My first fan fic. I created new characters and a few other things to advance the storyline. Just wanted to explore one of the ideas mentioned in JC's scriptment.

(April 2012: Yes, I know this story needs to be edited for flow and word choice! I have been writing an original fiction and that has taken ALL my spare time. Please enjoy this story in the spirit that it is written! Constructive reviews and criticism welcome! I may consider a sequel when my original work is completed.)

Please R&R! May remove this story when release of JC's novel / Avatar 2 is released (whichever comes first!).

FYI look up & r/r my short story Parting Ways. It's the falling out scene between Grace and Nora.

Many thanks to James Cameron, who owns Avatar and the movie characters.

Dedicated to all Avatar movie fans and Avatar fanfiction readers.

Tom's Secret

Dr. Nora Augustine stood in the doorway of the white greenhouse pod taking in the desolate landscape before her. It was the site of her Terra Healing Project, an effort to restore natural environments by using bio-engineered microorganisms to revive lifeless soil and water. This was the first site of what she hoped were many.

A virologist and biologist, Nora, along with her fiancé Jason Snow, a microbiologist, and a team of hand-picked environmental specialists, developed these healing microorganisms. They were comprised of strains of algae to efficiently clean fresh water systems, and bacteria that enriched soils to help accelerate plant growth and encourage new super species of plant and tree life.

Nora's goal with the project was to jumpstart ecosystems across the country, and eventually, across the globe. Certain that it wasn't too late, she was determined to prove that the planet was more resilient than it had been given credit for. She was hoping to literally heal Earth and show the world - both those who supported her efforts and the naysayers - that it could be done, despite the damage and neglect, the overpopulation and over development. But in lab conditions, it never took this long. It had been three years and what did she see? Many of the small, thin trees that dotted the landscape were dead or dying. Newly planted grasses and wildflowers hung limp, wilting in the soil. Sample after sample of water taken from various small lakes revealed an absence of life. She was getting frustrated. And she was running out of time.

It had been a long road so far. Some years prior there was a small, but growing unrest at the state of things on Earth. Disease was spreading faster, killing hundreds of thousands of people. Life spans were decreasing as the elderly succumbed. Infant mortality was rising at alarming rates and young children were becoming even more vulnerable to illness and death. Families were suffering and the anger grew. A new movement, an awareness, was taking root. Survivors of the victims banded together in groups so large they were too hard to ignore. They demanded that the state of the environment become a priority, topping that of acquiring unobtanium, the energy source of choice around the world. In fact, unobtanium was being held up by many in these groups as the primary instigating factor of humanity's decline worldwide.

People were starting to question the ravaging of Pandora for this energy resource. Others viewed Pandora as Earth's last chance. Nora, Jason and her team used this to their advantage. They worked tirelessly to persuade some very rich people supportive of Nora's pursuit to give her team access to specific areas of land to study and implement her project. She got most to contribute money. But only one donated land and gave her immediate access to it. If she met with success, others said they would donate land or help her acquire it.

Despite her team's persistence, the project hit one obstacle after another. Pressure was mounting and she was afraid her donors, all private, were going to back out of the project unless there was some measure of success. At one point, during a surprise visit from her one contributor, Nora was left weeping in the middle of an empty field of newly planted saplings which failed to take. She was on the verge of believing that it was too late, that Earth was truly dying.

It was a few weeks later now. Leaning against the pod's doorway, Nora sighed and looked up at the gray sky. How she wished the sun would come out. Just once, she would love to see the haze part and feel the warm sun shine on her face. She turned around and went back into the greenhouse to continue to inspect hundreds of seedlings. Two men approached from the opposite entrance. One was Jason.

"Nora," he called.

She looked up and smiled. Jason was one of the few people who could make her smile. A Native American Indian with a hint of Greek blood in his family line, he had the classic features of his heritage - dark hair, soft brown eyes - and a gift of keeping Nora on solid emotional ground. When they met and he learned of environmental endeavor, he told her she was on a journey what he said his ancestors called "The Beauty Way." Navajo healers believed The Beauty Way allowed oneself to call on the power of the good forces that always surrounded us. He said she was listening with her heart and that was why she had become a hataalii, a healer in her own right, seeking to mend various ecosystems around the world.

