DISCLAIMER:  Earth:  Final Conflict and all of Earth:  Final characters in this story are property of Tribune Entertainment.  No infringement of rights is intended.  All SeaQuest DVS characters belong to Amblin Entertainment.  No infringement of rights is intended.  Agent Sira Jayson is a creation of my own.  Please do not use her without asking my permission first.

 

AUTHOR'S NOTE: This is an Earth: Final Conflict/SeaQuest DSV crossover that takes place in the EFC universe about mid-second season.  What happens when a couple of SeaQuest DSV characters are dropped into the EFC universe?  Chaos, that is what!  Words in ** are thoughts, words in < > are flashbacks or conversations in a person’s mind, and words in [ ] are dreams.

 

RATING:  PG

 

 

 

DESTINY

By Roguemoon

 

“So this is who I am,

And this is all I know,

And I must choose to live,

For all that I can give,

The spark that makes the power grow...

 

Fulfill your destiny...”

Celine Dion—Immortality

 

 

            A pair of dark eyes narrowed and as their owner stared over his sunglasses.  *Aliens *, he thought with a shiver that had nothing to do with the nippy New York air.  Aliens were the reason he was where he was and not in his proper dimension, or even his proper time.  Somewhere in the back of his mind he wondered what the version of himself would have been doing now in Miami—that is if he would have wondered if he had not already found out that the 13 year old he would have been in this time had died in a sailing accident at age 10.

            He thought it strange that the sea he loved had clamed his life in this dimension.  Then again, maybe it wasn’t strange, but some kind of sick joke fate had played on his other self.  Of course, since he would never see the Quest or her crew or his friends, again, maybe the joke was on him and not his other self.

            Miguel shook his head and redirected his attention to the Taelon who was speaking at the podium.  The Taelons were quite different than the aliens that he had known in his world, but then again he felt that the Taelons had as much of an ulterior motive for humanity as the Hyperions had had for the SeaQuest.

            Miguel sighed and pulled his jacket tighter around himself.  He wondered why fate had decided to drop him here of all places.  It was almost as if something was going to happen—something he was supposed to be a part of—something he wanted no part of.

            He pushed his sunglasses back up and started to turn to walk away.  He wanted no past of some fate destiny had planned for him.  Miguel had taken only a few steps when someone moved to block his path.  He looked at the man with an annoyed look on his face.

            “Is there something I can help you with?”  Miguel asked.

            “I think so, Chief Ortiz,” the man started.

            Miguel looked over the top of his sunglasses at the man, “Excuse me?”

            The man smirked, “Senior Chief Petty Officer Miguel Ortiz, that is you, correct?”

            Miguel looked shocked a moment and then stated, “What makes you think that is my name?”

            “Because,” the dark haired man said smugly, “the only other person who has your fingerprints was born on March 3rd 1992 and would be 13 if he were still alive.”

            Miguel sighed, “So I would have to be him.  Care to explain how you know my rank?”

            The man shook his head,” I have my ways as do my bosses, and they wish to speak to you.”

            Miguel’s eyes narrowed, “Who are your bosses?”

            The man looked hard at him, “Does that really matter?”

            “Yes,” Miguel replied, “it does.  I’d like to know who you are too.”

            “I am FBI Agent Ronald Sandoval.  I am also in charge of security for Zo’or, the head of the Taelon synod,” the dark haired man stated.  “He wants to talk to you.”

            Miguel looked around suddenly nervous, “And if I just decided to walk away from you?”

            Sandoval smiled slightly, “I wouldn’t recommend that, unless, of course, you would like to cause a scene and let everyone know who you are and where you are from.”

            Miguel swallowed.  He knew he was being forced into a trap, but he also had a feeling he was dead if he refused.

            He looked at the FBI Agent and tried to put on his trademark “no-worries” face, “All right, then lets go talk to your boss...”

 

 

 

            Miguel watched the Taelon as hard as the Taelon was watching him.  Idly, at the back of his mind, the part of him that was still an officer wondered if he should salute him...her...whatever it, was as the FBI Agent had.  He decided against it, though.  After all, a salute showed respect and the evil feeling he got from this being made him feel no respect for it.

Silently, Miguel sighed in relief as the Taelon’s gaze moved from him to the FBI Agent who had brought him there.  He found it interesting that even though Agent Sandoval seemed to be the Taelon's servant, there was an obvious tension between the two if them.  After a few moments, the Taelon shifted his attention back to him and finally spoke.

            “I am pleased to see you chose to come here without putting up a fight,” the Taelon stated.

            Miguel glanced briefly at Sandoval and then returned his eyes to the Taelon.  Zo’or, he remember Sandoval saying its name was.

            “It wasn’t like I had much of a choice,” he said in a flat voice.

            Zo’or smirked, “No, I needed to speak with you about your ‘home.’”

            A sarcastic remark entered Miguel’s mind, but he fought it back knowing that this was not the time or place to be “smart.”

            “Why is my ‘home’ so important to you?  How did you find out that my ‘home’ is not this time or dimension?”

            The Taelon’s eyes narrowed.  He obviously did not like to be questioned.  Still, Miguel felt he had a right to know what was going on before he answered any questions.

            The Taelon stared at him for a long moment and then nodded toward Sandoval who left the room only to return a few minutes later followed by a woman...

            Miguel’s face went pale when he saw who it was.  For a moment he couldn’t speak—couldn’t believe what he was seeing with his own eyes...

            ‘Wendy?”  He gasped finally.

She nodded and smiled slightly.  Miguel noticed that her smile didn't make it to her eyes and fought the urge to shiver.  Something was really wrong with her.

            “I wouldn’t say there was anything wrong with me.  I have only adapted to living in this time,” she laughed bitterly.  “Of course, I have been here for almost 10 years now.”

            “Ten years?”  He said in a low voice.  He had only been there for one.  It couldn’t be possible could it?  He looked her over and for the first time noticed that she had a few gray hairs mixed in with hair that was normally brown.

            “From what I figure,” she answered, “somehow when the SeaQuest was attacked we ended up being thrust through space and time.  It wasn’t a specific thing obviously of else we would have ended up in the same time instead of different ones.”

* Obviously, * he thought to himself sarcastically.  He was about to ask another question when he felt a light presence touch his mind.

            “Stop that!”  He said angrily, “You have no right to read my mind without my permission.”

            Something that could only be called a smirk crossed Wendy’s face, “Sorry, I didn’t realize that you are so ‘sensitive’ about psychic abilities.”

