A Merging of Worlds

by Jenn and Cache


Disclaimer: Earth: Final Conflict is copyrighted by Tribune Entertainment Company (1998). No infringement of rights is intended.



Author's Notes:We apologize for taking so long, to those of you who knew we were working on this. It is not only our first attempt at writing together, but the first time for either of us to write something that is intended for posting. Please e-mail us with comments, suggestions, ect. Jenn: shadow_girl2@yahoo.com Cache: sydney_dog@hotmail.com

Matthew Lodges, Lizzy Stevens, and Chris South, along with Ja'el, are all of our own creation. You are welcome to borrow them, as long as you notify us and let us have a copy of the story.



Summary: Da'an and Boone are kidnapped by another faction of the Resistance, who believe they can perfect Doors' virus.



*******************



"I don't like this, Lodges." Lizzy Stevens sat down at the table. "Don't you remember what happened with Doors' virus? People were hurt, and the Taelons became the heroes."

"Doors is an overzealous idiot," Matthew Lodges turned to face Lizzy. "He didn't think his plan through, and definitely didn't have the people we do." He motioned to Chris South, their leading computer expert.

Chris leaned back in his chair, twirling a pen in his hand. "I've made improvements to Doors' virus. It infects only Taelon systems and won't get out of control. Even if it does, I can easily disengage it. Lodges is right, Doors had idiots working for him. I don't know who designed the original virus, but…" He paused for a moment, not finishing the sentence. "Don't worry, nothing is going to go wrong. What happened to Doors, won't happen to us. The good guys always win, remember?"

"Promise me, Lodges, that you aren't doing this to get back at Jonathan Doors," Lizzy said.

"Not revenge, no. This is a demonstration of our strength to the Taelons and Jonathan Doors. To Doors we will show that we can succeed where he has failed. We will show him that he should not have been so quick to exclude us from his Resistance. But it is not a personal attack on him or his movement. He fights for the same thing we do, freedom, and I refuse to fight someone on our side."

********

Lili knocked on the door to Boone's office. Without waiting for an answer, she went in. Boone was leaning back in his chair with his eyes closed. "You okay, William?" Lili set her briefcase down next to his desk.

"Headache," he replied simply, not opening his eyes.

"I thought Dr. Belman had already replaced your CVI."

"She did." The room was silent for several minutes.

"Doors received a message from Lodges today." Lili broke the silence. Boone didn't answer. "He's up to something, Boone, and I don't like it. Lodges is going to destroy our movement."

"And we're not doing a good enough job of that ourselves?" Boone stood up, buttoning the sleeves of his jacket. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have a prior commitment with Da'an." Boone walked out of the room, leaving Lili alone in the office.

********

Boone walked up the ramp towards Da'an's office. Finally he would be learning how to fly a Taelon shuttle. It had been a real inconvenience to always have to contact Lili in order to complete the jobs Da'an assigned him. Boone stepped into Da'an's office and waited patiently for Da'an to acknowledge his presence. Da'an finished his conference with one of the Synod members, erasing his image with a wave of his hand.

"Commander Boone, it pleases me greatly to see you. The Synod looks favorably on your request to learn to operate one of our shuttles. Shall we commence to the shuttle pad area?" Da'an punctuated his question with a delicate hand gesture.

"Of course, Da'an. Lead the way."

********

"I'm uploading the virus now." Chris touched several keys on the board in front of him. "Da'an and his implant should begin to have a very bumpy ride as soon as they jump into inter-dimensional."

"Now, you're sure that once the virus completes we'll have total control over where the shuttle lands?" Lizzy tapped her fingers nervously on the desk. "You know how Doors' virus affected the shuttle."

"We will have total control over the shuttle, once it enters inter-dimensional. I know what I’m doing," Chris said, annoyed that she would doubt his abilities.

"Relax, Lizzy." Lodges placed his hand on her shoulder. "Even if we do lose control, it will just be one less Taelon to worry about."

"One less Taelon to worry about?!" Lizzy spun around to face Lodges. "Are you that narrow-minded? And what about the implant?"

"His mistake was in joining the Companions in the first place."

Lizzy stormed out of the room. Chris looked up at Lodges, questioningly. "Continue as planned," Lodges said. Chris turned back to his computer.

********

Boone slowly set the coordinates as he prepared for the inter-dimensional leap. "Is my performance satisfactory?"

Da'an stepped forward and looked the display over. "I am pleased by how quickly you have learned to operate one of our craft. Proceed into inter-dimensional and you shall have completed your lesson for today."

Boone made the necessary arm and hand gestures. Beautiful swirling colors filled the viewscreen. Suddenly, a sharp jolt jerked both of them forward. Boone glanced up in surprise, "Da'an?"

