8 comments/ 9344 views/ 10 favorites Campus Life in the Psychic Age By: thisismessedup Hey readers, hopefully this is just the first in a series, but one never knows. While this story deals with telepathy, it doesn't involve actual mind control- yet. All characters are aged 18 or over and all that. ***** People to some extend had always believed in mind-reading, foresight of the future, or the ability to move things by sheer thought; and maybe they had been right to, but it was only a few years before the beginning of this story that belief in such things became truly widespread- and only then because it suddenly started happening out in the open. There was the judge who could catch a liar on the witness stand by reading his mind, the Youtube footage of a mom heaving a car off her trapped child before getting in arm's reach and others. At first people even started hailing it as a new and wondrous stage of evolution. Unfortunately for every one person who used such gifts to be a hero, there were a dozen more who used them to steal, to control, to commit mass murder. Predictably those sins birthed such fear in society that newly-dubbed 'mentalists' had to play normal to avoid ostracism, if not outright violence. Colin Forbes was one of those people. A young man with a handsome face, but regarded as also a bit of a nerd for most of his life. This night, he was at the Steam Tunnels (odd name for a bar, he thought), relaxing after a gruelling first week at the Mignola institute of higher learning. Across the table from him sat Gavin Riley. Gavin was a friend of Colin's from high school, and the only person outside the Forbes family Colin trusted with his secret; Horatio to his Hamlet, Harold to his Kumar. As Colin sipped his beer, Gavin got his attention, "Check out who's looking your way." Colin turned his head and saw her, 'Faith' he thought to himself. That wasn't her real name of course (or it would've been a freaky coincidence if it was); Colin referred to her to that in his mind because her looks and bearing reminded him of someone named Faith from an old TV show. Both he and Gavin had seen her around yet neither mustered up the courage to actually approach the woman. Surprisingly, her eyes did indeed gaze in their direction. "Wonder who she's looking at past us," Colin said as he took another sip. "What, you just assume she's looking at someone behind you?" "I learned my lessons from high school." "Exactly- high school. People are supposed to be more mature now." "Just because they're supposed to be doesn't mean they actually are." "I still say you're wrong- but I know a way we could find out for sure." Colin shot his friend a dirty look, "Forget it. Bad idea now, bad idea always." Ever since learning Colin could read thoughts Gavin had tried to goad him to divine what people around them were thinking. Colin always had to spell out that one didn't just pop into somebody's brain uninvited like that. Not only was it considered incredibly rude, there was the good chance he might not like what he saw in someone else's thoughts- to say nothing of the fact most people were suspicious of psychics at best and such cavalier use of said abilities could end up putting a bull's-eye on the head of the psychic in question. Besides such intrusions seemed unnecessary, as the woman they discussed got up, walked toward- and right on past their table. "Told'ja," Colin said as he took another swig of his beer. With both their backs turned, neither of them saw 'Faith' turn her head to look at Colin, even if only for a second. A Monday later Colin fought desperately to stay awake during Astrophysics. What could have been an interesting subject- and one that, in an age where businesses and governments were genuinely looking into colonizing the other planets of the solar system- could have actual use outside academic circles, was reduced to desert-dry lectures droned on by a Methuselah who could have retained his professorship only through the miracle of tenure. Colin had started shaking his head in an effort to keep from drifting off when as it turned he glimpsed the woman he and Gavin had been discussing the Friday night earlier. At first seeing her surprised Colin, but as he started to think about the matter, why should it? It was a big campus, hundreds of faces of students surrounded him, though a good many of those had lost their battle with tedium. Trying to make another glance as discreet as possible, Colin noticed she kept her head up, but not because she found the lecture interesting. No, Colin had long ago learned to recognize the far-off look of a daydreamer- Hell, he himself could have given many people lessons on the subject. He briefly wondered what she could be imagining right now, and debated having a look-see? Almost immediately after thinking that he inwardly chewed himself out for doing so. All the warnings that had been drilled into him against probing another's mind in such a fashion- to say nothing of his lectures to Gavin on the matter. And yet, his curiosity was starting to get the better of him. Besides, would it really do any harm? 'You can be in and out without anybody even knowing you were there,' he told himself, totally ignorant of the Pandora's Box he was considering to open. Taking care not to advertise his intent by looking anywhere but straight ahead, Colin mentally reached out, envisioned his mind drilling into 'Faith's' skull, and staring face to face with- himself? 'What the hell?' Colin thought. He had been fairly certain this woman didn't even know he existed, and for a second wondered if this was just projecting. He decided otherwise though, 'imaginary Colin' had his face, but his hair had been cut differently, and was black instead of brown. Also he wore unfamiliar clothes, namely urban camouflage pants and a black tank top. 'Even in daydreams I'm too scrawny to pull off the tank top look,' Colin sadly observed. Looking past his imagined doppelganger he noticed they were in a locker room somewhere, though he'd been in the one at the U and this wasn't it. "Did you like what you saw?" Both Colin and imaginary Colin turned their head's to see 'Faith' (He really should get around to learning her real name one of these days) smirking. She was dressed similarly to Imaginary Colin, a thin metal chain worn around her neck down her top; her hair (also styled differently than in real life) was wet, that along with some damp spots on her shirt suggested she had rushed towelling off after a swim or shower. If she sensed the real Colin's presence she chose not to acknowledge it. "Well did you?" She pressed the question again. Imaginary Colin, suddenly looking very nervous, held up both hands before speaking, "Look, I walked in on you totally by accident, really." "Hm. Sure you did." Her tone making it obvious she didn't believe him- or really care either way. Her expression shifted into one Wile E Coyote might wear had he stumbled on a crippled Roadrunner. Imaginary Colin, seeming even more uneasy, started backing away. In the space of a breath the girl was on Imaginary Colin with a tackle worthy of an NFL linebacker, slamming him flat on a short bench. She sat up while whipping off her shirt, showing the chain hanging from her neck bore military style dog-tags between two pert, natural breasts, then reached down at imaginary Colin's pants. Imaginary Colin, not completely registering what had happened from the looks of it, started to sit up before 'Faith' shot daggers at him from her eyes and growled "Don't even THINK about it!" He dropped back down, the ferocity of her yell even made the real Colin take a couple steps back before he remembered that in someone's mind distance was a mutable thing at best. The woman had yanked down Imaginary Colin's drawers and began manipulating his junk. He didn't look so much aroused as afraid of what she'd do if he tried to stop her, yet she managed to get a stiffie out of him rather quickly. Colin shook his head when he saw how long this woman liked to imagine him. 