Not Magic, Science!

By DT Sanders

Magic and legendary creatures are seeping back into the world, bringing with them mayhem, murder, and maleficium.

Drs. Stephanie Blackraven and Bruce Richardson continue their studies of the energy phenomena laymen call Magic. A mysterious deity, The Lady, warns Steph and her werewolf guardians of an impending danger through dreams. But they don't understand.

Stephanie moves back to the family ranch, which she inherited from her not-so-dead great uncle, to escape frivolous lawsuits, government harassment, and religious zealots, all trying to interfere with her research. Stephanie is framed for a murder, exposing her and her werebear boyfriend to wizard assassins.

Stephanie believes her research is the key to the Lady's spiritual messages as well as stopping the assassins—and accidentally summoned demons.

• Language: English
• Publisher: DT Sanders
• Release date: Dec 1, 2020
• ISBN: 9781393496618

Book preview

NOT MAGIC,

SCIENCE!

By

D.T. Sanders

Copyright © 2020 by D.T. Sanders. All rights are reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner without written permission except in the case of brief quotations used in articles or reviews. Not Magic, Science! is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination or have been used ficticiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons living or dead, actual events, places, incidents, or organizations is coincidental.

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Chapter I

Werewolves! A year ago, I didn't even know they were real. Now I get to babysit a pack of them.

Stephanie yanked open the door and stomped her way into the laboratory’s mudroom to shed her winter gear. The wind tried to slam the door shut, but the hydraulic hinge wouldn’t let it, and that just made her madder.

I can work and forget them.

But, after a moment she blurted out, I'm not a workaholic! Joe just doesn't understand! I’m just driven to… I don’t… The symbols are the key… If only I could figure out the lock.

Stephanie had returned to the place she grew up, but Montana wasn’t what she expected.

Why does everyone think I have the answers? she yelled. The lab didn't comment.

Stephanie told herself that Montana in late spring resembled winter in the Puget Sound, except not as wet and way colder. There was snow still on the ground in places, mud in other places, and wind. Okay, it isn’t like Puget Sound at all.

Stripped down to her jeans, flannel shirt, sneakers, and wool socks, she went through the next door into the actual lab. She hit the switches, bringing on the big fluorescent lights and the shop heaters.

The lab was a repurposed garage left over from the days when the ranch had been a major business: 4,000 head of cattle, fields of hay, wheat, and barley, and all the equipment needed to keep it running.

The shed was big enough for two combines and three tractors. She had hired some of the locals to turn one of the work bays into a symbol lab by installing computer benches, work benches, replacing the vehicle door with a solid wall and a people door. She had her symbols lab and range. Damn it, she thought. The locals, hell, everyone, kept calling it magic, but it wasn’t magic. It was energy everywhere, at least all around her, and there were symbols, glyphs, runes, images that would glow, harness and release the energy when she worked them.

It was the symbols range for her and Tom, one of her guards, and the only other person in her group with the knack to work the symbols. Unfortunately, Tom couldn’t remember or reproduce the symbols the way she could. He kept trying to blow himself up. She had to watch him like a hawk, which took away from her research time. After the second time, she had sent Tom back to Seattle.

She flipped on all the circuit breakers controlling the power to the special equipment. Then she turned it on in sequence: computing systems, ultraviolet cameras, infrared cameras, visible spectrum cameras, camera-watching cameras, magnetic detectors, and, finally, she logged into the computing systems to initiate calibration. She still thought that her research partner, Bruce, had gotten carried away with the cameras. Bruce and her guards even had them watching all the surrounding areas in case the symbols went really bad.

A vehicle slid to a stop in the gravel. Stephanie shook her head and muttered, Can’t be by myself anymore, either.

On cue, the doors to the lab opened, and a mountain walked in. Joe, at six feet ten inches and almost as wide, moved with a grace that belied his size. He was all muscle. He had gotten even wider since his life-changing event last fall. Joe was the only registered, controlled werebear in the country, and he had a federal court document stating that he was in total control of his changed shape, thus not a threat. His condition was confidential, according to the government, so he couldn’t talk about it. The internet loved him.

Seeing Joe made her heart flutter. They had fallen in love while he was keeping her alive. Police officers do that for citizens, keep them alive.

