"The Beginning Of The End - The Dark Horizon"
Sponsored by Cheesy Spoo, the snack of Boojiists everywhere!
RES decided to sit for a minute and have a cup of coffee. She grew dazed suddenly, then teetered and slumped forward in her chair.
She stepped into a black room. "Where am I?" she asked softly.
"The same place I brought Laura," Marichka stepped out of the darkness, her hands clasped in front of her. "This is the place in your mind that you come to when you use your telepathic abilities. Whether you know it or not."
"How did I get here?"
"An old Psi-Corp trick I picked up along the way. Now, you expressed an interest in getting me off your back. I guess none of you knew that Gwyn repayed your debt to me. You no longer owe me anything. Unless, of course, you wish the Shadows help."
"We won't need it," RES said adamantly.
"Good. You see, quite frankly, I'd rather not have anything to do with you. I don't care about your plans, I don't care about the cows, I don't care about your Raven's, I don't care about the Anti-Booji. All that concerns me are Morden and Gwyn because they are agents. I haven't pushed, I have bullied, and I am not on your backs. If my very existance bothers you, then I am truley sorry. But that's your problem, not mine. If you want me to go away, stop calling me back here.
"As for David, you can tell him that his Raven's are beautiful, wonderful, the pinnacle of evolution. The Shadows as a whole commend him. But we don't want them. They are his inventions, and they belong to him. He gets to keep the spoils of his evolution. We only need the one Raven we have."
"Why haven't you built anymore?"
"Tradition. The Raven is my personal ship. Most Shadows still aren't quite comfortable with the idea of mixing the two technologies. And we only needed one of them to raze Vorlon homeworld. If we can do that with one, why do we need more?."
"What do you know about the cows?" RES began to press with her mind. Marichka arched an eyebrow and the scream hit RES. Not as loud as it could, but loud enough to stop her. "You're just like Lyta Alexander. And because of that, I can counteract anything you can do."
"How do you know that? You haven't seen all that I can do."
Marichka smiled big, "I don't have to. I'm trained to combat you. I could mind wipe you now, and neither of us would ever know what your true potential is. You'd die of old age before you'd find it out again. To answer your question, the cows are not us. But, I suppose it's easier to blame an old enemy then to admit that a new one might exist. You lot still can't believe that we're not so bad, can you? You are like Sheridan. We could save your ass, and you would still believe that we're out to get you. Well it's not our problem that you're paranoid." Marichka started to leave, but turned back, looked disgusted. "Cows? You think my Associates couldn't come up with anything better then cows? We can do so much better then that. Over run the temple with... with Pakmara. Or hide little pieces of a planet killer around the temple, and have them all come together at a telepathic signal and freeze the place again, or, yes! Ants! We can do so much better then cows, RES my dear."
RES was stony. Marickha smiled. "If you don't
want to see me again, don't call me back here." Then she left, and RES
slowly woke up.
She Who Must Be Obeyed flicked off the light switch in Eclipse's quarters as Critty brought in the cold bottles of ale. That was Eclipse's cue to roll the footage.
The three settled back on Eclipse's couch and watched the various angles of cows throughout Boojilon. One piece featured a cow in Gwyn's Coffee Shop in which they had zoomed in on it without its being aware. Suddenly the hair on the back of Eclipse's neck stood on end. "Freeze it!" he said, reaching for the pause button on the data projector. The holographic image stood still.
"Look!" Eclipse pointed at a particular black spot formation on the otherwise white cow. "What does that look like to you?"
Critty squinted his eyes and leaned closer to the still hologram in mid-air. "A spot?"
She Who Must Be Obeyed leaned forward. "More than just a spot - its shape!"
Eclipse let a shrill whistle pass through his
lips. "That's no ordinary spot. It is in the shape of a black
bucket!"
Davis looked terrified as Morden's eyes burned into him with a hurt, angry intensity. She was trembling, Gwyn crossed slowly to Morden.
"OK...it's ok...calm down." Gwyn said softly, placing an arm around Morden and turning towards the dorr. "I'll do it. I'll find out everything. But I want you to go and get a cup of coffee...black with two sugars, yes? When I get done, I'll find you." Morden cast Gwyn a distrustful glance. "I PROMISE. Now go!" Gwyn closed the door on Morden and locked it. She leaned against it, turning to face Davis's ashen face. She looked at him silently, and finally, he spoke.
"I've never seen her like this before. I've never that look in her eyes. She looked so...so..."
"Betrayed? Like she can't decide whether to kill you or herself?" Gwyn supplied, her tone derisive. Davis noddded, unable to find the words to reply. Gwyn continued. "I have seen that look before...this isn't the first time she's been through this, which is one betrayal more than any person should have to experience," she snapped, then rubbed her temples wearily before settling a cold stare on Davis. "So for your sake, I hope I find one hell of a good explanation, or I WILL rip your mind apart."
Davis swallowed hard and made a noble attempt to master his fear. "I...I won't fight. I didn't have a choice..."
"Well. I'll see about that, won't I?" Gwyn said shortly.
Morden's coffee was sitting cold and untouched when Gwyn entered the kitchen, and she poured them both fresh cups before speaking. "He didn't betray you. Not really," Gwyn said. Morden looked at Gwyn for the first time, and a glimmer of hope shone in her eyes.
"Davis hadn't heard from you in so long that when the Rangers captured him on Prxima, it was easy for them to convince him that they were holding you hostage. A little basic psychology, some fake photographs..." Gwyn shrugged and continued. "The Rangers told him only that he had to accept Psi-Corp's programming, or they would kill you. Davis agreed only to save your life. They didn't tell him what the progamming would do, and he didn't learn any of the truth until after the pragramming had been installed. By then of course, it was too late for him to do anything about it...even tell you." Gwyn reached across the table, and squeezed Morden's hand. "He didn't want to, Leonora...he did it for you. FOR you, not against you."
Morden smiled tremulously through a fresh batch of tears. "Is he...is he alright?"
"He will be. The programming was designed to be temporary. Now, what he needs most is you and your forgiveness. He said he'd understand if you didn't want to speak to him just yet, but he will wait for you. As long as it takes. My advice? Go to him. You need each other now more than ever."
Morden stood up slowly. "Thank-you," she choked out, almost inaudibly, through her tears, then slipped from the room.
Gwyn silently watched her exit, then smiled, allowing herself a small moment to revel in satisfaction before reminding herself that it wasn't over. There were still details to be dealt with, still punishment to mete out, revenge to extract. Davis had been only too glad to agree to Gwyn's plan, and there wasn't time to waste. A Shadow phased in suddenly, frowning.
{Laura Sinclair. On Zha'ha'dum.}
Gwyn choked on her coffee, and the Shadow waited for her to finish coughing so she could speak.
