Three Square Meals Ch. 059

*Telepathy; I heartily recommend it for any doting Matriarch,* she replied with a grin.

He looked back at the rest of the girls, and then nodded his thanks to Rachel as he said, "Thank you, that was a bit of a shock, but good to know."

She gave him a sympathetic smile, and said, "It seems that's one more decision that rests on your shoulders. Sorry for heaping more burdens on you."

With a smile he said, "I'm a big boy, I can handle it."

"I think we can all attest to that," she replied, giving him a flirtatious grin.

He laughed, joining in with the hoots and jibes, then looked around the rest of the table before his gaze settled on Irillith. "How did you get on with the cyber-defences?" he asked her curiously.

"We're already done," she replied, then paused to correct herself, and said, "Actually to be more accurate, Faye worked furiously through the night, and repaired all the sundered firewalls. She wanted to come along to this meeting, but she said she's working on a secret project, which she hopes to have finished in a couple of hours."

Dana looked intrigued, and said, "She asked me for a couple of spare servers, so I wiped them and handed them over to her. I wonder what she's been working on?"

John felt a momentary pang of nervousness at the thought of an AI being given free reign, but suppressed it immediately. It was unfair to second guess Faye after everything she'd done for them so far.

Irillith was continuing meanwhile, and said, "I spent the morning scaling up the aggressive countermeasures we have available, which should make us much more resilient if Nexus pulls the same kind of trick again." She paused, looked at John, and added, "When I finished, I had a look at my old hacking deck; the device that's powering Faye."

John raised an eyebrow at her tone, and asked, "Was there a problem?"

With a sigh of regret, the Maliri replied, "I'm afraid the hacking deck is broken."

Dana looked alarmed and blurted out, "What happened to Faye? Is she alright?!"

Irillith gave her a reassuring smile, and said, "Sorry, I should have been clearer, I didn't mean to worry you. Faye is absolutely fine, but the deck itself is irreparably damaged. When she scrubbed one of the drives to give herself room to grow, she wiped out a significant part of the code used to create new AI. She's unique now, and we'll never be able to create another AI construct like her."

John shared a glance with Dana, and she said in frustration, "Yeah, I know! I've had too much on my plate, but I'll get to work on that as soon as I can."

Irillith smiled and said, "John mentioned he'd asked you to work on something for Faye. I'm done with my jobs for now, so I'd love to help."

Dana rubbed her hands together with glee and cackled as she said, "My army of assistants is growing!"

"Well Grand Engineering Overlord, I guess that's my cue then," Jade chipped in. "I finished building the next suit of Paragon Body Armour. That's five female suits now, and one male, so you'll all have one for the next battle."

"Superb work, well done!" John complimented her, feeling greatly relieved. He hesitated a moment, and said, "There's six of you girls though, you need a suit too Jade."

The green-skinned girl wrinkled her nose cutely, and said, "I'll be fine without it. I can't shift in Body Armour."

John considered arguing with her about it, but he remembered her shrugging off the heavy calibre rounds, and then healing herself of the saw wound. With her aversion to weaponry, combined with how lethally effective her animal shapes could be, he decided to trust her judgement.

Instead of arguing, he smiled and said, "We might well end up in some kind of boarding action against the AI, and its great we can all be geared up to deal with it. That new armour is tough as nails, and the flight-mode was invaluable."

"Those prisoners instantly recognised you, too," Alyssa said somewhat smugly. "Still regret the colour palette or the Lion symbolism?"

He raised his hands in surrender, and conceded, "Yeah you were right, it does make a dramatic statement, and saved a lot of hassle trying to explain who I was. Nexus knew we were coming, so sneaking about wouldn't have helped anyway."

Jade nodded, and said dryly, "'Take the stealthy approach' definitely isn't one of our mottos."

"Yeah, subtlety isn't our forte," Alyssa said with a grin.

John looked around the table, and he could see Dana trying to catch his eye, so he smiled at her and asked, "How did you get on this morning?"

Her sky-blue eyes twinkled in the light, and he could immediately see she'd been saving this until last. She let out a wistful sigh, and said reflectively, "You know, I spent years dreaming of being able to work on something like this."

John leaned forward in anticipation, and asked, "Have you built a prototype?"

