Karl let out a low whistle. “No. It’s dynamite in the sun, waiting to explode. You said they use neurochemical energy to contain it?”
Tenessa nodded. “The shield containing the matter/anti-matter explosions is made up of Constructive energy, not unlike the shields your Protector,” she glanced at Joan, “uses to protect you.”
Maggie didn’t think anyone would have told Tenessa who held which role on the team, yet somehow the woman worked out that Joan was the Protector. Something told Maggie Tenessa knew exactly who each of them were and had identified their roles in the Prophecy.
“But what does this orb actually do?” Joan asked.
Again, Tenessa hesitated.
“You said,” Doc spoke up, “neurochemical energy doesn’t power it. What does?”
When Tenessa spoke again, her voice came out quiet. “It feeds off dark matter.”
Maggie studied her hands. She didn’t like this. Karl had already related most of his prior conversation with Tenessa. David, it seemed, had been correct about Maggie being able to manipulate dark matter.
The future her, the one with the white streak in her hair, had obviously known how to use the orb. A tool involving both dark matter and matter/antimatter ‘interactions,’ as Tenessa labeled them. Code for tiny cosmic explosions. The thought of trying to manipulate such things, much less use them as a weapon, made Maggie mildly nauseous.
“So,” Doc said after a short silence. “You will be willing to take us to where the orb is being kept, Tenessa? With the understanding that we will leave you there for the Union to reabsorb?”
Tenessa face lit with triumph. “We will.”
Karl looked unhappy, but Doc nodded.
“Very well. That is what we will do.”
Tenessa’s smile faded. “The Separatists cannot stop it. Can they not simply accept what cannot be changed?”
Doc gave her a sad smile. “We are individuals. Perhaps we cannot stop this, but we will fight it. To the edge of oblivion, if we must.”
Tenessa raised an eyebrow. “Oblivion?”
Doc nodded. “That is where the collectives will send the individual aspects of our souls, is it not?”
Tenessa frowned again. “And the Separatists will fight it all the way?”
“We will.”
“Ridiculous,” Tenessa muttered.
“Beautiful,” Karl snapped.
Tenessa turned to him in surprise, which then faded to mild bemusement. “The Separatist finds beauty in…strange places.”
“At least we still find it,” Karl answered. “The collectives have given up looking at all.”
“Tenessa,” Doc interrupted, “the orb. Where is it presently?”
Tenessa’s face became still. Maggie could tell the no-we-can’t-stop-it-but-just-want-to-know-anyway card wasn’t working for Tenessa anymore. She understood they were formulating a plan and didn’t like it. She would clam up on them soon. “At the present moment, it’s being kept under guard at a particular set of coordinates. We can give them to you.”
They all exchanged looks, and Tenessa saw it.
“It will be heavily guarded,” she repeated.
“Guarded by what?” Karl asked.
She glared at him. “Recruiters. The men you call Trepids and Arachnimen, along with neurological shields and invisible alarms, which will alert the Council and the Cimerian himself if unwelcome presences venture close to it.”
“Very well,” Doc said, taking a deep breath. “Then we shall have you take us there, Tenessa. Thank you.” His tone was dismissive.
When Tenessa didn’t move, Karl took her arm gently and guided her toward the door. Maggie knew her guards waited outside and would escort her back to her rooms.
As soon as Tenessa left the room, Karl took a seat on the rug between Doc and Joan.
Doc turned to the rest of them. “What does everyone think?”
“Do we truly intend to leave her for the collectives?” Joan asked.
“Of course not,” Karl snapped. “But she has to believe we will.”
Joan shook her head. “She’s so smug, Karl. Like she has something up her sleeve. I don’t trust this. It feels like a trap.”
“I don’t trust it either, Joan,” Doc said. “Unfortunately, we don’t have much choice. We’ve confirmed a lot of the information she’s revealed through the eclipse and what is happening in the heavens. Whether she plans to double-cross us or not, the merging and assimilation is happening, and we must find a way to stop it. Karl,” he looked up at the taller man. “Make sure she understands our letting her go back is contingent on us obtaining the orb. If we fail—heaven forbid—she stays with us until…we get it.”
