name = Adrienne M Hefter
email = peccath@geocities.com
title = The Lazarus Syndrome - ch.1
warnings = 
story = Earth, Geneva, Hotel LaRue. 25 November 2261, 01:00 EST.

Susan sat up in bed.

Tonight was turning out to be no different then every other night. She couldn't sleep. The dreams were constantly haunting. Being back on Earth for some reason made the dreams more intense, more vivid. Most of the time she dreamed about her mother. How all the good times had been darkened by the Psi-Corps. Then she would dream about her. It even hurt to say her name. She didn't know why the dreams of her mother always lead to the memories of Talia, well actually she did know why she just wished that they wouldn't go in that direction. And if the memories of her mother and Talia failed to wake her, there were always the memories of the war and Marcus. There was always something that managing to creep into her slumber and frighten her awake.
The war was over. Commander Susan Ivanova had been promoted to Captain and had one foot out the door for her new assignment when 'they' told her she would have to wait. And so she had been stuck, stuck in this hotel in Geneva for nearly two weeks without anything to do. Not knowing what her fate was and starting to get very pissed off.

She got up from the bed and went to the window. Removing the few items she had placed on the small table when she had arrived, she sat on the table huddling close to the window. Susan pulled her legs close to her chest and hugging herself with what little strength she had left. She squeezed her eyes closed as tight as she squeezed her legs. She was trying to make the last, and most painful memory disappear from her mind. She turned her head and starred out into the darkness. The beautiful city of Geneva lay before her, but all she could see was the darkness that emanated from the alley across the street. Captain Susan Ivanova fell into a trance and fell deeper into herself.

On the other side of the street, below the window and hidden in the darkness of a broken doorway, the girl watched cautiously. She could feel the pain and the loss. She could feel the tears forced back by the woman. Wanting so much to reach out and touch her. To make her feel safe. To tell her she was not alone. But it was impossible. It was neither the time nor the place for contact. The girl sank further back into the door behind her. She was so focused on watching the other woman that she did not sense the danger that was coming towards her.
Susan starred blankly into the dark ally when something suddenly caught her eye. She let go of her legs, swept the slumber from her eyes and waited.
The girl sensed the change. An uncharacteristic mistake, she stepped into the light. At that moment the men came towards her. "Remi, don't you move" the taller of the two men shouted at her. His menacing tone backed up by his large imposing body.
Susan saw the men and heard them call the name before she saw the girl. And she felt something, something unmistakable, fear. But the fear did not come from the girl who was being chased, but from the men trying to capture her. The girl ran and the men quickly followed. Before she could even think about what she was doing, Susan was out the door and down the stairs in pursuit.

Remi ran as fast as she could, through alleyways and over fences and cars. She knew they would catch her, it was the plan. But she had to make it look good. She felt the two men coming closer, ducking behind a car she ran into a narrow street. Then she felt something else; something that made her smile and she knew it was time to stop. Turning into an alley that lead to nowhere, Remi ran until she could go no further. The footsteps of the men slowed and then stopped.
"Remi, this was stupid," the tall man spoke again. He sounded disappointed.

The other man, shorter and a bit heavier, was trying to suck in as much air as his small razor lips would allow, "What the hell are you trying to pull you little shit." The spit of exhaustion escaping with ever word.

Remi laughed, and the short man slapped her.

"That's enough Pilzman. Conrad will be pissed if you hurt his little pet." Jankins reached his hand up to the face of the girl they had been tracking for the last 3 months. Touched the cheek, now red from the slap, and softly rubbed it. "We can't have the Psi-Corps prized possession being damaged can we." Jankins reach down and kissed the girls reddened cheek.

At the entrance to the alley, hidden behind a stack of boxes, Susan watched the scene unfold. She was fascinated but what she saw. The two men were obviously Psi-Corp. They did not even try to hind the badges that they wore on their lapels. The entire chase scene had seemed a futile exercise. If they were Psi-Corps why didn't they just use their telepathic abilities to stop the girl. And now the taller man rubbed the girl's face then leaned in and kissed her. And the girl smiled, smiled at Susan. It was the weirdest sensation, like she wanted Susan to experience it all. Just then a light came on it a room near Susan. The shorter man, started by the light, turned around and saw her. Susan tried to run, but he was too quick. He grabbed at her mind and she fell to the ground grasping her head in pain.
"No don't hurt her." The girl screamed and ran towards her.

Susan felt the pain in her mind release itself. The girl put her hands on Susan's, taking them from her face. "I'm sorry. I didn't want you to get hurt," the girl said as the two men came to her. Grabbing her and pulling her away from Susan. A car pulled up and in an instant they were gone.
Susan lay on the ground for the longest time. The face of the girl still fresh, her touch so familiar, her eyes reminding her of something, of someone. The girl had said she was sorry, but it was something else that made Susan sit there on the ground not knowing what to do, the girl knew her name. "I'm sorry Suzotchka." The name her mother had called her. Susan just sat stunned. Laying on the dirty ground, for the first time in her life, not knowing what to do.
After what seemed like an eternity, Susan finally made her way back to her hotel room. She felt so lost, so alone. She stood in the middle of the room and just stared at herself in the mirror. She looked as bad as she felt, drawn and dirty.
The small dark haired man crept up to the door. His dark eyes focussed on the door and the person inside. He was quite pleased with himself. The night's events had gone well. After almost 8 months on the run they had finally gotten their little rouge back and now he was about to have a little bit of fun. With his right hand he removed the glove from his left and placed it on the door. He concentrated on the woman inside. And smiled.
It hit her like a knife. The images slicing through her mind. Her mother, Ganya, Talia, all those who she had love and who were now lost to her. It was the image of Talia that hurt the most. That day, after finding out she had been a plant put there by the Psi-Corps. That day in Talia's quarters when Susan had gone to see if there was anything left of the person she had love. Had given everything over to. That beautiful seductive voice, so cruel. "All the things you wanted to hear to get her close to you." The touch and the look in her eyes. Her eyes staring blankly back at Susan. That image, those words over and over were all she could see. Susan screamed and fell to the floor. In a semi-conscious state she heard the door open. The footsteps came to her. Susan looked into the eyes of the devil. The man she hated. The man she had come so close to almost blowing out of the sky.

"Captain Ivanova, so nice to see you again." Bester maniacal little smile was the last thing Susan saw before she passed out.

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