definite. The two men stopped at the end of the platform and peered dubiously into the great dark maw of the tunnel-mouth; but nothing looked back.
“I don’t see anyone,” said JC. “Can’t say I feel anything much, either.”
“Feel the air,” said Happy. “It’s colder than it should be, and . . . brittle. I’m getting a definite feeling of anticipation. Of something about to happen. And even though lights are still on . . . doesn’t it still feel dark, to you?”
“Go on,” said JC. “What else?”
“Eyes,” said Happy. “A constant feeling of being observed, by unseen eyes. Not human. Nature . . . unknown. But I can feel them, digging into my back. Whatever it is that’s down here, that terrified and traumatised all those people . . . it knows we’re here.”
“Good,” JC said briskly. “At least now we can be sure we’re not down here on a wild ghost chase. Melody? Do you have anything interesting to tell us yet?”
“Don’t shout! I can hear you perfectly.” Melody concentrated on what her instrument panels were telling her, not even glancing round at JC and Happy. “Short- and long-range sensors are all on-line and reporting in, but so far all they’re giving me is a headache. Information’s coming in faster than the computers can deal with it, and none of it makes any sense. I’m getting readings all across the board: temperature spikes, radiation surges, electromagnetic fluctuations I would have said were impossible under normal conditions; and a whole bunch of weird energy signatures are popping up all over the place.”
“Purpose?” said JC.
“Beats the hell out of me,” said Melody, stabbing viciously at various keyboards with both hands. “I’m getting definite indications of Time shifts. Intrusions from the Past. Some recent, some not. And underneath all that . . . I’m reading Deep Time, JC. From long before this station even existed. This is bad, JC, seriously bad. I’ve never seen so many extreme readings in one place before.”
“Go on,” JC urged. “Throw caution to the winds and give me your best guess as to what’s happening here.”
“I do not guess!” snapped Melody. “I am a scientist! I study data and draw logical conclusions. Only . . . there’s nothing sane or logical about any of this. I can’t make head nor tail of what my computers are telling me. If I didn’t know better, I’d say they were scared. All I can tell you is that whatever it is we’ve got down here, it’s spread itself through the whole station. There isn’t a single platform or tunnel here that hasn’t been touched, and changed.”
“But is it still confined to the station?” JC said carefully.
“Maybe. Probably. My long-range sensors get confused, the further out they reach. And before you ask: no, I can’t locate any heart or central core to this haunting. It’s all over the place.”
“It’s bad,” said Happy. He was wringing his hands together, unconsciously. “I need a pill, JC, I really do. A little something, to take the edge off.”
“No you don’t,” said JC.
“Come on, JC! You’re feeling this, too; I can tell. Like ice in your blood, and knives at your throat. Like something really bad could come charging out of that tunnel-mouth at any moment. And for everything you feel, it’s a thousand times worse for me. Who’s afraid of the big bad wolf, JC? I am. I am.”
“You’re no use to me with your brains shut down,” said JC. “There’ll be time for pills later. Now come on; concentrate. You’re stronger than you think. What exactly is it that you’re picking up?”
Happy slumped down onto the nearest metal seat and looked down at his hands squirming together in his lap. He stopped them moving with an effort. He was breathing hard, sucking the air in as though he couldn’t get enough of it. JC studied the telepath carefully, trying not to let his concern show. He’d never seen Happy this upset.
“Something awful happened down
“I don’t see anyone,” said JC. “Can’t say I feel anything much, either.”
“Feel the air,” said Happy. “It’s colder than it should be, and . . . brittle. I’m getting a definite feeling of anticipation. Of something about to happen. And even though lights are still on . . . doesn’t it still feel dark, to you?”
“Go on,” said JC. “What else?”
“Eyes,” said Happy. “A constant feeling of being observed, by unseen eyes. Not human. Nature . . . unknown. But I can feel them, digging into my back. Whatever it is that’s down here, that terrified and traumatised all those people . . . it knows we’re here.”
“Good,” JC said briskly. “At least now we can be sure we’re not down here on a wild ghost chase. Melody? Do you have anything interesting to tell us yet?”
“Don’t shout! I can hear you perfectly.” Melody concentrated on what her instrument panels were telling her, not even glancing round at JC and Happy. “Short- and long-range sensors are all on-line and reporting in, but so far all they’re giving me is a headache. Information’s coming in faster than the computers can deal with it, and none of it makes any sense. I’m getting readings all across the board: temperature spikes, radiation surges, electromagnetic fluctuations I would have said were impossible under normal conditions; and a whole bunch of weird energy signatures are popping up all over the place.”
“Purpose?” said JC.
“Beats the hell out of me,” said Melody, stabbing viciously at various keyboards with both hands. “I’m getting definite indications of Time shifts. Intrusions from the Past. Some recent, some not. And underneath all that . . . I’m reading Deep Time, JC. From long before this station even existed. This is bad, JC, seriously bad. I’ve never seen so many extreme readings in one place before.”
“Go on,” JC urged. “Throw caution to the winds and give me your best guess as to what’s happening here.”
“I do not guess!” snapped Melody. “I am a scientist! I study data and draw logical conclusions. Only . . . there’s nothing sane or logical about any of this. I can’t make head nor tail of what my computers are telling me. If I didn’t know better, I’d say they were scared. All I can tell you is that whatever it is we’ve got down here, it’s spread itself through the whole station. There isn’t a single platform or tunnel here that hasn’t been touched, and changed.”
“But is it still confined to the station?” JC said carefully.
“Maybe. Probably. My long-range sensors get confused, the further out they reach. And before you ask: no, I can’t locate any heart or central core to this haunting. It’s all over the place.”
“It’s bad,” said Happy. He was wringing his hands together, unconsciously. “I need a pill, JC, I really do. A little something, to take the edge off.”
“No you don’t,” said JC.
“Come on, JC! You’re feeling this, too; I can tell. Like ice in your blood, and knives at your throat. Like something really bad could come charging out of that tunnel-mouth at any moment. And for everything you feel, it’s a thousand times worse for me. Who’s afraid of the big bad wolf, JC? I am. I am.”
“You’re no use to me with your brains shut down,” said JC. “There’ll be time for pills later. Now come on; concentrate. You’re stronger than you think. What exactly is it that you’re picking up?”
Happy slumped down onto the nearest metal seat and looked down at his hands squirming together in his lap. He stopped them moving with an effort. He was breathing hard, sucking the air in as though he couldn’t get enough of it. JC studied the telepath carefully, trying not to let his concern show. He’d never seen Happy this upset.
“Something awful happened down
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