I watched Katharina work on her data for a few more hours, her analytical mind trying to decipher patterns in phenomena I had artificially created. It was fascinating to see one of the most brilliant minds I knew applying rigorous scientific method to something that was essentially a programming interface disguised as magic.
But the time had come to take the next step. If I wanted Katharina to become a legitimate scientific advocate for my system, she needed to have personal experience with the capabilities. Not just as an observer, but as a participant.
It was time to grant him user access.
"Kat," he said, interrupting his analysis of vocal frequencies. "I want to try something."
She looked up from the monitors, still wearing her professional headphones.
"What kind of experiment?"
"Based on your analysis of the frequency patterns and the neurological evidence you've collected, I believe you could learn to execute these commands."
She slowly took off her headphones, processing what I had suggested.
"Do you want me to try to replicate the effects?"
"Exactly. If this is indeed a latent brain capacity that can be developed, you would be an ideal candidate. Your understanding of linguistic structures, combined with your knowledge of the necessary frequencies..."
She was quiet for a moment, clearly tempted by the possibility but also cautious.
"Would that be... safe?"
"Based on everything we have observed, yes. The effects are controlled, limited in scope, and appear to cause no harm to the practitioner or the environment."
It was true, but only because I had complete control over the system's parameters. Before I could allow her to attempt any commands, I needed to adjust the settings to give her basic access.
"System," I muttered under my breath, pretending to think out loud, "authorize new user. Access level: basic. User: Katharina Zimmermann."
I felt the familiar sensation of registration, but this time with added complexity. I was essentially creating a new user account in the reality system, with carefully limited permissions.
User settings for Katharina Zimmermann:
Access: Basic commands only
Allowed objects: Small, non-living items
Maximum effects: Simple levitation, controlled rotation
Blocks: Biological modification, duplication, large-scale effects
Monitoring: All commands logged and supervised
Failsafe: Access can be revoked instantly
"Before we begin," he said aloud, "let me set up a more controlled testing environment."
I moved a few objects around the room, placing a simple pen on a clean table, surrounded by Katharina's sensors. If she was going to attempt magic for the first time, I wanted full documentation—both for her and for my own records.
"Okay," I said, sitting down across from her. "Let's start with the most basic command. VEXIS THALAR ZEPHON. You've analyzed the required frequencies. Try to replicate exactly the tonal patterns you observed."
Katharina stood in front of the pen, clearly nervous but scientifically curious. She closed her eyes for a moment, probably mentally reviewing the frequency analyses she had done.
"VEXIS THALAR ZEPHON," she said, trying to imitate my intonation.
Nothing happened.
It was expected. Even with authorized access, she needed to learn the vocal interface properly.
"Try with more authority in your voice," I suggested. "Based on your measurements, the gamma frequencies need to be more pronounced."
"VEXIS THALAR ZEPHON," she repeated, this time in a firmer, more confident tone.
The pen trembled slightly on the table.
Katharina stood completely still, staring at the pen as if she couldn't believe what had just happened.
"It worked," she whispered. "I... I did it."
"Try again," I encouraged. "With more focus on the specific syllables that correlated with the spikes in activity."
"VEXIS THALAR ZEPHON."
This time the pen rose from the table, wobbly at first, but establishing stable levitation after a few seconds.
The silence that followed was profound. Katharina was staring at the floating pen with an expression of pure amazement, as if she were seeing her own hand for the first time.
"I'm... I'm actually doing this," she said, her voice full of wonder.
"How does it feel?" I asked, genuinely curious about the experience of someone using my interface for the first time.
"Strange," she replied, still focused on the pen. "It's like I can feel the pen in my mind. Like there's a direct connection between my intention and the object."
It was exactly how I had designed the interface - sensory feedback that gave users a sense of direct control, when in fact all commands passed through my system for processing.
"Try to control it," I suggested. "Move it to the left."
Katharina frowned, concentrating. The pen slowly moved to the left.
"To the right."
The pen obeyed.
"Fascinating," she murmured. "It's as if the initial command establishes the connection, and then I can maintain it through focused intention."
"Now try to end the effect."
"THYSS ZELAK."
The pen fell gently back to the table.
Katharina turned to look at me, her eyes shining with scientific excitement mixed with something close to reverential awe.
"Kai, I just manipulated matter through vocal commands. I... I have to process this."
She sat down heavily, clearly overwhelmed by the experience.
"How did you feel when you first did it?" he asked.
"Shocked," I replied honestly. "Then confused. Then…empowered."
"Empowered," she repeated. "Yes, that's the right word. It's like I've discovered a whole new sense. An ability that's always been there, but dormant."
It was exactly the narrative I wanted her to develop. Not the discovery of an artificial system, but the awakening of latent human capacity.
"I want to try it with different objects," she said, suddenly energized. "I want to see if I can replicate the frequency adjustments you made for different materials."
