Abel III's Awakening - 6. Chapter 6 Assessing Problems

Chapter 6

Assessing Problems

December 26, 2733

After an early breakfast the next morning and after the noisy departure of the Browns as well as most of the crew on shore leave, we convened in grandfather's cabin to strategize. I shared with them what Hal had provided me on the almost 400 tagged as needing immediate investigation. It seemed that a majority of them represented families that were involved in ship construction and refitting or families also heavily involved in shipping, in other words, our suppliers and direct competitors. I suggested that any further ordering of parts or work for the refit be put on hold until I could do some more in-depth probing and that was agreed to, as was my need to get to it.

So provisioned with several bottles of water and some snacks, I found myself ensconced once again in the observatory with it's spectacular view of earth with the current view showing South America in glorious detail. I wrapped my personal shields as tight as possible with several back-ups in place as well. I extended my senses and sensed the neural net in the oceans provided by the ancient genus of sharks and using that as a reference began my search of the first ten individuals on my priority list. With the prior placement of tags imperceptible except to me, I was able to easily locate them all and I began to systematically and quite stealthily do deeper scans to determine just what it was that caused them to trip my original filters.

I was astonished to find that eight of the ten knew my father and had known him intimately in the past. Probing deeper I found that each had the most incredible sex of their lives with my dad more than thirty years in the past and that they were convinced no sex since then could compare, to their eternal disappointment. Looking deep into their experience it was clear that this was shortly after my dad first came into his power and he was leaking (in a psychic sense) the passion he was experiencing as well as the feedback from his partners so that they were seriously affected and overwhelmed. He was careless in other ways, as he showed no regard for the feelings of his partners, using them, and almost treating them like a used tissue to be discarded. Each had an abiding hatred of my father and his family due to this. Further, if given the opportunity they planned to do anything in their power to hurt my family.

Even more astonishing the other two had never had sex with my dad but had wanted to because of his reputation as such a fantastic lover. However, each of them were in a long term relationship with partners who did have sex with dad and who since then had let them know they could never compare or satisfy them completely like my dad had. As a result, they too hated my dad and vowed they would take their vengeance if given the opportunity.

This was too important to disregard and I terminated the session and sent to my family that they needed to come to the observation room for a family conference at once. I explained my findings concerning the first ten on my list and identified them by family and their business interests. Over the past several years they had all risen to the top echelons of their families' enterprises just as my dad had. As I explained that, I saw my father truly embarrassed for the first time in my life and he said nothing.

My grandfather then provided some background and explained that at the end of the year 2698, he and his father Aaron Silversmith III were forced to put into drydock at Magellan for a major over-haul and renovation of the Silverspin from stem to stern. The ship was over eighty years old at that time. It needed a complete set of new hull plates, completely new engines and a new internal power system, new and modern life support system, new kitchen facilities, a new medical bay, new computer system, a new sensor array, a new point defense system and a completely updated command and control system for the bridge. In other words, it was a complete retrofit. It took longer than expected, almost an entire year during which they lost a good part of their crew except the senior members who had been involved in overseeing the retrofit.

During that time, dad had become quite the Casanova charming his peers who were the sons and daughters of the ship builders and outfitters as well as those who also were involved in shipping and commerce. It was his rebellious period and he was determined to enjoy life to the fullest after being confined aboard ship bored out of his mind for the prior years following the tedious routine to learn all aspects of the ships as laid down by his grandfather Aaron. The freedom of being on Magellan and even being able to travel back and forth to the planet had been intoxicating. It was during this time that his power emerged and he rebelled against the discipline of learning about it, he just wanted to explore and revel in it. This had finally led to the confrontation where he was almost silenced.

I looked at my dad and saw that he looked even more dejected and wouldn't look at me. It was Kade who broke the silence. “Your great-grandfather Aaron contacted his brother, my grandfather and asked him to send me to live and work on the Silverspin. Somehow he knew that your dad and I were destined for each other. When I arrived your dad would have nothing to do with me. I had come into my power at age twenty-one and had developed good control. Your dad had never properly developed his control and it was erratic and therefore a hazard for maintaining our hidden status. That was why your great-grandfather and grandfather along with Drew were seriously thinking of silencing him forever. I was tasked with explaining this to a hard headed sybarite whom I found deliciously attractive. It was not an easy task. I had to seduce the seducer and fuck him nearly senseless before he surrendered to my charms and I was able to get through to him.”

