“Kristee, we have to go,” Maggie yelled as Justine coiled the energy like a rubber band. “Now!”
“I’m so weak,” Kristee murmured.
Maggie knew the feeling. Every time Justine sucked energy toward herself, Maggie felt more lightheaded, as though Justine siphoned the energy directly from her. That didn’t make sense, but now Maggie thought on it, the same happened at the cabin.
Maggie put the palms of her hands on Kristee’s arm. David might be able to take away pain, but Maggie had seen Marcus bestow energy countless times. He would simply will energy to go into a person. It wasn’t exactly Healing if the person wasn’t hurt, but it gave them strength. Maggie had never done it before, and her lightheadedness made it harder, but she tried anyway, willing Kristee to have the strength to get them somewhere safe.
Kristee shut her eyes. The blue and white claws took shape around Maggie as Justine released the energy. It bounded toward them faster than she would have thought possible, and Maggie knew they wouldn’t be able to get out of the way in time.
Justine was after her, not the rest of them. Maggie wished there were some way to absorb the attack herself and keep the others from pain.
The instant the world lurched, Justine’s gyre hit them.
Pain exploded against the back of Maggie’s body, and bile rose in her throat as the now-familiar sensations of Traveling enveloped her. Something bit into the skin over her right shoulder blade and she cried out in pain.
Her feet thumped against grass as they landed, and her knees buckled, depositing her on the ground. Her entire backside, from shoulders to ankles, felt on fire. Everyone else kept their feet except Kristee. When she fell, David caught her, lowering her gently to the ground. Lila leaned over her.
“Damnit,” Lila hissed. “She’s out again. If this keeps up much longer it’s gonna kill her.”
David nodded.
Maggie watched them, but only because she happened to be looking at them. She didn’t want to turn her head. She didn’t want to move at all. It hurt to breathe.
Jonah stepped into her line of vision and went to one knee, taking her face in his hands. “Maggie, what is it? What’s wrong? Why did you scream?”
She reached weakly toward her right shoulder with her left hand. Simply resting her fingers against her skin hurt.
Jonah’s eyes followed her fingers. Staying at her level, he eased up onto his toes and moved around to her side so he could see her back. He sucked in his breath. “David, come over here, please.”
At his tone, David and Lila exchanged glances before abandoning Kristee where she lay and coming toward Maggie. David moved around behind her so she couldn’t see him. She could see Lila in her periphery. One look at Maggie’s back and she gasped, hand flying to her mouth.
“What?” Maggie gasped, her fear surpassing her pain for the first time. “What is it?”
“You’ve been burnt,” David said quietly at her shoulder.
“Why were none of us burned?” Jonah asked, anger in his voice.
“Well,” Lila ventured, sounding bewildered, “her back was fully to Justine. And Justine is focused on Maggie, not the rest of us. Maybe she just took the brunt of it.”
“She took all of it,” Jonah snapped. “I’m not even singed. Are you?”
Lila shook her head.
“It must have something to do with the shield,” David said from behind her. “She shielded us, Protected us, any way she could...”
The way he trailed off made Maggie uneasy. Jonah didn’t know enough about neurochemical abilities to understand, but David was probably thinking that Maggie didn’t actually have the Protector ability, as Joan did. Yet, Joan’s ability wasn’t the same as what Maggie had done. Joan constructed and maintained shields to protect them physically as well as mentally, to guard against neurochemical attack. David implied Maggie had focused the destructive energy toward herself. In truth, based on what her last thoughts were before they Traveled, it made sense to explain it that way. It wasn’t truly an ability, though, was it?
“What do you mean?” Jonah demanded.
“What’s wrong with my shoulder blade?” Maggie croaked, hoping to change the subject. “Did she stab me with something?”
A brief silence was broken by Jonah. “Yeah, what is that?”
The breath on her neck must have been David’s because neither Lila nor Jonah stood in the right position. After a few seconds of silent inspection, David cursed.
