Chapter 564: Introduction II
Jason looked around the room and gulped. They man had a point, the princess’ speech was honestly beautiful. It naturally made him look towards Althea, his friend, but she just scoffed and looked away.
"Um. Hello all. My name is Jason Atropa, I am twenty years old and-" He was hastily cut off by chipmunk girl. "-Wait Atropa? As in Miranda Atropa?" Jason sighed, expecting this. "Yes, she is my aunt."
Everyone in the room groaned simultaneously. No one was at all confused by the sudden expression...
"Who’s Miranda Atropa?" I asked curiously? Getting a series of shocked looks from those present. "What! Have you been living in a cave the last decade?" Mithra asked. "Past fifteen years give or take, only started to come out recently, who is she?"
Mithra’s face turned pale as she accidentally insulted her teacher again without realising. It was Hailey who then walked forward and patted me on the shoulder. "Miranda and the rest of her family are one of the forerunners of Psionic banishment in the galaxy. She hates us and our powers. Often calling us affronts to science. That we shouldn’t exist and that we are wrongful beings. Naturally the Psionic community isn’t fond of her."
"She is a grade-A bitch!" Althea chimed up, sneering at Jason before looking away. I then turned to Jason myself and looked him up and down curiously. "And what are your thoughts on Psionics, Jason?"
Jason looked up at me and narrowed his eyes confused, I watched how his Psionics seemed to coalesce around his eyes for a moment before visible shock took over his body. "I-uh- I" He stumbled upon his words before coughing to clear his throat.
"I think Psionics are dangerous. That’s a given, Psionic entities are walking disasters waiting to happen, but only if not trained. I think with the right training and discipline, Psionics are a gift, not a burden."
I nodded my head. That sounded more than a fair viewpoint. "Ok Jason, continue your introduction and no chipmunks are to interrupt this time." I said, looking at Mithra whose cheeks visibly swelled in frustration at my comment.
Meanwhile Hailey was looking at Mithra in confusion. ’Chipmunk? Why is Apollo calling her a chipmunk? What is that and why isn’t he calling me a chipmunk? It sounds endearing.’
Jason was a little frazzled by Apollo’s emotional aura, but got right back into his introduction. "Like I was saying, my name is Jason, I’m twenty years old and this is my first year at the College. I am a doctor of medicine, listed to perform on many worlds and awakened my ability to see others emotions via a Psionic aura around people a few years ago.
I never planned to come to the college. I saw no reason to improve my minor gift. It certainly isn’t combat worthy and as a doctor I never really needed it. However, I have come to the college hoping that there is a way to save my best friend’s life. Our modern medicine can’t cure my friend and-"
Jason was cut off again by a loud scoff of derision from Althea. "Your family poisoned him, Jason, don’t give everyone the sap story. You used my brother as an experiment for your medicine. So, once I have found a cure for him, I will kill you. Simple... Oh sorry, please continue your manipulations." She overly gestured and Jason looked down to the floor in shame.
"I think your Gene enhancements might be able to help my friend. If I can find the correct formulas to break the mutation virus, I can save my friend... Thank you for listening..." Jason then walked away from the group and sat down on a crate, exhaling loudly, clearly worn out emotionally.
’Kat would love this, she is obsessed with family drama’s like this.’ I thought to myself before turning my attention to the last person in the room. "Althea, good to see you again." I said politely, ignoring all the aura in the room.
Althea smiled, clearly appreciating me not touching the subject. "Hello again great sage. I want to say I was surprised when Leanna announced you were going to be head of a research program, but your eye opening wisdom the other day, I can honestly say I expected it."
Hailey immediately frowned behind my back as she looked at the blue haired woman. ’Who is this bitch? And why is she being so casual with my man?’
"I was surprised to hear your voice and then see you again today in that order. You have quite the lungs on you, I will tell you that. Now, just because we are somewhat acquainted, doesn’t mean everyone else is, please introduce yourself." I then waved my arm in a motion, indicating to her to start.
