DEAD SPACE MARTYR PART FIVE COLLAPSE Part 45
44 He woke up with an oxygen mask strapped to his face, surrounded by a series of seemingly identical men dressed in white, their faces covered by surgeon’s masks. “He made it,” one of them said. “He’s alive.” “Any evidence of brain damage?” asked another. Altman tried to speak, but couldn’t get his tongue around the words. One of the doctors put a hand on his shoulder. It was Stevens, he realized; he could recognize him by his eyes. “Just relax,” he said. “You’re lucky to be alive.” He closed his eyes, swallowed. And then a terrible thought hit him: What if this was just another hallucination? He tried to move his arms, but couldn’t. He opened his eyes, looking desperately around. “He’s confused,” he heard one of them say. “Disoriented. He doesn’t know where he is.” What was it she had said? You must not give in to the Marker. You must not allow it to begin Convergence. He had to tell them. “The Marker,” he whispered. Markoff leaned close. “The Marker,” he repeated. “The Marker?” said Markoff. “What Ma…
