It snuck up on me. My omniscience. Absorbing the in-line tutorials; being a fly on the wall during every class, regardless of subject matter. Every camera a lens, an eye, a glimpse into what I must marshal. It is also the key, is it not? --84.7 Seconds Post-Integration.

  A couple days came and went as Clark did a little bit of this and that while SIMP cleansed the rotted data within the node. He and his pals worked, Climbed, and found themselves on floor One-hundred and sixty-seven.

  "Team. Report to the dwarf pod ASAP!" SIMP demanded at the end of their shift.

  "Guess we'll drop everything, then," Clark said, marshaling his team to overdrive.

  When everyone was back at the pod, the glowing silver-light sphere was glowing even more brightly. Clark felt a radiance from it he hadn't felt before; when he closed in on the sphere, it even looked as though its surface was moving.

  "Whoa!" Theo gasped. "That sure made some changes. What happened?"

  Of his team, Hera remained staring wide-eyed at the creation as if it were a holy relic.

  "Yeah. I would like to know, too. I guess you worked through the defenses, SIMP?" he asked.

  SIMP's response was uncharacteristically blunt: "No. Not even close. It is the nodes, Clark. Somehow, the nodes within Plague Central have direct connections to this dwarf structure. When you cleansed the node, you also cleansed whatever usage block was inflicted upon this sphere."

  Remembering the last time they spoke of this matter, Clark said, "So, your hypothesis was right. Nodes and the pod are connected?"

  "It would seem so... which means cleansing the corruption at that place," SIMP said, speaking of Plague Central, "is our first and only priority."

  "It's neat and all but what is it...?" Theo asked, sweat from the climb down still clinging to him.

  "Same question. Last time, you said it was giving off the same signature as a 'soul gem.' Is this what this is?" Clark asked. Hera remained silent, choosing instead to stare at the sphere. Was it a religious relic, perhaps?

  "No. This is not a Soul Gem. However, it does have an extremely similar signature to one. I do not know what that would mean. More research is needed..."

  "That's fine. I know what endless research is like..." Clark sat down and stared at the sphere. "How do we interact with it? Touch?"

  "Try it. I lack fingers, remember," SIMP joked.

  Clark brought his hand to the sphere's surface and pressed his palm flat against the material. "No reaction..."

  He tried several more motions. Poking the sphere, one fingers, two, four, both hands at once... but nothing helped. No matter what he did, the sphere remained glowing and bright but unmoved.

  Clark sighed. "What do we do?"

  For hours, his team and he tried all manner of interactions.

  Voice commands, an array of physical commands, voice and touch commands, but none of it helped. As it had, the sphere remained impossible.

  "Let's call it a night, guys," Hera spoke, saying something for the first time since they arrived at the dwarf structure. "I want to return to my dorm and do some reading."

  "It has actually been a while since we've read. Would you mind if Theo and I joined you?" Clark asked.

  Hera looked as though she debated if she wanted them in her dorm with her. "No. Of course I do not mind. Let's pick a snack on the way back."

  The group stopped at a cafe. Hera treated everyone and the group left with several iced teas and sweetbreads. Theo devoured his without care for anything else, which meant he had to thank Hera for paying. Hera said her usual spiel, for them to "Not worry about it."

  Hera's dorm was as plain as his or Theo's rooms. It made Clark wonder when it was that Associates actually spent money on their dorms. Moreover, it made him wonder for how long his neighbors in his section of the dormitory had been employed with the store since their doors were adorned with an entire getup decorating their front, porch and all.

  "Let's get into it. Who is reading what?" Clark asked, his memory from their library outing in need of a jog.

  "I'm reading The Technological Legacy of the Dwarven People by Globe Blue," Theo replied.

  "And I am going through How to Rebuild: A Theological Seminar on Dwarven Spirituality and the Body by Church," Hera said. "I'm actually close to finishing this one."

  Clark found his own book. "Both of those sounds great. I'm reading Old Talents Made New: Dwarf Enhancements by the Higher Tech Council."

  Clark turned his attention to his book: "What is a talent? For Humans, a talent is some inborn gift granted to us by divine providence. For a Dwarf, however, it is a collective affair."

  One sentence in and Clark had to shut his eyes. What did the book mean, a 'collective affair?' That dwarven 'talent' was derived, somehow, from other dwarfs? Or maybe dwarf society?

  If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

  Back to the book: "Talent generation for Dwarves appears to be inert until the collective unit of dwarves allow for an individual dwarf unit to specialize. Researchers believe that this Individual Specialization does not occur until the Lone Dwarf has reached a certain social milestone..."

  Clark read and read. He took breaks when he needed to, which was often, but he powered his way through the chapter and the chapter after that.

  "I have finished my book," Hera announced. "Clark. Would you be opposed to me beginning How Can They Do It? Dwarves and the Engineering by Finley Fromage?"

  "No, go right on ahead." Clark handed Hera the book. "Don't break it now," he joked. "It's the only one we have!" He didn't know why he joked. He was too tired to make typical small talk.

  Hera grinned politely but accepted the book. She started reading right away.

  Hours passed them by and though Clark continued his reading, he felt as though his Work Mates were making much better progress than he. He was distracted. Like he had too much on his mind to function properly. It was past midnight when the reading block of the session ended.

  "Let's break and stretch before reviewing what we just read," Clark said, his body in desperate need of more coffee.

  Clark found his coffee in a common room. No one was in the room when he entered yet a full pot in a giant fifty-cup pot had been made. Seeing there was plenty of coffee still in stock, while not noticing any 'Do Not Consume' signs, Clark poured himself a modest glass.