As they met, Nora took his always warm hands in hers and pecked his lips with a gentle kiss. "Hi, love. What's up?" There was an air of seriousness about him and a stiffness in his usually casual and light mannerisms which alarmed her.

"Nora, this is Lucas Galloway." Jason stepped back as Nora shook the hand of the other man accompanying him.

"Nice to meet you, Lucas."

A geoscientist, Lucas was average in size with curly light brown hair. Though clean-shaven, he had rugged, outdoorsy look. Nora guessed he probably goes scruffy most days. Though she was hoping he was a donor of some variety, he didn't quite look the type so she kept the questions she had about this surprise visit to herself knowing full well they would be answered shortly. She was right. Lucas handed her a package and said, "It's from Tom Sully."

"Tom?" Nora was surprised. It had been a little more than three years since Nora last spoke to Tom, a biologist at the Resources Development Administration, commonly referred to as the RDA. He had tried recently to contact her, but she never made the time to return his calls, something she would regret later. They had a brief but intense relationship and cared deeply for each other. However, they parted ways when, despite Nora's pleas not to, he hooked up with the RDA's Avatar Project, a program run by her older sister, Dr. Grace Augustine.

Prior to meeting with Tom, Nora was employed at the RDA at the same time as Grace. She was hired in as one of their chief virologists. During her tenure there, Nora's relationship with her sister became strained and they had a falling out. She regretted it later since she's sure further access to Grace's research, not just her book about Pandora's biology, would have proven invaluable to her own project.

Their falling out was a culmination of many things but neither really saw eye to eye. Nora wanted Grace to stay on Earth and help carry out her vision of restoring its environment, a very large task. But Grace, feeling that was futile, urged Nora to stay on with the RDA and travel to Pandora with her to help her establish a school, work with the Na'vi, and assist in research. Nora became somewhat bitter toward Grace, feeling that she was turning her back on Earth. But Grace was entrenched deeply with the Avatar Program and in love with the Na'vi, something Nora didn't fully understand. Ultimately, she left the RDA.

Grace was furious when she quit. Unbeknownst to Nora, her sister had gone to great lengths and expense to create an avatar for her. Regarded as a precious and vital creation, not to mention prohibitively high in cost, Grace could not and would not destroy it, so she decided to store it in a living cryo facility back on Earth in the event Nora had a change of heart. For despite their disagreements, Grace had left an open invitation for Nora to come to Pandora if she indeed changed her mind.

Nora looked over the package from Tom. She didn't know about his death. Until today. She eagerly opened it and removed a small i-podish looking device loaded with a video file and several other data files. As she scanned the information, Jason and Lucas glanced nervously at each other.

When Tom's face filled the tiny digital display, she smiled uncontrollably but it vanished when he spoke. "If you get this message, Nora, I'm dead."

Nora looked up at Lucas, utterly shocked. "What is this?" She demanded, her voice laden with distress. Jason motioned for her to continue to listen.

"It wasn't suicide, or an accident or whatever they said it was. I was killed for what I know. Now that I'm gone, I need your help."

Visibly upset, Nora paused the video. "Please, what is this," she asked earnestly.

Lucas turned to Jason, who with a quick blink and a nod, gave his approval for him to tell her. He was blunt with his explanation. "Tom had gathered information on an RDA program that involved re-engineering Pandora's counter-viruses with the intent to use it as leverage against the Na'vi in order to mine unobtanium without restrictions. They somehow found out and he was killed. His death was made to look like a robbery gone bad."

"He's gone?" Stunned, Nora went limp against Jason and he helped steady her. "When?"

Solemnly, Lucas replied, "A few months ago."

"He was killed, over a...a what? A re-engineered counter virus?" she numbly inquired while trying to assimilate the information. Pandora's miracle counter cold virus was something she had followed very closely at one time. In fact, as a chief virologist at the RDA, Nora helped facilitate the distribution of the anti-cold viruses on Earth. She was one of only a few scientists that completely understood its structure and function. Not only did the counter virus wipe out the common cold, but the RDA made billions of dollars marketing it.

