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arfic-l-digest         Tuesday, March 20 2001         Volume 01 : Number 018




----------------------------------------------------------------------

Date: Tue, 20 Mar 2001 06:47:35 -0800 (PST)
From: Worlds Away <[e-mail]>
Subject: (arfic-l) FIC: Worlds Away (Part 20)

Title: Worlds Away (Part 20)

Author: M. Bumbarger

Email: [e-mail]

Fandom: New Series Tomorrow People

Rating: PG-13/TV-14

Summary: The Tomorrow People are swept away to a
different world, where they must take up the lives of
their alter-egos and try to find their way home . .
.which won't be easy.

Notes & Dedication: Continued thanks and praises to
Caroline for all of her help, support and nagging to
keep this going and to keep me on task. Also, thanks
to Victoria for the beta help.

Disclaimer: The Tomorrow People (Adam Newman, Ami
Jackson, Megabyte Damon, and Jade Weston) are the
property of Roger Damon Price, Thames Television, ITV,
Tetra Television and Nickelodeon. They are used here
without permission, but not for profit. The lands,
countries, customs, deities, and original characters
are mine and mine only, springing from the depths
of my imagination and should not be used anywhere else
without my permission. Please do not repost this to
any list or archive it anywhere else without myexpress
permission.

Previous parts at
http://www.alternate-realities.net/worldsaway

*****

Worlds Away
By Michele Mason Bumbarger

Chapter Twenty

Ami did not jolt to sudden wakefulness. Even with the
ship she was on being tossed about on the waves, she
eased out of her dreaming state slowly, carefully
extricating herself from the web of dreams into the
land of waking reality. The transition had to be done
slowly; the first time she had attempted it, she had
nearly given herself a heart attack, and she knew now
that the mind couldn't handle such sudden jumps, not
when there was magic involved.

She considered herself lucky to have found both the
dreaming crystal and Amideira's private notes on the
subject. Whatever else the Damiar Princess was, she
had certainly earned the rank of Damiar. She was a
powerful mage, and a great deal of what she tried and
attempted was frowned upon -- even forbidden -- by
Nynie.

The dreaming crystal, which now hung suspended around
Ami's throat and clutched tightly in her hand, had
been one of those things that Amideira wrote would
have Nynie "stripping her hide for weeks to come." So
it was that Ami had found the crystal, and Amideira's
notes on the use of it hidden in a small, locked box;
the only key was attached to a silver bracelet that
Ami wore around her wrist.

It had taken her until the ship set sail from
Albarasque to work up the courage to try and use the
dreaming crystal to contact the others - if she could
contact any of the others; if they were even in this
odd world.  Although she had been unable to sense
them, or contact them telepathically, Ami had a
feeling that they were here. She just had to find a
different way of reaching them.

Tonight, she had found Adam, and he had confirmed that
her feeling was correct - Jade and Megabyte were with
him. It gave Ami some small measure of hope and
comfort to know that she was sailing closer to her
friends; no matter that Stiborn was a large country of
its own, just knowing that she was on the same soil
with them would make her sleep a great deal easier.

And once they were all together again, they could try
to find their way home.

Not that she had a clue about how a princess could go
about searching the countryside for people that she
technically shouldn't even have been in contact with.
Not that Ami thought that such a thing would even be
easy to do - but she had to cling to the hope and
belief that she would have ample opportunity to try.
With any luck her husband-to-be would not be the
tyrant and barbarian that Sephrine tended to brand all
northern men as, and he might be supportive of his
wife's whims.

Or he might simply be grateful to have an excuse to
have his odd and exotic bride out of sight and out of
mind.

The train of her thoughts startled her. She spent so
much time acting in the role of Damiar Princess
Amideira that the lines were beginning to blur. She
was already beginning to accept the notion of a
strange marriage to a strange man; and already
beginning to devise schemes to use her new power and
prestige to her advantage.

Maybe there was more social climber in her than she
had ever imagined.

Pushing the uncomfortable thought aside, Ami returned
her attention to a more immediate task. Very
carefully, after lifting up enough to make certain
that Nynie still slept soundly in the other berth
across the room and confirming that Sephrine's still
breathed in the patterns akin to sleep, Ami lifted the
dreaming crystal from around her neck. Her hand slid
beneath her pillow, feeling blindly until her fingers
closed around the small silk pouch there.

The crystal she slid into the small pouch and the
pouch was returned to its place beneath her pillow. In
the morning, when Sephrine and Nynie actually gave her
enough room to breathe, she would return the pouch and
crystal to the holding box.  Now that she knew she
*could* use the dreaming crystal to contact the
others, she would have to resist the urge to do so
again for a few days. Using the crystal to actually
draw someone else into the realm of her dreams was
more tiring than just trying to tap into the energy
that allowed the dreamer to remain lucid in that sleep
realm.

Yawning, Ami rolled onto her other side, smiling as
she drifted off to a lazy slumber. She was happy with
her success, and she was even happier that she had
reached Adam. Beneath the pillow, one balled fist
clutched the small silk pouch that held her personal
Holy Grail.


****

"Amideira."

The voice calling to her sounded as though it came
from down a long tunnel.

"Amideira, wake up, please."

Annoying, like a buzzing in her ear. Ami attempted to
turn away from the sound, losing herself in the
comforting buffer that was sleep.

"Up with you now, child!"

Rough hands grabbed her, jerking her and shaking her
until she was left with no choice but to clamber to a
full state of wakefulness.

"Stop it, Nynie! I'm up already!" Ami growled, shaking
off the other woman's hands. As she did so, she
immediately regretted the loudness of her voice that
echoed inside her own head. The reason, she realized,
that her voice was echoing was because it was
beginning to feel like a small percussion group was
having a live performance inside of her head. When she
opened her eyes, the light hurt and the percussion
group picked up the pace. On top of it all, her mouth
felt dryer than the desert.

"Praise to Damiaren," Sephrine cooed, "You gave us a
fright."

Ami attempted to open her eyes, but immediately winced
and clenched them closed again. "I was actually having
a good night's sleep--"

"It's well past midday, child," Nynie cut her off. Ami
felt a mug forced into her hands and she drank it down
thirstily without question, her mind not truly
registering Nynie's words until she drained the entire
mug.

"Midday?" Ami opened her eyes enough to squint at the
older woman.

"Sephrine, why don't you inform Her Majesty that Her
Highness is well and with us?" Nynie directed her
words to the younger woman, but her gaze was fixed
sternly on Ami.

"Yes, Nynie."

As the door closed behind the other woman, Ami
squinted at Nynie. "Am I in trouble for something?"

In answer, the woman, both nurse and maid and damiar
in her own right, dangled the small silk pouch in
front of her Ami's eyes. "Is this familiar to you?"

Instinctively, Ami's hand grabbed for the small pouch
only to have it snatched back by reflexes that Nynie's
age did not betray. "That's mine."

"I know that it's yours. It's been yours since your
first name day when your grandmother gifted it to you.
I am not here to claim that it isn't yours. But I am
here to claim possession of it until you are ready to
be more responsible with objects of this much power!"

