The Archivist Chronicles: Chapter 4

By T.B. Anderson

Copyright Tyler Anderson

Wats was lost in his tinkering, but he did hear the familiar sound of the door to his lab sliding open. He recognized Ozer's footsteps, but decided to play coy and finish making the adjustments to his ear comm. Ozer stood in the doorway, remaining perfectly still. Wats could guess Ozer was thinking that had not learned anything from the previous night. He smiled and placed the ear comm back into his ear and took stock of the situation. Ozer assumed Wats hadn’t heard him come in so that gave him the advantage. His whip handle was holstered at his thigh, ready to be tested. Wats’ fingers twitched to hold it. Now it would be his turn to surprise Ozer.

            Wats held his hand out and the whip flew into it, gripping it tightly. In one smooth motion he spun around and slashed his hand toward Ozer. A string of blue energy crackled and lashed out from the whip handle and wrapped around Ozer’s right arm. Ozer stumbled back in surprise, but the tautness of the whip kept him on his feet. He was expecting an electrical shock, but he was surprised to find the energy was a solid form with no shock. Wats could see Ozer was impressed, but knew the satisfaction wouldn’t last long. “This won’t do you much good if I yank if from your hands.” Wats gave a smug reply, “You can try.” Wats moved his feet slightly to help him stand firm. Ozer accepted the challenge and yanked his wrapped arm has hard as he could, but the whip didn’t move and neither did Wats. In fact, Wats didn’t even appear to be holding it. It was as if it was stuck to his hand. A look of momentary confusion crossed Ozer’s face.

            “I heard what you said last night and had an idea. What do you think?” A smile began to appear in the corners of Wats mouth. Wats was enjoying this a little too much, but it wasn’t often that he could surprise Ozer. “How’d you do it?” Ozer asked with curiosity. Wats relaxed his body and the energy whip fizzled away, and the handle flew back to the holster on Wats’ thigh. Wats held up his hand and wiggled his fingers like he had casted a spell. “Magic,” he replied with a beaming smile. Ozer looked at him incredulously. “Nah, I’m just kidding you. Magnets and brain power.” Ozer could now see a new thin piece of metal wrapped around the palm of his right hand to accompany the metal plate on his left arm where his shield was. Wats continued with his explanation, “I modified my ear comm to accept commands for magnets I installed in this band. The whip can only function when it’s connected to my biometrics. I can also control the force of the energy. That’s why you didn’t get shocked” Ozer was impressed, “Interesting. I’d love to see it in real action and see how it performs. But that will have to wait. Your parents have completed their jump and would like to chat with you before they enter Solarian’s orbit.” Wats’ mood changed quickly to one of somber. “Lead the way,” he said.

            A few moments later Ozer and Wats entered the bridge of the ship. The communication button on the console was blinking red, indicating a transmission was waiting. Wats hesitated for a moment before tapping the button. He hoped the situation wasn’t as dire as the council had made it out to be, but he prepared himself for the worst. Finally he gave into the blinking light and pushed the button. The hologram blinked to life and there were his parents staring back at him, both smiling. A seed of hope blossomed inside and the worry subsided a little, but did not completely disappear.

Dallimore looked at his son with care in his eyes, “Wats, we aren’t sure how well our communications will be once we enter the planet’s atmosphere so we wanted to talk with you before. If we cut out you’ll know why. I’ve sent my notes to your tablet on what I’ve found so far while copying the texts in Ward’s library. You should be able to pick up right where I left off.” Wats nodded thoughtfully, “Of course.” Dallimore smiled at his son, “I knew I could count on you. We will most likely be out of range of communication for the next few days, but we will try to reach contact you once we find a secure connection on the surface. We’re in good hands here, so no need to worry about us.” Dallimore put an arm around Ashe and squeezed. Ashe looked at Wats, he thought he could see tears in her eyes, but he wasn’t sure if it was the static of the hologram or real tears. She spoke, her voice slightly timid, ”Wats, your father and I both love you and know that Ozer will keep you safe. We have to go now, but we will speak again...” The message cut to static and the hologram disappeared.

