Psion Read Online Free

wrong.
    He said, “Prisoner nine-double-oh-five-seven.” I nodded, even though it didn’t mean anything. He had what must have been the report from Corporate Security on the terminal, and he stared at it for a while before he looked up again. “This says you’ve got a record of petty thievery, and that now you’re charged with assault and battery against three recruiters for Contract Labor. That you attacked one man with a knife-“
    “Is that what he said? That croach. I didn’t need a knife.” He looked up at me with eyes like stones. “It was a bottle.”
    “Attacked one man with a knife, struck another, and kicked a pile of boxes down on a third. You ran away, and were arrested by Corporate Security after you broke your ankle in a fall. You were out on drugs at the time?” He sounded like he didn’t believe it.
    I didn’t say anything.
    “Why did you do it?”
    “Because I didn’t want to be shipped off to some sewer world where they can’t get nobody sane to go, and rot there for half my lousy life. Why the hell do you think? The stinking Crows . . .”
    He looked bored. “There was kadge in your bloodstream when you were picked up. That was two days ago, and you’re not climbing the walls-you’re not addicted?”
    I shook my head. “I can’t afford it.”
    “None of them can afford it, but most of them aren’t that lucky. In fact, I’ve never heard of anyone who could take it or leave it.”
    Neither had I, when I thought about it, but I only said, “You have now.”
    He glanced down at the report again. “This says you’re also no mind reader. You tested wide-spectrum on telepathy but entirely dysfunctional. I’ve never heard of that before, either. You must have given the techs a real challenge: you show a ten-plus resistance to probe. I show an eight; that’s high. You have control like that and you’ve never used it?”
    I was remembering the test: the veil of tingling mesh they’d fastened over my face back at the Corporate Security station, how I’d felt when my mind began to unravel. . . .
    “Well? I asked you a question, Cityboy. I expect you to answer it.”
    “I got a name, sucker! It’s Cat. ” I was starting to believe in hate at first sight.
    His hands tightened on the desk edge; I knew I’d put my foot in my mouth. “Don’t you get smart with me. I’m sick and tired of you and all the rest. Why the hell can’t they send me something besides criminals and addicts?”
    “Okay, okay. I didn’t mean nothin’ by, it.” I raised my hands. I hoped I looked as sorry as I felt-sorry for me. The last thing I wanted was to give him a reason to send me back out that door, back to the Corpse with the binders waiting in the hall. I tried to make my answer come out smooth and soft. “No. I didn’t know I was a mind reader till the Corpses told me so. I never felt-never even f-f- “ Black lightning flickering at the core of my mind, someone screaming.
    Siebeling stared at me with a peculiar expression on his face. All his anger was gone. “What is it?”
    I shook my head, rubbed my eyes, feeling cold and confused. “Nothing. . . . No. I don’t want to be a mind reader; who would?” The words spilled out before I could stop them. “All the psions I ever seen were crazy. They don’t call ‘em freaks for nothin’.” I grimaced.
    “How much do you know about psionics?” His face was empty again. He pushed the glass ball away from him on the desktop.
    “Nothing. What do I care about a bunch of freaks?”
    “Psionics research”-he let it sink in-“is what you volunteered to participate in.”
    “Oh.” My ears burned.
    “That’s all. Thank you.” He stood up. The door was open. I knew then that the interview was over. And that I’d failed it.
    I went out the same way I’d gone in, wishing more than anything that I could make myself invisible. But I couldn’t. I walked past the rest of the freaks like I’d lost my Last Chance, and I saw their faces. I felt