Roses are red,
Violets are blue,
JMS owns all,
I hope he won't sue.

Maybe a little bit of language. Nothing you wouldn't have heard before.

**************************************************

SON OF THE ONE AND THE ONE

by Alexandra J. (KesAFloyd@aol.com)


GÕKem (The One Who Must Be)
part 1 of 4

	"Top news story: Today, the first president of the Alliance, John Sheridan, died at the age of 65."

	It was very old news. Ashley was getting on him for watching the dated clip again and again.
	He had met Ashley soon after arriving on Zion. A nice woman. She was and intimidating telepath if she decided to invade a normal's mind, but very nice. Still, he thought, half jokingly, the other half deadly serious, if they ever got really involved, he'd have to eventually face her parents. Ashley's abilities had manifested very early, which wasn't surprising at all given that her parents were none other than the infamous Alfred Bester, and Lucia Gerstein, not so infamous but a Psi Cop as well nonetheless. After the telepath war, the Psi Corps had fallen, but these people still held the principles of Psi Cops. Ashley had resisted any form of training by the Corps and ran away from home at age fifteen. Her parents were outraged, but even they couldn't do anything because Zion was a free world protected by the codes of the Alliance.
	The news had been just perfect to spoil his birthday over a decade ago. It had been coming though. John Sheridan had known it as well. He had known he would die sometime in the next year or two. G'Kem had attended his funeral, admitting that he did care about him like a father. 
	"G'Kem, we'll be late," she insisted, putting on her coat. "You're not being a very nice host by watching that the whole time I'm over. We will be late."
	What they would be late for was lunch with an old friend of Ashley's who she had recently bumped into on a business trip. G'Kem obediently pulled the data crystal out of the socket and put it in the crystal case.

	They met Ashley's friend at a restaurant.
	"This is Juanita... Juanita, my friend G'Kem."
	Juanita was a silent one. They were rare, but not unheard of. G'Kem saw a white tiger pad up to him and purr.
	"Nice to meet you." He smiled at her, and a waiter led them to a table.
	Suddenly Ashley stood up again.
	"Juanita didn't mean this to be so immediate, but she has something she'd like to show you in private." Ashley took a few steps away from the table and diverted her attention from the two. G'Kem was confused. This was supposed to be a friendly lunch Ashley hadn't shown any signs of anything unusual. Juanita pulled his attention towards her. She invited him to look into her mind. G'Kem obeyed. 
	Words could not have explained it so quickly. And when a telepath looks so deeply into another telepath's mind, there are no lies because you can see what the person truly knows.
	And Juanita knew something that G'Kem needed to know. This is what Juanita told him without words:
	*The Earth-Minbari war ended with Jeffrey Sinclair and the soul of Valen. You know the story. If we- you don't act fast, it may end with the fall of Earth. You know Susan Ivanova, she won't live much longer, you're aware of her current condition. But she is vital in stopping the Earth-Minbari war. The Shadow war is not over. Non-sequitor, yes? Wrong. Ganya Ivanov, Susan's sister, would have drowned at age 13 if Susan Ivanova, age 68, who somehow arrived there from the future, had not been there to alert the rescue team that there was a boy drowning in the river. Ganya would never live to the Earth-Minbari war, where he somehow interacted with Jeffrey Sinclair somehow keeping Sinclair from going on a mission earlier in the war. If Ganya wasn't there, Sinclair would have died, unnoticed as Valen. The Babylon Station would never have been built, Sinclair would never fulfill the Valen prophecy, and likewise, the Shadows would have won the war. Unfortunately, it is highly unlikely that Su
san Ivanova will live to be 68. The life energy she got from Marcus was only his life span, which, by some very unfortunate fluke of nature, is naturally only 59 years.
	*There are records of the rescue. That is why, for the both wars to go as they are supposed to, Susan Ivanova must have enough life energy to live those extra nine years at least. Go to 4-Post.* 
	G'Kem obeyed. He saw it in his mind, the records. They had been passed on, but they were intact. Perfectly intact. A little girl standing by the rapids, and a rescue team pulling Ganya out. Their parents running up at the last moment. Out of sight, a woman sitting watching the scene in uneasy relief.
	But the memory was fading as Susan Ivanova's life was.

	4-Post was a heap of junk out in Sector 14 assigned to monitor the time anomaly there. No one was there but a small team of scientists. Actually the time anomaly had closed up years ago, but people had still been placed out there to monitor out the area in case it reappeared.
	"This is G'Kem Sheridan to 4-Post. Requesting right to dock."
	"Hello. We've been expecting you. Proceed."
	G'Kem maneuvered his ship into the tiny dock.
	As he stepped into the docking bay, a woman ran up to him. She seemed to be in a hurry, and G'Kem, who had reviewed the situation over again, could understand why. Why they needed him was another matter entirely.
	The woman had been listening to his thoughts. She was a telepath. "If you don't mind me intruding, we need you because you're as close to General Ivanova as anyone we could contact. I'm Brooke, by the way. I'm going to be your partner in the time jump."
	"Time jump!" exclaimed G'Kem.
	"You weren't briefed? Our mission is to reopen the time anomaly and travel back to a point
 in time where we can: A) prevent Ivanova from becoming injured in the battle to liberate Earth, or B) donate a small bit of our own life energy so Ivanova will live long enough to do what she needs to."
	"And who decided that I would even go along with this?" G'Kem was beginning to feel as if people were just expecting things of him.
	"Ashley said, and as far as we're concerned, you don't have much choice."
	"But I didn't know Susan at the point in time you're talking about." He realized he was whining a bit, and knew he was forgetting all he had learned from the Vorlons as a boy. 
	"You still know her better than-" Brooke interrupted herself. "There's another possible factor involved," she said, ignoring G'Kem's protests. "A spinal cord injury will knock a couple of years of a person's life."
	She was referring to an incident during the telepath war that forever changed Captain Ivanova's life. She had been watching her security guards take a particularly rebellious telekinetic as a prisoner of war. Finding she couldn't much in the way of escape, the teek had singled our Ivanova and ripped her spinal cord in the middle of her upper back. Any higher and she probably would have lost some function in her arms as well. The ship's doctor Heather O'Day was completely clueless as to what had happened when the captain had reportedly given a surprised shout and fallen to the floor. It had taken them three hours to locate the exact location of the rip and by then the damage was done.
	When Susan Ivanova met Doctor O'Day when she first took the command before the war, she had finally met her match in all areas of pessimism, sarcasm and one liners. The two of them would often use each other to grouch at. G'Kem didn't care much for O'Day though. From the very beginning, she showed no respect for a Narn child raised by Vorlons, and treated him like a baby.
	When the Vorlons went beyond the Rim, G'Kem had nothing on their home world, and had left it and wandered around in common space for three years until at time when he was on a transport to Earth, had a telepathic mind burst and nearly destroyed the ship when he was unable to control his abilities.
	Susan Ivanova's ship had picked up the distress call he had sent, and she had managed to calm him down as she later said, "Like I once saw an old friend do on Babylon 5." At the time she seemed hesitant to use the word 'friend' but he didn't find out why until much later.
	She had tried to locate his biological parent, but with no results. After he had been on her ship for six weeks, Susan finally received a message from Delenn saying she and John would adopt the young telepath and raise him on Minbar. 
	But like a baby animal who thinks the first thing it sees is its mother, G'Kem had become very attached to Susan Ivanova. She was the first person to ever really care about him. It was a problem that had lasted all his life.
	G'Kem grew up on Minbar with David, whom he became quite fond of eventually. David
 was a bit of an oddball like himself. To the present, it still stumped everyone where David Sheridan had gotten his coloring. His eyes seemed to change color every few months and his hair, which was almost pitch black and not at all shiny, never grew past his shoulders. Brittle, white tipped hairs stuck out around his ears. He was always skinny but stronger than he looked.	
	The biological child of Delenn and John Sheridan had always been a bit strange in disposition. Even after he had long since outgrown childhood seizures, David always seemed a bit uneasy and off balance. This was not helped after his parents where nearly killed at the hands of then Emperor Londo Mollari of the Centauri. David would frequently talk in English and Minbari at the same time without realizing it, dropping in words from both languages.  
	Even though G'Kem grew up with John and Delenn, he was still attached to Susan. No matter what she did towards him, and it was usually very minimal, he still wished she had taken him as her own child.
	And that was his connection with Susan. It wasn't surprising that they had wanted him for this, but it's not like it was his lifestyle to just be called away to change history. Maybe they thought that the adopted son of the One who is and the One who will be was the best person for the assignment.
	"How can you make me do this?" asked G'Kem.
	"Think about it," said Brooke, "Do you want the Shadows to win the war?"
	"But why me?" G'Kem ran after Brooke, who had picked up her pace.
	She was a tall woman with dirty blond hair and grey eyes. She was wearing a Starfury pilot's outfit and head microphone. She looked and acted as if she had been on 4-Post her whole life and never did anything but watch uneventful readouts. Maybe this was the case. But it looked as if 4-Post had been taken over by this crazy operation.
	She led G'Kem into a small room where there sat a couple of men.
	"You're here, this can't take long. The sooner we can get history on track he better for everyone." That was one of the men. He stood up and G'Kem saw a telepathic flash of the mission plan.
	"Man this is suicide," muttered G'Kem.
	"It'll be suicide if we don't go through with this," Brooke pointed out.
	The plan was to somehow get into Babylon 5's medlab and Brooke would give some of her life energy to Ivanova. All G'Kem had to do was get them onto the station with his knowledge of computer systems. The flash had also mentioned a third person, and suddenly G'Kem became aware of another person in the room.
	She hopped off her chair and stuck her face into G'Kem's.
	"Ah!" She clucked at G'Kem. "You notice Patras. Good. Patras know much about time anomaly. Learn from brothers. Yes. Great Machine reopen anomaly for you."
	Some memory of John describing a man like this came back to G'Kem. You have to remember, he had said, they're not as clumsy as they seem.
	Patras pulled three round devices out of her pocket.
	"Last existing time stabilizers. Oh no, not good. Not good." She gnashed her yellow teeth.
	"What's not good?" G'Kem asked.
	"One of stabilizers not work properly. Must have gotten damaged in pocket. Draal tell Patras to bring case, but Patras not listen, is sorry now. Only two people able to go."
	"Only two!" exclaimed Brooke.
	"Eh he... you come with Patras."
	The creature pointed to a startled G'Kem.
	"Me? She can go!"
	"Nah, you come. She stay. Is better that way."
	G'Kem wasn't sure of that. Who could just say it was better for him to go without Brooke and give his own life energy to a Susan Ivanova who didn't know him yet? I would be more than willing if the Alien Healing Machine still existed now and could save them all time travel, but she couldn't appreciate this as a gift from someone who cared about her. And what would she do if she saw him?
	Patras started to dart out of the room.
	"Come now! Must hurry!"
	"Now? We're going now?"
	"Of course. Come!"
	G'Kem ran to catch up with the strange woman.
	"Since there are only two of us, we go in Starfury. Must put on suit."
	As G'Kem pulled on the Starfury clothing and helmet, he asked Patras why she had chosen him over Brooke.
	"You last surviving relative of Ivanova. I choose."
	"But I'm not really related to her."
	"Men say to Patras to take relative. Patras choose relative. Patras take relative. You see?"
	"I'm only half human. Brooke probably has more common ancestors. Half of mine are Narn." G'Kem was still trying to get out of this.
	"Patras sorry. We go now."
	Patras plunked herself down in the second seat.
	"You fly Starfury better than Patras," she explained unnecessarily, gesturing for G'Kem to take the pilot's seat.
	He did know how to fly a Starfury. As a boy he had studied ships and how to operate them. At least that was in his favor. He gave up and got in. He clipped his time stabilizer to his suit.
	"This is G'Kem, we're ready to go."
	"Confirmed. We're getting a transmission from Epsilon 3. It's reopening the time anomaly." It was Brooke. G'Kem could hear much envy in her voice. He couldn't help fell for her. It had been her mission and he had taken it from her without any desire to.
	If only Delenn knew what he was doing, he thought with a slight grin. He didn't know what her reaction would be. But might she know about this operation? She was familiar all the ins and outs and horrendous confusion of the jumping if all she had told him was true.
	The time anomaly didn't seem as large as Delenn had described it. Perhaps the Great Machine didn't want anything unnecessary to get into it. It was barely large enough for the Starfury to get in.
	G'Kem piloted the fury into the anomaly. He was excited but scared to death of what might be in for him.
	The objective is to get onto Babylon 5, do what is necessary, and get off with attracting as little attention as possible.
	G'Kem hadn't expected the woman behind him to be interested in chatting.
	"Brothers teach Patras to work for Great Machine." 
	"On Epsilon 3?"
	"Yes. And Draal teach." Suddenly after a second of silence she made an exited growl and announced that they were at their target time.
	"You sure?" He looked back at Patras
	She nodded.
 	"Alright. Pulling our of anomaly. How long is it to Babylon 5 from here?"
	"Hmmm. Twenty-five of your minutes jump Patras think." 
	G'Kem checked the fury's capabilities and was pleased to find that the ship was jump point capable.
	"Initiating jump point." He hoped he could remember which jumpgate opened at Babylon 5. He supposed it was the Epsilon Grid one which had been disassembled after Babylon 5 in his time was destroyed and the sector became unstrategic for anyone.
	Five. Ten. Fifteen. Twenty. Twenty-five minutes in hyperspace. He and Patras both agreed that ship their size in the 60's would not be able to form it's own jump point. G'Kem locked onto the Epsilon jumpgate's signature. They left hyperspace.
	The Babylon station hung in orbit around Epsilon 3 just as G'Kem remembered it from years before.The first time he had seen it was when Susan had taken him to meet the couple who had agreed to adopt him.
	All the senior staff had been invited to dinner as a welcome party for G'Kem and as a reunion party for Ivanova and her former crew mates. He'd clung to her for most of the time despite her great attempts in getting him familiar with John and Delenn.
	Not being well trained to handle his telepathy, G'Kem had gotten a headache from all the background chatter in the room and Delenn had taken him aside and finally back to her quarters, where he spent the evening telepathically talking to baby David, who seemed to hear him.
	G'Kem suspected that the backup to get onto the station wasn't as bad as it sometimes was. The place seemed to be holding its breath with the historical situation on Earth.  Still, it took
 awhile before the Starfury was allowed into the docking bay.
	Despite the few ships outside, customs was crowded. G'Kem and Patras pushed to get through faster. They didn't have much time to waste, even though time seemed to be unlimited.
	"Identicard."
	Patras handed her card to the guard. G'Kem did the same. His head was full of worries. What if identicards were different in the 60's? What if Patras's race wasn't registered? What if this whole crazy mission didn't work!? 
	"Okay," and the guard continued with the next person in line. G'Kem gave a sigh of relief. Now all he had to do was go through with the rest of the mission. Patras scurried behind him as he walked through the Zocalo. 
	G'Kem leaned over to one of the vendors.
	"Hey what's the date?" He asked it as if he simply couldn't remember the day of the month.
	"Twenty-second," she said.
	"Thanks."
	The liberation of Earth happened in November, so this had to be November 22. He was a day early.