It felt as if there was a frog in Wats’ throat and he was finding it difficult to keep his emotions in check. His parents had left him with Ozer many times befoe while they went out on missions, but he couldn’t shake the feeling that this one was different. His emotions were bubbling under the surface and he wasn’t sure how to handle it. Ozer wasn’t the type of person he could talk to about his feelings. So he locked them inside and hoped he wouldn’t have to deal with them.

            Ozer stepped up behind him, clearing his throat. “We best get a move on. Mr. Ward is expecting us soon.” Without waiting for a response Ozer turned on his heels and headed for the docking ramp. Wats waited for a moment and then followed.

            A half an hour later Wats and Ozer stood at the front gate of the Ward estate. Wats couldn’t believe he had been here just yesterday. With everything that had transpired in the last 24 hours it felt like it had been a week since he was last here, and the effect caused him to look at Ward’s home with new eyes. The estate was on the outskirts of Taurden, but Wats hadn’t noticed just how dense the jungle was surrounding the area. It would be easy to get lost out there or to hide. Yesterday Wats could hear the chirping of the birds, but today they were quiet. Wats found it strange and made a mental note.

The security monitor buzzed to life with Ward appearing on the screen. “Good morning gentlemen. Where are Dallimore and Ashe?” Wats struggled to find the words and before he could respond, Ozer spoke up, “They were called away. The council has left Wats and I to complete their work.” Ward considered his answer for a moment before responding, “Very well. It is disappointing to see the council put another task over mine.” Wats finally found his voice, “My deepest apologies sir, but I assure you that my father would not have sent us if he didn’t believe we couldn’t do the job to his level of satisfaction.” This seemed to appease Ward and he nodded his head, “Come in.” The screen went dark and the electrical gate vanished. Wats and Ozer entered the grounds and the gate hummed to a close behind them. The two of them walked along the driveway and disappeared around a corner, hidden by the dense forest.

The doors to the library swung open and Ward entered the room followed by Wats and Ozer. Ward pointed to the far corner of the library where Dallimore’s equipment was still set up with a stack of books piled high on a table next to it. “The books on the right have already been sorted and the ones on the left still need to be digitized and studied.” Wats walked around the table and took in the scene. His father was meticulous when it came to work and his workstation showed it. Everything had its precise place. Ward straightened a stack of papers and looked at Ozer and then Wats, “I’ll leave you to your work. I’ll check back in on you in a few hours. If you need anything you can contact my assistant through the comm.” “Thank you Mr. Ward,” Wats replied. “Please, just call me Ward. I’ll leave you too it.” Ward walked away from Wats and Ozer and pulled the doors closed behind him.

Once the doors closed Wats turned to Ozer, “So will you be scanning or searching?” “Neither. I’m the pilot of your parents ship and your teacher, not an archivist. But I will watch you,” Ozer said with a smirk. Wats gave him a death stare while he grabbed the first book from the top of the stack and placed it in the scanner box. Wats pointed an accusing finger at Ozer, “You know if I was my father you’d be helping.” “Too right,” Ozer replied with a laugh and took a seat in a nearby lounge chair, “I like your father. The jury is still out on you though.” Ozer teased. Even though Wats had known Ozer his entire life, he still had a hard time figuring him out. He could be serious one moment and teasing him the next, and Wats wasn’t sure what exactly flipped the switch for Ozer. Wats smiled to himself. Despite the unpredictability of Ozer’s personality he was happy to have his friendship.

