Al'ith

by Seven


Disclaimer:  Earth: Final Conflict and its characters are copyrighted by Tribune Entertainment Company.  All rights reserved.



Note from Author:   This is a sort of prequel to "Demon Child," explaining how Al'ith was created. It has some similarities to "Kayla" but you know what happens later. I just hope that because you know what happens later doesn't spoil it. And oh boy, I just can't seem to dredge up much detail for this one!



**********



Taelon doctors circled around the tank, full of bubbling fluid. Inside, a female fetus floated, gyrating her tiny limbs in time with the currents rushing past her. Da'an had to resist the urge to dip his hand in, touch her. She was far too delicate at this stage, for any sort of physical contact. So he contented himself with faint mental flickers, reaching out to the child's mind. But so far, she had not responded to any of his efforts. He was beginning to despair that she would respond.

"Does she have the shakarava?" he asked the doctor to the side.

"I am not certain yet," At'an replied, his voice touched with worry. "However, her development of the shakarava may be delayed..."

Da'an crouched beside the tank, his clear blue eyes staring into the depths. The baby turned her down-laced head, slightly larger than that of a human baby. As if in greeting, her small hand waved at him smasmodically.

"You must be quite satisfied," Zo'or's mocking voice rang out. Several of the doctors retreated to the perimeter of the lab, but Da'an only stood and faced his rival.

"Satisfied?" Da'an asked innocently.

"Satisfied that the Synod chose to create this hybrid, as a test subject," Zo'or said, looking at the baby as if she offended him. Da'an saw a shadowy figure in the doorway: Agent Sandoval. Sandoval looked as if he wanted to enter, but his MI made him obey Zo'or's directive to remain outside.

"If she is Taelon enough for the Synod," Da'an said sedately, watching the indicators, "then I will be satisfied."

"And if she is too... human?" Zo'or said sarcastically.

Da'an said nothing.

Suddenly, the baby began to writhe, a thin telepathic shriek heard in Da'an's mind. He winced at the baby's inner cry as alarms began to blare. The doctors returned to the tankside.

Da'an quickly tried to soothe her. It will be all right, he whispered to the panic-stricken hybrid baby. You will be all right. He wasn't certain, but it looked like her frantic wriggling and thrashing abated slightly.

Suddenly she expanded, growing almost an inch per second. Her body glowed Taelon blue, writhing as something broke through the top of the tank, sending a wave splashing across the edge. All the Taelons but Da'an stepped back as the fluid splashed over the edge, soaking the front of the diplomat's jumpsuit. In the doorway, Sandoval edged a little closer, watching in wonder.

Da'an shook a little of the fluid from his face, then stared in amazement. Only inches from his face was a smaller face. Huge blue eyes staring from a face pale as paper, framed with midnight-dark hair that fell to the little girl's bare wet shoulders. She looked, he thought dazedly, like a mermaid. A tiny smile crossed her face.

Da'an hesitated, then smiled back.

"I hope," Zo'or hissed, "that you are satisfied."

****

Liam squinted through the observation window, at the little girl, clad in a simple blue silk dress. She was sitting on a medical table, eerily still. She was staring ahead, as if through the one-way glass. "Can she see me?" he whispered.

"No," Lili whispered back. Her brows were knitted together in consternation. "But she keeps staring at the glass... she's making me nervous."

Liam pressed his face against the glass, trying to see if there was a reaction from the child. No reaction at all, so he drew back and rubbed his nose. "I just talked with Da'an, and he says that she's not a member of the Commonality. I can tell he's disappointed... and worried."

"Worried?" Lili asked, drawing back a little. "Worried about what?"

"I don't know." Liam glanced at the palm of his hand, where a faint reddish mark betrayed the location of his shakarava. "I can't tell, but he's more worried for the girl than he is for her."

"Does she have a name?"

"Yes. Al'ith."

"Ay-lith," Lili pronounced slowly, with a faint smile. "Pretty."

Liam nodded and glanced back through the window, then started. "Oh man..." He shoved past Lili and wrenched the door open. "That breaks it. She's gone!"

He sprinted out the door, Lili only a step behind him. They took a sharp turn and made their way through the bony-ridged passages of the mothership. "We only took our eyes off him for a second!" Lili exclaimed. "How could she have vanished?"

"More importantly," Liam said, a little out of breath, still staring ahead. "Where is she going?"