"The mass fabricators are churning out the parts as we speak, and I should have one ready in a few hours," Dana replied. She looked at Alyssa, and added, "I'll need your help to shape some focusing crystals and weapon barrels."

"You got it!" the blonde girl said, nearly as eager to get her hands on this new weapon as John was.

"If you show me the designs, I'll be happy to help you construct them." Jade offered with enthusiasm.

Dana grinned and said, "Awesome, thanks!"

John turned to look at Alyssa, and asked her, "How long until we reach the Sol system?"

"Just over nine hours," she replied tersely.

Calara cleared her throat and said, "I'm looking into the scans of the debris field we passed. I should be able to give you a more detailed analysis in a couple of hours."

"Alright, we'll reconvene for the new weapon test, and to hear your results in... three hours," John stated, looking around at the girls.

They had finished their meal at this point, and everyone was eager to get cracking on their plans for the afternoon. Rachel smiled at her friends, and said, "I'll clean up here. You guys can get started."

Her kind offer was met with a chorus of thanks, and John rose from his chair as he said, "In that case, I'm going to go and work on my Telekinesis. I'll be down in the Cargo Bay if anyone needs me."

"I'll be down there to give you some guidance as soon as I can," Alyssa said to him, as they all strode purposefully from the lounge.

"Thanks," he replied. "There's no rush though, I can speak to Edraele for some advice."

"Cast aside at such a young age, how tragic," she replied melodramatically, the back of her hand pressed to her forehead for added effect.

"I thought you were my Matriarch, not my drama queen?" he asked her, and she stuck her tongue out at him as she stepped into the grav-tube by his side.

Everyone went their separate ways, and soon John was on his own, walking across the Cargo Bay, his boots clinking against the titanium decking with every step. He had decided not to waste any of the Crystal Alyssium on training, and instead headed for one of the crates of the original Invictium alloy that Dana had fabricated.

He lifted up the lid, then peered inside the box. There was a glossy black cube of Invictium there, and he reached inside, then broke off a fist-sized corner of the block. Turning the small chunk of alloy in his hand, he could see the psychically sensitive Etherite crystals embedded in the metal, and he hoped that would make it a bit easier for him to start with.

*Are you there, Edraele? I'd like to practice Telekinesis, and I could use some advice if you can spare a moment,* he thought to her tentatively.

He could feel her amusement over their bond as she replied, *You must know I'll drop anything I'm doing to help you?*

John sat down on the deck, and placed the chunk of metal on the floor in front of him. He replied, *Yeah, I guess I know that, but I don't like to be that presumptuous. I like to think of you as a friend and ally, not some slave I can take advantage of.*

*I know,* she replied softly. *That's what makes you such a good man...*

Edraele's voice trailed away as she started daydreaming. He caught tiny snippets of her thoughts, as she wasn't projecting them to him cleanly. A flash of the word 'utopia', a glimpse of a golden city teaming with happy Maliri families, alliances forged and fealties sworn. It was all very confusing, and he gave up trying to figure out what she was thinking about.

He left her to her thoughts for a moment, and went through the same kind of meditation routines he normally used when focusing himself for martial arts. It didn't take him long to slip into a Zenlike state, not after having centred himself that morning for his sword training session.

*I'm ready, Edraele,* he informed her calmly. He stared at the lump of metal and asked succinctly, *How do you use Telekinesis?*

She paused for a moment, gathering her thoughts, and then replied, *I found the easiest way to think about it, was that my method for using Telekinesis was the exact opposite to the way I utilise Astral Projection. After my Telepathy developed, being able to Spirit-walk was my next ability. To use that, I focus my will inwards and peel my ethereal spirit form from my physical presence. Telekinesis works differently in that you project your will outwards to interact with an object.*

John listened attentively, and on a whim, he decided to try Astral Projection. He could feel a strange tugging sensation in his chest as he thought about it, and he tried to focus his mind on that urge. He felt a bizarre lurching sensation, before he was abruptly snapped back into himself, leaving him blinking in shock and wobbling slightly as he tried to regain his balance.

He thought about what had just happened, and he was surprised at how close he'd been to success. It felt like he had a huge anchor on his back though, and it was that which had dragged him back into his body the moment his mental presence tried to separate from the physical.

