Campus Life in the Psychic Age Ch. 05

For the first time ever Colin found himself in a line to enter the Steam Tunnels. He wondered why, it was a popular place to drink but never to the point that a queue had taken form. For a brief moment the scene reminded him of the cafeteria in junior high, when Gavin would try to (subtly) prod him to read the lunch lady's mind and find out what the mystery meat was. Colin had even caved in once and swore never to again- not only because of what it actually turned out to be, but also because he ended up discovering things about the woman no one would ever want to know.

"Seriously?" hearing a voice Colin turned his head. About six or seven people behind him stood Elle something-or-other, a student he was passively acquainted with; she noticed him looking back and asked, "Can you see what's holding them up?"

Colin could have mentally 'reached out' to see what caused the delay, but lessons of being careful not to advertise psychic abilities drummed into him over the years motivated him to take a more mundane approach. Leaning steeply to his right he saw men working on a device similar in appearance to the metal detectors that were once used in attempts at keeping weapons off aircraft.

Turning back, he said to Elle, "It looks like they're either fixing or replacing the bioscanner, hard to tell from here."

Elle's eyes widened at this for a second, then she grumbled, "Bioscanners- you know what those are? A way to cash in on society's paranoia, that's what."

Colin gave her a what-can-you-do shrug. Finally, the workmen finished whatever they were up to and left. A couple seconds later the bouncer-bot started letting people in but only after the scanner pinged and flashed a green light, as it fortunately did for him.

Once inside Colin waved a hand to the bartender. Wally was an old guy who claimed to remember customers from back when the Steam Tunnels was first opened. A likeable enough guy- though he'd probably have been more so if he didn't insist on disturbing freshmen by pulling back the fake skin on his prosthetic arm and telling the story of how he lost the real thing along with most of his original face in one of the last drone strikes before "the damned things" were banned by international law. Wally acknowledged Colin, and was reaching for the cooler for Colin's preferred brand when a shrill klaxon from just before the entrance started wailing. Looking behind, Colin saw Elle standing at the bioscanner turn and bolt away from the Steam Tunnels.

Moving to block the other would-be patrons the bouncer-bot started to send a transmission to the police.

"Confirmed gender deceiver fleeing north of Steam Tunnel drinking establishment at Mignola Institute," it started, "Sending picture, name used and last known residence."

"What the Hell?" Colin said out loud; turning back he said to Wally, "She never set off the Jenner alarm before."

"That," Wally pointed to the bioscanner, "Is the new model the gay bars have been using- detects genetic alteration, not just surgical."

"Genetic- that's actually a thing?" Colin asked.

"Who knows how many of those freaks have gotten past the radar before tonight," Wally answered. Colin payed for his beer and walked to find a table.

Alecia showed up- to Colin's relief she triggered no alarms- and waved to him. As she got her beer Sarah and Jada entered; Colin noticed a tense silence as Alecia and the two stared each other down for a moment before Alecia approached his table.

"Everything alright between you guys?" Colin asked as she sat down, noticing Sarah and Jada chose an empty table on the other side of the room.

"Going through a bit of a trial separation with the girls," Alecia answered, "Got into another fight with them because I insisted on hanging around a so-called weirdo."

Colin took this in before asking another question, "Would it be too much to hope that you mean someone else when you say weirdo?"

"What can I say? They're just not willing to give you much of a chance," Alecia shrugged, "Oh- you made any plans for Spring Break?"

"Oh right, that's coming up," Colin remembered, "Not really, but that's partly because getting stoned and making life hell for old people was never really my thing-why?"

"There's this annual gala my folks are part of back home. I was going to blow it off and join Sarah and Jada at the Lunar Hilton but since that's probably not going to happen I was hoping I could convince you to be the pretty thing on my arm."

Colin's eyes widened a bit, "You want me to meet your parents?"

"I can't promise you won't get stoned- they still haven't figured out what last year's punch was spiked with," Alecia started, "But I know two specific old people who'd see you as a much welcome change from the guys I've brought home in the past."

Colin inwardly decided he didn't need details about those other guys, "Okay- that sounds alright- just out of curiosity what does your family do?"

"My folks run a law firm," Alecia began to answer, "But really, most of the family fortune came from when grandpa invested in an invention his family and friends told him nobody would buy."

"Really?" Colin was intrigued, "What invention was that?"

Alecia pointed her thumb at the entry doors, "Bioscanners," seeing Colin's confusion she elaborated, "Back then people were under pressure to *accept* their kind."

Colin never got over the idiocy of past generations.

A couple nights later, as he went to have a tux printed for the event, Gavin tried to talk him out of it, "Don't get me wrong, she's easy on the eyes and all," he started, "But you saw what she liked to do in her imagination- the biker chick fantasy?"

"I told you about the biker chick fantasy?" Colin thought he'd left that out when he described her erotic daydreams he'd witnessed.

"Uh no, actually I was hoping to hear you say she never had it," Gavin seemed even more worried than before, if that could be possible.

"Look, I'll be fine," Colin tried to reassure himself as much as his friend with his words, "I came back from the underground immersive in one piece, and here there's going to be a shitload of potential witnesses at this shindig."

"Alright then," Gavin finally relented, "But if this goes somewhere past the party, you did get your HIV shots, didn't you?"

"Gavin, my folks took me to get those when my zits started to come in," Colin said, "Even though at the time I kept saying they made the vaccine unnecessary."

Gavin headed back to the dorm, Colin entered the printer shop.