'Girl, you would be very disappointed if you ever saw the real thing,' he depressingly thought. She lifted her hips off him to push down her own pants, imaginary Colin made no move to push her off or get out from under her. 'Faith' looked down at him grinning like a jackal; when she finally slammed down on her boy toy the sounds he made could have been either pleasure or pain- probably the latter, considering how rough things had gotten up to this point. Unable to take his eyes (so to speak) off the train wreck inside this woman's skull, Colin watched her bucking speed up, her groans getting louder and more frequent... And then the scene abruptly zoomed farther and farther away until Colin woke up back in his own head, the student who sat behind him flicking the back of his skull. "Come back to earth dude, class is over" he heard. "What? Oh shit, thanks." Colin mumbled as he got up to leave, afraid to even look if a certain woman was doing the same. Up until that class Colin had figuratively kicked himself many times for being too chicken-shit to approach 'Faith', but after having seen the role he played in her fantasy he wasn't sure what he could've said to her even if he had the guts to do so. Still convinced they'd never met; he wondered when she first noticed him, let alone imagined herself jumping his bones. 'Jump my bones?' he mused as he tried to get some shuteye, 'One would think she was trying to break them.' Over the next couple weeks Colin saw her in Astrophysics and some other courses they shared by chance. More than one occasion she would be staring into space like she did that first time. The rational part of his mind all but screamed 'Stay the Fuck out of her head' and for the first few days he listened. Unfortunately as those days passed his curiosity began to win over his common sense and he started to wonder what other of her fantasies he might have played a part in, even as he also asked himself why he would want to, considering how the first one he saw turned out. Was it possible being the guy she tackled appealed to his vanity in some weird way? Or was he just a masochist of sorts and never knew it until now? Whatever the motivation, during one boring lecture Colin finally gave in and peeked into 'Faith's' thoughts and regrettably was not let down. He was in an enclosed space, curved like a dome instead of flat walls. A small fire burned in the centre, on the other side a woman stood with her back to him as she peeled fur clothing off a muscular but still feminine form. 'A cavewoman?' He pondered, 'This should be interesting.' And it was, if for a different reason. When this 'cavewoman' turned to her right Colin barely recognized her with a flat, if tiny nose and two canine teeth poking from her lower lip. It took Colin a second to connect what he saw with the orcs from those computer games his granddad used to tell him about. 'And somehow she's still beautiful- holy shit, even Gavin would think I was sick if he heard that.' Like before this beautiful orc acted as though the real Colin was not there; stalking toward a man lying in the dirt, his hands and feet bound. He wore medieval armour, and a face disturbingly identical to Colin's own. Deciding he probably knew where this was headed and doubtful he really wanted to see it, Colin decided to bail from this daydream. Foolishly he came back for more another day. This time his imaginary self was in a jungle somewhere, dressed the way a snooty academic from the 1800's might- complete with dorky spectacles, looking at some monkeys (or were they apes?) while jotting down notes in a book. Something out of the corner of his eye caught Imaginary Colin's notice. The woman of the hour had finally appeared, swinging down from a vine. Her tanned breasts were uncovered but a thong of leopard skin covered her crotch, though barely. She came forward with a wild look in her eye- and a nasty-looking knife in her hand. When she pinned her quarry on the grass she started to cut at his pants with that knife, Colin decided not to stick around to see if the knife-play would stop at the clothes. Over the days Colin found her fantasies would vary from an astonishing range of fantastic settings and situations; what didn't change was her use of- if not outright physical force, some form of intimidation or another toward him. Of course his Psych professor would have probably tried to assure him these fantasies didn't mean she got her jollies from that thing in real life. 'But if she does,' Colin thought, 'God pity the poor bastard she calls boyfriend.' The last daydream Colin decided to spy on would debatably be the freakiest yet- because it wasn't just the two of them this time. 'Faith' was a bedchamber with rugs on the floor, a roaring fire and several chests overflowing with gold and gems. Her hair here was black and much longer- it draped past her shoulders, and she wore a breastplate that was much more form-fitting than he suspected they were made in real life. She absently picked up a dagger off a table bearing other weapons, including a metal ring close to a foot in diameter with a razor-sharp outer edge. As 'Faith' used the dagger's point to dig some dirt from under her nails two muscular thugs brought imaginary Colin into the room and left. This time Colin's double wore a kind of tunic people from ancient Rome or Greece might have worn. His face was bruised, his left cheek cut and from the way his arms were behind his back, it was likely his wrists were cuffed as well. 'Faith' waved Imaginary Colin to come closer, as he did he snarled, "You've sacked our village, burned our homes, put collars on those you didn't kill- what more do you want, dammit?" She smiled as she sliced away Imaginary Colin's clothes, taking surprising care not to cut his flesh, "Oh come now; a woman has a handsome young man brought to her chambers, what do you think she wants?" she asked in a mockingly-sweet tone of voice. "No matter what you threaten to do to me, my body will give you no pleasure." 'Finally,' Colin hoped, 'Some signs of a backbone.' 