Someday

Post to archives is encouraged as long as my name and title stay with the story.

 Author's Note: Beware of spoilers. You should read all of my previous stories up through "Bundle of Joy," and also "The Arrival - Parts 1 through 3" and "Crosscurrents" before reading "Someday."

 Please feel free to use any of my characters for your own fanfictions, but keep their name and status quo as is in "Someday," and please tell me so I can read your story. For the purposes of this story, the character of Pu'ur will be referred to as "she."

 Summary: Following Yo'og's presidential victory, Na'ap, a Taelon scientist, exhibits homicidal, irrational behavior and embarks on a killing spree. Zo'or demands that Na'ap be contained - - of if need be, eliminated - - immediately.

 This story is the part of my "alternate universe" EFC series. My alternate universe EFC series begins immediately following my story "Bundle of Joy," and contains numerous aspects not found on the actual show.

 Special thanks goes to Brown Unicorn (aka Browny) for allowing me to use her characters of En'ley and Agent Mike Stansfield, and for creating the characters of Ja'an and Julie, who are mentioned in the third-person in this story. These characters can be found in more of Browny's stories. Please ask permission from Browny or any other author before using their characters in your stories.

 All of my stories take place in an EFC universe that is basically similar to that of the actual series, but with a lot of my own characters and ideas blended into it. For this reason, please remember that my story arcs and plots will not always be completely accurate with those of the other fanfiction authors whose characters I sometimes use in my own fanfiction, or of the actual series.
 
 