He moved right up against Maggie and put his arm around her. It came up under her left arm, across her chest and gripped her right shoulder. Maggie gasped in pain. It felt like every nerve in her body was exposed to the air. Every movement, every fiber of skin David touched rang with pain.
“I’m sorry, Maggie,” he said into her ear, “but try to hold still. This is going to hurt.”
David gripped the thing between his fingers. She felt the pressure of his grasp far down in her shoulder. Whatever it was had gone deep.
“Then why are you—” Jonah began, but Maggie didn’t hear the rest. David yanked on whatever had buried itself in her flesh. The force jerked her head back and she screamed.
David cursed again near her ear. “Okay,” he said, “I have to do it again. It didn’t come out.”
“No,” Maggie whispered, “please.” She threw a hand out to stop him, but it did nothing more than tremble feebly at her waist. Jonah took it with both of his.
“Wait,” Lila said, jogging a few feet away from them.
“We can’t wait,” David said.
Lila returned seconds later with a short, fat stick. She fell into a crouch in front of Maggie. “Bite on this so you don’t bite your tongue.”
Maggie complied.
David yanked again, and harder this time. Maggie bellowed around the stick, wishing for unconsciousness. After eternal seconds, she felt it. With all the gentleness of hooked scalpel, something slid, sharp and serpentine, out of her shoulder.
The pain receded slowly, ever so slowly. By the time it ebbed to a dull ache, Maggie felt so weak, the stick fell out from between her throbbing teeth on its own. Her limbs trembled and bile bubbled in the back of her throat.
Yet, she also felt better. The burn on her back was less acute. Her nerves no longer felt as raw. Some pain lingered, but it didn’t hurt to move or breathe. Maggie twisted gingerly at the waist to see what instrument of torture David had pulled out of her. Her eyes fell on the strangest, most terrifying thing she’d ever laid eyes on.
It looked like a deranged, robotic spider. The abdomen was a square, metal box, no bigger than a thimble. Sprouting from it were eight long, skinny tentacles. Despite their metallic appearance, they were docile, undulating in a hypnotic, serpentine fashion. The tips were like tiny, razor-sharp daggers and they dripped with blood.
“What is that?” Maggie asked, fighting down vomit.
“It’s an Arachnoid,” David said. “I’ve seen them used before. They attach to a subject and burrow into your body’s systems. They read your blood type, your level of health, your neurochemical abilities. Everything. I think some can drill. If I hadn’t removed it, it may have tried to assimilate you.”
Maggie wished she had something intelligent to say. She couldn’t think of a single thing. Instead she gaped at David while the thing in his fingers writhed.
“Are you sure?” Lila asked.
“No,” David shook his head. He put the Arachnoid down on the ground, held it there with one finger. “Different models have different abilities. One thing is for certain, though. They’re trackers.” He picked up a donut sized rock and smashed the Arachnoid. It took a dozen strikes before the thing stopped moving.
“Trackers?” Jonah asked.
“Yes. They help whoever controls them to pinpoint the subject anywhere on the planet.”
“Similar to what Colin did to Maggie when he drank her blood?” Lila asked.
“Yes, but Colin has that ability on his own. Most people have to use th
ese. I’ve never seen one quite like this, but Justine is a Traveler, so...”
“She’s tracking me through time,” Maggie finished as it all became clear to her.
“Wait,” Jonah scratched his head. “I don’t get it. Why?”
David turned a significant look on Maggie. She sighed, then wiggled around until she could deposit her butt on the ground. Her legs hurt from kneeling so long. Her back still burned but it now felt like a bad sunburn, nothing more.
“It took her three days to find us when we Traveled away from Kadin’s cabin,” she said. “After the first jump, she probably wasn’t far behind, but we were chased out by the government before she arrived. She doesn’t want us to get back to Interchron, obviously, and the longer it takes for her to pinpoint when we are, the more likely we’ll reach it. What you’re saying,” she turned to David, “is this will allow her to come right to us?”
David nodded.
“But you killed it,” Jonah said. “It won’t work now, right?”