Joe had saved her life four times in ten days, become a werebear, found a serial killer, and lost his job. She still couldn’t figure out why he liked her. She had to admit she could be kind of prickly.

The rest of her security detail followed Joe into the lab. When her great uncle had died, she had inherited his multi-millions, his enemies, and his security team.

She ignored them as she turned away from Joe.

Steph. Joe’s voice was like a seismic event. You—

She cut him off. Can’t I even be alone to get my workaholic fix? Stephanie asked as she turned back toward him.

Joe’s face went hard and his eyes squinty. He did a good hard squinty look. His face was all craggy shapes and shadows, which made the squinty look ominous.

Stephanie had hit a nerve.

Guys, Joe motioned in a circle, give us some space. Joe didn’t get tongue-tied anymore. When they first started dating, Stephanie would snark at him, and he would blush or frown. It was so cute. She had a smart mouth, and he had learned to come back at her. Otherwise, she would just keep pushing. It made her like him more. She wouldn’t show him now, though.

No hitting, Kii Stoneman, the leader of her detail, announced.

She hits me. Not the other way around, Joe rumbled.

I was talking to her. Kii gave Stephanie a look. She didn’t know what it meant, yet. Kii and the others moved away to check out various parts of the building.

She didn’t understand why they did that. The practice range was a mile from the ranch house and fifteen miles from the closest road. They were the only people who came out here.

Okay, I know why they do it. People are still trying to kill me for some unknown reason.

"I. Did. Not. Say. You. Were. A. Workaholic. Just to be accurate here, I said you work too hard. Joe held up a hand as she drew a breath to speak. I get it. The Lady is driving you, and neither of you really understands to what. I get it. All of us are driven by her, and we don’t understand why either."

Who else is driven? she demanded.

I am, Kii spoke up from the front.

So am I, a voice sounded from further into the building. Can you make the dreams stop?

We all are still having those stupid dreams, another voice added.

See, we all seem to be getting directions we don’t understand, Joe told her.

She put her hands on her hips and took a defiant pose. Which also happened to push her chest out.

Joe ran his hand over his face. You need to take a break. I need you to take a break.

Their empathic link betrayed his frustration. The link had come as part of the change as well. They had had almost five months to get used to it, but it still surprised her. It makes sex truly mind-blowing, though. She blushed at that thought, and Joe smiled.

She feared she was losing the fight. Just as she drew a breath for another go at him, Joe raised his hand.

Please stop. Take a deep breath. Before you say something that will make you feel bad. Joe stopped smiling. This isn’t a fight. It’s reaching an understanding. This is not a contest of wills. Couples do this.

He really cared for her, worried about her, and loved her, and she didn’t really understand why, so she picked at it, him. Damn good thing she had the link to his emotions.

Stephanie took a mental step back as well as a deep breath. Of all the truly strange things that had happened to her, and there were some really strange things, falling in love with this huge, gentle man had to be the strangest of all.

She still felt special when she wrapped herself in the thought.

Life had taken away everyone who really cared about her: father, mother, and great uncle Raymond, all murdered. Well, not really Uncle Raymond. But it had given her Joe. She was no longer alone in the world. Bruce kept telling her not to ruin it. Maybe she should try harder.

Okay. You’re right. I do work too hard. I don’t know any other way. She hugged him. It always made her feel better. He was her rock, the solid, unyielding secure place in her new life. She buried her face in his chest.

She too was taller after her transformation, over six feet. She had been turned into a statuesque, stunningly beautiful woman, complete with the overly emphasized accouterments. At least, that’s how everyone around her reacted, especially the men.

Joe held her for a moment. Take some time to do symbols. Get the knots out. Then tonight, we’ll go out.

She nodded her head against him. You’re on. She patted his chest. I’m sorry I pick at our relationship, she told him in a quiet voice.

It’s okay. You suck at relationships, he told her with a laugh. I know this, and I love you anyway. This connection we have helps me understand. Do work. He kissed the top of her head.

Can we talk about the unspecified dream thing for a moment? Kii asked.

