"I fear I may have unleashed a force that will destroy us all."
-Journal of Alicia Norvina
Dr. Galen was still pouring over numerous indecipherable readouts that flashed on the screens which surrounded him at a mind-numbing speed. He did not spare Alicia so much as a stray glance as she entered the room.
"He's asleep, as far as any of us can be certain."
Alicia noticed immediately how Clicks' body relaxed as she uttered the words. He was afraid, but perhaps I am as well, she thought. Galen still hadn't acknowledged her presence.
He's the most dangerous of us all. His attentiveness to detail is the very thing that makes him blind to it.
Galen finally turned to face them, the noise of his mechanical eye echoed through the otherwise silent room. His expressions were nearly impossible to read. Between the cybernetic implants, and his naturally detached stoicism, Galen was a statue. Alicia had therefore only been able to base her analysis of him on his actions and speech, of which there wasn't much.
"I have found an anomaly," Galen's voice was empty as usual. The only emotion that could be detected in him was his ever-present pessimism. He quickly pressed a few keys on the pad to his right and motioned for Alicia to watch the screen.
Before her she saw the room in which they were now standing, as it had been nearly six hours ago, with Duncan lying strapped to the table, Alicia standing in front of him. Galen slowed the tape to a near stop and zoomed in on Duncan's eyes, the view of which was blocked for a moment as Norvina reached across him to unbuckle the straps. Galen slowed the tape even more, as the momet wish he had wished them to see approached. Duncan's eyes, which had been following Norvina, suddenly shifted position and focus, then stared at some point outside the view of the monitor. Galen paused the tape, then rotated the image, and zoomed to display a view through the door into the hallway beyond.
"This is where I have determined his eyes to have been focused. It is interesting to note that he is not staring at the wall or doorway, but that his eyes are instead focused on some point between the two."
For a moment, Alicia thought she detected a hint of excitement in Galen's voice, perhaps pride in his accomplishment.
"So what was he looking at?" Clicks' question while intended to indicate to the others his presence and awareness of the situation which was no longer dependant on his active participation, had the unplanned effect of focusing more attention on Dr. Galen who was quickly becoming the superior force in the room.
This cannot take place. I must retain control of this situation or we will all die here.
The former reverend mother answered Clicks' question before Galen had the opportunity to further assert his authority. "We could use the scanner to read the retinal imprint on the back of Duncan's eye."
Galen saw immediately what was happening in the room. He could feel the shifting balance of power in the air around him. The bickering was pointless. As the only one capable of operating the Ixian equipment, Galen was indispensable, and everyone knew it.
"That could take time. The scanners are quite good, but an enormous amount of precision would be required to do what you're asking. I suggest that we devote part of the computer system to complete a spectrographical analysis of the location at which Duncan was staring: infrared, molecular movement tree, spatial magnetism. These scans could be done in a few hours. In the mean time I could make preparations for a retinal imprint scan."
Alicia heard no real bid for power in his speech, and reasoned that arguing with him would only weaken her position.
"Keep me informed of your progress, Galen."
Alicia turned and quickly left the room. Upon passing through the doorway, she had to suppress the urge to shudder as she felt the temperature decrease by at least three degrees. If either Clicks or Galen had noticed her hesitation, they made no sign of it. As she began to proceed, the plasteel walls melted around her to be replaced by the dry rock of an ancient Fremen sietch. All around her Alicia heard a million voices chanting one name.
"Maud'Dib. Maud'Dib."
The vision faded, as Alicia tried to regain her composure and continue down the dimly lit hallway.
What have I awakened in trying to save our future?
Somewhere from the ancient recesses of her other memory, Alicia heard a faint voice cry out.
"My son has come to reclaim the future, and you with it."
-Journal of Alicia Norvina
Dr. Galen was still pouring over numerous indecipherable readouts that flashed on the screens which surrounded him at a mind-numbing speed. He did not spare Alicia so much as a stray glance as she entered the room.
"He's asleep, as far as any of us can be certain."
Alicia noticed immediately how Clicks' body relaxed as she uttered the words. He was afraid, but perhaps I am as well, she thought. Galen still hadn't acknowledged her presence.
He's the most dangerous of us all. His attentiveness to detail is the very thing that makes him blind to it.
Galen finally turned to face them, the noise of his mechanical eye echoed through the otherwise silent room. His expressions were nearly impossible to read. Between the cybernetic implants, and his naturally detached stoicism, Galen was a statue. Alicia had therefore only been able to base her analysis of him on his actions and speech, of which there wasn't much.
"I have found an anomaly," Galen's voice was empty as usual. The only emotion that could be detected in him was his ever-present pessimism. He quickly pressed a few keys on the pad to his right and motioned for Alicia to watch the screen.
Before her she saw the room in which they were now standing, as it had been nearly six hours ago, with Duncan lying strapped to the table, Alicia standing in front of him. Galen slowed the tape to a near stop and zoomed in on Duncan's eyes, the view of which was blocked for a moment as Norvina reached across him to unbuckle the straps. Galen slowed the tape even more, as the momet wish he had wished them to see approached. Duncan's eyes, which had been following Norvina, suddenly shifted position and focus, then stared at some point outside the view of the monitor. Galen paused the tape, then rotated the image, and zoomed to display a view through the door into the hallway beyond.
"This is where I have determined his eyes to have been focused. It is interesting to note that he is not staring at the wall or doorway, but that his eyes are instead focused on some point between the two."
For a moment, Alicia thought she detected a hint of excitement in Galen's voice, perhaps pride in his accomplishment.
"So what was he looking at?" Clicks' question while intended to indicate to the others his presence and awareness of the situation which was no longer dependant on his active participation, had the unplanned effect of focusing more attention on Dr. Galen who was quickly becoming the superior force in the room.
This cannot take place. I must retain control of this situation or we will all die here.
The former reverend mother answered Clicks' question before Galen had the opportunity to further assert his authority. "We could use the scanner to read the retinal imprint on the back of Duncan's eye."
Galen saw immediately what was happening in the room. He could feel the shifting balance of power in the air around him. The bickering was pointless. As the only one capable of operating the Ixian equipment, Galen was indispensable, and everyone knew it.
"That could take time. The scanners are quite good, but an enormous amount of precision would be required to do what you're asking. I suggest that we devote part of the computer system to complete a spectrographical analysis of the location at which Duncan was staring: infrared, molecular movement tree, spatial magnetism. These scans could be done in a few hours. In the mean time I could make preparations for a retinal imprint scan."
Alicia heard no real bid for power in his speech, and reasoned that arguing with him would only weaken her position.
"Keep me informed of your progress, Galen."
Alicia turned and quickly left the room. Upon passing through the doorway, she had to suppress the urge to shudder as she felt the temperature decrease by at least three degrees. If either Clicks or Galen had noticed her hesitation, they made no sign of it. As she began to proceed, the plasteel walls melted around her to be replaced by the dry rock of an ancient Fremen sietch. All around her Alicia heard a million voices chanting one name.
"Maud'Dib. Maud'Dib."
The vision faded, as Alicia tried to regain her composure and continue down the dimly lit hallway.
What have I awakened in trying to save our future?
Somewhere from the ancient recesses of her other memory, Alicia heard a faint voice cry out.
"My son has come to reclaim the future, and you with it."