"So what do you think of the division Private?" the major asked Selene as she came into the glass office.
"It's like a BDSM sex dungeon." she said, taking a seat in an office chair across from Masuka.
"...It's only temporary. We'll be getting a more mobile base of operations soon." Masuka flipped open a folder and began reading through a list of names. "..I have a lot of interviews to do so I'll keep this quick. I saw the security footage from the Endelon hangar 2-F, and I saw the impact you had on those creatures."
"They just backed off when I told them to. Not the weirdest thing..."
Masuka gave her a skeptical look; "Many of the enforcers were in identical situations before you arrived to the hangar. And needless to say it didn't work out the same for any of them. So you're joining the containment team for now, perhaps your abilities will prove useful to them. For now you'll be doing grunt work, be a second pair of hands. While you come into your new abilities. We also have a telepath operative to help train you, and you'll be learning basic combat skills from Sergeant Crowley."
Selene deflated in the chair. "That sounds like a lot of woooork..." she frowned.
Major Masuka smirked.
"Getting in shape was the easy part Private. Now you got to learn to shoot, fight, and whatever other telepath stuff the containment team will have you doing. Things will only get more complicated from here on out. So prepare yourself. That'll be all Private. Go see Sergeant Crowley for your first CQC session."
"Yes major." Selene grumbled, slinking out of the chair.
After suiting up Selene went to spar with Luan. Which was a learning experience to say the least.
Luan had the same nanofiber muscle implants and she knew how to use them. Movements that wouldn't work for normal people worked for just fine them. One-inch punches and gravity defying stuff.
She was pretty cool though. Way more casual than the major was. For one she didn't demand Selene call her by her rank or anything like that.
After a few hours of beating up Selene—Luan introduced her to the telepath that would be training her.
"I'm Riddick." the burly man said. He wasn't wearing the bodysuit they were, rather he was wearing civilian clothes. A orange vest that was all poofy. And a moss green button up shirt beneath that. With tan swim trunks and sandals.
He had shoulder length blonde hair and a five o'clock shadow. And he looked hungover.
Literally the opposite of what Selene expected a telepath to look like.
"Selene." she said.
Neither offered to shake hands. They just stared at each other a bit then. An awkward moment.
Luan stretched and groaned. "Weeeeelll, I'm going to check up on some of the other rookies. Goodluck with your anime powers Selene."
"Thanks."
The sergeant walked over to the other sparring pairs and began to give pointers.
"Let's talk somewhere more private, private." Riddick said while pointing a thumb over his shoulder.
He led her to a meeting room. It was still in the IBT division so everything was black same as before. But there was a large oblong table with many rows of chairs around it.
He took a random seat.
"So there's different kind of telepaths. There's kinetic kinds who can-"
"Whoa, so what, we're just getting into it?"
Riddick gave her an annoyed look.
"...Why not? Shutup and listen: there's two classes that all telepaths fall into. Kinetic and non-kinetic types."
"I don't know if I like your tone. What rank are you?" Selene asked.
"Higher than you guppi. The sooner you stop interrupting the sooner I can get back to my day drinking. It's a very serious hobby of mine, so if you'd please just let me say my spiel, then I'll let you get back to your animal control gig. Sound good? Alright."
Selene put a hand on her cheek and propped herself up by her elbow, bored. While Riddick got up and went to make himself a cup of coffee. The machine whirred to life.
"...Kinetic types can affect the physical world with their minds. Pick stuff up telekinectically, turn invisible, change states of matter. Cool shit like that. Non-Kinetic types are your nerdy brats of the telepath world. Read minds, influence behaviors of others, astral project, predict the future. —Way less useful than it sounds by the way."
Selene just stared at him. But he hardly took the time to look at her. He sniffed at the cup of coffee.
"The thing about telepaths is that they're all ticking timebombs. We don't live as long as regular folks. We have a brain aneurysm and croak—usually before our forties. Unless you're like me and retire early. Some have a knack for it and get a few more years. But you either die from a stroke or turn your unit into pink mist then off yourself in true telepath fashion."
