9. Paralysis

"My family is moving to the North."

Nine year old Mika looked down at the ground, allowing the words of her best friend, spoken so matter-of-factly, to sink in. "Oh," she said meaningfully, breathing slowly. She glanced up at him. "Will you come back?"

Pause. "I don't know," he murmured, not looking at her. A frown appeared on his lips and he turned his head away, blinking furiously. His mouth opened slightly but no sound came through.

"What is it?" she asked, drawing near. She hoped he would say something to make the situation feel better, some light to take them through the darkness of what was happening. She didn't want to lose him too.

His voice cracked, "I don't want to go." His gold eyes met hers, as if entreating her to come up with a solution. She continued to return his transfixing gaze, not knowing how to respond.

But what could they do? They were only children. How could they convince Mr. and Mrs. Vision to stay? His hand touched her arm lightly as he passed. It seemed they had reached the same hopeless conclusion. "See you later," he said dismally, walking away.

Tuff. Her dagger made its mark a foot away from its target.

Mika sighed and exasperatedly scrolled through the board, analyzing her overall performance for the day. This second session fell utterly short of the first. She was much too distracted. Why couldn't she think of anything to say then and now? Lifting a hand to her forehead and closing her eyes, she tried to clear her mind of everything but a black, empty space.

"Missing all the targets, huh?" said a masculine voice from some distance behind her.

She rolled her eyes, annoyed at the sudden interruption in her concentration. It was probably one of those conceited fighters. Day in, day out, they disdainfully made light of her position, using any opportunity to remind her that she was sworn in under favoritism rather than through her own merits. Though she knew their words to be true… She spun around on her heel, ready to respond with a snarky comment. Today was not the day.

Who she saw took her by surprise. "Geo!" she gasped, relaxing her shoulders and fists.

"Whoa! Simmer down, Miss!" he said, casting his hands up in mock alarm. She smiled and laughed; he was a funny guy. Geo crossed his arms and peered suspiciously down on her. "You were getting ready to pummel me, weren't you?" he accused. She shrugged and responded that it was not entirely her intent.

He moved past her and over to the board, reading her score report. Of course he was here for his inspection. He was, after all, the Head of the Security department and her newly-assigned commanding officer. She hugged her waist and stood beside him, waiting for his final assessment amid the "hmms" and "okays." He cleared the screen and paused for a moment in contemplation, just before gleefully exclaiming, "This is terrible!" She flinched and wished he had not said it so loud.

He faced her with some seriousness. "You need to work on your focus," he said. "You're not sending the flux straight through. From what I'm seeing, it goes about halfway and then wavers. You can't afford to let it fall like that." Mika nodded; she had some definite improvements to make. At the same time, there were so many emotions vying to take control of her.

His sternness eased and he gently clapped a hand on her shoulder. "This is not typical for you," he said. "Based on your previous sessions, today's exercise should have been a breeze." She nodded and murmured, "I know." And yet, she had underperformed in every task since her talk with Corolla.

Geo steered her in the direction of his office. "Well, whatever the reason is, it certainly can be talked over some coffee.

Upstairs in his office, which overlooked the training room below, Mika situated herself at the table and ruminated her upcoming trip. She was going back home for just a few hours yet it was very likely that they will encounter her old colleagues, some of which had grown too desperate and a little too zealous following the catastrophe at Sud.

Geo placed a steaming mug in front of her and seated himself and his own across. "Thank you," she said, closing the mug with her hands and feeling its warmth permeate her palms. Geo sipped his coffee and looked at her with meaningful eyes. "So," he said, "the President and his family are going to pay a visit to the South."

"Yes," she agreed, half-dreading what new information he could divulge.

He replaced the mug on the table and clasped his hands before him. "We'll be taking utmost precautions and Cyr has divulged that what dissenting radicals exist are not organized enough to take any immediate action against the state…" He nodded at her. "unless you have any information otherwise." She declined and he continued, "There will be tight security that day, as always when the President is involved—I will personally oversee this event for the entirety of its duration from our base and give the orders for the safe evacuation of the Visions, if the need should arise." He delved into detail about the scattered undercover officer placements and their plan of formation. She nodded attentively, plotting a mental image of their array. Knowing what to expect helped alleviate her anxiety.

Geo drummed his fingers on the table. "Listen," he said, his tone growing gentler. Mika drew her gaze upwards and watched him carefully, slowing her breaths in efforts to stay calm. "Corolla definitely has confidence in you since she's asked you to protect her son. She doesn't anticipate that anyone will get close enough that you'd need to give your life for Eagle. As far as she's concerned, your main role in this public appearance is to stand beside him to deter threats and to represent a peaceful collaboration between the Capital and the South. I, on the other hand, believe in being ready for the worst."

