“I don’t know anything,” Tim rushes out the words, but his brain is flashing through the scatter memories of the past few hours. The creature in the other cell. The ones in the room. Mutagenia, Guardian, Peacemaker, King Snake, gurneys and slabs and ray guns.

He remembers, and he doesn’t know how to make himself forget. He’s never had a national security secret before. His secrets are getting home after curfew and skipping club meetings to play Warlocks and Warriors.

“Oh, crap.” He takes the Small ray gun out of his pocket and tries to get Guardian to take it. “I only picked it up because they were right next to me, and I didn’t want them to pop up and shoot me like in the movies. I wasn’t trying to steal for proof!”