Author's note: bold Hiran. Thanks to everyone for their wonderful reviews. Keep them coming, they honestly do make me write quicker.
Chapter 7
"Skybase Control to harmony Angel. How's she handling?"
"Beautifully. You're a miracle worker, Almond."
Miriam standing by her monitoring station couldn't help but smile.
"SIG, Angel, but keep pushing her. The drills in less than 2 days, and I want to show those RAF boys who's boss."
"SIG Almond."
Miriam couldn't help smiling, as the data came in. The replacement of the Afterburners had increased the speed and efficiency of fuel consumption, proving the validation of her theory. She became lost in the data, when a hand touched her on her shoulder.
"Skybase! Everything alright?"
"Yeah!" Miriam said, gazing at her guest. "Captain Scarlet just startled me."
"SIG. Resuming Patrol."
"SIG Angels, handing you over to Lieutenant Green."
"SIG"
Shaking her head, Miriam gazed at Captain Scarlet.
"Don't seek up on me like that!"
The anger in her tone was evaporated at the look of confusion and exhaustion.
"You got a minute?"
Miriam paused, then punched in a request for relief. She was fairly sure that Colonel White would not object.
"Where?" she asked.
"The standby lounge, I've asked Adam to meet us there."
Miriam nodded.
"I'm," Scarlet said, as they sat on one of the couches in the Standby lounge. "Starting to remember things."
"That's great!" Adam said, grinning.
"Maybe."
"What do you remember?" Miriam asked, sipping her tea.
"Bits and pieces, but it's not making any sense."
"The memories?"
"No. The order in which they're coming back."
"How do you mean?"
Scarlet got to his feet and began to pace across the floor.
"I remember having a conversation with you about being isolated, untrusted and how hard that can be."
Miriam nodded.
"That happened about 3 years ago, but I can't remember what happened before and why we were having that conversation." He spun around. "I can remember almost everything from the last night, except what happened after I entered the house."
"So what's wrong with that?" Adam asked, with a nervous glance at Miriam.
"They should have come back chronologically. That's what Alex said."
"Not always." Miriam said cautiously. Seeing the confusion on Scarlet's face she added.
"We've been presuming that your memory loss was a result of the flu, or some injury incurred while you were out in the wood."
Both men nodded.
"But, if it wasn't the result of that, if it was the result of a reaction to shock, then the memories might come back all jumbled up."
Paul nodded.
"O.k. so why can't I remember what happened that night?"
Miriam shrugged.
"Perhaps you don't want to?"
"Why?"
Miriam shook her head.
"What ever happened was bad enough to cause you to forget the last five years."
Paul conceded the point.
"So how do I remember?"
"You have to want to and," Miriam said, getting to her feet as the sound of the Angels returning filled the air. "To really try."
She walked out of the lounge.
Paul glanced at Adam, who shrugged.
"She's got a bad habit of being right about these things." He said, finishing his coffee.
Miriam was with Lieutenant Green, going over the results of the Angels' drills when the call came.
As regulations required, she took it with a translator listening in.
Ardeth was straight and to the point.
"How did you know?" he demanded.
"How did I know what?"
"That the Scorpion King was dead."
Miriam bowed her head forward.
"What happened? Did Oded tell you?"
Ardeth's long hair rustled as he shook his head.
"No. I had it from the horse's mouth, though I am not sure if I believe it."
"Why not?"
Ardeth sighed.
"The lad almost started a riot. The police arrested him and brought him here. He claimed that a demon came into the shop, killed his master and then," he shook his head. "Brought him back to life, as an nzúmbe" he snorted slightly.
"He attacked the creature with fire and started a blaze that nearly destroyed the whole area. The police searching the ruins, found no sign of a body."
He gazed at his younger sister, with an expression of concern.
"Is the lad still with you?"
Ardeth nodded.
"Keep him there. I will come soon, with someone who will be very interested in what the child has to say."
tbc
