I sat in the common area with the rest of the crew. Calista had dropped a bomb on us, and it was time to discuss our next steps. I didn’t really have a choice; I knew I had to meet with her to avoid giving Randi an excuse to suppress my powers. That didn’t mean the entire crew had to put themselves in danger, though.

  “Same ol’ Andy,” C.J. sighed and threw his hands up. “How many times do we have to have the same conversation? You are not going to do this alone, damn it bro! We are a crew. It took me some time to really get on board, but you are the captain. Stop acting like you have to take on every big baddy in the galaxy by yourself.”

  “That isn’t what I’m trying to do here, C.J.,” I replied.

  “Then what are we even talking about?” C.J. asked, “Let’s decide on a meeting place and get this done. We are all coming, everyone here is gonna say the same thing.”

  Tiff reached a hand over and gently placed it on my forearm. “He is right, Andrew. We have been pulled apart too many times already. We have been training. True, we aren’t as strong as we need to be, yet, but we can help you.”

  “Captain, you have proven that you can challenge the most powerful beings in the galaxy. You have proven that you will not flinch in the face of pain and loss. These things are respectable, I think. This part of your journey is not yours alone, I fear.” Kaj crossed his arms contemplatively and gently shook his majestic wings. “Part of your education is learning to trust in those around you. You cannot protect everyone and risk losing yourself in the process. You are strong, this is true, but one strand of string, no matter how strong, cannot secure the ship and keep the waves at bay. No, the single strand is woven with many others until it becomes a powerful rope. You must not put your faith in the single strand; instead, let us become a rope.”

  C.J. looked at Kaj, perplexed. “Do you just have a bunch of sage advice stored in your head for times like this?”

  Kaj raised an eyebrow at the question. “Your question is fitting, C.J., it is foolish and short-sighted. It is fitting that a fool would ask a foolish question,” Kaj rested a hand on C.J.’s shoulder, eyeing him with a sage-like grace. “Today you are a fool, C.J., do not despair, though, for the fool is merely the precursor to the sage. You shall see, in time.”

  C.J. rubbed the back of his neck and grimaced, “See? That’s the shit I’m talking about. I’m pretty sure you just insulted me, but you did it in a way that makes me feel good about it. How do you do that?”

  Kaj chuckled, “C.J., you must understand that my people take great pride in being able to teach. It is not uncommon for a Malakim of my years and station to seek out those who hunger for wisdom. I am merely very,” Kaj flourished his wings, “very good at it. After all, A flower does not use words to announce its arrival; it simply blooms.”

  “Hey, Kaj?”

  “Yes, C.J.?”

  “How about you fuck right off with your fancy pants soliloquys?”

  Kaj, chuckled. “The roots of foolishness grow deep within you, C.J. I see you are not ready to stop tending them.”

  C.J. face-palmed and groaned. “Andy, we are coming with you. End of story.”

  “If Elvis is out there, we can’t just sit here and wait for you to send word. I’m sorry, Captain, but we are coming with you this time.” Loren chimed in.

  “It seems that it would be appropriate for us to attend this meeting, Captain. I know little about this monarch. I do understand that politics in our galaxy are messy at the best of times. Trust is not something I would advise giving. I believe we could be of assistance in this instance.” Kinthragor turned to face Michael. “I am not sure if Michael will be helpful, though. He is uninitiated, and his body is soft and easily injured.”

  Michael choked on the sandwich he was casually eating, and looked at Kinthragor offendedly. “What the hell, Kinny? I have been training with all the rest of you. I can be of use!”

  “Do you have any powers?” Kinthragor asked.

  “Well, no but..”

  “Do you know how to pilot a ship?”

  “No, I don’t know…”

  “Do you have access to an interface?” Kinthragor continued.

  “No, Kinny! I don’t, but that’s my little brother, and I’m not gonna let him face some crazy bitch and a gang of goons alone.”

  “Michael, I do not see what value you could bring to this mission. I believe the safest place for you would be here on Earth, helping get humanity ready for what is coming.”

  Michael stood up and walked out of the room furiously. He returned a few seconds later, holding the Seed of Power. “Do the thing, Andy. It’s time I got on a level playing field.”

  I held up my hands defensively. “Michael, I don’t know if that is a good idea. Ses and Sherlock have been studying the Seed and trying to get more information, but I still don’t know if I can just do the thing. I also don’t like the fact that Randi has power over what kind of class you would get.”

  Michael thrust the Seed into my chest. “Andy, I have been fighting by your side for months now. I haven’t asked you for anything,” Michael narrowed his eyes at me, giving a look that only a big brother could give his younger brother. “Now, do the fucking thing.”

  “I don’t know if I can, Michael.”

  “Forgive me for interrupting this fantastic episode of the Jerry Springer show, but I believe you can actually, how did Michael so eloquently put it? Oh yes, do the thing.” Sherlock quipped as he appeared beside me.

  “What do you mean? How can I just do it? We aren’t even sure how I did it for C.J.”

  “No, you aren’t sure how you did it,” Sherlock replied. “Ses and I were working on figuring it out. We weren’t making much headway until you leveled up. Apparently, with your new race, you have access to the universal Aether flow. You can’t just initiate every human on Earth with a snap, but you can initiate individuals, assuming you and Ses are both at full power. There will be a few days of weakness, mainly for Ses, but otherwise, you should notice no noticeable side effects.”

