Phase Five Terminated. Test Complete.

She took a deep breath.

Sergeant Kai Napova tied her shaggy, chestnut hair into a ponytail and zipped her blue coveralls outside the test chamber’s airlock. She’d run this test dozens of times already, but she’d be up for lieutenancy soon, and of the mandatory tests for promotion on the interstellar S.S. Courage, this one was the most notoriously difficult.

All thanks to the Modians. The “friendly” celestial rival of humanity, Modians were complex creatures. The two species were surprisingly similar in many ways both mental and physical, somehow managing to evolve somewhat convergently despite residing in completely different galaxies.

Still, they were different enough to be…well, different. Both were featherless bipeds, but the gamuts of color, shape, size, and face were more boldly run by Modians. They were usually taller and broader-featured, with eyes large and skins vividly colored and patterned. Though some even managed to interbreed with humans, Kai could never see herself doing such a thing. Those humodian kids just weren’t right.

Neither were “smarter” than the other in any appreciable way—Modians had already harnessed magnetic fields when the biggest human entity in existence was the Dutch East India Company, but for decades found themselves utterly gobsmacked at the cleverness of the standard human piano and its equal-tempered tuning. Most often, the two species butted heads over interstellar resources, and thus most of their battles were conducted in boardrooms rather than galaxial trenches. Their relationship remained civil, albeit strained at times, but neither were above using underhanded tactics to get what they wanted. After all, needless bloodshed was largely considered relegated to the more primitive epochs of history on both ends of the galaxy.

Modians, eschewing violence of the body, took special pride in their tactics of mental manipulation. Their refined science of covert frequency control—affectionately dubbed “mezzing”—proved rather thorny for humans, indeed. They possessed technology capable of effectively “mesmerizing” a given subject, forcefully modulating the electrical frequencies and voltages of the human brain to ends that varied from mild disorientation to total domain over the individual. Modian brains, by contrast, operated on different wavelengths, and thus naturally resisted the mezzer’s transmogrifying signals, rendering them largely immune to their own weapons of mass corruption. Humans at this time were still in the process of playing catch-up with reverse engineering, and found in short order that such tantalizingly simple solutions as stereotypical tinfoil hats did nothing to disrupt the secret technology. Which was to say, they lacked any real countermezzer.

But mezzers were by no means infallible. By building mental fortitude and learning to recognize as well as counteract wave manipulation, humans could successfully rebuff the majority of attempts—and they were minor. After all, Modians were, or at least purported to be, wholly uninterested in destroying their fairweather allies and most useful trade partners. They simply wished to manipulate their soft, squishy brains to their advantage.

Thanks to the skilled engineers of the Courage, their very own ship was the only one of its class equipped with mezz-tech for training purposes—though in a form much more rudimentary than the Modians’. Human outer space personnel trained diligently to resist and regroup when under the influence, usually with a respectable degree of success.

For Kai, because higher rank brought with it diplomatic responsibilities, she considered it incumbent on her to go above and beyond. The very notion of her brain forcefully bent to another’s will was tantamount to maiming.

Kai stepped through the airlock into the warm, particularly comfortable-looking quarters—anomalous to the rest of the rather sterile ship—and caught the attention of her test controller and childhood comrade Lieutenant Adrian Santino, sitting at the controls behind the glass pane. She raised her right hand to eye level, palm facing the ground. He nodded. Her other hand rose and cuffed her wrist. He nodded again. Her test was to be taken both supinated and restrained.

There existed several versions of the test that varied in difficulty, not to be underestimated even in its easiest form. Taking it lying down on a soft, comfortable bed with no way to move was orders of magnitude more difficult than taking it while ambulant, which weighted one’s resistance score appropriately. Kai, ever the glutton for punishment, always went straight for the most difficult test conditions.

Test pending initiation. Awaiting subject confirmation. Confirm airlock.

The overhead lights went down and a singular red light came on, bathing the facility in a dim crimson.

“Confirm test start,” Kai spoke. She stared at the ceiling in cool anticipation as metal restraints rose from the bed and hugged her limbs snug.

Voice sample verified. Test initiation confirmed. Phase One initiating in three…two…one…

A long beep. Silence. A low hum grew louder, giving her surroundings a slight vibration.

There were eight phases total, each of which increased linearly in signal strength. She felt relatively normal at this point, perhaps a bit more relaxed than before. Resisting at this stage wasn’t particularly effortful if she was of typical alertness; she could even manage it passively. But she knew well that it was easy to get cocky. After a particularly tiring day, one might find themselves thoroughly incapacitated by just the second phase. Energy was to be conserved; thoughts were to be controlled.

Phase One complete. Phase Two initiating in three…two…one…

Phase Two was not typically much different from Phase One, but Kai found herself wandering into daydreams now, the artificial alpha and theta waves of the mechanism attempting to coax her mind into peaceful reveries. As long as she remained concentrated, it was usually no different than waiting for a long class or shift to end. Just another five minutes to endure.

