The Fourth Science Fiction Megapack: 25 Modern and Classic Science Fiction Stories

THE APPLICATION OF DISCIPLINE, by Jason Andrew

“You are deeply troubled by this, Robert.”

Cade unconsciously flinched. He had never learned to feel completely comfortable with Professor Gavin’s thought-speech. “Yes, I am. The treatment that Doctor Mayes has developed could disrupt society and further damage this institution.”

The ancient orangutan wrinkled his massive brow. Professor Gavin paced across the office using a pair of specially made crutches. The movement caused shards of pain to escape the Professor’s mental shields. “I think I’m quite familiar with the dangers of experimental treatments, Robert.”

Cade reflexively boosted his own shielding. “Sir, that is why I am confused as to your stand on this issue.”

The Professor snorted derisively. He spoke aloud for the first time since entering the room. “Apologies, Robert. The doctors insist upon these exerizes each day.” The resistance training helps keep me mobile. I fear orangutan took another pass of the office. “My discipline is lax this day. I should have waited until later to speak to you.”

Cade couldn’t help but feel a bit of shame in Professor Gavin’s presence. He had been one of the first telepaths allowed to directly communicate with him after the experiment that altered his genetic and skeletal structure. The broadcast waves of pain and anguish had driven three scientists to kill themselves. Cade had managed to calm the simian and teach him to use his abilities to monitor and control his abilities and pain. It had been a traumatic experience for the both of them. There was no point in shielding this.

The orangutan smiled, flipping up his enormous lips. It had taken several years for Cade to fully understand the nuances of simian facial expressions. The Professor knew a secret. “Mr. Cade, do you think I am unable to look past personal regrets to see something that could be good for the entire system?”

“To be honest, Professor Gavin, I’m confused as to why you aren’t as worried as I am. Do you see something that I don’t?”

Professor Gavin grunted approvingly and tapped the wooden floor with one of his crutches. “I am certain of the outcome because I am aware that you are the opposing council and that you rarely lose such encounters. You won my freedom.”

Cade waved away the compliment. “That was different. From your pain waves, it was obvious to anyone listening that you were sentient. I was merely first to hear them. And now, you are revered through out the system for your work in teleportation.” Cade shook his head, frustrated. “The experiment will take education out of our hands. This entire institution will be obsolete.”

Professor Gavin grunted softly. He poked Cade with one of his canes. “If you wish to defeat the rather tempting amendment, you will have to think of a better argument. I’m certain that a man with such disciplined mind will come up with a solution. Good day.”

The simian professor disappeared with a loud pop. Cade pondered the advice. Professor Gavin rarely made personal visits to his office or anywhere else. His altered bone structure made any travel, except via teleportation, difficult and painful. Translocating your body took an enormous amount of energy and control. It was the mental equivalent of running a marathon with lead weights tied around the ankles. Professor Gavin would not have taken such a journey unannounced unless he had something important to say.

It was not easy for Cade to acknowledge a superior intellect, but he knew that the simian saw things that he did not. Professor Gavin had seen a solution to the problem, but was forbidden ethically from sharing this solution as one of the judges. He ran his body through the standard breathing and mediation techniques until he received a meek thought-call.

“Professor Cade?”

It was Stephanie Williams, one of his ethics students. Cade checked the time and was quite disturbed to discover that he was ten minutes late for his ethics class. If he hurried, class was fifteen minutes away near the athletics field. Arriving late dripping with perspiration was hardly the way to maintain awe amongst the next generation of sentinels. “Inform your classmates that I will be there in a moment.”

Translocation teleportation involved a complex combination of farsight and matter rearranging. Most of his students mastered some levels of farsight early in their days at the institute. Matter manipulation was more strenuous. Translocation involved seeing yourself in two places at once. The concept is relatively simple, but the practice required the discipline to allow yourself for one brief moment to be cast into oblivion. It was painful willing your atoms to dissolve, but pain could be overcome with discipline.

Relative time the process felt like an hour. From the student’s prospective, only a few seconds passed. He reassembled himself in front of the podium. The students gasped and whispered to each other. Cade smiled warmly, knowing that he had captured their attention and they would pay special attention this session. “Who can tell me why the Augments lost the Earth Unification War? They had superior firepower and armament.”