    * * *

     "Have some more punch, Major Kincaid," offered Suzanne, ladling another serving of punch into Liam's goblet.
    "Suzanne, if I didn't know any better I'd swear you're trying to get me drunk," Liam snickered as he took a swig of his drink.
    "Now Liam, you know I'm not allowed to spike the punch," giggled Suzanne. "President Yo'og insisted that there be at least SOME non-alcoholic beverages at his inauguration party."
    Yo'og, the former apprentice to the U.N. Companion, had recently been elected President of the United States. His inauguration celebration was in full swing. Catering the swanky soiree was the Flat Planet Café, hired at Da'an's urging. Augur and his Flat Planet employees were adorned in glitzy vests, bow-ties, and slacks as they oversaw the evening's festivities. Suzanne, one of Augur's best waitresses, had stationed herself by the punchbowl. She had a bit of a crush on Liam Kincaid.
    "This is good stuff," remarked Liam, extending his glass goblet out to Suzanne for a re-fill. "Give me some more, please."
    The post-inauguration party took place in a lavishly decorated banquet hall, complete with ballroom dancing, fancy hors d'oeuvres, and a colossal ice sculpture carved in President Yo'og's image. A gigantic waterfall inside the ballroom spewed out streams of sparkling, rhythmically babbling water. Everyone was dressed in tuxedos and evening gowns, looking their very best for the occasion. Camerapeople were everywhere, covering every minute of the event so the media could show it to the American public.
    The only beings in the ballroom who didn't have on elegant evening apparel were the invited Taelons and Kneelois in attendance, who each wore their respective alien societal uniforms. Taelons at the party were closely guarded by their skrill-bearing implants while Kneelois were likewise flanked by their own military protectors. President Yo'og and Vice-president Maria Rodriguez constantly were surrounded by Secret Service agents. A whole faction of the Secret Service had been trained and implanted as Companion agents for additional security.
    Over in one corner of the ballroom, Vice-president Rodriguez and Anita LaQuicksilver, the head campaign manager for the Yo'og/Rodriguez campaign, had joined hands and were doing an ecstatic victory dance in front of the cameras. It was very similar to the victory dance that First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton and Second Lady Tipper Gore had done during President Bill Clinton's 1992 inauguration.
    Meanwhile, Commander William Boone and Agent Mike Stansfield, two of Da'an's implants, escorted their Companion along with the additional security personnel. Right next to them was Ffuga, the Kneeloi Ambassador to the United States. Da'an and Ffuga had developed a friendly relationship, and conversed frequently via the facilitation of Boone and Liam.
    "I am pleased that so many individuals have attended to honor the induction of Yo'og as the new American president," Da'an eloquently spoke.
    "It seems Yo'og has given much of our nation renewed faith," agreed William Boone, "in both the government and the Taelon race."
    "How auspicious," commented Ffuga. "Is this not an opportune occurrence for your people?"
    "It is," Da'an replied.
    "I just know that President Yo'og is going to make the country a better place," predicted Mike, as he lovingly put an arm around his wife, En'ley.
    "Let us go dance, Mike!" suggested En'ley.
    Mike jubilantly whisked his wife away to the dance floor.
    Ronald Sandoval then joined their group, accompanying three other Taelons: Zo'or, Co'al, and Na'ap. Zo'or, the Synod speaker, wore a partially triumphant gleam upon his face.
    "It only stands to reason that the American people would finally salvage the intelligence to elect a Taelon into office," Zo'or declared. "They will now have a leader who can get things accomplished."
    "Americans did not elect Yo'og because of his race," refuted Da'an, "but rather, due to the outstanding content of his character."
    "If it makes you feel better to think that, Da'an," patronized Zo'or, "then so be it."
    "I agree with Da'an," spoke up Co'al. "Not just any Taelon could inspire the American public in such a way that Yo'og has." He shot a side-glance at Zo'or, pointedly.
    "You are mistaken, Co'al," argued Zo'or. "But as I stated previously, you are entitled to think however you wish."
    "As are you," returned Co'al, firmly.
    "At any rate," Sandoval put in, "we are honored to have President Yo'og as our nation's new leader."
    "Speaking of which," inquired Na'ap, a Companion scientist, "where is Yo'og tonight?"
    They scanned the room for a moment, and then spotted Yo'og speaking with some world diplomats.
    "There will be ample time for us to congratulate him later this evening," pointed out Da'an. The Companion turned to his favorite implant. "Boone, will you escort Ja'an and Julie back to the embassy? I do not desire that they stay up too late. Their bodies are still very young."
    Boone was glad to. He waited until Mike and En'ley had finished dancing, and then left Da'an's side to go retrieve Ja'an and Julie.
    In another part of the banquet hall, Lili Marquette was contending with the relentless advances of an intoxicated Joshua Doors, who was on his ninth glass of champagne that night.
    "Oh Lili," gushed the defeated vice-presidential hopeful. "Oh, silly, silly Lili!" He staggered toward Captain Marquette, but then fell to his knees.
    "Joshua, you're in no condition to be at this celebration," sized up Lili. "I'm calling you a cab."
    Lili, who wore a sequined black evening gown with diamond earrings and had her brunette hair stylishly pinned up and piled atop her head, began making her way toward the hallway pay phone.
    Abruptly, Joshua clutched ahold of Lili's leg. "Don't you dare leave my side!" he wailed.
    "Get off of me!" demanded Lili, trying to shake Joshua Doors loose from her foot.
    "Come on, Lili! Shut up and kiss me!" he deliriously hollered.
    "Hey, what's going on here?!" Augur had rushed over to them.
    "Whoa, it looks like the circus has come to town today!" babbled Joshua, taking in the sight of Augur's sequined vest and bow tie.
    "Joshua, that's enough!" Lili shouted.
    "Leave the lady alone!" Augur glared right at Joshua's face.
    Before they could do anything else, two Secret Service agents had approached the trio. The agents each grabbed on to one of Joshua's shoulders and hauled him away.
    "Are you? . . ."
    "Yes, I'm fine." Lili cut Augur off. Her cheeks had turned bright pink from embarrassment.
    "Meanwhile, I'm stuck in this monkey suit looking like a tacky Vegas emcee, while you look . . ." Augur stepped back and absorbed Lili's beauty. ". . . fantastic!"
    Captain Marquette blushed, but this time for a different reason. "That's very sweet of you to say, Augur," she said.
    "My pleasure." Augur gave a gentlemanly bow. Suddenly, he collapsed to the floor.
    "Augur?!" called out Lili. She kneeled down next to Augur and took his hand in hers.
    After a few moments, Augur regained consciousness. "Whoa! My head hurts like hell! Someone get me an aspirin - - or a bottle of tequila."
    "Come on. You need to sit down."
    "No, Lili, really I don't need to . . ."
    "Augur, you're going to sit and rest. That's an order," Lili insisted.
    "You're the boss," Augur conceded.
    Lili led him to an empty chair. "What happened to you?"
    "I don't know. One minute I was fine, the next I felt like my insides were being torn apart, brain first."
    "I'm taking you to see Dr. Belman."
    "Lili . . ."
    "No argument!" Lili placed her finger on Augur's lips.
    Augur sighed. "Maybe a little bed rest would do me some good? I can put Kwai Ling in charge of the Flat Planet while I'm gone."
    "That's a good boy. But one rule for while you're recuperating - - ," Lili winked, " - - no dressing up Holo-Lili as Hot Lips Hoolihan.
    "Aw, Lili! . . ."

