DISCLAIMER: Earth: Final Conflict and all of Earth:
Final characters in this story are property of Tribune Entertainment.
No infringement of rights is intended.
Ariel is a creation of my own. Please don’t use her without my permission.
AUTHOR’S NOTE: After Lili’s death and Da’an’s betrayal, Liam finds
himself all alone…or is he?
RATING: PG
IN MY DARKEST HOUR
By Agent Sandy
“I believe that,
I will find you.
It’s written on the wind.
I will find you.
Where the journey ends,
Love will let me in.
I will know your face.
I’ll be home.”
Marc Anthony—I Will Find You
As long days went, this had been one of the longest Liam’d
had in a long time because it seemed like every time he had turned around,
he’d had to tap
dance around either Zo’or, Sandoval, or Da’an. Ever since the crackdown
on the Resistance, nothing between he and Da’an had been the same, and
he
missed their former closeness—more than he would ever admit. As much
as he looked and acted like an adult, there was still a child inside of
him who was
scared to death. It was that child who had been having nightmares
for the last two weeks...and it was that child who suffered because he
had no one to turn
to...not Lili, not Augur, not Da’an.
Liam sighed and pulled his jacket more tightly around himself.
There was a nip in the air, and it almost smelled like snow. Not that
he would be looking
forward to snow this year... Last year had been very different though....
*“Hey Liam!” Lili’s voice
carried through the crisp air and pulled him back to his senses. It was
snowing...he’d never seen snow before—not with his own
eyes anyway. He turned to face her only to get a ball of cold wet
snow in his face. He wiped it off and looked at Lili who was smiling innocently.
“What was that for?” He
asked.
“Oh come on. Don’t tell
me Sandoval never was in a snowball fight when he was a kid,” she replied.
Liam eyed her hands, which
where clasped behind her back. He was waiting for the next snowball to
come. Yes, Sandoval had been in plenty of
snowball fights when he was young. Her “attack” had caught him by
surprise, though. He wasn’t going to let it happen again.
Lili’s smile widened, “Liam,
you look like you are waiting for me to grow another head or something.
What is it?”
“I’m not falling for that.
The minute I take my eyes off you, you are going to hit me with the snowball
that is behind your back.”
“What snowball Liam? I
think Doors’ paranoia is rubbing off on you,” Lili laughed.
Liam glared at her, “What?
Do you think I was born yesterday?”
“Yep, sure do,” Liam turned
toward the sound of Augur’s voice and was again hit in the face with a
snowball. It knocked him off balance and he slipped
and fell into the snow
“Yep, born yesterday, hasn’t
even gotten walking down yet,” Augur grinned at Lili. “Perhaps we should
get him a walker for Christmas.”
Lili doubled over in laughter...laughter
that stopped when Liam threw a snowball into her face.
Augur laughed at the surprise
on her face. That laughter ended when the snowball that she had been hiding
behind her back met his face.
Augur looked at her smiling
face through the snow dripping off his, “This means war!” *
Liam stopped walking a
moment to wipe away the tears that had formed in his eyes. Once he had
gotten a grip on himself, he crossed the street to his
apartment building (after the crackdown, it had been impossible for
him to continue to live at his old one without raising suspicion), and
pulled out the keys. As
much as he missed his old place, the back entrance to this place made
it easy for him to sneak in and out. He just hoped that the rickety old
steps that lead up
to his place didn’t give out someday. He started to climb them, being
extra careful since the outside light seemed to have burnt out, leaving
him to climb the
stairs in pitch darkness. As he neared the top, he noticed there was
a dark shape on top of the steps. At first he thought it was just a couple
of the landlady’s
cats. As he got closer, he realized that the shape was too big to
be just a couple of cats. He got to the top and stepped carefully around
it, at the same time
unlocking his door and flipping on the inside light. It didn’t help
a lot, but it was better than pitch darkness.
Liam knelt down by the shape
and carefully removed the cloth that was laying over it. When he saw what
was under the cloth his heart froze.
“Oh my God...” He whispered.
At the sound of his voice
the shape moaned softly and then turned its face toward him. After a moment,
Liam found himself looking into blue eyes so
deep he knew they couldn’t be human.