"I am responsible!" Ami protested, her eyes following
the pouch as Nynie tucked it deep into the cleavage of
her dress. "I didn't hurt anyone, Nynie! I was careful
. . . I was just --" Ami stopped at a loss for words.
What excuse could she possibly give? That she was
trying to contact her friends from another world?

"You were just dabbling where you do not belong!"
Nynie's eyes flashed dangerously. "You know that the
dreaming is not a toy to be played with! I have
pretended to not notice and to ignore your dabbling,
but I should have known better. You were never one to
stop when you were in over your head, Amideira --"

"I was not in over my head, I was --"

"And you will not interrupt me!" Nynie stood and
snatching the empty mug from Ami's hand, crossed the
room with it. She continued her chastisement while
refilling the mug, and producing a small pouch of
herbs from her pocket that she crushed into the drink.
"Last night, whatever you did, you pushed yourself
further than what you can handle. We have been trying
to wake you for hours. You drained yourself, and you
are lucky that you did not become trapped in the
dreaming.

"You will not do such a thing again while I am here at
your side. And to be certain of that, I am keeping the
crystal until such time as you may be trusted with
it."

"No!" The vehemence of Ami's protest surprised even
her. But she had finally, finally found a way to
contact Adam and the others and she could not afford
to have Nynie take it from her. A part of her was
angry at the woman for her presumption, the other was
angry with herself for allowing herself to be caught.
"That's not fair!"

"And I suppose you think that a dead -- or worse --
princess is fair to your parents? To your new groom?
To your people?" Nynie returned and shoved the mug
under Ami's nose. "Drink. It will restore your energy
and balance, enough for you to get by. Although I
daresay it will not give you enough strength to tap
into any source of magical energy."

The smell wafting from the mug reminded Ami of rancid
juice and she wrinkled her nose, refusing to take the
mug. "No. I don't need it."

"You will drink it or I will bind you up, hold your
nose and pour it down your throat."

For a moment, two sets of dark eyes met in a battle of
wills, but it was Nynie who won. Seeing that she had
no choice, and not doubting that Nynie would carry
through on her threats, Ami quickly turned up the mug
and downed the concoction, which turned out to taste
far worse than it smelled.

Handing the empty mug back to Nynie, she turned away
so that the woman would not see the hot tears she
could feel burning in her eyes. She had only found her
friends a few hours earlier and it seemed that she was
losing them again.

*** End of Chapter Twenty


=====
*********************************************
Worlds Away
http://www.alternate-realities.net/worldsaway
*********************************************

__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Get email at your own domain with Yahoo! Mail.
http://personal.mail.yahoo.com/

- -
 To unsubscribe to arfic-l, send an email to "[e-mail]"
 with "unsubscribe arfic-l" in the body of the message.
 For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send
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------------------------------

Date: Tue, 20 Mar 2001 06:51:29 -0800 (PST)
From: Worlds Away <[e-mail]>
Subject: (arfic-l) FIC: Worlds Away (Part 21)

Title: Worlds Away (Part 21)

Author: M. Bumbarger
Email: [e-mail]

Fandom: New Series Tomorrow People

Rating: PG-13/TV-14

Summary: The Tomorrow People are swept away to a
different world, where they must take up the lives of
their alter-egos and try to find their way home . .
.which won't be easy.

Notes & Dedication: Continued thanks and praises to
Caroline for all of her help, support and nagging to
keep this going and to keep me on task.
Disclaimer: The Tomorrow People (Adam Newman, Ami
Jackson, Megabyte Damon, and Jade Weston) are the
property of Roger Damon Price, Thames Television, ITV,
Tetra Television and Nickelodeon. They are used here
without permission, but not for profit. The lands,
countries, customs, deities, and original characters
are mine and mine only, springing from the depths
of my imagination and should not be used anywhere else
without my permission. Please do not repost this to
any list or archive it anywhere else without myexpress
permission.

Previous parts at
http://www.alternate-realities.net/worldsaway

**********

Worlds Away
By Michele Mason Bumbarger

Chapter Twenty-One

The countryside was beautiful. Painted in deep greens
and emeralds, often flecked with a rainbow of colors
that sprang from wildflowers, flashing past the
carriage window, Ami admired the land that was
Stiborn. She couldn't recall ever having seen so much
green, so much untainted by technology and
industrialization; it took her breath away. It was a
different sort of beauty than that she saw from the
balconies at the Sun Palace; a raw, natural beauty
that was not lessened because it was not one of sand
and gold and bronze. This place was more to her liking
than the sun baked sands of Dia'sol, no matter how
beautifully tiled the palace walls; and she figured it
was best if she grew accustomed to it anyway - at
least until she found Adam, Megabyte and Jade she
would be stuck here - married to a man she had never
met.

Thinking of the others created a sharp, aching pang in
her chest. She wondered if -- no, she knew that Adam
would have gotten worried by now. If he believed what
she told him, that the dream was real, then he would
have gone into his typical protective mode. He would
have been expecting her to contact him again, and
through no fault of her own, she was unable to.

All right, perhaps the fault was her own - she had
made the mistake of doing too much and had gotten
caught - but it was easier to be angry at Nynie. The
woman refused to return the dreaming crystal; the one
night that Ami almost managed to slip it free while
Nynie snored into the darkness, she belatedly
discovered that the older damiar had placed wards
around the pouch. Only Nynie could open it now and
retrieve the dreaming crystal - and Ami's attempt had
led to another dressing down and another lecture about
her lack of responsibility.

She had not tried to go near the crystal since.

"Close the shade already, Amideira. Do not encourage
the natives to gape anymore than they already are."
The words came from the Damia Reina, cold and detached
as always. That detached aloofness made the pang of
loneliness Ami felt even deeper, and she wished, for
not the first time since loading up the carriages,
that she could have ridden with Nynie and Sephrine.

"I am only admiring the landscape," Ami explained,
lowering the lace blinds, but only a little. "It's
beautiful."

"It's barbaric, just like these savages." The Damia
Reina adjusted her veil, dark eyes resting on Ami for
only a heartbeat before she looked elsewhere -
anywhere but at the daughter that she seemed to care
about so little. "Albarasque is beautiful. This is -
savage."

"And you're handing me off with my head on a silver
platter," Ami muttered.

"What was that?" The question was punctuated by a
stinging slap to Ami's hand, forcing it away from the
blinds and leaving it stinging and tingling.

"Nothing Mother," Ami replied, jerking her hand into
her lap, but not daring to give way to the indignity
of rubbing it. She tried and failed to avoid looking
at Calend'et, who of course, smirked and settled back
comfortably in his seat besides their mother.

"Not every eye perceives beauty in the same way. Those
that can see beauty in every setting are rare indeed."
If the Damia Reina's words had been harsh and
upsetting, the words of her maternal grandmother, the
Damiar Roleran, brought Ami great comfort and soothed
her ruffled feathers. Where her mother showed nothing
more than a great disdain for Amideira, her
grandmother demonstrated that she loved the girl --
and understood her; sometimes Ami believed that Damiar
Roleran understood Amideira better than the girl had
understood herself.

Damiar Roleran took Ami's hand between her two old and
wrinkled ones, seeming to stare distractedly out of
the opposite window the entire time. "Wild flowers are
beautiful things, not like our desert blooms, but they
give life to this strange land, don't you think
Shan'ari?"

