Cal stewed while drumming his fingers on the desk, pondering his decision. He could still refuse, and there wasn't much they could do to him.
But there was plenty they could not do, and that was the real threat. The concessions he'd won, well, he didn't think they'd be as brazen to take them away. Hells, he didn't think they could; the train had left the station, so to speak.
Delaying, obfuscating, or otherwise impeding?
More than capable and willing.
The door slid open, and Olivia strode in. She fiddled with a tablet, not eting his eyes. A new tablet he noted, as the one she'd handed off to him previously was on the table sitting discarded.
"Have you made a decision?" She inquired, her attention occupied by studying sothing unseen to him.
Had he? Albert's words rang true; so space without the Federation breathing down his neck would be nice. On the other hand, the bad faith nature of this assignnt made him inclined to spurn them.
Ugh, that might even be what so of them were hoping for.
Then there was also the matter of him not being able to do the task at all; he supposed he should start there.
"So to be clear," he opened. "I'm not expected to fix this myself? There's another team."
"That's correct." Agile fingers typed away at the screen. "For operational security purposes, I won't be made aware of how they will be inserted. As for yourself, the Academy hosts nobles and those sponsored aged fourteen to twenty-one; they're split into two levels. A senior class and a junior class. The junior class' curriculum is strictly curated, and the students' lives are closely monitored. The senior class affords much more freedom in course selection and movent. In order to curb so unwanted tendencies that co from suddenly being granted such freedom, a transitional year was ford to function as a sort of hybrid between both. You will be inserted into such a year; it will give you access to both sets of classes and allow you to report any findings that can then be passed on to the main team."
That was slightly more tolerable than he initially envisioned. It sounded like they were more covering their bases if anything, in which case he could ignore the investigation part and let the main team handle it.
"Who would I be reporting to?" Given this was evidently hush-hush, he wondered who they'd be sending into the field with him.
"Myself" She lifted her chin and looked at him. "I'm not sure I've stressed how delicate this operation is. Apart from a select number of high-level officials, no one is to be made aware of our involvent." Her gaze was strange, as if looking through rather than at him. "To preempt your question, the Empire wants to avoid the appearance of weakness and the discontent that would form from the nobles' youths being put at risk. While the Federation-"
"Doesn't want the public to know because the idealist that put it up would be voted out in a heartbeat." He cut her off, watching for any change in deanor.
He didn't spot any.
"I'm sure that was a consideration; in any case, I will be posted in the city proper. The details of both of our identities are actively being worked out." She waved her tablet.
Was he overthinking things? She might be distracted in her work; he doubted it was simple.
What to do what to do.
"Fine," he stated, surprised at his own words.
"Are you certain?" There was a touch of disbelief in her response. "You made a valid point previously."
He ran a hand through his hair. Fuck it, how bad could it possibly be?
"Yeah, yeah. Just set it all up."
"Understood," he noticed her shoulders loosen slightly. "I'll inform the necessary parties."
Her eyes drifted back to her tablet, and she resud her tapping at a much higher pace.
"I surmise you'd want to get one last hunt in. I've arranged for transport to be made available for you to sector H-3. You'll be inford when it's prepared."
That was a prudent call. He could do with so additional stockpiling. He didn't quite like the implication of her phrasing, but it made decent camouflage for the true reason behind his actions.
"In the anti, you may want to stop at the ss hall. It's been twelve hours since your last al."
Had it been that long? He might've taken more than intended from that core.
"My last item for you is that Prodigy would like a word before your departure."
"Did she say what she wanted?" He imagined he'd be on the other end of a flat stare if she didn't persist in avoiding eye contact. "Gotcha, I'll head out then." He rose and retreated from the room.
Leaving her with her device and thoughts.
He stalked the maze-like halls of headquarters with purpose, getting increasingly frustrated.
And no, that wasn't just an analogy. Each hallway was designed to be as uniform as possible. At seven ters wide, the roof and walls were coated the sa shade of gray, with the ceiling having those sa cursed lights. Now and then the monotony of the wall was broken by either a white single or double sliding door. There was no signage of any kind and plenty of four-way intersections.
The stated purpose was to hamper espionage. Anyone not where they were ant to be quickly stuck out.
He could attest that it worked.
It didn't stop him from thinking the designers were sadists.
Normally he'd be able to use his credentials to pull a map, but he'd left the spare tablet in the briefing room, and he was too embarrassed to go retrieve it.