After analyzing the display, Da'an made eye contact with Boone. "Some unknown force has taken control of our shuttle. We are not to land in the Midwest, as we had previously planned." Da'an was about to say something else, when the shuttle suddenly flew out of inter-dimensional, and started to plummet toward the ground. Both Da'an and Boone were thrown forward. The last thing Boone saw was the ground rushing up to him, before everything went black.

********

"Commence evacuation of the facility immediately." Sandoval looked around him, as the lights dimmed and flickered once again. The man he was speaking to moved off, another taking his place.

"Sir, other embassies report similar problems. Based on the performance of the last virus to infect Taelon systems, I advise that communications be shut down to prevent any further spread of the virus and that we evacuate any human facility that is linked to Taelon technology," the man said.

"Affirmative. Take every precaution in doing so." Sandoval opened his global and linked to Boone's office. Lili answered.

"Go." Lili glanced around at the slowly failing lights.

"Where's Boone?"

"I thought he was with you and Da'an."

"Captain, neither Da'an or Boone is with me. It was to my knowledge that Da'an was teaching Boone to pilot one of the Companion shuttles. However, they were scheduled to return here half an hour ago."

"You don't think that the virus affected them before they could land, do you?"

"Yes, that is exactly what I believe."

********

Boone opened his eyes slowly. He lay on the floor of the shuttle, Da'an kneeling above him. "Where are we?" Boone groaned, and reaching up he touched his forehead, his fingers coming away red with blood.

"Our position is somewhere in the mountains of Colorado." Da'an paused for a moment. "In our landing, you have inured yourself."

"It's okay. I have to get you out of here, it's not safe." Boone started to stand and regretted it instantly. With a groan he collapsed back down again.

"May I offer some assistance?" Da'an asked.

"No, I'm alright. I just have to take it slow." Boone stood up and stepped down from the shuttle. Da'an followed.

Boone surveyed the area around him. The shuttle was in a rocky clearing, with a thick forest of trees on three sides. A string of thunderheads was building in the west, and a brisk, cool wind warned of rain. There was no sign of people around. "Whoever took control of the shuttle knows where it is. We must get as far away as possible." Boone limped as quickly as he could toward one grouping of trees, Da'an following closely behind.

"Stop right there!" Several men with guns materialized from the underbrush. Hands raised, Boone turned to face them. Keeping a gun trained on Boone, one of the men tied his hands behind his back, making it impossible for him to use his skrill. Another tied Da'an's hands behind his back. The men pushed them on through the forest.

After hiking several miles, the group came to an abandoned gold mine. Upon entering, one could tell that it had been converted to a headquarters of some importance, as it was furnished with the most advanced technology available. Generators provided light and ran computers that lined the walls. People occupied every computer station in sight. The men pushed Boone and Da'an through the cavern and forced them into an empty room, locking the door behind them.

********

Lili burst into the Resistance headquarters, causing heads to turn in her direction. Doors looked up from a computer console he was analyzing. "I assume you heard the news about Lodges' virus." Doors' calm demeanor was the perfect compliment to Lili.

"Yeah, and what are we going to do about it?"

Augur suddenly appeared behind her and leaned close to her ear. "I'm working on a counter virus that will neutralize Lodge's virus. It should be ready in three hours."

"Hope it's better than the last one," Lili mumbled under her breath.

"What?" Augur asked, knowing perfectly well what she had said.

"I don't know if we have three hours, Augur," Lili replied. She spun around and stalked back out again.

********

Lizzy looked through a window that allowed her to see their captives, but did not allow them to see her. The implant, whom they had identified as William Boone, sat on the floor, leaning against the wall. Da'an stood but a few feet away from him, looking very concerned.

"I told you I could pull it off." Chris stepped up beside her. He was gloating again, as usual.

Lizzy rolled her eyes, and turned towards Chris. "Doesn't it bother you to keep a Companion and an implant captive?"

"Not necessarily," Chris said with indifference.

"Or that Lodges would be willing to kill a Companion? How is that going to further our movement? McIntyre and his men already tried, and the Synod didn't flinch."

"Stop worrying, Lizzy. Lodges knows what he is doing, he won't lead us into any danger. I trust him, and so should you." With that, Chris left the room.

"Did I interrupt anything?" Lodges entered the room just as Chris was leaving. Lizzy remained silent, her attention focused on their captives. Lodges shrugged, and sat down at a computer console.

"What do you plan to do with them?" Lizzy continued to look through the window.

"Trade them for documents proving Taelon experimentation on humans and the existence of a moonbase." Lodges turned away from the monitor.

"And what makes you think that the Synod will comply?" Lizzy turned to face him.

"If they wish to see these two alive…Lizzy, don't," Lodges pleaded as Lizzy turned back to the window, not wanting to argue with her. "It's no different than what they are doing to us. They are killing us with their experiments. Their moonbase shows that they plan to take us over. With the documentation we will get from this, we will be able to prove to others the Taelon's true intent.

