The Valiant - Michael Jan Friedman [9]
An hour earlier, the doctor had injected a drug into Agnarssons bloodstream which would make his neural pathways easier to scan. Coquillettes was the second of three scheduled examinations. By the time they were completed, Gorvoy hoped to be able to come up with a hypothesis.
And if he couldnt do that? If the neural scan didnt shed any light on the mystery? The medical team would simply have to come up with another approach to the problem.
Coquillette played her bioscanner over Agnarsson from his feet to the crown of his head. She was almost finished when she noticed something. Agnarssons hair it had flecks of white in it.
She was sure they werent there the last time she saw him and that was just the day before. Besides, the engineer was a young manthirty at the outside. How could his hair be losing its pigment already?
Unless whatever had altered him was still altering him. It was a chilling thoughtbecause if Agnarsson was changing on the outside, he might be changing on the inside as well. He might be getting stronger .
Fighting to remain calm, Coquillette checked her readout to make certain the requisite data had been recorded. Satisfied, she replaced the device on her belt.
See you later, she told Agnarsson, hoping her anxiety didnt show, and started for the exit
You know, the engineer called after her unexpectedly, you dont have to go. Not right away, I mean.
His voice sounded funny louder, more expansive somehow. As if it were rilling the entire intensive care unit or maybe filling her head, Coquillette couldnt tell which.
He looked at her with those bizarre, silver orbs, not quite eyes anymore, and she felt panic. After all, if he could manipulate the Valiants helm controls, what might he not be able to do to a human being?
Actually, she blurted, I do.
And she left him there.
Jack Gorvoy was studying his monitor screen when Coquillette showed up at his door.
The woman looked pale, frightened. It got his attention immediately. After all, Coquillette was the steadiest officer he had.
What is it? he asked.
Its him , Coquillette whispered, sneaking a glance back over her shoulder. Agnarsson.
Gorvoy looked past the medic. From what he could see of his patient, the man was reading the book the doctor had given himnothing more. Still, he didnt want to dismiss his officers feelings out of hand.
Close the door and sit down, Gorvoy said.
Coquillette did as she was told. Then she described the change she had seen in Agnarssons hair color.
The doctor frowned. He had examined the engineer less than an hour ago, and he hadnt noticed any graying.
Im not imagining it, his officer insisted.
I didnt say you were, he told her. Can I see your bioscanner?
Removing it from her belt, she handed it over to him. Gorvoy called up the scan Coquillette had just done on the devices readout. Then he called up the earlier scan on his computer screen.
Well? she asked.
Ill be damned, he thought. Youre right. Agnarssons changed. And Im not talking about his hair color.
Coquillette got up and circumnavigated his desk to get a look. What else? she demanded.
Gorvoy pointed to the screen. The neural pathways in his cerebellum have reshaped themselves. Theyre getting bigger.
She looked at him, her face as drawn and grim as he had ever seen it. And his powers?
May be increasing, he said, completing her thought. He sat back in his chair and rubbed the bridge of his nose. Congratulations. Your discovery puts mine to shame.
Your discovery ? Coquillette wondered out loud.
Gorvoy nodded. I figured out why Agnarsson and the others were affected by the phenomenon when no one else was why Agnarsson, of all of them, survived and mutated.
Dont keep me in suspense , said a voicea huge, throbbing presence that seemed to fill the doctors skull.
Obviously, Coquillette had heard it too, because she whirled and looked back at their patient. Beyond the far end of the corridor, Agnarsson had tossed his blanket aside and was getting up out of his bed.
Gorvoys mouth went dry. Ill be glad to fill you