The Talented (18 page)

“How could you let this happen, Clyde? You were the officer in charge, and your team managed to almost kill our most important recruit in history! Do you have any idea how difficult it was to convince him that we were the good guys?”

“Sir,” Clyde darkly responded, “please allow me to explain. We had no idea that he was on our side now. The last time we dealt with him he was an enemy. Why didn’t we receive advance warning?”

“The answer’s easy,” I interjected, startling them both, “Its because my little teleporting experiment went haywire and I ended up traveling a few hours back in time. My new boss, Harrison here, didn’t warn me about that possibility.”

Harrison gave me a level look, “That’s because it’s supposed to be an
im
possibility. Time travel can only go forward, never in reverse. My only explanation is that your change in location somehow enabled the backward shift in time. But never mind that, how do you feel?”

With a smile I answered, “Like I’ve been shot in the head. I’m groggy, these bandages itch and a killer headache is coming on, but otherwise I feel alright.”

“Glad to hear it.” The big man turned to Clyde, “Get all the team together in the Way Station. Conference in anyone off-site. Mr. Sharpe here is to be given level 1 security clearance, and a full pardon for his actions against the Alliance, and everyone needs to know it.” At Clyde’s violent facial reaction Harrison emphasized, “That isn’t just from me, Captain, it’s a directive from upper management. Am I clear???”

With icy detachment Clyde responded, “Yes, sir. Crystal.”

After Clyde had left us alone, Harrison continued, “You need to know more about the Alliance, so pay attention. This complex is the North American Headquarters, and is divided into three major branches: Security, Research and Administration. Clyde is Chief of Security. Dr. Grauer, whom you haven’t met, is the Chief of R&D, and I’m the Managing Director. Believe it or not we all have homes and lives outside of this place, but the security personnel work three days in a row nonstop, then go home for the remaining four days in the week. While here, they stay in barracks on basement level B1. Levels B2 and B3 are the domain of the R&D people, and Level B4 is dedicated to the containment and treatment of rogue metahumans. It also is connected to the domed hall, which I prefer to use to jump to other locations. For that reason, we call that place the Way Station.”

The bandage on my head itched, so I scratched my forehead and commented, “You told Clyde that I should be given level 1 security clearance. Sounds pretty important. You sure you want to trust me with that?”

Harrison’s frown was as deep as my grin.

“Level 1 is actually the lowest level of clearance we have. You need to be escorted by security, or me, when you are in level B2, B3 or B4. The two floors above ground are for administration, and you may traverse those freely. You will be staying in a small private dormitory room near the barracks on B1 until you find a place to stay nearby.”

He handed me a nametag with my picture and everything. When did I pose for that? The title under my name was “Trainee”.

I sure hoped that I was going to get at least one paycheck before I got myself fired. Or killed.

Harrison escorted me back to the Way Station where the guards mingled with lots of civilians wearing lab coats. Those must be the researchers, and there had to be forty or more of them. There were some others who looked like regular office workers that were slowly dying from a severe case of boredom. When they saw Harrison and I approach, the chatter ceased and all eyes were on us.

Harrison stepped up to a portable lectern that was set up in the center of the circular room, and addressed the crowd.

“Good morning. Thanks for assembling so quickly at short notice. I have a quick announcement, after which you’re free to return to your work. The man next to me is Mr. Adam Sharpe. He should be no stranger to our security forces. A few weeks ago, we encountered him in an engagement with the rogue metahumans that many of you are now studying. He’s a Class A, people, just like me, and you know what that means. He’s incredibly dangerous, and to my knowledge, the only seventh generation psi that the Program ever bred. He has clashed with our security forces several times since then and has the scars to prove it. So do we. One of our loyal guardsmen, Ray Porter, died in one of those conflicts, and more than half of our security forces were injured. Some of you were very close to Ray, and though we were not close, I know that he was a good man and a fine guardsman. Less importantly, our fleet of personnel carriers was crippled, and it will be costly to pay for their repairs.”

Great speech, I thought, if his goal was to get me lynched. I will be sleeping with two eyes open tonight.

