Invisible Touch Read online

  You know that show Gilmore Girls from years ago? It featured these entertaining town meetings that the main characters would attend for fun. They brought popcorn and drinks and treated it like reality show or a nature documentary. Or Parks and Rec. Their meetings were a bit more realistic, but the attendees were still funny. I wish.

  Instead, the Psycept Council meetings are a chore to get through. Hundreds of bored audience members that only attend to meet their quota. I felt sorry for the supplicants appealing to the council, having to stand at the podium in a room full of people impatiently waiting for the meeting to be over. Or a very enthusiastic group trying to engender excitement and is instead met with apathy.

  Seven councilors represent the seven main categories of Psycept. Most feel they are doing their residential duty by agreeing to be on the council for a year. Between the Psycept bi-weekly meetings, the transitional meetings, and representing Psycepts on the Albuquerque council, that is almost thirty meetings a year you are agreeing to, so a one-year term makes sense. Once the year ends, the Psycept category attempts to get someone else to be the next sacrifice. Formally there must be a declaring of candidates, speeches, and a general vote, even though most groups only put forth one option. Today is candidate declarations and we have a larger audience than usual. From our seats at the front of the council room, Wendy offers me some of her popcorn. At my look, she replies, “A girl can dream.” She’s my Gilmore Girls buddy. The meeting is called to order and regular business is addressed for the next hour.

  “That concludes our agenda. Now, we begin our yearly call for candidate declarations. We’ll start from the largest group and work our way down. When the group is called, the candidate must walk to the podium, make the declarative statement, and hand the application paperwork to the Council Bailiff. If the candidate is currently a council member, they may make the declaration from their council seat and pass the paperwork to the Council Clerk.” I roll, my eyes. We’ve only done this the exact same way for the past fifteen years.

  “PsyMovers”

  Two candidates declare themselves, a PsyKinetic and a Weather Guide. As the largest category, they try to field two or three candidates for voting options.

  “PsySapients”

  Kyle Ngo, fauna PsySapient and husband to Soon Yee, declares his candidacy, as does Maddie, a flora PsySapient. Either choice will be a credit to our council.

  “PsyWitches”

  Wendy hands me her popcorn, steps over Echo who’s sprawled in the aisle next to my seat, then she walks up to the podium and declares her candidacy. I guess the horror of eight years ago, the one and only time she was on council, faded enough that her fellow PsyWitches talked her into serving again.

  “PsySentients”

  Emily, an empath, declared her candidacy with a martyred look on her face.

  “The Variegated”

  One of their astral projectionists declares himself. Attending a council meeting was probably nothing to him. He could sit down and nope right out of his body during the meeting. I wish. The Variegated are a larger group than both PreCogs and TouchVoyants, but they have such miscellaneous abilities they tend to be thought of less collectively. Except during declarations and speeches. Their physical seat on the Psycept Council is still last as it was originally set when the council first formed and the Variegated were much smaller. They just haven’t cared enough to request a change since then.

  “PreCog”

  A four-time former council member declares his candidacy. His wife must have hounded him to. She’s not a Psycept and feels that serving on the council is prestigious. I guess he hasn’t managed to convince her otherwise.

  “TouchVoyants”

  “Tracy Fischer. Can you pass this paperwork to the Clerk? Thanks so much.”

  “Gray Graham,” I say from the podium. Yep, I’m a sucker.

  Tracy, daughter of Matthias Fischer, is a PsyChometrist and has been on the council for six years running. I don’t know how much support she has with PsyChometrists, but the elections are general which means we all vote on every candidate. Matthias used his influence with the PsyMovers to campaign for his daughter. There have been a few PsyChometrist challengers in the six years, but they have not received enough general votes. I believe that Matthias fancies himself a queenmaker or a man behind the curtain. He wants his family’s importance represented but does not want to commit to so many meetings himself. Otherwise, he would try for both Tracy and him on the council.

