Another scene began to take shape. The darkness around me morphing and waving itself with uncanny precision pulling in yet another memory from my subconsciousness. In a heartbeat my dream self was deposited in a chair that slowly became part of a shuttle departing slowly from the safety of the Pinnacle bay.
The shuttle hummed with a steady vibration, the artificial gravity stabilizers kicking in. Outside the view port, the expanse of space stretched out, the scattered lights of distant stars flickering against the void. The cabin was nearly empty, save for a few of our colleague absorbed in their own concerns.
Laatuuk sat beside me, arms crossed, head tilted back against the seat. At his feet lay his backpack that was full to the brim with recording and research equipment. Hidden amongst all of that were dissembled parts of the climbing equipment and a small signal disruptor. I just hoped we could pass the customs undetected for now.
The small EMP emitters were turned off and securely strapped to my psyclite exoskeleton. They were weighting me down in more ways than one.
Laatuuk assured me that everything will be alright. All three devices were made of psyclite and he positioned them in such a way that I could pretend they were simple reinforcing additions to my exoskeleton, but I could not help but shudder inside every time I felt them pressing against my skin.
Shifting my attention from the viewpoint I glanced at Laatuuk siting next to me.
His posture was rigid at first—too tense, too alert. But then, exhaustion won. His body slackened, his breathing slowing into a rhythmic pattern. As the minutes passed, his mandibles twitched, his fingers flexing slightly in his sleep.
I watched him, noting the deep shadows beneath his eyes, the way his exoskeletal plating seemed duller than usual. He had pushed himself past his limits, but it wasn't just lack of sleep. The weight of what we were about to do pressed on him.
A flickering announcement scrolled across the monitor overhead about cargo regulations and customs screening. Subtle reminders that security would be tight at Ohina's space port. I glanced at Laatuuk. Did he really believe we could pull this off?
He stirred slightly, murmuring something under his breath. A single word. "Psyclite."
His mandibles twitched again, and his fingers curled as if gripping something unseen. Was he dreaming about it? Or did the thought of the mission haunt him even in sleep? The way his body reacted—subtle shudders, a slight tensing of his shoulders—suggested more than just a simple dream. It was fear. Maybe even guilt.
A figure moved at the edge of my vision, and I turned just as Laatuuk's father approached. He settled into the empty seat across from us, his heavy gaze shifting from his sleeping son to me. His mandibles clicked softly, a telltale sign of concern.
"He is exhausted," he said, his voice carrying the quiet weight of an observation rather than a question.
I forced a reassuring smile. "He worked very hard on the psyclite project. He just needs rest."
Laatuuk's father studied me for a moment before his eyes flicked back to his son. "More than rest, I think. He carries something heavy."
I swallowed, keeping my expression neutral. "He's always been like that. Always pushing himself. He'll be fine."
His gaze lingered on me, unspoken doubts hovering in the air between us. Then, with a quiet exhale, he reached out and adjusted Laatuuk's cloak, tucking it more securely around him. A simple gesture, but one that made my chest tighten.
"Take care of him," he said, rising from his seat. "Even the strong can fall when they carry too much."
I nodded, though I wasn't sure if he believed me. I wasn't even sure if I believed myself.
As he walked away, I turned back to Laatuuk, still lost in uneasy sleep. We weren't even on Ohina yet, and something about this entire situation already felt wrong.
Outside, just beyond the curve of the shuttle's path, I caught sight of Ohina's artificial moon—a massive, unfinished construct suspended in orbit like an idea only half-realized. Its skeletal framework jutted out in fractured geometry, girders and support rings catching the faint glow of the system's sun. The project had been in progress for years, yet it remained incomplete.
It reminded me of us. Of this plan. Of the way we'd stitched together our strategy with borrowed tools, stolen data, and barely enough time. We were heading into something enormous with preparation that felt... fragile. Incomplete.
The moon wasn't ready. And neither were we.
While fingering again the Ebbia flower pendant I remembered his father's words at the dinner table.
<
Yet here we were, pretending we had none.
Conviction, misguided as it was, was the one thing that propelled all this past tragedy forward. It burned hot in my friend and it caught me in its wake latching onto my desire to help him fulfill his dream.
As the realization took root into my sleeping mind the dream sequence disintegrated in front of my eyes and I was again left suspended into a colorless void powerless to brake free.
********************************************************************************************************
The nightmare continued, the darkness morphing, painting the research facility on Ohina around my dream-self. This was the day when together with my classmates, I stood in one of the most interesting mineralogy lab I ever saw. Sleek, futuristic walls took shape gradually around me with white marble arches that rested onto columns inlaid with silvery waving models.
