"Side Trip"

Rating: PG

Title: Side Trip

Author: Lyta

Lyta_1028@yahoo.com

Summary: Lili and Augur journey to Peru.

"Side Trip"

Lili Marquette took off the dark sunglasses that hide her eyes from view as she stepped outside the tiny airport. The sunlight was entirely too bright here for what she was accustomed to thinking of as mid-winter and she quickly replaced the glasses.

"Its strange to think its summer here." Lili commented to her traveling companion.

"Its even weirder that they still keep this old airport open." Augur exclaimed, picking a stray piece of lint from his shirt. "I got the keys for the rent-a-wreck, it should be over that away."

It was not until they were in the jeep that the conversation picked up again.

"I can see Jonathan's hand in this place still being open." Lili said.

"Me too. Makes sense he'd want a way for folks to come and go without the Taelons knowing who. They track the DNA of everyone who goes through the portals these days and some who come here would definitely raise red flags."

"Like us."

"I wonder what would happen if we did use the portal without hacking into the system and removing our files from the list of Resistance members." Augur mused. "Its a big pain and they always undo all my hard work in less than twenty four hours."

"We'd end up at the Mothership or the moonbase with about half a dozen Volunteers forming the welcome committee."

"Sounds like a party."

"I don't want an invitation to that get together. Now that the Resistance has developed our own shuttle things will be much easier." Lili commented, putting her foot on the break to allow a young man to scurry across the road.

"Yeah, you can't track a shuttle through ID space. Now we can plan missions without having to take over a portal station for a couple of hours without anyone knowing. Plus Taelons or Sandoval can always still watchers on an airport, shuttles don't need an airport to land."

"What I want to know," Lili said, "is where they got the know how. From what Jonathan told me they reverse engineered the shuttle, but from what?"

"I thought it was from the one Chandler took."

Lili shook her head. "They kept that one in reserve. No one took it apart 'cause we were not sure we could put it back together."

Augur considered this for a moment. "Maybe they got another shuttle we don't know about. I really don't see what that would matter, hey Lili ease up a bit we have plenty of time to get there!"

"Stop side seat driving."

"Somebody seems a bit eager to get there." Augur mumbled.

"We are going to be late. If we are not on time our guide will leave and then were will we be? Jonathan ordered us not to call him and he's the only one who knows where this facility is. I am one of the only Resistance members with experience flying a shuttle and they need me to help fine tune the controls and develop a training program. They need you to write the software so it can be distributed to the various cells."

"And I thought it was because you missed your big blue bug."

"Augur...don't insult my shuttle."

"But its not your shuttle anymore, is it?"

Lili just glared at him.

***

"Well this is it." Lili said as she put the jeep in park.

"Do you remember the password?" Augur ventured.

"Do you want to walk?"

"I'll take that as a yes."

"You're a smart man, Augur."

They sat in the jeep, in silence, for several minutes before a young man came up and knocked on Lili's window. She lowered the window with her left hand even as her right hand moved to ease her side arm out for easier use just in case this man was not their contact, or even if he was and something went awry.

"Could you give me a lift into the next town?" The man asked conversationally.

"Where you from?" Augur asked in a casual sounding tone.

"Oceanside, California. I live on the water. How about you too?"

"Woodbridge, Virginia. Right by the capital." Lili said. "Hop in and remember to buckle up."

"Thank you, Captain."

After the passwords had been exchanged, both sides felt remotely more comfortable with each other. It was not until they were a few miles down the road that their passenger addressed them.

"Captain Marquette, make a right on that road."

Lili did as she was instructed. "This road is a mess!" She exclaimed a minute later. "The tree branches are scratching the jeep!"

Their guide shrugged. "Few come in or out of the facility. Most of our supplies are brought to us in the middle of the night in the rain forest and physically carried in."

Augur jumped ahead of the man. "You allow this road to become overgrown."

"It discourages trespassers."

***

Their guide directed them to stop my what appeared to be an abandoned brick shed with a view of the ocean. A view, Lili considered to be ruined by the oil platform in the distance. She was a bit surprised that such things still existed, them reminded herself that not everyone had traded in their gas consuming car for one of the clean running Taelon designed ones.

"That can't be it." Augur whispered to her. "You couldn’t design a better paperclip much less a shuttle with ID drives in there."

"Come on," the guide said with a 'follow me' gesture.

Lili shrugged and unfastened her seatbelt. Augur did the same.

"I guess we are about to find out." Lili said.