    * * *

     "Gahha, please be polite," Ffuga told his longtime nemesis.
    "I will act however I desire," shot back the Kneeloi Ambassador to the United Nations. Blue-skinned Gahha stuck his nose up in the air and tossed his head away from Ffuga.
    "Liam, I apologize for Gahha's behavior," Ffuga loudly and pointedly enunciated. "He is acting most immature."
    Gahha crossed his eyes venomously at Ffuga.
    Major Kincaid almost burst out laughing. Ffuga and Gahha reminded him so much of Da'an and Zo'or that Liam couldn't help but snicker to himself.
    They were aboard a Kneeloi shuttle, a glossy green pancake-shaped vessel, of which Kneelois used for global transportation on Earth when traveling short distances. The shuttle was bringing Liam, Ffuga, and Gahha from Ffuga's orbital embassy high above the Washington D.C. skyline down to a landing pad at the White House. As Ffuga's personal aide, Liam accompanied his Kneeloi on all major outings that he took, along with Ffuga's protector, Colonel Angie Truman. Presently, they were on their way to a meeting between President Yo'og and the two Kneeloi beings.
    Liam glanced over at Angie. Colonel Truman looked uncomfortable in the presence of Ffuga and Gahha, as usual. Her late husband, Walter, had been killed by Kneeloi protectors after stumbling upon some classified Kneeloi data. Those missing computer files had not yet been uncovered. Because of what happened to her husband, Truman held a bitter grudge against all Kneelois, but especially Ffuga whom she was assigned to protect. Liam watched as Angie Truman brushed a strand of her light brown slightly curly hair away from her forehead. The thin military colonel looked as though she was about to throw up, her pale face and petite, angelic facial features looking even paler than usual.
    "Landing," announced the Kneeloi shuttle pilot who was chauffeuring them. The purple-skinned pilot made a smooth descent upon the launch pad.
    Secret Service agents met the group and escorted them through lavishly decorated White House corridors into the Oval Office. President Yo'og was seated at his desk, with Vice-president Rodriguez also sitting patiently in a cozy office chair. Ffuga amiably gave Yo'og the Taelon salute, and Yo'og returned the gesture. Gahha simply eyed the Taelon critically. In response, President Yo'og saluted both Ffuga and Gahha with the official Kneeloi greeting, which was a swift and slightly complicated series of revolutions of graceful movements from the hands. Ffuga happily returned his native greeting to Yo'og. Gahha still made no effort to acknowledge anyone.
    "Please be seated," offered Yo'og, gesturing to some chairs.
    Gahha and Ffuga sat side-by-side, facing President Yo'og from across his desk. Liam and Angie remained standing.
    "Thank you for coming today," spoke up Vice-president Rodriguez.
    "The pleasure is all ours," Ffuga answered.
    Gahha snorted pompously.
    "We called you here for a very specific reason," Yo'og began. "The Companions wish to develop . . . favorable relations with your Kneeloi race, now that you are here on Earth."
    "And just how precisely do you plan to do that?" Gahha challenged, somewhat arrogantly.
    "We understand that the Kneeloi have a medical caste," explained Rodriguez.
    "That we do," Ffuga confirmed.
    "This prospect is quite fascinating," admitted President Yo'og. "As you may know, our Taelon race has advanced human medicine to a great degree during the four years we have been on Earth. Now, we wish to enhance medical exploration even further by forming alliances with your Kneeloi surgeons."
    Na'ap then entered the office wearing his uniform of the Taelon medical and scientist caste, followed by a tall, brunette, male human doctor.
    "Allow us to introduce you," offered Rodriguez. Gesturing, she made introductions. "This is Na'ap, one of the top Taelon medical scientists and surgeons who works within our national borders. Next to him is Dr. Peter Bellamy, an American scientist who has done renowned work in coalition with the Companions in bio-evolution. He is currently working in collaboration with Dr. Julianne Belman on a Companion-aligned project in evolutionary advancement."
    "We would be honored if a Kneeloi scientist could join Na'ap and Dr. Bellamy to form another research team," declared Yo'og. "It would be the first three-way medical project ever facilitated between humans, Taelons, and Kneelois."
    "I believe that would be a wonderful idea," exclaimed Ffuga.
    "I'm glad you're enthusiastic about it," Dr. Bellamy expressed. "So am I."
    Na'ap was staring down at the floor out of shyness. He seemed reluctant to make eye contact with any of them. Gahha fixated his stare on Na'ap, and concentrated intently on him.
    Suddenly, Na'ap cringed. His body shook, vibrating. No one else in the room seemed to notice. By now, Ffuga and Yo'og were engaged in communicative dialogue, and everyone else was listening to their conversation.
    Excusing himself, Na'ap left the room. For some reason, he felt the need to be alone for a moment.
    Then it happened.
    Na'ap's entire body began shaking vigorously as he stood in the hallway right outside the Oval Office. Then, he heard the voice inside his head.
    "Na'ap!" the voice hissed to him. "You are superior to them! You are a superior being!"
    "I . . . I am a superior being," Na'ap slowly repeated in a whisper.