            Miguel didn’t reply.  The Wendy he knew would never had used her abilities without a person’s permission.  His feeling of wrongness increased.

            “Wendy, what is going on?  You never forced you abilities on any of us before,” he stated.

Wendy shrugged, “The Taelons need information from you.  You can give it to them or I can pull it from you mind.  It’s your choice.”

“‘Or you can pull it from my mind?’  You sound like you work for them or something.  What do I know that is so important to them?”  Miguel’s voice was tinged with anger.

            “She does,” Sandoval stated.  “She was implanted a few months ago.  Psychics are a valuable ‘commodity’ to the Taelons.”

            “‘Commodity?’”  Miguel ran his hands through his dark hair and then stated in a tense voice, ‘I can’t believe this is happening.”

            “Denial is not like you Miguel.  Perhaps you are still suffering after effects of your transport here,” Wendy stated.

            Miguel’s eyes narrowed and then angered as he felt Wendy touch his mind again.  Unconsciously, he threw a wall up against her probes.

Wendy’s eyes opened in surprise, “How did you...?  You aren’t...”

            Miguel just fixed her with a stare and didn't answer.  When Tim first realized he was developing psychic abilities, he had come to his best friend about it.  Over time they had realized that not only did Tim have psychic abilities, but Miguel himself also had a psi talent.  Of course, he wasn’t about to let Wendy know that even though it was likely that neither he nor she would ever see the Tim O’Neill they knew again.

            “Dr. Smith, is there a problem?”  Zo’or asked.

            Wendy looked from Miguel to Zo’or, “It seems that Mr. Ortiz has developed a psi ability I was not aware of.”

            “Is this going to be a problem?”  The Taelon asked.

            Miguel glared at them both as they continued to talk as if he were not there.

            “No,” Wendy stated.  “He has no training.  If he refuses to cooperate, I can easily break through his shields.”

            “Wendy!  Did you forget I as standing right here?  I thought we were friends or at least colleagues,” Miguel said angrily.

            Wendy looked at him a moment and Miguel got the feeling she was looking straight through him; “The Taelons come first.  After all, the SeaQuest is no longer our future.  The Taelons are our future.  You should feel honored that they feel you so important.”

            “Dios,” Miguel swore under his breath, “Wendy you sound like you have been brain washed.”

            Wendy shook her head, “No, Miguel, not at all.  I have been freed.  I have been given a place in this world where I belong.  They can do that for you too.  They can help you if you only help them.”

            “I don’t think I want their kind of help,” Miguel stated.

            “ I take that as meaning you are not going to help us,” Zo’or stated.

            Miguel turned to the Taelon, “No way in he** am I going to tell you anything!”

            Zo’or fixed Miguel with a stare and then turned to Wendy, “He is now your responsibly Doctor.  Do not fail me.”

            Miguel started to turn to Wendy, but before he could say anything he felt her attack his mind.  He tried to fight back with the defenses that he and Tim had figured out, but in the end he was no match for her training and was soon forced unconscious.

            After Miguel had collapsed to the floor, Wendy turned to Sandoval, “Have someone take him to my examining room.”  Sandoval nodded and left the room.  Wendy then turned to Zo’or, “Don’t worry.  I will get all the information you require.  Ortiz maybe stubborn, but he is no match for me.”

            Zo’or nodded, “You may do whatever you need to, to get the information.  He is of no use to us once we have gathered the information we need.”

            A cruel smirk crossed Wendy’s face, “Good, because when I am done with him, he may not have much of a mind left...”

 

 

 

            She watched as he threw his head back against the table in pain.  His whole body was tense with the effort he was putting into blocking the probes Wendy was throwing at him.  Unfortunately, she knew—he probably knew as well—that nothing he could do would keep her from taking the information she wanted just as she had done over the last few days.  Agent Sira Jayson had, had the ‘privilege’ of watching Wendy work because she was eventually supposed to learn to do the same.  Sira laughed.  If only they knew.

            * What would they do if they found out who I really was?  I only came here to learn to control my abilities more thoroughly—and to keep them from hunting me down and killing me.  * Sira sighed.  * Things have changed, though.  I never thought it would happen again, but it seems to have.  When I was pulled here, I thought it was a quark of fate.  Now I am no longer alone.  Having others around to understand is something I dreamed of happening, but... *

            Sira brought her head up as her thoughts were interrupted by a cry of pain from the man in the examining room.  Sira reached out and touched the glass that separated him from her.  Of course, he could not see her through it, as she could see him, but that didn't mean he couldn’t feel her.

            Sira reached out and soothed his mind—a mind that had been torn, twisted, and broken in order to get whatever it was he was supposed to know out of him.  She wasn’t supposed to be doing this—helping him, but she knew that she had enough skill that no one would know it was her unless she let them know.  She may have come here for training, but that didn't mean she was completely untrained.  No one with a psi ability would have lasted a day in her world if they didn’t know how to hide themselves from others.

            Wendy’s face wrinkled when she hit the wall that Sira had erected around the man’s mind.  Sira felt her trying and failing to find the source of the new protection.  Finally, Wendy gave up and angrily left the room. 

As soon as she was gone, Sira watched the man go limp and almost immediately fall into an exhausted sleep.  She was about to sever the link between their minds when he started to dream.  The dream was centered around the information Wendy had been trying so hard to pull from his mind—the name of the person who had taught him about his psi abilities.  Sira realized bitterly that not only was Wendy trying to pull the information the Taelons wanted out of his head, she was also fulfilling a private agenda.

Sira sighed.  She knew it was wrong to eavesdrop on his dream, but she also realized that she needed the information if she was going to be able to get him out of there.  So, instead of severing the link as she had intended to do, she let herself be pulled into his dream...

 

The pillow flew by his head, and he laughed; “Now we all know why you work in Communications.  You couldn’t hit a barn if you were standing two inches in front of it!”

The brown haired man who had thrown the pillow at him narrowed his eyes behind his glasses, “Ortiz, I think you should remember that I out rank you.  It would be a shame if I were forced to report your behavior to Captain Bridger.”

A mock look of fear crossed Miguel’s face, “Oh no!  What am I going to do?  Timmy’s pulling rank on me.”

“Don’t call me...” O’Neill was cut off as Miguel launched the pillow back at him and hit him directly in the face.

“Hu?  What’d you say Tim?  I couldn’t make out that last word through the mouthful of pillow you were chewing on,” Miguel snickered.

Tim looked over the top of his glasses at Miguel, “Are you through now?”