“Please...help me...”she
begged in a soft voice. “Don’t...don’t let them...find me.”
Liam pulled the girl’s slight
form into his arms as an overwhelming need to protect her filled him, “Who?
Who are they?”
“The Taelons,” she whispered
and then slipped into a language few on earth or off it would recognize.
Liam recognized it at once, though. It was a
language he had never heard, except in his deepest memories. It was
the language of the Kimera...
“Is that really necessary?” Liam asked, looking speculatively
at the restraints that had been placed around the girl’s thin wrists.
Dr. Belman looked at him, “Yes, Liam. If she is really
part Kimera, then we have no idea what she is capable of doing.”
“They didn’t restrain me, and they didn't know what I was
capable of,” Liam stated.
Belman lightly touched a bruise on the side of the girl’s
face, “You didn't come to us abused...beaten...Lord, I don’t even what
to think of what they did
to her.”
Liam’s voice lowered in concern, “That bad, hu?”
Belman nodded, “ Won’t know for sure until I do some tests,
but yes.”
“How could they do something like that to her?” Liam’s
face angered, “She’s only a child!”
Belman touched his arm, “Calm down. Being angry will get
you nowhere.”
Liam looked at the floor a moment and then grabbed his
jacket, “You’re right. There is only one thing that will get me anywhere.”
Belman’s face got concerned, “What?”
“I’m going to talk to Da’an,” Liam stated and then started
from the room. He hadn’t even gotten to the elevator when a crash came
from the room
followed by a scream.
“Liam, get in here now!” Belman yelled.
Liam sprinted back to the room. Inside, the girl had broken
loose of the restraints and was threatening Dr. Belman with her shaqarava.
Liam crept up
behind her and wrapped his own hands around hers, expecting his shaqarava
to deflect any blast she fired. It would be painful, but better than her
firing at Dr.
Belman. What happened though, was not what Liam expected at all.
A glow surrounded them both as she inadvertently pulled them both into
a joining...
* Pain...fear...pain. That was all she had known since
the moment she had been born. Her first conscious memory was of her human
parents’ bloody
bodies...her Kimera father...well he was dead too. She had felt it
the moment she had been born. Her human father had been killed then too...but
she didn’t
want to think of that anymore...it only made her cry and when she cried...he
hurt her more.
She heard someone enter the room. She recognized who it
was by the light footsteps. That was good because if she had looked up
and met his eyes,
he would have kicked her or had someone else do worse. She just curled
up into a tighter ball and tried to cover herself with her hair...it always
come in handy
for that. She just prayed he didn't carry through on his threat to
have it cut.
“Ariel, look at me,” his arrogant voice caused her to shiver
and curl more tightly into a ball.
“Ariel, do not make me tell you again,” he threatened.
She ignored him...she just wanted him to leave her alone...to
stop hurting her. She should have known better.
Two Volunteers pulled her roughly to her knees and forced
her head back so that she was looking at her captor. His eyes trapped
hers. She was never
so afraid as when he looked at her that way—with such smug arrogance,
like he knew no one could stop him. Of course, he was the head of the
Synod, so
maybe no one could.
He smirked at her, “Are you going to fight today?”
She forced herself to look at him and answered in a horse
voice, “Yes...”
He shook his head, “Why do you insist on hurting yourself?”
She lowered her eyes and
muttered, “You hurt me.”
His voice angered, ‘What did you say?”
She looked back up at him and yelled, “You hurt me!”
His face angered and she immediately regretted what she
had said...He was going to really hurt her now...
He stepped forward and motioned
for the Volunteers to turn her hands face up. Panic built up inside of
her...not that...anything but that....
“No!” She tired to pull away, but the Volunteers quickly
pinned her down to the ground. One of them injected something into her
arm, and after a few
seconds she couldn’t move. As Zo'or moved to take her hands, she shut
her eyes. She knew what would come next. No matter how many times he
violated
her by forcing a joining, he never got tired of it or the pain it cause
her. She bite her tongue to keep herself from screaming, but it never
worked. The fact that
another stood watching and could have helped, but didn’t, only made
her pain worse... *
Liam could hear screaming and for a minute he thought it
was himself because he was still caught up in Ariel’s memories. Then he
realized it was her.