'Faith' got a wicked glint in her eye, "Luckily I have someone else to harm." Colin raised a brow, 'What's that supposed to mean?' when all three turned to sounds of heavy chains. Out of the darkness a girl emerged, a steel collar around her neck chained to a steel ring bolted to the floor. One might describe this girl as 'cute', she was pretty, but rather mousy-looking, timid. 'Who the Hell is this?' Colin wondered, 'Someone from her past?' She didn't look like anyone he had ever seen before. Imaginary Colin, on the other hand seemed to recognize her, his face paled as he turned back to his captor, "What are you going to do to her?" "You should be more concerned about what my men would do; that is, if I let them have her." "No, you can't!" Imaginary Colin's voice cracked in terror. "Actually, I can. But if you're nice to me, I might decide not to." All hopes Colin had of his double's defiance sank with Imaginary Colin's head, "Please. I'll do whatever you want, just don't... don't hurt her." 'Faith' grinned, "There see, was that so difficult?" She pushed Imaginary Colin onto the bed, unbuckled the shoulder straps of her so-called armour causing it to fall leaving her as bare as he was, then joined him. "Wait," Imaginary Colin pleaded as his organ was manipulated to arousal, "Can't we do this somewhere else, where she doesn't have to see it?" 'Faith' turned to lock eyes with the 'hostage', "No. I want her to watch," as she took Imaginary Colin's prick into her mouth. Colin's eyes bulged, 'Holy FUCK, this has got to be a first.' His doppelganger jerked and flailed like alternating current was running through his body while 'Faith' bobbed up and down, while somehow still able to keep eye contact with this mystery girl who by now had tears streaming down her face yet for some reason refused to look away. That night, Colin and Gavin kicked back at the Steam Tunnels, though this time they had company. Clive "Moose" Tanner, a self-important Neanderthal who gave stereotypical jocks a bad name, sat with them bragging about how hard he tackled another on the football team when he blurted out of the blue, "Whoa- scope the hottie that's checking you out," looking straight at Colin. Colin turned his head even though he had a feeling he knew exactly who Clive meant. Seeing her face he turned back to the thug, "You sure she's not checking you out instead?" Clive paused, then nodded, "Yeah you're right- why would she miss me over you?" before getting up and walking toward her. Gavin glared at Colin, "Not that I'm not grateful to you for getting rid of that thug, but your methods suck. Was pointing him in the direction of a babe like that worth it? What if for some stupid reason she actually likes him?" "If he knew what she's into, he might not want her to like him," Colin responded. Confused at first by those words, Gavin's face scowled as he realized what they meant, "I don't believe it. After all those self-righteous tirades you gave me-" his expression abruptly softened and he leaned forward, quietly inquiring, "See anything good?" "Sure, if you have a freaky definition of good," Colin laid out the basic details of the fantasies he'd seen telepathically, much in the same way that he, when they were kids, would tell Gavin something he didn't want others to overhear. Of course this method of sharing secrets was one-sided at best, since Gavin had never displayed psychic talent; still it was sufficient for this situation and Gavin was blown away by what he 'heard', "Whoa," one word that said more than an entire soliloquy. "Yeah, that's pretty much what I thought," Colin answered. "This girl from the last one," Gavin whispered, "The hostage, any idea who it could be?" "Not a clue. It's possible she isn't anybody, just a figment of the you-know-who's imagination, but for some reason I keep thinking that's not the case." Both Colin and Gavin turned their heads to look at 'Faith'; who put on a show of listening to whatever it was Clive was saying, but one did not have to be psychic to tell how bored she was. She said something to Clive, presumably asking him to get more drinks as he headed for the bartender- then walked away the instant his back was turned, approaching the table where Colin and Gavin sat. Gavin stood up, "I think I'll leave you two to get acquainted," and walked away. Colin shot him as dirty a look as one could give. "Hey," the woman said, "I've seen you in Astrophysics- Colin, isn't it?" "Um, yeah. I don't think I've ever caught your name, though- uh..." "Alecia." "Oh- right, Alecia." 'Well at least now I know what to call her, instead of comparing her to some TV character.' Alecia sat down in what was Gavin's seat and made the first attempt at actual conversation, "So you plan to get in on the corp's space programs too, huh?" "Pretty much, the old man warned me not to go for one of those- 'liberal arts degrees that turn out to be useless in the real world.'" Colin took a swig of his drink, "Of course the class won't be much help if I can't stay awake enough to remember what that fossil of a professor actually says." Alecia laughed, "Yeah, I found it hard not to drift off when he starts talking," her face took on a somewhat suspicious look, "Ever wonder what goes through one's head in that sort of situation?" A suddenly nervous Colin answered out loud, "Haven't really given it much thought before," while thinking inwardly, 'Shit- Shit, she's on to me! What the fuck do I do now?' To be continued (?) Campus Life in the Psychic Age Ch. 02 Well, here is the second chapter in the series, hope it meets up to your expectations. ***** Colin and Alecia proceeded to make small talk and though she never outright accused him of mentally peeping at her thoughts, more than a few of the things she said seemed like little innuendoes regarding the daydreams Colin had witnessed. It would likely be unnerving enough for someone to know said daydreams amounted to borderline rape fantasies involving the two of them- who knows what that someone would think should they learn in all of those fantasies SHE was the aggressor! Eventually Colin made a feeble excuse of going to get another beer. He stood up and headed to the bar. As he ordered his drink Gavin stepped up to ask, "Well, have we learned anything?" "Well," Colin started, "Her real name is Alecia Merriam, she is aspiring for a post in the space program, and..." "And?" Colin sent the rest to Gavin telepathically, 'She knows I've been snooping around in her brainbox, I'm sure of it!' Gavin glanced toward Alecia's direction; she showed no sign of the anger he would expect from her knowing what Colin did, "She doesn't look too upset about it," he whispered, "You sure you're not just being paranoid?" When Colin looked back Alecia gave him a smile that could have been completely innocent; but just easily could have not been, "I'm sure." Downing half his drink in one gulp, Colin walked back to her and said, "Look, I got a lot of work to do in the morning, so I'm gonna call it an early night." "Oh," Alecia looked disappointed, "Well, it was good talking to you. Maybe we could do this again?" "Maybe, we'll see." In truth Colin had fallen behind on a term paper, but that night he had trouble concentrating on his typing. Most of it was what Gavin had said- assuming Alecia was aware of his actions she had been acting rather calm about it; were their positions reversed he probably would have been furious, or at the very least embarrassed. And the things he daydreamed about were g-rated compared to what he saw in her head. Still the talk with her had freaked him out almost as much as what he'd seen in his telepathic intrusions. Colin decided then and there that making more contact with Alecia, whether in person or in a 'meeting of the minds' was asking for trouble. Better to quit her cold turkey. When he had finally finished as much work as he was going to that night, Colin tried to get some sleep. The last thoughts on his mind when he eventually nodded were of the other girl he saw in the last of Aleica's daydreams he peeped on. Who was she? Who was she to Alecia? 