Knowing

Marlena wasn't upset. Not really. Maroo had warned her that Baro Ki' Teer was not to be trusted. She was afraid for Maroo who looked so pale and still lying as she did on the floor of the elevator. What little she could sense of the woman's vitals seemed strong. That wasn't the problem.

The four guards wearing breather masks aiming weapons at her from the door that had just opened were the problem.

"She called you Marlena. You are an enigma." The odd being in the odder hat spoke from behind the guards. Again, a hologram. She had known as soon as she saw him in front of his house that he hadn't actually been there in person. From her words, Maroo had too. "You cannot be scanned and you are not in any databanks that I have access to." She ignored him, checking Maroo's pulse the old fashioned way. "We haven't hurt her. I checked to be sure she would not have a reaction to that gas."

Marlena gave a sniff and did not respond. She eased Maroo's body into a more comfortable position, staying between the fallen human and the guards.

"This doesn't need to be uncivilized." The merchant said calmly. "She is here to steal something. To find a way to take something of mine. It is what she does and she is darn good at it. If anyone can get into my Vaults, she can. And I cannot allow that."

"She came here to save your life and the lives of everyone in the colony." Marlena retorted evenly. "Not out of the goodness of her heart, but because if she doesn't do it, she dies." She clamped her mouth shut as the merchant smiled at her.

"Was speaking truly so hard?" He asked kindly. "We are not enemies. Maroo and I are not enemies, if not friends either."

"We came here to help and you are not inspiring trust." Marlena snapped, then forced herself to relax. She knew this was sort of what Maroo wanted. To get inside. Still...

Careful. Kaanah's voice sounded in Marlena's head softly and Marlena welcomed her sister's mind. This human is a snake. If he finds out the truth, he will kill Maroo and probably Jin as well, flee and leave the colony to die.

I know. Marlena replied silently. She didn't look at Baro, instead, she focused on Maroo. A series of careful touches reassured her that the woman was breathing well and that all of her body's rhythms were strong.

"Like that. I see..." Baro Ki' Teer sighed. "The floor cannot be comfortable for her. We will move her to a bed."

In a cell. Kaanah snarked silently.

Certainly not in an ICU like she really needs. Marlena replied. Instead of speaking aloud, she rose and stepped to the back of the elevator, holding her hands still at her side. Baro looked at her and she shrugged.

"What has she told you about me?" The merchant asked slowly.

"Very little." Marlena replied evenly. "Just enough to know not to trust a word you say." For a moment, she thought his visible face going to explode, as red as it got. Then he laughed. Not scornfully or bitterly, but genuinely amused.

"Ah, Maroo... Still snarky as ever." The holo shook his head. "We will be gentle." That was a command as well as a comment. One guard nodded, slung his weapon and stepped in to pick up Maroo's still form. "I assume she told you I am a pervert or worse?"

"She never said. We met under less than ideal circumstances and haven't had a lot of time to chat." Marlena did not react as the guard lifted Maroo's still form carefully. "I have to stay with her or she will deteriorate rapidly."

"Long story there." Baro was sizing her up. She ignored him, eyeing the guard holding Maroo. "And what can you do that doctors and medical computers cannot?"

Careful. Kaanah sounded very worried now.

"You do not want to know." Marlena said softly. "I need to stay close or I cannot keep her alive. If she dies, you might as well start running. You might get away in time. Maybe."

"Jin can't stop whatever it is by himself?" Baro asked. Marlena shook her head. "That seems awfully convenient for you and her."

"He is what? Seven?" Marlena asked. Baro looked at her, the guards as well. Baro was calm, the guards all seemed dumbfounded. "It is a simple matter of mass. A certain mass can channel a certain amount of energy. No matter how well grown he may be, he is a child. He will be too small. Between the two of them, they should be able to channel the power, especially with me monitoring. Maybe there are other forces at work here? I don't know. All I know is what I have been told to do. Keep Maroo alive. Nothing else matters to me."

"So how do you know about Jin?" Baro demanded. "He wakes every time screaming about a woman in as silver gown."

I didn't mean to. Kaanah's voice was sad now. He can't hear me properly.

"You do not want to know." Marlena said softly, not taking her eyes from the hologram. "So what? Kill her? Kill me?" She shrugged. "Feel free. I won't stop you."

"That is... an interesting choice of words." Baro Ki' Teer said slowly. "'Won't', not 'can't'." Marlena shook her head.

Oops.

Yeah, oops. Kaanah actually gulped.

"You are standing in my home, surrounded by armed guards, automated defenses, and all the rest of my security." Baro Ki' Teer was thinking out loud. His guards hadn't relaxed their aim. "And you say... you won't stop me. From your words, you think you could. Even here. Even now." Marlena did not move. Baro Ki' Teer shook his head. "We will have the truth out of you."

