From: "Michele Mason" Subject: TPFICT: Places In Between Date: 01 Oct 1997 17:52:31 PDT I wasn't sure *where* to post this seeing how it has to do with fan fiction and the Tomorrow People, but I'm not sure it can be limited to *just* fan fiction, so please excuse the double posting, those of you who are on both TP lists! I have launched an interactive/cooperative fan fiction web site for TP. The premise is, in a nutshell, one person writes a few lines or paragraphs, then someone else adds to the story, then someone else, and so on, etc. It's not a round robin; the purpose is not to complete an assigned section, but rather for us TP fans to write a story together. Have I lost everyone? Okay, to make it simple, the story I've started is a TP/ST:Voyager xover, and my explanation posted at the web site itself makes a bit more sense than the gibberish I've put here. Here's the site: http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Cavern/9012/places/Default.htm Geocities is case sensitive, so if your email doesn't create a hyperlink, make certain to type the URL *exactly* as listed. Any questions, drop me an email, but I think that a visit to the site will clear up much of the fog I have created! Now come on everyone, pull out your creative caps, and let's create a fantastic, cooperative, fan fic! Michele ------------ Want to be an online fantasy author? Write for the Interactive Online Fantasy book, The Bleeding Lands, at http://icgroup.net/~mcdaniel/start.htm Men don't realize it, but being a sex symbol is not an easy profession. (You do understand I'm not reading from my diary, don't you?) ---Erma Bombeck ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Tigger Subject: TPFICT: Section 46 04/06 Date: 02 Oct 1997 12:40:11 -0500 (CDT) "Section 46" Part 4 "Worst Case Scenario" by Beth Epstein John found himself in a corridor. He heard footfalls and ducked into a closet, waiting until they were well past before emerging. He slipped about from corridor to corridor, darting in and out of rooms. He found a television studio, but nothing else of terrible interest, until he came across a door labeled "Indoctrination". He opened the door and found an EEG machine, and something much more alien and sinister. He examined it carefully, relaying as much of the image as he possibly could to TIM via telepathy. [Any idea what it is, TIM?] [Some sort of memory erasing device.] John gulped, hoping it hadn't been used on Mike. [Is there any way to reverse the effects.] [I will start working on the problem,] TIM replied. John sighed. That meant TIM didn't know. * * * Hsui Tai found a locked door, it was labeled "stasis control". Wondering if it might give her a clue to what was going on, she jaunted into the room. A drone sat monitoring the equipment. On a monitor the occupant of the sensory deprivation chamber appeared. "Mike!" Hsui Tai exclaimed. The drone whirled around and fired a pistol. A flash of white light enveloped Hsui Tai and she fell, quivering like Jell-O in a car on a poorly maintained road. * * * [Hsui Tai?] TIM called. [Hsui Tai?] There was no response. [John, I believe that Hsui Tai might have been struck by volumin.] [Can you jaunt us near to her, please, TIM?] John and Elizabeth appeared outside the door marked "stasis control". John tried to door. "Locked. She must've jaunted in and surprised whoever's in there." John held a hand up to the lock and the tumbler shot back. He opened the door and went through, Elizabeth on his heels, both with stun guns drawn. "Stay where you are!" John exclaimed. "Put my friend down, slowly." The drone placed Hsui Tai gently back on the floor, then drew his voluminite pistol and fired. John and Liz joined Hsui Tai in a heap on the floor. * * * [Andrew,] TIM called. [All the others have been struck by volumin.] [Oh, bother,] Andrew sighed. [Did you try activating their matter transporter bands?] [Yes, but only the bands came back. They must have been removed.] [These guys must know about us. I can't just go barging in there, I'll be captured too. Any ideas, TIM?] [I should contact the Galactic Trig for help, they have a stake in this, after all.] [All right, TIM, I'm going to see if I can find out anything else useful here, then I'll come back to the lab.] * * * John woke up, groaning. "What hit me?" "Feels like volumin," Hsui Tai replied. "Elizabeth is here too, but Andrew is still free. I'm worried about him." John looked around. "There must be a way out of here... that vent." "I tried it, John, but it won't even budge," Hsui Tai replied. "I have better upper body strength," John replied, and tried to move the vent. And tried. And tried. "Damn. We'll just have to hope Andrew can get us out of here in the next... hour." "I'm worried about him, John," Hsui Tai sighed. "Me too." * * * "Shouldn't James and Tom be in on this, sir?" Anthony inquired. "As much as I despise your incompetence, it seems that those two, as well as Tina, are not to be trusted. You are to make preparations in case they attempt to interfere with the broadcast." Jeffries replied. "Nothing must stop our clones from declaring me supreme ruler of the Earth. Is that clear?" "Crystal clear, sir." * * * "Any word from the Trig, TIM?" Andrew inquired from the jaunting pad. "They have said that they cannot dispatch anyone at this time. They seemed rather puzzled by the request as well." "I guess I'm on my own, then," Andrew sighed. Why is it he only got to go into real danger when he was completely on his own, with no one to bail him out? OK, so the first time, Hsui Tai was with him, but she wasn't much help, and last time Liz was free, but 800 light years away. "Do not fear, Andrew, I left a message for Carol and Kenny, they will see that there is someone to rescue you, even if they must do it personally." "Won't that put the species Homo superior at risk?" "Carol and Kenny aren't the only Tomorrow People who moved away from Earth." Andrew took an extra stun gun. He thought for a moment. "TIM, did John happen to keep one of the old matter transporter belts? Or better yet, five of them?" "I am sorry Andrew, but they are in the old lab, which is virtually impenetrable at the moment." "What if we ever need it again?" "I can lower the defenses from here, but it would take several hours." Andrew checked his watch and sighed, "We only have half an hour. Did you study those blue prints I gave you, TIM?" "I am in the process of deciphering them. The code used to label them is unknown to me. I will let you know when I learn anything of interest." * * * [Did you feel that?] James inquired as he white balanced a camera with Tina holding up a sheet of white paper. [Shh, he'll hear you,] Tina replied. [Good, it's bad enough the others have been taken, if we tell him the situation's under control, then he'll go back to the lab where he's safe,] Tom suggested. [YOU ARE NOT TO CONTACT ANDREW.] [How far do we let this guy go, Tina? Maybe you don't consider them family but...] [It goes to the wire. It's the only way. I have considered the safety of John and the others...] [Don't tell me you think this is an acceptable risk, Captain.] [That's enough out of you, Lieutenant. Just be glad my cover hinges on yours or you'd be joining your friends.] Tom and James exchanged glances. They needed Tina's help to make the arrest, but in her current condition it was clear that her judgment was impaired. What on Earth should they do? James glanced at his watch, 'We have to be there in five minutes. Great, first time in years I desperately need to talk to John, and it's possible, but there's no *time*.' * * * [Are you sure this will work?] James was getting nervous. [All of the top humans are here and the broadcast is in just under ten minutes,] Tina replied, as she adjusted the make-up on the Prime Minister robot, and then returned to her seat (things were so chaotic, she'd been drafted). [We're all three here. What could go wrong? We move at the ten second mark.] Anthony's hip radio went off. "Yes?" He listened intently. "We have another intruder in the compound." "Secure this room, Anthony." Guards started streaming into the room, more coming to the doors to replace them. [You were saying?] James snapped. [Tom and I are just going to have to cover the humans on our own. You jaunt to the robot control room and deactivate them. Cut the main power if you have to.] [But that would terminate the life support system in the sensory depravation chamber! Scratch one Tomorrow Person.] James's telepathic "voice" was practically a whine. [We'll just have to get him to medical attention in time.] [What if we can't?] [Cross that bridge if we come to it. There's no time for being squeamish.] [We're not just talking about guts here, we're talking about the Prime Barrier. I can't believe you have no...] [There's too many ifs in that equation, there's no time for that now.] [Easy for you to say, Mike's not just anyone, don't forget.] [I have considered every factor. We move on ten seconds.] "Now!" Anthony barked. Guards shot James, Tina, and Tom with their ray guns. The three collapsed. Tom was out cold while James and Tina writhed on the floor. Dr. Jeffries cackled. "I knew those three were too brilliant for their own good. They must be Fed agents. Lock them up with the others." Three drones dragged the incapacitated Federation agents out of the TV studio and into the hallway. A shadowy figure ducked unnoticed into a doorway. The figure appeared to be wearing a plaid skirt. The drones didn't notice as the figure followed them down the hallway, hoping they would lead him to where he needed to be. The drones opened a door down a third corridor, and tossed the limp forms onto the floor, relocking the door behind them. John looked up. "Stephen!" He raced to his friend, patting his cheeks. "Stephen, are you all right? Did Andrew call you here? What's going on?" "Ugh, I *hate* that voluminite stuff," Stephen groaned. "You've been hit by it before?" John was amazed. "Who are these guys? What are they doing with volumin? What are you doing here?" "They exposed us to it so we wouldn't get as disoriented by it, recover quicker, as soon as they discovered that the Sorsons had it. The leader of this unsavory bunch is Neektor, alias Dr. Gary Jefferies, and he's trying to destroy the Federation. Reminds me of that guy who was accidentally killed when Carol met Peter; what was his name? Rabowski. Neektor wants to rid the galaxy of telepaths. Thinks we're not real beings or something. We were assigned to stop him, but we made a mess of it. Tyso and I wanted to contact you, John, but Tricia wouldn't let us. At least they haven't got Andrew." "And you do everything Tricia tells you?" John's voice rose ten decibels. "Ugh, John, you'll wake the dead," Tyso groaned. "She is our commanding officer, John, although we were beginning to wonder if we were going to have to title 73 her." "And I suppose, Stephen, that you'd justify the loss of any innocent lives, say Mike's, by the fact that you were 'only following orders'?" The door swung open. "Andrew!" Elizabeth exclaimed. "See, what'd I tell you? Ace in the hole!" "Yell at him later, John, we've got to get out of here," Andrew suggested. Seven matter transporter bands and six stun guns appeared. Each of the former prisoners donned a matter transporter, but Tricia was left without a stun gun. "Could I have that please, kid," she inquired, indicating Andrew's gun. "Have TIM bring her back to the lab," Stephen whispered to the youngest TP. Tricia vanished. "She'll be mad, later," Tyso observed. "No time," Stephen checked his watch. "Damn! Andrew, go down two floors, three rooms that way, and throw the main power switch. That ought to create enough confusion to give us time. Go directly from there to directly above us, Mike is in that room, get a matter transporter band and get him to TIM for treatment-- that's the *worst* way to get out of sensory deprivation, but there's no alternative." END PART 4 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Tigger Subject: TPFICT: New Round Robin-- Organization and Rule Changes Date: 03 Oct 1997 17:14:21 -0500 (CDT) I apologize for my slowness on this, but between the tshirts, moving into my dorm room, and comps (senior thesis- well, sorta) I've been distracted. Please note there are some changes taking place for this one. First off, I've recruited a co-referee for this go-round, as I'm too slow about harassing people when they're late (and other such things). From now on questions and such about the Round Robin go to either me, (Beth Epstein) epsteinb@carleton.edu or Shaun "Dreadnought" Hately drednort@eisa.net.au (don't send stuff to his .edu account, it keeps 'varking). There are also two new rules: -Do not introduce strange or unusual plot threads, especially those conflicting with series cannon. While such things can be fun, not everyone knows how to handle them, so please save them for your own fanfic. When in doubt, send it to one of the co-refs for a second opinion. -Do not feel you have to finish the story by yourself: if you can't finish it in one part, do the best you can and pass it on to the next person. We'll all cope with it, there's not reason to introduce d.x. machinia if it's not necessary. Rules reprinted from my original post: Think of it as a tell-a-story game on the net, here are the rules. 1. Players have to formally sign up. To sign up, all you need to do is send email to epsteinb@carleton.edu (please don't email Shaun about this, he'll just have to forward it to me) with your name, any weeks you wouldn't be able to write, and which season/characters you're comfortable writing for. I'll come up with an order of players- each player has one week maximum (you may post early if you finish early) to post their part of the story if they don't post withen that time or can't and email a co-ref saying so, play passes to the next player and I'll reschedule them for later in the game if they want. Since there are now two of us, be advised that this rule will be more strictly adhered to (we hope). 2. You only have a week, so we're not exactly expecting polished pieces here. It would probably be a good idea to have it proofread for typos. (Please spellcheck.) 3. The rules of tpfict must be obeyed at all times: no slash fiction, NC17 stuff, etc. It may also be a good idea to avoid questionable material- at least for this story. 4. No part can be longer than 300 lines long- in other words, one part of a story. 5. No cross-overs as not all authors may be familiar with the universe involved and it would be nice to include as many people as possible. 6. Please email by Friday, October 10 if you are interested in participating. While authors are permitted to join later in the round robin, it would be nice if we had an idea of how many people we have. Again, if you want to sign up, please email me at epsteinb@carleton.edu. Comments, suggestions, whatever, can go to either Shaun (drednort@eisa.net.au) or myself. Beth ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Selma McCrory Subject: TPFICT: But Keep the Old, 2/6 Date: 04 Oct 1997 00:40:23 -0800 But Keep the Old by Selma McCrory copyright 1997 part 2 Justin jumped slightly. His eyes settled on the communicator, which was flashing. I looked at him. "It's okay, Justin," I said reassuringly before activating it. "This is Rocky." For a moment, I hoped that the communicator had malfunctioned. That they couldn't hear me. Of course, probably the only reason I didn't get an immediate reply is that the person on the other end was so startled to hear my voice. "Rocky? What are you doing with Justin's communicator?" Tommy's voice sounded small over the communicator, but it broadcast his surprise as much as the communicator brought his voice. "Yeah, It's me, Tommy. Justin just handed the Blue Turbo powers over to me a minute ago." "You're sure you can handle this?" Tommy asked. "I mean, your back...." "It's healed sufficiently, Tommy. What's the emergency?" "Oh, yeah, Divatox has sent another detonator and monster. Join us here as soon as you can, buddy." "I will. Rocky out." Justin sat there for a moment. "I guess you've got to go," he said finally. "Do well for me, Rocky." "I will," I said, getting up. He stopped me, and I tried to contain Justin's feelings of hysterical merriment. "What?" "You're planning to morph first, right?" I looked at the two parts of the morpher. "Uh, would be a good idea. How do I morph?" Justin was trying very hard not to laugh. I could tell that he also felt kind of resentful and a little sad, but at the moment, he was finding my forgetfulness kind of funny. "First you put this on," he said, taking the wristband and strapping it around my wrist. He then handed me the other portion of the morpher. "Then this opens, like this. You put your arm up like this, and move your arm this way and then this way, and then the key goes into the keyhole. Then you turn the key, and bring your arms down while saying 'Mountain Blaster Turbo Power!' Oh, and you have to say 'Shift into Turbo' first." "Okay," I said, hoping that I had gotten everything straight. I did as he told me. The power streamed into me as I found myself wearing my uniform. My *new* uniform, as I'd never had Turbo powers before. Justin's face lit up. "Yeah! You made it. Go get that monster for me." I nodded, unable to say anything. I activated the teleport function, not surprised to find myself in the middle of a battle. "Hey, buddy! Glad you could join us!" "No problem," I said, immediately fending off a Piranhatron. Whatever anti-violence and anti-killing instincts I had weren't triggering as I fought the Piranhatrons. Maybe the suit prevented them. Anyway, I was grateful for that small thing. Last thing I needed was to put anybody in danger because of my new abilities. Soon, all the Piranhatrons were gone, and there was only the monster. He looked like a reject from an open-air seafood market. A fish of some kind, and ugly to boot. The others summoned their weapons, and I suddenly knew how to do the same. We all alternately shot and tackled the monster. Tommy yelled at Adam to get the detonator. He should have sent me, as my aim was awful. I must have been out of practice. Still didn't make a whole lot of difference, though, as the monster somehow absorbed two torpedo-things and grew to enormous size. Tommy didn't hesitate, and we were soon completing the megazord. The monster pushed the megazord around a few times, until Tommy seemed to lose patience and summoned the Turbo Megazord Saber. Then we did a spin-out and destroyed the monster. Everybody else was whooping and dancing around, but I was trying very hard not to get sick to my stomach. Either the no-killing inhibition was kicking in, or the inertia dampeners weren't working too well. Finally, Tommy noticed. "Are you okay, man?" he said, bending over me. I realized at that moment that I'd effectively blocked out everybody's emotions. Now I was getting everybody's concern. "I think I'll be," I managed to gasp out. Tommy slid his arm under my shoulders. "Let's get you to the Power Chamber." I didn't manage to hear much else. I'd mercifully blacked out. * * * "Hey, Tommy! I think the blue boy is now awake and I could use some help if you know what I mean." I opened my eyes to Alpha leaning over me. Tommy was by my side. "How are you feeling?" "Okay," I said. "But remind me never to have that minestrone soup again." Tommy smiled, and I could feel the tension seeping out. "You blacked out after the spin-out. We thought it was your back, but from what we can tell it's some sort of chemical imbalance. We think we've fixed it, though. What medications are you on from your surgery?" "One," I replied. "Although I think the one I'm still taking has lightheadedness as a side effect." I was lying, but I really didn't want to get into a discussion about what had happened to me. Tommy frowned, but I think he was so relieved to know that I was all right and back that he wasn't inquiring too deeply. "Okay, buddy, but if this gets worse, let me know," Tommy replied, assisting me off the diagnostic bed. "I will," I said, grateful for the hand up. "Right now, however, I'm hungry." Tommy laughed. "Now I know you're all right," he said. "Let's go to the Juice bar." * * * The gang had all gathered at the juice bar. I encountered a few knowing expressions when I ordered a large banana split. At least they always had bananas, since Jerome Stone, the new owner, had acquired a pair of monkeys. Kat spoke up as I lifted a particularly loaded spoonful into my mouth. "Are you sure you're all right, Rocky?" "Yeah, Rock, we were pretty worried about you," Adam added. I held up my hands. I didn't mind the attention, but I could feel everyone being so worried about me. "I don't know what happened, but I'm okay now." "You're sure?" Kat asked, laying a hand upon my arm. I decided to change the topic. "I'm sure. I'm more worried about Justin. He was so scared when I left him...." "Where is he?" Tommy asked. I wasn't oblivious to his worry, unfortunately for me. Nor was I oblivious to everyone else's worry. "He was imitating a bush when I left him." "We've got to get him somewhere safe. I know that we agreed that he should leave the team, but right now the best place for him is at the Power Chamber with Dimitria and Alpha." "I think that the way he was feeling, that would be adding insult to injury," I said, feeling protective of Justin. "I was thinking of getting in touch with the Tomorrow People. I have Jade's phone number at home. Since we need to talk to them anyway, why don't we ask them if they'll put Justin somewhere safe for a while?" "That's a good idea," Tommy replied. "I can take you home, if you want." "Thanks, but I really need to run a few more errands before I even show my face at my house," I said. "I think Justin's safe for the moment, but I'll hurry just in case." * * * [Lisa?] I asked mentally, hoping that I wasn't yelling too loudly. [Iz has left, Rocky. I just said goodbye to her a few minutes ago. I think you have an hour or two left,] my "partner-in-crime" replied. [You want to give me a hand? If she's cleared Watsonville, then I still have too much to do,] I said. [Sure. Where should I meet you?] Lisa asked. I looked around. I was near where Justin was supposedly hiding. The area seemed deserted. [I think it's safe to teleport in beside me,] I replied. I felt Lisa teleport in beside me. I can't explain it exactly, but I guess that a teleport gives off a signal that a telepath can unconsciously recognize. "Thank goodness you're here," I said. "What can I help with? I don't know the area, but I can shop," Lisa said. I shuffled uncomfortably. Lisa looked up. "Somehow, I don't like where this is going." "It's nothing bad, it's just that this kid is in danger because the government thinks he can teleport, and I want him safe. He's a friend of mine." "You couldn't teleport him yourself?" Lisa asked doubtfully. "It's like you and Iz," I said. "I don't want him to know what I am." Lisa nodded. "I can understand that. So, where am I supposed to put this kid?" "I want you to take him to the spaceship," I said, hoping she hadn't had any more disagreements with Adam. "Take him to Adam and have him tell Adam what's going on. And then, yes, I could use some help of the usual kind." Lisa looked defeated. "I guess I can do that," she said. "You know, though, how much I don't like being there." "I know, but..." "Yeah, I know, you don't want the kid to find out. That's fair." "Yeah," I said, and started walking towards the bushes. We soon made it, and I identified Justin's emotional signature easily. "Come on," I said, wading into the bushes. Lisa followed me. After a moment, I could see Justin curled up where I had left him. "Rocky?" "It's okay," I said. "This is Lisa. She's one of the people I mentioned, and she's going to take you someplace safe." "Hi, Justin," Lisa said warmly. "Can I come home again?" Justin asked. I remembered suddenly that he'd spent a lot of time at the shelter. Maybe taking him away wasn't such a good idea. On the other hand, I needed him to be safe. I ruffled his hair. "I don't think you need to worry, Justin," I said. "It'll only be a couple of days, and it'll give us the time to take care of things." "If you say so," Justin said doubtfully. "Come on, Justin," Lisa said, taking his hand. The two disappeared. (end of part 2) Selma McCrory * smccrory@calweb.com * stmccrory@hotmail.com "You're not a mouse. You're a cat. You don't need to help me move the cursor around." -me, to one of my cats. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "Kyrie Daniels" Subject: TPFICT: The Prime Factor, 24/30 [TF] Date: 05 Oct 1997 20:15:49 +0000 The Prime Factor A Tomorrow's Future Story by Kyrie Daniels NOTE: This is part of a collaborative project known as Tomorrow's Future. All disclaimers and story notes can be found in part zero. For more information on this fanfic universe and links to other stories set in it, visit the Tomorrow's Future home page at: http://www.calweb.com/~smccrory/fanfic/tf.html NOTE: This is part twenty-four of a thirty part series. If you missed any of the previous parts, you can e-mail me at kyrie@dnai.com or access them via the web or ftp: http://www.dnai.com/~kyrie/Fanfic.htm ftp.dnai.com/users/k/kyrie/Fanfic Part Twenty-Four Wade stands on the porch of the Mallory residence, and knocks on the front door. She already rang the doorbell, but no one's come to the door yet. It could be broken. There's isn't a car in the driveway, so it's possible no one's home. Hopefully Kate will answer. Quinn promised that his double's sister suggested this and that it would work. Wade hopes he's right. She thinks she hears a faint voice behind the door. Leaning closer, the sound of footsteps grow louder. Wade steps back from the door, waiting for it to open. It surprises her when it does. "Wade! What are you doing here?" Quinn nervously runs his hands through his hair and takes off his glasses. He must look a wreck with all the things he's been tinkering with today. Hasn't even bothered to clean off the paint on his hands. "Oh, please come in. I would have gotten to the door sooner, but I forgot my mother is out..." "It's okay," Wade insists. She didn't expect him to answer the door, and she certainly didn't expect him to be reacting to her so strangely. As if he's uncomfortable with her dropping in like this. "I hope this isn't a bad time..." Quinn shakes his head. "You're always welcome to drop in. I'm just surprised to find you here. Just because you don't trust my abilities as well as your own..." She wants to laugh, but instead grabs his arm. "Quinn, let's go somewhere we can talk. Privately." He glances at her hand. "Follow me." She walks behind him as he leads her on a now familiar route, down to the basement. It smells strongly of paint and paint thinner. The tables are messier than she's ever seen them while sliding. Newspapers cover the floor sporadically. "Looks like you've been busy." "Sorry about the mess, but I wasn't expecting anyone. Certainly not you." Searching the room, he spots the recliner in front of the television. He gestures over to the chair. "You can sit over there. I'll go grab me a chair." Wade nods, watching him with an amused expression on her face. She wonders if he normally goes out of his way like this for her double. She wonders if her Quinn would ever do the same for her. Quinn places a chair next to the recliner. "Why didn't you tell me about those strange boys you sent to see me? Is it because you found out something and didn't get a chance?" This isn't going to be as easy as she thought. It would have been nice if someone had told her more about the relationship between the Quinn and Wade of this world. "There's something we need to discuss..." "So you've said." Quinn smiles slightly. "And I'm listening." Wade smiles. "Are you relatively open minded?" Quinn laughs. "Not according to you." He leans closer to her. "That's just it, Quinn. I don't know you." "Yeah, right. Should've asked for more vacation time. You're talking nonsense." "I'm serious." Wade stands up and walks toward the half-painted wall, touching a section of pink nearly overtaken by damp streaks of gray. "We've never met before this. I can explain everything if you're willing to listen to me, and trust me." Quinn's face grows serious. "You expect me to believe you aren't Wade Welles?" "No." Wade sighs. She swears this should have gotten easier at least a dozen slides ago. "I *am* Wade Welles. I'm just not the Wade you know back in New York." "Then why do you look so much like her? Talk so much like her? And know so much about her?" He walks up to Wade, and places his hand against the wall. Once Quinn touches it, he knows he should have looked where he was placing it first. Wade admires him attempting to play it cool. "I only know what your sister told me and Quinn. Your double." Without saying a word, she moves to the work table and dunks a rag into the bucket of paint thinner. How sweet of her. She didn't have to do that. Quinn's objections dissolve hopefully as quickly as the paint on his hand will. He takes the rag from her with an awkward smile. "If what you say is true, then what do you people want?" "To get home. And to figure out what's going on." "Funny...I was thinking the same thing." "Haven't you done any inventing down here?" Wade scans the room for anything she would associate with the sliding stuff. She doesn't recognize anything along those lines. Just a lot of junk. "Not since I was a kid." Quinn rubs his palm furiously. "It's been nearly a decade since I lived here full time, and there's not enough room in my apartment to do anything like that. But I don't see how my activities matter..." Wade interrupts. "I come from a parallel Earth where your double and I worked at a computer store together. He invented this thing that allowed us to travel to parallel worlds..." "And you went with him?" Quinn snickers. "Sorry, this is a really neat story, but I don't believe you for a second. You did have me going a bit, though." Wade wants to choke him. There's got to be a way to get it through his head that she isn't the same person as her double. "I'm *not* your Wade. Just like you're *not* my Quinn." "*Your* Quinn?" He grins. "What's that supposed to mean?" She sighs. "It means I'd do anything for him, even if it means trying to talk some sense into his double's head." Quinn approaches her. "You'd do anything for me?" That's it! Wade smiles. Why didn't she realize it before? Slowly rising from the chair, she walks towards him. Adjusting his collar, Wade pulls Quinn closer to her, and kisses him. ---------- Kate knocks on the hotel room door, lightly but loud enough to be heard. She ran into that other Quinn and that guy who hates her. Both of them couldn't figure out why she wants to do this so much, but thankfully they didn't question her about it all that much. Someone's approaching the door. Kate feels her pulse quicken. For years she longed for nothing more than to meet an Immortal and now she's about to. The opportunity to find out what really makes them tick, and most importantly, the Secret to becoming one. The doorknob turns and the door slowly opens. Kate's smile grows and she observes Rembrandt's do the same. She would extend her hand to him, but she's shaking too much. "Hello, Mr. Brown. My name's Kate Mallory." He smiles at the teenager in the doorway. "I know who you are, sweetheart. No need to be formal." Gesturing to the table, he adds, "why don't we sit over there since it would be a bit more comfortable than standing?" "Sounds fine." In all her nervousness, she hasn't been paying attention to his thoughts. Mainly she watches him, to see if she can tell he's not mortal. The only thing she senses remotely odd is a strange tingling throughout her body, reminding her of the sensation of touching a light post that's on or one of those electric balls that people get instead of lava lamps. It must be emanating from him, but the only way she'd know for sure is if she asked him to leave, and she isn't about to do that. Rembrandt notices a resemblance between Kate and her 'brother', but she seems a lot different in demeanor. Nice enough kid, though. "What was it you wanted to talk to me about? Something about my double?" Kate's glad he likes her. She was worried he might not be friendly. For as long as she could remember, she always imagined male Immortals to be mean and evil in a monster sort of sense. He's nothing like that. "Want something to drink? You look a bit flushed," Rembrandt notes. She shakes her head. "I kind of ran from the MUNI stop. Didn't want to see this fall through." "You look nervous." "I am. I've wanted to meet your double, or someone like him, as long as I can remember. There are so many things I want to ask, and I want to know, but I don't know how much of it, if any, holds true for you as well." Rembrandt grins. "For someone who allegedly can read minds, you'd think you wouldn't need to ask anything." Kate blushes. It didn't occur to her that her brother's double or Wade's would have said anything about that. "All I know is that your head's bugging you and you haven't been feeling well this world. You wonder why I want to see you, but..." She giggles. "...But you think it's because I'm a fan of you and the Spinning Topps." "What's so funny about that?" "The part about imagining Quinn as one of your screaming female fans." Man, that's got to be a nightmare to live with. Rembrandt can't imagine hanging out with anyone who could read his thoughts on a regular basis. Would be nice if he had those sort of abilities, as it would come in handy with the ladies. "You'd think it would, but it tends to do the opposite." "Excuse me?" "If you liked someone, and knew everything that person thought, you'd know *everything*. That isn't always a good thing." Rembrandt tries to empathize with Kate's experience in the matter. "I suppose you're right. All special abilities have their pros and their cons." "Like yours?" Kate grins, hoping her patience pays off. "I suppose you could say that. The thrill of performing, the cramped quarters on a tour bus..." Kate could care less about his singing career, so she listens to his thoughts instead. Looking for something, anything, regarding his Immortality. Nothing. There has to be something. "Can I ask you what might be an incredibly strange question?" Rembrandt shrugs. "Don't see why not." "Will you promise not to tell anyone? Especially Quinn or Wade?" "Only if you'll do the same for me." He smiles. "If I ask you things, you'll answer them and keep it just between us." "Fair enough." "Ladies first," Rembrandt prompts. Kate smiles uneasily and takes a deep breath before asking the single question probing in her mind. "What was it like, the first time you died?" To Be Continued... **I would appreciate any feedback on this piece, positive or negative. It would be great if I got a greater response from readers than error messages from the SLFIC listserv. :) E-mail me at kyrie@dnai.com. My mailbox is very hungry for some feedback!** **The SLFIC Archives are up and running! If you want to check out the fanfic output of the mailing list devoted to Sliders Fanfic, the address is: http://www.dnai.com/~kyrie/SLFIC/Sliders.html To subscribe to the list, write majordomo@md.esosoft.com with the message: subscribe slfic. Or e-mail me at kyrie@dnai.com for more information.** ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Jennifer Welk Subject: TPFICT: Triptychon [Disclaimer] Date: 07 Oct 1997 14:33:16 -0700 DISCLAIMER: The majority of the characters are the creation of Roger Damon Price, with the exceptions of the Quinlan, Terasaka, and Forrester families, Nina-Jane Malloran, Zachary Van Cade and the Malloran Corporation, which are all mine. The lyrical excerpts are from "Earth and Sun and Moon" by Midnight Oil. Megabyte Damon and Jade Weston do not appear in this story; their temporary, separate absences will be explained in Chapter 1. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Jennifer Welk Subject: TPFICT: Triptychon [Part 1 of 5] Date: 07 Oct 1997 14:36:04 -0700 Chapter 1: Inside of One Hour North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada 5:41 p.m. "Some days, Bryce, your self-importance is completely annoying. You act more like eight than 18." Bryce had upgraded the Quinlans' computer again--for his own purposes, not telling either Tyrran or their older sister Riley, and rendering one of Tyrran's digital photography programs incompatible in the process. = "I need the new version of HyperCard to create my presentation for the upcoming Junior Scientists' Convention. Besides, you won=92t need PhotoShop until this September, right?" Tyrran groaned. "Bryce, I don=92t know that. I may be telepathic, but= I am not precognitive. And if you screwed up any of Riley's art history research stuff, she's going to kill you." South Bozeman Community Hospital, Bozeman, Montana 6:58 p.m. "Can't you prescribe them anything stronger? Not even Demerol works." "We could try Vicodin, but that has a major risk of becoming habit-forming." Obstetrician Belinda Truman Forrester was worried. Her 19-year-old twin sons, Jaycen and Skyler, were both suffering from blinding headaches nothing was helping. The headaches would go away briefly, giving the boys some relief, but then they'd be back again, as severe as ever. Belinda was at least grateful that school was over for this year, but she didn't want them down for the whole summer unconscious from the pain. = Her colleague, general practitioner Smith Dorman, finally said, "I'll have to see what I can find." "Okay. I've got to get back to Maternity.=94 Belinda rounded a corner,= and ran into her husband, Anthony Forrester. Anthony was a bit of an oddity--a male maternity nurse--but the new parents loved his affable manner and his way with the babies. "Hey, Bel. Any news about the boys?" "Demerol isn't working. Smith's going to see what he can find because he doesn't want to put them on Vicodin. He's scared they might get addicted to it.' "I can understand his concern. Jaycen and Skyler have got two of the most addictive personalities I've seen. Remember how they went into withdrawals when MTV took 'Liquid Television' off the air?" "Tony, this isn't funny. It's against their nature to be down like this." At the Forrester home, Skyler had managed to pull himself off the couch and stumble towards the kitchen. Just maybe a cup of tea paired with about six Tylenols would help. He wandered through the living room--and tripped on the step leading up to the kitchen. "This sucks," he yelled to his twin Jaycen from the kitchen floor. = "It's getting to the point where I can't even walk straight." "What is happening to us?" Jaycen wondered out loud. "There's got to be a perfectly logical medical explanation for this." "Let's hope we don't have tandem brain tumors." Skyler pulled himself up with the aid of a counter edge. North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada 6:19 p.m. "I'm home," called Riley. Tyrran smiled fiendishly at Bryce as they walked into the living room. = "Too bad I might not be around to see if there's any fireworks." "Oh, shut up." "Hi guys," said Riley. "You're on your own for dinner tonight--I've got a load of research I've got to write up." "That works--I had plans," said Tyrran, casting a sidelong glance at Bryce. "An evening on the spaceship with the others?" "Yeah." Riley went into the workroom, where the computer was. Minutes later, Riley shouted, "I can't open any of my files! Bryce, did you upgrade this thing again and not tell me?" Tyrran turned to Bryce, said simply, "You're dead," and teleported. = Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada 7:56 p.m. = Nerisa Terasaka swore she was going insane. The 18-year-old Japanese-Canadian had been hearing voices in her head for the past several weeks. Her mother Midori was at a loss as to what to do. Her father, Ichiro, tried to joke about it, saying that at least the voices weren't telling her to kill somebody, but that only made it worse. = Nerisa was sitting in a chair in her room, her head in her hands. = -Why won=92t the voices stop?- she thought. As if in reply, something echoed into her mind, [[Do you know where it is, Ami?]] "Just who on Earth is Ami, anyway?" Nerisa shouted, startling Midori, who hurried up the stairs to her daughter=92s room. "Nerisa? Is everything all right?" "The voices won't stop," Nerisa replied miserably. "It's like I'm hearing other people's conversations without meaning to." "Nerisa," Midori said gently, "I think you're in need of professional help." "How could a shrink help me? How could a shrink decipher what I'm hearing?" "I really don=92t know, I'm not a psychiatrist." Midori went back downstairs. -Nobody can help me. The voices have been going on for so long I'm beyond help now,- Nerisa thought in despair. [[It=92s somewhere in Calgary, Adam, we=92ll have to ask Tyrran,]] a yo= ung woman=92s voice with a British accent said. = -Tyrran? My Tyrran?- Nerisa=92s eyes widened at the mention of her friend=92s name. Tyrran Quinlan, Nerisa=92s partner in crime from their days at Shadevale High School in eastern Winnipeg, had been forced by circumstance to relocate to North Vancouver, British Columbia, just after her graduation. Their only communication these days was through e-mail, neither having seen the other in four years. = [[Did somebody call me?]] Another female voice, this one with a Canadian accent, jumped into the conversation--one very familiar to Nerisa=92s ears. "Tyrran?" Nerisa screamed--and then the world around her began to change to static. Midori threw open the door, and could only stand in shock as Nerisa was swallowed by a burst of light. An uncharted island in the South Pacific 3:57 p.m. Adam and Ami had been trying to discern the location of House of Tai, a Chinese restaurant, and finally had to ask Tyrran where in Calgary it was. = "Chinese take-out tonight, I presume?" Tyrran asked. For once, it was just the three of them--Megabyte's father had actually taken him on assignment in Scotland, and Jade was visiting relatives in Sussex. "Like any of us can cook," Adam pointed out. = "True. It=92s on 341 Pine Court." "You=92re not coming with us?" "I'll stay here in case Jade gets bored and needs somebody to 'path to. Megabyte's got enough going on to keep him busy." "Okay. What do you want?" "Cantonese shrimp and noodles, if it's fresh." Ami giggled. "We'll be back as soon as we can." She and Adam disappeared in a flash. Nerisa was dropped out of her involuntary teleport into the ocean surrounding the island. She fought her way back to the surface and headed for the shore. "Where am I?" she asked to no one in particular. But someone had heard her. Tyrran projected her mind outside the ship and scanned around it. She touched another mind, one new to the island, but seemingly familiar to her, and headed for the transport tube that served as the spaceship=92s front door. Nerisa turned at the sounds of a squeal and a thud onto the sand. = Tyrran had landed in a heap a few feet away from her, not able to use her telekinetics in time to brake herself. "Four years and I'm still not used to that thing," she muttered, standing up and brushing sand off of herself. Then Tyrran realized who she was standing next to. = "Nerisa?! What are you doing here?" "I was hoping you could answer that! One minute I'm in my room, hearing voices in my head, and then everything goes staticky and I end up in the ocean!" "You teleported here--and you've dyed your hair again, " Tyrran observed, pushing Nerisa's wet hair--now a medium brown frosted with blonde--out of her face. "What did you hear the last time?" "Some boy with an Australian accent asking some girl with a British one where to find some place. Then I guess they called you in to ask where it was." "That was Adam and Ami you overheard. You haven't learned how to control your telepathy yet." "My what?" "Come inside the spaceship," Tyrran said, gesturing towards the portal. Bozeman, Montana 8:26 p.m. "....so Smith recommended you guys try this," finished Belinda, handing two small bluish pills to both Jaycen and Skyler. Jaycen downed his, then Skyler did likewise. However, the pills did not have the effect any of the Forresters expected. About half an hour later, while they were watching a rerun of 'Mr. Bean', Skyler's face crumpled, then he abruptly screamed, holding his head, as strange energy began to flash around him. In seconds, the same thing happened to Jaycen. "Skyler?! Jaycen?! What=92s wrong?" Belinda and Anthony shouted in unison. Jaycen reached out and grabbed his twin's wrist, then the light faded--and both of them had vanished. Anthony and Belinda stood staring at the empty couch the boys once occupied. = "Where did they go?" Belinda cried. Anthony's dumbfounded reply was, "Don't ask me. I don't know." An uncharted island in the South Pacific 4:52 p.m. The twins' teleport ended with an unceremonious dump into the Pacific. Jaycen and Skyler broke the surface and swam to shore. The first thing they saw was the spaceship poking up out of the sand. Skyler stood on the beach, bewildered. "Now what?" Jaycen replied, "There's two questions we've got to answer here. One: what happened, and two: where on Earth are we?" ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Selma McCrory Subject: TPFICT: But Keep the Old, 3/6 Date: 08 Oct 1997 02:20:27 -0800 Disclaimers and author's notes are in part 0. Comments and such are welcome at smccrory@calweb.com. But Keep the Old by Selma McCrory copyright 1997 part 3 I sat down and waited for Lisa to come back. I hoped it wouldn't be long, as I still had to prepare for Iz's arrival and getting turned back into a Ranger had put a bit of a dent into my time. Lisa popped back in beside me, dropping into a sitting position when she saw that I was sitting down. "You would have thought that kid never saw a piece of alien technology before," she said. "It's a bit different than the Power Chamber," I replied absently. "The things there look alien, but not *that* alien." "He's been there before?" Lisa asked. I looked up at her. "He's my replacement, Lisa. When I whacked my back out a couple of months ago, I gave my powers to him. Actually, I told him where to go, and *he* managed to persuade them to give the powers to him. And after that, I didn't want my powers back." "So, he's a Power Ranger," Lisa said. "Why didn't he just go to where he was safe?" I shrugged. "He could have, but I volunteered the Ship instead. The same stunt that has everyone after him also got him removed from the Rangers. I figured that he might be more comfortable someplace else. Besides, who's going to look for him in a spaceship under the beach of a deserted island in the south Pacific?" "Yeah, I can see what you mean," Lisa replied. "In that kind of situation, *I* wouldn't want to go there, either." "And it makes the team happy. He's safe, and our enemies can't get to him, either. Nobody can really scan the interior of the Ship, much less teleport him out of there." "Yeah, and Adam will keep him out of trouble," Lisa said. "So, what do you have to do now?" "Um," I said, trying to remember the shopping list after all the excitement. "I have to get her a gift, and a card, and go to the florist's, and then run and get picnic supplies." "Do you have a car?" Lisa asked. I smiled, and then felt my cheeks go pink. "Yeah, but mom borrowed it. I was planning to teleport all over the place, but not now." "You have an urge to walk?" Lisa asked. "Actually, no," I replied. "But I'll have to. I took Justin's place, and that means I get tracked, and I don't want to explain why in the world I'm teleporting." Lisa got up. "Wait a minute, you're telling me that you're a *Power Ranger*?" "Well, yeah," I said. "Probably only temporarily though. I'd like to stay on, but I don't know if I can." She sat back down, heavily. I could feel her horror, even before I picked it up in her expression. "Don't Power Rangers have to *kill*? How are you going to get away with that?" "Yes," I said, trying to explain it to her. It wasn't easy. "We do tend to slice up monsters. But, Lisa, we battled a monster today and I'm still here. I still have my powers." "Yeah, I wouldn't be talking to you if you didn't I suppose," Lisa said. "Nothing happened? At all?" "I got sick to my stomach and passed out after we defeated the monster, but that was it," I said, trying to sound indifferent. "I still don't feel that great." "Maybe it was a clue that you're not cut out for that anymore," Lisa replied. "I don't buy into everything that Adam says, but I do believe that he's right on the no-killing thing. You could probably even ask Megabyte about it." I shrugged. "Maybe you're right," I replied tiredly. "I just want to try it again, try to be what I was." "Even if it kills you?" Lisa asked softly. "You're beginning to sound like Adam," I said. She smiled wryly. "Maybe that's a compliment." * * * "You think we have everything?" Lisa asked. She held up a grocery bag full of paper plates and other picnic supplied. I held a dozen roses in one hand and a book in a bag in the other, along with a card. "Yeah, I think we're done," I said, laughing and hefting one of the bags to my other hand so that I could get the grocery bag. "Thanks, Lisa. For the grocery shopping, I mean. I'll take it from here. Can't have mom seeing you and blabbing." Lisa laughed. "Good idea. Let me know how it goes. And stay out of trouble, okay?" "I will," I said, hefting the grocery bag. She teleported out. I shifted the bags, sighed, and went to catch the bus. * * * [Rocky?] Adam said. His mental voice sounded a touch annoyed, but mostly it held Adam's innate gentleness. No matter how annoyed he was at me, he wasn't going to yell if he had any reason not to. It wasn't Adam's way. [Just a moment, Adam, I'm busy and Iz is due at any moment now,] I said in a hurry. [We need to talk.] I sighed. I liked Adam, but sometimes he was just too talky. Still, I had a feeling that he would insist on distracting me until I talked to him. [If you don't mind setting out the food, come join me and we'll talk.] [Sounds good to me,] Adam replied. He appeared next to me as I browned some meat. "Justin tells me you replaced him as a Ranger," he said, almost conversationally. "I did it because I couldn't really refuse," I replied. "Then an emergency came up. Besides, I'm the only one who can do it until Jason comes back next month." Adam just studied me for a few minutes. "Rocky, this may not have sunk home yet because of your background, but we can't kill. Period. That's it. If you tried to go into battle again, you'd probably destroy yourself." "But I *did* go into battle, Adam," I replied, handing him a bowl of green beans. "And I'm still here." "Did you kill?" Adam asked. "No, I tried shooting it, but I kept missing. And in the megazord, I didn't have much to do besides activating it. Tommy took care of the monster, mostly. All I did was get sick and pass out." "That's probably what saved you," he said, after taking the dish to the table. "The not killing, I mean. But it's not going to last forever. Someday you're going to find a situation where you have to kill, and find you can't." I sighed. "I *know* that, Adam, but I just want to be a Ranger for a short time longer. Not anything against you or anyone else, but I was a Ranger before I became one of us. Give me that, okay?" "Then do something for me. Tell the Rangers what you are." "I can't," I said. A frown creased Adam's face. "Why not?" he asked. I sighed again. "You mentioned before about some things not sinking in. Well, Adam, this is a case of that. The Power Rangers and the Tomorrow People may get along fine because we're all good guys, but I have to say that we're not exactly enchanted with each other. Some of the Rangers, like Jason and Tommy, are really scared that you- we- are the future of humankind. They may love peace greatly, but they're scared that someday something's going to come around and nobody's going to be able to fight." "Maybe by the time we're dominant, we won't need to," Adam offered. He sounded vaguely offended. "I know that, you know that, but *they* don't know that. And, as I said, it scares them. It used to scare me. It's bad enough that I barely see any of the current or past Rangers as it is. I don't want them to withdraw from me because I'm a Tomorrow Person. And there's another reason." "What's that?" Adam asked, genuinely curious. "They think we're helpless," I replied. I hadn't really thought to put it into words, but then I never thought I'd see this kind of situation. "They know we can teleport, but except maybe for Justin, they don't think we can defend ourselves and get away. Maybe some of us can't, but some of us can. And I don't want them to go out of their ways to protect me or cushion me. I know I could still defend myself, and I think they could realize that, but they'd still want to protect me." "And you don't want to be protected." "No," I said. I dumped the meat into the taco mix. Iz loved tacos. "Here, we'd better get all of this to the table. Everybody's due in any minute now and I want to be ready." Adam picked up another bowl and carried it out. "Just don't let things go too far, Rocky." "I won't." We worked for a few more minutes, and then the doorbell rang. "I'll get that," I said. I smiled. "Thanks, Adam." "You're welcome," he said and teleported out. I went to the door very aware that I was still wearing an apron. When I opened the door, Iz was waiting for me, suitcases in hand. I found myself enveloped in a very tight hug. "Hi, Iz," I said. * * * Momma sat Iz down in the living room while I and one of my sisters washed the dishes. I'm sure mom was interrogating Iz. I'd warned her to expect it, and she looked serene as she waited. I almost lowered my shields to find out how she felt, but I decided against it. After half an hour of washing dishes, I was finally able to get away to talk to Iz. I sat down on the couch and put my arm around her shoulders. She relaxed into my arms. "Did I tell you you look great?" she asked. I shook my head, and then realized she couldn't see it. "No, but thanks." She smiled, and relaxed more. I inspected my clothing. It didn't look so good to me, but then I'd resisted changing into anything with blue in it. My own little rebellion, I suppose. All my blue clothes looked so wonderful that I had to pass them up. I'd be wearing blue soon enough. My communicator beeped, much to my annoyance. I don't know what I muttered to Iz, but she let me up and I headed towards the bathroom. "This is Rocky. What's up?" {end of part 3} Selma McCrory * smccrory@calweb.com * stmccrory@hotmail.com "You're not a mouse. You're a cat. You don't need to help me move the cursor around." -me, to one of my cats. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "Michele Mason" Subject: TPFICT: Exoneration Date: 08 Oct 1997 11:57:32 PDT Exoneration (0/20) Surprise! It's October and that means Halloween, so I have been preparing a Halloween treat for the list. Just something to fill in the time and the space until All Hallow's Eve. This is a new series ghost-story and hope you all enjoy it. I will be posting every other day (which means by midnight) until all parts are posted; the posting schedule may change considering the fact that I want to save the concluding post for Halloween, so we'll just see how it goes. If this post doesn't end with the words "End" and my signature, then you didn't receive all of it and please email me. Disclaimer: As usual, the Tomorrow People, Adam, Ami, Megabyte, Jade and General Damon do not belong to me. They are the property of Roger Price, Thames Television, etc. I am only borrowing them and using them here for fun and pleasure. I promise to put them back when I am through! End of Notes & Disclaimer --------------------------- Michele R Mason As usual, comments and questions are welcome! chelesedai@hotmail.com Visit me: http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Cavern/9012 ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "Michele Mason" Subject: TPFICT: Exoneration (1/20) Date: 08 Oct 1997 12:00:07 PDT Exoneration (1/20) By Michele R Mason Chapter One - Sullivan House "Dad, I think you were cheated." Megabyte's bright blue eyes surveyed the old manor house before them, leaning against his father's car. He still didn't know what possessed his parents to buy a new house, and a "fixer-upper" in the middle of nowhere at that, but one look at the old place told him that "fixer-upper" didn't begin to describe what the house had in store for them. No wonder his father had been more than happy to have the Tomorrow People help with repairs. All the windows in the front of the house were either broken or boarded up, and paint peeled from the weathered wood siding in long, rigid strips. The front porch was missing two steps, and both railings were rotted through completely, making the entire structure look like it would require the skills of an acrobat to not fall through and injure one's self. Whatever lawn had once surrounded the ample grounds had long since shriveled up and turned brown and wild vines with minds of their own wound their way up the trellis and around the structure. It was a sight right out of one of Megabyte's bad horror movies. General Damon laughed good naturedly. He slapped his son affectionately on the shoulder. "I got a great deal on it. Sure, it's a little run down, but imagine all the fun we'll have fixing her up." Megabyte rolled his eyes in disdain. "Yeah, and we might even finish in fifteen or twenty years." And once again, his mother and sister escape the toil and horror by vacationing in the States. Of course, that was part of his father's plan --- to have this place fixed up by the time they returned from their trip abroad. Adam chuckled. "I don't know, Megabyte. Looks like a challenge to me. General Damon, I can't wait to get started." "Good, let's go have a look at the inside." Jade followed quick on the heels of the General and the oldest Tomorrow Person, her voice giddy. "This should be fun. I bet there's a lot of old stuff hidden in there. Maybe even some old journals." Megabyte's eyes followed his two friends and father as they proceeded cautiously up the rickety porch. Only Ami didn't follow, her eyes staring upward at the second story windows. "I guess you're not too excited about this, either, huh, Ami?" "There's someone upstairs, Megabyte." "Huh?" Megabyte followed the girl's gaze to a large window on the second story. One of the few that was not completely shattered or completely bordered. All he saw was darkness and the reflection of the bright summer sky. "Ami, I don't see any thing." Ami shook her head. "They're gone now. But I swear there was someone up there." Then with sudden determination, she grabbed Megabyte by the arm and began leading him toward his family's newest acquisition --- Sullivan House. "Maybe a caretaker?" Megabyte opened his mouth to tease her and her over active imagination, but the earnestness in her eyes stopped him dead. It probably *was* just her overactive imagination, but something told him that now wouldn't be a good time to tease her about it. His father, Adam and Jade had already disappeared into the dark maw of the structure, and they were expected to follow. Besides, it couldn't do any harm to just have a look around. They navigated the porch carefully, entering into the large, dusty and dark wood foyer, lit only by the bright sunlight filtering in through the front door. The interior of the house had been better maintained, and except for a desperate need of a few coats of paint, and several hours of dusting and vacuuming, Megabyte figured the place might actually be livable. Megabyte could hear the voices of the others off to the left up ahead, but Ami's eyes were already focused on the polished wood staircase. Or what would have been a polished wood staircase if it hadn't been unused and unkempt for so many years. A few short strides carried her to the staircase, and she was halfway up them before Megabyte could stop her. He was left with the choice to follow or wait. "You know, those stairs could have been in the same shape as the porch," Megabyte scolded when they reached the landing. "You're beginning to sound like Adam," Ami teased. Unsure of whether to take that as a compliment or an insult, Megabyte kept his mouth shut. [Megabyte? Ami? Where are you?] [Having a look around upstairs] Megabyte responded instantly to Adam's light telepathic touch. [Ami thinks that she saw someone up here.] Adam's response surprised them both. [Jade said the same thing. Your Dad says that there are some neighborhood kids around here, and the old caretaker, Mr. Dorsey. That's probably who you saw Ami.] That was good enough for Megabyte, but evidently, it wasn't enough for Ami. [We're upstairs now, Adam.] Ami sighed as she continued her movement down the long, dusty corridor. [We may as well look around.] [Just be careful then. We don't know what sort of shape this place is in.] "Mr. Dorsey doesn't do too good of a job keeping this place clean," Megabyte remarked as Ami swung open the door to one of the bedrooms. Stirred up by the sweeping movement of the door, dust floated languidly in the rays of sunlight that streamed in through the cracked window. A blanket of the stuff covered everything in the room, from the antique oak dresser in the corner to the sheet-covered nightstand and four-poster bed. However, only dust covered the room, and it layered the hardwood floor thickly enough to tell that no one had crossed the threshold in a while. "See, empty." An inexplicable chill crept up Megabyte's spine making his hair stand on end. It was irrational and child-like, but a blinding fear worked its way into his consciousness and he suddenly did not have any desire to stand on the outside of that bedroom anymore. "No one's up here, Ami. Let's go back downstairs." If Ami was prepared to argue, the door swinging closed changed her mind. "It was the wind," Ami breathed quickly. "Right, the wind." Megabyte decided not to remind her that there had been no wind in that room. A quick exchange of glances and the two Tomorrow People teleported to the downstairs landing. End of Chapter One --------------------------- As usual, comments and questions are welcome! chelesedai@hotmail.com Visit me: http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Cavern/9012 ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "Michele Mason" Subject: TPFICT: Exoneration (2/20) Date: 08 Oct 1997 12:41:06 PDT Exoneration (2/20) By Michele R Mason Chapter Two - Conservatory [Just be careful, then. We don't know what sort of shape this place is in.] Jade shook her head as she listened to Adam break off contact with Ami and Megabyte. She wondered how much of his advice they were actually going to take. She knew how much she would take if there Adam wasn't there looking over her shoulder while they explored the house. "I still can't believe this place is furnished." Jade surveyed the conservatory, once again taking in the dust and sheet-covered furniture. "Makes up for the place being in such poor condition." General Damon pulled one of the sheet covers off of a large piano. "Now, isn't that a beauty?" Adam ran his hands over the piano. "Why would someone leave this behind?" General Damon shrugged. "Goes with the rest of the house. Most of the furniture is original, from the late 1800's. Of course, a few pieces have had to be replaced, but on the whole, everything is original. Right down to the décor." "Are you going to redecorate?" Jade asked the question, and fervently hoped the answer was "no." Sullivan House had a mystical, Renaissance charm to it and she didn't want to see that destroyed. "Wouldn't think of it, Jade." General Damon assuaged her fears with a smile. "You don't buy historical homes to destroy them." Jade shivered as a chill worked its way into the deep core of her bones. She hugged herself, goose pimples rising on her arms, the hairs standing on end. "Did it just get cold in here?" Distracted by the dusty leather tomes on the built-in book shelves, General Damon shook his head. "Probably a draft. I'm fine." "Adam?" The other Tomorrow Person didn't answer. Jade looked at her friend, her voice a bit stronger. "Adam?" Adam sat at the piano, an oddly detached look on his face. He plunked out a few notes on the keys, causing Jade and the General to wince. "I think that thing's out of tune, Adam." General Damon returned his attention to the Tomorrow People. "I didn't know you played." "I don't." Adam's voice was vague, distracted. His dark eyes stared down at the keys, fingers dancing lightly over them, but not playing a note. Then, a very simple, albeit out of tune, melody. The chill in her bones deepened. The cold was so thick that Jade was almost shivering. How could the General and Adam not feel it? "Is it cold in here?" Adam looked up abruptly, rubbing his hands together. The General nodded. "There does seem to be a draft. Let's see if we can track down the source." Jade was happy enough to leave the conservatory behind. Something about the look on Adam's face when he sat down at the piano scared her; and then there was the inexplicable cold. Even standing outside of the conservatory, she couldn't seem to get warm. Meeting up with Megabyte and Ami, she never noticed Adam's wistful glance back toward the conservatory. End of Chapter Two -------------------------- As usual, comments and questions are welcome! chelesedai@hotmail.com Visit me: http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Cavern/9012 ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "Shaun Hately" Subject: TPFICT: Second Chance (0/9) Date: 09 Oct 1997 22:31:54 +1100 Second Chance by Shaun Hately Original Series/New Series Crossover Part of 'A More Perfect Union' Part 0/9 DISCLAIMER: Most of the characters contained within are not mine but are borrowed from the 1970s and 1990s Tomorrow People Science Fiction TV series'. They are the property of its creators and copyright holders. Any other characters are the sole creation and property of Shaun Hately. This fanfic forms part of my series of fanfics, entitled A More Perfect Union, and takes place after the events of the Lesser of Two Evils in that series. In terms of continuity with the television series' most of the story takes place concurrent after the events of The Living Stones (ie after the new series had finished) although the prologue takes place just prior to the Epilogue of my fanfic Exodus (late 1979, after the original series had finished) and some of the events of this story refer to that fanfic. Once again, thanks are owed to Beth Epstein for betareading this fanfic. Comment and criticism (good and bad) on this story is welcome. Please e-mail me with comments at: drednort@eisa.net.au I'm really interested in comments on characterisation as it's the first time I've tried to write the new series TP in any depth. This story will be available at my Tomorrow People Fanfiction page: (http://www.geocities.com/hollywood/8017/tpfict.htm) The name 'Von Daniken' is mentioned several times in this story and a brief explanation of who this Von Daniken is may be in order for people who don't know. Erich Von Daniken is a Swiss author (his most famous work is 'Chariots of the Gods?' which has been the subject of numerous television documentaries and other books) who has postulated a theory that says the gods of ancient civilisations were in fact astronauts from advanced space faring civilisations who manipulated the human race to their own ends. This theory has a large number of passionate supporters and just as passionate detractors. It seems likely that this theory may have had some influence on the idea of the Kulthan in the Tomorrow People. For people who want more information on the theory, check out http://www.access.ch/aas/e/private/evd.html which is apparently Erich Von Daniken's own homepage and is (predictably) a supporter of his theories. For balance it is also a good idea to check out http://wheel.ucdavis.edu/%7Ebtcarrol/skeptic/vondanik.html which is a very brief refutation of his ideas and includes details of at least one apparent fraud perpetuated by Von Daniken in the course of his work. By the way, from context, people may draw the conclusion that Von Daniken is actually an archaeologist. To the best of my knowledge he has no formal qualifications in that area beyond an honorary Doctorate. (end of part 0) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "Shaun Hately" Subject: TPFICT: Second Chance (2/9) Date: 09 Oct 1997 22:53:01 +1100 Second Chance by Shaun Hately Part 2/9 Chapter 1 Sala y Gomez, Pacific Ocean 19th November 1995 Morning "Doctor Livingstone. Doctor Livingstone!" Helena Livingstone slowly climbed out of her tent. She was tired - her small grant was coming very close to running out and she was torn between her desire to get it renewed and her desire to get back to some form of real civilisation. She could have murdered for a hamburger. "Shouldn't have become an archaeologist, Helena, should you?" she said to herself as she walked up the small bank to where the cries were coming from. "What is it, Juan?" Juan, a tall man hired from among the locals to help her with the heavy labour involved in an archaeological dig pointed to a small hole in the ground. "It's a cave. And I think you will want to see what's inside." She took the torch he offered her and then lay down on her stomach and half crawled, half wiggled into the hole. It was rather a tight fit, and once again she spoke to herself. "Too much honey, Helena, too much honey." When she was through the hole she stopped suddenly. There was a smooth rock floor a short distance inside, where she would have expected to find damp earth. She switched on the torch and would have leaped back in shock at what she saw, if she hadn't been lying down. It was not a natural cave, but some sort of naturally constructed underground room with walls and floors of fitted stone. What really attracted her attention though, was the figure that stood before her. Seven foot tall, human shaped with the head of a Jackal. Any archaeologist of any specialty could identify it. Anubis, Egyptian God of the dead. And now she saw the hieroglyphs painted on the walls - she couldn't read them though. Ancient Egypt was not her field. Who would have expected to find an Ancient Egyptian shrine in the middle of the South Pacific anyway? *-*-*-*-*-*-* London 22nd November 1995 Afternoon In front of her brand new computer, in her office at the British Museum, Professor Amanda James attempted to work out just how to access the e-mail message that the machine kept telling her had arrived. Idiot-proof, the young boy who'd installed it had said - but she still couldn't work out how to use the program. She threw the manual aside. Other people might have said that it could have been written in Sanskrit for all the sense it made. She would have preferred that. She knew Sanskrit. She looked at the screen. Maybe if she typed 'L' for Look - no, that wasn't it. 'M' for message - no. 'V' for view? Yes. The message appeared on the screen so that she could actually read it. It was from a Helena Livingstone - Dr. Helena Livingstone, she noted. "Dear Dr. James, My name is Dr. Helena Livingstone. I have recently obtained my PhD from Waikato University in New Zealand. I researched the Easter Island idols phenomena for my graduate thesis and was recently given a grant by a US college to do some field work on the topic. My research took me to the island of Sala y Gomez. I have found something here that I believe may be of interest to you. I appear to have uncovered some ancient Egyptian relics on the island. I realise that that must be very hard to believe, but I am convinced they are genuine. The reason I have contacted you is due to an article in the New Archaeological Review, about the Cult of Amtudi. I have only a limited knowledge of hieroglyphs, but the pictograph for Amtudi does seem to figure quite prominently. I have attached a graphics file with the sequence of hieroglyphs concerned. I would appreciate any information or guidance you could give me on this matter. Quite frankly, I'm not sure what's going on. I also don't want to go public with my findings until I am sure I understand what I'm dealing with here and so I would appreciate your discretion in this matter. H. Livingstone, PhD" Professor James looked at the screen. She could see the indication of the attached file, but she was not sure how to access it. Maybe 'V' again? Yes - a list of files came up and she just highlighted one called 'hiero.gif' and it appeared on her screen. A series of hieroglyphs appeared - she read them carefully. "And at this place, we of Amtudi do finally lay to rest the last of the devices of the -" it was followed by a pictogram she did not know and it continued; "against the return of our hated masters, the -" and again that unusual pictogram. She looked at it closely - the figure of Anubis arched over a representation of the Earth. That should mean something like 'Anubis of the Sky'. She was sure she had seen it before - but where? She rose quickly, left her office, and walked down the long dim corridor to a library. She pushed open the door and entered. Books lined the walls - thousands and thousands of them. Some were extremely old and valuable, and others were comparatively recent. She moved to the section on Egyptian History. "Johnston, Johnston - here it is." She took down one of those recent tomes and opened it. It was quite a slim work - incomplete for some reason, but it did carry a listing of certain hieroglyphics that were not in other works because the source of them and their translation could not be identified. She took the book over to a small side table and began leafing through looking at each hand drawn image trying to find the one that matched the pictogram she had seen. Finally she found it, quite near the end of the book. The symbol meant Kulthan. That was some help, but not a great deal. Who or what was a Kulthan? She stood and walked over to the card catalogue of the libraries work - the next thing to be computerised she was sure - and leafed through the 'K' cards. Some were yellow with age, quite brittle with handwritten references on them. The one she found though was a neat typed card. "Kulthan - see File BM11923/75" So now she moved to one of the many filing cabinets which she unlocked and leafed through till she found the manilla folder with the correct designation. It was surprisingly light and as she opened it she discovered why. There was only a single sheet of paper inside. "The documents contained within have been deemed to be covered by the Official Secrets Act and will not be available for release until the year 2005." It was signed with an elaborate squiggle - almost as if the person doing the signing had not wanted anyone to be able to identify him. The old joke about the Official Secrets Act being designed to protect Officials and not Secrets came to mind, but she dismissed that as an irrelevancy. She had more important things to think about. She knew enough to realise that the Cult of Amtudi had been far more than just some ancient Egyptian priesthood - those weird kids had shown her that. Now reference to the Cult had been found on a South Pacific island, thousands of miles from Egypt along with references to something called the Kulthan. And she couldn't find out what the Kulthan were because the files on that had been sealed by the British Government. Professor James was an archaeologist - someone who had dedicated her career to finding out answers. And that was what she intended to do. She walked up to the librarian. "Larry, do you remember a Professor Winifred Johnston? She was an Egyptologist who must have been here in the mid '70s." "As a matter of fact I do. She went off on a dig and never came back. Died, if I remember right. I didn't know her but I did see her around. She didn't work here - was up at one of the Universities, but I can't think of which one." "Oh. I don't suppose you know anyone who did know her who's still here today." "That's a tough one - she didn't exactly have many friends and it was twenty years ago." He snapped his fingers. "Professor Garner. She knew her, I think she'd taught her. She's retired now, must be in her nineties. She lives in Surrey. Talk to Dr. Quinn - he'll have an address somewhere." "Thanks, Larry." "No problem - information is my business." (end of part 2) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "Shaun Hately" Subject: TPFICT: Second Chance (3/9) Date: 09 Oct 1997 22:53:47 +1100 Second Chance by Shaun Hately Part 3/9 Chapter 2 Godalming, Surrey 23rd November, 1995 Noon Amanda James climbed out of her car, locked the doors and walked across the street to where she had been told she could find Professor Garner - the Borough Museum. Why the woman didn't have a telephone, she had no idea. Once inside she had very little trouble identifying Professor Garner. A very elderly woman sitting down examining a vase. She walked over. "Professor Garner?" "Yes, my dear?" "I'm Amanda James - I got your address from Dr. Quinn." "James, oh yes - you wrote that paper on Egyptian linguistics. Please sit down. How can I help you?" "I'm trying to find out information about someone who I believe you taught many years ago - a Professor Winifred Johnston." "Johnston - yes, I remember her. Died in Egypt. A tragedy, simply a tragedy. I didn't know her that well, you understand, so I'm not sure how I can help you." "I need to find out something about the work she was doing when she died. Do you know anybody who might be able to help me?" "Yes, perhaps." Professor Garner seemed reluctant to speak. "Who, may I ask?" "Professor Cawston." "An archaeologist?" "No, a psychologist - a parapsychologist actually. He went with Johnston on her last dig. You should really talk to Cawston." "Do you know where to find him?" "No, I'm afraid not. When you retire you lose contact with so many people. I've no idea where to find him, I'm afraid." "Well, that's all right. I should be able to track him down. Thank you very much." She stood to leave. Professor Garner's hand shot out to grab her wrist. "A word of advice, my dear. With Professor Cawston - expect the unexpected." *-*-*-*-*-*-* Tapahini "Chess. You want to play chess?" The red headed boy looked up with an expression of frank amazement at his older friend who was sitting in a chair high above the floor of the spaceship. Adam looked back down at him. "Why not? It's not as if you're doing anything else?" "I can think of hundreds of things I'd rather do than play chess." "What's wrong with chess?" "How about it's boring?" "Are you bored now?" "Well, yes, but -" "Then why not play chess?" Megabyte began to construct a reasonable argument. There was no way he was going to reveal the real reason (that he didn't know the rules well enough) and he could sense that he was being rapidly outmanoeuvred. There was a sound, something like the discharge of static electricity behind him and he felt the breeze caused by the rapid displacement of air by a teleporting human being. He turned to see who it was. "Kev!" The youngest Tomorrow Person stood there with a big smile on his face, his dark hair pushed down over one eye. Adam descended rapidly and leaped out of the chair. "Hi Kevin. What are you doing here?" "That's a great welcome, isn't it." The boy looked hurt. Slightly taller than Adam remembered him, with his voice very slightly deeper. Adam looking at him, couldn't dispel the image of the small child lying in a hospital bed, just barely recovered from an almost lethal toxin. The day when Adam had decided to overrule Kevin's protests and reveal to the boy's parents just what their son was. When he and Megabyte, with the help of General Damon and Kevin's Aunt Ruth had patiently explained to the Wilsons and Mrs Jackson just precisely what their children were. Kevin had not wanted his parents to know - he felt that they wouldn't be able to understand. And he'd been right. A stormy conversation, an argument really, had ensued which had ended with them forbidding their son to associate with the other Tomorrow People. Kevin was prepared to defy them despite the reluctance Adam knew he had about his abilities but at that point, Adam had stepped in. "Kevin, they might be right. Maybe you should keep away. You could have died." "So could you." "I'm older - I can look after myself. So can Ami and Megabyte. There's no shame in backing off - Lisa did it." "But I'm a Tomorrow Person. I can't give that up - Can I?" there was a trace of what Adam thought might be hope in his voice. He had to dispel that hope. "Of course you can't. It's what you are and no one can change that. And when you're older, you'll have to make the decisions. But for now, you've got to trust your parents." "Come on, Adam . . ." "No. You're too young to make that choice. I can't let you do it. I can't stop you either. But it would be better for you, better for everyone, if you took a break. We'll call you if we need you. And you can call us too. Just because you stay at home with your mum and dad doesn't mean you're not one of us. We're telepathic. We're always together. The Tomorrow People are never alone." Reluctantly, Kevin had agreed to do as Adam asked. Over the last few weeks the older TP had been wondering whether or not to have the same talk with Jade who was also very young. In her case, matters were different though. It had been clear to Adam from the start that Kevin didn't really want his powers - that they were something he would have been quite happy to lose. Lisa hadn't wanted hers either. Jade did want hers, though, that was absolutely certain. And while she was younger than himself, or Megabyte or Ami, she was certainly older than Kevin had been. She could make her own choice. Now Kevin stood before him, no longer a little boy - still a kid, but no longer a child. Looking older, more determined but at the moment, rather stung by Adam's tone. He modified it. The last thing he wanted to do was hurt anyone. "Sorry - that didn't come out the way I meant. Do your parents know you are here?" "Yes. They're not happy about it but they've accepted my decision." Kevin looked up at Adam, directly into the older boys eyes. "It wasn't that hard to make. I am a Tomorrow Person. I can't change it so I may as well accept it." Adam reached over and gave his arm a hard squeeze, as Megabyte came over on his other side. "Welcome back." Kevin smiled and turned serious. "It's not just a social call. I got a phone call from your Dad, Megabyte. He wants to see all of us at his office at 12.30." Adam looked at his watch and tried to remember what timezone it was set for. "That's in about half an hour. We'd better call the girls. *Ami? Jade? Are you finished shopping yet?* Ami's mind came back *I have, but Jade could be hours still.* Jade was indignant. *I heard that! Yes, I'm ready too, Adam.* *Then you'd better get back to the spaceship. General Damon wants to see us.* *As soon as we get out of McDonald's.* Adam returned to normal speech, "They'll be here in a few seconds. Have you any idea why General Damon wants to see us, Kevin." "No, but -" there was a flash of light and burst of static as the two girls teleported into the ship, behind Adam. Adam was looking at Kevin when they appeared and was rewarded with the comical scene of Kevin's eyes almost bugging out of his head. "JADE!" From behind him, he heard Jades voice sounding almost as incredulous "KEVIN!" coupled with a sound which to his ear sounded like a thick shake hitting the floor of the spaceship. Megabyte looked from Jade to Kevin. "Just a wild guess here, but I take it you two know each other?" He didn't get an answer. Kevin pointed at Jade, "You're a TP?" She paid no attention to him but instead spoke to Adam, "This is the Kevin you told me about?" "Uh, yeah, it is. You know I hadn't even thought about that. Kevin's Aunt Ruth and Jade's mother know each other, don't they? How long have you two known each other?" "About 10 years," answered Jade. "That would be right, wouldn't it, Kevin?" "About that long, yes." Jade looked at him. "Hang on. I remember when you were about five, you told everyone that you could read minds. Do you remember?" "I should. I broke my leg." "Do you mean you really could read minds?" "Yes, of course. Couldn't you?" Adam decided to take control of the conversation before it turned into an argument. "OK, we can do the reunion thing a bit later on. For the moment we need to get to Worldex." All five Tomorrow People teleported arriving in General Damon's office. "Isn't there some way you can warn me before you do that?" he said as he wiped the coffee off the secret documents on his desk before realising he was using a Top Secret briefing paper to do it. "Sorry, General. You wanted to see us?" asked Adam. "Yes. Sit down." He gestured to the sofas at the other side of the room. All of the Tomorrow People sat down and looked at him expectantly. "Have you heard of an island called Sala y Gomez?" (end of part 3) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "Shaun Hately" Subject: TPFICT: Second Chance (1/9) Date: 09 Oct 1997 22:52:20 +1100 Second Chance by Shaun Hately Part 1/9 Prologue London December 31st 1979 Evening The man sat at his desk, poring over the results of his latest experiments. The building was eerily quiet - very few people had bothered to come in today at all and those that had were certainly at home by now. He knew he should be going home as well, but he was desperately trying to make sense of the data that the police had given him, brain wave printouts taken from a murder scene as he understood it. He'd seen these wavelines before and the juxtaposition of murder with the patterns before him was disquieting. He heard a noise then, a strange tone at the upper end of his hearing. He recognised it and looked up to see a young man - a man he had not seen in a few years. "Hallo John." "Professor Cawston." They looked at each other in silence for a few moments, neither appearing to know exactly what to say. The blond man stood and walked over to a small table at the corner of his office. "Would you like a coffee, John? I know you don't take anything stronger." "Thank you." He poured two cups and then ushered John over to the old horsehair chair that sat in one corner of his office. The two men sat. The Professor noticed that John inhaled the scent of the coffee deeply, almost reverently - almost as if he wanted to get every ounce of enjoyment out of it. He sipped his own, the slightly bitter taste of coffee left too long in the pot flowing over his tongue. Then aware somehow that John was, for some reason, reluctant to speak he took the initiative. "I assume this isn't just a social call." "No, it isn't. I've come to ask you to do something for me. Something that could be very important." "What is it?" John stood and walked to the window, looking at the scene outside - people rushing to get home, perhaps to parties, perhaps to just avoid the cold. "Professor. For the last nine years I have been responsible for the development of the species Homo superior on Earth - I have been responsible for it's very survival. Now due to circumstances beyond my control, I find I can no longer discharge that responsibility." Professor Cawston knew that the younger man had a profound sense of responsibility - it appeared to form the core of his being. He certainly wasn't the type to give it up for no reason. "John, what's wrong. Why can't you carry on doing as you have done? Are you ill? Are -" "No, it's nothing like that. I can't tell you the precise reason why - I can tell you that the Tomorrow People are no longer going to be on Earth, and that that will put any future Homo superiors in danger. That's why I've come to you." "How can I help?" John turned to face him. "It is possible that, due to your work, you will encounter new Tomorrow People - it probably won't be for a while. I don't know how you can help them. But if you can, will you? I've no one else to ask - no one who is likely to be in a position to help them in any event." "Of course - but why are you going? What's happened, John?" "I can't tell you, I'm afraid, I'm not allowed to." "That's history repeating itself, then." "Yes, well. There is one more thing." "What?" "I have to ask you not to reveal that we exist to anyone - not even to any new Tomorrow People." "Why on earth not?" "It's not my decision. And I cannot say why not. All I can do is ask you to trust me. And help these people if you encounter them." "All right - I'll do my best." "Thank you, Professor. And thank you for the coffee." He placed his hand to his wrist and disappeared from view. Professor Cawston stood looking at where he had been for a moment. Then shook his head and returned to his work. *-*-*-*-*-*-* The Lab John appeared on the jaunting pad and stepped down to where Stephen, Mike, and Liz sat talking. Stephen looked at him. "Did you do it?" "Yes." "How much did you tell him?" "Only what you said I could." "I'm sorry, John - I have my orders." "Do you approve of them?" Liz spoke up, "That's enough. John, you know Stephen's done all he can. He can't oppose the Supreme Council." John nodded slowly. "Yes, I'm sorry, Stephen. I know you've done everything possible. Still I wish the Supreme Council could be persuaded to reconsider. I'd hoped that Timus' reforms would go further." Mike stood. "You just have to be patient, John." He saw the incredulous look on John's face, and laughed. "Yes, I know coming from me that's a bit rich. But things are getting better - Stephen's been telling us about what's already changed. And there's one thing coming that's definitely going to shake up the Council." "Really? What's that." Stephen stood. "The appointment of Earth's next Senior Ambassador to the Galactic Trig." He bowed deeply to John with an exaggerated flourish. "Your Excellency." (end of part 1) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "Shaun Hately" Subject: TPFICT: Second Chance (4/9) Date: 09 Oct 1997 22:58:14 +1100 Second Chance by Shaun Hately Part 4/9 Chapter 3 Godalming, Surrey 23rd November, 1995 Early Afternoon Professor James returned to her car, climbed in, and opened up her Filofax. She thought she knew how to track this Professor Cawston down quickly. She found the number, she was looking for - that of an old friend of hers who was now working in the field of parapsychology at Cambridge University. She dialled the number on her car phone. "Munro - it's Amanda James here . . . fine, and you? . . . Look, I need a favour. Do you know a Professor Cawston . . . You do? Could I have his number? . . . Thanks, I owe you one . . . Lunch on the 13th? . . . Yes, all right, see you then. Bye?" She hung up and then dialled the number she'd been given. *-*-*-*-*-*-* Petersfield, Hampshire Professor Cawston was sitting down, reading an article that he'd spent the last few weeks trying to find. Finally, he threw it aside in frustration. Dr. Evans had obviously had no idea what he was writing about. The phone rang and he picked it up on the first ring. "Cawston." In her car, Amanda James was still trying to work out precisely what to say - she hadn't expected such a swift answer. "Professor Cawston. My name is Amanda James. I'm a Doctor of Archaeology working out of the British Museum. I'd like to see you, if possible, as I believe you might have some information that I need." "An archaeologist. Dr. James, are you sure you have the right Professor Cawston? I'm a psychologist, not an archaeologist." "Yes, I'm quite sure - I got your name from Freda Garner." Ian Cawston's hand tightened on the phone. "What is this concerning, Dr. James?" "Dr. Winifred Johnston and something called the Kulthan. I really need to see you - you're in Petersfield, aren't you?" "Yes." "I can be there in an hour." "Fine, that's fine." He hung up and pressed the intercom button. "Leslie. Cancel all my appointments, would you?" *-*-*-*-*-*-* Worldex London Headquarters General Damon, having given the Tomorrow People a detailed run down on the reason he had called them there, finally got to the gist of the matter. Adam now knew why the General's meetings always ran longer than expected. "So while we were investigating the business holdings of Samuel Rees, we made a discovery. He owned land all over the world - a lot of land. A lot of it was in the UK and Egypt of course. But there's one piece that we found particularly interesting. About 45 years ago - just a bit after the war - Mr Rees paid a fortune for the island of Sala y Gomez - that deal probably made it the most valuable piece of real estate in the world in terms of value per square foot. And he covered up that purchase. We found out about it only by chance and we were very thorough." Adam frowned - while this information was interesting, it was hardly enough for an urgent summons. There had to be more. He was bumped from the side where Jade sat. She'd been moving around almost constantly since they'd sat down and he'd finally worked out why. She and Kevin were poking each other with their elbows. He hoped that there wasn't going to be some sort of ongoing problem with those two. *Cut it out, you two - you're acting like little kids.