Talent Storm (52 page)

“Impossible. How?”

I shrugged, thinking back to the other me.

“I was awed by your potential, but I never thought this was possible. You will change the world.”

The gray haired man stepped up behind Shantice. I examined him closer and squinted. He wore a latex human mask. When he smiled, the mask peeled up with his lips.

“What's going on here, Commissioner?”

She turned on him, her eyebrows lowering, then pulled him aside to whisper something. At the end of their conversation, the man nodded. He walked up to me with a big smile, the near human look of his mask unnerving me.

“Saboteur Stone, you've done a fine service for the Coalition's Military.”

“High General?”

He nodded. “The mask does confuse things at times, but I must keep my identity concealed at all times, lest I risk assassination.”

“Of course, Sir.” He sure looked like a freak though.

“You have followed in your parents’ footsteps to become a great hero. It’s an honor to command you.”

I thought of how he commanded me to my death and then left me. He disgusted me, but I was careful to not show it. “Thank you Sir. The honor is mine.” I shook his offered hand and noticed the smoothness of it on my rough one. Unlike me, he had servants to do his work for him.

“I’d like a word with you in private.”

I shrugged. “Sure.”

His painted eyebrows lowered momentarily before his humorless smile returned. “Follow me,” he said.

I should have probably called him Sir, but he didn’t deserve it. I turned to Sofia. Her eyes flicked to the high general, and a grimace appeared on her face. He narrowed his eyes at her. For a second, I thought she might say something, but instead she turned away and clasped my hand.

I squeezed hers back. “It’s all right. Just save me a seat.”

She scrutinized the high general again, frowning.

“Please relax. I'll get your hero back to you in just a minute,” he said.

She leaned in close to me, her lips brushing my ear. “Damn he’s ugly,” she whispered. She leaned back. “Call me if you need anything.”

Her gaze lingered, then she strode away. I watched her hips swaying as she left me. Turning back, I saw the high general doing the same. Dirty old man. He led the way into the other room. I followed, my eyes raking him. Sunlight streamed in through windows, lighting up ten Coalition soldiers, who held black rifles. Next to them was a man with thinning, white hair and wrinkled face. He wore a gray pinstripe suit, gold necklaces, and gold bracelets.

“Jaden,” Maeron said. “The Coalition thanks you for freeing Liberty Kingdom. It was an amazing feat to singlehandedly defeat Goldwater.”

He couldn’t be more wrong. Singlehandedly. Hardly. Not only had Sofia helped, another version of me did too. It was the strangest thing I’d ever experienced, and I’m glad for it. If I was alone, Goldwater would have my stuffed body displayed by now, and the people would have suffered even more.

“I’d like you to meet someone,” he said, motioning his hand to the old man next to the soldiers.

The man approached me, his gold chains jingling.

“Jaden Stone,” the high general said, then patted the old man on the back. “Meet Duke Rutherford Clay.”

I remembered the name from Kevin’s story. His dad was the man’s accountant. By the look of all the gold he wore, his dad was busy. I wondered if Kevin’s parents were still alive. Would they care that Kevin was dead? Would they care that he was a hero?

The man reached out a wrinkled, veiny hand to me. I restrained a grimace and shook it. The strength of his grip surprised me.

“It’s very nice to meet you, young man.”

“You too,” I said automatically even though I couldn’t care less about him.

“Jaden, as you know Liberty will be having elections soon. I want to make sure that we have someone in place that has a strong connection to the Coalition to keep the peace. Duke Clay is the man for the job. I’d like you to campaign for him. With your support, his and my money, and my influence, there is no way he’ll lose.”

I saw how it was in the Coalition’s best interest to try to get the man elected, but I didn’t think it was fair to sway the election. Besides, I didn’t even know the man, and he was a duke. We just ousted them from power. The thought of Liberty being governed by anyone tied to Goldwater, disgusted me. “I’m sorry, but the people should be able to vote without being swayed by money or reputation.” I thought back to the power that Goldwater’s money gave him and frowned. Did things every really change?

“Rutherford, please give us a minute.”

The man nodded. “Of course, Sir.” He walked back over to the group of soldiers.

The high general turned back to me. “I want Liberty to have what’s best for them too and that’s peace. With the duke in power, peace will be assured.”