This last was said in all seriousness and not without a little pride as well. I again looked at my dad who was staring at Kade with a look bordering on adoration. Kade was pointedly ignoring my dad and waiting for my reaction.

I sorted through my family histories and saw that my great-grandfather Aaron had died in 2709, the year before I was born, at the age of one hundred and twenty-one.

I looked at my grandfather and Drew and saw they were embarrassed for my father and themselves for the airing of all this sordid family history. To me it explained a lot and I got even more insight into their thinking of me as an ‘Ice Prince’ prior to my developing my ability. The unspoken subtext from my reading them was that my grandfather, Drew and great-grandfather were not the best examples and had been sexually predatory as well. I found I was 'reading' them very well and further that they were clueless and had not sensed that I was reading them at all.

“Well my task is to finish my in-depth scans of the remaining most serious potential threats and then re-evaluate the other seven thousand. I think we should continue to delay placing any orders for any planned refits until we thoroughly understand the dangers. I also think that perhaps the family members should avoid leaving the ship for Magellan or the planet until the threat is better understood. Finally, perhaps all regular supplies received since we docked should be checked as well for any defects, sensors or 'bugs' or other anomalies as well. With what I have learned, it seems to explain a good part of the antipathy I sensed. It seems that grandfather's paranoia in asking me do undertake this chore was well placed and perhaps prescient as well.”

Just as I finished speaking, Hal interrupted with an announcement: {While you were meeting, Kevin Brown sent a message as they were en route home and asked that young Abel contact him when he gets a minute.}

{I'll contact him this evening, as I want to get back to my review of the tagged threats} I replied.

Grandfather said, “I think we should perhaps hit the exercise room and then break for lunch then you can finish your in-depth scanning of the rest of the 400.”

We all agreed and adjourned to the exercise room. On the way I walked next to my dad and extended my arm around his waist and said, “Now that I know you are not perfect, I think I like you even more. When I came aboard I was so worried that I would make a mistake and embarrass you. I guess I can put that worry to rest, right?”

My dad gave me a look that said it all and he put his arm around my waist and hugged me in return. “Thanks for not being a self-righteous prickly young man like I would have been” he replied.

After lunch I returned to the observation deck and the others decided to check out everything that had been delivered on board the ship since we docked (a large task in itself). I started on the next ten on my list and then over the course of several hours worked through the remainder. It ran pretty much true to form, as the first ten except when I got to the last ten, which I had thought, were the least important of the group. In this group there were eight that had no relationship to the ship or my father, but they all worked for the government and had gotten a routine alert from a surveillance program when our ship entered the system.

The alert was for keeping under surveillance one Abel Silversmith, Jr. who was thought to potentially be a telepath. The alert had been initiated by a former intelligence agent who was on the Magellan during the period 2699- 2700. That was when there were rumors going around that Abel Silversmith Jr. was bewitching every halfway decent looking person with his sexual prowess. That agent later became an analyst and he put together the idea that perhaps telepathy was involved and set-up the automatic alert.

I got with Hal and we cross referenced all the data I collected with the data he collected to see what our options for refitting were going to be here at Magellan. It didn't look good. All the major combines and commercial ship outfitters were either run by or had senior people in them who had nothing but ill wishes for our family. Even most of the supply houses were represented in the group.

I came to a break and decided to contact my uncle and did so telepathically {Uncle Kevin? Are you busy?}

{Hello Abel. I didn't know you were on the planet and in the area.}

{I'm not. I'm still aboard the ship on the observation deck.}

{You're what?}, he exclaimed!

Reading him, I peeked out through his eyes and saw he was sitting at his desk in his home office. I asked, {Are you alone and is it safe for us to communicate without you being noticed?}

{Yes I am alone and my office door is closed}, he replied. {I've never heard of anyone who could send and receive from a quarter million miles before, so excuse me if I seem a little flustered.}

{What did you want to talk to me about?} I asked.

