From SWELKER@delphi.com Sun Aug 18 21:12:13 1996 Date: Sun, 11 Aug 1996 18:20:50 -0500 (EST) From: Suzann To: b5-creative@lists.best.com Subject: "Our Good Friend, Mr. Morden" "Our Good Friend Mr. Morden" by Dawn L. Welker ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Part I Blood-curtling screams reverberated inside of Anna Sheridan's head followed by a loud explosion. She kept her eyes shut. *It's all a bad nightmare*, she thought, *I'm on the *Icarus*...I'm...on...the...*Icarus*. But the hot, dry wind that howled past her told her otherwise. She opened her eyes and saw the jagged entrance of the cave that she hid in. Carefully she crawled towards the entrance. Black smoke rose in the far distance looking malevolent against the hazy, blood-red sky of Za'Ha'Dum. She sat back on her heels, "My *god*...". Hunley, Grierson, O'Connor...all of them...139 of them *dead*. Well not quite *all* of them. *She* was alive...and so was Morden. She knew he was alive because she saw him after those *things* murdered the crew one by one. His face was blank through the whole thing. He would give each of them an option: serve the Shadows or die. They fell, one by one, like dominoes. She tried to block out the gruesome vision of their deaths. And then the damndest thing happened. Morden walked through the ship and then around its perimeter. That's when he saw her. The hunter and the hunted locked in a gaze. And then a slight smile appeared in the corner of his mouth as he held his gaze. "No," he replied to one of the creatures, "that's all of them". The creature garbled a reply. "You probably killed her in the explosion...I *told* you to wait," replied the irritated young man as he walked *away* from her. What the hell was he up to, she thought. Something was definately not right about that man. The only thing she knew about him was that he had worked for Inter-Planetary Expeditions a few years back on Mars and he had been quite tight-lipped about what went on during that expedition. Something about that bothered her...but this was not the place to be thinking about that. What was it John used to say, "Jump first, react later"?. But she had to wait for Morden and the mysterious creatures to leave. She sat perfectly still for an hour. She stretched her aching muscles when she was sure they were gone, and then she ran like hell. And here she was, alone in a cave, with no hope of getting off this god-forsaken rock. She had crumbs for food and her oxygen was running low. She had to find a way to survive...and soon. ****** Falling. He was free-falling in darkness when he slammed into the bottom of the cave. When he opened his eyes he thought he was either in Hell or hallucinating. Something that had looked like a giant, black mantis stared at him. IF YOU DO NOT SERVE US YOU WILL DIE. OBSERVE. The mantis creature turned, and he saw something tall and demonic looking holding something in it's massive hand. Grierson? He had followed Morden into the cave. And now he could hear what was going on. "Morden? Is that you?", hollered Grierson,"What the hell have you done?" Then the giant-creature rumbled. It moved toward Morden, the ground shook with each step, causing the pain to increase in his back. It was now close enough for him to see something he did not want to see. "GO TO HELL!" screamed Grierson at the creature. Its hand closed in on Grierson and the creature's skin seemed to brighten and glow as if it were draining him of his energy. Grierson screamed as his life-energy was being torn from him. The fist was now a tight ball. Then it opened and Grierson was gone. Why had his employers failed to mention this, thought Morden. All he and a few others had to do was retrieve one of the ships...there was no mention of any lifeforms on the planet. The mantis-creature turned back to him. IT IS VENGANCE YOU SEEK. WE CAN HELP YOU. SERVE US AND YOU SHALL HAVE YOUR VENGANCE. Just think of the details you could leave out for them, he thought to himself. WILL YOU SERVE US? "Yes." ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- All critiques/compliments are welcome at swelker@delphi.com ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Babylon 5 is copyright (c) 1996 PTN Consortium. No infringement upon that right is intended. "Our Good Friend Mr. Morden" is copyright (c) 1996 by Dawn L. Welker. This story may be distributed electronically as long as the copyright remains intact. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- `[1;33;41mRainbow V 1.20.2 for Delphi - Registered From SWELKER@delphi.com Sun Aug 18 21:13:00 1996 Date: Mon, 12 Aug 1996 14:56:10 -0500 (EST) From: Suzann To: b5-creative@lists.best.com Subject: "Our Good Friend, Mr. Morden" Note: "OGF,MM" will start and finish what I originally intended with "IF"( where the characters lead me in all different directions!;-) It will primarily be located on Za'Ha'Dum and speculate on what happened to Anna, Morden, and the rest of the *Icarus* crew. Again, if you have any critiques or comments please feel free to send them my way. And now...Part II of "Our Good Friend, Mr. Morden" ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Part II Anna had about five hours of oxygen left in her environment suit and it would be getting dark soon on this ancient world. As much as it went against her instincts, she *had* to find out where Morden and those creatures had gone off to, and that would take her directly past the remains of the *Icarus*. She hoped that she would find an environment suit, but she seriously doubted it; those creatures were pretty thorough in their destruction of the ship. She knew they couldn't be too far because the trouble didn't start until Morden had entered a cave in the unauthorized sector eight-fourteen. Oddly enough, she had detected trace amounts of oxygen in the cave...and that's when Morden, Grierson and Mackey vanished. She felt reassuringly for the PPG that was in her right hip pocket. It had belonged to O'Connor before the creatures had killed him. She checked the charge on the instrument, toying with the idea of blowing Morden's head right off. But he had lied to the creatures about her. Why? "I hope you have a *good* explanation for this Mr. Morden," she said as she stuffed the PPG back in her pocket. The sky was turning the color of dried blood. If she was going to leave then she would have to go now. She did not want to be prowling out there in the dark of night, not knowing if *she* would run into one of those creatures. ***** Three of the mantis-creatures surrounded Morden. At first he thought he saw bright lights that looked like individual flames. There was something pleasant about them, something warm...calling his name. He felt as if he moved toward them, and the bright lights increased in number...they were so beautiful. Closer and closer he moved until he finally moved *into* one of those lights, surrounded by its warmth and sheer power. He felt so giddy, as if he had become a part of *everything*. And the power! He felt as if he could do *anything*! He learned that these things were called the Shadows and that they had existed longer than any race he ever knew of. They showed him how petty everything else was in comparison, especially Earth. He saw how certain Psi-Corps members thought that *they* were controlling the Shadows! Fools! In return, the Shadows threw them crumbs of feelings such as security and the belief that they *were* in control. They would pay for their arrogance soon enough! He then saw his own life pass before him, as a trader going from one world to another, always working for the top brass back home. Always running *their* petty errands. Then he saw himself giving *them* orders, telling *them* what to do...and they had a fear in their eyes. And he liked that...he liked that *a lot*. One of the mantis-creatures fired a crackling blue beam toward a nearby boulder, cutting off a medium portion of the dark green rock. It scooped it up with its spiny claw and lightly poked Morden with it. He had to take a few moments to re-aquaint himself with his surroundings. He looked at what was in the claw as the Shadow uttered in a garbled noise. "ZzzGt ZGgTT." "You want me to take this?" he asked as he removed the stone from the Shadow's claw. "Zzarw." He let it sit in the palm of his hand. Noticing how it seemed to send a kind of charge through his hand. "What do you want me to do with it?," he asked. "Zzhgzz Zxzzght," it garbled as it point a claw to his left chest pocket. Morden dropped the stone in the pocket and noticed how that previous feeling of connection flowed through his entire being. "Thank-you," he said. ***** Three hours. Anna had three hours of oxygen left. She was closing on where the *Icarus* had been destroyed and would arrive there in about half an hour. Her stomach growled in protest. The last time she ate was seven hours ago, before the *Icarus* had been destroyed. If she didn't die from being killed by one of those creatures or from oxygen deprivation, then she would die of starvation. Stop it, she thought, you have enough *real* obstacles to deal with, let's not complicate matters." She then tried to think about what had gone wrong to keep her fear at bay. Somehow, she believed that Morden was the key to it all and it had to do with the work he had completed on Mars. She cast her mind back to those articles that she had read about the Mars research. Some of her colleagues had speculated that Mars had once been a host to an ancient race, perhaps similar to the one that had lived on this world. But there was no way to *prove* it. According to IPE, the Mars Expedition did not find anything out of the ordinary. A few fossils here and there, but nothing of interest such as alien technology. Maybe that's why those creatures attacked the *Icarus*! Morden knew *exactly* where he was going after he left her survey team...he had headed straight for the cave. He knew *exactly* what he was doing. But how did he know, and more importantly, *who* told him? Something was in that cave...something that Earth wanted and that the creatures didn't want discovered or taken. Chances were that whoever tipped Morden off wouldn't want anyone else to know about it either...so the attack was a very convenient "accident". Anna gripped the PPG in her pocket. If she was right, then she had *three* enemies to contend with. Just then she saw something dark rise from the vicinity of the *Icarus*. She thought she was hallucinating at first, but then she saw what appeared to be a giant crab hovering above where the *Icarus* had been, and it was headed towards her! ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Babylon 5 is copyright (c) 1996 PTN Consortium. No infringement upon that right is intended. "Our Good Friend, Mr. Morden" is copyright (c) 1996 by Dawn L. Welker. This story may be distributed electronically as long as the copyright remains intact. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- `[1;33;45mRainbow V 1.20.2 for Delphi - Registered From SWELKER@delphi.com Sun Aug 18 21:13:03 1996 Date: Mon, 12 Aug 1996 16:22:58 -0500 (EST) From: Suzann To: b5-creative@lists.best.com Subject: "Our Good Friend, Mr. Morden" Part II(cont) Part II(continued) Anna froze in her tracks for a brief second as she stared at the large ship headed her way. Its long, spike shaped arms spread out like the massive wings of an eagle. It was both beautiful and frightening. What kind of technology was that? A pain-filled scream brought her back to her senses. The scream emitted from the ship as it headed in her direction. Had it spotted her? No way to tell and she wasn't going to find out either. She darted between boulders as she headed for the side of a nearby mountain. The ship screamed again. But it did but it did not increase its speed. Of course not, she thought, this was *its* territory. She spotted a small crevice in the side of the mountain and headed directly for it. Her thin frame barely fit into the tight crevice. Her heart raced madly and she had to conserve her breathing, despite the urge to breathe faster. The ship came to a halt over the last spot that she was in before she headed for the crevice. Shit, she thought. But it didn't *do* anything. It just hovered over that location. She noticed the mottled skin that covered the ship. There were no exhaust ports, that she could see anyway. Organic technology...so *that's* what they were after. But *who* was flying that thing? The aliens? Morden? She didn't want to find out. Either way they would both probably kill her. ***** YOU LIED TO US. "I beg your pardon?" asked Morden. YOU SAID THERE WERE NO MORE SURVIVORS." "That's correct," he replied The Shadow emitted a high-register scream (IMPUDENCE!) which sent him reeling against the cave wall. Then he saw something like a diaphanous screen roll down the opposite wall. There he saw a small figure dart away towards the side of the mountain. "It doesn't matter," he said rather cooly, "she only has about three to four of oxygen left. She'll be dead soon enough. Either that or you can kill her." NO. *YOU* CAN KILL *HER*. "What?" he replied incredulously. WE CANNOT TRUST YOU NOW. WE SHOULD KILL YOU FOR THIS. INSTEAD YOU WILL PROVE YOUR LOYALTY TO US BY KILLING HER. Morden took in a deep breath, "Very well," he said. YOU WILL NOT GO ALONE. EVER. IF YOU BETRAY US AGAIN THEN WE WILL KILL YOU. Morden clenched his jaw and nodded,"Don't worry, I won't". Three of the Shadows followed him as he left the cave. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Babylon 5 is copyright (c) 1996 PTN Consortium. No infringement upon that right is intended. "Our Good Friend, Mr. Morden" is copyright (c) 1996 by Dawn L. Welker. This story amy be distributed electronically as long as the copyright remains intact. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- `[1;35;41mRainbow V 1.20.2 for Delphi - Registered From SWELKER@delphi.com Sun Aug 18 21:13:07 1996 Date: Mon, 12 Aug 1996 16:22:58 -0500 (EST) From: Suzann To: b5-creative@lists.best.com Subject: "Our Good Friend, Mr. Morden" Part II(cont) Part II(continued) Anna froze in her tracks for a brief second as she stared at the large ship headed her way. Its long, spike shaped arms spread out like the massive wings of an eagle. It was both beautiful and frightening. What kind of technology was that? A pain-filled scream brought her back to her senses. The scream emitted from the ship as it headed in her direction. Had it spotted her? No way to tell and she wasn't going to find out either. She darted between boulders as she headed for the side of a nearby mountain. The ship screamed again. But it did but it did not increase its speed. Of course not, she thought, this was *its* territory. She spotted a small crevice in the side of the mountain and headed directly for it. Her thin frame barely fit into the tight crevice. Her heart raced madly and she had to conserve her breathing, despite the urge to breathe faster. The ship came to a halt over the last spot that she was in before she headed for the crevice. Shit, she thought. But it didn't *do* anything. It just hovered over that location. She noticed the mottled skin that covered the ship. There were no exhaust ports, that she could see anyway. Organic technology...so *that's* what they were after. But *who* was flying that thing? The aliens? Morden? She