The delicate columns with intricate psyclite models carved into them provided a smooth transition from the square plan of the room to a circular dome.
The central space under the dome was enlarged by having two hemicycles added to it to the both sides of the main room; these were again extended by pushing out three minor apses eastward, and two others, one on either side of a straight extension, to the west. This unbroken area, was covered by a system of domical surfaces. Above the conchs of the small apses rose two great semi-domes which covered the hemicycles, and between these the vast dome over the central square shot out into the sky.
All around me the majestic white walls with psyclite elements that acted both as reinforcements for the stone structure and as decoration instilled a sentiment of wonder and reverence. This was a cathedral of science.
On Ohina psionic powers were so common and so well developed that they worked seamlessly with the existent technology.
Standing still I observed groups of people materializing into the dream environment. There were the Ohinan scientists in their blue and white attire with their distinctive pin depicting a serpent rising from the waves.
A little to the back of the room I saw my younger-self standing next to Laatuuk. They were the pieces that kept this nightmare going and try as I might I could not deny that I was linked to them.
Gliding unseen towards them I reached my younger-self noting her tight jaw and her alert gaze sweeping across the room.
After a pause she took a deep breath trying to ease the tension that was building inside her and I was pulled into the turmoil of her emotions. Anxiety washed over me thick like mud cementing me inside of my youger-self but not before I sensed a pang of determination gleaming in the mix. We were one again.
As I watched the scene through my younger-self eyes all became fresh and sharper.
It was fascinating to see this blend between technology and psionic but due to what Laatuuk and I decided to do, I was restless. My eyes kept darting to my friend instead of being focused on the people in front who were giving detailed explanations on how to manipulate the very nature of the minerals with your mind taking into account formulas calculated beforehand.
A massive holo-screen flickers to life, bathing the white walls in a cold, artificial glow. Rows of scientists sit stiffly in their seats, eyes locked onto the intricate diagrams shifting above us. Some of my classmates chose to stand near the back of the room like Latuuk and I.
The lead scientist, a gaunt man with piercing eyes, stands at the front, his voice precise and clipped.
"This metal is the foundation of our socity. It repels energy decay, strengthens magnetic fields—" He pauses for effect, sweeping his gaze across the audience. "—and is absolutely secure."
Beside him, Laatuuk's father stands with his arms crossed, nodding along like a man who already knows the end of the story.
"Which is why it is stored, in a controlled vault inside the main pylon," he adds, his voice firm.
Murmurs ripple through the audience. The vault's security has been questioned before, but never breached. Yet.
Laatuuk shifts slightly beside me, exhaling just loud enough for me to hear.
"He really loves saying 'absolutely secure,'" he mutters, barely moving his lips.
I don't glance at him, but I let my lips curl slightly. "Let's prove him wrong."
He doesn't smile, but his fingers tap once against his leg — our silent signal. The plan is in motion.
One of our classmates at the back of the room fumbles with his data pad, sending it clattering to the floor. The sharp clang against the tile is enough to pull most eyes away from us. That's our cue.
Laatuuk and I shift casually, weaving through the clusters of scientists and students. Not too fast, not too slow. We do not want to draw any attention.
"If anyone asks," Laatuuk murmurs, "we're stepping out for air."
"Or for a drink," I add. "Always a believable excuse."
The lab's main exit looms ahead, blocked by a facial recognition scanner. Luckily for us is a standard device used all throughout the galaxy. Laatuuk palms a small signal disruptor and times its pulse perfectly with a flicker in the facility's lighting system. A programmed malfunction. The door hisses open.
But the real test waits beyond it—the psionic security checkpoint.
The moment we approach the main exit, I feel the security officer's mind reach for mine. It's subtle, like a brush of wind against my consciousness, testing for cracks.
Laatuuk is already shifting his focus, burying any trace of deception under layers of mundane thoughts—reports, schedules, routine tasks. I follow his lead, but my method is different. As an empath, I know what they're searching for. Tension. Misdirection. Fear. I let none of it surface. Instead, I project calm, boredom, the mild irritation of someone who heard enough scientific terms for the day.
The officer narrows his eyes. "Where are you two going?"
Laatuuk shrugs, voice level. "We are going for a drink."
The mental probe intensifies. I brace against it, letting my mental defenses soften just enough to seem natural. A rigid mind attracts suspicion. A relaxed one blends in.
