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Aberrant: The Middle Children of History - In Passing [Fin]


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"Thanks Ptesan, see you on the 7th August then."

A beautiful Lakota woman looked at her small OpNet screen for a long moment with slightly glowing blue eyes before snapping it shut. A trace of worry furrowed the smooth skin of her brow as she set the little solar-charged handheld on a stone ledge - or rather, the woven mat on said ledge - and tried to busy herself with housekeeping. As she did so, the furrow deepened.

This visitor wanted to learn. Such was a laudable thing, Ptesan-Wi knew; she'd spent the better part of the last decade encouraging better education on the Pine Ridge Reservation (and eventually for the Sioux tribes as a whole). But this visitor wanted to learn things that she wasn't sure she could teach.

It wasn't that she wasn't skilled. Ptesan-Wi was known as one of the best telepaths in North America. BIA agents throughout the Great Planes knew not to try to deceive the small woman in negotiations.

But her ways were not the same as those of her "fellow" novas, a fact she knew all too well.

A rumble came from the storm clouds that had been working their way in from the west all afternoon. Once, that rumble could have meant the return of her mate. Now, it was likely a portent of trouble to come.

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Leaving the Wake in Seattle after the speeches, Darren said his goodbyes to Connor, Netherworld, Aurora and a few others he had met there before 'porting home to North Wales. His eufiber settled into the more comfortable form of jeans and a t-shirt while he made himself a coffee and booted up his computer.

Settling down he did a search for Inyan Kan and was quickly pulling up maps, GPS coordinates and photos of the area. Another web site provided the time difference and a quick calculation proved it was still anti-socially early over there. To pass the time Darren cooked himself some dinner, read a couple of text books for a while, then spent another couple of hours trying to meditate. He still hadn't progressed much from his initial lessons back in Japan during the filming, but he was determined to improve.

By then he calculated it was a couple of hours after dawn at the reservation. Picking up some odds and ends of outdoor gear, he quickly attuned it while re-checking where he was aiming for at the reservation. After closing down the computer again he had a brief moment of concentration and 'ported.

Appearing by the closest school Darren quickly got directions to Ptesan's cave and started hiking that way.

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Hawk's call found Ptesan-Wi in the garden, pulling the weeds that insisted on trying to make life as hard as possible for her poor tortured carrots. She looked up, shading her eyes from the bright summer sun to see her winged friend soaring through blue skies, cutting circles over the path that lead from the nearest village up to her home.

Stepping carefully across rows of potatoes and squash, she made her way to the gardening shed, her "snowshoe" propped up against it. A quick pump of water from the well and some of the lump soap she kept handy took care of the worst of the dirt on her hands. With a though, the bentwood-and-leather disk moved from its resting spot to hover beside her. She stepped onto the construct with practiced ease, and began to soar up the path to the cave, her gentle white aura showing against the trees and then the azure sky.

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Darren spotted the white aura as soon as it came into view, and zooming in, immediately recognising it as Ptesan-Wi herself. He gave an exaggerated wave in that direction, but carried on walking up the path.

No point showing off, or using powers on someone elses home ground unnecessarily. After all I;m here to pick her brains and exchange info, not show off like a prat drunk on his power.

It took him a while to walk the rest of the way to the cave, but he lost himself in the view of the countryside, so stark and different to mountains of North Wales where he lived. He approached the woman near the cave mouth with a smile and an open hand.

"Ptesan-Wi, I assume? Good to finally met you."

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She raised a hand, palm-out in the traditional greeting even as the "snowshoe" settled to the stone outcropping. *Hau, Darren,* she said in a voice heard only in his mind, formality mixed with a gentle smile. *Welcome to Inyan Kara. Please, come into my home.*

Home it turned out was through a cave opening, a heavy buffalo-hide hanging that served as its only door drawn back with cord to let the summer breeze in. This was no natural thing formed over millenia; massive claws had torn this thing into existence, burrowing out granite with the ease of a rabbit burrowing through soil.