The scanner hummed to life as Wats began digitizing the book he had placed inside the box. Wats kept his eyes fixed on the screen as a flood of information swept across the screen. Wats’ unique ability to consume and comprehend knowledge at an incredibly rapid rate came in very handy as an archivist. He wasn’t sure if it was a photographic memory or just quick comprehension. Sure, he would miss a few things here and there, but he was always able to go back and fill in the gaps later. His focus was on finding the important pieces, the hidden treasures buried within the pages of these books. The scanner hummed to a stop and Wats grabbed the next book from the pile and placed it inside the scanner, setting the first book off to the side on the pile his father had started of completed books. Out of the corner of his eye Wats saw Ozer flipping through a few books from a table nearby. Nothing seemed to be catching his attention and Wats knew before long Ozer would bored and would venture out for some fresh air, leaving him alone in the library. While Wats would miss Ozer’z companionship, he enjoyed the silence because it was when he did his best thinking.

Hours later Wats was alone in the library. Ozer had only lasted half an hour before he wanted to venture off and explore Ward’s estate. So far Wats had found nothing remotely intriguing and everything he had gathered was what he labeled as dry history. He wanted to find something mysterious or unexplained. This is where his philosophy differed from the council’s. They wanted to preserve, but he wanted to discover the unexplained. Someday he would have to figure out what mattered more, but for now as an archivist in training he could live in both worlds.

Wats reached for another book and found only one book remained. He picked it up and turned the book over in his hand. The cover was extremely worn and the spine of the book was barely holding the pages together. This book intrigued Wats for some reason and maybe there was some discovery waiting inside. After a momentary inspection, he placed it on the scanner. The data filled the screen and Wats watched intently. A symbol popped up on the screen and went away as quickly as it had appeared. A slow recognition had begun to form in Wats’ mind. He had seen that symbol before, hadn’t he? Or was he forcing himself to find some mystery? His finger instinctively pressed down on the keyboard to pause the scan. He touched the screen with his finger and scrolled back through the information to the symbol. There it was, now where had he seen it before? It looked like an ‘A’ on its side with three additional lines spaced evenly above the traditional line.  

Wats stared at the symbol for a long time, struggling to remember where he recognized it. He was so lost in his thoughts that he didn’t hear the door to the library open or someone enter the room. Moments later a voice wrenched Wats from his thoughts, “Excuse me.” The sudden jolt caused him to stumble and fall from his chair, but he caught himself on the edge of the desk keeping himself from falling all the way to the floor. He looked up and saw Ward standing just a few feet away. As Wats pulled himself back into his chair he cursed at himself silently for not hearing Ward enter the library. With a tinge of embarrassment Wats greeted Ward, “Ward, I didn’t hear you come in.” Ward smiled, “I ran into your pilot and he said you were working alone. I thought I would come see how things were progressing. Anything interesting?” Wats considered for a moment whether he should ask Ward about the symbol, after all it was his book. There was no need though because Ward walked around the desk and peered at the image on the screen. “Ah, interesting.”

With a little hesitancy Wats spoke up, “It looks familiar to me, but I’m not quite sure why.” Ward took a step forward and pinched the screen with two of his fingers and rotated the image clockwise. “It’s an ancient Earth symbol for iron,” Ward answered, and then asked his own question, “which book did you find this in?” Wats pulled the decaying book from the scanner box and held it up, “This one.” Ward scratched his chin in contemplation, “I know that book well. Did you happen to read that book I gave you yesterday?” Wats perked up at the question, “I did.” “What do you recall about secret societies?” Ward asked. “Specifically it talked about groups like the Illuminati and the Order of the Dragon. They were supposedly secret groups made up of powerful people attempting to control governments from the shadows,” Wats responded.

Wats could see Ward was impressed that he had already read the book completely through. “I knew I made the right choice by sharing that book with you. We are alike you and I. Fascinated by the stories that live in-between the world of fact or fiction. Let me show you something else.” Ward walked over to one of the book-lined shelves along the nearest wall and ran his finger across the spine of the books. Wats wasn’t sure what to expect. Ward seemed more relaxed than he did the day before when he was speaking with Dallimore and Ashe. There was a slight giddiness to his demeanor.

