Good Sci-Friday Sparks, and a very merry unbirthday to you!
Just in case you missed it, I’ve updated the Index at long last. Here it is if you need to get caught up.
Anyway…
Last episode we got to see Misty meet James. Now you guys have heard a lot about this James person. He’s the Mind Smith, the one who conditioned Misty out of her ability to communicate, refined her senses through overstimulation, and the one who tortured her for years by changing her memories making her relive altered versions of them over and over while he implanted information in her mind to speed up her training.
In case you were unsure, this is one seriously talented creep, and meeting Misty’s memory of him gets to Luke, badly. Good thing he’s out of reach, back on Telera.
But, she’s not done yet. Let’s see what else Misty has to share…
INDEX | Chapter 11 | Scene 1 | Scenes 2 & 3 | Scenes 4 - 6 | Scene 7 | Scenes 8 - 11 | Scene 12 | Scene 13 | Next Scene → Coming soon.
Previously: Grappling with guilt over making Logan suffer, Misty approaches Luke for help dealing with her past trauma in hopes that letting them get to know her will stop them from putting so much pressure on her to communicate. In a bid to get loser to Luke, Misty shares the memory of meeting her Mind Smith.
I feel the rhythm of my breath as I pound along the familiar winding trails of the plantation, the smell of earth and foliage filling my lungs. Each stride clears my mind, letting the tension of the last few days dissolve into the whispering trees.
I focus on the beat of my heart, the steady cadence of my feet hitting the dirt, pushing myself to run faster, leave behind the burdens that words can’t encompass. I’m finally at ease.
“Logan. Please meet Misty and I, in the northern tower.” Luke’s voice echoes suddenly in my head. His tone is heavy, almost imperative, it shoots a jolt right through me, shattering the peace of the last few minutes. The north tower can only mean one thing.
I turn on my heel without slowing and sprint back, a newfound urgency in my steps.
My worry deepens as the forest blurs by. I push harder. The northern tower looms in my mind, a place heavy with memories, of working with the PG, of Tom, of Misty and the last time we were there. Why would Luke make her go back there? How did he do it? After what happened the other day he’s seemed withdrawn, almost like he’s given up. Is he really still that desperate for answers? I have to hurry.
The staircase winds and my feet find their way up and at last I reach the landing with its wide window but I don’t even notice the view. The doorway wall is shimmering still—open. I step through.
Misty stands beside the table, stiff and unmoving like some kind of robot with her back to me. She doesn’t even react when I say her name. Luke swivels on his high stool, relaxed and expectant as he explains that this is all her idea. I can’t sense a shred of influence. It can’t be him making her do this.
“I don’t understand.” I convey through the connection, reaching out to her for answers, but she’s blocked me again.
“Trust me.” She whispers then lies down on the table as I take my seat in the corner, wondering what I’m doing here. Last time I trusted her, my head wanted to explode. What was it going to be this time?
"Logan will be able to see too, but we’ll follow your lead." Luke says, placing his palms at her temples. “Are you sure about this?” She nods, “Close your eyes.”
And so it begins.
* * *
And then it ends.
Luke is drenched in sweat by the time he breaks the connection, two hours after we began. I don’t blame him for stopping. What she showed us was horrific.
She’s lived with Penance since she was so little. And it’s heartbreaking how her family just stood by and let the telepath force his way into her little head. Just like I did all those years ago...
She pushes herself up slowly, and sits hugging her knees, staring into space. She looks calm and collected, but her breathing betrays the tension she’s feeling. As I sit here, watching her pull herself together, all I can think about is how I helped Luke do that to her. How we forced our way into her head, breaking through her defenses like that telepath did when she was a child.
No wonder she is the way she is around Luke. No wonder she reacted to me the way she did when we tried it again. I wanted to believe we were helping her, but we just made it worse, didn’t we? How could I have been so blind? I thought I was protecting her, but... I was only adding to her pain. I want to reach out to her, offer her comfort, tell her how sorry I am. I am so sorry for the pain caused her the last time we were in this room. I can’t say it.
Luke looks exhausted, “A little break,” his mouth smiles, while his eyes betray all the emotions roiling within him. I’ve seen him go twice as long as this before, fight even harder, being resisted all the way, and not be affected so much.
“One hour,” Misty nods, leaning her forehead on her knees, and Luke flees in an instant. Appalled, I can’t bring myself to say a word. I wish she would say something, anything… A tiny gesture to show she’s still with me, but there’s nothing. She feels so far away.
When the silence between us becomes unbearable, I retreat to the foot of the stairs, leaving her the quiet she seems to need, even though it kills me to walk away.
Some time later, Luke’s footsteps interrupt the troubling reverie, occupying my whirring thoughts.
“Let’s go,” He says, walking by quickly, his voice cold as if he hadn’t just witnessed the depths of Misty’s torment.
“What just happened?” I demand, rushing to catch up to him before he reaches the doorway, but he ignores me and walks on through, the determination on his face, a stark contrast to the exhaustion still written there.
