Psions account for less than half a percent of the population. The UEC attempts to test those between the ages of ten and twelve for potential and tracking, but some get missed. Those are the ones who are truly dangerous. Please let your local office know if you suspect an unregistered psion.

  Excerpt from UEC public announcement

  Mara hearing a disembodied woman's voice should have been disturbing, but it was oddly comforting, really. The smooth voice in her ears didn't sound like it came from any specific direction, and she couldn't figure out how that worked.

  Anders had left the room, leaving Mara to explore her new space, and she got to unpacking.

  "So, Intra," Mara said. "What's the answer to the meaning of life?"

  "Some believe it's finding purpose in oneself, spending time with others, and living without regret. Others believe it's forty-two."

  "I know my question wasn't serious, but that's an even more unserious answer."

  "I'm an advanced AI, capable of calculating live firing solutions for the ship in zero point zero two microseconds, while simultaneously engaging my cyber-warfare suite. You get what you put in."

  Mara finished putting her Mk I and Mk II Mule models on a shelf. "Guess that's fair. Is Anders planning on selling me to the UEC?"

  "There has been no communication from this ship to the Praetorian one. If the commander plans on selling you, he hasn't done so yet."

  "Well, that's a little comforting at least."

  Mara continued removing items from her bag and soon had the room set up how she'd like it. Not that it would stay like this for long, but until she moved into the academy dorms, it was hers.

  "How'd Anders even get a hold of an AI?" Mara asked.

  "Redacted," Intra said.

  "Is it actually, or are you just saying 'redacted'?"

  "The latter."

  Mara shrugged and lay down on the bed. "Fine, keep your secrets. I'll find out one day."

  "To be serious, though, I'm here if you need to talk, as this applies to all the crew. Everyone needs someone to listen to them from time to time."

  "We'll see, but I'm tired. Are you going to watch me sleep?"

  "Goodnight, Mara."

  The AI sure did like its non-answers, but she was too tired to care at this point.

  Mara didn't really do anything for the next few days and mostly stayed in her new room trying to catch up on the first peaceful rest of her life. Not that it should have shocked her, but it was amazing how much better a bed was than a tent next to a sewage plant.

  Though Anders still dragged her to the training room each day to practice this psionic signature thing. Which cut into her relaxation a bit and also required more work than she'd like.

  "Are you doing it right now?" Anders asked.

  She continued trying to visualize a burning furnace and tried to turn the imaginary fuel dial up for more heat. They'd been doing this for hours and she was currently sitting on the floor with her legs crossed.

  "I am," she said. "But I still don't see how this is supposed to help."

  "Psionic control is all about your mental link. When I dampen my own psionics and think of pushing said energy down into a sealed box, like I mentioned, that mental construct guides me."

  "And you really think I can do the reverse? Make my own psionics visible?"

  Anders rubbed his chin. "From the research I've done, maybe. A lab once studied doing something similar, to undo dampening faster, but the process hardly takes a second anyway, and they lost their funding."

  "Great, so I'm your lab rat?"

  "Better mine than the UEC's. Besides, the data that the lab had was solid."

  Ugh, he was right. Maybe she was going about this wrong, though. She was trying to reverse what Anders did by creating a fire that he instead snuffed out, when maybe she should work on revealing what wasn't there instead? Looking into the void within herself where a signature should be?

  Mara internalized herself approaching an invisible door, with nothing around it. She reached for the handle and pulled.

  Pain tore through her head, and she opened her eyes. There was something on the other side, barely visible through the cracked opening and dark-purple mist.

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

  Anders' eyes widened. "You did it? I can finally sense you."

  Mara clutched her head. "It—it's not easy, but why does this hurt so much?."

  "Are you okay?"

  "Something doesn't want me here, and it feels wrong, like I'm forcing myself to breathe."

  Anders' gaze hardened. "What do you mean something?"

  "Don't know," Mara said. "I imagined opening a door, only a crack, but there's something on the other side. I think it's watching me."

  "Mara, it's your own mind. There's nothing else there."

  The pain moved deeper within her head, like tendrils burrowing through soil. She slammed the door shut, and the pain ceased. Her breathing was heavy, and her back was soaked with sweat.

  There was a knock on the door.

  "I can't anymore," Mara said.

  "Your signature is gone, but this proves it's possible."

  "Ya and I feel like shit. Why did that feel so awful?"

  Anders handed her some water. "This is unfamiliar territory, really, but maybe because you're fighting against your own nature? A mental construct shouldn't have such a physical reaction, though."

  "Ya well, it did, and I feel cold now."

  "With more practice, you'll hopefully get a better handle on it. Don't push yourself too hard. We don't need you hurting yourself."

  Easy for him to say. He gets to picture closing a box, and she has to deal with a creepy ass door hiding who knows what horrors behind it. He'd better be right that it was all in her mind. Did this mean she needed therapy or something?

  "Well, take it easy for the rest of the day, you've earned it," Anders said.

  "You'd have to dump me out the airlock before I'd try that again anyway," Mara said.