Deciding to leave that disconcerting ability alone for the time being, he settled down to work on Telekinesis instead. He'd had a considerable amount of practice at projecting his willpower by now, what with coaxing various elements to surge out along his sword. When he pushed his will towards the broken hunk of glistening black metal, he found it much easier than he'd been expecting. It was as if the Etherite was eagerly waiting to respond to his command.

Holding out his hand, as he'd seen Alyssa do, he imagined the Invictium fragment rising up off the deck, and sure enough, it did so, moving obediently as it followed his mental commands. After all the time spent practicing with elements, which were much wilder and unruly to control, this felt safe, comfortable and easy. He grinned with delight as he guided the metal fragment with his hand, moving it in a lazy figure of eight as it levitated before him.

*You're a natural at that,* Edraele remarked, sounding impressed as she listened to his thoughts, and followed his progress. *It took me weeks to be able to start moving small objects around with my mind.*

*Your advice was really helpful, thank you,* he replied gratefully. Happiness radiated over their bond, and he smiled as he experienced the positive emotions from her.

*Telekinesis is an active ability, but you can try maintaining it, if it's something simple like getting an object to float along at your side,* she explained further. *Why don't you give that a try.*

He concentrated on keeping the chunk of Invictium levitating in front of him, then thought about the compartments in his mind. He was expecting to see three boxes for him to use, but he blinked in surprise when he realised the number had doubled since he last checked. He was so startled he lost concentration on the telekinesis, and the metal clattered to the deck with the sharp sound of metal striking metal.

*The mental compartments in my mind have increased!* he thought to Edraele, feeling a real sense of excitement. *I started with three, and I'm up to six now!"

*That's excellent, well done!* she praised him warmly. *It means your mastery of your psychic abilities is increasing, and as you continue to get more powerful, your mind will grow in capacity too.*

He grinned, and enjoyed the feeling of accomplishment. The last time he'd really worked on learning anything new had been his intensive sword training with Yamamoto, and to say that Edraele and Alyssa's training styles differed, would be the understatement of the century.

Getting to his feet, he walked over to the container that stored the rest of the Invictium alloy, and lifted out the ingot. He strolled back to his previous spot, then carefully snapped the block of black metal in half, then each of those pieces into smaller chunks. Placing the uneven pieces in front of him, he lifted one in to the air, with a gesture from his right hand. Holding out his left hand, palm upraised, he mentally transferred control of the metal chunk from one hand to the other. Once it was floating serenely in front of him, he moved onto the next piece, and lifted it up with a smooth motion of his right hand.

He frowned as he looked down at his outstretched hands, and asked, *Is all this hand waving really necessary?*

Edraele laughed, and she projected the lovely sound to him, which made him smile. Her laughter was very similar to Irillith's; natural, but with a slight sense of self-conscious surprise, as though she were unused to the sound. It reminded him of a child's laugh, un-tempered by embarrassment, and he wondered if that was because they'd found so little to genuinely laugh about in their adult lives.

The Maliri woman had stopped laughing now, while she listened to his thoughts, and said quietly, *You're very perceptive, and you're right of course. The old Edraele hadn't been genuinely happy since she was a small child. Over one hundred and forty years of scheming, plotting, and betrayals, which never brought her a moment's joy. Can you imagine a more tragic life to lead?* She paused and then added, *I know we aren't the same person, but thank you for saving me from that. It's one more thing I have to be grateful to you for.*

He sighed, and said, *I'm sorry, I didn't mean to bring the mood down. It's one of the consequences of a promise I made to Alyssa, never to shut her out of my mind again. I figured you deserved the same openness.*

*Don't apologise,* she said to him earnestly, sounding touched by his explanation. *It's lovely that you'd treat me the same way as her. I know how much she means to you.*

*You're welcome,* he replied, wishing she was there so he could give her a hug.

Edraele sighed, very much wishing she were there too, then said, *Anyway, to go back to your original question: No, it's not necessary at all. However, it makes it much easier for your mind to visualise what's happening. I found one of the hardest things with psychic powers is getting your mind to overcome its natural rejection of what seems like magic. I think I mentioned before that self doubt makes everything much harder.*

*You did, and it was good advice,* he replied gratefully.

