Always More to Learn

Lacking any better plans you swing back to the college. You’re a few hours early for your rendezvous with Amy, but you figure you can get some practice in with your new powers. With that in mind, you head to the student union.

There aren’t a lot of people there, but you have enough subjects to gather some objective data about your powers. Or try to at least. No sooner than you start your experiment by simultaneously trapping a pair of twins in individual fields, a familiar figure plops down beside you.

“Hey you.” Amy says playfully slugging your shoulder as you make notes in an empty notebook.

“Hey yourself.” You murmur a moment as your pen scratches. “You’re early.”

“So are you.” She replies inanely peering over your shoulder. “What are you up to?”

You pause a moment to extend a field around yourselves before you answer. “I’ve found a way to make the fields express ideas.” You explain.

“Ideas?” Amy repeats. You explain about your morning, while omitting the secondary programing of Sammy and Cathy, and the work you had done to reconnect Terry and Michelle.

“As it stands we’re in a skin tight field now. On the inside, you’re exposed to an idea of normal behavior, hence why you’re not a mindless zombie. Outside the others think that our conversation is totally normal and not worth noticing or remembering. So feel free to speak freely.”

“Can you look me in the eye and tell me you had nothing to do with Sammy’s parents?”

“I could, but if I did, you’d believe me whether I was telling the truth or not, right?” Amy frowned, realizing you were right. As an alternative you raise her hand to your heart. “Feel that beat?” She paused to measure the slow steady rhythm beneath her hand, and then nodded. “I swear on my honor that Sammy made the decision about her parents all on her own. I made no impact on her decision.”

Amy took the measure of your beating heart and nodded. “I believe you. I don’t know if I should but I believe you.”

“Well, I am a mind controller. Trust is an odd commodity with me.” You shrug sipping the soda.

“And wouldn’t it have been easier to just, I dunno, numb her or something?”

“Terry? Sure.” You sip some more soda. “I just didn’t see the challenge in that. Instead I found a new use for an existing power. Thus my experiment.”

“And just what is-“ Amy broke off in awe as she noticed the rest of the students around you standing topless.

“Drats. Didn’t see when the field’s idea took effect.” You mumble, making notations in your notebook.

“This is from a field?” She said stripping off her shirt and bra. “Try to blend.”

“Two fields actually, one centered on each of the Daniels twins.” You answer stripping off your T-shirt. “Sienna’s field encourages everyone to be topless. Her sister Jenna’s field makes everyone think it’s normal.”

“So what were you hoping to find?”

“Base data.” You shrug. “How long a field’s ideas take to take effect, how long a field’s effect will last once the source leaves. Interesting, it seems that being inside a field negates the effects of other fields. Note how Jenna still has her shirt on, and Sienna’s overall befuddled look at the topless coeds of both genders, acting as if nothing is amiss at all.”

“Good thing the Daniel’s are too far away to hear our conversation. Can you find them to strip the field off if they leave?” Amy asked.

“Yes.” You say after a moment. “I can sense the fields I’ve made. I’ve got a general idea of location and integrity. The twins are easy enough, but I can’t interact with Terry’s fields, because she’s beyond my ‘operational range’- and no, I don’t know numerically what that range is. Another test for another time, I’m afraid.”

“They’re leaving.”

“Together too.” You swear slightly. “I suppose I could see how long a field will last before natural erosion neutralizes it.” You make a note of the time in your journal, then set the countdown timer on your cell phone for 24 hours.

“You’re seriously going to let them wander around with those field effects for 24 hours?” Amy said. “What if they get in trouble or arrested?”

“Hmm… Good point. They’ll be all right if they stay together, and I’ll check up on them… say every four hours?”

“I’d really rather every two.”

“If I go chasing after them every other hour I’ll be thought a stalker at best and ineffectual at anything else at worst. Four hours, total mind wipe and clean up of all incriminating evidence.”

“You can guarantee that?”

“I’m reasonably sure I can.” You respond. “Neither the campus security or the county lockup are that big structurally. I bet I pull a field around the entire building and have the cops wipe the records for me. Besides, I added a command to call me if the police take action against them. Soon as the red lights pop I become their own personal 911.”

“You think you’re so smart, don’t you?” Amy looked a little angry.

“Look, I need to know these figures. Yes, I’m getting my jollies with this experiment, but if you’re my advisor. So advise me, because I’m losing the interface link with the fields.” You snap back.

“I need to think.” Amy said, standing up and pulling her shirt on. “So we’ll have to follow them, or stall them so they can’t get out of range.”

You follow suit. “Pace is steady, relatively slow.” You murmur as much to Amy as to yourself then frown. “I need a choice now, babe. They’re heading for the parking lot.”

“How long?” Amy snapped back tersely.

With a bit of effort on your part, you manage to slip another command into the fields encouraging them to enjoy the day, and the twins slow considerably. “Maybe thirty seconds. If I stall em anymore they’ll look suspicious. Make the call.”

“I need a second.”

“Twenty five. I need a call.”

Amy leaned against a nearby tree and rubbed frantically at her temples. “I dunno.”

“Twenty. Should I crash the fields?”

“No.” Amy seemed certain of that much. “We need normal.”

“Fifteen. I can still trail and clean up.”

“Too many variables.” She pounded her fist into her forehead. “I need more time.”

“Ten.” You respond reaching out and grabbing a firm grip on the shields. “Out of time. Call it.”

“Enforce normal behavior, slam it. Hard and fast.” Amy looks up clear eyed. You follow the play and in moments the fields shattered like broken glass and aside from blinking and shrugging a top on, the twins move on like nothing strange had happened. “Nice job.”

“Not too bad yourself.” You comment, nodding towards her dorm. “We should talk, I think.”