Psions Unite! : Chapter 1 - Activate

[z019]

"Mmm...yes. I'll need to look into accommodations for myself. I only had the hotel room for three nights and I've not been to London before." She smiled at Amanda. "You're Jason Kanter's daughter, right? My father does quite a bit of business with yours; I met him when I was little, though that was over a decade ago. Perhaps you'd be willing to play tour guide for me while we all figure this strangeness out?"

 

Perhaps she didn't realize how young Amanda was, or perhaps she just didn't care; either way, she hadn't treated either of the teens the way most adults did. 

 

Note on Background

Sakura is the daughter of a wealthy Japanese business man of noble descent, though she hasn't shared his last name since her parents divorced and her mother took her to live in the United States. Her father has never disowned her, but she's quietly not spoken of in polite Japanese circles, as she is the daughter of his ex-wife and a half-gaijin child. He's remarried and most of his associates politely pretend that he didn't have a family before. Amanda might have heard of her and most likely has definitely heard of her father (Minamoto Daiki, Minamoto Enterprises), possibly even met him and his current family (wife, several younger half-siblings of Sakura).

[齐刘 - Qí Liú]

Wishing now that she had paid a bit more attention to daddy's business, Amanda did seem to recall some Japanese vistors coming to teh New York Residence a few times.

 

"I should know something in a few days and once I get settled in you'll be more than welcome to stay with Cheryl and myself, Sakura, with no Obligation."

[Sunstar]

Millie looked at Becca and scratched the back of her head.

 

"I dunno.  I just kind want it to come to me and think and poof it's there if it's small enough.  It's a little tiring but Maybe..."

 

She concentrates

Relay Object

 

Abyss Phantasia *rolls* 6d10: 1+6+10+10+2+4: 33

 

 

Suddenly Millie's Phone appears in her hand

 

"Wow I didn't feel tired when I tried that one."

 

She looks at Becca.

 

"Maybe it's kinda like my teleporting.  But instead of warping stuff, you See the area around.  Then again I'm no expert at this"  She chuckles.

 

"So what was it like bein' a pilot?"

[Rorx]

As they approached the side corridor to the First Class Lounge Viktor is talking to 'Cookie', a 6'2" Aussie, and obviously ex-military or bodyguard and body builder. "So they just hold all the people with new abilities for observation. Can they do that?"

"Yeh Vik, it's just tell their abilites settle down. There was a load of accidents and injuries, mainly in the States, but to a lesser extent over here as well in the first hour after people emerged. Most people who got new abilities got some kind of new sensory stuff as well and that can kick in at random for a while. Had some serious injuries when some bloke drove into a bunch of people chatting on the street cause he was distracted by a new sense. So they ran a quick and temporary amendment to some existing law requiring people with new abilities to under go 30-60 min of medical observation after emerging before they are signed off as free to go."

 

Approaching the corner they spot and a waved down by the two police officers at the end of the corridor, "Sorry gentlemen the Lounge is not open today."

"I know," says Viktor, "But you have my PA and her daughter up there and I want to check they are ok."

"I can understand that sir, but they will be released soon." The WPC half puts her head to one side as though listening to something before continuing, "If I could just have your names to verify that I've been told you can go on in."

"Very well, I'm Viktor Black," he shows his passport as ID, "this is Samuel Cook," Cookie flashes some security company ID, " and my PA and her daughter are Zoe Taylor and Tempest Taylor respectively."

The WPC pauses again, and Viktor give both the WPC and Cookie a questioning look, to which Cookie just nods.

"Thank you Mr Black, Mr Cook. You can go up now."

 

The two suited men step past the officers and head up to the entrance to the Lounge, Viktor whispering to Cookie, "She was...", "Telepath I guess" replied the big Aussie.

 

Inside Gwyn can be heard to mutter, "It had to be Cookie didn't it." just before the doors to the Lounge open and Viktor strides in confidently. He quickly spots Zoe and heads straight to her.

 

"Zoe, you and Temp are Ok? You look ok."

"Yes, we're fine Viktor. A little freaked out about all this, but otherwise fine."

 

In  the meantime Cookie has been generally looking around as he steps further into the room towards the sofa area, his eyes tightening as the paramedic stands and turns to face him.

"Taff? What are you doing here? Something I should know about or is it operational?"

