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The Premonition
by Lev Chterenberg

Sector H
Traqian Star Cluster.
Commonwealth of Independent Interstellar States.
Volk-Tron Prime.

Tonight all the planets would align themselves in every system of the Traqian Star Cluster as well as in several parts of the Greater Galaxy.
Such a phenomenon was the first to ever happen in the history of all people everywhere in known space.

Derek Trask and his girlfriend Stella Asimof where riding on her hover bike to their special spot in the mountains just outside the city. It would
be several hours before the evening's alignment, but they decided to go early to spend some time alone with each other. Derek gripped his girlfriend's
waist as he thought about the unique day, and his unique life.

Derek always knew he was different. On the day he was born there was a major earthquake, an explosion at the Telepath Academy, a drought
started in Drantor and a tornado that demolished several small towns in the Palini desert. To make matters worse, his birth was long and difficult,
and his mother died during the Cesarean Section. But he was born healthy, unusually large, but healthy nevertheless. After a week in the hospital his
father took him home and hired an automated nurse to help raise his only son.

As he was growing up his mental and physical development was faster and far better than all other kids his own age. He was very athletic and had
the highest grades in his school. This made kids shun him a little, despite his friendliness to everyone.

Now, at age sixteen, he was planning to apply to the Naval Academy. Derek wanted to serve in the Commonwealth Navy, to travel beyond the
Traqian Star Cluster and to see other places. Ever since he was little he was fascinated by space, and longed to reach the stars. He had one more year
in school before he could apply to the Academy, and with his grades he knew he would have no problem getting in. He was counting the days for
the moment when he was eligible to apply. A day that didn't seem too far away.

They were almost outside the city limits and the traffic was light. Derek was looking around when suddenly he experienced a strange feeling.
In a split second he saw a hover car slamming into their hover bike as they were crossing the intersection that was coming up next. He shook his
head and saw that in a few seconds they would actually cross that intersection and a hover car was speeding from their left trying to beat the yellow
traffic light. Derek acted with out thinking, he knew that Stella would not be able to hear him with her helmet on so he leaned forward and grabbed
the controls and tried to change their course. Stella was surprised and hit the brakes. She did it just in time as the hover car missed them by few
inches and kept on going. Derek was thrown of the bike, he landed hard on his head but he was wearing his riding helmet. Before he lost consciousness
he saw Stella running towards him.

Sixteen years ago.

Kovas Parker sat behind his computer workstation and accessed the R&D database of the Telepath Academy on Volk-Tron Prime. Kovas was
one of the senior instructors in the Academy. Running a steady hand through his hair with a whimsical grin he reflected on the events leading up
to his position.

The Academy was established six months after the Revolution ten years ago. The newly found Commonwealth of Independent Interstellar
States (CIIS) needed the help of Telepaths to build the new democratic state. Telepaths were a big part of the Rebellion and this led to the creation
of the Telepath League and the Telepath Academy, a school specifically for anyone with the gift. Everyone who possessed telepathic powers had to
sign up with the League, but only those people who wanted to join the Academy did so. Because of this, everyone had to sign a statement binding
them to certain rules. The rules became known as The Big Three:

Rule 1 - No Telepath could scan another Telepath, or sentient being without their consent.
Rule 2 - Telepaths were forbidden to harm another sentient or Telepath.
Rule 3 - All persons with telepathic powers were required to register with the Telepath League.

Anyone breaking these rules would be placed under a mind block, preventing the person the use of their telepathic abilities. The military was
known to bend these rules, but this knowledge was privy only to a select few under War Powers Act 305.

Kovas typed in his clearance code and submitted himself to a retinal scan. At the end of every month he had to review all the Academy's new
projects. Seconds later he was in the database looking up new R&D projects. Glancing over at the list he found one new addition - Vampire. That
was interesting, he did not remember anything new coming across his desk. He selected the project and immediately a screen popped up asking for
verification. Kovas typed in his ID Code. It was rejected. That in itself was also very unusual, he had one of the highest security clearances in the
Academy. He tried several more times to be sure he didn't make a typing error, but the results were the same. Growing annoyed he tried several
back doors in the system. Finally, one of them worked. The Telepath quickly read over the material, horrified by what he just found - a conspiracy
within the Academy.

Kovas saved the file again on a data crystal; he decided he would show it right away to one of his friends in the Academy, Tyler Durgen, who's
office was three floors below him. He quickly walked to the turbo lift, and found another Telepath already there. He was no one Kovas knew, but
that wasn't unusual, new recruits were coming in everyday. The senior instructor pressed the button for the twenty-first floor. Half way through
the descent the turbo lift suddenly stopped.

"What the Hell..." Before Kovas could finish his sentence his mind was telepathically attacked like never before. Immediately he put up mental
barriers but the onslaught was too great. He fell to the ground clutching his head. Before he passed out he saw the stranger Telepath standing over
him... smiling.

Parker's mind was on the run. Whoever was conducting this attack was very good. Every barrier he put up was torn down, every counterattack
was blocked. Worse, he couldn't find any openings or weaknesses in his attacker's mind. Slowly, the attacker would have full control over Kovas.
The only option was to escape. He stretched his mind as far as he could, trying to find something he could latch on. He found nothing, the adversary
blocked off every avenue. Suddenly, there was something on the periphery. Kovas could feel a spark; a new life was coming into this world with a
cry reverberating throughout the telepathic plane with tremendous force. Parker grabbed for the life force and tried something never attempted by
any known Telepath. He tried to merge his conscience into the child's unconscious mind. Kovas felt his last barriers being demolished by his attacker
but he accomplished his task. His mind had escaped his body.

Half an hour later Kovas Parker's office exploded, destroying everything within. Parker's remains were found within the blast. Later, an
investigation determined that a miss-aligned power converter in the wall caused the explosion. The whole incident was written off as an unfortunate
accident and Kovas Parker was given a State Funeral with full honors.

The Present.

Derek regained conscience and found Stella leaning over him. His helmet was missing, but he gathered she had removed it while he was out cold.

"What the Hell did you do that for?" she shouted. "You could have killed both of us!"

Derek tried to get up, but he felt dizzy. "How long was I out?" he asked. He propped himself up on his elbows.

"A few minutes. You scared me! You do something like that again and I will kill you,"

she leveled, and playfully punched him in the shoulder.

"Trust me, I did the right thing."

Derek told her about the premonition he had right before he went for the controls. Stella just nodded not knowing what to say. Instead, she gave
him a big hug.

"I am just glad you're all right," she finally said. Derek tried to kiss her but she quickly got up.

"I am still mad at you, mister!" she added, and then helped him up.

"Ok, let's go."

Once they got to their destination Derek told Stella about the dream he had while he was out. She told him that he was crazy, but Derek was made
a mental note to himself to do some research about this once he got home. Then he put all of this out of his mind so he could enjoy this time together
with Stella. But in the back of his mind something was still bothering him. He felt different, as if something was added to his consciousness.

Derek ignored the strange feeling and started to set up their picnic.