"Anyone can be broken, given enough time." Marlena replied evenly. A caress came from Kaanah's mind and Marlena was comforted a little. "But you don't have the amount of time it will take. Maroo and Jin are both dying. Neither of them will last the week. If they perish, this escalates out of anyone's control. The choice is yours. Maroo told me not to resist, but I do wish to keep her alive. She didn't deserve this. I can also help Jin, but to do so, I have to keep Maroo close too in case her condition worsens." She shrugged. "Do what you will."

"You are not afraid." Baro mused. Marlena shook her head. "Why not?"

"Because I am already dead."

A few minutes later

"You are not the woman I see in my dreams. The dress is the same, but you are not her." The boy in the bed was so small, so thin. So wasted away. Marlena felt her heart lurch as he looked at her with eyes that were far too old for someone his age. Kaanah was crying inside her head, seeing through her eyes. "Who are you?"

The guard had carried Maroo in here. Marlena had expected a cell and been pleasantly surprised. But then, she had seen Jin and a female soldier by his bed. The guard carrying Maroo had set her down and left. When he did, the door locked. Marlena did not miss two security cameras watching.

"My name is Marlena." Marlena busied herself checking Maroo's still form where she lay in the other bed. The small room was well equipped with medical gear, but otherwise bare. That made sense. This room was essentially a quarantine ward, not that the humans had clue what they were quarantining or why. She smiled at the boy as Kaanah sobbed softly in her mind. "You?"

"They say you know my name." The boy tried to sit up and couldn't. From the tubes and wires attached to him, he hadn't been able to leave the bed for some time. The woman by his bed patted his hand, but didn't move otherwise.

"I am trying to be polite." Marlena said with a small frown. "It doesn't come naturally. I have been told your name, but I don't know you. We have never been introduced."

"Oh. I see." The boy thought about that for moment and then smiled hesitantly. "Jin." The boy said softly. "My name is Jin."

"Good to meet you, Jin." Marlena said with a nod. "I know what is happening. I know it is frightening for you. I can help, but I need to touch you to do that."

"Not a chance in hell!" The female soldier who stood by Jin's bedside snarled. She didn't have a weapon in hand, but she had them on her person. "Whatever you are doing, you can do from over there."

"No, I can't." Marlena replied evenly. "The energy dissipates too rapidly after it leaves the host for me to manipulate it from this distance. I have to touch you, Jin. I can help." She offered. "I know who is in your dreams and she is sorry. She was trying to warn you and she could not. The communication was garbled."

"Who?" The soldier demanded fiercely, but Marlena ignored her, focusing on Jin who was thinking. The boy gave her hand a squeeze. Even such a small movement tired him visibly. "Jin?"

"The doc can't help me, Tanya." Jin said after a moment the soldier seemed to wilt for a moment but then shook her head. He looked at Marlena. "How long? Until I die?"

"A couple of days, maybe. You have few reserves left." Marlena said softly. "I can help. I can pull the energy out, repair some of what was done. But I need to touch you."

The boy and the soldier shared a glance. Then Tanya stepped away from the bed, her face a mask. Marlena bowed to her and then to Jin. She checked Maroo one more time, the woman was sleeping comfortably. She stepped to Jin's bedside and reached out to take his hand.

"When I do this, you will fall asleep, but this time, you will not have nightmares." Marlena promised. Jin just looked at her, too drained to speak. She smiled sadly and pulled the energy from him. He gasped and the female soldier jerked, hand on her pistol.

"It doesn't hurt now." Jin sounded amazed as well as stronger. "I didn't...feel? Why didn't I feel that until you took it away?" He asked as his eyes slowly shut.

"It's a coping mechanism, Jin. Your body cannot handle the pain, so it stops recognizing it. You still hurt, but you don't recognize it. I stopped the cause of the hurt. You will be okay." Marlena stroked his hand gently. Be gentle, Kaanah.

I will. We have him. Her sister's voice was sad. We will tend him.

Good. Marlena reached up to brush the boy's hair out of his face as his head sank back to his pillow. "Rest now, Jin. It will not be a nightmare." She bowed her head as he gave a sigh and fell asleep. "That is for those of us who are awake."

She nodded to the stunned looking soldier and moved back to where Maroo lay. She couldn't do much, but what she could, she did to ease the sleeping woman. The soldier pulled a chair from somewhere to place it by Jin's bed and sit.

"What did you do?" A harsh female voice sounded from a hidden speaker. Marlena ignored it. "Don't ignore me! His vitals are stronger. What did you do? That wasn't any form of energy I know."

"Don't wake him." The soldier said quietly, but with force.

"He won't hear anything. He will wake in exactly six hours, refreshed and hungry." Marlena said quietly. The soldier stared at her. "He is very weak, but he will be okay if we can get the lock sealed. If not? This was all for naught."

"What did you do?" The soldier asked, her eyes tender as she brushed a lock of hair from Jin's face. "In layman's terms since you won't explain to the doc? I... couldn't do anything but watch him die."