Miguel sighed at the tone of Tim’s voice and dropped down onto the couch where he had been sitting, “I still don't see why this is so important.  You’re the one picking up on others’ thoughts, not me.”

Tim shook his head, “The whole point is that you might start and if you do, you will need to know what to do.  I’m your friend, Mig.  I’m just trying to make it easier on you.”

“I know, I know.  I guess I just want to take the easy way out for once.  Call me lazy, but sometimes I wish things were a little less weird.  I could do without being possessed by ghosts if you know what I mean,” Miguel stated.

Tim smiled, “I understand.  I could go without having my best friend try to cut me in half with a machete.”

Miguel laughed and shook his head; “You got to admit though, once the ladies aboard realized I wasn’t possessed anymore, they couldn’t wait to go on a date with me.”

Tim rolled his eyes at Miguel and then calmly stood up, walked over to him, and began to beat him with the pillow...

 

Sira smiled as Miguel drifted deeper into his dream.  She carefully broke the link between them, as so not to disturb him, and then left the observation room.  She had walked only a few feet from the room when her global went off.  She opened it and then smiled at the person on the other end.

“Hello Major Kincaid.”

“How are things going, Sira?”  Kincaid asked.

“Good,” Sira replied.  “He is holding out.  Is everything almost ready?”

            Liam nodded, “They will be ready shortly.  Do what you have to, to make sure the Taelons don't find out whatever it is they are trying to get out of him.”

            “Will do, Major,” Sira replied and shut her global.  For a moment afterward, she shut her eyes.  What she hadn’t told Liam, was exactly how damaged Miguel’s mind was.  She had been so sure that her empathic healing abilities would be able to bring him back around once they got him away from the Taelons, but what if she couldn’t?  After all, she was only partially trained.  Her mind drifted back to his dream.  She wouldn’t fail him—she couldn’t, because if she did, she would not only be failing him, she would be failing the man who in her world had been her father—Miguel’s best friend—Timothy O’Neill...

 

 

 

            When Miguel opened his eyes, he was confused.  The place he was in was unfamiliar to him and that didn’t bode well.  It seemed that every time that Wendy had decided to alter her attack on his mind, he had woke up in a different place. 

 *Well, woke up might be the wrong term, * Miguel thought to himself as he looked around himself at the rocky, smoke hazed landscape.  * After all, I haven’t been truly awake anywhere but in my mind since Wendy started her attacks.  *  Miguel sighed as he walked toward a rock and then sat down in front of it.  Once sitting, he put his head in his hands.

* I don’t know why I don’t just give up, * Miguel thought and then laughed.  * Yes I do.  That old Ortiz pride gets me in trouble all the time.  Oh, I wish... * He squeezed his eyes shut and swallowed the lump that suddenly blocked his throat.  * I wish Tim were here.  He’d know what to do.  He always knew how to get me out of the trouble I was so good at getting myself into.  *

“ You’re too hard on yourself,” a soft voice said.

Miguel tensed up as he raised his head, expecting Wendy to be starting some kind of attack.  He was surprised when he saw that the speaker was not Wendy, but a younger woman with mousy brown hair.  She was tall and thin, with smoky gray eyes.  For a moment, he thought he could see...

            He laughed bitterly, “Funny Wendy, very funny.  Create a woman who looks like Tim and you think I will spill my guts to her?”  Miguel stood up angrily.  ‘Well you are wrong!  I am not going to tell you anything!”

            Sira’s face saddened.  Wendy had hurt him even more than she had guessed she had.  But that didn’t matter.  Now that the Resistance had managed to get him away from the Taelons, Sira had to get him to trust them.  It was the only way to stop what was happening.

Miguel turned to walk away from her, even as his heart told him that something was different—that he should stay, listen to her.  He shook his head and ignored his heart.  After all, if Wendy could control everything else about this place, perhaps she could control his feelings as well—couldn’t she?

 Sira watched him go.  It wasn’t like she couldn’t find him again, and he needed time.  Perhaps if she didn’t go after him, as Wendy would have, then he would start to wonder and maybe to trust.

 

            Sira left Miguel’s mind.  When she opened her eyes in the physical world, she realized that she was not alone.  Liam was watching her.

            “Make any progress/” He asked.

            Sira shook her head; “He’s scared Liam.  Scared and alone.  I can’t push him or else he will shut down on us completely.”

Liam sighed, “I don't want to seem pushy, but we need to know what is going on.”

            Sira glared at him; “Don't you think I know that?  But it is going to take time.  I could just pull the information form his mind for you, but then I would be as bad a Wendy wouldn’t I?”

            “That’s not what I meant!”  Liam stated.  “You know how important this is.  You know what is resting on it.”

            “No, I don’t!  None of us do!”  Sira sad angrily.  “If we did...”

            Liam held up his hand, “Sira, I’m sorry.  I know that this is harder on you than the rest of us...”

“Yes, Liam it is,” Sira's voice was suddenly tense with pain.  “Don’t forget that.  We may be able to stop this and save your dimension, but those of us who have been pulled here will never see our dimensions again no matter what happens.”

            “I know,” Liam stated softly and turned to leave.

            Sira watched him walk out and then turned back to the still form lying on the bed in front of her.  After a moment, she leaned forward and gently brushed his dark, curly hair off his forehead. 

            “Help us, Mig,” She whispered.  “Please, help us...”

 

 

 

            Sira stood and watch him.  If he was aware that she was in his mind, he showed no sign of it.  Instead he seemed to be reliving parts of his memories.  This worried her slightly because it meant that he was hiding from the present and what Wendy had done to him instead of facing it.  She knew that she should call him back to the present, but she was also curious to see what type of man he had been in his dimension.  How much of the Miguel Ortiz she had known was in this version?  If she could learn more about how much this man reflected the one she knew, perhaps she could use that to help him face the present again...

 

            < Miami, Fl, 1999.  New Year’s Eve.  A 7-year-old Miguel tagged along after his three older brothers to the New Year’s celebration.  The mood was festive except for the four of them.  Miguel knew that his brothers resented having to babysit him on the turn of the Millennium.  They would have much rather been free to do whatever they wanted—drink, party.  Instead they had to behave because the baby was with them.

            “Miguel come on!”  Michael reached back and grabbed Miguel’s arm.  “We have places to be and if you don’t keep up we are going to leave you.”

            “Why don't one of you just carry him?”  Raul, his oldest brother, asked.  “He’s small enough.”

            Miguel glared at him.  Raul knew how much he hated being so small, but he picked on him anyway.

