Inhibition

Chapter 12

“Okay, so, Cat, this is Midge. Midge this is Cat.” After the initial meeting, all three of the girls sat down on one of the couches along a computer-free wall. “Midge is a technology expert. Literally.” Midge took over from there.

“You must have noticed by now that we Magus do not use technology, at all, right? Well, I’m the exception. Usually, technology and computers don’t work very well because magic exists inside the body in pathways almost like an addition nervous system. The magic itself is very akin to electrical nerve impulses.” Midge seemed to pause and give her next statement thought.

“In a way, you could almost say that magic is electricity, before it is converted into whatever the user intends it to be. Technology uses electricity to work. When magic is around, it’s like an electric storm for all the systems, like a cloud of interference.” She took a deep breath and continued, Cat listening in with rapt attention and Finley only half paying attention. This was common sense to people raised with magic.

“So, most magic users screw up every bit of technology they get near. Magic users can’t use it, so they don’t own it. Since they don’t own it, most have a slight hang up about technology. They no longer want to integrate their magic with technology. All of your tech stuff was confiscated upon coming here, wasn’t it?” Midge asked Cat.

“Yeah, but how did you-”

“It’s procedure. Not that it’s actually necessary. Step within fifty feet of this place with an electric device and it’ll fry in your hands. That’s why I’m underground. Metaphorically and literally. Seriously, do you know how hard it is to get computer parts? I have to buy everything in parts.” She scrunched up her face. “Not. Fun.”

“But, wait,” Cat was thinking over these new facts, “How are you able to work with technology if no one else can?”

Midge paused and gave a self-deprecating laugh. “Yeah, sorry, I meant to tell ya. It’s ‘cause I’m special.” A non-fazed look from Cat. “No, seriously. For some reason my magic is able to flow through all the technical stuff, without overpowering it. Apparently, my magic naturally has a very soft touch. It’s able to sift through things, pick up facts, give me new information, all without leaving a single imprint on any of the systems I work with.”

“That sounds so cool!” Cat was genuinely excited. Now, this was a power she could have used back in high school. Who cares if she’s got some humongous amount of power? It’s not like she knows how to use it. Which is probably a problem, Cat admitted to herself.

“Back to the point at hand,” Finley got their attention so that they could continue. “We’re here because of some of the things we’ve overheard. Apparently a lot of shit is going down. We need to know what’s going on.”

Cat liked this “we”. It meant she wasn’t alone in this, and maybe, just maybe, Finley and she would be on speaking terms again. She really didn’t like this whole “silent” thing.

“And you came to me.” Midge gave a small shrug. “It’s understandable. I am the only one with access to the outside world that students can access. Lemme see what I can do.”

Midge got up and walked over to her computer. When Cat and Finley started heading over, she pressed a button and the machine hummed to life. Though it sounded more like a dying animal than a well-oiled machine to Cat. It did start up though, so Cat couldn’t really complain. Until she got close to it, that is.

As soon as Cat got close enough to touch the computer, it started freaking out. The screen got all fuzzy, in varying degrees, with the worst of the fuzz on Cat’s side of the screen. The computer started up a terrible whine, the kind of sound Cat would expect from something alive, but that wouldn’t be that way for long. And then there was the smoke . . .

Before the thing short circuited completely, Cat quickly stepped back. The entire thing stopped. No noise, no fuzz, and no smoke. As if nothing had even happened. Midge just gave an exaggerated sigh and turned to look at Cat.

“I was afraid you would be one of those. I mean, I’ve totally heard about you so I should have expected, but you can’t trust all the rumors you hear. And I didn’t actually believe some of that was possible-”

“Midge.” Cat interrupted her babbling. “What just happened?”

“Well, when someone has a lot of magic, it kind of leaks.”

“Leaks?”

“Yes, leaks.” Midge ignored Cat’s dubious expression. “There is just too much to control for some people. Then all that extra magic forms an even louder, harsher cloud of interference for tech stuff. Bad thing? Everything short circuits around them. Probably for the rest of their lives. Good thing? They have all that magic to compensate. If they ever learn to control it.”

“Midge?”

“Yeah, so . . . Sadly, you’re one of those people. If this computer hadn’t been built by my own hands and just pure awesomeness, it probably would’ve combusted into a flaming ball of metal. But my baby is a-ma-zing. Aren’t you amazing? Aren’t you?” Midge then proceeded to make cooing sounds at her computer, complete with baby talk voice and compliments.

“So what does that mean for me?”

“That, Cat, means you sit down waaaaaaaaay over there, while we check things out.” Finley said, barely concealing her amusement. It was just hilarious to her that the thing that made Cat so great in their society also kept her from the simple stuff, like using a computer without making it blow up. It was an odd trade off in her mind.

“Not fair.” Cat went and pouted on a sofa in the corner, away from anything that she might accidentally cause to catch fire. Or spontaneously implode.