"Don't touch her!" she sputtered out, then took a deep breath. "She may be univited, but she is still a guest! Until she directly threatens or interferes with us, she is to be treated with consideration! And I don't care if you don't like it!" Gwyn snapped, catching the Shadow's disapporaval telepathically. "We do not exact revenge in the present for actions of the past, especialyl actions committed by people long dead! And Zha'ha'dum has become a regular tourist hub lately, one more univited guest won't be noticed! You can put her in my room." The Shadow conceeded Gwyn had a point, but left saying only he would send the message to the Tribunal.
"Screw the Tribunal!" Gwyn muttered after it had left. "And they wonder why the Shadows have such a bad reputation." Well, it was an unexpected change, that much was sure, but perhaps beneficial. Morden could deal with Laura, it would give her something to focus on. Of course, some one needed to go to the Temple, prevent Marichka from striking any kind of deal with the Followers. They'd been down that road once, and Gwyn had just thrown herself into a complex set of manueverings to fulfill the previous deal. The Followers would just have to find their strength some where else. Gwyn couldn't do anything, she needed to be on Minbar. Or rather, she needed to be with the Entil'zha, which meant having the security to move freely, and she wouldn't have that until Morden was gone and Gwyn could be sure the Shadows weren't going to do soemthing stupid.
Gwyn winced. All the thinking was giving her a head ache. She needed to deal with one thing at a time, and first priority was getting Morden off Minbar, away from Ivanova. That was only way Gwyn could carry this through and come out intact. She finished her coffee, and suddenly sat up alert.
"Damn! If Laura's on Zha'ha'dum, who is watching
my shop!?"
"But if the cows aren't shadows what was the mesage refering to." RES leaned back drinking The coffie. "I don't know, maybe it meant the temple?" "WARNING PROXIMITY WARNING TEMPLE OF THE ANTI-BOOJI ARRIVAL IN 10.22 MINUTES PREPARE FOR INVASION ALL VISITORS TO DESIGNATED QUARTERS!!!" Lindaru's voice screamed over the intercom. It wasn't Lindaru of course but she had the most calming voice of any of the followers so it was programed in. "We don't have time to figure it out now. Are all the ships ready."
"Yes." RES awnsered simply.
"Good tell them to go into hyperspace. The temple will be sweeping gravitron space we'll catch them off gaurd. Who's going?"
"Pretty much everyone who can fly a ship but Garibaldi, and he's working on the cow mop up opperation."
"Good then we have to prepare for the battle. Send us into Hyperspace RES."
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Leanna got up off the rock she had been resting
on, hoisted her pack onto her back, smoothed her robes and started on the
last leg of her journey. She was nervous about her new appointment as priestess
of the temple of Booji, but she was most worried about her friend Lindaru,
who had promised to meet her when she arrived. She knew Lindaru would not
have let her down without a life-or-death reason, so it was with great
apprehension that she approached the temple. As the temple came into
view, Leanna heard alarms going off and the sky was swirling ominously
overhead. "Oh Lindaru, my friend, may Booji go with you" she whispered,
and began praying...
When Leanna opened her eyes from her prayers, the three little Shadow girls had phased in and back out, leaving a data crystal for her. Leanna put it in the pocket of her robe and wondered how it had gotten there.
After she had checked into her quarters in the Temple, she went to the data player and plugged it in. Lindaru's face appeared.
"Leanna, if you are seeing this, it means that the Temple of the Anti-Booji has been resurrected and we are preparing for battle. Recent information from Eclipse, Critty and She Who Must Be Obeyed indicates the cows are part of the Anti-Booji regime. Avoid cows at all costs. My cousins and I will be on their Darkstar at 3:00 p.m. Earth Standard Time. Jim is going with RES and David. Please stay in your quarters as it is not safe to be out right now. Here are the coorinates to the Darkstar if you need to contact me."
Leanna sat blinking at the now vanished image on the screen. At least Lindaru had given her the coordinates. She stood up and went for the door, her pack slung over her back. She was not going to sit by and do nothing. Lindaru could no doubt use some help on that Darkstar.
*****
"Systems checks completed," Lindelle announced.
"Weapons powering," Lindaline added.
"Communications and emergency back up on line," Lindise stated, her bald head and single ponytail bobbing over the controls.
Lindaru braced herself and gave a final look at Boojilon and her beloved Temple. Would it be for the last time? She had discussed the possibility that this new Suit attack with the Anti-Booji could be Armageddon. Once the perimeter alarm had gone off, she new there was no backing away from the possibility. She had left instructions with her daughters to give Leanna the crystal and then take the next transport to Centauri Prime. They were ordered to stay phased out and silent until they reached her cousins' house. RES had made similar arrangements for her children. Koshia would be visiting Spoofoo on Minbar.
"Set course for Sector 45 by 0 by 20." That had been the first breach of the planetoid defense system. The panel indicated that the other ships in this fleet were doing the same.
"Not without me."
All four turned and looked in the direction of the voice.
Leanna smiled. "Reporting for duty, Commander."
Lindaru was partly furious and partly thrilled. "When did you--how did you--" Lindaru regrouped her thoughts. Then she ran over and gave Leanna a brief but intense hug. After Leanna was introduced to the cousins which Leanna wondered if she would ever be able to remember who was who, Leanna took her seat in the Darkstar and began punching up the buttons on the panel.
The Darkstar wavered a moment a few feet off the
ground, and then shot towards the specified coordinates.
Laura swore under her breath. A shadow came closer to her and clacked at her. She looked at it. "There's no point on talking to me, I don't speak Shadow, only English and Minbari."
It looked at her and moved. Laura sighed and followed it. Who would have thought she would end up on Z'ha'dum with the Shadows. She shook her head, her father would never have believed this! But then, thinking about it, neither would she unless she was actully here!
The Shadows seemed to be treating her like a guest. Why that was the case she wasn't really sure. She was used to treating them as enemies so the presence of so many of them made her a little uneasy. She hoped she wouldn't run into that Marichka woman, one encounter with her was more than enough.
As the Shadows led her to a set of quarters she wondered exactly who they belonged to, and why she had materialised here. She usually ended up where she was needed or where Booji sent her, so why Z'ha'dum? What was her reason for being here? She supposed that she would find out in due course.
"If sanity is a disease, could someone get me
the vacine?"
The alarms were silent, but the red lights were still flashing all over the station, and the now abandoned Zocalo looked very eerie in the pulsating red light.
Neil closed the shutters in front of the BoojiShop's entrance to keep the small time burglars who would probably take advantage of this crisis out. Every civillian on the station had been confined to their quarters for their own safety. If the Anti-Booji Temple got throught the perimiter -that was now being defended by Lindaru and the others- things could get nasty on the station.
When Neil was finished he decided to see if the waitresses and waiters of the Coffee Shop had closed behind them. The "we're closed" sign hung at the door, but Neil could see the head waitress still finishing her cleaning. The door was still open, and the waitress gave a small scream when the door bell rang as Neil entered.