Peace was important, but I didn’t risk my life to free Liberty only to have the high general come in and start pulling the strings. I didn’t trust the man at all. How would the duke treat the people anyway if he accepted Goldwater as a ruler? “General, what you say makes some sense, but I’ll have no part of it.”

A deep frown appeared on his face, his mask twisting oddly.

“Furthermore, neither will you.”

His eyes hardened behind the mask and his fake eyebrows sank. “Don’t be a fool. If someone gets into power that doesn’t support us, we’ll have war again.”

Maybe he was right, but I didn’t think so. “I said no.”

His eyes bulged. “You said no?” he asked, spittle spraying. “I am the high general of the Coalition. You are mine, and you will follow orders.”

He’d lost his mind. No one controlled me anymore. “I quit then.”

He placed his hand on his sword. “You what? You can’t quit. As a talented citizen of Locke's Coalition, you are under obligation to serve the military until your fortieth birthday.”

“Make me.”

The high general growled, ripping out his sword, and the ten men behind him pointed their rifles at me.

I reacted instantly. Closing my fists, the barrels of each rifle suddenly turned toward High General Austin. He gasped, his eyes shooting open. Duke Clay’s sword flashed out of its scabbard.

The high general raised his hand to Rutherford and locked eyes with me. “You will lower the guns and accept my candidate. Then, when you return to the Coalition, you will follow all of my orders.”

A massive burst of talent engulfed my mind. I stumbled, clutching my head. My stomach fluttered as I strained against his will. For a minute, I feared he might overwhelm me; then I pushed back, severing his influence.

I stood tall, my chin raised. “No General, Liberty Kingdom will be free, I will not return to the Coalition, and I will not follow your orders. I drew Peacemaker, the weapon and my body flaring with mossy talent.

His jaw hung agape, his head shaking as if he couldn’t believe I’d bested his talent. In the next instant, the duke was charging toward me and the general drew back his sword, ready to strike. Just as the general’s sword was inches from my chest and the duke’s was swinging at my head, I raised my hand. Everyone in the room besides me froze in a green cloud of power. The general’s sword clanged uselessly to the ground.

“I order you to release me!” the general shouted, his fists clenched.

I shook my head. “No. You should die for abandoning Lilly and me to our deaths. You killed her.”

The fear in his eyes intensified, and his lip began to tremble. “No,” he said, weakly. Then with more confidence he said, “You knew rules. Killing me will make you a monster, no better than Goldwater was.”

If he only knew…. But I didn’t want to kill anymore. I wanted to be human, to be my old self. Still, he had to be removed from power or Liberty’s people would never be free. How else could I do it though? I pursed my lips and rubbed my chin. If I had manipulative talent like the general, I could change him, but I was only a telekinetic. Besides, his mind would have to be changed forever, or he’d go back to his old ways.

Was killing him the only way? I didn’t like it, but it seemed to be. I gritted my teeth, and started to squeeze my hand when my talent stirred. I brushed it off and began to squeeze again. It stirred more vigorously. I raised an angled eyebrow. Was it trying to tell me something? I focused on it, my mind swimming through my talent and soaking in its feel. I gasped; it felt foreign and more complex. When had that happened?

My talent suddenly hummed inside me. I shrugged, with nothing to lose, and directed it through Maeron’s skull, deep into the gray matter of his brain. Nothing. I sank my mind deeper, focusing on the neurons. Sparks of electricity and a myriad of chemicals danced in the synapses between them.

I explored his millions of thoughts and memories, everything that made him himself. An image of a young Maeron appeared, his father before him. The boy cried, and his father smacked him the in the face. I pulled at the memory, attempting to twist it. It resisted. I pushed hard. Nothing. I coaxed... and it yielded. The memory replayed. Only this time, his father was hugging him. A wide grin stretched on my face, like that of a child given a two-pound lollipop.

That was just one memory though. Would it take a lifetime to break down his entire personality? Would my changes even stick? I locked my mind on his and focused on everything. Countless thoughts, memories, and personality traits, exploded in my mind. A sharp gasp shot down my throat, and I nearly tumbled to the ground. I caught myself, took a steadying breath, and imagined the perfect personality for the general. His head drooped, as the chemicals in his mind shifted places, like pieces of a new puzzle.

