remind myself again of Faith’s high intelligence and why she had been a part of the Innoviro team.
“For now, we’ll have three columns.” Ilya drew lines on the whiteboard with a black dry erase marker. “Facts we know, questions we have, and actions we need to take.”
“This feels like corporate life all over again,” I said, half-joking.
“Until recently that life was all we knew. We have skills and education we should put to use here. Ivan hired us for the same reason,” said Cole.
“My father–our father, sorry, Irina–used variants to further some pretty awful goals. It’s time we made amends and used all our talents to stop him.” Ilya wrote on the whiteboard.
Faith clicked on my laptop. Cole started making a meal.
I suddenly felt proud of my friends. I was a mess, but here they were, fresh from losing their jobs and homes, plunging into a dangerous mission with only their wits and morals to guide them. “I wish I had more skills and knowledge to contribute.”
“Speak for yourself,” said Jonah. “You can still have visions. I’m totally useless as long as I’m bedridden.”
“You guys aren’t useless. We’re all here for a reason,” said Cole.
Did he mean we all had motivation? Or did he think a higher power had brought us together? I didn’t have the energy to probe for an explanation. Ilya and Faith hadn’t looked up, still concentrating on their work.
“I need some air.” I got up out of bed. Being cuddled up to Jonah with Cole in the room had gotten uncomfortable. “I won’t be gone long.” I slipped out of the room.
I ducked into mine and Faith’s room. I put my phone in the front pocket of my backpack and slung one of the straps over my shoulder. I heard the jingle of my 8-ball keychain.
The keychain had been a gift from Gemma. How ironic it seemed now. My little sister, who no longer knew who I was, had given me a trinket to help me play at seeing the future. I decided to ask it a question for fun.
I set the backpack down on the end of my bed and picked up the ball between my thumb and forefinger. I closed my eyes to concentrate on a question, but I was instantly transported to a lawn in front of a stairway leading to a long rectangular building made of a castle-like grey stone center and elegant modern glass wings on either side.
Time moved very quickly on the clock face at the top of a tall concrete tower next to me. People streamed in and out of the building and all around me. Wisps of cloud tumbled across the sky as the light blue behind it turned to a deep sapphire and then dark indigo.
Lights inside the building and on the surrounding lampposts had flickered to life. Pedestrian traffic was gone, except for a single girl walking out of the building. I walked towards her. I closed the distance between us until I could see her face. My sister Gemma!
I longed to talk to her, to hug her and tell her I regretted everything. The intensity of my need to reach her jerked my vision self forward as Gemma turned in front of a grid of glass windows.
I followed behind as she marched along the dark concrete path until we reached a major well-lit road. Gemma had books clutched to her chest and more in the backpack sagging low on her back. She sped along the sidewalk quickly in the time-advanced pace of my vision.
Gemma turned and turned again until we reached a brick building next to a large parking lot and open grassy lawn. She pushed the front door open and the scene melted away. I was back in my hotel room.
I looked out the window at the barred shops across the street. Would I ever see Gemma again? She wouldn’t know me if I did see her. I felt so tired and I ached with the weight of everything I had lost in the past few months.
I dropped onto my bed and curled up. Sadness washed over me. I let the tears come. Sobs wracked my body until all my energy left.
“Are you okay?” said Faith. She’d come several steps into our room, but I hadn’t heard the door
“For now, we’ll have three columns.” Ilya drew lines on the whiteboard with a black dry erase marker. “Facts we know, questions we have, and actions we need to take.”
“This feels like corporate life all over again,” I said, half-joking.
“Until recently that life was all we knew. We have skills and education we should put to use here. Ivan hired us for the same reason,” said Cole.
“My father–our father, sorry, Irina–used variants to further some pretty awful goals. It’s time we made amends and used all our talents to stop him.” Ilya wrote on the whiteboard.
Faith clicked on my laptop. Cole started making a meal.
I suddenly felt proud of my friends. I was a mess, but here they were, fresh from losing their jobs and homes, plunging into a dangerous mission with only their wits and morals to guide them. “I wish I had more skills and knowledge to contribute.”
“Speak for yourself,” said Jonah. “You can still have visions. I’m totally useless as long as I’m bedridden.”
“You guys aren’t useless. We’re all here for a reason,” said Cole.
Did he mean we all had motivation? Or did he think a higher power had brought us together? I didn’t have the energy to probe for an explanation. Ilya and Faith hadn’t looked up, still concentrating on their work.
“I need some air.” I got up out of bed. Being cuddled up to Jonah with Cole in the room had gotten uncomfortable. “I won’t be gone long.” I slipped out of the room.
I ducked into mine and Faith’s room. I put my phone in the front pocket of my backpack and slung one of the straps over my shoulder. I heard the jingle of my 8-ball keychain.
The keychain had been a gift from Gemma. How ironic it seemed now. My little sister, who no longer knew who I was, had given me a trinket to help me play at seeing the future. I decided to ask it a question for fun.
I set the backpack down on the end of my bed and picked up the ball between my thumb and forefinger. I closed my eyes to concentrate on a question, but I was instantly transported to a lawn in front of a stairway leading to a long rectangular building made of a castle-like grey stone center and elegant modern glass wings on either side.
Time moved very quickly on the clock face at the top of a tall concrete tower next to me. People streamed in and out of the building and all around me. Wisps of cloud tumbled across the sky as the light blue behind it turned to a deep sapphire and then dark indigo.
Lights inside the building and on the surrounding lampposts had flickered to life. Pedestrian traffic was gone, except for a single girl walking out of the building. I walked towards her. I closed the distance between us until I could see her face. My sister Gemma!
I longed to talk to her, to hug her and tell her I regretted everything. The intensity of my need to reach her jerked my vision self forward as Gemma turned in front of a grid of glass windows.
I followed behind as she marched along the dark concrete path until we reached a major well-lit road. Gemma had books clutched to her chest and more in the backpack sagging low on her back. She sped along the sidewalk quickly in the time-advanced pace of my vision.
Gemma turned and turned again until we reached a brick building next to a large parking lot and open grassy lawn. She pushed the front door open and the scene melted away. I was back in my hotel room.
I looked out the window at the barred shops across the street. Would I ever see Gemma again? She wouldn’t know me if I did see her. I felt so tired and I ached with the weight of everything I had lost in the past few months.
I dropped onto my bed and curled up. Sadness washed over me. I let the tears come. Sobs wracked my body until all my energy left.
“Are you okay?” said Faith. She’d come several steps into our room, but I hadn’t heard the door
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