Chapter 21
Elena pried herself reluctantly out of bed and got ready to face the day. She glanced at the closed notebook as she dressed and tried to think of anything she could add from her dreams. She shook her head and tugged her sweater on. Aside from the dream that woke her there wasn’t much to report. The rest of the night contained flashes like she had seen at the end of the non-existent channel.
“I think I was too afraid to fall deeply asleep,” she thought. A few seconds after the images began to play she would start awake. Elena rubbed a hand across her eyes and wished she could crawl back into bed. Images of Peter and Smith breaking in to come get her danced on her mental view screen.
“Well maybe Peter wouldn’t,” she corrected. “Smith probably would though. Elena left the bedroom and walked into the living room, giving her kitchen a scowl as she passed, knowing there was no coffee. The headache throbbed behind her eyes but it was not nearly as bad as it had been in the night. She thought about her dreams as she waited for Peter.
Elena closed her eyes and pictured herself standing on the deck of the Storm Chaser. She replayed the dream and when it reached the point where she turned away she flinched, expecting the pain. Elena opened her eyes.
“What if they are right?” She asked the empty apartment. “What if it is an evolution of abilities? Could I open a new channel?” The thought sounded idiotic to her own ears. That simply wasn’t the way the channels worked. The thought kept circling though as she grabbed a blank notebook and slipped a pen into her purse. A knock sounded at the door, interrupting her thoughts.
“Good morning,” she said, opening the door for Peter. In his hand he held a cup of coffee from the local coffee shop. He held it out to her and she reached for it automatically.
“And good morning to you,” he said. “I did not know if you would have time to make a pot of coffee so I brought some.”
“Thank you,” she said, taking a delicate sip of the hot brew. He had added a dollop of milk and a teaspoon of sugar. It was exactly the way she fixed her cup when on board the Lorenzo. Obviously Peter was paying attention. She picked up her purse and notebook. She slung the pure strap to her shoulder and tucked the notebook under her arm so she could lock the door. She followed Peter into the hallway then shut and locked the apartment door. As she tucked her keys away and followed Peter down the stairs she wondered if the lock was any good. Had the military been in her place while she was out? She shook the thought away and got into the waiting car.
“You seem pre-occupied,” Peter commented as Thomas navigated the car through morning traffic.
“Just thinking about my dreams,” she said.
“Ah,” he replied. “And the calling?”
“Yes.” Elena sipped her coffee.
“My brother has been studying it for quite some time and often uses me as a sounding board for his theories and thoughts.”
“Is he fond of the evolution of ability theory?”
“As a matter of fact yes, I believe he is.”
“And has he theories about nature of this evolution?”
“Several,” Peter said with a smile. “But none he is really pleased with.”
“I see,” Elena said thoughtfully. “Do any of his theories deal with a pilot’s ability to open new channels?”
“I’m not sure,” he replied, looking Elena over thoughtfully. She cringed a little. Giving Peter another reason to speculate in her direction was not a good plan. She turned away from Peter to stare out the window. “I will have to ask him and let you know.”
“That would be nice,” she said turning back towards him. The speculative look was gone, as if he realized her discomfort. A cheerful, helpful smile greeted her. She smiled back, not at all fooled by the change in facial expressions. They rode the rest of the way in silence.
Elena took a deep breath when they reached the guard station and almost wished they would be refused entrance. Apparently they were cleared because as soon as Thomas gave the guard Elena’s name he agreed to allow them entry. Once again they were told someone would meet them. Thomas pulled the car into the same spot and Elena and Peter got out of the car. She was expecting the same man to lead them to the conference room instead however Smith was waiting by the door.
“Good morning,” Smith said.
“Morning,” Elena and Peter replied automatically.
“Ian is giving a lecture this morning and we believe it would be beneficial for you to hear the lecture and then sit down in conference.”
“You want us to hear what he says while he doesn’t know we are here,” Elena said with a smile. “Sneaky.”
“Not at all,” Smith replied stiffly. “We merely feel you need to hear the presentation in its entirety before discussions begin.”
“Of course,” Elena said. Peter hid a smile. Smith opened the door and let them through a series of hallways. Doors lined the hallways and through the doors that were opened Elena could see they housed offices. The hallway ended at a double door, Which Smith held open. Elena stepped into a small auditorium.
“Your seats are this way,” Smith said leading them to the back of the seating area. Elena and Peter took their seats and Smith left them. As if his leaving was a signal, people started to enter the room and fill up the seats in front of Elena and Peter.