She put a hand on her chest and sighed "You nearly scared me to death! Never do that again" she said as she pointed a threathening finger at Neil, but her eyes were all smiles.
"I just thought I'd check if everything was alright here, Gwyn would kill me if she found her shop wrecked when she returns"
"Don't you worry about that, I'm taking good care of it"
And she indeed did, the place was spotless, and the tables were clean and shiny. Small pots with flowers on the center of each table accompanied by two or four menu's.
"Alright if I get myself a coffee?"
"Sure, help yourself, as long as you clean the cup when you're finished"
Neil went to the coffee machine and took a cup of the rack, just as he was about to pour himself some coffee the ground started to shake and the cups trembled in the racks, a couple slid off and crashed on the floor.
Neil tried to find the cause of the shakes and as he followed the head waitress' terrified stare he found the source.......
A herd of over a hundered cows was gathering at
the center of the Zocalo....
Laura jumped as the com channel began beeping, and looked at it for awhile, unsure of herself. She finally said "receive" and Gwyn's face appeared.
"Well, your alive at least," she observed, and Laura smiled.
"The Shadows have been surprisingly nice to be," she admitted.
"They should be. I've told them to put in my quarters, feel free to unpack and make yourself comfortable. Also, there's some Valium in the medicine cabinent, take two if your head starts to hurt too badly. It will take you a few days to adjust to Zha'ha'dum, until then it's going to be quite a strain blocking all the anti-telepath senitment, even for some one of your strength."
"Thanks...I'll remember that."
"I don't suppose you'd care to tell me why you're on Zha'ha'dum?" Gwyn said, dispensing with the small talk.
"I'd love to, but I don't know..."
Gwyn sighed. "Couldn't you have lied and told me you were there for the scenery? Well, never mind it now. Just stay put and do as the Shadows ask, within reason of course. If they start to bully you, bully back...nothing scares them more than a telepath. I'll get back in touch with you as soon as we've decided what to do with you. I need to speak with Morden first. Contact me if you need anything, ok?"
"I will. Thanks Gwyn."
"Don't thank me yet. What's have you done with my offee shop?"
"Oh...gee, I hadn't thought about that..."
Gwyn buried her face in her hands and groaned.
"It never ends, does it?" she sighed. "Call Michelle please. I'm
leaving this to you to sort out."
Morden opened the door and came in slowly, closing it behind her.
Davis looked up and stood. As they looked at each other, Davis swayed a little. He took a deep breath, and started to say something, but Leonora threw her arms around his neck. "I'm sorry I was so angry."
He stroked her hair, "don't apologize. It not your fault, and it's not my fault. Why would they want to do this to us?"
"The Rangers?" Leonora laughed a little pulled away. "You're asking the wrong person. What are we going to do now?"
"You are going somewhere else. Z'Ha'Dum maybe. The temple. Proxima, mama would love to see you."
Leonora laughed a little. "What are you going to do?"
"Stay here. I can still see Minbar with Gwyn's help."
Morden looked a little suspicious, but didn't ask. She thought for a moment. "I'm going to go now. I know Gwyn wanted to talk to me, but I want to see the situation at the temple. Then I'll take Louis to Z'Ha'Dum. He misses home."
Davis looked puzzled, "Louis?"
"Not now, I think that story is a little too long. We're not that far from the temple. Should only take my ship an hour to get back. I'll call you when I'm settled."
He smiled and kissed her on the forehead. She smiled and left.
*************
The chime to Lindaru's door went off. Jim opened the door. "Morden, I didn't expect you back."
"No one did. I'm sorry if I've disturbed you, I've only come for Louis."
"Mama!" Louis cried. Morden smiled. "Come on, we've got no time to loose. We're going back home. But first, a little treat." She nodded to Jim and the pair left.
"What do you have for me, mama?"
"Some pretty Minbari stone for you back on the ship, but first," they came to the entry way to the Zocalo. Louis was a little unnerved at the sight of all the cows. "{You have to conquer your fear. And your first battle will do so.}"
Niels noticed a silence outside. As he approached
the door, the moo-s mixed with the chittering started. When he got to the
door, he saw a group of 75 or so Shadows taking on the same number of cows.
He saw Morden off to the side, her arms crossed, smiling like a proud,
albeit smug, mother. Niels jumped back as a cows leg hit the door of the
shop. It slid to the floor and Niels moved to the window beside the door.
As the Shadows dealt with the last of the cows, Louis came to Morden, and
she hustled him off.
Neil stood in awe, he had never seen the shadows do their work, it was most impressive, and very terrifying...
He saw Morden leaving the Zocalo and as she casually glanced back he caught her eye and nodded a small "thank you" with his head. Morden made a small "you're welcome" gesture and then dissapeared out of sight.
"oh my....."
He had totally forgotten the head waitress, she was shaking all over. The sight of the cows And the shadows had shocked her deeply. Neil walked over to her and put a hand on her shoulder. "Go on home, I'll take care of the shop"
Terrified eyes looked up at him
"Use the back door, that way you can avoid the mess in the Zocalo"
AS the waitress left Neil contacted station maintenance to come in and clean the.... mess in the Zocalo. that was the problem with the shadows, they were very efficient, but they never cleaned up after themselves.
He shut the com down, but it jumped back to life "Incomming transmission...." "from who?" "information unavailable" "from where is it comming?" "information unavailable.."
Neil sighed "ok, put it on screen"
The boojilon comsystem logo was replaced by a formilliar face
"Laura!! what the..... where.... how....!!"
"Neil!!.... Wanted to see how Gwyn's shop was....
I'm on Z'ha dum.... I transported here. Don't ask me why, I haven't
got a clue...."
"The temple will be past us in 2 minutes then we can attack."
"Think we can win without the shadows."
"Easily I didn't need or expect those shadow vessels."
"then why did you ask for them."
"Because it's what she expected. There are things I can do now that I couldn't do before. Things I don't want her to know about."
"okay but you know still bothers me."
"The message....It's bothering me too."
"The Temple has past us." JIm said suddenly crashing the train of thought David was on." "Tell the ships to drop out of hyperspace and whatever they do don't go in front of the dent if they do they'll be vaporized." David yelled. "Now the fun begins."
**************************
"How long until we have all the cows." Garibaldi mentioned casually.
"2 hours at current projections."
**************************
"How long until we can blow this place up." One of the cows mentioned casually."
"2 Hours at current projections."....
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Garibaldi came in with the cleaning crew, amazed at the sight the Zocalo displayed for him, he saw Neil sipping his coffee and talking to someone on the comsystem inside the coffee shop.
Neil had promissed Laura to try and find out why she could possibly be on Z'ha dum, and just as he signed off Garibaldi came in.
"What in the hell happened here?"