Several of the students raised their hands eagerly. Cade scanned the crowd looking for his problem pupil. “Ms. Williams, enlighten us.”

A number of the students craned their necks to the back of the room where Stephanie was visibly ducking behind the students in front of her. Blushing, she sat straight in her chair. “Professor, the Augments had less numbers and their resources were diminished early in the war.”

“A classic textbook answer, Ms. Williams,” Cade announced with a bit of disappointment. He glanced around the room taking note of the number of nodding students that agreed with her statement. “It is, however, completely incorrect.”

Stephanie waved her arm wildly, hoping to be called upon. Cade nodded, giving her permission. “Professor, the text clearly outlines that as the defining reasons the Augments lost the war.”

Cade smiled warmly. Stephanie was one of the top students in her class. He imagined that this class must have frustrated her more than all of the others combined. He had felt the same way as a student here. “I am well aware of what the textbook outlines, Ms. Williams.”

Her cheeks burned crimson. She hated it when the Professor decided that the text material was incorrect. “How are we supposed to learn, if the textbook is wrong?”

Stephanie was a thin girl, not yet a woman. Cade could sense her frustration building like a storm. In two years, she would graduate and receive advanced training. As a PSI-10, Stephanie was dangerous. She could melt steel when angered. He waited until she reinforced her mental shields to continue. “You learn by experience and adapting to new circumstances. What is the first principle of power?”

According to her file, Stephanie had somehow slipped through the testing cracks until she accidentally saved her parents during a transit accident. She had to work very hard to catch up with the rest of her class. “The first principle of power is that power without discipline to properly utilize that power is worthless.”

“Apply that principle to this historic scenario.”

Stephanie thought for a moment or two. “The Augments were given their power via cybernetics. They didn’t earn their power and they didn’t understand the limits of it. They assumed they would win by the very nature of their power. The non-augments were disciplined and were able to use the proper tactics to disable their superior enemies.”

Cade nodded approvingly. Now he understood why Professor Gavin chose that moment to come to him and what he wanted him to learn.

The Friday forums were usually sparsely attended. Decades of debate and experimentation had crafted the current curriculum and teaching methods to their present state and radical innovation was becoming increasingly rare. The news of the discovery had brought Professors from across the system to witness the debate. There were so many planned attendees, Professors past and present, that the regular Friday forum had been moved to the Emporium Amphitheater in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.

The Emporium Amphitheater was a large white room centered on a small stage. The glass ceiling was curved so that aquatic telepaths could swim comfortably while monitoring the proceedings. Cade had hoped that this matter could be handled quietly, but Doctor Mayes had invited everyone on the voting council to witness his miracle treatment.

As the guests began to filter to their seats, Cade took the podium. “Professors and distinguished alumni, please take your seats. I’d like to say a few words before I introduce Doctor Mayes. First, thank you for attending. This is the largest Friday forum in nearly thirty years. In fact, the last time so many of us were in the same room was the forum that accepted Professor Gavin into our noble ranks. I hope that we show equal wisdom on this day.”

Cade’s words were met with enthusiastic applause. Professor Gavin nodded briskly from his seat. “Second, I’d like to introduce the august Doctor Mayes. Although not a professor at the Institute, he has been consulted several times when students and facility have required assistance. As a student, he passed his finals with honors. Doctor Mayes would like to present to you a new discovery and a proposal.”

The crowd was less generous this time, but still clapped enough to be polite. It was a polite, but weak introduction. Cade had subtly made his feelings on the subject known. Doctor Mayes took the stand. He was tall, husky man with oily black hair tied into a ponytail. “Esteemed colleges, thank you for your warm welcome. I’ve come here with a discovery that can alter the foundations of this fine institution. I’ve discovered a process that combines nanites and a chemical treatment that alters the brain chemistry of a human with a psi-rating resulting in a dramatical increase in the potency of his or her Psi-rating. In addition, this process allows the subject to master difficult tasks in mere moments.”

Doctor Mayes activated the holo-display sharing the critical formula. “This process takes less than three days to complete and then as long as the student continues to take the supplemental pills, their power will be increased exponentially.”

The room erupted into a confused babble of conversations mentally and vocally. Cade slammed his gavel until the room returned to order. “Questions will be answered at the end of the presentation!”