"Let's take it slow," he said carefully. "These abilities can be intense when you're first starting out. It's best to develop control gradually."
"Of course, you're right." She paused, looking at me with new understanding. "Kai, if we can both do it, if it can be taught… how many other people could have that ability?"
"We don't know yet. You may be especially receptive because of your linguistic background."
"Or," she said, her scientific mind racing through possibilities, "this may be more common than we realize. Perhaps many people have latent ability, but have simply never been exposed to the correct linguistic patterns."
It was exactly the direction I wanted it to go. The idea that magical ability was widely distributed in the population, but just needed to be unlocked through proper training.
"We need to test this," she continued. "Start with a small sample. People with similar backgrounds — linguists, cognitive scientists, maybe musicians because of frequency sensitivity."
"A sort of pilot program," I suggested.
"Exactly. Controlled environment, strict safety protocols, full documentation of results."
Katharina was now fully involved in planning how to expand the research. It was gratifying to see how quickly she had moved from scientific skepticism to enthusiastic advocacy.
"There's an important ethical question," she said, suddenly serious. "If these capabilities can be widely developed, who should have access? How do we prevent malicious use?"
"That's exactly why any training program would need to be carefully structured," I replied. "Psychological evaluation of candidates. Education on ethical responsibility. Ongoing monitoring."
"Like a traditional school, but for extraordinary abilities."
"Or," he said, planting the seed carefully, "like an academy dedicated specifically to those skills."
His eyes lit up. "A real arcane academy. Not fantasy fiction, but a legitimate educational institution based on valid science."
It was perfect. Katharina was not only embracing the reality of magic, but actively developing arguments for exactly the kind of institution I was planning to create.
"Kai," she said, standing up and walking to the window, "if we can prove that these capabilities are real, reproducible, and teachable... we will change the world."
"I know."
"No," she turned to look at me, "you don't understand. This isn't just scientific discovery. This is evolution. This is humanity taking the next step in its development."
She was now completely sold on the vision. Not just as a researcher documenting interesting phenomena, but as an evangelist for a new age of human capability.
"I want to try something more complex," she said, returning to the experimental table.
"Kat, maybe we should—"
"Just something simple. You said that different materials require frequency adjustments. I want to see if I can intuit those adjustments."
She positioned the metal ball we had used in previous experiments.
"VEXIS THALAR ZEPHON," she said, but this time adjusting her tone slightly, trying to compensate for the greater density of the metal.
The ball rose from the table, but wavered before establishing stable levitation.
"Interesting," she murmured. "I can feel the difference. The metal offers more... resistance? Like it's harder to mentally 'grab'."
It was feedback from the system I had programmed, but her interpretation was exactly the kind of intuitive understanding I wanted her to develop.
"Now I understand why you adjust automatically," she said. "It's not conscious. It's like... like playing an instrument. You feel when it's right."
"Exactly."
She practiced for another hour, experimenting with different objects, refining her control, developing an intuition for the necessary parameters. With each successful attempt, she could see her confidence growing.
And with the confidence came something else. A subtle change in her posture, in how she moved, in how she spoke. It was the transformation I had observed in myself—the psychological change that came with access to power that transcended normal human limitations.
"Kai," she said finally, after making a complex sequence of movements with multiple objects, "I need to ask you an important question."
"What?"
"If this capacity can be developed widely, if it can be taught and honed... where does that leave us as a species?"
It was the question I had been waiting for her to ask.
"I think this takes us where we were always meant to go," I replied. "Beyond the limitations we thought were absolute."
"But with that evolution comes responsibility."
"Of course."
"Someone needs to guide this process. Ensure it is used to elevate humanity, not destroy it."
"I completely agree."
She looked at me with an expression that mixed admiration, determination, and something that might have been reverence.
"I think that person is you, Kai. You figured it out first. You understand it better than anyone. If anyone is going to lead humanity into this new era..."
That was exactly where I wanted her to go. Not just accepting my supremacy, but actively arguing for it.
"We're a team now, Kat," he said modestly. "You've brought scientific rigor that I could never have developed on my own."
"A team," she agreed. "But with you as the leader."
Perfect.
Katharina had gone from skeptical observer to enthusiastic participant to devoted advocate in less than 24 hours. She now not only believed in the reality of magic, but was active in promoting the vision of how it should be developed and controlled.
And most importantly, she believed I was the natural person to lead this development.
It was psychological manipulation at its most refined level. And it had worked perfectly.
I watched as she returned to her equipment, now analyzing data from her own attempts with the same intensity she had applied to my experiments.
She had no idea that every "discovery" she was making, every insight she was developing, every conclusion she was reaching - it had all been carefully orchestrated by me.
She was the first recruit at my academy.
And she didn't even know she had enrolled.