Part 15
"Is something wrong, Jay?" Stephen asks, noticing your distraction. Quickly, you shake your head. Despite your moment of uncertainty, you know that the others are right. The threats you face from the Saps can be dealt with but to abandon any official status in the Federation and abandon Earth itself now could put the planet back hundreds if not thousands of years. You might be new to the role of a Tomorrow Person but you trust the others and you trust your instincts. The Federation can't be allowed to throw Earth out now.
"What can we do?" You ask simply. "What arguments do we have to persuade them?"
John sighs heavily but it's Carol who answers you.
"It's a little more complicated than that. Overmind is a gestalt. It's a combination of the perceptions and values of a million different species. I've spent time in the gestalt myself so I know how strange it really is. When you're part of Overmind there's always part of you looking at the same thing you are but in a different way. I suppose it's hard to explain."
"What Carol's trying to say." Stephen explains. "Is that nothing we actually say will have much impact. We'll have to give statements about how we see the Earth and its role developing, of course, but all that will be unimportant compared to how our perceptions themselves are interpreted by Overmind. It's up to us to hold our certainty about what we're doing firmly in our minds and try and make that the dominant thought Overmind picks up."
"Will they want to talk to all of us?" Mike asks a little nervously.
Tyso grins tiredly.
"This is Overmind we're discussing. Of course they're going to want to talk to all of us, all they do is talk!"
"There is one thing we can do though." John says thoughtfully. "We do have a chance to suggest people for them to talk to. As long as we can get them to the Trig, of course."
"So we could call our own witnesses?" You ask.
"Yes, in a way." John pauses. "I wonder who we should ask though."
*****
You separate on that note, promising to give it some thought. Carol takes John and Stephen to see her children while Mike and Tyso take you on a quick tour of some of the public areas on the Trig. Given your tendency to get into trouble, you're a little nervous about exploring but with the two others with you, and keeping to populated areas you feel safe. As it did on your first day, much of the diversity and scenery of the Trig astounds you but already you can feel your mind adapting, becoming accustomed to the strangeness.
It's several hours later that Tyso looks up from the display panel he's reading in some surprise.
"Tricia's here." He tells you and Mike. You look around in surprise. The three of you are in a museum Tyso found for you which explores the history of the phenomenon of mass breakout on several worlds. Tyso thought it might give you some insight on how to approach the Federation about Earth's emergent status but you can feel that Mike is bored and you know that you've learnt a lot but little of it useful. Mike cocks his head on one side and you realise that when Tyso said 'here' he was talking about the Trig as a whole rather than this particular area of it. Very cautiously you crack the tight mental shields that you've been trying to hold enough to see what Tyso is feeling. The Trig glows in your mind, a riot of background noise and light, and yet against it you can pick out the minds of your friends with ease. And, you realise there is another mind on the Trig that glows in the same way. You can sense the easy familiarity between Tyso, Stephen and this newcomer and the slightly reserved way in which John is greeting her too.
[Hello, Jay.] The woman's voice is deep and warm as she senses you. [I'm Tricia Conway.]
[Hello, Tricia.] You say simply, struggling to remember where Tricia came into the stories the others have told you. Before you have to say anything further though, you feel yet another unfamiliar but instantly recognisable Tomorrow Person jaunt to the Trig.
[Kenny!] Carol exclaims in delight.
[Hello, all.] Kenny says with a cockney accent that carries into his mental voice.
[Timus is calling us all in.] Kenny tells you, noting your surprise at his arrival. [He's told us our status is under review yet again. What have you been up to this time, Stephen?] He adds in a teasing tone.
[Hey! Why do I always get blamed for these things?] Stephen asks in mock indignation. Despite the banter though there is a note of anxiety and it's there in John's thoughts too.
[I think we'd better get back to our quarters for a conference.] The oldest Tomorrow Person tells you all. [Timus is moving faster on this than I thought he would.]
*****
Tyso looks over you and Mike when the mental contact ends. He is only a year or two older than Mike but despite that you feel an authority radiating off him from his extensive experience. The three of you are still alone in the museum room and he checks the doors before turning back to you.
