Tik Tok

Chapter 6: Blood Work

When I got into Zoe's office, she wasn't there. It was going to be a few minutes until Emma left the building, and I had some time to snoop. I didn't know if my powers would let me put things back as time came back up to speed, but I decided to play it safe. I would stay near her bookshelf if I was going to look through it.

The rows of books were mostly by psychologists and the few that weren't were sappy romance pieces that were half-hidden. The diploma on the wall told me that she had graduated with a degree in psychology. I wouldn't have guess that, she seemed to be more in the "control" half of her department. I could have asked her about it, but  I was probably going to need to open our conversation with, "I stopped time again, oops."

I picked up on the book in the dead centre of the shelf, one of the smaller ones by a man called Dr. Zyke. I recognized the name, he had been the one who discovered the first symptoms of super powers. That was years before the sudden spikes in power were connected with soul mates, but it was still seen as the best look into the interaction between powered and unpowered people. That knowledge was a thing of the past.

Subject Zero and I have spent the past several days speaking to only one another. After some time working with him I've found that he is just as scared of his powers as I am, though his flames cannot burn him. He seems to be worried about moving back into normal society after the tests are done, I'm more worried about there being a regular society to move back to. The plague is spreading, and if the only people immune to it unlock such epic abilities, I'm fearful about how we will h-

I stopped reading, it was second-grade history, nothing important for me. I needed to learn about Zoe or my situation, I replaced the book and reached to grab another one. The book I grabbed had a false dust jacket that was gold embossed with the word thesis. I cracked open the pages and blew dust away. 

A Look Into the Psychological Effect of Psi Level Powers.

Within the first dozen words I was confused. Zoe's writing seemed to use a lot of industry terms, and there wasn't even enough evidence around it to tell me what was going on in the sentence. I flipped through the pages looking for a conclusion, but I only got as far as the abstract before I felt myself lurch. For a second I was completely lost in time, and then there was a soft cough.

"Enjoying the bookshelf?" It was Zoe, who was now in the office. The thesis in my hands neatly folded itself up and replaced itself on the shelves. Three other books were straightened out.

"Yeah, it's nice."

"So, you've missed the entire conversation up until this point, haven't you?"

"Well," I sighed, "did you say anything back at the elevator?"

"Really?" she sighed, turning back to her computer, "I have taken so many notes that aren't even from you, well I mean they are but," she trailed off, "just stop snooping and sit down, I'm going to need to have words with Emma about all of this."

"I talked to her."

"Of course you did." I could hear the exasperation on Zoe's voice. "You're freaking soul mates."

"Yeah, it's going great."

"Till death do you part," she shrugged, "or I ship you off to Cambodia for no reason, that would be fun."

"Why?"

"To get you away from everyone that you are potentially damaging with your power?" She turned away from the computer and to me.  "I mean, I think it's a better solution than killing you, but I don't think Emma would like me much for that one either."

"We're still talking about that?" I asked. She crooked an eyebrow at me and the chair across from her pulled itself it.

"We just need to do a blood test." I could hear that the just was a lie. 

"Just a blood test?"

"And a couple hundred hours of secret testing before I'm comfortable with letting you go unchecked," she said it fast like she could sneak it by me, "but blood test first was the point."

"Really a couple hundred h-"

"Hold our your arm please."

"What are you doing?" I asked, her arms were still folded on the desk.

"Taking your blood?" she said as a question as a needle floated up from behind your desk. It jabbed itself into my arm and I hissed. "Pansy."

"I think you missed," I pointed out as blood barely dripped into the needle.

"Oh, did I?" she asked. Her voice was the best simulation of innocent that she could do. The needle pulled itself out of my arm and jabbed in again. This time the blood started flowing. 

"So what happens if I do stop time?"

"Well, I'm glad you asked," she smiled. "You've been thinking that since we got here and I finally have a reason to answer that question. One;" she held up her finger to me, wagging it for a second, "We don't get rid of people with high-level powers just for fun. So the first solution would be getting you somewhere that people can't be hurt by you. That solution is only reserved to people who have minor powers. If you completely stop time, that's not an option.

"Then what's actually an option?"

"If we are being honest," she said, "Emma tries to put you into hiding and I end up having to kill you both."

"What?"

"Jesus, it was a joke," she sighed as the needle pulled itself out of my arm. "I don't know what we do in the end, control is a big part of our job."

"And?"

"And the control part involves you being dead or completely prevented from using your powers," she said the last part flat. The joking demeanor was gone." Or I'll buy you and Emma flowers at the wedding, assuming anybody can get within three blocks of you as a couple." She brought her hand away from me and the needle flew back to her, she caught it.

"What are you testing for?"

"Probably blood."

"Hilarious."

"I know, I'm here every day of the week except for Saturdays."

"What does a blood sample tell you?"

"It's going to confirm that you don't have a time-related power."

"But I do."

"I don't think so," she said, "I don't know what you have but you've been tested before and time wasn't on your list."

"These things are accurate?" I asked.

"Well, powers are in categories and we can always get the category right. We can use stem cells pre-natally to tell exactly what power you have, but you're a little old for that."

"Okay, so I don't have time powers."

"Undecided," she said, "even with the blood test you've been doing a time-stoppy thing so-"

"So you might be wrong."

"Undecided," she said again, "if I knew I would pass it on, but right now you are just a pile of questions. If you'd tested for time the first run you'd be dead

"What?"

"Well, people who have the power to control time tend to get either a coat-hanger of a mallet." She stopped herself, "sorry, for the dark humour, but it's true. We can't have people splitting the timeline, or affecting it in any big way."

"Are you kidding me?"

"No, and that's confidential, I hope you're smart enough to notice that. Powers are bad enough already that we need to regulate, or hire, the more dangerous people. You aren't dangerous alone, but Emma and you." She took a second, "Well, the combination is pretty bad.

"Pretty bad?"

"Let's just say this is the first time I've had a horseman in my department."

'Horseman?"

"Industry term for a potential world ender, the last two were in Europe."