    * * *

     A flash of light penetrated from the palms of Dr. Park's hands, brightly cascading across the underground Resistance headquarters. The force from Park's shakaravas - - which she had involuntarily received previously from Ffuga and Heelra, a Kneeloi surgeon - - nearly knocked Liberation leader Jonathan Doors to the ground.
    "Park, you haven't learned to control your little Palms of Light yet?!" demanded Doors. "It's getting to be dangerous just being around you!"
    "I'm sorry!" Dr. Park helplessly apologized.
    Her shakaravas instantly spewed out another laser-like stream of blinding, humid energy, almost hitting Colonel Truman.
    "Watch where you're shooting that thing!" Truman reprimanded Dr. Park, agitated.
    "I can't control it!" cried out Dr. Park.
    "Yes you can," Liam Kincaid encouraged her. "Just concentrate."
    Augur was seated at his gigantic computer with his Humawud niece, Hegawita. Next to Hegawita was her half-sister, Endedora. Both of them were half-Hegawud, meaning they had the size, shape, and partial-appearance of the Hegawud species, a crustacean-like alien race comparable to Earth's lobsters or crayfish. However, Hegawita contained half-human genes within her, giving the child many human-like features including frizzy black strands of hair, brown eyes, and plush lips. Endedora, on the other hand, possessed half-Taelon DNA; so Endedora looked similar to Hegawita in the respect of their mutual Hegawud characteristics, but she also blushed a sparkly Taelon blue alternately at intervals.
    While Augur had been playing with his niece and her sister, the computer hacker gradually felt searing chest pains ascending from his abdomen. As the aching, throbbing pain snaked its way up through Augur's body to his brain, he let out a yell of great excruciation.
    "Uncle Augur, what is wrong?" piped up Hegawita.
    Endedora blinked sympathetically at Augur, and linked one of her pinchers with Hegawita's.
    Augur had by now collapsed and was rolling around on the floor. It seemed as though a demonic force had taken over his body, causing him to howl, yell, and scream in terror and agony.
    Dr. Park quickly prepared a syringe and nimbly injected it into Augur's arm. Augur blacked out.
    "What the hell? . . ." Jonathan Doors grumbled.
    "Belman finally updated me on the concentration of Augur's tranquilizer," Park informed him. "So fortunately, I was able to sedate him with an accurate dosage."
    Augur, only moments earlier enraged like a wild animal, was now sound asleep.
    "What was that all about?!" Angie Truman asked, very much confused by Augur's breakdown.
    "It's a long story," sighed William Boone.
    "Augur is going to need a lot of rest," Liam prescribed. "We should probably get Dr. Belman down here to help tend to him too."
    "That's impossible, at the moment," Doors told him. "Julianne is working on some bogus bio-evolution endeavor with her daughter Joyce, Dr. Bellamy, and a couple of Taelon quacks in a laboratory."
    Lili kneeled down next to the snoozing Augur, staring at him nurturingly.
    "This is the third instance during which Augur has had a breakdown," Captain Marquette pointed out. "I don't know how much longer he'll be able to hold up like this."
    None of the rest of them knew, either.

    * * *

     The vial shattered as Na'ap accidentally released it from the grip of his fingers. Jagged pieces of glass flew in all directions across the floor. Na'ap was having a difficult time concentrating on his work in the laboratory that afternoon.
    "Look at what you have done!" Pu'ur scolded Na'ap authoritatively. "Clean this mess up!"
    Pu'ur, a feminine Taelon scientist who usually behaved in a quite low-key manner, had become extremely stressed out over their project. Its demands were taking their toll on the Taelon scientist. Pu'ur knew that she was the primary Companion heading Belman's human evolution project, and would be blamed by the Synod if anything major went wrong because of her.
    "There's no need to snap at anyone, Pu'ur," reasoned Dr. Julianne Belman. "We're all working together on this."
    Belman, along with her daughter Joyce and Dr. Peter Bellamy, were the human participants in the project. The Taelons present were Pu'ur, Na'ap, and two other Companion scientists, Or'rel and Mo'ran.
    "Mom, what can I do?" asked Joyce, who'd been helping Or'rel isolate some of the human enzymes from their experimental cross-sample.
    Julianne sighed. She hadn't really wanted her daughter involved with this evolutionary venture; Dr. Belman's involvement with the Liberation made her fear that she may be putting Joyce at risk.
    "Why don't you assist Mo'ran and Peter while they extract Taelon DNA from the test subject?" Belman suggested. She gestured at Or'rel, the "test subject" who had volunteered a sample of his own DNA to be used for the experimental purposes of their project.
    Na'ap had by now finished disposing of the shattered vial. Suddenly, he blushed blue anxiously. He could hear the voice in his head again.
    "What are you waiting for?! Kill them! Kill them all!" the voice persisted.
    Na'ap blinked, and attempted to carry on as usual; but the voice wouldn't go away.
    "You are better than them! Kill them!" it urged him.
    Dr. Bellamy was staring strangely at Na'ap. "Are you okay?" he asked the Taelon.
    "Ignore him," snorted Mo'ran, with an uppity toss of his head. "Na'ap refuses to take his work seriously. He is inept."
    "Do not let him talk down to you!!" the voice seethed. "Kill him!"
    Na'ap suddenly let out a loud roar, more primitive and aggressive than anything else that had ever been heard from a Taelon before. He lunged forward and tackled Mo'ran.
    "What are you doing?! Stop it!" Dr. Belman called out to Na'ap.
    But Na'ap could not hear her. He only heard the persistent voice inside his head. Na'ap held his palm over Mo'ran's face, excreting a luminous and massive blast of energy from his shakarava. That deadly blast incinerated Mo'ran within seconds.
    "Everyone, get out of here!" shouted Peter Bellamy.
    At that very moment, Na'ap gave Bellamy a swift jab in the back, causing the doctor to topple over.
    Belman hastily shooed Pu'ur and Or'rel out the laboratory exit. "Come on, Joyce!" she summoned her daughter.
    As Dr. Joyce Belman ran toward the exit, she stumbled and hit her head against a nearby crate, falling down.
    "Get out of there!!" the voice ordered to Na'ap.
    Climbing up onto a laboratory window-sill, Na'ap briskly extended his leg, violently breaking the glass of the window. He jumped through it and landed on his feet outside. The Taelon scientist proceeded to sprint away from the building at rapid speed.
    Dr. Belman hurried back into the laboratory, tailed by security personnel who'd heard the commotion. She kneeled down by her daughter who was moaning drowsily on the floor. Dr. Bellamy was lying a few feet away from Joyce, out cold.
    "Don't worry, Joyce," Dr. Belman whispered assertively to her half-conscious daughter. "I'm not going to let him get away with this."