	Morning dawned as well as any morning can on a space station, but G'Kem and Patras were already ahead of it. He was worried. He checked the station's map for the medlab. He turned to Patras.
	"I'll go alone. You stay here."
	"Patras understand. Patras stay behind."
	"Good."
	He ran down the corridor and took the route to the medlab. 
	The door was open, and the place looked like a hurricane had just blown through. Trays were knocked over, doors forced open, and people knocked unconscious. By instinct, he ran deeper into the rooms. 
	And he found it. Marcus still had some life in him, but he was more dead. And Susan was lying there.
	The shock was more than he had expected. Every time he saw her, she looked about the same as she had the last time. But here she was, a child of 31, and here he was, older than her. She seemed to be smiling slightly, and it was unsettling.
	He could hear the mind echoes of medical attendants in the distance. He pulled the clamps off Marcus and put them on his own arms. Marcus looked at him in daze but puzzled. In the mission flash, they had calculated that fourty-six seconds would do the trick. He began to count. He hoped the machine was still at the correct setting. 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18....22, 23, 24. He could hear them coming closer. 36, 37, 38, 39, 40 seconds. He felt slightly dizzy. 42, 43, 44. They were two rooms away. 45, 46, 47. Perhaps they had underestimated. 48, 49...54, 55. He ripped the devices off of himself. As G'Kem ran drowsily out of the room, he didn't notice that Marcus was still slightly alive.
	G'Kem conked out the moment he was safely back with Patras in the spare cobra bay where they had put their Starfury. He slept for more than a day. But as quickly as he had fallen asleep, he woke up. He went back to the medlab.
	It was clear that Marcus was in his last moments of life. Whatever little bit of energy the stranger had saved him was about to run out. G'Kem peeked into the room where he lay. He saw the young Susan sitting by his bed, talking quietly to him, making up old faults while she still had the chance. Then she started to cry, and G'Kem knew that the death of Marcus was preserved in the time line. 

	Susan hadn't been expecting anyone, and she was surprised when the doorbell rang. It was probably just someone trying to sell her something, but she answered it. She opened the door slightly. 
	"G'Kem, I wasn't expecting you! Come in!"
	He was so happy to see her she could never imagine. She was the same Susan he remembered and loved so much. Her grey hair tied back with her two elastic strips. She still used a wheelchair. Events during the telepath was hadn't been changed, but he hadn't expected that. But there was something else with her that hadn't been there before. She seemed happier somehow. She had been able to reconcile her feelings toward Marcus before he died. That was years ago, but G'Kem could see it clearly in his mind. To him, it had happened only days before.
	"I have something you need to know," he explained confidently, "Well, something you need to do."
	 

Susan Ivanova (The One Who Might Be)
chapter 2

	Of course Ivanova remembered when Ganya had almost drowned. The near death of a family member is not easily forgotten, and Susan had never felt the need to forget it.
	He probably would have drowned if it were not for a stranger who had seen Ganya fall into the river and called the park rangers. Their family had gone camping several times before at that site but despite the river warnings that year, Ganya had been walking just beside the river just as any energetic thirteen year old boy would have done, and a cave of dirt had collapsed under him. Susan had been the only one who identified the woman who had notified the rescue team. Otherwise, her parents would never have been able to thank her for it.
	And now the time had come for General Susan Ivanova, retired, to do just what she remembered happening so many years before. SheÕd had eight years to think it through. 
	Who could know if she had needed to wait this long. Perhaps it didnÕt matter which year she came from as long as she did what had been done, would be done, whatever.
	She had realized some time ago that she had no pictures of her family. There were none in the St. Petersburg historical library. 
	Most of the Psi Corps records had been destroyed during the war, which was one of the big contributors to the organizationÕs loss of power and eventual collapse. There was simply no documentation of who was a telepath. Without the Corps to get them, there seemed to be many more telepaths than there were before the war. These were people like herself who had hidden out before but were no longer afraid to use their talent. 
	But there were also no surviving records of the sleeper division. No picture of her mother. She had looked in the school records going back to the twenty-second century. No pictures of any of them.
	That was why, when Susan Ivanova packed for the trip to sector 14, she put a palm recorder in her pocket. She wouldnÕt be intruding on her familyÕs privacy by taking a video recording of the incident, would she? She thought not.

	Why must they drag us all out here to go back in time? Sector 14 was not the closest place to Earth. Still, Ivanova had been getting restless for space after living on Earth for several years now. She never much liked public transports though. Most of the bunk rooms were very tight. It was at moments like this that she cursed herself for never learning to walk again after the accident. 
	She had managed to keep her Earth Alliance career. It would never have been practical to try to walk. There had been so much going on in the war and medical treatment beyond your ship was hard to come by. She was much faster in a wheelchair anyway.
	It was inaccurate to call it an accident though. The telekinetic had ripped her spinal cord on purpose. And what irked her was that they had never been able to identify who she was. She had probably been killed in the war anyway.
	The transport wasnÕt actually going to 4-Post. Its destination was a fairly large colony in
 Sector 12. Another person in on the operation was also coming to the dock that orbited that planet, and they would meet up there. 
	She put her bag on the small shelf near the bunk bed.
	ÒAnd now I sit around for two days doing nothing,Ó she said to herself.
	ÒYou can talk to me if you have nothing else to do.Ó Susan hadnÕt noticed anyone else in the room until then. A young woman peered lazily down at her from the top bunk, her arm over the railing.
	ÒOh. I didnÕt see you. Hi.Ó
	ÒIÕm Susan.Ó
	ÒHey! So am I,Ó answered Ivanova.
	ÒNice to meet you. WhyÕre you coming out here? Have family?Ó
	ÒUm, sort of. I guess you could put it that way.Ó 
	The woman nodded, grinding her teeth as if she had chewing gum.
	Ivanova pulled herself onto the lower bunk. The other Susan climbed down and began to walk around the small room, and Ivanova got a good look at her.
	She was medium height, her hair was dark brown and cut short, and her eyes were also brown. Ivanova usually classified noses as pointing up or down, and this womanÕs pointed down.
	ÒIÕve probably spent as much time on transports as I have on planets.Ó
	ÒYou travel a lot?Ó
	ÒWell, I wander around. ItÕs quite hard for a mundane to get a good job these days. I work where I can.Ó
	Ivanova pretended to ignore that last remark.
	ÒYou travel?Ó
	ÒI donÕt know. IÕm getting old. I havenÕt been in space for a while now. But it seems to say to me Ôhey, what are you doing on Earth?Õ arenÕt I more exciting?ÕÓ
	ÒThat sounds like an adventurer,Ó said Susan, ÒThe kind of person who would join Earthforce.Ó
	ÒReally?Ó breathed Ivanova, amused.
	ÒWhat?Ó
	She stuck out her hand. ÒGeneral Susan Ivanova. Earthforce.Ó
	ÒOh thatÕs embarrassing.Ó
	Ivanova arched her eyebrows.
	How she envied Susan. She wasnÕt caught between being a mundane and a telepath. She didnÕt have to debate how much of her telepathy to use. She was one of the few real mundanes left after the slightly irresponsible intermarrying between normals and telepaths that earned the humans the status of Ômostly telepathic.Õ There was now an organization of mundanes where Psi Corps had once stood.
	And Susan Ivanova had been caught in the middle of this sudden shift when the Psi Corps
 dissolved. Even when telepaths became the majority, coming out as one of them had been one of the hardest things she had ever done- right up there with keeping her command after she was paralyzed.
	ÒI think IÕll go look around the ship.Ó
	ÒYou go. IÕve seen plenty of transports.Ó
	Ivanova transferred back into her wheelchair and squeezed out of the room.
	She hadnÕt expected anything very exciting. A cafeteria. A small lounge. Maintenance rooms.
	The lounge had a window, and she looked at the the stars. She closed one eye and looked at them. She opened it again and saw their depth.
	A pair of preteen Minbari twins walked up to the window together and looked out, glancing at each other now and then. One began to climb onto the large windowsill, only to be pulled down by his mother who caught him in the act and scolded him quietly.
	At a table across the room a small gathering of men and women pulled out a scuffed deck of cards and organized an Uno game. Funny to see people like that playing Uno when one would definitely expect something a bit more, well, casino oriented maybe? Like poker?
	The main reason was that poker had lost its appeal now that most humans where telepaths. Uno was rarely played for money so people tended to be more honest. The preferred method of gamboling was random games. 
	There wasnÕt much else. Ivanova returned to her room. Susan was being flat on the bed again.
	ÒWhatÕs a six letter word for ÔirregularÕ first letter being a ÔWÕ?Ó Susan sat up abruptly, a small book of crossword puzzles in her hand.
	ÒDonÕt know. I donÕt do crosswords.Ó