“Why am I telling you all this? I’ll tell you why. Because you need to hear this: We got off easy, people. With a single thought this man could kill every person in this room. Instantly. Well, all except for me, that is. Scary, isn’t it?” Somber faces and a few nods in agreement answered him silently.

“Then you should know that every time Mr. Adam Sharpe was attacked by our people he could have killed them all. All of them!!! Every time. He was defending himself. He could have justified it as self-defense. But each time our guardsmen fired at him first, and whenever possible, he spared their lives. It’s my understanding that one time he actually saved the lives of three of our guardsmen.

“So a few days ago I explained to Mr. Sharpe what the Alliance is all about, and we worked out our differences; so much so, that he has agreed to join our team.”

Hushed voices and a few angry calls erupted in the chamber. Someone yelled, “Tell that to Ray!” Harrison motioned the crowd to settle down and waited in silence as they did. At that point a petite woman wearing her black hair in a pony tail and with pretty eyes confidently strode up to the Podium. She wore a lab coat like the researchers, but clearly was someone of importance. Harrison backed off to give her the floor. His body language was clear…whoever she was she had a lot of power in the Alliance and commanded respect. She stepped up to the microphone and bent down its flexible neck to her level, then spoke to the crowd.

“Director Kirkwood, please pardon the interruption, but I need to speak on this matter on behalf of Research and Development. The addition of Mr. Sharpe to our team is invaluable to our scientific mission. Having a cooperative subject of his capabilities is a once in a lifetime opportunity. It’s vital that he remain cooperative. In no way is he to suffer any form of retribution at the hands of any Alliance employees. Anyone suspected of so much as harassing him will be suspended without pay, pending investigation. More serious offenders will be tried for treason, and we all know the punishment for that. I trust that I have made myself abundantly clear. Thank you.”

As smoothly as she approached she gestured to Harrison, who stepped forward once again.

“Thank you Dr. Grauer for lending your support in this matter. We will not be taking questions. This meeting is adjourned. Thank you.”

As the crowd disbursed, I leaned toward Harrison and said, “You had me worried there for a moment.” The big man didn’t answer me. He was staring through the crowd at the tiny but formidable Dr. Grauer, and he looked concerned.

Harrison didn’t say much as he led me to my quarters, where some of my bags that I had left at various hotels were waiting for me. The Alliance must have been right behind me the whole time. Why did they wait until I was in the tunnel before they ambushed me? Next to my bags was a shopping bag full of clothes that I had bought for Alicia. I missed her already. Despite Kate being gorgeous and sophisticated, she was older than me and, well, sophisticated. My years with Gus helped me develop a decent vocabulary, and years of watching educational shows on TV helped, but essentially I stopped going to school after the third grade. We are just too different. Alicia has lived and struggled in her young life, something I can relate to. I fell asleep lying on my bunk, hoping to live to see her again.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

So that brings you up to speed on the fun and excitement of last week, right up to the next morning when my training started. The medicine balls were not my idea.

The heavy orbs circled around my body at a steady ten-foot radius. They accelerated until they made a blurred ring, creating a cool breeze in the already chilly underground bunker.

“Up!!! Get up, Adam!! Get your focus back on your training, now!!!” Harrison commanded.

The gap between the balls and me began to shrink, so I accelerated my mind so fast that it almost seemed like the balls were standing still, then I made my move.

Harrison brought the balls together in a violent collision in the space where I had stood a moment before and released his mental hold on them. A moment later I reappeared in the exact same spot, assuming control of the somewhat damaged medicine balls, hurling them all at Harrison with the same speed and force that he used against me. He narrowed his eyes and the balls stopped in midair, shaking. The strain was painful, but I deepened my focus and was shocked that I was beginning to see silvery Mandellian threads enveloping the balls like spiderwebs. They did not visibly connect back to our bodies, but I could feel the connection to my mind. Mine gave off a bluish glow while Harrison’s glowed scarlet red. His threads worked fast, some of them releasing the balls and wrapping around my threads, tearing them off the quivering orbs. Soon his outnumbered mine and the balls began inching their way back toward me.