"Morden & co" Neil says dryly without looking at Garibaldi.
Garibaldi poured himself a cup and sat down next to Neil
"You're still angry at her for bashing your head in when Ammirage brought her here against her will, aren't you"
Neil stared at his now empty cup "No, not angry anymore" He got up and filled the cup again "I have forgiven her, I understand her reasons now." As he sat down he looked at Garibaldi "I'm a scorpio see, I can forgive....... but I'll never forget. She took care of the cows for us, and I'd like to think that it means she still cares about her friends"
Baldi got up when he finished his coffee "not all cows Neil....... there are plenty of them left to be a threath, come on, I could use a hand"
Neil lifted Baldi's empty cup and waved it in
front of him. "Ok..... I'll wash it" Baldi mumbled "musn't get Gwyn
angry......"
Davis entered Gwyn's room, and was surprised to see she was no longer dressed in her customary black dress, but in a neat black trouser suit with a Psi-Corps badge pinned to her shoulder.
"I just heard from Morden. She just left the temple and is on her way to Zha'ha'dum," he said.
"Good, that is a few less things I have to worry about. Morden will keep the Shadows from spazzing out about Laura, and Laura will keep Morden occupied long enough for us to find out why the hell the Rangers were screwing with your head and what we're going to do about it."
"Isn't it obvious? To replace the last spy they sent to Zha'ha'dum..." Davis looked a little uncomfortable and Gwyn shrugged.
"It's not the same. I don't like the feel of this. A) Psi-Corps is involved, and Psi-Corps always makes me suspicious. B) I just can't believe that Ivanova would condone such an action, especially if it involved Psi-Corps. Which means she's either changed for the worst, which is bad, or she didn't know about it, which is very bad. Becuase that means we're dealing with an inside group of some sort, which opens up a lot of unknowns, and it's always the unkown variables which knife you in the back. So the first order of business is we find the two Psi-Cops who prgrammed you, and see what I can pull from their minds."
"I thought you were only a p9?" Davis said in some confusion, wondering how Gwyn could expect to tackle two Psi-Cops and the inevitable telpathic and non-telepathic guard.
Gwyn flashed a malicious smile. "Being with the Shadows have turned my telepathic blocks into concrete walls...even Marichka is having to push a little bit to get through, which means the Psi-Cops don't ahev a chance. I can't fight them telepathically, no, but I don't need to. All I need to do is keep the Psi-Cops out of my head long enough for me to whack them unconcious. Then I administer a seditive and a dose of sleepers. When they wake up, they'll be at my mercy. And trust me, Davis, I don't intend to show any mercy."
"Good," Davis said, and handed Gwyn her pike. Gwyn stowed it away and began lacing up her combat boots as she spoke.
"If we learn nothing else from them, we need to know how much Ivanova was involved, if at all. That's where things get sticky. If she isn't involved, wonderful. I decapitate a couple of Psi-Cops and send a lovely note to her explaining she's got some Ranger who aren't palying by the rules, and wash my hands of the affair. If she is...well, I can't kill her, Marichka would never stand for that, and I'm honestly not sure I COULD kill Ivanova. But I can't let her get away with it either. Got any suggestions?" Gwyn asked, looking at Davis expectantly. Davis' smile widened.
"Yeah...let's go hunt some Psi-Cops..."
Garibaldi shuddered involuntarily. "God that coffee gives me a charge. No offense to Gwyn, though, but it doesn't taste all that great."
"Oh?" Neil said while walking cautiously several steps behind Garibaldi, who didn't seem the least bit worried that they were in Brown Sector.
"Yep. But when times are tough, it's the closest alternative to straight caffiene. I mean, there are a hundred drugs out on the market that will do the exact same thing, but they're all alien. Why take any chances, you know what I mean?"
"Gee Garibaldi," Neil quickened his pace to stay in step, "you sure are cheery all of a sudden. Does the coffee really affect you that much?".
"No, not quite, I'm glad because my parents left. Jumped onto a transport a couple hours after the security team and I started laying fortifications and set a course for home. Not so much as a goodbye message. Ah, they'll never come to terms with what I do here for Booji. Good riddance!, I say."
Neil stared at him. "I can't believe you mean that."
"Maybe I don't," Garibaldi said thoughtfully. "Doesn't matter now, anyway. There's a job to be done."
As if on que, a low rumbling echoed through the metal floor. Both the Boojists stopped and turned. The shadows of several animals stretched eerily along the wall as the enemy approached. When they were nearly in view there was a loud cracking noise, and the sounds of dieing cows mixed with the spray of dark red liquid that splattered on the far wall.
"What the hell?..." Neil touched a finger to a splotch on the wall and recoiled. "Pipebombs?!"
"Yupper. My team's been laying them down all night. They're attached to motion sensors that tie in with air samplers. Cows get near one and Boom! Ready for the barbeque!"
"Barbeque?" Neil touched a finger to the wall again and placed it on his tongue. He instantly started laughing. "Barbeque sauce! Genious!"
His laughing was cut short when another explosion rattled beneath them. This one, however, was much larger and was followed by the Station's alarm system. A computer called out some warning, but what muffled bits came through the floor weren't enough to help Neil understand the problem.
"Crap!" Garibaldi pounded the wall and grabbed Neil's shirt. Pulling him along as he ran down the corridor, he said, "They got another Super-Cooler!"
"A what?!"
"Super-cooler. Each deck in this Gray Sector has one. They siphon off all the heat that leaks out of the Fusion Reactor, heat that would otherwise build up till most of the sector started melting. Without support structure the Reactor will expand until its casing breaks...which means boom." He ducked into an elevator tube. As the doors closed, he continued, "I thought it was odd that two coolers went out recently. But this proves it was the cows. We've got to find some of the security officers and hope we can keep at least one of the coolers working."
"I need another cup of coffee," Neil groaned.
Laura was bored again.
It was one thing to be a guest on Z'ha'dum, but she still wasn't exactly free. What was she doing here? It made no sense. She wished that Gwyn would get here, she felt decidedly strange on her own surrounded by shadows.
Still, what else could she do but wait.
Suddenly the door swung open and a shadow came in. "What are you doing in here?" Laura asked, puzzled and alarmed by the visitor's appearance.
The Shadow chittered at her in its language and tried to pull her with it.
"Stop that!" Laura said, "If you don't I will make you regret it!" The last was backed up with her telepathic powers. The Shadow backed out of the door.
"What was that about?" Laura wondered.
She smelled the gas before she saw it, but by
then it was too late. Her last thought before passing out was 'what was
going on?'
"{Done and done,}" the Shadows said to Morden as she got off her ship.