He pulled her tightly against himself and tried to get her to stop
shaking and screaming. For a moment she fought him, and then she seemed
to realize who he
was and that he wouldn’t hurt her. She stopped screaming and buried
her head against him, tears streaming from her eyes.
“I won’t let them find you. I swear I won’t let them hurt
you,” he whispered into her ear.
She nodded slightly and began to calm down. Soon she fell
asleep. Liam them helped Belman get her laid back down. After they were
sure she was
going to stay asleep, Liam left the room and walked into a back room.
Once there he collapsed into a chair and started to cry...
* Liam’s eyes scanned the darkness. They were there, he
knew they were. Lili.
Da’an. Augur. Beckett. Ha’gel. Even Sandoval. They where out
there, but they were hiding from him. He didn’t know why. They just didn't
want anything to
do with him, so he was alone, painfully alone. Somewhere deep inside
of him, an emptiness twisted and panic set in. He was only a child...he
needed
help...he needed a family...he wanted a family.
“Mother!” He cried out, “Father! Someone please, please
talk to me....help me...”
There was no answer and the emptiness twisted even harder
inside of him. He felt himself drop to his knees as tears dripped from
his eyes. He raised
his hands to wipe the tears from his eyes, and noticed that they were
small...so small. He tried to talk, but all that came out were sounds,
no words. He cried,
cried as loudly as he could, but no one came. Then someone did. Someone
with an arrogant smirk that made him cry all the harder—in fear, not
loneliness—as he was picked up... *
Liam jerked awake from his nightmare so quickly he almost
fell out of the chair he was sitting in. For a moment, he couldn’t understand
why he wasn't in
his own bed. Then he remembered. Ariel...another Kimeran hybrid.
He wasn't alone...the only of his kind. There was another...one he could
talk to...relate to.
Liam started to get up, but stopped when his eyes fell on the small
shape that was curled up in the chair facing him. He smiled slightly,
walked over to the chair,
and knelt by it. Then he gently touched her shoulder. She snapped
awake and jumped so much that he lost his balance and fell onto his butt.
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry!” She cried. “Please, don’t hurt
me!’
Liam gently touched the arm she had thrown over her head,
“I won’t hurt you. That was my fault not yours.”
Ariel peeped up from under her arm, “Really?”
Liam smiled, “Really.”
She shyly smiled back.
“Why are you out of bed?” He asked. “You should be resting.”
She looked down, “I was scared. They...they scare me...
So many machines... It reminds me of there...of what they did...” She
shut her eyes and
started shaking.
“No one here is going to hurt you,” Liam said softly.
“I promise that.”
Ariel opened her eyes, “I know. I trust you...”
They looked at each other for a moment and then Liam stood
up, “I should take you back. Dr. Belman will be concerned.”
She shook her head and sent her long amber hair flying,
“No, I don't want to go back there. Please...”
The fear in her voice tore at his heart. It reminded him
too much of his pleas for help in his nightmare—the pleas that had been
ignored. He knelt in
front of her, and she threw herself into his arms.
‘Let me stay with you... Please, I’ll be good... I’ll
do whatever you want me to,” her voice was muffled by his shoulder.
“Okay, okay,” he gave in.
She pulled away from him, “What, what do you want me to
do?”
Liam looked confused, “What?”
“What do I have to do so I can stay? Do you...” she started.
Liam cut her off, “You don't have to do anything.”
“I don’t?” She was now the puzzled one, “But he always
made me do something.”
“Well, I’m not going to make you do anything,” Liam stated,
mentally cursing those—especially HIM—for having hurt her.
Suddenly she smiled widely, “Ha’gel would be proud of you.”
“You, you know my father’s name?” Liam was shocked.
“Yes,” She replied softly. “He knew my father well.”
“Really? What was his name?” Liam asked.
Suddenly her face got really serious and sad, “My father’s
name was Ka’shel.”
Liam’s eyes went wide. This was Ka’shel’s daughter? He
couldn’t believe it.
“You remember?” She asked.
Liam nodded. Not only where her father and his best friends,
they were brothers, and that made Ariel his cousin...