"In a movement such as ours, it's inevitable that some must die. Some of ours, some of theirs. We must show our strength and power, and that we are willing to go as far as we need to in order to achieve freedom." Lodges rose and joined Lizzy at the window.

"Since you are so concerned for their wellbeing, I will put you in charge of them. It could be several days before we know what must be done. Do something with the implant." Lodges motioned to Boone. "I don't want it to appear that we have harmed them, yet."

********

Sandoval hurried down the walkway to the old warehouse that they had turned into a temporary headquarters. It had been almost three hours since Da'an and Boone had been scheduled to arrive back to the Embassy. Sandoval burst into the room that Captain Marquette had been using in the search for the missing shuttle. "Have you found anything on their whereabouts yet?"

Lili turned to Sandoval. "No, I can't locate the shuttle's signature, the tracking device must be turned off. However, I have been able to determine that their last position was over Colorado, before the other facilities lost track of the shuttle. That seems as good a place as any to begin a search."

"Good work, Captain." Sandoval checked the pocket watch he held, then replaced it in his jacket pocket. "Zo'or will be arriving shortly to lead the investigation."

"The Synod sent him here?"

"Zo'or has volunteered his services in dealing with these crises. Meet me in his office in fifteen minutes. Zo'or will be waiting." Sandoval turned and left.

********

Lizzy hesitated before entering the room, she wasn't exactly looking forward to this. All she had said was that she didn't think they deserved to die, not that she wanted to take care of them. But by no means was she going to let Lodges know that his 'order' bothered her. Lizzy took a deep breath and motioned to the guard at the door.

As the door closed behind her, Lizzy felt a wave of fear engulf her. Though it was irrational, something about being locked in the same room with a Companion and implant made her uneasy. Lizzy quickly brought her fear under control; the quicker this was done, the quicker she could leave. Attempting to ignore Da'an who stood nearby, she moved towards Boone, who was against the far wall.

Kneeling beside Boone, Lizzy sat down the bowl of water she was carrying and took a bag from her shoulder. Taking a washrag from it, she began to clean the cut on Boone's head, which stubbornly continued to bleed. Boone appeared not to know she was there; he did not move, and his eyes remained closed. Da'an knelt beside the two, distancing himself from her as much as possible. Lizzy glanced up and met his eyes. Suddenly her fear was gone. Though he showed little emotion, Lizzy could tell he was worried. It was evident that he cared for the man before her, and was troubled by his condition. But it also seemed that Da'an knew of Lizzy's fear of him, and consciously honored that; keeping a distance between them, giving her room to think and act.

Lizzy took her eyes off of Da'an, and again turned her attention to the gash on Boone's forehead. With fear no longer blinding her, she could more accurately evaluate his condition. She could tell there was more wrong with him than a blow to the head. He was covered in sweat and hot to the touch, but shivered slightly as if cold. Most importantly, he should have woken at her touch, but remained unconscious. Lizzy finished cleaning the wound and took an ointment from the bag she carried, applying it to the cut. "I'm going to try to help him," she said to Da'an, who tilted his head slightly in response but remained silent. Lizzy gathered her things and hurried out of the room.

********

"Come on, come on." Lili frantically hit buttons on her computer keyboard. Despite her efforts, the screen flickered and went blank. "Great! Now what am I supposed to do?" Lili glanced at her watch; it would have to wait, she was late for her meeting with Zo'or. It wasn't something she was looking forward to. All the little smirks and cold stares Zo'or shot at her gave her the willies. With a great effort, she wiped the sour expression off her face as she stepped into his presence.

Zo'or's 'office' was actually a small room within the huge warehouse that they had temporarily made their headquarters. Zo'or was seated behind a desk, trying to look as important as possible.

"You are late, Captain." Sandoval stood at Zo'or's side.

"Sorry, I seem to be having computer trouble." Lili tried to keep the sarcasm out of her voice.

"What is the summary of your findings?" Zo'or asked to neither Sandoval or Lili in particular.

"All available Companion agents and police force are searching Da'an and Boone's last known location," Sandoval stated quickly.

"Colorado," Lili added, not allowing Zo'or the satisfaction of asking. He shot her a quick sneer, but she pretended to ignore it.

"When do you anticipate in finding them?" Zo'or turned to Sandoval.

"We're searching as fast as we can, Zo'or. However, Colorado is a large chunk of territory to cover, and with the majority of companion agents and police assisting those whom the virus has affected, we have very limited resources," Sandoval answered.

"Of course. I wouldn't expect anything more from human contacts." Zo'or smirked at both of them. "Report back if you find anything of interest."

