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From: owner-arfic-l-digest@lists.xmission.com (arfic-l-digest) To: arfic-l-digest@lists.xmission.com Subject: arfic-l-digest V1 #37 Reply-To: arfic-l-digest Sender: owner-arfic-l-digest@lists.xmission.com Errors-To: owner-arfic-l-digest@lists.xmission.com Precedence: bulk arfic-l-digest Thursday, August 16 2001 Volume 01 : Number 037 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 31 Jul 2001 16:12:32 +1200 From: "Anne Olsen" <anneo@paradise.net.nz> Subject: (arfic-l) Interview with A Tomorrow Person (1/1) This is a multi-part message in MIME format. - ------=_NextPart_000_0027_01C119DB.9AB6FBA0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Interview with A Tomorrow Person By Anne Olsen and John Garrett Authors' Notes This is an interview from the Shadows and Light Character Interview = series. It was first published in the S&L newsletter dated July 2001. = For more information about the Shadows and Light universe please check = out the website at http://www.alternate-realities.net.shadowsnlight or = http://clik.to/shadowsnlight=20 Thanks to Kristin (Amethyst Maiden) for the beta read. Disclaimer The characters of Megabyte and Millie Damon do not belong to us. Neither = do Adam Newman, Ami Jackson, Kevin Wilson, Jade Weston or Lisa Davis = (mentioned in name only.) They belong to Roger Damon Price, Thames/Tetra = and ITV Television. Kenny does belong to us and should not be used without permission Summary Undercover Shadows and Light reporter, Kenny, interviews Megabyte as to = what it's really like to live as Tomorrow Person. Feedback to: anneo@paradise.net.nz and phdgarrett@worldnet.att.net=20 **************** Kenny poked his head around the door of the Damon household, looking for = his friend Megabyte. "Hi Millie. Is Megabyte in?" "He's up in his room. Hang on, I'll let him know you're here." Millicent = Damon stood at the bottom of the huge wooden staircase and yelled = towards her brother's room. "Megabyte, Kenny's here." "Send him up, Millie, I'll talk to him up here." Kenny climbed the stairs to his friend's bedroom, entered and sat = himself down on the chair next to Megabyte's computer desk. He noticed = all the boxes in the room and Megabyte's annoyed expression at the same = time. "You people moving or something?" he asked the redhead. Megabyte was = obviously starting to pack away all his computer games, videos and movie = related stuff. "Yeah, some nowhere town in California. Sunnydale, I think it's called." "Never heard of it." "That makes two of us," Megabyte complained. "Another few weeks and I'm = out of here." "Do you think you'll come back this way at all?" Megabyte shrugged. "Who knows? Still it won't be a problem if I want to, = what with the teleporting and all." "Funny you should mention that," commented Kenny. "Remember how you said = you'd fill me in on all that Tomorrow People stuff? Well the time has = come. Do you mind if I act all interviewer on you and ask loads of = questions?" "Yeah sure, no problem. Just don't take any notes. No one's supposed to = know we exist. You don't either, remember? If Adam found out I'd = teleported in front of you he'd kill me," Megabyte joked. He leaned back = against the wall, waiting for Kenny to start his 'interview'. Kenny pulled the list out of his pocket. "First question. What abilities = do you have exactly?" He saw the look on Megabyte's face and amended his = question. "As a Tomorrow Person I mean." "We can teleport, go from place to place by thinking about it. But you = know that. We can move objects using telekinesis. We're telepathic." Kenny interrupted. " Can you read people's minds?" "Ask the hard ones first, why don't you? Telepathy itself, the speaking = to each other, that's sort of between ourselves but the whole mind = reading gig, that's a bit more complicated." "How so?" "Well, with other people, non TPs like you, we pick up a lot of = background noise, surface thoughts, that kind of stuff." Kenny interrupted, looking worried. "You mean you're picking up what I'm = actually thinking?" "Hey did I say that? Depends on how strongly you're projecting." = Megabyte grinned. "Nah, don't worry, you're not. Don't panic, we don't = usually read minds or anything. Lot of effort and energy involved. It = also depends on how strong a person's natural shielding is. Some people = we couldn't read, it wouldn't matter how hard we tried, but others would = be a lot easier." "So what category do I fall under then?"=20 Megabyte laughed. "Do you really want to know? More fun this way, at = least from where I'm sitting." "You're evil, Megabyte. You do know that don't you?" Megabyte smirked. "I aim to please. Okay, so what's the next question?" "Okay," Kenny consulted his list again. "Can you hurt people with your = powers?" Megabyte shook his head again. "There's this whole no killing thing = built into us. We can't kill even if we want to, and I tell you there's = been a couple of creeps out there who are really lucky we can't. Even = the thought of violence makes me feel ill. I suppose it's there as some = sort of failsafe." "So that answers my next question then, I suppose." Kenny looked = embarrassed as he continued. "Are you planning to take over the world?" Megabyte laughed. "And people tell me I've seen too many B grade movies. = Don't worry Kenny you're safe. for now. It's a bit hard to take over the = world when you have this whole non-violence thing." He thought for a = moment and then continued, his blue eyes twinkling as he spoke. "Of = course if that changes I'll make sure you're the first to know." The tone of his voice became serious for a moment. "Joking aside, at the = moment, I think we've got enough problems just surviving. Having these = powers tends to bring all the creeps, scuzzballs and things that go bump = in the night out of the woodwork. There's a down side to the whole = superhuman powers thing you know, even Spidey has his problems." Kenny looked at his friend for a moment, feeling a little worried. It = wasn't like Megabyte to come out with comments like this at all. He = wondered exactly what his friend had been through the last few years. He = decided to lift the tone of the conversation, fast. "Could you sneak into a movie theatre. or appear in a girl's locker = room?" "I wish. Trouble is teleporting is pretty loud, and they might hear me = coming. Hey it's not like invisibility. Once you get where you're going = you're there, if you know what I mean. Girl's locker room." Megabyte = shrugged. "Yeah, imagine trying to explain that one to Dad. He thinks I = get into enough trouble as it is." "Who are you? What do you want? Do you have anything worth living for?" "Yeah right, Kenny." "Oops sorry, wrong list. Moving right along then. How many Tomorrow = People are there?" "Five of us at the moment, six if you count Lisa." "Lisa?" "Yeah Lisa broke out about the same time as Kevin and I did. We haven't = seen her for years though. She broke contact shortly after we met. It's = a long story which I'm not going to go into now, call it another example = of the down side of being a Tomorrow Person." Megabyte paused, as though he was remembering something he didn't = particularly want to. Kenny got the distinct impression that it was = something he wouldn't talk about even if pushed, so he dropped the = subject and waited for his friend to continue. "As well as me there's Kevin, you remember him from school? Adam, he's = this Australian guy. Ami who's at college in LA at the moment and = working for this.guy, Angel. Oh yeah, and Jade who's also a Brit." "Any chance I could become one of you?" Kenny asked. " That would be so = cool." "Hey don't look at me, I don't make up the rules. Anything's possible. = Adam thinks everyone has the potential to break out and become a TP. = What's the next question?" Megabyte changed the subject, rather too = quickly Kenny thought.