The Damia Reina's eyes narrowed to slits as she
regarded her mother. "There is nothing as beautiful as
one our desert blooms. To see them standing tall and
proud and strong with nothing but endless sand dunes
between one and the next - there is nothing to compare
to that."

"Then we can only hope that the Lion Throne
appreciates the bloom we give them."

The elder woman's words made a flush creep into Ami's
cheeks and she was grateful for the kitara on this
occasion. Her grandmother might have looked feeble,
but the woman was still quick in the mind and even
sharper with the tongue. This was not the first time
that Ami had witnessed Damiar Roleran tricking the
Damia Reina into eating her own words, and Ami doubted
it would be the last.

She was just sorry that she would not be around to see
it.

From one strange world to another. When it seemed that
was beginning to feel comfortable in the Sun Palace
and the role she played as the Damiar Princess of
Albarasque, she was being rudely taken from that
situation and thrust into another. In this one, she
would be the exotic, foreign bride to a man that she
knew absolutely nothing about. A man, who if the words
of Sephrine and Nynie were to be believed, was nothing
more than a rough, backwoods barbarian who would see
her as a trophy and the living seal on a treaty and
nothing more.

Oh, and we couldn't forget the most important part of
the marriage - the vessel that would give birth to his
heir.

The simple thought alone of a strange man touching
her, nonetheless a man who cared nothing for her, made
Ami shudder.

But would he, could he, truly be as horrible as all
that? Didn't ignorance and lack of contact with other
cultures dictate some of those words and thoughts?
Unconsciously, her hand rose to her throat, tightening
around the silver pendant she wore there. Already, she
clung to the odd gift from the man who was to be her
husband, clung to it and the hope that its existence
alone proved that he was more than a cold-hearted
northern barbarian. A gift like this took care and
thought, the craftsmanship of the finest silversmith,
certainly he *wasn't* that terrible. Unless the gift
was merely a token, an empty gesture that meant
nothing.

Leaning her head against the carriage glass, Ami
wished that she was not so very far from home. She
could only take minimal comfort in the fact that
somewhere out there Adam and the others were there;
if, she could ever figure out how to go about finding
them. If she could ever get the dreaming crystal back
from Nynie.

If, if, if.

"Cheer up, child," her grandmother's hand tightened
around hers, "This is a wedding. It is a time of mirth
and celebration. As Damiaren wills it, all will be
well and fortunate among us."

"I am certainly looking forward to the wedding feast,"
Calend'et smirked from his seat across from them, a
malicious glean shining in his dark eyes as he stared
at Ami, although his words sounded like nothing more
than friendly teasing on the surface. "I should think
that my dear sister would enjoy this opportunity to be
the center of attention, the jewel in the crown."

"I will do my duty," Ami said the words quietly, not
wanting to allow herself to be coaxed into a battle of
wits with Calend'et. She still did not understand why
they had brought him along, why he had to be present
for this 'joining of kingdoms,' as the Damia Reina
referred to it.

"Because you want to, Amideira, or because you have
to?"

"Hush boy!" Her grandmother's voice rang out loudly in
the carriage, no longer the voice of a doting old
woman, the voice of a powerful and respected mage.
"Leave off your childish teasing, you are too old for
it and we do not have time for such things. Mind your
tongue and your manners, less our hosts think that we
*are* the barbarians."

The boy prince flinched, sinking back into his seat
with a final glare in Ami's direction. As though it
were her fault that he had spoken, her fault that
their grandmother had finally grown tired of hearing
his taunts.

Ami, unable to suppress a smirk, was again grateful
for the kitara.

Those in the carriage lapsed into silence, and Ami
returned her attention to studying the countryside of
Stiborn. This time, when she pulled back the shade,
the Damia Reina said nothing, and Ami was allowed to
watch the hills and plains roll by in relative peace
and quiet introspection.

She felt her heart give a little leap as the road they
traversed turned away, leading upwards, away from the
valley and onto higher land. From where she sat she
could see the gray shadow of the keep in the distance,
standing tall and proud on the hillside. This would be
where she and her party would stay until the wedding,
Elspera Keep, and despite her fear at meeting the
stranger that would be her husband, she could not
repress a tiny chill of excitement.

This was someplace new, someplace different. She could
make this an adventure of sorts, an opportunity to
explore and learn. After weeks in Albarasque, fate was
presenting her with some distraction, new places and
new faces. She could make the most of this, exploring
this Keep and learning the habits of its people just
as she had done in the Sun Palace. Perhaps they even
had a library here, where she could learn more about
this world that she found herself in.

Perhaps, she might just forget she was being married
off for the sake of a treaty and an alliance.

Probably wishful thinking, but she could only hope
that this place would provide something of a
distraction.

The carriage wound higher on the dirt and stone road,
and a tiny ball began to form in her stomach. This was
it, this was really it. Unless somehow, someway, she
found a way home tomorrow, her entire life would be
changing in a few very short weeks. And, Ami knew that
there was no way that she could, or would, go home
now. Not when she knew that the others were here
somewhere, not when she had to find them.

"Amideira, is your veil in place?"

Despite the icy chill and condescending tone in the
Damia Reina's voice, for once Ami was not upset by it.
The tiny ball was growing bigger, turning into the
fluttering of small butterflies.

"Yes, Mother," Ami answered, never turning away from
the window.

Although she knew that she shouldn't, knew that if
Adam ever caught wind of it, there would be no end to
the chastisement, Ami opened her mind and reached out.
Slowly at first, just in case somewhere among the
populace of Elspera Province there happened to be
someone with telepathic abilities. Careful, oh so
careful, probing and touching, brushing her mind
lightly against the minds of those gathered at the top
of the hill, testing the waters and the mood.

Ami drew a sharp breath, dropping the shade and
slinking back against the seat as *someone* pushed
right back. Her shields came down in the blinking of
an eye, her heart nearly skipping a beat.

What . . . or who . . . was that?

"Amideira?" Her grandmother gave her arm a squeeze.

"I --" Heat rushed into her face and Ami felt
momentarily foolish. How could she explain her odd
reaction? "I saw something out of the corner of my
eye. It startled me a bit."

"Better that you not stare out of the window any
longer, my dear," Damiar Roleran patted her arm, her
voice full of warmth, "Better that our soon to be
allies do not think their soon to be princess is too
full of naivete and wide-eyed wonder."

"But, this is all so new to me," Ami placed her hand
atop of the older woman's, "I am full of naivete and
wide-eyed wonder."

"And we shall keep that secret between ourselves."

With a smile, Ami settled back against the carriage
seat. Her grandmother always made everything feel so
right and everything couldn't be so horrible as what
she imagined if her grandmother was by her side.

She fervently hoped.

*** End of Chapter Twenty-One


=====
*********************************************
Worlds Away
http://www.alternate-realities.net/worldsaway
*********************************************

__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Get email at your own domain with Yahoo! Mail.
http://personal.mail.yahoo.com/

- -
 To unsubscribe to arfic-l, send an email to "[e-mail]"
 with "unsubscribe arfic-l" in the body of the message.
 For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send
 "help" to the same address.  Do not use quotes in your message.

