An hour before sunset, the traditional time for the evening meal, Chime stopped meditating and concentrated on her friend’s dormitory room: she was confident that her friend would be alone and waiting for her. As an advanced student as well as a sensitive precognitive, sound of stream rushing over pebbles was accorded the privilege of a single dormitory room. While they had not been particularly close as students, they shared several mutual friends and Chime had been in her room many times her first years at the University. Chime also knew that Stream possessed a powerful precognitive ability that of times gave her the reputation of appearing unworldly and unconcerned about current events. Despite that, she also possessed both a love of romance and adventure and a keen disrespect for authority. Of all her friends and acquaintances at the University, she was the most suitable person to assist Chime.
Chime appeared in the center of the dormitory room. It was not surprising to find Stream not only expecting her, but she had also prepared a full traditional dinner for her, as well.
Chime and Stream embraced physically and psychically, Chime letting her emotions spill over the telepathic link as she had kept herself from doing for many, many months. Her gladness at being able to return home, her joy at seeing an old friend, her pride at learning and demonstrating a series of difficult skills to master, and her sorrow that the meeting would be short and the parting long, all passed through the link, as did Stream’s mirrored joy, plus her concern for her friend, missing for several months, in an unknown and possibly dangerous situation. Chime promised to explain further, but first explained that she could only stay a short time and that she needed to obtain a number of items before she left.
To begin with, Chime wanted to change into the comfortable robes that were the standard dress among both sexes of her people. Chime and Stream were physically similar, so Stream loaned her a spare robe. Chime reveled in the feel of her accustomed garb: despite the best attempts of seamstresses and dressmakers at Nigel’s court, they had never quite been able to reproduce the luxurious feel of Chime’s native world’s clothing
While they ate, Stream filled Chime in on the events of the past several months, in the peculiarly rapid fashion common among practiced telepaths. *There was no explanation for the disappearance of your study group, only the rumor that you and the rest were possibly taken by some criminal organization for ransom and placed under a psychic shield to prevent discovery. It was also rumored you might have been taken for experimentation by the Ranli. But any real information has been so highly classified that even your mother’s uncle with all his connections couldn’t find out anything.*
It was as Chime had feared: one of the covert departments of the Commonwealth had become involved with the disappearance of her group, most likely one of the ones dedicated to monitoring and policing psychic powers and effects. Or, if the rumors about the Ranli incursions on out-worlds was true, then possibly the military was involved. Either one would be difficult to avoid, especially if the Commonwealth discovered the true secret of her disappearance. It was also disturbing that the other members of her expedition had not been heard from, either.
Stream continued: *Ever since, rumors of Ranli incursions into Commonwealth space have become more frequent and the Commonwealth military has been mobilized. Several advanced students here in the University have already been accepted into accelerated military training programs. They’ve even gone as far as set up a training center here.*
Chime pondered that last statement. Some of the equipment she wanted was definitely of military grade.
In return, Chime showed Stream the world she had been sent to or drawn to: a world of power both similar and dissimilar the psychic powers they were familiar with, a world of such diverse peoples as to rival the Commonwealth itself. She showed her Nigel and explained his dream of uniting his lands in peace; the people, Taken like herself and others, which he depended on to further those dreams, the opposition he faced.
When she was finished, Chime handed Stream a memory crystal. *I have recorded everything I have learned or theorized about this world in this crystal. There are also notes on the other worlds; the places the other Taken were from, including one that has a race much like our Precursors. See that it is given over to the proper authorities once I have left.*
*There are also some private personal messages on that crystal. I trust you to deliver them.*
By this time, it was late in the evening, and Chime was impatient to begin collecting the items she had come to obtain. Stream pointed out the list of textbooks from Chime’s “shopping list”. As she was enrolled in concentrated training in precognition, Stream had little use for any of the other textbooks. However, this dorm was home to a number of advanced students, and these books would be simple to locate. Most would allow them to be borrowed for an evening, as Stream would claim, and Chime would arrange for them to be replaced. As for the rest, Stream said that she had a few ideas and would be back to discuss them. She gave Chime a conspiratorial psychic “wink” and left.
Chime had little fear that Stream would be discovered, especially by psychic means: when she so chose, Stream’s precognition gift had the secondary and well-known effect of causing a considerable amount of psychic static, which was another reason for her isolation. She was so often chided for it that everyone else took it for granted. Beside, it was a strong taboo among their polite society to pry.
While Stream was obtaining the requested textbooks, Chime accessed the local news network function on Stream’s data terminal. She downloaded news of her family’s public activities since her disappearance, loading them into a blank memory crystal she borrowed from the stack on Stream’s desk, particularly seeking out any pictures of her parents and siblings.
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