Disclaimer: Roswell, and its characters do not belong to me. Melinda Metz, Jason Katims and 20th Century Fox have that particular pleasure. I’m simply borrowing them until the Season 2 DVD’s get released.
Tomorrow’s Yet to Come
Chapter Forty – Weather the Storm
“Something’s wrong,” Alex said, pushing his unappetizing food around on his plate.
“I take it when you say something’s wrong, you mean something besides the food,” said Kyle, setting his plate down across from his friend. He reached into his pocket, and pulled out a strip of beef jerky. “Want some?”
“Man, no,” said Alex in disgust. “That stuff is as disgusting as this crap. What are you doing here, anyhow? I thought you guys were playing GI Joe or something.”
“We are, but after you get killed, you get to come in for lunch. I got killed, so here I am,” smiled Kyle.
“I’m glad you can be so cheerful right now, with everything that’s going on?”
“Relax, will you,” said Kyle.
“I can’t,” Alex said softly. “I just know that something’s wrong.”
“How?” asked Kyle. “Did she contact you or something?”
“No, she didn’t,” Alex said. “But I just have this feeling, you know? She’s afraid, and she hurts, and there isn’t anything I can do about it.” Alex banged his fist on the table in frustration, causing the people sitting nearby to stare.
“Calm down, Alex,” Kyle said. He looked around, and glared at several of the students who were still watching their table to see what would happen next. “The last thing any of us need it to draw any unnecessary attention to ourselves.”
“Sorry,” said Alex. “It’s just that I feel helpless. She’s in there, with that monster, and I can’t do a thing about it.”
“You got that right,” muttered Kyle. “He is a monster.”
“Yeah, what do you know about it?” Alex asked, almost belligerently. “It’s not like you were here before. You don’t know what Kivar is capable of.”
“Yeah well, you’re wrong,” said Kyle. “I do know, and it’s killing me. I saw what he did to Ava, and it was horrible.”
“What do you mean, you saw?” asked Alex. “Don’t you mean Ava told you?”
“No, I mean I saw. Ava won’t even access the memories of her other self. Neither will Zan, Max or Michael. They don’t want to know what happened to them, and I can’t say that I blame them.”
“Then how do you know?” asked Alex, clearly perplexed.
“I talked to Che’koth about it a little,” explained Kyle. “When it was my turn to do that memory thing, it seems as though there was a small power surge, and I got access to the memories of the royal four.”
“Wow,” said a speechless Alex.
“Yeah, some wow,” said Kyle. “Before I really understood what was going on, I saw what happened to Ava, so don’t tell me I’m not capable of knowing what that bastard can do. I know better than anyone else what he can do.”
“Then tell me,” said Alex. “Is Isabel in danger?”
“Yeah. Yeah, she is,” said Kyle, his voice grim.
Michael dived under a hail of energy bolts and rolled under a low ledge and tried to catch his breath.
“Damn,” he said out loud. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d swear those were live energy bolts.” He took a breath, and clambered out from under the ledge and ran for the cover provided by a small stand of trees.
“Hey,” a disembodied voice said. Michael whipped around and found Zan standing behind him. “If I were the enemy, you’d be dead now.”
“Yeah, so sue me,” said Michael. “Or better yet, kill me so I can go into lunch. I’m starving. Kyle had the right idea, getting killed so early.”
“I don’t know,” said Zan, firing an energy bolt at an approaching enemy soldier. “Kyle was kind of freaked. He wouldn’t give me any details, but he said Alex was upset, and something was wrong with Isabel. He told me he wanted to get inside with Alex and make sure he was okay.”
“What’s up with him?” asked Michael, dodging an energy bolt. “The other day, he told me not to worry so much about Maria, that she’d be okay. Is he turning into a psychic or something?”
“I don’t now,” said a clearly exasperated Zan. “Look can we deal with this another time, we’re kind of surrounded on all sides right now.”
“Shit, how the hell did that happen?” asked Michael as he fired energy bolts at the oncoming enemy soldiers. “Why the fuck aren’t these guys dying!” he shouted in frustration. Michael spun around and saw a soldier creeping up on Zan.
“Look out!” Michael cried. He threw himself into the air, knocking Zan to the ground, getting struck by a mock energy bolt in the process.
Michael pulled himself into a sitting position, noting the flashing badge on his chest. “Yeah, yeah, I know,” he said, addressing the badge. “I’m dead. I get it. You can stop flashing now.”
Zan reached down and grabbed Michael’s arm and pulled him to a standing position. “What the hell did you do that for?” he demanded. “You’d still be alive if you hadn’t tried to play hero.”
“Shut up,” grumbled Michael. “I don’t know why I did it.” He stormed off out of the stand of trees towards the school.”
“Stupid shit,” said Zan, watching Michael walk away. He shrugged his shoulders and began firing at the approaching soldiers, all thoughts of Michael, and his sacrifice, quickly fading from his mind.
“Interesting,” said General Kobodi, standing in front of the observation screen. “Very interesting.”
“Lord Kivar,” said the Ambassador. “Allow me to present our newest recruit from the Training Academy, Isadra Mylinga. Isadra, please greet Lord Kivar, and Queen Vilondra,” instructed the Ambassador.
Isabel blanched, but forced herself to greet the monster that had killed her. “Greetings Lord Kivar,” she said. “It is an honor to make the acquaintance of both you, and your lovely Queen.” She bowed down low first to Kivar, and then to the woman standing next to him.
“The Ambassador speaks very highly of you,” said Kivar, inclining his head in Isabel’s direction. “If he thinks you are an asset to our diplomatic corp, it is a high honor indeed.”
“Thank you, Lord Kivar. I will do my best not to disappoint him,” murmured Isabel, keeping her eyes downcast.
“Good day to you,” said Kivar, walking away. Isabel watched as he walked away, her doppelganger trailing along behind him.
“Well, what did you think, Isadra?” the Ambassador asked.
“Think about what?” she asked, stalling for time.
“Don’t be obtuse, Isadra,” snapped the Ambassador. “I expect better from you. “What did you think of Lord Kivar, and Queen Vilondra?”
Isabel hurriedly combed through the memories that filled her head, looking for the perfect wording to answer the ambassador’s question.
“I think Lord Kivar is a very strong man who will do whatever it takes to ensure his vision for Antar,” said Isabel.
“Excellent,” said the Ambassador with a grin. “Isadra, you will do very well in the diplomatic corp. You managed to answer my question, without allowing a single iota of your feelings to creep into the answer. Your answer was vague without being wishy-washy. Yes, indeed, I have chosen very well.”
Isabel smiled at the Ambassador, while her eyes remained on Kivar as he made his way back to his throne, the Queen, ever silent, trailing along behind him.
Tomorrows Yet to Come (CC ALL,YTEEN/MATURE) [COMPLETE]
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majiklmoon
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majiklmoon
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- Posts: 361
- Joined: Tue Nov 13, 2001 10:55 am
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chapter forty-one added 9/13/04
sorry for the update delay...it was a nasty horrible terrible head cold!
____________________________
Disclaimer: Roswell, and its characters do not belong to me. Melinda Metz, Jason Katims and 20th Century Fox have that particular pleasure. I’m simply borrowing them until the Season 2 DVD’s get released.
Tomorrow’s Yet to Come
Chapter Forty-One – Score One For Our Side
Maria sat doodling, while Jara Kobodi lectured the class. The memory implant done by Che’koth meant that Maria didn’t need to pay attention while the fat slob lectured. Jara held up a plant and asked for a volunteer to list the medicinal properties. Maria looked around the room and saw several hands shoot up, but none faster than Ava’s.
It’s different for Ava, she thought to herself. She missed out on so much, living the way she did. School is still a novelty to her.
Jara Kobodi looked past Ava to where her favorite pet Grenla sat with her arm raised. Jara nodded at Grenla, and the girl recited the medicinal properties of the plant.
“Excellent, excellent,” Jara said. “Perfect as always, Grenla.”
Maria turned around and looked at Ava, whose face mirrored her own shocked feelings. Grenla’s answer was wrong. Without thinking, Maria raised her hand and called out to Jara Kobodi.
“Excuse me, Jara Kobodi, but I don’t understand,” Maria said.
“Mira?” queried Jara Kobodi. “Why am I not surprised? What is it you do not understand? Grenla’s answer was very simply stated. I would think even you would not have any problems understanding her.”
“I’m not understanding,” Maria said, her voice hardened by anger. “Because I think she’s wrong. I believe the medicinal properties of that particular plant are more related to the throat and for coughs, and not for ailments of the digestive track. Unless,” Maria added, her voice sickeningly sweet, “that is, you gave us the wrong information in your lecture last week?”
“What?” blustered Jara Kobodi, pawing through her notes. “Oh, yes, well, I see. Yes, Mira, that is correct.”
Maria turned around and smiled at Grenla, whose eyes had protruded so far out of her head, she looked like a giant frog.
“Class dismissed,” snapped Jara Kobodi. “Mira, please speak to me after class.”
Maria sat and watched as the students filed out of the room, one by one. Ava hung back, and gave her a worried look, but Maria smiled reassuringly and motioned for her to leave.
“Yes, Jara Kobodi, what is it I can do for you?” Maria asked.
“Do not ever correct me again!” shouted Jara Kobodi, slamming the door. “The nerve of you, a student, correcting me, an instructor, in front of the class. I will see to it that you leave the Training Academy immediately!”
“Why?” Maria asked, quietly. “You would prefer that we are given misinformation?”
“Enough of your insolent cheek!” roared Jara Kobodi. “I will see to it that you are discharged from this learning establishment immediately.”
“Okay,” Maria said. “Feel perfectly free to do that, and I will feel perfectly free to report what a biased, vile, wretched instructor you really are.”
Jara Kobodi reached out and slapped Maria across the face, just as the door opened. Jara Kobodi looked up and saw the head of the Training Academy walk in, accompanied by Plash Nevenia, Liz and Ava.
“Jara Kobodi!” shouted Derago Kavron, the head of the Training Academy, shouted. “We do not strike students. It is strictly forbidden.”
“This student, if you can call her that,” spat Jara Kobodi. “Was insolent, and rude. She is lazy, and disrespectful, and she doesn’t belong in an educational facility such as this.”
“We are talking about this young woman?” asked Derago Kavron, pointing at Maria. “Are you sure?”
“Of course I am sure, Derago,” Jara Kobodi said. “In fact, she just tried to correct me in front of the entire class.”
“That’s because you were wrong,” Ava said, speaking up. She turned to Derago and Plash Nevenia to explain. “She asked for the medicinal properties of a particular plant, and chose a student to give the answer. The answer given was incorrect, but Jara Kobodi accepted it as correct. Mira simply stated that she was confused, listed the correct medicinal properties of the plant, and reminded Jara Kobodi that she herself had given us that very information in a lecture last week.”
Is this correct?” Derago Kavron asked Jara Kobodi.
“Yes, but she was still disrespectful, and I demand that she be removed from the program!” she shouted. “Obviously that one,” she pointed at Ava, “knew that her friend had overstepped her bounds, and ran to you to help her out of this mess. Well I won’t stand for it. I want her, no the both of them, out of this school, immediately.
“Jara Kobodi, control yourself,” Derago Kavron said, sharply. “You are not acting in a manner befitting an instructor of the Training Academy. You are embarrassing yourself in front of these people.” He turned and pointed to Plash, Liz and Ava. “I have brought these people here to share some wonderful news, and I find you acting like a harridan. Now I suggest you control yourself, before you embarrass yourself any more than you already have.”
“News, what news?” demanded Jara Kobodi. “Unless it is news of their removal from the school, I am not interested!”
“You will sit down, and you will listen,” thundered Derago Kavron. “We shall meet to discuss your attitude at a later date, Jara Kobodi, but for now, I have some news to share. Plash Nevenia and I have just completed tests on the substance created by these three girls, and I am happy to announce that they have created a medicine that will aid in the destruction of infection. It’s exactly what we were hoping for when Plash Nevenia came to me with the suggestion for the two groups working together.”
Derago Kavron turned, his hands clasped and smiled at the three girls who by now, had moved to stand by one another. He beamed at them as he told them they would have the honor of naming the new medicine.
“Ah, um,” stammered Maria, she turned and looked at Ava, her feelings of panic clearly visible in her eyes. Ava just stared back, unable to come up with a name other than penicillin.
“Fleming,” said Liz, triumphantly. “We’re calling it Fleming.”
“What a grand idea,” the head of the Training Academy practically gushed. “Taking its name from the ancient Vendrian word for destruction. I love it. Ladies, not only have you brought honor to yourselves, and the Training Academy with your discovery, you have provided a great service to all of Antar. We will talk more of this great discovery of yours at a later date, but for now, I have other business to attend to.” He glared at Jara Kobodi. “Plash Nevenia, Jara Kobodi, I want to see the two of you in my office, NOW! I believe that there are quite few things that we need to discuss,” he said, directing his comment to Jara Kobodi. “And I expect you to help shed some light on a few issues,” he added, looking expectantly at Plash.”
********************************
Jara Kobodi stormed out of Derago Kavron’s office, ready to explode. There was something wrong with those two girls; she just knew it. They were going to be thrown out of the Training Academy if it was the last thing she did. Jara flung the door of the living quarters provided to her and her husband by the Training Academy. Because of her husband’s position in Lord Kivar’s Army, the quarters were larger than any of the other instructors’ quarters.
She lowered her heavy body into a chair, and stared broodingly out the window. She ignored the opening of the door behind her that signaled the arrival of her husband, while she dwelled over her interview with Derago Kavron.
There has to be some way to get rid of those two vile students, she thought to herself. Something she could use to destroy them. Perhaps she’d find something in their student files, she mused to herself.
“Are you listening?” her husband asked.
“I’m sorry,” Jara Kobodi said. “My mind was wandering. What did you say?”
“I said a most peculiar thing happened during today’s training exercise. One of the new Aberjani threw himself in front of another to protect him from an energy bolt.”
“You find that interesting?” Jara Kobodi asked. “Why? Perhaps they are friends.”
“Perhaps,” agreed General Kobodi. “And yet, still, I am amazed. For I haven’t seen such a self sacrificing maneuver since General Rath threw himself in front of the energy blast I threw at King Zan.”
____________________________
Disclaimer: Roswell, and its characters do not belong to me. Melinda Metz, Jason Katims and 20th Century Fox have that particular pleasure. I’m simply borrowing them until the Season 2 DVD’s get released.
Tomorrow’s Yet to Come
Chapter Forty-One – Score One For Our Side
Maria sat doodling, while Jara Kobodi lectured the class. The memory implant done by Che’koth meant that Maria didn’t need to pay attention while the fat slob lectured. Jara held up a plant and asked for a volunteer to list the medicinal properties. Maria looked around the room and saw several hands shoot up, but none faster than Ava’s.
It’s different for Ava, she thought to herself. She missed out on so much, living the way she did. School is still a novelty to her.
Jara Kobodi looked past Ava to where her favorite pet Grenla sat with her arm raised. Jara nodded at Grenla, and the girl recited the medicinal properties of the plant.
“Excellent, excellent,” Jara said. “Perfect as always, Grenla.”
Maria turned around and looked at Ava, whose face mirrored her own shocked feelings. Grenla’s answer was wrong. Without thinking, Maria raised her hand and called out to Jara Kobodi.
“Excuse me, Jara Kobodi, but I don’t understand,” Maria said.
“Mira?” queried Jara Kobodi. “Why am I not surprised? What is it you do not understand? Grenla’s answer was very simply stated. I would think even you would not have any problems understanding her.”
“I’m not understanding,” Maria said, her voice hardened by anger. “Because I think she’s wrong. I believe the medicinal properties of that particular plant are more related to the throat and for coughs, and not for ailments of the digestive track. Unless,” Maria added, her voice sickeningly sweet, “that is, you gave us the wrong information in your lecture last week?”
“What?” blustered Jara Kobodi, pawing through her notes. “Oh, yes, well, I see. Yes, Mira, that is correct.”
Maria turned around and smiled at Grenla, whose eyes had protruded so far out of her head, she looked like a giant frog.
“Class dismissed,” snapped Jara Kobodi. “Mira, please speak to me after class.”
Maria sat and watched as the students filed out of the room, one by one. Ava hung back, and gave her a worried look, but Maria smiled reassuringly and motioned for her to leave.
“Yes, Jara Kobodi, what is it I can do for you?” Maria asked.
“Do not ever correct me again!” shouted Jara Kobodi, slamming the door. “The nerve of you, a student, correcting me, an instructor, in front of the class. I will see to it that you leave the Training Academy immediately!”
“Why?” Maria asked, quietly. “You would prefer that we are given misinformation?”
“Enough of your insolent cheek!” roared Jara Kobodi. “I will see to it that you are discharged from this learning establishment immediately.”
“Okay,” Maria said. “Feel perfectly free to do that, and I will feel perfectly free to report what a biased, vile, wretched instructor you really are.”
Jara Kobodi reached out and slapped Maria across the face, just as the door opened. Jara Kobodi looked up and saw the head of the Training Academy walk in, accompanied by Plash Nevenia, Liz and Ava.
“Jara Kobodi!” shouted Derago Kavron, the head of the Training Academy, shouted. “We do not strike students. It is strictly forbidden.”
“This student, if you can call her that,” spat Jara Kobodi. “Was insolent, and rude. She is lazy, and disrespectful, and she doesn’t belong in an educational facility such as this.”
“We are talking about this young woman?” asked Derago Kavron, pointing at Maria. “Are you sure?”
“Of course I am sure, Derago,” Jara Kobodi said. “In fact, she just tried to correct me in front of the entire class.”
“That’s because you were wrong,” Ava said, speaking up. She turned to Derago and Plash Nevenia to explain. “She asked for the medicinal properties of a particular plant, and chose a student to give the answer. The answer given was incorrect, but Jara Kobodi accepted it as correct. Mira simply stated that she was confused, listed the correct medicinal properties of the plant, and reminded Jara Kobodi that she herself had given us that very information in a lecture last week.”
Is this correct?” Derago Kavron asked Jara Kobodi.
“Yes, but she was still disrespectful, and I demand that she be removed from the program!” she shouted. “Obviously that one,” she pointed at Ava, “knew that her friend had overstepped her bounds, and ran to you to help her out of this mess. Well I won’t stand for it. I want her, no the both of them, out of this school, immediately.
“Jara Kobodi, control yourself,” Derago Kavron said, sharply. “You are not acting in a manner befitting an instructor of the Training Academy. You are embarrassing yourself in front of these people.” He turned and pointed to Plash, Liz and Ava. “I have brought these people here to share some wonderful news, and I find you acting like a harridan. Now I suggest you control yourself, before you embarrass yourself any more than you already have.”
“News, what news?” demanded Jara Kobodi. “Unless it is news of their removal from the school, I am not interested!”
“You will sit down, and you will listen,” thundered Derago Kavron. “We shall meet to discuss your attitude at a later date, Jara Kobodi, but for now, I have some news to share. Plash Nevenia and I have just completed tests on the substance created by these three girls, and I am happy to announce that they have created a medicine that will aid in the destruction of infection. It’s exactly what we were hoping for when Plash Nevenia came to me with the suggestion for the two groups working together.”
Derago Kavron turned, his hands clasped and smiled at the three girls who by now, had moved to stand by one another. He beamed at them as he told them they would have the honor of naming the new medicine.
“Ah, um,” stammered Maria, she turned and looked at Ava, her feelings of panic clearly visible in her eyes. Ava just stared back, unable to come up with a name other than penicillin.
“Fleming,” said Liz, triumphantly. “We’re calling it Fleming.”
“What a grand idea,” the head of the Training Academy practically gushed. “Taking its name from the ancient Vendrian word for destruction. I love it. Ladies, not only have you brought honor to yourselves, and the Training Academy with your discovery, you have provided a great service to all of Antar. We will talk more of this great discovery of yours at a later date, but for now, I have other business to attend to.” He glared at Jara Kobodi. “Plash Nevenia, Jara Kobodi, I want to see the two of you in my office, NOW! I believe that there are quite few things that we need to discuss,” he said, directing his comment to Jara Kobodi. “And I expect you to help shed some light on a few issues,” he added, looking expectantly at Plash.”
********************************
Jara Kobodi stormed out of Derago Kavron’s office, ready to explode. There was something wrong with those two girls; she just knew it. They were going to be thrown out of the Training Academy if it was the last thing she did. Jara flung the door of the living quarters provided to her and her husband by the Training Academy. Because of her husband’s position in Lord Kivar’s Army, the quarters were larger than any of the other instructors’ quarters.
