CHAPTER 2: Air with a Twist

The Brain Camp: Part One

Space still held many secrets for humans to uncover. Some would say that it all began on 24h July 1969 when Armstrong stepped on Luna, saying his famous words: "This is a small step for a human, but a giant leap for the human kind." However they would be wrong. The humanity was gazing at the stars long, long before then. The humanity claimed that they were first to leave the grounds of the Earth, however that was not exactly so, since first being to fly into space was Lajka, a dog. Not many would give her credit for it though, even if she died for it. It was humans who sent her up there anyhow, build the shuttle and launched her, if she wanted it or not.

First human settlement on Luna was formally founded on 100th anniversary of the first lunar landing and named after Armstrong. Now, only 82 years later living in space, away from home-world is nothing new any-more, however majority of humanity still preferred to live on their home-world.

It has been only two years ago, that the humans translated prothean data found on Mars and it lead them straight to the discovery of Charon mass relay, a fantastic construct allowing travel from one solar system to another. Majority of humanity accepted the fact that there was other species, highly evolved, living in their solar-system at one time. The religious folk, specially The Christian church objected and so did those few followers they still had.

The humanity in general thought, that there must be other evolved species still living out there somewhere, even if they didn't yet encounter them. All however agreed, that they need some form of protection whilst exploring and settling on new planets and thus the Alliance was formed.

2151 was the year that the construction of Arcturus Station started. The construction site was not the most beautiful place, nor was it the safest one. The sight that was offered to you when you looked out of one of not many windows took your breath away regardless. The stars lit up, went out and lit again, shimmering like diamonds, rubies, emeralds on a black velvet. Many stopped to gaze at them, wondering where else they will be taken, what wonders they will be able to see. It was a good age to be alive.

"I envy you," the engineer Shepard said, shuffling poker cards.

"Oh? Why," asked chief engineer Alenko, his face ice-cold as he received royal flush.

"It has been months since I was last on the Earth," Shepard shook his head.

"Royal flush," Alenko put his cards on the table. "I'm not sure why I'm being called there anyhow. My wife arranged it with the command on her own."

"It figures," Shepard frowned: "Well, I'm done. You already managed to take my month's pay from me."

"You get that for playing with your superior," Alenko laughed.

"Yea, yea, not for long," Shepard grinned.

"I hear Anderson has a mean hand. Be careful Shepard, he might take more from you than I," Alenko laughed.

Alenko sat at a coffee shop near Singapore International space-port ,his eyes opened wildly in bewilderment for a moment, then laughing and hugging his wife who just informed him that she is pregnant. Just a moment later an alarm went off, a wide notification that it is only a training, asking the communities to respond in a way they were thought to. People shuffled on their feet, but there was no urgency in their movements, it was only a training after all.

A month later many were asked to partake an medical exam. Most found that perfectly normal, few however suggested that this could be in connection with a so called training a month ago. Even fewer knew, that there was no training at all, the alarm was real. There was a shipping accident in the port that exposed the downwind communities to the containers of a dust-form element zero. None knew what the reciprocation will be, but many feared them.

The news were filled with stories about children born in Singapore in year 2152. Around 30% of suffered from cancerous growths. The government remained silent, the accident at the space-port hushed up.

Mrs. and Mr. Alenko gazed at their newborn son Kaidan with worry as they waited for medical report. He seemed healthy boy, perhaps a little small even for a newborn, sleeping peacefully after a meal.

Mr. Alenko jumped on his feet as a very young doctor came into the room with expression revealing nothing: "Will he be all right?"

"You have a healthy boy there Mrs. and Mr. Alenko," Dr. Chakwas smiled.

"Thank you, thank you so much," Mrs. Alenko muttered between tears of joy.

"No need to thank me. It was a relief to bring a good news," Dr. Chakwas smiled and left the happy young family alone.

Kaidan woke up crying on top of his lungs.

"I think our boy needs a new diaper," Mr. Alenko laughed.

Mrs. Alenko smiled in respond: "Would you do us an honour?"

"If you show me how, dear," he smiled at her and took little Kaidan in his hands.

