Chapter 27

My Brother, The Wife Stealing Tool-Bag

We were back planet-side. I know because I felt re-entry with every fiber of my being in the interplanetary transport ship. I am mentally wondering what exactly the difference is. Is it Endarian stabilizers? Or maybe crystalline dampeners? I don’t really know. All I know for certain is that the level of technology in this universe is garbage. Though sadly this universe’s technology level is what I am most used to. Sad how it only takes a few months of being inundated with advanced technologies to get used to them.

I’m here, just hoping these guys can fix a cracked windshield, and they are likely stripping my vehicle as we speak trying to figure out how it works. That or maybe they just think it has a different design? I hope for the latter, but I’m pretty sure they are breaking every component of it right now. I know the differences in the ships. I could point them out, in fact that was what I first memorized, why these ships were different than what I was used to. There were a lot more crystalline processes, which is apparently what the Endarians use for faster than light travel. Something to deal with the manipulation and processing of light that gives them faster than life processes. I don’t really understand the science behind it, but I don’t really need to. Instead, I just need to know that it works, and how to fix it when it breaks.

I was in the process of trying to figure out what type of interrogation processes they would use on me. I knew they would try to use intel on me that only I could know. I was almost expecting them to contact my brother, or me apparently, as a Kyle Goldman did exist in this universe. At least if my intercepted communications were to be believed. What I didn’t expect was that the person conducting my interview would in fact be my dirt-bag brother.

“What type of freak are you?” My Brother asks. Once again, he starts off our interview in rare form.

I just stare at him with my glowing purple eyes.

“You might have the face of my brother, but you are not my brother.” Chet says.

I just roll my eyes at him.

“See that, right there. My brother would never do that, not to me.” Chet says pointing at me, then looking off to the mirrored wall. A wall that hides no less than five minds behind it.

“Maybe I’m just tired of your crap.” I state.

“What?”

I pause, take in a deep breath, and realize I spoke my mind. “Maybe I’m just tired of your crap.” I say again, this time slower like he was a moron.

“You will tell me what you are!” Chet commands, his voice laced with power. For a second it almost succeeds. With the constant buzzing on my mind from the cuffs and his incredibly high Mind Control powers I am almost caught off guard by the sudden mental attack.

Fortunately, I see the flashing of his eyes, and then my eyes also pick up the firing of neurons in the Mind Control portion of the brain.

“You just tried to Mind Control me.” I say, reaching out and snatching the Mind Control portion of his mind. In a second, I am mentally back to my first-time meeting Graves in the park. Back when he tried to do the same thing to me. This time like last time I staple the power down.

“What? What did you do?” He questions, then I feel his Mind trying to slither around the outside of my skull. In a way I feel violated even by the attempt, it almost feels like he is trying to lick my brain with a big wet tongue. Instantly my mind realizes it is a second attack in as many seconds. This time he is trying to steal my secrets. Mind Theft, a very dangerous power, one that surely puts you on the radar of everyone’s watch list.

The only problem is my brother shouldn’t have these powers.

This time like last time I grab the slippery mind tongue and staple it shut as well with another well controlled application of Mind Rend.

“Stop that!” He screams.

“What is it?” A voice calls in from the other side of the room.

“He just attacked me.” Chet exclaims.

“What did he do exactly?” The female voice calls out from the other side of the wall.

At the question I can see the moment that Chet visibly squirms. Then I realize something. “Oh, this. This is too good. You can’t tell them what happened. Because if you tell them, it will be the same thing as admitting that you were a potential Mind Rapist who never registered themselves?”

“Stop that. That is not what happened.” Chet says, using a third mind power Mind Alteration.

I look at him with wide eyed surprise, as I find and rip yet another forbidden power from his mind. This time I staple Mind Alteration away with my liberal use of Mind Rend.

Panic.

He is visibly flustered by my recent attack.

Again, I just stare at him. Looking at him like I am just seeing him for the first time.

“This is enough! Nothing happened.” He shouts, trying to use his fourth forbidden power, Mind Erase.

Once again, I look at him like he is a moron and clamp down on this power as well. I can see his four other powers still active in his mind. See my brother is an interrogator, someone who has an impeccable case record of closing crimes with rock solid evidence. Most of this is chalked up to the fact that he has powerful mind reading psychic skills. But seeing his mind fully active I realize he had eight psychic powers.

Suddenly a lot of things begin to click in my mind in rapid succession. As I look at him, I feel so dumb. Like mind blowingly simple. All this time I thought he just read Jess’ mind and was able to give her that which I couldn’t, that which I would never be able to understand. But seeing this, I realize he likely mind raped her. Or at least he could have.

“Fuck. You are an asshole.” I exclaim. Blinking at him, as if the fog of lifetimes worth of mental abuse are finally fading away.

“What is going on?” The voice from outside asks again.

“I have been assaulted. This man is clearly some type of space monster of some kind.” Chet says his voice quivering.

“Now, now Chet. That isn’t any way to get back your sealed powers.” I explain.

“Sealed powers?” The voice calls out.

