WE HAVE TO WIPE HIS mind and send him home. That burst of activity shorted out any last protection we have from that creature.”
“But Dr. Oppenheimer, he almost woke her up! Her brain activity jumped dramatically when he touched her, and it’s been elevated since he arrived. We can’t just ignore that!”
Fort slowly opened his eyes, not sure if the voices he was hearing were in his head or actually real. A bright light above him almost blinded him before he looked away, discovering he was in a room much like the one where he’d found Sierra, touched her hand, and . . .
The memories came flooding back, and he had to stop himself from flinching, not wanting to let the two people standing at the end of his bed know he was awake. He closed his eyes again and kept listening.
“And look what that contact did to him,” Dr. Opps said to the female doctor Fort had seen earlier in the room nearby Sierra’s. “I’m sorry, this has gone much too far. Charles can remove me from my post and destroy my career, I don’t care anymore. You know he won’t stop until Damian’s awakened.”
Colonel Charles wanted to awaken Damian? But why?
“Damian’s brain activity is basically nonexistent,” the doctor said. “But if Sierra awakens, we could see if she can access Damian’s memories, if they still exist. That could tell us everything we need to know about . . . whatever these creatures are. She might be able to find a weakness.”
“I won’t allow it,” Dr. Opps said, moving toward Fort. “What I want to know is whether wiping Forsythe’s mind will destroy this connection between him and Sierra.”
Wiping his mind? Fort’s heart began to beat faster. That sounded a lot more intense than just making him forget some things. If that was going to happen, he had to get out of here!
“Do we know yet how it came about?” Dr. Opps continued.
“We have no way of knowing for sure unless she wakes up, but if I had to guess, she was spread so thin while evacuating the civilians during the D.C. attack that when Forsythe struggled against her, he sent some sort of feedback into her brain, and it shut her down. Her last word before she slipped into the coma was his name, and that’s all we’ve gotten from her since.”
“Yet she’s clearly still using her magic. She sent him my thoughts, and from what Ambrose said, implanted spells in his head to help him pass his test.”
Fort tried to keep his face perfectly still even as his mind reacted to these incredible revelations, finally explaining everything that had been happening. Somehow, Sierra’s unconscious mind was still accessing her magic?
And they might wipe his mind to keep her from doing it again.
“Her scans don’t show any conscious activity,” the doctor said. “Whatever connection they have, I’d guess that his emotional state probably triggered each of those instances. But who’s to say? There’s so much we don’t understand about the brain as it is. Throw in magic, and I’m completely in the dark.”
Before Dr. Opps could respond, someone else entered the room.
“Dr. Oppenheimer, Dr. Magellan,” said a voice that sounded like Colonel Charles. “I see things have gotten completely out of control down here?”
“Colonel, now is not the time—” Dr. Opps started to say, but the colonel interrupted him.
“I’d say this is exactly the time, Oppenheimer. How could Forsythe have gotten down here? He doesn’t appear anywhere on our cameras, and we’ve had increased patrols since that creature showed up.”
Dr. Opps sighed. “We don’t know yet. When he wakes up, we’ll question him, and then wipe his memories and send him home.”
Fort’s hands clenched into fists before he could stop himself.
“When he wakes up?” Colonel Charles said, and Fort froze. “I think our patient has been listening to our conversation.”
And that was it. If he was going to escape a mind wiping, this was his only chance.
Before the others could move, Fort bolted up, clambered over the bed, and tried to leap between the woman in the white lab coat and Dr. Opps for the exit.
Unfortunately, he didn’t take into account how fast Colonel Charles was. The colonel grabbed Fort’s arm as he passed, then yanked it behind Fort’s back painfully. Fort immediately stopped short, groaning in pain, as two guards ran into the room.
“If he says even one word you don’t understand, Taser him,” Colonel Charles told the guards. “Don’t let him even start a spell. Am I clear?”
“Yes, sir,” both soldiers said at once.
