Free Liquid Compassion by Viola Grace

Chapter One
     
     
    The Citadel recruiter looked down at her clipboard. There was a name unchecked.
    “Matron, where is Abitika Kenharm?”
    The matron winced and closed her eyes. “I am sure it is not necessary for you to see her.”
    Recruiter Ambith raised her brows when she felt the push on her mind. “As you are trying to dissuade me; I am now certain. Yes, I do want to see her. She has not been checked in the last decade, and before that, she was showing signs of developing a talent.”
    The matron nodded and went to the com unit. “Reeree, please locate and send in Bits.”
    There was a pause on the other side of the call. “Are you sure?”
    Recruiter Ambith sat down. “I am not leaving until I see her.”
    It took twenty-six minutes before the door opened and a figure in an EVA suit walked in.
    The figure walked over to Ambith, and it bowed. “Greetings, Recruiter.”
    “Abitika Kenharm?”
    “Yes, Ma’am.”
    “Why are you in that suit?”
    The reflective facemask turned toward her and then looked down. “It is my punishment, Ma’am.”
    The matron looked like she would intervene, but she pressed her lips together.
    “Take off your helmet.”
    “It isn’t coded for me to release, Ma’am.”
    “Matron, remove her helmet.”
    The matron grimaced, but when Ambith applied her own mental pressure, she came over and released the helmet.
    Abitika blinked at the light as her head was exposed. “Wow. That feels different.”
    Ambith scowled. “How long have you been in that suit?”
    Abitika looked at the matron and apparently did math in her head. “Two years, four months and six days.”
    Recruiter Ambith cocked her head and analyzed the woman in front of her. There was power, but it was strangely arranged. “What is your talent, Abitika?”
    Matron snarled, “She is dangerous. She nearly killed one member of the colony.”
    Recruiter Ambith sighed. “Matron, get out. I will contact you when I have concluded my interview. Abitika, have a seat.”
    The matron looked like she wanted to fight, but Ambith pushed her and the woman closed the door behind her.
     
    * * * *
     
    Bits took a seat and looked at the Citadel recruiter. “What would you like to know?”
    “What happened?”
    Bits twisted her lips and then blurted, “My-sister-had-a-crush-on-a-guy-and-she-asked-me-to-make-him-love-her-so-I-did-and-then-he-went-out-and-tried-to-get-her-some-flowers-but-he-was-allergic-to-the-stingers-and-he-nearly-died-but-now-he-is-fine.”
    She breathed in short bursts as she finished her story.
    The recruiter blinked. “I see. The suit is your punishment?”
    “It is. Since all of my biological products carry psychic control, they wrapped me up for a sentence of five years.”
    “What do you mean your biological products ?”
    “Any part of my body can be encoded with an emotion that can be transferred to my target.”
    “How do you do the encoding?”
    “I either think of an emotion that I have felt or I copy one from somewhere. In the case of Hesko and my sister, I used my sister’s canine. It loved her completely, so I copied its mental signature and put a drop of blood in Hesko’s morning tea. He went a little crazy after that.”
    The recruiter nodded and took notes. “Are you willing to enter the Citadel?”
    Bits wrinkled her nose. “Do I still have to wear the suit?”
    “You might have to wear a suit. We will try and make it more comfortable.”
    “If my parents say I can go, I will go.” She nodded.
    “Have you concluded your schooling?”
    “Yes. I am an apprentice to a carpenter now. It was the only trade I could work in in this suit.”
    “Everything will be cleared up before we leave, but you are coming with me.”
    Bits snorted. “Just have someone come and get me. In the meantime, can you put my helmet back on? I don’t want them to add time to my sentence.”
    “Of course.”
    Bits sat still as the other woman put the helmet back on and snapped it in place.
    The seals