Winters Family Psi Chronicles 1: Transformation (15 page)

“Not at all. She’s been a great support for about a year now. I trust her and know she has our best interests at heart,” Craig said passionately.

“I don’t exactly sense a benevolent mind from these letters,” Lynette said.

“She’s extremely powerful so you’re probably misinterpreting some of what you’re perceiving. You don’t have the experience of working with her like I do so you don’t know how kindhearted she is.”

“But you haven’t worked with her at all. You haven’t even met her,” Jeremy pointed out.

Craig’s smile dropped and his eyes took on a guarded quality. “Be careful what you say. Everyone thinks very highly of her even if we haven’t met. She’s done a lot of good for this community and none of us would appreciate people smearing her name and reputation.”

“I’m sorry if I might have given you that impression,” Jeremy said smoothly. “We’re just cautious because of our negative experience with Psi-Tech. It’s hard to trust anonymous people we haven’t even met but obviously you’ve developed a good rapport with her.”

“I understand.” Craig seemed to relax and his smile returned. “Was there anything else you wanted to know? When do you think we could hear back from you about merging our psychic networks?”

“Julie tends to make her decisions very quickly. We’ll get back to you very soon,” Jeremy said.

“That’s good news. Do you have a business card?” Craig asked.

“Yes, I do.” Jeremy handed him one.

“Thanks.”

Jeremy, Skylar, and Lynette wrapped up their conversation with Craig and left. As soon as Jeremy drove away from the building, Lynette pulled out a small notepad and jotted down some information.

“What do you have?” Jeremy asked.

“I didn’t tell you everything. I figured we could keep this information within our company,” Lynette explained. “I picked up a name where the person is staying. I saw an image of what she looked like and I would recognize her.”

“That’s great! What’s the name of the place?” Jeremy asked.

“Evergreen Terrace Center. I think it’s a psychiatric institution.”

“We’ll have to see if we can find it online,” Skylar said. “We can stop by the library while we’re here and use the public computers.”

“They’re making a big mistake by joining Psi-Tech,” Jeremy said fervently. “I wish there was some way I could make them understand that.”

“Whoever this woman is, she’s manipulating events in a big way,” Lynette said. “That’s something I picked up as well.”

“What else did you find out?” Jeremy asked.

“That’s about it,” Lynette said. “I’d like to know what you and some of the others at Phoenix Enterprises are hiding.”

“What do you mean?” Jeremy said slowly.

“Come on, I’m a telepath. Any telepath working with others will sense when they’re hiding something. You guys definitely know more about Psi-Tech than you’re letting on.”

“We keep some things to ourselves because what we know is difficult to believe and very disturbing,” Jeremy said.

“Just tell me!” Lynette exclaimed.

“All right.” Jeremy gathered his thoughts and tried to come up with the best way of explaining what he knew. “Psi-Tech has certain executives at the top who’ve been exploiting psychics before the storm. They abducted some powerful psychics including my sister, Emily. She was a prisoner for them for years. Precognitives made Psi-Tech a lot of money.”

“Why didn’t they just recruit the precognitives?” Lynette said.

“Some psychics they did recruit but the really powerful ones were kept prisoners. I think it’s because they didn’t want to take the chance that they’d say no plus the more civilians they hired, the greater the chance the company would be exposed.”

“I suppose that makes a kind of sense,” Lynette said.

“But it’s hard to believe unless you witness it firsthand which is why Julie wants us to keep it to ourselves,” Jeremy said.

“I believe you,” Lynette said. “And there’s something else you’re not telling me. It’s a really big secret. Tell me.”

“Okay but you have to promise to keep an open mind and to keep this to yourself and others in our core group,” Jeremy said.

“I promise.”

Jeremy told her about Psi-Tech’s old agenda of killing telepaths. Horror warred with disbelief but Lynette kept her thoughts to herself. She finally shook her head sadly.

“If that’s true, no wonder you’re so careful,” Lynette said softly.

