From: "Alison Laker" Subject: The Terror - Chapter 1 Date: Sat, 4 Apr 1998 18:22:32 +0100 "The Terror" Part 1: by Ali *************************** Standard disclaimer: All of the characters belong to JMS and Warner Bros. I'm just borrowing them to play with for a bit. **************************** **************************** Part 1 of 28 The Terror by Ali xuj42@dial.pipex.com **************************** John and Susan sat at the war-room table filling in endless paperwork. It had been a very long tiring day and this showed on their faces. Saturday's were usually like that for the command staff. Whilst everybody else had the weekend off they had to be working still. Usually only one of them would have been on duty but at 0200 hours John and Susan had been dragged out of bed by Mr. Garibaldi to deal with a serious diplomatic incident. The Drazi had begun their once-every-five-year power struggle and full scale war was breaking out on the station between the purple and green factions. Susan had tried to avert the disaster from occurring but the Drazi had delighted in informing her that a rules change had finally come through and now no non-Drazi could lead a faction. Then Mr. Garibaldi had discovered a massive arms cache in down below along with several Drazi diplomats. These weapons were strictly prohibited by the treaty signed when B5 first went on-line. The weapons cache had resulted in an emergency meeting of the B5 council with the result that all of the Drazi diplomats had been expelled and returned to their home world until the new government chose new people to send to the station. However, to make matters worse the remaining Drazi were still fighting and Mr. Garibaldi was running out of space to hold the members of the 2 factions whom had been arrested. There were nearly 20, 000 Drazi on the station, usually peaceful but now causing endless amounts of trouble. B5 seemed to be descending into hell despite the best efforts of the security staff and her command crew. Both John and Susan needed a break and by 1800 hours the situation was calming down. Unfortunately, they knew that the usual drunken Saturday night brawls would start soon and their assistance might be needed for a while to come. It was just past 1800 hours when an additional problem was started by an incoming request for an escort through raider territory for an unprotected refugee fleet. Fleet was probably the wrong work for the collection of broken down ships which were transporting the refugees but these were the only ships that had been available during the emergency. Previously the sector, the fleet needed an escort through, had been protected by the Narn but since their war with the Centauri, the Narn had been unable to keep this protection up and anarchy had become the usual state of affairs there. Now the refugees from the home planet of the Kitarri needed to get through the sector quickly as they were running short on food supplies. The sun of the Kitarri had gone super nova with very little notice to the inhabitants of nearby planet and very few survivors. The Babylon 5 council had suggested they set up a new home on a planet in the Helenas system which no-one else wanted as the atmosphere was too acidic but would suit the Kitarri perfectly. However, the Kitarri had no weaponry to protect themselves from the raiders and were easy targets for anyone. The request stated that the escort would be require in 36 hours time. John was wondering why the fleet hadn't given them a bit more notice of their requirements but found it difficult to complain after what these poor people had suffered already. It had been a very long and busy day and John decided to leave the details with Susan but to signal the Kitarri that they'd have their escort as required. Susan accepted the task with little complaint but seeing the exhaustion on his commander's face John felt guilty as he left the room. Susan had a daughter to go home to as well. John had promised David that he would read him a story before he went to bed that night. David was three now and couldn't stop nattering and asking questions. In fact his favorite question at the moment was "Why?". In fact it was David's standard answer to anything which was asked of him. John often found himself wondering how he could be Captain of B5, leader of the army of light and cope with the difficulties these responsibilities involved but the most difficult thing at the moment was answering his own son's questions. He'd noticed that his wife, Delenn, always had an answer for her son's questions however peculiar they were but Johns questions and answer sessions always seemed to end with the phrase "because I say so!" Every time this phrase slipped out of his mouth John was reminded of his own father saying the same thing to him to him. It was scary. So much of what David said was a direct copy of what John said it was eerie. Although Delenn had some rather strong words with her husband and David when the words "Absofragginglutely" had popped out of David's mouth one day. ************************* John entered his quarters and saw Delenn was writing some letters. She rose as he entered and gave him a hug. Delenn could see her husband was tired. He'd been up since 0200 hours that morning and it was now nearly 1900 hours. "Sit down John. I'll get you a drink" Delenn said comfortingly. She had had a very restful day with no meetings and spent most of the day in the park with her two children having a picnic and playing. "That would be wonderful. I'll just read David his story and then come out and join you. Is Leanna still awake?" he asked hopefully. "Sorry but no. I put her to bed about an hour ago" Delenn spoke apologetically. "Ooohhh" John had wanted to be home and see his daughter before she was asleep. "Don't worry you can put her to bed tomorrow as I've got a meeting with the Loci over some trade problems we've been having." Delenn smiled in reply. "Okay. I'll be back soon" John replied. John entered David's room to see his little son sitting on the bed looking at a storybook which Marcus had given him as a birthday present. It was a very simplified tale of the Arthurian legends. David had begun to lose the baby looks he'd always had and now was very much a little boy. John ruffled his son's hair. "Daddy!" David yelled leaping into his father's arms and gave him a big hug. John put David back down on the bed and sat next to him. "What are you looking at" John asked his son referring to the book. "It's about dragons, daddy" David informed importantly, "I'll show you" David began pointing things out in the book to his father. "That's a castle, that's a knight and that's his horse, and that's a king and queen. What's that?" David was pointing at the knights sword. "Its a sword" John informed instantly knowing what this was going to start. "What's a sword?" "It's like a big knife and you use it stop people hurting you." "Why would someone want to hurt me?" "There are bad people in the world, David but no-one going to hurt you I won't let them" John tried to explain to his son. "But what if they hurt you? You're not going to die are you daddy?" John was speechless. Why was David asking that? What had he heard? He didn't know what to say. *Yes* he thought *I'll be dead before you reach 20* Unbeknown to John one of David's friend's pet had died and the subject of death had been worrying him slightly ever since. Delenn answered from the entrance of the room, "No! Daddy's not going to die for a long time yet. We'll look after you always so don't worry. Now its time to rest" David settled down and his parents kissed him goodnight and left him to sleep. They entered the main chamber of their quarters and Delenn seeing John was upset pulled him into an embrace and kissed him gently. "Come to bed John. Things will be easier in the morning when you're less tired. David is fine. Don't worry" John took his wife's hand and smiled, "I love you". Delenn lifted Johns hand to her lips and kissed the palm. "I know you do" and then they went to their bedroom. *************************** It was close to midnight when a young man known simply as Daniel to those that knew him entered the Zocalo holding what looked like a hand held lap top computer. He was a rather non-descript sort of person, not one to make you turn your head in a crowd. He carefully avoided the cameras which covered the entertainment sector of B5 and entered a bar. After buying a drink from an overworked bar-man he headed for a table. He put the equipment on the table and set it up. in fact it wasn't a computer but a sophisticated communications device. The man didn't want his communication observed by the central B5 computer and he'd been advised that using a public place would practically ensure no one trace or decrypt the message. Still, he would keep it short and sweet. Turning the device on resulted in the communication he'd been waiting for scrolling onto the device. ASSIGNMENT REQUIRED: Command Level Information from B5. TARGET: The Sheridan's. OBSTRUCTIONS: Lyta Alexander and Susan Ivanova. RESPONSE TIME: 24 hours. END OF MESSAGE The fair haired young man recorded the message in his mind and then turned off the device and quickly left the area. He had 24 hours to respond to his message and accept the assignment. Before replying the needed to check the current status of the obstructions listed. To target the Sheridan's would be difficult but he had 24 hours to decide. He didn't intend to waste time. After all time was money. ******************************** In the security office of Michael Garibaldi an alarm started to flash at his work station instantly attracting his attention away from the newspaper he was reading, to the control board in front of him. There was no-one else in the room as all staff were out dealing with Saturday night drunkards or Drazi. The lights had been dimmed for the night shift. The designers of B5 had believed that this feature would help the inhabitants of B5 in adapting to a life where there was no real night or day but for the security staff working the night shift it just resulted in them having to struggle even harder to stay awake when it wasn't busy and adrenaline levels fell. Michael carefully started to determine what had triggered his alarm. *Damn!* he thought, *So much for a quiet night. That's odd a communication being sent directly into B5 but not via the central computer*. Michael knew that this communication was going to be trouble but it at least might give them some advance warning of what that trouble might be. He smiled to himself knowing that the perpetrator wouldn't know he'd just installed a new device within the security office for detecting such communications. Unfortunately it couldn't decrypt the message as well but the main computer should be able to do that within 72 hours. He just hoped that this would be in time. Michael decided not to bother the Captain with this tonight and to inform in at the morning briefing. In the meantime, there was the newspaper to read and another 9 hours of his shift to finish to complete without falling asleep. He'd been awake now for over 24 hours and was expected to be at the morning briefing at 0900 hours. Then he was looking forward to sleeping without interruption for as long as possible. ************************* Susan hurried into Med-lab. She was beginning to believe that she would never get any sleep. She had just been about to go home when the call to go to Med-lab had come through without any explanation. The scene she was met with in Med-lab was pandemonium. It was a Saturday night, actually Sunday morning now, and it looked like a large percentage of B5 residents were suffering from alcohol poisoning or from injuries resulting from getting drunk. There were also a large number of green Drazi there too. To her eyes there appeared to be a large number with bleeding head wounds or black eyes. She noted that nearly all the injured Drazi and other residents were male. *What is it with men when they start drinking?* Susan thought, *Why can't they have a good time without having to beat someone else up as well*. She then blushed guiltily remembering when she had got really drunk once Susan had trashed the Casino because some idiot had tried to chat her up. She laughed remembering that the owner had banned her for nearly 6 months which was bad enough but she'd had to pay a large compensation package too. Jeff and Michael had smoothed things over with the owner. Luckily, she hadn't actually assaulted him although according to Michael she'd come close. Susan fought her way through the crush to where she could see Stephen working. She turned her head to avoid watching a drunk vomiting against the wall. A medical technician was trying to get him to be sick in a bowl but was failing miserably. "Susan" Stephen greeted the Station's first officer. "Hi Stephen. Busy tonight aren't you?" Susan replied sarcastically. "You noticed!" Stephen shot back. "You look like you need more staff down here?" Susan replied more seriously. "We could always use more staff, Commander" Stephen replied and laughed, "It'll die down in a couple of hours. There are no serious injuries!" "So why have you called me down here. I ts nearly 3 in the morning and I was about to go home to bed. Marcus'll think I've deserted him if I don't get back soon. I was supposed to have come off shift over 5 hours ago". "Busy night?" Stephen inquired. "You could say that" Susan replied evenly. "Well I doubt Marcus will have missed you at home because he's here" Stephen informed her. A wave of stomach churning fear swept through Susan. "What! Laura's okay isn't she?" Susan inquired hastily. "She's fine... I don't know what Marcus has done with her but she's not here with him and since he's not worried then I'm sure she's safe." "Where is she? Marcus was supposed to be looking after her tonight. He didn't mention he was going out." Susan was beginning to get confused and worried. Then her mind back tracked <> she thought. Susan's tiredness was catching up with her. "Why is Marcus here?" "That's simple... he fell down some stairs!" "He fell down some stairs?" Susan was confused. "Yes, he fell down some stairs!" Stephen was trying not to laugh. "How did my sorry excuse for a husband fall down the stairs, when he was supposed to be at home, in our quarters, looking after our child" Susan couldn't decide whether she should be angry or not. She was just too tired. "I don't know, he refuses to say and every time I try to get any details out of him he gets all embarrassed and clams up" "Where is he? Marcus and I are going to have a little friendly chat. I've got enough to do without him doing this". Susan's mood was swinging to its annoyed phase. He's in one of the back rooms, follow me and I'll show you" Stephen replied. - - - - - - - - - - - - - Stephen forced a way for them through the throng and Susan followed him into a treatment room and immediately spotted Marcus on a bed. A harassed looking medical technician was plastering up Marcus' lower right arm and wrist. Marcus also had a large cut on his forehead and he was looking pale and dis-shelved. Marcus' brown cloak was lying by his side and it had a large tear in it. He also had some rather unfortunate marks on his shirt which Susan spotted instantly. "Susan - what are you doing here?" Marcus asked brightly when he saw his wife as though this was a normal meeting under normal conditions. Susan stared evenly at him and he had the grace to look a bit guilty but then she replied with biting sarcasm. "Where else would I be at 3 in the morning? In bed? Unfortunately, I don’t appear to have been allowed that pleasure yet" Susan continued to stare at her husband, awaiting a full explanation. When one was wasn't instantly forthcoming Susan spoke again. "Right Marcus. I'm going to ask you several questions. Your answers had better be precise and to the point." Marcus shifted uneasily on the treatment table. "First, where's Laura?" Susan's voice may have appeared calm to anyone who didn't know her well but to Marcus it held hidden insights into his wife's present mood. He knew an explosion was imminent if he wasn't careful. "She's with Lennier" Marcus informed her rapidly. "She's with Lennier?" <> why was she repeating everything everyone said to her. Her fatigue was turning her mad. "Okay" Susan smiled tightly, "We'll discuss that later" Susan knew now that Laura was perfectly safe. Lennier was quite capable of looking after her daughter and did so quite often. "Why are you not at home with her?" "I had to meet a contact unexpectedly in Down Below" "Okay, I'm with you so far" Susan replied, "How did you fall down the stairs?" Marcus looked at Stephen who was waiting with baited breath to hear the answer, "Can't we discuss this later?" he inquired hopefully, "In private". Susan's reply was short and sweet, "Not if you want to live! How did you fall down the stairs Marcus. I want to know now." "I was avoiding someone I didn't want to see and forgot to look where I was going" Marcus replied quietly, embarrassment written all over his face. "Okay, I'll accept that but now Marcus we have the key question and I want you to think carefully, very carefully, before you answer. Okay?" "Okay" Marcus replied frowning. "Your life might depend on your answer" Susan informed him, "Okay?" "Okay!" "Why have you got someone else's lipstick on your shirt?" Susan demanded, " and the answer had better be good!" "I was trying to avoid her. She wouldn't leave me alone. She was all over me before I could get away and that's when I fell down the stairs." Marcus replied in a rush. Susan took a deep breath. she trusted Marcus and knew he wouldn't lie to her. Surprisingly, she was definitely surprised, a wave of jealousy swept through her. <> she thought, <>. Susan knew she was seriously tired when she actually considered going down into the station's depths and thumping this woman for making her life more difficult. Marcus waited in dread for her to reply and didn't interrupt Susan's musings but Stephen wasn't so circumspect and he burst out laughing. Marcus and Susan glared at him. "Dr. Franklin" Susan spoke with an acid tongue. "Yes, Commander?" "I think you're neglecting your other patients" Susan informed him. "No. They're coping" Stephen replied evenly. Stephen wasn't so adept as Marcus at reading Susan's moods and was unaware he was skating on very thin ice. "Stephen, maybe I'm not making myself clear, find another patient to treat or there might be another patient in here with Marcus although he won't have fallen down the stairs I'll have pushed him down them. As Delenn likes to say *If you value your life be some where else*. Then realizing she'd prefer to finish this discussion at home in private, "I taking Marcus home now". The Med-tech had finished Marcus' arm and Susan grabbed his other arm and dragged him towards the door. Marcus who has often been accused of having a death wish turned to Stephen. "Isn't it nice having a wife who loves you!" Susan stopped dead at this comment. She turned to Stephen and spoke, "I understand you have a spare cot in your quarters?" "Yes" Stephen replied warily. "Good! I'd hate for Marcus to have to sleep in down below". Without even stopping to look at her husband she left the room. Marcus groaned, "Damn! why can't I keep my mouth shut?" "I often wondered that myself" Stephen replied, " I suppose that means you want to stay at my place" Marcus replied gloomily, "Yes please. I'll need some sleep before I face Susan in the morning". "Rather you than me." "Thanks" *************************** The next morning Michael, Susan and John gathered in the Captain's office for the morning briefing. All 3 of them looked like death warmed up and John greeted both of them as they entered his room. "My God! You two look as bad as I feel". John had hardly slept and had spent the night worrying about leaving his family behind when he died. He couldn't decide when he should tell his children about his limited life span or whether he should not worry them and keep it quiet. "Thanks, Captain" Garibaldi replied sarcastically, "Lets make this briefing brief then, I need some sleep" "Good idea!" Susan put in, "I can go back to bed in another 10 hours after my next shift" Susan had finally got bed at 0400 hours that morning after picking up Laura from Lennier. However, her daughter had decided against sleeping any more and Susan had got no sleep. As she entered the Captain's room she'd poured herself 3 coffees and proceeded to down them straight away. She might just survive the day if she could keep drinking coffee all day. At 0800 hours she'd dropped Laura at the day care center, left a message with Stephen for Marcus to collect her at 12 noon and then headed for C & C and Sheridan's office. "What I'd do for some uninterrupted sleep includes selling my soul to the shadows at the moment." Susan continued. "Lets get this briefing over with then" John started, "How's the Drazi situation, Michael?" "The green's on the Drazi home world have almost won as soon as that’s confirmed I'll organize a station-wide announcement and then the violence should end pretty quickly." Michael stated, "Then we'll just have to set the ombudsman on those Drazi we can convict for actual crimes. That should keep him busy for at least a fortnight." "Okay, that’s great Michael." John replied and turned to Susan, "How's the escort situation for our refugee fleet?" "The Agamemnon and White Star 15 are going. There are plenty of fighters on Captain Preece's ship therefore it should be easy. They'll leave in 6 hours time. We've only got one problem" Susan advised him. "What's that?" John asked resigned to this. There was always a problem. He knew things could never go smoothly. "The White Star's Captain is ill and we'll need a replacement" "How about Marcus?" John questioned. "Marcus can't go!" Susan snapped. Michael and John frowned at her in surprise and waited for an explanation. "He's got a broken arm and a concussion" Susan stated simply. "Oh" Michael replied innocently. "Just don't ask how he managed that. You don't want to know" Susan replied, "But he can't go." "Okay" John replied carefully. He could see his first officer was mad about something but decided wisely not to question Marcus' activities. "Why don't you go instead?" John spoke again to Susan, "You could sleep on the way there." Michael and John looked at Susan. "But you need me here!" Susan replied indignantly. "We should be able to cope without you, just!" Michael spoke up sarcastically. "And you could do with a break" John put in, <> he thought. "Okay, I'll go" Susan smiled. The first that had crossed her lips in days, "I could sleep for about 24 hours before we reach the refugee fleet. I'll go and speak to Marcus and organize it" Susan left the office looking happier than she had in days. Michael and John watched her go. "She's very tired" Michael spoke first. "She's been working late and Laura's been keeping her awake too" John put in, "The break will do her good. So do you know how Marcus hurt himself?" "Stephen filled me in on all the gory details. Susan's very tired and Marcus should know better than to piss her off when she's in that sort of mood. He's got an admirer in down below...." Michael started the story. 10 minutes later and John knew the whole sorry story. "I suppose we're lucky Susan was too tired to go down and confront her" Michael finished. "Anyway there was another thing I wanted to mention. We had an illegal transmission on the station last night." "Could you trace it?" John asked. "No! But I've got the computers trying to decrypt it. I'll keep you advised" "Okay" John replied, "Now I've got to get to a council meeting with Delenn and you get some sleep. I'll see you in 12 hours." ******************************** Daniel re-entered the Zocalo but headed for a different bar this time whilst still abiding the cameras. He'd checked out the viability of his assignment and now could reply. He carefully set up the equipment on a small round table in one corner of the bar. From there he could see both entrances and make sure no-one was paying him too close attention. He typed in the access code and sent his message. RE ASSIGNMENT: Will proceed as planned. RE OBSTRUCTIONS: Alexander is on long term placement on Centauri Prime and is therefore no threat. Ivanova will leave station in approximately 6 hours and will return in one week. I suggest termination take place off station to remove threat. He sent message and waited for the reply. It appeared within a minute. TERMINATION CONTRACT has been issued for SUSAN IVANOVA proceed with assignment as scheduled. From: "Alison Laker" Subject: The Terror - Part 2 Date: Sat, 4 Apr 1998 19:01:09 +0100 "The Terror" Part 2: by Ali Standard Disclaimer: All characters and settings etc. belong to JMS and Warner Bros. and I'm just playing with them for a minute. ************************ Part 2 The Terror by Ali xuj42@dial.pipex.com ************************ Zack was just finishing his shift in the security office when Michael Garibaldi, his boss, wondered in. "Have a nice sleep Chief?" Zack asked. "A beautiful non-interrupted sleep. Thanks Zack" Michael knew that Zack had avoided interrupting him over some of the trivial stuff that in theory he should have woken his boss up for. "So is it all quiet on the western front?" Michael inquired. "Mainly, a few Drazi problems but once we advised them of the green victory on their home-world things got real quiet, real quick." Zack informed him, "Oh and we had another of those illegal transmissions" "Another one!" Michael frowned. He knew this meant trouble but wasn't sure what sort of trouble. "The computer is trying to decrypt it at the moment. The bad news is the security computer crashed this morning and lost all data input yesterday including the first transmission" Zack informed him nervously. "Damn!" Michael swore, "Was it accidental or did someone hack in?" "Don't know. If it was hacked, they're good ones. I can't find any evidence of them" "Get Miroshi up here. He's our resident expert on the computer and electronic crime maybe he can reconstruct something. I want to know who's transmitting and what they don't want to us to know" "He's working on another case at the moment." Zack informed Michael. "This is more important. I can feel it. Get him up here straight-away" "Okay" Zack turned to the board and sent a signal to Miroshi to return to base. "Let me know as soon as the message has been decrypted." Michael ordered, "I'm going to get some food, sleeping gives me an appetite." Michael left security central. *********************** Susan entered the quarters she shared with Marcus and Laura. She went straight to the bedroom and started to pack what she needed for a week away. Marcus would be back soon with Laura and she wanted to be finished by the time he got there. She was just carrying the bag out into the main living area when Marcus entered their quarters. Marcus had Laura sat on one hip eating a banana or most of it anyway, a large percentage of it was smeared around Laura's face and on Marcus' cloak. Susan noted that her husband was still looking ill. The sharp bright cut on his forehead contrasted with the pale features of his face. His broken arm had been placed in a sling and was strapped to his chest. The one thing he hadn't expected to see on arriving in their quarters was Susan with her bags packed and his heart sank and nausea rose in his throat. "Where are you going?" he demanded more sharply than he meant to. Susan came forward and took Laura from him. "I've got to go away for a week to escort some refugees through the raider territory out near Narn space." "But we need to talk about last night" Marcus stated firmly but it was obvious he was upset. "I was tired last night Marcus. I shouldn't have thrown you out" Susan replied simply. "You still look tired now" Marcus interrupted with concern. "Laura wouldn't sleep when I retrieved her from Lennier's. Besides I'll sleep on the way." Susan advised him. Susan had known Marcus wouldn't like the idea of her going off on her own. They had barely been separated since they had all been kidnapped by the Psi-Corp and Earth Gov. This had been when Laura was born. "You should have left Laura with Lennier. He wouldn't have minded" Susan's attempts to be calm and not get annoyed snapped at that. "Well, if you'd been looking after Laura like you were supposed to, there wouldn't have been a problem." Susan tried to get her emotions under control again. She'd been all set up to apologize for being tired and snappy but Marcus' attempts at concern riled her seriously. "That's not fair Susan, I had to see that contact. He had some important information about shadow influence on B5 recently". Marcus tried to placate his wife. He could see she was exhausted and didn't want to get into an argument that they would regret later. Unfortunately, Susan's next irrational comment caused him to lose the fight to hold in his temper. "Oh yes and the woman whose lipstick was all over your shirt, did you have to see her too?" Susan asked bitchily. As soon as she spoke the words she knew that it was a mistake. Marcus would never betray her and his personal honor was very important to him. "You're not trying to imply that I went Down Below to see some woman? Are you? Because if you are I don't think we know each other as well as I thought we did." Marcus replied coldly, "Maybe if you were home a bit more and not off working in C & C all the time, you might have a bit more faith and trust in me. But you obviously don't." The blood drained from Susan's face as Marcus' words sank in and she could feel tears welling up in her eyes. "No...I'm sorry" Susan tried to make amends. She sat heavily down on the sofa, holding her head in her hands. She rubbed her eyes wearily. "I'm just so tired I'm not thinking straight. I'm so sorry Marcus." Susan felt dreadful, "I just need a rest". Susan spoke quietly trying with her words to calm the situation down between them. "Yes! You do need a rest. A bloody long one" Marcus was feeling angry and insulted still. Susan was torn between duty and finishing this disagreement before it soured their relationship. Unfortunately, Marcus' last words convinced her that they needed time apart to calm down. So duty won and she had to leave. "I've got to go now" Susan informed, "I'll see you in a week. Take care of Laura." Susan reached up to kiss Marcus goodbye but Marcus turned away, not wanting to face her in his current mood. "Goodbye Marcus. I'll ..." Susan continued but was cut off. "Goodbye" Marcus spoke terminating anything Susan had been about to say. Silence filled the room as Marcus stood with his back to his wife. "Oh for heavens sake stop acting like a spoiled child Marcus. I apologized. What more do you want." Susan replied ungraciously and without waiting for any further reply kissed Laura and passed her to Marcus and left the room. *********************************** Susan exited her quarters and headed for the docking bay. She was very upset and tears were threatening to escape once again. She desperately held them in. <> she thought, <>. This was all her fault for taking her exhaustion out on Marcus. <> she thought to herself. Susan arrived at Customs just in time to see G'kar arriving on B5. G'kar had been off station dealing with the problems on Narn and on Centauri Prime. "Hello G'kar. It's good to see you" Susan spoke first. "And to see you Commander. I need to speak to the War Council on urgent business. Can you arrange that for me?" G'kar instantly got down to business. "I'm just leaving on a mission. Contact the Captain or Mr. Garibaldi. Is it anything I should know about now?" Susan inquired. "Yes but it will wait until you get back. The Captain can deal with it." G'kar replied, "I'll see you soon Commander" "Yes Ambassador. I'll be back within the week" They parted company and Susan boarded her shuttle and then headed for the White Star. On arrival she contacted C & C for any last minute instructions. "Any last instructions Captain?" "Have a good sleep on the way. Captain Preece will let you know if there are any problems". "Yes Captain" Susan smiled, "Any instructions on the mission I meant Sir!" "No! I'm sure you'll handle it just fine" The Captain smiled. "I'll see you in a week then" "Good luck Commander and be careful" "I will be, Ivanova out". The White Star and Captain Preece's Agamemnon entered the jumpgate. **************************************** John smiled to himself. He was feeling pretty pleased with himself. Two problems dealt with or as the old phrase goes, two birds killed with one stone. Susan would get her sleep and the refugees would get their escort. The Drazi problem was over and things were calming down nicely. He was looking forward to seeing Delenn for more than 5 minutes of quick conversation between shifts and sleeping. All he wanted to do was read to David and Leanna and then spend the rest of the evening curled up on the sofa with his wife. John's pleasant thoughts were suddenly interrupted by Corwin. "Captain, I've got Ambassador G'kar on the link. He wants to convene a meeting of the War Council in an hour's time. He says its urgent!" "What! When did he get back?" Sheridan inquired. "Half an hour ago" Corwin advised him. "Damn! it must be pretty important then. Tell him that's fine and then notify everyone who need to be there. Okay?" "Yes Captain" <> John thought morosely to himself, <>. John sat down at Susan's station in C & C and stared out of the window sleepily but his contemplation of the stars was interrupted again. This time by Marcus rushing into the room with Laura. Marcus was struggling to carry Laura with only one arm and run at the same time. John stood up and helpfully took the small dark haired child from him. "Marcus, what's the matter?" John inquired putting Laura on the floor to play. "Has Susan gone?" Marcus inquired hopefully, "I need to speak to her" "I'm sorry Marcus. She left 5 minutes ago" John apologized. "Damn, Damn, Damn!" "Marcus! Do not swear in front of Laura." Delenn told him on entering the room with her two children, "What’s the matter" she reached the two men and John put his arm around her and kissed her lightly. Marcus looked embarrassed, "Susan and I had an argument! I wanted to apologize. It was my fault. I could see she was exhausted and didn't mean what she was saying" Marcus advised them shamefacedly. David began to play with Laura and before continuing Delenn passed her daughter to John to hold. She was growing up and was beginning to get heavy to carry for too long. "She'll know that once she's rested Marcus. Susan loves you. Don't worry." Delenn consoled him, "You can sort it out once she gets back. Now what’s this emergency meeting about." Delenn inquired. "G'kar wants to talk to us" John spoke up. "He's back?" Marcus inquired. "He's been back for about half an hour" Delenn frowned at her husband, "It must be important!" "Let's walk over to the War Room and find out" John stated. "Okay" They all exited C & C and headed for the War Room. ************************ The war room table was nearly full with Ambassador Delenn, Captain Sheridan, Zack Allan, David Corwin, Lennier, Stephen Franklin and Marcus Cole. The rest of the room had been emptied and the door to the room was guarded by 2 security officers. Michael arrived and entered the room. He walked over to the table and sat down. He immediately noticed the 2 children who were playing on the floor. David was building a tower with blocks and Laura was doing her best to knock it down before it got to high. Leanna was sitting on John's lap eating a cream cracker and getting crumbs all over her and her father. John, however, appeared unconcerned about the mess his daughter was making of him. Michael's obvious surprise at seeing the children there prompted John to speak. "G'kar wanted us all here and as we had little notice to get baby-sitters so we've brought the children with us. It won't be a problem." "I didn't say a word, did I?" Michael replied evenly. "You didn't have to. The look on your face was enough." John spoke up. "So why has everybody else left the room?" Michael asked looking around the room. There were usually staff collating and processing data in the back of the room. "G'kar requested full security and only those present to be here." Corwin spoke up. "So where is he then?" "He'll be here" Delenn replied, "Have patience" At that precise moment the door to the War room opened and G'kar entered and approached the table. John stood up, placing Leanna on one hip. "It's good to have you back here G'kar. Its not been the same without you here!" "You might not feel the same when you've heard what I've got to say Captain!" G'kar replied ominously. "That doesn't sound good" Stephen added. "Let me explain" G'kar spoke, "For the last 6 months both Narn and Centauri Prime have suffered from an enormous increase in sabotage, political murders and terrorist activity." "Why haven't we heard about this before?" Marcus asked in surprise. "At first the events seemed isolated and unconnected but eventually we caught some of the suspects. The first ones were shot dead after refusing to lay down their arms despite being completely surrounded. They still tried to shoot their way out which was a completely suicidal action. When they were dead we discovered they had creatures attached to their necks." "You found keepers" John spoke up in horror. "If that's what they're called. Yes, we found keepers. We also found some on living people too!" "Wait a minute" Michael intervened, "What's a keeper?" "An agent of the shadows. We have files on them from the war Valen fought" Delenn informed them, "They control their victims actions but they can't be seen until their victim is dead." "Or drunk" John added. "Only telepaths can detect them in living people. They can be removed by surgery but the risks are high. Several victims have died as a result of us attempting to remove them." G'kar informed them. "So what are you doing about this" Marcus asked. "We've set up a screening process to try and detect the victims and its working in the first week we found nearly a 1000 across the Narn home-world." G'kar advised them, "What I'm here to suggest is you set up a screening process here too" "Yes, I think that would be a be a good idea and I want telepaths in the customs area to check incoming visitors" John decided instantly, "Its not an invasion of privacy as they won't be listening to our thoughts only to see if there are any keeper thought processes apparent". "Captain" G'kar interrupted, "I would suggest you get everybody who works in C & C or security checked first". "That's probably the best idea" Michael added, "How many telepaths do we have on board?" John thought about it, "Lyta's on Centauri Prime, Susan's not here and so we have none on B5 but there must be some on the Minbari cruisers that are guarding the station at the moment". John looked at Delenn for advice. Delenn smiled, "Yes there are at least a dozen. Lennier could you speak to the Alyt and see if we can have the assistance of several telepaths for an unknown time" "Of course Delenn" Lennier answered politely, "I will see to it as soon as we finish here" "I want Michael and Zack to concentrate on setting up these check points. Okay? That's your priority at the moment" John ordered. "No problem" Michael replied, "I've got Miroshi dealing with our communications problem. He'll let us know as soon as he finds anything" "Great. That just leaves you Stephen. We need you to supply tranq guns to get Med-lab ready in case we have to remove a keeper from anyone our telepaths find." "I can get that organized tonight" Stephen