The journey down to the deeper levels was a much better experience than the first time around. Kinson couldn't help but feel safe around Griffon, especially after seeing him in action. When they arrived, the elevator opened and revealed the familiar drab hallways. This time, the lights were on and the sound of researchers at work filled the floor. Griffon led him past a few open doors. Kinson snuck a peek inside one of the rooms as they passed, curious about what went on in such a large facility.
Several scientific-looking people surrounded a single, shirtless man. To say he was ripped would be like claiming a planet was big. His muscles glowed with power as he, with much effort, curled several tons at once. A few large wires connected him to a complex machine on the ground, which lit up with light as he continued to lift. On the other side of the machine, a robotic arm mimicked his motion, joined with the occasional flicker of energy.
"Ah, that seems to be one of the new psionic tech projects they've got going," Griffon explained after seeing his curiosity.
Suddenly, one of the researchers holding a laptop shouted something and held up a hand. Immediately, the machine was shut off and everyone crowded around the laptop, looking at the information. Kinson heard something about a "psionic dimension."
Griffon pulled him along soon after. "Let's get going. Most of this is classified anyway."
"Shouldn't leave the door open, then," Kinson grumbled. "By the way, they mentioned a psionic dimension. What's that?"
Griffon was silent for a while, leaving only their footsteps to echo down the corridor.
"That's a tricky question. It's top secret classified information, nothing a student like you has any business knowing. However…" he hesitated, "I will tell you this. It's a strange plane of existence filled with psionic energy. These machines are created to mimic abilities by drawing on that energy. The trick so far has been to create a stable channel between them, which hasn't really been consistently accomplished," Griffon explained.
"Really? What about psionic weapons? Even the pirates had some of those," Kinson asked.
"Well, the military has invested much more than anyone else into researching and developing those weapons. It's only in the last ten years or so that psionic weaponry has become widespread. More mundane projects, like the psionic-driven arm you saw there, are still a new field. That weapon you encountered was probably stolen, like everything else they own," Griffon said stiffly.
"What about that spaceship we almost went off-world on?" Kinson asked doggedly.
Griffon plucked at his collar and coughed uncomfortably. "Let's not discuss that now. There's more going on than I've dug out yet."
The abrupt end to the conversation left Kinson unsatisfied, but they reached their room before he could pursue anything else. Through the locked door, he was surprised to see an empty room, padded on all sides by what reminded him of a wrestling mat.
Excited by the atmosphere, Kinson ran into the room. He turned and faced Griffon with his fists raised.
"Alright, what do we do first?" he asked as he bounced on his heels.
"Prepare yourself!" Griffon called and raised his glowing hand.
A stream of lightning erupted from his fist, streaming toward Kinson. Kinson yelped and ran around the room in a panic. Sparks erupted from the air around him, and a blazing inferno had at some point joined in the chase.
"Hey!" he yelled at Griffon. "You trying to kill me?"
Griffon only smiled and increased the intensity of his attack. Kinson tried his best, but finally tripped and sprawled out before him. It was only then that Griffon put his hand down and quenched the fire and lightning.
"What the heck?" Kinson panted furiously.
"Heh, you looked good out there," Griffon chuckled. "But with those techniques, I could see how you almost died. In fact, one might call your survival a miracle."
"Thanks," Kinson said begrudgingly.
"Now stand up. Not much training happens on the ground," Griffon extended his hand.
Taking the hand, Kinson was pulled to his feet. He looked around the room and was astonished to find it unharmed. Not a spark or scorched patch.
"The room's fireproof, obviously. How else would Psionics train?" Griffon explained.
Kinson flattened his face, "Right… obviously. I knew that."
"So, are you going to explain why you attacked me?" Kinson tactfully changed the subject.
"Nope! First lesson: Fights aren't planned for, or even justified. It's on you to be prepared for them" Griffon said seriously.
"Kind of like the Sons of Crimson, then," Kinson said thoughtfully. "I mean, they showed up expecting a war council, but got ambushed and annihilated, instead."
"Something like that," Griffon nodded.
"Alright, I think I get that. Now, uh, how do I fight? I don't really have power or anything like you…." Kinson asked awkwardly.
"That's not the right question. It's not about how you fight, or who you fight, but how the fight ends," Griffon corrected him.
"What? But wouldn't that just be jumping to the conclusion and ignoring the means?" Kinson protested.
"Pretty much, yeah. The means aren't important, as long as you're alive, and the opponent is dead." Griffon said firmly.
Dead? Kinson nearly took a step back. "But do you really have to kill them? Isn't defeating them or, I don't know, knocking them unconscious much better?" he asked in shock.
Griffon shook his head and leaned against the wall. "It's much more difficult to overpower someone than it is to kill them. You've got to be above them in all regards. For you, it doesn't seem that likely, especially since most people who resort to violence these days are combat-oriented Psionics."
"Oh," Kinson replied with a small voice.
He wanted to protest more but lacked both words and an argument. Memories of the deathdream were especially vivid in his mind. Would he have killed someone if he had been there in real life? What if it was the only way to survival? The moment when Ashton slaughtered his way to release the hangar doors jumped out to him. It would have taken far too long for anything other than to butcher those men. But was it really right?
Griffon watched silently at the internal debate raging in the mind of his young student. At long last, Kinson came to a conclusion, and let out a deep sigh.
"If it came down to it, I would kill." he said heavily.
"You're reluctance is good, and shows you're a normal person. But that hesitation is fatal on the battlefield. There, it is kill or be killed. Those nightmares didn't hesitate a second when they slaughtered the inhabitants of Mars. Neither can you." Griffon looked at Kinson seriously.