"{Good. Get her on that transport, back to the temple, and off this planet. And they will keep their word. If there's a scratch on her that shouldn't be, I'll have their heads.}"
"{Mama, I'm hungry,}" Louis said. She smiled, "{Okay, lets get something to eat.}"
Nice try, Gwyn. Worry about Laura. She'd rather not worry about anything. She wanted to simply be a mother for awhile. Be calm and relaxed. Worrying about a Valen was not going to calm her down.
Simply being home with her son would.
RES was controling the ship and put it on manuel for a while, when she was sucked into the same darkness as before. she saw Marchitia... "Hey i didn't call you...whats going on?"
"I didn;t call YOU as well, i don;t have a clue."
RES and Marchitia were standing in the room alone, both tried to leave, both couldn;t. A long silence fell over the room, RES finally broke it, "you know you and i ARE alot alike.'
"cuuoh, i am so sure." marchitia was very annoyed at her lack of power in this situation.
"we are, we both were made to fight each other, we think alike...there is a diffrence though, i care about people for the sole reason that i like them."
"waht makes you think i don;t?"
'I judge people by their actions, your actions have only shown a sleve indulged dictator who likes to threaten and scare people. but it think there is more to you, actually i am sure of it." At that RES was about to leave and then turned around,"and by the way thank you for saying that i was just like my brother...that really meant alot to me. there is one diffrence though, i don't alwaysthink the shadows are bad, i wa just going to ask you if they were (never hurt), it's called ruling out all your options."
and with that RES left. Marchitia was suprized, was it RES who broiught Marchitia there? If so, she surley did underestimate her. and if not who had that power and was working for RES or more importantly the boojiist.
before she left she thought," Then agian it could be both.'
wlfto/wdfto
HAIL BOOJI!!!
"Yes! We're hitting them well we should take them down in a matter of minutes RES.....RES." David looked around for her but she didn't seem to be there. "Oh well." The Salvation flew stright twards the planets surface guns blazing pulling out just fast enogh for it's massive gravity well to pull the Temple back a little more twards where it came from. It was about that time RES arrived back on the bridge. "How are we doin." "Very, very well we've takin little damage and we've only lost 5 ships. All but one IA." "Which one was ours?" RES questioned David "The Aether one of the small Einstein class ships that I brought with me. Most of the crew made it out and are on board." "How long untill she goes down?" "Three or four more minutes of this and weapons will be down. After that it'll be easy. Picking up a transmition from the station."
"What do they want."
"It seems most of the cows have been eliminated but Garibaldi hasn't reported in for an hour they want to know if he's here."
"Haven't heard from him."
"Nor have I."
"Sir weapons are down what should we do."
"Move the ship tward the main weapons array and fire the explosion should take out most of propulsion."
The salvation sped tward the front of the massive craft building it's bio-electric energy as it sped pas the main gun it let it's massive charge go and sped off. The explosion as David predicted left the ship dead in the water. Within 10 minutes the ships had destrooyed any fighter ressistance and David sent the message demanding surrender. "Picking up a transmition from the temple of the anti-booji."
"Hello father. You have defeted the temple. You are also an idiot. You see I am not on the planet. I instead am with the white milk fleet on the way to free the most powerfull evil beings in the Universe. If we had managed to free the anti-booji we would have simply fed him to them. May the furries strike down upon you with there name sake. BTW this messge and the planet it's on will self destruct in ten seconds."
"GET US OUT OF HERE." The Salvation opened up a gravitron fold and flew far enogh away to witness the explosion of an entire planet and the intracit patern of flame escapeing through other folds. David was silent for a moment. "How many did we lose. "All the IA ships they couldn't open jump points fast enogh."
"Very well send us tward these coordinates we have to stop the white milk fleet."
"David the Planetiod is being pulled out of orbit by the massive change in gravity produced by the temple's destruction if we do nothing it will crash into the planet."
"Damn send us past to stabilize orbit then use the planet's gravity to slingshot us back toward the the coordinates."
"David what are these furies."
"I'll tell you on the way but rest assured that
if they're rellised nothing within a million light years h
The elevator sped through the tubes towards Gray sector. Just as it was decellerating, though, the station rocked with another explosion. For a moment it seemed that the car would be shaken to pieces, but then the shaking stopped.
"Shouldn't we be slowing down?" Neil asked.
"We are. We're almost at the floor." Then Garibaldi felt it, the decreased gravity that signaled they were going much faster than they should be. But it wasn't until they went right past their floor that Garibaldi got worried.
"We're still gaining speed! These things aren't supposed to go this fast!"
"Sabotage!" Garibaldi yelled, trying to free the emergency exit hatch. But as he was turning the release valve the elevator crashed into something heavily. Both Garibaldi and Neil were thrown against the floor and knocked unconscious.
When Garibaldi woke up, Neil was already sitting, looking very worried.
"Where are we?!" Garibaldi demanded.
Neil said nothing, just pounded his fist against the slightly dented wall, the noise from which echoed around them as the whole car shook. But no noise came from outside in the tube.
"Aw, crap!" Garibaldi exclaimed.
--------------
"Get those air conditioners down to Gray 4,5, and 8 now! Hurry people!" Security Chief Jones screamed. The dock workers scrambled around, gathering supplies and running for the elevator. Jones grabbed a couple of blocks of ice and ran right behind them.
But when they got to the elevator, it registered out of service. With a quick comlink check, Jones was informed that the elevator car was not registering anywhere inside the tube.
"We'll worry about that later! Other elevator!"
If she was looking the other way, she might just
have seen Garibaldi and Neil as the car floated slowly away from the station.
"Okay..... setting corse for your coordinates but i want some awnsers dammit at this point I deserve at least that." RES said.
Open a com-link to the other ships..... All ranking followers please report to the confrese room on the salvation."
*******************
"Niel...... who do you think did this?"
"The cows."
"yeah, but for some reason it doesn't seem like them."
"Garibaldi I see something."
"What?"
"It looks like a battlecrab but......with vorlon bio-armor?"
********************
"So what the hel are these 'furies'."
"Jim maybe you should awnser that one."
Jim noded "A billion years ago the vorlons and shadows were in an epic struggle against a force greater than there own."
"the thirdspace aliens."
"Right but that gate wan't the first or last. To combat them the vorlons shadows and other first ones created 3 giant bio-genetic 'beings' the size of planets modeled after a vorlon a shadow (with a few modifications) and the being Lorien respectively. These beings were let lose on the thirdspace aliens and beat them back after the war they were sealed up to be released if needed."
"and Neirol's planing on releasing them to do his bidding great." RES blurted out.
"Right so when we get there our primary directive is to stop the gate from opening."
"That's not all i wanted to know David." RES said as they exited the room. David led her tward a small part of the ship.
"While I was gone I geneticly altered my self now I'm a little bit me a bit Lorien a bit Vorlon a bit Shadow a bit telepath and a little bit....god knows what."
We'll be arriving in 2 minutes a voice said over
the intercom.
