Page 3 of Shinji Takahashi: Into the Heart of the Storm

She held out her arm, palm facing up. The pocket of her overalls moved, and a tiny creature crawled out of it. It was a mouse made completely of metal, but it moved and acted like a real mouse. The tiny robot creature was one of Lucy’s own creations, a marvel of tech and magic fused together in a way only Lucy knew how to do. Tinker wasn’t just a cool pet, though; he was super intelligent and could do some very handy things, like open locked doors and turn off security cameras. And even though Tinker wasn’t really alive, he and Lucy were inseparable. Tinker’s copper ears and tiny copper feet glittered in the light as he scampered into Lucy’s palm and sat up, nose and whiskers twitching.

“Tinker is a mechanical construct,” Lucy said, though Shinji had heard this all before, “but I still needed a little magic to bring him to life. I know more about working with magic than Zoe or Oliver, or anyone here at Society headquarters. Maybe I could help you.”

“Thanks,” Shinji said, and he meant it. “But you can’t. I have to figure this out myself.”

“Why?”

“Because I’m the guardian,” he replied. “No one else has these powers; the Coatl gave them to me. I have to learn how to use them.”

“You don’t have to do it by yourself,” Lucy began, but at that moment they had stepped into the elevator with Oliver, who immediately pressed the button for the top floor. The doors slid shut, and they started to ascend.

Priya Banerjee was standing alongside the large, sturdy wooden table in the meeting hall. The room itself was enormous, with a high ceiling painted with depictions of numerous animals, both real and mystical. The walls were covered with letters, paintings, and postcards, and the numerous shelves held artifacts from around the world.

Kali, Priya’s large, aggressively friendly black bear, lounged on the nearby couch, all four paws in the air. She huffed a greeting when Shinji entered the room and started to rise, as if to give him one of her infamous bear tackles. But Priya cleared her throat in a firm manner, and Kali lay down again with a groan.

Priya’s dark eyes met Shinji’s for a moment and narrowed before they shifted to Oliver. “Oliver,” she greeted, “Zoe has already informed me of what happened, but I wanted to hear it from you. I take it the simulation did not produce the desired results?”

Oliver looked uncomfortable for just a moment but managed to shrug. “It was the kid’s first time in augmented reality,” he said. “I wouldn’t write it off as a failure just yet. I think once he gets used to the goggles and the weirdness of the training simulations, he’ll have a much easier time.”

“Hmm.” Priya did not seem convinced. She turned to Shinji then, her gaze intense. “And what do you think, Shinji? Are you able to better control your powers now? Is any of this working?”

“Um.” Shinji didn’t really want to lie. “I don’t know,” he said evasively. “Maybe a little? It’s hard to tell. It’s not like I’ve ever done something like this before.”

“In Mexico, you showed extreme power when you called on the Coatl’s magic,” Priya went on. “It was reported that you could summon wind, speak to animals, and even call upon the Coatl itself when you were in danger. Have you been able to do any of that since you returned from the jungle?”

“No,” Shinji admitted. That day, when he had used the full extent of the Coatl’s magic, felt like a dream now. “But I haven’t really been in any danger,” he joked. “Maybe I need a bunch of Hightower agents, real Hightower agents, not coatracks on wheels, chasing me down to be able to use it again.”

Priya’s frown deepened. “That is what we are trying to prevent,” she told him firmly. “You have an untested magic that, left uncontrolled, can be very dangerous to you and the people around you. Learning how to harness it is vital.” She sighed, tapping her fingers on the table beside her. “Clearly, the methods we’ve been trying are not working. Which is why I’ve called for a specialist to help.”

A specialist?Like he had some sort of mysterious disease no one had ever seen before? “No,” Shinji said. “I’m fine. I don’t need a specialist; I can figure this out on my own.”

“We’ve got this, Priya,” Oliver broke in at the same time.

“I said I would help him get a handle on this magic, and I will. We just need a little time.”

“Unfortunately, Oliver, time is what we do not have.” Priya walked around the table to pick up a folder, holding it up somberly. Shinji could see the wordClassifiedwritten in large red letters along the top. Priya paused a moment, gazing at the folder, before turning back to Oliver.

“Have you ever heard of the Natia people?” she asked.

The ex-pirate frowned. “Vaguely,” he replied. “They were a lost civilization that supposedly lived somewhere in the Polynesian Triangle of the South Pacific. But no one has ever found evidence that the Natia actually existed, other than a few vague references here and there. There are even a couple seafaring legends that their island moves or is hidden by a constant fog that never goes away.”

Priya nodded. “Yes. The location of the Natia’s island, and the Natia people themselves, has never been discovered. But…” She raised the folder. “Recently, I received word that a shipwreck has been discovered in a remote section of the Polynesian Triangle. According to my contacts, that ship might be carrying several artifacts belonging to a lost civilization, possibly the Natia.”

Oliver straightened, a flash of excitement crossing his features. “Well, that is something,” he said. “The Natia have been nothing but rumor and legend until now. Nothing but ghosts.”

“Yes,” Priya agreed. “If we could discover something about them, something real and concrete, we could share their existence with the rest of the world. They wouldn’t be ghosts any longer. However, there is one small problem.”

For just a moment, her gaze flicked to Lucy. It was only a split-second glance, but Shinji caught it. And he knew what she was going to say next.

“Hightower has also gotten wind of the shipwreck,” Priya said, making Lucy’s lips tighten. “And we can be sure that they will be looking to claim it and whatever treasures they find. We cannot allow that to happen. Hightower would simply sell or collect the artifacts, and whatever we could learn about the Natia would be lost forever.”

“Yeah,” Lucy chimed in. She sounded disgusted, but it was directed at Hightower, not at the people in the room. “That sounds like them.”

Priya gave her an approving nod. “Given this information, we have no time to waste. Hightower could already have a head start on us. I know you are determined to help Shinji, Oliver, but you are our most experienced member when it comes to shipwrecks and underwater extractions. Captain Mano of theSeas the Dayhas specifically requested your presence for this mission. You leave for the South Pacific tonight.”

“Mano?” Oliver snorted, and a wide grin crossed his face. “That scurvy walrus is still at it, huh? Why am I not

surprised?” Glancing at Shinji, he sobered. “What about the kid?”

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