The officer lingers a beat longer, then nods. "Stay within the designated areas."
The lock releases. We are about to step through.
His fingers hover over the alert button. He hesitates.
Sensing his raising suspicious I smile at the guard and project tranquility that drifts from my mind to his like soft flower petals that wave themselves into a soft blanket enveloping is thoughts into a warm and comforting embrace shooting any lingering doubt.
His eyes widen staring into mine with a mix of shock, curiosity and something else… something veiled, visceral that I could not place.
Just as I was tethering dangerously between curiosity and fear contemplating the link between my mind and that of the guard an arm is being placed around my waist and I am pulled roughly forward and rushed swiftly out of the door by my Zinon friend.
The main doors of the lab slide shut behind us, and the cool night air hits my skin. The scent of metal and ozone mingle in the artificial air of the biome. Neon advertisements flicker above the crowded streets, casting shifting colors across the pavement.
For now, we're in the clear.
Laatuuk tugged at his jacket letting go of me, his voice steady. "What were you doing back there?"
"The guard was getting auspicious. I was trying to ease his feelings." I shrugged.
He snorted. "Whatever you were doing I do not think it had the effect you were aiming for."
"What do you mean?" I asked my voice tinged with annoyance.
"He was looking at you funny." He said giving me a sideways glance.
I frowned at him in confusion my annoyance raising as the memory of that foreign feeling from earlier flashed across my mind.
"Funny?" I directed my question at him tilting my head to the side and frowning in confusion.
He opened his mouth to say something than he closed it back again, measuring me up and down with narrowed eyes, his posture tense. The muscle in his jaw flexed. He was quiet for a long breath, eyes shifted to scanning the crowd instead of me.
"Ah, forget it."
Overhead, a security drone hums, its sensors sweeping passed us. One wrong move, one stray thought, and everything unravels.
"Let's hurry, we only have one hour until the presentation is finished. No sudden movements. Keep your mind quiet." My friend whispered his attention shifting from me to the drone that disappeared in moments into the night sky.
"Easier said than done," I replied glad that the topic of my emphatic interaction with the guard was abandoned.
He smirked. "Think about something boring. Like financial reports."
We merged with the foot traffic, keeping our pace natural. Ahead, the transport rail snakes toward the city center. The pylon was waiting. The real challenge was only beginning.
*********************************************************************************************************
We were now on the streets of Lower Disk which was called Hellyonar by the most people in the galaxy using the common galactic language and we were moving fast towards the base of the column. As we were walking, waves of anxiety coming from Laatuuk pulsated around me almost making me dizzy.
"Laatuuk, they are going to notice us..." I said as few passers-by turned to look at us with puzzled expressions, no doubt sensing the same level of anxiety that I was feeling.
Without answering Laatuuk grabbed my hand pulling me into an adjacent alley. We continue to move towards our goal in a more sinuous way that was sure to take more time than simply walking onto the main road.
The street we took was narrow and paved with stone with tall buildings on both sides rising up into the sky as protective walls between us and the throng of people passing on the larger walkway on the other side. The buildings were several stories high with columns at the first floor guarding wooden doors with intricate patterns woven on their surfaces.
Gleaming on a wall I saw a plaque. I slowed down staring at the script and to my chagrin I could only understand only two or three letters. So much for me reading in Druagnus.
As we followed our chosen way we only saw one or two people walking hurriedly in the opposite direction. Probably they were headed for the man street that we were trying to avoid. For us it was preferable to walking through a mass of mostly telephatic people. I was sure there were laws and customs in place that prevented people from accessing other's thoughts without consent, but since both Laatook and I were trying to do something that was outside of law and we were both nervous someone could easily notice something wrong and report us to the authorities.
We proceed to follow the stone path in front of us as it went somewhat parallel to the main street. According to the map we studied several days before these adjacent streets formed an intricate web diverting into other larger streets that ran into a concentric pattern along the main route that led to the pylon. At some point I heard a buzzing noise coming from above and I rose my gaze upwards to discover it was partially blocked by the elegant arch of of a flying buttress that was crossing the sky from one building to its siter on the opposite part of the street. I stopped and frown trying to understand were the buzzing sound was coming from when a vehicle resembling partially to a motorcycle with no wheels and the back arching sideways like a peacock tail flew overhead. The glowing markings that run along the sleek body of the vehicle illuminating the street below in a rapid pulsating cold light. At that moment Laatook grabbed my hand again pulling me into the shadows below the arch and for an instant I was puzzled at his urgent movement until casting a glance at the rapid passing stranger on the vehicle I saw a glimpse of red and gold of his uniform. This was a city guard we just saw and I very much doubted that we could pass an interrogation conducted by them if they decided to stop us for whatever reason.