Instead, out of the corner of his eye, he watched the faces of those he passed. So were dressed in suits, so in uniforms. Most ignored him, though a sizeable number spared confused glances. Having soone so young brazenly walk the halls of the Federation Ard Forces Headquarters tended to garner so attention.
Nonetheless, he 'looked' like he knew where he was going. And who knew? He may be the son of soone important. So they held their tongues.
Cal wanted to avoid annoying questions and so was looking for soone who recognized him; he might have even already passed so with good poker faces already.
Eventually, he found one as a uniford man abruptly turned left and down an adjacent hall after spotting him. It was a decent attempt; sha he was looking for it.
Increasing his pace, Cal turned down the sa hall and soon sighted the man. He quickly caught up and spied the man's shoulder patch.
"Lieutenant." He couldn't quite rember what type. He was pretty sure it was so form of lieutenant; if he was wrong, he doubted the man would correct him.
"Sir." The man returned after halting in his steps and turning towards Cal.
"Lead to the nearest ss hall," Cal demanded. The man nodded tensely and set off without further preamble. That was preferable; their brief interaction had already drawn so looks. Cal followed in silence until they reached a set of double doors that opened to reveal a bustling cafeteria.
"That will be all. Thank you, Lieutenant." Cal responded in the stuffy manner common for the military; he wasn't sure if it helped put the man at ease. Not that he'd be sticking around to find out.
Passing by rows of long tal tables, he made his way to the serving station. He grabbed a tray and perused the selection; luckily he looked to be catching the tail end of a al service, so no one was behind to rush him. He settled on so turkey with gravy along with a side of baked ziti. An unusual combination, but the servers didn't bat an eye. He was sure they'd seen worse.
Taking his now-filled tray, he scanned the room until he found a table with an unoccupied corner. He made his way over and set down his tray to claim the spot. Spot secured, he went to nab a drink from the soda fountain. When he returned, he found the seat across from him occupied.
In contrast to his neatly combed black hair and otherwise well-manicured appearance, the man seated wore a loosely fitted suit with its sleeves rolled up. Taking his seat, Cal noticed the man's plate had been cramd full with half-eaten als. Which ant he had chosen to relocate to this spot specifically. That drastically narrowed down the list of suspects.
"Mask?" Cal asked with an exasperated voice. "Thought you were on assignnt."
The man didn't bother to finish chewing before responding. "Hey Cal, just got back." He swallowed before taking another large bite out of the sub he was working on. "Gotta head out in a few so stocking up, no rest for the wicked." Food flew from his mouth as he finished.
If it was anyone else, Cal would be sorely irritated right now. Mask got a bit of a pass. He was a friend. They'd been friends for as long as he could rember.
"So I hear, you know they got doing your work now?" Cal began eating while shielding his plate.
"Hahaha." More food spilled out as Mask laughed loudly. "They told about that. Wanna know a secret?" He leaned in with a smile on his face, beckoning with his finger. Cal rolled his eyes and leaned in towards his good friend.
"Don't tell anyone," Mask said with a conspiratorial whisper, eyes darting around despite no one in the vicinity reacting to his antics. "But I actually can't do it!"
Cal leaned back; that was surprising. Mask was his best friend, so he could admit so bias, but he found it hard to believe he was better than Mask in an infiltration task of all things.
Sensing his dismay, Mask threw him a thumbs up. "Don't worry though; it's a '' thing. You got this!"
He wasn't sure he did. "Got any advice?" He asked between bites; his friend was an expert after all. "Never been to a school before."
Mask nodded in understanding. "Don't start a war." He shifted his head as he dodged a piece of turkey Cal flung towards him.
"You know what I ant," Cal grumbled, but there was no real bite to it.
"You worry too much." Mask reached for a bowl of soup and slurped it up. "Just do whatever cos naturally. Oh, I do have so advice." His mouth dripped with broth. "If you end up close to failing sothing, just sleep with the teacher. Works every ti." He ended with finger guns and a wink.
"Is that what you did?" Cal asked; he knew very little about Mask's past. No, that wasn't right.
They'd been friends forever.
Mask stared at him with dead eyes and without inflection intoned, "No, I threatened their families."
Cal held the stare for a mont before continuing his al.
"I can never tell if you're serious," he complained while starting to circulate small amounts of his magic.
If you co across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from . Please report it.
Mask's laughter rang out again. "I'd be worried if you could."
Cal's mind began to clear as the magic worked its way through his system.
"Aww, fun ti over?" Mask whined petulantly after noticing his actions.