********

"Something's wrong, Matthew." Lizzy burst into the room, interrupting Chris and Lodges' conversation.

"With what?" Lodges asked, turning in his chair to face Lizzy.

"With the implant, Boone. He's hurt worse than we thought. He needs a doctor."

"Come on, Lizzy. He's an implant." Chris put aside the papers he was looking at. "We have more important things to worry about."

"Like what?" Lizzy snapped. She was tired of Chris' attitude.

"Like the fact that our dear friend's virus is no longer under his control." Lodges motioned to Chris.

"After the virus took effect the Taelons immediately shut down communications between their facilities, including human facilities using Taelon technology. Doors' virus moved through the communications system, that was one of it's flaws. They would expect mine to act in the same way, so…" Chris paused a moment, rethinking what he was going to say. "It's too complicated to explain, but my virus travels through the computer system, the Taelon intranet, certain programs in particular. Containing the virus to the Taelon intranet is how I was avoiding infecting human systems. It's not that it couldn't infect them, but that it would never be exposed to them."

"And?" Lizzy asked, impatient. Chris was stalling and she wanted to know what had gone wrong.

"The Embassy in Washington has opened a temporary facility. Not only did they reconnect to the Taelon intranet, they connected to the Internet." Chris squirmed in his chair. "The virus is no longer under my control, and it's spreading like crazy."

Lizzy quickly sat down. "You mean it's spreading through people's computers all over the world and you can't do anything about it?"

Chris nodded. "Don't worry about it, Lizzy. We'll think of something."

Lizzy jumped up. "Don't worry?! That's what you've been telling me all along. Well, guess what? I was right! But I'm not going to worry about this, because I have a man dying in the next room."

"It's not like I planned this!" Chris sprung up from his chair to meet Lizzy. "I didn't want it to happen! It just did, sometimes you get the unexpected."

"Calm down, both of you." Lodges spoke only just above a whisper. Both Lizzy and Chris fell silent to hear what he had to say. "Chris, your job is to figure out what went wrong with the virus and fix it. Leave Lizzy be. Lizzy, do what you can for the implant, and don't worry about Chris. We're going to have to work together to salvage this, and we have to do it quickly. Now, get to work, both of you." Lizzy stood up and left without a word and Chris turned back to his papers.

********

Augur entered yet another line of code into the counter virus' program then immediately erased it. Doors had him working for over four hours now, and he was getting tired. He kept making more and more mistakes, which took up time as he corrected them. To add to his pressure, Doors was constantly over his shoulder, asking when it would be done.

A voice stirred him from his brooding. "Augur, how's everything going?" He was about to spin around and yell at whoever had spoken, but noticed Lili's reflection in the computer screen.

"Taking a little longer than I expected, I can't seem to pinpoint the virus' source." Augur took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes.

Lili could see that he was exhausted and she couldn't blame him. Looking at those tiny symbols on the computer screen would make anyone tired. "Why don't you take a break, Augur? You've been at this for too long."

Augur was about to comply, when Doors appeared. "No, he is not going to take a break. We need this virus ready." Augur watched silently as Lili and Doors argued back and forth. As much as he hated to admit it, even to himself, Doors was right. The only way they were going to get Boone out was if he worked on the counter virus nonstop. He knew that Lodges wouldn't hesitate to kill Boone. After a few minutes Lili gave up, and Doors walked away.

"Does it help you to know that my computer went down about forty-five minutes ago at the temporary embassy?" Lili looked over Augur's shoulder.

"What?" He turned around, surprised. Lili thought she could almost see a look of fear in his eyes. Augur began to rapidly type on his keyboard. He jumped up and grabbed a box from a nearby shelf, and pulled a disc from it. All around the room computer screens flickered then went out, along with the lights. Lili heard Augur drop the box he was holding. The lights came back on, and Doors was staring at Lili and Augur.

"Take the laptop and start again," Doors said.

"No, no! This can't happen to me!" Augur ran to the computer he had just been working on.

"Start again," Doors repeated, quietly but firmly. "Start again." Augur picked up a laptop off the desk and moved to another room. "Lili, go to the Embassy, see if any of their computers are still up. If so use them, and bring the information back here. If not, find some that are working."

********

"I've never met anyone with a stronger moral compass than you…trust in that." "Welcome to a new world, Boone" "Kaitlin Barret Boone, my loving wife." "I have a piece of them in my head!" "You can't unfry an egg." "Virus upload complete." "Our duty is always to the Companions."

Boone opened his eyes slowly, his head throbbing with pain. Da'an knelt beside him, concerned. "What happened?" Boone grimaced as pain shot through his head and body.

"Worry not about that. Be still, rest."