=20 "Are you aliens?" "Been watching Roswell again?" inquired Megabyte. "No, we're human = alright. We're supposed to be the next stage of human evolution, that's = why we have these powers." "Well that's all I have on my list, but there is one other thing." "Yeah sure, whatever. Shoot." "You mentioned things that go bump in the night before. You don't really = believe in that stuff do you?" Megabyte's face became serious for a moment, before he broke into his = usual grin, obviously trying to brush the whole idea off. "You mean = vampires and stuff? Yeah, right Kenny." "Come on Megabyte, I've known you long enough by now. You do know. Come = on, you've told me everything else, what's one more thing?" Megabyte seemed to stop and think, before continuing. "Let's just say = that all that stuff about vampires is real. I know, I've met one. = There's a lot of really nasty stuff out there, Kenny, really nasty = stuff." He shuddered as though remembering a past experience. Kenny opened his mouth to ask another question. Obviously he'd stumbled = over something big here, something he'd never dreamed really even = existed. "Megabyte," he started to ask, and then noticed the Tomorrow = Person seemed to be miles away. It was almost as though his mind was = somewhere else. His suspicions were confirmed when his friend turned to = him, a worried expression on his face. "Sorry Kenny I'm going to have to go. Something's come up." "Were you, you know, talking to someone telepathically just then?" "Yeah. Sorry to cut you short but I'll see you before the move, okay?" = With that Megabyte closed his eyes, there was a flash of white light and = Kenny was left staring at the spot the redhead had just been standing. Just another average day in the life of a Tomorrow Person, he thought to = himself. In some ways he envied the Tomorrow People, but in other ways = he definitely didn't. Being caught up in all the bad stuff going down in = the world must be really hard. Kenny smiled to himself. Maybe this move to Sunnydale was a good idea = after all. With it being such a small town and all, at least his friend = would be away from all that vampire stuff. Yeah Sunnydale might be just = what Megabyte and rest of the Tomorrow People needed. ************** The End - ------=_NextPart_000_0027_01C119DB.9AB6FBA0 Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable <!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD> <META content=3D"text/html; charset=3Diso-8859-1" = http-equiv=3DContent-Type> <META content=3D"MSHTML 5.00.2614.3500" name=3DGENERATOR> <STYLE></STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY bgColor=3D#ffffff> <DIV> Interview with A Tomorrow Person By Anne Olsen and John Garrett Authors’ Notes This is an interview from the Shadows and Light Character Interview = series.=20 It was first published in the S&L newsletter dated July 2001. For = more=20 information about the Shadows and Light universe please check out the = website at=20 <A=20 href=3D"http://www.alternate-realities.net.shadowsnlight/">http://www.alt= ernate-realities.net.shadowsnlight</A>=20 or <A = href=3D"http://clik.to/shadowsnlight">http://clik.to/shadowsnlight</A> = Thanks to Kristin (Amethyst Maiden) for the beta read. Disclaimer The characters of Megabyte and Millie Damon do not belong to us. = Neither do=20 Adam Newman, Ami Jackson, Kevin Wilson, Jade Weston or Lisa Davis = (mentioned in=20 name only.) They belong to Roger Damon Price, Thames/Tetra and ITV=20 Television. Kenny does belong to us and should not be used without = permission Summary Undercover Shadows and Light reporter, Kenny, interviews Megabyte as = to what=20 it’s really like to live as Tomorrow Person. Feedback to: <A=20 href=3D"mailto:anneo@paradise.net.nz">anneo@paradise.net.nz</A> and <A=20 href=3D"mailto:phdgarrett@worldnet.att.net">phdgarrett@worldnet.att.net</= A> **************** Kenny poked his head around the door of the Damon household, looking = for his=20 friend Megabyte. "Hi Millie. Is Megabyte in?" "He’s up in his room. Hang on, I’ll let him know = you’re here." Millicent=20 Damon stood at the bottom of the huge wooden staircase and yelled = towards her=20 brother’s room. "Megabyte, Kenny’s here." "Send him up, Millie, I’ll talk to him up here." Kenny climbed the stairs to his friend’s bedroom, entered and = sat himself=20 down on the chair next to Megabyte’s computer desk. He noticed all = the boxes in=20 the room and Megabyte’s annoyed expression at the same time. "You people moving or something?" he asked the redhead. Megabyte was=20 obviously starting to pack away all his computer games, videos and movie = related=20 stuff. "Yeah, some nowhere town in California. Sunnydale, I think it’s = called." "Never heard of it." "That makes two of us," Megabyte complained. "Another few weeks and = I’m out=20 of here." "Do you think you’ll come back this way at all?" Megabyte shrugged. "Who knows? Still it won’t be a problem if I = want to, what=20 with the teleporting and all." "Funny you should mention that," commented Kenny. "Remember how you = said=20 you’d fill me in on all that Tomorrow People stuff? Well the time = has come. Do=20 you mind if I act all interviewer on you and ask loads of = questions?" "Yeah sure, no problem. Just don’t take any notes. No = one’s supposed to know=20 we exist. You don’t either, remember? If Adam found out I’d = teleported in front=20 of you he’d kill me," Megabyte joked. He leaned back against the = wall, waiting=20 for Kenny to start his ‘interview’. Kenny pulled the list out of his pocket. "First question. What = abilities do=20 you have exactly?" He saw the look on Megabyte’s face and amended = his question.=20 "As a Tomorrow Person I mean." "We can teleport, go from place to place by thinking about it. But = you know=20 that. We can move objects using telekinesis. We’re = telepathic…" Kenny interrupted. " Can you read people’s minds?" "Ask the hard ones first, why don’t you? Telepathy itself, the = speaking to=20 each other, that’s sort of between ourselves but the whole mind = reading gig,=20 that’s a bit more complicated." "How so?" "Well, with other people, non TPs like you, we pick up a lot of = background=20 noise, surface thoughts, that kind of stuff." Kenny interrupted, looking worried. "You mean you’re picking up = what I’m=20 actually thinking?" "Hey did I say that? Depends on how strongly you’re = projecting." Megabyte=20 grinned. "Nah, don’t worry, you’re not. Don’t panic, = we don’t usually read minds=20 or anything. Lot of effort and energy involved. It also depends on how = strong a=20 person’s natural shielding is. Some people we couldn’t read, = it wouldn’t matter=20 how hard we tried, but others would be a lot easier." "So what category do I fall under then?" Megabyte laughed. "Do you really want to know? More fun this way, at = least=20 from where I’m sitting." "You’re evil, Megabyte. You do know that don’t you?" Megabyte smirked. "I aim to please. Okay, so what’s the next = question?" "Okay," Kenny consulted his list again. "Can you hurt people with = your=20 powers?" Megabyte shook his head again. "There’s this whole no killing = thing built=20 into us. We can’t kill even if we want to, and I tell you = there’s been a couple=20 of creeps out there who are really lucky we can’t. Even the = thought of violence=20 makes me feel ill. I suppose it’s there as some sort of = failsafe." "So that answers my next question then, I suppose." Kenny looked = embarrassed=20 as he continued. "Are you planning to take over the world?" Megabyte laughed. "And people tell me I’ve seen too many B = grade movies.=20 Don’t worry Kenny you’re safe… for now. It’s a = bit hard to take over the world=20 when you have this whole non-violence thing." He thought for a moment = and then=20 continued, his blue eyes twinkling as he spoke. "Of course if that = changes I’ll=20 make sure you’re the first to know." The tone of his voice became serious for a moment. "Joking aside, at = the=20 moment, I think we’ve got enough problems just surviving. Having = these powers=20 tends to bring all the creeps, scuzzballs and things that go bump in the = night=20 out of the woodwork. There’s a down side to the whole superhuman = powers thing=20 you know, even Spidey has his problems." Kenny looked at his friend for a moment, feeling a little worried. It = wasn’t=20 like Megabyte to come out with comments like this at all. He wondered = exactly=20 what his friend had been through the last few years. He decided to lift = the tone=20 of the conversation, fast. "Could you sneak into a movie theatre… or appear in a = girl’s locker=20 room?" "I wish. Trouble is teleporting is pretty loud, and they might hear = me=20 coming. Hey it’s not like invisibility. Once you get where = you’re going you’re=20 there, if you know what I mean. Girl’s locker room." Megabyte = shrugged. "Yeah,=20 imagine trying to explain that one to Dad. He thinks I get into enough = trouble=20 as it is." "Who are you? What do you want? Do you have anything worth living = for?" "Yeah right, Kenny…" "Oops sorry, wrong list. Moving right along then. How many Tomorrow = People=20 are there?" "Five of us at the moment, six if you count Lisa." "Lisa?" "Yeah Lisa broke out about the same time as Kevin and I did. We = haven’t seen=20 her for years though. She broke contact shortly after we met. It’s = a long story=20 which I’m not going to go into now, call it another example of the = down side of=20 being a Tomorrow Person." Megabyte paused, as though he was remembering something he = didn’t=20 particularly want to. Kenny got the distinct impression that it was = something he=20 wouldn’t talk about even if pushed, so he dropped the subject and = waited for his=20 friend to continue. "As well as me there’s Kevin, you remember him from school? = Adam, he’s this=20 Australian guy. Ami who’s at college in LA at the moment and = working for=20 this…guy, Angel. Oh yeah, and Jade who’s also a Brit." "Any chance I could become one of you?" Kenny asked. " That would be = so=20 cool." "Hey don’t look at me, I don’t make up the rules. = Anything’s possible. Adam=20 thinks everyone has the potential to break out and become a TP. = What’s the next=20 question?" Megabyte changed the subject, rather too quickly Kenny = thought. "Are you aliens?" "Been watching Roswell again?" inquired Megabyte. "No, we’re = human alright.