* That was Ami - obviously she'd worked it out as well. He was glad she had taken the initiative. Megabyte spoke, "Dad, this is all very interesting but you seemed to think there was some sort of emergency when you called Kevin. Otherwise why did you want to see us so quickly." "An archaeologist from New Zealand named Helena Livingstone disappeared from the island a few days ago. And I mean disappeared - she vanished without trace. A schoolteacher - one of the few non indigenous people on the island, she's from Scotland, I believe - contacted another archaeological expedition on Easter Island which is fairly close by and they picked up her effects. One of these items was sent to Chile and then to the States. And that's where we came in." General Damon removed an amulet with a gold chain from an envelope on his desk. Hanging from the end of the amulet was a small stone that glowed and pulsed with a reddish aura. "Only one other object has ever been found which matches all the tests we've done on this little stone - chemical analysis, spectrographic, radiation, thermal imaging - every test to within a few decimal points. That object was the Marhaba stone." *-*-*-*-*-*-* Petersfield, Hampshire "Come in, Dr. James. May I offer you a coffee." "Thank you, Professor, that would be very nice." He brought over the two cups and they sat down at the opposite sides of the large wooden desk. "How can I help you?" "I understand you accompanied Professor Johnston on her last expedition. May I ask what you found there?" "Certainly - a tomb. One of the very few unopened, unlooted tombs ever found inside a Pyramid." "Really? That would have been quite a discovery. How is it that it wasn't reported in any of the archaeological journals? How come nothing has been written about it?" "I really couldn't say. Archaeology is not my field - I was only on the dig because the latest watch word from the University was 'interspecialty cross pollination' or some such nonsense. I got a free trip to Egypt out of it, so I wasn't complaining." "I see. Could you tell me what Kulthan means?" Professor Cawston leaned back in his chair. "Where did you hear that term?" "A colleague of mine e-mailed it to me. In actual fact she mailed me a copy of a number of hieroglyphics, one of which was the symbol for Kulthan according to Dr. Johnston's notes. When I tried to find out what the Kulthan was, I discovered that the files had been sealed under the Official Secrets Act." "So why do you think I can help you?" "Well, I wasn't sure that you could - I just knew you were a possibility as you'd been on the dig where the hieroglyph must have originally been uncovered. But now I am pretty sure you could help me if you wanted to. I don't think that the term was a surprise. You've heard it before. What does it mean, Professor?" "Why do you want to know?" "Because I'm an archaeologist! Because it's my job to find out about the past. Also more directly, because it's linked to something else I've been working on for a number of years - something that may just link into your area of expertise." "Really, what?" "Oh no - I want a quid pro quo here. I'll tell you what I know if you'll tell me what Kulthan means." "Very well - but I'm not sure you'll believe me. The Kulthan were an ancient spacefaring race that enslaved and plundered the world. They built the pyramids. They were something like Jackal-headed humans in appearance - they appear in Ancient Egyptian art and writings." Dr. James stood up. "Are you serious, Professor, or is this just some sort of wind up? Because I want answers, not ridiculous crackpot theories. This is very important - do you believe what you just said or is it just some sick form of humour or a joke gone wrong?" "Oh, I believe it - I told you that you might not. Now we had a quid pro quo, so tell me what it is that you think might interest me." Dr. James sat down. "All right - I'll accept that theory for the moment. It does make some sort of sense I must admit, given what else I know. A few months ago I encountered a weird group of teenagers - they had all sorts of information which I have no idea how they obtained. One of them had what must have been a photographic memory. And I do mean that literally. He was able to draw from memory something he had seen for only a few minutes at most. And I don't know how he saw it either. He claimed it had been in some sort of underground chamber beneath a pyramid but there would have been no way for him to get in there. Short of moving through solid rock or some sort of teleportation at any rate," she finished with a sheepish smile. Her story sounded as ridiculous as his had. She waited for Professor Cawston's reaction. "What was the boy's name? And how many of them were there? Can you describe them?" "His name was Adam. I'd say he was in his late teens or very early twenties. Brown hair and brown eyes. He had an accent - Australian, I think. There was also a girl named Ami. She was dark. Black hair, and brown eyes, and another red headed boy named Megabyte. Those two were a bit younger - late teens. Why? Do you know them?" "No. I'd rather hoped I might." He stood up and moved over to a tea pot in the corner of the office. "Did they tell you anything about themselves? Anything at all?" "I came to ask you questions." "I know. I'm sorry. But this could be very important." He brought her over a cup of tea and sat down again with his own. "No they didn't really tell me anything. It seems silly, but I know so little about them and at the time I didn't think to get any answers." "A pity." "You seem very interested in them. Do you know something about them?" "No." "Then why are you so interested? We have a quid pro quo here - at least I thought we did. Why won't you honour your side of the arrangement?" "I told you about the Kulthan." "Yes - and if you expect me to believe that you'd better give me a bit more information. At the moment, I have a cock and bull story that sounds like it came straight out of Von Daniken. I am an archaeologist. I need facts." Professor Cawston pursed his lips. "Dr. James - I cannot give you any more information on the subject of those young people because I do not have anymore information. I do have suspicions - but I am a scientist, I do not talk about my suspicions unless I have evidence - otherwise I would wind up like Von Daniken - an object of ridicule even if I was right. And in this case, I have to be doubly cautious. Because if my suspicions are correct and I reveal them their lives could be in danger. Maybe even the future of mankind." (end of part 4) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "Shaun Hately" Subject: TPFICT: Second Chance (5/9) Date: 09 Oct 1997 23:02:57 +1100 Second Chance by Shaun Hately Part 5/9 Chapter 4 Worldex London Headquarters 23rd November, 1995 Afternoon "Hang on, General. How did you manage to do an analysis of the Marhaba stone? It was destroyed." "We didn't. The analysis was done before it was stolen. Just part of the normal archaeological process. Very little attention was paid to it. It was just an unusual meteorite, scientifically speaking and while the scientists would have like to have known more, further testing was vetoed by the British Museum. The stone was considered too valuable an artifact to be damaged. It's interesting to note that the testing would have been conducted by a team headed by a Doctor Felix Fry. If we ever find him, he will have a lot of explaining to do - although I doubt we'll ever find him." "Anyways, the reason I asked you here is that I was wondering if you could pop over to Sala y Gomez and have a little look around and see if you can find anything." Adam looked at his feet for a few seconds. He'd been considering this for a few weeks now. It had been his fear ever since he had discovered what he could do that he might be used by intelligence organisations - ASIS, the CIA, or MI6 or any other combination of initials - for their own purposes. Or that the military might have a use for the Tomorrow People. Recent events had reinforced that fear. Sure General Damon was a good man who would never force the Tomorrow People to work against their will. But Adam wondered if the General would have been quite so amenable if his own son had not been a Tomorrow Person. Besides that, even with the General around there were others that they had to be careful of - General Beaumont-Savage and Colonel Masters were two names that came to mind. He'd come to the reluctant decision that no matter how much he liked the General and no matter what the family connections to Megabyte that he could never trust him. Not completely at any rate. He had to be careful. Ami agreed with him. He hadn't consulted Megabyte - that wouldn't have been fair. The decision had been taken. But now that it came to the crunch he found that he couldn't just come out and say that. He had to find another way. He looked up. "General, we'll certainly go to Sala y Gomez. It sounds like this Dr. Livingstone could be in trouble and if it has anything to do with the Marhaba stone we have to look into it. Thanks for bringing it to our attention." "So you'll get back to me with what you find out." "If we find out anything you need to know, we'll tell you. We'd better get going." "Sure. Be careful." Just before the five Tomorrow People disappeared, Megabyte raised a hand in acknowledgment of his father's caution. Then they were gone. General Damon sighed. He hadn't just been talking to his son. *-*-*-*-*-*-* Petersfield, Hampshire "So, Dr. James, I'm afraid I can't tell you anymore. But I do need to ask what you know about the Kulthan and about the other hieroglyphs you mentioned." "Why should I tell you anything?" "Because it's important. Because lives could be at stake. And because I know that you desperately want to know what I know and the only hope you ever have of finding out is if I come to trust you." Amanda James nodded slightly. He was right. "You must be a very good Psychologist. All right, I'll tell you what I know." She opened her bag and pulled out the printed picture of the hieroglyphs which she placed on the nearby desk. Professor Cawston moved up next to her and looked over her shoulder. "What does it mean?" "And at this place, we of Amtudi do finally lay to rest the last of the devices of the Kulthan against the return of our despised masters, the Kulthan." "This was uncovered where precisely?" "On an island in the South Pacific, Sala y Gomez." "Good Lord. A reasonable distance from the Nile Delta then." "Yes. That's what is so interesting." Professor Cawston pressed a button on his intercom. "Leslie. Can you see about getting two tickets to an island called Sala y Gomez - you'll probably need to arrange a charter flight from somewhere as well. I doubt there's much of a regular service." He looked over at Dr. James. "You'd better go home and get packed. Leslie is awfully efficient." *-*-*-*-*-*-* Tapahini The five Tomorrow People arrived back at the spaceship. "Could someone please tell me what the Marhaba stone is," Kevin asked. "Megabyte can fill you in," answered Adam shortly. "I need some fresh air." He headed towards the exit of the ship. Megabyte raised an eyebrow at Ami which said as much as any telepathic message could. She nodded and spoke. "Jade, you clean up that thick shake you spilled. I'm going to get some air as well." On the surface she found Adam standing on the beach looking out at the sea. She moved up next to him. "You didn't tell the General. Why not?" Adam looked at her. "I couldn't. Not with Megabyte sitting there next to me. How could I? It would sound like I was suggesting that we couldn't trust his father." "Adam. We've talked about this. We can't. We know the General wouldn't intentionally harm us but he has different priorities than we do. And some of the people he works with." Ami shuddered. "Adam, they aren't just untrustworthy. They're evil. You've felt it." "I know. But I still can't do it. Ami, he almost lost his father while you were in Australia. I know what that feels like - knowing that you might lose them. I'm not going to force Megabyte into choosing his father or us. I can't do that." Ami sank down into the sand and pulled Adam down with her. "I know what it's like to lose your father. I mean, mine is still alive, but he's not really much of a father. I do know what it feels like. I understand why you don't want to talk to the General. But someone has to - do you want me to do it?" "No!" Adam snapped out the words. "No," he said more quietly. "It's my job. I'm the oldest, I'm the first. If anyone does it, it should be me. But it's hard." He lay back down on the sand. "Ami - it's not just Megabyte's feelings that worry me. It's his dad's as well. I like the General. I really do. He's been pretty good to me. He's been good to all of us even when it could have meant his job or his life. I don't want to tell him that we don't trust him." "But it is true, isn't it? Not that we don't trust him. But that we can't afford to. We can't afford to trust anyone except ourselves." "Yeah. It scares me, you know. I mean it's so much responsibility. What was it Millicent said - 'the future of the planet is in our hands'." Adam gave a crooked grin. "I was never much for responsibility. Now I'm supposed to be responsible for an entire planet." "We've done all right so far." "Sure. But we have to be right every time. We've got to be. One mistake and the world could die. If the TP fail that's it. Game over. Checkmate. No second chances." "That's not true - we know there have been Tomorrow People before. Look at Tutankhamun for a start. He died nearly three and a half thousand years ago. How many have there been? How many generations have lived and died? Maybe if we fail, others will come along." "I hope we don't have to find out." "So do I." They both sat up. "Thanks Ami." "For what?" "Just for listening. I'm glad you're around. It makes things easier. I need someone I can rely on." "You can rely on the others, can't you?" "Of course. But Jade and Kevin are too young - they do what they can, of course, but I don't want to put too much pressure on them. And Megabyte - well, you know Megabyte." "I do. You can trust him with the important things but not with anything else." Adam laughed. "That's a good way to put it. Come on, we'd better get ready." He leaped to his feet in a fluid movement that hinted at his fitness and agility. Ami looked at him, and was pleased to see that he was almost back to his old self. But not quite. "Adam," she said as she climbed up and brushed the sand off her legs. "You know, if you need any of us for anything, you've just got to ask." He nodded as he walked towards the ship. "I know. But there're some things you can't help with." "Like what?" He kept walking and she ran to catch up. She put her hand on his arm and he stopped. "Like what?" she repeated. "Advice, wisdom - I don't know how to put it. Sometimes I just wish there was someone around. Someone older who I could ask for help. Someone like the General who knows what we are. But someone that we don't have to worry about trusting." *-*-*-*-*-*-* Petersfield, Hampshire The intercom on the Professor's desk buzzed. "Yes, Leslie?" "Professor, I've arranged two tickets, London to Santiago via Rio de Janeiro. From there there is a weekly flight to Easter Island and from there you can get a small plane to Sala y Gomez." "Thank you, Leslie." (end of part 5) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "Shaun Hately" Subject: TPFICT: Second Chance (6/9) Date: 09 Oct 1997 23:07:28 +1100 Second Chance by Shaun Hately Part 6/9 Chapter 5 Sala y Gomez, Pacific Ocean 24th November, 1995 Morning On a small rise overlooking the ocean, the Tomorrow People flashed into existence. Adam looked around to see if they had been noticed. "You know just once I'd like for there to be someone here to see us. I'd love to see their faces." Megabyte looked over at him. "Are you feeling all right, Adam? That doesn't sound like the responsible guy we've all come to know and love." "Well, maybe I don't want to be the responsible guy all the time," retorted Adam as he stalked off. Ami punched Megabyte in the arm as she went after him. "Oww!" said the red haired boy rubbing his arm. "What did I say?" Kevin and Jade both shrugged. It was a mystery to them. The three younger TP ran after Adam and Ami. When Megabyte drew even with Adam, he began to apologise. "Hey man, I'm sorry. What did I say?" Adam answered, his voice slightly embarrassed. "Don't worry about it. Just a bit of a sore spot." "You sure?" "Yeah." They came around the corner to where the sketch map General Damon had provided said that Dr. Livingstone's campsite had been located. The tent was still there, half collapsed. Even without that sign, they would have known the camp was deserted. It felt deserted. They stood there for a few seconds and then Ami stepped forward. "We'd better have a look inside. It should be empty but you never know." She and Adam walked over to the tent. Adam lifted the flap and peered inside. Absolutely nothing. Just an empty tent. Outside Megabyte looked around for something to do. Besides the tent there was nothing else except the burnt out ashes of a camp fire. Ami and Adam walked back to the others. "Any ideas?" Jade had one. "Adam, are there any places to stay on the island?" He fished into his back pocket for the notes the General had given him. "Yeah, a couple of places, why?" "So why was Dr. Livingstone living in a tent in the middle of nowhere? She must have had a reason. No sane person lives in a tent when there's somewhere else available." She saw Adam looking at her and flushed. "Sorry." "No, you're probably right. So what does that suggest?" Kevin answered this time. He was not going to let Jade outdo him. "That she was here for a reason. Maybe because it's somewhere near where she was working." "Precisely." Megabyte looked around. "So where do we look, Sherlock? There's still a lot of real estate near here." Ami had an answer. "She's an archaeologist. So we should look for signs of digging." "Right." announced Adam. "So you, Megabyte and Kevin look to the north. And I'll go south with Jade. After a while we'll go east and west." Jade looked around, "Which way is south?" Kevin decided to show off his knowledge. For some reason he felt this desire to beat Jade at everything. "That's easy to work out. You point the 12 o'clock of your watch at the sun and halfway between the twelve and the hour hand is south." Ami decided to defend Jade. "Oh, so do you have your watch set to Sala y Gomez time, Kevin, then?" "No." he answered. Adam also joined in. "And besides, we're in the southern hemisphere now - do all that and you'll end up finding north not south." "Oh," answered Kevin. Megabyte fished in his pocket. "Besides I'd use a compass." He looked down at the item in his hand. "Come on." Adam saw the smug expression on Jade's face and decided not to comment as they went south. *-*-*-*-*-*-* Santiago, Chile Ian Cawston and Amanda James ran through the terminal knowing they had a matter of minutes to make their connection to Easter Island. Otherwise, there was going to be a week to wait. Professor Cawston knew that wouldn't be a problem - he would just charter a plane if necessary. But he didn't want Dr. James to know about the resources at his disposal unless absolutely necessary. Lungs heaving they arrived at the lounge they had been directed to. They looked up at the indicator to see that the plane had been delayed for two hours. As Professor Cawston slumped back into a chair, he thought back wistfully to the days when he might have had access to a matter transporter. All the money in the world couldn't buy one of those. *-*-*-*-*-*-* Sala y Gomez 24th November 1995 Afternoon *Adam, Jade. You'd better get up here quickly.* The two Tomorrow People immediately teleported to the source of the telepathic transmission. They found the other three standing clustered around an elderly woman, who fortunately was not looking in there direction. Megabyte spoke. "She doesn't speak much English and my Spanish isn't very good at all. But she seems be saying that she knows about Dr. Livingstone - that her nephew was working with her. His name is Juan and he lives in a village about five miles north of here." "All right. We'll have to go and talk to this Juan, then." They walked away from the woman and as soon as they were out of sight teleported to where she had indicated. The village was only small - ten or twelve buildings clustered around a common square and there were only a few people in sight. The lengthening afternoon shadows fell across the square and the sky was beginning to cloud over so the whitewashed buildings had taken on a dark and dirty grey appearance. Across the square, a group of young children had just left school and were dispersing to their homes. "So what now? Do we just walk up and ask to speak to Juan or what?" Megabyte looked around. He wondered all people could live in a place like this - no TV, no shopping malls. He felt limited in England and this place was almost beyond his comprehension. "Why not?" asked Adam. He sort of liked the place. "Well, we don't speak the local language, do we? I mean, that old ladies Spanish was as bad as mine. I think they must have their own language." "So we find someone who speaks English, don't we?" "Like who." Ami walked towards one of the buildings. "Like the school teacher." The others all hurried to catch up. They arrived at the schoolhouse in less than a minute. The door was still open and they walked in. It was a larger school than they had at first expected. Obviously it didn't just serve the village but the wider island community as well. A woman, about 40 perhaps sat at a desk marking work. She looked up as they entered. "Good afternoon," she said. She had a slight burr to her voice which indicated her Scottish heritage. "May I help you with something?" Adam answered. "I hope so. We're trying to find a man named Juan. He was working with Dr. Helena Livingstone and we need to speak with him." "I see. Are you from one of the other digs? You seem awfully young." Ami took over, "Yes, that's right. We're archaeology students and we've come to try and find out what Dr. Livingstone was doing before she disappeared." The teacher looked sceptical but apparently decided to take them seriously. "Juan lives just opposite here in the house with the red roof. He's probably at home now." "Thank you." The five young people trooped out of the school and immediately across the road to the house that had been indicated. Adam stepped up and knocked on the door. There was no answer but it was slightly ajar. He pushed it open and peeked around the corner. He brought his head out and looked at the others. "Ami, you stay with Jade and Kevin. Megabyte, come in with me." The red haired teen pushed up the stairs past Ami and followed Adam inside. He saw immediately what Adam had seen - a man lying face down on the ground. Adam was kneeling next to him. Megabyte was surprised at how steady his voice was. "Is he dead?" "No, just dead drunk. Help me get him up into the chair. Then see if you can find some coffee or something." Megabyte helped lift the man, and then looked around on the shelves for coffee. He didn't find any but he did find a packet of dry leaves. He sniffed at them to make sure they were tea and then dropped some into a pot. "Is everything all right in there?" Ami asked from outside. "Yeah, it's fine," answered Megabyte. "There's no need for you to come in though, Ami. We've got everything under control." Megabyte started boiling the water in the kettle by the sink. The place wasn't quite as primitive as he had thought. He moved over next to Adam. "Why are you trying to keep Ami outside?" Adam nodded at the man they assumed was Juan. "Him. He's as drunk as an alcoholic skunk." "So." "Ami's dad, remember." "Oh yeah." Megabyte answered, remembering what they had learned about Mr Jackson. "Right." They heard the door creak open behind them and saw Ami standing there. She took one look at the man and stepped towards him. Adam and Megabyte stood in silence as she cast an appraising glance over the man. "He's going to be useless for hours. We'd better wait. Is that tea on the stove?" She walked over to look. "And guys, it's sweet of you to care, but you don't have to protect me." Adam spoke up. "Ami, we didn't mean to -" She turned towards him. "Yes, you did." Her eyes moved between Megabyte and Adam. "And thanks." *-*-*-*-*-*-* Easter Island The island hopping plane touched down at the small airfield and the two academics were the first people out of the door. Professor Cawston grabbed the arm of a passing mechanic. "Who do I see about a flight to Sala y Gomez?" The mechanic pointed to a small hut. "Thank you." They walked over to the small hut bearing a sign that said Island Airways. They pushed open the door and a small bell tinkled to announce their presence. A man walked out of a back room. "Hi, I'm Dean Keller. How can I help you?" "We need to fly to Sala y Gomez immediately." "Really. Well I'm afraid there's a bit of a problem there. It's getting late and I don't like flying at night. Come back in the morning and I'll see what I can do. I should be able to take off about 9 am. It's going to cost you a lot though." "How much?" "$15,000 - that's American dollars, of course. And the same to come back. Double if you're going to be more than a day or two - I need a retainer." "How much to do it right now?" "Look, I said I don't like flying at night -" Professor Cawston was opening his bag. "Would $50,000 cover it?" Dean stopped short. "$50,000 one way?" "Yes." "You've got yourself a deal, buddy. Come on." (end of part 6) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "Shaun Hately" Subject: TPFICT: Second Chance (7/9) Date: 09 Oct 1997 23:11:01 +1100 Second Chance by Shaun Hately Part 7/9 Chapter 6 Sala y Gomez 24th November 1995 Evening "Gracias." Juan sipped at the third cup of tea he'd had in the last hour. While tea wasn't as effective as coffee for restoring sobriety, the amount he'd had forced down his throat had been more than enough. He looked around at the young people who said they were looking for Dr. Livingstone. "Yes, she was here. But she is gone now. I cannot help you." "Where has she gone? We know she hasn't left the island. We really need to find her." "I do not know. Who are you? Why are you here?" "Who we are is not important. We are here because we need to speak to Dr. Livingstone." "I am sorry. I cannot help you. I do not know where she is." "OK. Can you tell us what she was working on?" "She was digging. Looking for some old tomb." "Did she find it?" Juan looked away. "No." Ami knew how to tell if a man was lying. It was a skill she had learned from her mother. "Where is it?" Juan looked at her. "You don't want to go there. You should stay away. It is too dangerous." Adam leaned forward. "Why? What did you see there? What happened there?" "I saw a man with the head of a dog. I ran away. When I returned, Dr. Livingstone was gone." Megabyte looked over at Adam, raised his eyebrows and gestured to the bottles that Jade and Kevin had stacked neatly by the sink. Juan saw him. "No. I started drinking after I saw it. Not before. It is what made me drink. I should not have left her. If I hadn't left her, she might still be safe." Adam reached over and grabbed Juan's hand. "We might be able to help her. If we can find her. You just have to take us to where you last saw here. Take us to the tomb." Juan nodded. "All right. It will take some time to get there, though. It is several miles away." "Then we'd better get started, hadn't we?" *I suppose we're going to have to walk.* came Kevin's complaint. For once Jade appeared to be in agreement with him. *Can't we just teleport?* *I'm afraid not. We need Juan to take us and I am not going to let him know what we can do. We'll have to walk. Come on. It can't be that far* *-*-*-*-*-*-* On board a small plane: "Come on. You have to tell me. Why were you carrying that much money?" Dr. James asked the question for a fifth time. "You must have had a reason." "It's just in case of emergency." "Of course. I carry a few travellers cheques, my passport, some insect repellent and a spare pair of knickers in case of emergency. You carry wads of hundred dollar notes. That just doesn't wash, Professor. Now I want to know what is going on. Why were you so eager to come here and why were you in such a hurry." Professor Cawston leaned over to her. "Can you keep a secret?" "Of course." "So can I." He saw that the archaeologist was almost ready to explode and spoke hurriedly. "I can't tell you any more at this point. I really can't. But I will tell you this. The Kulthan are real - they did exist. And if they are on Earth or if there is even a hint of them being on Earth, I have to know about it. Because I just might be the only person who has any idea of what to do about them. What was it your hieroglyphs said 'against the return of our despised masters, the Kulthan.' That can't be allowed to happen. They can't be allowed to return." "You really do believe this, don't you?" "Yes, I do. I can't explain why - but it is true nonetheless. And that's why I carry so much money. Because I need to be sure I can get to my destination as quickly as possible. I would have chartered an aircraft the whole way here if it wouldn't have attracted too much attention." "Attention from who?" "Scientific Intelligence. They keep a watch on me. Not much of one - they lost interest years ago - but I don't want to give them any reason to think I'm worthy of their attention again." Dr. James looked at her case in front of her. She opened it and handed over a folder to Professor Cawston. "What's this?" he asked looking at the title 'The Cult of Amtudi'. "My quid pro quo." *-*-*-*-*-*-* Sala y Gomez Midnight "What was it you said, Adam?" asked Megabyte as he brushed another branch from his face. It swang back and hit Jade in the head, but he pretended not to notice. Maybe she might stop walking so close behind him. The forest was dark and all they could hear besides the sounds they were making was the wind through the trees. They'd heard a place come overhead about an hour earlier but beyond that nothing else. "Okay, so I was wrong. It could be that far. Give me a break - how was I supposed to know?" Ami decided to just ask. "How much further, Juan." "Not far. About 100 yards or so." They moved in silence for a couple of minutes through the thick undergrowth. Adam realised suddenly that they were once again very near Dr. Livingstone's campsite. "There it is." Juan pointed at a bank that they had examined earlier. He hesitated and his voice was less certain. "It was there. The entrance to the tomb was in that bank. I dug it out myself." Adam walked ahead, walked straight up to the bank and put his hand on it. He turned. "Thanks, Juan. You've done enough. You can go back now." Juan needed no further bidding. He turned back into the bushes and was gone. Adam motioned to the others to come up. Kevin arrived first and Adam pushed the younger boy's hand into the bank. "There's nothing there." Kevin pointed out the obvious as his hand sank into the bank up to his wrist. "Right. It's just an illusion. There is a hole here. The question is who could have set up a three dimensional illusion like this and how did they do it?" "Not why did they do it?" "Well, that's obvious. They didn't want anyone to find the tomb." Adam probed the illusion with the ends of his fingers. He could feel something unusual about it. When his fingers arrived at a hard metal edge he realised what it was. The feeling that ran through his extremities was startlingly similar to what he had felt the first time he had touched the spaceship. There was a clicking sound which they all heard in their minds rather than in their fingers and the illusion vanished. The entrance passage it had shielded from sight opened before them. *-*-*-*-*-*-* Sala y Gomez Airfield The plane had landed nearly an hour ago and the beat up old car that doubled as the island's only taxi service had just arrived. It hadn't been easy to get the car out in the middle of the night, but with the amount of money they were paying they could have bought it outright. "Take us to where Dr. Livingstone was camped - do you know the way?" "Of course, sir." The taxi driver's English was understandable, though heavily accented. He put his foot down and with a grinding sound the car changed gears and they drove off along the old road. (end of part 7) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "Shaun Hately" Subject: TPFICT: Second Chance (8/9) Date: 09 Oct 1997 23:13:27 +1100 Second Chance by Shaun Hately Part 8/9 Chapter 7 Sala y Gomez - The Tomb 25th November After Midnight Adam lead the way through the passage into the tomb area beyond. A pale light infused the room coming from what had to be electric lights inlaid into the walls. That was in marked contrast to the rest of the walls. Megabyte looked around. "Okay guys, I hope you're not going to try and tell me this was moved all the way from Egypt. An obelisk I can accept. But not a whole building." They looked around at the walls. All covered with hieroglyphs and other Egyptian writing. Kevin moved over to have a closer look. "Can anyone read this? Anyone at all, I mean." Adam shook his head. "No. But I know what that says." He pointed to an oval carving on the wall. Ami looked at it. "It's a cartouche." "Not just a cartouche - I've seen those carvings before. It says Rameses Akhara." Megabyte was looking at all the artefacts scattered around the floor. "Is that chair solid gold?" Jade leaped out of where she had just sat down. "What!?" She turned to examine it. "I think it is." Megabyte shook his head. "I don't suppose we can keep all this, Adam, can we?" "Are you worried about money at a time like this?" "Well, someone has to be," came the answer as Megabyte walked over to join Adam and Ami in staring at the carvings on the walls. "Guys, looking at it isn't going to help us read it. We need a dictionary. Or an archaeologist." "Like me, do you mean?" All the Tomorrow People pivoted to look at the woman who had just walked in behind them unheard. Three of them recognised her. "Dr. James!" There was a man with her, a blond man in his fifties it appeared. One of the TP's recognised him as well. Kevin backed away trying to get behind the older Tomorrow People and out of sight. It was too late. Professor Cawston looked at the young people standing around the chamber. Some of them obviously knew Dr. James and from the description they were apparently the people she had mentioned at their first meeting. He looked at all of them hard. They were all too young, that was immediately apparent and he didn't recognise any of them. But one of them - the youngest by the look of him was vaguely familiar and it only took him a second to work out who he was. "Kevin Wilson." Kevin moved into view. "Hallo, Professor." Adam looked at Kevin. "Professor who? How do you know him? How does he know you?" "When I was in hospital when I was little - a long time ago after I jumped off the roof - the Professor came to see me. He's an expert in mind reading or something. He wanted to measure my brains electricity but I screamed so much my parents wouldn't let him." Professor Cawston stepped forward. "I'm Professor Ian Cawston. I'm a parapsychologist - I research telepathy and related abilities. I don't mean any of you any harm. I want to help you if I can. I think I know what you are." Megabyte moved between the Professor and Kevin. "Really. How do you know that? What do you know?" Adam flashed a message to the others. *Any sign of trouble, teleport out of here.* Professor Cawston, mindful of his promise to John tried to work out what to say. Dr. James however knew exactly what she wanted to say. "Could someone please explain to me what is going on? Why are you kids here? How do you manage to turn up everywhere like you do? What do you know?" Adam turned to her, his voice calm and apologetic. "I'm sorry we can't tell you. There are some things that we can't reveal to anyone. But we do need your help. Can you read the hieroglyphs?" "I think so." She looked around and realised that the portion she had been sent was only part of a much larger message. She also noticed something else. "I need to take the measurements of this chamber. I think it's exactly the same dimensions as the tomb of Tutankhamun." Professor Cawston reached into his pocket and pointed a small device at each wall. He read off the display. "It's four metres by eight metres." "What is that thing?" asked Dr. James. "It's a laser range finder." The Professor had an idea. He looked directly at the young people in the room. "It was invented by some friends of mine named John, Elizabeth and Stephen." Nothing, no reaction. If these people were, as he suspected, Tomorrow People, they were either consummate actors or knew nothing of their predecessors. "Well, those dimensions do match those of the antechamber of Tutankhamun's tomb. It even looks like his tomb - and that's his name over there," she said pointing to a second cartouche. Adam interrupted "But what does it all say?" Dr. James began to read: "We are the cult of Amtudi and this is our final resting place. We have built it knowing that our time is limited. We have built it on the instructions of our late and final leader, Tutankhamun, Pharaoh of all Egypt, so that you who come after us may know and prepare. "In the ancient days, a race of men from the stars did rule all Egypt and use men as their slaves. They were the Kulthan and we were their enemies. Our ancestors fought them but we had not the strength or power to defeat them. When our Pharaoh opposed them, he was killed and replaced by a man who could change his shape and so the people followed him, believing him to be the God-King. "We resisted as well as we could. In the early days we had powers that allowed us to travel great distances in the blink of an eye and talk across vast distances. But the Kulthan built the Pyramids and their magic robbed us of our powers. "One day a great stone fell from the sky, a welcome stone because it allowed us to wield power to defeat and expel the Kulthan. Our great and noble leader Rameses Akhara did direct us to build a Pyramid and he focused the energy of it and used it to expel the Kulthan from our world. And for a time, peace and glory reigned. But Rameses was corrupted by the power and came to use it to extend his life and his power beyond measure. He forgot the need to be vigilant against the return of the Kulthan. And so we of Amtudi were forced into hiding to preserve what we could of our ancient defences. Rameses had promised to destroy the magic of the Pyramid so that we could once again travel the world. But when he had power he refused. And so our powers were lost. "We used the few abilities we still had to try to rouse the people in rebellion against Rameses and for a time we looked like we might succeed. But Rameses was intelligent. He knew that he could not sit on the throne forever himself and so he established Dynasty of Pharaohs after Dynasty of Pharaohs who acted as figureheads for his rule. And he controlled the Kingdom. And when the people complained, he destroyed a Dynasty and established a new one thus sating their anger for a time. "But in the 18th Dynasty, a boy assumed the throne as Pharaoh and this boy refused to accept the control of Rameses. He restored the old ways and was successful in shutting down the stultifying magic of the Pyramids for a time and we were once again able to oppose Rameses Akhara. The boy was the Pharaoh Tutankhamun and he lead a small group of us who were known as the People of Tomorrow. For a time it appeared that we might defeat Rameses. But we have failed. Rameses captured and killed Tutankhamun and restored the Kulthan's magic. "We, the few People of Tomorrow to escape him fled to this far away island on the orders of Tutankhamun shortly before the magic was restored and at this place, we of Amtudi do finally lay to rest the last of the devices of the Kulthan against the return of our despised masters, the Kulthan or against the need that they may one day be used to defeat Rameses Akhara." (end of part 8) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "Shaun Hately" Subject: TPFICT: Second Chance (9/9) Date: 09 Oct 1997 23:15:42 +1100 Second Chance by Shaun Hately Part 9/9 Chapter 8 Sala y Gomez 25th November, 1995 Early Morning At the completion of the reading the whole room fell quiet. Everyone within it had differing feelings. Amanda James knew that this was the archaeological find of the millennium - if she could get anyone to believe her. Ian Cawston knew beyond all doubt that the young people in the room were Tomorrow People - he had been watching their faces during the reading. The Tomorrow People themselves had a variety of feelings. Understanding about what had happened before. Fear of what the Kulthan might be and that they might return. Confirmation of what they had believed - that other Tomorrow People had existed before. But above all else, a new realisation of what being a Tomorrow Person might mean. It might mean laying down your life for the sake of the world in the hope that your actions might one day mean that your species might triumph and that earth might survive and prosper. That every thing that they did was possible because of the people who had come before and that it was their duty to make sure that their own actions made it easier for those that came after. For the moment that all had to wait however. They had come here for another reason. They had come here to try and find a missing person and they hadn't found her. For all they knew she could have been in terrible danger. Adam asked the question. "So where is Dr. Livingstone?" Dr. James looked around. "That's what I was wondering. I had expected to find her at her dig. Does anyone know where she was last seen?" The Tomorrow People looked at each other. "Haven't you heard?" asked Ami. "Dr. Livingstone is missing. No one knows where she is and she was last seen in here." Professor Cawston stated the obvious. "Well, she isn't here now." "Unless . . ." Dr. James walked over to the far wall and started looking at it closely, rubbing her hands over it trying not to damage the delicate artwork. "If this is of the same dimensions as Tutankhamun's tomb, there should be a door here into the burial chamber. She could be in there, I suppose. That is, she could have been if there was a door here. If there is it's better hidden than I'd expect." "Doctor," asked Adam. "If there is a chamber beyond there how far away is it?" "Almost immediately behind. It's a large room and there's only a small connecting passageway. Why do you want to know?" "There may be a way in I can try. I need you two, you and Professor Cawston to leave please." Amanda shook her head. "No. No way. I am not letting a bunch of kids fool about in here. This place is priceless." Adam raised his eyes to the ceiling. Professor Cawston spoke. "Adam - that's your name isn't it? Adam, I already know what you are going to do so you might as well do it." "You know. How?" "I can't really say. Maybe later I can tell you. But I do know what you are. I do know what the Tomorrow People are. And I know what you can do. I've been researching psychic phenomena for longer than you've been alive. I know more about it than any other parapsychologist on Earth. I know you are telepathic. I know you can teleport. I know all those things and I have never published a word of it. Because I know the danger that would put you in. You can trust me." Dr. James looked at Professor Cawston. "Are you serious, Ian?" "I've never been more so. Adam, if Dr. Livingstone is in there, you'd better get her out quickly." "All right. Seeing you seem to know so much already." Adam flashed out of existence. Megabyte and Ami held their breaths. If the chamber wasn't there - if it was solid rock behind the wall, Adam was now dead. *I'm all right, guys. Just hang on.