didn't want to find out. Either way they would both probably kill her. ***** YOU LIED TO US. "I beg your pardon?" asked Morden. YOU SAID THERE WERE NO MORE SURVIVORS." "That's correct," he replied The Shadow emitted a high-register scream (IMPUDENCE!) which sent him reeling against the cave wall. Then he saw something like a diaphanous screen roll down the opposite wall. There he saw a small figure dart away towards the side of the mountain. "It doesn't matter," he said rather cooly, "she only has about three to four of oxygen left. She'll be dead soon enough. Either that or you can kill her." NO. *YOU* CAN KILL *HER*. "What?" he replied incredulously. WE CANNOT TRUST YOU NOW. WE SHOULD KILL YOU FOR THIS. INSTEAD YOU WILL PROVE YOUR LOYALTY TO US BY KILLING HER. Morden took in a deep breath, "Very well," he said. YOU WILL NOT GO ALONE. EVER. IF YOU BETRAY US AGAIN THEN WE WILL KILL YOU. Morden clenched his jaw and nodded,"Don't worry, I won't". Three of the Shadows followed him as he left the cave. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Babylon 5 is copyright (c) 1996 PTN Consortium. No infringement upon that right is intended. "Our Good Friend, Mr. Morden" is copyright (c) 1996 by Dawn L. Welker. This story amy be distributed electronically as long as the copyright remains intact. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- `[1;35;41mRainbow V 1.20.2 for Delphi - Registered From SWELKER@delphi.com Sun Aug 18 21:13:09 1996 Date: Tue, 13 Aug 1996 15:25:11 -0500 (EST) From: Suzann To: b5-creative@lists.best.com Subject: "Our Good Friend, Mr. Morden" ^3 Part III The ship left after what seemed like an eternity. Anna carefully slipped out of the crevice. It was twilight on Za'Ha'Dum and the ship was nowhere in sight. She decided to continue on towards the *Icarus*. At least she would have a better chance of defense there than holed up in the crevice. She decided to stay close to the mountain side which curved like a spine. It had occurred to her that the ridge probably led to the cave in sector eight-fourteen. "I guess if they wanted me dead they would 've killed me by now," she thought. And that was another thing she didn't understand. *Why* were they letting her roam about the planet like this? Why did Morden lie to the creature next to him about her presence? It didn't make any sense to her. Sooner or later they would find out that he had lied and then what? There were so many questions she had...and damned few answers. And then there was John. She took some comfort in knowing that the *Agamemnon* was out exploring the Rim as well as the *Cortez*. Perhaps they would pick up her signal( provided that the *Icarus'* communications relay wasn't badly damaged.) That thought brought Anna the warmth and strength she needed to fight off the despair that seemed to be perched on her shoulder. The explosion, the screaming, the killing, the bodies...hope smashed and scattered like battered shells on Hell's shore. "I miss you Sweetie," she said as she looked up into the darkening sky. ***** Morden couldn't pronounce the names of his invisible entourage so he( somewhat affectionately) referred to them as "Bruiser", "Buster", and "Biff". They seemed to be younger than the Shadows that were back in the cave. He gathered that the older Shadows wanted them to learn from him..."and then bump me off," he thought. He wouldn't make it *that* easy for them. The Shadows might have existed for billions of years but they had *a lot* to learn about human beings, such as himself. He knew how to get what he wanted, being a skilled trader and all. Knew all the right words and gestures. Knew how to size up a client and play them like violin. It was something that his "associates" did not know how to do because of their "god" complex. "They'll learn...the hard way," he thought smugly. He could care less about their grand scheme. All he cared about was getting his revenge no matter what. If it meant helping the Shadows, fine, it didn't matter to him...*as long as he got what he wanted*. "Bruiser","Buster", and "Biff" suddenly went invisible as they neared the *Icarus*. "Company?," asked Morden "Zzzt." Ten guesses who, he thought as he checked the charge on his PPG. "Anna, I know you're here. Why don't you come out where I can see you?" Silence. "Look, I know this has been as much of a traumatic experience for you as it has been for me, but I assure you everything is going to be fine." Anna almost hit her head on the bulkhead when she heard Morden's voice. She was able to scrounge another oxygen tank off of Alvarez's suit as well as few others. She also took their PPGs just in case. A shiver went through her spine as she did this because the bodies were draped around the *Icarus* like a tree skirt. She was trying to repair the communications panel which wasn't damaged beyond repair when Morden was calling for her. Quietly she pulled out her PPG and pointed it towards the door. A dark shaped seemed to detach itself from the rest of the darkness. "Anna?" "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't blow your head off, you traitorous bastard!," she