Summoning America

Chapter 83: Interrogation

April 6, 1641
Alue, Mu

Fluorescent lights hung on the ceiling of an inconspicuous concrete building, a staunch difference from the electric light bulbs in use by the rest of the city. The hallways and rooms, immaculate as they were, harbored a sinister darkness that conflicted with their professional, clean atmosphere. In one such room, tucked away in the lower levels of the facility, a single man sat strapped to a chair, unmoving and unresponsive.

Towering over him, a man expressed disgust over the bloody stains now present on his blue dress shirt's cuffs. He looked to a mirror on his left, speaking directly to it, "Looks like our new visitor has quite the capacity for pain. Amelia, fetch the mage for me, will you?"

A voice then responded, coming from an audio system mounted in a corner of the room, "Which one, sir?"

"Ah," the man smiled, "That elf from Agartha. What's her name..." he tapped the ground with his foot, thinking to himself before pointing a finger in the air, "Ah! Lady Varica. Yes, I'd quite like to see if her Vulcan mind meld will work on this troublesome individual here."

"I'll be right back, sir."

The man grabbed his water bottle from the table and walked up to the mirror. He saw the stereotypical CIA agent – indifferent from the popular Hollywood depiction – but he didn't mind. The only thing on his mind while he waited for Amelia to return was wiping the blood from his face. He poured water on his handkerchief and brought it to his right cheek, cleaning the man's blood from it. He then applied the moist fabric onto his sleeve, scrubbing away at the stain to little effect. Sighing, he returned to his seat across from the unconscious Gra Valkan.

Surrounded by the constant drone of humming machinery and ventilation systems, he felt relief when a knock on the door breathed new life into the room. "Come in," he said.

Two individuals walked in: a professionally dressed red haired woman and a mystically dressed elf whose wizardly attire looked as if it was picked straight from a high fantasy movie.

"Thank you, Amelia," the man said. As she left the room, he introduced himself to the elf. "Lady Varica! Your file was my favorite read. It's a pleasure to finally meet you," He extended his hand. "I'm Officer Moore, please," he gestured, "Have a seat."

Varica shook Moore's hand, "Salutations to you, Sir Moore. What request do you ask of me?"

"I've heard that you practice telepathic magic and have the ability to read minds, to some extent. I'd like you to test your skills on this individual here; he's a captured Gra Valkan soldier, likely of some special forces division," Moore pointed his thumb at the unconscious man seated across from Varica.

Varica tilted herhead at the unfamiliar term, "Special forces? Might this man be a product of elite training, perhaps?"

"Right on, Lady Varica," Moore replied. "Will that be an issue?"

Varica nodded, "It may be. Those of potent will are harder to read than those of weaker minds. Even so, if a weaker mind has been corrupted by the thralls of hypnotization or 'brainwashing' as you say, then it would prove most difficult to scan their thoughts. As an elite soldier, he might be of strong will and have unbreakable mental shackles. I guarantee no results."

Moore frowned as he listened to Varica's explanation of her abilities. He hoped that magic could be a workaround for the tedious process of interrogation. "That's fine. This is just an initial test," Moore said. "We'll have different experiment conditions later."

Varica approached the unconscious man and held her arm out, spreading her fingers as she brought the palm of her hand an inch from the man's face. Then, she began to whisper a recitation. A soft, circular glow began to take form on her palm, seeping into the man's head. Varica ceased all other movements as her eyes began to glow as well. She stood still, maintaining the same position while she spent time scanning the Gra Valkan's mind.