Laatook and I both released a sight of relief as the lone guard passed over us without stopping then we continued our trek towards our goal.
After a few minutes spent on the paved street we took another left and entered an alley that was bordered on both sides by statues of Ohinans dressed in ornate uniforms and staying at attentions like unmoving guardians. Between them stood proud flowering trees that. Fortunately, unlike the real guards paroling the front of the pylon the stone protectors presented no threat to us, furthermore they provided cover along with the trees. This picturesque and quiet ally was leading straight into the tower plaza.
We crept towards the pylon section that was accessible from this disk which resembled a huge Gothic tower with no end. Despite its enormous size it did not look like a monolith. The minimalist and functional psyclite frame was surrounded by columns and colonnettes with intricate mosaics giving the building an elegant and classical look.
While keeping our eyes on the pair of guards currently visible we stopped into the shadow of a nearby tree and I took a deep breath preparing myself to send outwards the sensation of malaise that I concocted in my mind.
"Two seconds..." Laatuuk murmured as he darted away.
I focused on the two guards in my line of sight and sent outwards a strong sense of nausea. As an empath, I could sense emotions and with the visor, I could send them back. By making the guards feel sick I hoped to keep them in front of the building while Laatuuk was circling the back.
The two guards seemed to have no reaction at first and I pushed harder against the mental barriers that were blocking my access to their minds. One of the guards stopped and stiffened. I focused my attention on him. For some reason his mental shield were fluctuating and with a little bit of effort I managed to fight my way into his mind. His mind-scape was compartmentalized and neat. It was as if I had stepped for a momment into very orderly library and for a split second I admired the discipline of the man. Then I turned my attention to my task delving deep inside of him until I found a spark of pain. I brought it forth and nurtured it until it took hold in his mind. As I watch him from across the street the man staggered then the other guard went to help him.
I could not hear what they were saying but I imagined that one of them was asking if the other was all right.
<
I planted the same sensation in his mind and waited for a bit. Now both of them showed signs of malaise.
A hand grabbed my wrist and as a spike of fear passed through me; the guards both stiffened and took two steps back.
"It's me. Come on." Laatuuk whispered leading me towards the back. As we move away I cast one last look at the guards who to my utter shock started to argue. To my visor-covered eyes the rage coming from them looked like two small tornadoes on the verge of colliding.
My mind wondered for a fraction of a second why would they act this way since all I did was send some feelings of discomfort to them tinged with a shadow of pain. This never happened before. Even when I was still young and did not know what I was doing the feelings that I sent were only temporary and they elicited the emotion I wanted to convey, in this case discomfort. I did not sent that kind of rage to them.
"Open the psionic shield." My friend hissed as we stopped at the back of the building below what looked like an ornate balcony.
He took off his backpack and started unpacking. First he put together the climbing gear laying it neatly at our feet while I detached the three small EMP emitters from my psyclite exoskeleton giving them to my friend then I focused on the task at hand.
To my eyes the psionic shield looked like a golden halo encircling the entire structure with delicate tendrils of light coiling around one-another inside of it like a giant spiderweb. I knew I had to disrupt these vines to have any chance of success in parting the ward.
The psionic shield was energy held in place in intricate patterns which some referred to as runes. I knew I could not start to bombard it directly with my own psionic bursts or I risked alerting someone and being caught. What I needed was to interrupt the pattern preferably from the inside.
As I studied the shield I noticed that the activating stones were inlaid within the mosaic adorning the tower wall. I sent my awareness outward and I touched with the fingers of my mind the mosaic from the other side. The shield did not registered such small touch since I did not try to push inside of the structure it was protecting. I breathe a sigh of relief and told Laatook the frequency at which the shield was operating.
"I think the following frequency might work, Laatook."
The vines of energy shuddered at the movement and fortunately, they did not slipped off the fake energy mosaic stones that I created for them to cling on. A fissure started to appear in the ward.
I showed my friend where the fissure was and he placed the first device exactly where I told him to securing it to the wall by its psyclite clamps and turning it on.
As soon as the first EMP emitter was in place securely attached to the pylon wall, I sent a control psyonic burst towards it willing the faint energy inside it to move into the already familiar pattern to activate it.
The fissure grew larger.
