Alexander sat there, his right hand against his forehead, the left arm over his knee. In the dark each problem started coalescing in his mind, preventing any possibility of sleeping soon. the need to communicate with the Terran military, continuing his diplomatic mission, being mindful of the Historian construct's warning, being mindful of the Historian's possible lying about its warning, and gathering information about the Loroi. Not to mention his current predicament of basic survival from the Umiak.
Is that all? Alex thought to himself with a mental chuckle. Maybe I should add becoming lord of the known universe to that list. If I can get through all the rest, that shouldn't be too far-fetched. But as the list settled, one other concern - the most recent - crept into his mind. The dream. Alex frowned. Those had been Loroi in his dream, among a recently destroyed cityscape, and being hunted by what looked like an Umiak in powered armor. It might not be so strange that the dream had formed itself in his mind, considering how shocking/interesting/terrifying the recent experience of meeting several knew sapient species was.
But a worrying possibility appeared increasingly likely when gathered around other incidents. During their shared reminiscence, when the Loroi and Alex had shared their fondest memories, Fireblade's description of gazing over a cityscape had been vivid in Alex' imagination. Too vivid. And that detail about Fireblade's scar over her eye...everyone said they hadn't mentioned it, and Alex new that was true, but he felt so sure of it. Not so much that he had been told, but that he had remembered it. And earlier still, when he and Beryl had tried to link minds, the image of Fireblade had appeared...
Alex stood up and checked in the sleeping room. Everyone was still asleep there. His eyes drifted over each person - Beryl, Tempo, Reed, Cloud. And Fireblade, sleeping like the rest, but with a grimace on her face as though she were having a bad dream. Of her home, or another world, being decimated by the Umiak. Alex thought. There was no question in his mind - that dream had not been his, but Fireblade's. That scene overlooking a city, and the knowledge of Fireblade's scar had been her memories, unknowingly impressing themselves on Alex. And that image of Fireblade wreathed in light had been a real connection. Somehow, Fireblade was able to mentally link with Alex.
He backed away from the door into the sleeping room. Did Fireblade know? And had she told anyone? Unlikely. Those memories had been something intimate to Fireblade, and she would not share them like that - certainly not with a pink-skinned alien she had barely met.