Shadowrun Legends: Never Deal with a Dragon: Secrets of Power Trilogy, Volume One by Robert N. Charrette

Author:Robert N. Charrette
Language: eng
Format: azw3
Publisher: Catalyst Game Labs
Published: 2010-06-20T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 26

“Concentrate!”

Laverty’s voice was insistent. Sam was too tired to focus on the picture of a medieval shield that Laverty wanted him to imagine. Hours of sharp questioning about his travails followed by more hours of testing, some obvious standard medical examinations and others clearly arcane. For someone who was not supposed to be staying around long, Sam had been in Laverty’s company for quite a while.

“Keep the image of the shield in your head!”

Sam tried to comply, but his mental vision blurred as a sharp pain drove through his head, a spike of ice impaling his brain. He almost cried out from the hurt before rallying and driving it back. The pain receded, leaving him drenched in sweat. He slumped in the chair.

When he opened his eyes again, the elf was staring at him, his look stern and thoughtful. Seeing Sam awake, Laverty checked a monitor screen and entered a note on a datapad. At the Professor’s nod, Estios stepped forward and began to detach electrodes from Sam’s head.

“That is the last test.”

Dodger got up from his chair against the wall and walked over to lean against the bench that held Laverty’s monitoring apparatus. “In truth, an overly long enquiry, Professor. My friend is not applying for citizenship.”

“You wanted to know what was wrong with him. I needed certain information to make a diagnosis. Now I have that information.”

“And?” Sam and Dodger said almost in unison.

“I believe that the available data offers only one reasonable conclusion.” Laverty carefully placed his datapad on the console. Then he pulled a chair around in front of it and sat down. He seemed content to draw out the moment of revelation. Just as Sam was ready to prompt him again, he spoke. “You, Samuel Verner, are a magician.”

Sam blinked. “Impossible!”

“Is it?” The Professor rubbed his right index finger along his upper lip. “Your headaches are prime evidence that you cannot function normally within the hypothetical world of the Matrix. Such a limitation is almost universal in those who have strong magical talent. Had you sought counseling before, you would have learned this a year ago.”

“I thought the headaches were normal, that everybody got them.”

Dodger shook his head.

“Well, if I’m different, it must be something else. I’ve never had anything to do with magic. It must be some kind of interface problem,” Sam protested. “Bad neural connections.”

“Soriyama doesn’t make those kind of mistakes,” Dodger informed him. “The way your icon limps shows some kind of psychological interface problem. It’s neither built into the software nor a glitch in the hardware.”

Laverty tapped the back of his chair to get attention. “Let us put aside the issue of the Matrix for a moment,” he said. “When you were attacked by Ehran’s people, the sorcerer Rory Donally used what, by your description, was a fireball spell. But it did you no real harm. How might that come to be?”

Sam ran his hands through his hair. “The mage wasn’t very good at his job.”

Laverty smiled indulgently. “Donally may not be a full mage, but he is an accredited adept.

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