The Beyond

A Tribe Fanfiction

Author's Notes: You're all probably very sick of everyone's takes on series 6… which unfortunately it's future isn't looking promising. However, even if you're loathing all the different attempts to create a decent fan series 6, please, please, give this one a chance. I'd really appreciate your support. I'll shoot you with the first couple of chapters, and I'd like feedback. Enjoy, read, and leave a review if you like. I really hope you like this! I've put a lot of research and effort into this, which, of course, requires time.

Just a little note before we start – the whole fanfiction will represent the whole series 6 (according to me). Each chapter will represent an episode.

And if you have any ideas you'd like me to include; they're always welcome! I will give you full credit; that I promise sincerely.

Happy reading,

R. Greywood.

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN THE TRIBE OR ANY OF THE CHARACTERS IN THE SHOW. THEY BELONG TO CLOUD 9 RESPECTIVELY.


Episode One

Lex stared over the banister of the boat, gazing after the diminishing scene of the deserted city. He gave a heart-heavy sigh and pushed backwards on the railing, turning on his heel to look Amber squarely in the eyes.

"I can't believe we're abandoning it like this… I'd never have dreamed. Its –"

"Always been our home. I know." Amber cut across him. "Trust me; there's a lot of people on this boat who feel exactly the same way about it as you do." She looked behind her and Lex, eyes scanning over the mass of teenagers and children crammed onto the boat. "I'm sure we'll have to deal with a boat full of homesick kids…" She gave a hopeful smile and patted him gently on the arm before turning to take her son Bray from her lover's arms, Jay.

Lex saw them exchange a small token of affection - a swift kiss. He knew they were happy together, and was not at all begrudged against them; it was just that seeing this made him feel bitter. He had just had to deal with the disappearance of one wife, and the death of a girlfriend. Lex leant back against the handrail, holding his head in his hands, feeling them become hot and wet with the few tears he shed secretly, his black hair falling to obscure his face from view.

xXx

Two hands grasped each other firmly, tenderly. One lay on top of the other; the one underneath curled round the banister at the edge of the boat. The knuckles were white; the feminine hand held the rail tightly, not sure if what she was doing was the right thing, or what she wanted to do. A reassuring arm embraced her round her waist, squeezing her. Ellie smiled, and laid her head against her boyfriend's shoulder.

She closed her eyes gently and listened to the waves all around them. She listened to the swell and dip of the vast expanse of sea… the sound of an open space. The sky was a soft gray hue, the wind lashed at their faces, twirling in their hair and stirring up the waters to slap at the side of the boat. The spray was refreshing and cool.

Ellie gave another smile. She knew now it was what she wanted, even if it wasn't the right thing.

xXx

Trudy knew as well as anyone that it would be days before they reached land – if at all. But although everyone else realized this, she was the one to know it better than them. She believed it through and through, and what was more, she saw it as a particularly ominous situation.

There would be many arguments. Even perhaps, she worried, between her and Amber. Friends would be divided – being stuck in one place begins to go to people's heads, she knew this from experience (after being trapped in the Guardian's hold for so long, she had lost all hope of things returning to peace).

And after a while, the supplies would not hold up. It was not as though they had had enough warning to stock the boat up with enough food to last for a week – if they stretched it out then it would probably last for at least four days, and after that they could survive a further three days (at a push). And even then, they could go a day without, in between eating…

She screwed her eyes shut. The young mother was stressed – all these thoughts, worries, fears. She had hope, yes, but all the other things outweighed them one to a million, and that glimmer of hope was faint.

xXx

Three days passed. The excitement of a new life, a different home, a fresh start, died down within the first forty-eight hours. The older teenagers could keep the younger children occupied and entertained for some time, but eventually their patience wore thin with the constant complaints and moans that were fired at them constantly.

"Are we there yet?"

"Where are we going?"

"I'm hungry…"

"I miss my home,"

"Will we be okay?"

They then relied on the kids enthusiasm, and imaginations, to keep them going. The stories and possibilities they conjured up were fun – it gave them further, stronger anticipation.

And then Ebony came up with another worry that she posed to Jay, Salene, Jack and Amber.

"What if the fuel runs out. What does this boat rely on?" She was obviously scared – this was not the time to worry about losing control and exposing her weaker, anxious side.

Jay mulled this over for a while.

"Why don't you ask the captain? It's his boat, after all. Or maybe get May to? She knows him more than we do,"

Jack volunteered to go with her, after she'd agreed.

They approached him at the wheel in the cab. May wrung her hands behind her back, noticeably nervous about what his answer would be. Jack slid a supportive hand over her shoulder, and squeezed it encouragingly.

"Um, Felix?"

"… what you want, May?"

"We were just curious… um, the boat?"

"Get to the point?" He was obviously irritated – perhaps he was trying to concentrate on keeping the boat steady.