* In the 'burial chamber' Adam looked around. Lying slumped in one corner was a young woman somewhere in her 20s by the look of her. Adam knelt down next to her and shook her gently. Her eyes opened and she sat up. Adam smiled at her. "Dr. Livingstone, I presume. Hold onto me tightly." He teleported with her back into the antechamber. Professor Cawston knelt down next to the woman and began to examine her. "Lie still, Helena. I'm a Doctor." Adam stepped away and walked over to Dr. James. "Doctor, I need to talk to you outside." "All right." They walked out into the cold and dark night. "Dr. James. I realise what this discovery must mean to you. But you can't publicise it." "Why ever not?" "Do you believe what you read in there?" "I don't know. It's all so incredible." "It's also true. I know. I've met Tutankhamun, well, his ghost. You saw what I can do. You saw what I'm capable of. I have to protect that. I can't let you put us in danger by letting this get out." "Can't let me? What do you mean you can't let me?" There was a slight tremor of fear in her voice. "I didn't mean that the way it sounded. I can't hurt you - it's alien to my nature. But surely you see that what's happening here is more important than any archaeological discovery." Adam looked into her eyes. "If you publicise this discovery, you'll endanger our lives. You'll probably endanger your own as well. There are some pretty ruthless people out there who'd think nothing of killing you over this type of discovery." "He's right, Amanda." Professor Cawston had walked up behind them. "Helena's fine - just a bit dehydrated. She has no idea of how she got into the burial chamber and I don't think she wants to know either. Amanda, Adam is right. There are some very ruthless people out there. I've met some of them. At the very least they'll destroy your career - how would you like to be the next Von Daniken?" "You mean he was right?" "I have no idea. But I do know that these people can and will destroy all your credibility in order to prevent your theories getting credence. You do need to think about it. And I think Adam and I need to talk. Alone." "I'll go and see Helena then. Even if I can't publish I want to know what she knows for my own peace of mind." Amanda James walked back into the open tunnel entrance. "So Professor. You know about the Tomorrow People. How? Who do you work for?" "No one - I'm a private researcher. How do I know? I'm not at liberty to say. You have to realise that I am very careful not to reveal any of my sources to anyone who doesn't need to know. And I'm afraid you don't. But I'll tell you this. I want to help you. I know that you are the next stage of human evolution - Homo superior and I want to help that evolution happen. I'll do anything to help it happen. Anything you ask." "Really. What if I ask you to go away and keep away from us? Would you do that?" Professor Cawston looked straight at Adam. "If I have to. But I can help you. I can help all of you. You've just got to trust me." "Trust has to be earned." "Then let me earn it." Adam made a decision. He didn't know why but he felt that Professor Cawston was worth the risk. "All right, Professor. I'm going to take you, Dr. James and Helena home - to England I assume. You're a Doctor - can you see that Dr. Livingstone gets any treatment she needs and do it so no questions are asked?" "Of course." "I thought you might be able to." Adam turned away from Dr. Cawston. "That's the first step. If you do that, maybe I can think about trusting you. But I need to be careful. I hope you understand that. I can't jeopardise our survival. What did you call us, by the way - Homo superior? Interesting term. I'd like to know where it came from." He began to walk back into the tunnel. "I want to trust you, Professor. I really do. But I can't just give out my trust without thinking hard about that. I can't take that chance. And it isn't just my decision." Professor Cawston followed him in. He was prepared to do anything that he had to in order to win Adam's trust. Anything at all. He was glad that that trust was not lightly given. That was a good sign for the survival of the species and it's eventual success. (end of part 9 and of story) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Tigger Subject: TPFICT: Section 46 05/06 Date: 09 Oct 1997 11:13:49 -0500 (CDT) "Section 46" Part 5 "Coming Out of the Dark" by Beth Epstein "When do you want me to throw the switch?" "As soon as you can, there's emergency torches just across the corridor." Tyso dashed out to retrieve the torches, dragging Hsui Tai with him to act as a pack animal. "Do you know anything about that... thing?" Andrew inquired. "If you mean the robot, it was running Mike's raw emotions through a jury rigged set of personality parameters: it started as generic for Saps, but then Anthony monitored the programming and the robot's performance. He's... I can't think of a term that I would dare use in front of John, and if he overhears me say it to you, I'd get at least a twenty minute lecture. Whatever it did, it's not something Mike would have done." Tyso returned with the torches and handed them round. Andrew took his and jaunted. "Stun everyone as you go, the higher-ups are all in the television studio. There are only mind controlled drones elsewhere." John was glaring daggers at Stephen, but realized the younger man had a better grasp of the situation, so he didn't say anything; it would have to be dealt with later. * * * [OK, TIM, be ready to move my matter transporter to the lab on my signal,] Andrew 'pathed, as he stood in front of the main power switch. [Ready whenever you are Andrew.] Andrew gave TIM the coordinates he needed to jaunt to from there, then threw the switch. [Jaunt me to him, TIM.] Andrew materialized in a pitch black room. He could hear Mike moaning in pain. [It's all right, Mike,] Andrew soothed, putting a matter transporter band 'round the other's wrist, using TK as he needed one hand to hold the electric torch. Mike shut his eyes against the diffuse light of the torch. [Now TIM, and you should probably dim the lights.] Andrew and Mike disappeared from the hated chamber. * * * The others were nearly to the TV studio when the lights went. Close enough to hear Jeffries cursing. "Now," Stephen said. The seven Tomorrow People burst through en masse, stun guns blazing. As if he had a seventh sense, Jeffries grabbed John and held a knife to his throat. Stephen aimed his stun gun at Jeffries. "Drop it or he dies," Jeffries threatened. Tyso held up three fingers, then two, then one. He leapt forward and grabbed Jeffries's hand, pulling the knife away from John's throat. The moment there was no chance of John's throat being cut by the slip of an unconscious madman's hand, Stephen fired, stunning Jeffries and his two friends. "Silly man, we can't kill, but I don't mind giving my friends a light nap." Stephen pried a tile in the floor loose. "Matter transporters, set to deliver them to individual cells of a cloaked kalinar in geosynchronous orbit." "Can a matter transporter take them all that way without a biotronic computer?" Elizabeth was shocked. "These are slightly more advanced than John's models," Stephen replied. Andrew jaunted in. "Anything else I can do?" "How's Mike?" Elizabeth's voice was clouded with worry. "TIM thinks he's out of the woods, but he's still monitoring him, just in case." "Run 'cross the hall and get the world leaders home," Stephen ordered. "Too bad the Americans haven't had elections yet," Andrew sighed. Matter transporters for the world leaders appeared. Elizabeth laughed. Andrew jaunted. Hsui Tai and Liz finished clipping the matter transporters to Jeffries and his cronies. Stephen activated them. A figure appeared in the room. "So are you lot ready yet?" "Carol!" Stephen embraced his old friend. "What are you doing here?" "Answering a distress call, only by the time Kenny and I got here the situation was reportedly under control." "Where is Kenny?" "Seeing to Tricia on your kalinar, she'll probably have to spend a few weeks on the Trig for psychological treatment: losing her last teammates seems to have affected her far more than she originally let on. Don't look so glum," Carol swatted at Stephen's hip affectionately, "he'll be back. With all the rest of us here, there's probably going to be a bit of a party." Stephen smiled widely. "Are we ready?" Carol inquired. "There's one more thing we need to do," Stephen replied. He walked out of the room. The others (who were conscious) followed. Stephen entered another room. It was labeled "Personnel Control". The room was filled with equipment, lights flashing vibrantly, making the room, without overhead lighting, look like a disco. "These are powered by a fusion reactor over there," Stephen indicated a small apparatus with a lot of snakes streaming forth into the other machines. Stephen turned dials and flicked switches, the lights grew dark with each adjustment, until none were left, leaving the room in darkness. "Crush it with telekinesis, please, Carol," Stephen instructed. Sparks screamed through the air as the equipment in the circle of light from Elizabeth's torch shrunk into useless cubes of metal. "All right, we're ready." [Jaunt us in, please, TIM,] Carol 'pathed. * * * They all appeared in various positions in the lab, most on the jaunting pad, but John and Tyso on the couches as they were still unconscious. Hsui Tai saw Mike laying on the mediprobe couch and hightailed it to her cabin. John woke up, groaning. Then he saw Stephen and his discomfort turned to rage as his adrenaline pumped. "How long have you been on Earth young man?" "Are we supposed to tell you about every covert top- secret investigation we're on." "You are when it takes you to Earth. Chapter alpha-zed- plural-zed-alpha, item 42, section 46 of the Galactic Code clearly states that all galactic space travelers must notify the head of Federation representation when landing on a closed or protected world. In this case, that means me or Liz." "Section 47 stipulates that section 46 is null and void when such travelers are participating in deep-cover covert galactic police business or natives of said planet, and in this case, both apply." Stephen snapped in return. "We're still from Earth, you know." "You deliberately endangered Mike's life. You knew he was here, and you didn't even contact us." "I wanted to, John, but I was acting under orders from Captain Conway. I was charged with dealing with him, and if he'd been in any real danger...." "How many people have committed heinous crimes because they were only following orders?" "It's nice to see you too, John," Stephen replied. It was no use arguing with John, he always won-- unless you were Elizabeth. "We did miss you, Stephen," Elizabeth moved closer and laid a hand on his shoulder. John's tirade was tugging at the doubt as to whether or not he and Tyso should have relieved Tricia of duty sooner. "It's just we've had a tough day and we've been worried sick. If we'd known you'd had everything under control..." "You'd have come barging in all the sooner," Stephen laughed, "and don't try to deny it!" "All the same, Stephen, you had no right to do..." Carol interrupted, "There is also section 48, the permission of any Galactic Ambassador to the Trig for a closed or protective world may replace that of the resident representatives in such cases that the traveler is a member of the Federation Police Forces and feels that informing residential representatives is a security risk. And Captain Conway, while overzealous, did come to me with excellent reasons that doing so would be a security risk, so I gave them permission." "You!" John's mouth hung open in astonishment. He couldn't chew out Carol, not in front of the others, it would be as bad if he were to do so to Elizabeth. "Ugh, what hit me?" Mike groaned, regaining consciousness. "Nothing, for once," Stephen teased. "He needs to go to his cabin to rest," TIM added. "Otherwise, he is all right." "Come on, John," Tyso decided to get some of the heat off Carol and Stephen. "Let's help Mike to his cabin." The two moved to pick Mike up, but he nixed the idea. "I'm all right." Mike sat up and tried to rise, but his knees buckled and he had to grab the medicouch for support. John pulled Mike up, "Come on, we'll help you." Tyso helped Mike on the other side, and the three left the room. Andrew, who had been skulking quietly in a corner, followed cautiously after them. "Hello, Kenny, long time, no see," Stephen turned to look at his younger friend. Kenny glared past Stephen at Carol. "You haven't seen Tricia since before Stephen and Tyso graduated from the academy." "Well, someone had to shut John up, he was being unreasonable-- and if he thought he'd lost to Stephen... well, it wouldn't be pretty." The group cracked up laughing. "Not very ambassador-like of you, Carol," Kenny teased. "We're supposed to tell the truth. Except for white lies of course." "That *was* a white lie, it kept John from going after Stephen for things that weren't his fault." "Welcome home," Stephen added. * * * "You all right?" Tyso inquired as he and John settled Mike into bed. "Sensory depravation does strange things to telepathic minds." "I think so, but I had the worst dream in that thing." Tyso frowned. "What sort of dream?" "The lab, Andrew, Hsui Tai... I...." "I wonder if the robot link worked in reverse." Tyso's voice was ponderous. "Robot link?" "There was a robot we found that looked like you," John soothed. "It caught Andrew in a headlock and kissed Hsui Tai on the lips. It's not your fault, though." "That clone was jury rigged. Your emotional responses to its situations were filtered through a personality parameter program, a generic one designed for a Sap, and enhanced by Anthony. He ain't a nice guy and that's putting it nicely. It could have been worse if Stephen had done it himself, though." Tyso explained. "Are they OK?" "Andrew seems fine, if a little wary," John replied. "And Hsui Tai?" "Get some rest," John running a hand from Mike's forehead and along his hair to his pillow. "You've had a tough day." Mike jerked away. "Just tell me, John." "I can't recall ever seeing her so upset." Andrew appeared in the doorway. "Could you two excuse us, please?" Mike inquired. John and Tyso exchanged glances and then left the room. "You gonna come in?" Andrew shrugged tentatively. "It's all right, Andrew, I won't hurt you." Andrew took a few steps into the room and shut the door. "Um," Mike and Andrew said at once. Mike laughed. "We've got to quit doing that. Go ahead." "Stephen says that robot was based on your emotional response..." "Partly, but it was also based on Sap behavior patterns. I would *never* act like that." "I know but.... do you hate me, Mike?" There were two ways to answer that. One was easier. "You don't know?" Mike smiled. "Andrew, that's how Saps treat their little brothers; inexplicable of them, I know, but..." Andrew wrapped his arms around Mike tentatively. Sensing both need and discomfort, Mike pulled Andrew into a tight hug. "It's all right." Andrew pulled away. "You, um, need anything." Mike felt equally awkward, but was equally reluctant to show it. "Some soup would be nice, thanks. That and if you could somehow get Hsui Tai to come talk to me, I'd really appreciate it." "I'll try." END PART 5 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "Michele Mason" Subject: TPFICT: Exoneration (3/20) Date: 09 Oct 1997 21:30:04 PDT Exoneration (3/20) By Michele R Mason Chapter Three - Whispers & Rumors If Megabyte was unimpressed by Sullivan House, the town of Stonebridge impressed him even less. Composed of a postal office, a grocers, a hardware shop, one outdated movie house, and several small, private businesses, he wasn't even really certain that he could call Stonebridge a town at all. This was the type of town where everyone knew what you did two hours before you did it, and it wasn't at all the sort of place for a Tomorrow Person to be for very long. Then again, Sullivan house was almost a good hour's drive from Stonebridge, so in the long run, it probably wouldn't matter. And it was his family's "holiday house" although he was pretty sure that Stonebridge wasn't where he would have chosen to spend his vacation. All the Tomorrow People had piled into General Damon's car for the drive to town to retrieve a few basic supplies, mostly food stuffs and cleaning materials. For some reason, no one had been willing to remain at Sullivan house alone, and it hadn't seemed wise to teleport into this unknown town. It was a good thing that they hadn't. "Why don't you girls see what you can buy for dinner, and we'll pick up some supplies from the hardware store," General Damon said as he passed some money to Ami. "We'll meet you back at the car." "Not like they could get lost here," Megabyte grumbled. "Don't you like Stonebridge, Megabyte? Your mother called it 'quaint.' " His mother would think it was quaint. And Millicent would probably be in one hundred percent agreement. "It's a little too quaint for me." A heavy set bearded man greeted the three on their entry into the hardware store. "What can I do for you? Tourists?" General Damon shook his head. "No, actually, I'm Bill Damon. I just bought the old Sullivan place." Megabyte didn't miss the startled look that crossed the man's face. "Sullivan place? You actually bought that place?" "We just came into town to get some supplies to clean her up," General Damon explained. "You're going to need to do a lot more than clean her up, Mr. Damon. Good luck to you." General Damon leaned against the counter. "I get the strange feeling that this whole town believes in those ghost stories." Megabyte felt the blood drain from his face. He almost dropped the mop he had been holding. "Ghost stories? What ghost stories?" His father's eyes glittered in laughter, but he kept his voice level. "When your mother and I came up to look at the place, we were told by several people that it's haunted." "Haunted?" Megabyte thought about the door closing when there was no wind. He thought about Ami's insistence that she had seen someone in the upstairs window. And now he learns the place is supposed to be haunted. . .he didn't like the road his mind was travelling down. The man behind the counter scratched his beard. "I wouldn't be so quick to laugh about it, if I were you, Mr. Damon. Nasty murders took place there about one hundred years ago. And the dead don't always rest in peace. Strange things happen up at Sullivan House." Megabyte's throat was dry. He kept seeing the upstairs bedroom door swinging closed. "What sort of strange things?" "People say they hear crying. Or they hear piano music---" General Damon interrupted. "Excuse me, mister---?" "Bixby. John Bixby. I own this place." "Mr. Bixby, have you ever seen or heard anything strange up there?" General Damon raised an eyebrow speculatively. "I've heard a lot of rumors, but nothing solid. Everyone I've talked to has heard their story from someone else." "Something's you don't have to see to believe, Mr. Damon." Bixby crossed his arms across his chest. "I tend to stay away from Sullivan House. Most people do." Adam leaned against the counter. Megabyte could hear the curiosity in his voice. "So, what happened up there?" Bixby blinked, apparently caught off guard by the decidedly Australian accent. Two Americans were one thing, but two Americans with an Australian in tow wasn't quite to be expected. "Minister killed a servant girl; then his brother killed him and himself." Megabyte blinked, suddenly curious to hear the story. "Why? What happened?" "No one knows for certain, except for the dead. The story says that Edward Sullivan had one of his servants hanged. He was a minister and extremely fanatical, and for whatever reason, he believed the girl was a witch. Apparently, when his brother Charles came home, he was pretty upset about this servants death. Went into a rampage. Killed his brother and then hanged himself. "The Sullivan servants were a pretty superstitious lot, so they didn't have much to say about what happened, or how or why. I suppose the only people who really know are Edward and Charles Sullivan and that servant. And the dead are pretty good at keeping their secrets. "Mock my words, you be careful up there. Real careful." End of Chapter Three ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "Michele Mason" Subject: TPFICT: Exoneration (4/20) Date: 09 Oct 1997 21:32:36 PDT Exoneration (4/20) By Michele R Mason Chapter Four - Kid Fears "I can't believe you're taking this seriously, Megabyte." General Damon placed the last of the cleaning supplies in the trunk and slammed it closed. "It could be true." General Damon leaned against the Damon car, and cocked his head sideways. "Why? Because a door closed? It's an old house, Megabyte. Those things happen. And all old houses have ghost stories to go along with them. That's part of their charm." Megabyte glanced at Adam. The older Tomorrow Person, while intrigued by Mr. Bixby's story of the Sullivan brothers, had been mostly silent regarding whether or not the house was truly haunted. "What do you think, Adam?" "There could be someone at Sullivan House. I felt something earlier today," Adam raised his hand to stop Megabyte's interjection. "But I don't think that it's harmful or even dangerous. If it's a ghost, it isn't there to hurt anybody." General Damon flicked his eyes back and forth between the two boys. "You're not telling me that the Tomorrow People can sense ghosts, too, are you, Adam?" Adam smiled, his voice teasing. "Didn't you know that we're all mediums, General? We just need the proper training." Seeing the pale cast that came immediately to the General and Megabyte's faces, however, he straightened up and turned serious. "It runs in my family. My grandmother was actually a medium, and my mother and uncle could sometimes see and talk to ghosts. My uncle always said that I had 'the gift'." Adam shrugged noncommittally, "It doesn't mean that I do." Megabyte was not about to let the subject drop that quickly. "But you said you sensed something." "I think I did, but I don't know for certain, Megabyte. It could have been my imagination." "What could have been your imagination?" The three of them had been so engrossed in their conversation, they hadn't heard the girls approach. "We've just been hearing some interesting stories about the haunting of Sullivan House." General Damon quickly recapped what Mr. Bixby had told them, and then, keeping his voice light and obviously noticing the discomfort on the girl's faces, he smiled. "And I just reminded Megabyte that old houses tend to have that affect on the imagination." The girls were no more convinced than Megabyte. The entire drive back to Sullivan House was spent in speculation of closing doors and ghostly figures looking out of windows. Surprisingly enough, only Jade remained quiet and out of the conversation. Arriving back at Sullivan House, the Tomorrow People unloaded the trunk and headed inside to begin the task of making the kitchen tidy enough to both cook and eat in. Only Megabyte hung behind, grabbing Jade's wrist to prevent her from following. For once, his voice was without its usual teasing and banter. "You don't think that its just ghost stories do you?" Jade sighed deeply, watching Megabyte's face. After a few moments she must have decided that he wasn't baiting her, and she shook her head. "I did see someone in the upstairs window. But that's not it, not really. "Megabyte, Adam was acting really strangely today." That wasn't what Megabyte wanted to hear. Particularly not after Adam's revelation of mediumship talents in his family. "Strange how?" "We were in the conservatory, and then it got really cold all of sudden. Then Adam was playing the piano, and he," Jade stopped and paused. "Promise you won't tease me, Megabyte?" The older boy nodded. He didn't like the thought of living in a haunted house, or his friends seeing ghostly images in upstairs windows, or doors closing of their own accord. Maybe his father didn't believe the stories, but he wasn't about to discount them as easily. "I'm not in the mood to tease anybody about anything right now." Jade nodded, satisfied. "Adam didn't seem like himself. He said he couldn't play the piano, but he did. And it was so cold---" She stopped again, rubbing her arms and shuddering. "It was strange. I can't really explain it." "Are you two going to help us, or just stand around the yard all day?" Ami appeared in the doorway to the foyer, hands on her hips. "We'll talk later," Megabyte promised and gave Jade's hand a squeeze. He swore he felt one million eyes on him as he crossed the threshold into the house. For some reason, spending the night here didn't seem as appealing as it had earlier. End of Chapter Four ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: bookwyrm@sprynet.com Subject: TPFICT: ADMIN: Archive issues Date: 10 Oct 1997 19:38:40 -0700 Now that I'm employed full-time, the archive will no longer be updated on a continuous basis. I'll only be updating it once a week, probably on Friday or Saturday night. As always, if you find any broken links or other errors, I'd love to hear about them. Please email me off-list and be as specific as possible, so I can find and make the correction quickly. Also, a request for all authors: Please include the title of your story, part number (and total parts, if known), category (ie new series, original series, crossover, etc.), your name, and your email address at the beginning of all story posts. My mailer frequently eats headers, which means I have to guess at that information, and I really hate guessing wrong. That's it. Any questions, concerns or comments, email me. ... Wendy bookwyrm@sprynet.com * http://www.xmission.com/~ladyslvr/ Listowner Tomorrow People Creative and Discussion Lists Asst. Listowner Sliders Creative & Discussion Lists at esosoft ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "Michele Mason" Subject: TPFICT: Exoneration (5/20) Date: 10 Oct 1997 22:51:54 PDT I'm posting Chapter Five on Saturday 10/11/97 and Chapter Six on Sunday 10/12/97 because I will be unable to post on Monday if I follow my "every other day" rule. Just so everyone knows! The story follows: --------------------------- Exoneration By Michele R Mason Chapter Five - On the Garden Path The soft shuffling of motion beside her slowly pulled Jade from the serenity of deep slumber and comforting dreams. For a moment she stared into the darkness, the sounds of deep breathing around her, her mind grasping to remember where she was and why. It came back to her, as reality and memory often do upon waking, in bits and fragments until quite sharply, the entire day came into complete focus, her confusion expelled. They had spent the better part of the afternoon and early evening cleaning the kitchen and great dining room amidst inconsequential discussion and heated debates about ghosts and the possible haunting of Sullivan House. General Damon was decidedly against the notion of ghosts, Megabyte overwhelmingly suspicious of every creak the house made, and Adam somewhere in between the two. She and Ami stayed out of it; both confirmed with the other the apparition at the upstairs and window, and no matter what General Damon might profess, they believed what they had seen with their eyes. As night wore on, Megabyte's father informed them that if they didn't wish to spend the night at Sullivan House, they didn't have to. He added, however, that sleeping there would probably prove the people of Stonebridge were superstitious and all victims of their overworked and overwrought imaginations. They all knew the words were a hidden challenge. A challenge that all the Tomorrow People took. With sleeping bags spread across the great dining hall, one of the few semi-livable rooms in the house, they settled in for the night. Rolling over, she hoped to find Ami awake and was surprised to see the girl's sleeping bag empty. "Ami?" Sitting up, she whispered her friend's name into the darkness. "Ami?" When no answer was forthcoming, she debated calling for her telepathically. Jade quickly dismissed that idea, realizing she might wake Megabyte and Adam as well. Besides, there was probably nothing to worry about: Ami was more than likely in the restroom. Jade stared at the ceiling, her eyes slowly growing accustomed to the darkness of the room. She could make out the outlines of the dining room table and chairs, and the shadow of the hanging chandelier. Ami did not return. Jade grew increasingly more worried. She remembered the vague outline of the woman in the upstairs window; she remembered the coldness that seeped into the marrow of her bones when she was in the conservatory. Lying there in the darkness she could see Adam sitting by the piano, strangely distracted. Jade could almost hear the notes he tapped out, the drumming of the untuned keys. . . She sat up quickly, tossing back the sleeping bag and banishing the unwelcome thoughts. She wouldn't be able to rest until she located Ami, who had probably curled up in some quiet corner with a torch and a book. That would be just like Ami. Maneuvering her way carefully around the sleeping forms of Adam, Megabyte and the General, she slipped into the foyer and clicked on the torch. The electricity would not be turned on until tomorrow, so for the tonight they relied on candles and torches. Under the artificial brightness of the torch, Sullivan House was more than a little eerie. The furniture draped in sheets and the layers of dust in the great room were reminiscent of one of Megabyte's horror movies. The silence lurked oppressively, reminding her of a morgue, a feeling of waiting and yearning wrapped itself around her and she could almost imagine thousands of unseen eyes watching her every step- Stop it, Jade, she scolded herself. It's all your imagination. There is nothing in here except for old books and furniture. Nevertheless, she moved quickly through the shadowed great room to the conservatory beyond. A small bathroom had been added in the hallway behind the conservatory and a quick check revealed that Ami was not there. Jade hurried on to the kitchen, the feeling of unseen eyes growing stronger. The slightly ajar rear door caught her attention and she peered into the darkness beyond. Movement and a flash of light down the distant garden path caught her eye. It had to be Ami. It had to be. Taking a deep breath and steeling her nerves, Jade headed in that direction. There had not been much time to explore the path earlier. They knew two things about it: that it wound through what had once been a meticulously maintained garden and that it ended at a gazebo. The question that nagged at Jade was what Ami was doing on the path this time of night. Jade came to an abrupt stop about five feet from Ami who had stopped to tend a rose bush. It wasn't very neat; many years had gone by without someone giving it the proper attention that it needed. Ami had noticed it on their first sojourn, and had even commented that someone should do something about those roses. Jade didn't think that the middle of the night was the time to worry about it, however. "Ami, what are you doing?" "The roses need tending." The sound of Ami's voice sent a chill rippling down Jade's spine. Her voice was eerily calm and hallow - almost as though it wasn't Ami speaking to her at all. Don't be stupid, Jade. Who else would it be? Despite the admonishment to herself, Jade approached cautiously. She placed her hand timidly on the older girl's shoulder. "Ami, are you all right?" Ami tilted her head to the side, her dark eyes meeting Jade's but seeming to look right through the other girl. "Listen. Do you hear it?" Jade inner voice cried out to her that something was very wrong here. It was her rational mind that kept her remarkably calm, her voice level. "I don't hear anything, Ami." "The piano. He's playing for me." "Piano? I don't - " Jade's words froze in her throat. At that moment, faintly carried on the wind, a sound drifted to her ears. It was the sound of an out of tune piano. End of Chapter Five ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Selma McCrory Subject: TPFICT: But Keep the Old, 4/6 Date: 11 Oct 1997 02:41:33 -0800 Disclaimers and Author's notes in part 0. Back parts at the TPFICT archive. Comments and such are really, really appreciated at smccrory@calweb.com. But Keep the Old by Selma McCrory copyright 1997 part 4 of 6 "Rocky, I know that you're probably having a party there, but we need to discuss the problems we're having with those investigators. Are you really in the middle of something?" Tommy asked. I groaned. "Yeah, but I'm sure Iz is tired after her trip. Let me make excuses and see if I can get her to the hotel. "Did you call any of our friends?" Adam asked, coming in over the same band. "I'll have to do that, too," Rocky said. "Let me take care of Iz, and then I'll make a call." "We'll see you in a few, then, buddy. Tommy out." I yawned. Back to the old routine. I mentally rehearsed what I was going to say to Iz. It was a good thing she hadn't heard most of my excuses yet. "Iz?" "Yeah?" she asked, yawning. "Are you okay?" I asked her. "Just a little bit sleepy. I'm glad to be here, but it was a long trip. Are you going to be overly offended if I go to the hotel?" I sagged in relief. "Er, no. I'd be glad to take you to the hotel, if you want. I have to go to a friend's anyway. They need some help." "I could doze off over there," Iz offered. "You probably would," I replied. "But I think your bed would be more comfortable, and besides, I'm likely to be there for a while. I just didn't want you to think that I was kicking you out." "No, I'm cool with that," Iz said, getting off the couch. "Your mom gave me a map and directions." "Just watch out, or you'll go back with leftovers," I said, joking. She grinned, crossed over to me, and gave me a quick hug around my shoulders. "Yeah. I'd better escape now. I'll see you tomorrow then." I helped her out and watched her drive away. I turned back inside, making my way towards my room. Once inside, I opened my mind. [Lisa? Adam?] [Adam's sleeping,] Lisa replied. [Will I do?] [You'll do,] I said, quietly relieved that I didn't have to deal with Adam. Not only was it confusing to have both Adams in the same room, I didn't need him giving me mental lectures. [Come here and I'll explain.] She did so, appearing by my side in about half a minute. "So, what's up?" she asked. "We're trying to get the bad guys to lose interest in Justin. They just called me to discuss it, and they expect me there as soon as I send Iz back to the hotel and get ahold of one of the Tomorrow People." "Where's Iz?" Lisa asked, glancing around nervously. "At the hotel," I replied. "I got her out before I called you." "That's a relief. What now?" "We go and talk," I said, activating my communicator. Lisa stared at it. "This is Rocky." "Rocky, are you ready?" Tommy asked. "Yeah. I got one of the Tomorrow People. Could you teleport us, please?" "Sure thing, man." Lisa and I dissolved into streaks of light. * * * "Whoa!" Lisa exclaimed as she materialized. "What a ride!" "Lisa, this is Tommy, Adam, Tanya, and Katherine." "There's Dimitria and Alpha, too, but neither of them are here are the moment," Tommy added. "Pleased to meet you. You're Lisa?" "I'm Lisa," Lisa replied, sounding slightly breathless. "I see my reputation has preceeded me." "She was the only one that was awake," I offered. "Everybody else is eight hours ahead of us, which puts them in the middle of our sleeping schedule. Besides, she was there when the stuff that we need to talk about happened." "I'll try to help all I can," Lisa offered. "Thanks, Lisa," Tommy said warmly. "Has Rocky told you what was going on?" "Sort of. Justin teleported and the government thinks he's one of us, right?" "Right. Is there any way that we could get them off of Justin's trail? How did you get away, anyway?" "I don't really know of a way," Lisa said. "And the way I got away won't work this time." "Why's that?" Kat asked. Lisa smiled at her. "The only reason that we got away is that our opposition included a corrupt government agent, a bumbling scientist, and Megabyte's dad, who wasn't about to let the government know about his son. The agent's in prison, the scientist's been discredited, and Megabyte's dad would have said something if he'd be assigned to look for a teleporting kid. Besides, he can't do too much without looking suspicious." "That's out," Tanya said softly. "So, how do we clear Justin?" Tommy asked. "The only way I can think of is exposing him as a possible Ranger, and then having him discredited as one." "Yeah, but while they're looking at Justin, they'll be investigating us," Adam replied. "And if we're not discreet enough, they'll notice us appearing and disappearing." "And there's also other problems," I said, tugging on my sleeve. "What?" Tommy asked. I pulled my sleeve out a bit. "We're wearing our colors... we always wear our colors. In real life, it just means that we like to wear whatever color, but if they start looking at what we wear, they might get suspicious." "That's a problem," Kat observed. "I wish there was some way to prevent Justin from teleporting except for Ranger business," Tommy said. "But I don't know enough about the communicators and I'd hate to fry one by accident." "I got the impression that it was an accident," Lisa said. She must have been talking to Justin. "It could have been," Kat said softly. "But this isn't the first time he's teleported like that. Earlier, he teleported out of a tree. I thought he'd learned his lesson." I stayed out of the discussion, but looked at my communicator. Fried... accident... I looked at the communicator again. "Hey, I think I have an idea," I said. The rest of the group looked at me, startled. "Why don't we fry his communicator?" "That won't do us much good now," Tommy said to me. The others looked as if I'd lost my sanity. Not yet. "Yeah, maybe now alone," I said, feeling the plan pop into place. "But what if Justin came to school with this piece of equipment that he'd found and told them about accidentally transporting himself miles away? And what if that piece of equipment had fried after he was transported, so that he had to find another way back to school?" "So, he has no powers, he's just a kid who picked up something that looked like a piece of junk?" Tanya asked. "This is Justin, after all," Kat answered. "So," I said, fleshing out my idea even more. "Justin's in the park one day after school. He finds this neat bracelet or watch or whatever. He puts it on. He has no idea that it's anything but a weird bracelet or whatever, until it accidentally activates it. The trip causes the insides to melt. He comes back, discovers the problem, and shows anyone who asks the now worthless piece of junk. They find he's nothing but a kid, and leave him alone." "Sounds good, but we might want to alter the appearance a little," Adam said. "Let's see if I can find a communicator to melt." "Lisa," Tommy said. "Could you get Justin and bring him back? You should be able to teleport straight back in." "Sure," Lisa replied, and popped out. I watched her go, vaguely conscious of Adam and Tanya discussing how to make one of the spare communicators look less like a communicator. Tommy laid his hand on my shoulder. "Are you all right?" he asked. "I really didn't mean to interrupt anything, and figuring that I should have remembered the time difference...." "It's okay, Tommy," I replied, trying not to wince at the waves of concern emanating from him. "Iz was tired anyway. She's going to be here for a few more days. Just as long as Divatox doesn't decide to attack during her visit. I don't want to scare her off." "Yeah, I hope so too. Hey, when can we meet Iz? Adam was saying something about how you met. It sounds neat." I smiled. "Thanks. Yeah, I was planning on her meeting everybody anyway. Just as long as I don't get sick or something." "If you do, don't hesitate to get help, okay? That faint still has me worried." Lisa appeared back in the Power Chamber with Justin. I could tell, even without looking at his posture, that he was a little apprehensive about being there. "Lisa said you found a way for me not to have to hide," he said, trying to look utterly calm and normal and failing miserably. "Take a look at this," Adam said. He indicated the piece of metal in his hand. "I was able to find a flatter band that Billy wasn't using, and I removed everything above the grille. Just as long as they don't get a full look at a real working communicator, we'll be fine." Tanya came up behind Adam, holding a soldering tool. "Maybe we should melt the grille a little," she offered. "I've already melted the inside." "Yeah, there's no way they're going to be able to figure this out," Adam added. "We hope." "That's all we can do," Tommy replied. "So what do I need to do?" Justin asked. Tommy filled him in on the plan. "Does that sound good?" he asked finally. "It sounds great. Thanks, Tommy." "It was Rocky's idea," Tommy replied, motioning over at me. Justin turned to look, and I could see the grateful look in his eyes. "You're welcome," I said softly. * * * {end of part 4} Selma McCrory * smccrory@calweb.com * stmccrory@hotmail.com "You're not a mouse. You're a cat. You don't need to help me move the cursor around." -me, to one of my cats. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "Michele Mason" Subject: TPFICT: Exoneration (6/20) Date: 11 Oct 1997 22:36:19 PDT Exoneration By Michele R Mason Chapter Six -- Piano By Moonlight Megabyte hadn't been too keen on staying all night at Sullivan house, but he didn't plan to turn tail to his father's unspoken challenge. The haunting piano music that wrenched him from a deep sleep made him wish that he had decided otherwise. His father was awake as well, eyes riveted to the door which led to the conservatory. "Dad -" "Don't say it, Megabyte. I'm certain there is a perfectly logical explanation." General Damon's face, illuminated by the candle he had lit, said otherwise. "I think that Adam and the girls are already investigating. They were gone when I woke up." [Adam? Ami? Jade?] Megabyte reached for the minds of his friends. [Megabyte!] Jade's immediate response was a bit too relieved. [Where are you guys?] [Ami and I are on the garden path --] [The what? Jade, why -- ] [Please, Megabyte. I think that Ami is sleep walking.] Jade's abrupt cut off sentenced the end of the conversation. Megabyte debated calling to her again, but then made sense of her silence and more than likely Adam's as well. If Ami was sleeping walking, there was no way to determine precisely how telepathic contact would affect her mind. Leaving Adam and Jade to tend to Ami, Megabyte followed his father to the conservatory. He was pretty certain that he didn't want to know what was playing that piano. What he saw frightened him more than if there had been a ghostly apparition, or worse, gracing them with the music. Seated at the piano, eyes closed, playing as though the piano was his second was Adam. He looked almost ethereal, bathed by many lit candles that sat a top the piano, a serene almost enraptured look on his face. His fingers danced across the keys, his body swaying in rhythm to the classical strains emanating from the piano. The room was freezing. Megabyte had the feeling that if he exhaled he would see a vapor cloud form in the air. Goose pimples rose on his arms, and he hugged himself, rubbing his upper arms for warmth. "Adam?" Even the General's voice was hesitant, tight. The young man did not answer. He continued to stroke the keys as though the General hadn't spoken. "Adam, this isn't funny." Megabyte's voice wavered unsteadily, his teeth chattering. Adam's head rose slowly, the eyes fluttering open like one waking from a dream. The dark orbs met Megabyte's, the pupils wide and dark, looking at him, looking through him, and looking beyond him. "You have no appreciation for music," Adam spoke in a voice that was not his own. The voice flowed with a melodical laziness that was not like Adam, the accent strongly hinting of this area of England and nothing of Australia. "Adam?" "You can lose yourself in the music. The music has a soul, a purpose and a meaning all its own. It lures you and seduces you like a skilled lover. When there is nothing left, there is always the music." Adam paused in his playing, a slightly sardonic smile turning up the corners of his mouth. "Oh, and God, of course. Let me not forget your God, Edward." End of Chapter Six ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "Kyrie Daniels" Subject: TPFICT: The Prime Factor, 25/30 [TF] Date: 12 Oct 1997 23:48:08 +0000 The Prime Factor A Tomorrow's Future Story by Kyrie Daniels NOTE: This is part of a collaborative project known as Tomorrow's Future. All disclaimers and story notes can be found in part zero. For more information on this fanfic universe and links to other stories set in it, visit the Tomorrow's Future home page at: http://www.calweb.com/~smccrory/fanfic/tf.html NOTE: This is part twenty-five of a thirty part series. If you missed any of the previous parts, you can e-mail me at kyrie@dnai.com or access them via the web or ftp: http://www.dnai.com/~kyrie/Fanfic.htm ftp.dnai.com/users/k/kyrie/Fanfic Part Twenty-Five Wow. What's gotten into her? Quinn doesn't *mind* that Wade suddenly finds him so...desirable, but he doesn't understand it. Why now? Here? Is this what she had to fly cross country to talk to him about? What about those weird kids? Shouldn't she have at least answered him about that? Like why she didn't bother to call him about it first? Or why she didn't call to tell him she was coming.... Wait. Quinn remembers that she was talking some crazy talk about not being who he thought she was. He thought she was Wade, and Wade would never do something like this. Not that he would mind, but it doesn't change the fact she wouldn't. There's only one way to really know for sure. Keeping all this kissing up is harder than Wade expects. Not that she minds all that much, but she figured he would stop her immediately. As soon as he realized she isn't his Wade. If she didn't know better, she'd actually think he's enjoying it. More than even she is, and that's saying something. She feels his hands tugging at her jacket. Her eyes open, and she's thankful he doesn't see her watching him struggle with it. This is weird. Quinn wouldn't move this fast with anyone. This particular Quinn looks like he should be moving far slower than that. It's too early to get into panic mode over it, though. Quinn can't believe how hard it is to take off a jacket 'effortlessly'. It would help if he could see what he's doing, but it wouldn't look good if he went around opening his eyes while kissing her. Otherwise, it would turn out to be just who he thinks it is, and he'd ruin everything with her as usual. Knowing his luck regarding the subject. Quinn feels a slight burst of air generate from the jacket falling to the floor. He runs his hands gently up her arms. Giving her one last kiss, Quinn pulls away and yanks her arm towards him. "Ow!" Wade didn't see this coming. He'd better not turn out to be some sort of psychotic. That's the last thing she needs. He stares at her wrist. There's nothing there. Licking his thumb, he rubs the underside of it, but nothing changes. "Well, I'll be..." "Would you mind telling me what you're doing?" She jerks her arm away from him. "I *don't* know you. But you look just like her, and you talk just like her..." "Do I kiss just like her?" Wade smiles. It's about time he believes her. Blushing, he is taken aback by her bluntness. "I wouldn't know. I'd like to think so, though." Wade's face gets slightly hot. "So you believe me?" "Only that you're not the Wade I work with." She sighs. "What will it take for me to convince you that I'm telling you the truth?" "Try starting from the beginning," Quinn suggests. ---------- Rembrandt can't stop laughing, and he knows he should. Kate looks like she might be getting upset, and he can't be helping matters any. How was he to know she was serious? Asking him about his death? Or in her words, his *first* death? "I guess Quinn was right," she remarks quietly. He takes a breath in an effort to stifle his chuckles. "I'm sorry. What did you say?" Kate tries in vain to hide her disappointment. "He said you wouldn't necessarily be like him, but I thought he just didn't know about it. Not everyone understands it, and if he's anything like my brother in that regard, he'd be skeptical at the very least of the possibility." "What possibility?" "Immortality. Your double is an Immortal, so I thought you were one too." She says it so nonchalantly, like it's an everyday thing. It can't be what he thinks it means. Not the way she's talking. "Immortal...you mean to tell me he can't die?" This isn't what she had in mind. He was supposed to be providing her with knowledge and insight on it all, not the other way around. "Only if he's beheaded." "Wow. You think that's why I've felt so strange on this world?" Kate pauses momentarily to reflect. It's possible he just hasn't died yet, and therefore doesn't know his fate. A Pre-Immortal is just as good as an Immortal considering what she wants to know. "It could be. You feel strange to me." "I do? But you haven't touched me..." "Could I?" Kate wants to see if he feels human to her. If he's the source of the strange energy she's felt since meeting him. Rembrandt blushes. "Awfully forward of you, don't you think? 