Da’an shut his eyes. He couldn’t believe what had just
happened. His Protector, his friend, had just come in and demanded an
explanation about
Ariel. Da’an had hoped that Ariel would not find him. It might have
been selfish, but he didn't want Liam to know...to know what he had been
a part of...what
he hadn’t told him. He had good reasons for not telling Liam he wasn’t
the only Kimeran hybrid, but in the face of the pain and hurt Liam had
shown him, none
of the reasons seemed any good any more. And now...how could he get
Liam to tell him where Ariel was? She had to be returned to them. For
the sake of
the Taelon race, she had to die before anyone—especially Liam—found
out the truth about the Kimera...
“Liam, you must return her to us. She is dangerous,” Da’an
stated.
“Oh please,” Liam replied.
“Why do you keep lying to me? She is no more dangerous than I am. Would
you like to turn me over to Zo’or’s tender
mercies too? Would you like to watch that as well?”
Da’an blushed, “Liam, you and she are different...”
“We are not! If she is a danger than I am too,” Liam stated.
“Why are you so afraid of her?”
Da’an looked Liam in the
eyes briefly and then looked away, “I am not afraid of her.”
“Another lie!” Liam shook his head, “Until you can tell
me the truth I won’t tell you where she is.”
Da’an spun to face him, “You do not realize what you are
doing!”
Liam was stopped short by
the tone in Da’an’s voice; He had never heard Da’an sound angry before.
“You are a fool. Do you realize what you are doing? You
are my Protector. You have to do what I tell you to,” Da’an continued.
Liam’s eyes widened. Da’an sounded like Zo’or!
Liam pulled himself together, “You seem to have forgotten
that I am not my father. I have my free will, and I will use it.”
Da’an’s face suddenly filled with malice, “Perhaps I was
wrong to allow you to remain un-implanted.”
Liam’s voice lowered, “Is that a threat, Da’an?”
“It is only the truth. I believe that is what you requested,
was it not?” Da’an asked. “I must have a Protector I can trust to do
what I order him to.”
“So, if I refuse to tell you where she is, you will have
me implanted. That’s it. After all that has happened between us, it comes
down to that,” Liam
stated.
Da’an nodded, “I am sorry Liam. Those are your choices.”
Liam looked at the floor
for a moment and then reached into his jacket and pulled out his Companion
ID.
He looked at it a moment and then looked at Da’an, “You
forgot one option.” Liam threw the ID to the floor in front of Da’an’s
feet, “ I quit. Find yourself
another slave.”
Da’an started to speak, but stopped and watched Liam walk
out of his office. His eyes fell to the ID lying at his feet, and he stared
at it.
“It looks as if you underestimated him again,” A voice
from behind him stated. Da’an looked over at Zo’or.
“Why did you let him leave?” Zo’or asked.
Da’an looked at the floor again, remembering the time he
and Liam had spent waiting for the Replicant. It had been then he had
realized that Liam was
more than just a hybrid...he was innocence, he was fear, but he was
also bravery and courage. Now, now none of that mattered. Liam had made
his choice,
Da’an had to make his as well. He had to remain true to his race...
“Have a group of Volunteers follow him to where he has
her hidden, then take them both,” Da’an stated to Zo’or who began to smirk
in pleasure.
“He...no one must find out that the Kimera is not a dead race...”
* The blows kept coming
and Ariel wondered when she would finally fall unconscious. It seemed,
though, that it took longer and longer each
time—almost as if she was getting used to it—if one could get used
to being beaten unconscious. Either that, or the monster beating her was
just getting better
at inflecting pain.
Ariel flinched as the rod
connected with her back again. Tears entered her eyes. She didn't even
know what she had done to cause this. She was just
trying to sleep and HE walked in with his whip and rods. He never
said much...just looked at her like a predator watching prey. He was a
Volunteer—had been
for a long time—but that was all she knew about him. That and he enjoyed
causing pain. He was very good at it too.
Her eyes started to fall
shut as she entered the fuzzy state she was used to feeling right before
she passed out. A few more blows, and she would be
out. In a funny way, she wanted those blows to come so that it would
be over. But instead of those blows coming, they stopped.
After a few minutes, Ariel
looked toward him out of the corner of her eye. Why had he stopped? He
was watching her again and thinking. She didn’t
want to know about what.