"What does it run on? I mean, what do you use for fuel?" She looked at his back, as if it held the answer.

"Easy. Salt. Since we never found a way of extracting stuff from the earth after the virus, I just figured that my dads boat could adapt to run on something else. And it's 'environmentally friendly' too, so we won't be making mistakes that they made.

"Basically, every time you cast off, you have to put some salt in. I collected it from the sea, and then once its got going, it'll just keep taking it out of the water and filtering it through. Keeps the turbine going. It could have been hydro powered, but I'm not that clever. Just knew the basics, from what me dad taught me. It's slow but effective." He gave a smile.

Jack looked astounded.

"But that's genius! I mean, its so… gosh, no, really, this is top stuff, like…" it was another of the moments in which he lost his breath and all words escaped him. May gave a little smirk.

Felix's grin broadened. He was obviously proud of himself, and Jack had unknowingly flattered him.

This put them on good terms with Felix from then on. He did question them more about where they were going, and wasn't fussed when they confessed they didn't have a clue. Even though he had a good idea of the world, Felix still hadn't known where they were going either – he'd no idea what direction they'd set off in, or if they'd changed direction totally and were heading back the way they'd come.

Fortunately Jack pointed out they could tell their direction by the way the sun rose and set, and eventually they sussed out that they were headed south-east.

Another two days passed. They had been traveling for a total of five days now, and the strain was beginning to show. The children were exhausted and bored – even their own imaginations had given up, filled with nothing but the endless blue carpet that stretched out all around them. The older kids tried to keep spirits up, but to no avail. It did nothing to help, and in the end they gave up too.

Felix got bored of standing at the helm every day, and requested that at least two people swap over with him every two hours. Darryl and Jack volunteered. It gave them a chance to take a look at where they were going, and also it gave Jack the opportunity to discover, in depth, how the boat operated.

xXx

The faint sound of raised voices rose to Jack's ears, and he abruptly got up from underneath the console, dusted himself down and walked out onto the deck.

"No, you listen. I'm tired, hungry, and bored. Everyone feels the same, but no, you like to lord it over us all, pretend that everything's fine because you can easily keep a smile on your face."

"Lex, cool it. I wasn't looking for a fight."

"Yeah, well you got one whether you ordered it or not. Look at you, swanning about with your tongue down her throat half the time, not caring if the rest of us are okay, not caring if we haven't lost someone, just as long as you've got your girl and you survive!" Lex shouted harshly at Jay, his voice hoarse.

Jack looked around at the others, sitting there dismally slumped against the handrail, or standing around Lex and Jay, a clear circle erected around them. People evidently wanted to keep their distance, but it was clear on some of their faces they wanted to step in and intervene.

But no one had the willpower. Jack joined the throng, straining to see over the heads of everyone what was going on. His face held an expression of disbelief; he couldn't swallow the fact that Lex had finally broken. Out of all of them, he hadn't predicted it would be the arrogant, strong-willed Lex.

Ellie came to his side. "It's terrible, Jack. Lex just saw Jay talking to Amber, give her a hug and then he started on him. No one will do anything – they're all too exhausted or scared – Lex might blow his fuse on anyone. He's uncontrollable when he's like this."

Finally, Salene stepped in.

"Stop it, both of you. Jay…" she looked at him hard, ushering him away with a dismissive wave of her hand.

"Look Lex. I know we're all hungry, tired - thirsty especially. We're sick of this boat, we're sick of each other. But this will never work out if we argue. That isn't the way to resolve our problems. We've just got to stick together and brave it out. You hear me?"

He said nothing. This earned him a sharp slap across the cheek. It left an angry crimson welt.

"Get your act together, Lex," her eyes flamed with anger, and she stepped away, walking forcibly over to Jay. The circle around where the fight had been disbanded and everyone went to milling about, or looking out over the expanse of ocean.

"Jay, why couldn't you have just backed down? You know better. You know Lex has lost two girls – and one before that! You should have been more sensitive. I know you didn't know that he would break down into such a state, but I suggest you keep your displays of affection out of the way of everyone else. It just makes moods… worse." She looked down at her feet, and left a speechles Jay in her wake.

After a time, Gel piped up unexpectedly.

"Hey, what's that black thing on the horizon?" It was an innocent enough question, but everyone looked at each other with wide, jubilant smiles.


Were you all melting happily in the Lex!angst? I didn't know whether you might revere/despise that. Please leave feedback! Even if its just to tell me you loved it, or hated it! Critisism is welcome! Even flames – that might tell me how much you hated it. If you want me to continue – those kinds of reviews give me hope and incentive to carry on, just to please my fans.

Thankyou for reading, the following episodes/chapters will be up soon I hope. This was just a taster to wet your whistles!

- R. Greywood.