Inside the shed was the start of a long tunnel that Lili would never have suspected of existing given the external appearance of the building. After a while it dawned on her that to go in the direction they were traveling in, they had to be under the ocean. Just as she was about to question their guide, they ended up in a large chamber lit with the pale blue light that Lili had always associated with Taelon ships and buildings. Above their heads was a beautiful dome and Lili could see that her theory of being under the ocean was true.

"You are now two hundred feet under the Pacific Ocean." A new voice said from off to the left. Augur and Lili turned to see an impeccably groomed blond woman. She seemed familiar, but it took a moment for Lili to recall when and where she had seen her, then it clicked. She had been the Volunteer who got her off the Taelon Mothership.

"You look different without your uniform." Lili commented to Augur's confusion.

"I'm glad you remember me Captain Marquette."

"Its rather hard to forget. You know my name, but I don't know yours."

The woman laughed. "A situation easily remedied. My name is Renee Palmer."

"Okay now that the introductions are out of the way, can we get down to business?" Augur asked. "What is this place?"

"It looks Taelon." Lili commented.

"It is." Renee said with a slight smile that verged on a smirk.

"I would love to hear the explanation." Lili said, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Jonathan told me that it was you and the late Commander Boone who discovered the tomb of the ancient Taelon Ma'el." Renee began. "I wonder though, if you ever considered just how Ma'el came to Earth from the Taelon homeworld."

Lili's eyes widened. "You found his ship."

Renee nodded. Jonathan had told her that these two were quick on the uptake and she was not disappointed.

"Where?" Augur asked. "I mean he was buried in Ireland and the Taelons went over the place with a fine tooth comb."

The blond woman laughed. "Ma'el was smarter than that. He may have been buried in Ireland, but he left his carefully hidden ship in Peru. Actually, Augur, you are standing on Ma'el's ship at this very moment."

***

Renee led them down a ramp into what looked to Lili like a cave rather than the interior of a Taelon vessel, but at the same time she could make out the occasional bit of Taelon writing. Some of the panels were also familiar to her based on the time she had spent on board the Mothership. From these signs, Lili made an educated guess that they were now in a cargo hold of some sort, probably used to store the equipment Ma'el brought with him to Earth. Ma'el may have been a Taelon but he was also a scientist and Lili had not met the scientist yet who did not carry every bit of equipment they could no matter the odds against its use in the foreseeable future, just in case.

"We were told that a shuttle had been developed." Lili said hoping to draw out further information from Renee.

"Yes. Information on Taelon shuttles from the scans preformed on the one Chandler appropriated, Ma'el's ship, and from a tech who joined us after her brother was implanted was used to develop a Resistance version of the shuttle. Since it was designed with humans in mind we've made a few improvements, but the Taelon system for the controls appears to be the best configuration. You are one of the few people with practical long-term experience flying these things and Augur has had experience with Taelon systems, it seemed logical to use the two of you to fine tune the controls and create a training program."

***

Lili carefully refrained from trying to strangle the scientist who had configured the controls to what he felt was the optimal position. While Lili was not adverse to alterations, the layout was awkward and would cost valuable time in combat. She sighed and waved away the controls, thankful that at least the basic mechanism was the same as the one in her Taelon shuttle.

Lili bit her lip to keep from laughing. Augur had called it right, she did miss her 'big blue bug', but not that she would ever admit it to him. The cyber-wizard had enough ego already.

***

Ronald Sandoval exited the shuttle and surveyed the scene with a practiced gaze and instantly summed up the situation. He immediately steered himself toward the two Volunteers questioning a man in a business suit.

"Are you the one who reported seeing Captain Marquette?" Sandoval demanded.

"Yes." The man said in careful English. "I remember her from the news."

"You have sharp eyes." Sandoval commented.

"I always remember pretty women." The man said with a smile. "Especially when they travel with a man like that. I did some business with him once, he is hard to forget."

"Do you remember his name?"

"He called himself Augur."

Suddenly Sandoval had a memory intrusion. Augur, that was what that escapee from Project Earth Defense had been called. During the round up of Resistance members to use as sleepers to strengthen the Commonality until the drain could be isolated and ceased, Marquette had seemed unusually concerned about the man. Augur had later been involved in the sabotage of the Forge Project facility. Considering the depth of her Resistance involvement, something Sandoval had previously believed was merely sympathy, it was hardly surprising that they knew each other. Augur was rumored to be based in Washington so it was feasible for them to have met any number of times.

"Thank you." Sandoval said as he walked a few meters away and pulled out his global. Zo'or would have to be informed of this development.