=20 We’re supposed to be the next stage of human evolution, = that’s why we have these=20 powers." "Well that’s all I have on my list, but there is one other = thing." "Yeah sure, whatever. Shoot." "You mentioned things that go bump in the night before. You = don’t really=20 believe in that stuff do you?" Megabyte’s face became serious for a moment, before he broke = into his usual=20 grin, obviously trying to brush the whole idea off. "You mean vampires = and=20 stuff? Yeah, right Kenny." "Come on Megabyte, I’ve known you long enough by now. You do = know. Come on,=20 you’ve told me everything else, what’s one more thing?" Megabyte seemed to stop and think, before continuing. "Let’s = just say that=20 all that stuff about vampires is real. I know, I’ve met one. = There’s a lot of=20 really nasty stuff out there, Kenny, really nasty stuff." He shuddered = as though=20 remembering a past experience. Kenny opened his mouth to ask another question. Obviously he’d = stumbled over=20 something big here, something he’d never dreamed really even = existed.=20 "Megabyte," he started to ask, and then noticed the Tomorrow Person = seemed to be=20 miles away. It was almost as though his mind was somewhere else. His = suspicions=20 were confirmed when his friend turned to him, a worried expression on = his=20 face. "Sorry Kenny I’m going to have to go. Something’s come = up." "Were you, you know, talking to someone telepathically just = then?" "Yeah. Sorry to cut you short but I’ll see you before the move, = okay?" With=20 that Megabyte closed his eyes, there was a flash of white light and = Kenny was=20 left staring at the spot the redhead had just been standing. Just another average day in the life of a Tomorrow Person, he thought = to=20 himself. In some ways he envied the Tomorrow People, but in other ways = he=20 definitely didn’t. Being caught up in all the bad stuff going down = in the world=20 must be really hard. Kenny smiled to himself. Maybe this move to Sunnydale was a good idea = after=20 all. With it being such a small town and all, at least his friend would = be away=20 from all that vampire stuff. Yeah Sunnydale might be just what Megabyte = and rest=20 of the Tomorrow People needed. ************** The End </DIV></BODY></HTML> - ------=_NextPart_000_0027_01C119DB.9AB6FBA0-- - - To unsubscribe to arfic-l, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" 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: Thu, 2 Aug 2001 22:03:24 -0400 From: "Michele R Bumbarger" <mbumbarger@neo.rr.com> Subject: (arfic-l) Eclipse: Darkness Falling (Part 9) Title: Eclipse - Book One: Darkness Falling Part 9: Chapter Eight Author: M. M. Bumbarger Email: mbumbarger@hotmail.com TV Series: Alternate Universe Crossover - Buffy, the Vampire Slayer/Highlander: The Series/Original Series Tomorrow People and New Ser= ies Tomorrow People Rating: TV-14, there's a little bit of bad language and it gets violent i= n some points, nothing more than you'd catch on prime time television thoug= h Archive: Only mine (Alternate Realities). Author's Notes & Comments: See Ramblings in Part 0 Author's Additional Notes & Comments: For those of you who remember this, here's the next part. For those of you who don't, 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 belon= g to me. The Tomorrow People are the property of Roger Damon Price, Thames/= ITV Television, and Tetra Television. Buffy the Vampire Slayer characters bel= ong 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 t= he by-product of my own warped and twisted imagination. ******** Chapter Eight Amelie watched Adam walk away from the main gate with her heart pounding hard enough that she could feel her pulse in all her pulse points. She clenched and unclenched her fists, wiping her sweaty palms on her pants a= nd tried hard to control her breathing. If she thought long enough and hard enough about it, she would be able to list, name and identify every Psi Control regulation that she had just broken. Maybe she hadn=92t done it a= lone. And maybe the guilt wasn=92t entirely hers, but the rules had been broken= and she was incredibly lucky that she hadn=92t been caught. And to what end? = A handsome face? No, it was more than that. If it had been simply a handsome face, she wou= ld have gone on. There had been a time when she had freely interacted with norms, and ignoring a handsome face hadn=92t been all that hard. No, the reason she had done something so foolish was because there was something about Adam. The lack of fear he showed at their first meeting had warmed her; most would have recoiled the moment they realized they were interact= ing with a psi, but he hadn=92t. No, he had introduced himself and he had ask= ed for her name. Not her designation, her name. From that first moment he treated her as an individual and not simply the property of Psi Control. And so she hadn=92t simply kept walking when she saw him taking his frustration out on a tree. There were a thousand reasons that she told herself to keep walking, but she hadn=92t listened to one of them. She stopped, she talked, and dare she remember, she actually flirted with him. Knowing full well that fraternization between psi=92s and norms outside o= f controlled and regulated environments was against regulations. But there = had been something so engaging about him that she couldn=92t resist, and for = a few minutes she had been able to be Amelie Jackson again and not simply Beta 2017. Making her way back to her living quarters, Amelie realized that was the reason why she gave in so easily at his request to see her again. That an= d unbridled curiosity. She couldn=92t comprehend what a norm, and a norm wi= th some pretty powerful connections unless she missed her guess, wanted to t= alk to her for. Or why he=92d gone through such great lengths to make her fee= l human and important. And the ease with which he believed her when she recited =91Don Juan.=92 = It had taken a week of testing to convince the doctors and trainers at Psi Contr= ol that her mind was her mind and that she wasn=92t simply reading their tho= ughts and spitting them back out. Hours of endless conversations going in absol= ute circles in which she tried to explain that she didn=92t know how she did = it, but that she had a love of reading and science and anything else that enriched her mind and that once she read it, she held onto it for the res= t of her life. No, a psi couldn=92t possibly have that sort of natural tale= nt to their way of thinking. Psi=92s relied on their abilities and they needed = Psi Control to help them sharpen and train those abilities. Psi Control was so full of itself that Amelie was amazed the organization hadn=92t fallen apart from the inside already. The downfall of many great leaders and kingdoms often came when the ego got too big to be contained within the very small skull and too fragile human body. Her personal prediction was that Psi Control and the Unified Alliance wou= ld be no different. It might take a few hundred years, and chances are that = she wouldn=92t be alive to see it happen, but it would happen. Safely ensconced back in her flat, she put away the first aid kit and tri= ed hard not to let her mind drift back to Adam. It didn=92t work. Somehow, h= e=92d done the one thing that she avoided letting anyone do for years . . . somehow Adam had gotten to her. He=92d wiggled himself past her walls and actually saw a part of her that she tried to keep hidden. He=92d touched = her and made her feel real and those were very dangerous feelings. They were even more dangerous in light of the fact that they had been created by a norm. Amelie refused to allow herself to begin to entertain fantasies about the man. Because they would be exactly that - fantasies that would remain forever unfulfilled and in the end that would be as heartbreaking as anything else. No, if he wanted to meet and talk, then they would meet an= d talk. And that would be all. That had to be all. Absently, she touched her cheek where his fingers had brushed her jaw so lightly, closing her eyes to embrace the memory. Human touch was somethin= g that psi=92s tried to avoid. Touch relayed too much sensation, too much information. Touch was saved for those moments when you wanted to convey specifics or to make a point. But for a norm, touch was just another meth= od of communication, another way to get the point across. They didn=92t real= ize how much could be conveyed through simple tactile contact. Adam didn=92t = know how much the mere act of taking her hand and touching her face had told h= er about what he felt . . . and what he thought. The soft chime of her door drew her abruptly from her thoughts, and Ameli= e quickly buried her embarrassment. She didn=92t need to entertain those thoughts. She wasn=92t a child anymore, she wasn=92t a star struck teenag= er. =93Just a minute,=94 Amelie called out, attempting to right her thoughts = and reinforce her natural shielding. The last thing she needed was for someon= e else to get the littlest hint of what she was thinking. She opened the door, and smiled a greeting at the woman standing there. =93Elizabeth. Hello.