The New Assault

by Steven Spellman

  It had all been a nightmare. It had been like the other nightmares except that the hands were continuously moving in closer. Sam could only speculate what the darkness and the reaching hands, with their ominous talons, represented, but he knew that if they ever reached him it would mean his destruction. He thought they might even mean his destruction, literally. For now, the hands existed only in his nightmares, but the voices sounded real. Perhaps they were real, as real as his telepathy. He was convinced that he was beginning to hear them in his head, in his waking hours. Perhaps not, but if it turned out that those voices belonged to actual people then those hands, that blackness, might belong to something in the literal world as well. It was not something Sam wanted to ponder, so he pushed it out of his mind. He knew he probably couldn’t put it off forever, but forever was a term he wasn’t ready to digest either. He sat up in his bed. His sheets were in a ruffled mess around him. He let them stay that way. He shut the ears of his mind to the voices of the townspeople below and listened to the faithful silence of the house. It was calming for a few precious moments, before it became oppressive.

  It gave Sam a kind of clarity to let the prolonged silence remind him that he was in fact, all alone in this house now. Both of his parents really were gone, and this was his new reality. It wasn’t a reality that he understood or even felt comfortable with yet, but it was the only one he had. The silence helped him to remember that. His life felt like a nightmare, and his real nightmares were already terrible enough. He got out of bed slowly and walked toward his bathroom where he splashed cold water on his face. The sudden splash was biting but refreshing. He gazed into the mirror at his own face, but he wasn’t concentrating on his reflection. Rather, he was reflecting, himself, upon his experience with Julia the day before. It had been such a pleasant experience to hold a conversation with someone that was neither a Simmons’ fanatic, nor mad doctor. Unfortunately, Sam had no idea if it would ever happen again. Besides that, Julia had asked something of him that he could not give. How in the world could he make her parents love her? Why would he? Didn’t they love her already, wherever they were?

  If she ever did return, he would have to tell her that he couldn’t give her the one thing she seemed to want most from him. He was not a god. He was just a person, struggling to figure out what it meant to exist. Just like everyone else. But then, if he could convince Julia of that, he knew there would be no real reason for her to ever want to see him again. He would be just another massive disappointment to her. Sam dried his face, left the bathroom, and walked to his favorite chair on the front porch. He wore a thin short sleeve shirt, the same shirt he’d slept in. The cold morning mountain air whipped at the shirt and raised goosebumps upon the exposed skin of his neck and arms. It was intense, bracing, slightly uncomfortable, but Sam did not fight against it. He let the cold wind cool his face nearly to numbness. He opened his mind to the voices of the townspeople. They were there as always, thinking and plotting, loving and hating, wandering, headed nowhere.

  “Not nowhere!” Dr. Crangler’s voice was low and steady but it still startled Sam “Marching to their destiny!” Sam’s mind was instantly filled with the scene of a massive open plain and darkening the plain in all directions, a great army of people like no army the earth had ever seen before. The sheer numbers of the army were nearly unbelievable, but the earth had known larger standing armies than this before the Virus. It wasn’t the size that made this army unique. The men and women marching in unison here were armed not with devastating, fallible, weapons of metal and steel, but with powers like the Doctor’s. Powers beyond the natural reality of things. This army could defeat an army many times its size without ever raising a fist. It was to be a fight not of weight but of will and there was no will that could stand against telepathy of this magnitude. Watching the scene was like watching an epic movie from an epically high vantage point. Mountains stretched into the distances many miles beyond the plain and dense mist beyond that, so it was impossible to tell what lay beyond.

  One thing, a single tower as large as a mountain itself, broke through the fog. Sam hadn’t noticed it at first, but now the tower easily dominated the scene. It was a man-made structure, but it was much larger than any building Sam had ever seen before. It was hard for Sam to believe that men could even make something this large. Sam decided he couldn’t believe it even though it was right there before him as clear as the noonday sun. Sam’s eyes dropped back down to the army. They were like a great plague upon the land, or like the shadow of some massive beast that could block out daylight in its flight. The plain was black with the uniformed men and women. Sam stared on. The blackness of the army was eerily similar to the blackness that filled his nightmares.