I watched as Laatuuk ascended the metal wall ahead of me, his movements swift and controlled. The metallic surface offered no footholds. It was just a slick, psyclite wall addorned with intricate mosaic pieces. He relied on his grip-gloves, his fingers pressing into the mesh of micro-hooks built into the fabric, and the stabilizer boots that made each step feel like it had a firm foundation. The sound of his boots clicking as they shifted position on the wall was almost comforting, but it didn't help my nerves. My own boots and gloves, still unfamiliar, felt clumsy by comparison.
"Focus," Laatuuk's voice echoed back to me, a slight trace of amusement in his tone. "It's all about finding your rhythm."
I took a deep breath, trying to center myself. I activated my own stabilizer boots, the small servos buzzing quietly in my soles, offering me a bit of support. The grip-gloves adjusted to my hands, the friction more tactile than I expected. But that was all I had. No footholds. Just my hands and my feet, clinging to a wall.
I took the first step, trying to replicate Laatuuk's effortless movements, but it wasn't as easy as it looked. My boots barely stuck to the surface, and I felt an odd, uncomfortable pull from the harness. I shifted my weight to my hands, trying to find a foothold on the wall with no success. I kept slipping—just enough to feel the tension building.
"Got it," I muttered to myself, pushing up against the wall. My feet shifted too quickly, and the boots weren't securing as well as I'd hoped. I glanced down to check the harness—wrong move.
The tethered straps pulled uncomfortably tight around my waist, twisting at an awkward angle as the harness dug into my sides. My body jerked forward, caught by the pull of the rope that was supposed to support me. My heart raced, but I managed to catch myself, my gloves desperately clinging to the wall. But the fissure—our only path forward—was still wide open, and if I couldn't keep moving, we'd lose any advantage.
"Careful," Laatuuk called down, his eyes watching my every movement. "Make sure the harness is clear of any obstructions. If it gets tangled, it could slow you down."
I pulled one arm out of the strap, fumbling to untwist the harness as it constricted around me. My gloves were slipping as I tried to free myself, and the more I pulled, the tighter it became. The tether twisted in all the wrong places, threatening to trip me up. In my rush, I nearly lost my grip.
"No! No, no!" I muttered under my breath. My mind raced in panic as I struggled with the tangled mess of straps and cords. The more I fought, the worse it got.
I felt my stabilizer boots slide down the surface, and for a moment, everything felt like it was slipping out of my control. I was yanked forward again, the exoskeleton's servos kicking in, pulling me upright in a quick correction, but the harness... it was still tangled.
I heard Laatuuk's voice, less amused now. "Relax. Stop fighting it. The gear is designed to support you, not make things harder."
"Not helping!" I snapped back, my heart pounding. I could feel the tension in the rope and the harness, its weight pulling me toward the wall with more force than I expected.
My hands were shaking. I reached up with one hand, my fingers grasping at the mosaic indentation as I repositioned myself again, but each movement felt like I was working against a system I didn't fully understand. Laatuuk was already ahead, his figure steadily climbing, but I couldn't seem to find my flow.
As I cast my gaze upwards I noticed the fissure closing in on him. He was approaching the limit of the EMP disruption.
"Laatuuk stop! You are about to exit the safe zone of the fissure!" I yelled a warning to him.
He stopped and then finding a stable position on the wall he took the second device out of his backpack and he attached it to the wall to his left than waited for me.
"Okay, okay," I whispered to myself, taking a shaky breath and turning my focus again to my own set of problem. "I can do this."
Slowly, with careful movements, I reached up with my free hand and tried again to untangle the harness. My boots finally found purchase on the wall, and this time I steadied myself. The harness was still tight, but I wasn't about to give up.
"Keep going," Laatuuk called down again, his voice a reminder that I wasn't alone in this. "It's just a small hurdle. You'll get the hang of it."
I wanted to yell at him that we did not have time for mistakes but instead I nodded to myself, despite the frustration gnawing at my patience. One step at a time, I reminded myself. One hand, one boot, one pull at a time.
Painstakingly I inched myself forward on the wall closing in on Laatuuk position. My mind racing along with my mind that kept reminding me that our time was limited.
When my foot slipped off yet another mosaic indentation, my body lurched forward, but the exoskeleton kicked in, jerking me upright. My heart raced. I adjusted my grip, digging my fingers into the wall again. This time, I was more deliberate, more careful. My breathing steadied, and I let the exoskeleton's assistance support me rather than guide me entirely.
"Better?" Laatuuk's voice echoed down to me, filled with a note of approval. He was still ahead, but his tone was warmer than before.
