by John O'Riley
“Emily, what an interesting surprise,” Julie said.
Emily gaped at her with astonishment but quickly composed herself. Ryan took up a position beside his wife. He was only slightly taller than her with black hair, brown eyes and a wary expression on his face.
“Do you know her?” Ryan asked.
“No but she’s kind of like me,” Julie said.
“In what way?” Ryan said.
“She’s psychic. I think she has telepathy like me.”
“Yes, I do but it’s only a secondary ability. You’re stronger,” Emily said.
“Secondary ability? What’s your primary ability?” Julie gazed at her with open curiosity.
“Precognition.” Emily took a deep breath as she prepared herself to convince these people it was time to go. “I’ve come to warn you that you’re in grave danger. There’s a company called Psi Tech whose been aware of psychics for a long time. They knew the electric storm would come and transform virtually everyone into a psychic.”
“Everybody?” Ryan asked with frank disbelief. “I don’t feel any different.”
“Many people’s abilities won’t show up right away but many will. There has always been a small number of psychics but the electric storm somehow caused an evolutionary transformation in everyone around the world,” Emily said.
“You’ve been a prisoner of Psi Tech for many years but now you feel you’re going to die no matter what you do. You think I’m in danger because I’m a telepath,” Julie said. Her eyes widened in horror as she picked up more dire thoughts. “Psi Tech plans on murdering every single telepath.”
Emily was at a complete loss for words. She hadn’t expected this conversation to unfold so easily.
“This is crazy!” Ryan cut in.
“No, it’s the truth,” Julie said.
“I have to leave. You know what to do,” Emily said.
“Wait!” Julie exclaimed. “You can’t go now! We need to talk!”
“If I stay any longer, I’m putting you in danger.”
“I’m already in danger. Knowledge is power and I need to know more. You’re going to tell me about the future. You were thinking that I’m going to become very important and I need to understand why,” Julie said.
“You don’t understand. There are three remote-viewers tracking me down. I’m not going to be able to block them for very much longer. If I’m still here and they lock onto my position, they’ll know I’ve warned you,” Emily said.
“I’m willing to take the risk. If you don’t spend too much time, the danger I’m in will be at a minimum.”
Emily debated silently with herself as Julie held the door open and regarded her expectantly. Emily sighed with resignation and stepped inside the household. Ryan frowned with disapproval and followed the two of them into the spacious living room. The room was tastefully furnished with cream-colored sofas, a coffee table, a modest entertainment center, and a couple of bookcases.
“Would you like some coffee?” Julie asked.
“Sure. Thanks.” Emily smiled in gratitude. She knew it was selfish to prolong the visit but she was starving and the coffee would help revitalize her. It didn’t take Julie long to return with two large mugs of coffee. She handed one to Emily. Emily inhaled the fragrance appreciatively and as she took a sip, noted that it had just the right amount of cream and sugar.
“I’ve read a lot about psychics. To tell you the truth, parapsychology has always been a fascinating field of study for me. Can you start by explaining the highlights on remote-viewers and telepaths and how they’ll affect the future society?” Julie said.
Ryan folded his arms defensively as he perched on the sofa beside his wife. Emily quickly outlined the major events including the discovery by telepaths that would enable them to become extremely powerful. Julie also questioned her on her own imprisonment and work at Psi Tech as well as their plans for the future. The entire conversation took far longer than Emily had planned on. She had finished her entire mug of coffee and talked Julie’s arm off.
“This is really horrific. Psi-Tech is like the embodiment of evil,” Julie said.
“It sounds that way,” Ryan agreed.
“Tell me. Do the telepaths form one large psychic network among themselves and is it confined to merely telepaths or can psychics whose secondary ability is telepathy join the network as well?”
“Anyone who has level four telepathic ability whether it’s their primary or secondary talent can link with others in the network. Once a network is formed, multiple members of the network can bring a weaker telepath into their group. Before I realized how hopeless my plan was, I had thought I could form a link with Skylar who is an old friend. Unfortunately, he’s a level nine telepath whose ability is too strong to control. Only telepaths who are born with level nine strength can survive. Assuming I would succeed in creating a network connection with Skylar, I had hoped that we may pull my brother into the connection as well,” Emily explained.
Her throat tightened and her eyes misted with unshed tears. She wouldn’t live long enough to see her brother again. Julie’s expression softened and she patted Emily’s hand sympathetically.
“Please tell me about your brother. What’s his name? What’s his ability?” Julie asked.
“His name is Jeremy. He’s a multipath. His psychic power is off the scale. Level nine is the highest that can be measured. Multipaths have more than two abilities. They don’t start out that way. It seems to just happen and once the onset of the symptoms appear, they die within a couple of weeks. The power is too unstable and their brain can’t handle the pressure. In the future, the telepaths have the idea that perhaps multipaths could be saved if they were to become part of the psychic network. I can’t see that far ahead so I don’t know if it’s possible to save my brother,” Emily said shakily. She took a deep, steadying breath as she forced her painful thoughts aside. “It doesn’t matter anyway because I won’t even be able to see him again.”