Lucas repeated himself. "Yes. He discovered that the RDA re-engineered a counter virus to against the Na'vi."

"That's bio terrorism," she said, looking from Lucas to Jason, then back to Lucas. "Who in God's name was in charge of a program like that?" Anger mingled with her shock now.

"It went through the hands of a couple of people, including Parker Selfridge," answered Lucas.

Knowing he was a part of this made Nora's blood run cold. She cursed him under her breath. "Selfridge. That son of a bitch." While at the RDA Parker Selfridge was one of the administrators Nora had to deal with. Their personalities clashed and she grew to despise him. In fact, he was one of the reasons she left the company.

"But why would they potentially ruin such a good thing?" The absurdity of messing with the counter virus, one of the more fantastic discoveries on Pandora, was quite unbelievable to her. "The counter-virus has been a huge source of income. And people rarely ever get head colds anymore."

"It appears that at first Tom thought it was simply research to see if they could unlock more viral cures," Lucas explained. "But then he discovered the truth about them wanting to eventually use it to threaten the Na'vi with something they don't typically get: disease."

"That's truly sinister. Just awful! They could conceivably wipe out the entire Na'vi population with something like that even if they didn't intend to."

"Well, if things get that desperate, they just may try it. I wouldn't put it past them."

As Lucas said that, something in the back of Nora's mind surfaced. "Wait a second. Does this have anything to do with those avatars that took ill some years back?"

"As a matter of fact, it does."

Not long after she left the RDA, a leaked news report hit some of the media outlets but was quickly squashed. It was about avatars in Pandoran lab conditions who took ill. Some died. Some survived. While it was usual for problems to arise early on in avatar development causing them to die, these were well beyond that stage. Many were healthy fetuses already being prepped for shipment to Pandora alongside their drivers. A few were fully functioning adult avatars meant to remain on Earth for study and evaluation. The story was cloaked in secrecy as usual but speculation on the outside as to what caused the deaths ran wild and included the possibility of a virus. It caught her attention. However, knowing what she knew about the counter virus, avatars, the Navi and Pandora, it didn't seem possible they would have succumbed to an illness. "Impossible," she muttered at the time, not believing it. Although something about it didn't sit well with her, the story was quickly dismissed by RDA's slick pr machine and soon forgotten. Now, however, the truth was rearing its ugly head, excessively haunting in all its details.

"Nora," Jason said gravely. "You need to listen to the rest of the message."

Hoping it would wake her from a bad dream she hit play. But instead Tom's message continued. "The RDA will stop at nothing to get unobtanium. They want to use a re-engineered counter cold virus to threaten the Na'vi into letting them mine unobtanium. They'll use it if all other efforts, diplomatic or otherwise, fail. You were right, Nora. You can't believe anything they say. And none other than Parker Selfridge has the authority to implement this program. This new virus is harmless to humans. But it is designed to strip the Na'vi's immunity, causing them to be vulnerable to who knows what on Pandora. They did develop a vaccination and it works in the avatars, at least it seems to in the labs here. Every avatar gets the vaccine because the RDA wants to be able to continue using them at the mines."

That's when Lucas held up a vial and said, "He found it and took a few of these. But he didn't cover his tracks well enough."

Nora stared at it as she listened to Tom's voice. "It's all going to Pandora, Nora. They plan on sending it on the ISV Venture Star, the same ship I'll be on." Tom swiped a hand over his face, shook his head once, then corrected himself. "I mean, was going to be on. If all attempts to get the Na'vi to agree to allow humans to mine unobtanium fail they will unleash it on the populations so that they can take over the moon entirely. But there still may be time. From what I gather, they want to study it first." Tom then took on an urgent tone. "I know I'm asking a lot. I know it all sounds crazy. But Nora, I'm asking you to go to Pandora. Tell Grace what they're planning to do. They won't suspect a thing if you go. I'm concerned about all the good people there. I'm concerned about the Na'vi and...this is just a sick, twisted thing they're planning to do, even if they don't carry it through to its intended end. Grace needs to know." He then mentioned Lucas. "Contact Lucas Galloway. I'm including his number here. He's a trusted colleague. He'll know what to do."

