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Authors: P. J. Haarsma
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the first thing you have to change, JT. Anything is possible. Learn that now. You are so bound to a false vision of how you
think
your life should be that your eyes are closed to everything around you. Don’t feel bad, though. Most of the universe is like that.”
Ketheria pushed the metal crown toward me. “Take it,” she urged.
The metal was warm in my hands. I rolled it around and ran my fingers over the OIO symbol. “So what does it mean, then?” I asked, trying to sound open to her ideas.
“The person who made that —”
“I thought that guy Tinker made it.”
“He did. He knew the Scion would be forced to wear it some cycle. Tinker is a believer, and he worked with the Nagools to create something that would enhance the Scion’s abilities while allowing the Citizens to believe that he or she was under its control. That’s why Tinker was so freaked out when he met us. He recognized his work and knew who I was. Who
we
were.”
“But what does that mean?”
“There are many, many forces at work here, JT. This is bigger than me; this is bigger than
you.
”
I stood up again. “You make me sound like some self-centered fool.”
Ketheria didn’t reply.
“I’m not just thinking about myself, Ketheria,” I argued. “Did you ever think that we might just be tokens, meaningless gambits for them to use?”
“Pawns in their game?”
“Yes!”
“Now
you
are a cliché. This
is
our game, JT. That’s what I’m trying to tell you. You
are
the Tonat. There is no choice. This is your life now whether you accept it or not.”
“Well, I won’t.”
“Max will understand,” she said. “Would you like me to talk to her?”
“Max! Are you reading my mind right now, Ketheria? That’s not fair. Get out of my head.”
“Max is worried about losing you.”
“Stop it, Ketheria. I don’t want to talk about Max.”
“She’s smart. More than you give her credit for. She knows what the life of a Space Jumper will be like, and there is no way that life can include her. It’s Max that’s being selfish here, JT.”
“Don’t say that!”
“I’m sorry, but it is true.”
“I’m leaving,” I announced.
“Will you come and visit again?” Ketheria asked me as if my being upset had little relevance. She opened her book again, and this time she made a mark in it.
“What’s that for? Why are you doing that now?”
“I explained that to you already,” she said. “Are you going to come back?”
“I doubt it,” I snapped. “Your goons here won’t let me in, and why do you have Space Jumpers guarding your room, anyway? They’re supposed to be banished. If Queykay finds out, he’ll surely notify the Council. He’s a member, you know. They could cause a lot of trouble, Ketheria.”
“Many things are changing, JT.”
“Yeah, well, I’m not one of them.”
I stormed out of Ketheria’s room and past her Jumpers.
“See ya, popper,” one of them joked.
I spun around. “What does that mean?” I yelled, and shoved him. The other Space Jumper slammed the butt of his rifle into my stomach. I heard them both laughing as my body and mind were torn through space and time yet again.
The stink and decay were familiar to me now, so I knew I had jumped to Murat. The nausea returned, too; I felt my stomach tighten and push toward my throat. I was once again in an alley. I leaned against an abandoned transport — one wheel was missing, and the engine had been ripped out. I figured it wasn’t going anywhere, so I just lay back and closed my eyes. The cold metal felt soothing against my neck, and I took this private moment to catalog the recent events in order to establish some direction in my life.
It was obvious to me that the awakening was changing Ketheria on a deeper level than I had even imagined. She seemed so different to me now. I felt like the Rings of Orbis had taken my sister from me. It was one more reason to hate it here. It was almost as if she was on
their
side now, but I
think
your life should be that your eyes are closed to everything around you. Don’t feel bad, though. Most of the universe is like that.”
Ketheria pushed the metal crown toward me. “Take it,” she urged.
The metal was warm in my hands. I rolled it around and ran my fingers over the OIO symbol. “So what does it mean, then?” I asked, trying to sound open to her ideas.
“The person who made that —”
“I thought that guy Tinker made it.”
“He did. He knew the Scion would be forced to wear it some cycle. Tinker is a believer, and he worked with the Nagools to create something that would enhance the Scion’s abilities while allowing the Citizens to believe that he or she was under its control. That’s why Tinker was so freaked out when he met us. He recognized his work and knew who I was. Who
we
were.”
“But what does that mean?”
“There are many, many forces at work here, JT. This is bigger than me; this is bigger than
you.
”
I stood up again. “You make me sound like some self-centered fool.”
Ketheria didn’t reply.
“I’m not just thinking about myself, Ketheria,” I argued. “Did you ever think that we might just be tokens, meaningless gambits for them to use?”
“Pawns in their game?”
“Yes!”
“Now
you
are a cliché. This
is
our game, JT. That’s what I’m trying to tell you. You
are
the Tonat. There is no choice. This is your life now whether you accept it or not.”
“Well, I won’t.”
“Max will understand,” she said. “Would you like me to talk to her?”
“Max! Are you reading my mind right now, Ketheria? That’s not fair. Get out of my head.”
“Max is worried about losing you.”
“Stop it, Ketheria. I don’t want to talk about Max.”
“She’s smart. More than you give her credit for. She knows what the life of a Space Jumper will be like, and there is no way that life can include her. It’s Max that’s being selfish here, JT.”
“Don’t say that!”
“I’m sorry, but it is true.”
“I’m leaving,” I announced.
“Will you come and visit again?” Ketheria asked me as if my being upset had little relevance. She opened her book again, and this time she made a mark in it.
“What’s that for? Why are you doing that now?”
“I explained that to you already,” she said. “Are you going to come back?”
“I doubt it,” I snapped. “Your goons here won’t let me in, and why do you have Space Jumpers guarding your room, anyway? They’re supposed to be banished. If Queykay finds out, he’ll surely notify the Council. He’s a member, you know. They could cause a lot of trouble, Ketheria.”
“Many things are changing, JT.”
“Yeah, well, I’m not one of them.”
I stormed out of Ketheria’s room and past her Jumpers.
“See ya, popper,” one of them joked.
I spun around. “What does that mean?” I yelled, and shoved him. The other Space Jumper slammed the butt of his rifle into my stomach. I heard them both laughing as my body and mind were torn through space and time yet again.
The stink and decay were familiar to me now, so I knew I had jumped to Murat. The nausea returned, too; I felt my stomach tighten and push toward my throat. I was once again in an alley. I leaned against an abandoned transport — one wheel was missing, and the engine had been ripped out. I figured it wasn’t going anywhere, so I just lay back and closed my eyes. The cold metal felt soothing against my neck, and I took this private moment to catalog the recent events in order to establish some direction in my life.
It was obvious to me that the awakening was changing Ketheria on a deeper level than I had even imagined. She seemed so different to me now. I felt like the Rings of Orbis had taken my sister from me. It was one more reason to hate it here. It was almost as if she was on
their
side now, but I
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