	Ivanova studied the station map on the wall. If she was at gate 2 and Gates 1-10 were on level 1 and 11-20 were on level 2 and 21-20 were on level four, then what was level three for and if the main bays where here and the private bays where there, then where was she supposed to meet Rosanne Tellman? Any Earthforce person had some sense of direction on a ship or station, but this was outrageous.
	She was sure she could recognize her. TheyÕd talked several times in preparation for the mission. It was only a matter of finding her.
	Ivanova found a comm station near her gate.
	ÒPlease select type of call.Ó
	She hit Ôonstation page.Õ
	ÒRosanne Tellman,Ó she told the computer. She added a message. She needed to identify herself. ÒThis is Susan Ivanova. My transport came in at Gate 2. Ganya and Jeff.Ó She told the computer to send.
	They hadnÕt known ahead of time which gate for Ms. Tellman to meet her at. They had arranged to figure it out when IvanovaÕs transport arrived.
	She scanned the crowd for Ms. Tellman. Elementary rule: The very person youÕre looking for is never in sight. Or maybe sometimes they are. Ivanova saw a woman she recognized.
	ÒRosanne Tellman?Ó
	The woman noticed her.
	ÒSusan Ivanova?Ó 
	Both of them nodded when they realized who the other was. Ivanova wanted to be sure though.
	ÒDo you mind if I take a look at your identicard?Ó she requested. Ms. Tellman held it out for her to look at.
	ÒAlright. IÕm convinced you are who I think you are.Ó
	ÒThe shuttleÕs in private bay 10.Ó
	They both looked around. 
	ÒIÕm assuming you know how to get back there.Ó
	ÒOf course,Ó said Ms. Tellman nervously, ÒIf the map is correct, itÕs... this way.Ó She gestured with a slightly disoriented look on her face and walked through the crowds, and Ivanova wheeled next to her.
	ÒWhat are you going to do? Are you coming on the mission or staying at 4-Post?Ó Ivanova asked as the other woman stopped to examine a station map once again.
	ÒIÕm staying. But really, the Great Machine isnÕt going to open the time anomaly in sector 14. Draal has to open it closer to Earth.Ó
	Ivanova rested her hands on the rims of her wheelchair.
	ÒWhat? Oh. Of course. The Earth border in 2237 didnÕt reach this far-Ó
	ÒI think we need to go this way,Ó mused Ms. Tellman.
	ÒSo youÕre saying they just dragged us out here just because thatÕs where all the other time jumps took place?Ó
	ÒNo one checks sector 14 anymore. Anyone gathering in any other place might attract attention.Ó
	ÒWhatever you say...Ó

	Susan Ivanova had traveled in the time anomaly many years before. She had been on the White Star when Babylon 4 traveled back in time to fulfill the Valen prophecy. That was the last time she had seen Jeff Sinclair. He had left forever, he had become Valen. At the time she had been jealous of him. He really had a destiny, but where was her life going to go?
	She knew now. She seemed to be as important as Jeff in the scheme of things. Why had she been jealous of him? Here, now, she was scared to death of her mission. Would she come back? Or would she be forced to stay in the past, even live out the Earth-Minbari war again?
	ÒYouÕll return to this time,Ó Ms. Tellman reassured her.
	ÒAm I broadcasting my thoughts that loud?Ó Ivanova asked. They were in the shuttle en route to 4-Post.
	ÒYour worries are ringing in my ears. If you donÕt mind, could you try to think a little more softly? I canÕt pilot a shuttle...nnn.Ó Her voice trailed off as she got a serious concentration look on her face flying the shuttle.
	...with you yacking away in my head. Ivanova heard it even though Ms. Tellman had thought better before saying it. She couldnÕt let chat be the reason for anything to happen to their shuttle.

	Susan Cranston raised her hands up above her head, then touched her toes. She sat down on the cabin floor and sitting straddle, touched her head down. 
	It was then that she noticed something. It was a data crystal.She picked it up. It must have fallen out of Susan IvanovaÕs bag before she got off the transport. There was only one way to be sure though. She hopped up and slipped the crystal into the console on the wall. 
	ÒIdentify owner,Ó she said.
	ÒSusan Ivanova.Ó
	ÒWhat is it?Ó
	ÒEarthforce ship and personal logs dating 2262 through 2264.Ó
	Susan couldnÕt resist. She didnÕt mean to intrude, but really, if you carry your logs around, someoneÕs bound to get a hold of them.
	ÒPlay,Ó she said.

	ÒZathras has been training little sister in Great Machine work to take place of Zathras after Zathras die. But Zathras remember you. Zathras serve the One.Ó
	ÒThe One?Ó asked Ivanova a bit stupidly as they flew from 4-Post. ÒMe?Ó
	ÒThe One who might have been, but you do this so you are the One who is and-Ó
	ÒI get the point.Ó
	4-Post would reflect the signal from Epsilon 3 farther towards Earth when the shuttle got to its coordinates, which were far into the area that was Earth space  years before.
	If all want well she would see her parents and Ganya again. (If all went well? It had to!) She would be going back to a time before her mother committed suicide, and before the general population of Earth had even heard of the Minbari race. She didnÕt want to go back knowing what would happen to the Humans just a few years after that. She didnÕt want to see her family, even if only as a stranger to them. She didnÕt think her parents would even suspect in the slightest that a near seventy year old woman was their seven year old daughter. But the point was she had finally learned to live her life without them, and all that might be lost if she saw them again. And her mother had worked so hard to keep her away from Psi Corps. She had said never to let anyone know she was a telepath. Now everyone knew. Susan Ivanova used her abilities like any other sensible person of the 2290Õs who could.
	Zathras was looking at her curiously.
	ÒWhat?Ó
	ÒYour hair is different color from last time I see you.Ó
	ÒOh. Yea that happens to Humans as we get older. Our hair goes grey.Ó
	Zathras breathed gutturally as he understood.
	ÒThat not happen to Zathras. Or Zathras. Or Zathras. Or Zathras. Or-Ó
	ÒI get the point!Ó Susan Ivanova had limited patience for Zathras.
	ÒOr Draal.Ó
	Ivanova laughed at that. Yes, it was true that Draal probably didnÕt have any grey hair, but really.
	ÒWait a minute. Have we met before?Ó
	ÒOf course. You come down and ask Zathras for power from Great Machine to broadcast news reports.Ó
	ÒSo that was you, not one of your brothers.Ó
	ÒYes that was Zathras.Ó
	There was a pause. 
	ÒHave you ever considered applying pronouns to yourself?Ó
	ÒWhat?Ó
	ÒWell, in most languages, if you use ÔIÕ and ÔmeÕ instead of your name then itÕs clear that you mean yourself and not one of your brothers, for example.Ó
	ÒZathras not understand.Ó
	ÒLike that. Instead of saying ÔZathras not understand,Õ you could have said ÔI do not understand.ÕÓ 
	ÒWhat does word ÔmeÕ mean?Ó
	ÒWell, you know the word Ôyou.Õ Point to me and say Ôyou.ÕÓ
	ÒWhy do that?Ó
	ÒJust do it.Ó
	ÒYou.Ó
	ÒNow point to yourself and say Ôme.Õ ItÕs a way of referring to yourself.Ó 
	Zathras pointed to himself. ÒMe.Ó
	ÒDo you understand now?Ó
	ÒZathras understand.Ó
	ÒI understand,Ó she corrected.
	ÒI understand,Ó he managed. ÒI understand.Ó
	ÒYouÕve got it.Ó
	ÒWhy you teach Zathras this?Ó
	ÒWhy you teach me this,Ó she growled.
	ÒOh, sorry. Why you teach me this?Ó 
	ÒBecause I was getting really sick of figuring out who you meant by Zathras.Ó
	ÒOh. Za- I try to speak like that now.Ó
	They were quiet for the rest of the trip. Ivanova figured Zathras was meditating on ÔIÕ and Ôme.Õ
	ÒWell here we are,Ó she announced. ÒContacting 4-Post.Ó
	The time anomaly post reflected the signal from Epsilon 3 to the present location of Ivanova and ZathrasÕs shuttle.
	Zathras opened the case that he had with him.
	ÒOh yes, time stabilizers,Ó said Ivanova. Less cheerfully she noted that SheridanÕs had been damaged in the last time jump she had made.
	ÒThat was first one to break. Draal disassemble all but three after mission was complete. Third one break when Patras not careful.Ó
	ÒPatras. Your sister?Ó
	ÒShe help the One who must be in last time jump.Ó
	ÒWhoÕs the One who must be?Ó
	ÒGÕKem Sheridan. He make sure you live long enough to do this.Ó
	ÒHow?Ó What did GÕKem have to do with this? He obviously knew all about this mission. He had been the one who had told her what she needed to do in the first place. But Zathras was making it sound like GÕKem had done some time jumping himself.
	ÒWhen did GÕKem time jump?Ó
	ÒGÕKem go back in time eight years ago. Go back to 2261- to you. He give you extra life energy to live long enough to do this. You see, Marcus naturally live only 59 years. You live on Marcus life energy then and you live on GÕKem these past eight years.Ó
	Actually she wasnÕt surprised that GÕKem had been the stranger who had taken over what Marcus had been so willing to do. Indeed, she hadnÕt been a stranger to him at all. It must have been strange for him. She hadnÕt known him. She wondered what he had thought of her. Young. When GÕKem had first met her, she had been near that age but he had been eight years old and your judgment of age isnÕt as developed then.
	She suspected he had seen her anyway, other than when she was lying in medlab. She seemed to remember spotting someone peeking around the corner when she had been talking to Marcus. Oh maybe not. It had probably just been one of the medlab staff. Ivanova had wanted every moment she had with Marcus (How ironic given how annoying he had always been.) and she hadnÕt tried to catch the stranger and ask him why he had done it. She would have to talk to GÕKem when she got back.
	ÒAlright lets get going.Ó Ivanova initiated the time count sequence.

