Operation Darkness: Projection
by scifantasy

Dead. I couldn't get off of that. *I'm dead.* While I was trying to give 
Brad some advice for our trip back to Mendellia, most of my mental functions--

If indeed they are such. The language I speak does not have the proper 
linguistic capability for time travel, that I knew, but as I thought--or 
sort of thought--about it, I realized that it didn't have the capability 
for the metaphysical, either. Mental functions are still of the brain, and 
mine was preserved in Luna base. And, despite what Terry wrote, I most 
definitely still had emotions.

And those were running in total overdrive. I'd landed, and listened, still 
somewhat detached--in a sense of paying attention--while Thayer and Becki 
and all of them discussed the plans for the defense of Terra. Then Brad 
went off to the infirmary, carrying Vickie, and I (of course) went along.

And as if Vickie lying limply in Brad's arms wasn't bad enough, I had to 
see Sylvana, walking around with burns that looked bad enough to push her 
into unconsciousness. And, oddly, with a blue glow, but I ignored that for 
now. I winced--sort of--when I saw her injuries. I was so sorry for her, 
and I wanted to tell her. I could almost feel myself reaching for her...

Then I heard what she was saying. "Brad, grab me a laser scalpel and a 
bunch of gauze.  Sci, get a hemostat and syringe from the top right 
cabinet, will you?"

I blinked, but--obviously--didn't move to do anything. She looked over at 
me and said something about not getting in her way. I almost laughed.

She walked to--through--me before it clicked. When she did that, she left a 
metaphysical sensation that was something like tickling in her wake. 
"You're a spirit!" she exclaimed.

"That tickled me, and *you're* one to talk.  You're glowing blue." I 
stopped listening to what she was saying as I thought--well, you get what I 
mean--about what had happened.

*I grabbed on to Brad when I saw him, somehow. I must have done the same 
thing with Sylvana. And if I could do it to Sylvana, that probably means I 
could do it to others. And I can also switch my attachment...* Suddenly I 
realized that Brad had left the medbay. Which meant that I was now attached 
to Sylvana like I had been to Brad. I reached out with my mind, and...

I can't describe exactly what it means to change one's metaphysical 
perspective. Suffice it to say, I ended up riding shotgun inside Brad's 
head again, but the transfer was extremely odd, with me seeing colors that 
didn't exist--it occurred to me that I might be seeing the Force, or 
something like it, and it looked vaguely octarine--and other unusual 
things. I hoped that I wasn't staring into the Dungeon Dimensions...

Brad was back in his room. Quietly, I decided to explore my limits. I was 
not barred by walls or floor, but it seems I couldn't be more than a few 
meters from my current--well, I guess "host" works as a term. But once I'd 
attached to a host, I could jump back from--I wasn't sure how far, but I 
guessed it would be any distance.

So I jumped back to Sylvana. And when I exited the "skimming space" I was 
in, I first thought I hadn't left. The entire room was glowing with colors 
like the octarine I'd seen before, along with standard blues and oranges 
dominating. In one corner, in golden tones, was the Watcher that's been 
following Sylvana since Arrakis. (I don't think he knows how much I know 
about him--in short, it's not enough for me, but more than anyone 
realizes.) The scene was dominated by Sylvana, who was glowing blue and 
doing...something...to Vickie. It looked like she was weaving Healing, but 
any Aes Sedai in the condition she was in would need an *angreal* to do 
that much. At any rate, I could see something around Vickie, too, which 
made sense to me somewhat. I'd been seeing an aura around Brad, too.

I was beginning to believe that what I was seeing was a person's spirit. 
And if that person was manifesting some form of extrasensory power--Jedi 
abilities, Sylvana's skills, or even simply reacting to some--I'd see a 
reaction in the spirit. Vickie's spirit had a big black blotch on it, 
probably her injuries, but it was receding quickly. I was reminded of the 
Falme wound by that.

As a test, I reached out to jump to the Watcher. I don't think he noticed
me, which is something of a relief. For now. Then whatever Sylvana was
doing finished, and the auras on all three of them dimmed, but did not
disappear. (Vickie's, though, went from blue--which I belatedly realized 
was kind of Syl's signature color--to a light purple. Her color. Brad had 
been an odd shade of grey.) I guessed that since I was dead, I could 
always see something around the spirits of people with these abilities,
since they're always working. Unless one was in a ysalamir field, or in a 
*stedding* or something. Living people probably couldn't see them unless 
they were being sufficiently used.

At any rate, I jumped back to Brad, who was just heading out to start 
working with the ships. He noticed my reappearance. "Where have you been?" 
he asked wryly.

"Oh," I replied flippantly, "jumping around."