“I think we broke the dress code,” Elena said noticing they were the only ones not dressed in a military fashion.
“I doubt anyone will really notice,” Peter said. He pointed up to the lights above them and Elena could see that several of the light bulbs over them had been removed to place them more in shadow. Elena snorted.
“Good thing Smith doesn’t want to be sneaky,” she commented. The seats around them filled in and when every seat was filled Smith led in Ian. Ian smiled at the audience as he ascended the stairs to the stage. Even from the back row it was clear he liked having an audience. Once he reached the podium the house lights dimmed and a spotlight was brought up on Ian. He seemed momentarily surprised but if anything his smile grew wider.
“I think he likes that,” Peter whispered. Elena nodded. The first part of Ian’s lecture described the channels in their basic sense although he used the term world gates, and Elena studied him as he spoke. There was an arrogant lilt to his voice and it sounded like he was talking down to his audience, the way one would do with a small child.
‘They can’t be too fond of that,’ She thought. Beside her Peter had slipped out a small tape recorder and turned it to record the lecture. Elena had the feeling it would be brought up when Ian was brought to face the council.
‘That alone will sink him,’ she thought, turning her attention back towards Ian. He was winding up the history of the channels section and branching out into new territory.
“And so for centuries these world gates have been exploited by the families of the guild with no thought of the greater good they could be used for the rest of the world. These merchant pirates reap the benefits of commerce and hold tight to their secrets so that others can not do the same.”
‘And so that we didn’t get burned as witches,’ Elena mentally added.
“Now we have the technology to spread the knowledge of the world gates beyond a few hand selected, pampered guild member pilots.” Venom dripped from the words and Elena wondered why he felt such hatred for the pilots and the guild. She frowned not really liking the fact that she was being called a pampered pirate.
‘Isn’t that a contradiction?’ she thought. ‘Pirates are usually pretty rough.’ Ian’s diatribe continued and she added selfish and xenophobic to the list of terms used to describe people like her. Elena noticed that Ian managed to glaze over the dangers of piloting. From his description it sounded as if space was vast, and entirely unpopulated. There were no mentions of raiders, hostile populations, political negotiations as well as the general dangers of travel. She wondered if he knew things like meteors existed.
‘I wonder who he thinks we trade with if no one is out there?’ Elena frowned and began listing the very uncomplimentary things she wished to say to Ian when they were out of earshot of the military.
“And now we are reaching a new age,” Ian said grandly. He picked a remote control from the podium and pushed a button. Images were sent from the projector to the blank wall behind him. Elena leaned forward as images of various mechanical apparatus flashed on the wall. The bits and pieces gradually came together to form a whole. What Ian had created was in essence a mechanical version of a pilot.
‘It would make an interesting safety feature,’ she thought. ‘If a pilot was injured the crew could still make it to port safely.’ Watching Ian talk though Elena realized Ian would never be happy creating something like a safety feature. It wouldn’t net him the kind of audience currently listening to his every word.
“And the channel locations are programmed into the automated pilot,” Ian said gesturing to the screen. Elena’s frown deepened as she waited for the rest. “This ship is then fully equipped to go through the world gates.” Elena’s eyebrows rose and she looked over to Peter. He was frowning at the stage. Ian had mentioned nothing about seasonal variations or channel depth. From Ian’s words she got the impression the location of the channel was only entered once and then forgotten. She wondered if he had the locations marked on the space side as well as the land side since the coordinates would be quite different.
‘That would explain the mis-marked map McMillan had,’ she thought. ‘They marked the channel one time and concluded it was always there.’ Elena ground her teeth. Either Ian had not bothered to learn too much about the channels or he was holding back information. ‘Either way 26 people died of it.’ Ian began listing the benefits of his system, mostly concentrating on the fact that actual pilots were not needed and that the military could run the operation themselves.
“And the practical applications are endless. These ships can move troops and supplies with ease.” Elena snorted in derision and Peter shook his head. An image of a ship’s blueprint came up and Elena sucked in her breath. The ship was designed to hold over one hundred men. She blinked hard at the image.
“As you can see, the USS Reconnaissance is designed for just such a mission.” Ian flipped the slide and an image of a half built ship appeared. “In three months she will be complete and ready to launch.” Ian paused and let his gaze slide around the audience. They slid over Peter and Elena without pause. “Are there any questions?” Peter put a hand on Elena’s knee reminding her that there would be time for her questions later. She kept quiet and no questions arose from the audience. Ian thanked them for their time and walked off stage and out of the door. Peter turned off the recorder.