'Sides, you're rather young for me." She groans. "You're a *lot* old for me." "Thanks a lot, kid." He offers her his hand out of sheer curiosity regarding what she plans to do with it. Kate's not entirely sure what to do with it herself. Putting her hands across the table, she slowly reaches for his hand. She's scared and she doesn't know why. Her hands are getting warmer, the way they get near a pot of boiling water. A charge similar to static electricity surges through her fingers and palms right before actually coming into contact with Rembrandt's hand - touching it. Instantaneously, she screams and yanks her hands away, staring at her palms in shock. There's nothing to compare the sensation to. It might be like that Quickening thing she's heard about, but it didn't seem to be a desirable feeling by a long shot. Could be addictive like smoking that way. "Did you feel that?" "Girl, that's putting it mildly!" He rubs the hand she touched gently with the other. "Like a hot iron scorched me, except more electric. Busting a stage light with your hand, except there's no mark..." Kate nods. "If you're *not* Immortal, I'd be scared to find out what you really are." "It could be something limited to this world," Rembrandt suggests. "The physical and biological dynamics of this world impacting me while I'm here." "Sounds like something my brother would say, if he believed in parallel universes to begin with." Rembrandt realizes he probably did hear it from Q-Ball, but like it mattered. "Isn't that why Wade went to see him?" "Yep. Won't believe in supernatural phenomenon, but has no problem with the far less likely possibility that he'll score a date with Wade." She rolls her eyes. "Boggles the mind, don't it?" He smiles. "They're rather tight, so it's odd seeing that they wouldn't be on this world." "If my brother were anything like your Quinn, Wade would be a fool to not snatch him up." "Have you told our Wade that?" "Why bother? She already knows." Rembrandt grins. "You hear everyone's thoughts?" "You hear everyone's voices?" "That's got to be overwhelming..." Kate nods. "I get migraines a lot because of it. Over time I learned to master selective hearing, so to speak, so I only generally pay attention to the thoughts of those around me. When I was a kid, I used to hear a lot more but I stopped..." "Why?" "I used to hear people screaming, crying for help. People I couldn't see, voices I didn't recognize. The dark side of people's thoughts, I guess. All these horrible things and unpleasant emotions, and I was completely powerless to do anything because I couldn't identify where the thoughts were coming from." Kate sighs, kneading her hands. "Wasn't worth the suffering on my end. I was just a little kid." Rembrandt nods, sympathizing. "What about knowing what people think about you?" She sighs. "There's a reason I don't have many friends." "So this isn't common? Like this Immortality stuff?" "That isn't common either. It's just that my family's so involved in it all that I know what I do. Since I don't know anyone else who can read minds, I figure I've got to be an Immortal too." "I can't read minds, though." Kate nods. "I know." Rembrandt notices her demeanor change into a somber one. "Course, I couldn't tell you what caused you to shock me like that, either." She smiles. "You like brussel sprouts?" "Hell, no." Kate giggles. "Good." To Be Continued... **I would appreciate any feedback on this piece, positive or negative. It would be great if I got a greater response from readers than error messages from the SLFIC listserv. :) E-mail me at kyrie@dnai.com. My mailbox is very hungry for some feedback!** **The SLFIC Archives are up and running! If you want to check out the fanfic output of the mailing list devoted to Sliders Fanfic, the address is: http://www.dnai.com/~kyrie/SLFIC/Sliders.html To subscribe to the list, write majordomo@md.esosoft.com with the message: subscribe slfic. Or e-mail me at kyrie@dnai.com for more information.** ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "Michele Mason" Subject: TPFICT: Exoneration (7/20) Date: 13 Oct 1997 21:34:22 PDT Exoneration By Michele R Mason Chapter Seven - Visitation Megabyte opened his mouth and closed it again. Whoever, or whatever was seated at that piano, it was not Adam Newman. Certainly, it was Adam's body, but it wasn't Adam. The word possession came unbidden to mind and once there, Megabyte could not vanquish it. "Megabyte, I don't think that Adam is with us right now," General Damon spoke in a low voice, as if whoever, or whatever had taken control of Adam's body might hear them and come after them. [Adam?] Megabyte's touch was tentative, light. He felt Adam, his Adam; felt his mind, but it felt to him as though Adam was sleeping. "Adam?" The pianist, Megabyte couldn't consider it Adam at this time, spoke again, releasing a bitter chuckle. "Nonsense. I have no desire to mock God. I seek to mock you." [Adam!] The pianist flinched, the eyes coming to focus on Megabyte. Experienced fingers danced a light fugue across the keys. "I have frightened you. I cannot help it, you understand. The past has a strong hold. There are only temporary moments of freedom from the past; my brother's God is not even here in this hell." "Who are you?" General Damon stepped forward, placing himself between Adam and his son. "What did you do to Adam?" The bitter smile returned. "I am a man condemned." A look of confusion crossed Adam's face, and he swayed forward, clutching the edge of the piano. Megabyte breathed a sigh of relief as he was flooded with awareness of his friend's mind and thoughts. "What -" Adam stopped, shaking his head. He put a hand to his temple and rubbed gently. The confusion on the elder Tomorrow Person's face deepened as he surveyed the conservatory, the many lit candles and the fearful and concerned looks on the faces of the General and Megabyte. "Something happened." The words were not a question, but a statement. "That's one way of putting it," Megabyte remarked dryly. ***************** "And you still don't remember anything?" Megabyte dropped next to his friend on the sandy beach. Ami's sleepwalking experience, and Megabyte had his doubts as to whether it had truly been sleepwalking or something much more mystical, and Adam's channeling of the unknown spirit had been enough for the entire entourage to head back to the Ship for the remainder of the night. Even the General had allowed the Tomorrow People to teleport him home to the warmth and security of his own bed. "I remember waking up because I heard music," Adam sighed, his brow wrinkling in confusion again, "And then I woke up in the conservatory." Ami pulled her knees to her chest, wrapping her arms around them. She shivered although the air was warm. "Do you think that maybe, well you mentioned your grandmother was a medium-" Adam shrugged. "I don't know. I suppose that could be the reason that he chose me and no one else." Megabyte didn't miss the guarded glance that Adam threw at Ami. So, I'm not the only one that thinks there was more than sleepwalking involved. "It's funny," Ami stared out across the waves. "I haven't walked in my sleep since I was twelve. Then today-" She paused with a shrug, and forced a smile, changing the subject. "I suppose, we don't have to convince your father that Sullivan House is haunted, do we?" Megabyte glared at her. He didn't find the idea very amusing. "Your father said that Mr. Dorsey would be by the house today," Adam spoke up, pretending not to notice the tension between his friends. "Maybe he'll have some answers." "You mean, you're going back?" Megabyte was incredulous. If he had experienced what Adam had experienced, wild horse wouldn't have been able to drag him back to Sullivan House. Adam chuckled, the first real laugh from him since his ordeal. "Yes, I'm going back. I'm more curious now than I was before. It can't hurt to talk to Mr. Dorsey. I just won't plan on spending the night there." Megabyte didn't know why he had expected anything differently. Adam had never backed down from a challenge or danger, so why should this be any different? And why did he have a nagging feeling that this wasn't the last they had seen of the Sullivan spirit? End of Chapter Seven ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "Michele Mason" Subject: TPFICT: Exoneration (8/20) Date: 13 Oct 1997 21:36:16 PDT Exoneration By Michele R Mason Chapter Eight - What the Captain Won The conservatory did not look nearly as eerie and weird with sunlight filtering in through the windows as it had with Adam seated at the piano. Simply remembering it brought made his heart race and his stomach clench tightly in a knot of fear. If he never experienced anything so eerie again in all his life, it would be far too soon. Mad scientists and vicious aliens were at least explicable. Turning, Megabyte hurried beyond the conservatory into the kitchen where his father and Adam sat at the kitchen table with a stooped and graying man. He had pale blue eyes which were deep and kind. He sipped at a cup of tea, as he and Megabyte's father engaged in idle conversation. [Decided to join us, Megabyte?] Megabyte couldn't miss the light and teasing tones to Adam's telepathic voice. It completely amazed Megabyte that after his experience last night, Adam was in high spirits and a good mood. The older Tomorrow Person didn't seem to be the least bit disturbed by returning to Sullivan House; if anything Adam was even more interested in the old manor house. "Ah, young Master Damon," Mr. Dorsey greeted Megabyte's entrance. "Your father and friends have been telling me that you are curious about the ghosts who live here." Not really. Megabyte kept the thought to himself. "We've been waiting for you," Ami remarked as she slipped into a chair beside Adam. Even she had no ill effects from her sleep walking experience. Maybe he was the only one with a lingering fear and distrust of Sullivan House. Even Jade hadn't been severely unsettled by the story of Adam's "possession," only a prior promise to her mother kept her from meeting with Mr. Dorsey today. "So, Mr. Dorsey, now that my tardy son has made his appearance, what do you know of the history of Sullivan House?" General Damon settled comfortably back in the upright hardwood chair. "Well, now, General, you have to understand that even I don't know everything about Sullivan's restless souls. I know only what my mother told me and what my grandmother told her and what her mother told her." The old caretaker paused, a smile pulling at the corners of his mouth. "Well, you know how stories go. "Where do I begin? The story is not so simple, but stories never are, I suppose." Mr. Dorsey fingered the teaspoon for a moment. "This manor house was originally built by John Sullivan, Captain John Sullivan. He served on Her Majesty's Navy. He didn't have any of his own money; his rank and reputation allowed him to marry well. "Captain Sullivan married the only daughter of a very wealthy merchant. Laws being were they were at the time, when the marriage contract was signed and agreed to, all of her wealth and lands went to him. "I suppose that's not really important to the story, but it tells you how the Sullivans got this land and their money. And their land and money was always very important to them." Mr. Dorsey smiled at the three rapt sets of eyes upon him. "Let's see, here. The story gets interesting with Sullivan's grandsons, Edward and Charles, fraternal twins. "Their father, John Sullivan II gave Charles this house because, the story says, Charles was always his favorite. Edward moved in with Charles to serve the church in Stonebridge. "Now you have to know, there were never two sons more different than Edward and Charles. From boyhood, Edward devoted his life energy and love to God. He always yearned to be a minister and attended seminary school. He took the Bible quite literally at times, almost to the point of fanaticism. He was studious and serious. "Charles was the dreamer. He was the musician, the pianist, and it is said that he played quite brilliantly. He was a free spirit. The two young men never really agreed upon anything, but they loved each other in their own way. And that's why it is believed that Charles allowed Edward to take up residence here at Sullivan House. "The one fault of Captain Sullivan, the one that started all the trouble was his passionate love of drink and gambling. It constantly amazed everyone that he did not squander away all of his wife's inheritance on liquor and dicing and cards. And it's one of those card games that won him three servants." Adam's eyes widened in curiosity. "How do you win a servant?" Mr. Dorsey nodded in response to the question. "Do you know, Adam, that is the same question that I asked my mum when she told me the story. Let me see if I can remember the date to give you more of perspective. This was in the year 1840 or so, before the Americans abolished slavery. A wealthy plantation owner came to visit, bringing five of his finest and favorite slaves with him---he lost three in that card game to Captain Sullivan. "Sullivan, naturally, 'freed' them and offered them the option of living in his house as his servants. When Captain Sullivan died, he willed the house to his son, and with it the servants. Charles gave them the option of staying on or leaving, and having no where else to go, they all remained on." Mr. Dorsey stared down at his empty teacup, then nodded politely to the General. "If it's not too much of a problem, sir, could I get more tea?" Ami stood more quickly than the General could. "I'll get it." [Playing domestic?] Adam teased. [Just for that, you can serve yourself,] was the girl's immediate response. "Yeah, but what does all this have to do with ghosts?" Megabyte took advantage of the silence to ask his question. Knowing the history of Sullivan House was dandy, if one was into history--which Megabyte wasn't. He wanted to know why Adam was playing the piano in the middle of the night, what caused Ami to sleep walk, and who the girls saw in the upstairs window. "Why, young man, if Captain Sullivan had never won that card game, none of it would have ever happened." Mr. Dorsey leaned across the table, lowering his voice. "You see, one of the servants was a witch." End of Chapter Eight ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Tigger Subject: TPFICT: Round Robin #3 Part 01/?? Date: 14 Oct 1997 13:44:05 -0500 (CDT) Round Robin #3 Part 1 by Beth Epstein Adam woke from a sound sleep to hear rustling from the main room of the spaceship. He rose from the mattress and crept into the doorway in the main room of the spaceship. A young girl with long, blonde hair was unfolding a sleeping bag. "Jade?" She looked up. "I'm sorry, did I wake you?" "What are you doing here?" "Hiding, my mum's new coworker is staying at our place-- I'm not sure why, roaches or something he *claims*. He gives me the creeps." 'Men staying over in general give you the creeps,' Adam thought, but kept those thoughts to himself. "Do you want me to go back with you?" "You think I'm overreacting, don't you?" Jade pouted. "I don't know," somehow came out of Adam's mouth instead of "yes." Jade raised her eyebrows. Adam shrugged. "Do you want me to come with you or not?" Jade nodded. The two teleported to an area near her house. Just after they materialized, another flash of light appeared just behind them. "Jade, just he person I was looking for," Megabyte grinned. Jade turned round. "Why?" Ever since Megabyte had made it clear that he didn't requite Jade's crush on him, Jade had been slightly leery of the boy. Megabyte held up a compilation video, _Byron Lucifer Video Library_, "Complete with interview footage. Who else am I going to get to watch this with me?" "Not me, but I'll walk you two in just the same," Adam retorted, rolling his eyes in annoyance. The three approached the house and entered, going through the hall to the living room. The man sitting on the couch turned round, towards the door. Megabyte dropped the video and Adam pulled Jade close to him in a protective gesture. Professor Galt smiled ominously. "Megabyte, so nice to see you again." End Part 1 *cackle* Have fun, Mike. (Want in on the action? Email me at epsteinb@carleton.edu and I'll schedule you in.) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Michael Matott Subject: Re: TPFICT: Round Robin #3 Part 01/?? Date: 14 Oct 1997 15:15:37 -0400 Begin forwarded message: >"Hiding, my mum's new coworker is staying at our place-- I'm >not sure why, roaches or something he *claims*. He gives me >the creeps." Ok. Was it ever stated in the series where Jade's mom worked? I don't remember, but I don't want to break continuity if I make something up. Also, Professor Galt was the black guy who was a bit careless, right? Who was the white guy who was the military type in the origin story. (I'm not planning on bringing him or Lady Mulvaney into this, but I may mention them. Gloria on the other hand may get an entrance) >*cackle* Have fun, Mike. Oh thanks. I plan to. Hmm. (Would people be upset if I had Jade disntegrate as Professor Galt says, "whoops, bit too much power there"? ) mike ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Darryl W Gillikin Subject: Re: TPFICT: Round Robin #3 Part 01/?? Date: 14 Oct 1997 15:22:54 -0400 (EDT) > >"Hiding, my mum's new coworker is staying at our place-- I'm > > >not sure why, roaches or something he *claims*. He gives me > > >the creeps." > > Ok. Was it ever stated in the series where Jade's mom worked? No, not anywhere in "The Living Stones", and I don't think I've come across anything in fanfic along those lines. > I > don't remember, but I don't want to break continuity if I make > something up. > > Also, Professor Galt was the black guy who was a bit careless, right? Yep. > Who was the white guy who was the military type in the origin story. Colonel Masters, part of the USSIA. (I prefer Trevor Bannister's Original Series Colonel Masters, but that's another discusion entirely :)) > (I'm not planning on bringing him or Lady Mulvaney into this, but I > may mention them. Gloria on the other hand may get an entrance) > > >*cackle* Have fun, Mike. > > Oh thanks. I plan to. Hmm. (Would people be upset if I had Jade > disntegrate as Professor Galt says, "whoops, bit too much power > there"? ) I certainly WOULD! :) Although my best friend would probably want to shake your hand. Darryl ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: c648193@showme.missouri.edu Subject: Re: TPFICT: Round Robin #3 Part 01/?? Date: 14 Oct 1997 15:10:03 -0500 (CDT) On Tue, 14 Oct 1997, Michael Matott wrote: > > > Begin forwarded message: > > >"Hiding, my mum's new coworker is staying at our place-- I'm > > >not sure why, roaches or something he *claims*. He gives me > > >the creeps." > > Ok. Was it ever stated in the series where Jade's mom worked? I > don't remember, but I don't want to break continuity if I make > something up. It was never said that she works that I recall but i don't think it would hurt assume that at some point she got a job. > Also, Professor Galt was the black guy who was a bit careless, right? > Who was the white guy who was the military type in the origin story. > (I'm not planning on bringing him or Lady Mulvaney into this, but I > may mention them. Gloria on the other hand may get an entrance.) I think you are talking about Col. Masters. He was the one working for Lady Mulvaney. If not him the only other one I recall being given a name is Mr. Jones. Hope this helps Martha c648193@showme.missouri.edu ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: AmyH3x4@aol.com Subject: Re: TPFICT: Colonel Masters (Re: RR#3, part 01) Date: 14 Oct 1997 16:19:13 -0400 (EDT) >Colonel Masters, part of the USSIA. (I prefer Trevor Bannister's Original Series >Colonel >Masters, but that's another discusion entirely :)) Oh yeah, he was kinda scary! Didn't he do a sitcom after the TP or something? Oh, and is this my imagination, or did he make any appearence at all in Revenge of Jedikiah? They don't show him at all, just Stephen (Jedikiah) shooting a figure, and then him collapsing (or something). He's still listed in the credits though. Amy :) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Darryl W Gillikin Subject: Re: TPFICT: Colonel Masters (Re: RR#3, part 01) Date: 14 Oct 1997 17:54:09 -0400 (EDT) > >Colonel Masters, part of the USSIA. (I prefer Trevor Bannister's Original > Series >Colonel > >Masters, but that's another discusion entirely :)) > > Oh yeah, he was kinda scary! Didn't he do a sitcom after the TP or > something? "Are You Being Served?", the second worst sitcom I've ever seen (behind "Keeping Up Appearances"--IMHO. At least, after seeing "Secret Weapon", I realized hy Mr. Lucas always looked so bloody familiar! :) > Oh, and is this my imagination, or did he make any appearence at > all in Revenge of Jedikiah? They don't show him at all, just Stephen > (Jedikiah) shooting a figure, and then him collapsing (or something). He's > still listed in the credits though. Is he? I didn't notice. I didn't even think the person slumped over the desk was Trevor Bannister. Darryl ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Rachael Bailey Subject: Re: TPFICT: Date: 14 Oct 1997 19:28:20 -0700 (PDT) are you really going to write a story with us in it??? _____________________________________________________________________ Sent by RocketMail. Get your free e-mail at http://www.rocketmail.com oticed it, they gave no sign. "You certainly are getting ahead of the story, Master Adam." Mr. Dorsey smiled with good humor and gave the young man a light pat on the arm. "Yes, Edward did hang Kali, but that came later. Once he believed her soul was beyond repentance. But aside from Edward's daily lectures to Kali, there was nothing amiss at Sullivan House. "Then, one day, Charles became aware of how Kali was ostracized by the other servants, and he happened to walk in on one of Edward's sermons. Now, Charles being a free spirit, had inherited his grandfather's addiction to drink. When he didn't spend his time in front of the piano or taunting Edward about the nature of God and religion, he spent it on drink and less than reputable women. "However, on this day, Charles wasn't drunk. He was incensed by Edward's treatment of the girl and the two brothers had their first of many arguments over Kali. The story says that Charles befriended Kali that day to spite his brother, but who knows the true reason for his defense of her? Whatever the case, Charles took to spending time with Kali; they walked in the garden together, and she could frequently be seen hovering in the conservatory when he played. "Nothing amiss until the news arrived." Mr. Dorsey paused for effect, his eyes raking over his captive audience. "Charles and Edward had one elder brother, John III, who was taking over the family business. John took ill with consumption and died, leaving no one to assume control of the family fortune. Except Edward or Charles. "Now, Edward could not do it. He had the church; he was a minister right proper. That left Charles. Faced with family obligation, Charles had to turn aside his music and his passion and assume his proper place as heir of the family business. To add insult to injury, his parents had arranged for his marriage to a woman he neither knew nor cared for. For Charles, this was almost the end of his world." "You must remember now, that Charles spent many long hours complaining of his fate and that everyone remained convinced of Kali's evil. On one summer day, it is said that Edward caught Kali amidst 'heathen ministrations' on the garden path. He locked her in the root cellar for three days until she confessed. 'Course, no one can say what she was doing, she may have simply been praying to God. "Whatever the case, life at Sullivan House was about to become a nightmare." A silence hung in the room when the caretaker paused and sipped his tea. Megabyte's impatience got the better of him. He simply wanted to get the story moving again. "Mr. Dorsey, why? What happened?" "Tragedy after tragedy; Mrs. Sullivan, the mother of Charles and Edward, died; Edward's church burned to the ground; one of the servants died mysteriously; the family dog turned up poisoned, and the last blow--Charles fiancée died of a mysterious illness after spending a week at Sullivan House. "Guess whom everyone pointed the finger at?" "Kali," Ami breathed the girl's name with compassion. Mr. Dorsey nodded. "Kali, the wicked voodoo priestess. "Charles, respectfully went to London to pay his regards to the family of his late fiancée. While he was away, Edward began the cycle that haunts Sullivan House to this day." "Hey, what did I miss?" Jade's voice startled them all. Each had been so focused on the old caretaker that they hadn't noticed the girl walk into the kitchen. [Jade, don't do that!] Megabyte snapped. [Do what? Didn't anyone hear me? I told you that I was coming.] Adam smiled sheepishly. "We weren't expecting you, Jade. When did you get here?" [I guess we were a little caught up in Mr. Dorsey's story,] Ami added. "I just walked in. Did I miss anything?" General Damon shook his head. "Pull up a chair, Jade. You're just in time. Mr. Dorsey's story is about to get interesting." End of Chapter Nine ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Selma McCrory Subject: TPFICT: But Keep the Old, 5/6 Date: 15 Oct 1997 20:51:48 -0800 Disclaimers and such in part 0. This is part 5 of a 6 part story. Previous parts can be found on the TPFICT archive page. Comments really welcome at smccrory@calweb.com. ----- But Keep the Old by Selma McCrory copyright 1997 part 5 "Hey, guys!" I yelled as Iz and I came up behind the rest of the Rangers. "Rocky!" Tanya replied as the group turned towards me. "Is this Iz?" "This is Iz," I said as the group crowded around the two of us. "Iz, these are my friends. Adam, Katherine, Tanya, and Tommy." "Great to meet all of you!" Iz squealed. "You must be some of the people Rocky's talked about." "So, what are you up to?" Adam asked. "A big date?" "I was going to show her around town for a bit, and then go have lunch in the park." "Then, go see a movie," Iz added. "Return of the Jedi." "That's neat," Tommy said. "Hey, how about having lunch sometime with the rest of us. We could have lunch on Saturday." "Sounds good to me," Iz replied cheerfully. "We'll see you there, then," Tommy replied. "We've got to get to the charity ice-skating competition at the auditorium." "Have fun," I replied. The group went off, turning the corner at fifth street. Iz and I continued on ahead, crossing the street. "Just tell them to not bring a big lunch for me," Iz said, sighing. "Mom will have fits, but she's not here." "Speaking of lunch...." Iz smiled. "Rocky, Mom would love you. Let's get to the park." We walked towards the park, hand in hand. As we drew near, I could tell that a lot of people were at the park. I vaguely remembered the paper mentioning some sort of event. I decided to head towards a picnic area farther away from the event. The tables in the area had been destroyed in a monster attack some while ago, and had never been rebuilt. Instead, the concrete foundations had been left. "How does this look?" I asked. Iz was looking at the concrete. "What happened *here*?" she asked. "Have you ever heard of the Power Rangers?" I asked. It was likely that she had. Lisa had when I had asked her about it. "Yeah, they're some kind of superhero team that fights monsters in some town in Southern California. I remember them being in the news once or twice," she said. She then looked up. "I take it they meant here, in Angel Grove." "Yes. They seem rather fond of the park, at least the last three or four sets of bad guys did. Eventually, the city got tired of replacing picnic tables. Angel Grove seems to be the only place affected, by the way. Stone Canyon, which is right next door to us, never gets hit. Nor does anything else for that matter." "If monsters keep attacking, why does everyone still live here?" Iz asked. I shrugged, not quite knowing the answer. "I dunno. Maybe because we've got a nice climate, or because people are drawn here the same way the bad guys are. We just keep going, somehow." "So, do you think there's going to be a monster attack while I'm here?" I shrugged again. "There could be. The bad guys seem to attack at random. They don't attack every day, otherwise Angel Grove really *would* be a ghost town, but we can never tell when they're going to attack next. If there is, there'll be sirens. Probably not today, though. We had a monster attack yesterday, and they rarely attack two days in a row." She raised an eyebrow. "Well, it sounds like your life is certainly more interesting than mine!" "It's all part of life here," I said, suddenly aware of the communicator on my wrist. We set the picnic basket down. I'd cooked enough for two and a half, knowing that I'd finish off the meal if she didn't. I knew that she liked food, and had a good appreciation for gourmet eating. She just had a very small stomach. Probably her small stomach was her only fault. While not supermodel-gorgeous, she looked wonderful. She wasn't very thin, even with her small appetite. I guess it's because she has several small meals a day, instead of the main three. I loved talking to her. We didn't have that much in common, but under my encouragement she was considering taking karate. She was still trying to convince me to donate blood. I kept telling her that I hated needles. She kept replying that she did, too, but that didn't prevent her from donating. It was going to be so good to talk to her face-to-face. We'd gotten a chance once, when Jade and I had discovered that spaceship, but we were too busy talking about Jesse to get into that kind of thing. [Rocky? You there?] [Hi, Lisa,] I replied. [Any emergencies?] [No, just wanted to know how Iz is.] [She's fine. I just explained Angel Grove's resident problems to her. She seemed to take it very well.] [Good. Do you like her?] [Of course I like her, Lisa, she's a nice girl...] [Good. She's still my friend. I don't want her feelings hurt.] [If you're so worried, come on our next date and bring Adam. I'm sure he'd be flattered you asked.] [Why don't I just come by now and flog you with this pillow?] Lisa argued, although I heard a smile in her mental voice. [Probably wouldn't do your reputation much good,] Adam said, surprising us both. [How's Justin? Lisa told me something of what's going on.] [I think he's fine,] I replied. [He got swept up the moment he got back to school. Kat's going to visit him later on this afternoon - she's the only one who won't arouse suspicions if she goes to visit.] [That's good. Keep us up to date.] [I will, Adam,] I replied. I then realized that Iz was staring at me. "Rocky, are you okay?" she asked. "You kind of zoned out on me." "Sorry. My brain was elsewhere," I said, grateful that she wouldn't interpret it literally. "Penny for your thoughts?" Iz asked. I think she was trying to be helpful. Well, I could tell her part of the truth. "I was just thinking of how happy I am, and then I was thinking of ways to fix Lisa up." "With who?" Iz asked, warming to the subject. I was right: some people were unadulterated matchmakers. "There's this guy, Adam, a different one than you met today. Anyway, they're friends, but they don't hang around much together. Everybody can tell they love each other, but they don't seem to realize that." "You want to come up with a way to get them dating?" Iz smiled mischievously. "No wonder Lisa's never had a date, if she's been carrying a flag for this guy!" I smiled. "Yeah, I'm not so good at this mushy stuff, but those two deserve to be together. Think you can help?" "I can but try," Iz said, then looked thoughtful. "First of all, this is a long-distance relationship, right? Those are kinda hard. Do the two of them have internet access? That'll help. Where does this guy live, anyway?" "London, England, but he came from Australia." Iz whistled. "Talk about long-distance. How'd they meet?" "I think it was at a beach on an island," I said. "They just bumped into each other practically." "That's a nice, interesting place to meet," Iz replied. "Maybe I'll buy a few romance novels from the used bookstore. Somebody's got to- aaagh!" Iz's plans, whatever they were, were cut off by the appearance of several Piranhatrons and something that resembled a mutated octopus. One of the Piranhatrons reached for Iz. "Oh, no you don't," I said, getting between it and her. "Iz, when I say run, run!" She glanced and started backing away. "Are you going to be okay?" "Yeah, I'll keep them away from you while you get away. By that time, the Rangers will have shown up. Run!" Iz ran. I hit one Piranhatron, knocking it off-balance, and foot-swept another that looked like it was going after Iz. I managed to activate my communicator as two Piranhatrons grabbed my arms. "Hey, Tommy, guys! I could use some help in the park! Oh, no you don't!" I knocked both Piranhatrons to the ground. Two more rushed at me and I was soon embroiled once more in battle. The rest of the Rangers fizzed into existence. "Need some help, buddy?" Tommy asked as he and the others engaged the Piranhatrons and the monster. "Thanks," I yelled. Finding myself with some free space, I finally managed to morph. "Shift into turbo! Mountain Blaster Turbo Power!" Meanwhile, the other Rangers had mostly gotten rid of the Piranhatrons, and so only one was left. Tommy and Katherine were fighting the monster, while Adam and Tanya went after the one remaining Piranhatron. The thing grabbed Tommy with one of its tentacles, raising it high in the air. Katherine screamed "Tommy!" At the same time, Adam and Tanya had finished up and were rushing the monster. I joined them. The monster grabbed Tanya with one of its other tentacles and raised her up in the air, where she struggled. Another one snared Katherine from where she was firing at it, and the final one got Adam. Fortunately for me, there were only four tentacles. It couldn't grab me. The monster laughed and waved the other four Rangers around as if it were a carnival ride and they were on it. Finally, it brought Adam and Katherine down near its sides, hanging them upside down. "Want to try shooting, blue Ranger? You'll never hit me! And I know you won't kill me." I groaned. Divatox must have been spying at some point when I was discussing my status. That meant that she knew that I couldn't kill. Of course, there was a slim possibility that I still could. After all, who knew the limits of our no-killing restriction. I shot at the monster, trying to aim straight in the middle of its body. Unfortunately, every time I did, my aim wavered, and I was in danger of hitting either Adam or Katherine. The monster seemed to enjoy this, bringing Adam and Katherine closer as my shots went wilder. {end of part 5} Selma McCrory * smccrory@calweb.com * stmccrory@hotmail.com "You're not a mouse. You're a cat. You don't need to help me move the cursor around." -me, to one of my cats. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "Michele Mason" Subject: TPFICT: Exoneration (10/20) Date: 15 Oct 1997 21:00:29 PDT Exoneration (10/20) By Michele R Mason Chapter Ten -- Tragedy Once introductions were made all around and Mr. Dorsey given his third cup of tea, the man leaned forward and launched into the final chapter of his story. "Edward was convinced that Kali was a witch and that she was responsible for all the tragedies that had befallen the Sullivan family and household. In the middle of the night, he hauled her out of bed, and dragging her into the conservatory, he preached to her about the peril of her soul for hours on end. When she did not confess to her sins, he dragged her out into the yard, and lashed her to a tree and proceeded to whip her soundly. "It's said that while he whipped her, she cried out only once, and that what she cried was a Biblical quote: 'Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do'. Naturally, this sort of blasphemy from the witch only enraged Edward more. "The story gets a bit vague here. Apparently Edward spent the next three days in prayer and fasting and meditation, seeking advice from God while Kali was locked in the attic. On the third day, he announced to the household that God had advised him in all matters. He knew how to deal with the witch. He led them out to the garden where Kali's lifeless body hanged from a tree. "Edward had condemned her to death." Ami clutched her teacup, her eyes cast downward. "That poor girl." "That's horrible," Jade breathed at the same moment. Megabyte swallowed. He was beginning to think that he didn't want to hear more of the story about Sullivan House. Maybe some secrets were best left untold. But then he remembered Adam sitting at the piano, speaking in a voice that wasn't his . . . "What happened next, Mr. Dorsey?" Adam's voice lacked some of its earlier enthusiasm and pep. He stared at the caretaker, his eyes shadowed. "Kali's body disappeared. None of the servants would confess to it, but it was no secret that they were all a superstitious lot. It is believed that they buried Kali in unconsecrated ground. That would be the reason that her ghosts walks these grounds." "Is she the one who sits in the front bedroom window?" Ami asked. A look of surprise flashed across Mr. Dorsey's face. "You've seen the Watching Lady?" "The Watching Lady?" Ami repeated the name. "That's what she's called. But that's not Kali. That is Captain Sullivan's wife. No one knows her story, or what she's doing there. She simply sits and watches out of that window. "No, Kali's spirit is a different matter entirely. She roams the gazebo and the garden path. The story goes that she had a great talent for growing things, and that she tended the rose bush that grows along the path. Mostly, you can hear her crying, upstairs in the attic." "Have you seen her?" Jade leaned forward on her elbows. Mr. Dorsey nodded. "I've seen her walking that garden path. And once, on the anniversary of the murder, I saw her body hanging---" Mr. Dorsey shifted in seat suddenly. "No need for morbid details, now is there? "Where was I? Oh, yes, Kali's death. "When Charles returned home from the funeral, he was naturally incensed to learn about the death of the young servant girl at his brother's hands. He drank himself into a stupor, and sat in front of that piano, banging on the keys until the wee hours of the morning when Edward finally returned from prayer. "The two brothers argued, and then, Charles strangled Edward to death. They say it was an accident, that he was bitter and distraught and not thinking clearly. But no one knows. What is known is that once Charles realized what he had done, he raced upstairs to his bedroom, and after writing a letter of explanation, hanged himself from the four poster bed. "And that, my young friends, is the end of the sad tale of the Sullivan brothers and Kali." Adam sat back in his chair. "No wonder this place is haunted. All that sadness and anger." "It's such a sad story," Ami remarked. "Poor Charles, he probably felt that he had lost everything. His mother, his music, his friend, his fiancée and then his brother." Megabyte raised up to look at his friend. Had they all heard the same story? "He killed his brother, Ami." "But he had to feel horribly guilty about it," Ami argued. "That's what drove him to kill himself." "What I don't get," Megabyte ignored the argument. It made sense after all, and he didn't want to admit that he could have been out of line with his earlier remark. "What I don't get is why would Charles kill his brother over a servant? Shouldn't he have just handed him over the magistrate or whatever?" Adam fingered his teaspoon idly. "Maybe she was more than a servant." "What?" "Megabyte," Adam shook his head, saying his friend's name with amused affection. "Do I have to spell it out for you? Maybe Charles was in love with Kali." "But someone would have known that. The other servants would have talked." "Would they?" Mr. Dorsey edged back into the conversation. "Charles Sullivan was living in a time when people were separated by race and social class. A simple servant girl would never had made a proper match for the grandson of Captain Sullivan; a servant girl who had once been a slave, these things just weren't done, young sir." "That's so romantic. It's like Romeo and Juliet," Jade sighed, her eyes misting. "Yes, it's just like Romeo and Juliet. Charles and Kali died senselessly too." Again there was an unfamiliar edge to Adam's voice. "There are some old journals and boxes in the attic that belonged to the Sullivans," Mr. Dorsey added by way of information. "I never had the chance to look through them, simply wasn't curious enough. And now, my eyes aren't what they used to be. But you young ones, you might want to have a look." The four Tomorrow People remained seated around the kitchen table while General Damon walked Mr. Dorsey out and made arrangements for the man's caretaking duties to resume on a full-time basis. Adam smiled at his friends. "So, does anyone want to have a look in those boxes?" End of Chapter Ten ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Tigger Subject: TPFICT: Section 46 06/06 Date: 16 Oct 1997 10:20:41 -0500 (CDT) "Section 46" Part 6 of 6 "Reunion" by Beth Epstein, epsteinb@carleton.edu An Original Series TP story Elizabeth knocked on Hsui Tai's door. "Go away!" "Hsui Tai, it's Elizabeth. Are you sure you don't want to talk?" The door opened slowly, revealing one brown eye and a shock of black hair. Once Hsui Tai assured herself that neither Mike nor John were around, she opened it all the way, and then gestured for Elizabeth to come in. The elder woman entered and shut the door behind her. Hsui Tai flopped down on her bed. "What's wrong?" Elizabeth inquired gently. Hsui Tai sighed and shook her head. "What don't you understand, Hsui Tai?" Hsui Tai sat up. "I *hated* it when that robot kissed me, and then having it storm into my room like that...." Elizabeth was confused, but steadfast. "That was perfectly understandable, but it's not Mike's fault. Why are you upset with him? I know that robot looked like him, but you have to try to remember that Mike was not directly responsible for its actions." "I know. I did not realize at first, but I do now, I think. I was angry, but now.... Now I wish it was really Mike that kissed me, but not *that* way. I don't understand it at all." "You two are pretty close, it's possible that you're forming..." "But I don't want to feel this way! I think. Maybe I do.... I'm confused. And to have it come in without knocking... Mike wouldn't do that." The last statement was so definitive that Elizabeth only felt the need to address the nebulous ones. "Do you not want to feel that way because you think John won't approve, or because you're afraid that Mike will reject you, or is it something else?" Hsui Tai shrugged. There had been advantages to living in a monastery. Then again, if she weren't taken away from there.... "I think you should talk to Mike about this," Elizabeth suggested gently. Hsui Tai sighed, nodded, and started to leave the room. Elizabeth rose to follow her. "Oh, and leave the door to his cabin open, all right?" Hsui Tai laughed as they entered the lounge. "Now that's more like it," John smiled. Andrew emerged from the other wing. "TIM, could I have some soup for Mike, please?" Soup appeared on a tray on TIM's platform. "I'll take it to him," Hsui Tai replied, sweeping up the bowl and spoon and taking it into the boys' wing. Andrew's mouth dropped open. He turned to Liz. "What did you *say* to her?" "That's private," Elizabeth replied. Andrew started to head in the general direction of the boys' cabins, but Kenny whisked something out from under one of the couches. "I almost forgot, Carol and I brought these back from the Trig with us. This is for you," Kenny handed Andrew a neatly folded square of silver material, and then a helmet. Andrew's face lit up. "My own AE suit." He started bouncing up and down. "I get to go into space!" Kenny laughed, "I like this kid!" John pulled Andrew down next to him. "Calm down, there's plenty of time. I want to hear all about how you found us. You're getting to be quite the hero, you know." Andrew rolled his eyes. Sometimes John took this guardianship thing a little too seriously. "Uh-oh, John's rubbed off on 'im all ready!" Tyso teased. * * * Mike nearly fainted when Hsui Tai appeared bearing a tray of soup in his doorway. She placed the tray in his lap and hesitated, unsure what to say, or even how to begin. Mike's thoughts came out in a jumble of words. "I wish I could have stopped it, Hsui Tai. I would *never* force myself on you like that. I'd never hurt you. I'll...." Mike paused, unsure if he should go on, but it felt like it was too late to turn back now. "I'll go back to hiding my feelings if that's what you want. Our friendship is too important to ruin over stuff like this." "That's it." "That's what? What'd I do now?" Hsui Tai took his hand and sat down beside him. Mike's eyebrows shot up in surprise. Hsui Tai sighed. "When that... thing first kissed me I was angry, frightened, but after awhile I began to wish it was you, but under..." she paused, searching for the words, "better circumstances. And that scared me; we're best friends and I don't want to lose that." Mike wiped away a tear from her face. "Me neither." He set the food tray on the floor and pulled her into a warm hug. "Sometimes, friendships become something... more, better, but sometimes they just.... Look, we can't try to forget this, it's likely to make things worse... explosive." Hsui Tai nodded. "I guess we'll just have to take things slower than molasses on a cold day..." "Running uphill in January." Mike laughed, letting her go. "You should..." Hsui Tai began as Mike lifted the tray and dug into his soup. He paused. "I'm sorry, I'm rather hungry. You were saying?" "That you should eat that before it gets cold; mind reader." "Who me?" Mike laughed and dug in. * * * John walked back into the lounge. "Well, they're not fighting." "Hey, you make me stay here so I can't eavesdrop, and then you go to eavesdrop under pretense of using the loo?" Andrew complained. "No, I just happened to overhear while traveling between here and there, because the door was open, that's all. I do *not* eavesdrop." "Yeah, right, and you and Elizabeth just *happened* to show up at the same restaurant when I finally got a date with Mandi... Mandi..." "Huelings," Tyso prompted. "How come you remember her surname and I don't?" Stephen whined. "Because you were talking about her for *weeks* before you finally got around to asking her out," Mike replied from the doorway, supported by Hsui Tai. Andrew shot up and went to Mike's other side, and helped maneuver him to a couch. Stephen grabbed the soup tray in front of them out of the air. "Before someone breaks something." "She's not as untrained as all that, you know," John replied. "Training does not replace natural aptitude," Stephen replied. "I seem to remember you breaking a mug on your first go," Kenny interjected. "Did not." "Mike you should be in bed," John scolded. "You think I'm gonna sleep when everybody's here? You've got to be kidding." John rolled his eyes. Stephen decided to change the subject before John tried to ream Mike. "I was not talking about Mandi for weeks. It was two or three days." Mike and Tyso simultaneously shook their heads. "Try two or three *months*," Tyso ribbed. Stephen whacked him on the arm. All the Tomorrow People burst out laughing. They stayed up well into the night, reminiscing. THE END ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "Michele Mason" Subject: Re: TPFICT: Section 46 06/06 Date: 16 Oct 1997 11:24:58 PDT > Andrew's face lit up. "My own AE suit." He started >bouncing up and down. "I get to go into space!" Aww, how sweet. > Stephen whacked him on the arm. All the Tomorrow People >burst out laughing. They stayed up well into the night, >reminiscing. Double aww. :) Sequel? I am miserably sick. I'm so sick I *had* forgotten that today was conclusion day. . .can you believe it? Another head/chest cold...this makes the second one in two months. I should just buy stock in Hall's Coughdrops and Nyquil. And regarding "Darkness." I think that it's going to be eleven chapters. I had one chapter that I decided to split into two because it was getting to be so long! Michele ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "Michele Mason" Subject: TPFICT: Re: Oops! Last Message Date: 16 Oct 1997 11:31:48 PDT Oops! For all of you who are confused, looks like I posted my private message to Beth to the list. Sorry . It's been one of those days for the past two or three days. . .just ignore my ramblings and insanity. It's the cold medicine. Really, it is. Michele ::crawling back into bed with a box of tissue and a cup of hot tea:: ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "Michele Mason" Subject: TPFICT: Exoneration -- Author's Apologies Date: 17 Oct 1997 19:31:04 PDT Okay, I know I promised you guys a posting every other day, but I won't be able to post the next few parts until Sunday night; Monday morning at the latest (I'm talking EST--It's currently 10:30PM where I am on a Friday night!). The reasons for this are two: 1) I'm sick; my cold seems to be getting worse instead of better (you know, the one that made me accidentally post my private reply to the list :) and 2)I've been promoted at work: I'm now a keyholder, and this means I have to cover hours for my Asst. Mgr who is on vacation this weekend. This means, no time to type and post, etc. Please bear with me! I promise the story WILL BE concluded by Halloween! Michele (who really, really wants new sinuses right about now) ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Lubin Subject: TPFICT: What if you could... Date: 18 Oct 1997 05:04:17 +0000 Hey guys, I'm new to the TPFICT mailing list, so if you haven't heard of me, don't freak or anything. I asked this question to Shaun (he owns a Tomorrow People webpage that is really cool)that stated: If there was a soundtrack being made to the Tomorrow People, what songs would you put on it? I said I'd put on song British bands (like: The Verve, Republica, Elastica, Iggy Pop, Blur, etc.) and maybe this band called Our Lady Peace because they wrote this song called "_Tomorrow_ Never Knows" (it's originally by the Beatles *sigh*). Well, that's all I have to say at the moment. See you guys later, Sarah PS: Am I breaking any of the rules by posting that? I still don't get the rules yet (dislexiya is the pits, you know) and I'll catch on maybe next millenium *grins*. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Lubin Subject: Re: TPFICT: What if you could... Date: 18 Oct 1997 07:35:05 +0000 At 07:19 AM 10/18/97 +0000, you wrote: >Um, yes you are. Such *discussions* should take place on the >discussion mailing list (the TPDIS mailing list, tpdis@xmission.com) >and not on the TPFICT mailing list, which is for Fiction. Actually, this topic is related to the Tomorrow People Fan Fiction list. I mean, they never really made one and it would be cool to start a serial and have a soundtrack for it on the internet. I've heard of people doing that with original series (like some we have never heard of that has to do with Science Fiction) and it's pretty neat. I think some on the TPFICT should do that with a serial (maybe Tomorrow's Future....hey, Wendy, there's an idea for you if you need one) and put it on the internet. Besides, Ruby, I'm new and I'm still trying to figure out this thing....so cut me some slack, okay???? Sarah PS: Does anyone know of anymore Tomorrow People Fan Fiction besides Wendy's page, Shaun's page, and Oddworld Archives????? I need to read more Fan Fiction (I swear....those little boxes are worthless 'cuz they had to cancel the show and now we are stuck with anymore adventure to watch....thank god for Fan Fiction and Wendy's page :::grins:::) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Lubin Subject: Re: TPFICT: Exoneration -- Author's Apologies Date: 18 Oct 1997 21:07:08 +0000 At 02:31 AM 10/18/97 +0000, you wrote: >Okay, I know I promised you guys a posting every other day, but I won't >be able to post the next few parts until Sunday night; Monday morning at >the latest (I'm talking EST--It's currently 10:30PM where I am on a >Friday night!). The reasons for this are two: 1) I'm sick; my cold seems >to be getting worse instead of better (you know, the one that made me >accidentally post my private reply to the list :) and 2)I've been >promoted at work: I'm now a keyholder, and this means I have to cover >hours for my Asst. Mgr who is on vacation this weekend. This means, no >time to type and post, etc. What story are you writing, Michele? Where can I find it??? Sarah ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: bookwyrm@sprynet.com Subject: TPFICT: ADMIN: Archive Update Date: 18 Oct 1997 14:34:36 -0700 I've just finished the update on the archive. Since it is now a weekly update, I'll try to get in the habit of posting a notice about it for all of you holding your breath looking for missing parts to stories :) BTW, I would appreciate if anyone wanting to link to the archive, or anyone with links to the archive, would use the new address at: http://www.xmission.com/~ladyslvr/TPFICT/ The one with which you're all familiar is still up and active for the time being, but I'll be taking it down next month. Also note that the Galactic Fed page has a similiar new address at: http://www.xmission.com/~ladyslvr/gftch/ or http://www.xmission.com/~ladyslvr/gftch/index2.html for those Lynx users among us. ... Wendy bookwyrm@sprynet.com * http://www.xmission.com/~ladyslvr/ Listowner Tomorrow People Creative and Discussion Lists Asst. Listowner Sliders Creative & Discussion Lists at esosoft ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Hal Freeman Subject: Re: TPFICT: What if you could... Date: 19 Oct 1997 14:38:40 -0500 Sarah??!?!?!?! Oh my lord! I didn't expect you here. Oh mah lord. I'm not the only Questie here now! Hurry, write something! Write sister, write. I'm gonna need some help on an SQ/TP crossover I've started so e me privately for that. Are you subscribed to TPDIS? This is unbelieveable, Megan, The Questie ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: c648193@showme.missouri.edu Subject: Re: TPFICT: What if you could... Date: 19 Oct 1997 19:41:55 -0500 (CDT) On Sun, 19 Oct 1997, Hal Freeman wrote: > Sarah??!?!?!?! Oh my lord! I didn't expect you here. Oh mah lord. I'm > not the only Questie here now! > > Hurry, write something! Write sister, write. I'm gonna need some help > on an SQ/TP crossover I've started so e me privately for that. > > Are you subscribed to TPDIS? > > > This is unbelieveable, Count me in too. I loved seaQuest as well as TP and would love to give you my impressions on the story. Unfortunately I an not a writer so I can't help you write it. I am glad I am not alone in my love for both shows. Martha c648193@showme.missouri.edu ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Michael Matott Subject: TPFICT: Round Robin Part 2/?? Date: 19 Oct 1997 22:33:36 -0400 Now that Beth has reassured me that my memory is still okay, even after not having seen the Origin Story in four years, here's my addition to the Round Robin. Enjoy. ----- Round Robin #3 Part 2 by Mike Matott Megabyte and Adam spun around simultaneously, looking for a statuesque blonde with a tranquilizer gun or static helmet. The room was empty except for the three Tomorrow People and Professor Galt. Galt set a cup of tea, Earl Grey, on the coffee table. "My dear Ms. Weston, what *would* your mother say to see you in the arms of an older boy?" Jade shoved Adam's arm away from her. She moved between the two older teens so that she was slightly behind them and a bit further from Galt. "What are you doing here, Galt?" Megabyte asked, fury sparking in his eyes. "Shouldn't you be in jail? Or isn't kidnapping against the law in this country?" "Oh, it is, but the government was rather insistent on keeping matters hush-hush, so we struck a deal," Galt uncrossed his legs and stood. "I must say I'm rather surprised to see you here." "Then why are you here?" Adam asked. "I don't believe I have the pleasure of knowing your name?" "Then get used to not being pleased," Jade said. "He's a friend. That's more than you need to know." "Really, they should teach children better matters these days," Galt sighed and moved closer to them. Adam and Megabyte moved closer to each other and back, sheltering Jade from Galt's advance. All three of them took small steps back until Jade was flush against the door. The boys flanked her, about a foot from Galt. [I don't like this guys. This is my own house! He can't do this.] [I'm not sure what he's up to,] Megabyte 'pathed, [but I'm sure not going to trust him. That Neandrathal woman Gloria almost killed me and he almost electrocuted me.] [What are you talking about?] Jade 'pathed. [We'll explain later,] Adam replied. "What are you doing here, Galt?" Megabyte repeated. "Well, the simple truth of the matter is that I've recently come under the employ of SynerTech, a genetics research firm, which young Ms. Weston's mother also happens to work for. It came to my attention that Ms. Weston here had been involved in a rather peculiar incident not too long ago. Certain elements of the story intrigued me so I thought I would do a little investigation. From your appearence, it would seem my theories are correct. Ms. Weston is one of these /homo novis/ I've been attempting to isolate for some time. As of course are you, and I would assume the young man there is one as well." "Does Planters know one of its biggest nuts is out of the can?" Megabyte asked. Galt ignored the jibe, saying instead, "Have you seen your young friend Kevin lately, Megabyte?" "Kevin! What are you..." "Why, I thought you knew," Galt moved back to the couch and sipped his tea. "Kevin Wilson has vanished. And I don't mean in a flash of light." "What have you done with him?" Adam asked, fury rising in him. "I haven't done anything to him. In fact, his disappearance is what has brought me to Ms. Weston." Galt drained the teacup dry and set it down on the table. "To me?" Jade was confused. "You see, I couldn't really approach Megabyte about this. Not iwth our history and all. As this was the only other lead I really had... well, I had to come here." "Why?" Adam asked. "Well, you see, I need your help." The three teens stared in astonishment at him. End Part 2 Have fun, Michelle. (This round robin coordinated by Beth Epstein - epsteinb@carleton.edu, contact her for more info) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "Michele Mason" Subject: Re: TPFICT: Round Robin Part 2/?? Date: 19 Oct 1997 19:42:07 PDT >"Well, you see, I need your help." > >The three teens stared in astonishment at him. > >End Part 2 > Have fun, Michelle. Gee, thanks Mike. Hopefully, someday, I'll be able to get even for this... Michele :) ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "Michele Mason" Subject: TPFICT: Exoneration (11/20) Date: 19 Oct 1997 19:54:17 PDT Exoneration (11/20) By Michele R Mason Chapter Eleven - A Familiar Face Ami's hand on his arm prevented Adam from following Jade and Megabyte up the staircase. Her dark eyes darted after the retreating forms of their friends, waiting until they had disappeared into the darkness and were beyond earshot. "Adam are you all right?" Adam heard the question behind the question. He had hoped that no one had sensed his irrational bitterness. For some reason that he couldn't quite explain, he empathized with Charles; he could feel the man's bitterness and anger toward his religious brother; and he just couldn't shake the feeling that Charles was there, with him, watching and listening. He raked his hands through his hair. "I'm perfectly fine. Why?" His friend regarded him thoughtfully. "You just seem a bit --- moody." Adam flashed her what he hoped was a soothing smile. "I'm still a bit rattled from last night, but that's all." It was a good enough reason, and it was even partially true. Although not wholly. Ami's hesitance was so brief that he wouldn't have noticed it if he hadn't been anticipating it. "I guess we all are. But at least now we have some answers, and maybe there are more in the attic." [Are you two afraid of the attic?] Jade's teasing broke into their conversation. "If you want to talk, Adam." Ami let the rest of the sentence remain unspoken as she turned and headed up the stairs to meet Jade and Megabyte. "And there is music when she speaks." Adam spun around, hearing the voice whispered in his ear. There was no one behind him, only Ami ascending the staircase. She stopped, giving him a curious glance. "Did you say something Adam?" "No." Adam whispered the words, glancing at each of the corners of the room. "Did you hear something?" "I thought I heard ---" The lilting melody of piano music cut her words off. But this was not the sound of music being created by human hands; this sound was fleeting, fading seeming to drift on the air. Two pairs of eyes drifted to the conservatory entrance. Without another word, Adam made his decision. He took the stairs two at a time, pausing only long enough at Ami's side to take her hand. "Charles can play the piano. Let's see what's in that attic." Ami didn't have a chance to object as Adam took a shortcut and teleported them both to the attic. **** "You two look like you've seen a ghost," Megabyte greeted his friends the moment they appeared. "Heard one is more accurate." Adam glanced around the dusty attic. There were boxes and chests everywhere. He quickly understood why no one had ever gone through the items left in the attic. It would probably take them days to find anything significant and of value. Noticing the puzzled looks given to him by Jade and Megabyte, Adam explained. "We heard piano music. And this time, I wasn't the one playing." That was obviously explanation enough. Jade and Megabyte returned their attention to their respective corners of the attic. "We don't even know where to start," Jade groaned. "There are so many boxes." "Yeah, it looks like everyone who ever lived at Sullivan House used this place to store things," Megabyte added. Jade rolled her eyes, "Megabyte, that is what an attic is used for." "How about this one?" Ami pushed a dust covered sheet off the top of a rather large cedar chest. A cloud of dust floated into the air and she sneezed several times, as did Megabyte who happened to have the distinct pleasure of standing in the middle of the dust cloud. "Thank you, Ami," Megabyte muttered. Adam tried not to laugh. "Maybe we should open a window in here. I'm sure that's not the first batch of dust that we're going to stir up." Jade agreed, and in a moment, was helping Adam pry one of the attic windows open. It obviously hadn't been moved in years, and it squeaked noisily once they managed to lift it. However, the improvement was immediate, a wave of fresh air washed into the attic, and while it stirred additional dust, it also washed away some of the mustiness of the room. Adam leaned against the windowsill, staring off across the grounds. He imagined that the place had been quite beautiful once. From up here, he could see the garden path, winding its way to the gazebo; he could see the rose bush and --- Adam blinked and leaned out of the window. There was a woman tending the rose bushes. Her back was to him, her hair tied up in a kerchief, a woven basket by her feet. The rose bush was absolutely beautiful, in full bloom with brilliant red buds. The woman stopped, placed several cuttings in the basket and wiped her forehead. Standing, she turned and looked toward the house, her head rising slowly until her eyes came to rest on the window he stood in. Then, her head dipped suddenly, and gathering up the basket, she hurried toward the house. [Adam? Are you with us?] Megabyte's voice startled him. Adam pulled his eyes from the window. "I'm fine." "Adam, we've been calling you for the last five minutes," Ami's voice held a note of concern and worry. "Yeah, we thought--" Megabyte stopped in mid-sentence with a shrug. "You were kind of zoned out there for a minute." "You thought I was possessed again." Adam finished the thought that Megabyte had been unwilling to voice. He gave a last glance out of the window, knowing that he would find no traces of the apparition he had seen. "Maybe I was." "Adam?" He didn't miss the fear that gripped Ami's voice or the choked concern that flooded Megabyte's. Glancing from one to the other, and then to Jade who was staring at him with the same worry and concern that he felt radiating from Ami and Megabyte like heat from a fire, he shrugged and told them. "I saw Kali in the garden." Megabyte immediately dipped his head out of the window, his curiosity getting the better of him. Ami continued to stare at him with a look of mixed fear and concern. "I guess it runs in the family." He attempted to make light of the situation in the same manner that Megabyte would have, but for some reason, his words only intensified the fear in his friend's eyes. "There's something that you have to see, Adam." Ami grabbed his elbow and ushered him to the cedar chest that she had opened. "We found some journals and--" She paused then, stopping him a few paces from the chest. Jade's body hid whatever it was that Ami obviously didn't want him to see just yet. "Is your family originally from England, Adam?" The question surprised him. The others always respected his distance and his silence where his past and his family was concerned. He almost instinctively put his shields up, blocking them out, but the look in Ami's eyes was so pleading and confused that he stopped himself. Slowly, he nodded. "My grandmother was born and raised in England." "Do you know anything about her family?" "No," he shook his head, an uncharacteristic impatience growing inside of him. "What is it? What is Jade hiding?" Adam didn't miss the quick glance that Ami exchanged with Megabyte. "We found a portrait of Charles Sullivan." At Ami's words, Jade stepped aside and Adam's breath caught in his throat. Staring at the portrait of Charles Sullivan was like looking into a mirror. End of Chapter Eleven ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "Michele Mason" Subject: TPFICT: Exoneration (12/20) Date: 19 Oct 1997 19:56:08 PDT Exoneration (12/20) By Michele Mason Chapter Twelve - Ghostly Voices "The resemblance is amazing." General Damon stood in front of Charles Sullivan's portrait, arms folded across his chest. The portrait, along with a multitude of journals and old letters, had been moved to the dining hall and now rested against the wall. 'The resemblance is creepy', Megabyte thought, but didn't say the words aloud. "Adam, you don't know anything about your family being related to the Sullivans?" Adam shook his head, his eyes never leaving the picture. "I don't know a lot about my family's genealogy, but I know that the name of Sullivan doesn't appear anywhere. My mother's family came from England, but they were Halifax." "Maybe it's a distant relation," Jade suggested helpfully. Megabyte rolled his eyes. " A distant relation wouldn't look that much like Adam." Adam cleared his throat, pulling his eyes from the portrait. "I think that the answers are probably in one of those journals, or those letters we found in the attic." "You want to read all of them?" "No, Megabyte," Adam shook his head, a tired smile on his lips. "I'm not going to read all of them. We're going to read all of them." "Huh?" "We'll split them up. Each of us will take a bundle and see what we can learn." Adam paused, turning to the General. "That's if it's all right with you, General. They are your property now." General Damon finally tore his eyes from the likeness of Adam painted on canvas. "If it helps us get to the bottom of this thing, you kids can read anything and everything that you want." ****** Laying the battered journal aside, Adam sighed deeply. Behind them, the sun was setting over Sullivan House, painting the building in muted pinks and oranges. "Nothing new?" Ami looked up from her seat on the porch steps, where one of the many household ledgers was perched on her knees. "Nothing we didn't already know." Adam fingered the journal absently. "Charles' journal confirms that he was in love with Kali, but . . ." Adam paused thoughtfully. "The last entry recorded has him returning to Stonebridge. There's nothing after that." "Well, we know what happened when he got back to Stonebridge," Megabyte remarked. Adam shook his head. "But there should be more. After reading Charles' journals, I feel like I know him. He would have written something, anything. But there's nothing. The rest of the book is empty." "Maybe he was so heartbroken that he didn't have the heart to write," Jade suggested. Megabyte rolled his eyes. "Grow up." Adam ignored the exchange, focusing his attention on Ami. He wasn't particularly in the mood to be caught in the midst of one of Jade and Megabyte's battles. He was still distracted by the portrait that waited for them in the dining hall. "I think that we're missing something." "Like what?" Ami closed the household ledger, and set it aside. "There's nothing here except for the basics…how much it cost to run the house, that sort of thing." "Like the obvious." Megabyte's voice was questioning, "Uh, Adam?" "No, it makes sense," Adam rose to his feet, brushing grass from his jeans. "We're trying to find the source of the haunting by looking at Charles. Maybe it all started with Kali. Maybe we're looking in the wrong place, or we're looking for the wrong thing." "So, what should we be looking for?" "A way to help us." The disembodied voice floated on the wind, brushing past them like a whisper. Megabyte paled considerably. "Did anyone just hear---" Adam and the girls nodded slowly, their eyes darting in different directions. Jade gathered up the bundle of letters by her feet. "Maybe it's time to go for the night." Ami was on her feet in a heartbeat, the household ledgers forgotten. There was a predatory glint in her eyes that was almost frightening. "Or maybe, it's time we talked to them." With those words, the Tomorrow Person disappeared into the darkened doorway of Sullivan House, oblivious of the faint white mist that followed or of the door closing soundlessly behind her. End of Chapter Twelve ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Darryl W Gillikin Subject: Re: TPFICT: Round Robin Part 2/?? Date: 19 Oct 1997 23:14:12 -0400 (EDT) > Galt set a cup of tea, Earl Grey, Hot. [sorry, couldn't help myself :)] Darryl ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Michael Matott Subject: TPFICT: Read Receipt Date: 19 Oct 1997 23:17:30 -0400 Your message regarding "TPFICT: Round Robin Part 2/??" of Sun Oct 19 1997 22:33:36 -0400 was read on Sun Oct 19 1997 23:17:21 -0400. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Rachael Bailey Subject: Re: TPFICT: Round Robin Part 2/?? Date: 19 Oct 1997 20:21:57 -0700 (PDT) This story is sizzling Rachael with an A sitting on the edge of her seat _____________________________________________________________________ Sent by RocketMail. Get your free e-mail at http://www.rocketmail.com ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "Michele Mason" Subject: Re: TPFICT: Round Robin Part 2/?? Date: 19 Oct 1997 20:24:25 PDT Darryl wrote: >> Galt set a cup of tea, Earl Grey, > > >Hot. > > >[sorry, couldn't help myself :)] > Don't feel bad! I could see Captain Picard standing at the replicator when I read that line too! Michele ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Selma McCrory Subject: TPFICT: But Keep the Old, part 6/6 Date: 20 Oct 1997 19:34:09 -0800 I apologize for the lateness of this post for those of you still reading at this point. I was having a bad two days plus the fact that I was rather irked about the lack of response to this story and the previous one. This is part 6 of a six part story. If you have just come in at this point, you can get the previous parts (including part 0) at the TPFICT archive. Comments/criticism and so on are welcome at smccrory@calweb.com. Please feed the author. Thank you for flying Air Selma, and have a nice trip... --- But Keep the Old by Selma McCrory copyright 1997 part 6 And then, suddenly, I got an idea. Sure, I couldn't shoot *at* the monster, with my body betraying me like that, but who said you always had to shoot it? I aimed at the monster's feet, recalling a few cartoons and westerns I'd seen over the years. Sure enough, even though I wasn't hitting the monster, it started hopping around. I hoped to get the others loose as the monster concentrated on keeping its balance, and it worked. Tommy finally slipped out, or rather fell out, of the tentacle holding him. He gathered himself up and summoned his sword. I angled my shots away from him so that I wouldn't start shooting at his feet by accident. The monster, perhaps sensing Tommy behind it, turned around to get a grip on him. It never had a chance, as he cut the thing in half. I turned around, being sickened by its destruction and wondering why I was. Maybe because it was living, in a way. It certainly wasn't because of the blood and gore. There wasn't any. The monster simply exploded, tossing the remaining Rangers into the sky. "Are you okay?" Tommy asked as he kneeled beside me. "No," I managed to say. I was sore and would probably be a bit stiff, but those were minor. I wondered how I was going to tell everyone about my change. It was getting rather obvious that I would have to, and then it would be time to pass the Power on. Again. "Come on, buddy, let's get you to the Power Chamber. Maybe we didn't get rid of those imbalances that were causing problems," Tommy said. I straightened up. "I don't think it's anything that can be fixed, Tommy, but thanks." "At least let us look at you," Tommy said in his most soothing, dealing-with-the-lunatic tone of voice. I sighed. * * * "Come on, buddy," Tommy said as he guided me towards the diagnostic bed. I shook off his guiding hands, but Adam was by me instantly, and gently guided me to the bed. "It's okay Adam, I know what's wrong," I said, sitting down on the bed. It seemed to mollify my teammates somewhat. "Then what is wrong?" Tommy asked. "Come on, man, it's got to be important." I scratched behind my ear nervously. This was not how I imagined informing everyone of my change. "You remember mentioning some time ago how strange it was that the Tomorrow People ended up here, Tommy?" "Yeah, but I finally decided that it was coincidence," Tommy said. "Like one of them said, they came for the water park and ended up coming back." "That's how they figured it too," I said, taking a moment to demorph. "But it seems they came for another reason, me. Except they didn't realize it." Adam was the first to understand. I saw it flash across his face. "You're a Tomorrow Person?" The rest of the group was frozen in amazement. They looked from Adam to me, almost in unison. "Is this true?" Tommy asked finally. "Yeah," I said. "The way Adam, Newman that is, figures, I would have broken out a while ago, but when I became a Ranger, it kind of blocked the process. It wasn't until I passed on my powers to Justin that the actual change was able to start." "Rocky, why did you not tell your teammates about this when you took over Justin's powers?" Dimitria inquired. Dimitria, bless her, would have been a good psychiatrist if she wasn't the team's mentor. "I really wanted to be a Ranger again. I wanted to be on the team, and I was afraid you'd take me off again if you knew what I'd become. Besides, I didn't believe that the no-killing restriction that the Tomorrow People had covered monsters... but it does." "Rocky," Tommy said, placing a hand on my shoulder. "I can understand how you feel. That doesn't mean it wasn't a stupid idea, but understandable." "Yeah, I really wasn't thinking things through," I admitted. "I ignored the warning signs, like what happened in the megazord, and I ignored everything Adam Newman and Lisa were trying to tell me. Besides, I couldn't let Justin or the team down." "Rocky, you did you best. You tried," Tommy replied. "That's all anyone can ask." "Yeah," I said, hanging my head down. "You better call Jason in now. Justin's off the team and I can't Ranger anymore, obviously." "Right," Tommy said. He sounded a tad reluctant. I didn't blame him. I wasn't looking forward to giving up my powers again, and he probably wasn't happy about stripping the power from two blue Rangers in a row. He activated his communicator. "Jason?" "What, bro?" "We have an emergency. Can you come here?" "Okay, bro. Just teleport me in." * * * Jason shook his head. "Man! What a sequence of events." "You're telling us," Tommy replied. "Rocky?" I summoned my morpher and key for the last time. I looked at the morpher for a moment before unstrapping it and handing it and the key to Jason. "Take good care of it," I said, conscious of how weird it was. I took over Jason's power when I joined the Rangers. Now, here I was, handing the Power back to him. Jason, too, took a moment to look at the morpher before strapping it on. I could feel the Power leave me and become part of Jason as he strapped the morpher on. "I will, bro," he replied. I felt suddenly awkward. Maybe part of it was losing the power, but it was probably also not being part of the team anymore. I felt the tears building in my eyes. Not wanting to let the team see me cry, I teleported back to the park under my own steam. It wasn't as if the team could track me now. I could be alone for a while. I wandered for a while, finding the street increasingly crowded as people came out from where they'd gone during the monster alert. I stopped when I reached the edge of the park near the abandoned festival, hoping that I'd spot Iz as she came from the shelter. "Rocky?" Iz yelled. Behind her, a senior citizen smiled. "This the young man that you were looking for?" the old man asked. "Yes, thank you," Iz replied, turning to the old man. "Thanks for helping me. Rocky, what happened to you?" "I ended up at the next shelter over," I said, hoping no one would check on that. The old man was walking away. "I wasn't that far behind you, but they were diverting people to that place. I tried looking for you, too, but I found that we'd ended up in different places." "Are you okay?" Iz asked. "I mean, you took on those things...." "Just a few bruises, that's all," I replied. "Not anything that won't heal in a few days." "Good. Maybe we can salvage our picnic. Are you sure there won't be any more monster attacks?" "Hey, Rocky!" Adam's voice came from behind us. I inwardly groaned. How had they found me so fast? I turned around to find the entire team standing there. "Oh, hi, Iz. Mind if we borrow Rocky for a few moments?" Iz looked slightly uncertain, but finally smiled. "Sure. Maybe I'll see if the folks at that festival need help." I followed to the team to an area where we would not be overheard. I didn't know what to say. Yelling at them about my privacy wouldn't do any good if they had come to tell me that the scrambler had failed. "What? Is teleportation showing up again?" From the blank looks on their faces, I could tell that they'd tracked me by other means. "It's working fine, as far as I know," Adam said softly. "Then how did you find me?" I asked. Jason spoke up. "You forgot to take off your communicator before you left," he said, pointing at my wrist. I looked down and realized that I was indeed still wearing it. I'd gotten so used to it that I'd forgotten to take it off. I reached to take it off, but Jason put his hand up. I looked up and saw that he was wearing another one. "Oh," I said. "But I'm not a Ranger anymore, and you better not suggest that I need protecting. I'm a Tomorrow Person. That doesn't make me helpless." "We weren't going to suggest anything like that, bro," Jason said, sounding vaguely offended. "We know you can defend yourself, Rocky. That's not why we want you to keep the communicator," Tommy added. "Then why?" I asked, genuinely puzzled. "We realized that if something like this ever happened again, we would want to get in touch with the Tomorrow People faster than we did. Having you only a communicator away helps," Adam replied. "That's a good idea," I said. It was. "Sorry about that." "Why would we think you were helpless?" Kat asked. "We know you can fight." "It sort of has to do with the way that the Rangers think of the Tomorrow People," I confessed. "I was afraid you'd think of me differently because of what I'd become. The Tomorrow People aren't as helpless as we tend to think they are. I haven't changed, really." Adam clapped me on the shoulder. "We know you haven't changed, Rocky," he said quietly. "Not in the ways that matter." "Well, yeah," I said. "It's funny about that. I get to see things from two different perspectives. First of all, I've got you guys, who despair about the Tomorrow People because they- we- can't kill. And then I've got the Tomorrow People, who despair about you guys, because you kill monsters. And then there's me, and I'm stuck in the middle." "But that also means that you're both," Adam said. "You're part of both, and understand both. Don't you think that I understand that?" I studied my friend, and suddenly realized that he, half-asian and half-caucasian, would understand. "Yeah, you do. Sorry." Adam cuffed me affectionately. "So, you don't mind us hanging around?" I shook my head. "No," I finally replied, feeling at home once more. "I'm glad to be back. But, boy am I glad not to be a Ranger anymore." * * * The team and I sat on my porch steps waiting for Iz to come by before she left for home. All except Justin, that was. It still wasn't safe for him to rejoin us. Kat reported the government agents gone, but we were playing it safe and waiting a few days just in case. Somehow, I didn't mind them hanging around anymore. My brief time as a Ranger seemed to have fixed my over-sensitivity towards them. I think my shields were forced to get stronger. "It was nice of Iz to come down," Tanya said. "She's a really nice girl." "She is," I replied. "And she makes me glad I left. No more Andreas, no more running out in the middle of dates to save the world. Let me tell you, that's one part of Rangering that I do *not* miss." The group chuckled, with Tommy placing an arm around Katherine, and Adam putting his arm around Tanya. They were always the ones I envied, the ones that didn't have to worry about the excuses to their loves. At least I didn't have to make many excuses anymore. Iz drove up and got out. Her hair was neatly braided, and she wore a tshirt that was probably meant for comfort, but looked wonderful on her. I got up and hugged her. "Thanks," she said. "I had a wonderful trip. And it was great getting to know you better, and to know your friends. I'm just sorry that I couldn't stay longer." "I'm just sorry that you had to see so much excitement," I replied. "That's okay, I could do with excitement every so often in my life," she said, smiling broadly. "Though it's going to make home seem awfully quiet. Ah, well. Come up to visit, when you can. I'll miss seeing you. Besides, we have a date to plan, and I'd hate to see all my efforts come to pass!" "I'll miss you too, Iz. I'll be up to see you as soon as possible. And as for that- I'll look forward to your plans." The two of us hugged, then she hugged the others and then walked back to her car. After she departed, the rest of the team looked at me. "Date?" Jason asked, smiling broadly, if looking a bit confused. "Adam Newman and Lisa Davis," I replied. "Iz and I have plans." I spent the next twenty minutes discussing plans. By the end of the discussion, I felt sorry for Adam and Lisa. But at least I felt back with my friends again. -end Selma McCrory * smccrory@calweb.com * stmccrory@hotmail.com "You're not a mouse. You're a cat. You don't need to help me move the cursor around." -me, to one of my cats. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "Ashley Merrill" Subject: Re: TPFICT: The Visitor (8/17?) Date: 22 Oct 1997 06:08:52 PDT Where's parts 9-17 and when are they scheduled to be posted? Is it one every other week? I kept forgetting to check my mailbox so I read most of them all at once and now I'm thirsty for more! It's pretty good so far. Thanks for posting. Ashley =) ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "Shaun Hately" Subject: Re: TPFICT: The Visitor (8/17?) Date: 22 Oct 1997 23:17:29 +1100 > From: Ashley Merrill > To: tpfict@mail.xmission.com > Subject: Re: TPFICT: The Visitor (8/17?) > Date: Thursday, 23 October 1997 12:08 > > Where's parts 9-17 and when are they scheduled to be posted? Is it one > every other week? I kept forgetting to check my mailbox so I read most > of them all at once and now I'm thirsty for more! It's pretty good so > far. Thanks for posting. Originally I planned to post twice a week - but the disk I had the story on went missing and so I am having to retype scan the remaining parts. It will be completed - but I can't predict when at this point. I'm coming up to my end of year exams at the moment and so I'll be scanning when I have some spare time. Exams end mid November so if all else fails I'll complete posting then. Yours Without Wax, |'Don't knock mutant freaks. That's how Dreadnought |evolution works. Something new appears / |that might turn out to be just what the o=== ======================- |species needs.' \ |- Stephanie Tolan 'Welcome to the Ark' drednort@eisa.net.au | http://www.fortunecity.com/tattooine/davros/thelab.html ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "Michele Mason" Subject: TPFICT: Exoneration (13/20) Date: 22 Oct 1997 19:31:15 PDT The following posts will probably be the last until next week--- sorry, folks, I'm moving and we're in the process of packing up this apartment (computer included!) That just means you can expect the story to wrap up day by day next week! :) Exoneration by Michele R Mason Chapter Thirteen -- Mist Adam was the first Tomorrow Person through the door, nearly yanking it from its hinges in an effort to follow Ami. Though somehow, he knew where he would find her, and he knew that she was safe. He couldn't explain the knowledge, but it was there and it calmed him somewhat. [This is getting weird,] Jade sent, her fear and reluctance obvious. 'Getting?' Adam repeated the word to himself, but not aloud. 'Getting weird' had been when Charles possessed him; this had gone beyond weird when they found the painting of Charles Sullivan. And that mist following Ami . . . Adam rounded the corner of the conservatory and came up short. Megabyte and Jade, following so closely behind him, nearly tumbled into the older boy before they brought themselves to a stop. Ami sat on one of the sofas; her legs were folded in the lotus position, her hands resting firmly on her thighs. A faint mist coalesced around her, but didn't appear to touch her. Instead, it circled her, an occasional tentacle reaching out and then withdrawing. "What the--" Megabyte began. "Ami--" Jade started in the same breath. Adam held them both back with a restraining arm. "Don't go near her." Jade's voice bordered on tears. "But Adam, she's --" "I think she's all right." "You think?" Megabyte whirled on his friend, blue eyes flashing indignantly. "You think? That doesn't do us a whole lot of good!" [Megabyte, relax. I'm perfectly fine.] Ami's mental touch on their minds was a welcome relief. [Then what are you --] [Talking.] [Talking?] [Please, Megabyte. You're distracting me.] Abruptly the telepathic contact cut off, leaving a blank wall where Ami's mind had been. "I don't like it --" As Megabyte started forward, Adam again restrained him with a firm hand. "I don't think that's a good idea." At his friend's dark and questioning glare, Adam sighed. "I wish I could explain it, but I think that we just have to wait." Jade stepped forward, her face wrinkled in concern. "Wait for what?" 'I don't know' didn't seem to be an appropriate answer, so Adam kept his comments to himself. He was struggling with himself to not simply run forward and teleport Ami out of the room and away from that floating mist. But she had responded to them . . .she knew they were there, and she knew what she was doing. Adam wasn't left long to ponder the situation. While they watched, the mist rose up over Ami's head and floated there for a moment, becoming a glowing orb of light. It hovered there for a moment, and Adam could almost feel a set of intelligent eyes on them, watching them, and weighing them. Then with the swiftness of light, the glowing orb arched upwards and spiraled downward, appearing to dive into Ami. The young woman gasped, throwing her head backwards, waves of shock washing over them. There was no questioning their next move: the three remaining Tomorrow People sprinted to their friend's side. Adam arrived there first, catching Ami before she tumbled from the sofa onto the floor. The girl was unconscious, her body hanging limply in his arms. "Ami?" Adam shook her gently. [Ami?] "Is she all right?" Jade peered anxiously at her friend. The young woman stirred, shifting slightly against Adam. "She's waking up," Adam stated the obvious. "Ami, are you all right?" Her hands came up slowly, rubbing her temples. "I'm --" She paused, sitting up quickly. Her head swung around to meet Adam's concerned gaze, and his breath caught in his throat. Ami was staring at him through brilliant green eyes. End of Chapter Thirteen ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "Michele Mason" Subject: TPFICT: Exoneration (14/20) Date: 22 Oct 1997 19:32:51 PDT Exoneration (14/20) By Michele R Mason Fourteen -- Kali "Kali," Adam whispered the spirit's name, his eyes never leaving the piercing emerald ones that held his gaze. The young woman nodded, a sad smile turning up her lips. "Yes. I am." "Where's Ami? What have you done to her?" Fingers came to rest lightly on his lips. Ami spoke, but the accent was not hers. "She fares well. I will not harm her. You must believe me in this." "What happened to Ami?" Megabyte shoved his way forward, but remained safely out of reach. He stared at Ami, or at least her body, with apprehension and confusion. The green eyes swung to him, measuring him for a moment before the melodical and accented voice spoke again. "Your friend fares well, Meg-a-byte." She stumbled over the name, slowly wrapping her tongue around the unusual syllables. "I could not be here if she did not permit me to come." "Charles was here once, and I didn't exactly invite him." Adam spoke slowly and clearly, burying his fear and worry beneath a façade of control. Again, the sad half-smile formed on Ami's lips. "Did you not? His blood called yours and you gave him answer. That is the way of these things." She stood, slowly, inexpertly, almost as if testing her legs, and looked around the conservatory. "It is so dead. So still. It looks different through her eyes." Her eyes. Ami's eyes. Adam bit back a wave of fear and repulsion to grip Ami's wrist and spin her around to face him. The green eyes stared back, expectant, and questioning. "I want to talk to Ami." Ami/Kali shook her head, wrenching her wrist free. "You cannot. As long as I am here, you cannot." "Then maybe we'd like Ami back now." Megabyte spoke up, his voice quivering just a bit. "Right now." "Soon. When we have talked. When you understand how you must help us --" "What if we don't want to help you? How do we know you haven't hurt Ami?" The quivering of tears still lurked in Jade's voice, but she stepped boldly forward, forcing herself to stare eye to eye with the spirit inhabiting Ami's body. "Ami wants to help me, Jade. This is the why that I am here." "I don't believe you." Ami/Kali did not answer. She stared past the youngest Tomorrow Person, her eyes fixed to the piano. "It still stands." Then with a grace that did not match her earlier inexpertness with the body, she swept past Jade and glided up to the piano. Settling onto the bench, she played out the scale. [Adam, what are we going to do?] Adam ignored Jade's plea. He marched over to the piano, and placing his hands atop Ami's immediately ceased the music. "What do you want?" "You have to help me. Then I may help Charles." She peered at him a moment, then sighed, folding her hands in her lap. "Charles suffers in darkness and guilt. He blames himself for all that happened. Each and every anniversary we repeat the nightmare again and again . . .If I could be given freedom then I could help Charles see that he is not to blame." "How do we know you're telling us the truth? Maybe you really are a witch." Megabyte's words were bitter. Ami/Kali laughed. "That is what Edward always believed. If only it had been true, then perhaps," she paused and shook her head sharply. Her green-eyed stare held Adam's and she took his hand, placing one hand against his cheek. "His blood is strong in you. You have his face." Adam's body split in indecision. One part of him was repulsed and frightened by the familiarity of the touch, frightened by the spirit that had taken up residence in Ami's body and claimed it as if it were its own. The other part of him felt a deep sympathy and pity for her, for the poor servant girl who had been so wrongly and unjustly accused and murdered. Those eyes, those brilliant green orbs held him transfixed, unable to move or to break away. "You have a noble heart, Adam." Kali whispered the words from Ami's lips, so softly that Adam knew that they were meant for his ears only. "Ami thinks you will help me." "How?" The words tumbled from Adam's lips instead of a demand to speak to Ami, instead of a million other protests he had been prepared to make. "My body . . .it was not buried . . ." Kali paused, closing her eyes a moment, her voice a strained whisper. "Find it. Bury it in consecrated . . ." Her grip on his hand tightened, her other hand going to grip the piano bench. "Kali?" "Adam?" The voice was Ami's as were the dark brown eyes that opened to meet his. Awareness of her mind washed over him, and he breathed a sigh of relief. "Ami, are you all right?" Adam eased onto the piano bench beside her, supporting her by slipping an arm around her shoulder. She nodded, leaning into his warmth and comfort. "Did you talk to her?" Adam couldn't suppress the ripple of surprise that ran through his body. "You knew?" Ami nodded, taking a deep breath. "She wanted to talk. She's so sad, Adam. So sad and so alone. We have to help her." "Wait a minute!" Megabyte stopped by the piano, his concern for his friend flickering in his blue eyes, although his words were harsh. "You mean you let this ghost take over your body? What do you think you are? A medium?" Ami smiled weakly, responding to the unspoken words. "I'm sorry to have worried you, Megabyte." Megabyte opened his mouth, and then immediately closed it again, his retort forgotten. He rapped his knuckles against the piano. "So, what exactly do we do now? How do we help her?" "Simple. We find her body and bury it on consecrated ground." Ami yawned and closed her eyes, her head on Adam's shoulder. It took only a moment for the others to realize that Ami was sound asleep and that there would be no more answers forthcoming from her this night. "So," Megabyte directed his words to Adam. "How exactly do we find her body?" "I think that we'll know that soon enough, Megabyte." Adam smiled reassuringly at the young man. "I don't think that we've seen the last of Kali." End of Chapter Fourteen ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "Nuwanda *" Subject: Re: TPFICT: What if you could... Date: 23 Oct 1997 05:10:48 PDT > > Sarah??!?!?!?! Oh my lord! I didn't expect you here. Oh mah lord. I'm >not the only Questie here now! > > Hurry, write something! Write sister, write. I'm gonna need some help >on an SQ/TP crossover I've started so e me privately for that. > > Are you subscribed to TPDIS? > > >This is unbelieveable, > >Megan, The Questie > > >Hey, Megan, Sarah?! This is Nuwanda....I'm pretty quiet, but I'm here. And you know why? 