replied and then turning to G'kar, "Is there any information you can give me on removing these things?" "The success rate of removal is 40 per cent. I'll send you a file with all the info our own doctors have gathered but it's not very extensive so don't expect much." G'kar replied. "Whatever you can give me will help" Stephen replied not looking at all happy at what was being asked of him. "Okay then, we'll screen all of us, C & C and security tomorrow morning and start screening the rest of the station via checkpoints the next day. That’s all for now. We'll meet again at 0900 hours tomorrow morning." The meeting broke up again and everybody began to make their way to the exit. Marcus walked over to his daughter and picked her up. "Come on little one. Lets get you home to bed" Marcus wasn't happy. He was feeling bad about what he'd said to Susan before she left and now had this new worry over keepers being on the station. He smiled to himself. No-one had ever been able to make his as angry as Susan could which was probably why he loved her. Before he met her his heart had been dead and his life empty. Now, he had his own family. Laura snuggled up against her dad's shoulder and proceeded to fall asleep. Marcus had noticed she'd been rubbing her eyes whilst the meeting had been going on. This sign of tiredness that Laura always exhibited before she fell asleep could also have heralded crying. Laura tended to get grumpy and grizzly when she was tired. They were lucky. He headed towards the exit. John and Delenn were the last to leave with David and Leanna. "Do you realize that we've got the whole evening spare?" John spoke, "Once we've put these two to bed" "I've been thinking about that all day" Delenn replied. Delenn's evening trade meeting had been canceled as one of the delegation had decided to check with his home-world for advise before proceeding. Delenn reached and kissed him placing both hands to his face and pulling his face down to her level. John forgot everything that had happened at the meeting and concentrated on his wife. He'd always marveled at how Delenn could so easily divert his attention away from his troubles. Delenn took David's hand and John carried Leanna and they left for home. *************************** Susan woke up on a Minbari bed on the White Star. Usually she couldn't sleep on the sloping beds but before she'd laid down she had convinced herself that she could have slept on a bed of nails if no-one had interrupted her. She checked the time to discover that she had slept for over 24 hours solid. Susan realized that she had finally been woken by a summons to the bridge as it was repeated again. She got up and headed for the bridge. She couldn't believe how good she felt. All she needed now was some breakfast and the day would be nearly perfect. Her summons to the bridge had been the result of Captain Preece hailing her from the Agamemnon. "Commander, I hope you've had a pleasant sleep" Andrew inquired politely. "Captain, you wouldn't believe how much better I feel at the moment" Susan replied smiling, "Now how do you wish us to proceed on this escort mission" "We'll reach the raider territory in an hour. I would suggest the Agamemnon leads and the White Star follows the fleet. I'll put Alpha Wing star furies out to cover the rest of the ground" Andrew replied. "Sounds good to me" Susan smiled, "Its nice to be doing a straight forward job for a change". A sudden burst of envy hit her. It must be nice having your own ship like Captain Preece did, not having all the additional worries that running a diplomatic and commercial station entails. "I always wanted to have my own ship. Explore space." Susan spoke wistfully, "I wanted everyday to be an adventure. I wanted to fly" "You've done that" Andrew was concerned about the melancholy turn this conversation had taken. "Besides, you're life hasn't been short of adventure." Andrew didn't know the Commander that well but as far as he could see she was a vital cog in the smooth running of B5 and had found a place where she was needed and loved. Andrew was often lonely. There was no special someone in his life. He found it difficult to get close to people although he wasn't short of admirers. His six foot 6 height and short dark hair ensured him of this and especially his dark green eyes which were almost hypnotic. He just had never met that special someone. "You do wonderful work on B5, You've got a man who loves you and a beautiful little girl and anytime you want to fly you can always borrow a star fury" Andrew informed her. "You're right so lets get these refugees across the sector and get home" Susan replied shrugging off her momentary melancholy, a bit embarrassed by her outburst. "We're just starting to read the fleet on long range scanners." Andrew interrupted changing the topic of conversation, "I'll get the star fury squadron scrambled and get this show on the road" "Okay, lets do it, Ivanova out" Susan terminated the link with the Agamemnon and headed the White Star towards the end of the fleet. ********************************* 12 hours later and everything appeared to be going to plan. Susan was sitting in her command chair watching the fleet ahead of her. They might not be the most efficient ships she'd ever seen, as they had obviously seen better days but they were still fascinating to look at. The outside of the ships were covered in a skin of shimmering blues, pinks and greens which flickered and alternated. Susan had been told that the colors of the ships were determined by the emotions of the crew on board and when in danger went bright red. she wondered what the colors at present meant. She was pondering this when Nedira, her communications officer spoke to her. "We are getting a distress call from a ship behind the moon we just passed, Commander but its audio only" "Let me hear it" Susan ordered. "This is the Brattori ship Dagger to any ships in the vicinity. We have been attacked by raiders, engines have failed and we are adrift. We require urgent assistance. Can any one hear us?" The voice sounded desperate and was repeating the message over and over again. "Signal Captain Preece that we are going to check this out and see if we can be of assistance" Susan spoke to Nedira. "At once, Commander" Susan gave orders to take the White Star towards the moon. As the White Star cleared the moon she could see the Dagger ahead of them. It was obvious why the ship was now adrift as an explosion had ripped out the back of the ship where the engines were located. "Open a channel to them" Susan ordered, "These people are going to need to be evacuated off that ship." Nedira opened the Channel and suddenly the White Star was filled with a high pitched screaming noise. Susan turned to Nedira to get her to close the communication channel but the noise got higher and a wave of dizziness and nausea swept through her. The pain began to grow in her head. Susan desperately tried to shut out the noise by putting her hands over her ears. Susan was vaguely aware that the Minbari crew were collapsing around her. She continued to try and shut out the noise but failed. Blood began to run from her ears and nose and then she vomited. She fell to the floor and curled up in a fetal position until she could stand the pain no more. Marcus and Laura's faces appeared before her but she knew Marcus couldn't save her from this. She clutched the Star of David around her neck. Her last thoughts before the darkness and terror claimed her was of her family. She didn't want them to be alone without her. Then there was only darkness and all thought ceased. From: "Alison Laker" Subject: The Terror - part 3 Date: Sat, 4 Apr 1998 21:31:26 +0100 "The Terror" Part 3: by Ali Standard Disclaimer: All characters and settings belong to JMS and Warner Bros. I'm just borrowing them for a bit and promise to return them. ************************************* I should warn everyone that I started writing the following chapters quite soon after my dad died and I was feeling morbid and depressed at the time. You don't realize quite how much of what you are comes from your parents until you lose one. I always believed that no matter what happened to me, mum and dad would always be there and for dad to die so young just took away a feeling of security that if anything bad happened they'd be there. Anyway I'm waffling. Let get to the story. ************************ Part 3 The Terror by Ali xuj42@dial.pipex.com ************************* On board B5, four Minbari telepaths were systematically checking all the command staff, security staff and rangers present on B5 for keepers. Captain Sheridan and Ambassador Delenn were present the whole time, waiting to see if their operations had been subject to keeper intrusion. John had watched as each member of staff had entered, walked past the telepaths and left. It reminded him all to much of when Talia Winters had been uncovered as an unwitting spy for Psi-Corp and Earth Gov. He was glad Susan wasn't there as he knew it would drag up unwanted memories for her especially knowing what Talia had become after her unmasking. Several rangers including Marcus had been present with tranq guns just in case and Stephen had also hung about in case of trouble. Med-lab 2 was also on alert. After 4 hours of checks no keepers had been found and a smile of relief crossed John's face. Delenn reached out and kissed him. "Well, that's a good start isn't it" Marcus interrupted from the side of the room putting his tranq gun down, "No key staff are infected". Delenn smiled, "Its wonderful. I didn't want to even think about the results if we'd been compromised" "Lets not get our hopes up too soon, we still have to check the rest of the station". John reminded them. "I know" Marcus replied, "But I'm still happier than I was last night". Michael walked into the office then and spoke, "So I hear we've got the all clear. I'll set up the station checkpoints during the afternoon and afterwards we can just keep a checkpoint at customs. I'll get back to security central and get it organized" Michael exited the room nearly as quickly as he'd arrived. The reason for this was that he was also waiting to find out the results of the second encrypted message he'd intercepted and hurried to his office. Miroshi, knowing how concerned Garibaldi was, had speeded up the decryption process by some rewiring of the computer system. The decrypted message was expected imminently. On entering security central he called across to Miroshi who was seated at the control board. "Have you got it?" Michael demanded. "The computers just about to show us the message" Miroshi informed him. "Let me see" Michael strolled over to the control board and stared as the message scrolled onto the screen. RE ASSIGNMENT: will proceed as planned. RE OBSTRUCTIONS: Alexander is on long term placement on Centauri Prime, therefore is no threat. Ivanova will leave station in approximately 6 hours and return in one week. Suggest termination take place off station. >Termination contract has been issued for Susan Ivanova. Proceed with assignment. "Shit!" Michael spoke as he bolted for door whilst reaching for his link, "Garibaldi to Sheridan". "Sheridan. Go" "Meet me in C & C now. Its ultra-violet priority" "What?" John's surprise and concern could me heard down the link. "Meet me!" "Okay, Sheridan out" Garibaldi ran to C & C. A deep fear leant added speed to his actions and Garibaldi burst into C & C. Sheridan hadn't arrived yet, so Michael dealt with Corwin. "Get me a channel through to White Star 15 and Ivanova NOW! It's urgent" he demanded quickly. Corwin leaped to obey whilst Garibaldi walked up and down restlessly. "I can't get a channel open" Corwin replied. "Try the Agamemnon. Hurry!" Garibaldi ordered just as John and Delenn entered C & C. Each looked decidedly serious, knowing that ultra-violet requests were the highest priority available. "What’s happened Michael" John needed only to look at Michael’s face to know whatever it was, it was very bad. "I got the decrypted translation of the illegal transmission" "What does it say?" "I think you had better read it" Michael passed it to him and John quickly scanned it and paled at its implications. "I've got the Agamemnon for you" Corwin called out, "Still no reply from the White Star" Captain Preece appeared on the screen and spoke, "What's the problem Captain?". Andrew could see the worried faces in C & C. "We can't get hold of the White Star?" "Commander Ivanova took it to answer a distress signal" Andrew informed them frowning, "But they shouldn't be out of communication range" "Its a trap, Andrew. Someone wants her dead. There's a termination contract out for her". Andrew's face went white and he spoke to his crew, "Launch Beta wing, get them back to the White Star now" he ordered. "What ship was in trouble" Michael asked. "The Brattori ship Dagger. Susan went to check it out about an hour ago" Andrew replied quickly. "And you haven't heard from her since" "No" Andrew was upset, "She said she'd contact us if there was a problem" One of Andrew's officers called out to him, "We're getting feed from Beta squadron now Captain and we're patching it through to Babylon 5. Captain Preece disappeared from the screen and the view from the lead star fury of Beta squadron could be seen. John, Delenn and Michael watched as the moon and in the distance the White Star and another ship, presumably the Dagger could be seen. They could hear the voice of the star fury pilot. "We are getting no response from the White Star or the Dagger. Repeat no response" Captain Preece could be heard, "Go in for a closer look, Beta leader" the words had barely left the Captain's mouth when the view screen was lit up by massive explosion which engulfed the White Star, the Dagger and the Star fury filming it. The view screen went completely blank. Captain Preece appeared moments later shocked and pale, "The White Star, the Dagger and Beta leader are gone. There's nothing left. I'm sorry" John knew he had to give orders so he switched off all thoughts about what he'd just witnessed and spoke, "Is there any evidence of survivors". "None" "Collect all the debris you can and return as soon as you've finished escorting the refugees through the sector. It might help us to piece together what went wrong, Sheridan out" John turned to look at the occupants of C & C. He walked up to Delenn who was sobbing quietly and pulled her towards him into his arms. He glanced across at Michael. Michael looked haggard, as though he'd aged suddenly. This reminded Michael all to much of the explosion that had killed a friend of his at Europa. He just couldn't believe it. Susan was dead. Susan was dead. Susan was dead. The words kept rattling around his mind but he just couldn't take it in. Delenn continued to cry in John's arms. John didn't know what to do next. Susan had always been there on B5 with him. He considered her one of his best friends and loved her like a sister. This could not be happening. It was all to sudden, too quick. His thoughts were interrupted by Michael. "Who is going to tell Marcus?" Michael asked softly. They all stared at him in horror. They knew Marcus would be destroyed by this. They hadn't just lost Susan, they were going to lose Marcus too. ************************ John, Delenn and Lennier stood at the door of the quarters shared by Susan and Marcus. The door chime rang and they waited for Marcus to let them enter. The door opened and they saw Marcus lying on the floor playing with Laura. She was crawling around him and giggling in delight as he pulled funny faces. John felt sick. He was almost struck dumb at the thought of what he was going to have to tell the man in front of him. Delenn was still tear stained and Lennier was pale and shocked. Marcus looked up at them and smiled but on seeing their faces his smile died. "What's the matter. Did you find a keeper?" he asked concerned now. "Lennier, could you take Laura to your quarters now while we talk with Marcus" Delenn requested quietly. Lennier walked over to Laura. She smiled up at him innocently unaware of what she had just lost. <>. Lennier thought, another tear began slipping down his face. "Lennier, what’s wrong?" Marcus demanded. "Lennier, go now" Delenn told him, "Marcus sit down. We need to speak with you alone." Lennier left the room. Marcus sat down on the sofa, the blood draining from his face. Nausea, was rising in his stomach and suddenly he was very, very afraid, "It's Susan, isn't it?" Marcus demanded, "She's hurt?" Marcus looked from John to Delenn and saw their pain. "I'm sorry Marcus" John began. "NO!" Marcus interrupted, "She can't be dead. She's escorting refugees that’s not dangerous" "The White Star exploded" Delenn added. "NO, it can't have. I'd know if she was dead. She couldn't have died without me. We promised..." "Marcus, she's dead" John stated simply. Telling Marcus this was killing John. It reminded him all too much of when he'd heard Anna's ship had exploded and that his wife was dead. It brought it all back. All the pain, anger and guilt he'd suffered following the death. He wished he could take Marcus' pain away but he knew he couldn't. All he could do was be there if Marcus needed him. "It must be a mistake. She can't be dead" Marcus stated. "She's dead Marcus. We saw the White Star explode" John spoke again. "You saw it?" "A star fury recorded the explosion and relayed it to us" "Why?" Now the blow that John knew might destroy Marcus. "Someone put out a death contract on her. We were trying to contact her when the explosion happened" John advised him. Marcus turned in shock to John and Delenn. "Someone had her killed?" Marcus jumped up and ran for the bathroom. He was sick again and again. Delenn followed after him and helped him up when he'd finished. Then came back into the main room. "Who did this?" Marcus demanded. "We don't know." John stated, "Michael's trying to find out. "She should be alive" Marcus' voice cracked, "Oh no how could she leave me all alone. I'm nothing without her." Marcus began to cry great heartbroken sobs, "Not again, not Susan too. Please I need her. Tell me she's not dead" "I’m sorry Marcus" Delenn reached out and touched his face, "I'm so very sorry. We all loved her too". Marcus leaped away from the contact. Marcus' sobs continued, "I can't believe it. Its not fair. It took so long to find her, so long to make her mine and now she's gone. She's just gone. Why does everyone I love die? My brother, my friends, Susan. Why? WHY? Delenn tell me" . Marcus began pacing the room, "She shouldn't have gone on that mission." He stared accusingly at John, "Why did you have to send her? Tell me? Look at you for heavens sake. You're supposed to be dead. How come you get to live and Susan's dead? Its not fair. Its just not fair" Marcus shouted angrily. "I want you both to leave now. I want to be alone." "Marcus, you shouldn't be alone" Delenn stated simply. "Leave me alone. You've done enough damage as it is. Just leave me alone". John stood up, "We'll leave you along for now Marcus but we'll be back" Delenn got up too and they headed for the door. Their last sight before the door shut was of Marcus sitting on the sofa rocking backwards and forwards. Marcus didn't know what to do. He felt like he was going to explode with the pain inside him. He had always believed that it would probably be him who died first. He'd never seriously considered life without Susan even after she'd been kidnapped by Psi-Corp last year. He'd known he'd get her back but now there was nothing he could do. She was lost to him forever. Marcus just laid on the sofa and wept. Shudders racked his body and wouldn't stop. Then he just lay there in complete shock, not moving staring into space. ******************************* Next day Stephen entered Marcus' quarters to see how he was doing. It was mid-afternoon but Marcus was still laying unmoving on the sofa. "Marcus?" Stephen spoke, "Can you hear me?". He received no response, "Marcus, speak to me. Its Stephen". Stephen looked into Marcus' unseeing eyes and decided that Marcus needed to be in Med-lab where they could keep an eye on him. Marcus was put on a trolley and taken there. Once Stephen had got him settled he spoke to John and Delenn. "He's in a state of catatonic shock" Stephen stated, "I've got a few things that should bring him out of it though". "We're holding a memorial service for Susan and the other dead tomorrow Stephen. Do you think he'll be able to attend?" John inquired. "We'll have to wait and see" Stephen informed him. "This state he's in is suppressing all his emotions. The drugs I can give him will allow him to grieve but I don't know whether he'll up to a public service just yet." John had spent the day since Susan's death organizing a memorial service. This was delaying the keeper check points which would now start tomorrow after the memorial service. He had only a few people whom he had to inform of her death. Everyone else had heard the news themselves. Organizing the service was keeping him from thinking to much of what Susan's death would mean for him emotionally, mentally and work wise. It was just too much to take in. He just couldn't believe that Susan had been snuffed out so quickly and easily and that he couldn't have done anything to stop it. He wondered how Delenn was coping. She had spent the morning on a com-line to Minbar telling the families of the Minbari crew of the deaths of their loved ones. It was an awful job but Delenn had refused any help from Lennier and had insisted on doing it herself. Michael had fallen back on his work to stop himself thinking. Who ever was behind this was going to pay and Michael was investigating who would want Susan and Lyta out of the way. It must have something to do with their telepathy but what? He was hoping the remains of the White Star might provide some clues as to what had happened out in the darkness of space unseen. It would take time but Michael was going to make someone pay for this. He had heard about Marcus being moved to Med-lab. So many lives ruined but Michael was gong to make sure they paid for this, whatever the cost, however long it took. From: "Alison Laker" Subject: A Shining Beacon - part 4 Date: Sat, 4 Apr 1998 21:49:35 +0100 "The Terror" Part 4: by Ali Standard Disclaimer: The characters and settings belong to JMS and Warner Brothers, I'm just borrowing them for a bit. **************************** The poem is not mine either but I don't know who wrote it. It means a lot to me personally and that’s why I've included it here. *************************** Part 4 The Terror by Ali xuj42@dial.pipex.com *************************** Marcus stood numb with shock in the room where Susan's memorial service was about to start. He just stared straight ahead of him not listening to or hearing the sympathetic words he was receiving from his friends. It was as though the light that had illuminated his life since 2260 had been extinguished and all that was left was the empty shell of his body which refused to realize it was dead. Brother Theo read a short piece which was all that Marcus could remember from the service when he tried to recall it later. Do not stand at my grave and weep I am not there, I do not sleep I am a thousands winds that blow I am the diamond glints on snow I am the sunlight on ripened grain I am the gentle autumn rain When you awaken in the morning hush I am the uplifting rush Of quiet birds in circled flight I am the soft stars that shine at night Do not stand at my grave and cry I am not there I did not die Marcus held Laura in his arms and knew that he should pull himself together for her sake but as hard as he tried the numbness and dullness of mind would not lift. He didn't hear anything else that was said. To either side of him John and Delenn watched their friend and knew that part of him had died along with Susan. Both took their turns to say words to those gathered and then rejoined Marcus. Delenn reached out to take Marcus' hand to try and give him strength but he flinched away as if stung. John saw his reaction and saw the pain it was causing Delenn but knew from experience that they couldn't force Marcus to let his feelings out. John's thoughts kept returning to the days after he had lost Anna. He'd traveled through that time like an automaton doing his duties automatically without thought. Marcus needed to let his feelings out but John could see that they were walled up in side him and Marcus refused to release them because the pain was too great. The service ended and Marcus kissed Laura then passed her to Delenn and made for the door without saying another word. "Where are you going Marcus" Michael stepped in front of him. "Away from here. I need to be alone" Marcus nearly collided with him so completely unaware of his surroundings was he. Without further comment Marcus exited the room. Michael called Zack over. "Follow him, keep him out of trouble and let me know if you need me" "Yes chief" Zack followed behind Marcus carefully. Michael approached John and Delenn, "He's not looking to good is he?" Michael spoke. "Its early days yet. We'll have to keep a close eye on him. Stephen wasn't overly keen on letting him out of Med-lab today" John advised, "But he thought it might help him to come to terms with it." "A sort of closure" Delenn added. "I think he barely registered what was happening. I've sent Zack to keep an eye on him" Michael stated, "He'll let me know if Marcus has any trouble. Now I've got to start these keeper checks. I'll keep you advised". Michael left. Delenn hugged little Laura to her. The young child was oblivious to anything being wrong and giggled. She started pulling Delenn's hair. The little child's happy face, started the tears rolling down Delenn's face again. "Oh no Delenn, don't cry" John dragged Laura and Delenn to him and hugged them. "Its not fair. She was so young and Marcus loved her so much" She managed to speak but her voice kept breaking, "Laura won't even remember her. She's to little" John kissed Delenn and Laura on their foreheads eliciting giggles from the little girl. "We'll make sure she remembers. We'll give her pictures and tell her all about Susan. We'll never forget her, Delenn. Never. You're right she was special, so very special" John held his wife in a long jug, "We better go and pick David and Leanna up from the day care center and take Laura home with us until Marcus is ready to see her." "Yes John" Delenn reached up and wiped the tears from her husbands face, "We'd better get on. You pick them up and I'll take Laura home. She needs changing". *********************** Michael watched carefully as his security guards checked people's identicards. There was a long queue building up but all entries to the Zocalo were now blocked with check points so they couldn't be avoided if you wanted to enter the area. Michael watched the telepaths for any signal to detain anyone and noticed the alertness of the 2 other guards holding the tranq guns. He was desperately hoping that the checkpoints wouldn't find any keepers. 3 hours later and Michael was bored. nothing had been found. he could see that the guards were losing alertness and signaled for a change to a new shift. 2 hours later and Michael was beginning to think that maybe he should take a break himself when one of the telepaths stood up and stared at the man who was giving in identicard to be check. Then the Minbari sent the signal and a blue light lit up on the guards instrument. Michael came forward and spoke "Excuse me, Sir but we need to speak to you alone". He indicated for the man to step out of the queue. The man was pretty non-descript and Garibaldi didn't recognize him. The man took one look at the Minbari who had stood up and another at Michael and sprang backwards away from him. Instantly 2 tranq darts hit the man as the security guards fired. They had no effect and the man pulled a large PPG rifle from his bag and started firing into the queue behind him. "Oh shit!" Michael swore, pulling his weapon from his holster and bringing it to bear on the man in front of him, "Put down the weapon or I'll fire" The man turned and began to aim at the security staff. Michael fired and the man in front of him continued firing despite the wounds he had suffered. Michael fired again with the same result. The keeper was keeping the body going refusing to let it die. Michael started continuous firing and finally the former man sank to the ground. Michael ran forward to check him and he was now dead. Michael spoke urgently into his link. "I need Med-teams to the Zocalo now." He looked around , "We've got at least 50 injured down here" "Received Mr. Garibaldi. Teams are being dispatched to your location" The screams of pain hit Michael now like a blow and he ordered his staff to do what they could to help the wounded until the Med-teams arrived. Then he lifted his link to his mouth again. "Garibaldi to Sheridan, we need you in the Zocalo right away" "What's up?" "We found a keeper and he went berserk. We've got a blood bath down here" "I'm on my way, Sheridan out!" The first Med-teams were starting to arrive and with them came Stephen. "What happened?" "The tranq darts didn't knock out quick enough" Michael explained. "Those doses should have knocked out an elephant instantly, let alone a man. The keepers must be stopping it working. I'll sort it. This won't happen again." Stephen then left to deal with the injured. John arrived on the scene next and was horrified by the scene of mayhem in front of him. There were injured everywhere, blood everywhere. He saw instantly that Michael was in shock himself at what he'd witnessed. He ordered Michael to go home. "You need me here" Michael stated. "No. I can handle this. Get some rest and get a new security shift down here. I want your men to take a break too." He saw Michael was going to object, "That's an order" Michael left and John called Stephen over. "How many wounded?" "15 dead, 15 seriously wounded and 50 minor injuries. It could have been a lot worse". Stephen advised, "One keeper caused all this? How many do you think their are?" "I don't know" John spoke, "I'll get new checkpoints set up in the morning" John was feeling sick at what he was seeing, "Keep me advised". He walked over to meet the new security streaming into the area and spoke to Lou Welch, "Clear everyone away form here. Let the medical staff get on with it and once their done, get a cleanup crew in here. I want this cleared up by tomorrow morning". John walked through the people, reuniting survivors with lost loved ones and generally doing all he could to help. 2 hours later, he left the final clean-up to security. All the injured and dead had been removed from the area and he headed for home. *************************** Michael had gone home and showered. Desperately trying to get the blood off of himself. He then tried to sleep. It didn't work and he was relieved when a call came through for him. "This is Garibaldi, go" he spoke into his link. "It's Zack" "What's happened to Marcus?" sadness settled over Michael. "He's in the 'Happy Daze' drinking himself into a stupor" Zack informed him. "I'll be right down." ******************************* Michael entered the bar. He hadn't been in it since he'd got completely drunk himself, after the home guard tried to frame him for murder. It was dingy, unsavory and dangerous if you weren't careful. Zack was by the door and pointed Marcus out to him. "He's over there" Michael could just make Marcus out sitting at a table at the back of the bar. He was staring into the drink in front of him oblivious to everything else. "How long has he been drinking?" Michael inquired. "About an hour. Before that he went to one of the view points and stared into space. Then suddenly he came down here and he knocked back nearly a bottle of vodka!" Zack informed him. "Vodka?" Michael groaned, "Susan drank vodka" "I'm sorry chief" Zack spoke sadly. "Take a break Zack, I'll deal with this." Zack left and Michael approached Marcus' table and sat down. Marcus didn't look up or give any indication that he'd seen Michael. Marcus just reached for the bottle and began to pour himself another drink. "You've had enough" Michael stated, "This won't help you" Marcus finished pouring and downed his glass in one. But as he reached for the bottle again Michael took it away from him. "Its time to go home Marcus" Michael reached around and heaved the younger man off his chair. Marcus didn't resist or speak. Michael half carried the man through the bar and out into Down Below. "Marcus, where's your door card?" No reply, "Fine you can sleep on my couch". Michael walked the man to his quarters and sat him on the sofa and got some water. "Drink this Marcus" It contained a hefty dose of painkiller that Michael hoped would reduce Marcus' hangover when it arrived. Marcus swallowed it without comment. He looked up at Michael for the first time, "Why did she have to die Michael? She shouldn't have died!" and then Marcus' eyes rolled up in his head and he was asleep. ***************************************** The sun streamed through the stained glass windows and doors into a simply decorated room. The room was about 20 ft square and 10 ft high and was dominated by a large bed which was surrounded by lacy drapes in pure white. In fact the whole room was white with the only color coming from the light spilling through the richly colored windows and door which sent patterns of colors in blues, greens, golds and reds reflecting around the room. There was a stirring from the bed. Susan opened her eyes. Instantly confusion hit her. Where was she? and more to the point, who was she? Her mouth felt dry as though she'd been asleep a long time, her ears hurt and she felt fragile, as though she'd been ill. Susan carefully studied the room for some hint of where she might be but there were no clues to help her answer the questions spinning through her mind. She got up carefully and headed for the large stained glass door. It was not locked and Susan opened it and stared out in amazement. Outside was a massive garden with a profusion of colors and smells. It was beautiful and no sound broke the peaceful atmosphere except the call of various creatures she could see in the garden. She couldn't hear any machines or people in the vicinity. For a moment Susan forgot her worries and took in the peaceful atmosphere that was surrounding her. She wasn't even interrupted by a door opening in the other side of the room. A door that Susan hadn't seen on awakening because it merged seamlessly with the wall. A man entered although he was obviously not human but similar. He was nearly 7 ft tall with flowing black hair which had a slightly bluish tinge to it. He was dressed in black as well. The forbidding nature of his appearance was only broken by the marks on his skin. These marks prevented him from looking ghoulish. He had patterns of stars running up both arms which were bare. The stars ended below his ears but there was also a larger star finely indented on his left cheek. However, it was unclear whether these were some sort of tattoo or some racial markings. On entering the room and seeing Susan the stars changed from their blue color to a deep red in an almost chameleon like fashion. He spoke, "Etiene, you're awake!" Susan spun around and stared at the man in front of him. She had no recollection of this person either, besides not knowing who she was. He had addressed her as Etiene. Was that her name? "Etiene, are you okay?" the man repeated. "Who are you?" Susan asked with a note of fear in her voice that she tried to hide. "What? You don't remember me? It is me Lord Iandra, Ian to you. I was afraid of this." The Lord Iandra, if that was who he was, approached Susan, "Etiene, you hurt your head. Don't you remember? The doctors warned me there might be some memory loss. You are Etiene, my first one." "I don't know you!" Susan spoke firmly but with apprehension. "You must. Look at your ring. I gave it to you when you became my first one. I had it inscribed 'forever your'. That was 2 months after I purchased you. Do you remember now?" The man spoke with assurance. Susan studied the ring on her finger and then spoke " You purchase me? I'm a slave?" Susan's voice rose in concern. "All woman on Xeni have owners. It's not slavery. It's tradition" Iandra spoke the words as though he'd discussed this argument before. He approached her again but Susan backed off. As hard as she tried she couldn't see herself as a slave but this man, Iandra, says that is what in reality she was. Why couldn't she remember. "I think you need to rest Etiene. I'll come back later" Iandra told her with concern. He reached out and touched her gently on the face. Susan's mind was suddenly and overwhelmingly with feeling of tiredness and fatigue. she staggered to the bed. Fear rose in her. He was a telepath, a strong one, and she couldn't stop the nausea rising in her throat on this realization. She didn't know where the terror in her was coming from but it arose in her and she pushed Iandra away from her. "What did you do? Susan hissed at him, "Don't ever touch my mind. DO YOU HEAR ME!". Susan didn't know why what Iandra had done scared her so much, only that it did. Iandra's reply was as harsh as it was unexpected, "Etiene, I'll forgive you your rudeness this once because I can see you are frightened and hurting but if you ever speak to me like that again I'll have you beaten. Do you understand?" he asked coldly. Susan stared at him shocked by the sudden change in the man in front of her. She nodded and Iandra said no more and left. Susan was suddenly sure that she wasn't supposed to be here. She thought to herself <>. She was convinced of that. However, exhaustion forced into her mind by Iandra prevented her from doing anything. She tried and failed to stay awake and finally fell asleep again. ******************* A ship orbited above the planet Susan Ivanova, or Etiene as she now thought of herself as, was situated on. The ship belonged to Trakis, a slave master. He had accepted the termination contract on Susan Ivanova and was to be paid 50, 000 for the its completion. Trakis was in a good mood. He had enjoyed carrying out this contract all to much. The command staff on Babylon 5 had ruined an important deal costing him thousands of credits in 2258. Revenge had taken a long time coming but it was also a dish best served cold. Now his revenge was complete and he'd profited from it well. Babylon 5 would think Susan was dead and suffer accordingly, the contractors believed Susan dead and would pay him 50 000 credits and now he'd sold her for an extra profit of 30 000 credits to an Xeni Lord who'd almost drooled at the sight of the woman. The Xeni were well known for their appreciation of females and often paid large sums for the more unusual ones. in this area of the galaxy humans were counted as such. The woman never tried to escape so the Xeni must have some secret to keep them happy but Trakis wasn't really concerned what it was. He'd made 80 000 credits in total and all it had cost him was the purchase of the sonic boomer which he'd used to incapacitate the White Star crew and a memory blocker to prevent Susan from actually remembering her past. The sonic boomer was an unusual weapon that he'd picked up unexpectedly from Talnor traders. Now he planned to go back to the raider territory to see what further profit he could make. But, suddenly before he could give the order to open a jump point, another jump point opened almost on top of his ship. A dark mottled ship exited and instantly sent out a tractor beam which caught his ship in its grip. This was not an easy feat as Trakis' ship was neither