  Then, in an instance, as quickly as it had appeared, the image was gone and Sam saw only what was before his eyes. The clear blue sky of the mountain top was a jolting contrast to the bleak atmosphere of the scene he had just witnessed. The brightness of it hurt his eyes for a moment. This army, this massive force of powerful telepathic agents, was obviously what Dr. Crangler ultimately had in mind for the entire town. But that army’s number were larger still, much larger, than an entire city, even the one at the base of the mountain. No, this was not what Crangler had in mind just for this city but for many cities. Perhaps the world.

  “The entire world will not do.” Dr. Crangler said “Only a carefully selected number of humans contain the faculties necessary to march with the army with which I shall darken the plains.”

  Sam wondered what the doctor meant. “Your father taught you that your telepathy was a language, an incredibly sophisticated language but a language none the less. The reality is that some can learn languages more efficiently than others. There are many people on the earth who simply cannot learn to speak certain languages, fluently. Years of training can only take these people to a certain point. It’s was precisely why the Hum was original sent, son, to detect those who held the finest capabilities. And destroy them. Luckily, I have discovered a way to use the Hum to our advantage.” Sam wondered how in the world the doctor could use the Hum to anyone’s advantage. It seemed to be a force good for nothing but destruction. How could it possibly be a tool in the hands of the Good Doctor?

  “It is the most important tool of all.” The doctor answered. “It is the tool by which I shall recruit my army.” The doctor sounded pleased with himself, secure in his own resolve. It sounded like a far stretch even for the doctor, but Sam knew that if anyone could amass an army like the one he’d seen, it would be Dr. Crangler.

  “I mark everyone who can hear the Hum. Those who hear it the loudest, I shield. Those shall be my lieutenants and top soldiers. They have the greatest potential. The rest of the world shall fill my ranks as I need them.” So, the doctor had indeed found a way to turn the Hum to his advantage. It was, after all, a powerful beacon that set those whom the doctor needed most, apart from the rest. It did the work for the doctor. But to shield however many of those out there who heard the Hum loudest? Every single one? It should’ve been a task far too extensive for a single person. Obviously, it was not.

  Then a thought that should’ve occurred to Sam earlier occurred to him now. “So, you’re saying there are others out there right now, with telepathic abilities? Others that you have to shield, as you say you shielded my family?” Sam knew that the Hum was real and he also knew that he should probably be grateful to Dr. Crangler for protecting him and his family from it, but he found it difficult to drum up anything but superficial gratitude. The doctor’s logic was undeniable but his methods … well, they would take a little more getting used to.

  “Of course, there are others.” Dr. Crangler answered. “I am raising them for my army. I have done well but there are many more that I must recruit. It will take time.”

  Many more to recruit. Sam thought it sounded incredibly ominous even if he did agree that something needed to be done to combat the alien threat. There were many thing Sam had no clue about lately, but he thoug
ht he knew exactly what Dr. Crangler meant by recruitment. The doctor was using the Hum to identify candidates for his army. Once he identified them he likely taught them telepathy, just as Geoffrey had taught Sam. But Geoffrey had said that he and the doctor were the only ones that he knew of anywhere in the world that had the ability. He had also said that he hadn’t sensed the doctor’s ability for many years. So, the doctor had shielded him not only from the devastating blare of the Hum, but from the presence of every other telepath on the planet as well. There was no telling how many of them there were out there. It should’ve terrified Sam, the sheer breadth of the doctor’s power, but the thought of more telepaths made him giddy with excitement. There were others out there like himself, perhaps some of them even his own age! Others who were plagued with voices that should’ve existed only in other people’s heads. Perhaps they endured the same vicious nightmares. He wouldn’t have to be alone anymore with only the Doctor to communicate with. Sam thought not of an army, but of a city of people. People who shared his special ability.