  If Tracy was a good councilor, it would be one matter. But she bears a grudge against sages and does her best to block any measures they propose. Tiko and the girls have asked me to run for council periodically over the last few years. Sages combined are one-third of our group and the other two-third are PsyChometrists. While generally respected within TouchVoyants, sages are coolly welcomed in the larger Psycept community. It says something about how bad it is in other Psycept communities that our indifferent tolerance is better than elsewhere, and sages are requesting to move here. The sages think I am the best candidate to try to usurp Tracy’s position and asked Tiko to try to persuade me, again. I highly doubt I’ll win, but I promised Sheriff Helki to step up my involvement.

  “And that wraps up-”

  “Wait, sorry to do this but I must lodge a challenge. Gray, we received notification that PsyMemori are PsySentients as of this month. You are the only one we have on SWACon. Sorry I have not made more of an effort to welcome you to the group. We have quarterly meetings and you will be included in the calendar invites that go out next month,” Healer Minki said.

  She is the current PsySentient councilmember. Healer Minki’s story is interesting. She was a born in SWACon and is a member of the Hopi tribe, but chose to undergo Psycept genetic testing. She’s not a healer of the body like PsyWitches are, she heals the mind and was identified as a PsyPath. Though originally from the Hohokam region, she applied to move to Bosque to study Psycepts. She chose to remain here and has been a mentor to many PsyPaths over the years.

  I must turn back to the podium since I began to walk away when the wrap up was almost declared. The audience members are perking right up with this little drama development. I can imagine Wendy happily munching her popcorn.

  “Hello, Healer Minki. You’re correct, PsyMemori were recategorized as PsySentients. However, we determined that I was originally misidentified as a PsyMemore thus I was left as a TouchVoyant.”

  “But you deal with memories, like PsyMemori do. Can you please explain?”

  “Sure. PsyMemori, like PsyPaths, connect with a person’s psyche and do not require tactile contact. Though, also like telepaths and empaths, touch can help. Brain damage, like concussions or injuries, and diseases of the brain, like degenerative brain disease, can affect the connection, but not sever it. PsyMemori can manipulate memories of people, moving a memory into a protected space or helping a person reconnect with memories in cases of memory loss or memory repression.

  “I can read memories, but I require touch to connect. I read memories from objects and not just the person. The memories I read are not affected by the condition of the brain. In fact, I often read memories of the dead while PsyMemori can only read the memories of the living. I can’t manipulate memories nor help people connect with their memories.

  “During the application process of seeking asylum, I was asked what my abilities were as the genetic test marker only revealed that I was a touch clairvoyant. I explained that I read memories and the processor knew that a group of memory specialists were set for Auraria as they were much farther along in the process, having applied as soon as the residency applications were opened. They identified themselves as PsyMemori, but their DNA tests were done early and not screened for anything other than the Psycept DNA marker. So, PsyMemori were categorized as TouchVoyants because my DNA test indicated this. And I was labeled PsyMemori due to reading memories. No one realized that at the surface we both read memories, but we get there from very different places.

/>   “When I first began handling Psycept cases, I kept getting cases dealing with amnesia and memory loss, which I can’t help with. The PsyMemori in Auraria received blankets and clothes to read, but they can’t read inanimate objects. It took a few months to correct the database. Unbeknownst to me, the programmers had to rebuild my profile in the system and based it on PsyChometrists. After that, cases that I could work began to arrive in my consideration queue.

  “Cut to present day. I learned about my database reclassification recently and reached out to PsyMemori in Auraria. We discussed our processes in-depth and determined our differences. They had their DNA rescanned to include the category and it revealed PsySentient markers. So, this kerfuffle was just recently sorted out. Though I am a tactile memory retriever, I’m different from PsyChometrists and we didn’t want to mix my abilities with theirs. I spoke with the sages and they agreed to allow me to declare a new sage category, I’m now called a Mind Sage. But please don’t picture me eating brains, I’m not a zombie.”

