by Clara Ward
“I still think it’s just body language or something. And it fits so well with how I imagined elves when I was little. There must have been others who could do this and made the people they identified into legends.”
“That would be interesting, since the current teep genetics don’t seem to go back that far. But Thailand doesn’t have any social scientists with clearance for this. Maybe if I learn more about the precursor sequence. It may connect to schizophrenia, and that might connect to people historically seen as witches or elves or whatever. So I’ll just do my best from the genetics angle. I also have some videos to test you on. Don’t ask how I got them. They gave me money to pay you, too. Now can we test?”
Finally, they let him take blood samples. He could only run one at a time. So he ran Sarah’s first, in case she wanted to stay while he analyzed it and then see it deleted.
While it was running, he set Reggie up watching video clips. He asked Sarah to try to guess too. Might as well gather as much information as possible with these imprecise means.
The clips were mostly of conferences and diplomatic events. The first showed three men in suits walking up stone steps at the embassy. “That’s one,” Reggie pointed to the man in the middle. James stood carefully out of view and recorded who Reggie identified and by which frame. They continued.
Reggie’s body language hypothesis seemed plausible, in that he identified teeps who were walking around almost instantly. The less active the person was, the longer it seemed to take. Reggie identified all of the known teeps correctly, including the two known teeks. Sarah identified two teeps on her own, but she noted they were making unusual eye contact, and even James could sort of see that on re-inspection. Whatever Reggie was seeing, seemed to be invisible to Sarah and James.
When the video finished, James said, “Well, you identified twenty-three out of twenty-three with only one false positive. Could be the false positive is an unidentified teep. Did you notice anything about how you did it, anything you can explain?”
“Just something in how they move, some sort of tension? They still remind me of elves.”
James shook his head. “Where’d you develop your image of elves?”
“Stories my father told me. Things I read as a boy. I don’t remember anyone describing their movements. But they left certain pictures in my head.”
“Are you a very visual thinker?”
“Maybe.”
“I can check the genetics on that, too. Let me pull up data on learning styles and synesthaesia while I’m at it. Sarah’s genotype should be done any minute. Then I’ll start yours.”
He went to his server, set up what he needed for Reggie’s analysis, then started on the data for Sarah, which was 98% complete.
“Well, Sarah, your DNA says you’re a teep.”
“But I’m not. Is there anyone else who has the gene but can’t use it?” Reggie still sat across the room, by the desk, looking at nothing. Sarah now stood peering over James’ shoulder at the screen. He tapped some more keys, not bothering to explain the numerical display.
“Not that we’ve found. But our general samples are rather limited. Still, many people are blind despite genetics for perfect vision. There could be physical or psychological factors, or some other loci could inhibit telepathy. That would be interesting to know. Could I just keep this for a few days of study?”
“No. Check what you want to now, but I want it deleted when you’re done.”
Sarah’s genotype was now fully sequenced. James started Reggie’s sample then glanced at Sarah who still hovered just inches behind him. Her hands were crammed into the pockets of her jeans and her weight seemed to shift between her heals and her toes.
“Okay, let’s see what you don’t have in common with any of the other teeps on file. Then we’ll check where you match just the other teeks.” The computer analyses were relatively fast. James helped the Thai government more for the facilities allotted him than for his salary. He set up tests for everything he could think of, including all the sequences he’d used in research and all the well understood sequences that were public knowledge. As the results started to come in, he wondered how much to tell Sarah.
“There’s no one place you match the two teeks without matching some of the teeps on file. That’s a bit surprising. But since both other teeks have teep relatives here, that weeds out some of the noise. I’d guessed from analyzing the two of them that we would need multiple sites on the genome to explain telekinesis. How about if I mark on one of them which sites all three of you share. Surely I can save that much before I delete your data?”
“You can’t just remember it?”
“Have I mentioned that human DNA is three times ten to the ninth base pairs long?”
“But if you mark all the places the three of us are the same, won’t that be the same as saving most of my genome?”
James sighed; his honesty made him say, “Yes.”
He modified his previous analysis. “Okay. How about this? Here we have segments you three teeks have in common that no more than ten percent of the general population shares.”
“How much is it?”
“Two-hundred and twenty sections of 500 to 5000 bases each.”
“How would you mark them on someone else’s data.”
“Mark them as matching data set 102599?”
“You remember my birthdate?”
“I’m good with numbers.”
“Wish I’d inherited that. Could you use something less obvious?”
“Make up a six digit number.”
“850381”
James typed it in, his insides jumpy with tentative success, and he tried not to smile or fidget. “Okay, let’s see what else we’ve got. You want to know your medical risks?”
“Okay.”
“First, you have two segments I discovered, only one could be from my side.” James tugged one index finger and then the other as the impact of his statement hit him. Was it chance that Sarah had both of the segments he’d been researching? Could the person sending him notes have known? But how could anyone know? Did “work” in the note only refer to his father’s business? How could the sender know Sarah had these sequences if she’d avoided all DNA tests? She could have been tested covertly, or the sender might know the genetics required for her ability.
