STEALING EDEN
Finale
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STEALING EDEN Finale |
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When Lynda entered the room, Sarah was awake and alert. Sarah smiled at Lynda, who went to her bedside and clutched her hand. The guard stood in the shadows, out of Lynda's immediate vision.
"I didn't think I was going to be able to do this," Lynda said crying. "When he shot you, I..."
"That's over now, Lynda," Sarah said warmly. She wiped Lynda's tears with her own hand and said nothing for a minute or two. Finally, she replied, "I think you look worse for wear than I do, and I'm the one he shot."
"How many more people do I have to kill before I get my life straightened out, Sarah?"
"I heard you shot the gunman," Sarah said, trying to change the subject. "That was very brave of you."
"Too late for Leslie. Almost too late for Marriner or you." Her eyes drifted back into the shadows. "You!" she cried, pointing at the guard.
Sarah followed her glance and saw the guard nervously twitch. An odd expression came over her face: surprise and joy, but with a hint of confusion. "Paul," she said. "That's you, isn't it? I don't know how I know, but I thought you were here with me."
Paul stepped from the shadows. "How are you, Sarah?"
"In pain," she said simply, and stared at him. "You weren't kidding about that regeneration stuff, were you? Did you see it happen, Lynda?"
Lynda nodded. "I don't know how to describe it. Kind of creepy, especially with the body getting taller as it happened."
"Pain in the butt, that," Paul said. "I'm going to have to junk a whole wardrobe full of clothes that don't fit any more." He looked at Sarah. "What do you think? I'm not sure about the hair."
"Black looks good on you," Sarah said with a smile. "Looks a little like James Armstrong, doesn't he, Lynda?"
"James never looked this good in his own dreams," Lynda chuckled. She was about to whisper something in Sarah's ear when she turned back to face Paul. "Don't even think of trying to read my mind," she said. "This is girl talk." Whatever it was that Lynda whispered, Sarah blushed a little and laughed despite the pain of doing so. Paul looked the other way and whistled a little tune.
"You are taking this rather calmly. I'm surprised." Paul said.
Sarah and Lynda exchanged glances. It was Sarah who spoke. "I believe in miracles now," she said.
Lynda was more pragmatic. "What a bore. All those weird looking aliens people claim to have seen, and I meet you and the Doctor. At least he dresses weird enough to be an alien. Julie needs to get you some style."
From the back of the room, Sophie couldn't resist opining at this. "Lynda Day giving clothing advice? Now I've seen everything." Lynda flashed a look of annoyance at her for interfering.
There came a voice from the shadows that did not belong to Paul. "As we are all here," the voice said in a clipped, authoritarian tone, "we may as well begin this meeting."
Paul nodded to the cowled figure who emerged from the shadows. "Welcome to Earth, Castellan."
"I don't much care for the atmosphere," he said.
"The Castellan is the head of law enforcement on Gallifrey, home planet of the Time Lords," Paul said, by way of explanation. "I expect he's here to tell us how the High Council is really mad at Thriptos for exposing the seamier side of Time Lord machinations to the universe."
"The High Council regrets the incident. Thriptos was a loose cannon acting without our authority, and all Time Lords are greatly saddened by the events that transpired."
"The official party line?" Marriner asked.
"We had to say something. Your little broadcast job has the entire Third Zone in an uproar. You have no idea what you've done."
"This is my home, and these are my friends," Marriner said. "I don't take kindly to having to face extermination because you don't approve of my existence. You wanted me to keep an eye on this world, and when I try to honor that trust, you betray me."
"Your existence is troublesome, but we seem to be stuck with it now. I wish you would quit spreading the news of your heritage about so freely."
"My heritage is on this world, not Gallifrey, Castellan. I only tell those I trust, and who are necessary to carry out my role here. Same as it has always been, except Leslie is dead now."
"That was regrettable," the Castellan said, and quickly changed the subject. "The Doctor's carelessness is the cause of this mess, and we will keep a much closer eye on him now. He will make a mistake and when he does, he will have to answer for his meddling."
Lynda spoke up at this. "Without the Doctor's meddling, I would be dead."
The Castellan shook his head. "You don't know that. If anything, your resourcefulness is a credit to you. I should think you capable of finding your way out of anything. As indeed you have here," he reminded her.
"Yes," Paul said. "What have you decided of her fate?"