Nora's eyes were glued to the display. She watched as Tom looked behind him, suddenly looking agitated. "I've gotta go." He leaned forward in the frame to shut the camera off. Before he did, he said, "I'm so sorry, Nora. For everything."

With her fingertips pressing her lips, Nora shook her head in disbelief. "No..." It seemed so far out she didn't want to believe it.

Lucas reiterated that Tom's death was not a random robbery gone wrong but made to look like one. "Nora, Tom was killed because they found out that he knew and that he was going to expose the whole thing."

"He didn't tell you about this?" she asked.

"Knowing Tom, he probably figured it was too dangerous to tell anyone he knew at the RDA for fear something might happen to them."

"Well...how did you get this..." Nora held up the digital device. "It's clear it was meant for me."

Lucas sighed before recounting the tale in brief, carefully choosing his words as if it would help to soften the blow to Nora. "A woman knocked on my door a couple days ago and handed it to me. Apparently, a few months back, right around the time Tom was killed, she said this guy frantically ran up to her in the street. He showed her the package and asked her if she would find a Lucas Galloway who lived on Hanford and give it to him. She thought he was crazy, but he begged her and gave her all the money in his wallet."

"Oh my God."

"She apologized, saying she stuffed the package in the pocket of her jacket with the intention of looking me up later that day. But she didn't, forgot, took the jacket off, and didn't remember until the next time she wore it, which was weeks later. That was the day she delivered it to me."

Her face frozen in eerie disbelief, Nora looked down at the now silent video device, hands unsteady. Tom was dead. The tiniest blur crept into her vision. She choked it back, not willing to let the tears surface. "But, Pandora?" Nora muttered, her features turning pale. She cleared her throat to speak louder. "It could take months before the next ship departs."

The ISV Perigean wasn't scheduled for departure for at least ten more months, despite talks of bumping its departure date up due mainly to energy demands and pressures by some governmental bodies with major pull at the Interplanetary Commerce Administration. The enormous vessel was sitting in a low orbit outside the space station while final preparations were being made for its long trip in deep space. The Perigean was very similar to the Venture Star. However, it would be hauling a new generation of smaller Valkyrie shuttles with the capability of being launched off the mother ship before it locked into a final orbit. This would allow the incoming humans to reach Pandora even faster with fresh supplies, ammunition, vehicles for ground and air support, and people.

"That's true, but here's a stroke of good luck. There's a smaller science module scheduled to depart before the Perigean. This was requested by Grace for shipment of additional scientific equipment and materials that didn't make it on the last ISV. She managed to get Selfridge to authorize it. It will definitely be launched and will arrive well before the Perigean. You can go under the guise of this separate scientific mission. It's well known among those who work with Grace that you have a long-standing open invitation to go to Pandora."

"How can I possibly get on it? I haven't done any of the required paperwork, testing..."

"Leave it to me. I'm in charge of the scientific team heading out there. There aren't that many of us. Given your stature, it won't be a problem. It really wouldn't surprise anyone if you decided to go," he assured her.

Nora looked at the rows of tiny seedlings. She wanted to stay and work on her project alongside Jason. She gestured toward them. "No. I need to be here, for this..." her voice faltered and she looked at Jason, who had been unusually quiet. She wanted him to say something, state his absolute objection. But fully conceding the gravity of the situation, he stayed silent. He wanted her to decide.

Torn, Nora started caving slightly to her first emotions of disbelief and reluctance. Over the years she was successful at distancing herself from the RDA and wasn't too keen on getting mixed up in the company again.

Seeing her uncertainty, Lucas said, "I'm just as shocked as you are to learn the truth about Tom. But, honestly, your relationship with Grace is key to warning the Na'vi and even getting a vaccine out if needed. Before something tragic happens."