Suddenly he walked up to
her, roughly pulled her to her feet, and shoved her back against the wall.
It stunned her for a moment, but when he forced a
kiss on her, the fuzziness quickly faded. She began to fight him,
but he slammed her into the wall again, and her head cracked against it
hard. Her sight
blurred and she felt her body go numb. Unfortunately, it didn't stay
numb, and she felt all of the sexual assault that followed. That was something
she would
never get used to—a violation so deep that only one thing came close
to it—the daily joinings Zo’or forced on her...*
Ariel bolted upright with a cry. For a moment, the dream
had such a grip in her that she thought she was still Zo’or’s prisoner.
She almost expected to
see HIS face starting at her in triumph. She took a deep breath and
tried to calm her racing heartbeat. She wrapped her arms around herself
and rocked back
and forth. She wished Liam was there. Having him around made her
feel safe—she knew she could trust him with everything. He was the only
family she
had—and she was the only family he had. The needed each other.
She got up out of bed, pulled on the robe that Liam had
found for her and went into the main room of the complex. There were video
cameras outside
that would let her see when he came back. It would be better than
laying in bed awake. Ariel knew she wouldn't be able to go back to sleep
any time soon, so
she would wait. Besides, she should tell him; He needed to know that
they weren’t the only Kimera alive. There were others—others out in space
and they
would come for them someday...
A movement on the screen caught her attention, and she
smiled. He was back. Now they could talk. She started to get up to go
meet him and froze.
There was someone following him. For a second, the man turned toward
the camera, and she saw his face...and froze in terror.
Liam was tired and glad to be back. He just wanted to
sleep—to forget what had just happened. None of it was right. He was
adrift...betrayed, hurt,
and alone. Just like in his dream. Liam shivered involuntarily at
the memory of the dream as he reached for the scanner.
Suddenly the door flew open. For a minute, he was too
shocked at seeing Ariel to react to the fact her hands were glowing. She
fired at someone
behind him, and he spun around in time to see a Volunteer go flying.
He cursed. There were at least 20 Volunteers there, and he had led them
straight to her!
Liam drew his weapon, but didn’t even get it fired before
Ariel went down. He moved to cover her, but realized it was a mistake.
A blast hit him between
the shoulders and threw him to the ground. His weapon flew from his
hands. Liam tried to pull himself to his feet, but stopped when a gun
was pressed into his
back.
“At ease, Major. It’s over,” a gruff voice snarled.
Liam shut his eyes. He wanted to fight back, but he could
barely move, let alone fight.
“Zo’or and Da’an are gong to be very happy to see you two.
They have great plans for you hybrid freaks. By the way, Major, thank
you for taking care
of my little toy so well. I am happy to see her in such good shape,”
the Volunteer said.
“It was you, you bast***...”
Liam started to get up, but the Volunteer cracked his gun against the back
of Liam’s head and knocked him unconscious.
The Volunteer smirked at
Liam's still form, “Oh it is going to be great fun breaking you—almost
as much fun as breaking the bit** was.” He looked over
at Ariel’s unconscious form and his smirk widened, “Almost.”
Ariel didn’t want to watch, but they were giving her no
choice. Poor Liam... It was her fault. She had escaped and now, as her
punishment, she was
being forced to watch Liam being beaten. He had fought back—he was
never one to let others control him—but after being forced into a joining
with Zo’or,
Liam hadn’t had the strength to fight. Now, Mike...she had finally
found out HIS name...was having fun trying to break Liam.
Ariel shut her eyes, but they flew back open when her arm
was grabbed. A Volunteer drug her toward the room where Mike and Liam
were. She didn't
want to go; she was scared that she would be the next to be beaten.
She was surprised when she was left alone in the room with
Liam. He was only semi-conscious, but that was good since Mike rarely
left anyone
anywhere near conscious. Ariel ran to Liam's side and pulled him into
her arms.
“Hold on...” she whispered to him. “Don’t let them break
you. They will come for us soon. I can feel it.”
Liam rolled his eyes up at her, but the glazed, unfocused
look he gave her made her realize he wasn’t seeing her.
“Liam?” She asked tentatively.
