intense thoughts from another psion when neither of them was guarding his mind. Soz knew Chad couldn't have quit on his own, but her emotions rejected that logic. Althor had given Chad an ultimatumhim or phorineand Chad had chosen the drug.
Her brother had never taken bliss. The doctors had checked him thoroughly. It wasn't because of Chad's addiction; they hadn't known Chad existed. The hospital had tested Althor for a wide range of drugs to ensure they would encounter no problems with any medicines they gave him. Soz would have known even without that, though. Althor would never touch phorine. He just wasn't the type. The DMA honor code and his sense of duty as a cadet meant too much to him. It was a good thing, because if he had tried phorine, based on what she knew about the drug, he wouldn't have survived. He was a
Rhon psion, brutally susceptible to any dose. The withdrawal could kill even a man as strong as Althor.
"Couldn't you get help?" Soz asked Chad.
"I thought I could quit on my own." Strain flattened his usually rich voice. "I couldn't. But when Althor turned me in, it felt like a betrayal." His voice quieted. "I'm grateful now. If the bliss hadn't killed me, I would probably be rotting in some hellhole. At the time, though, I couldn't handle it."
"Have you ever wanted it again?"
He regarded her steadily. "Every day. But I won't take it. I hate it even more than I crave it."
Soz hesitated. "I guess I don't understand why you never tried to contact Althor after you got out of treatment"
Chad spoke tightly. "He left me."
"He loved you."
He made an incredulous noise. "Do you honestly think he wanted to see me again after what I did?"
She could understand why he would feel that way, but he didn't know her brother as well as he thought She saw no use in stirring rancor, though. "I am glad you came to see him." It was true. He had helped her understand Althor better.
They turned back to the window, and stood vigil for the pilot who would never greet them again.
Twilight was deepening across the academy grounds as Soz headed to the engineering labs. Cadets were walking along the pathways, some in conversation, others working on their mesh gloves, with tiny holos floating around their hands, menus for mesh-mail, schedules, or schoolwork. A primed tension pervaded the scene, everyone aware of who surrounded them, saluting where required, passing upperclass cadets on the right following the stratified protocols of the academy.
Jazar Orand came up alongside her and saluted. "Orand, ma'amV
Soz returned the salute. "At ease, Cadet." He lowered his arms and grinned wickedly. "Heya, Soz." She had to smile. Really, he ought to get demerits for being so distracting. "Heya, Jaz."
His hair clung damply to his forehead. She remembered how he used the cleanser unit in the evening before he went to study. She missed rooming with him, Grell, and Obsidian. Although they had come in with her as first-year students, they were second-year now and she had advanced to senior level. She already had the biomech in her body that enhanced her strength and speed, as well as a node that augmented her brain. She had been assigned to a room with similarly augmented seniors. Her new roommates were fine, but she missed her friends.
"Where you headed?" Jazar asked.
Soz glared at him.
He laughed softly. "Demerit duty, right? Is it maintenance? Engineering? I know. Mesh Sciences, to work in the spam gutters."
"Pah."
"I swear, Soz, you get in more trouble than the rest of the cadets combined."
"I do not." Then she relented and added, "I have droid duty." She didn't know why they called it that; she would be cleaning mechbots, not droids. No matter what its name, the job was vile.
"What did you do this time?" Jazar asked. 'Tell one of your instructors your idea was better than hers? Talk during formation? Come late? Misplace a book in the museum?"
"I do not misplace books," Soz said with dignity. "I was showing it to Grell. She
Her brother had never taken bliss. The doctors had checked him thoroughly. It wasn't because of Chad's addiction; they hadn't known Chad existed. The hospital had tested Althor for a wide range of drugs to ensure they would encounter no problems with any medicines they gave him. Soz would have known even without that, though. Althor would never touch phorine. He just wasn't the type. The DMA honor code and his sense of duty as a cadet meant too much to him. It was a good thing, because if he had tried phorine, based on what she knew about the drug, he wouldn't have survived. He was a
Rhon psion, brutally susceptible to any dose. The withdrawal could kill even a man as strong as Althor.
"Couldn't you get help?" Soz asked Chad.
"I thought I could quit on my own." Strain flattened his usually rich voice. "I couldn't. But when Althor turned me in, it felt like a betrayal." His voice quieted. "I'm grateful now. If the bliss hadn't killed me, I would probably be rotting in some hellhole. At the time, though, I couldn't handle it."
"Have you ever wanted it again?"
He regarded her steadily. "Every day. But I won't take it. I hate it even more than I crave it."
Soz hesitated. "I guess I don't understand why you never tried to contact Althor after you got out of treatment"
Chad spoke tightly. "He left me."
"He loved you."
He made an incredulous noise. "Do you honestly think he wanted to see me again after what I did?"
She could understand why he would feel that way, but he didn't know her brother as well as he thought She saw no use in stirring rancor, though. "I am glad you came to see him." It was true. He had helped her understand Althor better.
They turned back to the window, and stood vigil for the pilot who would never greet them again.
Twilight was deepening across the academy grounds as Soz headed to the engineering labs. Cadets were walking along the pathways, some in conversation, others working on their mesh gloves, with tiny holos floating around their hands, menus for mesh-mail, schedules, or schoolwork. A primed tension pervaded the scene, everyone aware of who surrounded them, saluting where required, passing upperclass cadets on the right following the stratified protocols of the academy.
Jazar Orand came up alongside her and saluted. "Orand, ma'amV
Soz returned the salute. "At ease, Cadet." He lowered his arms and grinned wickedly. "Heya, Soz." She had to smile. Really, he ought to get demerits for being so distracting. "Heya, Jaz."
His hair clung damply to his forehead. She remembered how he used the cleanser unit in the evening before he went to study. She missed rooming with him, Grell, and Obsidian. Although they had come in with her as first-year students, they were second-year now and she had advanced to senior level. She already had the biomech in her body that enhanced her strength and speed, as well as a node that augmented her brain. She had been assigned to a room with similarly augmented seniors. Her new roommates were fine, but she missed her friends.
"Where you headed?" Jazar asked.
Soz glared at him.
He laughed softly. "Demerit duty, right? Is it maintenance? Engineering? I know. Mesh Sciences, to work in the spam gutters."
"Pah."
"I swear, Soz, you get in more trouble than the rest of the cadets combined."
"I do not." Then she relented and added, "I have droid duty." She didn't know why they called it that; she would be cleaning mechbots, not droids. No matter what its name, the job was vile.
"What did you do this time?" Jazar asked. 'Tell one of your instructors your idea was better than hers? Talk during formation? Come late? Misplace a book in the museum?"
"I do not misplace books," Soz said with dignity. "I was showing it to Grell. She
Similar Books
