They grabbed some food and Chris pointed him towards the Salisbury steak, “You’ll need a lot more food than you were used to Mark. And more protein to feed the new bod. Try to eat at least some meat with every meal until you check with the docs. If you’re a vegetarian then they are other things you can eat but if you eat like you used to you’ll be malnourished and always hungry.”

Mark nodded, “I think you’d be surprised at how much I used to eat but it makes sense that I’d need a bit more to fuel this Zongor the Barbarian body I have now.” He smiled as he saw Chris try to figure out who the heck “Zongor the Barbarian” was. Mark tended to make up these names and drop them in conversation as if they were famous, it was a bit odd but his friends got used it and it gave them a source of in jokes that never died.

“Hey, can I ask you something?” He said reminded of his past life, “Do you know if they’ll let me check the news from home? I’m wondering how things are going and if my friends are alright.”

“The news? Sure. These days you can get most national papers as hardcopy in the library and most others electronically. You can’t surf the web without permission and you can’t go visit them but you’re not cut off entirely. The Colonel who runs this place and his second in command, Kristyn, are good people. She’s actually one of us so she knows what it’s like.” He led us to a table with several kids our age and made introductions, “This is Dani, she’s an empath too and a precog. She’s actually a stronger empath than I am and she can project too. Lili you know and Heather too. They brought you in. That’s Ray,” he continued.

“I’ve met him before,” Mark added. “He was there when Lili and Heather brought me in.” I nodded to everyone, “Hi I’m Mark and my power is apparently to be forgotten.”

“Good name,” Heather said. “I like it.” She frowned then, “Your power is cooler than that! You could be a ninja or something once you control it because nobody would remember you being there.”

“Thanks,” he smiled at her and she grinned back. He blushed suddenly wondering if this was flirting and was glad when Chris started talking again.

“Well after this I’ll take you to your room. You get to relax for an hour and set stuff up how you like it. Later someone will come get you and take you to testing.” He smiled, “Don’t worry, it won’t be like a cartoon ‘danger room’ or something. It might be a bit strenuous but you’ll be fine.”

As he was taking his tray up a guy stepped right in front of him and glared sticking his face just inches away from Mark’s and looking right in his eyes . Mark felt scared, he was a big guy now but he wasn’t used to it yet and besides most guys in here must really know how to fight right? So he was expecting to get beat up on his first day when the guy suddenly looked blank. His pupils were huge and his face was slack as he pulled back and wandered off. As Mark turned to walk in the opposite direction he saw Chris standing there, “Did you do that? Thanks! I thought I was going to get beat up on my first day.”

Chris shook his head, “I was going to help but that wasn’t me it was you.”

“Me?” Mark’s bass was a bit too deep to squeak but it tried.

“Yep, you. I can’t wait to find out what they say your power is officially. It’s a new one on me and I’ve been here forever. How about I come get you for dinner?”

“Sure,” Mark put his tray in the alcove. “You said we were going to my room first? Do I have a roommate? You mentioned there were two dozen of us so I guess I do?”

“Nope! You lucked out. There may be 24 of us but you are the eleventh guy so you get a room to yourself. Even when we get another guy you might get to keep it. We have plenty of space right now. Eventually you will have a roomie I guess but not anytime soon unless you want one.”

Mark picked an empty room and soon was putting his stuff away. Before he finished there was a knock on his door and a woman stepped in. “I’m Ms. Fine. I am head of security here. I’d like to welcome you personally and state that if you experience any problems with the other students you can bring them to me or to any of my people.” She gestured, “Now unless you do have a complaint I’d like to escort you to testing.”

He goggled at her. The head of security came to escort him? His thoughts must have shown on his face as she chuckled, “It’s true that normally I don’t do this but I’ve heard about your apparent power set and I wanted to get a good look at you while I still can. It might help me see through your invisibility.” She grimaced, “Or help me describe you if you go rogue and manage to give us the slip.” She stepped back and held the door open, “Come on, you don’t want to be late for your first appointment here do you?”

