Lt. Solari Rath's Arc

Chapter 2 of 12

Solari stood before the training console in her lab's corner. Her fingers hovered over the activation switch. Three years of theory had brought her here, but theory meant nothing without practice. She needed to start small, build her connection to Astrion V's energy one careful step at a time. The console blinked green, ready for her first real attempt at channeling. She pressed the button. The lab's floor panels slid apart with a mechanical hiss. A platform rose from below, carrying a small testing chamber made of thick glass walls. Blue conduits snaked along its concrete base, feeding into containment channels carved into the ground. This was her answer to the danger problem. Out here, away from the main station, she could practice without risking anyone else. The glass would hold small bursts. The channels would drain excess energy safely into the planet's crust. Solari stepped inside the chamber and sealed the door behind her. Her suit's sensors activated automatically, tracking her heart rate and core temperature. She raised her right hand and focused on the energy flowing beneath the facility. The familiar tingle started in her fingertips, then spread up her arm. A thin thread of blue light appeared in her palm, flickering like a candle flame. It lasted three seconds before winking out. Her legs shook and she grabbed the glass wall for support. The sensors beeped a warning but stayed green. She'd done it. She'd channeled Astrion V's energy and stayed conscious. It was barely anything, just a spark, but it was controlled. It was hers. Tomorrow she'd hold it for four seconds. She exited the chamber and checked the facility's systems. The containment channels glowed faint blue where they'd absorbed the excess energy. Above the main console, a copper heat sink mounted to the wall showed elevated temperature readings. Its ribbed surfaces and mineral channels had pulled heat away from the testing chamber during her attempt. Without it, the whole system would have overheated from even that small burst. She made a note to monitor it during longer sessions. Each piece of equipment here existed for one reason: to let her push harder without destroying everything. She sealed her lab and walked outside into Astrion V's thin atmosphere. Three seconds today. Four seconds tomorrow. The rifts wouldn't wait forever, but she was finally moving forward. Outside, the wind carried dust across the facility's perimeter. Solari pulled a metal pole from the storage locker near the entrance. An orange crystalline cap sat on top, catching the dim sunlight. She planted the reflective marker fifty feet from the lab's outer wall. If anything went wrong during training, she needed clear boundaries. The orange cap would warn anyone approaching that the area was dangerous. She walked the perimeter and placed five more markers in a wide circle. Each one reflected light back toward the facility, creating a visible safety zone. When she pushed herself harder, when the energy surges grew stronger, these markers would keep others away. She stepped back inside and locked the door. The testing chamber waited. The channels waited. Her training had finally begun.