"Jason." Nora turned to him. "I can't." She closed her eyes and leaned her head against his chest as a wave of queasiness overcame her.

Clearly disappointed by her reaction, Lucas scratched his head, agitated. "I can go it alone, Nora, but we really need your skill set. There isn't anybody at Hell's Gate now with your background and we don't dare send just any virologist now. They'll catch wind of it. You've got a reason other than your specialty."

"It's not that," Jason said, trying to ease Lucas' agitation. "She's..." Jason put his hands tenderly around Nora's face. "Want to tell him?"

Nora took a deep breath. "I'm claustrophobic. The thought of getting into one of those cryo units...I...I don't think it's a good idea." Her personal demon was something she'd had since childhood. "And the thought of space travel in general just doesn't thrill me at all."

Lucas assured her that her phobia could easily be dealt with. "We can put you to sleep before you're even in the cryo-capsule." This was true. "And you'll be out of it before you wake up." This was pretty much a lie. "I can't do too much about the travel time other than to say that you don't really notice it in cryo." It seemed a sensible solution to her phobia and Nora paused to consider. Lucas took advantage of the moment to continue his efforts to persuade before she might try to refuse again. "Think of it this way. You'll have full access to all of the biologic research done so far on Pandora. It would help your efforts here enormously." Lucas searched her face when she bit her lip, still considering. Seeing that she was still wavering a little, he dropped the bomb. "Nora, Jake Sully was sent in his place. I'm certain it never crossed his mind that they would send his brother to replace him if he died."

A small gasped escaped Nora. "They sent his brother in his place?"

With this, Jason took Nora aside again. "Nora, let's try to have an open mind about all this."

"I'm trying, Jason. I'm just...I can't believe this is happening."

"I know..."

"If they go through with this...my God. Pandora. And their recklessness is putting Earth at peril, too. They can't just do this," Nora blurted, her thoughts scattering about.

"...it's beyond belief..."

"How can they do this? How can our government, no, the world, why do we continue to let them do this?"

"We know why. Oppression, corruption and lack of morals..."

"But I can't go. What about the project?"

"I'll take care of it if you want to go."

"But..."

"I'll secure The funds. I'll hire additional help. I'll do what it takes to keep it all going."

Nora didn't deny his commitment. She knew she could count on him. Her reluctance was much more than all of that.

"But what about..." Again, her voice trailed off. She gazed down at her engagement ring. "All the time that will be lost."

Jason nodded soberly and lightly ran a hand around her auburn-colored hair framing her face. "I love you, Nora. I don't want to lose you, all we've planned, our future together. But when I found out...We know what the RDA is capable of. We've talked about them before. As long as they are ravaging a whole new world, nothing will change here on Earth."

Nora knew he was right. The thought of the danger Grace and all the scientists would be in, and the pure evil being perpetrated on the Na'vi was too much to ignore, along with the fact that Earth's cures, and other secrets of Pandora, could be lost if the moon was mined unchecked without the consent of its inhabitants. Although emotions surfaced that felt a bit awkward in front of Jason, but it couldn't be helped. Her heart ached for Tom. He had always wanted to go to Pandora. It was his dream. How could she live with herself if she didn't go and the RDA went ahead with their plan? They killed Tom. There was no doubt in her mind they would kill others, anyone who tried to stop them, including her sister, whom she knew would do anything to protect the Na'vi.

Nora squeezed Jason's hand and he returned with a reassuring smile, one that said it would be all right. "Whatever you decide, I will support you."

All her reservations, even her phobia, began to fade suddenly, though she still dreaded the journey. Barely audible, she said, "I'll go."

Lucas was clearly relieved as well as grateful. He told her he would be in touch in a day with details about their departure. "Oh, and one last thing." He handed her a small envelope. "This is also for you. From Tom."

Nora opened it into her hand. Out fell a medallion, hanging by a chain. Nora instantly recognized the mythical serpent etched onto it. A dragon. Its crested head reared back in a fury captured in stillness. Remembering the meaning it once had to its owner, she clutched it tightly to her chest.