=94 =93Hello, Amelie,=94 the older woman greeted her, =93Might I come in for = a minute?=94 =93Sure,=94 Amelie stepped aside, allowing the other psi entrance to her = flat. She really wanted to be alone right now, but she also didn=92t want to ostracize one of the few psi=92s that had worked so hard to make her feel comfortable and at home since coming The Centre. Elizabeth, like Stephen, had been here most of her life and she seemed to accept her fate. She als= o knew the =91ins and outs=92 of The Centre, and was looked upon by many as= a mother figure. =93Have a seat anywhere.=94 Elizabeth nodded and sank to the couch, folding her hands in her lap. =93= I=92m not going to beat around the bush, Amelie. I saw you with that young man.= He was a norm.=94 Amelie drew a deep breath, the pounding of her heart starting again. She = bit back her first impulse which was to lash out in anger at the woman for obviously spying on her and reminded herself that Elizabeth had been noth= ing but kind to her since she came here. Instead, she averted her eyes, it wa= s easier to control the emotional rollercoaster that way, and asked softly, =93What are you going to do?=94 =93I=92m not going to do anything. And I=92m certainly not going to repor= t you,=94 Elizabeth paused, =93But, I have to warn you, Amelie, that sort of thing = is dangerous. Most especially for you.=94 =93I know.=94 =93Do you?=94 =93Yes,=94 Amelie=92s head snapped up, her words sharper than she had int= ended. =93Yes, I know. I know that I=92m a prisoner here, I know that I can=92t = ever have back my old life. I know that here I=92m nothing and no one and that I ha= ve to learn to deal with that.=94 Elizabeth=92s eyes widened and she visibly flinched. It was clear that sh= e had not been anticipating the vehemence that Amelie kept hidden so well. =93I= know that it isn=92t easy for you to adjust to being Amelie -=93 =93Do you? Do you really know?=94 Amelie was on her feet, pacing the leng= th of the room unable to bite her tongue any longer. =93How long have you have = been here? Ten, twenty years? Do you even remember what it was like to be free= ? To walk around without of these bands on your wrist? To not be a slave?=94 =93We are not slaves. We are citizens of the Unified Alliance and -=93 =93Second class citizens. We=92re stronger than them, half of us are smar= ter than them, and they hold us back because they are afraid of us. They pret= end to give us rights and freedom, but what good are they when we=92re locked inside a prison? =93You don=92t remember it. I do. I remember my freedom because it wasn=92= t that long ago that I had it!=94 The outburst startled both of them, the words hanging heavily in the air between them. Such simple words, but such a poignant reminder of the differences between them; a reminder of the gap that separated them both = and more than likely always would. Amelie had tasted a freedom that Elizabeth had never known. Amelie had not lived the lie of Psi Control for most of = her life. Amelie may have been a prisoner behind computerized and guarded walls, bu= t her soul was still free. Elizabeth took a deep breath, swallowing as her hands unconsciously clenc= hed around her Psi Control issued skirt. "It's clear that I'm disturbing you.= I will come back later, when you're ready to talk about things." "Don't bother," Amelie whispered softly as the door closed with a final click behind the older woman. "You won't ever understand." She knew that no one behind the walls of this silver tower ever would. *** End of Chapter Eight - - To unsubscribe to arfic-l, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" 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: Thu, 9 Aug 2001 15:44:11 -0500 From: Ailie S McFarland <aixla@juno.com> Subject: (arfic-l) Gyogyito 3/? Title: Gy≤gyφt≤ 3/? Author: Ailie McFarland Rating: PG-13 Fandom: AtS Timeline: Post "Disharmony" Archive: http://www.geocities.com/aixla/fanfic.html Distribution: Oh! Well, if it helps at all, I'm gonna say yes. Disclaimer: Angel and his gang are the brain child of the Man, otherwise known as Joss Whedon. Marie is mine! ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Chapter 3: Out of the Mouths of Babes ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ "Amazing," Wesley whispered, so as not to wake the small child sleeping in Angel's bed. Angel, meanwhile, was pacing back and forth at such a rate that Wesley was surprised he hadn't worn a hole clear through the carpet. The fact was, Angel shouldn't have been able to walk at all. Wesley had seen the dagger with which the vampire had been stabbed, the large rent in his shirt, the pools of blood mixing with motor oil in the alleyway. Angel healed fast ... but not this fast. His shirt hung in tattered red shreds around smooth, unmarred skin. And the story he had told was unbelievable. "So what you are saying is that ..." "She's a healer," Angel said without looking up. "A strong one. I met a few in my day, but never with a gift like this." His face softened as he looked toward the frail figure shrouded in blankets. "Never one so young." Cordelia entered the room carrying a basin and washcloth. With tender care she began to clean the child's face. "God," the woman said softly as the angelic face was exposed. "She can't be more than twelve or thirteen." The girl was pale, deathly so. And the dark brown hair framing her face in shoulder length waves emphasized the deep yellow circles under her eyes. "Shouldn't we be taking her to a hospital or something?" Wesley shook his head. "I don't believe so. If this young girl is ... that is if she does possess the power to heal, then it is more than likely that her body is just ... rejuvenating itself. To mend flesh is taxing on the healer's body, from what I have read." "When she tried to heal my wounds her power went overboard," Angel theorized. "It wanted to make me breathe, start my heart ..." Cordelia looked up. "Bring you back from the dead?" "Precisely." Wesley finished. "But there is no force that can do that. When a person is brought back from the other side, it can never be in their original form. Something is always changed, or wrong. Trying to do what she did ... it's like trying to jump start a car that doesn't have an engine. It just doesn't work." He sighed and fidgeted in his chair, his healing wounds making it difficult to be comfortable. "She's lucky she isn't dead. When a person tries to push their power too far, or when that power takes control of them, the results are often disastrous." "Wesley," Cordelia hissed, grabbing his attention. The child was awake. Her body curled up into the fetal position, blankets pulled over her face so that only her eyes were visible. Wesley smiled and leaned forward in his chair, so that his elbows rested on the bed. "Hello. Don't be afraid. We brought you here to help you." At the sound of a friendly voice, the panic in the girl's eyes began to dissipate. She pulled the covers down to her chin, allowing her to turn her head and more closely examine the three adults hovering over her. After a moment, her eyes settled back on Wesley. Brow furrowed with concern, one hand snaked out from underneath the heavy blanket to touch his. It was over in an instant. A warm sensation, a flash of light, and it was over. Wesley blinked in surprise, realizing that the pain he had been living with for the past month was completely gone. He had no doubt that a close examination of his abdomen would not show signs of even a faint scar. "Thank you," he said quietly, still somewhat stunned. "But ... why?" She tilted her head, as if the answer was obvious. "Because I can." He shook his head, amazed. "My name is Wesley. This is Cordelia. And I suppose you've already met Angel." "I'm Marie," the child responded. As Marie turned to look at him, Angel straightened slightly. He had the feeling that he was being examined by eyes