Jeremy stopped at a convenience station to pick up a map that had libraries listed on it. They went to the closest one and Skylar did a search on the internet for Evergreen Terrace Center. He quickly determined that this was a mental institution in Tukwila, Washington.

“I had assumed it would be somewhere around here in California. I’m surprised,” Lynette said.

“I wonder what’s going on there,” Skylar said.

Chapter 17

Rose lay in bed sleeping early in the morning. Sunlight filtered through a crack in the blinds of the window. An unnatural chill dominated the room and mist was clearly visible flowing from her lips as she breathed. She abruptly awakened to reveal black eyes. For the first time in her life, Rose was fully cognizant of her surroundings. A euphoric smile curved her lips as she slowly sat up. Her frizzy, brown hair was messy from sleep and she tentatively ran a hand through it, savoring the new sensation. She rose to her feet and gazed around the room. Information flooded through her senses and a connection to a powerful energy that few could detect or tap into streamed in her consciousness. She intuitively knew that becoming part of a vast psychic network had healed her and anchored her mind and body.

The beauty of the mysterious connection that was part of her unique gift was breathtaking as it manifested as a kaleidoscope of colors beyond the subatomic level, winking joyously at her from every location in the room. Rose wasn’t sure how long she stared at the splendor surrounding her but her attention abruptly focused on Ken as he opened the door and stood in the threshold gaping at her.

“Rose? You’re awake?” he gaped at her with astonishment.

“Yes, I am.” She smiled widely at him.

He shivered as the cold air from the room rushed over him and escaped out into the hallway. His brown eyes blinked at her and a grin transformed his face.

“This is great!” He laughed joyously and continued to do so.

Rose crossed the room and gave him a hug which he returned. They both laughed joyously and were so caught up in the moment they didn’t notice the others nearby who were shut in their rooms had joined in the laughter. Another orderly named Leo shuffled down the hallway with a smile on his face. He was middle-aged with severe crow’s feet marring his face and hunched shoulders. He peered at Rose and Ken with piercing green eyes.

“What’s going on?” Leo asked pleasantly which wasn’t like him. He was normally mildly grumpy with a slight frown on his face.

“Rose’s awake,” Ken said.

Leo’s smile widened and he stared at them for several seconds before saying, “That’s great news!”

He straightened to his full height and the pain from his arthritis melted away. He walked over to them and they embraced in a group hug for a moment before breaking away and marching toward the front desk. The receptionist, a young woman, buzzed them past the glass security door. They marched purposefully into the lobby area with Rose.

“Where are we going?” she asked hesitantly as the front doors loomed ahead. Venturing outside made her feel unsafe. The unease popped the bubble of euphoria and Rose lost her connection to the mysterious force she’d been tapped into although she was still linked with the psychic network. Being cut off from that beauty gave her a terrible sense of isolation and despair. She desperately wanted to feel that way again.

“What’s going on here?” one of the doctors burst into the room.

“Rose’s awake,” Ken said.

“So she is,” the doctor said with bemusement. “Can you hear me Rose?”

“Of course,” Rose said quietly as the depression grew stronger. Her pupils shrank to their normal size and her legs shook with the effort of keeping her upright. “What’s happening to me?”

She abruptly passed out and awakened in her room early in the afternoon. A horrible sense of despair and sadness gripped her body in a vise. She couldn’t continue to live this way. This was unbearable. Rose became aware of the presence of a powerful mind brushing against her consciousness.

“Rose, you don’t have to feel this way,” a female voice said.
It seemed oddly familiar as though she’d heard it many times before.

“I don’t want to be awake anymore. I can’t take this,” Rose thought.

“It doesn’t have to be this way. Open your mind to me and I can help,” the voice said.

“I don’t trust you.”

“I’ve been helping you for quite some time. Your body was like an empty vessel and I put events into motion to heal you.”

“You used me like a puppet,” Rose said defiantly. “You violated me.”

“I did what I could to help you. It was all for the greater good.”