“I discovered the formula quite by accident.” Doctor Mayes smiled with false humility at the assembly. “As a matter of course, I perform many of the autopsies on students at the Institute. There was a training accident three years ago that lead to a cranial combustion.”

Doctor Mayes pushed a couple of buttons upon the podium and skipped to the next holo-slide. A rotating three dimensional display of Annisa May, age 18, flashed before the audience. “Annisa May discovered her abilities at age twelve, which is three years later than most of the human applicants to the Institute. Ms. May had no visible health problems, except for periodic headaches. Such headaches are often quite normal for a developing telepath. Ms. May was quite the athlete and achieved medals in both track and swimming. During a training exercise, she attempted to block a PSI-12 rated mental probe. Ms. May was used to stressing her body during her athletic trials and so pushed beyond her endurance against a superior trainer. The brain aneurism caused her to turn her energies inward.”

With a few clicks of his keypad, Doctor Mayes switched the hologrid to the training tapes. Cade bit his lip and narrowed his eyes. He didn’t need to see the replay of the accident.

“Sir, may I ask you a question?”

As a professor, Robert Cade strove to avoid having favorite students. Annisa May was one of the best students of her generation and quite pleasant to teach. “Of course, Ms. May.”

“You served thirty years as a sentinel. Was it worth it?” Annisa asked nerviously.

“Without question,” Cade replied proudly. He sensed her motives in asking this question. “Those years were spent defending the System and helping others. I can’t think of a higher calling.”

Annisa nodded, satisfied. “I’m planning on taking the testing when I turn eighteen next month. I’ve been rated a PSI-8 and I believe I can pass the physical requirements. While it is not required, I’ve been told I have a better chance at making it into the program if I have a mentor.”

Cade was careful to intensify his mental shields to block his feeling of pride. “If I agreed to sign on as your mentor, I’d be putting my own reputation on the line. I’d have to insist that we engage in practice sessions before your testing.”

Annisa’s brown eyes widened intensely and she bit her lip to keep from smiling. “Of course, sir.”

Cade raised his eyebrow affectionately. “I have time during fourth period, Ms. May. I shall reserve a training room. I expect you there Mondays and Wednesdays during that time.”

“Thank you, sir!”

Annisa hugged the Professor. Physical contact was unusual between telepaths as it was more difficult to maintain thought shields. Cade caught glimpses of her excitement, her worry about the future, and her crush for her favorite teacher. Knowing that she had broadcast private thoughts, she blushed. “Excuse me, sir. I have studying before my biology finals.”

Cade tried to rememeber when he last felt that excitement.

Annisa arrived at the fourth period training session a minute early. Cade had prepared a safe environment. The walls and floors were matted. He was sitting inside a circle on one end of the room. There was another circle on the other end.

“The first test is the blocking test. I’ll attempt to pierce your shields slowly until they break. I’ve had years of training, so you aren’t expected to keep me out. Just try your best.”

Annisa sat down into the lotus position in the opposite circle. “Yes, sir!”

The traditional approach to shattering a mind shield is to strike hard and fast like hitting it with a mental sledgehammer. This was a test of Annsia’s endurance. He pictured her mental shield like a balloon and instead of popping it with a tack; he began to apply subtle pressure to it.

Across the room, Annisa smiled at the slight mental contact. Slowly, Cade added additional psionic pressure to his attack. Annisa was resisting quiet well, above her last rating even.

“Are you doing well enough to continue, Ms. May?”

Annisa gritted her teeth and nodded.

“During the training session with Professor Cade, Annisa ignored the pain in her head. As an athlete, she was used pushing beyond her normal limits,” Doctor Mayes explained. Images of her brain flashed on the screens. “As a result, she suffered from an internal brain aneurysm that triggered an acute stroke. This stroke made it difficult for her to stop and caused the accident.”

Doctor Mayes pressed a button and the holo-grid displayed the image of Annisa’s head exploding. Several of the audience members gasped. There was a dull telepathic roar across the room. “The inquiry showed that Annisa May had a unique condition, which was unknown to the staff. Professor Cade was vindicated of any negligence.”