The big night. As the hoverlimo touched down in front of the venue and its door rose up Colin exited the vehicle nervously. On his arm was Alecia, wearing a twin of the sleek dress she wore at the underground immersive except it was a dark shade of blue. The people massing behind the velvet ropes on both sides of the building's front doors oohed and aahed at her, but seemed to give her escort no notice.

Alecia pointed Colin out her parents, he was surprised to see both were men; she whispered in his ear, "They wanted a kid but weren't willing to conceive one the normal way so the one on the left went to an ova farm."

"How impersonal," Colin whispered back.

She led them to the men in question, and made the requisite introductions. Both scrutinized Colin, who had to fight the urge to start squirm from the looks on their faces.

"So this is the mysterious Colin," the taller of the two 'fathers' said. For a moment he worried what Alecia might have said about him. She tried to assure her paramour with a comforting smile- it didn't work.

"Wonderful to meet you, Mr. Merriam," Colin started, "Mr. Merriams."

"We're told you go to the same college as Alecia," the taller Mr. Merriam started, "What is your major, if you don't mind telling?"

"Astrophysics," Colin began to answer, "But then lots of people are hoping to get on a corp space program- I'm minoring in psychology in case astrophysics doesn't work out."

"Indeed. Any tattoos?" the shorter one asked, "Body piercings, scarification?"

"Dad!" Alecia gave both of them a dirty look.

"Uh, none of the above," Colin answered.

The eyes of both Mr. Merriams rose at this, "Well, that is a welcome surprise," the taller one said, "Do you have a criminal record?"

"What is wrong with the two of you?" Alecia spat with much indignation.

"Well there was the voyeurism charge, but that was just a youthful indiscretion," Colin answered, managing to sound calm and unoffended.

Miraculously enough, both of Alecia's dads nodded, with pleasant smiles; the taller one looked to her and said, "Hang on to this one tight, girl- you've finally found a keeper."

As her fathers walked off to schmooze with other wealthy guests, Alecia shook her head in frustration, "I'm really sorry they interrogated you like that- but just out of curiosity, when was this youthful discretion?"

Colin looked around to make sure nobody was paying them any notice, and whispered, "Remember when Gavin said it was a funny story how he found out about what I am? "

"Oh," Alecia nodded, not needing any clarification, "Wait a second, didn't he say that happened you guys were in the- you know what, never mind. I'm used to being the one who has the deep, dark secrets."

A few moments later Alecia started chatting with old friends. Colin found himself drifting to the drink table. A massive punch bowl dominated said table; according to Alecia it and the ladle accompanying it were made of diamond synthesised in a lab somewhere.

"Aren't you going to pour yourself a glass?" Colin turned to face a young blonde woman, almost as attractive as Alecia.

"Not sure I should," he replied, "From what I've been told drinking the punch at these things is something of a gamble in itself."

The blonde laughed, "That's for damn sure! I've been to this gala every year, but this is the first time I've seen your face."

Colin nodded, "Actually this is my first- I came here with..."

"With Me." Alecia appeared, glaring at the blonde.

"Hello, Alecia," the blonde suddenly looked very worried.

"Hello my ass, Eliza. You go anywhere near this one with any of your toys I'll make sure the coroner has to pull it out of your larynx, you got me?"

Eliza nodded, the blood having rushed from her face she turned in the opposite direction and hurried away.

"What was all that about?" even as he asked Colin dreaded hearing the answer.

"Eliza there likes to put on a surprise for her gentlemen callers," as Alecia spoke she said the name Eliza with particular venom, "Or should I say strap on."

Out of reflex Colin's eyes bulged and he backed himself up against the nearest pillar.

"Yeah, if not for the fact she comes from a rich family the bitch would be getting the same from some bull dyke in Aquatraz," Alecia shook her head in disgust.

"And Gavin worried about what you might have planned," he finally responded.

"He should be glad you have someone like me to look out for you," Alecia laughed.

She took Colin's arm and started to lead him toward more friends she had, but someone had already caught his eye. Looking in their direction- or maybe past him and just toward Alecia was a young lady that somehow looked familiar to Colin. Though not unattractive in her own way the redhead was slight of build and looked, well, timid was the best word he could have thought to describe her with.

Then he remembered- he had seen her before; first from one of Alecia's daydreams, as the spectator to his imaginary ravishment, then a few days later in a dream he'd had that just resurfaced in his memory now.

"Alecia," Colin asked, "Do you know that girl?"

His escort looked to where he pointed, "Who, Beth? Ah, she's harmless," Alecia said.

"Well, that's assuring to hear," Colin started, "But I was wondering how you know her, other things about her, and so on."

Alecia looked a little surprised at this, "We were friends when we were kids," she finally added, "But some point along the way we just drifted apart- why?"

Using telepathy rather than say it out loud, Colin reminded Alecia of her little fantasy in which this Beth played the part of the hostage used to gain his cooperation. Alecia's jaw dropped at this; recalling it herself she leaned over and whispered, "Holy shit, I'd totally forgotten that- you sure it was her?"

'Yes,' Colin answered telepathically, the same way he told her of his dream with Beth, describing how Alecia wanked him off with an ever-stretching tongue.

Alecia smirked and shook her head, "Your subconscious could be almost as gloriously fucked up as mine," she whispered to him.

The clinking sounds of a spoon tapping a goblet interrupted the two; one of the old suits hosting the event rose to deliver what would no doubt be a pompous and long winded speech with little, if any substance. No one, the speaker himself included, seemed to notice two people in the assembly break off toward a third.

Beth looked shocked to see Colin and Alecia approach. For a second she looked in different directions as if to run, but stayed rooted in the spot.

Working with a (hopefully) disarming smile, Colin reached out, "Hello..."