"I have to go." Lindaru indicated the captain's chair in front of the console. "Take good care of the Darkstar while I am gone, Leanna. I know she will be in great hands."
Lindaru turned to the cousins operating the other consoles. "Do as she says. She has years more experience at this and following her instructions will keep you all alive."
Lindise, Lindaline and Lindelle nodded slowly.
Lindaru jumped into the shuttle and strapped in. "Open bay doors."
The darkstar door slid back and the shuttle dropped at a hasty 90 degree angle and was released. Lindaru should be at The Salvation in a matter of minutes.
*****
Domi tried to watch the vid screen but could not shake the feeling that she was being watched. Mari tossed yet another empty M&M bag on the floor. Jesi reached over for the potato chip bag.
{Don't you feel that?} Domi inquired, lowering the volume.
Feel what?} Jesi asked.
{You are giving us the creeps!} Mari interjected.
Silence loomed from every corner of the domicile. Domi returned the volume to its previous pitch.
The girls' interest resumed and soon they were intensely involved with the movie casting technicolor shadings across their faces in the dark room.
The urn on the shelf sat silent. The presence
that had been in it once had now let itself out of the bottom and was creeping
closer to the center of the room.
Gwyn waited patiently in a side corrider as she telepathically swept the hall and ante-room outside Ivanova's office. Six Rangers guarding the hall...two in the ante-room, plus the secratary...and two religious caste Minbari currently in a meeting with Ivanova about...routine business. At least as far as the secratary knew. Gwyn waited until she heard voices exchanging words in Minbari, counted another three minutes and strolled casually down the corrider. Gwyn gave her name, or at least A name, and the secretary confirmed her appointment and ushered her through the door.
Ivanova didn't look up as she spoke, offering
Gwyn a seat and inquiring how she could help Gwyn. "I'm not here
for help," Gwyn said. "But it's looking like you could use some," she added
politely. Ivanova shot up. "YOU!" she hissed, and lunged at Gwyn,
but before the
pike could impact, Gwyn fired off a skillful
shot with a PPG, knocking the weapon from Ivanova's hand. "You didn't
think I was really goign to try and fight you hand to hand? Now, please,
have a seat. Don't bother calling the guards, they are quite convinced
that everything is fine. If this is the way you welcome guests, no wonder
Minbar is such an unpopular tourist attraction."
"Neither you nor your Associates are welcome here!" Ivanova hissed.
"Oh, will you sit down! I'm not here on behalf of my Associates. Really, do try and be civil or we'll never get anything accomplished." Gwyn snapped, lowering the gun and settling down into a chair. Ivanova sat stiffly, glaring with a mix of rage and cold calculation at Gwyn.
"Why are you here?"
"Do you know these men?" Gwyn asked, tossing four photographs across the desk at Ivanova.
"One of them. Ranger Amant."
"Hm. Well, that is a problem, isn't it? Becuase
now I have to decide exactly what I'm going to do about it. You see, the
other two men are Psi Cops. Psi Cops who are working in league with a group
of Rangers who have apparently decided that you're not doing enough to
fight
the Shadow influence in the universe as
a whole. So they get this brilliant idea that what the Entil'zha doesn't
know won't hurt them, and decide to kidnap a man named Davis...Davis...something
or other, I can't remeber, it's not important. The point is that they take
him by force, program him telepathically to spy for them, in the process
causing him to betray his own sister, a woman who has two living relatives
and has suffered more betrayal than you could possibly fathom. All this
happens right under your nose!"
Ivanova didn't want to believe Gwyn, but she couldn't dismiss the words entirely. Gwyn tossed a data crystal. "This has all the proof, all the names, all the information. I could keep it. I could plaster it across the front page of the Universal Enquirer. I could simply turn it over to my Associates, and let them do with it as they please. But as I said, I'm not here for them, I'm not here for myself. The problem is yours, the information is yours, and the solution is yours. This is a warning. You find out who is behind this little conspiracy, and you put a stop to it. You've got no love for the Psi Corps, shouldn't be too much of a chore, but I warn you Ivanova. Work fast, becuase if I EVER find out that a Ranger is involved in betraying my friends, I will kill you BEFORE I kill that Ranger. Be assured of that. Carry on your little war against the Shadows all you want, but don't make it personal...becuase I hold a grudge for a very long time."
"Is that all you have to say?" Ivanova inquired coldly.
"Yes. I'll be going now." Gwyn rose, and Ivanova followed suit, still standing behind her desk. "Much as I like Minbar, the company is becoming...distasteful. Good day, Entil'zha." Before Ivanova could react, Gwyn had landed a solid whack with Ivanova's fallen pike. "You're getting slow in your old age," Gwyn tsked at the unconcious form. "Ah well, you didn't think I'd go and let you call the guards as soon as I remove the telepathic illusion I've set on them, did you? It's just a bruise, you'll be fine."
Gwyn walked calmly out of the office, shutting the door firmly behind her, and it wasn't until she had reached the waiting transport that she allowed herself to breathe more easily. She was glad to put Minbar behind her. She nodded confidently at Davis, who had graciously agreed to pilot the shuttle, and he grinned back, and then returned his attention to the controls. It would be a long haul to Zha'ha'dum, but Gwyn was forced to admit that she would be glad when she returned. After all, it always felt good to go home.
***************
Morden looke dup from her book and smile din delight when Davis entered the room. "You're back! Too bad it's so late, Louis went to bed a few hours ago! You'll have to meet him in the morning," she said, and Davis kissed her cheek. "There's time enough for everything now. Gwyn's right behind me, she has a gift for you." On cue, Gwyn came in with a box of a type that Morden recognized, and her suspicions were confirmed when Davis grimaced. "Davis still hasn't gotten used to this part, really, I haven't wither, but I didn't know if you'd want them or not, so I thought it best to err on the side of caution. One Ranger and two Psi Cops. Their heads are intact, but their brains are pretty much fried. Not a pleasant experience!" Gwyn shuddered. Morden looked at the two of them, and very softly said "Thank you." "Our pleasure. I'll leave Davis to fill you in on the details, I have some one else to see."
**********
Marichka was at her desk, bent over some files, and felt Gwyn come in the room but didn't look up. A Ranger pin came skidding across the desk.
"A little souvenir from Minbar. You can keep it, or return it, I don't care. But I suggest you tell Ivanova to keep a tighter rein on her Rangers."
Marichka didn't touch the pin, but leveled a cold, angry gaze at Gwyn, who simply arched an eyebrow and smiled.
"Don't stay up too late," Gwyn said sweetly. "It's hard on the eyes."
Maricka slowly picked the Ranger pin, examining
it carefully before flinging it angrily at the doorway. It hit the spot
where Gwyn had been standing with a metallic clang, bouncing off the wall
and sliding across the floor. Marichka let it lie. She had work to
do.
