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  “… see, there is no way that the human body sustain such forces. The maximum pressure should be around six thousand pounds of force, and that is for a robust adult male. A small woman like we see here should be less.”

  The other man nodded. “Yes, and this se is ed in any way, it was broadcast live and from multiple different angles and sources. We have analysed the footage, and her running speed is more tha times the sprint world record. Her bones would simply shatter uhat force.”

  “Before that, there’s a number of bigger issues, isn’t there?” The first man was saying, bringing up a series of charts and graphs. “The muscles themselves ot sustain such forces, and the tendons… in fact, it is theoretically posited than forty miles per hour is the maximum speed any human could achieve.”

  “Not all sce is right, it seems.” The sed host let out a dry ugh. “Here, we have calcuted an initial sprint here of over one hundred ay miles per hour, with acceleration matg the President’s own limousine, no, exceeding it. I think those textbooks have to go irash.”

  “Is it really right to hough, as this is clearly supernatural? Why, the President himself, in his address to the Federal Assembly, has admitted such, and called for all patriotic Russians to e forward and pledge their powers to the State, for the good of all Russia.”

  “We are surely privileged to live iing times!” the man ughed. “Though the stists will be weeping and tossing aside their libraries…”

  Irena shook her head, irritated, a pout on her pale face. “Pizdets.” She spat a curse. “Any stist who tosses aside their work because of this is a fool, a failure.” No, how is it possible not to be fasated with such? After all, that girl, she is no bigger than I am… Looking down at her frail frame, she shook her head, white hair swaying in her pair of pigtails, while her pink eyes narrowed, watery and sore already from the strain of watg too much television.

  “Oh, Irena, dear. I’ve told you, a pretty devushka like you should mind her nguage. Girls who swear aren’t popur with the boys.”

  “Babulya, I’ve told you, I’m never going to be popur.” Irena sniffed. “As for my nguage, who is here to listen but us?” she told the kind old dy who was her maid, her servant, sometimes assistant, and surrogate parent while her mama and papa were away, which was almost always.

  “That doesn’t matter. If you get into bad habits now, you’ll never break them.” The older woman said. “Here.” she handed Irena a mug, and she took them in her quivering hands, enjoying the fragrant smell. “Warm milk and amon, just the way you like it, my dear.”

  Taking a sip, the sharp edge in Irena’s gaze softened, and she looked like her age for a moment. Putting the cup down, she sighed. “So, I get that papa and mama are busier than ever, but I wao talk to them…” Her happy face turned into a sullen pout.

  “It is the news, dear. Irena, just as you are a genius, your parents are important, clever people too. Why, the President himself has called for them, and others like them.” Irena’s eyes strayed to the TV, which was broadcasting more footage. As her look, the woman sighed. “Look, dear, you have to be a big girl now. Your parents are going to be very busy from now on. You will be as well! After all…” she brought out some sweets on a silver tray, ae herself Irena reached out for some. “… you are the little genius of Russia! There’s a whole new world for you to explore now, isn’t there?”

  She’s right, but it is a little frustrating. Turning away from the TV and the entary, which was basid cked nuance, she sighed. “Yes, rejeg progress because it is uific is foolish.” Her pale skin flushed, and she remembered the versation she had with the nameless rade of hers only a few hours before, where she had doly the same and had been put in her pce shamefully.

  “You knew about this. When you said I was missing a spark…” Irena had typed out in English, the on nguage for stists to unicate in worldwide. She spoke it fluently, of course, as well as several uages. I have never seen the face or heard the voice of this colborator. Nor has he… well, I assume it is a man through his style of nguage… seen mine. I am not permitted to reveal myself, I am too precious to the mothernd. Besides… nothing good e of it. She remembered the attempts to capture her or worse, the smoke, the st of blood. Just thinking about it made her tremble and her eyes tear up, but it wasn’t the time to dwell on such.

  “…did you mean magic? That is not sce.” She typed acgly, her small fingers dang on her keyboard. There was a dey and for a moment Irena thought she would not be getting any response, only for the reply to surprise her, and for a moment she had stared at the blinkiers on the s, rereading them, which was not like her at all.

  “Just what do you think sce is? Is it not the application of uanding and knowledge to achieve the desired result? If so, then how is magic… su undigerm, which trivialises the study… any different? Cause begets effect. The blending of sd the aetheric arts, as well as even adherence, is the true essence of sce, which we call mortal engineering.”

  Mortal engineering? “I don’t reise that term.” She had typed, curious. “And what are aetheric arts?”

  Her uified correspo replied quickly. “The arts of blending together the rules and ws of the mortal world with the less restricted, more malleable powers of the spiritual. Magic, for want of a better term, though a good mortal engineer such as myself would hate the term. After all, magic implies miracle, the simple happening of what one wishes for, no rules, no structure. And all things operate on underlying structure and ws, even if we are too blind to see them, too sparse in our uanding.”