much wiser than their age would suggest. "You aren't human." It was a statement rather than a question. Angel bowed his head. "Not technically." Marie smiled reassuringly, her eyes sparkling as her strength began to return. "It's ok. I've been around. I know not all of you are bad." Shocked by this revelation, Angel could only stare. It was Wesley who asked the obvious follow-up question. "Been around where?" "On my own. On the street. It's been about two years now, I guess." "Two years?" Cordelia's amazement was obvious. "But you ... how old are you?" "Ten." When everyone just continued staring, Marie continued. "Almost eleven, actually. It was just me and my mom for a long time. And when she found out what I could do ..." she looked away, "Well she didn't take it very well." Something about that didn't ring true for Angel, and the look Wesley shot him signified that he agreed. "Are you hungry, or anything?" Cordelia asked, tactfully changing the subject. "We don't have that much around here, but I think I can scrounge up some peanut butter and jelly or something." Marie shook her head. "Actually, I kinda just wanna go back to sleep, if that's ok." "Of course." Wesley stood and stretched, reveling in the pain-free motion. Angel moved to the bedside. "If you need anything, we'll be right downstairs." She snuggled deeper under the covers. Angel was almost out the door when he heard her call his name. "Yes?" The young face smiled gratefully. "Thank you." ________________________________________________________________ GET INTERNET ACCESS FROM JUNO! Juno offers FREE or PREMIUM Internet access for less! Join Juno today! For your FREE software, visit: http://dl.www.juno.com/get/tagj. - - To unsubscribe to arfic-l, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" 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: Fri, 17 Aug 2001 09:54:28 +1200 From: "Anne Olsen" <anneo@paradise.net.nz> Subject: (arfic-l) Stranger Than Fiction (1/1) This is a multi-part message in MIME format. - ------=_NextPart_000_01B0_01C12702.9AAF92A0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Disclaimer The characters of Jack O'Neill, Daniel Jackson, Major Samantha Carter, = Teal'c, General Hammond, and Apophis do not belong to me. Neither does = the concept of the Stargate, SGC and the Goa'uld and anything 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 Adam Newman, Megabyte Damon, General William Damon, = Ami Jackson and Jade Weston do not belong to me either. They are the = property of Roger Damon Price, Thames/Tetra and ITV Television. Likewise the character of Methos (a.k.a Adam Pierson) belongs to = Panzer/Davis, Rysher/Gaumont Television. So do the concepts of = immortality and the Game. Author's Notes This is the second story in the 'Tears in Heaven' fanfiction universe. = The first story in that universe was 'The Medusa Stone', which was set = in November 1999. I would like to thank Michele and Kristin, who have now come on board as = writers for this universe for their input and for beta-reading this = story. Summary Jack O'Neill on kids, history, and the immortal known as Methos. Feedback to anneo@paradise.net.nz=20 ********** Stranger Than Fiction By Anne Olsen January 2000 Colonel Jack O'Neill glanced around the cafeteria looking for the = remaining members of SG1. He didn't have to look far and what he wasn't = surprised by what he saw. Daniel was talking to Carter, only pausing to = catch his breath and to push his glasses back up his nose. Correction, = Carter had taken the thread of whatever he'd just said and was obviously = launching into one of her famous 'explanations.' Jack turned to Teal'c and grinned. "Told you they'd be talking shop = didn't I?" As always it was impossible to tell what the impassive Jaffa was truly = thinking. The big dark man following behind him arched one eyebrow = slightly before replying. "Indeed Colonel O'Neill," he commented. "I = believe you were correct in your assumptions." Jack remembered the fun conversation they had had on the way over, with = him explaining exactly what 'talking shop' meant. One of these days they = would have to give Teal'c an intensive course on commonly used slang = references. Maybe that might be a fun job for Daniel. He grinned again = as he answered Teal'c's comment. "Come on Teal'c, it's time we added in = our two cents worth." "Two cents worth?" queried Teal'c. " I do not believe I have any of your = Tau'ri currency on my person at present." "It means we have some input into their conversation. We add our bit of = brilliance, our own comments." Jack led Teal'c around the other couple = of dozen or so tables in the room and before seating himself down = opposite Carter and Daniel. Maybe Daniel had better have that discussion = with Teal'c sooner rather than later. It sort of took some of the fun = out of using some phrases when you had to stop and explain yourself = every five minutes. Still Teal'c was better than he used to be. Can't = expect miracles overnight.=20 Major Samantha Carter and Dr Daniel Jackson looked up as they noticed = the new arrivals. The small part of the conversation he overheard as he = approached made Jack decide that changing the subject would definitely = be a good thing at this point. He caught the word wormhole as he = approached and he'd already heard enough from Carter about the fun = science behind that to last him a lifetime. Daniel of course would never = learn what subjects not to get Carter onto. Still Daniel was just as = bad, no actually he was probably worse, much worse, once he started on = about his own pet subjects.=20 Jack cleared his throat. Here goes nothing. "Having fun kids? I had to = drag Teal'c here away from the Discovery Channel." "Discovery Channel?" asked Daniel. Jack realised a bit too late that = that might not have been the right thing to say. His hope that Teal'c = wasn't going to tell Daniel what exactly he had been watching was = quickly dashed. "I believe the programme was called the Mysteries of Ancient Egypt, = Daniel Jackson," Teal'c informed them. Jack groaned as Daniel went into 'archaeologist mode.' Correction. Was = Daniel ever out of that mode anyway?=20 "Mysteries of Ancient Egypt. That sounds interesting. So what did you = learn Teal'c? That you didn't already know that is?" Teal'c frowned. "Well that was the strange thing about the programme = Daniel Jackson. Most of the information given was not entirely = accurate." "That's because the truth is classified," Sam Carter reminded him. "And here I thought it was 'out there.'" Jack decided to ignore the = pained looks that comment got him and listened to Daniel's response. He = knew there would be one coming. After all this was Daniel on one of his = favourite subjects. He took a sip of his coffee, knowing that the cup = would hide the smirk he knew was spreading across his face. "Tell me about it," groused Daniel. "I finally find proof that that my = theories about aliens and the pyramids are correct and I can't share it = with anyone." "The programme also mentioned the boy King Tutankhamun. I presume that = the fact he was a Tomorrow Person is considered classified also." "Speaking of Tomorrow People, I wonder what Adam and Megabyte are up to = these days," asked Daniel, thinking out loud. "I feel sorry for Bill Damon," observed Jack. He noticed the puzzled = expressions on the rest of SG1. "Well think about it. It's hard enough = keeping an eye on your kids as it is. Imagine trying to keep tabs on one = who can disappear into thin air just by thinking about it. You'd never = know where the hell he was." Jack grew silent for a moment, as thoughts of his own son Charlie came = unbidden into his mind. He couldn't help but relate to how Bill must = feel every time his son got into trouble. Seeing the man's reaction when = Ramiis had kidnapped Megabyte had reminded Jack of how he himself had = felt when Charlie had died. Even though he knew in his mind that he = hadn't been responsible for his son's death, every so often the guilt = and sadness still came back to haunt him. "You can't watch your kids twenty four hours a day." Sam Carter was = watching him as she made that comment, blue eyes staring intently into = his own. Was she referring to Bill or to himself? Jack wasn't sure. " I remember my own son Rya'c as he was growing up," interjected Teal'c. = Parents, or at least fathers were the same the galaxy over, human or = Jaffa, judging by the tone in Teal'c's voice. He must miss his own son = quite a bit, even though he seldom spoke of him or of his wife. "Yeah but Adam and Megabyte aren't normal kids." Daniel hadn't taken = long to bring that side of things up. For some reason Jack didn't feel = surprised. Actually come to think of it, he'd brought that can of worms = up himself, so he supposed he only had himself to blame for