Boone closed his eyes tightly as dozens of memories flashed through his mind simultaneously. With a great effort he suppressed them, and opened his eyes. He was cold and shook uncontrollably. The pain in his head was unbearable, and increased with each flashback, slight sound or movement. Boone fought the urge to pass out, but darkness overtook him.

********

"What happened?" Lili asked as she entered the warehouse. Every computer monitor was blank and station empty. Only a few people remained, typing furiously on laptops. Sandoval stood at the far wall before a large map of Colorado.

"The virus has caused our temporary system to collapse. Human systems have also been affected and we are attempting to provide support to these facilities." Sandoval turned from the map.

"Has our departure been arranged?" Zo'or entered the room, appearing not to notice Lili's presence.

"Yes, we leave immediately."

"What's going on?" Lili asked.

"My presence at the base in Colorado will prove an advantage in this search," Zo'or answered, smirking at Lili.

"Is this wise, considering how the last virus affected the shuttles?" This time Lili directed her question to Sandoval.

"Our computer experts have assured me that the docked shuttles were not affected by the virus, as they were not in contact with any Taelon or human computer system at the time. As all systems have since then been shut down, they feel that they may be used safely." Sandoval checked his pocket watch. "Zo'or?"

Zo'or nodded in response and left the room, Sandoval on his heels.

********

This time as Lizzy entered the room with the captives, she did so without fear. She went directly to Boone, who had not moved since she had last seen him. Setting down the items she carried, Lizzy knelt beside him. Taking a small pocket knife from her jeans, she cut through the rope that bound his hands. Lizzy glanced up at Da'an who stood several feet away. She hesitated, looking at the knife, then replaced it in her jeans pocket. Da'an moved across the room, even further from her.

Lizzy laid Boone down on the floor, covering him with a blanket she had brought with her. With a damp cloth she began to wipe the sweat from his face. Boone stirred and opened his eyes slightly. "Who…" Boone stiffened as pain shot through his body.

"Easy; everything is going to be alright. Just lay still." Lizzy wiped blood away from Boone's ear. "You're going to be okay," she said, willing him well in her mind. Boone closed his eyes once again. Lizzy finished cleaning the blood from his ear, then placed a second damp cloth across his forehead. She gathered her things to leave, but hesitated.

After several minutes of sitting in silence, Lizzy rose and took the knife from her pocket. Approaching Da'an, she freed him from the rope which bound his hands behind his back. "I really can't do anything; I don't know how to help him. If you can…"

Da'an met Lizzy's gaze. "His need is beyond the help either of us could provide. No more can be done."

********

"How are you doing, Augur?" Lili closed the door to Jonathan's office. Augur had been working nonstop for three hours, ever since the computer system had gone down and Lili had left.

"It would be done if I knew what system the virus was initially introduced through. What about you?"

"Don't ask. I spent three hours looking for a way to access information on the progress of the search team in Colorado. I couldn't even get to the files I was working on this morning. The Internet is down, the Taelon intranet is down, communications, globals; you name it, it's not working. I can't think of anyway to find Lodges."

"You don't need to, I already know where he is." Doors entered the office. "Before I relocated the Resistance here, we had a facility in the Colorado mountains. That was before I dismissed him and a group of his followers who wished to take over the movement. There's no other place he could be that Sandoval hasn't found him yet."

"Then what are we waiting for?" Lili asked.

"How do you intend to get there?" Augur replied. "With all the computers down..."

"My shuttle's working," Lili interrupted. Doors smiled slightly.

********

"How is he doing, Lizzy?" Lodges asked, entering the room.

Lizzy turned from the window. "Not good. I think he's dying."

"Lizzy, I want to explain." Lodges sat down in a nearby chair. "I do care about what happens to him. I don't want him to die like this, and I would help him if I could. But I can't do that without endangering my people, and I won't put his life above theirs."

"I've been standing here, thinking." Lizzy sat down next to him. "After this, I'm leaving, Matthew. I can't be a part of this anymore. I don't know how to explain, I just…"

"You don't have to. You're free to go, just as you are free to comeback at anytime." Lodges stood and left, leaving Lizzy alone with her thoughts.

********

"How has our new position served to further your goals in finding Da'an?" Zo'or asked as Sandoval approached him.

"Everything is going much smoother since we left the temporary facility in Washington," Sandoval answered promptly.

"Have you found anything of interest?" Zo'or challenged Sandoval.

"Nothing, yet." Sandoval refused to meet Zo'or's gaze. "However, I feel wee are nearing the end of our search. We shall locate them soon."

Zo'or turned away from him without a word. Sandoval took it as a dismissal and left.

********

"I'm coming with you, Jonathan." Belman joined the group as they approached Lili's shuttle. "If anything has happened…" she chose not to finish her thought out loud. Doors didn't answer and climbed into the shuttle.

"I'm not sure I trust this thing," Augur said, sitting down.

