The Energy Crusades Read online

  The hallway, a wide expanse with doors lining both sides, usually felt vast, but today felt suffocating filled with so many of my fellow Athletes. Their faces were somber, and I quickly hid my delight upon spying my parents, patiently waiting for me with all the others. They had just arrived in the Delphinus Grid to escort me home. I looked up at my father, whose pale eyes shone with a joyous light. He was a big man with light brown hair and hazel eyes. My mother appeared tiny against his large frame. They tried to appear gloomy too, as if leaving the Tennis Academy was cause for sadness, but my father couldn't mask the way his eyes crinkled in happiness. My heart soared at the sight.

  Coach Renier cast a steely glance at the Athletes in the hall. They immediately sprang into action, forming orderly lines along the hallway, their backs against the walls, allowing easy passage for me and my family. As we began our trek through the dormitory, the Athletes bowed to me as I passed. I wouldn't be human if the sight didn't touch me, making me want to reach out and touch each and every one of them in turn. Instead, I bowed to them in return, and as I passed, I gave silent thanks for the friendships I had formed there. Until we meet again. I sent the message out as a counterbalance to the torrent of emotions following me as I exited the Academy. I hoped the sentiment would fill the hallway and their hearts as they remembered all of the time we'd spent training together. Until we meet again. I wanted it to be true.

  My father put a hand on my shoulder as we stepped into the sunlight.

  "You're sure about this?" his deep voice reverberated in the still morning air. Around us, the air was heavy with the heat, though the sun had risen a mere hour ago. It was odd not to hear the sounds of the tennis courts, the players warming up or going through their drills. My departure had given them a brief reprieve, but I was sure they were heading to the courts as quickly as I passed them in the hallways, and soon the sounds of tennis would fill the air again. I stole a quick glance at my coach whose face was, as always, unreadable. I couldn't guess what he wanted me to do. I didn't need to look at my mother. I knew, could feel, what was in her heart.

  "I'm not about to turn down Professor Baal," I informed him. He already knew I wouldn't, knew I wanted to leave. I was tired. I'd been playing tennis at the Academy since I was six years old, a long time to be away from home.

  Until Tiergan left the Tennis Academy, one year ago, I had never been apart from my brother, not even for a day. This past year without Tiergan had been the loneliest of my life. I looked to my brother for everything; he was my friend and protector, my tennis partner and mentor. I had hoped to meet up with him again at University, but it was not to be. I begged him not to be so darn great at everything and to wait for me so we could be Crusaders together.

  "Kaia," he laughed, brushing aside my fears, "It's time for us to be apart. You have to make your own way in the world, step out from my shadow. Just be ready to take your chances when they come." My eyes burned with tears the day he left, but still, I was allowed no respite. I had to play tennis. I had to earn my energy.

  Now, I was heading to the University back home to train with Professor Baal, the most acclaimed Teacher on the planet. She was more than a Professor to me, however. The Baal family had lived across from ours since before I was born. Tiergan and I grew up with their sons, and I had no memories from home that didn't involve both of our families. The Baal family also felt like home to me. But as a Teacher, Professor Baal demanded excellence from those she trained. Her Crusaders were the finest in the world, and she only accepted those who were willing to train extensively with weapons, and to fight if called into battle for the Reformation. Being accepted on her team was an enormous honor. She had accepted Tiergan before me, and he trained so well under her direction, he had already graduated as an Elite and was gone from the University, off with his team of Crusaders on the Planet Danu. In fact, he trained with both of Professor Baal's sons, Cadmus and Ajax, which left no one from home to join me at the University. While I was extremely grateful for the opportunity, I couldn't help feeling resentment because Astrid Baal had let the three of them train together and left me out. Ajax was not even a year older than I; only months separated our births, and I should have been allowed to train with them, too.

