A Dark, Distorted Mirror. Volume 5 : Among the Stars, like Giants. Part 1 : Learning How to Live

'It's a start,' Talia said. 'He's proved it can be done, and he isn't trapped. He's moving around, trying to contact all the other minds, trying to wake them up. It'll take time, but what doesn't? He'll have them all free soon enough.'

'Alfred's an unusual man, and you know it. Perhaps unique. There aren't enough like him in there to pose a threat to the network. If it's going to be taken down, it'll have to happen out here.'

'I know, but.... it's still good news. I was wondering if I would ever see him again.'

'I never said it wasn't good news. So, what now? What did he tell you?'

'A little. He's still trying to navigate his way around the network. It took him a while to remember who he was. Most of them.... just forget. That's a way to try to shake them all out of it. Remind them who they are.

'There are nodes spread out all over the place. Each Dark Star has one, so do all the major planets. Kazomi Seven has a couple. They've set some up on Minbar, Centauri Prime, all over the place. And the Vorlon worlds of course. It is possible to break telepaths free from it. We need their physical bodies, and we need to convince them of who they are, that everything they're experiencing in there isn't real.'

Ben Zayn nodded. 'Fine, that makes sense. So, what next? Do we just carry on recruiting?'

'No, well.... if we get a chance to help someone, then yes, but we can't keep doing this forever. We have to go on the offensive. I think we should try to break someone free.'

'We can't capture a Dark Star. I've seen the specs, remember. The Shadow ships tore Sanctuary apart, and the Dark Stars were built to take those things on one by one.'

'No, I know we can't. Not yet, anyway — but we have to start somewhere.'

'It sounds as if you have a plan. Should I be worried?'

'Possibly,' Talia smiled. 'It appears I have a.... friend, who has been moving up in the world since I last saw him. Plus, I have some unfinished business with IPX. I think Proxima is the place to start.

'After all, that's where I got involved in all this to begin with.'

* * *

It looked human. It had the basic shape of a human, but it was a shape put together by someone who understood the basics, not the specifics. It had a cold smile, a hollowness in the face, and a perfection to the hair.

It did not move as a human would. It did not fidget or breathe or blink as a human would.

Dexter could see why Julia had called it 'it'. It looked like a human male, perhaps a little older than he was, but whatever it was, it was not human.

'Creepy, ain't it?' Zack said. Dexter did not reply. He was not listening.

It was looking at him, staring. Just staring. There was no colour in its eyes, just a deadening light.

Greetings, brother, came the voice in his mind. You came to see me, then.

'What are you?' he asked.

I can hear you like this. Better this way, don't you think? We don't want the mundanes hearing everything, do we?

You're a telepath.

I was. Now I'm something better. You can be as well. You'll enjoy it once you're here.

What are you? You aren't human.

I was human once. A human telepath. I had a name once, but that doesn't matter now. Some of us, most of us, are put inside the network, just one mind among thousands. I am one of the lucky ones. They did this to me instead. They made me special.

Why are you here?

The Corps used to have special units they called Bloodhounds. Their job was to find 'blips', telepaths who had escaped from the Corps, who refused to wear the badge and the gloves and to live by the rules.

I know what the Bloodhound units were. They took my mother.

Of course. I'm one of the new type of Bloodhounds. But I don't work for the Corps any more. I work for something far greater. We are called the Hand of the Light. Think of us as a search-and-capture unit.

What are you searching for?

Is it not obvious? Telepaths, of course. Those like us. They need more recruits. They always need more recruits. Human, Centauri, Minbari, others.... it doesn't matter. They always need more recruits. More people like us.

I'm not like you.

You are. You just won't accept it. You aren't as powerful as most of us, but power means nothing. What matters is how you use it, and that is something you know how to do. You're special. They have special plans for you.

Who are 'they'?

Names have power. Even here. The mundanes can't hear us, but you'd be surprised who could. Sinoval, for instance. If he happens to be passing by....

What does he have to do with this?

You will see, brother. You will see. You realise this cell cannot hold me forever.

It's doing a good job so far.

You think I couldn't escape if I wanted to? I wanted to speak with you, brother.

Dexter pulled back, shaking. Zack and Julia were looking at him. 'Jeez, man,' Zack said. 'What was up with you?'

'I'm out of here,' Dexter said, breathing harshly, still looking at the thing. 'Double the guard on him. No, triple it. Don't let anyone in to see him, no one at all. We're leaving now.'

'I'll take your word for it,' Zack replied.

As he left the cell, Dexter looked back at the thing again. It was still smiling at him, a movement of the facial muscles without any of the emotional connections.

'I've got to go,' Dexter said, as soon as the cell was locked.

'Where?' Julia asked.

'To talk to someone. Someone who knows an awful lot about weird things.'

* * *

The day when so much changed on Centauri Prime was dark and heavy, with clouds hanging low in the sky.

It began innocuously enough. A group of farmers had arrived at the capital, assembling to appeal to the Royal Court against the increasingly heavy taxes being levied on them. Normally they would not have dared, but one of them had met Emperor Mollari during his exile on Selini. He claimed that the Emperor had promised him that he would always listen to his people.

'The Emperor will listen to us,' he had told his more sceptical companions. 'He doesn't understand now, but that's because he lives in a palace and not out in the country like we do. We'll talk to him, and he'll understand, and then everything will be better. You'll see.'

They had been dubious, but had ultimately agreed.

None of them had been to the capital before, and its wonder had dazzled them for a moment, causing them almost to forget why they had come. A sudden rainstorm led them to seek shelter in a bar, not wanting their only fine clothes to be drenched and ruined. Several cups of cheap liquor were drunk with the aim of 'Immolan courage'.

Unfortunately it continued raining and the farmers had a little too much to drink, moving from simple courage to fearlessness. So much so that one of them started telling 'Centauri, Drazi and Narn' jokes. At the punch line to one of them, a Drazi entered.

One dressed all in black with the symbol of a lantern on his chest.