"Sandoval assured me that the docked shuttles were not affected by the virus." Lili brought the control display online. Augur laughed softly. "You believe that Lodges has Da'an and Boone held captive?" Lili asked Doors. "Why?"

"It's his style. He wouldn't have done this if he didn't want something, and he's going to trade them for whatever it is he wants."

"And if he doesn't get what he wants?" Lili set the controls almost automatically. Doors didn't answer.

********

Zo'or dropped his façade and waved his arm to activate the viewscreen that allowed the Synod members to be in his presence. Quo'on and several members materialized into view. Zo'or placed his hand upon his chest, and held out the other, palm up. The others mirrored the ceremonious greeting.

"What is the state of your progress?" Quo'on asked.

"One of Da'an's implants is leading the search. He has found nothing." Zo'or smiled inwardly, pleased at this example of human deficiency.

Another Synod member, Ja'el, interrupted Zo'or's thoughts. "You have found nothing? When the Synod complied with your wish to aid in the search for Da'an, we expected results. You have yet to show us any. Please elaborate on this matter."

Zo'or glared at Ja'el. "Many systems have been affected by the spread of this virus. The humans have insisted that we use our resources to aid them. Therefore my ways to seek out Da'an are very limited."

"See that you come up with results soon, or the Synod will remove you from the head of the search for Da'an," Quo'on said in an authoritative manner. With that, the Synod members dematerialized.

********

"Are we just going to waltz right in, uninvited?" Lili landed the shuttle outside an abandoned mine.

"Unless you have a better idea, Captain." Doors stood, preparing to leave the shuttle. "It is my facility, after all."

"I think it's out of our hands, now." Lili and the others watched as men with guns surrounded the shuttle. Guns trained on them, Doors' group was escorted inside the mine.

"Leave them," a man ordered, stepping out from a side room. The men with guns immediately left. "Jonathan, I didn't expect to see you here."

"I didn't expect to have to come, Matthew," Doors replied, coldly. "Where is he?"

"Who?" Lodges pretended not to know what Doors was talking about.

"Boone."

"And Da'an," Lili added to Doors' reply. She had not yet forgotten how Da'an had risked his life for her after their shuttle crash.

Lodges paused for a moment. "Through here." He led them into the room where he had left Lizzy earlier. Lizzy was no longer there. A quick glance through the window showed her kneeling at Boone's side, Da'an beside her.

"I'm prepared to make a deal with you, Matthew." Doors turned from the window. "We have the beginnings of a counter virus, designed to destroy yours. All we need is some input from you on the virus' original programming."

"I really don't know anything about it, that's Chris' department."

"I am prepared to trade our program for William Boone." Doors stared intently at Lodges.

"Agreed."

********

Turning away from his computer monitor, Chris glanced at this 'Augur' person. He cautiously studied Augur's appearance; skin tight shiny silver shirt, tight black pants to match, a tiny ponytail braid protruding out of the back of his head. And he has the attitude to match, Chris thought. Though he had only been working with him for a few moments, Chris had quickly realized that Augur's manner could be very uncivil.

"You didn't get very far on you counter virus," Augur said mockingly, examining Chris' work.

"I was busy keeping our computer system up and running." Chris grabbed his papers from Augur's hands, and erased the information off the computer screen. "Let's see what you have."

********

Dr. Belman stared through the window at Boone. She wished she could get in there with him, but that was impossible; Da'an would recognize her immediately. "You said there was bleeding from the ear?" Belman asked Lizzy, who stood beside her.

"Yes. Is he going to be okay?"

"I hope so." Julianne could see the concern in Lizzy's eyes.

"What's wrong with him, Dr.?" Doors entered the room, Lili at his side.

"His CVI is deteriorating." She turned from the window.

"I thought you had already replaced his CVI," Lili said impatiently. Her worry for Boone was getting to her.

"I did." Belman paused for a moment. "It's what I feared; the anti-cyber virus did not destroy all of his original CVI."

"Explain." Doors walked to the window and looked in at Boone.

"The anti-cyber virus is introduced through the limbic system, the seat of the motivational imperative, or at least that is the way it is supposed to work. As you know, Boone's cerebral implant does not contain a motivational imperative. The result is that the ACVI malfunctions and does not completely destroy the original CVI. Any CVI I implant will encounter this remaining virus and begin to immediately deteriorate."

"And, what can we do about it?" Doors turned to face Belman.

"It's only a theory, but..." She paused again. "I should be able to reimplant him with a fully functioning CVI, then completely destroy it with the anti-cyber virus."

"I didn't think you could do that, switch between our implant and theirs," Lili said. She remembered discussing this with Boone while they were chasing Sandoval after his CVI had deteriorated.