Maggie felt sure he’d been about to say, ‘until after the eclipse,’ but caught himself at the last moment.
Karl nodded. “I’ll make sure she understands.” He sighed. “But Doc, I think there’s something we’re overlooking. Tenessa keeps saying if we get the advantage, the collectives will activate this sleeper cell. This Dark Matter. We’re all assuming it applies to us trying to stop the assimilation during the eclipse. What if they do it earlier? Even if we get the orb, won’t they see that as an advantage too? They could activate the sleeper cell if we bring the orb here. If she’s telling the truth, and we have to assume she is, then this person is living among us. The traitor could simply find the orb and bring it back to them, exposing Interchron’s location as well.”
Doc sat back in his seat, brows furrowed. “Very well,” he said. “Then we need to plan for such a contingency. If we get the orb—”
“When,” Joan broke in firmly.
Doc nodded. “Quite right, Joan. Quite right. When we get the orb, perhaps we shouldn’t bring it back to Interchron at all. Perhaps we should take it elsewhere and guard it.” He steepled his fingers. “I have a few places in mind.”
“And who will do the guarding if you don’t know who the Dark Matter is?” Marcus asked.
“I can say confidently,” Doc answered, “that no one in this room is the sleeper cell. We’ll use the members of the team we know haven’t been compromised to guard the orb.”
“I think,” Joan said, obvious reluctance in her voice. “Tenessa implied it could be one of us, and we really wouldn’t know it. How can we be sure that isn’t the case?”
“I highly doubt it,” Doc said gently. “We keep too close an eye on our own abilities and brain chemistries.”
“You mean you do, Doc,” Karl said, smiling.
“Yes,” Doc nodded. “If something of this magnitude was hiding in one of our brain chemistries, I’d know it. Even with Colin, who had the ability to Deceive, I felt something he was hiding in his brain. I simply didn’t know what it was. Besides, this is the type of thing the collectives would have implemented by finding someone to plant. If they’d ever had their hands on one of us long enough to do something like this, they would have simply killed us anyway. To keep the prophecy from being fulfilled.”
“So who then?” Maggie asked.
“It could be David,” Marcus said quietly.
“Marcus,” Maggie said warningly. She wished he didn’t always have to assume the worst about David.
Marcus gave her a long-suffering look. “I still don’t think him showing up here right before all this began is a coincidence.”
Maggie didn’t have an answer to that. She didn’t agree, but also couldn’t prove it either way.
“While I agree the two are related, Marcus,” Doc said calmly, “I’m inclined to agree with Maggie here. David being the Dark Matter is, in my opinion, unlikely.”
“Why?” Marcus asked, frowning. “If the collective sent him as a spy….” He swallowed. “It’s not like they could have known we’d find Tenessa or that she’d give us this information.”
“True, but David’s mind isn’t highly developed enough. He’s emerged from the collective too recently.”
That silenced Marcus.
“He’s learning by leaps and bound
s,” Doc continued. “But to hide something like this, a pocket of mind control, a link to completely take over someone’s free will, the brain it’s hiding in would have to be sophisticated. That of an intelligent individual. I simply don’t think David’s brain is capable. Not yet.”
“Besides,” Joan said. “If we’re accusing the last person to come to Interchron, that would be Tristan. Or perhaps Tenessa.”
The idea made Maggie feel better. She supposed it being Tenessa was too much to hope for, given how she’d come to Interchron and that she was now volunteering the information. Maggie viciously hoped Tristan turned out to be the Dark Matter.
Doc nodded. “Now you understand why I asked only the four of you here. Anyone who’s been away from Interchron for an extended amount of time is a candidate. That includes Nat,” he nodded to Joan, “Tristan,” he glanced at Marcus, “David,” he looked at Maggie, “and Jonah.”
Maggie’s heart lurched.
“Lila hasn’t spent any time away from Interchron,” Joan said, sounding angry.
Maggie registered mild confusion. What did Lila have to do with anything? Marcus and Karl glanced at Joan in confusion as well.