It was very easy to forget the man across from him could single-handedly topple regis. Had toppled regis, unofficially, of course.
Mask, Fifth Seat of the Constellation. The Federation's trump card. Each mber capable of the impossible. The shining stars all citizens could look up in awe to. And he was currently eating jello with a straw.
Cal smiled at the absurdity. Free of the influence of that magic, Cal knew Mask wasn't his best friend, and he hadn't known him his whole life.
But he was sothing.
The term ally or comrade ca to mind. Because despite everything, he trusted Mask with his life. And wasn't that a terrifying statent?
The man? The woman? Or whatever/whover they'd decided to be that day offered him a chocolate truffle. Cal accepted it gratefully, popping it in his mouth and admiring the burst of flavor.
He hadn't seen them in the selection today, so Mask must have gotten it from sowhere else.
He knew better than to ask questions. That way lay madness.
Deciding it was worth another taste, Cal reached out and liberated another from Mask's grip.
"You know, even my friends aren't quite that ballsy." Mask quipped with good humor. Not that it was any indication of his true thoughts.
Cal shrugged while finishing his second. "Think of it as a settlent so I don't charge you with assault."
"Assault?" Mask held a palm to his chest, pretending to be taken aback. "I'm doing you a service; you think I dial it up that much for just anyone?"
That was true. Mask, when not assuming a specific persona, tended to just co off as a highly charismatic person. Quick to ingratiate himself with others while also being able to be a fly on the wall at a mont's notice. Making him believe they were lifelong friends? He imagined Mask was just trying to help, in their own twisted way.
Mind magic was insidious that way; even the best intentions ended up warped. Not that Mask used mind magic, no sir. That was illegal in just about every country, including the Federation. He was just, really, really good at getting where he wasn't supposed to be.
Cal ntally scoffed at the bare-faced lie told to the world. He looked again at the man considered the most dangerous mber of the Constellation, despite nominally holding the lowest seat. Who, after already eating dessert, had rolled fries into a slice of pizza and was now chewing at it without a care in the world.
There were worse people to hold that kind of power.
Cal downed the rest of his drink and got up. "I got to go et with Millie; deal with my tray?"
Mask saluted, pizza still in hand, then continued his al.
—
He ended up needing to bully-erm convince another passerby to lead him to his next destination.
Standing in front of a door like any other in HQ, he summoned his courage and knocked gingerly.
The door imdiately hissed open, and he jumped back; he wasn't alone either. Several others nearby reacted similarly. No one mocked them.
Seeing nothing had happened, he approached the opening to find it nearly blocked with machinery.
Sucking in a breath, he shimmied his way through. Now through the threshold, a cacophony of clangs, whirs, and hums greeted his ears. He cautiously worked his way through the ss. Ducking, squeezing, and crawling until he ca across a clearing.
At the side of it, a woman appearing in her late twenties was sprawled on the floor in front of an open panel. Esoteric tools and devices were scattered around her. The woman, dressed in a hoodie and sweatpants, had a pale complexion with striking pink hair that looked comical in its large twin-tails style.
Third seat, Prodigy.
Her head lifted, and pink eyes lit up with anticipation upon locking onto him.
"Callum! Perfect timing! Step on that x over there." She stood, pointing to a small black x etched into the floor at the other side of the clearing.
He glanced around warily. "Where's Gerald?" he asked. The man usually served as an excellent buffer.
"Panda? He's out getting so supplies. Now step on the x!" She pointed again and stomped her foot.
"Why?" In his experience, it was a very important question to ask. Even with most of the explanations flying over his head.
"I'm testing DD12." She patted the machine next to her, as if that was explanation enough.
He remained in his spot.
"And what does DD12 do and stand for?"
"Dinsional displacer 12! Erm, PR will think of a better na." He'd hope so; Millie was an unmatched talent in almost every way. Naming was not one of them. It's how she got stuck with the na Prodigy to begin with. A fact she still regretted.
She stroked her chin in thought. The act of 'dumbing' down the explanation proved more difficult than any adjustnts she just made.
"It should temporarily shunt you into a near parallel dinsion. Making you transparent and able to phase through things." She nodded her head in a self-satisfied manner. "Now enough stalling and get on the x!"
He walked towards the x but stopped short. Crouching down, he scraped the floor with his fingernail.
"Uh, huh, and is it safe? My guts aren't going to spill out or anything, are they?"
"Of course it is. I tested it extensively." Her face contorted in offense, and she placed her hands on her hips.