David frowned, shaking his head. His expression looked grave and it made Maggie afraid. “It’s not working anymore, but it stayed embedded and sent information for several minutes. I doubt Justine needed that long to pinpoint our chronological location. I think we have to assume she’ll be here in minutes.”
They eyed one another in silence. Their faces mirrored Maggie’s fear.
“What do we do?” Lila asked, her chest heaving. “Maggie’s hurt. Kristee’s unconscious.”
“I’m better now,” Maggie said, though her voice sounded feeble.
“Your abilities won’t work when Justine comes close,” Jonah said. “Unless you’ve figured out why or how to counter her...?”
Maggie shook her head, her panic rising.
“David, what do we do?” Lila asked, sounding on the verge of hysteria.
They all looked at him. David slowly shook his head. “I don’t know.”
Chapter 21: Partial Histories
“WELL, KEEP LOOKING,” Joan snapped.
The brown-haired Seeker—Doc thought her name was Dayna—cast a dark look at Joan but nodded and went back to work.
Doc, Nat, and Joan stood in the part of Interchron where the Seekers did their work. The cavern they used sat high in the mountain, the walls laced with a particular mineral the Seekers called Vision Root. Seekers used the Vision Root deposits as conduit stones to amplify their abilities.
Seekers functioned like blood hounds, sending their minds out to Seek for the signature of a particular ability and follow it like a trail to the owner’s location. Doc made sure a few Seekers stayed on duty at all times, day or night. They monitored all quarters of the earth for two things: individuals using their abilities and collectives tapping into the abilities of drones. If they found individuals, the Seekers pinpointed their location and dispatched a reconnaissance team in the hopes of bringing the individuals to Interchron. If they discovered the collective using drone abilities, they alerted Doc and the team. It helped them keep tabs on the collectives and stay prepared to protect Interchron, if need be.
“Can’t they work any faster?” Joan muttered, joining Doc and Nat on the other side of the cavern. Dayna threw another glare in Joan’s direction before sitting down on her cushion.
While dozens of Seekers lived at Interchron who rotated shifts, only eight of them could Seek across time as well as space. Time Seeking was much more difficult and time consuming, but it could be done. All eight were now present. They were reaching slowly back in time, looking for Kristee’s Traveling signature.
“They’re doing the best they can, Joan,” Nat said quietly. Joan gave him a murderous glance and he dropped his eyes.
Doc stifled a sigh. “Come,” he said. “Let’s move away and let them work.”
“I’m not going anywhere until I know something about Lila.”
“We’re distracting them,” Doc said firmly. “I’m not suggesting we leave. Let’s move into the adjoining room.” Joan set her jaw stubbornly, so he took her elbow and lowered his voice. “If you want me to answer your questions I’d prefer to do it in a more private place.”
Still looking resentful, Joan let him guide her out of the room. Nat brought up the rear.
There wasn’t a door to shut between the cavern the Seekers worked in and the one they’d moved into, but the walls were made of thick rock. The Seekers were intent on their task so if Doc kept his voice low, he could be assured of nearly complete privacy.
It wasn’t that he didn’t trust the Seekers. He would gladly put his life in the hands of anyone who lived at Interchron. Most of its people had experienced the terror of the Arachnimen. They loathed the collectives, so Doc could be assured of their devotion.
Still, the answers to Joan’s questions were personal. Information he’d not seen fit, as yet, to share with the team. As with most close-knit, forward thinking communities, the people of Interchron gossiped as though it might be their last chance—always a possibility when at war—and Doc didn’t want this circulating. Not yet, anyway.
The three of them retreated to the farthest corner of the adjoining cavern and huddled together. Joan and Nat gazed at Doc expectantly. He couldn’t think of how to begin. Nat seemed to sense his befuddlement.
“Forgive me,” Nat said. “I understand the need to have the Seekers search for Lila and David. What else can we do? But even if we find what year they’re in—and I’m sure we will,” he directed his gaze at Joan, “how do we intend to reach them? I would be the first to volunteer to go to their aid, but we have no Traveler.”
