Seeking And Sharing: a Psi-Kicks story by: GF Willmetts.

Sara Seeker stood looking down from the top of Hampstead Heath. Whatever had happened to her, there were parallels to events elsewhere. Chris Lancier had even had the sense to stop some meteoroid crashing to Earth judging by the crater here although something seemed to have landed on his head. Whether he would be lucky a second time would remain to be seen more so as the small crater here must surely done more than shaken him up. Unless he had help from the Booster Rooster, Sheena Ramone. Either they or she had already been moved to another pocket universe themselves. That meant a very powerful godlike Psionic, if only she could remember who this Max was.

There weren’t that many reality-shifters but it would give her the means for a search for one: Mary Travers. If she could make a connection there, perhaps she could reach out and find her. Certainly, it would be better than her current attempts to find any Psionic. Apart from this Ludomere Shear of questionable background who was the only other one here. A bean pusher, hah! Let’s see if she could find her here. Even so, she had left her down in the city asleep in the early hours of the morning. With the city still sleeping, there would be less active minds to interfere with her own scans.

She sat in the crater, one connection, hopefully to another. If she was looking for them they must be looking for her. Working as a collective would be tough unless Polly Kettle was with them. Too much sharing would cause confusion or a hot spot. If they triangulated, it would give a wider area. How often would they be trying? Surely they would be trying when it was quiet like now, assuming they stayed in London or even dared stay in any busy city. Then again, would they have any trackers among them? Certainly the scans for the some of the Stable home sites had proved negative. A couple of them were still totally military.

Would they believe it real or a real population? Granted, she couldn’t tell the difference herself. Reality for everyone was what they made it. They probably thought they were living a normality if they had been spiked. It would take powerful Psionics to spot the difference. Less so with Blanks, the world might be just odd. Was that why they were kept separate from her?

Sara didn’t expect the first scan to find anything. She sat and relaxed. Waiting for any vibes to come to her rather than actively seek them. It was more a reception thing more than actively seeking people. The signatures would come to her and her brain would make sense of them. If they didn’t, they would stick out like beacons. Explaining this when her Stable Mates shared never made much sense to them or shared for a time. It was an instinctive reflex not dependent on any survival mechanism kicking in. She just needed to make contact with anyone.

She was Sara Seeker, from a long family of seekers who could find anything. It was only with her generation that it was attributed to psionic ability. They just had the knack of finding anything. At least her memory wasn’t that impaired…as far as she knew.

This was the fifth night of trying. Could a pocket universe be so confined not to feel anything? This time she reached out looking for psionic energy residue. Of course, Ludomere Shear was sleeping down in the city. She could pin-point her showing her talent was working normally. Her psionics were like a black hole, sucking it in. No wonder if was difficult to track psionic energy. It was also the reason why she didn’t want to stay close to her. Perhaps that was wrong. Maybe she should let Ludomere Shear’s talent be suck her in with a share and see where she went. Looking at something in the face and running away from it might have been the problem all along. After sharing with the Harbinger that time, Sara had been cautious with sharing lately. Liking dangerous shares without the restraint the originals had lived with made everyone worry. Now she was going to do the same again with a psionic sponge.

Ludomere Shear had appeared out of nowhere. A Psionic amongst the Vampiri, except they weren’t here to confirm that. Considering their need to absorb psionic energy, why keep a Psionic who could do the same thing except maybe to test the purity of the energy they needed. Even so, they could end up being competitors if she couldn’t expel it. Handing her over to the Stable wouldn’t be a bad idea except she would be feeding off of them instead. That would depend on how hungry she was and what she did with the energy. That would require more than one decision on that unless she could rein her power in. Sharing would give some insight but would it be an unstoppable object versus an immobile force. Would they neutralise each other or cause something else to happen? Beneficial or detrimental. Sharing would find out but what was she letting herself in for and there was no one to ask about Ludomere Shear herself.

‘Have you made up your mind, Ms. Seeker?’

‘Aren’t you supposed to be over there, Ms. Shear?’

‘I told you, I have a weird…what do you call it…signature?’

‘Like there is more than one of you?’

‘So I have been told.’

‘You don’t skip?’

‘Skip?’

‘Teleport. Space-time movement. We haven’t found anyone with that talent yet although I’m not quite sure where this places this Max you told me about.’

‘Not that I know of. Are there many of them?’

‘We haven’t found any yet. Always a first time. You must know the full extent of your own abilities?’

‘I’m not sure if I understand the question.’

‘Have you heard the term ‘share’. The Vampiri must have told you about it if you understand the term signature.’

‘Yes. They said some Psionics can absorb or duplicate other Psionic abilities and I was to keep away from them.’

‘A bit late for that. It’s why I’ve been keeping my distance since meeting you in the park. As the only two Psionics here, there must be a reason for our combination.’

‘What do you do, Ms. Seeker?’