    * * *

     ". . . and the nation remains both shocked and appalled by the homicide which Na'ap, Companion scientist, recently committed upon fellow Taelon scientist Mo'ran," reported anchorwoman Catherine Shaw. "The murder occurred earlier this afternoon at the Leeshock Medical Research Center in Washington D.C., where Dr. Julianne Belman and her team of Taelon and human scientists were apparently at work on a study in bio-evolution. President Yo'og has declined comment at this point in time."
    "This is perfect," cackled Jonathan Doors, who was watching Ms. Shaw's newscast on one of the television monitors in Resistance headquarters. "I knew that the Taelon aren't as benevolent as they want us to believe! This Na'ap-character only proves how physically violent the Taelon race can be!"
    "I question the validity of her news report," spoke up Liam. "She's a newsanchor; the media thrives on sensationalism."
    "There's no questioning her credibility," Lili countered. "Liam, for your information Catherine Shaw is arguably one of the best black female journalists in her field. She has even won a Pulitzer for her work. I've been watching Catherine Shaw anchor the evening news for years."
    "Point taken, Lili," Major Kincaid admitted. "But I still can't see how the Companions would allow a major story such as this one to be released to the public so quickly."
    Meanwhile, up on the Taelon mothership, Zo'or was steaming over the unsolicited media exposure of Na'ap's actions.
    "I demand to know who leaked this information to the American media!" declared Zo'or, staunchly seated atop his Speaker's chair. The Synod speaker turned to Agent Sandoval. "You must find the guilty party or parties responsible, and bring them to me!"
    "We are working on it, Zo'or," Sandoval confirmed. "But unfortunately, there are very few leads . . ."
    "Round up anyone who is even remotely connected to Dr. Belman's project," ordered the Synod speaker. "We will begin interrogations immediately."
    Later that evening, Zo'or presided over a joint meeting between the Synod and some Kneeloi representatives. They gathered aboard the Taelon mothership. Yo'og and Rodriguez were present, along with all of the Synod members, including Co'al who had just been inducted into the Synod replacing a departed member. Several Synod members sat under energy streams while in their glimmering true forms; however, Da'an, Zo'or, Co'al, and Yo'og each wore their respective "human face" for the purposes of the conference. Also, three Kneelois were in attendance: Ffuga, Crroba, and Shooma. Ffuga and Shooma represented Kneeloi embassies from the Western and Eastern Hemispheres, respectively, of Earth. Obviously, Crroba was present simply because he held the superior position of Kneeloi High Commander, comparably equivalent to Zo'or's power.
    "What will be done in regard to the renegade status of Na'ap?" inquired Da'an.
    "He must be eliminated," Zo'or insisted. The Taelon rotated his oval-shaped head toward Sandoval. "Use whatever means necessary to ensure that Na'ap is contained, and if need be, terminated."
    Sandoval nodded.
    "Is Na'ap a threat to Kneelois, as well as humans and Taelons?" Crroba asked Zo'or.
    Zo'or fixated his eyes on Crroba's virile, purple-skinned, black-uniformed body. "Na'ap is a threat to any living species on Earth," he stated.
    "Can we not protect ourselves against him?" Shooma ventured, blinking her eyes in progressive thought.
    "The best protection against Na'ap is to avoid him," reasoned Co'al. "Our operatives will work on orchestrating his capture. In the meantime, we should advise the public to leave Na'ap unprovoked. He is extremely dangerous, and has obviously awakened the power of his shakarava."
    "Does this . . . shakarava possess the ability to kill?" Ffuga solicited, his green face pale with trepidation.
    "It does indeed," affirmed Da'an, grimly.
    "What shall I tell the American public?" President Yo'og asked. "I must emerge from silence and reassure them with a statement."
    The Synod members communed. Simultaneously, Crroba, Ffuga, and Shooma were additionally sharing in each other's thoughts.
    "Advise residents of Washington D.C. to remain in their homes," Da'an told Yo'og. "That is the safest place for them to be."
    "And in the meantime," brought up Zo'or once again, "we will concentrate our efforts on apprehending Na'ap." He turned to his right-hand man. "Agent Sandoval, I want you, Commander Boone, and Major Kincaid to assemble our implants into teams. You will go into the city and seek out Na'ap. Do not hesitate to use your skrills."
    "Right away, Zo'or." Sandoval bowed and saluted.
    A strained expression of intensity plastered itself across Zo'or's facade. "I demand that Na'ap be arrested and detained by force, or it comes to it, eliminated. He must be stopped - - at any cost!"