He takes his position, and Misty takes hers, almost automatically. I have no choice but to retake my own place as they both wait for me.
* * *
Jenina felt the cold as she walked the parapets of the castle in her new crimson tank top and shorts, with her trainer Teag. She kept time with him, even though his stride was longer, three steps behind, just like he’d taught her. Her eyes wandered across the snowy landscape as she walked, noticing the soldiers training with their MAxillian horses in formation below.
The way the horses moved in sync with their riders mesmerized her. Every step, every turn was so precise, like the horse and rider were one being. She had watched them before, many times, always captivated by the grace of their maneuvers. But she wasn’t allowed to stop. Not today. Teag’s pace was steady, unwavering, and she knew she was expected to match it without question.
“Eyes forward, Jenina,” Teag’s voice snapped her attention back.
Her shoulders tensed, and she straightened her back, quickening her step to fall back in line behind him. She knew she couldn’t afford distractions today, not when she was meant to prove herself in the sparring room. A tiny slip of focus could mean everything.
Teag stopped. There was a boy inside. A tall boy, with strong muscles and violet eyes. He stood in the stance of the first form, ready already.
The light turned blue. Jenina did her best. She was tall for her four cycles, and quick. She knocked the boy flat in seconds and bowed, smiling at Teag in the yellow light, even though it made her feel heavy, like the air was thick with something she could’t name. The boy writhed under the weight and couldn’t get up.
She’d won, but the boy’s trainer wasn’t happy. Jenina could see him and Teag arguing through the windows, but couldn’t understand what they were saying. Just that it wasn’t over. Then the light went blue again and the boy got up.
“Again.” Teag’s voice snapped. Jenina didn’t understand.
“But I won,” she whined. She wanted to say, it wasn’t fair, that she hadn’t done anything wrong. Why did she have to go again? But Teag wasn’t smiling.
She retook her stance, arms and legs feeling shaky now. The boy was bigger, stronger, and he’d seen her moves. She didn’t know what to do now. Before she knew it he was on her. In the end he sat on her chest, grinning in the yellow light. Jenina felt the crushing weight and knew she’d missed her chance.
Teag didn’t say anything as he dragged her back her cell. The hallways were cold and empty but she hardly noticed anymore. Everything felt dull and far away. The tiny unlit room with the dirty rug in one corner and the bucket in the other felt like it had swallowed her whole. She slumped against the wall, pressing her face into her knees.
“I let you down,” she whispered into the dark, though there was no one to hear her. Her chest ached like something heavy was sitting on it. She thought about all the lessons, all the training, all the times she’d tried to be fast enough, strong enough, good enough. But it didn’t matter. She wasn’t. Not today.
After what felt like hours, the door creaked open. Jenina’s heart jumped as Teag stepped in. The light and shadows on his face made him look even scarier. Jenina pulled her knees closer to her chest, heart racing.
“Get up!” he commanded, he words sharp like a slap. She didn’t argue. She pushed herself up, her legs shaky, following him out of the cell like she always did. She wanted to ask what was happening, but her throat felt tight, and she knew better than to speak.
Teag led her through the narrow halls, each step echoing in her mind like a countdown, past the baths, past the gym to a small room a little further down the way. The floor sloped toward a drain in the middle and a hook hung on a chain above it.
Jenina’s stomach twisted, but she didn’t understand why. Not yet.
“Strip,” Teag ordered, and though every part of her wanted to hesitate, she didn’t. The faster she obeyed, the faster this would be over. But as she stood there, exposed and shivering, Teag didn’t even look at her. He bound her wrists with rough rope, tied them to the hook, and pulled her up with the chain until her feet barely touched the ground.
Jenina bit her lip hard to keep from crying out. The rope was scratchy against her skin, the pull on her arms making her shoulders burn. Her mind raced, trying to understand what she’d done wrong. She’d tried. She really had.
Teag stepped forward, the whip uncoiling in his hand. “This is what happens when you lose.”
Next Time: Logan and Luke have borne witness to the horrors of Misty’s upbringing, and are now doubting whether they want to know more.
Thanks so much for reading! If you like, please:
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and as always, I love hearing what you think so, feel free to:
So, now Logan and Luke are seeing the graphic details of her early brutal training, which is undoubtedly horrifying. But we have seen several glimpses of this before, so curiously I don't find this shocking. Not like it is to Luke and Logan, who are agaste! Clearly that is your point, the impact to them. I did think the device of teasing the end of the session, no wait it's just a break for an hour, worked really well to emphasize the trauma!
Now I am probably going out on one of my speculative limbs, but what is Misty showing Luke and Logan? Knowing how thoroughly she was programmed by James, are these memories real, or a mixture of real and programed memories that are part of the mental programing imbedded by James? Was all the brutal training real or is it simply created memories which could have served the same pain / reward response! And, in the same vein, we still don't know what little nuggets and to what purpose Luke dropped them into Misty's mind a few scenes ago. A remaining mystery that perpetuates suspicions about his motivation.
🤔
Outstanding work Jenny