"It's not polite to jaunt out as others come in, even here, but I think we should get back as soon as we can. John's right that Timus seldom moves this fast. I think what John said earlier about us being more important than they want us to think spooked old Timus a bit." You and Mike both nod and the three of you put your hands to your belts, fading from one place to another.
The Earth's Ambassadors quarters are bustling when you jaunt in. Carol, coming into the main room from the kitchen area steps around the three of you with no sign of surprise. She's carrying a tray of tea and she busies herself for several minutes pouring as the rest of you get reacquainted or even properly acquainted for the first time.
Tricia is older than you expected, around John's age although you know from the timeline you've managed to piece together that she broke out much more recently. Her reddish brown hair frames a pretty face that occasionally looks a little hard but which softens as she smiles at you. Kenny, on the other hand, is younger than you thought, maybe even a year younger than Tyso. The young man is teasing Stephen, Carol and even John with the easy familiarity of many years. All three are accepting it gracefully and Stephen is giving as good as he gets.
"Do you think Timus is going to call Elizabeth and the kids up from Earth?" Tricia asks after a few minutes. You feel a moment of self-consciousness as you realise that she's referring to Andrew and Hsui Tai who are your age or older. John look's thoughtful.
"Hmmm." He says calmly. "Maybe you should head down to the Lab, Kenny, and send Liz and the others up. One of us ought to stay with TIM though."
Kenny just stares at John in horror for a moment and you don't understand why until Carol and Stephen break into fits of uncontrollable giggles.
"The expression on your face, Kenny!" Stephen laughs
"Oh, it is a picture!" Carol adds between giggles. "John, you are awful."
John raises an eyebrow and breaks into a smile as Kenny grins.
"Okay, no more teasing." Kenny promises. He turns to you. "These three used to keep me practically locked up in the Lab." He explains. "That's half of the reason I ended up here."
"Oh, Kenny, you were very young." Carol reaches out to give him a hug.
"Honestly though." John goes on, speaking to all of you. "I spoke to Elizabeth a bit earlier. She's determined not to leave the Earth. You know how sensitive she is. She's afraid that if the three of them come up for the hearings it will be that little bit easier for the Federation to just order us not to go back."
"She might have a point." Stephen admits. "You know how things work around here. It's inertia we're fighting the whole time. The harder we make things for them the more likely they are just to drop the whole idea."
"It could work." Tricia says thoughtfully. "I don't really understand why they're doing this to us though. Over the years we've been very useful to the Federation. Some of us are in, well, sensitive jobs now."
"That might be part of the problem, Tricia." John says sadly. "Think back to when you were working for the British Government. Even before you broke out, when you just had basic telepathy, they never really trusted you did they? I never saw you except with Colonel Masters at your shoulder. Your telepathy was a liability in your work."
Tricia is frowning.
"I wish you'd let me put that all behind me, John." She says a little sadly. John returns her look.
"I'd like to but can't you see? To the Trig, your past is the liability hanging over you now. It's hanging over all of us. You spent years working for the British Military, Tricia, and we've all spent years working for Earth. The Galactic Federation are afraid of what will happen if our world ever calls that loyalty in."
"I do see." Tricia says slowly.
"Anyway," Carol says, clearly eager to move the conversation on. " The question is: what can we do about it? Has anyone had any ideas about witnesses we could call?"
"Professor Cawston." Tricia and Stephen speak simultaneously.
"Seriously, John." Stephen goes on. "The Federation isn't putting us on trial. They're worried about the Saps. I think the Professor is the best candidate we're going to be able to find to put forward what's best about the Saps."
"What about Ginge?" Kenny adds thoughtfully. You and the others all give him incredulous looks. "I know he's not the brightest spark in the fire but I can see people arguing that the Professor is a long way from typical. If we can make Overmind see that an ordinary guy like Ginge can understand what we are and help us we might convince them that Earth's worth fighting for."
"You might have a point there." John says thoughtfully. "Getting them up here could be a problem though. I don't think we could matter transport them so far, even with a boost from TIM."