Joan glanced at them and cleared her throat. “I know she’s not a member of the team, but you purposely excluded her from this meeting.”
Maggie saw Marcus glance between Doc and Joan. He licked his lips. “Joan,” he said quietly. “B has invaded Lila’s mind twice in the past few months. In many ways, she’s the most likely candidate.”
Joan’s eyes flew wide with horror. No one spoke. Maggie sensed they all wanted to give Joan time to digest what Marcus had said. After several seconds, she dropped her eyes, though they were no less wide. She gave a single bob of her head.
“I know this is difficult,” Doc said softly. “And please understand, I truly don’t think it’s Lila or Jonah anymore than David. I’ve scanned both their brains recently—Lila because her mind was invaded and Jonah because we’re trying to help him get past his jam—and I haven’t noticed any anomalies.”
“That leaves Tristan,” Joan said.
Maggie heard the hope in Joan’s voice and understood completely.
“Yes,” Doc nodded, looked weary. “But it could also be nearly anyone else living at Interchron. Tenessa said this sleeper cell was put in place some time ago. This could be an inhabitant of Interchron that’s been living here for years.”
“But wouldn’t we know it, Doc?” Joan asked.
Doc hesitated. “Not necessarily. I agree that Tristan is the most likely candidate. But fully assuming it’s him could be dangerous. I’ve scanned the brains of everyone at Interchron, except the newcomers we’ve already mentioned, but I don’t do it with any regularity. Some I haven’t examined for years. The point is, if Tenessa is telling the truth about this sleeper cell, and we must assume she is, then they’ve planted this cell without our knowledge. It doesn’t truly matter when or how. Only that they did.”
“So how do we counter it?” Karl asked.
Doc sighed again, looking tired. “I doubt we’ll find the sleeper cell before the eclipse. I wish we had more time. If I could scan the brains of every person living in Interchron for abnormalities, I’m confident I’d find who this Dark Matter is. Always so little time. For now, I’ll draw up plans for somewhere one of us can take the orb to keep it safe if this Dark Matter is activated. Karl, as Traveler, you will be instrumental in hiding it.”
Karl nodded.
“But I want all of us,” he included Maggie, Marcus, and Joan in his gaze, “to share equal responsibility for it. If, heaven forbid, I’m wrong and the Dark Matter is one of us, well, it can only be one of us. The others will have to run interference and keep it safe.”
They all nodded. Maggie’s stomach didn’t feel so good again. All this stress was going to give her an ulcer.
“Meanwhile,” Doc said. “The four of us need to draw up a plan to capture this orb before the eclipse. Doing so will automatically stop the assimilation and keep us safe.”
Maggie nodded. “I suppose I should be the one to actually go in and get the thing, since apparently my abilities—”
“No, Maggie,” Doc interrupted, his voice firm.
Maggie raised an eyebrow at him.
Doc gave her an apologetic look. He opened his mouth, but hesitated. “I’m not sure I can entirely articulate this yet. I don’t understand the science behind it, but I think we should be very careful about interactions between you and this orb.
Maggie stared at him. “Why?”
“Specifically because of your powers. I worry that you could accidentally—I don’t know…activate?—the orb. I’d like to retrieve it myself. If I don’t have the power to use it, then it can’t affect me or me it. But that may not be the case with you. Does that make sense?”
Maggie wouldn’t have thought of it that way, and she wasn’t sure she complete agreed, but it did make a certain amount of sense. And she trusted Doc’s judgment more than just about anyone’s. So she shrugged. “Okay.”
“Doc,” Karl said, and all eyes turned to him. “I know we can’t trust them completely, but chances are we’re going to need the help of others to pull this off. David, Lila, Jonah. Even Tristan.”
Doc nodded, looking grim. “Yes, I know Karl. I know.”
Chapter 18: To Fear Insignificance
The energy felt like a raincloud above Jonah's head, but in a good way. Like a bundle of nerves curled and waiting to spring, hovering above him, around him, and at his fingertips. He could use the energy for anything he wanted. Except he didn't know how. It reminded him of the excitement of being a kid at Christmastime.