'Maybe it's better I don't know,' he thought as he closed his eyes. Colin dreamt he stalked toward a castle under cover of a moonless night. He wore armour made of hardened leather, a short sword in one hand, a grappling hook in the other. Stopping half a foot away from the castle walls he hurled the grappling hook toward an open window; when it caught he pulled himself upward, scaling the stone barrier like Adam West in a batsuit. Heaving himself over the widow sill and dropping to the floor soundlessly he froze straining his ears for the sounds of any guards or servants who might be close by. After long moments of hearing nothing he carefully stalked forward, eyes darting in all directions until he saw what he was looking for. Had Colin been awake and somewhat objective he probably would have questioned how a medieval castle could have a functioning electronic elevator, but in the surreal world of dreams it seemed to make perfect sense. The anachronistic elevator doors slid open as it reached the dungeon level; Colin sprang between them and brought his blade down on two animate skeletons flanking an oaken cell door. The undead guards disposed of, he gripped the steel ring bolted to the door with both hands and heaved it aside; the light of torches on the walls showing a fair maiden who was a dead ringer for the mystery girl Colin had been contemplating when he drifted off to slumber. The girl had been mute in Alecia's daydream but she spoke here, "How did you get past the sorceress?" "If we move quickly and quietly she need never know I came," Colin said as he used his dagger to break a link in the chain at the girl's ankle, "But we have to move now." As they turned toward the doorway a figure materialized on the other side of it. A dark-haired woman whose skin shone as pale as moonlight and whose face as identical to that of Alecia Merriam. In melodramatic fashion she thrust her arms in the air unfurling a bat-like cloak- which evidently left little material of the front of her costume as that showed damn near everything. "Did you think it would be so easy?" the 'sorceress' challenged, her voice sounding as if it came from the villainess of a Hammer Studios movie. Colin moved to shield the maiden with his body, his sword raised to strike, he yelled, "Back, she-devil! Retreat from the blade of justice!" A wakeful Colin would probably have also wondered who the hell came up with such hokey dialogue. The sorceress let out an over the top laugh before throwing what looked like a pebble on the floor; it exploded giving off a blinding flash, a cloud of smoke- An instant later Colin found himself on his back naked, tied to an altar. No, scratch that- his hands and feet had somehow merged with the altar itself! Looking everywhere in confusion he saw the anonymous maiden in the distance, trapped in a cage suspended from a chain stretching to a ceiling too high up to see. As frightening as the scene was, he saw himself somehow fully erect in the chill air. Before he knew it the sorceress appeared at his side. This time she was nude- not that it made much difference, considering how revealing her costume was before. She smirked at the re-imprisoned maiden before opening her mouth; out of which extended an impossibly long and slender tongue that wrapped itself around Colin's prick and started to pump him like an expert set of fingers. His body arched as he was about to erupt- A split-second before he would've ejaculated Colin bolted awake from what had turned into the weirdest wet dream yet. As he wiped the perspiration from his forehead he tried to hold on to the details but, like most dreams he had, they faded soon after his return to consciousness. Near the week's end Colin and Gavin drank at the Steam Tunnels. Colin saw the obnoxious Clive Tanner strut past then freeze at seeing Alecia and a couple of her friends at a table. Alecia gave Clive a sweet smile, he backed away then turned to leave the bar altogether, with a look of sheer terror on his face. When the doors swung shut Colin turned to Gavin, "Dare I ask?" Gavin shrugged, "Seems he didn't take it too well when she bailed on him to talk to you. Kept bugging her a few times 'til she invited him up to her dorm. Whatever happened next, looks like it freaked him out real bad." "Whatever? You don't know?" "You're the one with ESP, Colin," Gavin said those last words much more quietly, "If you really have to find out, maybe-" "No." Colin wasn't sure if Gavin meant reading Alecia or Clive but it didn't matter, "It was a mistake I have made for the last time." Colin got up to take a leak. Returning from the washroom, he heard Alecia call out his name. He remembered telling himself cold turkey, but he couldn't just bolt now without being rude, or drawing suspicion. 'I'll talk to her for as long as politeness dictates,' he thought to himself, then approached her table. "Colin, this is Sarah," Alecia indicated the woman sitting to her right, "And Jada," gesturing to the one at her left, "Haven't heard from you in a few days." Colin shrugged, "Yeah well, workload and all." Alecia nudged an empty chair further out with her foot, "Aren't you going to sit down? I don't bite." Remembering a couple of the fantasies he'd seen in her head in the past Colin unwittingly muttered, "Could've fooled me." "What the hell's that supposed to mean?" Jada shot back, upon which Colin realized he'd actually said those words out loud. Suddenly backing away in a manner not unlike Clive, Colin noticed Alecia say something under her breath; though an amateur lip-reader he was pretty sure it was something along the lines of, "I knew it." Friday came, and Colin found himself, as usual, fighting to stay awake and take in what his Astrophysics professor was saying. He almost nodded off- but jolted awake when he suddenly felt a hand on his crotch! Looking down he saw that his fly was zipped up, his jeans buttoned shut but showing a bulge as if something else was under the cloth- and distinctly felt fingers wrapping around his organ, and trying (very successfully, one might add) to get him hard. Alecia! She was a Psi-kay (psychokinetic- someone with the gift to move things with just conscious thought)! Part of Colin told him he had no proof what was happening in his pants was Alecia's doing, but who else would it be? 