“What?” Sarah asked.
James released a finger in mid-tug. “Well, this one’s correlated with mood disorders, especially bipolar, and I carry it also. This one I just discovered, but it seems to show up in paranoid schizophrenics.”
“Great.”
“Oh, sorry. You’re still not very likely to have or develop either condition. Both disorders have complex determinants. This bipolar correlate shows up in 12% of the general population. The two other teeks I have on file each have one of these sequences.” He mentioned aloud as he flipped through correlates. “And they also show up in combination with the telepathy predecessor sequence I found.”
James meant to be careful what he shared after that, but Sarah showed so much interest that he ended up telling her all about her cancer risks and anything else that showed up in his scans. They easily passed the hour it took for Reggie’s DNA to sequence.
James ran a quick analysis of Reggie’s genotype to see if he might have the telepathy sequence or it’s precursor, but there was nothing so obvious. He left it for later, since Reggie had agreed to let him keep that genotype on file.
He went back to studying Sarah’s until he’d checked everything he could rationally think to test. Despite her lack of formal training, she seemed to follow what he was saying reasonably well, and stayed interested for most of the time his analyses took. In the end, she did insist he delete the data, and Reggie, who clearly knew a bit about computers, had him clear away all sorts of possible back-up records.
“Well, it’s dinnertime,” Sarah said. “Want to join us?”
“No, I think I’ll stay and do some analyses on Reggie’s DNA.”
> “Could I come back in a few days to hear the highlights?” Reggie asked.
“If you want,” James shrugged, already pulling up new correlates, feeling the pull of new data.
“Sure, thanks.”
Minutes after they left there was another knock at his door.
“Yes?” James grunted without looking up from the analysis.
As the door opened and shut, someone answered telepathically. “Hi. I’m Lisa. We met at the Johnson’s party? My brother Robert’s going to be doing some work with you?”
James remembered Robert’s earnest sociability at the party, and reminded himself to see a potential research assistant as a gift and not an invasion. He turned around trying to connect the girl before him to his vague memories of Robert’s family. She was wearing a red silk top with a very wide neck, and James remembered the delicate collarbones and neck stretching up from a similar neckline at the Easter party. He also remembered what Sarah had said about a teek in that family. “I remember. Did you need something?”
“I was walking by and thought maybe you’d like to get a bite to eat? I’m sort of on my own for dinner.”
“Sorry. I’ve got some work to do. You know, it’s just been pointed out to me that talking this way casually might look suspicious to non-telepaths. We usually speak aloud about everyday things around here.”
“Oh. Until recently the only teeps I knew were my family. We always spoke this way together. Who spotted you?”
“No, it wasn’t like that. You arrived with Reggie and Sarah, right? It turns out Reggie can spot telepaths with amazing accuracy. He thinks he’s just watching body language. But neither Sarah nor I can do it. We did notice some unusual looking eye contact between people speaking telepathically in a public place.”
“This is hardly a public place.”
“True.”
There was a pause and James scanned a few more screens of data. Then Lisa said, “So you were having Reggie spot telepaths?”
“Just on video.”
“I thought you were a biologist?”
“Geneticist, really. I ran their genotypes in addition to the video test.”
“You think spotting us is genetic?”
“It’s possible, but I can’t learn much from just one sample.”
“And Sarah’s?”
“Found the sequence for telepathy. Still haven’t figured out telekinesis. That’s classified, by the way.”
“Just from non-telepaths, I assume?”
“Or anyone not working for Thailand.”
“Sure, but the whole teep community here seems to work for the government.”
“Just about.”
“So, you think Sarah’s lying about not being a telepath?”
James truly looked at Lisa for the first time and shook his head; that possibility hadn’t even occurred to him. He stood and moved toward his cabinet of collection kits. “Probably something else is wrong, some brain injury or trauma.”
“That’s what you’re working on?”
“No, I checked Sarah’s with her here, then erased it.”
“And Reggie’s?”
“I can keep and follow the science through. Speaking of which, if I send home these sample kits with you, could you ask Robert to bring samples from your whole family when he comes in Wednesday.”
“I could.” She answered with a shrug that crimped her fine neck but lowered the neckline of her blouse in a tantalizing way. James quickly looked away. “I should get back to work.”
“Sure you don’t want dinner first?”
“People keep asking. Do I look like I’m starving?”
“No, you look fine,” she said, briefly touching his hand. “Maybe we just like your company.”
He handed her the sample kits and stepped around to open the door. She smiled and looked back over her shoulder as she left.
When she was gone, James reabsorbed himself in examining Reggie’s DNA.
Later, he set to cleaning up the lab. He gathered the classified footage of teeps and his rate of identification notes. As he removed the slide that held Sarah’s blood sample, he realized there was still enough there to rerun the analysis.
He hadn’t meant to lie to her. He was usually a very honest person, within reason. But that sample could be so useful scientifically, and he knew he could bury the data where no one would ever find it. After a few moments hesitation, James put the slide back in the machine and restarted the sequencer.
