Read Water and Power for Free Online

pressure can crack a dam before it can be reinforced. You could hold it back. Are you getting the idea?”
    Mora nodded. “Yes. Thank you. Sorry, Veera.”
    Veera winked. “I don’t take offense. You are here to ask questions, to learn, to teach and to live. You have just arrived, and I take your urge to learn as a good sign. Oh, here is your pass bar. Since you wear Masuo, you can’t really embed this in your clothing, but if you want to buy anything for your room from the catalogues, your account is now linked to that little bar and you can use it anywhere in Alliance space that doesn’t use hard currency.”
    Mora pressed the bar against her cuff and the Masuo shaped around it.
    “Or, there won’t be any problem. Right.” She chuckled.
    Tranoth poured Mora another cup of tea, and she cradled it between her hands. Her mind was spinning with the possibilities. Plink was warm and solid on her lap, and she was being given the chance to not only show her own talent off but to also learn about others. She had to blink back the tears.
    Plink began to rumble again and that soothing noise relaxed some of the knot of tension that had begun to take shape and hold Mora hostage.
    Zenina and Veera chatted. Tranoth took her hand in sympathy, and she sat there in silence as the reality continued to sink in.
    Tranoth finally said, “I believe I will show her to her quarters, and then, if there is time, we will drop into a class.”
    Veera smiled. “It sounds like an excellent plan. If you miss the classes, a tour might be a good idea.”
    He held her hand and eased her to her feet. “I think that action might be better than too much time in silence.”
    Mora nodded. “It sounds like a good course of action. Thank you, Veera, Zenina, Fixit.” She bowed to each in turn. It felt like the right thing to do.
    With Tranoth holding her hand and Plink cradled in her other arm, she walked with him through the halls and toward a tower marked Specialists. “What is a specialist?”
    “You are. Someone who has mastered their talent. It is not a declaration that says we have nothing left to learn, but it does mean that we are able to help others when we are called.”
    She smiled. “I am warming to the idea of helping others. I think I would like to take some classes though.”
    “We will begin with the classes. As a Resicor refugee, you have a year’s worth of credit on your bar. That is an entire year of courses and room and board. If you teach a course in the meantime, that will be added to your account.”
    It made sense, but, “Veera didn’t mention that.”
    “She got distracted.” He led her up a wide spiral staircase until they were on the fifth level.
    She looked at the non-descript doors and blinked. “They look empty.”
    “They are. Citadel Balen has a huge student quarters but not a lot of specialists. Getting fully trained personnel here is a boon to the facility. The Citadel gets paid for your services and they pay you in turn.”
    “They get paid for help?”
    “The Alliance pays for the use of a specialist and for the transport fees to and from the planet that requires our assistance. The idea is that goodwill will allow talents to join the Citadel in the future and that new trading partners are possible. It is an act of good faith.”
    He paused in front of a door, and he tapped her wrist where the bar was nestled. “Show the door the credit bar.”
    She pressed that part of her wrist to the door, and it opened, sliding aside with a soft whisper.
    She stepped inside, and Plink squirmed to get down. Mora bent over and let her little friend hop free, and the small green creature took off with amazing speed. The green blur whipped from wall to wall, hopped onto the window ledge, and she opened the window with her beak.
    Mora rushed forward, but Plink hopped down and headed into the second room where the bed was. Mora heard heavy items being moved, and to her surprise, Plink was shoving a large chest across the