small or powerless. Trakis' heart sank. His employees had arrived unexpectedly and he knew this could only mean one thing. "We're being hailed Slave master Trakis" One of his crew informed him. "Put it on the viewer" Trakis ordered quickly. "Slave master Trakis" A voice spoke to him, "We have a few questions for you. I hope you have some good answers" Trakis realized quickly that the person in front of him didn't look best pleased and fear tightened his stomach. Maybe he should have settled for the 50 000 credits. His employers were represented by a Dilgar male. Trakis was surprised by this and it increased his fear. The inhabitants of Dilgar were supposed to have died out with Deathwalker's death in 2258 but before this had been feared throughout the galaxy. The Dilgar had been ruthless and Trakis realize if he wanted to live he would have to very careful. The Dilgar spoke again, "The woman is not dead as promised! Explain!" <> Trakis realized he was definitely in trouble. They knew he hadn't killed Susan. He decided this was going to be even more difficult than he expected, "She'll be dead soon" "You sold her to the Xeni for a profit. We needed her dead and now this will occur. But first we must deal with you. You lied to us and cheated us and now you will die too." the Dilgar told Trakis as though he were announcing that it would rain later. "But...Wait...I can explain" Trakis started but before he could utter anymore his ship exploded around him, cutting off his words. A missile had hit the slave masters ship destroying it utterly. Once this destruction had been carried out more jump points opened around the planet and more dark ships arrived. They headed for the Xeni planet and started pounding the surface with powerful energy blasts. In the quiet of space it was difficult to visualize the damage which was occurring below. The screams and explosions could not be heard. It was tranquil. Death was occurring below and the dying could not even see their attackers or know why they died but this didn't matter as die they die. From: "Alison Laker" Subject: The Terror - part 5 Date: Sun, 5 Apr 1998 13:07:07 +0100 "The Terror" Part 5: by Ali Standard Disclaimer: All the characters and settings etc. belong to JMS and Warner Bros. and I am just borrowing them for a bit. ************************************ ********************** Part 5 The Terror by Ali xuj42@dial.pipex.com ********************** In the Sheridan's quarters a morning meeting was occurring. "No more of the casualties died over night and I think everyone who's pulled through so far should survive barring any extra complications which could occur." Stephen finished his medical report on yesterday's massacre in the Zocallo. "And as we've discussed the new checkpoints which I'm setting up at the entrances to blue and green sector will have extra security" Michael added, "and we'll have the stronger tranq darts today so any keepers we find should be brought down instantly" "You're sure these tranq darts will be enough this time?" John asked frowning, "I don't want any more days like yesterday". "I put the maximum amount I could. Anymore and those people with keepers would just die instantly" Stephen advised. "We should be okay then. Is there anything else we need to discuss?" John looked around the room. Stephen, Michael, Delenn and Marcus were all there. Everybody shook their heads, "Right then this meeting is over. Lets get moving". John stood to give emphasis to his words and as he did so his link bleeped. He groaned, "Sheridan, go". "It's Corwin, sir. We're getting reports in of an attack on the Xeni homeworld. The attack is still going on and the report is stating many deaths, few survivors and no clue to the attackers" "Damn! I'm on my way now to the War Room. Alert our ships in that area to get ready to move into action. We've got about 10 or 11 ships in that area because its quite close to Centauri space." "Okay Captain" Corwin terminated the link. John sighed, "Michael, deal with the checkpoints and I'll deal with this from the War Room." Michael nodded, "No problem" John turned to Delenn who was sitting on the sofa with Marcus, "Will you be okay?" he inquired. John was annoyed. He'd hoped to spend some time with his family but as per usual a disaster was occurring to prevent this. John also knew that coping with Marcus and 3 children would not be easy either. "I'll be fine John" Delenn smiled, "Marcus is staying here to keep me company. Don't worry. Get to the War Room and sort this out." Michael had brought Marcus to the meeting, more to keep an eye on him than because he expected Marcus to make any contribution. Laura was sitting in her father's lap. Happy to see him after the last few days upsets. She was playing contentedly with a toy. David and Leanna were playing in David's bedroom in the next room. Everyone got up after Delenn spoke and left to get on with their own business. Delenn left Marcus in the main room and checked on her children. They were due at the day care center along with Laura. Leanna was playing happily but David had fallen asleep on the floor. Delenn had thought he might be coming down with some childish ailment yesterday when he'd come from the day care center. Now she was sure. He had a slight temperature and looked flushed. If he wasn't better by next day Delenn decided she'd ask Stephen to take a look at him but at the moment she wasn't to concerned David picked up these bugs all the time whilst attending day care. Now she had to get Leanna to the day care center with Laura. Delenn returned to the living room and spoke to Marcus. "Marcus, can you watch David whilst I take Laura and Leanna to the day care center" Delenn hated to ask but thought maybe keeping Marcus busy might help. She knew whatever happened Marcus would never let any harm come to a child. "Of course, Entil’zah. You've done so much for me since Susan ...... since Susan" Marcus couldn't get out the word died, "left us. I would be honored to help in this small way" "Thank you Marcus" Delenn replied simply and smiled at him, "I will be back soon". ******************************* Daniel re-entered the Zocallo to send his final message on his current assignment. > Assignment accomplished. Command level information from the Sheridan's can now be accessed through the newest unit. He waited patiently for the reply. >Your account will be credited with the agreed amount and new assignment will be sent shortly. Continue in present role until advised. *********************************** On the Xeni homeworld, Susan awoke to the sound of explosions and heavy weapons fire. The door was flung open and the Lord Iandra entered, "Etiene put this on" he demanded, "We're leaving." It was a garment very similar to that worn in some Islamic countries on Earth except that it was a deep indigo color but it would cover her from head to foot with a veil to cover her face, leaving only her eyes visible to others. "I'm not wearing that" Susan spoke defiantly. She disliked this man intensely and since he had invaded her mind she had decided that non-cooperation was her best policy until she could investigate her situation a bit more fully. Iandra stared at her coldly, "You'll do as you're told." The noise and explosions outside continued unabated and Iandra continued, "Do you want to live? We have to get to one of my shuttles before its too late. Before this bombardment kills us. Luckily a lot of my business assets are off planet so we'll be okay." He grabbed Susan's arm dragging her towards him. Dizziness swept through Susan again and her head began to pound in pain at this rough treatment but Iandra didn't stop, "You'll not embarrass me in front of my people by going out in public in what you're wearing." Susan looked down at herself. She was wearing a very conservative indigo blue dress which was in a flowing silk like fabric but still covered her from the neck downwards only leaving her arms uncovered. Her legs however could be seen through to long slits which exposed her legs from mid thigh down wards on either side. As Iandra grabbed her arm she felt him invade her mind and felt her will to defy him weakening. What had she been arguing about? Susan put the garment on and covered her face. Iandra spoke again, "Follow me, Etiene or next time I won't be so gentle". For some reason Susan instinctively knew that whatever this man said to her, there was no way she could have loved him. He was cruel and she determined to escape his grasp as soon as she could but then his grip on her mind strengthened and Iandra back handed her across the face cutting her lip, "You're mine Etiene, don't even think about leaving, I won't let you! You'll soon learn to appreciate me again even if I have to force you to love me. You won't be able to resist for much longer" Susan followed Iandra out of the door and now saw other Xenians fleeing the building. Chaos reined with people running in all directions as the explosions and bombardment from above continued. Iandra was in charge of the local evacuation and eventually they made it to one of his shuttles. Susan still had not had a proper explanation about how she came about these injuries. Susan's head continued to pound, her ears hurt her still and waves of dizziness swept over her. Iandra as if sensing her vulnerability was keeping a tight hold on her arm to avoid losing her in the crush of refugees flooding onto the shuttles. Susan watched out of the window as the shuttle slowly lifted off into the planet's atmosphere. She watched it rendezvous with a beautiful ship which looked familiar but she couldn't remember why. Upon exiting the shuttle into a docking bay Susan discovered that the ship was full of refugees and in charge of the ship were serious faced humans and some Minbari known as rangers. This name also sounded familiar to her but the memories she searched for remained elusively out of reach and she couldn't recall from where. Maybe, she thought idly to herself, she could lose Iandra in the crush but once again her thoughts were interrupted abruptly as a voice rang in her mind. <> Iandra then slapped her mentally and Susan nearly fainted but then another more exotic feeling stole through her, one of intense pleasure. She let out an involuntary groan. <>. Susan reeled from the shock of the feelings flooding through her, it was almost like she was being drugged. Realization of what Iandra was doing to her hit home with that thought. He could turn her into an addict so she couldn't escape. Maybe eventually he would be right and she wouldn't want to leave. Overwhelming fear shot through her but because of the dizziness she couldn't run away or fight him even if she tried. Then her tired, shocked and overwhelmed body and mind revolted at what was happening to it and she fainted into Iandra's arms. He smiled to himself <>. ****************************** Marcus sat with David while he slept. He saw the innocent look in the boy's face and wondered if he had ever looked that way to his mother. It seemed so long ago and he had experienced so much death since then, so many funerals. He had never expected his life to turn out like it had. Now he was alone again but now he had to raise his daughter to the light. He didn't want Laura to experience the enormous amount of pain that he and Susan had experienced in their lives. To prevent any harm coming to his daughter was now his highest priority. Susan was dead, he was alone and he had to face that for Laura's sake. David sleeping gave him a chance to think through his options. He was calmer now and unwanted thoughts kept running through his mind, thoughts which worried him. What if something happened to him? Laura would be all alone, an orphan. He must make contingency plans if this should occur. After all being a ranger was a dangerous business. Maybe he should leave the rangers? What else could he do? Go back to mining? There were different danger in mining but dangers still. Maybe it would be better to stay on B5 where he had friends. The thoughts kept going around and around in his mind and he knew he had to make a decision. He sighed deeply. Making decisions was so difficult. He was continually tired and muzzy headed. He could see the long years ahead of him. He had expected to share them with Susan but now he was alone. So many years to face alone. There would be no-one else. Tears started to form in his eyes and he angrily brushed them away. He was not going to break down again. Delenn would be back soon and he couldn't face seeing the concern in her eyes if he was visibly distraught when she arrived. She would feel guilty for leaving him and he'd feel guilty for causing that guilt. He felt guilty and regretful enough already. He hadn't even kissed Susan goodbye when she'd left. Not even told her that he loved her. His rational mind told him Susan knew how much he loved her but his less rational mind kept bringing up the scene of their parting. Why hadn't he made it up with her. Why? Why? Why? Delenn arrived at that moment and relaxed visibly when she saw Marcus and David were okay. "We'll have some tea, Marcus. Let David sleep", she spoke and then busied her self in the small kitchen making the tea for them to drink. Marcus made a decision after seeing Delenn's worry over him. He felt too tired to cope with other people's grief. He needed time alone and all the time he was on the station he knew that would be one of the things his friends wouldn't let him have. This was out of their concern for him but Marcus just needed to be somewhere that people didn't know him or what he'd been through. "I need leave from the Rangers, Delenn. I want to go home to my old colony." Delenn turned as Marcus spoke, "I heard its been rebuilt and I want to see it. I need time alone with Laura and I need to be away from here. I want to go home for awhile" he finished in a rush before he could change his mind. Delenn studied Marcus carefully, "Are you sure that is wise, Marcus? You'll be all alone!" Delenn looked doubtfully at him. "I'm sure Entil’zah. I need some space for now but I will come back. Don't worry! I can take care of myself and Laura. I'll come back once I've decided what to do next" Marcus sounded like he was trying to convince himself as well as Delenn, "I have to get used to being alone. I have to face this for Laura's sake" "When will you go?" Delenn spoke sadly. She was not happy at Marcus's announcement and she wished John were here to talk to him. John understood better than she what it was like to lose a life-partner and might have been able to talk Marcus out of this idea but John wasn't here. "Tonight. I'll catch a lift from one of the White Stars. I'll keep in touch. I've made a decision and its for the best. I can't face every one to say goodbye, Entil’zah. Tell them I'll miss them and I'll be back soon. Just that." Marcus stated more firmly. "Okay" Delenn didn't know what to say but she knew she couldn't stop Marcus from this course of action as she could sense the determination behind the words. Delenn also knew that he'd look after Laura but she still thought he'd be better off staying among friends. "I'll pick Laura up this afternoon from day care and leave. I'd better go and start packing for us. Goodbye Entil’zah" Marcus bowed to Delenn and then turned and quickly left the room. Delenn was left reeling from the departure. Marcus' goodbye had a ring of finality to it and Delenn wondered sadly if she would see him again. Marcus was running from a place that had to many memories for him. Delenn just hoped that in time he would be able to stop running and come home because she felt that he belonged here and life wouldn't be the same with out his cheerful optimism to brighten the day. *********************** John, unknowing of what was occurring in his quarters, was in the War Room organizing bed and board for the refugees expected from Xeni. The news of the bombardment of the planet wasn't good and he feared there would be all too few refugees to help. In better days Susan would have been doing the job but these weren't better days and John had to do it himself. He'd thought he'd seen the end of the refugees after the Shadow war had ended but he'd quickly discovered that even without the shadows and the Vorlons, the inhabitants of the galaxy were still happy to keep killing each other. He was also trying to read through the report on the White Star explosion and the on-going investigation into Susan's death. There were so many unanswered questions. The White Star had exploded because of a bomb being placed next to its energy source. This was a resonating crystal deep within the ship. The Minbari would never bomb one of their own ships, nor the rangers and these were the only people who were ever allowed on board without supervision. So how had the bomb got on board? Also what had happened in the time between when the White Star went to help the stricken Dagger and the time of the explosion. There were so many unanswered questions. Why kill Susan? What was the mystery assignment given to the man who had casually recommended Susan's termination? This was what seriously worried John. What was going to happen next. Just reading the report depressed him. It seemed so much colder in writing. Whatever he was doing his mind kept returning to the sight of the White Star exploding. He kept going over and over it in his mind, wishing he'd been quicker or done something sooner. He needed to go over the report with Michael to see how the security chief was progressing. All John knew was that he wanted answers, he wanted them now and he knew eventually Michael would get them. ************************** Michael was now concentrating on sending his staff out to set up the new checkpoints at the entrances to blue and green sectors. Organizing that everyone had the tranq guns they needed, that each group had a telepath, giving them the detailed instructions agreed upon in the meeting that morning. Eventually all the teams were sorted and on the way to the appropriate locations. Garibaldi was anticipating a day of touring the different checkpoints to keep a close eye on the proceedings. Michael had attached himself to the group setting up checkpoint one and they were approaching the designated checkpoint position when the first explosion occurred. It was quickly followed by more. The explosions appeared localized not major but damaging enough to the area concerned. Instantly, reports flooded into Garibaldi's link. "Checkpoint 2 has been destroyed, we need med teams here." "Checkpoint 17 is burning, we need fire crews here urgently" "Checkpoint 16 as 2 officers down, urgent assistance required" Nausea rose in Michael's throat. Someone had bombed the checkpoint sites and he sent urgent messages out. "Remove everyone from the vicinity of the checkpoints until the bomb squad can check them. Get Med-lab to send teams down here. Zack, tell the Med teams where the wounded are. Lou, co-ordinate with the fire teams. Miroshi, get all the telepaths off the station and to one of the Minbari cruisers. Speak to Lennier, he'll liase for you. The telepaths would be an obvious next target for these keepers. Get the Narns to help." Michael then paged the Captain. He was not going to like this. "Garibaldi to Sheridan" "What's going on down there, Michael. All hell is breaking out on the internal scanner board" The Captain's voice broke through the noise surrounding Michael. "Explosions, Captain. The keepers knew about the checkpoint sites. They've bombed them. We've got more injuries and damage down here. Although no deaths reported yet!" Garibaldi stopped and sighed, "The bomb squad is sweeping the remaining sites for devices." Then he spoke again in a steely voice, "The only way they could have known all the checkpoint sites was to have been at this mornings meetings. We've got a leak" "I'm coming down, Mr. Garibaldi. If that’s true I don't want to discuss it over the link" "Yes Captain" Michael terminated the link and looked around him in anger. Michael was sick of this. Sick of the deaths and the screaming wounded. These keepers had to be stopped. He could still hear the occasional explosion. Then an even greater nightmare began. His link bleeped. "Chief, the fire at checkpoint 8 is out of control. We need to seal of the area now" "Whose in that area?" Garibaldi knew the answer instantly without waiting for the answer. "The day care center, chief. There are children in there" "Oh nuts" Michael's nausea was continuing to grow, "You can't seal off that area until those children are out of there." "We can't get to it Chief, not from this way." "Is there another way we can get them out? Michael demanded desperately. Lou cut through on the link, "Yes chief, we can get them out through the access tunnels but they are very dark narrow tunnels and these kids are very young." Lou sounded distraught. "I'll meet you at the entrance to the tunnels. Tell the fire crews to hold the fire as long as they can. If it gets into those tunnels, we'll be fried alive." "Yes, chief" Michael bolted for the stairs. The day care center was 3 levels down and with a fire going on he couldn't risk taking a lift. At the head of the stairs he met John. "Captain, follow me. One of the fire's is out of control and we have to get the children out of the day care center and out through the access tunnels. We're short of help so we'll need yours." Michael summed up the situation quickly. "Leanna's at the center and so is Laura." John paled in horror, "Michael, we've got to get them out of there". "I know!" Michael stated simply. From: "Alison Laker" Subject: The Terror part 6 Date: Sun, 5 Apr 1998 13:34:02 +0100 "The Terror" Part 6: by Ali Standard disclaimer: All the characters and settings belong to JMS and Warner Bros and I'm just borrowing them for a bit and promise to put them back later. ************************************* ************************************* Part 6 The Terror by Ali xuj42@dial.pipex.com ************************************* Lou was at the entrance to the tunnels with breather masks for them all. John opened the entrance to the tunnels and peered down. Smoke started to billow out. "Get this section sealed off from the rest of the station and when we get the children out we can flush the oxygen out of the area. We don't want smoke filling any more sections." John advised the other security waiting around the entrance. He then put his breather mask on and turned on a torch passed to him by Michael and entered the tunnels. They started down a ladder which dropped the tunnel level by 10 ft and John carefully climbed down with Michael and Lou following close behind. At the bottom of the ladder the smoke was thicker and darker. John could barely see his own feet below him. "Keep close or we'll lose each other" John spoke again to the others. "We'll be sticking to you like glue, Captain" Michael spoke up and John could hear the strain beneath his security chief's words. A strain which he felt himself. Nausea was building in his stomach as the claustrophobic nature of their situation made itself felt. John forced the feelings down. He had to get to his little daughter, Leanna. Nothing could be allowed to happen to her, nothing. The three of them carefully followed the tunnel but despite their care they still kept knocking against bits of hardware which stuck out into the tunnel and they began to feel bruised. How were they going to get a room full of children through the tunnels to safety in these conditions. The tunnel opened out into a grill through which the children could be seen. To John's relief there were only 5 children who varied from Leanna's age as the youngest to a boy of 5. It appeared that most of the children there had arrived before the fire had started. The 3 staff members had blocked the doors to prevent smoke getting in and the children were huddled near the tunnel entrance. Despite the blocked doorway smoke was starting to fill the room and John and Michael fitted the children with breather masks. John had left Lou in the middle of the tunnels to help guide them back and had continued with Michael along the rest of the way. The children were upset by what was occurring and their little faces were pale and their eyes had tears in them. Some tears had already fallen and some were imminent. John crouched down and spoke to them taking in their frightened features. "We're going to take a little trip down this tunnel and then you can go home to your parents. Don't worry everything's going to be fine" The children didn't look altogether convinced by this statement and John spoke next to the child minders. "Everyone take a child and lets get out of here" John picked up Leanna and he ensured that Michael had Laura. Then he sent an adult and a child through the tunnel calling to Lou to guide them to his position. Gradually the room started to empty but then one of the children started to scream and refuse to go into the tunnel. The smoke was much thicker in the room now and John knew that they had to leave before the center's door failed and the fire came in. "Jamie, you know I'd never let anything happen to you, don't you?" Jamie was one of David's friends so John spoke to the little boy as Michael, Laura and another little girl exited with one of the child minders, "I'll be with you all the way." He hugged the frightened little boy until the tears stopped. This calmed the little boy and they entered the tunnel. They reached Lou who picked the boy up and carried him gently but as quickly as possible out of danger. They were close to the tunnel exit when the door of the day care center blew in and John knew instantly that the fire would soon be funneled through the tunnels killing them all in moments. "Quick, move it. We're out of time" John passed Leanna up and out of the tunnel and started to struggle up the ladder himself. He could feel the heat behind him strongly now and he knew that he had only moments to get out and to seal the tunnels again. He leaped up the ladder and Michael pulled him out, slamming the pressure doors shut just as the fire reached the tunnel entrance. The tunnel doors became hot almost instantly and Michael screamed as he felt his hands start to burn. John pulled him away from the doors and used a rag to protect his hands whilst sealing the entrance. He spoke into his link. "Flush the oxygen NOW and get that fire out. There is no-one in the target area. Everyone is clear. I repeat flush the oxygen out now!" Then John called for a Med team for Michael who had stuck his hands in some water that an onlooker had found him. John saw Zack nearby and called him over, "Help me get the children to Med-Lab for a check up and then contact their parents. Delenn is looking after David because he's not very well. I'll call her and let her know what's happened." John picked up Leanna and Laura and started to herd the rest of the children in the direction of Med-Lab. The children were taken to a separate room and checked for smoke inhalation or any other ill effects from their experience. They were all fine. John realized he stank of smoke and his face was filthy and black stained. Laura and Leanna were in the same state. The checks were interrupted by parents rushing in to see their children. Then Marcus arrived and instantly hugged Laura to him with his unbroken arm. He was as white as a sheet and tears ran down his face. "Oh thank Valen, you got her out. Thankyou so much. I was so frightened" Marcus was choked with emotion. When he first heard of the fire he'd been paralyzed with fear. "It's okay Marcus. Stephen checked her out. She's fine" John interrupted Marcus. "Is she okay to leave now. I need to get her cleaned up before we catch the shuttle?" Marcus asked. "What? You're leaving?" John was shocked. "I need a break to think things through. I want Laura to come too. She's all i've got left now. Besides with the way things are going it'll be safer for her" Marcus paused at John's rather dubious expression, "It'll be okay Captain. I've just have to get used to being alone. I discussed it with Entil'zah this morning" "Are you really sure about this Marcus" John asked firmly. "I'm sure. I'll see you when I get back. I've left details of where I'll be with Delenn but don't contact me unless its really urgent. Okay?" "Okay" John replied sadly. He didn't know what else to say. He had an over whelming feeling that he might not see Marcus again. "We'll miss you Marcus. Come back soon" Marcus nodded and then took Laura and left. John shook his head sadly and thought to himself, <> *************************************** John was carrying Leanna home to their quarters. She was in serious need of a bath and a sleep. The shock of the day had silenced the little girl and she was gripping onto her dad and refusing to let go. The shock of what had happened was also now hitting John and he was feeling shaky. He could have lost his little girl so easily. A few more minutes and Leanna would have been killed. It was ridiculous since Susan had died his fears for his own family had grown. It seemed so easy to snuff out an innocent life. He found he had to keep checking they were okay. If Delenn was late home he started to worry and to imagine all the horrible things that could have delayed her, kept imagining what he'd do if anything ever happened to her. He knew this reaction was common in grieving people but it didn't help much. He had so little time and he didn't want to waste them being afraid. Now he was also afraid someone in their inner circle had betrayed them. Someone had leaked the locations of the check-points and John was going to call an emergency meeting in the morning. The only person he'd told was Lennier who hadn't been at the original meeting. The new meeting would be held in his office and no-one would be informed about it more than half an hour before for safety reasons. Lennier was providing telepaths to check everyone again for keepers. John arrived at his quarters and entered. Delenn was waiting for them. John could see the fear in her eyes for her child. "Is she okay?" Delenn asked, the fear in her voice plain for him to hear. "She's fine. Stephen checked her out. She's just really tired" John replied more calmly than he felt, "She needs a wash!" "I can see that" Delenn spoke, taking her little girl from her husband and hugging her close. She kissed the girl's forehead, "Come on little one, lets get you cleaned up and into bed for a sleep." Leanna hugged her mum, not wanting to let go. She had had a very frightening day. "How's David now?" John asked. "His temperature's down already. He will also be fine" Delenn replied heading for the wash room, "You sit down and rest. Corwin said he's dealing with the refugees and Zack's sorting out the bombing aftermath" Delenn studied her husband carefully, "Once Leanna's safely in bed we'll have to see about getting you washed too." John smiled at this and spoke with a completely straight face and his eyes downcast like a lost little boy, "I don't know. I'm very tired" and then John looked Delenn straight in the eyes, "You might have to help me". He smiled at his wife and Delenn walked back to him and kissed him gently on the lips, "I'll have to get my scrubbing brush out. You look very dirty. It could take a while to get you clean all over." Delenn looked her husband boldly up and down suggestively and then turned and took her daughter into the washroom. "Well there's no hurry, Love" John advised his wife, "As you said Corwin's dealing with the refugees when they arrive. He's got my full authority. So I'm all yours." "You've been all mine for a while John" Delenn called from the washroom, "and I don't plan on letting you go. Remember that when you put yourself in danger. We don't want you to ever leave us." Delenn finished. John could hear the love in his wife's voice and smiled as he settled down on the sofa to wait for Delenn to finish with Laura and for his turn to be called. The love he felt for Delenn then was all encompassing. ******************************** Marcus and Laura headed for the docking bays. One of the White Stars, which was arriving from Xeni carrying refugees, had agreed to drop him and his daughter off on his old colony world. Marcus was filled with a deep sadness at leaving Babylon 5 now the time had actually come to leave. Was he betraying Susan's memory by leaving this place which she had made so very much her own. He had so many regrets and he hoped he wouldn't regret leaving because he wasn't sure he'd be able to face his friends again if this was a mistake. He carried his daughter through customs and watched as the refugees exited the White Star's shuttle. The Xeni males were very tall and made Marcus feel small. They looked shocked and uncomprehending of the disaster that overtaken their world. The females were covered from head to foot with only their eyes visible and Marcus wondered if they felt the same. None of their emotions could be seen through their all covering outfits. However, one of the Xeni females was obviously suffering. She was being supported by a tall dark haired male with markings on him which were alternating between red and blue. This male looked like he was in charge and Marcus felt for him and his people's suffering. Marcus was wondering whether he should offer to help but decided Corwin had things well in hand and that he should concentrate on Laura and keeping her happy. She was still upset after that morning's fire. Susan was being led out of the shuttle by Iandra. He had a tight grip on her arm and her mind, knowing how dangerous it would be if the Earther's discovered he had one of their own as his slave. He would have been even more concerned if knew that the woman he'd purchased was the ,well respected and loved, second in command of this station. He'd told Susan that the Rangers and security would support his position and keep her enslaved if she tried to escape in order to keep Susan from approaching them for help. Susan not knowing any better believed him. He knew this would cause her to keep well away from them until his control over her was complete and he could add her to his collection. Iandra's grip on Susan's mind, at that point, was strong. She had very little sense of what was occurring around her. Her mind felt as though it was trying to see through a great mist. Nothing appeared clear to her. Susan had no idea where she was. All that she could think of was that she must stay next to Iandra and keep very quiet. The voice in her mind kept telling her that if she wanted to avoid harm to herself she must do exactly as she was told. She didn't know what the danger was, only that it was very real and must be avoided at all costs. Susan was only vaguely aware of people around her but one person stuck out from the crowd. There was a man with a little girl watching them. He looked very sad and Susan wondered why. She wanted to reach out to him and comfort him. Iandra sensing her thoughts put her in her place quickly and easily and all thoughts of the man left her mind as he started to board the shuttle with his beautiful little girl. Susan followed Iandra to the customs area where Corwin and some security staff were waiting to process them, give them ID cards and provide them with board and lodgings until the refugees could sort out what they wanted to do next. "Can I have your name please" Corwin asked Iandra. "Lord Iandra, Seneschal of the Denari, fifth from the Great One." He replied importantly. "We'll just need a picture of you for your ID card" "Okay" Iandra agreed easily. Corwin turned to Susan not recognizing her at all in the all covering outfit she was wearing. "Your name, Ms?" he asked politely. Susan stared at him without comprehension. With Iandra controlling her thoughts she had barely registered she'd been spoken to. Iandra spoke for her, "Her name is Etienne. She is my chosen one" He smiled sadly at Susan, "I'm sorry but she hasn't spoken since we left during the bombardment" "That’s okay, Sir. I understand. Maybe should take her to Med-Lab the doctors maybe able to help" Corwin advised with concern and compassion for the man's plight." If you could just take her over there" Corwin pointed to where the photographers were, "You can have your ID cards and we can assign your rooms". Iandra frowned at this and spoke with determination and steel in his voice, "Our women are not to be photographed. It is forbidden for them to be seen by anyone but he who chose her. There will be NO photographs". Corwin could see the determination in the man's face and spoke equally firmly, "No-one is allowed on the station without an ID card with a picture on it. Its for security reasons, Sir" We mean no offense to your beliefs and can get females to take the pictures if that is more acceptable to you." "No!" Iandra declared, "It is forbidden". Iandra knew that he couldn't let Susan be seen by the Earther's. They would know she wasn't from Xeni and start asking questions. Corwin stood up and began to speak again, "I'm sorry sir but...." but his words were interrupted by a Drazi bursting into view and yelling. "THERE MUST BE NO SURVIVORS. SHE MUST DIE!" The Drazi pulled out a rifle PPG and started to aim at the refugees. As Corwin called for more security the Drazi opened fire and continued to shout, "SHE MUST DIE!" Everyone in the customs area scattered for cover. Iandra began to pull Susan to cover too, using his control over her mind to try and get instant action. They weren't quick enough and the Drazi turned his weapon on them. Iandra seeing that Susan was not responding quickly enough decided to let her mind go and let her own natural survival instincts take over. He started to panic she wasn't coming back to her own mind quickly enough. Iandra put himself between Susan and the Drazi gunman and now tried to physically haul her out of the line of fire. He'd paid a lot for Susan and wasn't going to give her up now. Susan was too precious for that. As he turned his back he was hit and collapsed to the ground and remained still. Susan was alone now and vulnerable. She was still not completely understanding what was happening around her and was now directly in the line of fire. The Drazi took aim and started to fire. From: "Alison Laker" Subject: The Terror part 7 Date: Sun, 5 Apr 1998 13:48:45 +0100 "The Terror" part 7: by Ali Standard Disclaimer:- All the characters and stuff belong to JMS etc. I'm just having a bit of fun with and promise to return them all in one piece later. ************************* ************************ The Terror part 7 by Ali xuj42@dial.pipex.com ************************* Susan's mind suddenly clicked back into reality, and she found herself starring down a Drazi with a rifle PPG aimed directly at her. Fear rose in her but then she was knocked out of the line of fire by a flying figure, and as she recovered from the fall she realized it was the man she'd seen earlier who'd saved her. His little girl was no where in sight, and he was covering her body with his own and keeping her from harm. The Drazi continued to fire at the refugees but now they had found cover and Susan watched as security streamed into the area, and the Drazi was shot with multiple blasts before his violent rampage was over. Seeing she was now safe, Susan began to squirm to get herself up from under the man who'd protected her. He smiled at her encouragingly. Susan was glad he couldn't see her face as she had instantly seen that he was a Ranger. Iandra had told her that if she ever tried to escape, the Rangers would hunt her down. Despite the fact that he'd saved her life, Susan wanted nothing to do with him. Marcus was concerned for the Xeni female in front of him. He'd left Laura with Corwin to save this woman. He