***

Renee bit her lip to keep from frowning as she nodded at the Resistance operative who was barely visible on the global. He always chose to call from a janitorial closet where the supplies for his cover were stored to stall anyone trying to find him. Even with only the most vague outline of her contact, she could see him looking constantly glancing to the door. Renee understood paranoia and suspicion and knew that this man was good at his assignment, but that it was not everyday he had something of this magnitude to report.

“You are certain it was Sandoval?” Renee asked, wondering why of all places did that snake in a three piece suit have to slither out here. She held on to the fragile hope that her contact was mistaken or that Sandoval was in Peru for reasons other than the Resistance before discarding that sentiment a half second later. She could not afford to indulge in childish fantasies.

“I’m certain. I watch the news, propaganda show for the Taelons that it has become these days.” The man said bitterly. “I’d know him anywhere.”

“I had to ask.”

“I understand.”

“I want you to keep an eye out, especially on the Volunteers. See if you can cultivate a friendship with one of them. Other operatives have reported that the Volunteers, especially the unimplanted ones, will sometimes let things slip. We need to know exactly what brought Sandoval here and what, if anything, they know about local operations. I also want you to get me some images of the Volunteers, we have made a few inroads with them, and maybe one of them is a DCO.”

“There are images of the Volunteers included with the ones I sent you of Sandoval’s arrival.” The operative informed her. “As for why they are here, I’ve only gathered a few rumors. This is third hand but it appears a passenger on the plane recognized Mr. Augur. They know Captain Marquette was with him from descriptions of Mr. Augur’s traveling companion.”

“But they don’t know why they came to Peru?”

“As far as I can tell, no.”

“Keep up the good work.”

Renee closed the global. There might just be a way to not only salvage, but exploit this latest development. The Taelons could not find out about their operations here.

***

Da’an stood by the portal as T’than emerged into his view. The War Minister appeared well, almost in spite of the reports that had reached Da’an detailing the grim situation on the Jaridian front. Still his appearance was a welcome relief, even though the North American Companion was certain that Zo’or would not share his opinion.

“T’than.” Da’an began. “Our separation was of too great a duration.”

“Da’an.” T’than acknowledged. His gaze swept the chamber, taking note of all within and not finding the particular being he sought he turned again to the other Taelon. “Where is Zo’or? As Synod leader he should be here to greet me.”

“He was delayed by a new development.”

“Delayed.” T’than sneered, “was he? By chance or by choice.”

“News has reached us that we may at last recapture the human traitor Lili Marquette and her accomplice Augur who have impeded our efforts on Earth as part of Jonathan Doors’ Resistance movement. This information was brought to us by Agent Sandoval just prior to your arrival and Zo’or deemed it necessary to question his protector further. Zo’or has placed a high priority on Marquette’s apprehension.”

T’than stared at Da’an, then at the human Volunteers who lined the room in disdain, before responding in Eunoia. “Obviously Zo’or is merely using this flimsy excuse to insult me. My arrival merits his attention far more than any member of humanity.”

***

“Use whatever means you consider necessary, but remember Agent Sandoval, I want Captain Marquette brought before me.”

“I understand the situation Zo’or.” Sandoval explained without betraying a trace of the irritation he felt towards the Synod leader. He did not need to be told things multiple times. “The Volunteers are starting to canvas the area and have already found some promising leads as to her location and mission.”

“You will keep me informed.” Zo’or told him before abruptly severing the connection.

Sandoval sighed in relief and rubbed his forehead. If it was not for his CVI he would have long ago collapsed from exhaustion. With Marquette gone, he had lost his assistant and Zo’or was punishing him for his failure to notice her Resistance ties by refusing to assign a replacement to him. On top of that Da’an was unwilling to choose a new protector in light of the Synod’s new order that all protectors and higher ranking personnel be implanted. No more exceptions like Kincaid and Marquette would be tolerated.

Kincaid…he had heard nothing about his son since Liam disappeared from the hospital. He doubted that he and Liam could even be friends much less have any semblance of a normal father and son relationship, but he owed it to him to protect him. If nothing else to make up for trying to commit infanticide.

“Don’t go there.” Sandoval order himself and abruptly shifted his focus to the search for Marquette. He needed to be successful in this pursuit or Zo’or might be inclined to replace him before his plans bore their fruit.

The sound of his global beeping then commanded his full and immediate attention. He pulled it out from his pocket and opened to find Volunteer Elena Sanchez’s image staring at him with an expression of professional respect, exhaustion, and determination.

