BA3 - Chapter 23

DISCLAIMER:

I had a lot of great feedback on the story and ended up seeding in some interesting things to help progress the story. You didn't get to see those things in the earlier chapters, so I apologize. I've left in my TK's that mark where those things would've happened in the past to hopefully help you.

“I’m not your son. We disowned you,” I snarled the words, but it didn’t seem to affect him. His face was neutral, and his posture relaxed—aside from the twisting movement of his right hand, which seemed to keep me afloat on the air.

His stony gaze locked on mine. “I had gone only far enough to disappear from sight, but I heard everything. I’d heard the agony in your screams—

“Agony you caused!” I snapped, my voice loud in the tiny space.

Angry heat filled my body with nowhere to go. I wanted to beat him bloody and drag him back to Busa-nan for trial, but his power far surpassed my own. It was no use yelling if I didn’t have any munje to back it up, or a working leg.

Mae whispered to me. “I’m working to regain control of your leg—keep him distracted.”

Hiro sighed. “That’s the very reason I didn’t return. I want to explain what happened.”

I crossed my arms, turning my heavy, angry breaths deeper to cycle what little energy I had left for ma. It was a longshot, but I had a few ideas. “I don’t want to hear it, but I suppose I don’t have a choice, do I?”

He cocked his head. “You disowned me. I can’t make you listen.” He flicked the fingers on his right hand, and I lurched backwards. Icy water splashed over my head and ran down my back. “The alternative to listening is I release you into the water. You won’t hear from me again, and whatever happens, happens. But if you listen, I’ll return you to a safe port.”

I gritted my teeth against the mind-numbing chill running through my skull. “I’d prefer not to die—which is what releasing me here would do—so, go on. Tell your fable.”

He pulled me closer with a wave of his hand. “Come in. I have tea.”

Hiro stepped back and I was sucked into the open hatch along with all the air that had created the bubble. He set me down and I put all my weight into the good leg. The numb one tingled like thousands of needle pricks, and when I tried to lift it, nothing happened.

Hiro walked through the dark, narrow hall without looking back. I growled, put my hand against the wall for support, and dragged my disabled leg with a limp as I followed. With every step I let a fraction of my ma flow into the walls of the giant machina.

‘Ignore my leg for now. What is this thing, and can I remote operate it like Tuko?’

“On it. Give me a few minutes,” Mae whispered back.

It took a moment for my eyes to adjust to the darkness, but when they did, a myriad of features stood out. There were pipes running overhead, and I sent a burst of ma to them through the wall. My munje traveled like syrup through the dense metal, making it harder to analyze quickly. Two of the pipes contained wiring, two more had air flowing through them, and the fifth and sixth had liquid of some kind.

I’d need to drop a lot more ma if I were going to map the whole machina, let alone operate it. Trying to take control without seeing the whole picture was a recipe for disaster. One wrong move with something that seemed inconsequential could be the death of us.

We came to a five-way, with a tunnel leading to a hatch above, and three tunnels leading in the other cardinal directions. Hiro turned right, but I took a moment to look left. There was another closed hatch a few meters down, nothing that could indicate where we were on the ship, how it was oriented, or where the controls were located. The ma exploration process just got a whole lot harder.

I took a moment at the intersection, as if repositioning my leg, and let loose my entire ma reserve. There was still some munje recycling I could perform, and a fraction of breakfast left to convert. I couldn’t wait for the need to arise to create munje, because by then it could be too late. I settled to transform the last of it into en, and ry. I’d need the element of surprise to make an emergency escape if plan A didn’t work out.

Hiro waited patiently, then walked slowly to keep pace with my limp when I was ready to move on. We made it to another hatch that he twirled open with ease. On the other side was an artificially-lit, open space bisected by support beams. Colorful hammocks hung between a few of the beams, though they were empty.

Hairs raised on the back of my neck as I realized we may not be alone. Not that Hiro needed anyone else to crush me, but someone could be keeping an eye on the systems. If I wasn’t careful, I could tip them off.

I pulled my hand away from the wall, losing contact with my ma. We walked past the hammocks and down a set of grated metal stairs. I touched every support beam on the way, ensuring I could reconnect with the ma I’d delivered.

Blow the living quarters was a kitchen and dining space that spanned the width of the room. A tall cylinder of water in the back corner hissed as it released steam into the air, then a spigot lowered. A kettle whizzed along the countertop on a conveyer belt and stopped below the spigot.

I looked to Hiro to see his hands subtly flicking and gesturing with a golden sparkle. So, he was operating it remotely, just as I could. Good news for us, since that meant it was possible, but bad knowing his munjes was flowing through the machina. More opportunities for my intrusion to be detected.

My snaking ribbons of ma slithered through the pipes running overhead throughout the vessel, seeking the main controls. I kept focus on it between support beams as Hiro led me to a table emerging from the ground. Panels of the flooring slipped back, and the table constructed itself with a series of flips and spins.

“Helps to save space when you’re a smuggler,” he said coolly, as if I cared or thought this was interesting at all.

I scowled at him. “All the more life ending drugs you can distribute.”