He pushed his chair back and stood, walking over to the desktop and tapping on the keyboard. A few seconds later, zips emitted from the printer as pages flowed out and piled themselves neatly in a short stack. He placed the stack in front of her. It was her evaluation. Mika sighed as she leafed through the pages, wondering how badly her overall performance suffered with today's results.

"I find it sometimes helps to have a to-do list in order to get motivated," he said, sitting back down. "I've already looked at your previous sessions beforehand." He proceeded to list her weaknesses and followed up with her build-able strengths. She leaned against the back of her chair and bit the inside of her lip. It seemed unlikely that they'd finish by dinnertime. She'd have to return and stay until they finish the day's agenda.

-o-

"Right," said Geo, securing a new band on her head, "this is a recent innovation. What's changed? Its use is no longer limited to converting mental energy to power objects. Each one is made uniquely for its user; anyone else who wears it will be unable to use it. It will increase your mental acuity and amplify your power…" He glanced at her warningly. "…but at a price." He paused, goading her to inquire further. "What's that?" she asked, feeling dread creep in.

She watched him exit the arena and position himself behind the enclosed control panel. On the overhead, Geo's voice rang, "This band will drain you faster, so it's only to be used in dire situations. That being said, it really boils down to your ability to maintain a constant flux to prevent premature drainage. We'll start with the basics. Minimize distractions and focus your energy on a single point." A high frequency buzz sounded in her ears. "Pick up any of the sharps and hit that target."

She blinked. Her perception was disoriented and she felt slightly nauseous. The target was randomly undulating back and forth from its midline. It had to be about 10 yards further away than the ones from her earlier sessions. "Recenter," Geo's voice reverberated from above. "Whatever you're thinking or feeling, forget it." She snatched a knife from the table and, with a curious flourish, sent it across the room. Dock!

"Good. Now we'll work our way up."

They continued with stationary targets for another half hour before Geo decided that they would end the lesson on the defensive. They left for the training room where she was to practice blocking incoming objects. "What exactly will you be throwing at me?" she laughed, trying to control the uneasiness in her voice.

In the center of the room was the ring normally used for sparring. A handful of fighters and officers had already assimilated along its perimeter. Mika walked into the ring, careful to maintain a stoic expression and avoid looking at one fighter in particular.

A barrier manifested around the ring, separating her from the onlookers. "Tap the dial on your band," said Geo through the overhead speaker. She did as instructed and shifted her stance, awaiting a cascade from all directions. The buzz returned and her perception again went hazy. At that moment, a multitude of metal spheres darted toward her. Sending waves, she attempted to halt them. They were stifling, each one coming along consistently after the other.

"You're weakening. At this rate, you'll pass out."

She gasped as the discordant buzzing grew louder. He was right; she felt her mind giving way. "Come on, this is easy," Geo's voice drawled on irritably. "Focus. What did they teach you in initiate camp? If you can't stop it, deflect it."

She was down on one knee with her hands outstretched before her. The attacks were fragmenting her shield. Recenter, she urged herself. Her breaths slowed as she mentally scanned and compartmentalized the trajectories.

It was as if a cloud had been lifted. The spheres moved and shot in layers that could be parted like a deck of cards. She was surprised at how quickly easy it became to estimate their velocities and cast them back. After sending the last cluster away, her shield dissipated. "Nice," said Geo. "A little slow at first, but you're getting the hang of it. Let's try something else."

The barrier disappeared and three participants were chosen from the onlookers. They took their places in the ring, as Geo rejoined the others. "This time, send their attacks back at them," he instructed. "Don't worry about hurting them; they're all accomplished fighters; they can handle it. Let's work with six."

Mika nodded and slowly released her breath. Hands again in front of her, she studied each of the fighters as they moved about the ring. There! she thought and motioned the first knife away. By the third one, it seemed like the initial discomfort was over. One by one, the subsequent targets were cast to the ground. Five. One left… Six.

Glad of her success, she straightened up, only to be knocked down on all fours by some piercing object wedged between her shoulder blades. She gritted her teeth to stop from screaming. All around her were hazy, snickering shades.

"Kerrick!" she heard Geo roar as he marched over and gripped the perpetrator by the collar.

The pain was unlike anything she'd ever felt. How far did the knife go through her, she wondered as her chin hit the floor. Everything was white and unfocused…

"Shouldn't have let her guard down," sneered Kerrick's voice.

Her mind was imploding. She hated him. She hated him so, so much…

"…have a talk with your commanding officer!"

The coolness of the arena seemed to fade from her fingertips.

"…what happens when you let a…"

Flickers of her father on the hospital bed, her mother's smile, and Eagle's impenetrable facade played before her eyes. Was she dying? Geo's voice was now an incoherent blurb. A deafening rumble soon filled her ears and she felt the sickening pang and accompanying paralysis of her worst fear realized. It had only just begun and she had fallen…