From h9250469@idefix.wu-wien.ac.at Wed May 8 16:59:13 1996 Date: Thu, 25 Apr 1996 20:34:32 +0200 From: Sandra Hartbach Subject: A Mission of Time [The following text is in the "iso-8859-1" character set] [Your display is set for the "US-ASCII" character set] [Some characters may be displayed incorrectly] Autor: Karin Feigl Titel: A Mission of Time Setting: Present 2 Season / Futur^C Befor you decide to make any CCC(Comments, Complaint, Corrections) on this story, please consider these three things: 1. This is not the first story I wrote, but the first one I publish. 2. My mothertongue is not English 3. I am living here at the rim. If you remember the Episode "Infection", (You couldn`t find it with a huntingdog and a Ouija-Bord) that`s pretty close. So my information might not be up to date. If you have consider that all, I am open for any CCC you have. I wrote this story out of two reasons. The first one: When I thought about, how the great arc would end. I imagined that it might be funny if the mysterious Vorlons turned out to be just further evolved humans, who have an eye that everything keeps the way it`s meant to be. They canot give away to much of the future or they would change it and they can`t show their faces out of the same reasons. The second one: It`s short. I know that not good reason, but if you have to pay 5,5 Dollar each 30 minute it becomes a VERY good reason. Explanation - I don`t have an own acces to Internet so I have to use a Computer standing in a special Internet-Cafe. Now I hope you enjoy the story. A Mission of Time by Karin Feigl Wearily he was climbing out of the suit, not that he really needed it, still as his voice, the lights and the riddles and rhymes he spoke to the other it was just a camouflage, to hide who he really was. The suit, it seems to get heavier the older he grew. For the average human he would still have at least 50 years to live. With all medical advantage it had been normal for people to live happpy till, well 130 years. There was only one problem, he wasn`t in that time. He took a deep breath, strange he`d thought that he would breathe this air. The way it looked, yellow fog, it appeared so deadly and yet it had saved his life so many times. Medicalinstruments of that time had constantly announced, the fog to be dangerous for humans. Not because it was, but because there where so many substances that it yeet didn`t know, and less understood. Years ago his primary goal had been to solve mysteries, now he was creating them. Maybe sometimes they didn`t understand him. But when they did, he knew that they had taken another step in their way. The struggle, the struggle of light and shadows it was still ahead of them. They knew about the danger now, but he didn`t think they really understood what awaited them. He knew that they didn`t know, because he had been there at the "Third age of mankind" and he hadn`t had a clue either. Sometimes it was hard for him to see people that he knew would die in the big war. Especially the ones he had considered as friends Stephen Franklin, Nicholas J. Walker or Warren Keffer before he disppeared on the hunt for shadows and before he reappeared again 3 years later, turning out to be an even deadlier treat than the one Morden had been. What was worse, loosing a friend *in* the war, or *to* the war. Hell, loosing someone was bad enough, no matter in what way. The alarm rang. A visitor, it was Talia Winter, next week she would be gone, turning out to be a plant, an artificial personality, deadly as a knife. Slipping into the suit he opened the door for her to come in. She was wearing a breathing unit. He bowed down with her mirroring his behavior. "Ambassador." "Yes." Not saying much was the best way to keep secret what or who he was and he was getting better at it every day. "I am still wondering about what happend back than, this strange trading with the VCR. I think Abbott was his name. What was this all about?" *I am trying to safe _you_ your personality. He wanted to say but instead "Who`s to tell the shape of a flower before it opens." "I don`t understand." "You will"*in twenty years from now. Before she could say another word, he bowed down again and left the room. There was a duration-door opening in less than half an hour. The last one this year. Entering Dock 13 he was greeted friendly by his ship. It was like a puppy, eager to serve it`s owner. "How have you been?" he asked, his voice still encrypted into sounds and music. "Fine" the answer blinked enthusiastic. "We are going family?" an happy voice asked. "Yes we are." Sometimes he though that his ship was so eager to get back to the family, that after 5 years, he considered it part of it, and that thought made him smile. Big doors opening, inviting him to enter. After taking of his suit, he took his place at the front. The ship darted forward almost throwing him out of his chair. "Easy, we have more than enough time" he schooled. But he understood, he would be home, in his time, with his family, soon. It turned slower, but still he could hear it`s voice singing "Going home, going family, going home, finally." Tired as he was this strange song soon drifted him onto sleep. However not much later than an eager voice woke him up "Can see it, can you?`" "Of course I can see it." All those years he had served on Babylon 5 he had never thought much about Babylon 4 and now it was his home, his and his families. It was finally fulfilling the job it was meant to, as a place of peace. They docked and when the doors opened, he could see her waiting for him. She smiled, strange she didn`t seemed to be a day older than the last time he saw her, a year ago. Such a long time, he´d missed her so much."I missed you too" she declared jesting "and I look older." Then she grew serious "How long?" "2 weeks before the door closes again." On their way to their cabin, he couldn`t stop observing her all the time. They were married since 30 years now, still she didn`t look a day older. Her grace and beauty betrayed her true age. A voice from behind him made him stop and turn around. "Hello Mr. *Ambassador* is there still light at the bottom of the drawer." It was more mocking than serious and it held the warmth of a longyear friendship. "No Mr. *The One*, unless you burned it again." "Touché." They hugged. "It`s good to see you." "Yes it is. When do you have to be back?" "In two weeks." "Not a very long time." "No" he sigh "You know what`s so odd about all this. I have to go back because it I wouldn´t time would change and we wouldn´t what that to happen. Yet sometimes I catch myself wondering what would happen if I didn`t or when this all had started. Then again, maybe it`s our destiny, you have to do your job here, and I have to do mine back then." "Life never was known for making things easy." "You tell me!" "See you tomorrow, I bet you two have a lot to talk about." A last farwell and he was gone. They continued their way and when they had reached the door they stepped in. "Is this dinner or had it been our drawer he tried to burn." "Don`t be silly." She laughed, but then she grew solemn "I missed you." " I missed you too." She went to the kitchen to prepare some tea, he observered her from beside the door. "How are the kids?" "They are fine." She stopped to look at him. "They are asking for you" What was left was hope, however that was all they needed. They had already lost each other once and they had found each other again. Still it was a high price they both had to pay. And everytime he came back home it took a bit more strength to leave it again. But it was for peace and someday, someday they would be reunited and then it would be forever. "I love you Talia." he said quietly. "I love you too Michael." If possible sent your CCC to: Karin Feigl Linzerstraße 395/4/19 1140 Vienna Austria Europa