As we waited at the spaceport, I could hear my mom worrying away in her mind about the contract she had to sign to get me into the University. The part of the contract that had her most concerned was the restriction against using my training for personal gain. She kept remembering the contract and wondering if she could find a loop hole in it. She had hoped that when I came back I would be able use my ability to advance them further. She was ambitious my mother, she wanted to get the Greener World Party big enough and powerful enough to make some major changes in the way things were run here on Barsoom.~0~
She was worried about how my six-year-old self would do without her to care for me. She had researched the university thoroughly. She had even spoken with the people who had been there. They were unanimous and had been reassuring. It was as safe as the instructors could make it. ~1~
My training would take a decade and she was determined that I would come back to a world that would accept me. There were only about a dozen like me on this world. She wanted to make sure our world would be safe for us. Along the way, she was hoping either she or dad would make it to Comptroller or Senante, they needed to be that high in order to affect Barsoom law. ~2~
Barsoom is all about trade and making money in any way one can. The world isn’t dead yet, Mom said, but it is in its final years. Most of the green spaces were gone and nearly 80% of the native fauna was extinct and the other 20% were dying. I would hear her weep sometimes because of the pain she sensed from the planet. ~3~
I am an average child who lives on an average world with an unusual ability. I can hear other people’s thoughts. On Barsoom, a gifted child usually is stuck in the attic. They are bad for business because they messed up the status quo. ~4~
When my telepathy first appeared my parents didn't hesitate they took me to be tested. As soon as they knew that, I had a gift they began to look for a safe place for me. They found the University except that you had to be six to go there, which meant they had to keep me safe for another three years. Since it takes that long to get into the University, it worked out to their advantage. They made sure I had the best teachers available so I wouldn't lose myself in the voices in my head. Then they began to ask certain people to dinner, people who could help them advance in society.~5~
I sat beside the person I was to listen to. My mother’s instructions were simple, listen to what they think and when they go home, we will talk about what you heard. Over the next few years she used what I heard to make enough to pay for my transport on an FLT in deep sleep going to Aszis. During the process, she was also able to get herself and my dad into positions that are more powerful~6~
She worried about the contract because it meant she couldn't use my talent to advance further when I got back. On the other hand she figured having a fully trained telepath to help her with the Greener World Party work would be a major plus and help her swing more votes towards the things that needed doing to save our world. Oh, it’s time to board the FLT and be strapped in. There are tears in my mother’s eyes and I can hear her worry. “Don’t worry mommy”, I say bravely, “When I come back we will save Barsoom and you will become Supreme Comptroller, I promise” ~7~
