil,” the Agent was saying. “If it’s that urgent, go see Banks directly about it.”

  “I already talked to him,” the Junior Agent responded. “He’s not even listening to my side of it.”

  “There’s nothing I can do right now. Let me finish up here and I’ll talk to him.”

  “Class starts tomorrow, so make it quick. This,” the Junior Agent made an all-encompassing gesture, “changes a lot of things. It’s hard enough as it is. I don’t see how any of these people will actually listen to me. It’s grown progressively worse over the last few years with every new batch of Trainees. Now he wants me to head up a class of Initiates? They don’t know who I am and certainly don’t care to learn. I—” He cut himself short when he noticed Saera standing idly a few meters away. “Someone’s here to see you.”

  The Agent turned around and faced Saera and she stepped forward. She felt the intense eyes of the Junior Agent on her.

  “Here is the attendance for Group 7, sir,” she said clearly despite her nerves, and she handed the touchpad to the Agent. The Junior Agent continued to watch her.

  “Thank you,” the Agent said. He paused a moment. “What’s your name?”

  The question took Saera by surprise. “Saera Alexander, sir.”

  A fleeting expression of recognition passed across the Agent’s face. He recovered and smiled. “Welcome to the Tararian Selective Service.”

  “Thank you, sir.” As she spoke, she met the gaze of the Junior Agent. His blue-green eyes glowed slightly, captivating her. She felt instantly drawn to him through an inexplicable connection. He looked at her openly, as if ready to share the pain she somehow knew he held deep inside. Saera wanted to say something, but couldn’t bring herself to. What am I thinking? You can’t. She tore her gaze away.

  They both shifted uncomfortably. “Excuse me,” she murmured, keeping her eyes cast downward, and turned to walk back to her group. For a moment, she felt the Junior Agent stir, as if about to call out to her, but no appeal came.

  As she walked away, she heard the Junior Agent begin, “So you’re still making them walk up here for attendance? That’s quite a way to mess with th...”

  Who was he? Shaken, Saera returned to her group of Trainees. As she approached, Jody was eyeing her. Why is everyone payin
g such close attention to me?

  “You just met the most famous guy in the entire TSS,” Jody said as Saera approached.

  The other girls in the group, suddenly interested in what their leader was saying. They all looked at the young Junior Agent.

  “Oh, wow...” one of them breathed. “He is fine!”

  Saera groaned, but blushed.

  Jody laughed. “Don’t get your hopes up, ladies. Someone like that is hard to catch.”

  “Who is he?” one of the girls asked.

  “That depends on how you look at it,” the Junior Agent responded with a wry smile. “Some would say he is the son of Cris Sights and his wife Kate. But rumor has it that when Kate first joined the TSS, some knew her as Katrine Vaenetri. If that’s true, that means that Cris Sights is actually Cristoph Sietinen.”

  “That’s impossible!” a girl exclaimed with an expression of superiority on her face. “I’ll admit there’s a resemblance, but I’m from one of the lower Dynasties of the Third Region and there has never been mention of the Sietinen heir joining the TSS.”

  “What makes you think there would be?” the Junior Agent countered. “Anyway,” she continued, “they say that Wil Sights will become the sole member of a new Primus Elite class.”

  Everyone but Saera inhaled sharply and they looked around at each other in disbelief.

  Should I know what that means? Saera was about to be frustrated by her lack of understanding, but she caught herself. There would be plenty of time to learn. Slowly, a smile spread across her face. There was a whole universe to explore. Her new life had begun.

  CHAPTER 2

  Saera watched all of the remaining groups complete the attendance procedure, still in awe at the prospect of all of the students having telekinetic abilities.

  Jody eyed her. “How are you doing with all this?”

  “Still trying to wrap my head around it, but I’m excited.”

  “Did they give you any kind of briefing?”

  Saera shrugged. “Not really. I figured I’d just stumble through until things start to make sense.”

  Jody gave her a sympathetic smile. “We have a few minutes. Let me at least get you started on some of the basics.” She pulled out a handheld device from her pocket, identical to those that others had used for translation. The screen illuminated and she swiped it, creating a holographic projection of a menu in the air.

  Saera gaped with wonder. Having her music library sync to an online library was about as impressive as things got back home.

  Jody navigated through a series of menus on the holographic projection using a data entry method Saera had never seen before, and several seconds later a picture of a planet appeared in midair. It looked like Earth at first glance, but there was a different continent configuration and there were two moons in orbit.

  “This is Tararia,” Jody stated. “It’s the central world for the Taran colonies and seat of the Taran government. Six High Dynasties oversee the core infrastructure, under the Priesthood of the Cadicle. Most of the Taran worlds are against open displays of telekinesis, so the TSS tends to operate in the background.”

  “What do they have against telekinesis?” Saera asked.

  “They’re jealous,” one of the girl’s in Saera’s group interjected.

  “There isn’t one definitive answer,” Jody went on. “All I know is that those of us with abilities who grew up in the Taran colonies were always outcasts. If our parents had them, too, we were taught to hide them and pretend like the abilities didn’t exist.”

  Saera frowned. “That’s awful.”

  “Well, it’s the way of things. Some of us find our way to the TSS eventually, and from that point on we’re on the outside looking in.”

  I guess that makes me on the outside, too. But I suppose I already was. “Are there many people here from Earth?”