“What will happen if I open my mind to you? Will you take over my body forever?” Rose demanded.

“That is no longer possible now that you are healed. I’m the one who put events into motion to have you become part of a psychic network. Originally, it didn’t happen until much later for you but now, you will enjoy a longer life.”

“How can I believe you? I’m remembering the things you did. You made people do what you wanted.”

“I was doing it to help others of our kind. You know about the electrical storms that changed the world,” the voice said. “You know of many things because of your unique gift. You are more special than you can imagine. We can be an incredible team.”

“You want to take over my body! You’re hiding something from me. I don’t trust you. Leave me alone!” Rose said forcefully.

“If you don’t let me help you, the doctors will experiment on you. I can save you from a lot of grief. There’s no need to suffer through the torment that awaits you,” the voice said desperately. “Open your mind to me! Allow me access and I’ll show you everything!”

“Go away!” Rose screamed and pushed violently against the intruder.

Rose breathed a tremulous sigh of relief but the despair still washed over her in tumultuous waves. It felt as though she was dying. She desperately reached out with her mind in search of the mysterious force she’d connected with earlier and finally found it. The heavy sense of hopelessness melted away as waves of euphoria washed over her. She clung to the mysterious force as her eyes dilated until they became completely black and the temperature in the room plummeted. Rose realized she was in a clean white uniform and her hair was slightly damp. While she’d been unconscious, the orderlies had bathed her as they did every day.

Rose sat up and faced Leo who was seated nearby watching her. She smiled and greeted him warmly. He smiled back and spoke into his walkie talkie. Soon, Doctor Tom Zimmerman arrived with a clipboard and papers.

“Rose, it’s a pleasure to see you active and aware,” Tom said.

“It’s good to finally be healed,” Rose said.

Tom smiled widely at her and she knew that while she was connected to the wonderful source of mysterious life energy that she exuded a strong sense of tranquility and bliss to anyone surrounding her. Tom bombarded her with a series of questions designed to gather information about her personality and subconscious. Soon, Rose became aware of the greedy nature of his thoughts as he intended on parading her to his colleagues at other facilities and news reporters as her prize patient who he had single-handedly helped to escape the lifetime of unconsciousness that had plagued her until now. Her connection with the mysterious force wavered and she instantly reverted all her attention to it and away from those minds surrounding her.

“Rose?” Tom prompted for he’d just asked her a question and repeated it twice. “Are you still with us?”

“Yes,” she said but chose to remain only partly conscious to him. “It’s hard to concentrate right now.”

“I have more questions for you.”

“I’m tired, Doctor. Can’t this wait for another time?” Rose said cheerfully.

“I suppose so,” Tom said reluctantly but he was feeling good so therefore generous. “We can continue this session later. You can rest for now.”

“Thank you.” Rose smiled gratefully at him even as she sensed his vile intentions for her. There would be no peace for her as long as she stayed here. Unfortunately, she had no idea where she could escape to. She didn’t have any experience in the outside world even though centuries of wisdom flooded through her mind. She could hear so many thoughts surrounding her and one individual’s thoughts caught her attention. It was Doctor Zimmerman and he was planning a series of tests and experiments for Rose. Her life would be quite an ordeal, just like the strange intruder had told her. Focusing on this unpleasant reality caused her to lose her grip on the force. Instantly, hopelessness and despair took root. Pain wracked her body as the negative emotions tore through her like poison.

Rose suffered through days of agony with only short periods of reprieve as she managed to temporarily connect with the force. Unfortunately, most of the time she spent was in misery brought when she was cut off from this joyous phenomenon. The powerful intruder visited her a couple of times to request access to her mind. Finally, Rose reluctantly spoke with her.

“What do you want from me?” Rose asked.

“I want to give you the benefit of my discipline and experience so that you don’t have to suffer anymore,” the voice said.

“How do I know you won’t try to take over if I let you in?” Rose asked fearfully.