  I pushed those thoughts aside as I climbed into the zwitter craft provided by the University for our travel. It ran on solar-hydrogen power and could reach speeds of up to five hundred kilometers per hour. My mother and I took the two seats in the back, while my coach settled into the seat next to my father, who sat in the navigator's position. He pulled the dome-like cover over our heads and locked it down, making sure we were strapped in before allowing the vehicle to hover.

  "Rest up, Kaia. This might be your only chance." I laid my head on my mother's shoulder and breathed deeply. She smelled like home, a mixture of ocean and sunshine. Even at hyper speed we would be traveling for a while to get to the Orion Grid, and I was expected in Professor Baal's office right away. I was nervous about seeing her and anxious about following in my brother's footsteps. These thoughts pressed against me while the landscape sped by. I let my thoughts drift as I watched the earth spin away below me.

  The effects of the Oil Wars were evident as the Earth flashed before my eyes in a patchwork of ruin and rebirth. Here and there, the ravages of a long, hard-fought war were still evident as scars upon the land. Collapsed buildings, fallen factories, and burned-out neighborhoods contrasted starkly with a new world foraged from the remains of unimaginable devastation.

  There were no more working factories as were once abundant on Earth. Grids sprang up around Universities or Athlete Academies whose buildings were restored from those once housing similar functions. Around them, homes were either retrofitted from remains, or built anew from sustainable, natural materials like bamboo, or adobe, or anything else readily manipulated by human hands. Wherever you chose to make your home, you had the responsibility of sustaining it, providing energy for your family and the Grid, and for growing some of your own food. Every person was responsible for sustaining his own existence. As I watched the world hurtle by outside the zwitter, I closed my eyes against the worry and allowed myself to relax in my parents' presence. My mother talked softly, telling me little things about our neighbors in the Grid, or news about Tiergan. It was just idle chatter to help me relax, and it worked. My eyes fluttered open as the zwitter slowed, coming to rest outside my childhood home.

  The University was at the center of the Orion Grid, and the neighborhood fanned out from there, like spokes on a wheel. My parents had built our house, rather than salvaging an existing pre-war structure. Its rounded, earthen walls were capped with a living roof. The plants trailed down and continually threatened to cover the solarized windows, while the garden surrounding the house was somewhat wild looking, but provided food and beauty. It spilled over into the neighboring homes, and their gardens spilled into others, until they all blended together, one after the other, row upon row, the color and lushness broken only by the homes interspersed among them. Wildflowers and indigenous plants took root haphazardly, filling in empty spaces where roads had once been. There was a look of disarray to it I found refreshing after the order of the Tennis Academy, where the gardens were kept in perfect order, just like the Athletes.

  We exited the craft and stretched our legs. With a brief bow to my parents, Coach Renier hopped into the navigator's seat and the zwitter rose off the ground.

  "A few minutes, Kaia, and then report to Professor Baal." He pointed at my solar glasses and I immediately put them on as he sped away. He was always on me about those glasses, always trying to keep me hidden. Just when I thought I would be free of solar glasses and virtual tennis players, he announced he would be my coach at the University.

  My parents ushered me inside and allowed me to freshen up in the bathroom. I could tell they were hovering around me and feeling anxious, but I couldn't put my finger on what was worrying them. They were good at guarding their feelings when they wanted to. What I longed to do w
as roam around the house, lie in my childhood bed, and breathe in all of the smells of home. I wanted to run next door, visit my neighbor, and shout out to the Grid I was home. Where was everybody? Where was my neighbor? Surely he should be here to greet me, right? They offered no answers and I felt hurried, but didn't fret too much, feeling I would have time for everything later, time to visit and time to get acquainted with my home again. With these thoughts I began to walk, flanked by my parents, toward the University.

