"Focus on directing the energy, not just containing it," Lieutenant Voss instructs, her voice calm but insistent. "Like water through channels, not behind a dam."

  I'm trying. Really trying. But after a week of intensive training, I'm struggling to reconcile the structured techniques she's teaching with the more fluid approaches I've been practicing with Elara during our evening sessions. My mind feels like it's developing two separate muscle groups that work in opposition to each other.

  We're in a different training room today—larger, with more sophisticated monitoring equipment and reinforced walls. The reason for the upgrade became apparent when I accidentally shattered a light fixture during yesterday's session, my frustration momentarily overwhelming the careful mental barriers I'd constructed.

  "I think I'm overthinking it," I admit, releasing the tightly focused mental construct I'd been attempting to maintain. Sweat beads on my forehead despite the room's cool temperature. "The more I try to control it precisely, the more it feels like I'm fighting myself."

  Lieutenant Voss studies me with that penetrating gaze that seems to see more than just my physical presence. "Your abilities are developing rapidly, Andrew. Sometimes the conscious mind can't keep pace with neural adaptation." She sets down her datapad. "Let's try something different. Instead of structured exercises, just show me what feels most natural."

  The suggestion surprises me. It's the first time she's deviated from Border Command's established training protocols.

  "Are you sure?" I ask, uncertain about revealing how much Elara's alternative methods have influenced my approach.

  "Consider it diagnostic," she says with a slight smile. "I can't help you integrate these abilities if I don't understand how they're naturally expressing themselves."

  It's a reasonable point, though I suspect there's more to her suggestion than she's saying. Still, it's an opportunity I shouldn't waste. I close my eyes, letting go of the rigid mental constructs I've been struggling to maintain.

  Instead, I adopt the flow-based approach Elara has been teaching me, allowing my consciousness to expand outward in concentric waves while maintaining a fluid boundary that moves with the expansion rather than containing it. The relief is immediate and palpable—like finally stretching muscles that have been held in an uncomfortable position for too long.

  I sense Lieutenant Voss's surprise through the tendrils of my expanded awareness, though she keeps her expression neutral when I open my eyes.

  "That's... not a Border Command technique," she observes quietly.

  "No," I confirm, seeing no point in pretending. "It's how Elara suggested I approach the mental boundaries. It feels more natural."

  "I suspected as much." She doesn't seem angry, just thoughtful. "The flow-based consciousness extension. She developed it after studying ancient Earth meditation practices combined with what we know of Nexari consciousness structures."

  This catches me off guard. "You're familiar with it?"

  "Of course. I'm her mother, Andrew. We may disagree on certain interpretations, but we've been studying the same phenomena for years." She moves to the monitoring equipment, checking readings. "The data supports your experience. Your psionic output is more stable, the neural pathway activation more efficient."

  "Then why doesn't Border Command adopt these techniques as standard?" I ask, genuinely curious.

  "Because they work specifically for minds like yours and Elara's," she explains, turning back to me. "The resonance between your neural patterns creates unique dynamics that don't apply to most resistants. What feels natural to you would be ineffective or even dangerous for others."

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  This confirms what Elara told me about the techniques being designed for our specific neural architecture, but hearing it from Lieutenant Voss gives it additional credibility.

  "So what now?" I ask, uncertain where this leaves our training approach.

  "Now we adapt," she says simply. "I'll work with you to develop a hybrid methodology that incorporates elements of both approaches. Standard protocols as a foundation, flow techniques for precision work." She gives me an evaluative look. "But I need you to be honest with me about what you're experiencing. No more trying to maintain two separate practice regimens. Integration is the goal, not compartmentalization."

  Her directness is refreshing, and I feel tension I didn't realize I was carrying start to release. "I'd appreciate that. It's been... challenging, trying to reconcile the different approaches."

  "I imagine so." Something softens briefly in her expression. "Despite what you may have heard, Andrew, I'm not opposed to exploration or new methodologies. My concern has always been with safety and long-term stability. These abilities can evolve in unexpected directions without proper foundation."

  "Like what happened to the other resistant—the one who 'chose a different path,' as you put it?"

  The question hangs in the air between us. Lieutenant Voss is silent for a long moment, clearly deciding how much to share.

  "Yes," she says finally. "Resistant number seven, Dr. Erin Matsuda. Brilliant neuropsychologist, one of the original team studying the first documented resistants—before she became one herself." She moves to the window, looking out at the distant stars. "She believed the standard protocols were too limiting, that we were deliberately suppressing the full potential of resistant abilities to maintain Border Command's control paradigm."

  "What happened to her?" I prompt when she falls silent.

  "She began experimenting with alternative approaches—some derived from Nexari consciousness structures, others entirely her own invention. Her abilities expanded rapidly, beyond anything we'd seen before." Lieutenant Voss turns back to me, her expression grave. "Until the day she informed Admiral Thorn that she no longer needed a physical body to house her consciousness."

  A chill runs through me. "What does that mean?"

  "We don't know exactly. Shortly after, she disappeared from her quarters. All station monitoring systems showed she never left physically, but she was simply... gone." Lieutenant Voss's voice grows quieter. "We've had occasional... impressions since then. Ghost signals in the communications systems. Anomalous data in certain research projects. Some of the resistants with stronger telepathic abilities sometimes report sensing a presence that feels like her but isn't localized to any physical point."

  "She uploaded her consciousness somehow?" I suggest, struggling to comprehend what she's describing.

  "That's the leading theory. That she found a way to convert her consciousness into a pure energy pattern, perhaps similar to how the Nexari projected their collective mind across space before they had physical contact with us." She gives me a pointed look. "Which is why I emphasize foundation and stability in training. Not to limit you, but to ensure you remain anchored to your physical existence while your abilities develop."

  It's a sobering story, and I can see why she's concerned about Elara's more experimental approaches. Yet it also raises fascinating possibilities about what resistant abilities might ultimately evolve toward.

  "I understand," I tell her, and mostly mean it. "I'll be more transparent about what I'm experiencing going forward."

  "Good." She returns to the center of the room. "Now, let's see if we can integrate these approaches more effectively. Show me again how the flow technique works for you, and I'll help you build a more stable foundation beneath it."

  The remainder of the session is more productive than any we've had so far. Lieutenant Voss proves to be remarkably adaptable, adjusting her teaching methods to work with my natural tendencies rather than against them. By the end, I've made more progress in controlling the precision of my telepathic projections than in all previous sessions combined.

  As we conclude, she gives me an evaluative look. "You have another session with Elara this evening?"

  "Yes," I confirm. "More work on extended range perception."

  She nods. "Tell her what we've discussed today. About integration rather than compartmentalization. She might resist the idea initially—my daughter can be stubborn about her methods—but remind her that even she incorporated Border Command techniques into her foundation before developing her own approaches."

  "I will," I promise.

  As I leave the training room, I reflect on how my understanding of Lieutenant Voss has evolved since our first meeting. She's not the rigid adherent to Border Command protocols I initially assumed, just as Admiral Thorn isn't simply the military-minded official Elara portrayed him as. The more I learn about the key players in this complex situation, the more I realize that everyone has layers and nuances that defy simple categorization.

  Which makes me wonder—what aspects of Elara might I still be misunderstanding?