	Space was space. Space had ships. Space now had old fashioned ships. The ship the two of them were on was an old design. Any technology from races not encountered in 2237 had been taken out. The meant no artificial gravity from the Minbari.
	Ivanova wondered what the date was and how much time they had.
	ÒSetting course for Earth.Ó
	She was still debating in her mind whether she ought to take it easy or not. She still remembered the river incident clearly- it wasnÕt being overridden by any alternate universes yet. At least she wasnÕt too late. But how much time did they have exactly? How could they time notifying the rescue team at the campsite?
	ÒWe have to find out the date,Ó she asserted to herself. She wondered how to achieve that. It was the old movie plot problem. Ask the date and year and you sound incredibly crazy.
	After they had arrived at Earth and docked at one of the orbital stations, they were at the mercy of public transportation to the surface.
	Ivanova couldnÕt remember if there was a shuttle that went directly to St. Petersburg, or only to Moscow. There was one in 2298, but this wasnÕt 2298.
	There had to be. St. Petersburg was a huge city, Ivanova thought as she waited in the ticket line. Zathras was looking at a 3D map of Earth across the room.
	ÒWhat city?Ó the ticket salesman asked. Ivanova looked up at him.
	ÒIs there a shuttle to St. Petersburg? The one in Russia, I mean.Ó
	ÒThe surface station was flooded in those rains theyÕve been having lately. They wonÕt have it back open until next week at best. I can give you Novgorod though.Ó
	ÒI guess itÕll have to do. Two for Novgorod. IÕll have to find some other means to get to St. Petersburg.Ó
	ÒIdenticard.Ó He reached over the counter.
	Ivanova handed her identicard to the man.
	ÒThatÕs four credits.Ó 
	Ivanova nodded.
	Cheap. She was still thinking 90Õs. Actually it didnÕt matter. A credit is a credit no matter what decade you spend it in.
	ÒAnd whatÕs name of the other person in your party?Ó
	ÒZathras.Ó
	ÒAlright.Ó
	The tickets had what she had hoped they would have on them. The date. It was July 20, 2237, 4:36 pm EST.
	With the tickets in her mouth she called ÒZathras,Ó to the animal-person engrossed in calculating something on the map across the room. 
	Suddenly she looked over her shoulder. He was still there. Someone was following them.
	
	Another time, another place.
	ÒPlay ship or personal logs?Ó asked the computer.
	ÒShip logs are boring. Personal,Ó said Susan Cranston. She really didnÕt feel much guilt in reading peoplesÕ diaries. If General Ivanova didnÕt want anyone listening to them she should have encrypted them. 
	
	He leaned over to listen to her as they were in the hallway to the shuttles. ÒZathras, I think someoneÕs following us,Ó she said through her teeth, ÒI donÕt know who or why- here, hold the tickets.Ó She took them out of her mouth. ÒI donÕt know who he is or why heÕs following us, but I can tell he isnÕt just going the same way as us.Ó
	ÒCanÕt you scan mind of follower?Ó
	ÒI donÕt want to risk that. He could be a telepath.Ó 
	Zathras looked around and spotted the man that Ivanova seemed to be talking about. ÒThis not good.Ó 
	ÒOr, maybe itÕs not so bad as I think.Ó
	ÒNo. This not good. We must get to crowded place. Hurry.Ó
	ÒWhat-Ó But Zathras was off like a shot, darting clumsily around other people.
	ÒZathras!Ó She looked behind her. The man was padding along quietly, getting closer. She chased after Zathras.
	The main shuttle terminal was crowded.
	ÒHey I need to get through! Excuse me!Ó She would never know what they were running away from if she couldnÕt catch up with Zathras.
	Suddenly Zathras turned around and called to Ivanova over the racket in the room. He started pushing through the crowns towards her.
	ÒWe safe for now. here.Ó
	ÒWhat happened?!Ó she shouted as they met each other. 
	ÒHe is Time Tracker. Work for alternate universe. Can only be seen by target.Ó
	ÒYou mean thereÕs someone right behind us whoÕs trying to jeopardize this mission?Ó
	ÒCrowded place better. More chance Tracker accidentally touch someone.Ó
	ÒWhat?Ó
	ÒPeople wonder why they feel something. Usually, you see what you feel. If Time Tracker invisible, it confuse people. People get scared, and they think Tracker is ghost. Not good for Tracker.Ó
	Ivanova suddenly realized something. If the Time Tracker ever attacked either of them physically, what would the public think of them fighting back at nothing?
	She had to get this straightened out. ÒYouÕre saying they this Tracker will do almost anything to create the alternate universe?Ó
	ÒNot anything. Cannot harm natural residents of time. Only us.Ó
	ÒWhat if he decides to sabotage the Novgorod shuttle? Are we just dead then? I mean do you know anything about their tactics? Are they...Ó she pulled a word out, Òdrastic? Will the Tracker try to kill us or just hold us until itÕs too late?Ó
	ÒZathras not know.Ó Ivanova looked around. The Tracker had been lost on the fringes of the crowds for the moment.
	ÒShuttles for Geneva, San Francisco, Novgorod, Kyoto, and Cape Town leave in fifteen minutes.Ó The message was repeated in the official language of each country-consortium in which each of the cities were. It was also repeated in Centauri and two other alien languages.
	ÒThatÕs us. We canÕt let the Tracker let us miss it. Come on.Ó
	The Novgorod shuttle was already boarding by the time they got there.
	ÒWeÕre trying to get to St. Petersburg,Ó explained Ivanova at the gate, ÒIs there anything that goes there from Novgorod? I mean if the shuttle station in St. Petersburg is closed is there something on the ground directly from Novgorod?Ó
	The gate manager was only filling in for the regular and didnÕt know much.
	ÒAlright, thanks anyway.Ó
	Zathras and Ivanova boarded the shuttle paranoidly. They had hardly lost the Time Tracker- he only seemed to be trying to get around the crowds.
	Ivanova stayed at the doorway. If the Tracker tried to board, he would be in for a big surprise. Zathras, who had claimed territory closest to where Ivanova sat, watched apprehensively.
	A flight attendant walked up to Ivanova.
	ÒMaÕam, weÕre almost ready to leave. ThereÕs a wheelchair floor clamp in the seating cabin.Ó
	ÒSo everyoneÕs on?Ó asked Ivanova tensely.
	ÒYes.Ó
	ÒThen what the hell are you waiting for?Ó exclaimed Ivanova, a bit too enthusiastically, ÒClose the shuttle doors! My brotherÕs going to die! In other words, we are trying to save Earth from being conquered by the Minbari, not to mention the Shadows, thank you very much!Ó Actually, she didnÕt say that last part. She glared up at the flight attendant.
	ÒAlright,Ó she said, a bit startled but calmly, ÒThatÕs what I was about to do.Ó

	Another time, another place. Susan Cranston had obviously missed something very important. Who was Marcus?

	Ivanova had lived in this time. It was a startling thought, and she realized how old she had let herself get. Seventy at the turn of the century.
	And a thought hit her. It overwhelmed her and scared her. She did want to see her family again. More than anything she had ever wanted. More than anything in the universe. She thought she would give up everything she ever had to see them again for five minutes.
	But she didnÕt have to do that. She was going to see them. Her father, Ganya, her mother. She couldnÕt comprehend it or believe it anymore than that she could put her foot on the floor and feel it touch.
	They wouldnÕt even know her. Her seven year old self wouldnÕt even recognize her. No one would say, ÒSusan, weÕve missed you!Ó and she certainly couldnÕt say that to them.
	They landed in Novgorod. Ivanova still didnÕt know if theyÕd lost the Time Tracker. Something told her that he wouldnÕt give up that easily.
	There was a train station near the shuttle port, fortunately (Though Ivanova was certain it wasnÕt an accident that there was a station there).
	The camp site was two or three miles out of the city of Gatchina (near St. Petersburg) on the Luga River. With these slow 30Õs trains, it took them 40 minutes to get there.
	At the road to the campgrounds Ivanova told Zathras, ÒThereÕs nothing that runs between here and the campsites. WeÕll have to walk the distance.Ó
	ÒZathras not mind. Zathras walk farther.Ó
	Ivanova had given up on being a grammar teacher. ÒWell, lets get going. ThereÕs nothing we can do until afternoon but lets see what we can do to prevent Ganya from falling in in the first place.Ó Silently, Ivanova knew that wouldnÕt happen. The rescue team had been called because Ganya had fallen in. That  memory was still hers. She wondered what would prevent them from keeping Ganya out of the water.
	It was almost pitch black. The sun hadnÕt risen yet and there were no stars. Her family had taken the break in the rain as an opportunity to go camping, but it was still foggy. A night bird chirped. It sounded like jingling bells. The noise echoed, bouncing around all corners of the night.
	ÒDo you have a flashlight Zathras, I canÕt see anything.Ó
	ÒZathras can see in dark like Earth owl.Ó
	Suddenly Ivanova saw ZathrasÕs shadow pounce on something.
	ÒYou hungry? Zathras catch snail.Ó 
	Ivanova had always been appalled by what Zathras considered tasty. She grimaced when she heard something go crunch between his teeth.
	ÒEw,Ó muttered Ivanova.
	ÒGood protein.Ó
	ÒEverything to you is good protein.Ó

	Zathras examined the riverbank.
	ÒPocket,Ó he announced. He pulled several large rocks out and dug apart the small overhang. He walked cautiously a few more meters, his eyes locked on the bank.
	ÒLarge one.Ó He preformed the same operation as before. Ivanova couldnÕt imagine doing what on Epsilon 3 could have made him so strong. But she was still doubtful that changing the riverbank would do anything.

