The Sands of Time Ch 71

 

"He ventured into unauthorized areas."

Jack said nothing. 

"You knew about this?"

A nod. 

Yvette threw her hands up. "Why didn't you say something?"

"And have you overreact? Why?"

"What did he see?"

"I don't know, but the techs in the restricted areas saw someone nosing around."

"Wonderful."

"What do the Scholars say?"

"They're not ecstatic. This attempt on Joon's life has everyone on edge."

"Are we sure they're not responsible? It wasn't you. Or I."

"They're telling me we're not running a tight enough ship if something like this can happen." 

"They're not wrong," he muttered. 

"What?"

"Forget it."

"Who then?"

"No clue."

"I'm thinking of grabbing Hillier. She's a loose cannon. Put her to the test."

"She saved his life."

"You said yourself she didn't scan right."

"She won't talk."

"So sure, are we?"

"What's the point? She saved him when we couldn't."

"Is he well?"

"He'll be fine. They got the slug out before it could bond to his nervous system."

"Only a few people would have access to that."

*******

"You could join us."

Hillier snorted. 

"We could protect you," Jack said to Joon, ignoring Hillier. 

"You did a bang up job so far," she remarked.

"Quiet!" Jack barked. 

She smiled sweetly. 

Joon raised himself up on an elbow. 

"Why me?"

"You're Joon. You found the tech. Well, Joon- 352 did. Same thing. You have a knack for what we're doing."

"What would I have to do?"

"Have your drinks checked," Hillier interposed. 

"We need someone like you," Jack asserted. Joon- 352, honestly, is getting burned out. We've lost people. Attrition, deserters. We need to save time."

"Are you sure you haven't convinced yourselves of that? Surely time can... handle itself?"

"You do sound like alt Joon," Jack smiled, using the term Joon used for his counterpart. 

"I'm tempted," Joon said. "I just don't know."

"Well, think about it while you convalesce," Jack said, clapping him on the shoulders. 

"Who... made her do it?"

"I don't know. We're looking into it. You have a good security chief."

"She killed a woman I love. Or an alternate version of Maia. But she saved me."

"I've often thought of killing Maia. I didn't do this out of pleasure," answered Hillier. 

"I know," said Joon. "She wasn't Maia."

"But she was," said Jack. "But different experiences..."

"What could change her, though, to make her try to kill me?"

"Not kill you. The mind slug would have made you... compliant."

"To who?" asked Hillier.