Page 209 of Sparktopia
I’m opening my mouth to say no, because I actually don’t. But then, in the next instant, it comes back to me. “I’m in the Delta City Health Center.”
“That’s right.”
He’s a nice-looking guy. For a god. Not that I have any idea what male gods look like—the only one I know is a child with a wildly whimsical sense of fashion. But he’s easy to look at. In fact, he reminds me a little of Finn. Older. Late thirties, maybe early forties. But he wears his age well, if that’s what it is. Age.
“Do you remember how you got here?”
“The train.”
“But this building specifically? Do you remember that?”
His voice is so soothing, it kinda relaxes me. “I was taken from the train and brought here. But… we were talking about Haryet, right?”
Delta smiles at me. No teeth, just wide lips and bright eyes. “We were. Shall we pick it up then?”
“Yes. Because I saw her.”
He leans in. And this leaning isalmostimperceptible. But I catch it. “You saw her… where?”
“In my dream. It was… like the overlay thing that Tyse can do?”
“Tymothy?”
“Yes, I guess that’s his real name, isn’t it?”
“Real, like death, is also relative. I haven’t spoken to him yet, so… he prefers Tyse now?”
“I would think? But don’t quote me.”
“So you saw your friend Haryet inside an augment’s overlay. Do you think it was Tyse’s overlay?”
“No.”
“Why not?”
“Because he wasn’t there. This was in that space of time on our way here when I was… dead?”
“Relative term.” He swipes one hand through the air, dismissing my question. “So you have the abilities of an augment?”
“What? No, I don’t think so.”
“So, Clara. This is what I’m having trouble with. If you can’t make an overlay, and you’re positive this overlay you saw didn’t belong to Tyse, then where did it come from?”
“We’ve had this conversation before, haven’t we?”
“Hundredsof times.”
“This isn’t real, is it?”
“Real is?—”
“Stop. It’s not relative. You know what I’m talking about. We’re inside my mind.Youare in my mind.”
“I’m sorry if this upsets you. It’s merely a thing of convenience for me. Would you like to wake up now? We can talk about this another time. I don’t think you have the answers I’m looking for anyway.”
It’s kind of a loaded question. Because, obviously, I do know more than I’ve said. I just can’t figure out how to put it into words. And he knows this. That’s why he sat through this interview hundreds of times. He wants what I know. Implying that I don’t have these answers prompts me to try harder.
“I had another dream. Back in Tyse’s Tau City. I saw all the Extractions.”