	Ganya and Susan walked along the riverbank. The pine needles cracked under their feet. A squirrel scuttled up a nearby tree.
	ÒLemme see if I can stab a caterpillar,Ó said Ganya, wielding a pointy stick and showing off to his little sister. He jabbed at the ground a couple of times. He stomped at something.
	ÒHey, you splashed me!Ó accused Susan.
	ÒWhat?Ó demanded Ganya.
	ÒZathras!Ó hissed Ivanova, ÒItÕs too late! Run! God! Run as fast as you can! Get the rescue team! ItÕs not that far if you climb up to the road! We missed a pocket!Ó
	ÒZathras not speak Russian.Ó
	ÒDamn!Ó screamed Ivanova as loud as she dared, ÒWell gag and point to the river or something! What good are you?Ó
	She realized what she had to do. But she could never send a message that far, could she? She had to try. She closed her eyes and saw the ranger station. If only she could send a thought. She pushed her mind to the limits. She tried to ignore the fact that a P3 will never be a P10 no matter what.
	And suddenly she felt as if someone had picked up her thought, boosted her abilities far enough.
	Young Susan screamed in surprise as Ganya slipped off the wet bank. But it was done. Something told the rescue team to get to the river.
	It was as if a weight holding back IvanovaÕs telepathy had been momentarily removed. 
	Young Susan had ran to the edge of the bank as her brother struggled in the icy water. Then she felt gentle arms on her, trying to comfort her.
	ÒEverythingÕs going to be fine. ThereÕs no need to cry.Ó Susan looked around and saw, through vision blurred by frightened tears, a woman. She had never felt safe with a stranger like this before, but she did. She used a wheelchair, and Susan leaned against it. She wondered, as the team caught Ganya in the rescue net, if she had found a guardian angel. At that moment, her parents ran over to where Ganya sat shivering in a blanket. She saw her parents hug and scold him at the same time. Susan ran over to them. They all huddled together. Then Susan pointed to her older self and said ÒShe told me everything would be okay.Ó
	Her mother sprang up. ÒYou got the rescue team, didnÕt you? How can we thank you enough?Ó Even when she was excited, Sophie mumbled a bit.
	ÒWell, if you donÕt mind, could I get a picture of you guys?Ó
	ÒWell I suppose itÕll be in the newspapers anyway, donÕt you think Andrei?Ó
	Her father pulled Ganya to his feet and the family stood together.
	ÒThatÕs all I want,Ó said Ivanova, trying to keep her voice even. ÒI have to go.Ó
	ÒOh youÕre welcome to come back to the campsite and visit us for a while.Ó 
	As tempting as it was, Ivanova had to refuse. ÒI have to go.Ó
	ÒAlright. But thank you so much again. Thank you. Thank you.Ó
	Ivanova returned to Zathras.
	ÒSomething really strange happened when I was trying to get through to the ranger station. It was as if my telepathic abilities suddenly skyrocketed. I suppose it was just desperation.Ó
	ÒYou needed a boost, Susetchka.Ó
	Ivanova stared in the direction of the person who had said that.
	ÒOh my god have I left you that long? That is you isnÕt it?Ó
	ÒYah... how do you know me?Ó asked Ivanova, ÒYou were just back there-Ó
	ÒThat was me three years ago. Oh god, I should have left you later but there was nothing left for me there.Ó She put her hands on her face in self-hatred.
	ÒWhatÕs going on?Ó 
	ÒI came to this time a month ago. Long enough for the sleepers to wear off.Ó
	ÒMoma what are you talking about?Ó
	ÒYou didnÕt notice? My self from this time scanned you back there. She knows you needed help in contacting the ranger station.Ó
	ÒBut... what? Who are you?Ó
	ÒYou never really saw me die did you? IÕd be a bit concerned if you did. IÕm the first Human to time travel. You were just a child a month ago, to me.Ó
	ÒIs that really you Moma?Ó
	ÒWhat else can I do to prove it?Ó
	Sophie knelt down beside her daughter, who did something she never expected to do ever again. They touched minds. Zathras grinned insanely but remained silent.
	It was strange to see. Fourty-five year old Sophie and her sixty-eight year old daughter. There was true life in their eyes again, after so much time. As they held onto each other, Sophie, concerned, sat down on the ground with Susan in her lap.
	ÒWhat happened to you?Ó
	ÒTelepath war.Ó
	ÒOh... I wouldnÕt know... So much must have happened in your life. Your whole life thatÕs happened in the month that I was here. And I wasnÕt with you to watch you grow up.Ó
	ÒI wish I could be ten years old again, and you could start again where you left off.Ó
	ÒWell, time is a strange thing, Susetchka, you never know.Ó


Turn to Dust
chapter 3

	ÒLazy Time Tracker,Ó said Ivanova with satisfaction, ÒHe didnÕt try to bother us as much as I might have expected.Ó
	ÒDonÕt say that,Ó Sophie pointed out, Òuntil youÕre done with the shuttle- um... diagnosticeskii? Whatever... yea...Ó
	ÒDiagnostic,Ó Ivanova told her.
	ÒTracker not have any reason to track us now. Time line is preserved. So we go home. Not get any more trouble.Ó Zathras seemed confident enough.
	ÒIf you think IÕm gonna relax before we get there, Zathras... Wait a minute. Moma? Do you have a time stabilizer?Ó
	ÒOf course I do. How do you think I got here?Ó Sophie took one of the round devices out of her jacket pocket and handed it forward. Zathras took it from her.
	ÒOld kind. Early test model. Need improvements.Ó
	ÒI got here well enough.Ó
	ÒLet Zathras see what he can do. Do we have toolkit in here?Ó
	ÒI think thereÕs one under your seat. I doubt it has what you need though.Ó
	Suddenly Ivanova looked back at her mother.
	ÒHow did you know I needed help? I thought the sleepers blocked your telepathic abilities. I only talked to this timeÕs you for a couple of minutes back there.Ó
	ÒIt was near the end of the week, the drug was weaker. And I know your thought frequency well. So I was able to scan you. I had a feeling about you.Ó Sophie folded her arms. ÒHow long is the diagnostic?Ó
	ÒAlmost done. The computerÕs having some trouble figuring out why some technology was removed. How did you get through time? Did you go to Epsilon 3?Ó
	ÒNo. He came to Earth. They opened the time thing on Earth.Ó She gestured towards Zathras.
	ÒZathras? Zathras come? Zathras not remember that. But Zathras not have the greatest memory...Ó 
	ÒYou came,Ó Sophie insisted.
	ÒIt was probably Zathrash or Zathrasth or something,Ó Ivanova suggested passively.
	ÒNot that much pronunciation difference.Ó
	ÒThat wasnÕt my point,Ó grumbled Ivanova.
	ÒWhat was that?Ó asked Sophie.
	ÒThere are ten- well nine,  Zathras brothers on Epsilon 3.Ó Zathras tried to protest for some reason but Ivanova ignored him. ÒThey all look alike, they all talk alike, they all have the same name and they all dress alike. It really can drive you crazy.Ó Ivanova gave Zathras a look and then glanced back at her mother again. It was really her. She was becoming very sure now. Wow. ÒOh. The diagnosticÕs done. Nothing unusual.Ó
	ÒIÕm ready to go,Ó said Sophie.
	ÒWait a minute. YouÕre coming to 2298?Ó
	ÒThereÕs nothing here for me.Ó
	ÒI donÕt know if youÕd like 2298 very much.Ó But I hope you come, thought Ivanova, I really do. ÒI mean if you want to, I donÕt see why not.Ó
	ÒWhat is it that you donÕt think I would like about 2298?Ó
	ÒOr, on the other hand you might love a world where Psi Corps doesnÕt exist but neither does a strong central Earth government, but what the hell?Ó
	ÒWhat?Ó asked Sophie blankly. ÒWhat about the Corps?Ó 
	ÒIt doesnÕt exist. After the telepath war.Ó
	ÒThereÕs no Psi Corps? That would be a nice change I think.Ó
	ÒYea, of course it is. So you are coming?Ó
	ÒI never changed my mind, Susan.Ó
	ÒThen lets go.Ó
	A few minutes later, Ivanova said, ÒSo IÕll tell you about whatÕs happened between where you left off and 2298.Ó
	In the next hour, she rattled off the entire history of the galaxy in the previous 60 years. It left her mother looking a bit overwhelmed and Zathras looking very bored. There is nothing more exclusive than two people next to you having an intense conversation in a language you donÕt know a word in. He would make it a point to learn Russian in his spare time. 
	At last, Sophie turned to Zathras. 
	ÒIf I was met by one of your brothers on Earth, how did they know to come? I was getting worried that I wouldnÕt be able to do anything about what I knew.Ó
	ÒWhen Jeff went back in time at least he had what Valen had written. We donÕt have anything,Ó said Ivanova. ÒWeÕll just have to improvise.Ó
	ÒZathras can contact Epsilon 3. Tell brothers what to do.Ó
	ÒDo that then.Ó
	ÒZathras set up communication. Will send it when we get to time anomaly.Ó
	ÒThat should be in about a half hour.Ó
	
	The Time Tracker had failed on its mission. They had gotten back successfully. A week after Ivanova had gotten back to her life, she received a small package in the mail.
	ÒWhat?Ó she wondered as she opened it up. A data crystal fell out. Ivanova pulled out a small note as well.
	ÒI think you dropped this. -Susan Cranston.Ó
	Who? Ivanova searched her memory. She wasnÕt sure she knew a Susan Cranston. What was this thing anyway?
	ÒComputer, scan this for viruses.Ó
	ÒNo viruses found.Ó
	ÒWhat is it?Ó
	ÒShip and personal logs dating 2262 through 2266.Ó
	Now where did anyone get a hold of that? Wait, it must have been that Susan that she had run into on the transport...
	Why did it have to be those logs, out of all things? The telepath war logs? She took the crystal out of its socket, not needing to review the warÕs events which she still remembered anyway.

	ÒIs there something wrong, Captain?Ó Commander Lawrence asked as he entered Captain IvanovaÕs office.
	ÒI was only supposed to be on this ship for a year. Now Earthforce wants me here for longer.Ó
	ÒIs that a problem?Ó he asked.
	ÒOh no, no, no, it has nothing to do with the crew. ItÕs just that Earthforce didnÕt give me any explanation of why they want me to stay here. DonÕt you think thatÕs a bit unusual? I think thereÕs something going on. If they canÕt tell me what, then itÕs worse than I thought.Ó
	ÒThey must have their reasons.Ó
	ÒOf course they do Commander,Ó Ivanova answered, ÒItÕs just that weÕre not important enough to know what theyÕre doing.Ó
	Sometimes Fletcher Lawrence didnÕt know what to say in response to the captainÕs statements. He had never been good at that sort of thing. He just nodded.
	ÒAnyway, if you hear anything, I want to know,Ó Ivanova told him. 
	ÒYes Sir.Ó
	It wouldnÕt be long though, until the entire crew of every ship in Earthforce knew what was going on.
	
	ÒAll ships are to stay out of P12 telepathy range of all ships and ports not registered in EarthGov as exclusively Earthforce stations, except for approved, mandatory resupplying and maintenance. No Earthforce officers, EarthGov officials, or immediate family of these people will have any contact with anyone outside the chain of command and government structure except prerecorded messages approved by EarthGov. Effective immediately until further notice.Ó
	Depression settled over the ship as the crew heard the message. Ivanova silently got up and walked out of the room. She knew what it was. She knew what the P12 isolation was for. It was the beginning of a war of information. A war of telepaths against telepaths, and Earthforce would most certainly take sides with the Psi Corps simply because they were most likely to be the victors.

	Ivanova sat down to dinner. Or, rather, what she hoped could be dinner. Combined with the fact that the long periods of isolation between brief battles was creating mishmash things on the menu (broccoli with ketchup and parmesean cheese with watered down juice tonight, for example) and the way the war had been progressing altogether, she hadnÕt had much of an appetite.
	If anything had really happened in the war, it wasnÕt what people had expected. Well, maybe what Ivanova had expected but not what others did. How could you predict war anyway?
	There were not two sides in the war. There were three. There was the Psi Corps. There were the rouge telepaths, blips, planet wanderers, Byron followers, anti-Corps telepaths, that sort of thing. And there was Earthforce. The part of the fleet that even the Corps didnÕt side with. They were all fighting each other for different reasons. The rogues wanted independence. The Corps wanted power as usual. Earthforce was caught in the middle, trying to beat back both sides.
	It made her sick! Sick! Sick! Mundanes couldnÕt control telepaths. Anyone with any common sense knew that. And that simple fact was what had led Earthforce to a startling decision. There is only one substance known to the Human race able to balance the imbalance. 
	Dust. Mundanes, some willing, some not, were using it as a weapon now. Dust. It temporarily stimulates the telepath gene in mundanes. Some call it the sleeper drug for normals because it goes against the brainÕs natural function, but donÕt all mind drugs do that?Ó
	Like most drugs, dust is addictive. Highly addictive. The user requires more and more to achieve the same effects. One has to take a whole lot of it to work to the same degree of a Psi Cop.
	Lieutenant Sharif sat down at the table. She began scribbling symbols and numbers on note cards.
	ÒWhat are you doing?Ó Ivanova asked.
	ÒMaking a deck of cards. I searched the whole ship. No one has one. WhatÕs that?Ó Sharif pointed to the plate in front of Ivanova.
	ÒItÕs dinner. I still think it would have been better if they left off the ketchup. At least then it could have been edible.Ó
	ÒYea, I think they meant to do spaghetti sauce.Ó
	ÒThere isnÕt any spaghetti sauce,Ó Ivanova pointed out.
	ÒThatÕs why they used ketchup. I think IÕll just have an apple or something.Ó
	ÒNo apples. WeÕre going to have to resupply soon. WeÕve been going on what weÕve had since last October.Ó
	Both of them knew that meant an approval and an almost top-secret mission to one of the colonies. Sometimes she thought that Earthforce was being a bit too top-secret about unimportant things like food loading.

