Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Dot 2: A.M.P.S. and other current events

Last Time: Thomas Brown was a soldier and a latent Hyper, who, when blown out of an airplane, fully expected to die. But he woke up in the body of Dot, the daughter he never had. With the help of her best friend Hazel, who was now her mother, she’s trying to adapt to being a teen girl, as well as being a Tinker/Mystic. Now, she was on her way to AMPS, the Canadian school for hypers ...

I had fallen asleep again, and I began to dream. In the dream, we had just landed for a second refill of our plane fuel, and a need started hitting me. It was like the urge I had to build things, but somehow different as well. I asked Sensation, who was our official escort to AMPS, if she could get me some paper and a pen.

She was, and armed with these supplies, I took the paper and pen and began to sketch a dress much like the one I had inadvertently created with my invention, the girl gun.

In my dream the pen moved at incredible speed, creating dress after dress.

I woke to the seat-belt sign going on, as we were about to take off again, and just like the hugglebug dream and the girl gun dream, what I had dreamed had happened for real, as several pages of drawings were sitting in my lap.

Once we were able to move about, I showed the drawings to my mom and Sensation.

Sensation looked thoughtful and said, “looks like an offshoot of your Tinker abilities.”

“Tinker? This looks more like a tailor’s work to me.” I responded, “Why dresses and not robots, or spaceships, or something?”

Sensation put a hand on my knee, and said, “Look closely. The dresses are being worn by boys.”

I looked, and realized that she was right.

“Why would I draw that?” I asked, perplexed.

“I think I know, Dot” Sensation replied, “You are attracted to boys, but at the same time you associate the feminine with safety, and the masculine with danger. So your unconscious came up with a compromise - a feminine boy.”

I sighed, and grumbled, “Just peachy.”

My mom put her arm around me and said, “Look at it this way. You’re adjusting, and hopefully healing. You might eventually not need your prospective boyfriends to wear dresses. And if you still do, you might make some young crossdresser very happy.”

I shook my head, and said, “With all this stuff going on in my head, how the heck am I supposed to function surrounded by strangers, alone? How am I gonna manage without you, Mom?”

Sensation replied, “A great author once said, ‘shared pain is lessened, share joy is increased.’ As I told you before, you won't be the only student with struggles. And if you give them a chance, they might help you more than you think. And maybe you’ll be able to help them too.”

Mom added, “And I won't be far away. I talked my boss into letting me telecommute, so I can do my job from that town as easily as I did it in Alberta. Sensation, what is the name, again?”

“Morristown, Mrs Brown.” Sensation replied. I don’t think you will have much trouble keeping connected. Especially since we have Tinkers who keep improving things.”

We ate a light supper, and I went back to sleep. The night passed, and the sun was rising over Hudson’s Bay as we came in for landing.

I’m not sure what I was expecting to see as Morristown and the AMPS campus came into view, but from the air it looked like a regular small town with a regular private school beside it.

I was soon to learn just how wrong that impression was.

We landed at a small airport just outside Morristown, and the same large man who had loaded our luggage unloaded them into a van. He told my mom, “Don't worry about your stuff. There are some cabins set aside for visitors, and you can stay there until your situation is resolved, and Dot’s stuff is being taken to her dorm.”

We thanked him, and got into a limo, and followed the van into town.

“I expected to see all the crazy inventions your Tinkers must make here” I said, “but the windows are tinted.”

Sensation said, “Don’t worry, you’ll get a tour of the campus and the town soon. As for crazy inventions, we mostly keep them on campus and away from ... excitable people.”

“You mean the town isn’t like Eureka, from the TV show?” I inquired.

“I’d like to think we have fewer accidents, or at least fewer ones where civilians could get hurt.” She replied, “But when you get a tour of the town, you’ll see that it is quite used to even the most unusual looking Hypers.”

I grumbled, “I guess I can be grateful I look normal, even if I am a mess on the inside.”

Mom said, “Don't worry, sweetie. You might be a mess, but you’re my mess”, and then she hugged me.

The driver of the limo somehow reduced the tint on the windows enough that I could see we were approaching the campus. It had a sturdy looking fence, and a serious looking iron gate.

“Not very welcoming,” I said.

“Don’t judge it from the outside” Sensation replied.