  “And there shall be a city.” Dr. Crangler answered proudly. “It will be a city larger and grander than any the world has ever seen. It will reach to the heavens and it shall rule the earth. We shall make a better human race with it at our center.”

  Sam didn’t like the sound of the last part, but he did like the idea of a grand city where everyone knew everyone else’s thoughts. It would eliminate any room for pride or deception when everyone else could see what you really were behind the false smiles and urbane routines. The complete loss of privacy might be difficult to swallow for a time, but Sam didn’t think that would be a problem for him. He and his family had been given nothing but privacy in the form of complete isolation for as long as he could remember. He had all the privacy he could stand right now. No, he thought, not complete privacy. The doctor had seen everything he’d seen, known every thought he’d had, from further back then he could guess. It had been an uneasy truth to accept but it felt even more personal when Sam remembered his fabulous, if awkward, day with Julia. The doctor had seen that of course, had known every one of Sam’s thoughts and words while he had been with her.

  In fact, the Doctor knew more about the experience than Sam, since the Doctor had taken no oath not to listen in on her thoughts as Sam had. How completely foolish he must’ve looked, Sam thought to himself. And the doctor was there, even at this very moment, aware of every thought Sam could entertain. Suddenly, privacy might not be so overrated. Sam felt the ire rising within him again. It felt like Dr. Crangler had definitely crossed the line by being present mentally during his time with Julia. It was worse than being stalked. The more Sam thought on it the angrier he became. He knew his anger was pointless but that didn’t change the fact that he was hotly upset.

  “We need to talk!” Sam said with more feeling than he’d intended.

  “Of course, son.” Dr. Crangler answered. Sam got the distinct impression that the doctor was smiling smugly within his ruined building, if that’s where he was. Only enough of the doctor’s thoughts were revealed to allow communication, not location.

  “So, how am I going to get to you?” Sam asked. He wasn’t overjoyed about the idea of holding a conference with Dr. Crangler in his own home atop the mountain, but if he intended to travel through the city there was always the problem of the guards down below and the mobs of frantic townspeople beyond that. Under ideal circumstances, Sam would’ve arranged with the mayor in advance to have a security detail for the trip, but he didn’t want the mayor or any of his subordinates mixed up in this thing between himself and Dr. Crangler.

  “Who do you think Saunders reports to?” Dr. Crangler asked. Sam knew who he was speaking of, Marlin Saunders, his security detail’s coordinating officer. Sam had never met Marlin directly, but he knew from the thoughts of the men upon his security detail that the man answered indirectly to the president himself. Obviously, Dr. Crangler was the ‘indirect’ party. So, the Good Doctor not only had more power than Sam could imagine, but more influence as well. He answered to powers far above the city’s mayor.

  “Not answer to.” The doctor corrected “Liaise with. Neither the minds of the mayor nor the president is sufficient to guide my own.” It might’ve been arrogance speaking but Sam knew it was the truth. In fact, there might not be another mind upon the planet that could contest the Good Doctor’s. “Come to me, my son.” The Doctor resumed. “Worry neither about the armed guards at the bottom of your mountain, nor the fanatic townspeople. Come to me. You will not be hindered.”

  Sam believed that as well. He believed that the doctor could easily move him to his ruined building without a single sign of problem. Sam himself had walked through the city unattended and unhindered thanks to a little help from his telepathy. Certainly, the doctor could do much more with his impressive breadth of ability. Sam got dressed and headed for the mountain’s staircase. When he reached the place where he normally jumped the rail to reach the pond he searched with his mind and found that Julia was not there at the pond. He continued on.