	It all seemed too familiar to her. Earthforce seemed to have picked up some tactics from the Shadow-Vorlon standoff several years ago.
	But this was worse. Much worse. The part of EarthGov that wasnÕt with the Psi Corps was taking telepaths captured in battle and forcing them to work for Earthforce in defeating the other two sides. The rogues were taking hostages. Psi Corps was too cool to do either of those practices.
	The weeks slid past and into each other. The crew tried desperately to have fun, but even Lt. SharifÕs playing cards didnÕt help.
	They had gotten messages before like the one they got one day. ÒA rouge fleet is going to attack whatsthaplace in three days. DonÕt ask us how you got the information. Just be there and see what you can do.Ó
	The battle had been a losing one, but it hadnÕt been the worst they had had until  Lt. Mikell shouted ÒBoarding pod in the hull at shuttle bay!Ó
	ÒGet a team down there stat!Ó ordered Ivanova. She jumped up and ran through the ship to the shuttle bay. She pulled up against the wall just away from the weapons fire. Wei Jiang was down. 
	You couldnÕt allow yourself to worry about someone until the danger was over. Ivanova grabbed JiangÕs weapon and shot one of the telepaths in the leg. He dropped his gun.
	ÒTake the survivors as prisoners!Ó Ivanova shouted. Immediately this resulted in wrestling fights instead of weapon fights. The surviving rogues were caught by her team. 
	It took three of her people to hold one rogue woman. This woman screamed terrible insults and though her arms were held, her hands reached out as if to touch Ivanova. Her light brown hair fell over her eyes but the captain could still see them glaring at her. The telepath rubbed the tips of her fingers together quickly, snapping them as if to create fire.
	Ivanova tried to ask ÒWhat the?Ó but it only came out as a choked yell when she felt a ring of pain around her chest and she fell to the floor. She could have been knocked out but her eyes stayed open and she stayed conscious.
	She tried to get up. This had happened before. More than two years ago. Marcus had given his own life energy for her. She had tried to rip the alien healing machine off him but she couldnÕt do it. She couldnÕt tell if it was from the pain or something else. 
	ÒMarcus! Why did you do it?Ó something in her mind screamed, but she couldnÕt form the words. She couldnÕt breath. Something was pulling the breath out of her before it got in. Her tongue was bleeding from where she had bitten it. She spat the blood out.

	ÒSheÕs awake,Ó Ivanova heard OÕDay say. Her eyes snapped open. She stared at the doctor for an explanation, but OÕDay was already screaming at the three other doctors to treat the other wounded and figure out what had happened to the captain at the same time.
	More than an hour passed. The other people were treated and left.
	ÒWha?Ó Ivanova asked finally, but she gagged.
	ÒDonÕt try to talk,Ó OÕDay snapped tensely as she leaned over her console and swore under her breath. Ivanova felt too rotten to glare at the doctor. ÒTell her,Ó OÕDay told the doctor next to
her.
	She stood over Ivanova. ÒItÕs bad,Ó she said. ÒShe was a telekinetic. She... she ripped your spinal cord, Captain. Here.Ó She solemnly drew a line on her own chest from under one arm around under the other one.
	Ivanova closed her eyes as if it would deny the truth. She tried to say something but even she wasnÕt sure what it was.

	Six days later, Doctor OÕDay was in a good mood. She had managed to get through to a hospital on Minbar that would take Captain Ivanova. It was out of war space.
	The strange thing was that Earthforce didnÕt know anything about this. It wasnÕt important enough for them.

	She didnÕt get much news about the war on Minbar. Communications were limited. But Ivanova had just gotten a short message from Acting Captain Lawrence. The message wasnÕt just more war news. Well, it was, but in the message it said that Earthforce had surrendered and they were going to let the telepaths fight it out themselves. Ivanova wasnÕt sure what to think of that. Actually she didnÕt mind that much. She hadnÕt thought they should get involved in the war in the first place. She was glad her ship was out.
	ÒHey Susan.Ó She looked up from her message.
	ÒJohn! Long time no see!Ó
	President Sheridan sat down in a chair next to her bed. Delenn pulled another one up.
	ÒHow are you feeling?Ó he asked.
	She frowned thoughtfully. ÒBetter. Boy or girl?Ó she asked, looking at DelennÕs unborn child.
	ÒWeÕve decided to wait until the baby is born to know,Ó Delenn told her.
	ÒIÕm telling you, Delenn, itÕs going to be a boy named David.Ó
	ÒOr a girl named Legann,Ó Delenn added.
	ÒNope. ItÕll be a boy. IÕm sure of it.Ó
	ÒYou donÕt know that for sure,Ó Delenn told him.
	ÒI do.Ó
	ÒYea okay, I get the point,Ó Ivanova broke in.
	ÒWe heard that the doctors were able to reroute some of the nerves for your vital functions,Ó Sheridan said.
	ÒThatÕs a neat trick,Ó she said. ÒStill canÕt feel anything below here.Ó
	ÒNerve rerouting is a very limited option,Ó Delenn explained. ÒIÕis still in the developmental stages.Ó
	Ivanova nodded. ÒIÕm going back to my ship pretty soon. Now that Earthforce isnÕt in the war anymore, itÕs even better timing.Ó
	ÒAre you sure thatÕs a good idea?Ó
	ÒThereÕs no reason I should stay here.Ó
	ÒWell for starters, itÕs a lot safer here,Ó Delenn pointed out.
	ÒIf I was going to try to be safe my whole life I never would have joined Earthforce.Ó
	ÒNo, I guess not.Ó

	The Psi Corps had fallen apart. They had no records after the ÒSlate ErasingÓ incident during the war. The rogues had gotten what they wanted-an independent home planet. It was a small world (about the size of EarthÕs moon), barely hospitable, but inhabitable with the use of pressure domes. They called it Zion, after the symbolic name for the Jewish home land. 
	But Earth itself was in chaos. The Psi Corps had been a large part of what had held Earth under one government. The North American Consortium split off from the rest of the world. In the following ten years, so did Russian, British and Iberian Consortiums.
	But for the present, Captain Susan Ivanova returned to her ship.

	It was three months after the war ended when IvanovaÕs ship picked up a distress call.	
	"Origin?"
	"Two light years away, sector 10."
	"Patch it through."
	It was an automated message beacon. There was a little boy talking. It was a scratchy transmission, but the ship was clearly shaking in sudden, violent bursts.
	"If anyone gets this on time, please help. Our ship is being attacked by- I donÕt know what. I repeat, please help, but be careful."
	Ivanova looked up from the monitor. "Jump to sector 10. Lets hope itÕs not a trap."
	Lt. Sharif nodded.

	The small ship was sitting still in space and quivering.
	"Life signs?"
	"One."
	"Send a team over there but tell them to be careful."
	
	They got a report from the away team.
	"Whatever the force is, it's stopped for now. We're bringing the survivor back. It's the boy who recorded the message, but he's unconscious."
	"Confirmed team A."
	
	Doctor O'Day walked up to where the boy lay on the medical bed.
	"He's unconscious, but in no immediate danger."
	"Good," said Captain Ivanova, "Have you been able to identify him?"
	"No, but he's Narn/human. He's also a telepath."
	Ivanova shook her head in amazement. "They seem to be everywhere these days."
	"Tell me about it."
	"Let me know if his condition changes."
	
	"Get out of bed right now!" She had programmed an audio message to be played as her alarm clock instead of the default alarm.
	She grunted and opened her eyes a crack. It was still dark outside. Well, duh it was still dark outside. Why does your bed always seem so inhospitable when you're trying to fall asleep, but when you wake up in the morning, you just want to sink into it? 
	With great effort, she pushed herself onto her stomach and glanced at the clock. Suppose the alarm had malfunctioned and gone off early? No such luck this time. 
	Over the course of her lifetime, Susan Ivanova had craftily thought up ways to make getting up faster. Throw ice down your back? Build a machine to punch you in the stomach every morning? Program the most obnoxious alarm ever and only be able to turn it off by pushing a button on the other side of the room and wake yourself up getting there?
	None of these things ever really appealed to her. They seemed like they would be effective, but not pleasant. She supposed she would just have breakfast then. She reached out and grabbing the seat of her wheelchair, and pulled it closer to her bed, which was very comfortable. Maybe she could sleep a couple of more minutes...
	Nope. Her comm link beeped. She picked it up off her table.
	"Ivanova. This better be good."
	"The boy's waken up. Urgent. Mind quakes."
	"I'll be right there. Ivanova out."
	She grumbled. They get someone on their ship and he has to be a telepath. At that moment, the ship shook.
	
	The boy woke up. When he did, it became evident that they had rescued him from himself. He hadn't known he was a telepath, and had a mind burst. 
	Doctor O'Day did everything she could to stop his mind quakes, but it was Captain Ivanova who came to the rescue. 
	She tried to remember what Talia had said to Alisa Beldon, the young telepath they had found back on Babylon 5, when she first learned how to keep out others' thoughts. 
	"Listen. Make a strong, stone wall between your mind and other peoples'. It keeps out their thoughts, it keeps your thoughts to yourself. It's very strong, remember. Nothing can get past it."
	The boy quieted and the mind quakes reduced to a vibration. Then they stopped. He breathed in sharply.
	"I suspected I was a telepath," he shuddered, "I thought I was prepared for when my talent surfaced." Then his eyes focused on Ivanova. "You were on Babylon 5."
	Ivanova muttered a curse about naive telepaths reading her mind. 		
	"Yes, I was. Do you know me?"
	ÒNo.Ó
	"Who are you?"
	"My name is GÕKem, if that's what you mean, and it probably is. I was raised by the Vorlons." He paused with a tone of pride in his voice. "Now they're gone, and I left their space to find my parents."
	"You're just a boy. Why is no one looking after you?" asked O'Day worriedly. She brushed a strip of black hair behind her ear, but it fell back over her face.
	"I'm eight years old."
	"That's too young, sonny," countered O'Day.
	"Don't give me to some family. I want my own parents."
	"We might not be able to find them. And, the situation is complicated because you're a telepath, you have to understand."

	She was as cool as a Minbari, yet every time Susan saw her she looked more and more human. 
	"We heard that you have a Narn/Human child, but you canÕt locate his parents. IÕve been talking it over with John, and we have agreed that we will take in G'Kem as our own son, and a brother to David (John was right, it was a boy.)."
	Ivanova talked this over with G'Kem. Yes, he was beginning to see that finding his parents would not be possible, he was a bright child. But he still wanted to know who they were.
	She worked with him in further perfecting his mind blocks. "From now on, you are going to be living as a telepath where it isn't always safe for telepaths. You're smart, and I know you can keep your talent hidden as long as you don't give the Psi Corps any reason to suspect you." With a look of determination in her eyes, she said to G'Kem, "And pray to God they never do."
	