Cade mentally strengthened his shield and focused on running his body through breathing exercises. Doctor Mayes changed the display to an examination of Annsia’s brain. “While performing the autopsy, I noticed that certain areas of her frontal lobes were slightly swelled from a typical human. At first, I thought this might be due to the aneurysm, but this area was undamaged. It was a healthy zone surrounded by dead tissue. My theory was that this area might be responsible for psionoic activity in humans. I did a research query for other brains with this phenomenon and almost ninety eight percent of the sample autopsies with these enlarged lobes, that I am calling Mayes Lobes, were graduates from this academy.”

Startled, the assembled guests began to discuss the proposal amongst each other. It took several minutes for Cade to calm the crowd so that Doctor Mayes could continue. “Using a chemical formula and medical nanites, we’ve managed to enlarge these areas in humans with a zero psionic rating. We’ve been able to affect a shift of two to four levels. We believe that this increase will grow exponentially the more powerful the subject is. Further, the nanites allow the subjects to focus their potential and achieve their maximum potential in a matter of days rather than years. My proposal is simple. I wish to give the new students this treatment to advance the cause in science.”

Cade banged the gavel three times to dull the roar. “Chairpeople, do any of you have questions?”

According to the rules of the forum, the Department Chairs were allowed to ask direct questions before the opposing council addressed the forum. Professor Gavin stood, slowly and painfully. He broadcast his thoughts with great potency that somehow remained polite. “I can see how your process could increase potency, but not how it would decrease the learning curve. Please explain.”

“Very well, Professor Gavin,” Doctor Mayes replied, leaving a bit of mockery on the word Professor. “It is theorized that one way that psionics effect the material plane is via the shapes of the brainwaves broadcast. A psionic teaches their body to shape these thoughts. Bio-feedback allows students to practice and learn the hard way. The nanites allow students to learn the same process at an extremely accelerated rate.”

Professor Gavin sat back in his chair and chewed on an apple satisfied. “Any other questions?” Cade asked.

He slammed the gavel three more times. “Very well. My statement shall be short, but to the point. I have no doubt that Doctor Mayes’s treatment can perform as described. However, I believe that such a treatment will leave us with weak and inferior students.”

“What? Are you out of your mind, Professor Cade?” Doctor Mayes bellowed.

Cade glanced at the Doctor and smiled. “Not at all Doctor, but I am willing to allow you to change my mind. I challenge you to a duel.”

Doctor Mayes opened wide with fear. “Professor, you are ranked at a PSI-12. I am only a PSI-10, I can not possibly defeat you.”

“At the present, you are correct. However, according to your own words, you believe that your treatment will allow you to increase your rating at a fanatic rate. I propose the following. This day, you accept treatment of your formula. One week from now, we shall duel. If you win, I shall withdraw my objection. If I win, you will withdraw your proposal and destroy the work.”

The audience muttered their approval. Doctor Mayes’s face turned red as he bit back a retort. “Of course, Professor, but I can’t promise your safety in such a duel.”

“Excellent.” Cade winked briefly. Everything was falling into place. “Then we shall make it to the death, yes?”

Trapped, Doctor grunted his acceptance. “Professor Gavin, will you serve as legal witness?”

“Of course, my boy. Of course.”

The Institute buzzed with rumors and predictions about the coming duel. The last sanctioned duel to the death occurred twenty years ago when Professor Gavin first joined as an instructor. Cade noted that his students paid careful attention in his classes, half expecting that this would be his final week.

Cade maintained his usual weekly schedule. His ethics class continued to worry him. Stephanie seemed resistant to his instructions. “Ms. Williams, perhaps you can explain to me exactly what it is that you don’t understand.”

“You’ve been teaching us that it is wrong to force others to think as you do, but you are dueling in a few hours? What’s the difference if I make someone think better, or you kill them for disagreeing with you,” Stephanie asked, feeling bold.

“We are not dueling because we disagree, Stephanie. But I am glad that you brought up the subject,” Cade replied. He scanned the thoughts of the room feeling the buzz of their curiosity. “Why do you think that I am opposed to the treatment?”

“You don’t want to be out of a job, sir.”

The class laughed. Cade smiled. “I do have a pension from thirty years service so I imagine I would survive. Further, my field would not be affected. Even augmented psionics would require lessons in ethically using their abilities. Let me ask you another question, do I seem motivated by selfish desires?”

The class laughed again. Cade could have worked in the private sector and made a fortune instead of slaving away for a teacher’s salary. “Very well then, you have your assignment for Monday. Write an essay about why you think I oppose the proposal so much that I am willing to kill over it.”