  Not much more than a kilometer from our home, Tiergan and I had spent endless hours roaming the campus with the Baal brothers. As we approached, I could see the Energy Field, and my mother squeezed my hand. Made from a combination of recycled materials, like old rubber tires left behind after the wars, it encircled the entire campus. Energy Fields such as these were common to every Grid, providing a means for inhabitants to earn energy, or to punish consumers who failed to meet their energy requirements and needed to work off their debts. This particular Field was a functional bicycle track that became active as bicycles were set in motion, and was just one way to produce energy for an account.

  Virtual Guards now surrounded the Field. They stood on the outside of the track, about a meter apart, all the way around, kilometer after kilometer, as far as the eye could see. This was now a well-guarded University. With the rise of the Resistance, those who resisted the rule of the Descenders on Earth, and along with it, a campaign of sabotage against the government, it became increasingly necessary to guard places where Elite Crusaders trained.

  The guards were imposing. They each stood about the same height, nearly two meters tall, and wore full body armor, a mixture of Kevlar and Titanium. The suits were blindingly white in the afternoon sun. Where their faces should be, Virtual Guards wore solarized masks, nearly all black and featureless so you could never mistake a moment of humanity in them. They had no humanity. They were simply energy, poured into armor.

  My stomach filled with butterflies. I told myself I had nothing to worry about. I was a world class Athlete, but here, I would be just another Student. I had to prove I was worthy of the Elite Crusade I'd been accepted on.

  My parents slowed their pace and then stopped all together. My father touched my arm and I met his eyes.

  "This is as far as we're going," he informed me softly. My stomach clenched.

  "Professor Baal would like you to meet with her on your own," my mother added. Her shoulder length, auburn hair fluttered just a bit around her face in the afternoon breeze. Her green eyes showed some sadness, but her expression said there was no room for negotiation. They had brought me this far, but now I needed to go on without them. I stood up straighter and squared my shoulders. I took a deep breath.

  "Okay." I looked each of them in the eyes. I could do this. I could do anything — I was going to live at home with my parents again. I hugged them both tightly and then turned to face the Guards. As I approached, one of them turned its head toward me slowly. It was eerie how the faceless mask appeared to stare right through me. I felt the air grow thick around me. The Guards emitted an energy barrier, and if I were to try and cross without permission, I would be electrocuted at the very least. I held up my arm, allowing the inside of my wrist to show. My fingers balled into a fist while I waited for the mask to read the information implanted in me. It was my identification. A moment later, I felt the barrier retreat. The Guard lowered his head to me, bowing as I passed. Then all the other Guards began bowing as well. One by one they lowered their heads, and even though I could only see a portion of the field, I knew they would all lower their heads for me. I was an Athlete. They had to show me respect.

  I waited several moments as the bicycle riders whizzed past. When there was a lull, I sprinted across the track and its sponge like surface and headed for the food science building. I'd entered at the northwest end of campus, not far from my destination. The building itself was situated against a hill. Behind it stretched the greenhouses of the hydroponic farms, row upon row of crops grown without the use of soil. Silence greeted me as I pushed open the doors and stepped inside. A hallway branched off to my left lined with Teacher offices. To my right, a staircase led to the food labs on the second floor. I was tempted to head upstairs and explore the labs while I willed my heart to be calm. Instead, I stood a few moments in front of Professor Baal's office and tried to collect myself. Just this morning I was at the Tennis Academy. Last night, I'd played my last tennis match for the Reformation. Now, a new chapter of my life was about to begin. I took a deep breath, gave a short knock, and opened the door.

  Chapter Two

  University

  When I stepped into Professor Baal's office, her head was bent in conversation with a young Student. Their heads rose up in unison when I entered, each turning identical blue-gray eyes toward me.

  Ajax.

  He was here. The name coursed through my blood like a river of familiarity, of home, and of all I had missed and loved. Pieces of me I hadn't even realized were missing snapped into place and I felt truly at home for the first time. My heart felt ready to burst with happiness.