Kii was ruggedly handsome with a hint of silver at his temples, and he seemed to be built of muscles and steel. Retired army something, an officer from the Black Ops community. He wouldn't talk about it. But he was the quintessential Army Ranger type, trained to kill. Not like he needed the extra skills to kill or anything, but he, like everyone else, he had undergone a change as well. He was a newly made werewolf.

The Lady, Steph didn’t know what else to call her. Goddess seemed a bit pretentious. The Lady had stepped in and adjusted something in the men-become-werewolves. No one seemed to understand exactly what was different, except they had more control over their wolf forms. They also could change whenever they wanted, full moon or no moon.

They were very protective of Stephanie. The Lady called all of them Guardians and had made protecting her part of the package.

Steph called them the Bone Patrol because Uncle Raymond had armed them all with his special Bone Knives that could cut the supernatural.

Their changing into wolves was new since the fall. Bruce kept asking them to do stuff to test them. What they could and could not do didn’t really match the internet version of a werewolf. Of course, you never could believe everything on the web.

Kii also had a stick so far up his butt he couldn't even loosen up enough to turn into a wolf. No, he got stuck at the wolfman mode. Okay, maybe it was his incredible self-control. She smiled about it as she thought of it the other way.

Dreams, I can’t do anything about the dreams, Steph sighed. I get them, too. They don’t make sense, and I can’t seem to get her to understand that.

All the Guardians frowned. Okay, not all. Frank was missing.

Where’s Frank? she asked.

Day off.

Sleeping late.

Getting a little. Queer fucker. The last part was muttered.

Now she got it. Bruce and Frank were an item, and the straight guys didn’t like it, as if it was any of their business.

How about … Kii started, and she cut him off.

Look, she said hotly, I don’t understand them, and I can’t get her to understand that I don’t understand. Now, I’ve got work to do. Go—do whatever it is you do. She made shooing motions with her hands.

From the looks on their faces, she was pretty sure they didn’t like that answer, but there was nothing she could do.

Okay, guys, let’s give her some space, Joe said.

He motioned for Kii to follow him as he walked away from her.

Stephanie took some deep breaths to calm herself and then stepped into the control room. The normal routine of turning on all the monitoring equipment calmed her further. She triggered a message to the remote monitoring node, Bruce’s laptop, back at the main ranch house. A little picture of a sleepy Bruce—handsome face, deep brown eyes, sandy blond hair, cut short, but stylish in a mussed way—appeared on one of the screens. Bruce was more like her brother than her research partner.

Steph, what the hell? Bruce didn’t sound awake. I thought we agreed to take the day off?

I changed plans.

Okay, Steph, Bruce said, wiping the sleep out of his eyes, What did Joe say this time?

How do you know it was J…? Stephanie sounded defensive, even to herself. Bruce gave her the look that said, Don’t shit me. She held her hand up, palm to the camera. It doesn’t matter. I’m working.

Bruce looked at something off-screen while saying, Whatever, don’t blow yourself up. Remember the safety gear this time. I’ll record from here.

Bruce punched some buttons, and he flopped back onto his bed out of view.

Stephanie stepped out of the little room and over to a locker; there were two of them, one labeled Wiz and the other Student. Her posse had labeled them as a joke. She opened Wiz and put on her gear. It was comprised of a silvered set of bib overalls, coat, gloves that matched, and a helmet with a face shield. All of it was heat resistant and flame-retardant.

She had caught herself on fire a couple of times and almost blown herself up once, well twice, no three—it didn’t matter. They didn’t know what the symbols did until she powered them. The gear made her hot, but it was cold outside, so it worked. She didn’t know what they were going to do when summer arrived. Montana was like that, freeze you in the winter and roast you in the summer.

She moved out through the heavy-duty doors to the work stand. They had taken out one of the big garage doors and replaced it with a brick firewall with doors, a slight recess, and a half-height blast wall with a bench. On the bench was a Plexiglas-protected, large screen laptop with oversized buttons. It was voice-actuated, which was good because even with the oversized buttons, she couldn’t type with her gloves on. Bruce had put a Bluetooth mic in her helmet.

Go for Blackraven. She paused while it came up and synced with the server. Investigation screen six, she told it. New module. Session one.

