“Kieran told me once that what you do is imagine a shield starting from the core of your body. Then, you imagine it growing slowly out from the inside of your body pushing all impurities away from yourself. Just think of the juice as an impurity, and your shields should force it to slough right off.”
I stared at her like she was a crazy woman. Unfortunately, they knew more about what this body could do than I did. So, for the moment I had to trust them, no matter how insane they sounded. I did as she said, imagining the shield growing from inside me and pushing away the orange juice. Surprisingly enough, the juice started to lift away from my skin and clothes in tiny droplets. For a short instant the orange juice seemed to float in the air just inches off my body, then fell dripping onto the floor at my feet. The juice was gone, without even leaving a stain. I was no longer sticky. The clothes felt as clean as they had when I first put them on.
This psionic shower thing could be very helpful in the future. No more digging through the laundry for the cleanest dirty shirt!
“Wow, what other tricks can I do?” I asked eagerly.
“You can use this to clean up the spill,” a gruff raspy voice said from the table behind me.
I turned around, and the first thing I saw was a dish-towel being held by five incredibly long, hairy fingers. Behind the towel stood a thin, muscular, eight-foot tall werewolf. Even through the dense brown fur, the muscles on the long ropy body were very well defined. The oddest thing about this towering werewolf was that he appeared to be wearing reading glasses on his muzzle.
“Thank you,” I said shakily, trying to hide my fear and not stare. I knew werewolves existed, everyone did, but nothing prepares you for the first time you meet one in person. Even with his calm demeanor and careful movements, it was obvious that the werewolf could be very dangerous.
“You need not be afraid of me,” the werewolf said with a growling Russian accent, while he was stepping back and ducking his head in such a manner that a servant would to his master. “My name is Nikolai. Do not let my appearance frighten you, I mean you no harm.”
“I apologize for staring, but I’ve never met anyone like you before. Are all werewolves like you?” I asked as I started to mop up the spilled juice, never taking my eyes fully away from him.
“There are some yes, but most can change back to their human form.” He returned to his meal. He seemed to be depressed.
Did I say something wrong?
I glanced around the cafeteria before I sat back down. Mixed in with the normal humans were others not in human form, more lycanthropes, shape-shifters, people all around with vaguely human bodies and animal like heads. Some had fur, or scales, others had tails, or other things making each one a unique creature from the others. Then I noticed a voluptuous woman seductively sauntering around flirting with the men around her, with wings. She had big black feathery wings that looked real. With her gothic clothes and makeup, she looked like a seductive angel of death.
Why didn’t I notice them before? So many nonhuman people, what else is down here?
“Nikolai can’t return to his human form,” Tanaka spoke between bites. “Most lycanthropes can switch between human and animal form at will. It’s rare, but in extreme cases like Nikolai they become stuck totally in animal form with the first shift, never to become human again. Of course there are others that like staying in animal form for their own personal enjoyment. Each to their own,” he shrugged.
I started to ask how he knew this, but was interrupted by a loud klaxon alarm and flashing yellow lights. The entire cafeteria suddenly became alive with fevered movement. People were hastily leaving their meals running for the exits. I bolted up, ready to run for my life from an unseen danger with the others, when Dr. “Emmy” Grey grabbed my arm.
“That alarm means that a registered dangerous psionic we’ve been monitoring in the city has gone rogue, and has killed at least once.” Calmly she was telling me while pulling me back down into my seat.
“Report!” Tanaka commanded. When I looked at him I noticed he had put on a pair of normal looking wraparound sunglasses. He seemed to be having a conversation with himself. It took me a second to see that off of the earpieces were small earphones folded into his ears.
“Put these on and say master program then your name aloud. It will program them to you according to your voice,” Emmy said handing me a similar pair of glasses.
After inspecting them for a few seconds, I put on the sunglasses. They were much too big for me. It was pitch black with them on, I couldn’t see a thing.