"In theory, one can replace our reengineered CVIs with the Taelon's fully functioning ones, it would almost be like implanting him for the first time. But once a person has been implanted with a fully functioning CVI, you can't switch back."

"So he would have to be reimplanted with a fully functioning CVI?" Doors asked.

"Yes."

********

Chris took the disk Augur handed him and put it in a nearby computer. The room was silent as he looked over the programming, Augur leaning over his shoulder. "I'm impressed, surprised actually, that you got this far on your own. But these last parts that you don't have, they're going to be the tricky ones. You wouldn't have been able to finish it without my help."

Augur returned Chris' smirk with a cold glare. "We had better get to work then, hadn't we?"

********

"I don't understand…" Lizzy broke the silence of the room. She felt there was more to this story than she knew.

"Boone is in a unique position." Lili went on to explain the situation.

"I still don't see how…" Lizzy paused. It took a moment for the implications of what Lili had said to sink in. "You wouldn't consider letting him die like this, would you?" The silence in the room answered her question. "Just because he would no longer be of use to you?" disgusted, she directed the question to Doors.

Doors remained silent. Lizzy stared at him for a moment, then continued. "You're just like Chris and Matthew. All you care about is your movement, not the people involved. That's what the Resistance is all about, people. But you just throw their lives away, as if they were mere pawns programmed to do your will. A man lays dying in that room," Lizzy pointed at the window, "and all you can think about is yourself. Da'an cares more about him than you do!" She started to leave the room, but turned back. "It's times like these when I believe the Taelons are truly superior to us." Lizzy stormed off.

********

Augur glanced up from the papers he had laid out before him. They had been cooped up together for almost an hour, Chris working on the counter virus while Augur fed him information from the schematics of the original virus. Chris considered himself the expert in the room, and Augur was sick and tired of it. If he didn't get out of there soon, he was going to have to do something about the kid. "Do you have anything yet?" he asked Chris, who was bent over a keyboard, concentrating.

"Yeah, not much though. I can't seem to get past the one line of code. Everyone I try turns out wrong."

Augur stood up and walked over, bending over Chris' shoulder. "Here, try this one." Augur rapidly typed in a long line. "It should work."

Chris ran the simulation. It worked. "Thanks, only a couple more hundred lines to go, eh?" Chris looked up and grinned.

Augur decided that Chris wasn't so bad after all. He smiled back.

********

Lili looked in at Lizzy, who was knelt at Boone's side. Doors had left immediately after Lizzy, and Dr. Belman had gone with him. Lili was glad to be alone; something Lizzy had said, or not said, made her think.

"If I become a full implant…your word…you kill me." "If we want him to live, we have to take him back to Da'an to be reimplanted." Words rang in Lili's head as vividly as they had the first time she heard them. It was almost as if two different men had spoken the lines. What had happened to Boone to change his opinions so drastically? Lili took a deep breath, she knew exactly what had happened. In his time serving the Companions, Boone had grown very close to Da'an. He now counted the Taelon as one of his friends.

Lili remembered her conversation with Boone in the shuttle while they were chasing Sandoval. "But you're putting his life back in their box…would you want to live if that were your only option?" Boone hadn't answered, they had been interrupted by a disturbance in the institution. Still, Lili could easily imagine that he would have said yes; there was something about the look in his eye… It wasn't that Boone was no longer wary of the Taelons, he still questioned their reasons for being here as much as she did. But, through his relationship with Da'an, he had come to trust them, or some of them at least.

Maybe it would be best for Boone to become a full implant, Lili thought. He was torn between two worlds, which were constantly in conflict with each other. How he bridged the gap between the two she did not know, but could tell that lately it had been harder on him. He was exhausted and no longer able to work both sides. They had expected more from him than he had to give. She realized now that Boone had begun to make a choice; showing up less and less at Resistance headquarters, and working more and more closely with Da'an.

Besides, inevitably, the Companions would find out what was 'different' about Boone; and Lili worried about what would happen when they did. Boone would face the same things he did now, becoming a full implant or death. When that time came, she knew that Boone would make his decision based upon Da'an, he would not endanger the Companion in any way. If he became a full implant now, the Synod would never find out, and Da'an would be completely removed from any potential danger that would come from the Synod's enlightenment. Lili scrutinized the Taelon from behind the glass; he knelt by his implant, concerned. He cared for Boone, anyone who had spent time with him could see that. Surely Da'an would look after Boone if…

Lili turned from the window. There was a more selfish reason behind all of this, she couldn't stand the thought of losing Boone. She was tired of seeing people hurt and killed, especially those she cared for. Her father, Sahjit, Deedee… William was more than just a friend, he was like a brother; taking the place of the one she had lost. If he died, she was left all alone. If he became a full implant, even though she would lost a part of him, he would still be around; she would see him, work with him.