            Miguel pulled his arm away from Michael and stopped walking, “I can walk myself!”

            “Then do it bro!”  Luis gave him a push from behind to start him walking again.

            Miguel stumbled a few steps and then turned around and pushed Luis back.  Not that his 20 year old brother moved.  He just glared down at him.

            “Just leave him, Lou!”  Raul yelled back at them.  “He’ll follow just like he always does.”

            “Are you coming?”  Luis asked.

            Miguel just stared at him and didn't reply.

            Luis shrugged and started to walk away, “Suit yourself!”

            Miguel shut his eyes a moment to hold back his tears.  He couldn’t help it that their parents wanted to spend the night alone.  It also wasn’t his fault that he was so much younger than they were.  Why couldn’t they leave him alone?

            Alone...  Miguel’s eyes flew open and he looked around for any sign of his brothers.  Unfortunately, there was none.  Fear filled his heart, but he buried it.  Who cared if they had left him?  He would go home—he could find the way and once he got there he could tell mom and dad what had happened. 

            Miguel started toward home, but hadn’t gone far when a man grabbed a hold of his arm.  Miguel looked up at him in fear, but the man only smiled at him.

            “What’s a little guy like you doing out here all alone?”  The man asked.

            Miguel looked straight up at him and tried to look brave even though he was really scared.  Something about this man was wrong—he could feel it.

            “I’m going home.  Will you let me go now?  Please?”  He asked.

            The man smiled again, a smile that never reached his eyes, “Of course, youngin’.”

            The man let him go and Miguel took off running down the street.  After a few blocks he stopped to catch his breath.  As he stood there, he wrapped his arms around himself.  He could still feel the man’s touch on his arm—could still feel the evil that had surrounded him.  After a minute, Miguel laughed at himself.  What a chicken he was being.  He looked down the street to where his house was and smiled, then started to skip toward it.  He never made it home... >

 

            Sira shut her eyes.  She had hoped that this Miguel had not had to go through this.  Unfortunately, it looked like he had.  After being abandoned by his brothers, her version of Miguel had started home only to be caught and molested by a man—one who they never caught.  As this Miguel’s memory of that night progressed, sadness filled her soul.  A child should never have to go through such things.  The abuse this Miguel had suffered had actually been worse than what she knew her version had suffered.  She pulled herself together and forced herself to open her eyes only to see that the scene and memory had changed...

 

            < Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, 2012.  Now 20 years old, Miguel shyly looked over the building that would be his home for the next few years.  When he had gotten the letter saying he’d been accepted, he was thrilled.  Now he wasn't so sure.  So many strangers, no one he knew or trusted. 

            * Oh stop that Miguel!  * He scolded himself.  * When are you going to learn to trust again?  You can’t go through life second-guessing everything.  *

            Miguel sighed and looked down at the paper in his hand.  * Room 325, bunkmate O’Neill, Timothy.  I hope this guy knows when to leave a guy alone... * Miguel thought as he entered the building, checked in, and then walked toward his room.  When he got there he was happy to see that it was empty.  Unfortunately, it looked like O’Neill had already moved in, so Miguel doubted he would be gone long.  He sighed and started to unpack his stuff.  Once he was done, he crashed into a chair and stared at his new roomie’s desk.  It was piled high with books and notebooks. 

Miguel chuckled as he stood up and walked to desk, * My roomie’s a librarian.  I should have guessed.  Hey, what do we have here?  The Legend of Atlantis.  Hmm, I don’t think I have read this one.  I wonder where he got it... *  >

 

            Sira laughed as she watched the scene unfold.  While this particular memory hadn’t been that much like what the Miguel form her dimension had experienced, she could guess what was going to happen next.  Sure enough, Tim walked in on Miguel reading his book and they had been friends ever since.  Even though neither Tim would ever take credit for it, they had had a big part in getting both versions of Miguel to come out of the shell he had been in ever since the attack.

            As Sira watched, the memory suddenly shifted again, this time to one she didn't recognize at all except for the setting...

 

            < The SeaQuest, 2022.  One week before the ship was taken to Hyperion.  Miguel sat at the edge of the moon pool and just stared at the water as it moved.  For the past few nights he had been plagued by nightmares he couldn’t remember and a growing feeling of dread that he couldn’t shake no matter what he did.  Something big was going to happen and the results wouldn’t be good.  It frustrated him that he couldn’t either place the feelings or make himself forget them. 

            Miguel sighed and absentmindedly splashed his hand in the water.  He was surprised a few seconds later when Darwin swam up.  Miguel smiled at the dolphin and reached for the control that let Darwin speak.

            “Ortiz, sad.”  The dolphin stated once Miguel had turned to control on.

            “Yeah, I guess I am,” Miguel replied.

            “Why?”  Darwin asked bobbing his head slightly.

            Miguel shrugged his shoulders, “I’m not sure, buddy.  I just have a feeling something bad is going to happen.”

            Darwin bobbed his head harder, “Feeling bad.  Darwin have too.”

            Miguel gently stroked the top of the dolphin’s head to calm him; “Can you describe it?”

            Darwin seemed to shake his head, “No.  Feeling vague.  Friends hurt, missing.”

            Miguel sighed, “That doesn’t help cause it is the same thing I am feeling.”

            Darwin raised his head slightly and seemed to look Ortiz in the eyes.  For a moment, Miguel felt as if he was being pulled into a different time, different place.  He was shook out of it when Darwin suddenly let out a loud clicking sound and swam away.  As he watched the dolphin go, Miguel fought down the urge to shiver... >

 

            Sira did shiver as she felt his fear.  How hard it must have been for him to know something was going to happen and not be able to do anything about it.  And then to end up in a strange world, alone, afraid—it had to have almost destroyed him.  Then on top of everything, to be betrayed by one of his friends.  Sira wondered how he had survived at all.

            “Probably the same way Wendy did,” a soft voice made Sira turn around in surprise.  “By hoping there was a way to go back, no matter how impossible it seemed.”

            She looked at the shadowed form that was Miguel.  How could she tell him that there was no way?  That technically, the dimensions they had come from no longer existed?  He was still hurting from Wendy’s abuse—she could tell that from the fact he would not appear in his true form to her (the man she was facing was not the Miguel who lay on the bed, but Miguel as he had looked at age 20). 

            “But there is no way to go back is there?”  Miguel stated after the silence had become uncomfortable.

            “No,” Sira whispered.  “There is no way to go back.”