	The trip to Babylon 5 took three days. When the ship jumped at the gate, Ivanova could see the station. It looked as it always had, as she had only been gone a day.
	Ivanova took G'Kem in a shuttle into the docking bay.
	"Remember, no one is to know except those who already do." The boy nodded. He'd been told this a hundred times already, but Ivanova felt it still would never be enough.
	In the few weeks that G'Kem had been on the ship, he had taken Susan Ivanova as his guardian.
	"Come on, G'Kem," she laughed. He always wanted to push her wheelchair. "I can do it myself."
	He put his arms around her neck. "What if I don't like Delenn and John? Can you take me?"
	"Maybe." She really meant no. "But you can definitely visit the ship."
	"Uh-hu."
	"You'll like them, I'm sure. Come on, we have to go." The boy nodded. "Ahh! Not so fast, G'Kem."
	As usual, the customs area of Babylon 5 was a zoo. G'Kem seemed to be terrified.
	"The wall. Nothing can get through it," Ivanova whispered over her shoulder, trying to reassure him. She squeezed his arm.
	Delenn and President John Sheridan watched the crowd intently for Captain Susan Ivanova with a little boy. They already had a baby son. Delenn held David in a front pack.
	"Hey guys!" It was Ivanova. Delenn and John ran up to her. G'Kem decided to play shy. He strangled Ivanova again from behind and looked up at the couple standing there.
	"Hello, I'm Delenn." She smiled.
	G'Kem walked around from behind Ivanova.
	"Nice to meet you," he said quietly.
	"Of course," answered Delenn.
	G'Kem whispered in Ivanova's ear.
	"He wants to get out of the crowds," she explained.
	"Then lets go," agreed Delenn.
	Sheridan and Delenn walked beside G'Kem who was still hiding shyly with Captain Ivanova and pushing her wheelchair. The way he did it was very cute. He was just the right height so that he could lean on the back and put his arms over. 
	
	Lochley was sitting at the table with the rest of the gang, but looking quite left out. Whoever had thought to invite her to dinner had forgotten she had arrived after Ivanova left. That gave her something in common with G'Kem. Though the adults tried to include the boy, he looked bored also. Lochley smiled at him.
	The whole senior staff of both station and ship plus Sheridan, Delenn and Garibaldi had been invited. They had gone out to dinner as a reunion party and to celebrate G'Kem's arrival.
	G'Kem had finally warmed up to everyone. He wasn't constantly hanging on Ivanova.
	Their food came. 
	"Ew, what's this?" asked G'Kem with a disgusted look.
	"What you ordered. Spaghetti with tomato sauce," answered O'Day.
	"Looks like guts and scabby blood."
	Everyone at the table laughed.
	"Believe me, there're a lot worse things as far as exotic food goes," said Sheridan between amused smiles. 
	"I've never had it before. The Vorlons didn't feed me such things. Oh man- uh-oh-"
	"What?" asked Delenn.
	"Ech." He pressed his hand on his eyelid. Delenn got up and pulled him into a corner of the room.
	"Too many people in the room," he whined. "Inside my head."
	"I think we should go, G'Kem," she said.
	Delenn took him by the had and telling the group he wasn't feeling well, left the restaurant with him.
	"You need proper telepathy training," she told him back in their quarters, "You'll never be able to hide your talent well enough without it."
	"Who's going to teach me?"
	"A Minbari telepath. They have no interest in Psi Corps or its greediness for new recruits."
	But Delenn could see G'Kem was confused as most children are.
	"But why is is so important to keep my telepathy shut up? Why is it so bad to use it?"
	"G'Kem, you are only a little boy. But one day, you will understand why it is so important, but for now, remember, it is." Delenn stood up and walked into the bedroom. She unstrapped baby David from his front pack and put him in his crib. "You never got to officially meet your brother." She smiled.

	Delenn and John Sheridan traveled back to Minbar, their permanent home. G'Kem was taught the art of telepathy by Nemall, who also became the childrens' nanny. He learned quickly. A child raised by Vorlons is not lazy at anything, and that includes study. 
	He was a quiet child, kept to himself. Didn't play with the Minbari children much. He played with his brother David. 
	David Cardell Sheridan was very cute. He was two years old now, and he was teething. Sort of like that. Not exactly. A figure of speech. He'd gotten all his teeth long ago. G'Kem had been the first to notice him scratching and rubbing the back of his head. He gave David the nickname Bonehead, even though he was only a quarter Minbari and only had a ridge under his hair. Of course GÕKem didn't use the name around Delenn.
	John Sheridan was always away on presidential business. Sometimes Delenn went with him and Nemall watched the children. On one such occasion, David was toddling around the room and G'Kem was doing homework. When he was going over a math problem, David ran over to Nemall.
	"Nawa!" That was what David called her. He climbed into her lap. "T pwus 56 equash 101. Whas t?"
	"What was that?" she asked, surprised.
	"Erkie twy ta find..." his voice trailed off and he sucked in his drool. For some unknown reason, GÕKem had become Erkie in DavidÕs mind.
	Nemall picked David up and put him on the floor.
	"Try not to listen to his thoughts too hard, David."
	It was hard to tell if she was joking or not.

	 Delenn put her hands on the table in front of her and looked at 15 year old G'Kem.
	"You have got to start 'hanging out' with other people besides David. It's not good for you to be by yourself so much."
	"I don't like people here. They think I'm weird. And even if they don't mind me, to their parents, I'm still the son of Starkiller. Even if he is the first president of the Earth Alliance."
	"How do you think I feel?" exclaimed Delenn. "I'm his wife, not to mention half human."
	G'Kem stalked back into his room. "I'm not a child!" he shouted, "Don't tell me who to keep company with!"
	G'Kem closed the door to his room and plunked himself down on his bed. Nemall had warned that it was bad luck to sleep on a horizontal bed, but his parents and brother did it and they didn't seem to have exceptionally bad luck. It was better for sitting on too.
	He looked around his room distastefully. It was too impersonal, just another Minbari designed room in the large building, disguised with his posters and furniture. He gritted his teeth and decided his favorite shape was a square.

	A new generation was being born. It was a generation of children of mundane and telepath parents. Without the Psi Corps matching up telepaths, people chose who they wanted.
	There were many more people using their telepathy now. More than there should have been. It was a legacy that the telepath war had left behind: If dust is used too much, the effects become permanent. They passed the active telepath gene on to their children as well- artificial telepaths. But who was real? The Vorlons had created telepaths in the first place.

	Ivanova didnÕt have to receive the message from Delenn to know that John Sheridan had died. It was on the news. 
	It was funny. She had always thought of the Shadow war as being over. But John had still carried his half death at ZÕHaÕDum with him afterwards, and with that death came his final death, and Ivanova wondered if the Shadow war was really over yet.


Around the World, Across the Stars
chapter 4

	It was all good that Delenn and John had adopted GÕKem, but he still didnÕt know who his real parents were. It really surfaced when Susan had made contact with her mother. But it was one morning when he woke up with a driving urge to locate them, or at least find out who they were.
	There were resources to find people. The most accessible, if not the most accurate, were the telepath family birth records put together after the war. If GÕKem knew anything about recent history it was that his telepathy most-likely came from his Human half.
	He arranged for a search of the records for any people who had a partial DNA match to his own. It was unlikely that his Human parent was on record as it was only personal accounts of births. Still, he thought, he must have some cousins somewhere who could be tracked back to his Human parent.
	Getting the authorization to do this search took some doing. He was eager to use it as soon as he got it, but decided to do the search after heÕd slept on the idea.
	Each dream you dream has a different emotion to it. An emotion unique to that night which you never experience again after that day. But somehow GÕKem remembered this emotion. Long-lost memories now resurfaced. His search for his parents had pushed them forward.
	Maybe he was three years old. Maybe four. He was still with the Vorlons at the time. He talked to the Vorlons, and they talked to him. And she talked to him, and she talked to the Vorlons. He was amazed that he remembered, but surprised he had forgotten so long. She was the one who had stood up to the Vorlons and demanded  that they give him a name from his own heritage. Oh, she wasnÕt his mother, but still he was surprised that he had forgotten her for so long. If it wasnÕt for her brief visit with the Vorlons, he probably could never have adapted to life among his own kind so quickly. But what was her name? He could see her face. He could grasp the kind of name she had but not what it was. Had he been speaking it would have been on the tip of his tongue. Kelli? Tara? Elym? Pen? No, none of those. What was that womanÕs name? He was half asleep and he rolled over. Maybe it was Lysandra, but that didnÕt sound quite right either. Ooo, his memory wasnÕt the greatest.
	Fortunately, it was a weekend. Even after GÕKem woke up, he stayed in bed with his eyes closed, not daring to get up and risk the dream fading. He wracked his memory for the womanÕs name. After two and a half hours, he gave up. He walked drowsily to the computer terminal and pushed the data crystal in. He linked his DNA pattern to the data bank.
	There were more people than he had expected. A man on Earth, twins on Zion, a few references to archive articles and medical logs. One log caught his eye. It was a cross-reference to the personal log of Earthforce doctor Heather OÕDay, dated May 17, 2264. He pulled it. It had once been encrypted, but it wasnÕt now. It was short, and meaningful only to a few people. GÕKem happened to be one of them.

Doctor Heather OÕDay, Personal Log
From the shipÕs computer, I found the telekinetic who ripped Captain IvanovaÕs spinal cord. Her name is Darya Freeman. I donÕt plan to tell Susan though. This is between me and me. 

	GÕKem could never have hated Heather OÕDay more than at that moment. She had known all these years! She had never told Susan! How could she? He thought that they had been friends. If Susan ever found out she would probably kill OÕDay before thinking of Darya Freeman.
	ÒWhatÕs the reference to the match of the DNA sample in question?Ó GÕKem asked the computer.
	ÒDarya Freeman.Ó
	ÒLocate all references to the name Darya Freeman.Ó
	One other reference appeared on the screen. It was the crew manifest from the rogue telepath ship Remarkable. There was a short background on Darya.

Name: Darya Freeman
DOB: 7/24/29
POB: Atchison, Kansas, North American Consortium, Earth
Gender: female
Teep rating: low P8
Teek rating: high K12

Discovered at age 16. Brief period at Psi Corps, broke away in 2251. Joined telepath resistance in 2257.