the way the = conversation was heading. "A lot of responsibilities come with having = those powers." "Oh yeah," said Jack. "That whole future of mankind thing. I still stay = they're just kids though, powers or no powers." "I wonder how the Tomorrow People came into being?" mused Carter. "Probably the same way you and I did Carter." Jack grinned. "Don't tell = me I have to give you the birds and bees speech? I thought Jacob would = have explained that one to you already." Teal'c looked puzzled. "Birds and Bees?" "Don't ask," interjected Daniel hurriedly. Smart move Danny boy. Jack = opened his mouth to change the subject or at least move it along when = Carter saved him the trouble. "What I mean Colonel, is that something must have happened for Mother = Nature to have decided to start advancing the evolutionary scale again. = I mean obviously Adam and Megabyte are not the only Tomorrow People out = there. For the new species to survive there must be more than two of = them." "And there's got to be girls," muttered Jack under his breath. = "Otherwise where's the fun in that?" "Excuse me O'Neill. I did not quite hear your last comment." "That's okay Teal'c," explained Jack. "You weren't meant to." "Adam mentioned two other names, Sam," Daniel reminded her. "Ami and = Jade, remember?" He paused for a moment before continuing as an idea = began to form. Jack could always tell when Daniel was getting one of his = theories. He glanced at his watch idly, wondering how long this one was = going to be. "I wonder if the Tomorrow People exist because of man's tendency towards = violence and killing. I mean it makes sense if you think about it. Homo = Sapiens on the whole are a violent species. The rate we are going we = will have probably wiped ourselves off the planet with the war to end = all wars, or the weapon to beat all other weapons long before the = Goa'uld even get around to attacking. If I were Mother Nature, I'd be = worried." "So in other words the Tomorrow People are supposed to be a step forward = in evolution not only because of their powers but because they are = pacifists." Carter agreed with Daniel's theory, or at least his = reasoning for it by the sound of what she had just said. Daniel nodded. "Think about it. On a planet of Tomorrow People there = would be no war, no violence." Teal'c shook his head. "You are forgetting something Daniel Jackson. If = their species cannot kill to protect themselves, as General Damon = implied, how would they survive against those who would seek to harm = them?" "Maybe that's what the teleporting is for?" put forward Carter. "It's a = defence mechanism, much like certain types of animals can blend in with = their surroundings to hide from predators." Jack shrugged, not feeling convinced. "So in other words when in danger, = teleport? Sorry Carter, I'm not buying it. Besides everyone is capable = of killing and violence. I don't care how much they say they aren't. = Everyone has a point where ideals don't stand true. You just have to be = desperate enough." Jack leant back in his chair and took another swig of coffee as he = noticed Daniel open his mouth to reply. Here we go. Danny's got a theory = on this one too. He's *always * got a theory. This one had better be = good. "No I don't think they can Jack. I don't think it's ideals, I think it's = genetics. When I was trapped in that landscape with Adam and Megabyte = and we were trying to defeat Ramiis, Adam had the chance to kill him and = he didn't." Daniel stopped and corrected himself. "He *couldn't *. I = remember Megabyte sounding very annoyed about it. It was almost like he = wished he could, like it was something out of his.out of their control." "Okay so he didn't kill the guy. That doesn't prove anything." Jack = still wasn't convinced. "Well it proves it to me. I know what I saw Jack. They couldn't even = defend themselves because they thought their actions might kill him." Jack decided to change the subject. When Daniel got like this there was = no reasoning with him even when he wasn't right about something. = "Speaking of killing to survive," he interjected before Daniel could go = any further. "I wonder where that old guy Methos disappeared to after = leaving here." "I believe he preferred to be referred to as Adam Pierson, O'Neill " = pointed out Teal'c. "Yeah whatever. It wouldn't surprise me if he's holed up somewhere = trying not to be noticed." Jack shrugged. "Who knows? Maybe he's = teaching history in some school somewhere. After all he dropped enough = names to give the impression he knew a bit about what's been going on in = the world over the last few thousand years or so." "It must be hard reading the written version of history and knowing what = really happened." Trust Daniel to come out with a comment like that. "Yeah whatever," Jack was beginning to feel like a broken record. "He = wasn't exactly a fountain of information though was he?" Even though = Jack still remembered the 'talk' he'd had with Adam and Megabyte about = the immortal he still wasn't entirely sure how much he could trust the = guy. After all he ran around with a sword cutting peoples' heads off. To = survive, he'd told them. Yeah right. Adam had been convinced that Methos = was only concerned for his own safety but Jack couldn't help but wonder = if the Australian's view had been well.a bit naive.for want of a better = word. After all even though he was a Tomorrow Person he was still only a = kid. He didn't have the life experiences that someone like Jack himself = had. He hoped like hell the boy never had to go through some of the = things he had had to over the last few years. He shook his head. With = the powers the Tomorrow People possessed he somehow doubted he would be = lucky enough to avoid it. What was there to stop someone from finding = out about those powers and using them to their own advantages? Hadn't = Megabyte said that someone had already tried? What would happen if = someone like Apophis tried to get them to use their powers for his own = ends? Jack shuddered inwardly. I hope like hell we never get to find the = answer to that one, he thought. "Imagine all the questions I could ask if we ever met up with him = again." Daniel was just about drooling in anticipation. Mind you looking = at Carter, she wasn't much better. Jack remembered the way Methos had = looked at her when they had first been introduced and wished he hadn't. = Hopefully the old guy had disappeared for good. If he never showed his = face here again, Jack for one would be a very happy camper. Methos might = have thought he was older and wiser and all the crap that went with it = but Jack knew better. The guy was a sarcastic smart-ass, nothing more. = Okay, a very old sarcastic smart-ass, but still one all the same. "It's a shame I wasn't myself when he was here. The guy knew = Tutankhamun, Rameses.All the history he experienced. Imagine the = different perspective he could give to the modern interpretation of what = really happened." Daniel had moved past drooling and into babbling. Not = a good sign. "Oh yeah right Danny boy. I'd be careful how loudly you put those = thoughts into words." Daniel looked blank. Jack laughed. "Let's put it this way. How long do you think he'd be = hanging around if he thought he was going to get the third degree from = you every time he opened his mouth?" "But wouldn't you want to share your life experiences if you'd been = through all that? Think of all you could teach humanity. All we could = learn." Daniel still didn't get it. Jack decided to put it another way. "I don't think Methos was interested = in sharing his life experiences, as you so tactfully put it, Daniel. I = sort of got the impression he was more interested in his future than his = past." Carter grinned, a grin that quickly changed to a small smile as she = noticed Jack staring at her. "Something you wish to share with the class = Major?" "No sir. Not really. I was just thinking how interesting it might be if = we ever crossed paths with him again. All the things *you * might like = to say to him Colonel." Jack got the impression Carter meant a lot more in those few words than = she was letting on. Yeah he could think of a few things he'd like to say = to the guy. Teal'c rose to his feet and Jack glanced at his watch again. Doesn't = time fly when you're having fun? Looking around the cafeteria he noticed = that they were the only ones still there, apart from the kitchen hands = themselves. "Looks like we're back in business again kids. That briefing = with General Hammond is in ten minutes." Carter stood up ready to go, her empty coffee cup in her hands. "Come on = Daniel," she told her companion. "Hmm. Yeah. Okay." Daniel still seemed deep in thought. "Come on Daniel, rise and shine." Jack headed for the door and noticed = out of the corner of his eye that the archaeologist was following slowly = behind. He might have been behind them in body, but his mind was still = miles away. 