Cindy Psi: Spy In Training
Chapter 18: All About George

George?

Hi Cindy.

You said to contact you, so here I am.

Well, you wanted an explanation why I’ve been so, you know, awkward.

Only because you don’t seem very happy.

I’m not. Tell me Cindy, how’s it been like growing up for you? Do you have a lot a friends, a nice family, things like that?

Cindy wondered where this was going. Well, not a lot of friends as such. I get along fine with most people I guess – she thought about Jacinta for a moment then quickly put it out of her mind – but I only really have one really good friend. And as for family, there’s just me and my Dad but we get along really well. Why?

I guessed as much. Not exactly the widest social circle, is it? Did you ever wonder why? No, don’t answer, let me have a guess – you never had a lot of friends because you always felt different from everyone else, am I right?

Yes, I guess so.

And now you know why.

Cindy thought for a moment. It hadn’t really occurred to her in that way. What, because I’m, you know …

Psychic. It’s ok to say it you know.

Yes, ok, is that what you mean then?

Well, what do you think?

Cindy thought about it. It did make a certain kind of sense, and the more she looked back on things the more she made connection between the fact that she felt different and the fact that, as it turned out, she actually was different. Yes, you could be right. But what of it?

And your Dad, always there to support you, right? Good relationship?

Yes, he’s brilliant. Cindy felt a momentary pang at that, thinking about how much she missed her Father.

Well, things were a little different for me. I figured out early on that I was different, and then I figured out why. I spoke to my parents about it when I was just eight years old.

Cindy felt the pain and resentment coming down the mindline. What did they say?

Well, unlike you, my relationship with my parents wasn’t brilliant. They thought I was making it up. Called me a liar.

But couldn’t you, you know, prove it somehow?

Yes. That’s what I did.

So they knew you weren’t lying then!

Yes. Instead, that’s when they became scared of me. That’s when they started treating me like a freak.

Cindy was taken aback. She had tried to work out previously why she hadn’t opened up to her father about her newfound talents, but she hadn’t, and that was that. Partly, she hadn’t really had time to think about it before she found herself heading off for this training. But she did know that if she had spoken to him, he would have been confused and unsure, but he would have believed her, and been on her side with it.

Oh, she sent, that must have hurt.

Oh it did, but it gets worse. They were afraid, and it made them nasty. They wouldn’t let me out, kept calling me a liar, told the school I was making trouble at home and making things up all the time. It wasn’t fun. And so then it started carrying on into school, the other kids all bullying me, picking on me, calling me Curious George and worse, and meanwhile I could see what was going on in their minds – I mean, they really hated me. All of them. Can you imagine what that’s like?

Cindy thought back to the time when she saw into Jacinta’s mind and was surprised by the venom there. Yes, I think I can a bit. It must have been awful.

It went on for years. And it was worse than awful. It was … hold on …

The connection broke off for a moment, but just as it did Cindy became aware that George was sobbing. Tears started to form in her own eyes in sympathy. What a rotten ride he’d had!

Cindy?

I’m here George.

Sorry. The thing is, I haven’t been able to talk to anyone about this. Ever. By the time they recruited me I was pretty down on the whole world, you know? All I wanted to do was hide away.

I don’t blame you. I’d probably feel the same. So what made you agree to come?

I guess … I guess hope is the last thing you lose.

There was a pause, and then he continued, sounding slightly more resolute.

Dave gave me hope that there were other people like me, people who might understand, you know?

Yes, yes, I do! Cindy sent back, throwing in a bit of sympathy and encouragement in the thought. I think that’s right. You can fit in here. But you have to stop, I don’t know, challenging all the time.

I know. That’s kind of why I’m talking to you now. I want to, but it’s not easy. You see, after years of being picked on, bullied, having no safe place even when I went home I’ve come to kind of, I don’t know, hate the talent. All it’s ever done for me is hurt me. Do you see? It’s the enemy at some fundamental level and now I’m here being trained to use the very thing I’ve grown to hate. And the people training me have that same ‘talent’! So it’s hard for me to trust them. It’s hard for me to trust anyone.

But you are talking to me now …

Yes, I am. The thing is, I can see into you – you have a good heart, Cindy. There’s something kind of … shining … inside you. It makes me think I can trust you, and I think I need a friend.

Oh George, you can trust me, I promise. And I am your friend. I’ll help you however I can.

Thanks Cind. Another pause down the line. Th-thanks.

It’s ok, George; everything is going to be ok.

The rest of that week they did more work on honing their mindspeaking and shielding skills. As Natalie had observed, Milton was a natural at it after a slow start, showing great skill at the finer subtleties of shielding, nudging and intercepting. Natalie and Jane were both competent, although lacked Milton’s finesse. Cindy thought Natalie’s assessment of her was pretty fair – brute force she could manage, but she had a lot to learn when it came to the gentler, more covert use of the talent.

