If you find mistakes, pls tell, thx. I don't like mistakes.

Also feel free to ask for more background information on the world. I am somehow running out of interesting points regarding the small comments at the beginning of the chapters.

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“The mage's quantum network allows their computers to interface with each other over vast distances. It connects all the colonies with one another, but for safety reasons the architecture of the network never became very tight. Each colony sustains their own closed network, safe for a few controlled access nodes.”

-History

***Aether, The floating City, above the Atlantic Ocean***

***Melan***

“You won!” I bend down and hug Gideon. “I still can't believe that you bested a student who is two years above you. You aren't hurt right? Why did you give up?” I am so glad that he wasn't hurt, as soon as he left the stadium we rushed to meet him in front of the locker rooms for the students.

Gideon shakes his head to ensure me that he is fine. “I was tired and I doubted that I could win the whole tournament. The way the tournament is organized in the last stages ensures that the younger students can't win. I would have had to win against five more opponents to get third place. Maybe I'll try to go for it in another year.”

Saden takes my hand and starts hopping up and down. “Gideon! Teach me that thing where you apply Force to your own body! That's so cool. It's akin to body enhancement!”

Gideon looks at his cousin, completely oblivious of the insane level of skill he just showed. “Why would I need to teach that? It's all about slowing your perception of time and the ability to cast runes without using your hands.”

“So there is no special trick to it? You simply did it by casting one rune after the other?” Saden lets her head droop. “That means my only choice is training. I am no good at free casting spells so fast.”

“Forget that! Gideon owned the entire tournament! Did you see the faces of the other spectators? They didn't believe it until the end. They had their own little world shattered to pieces. I bet some of them lost a lot of money, Hahaha!” My daughter Rhiannon calls out and pats Gideon's head.

“Money?” Gideon stares inquisitively at Rhiannon, but her husband is the one who answers the implied question.

“It's widely regarded as wrong, but many people do it anyway.” Arend answers half-heartedly. “That's placing bets on the kids, I mean. It's bad taste to do so on an event which is held by a school.”

Yes, now that we speak about gambling, where is my foolish husband? He and Galia ran off right after Gideon's surrender.

“Well, but we made a lot of money.” Hedeon and Galia rejoin our group from behind me and I turn around. My husband is carrying a big black suitcase and Gaila is grinning while flicking a credit-chip upwards and catching it again.

I point at him. “You! What are you teaching my grandchild!? Don't turn her into a gambling-addict like yourself, old fool!”

Hedeon raises a hand. “Nonono! You can't blame me for this. I didn't even know that she placed a bet until I met her at the counter.”

My daughter joins me in a burst of righteous outrage. “Galia! You are a minor! How did you even manage to take part in the gambles?”

Galia's expression turns innocent. “No way! I am not seventeen. Everyone is able to tell that I am twenty. And anyway... it wasn't gambling. You taught me that gambling is bad, so I would never gamble. I just tripled my allowance after using my advantage of having insider information.”

“Insider information?” Arend asks with a suspicious glance at his daughter.

“Of course. Who do you think Gideon was training with until he decided to test his abilities? Do you think he could have diverted the electro-mage's attack with so little effort without a training partner?” She grins. “We are meeting up on school grounds every day and I get tutored in maths while he can test his newest tricks on me. That's why I was very sure that the students of his own year aren't more than mere stepping stones for him.”

“Ahem.” Hedeon raises a hand. “Actually I knew about it, so I didn't gamble. This time at least. And don't demonize me, woman. I am still the one to whom our house belongs. If I really run out of money I'll quit my current job and make a few flights to the belt. Being a public servant isn't that well paid anyway.”

“Your current job is supposed to earn you more than enough money!” I cover my eyes with one hand and fight the urge to strangle him. Doesn't he realize that I don't want him to go adventuring for weeks while I have to wait for him? I made a mistake in marrying such an insensitive fool. “Whatever. Today we'll eat outside to celebrate Gideon's victory. The least you can do is paying the bill.”

“Of course! Gideon, what do you want to eat? Grandfather just made a lot of money thanks to you, the choice is yours.” Hedeon grins from ear to ear.

“Pizza!” Gideon calls out.

“That's my grandson! Always the cheapest choice!” Hedeon forms a fist to emphasize his words. He only becomes this energetic when he won a gamble.

I shake my head. “Then we go to the most expensive Italian restaurant I know of. There is no way that we waste our time in some fast food shop.”

Urging my family out of the stadium I notice that a lot of people are paying attention to us. I can't really blame them because Gideon just shattered their world-view. It's not totally unheard of that exceptionally talented techno-mages of Gideon's age can defeat their own age group, but overwhelming them with ease is another matter.