'Should I say something?' Colin pondered, 'Yell at her to stop?' But doing either of those would likely raise a lot of questions by everyone around him, and could even garner unwanted attention from potential psychic-phobes. And somehow he figured telepathically shouting at her to back off would just encourage her. A glance showed him Alecia was looking straight ahead instead of in his direction, but Colin's own actions in the past few weeks proved that meant nothing where mentalists are concerned. 'I'm not acknowledging it, I won't give her the satisfaction,' Colin resolved; at least until Alecia's magic fingers, having gotten him as stiff as he was going to get, started stroking him. 'Fuck!' Colin barely managed to keep from blurting the thought out loud; the girl sure knew how to wank a guy off, especially from close to eighty feet away. For a moment he remembered the night before, how merely seeing Alecia spooked Clive the way it did. She must have used her powers on him once they got to her room. But Colin had a feeling whatever she did to Clive, it wasn't this. At a loss for ideas, and making sure no one was looking his way (which wasn't really an issue as the other students around were too focused on their own work) Colin lowered his hand to press down on his pants, but encountered resistance, as if a flesh and blood extremity was actually beneath the fabric of his jeans. The phantom fingers stroked him slow and steady at first, but after the longest few minutes of Colin's life to date they began to pick up speed, as if whoever's will they were an extension of was getting bored. He knew it wasn't going to be long before they made him erupt; when they finally brought him off he had to bite down on his arm to keep from giving out a yelp that would have been heard across the room. No one so much as looked Colin's way then, though as the students left for other classes a few raised some eyebrows on seeing him leave while holding his binder over his crotch to hide the evidence of ejaculate. That night at the Steam Tunnels Gavin noticed Colin wearing a different pair of pants than earlier, but Colin answered his question before he could ask it, "Alecia. Is she here?" Gavin directed him to a table where she sat with Sarah and Jada, and Colin homed in on it like a guided missile. The three women looked his way and Colin had to restrain himself from raising his voice as he looked Alecia straight in the eye and said, "We need to talk." Her friends voiced their concerns, Jada even muttered something about Colin acting like Clive, but Alecia assured them she was in no danger and followed Colin to a corner in the bar where they were unlikely to be overheard over others, but in plain sight of any witnesses. Once they reached the corner Colin turned to meet Alecia's gaze and spoke, "Look, I'm not going to pretend to be innocent, but that stunt you pulled was way out of line!" "Colin, I have no idea- ah fuck it, I know exactly what you're talking about." "I thought you would." "What can I say? I had to get your attention somehow," Alecia said matter of factly, "I was starting to miss your little visits." "Starting to miss?" The times Colin had peered into Alecia's thoughts she'd acted like she didn't even notice he was there and it had been easy for him to assume that was the case, "You sensed me right from the start?" "Not exactly," Alecia shrugged, "I could sense somebody was watching, it took your slip of the tongue yesterday to confirm it. Truth is, I suspected it was you because whoever it was only stayed much in the fantasies you played a part in." "Only me- there are other leading men in those Russ Meyer movies being made in your head?" "There have been," Alecia shrugged, "Not for a while, really- you wouldn't be jealous if there were, would you?" On reflex alone Colin was about to tell Alecia off for suggesting such a thing. Before he even breathed a word of denial however he stopped; as he came to the realization that he actually would have been jealous. Shaking his head, he muttered, "What we got here is something really fucked up." "I know," Alecia nodded in agreement, though her smile made it obvious she didn't consider that necessarily a bad thing. At this point the two began to feel the stares of Gavin as well as Sarah and Jada. Both decided to finish this repartee quick before either party watching got involved. As Colin started toward Gavin Alecia chirped, "Don't be a stranger, now." Colin turned his head to answer, "And the next time you want to get my attention, try a tap on the shoulder, I'll be less likely to need a change of pants if you do." Campus Life in the Psychic Age Ch. 03 This chapter, while it uses the same cast and setting as the first two, downplays the psychic stuff (but not entirely) and focuses more on the technology of the larger world- just thought you should know. The last exam of the semester was yesterday and Colin still felt wiped. It had almost been enough to make him not care if he passed; that night he was too exhausted even to celebrate with a drink at the Steam Tunnels. Fortunately he and Gavin had planned another way to unwind that Saturday. He heard a knock on the door. Though he was sure it was Gavin, he mentally 'looked out' to see who just in case; recognizing his friend he withdrew and said out loud, "It's open." Gavin walked in smiling, holding in his hand a device that evolved from the flash drives of old but capable of holding far more data, "Good news. I contacted the place, they said somebody had cancelled- I didn't ask why. Also, we're allowed to bring our own programs but, like back at home, it's gonna cost a little extra. But not enough to be that big a problem." Colin nodded, "Well then I don't see any reason to stick around here, let's go." As the two left the building they came across what might have been a good reason to linger- or have left earlier depending on one's perspective- as Alecia strode toward their dorm building. "Colin," she called out, "Just the guy I was hoping-" She stopped seeing him and Gavin, "You two going somewhere?" Colin indicated his friend with a hand gesture, "Gavin and I booked some time at an Immersive." "Immersive- oh right," Alecia nodded, "I've heard of them, they're supposed to work like the holodecks on those old TV shows," Her face took on an accusatory grin, "I bet you get up to some freaky shit in one of those, right?" Colin blushed at the implications of her question while Gavin chuckled, "We can't, at least as of a year and a half ago." Alecia looked confused, "What happened a year and a half ago?" Colin answered this time, "There was a real shitstorm raised when word got out a guy was using them to live out rape fantasies of a woman he knew in real life. She actually took both the guy and the company to court over it. "So now to cover their asses legally, they don't allow customers to run simulations of a sexual nature." "Really?" Alecia sounded surprised, "That sucks." "Every once in while we hear rumours of somebody setting up underground versions where the pervs can indulge themselves," Gavin added, "But so far they've stayed rumours, 'least as far as we know." Looking from Alecia to Colin and back again Gavin suggested, "You know, if you're not doing anything and really that curious..." Colin give Gavin a look that could've stopped a bullet in mid-air, "I'm sure Alecia already has plans," he growled. "Oh that's not a problem," Alecia dialled her cell phone. Putting it to her ear, "Hey Jada? Something's come up, I won't be there to meet you and Sarah," after a pause she continued, "I'll tell him you said hi," then hung up. Colin raised a brow, "Jada said hi?" "Actually she said 'I hope you're staying the Hell away from that Colin freak', but why nitpick?" 