Then he realized he hadn’t paid Sarah or Reggie. Neither of them had even asked directly about the money, and that was careless of them. He’d been authorized to offer a lot, especially to Sarah, since teeks were so rare, but they should have had to negotiate to get top pay.
James glanced at Reggie’s data on his computer screen and at the sequencer he’d just restarted. He ordered checks sent to both Sarah and Reggie for the highest approved amount.
Chapter 15
April 25, 2025 – Bangkok, Thailand
Reggie stood beside Sarah on a dock in front of the Oriental Hotel. Since he’d been raised thinking the term “Oriental” was almost as insulting as “Nigger,” he couldn’t help but wonder how Tom, with his Berkeley education, regarded the place. The hotel itself bore the simple lines and mottled blue-gray tones of modern waterfront resorts, with no allowance for traditional Asian architecture.
Then a gaudy boat decorated in red and gold pulled near the pier. Its bow was carved like a serpentine dragon, and the oarsman was a muscular young man in loose silk trousers and little else. Reggie handed him the card Tom had sent, which included their reservation time, table number, some writing in Thai, and directions to give the card to their escort at the dock.
The boatman took the card, brought his hands to his face in the prayer-like gesture shown on Thai travel posters, and gazed up at them with bold, brown eyes. Then he said, “Sa-wa-di-krap, welcome,” and helped them onto the boat.
Reggie wondered if they were underdressed, in light cotton evening clothes, Sarah having chosen not to wear a dress or any jewelry. She sat beside him on a polished wood bench, totally caught up in the experience. As they began to move she dragged one finger in the water, thoughtless of any sanitary concerns. Reggie slid his arm behind her, wanting to share her perception of the moment.
As they neared the main restaurant, which floated mid-river, Reggie noticed the sweet, clean scent of Sarah’s hair combining with the spicy odor of the bare-chested boatman. The combination reminded him of Tom on the day they arrived, perhaps a locally popular cologne combined with soap or lotion? The juxtaposition was more enticing than either part.
The island restaurant they circled looked like a Thai palace, covered with carved wood and golden spires. In the setting sun it seemed to glow, and appeared much more authentic than the boat. Still, seeing the sun glint off the oiled shoulders of their paddling boatman, Reggie had to wonder what sort of place Tom had chosen.
As they came around behind the faux palace, they saw a dozen glinting boats, scattered fifty to a hundred meters apart. Their escort steered them toward one tethered craft. It was about fifteen feet long, more gaudy than elegant. The cabin on top had gold lame curtains, which were currently pulled back to reveal Tom, seated at a low table. He nodded as they arrived. The boatman helped them from one boat to the other, then departed with a bow of head and shoulders. Tom poured tea. As Reggie sat down he noted the back section of the cabin was covered with cushions.
“How are you, Tom? We missed you at the party,” Reggie began.
“Something came up.”
Reggie acknowledged the innuendo with a glance. He recognized that Tom wished to play the role of lord, and he’d already assumed the part of skeptic.
Tom tilted his head and smiled. “Speaking of which—“
Another bare-chested man dressed in red silk trousers paddled toward them. He tied his boat alongside and carried up a covered platter. Setting it on the table, he removed the lid and savory steam poured out. T
he tray held an assortment of appetizers surrounded by carved fruit and flowers. Whatever misgivings Reggie felt about the chosen location, the food was a work of art.
Tom spoke to the waiter in Thai. He nodded and went back to his boat.
“Is he going to paddle back and forth all the time?” Sarah asked.
“Yes,” Tom answered, “Unless we ask him to stay and entertain us for a while.”
“Do you mean—“
“We can access his health history online, including recent tests for all the common diseases. Would you like to see?” Tom held out his phone with a web scan window on the display.
“No, that’s okay.” Sarah sat back in her chair. “Can we talk here?”
“Of course.”
Reggie imagined hidden listening devices or smart dust that self-organized a network where it settled. He visualized himself searching the cabin and owning top-of-the-line detectors to do it right. Then he pictured his disappointment at finding nothing and concluding the three of them just weren’t that important.
Meanwhile, Sarah asked, “Could you tell me about normal people with closed minds?”
Tom sighed like a hissing python as he leaned back, stretching his tight opalescent green shirt until it almost untucked from his black leather pants. “Hardly normal. If you really want to know, most of them had terrible things happen to them in their youth, various abuse, especially rape.”
“Too bad they weren’t teeps or teeks,” Sarah scowled.
“Why?”
“I figure, a teep would know if someone intended to harm them, and, well, no one should try to rape a teek.” Sarah looked down as she spoke, but Tom winced forward as if kicked below the waist.
“Lovely, I’ll remember that. Why don’t you tell me what you think of Bangkok?”
Tom and Sarah chatted pleasantly through the appetizers and soup. It wasn’t until after the obsequious server brought their main course that Reggie mentioned his main concern. “Do you know how the U.S. regards us now? Can I safely call my work contacts? Could I have my belongings shipped over?”