I took another steadying breath and nodded, though he couldn't see it. "I think so," I called back. "I just need to... trust myself more."
After what seemed like excruciatingly gargantuan minutes I reached Laatook's position and activated the second EMP device which farther parted the veil of the security ward for us.
Laatuuk resumed his ascension ahead of me, his movements swift and controlled. He moved like he had done this a hundred times before, boots clinking softly as the low-torque magnets engaged and disengaged. Grip-gloves flexed and held with quiet certainty.
My own boots and gloves, by contrast, still felt foreign—too new, too reactive. Like they hadn't decided to trust me yet.
"Focus," Laatuuk's voice floated down, calm and laced with encouragement.
I inhaled slowly, trying to quiet my pulse. Rhythm. My heart had rhythm—wild, erratic, pounding like it was trying to break free from my ribs.
The servos in my boots engaged with a faint hum, anchoring me to the wall. The grip-gloves tightened around my fingers as I took another step up.
It felt wrong.
Each movement was too slow, too uncertain. My boots held for a second, then slipped. My hands stuck—then didn't. The harness jerked at my hips as I struggled to center my weight. For a moment, I dangled between momentum and gravity, arms trembling, panic beginning to claw up my throat.
"Got it," I whispered under my breath, forcing my limbs to move. But every shift dragged against the exoskeleton. Every adjustment sent tension down the harness that twisted tight across my waist and shoulders. It was like trying to dance in a suit of armor I hadn't trained for.
I glanced down.
Mistake. The drop beneath me yawned like a mouth waiting to swallow.
The gear caught me again as I slipped. The exoskeleton's servo-assisted correction pulled me upright with a snap—but my nerves were rattled. My breath hitched. My palms were sweating inside the gloves. My thoughts tangled with the harness straps.
The fissure was starting to fluctuate even with two EMP emitters active I had to maintain my focus on the tendrils that were part of the word. I had to push them away from us as I climbed. Now in my panic my concentration was slipping.
"Stop fighting the harness," Laatuuk called, softer this time. "It's designed to work with you. Let it help."
<
I closed my eyes for a moment letting the panic die down with each breath. As my mind cleared I sent a psyonic pulse outwards gripping the tendrils of energy from the ward and putting them back onto new fake energy mosaic stones.
The fissure stablized.
Then I climbed, the tension between the unfamiliar gear, the exoskeleton, and my own body lessening with each step. The mechanical hum of the suit felt less like a crutch and more like a partner in this strange dance. It was still clumsy, but I was getting the hang of it.
Laatuuk and I stopped once more in our ascension to place and activate the last of the EMP emitters. With it the tear in the security ward stabilized like a gaping wound that allowed us to proceed towards our destination. An ornate balcony that twirled like a spiral around the pylon.
When I finally pulled myself over the banister, my hands shaking with exertion, Laatuuk was waiting for me, offering a hand. I took it, allowing him to pull me to solid ground.
I stood there for a moment, hands on my knees, catching my breath. My heart was still pounding, but there was a strange sense of accomplishment bubbling up inside me.
"Not bad for a first climb," Laatuuk remarked, his usual calm smile on his face. "You've got the potential. Just need more practice."
I exhaled slowly, a soft laugh escaping me despite the exhaustion as I allowed my friend to help me take the harness off. His touch a quiet reassurance that everything was fine.
Once free of the climbing harness my friend fold it neatly placing it in his backpack then we darted out of sight. As we stopped a moment to catch our breath. I released my control of the energy mosaic pieces and the psionic shield closed behind us. The small holes created by the EMP emitters being the only disturbance in the outer security system.
I will have to repeat the process when we leave I told myself but for now I could allow my mind to rest even if it was only for a brief moment.
By this time, the guards should also be free of any effects of the feelings bombardment that I sent towards them and they should resume their rounds. I sent my awareness outward to search for the two guards whose minds I had touched earlier. It should not be hard the lingering traces of my own psionic burst should have been evident to my mind even if they were not in my visual range but I found nothing, only void.
I frown and tried again as Laatook was adjusting his wrist scanner trying out frequencies in order to calibrate it for the interaction with the camera system. No matter how much I tried I could not find any trace of the guards' mental signatures. There was only void.
I tried again. Nothing. No echoes. No static. Just silence where two minds should have been.
*********************************************************************************************************
As my younger self took shuddering breath relaxing after the ordeal of the climb I latched onto that breath and broke free becoming again the observer watching my younger self and her friend as they crept along the walls inside the tower descending towards the ground level, which to them proved to be both harder easier than expected as a fair number of people, were moving on the access corridors.