"No Cookie, what you see is what you get," Gwyn waves a hand to indicate his paramedic uniform, "I went civvie about 3 years ago. Sorry to hear about the trouble you had."

"You, civvie? Yeah well that other stuff is passed now. Civvie, really?"

"Yeah, really. Well kind of, Harrison shifted me to 21 so you know how it is. I guess your security for him?"

Cookie gets a big grin, "Ah, I didn't think they'd let you go completely. Yeah been with Vik's company a while now."

 

Viktor interrupts the reunion with, "An old friend Cookie?"

"Yeh, Vik, Taff and I served back.."

"No Cookie. Just no. This is not op, but I still am."

"Yeah? Yeah, I guess. Ok, sorry Vik, this is Taff, we served together for a while some years back and I've trusted him with my life."

 

Viktor glances from one to the other, while everyone else looks pretty bemused by the byplay if they bothered to listen at all.

"Okaay. Right, well Taff when will Miss Taylor be cleared? I can get other medical observers if that is still necessary."

 

Gwyn consults his tablet briefly, then walks over and pulls some forms from his large medically labeled holdall under one of the tables saying, "Yeah I guess most of these people can go once they sign off the form."

He walks back over to the sofas and puts a stack of simple one sided forms on one of the coffee table and then puts a stack of business cards next to the forms.

 

"Please look it over, but it just acknowledges that you have undergone at least 30 min of medical observation and have left on your own volition. Miss Kantner, I'm afraid that since you are under 18 you will have to wait for either your fathers minder or your mothers driver to arrive before you can go, but I have been told that at least one of them is in the Terminal building already."

 

After a quick riffle through a couple of pockets of his bag Gwyn produces a few pens that you can start signing off on the forms and leave.

 

"Mr Robertson there will have to stay with me for a while, but he seems absorbed in his work or game or whatever at the moment. And this guy still in the cocoon I'll have to pass on to the next team."

 

Viktor looks around at the indicated people, but recognises Mr Robertson.

"I know him, he is a contractor and friend of mine. Could he come with us? It is probably his work for me that he is absorbed with."

"Your probably right, he did call out Viktor before he immersed himself in whatever he is up to. But I'm afraid that I can't release him to anyone until I have cleared him and he was late emerging. We have another 20 minutes before he can walk."

Gwyn pauses for a while but continues before Viktor can interrupt,

"But if you want to offer him a driver or something he should be cleared by the time you finish collecting your stuff from the plane and baggage reclaim."

[z019]

Sakura winced in sympathy for Amanda and murmured, "I'll wait here with you, if you want." She skimmed over the scant release form and signed at the bottom. Her stomach grumbled a little embarrassingly loud as she did and she flushed. "Well, I think my next stop is going to be lunch..."

[Rebecca Baines]

Millie looked at Becca and scratched the back of her head.

 

"I dunno.  I just kind want it to come to me and think and poof it's there if it's small enough.  It's a little tiring but Maybe..."

 

She concentrates ...Suddenly Millie's Phone appears in her hand

 

"Wow I didn't feel tired when I tried that one."

 

She looks at Becca.

 

"Maybe it's kinda like my teleporting.  But instead of warping stuff, you See the area around.  Then again I'm no expert at this"  She chuckles.

 

"So what was it like bein' a pilot?"

 

As the release forms arrived she gestured for Millie to follow along.

 

"It... well let's just say someone like me had a pile of bad luck. There's a reason why my callsign was 'Fish' and it wasn't because of something funny." She said, sighing as she began reading the form... "First time cost my instructor's career, and spent some not so comfortable time in the North Sea... thankfully rescue was quick. Second time... I... don't like talking about it." She said, clutching the dogtags she had. "Final time... let's just say there is no love between myself and the F-35."

 

She looked about. "That is all I can say about my third strike, nugget." She said with a smirk.

 

"So... all of London, me as your tour guide... of course after you square your business." She said twirling the pen after finishing her signature. Setting the pen on the Table. "All this and no debrief... pity." She said, taking one of the business cards, she heads out, but she waits somewhat past the threshold for Millie, sending a final text to James.

