White Space Season 2

it off! I can’t do it!”
    “No,” the instructor said sharply.
    As the water reached the girl’s chin, and her screams grew increasingly panicked, the boy raced toward the box.
    He was intercepted by two men in black, shoving the boy back and wrestling him to the ground.
    “Not with your hands, with your mind, boy!” the man commanded.
    The boy, struggling on the floor under the mens’ weight stared intently at the handle, attempting to twist it with thought.
    His face turned crimson as sweat beaded his brow. He stared harder at the handle but the water kept rising, up and over the girl’s nose, then her mouth.
    She struggled, taxing her body to squirm free from her ropes, trying not to panic but unable to stay calm. The girl thrashed, holding her breath as long as possible, still trying to break free.
    “Stop it!” the boy screamed. “You’re going to kill her!”
    “No,” the instructor said, “You’re going to kill her!”
    “No!” he repeated in anguish.
    Then it happened — something shifted in his gaze, only slightly, but as Warren paused and rewound the video, he saw it; a fire in the boy’s eyes going immediately bright.
    The tank exploded, sending glass and water in a rippling cascade across the concrete floor as the girl fell to her knees and gasped, violently sucking in air.
    The boy broke free from the men in black, no longer trying to force him down, and ran to the girl, “I’m so sorry, I’m so sorry,” he said holding her tight, and glaring at the instructor.
    “You almost killed my sister!” he said.
    “No,” the instructor said, “ you almost killed her.”
    Warren clicked off the video and smiled. It had worked. The experiment had finally paid its first dividend, much to his surprise.
    “Wow,” Warren whispered to himself.
    “What the hell was that?” Warren’s wife was suddenly behind him.
    He turned, “Melinda!”
    Her eyes were wide as she stared at him, shaking, “What was that?” she repeated.
    “Why are you sneaking up on me?” he asked. “I’m working!”
    “It’s three in the morning, Warren! I woke up and you weren’t in bed, so I came to see if you were OK. What the hell was that?”
    “I can explain,” he said.
    “OK, I’m waiting,” she said, arms crossed, shaking her head.
    Warren’s lies were molasses, unwilling to drip. Finally, he managed a feeble line from the truth. “It’s an experiment we’re doing, testing telekinesis.”
    “On children? By drowning them?!”
    “They weren’t going to let the girl drown,” Warren said, hoping to convince her with his most winning smile. “The point of the test was to put the subjects under duress to draw a reaction.”
    “These are children!” Melinda said. “Close to Anastasia’s age! How can you do this?”
    “It’s not as bad as it looks. Most of the tests are super easy stuff, Melinda, trying to get the kids to move blocks, balls, and stuff like that — it’s fun! I swear. This is the only thing like this we did.”
    Melinda shook her head, “I’m talking to your father!”
    “No!” Warren yelled. “He can’t know that you know about this. This is top secret, classified, like government stuff, Melinda. You aren’t cleared to know this.”
    “Not cleared? I’m your wife for Christ’s sake!”
    “You know how our business works,” Warren said.
    “No, I thought I knew, Warren. I thought you were trying to help people, cure diseases, improve artificial limbs, other stuff that does good in the world — not this crazy shit! This looks like some Cold War mumbo jumbo, psychic warfare stuff, and you’re using kids!”
    Warren shook his head, “Please, don’t say anything.”
    “Or what?” Melinda asked. “Will the government come and get me?” She paused, then added, “Does the government even know what you’re doing here?”
    Warren wasn’t sure how to answer.
    Melinda caught his hesitation. “They don’t, do they? Oh, my God!”
    “Stop, Melinda, you’re overreacting. Let’s just calm down and discuss this. I’ll tell you anything you want to know.”
    “No, I’ll wait and speak with Blake tomorrow.”
    “Please,” Warren said. “You can’t.”
    “No,” Melinda pointed to the TV, “ he can’t do this! And if you’re not man enough to stand up to him and tell him, I will!”
    Melinda turned on her heel and stormed from Warren’s office. She turned at the door. “And don’t bother coming to bed, just sit here and watch your snuff