George was the big surprise. After their conversation Cindy saw that he was really trying to be more positive. He was also quite remarkably talented. Where everyone had been making a big deal about Cindy’s very obvious psionic power, she was coming to realise that behind his defensiveness George possessed an awful lot of strength as well. In some ways, it was comforting for her to realise that there were varying degrees of the skill – it wasn’t like you had it at a certain level and then there was Cindy, the freak, way out beyond that; no, as Rebecca had said on the first session, there were different levels, and Cindy was sure she’d see strengths in the others as they began to work on different skills.

By the end of the week they were all competent at sending, receiving, shielding and, to an extent, intercepting thoughts. They were also all getting along quite well. It was like they all found a comfort in being with other people who were in some way the same as themselves, much as George had said. George, too, was getting along with the others better – even smiling from time to time no less, and he spent less time looking at his shoes. He regularly communicated to Cindy on sidelines, and they quickly got into the habit that if she thought he was sounding a bit sarcastic or just generally a bit negative, she gave him a nudge, and, to his credit, he’d stop, think, and rephrase himself.

On the Thursday Dave came into one of the classes to tell them that the twins had been sent home under observation. As a result, he had said, they wouldn’t be seeing a lot of Christof for a little while. It felt like a positive thing that no mindwiping had taken place, although it did give Cindy pause, reminding her that the experience with Rebecca, the woman and the Turg had been a pretty big deal. She felt it was important not to lose sight of that.

Friday night was call home night. Cindy was taken to her pretend room again and her Dad came up on the screen.

“Hi Daddy!”

“Hi monkey, how’s it going?”

“Yeah, really good. The school’s really nice, and the kids are really nice. I’m fitting in really well – you’d be proud of me.” Most of that was true, she thought. And, at another level, she thought it was a bit strange to be have this, well, vocal conversation over the PCD. It felt a bit, kind of, retro.

“So no Jacintas yet then?” Mr Parker asked with a raised eyebrow.

Cindy laughed. “No, not even close. Well, there’s one girl who’s maybe a bit offish, but not mean or anything.”

“That’s good. Hey, I’ve got someone here who wants to talk to you.”

Tess! Awesome. “Put her on!”

“Okay, okay, hold your horses. Geez, no time for your poor, old Dad, just swanning off chatting to your friends, I don’t know”

“Yep, that’s right, now less you, more her – come on Daddy, move aside!”

Mr Parker laughed as he stepped aside and straight afterwards Tess appeared on the screen.

“Hey you,” she said, “how’s it … Jason Radler? Really?!?”

Cindy was confused for a moment then remembered the picture on the wall behind her. “Oh, yeah, I know. I guess that’s what my exchange counterpart is into. Lame, huh?”

“Tragically lame. So how are you?” Tess asked with a very slight pointedness – so Cindy would know what she meant but her Father wouldn’t pick anything up in the background.

“Fine, fine. It’s all going well.”

“Ok. What’s the school like?”

“Well, not like ours. It’s a lot more modern for a start – it’s not trying to be like something out of colonial America. Kind of drab though. But the other kids are nice.”

“That’s good. Are you fitting in, or have they already figured out what a space cadet you are and given you a wide berth?”

“Fitting in fine, thanks very much, I have fifteen new best friends. You’ve dropped out of the top ten. Soz.”

“Fine by me. I’ve been mainly hanging out with Jacinta this week anyways.”

This was too much, and they both laughed. Tess continued, “Speaking of witch girl, she’s been trying to stir things up since you’ve been gone.”

“Let me guess,” Cindy replied, “telling everyone how lame I am, how I’m running away from my problems, how I’ll still be an outcast wherever I go, right?”

“Spot on. Predictable, isn’t she?”

“Yeah. Well, and she said the same things to me before I left, remember.”

“Oh yeah, so she did. Don’t worry about it though. No one listens.”

Cindy knew this for the half-truth it was, well aware that some people did, but she was grateful to Tess for the effort. “It’s ok, I’ve dealt with her for long enough now. It doesn’t bother me that much. I just don’t get why she hates me so. But let’s not talk about her, how’s things with you? How’s the new workstream?”

Conversation continued for a while with Tess raving about how great everything Sports Science focussed was already. She was clearly excited by it, being uncharacteristically chatty, and Cindy was happy about that as it meant she didn’t have to dip into her pretend PEEP story too much. She still had a hard time with the deception element of that. Too soon it was time to end the comm.

“Well, I’ll let you say goodbye to your Dad now. Look after yourself, alright? Stay focussed.”

“I will. Great to talk to you Tess. Come back on another comm. soon.”

“I will. I miss you over here you know.”

Cindy was slightly shocked – that was not something Tess would normally say. “I miss you too. Well, one week down, 23 to go. Not long now,” she said with a smile.

Tess smiled back. “Catch you later.”

“Bye.”

Mr Parker came back on the screen. “Well, I think our time is up monkey – I better let you go.”

“Sorry we didn’t get to talk much Daddy”

“No no, that’s ok, I’m glad you got to have a chat with Tess, I really am, and we’ll catch up more next time.”

“Ok. Love you Daddy.”

“Love you too, beautiful. And where are you most beautiful?”

Cindy smiled. “On the inside.”

“That’s right. And never forget it. Cindy?”

“Daddy?”

“Never forget it,” he said, and with that they said their goodbyes and the comm ended.