Kinson felt a weight on his soul. However, his hands only slightly trembled at the thought of the Nightmares. He breathed deeply again and banished the thought of those monsters from his mind.
"Good," Griffon nodded in satisfaction. "Now, we can truly begin."
The ex-soldier pulled a small gun out from behind his belt. He tossed it lightly to Kinson, who caught it reflexively.
"A gun?" Kinson asked dumbly.
"Sure, what better weapon is there? Don't tell me you were expecting some ancient martial arts or something, " Griffon smirked.
"I just thought, you know, you'd teach me some good moves," Kinson hoped he didn't look as embarrassed as he felt.
Griffon chuckled, then went on to explain, "Guns are the most effective ways to kill people, excepting psionic abilities. They are easy, and it doesn't matter who uses them. In most deathdreams, you'll have access to one as well. Probably, at least. Have you ever used one before?"
Kinson shook his head." They don't allow these things for civilian use."
"They don't" Griffon scratched his head, "well then. Wat happens in the training room stays in the training room, understand?"
Kinson felt a little rebellious, but nodded anyway. Rebellion was good at his age, right? He held the gun by the grip, similar to those cool poses in movies.
"Close, but try it like this," Griffon stood by him and adjusted his grip.
"Now, turn off the safety. Good. Now, fire at the wall. The far one." Griffon led him through the steps clearly. For that, Kinson was grateful, as he really had no idea what he was doing.
He squeezed the trigger with some trepidation. The pistol roared in his hands, and leaped as though to escape. Forgetting the bullet, he grabbed at it tightly, keeping the grip firmly clenched in his fist.
"Wow. That was bad." Griffon said, open mouthed.
Kinson awkwardly looked at him. The ex soldier looked at him with pity, and patted him on the back.
"It's not a snake, you know. It's just a bit of recoil," Griffon shook his head. "I'd laugh, but that was just too sad."
"It's not like i've really used one before!" Kinson blurted out, frustrated.
"Obviously. Let's start with the basics. It would be best if you stayed away from this for now." Griffon took the gun from Kinson's hands and placed it back in his belt.
Following that, Kinson sat through an hour-long class on firearm basics. At first, he felt excited. His one shot from that gun had been rather exhilarating. Soon, however, it began to feel like school all over again. Griffon might have been an excellent fighter, but his teaching skills were actually subpar. His monotone style quickly drove all engagement from the mind of Kinson.
His face must have showed something, because the lecture came to an abrupt end.
"Hey, are you even listening?" Griffon asked critically.
"Yeah, sure," Kinson replied tiredly. "Just not sure why the history of the browning M2 is relevant to my training."
"Hmmm, you lack culture. Still, I might have gotten off on a tangent or two," Griffon rubbed his head. "Tell you what. In addition to your psionic training every day, come here and meet me before your advanced study period. If we have about an hour a day, we can get you in fighting shape before the end of the summer."
Kinson found himself liking the plan, and agreed. "Okay, that sounds great. But no more lectures, alright?"
"Heh. Sure, whatever works for you," Griffon chuckled.
Unfortunately, with that late-night visit from Charlotte, Kinson was forced to go to class that day. His mind wandered constantly throughout Psionic Psychology and wasn't much better in Thoughts and Dreams. Both were core classes that had provided a plethora of useful information about various psionic abilities and general knowledge, but now that the semester was nearly at its end, were dry and boring. He felt rather restless inside, especially now that his life was no longer on the line.
After the class formalities ended and the last few assignments of homework had been given, Kinson was finally able to join Trevor for dinner. The cafeteria was packed, with barely a few benches open. It took almost five minutes before Kinson found the back of Trevor's head on the far side. Stepping through the mass of students, he arrived to find him knee-deep in conversation.
"... the psionic enhancers, you should give those jerks a run for their money." a blonde, confident-looking student said arrogantly.
Confused, Kinson looked at Trevor and found him nodding thoughtfully. He saw an open seat next to him and sat down with a questioning look. As he sat though, the crowd of four or five boys made moves to leave.
"What was that about?" he asked curiously.
"Oh, nothing much. Just some strategies for the competition," Trevor waved him off dismissively.
"I caught the last bit, something about a psionic enhancer. What's the deal with that?" Kinson asked, attempting to sound casual.
Trevor looked down at his food. "I said it's nothing much."
"Hey, come one! What's with the secrets?" Kinson poked him in the ribs.
"Like you're one to talk!" Trevor shot back.
"..." Kinson closed his mouth, unable to protest.
A thick silence smothered their table throughout the meal, and it wasn't until the very end that Kinson found something to say.
"So, aside from that, what other plans have you made to win?" he asked awkwardly.
At this, Trevor looked up, his whole face becoming animated, and said, "It's going to be a team event, so I'm ganging up with some of those other guys. I've done a bit of… research, on the other teams, so I'm pretty familiar with their strategy."
"Oh, that's good." Kinson looked at Trevor searchingly. "Do you know who you're up against first?"
Trevor coughed. "Not technically… but yup."
Kinson thought quickly. "Really? Wasn't it supposed to be blind?"
"Man, get off my back about it. I can guarantee everyone else found the leaks too," Trevor said sharply.
Kinson raised his hands in surrender. "Fine, fine, we won't talk about it then."
Trevor stood, a scowl on his face. "See you at the apartment."
Kinson watched silently as Trevor stalked off. Questions whirled in his mind, but he couldn't come up with any answers. Finally, he sighed and left to return home.