THE PERFECT TEN (Boxed Set)

reminded her of too many visits with mental health professionals. She lifted her wrists to find the swelling had gone down, her hands flexed normally again. So Jaxxson was some kind of doctor after all, but he’d also been able to access her thoughts while she was out of it.
    She asked point blank, “I’m having a hard time accepting that you didn’t listen to my thoughts.”
    “Entering someone’s mind when they are defenseless is no different than entering someone’s home uninvited. I am not an intruder.”
    Where were these people from? “I’ve never met anyone else who can do this.”
    “So you were telling the truth.”
    “About what?”  She had the feeling she was about to find out what had caused that wariness still hanging in his gaze.
    “That you were born in 1997.”
    “Oh, that. Well, of course, it’s the truth.”  Her whole body relaxed. “Look at me. Don’t I look sixteen?”  
    She might have gotten an early gift from the booby fairy, but she had a baby face that had never been mistaken for being older. 
    What was the big deal about her age?
    Then out of nowhere, the thoughts she’d heard from Jaxxson’s mind a second before she’d lost consciousness rushed forward.
    She lies. . . impossible. . .I was born in–.
    Her jaw dropped. “Now I remember. I had no way to stop myself from hearing your thoughts. You were thinking about being born in...2162.” No way. No freakin’ way. Unless . . .“What planet are you from?”
    “It’s known as Earth.”
    “That can’t be possible. I’m from Earth, too, and 2162 hasn’t happened yet.”
    But he was shaking his head. “I don’t understand. How can you be here?”
    “Right back at ya.”
    “What?”
    She gave him a half grin, feeling it wobble around the edges as she grappled with what she was saying. “It means I’m asking you the same question. Really? Seriously? If you were born in 2162 then what year do you live in?”
    “2179.”
    No way. “Are we in some kind of weird time travel warp?”
    “No, the tek-nah-tee would never risk sending one of us back in time.”
    This conversation got stranger by the minute. If not for seeing purple and green striped skies, having traveled here through a computer, fought killer flowers and watched giant croco-monsters climb out of the ground, Gabby might actually be surprised by meeting someone from the future.
    She reminded herself to roll with it. “What are these tek-nah-tees? Bad boy teckies or what? Sounds like naughty techs.”
    After a long moment, the suspicion and irritation that had held his face hostage disappeared. He actually smiled and folded his arms, starting off explaining by spelling two names. “Many years ago, civilization divided up between the MystiKs and the TecKnati. The TecKnati excelled in science and technology while our MystiKs developed gifted skills and supernatural powers with each generation becoming stronger.”
    “Why’d the TeK dudes put you in this place? And if this isn’t a time warp, where am I?”
    “V’ru says this Sphere is an artificial planet. A satellite.”
    “V’ru? Is that a guy or a girl? A MystiK or a TecKnati?”
    Jaxxson looked as if he couldn’t decide if she was joking. “A male MystiK. V’ru is from the Records House, a rare G’ortian no less.”
    “Does that mean he keeps journals for you?”
    “His gift is much more sophisticated than that. Upon being captured and arriving here, he assessed the contents of this Sphere and began identifying the plants and animals that are from other planets the TecKnati have been exploring and placing in this Sphere. The TecKnati are capturing young MystiKs and sending us here, using this as a holding facility.”
    Was this Jaxxson for real? “Why?”
    “We’re in constant conflict with the TecKnati. They see our gifts and powers as impeding research and expansion plans in space that they feel will assure us natural resources and a better way of life as our world rebuilds. We see their technology as exposing us to greater risks outside of earth and threatening our ability to continue developing powers due to health risks caused by technology.”
    “Who’d have thought?” she murmured.
    “The TecKnatis are at heart fearful of any threat against their supremacy. We now believe SEOH, their leader, plans to rid our world of powerful MystiK rulers who pose a greater threat to TecKnati than before, even though the TecKnati claim no respect for our powers.”
    “So the TeK