            Miguel sighed and turned his back to her.  After a few moments she realized he was crying.  Slowly she walked over to him and touched his shoulder; “ I know how you feel.  It is what I felt when I realized I would never be able to go home either.”

            He looked at her, the surprise in his eyes being replaced with a sudden understanding, “You were...”

            Sira nodded, “I was pulled here too.  My world was different than this one.  More similar to yours.”  Sira suddenly smiled, “You know, there is a reason I look so familiar to you.”

            For a moment, he just stared at her, “You are related to Tim?”

            Sira nodded, “You could say that.  I am his daughter...”

 

 

 

            “So, are you going to tell me about your dimension and yourself or do I have to guess?”  Miguel asked with a joking tone in his voice.

            Sira smiled.  It was good to see that he was relaxing in her presence.  She had hoped that knowing she was his bestfriend’s daughter would put him more at ease—even if her father was an alternate version of his friend.  Apparently, though, that didn’t make much difference to Miguel.  Not only was his voice more relaxed, but he was now speaking to her in his fully adult form.  Even the mindscape they were walking in—no longer shadowed and threatening—reflected his new comfort level.

            “Well,” Sira began, “my dimension is very much like yours from what I can tell.  The Miguel I knew grew up very much like you did.  My father also grew up in a similar way to the way that the Tim you knew did.  There were some minor differences, but the real difference came after the first SeaQuest was destroyed.  In your dimension, you and Tim signed back on when the SeaQuest when she was rebuilt, right?”

            Miguel nodded, “We never gave it a second thought.”

            Sira stopped walking, “In my world you did.  As a matter of fact, you and Tim...my father, didn't go back.  Instead you two ended up working in UEO headquarters until...”

            “Until what?”  Miguel asked when she paused.

            She looked at the ground, “You and my father always had a psychic link.  I assume because you are a psychic now that you and he did in your dimension too.  Anyway, after being off the SeaQuest for about six months, my father’s abilities started to get stronger.  Pretty soon, his abilities and the link between you two caught the attention of the people running the Psi Division of the UEO, but there is something you have to understand about my dimension.  Everyone was scared of people with psi abilities.  Those with psi abilities did their best to hide them because all too often the psi-talented that were discovered disappeared or ended up dead.”

            “So what did they do?”  Miguel asked.

            “My father and your double went underground like a lot of other  psis did.  My father met my mother there, and I was born there...” her face suddenly saddened.  “Mom died there too.”

            “Sira...” Miguel started.

            She shook her head, “She died at birth...  I never knew her.  It almost killed dad though.  He never would have made it without your double.  They got very close...”

            Miguel looked up quickly, “You mean...”

            Sira nodded, “Yeah, they raised me and kept each other going.  Then one day, about 20 years later, our headquarters was discovered.  Actually, now that I think about it, someone must have given them the location, but that doesn't matter.  Everyone was...”

            Miguel watched the tears enter her eyes, and he could guess what she was going to say, “Everyone was killed.”

            She nodded and swallowed, “Except me.  The last thing I remember is being locked in battle with another psi—I was losing.  Just when I thought it was over, I saw a flash and woke up here.”

            Miguel looked down at the ground for a moment in thought, “It seems like we were all about to die when we were brought here.”

            Sira nodded, “Yeah, I guess.”

Miguel looked up and gently touched her arm when he saw how upset she was, “I’m sorry.  I...”

            Sira shook her head, “It doesn’t matter.  Our dimensions no longer exist for us.”

            “But it still hurts,” Miguel stated.

            “Yes,” Sira whispered.  “It still hurts.”

            Silence stretched between them.  Miguel wanted to say something, but he didn’t know what he could say to make her feel better.  It was hard enough for him to accept what she had  told him, let alone know what to say to make her feel better.  He watched her for a few moments, and was about to try and say something when she looked up and dried her eyes.

            “Enough of this,” she said in a slightly shaky voice.  “We have more important things to figure out.”

            Miguel smiled sadly, knowing that she would need a lot of time to get over what had happened.  * Heck, * he thought to himself, * I am going to need more time to get over everything.  That is if we live though this.  *

            Miguel sighed and then looked Sira in the eye, “What to we need to do?”

            Sira smiled suddenly, “Well, the first thing you need to do is wake up.  You think you can handle that now?”

            Miguel laughed, “Yeah, I think I can do that.”

 

 

 

            [ Miguel looked around at the hazy landscape.  As he did, fear rose in his throat and made it hard to breathe.  For several long moments, he thought that some how Wendy had managed to slip passed the defenses that he and Sira had set up in his mind.  Then someone spoke to him.

            “You have nothing to fear here my son.  No one will hurt you.  This you know deep in your soul.”

            Miguel spun around and, for a moment, just stared at the glowing figure, then he smiled, “Dad.”

            The figure held out his arms, “My son.”

            For a moment they embraced, then the glowing figure motioned to a bench, “Come and sit with me Mig’guel’len.”

            They sat in silence for a few moments and then Miguel spoke, “I, I thought I would never see you again.  When the dreams stopped after what happened...  I thought I had done something wrong.”

            The glowing figure gently pulled Miguel’s head up so he was looking at him, “What happened to you was not your fault.  If I could have stopped it I would have.  Unfortunately, I was forbidden to interfering with your life after that.  That is why your dreams stopped.  The council thought my visits may have put you in danger.”

            Miguel nodded, “Do you know why I am here?  What is going on?”

The glowing figure stood and started to walk, motioning for Miguel to follow him, “Yes, I know.  All of the Kimera from your dimension—from any dimension—know.  It is something we set in motion to try and save as many dimensions as we could.”

            Miguel shook his head, “I don’t understand.”

            His father turned to face him, “Long ago the Kimera, on their journey to record the history of all species, came across one species that was so self-centered that we knew they would cause danger to all other species.  When we learned of their plans to wipe out all species not meeting their approval not only in our dimension, but all dimensions, we  had to act.  Of course, our laws stated that we could not interfere, but we could not just stand by and watch countless versions of species destroyed, so we were forced to act.  As a result, the Kimera took their knowledge and reached out to any species they felt had a chance to defeat these villains.  We came across only one race with the potential to do that.”

            “Humanity,” Miguel whispered.

            His father nodded, “Yes, as a result, we contacted every alternate version of the Kimera we could to warn them of the upcoming destruction and what they could do to possibly stop it.  Then we focused on doing what we could to protect our own dimension.”

            “You came to Earth and breed with the human population,” Miguel stated when his father paused.