    * * *

     As Na'ap proceeded down the hallway, the now hot-tempered Taelon reverted to his glistening blue true form. He sparkled majestically as he made his way across the corridor. Na'ap had accidentally wandered into a residential apartment complex, lost amid his skewed and discombobulated thoughts. The Companion was still connected to the Commonality, but in a very distant and quite limited way. A few individual Taelons attempted to reach out to their misguided friend, but Na'ap simply ignored them. He was currently preoccupied with other voices present in his psyche.
    "They are hiding from you!" the voice growled to Na'ap. "These meager humans are too cowardly to confront you in person. Do not allow them to continue this masquerade! They have taken refuge behind their doors. Take away their lives! Make them suffer for their ignorance! Do it! Do it now!"
    Within the next several minutes, apartment doors were slammed or knocked open. Shouts and screams of victimized tenants could be heard from within the apartments. Na'ap's vocals archaically roared like a lion feeding on its prey. Humans were left for dead on the floors of their apartments, strangled, beaten, or ruthlessly mauled by the meaningless wrath of a Taelon literally gone mad. As police and ambulance sirens flowed toward the building, the sound of a window being broken was heard. Na'ap was on the run once again.

    * * *

     Panting and hyperventilating, Augur awoke from a strenuously deep sleep. The inventor found himself lying on a velvety, forest-green futon on the floor of the Resistance lair. He stared up to find himself making eye contact with Lili Marquette's concerned, sympathetic face. Lili squeezed her friend's hand.
    "It's okay, Augur. You're awake now," she whispered to him.
    Augur closed his eyes and released an exhausted sigh.
    "I was dreaming," he realized breathlessly. "It was horrifying."
    "You don't have to talk about it if you don't want."
    "No, I need to tell someone." Augur was choked up at the recollection of this disturbing dream sequence.
    "Take your time," Lili gently encouraged, maintaining her steady grip on Augur's palm.
    After taking a few moments, Augur began recalling his nightmare for Lili.
    "I was on an operating table on the Taelon mothership," Augur explained. "Juanita was there. They had her locked in this virtual glass cage. She was screaming to be let out, pounding against the glass."
    A tear slid from Augur's eye as he remembered his deceased sister.
    "Zo'or and Le'er stood above me," he continued. "They laughed at me, taunting. They laughed at Juanita and her helpless vulnerability. I couldn't do a damn thing about it, Lili. I wanted so badly to hurt Le'er and Zo'or for what they'd done to Juanita. Honestly, I could have killed them!"
    Lili felt like weeping for her friend, but she held back her tears.
    "Hegawita and Endedora were in the cage with Juanita," Augur narrated. "Then, all of a sudden, the three of them went up in flames. I tried to run over and save them, but I was frozen in place. I couldn't move. Then all I wanted to do was lash out at Zo'or and Le'er, to rip their sparkling Taelon skin to shreds!"
    As he told of this through gritted teeth, Augur was in tears. He couldn't speak anymore. Augur sobbed uncontrollably, tears cascading fluidly from his ducts. Lili just held Augur in her arms, stroking his smooth bald head, fingering his exotic pony-tail. For a long time, they just laid there on the futon as the rest of the world passed them by.
    Soon, Lili leaned in close to Augur's face and softly planted a tender kiss on his lips.
    "I'll stay here for as long as you need me," Lili guaranteed him. "I won't leave your side, I promise."
    "Someday," Augur choked out his words, "I wanna make Le'er and Zo'or suffer for what they did to my sister!"
    Lili continued to hold Augur close to her. She realized Augur's extraordinary dilemma. It didn't take a Companion brain surgeon to figure out that this was what had been triggering the computer wizard's outbursts and violent breakdowns. Not even Belman's long-term tranquilizer had been able to dilute the effect Juanita's senseless death was having on Augur. Deep down, Augur obviously needed to see Zo'or and Le'er be held accountable for their sins.
    "We won't let them get away with it," Lili assured Augur in a determined whisper. "We're gonna make sure they pay for what they did. Someday."