‘I search…seek people out. If you are capable of sharing, you would have that ability for a time.’

‘They re-named you after your ability?’

‘Not really. Most Psionics are random. My family line have always been able to find people. We were called Seekers and it became the family name. It’s only in recent years we found it was a psionic ability. I specialise in finding other Psionics. Other people when I have to.’

‘But you can’t find anyone here?’

‘Not a dickie-bird. I have a feeling I should remember who is doing this but this Max escapes me. I don’t think either of us should be here. Something is very wrong here and I think my companions are in serious trouble and need me.’

‘And you think my sharing with you will help?’

‘It might help see as you scan or read the world but I’m also liable to have your powers unfettered by any control you have. That’s why I wanted to know the extent of your talents.’

‘And now?’

Too late for that. Sara closed her eyes, feeling a wave of energy through her body before opening them again. The share had happened. She hadn’t absorbed energy but felt it.

The world had changed. Searching for people invariably showed psionic energy spikes. Looking out beyond Hampstead Heath, it was less looking at London in the growing dawn’s light and levels of energy. Sparks everywhere. Mostly people sleeping. A few larger sparks where early risers were moving about. There would be more soon and no idea if she would absorb their energy or just scan it. Her head was shooting out warning signs.

‘I see. You don’t just absorb energy but you can see it as well.’

‘But I don’t.’

‘Sit down beside me. I’m going to scan what I see into your head.’

‘You can do that?’

‘I’m not going to read your memories, just your senses. Mind reading takes longer. I’ll feed it back to you so you can see what I’m seeing.’

‘OK.’

‘I assume the Vampiri you associated with didn’t have a telepath or any full-rangers with you?’

‘I…’

‘The Vampiri have a selective psionic breeding program. They need psionic energy more than specific talents. You must have stood out for them to want them to pass you to us. That’s why some of them, like Fernfaire, come to us but didn’t feed off us. We’d make them drunk. We’re much more powerful. Your absorbing psionic energy sounds like you’re a Psionic version of them. You’re taking their food.’

‘What do I have to do, Ms. Seeker?’ There was some resignation in her voice.

‘Shut your eyes, Ms. Shear. You’re likely to see double vision before you see just one.. Yours. Mine. Maybe both. Just tell me what you see.’

The air felt cold and suddenly began to warm up a few degrees. Ludomere’s energy abilities appeared to be working all the time, Sara decided. What control did she have?

Ludomere slowly opened her eyes. ‘No change. Just London at dawn.’

‘Close your eyes and try again.’

This time, Sara reached out. <<Give a few seconds.>>

Ludomere was more cautious this time. ‘Oooh! The city’s full of stars.’

<<You’re seeing what I’m seeing from your talent. This doesn’t happen for you?>>

‘No.’

<<Something to look forward to, Ms. Shear. We are sharing senses in a way. Do it again and I’ll blink with you.>>

‘What do you expect to happen?’

<<Ooooh! I don’t know. Maybe double vision or seeing this reality as it really is.>>

‘You don’t think it’s real?’

<<Real to these people but we might not belong in this pocket universe. Wherever my Stable Mates are, they do not belong neither. Ready.>>

They closed their eyes together. The glistening after-image played on their eyelids from the strong contrast.

<<One. Two. Three. Open.>>

London wasn’t there. Instead they were in a mansion. Ground floor. Carpet below them. Sara immediately scanned the closed rooms around them and then paused. How did that happen?

‘Where are we, Ms. Seeker? I thought you said you…we…couldn’t teleport…skip.’

‘I didn’t. I was expecting to see an energy matrix, Ms. Shear. We were moved instead. We must have upset something. Is that what this Max can do?’

‘Have we gone where you expected to go.’

‘I have no idea where we are. Judging by the dust, this place has been deserted a long time.’

‘How did you…’

‘I scanned the area. Only briefly for people. There’s no one here. I’ll need time to do this in depth.’

‘Do you think if we blink again, we might move again.’

‘Not yet.’ She stood up. ‘Whatever drew us here had to be for a reason. It would be wise to find out why.’

‘You didn’t find that out about London.’

‘I think I was just dumped there. Maybe to rescue you.’

Sara stood up. ‘Have a look around here. I’ll look upstairs.’

‘You aren’t going to scan?’

‘There’s a feeling I need to look for something. It needs a personal presence.’

‘What am I looking for, Ms. Seeker?’

‘Anything, Ms. Shear. Anything that is out of place.’

What she didn’t say was Ludomere Shear’s signature was confusing her scanning. Beyond the grounds out there, she couldn’t detect anything. It was like the mansion area was floating in a void. She needed some isolation. Something wasn’t right. A share that wasn’t a copy of another Psionic’s abilities but radically changed could be just as dangerous as sharing with a powerful Psionic like Harbinger.