“Yes, had it been our choice, there would have been more than one child created, but we learned from other versions of ourselves that perished that more than one child acted like a magnet that pulled the Key person to the dimension before the child was ready to defend itself.  Extended contact with another Kimerian did the same thing,” his father stated.

            “Which is why you left me,” Miguel whispered.

            “Yes, and that is also why the true knowledge of who and what you are was hidden from you.  We had to do all we could to protect our dimension.  Do you realize that there are only three dimensions left?  Ours, the one you currently are living in, and one other we have little knowledge of.  It seems though, that all of the remaining Kimera children have been brought to the dimension that you are currently inhabiting.  We do not know why this is,” his father stated.

            Miguel looked shocked, “I’m not alone?”

            His father’s face softened, “Of course you are not.  You already know of one person who is from another dimension besides your own.  I have a feeling that she is the Kimera child from her dimension.”

            “Sira,” Miguel whispered.

            His father smiled, “Is that her name?  It is a pretty name.”

            Miguel nodded absentmindedly, “So what do I have to do?”

            His father gently touched his son’s chest, “In here you know what you must do.  You know who the Key person is.  You must destroy that person before they destroy this dimension and all hope that there is left for millions of races.”

            Miguel nodded, “I understand.  Can you tell me who the Kimera child is in this dimension?”

            His father smiled, “You already know.  You Kimera-brother has been watching over you since you were taken by the Taelons.”

            Miguel’s face looked surprised.

            His father nodded, “Yes, you know.  Are you surprised?”

            Miguel thought for a minute and then shook his head, “ I should have guessed.  I felt a connection every time I saw him and Sira as well, now that I think about it.”

            His father nodded and then his face saddened.

            “Father, what is it?”  Miguel asked.

            He gazed at his son a moment and then stated, “I must go now.”

            Miguel’s face saddened, “No... I has so much yet to tell you...to ask...”

            His father shook his head, “No, you have asked about all I can tell you.  I love you my son.  Do not forget that.”

            “I’m not going to see you again, am I?”  Miguel asked.

            His father’s head lowered and Miguel could see his distress by the rapid changing of colors in his form.

            “Ha’gel?” Miguel asked.

            His father walked over to him and gently took his hands, “It is too hard to communicate across dimensions like this.  As much as I hate the idea, there is nothing I can do about it.”

            Miguel nodded sadly, “I love you, father.”

            “And I you, my son,” Ha’gel said softly.  “Now I must go.  But before I go, I have a gift for you.”

            Miguel looked at him about to ask what, when a glow drew his eyes to their joined hands.

            “What...” Miguel started to say, but was cut off as a sudden jolt went through his body.

            “I love you son,” Miguel heard his father repeat again, and then everything went black... ]

 

 

            Miguel shot upright in bed gasping for breath.  He went to bring his hands to his forehead to wipe away the sweat that was dripping down his face, but stopped when he saw that they were glowing faintly.  The glow came from a slight red mark on each of his palms that had not been there before the dream.

            * ...I have a gift for you... * His father’s words came back to him as clear as when they had first been spoken, and Miguel smiled slightly.  He closed his hands and the glow faded.  After it had, he was about to lay down again when he felt someone watching him.  He rolled his eyes up not half surprised to see Liam standing in the doorway.

            Their eyes met and the shock slowly vanished from Liam’s face.

            Miguel smiled, “I suppose we have a lot to talk about, brother.”

            Liam just nodded.

 

 

 

            “Do you realize how crazy this sounds?”  Liam asked Miguel and Sira.  “There is no way I would believe it if the proof wasn’t staring me in the face.”

            Miguel shrugged, “Don’t you think it is weird for us too?”

            Sira smiled slightly, “It is weird for all of us.  Right now we have more important things to argue about.  Like figuring out who the Key person is so we can stop the Hyperions’ plan.”

            Liam nodded, “Just one question. Why didn’t you guys grow up like I did, and what pulled you here?”

            “That’s two,” Miguel laughed under his breath.

            Liam tossed an annoyed look his way and then laughed, “So sue me.”

            “Well, all of the Kimera children were different.  I guess our fathers just did something so that we would grow up slower,” Sira stated and then looked at Liam.  “As for the second question, I am afraid out of all of us, you would be the one to know, so if you don't well then we are out of luck.”

Liam nodded and thought for a moment, letting his thoughts be pulled inward as he searched for any information that might have been connected what his version of the Kimera knew about the Hyperions.

            Sira watched him and worried.  The various emotions that crossed his face didn’t help her feel better.  Finally, he came out of it.

Well?” Sira asked.

            Liam shrugged his shoulders, “I’m not sure, but I think somehow my Kimera set it up so that when the Key person entered this dimension all of the surviving Kimera children would be drawn here to protect this dimension.”

            “Nice of them to bring us to fight their battles and “forget” our own,” Sira said with a sigh.

            Liam nodded sadly, “Yes, I agree, but we can’t change it now.  We can only fight to see that their and your sacrifice wasn’t for nothing.”

            Sira sighed and looked over at Miguel who had gotten very quite.  She was worried when she saw his eyes were closed.

            “Mig, are you okay?”

            He slowly opened his eyes and looked at them, “You realize, I know who the Key person is.”

            Liam looked surprised, “You do? How?”

            “Because,” Miguel said quietly, “Because she’s been watching me ever since I got here”

            Sira went pale for a moment, “Wendy.”

            Liam stood up and began to walk to the other side of the room, “Of course!  It makes perfect sense.  She…”

            “No,” Miguel’s soft voice cut him off.  “Not Wendy.”

            Liam stopped mid-step and looked at him, “What?”

            Sira stood up as Liam spoke and looked at Miguel, “Miguel, what do you mean no?  It all makes sense.  She was trying to get information out of you and didn’t care if she killed you in the process.”

            Miguel glared at Sira; “It’s not Wendy.  It couldn’t be.  She was pulled here at the same moment as me.  There is no way she could have been the Key person and pulled us here with her arrival if she was pulled here at the same time as me.  Don’t you see?  She is only a pawn.”

            Liam looked at Miguel a moment, deep in thought, “You’re right.  Da**, but that leaves us back at square one.”    

            “No,” Miguel said and looked at Sira who had taken several steps away from them.

            Liam looked from Miguel to Sira in shock, but said nothing as Miguel stood up and walked toward her.

            Sira became more pale, “Miguel, what are you…  I can’t be what you are thinking?  I am a Kimera child, remember?  I helped you…”

            Miguel nodded, “Yes, a nice cover…very smart of the Hyperions to think of it.”

