Mind of a Beast

Despite Agent Jasper Felix’s detailed and professional tone, Glitch didn’t seem to be paying him much mind. Instead, while idly listening, she was staring directly at Remi, as if he was a curious bug under a microscope. It made his skin crawl, and part of him wondered if that’s why the agent had brought him along. “—which is why we’re hoping to finish the extraction within the next 48 hours.” The speech came to a conclusion, putting the ball firmly in Glitch’s court.

“What did you say his name was?” Glitch asked Jasper, and Remi groaned internally.

“Remi Amber. He joined our team recently as an expert in Slyten crystals.” Which was a funny way of saying ‘Remi was really good at throwing things with his mind when we gave him Slyten.’ “The AOSE wouldn’t want to move forward here without your explicit permission.”

“I suppose you might have it. But we will likely be deploying to the front in the near future, so your timetable might want to accelerate.” Glitch waved her hand, dismissing Jasper, but when Remi turned to try to leave as well, she spoke: “Wait. Mister Amber, I can’t help but shake the feeling that I know you from somewhere.”

“I would be deeply surprised, ma’am,” he said, turning to face her. “This is my first visit to Olten.”

“Do you have any siblings, other relatives that might have visited?”

He shook his head, then paused. “Did Doctor Dal mention me to you?” A smile began to cross Glitch’s face, and out of the corner of his eye, Remi could see Jasper’s brow furrowing.

“No, but knowing that you know her makes other things fall into place.” Glitch gave a small nod, and spread her hands, gesturing at the space around them. “Animus Vox, the voice of the universe, can be heard by anyone. But only few have their songs sung within it. I believe you are one of those fortunate few, Remi Amber.” There was a twinkle in her eye, an element of excitement that confused Remi. “I’ve traveled a hundred worlds, and I’ve only met a few people special in the same way you are. Maybe one day, you might get a similar experience.”

Remi tentatively bowed his head. “Thank you, ma’am. I hope I might as well.” He had no clue what she was talking about, but that response seemed to be all she needed, and finally he and Jasper left the throne room, and then the palace itself. The first few minutes were quiet, but once there was distance between them and the Triumvirate, Remi broke the silence. “Do you have any idea what that was about?”

“I was going to ask you the same thing,” Jasper replied. “Did you speak to Doctor Dal about Glitch?”

Shit. “I assumed my files had mentioned that Doctor Dal was the one who had cleared me for space travel.”

“They had,” Jasper drew the words out, the suspicion palpable, “but there wasn’t much in the way of details.”

“Is there something I should know about the doctor?”

Jasper snorted, “Not at your clearance level, there isn’t.” They walked in silence for another few minutes, until they were almost at their ride back to base.

“So, you have no clue what Glitch sees in me?” Remi asked again, keeping the desperation and confusion out of his voice as best he could.

Jasper opened the vehicle’s door, and turned to look at Remi. “I’m going to do you a favor, and I’m going to pretend you never asked that question. And in return, I expect that you’re going to do me a favor, and pretend you never got this answer.” The agent stared hard into Remi’s eyes, and he gave a quick nod affirmative. “Dal and Glitch aren’t like us, and they also aren’t like any of the Guardians or Abominations or psionicists or whatever you might want to compare them to. Every day, there are members of the Bureau who wake up, and praise every saint they can think of that Sadie Dal still lives on Terra, and hasn’t caused the biggest security disaster since the Fratricide.”

Jasper’s tone was getting harsher, and Remi realized that Jasper was trying to scare him straight. “While I’ve been stationed on this planet, I’ve had a few very important tasks. One of them is to monitor all the instruments that broke when Dal burst into a beam of light and flew from Olten to Terra in a matter of minutes.” Remi’s eyes widened. The spaceship ride had taken weeks. “The Terran government has enough on its plate as is. If I come across another one of these anomalies, I’m meant to do everything in my power to ensure that they won’t be a threat to us in the long term.”

“Do...do you think I might…” Remi had no idea how to begin, or end that sentence, and just let it drift off.

“Kid, I’m going to be honest,” Jasper Felix boarded the vehicle, and closed the door behind him, letting Remi walk around towards the passenger seat. “There’s destruction in your eyes, like I’m staring at the sun. Just like Glitch.”