The gate opened as we approached, but we came to a stop just inside. Sensation opened the door, and said, “Let me show you something”.

She got out, and I followed.

The first thing I noticed was the statue, and Sensation drew me towards it.

The statue was a woman with long hair and a costume, positioned as if she was standing guard over the campus.

“That’s Mesmer,” Sensation said, “the students call this area Mesmer Park.”

“Who was she?” I asked

“You’ll learn all about her soon. But for now I can tell you this. She was a great person who tried to help others, even at the cost of her own life. As a mutant you can either hide who you are or be larger than life, and do everything you can to make people see that not all Hypers are bad. She was one of those who chose to be larger than life, and when I came here and learned about her, I decided that since I couldn’t hide who I am easily, that’s what I wanted to be too.”

“I don't know if I will ever be larger than life. I can’t really do all that much, and I feel so .. broken.” I replied,

“Maybe you can’t do much now, but that’s what this school is for. To help you reach your potential, in terms of your powers, but just as importantly in terms of your personal development. It won't be easy, but if you’re willing to put the work in, you will become less broken in time.” She told me.

“And you won't be alone.” she added, There are the other students, and we are hoping you'll be able to help each other to some degree. Of course the staff will do all they can as well, including me.”

She then put her arm around me, and led me back to the limo, and we drove a short distance. Sensation helped my mom and I get out, and we went into the admin building. Soon we were in the reception area, and the first thing I noticed was the pretty young woman at the desk. She had four arms, but managed to look beautiful anyway.

She introduced herself as Susan, and had us hang our coats and take off our boots and then sit in some pretty comfortable chairs. She then paged her boss and told her we were here.

A moment later, Susan must have been told that her boss was ready, because she pushed a button, and the office door opened.

I stopped for a second at the desk and thanked Susan, who replied, “You’re welcome. I used to be a student too, and went by the code name ‘4-Warned’”.

I repressed a groan, shook my head, and then realized Sensation wasn’t following me, and she was motioning to my mom to sit back down.

Seeing my look, Sensation said, “Don't worry. We’ll be here when you’re done.”

I tried to steel myself, and went into the office.

The best way I can describe the Headmistress was that she was intimidating. She was tall and slender, with cobalt blue skin, and white hair. But it was her expression that had me worried. She had a serious and stern look, and right then I decided I would do my best to avoid making her angry.

I sat down, and she said, “Miss Brown, Miss Murphy sent an extensive report on you. To be perfectly honest, at first I had some reservations about having you come here.”

I hung my head, and wondered if we’d flown all this way for a rejection.

“However, since the alternative would be perhaps you becoming a serious threat, plus Miss Murphy and Mrs. Evans both vouched for you, so I am willing to consider your application.”

The hope I felt must have shown on my face, because she added, “However there will be some conditions. First, you will be expected to attend all your classes, on time and ready to learn, especially your power classes. Second, we will be scheduling counseling for you, regarding your ... eventful past. You are expected to make every one of those sessions, and do the work needed. Our counselors are licenced to prescribe medication, and if they do so for you, you will be expected to take the medications as directed, and report any side effects.”

She paused, and then continued, “Third, while we do everything possible to prevent bullying here, you might receive some attention you are uncomfortable with. You will be expected to ignore it and walk away, or calm the situation down, and if you are in genuine danger and have no alternatives, you will be expected to use the minimum force required to get away. More than anything else you need to understand. We here will do all we can to train you, to teach you, to protect you, and to heal you, but nothing we do will work without your full cooperation. Do you understand?”

I managed to squeak out, “Yes Ma’am.”

“All right then, Miss Murphy will take you and your mother to the medical building, you need a physical.” She stated.

I ducked out of the room, and Sensation led us out of the admin building and over to the medical building. Sensation told me as we approached, “We have an emergency area which has a hotline to the hospital in town, plus some exam rooms. I’m sorry, but since you recently became a girl, you’ll have to take an exam of your new equipment, and that might be uncomfortable. But if you wish your mom can be with you.”

With that cheerful thought at the front of my head, we went in.

We once more hung up our coats and took off our boots, and waited. While we were waiting, I told both of them about what the Headmistress had said to me, adding, “I don’t get it, She acted like I was super dangerous, and talked about me using excessive force if I was being bullied or whatever. What was she talking about?”