 

Got my walking papers signed. Meet you at baggage.
I have a plus one, offered one of the others in the room a lunch and a small tour of London. Nice girl.
- Fish

[齐刘 - Qí Liú]

A little more than annoyed at the further indignity heaped upon her she begins filling the form while hiding her emotions as much as possible. Sakura's kind offer seems very sincere and Amanda finds herself liking the older girl despite herself. Two in one day, she thinks, thats gotta be a record.

 

"Thank you Miss Augustine, I would enjoy the company. I'll be getting my friend Cheryl and stopping for something to eat as well. Why don't you come with us and we can drop you at your hotel after?"

[z019]

Sakura smiles and nods. "Sounds like a plan. And please, call me Sakura. There isn't a 'Miss Augustine', or at least hasn't been for a few generations. Even my mother just goes by Kit." She settled in to wait for Amanda's minder, glad to not be facing the outside world alone now.

[Zaylee Zanne]

When Tempest saw Mr. Black come into the lounge and head over to her mother and begin talking, she looked over at the two women - and possibly new friends - and gave them a quick grin before popping up to her feet and tugging her shirt down from when it started riding up. She took a sip of her coffee then tossed her head in the direction of Mr. Black and her mother.

 

"Well, looks like my ride is here. Later Amanda, Sakura," Tempest said, giving them a brief, two-fingered wave. "Talk to you guys later and send me a text when you get settled."

 

Tempest shuffled over to her mother, missing all but the end of the talk between the paramedic, her mom's boss, and his security. "So, we can go now, Mom?"

 

"Just as soon as we sign these medical observation forms, sweetie," Zoe assured her daughter, handing her one of the forms.

 

Tempest quickly read it over - there wasn't much to it - then signed and handed it back to her mother to co-sign, since she wasn't a legal adult. That done, she asked again, "Can we go now? Oh! I still need to get my laptop and carry-on from the plane."

 

"No worries, Ms. Taylor, my security detail collected your and your mother's luggage from the plane," Viktor said, turning to Cookie for a moment. "Call them to collect Mr. Robertson's things as well." He turned back to Gwyn Jones and gave him a nod. "I'll call a driver for him and when he is cleared, please tell him to meet me at baggage claim, I would still like some words with him. Let's go, ladies."

 

With that, Viktor, Cookie, and the Taylors left the lounge, Tempest trying to ignore or grow accustomed to the fluctuating brightness and melodies of the star-songs always in the back of her mind, trying to decipher what they meant. She stayed close to her mother's side, though didn't hold her hand. While walking through the terminal, Tempest tried to surreptitiously catch her mother's eye, then pointed at her temple with an index finger.

 

With a slightly puzzled expression, Zoe concentrated for a moment while still talking with Viktor about what was going on. <What is it, Pixie? Everything okay?> she mentally asked her daughter.

 

<Everything is fine... well, as fine as they can be, considering> Tempest replied while trying to keep an innocuous expression on her face. <Just... maybe we should be careful what we tell Mr. Black about what we can do, okay? He is a business man, he'll probably try to figure out how to exploit and monetize the things we can do, maybe even regardless of what we want to do.>

 

Zoe tried to keep her expression neutral but couldn't help but give her daughter a surprised look. Tempest hardly knew Viktor, and she certainly didn't know how closely and deeply her mother worked for him, Zoe desperately hoped. <I'll keep it in mind, hun.>

 

Zoe's was even more surprised when they passed a kiosk and Tempest stopped to collect an armful of fashion magazines, Cosmo, Allure, Vogue, even a couple of Lads Mags, and more, very different than her the PC, Gaming, and Music Industry Publications she usually collected. Zoe's suspicion was clearly evident in her mental communication when she asked, <Since when are you interested in fashion magazines, Temp?>

 

<Research.>

 

Zoe didn't believe her daughter's beaming, innocent smile for a moment, she just didn't have an idea of what she was trying to hide.

[Rorx]

Just as the Viktor, Cookie and the Taylor ladies left the First Class Lounge they passed a well dressed man in his thirties about to enter the Lounge, although initially confident looking, his face seemed to register some shock as he recognised Viktor  as they passed. Viktor for his part showed no sign of recognising the man. The group passed a more disheveled man in his late twenties as they entered the main concourse and turned towards baggage reclaim. He showed no sign of recognition, but did have a friendly nod as he stepped to the side for the group to pass.