  I hate discussing my abilities so openly. This is a residual feeling from when I was young, and my parents hid our family’s oddness. At least this is just general information, not specifics of my process. I hope I didn’t offend the sages with my crack about eating brains. Sages can do a lot with their abilities, but their most visceral ability requires them to consume either blood or bone to connect with a person. Because of this, sages tend to be a last resort for aiding in homicide cases as most family members do not like the idea of sending samples of blood or bone from their loved one, knowing the samples will not be returned.

  I’m also glad I didn’t have to go into the feeling of aloneness I experienced when I had to break off from being a member of the PsyMemori. Though I was the only one in Albuquerque, I felt distantly connected to the PsyMemori in Auraria and other Psycept communities. My ability kept me separate from my family growing up and it was nice to know there were others like me out there. Finding out that I wasn’t a PsyMemore and was the lone Mind Sage on the GT reinforced the freakiness of my nature. But that, like many other things, I keep to myself.

  “Thank you, Gray. That was an excellent response and explained both the ability difference and the corrective steps in a concise manner. I’m sure we’re all grateful for the quick resolution. I withdraw the challenge. No further information is needed on my part.”

  “Okay, now we are adjourned. See everyone in two weeks for speeches.”

  Tracy looks as if she’ll vault over the table and stab me in the eye. Very specific but I stand by my belief of what her expression conveys. I catch Tiko’s nod to me as I walk back to my seat. Tiko and his sisters sat in the row behind me and Wendy. Which reminds me.

  “Hey y’all. I need to speak about the sub-group projects. I am crunched for time this week with my siblings coming to visit. Do you think all or some of you can join Wendy and me for dinner on Monday? 6pm. I’ll let you and Wendy pick the restaurant and I’ll cover the tab.”

  “Sure, sounds good to me. What about you girls?”

  “Sorry, Tiko. I already have plans with Sri and his family.”

  “That’s right, you’re going to see his sister’s play, Libby. Sorry, I can’t go either. I’ll still be in Chaco for a case. Jay?”

  “No can do, Vic. Dental appointment Monday and I always feel crappy after those.”

  “Tiko, you still okay to join? I can go over everything with you, you can take notes and let your sisters know.”

  I’m so proud of the girls, all plausible denials. I had texted them earlier.

  I’m going to invite ALL of you out to eat for Mon night but come up with excuses to decline. I want just Tiko to come. Heads will roll!!!

  “Yeah, I can still meet you. We can go to the Pick ’n Grill.”

  “Wendy?”

  “Haven’t been there in a while. Looking forward to it.”

  The meeting’s exodus dies down as we finalize our plans. I say goodbye to everyone as Echo and I go home.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  Monday morning, I assist Mark to create the survey that will go out the Psycept police unit. Or, I should say he hid out in my conference room for several hours this morning. I was first alerted to the dilemma from an IM from Dani.

  Boss lady, Mark’s here. He’s pulling on his hair.

  Anyone in the conf room today? Be out in a sec.

  Nope, it’s free. I’ll put him there now.

  “Mark, did we have an appointment?” I escort Echo into the room. I know we don’t but want to open our conversation in a relaxed manner.

  “No. I just have to get away from the office. Sully and Tamez are driving me crazy. They’re all gung-ho about working on the training materials. Thing is, both are doing their part right now and they keep asking me questions. Formatting questions. Every minute. Both of them. I finally stuck them in a room with a YouTube document tutorial playlist and ran away. How’d you know I need puppy therapy?”

  “Sounds fun. Maybe you can call someone up from the secretarial pool to help them with that stuff. Or wait, here pet Echo for a sec.” I step out the conference room to speak with Dani.

  “Hey, Dani. Can you see if Dio is available this afternoon to help on a project? I can cover his clients if he has a light afternoon.”

  “Sure, I’ll check with him.”

  “Send him in to the conference room when he has a sec, either way. Thanks.” I grab some water for Mark and go back to the conference room.

  “Ok, wanna use this time while you’re here to get those employee files? Need any help connecting with the network? Cause that’s Dani’s domain.”