Davis ignored the colossel drunken roar from next door. He forgot that the days were longer on Z'Ha'Dum. It was already Leonora's birthday. He gave her her gift. "Don't open it until 6:30 exactly Proxima time. Promise."
"I promise," Morden smiled and took her brother's hands. "You'll be home in no time."
"Those ships still make me nervous."
"They shouldn't. I travel in them all the time, and I haven't changed all that much."
He nodded in agreement. "Okay. You'll take care of yourself. And call every once in awhile, huh?"
She laughed a little and nodded. "Yeah. Yeah I will. And you'll stay away from any Psi-Cops, right?"
He frowned. "Black humor. Not funny." This only made her smile bigger.
"Goodbye Little Lea," he said as he started from the room. She blew him a kiss in return.
"Bye Louis!" Davis called back.
"Bye Uncle Davis," he said, still watching the snake in the glass aquarium. He looked back at his mother. "Why aren't you at the party, mama? It's for you."
"I don't feel like it." Morden stood and went into the kitchen. She did felt like a salad.
He turned his attention back the aquarium. "Can I take him out, mama?"
Morden smiled, "of course. Do you like him?"
"Yes!" Louis squealed.
Morden had asked to have a snake brought from Earth several months ago. Since it wasn't on the top of the priority list, it took awhile. Every child should have a pet. And this snake was Louis'. It seemed to like him. It was as curious about him as he was of it.
Another Shadow entered carrying a box. "{A gift.}"
"{From who?}" Morden asked.
"{You'll know.}"
Morden arched an eyebrow and gestured to where Gwyn had set her box, "{set it there.}"
The Shadow did and left.
"Oh, what's in that big box?" Louis asked.
"Aunt Gwynie's gift. Something utterly worthless, but worth more then enough."
Louis growled a little. "That's a Vorlon answer. When can we go back to the temple?"
"Soon," Morden breathed. "Not just yet though. I want to relax for a bit."
"Okay. Open your present."
Morden smiled and sat down on the couch, pulling the box into her lap. She carefully opened it. Then she sighed. She always was sentimental. She lifted the idol out of the box. With it was a note in her father's hand writing. "It went with your mother everywhere. An ancient goddess, Brigantia. The goddess of all fires. Actual fires, creativity, and healing. Everything your mother gave to me. She was as beautiful as you are. Remember her well. Happy birthday Leonora."
Leonora smiled, brushed the box out of her lap,
and carried it to her shelf. She set it down delicately and returned to
the kitchen. "Do you want something to eat, sweetheart?" she asked Louis.
"Soon, very soon we shall have what we wanted
for so long my friends." Neirol yelled over the crowded room of suits "with
our new allies the cows and the Shalon we shall release
the furies take them under our control
and rule the galaxy as is our right." A shalon sat alone at the corner
of the room glowing in it's shadow form. How wise was this these beings
could dastroy them all. It needed to talk to it's mentor the man who had
been there for his vorlon father after the last great war. "Yes.....Yes
I must speak to.....JIM!!!!"
After the meeting was concluded, Jim walked Lindaru back to the shuttle where she would immediately return to the Darkstar. She hoped everything was okay there. Jim was even more silent than normal.
"What's wrong?" she asked him.
He slowly shook his face piece. "I feel something coming my way that I am not prepared to handle."
"What?" Lindaru made a quick systems check now that they were inside the shuttle.
"Things past are coming to create chaos in the present." Jim started to leave the shuttle.
Lindaru turned quickly around and said, "Hold it, mister! You are not going anywhere until you explain to me in terms I can understand what the anti-Booji you are talking about."
"Exactly."
Lindaru knew that she was not going to get a more definitive answer than that. "How does this involve us?"
"Me."
Lindaru sighed. "Okay, then, you?"
"There are things I have never told you that are
for the good of us all. Perhaps it was my mistake never to tell you
these things but now I must find a way to undo all that has happened and
I only hope." Jim stepped out of the shuttle entrance and pressed
the button to close the door of the bay, "That when all is done, you can
forgive me."
"You think they would notice or come to repair an elevator that is stuck!"
As Neil paced the small space of the elevator he swore and cursed the maintenence crew of the station to hell and back. He didn't take being closed up in a small place for this long very well. All that Garibaldi did was hum popular 1970's and 80's show tunes, apperantly all confident in the situation and the maintenence crews abilities. It was when he started whistling the theme of "family Ties" that Neil lost control and took out his PPG and aimed at the door.
As the PPG powered up Baldi abrubtly stopped whistling and his eyes widened as they stared at some rubbish lying in the dustbin of the elevator.
Just as Neil was about to fire Baldi jumped up and slammed the PPG out of his hand "what in Booji's name are you doing Baldi!!! I'm trying to get us out of here!!!"
"Yeah! And into outer space you idiot!!"
"what?" Neil asked eyes wide open
"just look for your selves" And Baldi pointed to the dustbin, and the small pieces of rubbish that were floating out of it
"Are you feeling lightheaded?"
"Well yes" Neil replied "But that's because there not much oxygene in here anymore"
"that's what I thought, untill I saw that floating.
The artificial gravity in here is decreasing, probably becuase of an energy
leak in the elevator's system. But if we were still on the station that
wouldn't have mattered because the stations rotational spinn would still
provide
us with gravity..... "
Neil gasped in shock as he realised that he almost blew them both into certain death "What are we going to do now"
"well..." Baldi said "first we have to find a
way to let the people on the station know that we're in deep trouble...."
"Preparing to rendesvous with Lindaru's shuttle," reported Lindise to Leanna.
"Coordinates set," chimed Lindelle.
Leanna stared straight ahead into the vastness of space, observing the intensity of the fighting going on several thousand kilometers away. The pin points of xplosion, she prayed, could only be the cow chip cruisers and the newly detected fury fleets.
"Detecting a small floating object at 45 by 0 by 10," Lindaline stated, interrupting Leanna's daydream.
"On vid screen with magnification," Leanna ordered quietly.
A rectangular metallic object with rounded corners and what appeared to be broken cables hanging from it appeared to be bouncing sleepily on the waves of its trajectory, moving at less than cruise speed.
"Scan it," Leanna stated, squinting her eyes as if that would help identify the object.
Lindise punched in the commands and a few seconds later stating haltingly as if she would nor the Darkstar computer were to be believed, "It is . . . ah . . . I mean . . . it appears to be . . . a turbolift . . . an elevator, if you will . . ."
Leanna's response was just as long in coming. "Move to intercept course and lock on a tractor beam. Life forms?"
"Two," Lindise replied, "with weakening life signs. I detect that one of them is wearing a Boojilon com link but with the density of the metal and distance from our ship, we are not able to communicate."
"Incoming message," Lindaline broke in.
"It is from Lindaru," Lindelle added.
Lindaru's face appeared on the com screen. "I am at the coordinates. Where are you guys?"