'I'm the freak?' Colin couldn't help but feel indignant, 'Just how well does she think she knows you?' That question lingered in Colin's mind as the three made their way, until he broke down and asked out loud, "Those friends of yours, do they- do they know what you can do?" "What do you- oh that," Alecia realized Colin referred to the incident where she caused him to cream his pants in a crowded classroom without needing to be close enough to physically touch him, "They had to have suspected something when I proved I could drink a beer with no hands, but they've never asked any questions." Looking back to Gavin she added, "I'm kind of surprised you brought that up in front of your friend- does he know about-" "Oh please," Gavin interrupted, "I figured out what Colin was back in the third grade." Colin nodded in confirmation. "You know," Gavin started, "it's actually a funny story-" "NO it isn't," Colin cut him off. "Oh come on- if what happened had happened to someone else, you'd have been laughing just as hard as-" "No I wouldn't have, let's just drop it, shall we?" By this point they had reached their destination. In front of them rose a square building three stories high. Above the front doors a sign read in gargantuan block letters HENSON'S IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCE. They made their way inside and approached the front desk. Gavin spoke to the clerk, "Riley, room 1E." The clerk confirmed the reservation; upon looking up and seeing the three of them he seemed confused, "Says here the reservation was for two people." "Oh right, Alecia joined us at the last minute," Gavin paid the clerk, including the additional cost of a third participant. Looking them over the clerk said, "You know our policy-" "No sex programs, we know." Colin answered with more than a little irritation. "Hey, I gotta ask. Boss's orders." The three found the suite marked 1E. Gavin plugged the 'flash' drive into an outlet next to the room doors, then touched a small console above the outlet. "Let's see, where shall we go today?" Gavin turned to Colin and Alecia, "The bridge of the starship Challenger? The dusty streets of Desert Gorge?" Colin exhaled loudly, "Gavin, I thought we came here to blow off some steam." "Thought you'd say that. Hall of Rothgar it is." Gavin punched in a code and the suite doors opened to reveal the inside of a Nordic Great Hall lit by torchlight. Alecia paused, "Shouldn't we be in costumes or something?" "Won't need them," Colin said, "Step inside, you'll see." As soon as the three entered the suite ancient Norse armour and weapons imposed themselves over their clothes and 'masks' over their faces, Colin and Gavin suddenly sprouting beards. Behind them the doors slid shut, then were hidden by a projection of a hardwood wall, like the other surfaces of the suite. While Alecia took a moment to adjust to the sudden changes Colin reached behind him and drew the illusory two-handed sword that had been projected onto his back, swung it through the air and marvelled at how it felt. Even in an age where many could plumb the hidden thoughts of others, the masterminds behind Immersive technology had somehow managed to jealously guard the secret of making projections like this seem real- or at least tangible, as an actual sword would likely have weighed more than Colin himself. Alecia and Gavin gripped the axes hanging on their belts, Alecia asking, "OK now what?" Colin turned to answer her, a little surprised at how different she looked here, "This sim is loosely based on the book Eaters of the Dead. Basically the local lord's people are repeatedly under attack by creatures called the wendol, and we're here to do something about it." "Ah, gotcha." Alecia looked at the helmets Colin and Gavin wore, "No horns?" "They didn't have horns on their helmets," Colin felt like he had to point this out to others a hundred times before. "Strictly speaking they didn't train women to be Vikings either," Gavin mentioned. Colin pointed to Alecia, "Yeah, but do you think she came here to sit on the sidelines?" Gavin looked her way, "I don't think you go anywhere to sit on the sidelines." "Damn straight," Alecia looked around, fidgeting with impatience, "OK, when are these wendul or whatever going to show up?" Colin trained his eye on the barred entranceway, seeing tendrils of black fog seep between the planks in the doors, "Right about... NOW!" As if on cue the barred doors were blasted from the frame as if hit by a bazooka. From the dark mist rushing in emerged freakish ape-men, clutching vicious blades of their own in their gnarled hands and howling like banshees. Alecia dropped her jaw as Colin and Gavin bolted towards this horde; but quickly got over her surprise and charged in after them, axe held high. Just under an hour later the suite doors opened; as the three left their weapons, blood-splattered armour and holographic masks vanished. Feeling as though a giant millstone no longer hung from his neck, Colin relaxed his shoulders and let the air out of his lungs, "Damn, I needed that." Alecia chuckled "Yeah nothing like slicing and dicing Yeti to relieve stress, huh?" Colin looked at her, "Hey, I saw the look on your face more than once, you hacked at those things as enthusiastically as either of us did." She shrugged, "I just think places like this could be put to a lot better use than for a high-tech version of cowboys and Indians." "Yeah well like I said earlier, blame the fear of litigation." Over the following week Colin didn't hear much of Alecia; she showed up for classes like everyone else, but didn't seek his company afterwards. When Colin and Gavin went to chill at the Steam Tunnels he saw Alecia's friends Sarah and Jada drinking and hanging out, but minus her. She also kept her psychokinetic fingers to herself; and while Colin was relieved at not having to hide semen stains on his drawers a part of him also worried she might have found someone else to mess with- another person might have considered that good thing but for some damn fool reason Colin didn't. Finally on Friday night Colin saw Alecia as he left the dorm building and noticed a satchel hanging from her shoulder. "Heading for the Steam Tunnels?" she asked. 