I remembered that aside from the people present in the building one thing that left us puzzled that day was the fact that the surveillance system seemed to not be active.
The inside of the building was recreated perfectly in every minute detail in the dream world. In contrast to the ornate exterior the interior was crisp and almost minimalistic with walls and doors made of a glassy material which looked close to obsidian. The floor was paved with white tiles that made the walls almost seam to close in on us regardless of the tall ceiling supported by slender arches.
The two intruders, one Zinon and one human crept along the hallway after making sure no one was going to notice them. The observer-me watch as they advanced ever so slowly towards the staircase that lead to the lower level.
"Laatuuk, don't you think this is a bit suspicious? None of the cameras seem to be working." The other me asked her friend in a hushed tone as I floated unseen near them following the flow of the dream.
"Maybe they are doing a reset of the entire system which is in our favor." He answered back with a forced grin.
They moved slowly and carefully. Each time someone came close to their position or when a person was blocking their path my younger-self will create a feeling of dread or anxiety to make them go away in the opposite direction. It was not hard since she was already scared and on edge but since she had to amplify these fears and send them outwards they started to affect her as much as they affected her targets.
She was practically hyperventilating at one point and I was sucked in as she breathed in deep. For a moment my mind reeled with amplified fear, the memory of the fear from the past mingled with the fear generated by the knowledge of how this was going to end.
The strong hand of my friend grabbing my wrist helped grounding both my past-self and my present-self inside this phantom world. With one simple gesture he pulled both versions of me—past and present—back into my skin.
It was strange how the dream chose to create the exact pressure, skin texture and warmth of of his hand on mine. My past-self breath slower this time calming herself and I flew out of her body. For a split second the dream and my mind decided to be exceedingly cruel by resurfacing a memory of my friend and making it a part of this dream. It felt like the dream got a mind of its own and it decided to twist the knife—it brought him back, not as memory but as a presence, as if he'd never been lost.
For a moment I reeled as I battled the ghost of the sensation forcing myself to belive that this was a dream anyway, memories on repeat.
It was not for the first time this happed but it always left me rattled to the core. I wished this nightmare will hurry along and end but regardless of my wishes the dream continued on its course and I had no other choice than to follow along the two protagonists to their downfall.
By the time we arrived at the actual ore deposit the other me was practically feeling sick with the amount of negative emotions that she had to conjure inside herself and then send outwards towards groups of people that were moving on the corridor to make them steer clear. Her knees buckled with every step. Each breath burned through her chest like acid, a price for every emotion she had twisted and weaponized.
I watched as she was practically stumbling after her friend keeping a hand on the wall for balance. That was only a small taste compared to the pain and self-loathing that she was going to experience after this day.
"This is it." Laatuuk said pointing towards a massive wall at the end of the corridor on which there was an inscription that read, according to our automatic translators "Processed Ore".
They approached it with due caution making sure no one was in the area first while I kept watch over them. The cameras were still not working.
The other me positioned herself near the door as Laatuuk started to work on breaking the code of the lock. She sent her awareness outwards scanning for people but the present me knew she will not find anything until it was too late.
The present me trapped in the dream knew that they were rendered nonfunctional by another group of people that were after the psyclite but my past-self and her friend had no idea of what was going on. Or that the guards outside were all dead.
They thought they were the only ghosts haunting this corridor. They were wrong. We weren't alone. And we never had been
<
The dream shifted again its perspective and I was left to experience again the dread and anxiety in first person as I watched my Zinon friend trying to brake the lock on the door. This was taking longer than expected and the longer it took the more dangerous it became.
I wished I could tell Latook to hurry but I knew I could not do that and risk breaking his concentration. I wished I could convince him to leave and abandon this insane idea of his but it was too late for that already. All I could do now was to do the task he had assigned it to me and hope that we will succeed. Although I could not shake the feeling that something was most definitely wrong.
"Almost there." The Zinon said in a strained voice.
I appreciated the fact that he took the time to informed me of his progress. He knew me well enough to realize that I was close to my emotional braking point now. His words, few as they were gave me a little confidence that maybe we will succeed.
*********************************************************************************************************
After an excruciating amount of time I heard a click accompanied by a relived sight from Laatuuk. I took a quick glance back to see my friend opening the door and disparaging inside the room.
I kept my place near the door directing my awareness outwards seeking for uneasy feelings or for determination to stop some event from happening that could mean that someone has taken notice of our presence in some form. Nothing seemed unusual at first and I started to hope that this endeavor of ours will actually succeed as Laatuuk said.