“Master program, Kevin-err-Kieran Grey,” I said and waited. A moment passed then suddenly the word REFITTING appeared in bold red letters in front of my eyes. The glasses started to move, they were shrinking. When the earpieces were finally in a comfortable position, tiny earphones folded down placing themselves inside my ears. The glasses quit moving. They felt so comfortable, it was like they were custom made for me.
The display flickered to life. The Heads Up Display flashed an overwhelming amount of information in front of my eyes. Everything from time and temperature, to my personal vital signs were displayed. Across the top of my field of vision was another view of the cafeteria, the cafeteria behind me. The glasses had a built in rearview mirror.
This is beyond cool!
Emmy dug out another pair of sunglasses for herself. “The glasses are universal, any of us can use them once they adjust programing to a new user. A person can use them in a limited fashion even if they are not a GCP officer or a member of the Archives. They are thought and voice programed. Look at the small red circle in the top left of your vision then think about or say different vision modes or commands. The glasses are directly linked to the Archive mainframe, transmitting and receiving constantly. They are also linked with your other team members, which for now are Tanaka and Marsala. Once you’re ready, you’ll take over as the team leader, just like Kieran was. For now, Tanaka is in command. And don’t worry, you’ll meet Marsala shortly.”
I looked at the red circle, and suddenly my mind was blank.
What command should I give? Emmy had said to use vision modes or commands, what are the vision modes?
As I thought to myself the display switched. First to infrared, then suddenly it switched again. I was looking at Dr. “Emmy” Grey. I was seeing her without her coat, then without her scrubs, and even without her underwear. X-ray glasses! Every kid’s dream. Well, every guy’s dream anyway. I tried to concentrate further, and saw her as a moving skeleton.
Sister! She’s my sister now, and I’m checking her out with x-ray glasses! This is sooo wrong!!!
The display returned to normal as I turned away from Emmy so she wouldn’t see me blush. Looking back at the red circle I thought to myself, Report. A small window opened on the left side of the screen. A woman with an unnaturally flawless complexion in her twenties appeared in the window. Light brown hair pulled back into a folded braid with loose bangs and piercing ice-blue eyes all added a depth to the genuinely warm smile on her face. In the center of her forehead partly hidden by her hair was a lightly glowing inverted yellow triangle. Wonder what that’s for?
“Miss Grey, good morning,” she said smiling deeper. Everyone smiles at me now!
“Who are you?” I asked, realizing that it must’ve looked like I was talking to myself to anyone else around me.
“I am Julie, your virtual connection interface to the Archive mainframe. My AI, has been programed to assist you in any way necessary. Your personal computerized assistant if you will. We have received a report that Brian Thompson, a local pyrokinetic psionic has gone homicidal rogue.” A small picture of a twenty-year-old male opened next to the window with Julie in it. It disappeared a few seconds later. “Mr. Thompson was registered with the GCP when his psionic ability to create and control fire first manifested in his early teens. Due to the destructive and potentially lethal nature of his abilities he was registered. Since he was registered with us, he was implanted with a tr
acking and monitoring device that reports to us anytime he begins to abuse his power. The device is similar to your own tracking implant.”
By an unexplainable reaction, my hand shot up to the back of my neck. Just below the skull to the left of the spinal cord I could feel a small hard spot imbedded deep in the tissue that felt like a grain of rice.
I’ve been chipped like a damn HOUSE PET!?!
Julie ignored my unspoken protest and continued on. “His parents bodies have been found in their home. Cause of death, incineration. He is currently mobile. We estimate from his present path that his destination is City University, where he is attending as a Junior. Your team has been ordered to aid in the containment of Brian Thompson. You are to use any means at your disposal. Also, I am to remind you that the current legal system has already deemed him guilty of psionically enhanced murder. Once captured, an Executioner Class Officer will be dispatched to carry out the termination. If it is necessary during his containment, summary execution has been authorized. Good luck Miss Grey, and welcome back.” She smiled again tilting her head slightly to the side. Once the young woman finished speaking, the window closed.
