Captain Gideon paced to and fro in the small isolation chamber. They had closed him in here as soon as they got to the MedLab, done a quick check to see that he wasn't in any immediate danger, and then told him to wait. So, he waited, although it was about the worst thing to do in this situation that he could imagine. Of course, he had also instantly called lieutenant Matheson and told him to do whatever he could to look for any leads that could give a hint of an explanation - scan Galen's ship, if possible, look at the records of its approach, try to trace where it came from, anything.

Gideon could almost see the medics working around Galen. Almost, but not quite: there was a big, thick window, giving from his room to the main area outside, and straight across, there was another window, opening to the larger isolation room where they were. At this distance, with people, beds, computer consoles and other equipment blocking his view, he could only make out the backs of several people in their protective suits.

He stopped pacing for a while and grabbed his chin with his hand. The idea that something like this might happen had never crossed his mind. Sure, Galen kept doing his own things, going around, disappearing and reappearing, without any explanation of where he was going, why, and when he would return. But as a techno-mage, he was easily the most powerful member of Gideon's team, the one best capable of taking care of himself. The only one he had never been worried about.

One of the suited people stepped out from the iso-room across the MedLab. She looked at Gideon, and he saw it was Doctor Chambers. She walked straight towards him, and entered the airlock leading to this annoying waiting room where he was stuck. She started speaking before he had time to say anything.

"Matthew... I'm sorry we've had to keep you in here. So far, there's no sign that you've caught anything, and although some of the results we've got from Galen suggest an infection of some sort, it doesn't seem contagious anymore. So, you're free to go, though you'll have to promise you'll report to me at once if you feel something out of the usual."

"I will. And right now, Doc, I'm more worried about him than about myself. What's wrong with him? Can you fix it?"

Chambers looked down and sighed, then looked at him in the eye as she answered. "I'll give you the bad news before I say anything else. Matthew, I don't know if there's any point in going on, trying to find a way to cure him. Even if we could fix his body, we might never get him back. He's as good as brain dead."

Gideon crossed his arms. "As good as? But he's not really brain dead?"

"Well, there's one odd thing that says he isn't. No brain activity shows up in our scans, and that alone is a sure sign that he's gone. Still, there is circulation in the brain, which usually would not exist in someone who's really brain dead. It means that the brain tissue itself is not dead. I have no idea why, how it's possible, or what it means."

"Then I'm sure there's still a point in going on. Tell me what you've got."

"All right," Chambers replied, trying to smile, but without much success. "First of all, you'd better learn a few things about our techno-mage friend. Did you know he has an extensive amount of alien technology in his system? Alien implants?"

"You mentioned something like that before, and it does make sense. They use technology to simulate magic. He's done plenty of magic, so he has to have plenty of technology near at hand, as well."

Chambers had stepped to a nearby computer screen and entered a few commands. The screen now showed the outline of a body, and within it, a series of yellow lines, running across the shoulders, down the arms and the spine, and up to the head, which was entirely pale yellow.

"I saw something before this, yes, but I never guessed the full extent of it. A set of alien things protruding from his back was just a small part of the whole. This is what our scans showed. Note how it's entirely entangled with the brain, and most of the spinal cord."

"And you're certain that this is a natural part of him and not the cause?"

"I'm not certain about anything when it comes to him. Still, the implants can hardly be the cause of what's wrong with him right now, since they're not doing anything at the moment. Nothing at all. They're mostly organic tissue, alien in nature, and as far as I can see, they're dead. It might be a major part of what's wrong with him, or then, it might not. I don't know how important it is, whether it only allows him to do magic, or if it's connected to him in a symbiotic relationship."

"Then perhaps we need another techno-mage to tell us."

"Yes, yes," she nodded enthusiastically. "I didn't think of that. It would certainly help - they would know what's normal and what isn't. Though I guess finding one wouldn't be all that easy."

"We'll have to try... Before that, was there anything else?"

"I was only getting started, captain. I said, earlier on, that we have reason to suspect a contagion. That's because we found not one, but two unknown micro-organisms in his blood, and both appear artificial. Just like the implants, they're also inactive or dormant. Both of them. So we have no idea of whether they should be there or not, whether they should be doing something, and whether one or both are the cause of this. Again, it would help to have someone here who understands a techno-mage's physiology."