As expected, there were bathrooms, bedrooms and a classroom. If clues weren’t that obvious, it would be embarrassing. She walked in and closed the door. Desks facing a blackboard and a bigger desk. Examining the room, there was a dart embedded in the wall. Mary Travers has to have been here. Sometime. Not recently, as her swept her finger through the dust on the desk. Who had she taught? When had she left? How had they got here? Empty questions with no answers.

<<Can you check the grounds, Ms. Shear. Tell me if you spot any graves.>>

Sara didn’t wait for a reply, her scans showed the other Psionic, possibly Mary, leaving the mansion. The share didn’t feel any different to usual. Everything felt natural until their synchronised. She didn’t feel any different now. It certainly didn’t feel like she could drain energy and Ludomere hadn’t drained her. A combination that generated something different to a normal share would be one for the books or whoever was manipulating reality. She shook her head. Still couldn’t remember who Max was but it had to be someone virtually omnipotent. Keeping Mary separate would make sense but teaching who? Someone had obviously freed her. The children? Would she need the same route?

She scanned again, looking beyond the mansion grounds, not even picking up anything there. If this was another pocket universe, it was even smaller. Did Mary leave any other clues? She settled on the floor and relaxed. This was going to take time and she needed to relax and let any signatures seep in.

‘Ms. Seeker? Ms. Seeker? You’ve been…’

Sara opened her eyes and locked with Ludomere Shear’s and then she was alone but the dust was gone. She was still in the classroom. In front of her was Mary Travers. Behind her were the three children. All four of them were registering psionic energy. The children were odd but familiar in some way but she couldn’t recognise the signatures. She looked at Mary and tried to speak.

Nothing! It was like she was there but not there. Physically there because she was still on the floor. All it had took was a look in Ludomere’s eyes. She hadn’t even scanned her return. What had she said? Being in more than one place at once. Now she was. She blinked and back to the present and then back into the past. Ludomere Shear’s eyes still burning into her and then she was back in the past. They thought her a ghostly presence. It had all been in a matter of a couple seconds.

There was little time. This time Mary Travers was looking directly at her but she still couldn’t speak.

<Hello Mary. My voice hasn’t caught up with me yet. The last time this happened, I only saved one person.>

<A trick of mass and displacement. You were slowly catching them up but there was a choice of going with them or keeping them here. I didn’t know about the other places and here was perfect enough. What happens now?>

<I don’t know. I can’t remember anything before the hide and seek. Protect the children.>

Sara turned and looked at the children.

The three children just looked on, ignoring her but didn’t seem aware of her.

Mary scooped the chalk back up into the air and added a few sticks more and spun them in different patterns so she could study them. Two boys and a girl. Not teen-agers. Under 10s. Summer clothes. No woollens. It wasn’t warm this late at night even in the mansion. The boys had short brown hair, the girl’s hair a little lighter and longer with a pink bow.

Who were they as adults?

The scene changed and she was back in the dusty present. Ludomere was no longer looking in her eyes.

‘What happened to you, Ms. Seeker?’

‘What do you mean?’

‘You looked at me and vanished. I blinked. You came back and then went again. So I looked away. I thought that might stabilise you.’

‘I had a glimpse of the past. You’re right, we better be careful with direct eye contact. At least until we need to use it. We need to do more than go into the past to find out what happened here.’

‘The past?’

‘I made a connection with Mary and we have to find three children. They must surely be adult by now if that was long ago.’

‘That’s it?’

‘It’s better than when we started.’

‘But there’s no one here, not even a grave. I checked. I seem to be using this, what do you call it, seek and scan?’

‘We homed in when we locked eyes. Maybe it’ll be more exact this time.’

‘Well, we can’t stay here. The larder is bare.’

‘I never fancied bear.’

‘We should try again or we could starve.’

Wordlessly, they sank to the floor, facing each other with their eyes shut.

‘On three.’

There was a pause.’

<<One. Two Three.>>

Sara opened her eyes. Ludomere Shear had gone. She was alone.

Simultaneously, she looked around and scanned, drawing in as much data as she could. She hadn’t shifted. Still the classroom. A clean classroom at that. The dust had gone. Not even footprints. Something had gone seriously wrong. This time, there was no Mary Travers. No connection to Ludomere Shear. Was she alone? Had Ludomere stayed in the future or had she gone?

There was a chuckle behind her. Turning, she saw the three children. This time, they saw her.

Sara at least felt safer in London. Had she found what she was supposed to be looking for? If so, what. Her feelings were mixed. The children now had a new school mistress and it wasn’t Mary Travers but herself. They looked at her, their eyes glowing slightly their own energies. They each got up slowly and like a ghostly presence each slipped through walls and floors and she couldn’t detect them at all. Now she was really alone.

the end…for now.

Psi-Kicks,

Sara Seeker and Ludomere Shear

© GF Willmetts 2020

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