me."
"The tear was too much. It burned him out."
Fuyuko dropped her hands. Angie's anger seemed to have given way to remorse. "That's what didn't make sense to me. If Katsuro was so great, so strong, how could a normal tear burn him out, yet Gwynn could close a world killer without a scratch? How's that possible? I mean," Fuyuko's voice shook, bordering on hysterics, "I spent my life looking up to him. I knew him better than anyone, and I'm telling you no tear was enough to burn out my brother."
Fuyuko's chest heaved with each breath. Dammit, how could she expect to rejoin Anusz if just yelling left her winded?
"We all agreed afterward," Angie's voice barely a whisper, "we would never watch the footage. Even without the promise, I don't think any of us would."
"I never made that promise." She quickly added to avoid angering Angie, "I never thought I would have to. I never thought it would be something I'd want to see."
"So…what did you see?"
Fuyuko contained a laugh. For all Angie's bravado, and all the crap she'd given her, Fuyuko could still hear a kernel of curiosity in her voice.
"I didn't see anything. It's password protected."
"What? Impossible."
"I thought so too. So I got Ethan out of command to try. I figured maybe they had blocked me from seeing it. But even Ethan was blocked. Afterward, it displayed a message saying any further attempts to view the footage without proper pass code verification would be investigated."
Angie flopped down on her bed. "That makes no sense. Paltar told us all mission footage was available. Did he lie, or was he just wrong?"
Fuyuko shrugged. "I don't know."
Angie pressed her palms against her head. "I'm really starting to hate where this is going. Just cut to the chase—why do you need me?"
Moment of truth time.
"I need you to get inside my father's head and retrieve his Zeta-level pass code."
Angie's hands dropped and her eyes bugged out. She remained motionless long enough Fuyuko worried she wouldn't be coming back.
"What did you ask me?" Angie finally managed.
Fuyuko moved closer and knelt down in front of Angie. "I know I'm asking a lot. I promise, if there was any other way, I would take it. The only way to find out what really happened to Katsuro is if I have Zeta clearance. Besides Njord and Woten, that leaves my dad. But he'll never give it to me if I ask."
"You think if I use my abilities we can just take it from his mind?"
"If it's not possible, just tell me and I'll forget the whole thing. But if my brother meant anything to you, and there's even the slightest chance it could be done, please, help me."
"It's not…" Angie's lip trembled. "I can't lie to you. It's possible. You should still forget the whole thing. Going into someone else's dreams is dangerous. Especially if you're purposefully trying to get information they don't want to give up. You risk psychic feedback that could damage your own mind. If you push too hard, you could injure your dad too."
"You did it with Gwynn. How is this any different?"
Angie groaned. "Woten was worried about Gwynn's dreams. He thought somehow the Fallen might be able to find him through his subconscious mind—"
"Is that possible?"
"Maybe. I'm not sure. What I'm trying to tell you is I'd been connected to Gwynn through dreams for eight months before I tried to involve myself. And even then, we were having a picnic. It's not like I was trying to find out some buried secret. In order not to risk his own mind, I'd have to know him a lot better. Besides, if I just show up in your father's dreams, you don't think he'll be suspicious? I mean, he knows what I can do."
"What about me?" Fuyuko asked. "I know him. Maybe it wouldn't seem so strange for his daughter to be there. Could you somehow put me there?"
Angie turned a pale shade of green.
"Do you have any idea what you're asking me to do?"
"Yes, and I already said I'm sorry. I'll apologize a million more times if it means you'll help me."
"Do you really think
"The tear was too much. It burned him out."
Fuyuko dropped her hands. Angie's anger seemed to have given way to remorse. "That's what didn't make sense to me. If Katsuro was so great, so strong, how could a normal tear burn him out, yet Gwynn could close a world killer without a scratch? How's that possible? I mean," Fuyuko's voice shook, bordering on hysterics, "I spent my life looking up to him. I knew him better than anyone, and I'm telling you no tear was enough to burn out my brother."
Fuyuko's chest heaved with each breath. Dammit, how could she expect to rejoin Anusz if just yelling left her winded?
"We all agreed afterward," Angie's voice barely a whisper, "we would never watch the footage. Even without the promise, I don't think any of us would."
"I never made that promise." She quickly added to avoid angering Angie, "I never thought I would have to. I never thought it would be something I'd want to see."
"So…what did you see?"
Fuyuko contained a laugh. For all Angie's bravado, and all the crap she'd given her, Fuyuko could still hear a kernel of curiosity in her voice.
"I didn't see anything. It's password protected."
"What? Impossible."
"I thought so too. So I got Ethan out of command to try. I figured maybe they had blocked me from seeing it. But even Ethan was blocked. Afterward, it displayed a message saying any further attempts to view the footage without proper pass code verification would be investigated."
Angie flopped down on her bed. "That makes no sense. Paltar told us all mission footage was available. Did he lie, or was he just wrong?"
Fuyuko shrugged. "I don't know."
Angie pressed her palms against her head. "I'm really starting to hate where this is going. Just cut to the chase—why do you need me?"
Moment of truth time.
"I need you to get inside my father's head and retrieve his Zeta-level pass code."
Angie's hands dropped and her eyes bugged out. She remained motionless long enough Fuyuko worried she wouldn't be coming back.
"What did you ask me?" Angie finally managed.
Fuyuko moved closer and knelt down in front of Angie. "I know I'm asking a lot. I promise, if there was any other way, I would take it. The only way to find out what really happened to Katsuro is if I have Zeta clearance. Besides Njord and Woten, that leaves my dad. But he'll never give it to me if I ask."
"You think if I use my abilities we can just take it from his mind?"
"If it's not possible, just tell me and I'll forget the whole thing. But if my brother meant anything to you, and there's even the slightest chance it could be done, please, help me."
"It's not…" Angie's lip trembled. "I can't lie to you. It's possible. You should still forget the whole thing. Going into someone else's dreams is dangerous. Especially if you're purposefully trying to get information they don't want to give up. You risk psychic feedback that could damage your own mind. If you push too hard, you could injure your dad too."
"You did it with Gwynn. How is this any different?"
Angie groaned. "Woten was worried about Gwynn's dreams. He thought somehow the Fallen might be able to find him through his subconscious mind—"
"Is that possible?"
"Maybe. I'm not sure. What I'm trying to tell you is I'd been connected to Gwynn through dreams for eight months before I tried to involve myself. And even then, we were having a picnic. It's not like I was trying to find out some buried secret. In order not to risk his own mind, I'd have to know him a lot better. Besides, if I just show up in your father's dreams, you don't think he'll be suspicious? I mean, he knows what I can do."
"What about me?" Fuyuko asked. "I know him. Maybe it wouldn't seem so strange for his daughter to be there. Could you somehow put me there?"
Angie turned a pale shade of green.
"Do you have any idea what you're asking me to do?"
"Yes, and I already said I'm sorry. I'll apologize a million more times if it means you'll help me."
"Do you really think
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