It was clear enough that finding another techno-mage would provide the best help they could get. Gideon lifted his hand and made several calls, setting the search in motion. He contacted both Eilerson and Dureena, only to find that Eilerson hadn't got any idea that something had happened to Galen. Dureena, on the other hand, was waiting just outside the MedLab door, since they had told her not to come in, when there really wasn't anything for her to do or see, and she would only be on the way. And, of course, Gideon contacted Matheson again, adding this task to the long list the lieutenant already had.

"So. There are unknown organisms that might be the cause, or not. What I still didn't get is, what's actually wrong with him."

"It'd be easier to tell what isn't wrong. He's a complete mess, captain, in lack of a better medical term. It's as if his body has completely forgotten how to function. He's not breathing on his own. Actually, he completely lacks any kind of response to any kind of stimulus, like a completely brain dead person would. Not even the most basic reflexes show up. His entire body chemistry is off, with things missing that should be there, no matter how unconscious and unresponsive he is, and others present that shouldn't. And then there are repeated periods of life-threatening arrhythmias, like the one you witnessed when you first found him. All in all, we can treat most of it to some degree, but it's like building a house of cards. Just when we think we've managed to stabilize him, some little thing goes wrong, and then we're nearly back where we started. I'd say we can keep him alive for now, for several hours, maybe even a few days, but not much longer, unless we can find some underlying cause and treat it properly. And, as I already said, even that might not do any good, considering the complete lack of brain activity."

She had just stopped talking when her comm link beeped, and an anxious voice alerted her, "Doctor, he's in v-tach again."

"Then don't just stand there and yell. Cardiovert, immediately!" she replied, just as anxious. "As I said, like a house of cards... Captain, I think I had better go. I'll let you know as soon as we have something new."

With that, Chambers ran away, leaving Gideon more worried than before, but also certain of his course of action. He followed her out of the isolation chamber, lost in thought. They needed to find another techno-mage. They had met one before, Alwyn, on Regula 4, and although he had left that planet, the chances were that he was still out there, somewhere. As far as Gideon knew, Alwyn and Galen had been on friendly terms, and if only they could locate him, he would want to help.

Gideon had another idea as well. He didn't like it at all, but it might offer valuable information. He called Matheson again.

"No, captain," John Matheson shook his head. "I'd rather not do it. Aside from the fact that it's completely against the regulations, I just don't like the idea at all."

"Neither do I, lieutenant, neither do I. I'm not going to force you. Still, there's the small chance that you might get something that could save him."

"And there is the chance that I could only make things worse, and end up doing a deathbed scan when it wasn't intended to be one. You know anything about deathbed scans, captain? They're about the most dangerous thing a telepath can do. They say it can cost you your soul."

"Yes, and that's why I want you to be extra careful, and the doctor will tell you the very second it seems like something is wrong, so you can stop at once. Please, consider it. If what the Doc says is correct and he's got no brain activity left, you won't have anything to scan, right?"

"It's hard to say, captain. But I'll try. Just a surface scan at first, and if it looks safe enough, then a bit deeper."

"Thank you, lieutenant."

Matheson stepped into the isolation room, feeling extremely uneasy. He was not this ship's First Officer because he was a telepath. He was an EarthForce officer because that was what he had always wanted to be, and being a telepath had almost stopped his dream from coming true. Still, there were times when being a telepath had its uses. He was not sure this was one of them.

Doctor Chambers looked at him, and he didn't need to read her mind to see what she thought. It was written clearly enough on her face. She didn't like this either, and she was worried. Still, she agreed with the captain that this was a risk worth taking.

"We're all set. Go ahead when you're ready, lieutenant."

Matheson nodded, and approached the near-dead techno-mage. A horrible grimace of pain was fixed on Galen's face. Matheson wondered if that was what the scan would feel like.

He nodded again to Chambers, placed his hand on Galen's forehead, and concentrated.

And he felt nothing.

He waited, tried to scan deeper, but still, no results. Nothing at all.

He withdrew his hand and shook his head.

Turning to look at captain Gideon, who was waiting outside, he said, "I'm sorry. It's no good. There just isn't anything there."