He grumbled and gestured for me to sit, then went to collect the kettle. I plopped down unceremoniously. I dragged my bum leg into a crossed position and set my hands on the table to keeping contact with the metal of the ship. I let my vision blur and built a construct of the vessel from my ma’s journey.

It was a skeleton of a recreation since the munje had stayed in the pipes. I didn’t have enough to venture far, and knew the wires had to lead somewhere important.

Mae whispered to me. “Located the main controls. They’re swarmed with his ma. He can’t be outputting this all on his own, so there must be a reservoir somewhere. Keep him talking while we map.”

Hiro returned to the table with two teacups, and the kettle. He poured the tea, and scooted the cup across to me with a vacant expression. Something whirred in the walls, creating a low hum, and the lights shuddered for a moment.

I raised an eyebrow. “You really think I’m going to drink that?”

“Suit yourself.” He shrugged and took a sip.

“Only a fool would drink what’s been poured by an enemy.”

He nodded. “Only a fool would enter into his enemy’s domain.”

The jab stung, but I keep my face expressionless. “Tell me your story so I can be on my way.”

“I have never wanted anything more than to return to you.”

My stomach clenched and heart hammered. “That’s the worst lie I’ve ever heard. Next, you’re going to tell me Dokun mind controlled you the whole time, none of it was your choice. It would be so like you to skirt responsibility for your actions.”

He shook his head, gaze falling to the teacup. “It’s not mind control, but he is powerful. He kept stringing me along. With every advance we made, we’d get one step closer to curing your mother. I’d set out on the quest to cure her, and every step brought me a little closer.”

“Closer to curing Mother? What about the dozens you killed, and the thousands you made ill? Some will never recover—children! You poisoned children,” I said, a traitorous lump growing in my throat. As much as I despised him, I couldn’t stop this feeling of devastation. How could my father have done this?

He looked up, his brow furrowed. “I had told him the risks of running the experiment, but he wanted to proceed.”

The fuzzy, far off memory of my father’s face in the evening glade filled my mind. “This would save her,” he’d said, knowing full well what he was sacrificing.

I scoffed. “I might have believed you before Dokun told me what really happened.”

“You met with him alone? That was incredibly stupid.” He chuckled with an air of superiority and raised the tea to his lips.

Fire blazed in my gut and I couldn’t contain the rage. “At least I’m not a coward,” I hissed through clenched teeth.

“No, you’re an idiot,” he said, slamming the teacup down. The liquid splashed out, but before it hit the table, Hiro caught it with a burst of en. The tea-drops hung in mid-air for a second, then with a tug of his finger, they zipped back into the cup.

He looked down, mumbling, “I should’ve been there for you.”

“We did fine without you,” I said coldly.

“Obviously not,” he said, pointing to the scar on the side of my head. “When will you learn your limitations? You’ve always been reaching out for more, ever since you were a baby. Faster, more knowledge, more power, more, more!” He looked at me with contempt. “And it’s obvious who you learned it from.”

“Don’t you dare say a word against her!” The fire in my chest blazed red hot, leaving my head swimming with anger.

He scoffed. “Do you know the story of how your mother became so broken? How the baby inside her was ruined?”

“Minjee is not ruined,” I growled, tears welling in my eyes. “And yes, she did tell me how jealous she’d been of my advancement. That her need to not feel left behind by her husband and son drove her to cheat.”

“And she paid the ultimate sacrifice—the life of a child.”

“Minjee lives a fine life without powers like ours—but that’s not something you’d know about.”

Hiro shook his head. “She didn’t tell you everything. Minjee wasn’t the only child growing in her womb. If Dokun knew the truth, Minjee would’ve been taken from you long ago.”

“And what truth is that?” I sneered.

“That she’s not just a munje mute—she’s anti-munje. The potion your mother took created a new core inside her to replicate the deconstruction nanites that would help rebuild her core. The programming wasn’t sophisticated, it wasn’t supposed to create its own replication center. He’s been trying to write that behavior out… which is why he wants you,” Hiro said, pointing to my chest.

“Before you write him off, this sounds plausible. We did find a core built into the base of her own when we scanned Moon in detail,” Mae whispered to me.

‘Shouldn’t you be looking for that munje reservoir?’ I asked back with heat.

Hiro smirked. “Yes, confer with your ghost, I’m sure she’ll confirm it. And worse that programming didn’t know where to create this destructive core, or how many to make.”

“What are you implying?” I asked, getting impatient.

“Minjee is harboring a dangerous force inside her, one that Dokun would exploit.”

TK_ADD IN ELEVATOR “I was sorry to hear of your mother’s continued condition, and my little niece the munje mute, what was her name?” Dokun’s casual question filled my head. Was he already after her, or just being courteous? Why had I given him her name!

Mae’s voice cut off that train of thought filled my head. “I think I found the ship’s reservoir. There are three outgoing main pipes, and I’ll need to block all of them. Keep him going.”

