Persistence of Vision

by Liesel K. Hill

  “Yeah, but she could reach out to any of us for that, man. She’s gravitating toward you.”

  “Yes, but she knows we had a relationship before. As much as I wish I did, I know I don’t hide my feelings well. She knows how I feel about her. And with that, she knows I’ll be loyal to her—that I’ll protect her no matter what.”

  Maggie could almost hear Karl’s frown. “Don’t take this the wrong way, Marcus, but do you really think Maggie’s that shallow?”

  Marcus chuckled. “No. I think that it’s a natural thing to do. You or I would probably do the same thing if we were in her shoes.”

  “You’re selling yourself short, Marcus. Have some faith in Maggie. Have some faith in what we know to be true.”

  “Like what?”

  “Well, there’s cellular memory.”

  “You been talking to Joan again?”

  “I think she’s got a point. Look, man, I’ve never been in love with a woman the way you are with Maggie, but I had one of the best families growing up that a man could ask for. The love I’ve experienced in my life has been a different kind than yours but no less powerful for all that.”

  “What’s your point?”

  “I’d like to think that if when I was a child I lost my memory and then suddenly saw my parents again, that I’d know them. Even if I didn’t consciously recognize them, I believe that something, some part of my soul, would call me to them.

  “Think about it. All of us were there when we left her in that hotel room. Yet you’re the one she remembers. You’re the memory she managed to retain. And that memory of you was so intense that, from what she’s told me, it ruled her life during the time she wasn’t with us. It echoed inside her so loudly that she couldn’t let it go and move on. She was haunted by it. That doesn’t sound random to me. Besides”—he adjusted his position in a chair that was too small for his massive frame—“she fell in love with you once before when she didn’t know you. Why wouldn’t she again?”

  Maggie heard Marcus sigh. “It’s different now. She’s been here before and experienced bad things. Even if she doesn’t remember them, she’s still dealing with the consequences. We all know her when she doesn’t know us. Before, none of us knew each other. It creates a different sort of energy—a different sort of pressure.

  “Give it time, Marcus. Maggie will come back to you. She’s in love with you. I’m sure of it. She will remember it eventually. In many ways, I think she already has.”

  They lapsed into silence, and Maggie wished she hadn’t heard. She tried to control her breathing, sure they’d hear it if she didn’t.

  “I hope you’re right, Karl. I really hope you’re right. It almost killed me to lose Maggie the first time. I can’t go through that again. I just can’t.”

  “Don’t be hard on yourself for hoping for happiness, Marcus. What man doesn’t?”

  The others were beginning to stir, and the two men’s conversation became too muted for Maggie to hear anymore. Maggie yawned and stretched, pretending to wake as the others did.

  The ship travelled only a few feet below the water’s surface so that the natural light was enough to illuminate the ship during the day. When it got dark, the ship descended to a lower depth so they could turn on artificial lights without being seen from the surface. The lights were all glowing now, turning the window walls into mirrors and revealing only blackness around the outside of the ship.

  Doc sat up and swung his legs over the side of the cot he was on. “It’s dark. Karl, have you gone and let us oversleep?”

  “Yes, I have, Doc.”

  Doc padded over to the consol. “Are we inside the Concealment?”

  “Yup.”

  “And what do your preliminary scans show?”

  “Lots of people still up and kickin’. But I’m not as good as you at the whole thermal-energy signature, logistical-layout thing.” He got up and indicated his seat for Doc to sit in. “Have at it, Doc.”

  Maggie looked at Marcus, who was seated in the other seat behind the bridge console. He smiled at her, and she returned it. Joan came to sit on Maggie’s cot and ask how she’d slept. Maggie gave a murmured response. Nat and Clay were awake, but they made no attempt at conversation. Rather they stared at one another, half asleep and bug-eyed.

  Twenty minutes later, when Nat had broken out some food rations for everyone and they were all more awake, Doc shook himself out of his concentration.

  “All right, everyone. I have the information I need. Time to hatch a plan.”

  Chapter 28: Onto the Island

  “The facility is divided into three wings,” Doc explained. He laid some paper on the console and drew a crude sketch. “The center wing is made up of all the community rooms—work stations, mess hall, sick bay, rec rooms, library, etc.—while the outer two wings house individual quarters and living spaces.

  “We’ll be coming up the southeast side of the island. In the northwest corner of the facility, opposite where we are, I’ve found some unique living quarters. There is a large conference room, which has a rectangular table with three chairs on each side.”

  “Six people,” Karl put in.

  “Precisely. Around this conference room are six individual rooms, each with an individual sleeping in it as we speak.”

  “But, Doc,” Maggie said, “how can we be sure these are the Council of Six and not just six others who…control the facility perhaps?”

  “We can’t be absolutely sure at this juncture, but we can be reasonably sure. David said this was where the Council resided. Assuming we still believe he was telling the truth, it would be quite a coincidence if this wasn’t them. These six are clearly individuals, and they have extraordinarily powerful minds. I couldn’t tell much more about them than that, as they have their minds guarded behind thick, powerful shields.