She lowered her heavy body into a chair, and stared broodingly out the window. She ignored the opening of the door behind her that signaled the arrival of her husband, while she dwelled over her interview with Derago Kavron.
There has to be some way to get rid of those two vile students, she thought to herself. Something she could use to destroy them. Perhaps she’d find something in their student files, she mused to herself.
“Are you listening?” her husband asked.
“I’m sorry,” Jara Kobodi said. “My mind was wandering. What did you say?”
“I said a most peculiar thing happened during today’s training exercise. One of the new Aberjani threw himself in front of another to protect him from an energy bolt.”
“You find that interesting?” Jara Kobodi asked. “Why? Perhaps they are friends.”
“Perhaps,” agreed General Kobodi. “And yet, still, I am amazed. For I haven’t seen such a self sacrificing maneuver since General Rath threw himself in front of the energy blast I threw at King Zan.”
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majiklmoon
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Chapter Forty-Two added 9/14/04
Disclaimer: Roswell, and its characters do not belong to me. Melinda Metz, Jason Katims and 20th Century Fox have that particular pleasure. I’m simply borrowing them until the Season 2 DVD’s get released.
Tomorrow’s Yet to Come
Chapter Forty-Two – Serious Repercussions
“He did what?” Max roared. “Of all the stupid, idiotic, asinine things to do. Throwing himself in front of a blast meant for you has got to be the most ridiculous thing Michael has ever done.”
“Gee, thanks, Max, I didn’t know you cared quite so much,” said Zan, leaning against a wall.
“Don’t be stupid,” said Max. “That’s not what I mean, and you know it. Saving somebody like that is something an Aberjani so wouldn’t do. Why would he do something so stupid?”
“Maybe because he didn’t want me to die?” Zan asked dryly.
“Jesus, will you chill?” snapped Max. “That’s not what I mean, and you know it, so stop giving me shit! I mean, no Aberjani would ever sacrifice himself for another. Michael did nothing but draw attention to us, and it’s going to cause problems for us. I know it.”
“Don’t have such a freak out, Max. Maybe we can spin this to our benefit,” said Zan.
“Right,” said Max, his voice dripping with scorn. “Or we could just wear signs that say ‘Hi, we’re the cloned Royal Family,’ to make it easier for them to hunt us down and kill us.”
“Look, if you want to sit here and worry about things that just aren’t going to happen, be my guest,” said Zan. “I’m hungry, and I’m going down to dinner. If you have half a brain, and I know you do, because I do, and you’re me, you’ll come with me, we’ll find the others, an figure out a way to use this to our benefit.”
“You are such an ass,” said Max, a small grin appearing on his face. “So I guess I must be too. Lets go get something to eat and figure out how we’re going to fix this mess. Just don’t say anything to the others until we’re all together, okay?”
“Okay,” replied Zan. “Let’s jam!”
Max looked across the dining hall to where Liz sat, chatting animatedly with Maria, and Ava. Isabel sat with them smiling occasionally, but was far more subdued. Liz caught his eye and gave him a lascivious smile, which caused his blood to boil. Max felt his face begin to burn, but he held onto his composure long enough to wink at Liz. He turned away and searched for the table where Michael and the others were sitting.
Kyle stood part way up and waved to Max, signaling for him to join him. Max gave a half wave, and made his way over to where his friends were sitting.
“Hey,” said Kyle. “Did you have fun playing soldier today?”
“I won, so yeah, I guess I did,” said Max. “What happened to you?”
“I got hungry, so I let myself get killed early. Besides, Alex needed to talk to me.”
“Kyle, can you think of anything besides food?” Max asked with a laugh.
“Yeah, I can think about what has you so jazzed off,” said Kyle. “Why the inner freak fest, Max? And don’t tell me it’s because of the little mind game Liz just played with you.”
“I thought you weren’t going to say anything,” Max said, glaring at Zan.
“I didn’t,” said Zan, holding up his hands. “Honest.”
“Well you must have,” Max said, trying to be reasonable, “If Kyle knows already.”
“Relax, Max,” said Kyle. “Nobody said anything. It’s just pretty obvious that you’re wound tighter than a slinky. What gives?”
Max just stared at Kyle, wondering when his friend had become so observant. Kyle was a lot of things, but he’d never been the compassionate, touchy feely type.
“I think Max is concerned about what happened during our GI Joe games today,” Zan said, diplomatically.
“Yeah, it was a total mistake,” Michael said. “But I didn’t think. I just reacted to it.”
“What happened, what was a total mistake?” asked Alex, clearly confused.
“Zan was about to get killed today in a mock training exercise, and I threw myself in front of the energy bolt and saved him,” Michael said, his voice grim. “It was a stupid thing to do, and I don’t even know why I did it.”
“Ah, you saved a friend,” said Alex. “Since when is that a bad thing?”
“Since it’s something the Aberjani would never do,” said Max. “They are so not team players. But Zan has some idea of how we can use this to our advantage,” Max added.
“Yeah, well before we get into that,” interrupted Kyle. “Alex, I think you need to go check in with Isabel. She’s really bummed about something.”
“How do you know?” asked Alex, looking across the hall to where Isabel sat. “Did she tell you? And why are you just waiting until now to tell me?”
Kyle sighed heavily, and rubbed his forehead. “No, she didn’t tell me. I haven’t talked to her since last night. But look at her. She isn’t eating, she isn’t talking, and her hair is falling out of that twisty thing, and she hasn’t done anything about it.”
“You’re right,” said Alex in amazement, looking over at Isabel. “She looks like hell. Okay, guys, I’m out of here. I’m going to bring Isabel downstairs and talk to her. I’ll see you all there later on, right?”
Zan and Michael nodded, and Kyle smiled wearily, signifying his agreement, but Max just stared at Kyle, noting for the first time, how tired and drawn his friend looked.
“So, what’s the plan?” asked Michael. “Cause I’m thinking, if anybody saw what I did, we’re in a complete and total world of hurt.”
“Well, we’re supposed to go back out again tomorrow, right?” Zan asked. “Well I was thinking, if all of us started trying to save other people, it might throw suspicion off of what Michael did. But the thing is, I don’t think we’d better try and save each other. We don’t want to draw attention to ourselves in that way, but if we start saving other trainees, maybe it will throw them off our tails.”
Zan sat back nervously and waited while the others thought about his suggestion. He wasn’t big on the whole teamwork thing. It was still hard for him to open up and be as trusting as the others were. He felt as if he was laying his soul on the line as he waited for their opinions.
“That’s a great idea!” Max said. “In fact, if we take it one step further and try and ‘save’ some of the students that General Kobodi favors, and a couple of the students that usually aren’t as successful, it may throw them totally off.”
“Speaking of which,” said Kyle. He lifted his chin, using it to point to the front of the room where General Kobodi stood staring out over the students. “He’s here, and he is pissed. Michael, I’d suggest you get the hell out of here, now.”
Michael opened his mouth to argue, saw the look on Kyle’s face and thought better of it. He grabbed his plate and slipped out the side door before the General noticed him.
“He is really ripped,” said Kyle, staring intently at the General. “But not just at Michael.”
“Kyle, what the hell are you talking about?” asked Max. “How can you know he’s mad, and who he’s mad at? It makes no sense.”
“It does to me, and right now, I think we’d all better get out of here. Max, I want you to take Ava out of here right now. While you’re over there, tell Liz to come sit with me, and Maria to meet Zan over by the windows. It’s not much, but it may confuse him a bit.”
“Kyle, I don’t want you to take this the wrong way, but I think you’ve snapped or something,” said Max.
“Yeah, great, fine, I’ve snapped. Now shut the fuck up and do what I tell you,” whispered Kyle.
Max stared at Kyle. In all the years that they had known each other, he’d never seen him act like this. Max simply nodded and walked across the dining hall to where Ava and the others sat. He leaned over and whispered in her ear. She looked confused but nodded and grabbed her belongings and stood up. She leaned over to Liz and Maria and whispered something and giggled loudly, smiled adoringly, and followed Max out of the room.
A troubled and confused Liz and Maria both stood up and grabbed their possessions. Maria walked over to the large windows where Zan stood waiting for her, and Liz crossed the hall and sat at the table that was now occupied only by Kyle. She slid into the seat next to him, and looked closely at her friend.
“Kyle, oh my God, Kyle, are you okay?” she asked, her voice filled with panic. “You aren’t looking too great. What’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” said Kyle, the sweat beading on his face. “Listen, can you not think so loud or something?”
“Not think so loud?” Liz asked, puzzled. “What do you mean? Kyle, are you reading my thoughts?”
“Not your thoughts, no, but your emotions, I think. I can usually block them out, but when I’m with you guys, it gets kind of overwhelming.”
“Come on, let’s get you out of here,” Liz said. She slipped her arm around Kyle’s waist and helped him up. “Come on Valenti, make it look like you love me. Put your arm around my waist, will you.”
Kyle slipped his arm around Liz’s waist, and the two walked out of the dining hall under the angry glance of General Kobodi.
Tomorrow’s Yet to Come
Chapter Forty-Two – Serious Repercussions
“He did what?” Max roared. “Of all the stupid, idiotic, asinine things to do. Throwing himself in front of a blast meant for you has got to be the most ridiculous thing Michael has ever done.”
“Gee, thanks, Max, I didn’t know you cared quite so much,” said Zan, leaning against a wall.
“Don’t be stupid,” said Max. “That’s not what I mean, and you know it. Saving somebody like that is something an Aberjani so wouldn’t do. Why would he do something so stupid?”
“Maybe because he didn’t want me to die?” Zan asked dryly.
“Jesus, will you chill?” snapped Max. “That’s not what I mean, and you know it, so stop giving me shit! I mean, no Aberjani would ever sacrifice himself for another. Michael did nothing but draw attention to us, and it’s going to cause problems for us. I know it.”
“Don’t have such a freak out, Max. Maybe we can spin this to our benefit,” said Zan.
“Right,” said Max, his voice dripping with scorn. “Or we could just wear signs that say ‘Hi, we’re the cloned Royal Family,’ to make it easier for them to hunt us down and kill us.”
“Look, if you want to sit here and worry about things that just aren’t going to happen, be my guest,” said Zan. “I’m hungry, and I’m going down to dinner. If you have half a brain, and I know you do, because I do, and you’re me, you’ll come with me, we’ll find the others, an figure out a way to use this to our benefit.”
“You are such an ass,” said Max, a small grin appearing on his face. “So I guess I must be too. Lets go get something to eat and figure out how we’re going to fix this mess. Just don’t say anything to the others until we’re all together, okay?”
“Okay,” replied Zan. “Let’s jam!”
Max looked across the dining hall to where Liz sat, chatting animatedly with Maria, and Ava. Isabel sat with them smiling occasionally, but was far more subdued. Liz caught his eye and gave him a lascivious smile, which caused his blood to boil. Max felt his face begin to burn, but he held onto his composure long enough to wink at Liz. He turned away and searched for the table where Michael and the others were sitting.
Kyle stood part way up and waved to Max, signaling for him to join him. Max gave a half wave, and made his way over to where his friends were sitting.
“Hey,” said Kyle. “Did you have fun playing soldier today?”
“I won, so yeah, I guess I did,” said Max. “What happened to you?”
“I got hungry, so I let myself get killed early. Besides, Alex needed to talk to me.”
“Kyle, can you think of anything besides food?” Max asked with a laugh.
“Yeah, I can think about what has you so jazzed off,” said Kyle. “Why the inner freak fest, Max? And don’t tell me it’s because of the little mind game Liz just played with you.”
“I thought you weren’t going to say anything,” Max said, glaring at Zan.
“I didn’t,” said Zan, holding up his hands. “Honest.”
“Well you must have,” Max said, trying to be reasonable, “If Kyle knows already.”
“Relax, Max,” said Kyle. “Nobody said anything. It’s just pretty obvious that you’re wound tighter than a slinky. What gives?”
Max just stared at Kyle, wondering when his friend had become so observant. Kyle was a lot of things, but he’d never been the compassionate, touchy feely type.
“I think Max is concerned about what happened during our GI Joe games today,” Zan said, diplomatically.
“Yeah, it was a total mistake,” Michael said. “But I didn’t think. I just reacted to it.”
“What happened, what was a total mistake?” asked Alex, clearly confused.
“Zan was about to get killed today in a mock training exercise, and I threw myself in front of the energy bolt and saved him,” Michael said, his voice grim. “It was a stupid thing to do, and I don’t even know why I did it.”
“Ah, you saved a friend,” said Alex. “Since when is that a bad thing?”
“Since it’s something the Aberjani would never do,” said Max. “They are so not team players. But Zan has some idea of how we can use this to our advantage,” Max added.
“Yeah, well before we get into that,” interrupted Kyle. “Alex, I think you need to go check in with Isabel. She’s really bummed about something.”
“How do you know?” asked Alex, looking across the hall to where Isabel sat. “Did she tell you? And why are you just waiting until now to tell me?”
Kyle sighed heavily, and rubbed his forehead. “No, she didn’t tell me. I haven’t talked to her since last night. But look at her. She isn’t eating, she isn’t talking, and her hair is falling out of that twisty thing, and she hasn’t done anything about it.”
“You’re right,” said Alex in amazement, looking over at Isabel. “She looks like hell. Okay, guys, I’m out of here. I’m going to bring Isabel downstairs and talk to her. I’ll see you all there later on, right?”
Zan and Michael nodded, and Kyle smiled wearily, signifying his agreement, but Max just stared at Kyle, noting for the first time, how tired and drawn his friend looked.
“So, what’s the plan?” asked Michael. “Cause I’m thinking, if anybody saw what I did, we’re in a complete and total world of hurt.”
“Well, we’re supposed to go back out again tomorrow, right?” Zan asked. “Well I was thinking, if all of us started trying to save other people, it might throw suspicion off of what Michael did. But the thing is, I don’t think we’d better try and save each other. We don’t want to draw attention to ourselves in that way, but if we start saving other trainees, maybe it will throw them off our tails.”
Zan sat back nervously and waited while the others thought about his suggestion. He wasn’t big on the whole teamwork thing. It was still hard for him to open up and be as trusting as the others were. He felt as if he was laying his soul on the line as he waited for their opinions.
“That’s a great idea!” Max said. “In fact, if we take it one step further and try and ‘save’ some of the students that General Kobodi favors, and a couple of the students that usually aren’t as successful, it may throw them totally off.”
“Speaking of which,” said Kyle. He lifted his chin, using it to point to the front of the room where General Kobodi stood staring out over the students. “He’s here, and he is pissed. Michael, I’d suggest you get the hell out of here, now.”
Michael opened his mouth to argue, saw the look on Kyle’s face and thought better of it. He grabbed his plate and slipped out the side door before the General noticed him.
“He is really ripped,” said Kyle, staring intently at the General. “But not just at Michael.”
“Kyle, what the hell are you talking about?” asked Max. “How can you know he’s mad, and who he’s mad at? It makes no sense.”
“It does to me, and right now, I think we’d all better get out of here. Max, I want you to take Ava out of here right now. While you’re over there, tell Liz to come sit with me, and Maria to meet Zan over by the windows. It’s not much, but it may confuse him a bit.”
“Kyle, I don’t want you to take this the wrong way, but I think you’ve snapped or something,” said Max.
“Yeah, great, fine, I’ve snapped. Now shut the fuck up and do what I tell you,” whispered Kyle.
Max stared at Kyle. In all the years that they had known each other, he’d never seen him act like this. Max simply nodded and walked across the dining hall to where Ava and the others sat. He leaned over and whispered in her ear. She looked confused but nodded and grabbed her belongings and stood up. She leaned over to Liz and Maria and whispered something and giggled loudly, smiled adoringly, and followed Max out of the room.
A troubled and confused Liz and Maria both stood up and grabbed their possessions. Maria walked over to the large windows where Zan stood waiting for her, and Liz crossed the hall and sat at the table that was now occupied only by Kyle. She slid into the seat next to him, and looked closely at her friend.
“Kyle, oh my God, Kyle, are you okay?” she asked, her voice filled with panic. “You aren’t looking too great. What’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” said Kyle, the sweat beading on his face. “Listen, can you not think so loud or something?”
“Not think so loud?” Liz asked, puzzled. “What do you mean? Kyle, are you reading my thoughts?”
“Not your thoughts, no, but your emotions, I think. I can usually block them out, but when I’m with you guys, it gets kind of overwhelming.”
“Come on, let’s get you out of here,” Liz said. She slipped her arm around Kyle’s waist and helped him up. “Come on Valenti, make it look like you love me. Put your arm around my waist, will you.”
Kyle slipped his arm around Liz’s waist, and the two walked out of the dining hall under the angry glance of General Kobodi.
-
majiklmoon
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Chapter Forty Three added 9/15/04
Disclaimer: Roswell, and its characters do not belong to me. Melinda Metz, Jason Katims and 20th Century Fox have that particular pleasure. I’m simply borrowing them until the Season 2 DVD’s get released.
Tomorrow’s Yet to Come
Chapter Forty – Three – I’m a Betazoid?
Kyle paused slightly as the walked passed General Kobodi, but Liz used every last bit of strength she possessed to almost drag him out of the room.
“Come on Valenti, work with me here,” she hissed under her breath.
“I can feel the anger pouring off of him,” Kyle said. It’s coming off of him in waves; hot angry red waves of energy. He’s pissed, really, really pissed.”
“Great, Counselor Troi, can we save this for later, please?” Liz asked. “Kyle, I want you to focus on some of your Buddha stuff, be a tree growing in the woods or something. Stop paying attention to what I’m thinking or feeling, and get your ass in gear and walk!”
Liz’s words were enough to cause Kyle to block out as much external stimuli as possible and to start putting some weight on his legs. He kept his eyes shut tightly, and allowed Liz to guide him down to the hidden room. Outside the door, he stopped and looked at Liz, his eyes filled with pain.
“I don’t think I can go in there,” he whispered. “Isabel is so upset, and she’s trying to hold it in, and keep it from Alex. She needs to let him know what’s upsetting her. The more she tries to keep it in, the more she’s hurting herself, and him.”
“And you, from the sounds of it,” said Liz, softly. “Well, I’m not leaving you out here. How about if we get you in there, and take you right through to the tunnel. Maybe if you’re not in the room with them, and can just sit, and meditate or something, and we can figure out something to help you.”
“I’ll try,” said Kyle, “But Liz, I have to tell you, I’m scared as hell to walk in there.”
“You’ll be okay,” said Liz, trying to keep her voice on and calm even pitch. Just keep your eyes shut and think flowing water, or blowing breeze, or whatever, okay?”
“Love the way you sum up my religious beliefs, Liz,” Kyle said, with a grin that was a pale imitation of his usual open smile.
“Yeah, yeah, shut up, Buddha and lets get moving,” said Liz. She opened the door to their room and rushed Kyle through and directly into the tunnel. Max jumped up, wordlessly, and ran to Kyle’s other side, and helped Liz half lead, half carry him.
“Liz, what’s wrong with him?” Ava asked, worriedly trailing along behind them.
“I’ll explain everything in a second,” said Liz. “But right now, you need to get out of here, and keep everyone out of the tunnel.”
“Liz, he’s my husband, I need to stay with him,” Ava said, her voice agitated.
“And right now, he needs you to be away from him, Ava,” Liz said, trying to keep her voice calm. “Right now, Kyle needs quiet, and he needs for all of us to stay calm, and not get worked up emotionally. I promise, I’ll be out in a minute to explain everything.”
Ava left reluctantly and Max and Liz got Kyle settled against the smooth dirt walls of the tunnel.
“Okay, Valenti, you’re a leaf, floating down a babbling brook, got it?” said Liz. “I’ll be back to check on you in a bit. Max come on, Kyle doesn’t need us here right now.”
Her friends verbally assaulted Liz when she and Max exited the tunnel and rejoined the group in the hidden room. Demands to know what was wrong filled the room.
“Shut up, all of you,” Liz said, trying to maintain a calm even tone. “Everyone needs to sit down, and try their damnedest to remain calm while I try and explain this.”
Liz waited until everyone had sat down, and she herself went to sit beside Ava, and take her hand and squeeze it gently.
“Kyle’s okay,” Liz said. “But for some reason, he’s developed a power that puts him in tune with people’s emotions.”
“Kind of like Deanna Troi on Next Generation,” said Alex and Michael simultaneously.
“Exactly like that, I guess. Kyle said he can block them out pretty much, but when he’s around us, it’s harder for him to do. I think, too, if someone is suppressing emotion, or trying to contain it, he feels it pretty strong, because we walked past General Kobodi, and Kyle kept saying he could feel waves of anger pouring off the guy, but if you looked at him, he looked like he didn’t have a care in the world.”