***Saturn Rings, Inside a drifting asteroid***

***Sadina***

I switch off the news feed and lean back in my office chair. Coeus was just broadcasted on one of Aether's news channels and he showed that he has all the potential which I wanted to give him. Maybe he is even more powerful than I intended him to be.

The information about the tournament is already outdated since Aether didn't bother to send the event live. Sometimes I ask myself why they don't use the marvels of quantum communication networks to connect all colonies permanently. It still requires a direct request to access the network of another colony. Ah, my thoughts trailed off in another direction.

I push off the ground and turn my chair around in order to roll to the office table with the blueprints of my latest project. The sheets of paper are wiped aside by one hand and reveal a small panel on which I place my hand to interface with my computer. “Add a voice record to the Coeus project.”

“The subject didn't show any of the fatal mental breakdowns, neither any acts of unreasonable violence like they were previously observed. However, I have to note that he is still completely uncaring regarding the well-being of people who aren't related to him.

Maybe gaining more life experience caused him to stabilize his behaviour. If so, then maybe the project was closed prematurely.”

I stop and let my thoughts wander. “Originally I didn't plan to let him loose on society, but what's done is done. I may be able to gain a few more insights. By observing his development.”

On another thought I decide to delete the last sentence. “I've decided that I'll interfere personally, since it would be hard to acquire the necessary data otherwise.”

Closing my eyes I concentrate on my ability and interface with my machines. Then I open a connection to Aether and search through the colony's net until I find the school's network.

Several security programs take note of my actions, but none of them interferes since I am logging in from an anonymous account.

Being still undiscovered I access the school's central hub, barely noticing the pitiful security measures. What I am searching for is the location for the school's counselling program for problematic children. Every school has an A.I. which should be doing nothing else than to search for problems in the student's behaviour. Upon finding a problem child it has to talk to the student in question and judge which steps are necessary to correct his behaviour.

But upon accessing the virtual reality of the sentient sprite in question I encounter the first problem. If the server logs are true, then the sprite in question is neglecting its duty. A split second lets me enter the sprite's virtual reality to judge the situation.

My avatar appears inside a pink room with a strange looking, bony figure. The sprite's chosen avatar looks a little disturbing, even to me. The walls of the room are filled with videos and shows from several different entertainment channels.

Apparently this sprite's subroutines have seriously deteriorated, it must be an old and excentric model. The school should have replaced it long ago. But then again they don't seem to have any decent network administrators.

“Who are you!? How did you get on this secure server?” The sprite realizes that I am right next to it and turns to face me, but it's too late. I ram my hand into the avatar's chest and access it's code.

Then I start deleting, rewriting, changing authorities and priorities. What I need isn't the sprite, it's its identity as the school's counsellor.

***Aether, The floating City, above the Atlantic Ocean***

***Gideon***

“Seriously. There is no need for all this. Why do I even have to be here?” I voice my objection to the new compulsory lesson I have to attend to. “I have been at this school for three years and was never told we have a counsellor!!”

“Gideon, there is no need to become agitated. Let's say that your recent behaviour at the annual tournament drew my attention.” The projected avatar of a woman with raven black hair and an unnaturally huge bust gestures at the couch in the middle of the room. Lines of yellow code are running through her blue dress. “Why don't you lie down and we can talk about your issues.”

“I have no issues.” I answer and throw myself on the couch. Just one hour a week, that's all. It'll go by fast if I simply talk to this facsimile of a psychiatrist. Why would a sprite even choose such an appearance?

“I think it's best if you let me be the judge of that.” The projection sits down and a chair appears under her. “So, let's talk about your school life. I've gathered that you joined the computer club?”

“Yes.” I answer.

“How is it going in your class?” The smooth voice asks.

“What do you mean? I am learning and trying to become a pilot.” What does she want to get at?

The counsellor tilts her head. “And your classmates? Call me Nina, by the way. Don't you have any relationships inside your class?”

I brood over the point of the question for a while. Then I decide to answer. “No?”

Nina doesn't let go of the matter. “Don't you have any friends of your own age?”

Now that she mentions it. “I don't have any friends aside from my relatives and Paul. But Paul is more like an employer and not a friend. I seriously don't think that there is any point in having one of those kids in my class as a friend.”

“I don't think so, Gideon. You have been at this institution for three years and you don't have any relationships short of the ones which were practically forced on you. I can tell, since I have access to the cameras. How about starting by searching a friend among the techno-mages in your own age group?”

I really don't know why I have this urge, but if Nina was an actual person I would murder her right now. Is it her voice?

“Gideon? Are you with me?” Nina asks.

Letting out a deep sigh I nod. I can tell that I'll come to dread my time here.

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