"Whoa what the fuck? I'm going to die before I hit fifty?" It's like she just got a terminal illness.
"Yep. Ain't that just kick in the balls?" he took a long drink of his coffee. Not a care in the world. He made a satisfied face and nodded a few times. "Not bad. Anyway, we also get some symptoms to enjoy before our inevitable end. You probably got the headaches, nosebleeds and all that?"
Selene wasn't looking at him now. She was nervously picking at the hem of her bodysuits sleeves. Messing with the rubber seal.
"Well it gets worse... Using your powers can take the edge off the minor symptoms like that. But it also shaves off time from your life. Soooo..." he held out his palms to either side of him and began to balance them like a scale.
"..There's no cure?" Selene asked sullenly.
Riddick began to cough mid-sip of coffee. Then chuckled. "Cure? You think the protectorate is interested in curing this? That's cute aha!" then his face went deadpan;
"No. Inhibitors are a thing but those stop working after a year of taking 'em. The labcoats say that evolution is messy and it'll be hundreds probably thousands of years before telepaths like us live normal lives."
The affect of the news was like a cold shower. She felt awake. Present. Aware of her mortality. In a moment half of her life was taken away from her. And the remaining half was replaced with a lifetime of headaches and working for fascist assholes.
"...No." she muttered.
"Huh?" he glanced at her.
"No. I refuse."
"Ah. Denial then. Yeah, you're probably right. Maybe there's some discovery that saves you next month. Or a miracle happens. Who knows? You're special right? I get it. That's a way to see it. Again, I just prefer booze."
Selene got up from her chair.
"Hol'up hotshot. We ain't done yet."
"Well I am. I'm done with all this bullshit. I'm going back to spend whatever time I have left with my family."
That actually got a sympathetic reaction from Riddick. He scoffed and traced the rim of his little paper cup with a finger. "Some people have it worse guppi. Puck ain't going to let you go now that they know what you are... I'd count your blessings if I were you. What are you, 15?", "19." she said, a bit miffed.
"Same difference. You got like 20 years left. Maybe more... Listen, you're a empath, right? I read your file. Some mix of mind reader and influencer. That's a solid toolkit for a non-kinetic type, if you cultivate it. We'll call our first lesson here, but I suggest trying to use your abilities a bit. Might help you see things in a new perspective."
"How? How do I use my 'abilities'? What ever are they?"
Riddick shrugged. "Hard to explain. Like how do you breath? —It's different for everyone. For me it's like trying to take a dump."
"Thanks for the visual..."
"Just think about it... It'll come to you. For telepaths it's like our powers want to be used. Like I said; breathing. If you don't do it for long enough eventually your body will force you to. Welp, that's a solid first lesson." he drummed the table a few times. "I'm going to the bar. You in?"
"...I'm 19."
"What, you're going to risk your life for puck but can't have a fucking drink? How does that make sense?"
Selene considered it for a second. It was a tempting idea, but a night out with this asshole didn't seem appealing. Nor did drowning her sorrows.
No, she had to do something productive. That's how she processed grief. She felt like drawing her something.
...She missed the field on Endelon.
"I'm good. My tablet says I'm due to meet the containment team after this anyway."
"Fine, fine. We all have our ways of coping. Just remember, you're a telepath. What are they going to do, fire you? Miss a shift or two sometimes... Who gives a shit?"
"Are we done? Or do you have anymore sage advice on how to be a lazy addict?"
He scoffed; "Nah, that's pretty much it guppi. When you figure out your powers let me know. I'm supposed to give you some more pointers then."
"Noted." Selene said and left the room.
She seriously considered finding the hangar on the station and escaping.
Punch out a few guards using her four hours of CQC training. Maybe kidnap a pilot or two.
As the temptation to do something rash was there, she had enough self control to know better.
Her dad's plan was more feasible. For now that would be plan A.
She just needed the clearance for it first. Get past the ISP restrictions in a way that wouldn't make it obvious.
She'd have to play along until then. As much as she'd rather see puck burn to the ground than help 'em. But who knows? Maybe the IBT does something actually good for the sector.
—It didn't on her world, but with her on the inside... Maybe she could change that.