said acidly. "The very *least* you could say is 'thank-you'," replied Morden, non-plussed. "As to the rest of your question: because without me you'll never get off this planet alive?" For a brief instant she lowered her PPG in thought, then raised it again. "I'd rather die first," she said. "Well...if that's what you want....," he said as he raised hiss PPG/ At that moment, something bumped into Anna causing her shot to plow into Morden's right shoulder instead of his head. Anna, however, was hit in the chest. "ZZZTGTT ZGGTZXZZT!!" "No...no, I'm ok," he said gripping his shoulder. "She's dead, though. I'm sure of it." --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Babylon 5 is copyright (c) 1996 PTN Consortium. No infringement upon that right is intended. "Our Good Friend, Mr. Morden" is copyright (c) 1996 by Dawn L. Welker. This story may be distributed electronically as long as the copyright remains intact. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- `[1;34;43mRainbow V 1.20.2 for Delphi - Registered From SWELKER@delphi.com Sun Aug 18 21:13:12 1996 Date: Wed, 14 Aug 1996 17:39:39 -0500 (EST) From: Suzann To: b5-creative@lists.best.com Subject: "Our Good Friend, Mr. Morden"^4 Note: "OGF,MM" is in rough draft stage so if you have any comments or suggestions please send them my way so I can have a general idea of how to smooth out the rough edges w/ my handy-dandy Ginsu/Turbo-Beam Eraser.;-) Thanks! Dawn (swelker@delphi.com) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Part IV "John?...is that you?" "Anna?...My god, I thought something happened to you...I hadn't heard anything from you for weeks...I thought something happened." Anna's eyebrows furrowed in thought as she pulled back a bit from John's embrace. "What's wrong?" "I was on Za'Ha'Dum...something...happened to the *Icarus*...Morden... oh god, John, the bodies...everywhere...," she started to cry. John reached for her, "Sssh, it's ok now. You're safe, sweetie." He pulled her close to him and caressed her soft, auburn hair. "And then...I went back to the *Icarus*...tried to send a message and Morden..." "What sweetie? What did he do to you?," he asked as he gently rubbed his chin on her head. Anna pulled away from John,"He...he killed me, John," she said, looking at him in confusion,"I'm...suppose to be *dead*!" John looked at her almost bemusedly ," Don't be silly, sweetie. You'r not dead...it's not yet time..." Anna looked up in confusion at his handsome, boyish face,"What do you mean 'not yet time?.'" The familiar smile brightened John's face,"It is hard for me to explain...you won't understand what I'm about to say, sweetie, but some day you will..." "John? What are you talking about?" "Remember this: Don't kill Morden and..." "What do you mean 'don't kill Morden?!?,'" interrupted Anna furiously,"do you know how many people he *killed*?!?" "Yes. I know," he replied calmly, "But it is not for you to do. That ...is for another. *You* have a different task." "John. You're not making any sense..." "You will record the history of legends..." "What? Who *are* you?" "I have to go now, sweetie...but I want you to remember that you have always been here," he said pointing to his heart. Anna felt as if she were being pulled toward his heart...then she disappeared in a blinding flash of light. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Babylon 5 is copyright (c) 1996 PTEN Consortium. No infringement upon that right is intended. "Our Good Friend, Mr. Morden" is copyright (c) 1996 by Dawn L. Welker. This story may be distributed electronically as long as the copyright remains intact. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- `[1;33;45mRainbow V 1.20.2 for Delphi - Registered From SWELKER@delphi.com Sun Dec 22 22:52:24 1996 Date: Tue, 03 Sep 1996 19:01:49 -0500 (EST) From: Suzann To: b5-creative@lists.best.com Subject: "Our Good Friend, Mr. Morden"^7 Part VII [ PACKAGE RECEIVED ] The message glowed briefly on the *Icarus'* communications panel. Then it disappeared just as quickly when Morden depressed the 'send' button. He guessed it would take about five hours to receive a reply from the *Ereshkigal*. Technically the *Ereshkigal* had been sent out to map part of the Rim. Unofficially it's mission was much more intriguing. The heavy cruiser would assist in retrieving alien technology from Za'Ha'Dum: specifically one of the organic ships that was exactly like the ship found on Mars. Various factions of Earth-Gov had been looking for this advanced, organic technology ever since the Earth-Minbari War. Even though some of them liked to believe that they "won" the war many knew they hadn't. Their technology was no match for the Minbari. In fact it wasn't their technology that had stopped them, it was the kidnapping( and returning) of Commander Sinclair that brought on the sudden cease fire. *No one* back at Earth-Gov liked to admit this. In fact it made them feel damned uncomfortable. And so they began to search for advanced technology. Their efforts were rewarded, when in 2254, the InterPlanetary Expeditions' Mars Survey Team discovered a strange and