"She will be made to forget whatever she read in that book that pertains to her own future, although she will remember the Doctor rescuing her and her part in the events that unfolded as a result. As for Mr. Thomson, it seems Miss Day is stuck with him 'for better or worse' as that belongs to the past now. I wish him luck. He'll need it."
Lynda looked nervously at Paul. "But what about Julie and Kerr and...." Lynda began protesting, but Marriner raised a finger to his lips and shook his head.
"Your future will unfold as it was meant to, and you'll discover everything you know now in time. Knowing too much is as much a curse as knowing too little--that was the curse of Eden, and it will be your curse as long as you try to walk a path not even Time Lords dare tread." Paul spoke quietly but firmly, and the Castellan nodded his head as he spoke.
"Wait a minute," Lynda exclaimed. "This is my life we're discussing here and you can't just---" She stopped speaking abruptly and looked a bit lost. "I had this really cutting remark, but I can't remember what it was now," she said.
Sarah gently squeezed her hand. "You've been waiting around for me too long. Go get Spike and whomever else is down there pacing the waiting room and bring them up here. When we get all the words said and tears cried, you all need to get home and get some rest and get back to running the Junior Gazette."
"I think Julie won't be too thrilled to have me back. I said some terrible things about her, and I don't know why." Lynda wore a puzzled expression on her face as she said this.
"Lynda, you have been through so much, you just got all stressed out and freaked a little," Paul said. "Julie will understand. We're going to have to work things out on the Gazette, but that's something for another day. I've got to take Leslie's body back to America, so nothing is going to happen until I get back. Just take a few days off and get your thoughts together. Rest is good."
"Work is better," Lynda said. "I want to go to the funeral. I'm partly responsible for Leslie, too." A pained expression crossed her face. 'Partly' was an understatement, she thought.
Paul looked at Sarah, who nodded her approval. "Permission granted, Lynda. Now go get the others and bring them here. Give us a few minutes together with the Castellan if you could. He and I have some matters to discuss." Lynda nodded and left the room.
"You will take the book and Thriptos' body, I assume," Paul asked the Castellan. Sophie walked forward and presented the book to the Cardinal, who took it from her.
"I have already collected the body. Your guards will be having a fit over that which will reach your attention very shortly. I suggest you do something about rectifying the need for all these holographic projectors, as well. I need not remind you about the dangers of leaving such things out of their proper place in the time stream."
"Perhaps you should. The Doctor makes this look so easy," Paul said quietly.
"The Doctor has been meddling for half a millennium. You've been at it for ten. I expect it gets easier, but you see how even experience can breed carelessness. Mind you, you shouldn't be meddling at all. I have to tell you that."
"Party line?" Marriner smiled.
"Absolutely," the Castellan said with a wink of his eye. "Sophie, outside and guard the door." She saluted and left the room instantly.
"Well trained," the Castellan said with admiration. "You must see to it that your associates be restored their place in the open."
"Yes, you should. Sophie and Laura deserve it." This thought crossed the minds of Paul and the Castellan simultaneously. They looked at each other with puzzled faces, and then slowly turned to face Sarah, who looked rather sheepish.
The Castellan looked at her with a puzzled expression. "Paul, you haven't done anything to her, have you?"
"Never!" Paul hissed.
"When Thriptos shot the two of you, were you together?"
"Yes," Paul said, not following the Castellan's line of questioning.
"He saved my life," Sarah said. "Thriptos couldn't get a clear shot with Paul in the way."
"I expect Paul's presence has done more than that. She recognized you, Paul, but she was unconscious when you regenerated, so she never saw your new body until now. I think when you were both bleeding, it must have happened."
Sarah looked confused, but then suddenly remembered something Paul had said. "Like AIDS," she said in a whisper, looking at Paul and feeling very ill.
Paul looked at the Castellan. "Could it pass that way?"
"Perhaps," the Castellan said. "This is an unusual case. Her state of unconsciousness at the time of the shooting seems to have allowed the process to take hold in a less violent reaction. I'm sure there will be a study of it when the facts are learned. You should keep an eye on her until you know for sure, but I think the process is underway."
"I have the worst feeling you are going to tell me what I think you are, but I want to hear you say it," Sarah said.
Paul gulped. The Castellan looked at him and shook his head. "Don't look at me, Paul. This is your friend."
"Sarah," Paul said, taking her by the hand, "you're one of us now."
"Welcome to Eden," she said quietly, and closed her eyes.
THE END