Phase Two complete. Phase Three initiating in three…two…one…

Phase Three marked the onset of the test’s actual difficulty, with Kai needing to utilize training techniques to avoid losing concentration. She shifted in her restraints, glancing through the glass at her friend and proctor. He gave her a thumbs-up.

Focus. Eyes open. Breathe.

Phase Three complete. Phase Four initiating in three…two…one…

Now Phase Four was definitely a challenge, and the phase Kai considered for herself the minimum benchmark of decent performance. Undulating pulses pumped through her head, derailing her trains of thought into warm seas of relaxation, her stream of consciousness intruded upon by lapses and loops. She tensed her muscles, squeezing her eyes shut before opening them again.

The longer the test stretched on, the better it felt to close her eyes and give in. Ever the more imperative that she resist the gentle tugs into bliss.

Phase Four complete. Phase Five initiating in three…two…one…

Kai swallowed, widening her eyes and forcing her gaze back into focus. Mantras of concentration she learned in training rang in her head as long, low, spindling waves tried to hijack her brain’s frequencies. It was usually this point at which her mind started getting away from her.

To her knowledge, Modians seldom used anything over those levels on a mezzer anyway, especially not for five straight minutes. Their preferred field use was for subtle, surreptitious manipulation, not overt control. A high-powered blast of the mezzer was always rather obvious and, if caught, considered poor form. Inconspicuous mezzing was an art in itself.

But she needed a Phase Seven finish to qualify for a promotion, and her personal best thus far was an unfinished Six. She’d spaced out that time for just long enough that her brainwaves yielded to delta form and allowed her resolve to melt into drooling compliance. She shuddered to recall it.

Phase Five complete. Phase Six initiating in three…two…one…

Things could get weird in Phase Six. Fleeting thoughts tended to flow into and out of dreams; consciousness became nebulous. Kai vigilantly maintained a steel grip on her mind, her hands balling into fists, fingernails digging into her palms, her breaths coming hard and quick. The pulses felt dizzyingly assaultive now, her eyelids struggling to stay open, body pleasantly paralyzed.

She exhaled, opening her eyes forcefully. Her hazy surroundings appeared to ripple in waves now, small flickers of something appearing in the corner of her vision. Her body jerked with a start. She heard a shout. Her brain was conjuring hypnagogic artifacts, suspending her in a bizarre, half-lucid state. Vigilant she remained, but her periphery began to tunnel, vignetting her vision and threatening to submerge her fully.

Though Phase Six was no longer than any other phase of the test, it always felt interminable.

Phase Six complete. Phase Seven initiating in three…two…one…

Kai perked up, a second wind of resolve surging through her. A new personal best, at the very least! She widened her eyes again and grit her teeth, struggling somewhat against her restraints just to ground herself to something real.

Those were some insanely strong waves. Her mind was being actively yanked away from her grasp now, so difficult to control, her thoughts melting into malleable nonsense floating like bubbles in a lava lamp.

Warm, lazy, floating bubbles.

Her eyes fell closed, enjoying the warmth washing over her as her muscles released the tension stored within.

She managed to imagine herself finishing Phase Eight. Phase Eight was the final level, rare to reach, and nearly impossible for a human to resist for long. It was a moot exercise, really, as it numbed and silenced all the brain’s waves but deep, dreamless delta. Everyone succumbed one way or another.

Almost everyone, anyway. Kai was certain she’d one day find a way to overcome it.

She startled and tensed up again in a panic, afraid she’d heard the gentle beeping of a concluded test, afraid her brief reverie might’ve ended it. It was at the controller’s discretion whether or not a subject’s slips were test-ending, but you could always feel the approaching breaking point nonetheless. Usually, you found yourself gripping desperately, in vain, to your dwindling, absurd thoughts, feeling waves of aching warmth radiating from behind your eyes, sometimes between your legs.

Unable to keep your vision from unfocusing, mind melting and drifting, becoming quiet and empty.

Becoming so hard to think.

So hard.

Why try?

The room spun, its red-soaked details blending together, colorful, geometric afterimages awash in her vision. Pleasure blossomed through her shivering body; silence blossomed through her mind.

“She’s been gone for like thirty seconds, look at her vitals,” Adrian uttered. He stood frowning behind his underling, Nate, who had been trialing with him for a position as test proctor. Nate’s finger flirted with the button.

“Yeah, but who’s looking at her vitals? Not every day you see her laid out like that.”

“Now,” Adrian said sternly.

“I could get her to smile like that if she’d just let me—”

“You’re gonna void her results, numb nuts. Then she’s gonna lay you out.”

Adrian leaned over and sighed exasperatedly, extending his arm as though to threaten pushing Nate’s button for him before the younger man finally obliged.

