Persistence of Vision

  Chapter 29: The Problem with a Neurological Sedative

  Marcus led the way through the silent corridors. He held tight to Maggie’s hand, which was just fine with her.

  Maggie’s heart pounded in her ears, and she had trouble controlling her breathing. More than once Marcus and Nat would hurry into a shadowy corner or dark, intersecting passageway and stand silently for a time. She never saw what they were hiding from, but she knew they were sensing things she could not, so she did what they told her—or rather motioned for her—to do.

  Marcus paused in front of a pair of double doors. He turned and raised an eyebrow at Nat. Nat nodded, held up two fingers, pointed at the doors, and nodded again. The two individuals they were looking for, including the Traveler, were behind those doors. Maggie’s heart pounded harder.

  Marcus gave her hand a reassuring squeeze then guided her back behind him and let go. He and Nat went to the doors. Eyes on each other so they were moving at the same time, they swung the doors silently inward. For two or three seconds, Maggie was left alone in the corridor before she followed them in, but it was enough to make her heart lurch with a terrifying loneliness.

  Something flashed before her eyes. Memory was stirring.

  She was in a well-lit corridor, crouched against the wall, trembling. She was disoriented.

  She knew this place, but it seemed so long since she’d been here.

  The ground hummed beneath her feet.

  The ship. Yes, she was on the ship.

  She looked down. Her hands were covered with blood. Blood on her hands. She knew what she had to do. She also knew it would hurt everyone she’d come to love, but she had no choice.

  They were looking for her, looking for what she had buried down deep in the cortex of her brain. She didn’t have the ability to keep them from it, not yet. She didn’t know that she ever would, but for now she had to get rid of it, or this war would be lost.

  Her eyes wandered down the corridor. Marcus and the rest of the team were here somewhere. She wished she could see them—especially him—again before she did this. She wished she could explain, but she couldn’t risk it. She didn’t have time. Her vision blurring with tears, she got shakily to her feet.

  She had to find a way off this ship.

  Maggie shook her head, trying to clear it. Another time she would welcome a memory, would try to stay in it as long as possible. But there were more important things going on right now.

  The entire thing had taken only a few seconds. Marcus and Nat had passed through the doors, leaving them open, and taken a few steps beyond. Maggie hastened to follow.

  Marcus half turned, though his gaze stayed ahead of him, and held out his hand. She hurried forward and took it. Nat was on her left, and the three of them moved forward as one.

  The room was large and bare, easily the size of one of the cargo bays at Interchron. It had a high ceiling and was cavernous. There was no furniture, but on the far side three circular indentations, equal in size, were carved into the floor. Maggie wondered what they were for.

  The room was empty. Maggie glanced at Nat. He looked confused. He’d motioned that he was sensing two people inside this room. So where were they?

  Nat moved off to the left, eyes scanning the walls and crannies of the room. Marcus was doing the same thing on the right. Maggie wanted to help, but she had no idea how.

  Something pinched the back of her neck, like a needle going in. She hunched her shoulders, leaning her head forward to get away from it, but the instant she felt it, her voice left her. She wanted to scream at Marcus for help but couldn’t.

  The ground hit her knees, and a raspy voice puffed air against her ear.

  “Hello, Maggie. Nice to see you again.”

  Darkness filled her vision.