  “All the other people on the island are connected in some way to the collective mind. Some are completely absorbed in it, others only partially so. I’m sure the degree depends on what function they perform here and what the Council needs them for.

  “The point is, if everyone else on the island is part of the collective except these six, then they must be the Council.”

  “It’s so hypocritical,” Maggie murmured. “They try to force the entire world into collectivism, yet remain individuals themselves.”

  “That’s the thing people don’t understand,” Karl said. “Whether collectivism works or not, there will always be one or a few people at the very top making the decisions, holding the power, controlling everything below them. The question is not which is better, collectivism or individualism. The question is, are you willing to submit completely to another human being and let them live your life for you?’”

  Maggie nodded.

  “I’d like us to split into three groups. Maggie, Marcus, and Nat will head into the east wing first. There are two other individual, well-protected minds there.”

  “If the six you detected in the east wing are the Council, then who are these other two?” Maggie asked.

  “I believe one of them may be the Traveler.”

  A loud silence spread among them. This was the reason they were here. Of course they wanted to bring down the Council, as that might bring down the collectives, but their immediate problem was the Traveler. With him the collectives could enslave the world throughout history.

  “Who’s the other one, the second individual in the east wing?” Marcus asked.

  “That I don’t know. It’s probably someone important, someone high up whose role we have not had occasion to discover.”

  “I guess we’ll remedy that tonight,” Karl murmured.

  “Yes,” Doc said. “As they are shielded too, I cannot discover from this distance which one is which. I can only show you what room they are in. You’ll have to get close to them from there.”

  “But,” Maggie said, “how will we know which is which, even when we find them? They’re not likely to volunteer their identities so we’ll know whic
h one to take out.”

  Doc smiled. “First of all,” he said, “you may end up having to take out both, so it may be a moot point. Secondly, that is the reason I’m sending Nat with you and Marcus. Nat has some small ability as a Seeker.”

  Everyone turned raised eyebrows toward Nat, who remained stoic. Even Karl looked impressed.

  “As you know,” Doc went on, “our best Seekers can see across space and time and zero in on a specific neural signature that matches the criteria they are looking for. That’s how we found you, Maggie, in answer to the prophecy. Nat’s talent has nowhere near that scope. He has to be within—what is it, Nat, twenty feet?—in order to be able to sense what talents a person’s neural signature supports. So you’ll have to get close to these two individuals, but once you do Nat will be able to tell who the Traveler is.”

  Maggie took a deep breath. “And then what?”

  Doc turned a sympathetic smile on her. “As you three will be doing this part of the mission, you’ll have to discuss that between you. I suggest you come up with a plan for several different contingencies you may encounter, but the truth is, until you get there there’s no way to tell what to expect. You’ll probably have to improvise a great deal.”

  “That’s one thing no one’s talked about,” Clay piped up.

  “What is?” Doc asked.

  “If Maggie is the Executioner, how do we know that the rest of us are even capable of killing the Council members? She might have to do it.”

  Maggie felt her arms and legs go weak. She understood the importance of the mission, of course. Killing the council members would free thousands of people from enslavement in the collectives. Despite that, she didn’t relish walking into the facility and killing eight people.

  “Let’s not jump to any conclusions,” Doc said. “We don’t know that that’s what Maggie’s role entails. The word Executioner could have several connotations. If killing is involved, perhaps it will only be one key person in the highest levels of the collective’s controllers.”

  “Yeah, but Doc,” Joan said quietly, “isn’t that what the Council is? Who else could there be controlling them?”

  Doc didn’t answer. He looked perplexed.

  Marcus leaned down to speak in Maggie’s ear. He spoke quietly, but Maggie knew the rest of the group could hear him. “I’ll do it, if I possibly can, Maggie. I promise.” Then he spoke more loudly. “I think it will take all three of us working together to accomplish it.”

  Doc pounced on that. “I agree. If this were entirely up to Maggie, the prophecy would only have been about one person, not an entire team. It’s dangerous to enter any mission with any preconceived notions about how it might or might not go. We’ll all do the best we can, believing we will be successful, and we will be. End of story.”

  “End of story?” Karl gave Doc a wide-eyed look. “But you haven’t given the rest of us our assignments yet.”

  Doc looked confused. Joan raised one hand robotically and swatted Karl on the back of the head. He ducked his head, chuckling. “Ow.” He gave it a few mock rubs before grinning at Doc.

  Maggie smiled, grateful for the break in the tension.

  “Karl and I will go into the west wing to deal with the Council, if we can,” Doc continued. “I’m not sure we’ll be able to take all of them out, but even a few is a start and will give us a feel for what we’re up against.”

  “What about Joan and I?” Clay asked.

  Doc took a deep breath. “I feel strongly that you and Joan should remain outside the facility.”

  Both Clay and Joan jumped to their feet, protesting.

  “We can do more than one thing at once, Doc.”

  “You’re going to need us in there!”

  Doc held up his hands for silence. “Please, I know you’re both capable of doing your jobs and multitasking. This is not about talent. It’s about the fact that we are going in blind. Both of you can remain outside and still Protect and Conceal us. I don’t want to belittle anyone’s contribution to the team, but the simple fact is that if something happens to any of the rest of us, the team can go on, escape, and live. If anything happens to one of you, the entire team becomes vulnerable.”

