“You’ve seen things relevant to me?”

Ashley looked at the various scientists. “Yes. I remember things relevant to you.”

“We were hoping to confirm and verify.”

“Okay,” Edict said.

“Your son’s name,” Ashley said. She reached out for her diary, and a scientist handed it to her. She found her pen and wrote the name out.

The grip on the pen was hard to maintain, the movements stiff.

It was a good thing the word was short: Shiloh.

It was better to write it than to say it out loud, because Edict wore a costume, and her identity deserved preserving. Ashley showed Edict.

“I can confirm. You know my little boy’s name. That bothers me, if I’m honest.”

Ashley nodded. “I know that you had a routine with the woman who worked the reception in Stafford. Shandra.”

She could have gone on, she was even tempted to, to outline all the things she knew and easily get them confirmed. She bit her tongue.

“I can confirm,” Edict said.

“I know you had your neighbor as the go-to babysitter for your son, when work intruded. She was a high school student, and would pick up your son on her way back.”

“Confirm,” Edict said. Her forehead creased with a worry line.

“For overnight stays, you’d use your aunt. You didn’t like doing it because she didn’t know or approve about your cape life.”

“Confirm. How do you know this? What’s going on?”

“I have memories that aren’t mine,” Ashley said. “The memories are as clear as any of my own. I know a lot of things, but I’m trying to think of things that only you would know, so they can confirm.”

“Yeah, well, you’re thinking of good ones,” Edict said. “I’m not comfortable with this. I’m concerned, actually.”

“I mean no harm, now,” Ashley said, but scientists were already talking over her, asking Edict things. Shouting the statement would defeat the point.

“Has anyone reported anything like this to you?” one scientist asked.

“No.”

“Edict. On a scale of one to ten, how likely would you say it is that your power, used on any person, could establish a permanent link to that someone?”

“I don’t know,” Edict said. “Two. But I do know that I’m very, very tired of my power having hidden facets to it. I can’t rule anything out.”

“Ashley, on a scale of one to ten, with your extensive background being on the recipient side of Edict’s power, how likely would you say it is that a connection or link was established when she used her power on you?”

“One. I don’t think it’s likely.”

“It upsets me,” Edict said. “My memories are mine.”

“They are,” Ashley responded. “I’m not especially happy about it either.”

“On that note,” one scientist asked. “Do you feel any less like yourself, Ashley?”