A carefully constructed symbol appeared. Everything was accurate except that a small section of the symbol had been cut out and appeared lower on the screen. They had figured out that even in digital storage, the symbols couldn’t be complete; when they appeared on the screen, they might power up. She had blown up some computer equipment that way, causing interesting feedback problems.

Cameras on. Sound on, Stephanie said while picking up a two-foot piece of nonconductive plastic dowel.

I’m going to warm up with darts, lights, and a bang, she announced to the world. She leaned forward and looked to the right and left outside the enclosure. Field is clear left and right. Range is set. She flipped a little switch, turning on a strobe light on top of the building.

Stephanie closed her eyes briefly and then opened them, bringing the symbol to her mind’s eye while turning on her symbol sight or S-Vision. The sight had come with her transformation. She had two types of sight. One allowed her to see the Magic, or M-Vision. She really hated calling it magic. The other was the S-Vision that allowed her to see symbols, symbols in everything, even people. The energy in the symbols, any symbols, even naturally occurring ones.

She used to have to draw them in the air, but since her little adventure, they just appeared fully formed now. They came to her so easily, she had to be careful of how she thought about things. Once again, using Bruce’s idea, she spent a good bit of time meditating to adjust her thinking. She only wanted to do the symbols when she wanted it to happen. It was like she had created a special place or switch in her mind that she would flip to allow the symbols to flow. It wasn’t perfect, yet. She slipped up when she got mad, which wasn’t great because she had a temper with a short fuse.

She was working on that, too.

She flipped the switch in her head and thought about darts. The symbol popped right up. Art-Day, she said, giving it the Will, the Way, and the Word. A collection of fiery darts appeared about two feet in front of her, and they shot off only to splatter against a big boulder about a hundred feet away. By using pig latin, she could add another level of control. All the grimoires they had collected suggested that using a language you didn’t speak naturally helped control things. She knew English and bad English and pig latin. So, pig latin it was. She shot off half a dozen darts just to get the feel of the knack. It made her smile. It felt good in a strange way, like scratching an itch you couldn’t touch with your hands.

Flash, she told the equipment. The symbol appeared. Ash-flay, she intoned. She did a couple of those, and then announced, Silent mode. She launched several more by bringing the symbol and intoning without really speaking. It worked just fine. The flash symbol was the one she had been working with the longest. She had discovered silent mode when she had been gagged during her life-changing adventure.

Her life-changing event was when she had been kidnapped by one of her lawyer-hired security detail to become the subject of an arcane ritual. That was the night she had been remade. A nut-ball named Rhinebolt, a professor at Bosh-Gates University with government funding, had bolted her down in the center of a complex series of symbols. The bastard had actually used her research to create the symbol set. The symbol set had been created to drain the knack from anyone and give it to Mr. Nut-ball. She had changed the symbols at the very last instant using the flash symbol, and, with the help of The Lady, had made the life essence of Rhinebolt flow back into herself. The move had some unexpected side effects, most of which she didn’t understand, yet.

Technically, she had died and been remade in another’s image of the perfect female shape. The least of the changes was that she was now six-feet-one and three-quarters inches tall and built like Super Barbie, hips, breast, long legs, all of it. Nut-ball had died horribly, but it still got to her when she thought about it. She had never felt so helpless, humiliated, and angry in her life. Nut-ball had started to put his hands…

Tapping came from a window, and she turned to see Joe making the gesture for taking a deep breath, a calming breath, and then she noticed the reflection of her eyes in the glass. They had lighted golden flakes swimming in them. The golden flakes she, and everyone close to her, had learned meant the symbols were swirling free, close to being released. She was sure Joe could feel her anger, humiliation, and near panic as her control slipped.

He smiled at her as he took a deep cleansing breath. She smiled back, took a calming breath, and turned back to the job at hand.

That’s why he’s my rock.

Explosion, she announced. She brought up a double symbol and let it hang for just a moment before pointing with the rod. She visualized the symbols flying away from her to another large boulder about a hundred yards away. Plode-exie. The boulder became engulfed in flames. She did it a few more times.

Glancing down, she studied the new symbol. It was complicated. She visualized it in front of her. All three symbols appeared complete with the little piece offset from the rest, but they were separated from each other. By having the little piece missing and separated, it kept the symbol from firing. Her complete visualization was new since her rebuild. Her memory was better than Bruce's now, photographic; eidetic was what Bruce called it.

