Free The Aurora (Aurora Saga, Book 1) by Adrian Fulcher

it and within two thousand kilometres of the ship. Further away than that it becomes difficult for me to use it to protect you.’
    ‘How did you manage to contact me on Earth then?’ James asked. ‘I was definitely further than two thousand kilometres away when the telementor destroyed those rocks in the mine.’
    ‘The shuttle was used as a relay node. The closer you were to it, the easier it was for me to read your thoughts,’ Kalrea replied.
    ‘About reading my thoughts, Kalrea - from what you’ve told me, it seems that I’m going to have to get used to that.’
    ‘James, for you to pilot this ship, you have to use your thoughts. To communicate with me outside the ship, you’ll need the telementor.’
    I knew she would say that, he thought, before saying to Kalrea,
    ‘You have to obey me, right?’
    ‘Yes, James.’
    ‘In that case, I order you not to transmit or relay my thoughts to anyone or any other computer, without my permission. Is that understood?’
    ‘Completely,’ Kalrea replied.
    ‘Good. Now we understand each other, what do you want me to do?’ James asked.
    ‘I suggest you put the telementor back on your wrist. I’d feel a lot better knowing I could protect you.’
    Kalrea could take some time getting used to. She’d better not nag me like Carol, James thought. He placed the telementor back on his wrist.
    ‘I promise I won’t nag you,’ Kalrea said, reading his thoughts.
    ‘Kalrea!’
    ‘What?’
    ‘Never mind.’
    Kalrea invited him to try the seatra by laying down in it. James took off his shoes and apprehensively got into the seatra. He laid back and his heart started to beat fast.
    ‘Don’t be afraid,’ Kalrea said softly.
    That’s easy for you to say.
    ‘Relax! And only do what I tell you. You may feel slightly unwell until you adjust to the machine.’
    Do what you tell me… right , James thought to himself. The top lowered slowly and clamped shut.
    James felt disorientated, almost like he was drunk, but it soon passed, leaving him feeling calm, warm and surprisingly relaxed.
    Kalrea’s voice was not very clear in his head. Think of bein’… on t… bridge .
    James concentrated hard.
    Suddenly he was looking down at the seatra from outside. It was a strange feeling, similar to flying. It took him several attempts before he was able to maintain the image.
    Good. Now try a… journey arou..d the Aurora Jame…, Kalrea prompted.
    James could see a clouded plan of the Aurora in his mind. Again he concentrated hard.
    He looked into the cargo bay. The image in his mind was becoming a lot clearer. The room was relatively small compared with the exterior size of the ship. It was rectangular in shape, again light-grey, and could have housed a Boeing 747 aeroplane. In the centre of the room stood two shuttles, which were three times the size of the one that brought him to Lavmino. James could see many large well-organised piles of what looked like spare parts for the ship and stock of materials used in its construction.
    For a second he could have sworn he saw something moving about in one of the piles of materials. You’re seeing things; concentrate , he thought. Concentrate .
    Kalrea encouraged James to practice. His mind was free to travel anywhere on the Aurora .
    The Aurora had three identical power generation sections. One of the rooms was situated towards the front of the ship, the others way out near the port and starboard edges of the ship. James explored one of them.
    He viewed a rectangular room with a very high ceiling. There was a grate floor, which encompassed a very large donut shaped reactor. Towering over the reactor was a tall cylindrical column, which almost touched the ceiling.
    James eagerly followed some of the many ducts that led away from the reactor into one of the drive rooms. He could now see a pair of dark-grey cylinders used to propel the Aurora . These stretched the length of the ship and filled the entire room.
    How is the ship propelled, Kalrea?