Julie squeezed her eyes shut and Emily realized she’d become deeply moved by what she’d learned. Guilt stabbed at Emily for troubling her with this burden. She had merely come here to warn Julie of the danger she was in and to leave.
“This is just impossible. I hope you don’t expect us to go into hiding,” Ryan said in a biting tone.
Julie’s eyes remained tightly closed and she ignored her husband completely. He shifted uneasily and didn’t continue to argue with her. Emily suddenly sensed an intrusive presence.
“I’ve stayed too long. A remote-viewer is trying to lock onto me,” she said.
Emily closed her eyes so she could concentrate. She pushed out with her mind against the intruder. Her head immediately pounded with pressure and fatigue as she had been doing this constantly for the entire day. After a moment, she felt an added push coming from elsewhere, aiding in her efforts to prevent the remote-viewer from locking onto her position. Emily’s headache quickly eased since she was no longer expending much psychic energy. When the remote-viewer left, Emily opened her eyes and regarded Julie pensively.
“How did you learn to do that so quickly?” Emily asked.
“I was reading your thoughts and emulating your actions,” Julie explained. “It was a simple exercise. It didn’t take much effort on my part.”
“It isn’t difficult the first few times but when you have to do it repeatedly all day long, it wears you out,” Emily said.
“I can take over with that so you can rest,” Julie said.
“I really should be going now.” Emily hastily stood up from the couch.
“Knowing what a nightmare you’ve been through for all these years, I’d be a lousy leader if I were to let you set out on your own now,” Julie said sardonically.
“I appreciate your kindness but I’m putting you in jeopardy.”
“Nonsense. I’m already in jeopardy because I’m a telepath. Psi-Tech wants me dead. If you want to help me out, you’ll give me some time to think of how better I can strategi
ze to stop them from killing the others,” Julie said.
“It’s impossible. There’s no stopping them,” Emily said sadly.
“Nonsense! I can’t allow them to slaughter thousands of people just so they can become stronger and richer than they already are,” Julie said obstinately. “I want you to take a nap and I’ll stand guard to keep the remote-viewers away.”
Emily shook her head with disbelief. Julie couldn’t possibly believe she could think of some way to defeat Psi-Tech while Emily took a nap. Ryan was regarding his wife with a guarded expression that reflected Emily’s doubts.
“I don’t want any more argument. Let me show you the guest room and you take a nap. When you wake up, you can have a snack before you go gallivanting into the night to warn the other telepaths in Richmond Heights that they’re in danger,” Julie said forcefully.
“All right,” Emily conceded.
She followed Julie to the guestroom then flopped down on top of the bed after her hostess left. Emily stared up at the ceiling and reflected on how luxurious it felt just to lie down and do nothing. It was doubtful she’d be able to drop off to dreamland right after indulging in a cup of coffee but at least she could rest. Soon, she stiffened with alarm as a remote-viewer approached. Before Emily could start her defensive technique, Julie pushed against the intruder and effectively prevented him from achieving a lock. Emily smiled to herself as she realized what a lucky reprieve this was. For Julie to be so adept with her new ability, she must have immediately realized she’d developed telepathy after waking up from the transformation and practiced all day. It must be one of the character traits found in natural-born leaders; to practice and hone any useful skill that would give the individual a tactical advantage. Before Emily realized what was happening, she drifted off to sleep.
Emily awakened in the morning and abruptly sat bolt-upright in bed when she realized she’d dozed off for much longer than several hours. She leapt off the bed to find Julie sitting on the couch in the living room reading a book. She gazed up at Emily with a bright smile and reached out to pick up a journal that rested beside her.
“Good morning,” Julie said.
“Good morning,” Emily said warily. “I thought we agreed that I would take a nap.”
“And so you did,” Julie said flippantly. “It was a long nap but a much needed one.”
“You must be exhausted,” Emily said.
“I could use some sleep but I’ll be fine.” Julie flipped through her journal and jotted something down in it. It was a small book with lined paper and a blue cover. “I’ve been writing down questions as they come to me. We have a lot to discuss. I’d like to get some sleep first though. Ryan is in bed but he’ll be up shortly.”
“You don’t expect me to stay here even longer,” Emily protested.
“Why not? The remote-viewers can’t find you so there is no hope of them discovering where you are, is there?” Julie asked.
“I suppose not,” Emily conceded.
“Help yourself to some coffee in the kitchen. Let me show you where I keep the cereal in the cupboards.” Julie rose from the couch and strode into the kitchen.
She quickly chose a bowl from the cupboards and set it on the counter for Emily then showed her where she kept the cereals.
“There’s juice and milk in the refrigerator,” Julie said. “I’m going to bed. See you in about nine hours.”
“Thank you for everything,” Emily said gratefully.
“You’re welcome.” Julie smiled radiantly before retiring.
Ryan joined Emily in the kitchen a short while later. Emily was relieved to find that his earlier hostility toward her from last night had completely evaporated. She wondered at the change of heart but wasn’t about to look a gift horse in the mouth. She poured herself some coffee then added plenty of cream and sugar before sinking into one of the chairs at the table. Ryan fixed his own mug of coffee before joining her.
