The Knave of SYNE

Foreword

In a time, it could be the future or it could even be now there were two organizations at war with each other. One was called SYNE (Society for New Young Earthians) and the other was simply called The ORDER. The ORDER has been around for a very long time and it is certain that it went by some other name at one time, but that name has been lost in antiquity.

The ORDER is out to dominate the world. Its ranks are made of many Psionics. The members of the organization have the goal of placing talented people from within its organization in all the key positions in the world and thus control everything including the population, the economy, and the future of Terra (our earth), the middle region called Soul. (A world existing between earth and the land of the immortals) and the land of the immortals also called Arcadia.

SYNE exists to oppose The ORDER in all of their goals. SYNE is also comprised of the psionically gifted but their goal is much more benign than that of the ORDER. SYNE wishes only to maintain the status quo amongst the normal and the talented. It is their goal to keep the Talented from being discovered and used to accomplish the goals of those who have no talent and do not have the good of all in mind. SYNE works in the background always to keep things on an even keel. Their goal is to help attain the greater good of the people on the three planes without interfering with the free will and the personal liberties of the inhabitants.

Both organizations have people from all three planes in their membership and both organizations are quite powerful with many resources. This tale dwells upon one young man and the people who surround him. Random Blake O'Rourke knew from the early age of five how to manage his talents. His history with SYNE begins from his birth. His ancestors were among the founding Terran members of SYNE and the lineage has bred true and rarely skipped a generation. As he matured he made friends amongst many people and was joined in his mission by Corwin Wellington Bradley, and Llewellyn Glenshadow.

This is one excerpt from Random's past. There is much more to tell and it will be revealed in later chapters.

Random's Darkest Days

Introduction

It was late July and Rand sat in his favorite easy chair with Kumi on his lap. He was patiently telling her a bedtime story and the little girl was listening with rapt attention. Lev and Shima sat on the sofa on the other side of the room chatting with Corwin and Llewellyn who had stopped in to visit their friends. After a little while Kumi’s eyes closed in slumber and Rand continued to hold the small girl. His lips would occasionally brush across the top of her head and his eyes had an expression that told the other occupants that his thoughts were far away. Lev had the strange sensation that their russet haired landlord, usually the most cheerful and mischievous of the group, was fighting to hold back tears.

He looked at Corwin and wondered if he dared ask. He finally took a deep breath and began, “Cory, why is it that Rand seems to get along so well with young children? It seems the little ones always find their way onto his lap and he always welcomes them.”

Corwin’s clear blue eyes looked at Lev appraisingly and he halted his conversation with Shima. From Lev his eyes wandered to his best friend of the last 12 years. “Rand was a father once.” He was ready to drop the subject with that one cryptic statement. He wasn’t sure he should even have said that much, but maybe tonight it was okay.

The two newest members of the household looked toward Rand with eyes widened in surprise. Rand glanced up from his reverie and smiled softly. He was in the mood to talk tonight.

“It’s okay Cor. I don’t mind telling the story. It’s been five years; I think I can get through it. That is if you really want to know Lev.” Lev nodded his head and Shima straightened his posture in anticipation. Kumi’s eyes slowly opened. When Rand looked down at her, she quickly closed them. She was afraid he would send her to bed if he thought she was still awake. Rand shook his head. He knew she was awake, but he’d let her stay.

Corwin and Llewellyn met each other’s eyes and nodded. It was about time Rand talked about that dark chapter in his history.

Chapter One:Tragedy Strikes

“This is the fifth anniversary of that time. I suppose you could say it began when I was seventeen years old and started college. There was a girl I admired from afar and when I became a sophomore, I actually met her. Her name was Kiralia and she was two years ahead of me in school. I was eighteen by that point in time and I knew she was the one for me. She was beautiful, vivacious, and caring. If there is such a thing as the partner of your dreams and the love of your life, she was mine. She had long dark hair and startlingly blue eyes. As a matter of fact she and Cory could have been twins. Say…maybe that’s why I fell in love with her, because she was beautiful like you Cor…” Corwin’s complexion took on a ruddy glow although it was difficult to determine if it was caused by embarrassment or by agitation.

A smile flickered across Rand’s face and then disappeared. “The two of us were married after her graduation, but we decided to wait to start our family until I graduated. Everything went according to plan; we did wait. My daughter Reenah was born in July, two months after my graduation. She was a laughing adorable angel. She inherited my red hair but she had Kira’s eyes and features. From the time we found out Kira was expecting we would take time each night to tell fairy tales and talk to our little Ree. You may laugh, but I know Ree loved our stories even before she was born. Even when I had to be out of town for training, I would call and Kira would put me on the speaker phone.” Rand paused for a minute and then took a deep breath. Kumi forgot she was supposed to be asleep and reached a small hand up to touch Rand’s cheek. He smiled at the small girl. “Reenah would have been just about your age Kumi. I think you two would have been best friends.”

“We had a fairly normal life aside from my unusual assignments. Our greatest joy was watching Ree grow. One day shortly after Ree turned one we were headed up north to see Cory, Llew, and some of our other friends within the organization. We’d just found out Kira was pregnant again and we wanted to share our good news in person. It was a good excuse to visit with everyone.”

Cory looked surprised. “You never told me…”

“There was no point. I buried that knowledge deeply over the next few days. We were headed north on 95 and Kira heard a telepathic plea for help. I was inclined to ignore it that particular day because people were waiting for us to arrive. Just over the next rise there was a dilapidated white Buick and a body sprawled beside it. Kira insisted the man was still alive and that we should stop to give assistance. I felt this sense of foreboding as I pulled in behind that car. I kept our car running as I scanned the area for unseen dangers. There seemed to be nothing but I was still uneasy. Kira asked me why I was hesitating. It was hot that day; well over 110 degrees and she pointed out that in that kind of heat every second was critical. I left the motor running for the a/c and went to examine the body. I told Kira to stay in the car with Ree and that I would call her if she was needed. Well, Kira listened about as well as Llew does…not at all.”

Llew sent a frown of protest in Rand’s direction but he didn’t see it. The events of that day were playing out in front of his unfocused gaze and it was ‘that day’ again. “She barged ahead of me proclaiming that she was the medic and the best to judge what help was needed. I felt a stab of jubilation from within the doors of the Buick as the trap was sprung and tried to warn her, but it was too late. Why couldn’t she have listened…?” He stared into space as the horror repeated itself in his mind.

Kumi was frightened by the expression on his face. “Uncle Rand…” She spoke uncertainly.

Rand heard her and snapped back to the present. He patted Kumi’s hand reassuringly. “I’m okay little one.” He returned to his story.

His voice was wooden and reflected no emotion. “The man on the ground, our ‘victim’, drew a gun and fired. Kira never had a chance. Before I could react, four other gunmen materialized from the Buick and surrounded me. They had been hiding beyond a shield that I had been unable to penetrate. One of them grabbed Ree out of her car seat and she started crying because she was afraid. The leader told him to shut the kid up and he…he shot her too, just to shut her up. My little Ree, she was only a year old.” Rand lost his composure and the tears flowed. Kumi was no longer frightened. She rose to her knees in his lap and wrapped her arms around his neck. Rand hugged her tightly and struggled to regain his calm. Once his emotions were back under control he spoke tersely.

“The next three days were hell on earth.”

A/N: Currently Rand is the landlord of a large rambling ranch style house. There are several occupants living there and all but Kumi are members of SYNE and the possessors of psionic talents. The house is the front for SYNE's southwestern America HQ.