 

Inside the Lounge most people are busy looking over the form and waiting for a pen, and so may miss the well dressed man stopping just outside the doors to make a quick phone call. The younger man is therefore the first to enter the Lounge, he pauses looking around the people gathered there before heading over to Amanda.

 

"Miss Kantner? I'm Alex Griffin", he says in pleasant mid-West tones, "your mother asked me to give you a lift back to her place. Things are a bit hectic at the Embassy right now as you can imagine with the Ambassador dying, but she hopes to be free by lunch time. She'll be very pleased to hear that you have shared her good fortune."

 

Whilst he was talking the well dressed man has followed him in and over to Amanda as well.

"I'm sure she will junior, but Mr Kantner has sent me to look after Amanda while she is her in the UK." His voice and manner are more brusque and business like, with the assumption that his will would prevail.

 

Gwyn the paramedic is also starting to head over to the group.

[齐刘 - Qí Liú]

"Now, now boys not need to get all hot and bothered over little old me" Amanda looks over both men, she can't tell if they are psychic or not but everyone else that she knows is lit up like a Christmas tree, so probably not but she decides to play it safe anyway. She gives Griffin her, I'll Have you for Later smile, and turns her attention to Daddy's bulldog.

 

"Now nice Mr. Griffin here is all polite and introduced himself when he came up so my initial reaction to you, is to tell you to go fuck yourself, but i figure that little ear piece is connected to a phone which will let me talk to daddy so you can stay. Phone Please." She stops one hand on her hip the other outstretched waiting for the phone.

[Rorx]

The Minder's smirk slips and he reluctantly digs out his phone and hands it over with a "Ken Gregory, Miss."

 

Gwyn stops approaching a little behind Ken and grins a little at his discomfort.

[齐刘 - Qí Liú]

"Thank you Mr. Gregory, now if you'll pardon me." She turn and give Sakura and apologetic look. "This will only be a few minutes im sorry I wasn't expecting two drivers."

 

Amanda looks at the contacts list and doesn't see anything that pops out so she tries redial hoping that the last call Gregory had gotten would have been from her Father. It was, and that where her luck ran out.

 

Jason Kantner anserwed the phone angry and just seemed to get angrier. Amanda tried all her tricks but the phone call end with bridges being burned, at least in her mind with the last things her father said to her.

 

"Can it. I heard." Jason Kantner's voice was harsh with impatience. "Yes, the worlds changed and I have to deal with THIS shit, and your still trying to make everything about you. Go with Gregory, you're your mom's problem now. That's why you're there after all." And then he hung up on her.

 

Amanda stood there for several seconds, anyone who had been watching didnt need to be a mind reader to know that teh call had not gone her way just from the set of her shoulders. But if there was anything about Amanda it was that she was apro had showing eh world a happy spoild rich kid and thats what she did now.  Amanda smiled at Sakura. "All done, you Ready?"

 

Turning back to Ken Gregory she returns his phone. "Thank you Mr. Gregory, We're done now you can go."

 

The minder was caught off guard. "I'm sorry Miss but i have my orders."

 

'Which just got changed. Your employer made it perfectly clear that I was my mother's problem now which make you pointless. So either you turn around and march your jack-booted ass out of here, or I'll ask Gwyn to have you arrested for harassment."

 

Purposefully turning her back on the Minder she focuses on Mr. Griffin.

 

"Sorry about that, and please call me Amanda. We need to gather up Cheryl from the plane and Ms. Sakura will be joining us I promised we would get a bite to eat and drop her at her Hotel, Is that alright?"

[Desmond Barnes]

Desmond had been carefully focusing on the flow of energy within himself, trying to get a sense of how to harness and control it.  With no training in his abilities it was sheer luck that he hadn't fried his tablet or any other cell device, so he removed them from his person till he was done.  It was some time till he was satisfied they'd be safe and he could check his emails.  Winslow had left a message about a government project, which by now he'd have started anyway.  Desmond sent him a message in reply to the effect of;

 

'Open research wing D for an additional project having to do with this incident.  I've just spent several hours in an impromptu isolation ward full of people exhibiting the same oddities as I do now.  Whatever data you compile in the time it takes me to get back to the states just forward me the overview.  We're on the cutting edge of a new field of discoveries, prepare the troops!'

