J. Gregory Keyes - Deadly Relations: Bester Ascendant (Babylon 5)

Babylon 5

Psi-Corpus Trilogy.

By J. Gregory Keyes

PART 1. Thesis

Al Bester strained his small body to its limit, reaching on tiptoe for the next branch. The tips of his fingers just brushed it. Above, the waxy leaves of the oak danced in a sudden warm breeze, tantalizing him with glimpses of the beckoning sky beyond. Al loved the sky. In the shapes of clouds-sometimes in the stars at night-he thought he could see the faces of his parents.

He steadied himself and looked down. The ground seemed unreasonably far away. Maybe he should be happy he had managed to get this far-most kids his age couldnt. After all, two branches down, you had to swing around the trunk, hang in space by one hand for a moment to grip the next limb up.

This limb he simply couldnt reach, and the trunk was still too thick to shimmy up. He was stuck. He would have to wait until he grew taller. If he ever did. Or - he looked up again, speculatively. Or he could jump. The branch was thick, and he would have to jump pretty high, but if he could snag it, he might be able to pull himself up. But if he missed, he would probably fall.

He was still staring wistfully up at the unattainable heights when he felt minds stirring below.

Hey, Alfie! Comedown! Were gonna play cops-and-blips.

Why were they bothering him? Couldnt they see he was busy?

Cmon, Alfie!

He looked down reluctantly. Seven kids from his cadre stood below. Way below. He suddenly felt a little dizzy.

Give it up, Alfie, their leader-Brett-called up.

Even I cant get that one.

Like Al, Brett was six years old, but Brett was a good head taller. And everyone liked Brett.

Yeah, come on. Before you hurt yourself.

That was Milla. Milla was his height, and he secretly-very secretly-admired her golden hair and blue eyes. He liked the way she laughed-when she wasnt laughing at him.

Oh, Milla is worried about Alfie, another girl-Keefa-said.

Woops. Anyone catch that? What she was just thinking?

AI strained, but caught nothing. He would love to know what Milla thought about him. But then he did catch something. An interweaving mant from below.

ALFIE & MILLA

SITTING

went

IN UP A TREE

to fetch

pail of

KISSING uGh!

He turned his face to the bark, so they wouldnt see his angry and embarrassed blush. His feelings were harder to hide, but he squeezed them in tightly, balling his left fist as he did so, for concentration. He wouldnt be a baby.

He wasnt a baby - he was too old to wet the bed, too old to go in his pants, too old to bloop his feelings all over the place. If the teachers caught you blooping, they made sure everyone knew. That was the next worst thing to being punished by the Grins.

Frowning, he looked determinedly back up at the branch and jumped as hard as he could. That would show them.

But his timing was a little off. He got his arms around the branch all right, but his fingers never quite met up around the thick bough. There was nothing to grab onto, and only pressure and his nails in the bark kept him there - pressure he couldnt keep up for long. He looked down, and that was worse. He was hanging above and off to the side of the limb he had been standing on. He would never land square if he dropped - no, hed fall the whole way, and probably break something.

One nice thing, at least-he had shut the others up. Or rather, stopped their stupid manting. Now what he got was a shim - shimmer of worry and excitement, with at least two strong desires to see what would happen when he fell.

Hang on, Alfie, Im coming up to get you!

Brett. Brett was coming to save him and be the hero. The taller boy was already clambering up the tree. No way, Al thought. No way. He swung himself and dropped.

The kids below gasped like a crowd watching a circus performer as he hit the branch feet first, teetered for a long, terrible moment, and then found his balance. He stood there, fighting the urge to hug the branch, breathing hard. Below, he sensed a restless pause.

Wow. He peered down.

That had been a girl. Milla? He wasnt sure.

You were lucky. You should have waited for me to help you, Brett said.

You shouldnt even be trying to climb it alone - this is constructive play time. Were supposed to play together. Will you come down now?

Al bit back an urge to dare Brett to duplicate his feat. It would be great if Brett tried and failed, but what if he managed it or did better? Right now, at least somebody was impressed with Al Bester. A girl somebody.

Okay, he said.

But I wont be the Blip this time.

He started the descent. He had played a Blip many times, and that part offered no real challenges. He reached the soft grass of Alpha Quad and turned to face the others.

You get to be the Blip, Alfie, Azmun said.

Azmun was an ugly boy, with a face like a bat.

I said I didnt want to be the Blip.

We voted, Alfie. You have to do what we say.

Yeah. Its for the greater good of the Corps, Milla put in.

So Milla didnt like him. His momentary elation vanished. But his stubbornness remained.

I didnt get to vote, he complained, stubbornly.

Okay, Brett interjected.

All in favor of Alfie being the Blip, raise your hands.

All hands went up except his own. Of course.

All against

I was the Blip last time. This time I get to be a cop, Al insisted.

But you were a good Blip. Youll probably grow up to be a Blip, Azmun argued.

Anger boiled through Al so fast it felt like his scalp would pop off. His fist actually seemed to ache with a need to punch Azmuns stupid bat-face.

You take that back. You take that right back right now, he said.

Azmun hesitated. Al realized his demand had come out calmly, not like he was really mad at all. The way Teacher Huas voice did, when he was mad. It had a similar effect, too, because the anger behind his words was clear, despite his blocks. Weird, and scarier than someone acting mad. He would have to remember that. Basically, Azmun was a coward. Unless someone joined in with him and gave him courage, which could easily

Hey, Azmun, dont say things like that, Brett interposed.

Apologize, or Ill tell the teachers, and theyll send the Grins after you.

An involuntary thrill of fear ran around the circle.

Im sorry, Azmun mumbled reluctantly. What I meant was. Youre good at playing the Blip. Cause youve got strong blocks and stuff.

Cmon, itll be dark soon, Brett said, and weve already blown most of constructive play time. What if Teacher Hua or Ms. Chastain - or the Grins - scan us and find out we didnt play anything approved?

Tell you what. Alfie and I will both be Blips. Okay? Alfie?

Al blinked at the older boy. What was Brett - oh. That was it. He hadnt saved him in the tree, so he would save him now. That was Brett, always trying to be the older brother.

Okay, he said, having no choice at all.

Three goals, Azmun said.

The statue of the Grabber, the spout at the fish pond, and the red knob at the rail station is the third. But you both have to choose the same one. Okay? But if one of us touches you, youre caught.

No problem, Brett said.

Youll never catch us, Psi Cops. Count to fifty. No cheating. Cmon, Alfie.

We should say the pledge first, Al pointed out.

Oh. Yeah.

Brett looked a little sheepish and cleared his throat. He hurried through the pledge, and the other kids followed, some just mumbling.

I pledge my body, heart, soul, and mind to the service of Earth Alliance, and the people who dwell on her myriad spheres. I promise to keep the laws, to keep the faith, to keep my eyes on the truth. I pledge to serve my comrades, my cadre, and the Corps. The Corps teaches, guides, and provides. The Corps is mother, the Corps is father. We are the children of the Corps.