She had found by accident she could multiply her consciousness and form three simultaneous equations, each a different mind’s eye. She could thus contain three symbol streams a once. It took her a couple of months to figure that out. Yeah meditation! Only Joe and Bruce knew about this little trick.

The symbols floated there until she nudged the pieces and moved all three symbols together. They fused into one and glowed. She triggered it with a thought. Nothing happened. She tried several times and in different ways. She mentally threw the other switch in her head that turned on the M-Vision. She just couldn’t call it magic. This was science, damn it, not some loose belief in a mystic force. They just didn’t understand the energy source, yet. That was the way it worked. She couldn't figure out the sequence and effect.

As she ran through a couple dozen more symbols, she kept vocally recording so Bruce would have something to do later. She wanted a good record. Not one had an effect she could discern, and that was with the M-Vision and S-Vision active. As far as she could tell, these extra sights were unique to her. She loosely decided it was what the literature called the third eye or the second sight. None of the FBI practitioners had reported it.

A noise behind her told her Joe was watching her through the observation window again. It made her smile, because she knew he didn't want to interrupt her, but he did want her to know he was nearby. She smiled a lot with Joe around. Bruce kept telling her it was the most he had ever seen her smile.

Joe tapped the window again. Steph, you have a call, he told her, holding up a handset. Cell phones didn’t work out at the ranch, with no towers nearby, especially back in the hills.

She gave him the hand sign for no.

Steph, Bruce said over the helmet comm. Take the call. Suspend testing. He hesitated like he was talking to someone else. Tessa says the sheriff and an FBI guy are driving up the lane.

Great, Stephanie said. That can’t be good. Go for Blackraven, she told the computer. Stop testing. Save results. Note symbol location. She dictated several observations and feelings for the record. They amounted to, I don’t know what they did.

Yes, Stephanie, testing suspended and saved, the computer voice told her.

She pulled off her helmet and gloves as Joe opened the door back into the warm place. He tried to hand her the phone, but she shook her head and continued taking off her test gear and storing it away. When she was back in normal clothes, she took the phone.

Hello.

Dr. Blackraven? It was the smooth voice of one of her lawyers.

Mr. Stubbens, what can I do for you?

There are several items we need to discuss. He sounded put out with her.

You did tell me to leave the state. I left so I wouldn’t be tempted to correct the press anymore, she said in a snitty tone. As a matter of fact, you told me not to talk to anyone.

Sigh. Yes, we did, but that didn’t mean not talking to us. He paused giving her a chance to speak. She didn’t. Sigh. The FBI contacted my office with a request. My office passed on your location to Agent Farmer, although I think he already had the data. Anyway, a local FBI agent and the Cascade County sheriff are headed to your ranch to ask for your assistance.

Someone called, and you just told them where I was? Stephanie let a cold tone leak into her voice.

Not just anyone, but, unfortunately, yes, Agent Farmer was told. The situation has been corrected, and the location has been removed from the digital files. Mr. Stubbens didn’t sound happy. It will not happen again without your consultation.

I think I’ll tell Mr. Stoneman and let him explain it to you.

Oh, joy.

Before I give him the phone, what else did you have? She waved Kii over.

We have several documents you need to sign. Also, we have had another civil suit filed against you, he told her with a resigned tone.

What the hell! Who is it this time? Is there any basis for it? This legal stuff just pissed her off. Just because she had inherited money, everyone thought they could just take it from her in court.

Hmmm. He made the noise without really using a word. When are you planning to be back in the Seattle area?

No, you don’t get to change the subject. How many of these stupid suits are there now?

Eight. He definitely sounded resigned now. But none of them will make it to actual arbitration.

You said that last time. I still have to pay you guys to handle it.

Well, yes. It is annoying, but that’s how it works.

Yeah, well it sucks! She pulled the phone away and shook her head. Here, let Stoneman bitch at you.

Without waiting for a reply, she handed the phone to Kii.

Stephanie walked away.

Mr. Stubbens, what were the conditions of the security violation? His voice had no inflection. He listened then added, And what actions did you take?

Stephanie went around the garage shutting down equipment and picking up what little had been scattered around. Joe walked up to her.