 

It was then that he noticed people were filing out of this lounge they were staying in, and he moved absentmindedly to find his luggage.

[Sunstar]

 

 

As the release forms arrived she gestured for Millie to follow along.

 

"It... well let's just say someone like me had a pile of bad luck. There's a reason why my callsign was 'Fish' and it wasn't because of something funny." She said, sighing as she began reading the form... "First time cost my instructor's career, and spent some not so comfortable time in the North Sea... thankfully rescue was quick. Second time... I... don't like talking about it." She said, clutching the dogtags she had. "Final time... let's just say there is no love between myself and the F-35."

 

She looked about. "That is all I can say about my third strike, nugget." She said with a smirk.

 

"So... all of London, me as your tour guide... of course after you square your business." She said twirling the pen after finishing her signature. Setting the pen on the Table. "All this and no debrief... pity." She said, taking one of the business cards, she heads out, but she waits somewhat past the threshold for Millie, sending a final text to James.

 

Got my walking papers signed. Meet you at baggage.
I have a plus one, offered one of the others in the room a lunch and a small tour of London. Nice girl.
- Fish

 

"Ah.  Say no more.  Doesn't take a mindreader to know that's pretty traumatic."

 

She smiled after she signed the forms and took the card.  "Thanks Rebecca,   my hotel isn't all that far from here.  It's the Sheraton.  Figured it would best to be close to the airport.  Speaking of which I need to go grab my luggage"

 

Millie said heading out to do so. 

 

 

[Rorx]

Even Amanda as she turned away caught the 2nd flash of surprise on Gregory's face at the name Gwyn, but she carried on to address Sakura and Mr Griffin.

 

In the meantime Gregory had turned to find Gwyn stepping forward almost to Amanda's shoulder, as though partially shielding her from Gregory.

 

"Yes, Kenneth, I would leave now if I were you. After all there are plenty of armed police wandering the airport who might like to know why you are carrying such a large knife under your jacket."

 

"You know.."

 

"Yes, Kenneth, I know your name, and quite a bit about you. More than I'm sure you and Mr Kantner would be comfortable with, so I suggest you run along and try to decide you are going to be better off telling Mr Kantner about your failures and being on the receiving end of what you normally dish out, or keeping quiet and hoping that he doesn't find out."

 

A rather pale Mr Gregory makes one last glance between Amanda and Gwyn before heading towards the door, half stumbling over the corner of a coffee table on the way.

 

Mr Griffin seems happy with Amanda's decision and treatment of Mr Gregory and all smiles as he replies,

"Certainly Amanda. Your mother had been informed this morning that you were travelling with Cheryl and has had one of the bedrooms made up for her. I'm sure Ms Sakura would be welcome as well if she wishes to stay with you rather than find a hotel. Did you have any preference for somewhere to eat? There are several places open here in the airport if you wanted to grab some breakfast after we find your bags, but that should probably be our first stop."

 

Without waiting to see Gregory leave Gwyn turns to your conversation.

"Hi Alex, you take care of these ladies. Did you want me to get someone run interference in case Kenneth is still about?"

"Morning Gwyn, no I should be fine, and I doubt he'll try anything here with the police presence and everything."

"Ok, tell Suzi I've got to see Harrison and I don't know when I'll get free so I'll call her later."

"Well au revoir ladies, I hope you have a pleasant stay in the UK."

 

With that Gwyn turns back to his few remaining charges.

Alex turns towards the doors with a "Right then Amanda, Ms Sakura we go out here then take the first left on the concourse, that should start us in the right direction."

[齐刘 - Qí Liú]

"Suzi...?" Amanda lowers her voice to a Whisper as the walk out of the lounge. "Please tell me he Doesn't know my Mother."

[Rorx]

Gwyn spots the shambling Dr Barnes trying to follow Millie out and moves to intercept him.

 

"I think you better sit back down for a while Dr Barnes, you don't seem to be entirely with us yet. You seemed to be engrossed in something earlier do you want to talk about it?"

 

In the meantime another email's arrival is announced by your phone. Ignoring the paramedic briefly you check it to find it's a reply from Winslow

"Can't open up anywhere right now, all fully used on the project for OBI - Omni Black Industries, as stated earlier. Might be able to use this to get a discount on some equipment but still early days yet. Mass spec analysis of cocoon shows predominantly carbon with little other elements present, less than 1% in total. Inner, fabric like layer seems to have been something like a sheet of graphene from little samples we have. Surface layer tentatively postulated as diamond. Will keep you up dated as we go."