Looking at the pieces of metal he was using for his training, he tried lifting the third chunk of Invictium without any hand gestures. Despite knowing that it shouldn't make any difference, his mind still refused to believe that the metal fragment could just rise into the air completely unaided. He made a quick gesture with his right hand, and it lifted straight off the ground, then floated across the air to join the others.

With a wry chuckle, he said to Edraele, *You were absolutely right. It's bizarre how much of a difference it makes.*

Edraele replied in a telepathic whisper, confiding in him, *I must admit I still rely on the hand gestures.*

*Your secret's safe with me,* he replied with a smile, as he began to place images of the levitating objects in his mental compartments.

Soon he had all six floating before him, and he lowered his hand warily, watching the metal chunks hover motionless in the air. At that moment Alyssa walked into the room, lithe and graceful as she headed over to join him.

"You're doing so well!" she gasped in delight as she saw the levitating metal fragments. She gave him a beatific smile as she added, "See, I knew you'd be good at this."

"I had a wonderful instructor," he replied for Edraele's benefit.

The Maliri woman laughed again which made him smile, and she said, *You're very kind, thank you. On that note, I'll leave you in Alyssa's very capable hands.*

"Yeah, I heard you making smalltalk with her," Alyssa said with a playfully arched eyebrow, as she watched him concentrating on Edraele's reply. She frowned as she added, "But I wish I could hear the whole conversation. It's weird only being able to hear your side, and I'd love to be able to communicate with her directly."

John thought about that, but he had no idea how they'd be able to accomplish it.

*I'd really like that too,* Edraele thought to him. *When we're all reunited, we'll have to experiment together and see if we can work it out between us.*

Alyssa had sat down next to him, her head tilted to one side as she listened to his thoughts, and tried to piece together the rest of the conversation. "I'm always up for some experimentation," she smirked, as she gave him a flirtatious smile.

He laughed at her innuendo, then gathered the metal blocks together, and dropped them on the floor in a pile. "Time to move on to psychic shaping now the expert's here," he said, with a grin at the blonde girl sitting next to him.

She nodded, looking authoritative, and said in a sombre voice, "It's very tricky." With a playful smile, she continued, "You have to melt them all together, then you just make them turn into whatever shape you want."

"Just like that, eh?" he asked, seeing the mischievous glint in her eyes.

"Uh-huh," she replied. She leaned forward, and whispered, "If you do well, I'll let you in on a little secret!"

After giving her a curious look, John concentrated on the cluster of uneven fragments on the decking in front of him. He brought both hands together in a clasping motion, as though he were moulding clay, and the alloy chunks clumped together in one uneven pile.

"Very good," she purred, "now just melt them together."

He frowned and tried to do as she asked, exerting his will on the psychically responsive metal. The chunks trembled for a moment, then began to melt like ice-cubes left under the glare of the midday sun. The rough edges smoothed out, and he was soon holding a black sphere in the air before him. He stared at it in amazement, and as it span lazily in the air in front of him, thin white lines began to mar the glossy black surface.

The lines widened, growing larger as more appeared, and soon the glistening black sphere had turned a sparkling glossy white. He imagined a perfectly even cube in his mind, and the shiny white alloy quivered before forming the hard edges he had imagined. His psi-shaping complete, he let the block settle on the ground in front of him.

Alyssa cheered raucously, making him grin happily with her unvarnished enthusiasm. "That was fantastic!" she exclaimed. Leaning over to kiss him, she stared into his eyes, and said, "I'm very proud of you, you've been working really hard on this."

He flushed with embarrassment, not used to being the one receiving the praise. He laughed lightly, and said, "My first piece of Johnium."

The blonde girl giggled, and said, "No offence, but can we stick to calling it Alyssium please?"

He grinned at her, and conceded, "That does have a much better ring to it."

They smiled at each other, and Alyssa listened to his thoughts as he looked at her expectantly. She wagged her finger at him, and said teasingly, "Uh-uh! I'll only spill my secret if you can... 'quad' shape it!" Her lovely blue eyes sparkled impishly, as she added, "Yeah, that's very appropriate."