“Had enough?” Harrison spoke through his clenched teeth.

“Not…quite…yet,” I replied before gathering all my threads to bear on a single ball. It rocketed towards Harrison and he barely had time to evade before it rammed his massive shoulder and drove him down to one knee. “Yes!!” I exclaimed before all the other balls slammed into me and knocked me head over heels.

“Good work.” The big man grunted as he rose to his feet, rubbing his bruised shoulder. “Very impressive how you got your focus back. What was that trick you pulled when you vanished?”

His praise felt good. “I used remote viewing to see a few seconds into the future, and I leapt there. It was easier now that I know what it feels like.”

Harrison just looked at me, dumbfounded. “It took me years of hard work to develop that particular talent. Maybe training you isn’t such a good idea.”

He handed me a bottle of water and continued, “After that stunt you should allow your mind to rest for a while. We are done for today.”

“Works for me,” I grunted and rose to my feet to see a paternal smile on Harrison’s face. Emotions stirred in my gut and I fought to keep them under wraps. Here is someone whom I plan to betray in the upcoming days when I try to liberate Kate, and somehow I find myself eager for his approval. Maybe my daddy issues are getting in the way of my better judgment, but I’m beginning to like the big galoot, and it felt really bad to be deceiving him like this. What if he actually is my father? Am I capable of betraying the only family I’ve got? Why would I want to? So much time has gone by since I last saw Kate, I can barely remember her face, and I really never got to know her all that well.  Why would I throw all this away for her? By Harrison’s account Kate and her friends were doing illegal stuff and should be put in jail, but are too powerful to be contained by a normal prison. Isn’t it justified for her to be punished? On the other hand, if I don’t even try to save her, then how would I ever look at myself in the mirror again? So I need to find a way to save Kate without betraying Harrison. How exactly am I going to manage that?

The workout had ignited my appetite, so I took a brief shower and dressed as quickly as possible. A quick glance in the mirror revealed that the stitches on my forehead took the shape of an ugly checkmark. Fabulous, just what I always wanted. I can’t wait to hear the thoughts of every woman who sees it.

Breakfast was in the cafeteria, which seemed evenly divided between security folks in their camouflage jumpsuits, and scientists in their white lab coats. They seemed to naturally segregate so that the north end of the room was occupied by mostly security. I found a seat on the far south side of the room.

As I sat the conversation at the table ceased and the three scientists at the table gawked at me as if I were a fascinating specimen that got up and walked out of the Petri dish. Perhaps to them, that was all I was. “Hi,” I greeted in my usual suave way and extended my hand, “I’m Adam.” They recoiled from my hand as if I was holding a rattlesnake and scattered away, but a fourth scientist walked up and met my handshake with what seemed like a firm grip for a woman who couldn’t be much taller than 5 foot nothing. Her black hair was threaded with gray and pulled back into a ponytail. She smiled in a way that barely turned up the corners of her mouth, but through her eyes somehow came across as warm and genuine. She spoke with a subtle German accent.

“Mister Sharpe, a pleasure to meet you. My name is Dr. Helen Grauer.”

“Yes, I know,” I replied, “Thanks for backing me up at the big meeting yesterday. It’s nice to meet anyone here who doesn’t overtly hate or fear me.”

“I can assure you, Adam, that I neither fear nor hate you, although I admit to a concern over the power you command. Such talent in the wrong hands is extremely dangerous.”

“Yeah,” I replied, “I’ve heard that too. So far mostly I’m only dangerous to myself.” Then I thought of the dead guardsman and felt ashamed. Time to change the subject. “So do you mind if I ask you a question?”

“Go right ahead.”

“Why are there two floors dedicated to science? Isn’t the Alliance just a kind of secret police against mega-humans?”

“Metahumans, not mega, and no the Alliance is not a police force at all. It’s mostly a think tank dedicated to develop defenses against enemy metahumans, foreign and domestic. Thus the need for research. These security people are intended for the protection of the science teams and the intellectual property.”