Prompt 63-Discovery

Write about a good discovery you have made (big or small).

“She’s a Chimera,” Paul exclaimed. “How lucky we are to have two in our humble dome!” His eyes glistened with excitement.

Shane watched Arcadios’s reaction closely. The Sage was always careful to monitor his thoughts when in the presence of a Reader, but Shane knew how to read other things. The older man smiled at him, as if he knew exactly what was going through Shane’s mind. “Yes, how very lucky, indeed.”

“And not just any Chimera, a Reader and a Mover in one!” Paul was not one of the Kin, but he helped the Sages with their research and was just as passionate about the evolution of the species. His near-obsessive enthusiasm unnerved Shane. He wasn’t sure if it was an asset or not.

“None of our compatriots in the other domes have ever encountered such,” Arcadios admitted, “but given the rarity of dual manifestation, it seemed only a matter of time before a psychic affinity appeared in which the Kin could use both traits. Wouldn’t you agree, Shane?”

Shane nodded. “Just because it hasn’t happened doesn’t mean it can’t. She’s living proof.” He leaned back in his chair, glancing out the window overlooking the courtyard in the direction of the medical wing. “The side effects seem to be much more pronounced though. She can’t be using them all out from the get-go.”

“You will see to it then, yes?” Arcadios’s thick eyebrows raised querulously, but Shane knew it for an order and nodded his acquiescence. “Very good. Now, what was it that set her off, do we know?”

Shane made sure to keep his face even as he laid forth his theory. “The trauma of losing her mother so suddenly was likely the trigger for her Reader abilities. Waking up in a strange place, finding herself bound to a lab table, with dozens of minds within reach, lacking the ability to tune them out? That second trauma probably triggered her Mover abilities.” He had been furious to discover they’d strapped her to that table after first bringing her in but hoped his anger didn’t bleed through into his voice.

The Sage nodded as if it were all perfectly clear to him. “It was quick thinking to grab Katia on your way down, then.”

“She was teaching that day, and I trust her to have my back.”

“The things this girl can teach us,” Paul sighed, reminding Shane he was not alone with Ark. “Maybe she is the key we are looking for!”

Shane stood and headed for the door. “Don’t get your hopes up,” he muttered. He left Arcadios and his lackey to plan their next set of studies. They have a new pet, now, he thought. Maybe he could finally get some time away.

Shane strolled across the courtyard to the medical wing. Her little outburst in the lab had left her physically weakened but she was also still in shock from the accident so they were keeping her sedated.

However, as he stood on the other side of the glass looking in to her room, watching her sleep as all the machines whirring and beeping kept her stable, he knew he couldn’t leave her to them. They would use her up, suck her dry, never let her out of their sight.

Her mind had been in so much chaos. She had no restraint, she could hear everything for a mile, maybe more. He couldn’t completely block her abilities, but he could contain the multitude of voices and give her mind something else to focus on instead. It hadn’t been easy, and he doubted she wouldn’t need to be calmed when she woke up again.

“She’s incredibly strong,” a woman with a strong Slavic accent said behind him. “Imagine what she could do with a little control.”

Shane frowned at Katia, the Mover who had helped stop the girl’s rampage. “It’s going to take time.”

The blonde chuckled. “Well of course. We don’t just learn control overnight.”

Shane shook his head. “We don’t know how the dual manifestation will affect her ability to learn control. It’s never easy, but I imagine there are different methods between filtering voices and moving physical objects.”

“Probably,” Katia agreed, “but what’s the rush?”

“They are going to want to put her under a microscope.”

“Jealous?” Katia smirked as he scowled. “You are not so unique anymore, no?”

He turned away from her and looked back at the sleeping girl in the hospital bed. “I’ve learned how to handle their scrutiny. She can’t handle it.”

Katia moved closer to him and also watched the girl. “What did you hear?”

She’s not just a Mover and a Reader, he said to her telepathically. He didn’t want to say it out loud in case anyone was listening. They would discover it themselves sooner or later anyway, but the longer it stayed hidden the easier time she would have learning to control her psychic abilities. She’s also a Seeker.

3 affinities? Katia’s eyes went wide. “You have got to be kidding. How can you be sure?”

“I just know.” This was going to be the hardest test he had ever faced. Athens had a handful of Readers. He was the youngest among them, and also the strongest. Arcadios had taken him under his wing and encouraged him to help any new Readers adjust. From his brief interaction with this new Reader, Shane knew, fundamentally, that she was going to have a hard time.

Still, he smiled. Katia’s jibe that he was no longer unique might have been true, but it also meant he was no longer alone.

Notes: Man, I love Shane. He might be smarter than the Sages, but I have no idea. I need to write more from his POV to really understand his motivations. Katia too. Lara is so lucky to have such a strong support system right off the bat. How does it all go so wrong?

Well that wraps it up for this week’s dailies! I will be spending the day working on a longer tale for you tomorrow from the Write the Story prompt. It’s been stewing in my head for two weeks now so it should be a good one! Have a great night!