realised now that she was the one he'd seen earlier being supported by the Xeni Lord who was now lying dead a few feet away. <> He spoke aloud. "I think we should get you to our Med-Lab facilities. Can you stand?" Marcus asked. Susan continued to stare at him. <> he thought. Marcus had no idea that she had no intention of speaking to him, a Ranger, and her veil hid a defiant glare. Then Susan stared at Iandra. Was he dead? Or just hurt? She crawled over to him. He was lying on his stomach and not moving. Susan was scared. Iandra was dead and he was the only person who knew exactly who she was and where she came from. Now she really was all alone, God knows where, with a Ranger who'd probably want to keep her as a slave. She had no idea where she stood now. Was she still a slave? Or was she free? Susan turned Iandra over and the fear she'd tried to suppress since waking up on Xeni came to the surface, and she began to cry great heartbroken sobs. She was grieving for her past. She had no idea who she was, and now Iandra her only link to that past was gone. She was all alone in a hostile universe. What she was not doing was grieving for Iandra! Marcus was distraught. He was still grieving himself and seeing this equally distraught Xeni female in front of him was heart breaking. He just couldn't cope with other people's grief at the moment. His own grief was too new, too strong and too real. Marcus believed the female was grieving because she loved Iandra. In fact, that's what all the security in the area watching the scene believed too. A Med-team arrived and needed to remove the body. Marcus approached Susan and tried to pursuade her to leave the body. Susan didn't want any Ranger touching her and pushed him away. She looked around and saw everyone watching her and surrounding her. Marcus saw the fear rise in her eyes and tried to help, but Susan pushed him away again. <> Susan told herself, and she wasn't going to let these security men and Rangers force her back into slavery. So she bolted for the exit. Marcus followed after her, calling for her to stop. Susan didn't stop, she just ran even faster. Susan ran and ran until she couldn't hear the man chasing her anymore. She knew she had to change clothes and find somewhere to hide until they stopped looking for her. One advantage of the clothes she was wearing was that they didn't know what she really looked like. Susan had no intention of being caught by the Rangers, security or any other scum who happened to get in her way. She was NOT going to be a slave to anyone again. This was probably the only opportunity she'd get to free herself and she was grabbing it with open arms. She pulled the hood of her head and the veil of her face. Her hair fell in disarray around her face, but it felt good to be out of that claustrophobic item of clothing. As she ran she noticed that the place where she was now running into wasn't as smart or clean as the docking bay and customs area she had just come from. There were less lights and less people here. It was darker and more ominous. The perfect place to hide, but she realized instantly that she'd have to be careful here if she wanted to remain safe. She was tired, hungry and scared of what the future might hold for her now. She had no friends, no family, only a name - Etienne. She needed so much, but had so little. She had stolen Iandra's credit chip whilst supposedly grieving over his body, but there wasn't a lot of credit on it, just enough to last her a few days. Then what would she do? Susan rounded the next corner. Trouble was waiting and she bumped into it literally. She bumped into a man. The man took one look at her outfit and grinned threateningly at her. It was obvious that she didn't belong there in Down Below, but it was also equally obvious that she was running from someone. "Lost are you, Love?" "No!" Susan glared back at him defiantly, but she was unconvincing and the man approached her. "I could help you!" he smiled. "And the bill wouldn't be too high for someone as pretty as you." He looked her slowly up and down in a rudely suggestive manner. The man's whole attitude stank, in fact he stank and his clothes were filthy with God knows what stains on them. One of the stains looked like blood. Susan shrank away from him. His whole attitude and looks gave her a pretty clear idea exactly what the payment for any help might be, and the thought of it was nearly enough to make her physically sick. "No thanks! I don't need that kind of help. Thanks for offering," Susan replied in a voice which could have curdled milk. Not even realizing that Susan was giving him a look that could almost kill, the man continued. "I'll have your jewelry just to start with, and then we'll see what else springs to mind." The man's cold and heartless tone of voice gave Susan a pretty clear idea that she needed to extricate herself from this situation fast. "Touch me and you'll regret it," Susan stated with steel in her voice. The man ignored her advice and grabbed for her. Instantly, Susan's survival instincts took over and she kicked him squarely in the chest, but he was up in an instant. This time she couldn't avoid the fist which knocked her to the floor, and as she fell Susan knocked her head on some packing crates opening a large cut on her forehead. But sensing the man approaching her again, she grabbed a piece of metal pipe she found on the floor and smashed it into his thigh. He collapsed to the floor. But instead of leaving Susan alone, he struggled to his feet and pulled a knife. He made another grab for Susan, and Susan still feeling dizzy from knocking her head found it difficult to avoid him. This time when she attempted to hit him with the iron bar, she swung and missed as he ducked. The man followed up by catching her wrist with a glancing strike of his knife, causing her to drop the bar. Susan attempted to knock the man's feet out from under him and succeeded. Unfortunately the man recovered more quickly than she did and grabbed her by the hair bringing the knife up to her throat. "You'll regret that you bitch," the man growled in her ear and started to push the knife into her throat slowly. Susan could feel blood trickling down her throat and onto her clothes. The pain as her hair was being pulled out by the roots was excruciating, and the man's fetid breath on her face was turning this into horrible nightmare. <> she thought. <> She would never know. Then inexplicably the pressure was released on her throat and the grip on her hair ended. She collapsed on the floor to see the man lying unconscious beside her. Despite his own grief, despite his own pain, Marcus couldn't leave the unknown female suffering. So he'd followed her and lost her in the maze of corridors. However he'd determined that he would not leave her grieving, frightened and alone in Down Below. He knew Laura was safe with Corwin. The young man wouldn't let any harm come to his daughter, and besides Laura had a soft spot for the young man who often baby-sat her. He'd finally found the female, just in time, with a knife at her throat. But it wasn't a stranger he was helping, it was Susan and his emotions couldn't cope and he began to believe he was dreaming. Susan saw that the Ranger who had saved her earlier had come to her rescue again. He was standing in front of her with what appeared to be a metal stick in his hands. This time Susan was too exhausted and in too much pain to run away from him. <> But the man made no move towards her. He just stared at her. Susan was becoming nervous. What was the matter with him? "I'm dreaming... Susan? Is that you?" Marcus was shocked and dazed. He'd thought he was helping a Xeni female, but now Susan was in front of him and he was finding it difficult to believe his own eyes. He saw confusion in her eyes and fear? Why was she afraid? "My name is Etienne, not Susan. I don't know you. You can take me back, but I won't let you keep me. I will be free no matter what the cost!" Susan declared forcefully. She staggered to her feet and faced Marcus, picking up the knife that her assailant had dropped. "Susan, What's the matter? Don't you recognize me?" Marcus saw no recognition in his wife's eyes. Questions span through his mind. How had Susan gotten here? What was she doing with that Xeni Lord? How had she escaped the explosion on the White Star? Why couldn't she remember him? What was she talking about? But above all that was a fierce joy. Susan was alive! "I'm NOT Susan! I don't know anyone called Susan. I'm Etienne. Just leave me alone. I WON'T BE A SLAVE AGAIN! I'd rather die," Susan declared again warding Marcus away with the knife. "I don't understand. Slavery is not allowed on Babylon Five. Who said you were a slave?" Marcus tried to calm Susan down and find out what she was talking about. "Iandra said so. He told me so. He said my husband sold me into slavery. I had an accident and I don't remember." Susan was wary of lowering her guard in case the Ranger was tricking her. "You're not a slave. You need to see a doctor. Let me take you." Marcus slowly reached out his hand hoping she'd trust him. "I won't hurt you," he said coaxingly. "Please trust me!" Susan studied him carefully. Doubt written all over her face, and Marcus spoke again and smiled, "Trust me." This man had saved her life twice, maybe she could trust him. Susan lowered the knife and tucked it in her pocket and took Marcus' offered hand. She needed medical attention and this was the only way, but if he betrayed her she'd kill him. She shakily smiled at him, but then her eyes rolled up in her head and Susan fainted from loss of blood. Marcus caught his wife before she could hit the floor and cradled her gently in his arms. He kissed her slowly on the forehead and wiped away the tears forming in his eyes. Susan was alive. He was no longer alone and nor was Susan. Marcus carefully wrapped Susan in his cloak and lifted her up in his arms to carry her to Med-Lab. Susan was back and now all he needed was a few answers to some questions. ************************* Marcus walked into Med-Lab with Susan wrapped up in his cloak and clutched tightly against his chest. Stephen saw him entering and instantly saw that it was Susan cradled in Marcus' arms and stared in total astonishment. "She's alive, Stephen," Marcus grinned at Stephen. "She was with the refugees, but she's hurt and she doesn't remember anything, me or even her own name," Marcus declared, happiness tempered with worry could be heard clearly in his voice. "Oh my! It's really her," Stephen finally spoke. Then he got down to business. "Bring her in here and I'll take a look at her." He gestured for Marcus to take Susan into an examination room. Marcus took her in and laid her gently on the nearest bed. Stephen called for a Med-tech to help him, and then politely asked Marcus to leave. "But, Stephen....," Marcus began. "I need to examine her, Marcus. I can't do that properly with you hovering about and watching over my shoulder every second." Stephen looked Marcus in the eye. "She'll be safe with me, Marcus. Trust me." Indecision clearly showed on Marcus' face. "Trust me Marcus." "Well, I need to get Laura from Corwin. You'll call me once you've finished, won't you?" Marcus didn't want to leave Susan for a second that wasn't necessary. "I'll call, but don't bring Laura here until I've found out what's the matter with Susan's memory. We don't want to give her too many shocks until we know she can handle them. Okay?" Stephen requested. "Okay, I'll ask Lennier to watch over Laura for me. I'll need to tell Michael and the Captain what's happened too," Marcus stated. "Fine, but I don't want them disturbing my patient yet until I've found out what's wrong," Stephen stated firmly. "I'll be back soon." Marcus left the room and headed for the exit of Med-Lab. Outside Med-Lab he ran into Michael who was surprised to see Marcus still on the station. "I thought you'd left!" Michael asked, confused. "She's alive, Michael. It was a mistake. She's alive," Marcus started to explain about Susan. "Who's alive, Marcus?" "Susan is. She was with the refugees," Marcus continued his words rushing out of him. "Marcus, Susan is dead," Michael reminded Marcus gently, concern written all over his face. Was Marcus suffering a relapse? "We saw her die on the White Star." "Tell that to Stephen. He's checking her over right now," Marcus stated firmly. "She's alive!" "Susan's alive?" Michael let hope drift into his voice. "Yes! I can't take it in." Reality was hitting Marcus and the joy was bubbling up inside him. He wasn't alone anymore. "But what happened? Where has she been?" Michael began to fire off questions. "Can I see her?" "Not until Stephen says it's okay," Marcus began. "And I don't know what happened to her exactly. She mentioned something about being a slave of some Xeni lord. She doesn't remember how she got there, me, or even who she is." Michael started to frown, "I'll get some security to Med-Lab and wait here until they arrive." "Just don't try and question her until Stephen says she's up to it," Marcus stated firmly. "I won't, Marcus. Don't worry," Michael smiled. "She's back and we'll let no-one take her away again." ---------- Delenn spoke first, "How is Susan, Doctor?" Turning to Stephen she said, "I thought John was playing a very poor joke when he said she was alive." They all felt the same. Complete surprise and joy that Susan was alive, but an overwhelming need to find out what had happened to her and why? "She's sedated at the moment. She's had too many blows to the head recently, and I want her completely rested," Stephen began his report. "Someone's used some sort of memory block in her brain. I've given her some drugs which should break it down, and her memory should return." "That's a relief," John interrupted. "So she'll be fine. We can visit her now?" "I'd rather you didn't to be honest. I don't want to force her to remember what's happened. It could be damaging psychologically and physically with the head injuries she's sustained." "What about Marcus?" Delenn wanted to know. "He needs to be near her." "She needs to remember in her own good time. Marcus can be a friend to her, but nothing more at the moment. She will remember him eventually but we mustn't force it," Stephen replied with calm assertiveness. "That's fine with me," Marcus replied. "Susan's alive and will recover. I can wait for her to remember me. She's back that's all that matters." All signs of lethargy and depression had left Marcus as quickly as they'd arrived once Susan had been declared safe. "So to our other matter. How did they know where to bomb?" John demanded. "Those here are the only one's who knew where the checkpoints would be, and as we've checked once again, no-one has a keeper." The meeting consisted of John, Michael, Marcus, Delenn, Stephen, Zack and Lennier, and was being held in the War Room which had been emptied for the occasion and whose occupants had been scanned by telepaths to verify their keeperless state before entering. Michael stood up, "There are several possibilities, Captain. Either your quarters have been bugged which is being checked as we speak, or a telepath scanned one of us," Michael looked slowly around the table, "or someone betrayed us." The meeting was interrupted by Michael's link beeping. "Garibaldi, Go." "The Captain's quarters are clean, Chief, no bugs or listening devices that we could detect," Lou's voice came through. "Thanks, Lou." Michael terminated the connection. "So it's either telepaths or a traitor," Stephen summed up. "I don't buy it. Either way nothing could have been organized until we'd exited the meeting," Marcus interrupted. "Telepaths couldn't see to scan us in the meeting and the traitor couldn't have actioned anything until he'd left the meeting. So they shouldn't have been able to organize the bombings so comprehensively and so easily in so short a time." John was frustrated. "This station is being terrorised. I'm sure the keepers did this, but I don't know how. Any ideas?" John looked at their blank faces around the table. He knew it was something really simple, but just couldn't quite grasp it. He started again, "I'm sure that the keepers are connected with what's happened to Susan. There was something they didn't want her to detect. Keep the checkpoint going Michael, until we're sure we're clear." Michael nodded. "Okay, let's break this meeting up," John finished. "I have children to look after this afternoon, and we're going to the park." "I'll join you there," Delenn kissed her husband's palm, "after my meeting with the League. David can show me his new baseball skills. He's getting rather good." Pride was evident in Delenn's tone. "Of course he is," John advised her severely. "He's my son and talent runs in our side of the family. Didn't I tell you?" Delenn hid a smile. "Just so long as I teach David to cook, that's no problem with me, Love." Delenn patted her husband on the face smiling, "It's amazing your family can survive food poisoning and became so talented with you in the family." Delenn swept out of the room with a grin on her face. "My cooking is perfectly edible," John appealed to the others. "Yes, Captain," Michael grinned, "but for security reasons I'd rather you didn't cook for the whole Command Crew. I mean there's no point in doing Clark's job for him and killing us all off in one go. Is there?" John looked offended, but quickly joined in the laughter. From: "Alison Laker" Subject: The Terror - Part 8 Date: Mon, 6 Apr 1998 22:47:04 +0100 "The Terror" Part 8: by Ali Standard Disclaimer: The characters and stuff belong to JMS and I'm just having a little fun with them and will return them to JMS in piece so he can play too! All comments and criticisms to:- xuj42@dial.pipex.com Any correspondence is welcome. ***************************** The Terror Part 8 by Ali xuj42@dial.pipex.com ***************************** "Noooooo! Get out of my head," Susan screamed hysterically. "I won't let you do this to me." "Don't struggle so, girl. The telepath will be finished soon enough, and your buyer is really keen to see you ASAP" Trakis informed her calmly. "We can do this the easy way or the hard way. Either way you won't remember so it doesn't matter much to me." He looked down at Susan without pity. "You won't get away with this. Marcus will find me," Susan stated with complete confidence, only to have her hopes dashed. "They held a memorial service for you on your station. Your husband believes you're dead, killed when we blew up your White Star," Trakis stated coldly. "Struggling means you'll only bruise yourself and that could lower your price. I don't want to lose money over some silly bitch who can't keep still." Trakis brought an electric cattle prod up to her face and touched it to her cheek. Susan screamed in agony. "Bugger you! You stinking bastard," Susan swore at him at him. Over the years of her marriage, Marcus had even affected how she swore. This thought flitted through her mind, and she could have laughed if the situation wasn't so desperate. Marcus thought she was dead. It would kill him, she knew. There was no modesty left to her now. Marcus had died inside when his brother had been killed by the Shadows, and she knew her death might destroy him. Sure he'd go on for Laura's sake. He would survive, but she didn't want him to just exist. Susan wanted him to live. She didn't want her daughter's life ruined by her mother's death. Marcus would live if Delenn and John had any say in it. Susan prayed that Marcus would be truly brave and not let himself be brought down by this. Marcus must survive this and live. This was Susan's last thought before she felt the stirring in her mind again. Mind violation had always been her greatest fear if captured. "Stop it. Please stop it," Susan began to scream again. Struggling against the bindings strapping her down, she attempted to get to the telepath to physically stop him from raping her mind. "She's blocking me," the telepath declared in surprise. "You never said she had psi abilities." "Can you do this or not?" Trakis demanded impatiently. He'd wasted enough time on this woman already. "Of course," he declared calmly. "Her shields are no match for me, she has no real skill." The telepath increased his pressure on Susan's mind, trying to force her memories behind the blocker. "Noooo," she screamed. Susan felt her memories slipping away. "Please, noooo. Don't do this." Her screams were interrupted suddenly. Someone was shaking her. "Etienne, wake up!" Stephen tried to wake the sleeping woman out of her nightmare. He'd decided to call Susan the name she remembered and not to frighten her by demanding her to be someone she didn't remember yet! Susan screamed again, and Marcus entering Med-Lab past the guards stationed there to protect her, heard his wife's screams and ran in. "What's the matter?" he demanded of Stephen. "She's having a nightmare, or she's remembering. I'm not sure which," Stephen informed him and then spoke again. "Etienne, wake up," Stephen gently shook her shoulders. Nnnoooo," Susan screamed, lashing out with her arm and knocking things off the trolley beside her with a clatter and jolting herself out of the nightmare that had ensnared her. Susan opened her eyes and was instantly confused and afraid about where she was. She looked ready to jump out of the bed and run. "It's okay, Etienne. You're safe in Med-Lab. No-one is going to hurt you. I'm Doctor Franklin and this," he pointed at Marcus, "is Marcus." Stephen spoke reassuringly and Susan settled back down on the bed against the pillows. "Listen to me carefully, Etienne," Marcus took her hand, "you're not a slave. You're free. Iandra, he lied to you. You're not a slave. You're free. There is nothing to worry about. We're going to look after you." Marcus knew that this was what had been worrying Susan when he'd found her. However, Susan saw the guards and instantly was suspicious. "I'm not a prisoner?" She looked at Marcus and Stephen. "No!" Marcus smiled. "The guards are here to keep you safe. We don't know who kidnapped and sold you to Iandra, but we don't want to risk it happening to you again" Susan still wasn't happy. "Why are you helping me like this?" Susan asked with suspicion and doubt in her tone. "It's not as if you know me or anything." Marcus struggled to answer this. He wanted to declare because I love you, because you're the mother of my child, because you're my life and soon you'll remember that. But instead, remembering Stephen's advice about letting her remember in her own good time, he just said, "Because you need help and you're all alone." And then trying to lighten the moment he continued, "And besides I'm a Ranger. Rescuing damsels in distress is in the job description." "Now," Stephen spoke to his patient, "I've got other patients to see. Marcus is going to keep you company for a while. Your memory is going to start returning and it might be frightening for you, but one of us will be here with you all the time. Okay?" Stephen explained. "Okay." Susan managed a weak smile. Maybe she could trust these strangers. Stephen returned the smile and left. Susan turned and looked at Marcus. "I should thank you for saving my life." "It was a pleasure." Marcus smiled, but curiosity got the better of him and he asked, "What were you dreaming about?" "It was so real. I think it was when they put the memory block in my mind," Susan spoke shakily. Marcus saw her shaken and pained expression and groaned inwardly. He shouldn't have asked. "Don't talk about it if its too hard" Marcus desperately wanted to take Susan in his arms and to comfort her. Susan pulled her knees up to her chest protectively and sighed. "I just feel so alone," she admitted. "I don't know anything about myself. Whether I have a family, a home," Susan's expression darkened, "a husband." She remembered Iandra stating that her husband had sold her. "I just want to feel I belong somewhere. That there are people out there who care about me, maybe are even looking for me!" "You're not alone, Susan," Marcus stated desperately trying to keep his tone even. "Don't ever think you're alone." Susan sensed some under lying deep emotion in Marcus. He frightened her with the intensity of his gaze. She didn't know what was causing this in Marcus, but she didn't feel able to handle it. She needed distance between them so she could get her thoughts in order. "Marcus, I know Doctor Franklin said you were to stay with me, but I need time to think things through and get them straight in my head." She glanced at the door and hoped he'd take the hint. She remained quiet and then rather dramatically yawned deeply, "And maybe I should get some more sleep. I'm beginning to feel tired again." <> Marcus thought. All Marcus wanted to do was stay, but he forced himself to say, "Okay, I'll leave you to have a little rest and be back later. Give me a call if you want anything." Marcus forced himself to leave the room. **************************** Delenn entered the park and quickly spotted her family by the amount of noise that David was making. He was running around and pretending to be a Star Fury pilot shooting through space in his ship. David stopped when he saw his mother and ran up to her. "Mummy," he called and ran straight into a hug. "Hello, little one. Have you had a good afternoon?" "Yes! Daddy bought us some chocolate and ice cream," David smiled, "and we had a picnic in the park." "I can see that the remains of your ice cream are all around your face!" How's Leanna?" David pulled a face, "She's tired and grumpy and Daddy says we need to go home and put her to bed, but we had to wait for you." "Okay, then lets get moving," Delenn spoke as they approached John and Leanna who were sitting on a blanket surrounded by toys. Leanna was obviously struggling to stay awake and John looked tired but happy. John looked up as they approached. "Hello, honey, nice meeting?" John stood up with Leanna in his arms and kissed his wife. "We missed you!" "I missed you too but we got a lot done, and we'll only need one more meeting and the treaty will be signed and you can concentrate solely on defeating Clark and nothing else," Delenn explained. "So be patient." She reached up and kissed John gently on the lips, and then kissed her daughter on the forehead. "Me?" John grinned in return. "I'm always patient. I lasted through all your ceremonies to marry you. Didn't I?" "I expected nothing less," Delenn replied smiling. "Any word on Susan's memory?" "Nothing yet," John replied seriously. "But Stephen thinks a breakthrough is imminent as she's starting to remember things in dreams." He frowned. "In nightmares, actually!" "Is Auntie Susan all right?" David interrupted. "Yes, David," Delenn answered, "but she's not very well so she's staying with Stephen in Med-Lab for a bit." "Can we go and see her?" David asked almost jumping up and down with excitement. "Not yet, David, but soon," John told his son. "She's not well enough at the moment, but we'll go as soon as she is." David looked disappointed but said nothing more, and the family collected their belongings and headed for home. ***************************** Marcus left Susan alone for about two hours before making another visit to Med-Lab to check up on his wife. He'd spent those two hours with Laura. He checked his daughter was happy and safe with Lennier who'd agreed to mind her for the day. He was rather worried that all the disruption of the last few weeks might affect his tiny daughter, but she still appeared to be the smiling bundle of joy she'd always been. Laura luckily seemed to take trouble in her stride and was perfectly content as long as her father put in an appearance every so often. Marcus wondered if his daughter realized that her mother had been lost and returned to them. He could hardly wait for Susan to remember so he could take Laura back up to see her. He wanted them all united, not separated around Babylon 5 as he ran between his family and tried to keep them together in spirit, if not in actuality. The security guards waved him through their security checks and straight into Susan's room. Susan was asleep when he arrived. However, she was tossing and turning and obviously not sleeping contentedly. Marcus wavered, undecided between whether he should wake her, or whether some sleep, however disturbed, might be better than no sleep. She looked so heartbreakingly vulnerable lying in the bed that he wanted to take her in his arms and tell her that she'd be okay and he'd look after her. It was at this point that Susan woke up with a start. She woke to see a pair of deep blue eyes watching her, desperately trying to keep the passion that he felt from showing. For a moment Susan stared into those eyes, losing herself in them. The eyes seemed familiar but she wasn't sure why, and she turned her head needing to break the intimate look she was being given. It was making her nervous, unsure and a little frightened. In fact, the more Susan learned about this quiet ranger in front of her, the more she felt she should keep herself well away from him if she wanted to keep her heart intact. "Did you have a good sleep?" Marcus inquired needing to break the silence. Susan frowned, "I was dreaming, remembering. I'm not sure which." "What happened?" Marcus asked simply. "We might be able to sort it out together." Susan wasn't convinced. "Do you think so?" "It can't hurt to try," Marcus replied in a soft voice. "Okay, then," Susan sat up, "I was arguing with someone, but I couldn't see their face. I don't know who it was!" "Was it one of those who kidnapped you?" Marcus asked but seeing the negative look Susan was giving. "Someone you worked with? Or someone you were close to?" Marcus tried to help. "I think it was my husband or maybe a partner or a lover, but I'm not sure," Susan spoke. "I must have someone." <> she thought. "I've got a wedding ring so maybe I am married or was once anyway. My wedding ring says, <>" Marcus blanched and tried to speak calmly, "It seems likely to me". "But in my dream we were arguing and he turned his back on me, rejected me. So <> obviously didn't mean that much to him." "That might not be true, you know. He could have just been upset and if you'd seen him later he would have apologized," Marcus put his own point of view across. "It felt very final to me in the dream. I don't think I'd have dreamt it if it wasn't important." Susan was convinced. "And of course, it could have been just that - a dream. I think...." But Marcus' words were interrupted by sounds of a disturbance outside Susan's room at the entrance to Med-Lab. Marcus poked his head around the door to see what was happening and stared in horror. ******************************* The scene outside Susan's room told Marcus all he needed to know. Susan was in danger again! But this time he was there and she wouldn't have to face the danger alone. The two security men who'd been guarding the main door to Med-Lab were lying on the floor, and the third who'd been stationed outside of Susan's room was struggling with a man whom Marcus recognized as a medical technician from Med-Lab 3, but whom Marcus had never seen working here where Susan was being treated. The assailant had a PPG, but because of the intensity of the fight he was in he hadn't had the chance to use it. But it was only a matter of time as the guard was losing. Medical equipment was strewn around the room where it had fallen after being knocked flying by the fight. The guard was desperately trying to get the gun out of the Med-tech's hand and succeeded as it flew out of his hand after the guard hit his wrist with a move straight out of self defense manual. The Med-tech wasn't fighting with any skill, but the guard was being worn down by the length of time the fight had been going on, whereas the Med-tech wasn't even sweating. The strength he'd been given by the keeper was phenomenal. Marcus could see Stephen over the other side of Med-lab calling for more security and trying to un-jam his tranq gun. He hoped they be able to stop the man without killing him. Marcus didn't stop to see anymore and turned back to Susan. Protecting her was his first priority. "We have to get you out of here...NOW!" Marcus declared more calmly than he was feeling. Susan, seeing the expression on Marcus's face, climbed out of the bed without argument. Inexplicably she trusted this man and trusted him to keep her safe. She was still wearing her short hospital sleeping suit, and Marcus frowned at this. "Have you got any other clothes?" Marcus asked. "I won't be able to hide you in that." He smiled to himself that Susan could manage to make a sack look sexy. However, the outfit left most of her long shapely legs exposed and Susan would attract immediate, unwanted attention wearing it. "I have the outfit I was wearing when I arrived. Doctor Franklin had it cleaned for me," Susan told him. Marcus remembered the blue silk outfit, and though it covered Susan up, it didn't really make her any less conspicuous. "If that's all you have, put it on. It will have to do," Marcus stated simply. "I'll watch the door." Marcus peered around the door again and quietly extended his pike. The offending Med-tech had now dealt with the remaining guard and was searching the private rooms for Susan. They didn't have much time. "I'm ready," Susan spoke from behind him. "Lets go." Marcus registered that Susan looked stunning in the silk outfit but squashed the thought. "Okay, follow me. We're going out through the maintenance tunnels that open in the next room. I'll keep the man occupied whilst you open the hatch." He grabbed Susan's hand and pulled her to the door and was instantly spotted by the keeper-driven Med-tech. The man threw himself at Susan but was slowed by Marcus hitting him with his pike. However, the word here was "slowed". The man was not stopped. "Get the hatch open now!" Marcus yelled as the Med-tech attacked again, trying to get around Marcus to get to Susan. Marcus struck him again, and this time the man tried a different tack and headed to where the PPG had fallen. Marcus knew that if the man got to the weapon before they could escape, Susan would die. He would too of course, but that thought didn't bother him half as much. The man tore into the next room just in time to see Susan climbing into the tunnels and Marcus crawling in after her. "Where are we going?" Susan asked. "Just crawl. We'll decide later," Marcus replied, trying to hurry her up. "He's right behind me." They just made it to the first corner before they heard the sounds of PPG fire coming up the tunnel behind them. Susan needed no further encouragement now and started to scramble along the tunnel. After what seemed like hours of Marcus telling her to go left or right, they finally arrived at a hatch. They exited the tunnels into an equally dark corridor. They were both bruised and sore, and their muscles were cramped from crawling through such an enclosed space. Susan was nearly asleep on her feet. She still hadn't recovered from the last assault on her. Marcus, seeing Susan's state, wrapped his arm around her to give her some support. "There's a safe house near here that only Captain Sheridan, Mister Garibaldi and Zack Allan know about," Marcus declared. He didn't mention that Susan herself would know where the safe house was. "We'll go there. I don't know how they keep finding out where you are, but they won't find us there. You can rest there and I'll contact Mister Garibaldi." "They've found me everywhere. It's like I've been bugged or something," Susan stated in anger. "You haven't been bugged. We checked that when you came into Med-Lab," Marcus advised her reassuringly. "Come on. It's not much further now, and I promise I'll keep you safe." Susan smiled for the first time, "Oh, I trust you. It's them I'm worried about." Susan frowned this time. "I just wish I knew why they want me dead. I can't remember doing anything that would make any one want to kill me." Marcus took her hand. "They don't seem to need a reason. Come on, let's get moving. Then I can call Mister Garibaldi and he'll send enough security men to stop an army." They moved off with Marcus carefully supporting Susan. **************************** Five minutes later they arrived at the safe house and Marcus put in the password to enter it and initialize the security system to keep out any intruders. The actual living quarters were small, only 10 feet square, but it was surrounded by an extremely extensive security system which would now be enforced on anyone who attempted to enter the room without the proper code. The room had a small stove, sink and fridge, and a tiny bathroom walled off in one corner. A sofa and a computer terminal took up the rest of the space. On entering, Marcus immediately checked that the security system was working, left Susan, signaled Garibaldi, and then turned around to see Susan still standing in the doorway. She was on the verge of collapse, swaying dangerously, and shaking with the effort to keep upright. "Oh Valen! I'm sorry. Sit down. You're freezing cold." Marcus rushed to help her. He took off his cloak and wrapped it around her. Susan looked so vulnerable, so lost, so alone. And without thinking he wrapped his arms around her and held her close. He stroked her hair away from her face, and then picked her up and carried her to the sofa. It felt good to hold her again. "Ssssshhhh, it's okay, sssssshhhhh. You can rest now." Marcus tried to soothe her. He realized that the adrenaline that had kept Susan going had finally and completely run out, and now she was utterly exhausted. Susan felt warm, safe and protected in Marcus's arms. She felt at home there, and despite being exhausted, she responded by reaching up and kissing him gently on the lips. Marcus, completely surprised, didn't pull away and felt an enormous rush of desire for his wife, but resisted. The woman in front of him didn't know they were married, and the morals of the situation were dodgy to say the least. Marcus stopped the kiss, but didn't release Susan completely and just held her in his arms with her head nestled against his chest until her breathing evened out and Marcus realized that she was asleep. Then he relaxed on the sofa, still holding Susan cradled against him. He pushed her hair gently away from her face. He didn't care what happened later, but for one perfect moment Susan was in his arms again and sleeping peacefully. She looked so beautiful. She smelt sweet and was so soft against him. Marcus fell asleep, feeling more at peace than he had for weeks. Susan's peaceful sleep didn't last long. She began to dream. At first it was very pleasant. Her family were there and she was a carefree little girl again, before life hurt her, playing with her brother. She was safe with her family, but suddenly the atmosphere changed. The psi-cops came and life changed for the worse. Her mother's suicide happened again. She remembered coming home from school and finding her mama lying dead on the floor with an empty pill pot and an empty vodka bottle by her side. This was quickly followed by Ganya's ship exploding in the war, with images of him burning in the flames. His coffin returned to them sealed, as his body was so unrecognizable that only his DNA had declared his true identity to be an Ivanov. Then her papa's death, stricken by cancers, that had eaten away his insides and left him a living skeleton, a shell of the former man. All through the nightmare her family kept asking her, <> "Nooo, Nooo Mama. I never forgot. I never forgave them for what they did... Ganya...no...no....Papa...please...Papa." Susan began to toss and turn and mumble in her sleep, waking Marcus instantly. The nightmare images of her dying