            “But I helped you…” she repeated weakly.

            “Sure you did.  And in doing that you gained access to all of my memories including who I thought the other Kimera children were!” Miguel’s voice raised.  “After all, the Key person cannot sense Kimera children. They have to wait for the child to reveal itself.  Working with us gave you a chance to get us all together and destroy us all at once as opposed to one at a time.”

            Liam was now the pale one.  He didn’t know who to believe, “Sira?”

She looked at him, her face desperate, “Liam, Wendy must have control of his mind again.  Stop him before he hurts me!”

            Liam started to take a step toward Miguel, but then stopped, as a cold shiver passed over him.

            Liam looked at Sira, “No.”

Sira's eyes turned pleading,” Liam. Please.  He is nuts…  Maybe, maybe he’s the Key person, and he is trying to separate us.  Please Kimera-Brother, help me!”

            Liam shook his head, “Something is wrong here.  I don’t know what it is, but I can feel it.”

            “It’s her,” Miguel said lowly.  “We all have a warning built into our genes.  Up until now, my mind has been too messed up to recognize it, and you were probably just ignoring it.  A lot of our kind do, but we can’t now, not when it is staring us in the face.”

Sira’s face suddenly hardened, “You think you are so smart,” she hissed.  “You won’t win.  I will find him, and kill him and then you will be next.”

            Liam took a step toward her, “Why don’t we talk about this?  There has…”

            “We have nothing to say to each other,” Sira spat at him.  “Be prepared Kimera children.  The next time we meet, you will die.” There was a sudden flash and when Miguel and Liam could see again, Sira was gone.

            Liam collapsed into a chair, “Oh he**.  Now what do we do?”

Miguel looked at him; “We have to find the third Kimera child.”

            “But how do we do that, and how do we know that we can trust whoever it is?  We trusted her, and it almost got us killed,” Liam stated.

            Miguel sat on the arm of another chair, “She was using us, we can’t change that.  Now we have to find him before she does.”

            “And just were do we start genius?  Since I take it you know who this person is,” Liam asked.

            Miguel nodded “Where else?  His home town…”

 

 

 

            “Sira?”  Wendy called out to the empty air.  She didn’t understand why the girl wanted to meet here of all places, but she had come.  After all, Sira had claimed that she knew where Miguel was and if she had any chance of getting home, Wendy knew it lay in what Miguel knew. 

            Wendy sighed and rubbed her hands together to try and warm them.  She was about to call out to Sira again when a vice like pressure clamped down around her mind.  She let out a cry and tired to fight it even as she felt her body go numb and her knees give out.

            She hit the pavement hard, the pressure increasing with every second it lasted.  Wendy knew that if she didn’t break the hold quickly, her mind would be collapse under the pressure and be destroyed.  She fought with all her strength and all her fear.

 

            Sira watched, emotionless, as Wendy cried out once more and then fell motionless on the pavement.  After a few moments, she slowly walked over to the still form and kicked it with her foot.  It was a shame to waste a talent like hers, but she was of no more use to her.  Seconds passed, and Sira just watched as the blood that seeped from Wendy’s ear collected beneath her head.  Then she turned and walked away knowing that even if the woman’s body was found soon, it wouldn’t really matter.  After all, she was an implant and CVI breakdowns were terrible and deadly things.  No one would ever know that the CVI breakdown had not caused her death…

 

            Timothy O’Neill trudged up the sidewalk to his house swearing in Arabic under his breath.  He could handle the dreams he had been having ever since he had been dumped in this dimension a little over a year ago, but the feeling of real danger that had been growing inside of him was making him feel like he was going crazy.  Not to mention that the dreams had suddenly changed so that they were no longer about his Miguel, but about another who he didn’t know any better than he knew anyone in this dimension.

            Tim reached the door only to have it swing open before he could touch it.  He froze as a voice called out to him.

            “Hello, Dad…”

 

            Liam drove the car around the corner and tired to ignore the nervous fidgeting coming from the man sitting next to him.  Miguel was anxiously looking out the window for anything that would give him a clue to where the third Kimera child, and alternate version of his best friend, was.  He knew he was in this area—the link between them told him that.

            Liam looked over at Miguel for a second and then looked back at the street and slammed on the breaks just fast enough to avoid hitting the form that was blown by some type of blast right into their path.

 

Tim managed to keep his head from hitting the pavement by some miracle, but he realized bitterly that that didn’t matter since it looked like a car was going to flatten him anyway.  He shut his eyes, but reopened them as the car screeched to a halt mere inches from him.  Another curse slipped from his lips, this one in French, as he tried to get to his feet.  A pair of strong arms helped him to his feet, and he turned to thank the person only to again freeze.

            A mischievous grin crossed Miguel’s face, “Nice to see you again too.”

            Tim paled, “Mig?”

            Liam walked up to the two of them and hissed, “Explain later Ortiz!  Unless you really want to just stand here and let Sira take pop shots at us!”

            Miguel looked over at the house and watched Sira slowly walk out of it.  The look on her face filled him with fear with its blankness.  He grabbed Tim’s arm and drug him to the car.

 

            Sira laughed as they drove away.  Let them think they were escaping, she knew she was only letting them go.  It didn’t matter when or where she took them out.  It didn’t matter at all.  Let them think they were safe.  She knew otherwise…

 

            Miguel laughed and ran his hands though his hair, “Geez, what is this?  Am I gay in all those alternate dimensions or what?”

            Tim laughed lightly and smiled, “Well what you, I mean, he told me was it was because if the attack.  Actually, he said I was the first and only person he trusted at all.  Of course, since he was blinded in the attack it would have been harder for him to trust again than it would have been for you.”

            Miguel nodded and accepted the drink that Liam handed him.  Liam then walked to the TV and turned it on.  Miguel was about to ask Tim another question when Liam gasped.

            Miguel turned to him and began to ask what was wrong, but fell silent as the anchor answered his question for him.

            “To recap,” the anchor stated, “The body of Companion Agent Wendy Smith was found in an alley early this morning.  It is not clear what the Agent was doing there.  What is clear is that the cause of death seems to be CVI failure.  When asked about the safety of the CVI’s, Agent Sandoval stated that they were perfectly safe and said that they were looking into what caused Agent Smith’s to kill her.  More as it develops…”

            Liam reached up to turn off the TV only to have Miguel angrily flip the switch off with his psychic abilities before Liam got to it.

            “CVI failure my a**,” Miguel swore.