I took a deep breath and collected my thoughts. If Minjee was important to Dokun’s plot, he’d be trying to get to her tooth and nail—which meant using every avenue he had available. The lies of Hiro’s departure from Dokun’s employ could’ve been fabricated to lure me into this trap of giving away more…

My head ached from the twisting strings of treachery and deceit. I couldn’t divine anything from all the information I had. There was too much to take in, and too many variables in play to make such a critical judgement. I didn’t even know what my master was truly fighting for. I couldn’t trust anyone right now.

“You’ve done nothing but lie to, threaten, and hurt this family. Why should I expect any different from you? I couldn’t trust you to answer honestly if I asked whether you’re still working for Dokun, and I can’t believe anything you have to say.”

“My son, the fool.” He sipped his tea.

I leaned forward, trying to look intimidating. “If it’s true, and you’ve loved the family all along, why tell me this and compromise Minjee’s safety? My TK_mind barrier is strong, but it is not impenetrable. If Dokun wanted this information from me, he could get, and then she’d really be in danger.”

“I told you because you’re not going back to Kokyu. I said I would bring you to port, I never said which. You’re going into hiding to train with me—and protect them.”

“Reservoir disabled!” Mae reported with excitement. “By my estimate, his control over the ship will be weak enough to overtake in sixty seconds.”

I blinked, trying to remember what Hiro had just said. “But, the exchange.”

“Your mission, you mean?”

“Not only that. If I don’t return to school, my disappearance could spark unrest between Kokyu and Busa-nan.”

He waved me off. “It will be explained away easily. Domestic terrorism, a foreign kidnapping; a host of horrible calamities have taken hold in Kokyu to allow Dokun to flood the streets with his Enjiho. Someone will take the blame, or perhaps you’ll be a runaway,” he paused, sighing. “Don’t think yourself so important that a war would be started over your disappearance. And as for your mission, your friends and mentor will be fine without you. Who do you think helped me get you down here in the first place?”

I resisted the urge to jump across the table in a fury. I needed to keep my hands connected with the ship. “Why must you always lie? My friends wouldn’t ever help you.”

He raised a brow. “Why did they keep luring you into the water? What was Yuri doing when she made that wide sweep around you?”

My stomach dropped. How did he know Yuri by name?

Ko-nah… That snake!

I recalled back to Yuri’s board surfing, looking for anything that was out of place. My dispel hadn’t been nearly as effective, but Yuri’s en was strong, possibly stronger than my ma. Could it have been some trick? But why would they do that?

“You’re confused, so let me explain. Dokun is moving into the final stages of his coup, and a fair majority of Rabatasan have allied themselves with him. A small number of the resistance factions have allied with me—and Ko-nah—to stop him. Dokun is hoping to pin these attacks in the city on us when he’s assumed power, and wash his hands of everything he’s done.

“Your presence is dangerous in other ways. He would use you, just as he would use Minjee. You can’t stay, and neither can I.”

“Why when you were so close to curing Mother are you interested in stopping Dokun now?” I asked at the audacity of his blatant trickery.

“Because I saw what it had done to my family. I saw what I had done,” he said through gritted teeth. “And I know what his true aim is. He doesn’t just seek to overthrow the king, take Kokyu as his own, and rampage around the Earth as supreme ruler. He would take munje control away from everyone but himself.”

TK_ADD CONVO TO PORTAL CROSS (MAYBE?) OR ELEVATOR “Five bands is powerful—they can cause a lot of damage. If these extreme users go unregulated, we’ll continue to cower under the threat of terrorism. Munje must be controlled.” Dokun’s voice swam through my thoughts again, and my headache intensified.

Then, the little ma I had deployed came to life in my vision as the skeleton of the ship. The overwhelming sense of too much was dizzying. Forgetting Dokun, or plots, I focused on the ma munje. I had to escape this ship, this liar, and get back to my mission.

“I know it’s a lot to process,” Hiro said with empathy. He must’ve assumed my wooziness was from the news, and not noticed my hostile takeover. Good, I wanted to keep it that way.

“And how would he do it?” I asked, biting past nausea of bodily overload. I had too many moving parts, too many systems, too much!

Hiro’s mouth moved but the words going in my ears didn’t make any sense, as if he were speaking a foreign language. I knew the sounds of the words, the inflections, he was speaking Busanese_TK, but I couldn’t understand him.

The crushing weight of my giant metal body, every piece screaming at me for commands, was too much. My vision blackened at the edges, but I swallowed hard and looked past my father to the water tank and spigot. I had to block out all other operations and focus only on what I needed. The parts of the water tank glowed faintly in my vision and the nausea subsided.

As I listened to just those parts, the rest faded into background noise. I could see three functions; extend, retract, and turn the retention valve. Above it was the pressure release valve to let off steam. This wouldn’t be the most elegant escape, but survival was survival after all.

“Jiyong, haven’t you heard anything I’ve said?” Hiro asked, confusion and worry wrinkling his aged forehead.

I dropped the spigot forty degrees, then clamped the pressure release shut. “I haven’t, but I’m sure my ghost will translate for me later.”

I turned the retention valve and hoped I wasn’t the idiot he thought me to be.