But for all of its hard-scrabble beginnings, the hole created by the talons of Wakinyan had been made a true home at the hands of Ptesan-Wi. The floor was swept clean wherever a woven rug wasn't covering it... and those gaps were few. Little outcroppings served for everything from shelves to tables to seats, each covered with furs or matts. Wall hangings were everywhere, some including massive feathers too large for any bird in Darren's experience. A fire pit was built into the stonework in such a way that the stone above it could be used to bake flatbread and yet leave space for cookpots; the smoke was vented through a shaft that wound to the surface somewhere.

A kettle currently hung over the fire; as Ptesan-Wi motioned her guest to a soft-furred seat - rabbit, from the look of it - the kettle rose of its own accord to pour into two earthenware mugs, each rising in turn to come to the tablespace where they sat.

Taking her own cup of herbal tea into her hands, the Lakota goddess sipped a bit of the steaming liquid. *How was your journey? Did things go well at Eagle Thunder's wake?*

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Darren had suspected, given her reputation as a psychic, that she would use Telepathy, and so lowered his Psychic Shield when he first felt her touch at his mind.

*Thank you for your welcome*

He followed her into the cave, appreciating the combination fo care and power used in creating it and it's facilities, and sat where indicated.

*The journey was brief* he thought with a smile, *I teleported over from the UK to the village, but the walk up from the village was pleasant*

Darren took a sip from his cup, trying to identify the herbs used from thier flavour and smell.

The wake was pleasant enough, given it's nature. Happily, there was no major conflicts amongst the Novas who attended, which can sometimes be an issue I believe. Sadly I hadn't known Eagle Thunder in life, other than vaguely remembered reports of his good work on the news occasionally. On the other hand it did allow me to meet up with some of the Novas I do know, and to meet Eagle Thunder's successor as Seattle's defender.*

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*That would be Dauntless, yes?* Ptesan-Wi mused on the thought for a moment, as she sipped at the tea.

*What sort of person is she? I've seen what little she has posted on the OpNet, and the press released from Seattle, but is she the kind who might give followers of Teras a fair chance if they are fair with her... even after what happened with Eagle Thunder?*

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*Yes, although she apparently also goes by Aurora. It's difficult to tell from the little conversation we had, but I believe she would more likely to take an individual or their own actions and statements than to assume things through association.*
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The hint of a relieved smile caught the corners of Ptesan-Wi's mouth. *That is good to hear. There is a great deal of prejudice in the world today.* A slightly focused look came to her eyes; moments later, a plate of flatbread and a speckled yellowish spread floated their way to the table, along with a well-used knife.

*Given your travels, I thought you might be hungry. I hope you like herbed honey butter; I made a batch earlier in the week. And in truth,* she added, standing, *I should probably get an early start on the stew for dinner. Do you mind if we chat while I work? I believe you came wanting to discuss powers of the mind, yes?*

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*Thanks* he thinks to her as he takes a portion of flatbread and spreads the butter on it. *I'm not one of those who needs to eat vast amounts, as I assume you are not either, but it means that I always have space to try something if I wish to. It's good. Perhaps you could give me the recipe?*

He leans back and turns to keep her in view as she begins working on the stew. *Heh, one of the advantages of mental communication. You don't have to worry about eating with your mouth full. Yes, that was the reason. I seem to have erupted with powers largely along the lines of an old TV program about a group of psychics. So far that has mainly been Telekinesis and Teleportation, but has also included some kind of psychic telephone, telepathy and just recently clairvoyance. I think I've got a good grasp of the Telekinesis and Teleportation, but I'd appreciate any pointers you could give me on the telepathy related stuff and your take on the use of clairvoyance.*

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*Well,* Ptesan-Wi sent, while she mentally wrangled a large pot under a peculiar outcropping, *it has been my experience that the various mental powers are extremely individualistic, much more so than the more physically oriented talents shown by our kind. Different telepaths use very different techniques to reach out to other minds.*

