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He dabbed a tiny amount of the oil on his tongue and spat it out. “Have these always been burning during your therapy sessions?” He turned to Nell.

She nodded. “Yes, they always smell so good.”

Rane smashed the burner to the ground. “It’s a mind-altering substance. No wonder you always felt so different after spending an hour inhaling those fumes.”

“You know nothing of my oils,” Doctor Kingsbury said. “They’re essential concoctions to calm patients.”

“Not true.” Rane glared at her. “You’ve manipulated Nell this whole time.”

“Nell has had a breakdown. She’s talking nonsense about bombs and access codes. I know nothing of this.”

“I think you do,” Rane said. “You made her do this.”

Doctor Kingsbury’s expression hardened. “My patients are looked after. I do what is best for them, even if they sometimes think otherwise. I recommend Nell is transferred to secure accommodation, where she can be safely monitored. It sounds as if she made an attempt at suicide.”

“She wouldn’t have done that if she’d never met you. Who are you?” Rane hummed as he talked, pushing everything he had into seeing through the disguise Doctor Kingsbury had in place.

Doctor Kingsbury turned her back. “I will not be manipulated.”

“It’s not nice when someone does it to you, is it,” Nell said. “Answer him.”

“There’s nothing to answer for.”

“Give me a moment,” Rane said. “I can feel a shift. She’s weakening.”

“I am not.” Doctor Kingsbury sounded as if she was speaking through gritted teeth. “I refuse to talk.”

“You won’t have a choice soon,” Nell said. “Rane, give her everything you’ve got.”

Rane continued to hum and saw Doctor Kingsbury sag. Her whole body shuddered, and she groaned.

“Stay back,” he said to Nell.

Nell’s eyes widened. “What’s happening to her?”

“She’s shifting form.”

Nell looked up at him. “She’s what now?”

Doctor Kingsbury made an inhuman snarl as her body disappeared. She morphed into a small, shimmering purple blob, standing three feet high with tiny black eyes and a thin mouth.

“Holy crap! She’s a shape-shifting alien,” Nell said.

“A Passista.” They were shape-shifting blobs of space scum who liked nothing more than messing with people’s heads with their manipulation skills. Passista did not use their ability for good. They were the chaos makers in space. No one ever invited the Passista around for beers and snacks.

“I’ve heard about them. This is my first,” Nell whispered.

The purple blob growled and snarled as she pulsated in front of them.

“Calm yourself,” Rane commanded. “Tell us what you’ve been doing.”

The Passista gurgled a few times. “We need access to Prodigy.”

“For what purpose?”

“To ensure a coordinated attack.” The words grated from the blob’s small black mouth.

“You used me to gain access?” Nell asked.