“How can we fix it?” Ava asked. “Max, can you heal it?”
“I don’t think so, Ava,” Max said, gently. “It’s not like there is anything wrong with him. We’re going to have to find another way to deal with it.”
“Yeah, well, I’ve got a lot on my mind, so maybe I’d better just get out of here, then,” said Isabel, standing up.
“Isabel, what happened to your face?” Liz asked, momentarily distracted by the changes in Isabel’s appearance.
“Oh, uh, nothing,” Isabel said. “I just decided I wanted a new look, that’s all.
“That’s not all,” Kyle gasped, leaning against the entrance to the tunnel. “Something happened today, and it’s tearing you apart. Unless you want it to tear me apart, you’d better tell everyone what’s going on.”
“No! I don’t want to talk about it,” Isabel said, vehemently.
“Isabel,” Alex said, softly, putting his arm around her. “You have to. It’s obvious that you’re upset about something, and Kyle can feel it too. You shouldn’t keep it all bottled up inside.”
“I, I saw Kivar today,” Isabel blurted out in a rush.
“Did he recognize you?” Max asked, his face a worried mask.
“No, I don’t think so, but there’s something else. He had someone with him, today. It, it was me!”
“You’re not making sense, Isabel,” Maria said. “If you were there, how could you be with him.”
“I’m telling you,” Isabel said, her voice filled with agitation. “He’s claiming to be married to Queen Vilondra. I saw her, and she looked exactly like me! I’m pretty positive I have a good idea of what I look like, Maria!”
Liz looked over at Kyle, and watched as the pain on his face eased as Isabel confessed what was bothering her. She slipped away from the group and walked over to where he leaned against the wall.
“You okay?” she asked, softly.
“Yeah. Once Isabel got that out, it was like a tremendous pressure was lifted off of me. I mean, everyone in this room has things their worried about, and I can feel it, but nothing was as powerful as the emotions Isabel was trying to contain. Liz, I don’t know how much longer I can go on like this. It’s hard.”
“Come on over here and sit down,” Liz said, leading Kyle to a chair. “Maybe Che’koth has some idea of what we can do to help you.”
Kyle sat wearily in the chair, and Ava came over and perched carefully on its arm and began to stroke Kyle’s head. The others joined them and began to discuss Isabel’s revelation, struggling to keep their emotions in check, and talk in calm, measured tones.
“Who do you think it is?” Zan asked. “Could it possibly be Lonnie?”
“No way,” said Alex, stroking Isabel’s hair. “She was about as dead as you could possibly be when we put her in the Granolith. And,” he added, “She had been dead for a few hours before that happened. He couldn’t have resurrected her. Antar doesn’t have that type of technology.”
“What did she say, Isabel?” Max asked. “Did she talk to you at all?”
“That was the creepy thing, she didn’t say a word,” said Isabel. “She just trailed along behind Kivar like an adoring puppy or something. She never said a thing.”
“We need to talk to Che’koth,” Max said. “Anybody have any idea of how to get in contact with him?”
“We don’t have to,” said Maria, her face suffused with color. “He’s meeting me here later tonight.”
“What?” exploded Michael. “Why?”
“Because we’re working on something, Space Boy, that’s why. Do you have a problem with that?”
“I do if you’re working on something that’s going to put you in danger,” said Michael.
“Well, it’s not,” Maria said defiantly. “You don’t have to worry about me, Michael Guerin. I can take care of myself.”
“I’m not worried about you,” said Michael with small grin, trying to diffuse the situation. “I’m more concerned about the after effects of Hurricane Maria on poor Che’koth.
“I’m surviving just fine, General,” said Che’koth from the tunnel passageway. “But all of you seem to be in great distress. How may I help?”
Alex and Isabel began to tell Che’koth about the Isabel clone that was parading around the palace, while Liz and Ava tried to bring Kyle’s dilemma to his attention. The noise level grew louder and louder until a piercing whistle filled the air.
“Cool it, all of you!” shouted Zan. “Give the man a chance to think, and to hear you. Isabel, you have the freak factor, but I think we need to address Kyle’s situation first. He’s suffering from physical pain, yours is only mental.”
“Listen to Zan going all king like,” Maria whispered to Michael. “It’s almost like having Max in stereo. Oh wait, it is exactly like having Max in stereo.”
“Che’koth, what’s wrong with Kyle?” Ava asked. “He’s feeling all these emotions from other people.”
“Interesting,” said Che’koth. “Kyle, do you remember when we talked about the power surge that happened when you memories were being supplemented?”
“Yeah,” said Kyle. “Something I so wish had never happened.”
“Well, apparently I was wrong, the power surge didn’t cause the extra memories, your powers caused the power surge. Empathic powers do sometimes occur, but not often. It seems as though this was a power you were going to develop, and the supplemental memory speeded the process. Had it occurred naturally, you would have learned how to cope, and suppress the pain you are feeling. You haven’t been given that chance, but I think, if you search your memories, you will find the techniques are stored. You only need to work on them. We will talk more later, but now, let me hear what is bothering Isabel.”
At the sound of her name, Isabel got up and began to pace nervously around the room. She related her experience in the Royal Palace, and the shock she felt at seeing another replica of herself walking around.
“This news is quite alarming,” Che’koth admitted. “We had all heard the news that Kivar claimed to have wed Vilondra, but I wasn’t concerned because I knew it wasn’t possible.”
“Well, I saw her, me, I mean her,” said a clearly confused Isabel. “She was there, plain the nose on our face. Who is she, Che’koth? Is it Lonnie, did she survive somehow?”
“I’m not sure, Princess,” Che’koth admitted. “The matter bears some looking in to. I’ll get on it right away. Maria,” he added, turning towards the other girl. “I’m afraid this will delay the next stage of your plan, is that alright with you?”
“Of course,” said Maria, though her face clearly showed her disappointment.
“All right Maria, spill it!” said Michael. “What plan, what’s going on? Che’koth, what’s going on?”
“You did not know?” Che’koth asked. “Your wife lead me to believe you, what was the phrase she used, oh yes, you had her back on this one.”
Tomorrow’s Yet to Come
Chapter Forty – Three – I’m a Betazoid?
Kyle paused slightly as the walked passed General Kobodi, but Liz used every last bit of strength she possessed to almost drag him out of the room.
“Come on Valenti, work with me here,” she hissed under her breath.
“I can feel the anger pouring off of him,” Kyle said. It’s coming off of him in waves; hot angry red waves of energy. He’s pissed, really, really pissed.”
“Great, Counselor Troi, can we save this for later, please?” Liz asked. “Kyle, I want you to focus on some of your Buddha stuff, be a tree growing in the woods or something. Stop paying attention to what I’m thinking or feeling, and get your ass in gear and walk!”
Liz’s words were enough to cause Kyle to block out as much external stimuli as possible and to start putting some weight on his legs. He kept his eyes shut tightly, and allowed Liz to guide him down to the hidden room. Outside the door, he stopped and looked at Liz, his eyes filled with pain.
“I don’t think I can go in there,” he whispered. “Isabel is so upset, and she’s trying to hold it in, and keep it from Alex. She needs to let him know what’s upsetting her. The more she tries to keep it in, the more she’s hurting herself, and him.”
“And you, from the sounds of it,” said Liz, softly. “Well, I’m not leaving you out here. How about if we get you in there, and take you right through to the tunnel. Maybe if you’re not in the room with them, and can just sit, and meditate or something, and we can figure out something to help you.”
“I’ll try,” said Kyle, “But Liz, I have to tell you, I’m scared as hell to walk in there.”
“You’ll be okay,” said Liz, trying to keep her voice on and calm even pitch. Just keep your eyes shut and think flowing water, or blowing breeze, or whatever, okay?”
“Love the way you sum up my religious beliefs, Liz,” Kyle said, with a grin that was a pale imitation of his usual open smile.
“Yeah, yeah, shut up, Buddha and lets get moving,” said Liz. She opened the door to their room and rushed Kyle through and directly into the tunnel. Max jumped up, wordlessly, and ran to Kyle’s other side, and helped Liz half lead, half carry him.
“Liz, what’s wrong with him?” Ava asked, worriedly trailing along behind them.
“I’ll explain everything in a second,” said Liz. “But right now, you need to get out of here, and keep everyone out of the tunnel.”
“Liz, he’s my husband, I need to stay with him,” Ava said, her voice agitated.
“And right now, he needs you to be away from him, Ava,” Liz said, trying to keep her voice calm. “Right now, Kyle needs quiet, and he needs for all of us to stay calm, and not get worked up emotionally. I promise, I’ll be out in a minute to explain everything.”
Ava left reluctantly and Max and Liz got Kyle settled against the smooth dirt walls of the tunnel.
“Okay, Valenti, you’re a leaf, floating down a babbling brook, got it?” said Liz. “I’ll be back to check on you in a bit. Max come on, Kyle doesn’t need us here right now.”
Her friends verbally assaulted Liz when she and Max exited the tunnel and rejoined the group in the hidden room. Demands to know what was wrong filled the room.
“Shut up, all of you,” Liz said, trying to maintain a calm even tone. “Everyone needs to sit down, and try their damnedest to remain calm while I try and explain this.”
Liz waited until everyone had sat down, and she herself went to sit beside Ava, and take her hand and squeeze it gently.
“Kyle’s okay,” Liz said. “But for some reason, he’s developed a power that puts him in tune with people’s emotions.”
“Kind of like Deanna Troi on Next Generation,” said Alex and Michael simultaneously.
“Exactly like that, I guess. Kyle said he can block them out pretty much, but when he’s around us, it’s harder for him to do. I think, too, if someone is suppressing emotion, or trying to contain it, he feels it pretty strong, because we walked past General Kobodi, and Kyle kept saying he could feel waves of anger pouring off the guy, but if you looked at him, he looked like he didn’t have a care in the world.”
“How can we fix it?” Ava asked. “Max, can you heal it?”
“I don’t think so, Ava,” Max said, gently. “It’s not like there is anything wrong with him. We’re going to have to find another way to deal with it.”
“Yeah, well, I’ve got a lot on my mind, so maybe I’d better just get out of here, then,” said Isabel, standing up.
“Isabel, what happened to your face?” Liz asked, momentarily distracted by the changes in Isabel’s appearance.
“Oh, uh, nothing,” Isabel said. “I just decided I wanted a new look, that’s all.
“That’s not all,” Kyle gasped, leaning against the entrance to the tunnel. “Something happened today, and it’s tearing you apart. Unless you want it to tear me apart, you’d better tell everyone what’s going on.”
“No! I don’t want to talk about it,” Isabel said, vehemently.
“Isabel,” Alex said, softly, putting his arm around her. “You have to. It’s obvious that you’re upset about something, and Kyle can feel it too. You shouldn’t keep it all bottled up inside.”
“I, I saw Kivar today,” Isabel blurted out in a rush.
“Did he recognize you?” Max asked, his face a worried mask.
“No, I don’t think so, but there’s something else. He had someone with him, today. It, it was me!”
“You’re not making sense, Isabel,” Maria said. “If you were there, how could you be with him.”
“I’m telling you,” Isabel said, her voice filled with agitation. “He’s claiming to be married to Queen Vilondra. I saw her, and she looked exactly like me! I’m pretty positive I have a good idea of what I look like, Maria!”
Liz looked over at Kyle, and watched as the pain on his face eased as Isabel confessed what was bothering her. She slipped away from the group and walked over to where he leaned against the wall.
“You okay?” she asked, softly.
“Yeah. Once Isabel got that out, it was like a tremendous pressure was lifted off of me. I mean, everyone in this room has things their worried about, and I can feel it, but nothing was as powerful as the emotions Isabel was trying to contain. Liz, I don’t know how much longer I can go on like this. It’s hard.”
“Come on over here and sit down,” Liz said, leading Kyle to a chair. “Maybe Che’koth has some idea of what we can do to help you.”
Kyle sat wearily in the chair, and Ava came over and perched carefully on its arm and began to stroke Kyle’s head. The others joined them and began to discuss Isabel’s revelation, struggling to keep their emotions in check, and talk in calm, measured tones.
“Who do you think it is?” Zan asked. “Could it possibly be Lonnie?”
“No way,” said Alex, stroking Isabel’s hair. “She was about as dead as you could possibly be when we put her in the Granolith. And,” he added, “She had been dead for a few hours before that happened. He couldn’t have resurrected her. Antar doesn’t have that type of technology.”
“What did she say, Isabel?” Max asked. “Did she talk to you at all?”
“That was the creepy thing, she didn’t say a word,” said Isabel. “She just trailed along behind Kivar like an adoring puppy or something. She never said a thing.”
“We need to talk to Che’koth,” Max said. “Anybody have any idea of how to get in contact with him?”
“We don’t have to,” said Maria, her face suffused with color. “He’s meeting me here later tonight.”
“What?” exploded Michael. “Why?”
“Because we’re working on something, Space Boy, that’s why. Do you have a problem with that?”
“I do if you’re working on something that’s going to put you in danger,” said Michael.
“Well, it’s not,” Maria said defiantly. “You don’t have to worry about me, Michael Guerin. I can take care of myself.”
“I’m not worried about you,” said Michael with small grin, trying to diffuse the situation. “I’m more concerned about the after effects of Hurricane Maria on poor Che’koth.
“I’m surviving just fine, General,” said Che’koth from the tunnel passageway. “But all of you seem to be in great distress. How may I help?”
Alex and Isabel began to tell Che’koth about the Isabel clone that was parading around the palace, while Liz and Ava tried to bring Kyle’s dilemma to his attention. The noise level grew louder and louder until a piercing whistle filled the air.
“Cool it, all of you!” shouted Zan. “Give the man a chance to think, and to hear you. Isabel, you have the freak factor, but I think we need to address Kyle’s situation first. He’s suffering from physical pain, yours is only mental.”
“Listen to Zan going all king like,” Maria whispered to Michael. “It’s almost like having Max in stereo. Oh wait, it is exactly like having Max in stereo.”
“Che’koth, what’s wrong with Kyle?” Ava asked. “He’s feeling all these emotions from other people.”
“Interesting,” said Che’koth. “Kyle, do you remember when we talked about the power surge that happened when you memories were being supplemented?”
“Yeah,” said Kyle. “Something I so wish had never happened.”
“Well, apparently I was wrong, the power surge didn’t cause the extra memories, your powers caused the power surge. Empathic powers do sometimes occur, but not often. It seems as though this was a power you were going to develop, and the supplemental memory speeded the process. Had it occurred naturally, you would have learned how to cope, and suppress the pain you are feeling. You haven’t been given that chance, but I think, if you search your memories, you will find the techniques are stored. You only need to work on them. We will talk more later, but now, let me hear what is bothering Isabel.”
At the sound of her name, Isabel got up and began to pace nervously around the room. She related her experience in the Royal Palace, and the shock she felt at seeing another replica of herself walking around.
“This news is quite alarming,” Che’koth admitted. “We had all heard the news that Kivar claimed to have wed Vilondra, but I wasn’t concerned because I knew it wasn’t possible.”
“Well, I saw her, me, I mean her,” said a clearly confused Isabel. “She was there, plain the nose on our face. Who is she, Che’koth? Is it Lonnie, did she survive somehow?”
“I’m not sure, Princess,” Che’koth admitted. “The matter bears some looking in to. I’ll get on it right away. Maria,” he added, turning towards the other girl. “I’m afraid this will delay the next stage of your plan, is that alright with you?”
“Of course,” said Maria, though her face clearly showed her disappointment.
“All right Maria, spill it!” said Michael. “What plan, what’s going on? Che’koth, what’s going on?”
“You did not know?” Che’koth asked. “Your wife lead me to believe you, what was the phrase she used, oh yes, you had her back on this one.”
-
majiklmoon
- Addicted Roswellian
- Posts: 361
- Joined: Tue Nov 13, 2001 10:55 am
- Contact:
Chapter 44 - added 9/16/04
Disclaimer: Roswell, and its characters do not belong to me. Melinda Metz, Jason Katims and 20th Century Fox have that particular pleasure. I’m simply borrowing them until the Season 2 DVD’s get released.
Tomorrow’s Yet to Come
Chapter Forty - Four – Coming Together
“Okay, look, it isn’t really important,” said Maria. “Remember how we had kind of talked about some way to rally the people. Get them involved. Well, I decided to get that started on my own, with Che’koth’s help.”
“The song,” said Alex. “Maria, it’s brilliant. How have you been getting it all over the city?”
“That’s where Che’koth came in,” Maria said. “We both agreed that it probably wouldn’t be safe for me to be wandering the streets at all hours, so he recruited some of the rebels to help.”
“Maria, I apologize,” said Michael, stunning the room into complete and total silence. “What?” he said, looking around the room at the amazed faces of his friends. “I can’t be wrong?”
“And admit it?” said Max. “Not usually.”
“Jerk,” said Michael, punching him in the arm. “Maria, why didn’t you just tell us about it?”
“I just wanted this to be mine, you know?” Maria said, looking at Michael. “You guys have your soldier stuff. Liz and Alex are working on that weapon thing, and the guidance system for it. Isabel is doing that diplomatic thing, and Ava is totally loving the whole being in school thing. I’m just here, doing nothing.”
“Well, you’re wrong about totally doing nothing,” Max said. “Maria, you’re a part of us, and we’re a part of you. We’re stronger together than apart. If you weren’t here, we’d be weaker, and could possibly be in danger. But, I like your plan, and I think you should keep it up. How can we help?”
“You want to help?” Maria asked. “You believe that it’s a good idea?”
“Of course we do, Maria. “I saw what you came out with out in the city today, but honestly, I forgot all about it after my adventure in the palace. But don’t forget, we all helped get the first part of your message out,” said Isabel. “Why didn’t you think we’d be on board for the rest of it?”
“Because I’m not usually plan girl,” admitted Maria. “I kind of thought you were just humoring me.”
“With the reaction we got here in school, and in the market place?” Michael asked, incredulously. “We were so NOT humoring you, Maria.”
“But nobody seemed interested in going any further with it,” said Maria.
“It kind of got shoved to the back burner with everything that was going on,” admitted Max. “But Maria, you stepped right up and kept it going! You were awesome. What’s your next step?”
Maria sat back, and looked at her friends who watching her intently, waiting for her to lay out the next step of her plan. It was a new feeling for her, and she found that she liked it very much.
“Well, the last thing I put out was “We can’t afford to be innocent. Stand up and face the enemy,” Maria said.
“It’s a do or die situation, we will be invincible,” Alex finished. “It’s perfect Maria, just perfect.”
“Count me in, too,” said Kyle, walking across the room with Che’koth.
“You okay?” Liz asked, while Ava jumped up and ran over to hug her husband.
“Yeah,” said Kyle. “Che’koth helped me to access the information I needed to deal with the overwhelming emotions I was feeling. Funny thing is, Liz, it’s pretty much what you were telling me to do anyhow. Focus on emptying my mind. A lot of what he showed me is very similar to the Buddhist way of life, so I should be okay.”
“Hey, uh, Che’koth,” Zan said awkwardly, directly addressing the Antarian for the first time. “Are all of us going to develop new powers, or just Liz, Maria and Alex?”
“We’re not sure,” admitted Che’koth. “Don’t forget, this experience is new for all of us. I would assume that the powers that you have will grow stronger, and the possibility does exist for you to develop more powers. What all of you have to remember is you have the memories of the collective conscious in you to draw upon. The knowledge is there, but you have to search your minds for it. Now, if you will excuse me, Majesties, I am going to try and gather some information about the woman in the palace. Maria, now that Michael, truly does ‘have your back,’ I can assume that the next package will be at the end of the tunnel later this evening?”
Maria nodded, and smiled at Che’koth, while Isabel jumped up from where she was sitting, and ran over to Che’koth.
“Thank you Che’koth,” Isabel said, grabbing his hand and squeezing it. “I don’t know what we’d do without you.”
Che’koth looked at her, trying to disguise the emotion in his eyes. “Have you never thought, Isabel, that if it weren’t for me you wouldn’t even be in this situation?”
“Of course we would have,” said Isabel. “We can’t assume our enemies wouldn’t have found us. At least, because of you, we know what we’re up against.”
“You are very kind, Isabel. I am pleased to serve you in any way that I can,” said Che’koth, bowing his head. He carefully removed his hand from Isabel’s, and turned quickly and walked through the tunnel. Once he was out of site, he stopped and wiped a tear from his eye.