	Remarkably, GÕKem almost missed the last part. ÒSpent six months on Narn. Is reported to have been with the Vorlons for at least four. This is doubtful and Darya may not be entirely trustworthy.Ó
	He read it again.
	ÒWhatÕs the relationship between Darya Freeman and the DNA in question?Ó he finally managed.
	ÒParental.Ó

	He was more nervous than he ever was before. He was going to contact Darya Freeman. He had to. He nervously told the computer to contact her. He got an audio.
	ÒFreeman. Who is this?Ó
	ÒUm... My nameÕs GÕKem.Ó Lysandra or whatever her name was had told the Vorlons to name him that, so Darya couldnÕt know. ÒThis isnÕt a prank call. Is it true that you were with the Vorlons a few months after being on Narn?Ó
	The screen flashed on. GÕKem cringed slightly, thinking she might know what a Narn/Human looked like.
	She had gray hair which had most likely been blond at one time. Her eyes were hazel. He had thought that his Human parent might have eyes about that color. Sometimes he had wondered if his own would have ended up purple if theirs were blue! But of course eye color was not paint.
	No matter at the moment. 
	ÒWhat business do you have asking that?Ó she snapped.
	ÒWell, itÕs just sort of that IÕm half Human and I was raised by Vorlons and-Ó
	ÒWho are you?Ó
	ÒWell, lets see, I donÕt really know. ThatÕs the problem. IÕve been trying to track down my biological parents and I was wondering...Ó
	ÒWait a minute. What year were you born?Ó
	ÒAbout 2258.Ó
	ÒGeez, whatÕs been out to get me lately?Ó
	ÒUh?Ó
	ÒAre you sure this isnÕt a joke youÕre playing on me?Ó she asked.
	ÒNo joke. I swear.Ó
	ÒDana Richard?Ó
	It hit him hard. What did she mean?
	ÒWhat?Ó he exclaimed.
	ÒSorry. If you are who I think you are, you wouldnÕt know anyway.Ó
	ÒWho do you think I am?Ó he asked, thinking that he knew the answer.
	ÒDo you think IÕm your mother?Ó
	GÕKem nodded tentatively.
	ÒThen I think youÕre my son, pardon me if IÕm wrong.Ó
	ÒYouÕll get no objection from me Ms. Freeman.Ó
	ÒWhy didnÕt you try to contact me?Ó
	ÒI just did. Why didnÕt you?Ó
	ÒI didnÕt know you were alive,Ó she said.
	ÒCouldnÕt you have at least tried to find out?Ó he asked calmly.
	ÒNever mind.Ó She stood up and paced back and forth, in and out of his view.
	ÒWell,Ó said GÕKem, needing to get something else cleared up, ÒYou were on the telepath ship Remarkable during the war?Ó
	ÒYes. I was fighting for a good cause.Ó
	ÒDid you have any contact with Captain Susan Ivanova?Ó
	ÒNo.Ó 
	GÕKem couldnÕt sense her thoughts across a comm terminal, but he could tell she was denying something.
	ÒAre you sure?Ó At the moment, he had nothing much to lose. ÒWell I have.Ó
	ÒHow much?Ó she demanded.
	ÒI suppose if IÕm your son than I can be honest with you. I care about her like a mother. And I care about what you did to her during the telepath war.Ó
	She turned away from him.
	ÒOh that,Ó she said quietly.
	ÒSo there you did do it.Ó
	ÒIt seems you already knew, whatÕs there to admit?Ó
	ÒIÕve known about the event since I was eight, it was only this morning that I found out who did it. ItÕs a bit strange talking to the very person that Susan would probably like to make miserable.Ó
	ÒWhat are you going to do? Tell her where I live?Ó The question was part daunting, part a bit worried.
	ÒNo, IÕm going to ask you to talk to her.Ó
	ÒYou want me to talk to her. To say IÕm sorry for what I did? Well I suppose I could if you really wanted me to... IÕve done worse.Ó
	ÒDarya- can I call you that? IÕm not going to tell you what to do. Just talk to her, okay?Ó

	Susan IvanovaÕs comm line blinked ¡live message¡. 
	ÒAnswer.Ó 
	The woman on the screen pointed to her.
	ÒI think I remember you Ivanova.Ó
	ÒOh my god... What the hell is your problem? CanÕt you leave me alone? IÕm surprised you arenÕt dead by now. But you might be if you werenÕt so lucky as to have this screen in front of you. To rephrase politely, what are you doing?Ó She smiled an exaggerated smile.
	ÒWould you really be interested?Ó Darya Freeman asked.
	ÒProbably not. And have you noticed what time it is?Ó
	ÒItÕs only midnight.Ó
	ÒWell here itÕs eight.Ó
	ÒThatÕs early!Ó
	ÒIÕm nocturnal.Ó
	ÒVery funny.Ó
	ÒWhy am I arguing with you anyway?Ó Ivanova demanded.
	ÒBecause IÕm GÕKem SheridanÕs mother.Ó
	Ivanova whipped around. 
	ÒBeg your pardon?Ó
	ÒI said, IÕm GÕKemÕs mother. Who called him that anyway? I like Narns but I donÕt care for their names.Ó
	ÒDo we have to talk about this right now?Ó
	ÒNo, not really, I suppose.Ó
	ÒGood,Ó said Ivanova cheerfully, ÒThen IÕm just going to hit this little button here-Ó
	Darya never got to hear the end of her sentence. Ivanova cut the transmission.
	Ivanova probably felt the same way that Darya did earlier that day: ÒWhat is out to get me lately?Ó Not that she was going to believe that scum immediately, but she was a bit unsettled. Who might know something besides GÕKem? She turned back to the computer. 
	ÒContact David Sheridan.Ó
	ÒYes? Oh hi Susan.Ó
	ÒHi Steph. Is David there?Ó
	ÒNo, actually. HeÕll be back in about an hour. Was there something you wanted?Ó
	ÒOh, nothing really. Just tell him to get back to me.Ó
	ÒSure.Ó 
	DavidÕs wife Stephanie was half Human, half Minbari, a hybrid by genetics. Because of this she looked a bit different than Delenn had ended up half Human with the chrysalis. Stephanie had almost a full Minbari bone with hair growing out of it like plants in a rock. Her hair was blond, and she smoothed it down so if you saw her from a distance, all you could see was the top of her bone. On top of her head all her hair grew from the base of the bone, all around. If she cut it or tied it up she had a bald spot on the top of her head. When she was around Humans she brushed it onto her forehead and did end up looking similar to Delenn.
	Delenn. She might know something. 
	ÒDelenn. Minbar.Ó
	ÒYes?Ó
	ÒItÕs Susan Ivanova. I need to ask you something.Ó
	Delenn put on her visual.
	ÒWhat is it?Ó
	ÒWell,Ó Ivanova began, ÒGÕKem... he found, well, I donÕt know. I think GÕKem found his birth mother.Ó Ivanova wasnÕt sure how Delenn would react.
	ÒHe did. I just got a message from him a few minutes ago. ItÕs very strange, I know. I said he was feeling jealous that you had found your mother.Ó
	ÒBut do you know who she is?Ó Ivanova demanded.
	ÒNo.Ó
	ÒDarya Freeman!Ó
	ÒAm I supposed to know her?Ó
	ÒSheÕs the telekinetic who did this to me during the war! GÕKemÕs mother!Ó
	ÒIn ValenÕs name,Ó Delenn breathed.
	
	Ivanova complained.
	ÒI invited you to my fiftieth birthday party, thatÕs all,Ó GÕKem said. ÒIf you donÕt want to come because DaryaÕs going to be there...Ó It seemed sort of like a Ôso thereÕ threat, but GÕKem wasnÕt sure how to finish it.
	ÒGÕKem, youÕre turning fifty. ThatÕs worth my coming. But just keep your mother away from me.Ó
	ÒWhat?Ó
	ÒHavenÕt you been listening to a word I said? You may think sheÕs a nice person but I donÕt want to have anything to do with her.Ó
	ÒOh come on Susan. Just forget it. She was really mad when your people caught her. It wasnÕt anything personal.Ó
	Ivanova glared at GÕKem. 
	ÒHow can I forget when IÕm reminded every minute of every day what she did to me thirty years ago? How can I forget if the only reason I managed to keep my career was that Earthforce was too involved in the aftermath of the telepath war to notice me before I managed to prove myself? How can I forget, GÕKem?Ó
	ÒOkay, okay, you donÕt have to have anything to do with her. Just come.Ó

	Her mother walked up to her.
	ÒSusan, I was talking to Darya.Ó
	ÒYou were? Great, now youÕre socializing with her. What a creep.Ó
	ÒI just found out something really fascinating about her.Ó
	ÒUh-hu.Ó
	ÒItÕs the reason she was with the Vorlons. She was one of the people that they abducted and kept until the Ôtime was right.Õ They gave her telepathy and telekinesis. She wasnÕt with the Vorlons for a couple of years, and she met GÕKemÕs father on Narn. She ended up getting pregnant but was called back by the Vorlons. When they went beyond the Rim, she was separated from GÕKem. But the interesting thing is this.Ó Sophie handed a small object to Ivanova.
	ÒAmerican 20th century flyer wings. Model for the Earthforce shoulder patch. WhereÕd she get these?Ó
	ÒTheyÕre hers.Ó
	ÒThatÕs not her name on it.Ó
	ÒNo one on Earth had her name on file and she started calling herself Darya Freeman.Ó
	ÒAlright, but whatÕs the big deal with this?Ó
	ÒShe was a pilot. In 1937, she attempted to fly around the world but somewhere over the Pacific Ocean, the Vorlons got her airplane.Ó
	ÒGood for her.Ó
	ÒI just find that really fascinating. A living person from the 20th century,Ó insisted Sophie.
	ÒIf it was anyone else, IÕd go up and shake their hand. Her, I donÕt care.Ó
	ÒCome on, Susan!Ó
	ÒSheÕs a big slimy jerk.Ó
	ÒDonÕt say that so loud.Ó
 	ÒI donÕt care,Ó Ivanova mumbled.
	Maybe she was interested, but she was too stubborn to talk to Darya. She absolutely couldnÕt stand being around her.
	ÒI want to go ask GÕKem something,Ó she said. She found him talking to David.
	ÒHi Susan,Ó David said.
	ÒCan I talk to GÕKem for a minute?Ó
	ÒOkay.Ó
	Ivanova turned to GÕKem.
	ÒWhy didnÕt you tell me you went back in time?Ó
	ÒBecause I didnÕt think you would want to know when you were going to die. Life energy acts strangely when itÕs not the energy youÕve had from birth. It doesnÕt quite fit into your biofunction as naturally. That was why John died so quickly, not as naturally. ThatÕll probably happen to you too. YouÕre not only living on MarcusÕs life energy, youÕre living on mine. I only gave you enough to live long enough to save Ganya, and a little longer.Ó
	ÒI understand,Ó she said quietly, ÒI guess I wonÕt live much longer then.Ó
	ÒI donÕt think so.Ó
	ÒItÕs about time. Who wants to live forever?Ó
	GÕKem nodded. He wondered just how much extra life energy he had given her. Long enough for her to spend some time with her mother? Long enough to see David and StephanieÕs daughter born? Long enough to see the turn of the century? He knew the answer. She would live the time in her life that GÕKem had taken off the end of his. It wasnÕt that much. 

Epilogue

	The Vorlons will ask: ÒSo you think you have a destiny?Ó Very few have one that concerns the old races. They will ask: ÒWho are you?Ó Very few people have an answer that they can put into words. GÕKem could have asked Susan Ivanova and the answer could have been ÒIÕm this.Ó Nothing you can put into words. Her destiny concerned the Vorlons- would have concerned the Vorlons if they knew. It concerned the Shadows. Most anything that concerns the Shadows concerns the Vorlons as well. A boy raised by Vorlons couldnÕt help wondering: Who was Susan Ivanova? What did she do? She helped defeat the Shadows- the Vorlons would be interested in that. She helped defeat the Shadows several times over. Who was she? Sometimes she had been hard to get along with, but she was a lovable person, even though she had been out of the practice of loving other people for so long. 
	GÕKem wondered if a personÕs soul enters them the moment theyÕre conceived or the moment theyÕre born. He hoped it was when they were born because then he could retain the belief that maybe Susan was still around in David and StephanieÕs daughter Caroline, who was born a week after Susan died. He couldnÕt prove that, but he could take comfort in the fact  that he couldnÕt disprove it either. That secret was only for the triluminary to know.