Now there is something I should point out. Having the powers that Chet has are not illegal. No one can control the powers they are given in the Awakening trial after all. The problem comes when you have one of the big four, well five Mind Rend is also a part of that list. But to have any of the four powers that Chet used against me and not declare them is a felony, one that demands a minimum of ten years in prison. Added to that the fact that he would have to admit to my sealing away not one, not two, but four of the watch-list powers and he is looking like a fish caught on a hook, whose only form of escape is to impale himself on the end of a harpoon.

I smile widely at the sight of him squirming. Suddenly years’ worth of anger and resentment come flowing forward and for a moment, one moment, I feel vindicated.

“Oh man. I was wondering how someone like you, with your noodle arms and balding hairline could steal Jess from me. Now it makes sense. You are a mind rapist. Not just one but four powers.”

“Thh…that’s a lie. I would never.” Chet states, first to me then turns toward the mirror. In the reflection I can see the fear in his eyes. My own eyes glow brightly like two purple candles, adding an eerie ambiance to the reflection.

“Oh, come on. Tell them. Tell them that you just tried to force a confession out of your own brother. Then tried to Steal my thoughts, then Alter my memories, and then Erase my memories and I will grant them back to you. I will undo what I just did.”

“Y, you will?” He stutters.

“HAHAHAH!” I laugh so hard at him, the look of desperation on his face. “Oh my god. You practically confessed to mind raping every one of your so-called closed cases thus far. How were you able to get away with having four extra powers for so long? Well never mind that I already know, you likely mind raped them too. Fuck you are a prick! God, all this time I thought she just left me because you were better, not because you were a mind raping sleaze. No wonder she always looked melancholy after you took her.” I say, remembering the way Jess would always have sad eyes when she looked at me. In a way that made the divorces worse because I could almost feel that there was still a chance with her.

“What? What are you talking about? Who is this her?” He asks.

Then I shake my head as I realize it is still early in the time loop, the current me is probably still just beginning the initial courtship with Jess right now. Looking back, I remember it was love at first sight between the two of us. A tear rolls down my cheek as I think back to how good of a life, I thought I had in front of me. Then I look at Chet and realize he stole her from me. He stole my happiness, or at least would in this timeline. I am about to wonder why when more minor moments start to add up. The way Chet was always jealous of my quick promotions. The way my dual class was touted so highly as a marvel in the military allowing me to out rank him at times. Then how he would do everything within his power to betray me.

“So, you always had the eight powers, but you only noted the four that showed up on your Status screen, realizing you could do a lot more if no one had you on a monitoring list. Then the moment people became suspicious of you, you would what? Alter their memories? Erase their trains of thought?”

He jerks at each command, and I know I am getting close. Then the process hits me. “Wait, you would first steal their thoughts to find out what they had on you. Then Alter, Erase, and Control as needed until everyone marched to your sick little tune?”

Chet stares at me in wide-eyed shock for a moment. His mouth opening and closing like he is a fish out of water.

“That is not true.” He finally manages, but it is a little too late to start fighting the accusations.

“Fuck. For years I looked up to you, but was that all fake as well? You had your powers for four years now. Did you always use them to control me? To control mom and dad?” I ask.

His eyes go wide, but he quickly recovers. “I am the one conducting this interview here.”

“No, no you are relieved of this. Guards take him.” Guards come in, with someone who looks very familiar. In a second, I realize it is Mave. I pause to look at her, wondering what she is doing here.

There is a commotion as Chet is taken into custody. “I am innocent here. I was the one who was attacked!” He screams. He isn’t entirely wrong. He was attacked, four times. Each time he was attacked was after I was attacked, so I could argue self-defense, but that doesn’t seem to be in question.

Still, I am looking at Mave who is wearing a sharp business suit and looks to be a consultation expert of some kind.

Once the guards take away my brother, I am left still staring at Mave. I have so many questions about her, well for her. It appears that in this universe she still works for the military. That or maybe she always did?

“I see that you are an exceptionally powerful Precog.” She states, as she sits down across from me.

I nod.

“I also see that I have marked you. The mark is fading, nearly two months old. I take it I found you in the dimension you come from?”

I nod again. Then looking at her, I have one question that I need to know. “How is Mel doing?” I ask.

“Mel?” She asks.

I have to know; in my universe she ran a diner where Mel and other girls could work. But here, she clearly still had ties to the military. Did that mean that she never opened the diner? That she never started that part of her life.

“Yes, short for Melissa?” I ask.

Hearing the name, she shakes her head sadly. “I’m sorry, I don’t know who that is.”

Sighing. I knew she was a once in a lifetime find, but once in a universe. Did that mean the parts of her life that led her to being an orphan who was picked up by Mave didn’t happen in this universe? Or did it mean that the events that caused her to be didn’t happen at all in this universe? I didn’t know.

“I can see that you are going through a lot right now. Perhaps talking to me and telling me how you got here can help.” She offers.

“What do you want to know?”

“Well first off, what about your eyes and hair. Your facial features match up to the Kyle Goldman we have on file with a 99% accuracy rating. The only difference of course being your hair and eye colors.”

I nod. “Are you familiar with the Awakening trials here? I ask.”

She nods.

“Well, it all began when I first entered the trials…”