<
That is when I noticed. There was another group of people moving towards our location and their thoughts and emotions were so focused on psyclite that for a moment I felt almost overwhelmed by their desire to have it. Nothing else mattered apparently for the people approaching us than having the metal.
I turned around and entered the storage area lingering near the door. Laatuuk was in front of a container, scanner in hand, not moving.
"Laatuuk, what are you doing? There are people coming this way. We have to hurry." I told him trying to get his attention while still staying close to the door.
"This is not right. The metal in this containers does not have the right properties . There are similarities but it is not the same. It is like a diluted version of the real metal we are after." He said blinking in confusion without looking at me.
"Maybe this is some kind of unrefined version and they keep the real metal in another location. Either way we need to leave. Take a sample of that ore and let's go." I insisted taking another step into the room.
"We cannot leave. We must obtain a pure sample. Take out your scanner and look around." He countered.
I opened my mouth to protest only to be assaulted by a sensation of pain and agony. My mind reeled under the pressure and I staggered to the side. Just as I braced myself against the door frame the overwhelming sensation of pain dispersed in its place followed something that I could only describe as a void.
"Laatuuk, we need to leave now! I think that someone was…" I started taking another step into the room when burst of lighting zapped by me missing me by a hairbreadth.
My eyes widen, we were in an enclosed facility lightning should not be possible in here. Then another energy beam passed me by just as I whirled towards the door. Someone was shooting at us! My brain finally processed the reality. Frantically, I pushed the door closed and turned towards my friend.
For a moment I could not find him. He was not standing near the container. He was shaking violently on the floor, all four of his eyes open wide but unfocused.
"Laatuuk, hold on, please!" I cried, trying to keep him still. My hands shook as I pressed down, uselessly, against the burn. The visor screamed with feedback, his agony pouring into me like a flood. I felt his pain in my spine, my teeth, my lungs.
The visor didn't just show me his pain. It mirrored it.
My nerves burned where his were severed. My lungs clenched when his collapsed.
I couldn't tell where his suffering ended and mine began.
I pressed my forehead to his shoulder, breath caught in my throat, as shame pooled in the hollow of my stomach.
"I should've done something," I whispered. "I should've known."
But he didn't hear me. He was too far gone for words now.
My vision exploded in static as his pain tore through the visor's link, a psychic scream that pierced bone and marrow. My own body spasmed in response, mirroring his agony, my hands uselessly trying to cradle a body while his soul was already slipping away. A heartbeat later and the pain was gone. The thread of feelings that bound us together snapped leaving only void in its wake.
And then—
Something tugged at my neck.
The chain.
The Ebbia flower pendant my mother had given me just two days earlier, its pale glass petals meant to remind me of calm, of grounding—of her—caught on Laatuuk's suit as I tried to shift him into a better position.
"No, no— you are not dead, only resting."
The chain snapped.
I barely registered the metallic whisper as it hit the floor and skidded under the edge of a storage rack.
But my chest tightened like something had been torn from it.
Not now.
Not this, too.
I wanted to dive after it. To crawl across the floor and retrieve it. But the scream of metal from the door told me I was out of time.
The cutting beam had begun.
Someone from the other side was trying to get in. Sending my awareness outward again I confirmed that they were the same people from before, the ones who shot Laatuuk.
Guilt fled from my mind while my gaze registered the molten metal dripping onto the floor like incandescent blood from a slowly opening wound. The door hissed as the cutting beam intensified, the scent of scorched psyclite curling into the air. I could taste metal on my tongue, bitter and acrid.
<
Looking around franticly my eyes fell on the open container that Laatuuk was scanning earlier
<
The thought started twirling inside my mind like a trapped mouse.
To my total dismay as a response to my thoughts small pieces of ore rose into the air vibrating then they flew towards the door were the fused together forming a new layer of psyclite that covered a small portion of the door.
I was utterly surprised by this since I did not posses any telekinetic powers, at least none that I was aware of. This wasn't empathy. This was something else entirely. The ore didn't just feel me — it obeyed me. As if it had been waiting for someone to tell it what to become.
Redirecting my attention to the container again I willed new ore pieces to move towards the door. Obeying they flew in that direction and fused themselves together forming a somewhat jagged, shimmering shield between us and the people from the other side. I repeated the process two more times and then the whole room began to swing and rotate. I fell to the side unable to move as my body succumbed to exhaustion.
<