"Now what do we do?" Mags asked after they had sat there a long time. Well It had been at least ten minutes since then had looked down at her hand on his flesh, then at each other and then away, both going back to their private own private hells.
"I- I don't know." Mars said. "Without the Trace, I feel lost."
"What is this "Trace-thingy" you keep talking about?" Mags said not expecting an answer.
Mars was silent long enough that she finally looked over at him. He sat there, his mouth moving but no words coming out, it was if he were trying to come up with an answer but failing to find words to express it. Finally he shook his head and looked down at the gun in his hands.
"I can find no words in my mind that I can speak to say what the Trace is or was. It told me that it could not maintain contact with me for long after we arrived here."
"You mean it was here but isn't anymore?"
"Yes, but-" He stopped short then shook his head.
"But?" She spoke more to prod him than to ask.
"No, that is not right." He said then looked at her and nodded. "The Trace is or was in my head, I cannot see it, except when I picture it in my head- my- my.." mars waved his hands a bit. "My mind's eye- the Trace is my mind's eye...no that's not right either."
"Did you have it back where you came from- before you were sent here?" She asked. It was pretty confusing- talk about lost in translation.
"Yes, back there the Trace was always with me. It would tell me what to do, where to go, how to do most things, when to do most things."
"Like a conscience?"
"Conscience- I don't know that word. What is a conscience?"
"It's like an inner voice- a part of your- your" now she was waving her hands. She made herself stop and look at him. "Hell I don't know, it is something most of us humans just have."
"Yes, I guess the Trace is like that." Mars nodded. "Does it talk to you much?"
"I guess..."
"Where can i get this Conscience?" Mars suddenly asked.
"Uhm."
"What?"
"Well- you can't get a conscience- per-say, my dad always said you had to grow one."
"Grow one?" Mars looked perplexed. "You mean like grow a beard or grow a tree""
"Uhm." Talk about awkward questions.
"I- I don't know." Mars said. "Without the Trace, I feel lost."
"What is this "Trace-thingy" you keep talking about?" Mags said not expecting an answer.
Mars was silent long enough that she finally looked over at him. He sat there, his mouth moving but no words coming out, it was if he were trying to come up with an answer but failing to find words to express it. Finally he shook his head and looked down at the gun in his hands.
"I can find no words in my mind that I can speak to say what the Trace is or was. It told me that it could not maintain contact with me for long after we arrived here."
"You mean it was here but isn't anymore?"
"Yes, but-" He stopped short then shook his head.
"But?" She spoke more to prod him than to ask.
"No, that is not right." He said then looked at her and nodded. "The Trace is or was in my head, I cannot see it, except when I picture it in my head- my- my.." mars waved his hands a bit. "My mind's eye- the Trace is my mind's eye...no that's not right either."
"Did you have it back where you came from- before you were sent here?" She asked. It was pretty confusing- talk about lost in translation.
"Yes, back there the Trace was always with me. It would tell me what to do, where to go, how to do most things, when to do most things."
"Like a conscience?"
"Conscience- I don't know that word. What is a conscience?"
"It's like an inner voice- a part of your- your" now she was waving her hands. She made herself stop and look at him. "Hell I don't know, it is something most of us humans just have."
"Yes, I guess the Trace is like that." Mars nodded. "Does it talk to you much?"
"I guess..."
"Where can i get this Conscience?" Mars suddenly asked.
"Uhm."
"What?"
"Well- you can't get a conscience- per-say, my dad always said you had to grow one."
"Grow one?" Mars looked perplexed. "You mean like grow a beard or grow a tree""
"Uhm." Talk about awkward questions.
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