“Take care, my daughter,” he whispered.
The morning sun rose slowly over the mist covered training area. The Aberjani trainees marched, single file over the dew covered grass. Some were still yawning, and all of them longed for breakfast.
“What is the meaning of this!” roared General Kobodi, looking around the grounds of the Aberjani training area. Every tree, every large boulder, every wall had hundreds of papers attached to it. He grabbed one and read it, and his face turned a deep crimson.
“We can’t afford to be innocent.
Stand up and face the enemy.
It’s a do or die situation.
We will be invincible!” he read.
“Who put this here?” he shouted to the assembled Aberjani trainees. “I demand that someone give me an answer!”
“General Kobodi,” said one of the trainees. “If you please, is there anything else on the paper that would help us to identify the culprit?”
“Never mind that!” blustered the General. “Forget about it. Prepare for the training exercise, and I don’t want to see ANYBODY even look at one of these papers!”
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a communicator, and barked some orders into it. Within minutes, the Aberjani swept into the training area and began to remove the papers. Michael watched with a grin as the Aberjani trainees surreptitiously grabbed leaflets and stuffed them into their pocket.
“Wow, is he pissed beyond all belief,” said Kyle, walking over to where Michael stood.
“Is your new power telling you that?” Michael asked.
“No, the fact that his face is as red as a bottle of ketchup is telling me that,” laughed Kyle. “I worked all night on the stuff Che’koth showed me, and I’m actually getting pretty good at blocking all the crap that’s swirling around me. I’m going to start working on opening myself up enough to get a reading on what someone is feeling, next.”
“Yeah, well I wouldn’t suggest trying it with him,” said Michael, pointing to General Kobodi. You’d probably both end up blowing a gasket.”
General Kobodi barked out a sharp command, and the Aberjani spun, and began firing upon the trainees. Kyle, without conscious thought, pushed Michael to the ground, and began firing at the Aberjani.
“Nice going, Grasshopper,” said Michael, standing up. “But the idea was to save other people, not each other.”
“Don’t get in my way, and it won’t happen again,” said Kyle, hitting the electronic target on an Aberjani’s chest. Cool, I got one.”
Michael slid into a nearby clump of trees, and watched as Zan knocked one of the trainees out of the line of fire, directly under General Kobodi’s nose.
“That should give the stupid shit something to think about,” Michael said to the empty stand of trees.
Liz sat at her table in the lab, scribbling furiously on a pad of paper. She looked through the microscope, and watched as Ava’s blood cells were completely destroyed by the substance she dropped onto the slide.
“I can go about this two different ways,” she said to the empty room. “I can try and modify the chemical compound so that it attacks the other Aberjani, or I can modify it so it just doesn’t attack us.”
The door behind her opened and Plash Nevenia walked into the otherwise deserted lab.
“Good morning, Lan,” she said. “How is your experiment coming along?”
“Good morning, Plash,” said Liz. “Everything is fine.”
“May I see what you are working on?” Plash asked courteously.
“Um, well,” hedged Liz.
It’s okay, Liz. Remember, I’m on your side,” Plash whispered. “By the way, the substance you and the others invented, what is it really?”
“Oh, it’s a form of a medicine called penicillin. It’s used for fighting infections. It was discovered by Alexander Fleming.”
“So of course you named it Fleming. How lucky you were that it is similar to the Vendrian word for destruction. Or did you plan that?”
“That was pure and simple dumb luck,” admitted Liz. “I certainly wasn’t thinking about that when I came up with the name.”
“You are not only smart, then, you are also very, very lucky,” Plash said with a laugh. “Now, show me what you are working on.’
Liz explained her dilemma to Plash, and showed her the chemical compound, and how it destroyed the sample of Ava’s blood.
“I think my best bet would be to modify it somehow so that it will destroy anything but us. I’m just not sure how to go about it.”
“We’ll think of something,” said Plash. “In the meantime, it’s almost time for morning meal. Clean up your things, and go to the dining hall, and relax. The solution will come to you.”
Liz quickly cleaned up her experiment, and headed for the door. She was just about to leave the room, when Plash’s voice stopped her.
“By the way, please let your friend know how much I enjoyed her decorations.”
A puzzled Liz nodded and left the room. She walked towards the dining hall, her curiosity piqued by the loud sounds she heard coming from the room.
Liz walked into the dining hall and stopped in shock, the entire room was papered with the refrain from the song Maria had chosen, and each verse either had a glowing handprint, or an orb symbol next to it. The dining hall staff fluttered around ineffectually, unsure of what to do, while Jara Kobodi blustered around, giving orders that nobody followed.
Derago Kavron walked into the dining area, his face set in a mask of anger. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a communicator and pressed several buttons.
“Attention Students,” he said, his voice projecting through the room with the aid of the communicator. “I do not know the meaning of this destruction, but it must stop immediately. I want all of you to remove these offending items, and destroy them immediately. I won’t bother telling you not to read them, but I will ask you to take them for what they are, pointless acts of vandalism.
Liz walked further into the dining hall, winked at Maria and began to remove papers from the wall. As she worked, she hummed softly under her breath, until she realized that the people on either side of her were staring. Liz caught herself in shock and horror when she realized that she was singing the song softly.
Tomorrow’s Yet to Come
Chapter Forty - Four – Coming Together
“Okay, look, it isn’t really important,” said Maria. “Remember how we had kind of talked about some way to rally the people. Get them involved. Well, I decided to get that started on my own, with Che’koth’s help.”
“The song,” said Alex. “Maria, it’s brilliant. How have you been getting it all over the city?”
“That’s where Che’koth came in,” Maria said. “We both agreed that it probably wouldn’t be safe for me to be wandering the streets at all hours, so he recruited some of the rebels to help.”
“Maria, I apologize,” said Michael, stunning the room into complete and total silence. “What?” he said, looking around the room at the amazed faces of his friends. “I can’t be wrong?”
“And admit it?” said Max. “Not usually.”
“Jerk,” said Michael, punching him in the arm. “Maria, why didn’t you just tell us about it?”
“I just wanted this to be mine, you know?” Maria said, looking at Michael. “You guys have your soldier stuff. Liz and Alex are working on that weapon thing, and the guidance system for it. Isabel is doing that diplomatic thing, and Ava is totally loving the whole being in school thing. I’m just here, doing nothing.”
“Well, you’re wrong about totally doing nothing,” Max said. “Maria, you’re a part of us, and we’re a part of you. We’re stronger together than apart. If you weren’t here, we’d be weaker, and could possibly be in danger. But, I like your plan, and I think you should keep it up. How can we help?”
“You want to help?” Maria asked. “You believe that it’s a good idea?”
“Of course we do, Maria. “I saw what you came out with out in the city today, but honestly, I forgot all about it after my adventure in the palace. But don’t forget, we all helped get the first part of your message out,” said Isabel. “Why didn’t you think we’d be on board for the rest of it?”
“Because I’m not usually plan girl,” admitted Maria. “I kind of thought you were just humoring me.”
“With the reaction we got here in school, and in the market place?” Michael asked, incredulously. “We were so NOT humoring you, Maria.”
“But nobody seemed interested in going any further with it,” said Maria.
“It kind of got shoved to the back burner with everything that was going on,” admitted Max. “But Maria, you stepped right up and kept it going! You were awesome. What’s your next step?”
Maria sat back, and looked at her friends who watching her intently, waiting for her to lay out the next step of her plan. It was a new feeling for her, and she found that she liked it very much.
“Well, the last thing I put out was “We can’t afford to be innocent. Stand up and face the enemy,” Maria said.
“It’s a do or die situation, we will be invincible,” Alex finished. “It’s perfect Maria, just perfect.”
“Count me in, too,” said Kyle, walking across the room with Che’koth.
“You okay?” Liz asked, while Ava jumped up and ran over to hug her husband.
“Yeah,” said Kyle. “Che’koth helped me to access the information I needed to deal with the overwhelming emotions I was feeling. Funny thing is, Liz, it’s pretty much what you were telling me to do anyhow. Focus on emptying my mind. A lot of what he showed me is very similar to the Buddhist way of life, so I should be okay.”
“Hey, uh, Che’koth,” Zan said awkwardly, directly addressing the Antarian for the first time. “Are all of us going to develop new powers, or just Liz, Maria and Alex?”
“We’re not sure,” admitted Che’koth. “Don’t forget, this experience is new for all of us. I would assume that the powers that you have will grow stronger, and the possibility does exist for you to develop more powers. What all of you have to remember is you have the memories of the collective conscious in you to draw upon. The knowledge is there, but you have to search your minds for it. Now, if you will excuse me, Majesties, I am going to try and gather some information about the woman in the palace. Maria, now that Michael, truly does ‘have your back,’ I can assume that the next package will be at the end of the tunnel later this evening?”
Maria nodded, and smiled at Che’koth, while Isabel jumped up from where she was sitting, and ran over to Che’koth.
“Thank you Che’koth,” Isabel said, grabbing his hand and squeezing it. “I don’t know what we’d do without you.”
Che’koth looked at her, trying to disguise the emotion in his eyes. “Have you never thought, Isabel, that if it weren’t for me you wouldn’t even be in this situation?”
“Of course we would have,” said Isabel. “We can’t assume our enemies wouldn’t have found us. At least, because of you, we know what we’re up against.”
“You are very kind, Isabel. I am pleased to serve you in any way that I can,” said Che’koth, bowing his head. He carefully removed his hand from Isabel’s, and turned quickly and walked through the tunnel. Once he was out of site, he stopped and wiped a tear from his eye.
“Take care, my daughter,” he whispered.
The morning sun rose slowly over the mist covered training area. The Aberjani trainees marched, single file over the dew covered grass. Some were still yawning, and all of them longed for breakfast.
“What is the meaning of this!” roared General Kobodi, looking around the grounds of the Aberjani training area. Every tree, every large boulder, every wall had hundreds of papers attached to it. He grabbed one and read it, and his face turned a deep crimson.
“We can’t afford to be innocent.
Stand up and face the enemy.
It’s a do or die situation.
We will be invincible!” he read.
“Who put this here?” he shouted to the assembled Aberjani trainees. “I demand that someone give me an answer!”
“General Kobodi,” said one of the trainees. “If you please, is there anything else on the paper that would help us to identify the culprit?”
“Never mind that!” blustered the General. “Forget about it. Prepare for the training exercise, and I don’t want to see ANYBODY even look at one of these papers!”
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a communicator, and barked some orders into it. Within minutes, the Aberjani swept into the training area and began to remove the papers. Michael watched with a grin as the Aberjani trainees surreptitiously grabbed leaflets and stuffed them into their pocket.
“Wow, is he pissed beyond all belief,” said Kyle, walking over to where Michael stood.
“Is your new power telling you that?” Michael asked.
“No, the fact that his face is as red as a bottle of ketchup is telling me that,” laughed Kyle. “I worked all night on the stuff Che’koth showed me, and I’m actually getting pretty good at blocking all the crap that’s swirling around me. I’m going to start working on opening myself up enough to get a reading on what someone is feeling, next.”
“Yeah, well I wouldn’t suggest trying it with him,” said Michael, pointing to General Kobodi. You’d probably both end up blowing a gasket.”
General Kobodi barked out a sharp command, and the Aberjani spun, and began firing upon the trainees. Kyle, without conscious thought, pushed Michael to the ground, and began firing at the Aberjani.
“Nice going, Grasshopper,” said Michael, standing up. “But the idea was to save other people, not each other.”
“Don’t get in my way, and it won’t happen again,” said Kyle, hitting the electronic target on an Aberjani’s chest. Cool, I got one.”
Michael slid into a nearby clump of trees, and watched as Zan knocked one of the trainees out of the line of fire, directly under General Kobodi’s nose.
“That should give the stupid shit something to think about,” Michael said to the empty stand of trees.
Liz sat at her table in the lab, scribbling furiously on a pad of paper. She looked through the microscope, and watched as Ava’s blood cells were completely destroyed by the substance she dropped onto the slide.
“I can go about this two different ways,” she said to the empty room. “I can try and modify the chemical compound so that it attacks the other Aberjani, or I can modify it so it just doesn’t attack us.”
The door behind her opened and Plash Nevenia walked into the otherwise deserted lab.
“Good morning, Lan,” she said. “How is your experiment coming along?”
“Good morning, Plash,” said Liz. “Everything is fine.”
“May I see what you are working on?” Plash asked courteously.
“Um, well,” hedged Liz.
It’s okay, Liz. Remember, I’m on your side,” Plash whispered. “By the way, the substance you and the others invented, what is it really?”
“Oh, it’s a form of a medicine called penicillin. It’s used for fighting infections. It was discovered by Alexander Fleming.”
“So of course you named it Fleming. How lucky you were that it is similar to the Vendrian word for destruction. Or did you plan that?”
“That was pure and simple dumb luck,” admitted Liz. “I certainly wasn’t thinking about that when I came up with the name.”
“You are not only smart, then, you are also very, very lucky,” Plash said with a laugh. “Now, show me what you are working on.’
Liz explained her dilemma to Plash, and showed her the chemical compound, and how it destroyed the sample of Ava’s blood.
“I think my best bet would be to modify it somehow so that it will destroy anything but us. I’m just not sure how to go about it.”
“We’ll think of something,” said Plash. “In the meantime, it’s almost time for morning meal. Clean up your things, and go to the dining hall, and relax. The solution will come to you.”
Liz quickly cleaned up her experiment, and headed for the door. She was just about to leave the room, when Plash’s voice stopped her.
“By the way, please let your friend know how much I enjoyed her decorations.”
A puzzled Liz nodded and left the room. She walked towards the dining hall, her curiosity piqued by the loud sounds she heard coming from the room.
Liz walked into the dining hall and stopped in shock, the entire room was papered with the refrain from the song Maria had chosen, and each verse either had a glowing handprint, or an orb symbol next to it. The dining hall staff fluttered around ineffectually, unsure of what to do, while Jara Kobodi blustered around, giving orders that nobody followed.
Derago Kavron walked into the dining area, his face set in a mask of anger. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a communicator and pressed several buttons.
“Attention Students,” he said, his voice projecting through the room with the aid of the communicator. “I do not know the meaning of this destruction, but it must stop immediately. I want all of you to remove these offending items, and destroy them immediately. I won’t bother telling you not to read them, but I will ask you to take them for what they are, pointless acts of vandalism.
Liz walked further into the dining hall, winked at Maria and began to remove papers from the wall. As she worked, she hummed softly under her breath, until she realized that the people on either side of her were staring. Liz caught herself in shock and horror when she realized that she was singing the song softly.
-
majiklmoon
- Addicted Roswellian
- Posts: 361
- Joined: Tue Nov 13, 2001 10:55 am
- Contact:
Chapter 45 added 9/17/04
Disclaimer: Roswell, and its characters do not belong to me. Melinda Metz, Jason Katims and 20th Century Fox have that particular pleasure. I’m simply borrowing them until the Season 2 DVD’s get released.
Tomorrow’s Yet to Come
Chapter Forty-Five – We got Trouble!
General Kobodi waited impatiently in the throne room for Lord Kivar to appear. He paced around the room, trying to contain his frustration. He knew something was wrong, but he wasn’t certain Lord Kivar would take his warnings to heart.
“Impudent pup,” he said to the empty room. “He doesn’t ever listen to anybody but himself. I don’t know why I’m wasting my time.”
“Is there a problem, General Kobodi?” Kivar said, walking into the room. “Or are you afraid that this ‘impudent pup’ won’t listen to you, General?”
“Lord Kivar, I am sorry, I was merely,” Kobodi began groveling.
“Silence!” roared Kivar. “I know exactly what you were doing, and nothing you can say will excuse it.” Kivar lifted one hand, and shot a bolt of energy at General Kobodi, knocking him to the ground. Again and again, Kivar shot low level energy bolts into the General, waiting to hear him beg for mercy.
Kobodi writhed on the floor in agony, each bolt sending higher levels of pain coursing through his body. Finally, he could take it no more, and he cried out for mercy to Kivar.
“Please my Lord, no more. I beg you to forgive me!” he cried. “I didn’t mean anything by it. You are the supreme ruler of Antar, there is no other but you.”
“That’s better,” said Kivar, shooting one last blast at Kobodi. “Now, tell me why you demanded a meeting, Kobodi. I have little time to waste with you. My Queen needs my attentions.”
“Here,” said the general. He reached into his pocket and removed a paper, and passed it to Kivar, his hand shaking visibly as he did so. Kivar took the paper, pausing to smile evilly at the weakness shown by Kobodi.
Kivar scanned the paper, his eyes darkening in anger. “What is the meaning of this?” he shouted. “Who dared to use these symbols? They have been outlawed. I want whomever has done this brought to me, immediately!”
“We do not know who has done it, my Lord,” Kobodi said, flinching. “We found them all over the grounds where we hold our training exercises.”
“These words, ‘We can’t afford to be innocent, stand up and face the enemy,’ what do they mean?”
“I’m not sure Lord Kivar, I can only theorize that they are meant to insight some type of insurrection. The words are rather inflammatory,” said General Kobodi.
“We must find them, and crush them,” said Kivar. “Whoever this is, remains loyal to the royal family. I have worked tirelessly to stamp out any remaining memories of them, only to have this garbage waved in my face. We need to find those clones Kobodi. Have the Aberjani found anything yet?”
“No, sire,” said Kobodi, taking a step backwards. “We’ve heard from all of them, except Glenarra. We lost contact with her, several weeks ago.”
“Damn!” said Kivar. “And she had the most promising lead. Never mind, there is a student at the Training Academy who is working on a tracking device, which will allow us to find them, no matter where they are, and destroy them. Apparently, she has made great strides, and a prototype should be ready for testing soon.”
“That is excellent news,” said Kobodi, anxious to get back on Kivar’s good side.
“How are the trainees coming along, Kobodi?” Kivar asked. “With many of the Aberjani on Earth, looking for Zan and the others, their ranks have diminished.”
“They are doing very well, Lord Kivar,” said General Kobodi. He thought about the incident on the training field when Mesch had thrown himself in front of a blast intended for Za’nith. It worried him greatly, but he didn’t want to risk the displeasure of Lord Kivar by telling him of the selfless act, and what it reminded him of. “There are several promising candidates, that I believe will impress you. Perhaps you could find time to come down and observe them some time.”
“As I told you before Kobodi, I am very busy, and I have my Queen to attend to, but perhaps this time, I will make an exception. Expect me tomorrow morning.”
“Thank you Lord Kivar,” said Kobodi, bowing deeply. “And please give my respects to Queen Vilondra, as well. It is wonderful to have her back on Antar and at your side where she belongs.”
“I will give Her Majesty your greetings Kobodi,” said Kivar, leaving the room.
Kobodi watched him leave, and then continued to pace around the room, limping slightly from the injuries Kivar had inflicted upon him. As he paced, General Kobodi made note of the enormous amount of wealth that filled the room.
Lord Kivar certainly isn’t depriving himself or his precious queen any worldly goods, Kobodi thought to himself. He limped to the doorway, wondering about Queen Vilondra. I never would have thought she would have allowed it to happen, he thought. She fought harder than her brother when we stormed the castle.
As he walked through the halls of the palace, Kobodi allowed his mind to travel back in time to the day they successfully overthrew the castle.
The sounds of the battle surrounded them. Some filled the air, as did the dying screams of soldiers on both sides. It was luck, more than anything else that allowed them to breach the doors of the palace. The Antarian Guard fought valiantly, but they were no match for the mercenaries Kivar had searched the galaxy to hire. Kobodi was almost gleeful, when he entered the palace, and saw King Zan, fighting side by side with his soldiers. One thing you could say for Zan, he never thought himself better than anyone else.
Kobodi worked his way around the fighting, and struggled to get closer to Zan, and his trained monkey, Rath. Gleefully, he moved into range, and fired at King Zan. He knew if he managed to kill the king, Kivar would reward him, greatly.
“Zan!” Rath had yelled. He reached over and knocked Zan out of the way, and was stuck by the energy bolt Kobodi had fired. Rath crumpled to the ground, his last words calling to the others to protect Zan with their lives. Zan spun around and screamed; a sound filled with both hatred and agony.
“I’ll kill you!” he screamed, but in that second, Kobodi fired off another bolt of energy, striking Zan dead.
Kivar walked through the palace doors, an evil smile of satisfaction on his face.
“Surrender, all of you, or die! You’ll find yourselves dead on the ground like your precious king!” he shouted to he Antarian Guard that filled the hall.
As one, the called out that they’d rather die, and one by one, Kivar and his mercenaries killed them.