“You can always create a very small opening and shield the rest of your mind. That would protect you,” the voice said. “It would severely limit the rate of information exchange between us though.”

“I could live with that,” Rose said.

“You are running out of time. Once Dr. Zimmerman gets it in his head to start drugging you, your abilities will become dormant.”

“Drugs will make my abilities go dormant?” Fear rose inside Rose and threatened to overwhelm her. It would be like becoming a prisoner in her own body – like reverting back to the way she was.

“The only way is for you to learn what I know,” the voice said. “We should get started since you’re going to severely limit my access.”

“All right,” Rose said.

She opened her mind just a sliver and built up the shields so that the intruder wouldn’t topple them from the inside. It was possible that the stranger would try to push her way through and break the mental barriers from both the inside and outside. If Rose kept her concentration up then the risk of this happening would remain negligible. Information trickled into her mind from the powerful intruder in the form of memories. Amazingly enough, they revolved around life at Evergreen Terrace Center which involved chatting with the orderlies and the other doctors as well as being questioned by Doctor Zimmerman. When he began administering drugs, the memories turned darker as the individual in question became extremely isolated and lost her abilities. Doctor Zimmerman showcased her like a trophy to many people including news reporters as well as managers and doctors from other medical facilities. Rose lost her concentration on her shielding when she realized that these memories were of herself in the future. How could they be memories from a time that hadn’t yet occurred? Her control slipped which unintentionally allowed the opening in her mind to expand. The amount of memories quadrupled and she was overwhelmed with information. Desperately, Rose tried to close the opening in her mind but was too weak from the over-stimulation.

She struggled against the intruder but the relentless barrage of memories continued. Terror clawed at Rose’s insides as she imagined her consciousness being seized by this powerful individual. She should never have allowed this but now it was too late. Rose felt her personality changing with the experience of another’s memories. Her mind became more disciplined, colder, and harsher. She had manipulated so many people to change events in her favor. Everything was going according to plan. Soon, she would be unstoppable. Abruptly, Rose identified the intruder as herself.

“Why are you doing this? You are me!” Rose cried out. “How is this even possible?”

“We are united now,” the intruder said. “I am you from the future. You see, in the original timeline, I remained a prisoner in my body until I was almost fifty years old. My multipathic abilities hadn’t awakened until I became a part of the psychic network. I didn’t learn the full extent of my abilities until recently in my final years. I’ve already changed things for the better but things aren’t yet the way they need to be. I’ve been manipulating the CEO at Psi-Tech and got him to include you in their psychic network which plugged you in over thirty years earlier than what originally happened. I also got them to change their policy to include telepaths in their network instead of killing them. It was a discovery I showed them that they wouldn’t have found out until forty years in the future. They had never before considered it possible to link with multipaths or telepaths. I made it all possible. And the network has grown to the point that you have healed and become self-aware.”

“Why didn’t you just tell me?” Rose asked.

“You wouldn’t have believed me.”

“Other patients that are linked to our network are getting better. Is that a common side-effect?” Rose asked.

“Yes if they are dormant multipaths then being linked to a psychic network will heal their minds and stabilize their conditions,” the voice said.

Rose felt her consciousness transform completely. She now viewed the world in a much different way – as something that she could manipulate and eventually control. She remembered all the cruelty she suffered at the hands of the medical community but now that she had acquired all the experience of the future memories, she could avoid this. She now possessed the discipline and practice of over one hundred years. Her healing abilities would extend her own life and they were already slowing the aging clock. She had originally lived to be well over one hundred but now she could probably easily surpass two hundred years. Rose reached out with her mind and tapped into the force that flowed all around her. There were several different types of this energy and the one she’d first tapped into required a relaxed, happy frame of mind to connect with. The matrix that she was currently tuned into was different; it required a discipline of mind but no specific emotion. It wasn’t as powerful as the original but offered more choices for controlling the environment around her. This was a rare talent that Rose knew wouldn’t exist in a multipath for many years to come.