Contractor by Andrew Ball Read Free Book Online

like yours. We
    use the energy of galaxies to keep our
    civilization running. Ultimately, energy is the
    currency of universes, of life itself.
    Conservation is extremely vital, and the war
    is not helping."
    "So, the only thing that, uh…" Daniel
    paused. "…real wizards dislike is the fact
    that untalented snots are getting a shot at
    power." Xik nodded, but it was a small,
    hesitant motion. "What else, Frogger?"
    Xik rubbed the back of his neck. "The
    nature of the gift…it’s a delicate subject for
    your people."
    "I’m getting really tired of beating
    around the bush," Daniel said.
    "The Vorid are a vast and diverse race,"
    Xik said. "Even with the contract in place,
    you’re much too weak to defend against any
    serious assault. Not to demean your
    homeland, but this universe is a tiny
    sideshow to the real battle; it has seen only
    the earliest probes of Vorid forces.
    Therefore, we include in your contract the
    ability to grow stronger. This is forbidden by
    your indigenous magical community."
    Daniel raised an eyebrow. "Seems
    counterproductive to forbid something so
    useful."
    "Normally, magical talent is decided at
    birth," Xik said, "Like a muscle, it can be strengthened with effort, but only so far—
    some are just stronger than others. You, a
    contractor, absorb the life energy from every
    Vorid you destroy, and in so doing, your own
    pool of power grows. Contractors become
    the Vorid of Vorid."
    "Fighting fire with fire. Turn us into
    parasites to drain on the parasites."
    "Your assessment is accurate," Xik said,
    "but it isn’t all so one-sided. We are giving
    you the means to fight back, after all.
    Consider your own country. The United
    States offers military support to regimes
    which fight on its behalf. Twenty years down
    the line, those same regimes might use those
    weapons for nefarious purposes of their
    own, but at the time, it seemed a good idea to
    give an ally the means to defend itself. Is the
    United States fully responsible for the evil
    committed later?"
    "…that’s oddly specific."
    "I am well-versed in your history," Xik
    said. "Being a contract manager, I am a sort
    of diplomat."
    "Does that mean you’ve been in touch
    with the…wizards?"
    "We made contact a year ago," Xik said.
    "We wanted them to take contractors under
    their wing, but they…were stubborn. They
    resist the idea that life absorption is
    necessary to their success, and refused to
    accept our help. We’ve failed to convince
    them otherwise."
    "And now you’re going behind their
    backs and doing it anyway."
    "We must," Xik said. "Vorid are that
    threatening. They are a plague upon the
    entirety of the multiverse. We have to use
    everything we can to survive.
    "But at the same time, we can’t fight
    directly," Xik continued. "If the Klide and the Vorid threw their full weight upon one
    another, the clash very well might tear apart
    something so fundamental that existence
    itself would be in danger. And so we fight
    around one another. Worlds like yours—
    small, isolated—have become the
    battleground. We conduct ourselves through
    proxies, playing games of territory and
    allegiance. We cannot afford to let your
    people be absorbed because we can’t afford
    any people to be absorbed."
    "…it’s a giant, multiversal cold war."
    "Frozen solid," Xik confirmed.
    "So this getting-stronger process…"
    Daniel waved a hand. "…makes the
    newcomers on the magic scene a threat to the
    old guard? Despite the fact that we have a
    common enemy?"
    "Unfortunately."
    "All anyone ever cares about is political
    positioning after the dust settles. It’s this kind
    of shit that makes me misanthropic." Daniel
    made a face. "I almost want to say yes just to
    spite them."
    "Almost."
    Daniel narrowed his eyes. "Why is it
    illegal? For natural wizards?"
    "It’s so-called dark magic," Xik said.
    He raised a gloved hand. "This is a fallacy.
    There is no dark and light magic, just as
    there are no evil tools and good tools. It