Still in his crouched position. He lifted his finger. "Then why is there caked blood here?"
"That was from a previous iteration! Several in-fact! It's safe now!" Her vehent defense did little to assuage his doubts.
"Why is that part still wet?" He pointed towards a spot near him. He fibbed; it wasn't wet.
"Euk, uh. Just, just stand in the x." Her hands ca together as she fiddled with her thumbs while suddenly finding the ground very interesting. "Please?"
This was getting pathetic. With a huff, he stood and took the additional step needed to be on the x. At least this thing couldn't truly kill him. With a short hop and a cry of victory, she ran to another corner. She typed so commands into a holographic display that had manifested near her.
From his vantage point, he could see a tir start.
5
4
3
2
1
0?
He raised his hand to his face; the skin still looked as visible as usual. He patted his stomach, then back. Looking down, he noted a conspicuous lack of entrails.
"So, nothing happened?" He asked, still waiting for the other shoe to drop.
"Of course not." She shook her head in denial. "Sothing happened, just not sothing I expected. I'll have to pore over the data later; I'm betting your magic threw sothing off." She stared off, contemplating sothing.
"So, you back to normal now?" He used the word normal very relatively.
"Ah, yeah. Sorry about that; you know how it is." She rubbed the back of her head with a relieved smile.
He'd known her for quite so ti now, so he was well aware of her quirks. The main one being her pathological disdain for the unknown. Coupled with her natural genius, she made breakthroughs at a prodigious pace. The other side of the coin was the compulsion he'd just witnessed. She'd described it to him before as an itch, one that only ever grew stronger until relieved with so new piece of information.
"Was that all?" It would not be the first ti he'd been dragged here for so inane test.
"No, no." She waved her hand back and forth. "You've been briefed, right? By the fossil and new girl?"
He didn't think they'd appreciate those titles.
"Yeah, a bit of a shitshow, isn't it?"
She scowled a little. Not a fan of his colorful language. "Not how I'd put it, but yes. The people upstairs are playing the gas they're so fond of."
"Right," he nodded along. "I asked Mask, but he wasn't exactly helpful. Any advice?"
She raised an eyebrow in his direction "Don't start a war?"
"It wasn't funny when he said it," Cal deadpanned.
"I can offer little else. I'm a loud and proud type of gal, not into the cloak and dagger thing." She tapped her keyboard in thought, "As for the school thing. I skipped all my classes and graduated early. The only reason I stayed so long to begin with is they wanted to use to win the Conference."
She dismissed the holographic display and walked towards him. "What I can do is offer you sothing." She produced a satchel from...sowhere.
He received and opened it, finding it filled with various types of books.
"Happy early birthday! How do you like it?" She grinned, "My personal notes from back then. Not sure how they'd relate to modern coursework, but it can't be too far off."
"Now co on, say the words." She watched him expectantly.
He exhaled in exasperation. "Thank you, Auntie Millie." He didn't appreciate being treated like a child or the hand that ruffled his hair shortly after he spoke. He also couldn't deny the value of what she'd given him. People would kill for what he now held. For the chance to peer into the greatest mind of a generation.
"That's not even the best part, kid; go ahead. Check that side pocket." She prodded, her hand still on his head. He unlatched it and fished around, finding one loose object that he then grabbed and brought into the light. The second he laid eyes on it, his hand felt like it was holding a boulder. He almost dropped it, so great his shock.
"Whatcha think? Pretty cool, right? Got a new one. I told the brass that one got destroyed in an experint, so don't go flashing it around unless you need to."
He barely registered her words as he stared at his palm. If people would kill for the bag, they'd die for what he now held. A single silver star, forged and inscribed with magic beyond him, it was said to be indestructible.
However, what it represented was far more important than its physical properties.
The highest field authority.
The ability to command armies if needed. Granted, he'd be court-martialed if he did so without damn good reason, but the point stood that he could. His head slowly shifted from the emblem burning in his hand to the person who'd just carelessly given it away. He found a sad smile on her face.
"This part isn't a present. I know we didn't start on the right foot, but I trust you. Words are cheap though, so take it." She closed his hand over the emblem. "Do whatever you need to out there; I got your back, and don't worry about the investigation. I'll make sure everything stays on track."
At a loss for words, he gave a slow nod. Earnestly trying to communicate his feelings through the small action.
She patted his head. "Now, skedaddle, I got so data to sort through." With that, she skipped towards her console and got lost in her work.
User Comments
0 comments from readers