Sensation responded, “Sweetie, you have incredible power, even if you have only accessed it while asleep or as a reflex. That means you could do a lot of damage, and not even know it, so the sooner you gain conscious control the better. By the way, have you decided on a code name?”

I said, “Do I have to have one? Mom doesn’t.”

“Actually I did have one when I first Activated,” Mom said while blushing, “I called myself Calmdown, but I soon realized it sounded stupid and stopped using it.”

“Probably a good choice,” I remarked, and stuck my tongue out at her.

Sensation interjected, “I think it would be a good idea for you to have one, Dot.”

I sighed, and said, “Okay, but what kind of code name goes with making amazing stuff but only in my sleep?”

“What about Trance?” my mom asked

“Taken, I’m afraid.” Sensation responded

“I got it,” I said, “Fashion.”

“Fashion?” Sensation asked.

“Yeah. It has a double meaning. Fashion can refer to clothes, style, but it can also mean creating something. Like I could say I fashioned my girl gun, and it creates fashion.”

“That sounds really good.” Sensation remarked.

Just then, my name was called, and we went to an exam room. I had been given a physical when I joined the military, but this exam was far more thorough, and I was really glad Mom was with me when they checked my new equipment. It wasn’t painful, but it felt extremely weird to have something be able to go inside of me, and the device they used was extremely cold.

Once I was dressed again, I thought it was over, but Sensation said, “Time for your counseling session, Dot.”

Both Mom and I started to follow her, but she said to Mom, “I’d like you to let me talk to Dot alone first, and then I will share with you anything she says I can.”

Mom nodded, and said, “All right, I need to freshen up anyway.”

It turned out Sensation had a counselling office in the medical building, and once we were comfortable, we talked about my past, my present, and my possible future. I won't say it was some kind of miracle cure, but I did end the session feeling hopeful that I could get better, if I dedicated myself to it, and asked for help when I needed it.

It was exhausting, however, and I also realized we hadn’t eaten in a while. Sensation took Mom and I to the campus cafeteria. It wasn’t like a regular school cafeteria, in that besides the usual choices, it served a number of specialty dishes for mutants who had special diet needs. Not for the first time, I was grateful that my activation had not given me those kinds of challenges on top of changing genders and age.

Once we finished, Sensation said that we should take a quick tour before I went to my dorm.

I was a little concerned about spending that much time outside in January weather, but as it turned out there were underground pedways that connected most of the buildings. The place really was quite remarkable, with an Olympic sized pool, a fully equipped gym, a dojo, a library with computer labs, weapon ranges, classrooms, an area where I would be able to learn electronics, mechanics, and other skills that would help me practice my Tinker ability without hurting anybody (I discovered that my “hugglebug” and my “girl gun” were already there), and a similar area dedicated to honing my Mystic ability.

The last place we went were the dorms, and Sensation said, “We have seven dorms. Three all girl dorms, three all boy dorms. The one you will be staying in is a mixed dorm, for students with special needs, especially those like you who have changed genders. Beneath each dorm, there are eight underground practice PDE areas, where each of you can unleash your powers safely.”

She continued, “If for some reason you need help, there is a security unit that can respond in a crisis, as well as EMT’s attached to our medical building, And for those students who may be having emotional or psychological difficulties, there is assistance for those areas available as well. All these services are accessible twenty-four-seven, seven days a week, three hundred-sixty-four days a year, and we encourage students to not be shy about using them.”

Then she looked stern, and added, “That said, false alarms are not appreciated, and can result in disciplinary action.”

I nodded.

Then she added, “Your stuff has been put in one of the rooms in your dorm, so I suggest you unpack. Your mom will be back to join you for supper. There are a large number of students arriving tonight, and so I wont be able to join you. The rest of the new students will be getting their orientation tomorrow, and I’d encourage you to join them, so you can hopefully get acquainted with your new classmates before the school semester officially starts.”

I gave Mom a hug, said “Thank you” to Sensation, and went inside to unpack. Once I was done, I sat on my new bed and wondered what the other students would be like, and if I could make friends. I also wondered what my mom would do, if she could keep her job so far away from her home office.

I looked at my clock and realized I had about an hour before supper, so I laid on my bed, sighed, and thought, “I guess nothing I can do but wait and see what happens.”

The End (For now).