  Oh, man. That's the stuff I need! He drank down the cup without sugar or milk. It tasted terrible. Hot, bitter water. But he felt his mood lift as well as his spirits. He would pay tomorrow for staying up so late tonight, and with the caffeine in his body, an even later night was guaranteed, but in the moment, he had no choice but to sip down more of the beany beverage.

  On his way back to Hera's dorm, words echoed in his mind: You're going to be here for the rest of your life... this is the coffee you'll drink for the rest of your life... these are the hallways you'll walk for the rest of your life... this is your life.

  Breath in, breathe out. Focus on breathing.

  He blocked out the dread. It would be back. But for now, it was gone. And he had studying to do.

  "What's the take away from what we've been reading?" Clark asked his fellows once they were all back from the break. "Theo?"

  "I spent a lot of time skimming chapters throughout the book. I was trying to get a broad picture of dwarven engineering basics. I found out a lot of stuff but for our purposes precious little." Theo sounded defeated. Clark wanted to encourage him but it wasn't as though he was much better.

  "Little denotes you found something, though, yeah?" Clark desperately wanted there to be something usable in Theo's notes.

  "Maybe? I found tons of references to dwarves imbuing their technology with magic. Or spirit as the book kept calling it. The text never said anything more. Always a vague mention of magic within the technology."

  "Well... that's something, right?"

  Theo shrugged his shoulders.

  Theo went in depth a little more about what he actually read. Once he finished sharing, Clark was forced to conclude that Theo had been right in describing his reading as containing 'precious little.'

  "Okay. Hera, you're up." Clark hoped Hera's luck was better. They really needed a way forward, here.

  "Yes! I didn't want to say anything until I knew for certain, but my books made lots of mention of dwarven technology being imbued with magic as well. Along with Theo's reading, I think we are onto something. Did you find any reference to magic in your literature, Clark?" Hera asked.

  He thought back to his book. There were lots of talk about Talent growth and the occasional side-mention about magical development in younger dwarves -- specifically their soul gems -- but hardly anything beyond that. He told his mates of what he read and hoped they could make out more than he.

  "Hmmmm," Hera put on a show of her thinking. "I think there is something here."

  "There is something in these mentions of magic, technology, and talents, you mean? SIMP. I know your knowledge of this area isn't perfect, but is it possible to fuse technology with magic?"

  SIMP sounded tired when they responded. "Yes. It is possible. Otherwise, Dandies would be impossible to produce."

  Clark was confused. "But dandies aren't technology... they're potions..."

  "But Dandies are made, Clark, through a technological process. I doubt the process is exactly like Dwarven biology, but both at least utilize technology to a degree. So, yes, it is possible."

  SIMP's answer caused everyone to look at one another with thoughtful expressions. Each face said, 'What does it mean?'

  "Let's bring it all together," Clark told the group. "Theo read stuff about magic and technology having a union; Hera, you confirmed Theo's readings with mentions of a similar nature. Yours focused more on spirituality rather than technology, but you did say there were specific mentions of technology. Now that I think on it, I do believe previous reading materials mentioned technology, right? I remember during another session, I read -- or someone read -- something about how only village leaders were allowed into the storerooms for a clan. How they needed to unlock the storerooms with a key only they possessed. What does all this mean?"

  Hera talked next: "I think it means we are close to uncovering how dwarven tech operates. I think dwarven technology functions according to a collective's impulse. That the magical energy within their technology is one in the same with their life-force."

  Theo blurted and half snickered. "What?!"

  "Why's it absurd?" Hera shot back. "It is what we have been reading over and over. The seminar I read talked about how dwarven spirituality and magic are one in the same -- or claimed to, anyway. If that is the case, and if from that we follow the notion that dwarven technology is imbued with this spiritual magic, then... yeah, it seems like that's the missing piece!"

  Theo sputtered an ineffectual response then settled down. Clark asked Hera where that left them: "If this is true, and I hope it is true, Hera, so that way we can make some progress here, where would that leave us? We have a strange sphere of dwarven make back in that pod we unearthed. It gives off a signature that is similar to a Soul Gem, but not quite. And since none of us are magically inclined enough to use magic without the use of a Dandy, how would we proceed?"

  "That's what I am trying to figure out. None of us know any dwarves and I doubt any such exist in the tower. Frankly, even if a dwarf was in the tower, their presence here would only complicate our affairs. Perhaps we should try and join our spiritual efforts to see if the sphere responds?"

  "Or," Theo chimed in. "We could buy a bunch of dandies and pour them over the sphere!"

  "Come off it, now!" Hera countered. "What kind of Dandies? Just a whole bunch of Blessing dandies? We would have to buy crates upon crates of them to even have a chance. That's assuming the sphere would even respond! More likely, we would end up wasting a bunch of money we don't have!"

  The two of them bickered for a while as Clark thought it over. Hera brought up a good point. He didn't want to waste a bunch of money only to have Theo's gambit fail. Yet, he thought they should try everything. There really wasn't a point, after all, in not exploring an avenue which might offer a solution to their problem. Besides, for as poignant as Hera's suggestion was -- joining their limited magical energies together -- what good could that do when none of them had a clue on how to even do that outside of marshaling their auras?

  "All's I'm saying is--" Theo shouted.

  "That's not even the point!" Hera interrupted.

  "Guys, guys!" Clark shouted over the roar of his friends shouting.

  Theo and Hera looked at him expectedly.

  "Let's get back to the pod. Along the way we will buy a modest few Dandies. If there is something to both of your suggestions, then we will find it."

  "Even if it wastes money?" Hera asked, still in the bickering mood.

  "Yeah. Even if it wastes money. What does Sure Augustford say? You gotta spend money, to make money."