****

The tiny girl known as Al'ith made her way through the mothership, her small sneaker-clad feet pattering gently on the floor. A kind, brown-haired woman had come in and tied her dark hair in a braid, that now fell down her back. The woman had been nice, but Al'ith had seen a hint of uneasiness in her eyes.

Now a young man with an implant on his neck and skull came out of one of the lifts, typing commands into a dataclip. He stopped, staring at her. "Who are you?" he asked, then hurriedly, "Identify yourself!"

Al'ith smiled at him artlessly. "I'm Al'ith. Who are you?"

The Volunteer blinked, and ran a hand through his short brown hair. "Uh... Jesse Taros."

Al'ith held up her hand, clearly expecting him to shake it. "Sinaui euhura, Jeszee," she said, standing up on her toes and teetering a little. Jesse hesitated, then shook her small hand, enveloping it in his own larger one. In the oddest way, he thought, she acted like his little sister.

Then the smile drained from her round, pale face, replaced by a thoughtful frown. "Jeszee... could you show me the bridge, please? I want to see Da'an."

The Volunteer hesitated, not certain what he was supposed to do. He didn't know who this child with the strange... the Taelon eyes was... but what harm could it do? "Okay," he said with a broad grin. Al'ith smiled at him again and began to skip down the corridor to the lift, chanting, "Come on, come on, come on!"

Jesse glanced hastily around him, to make sure that no one saw. Al'ith stopped dancing, her blue silky skirt floating around her like petals on a flower. "Come on, Jeszee!" she exclaimed.

Jesse was about to follow her when a faint clatter turned into a thunder of feet pounding the hard floors. Jesse took an involuntary step back as Major Kincaid and Captain Marquette turned a corner, sliding sideways a little as they stopped. Their faces were red with exertion, and Liam looked like he was trying not to gasp. "There she is!" Lili said, putting one hand on her throat.

Liam jogged over and scooped Al'ith up, boosting her up on his hip. "Al'ith," he said solemnly. "You shouldn't have left the lab. We were very worried about you."

"I'm Al'ith," Al'ith said, her tiny legs dangling from the crook of his arm. "What's your name?" She put her arms around Liam's neck, and her cheek against his, and Liam immediately found it impossible to scold her.

"I'm Liam," he said, bending down and setting her on her feet on the floor. He pointed at Lili, who waggled her fingers at the little girl, eyebrows wiggling over a mysterious smile. "That's Lili over there."

"Hi, Liam!" she giggled. "Hi, Lili!" She looked up at Liam, blue eyes wide, and asked, "Can I see Da'an? I like Da'an, I want to see him again."

Liam found himself at a loss for words. "Uh..."

"Brilliant," quipped Lili. She knelt down and took Al'ith's small hands. "Honey, Da'an is very busy, talking to Zo'or and the Synod. But I promise that you can see him... hmm, tomorrow?"

Al'ith nodded enthusastically. Lili smiled and looked over her dark head at Liam. "Make sure Da'an has time, right?" she said.

"It's a date," Liam smiled, ruffling Al'ith's dark hair.

***

The doors to the bridge glided open soundlessly. For that small mercy, Liam Kincaid was grateful. Al'ith fidgeted a little, holding onto his hand as he stepped out and took a look around. The bridge was deserted, darkened slightly. Only the Taelons in their transparent bubbles were there, arms gracefully touching their datastreams.

He bit his lip as Al'ith slipped her hand from his, darting past him like a shadow to the window. He didn't know why he felt so guilty doing this... no one had told him not to take Al'ith from the lab. Perhaps it was just that he knew that Zo'or was going to blow a fuse when he saw them...

He stole a glance at the "bubble dancers," as Lili had named them. The Taelon closest to him continued his work, seemingly oblivious to Liam and Al'ith, sealed within a close-fitting transparent sphere. Liam had often wondered if the "dancers" were capable of seeing outside their spheres. It would make him crazy, being locked up in that tiny little space with nothing but work, nonstop...

"Liam!"

Liam snapped back to reality. Al'ith was standing on her toes, her hands pressed against the virtual glass of the huge windows. "Look at all the stars!" she exclaimed in wonder. "Are there Taelons on each one?"

"Around them, on planets, not on them," Liam corrected, walking over to her and kneeling down. Her Taelon-blue eyes were shining like twin sapphires in her pale face. "And no, there are a lot of stars that aren't even charted yet. Space goes on," he gestured outward, "pretty much forever."

