There was the purple alien he’d battled and lost to bouncing the coil in one hand and doing a little dance.
Standing next to him was the beautiful Morgan, holding JR12 in her upturned palm.
“Don’t you see?” Morgan stepped close. “The four of us now have a better chance at fixing your lost memories so we can repairElemiand escape.”
“As the great Einstein said, ‘In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity‘.“ JR12 gave a quick, self-satisfied nod. “So, let’s stop dicking’ around and dive right in. Ooh whee! Just imagine the sensational story we’ll have to tell when it’s all said and done!”
Morgan’s heart ached for Ari. She hated seeing the defeat shadow his face, especially when his alluring lips pressed into a tight, unhappy line. It didn’t look like he was willing to dive into what they should do now. Honestly, she could relate. All her life, she’d felt like she didn’t measure up to her friends and family. Living in a world of powerful psychics had been tough when she wasn’t like them.
Especially after her parents died unexpectedly when she was sixteen.
The shield holding the Titans had wavered and cracked. Since they were part of the guardian elites, her grandfather called in her parents to join the team to contain the breach.
Morgan’s father, Kai, had strong telepathic shielding abilities that were crucial in containing and repelling any invasive psychic force.
Her mother, Lily, was a psionic amplifier who could increase Kai’s capabilities twofold. She’d also been a strong influencer, one who could control minds, making the Titan susceptible to containment.
Morgan’s breath caught as the memory of that fateful day flashed before her eyes—the dark, twisted tendrils of the psychic entity of a Titan that ripped through the city’s defenses, its glowing eyes as it fought burned into her soul. She could still hear the sharp crackle of energy in the air, feel the tremor beneath her feet as the icy ground shook with each pulse of its power. Her parents’ faces, etched with pain and fear, haunted her—her mother’s hand outstretched toward her, her father’s last, desperate glance as the entity’s relentless force engulfed them.
The world had crumbled over and around them, leaving nothing behind but the suffocating silence of their absence.
A warm hand on her shoulder made her jump.
“Hey, you okay?” Concern laced Ari’s smooth baritone.
Putting a hand over her racing heart, Morgan gave him a wan smile. “Yeah, sorry. Zoned out for a moment.” She threw her shoulders back. “So, what do you say we go back to the workstation and plan on what to tackle first?” She concentrated on making her smile wide and looked him in the eyes. “Especially the Talon of Ancients. We’ve got to hide that somewhere before the High Chieftain comes back.”
The tense brackets at the side of Ari’s mouth softened. “Yeah, that’s a good idea.”
Grabbing the jewel-encrusted object, she called up the replicron and set it inside a drawer. Satisfied the artifact was as snug as possible, she demanded the machine disappear again.
“As’ni hungry.” The purple giant grumbled as he lumbered behind them. “Ari food?”
“Oh, hey!” Morgan snapped her fingers. “I did a little research to see what we have here for him to eat.” She pulled out a suitcase-shaped device from under the workstation. Something she’d created with a little help from the replicron. “It’s an electromagnetic device that draws unused power from the free-floating magnetic fields the ship emits. As’ni, sit here.” She pointed to the floor and placed the matte-silver device on the floor in front of him.
The soft, pulsing glow from the resonator reflected off his crystalline purple form.
The alien’s lavender eyes widened with curiosity, and his blocky fingers traced the glowing nodes on the surface with childlike fascination. “Pretty lights,” he murmured, tilting his head as if listening to the hum of the energy coming off the gadget.
“I promise, you’re going to love this, As’ni,” Morgan said gently, kneeling to meet his gaze. “Whenever you’re hungry, all you have to do is sit close to it and do this.” She tapped a stubby metal knob, and the device responded with a soft hum. Various energy lights on the surface glowed. “Feel the energy? It’s like the sun, but safer. Just let it wash over you.”
As’ni nodded, his hand hovered over it. “Food... As’ni. Safe... not hurt?”
Morgan smiled, making sure her voice remained calm and reassuring. “That’s right. It’s safe. You’re in control.” She watched As’ni inch closer.
As his body absorbed the energy, the once-dim crystals and mirrors on his body brightened. His eyes and mouth widened with wonder, and the usual blank confusion in his eyes melted away.
“Good, As’ni. Just like that.” She patted his hefty shoulder, surprised by the unexpected warmth radiating from him. “You okay now?”
As’ni‘s full smile showcased his chunky, lilac-colored teeth. “As’ni like!” He turned back to the resonator with his coil toy in one hand and introduced them to one other.
“He’s not going to OD on that thing, is he?” JR12 asked from his perch on Ari’s shoulder.
Morgan snorted. “Of course not. I made it so it would analyze the input As’ni got from it and turn off when it reaches an optimum level.”
“That’s amazing,” Ari praised. “Now if only we could solveElemi’sproblem that easily.”
“Just so you know—“ JR12‘s wings expanded, and he flew back to the tabletop. ”—I tried to communicate with your family back home, but the shields around theNebula Viperare blocking me.“ His wings buzzed before sliding back into the exoskeleton covering his back. “So I guess we’re on our own.”