    * * *

     Dr. Julianne Belman was escorted through a long, winding corridor by two mothership implants with ear/neck skrills. The vessel was dark and daunting, an unwelcome aura of grim salutations for the good doctor. Both of the drone implants tactlessly shoved Belman forward, leading her to Zo'or's chamber.
    "There is no need to push!" Belman snapped at the drone implants. "I'm an old woman here, not an Olympic speedwalker!"
    "Keep moving," commanded the male implant in his unfeeling, monotonous voice.
    Zo'or was seated in his chair, while Sandoval crept about conspicuously near the chamber entrance.
    "Dr. Belman, please step inside," Sandoval spoke flatly.
    "What's this all about?" demanded Dr. Belman. "How dare you just bring me up here to your ship with no explanation! Didn't your Taelon elders teach you common courtesy?"
    "Courtesy is not a reward we bestow upon suspected criminals," Zo'or snidely told her, gracefully gesturing with his hand as he spoke.
    "Tell me why I'm here!" Belman folded her arms, aggravated. "I have better things I could be doing with my time. I'm certainly no 'criminal'!"
    "We shall see," smirked Zo'or.
    "Dr. Belman," began Sandoval in a loud, clear, authoritative voice, "you, your daughter Joyce, and Dr. Peter Bellamy were the only humans present when Na'ap . . . terminated Mo'ran in your laboratory, correct?"
    "Yes," confirmed Belman. "It took all of us completely by surprise."
    "Joyce and Dr. Bellamy were wounded during this . . . incident, were they not?" pressed Sandoval.
    "Yes . . ."
    "And they currently reside in the hospital, recovering from these injuries, do they not?"
    "Yes. I'm the one who made sure they receive proper treatment for their injuries. Joyce suffered a concussion, as did Peter. Furthermore, Peter received dorsal injuries after Na'ap directly assaulted him."
    "Since then, have you . . . spoken with any members of the American media?" Sandoval challenged her.
    "Absolutely not! I've been way too busy overseeing the treatment of my medical team." Dr. Belman looked insulted.
    "Did you speak of this incident to anyone else?"
    "Only the doctors whom I work with."
    "Such as?"
    "Dr. Park, Dr. Lewis, Dr. Stanhope, Dr. - -," Belman stopped short. "Wait a minute! Do you seriously suspect ME of leaking news of this event to the American media?!" She angled her vehement eyes straight at Zo'or.
    "Joyce and Bellamy are both presently being hospitalized," Zo'or pointed out. "You are the only other human who knew about Na'ap's actions, excluding Taelon security personnel in the building."
    "So that makes me automatically guilty? How do you know it wasn't one of the security guards who blabbed to the media?"
    "They will be questioned in due time," Zo'or assured her. "Right now, I only am concerned with what YOU did."
    "I didn't do anything wrong!" Belman insisted. "Zo'or, I resent you wasting my time like this. I could just as easily inform the tabloids of your silly behavior toward me today!"
    "Is that a threat, Dr. Belman?!" shouted Agent Sandoval.
    "No, I was being hypothetical." Belman rolled her eyes impatiently. "When can I return to Earth?"
    "I am done with you . . . for now," stated Zo'or. "But do not do anything foolish, Dr. Belman."
    "You mean like bring an innocent person up to the mothership and have her interrogated?" Belman sneered sardonically. She exited the chamber, guided by the drone implants.
    "I didn't care for her tone of voice," Sandoval commented to Zo'or.
    "Forget about Belman," grunted Zo'or. "I doubt that she was involved. But we must find the individual, or individuals, who were."
    Sandoval nodded in compliance.

    * * *

     "Major Kincaid, we've spotted Na'ap on the corner of Dunnhurst and Gephardt Avenues, heading southeast toward the downtown area," Agent Lassiter reported via his global.
    "We're on our way," responded Major Kincaid, briskly nodding back at Lassiter over the screen of his own handheld global. Liam cut the link. "Boone, Sandoval, we've got Na'ap's location pinpointed."
    "Sandoval, stay behind and guard Da'an," Boone ordered after receiving Liam's radio transmission, his mind focused only on containing Na'ap.
    "No! Zo'or insisted that I be there to oversee Na'ap's capture, if possible," barked Sandoval. "Agent Stansfield will stay with Da'an."
    Boone, Liam, and Sandoval boarded one of Da'an's shuttles, preparing to take off from the D.C. embassy. Lili was already in the driver's seat of the shuttle.
    "Marquette, download these coordinates into the shuttle's conventional drive!" Sandoval transferred the coordinates given to him by Lassiter from his global to the shuttle's main frame.
    Lili suavely yet efficiently swept her hand across the shuttle window in front of her, activating its conventional drive. She began the download of Lassiter's coordinates into her shuttle's internal memory bank. All of this took merely seconds. Captain Marquette launched the shuttle and shifted it into inter-dimensional. After another couple of minutes, the cockroach-shaped shuttle arrived at its destination.
    Companion security agents had already taken to the streets, clad in black padded suits and protective helmets. Some of them had cornered Na'ap in the back of a run-down alley, littered with garbage and decaying remains of food.
    "Destroy them all," hissed the voice that invaded Na'ap's mind. "They are worthless!"
    "You are worthless!" Na'ap repeated, his blue eyes flaring defiantly at the soldiers. Na'ap held up his hand, the light from his shakarava illuminating menacingly. The Taelon released an enormous surge of energy from his shakarava, instantaneously disintegrating the Companion security agents who surrounded him. They all toppled over and disappeared into thin air.
    "Halt, Na'ap!" Boone aimed his skrill at the unstable, renegade Companion scientist.
    "Boone!" shouted Sandoval. "Zo'or wants Na'ap captured alive, if possible!"
    "As if you would listen to Zo'or anyway!" Na'ap mischievously crossed his eyes at William Boone, and stuck his nose up in the air with an expression of cockiness. "After all, you and Captain Marquette ARE working for the Resistance!"
    Boone wore a flabbergasted stare of shocked horror. His face turned pale white. He then remembered: Na'ap had known of his and Lili's involvement with the Liberation. Na'ap had been present in Fu'sha's laboratory when Lili was confronted by Tu'um and Co'al of their Liberation affiliation.
    Sandoval glanced at Boone hesitantly. "Subdue him!" the Asian implant ordered to Boone, indicating Na'ap.
    But Na'ap was too quick for them. He expelled another massive shakarava blast from his ominously glowing palms. However, Liam nimbly stepped forward and ejected an equally substantial shakarava blast from his own palms. The two forces of energy met and collided, creating a sizable energy barrier that reared back in all directions. This reaction caused Liam, Na'ap, Boone, and Sandoval to each lose their balance and fall to the ground.
    Commander Boone was back on top of his game in an instant. The implant quickly stood up on his feet and fired an agile skrill blast at Na'ap. It caused Na'ap to roll over face down on the ground, leaving the Taelon injured and immobile but not dead.
    Sandoval angled his own skrill directly at Na'ap. "No sudden moves!" he warned the Companion scientist. "Kincaid, report to the mothership that we have contained Na'ap."
    Liam shot a sympathetic glance at Boone, then pulled out his global to contact Zo'or. Agent Sandoval, still pointing his skrill at Na'ap, glared at Commander Boone. "The Resistance, eh? Isn't this an . . . intriguing turn of events?"
    "Na'ap was talking crazy!" spat out Boone, in desperation.
    "Save it, Boone!" Sandoval cut him off. He could sense Boone's fear. Da'an's attaché and Zo'or's right-hand implant squinted his beady eyes at Boone, sizing up his long-term nemesis. "We shall speak of this later."