She looked at him. Did you hear that?

Yeah, it doesn’t mean anything overly nefarious. It could’ve been legit, Joe told her.

She smiled. Did you just use nefarious in a real sentence?

It’s a good word.

Yes, it is. She gave Joe a little peck on the cheek.

Do I need to return to Seattle to explain this to you and your staff? Kii’s voice sounded cold, like the Arctic. Then don’t let it happen again. With that, he hung up the phone.

He looked up and met her eyes. His were yellow-rimmed. I’m sorry. Did you need to speak with him again?

No, I’m good. Sometimes he creeped her out, but she didn’t feel like she could complain. It was her fault he was a werewolf.

Turning to the room she announced, Back to the ranch house boys. We get to skip the delicious lunch of crushed bread, cold cuts, and mustard spread out on a workbench I had planned. The Feds are here.

She let everyone file out as she shut the range down and locked it up.

Looking at her watch as she said, Three-and-a-half hours, not bad for taking the day off.

Joe smiled. I’ll ride with you.

He grabbed her and pulled her into a hug while patting her behind. She could tell he really liked that. He let her go before she could shimmy against him. She knew he was smiling as he walked out to the truck.

Chapter II

It took about thirty minutes to get back to the ranch house, well, more like ranch compound. It wasn’t only the distance; it was the road. Most ranch roads start out life as cow paths, then horse-drawn wagon trails, and then they become truck roads. Once upon a time, the road had been graded and graveled, but not for a long time. It wound up over a ridge then twisted through a coulee, then over another ridge and another coulee. A spring stream cut across it in one place. The memories that driving the road brought back made Stephanie’s heart sing

They topped the last ridge before the ranch house and mountains became visible off in the distance. The view was so clear and sharp, she felt like she could almost reach out and touch them.

I always thought the Montana State motto of ‘Big Sky Country’ was stupid until I came home from Seattle. You can never see this much of the sky in Puget Sound. She glanced over to see Joe smiling at her. I’ve told you this before, haven’t I?

Only every time you top this hill.

Shut up, she said without much feeling. But she could feel him enjoying her joy. I didn’t realize how much I would like coming back to the ranch.

So you’ve said.

You want to walk?

No. I do have a question…

What?

Why are there so many buildings around the ranch house? And trees, there are a lot of trees, in nice neat rows, but only right here. None of the other fields has trees anywhere. The trees start when the fields end at the rocks.

Ranches used to be big business. It took fifty to a hundred people full time with another hundred for seasonal work to keep one going in the late eighteen hundreds and early nineteen hundreds. The trees are for a wind and weather break. It gives something else for the snow to drift against.

So, okay I get the trees, but all the buildings?

Big business. You had the bunk house for the hands, she pointed at a long, not-so-wide building, which, our security folks have restored and moved into, all thirty of them. The foreman and his wife got a house. She pointed at another building. That’s the small one over there to the right of the main house. Then there’s the barn and calving shed.

Calving shed? I thought the cows would, you know, just have the babies where they were. Joe looked a little confused.

Baby cows are calves. And they would, but you would lose a fair number to the weather. So, if you want to be successful, you bring them in and give them shelter. Thus, the calving shed.

So, you go find the mommy cows and bring them in out of the cold. Joe said it like a joke.

Stephanie nodded. That’s exactly what you do, especially the heifers. Heifers are mommy cows that haven’t had a baby, yet. And it sucks. It’s cold and snowy, and Murphy always is present.

Joe smiled. You’re pretty big on Murphy.

Well, you know, anything that can go wrong, will, when you least want it to. Moving cows can be a real problem if they get spooked. And spooked cows can lead to a stampede. Cows lose calves if they run too much, not to mention they run off money; fat is money.

Joe made a huh noise, like he had never thought of that before.

She pointed at another building. The equipment garage and machine shop came after the internal combustion engine started to be the main power source instead of horses. That’s where Uncle Raymond ran his welding business. It’s also where I built my first electronic stuff. Uncle Raymond let me put in a small room I called my clean room. He even got me a signal generator and an o’scope. She got quiet for a moment, thinking about what that meant.

"We still have the smithy, for shoeing the horses, which Uncle Raymond had here until I went away to college. He had five head