family intensified and now Susan began to scream, "Nnooooo, nooooo, don't go, Mama. Don't leave me alone... Papa... Ganya...nooo....NNNOOOOOO!" Susan woke with a start and sat bolt up right, taking a moment just to remember where she was. Marcus tried to pull her back into his embrace, but Susan resisted. "They're all dead! My mama, papa and Ganya. They're all dead! I'm all alone," Susan spoke with raw, urgent pain and utter loss in her voice. She pushed away from Marcus and began to pace the room. Marcus desperately tried to calm her down. "Calm down. I'm here! You're not alone." "I don't want you," Susan spoke brokenly. "I want Mama and Papa. I want Ganya back, but they're gone. My life is gone. I forgot my own family. How could I do that?" Susan began to pace the room again. Marcus tried to reach her but Susan pushed him away. "I don't want any one near me again." All Susan's old barriers were going up again before Marcus's eyes. "I want to be by myself. I need to remember it all." Without thinking Susan opened the door to run away. "Nooo! The security system is still on." Marcus tried to prevent her leaving. "It's not safe!" "Make it safe!" Susan ran out of the door. Marcus ran to the computer terminal to shut off the security system which would vaporize Susan 5 seconds after going into the corridor outside the room. Marcus then also headed for the door, calling out, "Come back. It's not safe for you out there!" However, Susan had already been swallowed up by the darkness of the corridors outside and was gone. Marcus returned to the computer terminal and put in another emergency call to Michael Garibaldi. From: "Alison Laker" Subject: The Terror -part 9 by Ali Date: Tue, 7 Apr 1998 08:08:42 +0100 "The Terror" Part 9: by Ali Standard Disclaimer: I'm just playing. All the characters and stuff belong to JMS etc. ************************************ Any comments and flaming to: xuj42@dial.pipex.com ************************************ Part 9 The Terror by Ali xuj42@dial.pipex.com ************************************* John entered Garibaldi's security office at a run. "What's happened now?" he demanded angrily. "Sorry I didn't want to tell you over the link as we've already got a leak" Garibaldi got up from behind his desk, "You're not going to like this. A Med-tech tried to kill Susan in Med-lab". "What!" John was shocked. "He had a keeper so that pretty much confirms that the attempts on Susan are to prevent her finding out something that the keepers are doing! Stephen managed to tranq the guy and is operating on him now to try and remove it" Michael continued, "He's pretty upset that its one of his Med-tech's who's infected. The man's got a wife and two children." "What about Susan?" John asked not wanting to hear anymore bad news but knowing he must. "Marcus got Susan out through the maintenance tunnels before she was hurt and they've holed up in the safe house in Gray Sector". Michael informed him. "How did they know Susan was in Med-lab?" John demanded, "Where the hell is this leak! Michael, you have to find it". "I know I've got my teams checking everywhere for bugs and spying devices. We've checked all the staff for keepers. I don't know what else to do!" Michael spoke in desperate tones. "I know but its got to be something obvious" John stated simply, "We've checked everything else". Suddenly, Michael's link bleeped an alarm to alert him to a priority message coming through. "Michael, It's Marcus. Susan ran off. She remembered about her family dying and was horrified. You have to help me find her before these keepers do!" Fear could be heard in Marcus' tone. "Understood Marcus, Standby" Michael then sent out a general statement to his security teams to start searching for Susan. John spoke now, "Marcus secure the safe house and join us in Garibaldi's office. We'll find her. You can depend on it". "I hope your right Captain. I'll never forgive myself if anything happens to her now." The pain and desperation in Marcus' voice was almost palpable. Garibaldi's link bleeped again. "Garibaldi, Go!" "Michael, my Med-tech didn't survive the surgery. The keeper was too deep rooted in his brain. I couldn't get it out". The sorrow in Stephen's voice could easily be heard over the link. "I'm sorry Stephen" Michael stated simply, "Do you want me to tell his family?" "He was one of my Med-tech's I'll tell them. I should have known something was wrong. That keeper had been on him a lot longer than the others whom I'd autopsied. It had infiltrated much further into his brain" Stephen sounded even more anguished than he had before even over the link which tended to transmit only the words spoken and to muffle the emotions behind the words. "Is there any word on my other patient yet?" "She's remembered about her family dying and has run off from Marcus" John spoke into his link now, "Michael's got teams out looking for her". "Well tell them to be careful. She's bound to be very confused and upset if she's only part remembering. We know she tends to strike out when she's frightened. "I've warned them Stephen. We all now how difficult our friend can get if she's provoked". By agreement Susan's name was not being spoken out loud over the link just in case of eavesdroppers. "Okay, let me know when you find her as you may need me. Franklin out." "Keep me advised Michael. I've got to meet Delenn in the Zoccollo. Its Leanna's birthday soon and we need to get some stuff". "Shopping? That sounds fun!" Michael smiled. The Captain just grimaced and left. *********************************** Susan was in a bar in the Zocollo. She'd hidden herself away around the side of the bar so as not to be clearly visible from the door. In front of her was a half empty bottle of vodka. Susan didn't know why she'd ordered that but as soon as the barman had asked her what she wanted it just slipped out. No-one was sitting near her. Her obvious wish to be alone had kept them away, as well as some almost deadly glares she'd given those who'd attempted to approach her. She felt like she was sitting under a black thunder cloud and now, wisely everyone was keeping well clear. Susan didn't want anyone near her ever again. She reached out and picked up the vodka bottle and poured herself another quadruple measure. Picking the glass up without spilling it, quite a feat considering how much she'd already drunk, she knocked the drink back. She wasn't sure she wanted to remember her past anymore. It hurt to much. Maybe she should just try to forget it. She felt so overwhelmingly depressed and low. The vodka would help. She poured herself another glass. Her family was dead. How could she possibly deal with that? But she had to deal with it. But their deaths felt so new and the wounds so deep as if they'd only just happened. This was almost worse than losing them the first time! Susan didn't notice the security guard, Lou Welch, enter the bar and speak to one of the barmen. She was too distracted by her grief. He showed the bar-man a picture of Susan and was quickly rewarded by having her pointed out as being around the corner sitting against the bar. Officer Welch left the bar and lifted his link to his mouth. "Welch to Garibaldi" Lou spoke into his link. "Garibaldi, Go!" Michael's voice floated back. "Our little lost sheep is in the bar next to the Centauri Restaurant in the Zocollo." He informed Michael succinctly. They had been told not to mention Susan's name over the link to help protect her. "Okay! Don't approach her just keep an eye on her until me and Marcus get there. Garibaldi out." Michael terminated the link. Lou carefully entered the bar again and found a convenient seat to watch Susan from without attracting to much attention. The shift for the bar staff ended and a new shift came on duty. One of them, Kat, had quite often served Susan in the past and went over to her to see if she needed anymore to drink. "Hello, Commander. I heard you'd died. The rumors around this place are awful." Kat spoke and smiled, "I knew they couldn't kill you off that easy". Susan frowned in reply, "Do you know me?" It was Kat's turn to frown, "Yes! Of course. I used to serve you all the time before you got married and had your baby" She studied Susan carefully, "You don't recognize me, do you? You shouldn't have drunk so much. It's bad for the brain cells." Susan sighed, "I wish it was that easy. I have amnesia actually! I can barely remember my own name!" Then Susan's alcohol poisoned mind started to react to what she was being told, "You know me? You know me! What's my name? Who's my husband?" Susan reeled off questions at bullet speed, "Where do I live? What do I do?" "Hey! Hang on a minute. Slow down. You really can't remember, can you?" asked Kat in real surprise, "I though it was just the drink". Susan looked at the nearly empty bottle, "I was feeling a bit down!" Susan spoke carefully now, trying not to slur her words. Kat smiled, "Just a bit down. You've drunk nearly a whole bottle of vodka. Most people would have collapsed long before now. I'm surprised your still conscious. Anyway what can I tell you? Your Commander of the station, 2nd in command." "You're kidding?" "No! I'm not" Kat stopped. There must be a reason why Susan's friends had kept this from her and Kat spoke seriously now, "Maybe you should go to Med-Lab. They'll be able to help". "No! I don't think so. They've had every chance to fill me in on my life but didn't. They probably thought it would be funny to keep me in the dark. Tell me the rest!" Susan demanded. "I don't know where to start. Your name is Susan Ivanova-Cole. Although most people still address you as Commander Ivanova. Your husband never seemed to mind that. You married a ranger nearly 2 years ago. I worked the bar at your reception. You had a daughter about a year ago now. I think she's called Laura". "Where is she?" Susan demanded, wiping away tears that threatened to fall, "My daughter?" "With her dad, I suppose." This was like trying to get blood out of a stone, "Who is?" Susan was beginning to get exasperated with the slowness of this. Kat looked up just in time to see Michael and Marcus enter the bar, "He is!" Kat pointed in the direction of Marcus. "Let me get this straight," a white hot anger was beginning to burn in Susan as she still believed that her husband had sold her to be a slave, "That man with the long dark hair is my husband?" Kat nodded. Susan glared at the approaching men. As if sensing they were being watched by hostile eyes, Michael and Marcus spotted Susan. Susan's anger was very close to exploding, <> Susan thought, <>. Susan got off the stool where she'd been sitting next to the bar and Kat. She staggered heavily before finding her balance. Susan yelled across the bar, "YOU BASTARD!" Then Susan flew at him, like a harpy from hell. She punched him in the face. Marcus didn't even try to protect himself, the attack was so unexpected. He fell backwards to the floor and Susan was on him in seconds. "WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME WHO YOU WERE?" She turned around and glared at Michael, "You all knew who I was! Had a good laugh at keeping me in the dark, did you?" She turned back to Marcus who was still lying in shock on the floor. Susan kicked him in the side. It would have been in the head but Marcus was now taking steps to protect himself. "You sold me to that bastard Iandra. You let him mess with my head. How could you? You're my husband! How could you?" "Susan! I didn't sell you. Iandra lied to you." Marcus hadn't realized that Susan actually believed that he'd sold her into slavery. "I love you!" Susan yelled, "I don't believe you. I can't believe one word of anything any of you has said to me anymore!" She went to punch Marcus again but this time Michael grabbed her, "No Susan. This isn't Marcus' fault. You don't remember everything yet!". Susan elbowed Michael in the guts and then punched him in the kidney. Michael let her go again. "Get off me! I haven't finished with him yet." Susan turned back to Marcus, "You didn't even tell me that I had a daughter" Susan aimed another wild punch at Marcus but the vodka was affecting her aim and this time Marcus was prepared and sidestepped. However, Susan didn't give up and tried to hit him again. She grabbed him by the front of shirt and yelled at him again, "Where is my daughter?" "She's fine. She's with a minder. You have to believe me. I'd never sell you as a slave. Its ridiculous to even suggest it. I love you!" "So I'm ridiculous now as well as inconvenient?" Susan yelled and nearly fell over in another attempt to hit Marcus. Marcus attempted to steady her but Susan pushed him away, "Don't ever touch me" Susan reached behind her and picked up the empty bottle of vodka she'd been drinking. She smashed it against the bar, leaving a sharp jagged edge which she swept in Marcus' direction, "You're going to regret what you did to me! " ******************************** For John and Delenn it had been a pleasant afternoon taking David around the shops in the Zocollo looking for toys for Leanna. They'd stopped for drinks in a cafe, bought flowers for their quarters and streamers and balloons to decorate their quarters for their baby's first birthday party. All that remained was to pick up the birthday cake. They'd had it made in the shape of a teddy bear. Lennier had been looking after both Laura and Leanna for the whole day just to give them this time to spend together. The disturbance had caused a crowd to form at the entrance to the bar. John and Delenn were heading for the cake shop with David when they saw the crowd and heard the sounds of a fight going on. John wanted to see what was happening. "Stay here with David" John asked Delenn, "You too" he caught his son's eye and ruffled his hair, "I'll see what's happening". John pushed his way through to the front of the crowd and stared in amazement at the scene which faced him. He'd never seen Susan so obviously the worse for wear due to drink before. He'd never seen Susan trying to beat the crap out of Michael and Marcus before either but he was seeing it now. Despite her obvious drunkenness Susan had done a good job on Marcus. His face was bruised and bloody. Michael wasn't so obviously hurt but he was favoring his left side and his uniform was ripped. <> John thought. Seeing the bottle in Susan's hand John stepped into the fray to intervene..... ***************************************** Marcus avoided the next attack by Susan with only inches to spare but was unable to avoid Susan's follow-up which caught him on the left side, just above his hip. He put his hand to the wound. It started to bleed profusely and soaked into his clothing. Marcus ignored the pain and tried to once again talk Susan out of this. In a soft voice he spoke, "Susan, stop this! You're making a mistake. Please trust me! I'd never do anything to harm you". Susan ignored him and swung again with the bottle. It was very clear to him that Susan meant business. She hadn't even flinched when she'd cut him and caused him to bleed. Even drunk Susan was a deadly fighter. Marcus had never before had the chance to see his wife fight in hand to hand combat. He'd seen her command ships in battle, seen her dog-fighting in a star-fury and seen her shoot it out with the enemy in a PPG gun battle. He was seriously wishing that he didn't have to see it now. Marcus had discovered that to achieve her ends Susan could fight mean and dirty. Marcus drew his Minbari fighting pike and extended it. He needed to keep Susan from getting close to him. He knew the guilt she would suffer when she finally remembered the truth. With the pike extended he'd be able to keep her at arms length. The last thing Marcus wanted to have to do was to hurt Susan with the pike, as hurting Susan hurt him almost as much, if not more. However, he needed to stop this fight quickly before it got even more out of hand than it already was. With the fact that a keeper could be anywhere around, Susan shouldn't be out in the open at all. She was too much of an easy target for anyone with a PPG. She needed to be in protective custody and in Med-Lab. Susan needed Stephen to supervise her until her memory returned fully and it was once again safe for Marcus to approach her. However, Marcus realized that stopping this fight was going to be easier said than done. Marcus tried to sweep Susan's legs out from under her. Susan avoided the sweep of his pike but only just. It was clear to everyone that Susan was tiring. It was hardly surprising considering the amount of physical and emotional stress she'd suffered recently and was continuing to suffer. Exhaustion was threatening to overwhelm Susan and only rage and a lust for revenge was keeping her upright and fighting. The fighting had caused the stitches in her head wound to break and the wound to re-open and blood was running down the side of her face. Her arm was also bleeding where it had been caught by flying glass when she'd broken the vodka bottle. Blood was running down her arm and into her hand, making it slippery as she tried to keep a grip on the remains of the bottle. Susan advanced towards Marcus again but this time her advance was halted. She was stopped in her tracks by a familiar voice from behind her. "COMMANDER IVANOVA, YOU WILL DROP THAT BOTTLE NOW! OR I'LL HAVE YOU STRIPPED OF COMMAND, COURT-MARSHALED AND THROWN OFF THE STATION." Captain John Sheridan stepped out of the crowd watching the fight. He'd sized up the situation instantly and decided that shock tactics were needed to bring Susan to her senses and to stop this situation from getting any worse. Susan Ivanova had been a member of Earth Force for a large percentage of her life and above all of her other roles in life Susan considered herself to be a soldier and a warrior. One of the very first things soldiers were taught was to obey the chain of command and your own CO without question when given an order. This was one of the main problems with getting Earth Force personnel to rebel against President Clarke however much they disagreed with his dictatorship. John was depending on Susan to fall back on this deeply rooted instinct when he let loose his order in a voice that sounded very much like a drill instructor, a tone that Captain Sheridan very rarely had to adopt. The effect on Susan was immediate and nearly instantaneous. She stopped dead in her tracks, and dropped the bottle. Then spun around to face her CO, stood to attention and saluted, "YES SIR!" Susan replied in a voice direct from the parade ground. Later when Susan looked back on this incident, she was rather concerned at how she'd been indoctrinated by her Earth Force training. She stood at attention until she caught sight of John who was approaching her carefully. He kicked the remains of the broken bottle away from Susan. Susan's eyes suddenly flew wide and she stared at John. To John's surprise he saw recognition in Susan's eyes. Susan spoke in a whisper, "I know you?" and then with conviction, "I know you!" She took an uncertain step towards him, "John?" John smiled in delight, "Yes! That's right." Then suddenly as if a door had opened a flood of images swept through her mind. She gasped in surprise. What had began as a trickle of memories, now became a torrent. The shock to her mind was staggering and it tried to shut down but by force of will Susan remained conscious. She wanted to remember now! She wanted to know everything. She wanted to know it all! Susan wanted all the uncertainties gone. She swayed alarmingly and reached out to try and find something to hold onto, a port in a storm. Susan found someone, Marcus. Marcus wrapped his arms around her waist from behind. He supported her as her legs threatened to buckle under the stress. Shudders started to wrack her body as each fresh memory hit her. First she saw her family again, their deaths, and then her life in Earth Force. The deaths in the Earth-Minbari war were followed by the horrific deaths she'd once witnessed when a vessel she'd been traveling in was hit by raiders, next came Earth Force 1 and the President blowing up off Io. Then the memories got more personal again as she saw her former relationships. Malcolm betraying her love with another woman and then betraying her again on Babylon 5, Talia's unwitting betrayal and the loss of her friend Jeffrey Sinclair to the past. She groaned in pain and tried to wrap her arms around her head to shut the memories out. Bitter tears ran down her face. Susan tried to retreat from her past. Her memories had left her cold, untrusting, pessimistic and scared of intimacy with anyone. This was what her past had done to her. So scared that she almost turned her salvation away. She had almost sent Marcus away from her. Susan felt but didn't see Marcus wrapping his arms even more tightly around her and she heard him whispering softly into her ear. "It's going to be okay. I love you. Laura loves you. I'll be here for you always." Marcus repeated his words over and over again. Now Susan saw the good times. Marcus making her laugh, Marcus teasing her, Marcus loving her, Marcus and Laura playing and finally she saw the events of her kidnap and the resulting debacle. The memories both good and bad swept through her but she wasn't frightened anymore. She could feel Marcus' arms around her, his love surrounded her and his lean body supported her. He would always be there and life was good. Susan trusted him. Marcus kept the suffering of her past not only at bay but defeated. Finally the shaking of her body lessened and stopped. Susan was still. Susan carefully opened her eyes and looked around her. John was in front of her and she smiled at him "John!" John nodded in reply to her greeting and smiled widely. Then seeing the crowd surrounding her, she retreated further into Marcus' embrace. "Michael, clear this crowd away. We don't need an audience and get Dr. Franklin down here!" John ordered succinctly. Michael obeyed instantly and started to try and disperse the crowd. Susan twisted around in Marcus' arms which continued to support her and drew back a bit. Silently Susan reached up and wiped the blood from Marcus' mouth where she'd punched him. "I'm sorry Marcus" Susan spoke softly. She pushed Marcus' long dark hair off of his face and looked deep into Marcus' blue eyes. Susan saw the deep unquestioning love still burning for her there. She threw herself back into his arms until Marcus reached down and gently tilted her chin upwards and even more tenderly kissed her, entwining his fingers in her hair. Susan didn't need much encouragement and deepened the kiss. This kiss lasted quite a while until interrupted by Michael clearing his throat. Marcus and Susan reluctantly drew apart but Marcus didn't release Susan from his arms, partly because he didn't at that moment want to ever let her go again and partly because he was concerned that if he let her go she might collapse. "Stephen's on his way down from Med-Lab and I think he's probably going to want to keep you both there for awhile. I don't think this crowd is going to clear properly until we leave the area. I'll get some men down here to clean up the mess you've made". Susan looked rather shamefaced, "I'm sorry I hit you Michael but I was a bit angry!" Michael laughed, "Just a bit angry? Please don't ever get really angry with me Susan. I'm not sure I'd survive" Then Michael turned back to the crowd, "Okay its all over, nothing left to see. Let's clear the area." He called loudly to the crowd and started to chivvy them away. He left John, Susan and Marcus alone together. As the crowd cleared Delenn and David could be seen waiting. David was eating sweets from his tiny back-pack. Delenn had been impatiently trying to see over the clearing crowd and had seen Marcus kissing Susan. Now Delenn took David's hand and approached the threesome. She was smiling and embraced Susan and stepped back after releasing her. "Susan you're all right. We've been so worried about you!" Delenn reached out again and took Susan's hand, "Laura is with Lennier and Laura. I'll contact him straight away and have him bring Laura up to Med-Lab to meet you. I expect you can't wait to see her." "I just hope she still remembers me!" a slight frown crossed Susan's brow and Marcus gave her a comforting hug. "Of course she'll remember you! You're her mother aren't you? Children don't forget all that easily". "Well if she's grown as much as David here has, I might not recognize her!" Susan reached out to ruffle David's hair. As soon as Susan touched David a tremor ran through her body. Her thoughts intertwined with David's thoughts. She instantly knew something was wrong, terribly wrong! The nightmare wasn't over yet! From: "Alison Laker" Subject: The Terror - part 10 Date: Tue, 7 Apr 1998 22:46:25 +0100 "The Terror" Part 10: by Ali Standard Disclaimer:- All the characters and stuff belong to JMS and his mates. I'm just playing with them and will bring them back in good time for him to kill them off. ************************************** ************************************** Part 10 The Terror by Ali xuj42@dial.pipex.com *************************************** David! Something was wrong with David. Susan could sense a darkness emanating from the small boy. A shadow was in his mind. The darkness was deep, so very deep, ancient and indescribably evil. It knew she was there and Susan tried to get out of David's mind and away from it. She wanted to get out of the claustrophobic darkness that David's mind now was. The shadow, or what ever it was, didn't want to let her go and Susan began to sink further into the dark. She was frightened now and couldn't find her way out of the darkness. It was all around her. She remembered Draal telling her once to "look for the path" but there was no path just a cloying seductive evil. This was David's mind. Suddenly the thought occurred to her that maybe this wasn't David's mind at all. Maybe there was an impostor in his place! Maybe David was safe elsewhere. She could always hope! As Susan drifted through the darkness, she started to lose touch with reality. Was this real or just another nightmare she had to suffer through. This couldn't be real. This was a nightmare world. Then she heard it. A tiny voice was calling out for help. It was pitifully weak and frail. It was David. The real David! She floated towards the harrowing cries and came out into light. But it was a light held hostage to the dark. David was trapped, a bright star in a pitch black universe. His essence, his soul was calling out to her. She tried to reach him to comfort him but she couldn't reach him. He continued to cry for help which wasn't coming. This was why they'd wanted her dead. They couldn't have wanted her to find out about what had been done to David. Susan had to get out before she was lost forever. She was David's only hope. She threw herself outwards and back into the darkness and out into the light of day. She couldn't afford to stay in the darkness. As well as withdrawing her senses from David's mind, Susan physically backed away from him but her flight was brought to a standstill by Marcus who was standing right behind her. Seeing the blood drain from her face and her generally over wrought look, Marcus swore and picked her up bodily to prevent her from collapsing but Susan began to convulse again as her mind reeled away from what she'd discovered. Susan could now see the evil that was possessing David. It was small and gray and its tentacles were wrapped around the boy's neck. Why didn't the others see it? Why had John allowed that thing to attach itself to David? The thing opened its eye and transfixed Susan with its stare. And finally Susan's conscious mind gave out. She panicked! "Nooooo, get it away from me" Susan began to struggle, "What's it done to David. You have to help him!" Marcus, couldn't hold her safely as she struggled and he lowered her to the floor and began to talk to her softly, "Its okay Susan, I'm here. You're safe. No-one's going to hurt you!" What was the matter with them? Why didn't they see it? Susan began to babble hysterically, "You have to help David. Don't you see it? Its staring at me. Make it stop! Please make it stop!" Marcus, John and Delenn stared at Susan in confusion and surprise. Was she having a relapse? Marcus tightened his arms around her and wrapped her in his cloak. Shudders and tremors racked her body. "Michael, Get Stephen down here now! Tell him to hurry". John spoke quietly but his concern was clear in his voice. Delenn wrapped her arms around David and tried to protect her son from the distressful sight before him. She was completely unaware that it was David who was causing Susan's distress. The small boy began rooting around in his back pack again. Unnoticed he drew out a shiny object. Delenn, John and Marcus' attention were all on Susan and trying to discover what was the matter. David stood and studied the item in his hands. Michael's attention was suddenly caught by a flash of light being reflected off something shiny in David's hands. Michael tried to see what it was but was distracted by Susan's next hysterical outburst. Susan was calling, "Don't you see it Marcus? Stop it staring at me! Please Marcus stop it staring." Michael saw she was staring at David. Michael looked again at David. David appeared frozen and his head was tilted to one side as if listening to voices no-one else could hear. Realization hit Michael like a thunderbolt. David had a keeper! Michael moved forward to get David away from Susan. But David, as if sensing, Michael's sudden attention pushed himself out of his mother's arms. He took a couple of steps towards Susan and before Michael could reach him, or anyone else could realize his intentions, David stabbed Susan in the chest with a knife. ****************************** Daniel was in another area of Babylon 5 completely whilst this was occurring. He was in his new office which he had had to rather hastily set up after his old office had been gutted in the fires a few days ago. The fires that had been ignited by the bombings of Mr. Garibaldi's checkpoints. There were boxes everywhere and he soon had a new shift to start and people to greet. So much needed doing. Life was so busy sometimes. Suddenly, a buzzer sounded in the office, filling the room with its noise. Daniel hurried to shut it off. The buzzer originated from his communications device and for its buzzer to go off in the day-time indicated an emergency was occurring. His employees would never contact him so indiscreetly at work if it were not an emergency. Daniel knew people could become suspicious so quickly these days especially with all the bombings and shootings that had occurred recently on the station. He first bolted the door. Daniel didn't want to be interrupted in the middle of the communication. He carefully set the equipment up on his desk and then waited patiently for the message to scroll onto the screen. >> Primary Information Source has been identified by the Command Staff. Initialize back-up plan as agreed. Daniel was surprised. He hadn't thought anyone would realize that a keeper had been placed on the Captain's son, David Sheridan. But it wasn't a problem they'd just go to the back-up plan. It was there for just such a contingency. Daniel would have no problem carrying out the assignment and he knew he'd be well paid for it. It was a good thing to as now he'd have to leave the station. After all if David Sheridan had been discovered, it would only take a telepath doing a deep scan on him to find exactly how the boy had been infected. Daniel sent his acknowledgment. >> The assignment will be carried out as requested. Withdrawal will then take place to the removal coordinates in hyperspace. Daniel now packed his equipment back up and stored it back in the box. It wasn't worth unpacking anymore boxes now. He unlocked the door and left his new office and returned to the main room. It wasn't as nice as the old day care center but it would do for the children for now. The day care center was only half full and Daniel could see that his staff were coping fine. His targets could be seen at the other end of the room with their minder. Leanna Sheridan and Laura Cole were playing happily with a pile of bricks and blocks. Daniel needed to get them alone so he approached their minder, Mr Lennier, who was hovering protectively around them. He smiled at the Minbari Attaché, "Mr Lennier, how long do we have your charges for today." he inquired politely. "Until about 18.00 hours today. The Zocollo shops close then and either Ambassador Delenn or Captain Sheridan will be along to pick them up. Mr. Cole has a few problems to deal with so he will not be able to. I will leave the children in your capable hands". "I'll charge the appropriate number of hours to the account. Don't worry Mr Lennier they will be safe with me" Lennier bowed his head slightly to Daniel and left the room. Daniel watched him leave and then his gaze returned to the two little girls in front of him. ************************************* Susan saw David approach her but couldn't get away. She couldn't seem to explain to the others what was wrong. She saw the knife but couldn't stop David as he thrust the knife into her chest. Her arms were to entangled in Marcus' cloak. She screamed in agony as the knife went in. Almost instantly she felt darkness start to encroach on her vision. She was cold and frightened. "Marcus?" she whispered, "I can't see you!" "I'm here love" but Susan barely heard Marcus' reply. Susan could hear screams. Delenn was screaming over and over. She'd never heard Delenn scream like that before. An icy chill was spreading through her. The only warmth she felt was from her own blood flowing out of the wound. The last thing she heard before she lost consciousness completely was Marcus speaking softly in her ear, "I'm here Susan. I'll always be here. Please don't die!" Tears were running down Marcus' face and he was covered in Susan's blood and he just held her in his arms rocking her backwards and forwards, completely oblivious to what was happening with David. Michael could barely believe what he'd seen. He grabbed David and knocked the knife from his hands. The boy struggled furiously and with a lot more strength than he should have had. David's face was contorted with rage and he was swearing abuse at them. Words were coming out of his mouth that no child should know. This was a nightmare. David had a keeper. "Give him to me Michael" John interrupted quietly. Michael passed the struggling boy to his father. Nausea nearly overwhelmed John as he realized what was going to have to happen now. Stephen was going to have to operate. David might die. His son might die and John thought his heart would break. Delenn had stopped screaming now and approached John and David. John could see the emotional turmoil Delenn was suffering from all over face. She wrapped her arms around John as he held the struggling boy. They waited for Stephen to arrive. ******************************** In a tiny room off Med-lab, John and Delenn waited for the operation on their son to be over. The next couple of hours would decide whether their son, David, lived or died. None of the other keeper's victims had survived the operation so far, but the operation was the only choice for their child to be free of control. In fact the operation was his only choice even if it killed him. Delenn was heartbroken. She felt sick to the pit of her stomach. Her baby had been claimed by the darkness that she had personally fought all her life, and she been no barrier against the darkness. She hadn't been able to protect him and hadn't even noticed he was being consumed by evil. Now she was helpless. Why hadn't she seen clearly? She should have realized something was wrong. Delenn was condemning herself for this. How could anyone use a child? Her thoughts were turbulent. He was so tiny, so innocent! She looked across the room at her husband. John was pacing backwards and forwards, restlessly trying to suppress the anger he felt at what had been done to his son. Delenn remembered when she'd lost her father in the city where she'd lived as a child. She had found a temple and waited for her father to find her. A large number of Minbari volunteers had helped her father search for her. Valen had often spoken of the need to protect the innocent. Delenn, herself, had never been that frightened. She'd been told that Valen allowed no harm to come to his children in his temple. Delenn still remembered the relief on their faces when they'd found her safe and sound. It had been real and heartfelt. It would have been unforgivable to allow harm to come to one of their young ones. David should have been safe. But how could they have protected him from this? This was never something she'd imagined even in her worst nightmares. Why hadn't Valen protected her child from this? What difference did it make that her son was in a temple or not? The true horror and helplessness of the situation hit her then, and she began to cry soundlessly. John saw Delenn's calm facade crack and the tears start and crossed the room to pull Delenn into his arms. "Why John? He's still only a baby. How could someone be so evil as to do this!?" Delenn wanted answers. "I don't know, Love!" As he spoke, John realized that he didn't know how to comfort his wife. There was no comfort to be had. His son! The bastards had used his son. John was slowly dying inside. Against all reason, he was hoping that this was a nightmare and he would wake up. Never in his wildest imaginations or his most suspicious, darkest moments had it occurred to him to check his own son for a keeper! <> John kept playing and replaying the scene over and over again in his mind. David stabbing Susan. He tried to shut out the obscenities that David had screamed when Michael had grabbed him. <> Why hadn't he realized what had been done to his son? David had been there every time discrete information had been leaked. It had been David's keeper spreading the word. It had passed on the location of the keeper checkpoints which resulted in the bombings and deaths. It had passed on the information about refugees from Xeni which had nearly resulted in a massacre in the customs hall. It had passed on the news that Susan was still alive and was in Med-Lab, resulting in another assassination attempt and requiring Susan to have to run away again. In fact, John could now see that was probably why they had wanted Susan dead in the first place. They hadn't wanted Susan to find out about the keeper. It would have prevented them from getting useful information about the command decisions on Babylon 5 that were made by him or Delenn. Susan had suffered terribly in order to prevent her from revealing their secret. Now she might pay the ultimate price. The keepers had caused terror aboard his station, and their instrument had been his son. David could only have had the keeper for a couple of weeks at most. Where could he have been infected? David was never alone. He was either with his parents, trusted friends or the Day Care Center. Marcus, Susan, Lennier, Stephen, and Michael were trusted friends and had all been tested for keepers and declared clear. That only left the Day Care Center. It must have happened there. That was the only place where David had been left alone and someone could have gotten to him. In horror, John reached for his link, "Michael, get Laura and Leanna out of the Day Care Center. I want them checked and brought to Med-Lab. I want the staff and everyone there checked too, Michael! Get a telepath off of one of the Minbari cruisers. Get him to go over everyone." "I was already on my way there, Captain! Don't worry. I'll let you know as soon as they are safe." Michael's