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 20 Mar 2001 10:56:54 -0500
From: "Ibonek 17" <[e-mail]>
Subject: Re: (arfic-l) FIC: Worlds Away (Part 20)

This is such an awesome story!  Keep it coming!
Kristina
_________________________________________________________________
Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com


- -
 To unsubscribe to arfic-l, send an email to "[e-mail]"
 with "unsubscribe arfic-l" in the body of the message.
 For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send
 "help" to the same address.  Do not use quotes in your message.

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 20 Mar 2001 08:45:39 -0800 (PST)
From: Worlds Away <[e-mail]>
Subject: (arfic-l) FIC: Eclipse: Darkness Falling (Part 6)

Title: Eclipse - Book One: Darkness Falling

Part 6: Chapter Five

Author: M. Bumbarger

Email: [e-mail]

TV Series: Alternate Universe Crossover - Buffy, the
Vampire Slayer/Highlander: The Series/Original Series
Tomorrow People and New Series Tomorrow People

Rating: TV-14, there's a little bit of bad language
and it gets violent in some points, nothing more than
you'd catch on prime time television though

Archive: Only mine (Alternate Realities).

Author's Notes & Comments: Posting this from the only
email account I can while I'm at work. Hoping that
this posts all right, I am taking it from a data cd,
and my word processor does not wish to save the new
file without smart quotes, so apologies in advance if
this is unreadable.

Previous parts can be found in
the arfic-l archives at
http://www.escribe.com/tv/jeff.

Disclaimer: None of these characters, television
shows, or concepts belong to me. The Tomorrow People
are the property of Roger Damon Price, Thames/ITV
Television, and Tetra Television. Buffy the Vampire
Slayer characters belong to Joss Whedon and Mutant
Enemy. Highlander: The Series characters belong to
Panzer/Davis, Rhysher Entertainment and Gaumont
Television. All are used here without permission and
not for profit. All original characters are the
by-product of my own warped and twisted imagination.

**********

Chapter Six


Adam had the strangest feeling of dΘjα vu. Here he
was, three days later, back at The Centre. Not simply
at The Centre, but at the same restaurant where heÆd
had yet another spectacularly bad lunch with his
father. The same restaurant, with the same server, and
the exact same table that looked out onto the London
skyline. The only thing different was the company he
kept, but even in that aspect the tension was the
same.

ôIÆm glad that you called me, Adam.ö Lucy spoke from
her seat across the table, a slight smile playing
across her lips. ôAnd IÆm glad that you agreed to meet
me.ö

ôCuriosity,ö Adam said simply, taking a sip of his
coffee. At least they got the coffee right in this
place.

ôI beg your pardon?ö Lucy blinked at him and AdamÆs
stomach clenched in disgust. Psi Control had changed
her. Oh, he had expected it, but seeing it up close
was another matter entirely. She didnÆt carry herself
with the same carefree attitude that she once had. She
was calmer now, more serene . . .more like all those
stuck up rich women that she had once made fun of.

ôI was curious,ö Adam repeated. ôI wanted to know why,
all of sudden, out of the clear blue sky, you wanted
to talk to me?ö

ôIt wasnÆt sudden, Adam.ö Lucy traced the rim of her
glass with a beautifully manicured nail, the sunlight
glittering off her gold and diamond bracelet. Yet
another change. The Lucy he knew never would have
adorned herself like that. ôIÆve often thought about
you. You donÆt just stop loving someone when ûô

Adam held up a hand to block her words. ôDonÆt. Just
donÆt.ö Adam leaned forward, holding her surprised and
disappointed gaze. ôLetÆs not play games, Lucy. Why
now?ö

ôIÆm telling you the truth. ItÆs been a year, Adam.
Over a year. IsnÆt it time that we let go of any old
grudges and simply said bygones?ö Lucy paused, her
eyes pleading. ôWe started off as friends. Is it too
much to hope that we can have that friendship again?ö

ôYou want to be friends?ö Adam spoke slowly, running
her words around in his head. ôThe last time I saw
you, you came to claim your two crystal lamps, your
grandmotherÆs heirloom cedar chest and handed me an
engagement ring. We didnÆt even say goodbye, and now
you want to be friends?ö

ôIs that so hard to believe?ö

ôYes, because we were never friends, Lucy. We were
lovers, we were bedmates, but never really friends.
The type of attraction we had doesnÆt lend itself well
to friendship and I think that you know that.

ôSo, why donÆt we take off the gloves and you tell me
why IÆm really here? Because IÆll tell you one thing,
I hope for itÆs not for the food.ö

ôFine,ö Lucy straightened up, all pretense of
sweetness fading from her. In the blinking of an eye,
she was crisp and business-like, every inch the Psi
Control Public Relations Coordinator. ôAs youÆre
probably well aware, Psi Corporation has a controlling
interest in several scholarly publications. One of
these, IÆve taken on full control of as an advising
editor.ö

ôWell, thatÆs sounds like itÆs a step closer to
journalism than what youÆve been doing.ö

LucyÆs eyes narrowed as she continued to speak to him.
ôWeÆd like to do a feature on the Quantum
Teleportation study that Professor Cage, and Dr.
Emmerling and you are working on at the University,
and I would like to interview you.ö

ôWhy me? ItÆs not my project. ItÆs Cage and
Emmerling.ö

ôItÆs no secret that youÆre working with them, Adam.ö

ôI answer questions and help them out when they need
it,ö Adam sipped the coffee again. ôBut like I said,
itÆs not my project.ö

ôAnd it would be foolishness for me to allow this
article to go to press without speaking to you. YouÆre
involved. Your opinion counts.ö

ôAnd I ask you again: why?ö

ôBecause everyone knows that you can think circles
around those two old codgers,ö Lucy spat venomously,
her tight control slipping. ôWhat they come up with in
two weeks time, you probably have already extrapolated
in the space of five minutes. YouÆre the brains behind
them, Adam and everyone knows it.ö

ôFine, Lucy, IÆll tell you what,ö Adam tossed his
napkin on the table and motioned for the server. ôYou
want to interview me, youÆll get your interview. Call
me, at the lab and weÆll set something up. But donÆt
try to con me by making me think you want to sweet
talk your way back into my bed. ThatÆs a bit low, even
for you.ö

ôYes, Mr. Neiman?ö The server appeared, attentive and
ready to serve.

ôIÆll be paying for my meal now,ö Adam informed the
man.

ôNo,ö Lucy spoke up, her polite mask firmly back in
place. The smile she gave the server was dazzling.
ôIÆll be covering all of this.ö

The server looked from one to the other in confusion,
his eye finally resting on Adam. For half a heartbeat,
he debated overriding LucyÆs offer, knowing full well
that the server would be more afraid of offending him
than of upsetting Lucy Adams. But he didnÆt. Instead
he nodded to the man in a dismissal and watched him
walk away.

ôFor someone who claims to hate their name, you
certainly use it when you can,ö Lucy pointed out
coldly.

ôWhatever works,ö Adam smirked, pushing his chair back
from the table and standing. Then reaching into his
blazer pocket, he tossed one of his business cards on
the table. ôThe lab number is on there. So is my
electronic mail receiver. Call me next week, and IÆll
see when IÆm available.ö

He left her simmering and glaring while he tried to
contain his frustration until he was beyond the range
of seeing eyes. Unfortunately, that didnÆt happen. He
had to share the elevator with various people for the
entire descent and by the time he reached the ground
floor, he was convinced that he was about to explode.