            Liam nodded, “Sira.”

            Tim looked at them both, “You knew her?”

            Miguel nodded, “She was accidentally pulled here when I was.”

            “I’m sorry,” Tim said softly.

            Miguel nodded, “It’s okay. We can’t change it now.  We need to focus on stopping Sira.”

            “And just how are we going to do that?”  Liam asked.  “After all, each of us have trillions of lives depending on our survival.”

            Tim sat his glass down and looked at both of them, “I think that is where I come in…”

 

 

 

            Miguel looked around the dark warily.  He didn’t like being a target, but it had to be done.  It was the best, maybe only way, that they would have a chance of fighting Sira on their turf.

            * Not that our turf is all that comforting. *  He looked around at the area in front of the empty warehouse.  Crates, trucks, and all kinds of other pieces of rusted abandoned parts lay around.  On one hand, it gave Tim and Liam plenty of hiding places.  On the other hand, it also gave plenty of hiding spaces to Sira.

Miguel double checked his mental shields.  He wasn’t about to end up the same way Wendy had.  Just as he finished the check, an unnatural wind whipped through the area and sent the ends of his jacket flapping around him.  A dark chill ran down his spine as he turned to face the wind.

            Sira started back at him with dead eyes.

Miguel swallowed and involuntarily took a step back.  Then, to cover his fear, he forced out a laugh, “I assume a date is out of the question?”

            Sira’s looked didn’t change as she took a step toward him, “Sure we can have a date, but I am afraid you have a date with Death first.”

            “Charmed, I’m sure,” he whispered under his breath.  “I don’t suppose Death is cute, is she?”

            Sira smiled evilly, “How about you tell me when you meet her?”

            Miguel winced, “How about I take your word for it?”

            The smile vanished from her face.  Miguel waited for her reply, but realized he was going to get none when he sensed her powers reach out behind him.  He hit the pavement just fast enough to avoid being hit from behind by some rusted piece of metal.

            He scrambled to his feet and began to back away from her, “Now that wasn’t nice.  I thought we were ‘friends.’”

            “Fight or talk, I doesn’t matter to me.  You will die either way Kimera child,” Sira said coldly.

            ‘Die, die, die.  Is that all anyone talks about here?”  Miguel asked looking behind himself briefly to see that he was not going to trip over anything.  He looked back in time to get hit in the face with a psychic blast that sent him to the ground with his head spinning.

            “Miguel!” He faintly heard Tim yell.

* Da**it he thought to himself as he tried and failed to focus enough to psychically contact Tim and tell him to stay hidden.  He saw a shape move past him toward Sira.  It was only when he saw that shape frozen in a psychic hold, that he was able to pull himself up.

Before he could do anything, a laser blast hit Sira in the back knocking her and Tim to the ground.  Miguel pulled Tim toward himself and then set up a psychic shield around the two of them.  The one thing Tim had known that he and Liam hadn’t, was that each of them had psychic powers focused in one area.  Liam’s psychic powers were good for defense—creating shields etc.—his powers were good for healing, and Tim’s forte was attacks—powerful attacks meant to destroy whatever they were focused at.  They had hoped they would be able to stop Sira with one of those blasts, but now that Tim was unconscious, Miguel didn’t know what they were going to do.

“In coming!”  Miguel opened the shield as Liam ducked into it.  Liam dropped to his knees once inside and fought for his breath.  Then he turned to Miguel, “How is he?”

Miguel shrugged, “Can’t tell for sure.  Holding this shield is all I can focus on now.  You know I’m not good at that.”

Liam nodded and took over control of the shield, strengthening it, and just in time too.  Sira unleashed a blast against the shield that would have collapsed it only moments before.

Miguel looked to make sure Liam was handling the extra strain on the shield okay and then focused his psychic abilities into the link that he and Tim shared…

 

< Miguel looked around at the swirling darkness that filled Tim’s mind.  It didn’t bode well for the condition of his mind.  Could Sira have really hurt him that badly in only a few seconds?

“Tim!”  Miguel shouted out as he gave up trying to find him visually.  He strained to hear a response, any response.

“Miguel over here,” a weak voice replied just as Miguel got ready to call out again.  Miguel cautiously moved toward the voice and then froze when he saw Tim.  The man was barely holding onto the edge of what looked to be a bottomless ravine.  Miguel knew, though, that it was more than it seemed.  If Tim were allowed to fall into the ravine, his mind would be destroyed, and he would die.

Miguel knelt down and took a hold of his friend’s hands, “The trouble you get yourself into.” He mumbled.

Tim glared at him, “Look who’s talking!  Just get me out of here.  I’m sure Liam could use our help.”

Miguel nodded and began to pull him up.  Suddenly a grinding filled the air as the ravine started to close—controlled by some outside force.

“Sira,” Miguel hissed as he rearranged his grip on Tim’s arm and got ready to wrench his friend out in one pull.

            “This is going to hurt,” He warned Tim and then pulled with all his strength—physical and psychic.  The both went flying as a result… >

 

            Liam had been watching them with concern—not only for them, but also for the fact he wasn’t going to be able to hold the shield against Sira much longer.  He waited for them come out of it and in no way expecting what happened.

            Miguel wasn’t expecting it either, but the combination of his physical and psychic pulling sent he and Tim back to the physical plain, but also sent him flying out of the safety of Liam’s shield to land at Sira’s feet.

            Sira looked down at him as she pulled his head up to look at her.

            “Oh sh**,” he whispered knowing he didn’t have the strength to protect himself from her.

            “Sira!” An angry voice called out.

            Sira looked up, but didn’t let go of Miguel, “Are you so eager to die ‘Daddy?’”

            Tim just stared at her.  Miguel wished he could see what was going on, but he could barely move.  Suddenly a shield slammed down around Miguel, and he knew exactly what was going on.  He felt the psychic attack that slammed into Sira and torn her away from him.  She went flying, but never hit the pavement, because there was nothing left of her to hit the pavement.

            Miguel just stared at where Sira had been, his mind not registering that it was all over—finally, they were safe.

Liam dissolved the shield he had formed over Miguel, and walked over to help him up.

            “You okay, Ortiz?” He asked.

            Miguel nodded his head; “It’s over.  We won.”

            Tim hit him in the back, “Yeah, next time just try not to be quite so eager to be the martyr okay?”

            Miguel nodded, “So now what do we do?”

            Liam looked the both of them in the eye and then laughed, “Well, if you are so eager for more action, the Resistance could always use your help...”

 

THE END

 

 

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