Advancing Skills
was more confident as Jamal drove her to the Bena’s home. She couldn’t wait to learn how to control the skills inherited from her father.
Jamal gave Jean’s hand an encouraging squeeze before she stepped out of the car. “After today, you will be one step closer to reaching your full potential. I’m so excited for you.”
Jean smiled. “Me too.”
Mrs. Bena greeted Jean at the door.
“Good morning, Jean. I’m going to train you today. My husband gave me a written report with your test results. Are you ready to get started?” Mrs. Bena’s voice had a melodic, echoing quality.
“Yeah. Mr. Bena said I can do things that Xeno can do.”
“That’s right. He was quite impressed with your abilities.” Mrs. Bena led Jean down the hall as she reviewed the test printout. “We worked with a few others who were part human and you performed significantly better.”
Mrs. Bena entered a large room with high ceilings. Mirrors covered one wall, making the space seem even more expansive. Various types of equipment—a rock-climbing wall, gymnastics mats, balance beams, a treadmill, and other fitness gear lined the other walls. Jean even spotted what looked like an ice bath in one corner. The center of the room comprised a large open area with training dummies, targets, and a short obstacle course.
Jean spun in a slow circle, taking everything in. Nerves and excitement dueled within her and she couldn’t wait to get started.
“Now Jean, your test results show you have powerful senses and excellent strength, but there is one ability we’ll need to work on.” Mrs. Bena gestured toward a strange contraption in the far-right corner that resembled a vertical wind tunnel. It was a tall, transparent chamber surrounded by control panels and monitors. “This is an anti-gravity machine that will help train you in gravitational manipulation. With practice, you will be able to use your mental focus to levitate objects and eventually yourself.”
Jean’s eyes widened. She giggled internally as she imagined herself levitating across campus to class.
“It’s an extremely advanced skill,” continued Mrs. Bena. “Most struggle to make any progress in the beginning, so don’t get discouraged if you can’t master it today. Xeno practice the skill during early childhood, and it usually takes them eight to ten years to levitate successfully.”
Jean nodded, but she still didn’t want to fail at her first big training challenge.
“Now, let’s start with some warm-up exercises,” said Mrs. Bena. As they began the workout, Jean’s mind kept drifting back to the anti-gravity machine. She was nervous, but also thrilled at the thought of being able to float through the air.
After warming up, Mrs. Bena had Jean practice balancing exercises on the balance beam and taught her how to alter her body shape while climbing the rock wall. After climbing the wall, Mrs. Bena had Jean practice moving against gravity in the anti-gravity chamber. Following the practice, they took a break for lunch.
When they finished eating lunch, they returned to the training room. Mrs. Bena showed Jean how to move a small wooden block perched atop a table. She gave Jean tips for focusing on the block and told her how to control each side of her brain to gain control of the block.
Jean attempted to follow Mrs. Bena’s instructions multiple times, without success.
“Okay, take a deep breath. As you exhale, think about the right side of your brain. Now, concentrate. Imagine the block moving across the table.”
Jean gritted her teeth in frustration as she failed yet again to move the small wooden block. She had been trying to telekinetically levitate it for over an hour with no success. “How do Xeno do this so easily?”
Mrs. Bena tapped her forehead. “Electrical signals control our mental faculties across neural networks and synaptic pathways. But for Xeno, many regions operate at a higher base frequency. When we use telekinesis, highly elevated activity amplifies emissions of electromagnetic and quantum energy waves from the brain.” She scribbled a drawing of orbiting electrons and particles on the back of Jean’s test printout. “These emanate outward, interacting with electrons orbiting objects on a quantum level. In effect, we manipulate the probability distribution of particles using our minds alone to physically displace matter.”
Jean’s eyes widened. “So you control objects by altering their molecular behavior?”
“Exactly—down to manipulating atomic vibrations sympathetically with neural oscillations. A supreme feat of bio-quantum entanglement, making mind over matter quite literal for our people.” Mrs. Bena smiled gently. “With practice, perhaps you can learn to harness this, too. But don’t lose heart at difficulties. You are making significant progress. It may take a while to even make the block wobble. You’ll get there. You’ve done enough for today. Let us try again tomorrow.”
Jean nodded, wiping the sweat from her brow. “Can I try one more time?”
“Of course.”
Jean took a deep breath and stared into the mirror before her legs gave out and she collapsed onto the floor. Mrs. Bena rushed to her side and placed her hand on Jean’s forehead. “Are you okay?”
Jean’s body froze. “I-I can’t move.”
“I will get my husband,” Mrs. Bena said, dashing away.
Seconds later, Mrs. Bena returned with Mr. Bena by her side. Mr. Bena kneeled down. He placed Jean’s wrist between his fingers, checked her pulse, and pulled out a stethoscope to listen to her heart. After a few minutes, Jean wiggled her arms and legs and sat up, feeling embarrassed and defeated after her collapse.
“She’s fine. I think she just overdid herself,” Mr. Bena said with a comforting grin as he stood. “Young lady, sit still for a moment. Focus on relaxing your body.”
Mrs. Bena crouched down next to Jean, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder. “It’s alright, dear. You pushed yourself too hard, too soon. Don’t worry. It happens to the best of us. You have incredible potential, but true skill requires practice and perseverance.” She reached her long fingers under Jean’s chin, tilting it up. “I know you want to unlock your abilities quickly, but growth doesn’t happen overnight. And to be honest, your human genes might limit what you can achieve compared to a full-blooded Xeno.”
“Our people can mentally manipulate matter on a molecular level. We don’t yet know if the required exertion will overwhelm your human brain,” Mr. Bena explained.
Jean lowered her eyes as her heart sank. Kale complained about his alien DNA, but my human DNA seems to be the problem.
Mrs. Bena gently squeezed Jean’s hand. “I only tell you this because it’s important to know and understand your vulnerabilities in order to survive. Let’s take a break for a few days. When you return, we’ll take it slower and focus on strengthening the fundamentals. And more importantly, we’ll celebrate each step forward, no matter how small. Okay?”
Jean took a deep breath and nodded with a wisp of a smile. Mrs. Bena’s words lifted the dark cloud hovering over her. She was right about not being able to transform in a single day, and Jean looked forward to a few days of rest. She left the training room exhausted, but with renewed optimism.