Adam lashed out at the first available target that he
could find, which just happened to be a large tree. He
was dimly aware of people giving him a wide berth as
he proceeded to silently test the laws of mass and
motion with his fist. Several punches and cracked
knuckles later, he simply grasped the sides of the
tree and banged his forehead against it.

He would learn. One of these days he would learn. What
had he really expected from a meeting with Lucy? More
importantly, what had he wanted from a meeting with
Lucy? A one hundred and eighty degree change? He knew
that was impossible. They had both set down two very
different paths and nothing could ever change that.
And she wasnÆt the woman he knew a year ago anymore
than he was the man she knew. Two different people
with very different lives.

The nerve of her. The utter audacity of her to think
that she could simply sweet-talk her way into his
heart again. Did she really think that he was that
pliable, that easily swayed? Or was that just another
reflection of the person she had become?

With a growl, he kicked the tree. He didnÆt know, he
didnÆt really want to know. If Lucy Adams wanted her
interview, she would get her interview. And then he
would go on with his life again. His very lonely life.
But, that was how he liked it, wasnÆt it? IsnÆt that
what he told Sue and Red? No time for romance, no time
for love. He lived and breathed physics. What more did
he need?

ôKeep telling yourself that,ö he muttered, banging his
forehead against the rough bark again. That was the
worse part of his encounter with Lucy. Not the
feelings and emotions that resurfaced, not the
memories of the bitter words they exchanged, but the
realization that he was alone. He had friends, but
that was all. He was alone . . . and sometimes, he was
lonely.

ôI didnÆt know these trees were hostile.ö

The sound of a voice made Adam blanch. Who was this
idiot that didnÆt have the common sense to keep their
distance from him the way everyone else did? Probably
a doctor, or worse, a medical student trying to do
their good deed of the day and see if he needed any
help. Physical and mental.

Adam turned his head, intending to glare them into
submission and give them a piece of his mind, but the
words froze in his throat as he saw . . . her.

ôAmelie,ö he whispered her name.

ôAre you all right?ö She remained at a æsafeÆ
distance, but he thought that he heard a genuine note
of concern in her voice. But then again, he had
thought that Lucy Adams might have changed. ôYour hand
is bleeding.ö

Adam glanced at his knuckles, and covered them in
embarrassment. ôYeah, that tends to happen when you
punch a tree.ö

ôI can get someone for you. To see about your hand.ö

Cradling the sore knuckles, Adam shook his head. ôNo,
thereÆs no need. IÆve done worse. I tend to have a lot
of these disagreements with hostile trees. And walls.ö

She smiled slightly at his words, her mouth turning up
attractively. ôIÆve never had any problems with these
trees. TheyÆre always polite to me.ö

ôI doubt that anything would have any reason at all to
be hostile towards you.ö

Amelie gave him a shy smile and backed off a few
paces. ôIf youÆre going to be all right, I really
should be going.ö

ôYouÆre going to run off again arenÆt you?ö

ôI shouldnÆt be . . . I just wanted . . .ö

Adam raised an eyebrow, leaning against the tree,
still cradling his knuckles. He hated to admit it, but
she was right. He did need medical attention. ôWeÆre
just talking, Amelie. ThereÆs no law against that.ö

ôYes . . . but . . .ö Those dark eyes pleaded with
him.

Adam extended his injured hand slowly so as not to
frighten her. ôYou were just offering me medical
attention.ö

ôIÆm not a medic.ö

ôToo bad,ö Adam allowed his hand to drop in
disappointment. ôI guess IÆm going to have to let you
run off again then, arenÆt I?ö

To his surprise and pleasure, she didnÆt turn and
simply hurry away from him. Instead, she squared her
shoulders in resignation and nodded in his direction,
ôCome with me, please,ö before turning on her heel and
heading towards the inner sanctum.

Curious, Adam followed her, wondering what she was
thinking of doing. Did she intend to call a medic for
him? Leave him at the gates while she found a first
aid kit? Certainly, she didnÆt intend to take him into
the heart of The Centre . . . did she?

Adam watched as she ran the wristband across the
scanner and waited for the door to open. Again, she
motioned for him to follow her.

This was getting interesting.

The guard inside the door stopped him with a firm grip
on his arm. ôIÆm sorry, I canÆt allow you in here
without authorization.ö

Adam gave the man an understanding and sympathetic
nod. ôI understand. But you see, I hurt my hand and
AmùBeta 2017 was going to take me to medical.ö

ôThereÆs a medical facility elsewhere.ö

Adam handed the man his pass card and leaned
conspiratorially forward. ôThis is embarrassing. I had
a bit of a disagreement with a co-worker and I took it
out on a tree. IÆd really rather not have to deal with
medical or my co-worker seeing me like this.ö

The guard glanced at him uncertainly before taking the
pass card and running it across the scanner.
Immediately, the manÆs entire demeanor changed. ôIÆm
sorry, sir. I didnÆt recognize you. Although I thought
you looked familiar. The resemblance and all.ö

He ignored LucyÆs words echoing in his head. ôFor
someone who claims to hate their name, you certainly
use it when you can.ö

Whatever works indeed.

*** End of Chapter Six



=====
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------------------------------

Date: Wed, 21 Mar 2001 09:45:22 +1200
From: "The Olsen Family" <[e-mail]>
Subject: (arfic-l) The Medusa Stone (11/19)

This is a multi-part message in MIME format.

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The Medusa Stone (11/19)

by Anne Olsen

Email : [e-mail]

Fandom : Stargate SG1/ Highlander/ NS Tomorrow People

Rating: PG

Summary : SG1 finds a manuscript that Daniel has trouble deciphering. An =
historian named Adam Pierson offers to help.

Disclaimer :=20
The characters of Daniel Jackson, Jack O'Neill, Sam Carter, Teal'c, =
General Hammond, Janet Frasier, Apophis and anybody else you recognise =
from the SGC do not belong to me. Neither does the concept of the =
Stargate, SGC, and the Goa'uld and any thing else related to the series =
Stargate SG1. They belong to Stargate (II) Productions, Showtime/Viacom, =
MGM/UA, Double Secret Productions, and Gekko Products.

The characters of Methos (a.k.a. Adam Pierson), Joe Dawson, Connor =
MacLeod and Duncan MacLeod belong to Panzer/Davis, Rysher/Gaumont =
Television. So do the concepts of Immortality, the Game and the =
Watchers.

Likewise the characters of Adam Newman, Megabyte Damon, General William =
Damon, Ami Jackson, Jade Weston, Kevin Wilson or any names or events =
linked to the Tomorrow People TV series do not belong to me either. They =
are the property of Roger Damon Price, Thames/Tetra and ITV Television

- ----------------

Part Eleven

"So, are you are the only so called telepaths there are, or are there =
more of you?"

"Daniel, how are you feeling? I didn't see you come in."

Daniel stood framed in the doorway. His eyes looked unnaturally bright, =
he was looking around the room as though he wasn't sure exactly where he =
was. He pushed his glasses further up his nose before replying.

"Fine, Jack. Shouldn't you have Pierson under lock and key, after what =
he's done? I'm not very happy about having him running around the base =
after he pulled his sword on me."

