Special Talents (11 page)

"But I've never seen her before. And she certainly didn't teach it to me."

"I didn't say she taught it to you. I said you picked it up from her. You told me that you get all kinds of things in your head. And they're all jumbled together. That you can't make any sense of them."

"That's right. I can even remember some of them. But some of them just kind of disappear as quickly as they appear."

"Conrad, what I think is going on here is that you're picking the minds of the people around you. Like at the food court earlier. You were picking the information out of the minds of all those people around you. But there were so many minds and so much information coming in all at once you couldn't separate them. So they just sort of jumble up in your mind.

"It's kind of like listening to a dozen stations on the radio at the same time. You can hear all of them clearly. But the sound is so overwhelming and they just sort of mesh together in this blinding sound that you can't distinguish one station from the other."

"And that's causing the headaches?"

"I believe so. Your mind is trying to deal with all this influx of information simultaneously and sort it out. But there's just too much to sort through. As your mind tries it's best to make sense of it all the result are the mind numbing headaches."

'Wait a minute. How could I be picking someone's brain? I never talk to anyone."

"Well, I meant you were picking their minds literally. I believe you may have a form of telepathy. You said you don't hear voices. So you are exactly reading their minds. But you are able to reach into their minds and draw information out of them. But you don't know how to control your telepathy. So you're trying to pick everyone's mind at the same time."

"Telepathy?" questioned Conrad. "You mean like in some of those science fiction movies I've seen? I'm using my mind to sort of read other people's minds?"

"That's exactly what I mean. You were born with a gift but you were never taught how to use that gift. And now it's literally causing you pain because since you can't control it you use it all the time. That's why it gets better at night or when you're away from the city. The fewer people there are around the fewer minds there are to read. So you mind finds it easier to sort through the information you're getting. But it's still unfocused and you're still getting too much information too fast. So you still have the headaches only not so severe."

"That sounds crazy. Telepathy isn't real. It's only in the movies. No one can actually read another person's mind."

"I believe you can. More importantly, I believe I can teach you how to control it. So that you use it only when you want to and only on the people you want to. If I can that should alleviate the headaches."

"Great. I'm not going crazy. I'm just a freak. That's nearly as bad."

"No," said Janet forcefully. "I used to think I was a freak. But Jeremy showed me I wasn't. He showed me I had a wonderful gift and that's what he's trying to do for you here. But you're no freak."

"What? You mean you can read minds, too?"

"No, I can't read minds, but," began Janet.

"Then you have no idea what you're talking about lady."

Janet just looked at Jeremy for a moment. Then she reached down with one hand and effortlessly lifted the foot of the bed nearly two feet off the floor. She held it for a moment staring at Conrad, and then put the bed back on the floor.

"Okay, so you're stronger than you look," said Conrad. "That's not so unusual. I've seen a lot of people who are stronger than most people."

"Oh, it's much more than that," replied Janet. "Have you ever seen anyone who can lift a car by themselves? Or bend iron bars without any effort? Or rip open a bolted door as easily as most other people open an unlocked door?"

"Well, no," said Conrad.

"I can. I'm more than just stronger than most people. I'm stronger than anyone. And it appears I can have almost as much strength as I need when I want. I can do things that should be humanly impossible. But I can do them without breaking a sweat. That doesn't make me a freak. It makes me special and unique. You just have a different sort of gift. And it makes you special and unique, too."

"We all have special abilities," said Jeremy. "Kamalene out in the living room? She can control almost any mechanical device simply by touching it. I have the ability to see the aura people produce. And I can use it to tell if someone is lying. Or if they're using a special ability. That's how I identified you. I saw you using your telepathy in the mall."

"You're serious. You all have these special abilities? What about Mr. Scarborough? What can he do?"

"Well, he doesn't have a special ability," said Jeremy. "Most people don't. But remember when you first woke up here? You said you were getting information about Homeland Security, terrorists, and 'special talents'?"

"Yeah."

"Richard works for Homeland Security. And as I'm sure you're aware, Homeland Security deals with terrorists. And the 'special talents' is the term they use for people like us. People capable of doing some pretty amazing things."

"So, if all of this is true, what are we? Mutants? Like in that movie I saw a couple of years ago."

"No, I don't think so," said Jeremy. "Contrary to what was said in that movie, mutations in an organism are rarely, if ever, beneficial. A mutation is a change in the genetic structure of an organism. And even the slightest change in an organisms genetic structure usually has disastrous results. Mutations make a nice background for a movie but it actually has little basis in fact."

"Okay. So if we aren't mutants, then what are we?"

"To be honest, I don't know. I don't have all the answers. I do know that certain people are born with special abilities. Special talents as we call them. And any ability, or talent, can be honed. You can be taught how to control it and how to use it. And once you do you might just be surprise exactly what you can actually do with it."

"So if I learn to control this telepathy I won't have the headaches anymore?"

"Well, we're sort of in uncharted waters here, so to speak. I can't really say you won't with any degree of certainty. But I believe if you learn to control your ability, it just might put an end to the migraines. I get headaches too if I use my talent too much. But I've learned the extent and limit of my ability. And even though I still suffer from headaches on occasion, they are considerably less frequent and not nearly as bad as they once were. It's very possible and I think even probably that would happen with you once you learn to control your ability."

