Chek 6

"Yeah.  At least, last I checked.  Otherwise I wouldnt have been able to think to anyone at all.  Unless I was mutant.  Like Talon."  I said this last part sarcastically, looking out of the corner of my eyes at Talon.

"I am not a mutant!"  Talon was rather defensive about being considered a mutant.  Which, he wasnt exactly a mutant.  The mutants were the radioactive people.  Most didnt even know that they were exposed to the radiation when they started having kids.  Each generation were progressively worse.  After a few generations, some inbreeding due to a lack of incoming immigrants, and the backwards traditions, the mutants not only looked ugly as sin, but usually acted like it too.  They were pleasantly psychotic at the best of times.  At the worst of times, they were ego-maniacal genocidal sadomasochistic freaks.  Talon was just test tube different.

"I know you arent a mutant, I am just giving a little hell.  Anyway John, I am Chek.  Do you know anything about them?"  I started to squat when Jay interrupted me.

What about our news!

"Sorry, I forgot about that!"  I stood back up.
"Forgot about what?"  John was looking around slightly confused.
"Our news!"  Jay repeated what he had just told me.
"Oh shit!  I forgot about that.  Yeah, the commander is in trouble and they are looking for us."  He said this part nonchalantly, like it was something we should already know.  Which we did since we could hear them, but that wasnt giving us any details.
"Ok, so obviously this isnt a world class emergency or anything like that."  Talon was being a smart ass.
"Well, we dont know exactly what happened.  The commander received a call while we were there giving the notice.  He told me to hide, which I did.  A few minutes after I was hiding, I heard the door bust open.  Armed guards marched in and declared him under arrest.  He asked for the charges being brought up against him.  There were several mentioned, but the one I remember the most was treason.  Plotting to destroy the government and incite rebellion.   Something along those lines.  I was scared.  They drew on him and told him that he would not be allowed to plead his case until all of the witnesses are brought forth.  He isnt being allowed to have a lawyer.  They said that all of the witnesses will share the same lawyer and that the lawyer will not be allowed to see any of them until they are all there.  They are rigging the trial!"  This part seemed to be the thing that most upset him.
 That I thought was a little weird so it is the point I wanted to explore more.  "Why does this part bother you the most?"

"It is unhonorable!"  His sentiment was echoed by Jays heavy strong thoughts.
It is wrong to draw on an unarmed man and not give him a chance to plead his case!

A nifty trick that I knew Jay probably wasn't capable of yet, was private thinking.  It involved a very tight thinking and a lot of concentration.  I knelt back down in front of the fire.  Honor is everything for them huh? I could see Talon look at me and knew he would have issues with this private thinking.  He looked at Jay for a second.  I could see that he was having an internal debate and finally, part of him won.  He looked carefully at me and gave a very slight nod.  If it wasnt for the fact that I was looking right at him, I wouldnt have caught it.

"Alright, what is the plan?"  I looked at Talon for a reply.
"Well...lets stick with the plan that we have already.  We would only need a few small modifications.  Could you teach Jay to shift?  Because if the both of you could shift, things would work better."

"I already know how to shift.  I do that when I want to escape from the others at the colony.  I sneak out somewhere and shift and then I am free."  This was the longest speech that he had given in our presence.

Excellent.  "Can you think to John?"  I asked this question.  It was quite easy for me to think to Talon.  He was a reader and was more open to it.  Thinking to a person who was neither Chek or a reader or even a mutant.  They are more close minded.

Jay looked around and shrugged.  "I have never really tried I guess.  It has never really came up.  Is it possible?  I dont think I have ever heard his thoughts."  He looked quizzically at John then.

"Well.  It is possible, but it isnt easy.  Often times regulars are not very open minded, and that is what is necessary for you to read him and vice versa.  He wont be able to think to you the same way as you and I think to eachother.  However, he can think ideas and you can pick them out of his brain.  You can push a thought into his head as well.  It wont be as interactive as what you and I could do.  But we can give it a quick try.  If it doesnt work, its no big deal.  We dont really need that ability at the moment."

Kareena love, can you patrol the area for us? An image of the surrounding trees appeared.  *I* could see the group of people standing around a small fire, before *I* turned my head and started walking a wide circle around the group.

"Who is Kareena?"  Jay looked at me curiously.  "And what was that that you were seeing?"

"It is a long story, but I can explain it this evening.  You ready to give this a try?"  I crooked a finger at John and then pointed to a spot on the ground near the fire.  "You are going to sit across the fire from.  This works easier when you are closer together.  We will start there and see how well this works."

"So...ummm what do we do?"  Good question.

"John, think of a picture or idea.  Something simple.  Dont tell me until after you think it."  John nodded at me.

It was silent for a few seconds and then Jay bellowed out. "A pair of antique 19th century Earth dueling pistols!"
   John popped his eyes open and stared incredulously for a few seconds.  "You are right!"

I nodded at them both and grinned.  "That is perfect."  I thought for a second. "Ok Jay, what we need you to do is think a set of instructions to John.  Like, he has to stand up and circle the tree behind him three times.  Something like that."
Jay nodded at me and thought for a second before nodding to himself.  He thought for a second and then we watched John stand up.  Then John turned around and walked 15 steps from the spot he was sitting, stood on tiptoe and then jumped in place.  He must have felt pretty ridiculous because he stopped and looked at Jay.

"Really?"
 "I had to do something and that was the only thing that I could think of."  Jay grinned.  "Do you think this will work out pretty well?"

"Definitely."