Hammond noticed that the archaeologist didn't seem to be very pleased to =
see the immortal. In fact he seemed very angry. He stepped in to defuse =
the situation. "Methos, or Mr Pierson, as he prefers to be called, is =
our guest for the moment, Doctor Jackson. I don't think there will be a =
repeat performance of what happened before, will there, Mr Pierson?"

"No, General. I'm sorry Daniel, I couldn't take the chance of Ramiis =
coming through the Stargate." That reminded Methos of something. "I =
don't suppose there's any chance of having my sword back. I don't like =
being without it."

O'Neill laughed." You mean your lucky sword. Don't push it, old timer, =
one thing at a time, okay. I still can't believe I fell for that crap =
you fed me before."

Methos pretended to look hurt. "If it makes you feel any better, I've =
had years of practice. Byron always appreciated my penchant for crap, as =
you so nicely put it."

Great, thought O'Neill, now he's going to start dropping names from =
history. He was beginning to think that the Adam Pierson persona was =
gone for good. This Methos was just far too sure of himself. Something =
suddenly occurred to him. "Daniel, are you feeling okay? I thought you'd =
be bombarding Pierson with questions by now."

Daniel certainly didn't look like his usual self. This whole thing must =
have shook him up a lot more than they had originally thought. He looked =
very pale and tired and the look he was giving Methos wasn't very =
pleasant. You would almost think that he hated the guy. Come on, Jack, =
pull yourself together, this is Daniel we're talking about here.

"Sorry, I'm just feeling a bit tired. I've also still got a bit of a =
headache. Anyway," he turned to Adam," you still haven't answered my =
question. Are there more of you?"

"Ami and Jade, is that right?" asked Hammond. "Sorry, Bill, I overheard =
you talking on the phone."

Adam sighed. He had hoped to keep the existence of the other Tomorrow =
People a secret. No point putting their lives in danger as well. Well at =
least they don't know about Kevin, he thought. "Yes, that's right," he =
replied. "I've told them to stay where they are until we make sure that =
the Medusa Stone or whatever you call it, is no longer a threat to us." =
He also wanted to make sure that this Ramiis was safely out of the =
picture. If he were anything like the other Egyptian they'd encountered =
he wouldn't give up too easily. The idea of the existence of something =
like the Medusa Stone gave him the creeps as well. He hoped it was the =
only one of its kind.

[I hope so too,] telepathed Megabyte. [Sorry Adam, I couldn't help but =
overhear, must be the effects of that stone, your mental shields aren't =
working as well as usual. You're broadcasting your thoughts quite =
loudly.]

"So when do we get to meet them?" asked Daniel.

"Daniel, are you sure you're feeling okay?" asked Carter. She was =
beginning to worry. Even Daniel usually had a bit more diplomacy than =
this. He's definitely not acting like himself at all.

Daniel shot her a murderous glance. " Of course, I'm okay. I feel fine, =
considering all that's happened." He suddenly put his hands over his =
head, and bent over as though he was in pain.=20

Frasier moved in quickly. "Doctor Jackson, what's wrong?"

"I." He suddenly straightened up. "I've got a bad headache, that's all." =
His tone seemed colder, more distant.

"Hey, Daniel, lighten up. The Doc is just trying to help that's all." =
Something else was bugging O'Neill. "Something must be causing these =
headaches. Are you sure you don't remember what happened on PX251?"

"What?" Daniel seemed to become aware that everyone in the room was =
watching him. He shook his head." No, I don't remember a thing. This =
Ramiis guy is freaking me out a bit. I think I'll go and have another =
look at the manuscript."

"Methos, sorry, Pierson, maybe you should go and help him?" asked =
O'Neill. A thought occurred to him. " I suppose you learnt the language =
when it was still being used? Come to think of it, you did tell Daniel =
it had been a while since you had spoken it."

Methos shrugged. "Quite often people just don't take what I say the way =
I mean it. Mind you, it depends on your point of reference, I suppose." =
He turned to Daniel, "Look I'm sorry for what happened. You're just =
going to have to forget it and move on. I learnt that a long time ago, =
and the fact that you can't always feel guilty about past regrets as =
well."=20

Adam noticed the way the man looked at himself and Megabyte. He had the =
distinct impression it was more do as I say rather than do as I do. =
There was something about his relationship with Tutankhamun and his =
friends that he wasn't telling. He felt a sense of regret or maybe even =
guilt coming from him.=20

Daniel looked uncomfortable. "Let's leave it at that then, shall we? =
Just don't give me any reason to distrust you, okay? I get a bit nervous =
when people pull a sword on me." He seemed to think for a minute. =
"General Hammond, is it possible to have a look at the sword that you =
found next to me?"

"It's in the same place that we have the stone and manuscript. Mr =
Pierson's sword is there as well. By the way, Mr Pierson, how did you =
manage to get your sword out of the secured area in the first place? =
That place is locked up tighter than a drum."

Methos coughed modestly. "I have a friend who has taught me a thing or =
two about breaking and entering."

Oh well, thought O'Neill. I suppose I should be relieved that he didn't =
say he'd learnt it riding with Butch and Sundance. He opened his mouth =
to say something smart and shut it again. No, I'd rather not know, he =
decided. Five thousand years is a long time, I wonder what other things =
he's done that he's not telling. When Daniel is feeling more like =
himself, I'll get him to find out. The old guy will wonder what's hit =
him.



- ------------------------------------

O'Neill noticed Adam was looking at him, he seemed as though he wanted =
to say something. The boy opened his mouth and then shut it again.

[Do you want me to talk to him?] 'pathed Megabyte. He was sitting on one =
of the beds, his legs dangling over the side. Adam was pretending to =
look at the medical equipment they had been hooked up to, trying to =
decide what exactly to say to O'Neill.

[No, I'll do it.] Megabyte wasn't exactly known for his sense of tact. =
Adam still remembered when they had first met Ami during the Culex =
affair. His friend had started talking about the spaceship before Ami =
had even got used to the idea of being a Tomorrow Person. All his =
comments had done was convinced her that that were both mad.

O'Neill and the two Tomorrow People were alone in the infirmary. Daniel =
and Methos had gone to look over the hieroglyphs on the box housing the =
Medusa Stone. Carter had gone with them. She was going to run some more =
tests on the box, hoping to find out more about what it was made up of.=20

Hammond had suggested that Damon might like a tour of the base. Teal'c =
had volunteered. O'Neill suspected that the Jaffa was very curious about =
Adam and Megabyte and wanted to ask Damon some more questions about =
them.

"What is it, Adam?" asked O'Neill. "I don't need to be telepathic to =
know you want to talk to me about something." He noticed the Australian =
boy had stopped what he had been doing and was running his hands through =
his dark hair, trying to hide his apparent nervousness. He wondered what =
Adam wanted to talk to him about - obviously he wasn't sure what sort of =
reaction he was going to get, whatever it was.

Adam decided the best approach was just to get straight to the point. He =
liked O'Neill, but didn't want to upset him by saying something that the =
other might construe as out of line.

"It's about Methos. I can sense that you don't trust him very much. I =
just wondered if you had thought about the whole situation from his =
point of view."

