Sojourn Sol (Eternal Sol) Read Online Free Page B

further and further into a frenzy. They were digging into his skin, crushing his ribs and forcing its way into his arms slowly. He could feel death's cold grip moving closer, a force which calms the mind when the inevitability set in. “No,” he screamed.
     
    They weren't going to kill him. He wasn't going to give in. They were trying to induce panic, and it would kill him, but he couldn't give in. If he let death drive his motivations, he would be letting them win.
     
    He searched for the space in between his eyes and nose that would center his focus, and allow him to calm his mind. He didn't think about how anything could come out of the corridors, or that they might give him a test that he couldn't pass. He focused on his heart rate and allowed it slow to a crawl while he forced his breath to slow down. He imagined that every nerve in his body was silent aside from those that would allow him to see, and it worked. He didn't have to think, and he didn't have to struggle. He could simply be, and that was what the situation required. He'd momentarily forgotten his Prana Bindu training, and it almost cost him his life.
     
    He retrieved the knowledge he had of this process. It was kept secret, but they were testing his ability to endure. This test was fear. The first test was determination, and when those thoughts finally hit him, he realized that the situation was completely benign. He wasn't going to be hurt so long as he allowed himself to calm his mind.
     
    There was a hissing sound coming from the walls around him as a cloud of white smoke, lit by the eerie orange glow of the flickering lights, moved through the air. He sucked in air, willing his diaphragm to move as much as it possibly could in order to fill his lungs completely, then he stopped the flow with a quick burst of energy, and searched through his body, applying oxygen as equally as possible so that he could hold his breath longer than the normal person could. The pressure built inside of him slowly, moving through his chest like water pushing against a dam, begging to be released and, finally when it reached his throat, after nearly ten minutes, then he exhaled sharply and when he inhaled, he was immediately knocked out cold.

Chapter 6
     
     
    The branch that is stiff will not hold up in the wind. It will become brittle and eventually snap, but the young, flexible branch can bend easily and survive any storm.
     
    --Prehistoric Chinese Sage
     
     
    “Recruits up!” On command three thousand men, housed in the simple carbon fiber warehouse woke from their drugged state and stood at the head of their beds.
     
    Tamil couldn't move. He could barely think. All he could do was perceive the harsh light beaming down on him and the human shaped distortions in space which were moving through the room. They were cloaked members of the recruitment squadron, hiding themselves under cloaks for protection. Should the need arise, they would all be able to instantly transport themselves to the proper location in order to subdue a threat. Tamil was aware, barely, that he was paralyzed and had lost control of his motor functions, though his body was able to move of its against his own volition. He knew where he was and who he was, but the haze from the gas was still hanging over him. He couldn't even protest inside his own mind. All he could do was focus straight ahead and listen to what the commander was telling them.
     
    “Soldiers! You are now my slaves. If I should choose to do so, I could ask you to shove a knife through your heart. The crown that you are wearing has robbed you of all independent thought, and the drugs in your system have made you utterly defenseless to my control. You need this state right now because many of you are still feeling a little scrappy from your training. You will suppress that instinct immediately.” Tamil felt a surge of happiness move down his head and throughout his whole body. It was deliberate and effective, but it didn't