Kivar reached down and grabbed one of the wounded guardsmen by his hair, and pulled his head up.
“Where are the others?” he asked. “Where are Princess Vilondra, and Ava?”
“I’d rather die than answer you?” spat the guardsman.
“You are going to die regardless,” said Kivar with a laugh. “The difference being in how quick and how painless it is.”
The guardsman’s only answer was to spit in Kivar’s face.
“Bastard!” said Kivar. He punched the guard in the face with his free hand, and shot an energy bolt into his stomach.
“Long live King Zan,” the guardsman gasped with his dying voice.
“A bit late for that,” said Kivar with a laugh. “Take that trash over there,” he said to Kobodi, looking in the direction of Zan and Rath’s bodies, “And throw them out in the courtyard.” He dropped the man’s body on the floor, and stepped on it as he made his way into the great hall, searching for Vilondra.
“Vilondra, come out, come out where ever you are,” he chanted in a sing-song voice. He paused, and heard the sound of a slamming door in the distance.
“Of course,” he said. “The throne room. Where else would she possibly go.”
A cadre of mercenaries, lead by Kobodi joined Kivar just as he reached the throne room. At a signal from Kobodi, they wrenched the doors from their hinges, only to be met with a continuous assault of energy bolts. A row of mercenaries fell, only to be replaced with another.
“Push forward!” Kivar yelled. “Kill them all, except the Princess. She must be taken alive.”
“The hell I will!” yelled a voice from inside the throne room, and the energy blasts increased. “I’ll see you dead first.”
“Surrender, Princess!” Kivar yelled. “It’s too late. Your brother’s body lays dead in the courtyard, along side his worthless general.”
“No!” yelled another voice, and Ava stepped out from a behind a barricade and began firing energy bolts with all her might. Countless mercenaries fell at her onslaught, and one struck Kobodi with a glancing blow, causing him to be thrown backwards against a wall.
“Bitch!” he screamed. He fired a bolt directly at Ava’s head. She dove out of the way, striking her head against the base of Zan’s throne, knocking her unconscious.
“Take her and lock her up!” Kobodi ordered, “She’s mine!”
“Go play with your little toy, Kobodi,” Kivar said. “I can handle Princess Vilondra.”
“Handle this, you sick bastard!” Vilondra shouted. She stepped out from behind a throne firing energy bolts from one hand, and in her other hand, she held a dagger. She threw the knife with amazing accuracy, striking Kivar in the face.
“Come closer, and I’ll kill you!” she shouted.
“Lord Kivar!” shouted Kobodi.
“Leave us, NOW!” Kivar shouted, firing a blast at Vilondra.
Kobodi turned and walked away as one last scream from Vilondra filled the air.
She fought so valiantly then, he thought. Why, now, does she follow him around like a faithful puppy?” Kobodi continued his train of thought as he walked down the empty passageways. A flash of movement caught his attention, and he turned to see a figure dart down a hallway.
Without conscious thought, Kobodi turned down the hallway, and followed the swiftly moving figure. He moved quickly, and grabbed the figure and spun it around so it faced him. Shocked at what he saw, he released the figure and bowed low.
“Forgive me Queen Vilondra. I did not realize it was you.”
Isabel assumed the vacant expression she had seen on the face of her duplicate. She gave a half smile and turned away, and continued down the hallway, her heart beating rapidly in fear. As she walked, she listened for the sounds of Kobodi’s retreating footsteps. When she could hear them no longer, she turned and quickly retraced her steps until she came to the throne room.
Isabel opened the door and entered the room and looked around. It was beautiful but it didn’t stir any memories in her. She tamped down the emotions that were trying to struggle to the surface and quickly went to work. When she was done, Isabel crept quietly out of the throne room, and made her way back to the ambassadorial staff room.
Tomorrow’s Yet to Come
Chapter Forty-Five – We got Trouble!
General Kobodi waited impatiently in the throne room for Lord Kivar to appear. He paced around the room, trying to contain his frustration. He knew something was wrong, but he wasn’t certain Lord Kivar would take his warnings to heart.
“Impudent pup,” he said to the empty room. “He doesn’t ever listen to anybody but himself. I don’t know why I’m wasting my time.”
“Is there a problem, General Kobodi?” Kivar said, walking into the room. “Or are you afraid that this ‘impudent pup’ won’t listen to you, General?”
“Lord Kivar, I am sorry, I was merely,” Kobodi began groveling.
“Silence!” roared Kivar. “I know exactly what you were doing, and nothing you can say will excuse it.” Kivar lifted one hand, and shot a bolt of energy at General Kobodi, knocking him to the ground. Again and again, Kivar shot low level energy bolts into the General, waiting to hear him beg for mercy.
Kobodi writhed on the floor in agony, each bolt sending higher levels of pain coursing through his body. Finally, he could take it no more, and he cried out for mercy to Kivar.
“Please my Lord, no more. I beg you to forgive me!” he cried. “I didn’t mean anything by it. You are the supreme ruler of Antar, there is no other but you.”
“That’s better,” said Kivar, shooting one last blast at Kobodi. “Now, tell me why you demanded a meeting, Kobodi. I have little time to waste with you. My Queen needs my attentions.”
“Here,” said the general. He reached into his pocket and removed a paper, and passed it to Kivar, his hand shaking visibly as he did so. Kivar took the paper, pausing to smile evilly at the weakness shown by Kobodi.
Kivar scanned the paper, his eyes darkening in anger. “What is the meaning of this?” he shouted. “Who dared to use these symbols? They have been outlawed. I want whomever has done this brought to me, immediately!”
“We do not know who has done it, my Lord,” Kobodi said, flinching. “We found them all over the grounds where we hold our training exercises.”
“These words, ‘We can’t afford to be innocent, stand up and face the enemy,’ what do they mean?”
“I’m not sure Lord Kivar, I can only theorize that they are meant to insight some type of insurrection. The words are rather inflammatory,” said General Kobodi.
“We must find them, and crush them,” said Kivar. “Whoever this is, remains loyal to the royal family. I have worked tirelessly to stamp out any remaining memories of them, only to have this garbage waved in my face. We need to find those clones Kobodi. Have the Aberjani found anything yet?”
“No, sire,” said Kobodi, taking a step backwards. “We’ve heard from all of them, except Glenarra. We lost contact with her, several weeks ago.”
“Damn!” said Kivar. “And she had the most promising lead. Never mind, there is a student at the Training Academy who is working on a tracking device, which will allow us to find them, no matter where they are, and destroy them. Apparently, she has made great strides, and a prototype should be ready for testing soon.”
“That is excellent news,” said Kobodi, anxious to get back on Kivar’s good side.
“How are the trainees coming along, Kobodi?” Kivar asked. “With many of the Aberjani on Earth, looking for Zan and the others, their ranks have diminished.”
“They are doing very well, Lord Kivar,” said General Kobodi. He thought about the incident on the training field when Mesch had thrown himself in front of a blast intended for Za’nith. It worried him greatly, but he didn’t want to risk the displeasure of Lord Kivar by telling him of the selfless act, and what it reminded him of. “There are several promising candidates, that I believe will impress you. Perhaps you could find time to come down and observe them some time.”
“As I told you before Kobodi, I am very busy, and I have my Queen to attend to, but perhaps this time, I will make an exception. Expect me tomorrow morning.”
“Thank you Lord Kivar,” said Kobodi, bowing deeply. “And please give my respects to Queen Vilondra, as well. It is wonderful to have her back on Antar and at your side where she belongs.”
“I will give Her Majesty your greetings Kobodi,” said Kivar, leaving the room.
Kobodi watched him leave, and then continued to pace around the room, limping slightly from the injuries Kivar had inflicted upon him. As he paced, General Kobodi made note of the enormous amount of wealth that filled the room.
Lord Kivar certainly isn’t depriving himself or his precious queen any worldly goods, Kobodi thought to himself. He limped to the doorway, wondering about Queen Vilondra. I never would have thought she would have allowed it to happen, he thought. She fought harder than her brother when we stormed the castle.
As he walked through the halls of the palace, Kobodi allowed his mind to travel back in time to the day they successfully overthrew the castle.
The sounds of the battle surrounded them. Some filled the air, as did the dying screams of soldiers on both sides. It was luck, more than anything else that allowed them to breach the doors of the palace. The Antarian Guard fought valiantly, but they were no match for the mercenaries Kivar had searched the galaxy to hire. Kobodi was almost gleeful, when he entered the palace, and saw King Zan, fighting side by side with his soldiers. One thing you could say for Zan, he never thought himself better than anyone else.
Kobodi worked his way around the fighting, and struggled to get closer to Zan, and his trained monkey, Rath. Gleefully, he moved into range, and fired at King Zan. He knew if he managed to kill the king, Kivar would reward him, greatly.
“Zan!” Rath had yelled. He reached over and knocked Zan out of the way, and was stuck by the energy bolt Kobodi had fired. Rath crumpled to the ground, his last words calling to the others to protect Zan with their lives. Zan spun around and screamed; a sound filled with both hatred and agony.
“I’ll kill you!” he screamed, but in that second, Kobodi fired off another bolt of energy, striking Zan dead.
Kivar walked through the palace doors, an evil smile of satisfaction on his face.
“Surrender, all of you, or die! You’ll find yourselves dead on the ground like your precious king!” he shouted to he Antarian Guard that filled the hall.
As one, the called out that they’d rather die, and one by one, Kivar and his mercenaries killed them.
Kivar reached down and grabbed one of the wounded guardsmen by his hair, and pulled his head up.
“Where are the others?” he asked. “Where are Princess Vilondra, and Ava?”
“I’d rather die than answer you?” spat the guardsman.
“You are going to die regardless,” said Kivar with a laugh. “The difference being in how quick and how painless it is.”
The guardsman’s only answer was to spit in Kivar’s face.
“Bastard!” said Kivar. He punched the guard in the face with his free hand, and shot an energy bolt into his stomach.
“Long live King Zan,” the guardsman gasped with his dying voice.
“A bit late for that,” said Kivar with a laugh. “Take that trash over there,” he said to Kobodi, looking in the direction of Zan and Rath’s bodies, “And throw them out in the courtyard.” He dropped the man’s body on the floor, and stepped on it as he made his way into the great hall, searching for Vilondra.
“Vilondra, come out, come out where ever you are,” he chanted in a sing-song voice. He paused, and heard the sound of a slamming door in the distance.
“Of course,” he said. “The throne room. Where else would she possibly go.”
A cadre of mercenaries, lead by Kobodi joined Kivar just as he reached the throne room. At a signal from Kobodi, they wrenched the doors from their hinges, only to be met with a continuous assault of energy bolts. A row of mercenaries fell, only to be replaced with another.
“Push forward!” Kivar yelled. “Kill them all, except the Princess. She must be taken alive.”
“The hell I will!” yelled a voice from inside the throne room, and the energy blasts increased. “I’ll see you dead first.”
“Surrender, Princess!” Kivar yelled. “It’s too late. Your brother’s body lays dead in the courtyard, along side his worthless general.”
“No!” yelled another voice, and Ava stepped out from a behind a barricade and began firing energy bolts with all her might. Countless mercenaries fell at her onslaught, and one struck Kobodi with a glancing blow, causing him to be thrown backwards against a wall.
“Bitch!” he screamed. He fired a bolt directly at Ava’s head. She dove out of the way, striking her head against the base of Zan’s throne, knocking her unconscious.
“Take her and lock her up!” Kobodi ordered, “She’s mine!”
“Go play with your little toy, Kobodi,” Kivar said. “I can handle Princess Vilondra.”
“Handle this, you sick bastard!” Vilondra shouted. She stepped out from behind a throne firing energy bolts from one hand, and in her other hand, she held a dagger. She threw the knife with amazing accuracy, striking Kivar in the face.
“Come closer, and I’ll kill you!” she shouted.
“Lord Kivar!” shouted Kobodi.
“Leave us, NOW!” Kivar shouted, firing a blast at Vilondra.
Kobodi turned and walked away as one last scream from Vilondra filled the air.
She fought so valiantly then, he thought. Why, now, does she follow him around like a faithful puppy?” Kobodi continued his train of thought as he walked down the empty passageways. A flash of movement caught his attention, and he turned to see a figure dart down a hallway.
Without conscious thought, Kobodi turned down the hallway, and followed the swiftly moving figure. He moved quickly, and grabbed the figure and spun it around so it faced him. Shocked at what he saw, he released the figure and bowed low.
“Forgive me Queen Vilondra. I did not realize it was you.”
Isabel assumed the vacant expression she had seen on the face of her duplicate. She gave a half smile and turned away, and continued down the hallway, her heart beating rapidly in fear. As she walked, she listened for the sounds of Kobodi’s retreating footsteps. When she could hear them no longer, she turned and quickly retraced her steps until she came to the throne room.
Isabel opened the door and entered the room and looked around. It was beautiful but it didn’t stir any memories in her. She tamped down the emotions that were trying to struggle to the surface and quickly went to work. When she was done, Isabel crept quietly out of the throne room, and made her way back to the ambassadorial staff room.
Last edited by majiklmoon on Sat Sep 18, 2004 7:51 am, edited 1 time in total.
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majiklmoon
- Addicted Roswellian
- Posts: 361
- Joined: Tue Nov 13, 2001 10:55 am
- Contact:
Chapter 46 added 9/20/04
Disclaimer: Roswell, and its characters do not belong to me. Melinda Metz, Jason Katims and 20th Century Fox have that particular pleasure. I’m simply borrowing them until the Season 2 DVD’s get released.
Tomorrow’s Yet to Come
Chapter Forty-Six – Allies and Enemies
Alex sat on the bed in his Spartan sleeping quarters, going over the schematics for the transporter the Aberjani used to get to Earth. He made some notations, and folded them up and stuffed them in the pouch that swung off of the belt on his uniform. He stood up, grabbed some tools off of his desk, and left the room without a backward glance. He wanted to get to the lab, and finish up some work before he met Isabel.
When he entered the lab, it was deserted, and he sat down, and got right to work. He pulled the schematics out of his pouch and spread them on the workbench in front of him. Alex studied the notations he had made, and began to work feverishly.
Several hours past unnoticed, and Alex had a row of transporters laid out on the bench in front of him. He allowed himself a self-satisfied smile, and began to work on the weapon for the Aberjani. Alex was too absorbed in his work to notice when the lab door opened behind him.
“Greetings Aladrik,” a voice said, and Alex jumped, and spun around.
“Na’grat, it’s you,” Alex said with a laugh. “I guess I was focusing so hard, that I didn’t hear you come in. What’s up?”
“Nothing,” said Na’grat, settling down on a stool next to Alex. “I just came in to do some extra work on my project. What about you?”
“Same thing,” said Alex. “I really want to be successful. I was told my project was of vital importance, and I don’t want to let anybody down.”
“Right,’ said Na’grat, watching Alex out of the corner of his eye. “You wouldn’t want to disappoint Lord Kivar.”
“I don’t know about Lord Kivar,” said Alex, blandly. “I have no idea who my project is for. It was assigned to me, and I’m going to do it to the best of my ability.”
“What are those?” Na’grat asked, pointing to the transporters Alex had left on the work bench.”
“What’s what?” asked Alex, giving Na’grat a shove with his mind. “What are you talking about?”
“I said, how is your project coming along?” said Na’grat, reacting to Alex’s mind warp.
“I’m doing okay with it,” said Alex. “How about you?”
“Well, I needed some help,” said Na’grat, and I was hoping you’d be the person o help me.” He reached into his pouch and pulled out some notes and spread them on the table. As he did, a scrap of paper with some words fell to the floor. Alex reached down to pick it up, and passed it to Na’grat, glancing at it as he did.
“You’re not supposed to have that,” Alex said, trying to make his voice accusing. “The Director told us to destroy them.”
“I didn’t mean to,” said Na’grat, his voice filled with fear. “It must have gotten mixed up with my things when we were taking them down in the dining hall. Please don’t report me!”
“I won’t,” said Alex. “But you’d better get rid of it right away. You wouldn’t want the wrong person to find you with it.”
“What do you think it means?” Na’grat asked, ripping the paper up into small pieces.
“It sounds to me like somebody is trying to stir up a show of support for the Royal Family,” said Alex. “Which is stupid, since with the exception of Queen Vilondra, they’re all dead.”
Na’grat looked around, moved closer to Alex and lowered his voice to a whisper. “That’s not what I’ve heard.”
“Heard about what?” asked Alex, purposely playing dumb.
“In my city,” said Na’grat, “There are rumors that King Zan and the others escaped some how.”
“How can that be?” asked Alex. “My own father was here during the uprising. He saw the bodies of King Zan and General Rath, as well the General’s sister, Ava. And Princess, I mean Queen Vilondra, is married to Lord Kivar,” said Alex, swallowing down the bile that filled his throat at his last statement.
“Maybe I’ll tell you what I know, and maybe I won’t,” said Na’grat. “How do I know I can trust you?”
“Of course you can trust me, Na’grat,” said Alex, giving him another shove with his mind. “So what were you saying?”
“I heard that scientists somehow made copies of King Zan and the others, and hid them away, someplace safe. I think that they’re back, and those posters and stuff prove it!”
“Interesting,” said Alex, purposely changing the subject. “So what did you want me to look at on your project?”
“Elandra! Elandra, wait!” a voice called after Liz as she walked down the halls of the Training Academy. Liz stopped and turned around and found two of her classmates running up to her.
“We need to talk to you,” said one, pulling Liz by the arm.
“In here, it’s private,” said the other girl, grabbing Liz’s other arm. The two girls led her into an empty classroom and closed the door, and stared at her expectantly.
“What do you want?” asked Liz. She recognized one of the girls as the person who worked next to her when they were removing the posters. Liz quelled the sudden fear that perhaps she had heard the tune that Liz was humming.
“I heard you this morning,” said the first girl. “When the Director asked us to remove that trash from the dining hall.”
“You heard what, Varonia?” Liz asked stalling for time.
“You know what I’m talking about,” Varonia said.
“There’s no use denying it,” said the other girl. “You’re a part of it.”
“A part of what?” questioned Liz. “I’m sorry, I don’t remember your name.”
“My name isn’t important,” said the other girl. “As if I would want a traitor like you to even speak my name.”
“Traitor?” said Liz, her voice incredulous. “Why am I a traitor? What is it I’ve done that you would dare to call me that. She drew herself up as much as her small stature would allow and glared at the two girls.
“When we were removing those disgusting posters this morning, you were humming,” said Varonia.
“And humming makes me a traitor?” Liz asked. “In that case, Lord Kivar’s prison’s must be over flowing by now.”
“It’s obvious that the song you were humming fit the words on those posters perfectly,” said Varonia. “You must be a part of the group that is putting that filth up everywhere.”
“You’re insane,” said Liz, laughing to disguise her fear. “Do you honestly think that if I were involved in something like that, that I would be dumb enough to announce it to the world that way? You know, I’m sorry, but I’m just not that stupid. I was humming, that’s it. I think you two need to get a grip on reality,” she pushed past the two girls and walked towards the door.
“We’ll be watching you,” said Varonia. “Have no fear.”
“Believe me, I don’t,” said Liz slamming the door behind her.
Kivar entered the darkened throne room and smiled to himself. It wouldn’t be long before he was the king. He could imagine the coronation scene in his head. The lovely Vilondra would place the Antarian crown on his head, and the people that filled the room would cheer. It would only be a few short weeks before his Vilondra would be ready.
He walked across the room and sat in the throne and surveyed the darkened room, still imagining it filled with throngs of cheering people; all of them calling out his name. He passed his hand through the air, and the room filled with light. It was several seconds before his eyes focused. When Kivar saw what filled the room, he screamed, and instead of hoards of people calling his name, the room was filled with his own screams of rage.
Tomorrow’s Yet to Come
Chapter Forty-Six – Allies and Enemies
Alex sat on the bed in his Spartan sleeping quarters, going over the schematics for the transporter the Aberjani used to get to Earth. He made some notations, and folded them up and stuffed them in the pouch that swung off of the belt on his uniform. He stood up, grabbed some tools off of his desk, and left the room without a backward glance. He wanted to get to the lab, and finish up some work before he met Isabel.
When he entered the lab, it was deserted, and he sat down, and got right to work. He pulled the schematics out of his pouch and spread them on the workbench in front of him. Alex studied the notations he had made, and began to work feverishly.
Several hours past unnoticed, and Alex had a row of transporters laid out on the bench in front of him. He allowed himself a self-satisfied smile, and began to work on the weapon for the Aberjani. Alex was too absorbed in his work to notice when the lab door opened behind him.