"How long would it take? For me to learn to control it?"

"I don't know. But I do know that if you don't try you'll just keep going the way you have been. It might take a while. But I'm willing to help you all I can. So are Janet and Kamalene."

"In exchange for something. Remember I said you wanted something from me. If what you're saying is true, then you do want something from me."

"Okay, yes, there is something I'd like to discuss with you. But first we need to get you to control your ability. Unless you can control it you're no use to anyone, least of all yourself."

"Well, it would be nice not to have the headaches anymore. This thing you want me to do? That would be my way of repaying you for your help?"

"No," said Jeremy. "I'm willing to help you no strings attached. I'm a psychiatrist. That's what I do. When and if you're ready to discuss my proposal that will be something totally separate. And you'll be perfectly free to say no if you want to. With no hard feelings."

"I guess I don't have much of a choice. I can't go on the way I've been going. I'm no good to anyone like this. And I can't stand the headaches. If you can help me get rid of them I'm willing to try. So. How do we start?"

"First, you get some rest. You've had a long day. I'll see that you get some more painkillers so you can rest easier. But eventually we'll have to dispense with the painkillers altogether. The only way we'll know you're getting better is if the severity of the headaches begins to decrease. You get some sleep. We'll talk about teaching you to control your ability in the morning."

"Thanks, Dr. Sloan."

"Don't mention it," said Jeremy.

He and Janet left the room. Kamalene was in the living room reading a magazine.

"How did it go?" Kamalene asked.

"Well, he's listening to us," said Jeremy.

"Somewhat anyway," said Janet. "I can imagine what he must be thinking. I'm not sure I'd believe us if I was in his place."

"Well, we'll just have to play it by ear," said Jeremy. "Hopefully it shouldn't be long before we can prove to him everything I said it true."

"I hope so," said Kamalene. "Secretary Napolitano is expecting results. We can't afford to take too long."

"It will take as long as it takes," said Jeremy. "That's all I can say."

"So how much did you tell him about the team?" Scarborough asked when he returned later that day.

"Nothing really," said Jeremy. "He does know I want to talk to him about it. I guess he was able to pick that out of my mind. But he doesn't know what it is. I told him we'd worry about it later. Right now we need to concentrate on teaching him how to control his telepathy."

"Well, I got the background check on him," said Scarborough. "He was born in Canton, Ohio and his family moved to Rockville, Maryland when he was three. He's lived there ever since. He dropped out of high school at 16. There are a few work places on his record but none more than a few days length. Apparently he doesn't keep a job very long."

"That's basically what he told me. He said his headaches interfere with any jobs he gets. That would make sense. If they're severe enough he wouldn't be capable of doing much until they passed and that doesn't look like it happens very often."

"His mother is a stay at home mom," Scarborough continued. "He has two younger sisters. His father works as an electrician for a company in Rockville. His criminal record isn't much. Mostly vagrancy, trespassing, that sort of thing. The types of charges you'd expect from someone who is homeless."

"So he's not considered a major threat to national security," said Janet.

"Not as far as I can tell. Just some kid who apparently is down on his luck. You really think you can help him, Jeremy?"

"Well, I'm going to try. I'm not sure how successful I'll be. I've never tried anything like this before."

"No one has," said Janet. "This is pretty much all new territory to us."

"Well, I got permission to let the kid stay here for a couple of weeks. When Secretary Napolitano learned he might be able to read someone else's mind she got somewhat excited. Said something about maybe using it to learn plans from terrorists who won't cooperate or don't even know we're watching them."

"I'm not sure it works that way but we'll see," said Jeremy. "In the mean time, I think someone should be here with him at all times."

"I've all ready had Kamalene transferred to my department," said Scarborough. "As of right now, you report to me. You no longer work in the maintenance division. So she can stay here and the rest of us can spell her from time to time."

"That's fine with me," said Kamalene. "He seems like a nice kid."

"Well, I think we should all get some rest," said Jeremy. "Tomorrow might be a long day. And I have no idea how long it's going to take to get a handle on his ability."

"I'll go back to headquarters and see how the list of potential candidates is coming," said Scarborough. "I'll stop by in the morning and see how you're doing."

"That will be fine," said Jeremy. "Only don't expect too much. This might take some time."

Scarborough left the house and the other three settled in for the night. Jeremy was expecting a very busy day the next day.

Jeremy and Conrad sat at the kitchen table the next morning. The breakfast dishes had all been cleared away and a single glass sat in the center of the table. Janet and Kamalene sat in the living room watching.

"Okay," said Jeremy. "Now, as I explained, your mind is reaching out to every other mind around it. It's drawing information out of those minds but it's drawing too much at one time. What we need to do teach you to concentrate on only a single mind at a time."

"How do I do that?" Conrad asked.

"What's the first thing that pops into your head?"

Conrad sat for a minute thinking. There was still so much information coming in that it was hard to concentrate. After a moment he looked up at Jeremy.

"Homeland Security," he said.

"Okay. That could be from any one of us. Theoretically, the closer you are to a person, the stronger the information in their mind is. What else?"

"A faulty valve on a boiler?" Conrad questioned.

"That's what I was working on before I was sent here," said Kamalene. "The boiler at headquarters needed a new valve and I was going to change it."