“No,” he answered and followed her to a room with Chris and an adult in it but nothing else. The guy’s name turned out to be Steve. There he tried to reproduce his ability consciously and failed the first three or four times before getting it right once.

Chris snapped his fingers by the guy’s ear and snapped him out of it.

“Wow,” the guy said. “That is a wild one but I have an idea as to what it might be.” He smiled at Mark, “Tell me are you adjusting well?”

Mark replied, “It’s pretty freaky alright but I’m trying to just roll with it. Shit happens, you do your best to deal, then you move on right?”

Steve grinned, “Right! Now if you’ll just follow me we want to get a few blood samples and to hook you up to an EEG. Do you know what that is Mark?”

Mark followed him out of the room and down the corridor, “Nope.”

“It stands for electroencephalograph. What that means is that it records brainwaves, not what your thinking but what synapses are firing. We’ll see if we can get you to use your power while hooked up and from your pattern and the patterns we’ve already collected we’ll learn something and usually enough to place your power in an already established family of similar abilities. Once we know that we can help you train your ability better.” Steve led him into a lab with a big comfortable chair in the center.
There was a woman on either side of it in a labcoat, “Hi, we’re going to be testing you but don’t worry it won’t hurt.” They both smiled at him and he smiled back. Steve went and got a few vials and a finger stick, “I’ll be drawing a bit of blood first but it’s just a pinch. You’ll barely notice it.”

Mark felt like saying that he wasn’t sure of that but something in him didn’t want to admit fear in front of the two women so he just sat down in the chair and tried not to wince while Steve filled two small vials with his blood. After they hooked him up though he got to practice his talent on Steve again and he got better at it. After about fifteen minutes they seemed satisfied at the results and he was back in the corridor and on the way to someone they said would explain the results.

He ended up in an office across the desk from a middle aged man in a three piece suit. “I’m Doctor Thripp. I will be your counselor while you are here. I am a psychologist and I’ll both explain the results of testing and answer any questions you might have about today. Naturally given the nature of this place all of our student are assigned counselors that are either psychologists or psychiatrists.” He waited for objections or questions and hearing none he continued, “You are what we are calling an “anti-dominator”. The Dominator powerset is able to control other minds and make them do what the dominator wants.”

“That’s horrible!” Mark said, utterly revulsed.

“Yes,” Dr. Thripp agreed, “it is and it one reason we bring all the children with powers here until we know what they can do and get a feel for them as individuals. Some people with powers go nuts and some turn their abilities to selfish or malicious ends. We call them rogues.”

“I’d hate to run into a dominator that’s for sure,” Mark said and shivered.

“Actually I think you might be safe from going rogue if not from the rest Mark,” Dr. Thripp said.

“Because of being and Anti-dominator? It means I’m immune?” Mark asked.

“Because of your power yes. At least if my theory is correct then anyone with your powerset will adjust rapidly and well to the changes involved in emergence. I hope that while we help take full control of your power and get the most out of it you will also help us understand all talents better.”

He smiled at Mark, “Now why don’t we get to know each other a little better?”

After the session he was guided to the gym where he started learning what his new body could do and how to use her old skills in his new body. Afterwards he showered and redressed and was reading some of the textbooks they had given him when there was a knock at the door. He called out, “Come in!”

“Hi,” Chris said, “I was going to head to dinner. Want to come along?”

“Sure,” Mark agreed. When they got to the line he wished he hadn’t. The girl from the hallway walked up to them.

“Hi!” she said with a little wave as Mark’s face turned red. “I was hoping to see you here. I’m an Empath too so I heard about you before we … passed in the hall.”

Mark tried to say something but what came out of his mouth was pretty incoherent until she raised a hand and stopped him mid-stutter.

“It’s okay. All part of being an empath. I can’t hold it against you and in fact I’m flattered. You’re a good looking guy, once you get a bit more used to,” she smiled, “things. Come look me up. We could maybe eat somewhere semiprivate or watch a dvd together.” She waved again and walked off.

Mark looked at Chris and finally got a word out, “Wow.”

Chris smiled, “Wow indeed. I’d say your luck has definitely turned. Now let’s go eat.”