Chapter 17: The Crush — Part 3

“I like my impressions.” Bamboo put a hand around Jun and pulled her close, happy with what he saw, or at least with what he thought he was seeing, because of the suit.

Orchid spoke up quickly. “Even though I gave you all suits, it won’t be safe for all of you to go rushing into this. There is among benders an elite group of naturally gifted individuals, individuals with Far Sight. Does everybody know what Far Sight is? If not, speak up now so it can be explained.”

Sissy quietly raised a hand. “Please tell me.”

“It is the ability to see to a point in space you are about to enter, to ensure that you won’t materialize near something hazardous, in the path of something moving at a dangerous clip, or around, as part of, or inside an object. The distance of a mere few centimeters in any direction from an ideal point in space can result in injury or death.”

The androids spoke quickly amongst themselves without speaking aloud. “It is believed that Blue is the only among us who have the ability of Far Sight.” Chadwick said. “Who among the humes has Far Sight?”

“So you think I do?” Joanie asked, as Orchid seemed to study her.

“I don’t know.” Orchid let out a distracted sigh. “All I know is Bamboo has it, and I can tell you from painful experience that I don’t.”

Spunky spoke up, drifting toward the center of the room. Its armor flowed around it, moving independently of the bander within. “Alon does not have it. Bamboo has it, as does Chen. Joanie has it, but Jun does not. Pablo is strong in his Sight, but Frank and Nikkei lack the needed ability. Orchid and Pearl are also lacking. Quet doesn’t have it either. Sissy’s talents also lie elsewhere, as do Swift’s. Of the androids, only Blue and Yap are capable of Far Sight. I have it, but Glyph never developed the ability, probably because Bamboo is so skilled.”

Silence stretched for seconds.

“How do you know all this?” Bamboo asked what others wanted to know.

“It is in my nature to know, just as it is in your nature to know the safest point of insertion into a region of space no other hume being has ever traveled to before. The absence of talent in one ability does not imply an absence of ability entirely. Such abilities express themselves differently, depending on the being.” Spunky drifted back to Orchid’s shoulder.

Orchid studied the team. “Because it would take months, even years, to safely map out the territory in the region of space we are headed to, those of us without sight cannot move to extract the children until a safe passage has been determined. Those with the Sight must decide if they wish to go into battle or not. If you wish to hunt down the children, please be at the lab in the basement within twenty minutes.”







Orchid had converted the basement beneath the cellar, where the soldiers had at one time been kept, to a massive research facility, complete with its own power grid. The central point of power, sealed safely behind three distinct layers of clear half-inch thick glass pipe: three four, and five feet in diameter respectively; glowed fiercely at the center. Orchid had massive wires running to various devices in the lab, most of them bulky but effective computers or matter processors. Currently she was unplugging all but two unique items set to the far corner of the lab. The cables she disengaged were thicker than the width of her wrist, roughly three inches in diameter. Even with her suit on, she dragged the cables with some effort, given their massive size and thickness. The plug at the end of the cable had four prongs, and she locked it aggressively into the base of a massive floating slab of metal that looked to be neither suspended nor supported by anything around it.

Once the cable snapped into place, Orchid forced a power prong into its holes, allowing for conduction of energy, and the slab of metal lit up and began to hum. Rising another six inches from the ground, a dull purple glow emitting from underneath, the disk floated, the light fluctuating from its surface. On the top, a bar of blue light twisted into a complex circular labyrinth that slowly brightened, changing from a pale turquoise to a deep, azure blue. The spherical metal slab began to hum, and in short order, a monitoring device of Orchid’s design began to illuminate, power tracing along lighted corridors until they reached an interface terminal set at the top of the device. Its monitor lit up with the pattern on the slab, and Orchid began programming in information. While she worked, those able to safely make the trip carefully walked into her lab.

Pablo had come first, followed by Bamboo, Joanie, Yap, and Chen. Orchid studied the lot of them. Joanie carried Jun’s sword, Pablo a mace, and all their banders, most of whom did not have names, had their discharge prongs fully extended. Yap had two swords strapped to her back, each of them the full length of her arms, and Bamboo carried a spear whose blade was a good half the length of Yap’s sword. Orchid put a gentle hand on Pablo’s shoulder, the man wincing involuntarily at her touch. Orchid motioned for everybody to step onto the hovering slab of metal and circuitry, keeping her hand on Pablo, who got on last.

“You don’t have to go on this trip. These aren’t your children.” Orchid said.

“The debt owed by myself and Frank to Elec, and less directly, to you, should be paid directly. If Frank could safely travel, he would be here.” Pablo said as he stepped onto the pod.

“I would like to go as well.” Spunky said, its voice unusually stoic.

“Why ever for?” Orchid asked, quite surprised.

“I feel I can be of service.” Spunky said.

“Please let Spunky come.” Glyph said. “I’m lonely without Spunky.”

Orchid put her hand out, capturing Spunky and bringing it close to her face. “You’re a good friend, Spunky. Please take care of our children and try to get everybody back in one piece.”

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