“Ariel? Are they gone? I...I can’t see anything...” he
replied weakly.
She buried her head against his chest, “I’m so sorry.
This is my fault.”
“No,” he whispered. “Not...your fault. Who...who is coming
for us?”
Ariel’s head came up, “They...our kind....the rest of the
Kimera.”
Liam looked confused, “The Kimera are a dead race. What
are you talking about?”
Ariel looked around, expecting someone to come in and stop
her. When no one did, she hurriedly continued, “We aren’t alone. There
are others,
Liam. They know we are here, and they are going to come for us.”
“How can that be? My father...he felt he was the last.
He couldn’t sense any of the others,” Liam stated.
Ariel looked at him, “It’s a long story. There is a group
of Kimera who are still alive, but mentally cut off...”
“That’s enough,” Ariel’s face went pale when she heard
Mike reenter the room. “He doesn’t need to hear your lies.”
Ariel spun to face him, “They aren't lies and you know
it!”
Mike narrowed his eyes, “Oh, I see someone got an attitude
while she was away. It’s going to be fun beating it out of you.”
Ariel shook her head and backed away from him, “No...
please, please leave me alone...”
Mike laughed, “You know, I like hearing you beg.”
As Mike neared him, Liam jumped at him. Unfortunately,
because he couldn’t see, he missed. A blow to the back of the head knocked
him out.
“No, stop it! Leave him alone!” Ariel cried out.
Mike looked at her, “Certainly, we have time to make up
for...”
Her pain was intense. Her fellow human being was brutalizing
her in ways she could not have ever imagined. She would be unconscious
soon. He
could feel that she would be happy when that happened. That angered
him more than he had ever been angered before. No being should be treated
so
badly, but that idea never occurred to the Taelons it seemed. At least
it had never occurred when they had attacked his family....
* The cabin was surrounded. He didn’t know what he was
going to do. All he knew was that he had to protect his family. Jake,
the human he had
joined with agreed. Even if it meant his death, he would fight to
keep his wife and child from the clutches of the Taelons. A cry from the
bedroom tore at their
souls. Laura was in labor. He should be with her, not here, not fighting.
He sensed the Volunteers near the cabin and made a decision.
He shut his eyes and reached out with his mind until he encountered a void...a
void he
knew was only illusionary...and called to his ‘brothers’ for help.
They awoke and replied....*We hear you, Ka’shel. The Sleepers come...*
He came out of his trance and went to the window. He knew
he would not be alive when they arrived, but they didn't come for him.
No, they came for
his daughter and the other Kimeran hybrid—Ha’gel’s son—the one he hoped
she would be able to find so he could guide her and protect her because
he
would be able to do neither...
Ka’shel moved to the door, kicked it open, and began firing
his shaqarava at the Volunteers. He took out a good dozen and then a blast
hit him in the
chest and threw him to the floor. As things went fuzzy, he felt one
last thing...his daughter’s birth... *
Ka’shel shut his eyes. Now he felt daughter’s pain as
he had felt his own back then. Somehow he had survived the attack. Why
he had not joined the
Void, he did not know. There was a gap in his memory. He remembered
his daughter’s birth and then nothing until he awoke on the Kimera Mast
Ship. Now
he and the rest of the Kimera were going to face their enemies to save
their future and maybe, just maybe, find a place to call home again...
‘I didn’t always know,” Ariel whispered as she brushed
the hair off Liam’s forehead. She was scared that he hadn’t woken up yet—scared
the he might
not wake up after such a savage blow to the head. Now she was just
talking to try and calm herself, to keep herself from losing hope.
“Then he came to me...in a dream. Do you dream a lot,
Lee?” She paused a minute to gaze at his pale face. “Let me tell you
about my dreams...”
* Ariel fought to see though
the mist but could see nothing, not even the people who she knew where
there. Her mother, her father, Mike, the
Taelons... They were watching her, as they always did.
“What do you want from me!”
She cried out. “Haven’t I endured enough pain because of you! Leave me
alone!” She turned and ran from them. She
ran and she ran until the mist was left far behind her. Only then
did she stop and collapse to the ground sobbing. For all her running,
though, it still felt like
they were following her...like they where only a few steps behind.