Ward found what he was looking for and plucked the book from the shelf and begun flipping through the pages as he walked back towards Wats. “This book covers the history of Archon from shortly after the landing of The Maiden, so there would have been no reason for your father to even consider archiving the contents. But there is a connection between that symbol you found and this book.” Ward stopped flipping through the pages, “Ah ha, here it is.” He set the book down in front of Wats and pointed to a passage, “When The Maiden arrived there were three other ships that also ended up here as well. But folklore from the southern lands claimed there was a fifth ship that crashed in that region. Despite all efforts there was never any evidence found of a wreckage or anyone who had been aboard it.” Ward snapped the book shut. “My father believed that there was a fifth ship. His great grandfather, who was aboard The Maiden, would tell him stories about those who had gone after the fifth ship.” Wats was sucked in, “What were they looking for?” Ward smiled, “This is where the story is a little fuzzy. Some say it some great treasure brought here from Earth while others say it is terrible weapon of mass destruction. Either way it promised great power to those who sought it out.”

The hairs on Wats neck prickled, but it wasn’t from the story. Hadn’t the birds been chirping just a few minutes ago? The air was suddenly to still as it had been when they arrived at Ward’s estate. Wats interrupted Ward’s story, “Where did you say that you ran into Ozer?” “He was in the atrium. Why do you…” Ward was unable to finish his question because at that moment the doors to the library burst open. A group of five men wearing masks stalked in through the door with their blasters aimed at Wats and Ward.

Ward took a step back towards Wats in an attempt to shield him from the intruders. Wats didn’t think Ward could do much, but he wasn’t going to stop him. “What is the meaning of this?” Ward questioned the men. The man in front spoke first, his voice crackling through the mask, “We are here for you Mr. Ward. We would like a word with you.” Ward tried to stand tall, but Wats could see the man’s knees were shaking slightly. “I’m not going anywhere with you. How did you get past my security?” The response to his question was the hum of their blasters warming up to fire.

Wats readied his mind for the attack. His hand was open and ready to use the whip and his other arm was ready to brace any blaster fire that his shield would catch. At that moment Wats noticed a symbol etched into one of the men’s helmets. It was the symbol from the book weaved into the shape of a fist. Suddenly he remembered why the symbol looked so familiar, it was the same one he had seen on the handle of the man’s cane he had followed into the alley. Now that he remembered his mind wanted to piece the puzzle together, but now wasn’t the time.

Ward gulped, “Please, I don’t want any violence.” Ward lowered the hand that had been in front of Wats to protect him and began to slowly walk towards the men. Wats wondered where Ozer was at this moment. Had he not heard the men enter? “I will go with you, but please leave the boy alone,” Ward pleaded in a worried tone. Wats could see Ward’s hands were now shaking visibly. This was not going to end well for Wats, no matter what the group’s response would be. He began to take stock of the exits in the room. The only real exit were the doors the men had just come through. His only viable option would be a window.

One of the men in the group produced a black cloth sack and a pair of handcuffs. There was no way Wats was going to wait for the men to shoot at him first. They wanted Ward alive, so they wouldn’t risk killing him. The closest window to Wats was on his right between two sections of shelving ten feet away from his current position. He would jump out the window and find Ozer. After that they would figure out what to do together. His mind was made up but he would wait until Ward was out of the crossfire, and then he would jump. Two more steps and Ward would be out of range of the crossfire. Wats wouldn’t need the whip for his escape, so he balled his right hand into a fist in preparation to break through the glass. One more step. Ward was out of the line of crossfire and the men momentarily shifted their focus completely away from Wats. This was his chance.

Wats sprinted for the window and his energy shield exploded from his left forearm, creating a barrier from the floor to over his head to protect him from any blaster fire. The men were caught by surprise and managed to only fire off a few shots. Wats leaped, throwing his entire body weight and the force of the shield to crash through the window.