“Greetings Aladrik,” a voice said, and Alex jumped, and spun around.
“Na’grat, it’s you,” Alex said with a laugh. “I guess I was focusing so hard, that I didn’t hear you come in. What’s up?”
“Nothing,” said Na’grat, settling down on a stool next to Alex. “I just came in to do some extra work on my project. What about you?”
“Same thing,” said Alex. “I really want to be successful. I was told my project was of vital importance, and I don’t want to let anybody down.”
“Right,’ said Na’grat, watching Alex out of the corner of his eye. “You wouldn’t want to disappoint Lord Kivar.”
“I don’t know about Lord Kivar,” said Alex, blandly. “I have no idea who my project is for. It was assigned to me, and I’m going to do it to the best of my ability.”
“What are those?” Na’grat asked, pointing to the transporters Alex had left on the work bench.”
“What’s what?” asked Alex, giving Na’grat a shove with his mind. “What are you talking about?”
“I said, how is your project coming along?” said Na’grat, reacting to Alex’s mind warp.
“I’m doing okay with it,” said Alex. “How about you?”
“Well, I needed some help,” said Na’grat, and I was hoping you’d be the person o help me.” He reached into his pouch and pulled out some notes and spread them on the table. As he did, a scrap of paper with some words fell to the floor. Alex reached down to pick it up, and passed it to Na’grat, glancing at it as he did.
“You’re not supposed to have that,” Alex said, trying to make his voice accusing. “The Director told us to destroy them.”
“I didn’t mean to,” said Na’grat, his voice filled with fear. “It must have gotten mixed up with my things when we were taking them down in the dining hall. Please don’t report me!”
“I won’t,” said Alex. “But you’d better get rid of it right away. You wouldn’t want the wrong person to find you with it.”
“What do you think it means?” Na’grat asked, ripping the paper up into small pieces.
“It sounds to me like somebody is trying to stir up a show of support for the Royal Family,” said Alex. “Which is stupid, since with the exception of Queen Vilondra, they’re all dead.”
Na’grat looked around, moved closer to Alex and lowered his voice to a whisper. “That’s not what I’ve heard.”
“Heard about what?” asked Alex, purposely playing dumb.
“In my city,” said Na’grat, “There are rumors that King Zan and the others escaped some how.”
“How can that be?” asked Alex. “My own father was here during the uprising. He saw the bodies of King Zan and General Rath, as well the General’s sister, Ava. And Princess, I mean Queen Vilondra, is married to Lord Kivar,” said Alex, swallowing down the bile that filled his throat at his last statement.
“Maybe I’ll tell you what I know, and maybe I won’t,” said Na’grat. “How do I know I can trust you?”
“Of course you can trust me, Na’grat,” said Alex, giving him another shove with his mind. “So what were you saying?”
“I heard that scientists somehow made copies of King Zan and the others, and hid them away, someplace safe. I think that they’re back, and those posters and stuff prove it!”
“Interesting,” said Alex, purposely changing the subject. “So what did you want me to look at on your project?”
“Elandra! Elandra, wait!” a voice called after Liz as she walked down the halls of the Training Academy. Liz stopped and turned around and found two of her classmates running up to her.
“We need to talk to you,” said one, pulling Liz by the arm.
“In here, it’s private,” said the other girl, grabbing Liz’s other arm. The two girls led her into an empty classroom and closed the door, and stared at her expectantly.
“What do you want?” asked Liz. She recognized one of the girls as the person who worked next to her when they were removing the posters. Liz quelled the sudden fear that perhaps she had heard the tune that Liz was humming.
“I heard you this morning,” said the first girl. “When the Director asked us to remove that trash from the dining hall.”
“You heard what, Varonia?” Liz asked stalling for time.
“You know what I’m talking about,” Varonia said.
“There’s no use denying it,” said the other girl. “You’re a part of it.”
“A part of what?” questioned Liz. “I’m sorry, I don’t remember your name.”
“My name isn’t important,” said the other girl. “As if I would want a traitor like you to even speak my name.”
“Traitor?” said Liz, her voice incredulous. “Why am I a traitor? What is it I’ve done that you would dare to call me that. She drew herself up as much as her small stature would allow and glared at the two girls.
“When we were removing those disgusting posters this morning, you were humming,” said Varonia.
“And humming makes me a traitor?” Liz asked. “In that case, Lord Kivar’s prison’s must be over flowing by now.”
“It’s obvious that the song you were humming fit the words on those posters perfectly,” said Varonia. “You must be a part of the group that is putting that filth up everywhere.”
“You’re insane,” said Liz, laughing to disguise her fear. “Do you honestly think that if I were involved in something like that, that I would be dumb enough to announce it to the world that way? You know, I’m sorry, but I’m just not that stupid. I was humming, that’s it. I think you two need to get a grip on reality,” she pushed past the two girls and walked towards the door.
“We’ll be watching you,” said Varonia. “Have no fear.”
“Believe me, I don’t,” said Liz slamming the door behind her.
Kivar entered the darkened throne room and smiled to himself. It wouldn’t be long before he was the king. He could imagine the coronation scene in his head. The lovely Vilondra would place the Antarian crown on his head, and the people that filled the room would cheer. It would only be a few short weeks before his Vilondra would be ready.
He walked across the room and sat in the throne and surveyed the darkened room, still imagining it filled with throngs of cheering people; all of them calling out his name. He passed his hand through the air, and the room filled with light. It was several seconds before his eyes focused. When Kivar saw what filled the room, he screamed, and instead of hoards of people calling his name, the room was filled with his own screams of rage.
-
majiklmoon
- Addicted Roswellian
- Posts: 361
- Joined: Tue Nov 13, 2001 10:55 am
- Contact:
Chapter 47 added 9/21/04
In defense of Liz, she was just humming mindlessly, she certainly wasn't attending to give their plan away. As far as mistakes buffyrosfan - I am thinking that they just have so much to concentrate on that mistakes are inevetible, much to their chagrin
__________________
Disclaimer: Roswell, and its characters do not belong to me. Melinda Metz, Jason Katims and 20th Century Fox have that particular pleasure. I’m simply borrowing them until the Season 2 DVD’s get released.
Tomorrow’s Yet to Come
Chapter Forty-Seven Actions and Reactions
Another market day had arrived, and the students of the Training Academy were free to explore the city, and take a relaxing break from their grueling studies. Alex reached over and grabbed Isabel’s hand and swung it in a carefree manner.
“Today, we are going to do nothing but relax,” he said. “No talk of weapons, of tracking systems and no talk of intrigue. I have declared this a stress free day!”
“Oh listen to the masterful one,” laughed Isabel, stopping to hug Alex tightly. “I love it when you get all strong and boss like.”
“Oh Alex, I love the strong silent type,” joked Michael, running up and knocking Alex’s hat to the ground.
“It just makes my heart go all a flutter when you act that way,” said Kyle in a mock southern accent. He waved his hand in front of his face like a fan. “I do declare, you are just so masterful, Alex.”
“Jerks,” said Alex with a grin, pushing them away. “Go play with someone else. Where are Max and Liz? Go bug them for a while.”
“But it’s so much more fun bugging you, Alex,” said Michael. “We get such pleasure out of it.”
“I can kill you, you know,” said Alex.
“Yeah, but we can kill you to, so where’s the fun in that?” said Kyle. “Besides, Max and the others went on ahead. We were sent on a mission by our king to find you.”
“Kyle, when have you ever willingly done anything Max asked you to do?” demanded Isabel with a smile.
“Well, since it involved harassing you, I was all for it,” said Kyle.
“You will pay for this,” said Isabel. Not here, not now, but someday, you’ll pay.”
“Big words from Madam Diplomat,” laughed Michael. “Come on, let’s hurry up. I want to spend some time with Maria, away from all the problems of everyday life.”
“And so we end up right back where we started,” said Alex. “No weapons, no wars, no kings, NO SHIT! he concluded as the group entered the marketplace.
They stopped and stared in shock and amazement. It was a cool, crisp, sunny day, and the sunlight was glistening over the millions of silver handprints that decorated every available surface. People filed out of stores and into the open area, yelling and pointing.
A hand reached out from the crowd and grabbed Alex. “See, I told you!” yelled Na’grat, his voice excited. “It’s a sign! King Zan is here, I just know it!”
“Shut up, Na’grat,” hissed Alex. “Your drawing attention to yourself.” He glared at Na’grat and gave his mind a shove, and Na’grat immediately began to calm down. “I think I’m going to go pick up a gift for my mother,” he said. “She’d like that.”
Alex watched as Na’grat wandered off through the crowd. “So much for our nice relaxing day,” he said to the others. “Michael, I think I’m going to kill Maria. Doesn’t she know the meaning of the words overkill?”
“No,” said Michael. “But Maria didn’t do this. She, uh, well, she was with me all night.” His face flushed a dull red, and he glared at the others, daring them to make something of it. When nobody said anything, he asked, “Who was that guy anyhow, and what was he talking about?”
“Let’s round up everybody else, and I’ll tell you about it,” said Alex. “Where are we supposed to meet everybody?”
“At that little stand that sells jewelry, not to far from the restaurant where Che’koth took us that time,” said Kyle. “Come on, let’s get out of here before we get into any more trouble.”
They quickly left the market place and made their way to where Max, Zan, Maria, Ava and Liz waited. The expression on their faces showed that they were as shocked as the others by what they had seen. By unspoken agreement, they didn’t say anything. The guys stood by chatting about inconsequential things while the girls examined the jewelry on the cart.
“It’s very lovely,” Isabel said, holding up a necklace.
“It is indeed very beautiful,” said the owner of the cart. “But only half as lovely as you. It is made from trideka, and the stones are brentium.”
“I’m sorry,” said Liz, struggling to keep her voice calm. “What did you say it was made from?”
“Trideka,” said the man. “It is one of the purest forms of metal on our planet.”
“Aladrik, did you hear that,” she called to Alex. “This beautiful necklace is made from something very similar to what Mother’s wedding bracelet is made from.” She stared at him, then shifted her gaze to her wedding band, then looked back to the necklace.”
Alex smiled when he realized what Liz was trying to get him to understand. Platinum was very similar to trideka. He watched as Liz touched her wedding ring, and then touched the necklace. She nodded to Alex and slipped off her ring and tried the necklace on. Alex concentrated and shoved at Liz’s mind, trying to get her to cluck like a chicken. Her excited smile told him that the mind warp wasn’t working.
“Ma’nith,” she called to Max. “Isn’t it beautiful!” She took the necklace off and held it up to Max.
“It is,” said Max, looking quizzically at Liz. “Would you like me to buy it for you?”
“Maybe someday,” she said with a shy giggle. Carefully, she placed the necklace back in its case and turned to Max. She stood on tiptoe as if to kiss him and quickly whispered in his ear. “its properties are very similar to platinum. If you touch your wedding ring, you can transfer its properties to the jewelry. It will block a mind warp. Alex and I already tested it. Tell the others.”
“Are all the items on this cart made with trideka?” she asked the man.
“Of course. Me’noyith only sells the highest quality pieces,” the man said proudly.
“They are lovely,” said Liz, watching as Alex and Max spread the word to the others. “May I look at some of the other pieces you have?”
“Of course, beautiful lady,” said Me’noyith. “Anything you desire will be yours on such a lovely day.
One by one, Liz picked up the pieces of jewelry and changed their molecular structure to match that of the platinum band she wore. Isabel, Maria and Ava joined her, and in a matter of minutes, they had changed every piece Me’noyith had on his cart.
Ava walked up to the cart owner and smiled. “Thank you so much for letting us examine all these beautiful pieces,” she said. “Now, I want you to take your cart, and go to the center market place, and give everything away.” She closed her eyes and shoved with her mind. “Do you understand what I’m asking you?”
“Of course, lovely lady,” said Me’noyith. “You want me to share my jewelry with the people of our fair city.”
“Thank you, Me’noyith,” said Ava. “You will be rewarded. I promise you this.”
“I thought we had agreed that it was not wise for all of you to be seen here,” Che’koth said when they trooped into the small restaurant.
“Yes, we did agree,” said Max. “But some things have occurred that make meeting like this a necessity. We need to talk to you, and it couldn’t wait. And, we need you to pay a man named Me’noyith for the contents of his cart,” he added as an after thought.”
“Why don’t you start at the beginning,” said Che’koth. “And finish with why I owe this Me’noyith money.”
The group looked at each other, waiting to see who would go first; finally Liz took a deep breath. “I’ll start,” she said. “We were all ordered to help clean the dining hall, and remove all the ‘propaganda.’ Well, I guess I wasn’t paying attention to what I was doing, and I started humming while I was removing the posters.”
“This does not seem like a great tragedy,” said Che’koth.
“You wouldn’t think so,” said Liz, but two girls heard me, and connected the tune, with the words on the posters, and confronted me about it later. I totally got in their faces about it and said that they were imaging things, and that if humming were a sign of treason, half of Antar would probably be in jail by now.”
“Do not worry, Liz,” Che’koth said with a faint grin. “There are those who will always try to better their position by accusing others, but there is something scheduled to happen at the Training Academy tonight that will throw all suspicion off of you. Who is next?”
“Okay, I was in the lab, working on the transporters, which I finished by the way,” began Alex. “Anyhow, I had them laid out on the work area in front of me when this guy Na’grat comes waltzing in, supposedly wanting my help with something. He spied the transporters, but I mind warped him into not seeing them, and I hid them pretty quick. So, he pulled out some stuff he wanted me to look at, and out fell one of Maria’s little song snippets. I decided to go on the offensive, and he really wigged out, begging me not to report him.”
“So far, I’m not hearing anything that is of a great concern,” said Che’koth. “What happened next?”
“He wanted to know what it was, and we discussed the possibility of someone trying to stir up support for the Royal Family. I pointed out that they were all dead, except for Vilondra, and that’s when it got freaky. He told me that some scientist made copies of Zan and the others and hid them away for safekeeping. People know about them,” Alex said, pointing at Max and Isabel.
“Alex, you need to relax,” said Che’koth. “You’re starting to act like our friend Maria here,” he smiled fondly at Maria, taking the sting from the comment. “There have always been rumors to that effect, and now, we can use them to our benefit.”
“Well, Na’grat was totally freaked when we got to the marketplace and saw all those handprints. I had to mind warp him again to get him to shut up, or he probably would have ended up dead,” said Alex. “Who put those up there, anyhow?”
“That would be the doing of some of the freedom fighters,” explained Che’koth. “They put up some, but I think, many of the citizens of the city added their own to show support of the Royal Family. It seems, also, that someone,” he looked directly at Isabel, “Managed to get into the throne room in the palace and did a little redecorating. Kivar was most unhappy when he found it.”
“Oh, that,” said Isabel, blushing faintly. “I meant to tell you all about that, I just kind of forgot, that’s all.”
“Isabel, what did you do?” Ava asked, smothering a laugh with her hand.
“Well, I may have burned a phrase or two from the song into the floor, and on the walls, and the ceiling,” said Isabel.
“And etched colored orbs and handprints into the glass so that when the sun shines in the windows, they are reflected all over the room,” added Che’koth.
“Well, the room was looking really boring,” Isabel said. “I just wanted to liven it up.”
“And with the power of conviction, there is no sacrifice. It's a do or die situation, we will be invincible, really did liven it up,” said Che’koth. “They’re saying you could hear Kivar’s screams throughout the castle. Now, may we move on to the part where I am paying a jewelry salesman all of my money, please?”
“Well, we were looking at some jewelry on a cart,” began Isabel. “The owner told me they were made of trideka. When Liz heard that, she got all excited.”
“Because trideka is very similar to platinum,” interjected Liz. “I thought maybe we could modify its molecular structure and turn it to platinum. I tried it, and then Alex tried to mind warp me. By the way,” she added, turning to Alex, “What’s with the clucking like a chicken? Anyhow, it didn’t work, the mind warp I mean.”
“So then Liz told me, and I told the others, and the girls started trying on all of the jewelry on the cart, modifying it as they went,” said Max.
“Then I kind of suggested to Me’noyith that he should go into the market place and give away his jewelry,” said Ava. “And that he’d be amply rewarded, so it’s my fault you have to pay him. I’m sorry.”
“Sorry?” said Che’koth, roaring with laughter. “The nine of you are the most inventive, creative people. You are not afraid to take a situation and use it to your advantage. Your plan is superb, and you have dealt well with every situation you have encountered. Go and enjoy the rest of your day. I will meet with you tonight, after I pay Me’noyith.”
__________________
Disclaimer: Roswell, and its characters do not belong to me. Melinda Metz, Jason Katims and 20th Century Fox have that particular pleasure. I’m simply borrowing them until the Season 2 DVD’s get released.
Tomorrow’s Yet to Come
Chapter Forty-Seven Actions and Reactions
Another market day had arrived, and the students of the Training Academy were free to explore the city, and take a relaxing break from their grueling studies. Alex reached over and grabbed Isabel’s hand and swung it in a carefree manner.
“Today, we are going to do nothing but relax,” he said. “No talk of weapons, of tracking systems and no talk of intrigue. I have declared this a stress free day!”
“Oh listen to the masterful one,” laughed Isabel, stopping to hug Alex tightly. “I love it when you get all strong and boss like.”
“Oh Alex, I love the strong silent type,” joked Michael, running up and knocking Alex’s hat to the ground.
“It just makes my heart go all a flutter when you act that way,” said Kyle in a mock southern accent. He waved his hand in front of his face like a fan. “I do declare, you are just so masterful, Alex.”
“Jerks,” said Alex with a grin, pushing them away. “Go play with someone else. Where are Max and Liz? Go bug them for a while.”
“But it’s so much more fun bugging you, Alex,” said Michael. “We get such pleasure out of it.”
“I can kill you, you know,” said Alex.
“Yeah, but we can kill you to, so where’s the fun in that?” said Kyle. “Besides, Max and the others went on ahead. We were sent on a mission by our king to find you.”
“Kyle, when have you ever willingly done anything Max asked you to do?” demanded Isabel with a smile.
“Well, since it involved harassing you, I was all for it,” said Kyle.
“You will pay for this,” said Isabel. Not here, not now, but someday, you’ll pay.”
“Big words from Madam Diplomat,” laughed Michael. “Come on, let’s hurry up. I want to spend some time with Maria, away from all the problems of everyday life.”
“And so we end up right back where we started,” said Alex. “No weapons, no wars, no kings, NO SHIT! he concluded as the group entered the marketplace.
They stopped and stared in shock and amazement. It was a cool, crisp, sunny day, and the sunlight was glistening over the millions of silver handprints that decorated every available surface. People filed out of stores and into the open area, yelling and pointing.
A hand reached out from the crowd and grabbed Alex. “See, I told you!” yelled Na’grat, his voice excited. “It’s a sign! King Zan is here, I just know it!”
“Shut up, Na’grat,” hissed Alex. “Your drawing attention to yourself.” He glared at Na’grat and gave his mind a shove, and Na’grat immediately began to calm down. “I think I’m going to go pick up a gift for my mother,” he said. “She’d like that.”
Alex watched as Na’grat wandered off through the crowd. “So much for our nice relaxing day,” he said to the others. “Michael, I think I’m going to kill Maria. Doesn’t she know the meaning of the words overkill?”
“No,” said Michael. “But Maria didn’t do this. She, uh, well, she was with me all night.” His face flushed a dull red, and he glared at the others, daring them to make something of it. When nobody said anything, he asked, “Who was that guy anyhow, and what was he talking about?”
“Let’s round up everybody else, and I’ll tell you about it,” said Alex. “Where are we supposed to meet everybody?”
“At that little stand that sells jewelry, not to far from the restaurant where Che’koth took us that time,” said Kyle. “Come on, let’s get out of here before we get into any more trouble.”
They quickly left the market place and made their way to where Max, Zan, Maria, Ava and Liz waited. The expression on their faces showed that they were as shocked as the others by what they had seen. By unspoken agreement, they didn’t say anything. The guys stood by chatting about inconsequential things while the girls examined the jewelry on the cart.
“It’s very lovely,” Isabel said, holding up a necklace.
“It is indeed very beautiful,” said the owner of the cart. “But only half as lovely as you. It is made from trideka, and the stones are brentium.”
“I’m sorry,” said Liz, struggling to keep her voice calm. “What did you say it was made from?”
“Trideka,” said the man. “It is one of the purest forms of metal on our planet.”
“Aladrik, did you hear that,” she called to Alex. “This beautiful necklace is made from something very similar to what Mother’s wedding bracelet is made from.” She stared at him, then shifted her gaze to her wedding band, then looked back to the necklace.”