concern for the children could be heard clearly over the link. John realized that Michael had come to the same conclusion as him about where David had been infected. "Just hurry, Michael. All the other keepers will know we've discovered David's infected!" "I'll let you know as soon as they are safe, Captain" Michael repeated, "I promise. Garibaldi out!" Michael closed the link and he continued to run towards the new Day Care Center. He had Zack and Tenaal with him. Tenaal was a Minbari telepath who'd been helping the security staff with the keeper checks. Michael had called one of the Minbari cruisers and asked for his assistance right after he'd seen David and Susan safely delivered to Med-Lab and filled Stephen in on all that had happened. It had been then that he had realized that if David had been infected, then the other children could have been infected too! As John had concluded, the only place the infection could have occurred was the new Day Care Center. Michael had quickly contacted Mr. Lennier to find out where Leanna and Laura were and was horrified to discover they were at the Day Care Center. Michael, Zack and Tenaal quickly arrived at the Centre and entered the main area. There were nearly 20 children playing happily around the room. A young helper was reading a story to 5 of the children in one corner, but as Michael carefully scanned the room he couldn't see either Laura or Leanna. <> He hadn't been quick enough and now the children were gone. His insides twisted in anxiety. The two girls were far too young to know not to go with strangers and too young to understand that life was dangerous and could be easily snuffed out. They were still babies really, barely a year old. Nothing would be allowed to happen to them. <> Michael walked up to one of the carriers he could see who was helping two small children build brick towers. "Excuse me! Could you tell me where Laura Cole and Leanna Sheridan are?" Michael asked in a calm voice, keeping his fears well hidden. He wasn't going to think about those particular fears yet? "Daniel received a call from Ambassador Delenn nearly half an hour ago asking that we take the two children to her quarters," the young woman replied. "I'm surprised he's not back yet!" Garibaldi knew that Delenn couldn't have made any call. She was too busy having her heart broken when David was revealed to have a keeper. Daniel was therefore now a prime suspect! "Who's Daniel?" Michael inquired. "He's our boss. He owns the Center," the woman volunteered. "He left straight away as he was asked." Michael could now begin to recall the rather non descript man who had run the Center. How could they have allowed a shadow follower to get access to the children? The harm this man had caused was devastating. "Tenaal, start checking these children and the workers. Zack, you help him and be careful! Tell me what you find," Michael ordered. He then spoke into his link and had Corwin in C & C stop all departing ships. Corwin reported that no ships had left within the last 3 hours, so the children must still be on the station. Michael was determined to find them before any serious harm could be done to them. The alternative didn't bare thinking about. John, Delenn, and Marcus had enough to worry about as it was. Michael gave the orders to start the search. ********************* Marcus was standing and watching the operation being carried out on Susan through a glass screen. Marcus couldn't move his gaze from what was occurring in front of him. Normally relatives were taken elsewhere to wait. Watching loved ones being cut up on an operating theatre table was not a sight to be recommended for one's own sanity. The Med-lab staff had tried to get Marcus away from the window once. He needed to get his own wounds tended, the tech had tried to persuade him. Marcus didn't speak, he just stared at the man. The black look Marcus had given the young Med-tech had intimidated him seriously. It was one of Susan's favorite glares and instantly told the recipient, <> Marcus had used it perfectly and he had emphasized his need to be left alone by extending his pike. No-one else had dared to approach him. So the ranger watched the operation being performed on his wife by Dr. Hobbs in solitude. He was still covered in Susan's blood and his own from their fight. Marcus was convinced Susan was going to die. He was beginning to wonder if God had a grudge against him! First he had struggled to cope with Susan's death on the White Star, and she had been miraculously returned to him. Then God had decided to kick him in the teeth again by taking Susan away again in the most horrible way possible! David, John and Delenn's child, had stabbed Susan. Marcus had no outlet for his anger. This wasn't David's fault. He was an innocent victim too! There had been so much of Susan's blood. He hadn't been able to stop it flowing. It had been bright red arterial blood and all Marcus could think was that Susan's life was flowing out with it. Susan's words kept echoing through this thoughts, <> Marcus kept wondering if she'd heard his reply. She had sounded so frightened and scared. Her last thoughts had been of him. He should have prevented this. He'd promised to protect her when they married - Love, honor and protect. She'd never made it very easy for him to protect her. She was too independent and strong for that, but she'd really needed him in the Zocalo. Marcus had failed to realize the danger and had failed to protect her from it. Guilt was welling up inside him. He had no-one else to blame so Marcus was blaming himself. Susan had been very vulnerable and had needed him and despite all his promises to be there for her, he'd failed her. That was the truth of it in his eyes. The light was leaving his eyes and his heart began to die. Marcus was so wrapped up in what was happening to Susan in the operating theatre that he failed to notice Stephen leaving his operating theatre. Stephen stopped just long enough to remove his surgery gown, gloves and mask before entering the room where John and Delenn were waiting for him. He entered the room quietly and shut the door. From: "Alison Laker" Subject: The Terror - part 11 by Ali Date: Tue, 7 Apr 1998 22:49:08 +0100 "The Terror" Part 11: by Ali Any criticisms or mumblings or praise or just anything really to: xuj42@dial.pipex.com Standard Disclaimer:- all the characters and stuff belong to JMS and I'm just playing with them ***************************************** ***************************************** The Terror Part 11 by Ali xuj42@dial.pipex.com ***************************************** Daniel approached the Customs hall with Leanna Sheridan and Laura Cole. He tried to control his nervousness. His plan of escape stood a good chance of success, and his back-up plan also had an equal chance of getting him safely out of there. One of them would get him off the station with the children. His employers planned carefully for all eventualities, and Daniel had made a point of learning all of the details of the customs hall and the docking bays in case such an eventuality came to pass. He'd complete this mission! Daniel's employers didn't let failure pass by unrewarded. If he failed in this, he knew it would be better if the security guards killed him rather than let his employers get to him. For the first time since he had started down this road, he was afraid! Daniel didn't know what his employers intended to do with the children and for his own sanity, he didn't want to know! He was being well paid for this, and that was what he was concentrating on. He couldn't afford to fail! Failure would result in a fate worse than death. He had changed the children's clothes and put a base-ball cap on Leanna to keep her tiny head bone from showing. Daniel had strapped Laura to his back in a papoose like arrangement, and she had fallen asleep and was wriggling in his arms. Leanna didn't want to be carried anymore. She was bored, tired and starting to cry. Daniel was planning to take the children out of the station on a fake identicard, pretending they were his, and as he approached the security guards, he was stopped. One of the security guards asked for his identicard. The security guard wasn't at all suspicious as the alarm had obviously not been raised yet. It might have been a comfort to Daniel if he could see himself as the security guard saw him. To the security guard, Daniel looked like any typical harassed father who'd been left with two young children to take on a long journey, especially when one of those children was obviously over-tired. "Where are you off to, Sir?" The guard inquired politely. The guard was bored, but still intent on doing his duty properly. Unfortunately the guard didn't recognize the children. The guard was a single young man, and most children looked pretty similar to him. "I'm meeting my wife at the transfer point on Io, and then we're off to Proxima Three for a holiday," Daniel smiled. "These two are looking forward to seeing their mum again! I am too! The last two weeks without her have seemed like months." "I can understand that!" the security guard spoke sympathetically as Leanna began to loudly display her displeasure at being carried around. Across the customs hall, Lou Welch was finishing his dealings with a Centauri whom was complaining about having his credit chip stolen. Leanna's crying caught his attention, and he looked across the Customs Hall to see the source of the disturbance. He saw Daniel struggling to keep hold of Leanna whose cries had erupted into a full tantrum. Lou had two children of his own and knew what a handful they could be so he went over to see if he could help. "Do you need a hand? Those two look quite a handful!" Lou inquired helpfully. No I'm fine!" Lou's face showed he didn't believe that, and Daniel tried to reassure him, "Thanks for offering, but they won't go to anyone but me or their mum." Daniel smiled again, but inside his nerves were starting to tighten into panic. He had to quiet Leanna down. She was starting to attract unwanted attention to them. "She's just tired! Once we're somewhere quiet, she'll calm down. She's always throwing tantrums. She takes after her mum." The alarm would be raised soon, and Daniel wasn't handing the two children to anyone, not even for a moment. They were too important to him to let go until he was safely off the station. Lou, however, had realized as he got nearer to the group that he recognized the children but couldn't remember from where. He frowned in concentration. He hated it when things bugged him like this. He'd just keep the man talking until he could remember, as he had a hunch that this was important. "So you're off on holiday, are you?" Lou started to stall for time. "Yes! Once I've met up with my wife we're off to Proxima Three. There's a resort on the southern continent that supposed to be a great place to take the children. I promised my wife we'd go for lots of picnics! She loves picnics." Daniel was really starting to panic now, and that panic was making him talk to much. He knew he had to get away. "I've got to meet my transport. Can I go now? I can put this little one to bed as soon as I get aboard!" Leanna was still screaming. Would he have to use the back up plan? The other security guard was about to let him through, but Lou Welch lifted his hand to stop him, <> Now Lou looked suspiciously at Daniel. Lou, now realizing whom he was seeing, reached out and pulled Leanna's hat off. Her tiny head bone was clear to see. This was the Captain's child! Lou went for his PPG, but was too late. Daniel had pulled a weapon and aimed it at Leanna's head. "Get back or I'll kill her! I've got nothing to lose!" Daniel stated with a grim determination. His warnings were interrupted by the alarm finally being raised by Garibaldi over the link to all security guards. Lou kept his weapon trained on Daniel and spoke into his link, "Chief! We've got the children here in Customs. A man is threatening to kill them if don't let him leave the station." Daniel started to back away and Lou spoke to him, "Keep still! Don't move!" Daniel continued to back away from the security men but quickly realized his escape route had been blocked by other security men who had spotted what was happening. Daniel decided some forceful action was called for to show he meant business. Daniel aimed his PPG at one of the guards and fired. The guard went down, and the other guards were unable to return fire for fear of hitting the two children who were an effective shield. The guards ran for cover. At last the route was clear and his back up plan could go into operation. He quickly spotted the entrance he was looking for. It was the entrance to the security station where anyone held at customs was initially taken. Daniel had discovered that it could be sealed off from the rest of the station in case of riot or trouble on board and like the main security office where Garibaldi worked from, it was self contained and its systems couldn't be accessed from the outside. This was the place Daniel had picked if the situation degenerated into disaster. Once inside, they wouldn't get him out. Daniel entered the room and quickly sealed it off and set up all the security measures which he needed. He then set Laura and Leanna down in one of the cells to play with a few of the toys he'd brought with him. He was now ready to make his list of demands. Lou watched all of this with trepidation. How the hell were they going to get the bastard out of the security office? He spoke to Garibaldi, explaining what had happened and for a long moment there was silence across the link. Then Michael's simple reply reassured Lou. "I'll be there in two minutes. Seal off the area and let no-one in or out. Garibaldi out!" Lou took a deep breath and then started to give the orders to clear the area. ---------- Stephen shut the door behind him and faced John and Delenn. Exhaustion could clearly be seen on his face. The operation had been a difficult one. Stephen's face was grim, and Delenn was instantly terror stricken. <> She broke the silence. "He's dead, isn't he?" she demanded in horror. "No!" Stephen tried to reassure his friends. "But as yet we not sure if David's brain has been damaged by the keeper or us removing it! I need to run some tests when he wakes up." "He's brain damaged?" Delenn asked quietly. She could feel tears welling up in her eyes again. Stephen hesitated. This wasn't going to be easy to either say or hear. John and Delenn were his friends, and this might break them. John put his arm around his wife and pulled her close. John spoke softly, "Tell us Stephen! We need to know." "Okay." Stephen sat down. "Sit down and I'll tell you the details." The Sheridans sat down, but John didn't release Delenn from his embrace. They both needed the comfort that closeness provided. "Let's start with the fact that David was fortunate. The keeper couldn't have been attached to him for very long, and his youth should allow his body to recover more quickly." Stephen studied the Sheridans carefully. "The keeper had infiltrated the cerebrum and the cerebellum but hadn't yet managed to get through to the brain stem. That's the only reason we were able to keep him alive!" "I don't understand," John interrupted. "What difference would it have made if the keeper had reached the brain stem?" Stephen paused and started to explain as simply as he could, "Okay! Let me explain a bit. The brain stem controls the involuntary functions of the body such as breathing and heart rate. The other victims died because the keeper wouldn't allow us to free them! Before we could get the keeper cut out of the brain stem, the keeper simply told them to stop breathing or just stopped their heart. It would even prevent resuscitation efforts. Its philosophy seemed to be, <> "That's.....That's.......That's evil! Truly evil!" Delenn spoke now. "So if David had been infected longer, the keeper would have reached his brain stem and then he'd be dead!?" "Possibly!" Stephen replied. "You would have had to choose between David with a keeper or David dying!" Delenn and John stared at each other absolutely horrified. Neither of them wanted think about what their decision would have been! "But that wasn't the case!" Stephen reassured them. "The keeper had reached the cerebrum, which controls thought, and the cerebellum, which coordinates movement, so it could make David do anything it wanted and fool you because it had full access to David's memories." Stephen looked the couple straight in the eyes. <> he thought. "I had to delve around in David's brain quite considerably to ensure that I'd got it all out. Doing that is always dangerous! We'll not know what affect it's had until he wakes up and I can run some tests. He may wake up today. You can sit with him now that I have him under intensive care supervision in a side room. He needs to be kept quiet, and remember if you speak to him he might be able to hear you." "We'd like to see him now!" John stated more calmly than he was feeling. "He's alive and he's going to get better!" "Follow me and I'll show you the way," Stephen agreed. He took them from the room where they'd waited to another room at the back of Med-Lab. As they entered the room, both John and Delenn gasped in shock at their first site of David. His head and neck were swathed in bandages. There were wires and tubes all over him. He looked so tiny and vulnerable and was nearly unrecognizable as their son. Stephen patiently started to explain that David was being carefully monitored. There were two med-tech's in the room carefully maintaining the equipment which was attached to the Sheridan's son. They were checking his breathing, heart rate, brain wave activity and a whole host of other criteria. Rises or falls in any of these could indicate the beginning of a problem which was why they had to be carefully checked and David had to have all of the tubes and wires covering him. Stephen could see the shock on John and Delenn's faces and tried to reassure them. "Ignore all the wires and machines. There just there so we can keep a close watch on him." Stephen realized he needed to leave them alone to take in the information they'd been given so far. "I'll leave you here with David. Call me if you need me, and remember he might be able to hear you if you talk to him!" "Okay, thanks, Stephen," John replied gratefully and then added, "Do you know how Susan is?" "I'm just going to find out. I'll let you know!" Stephen then left the room. He walked across the Med-Lab to another side room where Dr. Hobbs was settling Susan into another intensive care unit. "How is she?" Stephen asked, concern clearly evident in his voice. "I have to speak to her husband first, Stephen. Mr. Cole is very stubborn and won't let us treat his wounds until he knows how is wife is faring! He could collapse at any time. Join us and I'll fill you both in at once," Dr. Hobbs informed him. "Marcus is hurt? I wasn't aware of that or I'd have dealt with him myself! He can be......" Stephen searched for the right word, "difficult when Susan is in trouble!" "So I noticed!! He threatened some of the med-tech's with a metal stick," Dr. Hobbs advised Stephen seriously. "He needs some help, Stephen. You have to make him see sense. He'll be no help to the Commander if he keels over and we have to hospitalize him too!" They both approached Marcus who was watching Susan through the glass. He was oblivious to their approach and looked like only sheer will power was keeping him upright. Stephen could see a collapse was imminent if no action was taken. "Marcus?" Stephen reached out a hand and touched Marcus' shoulder. "Come and sit down in my office, and Dr. Hobbs will tell you how Susan's doing!" Marcus turned and stared at Stephen in a daze, "Stephen?" Now Stephen got his first clear look at Marcus. <> Stephen thought. <> Why hadn't he ensured someone was keeping a close eye on Marcus whilst the operation was occurring. When was the last time Marcus had rested or eaten? Marcus was deathly pale and had enormous dark circles under his eyes. One side of his face was bruised and his lip was split. It was clear that Marcus had had too many shocks recently! "This way, Marcus. Dr. Hobbs will explain everything." "Okay," Marcus replied dully but continued to stare at Susan. He was frightened to let her out of his sight in case a worse disaster befell her in his absence. Stephen gently took his arm and led Marcus to his office and sat him down. Dr. Hobbs followed them. Stephen reached in his desk drawer and took out a sachet. He poured the contents of the sachet into a glass of water and gave it to Marcus to drink. "Drink this, Marcus." It would help stop Marcus withdrawing into the state he'd been in when they'd believed Susan had died on the White Star. He'd suffered a state of catatonic shock then, and in Stephen's opinion was on the verge of it again. Marcus didn't question Stephen, he just drank the water, and this was another indication to Stephen that he needed to keep a close eye on the ranger. Marcus started to perk up as soon as he'd drunk the water. Stephen spoke first. "Marcus, you have to let me treat your wounds! You're not going to help Susan by getting ill yourself." "Just tell me how she is, Stephen! That's all I want to know!" Marcus spoke firmly. But Stephen was insistent, "Promise me you'll let me treat your wounds and I'll let Dr. Hobbs fill you in!" Marcus looked at Stephen's determined expression and sighed heavily, "Okay Stephen! You win. I promise!" Despair could be heard in Marcus' voice. He truly wasn't expecting Susan to live. His luck wasn't that good. "Now tell me!" And this time Marcus' voice brooked no argument. "Okay Mr. Cole" Dr. Hobbs began, "Let me explain Susan's injuries to you first. She appears to have been stabbed by a very long thin knife which was driven upwards through the chest with a great deal of force. The knife pierced her liver, went up through the diaphragm and punctured a lung. It also came within a fraction of a millimeter of piercing the outer chamber of her heart and did knick one of the main arteries to the heart. We've had to put nearly 12 pints of blood back into her via a transfusion." Marcus' horrified face was staring at Dr. Hobbs and then lowered to look at his own clothes. He was still covered in Susan's dried blood. "There was so much blood. I kept trying to stop it but it just wouldn't stop". "What flowed outwards was little by comparison to what she lost internally Mr. Cole. There would have been very little you could have done for her. She would have lost consciousness almost immediately! What concerns me most is that the ripped diaphragm and her punctured lung could have caused a lack of oxygen to reach her brain. We've given her something that should prevent brain damage but I'm not sure how much affect it will have. Her health wasn't good anyway because of what's happened to her recently" Dr. Hobbs was bluntly spelling out the facts to Marcus. "She's going to die, isn't she?" Marcus asked quietly. "I don't know Mr. Cole." Dr. Hobbs advised him simply, "Her injuries are critical! If she survives the night then I'd put her chances at 50/50. If she does survive she is going to take a long time to heal. There is not going to be any quick fix for her injuries." Dr. Hobbs and Stephen watched as Marcus struggled to take in the news of Susan's condition, "If she survives until morning then her chances are better?" Marcus asked in confirmation. "If she survives until morning then her chances are 50/50 Marcus" Stephen interrupted and emphasized the 'if' in his words. Stephen didn't want Marcus having any false expectations about the critical nature of Susan's injuries. He wanted Marcus to understand that Susan's survival wasn't guaranteed. "I understand Stephen" Marcus stated in a clear voice. He was starting to hope despite Stephen's words, "Susan's a fighter and she'll pull through this. She's seen worse." The look Marcus gave both Dr. Hobbs and Stephen dared them to contradict him. "I'd like to see her now please!" "You can see her for five minutes and then I'll take a look at your wounds. Okay?" Stephen inquired. "Okay Stephen!" Marcus was beginning to feel dizzy and he wanted to see Susan before Stephen got to him. He knew the wound in his side was deeper and nastier than he'd let on and that some of the blood on him wasn't Susan's but his own! "Anything you say. Just stop nagging and let me see her Stephen please" At that point Marcus would have begged if it would have got him in to see Susan any quicker. However, Marcus' words seemed to please Stephen as it sounded much more like the man he'd come to know and indicated for Marcus to follow him. He showed Marcus to Susan's room and then left him alone with her. Marcus stood in the doorway and looked at Susan. Her torso was covered by a frame to keep the covers off of the wounds in her chest. The frame and covers hid a lot of Susan's damaged body from his eyes but what he could see looked bruised and swollen. There were tubes and wires coming from her arms, head and chest. They were attached to various monitors at the back of the room and to drips which were feeding fluid and more blood substitute into her body. Her hair was loose and surrounded her face. To Marcus' eyes she looked so fragile and weak. She was ghostly pale. Marcus approached the bed and sat in a chair at her bedside, "Oh Susan, what have they done to you?" His words were little more than a whisper. Then the tears started to well up and escape down his face. He reached out and smoothed a couple of stray hairs off of her face, "I'm so sorry Susan. You needed me and I failed you. Please give me another chance. Live and I'll let no-one hurt you again. I promise!" Then he spoke louder, "I've got to go now. Stephen wants to take a look at me" He dropped his voice to a whisper again, "He's not going to be very happy. You got me quite well with that bottle! I want to know who taught you to fight like that because either you or him are going to have to give me lessons. Being beaten up by your wife is embarrassing!" Marcus leaned forward and kissed her gently on the forehead, "I'll be back as soon as I can" Marcus stood up and went to find Stephen to get his injuries looked at. - - - - - - - - - - - - - Michael arrived in the Customs Hall at a run and immediately saw Lou keeping out of sight at one end of the room and crossed over to him quickly. "Has he tried to make contact yet?" Michael asked Lou when he got within speaking distance. "No chief! We've not heard anything yet. I haven't tried to contact him yet! I thought I should wait for you, Marcus and the Captain!" Lou finished. "Good! You did right but its just me coming. The Captain and Marcus are still up in Med-Lab. We've got to wrap this up quickly. They don't need any more worries at the moment!" "Any news about David and the Commander yet?" Lou inquired bluntly. "None!" Michael was angry. The angriest Lou had ever seen him. Even more angry than he'd been when he'd discovered who had shot him in the back, right before Captain Sheridan came on board for the first time. "I'm going to make this little shit pay for what he's done here!" "So how the hell are we going to get this bastard out of there without endangering the children? Lou asked curiously. "I've got a plan!" Michael stated, "We just have to stall for time until my secret weapon arrives. Get me on the link to him and we'll see what his demands are!" - - - - - - - - - - - - - "Damn you!" Stephen stared angrily at Marcus, "Why the hell didn't you tell me about this Marcus?" Marcus was sitting on an exam bed and Stephen was probing the wound in his side which had started to bleed again under the doctor's ministrations. "It's only a small cut Stephen! Stop fussing and sew it up" Marcus wasn't in the mood to be shouted at. "Marcus! It's not a little cut. Its nearly 3 inches deep and has glass in it. I'm surprised you haven't collapsed from loss of blood." Stephen was angry that Marcus had ignored the wound. It was long and Jagged and covered in dirt. "Susan loves you! What is she going to feel when she wakes up and I have to tell her that you've died of a wound she inflicted. Do you think she'd be happy! The shock alone would probably kill her in the conditions she's in!" "I'm sorry, Stephen" Marcus apologized guiltily, "I never thought of that. I just didn't want to leave her alone. I was afraid she'd die whilst I wasn't there!" He put his head in his hands, "I just wanted to be there for her. I failed to stop this happening but I didn't want her to be alone if she died. I had to be there!" Stephen sighed wearily, "No, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have shouted at you." Stephen apologized and spoke in a quieter tone. "Its just that I can't sew this up under a local anesthetic. I'm going to have put you out properly. Its possible you've been injured internally and I'll need to get the glass out before the wound gets infected." "You can't do that! I need to be awake in case anything happens." Marcus declared forcefully. "Marcus. This isn't a debate! You've got no choice. I'll watch Susan whilst you're out. Now give me your arm and I'll give you the pre-med injection" Before Marcus could stop him Stephen stuck the injection in his arm and laid him down on the exam bed. The injection took effect almost instantly and Marcus started lose consciousness quickly. He grabbed Stephen's arm and held it firmly in his grip. He spoke in a whisper and Stephen had to lean nearer to hear him, "Look after her Stephen! I'm nothing without her" His grip loosened then and Marcus was asleep. Stephen looked down on his unconscious friend and spoke, "She'll live Marcus. I wouldn't let her die!" - - - - - - - - - - - - - "She's here Chief" Lou Welch advised Michael, "But I'm not sure what she can do!" "Don't ever under-estimate her Lou. There's more to Lyta than meets the eye!" Michael advised him and then turned to watch as Lyta Alexander entered the Customs Hall and approached them. She was accompanied by the security guard Michael had sent to meet her ship when it arrived. He didn't want anything to happen to her and she was an obvious target for the Keepers who still remained on the station. As well as that Michael had a soft spot for Lyta. He'd had one for her ever since she'd first arrived on the station in 2258. Lyta had been the station's first telepath until she had been recalled to Earth after she had scanned the Vorlon Ambassador Kosh. Since then she'd helped out the Command Crew on more occasions than Michael could remember. Lyta was supposed to be a P5 on the Psi-Corp's scale of telepathic ability but whilst working for the Vorlons she had been enhanced. Michael didn't know her full capabilities and wasn't sure he wanted to know. What he did know was that he trusted her and Michael didn't trust many people so that was a high accolade! "Hello Michael" Lyta smiled warmly at her old friend. Michael greeted her warmly, "Lyta, I'm very pleased to see you. You know Lou Welch, don't you?" introducing the man beside him. "Yes, hi Lou." Then returning her attention back to Michael, "I got your message to come at once. I know it must be serious so what's up?" Lyta got straight down to business knowing Michael wouldn't have asked her to come all the way back to the station if there wasn't a real problem. "I called you back as soon as G'kar told us about the Keeper problem. I wanted you nearby especially after Susan's supposed death, our only other telepath!" Michael started to brief her on what had been happening on Babylon 5. "I heard about Susan dying?" Lyta exclaimed, "What do you mean supposed death?" "That's just it! Susan isn't dead! She was removed so she wouldn't discover that David had a Keeper" Ignoring Lyta's shocked expression Michael continued, "Susan came back and the keeper's kept trying to kill her! She discovered David had a keeper just before David stabbed her in the chest with a knife!" "Oh my god!" Lyta sunk into a nearby chair, "How is she? And what's happening to David?" "Stephen's dealing with them in Med-Lab and I haven't heard how they are yet!" They were both still in surgery the last time I got an update" Michael continued, "There's more! The man who's responsible for this grabbed Laura Cole and Leanna Sheridan. He's holed up in the Custom Hall's security room with them. He wants a White Star to take them off the station or he says he's going to kill them". "How the hell did he get the children?" Lyta inquired the anger beginning swell in her. "He was working in the Day Care Center. That's where we think he infected David! I've got some Minbari telepaths checking the other children who attend there at this very moment." Michael bluntly filled Lyta in on all the details of what had been occurring on the station. Lyta paled as the full implications of it all sank in, "The bastard!" she swore and then spoke more quietly, "What do you want me to do Michael?" Michael took a deep breath, "I know you have to be able to see him to do anything and I can arrange that...." Michael started. Lyta reached out and touched Michael's face, "Stop stalling! What do you want me to do? Just spit it out! I can only say no!" She smiled at him. Lyta knew from Michael's expression that she probably wasn't going to like this! "I need you to go into his brain and shut him down so quickly that he can't hurt the children" Michael's words spilled out of him. "You want me to kill him?" Lyta paled. This was the sort of thing that made regular people so frightened of telepaths. "No! I want the bastard alive!" Michael spoke with conviction, "But if the only way to stop him harming the children is to kill him, then yes! I'd like you to kill him so quickly he can't even think about pulling the trigger on his PPG!" Lyta thought about the proposal over for a few seconds and then took a deep breath, "I'll have to hit him quickly with a mind burst. It'll go deep into his mind. It might kill him or it might damage him! I'm not sure! Has he got a keeper?" "I don't think so! He seems to be in it for the money. We checked his bank accounts and he's had some very large deposits recently." Michael advised her. "Okay, get him in my direct line of sight and I'll deal with him" Lyta confirmed, "But he'll collapse instantly so try to have someone nearby to grab the children when he falls." Lyta glanced carefully at Michael, "And Michael could you have a dark room ready for afterwards so I can lie down. I hate doing this and it will give me a killer of a headache afterwards. Just remember I wouldn't do this for anyone else!" "I know Lyta" Michael replied simply, "And I'm grateful and so will the others be!" "By the way is Zack on board?" Lyta inquired with apparent nonchalance. "Yes!" Michael replied in an innocent tone. He knew his second was mad about this fiery haired telepath and that the feeling was mutual but for some reason they were keeping their relationship to themselves. "He is! Do you want me to let him know you're here?" "No! I think I'll surprise him" Lyta replied sweetly, "Now when will this man be coming out of your security room? I'm a busy woman and I don't have all day!" From: "Alison Laker" Subject: The Terror - Part 12 Date: Wed, 8 Apr 1998 07:51:10 +0100 "The Terror" Part 12: by Ali Standard Disclaimer: All characters and settings and stuff belong to JMS etc. and I not writing this for any profit but for pure enjoyments sake. As for the lullaby I don't know who wrote it but I've always liked it! **************************************** ********************** Part 12 The Terror by Ali xuj42@dial.pipex.com *********************** Delenn was sitting next to her son's bed without speaking. He looked so tiny and vulnerable against all of the medical paraphernalia. She was trying not think to much about Stephen's warning about brain damage. She felt sick enough as it was. How would the whole experience affect David? Would David be the same child? These thoughts and a hundred more kept running through her mind. All she wanted to do was make it better but in this unconscious state David was in, Delenn felt hopeless. There was nothing she could do! Then a thought crossed her mind. Stephen had said he could probably still hear them, even if he couldn't acknowledge them. She slowly picked up David's hand and quietly for David and John's ears only began to sing. Although Delenn sung in Minbari she sang an old Earth lullaby that John had taught her when David was a tiny baby. Delenn had used it to soothe her tiny son on more than one anxious occasion. Now it soothed her just to sing it to David and remember happier times. Sleep, my child and peace attend thee, All through the night, Guardian angels God will send thee, All through the night, Soft the drowsy hours are creeping, Hill and vale in slumber sleeping, I my loving vigil keeping, All through the night. God is here, thou'lt not be lonely, All through the night, 'Tis not I who guards thee only, All through the night, Night's dark shades will soon be over, Still my watchful care shall hover, God with me his watch is keeping, All through the night. Tears ran silently down John's face as he watched his love singing to his son. The lullaby had never seemed more appropriate to him. As Delenn finished the song, her voice cracked and she also began to cry. How could this have happened to them? John reached over from his seat beside his wife and took her in his arms again and spoke soothingly in her ear. The words were as much for his sanity as they were for hers, "Don't cry Delenn. I hate to see you cry. David is going to get better. We have to believe that!" "I know...." Delenn began sadly but their conversation was interrupted rudely by an alarm going off on one of David's monitors. "Oh Valen! What's wrong!" Delenn's face paled even more, if that was possible. She stood up. They both turned to look at the med tech's who were now hurriedly checking the monitors. One left the room quickly. John repeated Delenn's questions, "What's wrong?" he demanded, "What's happening to my son?" He aimed his question at the remaining med-tech. "One moment, Sir!" The med-tech was concentrating on David. John knew he shouldn't interrupt but his fears for his son were now irrepressible. At that moment Stephen Franklin re-entered the room along with the other med-tech and also started to check the monitors. "Stephen?" John demanded angrily, "Please tell us what's happening!" Stephen took one final look at the brain-wave monitors and then turned to face John and smiled, "He's waking up Captain" He spoke plainly, "This is good news. I'll run my tests now and we'll have a better idea of his condition" "You seem pleased about something?" John inquired after studying Stephen for a moment. "I am pleased. The longer David was unconscious, the greater the chances of him being brain damaged" Stephen explained. Delenn looked at Stephen sharply, "You never mentioned this earlier Doctor!" Delenn spoke with reproach in her voice, "You should have told us!" "I'm sorry, there was no need to worry you with it at that early stage when it might not even be a problem" Stephen apologized, "You had enough to worry about as it was!" "Thankyou Stephen" Delenn gave him a grateful look. Stephen was right. They hadn't needed any additional worries, "How long before you know how he is?" "I'll just check in on Susan and then come back in and start the tests straightaway" Stephen confirmed, "We'll know one way or the other within the hour." "How is Susan?" John asked the worry returning once again to his face. "She's critical, Captain!" Stephen informed him bluntly, "If she survives the night her chances are still only 50/50. Whatever happens Susan is going to be out of circulation for a long while!" "Oh god!" John sat down heavily, "This is all my fault. I should have known David was infected. Damn it! He's my son. I should have known" Anger and despair could be heard clearly in his voice. It was Delenn's turn to comfort her husband and she sat down quietly next to John and rested his head against her chest and stroked his hair. She spoke quietly to him, "It's not your fault! The keepers are the only one's to blame. Susan will be all right. She's a fighter and she's strong. She won't let this beat her!" Delenn took John's face in her hands and looked deeply into his eyes, "Trust me" Then she smiled slightly. To her relief John managed a wisp of a smile in return and straightened to face the world again renewed by his wife's strength. Delenn returned her attention back to Stephen, "How is Marcus doing?" Delenn was more perceptive than most and knew that Marcus had been struggling to cope with the recent developments around him without this added terrible pain to suffer. Delenn feared for him. Stephen hesitated slightly <> he thought sadly, <> "Marcus is in surgery presently." "WHAT??" Delenn and John looked horrified. "Some of the wounds Susan inflicted were worse than Marcus let on. Dr. Hobbs is dealing with him at the moment. He didn't mention the wounds until he knew Susan was out of surgery. Some of his wounds were nasty. They couldn't be dealt with under a local anesthetic." Stephen filled them in with all the details, <> Stephen thought to himself, <> "I'll just check on Susan and then I'll be right back with the test equipment. Try not to worry to much while I'm gone" Stephen left the room. *********************** Lyta was nervously waiting to carry out her part in Michael's plan to rescue the two small girls, Laura Cole and Leanna Sheridan. She was making a conscious effort to hide her nervousness, as the security staff that Michael had hidden around the room were behaving in a most professional manner. They were waiting for her to perform her part in this drama. They were, in reality, there in case she failed. They were all highly trained marksmen and if she failed to stop Daniel using her Psi skills then they were the girls final chance. They couldn't let Daniel leave the station with the children. They would never get them back. Lyta was also guarding the thoughts of everyone involved in this. No-one knew what Psi skills the keepers might have but it was safer to not take any risk that they might expose the plan to rescue the children. Michael was hiding near the ambush point. If everything went to plan he was going to quite literally catch Daniel when he collapsed and thereby prevent the two girls from being hurt when they hit the floor. Michael didn't want to put Daniel out of action but to still lose the two girls to fractured skulls if Daniel should fall too heavily or fall on one of them. They could be squashed under Daniel's body quite easily if Michael wasn't quick enough. Michael was frightened. He hadn't been able to get through to either of the Sheridans or Marcus. They were unreachable in Med-Lab. Michael didn't want to screw this up. If anything happened to either of the children it would be his responsibility and he knew he'd never forgive himself. Michael's thoughts were interrupted when his link was activated. "He's coming out" Lou's voice came clearly over the link. "Acknowledged! Everyone standby. He's coming out." **Please let this go okay!