She pulled a small board out of a slot, and water gushed down the stonework into the pot; at some point, someone had obviously routed a spring up into the cave. As the pot filled, she continued sending to Darren. *My methods in accord with my declaration as a Marvel and as a wakanwinyan to my people; it is a mix of intuitive process and a deliberate understanding of the world in a context of Lakota cosmology. I send my thoughts out upon the breath of Wakan-Tanka. Guided by the wisdom of my mother Hanhépi-Wi, the Moon, I reach out to the People - those of the Sioux Nation, as well as the other native peoples. I try to tread softly, but to help guide the People to better days by bringing them back to the Old Ways, those that I first taught to the Lakota all those many lives ago when I brought them the first sacred pipe.*

With the massive bit of iron ware about a quarter full of clean spring water, the Lakota goddess pushed the wooden board back into place to cut the flow, and the pot moved of it's own accord to hang on a heavy hook above the fire even as vegetables and meats swirled out from shelves and a cold back room to present themselves to Ptesan-Wi's knife. *I am in a way the quiet conscience of the People now, and my powers have developed along lines and in directions to help me better fulfill my sacred role.* She spared a warm smile for the young nova, looking aside from her work for a moment to do so. *The trick for you is to find your role, your place in the world; once you do that, the powers will shape themselves to fit. It is like making a leather pouch; you need to soften the hide, soaking it and wrapping it around the shape you wish it to contain; when it dries, it will fit like a glove.* As she sent the words, images appeared in Darren's mind, showing him in accelerated form the process.

Throughout, an odd feel of what might best be called "static" pricked at Darren's node. He had been warned of this before, of course; Ptesan-Wi's odd development had long been noted in the nova community, with many speculations upon whether the strange shielding of her quantum signature produced the static effect, or whether the static was in fact what created the shielding.

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Darren watched with appreciation the skill with which Ptesan controlled the multiple streams of items heading to her for preparation.

*Yeah, I guess that has always been the trick for everyone, Nova or not, for millenia, how to find your own place in the Universe. That strange combination of what makes you happy or content to do and that is a benefit to society or the universe as a whole. So far I haven't really worked out what that is, although I spent a chunk of time considering it for a month or two while I was hollowing out an asteroid recently.*

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An eyebrow raised at that. *Hollowing out an asteroid? Sounds as though someone plans to make a space-based cave. Which, if you think about the general derision that some novas feel the need to cast upon me for my choice of homes, is at least a little funny.*

In short order, the various foodstuffs were in the pot, liberally dosed with salt and wild herbs the nature of which Darren could only guess. *But before you can really find your way with regard to the power of the mind, you need to focus on who you are and what you wish to be. That demands more than a 'chunk of time'. It demands the focus of your time until it is accomplished. Otherwise, all that you do might as well be throwing pebbles in a stream: a nice enough pastime, but not very useful unless you're hoping to build a dam.*

With the beginnings of a buffalo and venison stew on the fire, Ptesan-Wi sat back down across from her guest. Elbows planted on the table mat and chin planted upon her palms, she looked into the young man's eyes for a very long minute before sighing matter-of-factly and asking - in her first spoken words of the day, in a voice that was melodic and gentle and utterly inescapable - "So what is it that you wish to be? Who are you, Darren Thompson, and who would you be in your heart?"

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Darren grinned *A space-cave? I hadn't thought about it that way before, but you're right it is. Practically however it is the most cost effective way of building a small outpost. The location is basically free. It just requires an investment in time to dig/drill out the living spaces. Although later on I will need to get an atmosphere and heating systems in there.*

"That's a good question. I'm not sure I know yet. I know what I have done and what of those things I have enjoyed, but we can't only be defined by what we have done, it should also take into account what we will do in the future."

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"Then that," the goddess said in tones of certainty so intense that they reached into and caught the young man's soul, "is what you must discover. Not powers, not techniques, but your own spirit."