malevolent looking ship buried in the Martian soil. This was *exactly* what Earth was searching for and they were willing to do anything to attain this technology no matter the cost. Morden had been a part of the Mars Survey Team. Unlike some of his colleagues, he had enough smarts to keep quiet about their precious find. And while his colleagues were being spread out over the galaxy( or mysteriously 'disappeared' in some cases) he had been asked( and well funded) to join the *Icarus* in its expedition to a Rim world in which the folks in the IPE were certain contained more of those ships. What they *forgot* to tell him was that someone on this world objected to them poking around their planet. What they *forgot* to tell him was that most of the crew would be killed. What they *forgot* to tell him was that he would be tortured and almost mind-wiped in order to survive. And what *he* forgot to tell *them* was that there had been a *permanent* change in plans. He smiled to himself. Did they honestly think they could do this to him and get away with it? Just then one of the Shadows broke his thoughts. "ZZggtt gZztz" "Yes. They will reply in about five hours and probably arrive two hours after that. Tell them to get ready." "Zzztggt zggt?" "No. If that happens...kill them. Just don't destroy the entire ship. Cripple it if you have to, but don't destroy it. Otherwise *your* plan won't work." **** Anna Sheridan woke up. It was the first time she had slept soundly ever since the Shadows( as she had been told to call them) attacked the *Icarus*. She was trying to digest all that had happened in the past few days including the mysterious dream she had and enigmatic creatures that inhabited this world. A blinking red light caught her eye. She looked towards her right shoulder and noticed that it was her regulator. Her oxygen was running low and she had no way of getting back to the surface. She remembered that she had found trace elements of oxygen in the cave. "Here goes nothing," she said as she took her helmet off. Cautiously she breathed in a small amount of the air. Besides the heavy, musty scent it seemed to be ok. Then her stomach growled in protest. How long had it been since she last ate something? Perhaps she could find something in the cave, some vegetation perhaps? And suppose that vegetation was poisonous? Anna frowned. Her area of expertise wasn't botany, it was archaeology. She let out a frustrated sigh. She *had* to do something. She couldn't stand being cooped up in one spot. Maybe if she walked around a bit she might feel better. She grabbed her helmet, put it back on and lifted the visor. She would need the light on the helmet to make her way around the cave. She discovered that there was only one passageway that led out of the cave. Anna entered the passageway very cautiously. She noticed the walls of the passage were quite smooth, like obsidian. She also noticed that the same engravings she found on the surface were also interspersed on the wall: Z 7 ^ " [ Anna noticed that the passageway became smaller as she continued, making it harder for her to breathe. She would 've turned back if she hadn't seen a faint light coming from one of the walls. She took off her helmet and got down on her stomach. She stretched her arms so that the helmet was in front of her and she crawled like a worm. Her forehead became damp with perspiration and her breathing was labored, but she *had* to find out where that light was coming from. When she finally reached the part of the wall in question, she peered into the cracks from which the light came out. Her green eyes widened in horror, "Dear god!!..." --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Babylon 5 is copyright (c) 1996 PTEN Consortium. No infringement upon that right is intended. "Our Good Friend, Mr. Morden" is copyright (c) 1996 by Dawn L. Welker. This story may be distributed electronically as long as the copyright remains intact. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- `[1;33;43mRainbow V 1.20.2 for Delphi - Registered From SWELKER@delphi.com Sun Dec 22 22:47:45 1996 Date: Fri, 30 Aug 1996 18:21:54 -0500 (EST) From: Suzann To: b5-creative@lists.best.com Subject: "Our Good Friend, Mr. Morden"^8 Many thanks to all of you who have written to me about "OGF,MM". I *greatly* appreciate the feedback. I'm not sure if Part 7 made it to the list or not. If it didn't please let me know so I can re-send it. Thanks! Dawn | "If my hands are fully occupied in holding (swelker@delphi.com) | onto something, I can neither give nor | receive." -Dorothee Solle --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Part 8 Bodies hanging in midair. Some screaming, some unconscious, some...unrecognizable. Anna pulled her face away from the crevice in the rock wall, trying to bay a violent wave of nausea. She buried her face in the dirt, covering her ears so as not to hear the screaming. Wasn't it enough that they killed most of her colleagues? Wasn't that enough?...