Lili took a deep breath and walked out of the room of find Doors and Dr. Belman. Perhaps it was time to quit fighting, and worry instead about surviving.

********

"That's it," Augur said, typing in a few last characters; Chris had finally relinquished typing to Augur.

"Thank God," Chris leaned in over his shoulder, "…send it."

Augur hit enter, commencing the upload of the virus to the Taelon intranet. Neither spoke, they waited in dead silence. Finally Chris turned away from the monitor, "It's working, it's neutralizing the virus…"

********

"Do you realize what you have just suggested?" Doors asked, after Lili had finished giving her plea for Boone's life. "That we surrender our movement to the Taelons!" He raised his voice enough to draw the attention of several others in the main room. They turned from their computer consuls, regarding the situation cautiously. "Boone knows vital information about the Resistance," he continued quieter. "Have you any doubt, Lili, that he will immediately turn this information over to his Taelon 'friends' once he becomes a full implant?"

Lili lowered her eyes, studying the top of the table. She hadn't considered what Boone already knew about the Resistance. "Eventually, the Taelons are going to find out anyway." Lili reverted back to her point that, in time, the Taelons would find out that Boone worked for the Resistance.

"There isn't going to be an 'eventually,'" Doors replied.

"Reimplantation is such a new and experimental procedure." Dr. Belman spoke for the first time since Lili's arrival. "Coupled with the head injury he received in the shuttle landing, several minor lapses of memory may occur."

"What?!" Lili and Doors turned in unison at Julianne's suggestion.

"I mean, I can't actually cause such lapses, I can't erase the information from his memory. But a small addition to the CVI's programming could mask all memories of his evolvement with the Resistance."

Doors stood and walked away from the table. He needed some time to think. The information Boone possessed could destroy the Resistance if it fell into the wrong hands, mainly the Taelons. The only way to completely keep this from happening was to allow him to die, but there would be hell to pay for his death. Doors was sure that the Companions would pursue those responsible more vigorously if one of their people died, even if indirectly. If they caught Lodges, he would have no problem dropping names…

Doors never had completely trusted Boone. He had developed quite a relationship with Da'an, which endangered his connections with the Resistance. Jonathan already suspected that Da'an knew Boone's implant was not fully functional. The Taelon said nothing of it, but it was only a matter of time before the Synod found out. When they did, Boone was going to face death or reimplantation with a fully functioning CVI, the same thing he faced now. But then it would be Boone making the decision, and Jonathan worried that his friendship with Da'an would cloud his judgement.

Having completely circled the room, Doors sat back down at the table with Lili and Julianne. At least he was the one making the decision. There wasn't the chance that Boone would turn sentimental, and betray himself and the Resistance in order to spare Da'an. If Belman could do what she promised…, at least he would know which side Boone was on. Besides, William was of little use to him anyway. Da'an was not high enough up the Taelon 'ladder' to have access to the information Doors needed. If he could resolve this situation without it coming out that Boone's implant had been tampered with, he could place another operative with a modified implant in the service of a Taelon who had what he needed. Doors smiled slightly…Zo'or. "Do it," he said to Belman and Lili, much to their surprise.

********

Lili watched as the last group prepared to leave. "We'll need fifteen minutes," Lodges said to her. Lili nodded. She didn't know the details of how they were leaving, and didn't want to know them.

"Take care of yourself, Lili," Augur told her as the turned to leave.

"You too, Lizzy," Chris added as he followed Augur out the door.

Lili glanced at Lizzy, who stood at her side. She had been determined to stay, no matter what the ramifications. Lili could tell she really cared for Boone, and Da'an; enough to not care what happened to her. Hopefully Da'an would keep her out of too much trouble.

Lili walked around the deserted facility. Sandoval was going to be upset that everyone involved, except Lizzy, had gotten away. But he was going to be even more upset that it had been her, and not him, who had found Da'an. Lili actually felt sorry for Sandoval as she thought of how Zo'or was going to react to this, she knew the Taelon tended to take out his anger on the implant.

Lili entered the observation room, and looked in on the two captives. Looking at Boone, she placed her hand against the glass. She was losing her friend, after this he would regard her no more than Sandoval did. But he would not be truly lost to her, the Boone she knew would always remain a part of him, hidden deep inside. Besides, she would never forget... The worst thing was that she would never have a chance to explain, never have a chance to say goodbye. She couldn't risk it, not with Da'an around. Lili bit her lip, holding back her tears. There would be a time and place for that, but it was not here and now.

"Fifteen minutes are up." Lizzy entered the room, and placed a hand on Lili's shoulder. "You okay?"

Lili nodded slightly, "Yeah, I'm fine." She turned from the window and took a moment to compose herself, then opened her global. "Sandoval, I've located Da'an and Boone..."

Fin