“What happens if you die?” Stephanie asked.

“Well then, all of you will get full marks for completing your assignment,” Cade answered, gracefully.

“But why are you willing to risk death over this? It doesn’t make sense.”

“You seem awfully certain that I’m going to die, Ms. Williams,” Cade protested with a bit of humor.

“Sir, you can’t beat someone with a rating of two or more above you. It’s just not possible.”

Duels were usually held in training rooms, but Cade had insisted that this duel take place at the Friday forum. A protective energy shield was erected to protect the audience from accident harm. Passive and serene, Professor Gavin hovered in a small chair above the stage awaiting the arrival of the combatants.

Doctor Mayes and Cade entered the stage from opposite ends. “Please, Professor Cade, there is no need to die this day. I’ve been rated PSI-14 after the treatment. No one has ever defeated a psionic rated 2 levels higher than themselves. You don’t need to die to make a point.”

Cade smiled, flashing more teeth than usual. He clearly had been spending too much time with the Professor. “Thank you for your concern, Doctor Mayes. However, I feel fairly confident in the outcome.”

Professor Gavin rang a large brass bell. “Duelists should bow.”

Doctor Mayes and Cade bowed to the audience, to Professor Gavin, and then to each other. Satisfied, Professor Gavin rang the bell once more. “Begin!”

Doctor Mayes attacked immediately. His mental probe was fast and potent like a sledgehammer. Cade had expected such a tactic and had prepared his mental shields. Mayes pressed his advantage sending wave after wave of mental blasts. The attacks were potent and skillful, but they lacked experience. Dripping with sweat, Mayes’s face began to turn crimson. “How can this be?”

“Please note that Doctor Mayes is trying with all of his newfound abilities to pierce my mental shield,” Cade revealed calmly. He wasn’t talking to Mayes, but to the audience.

“I’ll smash your shield eventually. You can’t hold out forever!”

“I don’t need to hold out forever, Doctor Mayes, I merely need to outlast you.”

The psychic blasts grew in frequency and potency. Doctor Mayes was panting, trying to keep enough oxygen to his brain. Sensing that his opponent was weakening, Cade switched his tactics to the offensive.

Mayes had concentrated so much upon shattering Cade’s defenses; he failed to construct a solid mental shield. Cade’s attack was swift, like the trust of a switchblade in an alleyway. Doctor Mayes froze, surprised by the mental punch on the nose. It was a dirty tactic, but Cade didn’t have much choice. Taking advantage of the weakness, Cade pummeled through the shield and attacked his nervous centers. Mayes wildly flung his arms over his face. “No! No! This is not possible.”

Cade did not reply. He was too busy lobotomizing his opponent. Doctor Mayes dropped to the floor like a slab of meat. Satisfied, Cade bowed to Doctor Gavin and then to the audience.

“The proposal has been defeated,” Professor Gavin announced.

“I’ve read through your papers and some of you had curious insights into my motives. Ms. Williams, how did you come to your conclusion?”

Stephanie had been hoping that she would not be called upon. She had been hiding her face with her hair. “I saw the duel, sir. Some of us managed to sneak into the balcony.”

“Yes, I sensed you.” Cade had been pleased to see his students take such an interest. “But that doesn’t answer my question.”

“He was more powerful than you. And skilled. But he didn’t have the discipline. You beat him using the first principle of power. Power without discipline is useless. Discipline comes from not taking the easy road and working for your abilities. He hadn’t developed the stamina to break you. You waited until he was tired to strike.”

Cade nodded, proud. There was hope for this student. “Very good, Ms. Williams. This week we’re going to discuss applications of discipline and how to maintain it during times of temptation. I’ll know if you haven’t read the reading material.”

“Very good, my boy,” Professor Gavin thought-called. “I’ve been monitoring your class. All of them will make excellent sentinels, including your trouble maker.”

“Thank you, Professor. May I ask you a question?”

Cade sensed curiosity and pride from the orangutan. “Of course, my boy,” Professor Gavin

“You knew this would happen, didn’t you?”

Chuckling softly, Professor let a bit of pride slip through with his last thought. “Let’s just say that I enjoyed watching the first principle of power in action. It was very enlightening.”