She wrapped her arms around
her head, “Go away! Leave me alone! I don’t want to be hurt anymore!”
A hand touched her shoulder
and she flinched away, but the hand did not leave. After a moment, she
realized she and the person touching her were
the only ones there. Suddenly, the person spoke.
“I will not harm you my
child. Please look at me,” a soft voice said.
Ariel was afraid, but for
some reason the voice took away that fear, so she looked toward it.
A kindly glowing face was
looking at her, “Daddy?” She whispered.
Ka’shel knelt and smiled
warmly at his daughter, “I am her Ari’el’lan. I will let no one harm you.”
“Daddy!” Ariel threw herself
into his arms, and he held her.
As he did, he whispered
in her ear, “Do not fear them, Ari’el’lan. We are coming for you. The
Sleepers have awoken. They and I are coming for you... *
“See,” she whispered to
Liam. “They are coming and then we won’t have to be afraid any more.
They won’t be able to hurt us. Just hold on. Things
will be okay.” She laid her head against his forehead, “Things will
be the way they should have been...”
Only Da’an’s quickly moving
fingers betrayed his agitation. Zo’or studied his fellow Taelon with detached
interest. Da’an had made a mistake, but was
up to him to rectify it. Zo’or no longer wished to “look after” Da’an.
“If you wished the Major
to remain uninjured, you should have told Volunteer Addan to be more gentle,”
Zo’or stated.
Da’an looked at him angrily,
“Mike Addan was chosen because he had extensive experience in the field
of getting information out of “reluctant”...”
Zo’or stood up, “Your lie
is beneath you. You know very well that Addan was chosen because he specialized
in torture. You ordered it yourself. Major
Kincaid’s condition is your fault and yours alone.”
“That is enough! You have
no right to speak to me like that” Da’an stated.
Zo’or stepped toward him,
“As the leader of the Synod, I have every right to talk to you as I please.
Your decisions have shown lack of thought and
direction. Because of your foolishness, we may loose....
Suddenly, Zo’or’s words
froze in his throat, and his head turned toward the window.
Da’an was angry that Zo’or
seemed to be ignoring him, “Finish your words youngling. I do...” Da’an
suddenly stopped talking as he felt what had
caught Zo’or’s attention, and he too looked toward the window.
He blushed deeply when he
saw the ship that had just come out of ID space. It was made of a similar
organic material as the Mothership, but was at
least twice the Mothership’s size.
Zo’or looked at Da’an, “And
now you have doomed us all. The Sleepers have come...”
Ariel slowly raised her
head and a smile crossed her face. She leaned down toward Liam and whispered,
“They are here. I told you they would come.”
Ariel looked up at one of
the walls of the cell. < There, > she thought to herself. < They
are there. >
Ariel shut her eyes and
reached out toward the wall with one hand. < Daddy, we are here! >
After a moment, despite the drugs she had been given,
her shaqarava started to glow. The glow expanded so that it surrounded
both her and Liam. Then it flashed blindingly bright, and when the glow
faded, they
were both gone...
* Liam’s eyes scanned the darkness—it was the same, yet
different than it usually was. They were all still there, he knew they
were. Lili. Da’an.
Augur. Beckett. Ha’gel. Even Sandoval. And now, a faint presence
he didn't know. They where out there, but they were hiding from him.
He didn’t know
why. They just didn't want anything to do with him, so he was alone,
painfully alone. Somewhere deep inside of him, an emptiness twisted and
panic set in.
He was only a child...he needed help...he needed a family...he wanted
a family.
“Mother!” He cried out, “Father! Someone please, please
talk to me....help me...”
There was no answer—not even from the mysterious presence,
and the emptiness twisted even harder inside of him. He felt himself drop
to his knees
as tears dripped from his eyes. He raised his hands to wipe the tears
from his eyes, and noticed that they were small...so small. He tried to
talk, but all that
came out were sounds, no words. He cried, cried as loudly as he could,
but no one came. Then someone did. Only this someone didn't make him
cry harder
when she picked him up...this unknown presence, radiated only warmth,
and happiness.
She held him close and rocked him until he completely stopped
crying, then she leaned forward and whispered in his ear, “You are safe
little lost
one...you are safe and loved...” *
Liam sat up quickly in bed. He looked around and even
though he couldn't see anything, he knew someone was there and it frightened
him.