Alex smiled when he realized what Liz was trying to get him to understand. Platinum was very similar to trideka. He watched as Liz touched her wedding ring, and then touched the necklace. She nodded to Alex and slipped off her ring and tried the necklace on. Alex concentrated and shoved at Liz’s mind, trying to get her to cluck like a chicken. Her excited smile told him that the mind warp wasn’t working.
“Ma’nith,” she called to Max. “Isn’t it beautiful!” She took the necklace off and held it up to Max.
“It is,” said Max, looking quizzically at Liz. “Would you like me to buy it for you?”
“Maybe someday,” she said with a shy giggle. Carefully, she placed the necklace back in its case and turned to Max. She stood on tiptoe as if to kiss him and quickly whispered in his ear. “its properties are very similar to platinum. If you touch your wedding ring, you can transfer its properties to the jewelry. It will block a mind warp. Alex and I already tested it. Tell the others.”
“Are all the items on this cart made with trideka?” she asked the man.
“Of course. Me’noyith only sells the highest quality pieces,” the man said proudly.
“They are lovely,” said Liz, watching as Alex and Max spread the word to the others. “May I look at some of the other pieces you have?”
“Of course, beautiful lady,” said Me’noyith. “Anything you desire will be yours on such a lovely day.
One by one, Liz picked up the pieces of jewelry and changed their molecular structure to match that of the platinum band she wore. Isabel, Maria and Ava joined her, and in a matter of minutes, they had changed every piece Me’noyith had on his cart.
Ava walked up to the cart owner and smiled. “Thank you so much for letting us examine all these beautiful pieces,” she said. “Now, I want you to take your cart, and go to the center market place, and give everything away.” She closed her eyes and shoved with her mind. “Do you understand what I’m asking you?”
“Of course, lovely lady,” said Me’noyith. “You want me to share my jewelry with the people of our fair city.”
“Thank you, Me’noyith,” said Ava. “You will be rewarded. I promise you this.”
“I thought we had agreed that it was not wise for all of you to be seen here,” Che’koth said when they trooped into the small restaurant.
“Yes, we did agree,” said Max. “But some things have occurred that make meeting like this a necessity. We need to talk to you, and it couldn’t wait. And, we need you to pay a man named Me’noyith for the contents of his cart,” he added as an after thought.”
“Why don’t you start at the beginning,” said Che’koth. “And finish with why I owe this Me’noyith money.”
The group looked at each other, waiting to see who would go first; finally Liz took a deep breath. “I’ll start,” she said. “We were all ordered to help clean the dining hall, and remove all the ‘propaganda.’ Well, I guess I wasn’t paying attention to what I was doing, and I started humming while I was removing the posters.”
“This does not seem like a great tragedy,” said Che’koth.
“You wouldn’t think so,” said Liz, but two girls heard me, and connected the tune, with the words on the posters, and confronted me about it later. I totally got in their faces about it and said that they were imaging things, and that if humming were a sign of treason, half of Antar would probably be in jail by now.”
“Do not worry, Liz,” Che’koth said with a faint grin. “There are those who will always try to better their position by accusing others, but there is something scheduled to happen at the Training Academy tonight that will throw all suspicion off of you. Who is next?”
“Okay, I was in the lab, working on the transporters, which I finished by the way,” began Alex. “Anyhow, I had them laid out on the work area in front of me when this guy Na’grat comes waltzing in, supposedly wanting my help with something. He spied the transporters, but I mind warped him into not seeing them, and I hid them pretty quick. So, he pulled out some stuff he wanted me to look at, and out fell one of Maria’s little song snippets. I decided to go on the offensive, and he really wigged out, begging me not to report him.”
“So far, I’m not hearing anything that is of a great concern,” said Che’koth. “What happened next?”
“He wanted to know what it was, and we discussed the possibility of someone trying to stir up support for the Royal Family. I pointed out that they were all dead, except for Vilondra, and that’s when it got freaky. He told me that some scientist made copies of Zan and the others and hid them away for safekeeping. People know about them,” Alex said, pointing at Max and Isabel.
“Alex, you need to relax,” said Che’koth. “You’re starting to act like our friend Maria here,” he smiled fondly at Maria, taking the sting from the comment. “There have always been rumors to that effect, and now, we can use them to our benefit.”
“Well, Na’grat was totally freaked when we got to the marketplace and saw all those handprints. I had to mind warp him again to get him to shut up, or he probably would have ended up dead,” said Alex. “Who put those up there, anyhow?”
“That would be the doing of some of the freedom fighters,” explained Che’koth. “They put up some, but I think, many of the citizens of the city added their own to show support of the Royal Family. It seems, also, that someone,” he looked directly at Isabel, “Managed to get into the throne room in the palace and did a little redecorating. Kivar was most unhappy when he found it.”
“Oh, that,” said Isabel, blushing faintly. “I meant to tell you all about that, I just kind of forgot, that’s all.”
“Isabel, what did you do?” Ava asked, smothering a laugh with her hand.
“Well, I may have burned a phrase or two from the song into the floor, and on the walls, and the ceiling,” said Isabel.
“And etched colored orbs and handprints into the glass so that when the sun shines in the windows, they are reflected all over the room,” added Che’koth.
“Well, the room was looking really boring,” Isabel said. “I just wanted to liven it up.”
“And with the power of conviction, there is no sacrifice. It's a do or die situation, we will be invincible, really did liven it up,” said Che’koth. “They’re saying you could hear Kivar’s screams throughout the castle. Now, may we move on to the part where I am paying a jewelry salesman all of my money, please?”
“Well, we were looking at some jewelry on a cart,” began Isabel. “The owner told me they were made of trideka. When Liz heard that, she got all excited.”
“Because trideka is very similar to platinum,” interjected Liz. “I thought maybe we could modify its molecular structure and turn it to platinum. I tried it, and then Alex tried to mind warp me. By the way,” she added, turning to Alex, “What’s with the clucking like a chicken? Anyhow, it didn’t work, the mind warp I mean.”
“So then Liz told me, and I told the others, and the girls started trying on all of the jewelry on the cart, modifying it as they went,” said Max.
“Then I kind of suggested to Me’noyith that he should go into the market place and give away his jewelry,” said Ava. “And that he’d be amply rewarded, so it’s my fault you have to pay him. I’m sorry.”
“Sorry?” said Che’koth, roaring with laughter. “The nine of you are the most inventive, creative people. You are not afraid to take a situation and use it to your advantage. Your plan is superb, and you have dealt well with every situation you have encountered. Go and enjoy the rest of your day. I will meet with you tonight, after I pay Me’noyith.”
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Chapter 48 added 9/22/04
Disclaimer: Roswell, and its characters do not belong to me. Melinda Metz, Jason Katims and 20th Century Fox have that particular pleasure. I’m simply borrowing them until the Season 2 DVD’s get released.
Tomorrow’s Yet to Come
Chapter Forty-Eight Congratulations are in Order
The student body of the Training Academy assembled in the only room large enough to hold them all comfortably, the dining hall. A low buzz filled the air as the students tried to figure out why they were all there. Liz sat next to Maria. She looked around surreptitiously and found Varonia and her friend and pointed them out to Maria.
“They look like they ate a couple of lemons for dinner,” Maria whispered to her. “But hell, if we could handle 12 years of Pam Troy, we can deal with anything those two can dish out.”
Liz shook with laughter. “Maria, poor Pam is like 9 million light years away or something, and she still pissed you off.”
“She was born to piss me off,” Maria said, darkly. “She is an evil blight on the face of the Earth.”
“Tell you what, lets focus on the enemies we have on this planet, then we’ll deal with Pam Troy.
“You’re just saying that to make me feel better, chica. I don’t believe it. You’re too nice to do anything totally evil to Pam Troy.”
“Maria, come back to Antar, will you,” said Liz. “The Director is here, and I want to hear what he has to say.”
The Director walked into the room, followed by the faculty of the Training Academy. The climbed the stairs to the stage, and the faculty took their seats behind the Director who stood at a podium. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a communicator and pressed a button on it, and returned it to his pocket.
“May I have your attention please,” he said, and his voice boomed throughout the vast dining hall. “We are here for a very joyous reason. As many of you may know, we recently began a joint project between the natural healing division of the Training Academy, and the science division. The goal of this project was to find substances that will aid in the healing of some illnesses and injuries, leaving the few healers who remain to focus on the more serious health problems. I am pleased to announce that a team of three students here at the Training Academy has created a medicine that will fight infection in our citizens. Would Elandria Predia of the science division and Atara Greja and Mira Drenia of the natural healing division please stand.”
Applause filled the room as Liz and Maria stood up, side by side, and looked across the room where Ava rose from her seat in between Kyle and Zan. Maria nudged Liz and pointed at Jara Kobodi who sat on the stage, her lips pressed together in anger. Sitting next to her was Plash Nevenia who applauded with all her might. Liz half turned and looked at Varonia and her friend who both sat with their mouths hanging open in shock.
“I am also pleased to announce that Elandria Predia has been chosen to work with our technology division in the development of special items for the Aberjani!”
Again the room echoed with applause, and Liz smiled slightly and again looked back at Varonia. She was pleased to see that the girl looked shocked beyond all reason. Liz smiled in the direction of the Director and the rest of the faculty and quickly took her seat next to Maria.
“Now we have a more serious matter to discuss,” said the Director. “As you may be aware, somebody, or several some bodies has chosen to deface the Training Academy with insurrectionist material on several occasions. Please do not pay attention to any such materials you my find, and if you do find any, remove them, and report them to my office. However, I must caution you not to look at each and every one of your classmates as a potential traitor. I have had several different students in my office today, reporting what they thought was suspicious behavior. Ladies and gentlemen, doodling is not suspicious behavior, nor is humming. Please, we are here to learn, this is not a witch hunt. We are not political here at the Training Academy, our mission is to provide you with the training you will need to succeed and help Antar grow for many years to come.”
Again the sound of applause filled the room, and Liz resisted the urge to turn around and stare at Varonia. She didn’t need to, she could feel the girl’s eyes burning holes into her back.
“Before I dismiss you,” said the Director, would Elandra, Mira and Atara please report to my office. Thank you, you are dismissed.”
The student body rose, and began milling around. Liz and Maria made their way over to where Ava stood, and together the three girls walked down the hall to the Director’s office.
“Why do you think he wants to see us?” Ava asked nervously.
“Ava, relax,” said Maria. “Here, try some lavender oil. It’s very soothing.”
“I’m sure it’s nothing Ava. It probably has to do with the announcement he made tonight,” said Liz. She stopped before the Director’s door, and knocked boldly on the door.
“Come in,” a voice called, and Liz reached out and opened the door and went inside.
“You wanted to see us, sir?” Liz said.
“Yes, come in girls, come in,” said the Director, his voice genial. “I just wanted to congratulate you again, and apologize for not giving you advance notice regarding the assembly. One of my faculty members,” he glared at Jara Kobodi who sat in a chair, her face mutinous, “ was supposed to tell you this morning, but it apparently slipped her mind.”
“That’s perfectly all right, sir,” said Maria, stepping forward. “Jara Kobodi was so very busy today, she had so much information to share with us during class, it’s perfectly understandable that it slipped her mind.” Maria smiled brightly, first at the Director, then at Jara Kobodi. “In fact, Atara was saying that it was one of the best lectures we’ve ever had since we came to the Training Academy.” She nudged Ava with her arm.
“Oh yes,” said Ava. “I especially loved the information Jara Kobodi shared about the Chapara plant. I didn’t realize that it could be used to sooth tooth aches.”
“Well ladies,” said the Director. “It’s very obvious to me that you are working very hard, and learning a lot.”
“Oh, it’s all thanks to Jara Kobodi,” gushed Maria, moving over to the angry woman. “She’s the one who has just brought the subject alive for us.” She reached out and grabbed Jara Kobodi’s hand and began to shake it profusely.
“Jara Kobodi,” said the Director. “Your student is trying to thank you. At least you could stand up, and allow her to do it properly.”
Jara Kobodi grudgingly stood up, and Maria and Ava both began to practically fawn over her. Liz was getting nauseous watching, until she saw Ava’s hand reach into Jara Kobodi’s pouch and remove something and slip it into her own pocket.
“Thank you again, Jara Kobodi,” Maria said. “For all you have done for us. I know we wouldn’t have been half as successful without your support.” She released Jara Kobodi’s hand and she and Ava stepped back to stand with Liz.
“Did you want anything else, Sir?” Liz asked the Director.
“Yes, actually, I did. Jara Kobodi, if you would excuse us please.” He waited until the instructor left the room, and then turned to Liz. “I want you to know that what I said in the assembly is true, humming is not a treasonous offense, but if I were you, I would be cautious. The student who reported you has a father who works closely with Lord Kivar.”
“Sir, I really wasn’t doing anything,” said Liz. “I was just humming. I couldn’t even tell you WHAT I was humming. Why should I be held responsible just because some one’s overworked imagination decided some words on a paper fit the tune I was humming!” Liz’s voice grew louder and louder and she got angrier that Maria could ever remember seeing her.
“Lan, Lan, you need to relax,” said Maria, stepping forward and grabbing Liz’s arm. “The Director isn’t your enemy here. He is simply pointing out that you need to be more cautious.”
“Exactly,” said the Director, looking relieved at Maria’s intervention. “Now, why don’t the three of you go take some well deserved time off from your studies. If I remember correctly, I believe I’ve seen you in the company of some very handsome young men recently. Ah to be young again. You know, I met my own wife in my first year as a student at the Training Academy. She was a lovely girl. She was in the diplomatic program.”
“That’s just so romantic,” said Ava, smiling. “But if we don’t want to lose our boys, we really ought to get going. Thank you for everything, Sir. You’ll never know just how much we appreciate it.”
“Good night, ladies,” said the Director. “Enjoy your evening. Keep up the good work, we here at the Training Academy expect great things from you!”
Once out in the hall, Liz turned to Maria, laughing. “Were you a bit much, or what?” she asked. “And you were just as bad, Ava. The Chapara plant, come on? I’m telling you both, right here, right now, that your future does NOT lie on the stage!”
“Maybe not, but it got me this,” said Maria, pulling the communicator out of Ava’s pocket.”
“What are you going to do with that?” asked Liz. “Or don’t I want to know?”
“You’ll see,” said Maria. “You’ll see.”
Tomorrow’s Yet to Come
Chapter Forty-Eight Congratulations are in Order
The student body of the Training Academy assembled in the only room large enough to hold them all comfortably, the dining hall. A low buzz filled the air as the students tried to figure out why they were all there. Liz sat next to Maria. She looked around surreptitiously and found Varonia and her friend and pointed them out to Maria.
“They look like they ate a couple of lemons for dinner,” Maria whispered to her. “But hell, if we could handle 12 years of Pam Troy, we can deal with anything those two can dish out.”
Liz shook with laughter. “Maria, poor Pam is like 9 million light years away or something, and she still pissed you off.”
“She was born to piss me off,” Maria said, darkly. “She is an evil blight on the face of the Earth.”
“Tell you what, lets focus on the enemies we have on this planet, then we’ll deal with Pam Troy.
“You’re just saying that to make me feel better, chica. I don’t believe it. You’re too nice to do anything totally evil to Pam Troy.”
“Maria, come back to Antar, will you,” said Liz. “The Director is here, and I want to hear what he has to say.”
The Director walked into the room, followed by the faculty of the Training Academy. The climbed the stairs to the stage, and the faculty took their seats behind the Director who stood at a podium. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a communicator and pressed a button on it, and returned it to his pocket.
“May I have your attention please,” he said, and his voice boomed throughout the vast dining hall. “We are here for a very joyous reason. As many of you may know, we recently began a joint project between the natural healing division of the Training Academy, and the science division. The goal of this project was to find substances that will aid in the healing of some illnesses and injuries, leaving the few healers who remain to focus on the more serious health problems. I am pleased to announce that a team of three students here at the Training Academy has created a medicine that will fight infection in our citizens. Would Elandria Predia of the science division and Atara Greja and Mira Drenia of the natural healing division please stand.”
Applause filled the room as Liz and Maria stood up, side by side, and looked across the room where Ava rose from her seat in between Kyle and Zan. Maria nudged Liz and pointed at Jara Kobodi who sat on the stage, her lips pressed together in anger. Sitting next to her was Plash Nevenia who applauded with all her might. Liz half turned and looked at Varonia and her friend who both sat with their mouths hanging open in shock.
“I am also pleased to announce that Elandria Predia has been chosen to work with our technology division in the development of special items for the Aberjani!”
Again the room echoed with applause, and Liz smiled slightly and again looked back at Varonia. She was pleased to see that the girl looked shocked beyond all reason. Liz smiled in the direction of the Director and the rest of the faculty and quickly took her seat next to Maria.
“Now we have a more serious matter to discuss,” said the Director. “As you may be aware, somebody, or several some bodies has chosen to deface the Training Academy with insurrectionist material on several occasions. Please do not pay attention to any such materials you my find, and if you do find any, remove them, and report them to my office. However, I must caution you not to look at each and every one of your classmates as a potential traitor. I have had several different students in my office today, reporting what they thought was suspicious behavior. Ladies and gentlemen, doodling is not suspicious behavior, nor is humming. Please, we are here to learn, this is not a witch hunt. We are not political here at the Training Academy, our mission is to provide you with the training you will need to succeed and help Antar grow for many years to come.”
Again the sound of applause filled the room, and Liz resisted the urge to turn around and stare at Varonia. She didn’t need to, she could feel the girl’s eyes burning holes into her back.
“Before I dismiss you,” said the Director, would Elandra, Mira and Atara please report to my office. Thank you, you are dismissed.”
The student body rose, and began milling around. Liz and Maria made their way over to where Ava stood, and together the three girls walked down the hall to the Director’s office.
“Why do you think he wants to see us?” Ava asked nervously.
“Ava, relax,” said Maria. “Here, try some lavender oil. It’s very soothing.”
“I’m sure it’s nothing Ava. It probably has to do with the announcement he made tonight,” said Liz. She stopped before the Director’s door, and knocked boldly on the door.
“Come in,” a voice called, and Liz reached out and opened the door and went inside.
“You wanted to see us, sir?” Liz said.
“Yes, come in girls, come in,” said the Director, his voice genial. “I just wanted to congratulate you again, and apologize for not giving you advance notice regarding the assembly. One of my faculty members,” he glared at Jara Kobodi who sat in a chair, her face mutinous, “ was supposed to tell you this morning, but it apparently slipped her mind.”
“That’s perfectly all right, sir,” said Maria, stepping forward. “Jara Kobodi was so very busy today, she had so much information to share with us during class, it’s perfectly understandable that it slipped her mind.” Maria smiled brightly, first at the Director, then at Jara Kobodi. “In fact, Atara was saying that it was one of the best lectures we’ve ever had since we came to the Training Academy.” She nudged Ava with her arm.
“Oh yes,” said Ava. “I especially loved the information Jara Kobodi shared about the Chapara plant. I didn’t realize that it could be used to sooth tooth aches.”
“Well ladies,” said the Director. “It’s very obvious to me that you are working very hard, and learning a lot.”
“Oh, it’s all thanks to Jara Kobodi,” gushed Maria, moving over to the angry woman. “She’s the one who has just brought the subject alive for us.” She reached out and grabbed Jara Kobodi’s hand and began to shake it profusely.
“Jara Kobodi,” said the Director. “Your student is trying to thank you. At least you could stand up, and allow her to do it properly.”
Jara Kobodi grudgingly stood up, and Maria and Ava both began to practically fawn over her. Liz was getting nauseous watching, until she saw Ava’s hand reach into Jara Kobodi’s pouch and remove something and slip it into her own pocket.
“Thank you again, Jara Kobodi,” Maria said. “For all you have done for us. I know we wouldn’t have been half as successful without your support.” She released Jara Kobodi’s hand and she and Ava stepped back to stand with Liz.
“Did you want anything else, Sir?” Liz asked the Director.
“Yes, actually, I did. Jara Kobodi, if you would excuse us please.” He waited until the instructor left the room, and then turned to Liz. “I want you to know that what I said in the assembly is true, humming is not a treasonous offense, but if I were you, I would be cautious. The student who reported you has a father who works closely with Lord Kivar.”
“Sir, I really wasn’t doing anything,” said Liz. “I was just humming. I couldn’t even tell you WHAT I was humming. Why should I be held responsible just because some one’s overworked imagination decided some words on a paper fit the tune I was humming!” Liz’s voice grew louder and louder and she got angrier that Maria could ever remember seeing her.