{My boys are talking about you constantly and act like you can walk on water. With this conversation I am beginning to believe it. I wanted to ask you to watch out for them and if you see any signs of Steve coming into his powers to shield Bill from it until he is older if you would.}

{Is there anything I should be looking for?}

{Yes you will see some extra activity in his aura, and if he follows the usual Brown family pattern it will include orange spikes. If it follows the usual Silversmith family pattern it will include blue spikes. And it may include both. While your aunt does not have telepathic ability she does carry recessive genes for it and I carry both dominant and recessive genes in my DNA. Both boys have the genes for telepathy and I expect they will come into their power sometime about their twenty-second to twenty-fifth birthdays.}

{That is interesting to know, I did not get that information in my family histories}, I replied.

{It isn't common knowledge yet but we are trying to get it out to the families that have youngsters}, replied my uncle. {To shield Bill, you must prevent him from being in the 'wash' or rush of talent ability as it manifests in Steve by shielding him with a strong filtering shield. The family histories should provide you with information on how to shield another person from such psychic wash. While I know the procedure, I am not a high level three which is required to reliably construct a shield strong enough for shielding another person. To be absolutely certain, a level four or higher telepath is required.}

As he spoke, like in prior situations, the information became available to me. Changing the subject I replied, {Uncle Kevin, I want to bring you up-to-date about what has us concerned up here. You should know this before you send your sons.} Then I did a massive send of all the information we had gathered and what we were planning to do and that I would keep him informed.

He took several minutes to digest everything I sent, as did my family whom I had contacted and included in the link.

Uncle Kevin was actually the first one to reply, {Thanks for the background information and that you are taking the time to assess the threats and consider possible workarounds or counter-measures. It seems that you have a full plate. Do I sense the rest of your family is now linked?}

{Yes, I included them in my sending and they can hear you through my link and you should be able to hear them if they send through my link to you.}

My dad sent first, {Kevin, I apologize for causing all this grief. We understand if you want to keep your boys away until we get this figured out.}

Kevin replied, {Based on what I've learned I think they would be safer on board ship. I've actually worried that I wouldn't be around when Steve came into his ability and he would expose it accidentally and government people who are on the lookout for such things would be alerted. Also I worry about Bill being caught in the rush of psychic ability too early. The government push to find more telepaths has increased, not decreased and we must be forever on guard. The hidden families council has discussed my proposal for informing all members of the family of the ability, even those without any, as well as those too young to have manifested their ability so as to be prepared. Of course that is still a proposal and we know how slow the council is to change anything.}

They all “chatted” for a few more minutes and it was decided that present plans concerning my cousins would be implemented and then I terminated the sending.

It was about suppertime and I decided to go to my cabin and grab another quick shower and go eat. Supper was a somber affair. Of the material that had been identified and inspected as having come aboard since we docked, more than fifty items were somehow tainted. At least thirty sensors and listening devices were found. Some of the food was even suspected of having been tampered with and we were all to undergo medical scans along with the crew still left on ship. The medical crew had been informed of some anomalous findings in a routine scan of supplies. My grandfather had sent a message to my uncle Kevin and asked him to test himself and his family. Everything had been pulled and put on the shuttle deck for further scanning and testing. All new material was embargoed from being allowed to enter the ship. The umbilicus to the station was now being thoroughly tested and monitored by Hal as well.

Hal in fact was in lockdown and could only be accessed or communicated with telepathically by the family members. The senior staff on ship was wondering what was going on and grandfather and Drew had put out the word that a routine scan had turned up some disturbing evidence of possible sabotage in recently received supplies since we docked at Magellan.

As much as I didn't want to add to the bad news, I had to tell them about the government surveillance and the details behind it. I also discussed the findings on the rest of the initial group of almost four hundred and what Hal and I had determined about the chances of a decent refit without having to constantly be on guard for sabotage. As expected, my news was met with frowns.

Grandfather looked at Drew and then at the rest of us and said, “Well that seals it, we have to take it to the hidden families council as anytime we suspect government interest it is of vital interest to the whole group. I will go and send the coded message now.”