  "Maybe relax in the lounge then. I have some work to deal with and probably won't see you until tomorrow."

  After Anders left the room, Mara rested for five minutes before making her way to the lounge. She hadn't really interacted with the rest of the crew much, but she couldn't avoid them forever.

  The ship's hallways were always well lit, aside from later in the 'night', though that didn't truly exist in space, where they dimmed to a warmer, low light. The vessel wasn't too hard to navigate, and she found the lounge empty, save for a single person.

  "If it isn't the tiny terror," Axel said.

  Of course, the ship's resident fool had to be the one here right now. The tall, dark-haired man looked to be in his thirties, but probably had less maturity than she did. If that were even possible.

  "I have a name, you know," Mara said.

  Axel got up from the couch. "But nicknames are funnier. Besides, I got blamed for your little laundry stunt on Anders. Good work, by the way."

  She smirked. "Don't know what you're talking about, but whoever did it really caught him off guard."

  "Hopefully they don't start wars they can't win, though."

  Mara shrugged and went to the kitchen. "Is that a threat?"

  "No, more of a challenge."

  If Axel was supposed to be the crew's 'recon specialist', she didn't doubt he was good at being sneaky. It'd be best to bide her time and wait for the perfect opportunity. Not that she'd ever do anything.

  "You wanna make me some food?" Mara asked.

  Axel scoffed and walked over. "What can't do it yourself?"

  "If you want to see me burn down the ship, sure. I've never used any of this." She gestured with her arms. "Not like I ever had the chance."

  He looked at her, and she dodged his gaze by looking at the floor.

  "Well, that's pretty path—" His usual smile vanished for a moment. But returned almost instantly. "Fine, but you're watching so you can at least learn. No one likes a freeloader." He grumbled out the last part.

  Mara propped herself up on the counter and kicked her legs out. "Cool, what we got?"

  "You're getting a stir-fry or a burger."

  "Anders already bought me a burger, so let's do the first one."

  Axel grabbed a pan from the cupboard. "You mean I'll do the first one?"

  "Meh, I'm supervising."

  "Okay then, supervisor, watch carefully."

  Axel proceeded to give a well-meaning but messy lesson on how to cook a stir-fry. She was pretty sure the vegetables were supposed to be browned, not burnt, and the oil should stay in the pan and not cover everything in the kitchen.

  She also wouldn't want to be the one cleaning the pan afterwards, as it would take a good amount of scrubbing. Though maybe the ship had something for that? Either way, Mara highly doubted Axel was planning on doing it himself.

  He passed her a bowl. "Say anything about my skills to the others and I won't show you anything ever again."

  Mara shrugged. "I'm just happy to eat."

  The food actually wasn't terrible, and if you ignored the more toasty bits, still better than any nutrient paste she'd had.

  "So, you're a psion?" Axel asked.

  Mara finished a bite. "From what I've been told."

  "Funny to think we only came across you because Anders had a contract to help on that warehouse incident."

  "You weren't even supposed to be in Hemura?"

  "No, we were passing by the planet when it felt like every warning sensor on the ship went off at once, and Intra thought a void rupture had opened."

  "Void rupture?"

  Axel leaned against the counter. "Right, forgot you've only been planet-side. They're uh, like a rift that can form in space to some other plane the eggheads just call 'the void'."

  "I take it that's not good?"

  "No one's ever survived one, as ships usually get torn apart, and if they stay in one piece, the entire crew is always gone."

  Mara stared across the room. "So what's on the other side?"

  "Of a void rupture? I don't think anyone really knows, or if they do, they aren't telling the public. Anders said they're closely related to psionics and might even be their origin, but that's still only a theory."

  Kind of a scary thought, that a ship could just get torn apart by some rift, with no way of predicting them, it seemed.

  It also didn't seem that Anders had told the crew how involved Mara was with the warehouse incident. It made sense to keep quiet about her quirks until he figured out why she had them, even if he trusted his crew.

  "I'm guessing you're not a psion then?" Mara said.

  She figured he wasn't, as his energy, if she focused on sensing it, was no different from any usual person she'd seen on Hemura.

  Axel laughed. "Course not. If I were, I'd be asking for a hefty raise. Like, I'm good at what I do, but having naturally better senses? Along with what is essentially space magic? I'd be relaxing on a beach with a couple of nice ladies after working hard for a few years."

  Mara rolled her eyes. "Of course you would."

  "Can't blame me, not everyone wants to be like Anders and still be working at his age."

  "Is he the only psion on the crew, then?"

  "Yup, it's why he always goes out on the psionic-related contracts."

  Mara narrowed her eyes at him. "While you just stalk little girls?"

  Axel puts his hands up. "Hey, hey. A job's a job."

  "I'm going to tell those nice ladies a few things if you ever find any."

  "See, this is why I gave you your nickname."

  This hadn't been a bad decision. Maybe getting to know more people would be good for her. It wasn't like she had a choice anyway, with their trip still going to take another few weeks.

  She just needed to pass the time, and there were plenty of people to mess with.