Cindy Psi: Spy In Training
Chapter 13: Unexpected Visitors

Cindy wasn’t surprised that Jane put her hand up pretty much straight away. “Have you ever seen a Turg?” She asked.

“No,” Rebecca replied, “Not in the flesh. Of all of us here only Dave has done any recon missions to their galaxy – it’s a hugely risky thing to do, and it takes a long time to get there. Dave had to do a five year recon mission just to get the intel we currently have. I’ve seen them through his eyes though.”

“Oh, wow,” said Jane, “What were they like?”

“I can show you if you like?” replied Rebecca with a slightly pointed look at Jane.

“Yes please!”

“Go on then – anyone else who is able to is free to have a look as well.”

Cindy understood what was going on – Rebecca was going to ‘show’ Jane the image of the Turg like when she had inadvertently ‘shown’ her her homeworld. She decided she would try to see it as well.

Clearing her mind, Cindy focussed on Rebecca’s thoughts. She was startled to find that she immediately got a view of what Rebecca was thinking about. The Turg was almost identical to the ones Cindy had seen in her visions previously, but this time instead of a fleeting glimpse she could take a good look. It was about two metres tall and roughly conical in shape, tapering upward from a base about one metre across to the top of its head which, although thinner than the base, was still fatter than a human’s. It had kind of crevices in its brownish-green skin that looked a bit like knots in old tree trunks, and as Cindy observed a tentacle emerged from one of these crevices and extended outward as if reaching for something. The tentacle holes were asymmetrical on the creature’s body but Cindy could tell there were sufficient that it had a 360º reach if required. There was nothing obviously discernible as a face. Just as Cindy was wondering how it moved, the answer came as the image of the creature began to slide across the ground like a slug. Cindy was relieved to note it didn’t appear to leave a trail. However, it did give her with a sense of unease just viewing it, no matter how far away or long ago she knew the image to be; something about it set her teeth on edge.

Filing the Turg’s image in her mind, Cindy broadened her view. She found that she could see a silver aura around the image that she realised was Rebecca projecting it. She then noticed lines plugging into this aura as the other students observed as well – not all of them, Cindy noticed – the twins remained resolutely isolated. However the tall girl, Jane, and both boys seemed to be looking, although the shorter boy seemed to be having trouble. Jane, Milton and the taller girl were ‘watching’ avidly.

Just as Cindy was about to return her focus to the image itself she noticed another, very faint line connecting in. It seemed to be a very slightly different colour from the others as well – not quite as silvery. That was odd. Cindy homed in on it and tried to see where it was coming from.

The line was trailing out of the room. Dave? Cindy wondered, and continued to follow it.

No, this wasn’t Dave. It wasn’t anyone on this planet. The line trailed off into space. Cindy remembered her experience connected to the Turg and let herself drift along it, intrigued. Somewhat foolishly, she didn’t stop to wonder who it might be and, more importantly, what their intentions were.

Before Cindy could get to a destination planet, she became aware of a consciousness coming back towards her along the line.

So we have a little spy it seems. Came a cold, steely thought. We can’t be having that.

And with that, everything seemed to happen at once. A force came back along the line very much like the force Cindy had sent at the Turg when it made contact, but this was somehow harder; sharper. Cindy felt like her head was splitting as it sliced through her probing thought and sent what felt like a blinding flash of force back along the line, into the room and into Rebecca’s projection.

Rebecca seemed to freeze on the spot and the other children, locked in, tried to cry out but couldn’t. The thought came through and Cindy knew all the others were receiving it as well.

Yes, look well children. Look well, Rebecca. Look at your new masters. Because I can tell you, masters they will be, and there’s nothing you can do to stop it. And as you are ruled by them, so they will be ruled by me. Look well … a pause … and now we will let C’Thaarg look well back at you.

Cindy felt a shimmer in the image that caused a shudder of revulsion in everyone in the room, and it seemed to fold and invert in on itself for the tiniest fraction of a second, and then, suddenly, impossibly, the Turg stopped being a vision from the past and became a present view instead. Cindy knew, and could tell that the others also knew, that they were seeing the Turg in real time!

It slowly turned to the assembled watchers, facing them although it had no face, and its voice came into their minds.

Have fear, tiny humans. We grow strong, and we have new allies. Forsake your goals, for they are doomed. We will conquer, and you will fall.

Cindy felt a force gathering – the Turg seemed to be adding strength to the human presence that had them trapped (for human it was, Cindy knew that; and female, somehow she also knew that,) and Cindy felt with dread a surge was forming.

You will feel our combined might.

The force from the evil alien/human alliance at the other end of the mindline was gathering into an incandescent mass, malevolence at its core. It was disorienting, and painful. Within the confusion, Cindy was dimly aware of a door bursting open, of Dave and Louise running into the room, and forcing their way into the circle both physically and mentally. She sensed the gathering of force between them.

