"What about a coma patient?" Skylar asked in the subway car.

Over the last few days, Miranda and Skylar had traveled to New York City. People stared at Skylar where ever they went. This was Skylar's fifth time asking the same question on the trip.

"Because I can't cure a coma. Adding your consciousness into a coma patient would put you into a coma," Miranda closed her eyes and breathed slowly. She had to remind herself that Skylar's consciousness was still a little girl. She did not get a chance to grow up.

When Skylar looked poised to ask the next repeated question, Miranda answered it ahead of time, "And the same thing for disabled people. I can't cure that with your consciousness. Those brains are chemically wired different. Just like this body is different than your original one beyond the physical differences. What tastes good, the reaction to stress, every little thing is chemically different and therefore not a match. I promised we would find you a better body, but we have to do it in a way that gives you the best life possible."

A lone woman across the way was doing her best to ignore the conversation. Miranda didn't blame her. This was weird even by her standards. The train stopped and the two of them got out, at the edge of a massive city.

New York was bigger than Cantera Bay back home, though the Coalition's Illurium building would probably dominate the city skyline. Just the same, the buildings were massive, the lights were bright and people were everywhere.

They walked among a procession across walkways, sidewalks and side streets. Skylar limped noticeably, and her bone spear hung out of one of the hooded sweatshirt, but people here didn't notice. They were too busy walking and looking at phones.

After a few miles, they reached a large intersection filled with billboards and glowing signs. Skylar let out a grunt. Her eyes grew wide, and she tried to speak a warning, but nothing came out. Her posture went ridged.

Miranda put an arm out, trying to decipher what was wrong when the wind was knocked out of her too. She lost control of her body, a familiar sensation. She was being soul jumped.

"I was wondering when you would find us," Miranda said, scanning the crowds where she could to find the culprits.

They were walked among the crowd for a moment until they came to a small Chinese restaurant. Inside were three people Miranda vaguely recognized from the Activists group back on Cova. They sat at a large circular table nestled into a corner.

"You waltz through time square, and we are going to notice." The tallest one said. She had short red hair, and her nose was now pierced.

"Why'd you bring the freak with you?" The man to her left said.

Skylar and Miranda were forced to sit down at the table opposite them. Food was brought out to the activists, but the waitress made no indication she was going to acknowledge Miranda's or Skylar's presence.

"I'm not a freak." Skylar growled next to her.

The three across the table laughed.

"Not so tough without the suit to block our soul jumps are you?" The nose pierced one said.

"Speaking of tough," Miranda responded. "You've been here for half a year. Maybe a little more, I'm losing track of time. And the only thing you've got on us is your same old soul jumps?"

"You're just trying to gloat our new secrets out of us." Nose ring said.

"No, you've got noting. I can see it in your eyes."

A flash of doubt crept over the tall nose ring girl. But then she regained the false confidence. "A soul jump is all we need against you."

"Your mighty queen had ten soul jumps, and she couldn't beat me without that suit."

The three of them looked at each other and the soul jump on her wavered a little bit. The soul jumper was holding her, but allowing free lip movement for the conversation. At this point, the free movement extended to her hand. It was enough to reach into her satchel and pull out the Ancestral Branch. A lacquered Branch object capable of shooting memory trances like a tranquilizer gun.

One shot fired three orbs from the extended branches and their three captors were out. Miranda put her hand on the back of each of their heads in turn and pulled memories from the past few months into her archive stone.

"What are you doing?" Skylar asked.

"I'm gaining intelligence. These guys have been here for a while. They know the lay of the land. That and they may have found Scott and Dixon."

The memories were pretty strait forward until about a week ago. Someone took out the Local legions in Alaska, and then in Nevada. They thought - and Miranda hoped - it was Scott and Dixon. But they turned out to be in England.

"I told them I was in America or Africa," Miranda complained to herself.

She dug further into the past to find out what they’d been doing. Most of their focus was on a series of secret labs, apparently built by Pavarti. Most of them remained unopened. Perhaps the most useful thing was the central communication using the soul jumpers like wireless internet waves. Maybe she could sneak a message on their to Scott, Dixon and Talia.

She pulled out of the memories to the sound of Skylar shrieking. Outside the window, a giant egg shaped rock sat on top of a crushed car. Above it, a mass of glowing purple fog, with streaks of lightning.

"Talia?" Miranda stood up and ran to the window for a better look.

The fog sent out a shock wave, and all of the lights in Times Square went out. It was still day time outside, but resulting darkness felt deep. The purple mist turned black, and made a sphere around the egg.

Inside the egg turned a bright glowing red, and cracked open.

Miranda stood from her seat and went to the window. A man pulled himself out of the egg and walked to the edge of the black sphere. His silhouette matched the color of the now cracked egg. He reached out his hand and put it on the edge.

A woman who was close, walked to the sphere, trembling. She put her hand out to touch his. The instant the connection was made, the woman was vaporized.

"What is that?" Nose ring girl said as she got up from her trance.

"Probably what you've been looking for this whole time." Miranda said as she pulled out the Dominion rod, a short stick handy for keeping soul jumpers in their own bodies without hitting them with a trance. It would also allow Miranda to control them. She activated the rod and nose ring girl was at her command, instead of the other way around.