'Note to self.Time to introduce Teal'c to some different kind of = television programs.' Jack grinned. Wonder what the Jaffa would make of = a good old-fashioned Western? ********** The End=20 - ------=_NextPart_000_01B0_01C12702.9AAF92A0 Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable <!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD> <META content=3D"text/html; charset=3Diso-8859-1" = http-equiv=3DContent-Type> <META content=3D"MSHTML 5.00.2614.3500" name=3DGENERATOR> <STYLE></STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY bgColor=3D#ffffff> <DIV> Disclaimer The characters of Jack O’Neill, Daniel Jackson, Major Samantha = Carter,=20 Teal’c, General Hammond, and Apophis do not belong to me. Neither = does the=20 concept of the Stargate, SGC and the Goa’uld and anything else = related to the=20 series Stargate SG1. They belong to Stargate(II) Productions, = Showtime/Viacom,=20 MGM/UA, Double Secret Productions, and Gekko Products. The characters of Adam Newman, Megabyte Damon, General William Damon, = Ami=20 Jackson and Jade Weston do not belong to me either. They are the = property of=20 Roger Damon Price, Thames/Tetra and ITV Television. Likewise the character of Methos (a.k.a Adam Pierson) belongs to=20 Panzer/Davis, Rysher/Gaumont Television. So do the concepts of = immortality and=20 the Game. Author’s Notes This is the second story in the ‘Tears in Heaven’ = fanfiction universe. The=20 first story in that universe was ‘The Medusa Stone’, which = was set in November=20 1999. I would like to thank Michele and Kristin, who have now come on board = as=20 writers for this universe for their input and for beta-reading this=20 story. Summary Jack O’Neill on kids, history, and the immortal known as = Methos. Feedback to <A=20 href=3D"mailto:anneo@paradise.net.nz">anneo@paradise.net.nz</A> ********** Stranger Than Fiction By Anne Olsen January 2000 Colonel Jack O’Neill glanced around the cafeteria looking for = the remaining=20 members of SG1. He didn’t have to look far and what he = wasn’t surprised by what=20 he saw. Daniel was talking to Carter, only pausing to catch his breath = and to=20 push his glasses back up his nose. Correction, Carter had taken the = thread of=20 whatever he’d just said and was obviously launching into one of = her famous=20 ‘explanations.’ Jack turned to Teal’c and grinned. "Told you they’d be = talking shop didn’t=20 I?" As always it was impossible to tell what the impassive Jaffa was = truly=20 thinking. The big dark man following behind him arched one eyebrow = slightly=20 before replying. "Indeed Colonel O’Neill," he commented. "I = believe you were=20 correct in your assumptions." Jack remembered the fun conversation they had had on the way over, = with him=20 explaining exactly what ‘talking shop’ meant. One of these = days they would have=20 to give Teal’c an intensive course on commonly used slang = references. Maybe that=20 might be a fun job for Daniel. He grinned again as he answered = Teal’c’s comment.=20 "Come on Teal’c, it’s time we added in our two cents = worth." "Two cents worth?" queried Teal’c. " I do not believe I have = any of your=20 Tau’ri currency on my person at present." "It means we have some input into their conversation. We add our bit = of=20 brilliance, our own comments." Jack led Teal’c around the other = couple of dozen=20 or so tables in the room and before seating himself down opposite Carter = and=20 Daniel. Maybe Daniel had better have that discussion with Teal’c = sooner rather=20 than later. It sort of took some of the fun out of using some phrases = when you=20 had to stop and explain yourself every five minutes. Still Teal’c = was better=20 than he used to be. Can’t expect miracles overnight. Major Samantha Carter and Dr Daniel Jackson looked up as they noticed = the new=20 arrivals. The small part of the conversation he overheard as he = approached made=20 Jack decide that changing the subject would definitely be a good thing = at this=20 point. He caught the word wormhole as he approached and he’d = already heard=20 enough from Carter about the fun science behind that to last him a = lifetime.=20 Daniel of course would never learn what subjects not to get Carter onto. = Still=20 Daniel was just as bad, no actually he was probably worse, much worse, = once he=20 started on about his own pet subjects. Jack cleared his throat. Here goes nothing. "Having fun kids? I had = to drag=20 Teal’c here away from the Discovery Channel." "Discovery Channel?" asked Daniel. Jack realised a bit too late that = that=20 might not have been the right thing to say. His hope that Teal’c = wasn’t going to=20 tell Daniel what exactly he had been watching was quickly dashed. "I believe the programme was called the Mysteries of Ancient Egypt, = Daniel=20 Jackson," Teal’c informed them. Jack groaned as Daniel went into ‘archaeologist mode.’ = Correction. Was Daniel=20 ever out of that mode anyway? "Mysteries of Ancient Egypt. That sounds interesting. So what did you = learn=20 Teal’c? That you didn’t already know that is?" Teal’c frowned. "Well that was the strange thing about the = programme Daniel=20 Jackson. Most of the information given was not entirely accurate." "That’s because the truth is classified," Sam Carter reminded = him. "And here I thought it was ‘out there.’" Jack decided to = ignore the pained=20 looks that comment got him and listened to Daniel’s response. He = knew there=20 would be one coming. After all this was Daniel on one of his favourite = subjects.=20 He took a sip of his coffee, knowing that the cup would hide the smirk = he knew=20 was spreading across his face. "Tell me about it," groused Daniel. "I finally find proof that that = my=20 theories about aliens and the pyramids are correct and I can’t = share it with=20 anyone." "The programme also mentioned the boy King Tutankhamun. I presume = that the=20 fact he was a Tomorrow Person is considered classified also." "Speaking of Tomorrow People, I wonder what Adam and Megabyte are up = to these=20 days," asked Daniel, thinking out loud. "I feel sorry for Bill Damon," observed Jack. He noticed the puzzled=20 expressions on the rest of SG1. "Well think about it. It’s hard = enough keeping=20 an eye on your kids as it is. Imagine trying to keep tabs on one who can = disappear into thin air just by thinking about it. You’d never = know where the=20 hell he was." Jack grew silent for a moment, as thoughts of his own son Charlie = came=20 unbidden into his mind. He couldn’t help but relate to how Bill = must feel every=20 time his son got into trouble. Seeing the man’s reaction when = Ramiis had=20 kidnapped Megabyte had reminded Jack of how he himself had felt when = Charlie had=20 died. Even though he knew in his mind that he hadn’t been = responsible for his=20 son’s death, every so often the guilt and sadness still came back = to haunt=20 him. "You can’t watch your kids twenty four hours a day." Sam Carter = was watching=20 him as she made that comment, blue eyes staring intently into his own. = Was she=20 referring to Bill or to himself? Jack wasn’t sure. " I remember my own son Rya’c as he was growing up," = interjected Teal’c.=20 Parents, or at least fathers were the same the galaxy over, human or = Jaffa,=20 judging by the tone in Teal’c’s voice. He must miss his own = son quite a bit,=20 even though he seldom spoke of him or of his wife. "Yeah but Adam and Megabyte aren’t normal kids." Daniel = hadn’t taken long to=20 bring that side of things up. For some reason Jack didn’t feel = surprised.=20 Actually come to think of it, he’d brought that can of worms up = himself, so he=20 supposed he only had himself to blame for the way the conversation was = heading.=20 "A lot of responsibilities come with having those powers." "Oh yeah," said Jack. "That whole future of mankind thing. I still = stay=20 they’re just kids though, powers or no powers." "I wonder how the Tomorrow People came into being?" mused Carter. "Probably the same way you and I did Carter." Jack grinned. = "Don’t tell me I=20 have to give you the birds and bees speech? I thought Jacob would have = explained=20 that one to you already." Teal’c looked puzzled. "Birds and Bees?" "Don’t ask," interjected Daniel hurriedly. Smart move Danny = boy. Jack opened=20 his mouth to change the subject or at least move it along when Carter = saved him=20 the trouble. "What I mean Colonel, is that something must have happened for Mother = Nature=20 to have decided to start advancing the evolutionary scale again. I mean=20 obviously Adam and Megabyte are not the only Tomorrow People out there. = For the=20 new species to survive there must be more than two of them." "And there’s got to be girls," muttered Jack under his breath. = "Otherwise=20 where’s the fun in that?" "Excuse me O’Neill. I did not quite hear your last = comment." "That’s okay Teal’c," explained Jack. "You weren’t = meant to." "Adam mentioned two other names, Sam," Daniel reminded her. "Ami and = Jade,=20 remember?" He paused for a moment before continuing as an idea began to = form.