The Alenkos were a happy little family for six years. They moved to Canada and bought a lovely orchard there. Mr. Alenko was promoted, Mrs. Alenko thought first grades at one of the Elementary Schools in Vancouver. Little Kaidan was all curiosity and laughs, a well-spring of energy that needed constant attention. However there were moments when the little boy calmed down, usually when his mother took him on long walks by the English bay, or when his father would return home from space and took him to Space Observatory. Those were the moments when Kaidan would speak in whispered amazement, taking in what his eyes would see.

However then all changed, in one single sunny afternoon when they celebrated his sixth birthday.

Kaidan was playing with a daughter of his father's friends. She was two years younger than him, but they seemed to get along good. When she accidentally broke one of Kaidan`s toy-spaceships, the boy went into a peculiar tantrum. There would be nothing strange about it, if Kaidan wouldn't be glowing blue, faint smell of element zero coming in waves from him. The angry tantrum turned into the shrieks of fear as he noticed that something strange is happening to him.

None dared to even touch him to calm him down, not even his parents. Kaidan kept glowing and crying while everybody at his party stared at him in shock and disbelief, mixed with a good amount of fear.

It was the four year old girl that approached him first, none noticing her approach until it was to late to pull her away. She took few careful steps towards Kaidan, put her hand on his shoulder with laughter bubbling from her lips: "You ale all bue!"

Kaidan stopped crying and looked at her for a while, she kept smiling and few moments after that, he was smiling also, the blue shine around him dissipating.

"Awww... no mole bue! Do that again," she pouted at him.

"I don't know how," he replied earnestly.

Many left as soon as they could, leaving the parents of the boy and the girl alone to deal with what-ever has happened. Girl's parents came around and snatched their little girl away from Kaidan, not minding her protests. That helped Kaidan turning blue again. He didn't want her to leave. She was nice. She didn't fear him. They took her away anyhow, carefully excusing them-self to his parents. They didn't visit them any-more.

Mr. and Mrs. Alenko tried hard to ignore that their son was different for two long years. In 2156, when he was four years old, strange things started to happen around him. If he would be angry a vase on the other side of the room would fall from the table. If Kaidan`s mother forgot to give him a spoon, she would turn around and fetch one, return to him only to notice that he already has one, not noticing that he would even get out of his chair. It was mind-boggling, but subtle enough for them to not pay much attention to it. The Alenkos were not superstitious. Everything could be explained with logic.

The life for Alenkos changed. Mr. Alenko was allowed leave from his job. Taking care for Kaidan was stressful. They had to drive him from one exam to another, leave him for months alone at one or another hospital in science department. Kaidan changed also. The smiles were as rare as rainless day on a distant planet of Khaje -not that they knew that the planet as such even existed- , he closed himself away. He was often found just sitting and staring at something, thinking. However there were also times when he would be angry and then he glowed, things went flying around him. It was hard for Mr. and Mrs. Alenko but they loved their son regardless, even if they had a little fear reserved for him, they tried to hide it. Kaidan saw it though, and even as it hurt him, in his way he understood. He was a freak. But he loved his parents regardless and knew they love him also.

Mr. Alenko eventually returned to work. Mrs. Alenko stopped teaching classes in Elementary School and instead home-schooled Kaidan. No School was prepared to take him in, he was a liability, an unknown, not worth the risk from their part and besides, other parents wouldn't want him close to their children. There was no other way.

Year of 2158 was a revelation. Mr. and Mrs. Alenko finally learned what is wrong with their son. Kaidan was a biotic. Perhaps their son would at one point be able to live a normal life. It was a slim chance, but they cling to that hope.

Even if around 10% of children exposed to the element zero were now showing some level of biotic ability, they were still frowned upon. The humanity acknowledged the potential in it, however most people were suspicious, regarded biotics as freaks of nature.

One evening, when Kaidan was 12 years old, black cars with black windows stopped at their drive. Man dressed in black stepped out and knocked on their door. A holo-vid scene coming to life.

They didn't bothered to explain much, just enough to lullaby his parents into false safety. Kaidan would be taken away from them, for his benefit as much as their protection. He would be taken to Gagarin Station, situated a little beyond Pluto, where he would enter a new schooling program for kids like him. He would learn how to control his biotic powers and how to use them for good. Mrs. and Mr. Alenko felt that their son is finally given an opportunity and reluctantly agreed to their proposition, even if deep inside, they knew that they would take him away if they would objected or not.

For next two years they barley seen their son. There were no visits allowed. All contact, might it be through e-mails or vid-coms, was supervised.