  Those words had resonated with Irena, and even now, thinking back, she remembered what she had replied. “Of course. They said the Earth was the tre of everything, and those that said otherwise were derided and persecuted. For a thousand years, the best iion humanity managed was a better plough. Now, we move from steam, to electricity, to sili, to information. Each step unravelling more of reality.” Her eyes had shone as she typed furiously. “You… just who are you?”

  “Like you, I am merely someoh boundless curiosity.” The answer was a non-answer, and frustrated her, but she realised he might well be uhe same straints aris as her. “And I do find it fasating to speak to those of like minds. A spark.” He had repeated. “It is not so difficult to make an automaton that reacts to external stimuli, and chooses appropriate as. But it is merely breaking down and regurgitating already input ideas, is it not? That might serve, but it is not the true goal you seek, is it?”

  “With enough input, it should be possible to have the building blocks to master any situation. After all, us humans are creatures who process new information and use what we learn in jun with prior knowledge. Therefore we stantly expand the information we act upon. My maes, they shouldn’t be any different.” she had pouted, annoyed by his dismissal of her efforts thus far.

  “Yes, I agree. It would be a wonderful world with everything tidy a, all ones and zeroes. I rather enjoy the crity and precision of mortal sces, pared to the underlying chaos that masks the rules of higher realms, it is so , pure. But deeper eans deeper rules. It is like this… quantum, no? I find it hard to grasp, but the harder something is to uand, the more it holds within.”

  She hadn’t been able tue, finding the truth from chaos and creating a set of rules that would take the most plex thing she knew, intelligence, and creating it artificially, was her life’s dream. “So, what… ark do you suggest? I am not one of these users of magio, aetheric arts, as you called them. This adhereoo, it puzzles me. From my uanding of English, it could meaher stig something to another surface, which seems uo be what you meant, or itment to a person, cause or belief.”

  “Clever.” The man had typed. “Yes, there is power in belief, if sincere and deep enough. Enough power to shape reality. But even that has rules. The greater your uanding, the greater the success. A shame. Obviously you were not chosen. I must question the Gods.” She had almost been able to feel the dry humour from his words on her s. “Were I one, inquisitive, clever mortals such as you would have been my first choice. Then, I suppose not all have chosen poorly, as I well know.”

  “You tio speak of these matters as though you uand them well, when as far as I tell, the world was rgely unaware.” She had pressed him, not getting an answer. “Perhaps… have you sidered relog to Russia?” she had said boldly, surprising herself. I wasn’t sure if I was allowed to make su offer, but for a stist of such a calibre, I was certain that the Institute could make an exception…

  “A tempting offer, but I am afraid I already serve another master.” She held in her disappoi at his response, and surprise at his tinuation. “Perhaps instead I should offer you the same? My master, he would be ied in your skills, and could have much to teach you.”

  She had shaken her head, even though there was no way her correspo could see her. “I am afraid such is impossible. I am the little genius of Russia, my parents are here, my loyalty too.” Her firembled as she typed. Though experimenting with suowledge would be truly marvellous. But… “Besides, I am… rather frail and unwell. I need stant care and supervision. I suspect this master of yours would soon tire of that. And my research… it is not profitable.” Not yet, currently it devours rubles at an arming rate. Though when it bears fruit, the results will be beyond imagination, I know it!

  “Profit… well, my research should be profitable enough to cover a number of projects.” She had felt the pride in those words. “Of course, there are a few critical issues to work out, but soon…” There was a long pause, and for a moment she thought he had been disected, before some surprising words appeared on her s. “… you are a girl, right?”

  “I have not hidden it…” she had typed, worried. Obviously, while Irena was hardly worldly-wise, she was aware of the rules of using the i, that girls were often targets of exploitation and harassment. Surely a notable stist should be above such petty things?

  “I see. Five my curiosity. It is just my master does so love to meddle in the lives of girls in trouble, much to the amusement of the princess.” Princess? More words followed. “It is probably not my pce to say, but should you ever find yourself in a state where your health bees a burden, do tact me. It would be a great shame to lose such a keen mind…”

  Taking another sip of her warm milk, which was now slightly cooled as her thoughts had strayed, she sighed, her attention back to the present. “My thoughts were shallow. Though I never did mao find out just who he was. No, what he was. Though I have my suspis. The use of the word mortal…” She turned her attention back to the television. Talk was turning to the fact that the British Prime Minister had released a statement saying that Prince Henry’s dition had stabilised, and a full recovery was expected in due course. They put up the images of his burned body and missing arm that had been observed by ce, and Irena looked away, hands trembling.

  “Little Irena, you should not be watg such things! It is not for the eyes of a young devushka to see.” She was chided by the older woman. “Instead, why not have a cookie? I baked them fresh this m.”

  The smell was entig, and Ireated. Then, uo resist, she stretched out a hand and took oaking a bite, the satisfying d subtle sweetness pleasing her. As her guardian smiled, Irena looked resolute. “I ot turn away my eyes from reality. If such wounds be healed, what else be done? If I don’t keep up with the test developments, I will be left behind, my work worthless.”