Amazingly, just seconds later, I was done. I reached into the others’ minds, turned them toward the door, and erased their recent memory. Just then, Commander Deo entered the room. The duke and ten guards shuffled up to him, saluted, and left the room. Deo returned the gesture, then turned to the high general and me. His shrewd gaze targeted Peacemaker before finding the high general’s sword on the ground. He shot a questioning look at me.

Would he side with me, or stand in my way? I always felt like supported me and respected freedom. He must know what the high general had planned. On the other hand, he was patriotic, and he’d spent much more time with the general. I wouldn’t kill him if he sided against me, but I’d stop him. I held his gaze but said nothing.

After an uncomfortable span, he turned to Maeron. “Sir,” he said, saluting. “Is everything all right here?”

I focused on the high general, waiting for his reaction. Would my personality manipulation stick? I readied myself, my breathing accelerating.

The high general’s head’s bounced up, and a huge grin bloomed on his face. He threw out his arms and said, “Deo! It’s so good to see you and you know what? I never told you how much you mean to me. You’re a wonderful man; you’re the stars in my clear night’s sky.”

Deo froze, squinting at the man. He opened his mouth, but no words came out, as if shock had chased away his voice.

The general filled the silence, “I’ve been doing some soul searching and came up with a new plan. I now realize what’s
really
important... peace, love, and harmony. I’m done with war and politics. I’m going to buy a farm and start a family.”

Deo shook his head, his bushy white eyebrows raised. “Sir?”

“No more, Deo, my good man. Call me Maeron. I’m retired. It’s leisure time, baby!” The general gripped the sides of his uniform and with a tug, popped his buttons, and threw it to the ground. “Finally free!”

He skipped from the room whistling an old Coalition ballad. Deo’s jaw nearly hit the floor as he watched the general leave. He turned back to me while arching one eyebrow.

I shrugged, trying to keep a smile off my face. “Huh. I guess you never really know somebody.”

“I won’t ask. The high general’s resignation will be good for our people. He was becoming something of a tyrant toward the end. No one could ever oppose him, though, because of his manipulative talent.”

“Thank Talent he had a change of heart,” I said, then grunted a laugh. “Oh and you can have Peacemaker back.”

I tossed him the two-hundred pound killing machine. He caught it with a dim purple glow. “I won’t need it anymore.”

He nodded once, then smiled and nodded again. “You’ve earned peace. Now let’s go celebrate.”

Deo and I walked into the high ceilinged assembly room, where a hundred or so Liberty citizens sat on lavishly cushioned chairs. A wide stage, with red curtains drawn, inhabited the front of the room. Above the stage was a banner with Liberty’s fist on it. For once, it wasn’t hypocritical. I spotted Sofia in the back row and sat next to her. Deo sat to my right. I squeezed Sofia’s hand.

She squeezed back while turning to regard me. “Is everything okay?” she asked.

I smiled at her, feeling more relaxed than I had in years. “Everything is finally perfect.”

She returned my smile and kissed me on the cheek.

A silver haired woman, in a tidy, blue dress was the first to take the stage. “Thank you all for meeting here today. For those of you that I haven't met, I'm Rae Stanton. I’m first council of the reform group, Citizens for Social Justice, the largest reform party of Liberty Kingdom.”

The audience applauded until she raised her hands.

“For years my friends and I struggled against Goldwater’s influence in our underground bunker. As a people, we’ve suffered through corruption, greed, arbitrary enforcement of draconian laws, and constant propaganda. Our society has degenerated to a despicable state under his rule. I never gave up the fight, but I didn’t think we’d ever escape the tyrant. Now, finally, it’s time to rebuild and return to our roots of a free, prosperous society. And it’s all thanks to a group of people who put their lives on the line. I’d like to welcome on stage the only surviving members of The Underground. Jaden Stone and Sofia Kesari!”

Applause roared as Sofia and I walked up, hand in hand. On stage, I looked out over the rows of Liberty’s citizens with their cheery eyes and wide smiles. The audience consisted of a range of ages from twenties to what looked like seventies. Most wore nice clothes, but some wore stained and threadbare shirts and pants. The space was large enough to house the hundred or so people.