'Cause you mentioned TP on the 'Nex a while back....then it came on here in Australia, so I watched...and liked what I saw :) Anyway, sorry if this msg is totally irrelevant by now, 'cause I've kind of been offline for a couple of days. Also sorry that this is off-topic, but I just _had_ to reply. BTW, who else out there is in Australia? (apart form Shaun - who writes the most excellent TP fic. :) ) Bye -Nuwanda ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "Michele Mason" Subject: TPFICT: Tapestry: Starting Over (0/1) Date: 23 Oct 1997 17:45:10 PDT Tapestry: Starting Over By Michele Mason Yep, another vignette. Actually, I wrote this one a while ago, but never posted it. I finally decided that I couldn't do anymore with it, and decided to share it with everyone (and to make up for the slowness of "Exoneration"). This is a sequel to "Now & Forever" and although you don't have to be familiar with that story to read this one, it helps. (The story can be found at the Tomorrow People Creative List Archive and at the Tapestry Homepage: http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Cavern/9012/tapestry/index.html). Enjoy. Disclaimer: The character of Lisa Davis, Mrs. Davis, and the Tomorrow People do not belong to me. They are the property of Thames/Tetra Televison, Roger Damon Price, et al. I am using them here without permission, purely for enjoyment and not for profit. As always, questions and comments are welcome: chelesedai@hotmail.com Michele R Mason ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "Michele Mason" Subject: TPFICT: Tapestry: Starting Over (0/1) Part 2 Date: 23 Oct 1997 17:47:35 PDT One more thing...looks like this may be a start to a series of Lisa stories, so I challenge anyone out there to write a sequel! Michele :) ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "Michele Mason" Subject: TPFICT: Tapestry: Starting Over (1/1) Date: 23 Oct 1997 17:49:49 PDT Tapestry Starting Over (1/1) By Michele Mason (chelesedai@aol.com) Alyssa Daniels. Lisa Davis stared for a long time at the driver's license in her hands. Her face, her half-smile stared back at her, but the name was not hers. The birth date was not hers. The social security number was not the one she had memorized all those years earlier. They all belonged to Alyssa Daniels. And she was Alyssa Daniels. A reminder of the sacrifice made to protect her mother and herself from those who would seek to control and harm her. A reminder of the sacrifice she made leaving her friends behind. No more Tomorrow People; no more special powers. No more of Adam's smile, or Megabyte's jokes. Lisa still remembered the hurt she felt from Megabyte and Kevin when they left the beach. She remembered Megabyte's bitter remarks. She would never forget. No matter where she went or who she became, she would never forget the friends she had left behind. And she would never forget how much it hurt them-- or how much it hurt her to hurt them. She still heard Adam's voice, the tenderness and his concern for her. "Is this what you want, Lisa?" "It's what I have to do," she had replied earnestly. For me. For my mother. Still it wasn't easy. It wasn't easy walking away from the only life she had ever known. They were leaving Virginia-- probably forever. She was leaving Lisa Davis behind. She was losing everything and starting all over again. "Lisa, honey, is everything all right?" Her mother's voice was low in her ear, barely audible above the drone of the airport. Lisa looked up suddenly, meeting the concern in her mother's eyes with a half-hearted smile. "Yeah, Mom. I was just thinking." "You think too much." Mrs. Davis/Daniels rose to her feet, giving her daughter a gentle tug. "They're boarding us now." Lisa nodded numbly. "Right." She stood slowly, taking a deep breath, and giving the driver's license a last cursory glance, she slipped it back into her wallet. "Good-bye," Lisa whispered to no one in particular. Then without a backwards glance, Alyssa Daniels boarded the plane. The End ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "Kyrie Daniels" Subject: TPFICT: The Prime Factor, 26/30 [TF] Date: 24 Oct 1997 19:53:15 +0000 The Prime Factor A Tomorrow's Future Story by Kyrie Daniels NOTE: This is part of a collaborative project known as Tomorrow's Future. All disclaimers and story notes can be found in part zero. For more information on this fanfic universe and links to other stories set in it, visit the Tomorrow's Future home page at: http://www.calweb.com/~smccrory/fanfic/tf.html NOTE: This is part twenty-six of a thirty part series. If you missed any of the previous parts, you can e-mail me at kyrie@dnai.com or access them via the web or ftp: http://www.dnai.com/~kyrie/Fanfic.htm ftp.dnai.com/users/k/kyrie/Fanfic Part Twenty-Six Wade turns the corner a few blocks from her apartment building. She catches herself humming and makes a conscious effort to stop. Judging by the size of the crowd, she'll be seeing that show for years to come. The one thing she hasn't figured out is why he does nothing but that show. He was quite the ladies' man based on the records of his career. Something Quinn could help her figure out when he gets back. Maybe sooner. She has to call him, anyway. Not only about Kate, but about not warning him about Adam and Megabyte. It's likely they've been by. Hopefully Quinn had the sense to hear them out. Assuming he has any sense to begin with. The edge of her building enters into her range of vision. She wants nothing more than a quiet night, curled up beneath the covers to watch some television, or read a good book. Anything to get her mind off the unpleasant dilemmas of late. Once she deals with the Mallorys, she can comfortably release herself from the pressures of work. Wade mentally contemplates an agenda for the evening. It's been a long time since she felt the need to force herself into true recreation. It's something that usually comes natural to her, but she's usually not preoccupied. As Wade approaches the edge of the staircase outside her apartment building, she barely notices the lone figure sitting near the handrail on the other end of the stairs. When awareness of the individual's presence registers in her mind, Wade immediately assumes it's a bum. She doesn't even look towards the person as she climbs the stairs. "The least you can do is say 'hi', Wade." She freezes. The voice is vaguely familiar, but she can't place it for the life of her. Turning towards the source of the voice, her eyes rest on the young man she rashly mistook for a streetperson. So much for a night of rest and relaxation. ---------- "Why didn't this Quinn of yours come himself?" The Quinn of this world isn't all that comfortable with the direction the conversation had been heading. All that personal stuff regarding him. This is more along the lines of whatever brought this other Wade here to begin with. Wade takes a seat on the recliner. "We weren't sure how you'd take it. And he said Kate said it would work better this way." Quinn's eyes widen. "My sister told you to come?" "She didn't like me all that much, but she really took to him." "That doesn't make any sense," he notes as he sits back down on his chair. "Kate generally can't stand me." It's hard for Wade not to smile. "I think that's why she likes him so much. Because he's not much like you at all." "You're like Wade, though." "Of course I am. But outside of the sliding stuff, I doubt you'd have talked to your Wade about any of the other things." He stops her. "Sliding?" "Quinns' name for this inter-dimensional traveling he discovered." "When I was a kid, I dreamt of being a time traveler. You know how silly we all are in our youth...well, I distinctly remember using the word 'sliding' to describe what I wanted to do." Quinn leans back and stares at the ceiling. "Maybe if I had more time to dream, I'd have done something fantastic like my double did." "You have no idea how jealous he'd be of you," Wade begins. The last thing she wants to do is encourage these two to make the same mistakes they did. "You've got your family and friends within reach. Do you know what I'd give to be near my family in a matter of hours the way you can? I'd love to have the choice to fight with my sister the way you do. I don't know if I'll ever see my home again, Quinn. While part of me would do it all over again, another part wishes I had held onto everyone I loved just a little bit more." Quinn extends his hand with hesitation to Wade. He didn't want her to get upset. "What kind of help do you need?" Wade laughs. "I was under the impression *you* needed the help." "Really?" "Yeah, Kate was saying something about it being odd for you to come home, and that she thinks something is going on that you weren't about to share with her." Quinn snickers. He isn't about to divulge information with her like this. And what was Kate doing running around shooting her mouth off like that to complete strangers? It's one thing before knowing they weren't who they appeared to be, but afterwards she should have kept it zipped. "She's right, but it's nothing for either of you to worry about." He pats her on the head gently, running his fingers through the roots of her hair. Wade doesn't like the sudden change in his demeanor. No wonder his sister has a problem with him. If he talked to her like this regularly, she wouldn't like it much either. "That's a pretty lousy thing to say. She wouldn't have said anything, and I wouldn't be here, if we didn't care..." "It doesn't matter, as the situation has solved itself." Quinn doesn't feel like adding that it just happened since her arrival. She glares at him. "How?" He avoids her eyes. "It just has." "Just because you can avoid being straight with me doesn't mean you can do the same with her, you know." "Any explanation will work if it gets Hurley off her back," Quinn insists. Wade jumps out of the recliner, heading straight for the stairwell. "I was talking about Kate. And you wonder why she hates you so." As he hears the basement door slam, Quinn wonders if this is the same reason he can't win with his Wade, either. ---------- Wade unlocks the door to her apartment and swings it open with a sigh. She's let her place get sloppy, mainly because she's been too preoccupied to care what it looks like. "I'd tell you to excuse the mess, but I hardly care about impressing you, Dorian." "Never one to mince words." "Why are you here?" She sits down on a bean bag and wonders how long he'll wait before seating himself somewhere. "The sooner you tell me, the sooner you're back out of my life like you should be." It's so much easier in theory than in practice. Dorian spent the last hour rehearsing what he'd tell her, how he'd play her for a fool in a way no different than she had played him for years prior. Seeing her in front of him, it's not going to work the way he planned. He'll have to do something different, but what? He's never been good at improvisational thought. It'll take the performance of his life to get this to work. "Is this about how we parted terms? Have you yet to get over it?" At least he cleared off the newspapers before sitting on her couch. "You seem rather on edge tonight, even before you saw me," he notes. She groans. "I'm not in the mood to discuss my problems with anyone, much less you." "But you admit you are having problems..." "Happens even to the best of us," she acknowledges casually. Dorian nods. "Boyfriend?" "No. Not that it's any of your business if it were." He smiles, in spite of himself. "It can't possibly be work, now, could it?" "Why is it you're here, again?" She's getting impatient. "I'm half surprised you haven't figured it out yet." Wade sighs. "I have no idea what you're talking about." "Oh, sure you do." Dorian rises from the couch and nervously paces. Hopefully it hides the fact he's trembling better than sitting did. "Within a matter of days, you dumped me and suddenly I'm deemed completely unsuitable for the Watchers. Surely you knew I'd figure it out..." "Isn't it a little long to be holding a grudge?" She knows she'd feel the same way if the tables were turned and she stood in his shoes. Dorian doesn't know the whole story, though. The way he's carrying on, she doubts it would make any difference. He shrugs. "Perhaps. But suppose I told you the reason I'm here is that I hold your future in my hands..." "Oh, *please*!" "I know about the pictures, Wade." To Be Continued... **I would appreciate any feedback on this piece, positive or negative. It would be great if I got a greater response from readers than error messages from the SLFIC listserv. :) E-mail me at kyrie@dnai.com. My mailbox is very hungry for some feedback!** **The SLFIC Archives are up and running! If you want to check out the fanfic output of the mailing list devoted to Sliders Fanfic, the address is: http://www.dnai.com/~kyrie/SLFIC/Sliders.html To subscribe to the list, write majordomo@md.esosoft.com with the message: subscribe slfic. Or e-mail me at kyrie@dnai.com for more information.** ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "Michele Mason" Subject: TPFICT: Round Robin Part 3/?? Date: 25 Oct 1997 20:33:03 PDT Round Robin (Part 3/??) By Michele R Mason "You need our help?" Megabyte repeated in astonishment. Galt rolled his eyes in exaggerated annoyance. "Did I stutter, Megabyte?" With an exaggerated shrug of nonchalance, Galt turned on his heel, and settling onto the sofa, returned his attention to his tea. "Of course, I would be in complete understanding if you didn't want to help me. Considering our past history and all." "Why would we want to help you with anything?" Megabyte demanded. "You tried to fry me and-- " "People can change." "Not people like you, Galt." "Now, if that were true, would I be here begging for help?" Galt paused, taking a sip of the tea. "We can argue semantics all day, but I think that we are forgetting the most important item: Kevin." "If you know something about Kevin's disappearance, Galt and you want our help, maybe you should share your information," Adam interjected, flashing Megabyte a warning glare. [This guy doesn't share anything Adam.] Megabyte informed his friend telepathically. "Of course." Suddenly, Galt was on his feet, a gun in his hand. Before the three Tomorrow People could react, he whirled, aimed and shot, the bullet whizzing through the open doorway leading to the kitchen of the Weston home. Or more rather, into the shoulder of the man coming through the doorway-- a man who could have been Galt's identical twin. The only difference between the two was that Galt was still standing and his twin was crumpled to the floor clutching his shoulder. Calmly returning the gun to its holster, Galt gave the teens a grim smile. "But first, I suggest we talk to our intruder." End of Round Robin Part 3/?? Next? This Round Robin is organized and run by Beth Epstein. If you want to join the fun, drop her a line: epsteinb@carleton.edu ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: SunStar77@aol.com Subject: TPFICT: A New Tomorrow 1/5 Date: 26 Oct 1997 20:16:42 -0500 (EST) A New Tomorrow Part 1/5 by Kate Marcinkowski Note: telepathic communication is indicated by //. She was used to the darkness now. Her eyes had adjusted from being without light for, how long had it been? A week, maybe two, probably mor= e. No one knew she was gone except her school. They thought she was at her uncle=92s house. That=92s where she was supposed to be. It was a surpri= se visit, for his birthday. Her uncle thought she was at school. No one kn= ew where she was. She could hear soft voices coming down the hall and she braced herself for the light. The door to her cell swung open and the brightness blinded her. Her arm was yanked away from her body and a need= le was pushed into it. They were taking her blood again. They took it ever= y other day. She was going to be fed. They always took her blood before t= hey gave her a meal.=20 Today was different, though. The voices in the hall had been much m= ore agitated and upset sounding. One tray was thrown at her feet and then another. Two? She thought. Why am I getting two trays? Her question was answered as a shadowy figure was thrown into her ce= ll. The door slammed shut and she was once again in darkness.=20 =93Hello?=94 her voice sounded odd to her after not using it for so= long. =93Anyone there?=94 =93Who=92s there?=94 An American male voice came out of the darknes= s.=20 =93My name is Gabrielle.=94 She called out to him as she reached ou= t with her hands. =93I=92m Megabyte.=94 =93Family name?=94 =93Something like that.=94 His hand found hers and she crawled over= to him. Her hands explored his face and shoulders. =93How long have you been he= re?=94=20 =93I=92m not sure. A week, maybe more. I stopped counting the days= . Why did they take you?=94=20 =93I can do things. The problem is I can=92t seem to do them here.=94 Hesitantly, he placed his hand on her face, trying to feel what she look= ed like.=20 =93There=92s some kind of field around the building that prevents an= y form of psychic activity from getting out. I couldn=92t teleport home or anyt= hing.=94 She sighed. =93Otherwise I would have been out of here long ago.=94 =93You can teleport? Can you do anything else?=94 Megabyte=92s exc= itement was evident in his voice. =93Sometimes when I=92m almost asleep in bed I can hear people talki= ng in my head. I=92m not crazy, though. My uncle thinks I am but I=92m not.=94 = Her soft voice was quiet in the dark room.=20 //Can you hear me now?// Megabyte telepathed to her.=20 =93How did you do that?=94 Gabrielle turned her head toward his voi= ce. She wished she could see him. //You can do this, too. Just think whatever you want me to hear.//=20 Cautiously she =91pathed //Hi Megabyte.// Her voice was whisper qu= iet and felt comforting in Megabyte=92s head. //How come we can do this but = we can=92t teleport?// //The field must only contain the energy and not suppress it.// She reached out again and found him. He pulled her to him and held = her. //Are you scared?// //I thought I was going to go crazy. I didn=92t have anyone around = me. The men, they don=92t talk to me. Just do whatever tests and experiment= s their doing and leave.//=20 He could hear in her voice that she was starting to break down. //I won=92t leave you.// She nodded against his chest and began to cry. Megabyte, despite al= l his powers, found he couldn=92t do anything but hold her and let her cry. //We have to get out of here.// She said sometime later. // I wasn= =92t willing to try when I was by myself but now there are two of us.// //What can we do? They keep us in the dark so we can=92t see our surroundings. We can=92t teleport out of here. The only thing we can do= is talk to each other.// Gabrielle stood up and began to pace carefully around the dark room. =93If the field only keeps us from escaping or contacting anyone, we cou= ld still try and use our powers to escape on our own.=94 =93Maybe.=94 He thought for a moment. =93I have an idea.=94 He st= ood and they cautiously found each other. Megabyte took up Gabrielle=92s hands and held them in front of her. = //Hold your hands here.// He held his hands out and Gabrielle could feel them n= ear but not touching her. //Now think of me. Of being in my mind.// Gabrielle did as she was told. A purplish coloured sphere of light appeared pulsing between them. The sphere grew larger and larger, lighti= ng the small cell. //Megabyte. Someone=92s coming.// She could hear the v= oices growing louder as they neared the cell.=20 //Focus all of your energy on the sphere. This may be our only chance.//=20 The door to the cell opened and their captors stepped into the cell. The tallest one looked at them and pointed. Two smaller figures came at them. //Now. Throw it at them. All the energy.// Megabyte ordered her. They pushed with all their might and the sphere flew at their captor= s. The men screamed and fell to the floor. Megabyte grabbed Gabrielle=92s = hand and pulled her out the door. =93Are they. . .=94 =93No, just stunned.=94 The hallway was bright to Gabrielle=92s eyes. She stumbled along be= hind Megabyte as he pulled her down the corridors of the building. =93Megabyt= e. Please, I can=92t keep up.=94=20 He turned down another hallway. This one had a door at the opposite= end and he flew through it.=20 The moment they stepped outside, it was like suddenly surfacing afte= r being underwater a long time. Megabyte looked at Gabrielle and pulled he= r into a hug.=20 =93Stop!=94 A shout came from the building and was followed by gunf= ire. Megabyte, his arms still around Gabrielle, teleported them away.=20 A moment later, Megabyte and Gabrielle appeared in the Damon living room. =93Marmaduke! What=92s going on? Where the hell have you been? Wh= o=92s she?=94 General Damon jumped up from his chair.=20 =93Dad, this is Gabrielle. It=92s a long story and I think we need = to get the other Tomorrow People before we explain. And some warmer clothes.=94= He added noticing that they were both dressed in the same white tank top and hospital pyjamas. =93Sure. Is this something serious? Should I call Frank?=94 =93Maybe. Yeah. Um, I=92ll find her something of mine to wear.=94 = Megabyte led Gabrielle up the stairs and into his room.=20 //Nice place.// Gabrielle realised that she was shouting when Megab= yte winced. =93Sorry. It must be because of the field around the building. = We were shouting at each other to be heard.=94=20 =93Yeah.=94 Megabyte turned from his dresser holding a T-shirt and = a pair of jeans for her. He stopped and looked at her for the first time.=20 Gabrielle was about medium height, a few inches shorter than he was, slender, with wavy blond hair and bright green eyes. Her face lit up whe= n she smiled.=20 =93You can get dressed in the bathroom. Do you want to take a showe= r?=94 He stepped toward her.=20 =93That would be nice. I haven=92t had one since, um, well, a while= .=94=20 =93Okay. It=92s in here.=94 He led her through a door into his bath= room. =93Towels are here. If you need anything just give a yell. A soft one, though.=94 He added with a smile, remembering the last time she yelled. = He set down the clothes on the floor. =93Thanks.=94 She called as he closed the door behind him and pulle= d out some clothes for himself. Getting out jeans and a pullover for himself, he sat on his bed and called the others. //Adam, Ami, Jade. You guys need to come over to my house. I have to tell you something.// //Megabyte! We=92ve been trying to reach you all day. Where=92ve y= ou been?// Adam=92s soft Australian accent came into his head. =20 //Long story. Can you, Ami, and Jade come over in about a half hour= ? I=92ll explain then.// //We=92ll be over after we get Jade, Megabyte. She=92s not speaking= to us today.// Ami =91pathed to him. //Why?// //I don=92t know. She said she felt unwanted and went home. She ha= sn=92t been answering calls all day. I think it=92s hard on her, being so young. We=92re going over there. Then we=92ll =91port to your house.// //All right. See you later.// He jumped when Gabrielle put her hand on his shoulder. =93Don=92t d= o that!=94 He said as he spun around.=20 Gabrielle stepped back and tripped over the rug. She landed on her backside and Megabyte started laughing. =93Serves you right. Shouldn=92= t try to scare me like that.=94 =93I wasn=92t trying to scare you.=94 She shook her head and a spray= of water hit Megabyte in the face. He reached down to help her up.=20 =93You okay?=94 He asked. She nodded and smiled her wonderful smil= e at him. =93How does it feel to be free again?=94 =93Good. Very good. I really missed showers.=94 She sat on the be= d next to him and curled her arms around her legs. =93I missed people, too.=94 = She whispered and leaned closer to him. Megabyte leaned into her and kissed = her. =20 When they broke, he stood up. =93I need a shower, too. If you want= , you can go downstairs and get something to eat.=94 He picked up his clothes = and went into the steamy bathroom. =93That=92s okay. I=92ll wait here for you.=94 She rolled onto her= side and curled up on his bed. A minute later she was asleep. Megabyte combed his hair in the foggy mirror. He didn=92t hear any = noise coming from his room and thought that Gabrielle might have gone downstair= s. He opened the door and tossed his towel in the hamper. Gabrielle was sleeping on his bed, curled up in a ball. He sat next to her and ran his fingers through her hair. //Gabrielle.// He thought softly to her. She made a soft noise, turned over and stretched. //Megabyte, hi.// She looked up at him and yawned. //I was tired.// =93I know.=94 He smiled at her. =93My friends will be here soon. = We should go downstairs and get something to eat.=94 Gabrielle nodded and got up from the bed. =93I am kind of hungry.=94 Megabyte stopped her. =93Did you mind before?=94 =93When you kissed me? No, it was nice.=94 She looked seriously in= to his blue eyes, messing up his neatly combed red hair.=20 =93Good.=94 He smiled devilishly and pulled her close to him. He l= eaned down to her and kissed her again.=20 =93Megabyte! Your friends are here!=94 They jumped apart when his = father called up the stairs. =93Coming!=94 He laughed as he put his arm around Gabrielle and led = her out of his room. =93Everyone that=92s going to be here is like us, except fo= r my dad and Frank, his assistant, but you can tell them what happened to you. Ok= ay?=94 Gabrielle nodded her head. =93Yeah.=94 He took her hand and led he= r down the stairs. End Part 1. To be continued. . . Comments? SunStar77@aol.com ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: SunStar77@aol.com Subject: TPFICT: A New Tomorrow 0/5 Date: 26 Oct 1997 20:18:47 -0500 (EST) A New Tomorrow Part 0/5 a new series story by Kate Marcinkowski This is my first attempt at fan fiction. So please be nice. Any comments would be appreciated, flames will be used to start a campfire on the beac= h at the island. Thank you to Jade and Ami (Those are their names, I swear), for beta-read= ing and putting up with midnight rants about Megabyte. Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Tomorrow People or related characters. I=92m not = making any money off of this. I wrote it only because I love and miss the Tomorr= ow People. Gabrielle Carison, Michael Carison and Unit Red are mine. Feel fr= ee to archive this. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "Michele Mason" Subject: TPFICT: Exoneration (15/20) Date: 26 Oct 1997 18:27:19 PST With the author's apologies...these next two chapters aren't the greatest, please forgive me! I promise to make up for it with the concluding ones! :) _______________________________ Exoneration (15/20) By Michele R Mason Chapter Fifteen "That was so weird," Jade sank to the couch folding her hands in front of her. "Why do you think Ami did it?" Megabyte stared around the conservatory. Adam had teleported the sleeping Ami back to the Ship, leaving Megabyte and Jade at Sullivan House. "I don't know. I just hope she never does it again." "Do you really think that we can help Kali?" "I don't know! And I don't care!" Megabyte shook his head in annoyance. "I'm getting out of here, if you want to stay, that's fine, but I'm gone." With that, her friend disappeared in a flash of light. Jade sighed into the darkness, and glancing anxiously around, rose to her feet. She wasn't too keen on the idea of staying here by herself. 'At least I'm not as scared as Megabyte. I didn't 'port out at the first opportunity.' [I'm not scared. I just didn't see any reason to hang out there all night.] [Scared.] Jade teased. [I am not scared.] [Hey, you two, argue about it to yourselves,] Adam broke in. [You're going to disturb Ami.] They broke off contact, Jade taking a last look around Sullivan House. The place actually didn't look so frightening when she looked at it rationally. It was merely an old conservatory with candles burning. With a final sigh, Jade begin to extinguish the candles, chastising Megabyte for leaving her to do the job alone. 'If he wasn't so scared of this place-- ' She felt a prickling, a soft brushing against her neck that made her hair rise on end. Looking around, she caught a movement outside of the window. Only a flash, the shadow of something passing out of sight. Leaving the last candle lit, Jade hurried to the window and peered out. She wasn't seeing things. There was someone walking along the garden path. [Megabyte, very funny,] Jade automatically accused. [What?] Her friend inquired. Jade started, watching the figure disappear down the path. [You're not? Never mind-- ] Jade cut off contact, and hurried into the yard behind the figure. The night was dark, and the path unlit, so following was difficult. At times, Jade even thought that the shape she was following vanished into non-existence. 'Be reasonable, Jade.' She chastised herself. But she couldn't help wondering who was out in the yard this late at night. The figure led her beyond the gazebo, staying far enough out of sight, and ignoring her calls for attention. Several times Jade stumbled across branches and brambles, and debated calling to Adam or Megabyte. But she knew Adam was keeping a watchful vigil over Ami, and Megabyte would only be a nuisance at this time anyway. 'Besides,' she insisted, 'If it gets dangerous, I'll just teleport away.' Lost in her thoughts, Jade ground to a halt, almost stumbling into the figure who stopped and stared at her. An eerie glow surrounded the translucent form who smiled sadly at Jade. Her hair tied back in a kerchief, wearing the long skirts of the late nineteenth century, she seemed to be speaking, but Jade could not make out the words. "Kali?" Jade whispered the name in awe. "Here, Jade," the words were carried on the wind, brushing her ears like a soft whisper. Then the specter was gone. It took a moment for Jade to release the breath she was holding. [Adam, Megabyte?] Megabyte's voice was annoyed and impatient. [What is it now Jade?] [I think that I know where Kali's body is buried.] End of Chapter Fifteen ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "Michele Mason" Subject: TPFICT: Exoneration (16/20) Date: 26 Oct 1997 18:29:19 PST Exoneration (16/20) By Michele R Mason Chapter Sixteen -- Interlude "What I find so hard to believe is that in all these years no one ever found Kali's body. If she could make herself appear so plainly to your group, why not others?" General Damon sighed thoughtfully. The Tomorrow People and General Damon stood in the Sullivan family plot. Here, the bodies of Edward and Charles, as well as Captain Sullivan and his wife had been buried one hundred years ago. They gathered around a freshly dug plot which Ami and Jade were arranging flowers on. "I don't think that anyone ever listened to her before," Adam answered. "We saw and heard the people in Stonebridge. Everyone was always so afraid of her ghost that they never gave her the chance to speak." "There's always another possibility, too, Adam." Adam gave the General a questioning glance. Taking the young man's silence as a cue to continue, the General did. "Your powers. Your abilities. Psychic ability is often associated with mediumship and the Tomorrow People certainly have an abundance of psychic ability. Maybe it was simply easier for each of you to see and be aware of the spirit world. " Ami stood, dusting her hands. "It certainly wasn't hard to feel Kali or speak to her. It was almost-- well, natural." She shrugged under the watchful gaze of her friends; sometimes she got the feeling that even three days after the event, they expected for her to suddenly speak in Kali's voice and look at them with Kali's eyes. "I don't think it will happen again." "Good," Megabyte remarked. "That was just creepy. And Dad, your theory doesn't explain why Ami's eyes turned green." "Maybe they didn't," General Damon said. "Perhaps it was some sort of hallucination or mental projection from the spirit herself." "Well, whatever it was, I'm just glad it's over." Megabyte affectionately nudged his friend, "And don't even think about doing it again." Ami smiled. "I told you, Megabyte. I don't think that it will happen again. Kali's at peace now." "Yeah, but what about Charles?" "Kali told us that she could help Charles, so we have to hope that she does." "And how is a ghost going to help another ghost-- " Megabyte's words were cut off by a sound being carried on the wind: the sound of piano music. The red head shook his head, "I don't want to know. I don't want to know." Nonetheless, he followed on the heels of his friends and father to the source of the music. End of Chapter Sixteen ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: SunStar77@aol.com Subject: TPFICT: A New Tomorrow 2/5 Date: 27 Oct 1997 15:11:37 -0500 (EST) A New Tomorrow Part 2/5 by Kate Marcinkowski Note: telepathic communication is indicated by //. At the bottom of the stairs stood the other three Tomorrow People. O= ff to one side, a tall man wearing a grey suit stood leaning against the doo= r frame with his arms crossed. General Damon came out of a doorway to the r= ight caring a tray loaded with sandwiches.=20 =93There are drinks in the kitchen, if you want something.=94 He tol= d the teens and headed to the living room. The tall man followed General Damon. =93Hi guys. This is . . . =94 Megabyte started but Jade, the younges= t Tomorrow Person cut him off. =93Gabrielle Carison.=94=20 =93Right. You=92ll have to get used to that. We try not to read othe= r people=92s minds but Jade=92s kind of new at this.=94 He glared at the sh= ort blond girl and turned her to the other Tomorrow People. =93This is Ami Jackson = and Adam Newman. And this is Jade Weston. I guess we=92re going to be in the = living room. Do you want something to drink?=94 =93A coke would be fine.=94 Gabrielle watched Megabyte retreat into = the kitchen. =93You=92ll have to get used to a lot of things.=94 Ami, the tall, d= ark skinned girl came forward. =93Yeah, we can be quite a lot, all at once.=94 Adam, the tallest To= morrow Person, stepped forward. His brown eyes sparkled at her as he pushed his brown hair out of his eyes. =93We should probably go in.=94 She nodded and walked into the living room.=20 General Damon stood up when they came in the room. =93Gabrielle, I n= ever had the chance to introduce myself. I=92m General Damon, Megabyte=92s fat= her, and this is my assistant, Frank.=94 He gestured to the man in the grey suit. =93Hi.=94 Frank waved to her and looked back down at his laptop. Gabrielle took a seat on the couch next to Adam. Ami and Jade sat on= the floor leaning against his legs. Megabyte came back in and sat on her othe= r side. He handed her a glass and grabbed a sandwich off the tray. Gabriell= e took one also. General Damon sat in a chair across from them. =93So what happened to you today, Marmaduke?=94 General Damon leaned= forward in his chair and stared at his son. Megabyte glared back at his father. =93I was on my way to school thi= s morning and these two goons grabbed me. They drugged me and tossed me in = a van. When I woke up, I was in this huge white room strapped to this thing. These men around me just looked at me and started poking me needles and things. When they were done, I was thrown in a dark cell with Gabrielle. = We decided to try and get out so we mind merged and knocked out the men when they came back. When we got out of the building, I teleported us home.=94 =93I get the feeling there=92s a little more to what happened than j= ust that.=94 Frank looked up from his computer. =93Yeah. But I think Gabrielle could probably explain better than I could.=94 Everyone looked at Gabrielle. She took a breath and began to tell he= r story. =93My name is Gabrielle Carison. The men kidnapped me from my car = when I was going to my uncle=92s house. His name is Michael Carison. I=92m not s= ure how long ago I left. What=92s today=92s date?=94 =93April 25.=94 General Damon told her.=20 Gabrielle looked up in surprise. =93I went home the day before my un= cle=91s birthday. On April 7, almost three weeks ago. I had no idea I=92d been go= ne so long. The school has probably called him. Uncle Mike must be worried sick= .=94=20 =93We=92ll call him later.=94 General Damon looked at Frank, who nod= ded and wrote something on a pad. Gabrielle nodded. =93They ran my car off the road and pulled me into= a van where they tied me up and drugged me. The next thing I remember is being carried into a white room like the one Megabyte was in. They took my bloo= d. They were always taking my blood. Then they did some kind of test. This o= ne man put a collar =91round my neck and there was this sharp pain in my hea= d. It wouldn=92t stop. God, it was awful.=94 She took a deep breath. Both Adam = and Megabyte put their hands on hers. She leaned into Megabyte. =93There were= so many tests. After the testing, they put me in this room with no light. Ev= ery day they brought me food and every other day they took my blood. That was= it. I had no other contact with them. The first day I was there I tried to teleport away but I couldn=92t.=94 =93You can teleport?=94 Ami looked up at Gabrielle. =93I only did it once about a month before I was taken. I fell down = the stairs at my uncle=92s house and landed in my dorm room at The Oaks Schoo= l. I never really tried after that. Too scared, I think. I mean, how do you explain that to your uncle? My school is in London but he lives in Cambridge.=94 =93You know what it felt like, being in the building? Like being de= ep underwater for a long time. When Megabyte and I finally got out of there,= my ears popped and it felt like this huge pressure was gone from my head. Anyway, my eyes finally adjusted to the dark and the light from the hallw= ay hurt. The men never talked. No one ever talked. I would hear something th= at sounded like mumbling voices coming down the hall but I could never make sense of them and they would stop as soon as my door was open. Finally, Megabyte was put in my cell and we escaped.=94 Gabrielle punctuated her sentence with a huge yawn. =93You kids must be tired. Why don=92t you all sleep here tonight? W= e=92ve got lots of extra room.=94 General Damon stood up and stretched. =93Frank and= I are going to do some work on your story and see what we can find. We=92ll con= tact your uncle and your school and tell them you=92re all right.=94 =93Thanks, General.=94 Adam stood and all the Tomorrow People follow= ed suit. Gabrielle noticed this and decided immediately that he was the leader of = this unusual group. =93I=92ll show everyone to their rooms, dad.=94 Megabyte took Gabrie= lle=92s hand and led everyone upstairs. Ami and Jade were given a room across from Megabyte, and Gabrielle=92s room connected to Megabyte=92s bathroom. Adam= slept on the floor in Megabyte=92s room. Megabyte woke to a loud scream. In a second, he was out of bed and vaulting over Adam. Adam sat up groggily and watched Megabyte disappear i= nto the room next to his bathroom. He got up and followed him through the bathroom and into Gabrielle=92s bedroom. Gabrielle was clawing at the air in front of her, whimpering and screeching, mentally and verbally. Megabyte was trying to calm her down.=20 =93Gabrielle, you=92re safe here. It=92s me. Megabyte.=94 Rather than comfort her, his words seemed to send her into another f= it . The door to her room flew open and General Damon came flying in followed = by Frank and the rest of the Tomorrow People.=20 =93What=92s wrong?=94 General Damon looked at the crazed girl in his= son=92s arms. =93She=92s having a nightmare.=94 Megabyte looked up at his dad. =93= What does it look like?=94=20 Adam sat on the other side of the bed and touched Gabrielle=92s sweat-soaked shoulder. //Gabrielle.// He thought. Immediately, she calmed down in Megabyte=92s arms.=20 =93What did you do?=94 Frank peered over Ami=92s and Jade=92s heads.= =20 =93Megabyte?=94 Gabrielle opened her eyes and looked at the people i= n her room.=20 =93You were having a nightmare.=94 Megabyte hugged her close. =93I was in the lab again.=94 She laid her head on his shoulder. General Damon looked at his watch. =93I think you boys have this und= er control. The rest of us should try and get some sleep out of what=92s lef= t of the night.=94=20 Frank retreated to the hallway. The girls followed him. //Night, Gabrielle. Hope you feel better in the morning.// //Night Ami, Jade.// She =91pathed back to them. =93If you need anything during the night, let me know.=94 General Da= mon backed out of the room, closing the door behind him. =93Night.=94 Megabyte helped Gabrielle lay back down. =93Go back to sleep.=94 Adam stood up and walked back to the connecting door. =93I=92m going= back to bed.=94=20 =93I=92m going to stay with her until she=92s asleep.=94 =93Right. G=92night.=94 Megabyte looked at Gabrielle. She had a tight hold on his hand but w= as already fast asleep. //Hey Adam?// //Yeah, Megabyte?// Adam=92s mental voice sounded sleepy.=20 //What did you do to calm her down?// //I just touched her. Why?// //Nothing. Just curious. Night.// //Night.// The next morning Megabyte and Gabrielle were the last ones downstair= s. General Damon and Frank looked up as they came into the dining room.=20 =93We called your uncle=92s house several times last night and this= morning but there was no answer. We also called your school. They said they had already been contacted by your uncle. He told them you were going to be staying with him because you were ill.=94 He looked at Frank, who took of= f his glasses and rubbed his eyes. =93I did some checking around with the local police. I=92m afraid th= at your uncle is dead. They think it was murder.=94 Gabrielle stared at Frank in disbelief. =93Uncle Mike is dead?=94 End Part 2. To be continued. . . Comments? SunStar77@aol.com ped to cope with a being from a remote planet. Cautiously, they turned the corner where the stairs ran upwards, at right angles from the corridor. At once they saw the now-familiar sight of a pair of sentries wearing the red caps of the military police. They goggled at the six youngsters, then reached for their revolvers. 'No you don't,' yelled John, pointing his stun gun at them. It was a piece of bluff, for he knew that the pistol would not freeze anyone at that range. The bluff worked. The men hesitated just long enough for John to bound up the stairs towards them. As they brought their revolvers out, he reached the top of the stairs and gave each of them a swift squirt. They remained rigid, their hands on their holsters. As the others ran up the stairs behind him. John flung open the door. The room was exactly like the one in which he and his three companions had been detained. Inside were four people: three of whom jumped to their feet at once. Two of these were doctors, white coats over their uniforms. The third was Colonel M. (End of part 10) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "Shaun Hately" Subject: Re: TPFICT: A New Tomorrow 1/5 Date: 27 Oct 1997 20:25:50 +1100 Kate, I don't normally comment on fanfic until I have all the pieces in my inbox (because until then I don't read them normally) but I know how much people who've sent their first fanfic to the list hang out for comments so here goes. I can't comment on the story itself at this point except to say that you have started well - I am interested in reading what is going to come next which is always a good start. If I had any criticism, it's that it isn't exactly clear how Megabyte got there - although you may plan to reveal that later for all I know. It just seems to me that Gabrielle would have had more questions and have been less quick to trust him. But they are very minor things and based on the way I think about these things. Your mileage may vary. Your writing style is good. You seem to have a good grasp of the fundamentals of grammar and it is nice and smooth which a lot of people have trouble with. Yours Without Wax, |'Don't knock mutant freaks. That's how Dreadnought |evolution works. Something new appears / |that might turn out to be just what the o=== ======================- |species needs.' \ |- Stephanie Tolan 'Welcome to the Ark' drednort@eisa.net.au | http://www.fortunecity.com/tattooine/davros/thelab.html ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "Shaun Hately" Subject: TPFICT: The Visitor (9/?) Date: 28 Oct 1997 11:35:34 +1100 The Tomorrow People in the Visitor by Roger Price and Julian R Gregory First published 1973 by Pan Books Ltd in association with Independent Television Publications Ltd. Copyright Roger Price 1973 ISBN 0 330 23477 3 Disclaimers etc in Part 0. DO NOT ARCHIVE Part 9/? CHAPTER SIX With a hiss and a rumble the underground train moved slowly out of the station, treating its discarded passengers to a low, whining farewell as it disappeared into the tunnel. The assorted throng of theatre goers and businessmen kept late at the office scurried for the escalators, hardly sparing a glance for the two boys in Hell's Angel jerkins who hung around a chocolate machine at the rear end of the platform. A West Indian attendant eyed them suspiciously, fearing that they were waiting for a chance to prise it open. But he relaxed when one of them, a ginger-haired lad, put a coin in, extracted his bar of chocolate, and halved it with his mate. The man turned his back as the two Hell's Angels ambled peaceably up the platform towards him. Probably not real Hell's Angels at all, he told himself. Just wearing the gear so they can look tough. Watching until the attendant was out of sight, they immediately turned back and raised a small trapdoor hidden close to the tunnel entrance. In a moment they were bent low in a sewer-like gallery which ran off at an angle and eventually brought them to that little-known part of the London Underground which was doomed to remain forever sealed off and silent. Picking their way deftly along the trackless tunnel which lay before them, they came at last to a solid brick wall which apparently brought the tunnel to an end. Bending, they pushed open a low door and, after another near-crawl through a low gallery, they found themselves at length in the underground laboratory where TIM reigned over the equipment of the Tomorrow People. 