"A kalinar is being made available to you, John." Half the people in the room glance instinctively upwards at the voice before realising that it is not TIM speaking but Timus. At least, at first you think it's Timus standing at the door but the others disagree.
"Timon!" John says warmly. "Come in. I think you know everyone except Jay here. Jay, this is Timon, one of Timus and TIM's clone brothers."
You stand quickly and shake hands with the man, giving the customary half-bow. To your untrained eyes he looks identical in every respect to his clone brother but you realise that there is a subtle difference in his mental touch and you file that away for future reference.
"A kalinar?" John is asking as Timon joins you all on the sofa. "Who would lend us a spaceship on such short notice?"
"The Sophostrians have arranged it." Timon tells you. "They have a certain fondness for Earth since they were your first real contact. Sophostria stands by its decision to sponsor Earth membership of the Federation, John. And I have been asked to inform you that Adonisia also backs you." He nods at Carol.
"What of Peerie?" Tyso asks, leaning forward intently.
"Ah, there I have worse news for you, I'm afraid." Timon says a little sombrely.
"But I would have thought they of all people would understand our situation." John exclaims.
"I believe they do, John. However, I have spoken to the Vesh representative here on the Trig and they have voiced concern that had Peerie been admitted to the Federation before the Vesh became a large enough group the transition of their world to the peace it now enjoys might have been far less smooth, even had the Kulthan not been involved. Peerie bears the Tomorrow People no ill will, John, but they will oppose your justification of Earth's Emergent World status."
"I think I understand." Tyso frowns. "It has been a struggle for the Vesh to assert their principles on Peerie since we freed them and there were hundreds of thousands of them. I believe they're wrong but I see where they're coming from."
John nods, a little demoralised.
"Have you any other news for us, Timon?"
Timon hesitates.
"My clone brothers and I are divided on this issue. We all believe that the Tomorrow People are worthy and valuable members of the Federation. It is the implications for Earth that we disagree upon. I believe Timus does support your desire to remain affiliated with your world but is striving to remain neutral. That is part of his reason for moving so quickly, before his personal allegiance can become clear. John, he and I both believe that Overmind will require that all of you who give testimony are scanned by a deep mind probe while you do so."
"But that's never been necessary!" Carol protests, aghast. "Don't they trust us to tell the truth?"
"Many emergent telepathic races are required to submit to the mind probe, Carol." Kenny reminds her. "I guess Overmind wants to know what we really think, not just what we think we think."
"Certainly I believe that any non-telepathic individuals you bring before Overmind will have to submit to this." Timon notes quietly.
"What precisely is this mind probe, Timon?" John asks, leaning forward intently. "Has it been tested on Earth natives, Homo sapiens or Homo superior, before?"
"I'm afraid not. However, numerous simulations have shown that the procedure will be perfectly safe for you. It places the subject into a light trance and projects not only their surface thoughts but several layers of thought beneath to those linked with the device."
"But that's a dreadful breach of privacy!" Tricia exclaims.
"Very little of Overmind has any real concept of privacy." Carol tells you, her face screwed up as if the words tasted sour. "Most come from such intrinsically telepathic races that it is purely an abstract to them."
"What worries me more is how it can work." John tells you all with a frown. "In order to do what you to describe, Timon, it must require an almost total abandonment of telepathic shields by the subject. Most of us would find that very difficult, Timon, and it would lead us utterly defenseless if the machine malfunctioned in some way or was just not suited to the human mind."
"Nonetheless, I believe Overmind may insist upon it or reject your Emergent World status out of hand."
"I'm prepared to give it a try, John." Carol tells him, placing a hand on his arm.
"Me, too." Stephen adds. You see John looking at him a little anxiously and realise that Stephen still isn't up to full telepathic strength after everything that happened to him.
"I'll try it first." John says decisively.
You look from anxious face to anxious face and think about what John said. The machine is affected by telepathic shields and if there is one person in the room for whom that shouldn't be a problem it's you, not John.
Do you:
a) Keep quiet and let John try it?
b) Volunteer to use the mind probe?
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