    * * *

     Na'ap laid sprawled out across a metallic operating table inside one of the mothership's sterile laboratories. Or'rel and Pu'ur had strapped down their fellow Companion to the operating table and were examining him with handheld Taelon-engineered scanning devices. Da'an and Zo'or stood a few feet away, watching Na'ap.
    "Where . . . am I?" moaned Na'ap in a meek, groggy whisper. He tried moving around, unsuccessfully. Na'ap was bound by his restraints and by his physical anemia.
    "Do not move," Pu'ur spoke to him in apathetic monotone. She was using her scanner to measure Na'ap's energy configuration.
    "Does he pose a threat?" Da'an queried, turning his bald head slightly toward Zo'or.
    "That is precisely what we are attempting to determine," replied Zo'or, a bit irritably. Zo'or spoke to Da'an in a superior tone as though Da'an was only a child.
    "What will we do with him in the meantime?" Da'an gazed over at Na'ap, with kind, compassionate eyes.
    Na'ap examined his surroundings, his blue eyes frantically jumping around the laboratory with empty confusion. The Taelon scientist wore a lost, distant expression, seeming disoriented and exhausted. He winced, his oval-shaped head reverting to its glittery blue external composition.
    "He will NOT be returning to Earth, that is for certain," declared Zo'or. "I will not tolerate our vulnerability to a situation where humans would have the excuse to hold us accountable for Na'ap's further destructiveness on their planet."
    The two of them were joined by Co'al and Dr. Park.
    "Dr. Park and I feel it would be in everyone's best interest," Co'al articulated, "for Na'ap to be quarantined to the moonbase."
    "That way, we can still monitor and study him under controlled conditions," put in Park.
    "Additionally, Na'ap has American citizenship rights," Co'al brought up. "As part of the 31st Amendment to the American Constitution, Na'ap's citizenship not only gives him the right to vote in elections, but it also makes him subject to arrest and conviction."
    "Which would be unprecedented for a Taelon," concluded Dr. Park. "Even Rho'ha was returned to the custody of the Companions. Na'ap would only cause further harm to himself and others in a human prison environment. If we sentence him to confinement on the moonbase, we may be able to rehabilitate him."
    "I believe that would be an acceptable solution," Zo'or confirmed. "Da'an?"
    "I am afraid I must agree with Zo'or," admitted Da'an. "It is quite a practical plan, and the Synod will surely approve."
    "Of course they will," reasoned Dr. Park. "It isn't feasible to keep Na'ap up here on the mothership. And on Earth, he'd definitely be a danger to both himself and other humans."
    "Then it is decided," Co'al voiced.
    Meanwhile, in the Kneeloi embassy orbiting high above New York City, Gahha stared down at the city's majestic skyline, absorbing the view of towering skyscrapers and lush, green city parks. The Kneeloi U.N. Ambassador formed a sly upward curve with his lips. Gahha's blue skin softly vibrated as he shook with excitement.
    "You have done well, Na'ap," he whispered.

    * * *

     FIN

Go on to The Gift

Copyright 1999 by Earthboy
Gene Roddenberry's Earth: Final Conflict is property of Tribune Entertainment Company and is produced by Roddenberry/Kirshner Productions. No monetary profit is being made from this work. No infringement is intended. If you sue me, I will clone Na'ap and give him directions to your house.
 
 

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