** he prayed to no-one in particular, "Lyta, are you ready?" "As ready as I'll ever be!" Lyta responded. Michael could hear the worry underlying her flippant tone. "It'll be okay, Lyta?" Michael spoke half questioning and half stating a fact. Lyta didn't reply and Michael knew she was now concentrating on the job in hand. He was correct. Lyta was concentrating completely now on the work ahead of her. Daniel now came into view. Leanna was strapped to his back. She was wide awake and watching everything that was happening. Something had obviously amused her because she was giggling and playfully pulling Daniel's hair. Michael could clearly see that Daniel had obviously not ill treated the children whilst they were under his care. <> Michael thought to himself, <>. Laura was the complete opposite to Leanna. She was half asleep, lying in the crook of Daniel's arms. Daniel had a PPG aimed at her head. Daniel stepped into the ambush zone. He was in the doorway between the customs halls and the docking bays. Lyta now went into action. She stepped out from behind the packing cases where she had remained hidden until she had Daniel's retreating back in her direct line of sight. With out any more thought she sent the psychic overload into Daniel's mind that would shut him down. As her thoughts aimed for the centre of Daniel's mind she felt tremendously strong barriers leap into force. She forced her way through the outer barriers but the deeper ones were so strong that she was forced out of Daniel's by a painful back lash thrown at her by Daniel. Lyta staggered backwards in pain. Realization hit her Daniel was a powerful telepath and had hid that fact from all of them! Michael waited for Daniel to fall as soon as he reached the ambush zone that had been outlined to Lyta. Michael watched Daniel carefully and was ready to leap forward when Daniel paled suddenly. The blood drained from his face and he staggered but he DID NOT fall. Daniel swung around to face Lyta, "YOU!" he yelled. His face took on a fierce look of concentration. Lyta started to crumple up but held herself erect by pure will power despite the obvious pain she was suffering. Daniel still held the PPG at Laura's head but hadn't fired. "Did you think the Vorlon's were the only ones to have their little toys? Did you think the first ones only played with you Lyta? Did you think you were special to them?" Daniel spoke quietly but everyone in the area heard him. He spoke with deadly intent, "Don't think I'm going to let you stop me!" Lyta didn't speak but Michael heard her words loudly in his mind, **Leave him to me! This bastard's mine!!** Lyta stepped forward now. All thoughts of concealment gone. Her eyes narrowed and her eyes changed to a liquid black color. She knew what the darkness could do to someone. She knew what they had done to Daniel. He couldn't be allowed to win. Whatever the cost to herself. Daniel wasn't leaving the room in a conscious state. In fact he'd be dead if it was at all possible! Lyta looked at Daniel like a cat looked at the mouse he wanted for supper. Despite his brave words Daniel took a step back. He then braced himself and glared back. Lyta was right! This would end here and now. Lyta faced Daniel across the room. Her face took on a fierce look of concentration and Daniel staggered backwards. Lyta forced herself into his mind. The results were nearly instantaneous as she was more prepared now and got deeper into Daniel's mind than she had done before. She saw how he had fallen into darkness. She saw how Daniel had made a deal with the Shadows, and agreed to act on their behalf. Daniel tried to hide it from her but she still saw it all. It was either a case of Daniel working for them or Daniel being killed by them. In fear of his life, Daniel had allowed the darkness of the Shadows into his mind. In return they had boosted his powers and found work for him. They had promised to never let Psi-Corp hurt him again. Daniel was another victim of Psi-Corp. Psi-Corp had literally driven into the arms of darkness. In his fear he would have done almost anything to be free of Psi-Corp. His fear had resulted in him falling victim to another even darker shadowy world. Daniel had agreed to join with the Shadows thinking it would be easy to leave his allies behind later when he was out of their sight. He hadn't understood exactly what the Shadows represented. He had believed he could be free of both the Psi-Corp and the Shadows. He soon discovered that life wasn't that simple. The Shadows saw everything! He had sunk deeper and deeper into darkness and had been unable to escape. However much he tried to believe in his own destiny and say he was his own boss, in reality there was nothing further from the truth. In his own subconscious and the areas of his mind that he didn't want to investigate to deeply, the truth was to be found. Lyta forced herself inside and saw the truth. The Shadows had left the universe and Daniel had finally believed he was free but that moment of joy had been short lived. Others had taken the place of the Shadows. He was in debt to them, they had said, for his continuing life and now he was forced to work for them. By this time had become so mired in the darkness he couldn't escape them. He had no-one left to run too for help. Now, he didn't even really know who or what he was working for. Daniel was forced to look at these hidden memories, and feelings, to see the truth too! Daniel had to accept the Shadows had been his masters and his destiny was no longer his own to choose. However much they paid him, however much he pretended that he was only doing a job, he could now clearly see for the first time. Daniel was little more than a puppet for the Shadows and those who had come after. They were using him. He had always been used, never allowed to make his own destiny. He was just a pawn in their schemes as he had been before in the Psi-Corp. "Noooooo!!! Get out of my mind" Daniel screamed. He was horrified to discover how low he had sunk. Lyta was hit by another massive backlash from Daniel's stricken brain, "You're no better than me." Daniel started to yell, "You worked for the Vorlons. You did their dirty work." He reached out with his mind and grabbed the nearest thing to hand. It was a small crate and it flew through the air aimed at Lyta's head. Michael saw the crate start to fly at his friends and knew he could never reach her in time. However, Lyta didn't need help! She'd recovered quickly from the mental hammering she had taken and raised her hand upwards in a quick, sharp movement. The crate dropped to the ground in an instant. The noise jarring in the otherwise silent room. However, Lyta couldn't retaliate in that fashion because of the danger to the two little girls. She could only aim her barbs at Daniel's mind but Daniel didn't give her the chance. Daniel hadn't finished with her yet and now started to use his teek skills to smash all the lights in the area. Bulbs blew out in tiny explosions. He then did something that Michael had never seen done before or even imagined was possible. Daniel pulled electricity in great arcs out of the walls and threw them at Lyta. They crackled around her in a golden arc of light. Taken by surprise Lyta screamed in agony and dropped to her knees. She fought to stay conscious. "Nooooo....I won't let it end like this!! I'm nothing like you. I realized what the Vorlons were doing to me. I realized they were using me......" Her words terminated abruptly as another arc of electricity slammed into her. Reluctantly she spoke again this time in a voice barely above a whisper, "I loved Kosh!! But when he was gone, the others, they frightened me. They hurt me but Kosh was different, I loved him. He was gloriously beautiful and he never used me. He cared about me, he cared about us all and I loved him. I am nothing like you! I left them. I refused to let them use me and they'll never take me back. I'd die first! NEVER!! Do you hear me?" Lyta forced herself to her feet, "This ends NOW!" Lyta concentrated and forced herself back into Daniel's mind. Blood began to run from her left eye. The stress of the confrontation had caused her to burst a blood vessel. The blood ran like a tear down her face. She forced her way through the barriers Daniel had erected to keep her out as if they were made of paper until she came to the final barrier. "IT'S OVER" she yelled at him. She reached out again and the barrier crumpled before her and she saw everything. Every moment of this man's pitiful existence was laid out before her. Tears filled her eyes, and mixed with the blood already there, as she experienced his fears but saw the truth, "Put the children down now! I can see you aren't going to harm them." Lyta spoke quietly now in a deeply melancholy voice. Daniel stared defiantly at her, "It would be better for them if I killed them now. Loss of innocence is not pleasant to behold." "Better for them but not for you!" Lyta persisted, "You're master's want them alive. You understand perfectly what will happen if you hurt them. Now let them go!" Daniel still faltered and this time Lyta gave him no options, "They don't care if they get the children now or later and they don't care if you die here either. Do you want to die here and now! Michael take the children. He's not going to harm them." Lyta glanced over to where Michael had remained hidden. Michael rather hesitantly walked forward and took Laura out of Daniel's arms and passed her to Lou. Turning back, Michael then took the PPG from Daniel's weakened grip and tucked it away in his trousers. Finally, he unstrapped Leanna from Daniel's back and stepped away from him with the little girl. Daniel stood frozen to the spot and gave no resistance. The will to fight was no longer his. Lyta watched until the two children were clear and then sent a final painful thrust into Daniel's mind, <>. The words vibrated around in Daniel's mind. No-one else heard them. Daniel slowly crumpled and silently fell to the ground. Lyta walked up to him and looked down on his terrified face. "They frightened me too! But I couldn't escape them. Just remember, you were lucky. You could easily have been me!" Daniel's words were whispered and only Lyta and Michael heard them. Daniel's eyes closed and he said no more. For a moment there was silence in the room. "Let's get these children up to Med-Lab for a check, Michael and then I'm going to need that dark room to rest in" Lyta broke the silence. Michael nudged the man on the floor with his toe and spoke to Lou, "Get him in a cell and make sure no-one gets in to see him without my express permission. Give him one of the psi sedatives we keep in my security office. That way he won't use any of his skills to try and escape!" "Yes, Chief." Lou passed Laura to Lyta to hold and then called two other security guards over and Daniel was quickly removed from the vicinity. Michael turned to Lyta, "Are you okay?" That didn't look like much fun!" Despite his flippant tone, Michael's concern for her was obvious to Lyta. Lyta smiled weakly, "I'll be fine in a while. He was right though! I'm lucky that the Vorlons allowed me to leave them. They could have forced me to continue their work!" "Lyta, don't worry about what he said. You're nothing like him!" Michael tried to comfort her but Lyta looked unconvinced. "Let's just get these two girls up to Med-Lab and have them checked out. Then I can go rest, Michael". She smiled at Laura who smiled back. Lyta was relieved the two girls didn't seem to have been affected by the traumatic events going on around them. It didn't appear that Daniel had interfered with them in any way. But Stephen would have the final say on how they were and Lyta led the way out of the Customs Hall with the two girls. When Lyta and Michael entered Med-Lab, past the large security squad which Michael had left there in case of further trouble with the keepers, they could see John and Delenn talking quietly in a corner. The conversation looked personal but some good news must have arrived as they had lost that look of intense shock they'd had earlier. Lyta and Michael approached them carrying the two girls with them. Delenn saw them first and smiled with relief, "Thank you Michael for bringing them up here for us." John stood up and took Leanna from Michael. "Everything is okay with them, isn't it?" Delenn glanced between Lyta and Michael, looking for the unspoken confirmation that her daughter didn't have a keeper. Lyta smiled, "They're both fine Delenn. Don't worry about these two." Lyta took a deep breath and refused to look into Delenn's mind to find the information she needed however difficult the question was to ask, "How's David?" "He's going to be okay!" John replied, "Susan found the keeper just in time. Any longer and we wouldn't have been able to save him. Stephen says his brain isn't damaged in anyway that time won't heal. He's going to need a careful eye kept on him to make sure he doesn't need speech therapy and he's going to need some intensive physio-therapy because he's lost some feeling on his left side. But he's going to be all right. Stephen says so." John sounded as though he was clinging to that statement. Stephen had said David would be okay and therefore David would be okay! "Stephen says he could wake up at any moment". "Where is Stephen?" Michael asked, "Lyta needs some pain killers for a headache. We had a few problems collecting Laura and Leanna. Lyta helped out!" Michael attempted to play down the situation which had just occurred. The two girls were fine and the Sheridan's didn't really need to know all the details yet. Seeing John and Delenn start to frown, he spoke up to clarify his earlier words, "I'll explain later Captain, okay? Go and sit with David. It'll wait. Just point us to Stephen". Delenn and John took him at his word, "Stephen is in with Susan over..." Delenn's words were interrupted by screams coming from David's room. They were terror stricken and could be heard throughout Med-Lab. It was David. Without stopping to think the group of them rushed to enter David's room. The screaming went on and on and spoke of unimaginable terror. David could be seen lying rigid on the bed, staring into space as if some hidden horror had manifested itself in front of him. His eyes were wide but he was taking no notice of what was happening around him. Delenn reached him first and grabbed the little boy into her arms, "It's okay David, mummy's here!" She started to make soothing noises to try and calm the boy. Delenn, herself, started to shake in shock as Daniel continued to scream and lay rigid in her arms. Stephen entered the room at a run and quickly assessed the distressed state of his tiny patient. He quickly gave the small boy a sedative but David continued to scream as though in a terrible pain which couldn't be relieved. They all looked on helplessly. Delenn held her son and continued to rock him and whisper soothing words in his ears. She kissed him lovingly as tears fell unnoticed down her face. "I don't understand, that should have calmed him down?" Stephen frowned and loaded another sedative to give the boy but was interrupted by a loud groan from behind him. Lyta had gone as white as a sheet and swayed dramatically. She would have fallen if Michael hadn't grabbed her and taken Laura from her. "Give David to me Delenn. I can handle this! He's having a waking nightmare and broadcasting it to me". She groaned again, "They're not pleasant for him or me and I need to stop this for him now!" Delenn paled but passed the small boy to the telepath. John wrapped his arms around his wife to support her as they both watched Lyta take hold of their son. David continued to scream piercingly. Lyta sat on the bed and wrapped her arms around the boy for maximum skin contact. She then slipped gently into David's mind and was distraught at what she found. David was traumatized by the keeper's intrusion. He hadn't been able to understand what was happening to him. The keeper had hurt him when it entered his mind and took control and its continuing control had been mental torture for him. There were feelings of anger and hatred coming from David at what he had experienced. Emotions which were too strong for the little boy to cope with alone. Lyta carefully checked out all the parts of David's mind and set in motion some minor changes to David's memories so that he would forget the majority of what he had experienced. David's pain and hurt lessened quickly as she dulled the mental trauma he had suffered. Lyta didn't notice he'd stopped screaming out loud but she felt the peace returning to his mind. Lyta then carefully checked everywhere else to make sure some hidden nightmare of the boy hadn't escaped her attention, lying in wait to terrify him later. A jab of pain shot through her head. Lyta knew she shouldn't be doing this when she was so tired. It was taking an enormous risk. It would be quite easy for her to burst a blood vessel in her brain and to die of a stroke in the condition her battle with Daniel had left her. Just a few places left to check. It was then that Lyta found something which she stored away in her own memory to tell Garibaldi later. Lyta, finally satisfied that she had banished David's nightmares, slipped out of his mind again. She left no trace of her visit which could trouble the boy later but she swore to herself that she'd keep a close eye on the boy. Who knew what the long term effects of having that thing in his brain might be? Lyta opened her eyes to see that David was now sleeping peacefully in her lap. His rigid body posture had disappeared into a normal sleeping posture. "He's going to be fine Delenn." She spoke to David's mother who was nervously hovering, frightened at what was happening to her son. Lyta passed David to her and Delenn wrapped the boy in her arms. Lyta turned her attention to the Captain, "We'll need to talk about this later, Captain but he should be fine now. We'll leave you alone!" "Thank you Lyta." John replied simply and smiled wearily, "Welcome back to the station". Lyta smiled but didn't say anymore just left the Sheridan's alone together to take in what had happened. She left the room with Michael, and Stephen. As soon as they were out of the room, Lyta spoke sadly, "I have another problem for you Michael!" From: "Alison Laker" Subject: The Terror - part 13 Date: Wed, 8 Apr 1998 17:30:54 +0100 "The Terror" Part 13: by Ali All moanings, groanings etc. to xuj42@dial.pipex.com Standard Disclaimer: Everything is JMS's and not mine. I'm just playing! *************************** *************************** Part 13 The Terror by Ali xuj42@dial.pipex.com **************************** Lyta spoke sadly not wanting to burden Michael, "I have another problem for you Michael." Michael didn't speak for a moment and Lyta could see that he could do without any more strife. His face was tired and drawn. But Michael smiled and laughed tiredly, "Another problem? Why am I not surprised! What is it?" "David knows who on the station has got a keeper. It appears he had access to the keepers thoughts as well as the keeper having access to his!" Lyta advised him seriously, "I can give you a list. Will that do?" Stephen and Michael stared at her. Both knew how much extra work bringing down the remaining keepers would be for them. They'd had enough trouble from the few they'd already uncovered. "How many are there?" Stephen asked suspiciously, "I'll need to call in extra staff to help with the surgery needed or maybe I could store them in Cryo until things are a bit less busy. The whole team is too tired at the moment to work very efficiently." Stephen was planning what needed to be done by his team already. "There are 52" Lyta replied quietly, hoping to soften the blow. "52!!!" Both Stephen and Michael swore nastily. "Come on Stephen we'll need to work out a joint plan for this. Do we have enough tranq guns?" Michael also began to plan quickly, not letting himself be put off by the sheer scale of the work in front of them. One keeper on his own was bad enough but 52, that didn't bear thinking about! However, Michael's musings were interrupted by Zack entering Med-Lab. "The children at the Day Care Center are fine. No keepers discovered." He smiled at the group of them but his gaze lingered on Lyta who started to blush a very interesting shade. "That's one good thing anyway!" Michael smiled at his second and then glanced slyly at Lyta. He took in the heightened color and knew his suspicions about these two was correct. He returned his attention to Zack, "Zack, I need a favor. Lyta needs a place to rest for a few hours in peace. I haven't had a chance to organize anything. Could you escort her to your quarters and let her rest there. With all the keepers around she'd also make a prime target for them. I need you to keep an eye on her for the next couple of days that'll be easier if she's staying in your quarters. Would that be a problem for you?" Zack attempted to hide his enthusiasm for the idea by acting rather nonchalantly but it was clear when he also started to blush that it was anything but a problem. "No problem, Chief!" Michael hid his smile, "Good! Lyta, I'll need that list of names and then you can go and rest for a few hours. Zack will sort you out with anything you need. He won't mind if you stay a few days. Will you Zack? It'll make security's job easier until all these keepers have been rounded up.! Michael was beginning to feel quite pleased with himself. This just might be the shove these two needed to bring their feelings out into the open. "Okay Stephen, let's work out a plan for these keepers and then everything will be sorted!" Quietly, Zack and Lyta left Med-Lab together. ********************* It was nearly 5 hours since David had woken up for the first time. He was now being closely monitored by Med-Lab staff but was currently sleeping a peaceful natural sleep. At Lyta's request Zack, Michael, Stephen, Lennier and Delenn gathered for a meeting in a room off of Med-Lab. Delenn and John had wanted to stay close to Med-Lab just in case David woke and needed them. Marcus was not there. He was still unconscious in a bed now located in the same room as Susan. He was expected to wake within the hour. Susan was alive and that was all Stephen would say on the subject. He would make no promises that she would continue to live! The two girls, Leanna and Laura, were playing at their feet as there was no-one available to look after them, even if there safety could have been trusted to someone else at this point. Delenn had already made it quite clear that she was letting neither of them out of her sight for the time being. John spoke first, "Lyta, you wanted to talk to us all together." The Captain's face was serious and clearly showed his interest in what Lyta was about to say to them. His face also showed signs of near exhaustion from the continuous disasters that were happening on his station one after the other. "Let's make this quick I want to be there if David wakes up again". "Okay, Captain" Lyta began, "I discovered quite a lot of information when I went into Daniel's mind. He's been in charge of infecting others with keepers on this station, including David, for nearly 6 months. As well as that I saw David's mind as well. As I told Michael and Stephen, there are about 52 people with keepers on Babylon 5 at the moment." Lyta looked around her audience, "One of their main tasks was to spy out what was happening here on the station. David was in a prime position to do this and was a great bonus to them. However, what they were also after, what you might call their secondary target, was the two girls". John and Delenn paled significantly at this statement. John took Delenn's hand in his own and squeezed it reassuringly, "They didn't succeed! Lyta, you beat Daniel and soon we'll have all the keeper victims rounded up. Michael's already got 10 tranquilized and in cryo waiting for Stephen to work on them. That's only another 42 to go!" "Only 42!! What do you mean only 42!! These people are homicidal..." Michael interrupted the Captain. Lyta interrupted both of them. She spoke in a grim tone, "I don't think either of you understand. Daniel did everything he had been told to!" She frowned. This wasn't going to pleasant to tell or even to hear especially about you're own child. "He may have threatened to kill the two girls but he didn't. He had a big opportunity to kill them when we ambushed him and I failed to knock him out straightaway. He could easily have killed the girls at that point. In fact that was what we expected him to do. Our ambush had failed. We had promised him a White Star to leave here if he didn't hurt the children. We lied and then we ambushed him!" John looked between Lyta and Michael. He hadn't heard the full details yet of what had happened when Michael tried to retrieve the two children from the Day Care Center. All of this happening to his daughter and he himself unable to protect her. Why was everyone trying to hurt his children? Didn't they have a right to live safely until they were old enough to take care of themselves? What sort of low-lives picked on children for God's sake? He took a deep breath to try and keep his anger under control, "So why didn't he kill them?" John exhaustion was making him irritable and angry, "For heaven's sake spit it out!" he snapped but was instantly sorry. These people, his people, had saved his child's life and now he was snapping at them, "I'm sorry for snapping but please just tell me Lyta!" He felt Delenn return a comforting squeeze to his hand. "They want the girls badly, Captain! I don't know what for but it is very important to them. Daniel didn't know either. They want the two girls badly enough to abort a kidnap attempt that might endanger their lives. As they see it they can always try later. They have infinite patience. Daniel was given a very nasty view of what would happen to him if he failed in his mission. What they threatened to do to him if either of the girls were hurt...well I don't think I could describe it to you." Lyta paled noticeably just thinking about it, "If I was him I'd rather shoot myself than let them anywhere near me!" "But you've got no idea why they want the girls." Delenn inquired, "This is unacceptable! What about Daniel, he must know something? I'm going to assign some Rangers to guard the two girls from now on. Until we have more of an idea what we're up against. Lennier you will arrange for this at once!" Her voice had a steely determined tone to it. Delenn was only prepared to accept so much from her enemies and targeting her children was crossing that line. She gave out her requests but they were more like orders with the tone of voice she used. "John, it would make me a lot happier if you went and spoke to this Daniel, see if he knows any more than this. I will stay here with David and the girls and I'll keep an eye on Marcus and Susan." "But..." John began. Delenn continued unabated in a voice that brooked no argument, "I think Mr. Garibaldi should leave now to continue the search for the keepers and get them into custody straightaway. Lyta maybe you can learn some information from them? Zack you can help with that too. I want this dealt with NOW! No-one is going to hurt my children, family or friends. I want this stopped NOW! I will not be terrorized like this." Delenn's voice started to crack, and she appealed to John directly, "Please John, for me." John smiled tenderly at his wife, "I think you've summarized what needs doing so unless there is anything else". He looked around the group, "No? Okay, lets get moving people." John held Delenn back waiting for the others to leave, "Delenn, I'm not going to let anything happen to David or Leanna or you and while Susan and Marcus are hurt we'll keep Laura with us too! I promise you Delenn no-one is going to hurt any of them. They'll have to go through me, the Rangers, Lennier, and you first. That's no easy job!" Delenn smiled weakly, "I trust you with our lives John. I always have!" She reached up and kissed him gently on the cheek, "I think its time we showed them that we won't stand for this any longer". ********************* It was nearly 10 hours since Marcus' surgery. Stephen had finally left him alone with Susan. He very carefully pushed himself into a sitting position and swung his legs over the side of his bed. He kept a careful eye on the door just to make sure that Stephen wasn't going to make an unannounced return. Marcus very slowly walked from his bed towards the chair at Susan's side. The distance seemed massive rather than the few feet it was. He felt so tired and weak as he struggled to cross the floor to his wife's bedside. Marcus sat down very carefully next to Susan's bed in an attempt to not jar the stitches that Dr. Hobbs had left in his side. It was painful even with the painkillers and other drugs that Stephen had dosed him with. Marcus didn't know whether the painkillers were just not strong enough or whether the true pain was too deep to dampen however strong the drugs. He was not supposed to be out of bed and was supposed to be lying motionless while he healed. But whilst lying in bed Marcus had discovered he couldn't see Susan properly and that was one thing he was not prepared to accept. On waking, his relief to hear Susan's condition had not worsened was intense. As he sat there waiting for something to happen his moods roller coasted between hope for Susan's survival to the deepest despair that she would die. All Stephen had been able to tell him was that her condition was currently stable but that she was still in a critical condition. The doctor was still making no promises that Susan would live. Stephen had also made it pretty clear that he would be keeping a very close eye on Marcus for the next few days. Marcus could tell that Stephen was worried about him nearly as much as Stephen was worried about Susan. He would have to be very careful to not give the doctor any additional cause for concern or Stephen would probably dose him up with drugs and he would be too spaced out to help Susan at all. Stephen had informed Marcus that Laura was being looked after by Delenn. On hearing this Marcus felt instantly a bit happier. He knew Delenn would never let anyone hurt Laura and would guard her as intensely as she guarded her own children. He didn't dwell on the fact that they hadn't protected David from the keepers. If Marcus had know the full truth of recent events, his fears for Laura would have been indescribable but Stephen hadn't mentioned anything about Laura's kidnapping or the subsequent revelations that Laura was, for unknown reasons, a major target of acquisition for the evil forces pitted against them. Stephen was concerned enough about Marcus' mental state as it was! He could give a more detailed resume of the last 24 hours to the Ranger when he was more up to it. Stephen hadn't wanted Marcus to backslide into that nightmare state of catatonia he had been in after Susan's supposed death and had been so close to her after the stabbing attack by David. Marcus gently picked up Susan's hand and held it softly between both of his hands, "I'm back, love!" He reached over and gently kissed Susan's forehead, being careful not to touch any of the various wires and tubes attached to her stricken body. Above all he didn't want to cause the woman he loved any unnecessary pain. Just studying Susan's face brought an ache to his heart, <> Tears started to flow unchecked down his face, "You have all the time in the world to rest Susan but please remember I'm here waiting for you to return". "He stroked the hair from her face, and gently stroked the soft skin of her cheek with his knuckles. "I love you Susan and I'll wait for you no matter how long it takes". There was no response of any kind from Susan. She laid in the bed unmoving and unresponsive. Marcus sadly settled down in the chair. He had no idea how long it would take before Susan awoke or died but it didn't matter. He had no where else to go and he could wait. No matter what the outcome, he would wait. There was nothing more important to Marcus, barring Laura, than the woman in the bed in front of him. Laura was safe with Delenn but Susan's safety was still to be determined. Marcus would keep watch over her until she either awakened or left them for the shadowless afterlife. Marcus closed his eyes to rest but carefully kept Susan's hand firmly enfolded in his. She might not realize he was there but then again just holding her hand might make all the difference. ****************************** John, Lyta and Michael were headed towards the main Security Office. Delenn had given them their instructions and Michael was going to show the Captain exactly where Daniel was being held. Michael had left clear instructions that no-one was to be allowed to see the prisoner unless he ordered it. Also, he had told his security officers that those orders would be given personally not over the link. Daniel was to be held in maximum security until he could be brought to trial. Whatever the case, Michael needed to be present to get the Captain in to see Daniel. On this station Michael held final authority and responsibility for all prisoners in his charge not the Captain! The Captain had never given him any problems with this except once. In 2259, Morden had been held prisoner illegally by the Captain. Michael had resigned over the issue as he was not prepared to accept the responsibility if anything happened to Morden whilst in his charge. Despite the fact that it was the Captain holding him, it would still have been Michael's responsibility. Since then the Captain had given Michael no cause for concern over a prisoner. However, no prisoner had ever before kidnapped the Captain's daughter, brutalized his son, caused his first officer to be critically wounded, terrorized his entire station and caused deep emotional trauma to his wife. Just in case, Michael wanted to be there when the Captain spoke to Daniel. He had sent his second, Zack, to continue the round up of the keeper's and their victims around the station. They approached the corridor to Michael's office and it was there that they first saw the blood stains on the floor. A long streak of blood which disappeared around the corner. The three in the group exchanged serious glances and stopped their advance. Both Michael and John pulled out their PPG's. <> Michael thought despairingly to himself, <> Michael raised his link to his mouth and opened a channel, "Garibaldi to Station House, please respond". There was no response and Michael tried again. "Garibaldi to Station House, this is a priority request, please respond". The silence over the link was deafening. Michael's heart sank a bit further. He didn't want to go around the corner. He didn't want to know what new manifestation of evil had been visited upon his office and staff. But he spoke again. This time a general announcement to all his security officers, "Urgent assistance required at the Station House. All officers who not been issued with priority assignments please respond!" Garibaldi repeated the message just to make sure it was received. Priority assignments included guarding all key stations such as C & C and Med-Lab, and also all officers assigned to aid in the keeper round-up. Unfortunately, the security staff were currently stretched to their limits which didn't leave many to attend to this current crisis! Michael and John carefully approached the corner which led to the corridor where the entrance to the Security Office was. Lyta followed behind. Due to the recent overuse of her psi abilities she was vulnerable. She was not in any position to use those abilities without the risk of giving herself a stroke, not even to protect her own life and therefore, without a PPG she was an unprotected target. As they moved carefully around the corner they found Moroshi, one of Garibaldi's best security officers, slumped on the ground. John kept watch whilst Michael squatted down beside him and attempted to find a pulse in the man's neck. He gave a grateful sigh of relief when he found one. "The blood out here isn't his?" Michael spoke in surprise, after a quick check of the man's prone body. The trail of blood had now increased to cover a