  “We get two or three Agent trainees each year. They don’t bother recruiting from Earth for the Militia class.”

  “What’s that?”

  “The division for people without telekinetic abilities. Tactical support, administrative and infantry, mostly.” Jody returned her attention to the screen. “But anyway, it’s important that you understand all policies and regulations come from Tararia. There’s always some tension there. You’ll hear people speak out against the High Dynasties or Priesthood every so often, but don’t engage. You’re still an outsider, as much as this will start to feel like home, and you need to earn an opinion on such matters.”

  “Noted.”

  “Why the dour expression?” Jody asked.

  “I appreciate the political overview, but what I’m more concerned about right now is the technology. Like, how do I work the computers? Do your showers even use water?”

  All of the girls in Saera’s group giggled with exasperation at the statement.

  “Well, do you know how to use one of our keyboards?” Saera shot back. The girl’s turned away and resumed their conversation.

  Jody smiled. “I know it looks overwhelming right now, but it’s all quite straight-forward. Everyone I’ve ever known from Earth adapts just fine after a couple weeks.”

  “If you say so.”

  “All right,” Jody yielded, “here are a few pointers.”

  She went over some of the basic gestures and data entry techniques for the handheld interface. Saera repeated her examples and did find that it was easy to pick up.

  A low tone sounded, interrupting the lesson.

  “Time for the real briefing,” Jody said with a grin.

  Everyone lined up around the perimeter of the room, and one of the Agents stepped forward. He ordered every five groups in numerical order to combine and proceed to various destinations. Saera’s new group of fifty—the new Group 2—was directed to Level 2 of TSS Headquarters, where they were ushered into a lecture-style classroom well suited for the group’s size. Saera took a seat in the second row near the center of the raked seating.

  An Agent, whom Saera recognized as one of those in the center of the reception room, took his place at the front of the lecture hall. “My name is Scott Wincowski. I’m one of the Primus Agents and I’m here to give you an overview of the TSS training program. In the Agent training program, your first year will be spent under close observation and will consist predominantly of academic studies. This is a trial period to see if you will be able to succeed. You will be placed into different Agent classes after the preliminary testing lasting for two days—those tests will begin shortly.”

  Groans sounded around the room. Two whole days? This is intense.

  “Each class has a set range for the Course Rank of its members, and the student is assigned a class according to their potential. You won’t find out your final Course Rank until after the graduation examination, but we’re pretty good at making an accurate projection.” He smiled, looking at the concerned faces around the room. “In descending order, the classes are Primus, Sacon and Trion. All of you will be in one of the upper two divisions based on your intake assessments. After the first year, you will be ‘initiated’ into the TSS if you choose to stay. After becoming an Initiate, you cannot leave until your training is complete. Choose wisely to stay or go after the first year, because anything besides the proper training sequence is uncomfortable, at best.

  “Trainees remain at the Initiate rank for approximately three years. Some instructors might push that time to two years, but it really depends on the abilities of the students. After completing this phase of the training, you will become Junior Agents. This phase will last an average of five years, though many complete their training before. The final task of a Junior Agent before graduation is to complete an internship on a planet selected by the TSS. The location will be chosen based on the cultural characteristics of the planet, to complement the remaining development needs of the Junior Agent. The trainee will meet their greatest personal challenge on their internship planet; the specific needs vary from person to person. So, after their internship—usually ab
out a year in duration—a trainee is said to have mastered all of their skills. I lucked out and got to spend a year on a temperate island world, but I had to spend most of the time staring at supply logs indoors. So, it just depends on how you look at the situation. Most Junior Agents enjoy themselves. As with many aspects of the TSS program, that’s the best way to go: learn what you can and make the most of all your experiences.

  “After passing the internship, you will complete a final assessment, the Course Rank test. The results of the test will determine your Course Rank, CR. The test is both written and physical, designed to push the student to their limit, using an open-ended scale—there is no perfect score. The derived CR score will become an Agent’s rank within the TSS and will remain with them for life.”

  He was silent for a moment as the students processed the information. “Oh, and for those of you who haven’t figured it out yet, Headquarters is located in the center of Earth’s moon in a fixed subspace position. The only way in and out is through that elevator shaft you all came through. Communications come through fine from the outside, but get used to the idea of being inside a hollowed out pocket in a big rock.” There were some chuckles throughout the room. The Agent smiled. He gazed around at the students—some looked expectant, others terribly confused. “Are there any questions?”

  Oh, so very many, Saera thought to herself, but made no indication.

  An older boy near the back of the room raised his hand. The Agent called on him. “What is the TSS’ foreign policy, sir?” he asked.

  Saera noticed the boy’s smug expression. Must be from one of those “Dynasties” people keep talking about.

  “The TSS has good relations with almost every race in colonized space,” the Agent replied. “We are often hired by those with less capable military forces to ward off the threats of those not in league with the TSS. We are here to serve.”

  Another hand shot up. “Excuse my ignorance, sir, but what time measurement system does the TSS use? I’ve been hearing some conflicting information.”

  “Very good question. The TSS runs on the standard twenty-five hour Tararian clock, set to the time zone of the Priesthood. The calendar is the Tararian standard 350-day year, 10 months, and seven-day weeks. That will be an adjustment for some of you, but it shouldn’t take long. The first few weeks are the hardest.”