He left and I asked Drew, how they could be sure the message wasn’t compromised. He laughed and said, “It's a code phrase that is posted on a social media site that is completely consistent with the other postings on the site. It only means something because of the time it is posted and it's unusual enough that it's not likely to be posted by anyone else. The phrase for calling a meeting because of government interest in someone from the Silversmith family is from an old twentieth century rock song called “Secret Agent Man” and the phrase is: “To everyone he meets, he stays a stranger.” It's posted exactly at 2:00 AM GMT. The council will then get in touch with us.”

“Why don't we just contact them telepathically?” I inquired.

“Well for one we don't know where 'they' are nor who is the acting chair at the moment” Drew replied.

“Based on what uncle Kevin said, he probably knows and could have told us who to contact and where they are located,” I replied.

Drew gave me a look and said, “Well we never had someone who could send more than ten kilometers before so it just didn't occur to us to try contacting them directly.”

He finished speaking just as my grandfather re-entered the room and he stopped and looked at me and said, “It is going to take some getting used to having someone with your ability in the family. And that is another reason to contact the council as well. They need to be made of aware of your talent and they may draft you for some family council work as well. I set up the message for Hal and he will route it through at least forty servers and make it look like it originated on the moon and it is timed so that it will post at the correct time.”

As we still had time, we all headed to the medical bay where we all got our scans and check-ups. They unusually went pretty fast. The scan and samples were checked for pathogens, both biological as well as nanites. It was an expedited exam for each of us which only took about twenty minutes a piece and after that we all headed to our cabins as it had been a long day.

I did the necessaries and then showered remembering the night before with my cousins. I again had a massive orgasm. I did my T'ai chi before retiring. I slept well again but again dreamed of some mysterious man of my destiny.

The next morning I finished breakfast and returned to the observation deck to reassess the remaining, but initially considered lower threats.

I started doing them in groups of twenty and again assessed threat levels. These were confined mostly to competitors in our shipping business. The Silverspin was over one hundred and ten years old. When it was built, it was considered a behemoth of a cargo ship able to transport vast amounts of cargo in each of it's massive 36 containerized cargo modules which were accessible through each of the five decks along the central core. It was still considered quite large but there were some larger ships now and there were also some that could accelerate faster. It was a highly competitive business and they all kept track of the other so as to keep their competitive edges. Their main concern was over the retrofit and update being planned and whether this would engender a new round of expensive updates just to stay competitive. As these were normal business concerns and deeper probing did not reveal anything other than business concerns I was rapidly whittling down the list.

However, I did come across some plans for updates from a few of our competitors that I asked Hal to make a note of and to consider whether we should implement them if not already done or planned. As he was monitoring closely, he replied, {I am keeping up with you and your scan results as well as what the rest of the family is busy doing. However, I think my planned core update will have to be larger than previously planned.}

I continued working through the day only taking a short break for lunch and finished most of the list before breaking for my session in the exercise room and supper. The exercise felt really good. Sitting for long hours, even in a form fitting lounge chair, left me feeling a little stiff and cramped. I worked an extra long routine, not really pushing it resistance wise, just the repetitions and worked up a soaking sweat. When I finished I went to my cabin and enjoyed my rock show shower and really pumped out a huge load which was satisfying to watch spurt after spurt. Dressing and walking to the family dining table I felt refreshed and incredible.

In contrast the others looked dejected. I told them my news and I asked, “Okay, what's the bad news now?”

Dad replied, “We haven't heard from the family council yet. Additionally, investigation and inspection of the supplies and parts received since we arrived has found several additional problems many of which raise the issue of failing product specifications. Mark Spencer, the chief accountant, is also a contract law specialist and he says we should bring a legal lawsuit against the providers and sue them as a group and make it public together with the details of what we found and thus potentially ruin them. On a brighter note, the full medical reports of our examinations and the remaining crew found no problems.”

“We won't be taking any legal action until we consult with the family council”, my grandfather interjected. In the meantime I think we are making good progress in analyzing and defining the problem so that a course of action can be planned. Let's leave it for now and try and enjoy our supper.”

Since I was hungry, the pot roast with vegetables including carrots, new potatoes, shallots and celery with gravy was voraciously consumed.