"I want to find new planets!" Al'ith said excitedly, bouncing up and down.

"Maybe you can-" Liam began.

"But most certainly not now," a sharp, cold-as-ice voice rang out. Liam winced, knowing without looking just who it was.

"Zo'or," he said as a greeting, getting out of his crouch. Zo'or and Da'an were standing near the command chair. Da'an looked slightly disturbed, Zo'or simply looked coldly furious. "Al'ith wanted to see the bridge, and I thought that if I..." He trailed off. "You never said I couldn't," he growled defensively.

"I am saying so now," Zo'or replied icily. His blue eyes bored into Al'ith's, staring defiantly back at him.

"Be nice to Liam," she said calmly, not at all offput by Zo'or's Gorgon glare. Zo'or only stared at her harder, disgust radiating from him in almost palpable waves. Liam was surprised at how much he hated Al'ith, even if she was a hybrid.

Da'an appeared like a ghost between Zo'or and the scowling child, kneeling to break the eye contact. "Al'ith," he said softly. "Captain Marquette informed me that you wish to speak with me."

Al'ith nodded, ignoring Zo'or now. Liam had to restrain a grin at the Synod leader's growing frustration, but the thing that offput him was a catlike gleam in Zo'or's eyes, a look of growing satisfaction over something that will happen, but has not yet. The look chilled Liam's spine.

He shook himself Al'ith rose up on her toes and gave Da'an a brief kiss on the cheek. "Thanks," she said with a shy smile. Da'an's face reflected mixed emotions, from confusion to delight, which eventually resolved themselves into quiet happiness. "You are welcome," he said quietly.

Zo'or broke in, irritated. "The meeting is ready to begin," he said, spinning on his heel to stride out the door. "Major Kincaid, you will remain outside."

Da'an picked up Al'ith, carrying her as Liam had not long before. Liam put a hand on Da'an's shoulder, turning the Taelon to face him. "Meeting? What are we talking about?" he asked with rising alarm.

A shadow of sadness touched Da'an's face. "A meeting," he said slowly, "to determine how Taelon Al'ith is. If she is found to be sufficient, the Synod will rule that she is one of us and more hybrids may be made."

"And if she isn't?" Liam asked, noting the gaping omission.

Da'an said nothing. For one mad moment, Liam thought about tearing Al'ith away from Da'an's arms and taking her away from him, from Zo'or, from the Synod. She could stay with the Resistance... Augur could keep her until we found somewhere low-key for her to live. They'll kill her if they think she's too... too human.

And at the same time, he knew he couldn't. It would be sacrificing part of the Resistance and his own cover identity. The child would be found in no time, with the superior sensors of the mothership and her DNA on file.

Da'an gave Liam a look that screamed, "I'm sorry," then turned and walked away. Liam stood alone on the bridge, holding onto the back of Zo'or's chair for support.

****

The Synod was congregated in a semicircle in the conference room, Zo'or sitting in a chair and watching smugly as Da'an walked in. "Where is it?" he asked quietly, satisfaction oozing from him.

Da'an glanced back at the doorway, and held out his hand. A tiny, dark-haired child in a dark silk dress emerged, staring fearlessly at the Synod. For a moment, they simply stared at her. "I'm Al'ith," she said, by way of introduction.

One of the Taelons smiled slightly. "Are you?" he asked sardonically.

"Yes," Al'ith said firmly.

Silence again. Then a second, with a voice deeper than most, asked, "Child, what is Taelon physiology based on?"

"Energy," Al'ith replied without hesitation.

There was a slight stir. A tiny smile began to creep around Da'an's lips. Another Taelon asked, "What is your physiology based on?"

"A matter/energy transfer, altered by the body's natural systems in times of need," Al'ith replied, her slight accent showing that a certain Doctor Mira Hernandez had been running her medical scans.

"What is the Jaridian flagship?"

"The Sok'tovar," Al'ith replied, a faint frown crossing her delicate face. It was becoming harder now, drawing on the memories of her Taelon parent.

"What is the only artificial structure on Earth capable of being seen from space?"

"The Great Wall of China," Al'ith said, clutching at Da'an's hand. The Taelon held her small fingers firmly in his own, giving support silently. Zo'or glared darkly at both of them.