Leanna faked a smile. "Sorry. We just found what appears to be a Boojilon turbolift floating in space with two people, most likely followers inside. Do you have enough fuel to make it to 45 by 0 by 10?"
"Just barely, but okay." Lindaru's curiosity
spread across her face. "Will meet you there in a couple of minutes."
"Ready everyone those Booji scum will be here any moment."
Noirol said staring at the interdimentional portal that contained there salvation the furies. "HERE THEY COME!!!" Someone yelled
***********************
"Alright spred out we're at a disadvantage clusted, and hurry Booji knows how much time we have left." David yelled to no one in particular.
The fleet spread out attacking the Cow, Suit, and Shalon ships.
"What's that......computer enlarge grid area 12....There that ship right by the portal Neirol is there. Clear a path NOW!!!"
The Booji ships blazed a path tward the Suit mothership.
***********************
"Sir the Salvation will be in striking range in thirty seconds." "In twenty seconds it won't matter. Begin the subspace alteration."
***********************
"Sir the portal is opening."
"WHAT?!? Get us there as fast as we..." But before he could finish the seal broke and the system erupted in a flash of bright light.
"Booji help us......they've been released. GET US OUT OF HERE!!!!" The salvation and all the Booji ships sped into a gravitron rift but before he could escape the Salvation was hit by fire After spinig in the rift for about 3 minues the engines finnaly shut down. "How far did we get......HOW FAR!!!"
"About 18 lightyears RES said."
"They aren't heading tward us where are they going?"
someone commented. "Boojilon." David said after a long time. "Send
a mesage and tell them to evacuate. There's no way we can defeat them at
this time. AND GET THOSE ENGINES BACK ON LINE D$*^*T."
"{If we would just help one of them, then we could end this whole blasted business.}"
"{One of them? Are you suggesting that we help the Shalons? Traitors who allowed themselves to mingle with the Vorlons? No. Out of the question.}"
The two Shadows came onto the surface of Z'Ha'Dum, where a small group of Shadows was sitting on the sand, watching the fire fight above. The two Shadows stood back before approaching the group. "{They do not want our help.}"
"{You know how humans are. If we give them aide with no strings attached, they will help later. They may not think as we do, but they know how we think. They believe in a natural balance. That everything will even out naturally in time. Not in a deliberate, self made balance as we do.}" They went to the rest of the group. "{Come Louis. Morden will be back any minute.}"
The fire fight above broke up, the ship returned to the planet.
Morden got off the ship. It was good to be in command again. Even if only for a simulation. She smiled at Louis. "{Mama, you did good!}" Louis said proudly.
"{Thank you, sweetheart.}" She brushed her hair back out of her eyes.
"{Morden, come. We have something to discuss with
you.}" One of the Shadows said. Morden looked puzzled, but followed,
after sending Louis on his way.
The door bell chimed persistently and Gwyn shouted "Just a moment!" She left the box of dishes she was unpacking, tripped over the obstacle course laid out in he living room, and opened the door. Two Shadows were there, a large, flat crate between them. Gwyn squealed in delight.
"They're here! Come in! Come in!" she said. The two Shadows carried in the crate, and then one left immediately, but the second stayed. It was younger, and its exposure to humans had been fairly limited. He was curious to observe them more, and Gwyn was proving to be a most interesting subject.
"Help me get this open," Gwyn said, and they pried off the crate. The Shadow watched as Gwyn sifted through layers of packing material, and unloaded three paintings, leaning them carefully against the couch, sitting back on her heels, and sighing in satisfaction. The Shadow read the tags attachted to them. "The Charnel House" "Old Guitar Player" and "Portrait of Kahnweiler."
Gwyn noticed the Shadow staring intently and quizzixally at the paintings, registered the confusion that was evident in it's young stance and face. She smiled. The Shadows understood and practiced the concept of art. The cities alone were three dimensional masterpieces. But this Shadow had obviousely never run across Picasso.
{What are they?} it finally asked.
"Paintings. From a man who took Chaos, and created
beauty." The Shadow continued its contemplation, and Gwyn finally asked,
"Do you like them?" The Shadow smiled at her (or at
least,t he Shadow equivalent...) and replied
{Yes.}
"I'm glad. Help me hang them, will you? We'll put "The Charnel House," that's the biggest one, in here, and the Portait in my room...don't know about the "Old Guitar Player," we'll have to think about that one."
The Shadow trrailed carefully around Gwyn's quarters as she rummaged through the piles of boxes and packing amterials, looking for a hammer and some nails.
"Blast it all! I have a tool box some where!" she said, standing in the center of a pile of boxes and glaring around the room. "Well,t here's nothing to it...you're just going to have to help me look!" she prounouced to the Shadow, with a mischievious grin he was too inexperienced to recognize. "You can start by moving that box...yes, that one, into the kitchen. It's too heavy for me, and be careful, it's breakable!"
Gwyn smiled at the Shadow as it struggled to manuever
the box. She knew she was a terrible person, but she really could use both
the help and the company. She been given a rather spacious set quarters,
and though she had timed the shipments of her things to arrive at different
times, they'd all been held up in customs, and arrived at once. Besides,
there was something she instinctively liked about this Shadow. You didn't
meet many young Shadows, and there was something refreshing in seeing a
Shadow with curiosity and wonderment, and appreciation for life, instead
of the cold, hard detatchment exhibited by the older Shadows. Yes,
she msot defiantely liked this Shadow, and it was almost enough to make
her feel guilty for tricking it into giving her some help. She grinned
as she hoisted another box of dishes. Almost enough.
Someone began pressing Gwyn's door chime impatiently. The Shadows looked up. "Come in," Gwyn said, putting a hand on her hip.
Louis came in, balancing a plate of cookies in his arms. "{Hi Aunt Gwyn! Mama asked me to bring you these.}"
"{Thank you, Louis.}" Gwyn came forward and took the plate.
"{Mama's going to come help you as soon as she's done. Can I help?}"
"{Certainly. Pick a box.}"
He looked around into all the boxes. He found the empty crate that the paintings had come in. He poked at the packing material for a moment, then he jumped into the box, sending styrofoam flying around the room.
"{Oy! You're going to sweep that up,}" someone said from the door.
"Hi Morden," Gwyn said.
Morden looked around. A lot of boxes, mess, and a young Shadow. "Gaining a following?" she asked Gwyn.
"You have one."
"All of us do. Creates a lot of factionalism and bickering. But very handle when you lead fleets. Shall we get to work? Unless, of course, you want to sleep on all this styrofoam." Morden smiled.
Gwyn rolled her eyes and took a cookie.
What is Jim's big secret? Will someone rescue Garibaldi and Neil from the turbolift running out of oxygen in time? Can anything spoil Gwyn's happy moving in day? What kind of danger do the Shalon pose? Read on in Episode 2.