As their minds meshed, Alice understood the peril Julia was in. She saw Conner fire his hand cannon through the door and watched gunfire return. She tasted Julia’s fear and determination, knew her in that moment more intimately than she thought possible. She remembered the woman’s loves and losses, motivations and education, felt Julia inside her in equal measure. It was a union, a meshing of minds that suggested something more, a way for humanity to evolve if they lived past the next few minutes.