Hush Little Baby

by Seven


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



Note from Author:  A few weeks before ALBOH.



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In the dark attic, only the glow of the small biopods lighted the dusty walls. Belle's pale face, hair, and eyes looked unearthly in the dim light. Her fingers twitched nervously over the wrapper of the candy bar she had been slowly opening over the last half hour.

Steven had gone grocery shopping, and had told her to stay in the attic and watch the children. She could remember his cold, frantic eyes as he had said that, told her to stay exactly where she was and not move. He had been suspicious lately, running to a window whenever a car passed by.

She sighed. Sometimes, brother or not, he made no sense to her.

Belle started as a tiny dark figure shifted inside the pod. It wasn't hurt or in need of more food, it was just turning. The membrane stretched and reformed itself, over a tiny pale elbow that poked it from within.

Belle's candy bar dropped from her fingers as she dropped to her knees, her thin flowered dress snagging on splinters on the rough floor. Her thin fingers roved over the membrane, the slick material making her skin tingle.

"Hi," she whispered, the tip of her nose almost touching the membrane. Another shift, and a pair of bright eyes seemed to bore through like twin stars. "You're quite the little athlete, aren't you? Aren't you?"

There was a tiny slosh of liquid, as the child's hand wagged, as if trying to reach through to her. She smiled and puckered her lips at it. "Hello!" she cooed. "Hello!"

As she traced a finger over the greenish growths over the membrane, like squishy moss, she murmured, "I remember when I was like you. Yes I do... I was happy. Me and my brother, we were supposed to be raised to be soldiers. For the Taelons. And we weren't good enough for them."

The tiny hand scratched the inner membrane, the pudgy fingers groping for hers. "But it won't be that way for you," Belle said softly. "We're not gonna abandon you, no matter what.You'll stay with us. We'll take care of you, and you can do anything you want. We're safe here. And we're gonna be happy."

It was hard to tell if the noise was a gurgle from the equipment or a coo from the child inside. Belle stared off into space as a memory came back to her... a memory of kind, elderly scientist with green eyes and gray hair. The woman had felt sorry for the frightened little baby, prodded by doctors and scientists.

She had pulled Belle into her lap and sung to her... sung off-key, but with a warmth and a kindness that no beauty of voice or song could replace.

Belle leaned forward and pressed her cheek to the membrane. Her words were halting, slow, but began to come faster...

"Hush, little baby... don't say a word...

Mama's gonna buy you a mockingbird

And if that mockingbird won't sing...

Mama's gonna buy you a diamond ring..."