Persistence of Vision

  Chapter 10: Creature Comforts

  Interchron was a maze Maggie wasn’t sure she’d ever figure out. The entrance she’d used the previous night was not a main one. It was at the top of the mountain and, as it led to the corridor near the command center, was used mostly by the team.

  Maggie was surprised to find a thriving community hidden within the mountain. Nearly a hundred people lived in the mountain’s shelter, most of them down low in the depths. These were people who believed in individuality and didn’t want to be forced into collectives. Though they weren’t mentioned in the prophecy, each in their own way contributed to the goal of bringing individual freedom back.

  Interchron was a series of hollowed-out caves. The farther down she went, the more places there were to explore. Unlike what she would have expected, there was no dampness in the caves. They were completely dry and filled with soft, beach-like sand. There was evidence of electricity and plumbing throughout, though she couldn’t always see it. The only difference between this community and the ones Maggie was used to—other than the occasional technological tweak that made Maggie feel as if she were on the movie set of a sci-fi—was the lack of natural light. This place felt just as advanced as anything Maggie was used to.

  Joan took her through the corridors without ceremony. She met many people, most of whom recognized her.

  One looked a lot like Joan.

  “Maggie, this is my daughter, Lila.”

  Maggie smiled. Lila couldn’t have been more than twenty-one, but she was a spitting image of her mother. “We met the other night. Nice to see you again, Lila.”

  “If you need anything, don’t hesitate to ask.” With a little flit of a wave, she disappeared around a gigantic stalactite.

  “How old are you, Joan? You don’t look old enough to have a daughter Lila’s age.”

  Joan smiled. “Thank you, but I assure you I am. I’m forty-three. Come, I want to show you something.”

  They wound through the maze of corridors, passing more people with whom Maggie had similar conversations. They recognized her and tried to speak to her in a familiar way, but Joan stopped them, and they would offer to help Maggie in any way they could. They were some of the kindest people she’d ever met.

  They walked for twenty minutes before the number of people in the corridors thinned out. Then they went several minutes without meeting anyone. They came to a long, dark passageway. Unlike other places they’d been, there were no lights in it.

  Joan located a box built into the wall from which she pulled what Maggie guessed was this century’s equivalent of a flashlight. Joan cupped it in her hands, and soon it radiated a warm, yellow glow. She held it out above her like a lantern and started down the passageway.

  “No lights in here?” Maggie asked, following.

  “No. We could put them in, but no one ever comes down here. It’s cold and far away from the others.”

  “Then why are we here?”

  “Because you used to come here. It’s one of your favorite spots.”

  The passageway opened into a large cavern. As soon as Maggie entered, a cool wind hit her full in the face. It was cold enough to send chills down her spine, but she liked the freshness. None of Interchron felt close or stuffy, but this was more open, more free.

  “I see why,” Maggie said, and Joan laughed.

  The ground stretched out for fifteen feet before dropping off sharply. Maggie went to the edge and knelt, peering out into the darkness.

  “What’s down there?”

  “We don’t know. Because of the lack of light, no one’s ever been down there. I think it’s a canyon of some kind.”

  “So a river used to run through here?”

  “Listen. What do you hear?”

  Maggie listened. There were no people nearby, so when one of them wasn’t talking, there was absolute silence. Then she became conscious of a muted whooshing sound. It was soft, as though coming from deep within the mountain.

  “You mean that wind sound?”

  “Not wind. It’s a river. Our scanners show that it’s not down below in this canyon. It’s behind the rock wall. That means that there are other hollowed-out caverns in this mountain.”

  “Meaning what?”

  Joan shrugged. “Nothing, just an interesting fact. There may be ways to get to them, which means there may be room to expand in the future.”

  “Are we out of space?”

  “Not at all. We’ll need a lot more people for that. I just wanted to bring you here. I thought it might give you some comfort.”

  “I’m glad you did. It’s peaceful.”

  Joan chuckled. “Most people would go with creepy, but you always did like it.”

  “Joan, can I ask you something?”

  “Of course. You and I were good friends before. We talked about everything. I hope we can be that way again.”

  “I’d like that,” Maggie said. “You’ll just have to be patient with me until I feel more comfortable.”

  “No one expects you to open up right away, Maggie. What do you want to ask?”

  “About Marcus.”

  Joan smiled. “I wondered how long it would take you to bring him up.”

  Maggie was glad for the relative darkness. She could feel warmth in her cheeks. “What exactly was my relationship with him?”

  “The two of you were romantically involved.”

  Maggie supposed she had known that. “Yes, but…how did I feel about him?”

  Joan put her lantern on a rock and sat next to it. “I’ve known Marcus for a lot longer than I’ve known you, Maggie—since he was a teenager. He was completely in love with you. I’ve never seen him act toward anyone the way he did toward you.”

  “And what about me?”

  “I think you loved him too.”

  Maggie sighed.

  “You’re not happy about that?”

  Maggie shrugged. “I don’t know. I’m not sure how to act around him. Everyone here looks at me like they remember me, but he looks at me like he really knows me. Did he and I…”

  “Were you physical?”

  Maggie nodded.

  “Yes.”

  “Oh dear.”

  “Is that so surprising? You were here for a year.”

  “I just hate the idea that he knows all these really personal things about me and I can’t even remember him.”

  Joan was silent for a time. “I can’t imagine what you’re going through, Maggie. I’ve never lost memories that way. Do you know what cellular memory is?”

  Maggie nodded. “It’s a theory that says cells, even though they don’t have brains, can remember certain things. Right?”

  “Sort of, but you’re thinking of it backward. It says memories are stored in cells, not just the brain. It was of interest in your time because organ transplant recipients sometimes developed the habits of their donors. It’s a subject I’m very interested in, but it’s not a priority, so it doesn’t have much claim on my time.

  “I believe that, to a certain extent at least, memories are stored in the body. I’m not sure of the details, but I believe they’re there. Even if you can’t remember Marcus with your mind, perhaps you’ll start to remember him in some other way.”

  Maggie sighed. “I wish I could remember. I wish there were some way. Not to question Doc, but are we certain there isn’t?”

  “I’m no physician, but both Doc and Marcus said your memories were gone. There was nothing there to work with. Even if they could make something out of nothing, they couldn’t make memories for you. Each individual must do that for themselves.”

  Maggie nodded. “That’s what Doc said. I just wish…”

  Joan stood and took Maggie’s hand. “Me too, Maggie. Me too.”