Letters From Liam

by Seven


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



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Liam Kincaid sat at his desk, pencil in hand. He stared at the stack of notebook paper in front of him, as if hungering to write something. He paused, and then began to write. His writing was small and neat, a byproduct of both Sandoval and Beckett's handwriting, but as he wrote faster and faster the words began to slur.

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Dear Sandoval,

Why did you try to kill me? I wish that I weren't your son, I wish... I don't know. But how could you do this? How could you turn your back on another human, and a Taelon you care (or cared) about for Zo'or's pat on the head? I know that the real Ronald Sandoval is somewhere in there, under that CVI. Lili told me about your wife, Dee Dee. She doesn't sound like the sort of woman who would marry a killer. I want to help you, if you'll let yourself be helped.

Regards,

Liam.

****

Liam paused, his hand shaking. He felt tired at the outrush of emotion. But he didn't want to stop.

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Dear Ha'gel,

How could you leave? You took all the trouble of conceiving a son and then allowed yourself to be killed. I've needed help so many times. I've needed advice on leadership, on my shakarava, on dealing with the Taelons. But NO ONE was there. I don't have the wisdom of the Kimera, you did. I need help. Is it true that you were the very last Kimera? Are there possibly others out there? I need someone who I can trust constantly. As strange as it sounds, I do care. I wish you were here. I need help.

Your son,

Liam

****

Liam stopped writing and opened a drawer. Inside was a sheet of dried-flower stationary, with the words "Mother's Day" printed on the top. He began to write with careful precision.

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Dear Mother,

I don't blame you. Not for any of it. It's not your fault you couldn't remember me, and I want you to know that I'll never blame you for any of it, ever! I'm afraid—I feel alone. Doors has tried to kill me, so has Zo'or, and now I don't know whether I can ultimately trust Da'an. Sandoval has tried as well, but I try not to think about that. He is my father, so I try. Father. I have no father, I never have. Da'an tries, he really does.... but sometimes I think that my predecessor would have helped. I only have records and remininscences from other people to guess what he was like, but he sounds like he would have helped me. Mother, did you want to grow up in a hurry? Did you want to find out what an adult could do in the world? It's not worth it, it shouldn't be so easy for it to happen to people. When I was little, Lili and Augur let me play with a Taelon puzzle. I used to play with it every night; it reminded me of you, when you could remember me. When I became head of the Resistance, I stopped playing with the toy. I only just realized that, and it hurts. Pray for my strength, Mother. Who knows what will happen?

Guide my soul into morning,

Liam

****

Sighing deeply, Liam Kincaid took the sheets of paper and slipped them into the drawer. Sandoval was not going to see his letter, but he only hoped that Ha'gel and Beckett saw theirs....