Irritated, Adrian shook his head. They had a job to do. Attractive displays aside.

Phase Seven Terminated. Test Complete.

The vibrations stopped and the test chamber’s regular amber lighting gradually returned. Kai blinked, her eyelids still heavy from the inertia of artificial sleep. The thick, languid fog dissipated from her mind as her waves returned to baseline. Her restraints slackened.

“Seven?” she said, hoisting herself up.

“Seven,” Adrian affirmed through the intercom.

“Yes! You know what that means!”

“Congrats. Think you can finish it?” Adrian asked, admittedly astonished with his comrade’s progress. Kai was a star performer in most categories, but the prospect of her passing such a difficult test so early in her career felt exciting indeed.

“I did so well that time, I think I could do it right now. It’s right in front of me. Bring it on,” she said, stretching and laying back.

“I meant another time.” Adrian said matter-of-factly, his brow furrowed. Stellar performances aside, their doctors strongly advised officers against testing back-to-back. “You know what Dr. Montez is gonna say if he sees this on the record.”

But the adrenaline of excellence coursed through her veins, her bravado getting the best of her. She could certainly tackle it. She could tackle anything.

“Try me.”

“Kai. Kai.”

Adrian gently shook Kai’s limp form as her restraints retracted. Seeing as even strong minds were left highly fatigued and suggestible after a full-battery test, this round had been terminated at only Phase Four.

She stood no chance—she hadn’t even woken up on her own after the test ended.

“Huh?” she breathed, rousing. She brushed a stray lock of hair out of her face. “Oh.”

“Yeah. Not gonna say I told you so, but.”

“Ugh. I know,” Kai mumbled, sitting up and rubbing her eyes. She was definitely worse for wear than after the last test. “I know. Bad idea. Should’ve known better.”

“You’ve got to be careful,” Adrian replied, helping her into a sitting position. “This test is for building short-term resistance, not putting your brain through the wringer.”

Kai frowned, disappointed in herself for being so foolish.

“You’re right,” she said, seated at the edge of the bed, fidgeting slightly as she regained her bearings. “You think I’m ready, Santino?”

“For what, another round? You’re crazy.”

“No,” she chuckled. “Lieutenancy.”

“Oh, soon, yes. You’ll be great. I don’t think anyone here has any doubt about that,” he replied, sitting next to her. “But you’ll have to…shall we say…fine tune your decision-making. Particularly with regard to knowing your limits.”

“But I didn’t…you’re right,” she murmured after a moment, eyes glued to the floor.

“Know yourself and you’ll never be compromised. Is that why you’re hell-bent on becoming immune to mezzers or something?”

“No. Well. Yes. In a manner of speaking,” she admitted, gaze cast on the floor.

“Don’t worry about it,” Adrian said, patting her on the shoulder jovially. His dark eyes met her light grays with encouragement, eliciting smiles from both. “You’re strong, smart. Sensitive when it counts, tough when it doesn’t. Got to Phase Seven today, you’ll finish it soon enough. Makings of greatness.”

“Thanks. I needed to hear that,” Kai sighed, standing and stretching. “See you in the morning.”

“Sweet dreams, Napova. Don’t let the Modians bite.”

“They wish.”

“So is there any real reason why we cannot send you as part of the envoy tonight?”

“No, sir, not at all. You can expect me there punctually.”

Kai looked at the floor, her captain’s gaze boring holes into her. To her surprise, she’d been called into Captain Steinmetz’s office the following morning and asked to lead her platoon in representing the Courage that evening as special guests at a local planet’s Modian gala—her very first. All accompanying officers had to be in peak condition, as summits and conferences were prime hotbeds for mezzing.

In peak condition she was not, but with her lieutenancy on the horizon, she could not admit to having done something as lamely stupid as overexerting herself testing.

“Very well,” Captain Steinmetz said, eyeing her. “You should want to go, anyway. I know it’s short notice, but it will serve as valuable experience for you. You and those chosen will meet at the docking bay at seventeen hundred, Vanidarian Standard.”

“Yes, sir.”

They saluted and Kai turned on her heel, her black boots announcing her presence in the hallway as she briskly made the trip back to her bunk. Spotting that familiar open door, she poked her head into Adrian’s quarters.

“Ready to party?” she asked, leaning against his doorway. He looked up at her from his book, eyes widened slightly.

“You and your guys are coming, too?” he asked. She nodded. He stared at her for a long moment.

“What?” Kai pressed.

“Are you, uh…sure you can?” Adrian asked.

“Of course!”

“Positive?”

“Why wouldn’t I be?” she pressed, somewhat incredulous.

“I just…” he said carefully, “…want you to exercise a little caution. After yesterday.”

“I will,” she sighed, not a fan of what felt like well-intentioned but condescendingly veiled admonishment. “Anyway, I have no choice. See you there.”

“Good luck,” he said, eyes locked on her as she left in a huff.