  When Sam reached the booths of the men guarding the entrance to the staircase he reached into their minds and found no trace of the Doctor’s influence. Certainly Dr. Crangler had altered something in their consciousnesses. Either that or he was controlling them directly—anything that would allow Sam to pass them without their notice—or else some other thing that Sam could not yet imagine. Sam could detect nothing of the sort. All three booths were filled—unfortunately, Sam did not sense the mind of the guard he had tried to help—but it didn’t appear as if the Doctor had tampered with the minds of any of the men. Perhaps the Doctor was waiting for something. Sam hesitated, but when nothing happened he began to walk the rest of the way down the staircase toward the booths. When he reached the booths, he took a deep breath and continued on past them. He felt as if he were walking in faith. He knew he wouldn’t be able to reason with the guards to allow him an unattended expedition into the city. He could only hope that the doctor had something else in mind.

  Perhaps not only faith, but curiosity as well. Sam could’ve used his own telepathy to pass into the city, but he refused to. He had already approached a dangerous line using his ability to help that lead guard, and Dr. Crangler had apparently undid his good will without batting an eyelash. He wasn’t interested in a repeat performance. Besides, if the guards noticed him what could they do? They wouldn’t allow him to waltz into the city alone. They’d probably just call Marlin Saunders to find out what their orders were in such a situation. At the end of it all they’d probably suggest that Sam return to the top of the mountain until proper protocol could be implemented. It might be an inconvenience, but it wouldn’t be a disaster. Sam walked on. He scanned the men’s minds as he walked and found everything still unaltered. He continued walking until he was in full view of every guard.

  Sam stopped. Nothing had changed in the minds of these men. Literally. Though he stood in full view of all three of them they saw only the landscape beyond him. As far as they knew Sam was not there. He looked into each mind for a long time to make certain he saw what he thought he saw before he could accept that such a thing could even be done. The doctor had not performed any elaborate trick upon the men, he’d simply shielded enough of their minds that they didn’t see Sam at all. It was a subtle manipulation and Sam had to admit to himself that he was impressed. He wouldn’t even have realized what the doctor had done if he had not have stepped out into a clear line of sight. With one final look into the minds of the guards he walked on into the city feeling vaguely as if as he’d never awakened from sleep.

  CHAPTER 19

  As Sam began to walk through the city he mused upon the fact that he’d insisted on airing his grievance to Dr. Crangler in person. He didn’t want to be alone with the Doctor inside his home, but really, if the doctor posed a threat to him, physical distance would do absolutely nothing to lessen that threat. Whatever he had to say to the doctor he could’ve communicated telepathi
cally without ever stepping foot beyond his front porch. In fact, the doctor had already made it clear that wherever they communicated, whether from afar or face to face, they were to communicate solely by telepathy. For all intents and purposes, insisting on meeting the doctor face to face like this was a waste of time and energy.

  There was one thing that the trip did accomplish. It gave Sam an opportunity to retain some hold on his humanity. Now that he thought on it, he thought that might’ve been the real reason he’d insisted on meeting physically with the doctor anyway. It made him feel more like a person. He wasn’t ready to be one of the gods the doctor had spoken about. He wasn’t overly fond of the human experience as he’d known it, but he did want to feel like a real human, and real humans sometimes sat in the same room when they wanted to discuss something important. Perhaps that’s what the dark hands from his nightmares were reaching for, what remained of his humanity. It made Sam shudder, but he didn’t have time to ponder upon it for long before he noticed a small group of people walking down the street toward him. He could hear faint laughter coming from the group; they hadn’t noticed him yet. They were walking down the same street as Sam, and the street was a narrow one. They would notice him before very long.

  As the group continued to walk closer Sam saw that they were all teenagers. They must’ve been skipping school. Sam searched their minds and found that, yes, they were skipping school. He saw that most of the members of the group routinely skipped school like this. It was just another day in the hood for them. It would be anything besides just another day when they finally noticed Sam. There was no way this could end well. If anyone sighted Sam, chaos in the city would soon follow, and these kids would certainly spread word quicker than any adult. Sam understood that he would probably not make it out with his life if it came to that. So, what should he do? What?