Stand down, children – shield yourselves. She heard from Dave.

The pain of the mental pressure was getting intense. Cindy had to do something. She drew into herself, keeping her mindspace open and connected to the shimmering silver ring that Dave and Louise were building around the alien (she wasn’t even sure she had a choice). She pulled back to her core … dig … gather … wait … wait …

She was aware of a brief moment of surprise in the adults as she joined forces with them. Stand down Cindy! Louise sent, but Dave followed this with No, wait – she can help. Cindy – do exactly as I say.

Cindy nodded, awaiting instructions. The pressure was almost unbearable.

Wait … not yet … wait …

Wait … gather … Cindy felt her power bolstering Dave and Louise’s as she drew it all. And another power joined them as well, at once familiar and unknown. And a fifth power chimed in, somehow even more familiar, and somehow even less known. Cindy didn’t, couldn’t stop to think about who these new allies were – they needed all the help they could get.

The pool of force grew. Wait … wait … gather …WAIT … Sent Dave.

Time stood still …

Then, suddenly, the intruder force exploded outward from the unknown aggressor and the Turg, and the mindline exploded with it as it raced towards them.

… ready … aim …

And Cindy pushed the force she’d been harnessing with all her might, feeling as she did the other minds also pushing in harmony with her. It felt like opening a faucet to unleash a waterfall.

… FIRE!!

And it WAS fire – mind fire, pouring out of them – an awesome, staggering, barely contained force surging back along the line from where they were connected to it. Just outside Rebecca’s circle the forces met, and exploded in a cataclysm of light, thought and power. Streams of pure, white hot light shot out along all the connecting lines like solar flares.

The Turg screamed first; an alien scream of pain. Then Rebecca screamed – an all-too-human scream – and dropped to the ground. The other children flew backwards from the ring and crashed into chairs and walls as the twins looked on, aghast and confused. The noise was cacophonous, the room a riot of chaos. Cindy just managed to stand her ground as Dave and Louise held her steady. For a moment the throbbing force felt like it was going to squash her brain into nothing, she could hardly contain it.

Then, far too slowly, it began to subside as she pushed back, leaving a painful ache but no damage as far as Cindy could tell.

As the contact dissolved and the light dimmed Cindy sensed the two unknown helpers in the melee breaking contact and disappearing.

She also sensed the human aggressor, the enemy, and the enemy sensed her. Two minds regarded each other briefly. Cindy felt cold ambition, hideous power, and, worst of all, the tiniest hint of familiarity.

I see, came the thought.

And then it was gone, leaving just the clatter of a spinning plate that must have fallen in the chaos.

And then silence.

Slowly, with help from Dave and Louise, the children picked themselves up and tried to compose themselves. Oddly, given they hadn’t been directly involved, it was the twins who looked the most shaken. The two taller children both looked confused and a bit scared, although Milton was putting on a degree of bravado it seemed. The shorter boy was sitting in the chair he was in originally, having presumably picked it up and replaced it where it was, and was again staring at his shoes. Jane was the first to start asking questions – “What was that?!? What happened?” – but Dave and Louise were ignoring her for the moment as they focused on Rebecca.

Rebecca hadn’t moved.

Dave turned to the children and spoke. His voice was firm and steady, but Cindy could tell he was trying very hard to maintain composure.

“I need you children to all stay here and wait for a moment. Do not use your powers. I’ve called for someone to come and watch over you while we take Rebecca to the infirmary …”

“Is she alive?” Jane interrupted, fear in her voice.

“Yes, she is,” Dave replied, “But we will need to do a full assessment to find out the extent of the damage. I will be back to debrief you all as soon as I can. Louise, can you get her feet?”

As the two of them picked up the still motionless Rebecca the door opened and the third assessor came in.

“Oh my God,” he cried as he ran across the room, “Dave, what’s happened?”

Cindy was aware of something passing between them very quickly. She was also aware of the massive effort it took the other man to hold himself together, but hold himself together he did. He turned to the children.

“Right, kids, I’m Christof. You’re safe. Let’s make some tea and see if we can figure out what just happened, and as Dave said, he will be back shortly.” As he spoke, Dave and Louise carried the still worryingly motionless Rebecca out the door Christof had just come in and it slammed closed behind them. The slamming of the door seemed to be the straw that broke the camel’s back for the twins and the two of them simultaneously broke down into loud, racking sobs.

As Cindy moved to console them alongside Christof, Milton and Jane, she noticed the taller girl looking pointedly at her.

Shoe boy just kept looking at his shoes.

This was not the start to her training adventure that Cindy had been expecting.

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