tides of her immanent lecture into a simple question, “What’s that look for?”
Annette looked at Niri’s puzzled expression for a minute, “What look?”
“Never mind!” Niri shrugged, and glared past Annette into the open door, “Room, next time send her out when I ask the first time! We’re running late now, thanks to you!” Niri grabbed the doorknob and shut the door un-gently. Then she turned and started running along the corridor. Annette followed at not quite as hurried a pace. “I hope you’ve eaten,” Niri grumbled back towards Annette.
“Yes,” Annette said, pretty sure this was one of the times Niri didn’t expect an answer.
Niri tucked an energy bar she had been holding back into a pocket, “Good.” Then Niri trotted into her office. Annette followed and found Niri standing in a transport pod, waving at Annette to hurry, “Hurry up, Sinclair’s probably already there and gloating.”
Annette stepped into the pod. “Already where?” Annette asked as Niri activated it.
“Here,” Niri answered on arrival in a small waiting room.
Annette stepped out of the transport pod and looked around. There were a lot of chairs, but no one else was waiting. “I guess we’re not so late,” She mumbled softly.
“Maybe not,” Niri replied, “but that’s a good sign, that Sinclair isn’t taking this seriously. If he were, he would have been here early just to prove his point.”
Annette had to do a double take at Niri’s smug tone. Between Niri’s tone and the content of her statement, Annette was beginning to sense that maybe Niri wasn’t telling her everything about this test. “So, what kind of test is this going to be?”
“I don’t know,” Niri answered, suddenly guarded, “Angela’s the one administering it. You’ll be taking it with a few others. I don’t know how many for sure. I really don’t know much more than you. I just know that if you do well, then you have every chance of becoming a factor.”
Angela, was involved? That piqued Annette’s curiosity, but the look on Niri’s face stayed any more questions before they could form. Annette took a seat and tried not to let her excitement sour into paranoid anxiety.
Finally Chavez arrived, he had an even sourer look on his face than he usually did. “Hello, Niri, thanks for waiting,” He growled leading a yawning boy, which Annette recognized as one of Chavez’s obnoxious favorites into the room. Annette couldn’t tell from his tone whether he meant thanks or not. What she could tell, mostly from the look on his face, was that he wouldn’t have offered the same courtesy.
“Not a problem, You aren’t running that late, yet,” Niri replied, gesturing to the door. Sinclair made a noise in his throat and started directly for the other door out of the room. Annette leapt from the chair. Using quick gestured short hand, Niri gestured for Annette to let them pass, then to follow her.
Annette nodded, the gestures had the effect of bringing to mind the expanded lesson they had come with. Niri had taught a brief module on non-telepathic, non-verbal communication last spring. Part of that module had included the abbreviated gesture code, but that had just been to augment the rest of the lesson which was about the necessities of field factors to be able to read situations and people when telepathy was inappropriate or impossible. She had given several examples of times when not following the non-verbal clues in a situation could mean the difference between a bad consequence and worse.
Annette dwelt on that as she followed Niri into the room. It seemed almost like Niri was leaving her breadcrumbs, or trying to help as best she could despite some kind of promise not to reveal some things about this test to Annette. Annette’s eyes followed the boy that had come with Sinclair to a chair, and she shook herself. She was over-thinking and under-observing the situation. There were two other kids
Annette looked at Niri’s puzzled expression for a minute, “What look?”
“Never mind!” Niri shrugged, and glared past Annette into the open door, “Room, next time send her out when I ask the first time! We’re running late now, thanks to you!” Niri grabbed the doorknob and shut the door un-gently. Then she turned and started running along the corridor. Annette followed at not quite as hurried a pace. “I hope you’ve eaten,” Niri grumbled back towards Annette.
“Yes,” Annette said, pretty sure this was one of the times Niri didn’t expect an answer.
Niri tucked an energy bar she had been holding back into a pocket, “Good.” Then Niri trotted into her office. Annette followed and found Niri standing in a transport pod, waving at Annette to hurry, “Hurry up, Sinclair’s probably already there and gloating.”
Annette stepped into the pod. “Already where?” Annette asked as Niri activated it.
“Here,” Niri answered on arrival in a small waiting room.
Annette stepped out of the transport pod and looked around. There were a lot of chairs, but no one else was waiting. “I guess we’re not so late,” She mumbled softly.
“Maybe not,” Niri replied, “but that’s a good sign, that Sinclair isn’t taking this seriously. If he were, he would have been here early just to prove his point.”
Annette had to do a double take at Niri’s smug tone. Between Niri’s tone and the content of her statement, Annette was beginning to sense that maybe Niri wasn’t telling her everything about this test. “So, what kind of test is this going to be?”
“I don’t know,” Niri answered, suddenly guarded, “Angela’s the one administering it. You’ll be taking it with a few others. I don’t know how many for sure. I really don’t know much more than you. I just know that if you do well, then you have every chance of becoming a factor.”
Angela, was involved? That piqued Annette’s curiosity, but the look on Niri’s face stayed any more questions before they could form. Annette took a seat and tried not to let her excitement sour into paranoid anxiety.
Finally Chavez arrived, he had an even sourer look on his face than he usually did. “Hello, Niri, thanks for waiting,” He growled leading a yawning boy, which Annette recognized as one of Chavez’s obnoxious favorites into the room. Annette couldn’t tell from his tone whether he meant thanks or not. What she could tell, mostly from the look on his face, was that he wouldn’t have offered the same courtesy.
“Not a problem, You aren’t running that late, yet,” Niri replied, gesturing to the door. Sinclair made a noise in his throat and started directly for the other door out of the room. Annette leapt from the chair. Using quick gestured short hand, Niri gestured for Annette to let them pass, then to follow her.
Annette nodded, the gestures had the effect of bringing to mind the expanded lesson they had come with. Niri had taught a brief module on non-telepathic, non-verbal communication last spring. Part of that module had included the abbreviated gesture code, but that had just been to augment the rest of the lesson which was about the necessities of field factors to be able to read situations and people when telepathy was inappropriate or impossible. She had given several examples of times when not following the non-verbal clues in a situation could mean the difference between a bad consequence and worse.
Annette dwelt on that as she followed Niri into the room. It seemed almost like Niri was leaving her breadcrumbs, or trying to help as best she could despite some kind of promise not to reveal some things about this test to Annette. Annette’s eyes followed the boy that had come with Sinclair to a chair, and she shook herself. She was over-thinking and under-observing the situation. There were two other kids
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