She stood then, stepping lightly across a woven rug to tend once more to the stew pot. Even now, minutes after it had been started, a savory aroma swirled up into the cave as she gave the mixture a stir with a long carved wooden spoon.

"Among the People, a young brave would undertake the Hanblecheyapi, the vision quest." She looked into the rising steam, almost as though she saw patterns within it, tracing their delicate ephemeral lines with the soft azure glow of her eyes. The moment broke as she looked back to Darren. "But you are not of the People, and our ways are not your own. Who are your own people, Darren? What in their heritage would bring you visions of your spirit, of your path as a man?"

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Darren is attentive until she asks about his own people when he laughs briefly, "Oh, you'll have to forgive me for laughing, but that is a classic."

He quickly recovers and continues more seriously, "I'm british, and we have a long history of being invaded. The first known invaders or settlers were the celts who joined the bretons who are thought to have been there originally. Several hundred years later they were invaded by the romans and then later as time went on by the angles, the saxons and the normans. Since then there has been a general mixing with other peoples from all over the world of all religions and beliefs for the best part of a thousand years. So you see it's impossible to find a single heritage, and very few of what remains had any such journey or vision of finding your spirit."

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Giving the stew another leisurely stir, Ptesan-Wi considered her guests words, watching the vapor rise again in twist and turns. Only after a long moment did she comment once more, in a sending.

*Then it is fortunate that you are of the One Race. For if any can forge a new heritage and create for oneself new paths to a spirit vision, it is those of our kind.* She looked to him, her eyes blazing an intense blue as they caught his own. *Decide how you will proceed, and make it so. Borrow from old ways, make your own from whole cloth, or blend the best of both into one, but quest after your true spirit!*

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Darren is lost in thought for a moment as he ponders possible methods before replying, *I think to start with I'll do a walkabout of the UK, to see the lay of the land. And perhaps after that spend a while in effective sensory deprivation up in my space cave. Of the two I think the first is likely to be more useful.*

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  • 3 weeks later...

Ptesan-Wi looked thoughtful for a moment, then gave a smile that could have meant anything. *You are a nova, and you are beginning to seek out the heritage that you will create. And this is as it should be.*

Nothing more came from the strange young woman, this goddess of the Lakota people and enigma of the Teragen, as she went back to the simple work of cooking.

As time passed, Darren could see a sort of elegance in how his host lived. Her relative isolation gave room for thought; her simple lifestyle demanded little pretense and a good deal of genuine work. It was fitting, perhaps, that one who delved so deeply into the mind did not clutter her life with constant mental intrusions. This was a life, primitive though it may be, that granted her an extraordinary amount of freedom. And wasn't that a good part of what being a nova was all about?

The stew proved to be delicious. Whatever else Ptesan-Wi may be, she was certainly a good cook. Perhaps she cheated, peering into the minds of guests to see just what flavours would best suit them. Or maybe it was just an honest knack. Whatever the cause, the meal was taken largely in eager silence.

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As Darren eat his delicious meal he was put in mind of those times that he had been alone with nature, early mornings on the beach going surfing before the rest of the crowd were up, watching the sunset from the top of a mountain looking out across the rest of the range. Sitting here with Ptesan he got the same feeling, this was where she was meant to be, doing what she is meant to do. He olny hoped he could find a place in the world that would make him as contented.

Once the meal was done he watched the dishes once more make their own way to a pile to be cleaned, then turned back to his hostess, * Thank you for the meal Ptesan-Wi, it was delicious. And also for you wisdom, I'll go now to consider it, and try to put it into practise.*

He bowed to her as he stood and as he walked to the cave entrance his own bag lifted from the ground to catch up with him. He may not have been as practised as Ptesan-Wi, but he possessed his own telekinesis. Reaching the entrance he shouldered his bag and turned back to Ptesan-Wi, *With your permission I may contact you again, to let you know how it is going perhaps, but for now farewell.* Recieving a smile, a nod and a simple *Farewell for now* He teleported home to the still mountainous, but very different climate of North Wales.

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