The presence sensed his fear and moved slowly toward him,
“ I will not hurt you little lost one.”
Liam smiled as his fear suddenly evaporated, “It’s you,
isn’t it. You’re the one who came into my dream.”
She moved to the side of the bed, “Yes, I am she.”
Liam blindly reached toward her. She sat on the bed next
to him and took his hand. When he did, he felt a light charge of energy
move up his arm.
“I know you,” he whispered. “My father knew you...”
“Yes,” she whispered in a tense voice.
“Who are you?” Liam asked.
“My name is Lak’shan,” she answered quietly gently touching
his face. “I was Ha’gel’s wife. In a way...I would be your mother.”
Liam’s blank eyes studied her almost as if he could see.
His look made Lak’shan nervous. Would he reject her? Would she be able
to handle being
rejected by the only remaining part of her beloved husband?
“You were Ha’gel’s wife?” Liam asked.
“Yes,” she replied n a voice
choked with the Kimeran equivalent of tears.
Liam reached out for her, “Mother..”
She took him into her arms
and rocked him as any mother would rock an upset child.
“Please don’t leave me. I don't want to be alone again,”
Liam whispered.
She ran a hand lovingly over his hair, “ I will never leave
you. Neither of us will ever be alone again.”
Ariel stared out of the window at he Earth below her.
It was beautiful; it was mysterious; it was scary. Even now, the Kimera
were doing their best to
convince the powers that be on the blue planet below her that they
were harmless, no matter what the Taelons said. It was rough going, but
they hoped once
Liam was strong enough to speak for them, he would be able to convince
President Thompson to listen. At least for the moment, he had agreed not
to attack
the ship. That was a good thing.
“You seem to be thinking very hard, my daughter. Is it
something I can help you with?” Ka’shel asked as he walked up to her.
She looked at the ground for a minute and then looked up
at her father and smiled, “No, father. I was just thinking.”
Ka’shel noticed the sadness in his daughter’s eyes, “What
is wrong my child?”
“It’s nothing father,” Ariel stated and then added. “I
am thinking about Liam. Dad, is there really nothing they can do to save
his sight?”
Ka’shel looked lovingly
at his daughter, “I am afraid not, but before he returns to Earth we will
make sure he can use his psychic senses well enough
that the loss of his eye sight will have no effect on what he can and
cannot do.”
Ariel signed, “ That is good, but not the same father.
It will be hard on him.”
“Yes,” Ka’shel stated, “but he is strong. He will survive.”
Ariel sighed and turned back toward the window, “Yeah,
I guess.”
It was silent a moment and then Ariel felt a gentle touch
on her shoulder.
“Ari’el’lan,” Ka’shel said
softly, “my child. Tell me what is really wrong.”
Tears entered her eyes.
She didn't want to talk about what had happened to her during her captivity;
she didn’t want her father to know that she was a
failure and a whore....
Warmth suddenly wrapped
around her as her father wrapped his arms around her, “You are none of
those thing my child. You are strong; you are
brave; you are a survivor. I love you no matter what they did to you.”
Ariel turned around and
cried against her father’s shoulder. He held her and rocked her as any
father would rock an upset child.
“They will never hurt you
again my child. Nothing will ever separate us again,” Ka’shel whispered
to her.
On the Mothership, Da’an
stared out of one of the windows at the Kimera Mast Ship. His mind worked
frantically to try and figure out how to get rid of
their age-old enemies. Unfortunately, it was proving more and more
difficult. Once President Thompson has seen that the Kimera weren’t terrorists
as he and
the other Taelons has claimed he was very willing to allow them to
remain in orbit while they discussed what they should do—should they stay,
should they
leave, could they become friends to Humanity?
The last idea shocked Da’an
to the core. There was no way he could allow it to happen. They had to
be stopped. He just needed to figure out a way.
“You realize what you are
plotting is hopeless?” Zo’or stated.
Da’an barely acknowledged
the Taelon standing behind him, “I will not give up. The Kimera must not
be allowed to form a friendship with humanity. For
if they do, then we will truly become a dead race and humanity will
rise in our place...”
THE END