'Yeah, I was," Colin couldn't help but wonder where she'd been herself. "Where's your friend?" "Gavin? He has to do some research for an assignment. Though to be honest, I never really cared much for drinking alone." "Well we wouldn't be drinking, but if you follow me you wouldn't be alone." Colin cocked a brow, "What are you talking about?" "It's a surprise." "Yeah, I was afraid you'd say that," Colin shook his head. Alecia started to mope, "You don't trust me." "Hey, I've been in your head remember?" Hell, ever since Colin saw her gladiatrix fantasy he couldn't even say the word circus with the same innocence it once had. Then it occurred to him- he could just read her mind right now! Or so he thought- when Alecia was daydreaming he could see what went on inside with no difficulty but as he tried at this moment he encountered resistance, like her thoughts were somehow shielded. "Nice try," Alecia waved a naughty finger, "I might not be able to jump into someone's head like you are, but I can put up barriers if I think someone's gonna come creeping. You wanna know what I got planned, you'll have to follow me." She turned and walked off bumping her hips in a suggestive fashion. Though Colin tried to steel himself, it only took a few seconds for him to break down and rush after her. Alecia was waiting for Colin in front of the open door of an aerotaxi. When he stepped inside after her, she gave the driver an address. Said driver shot her a quizzical look, but prodded his cab to hover without asking any questions. Alecia paid the driver as they touched down in what appeared to be the industrial section of the city. The area was well lit, devoid of any loiterers and though Colin didn't sense any hostile presences he was more than confused. But Aleica kept quiet as she approached a structure that bore the rusted façade of an old warehouse- and oddly enough looked the same size as the Immersive Colin, Gavin and Alecia had patronized a few days earlier. It finally hit him. "I don't believe it," Colin blurted; taking the smile on Alecia's face as a confirmation of what he suspected, "An Immersive- an actual underground Immersive! How the Hell did you ever find out about this place?" "With great difficulty," Alecia laughed, "Didn't you wonder where I'd been after classes? I remembered what Gavin said and went looking for one of these." A voice in the back of Colin's head told him he should be even more worried, but having come this far and being in an unfamiliar part of town, he picked up after her. Besides, he had to admit he was curious about what Alecia had planned. They reached what at first looked like a locked door yet swung inwards on their approach. For a place whose existence in itself was a crime the interior was surprisingly sanitary, one could easily have mistaken it for a legitimate setup. The guy at the front desk looked up and recognized Alecia, "Hey lady, the room's lit up and ready for you, "He looked at Colin, "This the guy?" Alecia nodded, Colin met his gaze, "Should I be running for the hills right now?" The clerk shrugged and pressed a button. At a corridor to the left, the doors to a suite slid open, revealing the simulation being run inside. Colin looked inside, what he saw seemed rather innocent compared to what he imagined. Past the suite entrance men in expensive tuxedoes waltzed with beautiful ladies wearing elegant dresses on the floor of a glamorous ballroom. Alecia turned to Colin, "Go on in ahead of me, I have to do something first." Colin looked at her suspiciously, but she insisted, "Trust me, you'll like it." She turned and walked off. Colin hesitated, then gave in to curiosity and headed toward the party. The doors closed behind him. Colin looked around, casually plucking a champagne glass off a platter held by a passing valet. Unfortunately when he tried to 'drink' the champagne he tasted nothing- even Immersive technology had its limits. He turned toward a reflective surface on the wall to admire the tuxedo superimposed over his street clothes, then felt something in the coat's inside pocket. He reached in and withdrew a small semiautomatic pistol. 'A Walther PPK?' Colin inspected the gun up close, 'Seriously?' He hid it back in his pocket with a bemused expression. 'This program must be based on those old spy movies,' he pondered. It made sense seeing as even if there still was a United Kingdom anymore, they likely would have phased out such slugthrowers in favour of particle or energy-based arms like most other nations had. He looked back at the mirrored wall. "Forbes," He said under his breath, "Colin Forbes," temporarily embarrassed at his own geekdom. He turned to the opening suite doors, as he saw her in the entrance his jaw dropped, "Damn." Alecia stood behind the suite entrance, having traded in her original garments for a tight red dress with a slit exposing her right leg. She'd always been attractive to Colin's eyes but now she could have passed for Angelina Jolie- the rising star Angelina Jolie, not the batshit psycho she revealed herself to be in her final years. When she walked inside, no costume appeared over her person. When she held out her arms as if to ask for a dance Colin all but threw himself at her, dropping his champagne glass, which vanished after shattering on the floor. As the two waltzed around the ballroom floor, Colin's feat of not tripping up both of them made him feel vindicated for ignoring the jeers of other kids when he chose to take up dancing lessons as a boy. Alecia looked into Colin's eyes, whispering "You like?" "You have to ask?" Colin whispered back, "I'm guessing this dress was what you brought in that satchel, but why go through the trouble when you could have a costume projected over you?" Alecia smirked, "Let's just say I planned on this going somewhere neither of us needs a costume. Or anything under it." "Oh." Colin made a nervous gulp. I was going to write what happens next, but I think I'll be a bastard and leave you guys hanging 'til the next chapter. Campus Life in the Psychic Age Ch. 04 In hindsight I shoulda finished chapter 3 with this, oh well. Sorry to have kept everyone waiting. ***** The two waltzed through the illusion of an elegant ball; a tuxedo projected over Colin's street clothes and a tight, 'real' dress emphasising Alecia's slender form. Hearing her innuendo, the events leading up to the two face to face at this moment flashed before Colin's eyes. The many moments he watched her from afar, convinced she never noticed him, ignorant even of her real name. The first time he peeped into her daydreams and saw what she imagined doing to him; it scared him shitless yet intrigued him too much to keep away for long. Their first actual conversation; convinced she knew what he had done, out of fear his resolution to avoid her socially and psychically- until she got his attention back by masturbating him to orgasm in a crowded classroom by pure thought. Suddenly the classical music underscoring the simulated ball shifted to something raunchier; jolting the two