 

[Desmond Barnes]

"I think you better sit back down for a while Dr Barnes, you don't seem to be entirely with us yet. You seemed to be engrossed in something earlier do you want to talk about it?"

Absently Dr. Barnes replies with, "No that's all right, I don't have any physical discomfort it's just.." and then his email distracts him for a few seconds.

"Hmm, an entirely carbon based formation is it?  We'll have to test to see if the structure is organic and if the trace elements might include bits of DNA that we can..."  and then he realizes with a start that the paramedic is still there.  "Oh! Sorry bout that, I tend to get distracted while I'm working.  Yes, I seem to be alright physically, no lingering physical symptoms, and I seem to have this errant bioelectric current under control for the time being.  If I seem engrossed it's because my employees are sending me continual updates on a project we're handling regarding the current er...situation."

[Rorx]

"Oh I wouldn't expect you to have any physical discomfort. The cocoons seemed to have healed everyone up nicely, sometimes of severe and/or genetic disorders. You may still have been in your cocoon when I told someone about seeing Prof Stephen Hawking dancing with his wife live on a TV news bulletin a couple of hours ago."

 

Gwyn nods along to what the scientist says, "Bioelectric you say? Ok, I've heard of people with those kinds of abilities being able to fire off a taser like effect, which I think I mentioned before to you? They can also sometimes manipulate light, shift their vision to different parts of the EM spectrum and some can do things with technology as well."

 

He looks around and points over to Mr Robertson, "He seems to be more engrossed than you in his work, but his a technology manipulator type of your abilities. If you go and look closely you can see the images on his smart glasses changing as he is doing things, but he's not giving any voice commands, motion gestures, or bluetooth keyboard. It looks like he is controlling his smart glasses mentally. Another young lady who just left mentioned seeing waves coming out from peoples mobile phones, which suggests to me she was seeing in the microwave bands of the spectrum."

 

"So I guess your going to have your work cut out for you if you want to try to research what everyone can do. It would take you long enough to try to figure out what just one of us can potentially do."

 

He gets to his feet from seating beside Desmond, "In the meantime just humour me and have a coffee, then you can fill out the form and be on your way. Now, how would you like your coffee?" He finishes as he reaches the counter with the coffee machines and filters.

[Desmond Barnes]

"More of a tea man actually, if you happen to have some Darjeeling that would be great." he replies as he sits down to the forms.

 

"So Prof. Hawking is walking now?  This bodes well."

[Rorx]

"Darjeeling?, Yeah, no problem, but surprising from an American. Hawkings, yeah good news, but just a drop in the ocean. We have our work cut out for us emptying the hospitals at the moment. Everyone in has been cured of any existing conditions including the need for glasses. Even those wuth genetic disorders seem to have been cured and restored to what should have been their normal level of health. Give us another day or two and the only people in hospitals will be the recently injured and those elderly who can not quickly be rehoused."

Gwyn brought the tea over to a coffee table for Desmond, "Give it a minute or two to brew, and here's some milk if you take it."

Sitting opposite Desmond he continues,

"I'd guess that most hospitals well have a couple of staff who went psychic, so if got healing powers or can learn them from others we could certainly improve the level and speed of health care."

[Desmond Barnes]

"Are there any hard numbers regarding what kind of ability distribution we have in any of the connected nations?  Just from glancing around it seems like there are those whose power sets favor certain expressions.  It would be useful to know if certain abilities are rare or not when the inevitable testing begins."

[Rorx]

Gwyn shakes his head, "'Fraid not. As far as I know they have no ideas of numbers or proportions on dead or psychics let alone types of psychics. Added to which most if not all psychics seem to have several different areas of abilities which makes classifying them harder. But what makes you think testing will be inevitable or that we'd allow it to be?"

[Desmond Barnes]

Dr. Barnes allowed himself a half-grin as he replied, "Call it scientific intuition..."

[Rorx]

"You can call it what you want Doctor, " Gwyn replied with a cold, grim look, "but anyone advocating compulsory testing is going to have a fight on his hands and you don't want to be fighting me and my friends Doctor Barnes. So I suggest you stick to testing yourself or true volunteers, because now you're making me think I need to be checking up on you in the future."

