Trial 017 - 2019 Wattys Sci-Fi Winner

Amala

14.01.2723

"You know what?" Lian said, balancing on a tree root. "I'd really, really love a shower right now. I feel like I was vomited out of a dust bowl."

"Really?" Nicholas asked, glancing over his shoulder. "That's what you're worried about?"

"Quiet," Amala hissed. "I'm trying to think."

It had been nearly a day since they'd woken up and night was falling fast. Amala gritted her teeth, her mind working furiously. To her, it seemed only a day had passed since she was back at the Institute, writing a dissertation comparing Krakoshan district politics to their federal government. To the rest of the world, it had been two months since the massive terrorist attack decimated the Cadmus Institute and every prestigious Kinetic Academy in Kingsfield.

They'd all woken up here, on an alien planet in an alien jungle surrounded by fat red leaves and thick intertwining tree trunks that grew sideways instead of straight. Their stories sounded eerily similar, a life of prosperity in the Academies, undergoing rigorous Kinetic combat training, and then a sudden kidnapping by Gholian mercenaries. Or, in Amala's case, a prosperous life in the Institute studying political science until this misfortune put a damper in her memoirs. She needed to find a way to get home and fast; none of these poor kids could outthink their captors on their own.

"I don't know about you," Lian said, "but all this waiting is kind of making me antsy."

"Yeah," Garth sighed. "And I'm hungry, too."

"Keep quiet," Amala ordered.

The group grumbled, but they did as she said. Right now, Amala really did need the peace. The rest of the group was relying on her to find a way out, and she needed to concentrate. Her hunger dug at her like a sharp knife, threatening to shatter her focus. She already had a plan, but it was too risky. She needed to come up with some kind of contingency, but nothing was coming to mind.

Weighing her odds, it looked almost grim. She had practically no advantage, and just knowing the Krakoshan language was worthless unless they found a way to access their base of operations; other than that, she couldn't think of another way to get them home. But getting past their base meant getting past an army of soldiers literally born for battle. Not good odds at all.

Amala shifted uncomfortably on the ground, feeling a root digging into her leg. She hated the way the branches caught on her clothes, snagging and tearing all over. Had she known something like this was going to happen, she wouldn't have worn a stupid dress.

There were five of them in total. The first was Garth, a good-looking stocky boy who seemed to be around her age and could bend the earth to his will. A useful ability if all your opponents were standing on the ground. Then there was Selene, a tall girl who kept her platinum blonde hair wrapped in a painfully tight bun. She was cryokinetic, which meant she could manipulate ice the way Garth did earth. Even better, Selene had been able to draw water from the local flora, which helped alleviate their thirst.

Nicholas was the other boy in the group. He was maybe a year younger, and he claimed he had the ability to use lightning, although Amala had yet to see him use it. The last was Lian, an older girl with dark hair and slightly canted eyes who had the ability to control the momentum of herself and other objects. Lian was the first person Amala had discovered since waking up in the jungle.

And then there was herself. Her education at the Cadmus Institute had always been just that: education. Despite being a Kingsfielder, Amala had never had to use her telepathy in combat situations. Instead, she'd honed her power to enable her to master various languages and study the confusing sea of intergalactic politics. However, even if she were trained to use her telepathy to fight, she couldn't. She'd been awake for a while now, but for some reason, she couldn't yet sense her telepathy returning to her. It was frustrating to see the others able to use their abilities so soon after waking, but she would have to wait.