Kevin spends days at the secret facility regaining his strength and slowly learning to trust the people he encounters. They are mostly agents of the CIA, some doctors and scientists and they are friendly if not focused on the tasks they are completing. He insists that Dr. Peters, the first doctor he encountered upon waking at the facility, leave him alone and eventually he stops coming around, though Kevin is sure that he sees him peeking around corners and practically salivating at the prospect of opening his head and removing the source of his powers.
The other man that was present when he woke, a scientist named Fritz Parsons, sits with him one afternoon to explain exactly what they know about the device.
“It’s an impressive machine,” Parsons says as the two sit having lunch in what looks and feels like a sterile conference room. They are the only two at a long table that occupies most of the floor space and Kevin wonders if all of the rooms in the facility are white with hidden doors. “Whatever it is, it’s powered by your biochemistry and it can manipulate matter to produce tangible objects in any form that you direct it. We don’t know why it’s only temporary, but we’ll keep doing tests. Of course we’re all blown away because the tech is so far beyond our capabilities. We just figured out 3D printing. How do you think you came across it?”
Kevin shrugs, “I have no clue. I know I hadn’t encountered any aliens before last summer and I could do what I do for as long as I can remember.”
“Maybe you were born with it,” Parsons marvels, looking at Kevin with a wistful smile.
“Maybe.”
The two are joined by a man in a nice suite with a sharp haircut that gives away his military affiliation. He is Col. John Thurman, and he introduces himself as the head of Western District Secret Operations.
“You are a very special man.” He says to Kevin. Parsons collects his things and leaves to allow the two time to talk alone. “That thing in your head, however it got there, proves the existence of an advanced alien species somewhere in the universe. Apparently they’re on earth and their technology is so far beyond ours that we can’t even detect them. You encountered one of them?”
Kevin nodds. “I did, he took someone from me.”
“We’ll help you find him. But in the meantime, we need you to help us. Aliens are just one of the weird things we’re dealing with these days. You know as well as I do that times are rough; mass shootings every other month. If it ain’t terrorists, it’s lunatics that get their hands on a gun.” Thurman shakes his head at the thought.
“What’s the difference,” Kevin asks earnestly.
“What do you mean, son?”
“A lunatic with a gun is a terrorist right? Anybody mowing people down with a machine gun is a terrorist, right?” Kevin isn’t trying to be confrontational, he is only curious about the distinction.
“I hear you but a terrorist has allegiances to known terror organizations. A lunatic with a gun is just that, a crazy person that comes out of nowhere.”
“Seems like an unnecessary distinction to make.” Kevin says thoughtfully. “All of the gun violence in this country is the same issue; people have access to weapons that they shouldn’t have, killing people that don’t deserve it.”
Thurman eyes Kevin then says, “What if I told you that we have a means to stop mass shootings before they happen?”
“I’d say stop wasting time here and go help people.”
“Good man, but it’s not that simple. We’re tinkering with some things to make it a reality. You believe in mind readers?”
Kevin looks skeptical and shakes his head. “Like those psychic hotlines? No, they’re a scam. I would hope that clandestine government agents would know better.”
Thurman laughs, “I thought you would be more open minded given your situation. They’re real son, and we have access to people who can do it. We’re not talking about communicating with the spirits of deceased relatives. We’re talking about reading the thoughts in your head in real time. The most effective mind reader we know of is woman who has proven herself capable of sensing those mass shooting incidents as they’re happening.”
“She turns on the news?”
“She doesn’t do television, it’s boring to her. She knows that it’s happening because she can hear it. She says in those times of extreme distress, the minds of the victims, even the mind of the perpetrator, scream so loud she can hear them without even listening.”
Thurman has an air of sincerity that makes Kevin hesitate to continue questioning the veracity of the story. Why would this man, who knows about his preternatural ability, make up this one?
“Is she an alien?” Kevin asks.
“Not at all,” Thurman says. “Born in NC just like you. Must be something in the water out there. But if we can figure out a way to amplify her ability, it might be possible for us to stop these things while they’re happening and cut down on the damage done. We want you to go in and shut these things down.”
Kevin has heard this all before. He could be Superman with the ability that he has, but when he tried to intervene and do good, there were tragic and unintended consequences for someone else. “I don’t know…that’s dangerous…”
“You can shut it down faster than a swat team could. Think about it, you’re a one man army. With your help, we can avoid putting law enforcement in harm’s way. And you might not even need to be on site depending on the range of your ability. Can you make stuff appear in places far away from you? Or do you need to be there to make it happen?”
“I don’t know the range, I’ve never really thought about it that way before.”
“Those are questions we want to answer. With the right training you could be saving people, soldiers, refugees all over the globe. While you’re training, we’ll be doing what we can with the mind reader to see if we can’t expand her abilities as well. You two together can save a lot of people. That’s what we got planned for you here.” Just as he finishes, Anish enters through a hidden panel as if on cue.
“The agent will take you through the schedule we got planned for you.”
He and Anish follow Thurman out and before he leaves, he gives Kevin a firm handshake. “You can be better than Superman.” He says.
Anish leads him to a gym and after he changes into sporting clothes, the two talk casually while Anish stretches.
“You can do this,” Anish says. “It’s a lot of responsibility, I know, but you can do it. And think of the lives you can save.”
“It all sounds so good, it really does. But how do you know? You don’t. I’m not a soldier.”
“We’re gonna make you into one. If you’re willing.” Anish backs away from Kevin and stands in a ready fighting pose. She gestures for him to attack her.
“I don’t have a lot of fighting experience.” Kevin says as he slowly stands before her.
“Show me what you got,” Anish says, taking a jab at Kevin that he swipes away easily. “Oh, a ringer. Selling yourself short I see.” She jabs again and Kevin is quick to deflect, and when she hooks with her left, Kevin blocks it with his forearm. “Nice,” she says. “Reset.” They both walk to the center of the room and Anish lunges at him with a jab, hook, and then swipes his legs, making him fall onto his back. “You’re quick with your hands but the fight won’t always come at you that way.”
Kevin hops up and the two spar for hours that feels like half the time. When they are done, Kevin is bruised and smiling.
“That was fun. I’m not as bad as I thought.”
“And you’re not as good as you think,” Anish laughs. “That wasn’t my hundred percent. But we’ll ease you into it. Shower up. You’ve got a briefing with the Colonel and some scientists.”
Anish leaves before he can ask questions. He finds the shower and when he is done, Parsons is waiting for him.
Days of sweating with Anish in the gym, getting beat up only to stand for more punishment; days of briefings with the Colonel on tactical scenarios in hostage and active shooter situations, then simulations; days concentrating with scientists to test the limits of his abilities led by Parsons who is so giddy to see the thing in his head in action; time melts away and Kevin loses all sense of his past while he is wrapped up in the new life he has stumbled into. He loves every minute of it. There is no time to regret, no time to miss anyone, only clear goals and objectives that he pushes himself to meet. In many ways it is a simple life, but his body and his brain work harder than ever before and Anish, who has become his closest friend, grows worried at the strain he is under.
“You don’t have to push so hard,” she says as the two take a water break in the gym.
Kevin is fitter than when he first came to the secret facility and he is more cerebral. By this point, he has accepted his new purpose and he assures Anish, “I will make good, my friend. The miigis will do good in this world.”
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