And so the questioning continued, questions about humans, Jaridians, Taelons. Finally, the one who had asked the first question asked, "Who was the last of the Kimera?"

Al'ith's face went blank, and a momentary flash of panic crossed Da'an's eyes. She didn't know the answer... enough to destroy her chances if they weren't gone already.

Then a ripple went through the Commonality. A new mind, standing out like a rose amid a thousand candles, flamed into view, drawing on hundreds of minds. It seemed to permeate them, touching them with the child's quiet strength and curiosity. Shock filled Taelons everywhere, shock and wonder at what Al'ith had just done.

And then the presence was gone.

"Ha'gel," she said simply.

The Synod members were openly gaping at Al'ith as she raised her head, meeting their eyes. Da'an looked down at her, smiling and closing his eyes in pride he had not known he could feel. Zo'or's eyes were wide, horrified. Al'ith had just done what no Taelon could do, what only the Kimera had done.

There was a long silence. "We will inform you of our decision," one of the Taelons said in a subdued tone. The holograms vanished. Da'an took Al'ith's hand and lead her out, leaving a stunned Zo'or alone.

"Did I do all right?" Al'ith whispered into Da'an's ear.

Da'an smiled, patting her awkwardly as he had seen humans do with their children. "You did well," he said quietly. As she smiled proudly and strutted a little beside him, he thought, You do not know yet just how well...

****

Liam scooped Al'ith off the ground and swung her over his head in a wide arc, dark skirt whirling. She squealed with joy, her dark hair flying around her face. "Hi, Liam!" she exclaimed as Liam set her back on the floor and knelt to look her in the eye. "I did a good job! Didn't I?" She glanced back into the shadows, where Da'an was lurking.

Liam frowned a little. Da'an stepped forward, a look of mingled joy, wonder, and fright touching his delicately-carved features. "Al'ith," he said quietly. "Please go to Captain Marquette. I wish to speak with Liam alone."

"Captain who?" Al'ith said with a slight frown.

"Lili," Liam supplied.

"Oh," Al'ith said, her customary contented smile returning to her face. She skipped away, making tiny clack clack noises as her heels struck the floor. The doors irised shut behind her.

Liam rose from his crouch. "What was so important that you had to send her away?" he asked, worried. "She didn't fail, did she?"

"I am... not certain," Da'an replied slowly, his fingers curling inward, stopping their motion. Liam recognized the gesture: extreme worry, which would probably have paralyzed most humans and Taelons but which Da'an managed to take in stride. "Al'ith answered all the questions, drawing from her inherited knowledge... all but one. The name of the last surviving Kimera."

"She didn't know that?" Liam said with a cold chill. "What happened? How many questions does she have to get right to succeed?"

"All of them," Da'an said soberly. "And that is assuming that she was not... disposed of... for not being a part of the Commonality, the core and soul of all Taelons."

"Da'an," Liam said slowly and tensely. "What happened?"

A dreamy smile touched Da'an's face, and his pale blue eyes seemed to drift out of focus, staring past Liam and into something else. "Al'ith," he sighed, "connected herself to the Commonality, perhaps by choice or perhaps by instinct. All Taelons felt her entry, and many marveled at her mix of human strength and curiosity and Taelon knowledge. Then she disconnected herself, with no ill effects."

"Something no Taelon has ever been able to do," Liam said softly, the enormity of what Da'an was saying hitting him in full.

"Only what the Kimera have," Da'an agreed.

Liam was silent, his anger and fear beginning to return. It wasn't over. Either Al'ith would be "disposed of" for having a strange power that the Synod could not control or harness themselves, or they would accept her as a possible savior of their race. The implications, Liam thought breathlessly, were astounding and infinite.

"What did they say?" he asked in a low voice.

"They will be returning shortly with their decision," Da'an said quietly, his eyes refocusing and becoming slightly unsteady with repressed emotion. "Al'ith knows nothing of either the testing, or the consequences if she fails."

Liam took a shuddering breath and lowered his voice to a whisper. Da'an had to lean forward to hear his protector's words. "I could get her away," he whispered. "I could take her someplace isolated, some hidden Resistance base, and they'd take care of her. I could convince-"

"Liam, no," Da'an said sternly, straightening backwards. He looked as if he desperately wanted to say "yes," but could not. "Al'ith must travel the path laid for her. If she is taken away, then Zo'or will be more desperate than ever to find her. And sooner or later, he would find her." A spasm touched his face. He reached out and grasped Liam's hand, lifting it. He pointed with the other hand at the reddish mark in his palm.