=20 Jack could always tell when Daniel was getting one of his theories. He = glanced=20 at his watch idly, wondering how long this one was going to be. "I wonder if the Tomorrow People exist because of man’s = tendency towards=20 violence and killing. I mean it makes sense if you think about it. Homo = Sapiens=20 on the whole are a violent species. The rate we are going we will have = probably=20 wiped ourselves off the planet with the war to end all wars, or the = weapon to=20 beat all other weapons long before the Goa’uld even get around to = attacking. If=20 I were Mother Nature, I’d be worried." "So in other words the Tomorrow People are supposed to be a step = forward in=20 evolution not only because of their powers but because they are = pacifists."=20 Carter agreed with Daniel’s theory, or at least his reasoning for = it by the=20 sound of what she had just said. Daniel nodded. "Think about it. On a planet of Tomorrow People there = would be=20 no war, no violence." Teal’c shook his head. "You are forgetting something Daniel = Jackson. If their=20 species cannot kill to protect themselves, as General Damon implied, how = would=20 they survive against those who would seek to harm them?" "Maybe that’s what the teleporting is for?" put forward Carter. = "It’s a=20 defence mechanism, much like certain types of animals can blend in with = their=20 surroundings to hide from predators." Jack shrugged, not feeling convinced. "So in other words when in = danger,=20 teleport? Sorry Carter, I'm not buying it. Besides everyone is capable = of=20 killing and violence. I don’t care how much they say they = aren’t. Everyone has a=20 point where ideals don’t stand true. You just have to be desperate = enough." Jack leant back in his chair and took another swig of coffee as he = noticed=20 Daniel open his mouth to reply. Here we go. Danny’s got a theory = on this one=20 too. He’s *always * got a theory. This one had better be good. "No I don’t think they can Jack. I don’t think it’s = ideals, I think it’s=20 genetics. When I was trapped in that landscape with Adam and Megabyte = and we=20 were trying to defeat Ramiis, Adam had the chance to kill him and he = didn’t."=20 Daniel stopped and corrected himself. "He *couldn’t *. I remember = Megabyte=20 sounding very annoyed about it. It was almost like he wished he could, = like it=20 was something out of his…out of their control." "Okay so he didn’t kill the guy. That doesn’t prove = anything." Jack still=20 wasn’t convinced. "Well it proves it to me. I know what I saw Jack. They couldn’t = even defend=20 themselves because they thought their actions might kill him." Jack decided to change the subject. When Daniel got like this there = was no=20 reasoning with him even when he wasn’t right about something. = "Speaking of=20 killing to survive," he interjected before Daniel could go any further. = "I=20 wonder where that old guy Methos disappeared to after leaving here." "I believe he preferred to be referred to as Adam Pierson, = O’Neill " pointed=20 out Teal’c. "Yeah whatever. It wouldn’t surprise me if he’s holed up = somewhere trying not=20 to be noticed." Jack shrugged. "Who knows? Maybe he’s teaching = history in some=20 school somewhere. After all he dropped enough names to give the = impression he=20 knew a bit about what’s been going on in the world over the last = few thousand=20 years or so." "It must be hard reading the written version of history and knowing = what=20 really happened." Trust Daniel to come out with a comment like that. "Yeah whatever," Jack was beginning to feel like a broken record. "He = wasn’t=20 exactly a fountain of information though was he?" Even though Jack still = remembered the ‘talk’ he’d had with Adam and Megabyte = about the immortal he=20 still wasn’t entirely sure how much he could trust the guy. After = all he ran=20 around with a sword cutting peoples’ heads off. To survive, = he’d told them. Yeah=20 right. Adam had been convinced that Methos was only concerned for his = own safety=20 but Jack couldn’t help but wonder if the Australian’s view = had been well…a bit=20 naive…for want of a better word. After all even though he was a = Tomorrow Person=20 he was still only a kid. He didn’t have the life experiences that = someone like=20 Jack himself had. He hoped like hell the boy never had to go through = some of the=20 things he had had to over the last few years. He shook his head. With = the powers=20 the Tomorrow People possessed he somehow doubted he would be lucky = enough to=20 avoid it. What was there to stop someone from finding out about those = powers and=20 using them to their own advantages? Hadn’t Megabyte said that = someone had=20 already tried? What would happen if someone like Apophis tried to get = them to=20 use their powers for his own ends? Jack shuddered inwardly. I hope like = hell we=20 never get to find the answer to that one, he thought. "Imagine all the questions I could ask if we ever met up with him = again."=20 Daniel was just about drooling in anticipation. Mind you looking at = Carter, she=20 wasn’t much better. Jack remembered the way Methos had looked at = her when they=20 had first been introduced and wished he hadn't. Hopefully the old guy = had=20 disappeared for good. If he never showed his face here again, Jack for = one would=20 be a very happy camper. Methos might have thought he was older and wiser = and all=20 the crap that went with it but Jack knew better. The guy was a sarcastic = smart-ass, nothing more. Okay, a very old sarcastic smart-ass, but still = one all=20 the same. "It’s a shame I wasn’t myself when he was here. The guy = knew Tutankhamun,=20 Rameses…All the history he experienced. Imagine the different = perspective he=20 could give to the modern interpretation of what really happened…" = Daniel had=20 moved past drooling and into babbling. Not a good sign. "Oh yeah right Danny boy. I’d be careful how loudly you put = those thoughts=20 into words." Daniel looked blank. Jack laughed. "Let’s put it this way. How long do you think = he’d be hanging=20 around if he thought he was going to get the third degree from you every = time he=20 opened his mouth?" "But wouldn’t you want to share your life experiences if = you’d been through=20 all that? Think of all you could teach humanity. All we could learn." = Daniel=20 still didn’t get it. Jack decided to put it another way. "I don’t think Methos was = interested in=20 sharing his life experiences, as you so tactfully put it, Daniel. I sort = of got=20 the impression he was more interested in his future than his past." Carter grinned, a grin that quickly changed to a small smile as she = noticed=20 Jack staring at her. "Something you wish to share with the class = Major?" "No sir. Not really. I was just thinking how interesting it might be = if we=20 ever crossed paths with him again. All the things *you * might like to = say to=20 him Colonel." Jack got the impression Carter meant a lot more in those few words = than she=20 was letting on. Yeah he could think of a few things he’d like to = say to the=20 guy… Teal’c rose to his feet and Jack glanced at his watch again. = Doesn’t time fly=20 when you’re having fun? Looking around the cafeteria he noticed = that they were=20 the only ones still there, apart from the kitchen hands themselves. = "Looks like=20 we’re back in business again kids. That briefing with General = Hammond is in ten=20 minutes." Carter stood up ready to go, her empty coffee cup in her hands. "Come = on=20 Daniel," she told her companion. "Hmm. Yeah. Okay." Daniel still seemed deep in thought. "Come on Daniel, rise and shine." Jack headed for the door and = noticed out of=20 the corner of his eye that the archaeologist was following slowly = behind. He=20 might have been behind them in body, but his mind was still miles = away. ‘Note to self…Time to introduce Teal’c to some = different kind of television=20 programs.’ Jack grinned. Wonder what the Jaffa would make of a = good=20 old-fashioned Western? ********** The End </DIV></BODY></HTML> - ------=_NextPart_000_01B0_01C12702.9AAF92A0-- - - To unsubscribe to arfic-l, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" 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. ------------------------------ End of arfic-l-digest V1 #37 **************************** - To unsubscribe to $LIST, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe $LIST" 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.