"Good Jonah," Lila said. "Now hold it there, and I'll take control of it." As soon as she finished speaking, the energy siphoned toward her. She didn’t take it away from Jonah. He still felt it. He also felt Lila using it, shaping and directing it in ways he almost saw. He found it fascinating.
Lila had shown him how to manipulate constructive energy and use it as a shield. He wasn’t very good, but got better with each practice session.
He and Lila had also experimented with their brains’ shared energy. Apparently, each time Lila reached out with a particular, probing sort of energy, the energy of Jonah’s brain latched onto it, and their two energies would automatically work in tandem, making them both stronger.
Jonah couldn’t feel or understand it yet. It certainly wasn’t something he did consciously. Yet, the last time they’d tried it, he thought he’d felt something. A twinge, like a subtle surge of energy. He’d need to practice with it more to identify and get used to the feel of it, but he felt sure that twinge was the energy of Lila’s brain melding with his.
Lila allowed the energy around her to dissipate. Jonah did the same.
"See?” she said. “Easy stuff."
Jonah smiled, wondering if his doubt showed through.
"What is it, Jonah?" Lila asked. "Are you nervous about this mission?"
Jonah hesitated a moment before answering. "Yes, I suppose so. Probably not in the way you think. Not about failure. I’m more worried about people being hurt."
"You mean Maggie." It wasn't a question.
"Yeah, mostly Maggie. And you. Uh, and the rest of the team,” he added quickly. "I’m afraid I’m going to screw up. I’ve never done anything like this before. It’s like going into battle with no training and no idea what I'm doing."
"First of all,” Lila said firmly, "you're not going into battle. You’re not going to be on the front lines. You’ll be away from the action, with me. Secondly, we’re going to be Concealing everyone together, and I’ll be directing the energy, so it’s impossible for you to mess it up.”
It was the assignment Doc had given them, but Jonah had no idea how to “conceal” anything. Though Maggie and Lila had both explained what it meant to him multiple times—hiding the team’s brains from the collective, who might sense and attack specifically their brains with spear-like energy—Jonah still ha
d a hard time wrapping his head around it. But apparently that didn’t matter. He would be there solely to lend his mind’s energy to Lila.
“And thirdly," she paused and slid her eyes to one side. "You…kind of are going into battle without knowing what you're doing."
His surprise must have shown on his face because she chuckled.
"We all are, Jonah. It's how the world is right now. The team has gone into things without really having a grasp on them more than once. It's not particularly smart or fun, but we don't have much choice if you want to preserve our freedom. So, we go in blind. Do the best we can. That said, you don’t have to worry."
"Then why is Doc coming to do this test?"
“Because it will guard against negative contingencies," Doc himself said from the doorway.
"I still don't see why we’re taking Lila if it's going to put her in danger," Jonah said.
Lila gave him a dark look.
Jonah ignored it. He understood her anger. If his argument got her left behind, she’d never forgive him. After what happened before, the idea of taking her somewhere this monster, B, could get at her mind again, terrified Jonah.
"She won’t be in danger, Jonah," Doc said calmly.
“Of course I will be,” Lila snapped, more at Jonah than Doc. “We all will. That’s not the point. It won’t matter if B invades my mind again if he assimilates us all in a three days anyway.”
Doc raised his hands placatingly. “You’re right, Lila. Besides, we’re taking precautions.” He looked at Jonah. “Lila, like everyone else, will be Concealed during this mission. Bartholomew won’t be able to find her even if he’s looking. Like you, she’ll be far away from the front lines, helping with that Concealment."
"Exactly,” Lila muttered. “Now can you let this go, and focus on the matter at hand, please?"
Jonah grunted noncommittally. He still felt a little hazy on the concept of Concealment. He understood, he thought, that it meant everyone’s neurochemical signatures would be hidden. The collectives wouldn’t be able to sense their brains. But it didn’t make them invisible. Arachnimen could still punch them in the face. He didn’t understand why the idea of Concealment made everyone feel so calm. But Jonah had made his argument to nearly every member of the team now, and gotten nowhere.
Dark Matter (Interchron Book 3) Page 24