Before he could answer, one of the panes on the wall flickered.
Not a normal glitch.
Two additional brainwave signals flashed over Jagger's primary reading, overlapping it for the briefest instant. One was sharp and narrow, jagged in a way that looked almost deliberate. The other was broader, heavier, and more violent in its pattern. They appeared in tandem, held for barely a fraction of a second, and then the pane stabilized as if nothing had happened.
"What was that?" the young technician asked, his voice tightening.
Doctor Tham's eyes narrowed immediately. "Hold still."
"I am standing still."
The scanner arm slowed as it passed over him again, pale blue lines crawling from his scalp to his throat, down over his sternum, abdomen, and spine. The light lingered around his head and chest this time, more focused, more invasive. For one strange heartbeat, the temperature in the room seemed to dip.
Then the hum evened out.
The extra signals were gone.