The Archivist Chronicles Chapter 3: Nolan

By T.B. Anderson

Copyright Tyler Anderson

Two years earlier was when Nolan first stepped onto the Archon Space Pilot Academy campus. She left behind the comfort of her home for the last eighteen years in Taured to pursue her goal of becoming a pilot. She was a hundred miles south from family and she could feel the loneliness start to set in. The campus was huge and she wondered if this is where she should really be. But she only hesitated for a moment because she knew she was born to fly. All the natural abilities a pilot needed she already possessed, but now it was time to find out if she had the other intangibles it would take to be a great pilot.

The campus buzzed with activity and Nolan was ready to be a part of it. Earlier that day her assigned mentor had provided her with the directions to the dorms she would be living in for the next two years. She picked up her bags off the ground and headed for the northwest quadrant.

            The first day of pilot school came earlier than expected. At zero four hundred hours Nolan’s dorm door burst open. Nolan shot up out of bed, unsure of where she was at but she quickly cleared her mind and realized Captain Boschwein was moving down the aisle between the beds. She quickly slid from her bed and her feet found the icy floor. Boschwein was barking out orders but she was having a tough time making sense of what he was saying because her mind was still fuzzy from the sudden jolt from sleep. The fog left her mind and Boschwein’s words became very crisp and clear. “My job is to make you the best pilots this galaxy has ever seen and you can’t do that laying in your bed. Your days will start at zero four hundred hours and end at twenty hundred hours. Is that understood?” he yelled. Each cadet saluted in unison and replied with a unanimous, “Yes sir!”

            Nolan stood completely still with her hand holding the traditional salute. The major approached her position and stopped. His eyes bore into her soul and all she wanted to do was run and hide, but she forced herself to stay completely still. The major barked at her, “Why are you here?” She mustered as much energy as she could, “To be the best pilot this galaxy has ever seen, sir!” The answer satisfied him and he moved down the line. When he was far enough away she let out a short sigh, hopefully only noticeable to her. She did not want to show any weakness. Even though she had made it this far, the group would be cut down from 100 pilots to 40 in a just a few short weeks when they faced The Gauntlet.

            Boschwein barked new orders, “Breakfast is down in the mess hall, you have 15 minutes to get dressed, eat, and be in the classroom before I am.” He walked back past Nolan and to the door, but stopped short. “And if your not, pack your bags!” And with that, he slammed the door shut. The slamming of the door triggered a chaos bomb in the room. Cadets struggled to maneuver around each other, clothes were flying everywhere as they quickly changed, and plenty of colorful language escaped their lips.

            Fourteen minutes and two second later Nolan was the second the person to sit down. Only one other person beat her, a woman by the name of Dane. That wouldn’t happen again. Tomorrow she would make sure she was the first one to arrive, even she had to sleep in her clothes. She had thought about sitting in the front row of the classroom, but didn’t want to draw that much attention to herself on the first day. She would assess the situation and then make the move the following day. Nolan liked to take control of her life, but her moves were also very calculated and she didn’t place herself in danger without knowing the circumstances first. For today the second row would suit her just fine.

            Finally, at twenty hundred hours she emerged from her final class of the day. This class discussed the early concept of space travel after the people of Earth, Nolan’s ancestors, crashed on Archon almost 200 years ago. While space travel has come a long way since than, the intent was to scare the hell out of them and make each cadet realize that one wrong move could send the pilot and their crew into oblivion. When earthkind first made their jump through space to escape a doomed world, they made it without any clue where they would arrive. It was different now because most ships built for space travel were equipped with technology similar to generate their own gateway to make space travel much quicker and more precise..

Nolan was a descendant of the passengers of the Maiden. Her great, great grandmother and grandfather were aboard the ship. In a relatively short time  living on a strange new planet they were able to integrate themselves into life here on Archon and become very influential citizens. Nolan knew her grandmother was brilliant, and often her mother would tell Nolan how much she reminded her of her great, great grandmother. When the Maiden landed on Archon, the technology of the planet was almost two hundred years behind Earth, but with the help of Nolan’s grandmother they advanced quickly and surpassed Earth’s capability. Nolan’s heritage was one of the reasons she put in so much extra work to get where she was today. Her great, great grandmother’s rise in Archon society due to her brilliant mind placed her in influential social circles.

