“Captain Gaines?” Dr. Hunter was snapping his fingers in front of the man’s face. Bancroft had somehow managed to lean him upright against the wall. From where Evara sat, moving the bulk of his dead-weight was a somewhat miraculous feat.

The men continued efforts to resuscitate Gaines and Evara grew increasingly agitated. She couldn’t exactly place why, but her skin was crawling. She felt as if a thousand eyes were on her, as if the aether was an open field — but it was a feeling in the peripheral. If she looked straight-on it was a dark, empty place. The anxiety manifested as a strong urge to get up and pace the room.

In her desperation to move, she caught the attention of Bancroft. “Whoa, whoa, where the hell do you think you’re going?” The big man was immediately on her. She was surprised again at how different he was than every other altered man she'd encountered — her glitching, half awake assistant; the cafeteria attendants practically drooling onto the plate as they dish up food.

And then she heard a voice clearly in the aether. “He’s fine. He just needs some air. Tilt his head back.”

Evara stepped around Bancroft and knelt next to Hunter. “Please sir, can I try?”

Hunter was immediately rapt at her sudden interest in nursing. She knew he was thinking of her sister and whatever tests they’d run on her, whatever talent’s they’d determined her to have More than ever, Evara wasn’t sold on their alleged ‘talent’ being anything solid. It seemed transient, a slight of hand, a whisper network between minds that knowingly or unknowingly complied.

She crouched down next to Captain Gaines and tilted his head back, unbuttoned the top button of his shirt, and laid her hand against the almost comically wide bulk of his exposed neck.

Gaines made a big show of sputtering back to life, his strange eyes opening to the ceiling first and then lowering slowly to her. He winked briefly before turning to address Hunter and Bancroft.

But he didn’t need to say anything. Dr. Hunter did it for him. He straightened under Gaines’ gaze. “Right, I will start the paperwork.” He raised himself to his feet and walked over to the portal, tapping the parchment against it again.

“What is your verdict then, doctor?” Bancroft asked.

“055-7426B will be assigned to special integration here in Isosceles under the charge of Dyadic Captain Gaines, Harlowe.”

“And the justification?” Bancroft pressed.

“Completed assessment by Dyadic Captain Gaines, Harlowe K. and Physician 78-224 Hunter, Casey T.”

“Assessment?” A tilted smile passed over Bancroft’s lips. “This little charade? Seems like a fabricated drama to me.”

“Hardly,” Dr. Hunter pushed back. “My physical examination finds vital markers clearly elevated from baseline into the normal range for a Mystic as well as indisputable non-verbal communication between Gaines and newly assigned Dyadic Specialist Greenblade, Evara J.”

Gaines spoke up from where he sat. “Cosigned.”

“Except Gaines could speak non-verbally to me as well if he cared to do so and I’m 2/3 machine.”

“Could you speak back?” Gaines challenged, his bushy eyebrows raised as he stared the altered man in the face.

Before Bancroft could answer the portal screen next to Hunter chimed, interrupting the ongoing conversation for a beat as Dr. Hunter popped out and read whatever communication had come in. His eyes quickly bounced through the message, a smile growing in intensity as he read. “Right, Bancroft you’re being recalled for the day. Report directly to General Malloy for debrief.”

“Oh, I’ll report to him,” Bancroft said, an acidic tone creeping into his voice. He narrowed his eyes at Evara one last time before leaving the room.

Evara looked between Hunter and Gaines, the latter slowly getting to his feet.

Hunter shrugged. “He can do as he pleases, it won’t make a difference.”

Gaines gave her a bewildered look and then asked in the aether, “What happened on your end when I touched you?”

“Pressure, a little bit of pain, I see light between the clouds now.”

“Assuredly.” He was massaging his temples, his eyes half shut as he continued to use the wall for support.

“What happened on your end?”

“Pressure, a lot of pain. I can see you clearly now.”

“And what am I?”

“I’m not sure yet.”

She stared into his face trying to understand — What did that even mean?

He shook his head and turned to Hunter who was watching them both with silent fascination, his dark eyes sharply following the body language around their silent interaction.

“What a month, not one but two unique talents. Not just unique but absolutely unheard of.”

Harlowe sighed, “We knew that there were women among us with uncanny ways about them. It was only a matter of time before —"

Hunter cut in sharply. “Yes yes, some women are so. Speaking of which, you are to be very sure that you are accompanied any time you meet with Greenblade. Our orderly Orion can be available to you. While I agree that you should be involved in the case further, you must continue to obey the law.”

“The law?” Evara asked, glancing up at him.

“Mystics are not allowed to be alone with women.”

“I am a Mystic.”

“You are,” Hunter admitted. He absently ran a hand through the wound up front of his braided hair, upsetting threads of it and causing a few loose curls to jump containment around his face. “But you are also a woman, and according to every test we’ve run, you are still fertile.”

Gaines answered in the aether. “The sharp point on it is that they don’t want me to take you to my bed and uncontrollably breed monsters.”

Evara felt heat on her face. She gave him a slight nod, but the very mention of such things put her off. It wasn’t anything to do with Gaines in particular, rather a very strong feeling that she’d had since she was a young woman. Both she and her sister had turned away armies of suitors — both of the same inclination that they’d rather not carry on such a relationship with anyone, man or woman.

“Well then, I will call Orion in now, let Ms. Greenblade get acquainted with him. She will need to feel comfortable summoning him as well.”