“You have something to report Volunteer?” Sandoval asked in his ‘implant’ tone.

“Yes sir. I have located a man who claims to have seen Captain Marquette this morning.”

“Excellent. I want to speak with this individual myself.”

“Transmitting the location now.”

Sandoval checked to insure that the data Sanchez had sent him had been safely downloaded before closing the global. He could not help but smile to himself after ordering his shuttle pilot to meet him. Things were most definitely looking up for him.

Volunteer Allyssa Briand was waiting for him in the shuttle and Sandoval had to remind himself to kill the smile, but not before the Volunteer saw him. For a moment she almost pitied Marquette, then the memory of what the Captain tried to do resurfaced dampening any trace of pity.

‘If Marquette had succeeded, I’d be dead now.’ Briand thought as she landed the shuttle. She saw a figure in a Volunteer uniform wave them over to a small dwelling. The just as she followed Sandoval across the threshold, Briand felt the prick of a needle on the back of her neck and everything spun and turned black.

***

Lili smiled at the sight of Augur situated behind the small bar he had installed in his subterranean abode. He, Jonathan Doors and Renee Palmer were obviously celebrating as Lili spied a bottle of expensive champagne on the counter.

“What’s the occasion?” Lili asked tiredly as she took a seat by Doors. Augur promptly pulled out another of his antique glasses and poured some champagne before passing it to Lili. Ordinarily she was not a fan of champagne, but figured if Augur was giving out his good stuff there must be an excellent reason.

Renee smiled broadly. “Did you hear anything about Agent Sandoval’s presence in Peru?”

Lili nodded. “It was practically the main topic of conversation. I was just glad we finished when we did, the paranoia level was worse than that awful humidity.”

“Agent Sandoval and his shuttle pilot met with an unfortunate situation.” Renee began before taking a sip from her glass. “This is wonderful stuff Augur. I must commend your taste. Anyway, we made it look like our goal all along was to lure Sandoval into a trap.”

“Not to mention embarrassing the Taelons and the Volunteers.” Jonathan added.

Lili was intrigued. “What did you do to him?”

Augur smirked. “Sandoval and his shuttle pilot, Briand were found hog tied after being dumped in the middle of a town two hundred miles from where they were captured.”

“The local resistance cell did an extraordinary job.” Doors commented. “I reassigned them to the shuttle project. With the heat on them it was sensible as well as rewarding their ingenuity and resourcefulness. I only wish more cells were as cunning.”

“And anonymously contacting the media was a stroke of pure genius. The image of a dirt covered, hog tied Sandoval on the evening news is one our favorite implant won’t soon be forgetting.” Augur said with a laugh.

Lili smiled a took a drink, wishing they would get to the point. It was as if they were all in on some dirty little joke and relishing teasing her about it. “I trust that you have recordings of the evening news, right?”

“Of course.” Augur hit a button on a panel and a screen flared to life.

Lili immediately recognized Sandoval and his usual pilot, Volunteer Alyssa Briand. Both were looking extremely uncomfortable and annoyed, Sandoval’s glare at the camera crew was lethal. Then Lili noticed something was missing.

“They didn’t…” She whispered.

“They did.” Renee confirmed. “We’ve been trying to get a hold of a skrill for quite some time.”

Lili glanced at Doors. “Now I see why you like that cell so much.”

***

Zo’or studied his implant from under hooded eyes. Sandoval was nervous, the Taelon could tell as he had grown apt at deciphering his protector’s emotions. The Synod leader decided to allow him to stay that way for a while longer.

Things had not been going well with his plans. T’than’s arrival, was an unexpected complication. And Agent Sandoval’s recent loss of face courtesy of the Peruvian Resistance had not aided the Taelon agenda.

For his part, Sandoval stood stock still, his body still aching from having been in the same awkward position for hours. His wrists were still sore from where the ropes had cut into his skin, but all of that was secondary next to the pain in his arm. Every movement hammered home the reality that Raven was gone, taken by the Resistance and most likely floating in a jar of preserving fluid in some Liberation lab.

“Agent Sandoval.” Zo’or’s voice was so soft that he almost could not hear him at all. He leaned in just a bit.

“Yes?”

“If you wish to redeem yourself for the humiliation inflicted upon the Synod by your side trip courtesy of the Resistance, I suggest you consider new options in locating Resistance leaders. I require results or else I will be forced to seek a new protector. Am I clear?”

Sandoval swallowed hard as he considered the likely means of his ‘retirement’. He would have to put his agenda on hold again or all of his efforts would be wasted. “Perfectly.”