  Both Clay and Joan scowled, but they didn’t argue anymore.

  “Besides, there’s another thing we should discuss. I expected this facility to house around two hundred people. There are only forty or fifty. In terms of detection, that will work in our favor—fewer people we could run into. On the other hand, if the Council only has fifty people protecting them, those fifty must be immensely powerful and skilled. If we’re discovered, the chances of our escaping will be slim to none.”

  He paused to let that sink in.

  “That said, I think it’s important to leave one or two of us on the outside in case the rest of us are captured. So you see, you two will be playing a duel role. I want your respective talents to be your only job for the mission. If we get captured, that will change, but I’m hoping it won’t come to that.”

  Joan and then Clay nodded reluctantly.

  “All right.” Doc indicated the crude blueprint he’d been drawing. “Familiarize yourselves with the layout of the facility. I’ll lead us in across the island. Come up with generalized plans in your groups. Then eat. We’ll leave in an hour.”

  ***

  It was midnight before the team made it onto the island. They left the ship five hundred yards out hidden in the black ocean, and swam ashore. They couldn’t make noise, so they had to do their swim strokes beneath the surface, gliding slowly and noiselessly through the water.

  The island was somewhat tropical, and though it wasn’t particularly hot, the humidity was oppressive. The brush was jungle-like, and Maggie hoped there weren’t snakes. That was one thing that might make her scream before she could catch herself.

  A cinderblock wall surrounded the entire facility. Two guards paced around the outside of it in circles. The team’s minds were concealed, so the guards would be unable to sense them, but they still had to get inside the wall without being seen. That meant they’d have to wait until the two guards were as far from the entrance as possible before they used it.

  “I’ll be able to sense when they reach the opposite side of the compound,” Doc had explained. “Then we’ll move. We’ll have to be sure that nothing is disturbed. They can’t sense us, but if they sense that something is out of place—the door not shut all the way, more dirt moved than an animal could have done—then they’ll be onto us.”

  They reached a small side entrance that was used very little. It consisted of a cinderblock door carved out of the wall, which swung outward on rusty hinges. Doc motioned for them all to duck down behind the shrubs that faced the door from ten feet away. A few seconds later, a man marched by. He was alone, but the two patrolling guards marched in opposite directions, which gave them much smaller windows of opportunity.

  Once he was gone, Doc got up and motioned for the others to follow him. Marcus and Clay each put a hand over one of the doors hinges. Maggie couldn’t be sure, but she thought they were inserting air between the parts to make sure the hinges didn’t creak or groan when moved.

  Doc swung the door outward, and it moved in utter silence.

  Karl was the first one in. He had a conduit stone wrapped around one hand and a small wooden stick in the other. He could use them as either physical or neurological weapons. He jumped inside, ready to surprise anyone waiting for him. Apparently seeing no one, he did a quick three-sixty then motioned the rest of them in. The door shut silently.

  As soon as it was done and the men stepped away, Doc threw his hands up in alarm. Everyone looked at him. He put a finger to his lips, and everyone became perfectly still, rooted to the ground where they stood. The wall was made of cinderblock but was not tall. From the other side they could hear footsteps crunching toward them—the other guard.

  The footsteps bypassed the cinderblock door and went another six feet. Then they stopped. Maggie was six feet to
the left of the door. The guard was level with her. If not for the cinderblocks, she’d be face to face with him. The guard turned around and went back to the door. He seemed to be inspecting it. He jiggled and prodded around for several minutes. Then there was almost two minutes of complete, deafening silence.

  He was listening.

  Finally, the footsteps crunched slowly away. When they could no longer be heard, everyone let out their breath.

  Doc made a placating motion with his arms.

  They went on. The courtyard looked like a civilized place from Maggie’s time. The grounds were landscaped and well kept. There were plants, strategically placed rocks and boulders, little stone pathways, and even fountains. If the place weren’t so foreboding, it would have been beautiful.

  Doc led them through the grounds, stopping only twice when night guards walked by. The team hid behind rocks or shrubs until the guards passed. Maggie knew these guards were probably doing all kinds of scans with their minds, but because Clay was Concealing the team, the scans would pass right over them.

  They came to a large garden of shrubs situated against the main building. Doc pointed to a small, round cove created by the intersections of several plants. He motioned Clay and Joan into it, indicating that this is where they would be stationed. Joan gave Doc a thumbs up, and Clay gave an a-okay sign. Then they both disappeared into the brush.

  Doc led the rest of them around the side of the building to a small, mostly concealed door. Once there, he waited for what must have been five full minutes. Maggie decided that he must be waiting for people inside to pass before he opened the door. Either that or he’d fallen asleep.

  Finally he pulled the door open and motioned everyone in.

  The first noticeable thing about the interior was air-conditioning, or whatever it was called in this century. The humidity of the outdoors disappeared completely upon coming inside. The corridor they were in was carpeted with the thin, tough, industrial carpet for high-traffic areas.