Eternity's Edge by Bryan Davis

they ghostly shadows? And what was he carrying?
    A whisper, or maybe an echo of a whisper, drifted through his mind.
You, my love, are one of the gifted, and another is searching for you in her dreams. Perhaps we can guide her to a convenient place to meet you.
And there was something else, something about a violin, but the dream seemed like wisps of vapor, transparent and impossible to grab.
    Nathan shook his head. Could Francesca's phantasmic appearance in Earth Blue have been a manifestation of a dream? Francesca's dream? That would be truly bizarre.
    He listened to the silence. The buzzing noise didn't return, only the gentle hum of a distant motor. Maybe the static had been a sign of Francesca's presence, a cacophony that needed to be decoded as they had done for the chaotic music at the observatory. If so, the silence proved that she and Nikolai were gone. Not a trace of moving shadow or hint of static remained.
    Finally, Nathan forced out a few high-pitched words. “Let's get out of here.”
    After finding a coat for himself and Kelly, he hustled back to the development lab, leaving Kelly at the adjacent vision center to try on glasses. The photo processor hummed, but the ready light, the indicator that the chemicals had come up to operating temperature, was still dark. He glared at the bulb. How long would it take? They had to hurry.
    He found a plastic leader card and attached the end of the film with splice tape. No time to test a blank. It would have to work on the first try. Finally, the ready light flashed on. Perfect. Time to get busy.
    Nathan loaded the card on the feeder sprockets, closed the cover, and listened to the chorus of noises. The film reeled out of the cartridge, then a snick sounded from inside, and the empty cartridge clattered into a recycle bin. The first step was underway.
    “You all right over there?” Nathan called.
    “Fine,” Kelly replied. “I can't find any glasses that help, though.”
    “Hang on. This shouldn't take too long.”
    As the machine hummed, images of evenings he and his father spent developing photos in a lab at home came to mind—a darkroom light, the odor of chemicals, a line for hanging the photos, and his father's tedious, yet thoughtful way of caringfor every detail. By comparison, this machine was ten times easier.
    After a few minutes, the last frame slid out the other end, and he sliced the roll free from the card with a pair of scissors. He then loaded the film into the scanner, pulled up the thumbnail images on the monitor, and clicked the mouse on an icon to burn the pictures to a CD.
    When the process completed, he pulled the first photo up on the screen. A tremble shook Nathan's hand. Since this camera had belonged to Nathan Blue's father, who could tell what might be on the film? This picture showed Dr. Simon and Dr. Gordon standing together next to the telescope in the observatory. Near the top border the mirrored ceiling reflected the scene below it— a copy of the telescope and the two men.
    Nathan zoomed in on the image. There was something in the mirror, something that reminded him of … Yes. That was it. A misty funnel spinning between Simon and Gordon. Could this be the arrival of Mictar?
    He shook away his stare. No more time. He grabbed the CD, stuffed it in a protective envelope, and snatched up a new roll of film from the store's stock. He found Kelly sliding a pair of old-lady spectacles into its case and took her hand. “Let's hit the road!”
    After figuring out how to pay for everything at the self-checkout lane, they ran outside with their valuables — mirror, camera, photos, CD, and helmets. Although the snow had stopped, the blistering wind continued. Bundling up, they shuffled to the motorcycles through a two-inch layer of snow. Nathan pulled out his cell phone and punched Clara's speed dial. A few seconds later, he let out a huff. Voice mail again.
    They packed their load in the saddlebags, mounted the bikes, and plowed across the