            Her instructor was familiar with her family lineage and called on her often during the class to provide insight. Nolan kept her answers brief because she didn’t want to draw any unwanted attention on the first day. The threatening looks from the other cadets had been kept to a minimum, which she was glad for. She didn’t want anyone thinking if she made the top forty percent it had been because of her family ties. She would prove she belonged when they faced the Gauntlet.

            Two months later it was time for the Gauntlet. The room was dimly lit and it held a hundred round simulators that were just big enough to fit a single person. Nolan lifted the simulator goggles and placed them over her eyes. Since the first day of class this was the moment she had been waiting for, her first opportunity to prove she truly belonged. Nolan had worked hard and sacrificed to get her ready for this first test. While some of the other cadets utilized their free time for socializing and drinking, she studied and trained. She knew she was ready.

            The screen in front of Nolan was dark, but it felt like heat waves from the sun and was causing her hands to sweat profusely. Discretely she wiped her hands on her pants to give her a steady grip on the steering consul. Her eyes wandered to her left and right, scoping out her competition. On her left was Dane, who was the only person in Nolan’s class who she considered to be an equal. The two shared similar qualities. Both were natural risk takers, creative, and fast on their feet. Nolan and Dane had been battling for the top spot for the last two months with each taking their turn at the top of the leader board. But today only one would walk away as the clear leader. All the books in the world wouldn’t save Nolan today, she was going to have to let her instincts take over and the knowledge she had learned over the last two months permeate her strategies tow win. On Nolan’s right was Hash. He had asked her to join him for a drink several times, but she had rebuffed him gently each time. There was no way she could have a relationship and have the time she needed to concentrate on being a pilot. Despite her polite rebuffs, they often worked together in class and she definitely enjoyed his company. She thought maybe after all of this they could go out on a date. Wait; was this really where her mind was going at this crucial moment? She shook the thoughts from her head and reminded herself what she needed to do. First, make sure she was in the top 40 in the event. Second, she had to win.

            Boschwein strode down the aisle between the simulators. “Please put your glasses on at this time. Your simulator pods will now close.” Nolan picked up her goggles and placed them over her eyes. The doors to her pod closed and she was left in utter darkness. Inside the pod a slight crackle emanated from the speaker and the simulator screen came to life with a video feed of Boschwein. His voice was stern and his instructions clear, “This is not a team exercise. You must forget the friendships and connections you’ve forged during your time here. Today the cadets in these simulator pods are your enemies. Your job is to prove to me that you are the best and win. Your focus needs to be one hundred percent locked in on the task in front of you.” Boschwein’s face turned very serious, “Good luck to you all. The simulation will now begin.”

            The Gauntlet was a simulation that took place in the desert of southern Archon. It was a beautifully painted red desert with natural land bridges and arches. The simulated ships were small A-65 fighters that were designed more for bruising other ships rather than skillful maneuvering. Nolan knew the academy was very intentional in their selection. They would have no weapons system and they would have to knock each other out of the sky to win. Only the best pilots would be able to fly these ships with skill and not look like a bowling ball crashing through the pins.

Nolan took hold of the steering console and all other noises faded away. The countdown started to tick away on the screen. This was her moment and she was ready —three, two, one. The test begun and her ship sat alone on a cliff overlooking the barren landscape below. She flipped on her thrusters and lifted off the ground. Her ship had only managed to get a few feet above the ground when several cadets attempted to ambush her from the sides. A smile escaped her lips. It was time to show them who she really was. She hovered and watched the approaching ships. The two vessels were closing in fast on her, but she had to be patient if this was going to work. Nolan flipped on the rear thrusters and kicked up dust in her wake. Her ship easily escaped the attack and the two ships crashed into each other. That was two down she thought. She wondered if any other cadets had been eliminated so quickly. There attack had been careless and they had relied solely on the element of surprise. If they had been paying attention in class they would have realized a tactic like that only had around a ten percent chance of even working on someone like her.