“Let’s go.” Tanaka was suddenly beside me pulling me to my feet.
“What about my training?” I asked following him out of the cafeteria leaving Emmy without even saying goodbye.
“The best training is done on the job.”
He lead us to an elevator. Once inside I decided to get some answers.
“What’s a summary execution?” I asked.
“If he can’t be contained, we kill him before he kills anyone else.” His voice was flat, devoid of all emotion, scary. “It’s semester finals at City University. There will be a large number of civilians on campus, and local authorities won’t be much help. Alpha group will land on the roof and work their way down. Theta group–that’s us–will land in the courtyard and work our way up. We hope to trap him between us before he reaches the fourth-floor. He has a final scheduled there. We think he may be going after his professor, or perhaps a classmate,” Tanaka explained as he stared off into his glasses.
I guess that’s where he’s getting all his information.
“So, who’s Marsala?” I asked as the elevator stopped. The doors opened to a giant man with deep ebony skin. He was wearing combat boots over his military green pants. A black tank top was stretched to the point of ripping crossed his massive chest. A larger version of my glasses covered his eyes. Well over twelve feet tall, he was built like the spokesman for the Mr. Universe competition. His wrist was as thick as my thigh, and his head was larger than my chest, even including my breasts. Huge was an understatement for this man. My eye level was below his waste, and I was standing.
“Kieran, this is Marsala, our other team member,” Tanaka said gesturing to the colossus as he left the elevator.
I stared up at the behemoth, very thankful I still had on my glasses to help hide my shock at his gigantic size. At least he was on my side. He is on my side, right? I stretched out my hand and managed a shaky smile.
“Hi,” I managed to say keeping my voice from wavering too much.
He reached down and enveloped my hand. My entire hand fit inside the palm of his with plenty of room to spare. He closed his fist around my hand and forearm. Then with a nod he turned and went to the waiting tilt-wing transport. The transport looked like a small cargo plane, but the wings had rotated up turning the propellers up like the rotors of a helicopter.
What’s it’s weight limit? Would it even take off with him in it?
I guess we’ll find out.
Chapter 2
The tilt-wing cruised across the city, skimming the tops of the snowcapped high-rises. I never really liked flying. I wasn’t afraid to fly, I just avoided it if I could. The worse part of that flight, besides the fact it was standing room only because Marsala took up the entire and only bench . . . no doors. The transport was wide open on both sides letting in the frigid December air. The air was not as cold as I thought it should’ve been given the fact it was snowing again. I simply figured that my shields were keeping me warm against the cold. My nervousness of the flight was evident as I kept a death grip on the handle attached to the roof. There was no way I was going to let myself fall out. Flying was one thing, falling, especially from that height, well, that was another issue.
Tanaka was digging through equipment boxes next to me, preparing guns and supplies like he was gearing up to take over a small country. Meanwhile, Marsala sat hunched over on the back bench with his shoulders rubbing the ceiling and a foot resting out each of the open sides of the tilt-wing. He was so large, it was the only way he would fit inside the transport. It reminded me of parents day back in first grade where the adults sat down in the child-sized desks. He pulled out a small tube from his pocket that looked absurdly tiny in his gargantuan hands, squeezed out some cream in his palm, then proceeded to cover his dark bald head and arms with the cream.
Tanaka caught me looking at Marsala. He pulled on my sleeve to get my attention.
“Sunscreen,” he said in a normal voice. The earphones in the glasses allowed me to hear him perfectly over the rushing air and the noise of the engines through the open transport walls.
“Sensitive skin?” I asked, forcing myself not to yell back at him.
Tanaka threw his head back laughing. “Sensitive skin, I’ll say . . . he’s a vampire!”
“What!?! I thought sunlight killed vampires! You mean all they have to do is wear sunblock!?!” I yelled without thinking. Then I shot a look back at Marsala through my glasses. He was still rubbing on the cream, but now had a big evil-looking demonic grin on his face showing just a hint of fangs, like he was proud he could be in the sunlight.
