“Gray, we’ve run into an issue questioning the suspects. Or really, just one of them. The five that we’ve successfully gotten information from are subordinates in the mercenary group, however, and they don’t have the information about who hired them.” I don’t like where Chief Quanah is going with this.
“Dear, I’m Nakan’oa from GB, as Quanah stated. However, he didn’t tell you that I’m also a vukirev, a truth-speaker. If I were to undergo Psycept genetic testing, it may indicate PsyPath, as you will. Four of the guards had minimal mental shields and were easy enough to access. One guard has much better shields, but the experience of psyportation rattled him enough to let his guard down and we eventually scanned him to. They all knew the mission, but none have information on the bigger picture or where the fit to the larger puzzle, only conjecture. I’m not dismissing their presumptions, but we wish to learn more.
“The sixth person has proven quite formidable. His mental shields are incredibly strong. I’m capable of breaking through, but I believe he has defenses in place to basically render him vegetative, taking his knowledge with him. After reading your report and listening to you speak, I think you may be able to help me avoid that scenario while still obtaining the information we seek.”
Oh, great. Must be Meathead she’s talking about as he wasn’t psyported like Mental Guard Roberts.
“So, you want me to read the memories of his group being contacted and hired to infiltrate the new residents. And maybe why they didn’t lie low and just gather information instead of whatever a six-member team taking over a small group of Psycepts is supposed to accomplish?”
“That information is ideal, along with other questions we have. However, I don’t need you to read the memories. Instead, I would like you to escort me to his mind. His shields are strong against PsySentients, as you say. Mind healers, vukirev, even the Psycept’s own PsyMemori cannot break through without doing irreparable harm to the knowledge we seek. He is so well trained that neither unconsciousness nor drugs shake his shields. But your path to minds is different from ours and I believe once you guide me through your way and I arrive at his mind, then I can obtain what I need to. Basically, I need you to sneak me in the back door. Does this meet with your approval?”
“Gray, I know in the past that you’ve prohibited observers at your readings. But we’re not asking you to read, merely guide Nakan’oa. We’ll need to remain in the room while this occurs to ensure your safety while the prisoner is in the room. What do you say?”
Chief Quanah is very sure of my response. We’ll see about that.
“Nakan’oa, I understand your request. But I’m not sure I can get you to his mind, I deal with memories which are remnants, not active thoughts. And once I guide you, will you be able to do it on your own? Will this be me teaching you, so I won’t be asked to do this again? Chief Quanah, this is outside of my contracted terms and I don’t appreciate you exploiting my gratitude for the GT and SWACon granting my residency. Psycepts left the US and other countries because the government believed our abilities made us obligated to use them at their discretion. Your request is dangerously close to that distinction. And I also don’t like that while you’re not asking me to interrogate someone myself, you’re asking me to aide in his forcible interrogation. It’s a slippery slope.”
Nakan’oa is calm in the face of my objections but Chief Quanah is slightly taken aback. He’s used to dealing with PsyMovers who physically manipulate objects. Weather Guides may object to affecting major weather events due to rebound weather and PsyPorters may have qualms about experimenting with live cargo, but the majority his orders are completed posthaste. Chief Quanah doesn’t have much experience with other Psycepts. And I imagine if Nakan’oa is an example, the GT psychics don’t appear to have the qualms that I expect Psycepts will.
Chief Quanah responds first. “I don’t expect that we’ll ask you to do this often, or ever again if Nakan’oa can duplicate the technique you’ll teach her. And we won’t hold your residency against you if you refuse.”
“Gray, I am going to tell you a secret held by the GT,” Sheriff Helki is calm in the face of Nakan’oa’s confession, but Chiefs Yanaba and Quanah have looks of wariness on their faces. “When Psycept applicants were first being accepted, there was an internal interest in those who claimed to deal with memories. In fact, Auraria was chosen as the first settlement due to the location of the youngest of our memory keepers. There are others amongst the various conservatorships, but Alasiteh was the best able to accept an apprentice if one was found and she is in GB. However, the PsyMemori that came to Auraria are not like our memory keepers, though they are of great value to Mind Healers, those you call empaths. Memory keepers have long been rare amongst our peoples, never more than a dozen at any given time. However, since Alasiteh, there has not been one born in several generations.
“We have given only cursory review to PsyMemori after the initial screening period. After our disappointment, we have not continued to pursue it as we should. Frankly, you fell through the cracks. You did not come to Auraria and you arrived shortly after the PsyMemori did, therefore after our excitement waned. Our interest was not common knowledge, so Sheriff Lowell was not aware that we should have been contacted about you. When Sheriff Helki understood that you were different than PsyMemori, he sent a message to someone, though that person did not follow up as they should have. To Helki, it appeared as