  “Nope, connected just fine. I started a survey. The bosses want the team to be more engaged in the process, so they have a bunch of questions they want me to ask. I couldn’t concentrate at the office, though. Do you think I should do languages as a dropdown or a checklist?”

  “Checklist for the most common languages, both international and tribal languages of SWACon. Maybe dropdown for less common languages, then a free text box for filling in rare language skills. Maybe employee resources have a template they use for applicants that you can adapt, lessen recreating everything. And don’t forget to ask about spoken versus written languages. Not distinguishing may trip you up later.”

  There’s a knock at the ajar door and Dio walks in. Dio’s in his mid-20s, the offspring of a Latinx mother and a Diné, or Navajo, father. He’s of average height, dark hair, and dark blue eyes. He grew up in the Chaco region, but moved to Albuquerque a few months ago. I have my suspicions why, but it’s not my business.

  “I can vouch for Gray. I think the reason she hired me was because I speak, read, and write Spanish. My initial interview was over the phone with Dani, it went well. My second interview was face-to-face here with Gray. We talked for a bit, then she had Rhea come in for a brief conversation in Spanish. Afterwards, Gray put this twelve-page report with text and charts in Spanish in front of me. I had to find all the errors and write up a brief explanation, again in Spanish, of the report. It wasn’t on a computer, it was printed out and I couldn’t have my phone on me. Scary.”

  “I asked Dani to prioritize the applicants that indicated they were fluent in all aspects of Spanish. On the phone, Dani asked specifically if they could read and write Spanish. But the four people I interviewed before Dio, while otherwise great applicants, were not up to formal written Spanish. Contrast to me who is not a native Spanish speaker. My mom didn’t speak Spanish and taught us mostly with textbooks and putting on the Spanish language channel. So, I’m good at understanding and writing Spanish, but my spoken language skills, while vastly improved from living here, are not as good as Rhea. At least people no longer wince when I speak Spanish, my accent was a little too Texican when I arrived.

  “Mark, this is Eladio, our newest virtual assistant. Dio, this is Mark, he’s the administrative assistant for Sgts. Randolph and Tamez with the Psycept police unit. Dio, what’s your workload like for this afternoon?”
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br />   “It’s been kinda light today and I should be finished by lunch. I was going to ask Rhea or Soon Yee if they needed any help.”

  “Belay that. Yay, I finally got to use that in sentence, I feel like Capt. Picard. Anyway, can you return with Mark to the police department to help him? His bosses are writing up training materials and keep asking for assistance with formatting and stuff.”

  “Sounds doable.”

  “Great, just send your clients a quick note and leave me as the contact on your out of office. I’ll let the two of you rock, paper, scissors to decide who has to help Sully and Tamez. Mark, message me if you need anything. Otherwise, I’m taking Echo outside, then returning to my office.”

  “Thanks, Gray. Dio, I came here without my lunch. Do you want to head out at lunchtime and grab something before we get to the station?”

  Cool, it looks as though Dio might get a friend out of this, I don’t know if he has many here yet. I know he hangs out with Dani and Araceli occasionally. Who knows, with the hint of interest I caught from Mark, it might lead to something more. Echo quickly does his business outside, then we hustle to my office as I have a video chat appointment with Annabeth scheduled.

  “Hi, Gray. What do you think the aspect ratio should be for the video intros? I’m looking online but I’m not sure. Should I put in a requisition for a camera and mic? How formal should it be, do they need a background or greenscreen? Should I book an appointment with a studio or something?”

  “Okay first, deep breath. This isn’t a formal thing, relax. Just make an appointment with the PCSS package delivery supervisors. Tell them you want the delivery people to make fun little intro vids, nothing too big. Set them up as the content approvers, like the employees pitching ideas to them as if they were some Hollywood producer, best team concept. Once the idea is chosen, have everyone write a skit, The Office, Parks n Rec, you know, that kinda style. We don’t want them to think of this as a chore, just a fun thing to do.