“Lan, Lan, you need to relax,” said Maria, stepping forward and grabbing Liz’s arm. “The Director isn’t your enemy here. He is simply pointing out that you need to be more cautious.”
“Exactly,” said the Director, looking relieved at Maria’s intervention. “Now, why don’t the three of you go take some well deserved time off from your studies. If I remember correctly, I believe I’ve seen you in the company of some very handsome young men recently. Ah to be young again. You know, I met my own wife in my first year as a student at the Training Academy. She was a lovely girl. She was in the diplomatic program.”
“That’s just so romantic,” said Ava, smiling. “But if we don’t want to lose our boys, we really ought to get going. Thank you for everything, Sir. You’ll never know just how much we appreciate it.”
“Good night, ladies,” said the Director. “Enjoy your evening. Keep up the good work, we here at the Training Academy expect great things from you!”
Once out in the hall, Liz turned to Maria, laughing. “Were you a bit much, or what?” she asked. “And you were just as bad, Ava. The Chapara plant, come on? I’m telling you both, right here, right now, that your future does NOT lie on the stage!”
“Maybe not, but it got me this,” said Maria, pulling the communicator out of Ava’s pocket.”
“What are you going to do with that?” asked Liz. “Or don’t I want to know?”
“You’ll see,” said Maria. “You’ll see.”
-
majiklmoon
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Chapter 49 added 9/23/04
Disclaimer: Roswell, and its characters do not belong to me. Melinda Metz, Jason Katims and 20th Century Fox have that particular pleasure. I’m simply borrowing them until the Season 2 DVD’s get released.
Tomorrow’s Yet to Come
Chapter Forty-Nine – It’s Party Time
Ava opened the door to the secret tunnel room and was greeted by a round of applause.
“All hail the conquering scientists,” shouted Max. “Let’s give them a big round of applause for discovering penicillin!”
“Shut up, jerk,” Ava said good-naturedly. “Besides, it wasn’t me, it was your wife. I just went along for the ride!”
“That was quite the show for you today,” said Michael. “What happened after? We were starting to get worried.”
“We went down to the Director’s office,” said Liz, who by now, had squeezed into the chair that Max was sitting in, “And we heard again about what a great and wonderful thing we did. And then, Maria and Ava went into action. Oh my God, they were too funny!”
“I’m afraid to ask,” said Michael, with a groan. “Kyle, you do it.”
“Do I have to?” said Kyle. “Maybe the road to enlightenment lies in the not knowing.”
“Fine, don’t ask,” said Maria. “Then you’ll never, ever now what happened.”
“I’m not a coward,” said Alex. “I’ve survived too many Maria plans to ever show fear again. I’ll ask. What happened next, Maria?”
“Well the evil bitch teacher from hell, Jara Kobodi was there, and I went into major suck up mode.”
“It was pretty disgusting actually,” said Liz, chiming in. “But then Ava got into the act after some prompting from Maria.”
“Which is when I liberated her communicator,” Ava said, proudly.
“Liberated?” Kyle asked, weakly.
“She lifted it,” said Zan. “The question that remains is why?”
“Maria mentioned that she wanted it,” Ava said, simply.
“Well that makes all the sense in the world,” said Max.
“Of course it does, Max,” said Isabel. “Maria has a plan that involves a communicator. Men,” she added, turning to the other girls, “Just never seem to get it.”
“Isabel’s right,” said Maria. “I have a plan, and Alex, I need your help with it.”
“Um, remember when I said I survived too many Maria plans to ever show fear again?” asked Alex. “Well, I lied.”
“Come on, Alex, it’s a piece of cake,” Maria wheedled. “All I need you to do is make a bunch more of these, and can you upload my song to them, and make it so the ones you make talk to each other, so if I tell one to play, they’ll all play.”
“Oh sure,” said Alex, “A real piece of cake. Yeah, I can probably do it, but it’s not going to be a right away thing, that’s for sure.”
“No problem,” Maria said, her voice gleeful. “You can have a week.”
“So, has Che’koth been here yet?” Liz asked, trying to change the subject before Alex killed Maria with his bare hands.
“He was, but it was before any of us got here,” said Zan. He left a message saying to wait for him. He’d be back with some important news at some point tonight.”
“Liz,” Ava whispered. “Are you going to tell Max what the Director said?”
“No,” Liz whispered back. “He’s got enough to worry about. I want to talk to Che’koth about it first, and get his take on it before I do anything else.”
“What are you two whispering about?” Max asked, tugging playfully on Liz’s hair.
“Well, it’s like this, see,” said Liz, stalling for time while she came up with an answer. “I was, um, wondering if we had any popcorn in that stash of food. I was thinking we were in serious need of a popcorn party.”
“The woman wants a popcorn party,” said Max, standing up, cradling Liz in his arms. “The woman shall have a popcorn party!” He placed Liz back in the chair and went over to the storage container where they kept the food Che’koth had brought back from Earth for them. He rummaged around and held up a box of microwave popcorn.
“Your in luck!” he said. “We have plenty.”
“Don’t we need a microwave for that?” Maria asked.
“We have sorely neglected your education,” said Isabel, grabbing the box from Max’s hand. She opened it up, and removed one of the packages and laid it on the table. She held her hand over it, and within seconds, the sound of popping filled the room.
“That smells so good,” said Liz, across the room. “What other goodies do we have?” She jumped up and ran to the storage container and pulled out cans of soda, several bags of chips, and some salsa.
“Oh goodie,” she exclaimed, like a child. “We get to have a party.”
Within minutes, all of the teens were munching on food, laughing and talking. Maria grabbed a cd, and soon the sound of music filled the room as well.
“Oh no, the Kit-Shickers cd!” moaned Kyle. “Make it go away, please!”
“They’re not too bad,” said Maria. “Not great, but not horrible. Not by a long shot.”
“Hey, look at this,” said Alex, reading the liner notes. “Dedicated to my one and only Amy. Awe, isn’t that sweet.”
“Shut up, Alex!” Kyle and Maria said, simultaneously while the rest of the room laughed.
Che’koth stood in the tunnel, hidden from view, listening to the sounds of laughter that filled the room. It pleased him to hear the sounds of his children laughing and enjoying themselves so much. There had not been enough of that in their lives, nor in their previous lives.
He moved forward several steps so that he could see into the room, but still remain hidden from view in the shadows. He watched Max pull Liz down into his lap, causing her bag of popcorn to fly out of her hands and land on the floor. She laughed and swatted his arm, playfully. His son had indeed chosen well.
Across the room, Isabel laughed at something Alex said, and the sound of his laughter filled his heart with joy. She looked so much like her mother that it took his breath away. Che’koth moved back further into the shadows, wanting to delay the conversation that he knew would cause his precious daughter so much pain.
Maria danced across the room, momentarily blocking his view of Isabel, and he smiled as he watched the carefree sprite. She was so alive, so impetuous, she was perfect for his very stoic, yet hot headed nephew. He smiled to himself as he remembered Rath as a child, so willing to throw himself into any cause. It saddened him, however to realize that Michael would never be as carefree as his fun loving nephew Rath. Rath had grown up surrounded by the love that Michael had been denied, and it colored his disposition very much.
Ava waved a bag of chips in front of Kyle, pulling them out of reach every time he grabbed at them. Finally, he gave in and pulled Ava into his lap. Che’koth laughed silently, enjoying the playful nature of his niece. She resembled his late sister so much! And Zan; his other son. How ironic that both pods should reach their full gestation period. And contrary to their earlier beliefs, the scientists ruled by Kivar were not able to taint either embryo of his son. He was so much like Max, and yet so different. It boggled the mind to see that the way a child was raised would have so much influence on them.
He watched, a few minutes longer, unwilling to end the happy and relaxing time the young people were enjoying themselves. How he wished he could reveal his true identity to them. He longed to hear his children call him Father again. But it was so much safer for all of them this way. Finally, he knew he could delay no longer, and he stepped out of the shadows and into the small room.
“Che’koth!” Max called over the music. “Popcorn?”
“No thank you, Majesty,” Che’koth answered with a slight grin. “I think not.”
“Do you have some news for us?” Max asked, noting the worried expression that Che’koth’s grin didn’t cover.
“I’m afraid that I do,” he answered.
“Why don’t you ever show up with happy news?” asked Kyle. He reached over and tapped Maria on the shoulder and grabbed the Kit-Shickers cd out of her hand. “Party time’s over. We’re back to saving the world.”
“Well, I do have some good news,” said Che’koth. “It’s just that the bad news outweighs the good news.
“Like there’s a surprise,” said Alex.
“Well, the girl who is trying to make trouble for Liz has a father that works closely with Kivar,” said Che’koth.
“I’m guessing that’s the bad news,” said Max.
“Actually, no, that’s the good news,” said Che’koth. “He’s loyal to King Zan, and he won’t do anything with the information his daughter is sure to bring him.”
Liz smiled in relief. Now she wouldn’t have to worry Max at all.
“I was also able to track down the man with the jewelry cart,” said Che’koth, and make complete restitution to him.
“Look, Che’koth,” said Ava. “That was all my fault, I’ll find a way to pay you back, somehow. I promise.”
Che’koth closed his eyes as an image of his small niece giving away all her belongings to those less fortunate flashed through his mind.
“There is no need,” he said, quietly. “We also have some of our scientist working on modifying more of the Trideka as well,” he added.
“Yeah, not wanting to sound stupid or anything,” said Kyle. “But why didn’t you guys ever do that on your own. I mean, no offense to Liz and Alex, but if they could do it, why couldn’t you guys?”
“Simple, we didn’t have a sample of platinum to use. The only way for us to get back to Earth was to use the Granolith, and only you could activate it. And after you activated it, there was so much going on with all of you, I never really thought about asking you for a sample of platinum to bring back here.”
“Okay,” said Michael. “We’ve had good news, and more good news. This leads me to believe the bad news is going to be big.”
“I’m afraid it is,” said Che’koth. “I found out about the Vilondra that Kivar has in the castle.”
“I’m not going to like this very much, am I?” Isabel asked faintly.
Alex slipped his arm around her, and held her tightly, while Maria, Liz and Ava closed ranks around her as if to shield her from Che’koth’s news. Che’koth nodded imperceptibly, pleased to see the way Alex instinctively thought to protect his wife.
“No, Princess, I’m afraid you will not. It seems as though Kivar was able to steal some of the genetic material used to create you. He has had a team of scientists working feverishly to create another Vilondra. He finally succeeded, but only to a point. His clone has some serious defects, including the inability to speak, and to think for herself. At this point, he has been successful at passing her off as just being quiet and shy since her family died, but people are beginning to question that.”
“But,” said Zan.
“But, he is very close to creating another Vilondra, and if all goes well, this one will be able to speak. I’m not to sure if he’s going to want her to have independent thoughts,” said Che’koth. “Both you, and the original Vilondra are very independent people.”
“You were right, I didn’t like that news very much,” said Isabel. “I don’t know if I can kill someone that looks exactly like me.”
“I can,” said Alex, grimly. “I did it before, and I’ll do it again. I’ll do whatever it takes to keep you safe.”
Tomorrow’s Yet to Come
Chapter Forty-Nine – It’s Party Time
Ava opened the door to the secret tunnel room and was greeted by a round of applause.
“All hail the conquering scientists,” shouted Max. “Let’s give them a big round of applause for discovering penicillin!”
“Shut up, jerk,” Ava said good-naturedly. “Besides, it wasn’t me, it was your wife. I just went along for the ride!”
“That was quite the show for you today,” said Michael. “What happened after? We were starting to get worried.”
“We went down to the Director’s office,” said Liz, who by now, had squeezed into the chair that Max was sitting in, “And we heard again about what a great and wonderful thing we did. And then, Maria and Ava went into action. Oh my God, they were too funny!”
“I’m afraid to ask,” said Michael, with a groan. “Kyle, you do it.”
“Do I have to?” said Kyle. “Maybe the road to enlightenment lies in the not knowing.”
“Fine, don’t ask,” said Maria. “Then you’ll never, ever now what happened.”
“I’m not a coward,” said Alex. “I’ve survived too many Maria plans to ever show fear again. I’ll ask. What happened next, Maria?”
“Well the evil bitch teacher from hell, Jara Kobodi was there, and I went into major suck up mode.”
“It was pretty disgusting actually,” said Liz, chiming in. “But then Ava got into the act after some prompting from Maria.”
“Which is when I liberated her communicator,” Ava said, proudly.
“Liberated?” Kyle asked, weakly.
“She lifted it,” said Zan. “The question that remains is why?”
“Maria mentioned that she wanted it,” Ava said, simply.
“Well that makes all the sense in the world,” said Max.
“Of course it does, Max,” said Isabel. “Maria has a plan that involves a communicator. Men,” she added, turning to the other girls, “Just never seem to get it.”
“Isabel’s right,” said Maria. “I have a plan, and Alex, I need your help with it.”
“Um, remember when I said I survived too many Maria plans to ever show fear again?” asked Alex. “Well, I lied.”
“Come on, Alex, it’s a piece of cake,” Maria wheedled. “All I need you to do is make a bunch more of these, and can you upload my song to them, and make it so the ones you make talk to each other, so if I tell one to play, they’ll all play.”
“Oh sure,” said Alex, “A real piece of cake. Yeah, I can probably do it, but it’s not going to be a right away thing, that’s for sure.”
“No problem,” Maria said, her voice gleeful. “You can have a week.”
“So, has Che’koth been here yet?” Liz asked, trying to change the subject before Alex killed Maria with his bare hands.
“He was, but it was before any of us got here,” said Zan. He left a message saying to wait for him. He’d be back with some important news at some point tonight.”
“Liz,” Ava whispered. “Are you going to tell Max what the Director said?”
“No,” Liz whispered back. “He’s got enough to worry about. I want to talk to Che’koth about it first, and get his take on it before I do anything else.”
“What are you two whispering about?” Max asked, tugging playfully on Liz’s hair.
“Well, it’s like this, see,” said Liz, stalling for time while she came up with an answer. “I was, um, wondering if we had any popcorn in that stash of food. I was thinking we were in serious need of a popcorn party.”
“The woman wants a popcorn party,” said Max, standing up, cradling Liz in his arms. “The woman shall have a popcorn party!” He placed Liz back in the chair and went over to the storage container where they kept the food Che’koth had brought back from Earth for them. He rummaged around and held up a box of microwave popcorn.
“Your in luck!” he said. “We have plenty.”
“Don’t we need a microwave for that?” Maria asked.
“We have sorely neglected your education,” said Isabel, grabbing the box from Max’s hand. She opened it up, and removed one of the packages and laid it on the table. She held her hand over it, and within seconds, the sound of popping filled the room.
“That smells so good,” said Liz, across the room. “What other goodies do we have?” She jumped up and ran to the storage container and pulled out cans of soda, several bags of chips, and some salsa.
“Oh goodie,” she exclaimed, like a child. “We get to have a party.”
Within minutes, all of the teens were munching on food, laughing and talking. Maria grabbed a cd, and soon the sound of music filled the room as well.
“Oh no, the Kit-Shickers cd!” moaned Kyle. “Make it go away, please!”
“They’re not too bad,” said Maria. “Not great, but not horrible. Not by a long shot.”
“Hey, look at this,” said Alex, reading the liner notes. “Dedicated to my one and only Amy. Awe, isn’t that sweet.”
“Shut up, Alex!” Kyle and Maria said, simultaneously while the rest of the room laughed.
Che’koth stood in the tunnel, hidden from view, listening to the sounds of laughter that filled the room. It pleased him to hear the sounds of his children laughing and enjoying themselves so much. There had not been enough of that in their lives, nor in their previous lives.
He moved forward several steps so that he could see into the room, but still remain hidden from view in the shadows. He watched Max pull Liz down into his lap, causing her bag of popcorn to fly out of her hands and land on the floor. She laughed and swatted his arm, playfully. His son had indeed chosen well.
Across the room, Isabel laughed at something Alex said, and the sound of his laughter filled his heart with joy. She looked so much like her mother that it took his breath away. Che’koth moved back further into the shadows, wanting to delay the conversation that he knew would cause his precious daughter so much pain.
Maria danced across the room, momentarily blocking his view of Isabel, and he smiled as he watched the carefree sprite. She was so alive, so impetuous, she was perfect for his very stoic, yet hot headed nephew. He smiled to himself as he remembered Rath as a child, so willing to throw himself into any cause. It saddened him, however to realize that Michael would never be as carefree as his fun loving nephew Rath. Rath had grown up surrounded by the love that Michael had been denied, and it colored his disposition very much.
Ava waved a bag of chips in front of Kyle, pulling them out of reach every time he grabbed at them. Finally, he gave in and pulled Ava into his lap. Che’koth laughed silently, enjoying the playful nature of his niece. She resembled his late sister so much! And Zan; his other son. How ironic that both pods should reach their full gestation period. And contrary to their earlier beliefs, the scientists ruled by Kivar were not able to taint either embryo of his son. He was so much like Max, and yet so different. It boggled the mind to see that the way a child was raised would have so much influence on them.
He watched, a few minutes longer, unwilling to end the happy and relaxing time the young people were enjoying themselves. How he wished he could reveal his true identity to them. He longed to hear his children call him Father again. But it was so much safer for all of them this way. Finally, he knew he could delay no longer, and he stepped out of the shadows and into the small room.
“Che’koth!” Max called over the music. “Popcorn?”
“No thank you, Majesty,” Che’koth answered with a slight grin. “I think not.”
“Do you have some news for us?” Max asked, noting the worried expression that Che’koth’s grin didn’t cover.
“I’m afraid that I do,” he answered.
“Why don’t you ever show up with happy news?” asked Kyle. He reached over and tapped Maria on the shoulder and grabbed the Kit-Shickers cd out of her hand. “Party time’s over. We’re back to saving the world.”
“Well, I do have some good news,” said Che’koth. “It’s just that the bad news outweighs the good news.
“Like there’s a surprise,” said Alex.
“Well, the girl who is trying to make trouble for Liz has a father that works closely with Kivar,” said Che’koth.
“I’m guessing that’s the bad news,” said Max.
“Actually, no, that’s the good news,” said Che’koth. “He’s loyal to King Zan, and he won’t do anything with the information his daughter is sure to bring him.”
Liz smiled in relief. Now she wouldn’t have to worry Max at all.
“I was also able to track down the man with the jewelry cart,” said Che’koth, and make complete restitution to him.
“Look, Che’koth,” said Ava. “That was all my fault, I’ll find a way to pay you back, somehow. I promise.”
Che’koth closed his eyes as an image of his small niece giving away all her belongings to those less fortunate flashed through his mind.
“There is no need,” he said, quietly. “We also have some of our scientist working on modifying more of the Trideka as well,” he added.
“Yeah, not wanting to sound stupid or anything,” said Kyle. “But why didn’t you guys ever do that on your own. I mean, no offense to Liz and Alex, but if they could do it, why couldn’t you guys?”
“Simple, we didn’t have a sample of platinum to use. The only way for us to get back to Earth was to use the Granolith, and only you could activate it. And after you activated it, there was so much going on with all of you, I never really thought about asking you for a sample of platinum to bring back here.”
“Okay,” said Michael. “We’ve had good news, and more good news. This leads me to believe the bad news is going to be big.”
“I’m afraid it is,” said Che’koth. “I found out about the Vilondra that Kivar has in the castle.”
“I’m not going to like this very much, am I?” Isabel asked faintly.
Alex slipped his arm around her, and held her tightly, while Maria, Liz and Ava closed ranks around her as if to shield her from Che’koth’s news. Che’koth nodded imperceptibly, pleased to see the way Alex instinctively thought to protect his wife.
“No, Princess, I’m afraid you will not. It seems as though Kivar was able to steal some of the genetic material used to create you. He has had a team of scientists working feverishly to create another Vilondra. He finally succeeded, but only to a point. His clone has some serious defects, including the inability to speak, and to think for herself. At this point, he has been successful at passing her off as just being quiet and shy since her family died, but people are beginning to question that.”
“But,” said Zan.
“But, he is very close to creating another Vilondra, and if all goes well, this one will be able to speak. I’m not to sure if he’s going to want her to have independent thoughts,” said Che’koth. “Both you, and the original Vilondra are very independent people.”
“You were right, I didn’t like that news very much,” said Isabel. “I don’t know if I can kill someone that looks exactly like me.”
“I can,” said Alex, grimly. “I did it before, and I’ll do it again. I’ll do whatever it takes to keep you safe.”
Last edited by majiklmoon on Thu Sep 23, 2004 9:46 pm, edited 1 time in total.