large swathe of floor and was also smeared on the walls of the corridor. The smell coming from the Security Office was turning John's stomach. It was the smell of a slaughter house. Was there no end to the horrors he had to experience? A feeling of intense exhaustion swept through him. Always before there would have been adrenaline rushing through his body, giving him the energy he required to do the tough job ahead. Now he just felt tired, tired and sick of what kept happening. He wasn't sure if he could handle anymore death. He wasn't even sure he could speak. He just indicated to the others with signals that they should enter the Security Office and try to discover what had happened. They opened the doors and stepped inside. They didn't know it yet but this sight was going to haunt them for months and years to come. The floor was slick with blood and something else that John didn't want to recognize. It looked like someone's intestines had been liquidated and sprayed around the room. It covered the floor, the ceiling and the walls. It had dripped down to cover the desks and monitors which the security teams used for their work. The smell in the room was indescribable. It went way beyond a slaughter house now. There was a smell of decay and rot. If evil could give off a tangible scent then maybe that was what they were smelling. There was a malevolent feel to the whole room. John shivered violently. It was all he could do to stop himself bolting out of the door and the Captain was no coward. John looked across at Michael. Michael was faring little better. He was pale to the point of collapse and shaking at the sight in front of him. There wasn't much that could shock Michael but this had succeeded. However, there was nothing there to give any indication to John about where the blood had come from. From behind him Lyta groaned loudly and John whipped around just in time to stop her collapsing into the filth on the floor. John carried her over to a chair and put his jacket on it so Lyta could sit down without being contaminated. John crouched down beside her, "Lyta, are you okay? Do you know who did this?" Lyta held her head in her hands. It was hurting her just to be in the room with this desecration. Lyta spoke in a whisper, "They're not here anymore Captain. They've just left a psychic trace behind them. I'm not sure who did this but it was a definite warning to us for interfering in their plans. They supplied the keepers to Daniel but I can't tell who they are! They've deliberately hidden it from me. They might be Drakh but I'm not sure. It doesn't feel the same. There could be someone new out there who did this. Someone we don't know about yet!" "A new enemy? That's all we need." Michael called from across the room, "Another enemy! Haven't we got enough already?" There were several security guards scattered around the room. They were also coated in blood and Michael was systematically checking them all for signs of life. "They're all alive but I'm not sure what's the matter with them? There is no evidence of a fight." The officers were still sitting slumped over their work stations. Lyta interrupted Michael with another audible groan, "I'm sorry Michael but I can't stay here. It hurts me to sense what they've left behind. In fact, it's quite painful for me." Lyta got carefully to her feet. "Go to Med-Lab and get Dr. Franklin to take a look at you and ask him to send some trolleys up here for my men" Michael indicated his security staff. "No problem and Michael..." Lyta's voice took on a serious tone. "Yes?" Michael replied. "I'd seriously consider getting this place exocised or something before you use it again!" Michael stared at her in surprise but Lyta's face showed that she was being serious, "This place is contaminated, physically, psychically, and spiritually. Its been touched by evil! Can't you feel it?" Lyta said no-more and left for Med-Lab. After Lyta had left, John and Michael continued into the secure rooms behind the main security office. It was here that Daniel was being held in maximum security. They were pretty sure that Daniel wasn't going to be there anymore, rescued by his masters. More guards were found slumped on the floor in the corridor outside of Daniel's cell. Despite what they had already seen, nothing could have prepared them for the sight they beheld when they opened Daniel's cell door. Daniel had not escaped! His body, or what was left of it, was hanging from the ceiling and had been gutted from chin to navel. His body organs and more blood plastered the room around him. Somehow his whole body had been burnt without setting off the fire detectors. It was charred and blackened. Written in blood on the wall was a single word, 'Failure'. John couldn't control his stomach any longer and he started to retch violently. Daniel had been killed by those he owed allegiance too. Killed for his failure to kidnap the two girls. His masters had no loyalty to him and killed him for his failure! Killed as a warning to others and probably killed so he couldn't give away anymore secrets that Lyta hadn't already discovered. Daniel may have deserved to die for his actions on the station but no-one deserved to die like that! Michael got a knife and cut Daniel's body down. He did this on automatic. Not letting his brain realize exactly what it was seeing. Daniel's eyes proved his undoing. They were wide and staring. Daniel's face clearly indicated that death hadn't come quickly enough and until it arrived he had been in utter agony. Not really wanting to see the sight any longer, Michael covered it with his jacket. He felt sick to his stomach and couldn't stop shaking. He looked across at the Captain. John started to straighten and had finally finished being extremely sick. He was very pale and his face had a green tinge to it. Without further comment they left the cell and re-entered the corridor. They couldn't talk properly with Daniel's body anywhere near them. "Are you okay, Captain?" Michael asked with concern. Maybe if he concentrated on John it would keep his mind off Daniel's mutilated body. "I've felt better. That's for sure! Can you transfer security operations elsewhere until this place is dealt with?" John spoke carefully trying to quell the hideous sensations which continued to ripple through his stomach from the smell of the whole place. "I can set up in the old security offices which we used before we moved here. All the equipment is still there. We'd just have to transfer all the computer records over." Michael confirmed. "Do it! Then get a squad in here. I want this place sterilized from top to bottom. Then do as Lyta suggested and get the place exocised. I'm not coming back in here until its done!" The Captain ordered quickly. "Yes Captain! I'll see to it myself" Michael replied. He wanted this place cleaned properly and he was going to make sure it was done properly. He didn't think he would be able to work in here again if he didn't. "I'm going back to Med-lab to see how everything is going there. Keep me advised of your situation Michael." John headed for the exit, not wanting to stay around one moment longer than necessary. At the entrance he turned, "Get some rest as soon as you can. I'm calling a meeting for first thing in the morning to brief everyone on this. I'll see if Zack and Stephen can give us an update on the keeper situation." Michael nodded in agreement and without further comment John left the area as quickly as possible. He headed for Med-Lab. Delenn was not going to like this. They now had no idea who was after the two girls or whom had been behind Daniel's efforts on the station and now they didn't even have anyone to put on trial for the crimes committed. However, John thought to himself, Daniel had been punished for his actions in a far worse way than anything the justice system could have come up with. But it still left him feeling powerless. His whole station had been terrorized for weeks and now he could do nothing to stop it happening again. He couldn't even say who was ultimately responsible. There was nobody to punish. It was difficult to accept but he was beginning to believe that there was nothing he could do but wait for his enemies' next move. He stopped for a moment. There was always something that could be done. There was always some hope. He had learnt that lesson well! There was one thing he could do. He could send the Rangers out to discover who and what they were up against. Nobody could hide from the Rangers for very long. There motto said it all, 'We enter the dark places no others will enter'. The Rangers could enter the darkness and return with the truth. They'd find out who had committed this evil against them and then they would deal with it. John already had a long list of wrongs to be righted. He would just add this to the bottom of it. He would finish them all if time allowed. If not, others would continue his work for him. Feeling slightly better now a course of action had been determined, John continued to Med-Lab. ********************** Four weeks later and an appearance of normality was returning to the station. however, that was all it was. Only an appearance of normality. David, Laura and Leanna were now guarded around the clock by a group of Rangers. All key staff were escorted everywhere by security. John had returned to work after David had recovered sufficiently. C & C was in the charge of David Corwin. The station was nearly devoid of Rangers. John had made good on his belief that they would sniff out the truth of their new enemy. They were all waiting to hear what results the Rangers came back with. Stephen Franklin was still working on the keeper victims he had cryogenically stored after capture. So far 50 had been found by security. Of those 14 had been killed by security whilst they tried to capture them, 24 had died on the operating table, and only six including David had been saved with varying amounts of brain damage. The remainder were waiting for Dr. Franklin to have a spare moment to assess their condition. Worryingly, two keepers still remained at large on Babylon 5. Security had been unable to find them yet but they were still looking. Stephen also had dealt with the security staff who had been in their Security Office when it was attacked. He had found little wrong with them and eventually Lyta had made an attempt to see if she could find anything wrong. What she had found in their minds was another horror to add to the list they had suffered recently. Each guard had been shown his own worst nightmare and had it run in full Technicolor perpetually through their minds. To defend their own sanity, their minds had simply shut down. Lyta had done what she could but had advised each security guard on awakening that he or she may need to see a councilor in the future to deal with the experience. They had all booked their appointments straightaway without question or argument. Their tormented looks said it all. They were going to need help to deal with this. Michael knew for a fact that despite everything Lyta had done for them, his guards were still suffering flashbacks and he intended to keep a close eye on all of them. They were his men and he would do everything possible to make them all whole again, in mind and body. Michael had had his security offices sterilized and fumigated three times before the smell started to dissipate. He had then made a request to Lennier to see if he knew of a way of removing the malevolent feel that the offices now had. Lennier promised to deal with it and soon 10 members of the Minbari religious caste arrived at the station unannounced. They had entered the security office and sealed themselves inside for 4 days. All Lennier would say was that a cleansing ceremony was in progress. At the end Lyta was brought in to determine whether they had successfully removed the stain of evil which had afflicted the room. She simply verified that she could not feel the psychic trace any longer. No-one asked what the Minbari had done to achieve this but Security was transferred back to their offices the same day. Almost as soon as he arrived, Michael started making arrangements to increase the defensive abilities of the office to prevent any repeat of what had happened. David was out of Med-Lab but was still under careful medical supervision to ensure his health continued to return to what it had been before. He still had nightmares. Lyta hadn't been able to stop them all. But the nightmares were not as frightening or as intense as they had been when he had first woken up. Delenn or John could comfort him now. He often slept with his parents. The couple were still looking after Laura as well. Marcus had also returned to nearly full health but was spending nearly every waking moment at Susan's bedside. Susan had shown no sign of waking from the coma she had fallen into after the stabbing. ****************************** Marcus sat sleepily next to Susan's bed. He had been there all day. In fact he'd been there everyday since Susan had been stabbed. At night he returned to his quarters to sleep. He had wanted to stay but Stephen insisted that he go home and rest. In fact, Stephen had threatened to sedate him if he didn't go home to his own bed at night. Marcus had also used that evening time to visit Laura who was staying in the Sheridan's quarters. He was one of the few people allowed in without being searched thoroughly The Rangers were taking the threat to his daughter and to Leanna very seriously. He felt torn between his two loved one. He wanted to protect Laura himself but he knew that Susan needed him more at the moment. After himself, he trusted no-one better that John and Delenn Sheridan and his fellow Rangers to guard his daughter in his stead. He knew that Stephen was getting increasingly concerned at Susan's continuing failure to exit her coma. Susan's body was getting stronger everyday. It was still weak but it was healing. Stephen no longer considered Susan a critical case. He believed she would live but the longer she remained unconscious, the more likely the chances of her falling prey to something else whilst her immune system was weakened. Marcus spent the days doing many things. He usually started by giving Susan a quick wash and brushing her hair. Stephen had said these personal things were important and it made Marcus feel better if he was doing something. Each day he braided her hair. Each day he prayed for her to wake up. Each day he read a bit more of an old storybook he had found ages ago in Down Below. It was called "The Lord of the Rings" by JRR Tolkein. He read her a chapter everyday, spinning out the story of Middle Earth which seemed to reflect so well what was occurring in their own existence. After lunch he played music for her. Sometimes modern music, sometimes music from centuries past, sometimes classical and sometimes folk. He varied it in the hope he would get a reaction from Susan. So far Susan hadn't reacted to anything. She hadn't moved or made even the tiniest sound. However, Marcus tried to hide from it, he realized he was losing hope that she would ever wake up. He was starting to believe she would sleep forever. Marcus knew that Stephen and Delenn were starting to believe that Susan should be transferred to a long term care facility where she could get better treatment for her needs. There was such a facility on Minbar that would be suitable. They had mentioned this only once to Marcus and he had told them both in no uncertain terms that Susan was staying on Babylon 5. This was her home. The Captain had backed his decision. 5 Minutes later Stephen came in and told Marcus politely that it was time for him to leave for the evening. Stephen hadn't seen Marcus quite so dispirited as he looked now. Marcus was beginning to lose hope and there was nothing Stephen could do about it. Marcus got up and kissed Susan on her fore-head, "I'll be back in the morning, love." He spoke quietly and then slowly headed for the door. He stopped in the door way and turned to Stephen. Finally voicing the fears that he had been struggling with, "She is going to wake up, isn't she Stephen?" Stephen wanted to lie to Marcus and say everything would be all right. Marcus looked so tired and depressed but he couldn't do that, "I can't promise you that Marcus. We'll all have to wait and see. We are doing everything we can to bring her out of this". Marcus smiled weakly, "I know Stephen but I'm tired of being alone. I need her back. Laura needs her back. We need her to wake up". A solitary tear flowed down his cheek. Then he turned away and left the room. From: "Alison Laker" Subject: The Terror - Part 14 - The final part Date: Wed, 8 Apr 1998 17:41:21 +0100 "The Terror" Part 14 of 14: by Ali Standard Disclaimer: Everything belongs to JMS Dedication: I'm dedicating this final chapter to my dad whom I loved and miss terribly. He loved Babylon 5 too but never got to see the end of the story. I'm also dedicating this final chapter to Ria, my friend in Greece, for all her help and support since my dad died. I wouldn't have been able to finish this without her. Thank you. I'm currently writing the sequel to this with the working title of 'Justice and Revenge' but it may be awhile yet before I publish it. Any queries to my e-mail address below. All moanings and groanings to xuj42@dial.pipex.com ********************************** ********************************** Part 14 of 14 The Terror by Ali xuj42@dial.pipex.com ********************************* Next morning Marcus arrived at Med-Lab just after 9 o'clock. He had slept badly. His mind continuously returning to his wife's stricken condition. He knew that he couldn't keep coming here everyday to sit with Susan. Soon other responsibilities were going to come into operation. Laura need him too. She couldn't remain with the Sheridan's forever. Sooner or later he was going to have to resume his life with the Rangers. Nearly all of his fellow Rangers were off finding out about the new enemy. The one's who threatened his daughter's freedom. Susan would have told him that Laura comes first, even before herself. He knew what Susan's reaction would be if she discovered how little he was seeing his daughter. In reality, Susan was safe in Med-Lab and there was nothing Marcus could do to help her until she came out of the coma. He just hated the idea of Susan lying here unattended and if she did wake up he didn't want her to be alone. Marcus walked into Susan's room and quietly approached her bed, "Hello Susan, I'm back". He reached over to kiss her gently on the fore head as had become his habit of late. She looked so beautiful to him. She looked as though she were simply asleep and would wake momentarily. Susan would hate to see her self like this. She didn't like things to be out of her control and her whole life in the last month or so had not been under any control at all. Her body was unresponsive. It was breaking Marcus' heart to see her so vulnerable. A solitary tear fell from Marcus' eye onto Susan's face and he wiped it away after he had laid the kiss gently on her forehead. He pulled away and was met by a stunning sight. A pair of blue sapphire eyes were staring at him, "Marcus?" the words were slurred badly and there was confusion to be heard in the voice but Susan was awake. However, it was only momentary and Susan closed her eyes again. "SUSAN? Can you hear me? Please speak to me" Marcus' desperate words brought no response from the woman lying in the bed but it did bring Stephen rushing into the room. "Stephen, she opened her eyes. She spoke to me. She's going to be all right. Isn't she Stephen?" Stephen could hear Marcus' intense need for reassurance but he didn't speak for a moment. He checked the monitors and then turned to Marcus with a smile, "She's entered a phase of natural sleep. She's out of the coma, Marcus. She could wake up at any time." Marcus smiled. He wanted to shout it from the mountain tops. <> But he knew that Stephen wouldn't appreciate a lot of shouting in Med-Lab so he kept the tremendous feeling of relief under control. "When do you think she'll wake up?" "It could be anytime today. How did she sound when she spoke?" Stephen wanted to know exactly what state Susan might awaken in. Marcus thought carefully, "Her words sounded a bit slurred and she sounded confused but she didn't say a lot it's hard to tell!" Marcus shrugged his shoulders. "Okay, next time she wakes up give me a shout straightaway. Okay?" Stephen requested. He wasn't overly happy to hear Susan had slurred her words. Confusion was acceptable as Susan had been out of it quite awhile. Slurring words was evidence of possible brain damage. *************************** 2 hours later Marcus was sitting next to Susan's bed reading her another chapter of 'The Lord of the Rings'. He didn't notice her eyes were open at first. "Marcus?" Susan looked pale and confused about where she was. However, this time the slurring of her words was less evident but still there. Marcus dropped the book, "Susan! You're awake. I'll just get Stephen. I'll be back in a moment." He was hesitant to leave her in case she fell asleep again. Before he left her he placed a gentle kiss on her cheek. Susan reached out and stroked his cheek but stopped rather abruptly when she noticed how much her hand was shaking. She placed her hands together to try and stop them shaking. Marcus could see she was frightened. Susan hated to show she was afraid. When they were first married it had taken her a long time to trust Marcus with all her fears and worries. Now she no longer hid them from him. She loved and trusted him too much for that. If anyone else had been in the room they wouldn't have known of her fright but this was Marcus whom she trusted more than life itself. "Don't worry! I'll be right back." Marcus leaped up and raced for the door. He had no intention of being out of Susan's room any longer than necessary. He returned a moment later practically dragging Stephen behind him, "See, she's awake!" "I believe you!" Stephen spoke sarcastically but turned and spoke to Susan in a much more gentle voice, "Hello Susan. How are you feeling?" He smiled down at his patient. "Tired! I feel shaky and very tired." Her voice sounded even less slurred now but it was very croaky. Susan tried and failed to sit up. Marcus came over and helped her up and gave her a sip of water from a cup, "How long have I been here?" "Nearly 5 weeks" Marcus spoke up. "5 weeks? What happened?" Susan abruptly remembered and the blood drained from her face, "Wait! I remember. It was David. He........He......" Susan started to get agitated as she remembered what had happened. Marcus gently took her in his arms, "It's okay! You're safe now. David isn't going to hurt you any more. Stephen removed the keeper from David and he's going to be fine." "That's right David had a keeper. He stabbed me!" Susan was suddenly lost in the memories of what had happened to her. Then another memory came to her and not a very pleasant one if Susan's face was any indication. "Where's Laura? They want Laura!" Susan was becoming agitated again out of fear for her daughter's safety. "Susan, calm down. This isn't doing you any good. It's okay" Marcus stroked her hair, trying to soothe her as he would Laura when she was upset. "Laura's safe! She's with the Captain" Marcus tried to reassure her. "She's being well protected" Stephan began reassuringly. "You don't understand!" Susan grabbed Marcus' shirt and pulled him towards her with shaking hands, "I sensed it in David's mind. They want to use her and Leanna. I don't know why but you MUST not let them near her, Marcus." "It's okay Susan. We know. Lyta told us!" Marcus removed her shaking hands from the front of his shirt and held them to his heart, "I promise I won't let anything happen to her. She's being well protected." At this Susan relaxed a bit and started to cry softly. She allowed Marcus to wrap his arms around her shaking form. He enfolded her in his arms, "Marcus, I do love you!" Her wounds were still sore and her muscles had wasted from lying unused for so long. Susan felt weaker than she had ever felt before. It was taking a serious effort to just hold her husband. However, just being there in his arms filled her with a new strength. She felt safer than she had done in a long while. She felt safe, protected and loved. Stephen, seeing that the couple needed time alone, left the room. It was obvious that there wasn't anything seriously wrong with Susan's brain. He'd check her out fully later. For Marcus too, Susan's embrace was bliss. He had longed for this for weeks and now Susan was finally in his arms again. Susan's unique scent filled his nostrils. He could feel her soft hair between his fingers. He could also feel she was shaking seriously. He could feel the weakness and frailty in her body. This wasn't over yet. Susan wasn't going to be better for a while yet but for now he stroked her hair reassuringly. They could discuss their situation later. He pulled gently away from her and smiled. He reached out and stroked her cheek with his knuckles, "I think you had better rest. I'll go and get Laura and bring her over." Susan frowned at this. It was a frown that Marcus recognized instantly. It said 'Don't try and baby me, Marcus'. Susan was back and she wasn't going to want to stay in Med-Lab for long. Susan made a lousy patient and he wondered how long it would take for Stephen to get sick of her and to throw her out. "Don't be long, Marcus." Susan smiled lovingly at him, "I'm missing you already." Marcus gave her a beaming smile, "I'll run!" He kissed her gently on the lips this time and left the room quickly. Susan settled down in her bed to rest. She was nearly exhausted from that small encounter. She didn't want to sleep though and instead studied her body carefully to see what state it was in. It was a lot thinner than usual. She could see her muscles had wasted whilst she had been out. She could still see the fading scars from the knife wound that David inflicted and the resulting surgery. <> She thought about that for a while. <> At his point in her musings, Stephen returned, "There are a few tests I need to run whilst Marcus isn't here. We might as well get them over with now Susan." Stephen declared. Some of the test weren't very pleasant and he would prefer to get them out of the way before Marcus returned and objected. "Okay Stephen, you're the boss." Susan declared willingly. Stephen was surprised by Susan's attitude. She wasn't renowned for her patience when it came to medical procedures. Susan continued, "Just remember that I have ways to get my own back if you do anything too unpleasant." She smiled serenely at him but Stephen grimaced at her tone. 10 minutes later and Stephen had finished his initial tests. Susan looked a lot less comfortable. Some of the tests had been quite painful. "So Stephen, how soon before I can go home?" Susan thought she might a well get this argument out of the way first. "SUSAN!" Stephen began in a reproving tone, "You've only just woken up. You're not leaving here until you can walk out of here on your own two feet. You're also going to need some physio-therapy and a special diet to help you regain your strength." "Oh no Stephen, not again. The other diet you put me on was revolting!" Susan's wail of disgust was completely ignored by Stephen. "And whilst you're in Med-Lab you'll do as you're told" Stephen finished succinctly, rather enjoying the Commander's horrified look. "In that case I'm leaving right now!" The look of determination on Susan's face showed that she meant it and before Stephen could stop her she had swung her legs out of the bed and started to launch herself over the side. It was at this point that Marcus, Delenn and John entered the room. Marcus was carrying Laura. Marcus instantly saw what Susan was doing, and shoved Laura into John's arms, before leaping to catch Susan. "SUSAN, what the hell are you doing?" He caught her in his arms as she started to fall. She was unable to support her own weight and then Marcus sat her back on the bed. She glared at him defiantly. "I can't leave you alone for 5 minutes without you doing something stupid!" "I'm going home. I'm not staying here to be insulted by either you or Dr. Franklin. He wants to force feed me Med-Lab food. That food is so disgusting it'll probably finish me off!" The others in the room shook their heads in wonder! Susan had been awake for less than an hour and was already causing trouble. Susan continued, "And Stephen said...." She turned and smiled sweetly at Stephen, "That I could leave as soon as I could walk out so that's what I was doing! You could help me instead of standing there glaring at me. You are my husband, you know. Protect me from that Doctor!" Susan glared at Stephen. Marcus first glared at Susan and then turned his attention to Stephen, "Why the hell did you tell her that? You know she can't resist a challenge!" Stephen attempted to defend himself, "I only said that......." "Stop arguing all of you!" John ordered, "Susan get back into that bed. You will not leave it until Stephen says so and that's an order." "BUT........" Susan began. Stephen looked smug until John continued. "And if you do as you're told I will ensure that you receive a take away every day you're here. I might even try and pursuade Michael to cook you a meal." John spoke cajolingly. "BUT.........."Stephen interrupted, "She needs special foods". "Stephen, I tried one of your food plans once and they are truly revolting. I wouldn't feed them to my dog, let alone a sick person!" John finished. Susan smirked at Stephen, "Well now that's sorted, where is my daughter?" John stepped forward and passed Laura to Susan. Susan embraced the little girl and then took a good look at her daughter, "She's grown so much, Marcus! Is she walking yet?" "Just a few steps" Delenn informed her. "I missed her first steps? Oh Laura, what sort of mother have you got? Have you missed me?" Susan hugged the little girl again. When she drew away again there were tears in her eyes. Laura, however, seemed very happy to see her and giggled excitedly and reached out and pulled Susan's hair. A game she had always enjoyed. "Ooowwwww! I'd nearly forgot about your brutal streak. They haven't managed to teach you any manners whilst I've been away. Oh well, You're papa has failed to teach me any of his English manners. I don't suppose we'll have much luck with you either." "She's fine Susan." Marcus interrupted sitting on the bed beside his family. "She's missed you. I was just thanking John and Delenn for looking after her but I think she should come back and live with me now." "Susan, we've both loved having her but she needs you and Marcus now!" Delenn confirmed, "She's missed you both horribly. Although she might not show it. She gets very bad tempered when neither of you are around." "Thanks Delenn. I appreciate you looking after her for us." Susan reached out her hands and gave Delenn's hand a friendly squeeze, "How are David and Leanna?" Delenn paled a bit at this question, "David is not responsible for what he did to you Susan. He can't even remember it any more. Lyta saw to that!" Susan could see the enormous concern in Delenn's eyes that she would blame the child for what happened to her and quickly gave the frightened woman the relief she needed. "I don't blame David. It's okay!" Susan reassured David's mother and reached out to Delenn again to squeeze her hand. "I know what attacked me wasn't David. He disliked the situation he was in more than you can imagine. Now tell me how David is?" "David is fine now. He still has the odd nightmare but we're dealing with it. Lyta helped out a lot with him at first and we've had no problems with Leanna. they are outside with Lennier if you wish to see them?" Delenn was smiling weakly now. She cared a lot about Susan and had been so frightened that Susan might blame her son for what had happened to her. The children came rushing in and Susan was pleased to see that David was all right. She could sense none of the evil that she had sensed before. David's soul was his own again. It was living in the light where it belonged. She smiled happily around the group until Stephen interrupted the little gathering. "I think its time you got some rest Susan!" Stephen instructed, "I think we should leave her alone for a bit to rest". "But I've been resting for nearly 5 weeks, Stephen! I don't need to rest." Susan started to object vociferously but her point was lessened when she started to yawn. "No arguments, Susan. The Captain said you were to stay put until I say so!" The others started to leave but Susan hadn't finished yet, "Marcus, are you going to let him talk to me like this?" "Of course not Susan" Marcus smiled at her. He turned to the doctor and spoke in a low voice, "Dr. Franklin would you stop arguing with my wife. She needs her rest so leave her to get it." He turned back to Susan, "How was that?" That wasn't exactly what I had in mind!" Susan replied sarcastically, "Would you two stop ganging up on me and let me get some sleep. And remember I want my take-away ready when I wake up. A nice Italian Lasagna with garlic bread would be nice!" Marcus kissed her lightly on her forehead, "No problem!" But Susan didn't hear she was already asleep. ****************************** One week later and Susan was doing her best to convince Stephen that she was ready to leave. She did this mostly by trying to drive him completely insane and she was succeeding very quickly. Once Susan set her heart on something there were very few people who could keep her from her goal. Finally, after one of Susan's latest stunts, Stephen snapped, "Okay, if you can walk to the door then you're out of here!" He turned to Marcus, "How do you put up with being married to her. She'd drive me barmy within the week!" Marcus smiled in reply, "There are hidden benefits to being married to Susan. I wouldn't want to embarrass you by listing them." "MARCUS!" Susan spoke with a hint of danger in her voice. "If you don't want me to kill you where you stand, don't say one more word!" The tone of her voice was rather ruined, however, by a very rosy blush that spread across her features. Both men turned and smiled at this, "Is it getting warmer in here Marcus?" Stephen asked in an innocent voice, please to get his own back on his tormentor. Before Marcus could reply Susan spoke up again, "I'm warning you Marcus! Keep your mouth closed or I'm not going to speak to you again. Now get over to that door so we can get out of here." Without further comment, except to wink at Stephen, Marcus crossed to the door of Med-Lab. Susan slid to the edge of her bed and gently lowered herself to the floor. She very carefully started to walk towards Marcus who held out his arms to entice her forward. Slowly but surely Susan walked towards the door. At one point, a grimace of pain flittered across her face and for a moment Marcus thought she might fall but Susan's face took on a steely look of concentration and she continued. Eventually, she entered Marcus' arms and he hugged her tightly to him. He was so pleased that she had finally made the walk. "You did it!" "Did you doubt it?" Susan asked modestly and then reached up and kissed Marcus with a passion. She turned smugly in his arms and faced Stephen, "I think I'll be leaving now Stephen. I'll see you later!" The door to Med-Lab opened and Marcus helped her out. He turned and grinned at Stephen, "We'll call you later to arrange the physio-therapy sessions." The door closed behind the pair and Stephen crossed to the Com-Panel. He activated it and sent a message, "They're on their way. I'll be along just behind them. Is everything ready?" "We're all ready here, Stephen. See you in a minute." Stephen closed the channel and then went off to his office to change. ***************************** Susan and Marcus were nearly at the door of their quarters when Susan's energy finally gave out on her. She wasn't up to long walks yet even with Marcus' help. "Marcus, I don't think I'm gonna make it!" She grimaced in pain. "Maybe I should have waited for the pain killers that Stephen promised!" Marcus didn't say a word and simply swept her off her feet and into his arms and started to carry her. This elicited screams of laughter from Susan and she started to object, "Marcus! You were hurt too. Carrying me will probably give you a hernia." She started to wriggle in his arms in an attempt to free herself but Marcus tightened his grip. "Susan, keep still! You are not heavy so don't even suggest it. You hardly weigh anything at all these days. I'm planning on feeding you up when we get home. Now stop wriggling or I might do something that you'll regret!" Marcus threatened in a teasing tone. Susan smiled at this, "Promises, Promises! What could you do?" Marcus didn't say anything but simply started to tickle Susan. Susan started to scream in protest, "Marcus, not here anyone could hear!" She wriggled furiously but couldn't get away, "You're taking advantage of me!". Marcus stopped momentarily to open the door to their quarters but immediately started tickling her again on entering. Susan screamed again and started to beg Marcus to stop. She squirmed so much that Marcus was forced to drop her on the sofa. He dropped down beside her and they started to kiss passionately. It was only then that Susan noticed who else was in the room. "SURPRISE!!!" The whole command crew and all the Rangers were waiting in the quarters to give them a party. Marcus fell of the sofa in shock. Susan blushed furiously and was momentarily speechless. It was Stephen who broke the silence. He had come into their quarters completely unnoticed right behind them, "I knew there was a reason you married her Marcus. To keep the room warm. She blushes so well!" This broke the spell and Susan began to swear noisily. "Commander! There are children here" John interrupted her profanities, "Is that all the thanks we get for giving you a party!" John was loving every moment of this. Susan never got caught doing anything she shouldn't be. It was going to take her awhile to live this down. Susan stood up and hugged John and Delenn, "I'll get you for this. You set us up!" "Of course we did. We love you and this is our way of proving it. Besides what with everything that's been happening, we needed a party to cheer everyone up." John smiled in return. "I'll get you for this. I promise!" Susan reaffirmed but start to laugh now as well. Marcus sneaked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. She reached behind her and kissed him again and this time let no-one interrupt her. The party went on behind them. The whole station needed a reason to celebrate and Susan getting out of Med-Lab was a good excuse. Susan had forgotten that the Rangers had left the station with a mission and now a large number were back. The Rangers had briefed John that afternoon and he now knew the danger they were in. However, knowing your enemy removed the terror and the fear they could induce. He now knew the enemy and whilst he was worried, he was no longer terrified. They were an enemy of flesh and blood and could be beaten John knew there was going to be a lot more hard work ahead of them, if he wanted to keep the station, his family and all the people he cared about safe but that was for another day. Today they would party as if there was no tomorrow! Tomorrow, well who knows what tomorrow would bring. Life was precarious on Babylon 5. It was a dangerous place but they accepted the risks in hope of a better future. John put aside his fears and pulled Delenn into a hug. 'Live for the moment' was becoming the station's motto for who knew what tomorrow would bring! THE END