The Haunted Way (Champions of the Crystal Book 5)

Chapter 2.1

Ford was engrossed in the wallscreen display, extended out in a three-dimensional hologram this time, showing a mess of colored lines and equations. Sabrina recognized some of the notations from her long-ago, mostly unsuccessful study of temporal mechanics, and after she contemplated the decidedly non-Euclidean geometry, she guessed Ford was looking at a survey of the Pharon system. "It would help if you looked at it right-side-up," she remarked.

He shot her a startled glance before getting the joke. "Cute. Are you implying you understand what it is, then?"

"Some kind of temporal survey of the Pharon system. Possibly a mapping of the boundaries of crystal influence? Did Homeworld forward that to you?"

"Yes." He was trying not to be impressed, she could tell. "Why? Do you still think they mean for me to be exposed?"

"I know better than to assume I know what Homeworld is thinking," she replied. "Anyway, their intentions don't have all that much bearing on what we do. We have to proceed with caution in any case. I was just wondering how they ever got close enough to make a map. Sacrificial robot probes? It can't have been a Wayship."

"The notations were all made by one person. Someone named...mm..." Ford scrolled down a few screens. "Tirqwin Nllata A'Patel."

"Nllata! Of course." Sabrina had to smile. "So she did make Tirqwin! I'm glad. She was wonderful. She's the one who went with Scotty and me to rescue your father."

"They sent a Tirqwin with you? But how—"

"No. She was Deltarran, but a throwback to some of the Pharon characteristics. She built and manipulated a Pharon crystal matrix so we could find Malvarak. After she was clear of the contamination she was going to try for the Wayfarer Candidacy Program. I guess in the meantime she must have worked on mapping out Pharo's sphere of influence." Sabrina thought for a moment. "Did anyone ever make a map like that for the Great Crystal?"

"Not that I know of. I'd think that would be pretty dangerous information for anyone but us to have," Ford said. "We know roughly how far it extends, of course. But I don't think the two cases are exactly parallel. The Great Crystal was made to be used under the direction of one person and to be an expression of the will and intent of that person and the rest of the Miahn race. Pharo is just the remnants of a dead civilization, slowly decaying, without intent or direction."

"But possessed of millennia of evil intent and action," Sabrina said. "Don't underestimate it. Once you're in its influence, you can be directed just as surely as Mara directs the Great Crystal. The old patterns are still there, and they're...they're seductive. They get into your mind without your even knowing it. Do you know, Scotty and I thought we'd escaped untouched until we landed on Allyria. Then it all started to come out. I don't remember our first month there. They kept us sedated and restrained. Then enough of our true identities revived that we recognized the nightmares and hallucinations for what they were. That was worse, for us." She hugged herself. "I don't...I don't want you to delude yourself that you'll be able to resist it, if you're exposed. The Great Crystal doesn't operate in that space. And all Tirqwin's training didn't help him."

"You don't have to drive home the danger to me, Sabrina. I got it, already," Ford said, in an imitation of Scotty protesting a study session. Then he sobered. "I am wondering, though, if your previous exposure doesn't make you more susceptible than you think."

"I don't see how. They checked me for cellular changes when I got back to Praxatillus. And Homeworld examined me at the micro-cellular level on our way to help Scotty. Everybody told me I matched the scans they'd taken years ago, allowing for aging. Nobody said anything about increased crystal sensitivity. And they knew to look for it."