'They've disappeared, TIM,' said the red-haired one. 'Their parents are getting worried.' 'Yes Ginge,' replied TIM. 'I am too. I'm glad you have come.' Ginge and Lefty, both authentic Hell's Angels, were the only Saps in the whole world who knew the secret of the Tomorrow People - apart, of course, from the parents of the four. Six months previously, they had fallen under the spell of Jedekiah, ostensibly the leader of a new mystic sect but really an errant robot whom a blown fuse had doomed to wander through the universe causing mischief wherever he could. In dealing with Jedekiah, the Tomorrow People had eventually made Ginge and Lefty see that they were in the grip of an evil force, and had taken them into their confidence. Now TIM had work for them. The computer had received no word from the four for more than twelve hours. Clearly, therefore, they had fallen into the hands of the military at Loch Derrig and their equipment had been taken from them. Somehow, it had to be replaced: TIM had to get new jaunting-belts to them, and new stun guns. Otherwise, they had little chance of escape. And so it was that two Hell's Angels rode into the valley of Loch Derrig, carrying an array of gadgets that would have made them the envy of any motorway chapter in the kingdom. As the flat-roofed buildings came into sight Ginge waved his friend to a halt. Carefully, they dismounted and pressed themselves into the bracken at the side of the road. 'Well one thing's for sure. Lefty.' said Ginge. 'They don't believe in giving you a Highland welcome.' He waved at the barbed wire which surrounded the centre. Lefty nodded vigorously. 'So,' continued Ginge, 'it looks as though we gotta use a bit of the old subterfuge.' Lefty nodded once more. 'Right then. You fall off - I'll do the talking.' They climbed back on to their machines. With a kick and a roar they moved off along the road which ran beside the loch, towards the clump of buildings where they knew the Tomorrow People were held prisoner. As the barbed wire of the centre loomed larger Ginge could see men in uniform watching them through fieldglasses. If all that TIM had told him was true, he thought, the soldiers must be pretty jumpy. Let's hope they don't rumble us. He slowed a little to let Lefty pass him, praying that Lefty would not put too much into his performance. If his friend succeeded in laying himself out, or even injured himself seriously . . . well, it just didn't bear thinking of. They'd got problems enough already. He need not have worried. Accelerating away, Lefty suddenly wobbled, spun from one side of the road to the other, and finished up face downwards in the bracken. His machine careered, riderless, across the road to stop, wheels spinning, in the reeds. It was a beautiful performance, one that any film stunt man would have been proud of. As Ginge braked to a halt and ran to his friend, conscious that keen eyes were watching, he wondered for a moment whether Lefty had overdone it. But a swift wink told him that all was well. As he knelt beside Lefty's recumbent form. a Land-Rover screamed out of the gate in front of him and covered the two hundred yards' distance in a few seconds. In it were two men - the captain who had helped Colonel M in his interrogation, and a young military police corporal. 'What the hell's going on here?' barked the captain jumping down from the Land-Rover. 'He's fallen off,' Ginge wailed. 'I can see that he's fallen off, you fool,' the officer snapped. He knelt down beside Lefty and turned him over. 'You better hadn't touch him, mister - he might have broken something,' warned Ginge. 'Shut up.' ordered the captain. Jumping to his feet, he turned to the corporal. 'Better get Major Dobson,' he said. 'Very good, sir,' said the corporal. Springing into the Land-Rover, he raced back towards the medical centre. 'Confounded young idiots,' stormed the captain, turning back to Ginge. 'You're not fit to be on the road. What do you think you're doing round here anyway?' 'Just riding,' said Ginge. For the first time the captain became aware of his accent. He stared at Ginge, suspiciously. 'You're from London, aren't you?' he asked. 'Yeah, that's right, guv'nor,' said Ginge. 'Just come to get away from the smoke, you know.' 'Well why, with the entire blasted Highlands to choose from, do you have to pick this spot to land yourselves in a mess?' Ginge had been right. The officer was distinctly edgy. Glancing at the centre Ginge wondered which building the Tomorrow People were in. (End of part 9) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "Shaun Hately" Subject: TPFICT: The Visitor (11/?) Date: 28 Oct 1997 11:35:23 +1100 The Tomorrow People in the Visitor by Roger Price and Julian R Gregory First published 1973 by Pan Books Ltd in association with Independent Television Publications Ltd. Copyright Roger Price 1973 ISBN 0 330 23477 3 Disclaimers etc in Part 0. DO NOT ARCHIVE Part 11/? CHAPTER SIX (continued) 'Right - back against the wall!' ordered John. The doctors obeyed swiftly, their hands raised, Colonel M remained where he was, eyeing John's pistol as though trying to make up his mind whether it was real. Kenny pushed past John, waving his pistol menacingly. 'Go on, colonel. Move!' he piped. Slowly, the colonel joined his two colleagues, who were now standing against the wall. While Kenny covered the three of them, the others turned their attention to the fourth occupant of the room. He had remained motionless at the table, watching everything with silent interest. As they looked at him their jaws dropped. 'Cor,' said Ginge. 'It's a kid!' He was right. The visitor from outer space was a child. At the most, he could be no more than six years old. He sat there looking back at them, a puzzled, pleased smile playing about his lips. It was obvious that he didn't quite realise what was happening, but be grasped that somehow the tables had been turned. For a moment they looked at one another in silence. Then Carol stepped across to the table, smiling down at the little boy. After a moment's hesitation, the child smiled back - a huge, delighted grin. As she looked down at him, Carol thought that she had never seen anyone so attractive. He was dressed in a mauve, one-piece suit, made of some translucent material never seen on Earth, which glowed and shimmered gently in the afternoon sunlight. His complexion might have been called sallow, save that it had a beautiful egg shell consistency which no advertisement for cosmetics could ever hope to equal. His eyes, glowing under a mop of dark curls, were a remarkable shade of purple. His head and ears tapered to the finest of points. Carol was about to telepath a greeting when John laid a hand on her arm. 'Remember what happened last time,' he said. Each of the Tomorrow People threw up a telepathic screen - the equivalent of pressing their hands over their ears - before Carol proceeded to communicate with the little boy, 'We are friends,' she telepathed. 'We have come to help you.' Despite the precaution which they had taken, the response almost blasted them off their feet. They had no doubt now that it was the spacechild who had unwittingly knocked them unconscious. 'Here, steady on!' cried Ginge. He stepped forward to catch Kenny, who had almost fallen over. Colonel M, seeing a chance, stepped forward and reached for his revolver. 'No you don't!' yelled Ginge. But it was Lefty who waved his stun gun menacingly. The colonel stepped back, biting his lip in anger. Carol telepathed to the child once more. 'Try to speak quietly,' she told him. 'Whisper.' The child nodded vigorously. `Now.' Carol telepathed. 'Where are you from?' The little boy shook his head. No longer smiling, he appeared on the verge of tears. Carol was reminded of a toddler she had once seen lost in a department store, too young to tell the worried assistants where he lived. 'Don't worry.' thought Carol. 'We'll get you out of here, then we'll see about getting you home again.' The child sniffed, attempting a brave smile. Kenny stepped forward. The little visitor stared at him, obviously intrigued by his dark skin. 'What's your name?' Kenny asked him. For the first time they got an answer that was loud and clear, without battering at their brains. It consisted of a single word: 'Arlon.' It was John who now took over again. 'Right, Arlon.' he said. 'First of all. we've got to get out of here.' The child nodded even more vigorously than before. Pointing at the three officers against the wall, he declared. 'Bad men.' John glanced at them, then turned back to the child. 'Not bad,' he replied, 'Just stupid.' 'Who's stupid?' To their astonishment, the colonel's clipped voice had interrupted their conversation. 'Who's stupid?' he repeated. It was then that they realised, with a shock, that Colonel M was himself telepathic - though apparently only slightly so. He had picked up John's remark. They knew, of course, that some Saps had limited telepathic powers; the colonel apparently was one of them. In future, they would have to be extremely careful. Recovering quickly, Stephen gave him a condescending smile. 'On our planet,' he explained, 'We converse by telepathic means all the time. It's our normal mode of speech.' Ginge's brow furrowed. Sometimes, like all Saps, he could be a little slow on the uptake. 'On your planet?' he asked. 'What d'you mean . . .' Before he could get any further, Carol gave him a swift kick. Ginge's mouth snapped shut. The colonel, a crafty interrogator, had avoided telling the Tomorrow People what conclusions he had formed about them, but the military police sergeant had given the game away. If the military thought that the four of them, like Arlon, came from another planet, that suited the Tomorrow People very well indeed, Let them go on thinking so. Their secret - their real secret - remained safe, and that was of over-riding importance. Clearly, Colonel M and his colleagues must believe that they had somehow taken over the identities of four ordinary youngsters. John wondered what they had made of Ginge and Lefty. Did they think that the two Hell's Angels had also come from a distant planet? There was no time to find out. Soon the first of the victims - the men who had brought Ginge and Lefty into the centre - would be recovering from the effects of the stun gun. They had to get away before that happened, for they could no longer rely on the element of surprise. John leaned forward and sent carefully to the little figure before him. 'Can you jaunt?' he asked. The child looked puzzled. John paused, then formed a mental picture of a little boy jaunting over a short distance. Arlon shook his head. The Tomorrow People looked at one another. 'He doesn't even know what jaunting means,' said Kenny. While Stephen and John covered the three Sap officers. Carol took Arlon's hand and led him, past the two transfixed guards, out into the sunshine. Kenny went too, along with Ginge and Lefty, but he paused to take a bunch of keys from the pocket of one of the guards. He brought them back to John. That's the one you need.' he said, showing him the one that fitted the door. 'Thanks,' said John, as Kenny went to join the others. Then he spoke to the prisoners. 'Turn and face the wall, and don't try to come after us - at least, not until we're well away,' he warned. 'You may feel stupid being locked in here, but you'll feel even more stupid if we paralyse you. 'You'll never get away . . .' Colonel M blustered, as the three men obeyed John's command. But John and Stephen didn't wait to hear more. Slamming the door, they locked it behind them and raced out into the concrete yard in front of the main building. There the four Tomorrow People joined hands to form a link with Carol and Kenny holding fast to Arlon. 'Let's hope this works,' murmured John. 'Hold him tight.' They jaunted. Lefty and Ginge, watching from their bikes saw the four Tomorrow People disappear effortlessly. Little Arlon was left alone in the middle of the wide expanse of concrete. 'They've left the kid!' shouted Ginge and started forward. Even as Ginge ran towards him, Arlon, with a startled look on his face, slowly dematerialised. Carol and Kenny felt they were being torn apart. It was like trying to pull an elephant out of quicksand. The fleeting rainbow confusion of hyperspace tumbled all around them. Through them also flowed the linked power of John and Stephen. Pulling, forcing, squeezing little Arlon through the vortex. They were trembling when they arrived in the Lab, all four of them. They stared in horrified fascination at the empty space between them where Arlon ought to be. Kenny could feel him, holding on tight. The wave of grim terror flooding out of the little alien boy, wherever or whenever he was, threatened to make them all lose consciousness. A misty shadow came and went. They used their linked minds to concentrate with a desperate intensity. TIM extended his link contacts towards them. John and Stephen risked breaking the circle to grab at the contacts. In that microsecond they almost lost Arlon forever. Then with the tremendous added power of TIM they managed to pull him through. The whole Lab shook with energy as the little shadow became an outline, the outline became a shape and the shape slowly solidified. Suddenly there was Arlon, standing between them in the Lab with a very puzzled look on his face. 'Phew!' breathed John collapsing into a chair. 'I don't want to go through that again.' Lefty and Ginge stared at the spot where Arlon had vanished. 'I hope he's got through all right,' said Ginge. Then they kicked their bikes into life and roared out of the Centre to begin the dangerous but enjoyable task of dodging the road blocks on the long ride back to London. (End of part 11) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "Shaun Hately" Subject: TPFICT: Sorry Date: 28 Oct 1997 11:41:14 +1100 Sorry about the personal message going to the list - I'm still not used to this new mailer. Yours Without Wax, |'Don't knock mutant freaks. That's how Dreadnought |evolution works. Something new appears / |that might turn out to be just what the o=== ======================- |species needs.' \ |- Stephanie Tolan 'Welcome to the Ark' drednort@eisa.net.au | http://www.fortunecity.com/tattooine/davros/thelab.html ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: SunStar77@aol.com Subject: TPFICT: A New Tomorrow 3/5 Date: 28 Oct 1997 11:05:40 -0500 (EST) A New Tomorrow Part 3/5 by Kate Marcinkowski Note: telepathic communication is indicated by //. =93Megabyte, catch her.=94 Frank called. Gabrielle fainted and Megab= yte neatly caught her. He carried her into the living room and set her down on a cou= ch. =93The men who captured you and Gabrielle are part of a group called= Unit Red. More than likely they killed Gabrielle=92s uncle. They also probably called her school. He was her only family and if he was gone, no one would come look= ing for her.=94 Frank followed them into the living room. =93You care for her= .=94 He said after a moment. =93Yeah. She=92s so strong. I mean, weeks of being locked alone in a= room with no light? I was going crazy from only one day of it. And I wasn=92t alone= .=94 Megabyte looked up. =93Frank, what=92s going to happen now?=94 =93That=92s up to your dad.=94 //Megabyte?// =93Gabrielle! You=92re awake. Do you feel okay?=94 Megabyte helped h= er sit up. =93Yeah.=94 She rubbed her forehead. =93Who would want to kill Uncle= Mike?=94 =93Frank said it was the same group that kidnapped us. Unit Red.=94 //Are you guys hungry?// Ami =91pathed. //Yeah. We=92re coming in a minute.// =93Don=92t worry Gabri, you=92= re not alone. You=92ve got all of us.=94 They stood up. =93And we=92ll find them. They=92ve been operating on the border of = legality for some time now. Kidnapping definitely just pushed them over the edge.=94 F= rank followed them into the dining room. After a huge helping of General Damon=92s special blueberry waffles,= Adam, Ami, and Jade took Gabrielle to the spaceship. Megabyte, his dad and Fran= k went to check out the Unit Red compound. Gabrielle stood on the beach, letting the sun beat down on her. She = had teleported, with Ami=92s help, to her uncle=92s house and picked up some = clothes and she now stood on the beach in her bathing suit and soccer shorts. Adam an= d Jade were playing in the surf and Ami was sleeping in the shade of a palm tree. Gabrielle smiled, happy and safe for the first time in a while. She = ran for the harder packed sand and began a series of complicated flips and twists. He= r old gymnastics instincts came back and she spanned almost the entire beach wi= th her tumbling.=20 She finished to the sounds of applause coming from the water. Slippi= ng out of her shorts, she completed a series of back handsprings into the water and landed near Jade and Adam.=20 =93Cool. When did you learn to do that?=94 Jade attempted a lopsided cartwheel and landed in the water. =93In gymnastics at school. I=92ve taken it almost all my life.=94 G= abrielle dove into the cool water and swam out a bit.=20 =93You must really love gymnastics.=94 Adam surfaced next to her. He= pushed his hair back from his eyes and smiled. =93Yeah. I love the feeling of flying you get when you tumble.=94 Sh= e looked back at the beach and saw three new figures waving at them. =93Looks like adva= nced scouts are back.=94=20 They swam back in and teleported into the ship. Ami was already ther= e. Gabrielle used one of the small side tunnels to change into shorts and a tank.=20 =93We=92ve planned the assault for tonight. Worldex has a strike tea= m waiting for us as soon as we=92re ready to go.=94 General Damon paced back and forth = in front of the centre pillar with the kids sprawled on the benches around him. Gabrielle sat on a couch with Megabyte and leaned back so her head w= as on his stomach. =93Who=92s going?=94=20 =93Myself, Frank, and the team.=94 =93You=92re going to need someone who can get around in there. I wan= t to go.=94 Gabrielle said from her spot. =93It=92s too dangerous. I don=92t know if we=92ll be able to get th= e field generator down and if you get caught in the building you have no way to escape.=94 = Frank shook his head as he spoke.=20 =93What about you? If any of your men get caught, they aren=92t goin= g to be able to escape either.=94 She countered. =93Why do you want to go so badly?=94 General Damon sat on a bench i= n front of her. =93They kidnapped me and killed my uncle. I want to help take them d= own. I deserve to go.=94 //Gabrielle, do you know that you don=92t have the ability to kill?/= / Adam looked at her. //That=92s all right. I don=92t think I could kill anyone anyway. I = just want to be there when Unit Red comes down.// Jade perked up. //I think that if you go, all of us should go.// //Yeah. If all of us are there, the strike team would have a better chance of getting out alive.// Ami added. //Especially if we could take out the generator. Then we could telep= ort if there are any problems.// Megabyte telepathed to them.=20 //All right.// Adam agreed. The two men stood watching something pass between the teens. General Damon wished he could hear what was going on. Adam stood up. =93We=92ve got a plan.=94 =93All right. Let=92s hear it.=94 General Damon sat. End Part 3. To be continued. . . Comments? SunStar77@aol.com ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "Michele Mason" Subject: TPFICT: Exoneration (17/20) Date: 28 Oct 1997 18:09:42 PST Exoneration (17/20) By Michele R Mason Chapter Seventeen -- History Repeats Crossing the threshold to the conservatory, Adam felt a chill envelop his entire body. Goose pimples formed on his arms, and every hair on his body stood on end as if an electrical shock had ripped through his body. The room swam before his eyes, the bright sunlight outside fading to the deep of night, flickering candles illuminating only the growing shadows. The music drew him closer. Charles leaned over the piano, eyes closed, his fingers dancing across the keys as they pounded out passionate melody after melody. Tears streaked the man's cheeks, and Adam saw a servant move quickly into the shadows, escaping the melancholy of the music and the room. 'This can't be happening,' Adam's mind protested. He whirled, expecting to see the others behind him, but turning only revealed the neatly decorated conservatory and the empty doorway. [Megabyte?] Adam reached out tentatively, only vaguely surprised by the awareness that he could no longer sense the minds of his friends. His first concern was worry for them; they would be worried about him, and unless he found a way out of this-- Edward's arrival interrupted his train of thought. For a moment, Adam's mind reeled. He was uncertain of how he knew that the man who had just entered the conservatory was Edward Sullivan. Yet, he did know. He could almost recognize the smug, arrogant gait to the man's steps. He knew Edward just as he knew this was the very night that Edward and Charles would both come to a horrible end. "I told you to leave me alone, Edward." The coldness of Charles's voice chilled Adam's blood. Watching the darkness crease the face which was a mirror of his own, made his stomach clench. "The Lord has sent me to save your soul, brother." "You killed my soul, brother." The music came to a sudden stop, the musician staring malevolently at the man crossing the room. "Your God is a lie and I spit in the name of your Christian religion." Edward flinched. "She was a witch, Charles! The marks of her witchcraft are everywhere. She has bewitched you from beyond the grave. "You must turn to God and repent. God will forgive-- " "I'd rather follow Lucifer into the fires of hell than stand before your God." "Blasphemy!" Charles stood, his eyes glazed and bloodshot. He leered at his brother, lurking closer. "And will you hang me as well? Damn your God, Edward-- " "The power of the witch blinded you! The Bible says, 'Let no man seek--" Edward's words were cut off by his brother's hands fastening abruptly around his neck. "How will you preach when you have no air to speak with brother? I tire of your lectures and your religion! You have taken everything from me. You destroyed my world. You killed the woman I love, all in the name of your God! "I will not hear anymore of it! I will not listen! I want you out of my house, I want you gone as far from here as possible, Edward." "Charles! You're killing him!" Adam's shout sounded hallow to his own ears. He raced forward, hoping to pry the musician away from his brother, but instead he moved through the vision, a deep penetrating chill descending to the depths of his bones. [Help me! I'm here!] Adam called for the others again, knowing the futility of it. He was alone here; and he was powerless to prevent what was happening. He heard a sickening crack, the sound of bone breaking, and upon seeing Edward's lifeless body dangling from Charles's hands, he turned and lost his lunch. ***** [Adam, answer us, please,] Megabyte pleaded with his friend while Ami pressed a cold compress to Adam's forehead. The elder Tomorrow Person had collapsed upon entering the conservatory, but he had not fallen unconscious as they initially thought. Adam's eyes remained open, but focused on some distant point that the others could not see. His mind was closed to them, and no matter how hard they tried, he simply did not answer them. "It's no use, Megabyte. He can't hear us," Ami spoke softly, her concern evident. "He's not with us." Megabyte flashed her a dark glare. "What's that supposed to mean? How do you know?" Ami did not look up from her ministrations. "I think that he's communicating with Charles. He's seeing and hearing things that we can't see or hear." "If you know so much, how do we stop it?" Ami shook her head. "We don't." End of Chapter Seventeen ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "Shaun Hately" Subject: TPFICT: The Visitor (12/?) Date: 29 Oct 1997 19:16:39 +1100 The Tomorrow People in the Visitor by Roger Price and Julian R Gregory First published 1973 by Pan Books Ltd in association with Independent Television Publications Ltd. Copyright Roger Price 1973 ISBN 0 330 23477 3 Disclaimers etc in Part 0. DO NOT ARCHIVE Part 12/? CHAPTER SEVEN CHAPTER SEVEN The citizens of Kilgardie, after a day of anxious speculation, came to the conclusion that the strange object now lying submerged so close to their shore must be a highly-secret guided missile which had somehow wandered from its testing-range. The over-thirties. remembering the war-time posters which warned that 'Careless Talk Costs Lives', decided that the less said about it the better. Who could tell, some enterprising agent from Eastern Europe may already have heard that the object which had shot across the sky on the previous evening was to be found just below the waves which washed against their village. If such a one should appear, no matter how clever his disguise, he would hear nothing to his advantage from the dour patriots of Kilgardie. The villagers were encouraged in this reticence by Colonel M and his trusty captain, who let it be known, via the local police, that any indiscretion might well constitute a breach of the Official Secrets Act, with all the dire consequences which that entailed. The two officers then paid a visit to the McCaigs, where they collected the Tomorrow People's camping gear for examination and gleaned what information they could. This turned out to be very little. The four had been well-mannered youngsters who, though a trifle quiet. had given no reason to doubt their complete ordinariness. Colonel M and the captain went on their way, counselling the McCaigs to say nothing about their visit to the neighbours and to avoid all questions about the youngsters' sudden disappearance. This emphasis on secrecy sprang partly from a desire not to alarm the public at large, and partly from a desire not to broadcast the fact that three boys and a girl had succeeded in making fools of military intelligence. Somehow, the thought that they were almost certainly from some superior civilisation on another planet did little to take the sting away. Meanwhile, in the underground laboratory, the Tomorrow People had all but given up their vain attempt to teach Arlon the basic principles of jaunting. 'It's useless,' declared John, mopping his forehead in exhaustion. 'It's a complete waste of time. He simply can't grasp it. TIM, clicking and whirring gently, refrained from saying: 'I told you so.' By dint of much patient questioning, they had got the boy to tell them everything that he possibly could about his home planet. Since he was a bright little chap, even by the standards of the Tomorrow People, this amounted to quite a lot. When they fed it all to TIM, be had swiftly assured them that not only did Arlon's compatriots not know how to jaunt, but they were completely incapable of being taught. 'Perhaps,' TIM had concluded, 'that is why their spaceship technology is so highly developed. They have been forced by their own limitations to invent some other highly efficient means of superluminary travel. Despite TIM's findings and their experiences on the return from Kilgardie, John had resolved to try whether Arlon couldn't just possibly be taught to jaunt, even if only for very short distances. Some day, he argued, a people so advanced in other ways must acquire the ability to travel through hyperspace. Perhaps Arlon would turn out to be one of the first, just as they themselves had been the first on Earth . . . It was a hope born of desperation. If Arlon couldn't jaunt then it looked as though he were likely to be a prisoner in the underground lab until they could send him back in his spaceship. The Tomorrow People knew that it would not be long before the Saps recovered the ship and the prospect was an extremely worrying one. Sap scientists had made enormous strides in space technology during the past ten years and they were capable of learning a great deal from Arlon's vehicle. If the Saps succeeded in constructing one half as efficient, they would spread out across the universe in no time, with possible consequences that did not bear thinking of. Saps simply were not civilised enough to make contact with people on other planets. They would go in friendship, bearing gifts; but all too soon they would want to conquer and destroy. One did not have to be a Tomorrow Person to realise that: the lesson was there in the history books for anyone to read. Arlon, as they suspected, came from a planet far out in deep space; he couldn't tell them where, but from his description, it sounded as though it was well beyond Andromeda. When they asked him what it was called, Arlon screwed up his eyes and made a big effort to remember, trying at the same time not to burst into tears. Eventually, he looked at them with a mixture of hope and doubt. 'I think it's called Crito,' he said. More questions revealed that the Critons were a wise, peaceful people who were well advanced in many branches of technology, but above all in space travel. They had long ago banished war from their own civilisation, but some of their nearer neighbours had not reached this stage of development and were prone to invade Crito in the hope of taking over so attractive a planet. The Critons, therefore, were obliged to maintain a strong defensive system whose main element was a space-fleet of ten thousand ships. These patrolled constantly at a distance of twenty light-years from the planet's surface. Arlon's father, Saav, was a captain in this fleet. He was in charge of a squadron of twenty ships. One day, Arlon persuaded Saav to take him up on patrol - a request which turned out to have disastrous consequences. Attached to each squadron was a life-ship, an empty, computer-driven vehicle which was for use only in an emergency. If a regular ship was damaged or suffered mechanical failure, the life-ship could be used to carry the crew safely back to the planet's surface; or, if they were too far from home, to the surface of the nearest planet which would support life. While his father's back was turned, Arlon had wandered to the far end of the command ship and had begun to fiddle about with the escape-mechanism. Suddenly, he had been ejected into space. The command-ship, with his unsuspecting father still busy at the controls, shot rapidly away from him. (End of part 12) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "Shaun Hately" Subject: TPFICT: The Visitor (13/?) Date: 29 Oct 1997 19:18:46 +1100 The Tomorrow People in the Visitor by Roger Price and Julian R Gregory First published 1973 by Pan Books Ltd in association with Independent Television Publications Ltd. Copyright Roger Price 1973 ISBN 0 330 23477 3 Disclaimers etc in Part 0. DO NOT ARCHIVE Part 13/? CHAPTER SEVEN (continued) For a moment. Arlon drifted helplessly in his space-suit, crying out for help even though he knew that no one could hear. Then the life-ship, as it was programmed to do, sucked him towards it magnetically and opened its entrance-hatch to allow him inside. An older and more sensible child would then have sat quietly and allowed the life-ship to carry him back to Crito. But Arlon, by now thoroughly terrified, simply panicked. Making a grab at the manual controls, he tried to steer the life-ship towards his father's craft so that his father would see him and come to his aid. As soon as he touched the controls, the computer shut down and the ship began to career through space at superluminary speed, in the opposite direction to Crito and safety. By this time, the entire space-fleet had been alerted and half-a-dozen squads raced after the life-ship in a vain effort to catch it. In his terror, however, Arlon had pressed down on the speed-button and the ships, although they kept on his tail for more than fifty thousand light-years, were unable to catch him. Frantically, Saav shouted instructions over the radio to his now-petrified little boy: told him again and again which buttons he must press to slow the life-ship and allow the computer to take over. When Arlon eventually understood and did what was necessary, it was too late. The space-fleet had lost track of the ship among the stars of Andromeda. Already well beyond their normal range, they could only turn back sadly for home, Saav beside himself with grief. In the life-ship, Arlon lost consciousness as the computer took over again and steered the craft onwards through space. Its superluminary drive was beginning to weaken when it finally entered our solar system, but the computer was still functioning strongly and at once it registered the lifebearing properties of Earth. Unerringly, it homed in on the unknown planet, ejecting Arlon to safety as soon as it had settled itself on the soft bed of the sea. The little boy had floated ashore on the midnight tide in a space-suit which had been given a special buoyancy by its designers precisely so that it would support the occupant if he had to land in water. Even though TIM had forewarned them, the Tomorrow People had not realised until now just what an enormous setback they had to face. It had seemed incredible that a youngster from a civilisation so highly developed would turn out to be completely incapable of jaunting. While the four of them sat down to discuss the next move, Arlon sat on a high stool, sucking a lollipop which Kenny had found in his pocket, and blinking curiously at TIM. 'When we brought him back from Kilgardie.' Mused Carol, 'he wasn't wearing a belt but we still got him through. 'Only just.' said Kenny. 'What I'm driving at,' Carol continued, 'is that we ought to try him jaunting with a belt on. We haven't tried it yet.' Stephen seemed to think it was worth a trial. 'It's the only thing we haven't attempted and with the belt on we could tap TIM's power.' 'We know the belts don't cause us to jaunt. They merely amplify our jaunting power and help us to navigate and materialise again in the right place and not in outer space or deep inside the Earth's crust,' said John. 'We'd be taking quite a risk.' 'But the belt might initiate a jaunt with Arlon and if it did it would navigate him correctly wouldn't it?' Carol argued. 'I don't see we could lose anything by trying.' 'Something could very easily be lost.' It was TIM who had interjected. All turned towards him. 'Arlon could be lost,' said TIM gravely. 'I had to practically drain the National Grid to get enough power to pull him through last time. I couldn't guarantee that on a long distance jaunt little Arlon wouldn't get lost altogether.' 'You mean lost in hyperspace, TIM?' asked Stephen. 'Exactly,' said TIM. 'We simply don't know enough about his molecular biology to be able to forecast what would happen if you attempted to jaunt him in the teleporter. You might arrive safely, but he might never rematerialise. And if that happened, there'd be no going back for him. Almost certainly, he'd be stranded for ever.' Each of them shuddered inwardly at TIM's words. They knew little about the strange other-universe of hyperspace, save that it was dark and that many of the laws of nature which operated in our space were suspended or even reversed. The life-forms which existed there were grotesque and horrible. To whirl around there endlessly, without hope of release, was a danger to which they dare not expose little Arlon. 'Somehow, we've got to get hold of that life-ship,' said John, his forehead creased with worry. 'I know,' said Carol. 'But how?' 'Half the Navy will be poking about off Kilgardie by now,' put in Stephen. 'It's only a matter of time before they find it.' They sat for a moment in silence, wondering how they could best tackle the enormous problem that faced them. Arlon, meanwhile, had moved on to examine the jaunting-belts which were stored on the other side of the lab. Still sucking his lollipop, he was placidly unaware of the obstacles which no lay between him and his far away home. Once more, TIM's quiet voice broke in on their thoughts. 'It looks as though there has been a development,' he said. By means of the observer satellite, TIM had been keeping a careful watch on the search for the life-ship. He now flashed on to his video-screen the scene at the spot where the ship had finally hovered and disappeared below the waves. As Stephen had guessed, there was now an enormous number of craft circling round the area: dozens of patrol-boats, a couple of destroyers and six large salvage ships, their lifting-gear prominently displayed. Clearly, something significant had just happened. From all sides, boats were racing up to a spot marked by one of the destroyers. Then the destroyer moved away and the salvage vessels ranged themselves in two rows, winching down strong cables from the gear on their decks. Grim-faced, the Tomorrow People watched as divers dropped over the ships' sides. 'They've found it,' said John. He was right. Slowly, the cables were winched in again, the divers surfaced, and soon the long green cylinder of the life-ship rose above the surface of the water. Unnoticed by the four Tomorrow People, Arlon had crept up to see what they were staring at so intently. His lollipop forgotten, he stood a little behind them, his face puckering as he watched the six salvage vessels steam off to their unknown destination, hauling the smooth, polished surface of the life-ship slowly through the waves. Although he did not fully comprehend what was happening, Arlon sensed that it boded no good for him. A glance at the expressions of his four friends was more than enough to confirm his apprehension. Still nobody looked round at him; everyone was utterly intent on the scene on the screen in front of them. Two big tears rolled down Arlon's cheeks and his face puckered still more. Finally, he let out a long, low howl. 'I want to go home!' he yelled. (End of part 13) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "Shaun Hately" Subject: TPFICT: The Visitor (14/?) Date: 30 Oct 1997 16:14:26 +1100 The Tomorrow People in the Visitor by Roger Price and Julian R Gregory First published 1973 by Pan Books Ltd in association with Independent Television Publications Ltd. Copyright Roger Price 1973 ISBN 0 330 23477 3 Disclaimers etc in Part 0. DO NOT ARCHIVE Part 14/? CHAPTER EIGHT When John came round, he found Ginge kneeling beside him, dabbing at his forehead with a wet cloth. Next to him, Lefty was doing the same for Kenny. Carol and Stephen had already recovered consciousness, but were obviously still very groggy. Carol, pale and heavy-eyed, was holding on to TIM for support. Stephen was sitting up on the floor, holding his head in his hands. As John's brain cleared, he remembered the scene on the videoscreen. Arlon must have seen it too, and knocked them all out with the power of his response. Struggling upright, he looked round for the little Criton. 'Arlon!' he called. But Arlon was nowhere to be seen. John collapsed again with a groan, hit on the head by what felt like a large steam-hammer. 'Steady.' cried Ginge, lowering him again gently. 'Arlon . . . where is he?' asked John. 'He's gone, mate,' replied Ginge. 'He'd vanished when we arrived.' Since Arlon could not jaunt by himself he could only have escaped through the tunnel which connected the lab to the underground train system. TIM confirmed that this was indeed so. When the Tomorrow People collapsed, the little fellow, overcome with terror, had bolted through the single exit. All TIM's efforts to persuade him to return had been in vain. 'We've got to find him, Ginge,' said John. He attempted to struggle up again, but it was no good. He was still too weak. 'Yes, sure, we'll find him,' said Ginge, soothingly. 'But just take it easy for a few minutes, eh?' Lefty, silent as always, brought water and aspirins for all four of them. Soon, they began to feel a little better. 'He can't have got far,' said Carol. 'He's probably hiding in the entrance passage.' Lefty and Ginge looked at one another. Finally, Ginge spoke, his face grave. 'He's not in the passage.' he said. 'He's not anywhere in the approach tunnels. Lefty's already searched.' Lefty nodded sombrely. 'Then - where is he?' demanded Stephen. 'I don't know,' replied Ginge. 'You mean . . . he's got out?' Carol's expression was now one of horrified disbelief. 'You mean, he's up there somewhere - lost, in the middle of London?' 'Yes,' said Ginge. 'I'm afraid that's about the size of it.' 'Come on,' said John to the others. 'We haven't got any time to lose.' 'Wait a minute.' Ginge laid a hand on his arm. 'There's something you ought to know before you go jaunting off up there.' 'What's that?' John asked. 'They know - all the Saps know - that there's something very peculiar going on. The telly, the papers . . . they're full of it.' 'What do you mean?' John demanded. 'Arlon didn't only knock you out,' said Ginge. 'He knocked out fifty thousand young kids as well.' 'What!' All four of them gasped in astonishment. 'That's why we came here,' Ginge continued. 'We knew something had happened to Arlon as soon as we heard the news on TV. Most of those he knocked out were babies and toddlers. It happened right down the country, from the south coast up to Manchester and Leeds, and some in Northern France.' 'You . . . you said fifty thousand?' asked Carol. 'They're just the nippers who went out like a light,' said Ginge. 'There were a whole lot more kids - older ones, mostly - who suddenly got splitting headaches, all at the same time. The health authorities are going dotty trying to find out why.' As the significance of Ginge's news dawned on them clearly, they could hardly contain their excitement. 'So now we know,' said John. 'We've always believed it, but now we know for sure. There are thousands and thousands of us out there.' 'More Tomorrow People waiting to join us,' said Carol, wonderingly. 'Just waiting to break out.' If there were so many just in one section of England, then how many more were there spread out throughout the world? The number must run into millions. The day could not be far away when the Tomorrow People would take over from the Saps, and war and strife would finally be banished from the Earth. However, there was little time to think of that now, Arlon had to be found, quickly. With swift thanks and farewells, the Tomorrow People left the two Hell's Angels to find their own way to the surface. Then they jaunted, each to a different corner of London, to begin the desperate search for their little friend. John, landing in Hyde Park, surprised a courting couple who believed that they had the shade of a large elm tree all to themselves. They blinked in astonishment as the lithe youngster appeared from nowhere beside them and strode off across the grass with an anxious frown. On towards the Serpentine went John, all the time sending out telepathic messages. But never once was there even a flicker of response. Carol, riding out to North London on the Tube, was meeting with no more success than John. If Arlon had gone in that direction, she wondered, where would he make for? Would Hampstead Heath, with its green, open spaces, attract him? She stopped her reverie, realising that it was futile. Arlon was a stranger, not only to London, but to Earth itself. He spoke no word of any earthly language. How then, could he possibly know about Hampstead Heath? Stephen, who had taken the area south of the river, jaunted from Brixton to Streatham and from Streatham to Tooting, sending out his telepathic calls with an increasing feeling of hopelessness. Surely, he told himself, if Arlon were somewhere in London, he would have heard and replied by now. Was it possible that the little boy was receiving their calls perfectly well, and was deliberately refusing to answer? Perhaps he was enjoying himself so much among the new and wonderful sights that he did not choose to return just yet. Perhaps, on the other hand, he had met with some mishap and was lying unconscious and unable to reply. Perhaps he was even . . . but no, Stephen refused to admit that possibility, even to himself. Determination, above, all, was what mattered now. If they made up their minds that they were going to find Arlon, find him they would. Kenny had jaunted out to the East End. He had begun his search in Bethnal Green, the district where he lived, and when that yielded nothing he moved on to Mile End and Whitechapel. It was here, as he stood outside the Art Gallery, that he got the first faint response to his telepathed calls. It came through so faintly that he was not sure whether or not it was a message from Arlon, or whether it was from some other source - perhaps from a telepathic Sap who happened to be passing. He thought he saw the evening sun shimmering on water and a barge floating stolidly by; then there was nothing. Standing stock still, straining for every ounce of concentration, he called Arlon again. There was no answer. Once more he tried, still without success. At the third attempt, it came through again - unmistakably the same picture as before. This time he could see it much more clearly, and at once he recognised the scene. It was a spot on the river which he knew well, close to the docks at Poplar. For a moment, it stood out sharp in every detail: the river, the barge, more craft in the background, the sun low in the sky, touching the dark surface of the Thames with gold. Then it broke up and was gone. Excitedly, Kenny telepathed to the others: 'I think I've found him.' In a moment, they were by his side. Swiftly, he described what he had seen. Together they jaunted to the spot. They arrived outside the dock gates just in time to see a convoy of police cars come screaming out, with lights flashing and sirens blaring. In the rear of one of them, sandwiched between two large policemen, sat a tiny, frightened figure. It was Arlon. (End of part 14)