“let’s definitely not do that again please.” I snatched the coffee bag and inspected it from top to bottom. In the dead centre was a perfect hole, about 4 cm wide. No heat nor lack of heat. On closer inspection there wasn’t even any liquid left either, completely bone dry.
“What is that mysterious ticking sound?” martin was looking around trying to find the source. Cath was already across the pod digging into an equipment compartment. Micheal was back to his usual poker face and trying to rub the bullshit out of his eyes.
“It’s a reader that measures the ambient energy. If the dosage of energy reaches a certain threshold we die. Be glad it’s not fast enough to be ringing.” I handed Micheal the bag and moved closer to martin. “Absolutely under no circumstance do that again. Not until we’re back on solid ground.”
“I promise I won’t.” Martin lifted his hand like an old Victorian promising on the bible. He then took out his shrinking book again and enlarged it. “How about arrays? They are completely different type of magic.”
“NO MAGIC!” We almost shouted. There was more frantic movement as Cath brought over a second Giger counter and a lead lined blanket. Josh kicked himself back and away from martin.
I reached out placed my hand on the book and looked him in the eyes. “No magic whatsoever.” We had a staring competition for a second before Martin nodded his head. He quickly secured his feet to a close by rail like the rest of us. His robe lost all sense of gravity and started floating like it should have. “The book is magical on it own. I can’t change it.”
Cath held the blanket open for martin. He reluctantly placed it in her arms. quickly wrapped and placed on a Velcro table. We let out a breath of relief as we took in the situation again.
“Is this a bad time to ask for a bathroom break?”
Then we all smiled and giggled. “I’ll show him.” I motioned him to follow. Cath and Josh left towards the research pod to get more equipment I assume. I was drifting to the hatch leading to the bathroom.
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“So, make sure you turn it on before you relieve yourself. Number two into the pot here.” I let the fluid vacuum pull back into the unit while pointing out the toilet. “Make sure you clean with the wipes on the side here. Any questions?”
Martin looked intrigued and a little green. “Does the wipes go with the rest?”
“Yep, anything solid down the main unit please.” I pushed myself out the way and motioned him in. He drifted in and closed the Fabric door behind himself. I drifted back a bit more to give him privacy. Say what you will about wizards and tech. The man clearly wasn’t dumb.
It was short order before he came back out with self-satisfied smile. “Much better.”
“Wait till you sleep in zero gravity. The softest bed in existence.” I lead us back to the lounge pod where Cath and Micheal were sweeping every surface for lingering radiation sources. Rather safe than sorry.
“So magic is off limits because it does something we really don’t want?” Martin was first to jump back into discussion about what the issues was and how we could solve it.
“It seems magic does 2 things we know of. 3 if you count the magical effect. It generates an electromagnetic pulse and radiation. The pulse of energy disrupts most of the equipment in the ship. We don’t want that. The radiation would disrupt us in future, if its produced in unsafe levels.”
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“Electromagnetism?” Martin was a renowned wizard in his world. He just needs the know some key info to find the underlying issue. He was sure of it.
“Ummm, Waves of energy that moves through the air without the need of a physical medium?”
“Mana?”
“No not mana.”
“But that’s energy released in waves with every spell. So, mana. Or in local terminology. Electromagnetism.”
“It’s more complicated, but yes. As for mana. Can you detect it?” The discussion on magic drew in the other two again.
“Yes. I can feel mana and see it as an ethereal mist hanging in the air.”
“Can you see warm objects in the dark? Or at least point in the general direction of them?”
“Yessss, that one is a bit of a trade secret. I guess you know the underlying secret of man then?” Martin was frowning at the apparent ease of how we figured out his ‘mana’ sight.
“Mana, or as we call it electromagnetism here is a spectrum. The lowest on the spectrum is radio waves. The next up would be microwaves. Then we have infrared, in simpler terms heat. Then visible rays, Blue red green. Then we have ultra violet. Those are generally rays from the sun. beyond that its ionizing rays from x-rays to gamma rays.”
“So mana is energetic rays that interact with matter?”
Cath decided to jump in with her own thoughts. “That’s the current idea. You can obviously sense a wider range than us. So, you have something in your biology that we don’t. That means you also have something that can manipulate it. Which with all current understanding in our universe, this is not possible.”
I deflated a little as it seemed like being a wizard was still impossible for me as it was.
“What’s the process you go through when you do the magic?” I was still a little hopeful we could do a little magic at least before we land at home.
“Well, that’s a big lesson to go through. And some pen and paper is needed.”
We didn’t even hesitate to pull out our pads to start taking notes. Micheal on the other hand was not having any fun. “You guys enjoy. I’m going to bed.” He was already drifting away from the interesting long before he joined this trip.
“Ignore him. He doesn’t like change.”
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“There are few schools of magic, the one we experienced recently was transmutation. My personal favourite. Also, the most dangerous. Without the proper concentration and discipline you risk explosion and transmutation sickness.”
Then with five fingers he listed other magics. “Other schools of magic includes: illusion, pyromancy, cryomancy, telekinesis, and arrays. The last one is a bit of a lost art. The most in depth knowledge is in the book over there.” He pointed at the bundle on the table.
The first question that comes to mind with every fantasy nut, or at least to my mind. “Why not manifest any effect you want inside something or someone?”
Martin raised his eyebrow with a sinister smile. “Blood thirsty one aren’t you?” Cath was also a little mortified at the idea once I threw it out there. “Lets not do that either if we can.” Cath said.
“The simple answer. Do you want it to happen inside you?”
“No.” A rhetorical question begets rhetorical answers.
“And neither does the universe. To change anything takes energy, be it mana or physical force. Its much easier to change something simple. A single element. The body is complex and ever changing. You cannot easily light a fire in a thunderstorm. It would be much easier to use the thunder it provides, if you know how to tame it.”
I was taking notes and changed some of the mysticism normal speak. Manipulation was possible inside a subject, just not feasible. unless it took advantage of a process already in place? “Telekinesis on a small part of the brain? Make it move slightly faster in direction its already moving?” The idea was simple and deadly enough. Cath again looked at me with wide eyes.
“Josh, you’re supposed to be the psychologist not the psycho.” Her tone might have been harsh, but she was still taking notes. “Just trying to find the limits and possibilities.”
“Josh is kind of on the right track with questions at least. With magic you need dominance over subject you are trying to change. I can’t kill with the technique you suggested since I can’t manipulate the mana past your skin. Although there was once a man that could boil a person inside out. He died with those secrets. I nor anyone in my universe has successfully replicated that.”
“Probably pointed microwaves.” Cath put her pad away and sighed. “So, no biomancy or mind magic?”
“No such thing luckily. Seems like Josh isn’t the only maniac at least. Although arrays might have some behaviour changing effects.”
There was a groaning sound and a red light turned on. It was not a welcoming sound at all.
Then Micheal joined us again with a sour expression. “I hate spacewalks. You owe me a chocolate Josh.”