“Colonel, this is my patient!” Dr. Magellan said, leaning down next to Fort and putting two fingers on his neck. “Are you okay, Forsythe?”
“I’ve been better,” Fort admitted.
“How much did you hear?” Dr. Opps asked, his face red with either embarrassment or anger.
“Enough to know you want to wipe my mind!” Fort shouted, then groaned as Colonel Charles pushed up on his arm, sending pain radiating up into his shoulder.
“Respectfully, Colonel, I disagree with Dr. Oppenheimer,” Dr. Magellan said. “Sierra almost woke up when Forsythe came into contact with her. Think of what she could do with her magic if she came back to us.”
“Her power could also destroy the minds of everyone on this base!” Dr. Oppenheimer yelled.
“Oppenheimer, there’s a student present,” Colonel Charles practically spat. “Watch what you say.”
“This student broke into a secure facility just to find the girl,” Dr. Opps shouted back. “Think of what that could lead to!”
“Damian,” Colonel Charles said, his voice cold and distant. At least he seemed to have turned his attention away from Fort, as the grip on Fort’s arm lessened slightly. If he could just break away quick enough . . .
“And if he does wake up?” Dr. Opps said. “Look at what happened six months ago! You of all people should be against this—”
“I’ll take that under advisement,” Colonel Charles said. “Doctor, is our patient ready for discharge?” The grip on Fort’s arm tightened again, and he sighed, realizing he’d missed his opportunity. If he’d ever had one.
“He seems to be doing fine,” she said. “We can move him now, if you’d like.”
“I would,” Colonel Charles said, then nodded at the two soldiers. “Bring the boy to the disciplinary barracks and stand soldiers on guard. I want to speak to him alone.” He handed Fort over to the guards, who each took ahold of an arm, though at least they weren’t twisting them behind his back.
“This is insane!” Dr. Opps said. “We’re sending the boy home now, for his good and ours.”
“I’m afraid your failure tonight was the last straw, Oppenheimer,” Colonel Charles said as another group of soldiers entered the room. “Sergeant, escort Dr. Oppenheimer to the disciplinary barracks as well—separate from the boy, of course.”
Whoa. Dr. Opps was being thrown into . . . well, whatever the disciplinary barracks were, too? At least that meant Fort wouldn’t have his mind wiped.
“Don’t do this, Charles!” Dr. Opps shouted, struggling against two soldiers who grabbed his arms. “You don’t know what you’re dealing with!”
“You should have been thrown in jail for your part in the attacks, Doctor,” Colonel Charles said. “I can’t believe you held on for this long. But tonight gave me plenty of justification to see you relieved of your duties. I’ve already spoken to the committee. The school is now under my authority. I imagine they’ll want your mind wiped as well, but that decision has yet to be made.”
“Please!” Dr. Opps shouted. “You weren’t there, not when it all happened. I saw how easily it controlled the boy—”
“Sergeant, if he continues to resist, you have my permission to use force,” Colonel Charles said.
“No!” Dr. Opps shouted, but the soldiers pulled him from the room, followed by Colonel Charles, and the closing door cut off any further sounds.
“I’m sorry about all of this,” Dr. Magellan whispered to Fort as the two guards waited a moment to give the other group time to leave first. “I don’t know how you got down here, but I’m glad you did. You could be the key to waking up Sierra, and if that’s the case, you have my thanks. Her magic is just too powerful to be locked away down here.”
“Yeah, I think we’re both on the same page there,” he said. Whatever connection he had with this Sierra girl, he did need her awake. At this point, she might be the only person at the school who knew what was going on and might actually tell him.
One of the guards at his side held up a pair of handcuffs. “Are you going to be trouble?” he asked, looking far too eager to use them.
“Nope, I surrender,” Fort said. And that was true; he’d definitely be going along quietly. If Colonel Charles wanted to talk to him, that was fine. He’d have some questions of his own for the good colonel too.