"His point of view? I don't know what his point of view is, that's the =
trouble. He's not particularly forthcoming when it comes to sharing =
information. I still think he's only shared as little as he thinks he =
can get away with."

"I understand what you're saying, Colonel."

"Call me Jack, Adam."

"Jack," Adam continued. "I know that Megabyte and I, as Tomorrow People, =
live with a fear of what would happen if the military got their hands on =
us. Imagine the potential for experimentation. A lot of people would =
fear what we can do, what we are. It's really hard going through every =
day pretending to be something you're not because you can't take any =
chances. We don't even tell our friends, because our lives and theirs =
may depend on their not knowing the truth. Not everyone reacts to our =
secret the same way that you have."

"Then there's the people that would want to use us as a weapon against =
others," interrupted Megabyte. "We've already run into people like that =
and I wouldn't like to try a repeat performance." He was now standing =
beside Adam, ready to give him some moral support, if needed.

"Okay", said O'Neill. "I see your point."=20

"Now imagine how those same people would react to someone who couldn't =
die. Imagine the potential weapon in that. If the military got their =
hands on an immortal, they could kill him over and over again while they =
tried to find out what made him tick. The perfect lab rat." Adam =
shuddered. "It would be a living hell."

O'Neill agreed. "Yes, that does put quite a different spin on things. =
Maybe I owe the guy an apology." Another thought struck him. " You know =
that you people are quite safe here, with us, don't you?"

Megabyte nodded. "Yes, we trust my Dad's judgement and his friendship =
with General Hammond. Methos hasn't got someone looking out for him =
though, remember and it sounds as though he's been watching his back, or =
should that be head, for a very long time. Five thousand years, wow. =
Imagine all the things the guy has seen over the years."

- ---------------------------


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</HEAD>
<BODY bgColor=3D#ffffff>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>The Medusa Stone (11/19)</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>
<DIV>
<DIV>by Anne Olsen</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Email : <A=20
href=3D"mailto:[e-mail]">[e-mail]</A></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Fandom : Stargate SG1/ Highlander/ NS Tomorrow People</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Rating: PG</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Summary : SG1 finds a manuscript that Daniel has trouble =
deciphering. An=20
historian named Adam Pierson offers to help.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Disclaimer : </DIV>
<DIV>
<P>The characters of Daniel Jackson, Jack O’Neill, Sam Carter, =
Teal’c, General=20
Hammond, Janet Frasier, Apophis and anybody else you recognise from the =
SGC do=20
not belong to me. Neither does the concept of the Stargate, SGC, and the =
Goa’uld=20
and any thing else related to the series Stargate SG1. They belong to =
Stargate=20
(II) Productions, Showtime/Viacom, MGM/UA, Double Secret Productions, =
and Gekko=20
Products.</P>
<P>The characters of Methos (a.k.a. Adam Pierson), Joe Dawson, Connor =
MacLeod=20
and Duncan MacLeod belong to Panzer/Davis, Rysher/Gaumont Television. So =
do the=20
concepts of Immortality, the Game and the Watchers.</P>
<P>Likewise the characters of Adam Newman, Megabyte Damon, General =
William=20
Damon, Ami Jackson, Jade Weston, Kevin Wilson or any names or events =
linked to=20
the Tomorrow People TV series do not belong to me either. They are the =
property=20
of Roger Damon Price, Thames/Tetra and ITV Television</P>
<P>----------------</P></DIV></DIV></DIV>
<DIV><U>
<P>Part Eleven</P></U>
<P>"So, are you are the only so called telepaths there are, or are there =
more of=20
you?"</P>
<P>"Daniel, how are you feeling? I didn’t see you come in."</P>
<P>Daniel stood framed in the doorway. His eyes looked unnaturally =
bright, he=20
was looking around the room as though he wasn’t sure exactly where =
he was. He=20
pushed his glasses further up his nose before replying.</P>
<P>"Fine, Jack. Shouldn’t you have Pierson under lock and key, =
after what he’s=20
done? I’m not very happy about having him running around the base =
after he=20
pulled his sword on me."</P>
<P>Hammond noticed that the archaeologist didn’t seem to be very =
pleased to see=20
the immortal. In fact he seemed very angry. He stepped in to defuse the=20
situation. "Methos, or Mr Pierson, as he prefers to be called, is our =
guest for=20
the moment, Doctor Jackson. I don’t think there will be a repeat =
performance of=20
what happened before, will there, Mr Pierson?"</P>
<P>"No, General. I’m sorry Daniel, I couldn’t take the =
chance of Ramiis coming=20
through the Stargate." That reminded Methos of something. "I don’t =
suppose=20
there’s any chance of having my sword back. I don’t like =
being without it."</P>
<P>O’Neill laughed." You mean your lucky sword. Don’t push =
it, old timer, one=20
thing at a time, okay. I still can’t believe I fell for that crap =
you fed me=20
before."</P>
<P>Methos pretended to look hurt. "If it makes you feel any better, =
I’ve had=20
years of practice. Byron always appreciated my penchant for crap, as you =
so=20
nicely put it."</P>
<P>Great, thought O’Neill, now he’s going to start dropping =
names from history.=20
He was beginning to think that the Adam Pierson persona was gone for =
good. This=20
Methos was just far too sure of himself. Something suddenly occurred to =
him.=20
"Daniel, are you feeling okay? I thought you’d be bombarding =
Pierson with=20
questions by now."</P>
<P>Daniel certainly didn’t look like his usual self. This whole =
thing must have=20
shook him up a lot more than they had originally thought. He looked very =
pale=20
and tired and the look he was giving Methos wasn’t very pleasant. =
You would=20
almost think that he hated the guy. Come on, Jack, pull yourself =
together, this=20
is Daniel we’re talking about here.</P>
<P>"Sorry, I’m just feeling a bit tired. I’ve also still got =
a bit of a=20
headache. Anyway," he turned to Adam," you still haven’t answered =
my question.=20
Are there more of you?"</P>
<P>"Ami and Jade, is that right?" asked Hammond. "Sorry, Bill, I =
overheard you=20
talking on the phone."</P>
<P>Adam sighed. He had hoped to keep the existence of the other Tomorrow =
People=20
a secret. No point putting their lives in danger as well. Well at least =
they=20
don’t know about Kevin, he thought. "Yes, that’s right," he =
replied. "I’ve told=20
them to stay where they are until we make sure that the Medusa Stone or =
whatever=20
you call it, is no longer a threat to us." He also wanted to make sure =
that this=20
Ramiis was safely out of the picture. If he were anything like the other =