  Ajax. All of my earliest memories were tied up with him, this boy who was no longer a boy, the two of us inseparable as children, when even the night hours could not tear us apart and we'd fall asleep side-by-side, wherever our last adventure had found us, only to wake again and begin our adventures anew. There wasn't a centimeter we hadn't explored at the University, or down at the beach where the University tapered off, culminating in the cliffs leading down to the sea. We shadowed our older brothers, vying for their attention or causing them mischief when we couldn't get what we wanted. It was an idyllic childhood, right up until the day Tiergan and I left for the Tennis Academy.

  Tall and lean, he stood before me now, unlocking emotions I hadn't known existed. Without thinking, I took a few steps toward him in greeting, feeling a joy bubbling up inside of me. I wanted to burst out laughing and throw my arms around him, such was my happiness upon seeing him. But all of those joyous feelings were quickly quelled when the expression on his face showed no recognition, no happiness, and an almost outright hostility. My insides turned to ice as I reigned in my emotions, angry with myself for even allowing them in the first place. I turned my head away from him as his mother rose to greet me.

  "Professor Baal, thank you for this great honor. Please consider me your humble Student." I bowed to her deeply and fought the feelings of shame at my almost embarrassing display of emotions. I kept my head lowered until she walked over and touched my shoulder, allowing me to meet her piercing blue-gray gaze. She was dressed in royal blue, the color for all Teachers, and even in her energy suit she managed to look regal.

  She said nothing for several moments and then, "Please remove your sunglasses, Kaia." My hand flew to my face and hesitated there. Coach Renier taught me not to remove them, for anybody, and I wasn't sure who to obey in this situation.

  "You obey me," Professor Baal answered my thoughts firmly, and I mentally kicked myself for allowing her to enter my mind. I'd underestimated her simply because she was human and I was used to my Descender coach. I removed my glasses, pushing them up on my head while closing my mind against another intrusion. She studied my face for several moments before speaking again.

  "You no longer answer to Coach Renier, but to me. Do you understand?" I dipped my head, acknowledging her words, and then tried to reach into her mind. She closed it swiftly, giving me mental whiplash as my own mind retreated. A look of surprise crossed her beautiful features and I was able to study her for a moment. She was nearly as tall as the son who stood beside her, and their looks were similar. Her hair framed her face in a short, blunt bob, the pale creaminess of her skin contrasting vividly with the stark blackness of her hair. Ajax's hair, the same inky color as his mother's, was disheveled, sticking up in places and falling in his eyes in others. It looked like he'd just gotten out of bed and combed his hair with his fingers.

  "Do not underestimate me, Kaia Robi. Do
not for one moment think because I am a human, I will be any less accomplished then your Descender coach." It was odd. While her words were harsh to my ears, every sense I got from her was happiness. She didn't cover it up. I felt it the moment I saw Ajax. She knew I had reacted to his presence and she was glad for it. I wondered why. He obviously was not glad to see me. He was not happy to be here.

  "There are six members of your Crusade team," she continued. "Each of you brings a set of unique skills, but you all must work together to accomplish your goals. Ajax is the leader of your team and your mentor in particular. You will answer to him at all times and obey his command while training. You remember my son?" She paused and waited for my answer.

  "Yes, Professor," I answered. It was the truth. I remembered him. I did not look at him, though; I kept my eyes on hers as she continued.

  "Ajax trained with Cadmus and Tiergan. The fact that they graduated and he is still here is not a reflection of his skills as a crusader. He is extremely accomplished and had every right to graduate, but I have other plans for him. He will watch over you and help guide your training. I kept him behind specifically for this purpose." So there was the reason for his hostility. He'd done everything right, accomplished his goals for his Crusade, and yet he was left behind. It was unimaginable having to train all over for a second crusade. It wasn't fair. And it was hard to understand. Why do this to Ajax? Why not have the four of us train together? Why let Ajax train with our brothers at all, if she never planned on letting him leave? I turned my head slowly to meet his eyes, ready to face his anger over this injustice. He kept his face a stony mask, allowing no emotion to show. I reached into his mind.