“I want to apologize for last night,” he said. “I didn’t have the benefit of being able to read your mind but Julie felt an immediate connection with you.”
“Julie is a very special person.”
“Yes, she is.” Ryan sipped some of his coffee and cocked a bemused brow at her. “She’s brimming with questions about you and the future.”
“Such as?” Emily prodded.
“I’ll let her ask you. It’ll be easier than having me be a go-between,” Ryan said wryly.
Emily mulled this over as she sipped some more of her coffee. She hadn’t felt this refreshed and revitalized in years. She almost dared to hope that Julie might actually come up with a plan to shut down Psi-Tech.
“Julie is a very strong-willed individual. I’m surprised she’s taken charge like this. I thought I’d have to convince her of her future,” Emily remarked.
“She has always strongly believed she was meant to do something extraordinary with her life. She thought that some day she would find an opportunity to do something that would help change lives for the better. And now it looks like that opportunity has come,” Ryan said.
“Interesting.” Emily regarded him with curiosity. “Do you feel the same way about yourself?”
“Yes, I do. I’ve felt that way for years but at the same time I’ve always discounted that feeling.”
“Maybe you and your wife are secondary intuitives. It’s a very common psychic ability but people don’t realize they have it. They just think they’re lucky or that they’re good guessers, or that they have hunches,” Emily said.
“You could be right. I guess we’ll find out in time,” Ryan said.
Emily finished her coffee and poured herself some cranberry granola. She had only just started eating when she sensed a remote-viewer. She successfully blocked the attempt without any strain. When the intruder withdrew, Ryan eyed her intently.
“Remote-viewer?” he asked.
“Yes. It wasn’t hard to keep him away,” Emily said. “I’m well rested so it won’t be a problem standing watch until Julie is with us.”
Half a dozen more attempts were made before Julie strode into the living room early in the afternoon. Her hair was still damp from her recent shower and she wore jeans and a blue blouse.
“We’re off to a late start but I think the time we’ve spent was worth it,” Julie said crisply.
She opened her journal and poised her pen over the pages to take notes.
“I feel like I’m on an important interview on Dateline or something,” Emily teased.
Julie smiled with amusement as she read her first question. “Tell me what Psi-Tech’s major moves will be during the next several months.”
“By now, they’ve already killed all the natural psychics that were prisoners,” Emily said slowly as she sorted through her thoughts. “They are testing all their staff to see what abilities everyone has and what their capacities are. This will allow them to use everyone to their maximum potential. It will probably take about a week to do this. They plan on killing all telepaths and have a six year time-line. They plan on going public in a couple of months. When they do this, they will provide a variety of services for a price. Mostly, the precognitives will be the main source of revenue for businesses. The psychometrists, intuitives, and remote-viewers will be offered for investigative services and law enforcement. Psi-Tech will actively recruit the strongest talents and have already adopted a training program that allows psychics to utilize their ability to its maximum potential. They also have a procedure that can be used one time on individuals to increase their psychic strength but it’s only effective on a third of the population and is painful. It will probably be kept a secret except for the most trusted members of the company.”
“Wow!” Julie exclaimed as she wrote madly in her book. Her brows furrowed as she read over the notes she’d just written. “How much of a boost does it give?”
“It raises psychics an average of two points in strength which is significant. Of course, that’s just the average so you’ll have som
e people who may start out as a level four and end up as a level eight which would be a jump of four. Others may not receive any measurable benefit from the procedure at all. There’s no way of predicting.”
Julie nodded and wrote this down. She was about to ask another question when they both sensed a remote-viewer.
“I’ll get rid of them,” Julie said.
A prolonged silence filled the room until the remote-viewer was forced to give up. Julie asked more questions and took meticulous notes in between various interruptions from remote-viewers.
“I’ll bet Sharon is frustrated,” Emily said with satisfaction over thwarting her nemesis.
“She’s the director of the Seattle branch of Psi-Tech. Let’s see. If I remember correctly, there are three branches.” She flipped through the pages of her journal. “Yes, we have one in Seattle, one in Sarasota, Florida, and one in Saint Louis, Missouri.”
“Do you know how to perform the psychic link between telepaths? Can you describe it in detail?” Julie asked.
“Both participants must enter a meditative state so their abilities are at peak levels of performance. Normally, they spend about an hour if it’s a one-to-one session. If there are six or more telepaths already linked and bringing someone into their network, the meditation isn’t necessary. The next step is for the two individuals to communicate telepathically to each other. A casual conversation allows them to get used to how the mind of the other feels. The next step is for both individuals to picture an invisible bond forming between them. It doesn’t matter what you visualize but if it’s exactly the same thing, it’s more effective. The most popular visualization technique is to think of a silver energy cord connecting your throat with the target’s throat as its symbolic for communication. You must both picture and feel the connection. The stronger the telepaths, the easier it is to make the connection. The two individuals must hold this session for hours before the beginning of a tenuous, psychic link is formed.”