With a rueful grin he continues in better humour, "The Catholic church would disagree with you as well since the Pope has been returned to full health and announced his becoming psychic about an hour or so ago. A variety of politicians have been mentioned as being psychic as well and I doubt they will want to go along with that idea. The closest you are likely to get is in the armed forces, and i doubt they will be releasing that data any time soon."

[Desmond Barnes]

Dr. Barnes raises his eyebrow quizzically.  "For claiming to have preternatural insight your mind seems to have gone in a completely different direction than my original thought.  I was thinking more of the concept of further generations begin tested during the prenatal stage to discern their potential ability spread, but then again..." he continues as he starts to drift off into hypothetical thought trains, "coming from the US where we are steadily becoming a police-state your assumption may not be entirely without merit.  I don't know about you folks here in the UK, but our military consumes at least 80% of our national budget.  And lately our level of continual surveillance has been edging up to the Orwellian.  As much as people complain about having their phones tapped, their emails sifted, and their various social media monitored secretly, I imagine the idea of a secret 'thought police' has been entertained by our security administration at some point recently." he finishes, frowning at the thought.

"Of course, your idea of 'checking up on me later' seems to indicate that very thing already exists more or less.  Perhaps I may find myself in the business of anti-surveillance measures after all..."

[Rorx]

"I have never claimed any 'preternatural insight' as you put it, simply a guide to navigation at this point. And I would no more accept testing of fetuses than I would the compulsory testing of anyone else. Actually although I couldn't say how the politicians would react to that, you can be pretty sure the Catholic church would be against it."

 

Gwyn shrugs as he continues, "You may think you have it bad in the States, but some countries are more controlled than you are. I hate to think what is going on in China at the moment. They shut off all communication about an hour after they emerged from the cocoons. I would guess that the government is trying to crack down and may try to grab control of the psychics, but whether they will be able to pull that off I don't know. You can bet that there will be some resistance to the idea at least,"

 

He looks around to check on the remaining cocoon and the guy with his head in the internet, seeing no noticeable change Gwyn returns his attention to Dr Barnes.

"As for checking up on you, that would simply be for my own peace of mind and using my own resources. Scientists have a bad habit on occasions of gleefully charging off and doing things because they can without thinking first about whether they should do them at all or in a different way. So what will you be doing Doctor Barnes? I note that you are a physicist so I doubt you're familiar with the hoops it is necessary to jump through for ethical committee hearings and approvals as would be required for any testing involving animals or people."

[Desmond Barnes]

"China...yeesh...I didn't even think about that.  North Korea is going to be even worse." he mutters with a slight cringe.  Then he snaps back on subject once Gwyn mentions him.

 

"Hmm, me?  Well to put it honestly, when I get back to my labs I'm going to be using whatever equipment I have to measure the full extent of what it is I am doing until I have a good idea of what the source is and my limits. Then I'm going to design and build better equipment to measure my output, and start the process again.  Repeating until I have equipment specifically made for this kind of work.  Then I think I'll spread the design all over the world so everyone can use it in further research.  Undoubtedly I'll come up with other ideas whilst in the midst of the process, but that's the immediate plan."

[Rorx]

Gwyn replies with a grim nod, "Yeah, North Korea, the middle east is all over the place, Africa. Its going to affect a lot of the dictatorships in one way or another. Terrorism in some ways could be worse in other ways easier to fight. Going to be a lot of people thinking hard about things for a while."

"How many staff have you got, and have any of them gained any abilities ? Because if you're waiting until you get back yourself that will be most of another day, if you consider it a race. On the other hand if you're mainly going to be testing yourself in your own lab I guess yiu won't have the paperwork to go through before you start that the university labs will probably have."

Gwyn checks his watch, "Well I'll be one less delay for you. Your obviously no longer having random sensory effects, so you free to go once you sign the form. Take one of my cards as well and feel free to give me a call or email if you want to discuss anything. I better get these two moved so they can process another plane load."

 

Having stood and started to walk towards the computer guy while speaking Gwyn stops and looks back to Desmond saying , "Oh, don't forget to go back to the plane for your carry on luggage before going to the Baggage Claim."