“And Elvis has left the building,” Elena muttered as she stood up.
“I think I was too afraid to fall deeply asleep,” she thought. A few seconds after the images began to play she would start awake. Elena rubbed a hand across her eyes and wished she could crawl back into bed. Images of Peter and Smith breaking in to come get her danced on her mental view screen.
“Well maybe Peter wouldn’t,” she corrected. “Smith probably would though. Elena left the bedroom and walked into the living room, giving her kitchen a scowl as she passed, knowing there was no coffee. The headache throbbed behind her eyes but it was not nearly as bad as it had been in the night. She thought about her dreams as she waited for Peter.
Elena closed her eyes and pictured herself standing on the deck of the Storm Chaser. She replayed the dream and when it reached the point where she turned away she flinched, expecting the pain. Elena opened her eyes.
“What if they are right?” She asked the empty apartment. “What if it is an evolution of abilities? Could I open a new channel?” The thought sounded idiotic to her own ears. That simply wasn’t the way the channels worked. The thought kept circling though as she grabbed a blank notebook and slipped a pen into her purse. A knock sounded at the door, interrupting her thoughts.
“Good morning,” she said, opening the door for Peter. In his hand he held a cup of coffee from the local coffee shop. He held it out to her and she reached for it automatically.
“And good morning to you,” he said. “I did not know if you would have time to make a pot of coffee so I brought some.”
“Thank you,” she said, taking a delicate sip of the hot brew. He had added a dollop of milk and a teaspoon of sugar. It was exactly the way she fixed her cup when on board the Lorenzo. Obviously Peter was paying attention. She picked up her purse and notebook. She slung the pure strap to her shoulder and tucked the notebook under her arm so she could lock the door. She followed Peter into the hallway then shut and locked the apartment door. As she tucked her keys away and followed Peter down the stairs she wondered if the lock was any good. Had the military been in her place while she was out? She shook the thought away and got into the waiting car.
“You seem pre-occupied,” Peter commented as Thomas navigated the car through morning traffic.
“Just thinking about my dreams,” she said.
“Ah,” he replied. “And the calling?”
“Yes.” Elena sipped her coffee.
“My brother has been studying it for quite some time and often uses me as a sounding board for his theories and thoughts.”
“Is he fond of the evolution of ability theory?”
“As a matter of fact yes, I believe he is.”
“And has he theories about nature of this evolution?”
“Several,” Peter said with a smile. “But none he is really pleased with.”
“I see,” Elena said thoughtfully. “Do any of his theories deal with a pilot’s ability to open new channels?”
“I’m not sure,” he replied, looking Elena over thoughtfully. She cringed a little. Giving Peter another reason to speculate in her direction was not a good plan. She turned away from Peter to stare out the window. “I will have to ask him and let you know.”
“That would be nice,” she said turning back towards him. The speculative look was gone, as if he realized her discomfort. A cheerful, helpful smile greeted her. She smiled back, not at all fooled by the change in facial expressions. They rode the rest of the way in silence.
Elena took a deep breath when they reached the guard station and almost wished they would be refused entrance. Apparently they were cleared because as soon as Thomas gave the guard Elena’s name he agreed to allow them entry. Once again they were told someone would meet them. Thomas pulled the car into the same spot and Elena and Peter got out of the car. She was expecting the same man to lead them to the conference room instead however Smith was waiting by the door.
“Good morning,” Smith said.
“Morning,” Elena and Peter replied automatically.
“Ian is giving a lecture this morning and we believe it would be beneficial for you to hear the lecture and then sit down in conference.”
“You want us to hear what he says while he doesn’t know we are here,” Elena said with a smile. “Sneaky.”
“Not at all,” Smith replied stiffly. “We merely feel you need to hear the presentation in its entirety before discussions begin.”
“Of course,” Elena said. Peter hid a smile. Smith opened the door and let them through a series of hallways. Doors lined the hallways and through the doors that were opened Elena could see they housed offices. The hallway ended at a double door, Which Smith held open. Elena stepped into a small auditorium.
“Your seats are this way,” Smith said leading them to the back of the seating area. Elena and Peter took their seats and Smith left them. As if his leaving was a signal, people started to enter the room and fill up the seats in front of Elena and Peter.
“I think we broke the dress code,” Elena said noticing they were the only ones not dressed in a military fashion.