"And even if she escaped, she would always be alone, the only one of her kind," he continued solemnly. "I have seen hints of your loneliness, when you do not see me, Liam. You would not wish that isolation on any other being, would you?"

Liam felt burning tears flood his eyes as he shook his head. He turned away from Da'an, wiping his face frantically, and feeling Da'an's hand on his shoulder. "Please tell me when you have your decision," he said in a choked voice, walking away.

Da'an watched him stride away, then leaned on Zo'or's command chair.

****

"You need a biolock on that," Al'ith said, swinging her legs off the side of the bed and watching the Taelon scientist struggle with a waist-high sample container. "The alloy in the lock is being eaten away by the gas inside. It doesn't hurt living things though."

As the scientist walked across the room to fetch one of the purple organic biolocks, Lili smiled and ruffled Al'ith's dark hair. The shy smile was human enough, shining up at the Marine, but the eyes that smiled with them were alarmingly Taelon, a startling electric blue that reminded Lili of how dangerous this child could be, if she had the ability to be aggressive, and active shakarava. She only prayed that Al'ith was human enough to recognize the Taelons as an enemy.

Al'ith's smile melted away. "You're worried," she said softly.

Lili almost fell over with shock and horror. "Worried?" she snapped in consternation. Then she winced at her own tone and calmed herself. "Why do you say that, Al'ith?"

"You're frowning," Al'ith said, slightly surprised by Lili's slightly harsh tone of voice. Then she smiled brightly. "Don't worry. I don't think I got any questions wrong!"

She thinks I'm worried about her, Lili thought with a rush of guilt. And here I am, trying to determine how dangerous she is. I feel like such a liar. Part of her said calmly that Al'ith couldn't possibly be a threat, and another part screamed that she was now, that she had every potential to be.

I'll be careful what she sees and hears. I'll make sure that she hears the human side as much as the Taelon side, Lili promised herself, giving Al'ith a little hug.

"So," she said with a bright grin. "Want to try ice cream?"

Al'ith wrinkled her nose. "Ize creem?" she said slowly, unused to the words. "What's that? Is it nice?"

Lili laughed, remembering Liam's first reaction to the treat. Surprised by the coldness, he had run into the bathroom and spat it out. "It's the nicest food there is," she said teasingly, looking Al'ith in the eye. "And once the Synod is finished, you and and me are going down to Earth for a big sundae each."

"What's a sun-day?" Al'ith asked.

****

"The decision has been made," Da'an said with a radiant smile, addressing Liam, Lili, Sandoval and Al'ith. Al'ith was perched on Zo'or's command chair, her small size allowing her to stand on it comfortably to look straight at her guardians. Liam had to repress a snicker as he thought of Zo'or's face if he had seen Al'ith standing on his chair. "Al'ith has been judged to be sufficiently Taelon, with all rights given to Taelon children. Despite Zo'or's vote against, the Synod has ruled that more hybrids may be made, depending on her progress."

Liam let out a whoop and scooped Al'ith up again, swinging her onto his back and charging around the room once, high squeals coming from the delighted child. Lili grinned at the two of them, while Sandoval opened his mouth to protest. Da'an silenced the implant with a slight hand gesture.

As Liam dropped to his knees to let Al'ith slip to the floor, Lili knelt down. "I'm going to keep my promise," she grinned almost giddily. "You want to go down and get a sundae now?"

"Yeah!" Al'ith said.

"Okay," Liam grunted, swinging her back onto his shoulders and started out the door. The little girl's shoulders and face poked above Liam's curly head, smiling at Lili.

"I'm taller than you!" Al'ith chortled, swaying back and forth and holding onto his ears.

"Yep, you are now!" Liam said, beckoning for Lili to follow.

Sandoval looked almost wistfully after them as they left the bridge, laughing and joking. For a moment, his dark eyes looked distant, strange. Then they cleared, and he simply looked out the window at the ever-so-slightly-moving stars. Da'an watched his ex-implant in silence, then turned to go. He had seen the look in Sandoval's face, the desire to follow Lili and Liam in their friendship with Al'ith. But he was bound to Zo'or, and would remain so.

Da'an only hoped that he would have that opportunity in the future.

THE BEGINNING