*What* else did they want? Once the nausea subsided, Anna slowly moved her face out of the dirt, wiping it off her face. She didn't want to look...but she *had* to. She *had* to find out what they were *really* up to. She looked both ways to make sure no one (or no *thing* for that matter) followed her in. Then she peered back into the crevice. She looked at the bodies hanging in mid-air. No screaming, no movement. Anna guessed that they were being held up by creatures that were similar to the one that had "healed" her. Only this time it seemed that they were feeding off of their "hosts". She tried to recognize who the "hosts" were, but she wasn't close enough. Then she looked at the group where the screaming had come from. She wondered if they were the ones who had agreed to "help" or the ones who had refused. "Doesn't look like it matters," she said to herself, trying to keep the bile down as it creeped up her throat. There were other beings, not like the mantis-creatures or the invisible giants. They appeared to be humanoid i form, gathered around what looked like some kind of operating table? Dear god...and no anesthesia? The bile was more forceful now, but she fought it down, clenching her jaw so tight that she thought her teeth would crack. Why were they operating on them? What would the purpose in that b.... Just then a cold shiver shot up her spine. Morden. Suppose...but if they had "rigged" him to be one of their "mindless" servants then why had he lied about her? Nevertheless, she did *not* like the idea of some quasi-functioning creature walking around in the form of a human being. And why do that when there was no way to contact Ea... "Oh hell..." ***** TWENTY-ONE HUNDRED HOURS, EARTH STANDARD TIME. EARTH HEAVY CRUISER *ERESHKIGAL* Lieutenant Lance J. Hendrickson looked curiously at what was displayed on his communications console. "Captain, I'm getting a message...but I can't make it out." Captain Richard Estevez rose out of his command chair. "Can you make out where it's coming from?" he asked as he walked over to Hendrickson. "No sir," replied the lieutenant as his fingers played over the console like a virtuoso pianist," It's encoded. I can't get a location on it." Estevez rubbed his dark, wiry beard in thought, "Send it to my office." "Sir?" asked Hendrickson, confusion written on his face. Estevez was already on his way to his office when Hendrickson questioned his order. Estevez's massive frame stopped, "I gave you an *order*, lieutenant," he replied flatly, without looking at Hendrickson. Hendrickson almost came to attention, "Aye sir," he replied, trying to figure out why the captain wanted the message. If it had been from Earth it would have been directed to the Captain either directly or through Gold Channel. Estevez entered his small office. The crest of the ship: an armored woman with swords in both hands and flames beneath her feet, was draped in shadow, on the wall behind his desk. He sat down in the chair, cursing the fool that had not sent the message through the proper channels as was planned. "Damn civilians..." His fingers danced over a console on his desk and the message appeared on his screen: [PACKAGE RECEIVED] That was it. No name, no telling *who* or *what* had sent the message. Estevez didn't like it, but he wasn't calling the shots. They had assured him that the Rim world was completely lifeless. Then again, *they* weren't commanding *his* ship, and he wasn't about to risk his crew on an assumption. He typed the reply: [GRENDEL'S MOTHER IS COMING FOR DINNER] Estevez attached the proper code and sent the message to the Rim World. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Babylon 5 is copyright (c) 1996 PTEN Consortium. No infringement upon that right is intended. "Our Good Friend, Mr. Morden" is copyright (c) 1996 by Dawn L. Welker. This story may be distributed electronically as long as the copyright remains intact. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- `[1;34;47mRainbow V 1.20.2 for Delphi - Registered From SWELKER@delphi.com Sun Dec 22 22:48:01 1996 Date: Sat, 31 Aug 1996 12:04:05 -0500 (EST) From: Suzann To: b5-creative@lists.best.com Subject: "Our Good Friend, Mr. Morden"^9 Part VIV "You realize that you're going to have to make this look like an accident, don't you? You leave them out like this and it'll look too suspicious." "Zgt" "Unless, of course, you *want* to draw their attention..." "Zog!" "Then I suggest that you..." Morden was interrupted by a signal emitting from the communications console. He typed in the proper code and was not happy about what he saw: [GRENDEL'S MOTHER IS COMING TO DINNER] What the hell was Estevez up to? It had been agreed upon that the *Ereshkigal* would respond, *not* one of her transport ships. He clenched his fists. Fine, if that's how he wanted to play the game... One of the shadowmen picked up his frustration: "Zgtt Zxzzrt?" "No," he said, trying to keep his anger at bay,"just a change in plans, that's all." **** Anna managed to re-orient herself so that she was heading back out of the passage. Fear clutched her chest making it difficult for her to breathe. She was trying to slow down the rush of thoughts that sped through her mind. If the control panel on the *Icarus* was not destroyed then Morden could easily access one of the ships exploring the Rim. There was the *Cortez*, *Ereshkigal*, and...the *Agamemnon*. If he got aboard the...No, she thought, don't think about that. You cannot let him get aboard *any* of those ships. Yeah, and stop him with *what*? Stop the *Shadows* with *what*? She didn't know. But he *had* to be stopped, otherwise Earth could be compromised by the Shadows. But suppose Earth had *already* been compromised by the Shadows? That thought slowed her down. My God...that's *it*, isn't it? The reason Morden went directly to the cave...someone back home *knew* about the Shadows...