Thirty minutes later and Nolan was one of ten cadets that remained. Nolan was so close to victory that she could taste it. She checked her radar to see if any cadets were approaching from the rear, but there was no sign of anyone. She pumped the accelerator and tore off at a break neck speed. A few seconds later Nolan heard the familiar beeping that indicated a ship appearing on her radar. She looked down to see which direction it was approaching from. It was on her right and it was coming in fast. Her eyes scanned the simulated terrain in front of her and she saw a stone arch in the near distance. A smile crept on her face and she knew exactly which maneuver would take care of her next attacker. It was almost too easy that even a slight chuckle escaped her lips. The ship caught up to Nolan and matched her pace. After a few seconds of flying side by side the opposing cadet accelerated in a side sweeping side motion directed at knocking Nolan’s ship off her course. This was exactly what she had anticipated. As the ship came in to ram her from the side she quickly maneuvered into a half barrel role, which put Nolan directly over the other ship, but upside down. The other cadet didn’t even have time to react to the natural arch bridge ahead of them because they had been so focused on Nolan. Nolan smiled and watch the ship crash into the rock formation. Boom!

It was now down to Nolan, Dane, and Hash. The cliffs and natural stone structures disappeared and gave way to a sandy desert with rolling hills. There would be fewer opportunities for her to use the natural landscape as a weapon, and she knew she had to be at her best to beat Dane. In her eyes Hash was lucky to have even made it to this point. Of course he was a good pilot, but not nearly as skilled as Dane or herself.

Two blips appeared on her radar. One was coming from the north on a straight collision course with her ship, while the other was coming from the southwest direction in an attempt to catch her. She wasn’t sure who was who, but that didn’t matter because she already had a plan. She would wait until she knew the ship in front of her was about to fire and would release her flare bomb to distract her pursuer from behind, and then dive for the surface and let the other two go down in the cross fire. Nolan watched and waited until both vessels were close enough. She flipped up the switch to release her flare. Just a few more seconds more she thought and it would be perfect. She pressed down on the button, but nothing happened. Her thumb tapped down the button rapidly a few more times. Still nothing. Her screens flickered and drew her focus away. It was all the distraction that the other two ships needed. Hash let his missile fly and it connected. Nolan was out. She couldn’t believe it and stared at her screen in utter dismay. Moments later Hash received a direct hit from Dane and he was eliminated. Dane had won. Nolan couldn’t be mad at Dane, she was a great pilot, but something gnawed at her. It was too convenient that her controls had gone haywire at the exact moment she was attempting her maneuver.

She sat in her simulation pod for a few more seconds because she needed the isolation to gain her composure. She could hear the muffled hooting and hollering from the other cadets for Dane. Nolan finally gave in and raised the doors to her pod as light came flooding in. It took a minute for her eyes to adjust to the light, but she could make out Boschwein waiving his hands in the air to quiet the room. “Congratulations to our top three pilots, Cadets Bask, Hash, and our winner Dane. Celebrate your victory now because tomorrow we start the real thing.”

Nolan watched as the cadets gathered around Dane to congratulate her. Some embraced her in hugs while other gave her congratulatory slap on the back. Nolan wallowed in her disappointment and anyone that looked at her would know not to talk to her. The voices of congratulation for Dane were like echoes in Nolan’s head. Her mind was running through the last few minutes over and over again, something just didn’t feel right. Hash placed his hand lightly on her shoulder, his touch bringing her back to the present. “We almost had her.” She tried to respond but found that her emotions were to close to the surface, and this was not the time or place to let them out. Without a word she brushed his hand from her should and headed for the door. Hash didn’t attempt to follow her, he knew better. Nolan passed by Dane without so much as a glance. She was happy for her friend, but she knew if she had looked at her those emotions would have come bubbling out and she did not want to be viewed as a petty person. She hoped Dane knew that. The door in front of her slid open and she quietly disappeared into the hallway beyond.