“Yum.” I slopped a large spoonful of the goo into a hard plastic cup, looking over longingly as Adrien filled his plate with meat and steamed broccoli. I looked back down at the shapeless gruel filling my cup and sighed.
We joined Xona’s table, where Ginni was now chattering nonstop. Xona didn’t look like she was listening. She was too busy eyeing the ex-Regs in the back of the room.
Ginni brightened when she saw Adrien and me coming to sit. “Has Adrien told you about all your classes?”
“Not much.” I sat down and hooked up the straw to my face mask. I took several quick swallows, grimacing only slightly at the taste. “Just that the day will be split between training and school.”
“Well, really, there’s a lot more training than actual school,” Ginni said. “The General keeps saying she needs as many glitchers as soldiers as soon as possible. Everything’s been so bad lately, she can’t seem to replenish the ranks of normal Rez soldiers fast enough.”
I swallowed hard, the reality of the situation settling in. I’d always known it was a war, but it was becoming more and more real to me how many young glitchers and Rez fighters were losing their lives fighting against the Chancellor and the Community.
“How long have you all been here?” I asked. “Out of the Community, I mean.”
“I was living in one of the few aboveground cities when the Rez rescued me a year ago,” Ginni said. “City and Rand are from the south part of the Sector and caused such a commotion when their powers kicked in that I’m amazed we managed to rescue them before the Community or the Chancellor got to them first. We all stayed in Rez camps till enough of the Foundation was finished a couple months ago, and then we moved in here to study and train.”
“So what classes do we have?” I asked.
“Well,” Ginni lit up again. I had a feeling nothing made her happier than being asked questions. “First is physical training with Xona’s brother. He’s so handsome.”
Xona finally turned her eyes away from the ex-Regs. “Ugh, you did not just say that. Besides, Tyryn’s twenty-two.”
“Well in four short months I’ll be seventeen.” Ginni leaned in. “And it’s not like there’s a lot of other options around here, you know?”
Xona rolled her eyes, then went back to watching the ex-Regs. At least she wasn’t being outright hostile toward us anymore. I had a feeling Ginni was partially responsible for that. You couldn’t be around the bubbly girl for too long and keep thinking that all glitchers were dangerous or inhuman.
“Anyway,” Ginni went on, “in his class we work out and have weapons and combat training. The next class in the morning is Humanities with Professor Henry.”
“That’s the class we’ve been reading stories for, right?” I looked at Adrien.
He nodded. “We read literature and study art and history.”
Xona scoffed. “I agree with the General. What use is art when you’re in a firefight?”
“It’s important,” Adrien said. “It reminds us what we’re fighting for—the ability to think and feel and create.”
Xona just stared at him. “We’re fighting to stay alive. Plain and simple.”
I looked down at the cup of goop on the table in front of me. I took another couple of slurps from the straw, then pulled back with a grimace. “Ugh, it’s even worse when it’s cooled off.”
“I can help.” I looked up to see Rand standing over me, Juan by his side.
Before I could respond, Rand put his hand on the outside of my cup and the protein concoction bubbled. But then the whole cup started to melt and become misshapen.
“Crackin’ hell, Rand” Adrien jumped and pushed the cup away from me with a napkin. “Be careful. You’re gonna burn her.”
Rand removed his finger. “Oops,” he said. He flashed a grin at Ginni and me and sat down. “Hard to turn it down sometimes. Can’t contain the Rand, after all.”
Ginni smiled and tossed a napkin at his face.
“So wait, your power,” I asked, watching with fascination as the bubbling finally stopped, “it doesn’t work only with metal?”
Rand leaned in and smiled conspiratorially. “I can heat up just about anything.”
Ginni giggled. Xona rolled her eyes.
“Let’s not forget the incident where you melted the central truss in the west tunnel and trapped us for three hours until they dug us out,” Adrien said.
“Aw, man, why you gotta bring that up?”
“That’s why we have glitcher training every afternoon,” Ginni said. “To help us learn to control our powers. And speaking of,” she nodded to the clock on the wall. “We gotta go.” She ate a few more quick bites and then stood up with her tray. I’d gotten enough of the protein mix down before Rand melted the cup that I was full, too.
“Who teaches it?” I asked, standing up.
“Now that Jilia’s here, she and my mom take turns teaching,” Adrien said. “But I think it’s Jilia today.”
Ginni clapped her hands together. “Oh good, I’ve missed training with Jilia! She used to train us when we were at the camps before the Foundation was finished.”
“Aww,” Rand said mournfully, “I thought I was done with that meditation junk for good.”
We headed down the hallway past the Med Center to a small room. Cushions were set up in a circle on the ground. I looked around in confusion.
“Where are the desks and chairs?” I whispered to Adrien.
He laughed. “That’s not Jilia’s style. We sit on the ground. You’ll see.”
Adrien settled on a pillow and gestured for me to do the same. Molla came in a few minutes later and sat beside City. Ginni, who sat on the other side of me, leaned in and whispered, “Molla’s not on any task force because of the baby. But Jilia said it’d be good for her to still come and meditate with us when she can.”
I stared at Ginni. She seemed to know everything about everyone. It made me wonder what she told others about me.
Finally, Jilia came in. After everyone had settled in, she began.
“My job is to help train you in the study of your own minds, so you can control your powers when it counts.” Jilia walked around the circle. “Studying the mind is the key to controlling anger, joy, all your emotions. The same parts of the brain are linked to glitcher Gifts, so controlling and understanding your emotions will help you do the same with your Gifts.”
My back straightened at her words. This was what I was here for. Maybe I’d finally be able to get my powers under control.
“We’ll begin with twenty minutes of silent meditation when I ring the bell,” she said. She held up a small bronze bell. “Try to empty your mind and let all your worries and hopes and fears drift away. A wise man called Dogen once said that to study meditation is to study the self. To study the self is to forget the self. And to forget the self is to be connected to all things.”
“Aw, Doc,” Rand complained, his long muscled legs folded awkwardly on the cushion. “Can’t we skip to the fun stuff? Like melting that bell and making it into something useful?”
“I’ve missed you too, Rand,” Jilia said with a smile. “Your complaints, as always, are noted. I’ll sound the bell now. Juan, will you begin playing as well?”
I looked up in surprise to see that Juan was sitting on a chair in the corner of the room holding a strange contraption that rested on the ground with a long stringed neck. One of Juan’s hands hovered over the strings, and the other held a long slim stick with a ribbon strung along its length.
“Juan’s cello music will help us all relax and connect to our emotions. Empty your mind and try to be at one with the present.”
Doc positioned herself back on her own cushion and rang the bell. Almost simultaneously Juan put the ribboned stick to the strings, and the most aching sound moaned out.
My eyes widened. Music. I’d heard
