I don’t see a doorknob, so I push on the wall where the entrance is supposed to be and the wall slides open. The interior of the training room looks just like the battle floor: gray tiles one foot in length and width, illuminated from behind by a light blue glow that flows between the slats. The room is far larger than I had imagined. Addie is standing off to the side with another young woman whose red hair is short along one side, and buzzed almost to the scalp on the other.
“Max, this is Rem,” Addie says, introducing me to the young woman. “Put your weapon in the holder over there.” Addie points to a small rack on the wall to my left.
“Won’t I be needing it?”
“Not at the moment,” Rem says.
I place the Kopis on the rack and follow the two of them to the center of the room.
“Before you can be placed into The Litarian Battles, you must learn how to use your new ability,” Rem says, pacing in front of me.
“New ability? What do you mean by that?” I ask.
“I told you she’d have no idea what you’re talking about. She’s never watched,” Addie says, crossing her arms over her chest.
Rem’s lips curl up, but not quite in a smile. “Then this should be fun.” She disappears right in front of my eyes. “A Looper,” she says, her voice echoing through the chamber even though I can’t see her, “moves through both space and time.” She pops back in front of me. “It’s so we can avoid our enemies and use the element of surprise.”
“How’d you do that?” I ask, my mouth hanging open.
She picks up my left hand and taps on the wristband. “This is what gives you the power. It can only be used in the training room or the battle floor. You will not have this ability outside of these areas.”
“That’s why it’s adhered to my skin,” I state more than ask.
“Kind of,” Addie says. “It’s internally wired into your nervous system. It’s also used to transmit your whereabouts in the battle to the Keepers.”
“Who are they?” I ask.
“They create the battle plans for the day, are in charge of giving us our weapons when we get to the floor, and determine the points awarded for each hit. Though, I’m sure the points will be increasing tremendously as soon as the new candidates from the Outer Limits are all trained,” Rem says.
“Why train us at all?” I say, walking backwards as the air around the three of us has become too intense. “We’re only here to make your advancement into the event easier. What’s the point of any of this?”
Rem crosses her arms over her chest, puffing it out. A scowl causes lines to form around her lips, making her look old. “My intention is to have the best unit in this complex, and that even means you, Max. I want the best Loopers to advance to the event, no one else. In order for that to happen, I need the best and to become the best you have to train. I don’t care that you’re from the Outer Limits. At this time, you’re a Looper. You’re one of mine and I will do everything I can to make sure you last. Understand?”
I nod.
“Good.” Rem unfolds her arms and her scowl is replaced with a wide smile. “Now, take my hand and we’ll begin.”
She stretches out her right arm. This is the first time I actually notice all the scarring she has on both limbs. That much torture had to have come from the Aedox. I never would’ve thought Tarsus would abuse its own citizens. What kind of discipline did Rem need to warrant such torment? Or did she earn that in The Litarian Battles?
I hesitate, then slowly reach out and take her hand. Everything flashes around me. I feel the air in my lungs being sucked out as if I’m flying through a void. I can see the training room, Addie standing in the center, but I can’t touch anything. I feel like I’m floating and falling at the same time. I begin to panic, my body disconnecting from time.
“Breathe, Max,” Rem says somewhere near me. I can still feel her hand in mine, but I can’t see her. “Concentrate on where you want to go. You can pick a point in time or one in space.”
“I don’t follow,” I almost scream.
“You can either project yourself to an alternate point in the room, or you can jump to the future, but only by a few minutes. Or, you can do both. Let me show you.” She lets go of me. I fall to the ground, hitting the tiles hard with my stomach. Rem is now on the other side of the room. “You’re going to need to work on your landing,” she says, laughing. “Addie, why don’t you take her this time?”
I don’t even get a chance to get on my feet when Addie takes my hand and we vanish. The same sensation comes over me and I have to continually tell myself to breathe. I can see Rem walking across the floor, heading in the direction we had been.
“Think about what you want to do,” Addie says. “Picture where you want to go and you’ll arrive.”
I concentrate on the far corner where Rem was. Addie and I are swept over there, the floor materializing beneath us. Our feet make contact and the room stops spinning. We’re solid again.
“Not bad,” Rem says. “It’ll take some time for you to get the hang of it.”
We spend the next four hours practicing. Either Rem or Addie take me in, but I have to direct where we’re to go. I’ve only been able to do the aerial projection, where I can move us from one location to another, but I haven’t figured out the time one, yet. We break for a