  “I…I need to make sure that Ses is okay with this. Also, we need to consider the period of weakness, and how that will affect us if we get into a fight we didn’t see coming.”

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  Ses slid into existence beside Sherlock, his black, shadowy figure now showing more substance and detail. “Your new grade provides many advantages, Andrew. I can now access a larger pool of power, and in turn, you can use that to your advantage in battle. I am also able to more easily form a physical manifestation of myself in this plane of existence. My period of weakness will not mean I am not able to assist you, just that I must be careful in doing so. Otherwise, I could permanently injure myself and affect your progression.”

  “This is a lot of information coming at me real fast, guys.”

  “Understandably, this is a lot for your little brain, Captain,” Sherlock said. “We considered having a meeting with you later, but circumstances dictated a more expedient education.”

  “If I am gonna be an asset to this crew, I need the abilities to do so. Stop being my brother and by my Captain for god sakes, Andy.” Michael chided.

  I looked around to see my entire crew, my friends, all in resolute agreement. Everyone wanted this to happen, and I couldn’t shake the fear growing inside me. “This isn’t a game, Michael. There is no going back; this will change you forever. You don’t have to do this. Talk to Natalie first, and think about your family.”

  Michael shot an angry look at me, his back stiffening and his hands flexing angrily. “You little shit! What gives you the right? I watched my world crumble just like you did. I watched friends die. I fought in the mud and dirt, I spent months in that damn Lizard prison camp, enduring torture, protecting you! For what? So you can sit there and tell me to think about it before I jump into this world of power? Before you give me a chance to even the playing field? No, I love you, little brother, but this is my decision. I have more than just you to protect, and I need the power to do it. Now, do the fucking thing…”

  “What do I do, Sherlock?” I asked, defeated.

  “Simply make contact with the seed as the desired recipient makes contact. Will the flow of Aether into the seed, then you must mentally direct the flow to the recipient. I must also add that I need you to perform a test. Ses and I have both been pondering how much control Randi actually has over the dispensation of classes. We believe that you may be able to override that particular issue with enough effort.”

  “I might be able to affect the class he receives?” I asked with surprise.

  “Potentially. We won’t know for sure until our theory is tested, though. Simply think about the type of class you would like him to receive as you are directing the flow of Aether. We will see what the resulting class is and know if our theory is correct.”

  I thought back about all the classes I was aware of. I knew I couldn’t duplicate the Havok Bringer class, as it was completely anomalous. I considered what I knew of different classes and the pros and cons of each. I thought about what would make Michael powerful, but what would also keep him safe, before I finally landed on a class that made sense.

  I stood and placed the Seed of Power on the table in front of me. “Put your hands on it. I’ll do what I can from there.”

  Michael nodded and placed his hands on the Seed. Doing the same, I closed my eyes and focused on what I perceived as Aether. It was a familiar substance; my mind connected its power with what I felt from Ses when he assisted me in battle. I groaned and winced as Tiff stood and placed a hand on my back. I pushed farther, feeling the Aether; it was like an imperceivable cloud all around me, streaming from the cosmos directly into my body and down to my hands. I struggled to control the flow, to make it bend to my will, but I felt Ses begin to assist me. Together we directed the flow, and I felt the Seed begin to react. It felt like a reservoir filled inside the Seed and was waiting for something else. I realized it needed direction, needed instruction, and I began thinking about the class I wanted to impart to Michael. The Aether reacted, changing slightly, adjusting to the direction I gave. Then, with what seemed like a click inside the Seed, the reservoir emptied and began flowing into Michael.

  Michael stiffened, his teeth grinding, his eyes rolling back into his head. Kinthragor jumped up and rushed to keep him from falling as the flow of Aether continued rushing into him. I opened my eyes and stood up, flinging the chair under me to the ground.

  “Hold him, Kinny. It needs to finish.”

  After a few more seconds, Michael’s hands dropped away, and he went limp. I looked over at Tiff. “Is that normal? Is he okay?”

  Tiff looked back nervously. “I don’t know. This isn’t the process I am familiar with. We are in uncharted territory here.”

  I rushed over as Kinthragor lay Michael on the floor gently. “He is okay, Captain. His body is acclimating to the influx of power. There are many changes that he must reconcile, but he will regain consciousness soon. This is much like the initiations from my home. We must simply wait now.”

  I walked over and picked up my chair, moving to a spot beside Michael. Nobody spoke; we all simply waited silently. After about ten minutes, Michael stirred and came to with a gasp.

  “What a rush!” He yelled as he sat up and smiled. “Whoa! So this is what you all see all the time?” He asked as he swiped at the air in front of him. “I have a level, a class, what are all these stats about?” Michael poked at the air furiously. “What is this thing? Okay…Strength, Dexterity, okay, okay. I see.”

  “Michael! Are you good?” I asked

  Michael turned with a smile. “Yeah, little brother, I am good. Any particular reason you chose War Wraith as my class?”

  I smiled. “I knew a guy who was an absolute demon in a fight who had that class. Gonna need you to do right by him.”

  “Is he dead?” Michael asked.

  “Nah, last I heard, he was running a strip club in Lucida with Red. As a matter of fact, it’s about time we all paid him a visit. If we gotta have this meeting somewhere, it may as well happen at Big T.D.’s.”