Aletha sighed. She didn’t feel the urge to get chummy with everyone in the room, especially with HIM here. But she put on a smile and got to it.
"Hi everyone, my name is Althea Florence. I am twenty years old and I never expected to be here. I can enhance my vision to the point I can see the smallest of micro organisms, making my study path of microbiology a no brainer. I can also vaguely tap into electrokinetic currents to speed up my thoughts for example, but I cannot use it in combat... That was my brother’s expertise...
I am here at the college to learn of a way to cure my brother who was poisoned by his best friend for simple profit margins... Despicable bastard... I am willing to go any lengths and pay any price if it means my brother can be saved. I became intrigued in this subject because I am trying all sciences and sciences that can coalesce with Psionics to save my brother and also... I have spoken with this Apollo before during enrolment and he has way more knowledge about Psionics than, I would wager, any other first year, so I don’t see this as a dead end."
I shared her sentiment about her brother. I too would give anything or pay any price if it would save my family.
I could see the topic of her brother brought her great anguish so I decided to change the subject. "Ok, now we all know each other a little better. I think we should get right in? Now, I can’t really teach you anything today as I need to set up the lab. Yvonne, can you and your boyf-"
"-Whoa! Hang on a minute Apollo, teacher..." Mithra chimed in. I could already tell this woman was going to be trouble... "What is it Mithra?" I asked. "Well..." She seemed to get nervous for a moment before finding courage.
"Well, we told everyone our Abilities, it’s only fair you tell us-" "-You didn’t say your power." I declared, flipping the card on her. "Huh?" She vocalised, confused. "Strength, stretch, can see emotions, can see tiny things like you. And this one has a bunch that she also didn’t say." I pointed my thumb to Hailey. "So what’s your power?"
"Um... Daddy says I’m not really supposed to tell people. People get freaked out by it." Mithra said and scratched her cheek nervously. I chuckled. "Come on, you expect me to tell you if you don’t tell me? You will have no judgement here. Right?" I careened my neck to look around the room, everyone was nodding in agreement.
"Come on little lady, I stripped for all your viewing pleasure, the least you can do is let us know what you are all about." Yvonne chimed in, followed by Pericles saying. "Trust. It goes both ways."
"Just tell them Mithra, it’s not as bad as you think." Hailey said, seemingly knowing the chipmunk?
"Fine... Try not to obsess over me so much Apollo, goodness..." She said, trying to reclaim some authority. " I have two awakened powers. One very recently is that I can use my energy to accelerate plant growth. No idea how I awakened this, I just had this odd feeling one morning during breakfast and poured my Psionics into a seed on my plate and then roots and stuff started sprouting from it very quickly."
’That is not so bad?’ I thought to myself, but then she continued.
"My First power though, gets peoples blood feeling uncomfortable, quite in the literal sense. I have Haemokinisis, the Psionic power to control blood." The two fourth years stood at alert, clearing understanding what exactly that power entailed.
The two doctors present also clearly understood from the context of the word, without Mithra dumbing it down afterwards. "That sounds... Dangerous." Jason spoke up for the first time, meanwhile I began inspecting her form closely as she began spouting nonsense about how she was harmless.
I then noticed she was wearing a band around her wrist with a needle on it and a few marks on said wrist and understood. "You can only control your own blood huh?" I chimed in, like an authority on the matter. Mithra turned around surprised.
"Yeah? How do you know?"
I folded my arms across my chest and chuckled. "Why I am a great sage of course, I know all things."
...
"Oh come on, that was funny." I declared at the uncomfortable silence. "In all honesty though, even if she could control others’ blood, we would all be safe, our Psionics would naturally fight hers as she tried to influence our substance. Now, thank you for sharing."
Mithra smiled up at me for breaking the tension, she gets jumbled up when she has to mention her blood that she forgets to add that part, people already have a bad impression about it.
"Right, I think it’s time for me to list my powers, correct? Fair enough. I have..."