“Ultraviolet radiation is deadly to all normal vampires. Marsala is a member of the Council Guard. A small group of enhanced vampires that protect the members of the Vampire Council. They can survive in sunlight, but they sunburn easily. They are also easily blinded by UV light, so he wears special contacts to block out the UV rays. The contacts are just like clear sunglasses. He works for us, but is also a liaison to the Vampire Council. If I remember right, he’s over four-hundred-years-old. He’s also a highly trained warrior. Besides, he’s a lot stronger than he looks,” Tanaka joked. I had to force my jaw to stay closed as I looked back and forth between them.
“Hold still,” Tanaka ordered as he reached around my waist. He clipped on a small belt pack. Holding it open, he pointed at the gun inside. “A Glock, .45 caliber. It’s combat loaded, ten in the clip, one in the pipe. Just in case. You ever use a gun before?”
“I had a dart gun as a kid, but I never got to my weapons training yet,” I said sheepishly with a shrug.
“Same principle, bigger kick. Your predecessor used to be a crack shot. She was the best sniper in the region. Just trust your body to react. All you have to do is point at the target and pull the trigger. Aim for the center of the body for now. Once you get some practice, then you can aim for the head like the rest of us.” He said it so nonchalantly that it was somewhat disturbing.
“City University directly ahead,” the pilot called to us over his shoulder.
We all turned to look out the front window. The university building was a six-story figure-eight-shape, surrounded by parking lots and smaller buildings around a central courtyard. Snow covered the university grounds with small snowdrifts spread here and there. Smoke and flames poured out of the fourth-floor of the closest corner of the main building. I strained my eyes to focus in closer. The glasses reacted, acting like binoculars. The view changed to a close up of the building. It was impossible to see inside the fourth-floor past the flames and smoke. I could see people running for exits on the other floors, and racing to get away from the building in the courtyard.
“I believe we are late for the party,” Marsala’s voice boomed behind me. Like the rest of him, his voice was freakishly immense with a hint of a European accent I couldn’t place.
“Bring us in as close as you can to the nearest corner of the main building. Don’t bother to land,” Tanaka ordered the pilot. He picked up a high-tech looking rifle, then pointed at me. “Kieran, you jump first. There should be a doorway to the southeast stairwell. Go get that door open. We’ll follow.”
I’d been working so hard not to fall out, now, I get to jump out.
Just great.
The tilt-wing transport banked sharply as it turned in front of the building, then straightened again. It slowly descended next to the main building.
“GO!!!” Tanaka yelled at me, pointing out the ever-open door.
I moved to the opening. We were hovering directly over the courtyard fountains, only about eight feet off the ground. The fountains had patches of ice around the edges with little floating islands of snow clustered in the water. Trees filled the courtyard, surrounding the fountain and stretching clear to the doors. There was no open place to jump but straight into the half-frozen water.
This is going to be sooo cold. Oh well, time to get wet.
I jumped down into the spraying water below. The water was knee deep with sprays coming from all directions into the pool. Halfway to the edge, I realized that I wasn’t wet or cold. The water was being pushed away by my shields. My shoes were even dry underneath the water.
This shield ability definitely has its advantages.
After crawling out of the fountain, I sprinted through the light snowfall for a pair of metal doors hoping they lead to the stairwell. Behind me there was a splash followed by a second even louder splash. I reached the doors and instantly started to yank them open. Locked! Tanaka and Marsala were coming behind me. I could see both of them in my rearview coming up fast.
“They’re, locked!” I yelled over my shoulder.
“You don’t need to yell. The comm system will let us hear you even if you whisper,” Tanaka said as he came up beside me dripping wet. His breath made little clouds in the cold. “No time to go around. Marsala, open the door.”
Survivor Reborn (Kieran Grey Psionic Hunter) Page 3