*he* knew where to go. Her arms and hands seemed to freeze. So what was the purpose of her being here? If the Shadows already knew about Earth... "I am sending you among wolves...you must be cunning as foxes." Yes. She quickly exited the passage and started on her plan. **** "Captain Estevez, I *demand* and explanation..." Estevez sat back in his chair, un flustered by Norman Pearce's rage. Pearce had been assigned to the *Ereshkigal* to "oversee" their unofficial "assignment". Pearce's ice blue eyes almost seemed reddened with rage as he waited for Estevez to reply. The captain, for his part, stretched his six-foot-three-inch frame out of the chair, placed both hands, palms down, on his desk and looked down at Pearce. "*Mister* Pearce, may I remind you that I am responsible for well over five-hundred people on this ship. I am not about to risk their lives or mine on an assumption." "And what 'assumption' would *that* be?" replied Pearce, acidly. "That the Rim world is barren of life. You know something," he said as he walked around his desk," I find it *really* strange that we haven't heard anything from the *Icarus* for well over a week." He folded his arms in front of him and tilted his head backwards," You wouldn't happen to know anything about that, would you Mister Pearce?" Pearce looked straight ahead, "You *knew* what the procedure was...." "The 'unintentional' slaughter of one hundred and fifty nine people?", replied Estevez, flatly. "You have no proof," replied Pearce, coldly, "They could be having...technical difficulties for all we know." Estevez snorted. "Well I'm not about to send this ship to investigate 'technical difficulties'." Pearce made a sharp turn and faced the captain. He fixed his cold, blue eyes on him, "Be careful, captain, you are treading on *very* thin ice. You agreed to go along with this..." "I agreed to follow orders," interrupted Estevez. "You *agreed* to go along with this," repeated Pearce," and I *suggest* that you cooperate with those orders fully. Otherwise, the consequences may be somewhat...unpleasant." "Are you threatening me, Mister Pearce?" replied the captain, flatly. "Not at all, captain," replied Pearce as he headed for the door, "I'm just reminding you of *where* your loyalties lie." --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Babylon 5 is copyright (c) 1996 PTEN Consortium. No infringement upon that right is intended. "Our Good Friend, Mr. Morden" is copyright (c) 1996 by Dawn L. Welker. This story may be distributed electronically as long as the copyright remains intact. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- `[1;35;43mRainbow V 1.20.2 for Delphi - Registered From SWELKER@delphi.com Sun Dec 22 22:48:10 1996 Date: Sat, 31 Aug 1996 13:59:46 -0500 (EST) From: Suzann To: b5-creative@lists.best.com Subject: "Our Good Friend, Mr. Morden"^10 Part X Estevez clenched his jaw as Pearce left his office. He questioned the wisdom of becoming involved with the matter. Promotion. He had been a Commander working on board the exploratory vessel, *Verrazano*, when they had approached him with an offer. Now he wished that he had refused. He was young and eager for his own command. The Earth Alliance had *just* started their exploration of the Rim and he had wanted to make a name for himself. Ruin. It would've taken three years for him to become Captain if he had gone through the normal channels. Impatience. It would be simple, they said. All he would have to do is follow-up on a few requests that they would ask of him in the near future. Servitude. He figured that it wouldn't be too difficult. But now... Obligation. Now he was *scared*. He hated to admit it, but he *was*. They were up to something that scared the *hell* out of him. How could he have been so... Naive. But he couldn't allow them to...he had to... Estrange. And at what cost? His career? His life? The lives of his crew? Repercussions. Estevez sat in his chair, determination written in his face. He tapped the link on his wrist, "Salang, this is Estevez. Report to my office immediately." ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Babylon 5 is copyright (c) 1996 PTEN Consortium. No infringement upon that copyright is intended. "Our Good Friend, Mr. Morden" is copyright (c) 1996 by Dawn L. Welker. This story may be distributed electronically as long as the copyright remains intact. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- `[1;31;40mRainbow V 1.20.2 for Delphi - Registered