Egyptian they’d encountered he wouldn’t give up too easily. =
The idea of the=20
existence of something like the Medusa Stone gave him the creeps as =
well. He=20
hoped it was the only one of its kind.</P>
<P>[I hope so too,] telepathed Megabyte. [Sorry Adam, I couldn’t =
help but=20
overhear, must be the effects of that stone, your mental shields =
aren’t working=20
as well as usual. You’re broadcasting your thoughts quite =
loudly.]</P>
<P>"So when do we get to meet them?" asked Daniel.</P>
<P>"Daniel, are you sure you’re feeling okay?" asked Carter. She =
was beginning=20
to worry. Even Daniel usually had a bit more diplomacy than this. =
He’s=20
definitely not acting like himself at all.</P>
<P>Daniel shot her a murderous glance. " Of course, I’m okay. I =
feel fine,=20
considering all that’s happened." He suddenly put his hands over =
his head, and=20
bent over as though he was in pain. </P>
<P>Frasier moved in quickly. "Doctor Jackson, what’s wrong?"</P>
<P>"I…" He suddenly straightened up. "I’ve got a bad =
headache, that’s all." His=20
tone seemed colder, more distant.</P>
<P>"Hey, Daniel, lighten up. The Doc is just trying to help that’s =
all."=20
Something else was bugging O’Neill. "Something must be causing =
these headaches.=20
Are you sure you don’t remember what happened on PX251?"</P>
<P>"What?" Daniel seemed to become aware that everyone in the room was =
watching=20
him. He shook his head." No, I don’t remember a thing. This Ramiis =
guy is=20
freaking me out a bit. I think I’ll go and have another look at =
the=20
manuscript."</P>
<P>"Methos, sorry, Pierson, maybe you should go and help him?" asked =
O’Neill. A=20
thought occurred to him. " I suppose you learnt the language when it was =
still=20
being used? Come to think of it, you did tell Daniel it had been a while =
since=20
you had spoken it."</P>
<P>Methos shrugged. "Quite often people just don’t take what I say =
the way I=20
mean it. Mind you, it depends on your point of reference, I suppose." He =
turned=20
to Daniel, "Look I’m sorry for what happened. You’re just =
going to have to=20
forget it and move on. I learnt that a long time ago, and the fact that =
you=20
can’t always feel guilty about past regrets as well." </P>
<P>Adam noticed the way the man looked at himself and Megabyte. He had =
the=20
distinct impression it was more do as I say rather than do as I do. =
There was=20
something about his relationship with Tutankhamun and his friends that =
he wasn’t=20
telling. He felt a sense of regret or maybe even guilt coming from him. =
</P>
<P>Daniel looked uncomfortable. "Let’s leave it at that then, =
shall we? Just=20
don’t give me any reason to distrust you, okay? I get a bit =
nervous when people=20
pull a sword on me." He seemed to think for a minute. "General Hammond, =
is it=20
possible to have a look at the sword that you found next to me?"</P>
<P>"It’s in the same place that we have the stone and manuscript. =
Mr Pierson’s=20
sword is there as well. By the way, Mr Pierson, how did you manage to =
get your=20
sword out of the secured area in the first place? That place is locked =
up=20
tighter than a drum."</P>
<P>Methos coughed modestly. "I have a friend who has taught me a thing =
or two=20
about breaking and entering."</P>
<P>Oh well, thought O’Neill. I suppose I should be relieved that =
he didn’t say=20
he’d learnt it riding with Butch and Sundance. He opened his mouth =
to say=20
something smart and shut it again. No, I’d rather not know, he =
decided. Five=20
thousand years is a long time, I wonder what other things he’s =
done that he’s=20
not telling. When Daniel is feeling more like himself, I’ll get =
him to find out.=20
The old guy will wonder what’s hit him…</P>
<P> </P>
<P>------------------------------------</P>
<P>O’Neill noticed Adam was looking at him, he seemed as though he =
wanted to say=20
something. The boy opened his mouth and then shut it again.</P>
<P>[Do you want me to talk to him?] ‘pathed Megabyte. He was =
sitting on one of=20
the beds, his legs dangling over the side. Adam was pretending to look =
at the=20
medical equipment they had been hooked up to, trying to decide what =
exactly to=20
say to O’Neill.</P>
<P>[No, I’ll do it.] Megabyte wasn’t exactly known for his =
sense of tact. Adam=20
still remembered when they had first met Ami during the Culex affair. =
His friend=20
had started talking about the spaceship before Ami had even got used to =
the idea=20
of being a Tomorrow Person. All his comments had done was convinced her =
that=20
that were both mad.</P>
<P>O’Neill and the two Tomorrow People were alone in the =
infirmary. Daniel and=20
Methos had gone to look over the hieroglyphs on the box housing the =
Medusa=20
Stone. Carter had gone with them. She was going to run some more tests =
on the=20
box, hoping to find out more about what it was made up of. </P>
<P>Hammond had suggested that Damon might like a tour of the base. =
Teal’c had=20
volunteered. O’Neill suspected that the Jaffa was very curious =
about Adam and=20
Megabyte and wanted to ask Damon some more questions about them.</P>
<P>"What is it, Adam?" asked O’Neill. "I don’t need to be =
telepathic to know you=20
want to talk to me about something." He noticed the Australian boy had =
stopped=20
what he had been doing and was running his hands through his dark hair, =
trying=20
to hide his apparent nervousness. He wondered what Adam wanted to talk =
to him=20
about - obviously he wasn’t sure what sort of reaction he was =
going to get,=20
whatever it was.</P>
<P>Adam decided the best approach was just to get straight to the point. =
He=20
liked O’Neill, but didn’t want to upset him by saying =
something that the other=20
might construe as out of line.</P>
<P>"It’s about Methos. I can sense that you don’t trust him =
very much. I just=20
wondered if you had thought about the whole situation from his point of=20
view."</P>
<P>"His point of view? I don’t know what his point of view is, =
that’s the=20
trouble. He’s not particularly forthcoming when it comes to =
sharing information.=20
I still think he’s only shared as little as he thinks he can get =
away with."</P>
<P>"I understand what you’re saying, Colonel…"</P>
<P>"Call me Jack, Adam."</P>
<P>"Jack," Adam continued. "I know that Megabyte and I, as Tomorrow =
People, live=20
with a fear of what would happen if the military got their hands on us. =
Imagine=20
the potential for experimentation. A lot of people would fear what we =
can do,=20
what we are. It’s really hard going through every day pretending =
to be something=20
you’re not because you can’t take any chances. We =
don’t even tell our friends,=20
because our lives and theirs may depend on their not knowing the truth. =
Not=20
everyone reacts to our secret the same way that you have."</P>
<P>"Then there’s the people that would want to use us as a weapon =
against=20
others," interrupted Megabyte. "We’ve already run into people like =
that and I=20
wouldn’t like to try a repeat performance." He was now standing =
beside Adam,=20
ready to give him some moral support, if needed.</P>
<P>"Okay", said O’Neill. "I see your point." <BR><BR>"Now imagine =
how those same=20
people would react to someone who couldn’t die. Imagine the =
potential weapon in=20
that. If the military got their hands on an immortal, they could kill =
him over=20
and over again while they tried to find out what made him tick. The =
perfect lab=20
rat." Adam shuddered. "It would be a living hell."</P>
<P>O’Neill agreed. "Yes, that does put quite a different spin on =
things. Maybe I=20
owe the guy an apology." Another thought struck him. " You know that you =
people=20
are quite safe here, with us, don’t you?"</P>
<P>Megabyte nodded. "Yes, we trust my Dad’s judgement and his =
friendship with=20
General Hammond. Methos hasn’t got someone looking out for him =
though, remember=20
and it sounds as though he’s been watching his back, or should =
that be head, for=20
a very long time. Five thousand years, wow. Imagine all the things the =
guy has=20
seen over the years."</P>
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