Doc sighed, glad for a brief diversion before jumping into the main explanation. “I’ve been toying with that, too. Perhaps, as you say, we shouldn’t assume they need help.” He glanced tenuously at Joan. She scowled back at him.
“Don’t sugarcoat it for me, Doc. We’re all thinking the same thing: whatever message David got had to do with what B said in there. Maggie’s in danger.” She rubbed her forehead. “David’s in love with Maggie—that much is obvious. He took Kristee and went to get her. I’m sure he thought he could bring her to Interchron for a few days, until we figure out what to do next. In his shoes, if there were no other team members around, I’d have done the same thing. Somehow Lila found out. She’s always been too adventurous for her own good.”
“I wonder who she gets that from,” Nat said, though not unkindly.
Joan glared at him, but then swallowed, looking more sick than angry.
“I wouldn’t call it being adventurous,” Doc offered. “Only driven to get things done. She and Maggie are friends. Lila has your heart, Joan. When she found out Maggie was in trouble, she didn’t hesitate. You should be proud of her.”
Joan wasn’t moved. “For putting herself in danger?”
Doc raised an eyebrow. “You do it every day.”
“I’m a member of the team.”
“That’s a rationalization,” Doc said gently.
Joan crossed her arms and harrumphed. After a few minutes of silence, Joan took a deep breath and rubbed her face vigorously.
Doc and Nat exchanged glances. Generally, Joan was the presence that kept the rest of the team calm. Her tranquility went out the window where her daughter was concerned, though. Joan and Maggie were similar in that way. They had no difficulty putting themselves in the line of fire and remaining utterly serene about it, but when someone they cared about was in danger...
“We have to keep our heads, Joan,” Doc said quietly. “As to the question of Traveling, I wrestled the entire way back to Interchron with how we could send a message to Karl and Marcus.”
Joan’s head snapped up. “If that’s possible, why haven’t we done it already?”
Doc spread his hands. “I don’t know if it is possible. I’m trying to come up with a way to do it. If we could let Marcus know Maggie’s in danger, he’d come running back. I’m sure of it.”
“Perhaps,” Nat offered, “we could use one of the collective’s tactics. They coded their
project, calling it a honeybee colony, so it didn’t set off any alarms for you. If we do something similar, send out a message anyone—collectives or individuals—could hear, but only Marcus and Karl would understand...?”
Joan nodded. “Maybe it could work. What would we say? What would the code be?”
Doc put up a hand. “I’m not so sure it would work. I don’t know if it’s something we should risk.”
“Risk?” Joan looked ready to punch him.
“Think about it, Joan. Even if we use our normal channels, it still may not reach Karl and Marcus for days, if at all. They’re Concealed from us, and probably the rest of the world as well. They’re not exactly traveling around shaking hands with people.”
“It’s the only plan we have,” Joan said defensively. “Days are better than weeks or months waiting for them to come back on their own.”
Doc sighed. “Agreed, but what if it never reaches them? We’ll be putting information out there for no reason. There’s always the risk someone could use it against us. If we were certain it would reach Marcus, I’d do it in a heartbeat, but without knowing...”
“Use it against us how?” Joan crossed her arms again.
“I don’t know,” Doc said, unable to push down his exasperation. It’d been too long since he’d gotten a decent night’s sleep. “Lately we’ve developed a bad habit of doing things without foreseeing all the consequences. It’s nearly gotten us killed more than once. It’s the reason Clay is lying in a vegetative state three floors down.”
Joan looked like he’d slapped her and dropped her eyes, hunching her shoulders.
Guilt swept over Doc, and he wished he could take the words back. All of Interchron grieved for Clay, who was brain dead, if not physically dead yet. Joan had squatted beside him on that island when the killing blow came. Doc knew she harbored a hidden, cavernous guilt over not protecting him.
“I’m sorry Joan,” he said quietly. “I didn’t mean to be so harsh. I just don’t want to see anyone else get hurt because we couldn’t foresee the consequences of our actions.”
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