out of the moment. Both Colin and Alecia stopped and looked in the direction of the musicians. Between them and the players the other guests of the ball began tearing off their expensive gowns and suits in anticipation of the orgy about to occur. "Oh, that's right," Alecia recalled, "This program is called Dr. Ooooh Yeah, but the guy who booked the session said rather than take part we could go somewhere else- this dancing was so nice I kind of got lost in the moment." Colin looked back at the simulated fuckfest; coming to the conclusion that an orgy composed mostly of holograms seemed kind of hollow he looked back to Alecia and answered, "Somewhere else sounds good." Alecia led Colin to one of the elevators of the 'hotel' where the gala/orgy was supposed to be taking place. The ballroom scrolled behind them, though they only moved a few feet the festivities looked farther away than the actual dimensions of the room in which the program was running. Stepping into the elevator Colin found himself in front of the buttons, "Okay- what floor?" Alecia looked sideways at him, "Why not the penthouse?" "Oh right- I guess it's not like we have to worry about it being booked," Colin hit the button and the doors pinged shut. Though the counter displayed the rising floor number marking their alleged ascent, it occurred to Colin it didn't feel like the elevator car was going anywhere- a more subtle example of the limitations of Immersive technology. The lift doors slid aside announcing a short corridor leading to the two wide, ornate doors of the penthouse suite. Colin and Alecia reached them and entered a room that claimed more space than all of the Steam Tunnels. Colin walked in with awe. To his left lay an open bathroom with a tub sunken into the marble floor. To his right a low table supported a tray of oysters near an ice bucket from which a bottle of champagne protruded, two crystal glasses in front. The detail was impressive, even if the champagne and oysters would have proven just as tasteless as that glass of bubbly in the ballroom below. Stopping right in front of the bed he pushed down on the mattress, at least that felt real. He heard something drop to the floor behind him; turning around Colin froze. About three feet before him Alecia stood naked, her dress crumpled into a circle around her feet. Colin opened his mouth to speak but no sound presented itself. "This works better if you take off your clothes too," Alecia quipped. "Wha- oh, right," Colin finally said, though he stood still. "If you'd rather I can undress you," Alecia joked, "I don't even have to use my hands." "Uh, no- no need," Colin finally found the capacity for movement; upon pulling his shirt over his head the fancy holographic duds imposed over them faded away. He closed his eyes before dropping his pants. For a moment Colin heard nothing, felt nothing. It seemed like time had stopped, then suddenly he felt slender fingers wrap around his blood-gorged prick and stroke a long gasp out of him. "Nice," He heard Alecia say as her fingers worked his length, "Very nice." "Really?" Colin opened his eyes, "You're not let down at all?" Alecia looked up at him, "What makes you think I'd be let down?" "It's just I recall you seemed to imagine me more... generously proportioned," Colin answered. Alecia shook her head laughing, "Honestly, do we give all you guys body issues?" At this point she let go with her hand- then lifted his whole body about six feet up with her mind. After moving him above the bed she mentally let go, watching him land on the mattress. A few seconds after that Alecia willed herself up into the air, soon she was astride him. "You know, doing things like that," Colin said nervously, "Makes me worried what else you're capable of." "I'll be gentle," Alecia promised. "Shouldn't I be the one to make that assurance?" Colin asked; Alecia give him a smirking look, "Right- dumb question," he said. Alecia moved over Colin's body, stroking his chest, his balls. She circled his right nipple with her tongue; causing Colin to gasp and close his eyes. When he opened them Alecia's slit was a short distance from his face. Colin leaned his head forward and tentatively started licking. This wasn't something he'd done often before; despite the little whimpers of encouragement he heard from Alecia his eyes rolled up to meet hers. "Keep going," Alecia gasped when she saw him looking up, "You're doing just fine." Colin probed a little deeper with his tongue until he finally mustered up the nerve to attack Alecia's bulging clitoris. He barely made contact when suddenly he felt his face splattered with the woman's ejaculate. Alecia screamed as she fell over on her side. Alecia got up to her knees as Colin spat out what fluids had gotten inside his mouth, "Your turn," she said. Lifting Colin up in the air a second time, she turned him around so his organ was at level with her mouth. "Like to see those guys in the Kama Sutra pull this position off," She giggled; when Colin looked down nervously she insisted, "I'm not going to drop you." "That's not what I'm worried about," was Colin's sheepish response. "Then what?" Alecia asked. "That time you said you don't bite," Colin said, "You were telling the truth, weren't you?" "Lousy time to ask, don't you think?" Alecia's tone was playful. She parted her lips but instead of leaning forward to take him in she willed Colin's body closer to her. Wrapping her lips around his prick, with her mind she made Colin's body piston back and forth, with playing with the head of his smaller 'head' with the tip of her tongue. Before long, whereas Alecia caught him and herself by surprise, Colin felt his orgasm approaching. Having been brought up that a gentleman warns a girl when he's about to go off in her mouth he started to say, "I'm going to- ". Alecia heard, instead of moving away she willed his body to thrust faster. Finally Colin yelled as he went off like a fire hose; Alecia reflexively opened her mouth and 'let go' of Colin, who dropped down on the mattress and fell on his back. Colin gradually recovered his breath; raising his head to look at Alecia he smiled, "This may be the first surprise I've ever actually liked." "You know," Alecia responded, "If you ever feel like a repeat visit there's a program here called Monstergirls of-" "Let me get back to you on that." Colin interrupted. The following night Colin saw Gavin at a table in the Steam Tunnels. Grabbing a beer he joined his friend. Gavin looked up at Colin and asked, "Okay who?" In a rare dense moment Colin asked "Who what?" "Don't play dumb," Gavin snickered, "I know the I-just-fucked expression when I see it. Whoever it is, for her sake I hope it doesn't get back to Alecia-" upon seeing Colin grin at the mention of her name Gavin's eyes widened, "Are you nuts? After the freaky fantasies you described?" "And yet I came back in one piece," Colin stood back up and spread his arms, "Or do you want to check me for bruises and bite marks?" "Not here man," Gavin shook his head, "Back at the dorm." Colin smiled as he started to drink.