“I doubt anyone will really notice,” Peter said. He pointed up to the lights above them and Elena could see that several of the light bulbs over them had been removed to place them more in shadow. Elena snorted.
“Good thing Smith doesn’t want to be sneaky,” she commented. The seats around them filled in and when every seat was filled Smith led in Ian. Ian smiled at the audience as he ascended the stairs to the stage. Even from the back row it was clear he liked having an audience. Once he reached the podium the house lights dimmed and a spotlight was brought up on Ian. He seemed momentarily surprised but if anything his smile grew wider.
“I think he likes that,” Peter whispered. Elena nodded. The first part of Ian’s lecture described the channels in their basic sense although he used the term world gates, and Elena studied him as he spoke. There was an arrogant lilt to his voice and it sounded like he was talking down to his audience, the way one would do with a small child.
‘They can’t be too fond of that,’ She thought. Beside her Peter had slipped out a small tape recorder and turned it to record the lecture. Elena had the feeling it would be brought up when Ian was brought to face the council.
‘That alone will sink him,’ she thought, turning her attention back towards Ian. He was winding up the history of the channels section and branching out into new territory.
“And so for centuries these world gates have been exploited by the families of the guild with no thought of the greater good they could be used for the rest of the world. These merchant pirates reap the benefits of commerce and hold tight to their secrets so that others can not do the same.”
‘And so that we didn’t get burned as witches,’ Elena mentally added.
“Now we have the technology to spread the knowledge of the world gates beyond a few hand selected, pampered guild member pilots.” Venom dripped from the words and Elena wondered why he felt such hatred for the pilots and the guild. She frowned not really liking the fact that she was being called a pampered pirate.
‘Isn’t that a contradiction?’ she thought. ‘Pirates are usually pretty rough.’ Ian’s diatribe continued and she added selfish and xenophobic to the list of terms used to describe people like her. Elena noticed that Ian managed to glaze over the dangers of piloting. From his description it sounded as if space was vast, and entirely unpopulated. There were no mentions of raiders, hostile populations, political negotiations as well as the general dangers of travel. She wondered if he knew things like meteors existed.
‘I wonder who he thinks we trade with if no one is out there?’ Elena frowned and began listing the very uncomplimentary things she wished to say to Ian when they were out of earshot of the military.
“And now we are reaching a new age,” Ian said grandly. He picked a remote control from the podium and pushed a button. Images were sent from the projector to the blank wall behind him. Elena leaned forward as images of various mechanical apparatus flashed on the wall. The bits and pieces gradually came together to form a whole. What Ian had created was in essence a mechanical version of a pilot.
‘It would make an interesting safety feature,’ she thought. ‘If a pilot was injured the crew could still make it to port safely.’ Watching Ian talk though Elena realized Ian would never be happy creating something like a safety feature. It wouldn’t net him the kind of audience currently listening to his every word.
“And the channel locations are programmed into the automated pilot,” Ian said gesturing to the screen. Elena’s frown deepened as she waited for the rest. “This ship is then fully equipped to go through the world gates.” Elena’s eyebrows rose and she looked over to Peter. He was frowning at the stage. Ian had mentioned nothing about seasonal variations or channel depth. From Ian’s words she got the impression the location of the channel was only entered once and then forgotten. She wondered if he had the locations marked on the space side as well as the land side since the coordinates would be quite different.
‘That would explain the mis-marked map McMillan had,’ she thought. ‘They marked the channel one time and concluded it was always there.’ Elena ground her teeth. Either Ian had not bothered to learn too much about the channels or he was holding back information. ‘Either way 26 people died of it.’ Ian began listing the benefits of his system, mostly concentrating on the fact that actual pilots were not needed and that the military could run the operation themselves.
“And the practical applications are endless. These ships can move troops and supplies with ease.” Elena snorted in derision and Peter shook his head. An image of a ship’s blueprint came up and Elena sucked in her breath. The ship was designed to hold over one hundred men. She blinked hard at the image.
“As you can see, the USS Reconnaissance is designed for just such a mission.” Ian flipped the slide and an image of a half built ship appeared. “In three months she will be complete and ready to launch.” Ian paused and let his gaze slide around the audience. They slid over Peter and Elena without pause. “Are there any questions?” Peter put a hand on Elena’s knee reminding her that there would be time for her questions later. She kept quiet and no questions arose from the audience. Ian thanked them for their time and walked off stage and out of the door. Peter turned off the recorder.
“And Elvis has left the building,” Elena muttered as she stood up.
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