  “Nonsehe older woman disagreed. “Even if that was the case, you’d turn your attention so something else, my dear. Just like your parents have…” she paused, her face ging, and Irena seized on that.

  “Do you know what mama and papa have been doing?” she asked, not fetting to finish her cookie. “Is it reted to this?” She gestured to the Television, which was now showing a tall Russian man, dressed in military uniform, somehow freezing a rge barrel of water, making the metal shatter and explode.

  “I really shouldn’t say, you inquisitive little thing.” She demurred, waving her hands, but as Irena peered at her with her moist pink eyes, she gave in. “Fine, I should not be doing this, so do pretend you don’t know.” She looked towards the sturdy metal door that isoted her boratory and living space from the wider boratories. “Your parents are important people. Of course they have been chosen to iigate this new phenomenon. Now, don’t look at me like that…” she reached out and poked Irena’s cheek gently.

  “Stop that, Babulya!” she waved her hands, only to have the old woman chuckle.

  “... even if you pout and look at me with your pretty face, I ’t tell you any more. You think I move in those circles? I am just your caretaker, dear.”

  “Anything you tell me would help.” Irena insisted, unblinking.

  “Oh, naughty girl” she ruffled Irena’s hair gently, again causio pout and protest. “All I know is, there are a number of udies here at Fyodor Teical Institute. The security has been stepped up to levels even more frightening that is ordinary. Why…” she gestured to her security pass that hung on her chest wryly. “… just getting iakes twenty minutes lohan usual.” She smiled. “I have to hurry my m shower.”

  “It is reted to these new powers, these aetheric arts?” Irena said shrewdly.

  “Aetheric arts? I haven’t heard the term. Is that something you ed, clever girl?”

  As Irena shook her head, her Babulya tinued, chattering away brightly. “Yes, more brilliant minds and loyal Russians are gathering here, w together. To think, we are at the heart of it. So, your parents are busy, don’t bme them for not taking more time to see you. Matters will settle down again, ride slet further, my dear. Matters have been hastened…” she scowled at the television. “The good thing is, nobody will trouble you now, my devushka. If aries to abduct you again, they will not eve foot on the grounds of the Institute!”

  “I think my value might be dropping.” Irena said sadly. “How does that even work?” The man on s was freezing more barrels, and through he was starting to sweat, his face pale, he looked proud, as the entators were saying this was the start of a new era of Russian dominance, with powerful and brave Russian citizens the match for any in the world. “Those barrels tain roughly a hundred litres of water. Assume the air temperature is around five degrees, and the water temperature has evened out for simplicity…” She rapidly did the maths, her mind w. “That would be around two point one million Joules, plus a further thirty-three point three million Joules to crystalise the ice, all delivered so rapidly. If we call it thirty-five million for simplicity, thirty-five Megajoules…” She shook her head, astounded. “That is impossible. It’s like produg the energy of a litre of gasoline from nowhere, and he has do numerous times. The human body doesn’t output suergy. No... I am letting what I believe to be true flict with the reality in front of me.”

  “What do you mean? You’re not useless, my dear, no. Don’t even joke about such things!” the woman said, and Irena waved her worries away.

  “I know. I was just feeling sorry for myself. I have seen the running girl. This is in a way less surprising. But…” she ran some hasty calcutions. “Regrowing an arm for the Prince would require signifitly more energy than freezing some water. Creating matter from nowhere would require apocalyptic amounts of energy due to E=Mo, it would have to accelerate biological processes to make any sort of sense, but evehe energy demand would be staggering.”

  “It would be more valuable too.” The old woman smiled. “Though making the cookies you like out of thin air would be better, no?”

  “Don’t tease me, I’m thinking!” Irena flushed, her pale skin glowing red hot. “Some of the issues I have been entering…” The processors used to create the brains and nervous systems for my Artificial Intelligence ruremely hot, limiting the size and youts possible… imagine if I could cool them so effitly. Why, we could easily achieve a three-fold increase in effeo, four-fold…

  Taking a sip of her now ilk, she grimaced, only fentle hand to take it away and repce it with a warm oaking a sip, her lips curved into a smile. “… if we assume the energy be made electrical, rather than whatever thermal version was affeg the ice, then we could get further efficy gains. It still might not be enough, as it cks the spark, as he said, but I am a stist. I pn, I test, I cry when it fails, I go and redraw my designs. I test…” her eyes narrowed, and she started designing something new. “There are a lot of assumptions here, matters I do not uand. But even taking the numbers as a baseline, assuming that the man freezing the water is no lie…” as she hummed to herself she didn’t notice the b draped around her shoulders, or her Babulya looking on fondly…

  “Yes, if I had access to more information… I should have authority to see the full library of the Institute…” her hands typing rapidly, more ss came up, and she frowned, as she hit a password-protected security firewall. Surprised, she gnawed on her lip, taking another sip of warm milk. “I am not included in the access?” She stamped her foot in annoyance. “I could crack the security easily enough. My AI is more than up to that. But…” Mama and papa are involved. If I ask them… surely they won’t deny me, not after I see them so rarely…

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