The Enlightened (Mind Dimensions #3)(59)

For now, though, I begin a Guiding session of my own.

You’re going to leave this place. You realize you want to turn your life around. Get therapy, and if that doesn’t work, check yourself into a mental institution. Make sure you’re not a danger to yourself or to others.

I continue along those lines until I’m convinced the guy won’t end up on the news one day, and then exit his head.





*





“Are you sure my Guiding will override Kyle’s?” I ask as soon as I’m back in the Quiet.

“Yes,” Thomas says. “Whoever has the longest Reach will override the other. And Kyle’s doesn’t even compare to yours.”

“Good. Who’s next?”

“That man. The big one.”

Now that he points him out to me, I can’t believe I didn’t notice the guy myself. This dude is as close to a giant as I’ve seen and hard to miss, particularly here, in a room full of scientists. I’m shocked no one suspects him of being up to something. Then again, they might think he’s with security. He does have that sort of look.

I Read the man and learn that his name is Igor and that he’s indeed here to kill a few people. He’s being Pushed, though killing is not against this guy’s principles. I wonder whether he’ll get the usual amnesia that people get when they’re Guided to do something against their nature.

I Guide him: Stand by the stage, pretend you’re with college security, and enjoy the lectures. Try to remember as much as you can.

This might be as unnatural for the brute as killing is to a normal person. Ironically, now that I’ve overridden Kyle’s instructions, he might very well experience amnesia.

“Who’s next?” I say when I’m done with Igor.

“That guy, their leader. His name’s Victor,” Thomas says. “Given his file, I suspect he’ll be doing the bulk of the killing. The guy was a sniper back in the day.”

I walk up to Victor. He’s tall and muscular. Unlike his Neanderthal colleague, he exudes a type of cold intelligence. His demeanor reminds me of Caleb. He’s one of those people who always look like they own the room. I grab his wrist and focus.





*





Two targets at our six o’clock, we think methodically, planning our shots. We’ll take them out as soon as we see Igor reaching for his weapon. It’ll be fun to practice our marksmanship like this. We haven’t had practice outside of a shooting range in ages. Killing that scum Shkillet in the club a few weeks back doesn’t count. Not from a practice perspective anyhow, since it was nearly a point-blank shot.

I disassociate. Boy, do I never want to make an enemy of this guy. The way he thinks about shooting someone is cold. Zero regret, zero remorse. He feels the same about killing as I do about making a sandwich—just something you do when you need to.

I begin my override session.

You will not shoot anyone. You’re here to expand your intellectual horizons. You will peacefully listen to the lectures, and you will be entertained. After all of this is over, as you lie in bed tonight, you will seriously rethink your life of crime.

Happy with my Guiding, I exit Victor’s head.





*





“Can I override my own instructions if I need to?” I ask Thomas when I’m back.

“Easily,” Thomas says. “It’s just a matter of using up more Reach.”

“Every time I Guide someone, I use up some of my Reach?”

“I thought that was obvious. Those of us who actually run out of Reach learn this quickly.”

“It isn’t obvious,” I say. “I thought Reach only controlled the duration of your influence. How far into the future you can reach.”

“That’s also the case,” Thomas says, “but every Guiding you do is cumulative, as far as Reach is concerned. I can Guide one person to do what I need for half an hour, or thirty people to do what I want for a minute, depending on what I’m trying to accomplish.”

“So controlling as many people as my aunt and I can is a difficult feat?”

“It would be impossible for those with my range of Reach, which is a good thing. You have no idea how much harm someone like Kyle could do if he had your kind of Reach. He wouldn’t need the mob or the patsy. Anyway, we should get back to the task at hand. That guy there, the one with the shades, is the next person you should work on.”

It takes what feels like an hour before I reprogram all the Russian gangsters in this place. When I’m done, they’re no longer planning on shooting people and handing their weapons to the crazy fall guy. Instead, this conference will set a new record for the number of Russian mobsters paying close attention to a science lecture.

“This will be our mark,” Thomas says as we make our way out of the hall, referring to the second phase of his plan. “Here, by Row 20.”

As we walk back to the car and to our bodies, I think about what’s to come. It feels infinitely more doable now than when Thomas first outlined his plan. As I reach for my body to phase out into the real world, I’m filled with dark anticipation.

It’s really happening. Kyle is going to get what’s coming to him.