"The 'nightmares' he was having were nothing of the kind." Marlena said with a frown. "Normal nightmares are images pulled from the subconscious mind during sleep. They are disjointed and frightening. This was not a nightmare. Someone was reaching into his mind, trying to warn him of the danger that is coming. The energy he was exposed to somehow allowed that, but not entirely. The fear he got, but the rest? It was garbled. His mind reacted defensively, using images it knew. It is not his fault or yours. And whatever you feel, the one responsible feels worse. She did not intend harm."

"You know her." It wasn't a question and Marlena did not react. The soldier shook her head. "This lack of trust could have killed him. I am Tanya."

"Marlena." The not-human woman snorted. "But you knew that."

"But like you said, we were not introduced." Tanya actually smiled a little. "Trying to be polite. I need to work on that too." Marlena nodded, a similar smile creasing her features for a moment. But the smile faded when Tanya spoke again. "Boss wants to know what you are."

"I know." Marlena replied. "He thinks he wants to anyway. He really doesn't. Sooner or later, he will discover what I am. At which point... everything will go to hell."

"That bad?" Tanya actually gulped.

"Worse."

Virtual

He was calm. He was warm, dry, clean. He was being rocked in someone's arm. He was so tired. He felt that he could open his eyes, but it was too much effort. He felt pain inside his head. It wasn't bad. But It was growing.

"I am sorry, Jin. I am sorry." The woman holding him was crying. "I wasn't trying to hurt you. I wasn't trying to scare you. I was trying not to and I did anyway. Mother?"

Things were touching him. They didn't feel like fingers. He felt better when they did. Something went 'snap' inside his head and tears were falling as the pain that had been growing vanished.

Don't cry. You will be okay, young one. The voice wasn't any language he knew. It wasn't words as much as images that meant words. But the kindness was heartfelt. You will need time, care and rest. But you should recover fully.

"Who are you?" Jin managed to ask. "Master Baro is confused."

You are not ready to hear that. The kind voice said gently. He is not ready to hear that no matter what he might think. Using you to try and get information was despicable. Really? Demanding you tell him everything you hear, see or feel when you wake? Jin went still and the other made a noise that wasn't a giggle, it wasn't a laugh, it wasn't anything that he recognized, but he could feel the humor. He is quite good at what he does, but we have been doing this kind of thing for a long, long time. Even as limited as we have been, it is what we did. I think I was wrong, from what I feel about you. Maybe you are ready.

"Mother!" The other protested.

I am following the rules I made. Tell me, young Jin, what do you feel for your Master Baro? The other asked as things touched him in various places. Hands, feet, neck, scalp. The sensations on his scalp continued. He felt...good. He felt odd, comforted. On some level, he knew he shouldn't, but on all the others? He felt good. This being wasn't hurting him.

"Gratitude." Jin said softly as the arms holding him gave a squeeze. "I had nothing and he gave me a place."

"He used you." The one holding him said with a savage snarl. "No better than an Orokin!"

Kaanah, be calm. The other chided gently. What is happening is not Jin's fault. Not even Baro Ki' Teer's. You never had a family, did you Jin?

"I... I don't remember." Jin said weakly.

Do you want one? The gentle voice asked. You are a good kid for a human. I always like new family members, but I have to ask first.

"Tanya likes me." Jin felt odd now. Was he floating? Everything seemed far away.

She feels responsible for you. The other replied. I don't know if there is actual emotion involved or if it is a ploy of some kind, but... Jin recoiled, er, tried to. No, no, child it is not bad. I am not saying she is lying to you. I am saying she is one of Baro Ki' Teer's employees and had almost certainly learned to hide how she truly feels about things.

"He is not a bad man." Jin said weakly. He was engulfed in something now. It was flowing around him. "I have seen bad. He isn't." Something wafted though him and he felt even odder. Light and heavy at the same time.

Ah, Jin... The other sounded sad now. Good and bad are not the be all and end all concepts that some think they are. Every sentient being has the potential within them to do what would be considered good or bad. What I would consider good may not be what you consider good. I am not here to pass judgment on Tanya or Baro Ki' Teer, Jin. That was never my function. I fix things. You needed fixing. Humor sang in the not-quite-a-voice now. You are not nearly as broken as Marlena was.

"You did this for her?" Jin felt something happen. He had no words for it.

I did. The other said gently. It gave me something to do. Ah, you saw where he put it. The lock is in Vault Seven.

"What?" Jin recoiled, tried to anyway. "No! No! I won't betray Master Baro!"

"You didn't, Jin." The being called Kaanah said gently from nearby. "You are saving his life."

"What?" Jin couldn't break free of the spongy mass that held him and whatever was going on, he felt good.

The lock is to the door of the prison we are encased in. The being Kaanah had called 'Mother' said gently. But we are not the problem. We are trying very hard to keep another locked in there. You are strong and brave, child. You will need to be. You need help. We will help. Look at me, boy.

Jin opened his eyes and saw a shadowed form in front of him. He was encased in something metallic that flowed around him like water as he watched and the shadowed form had hands on it. It was female, he knew that somehow, although he couldn't say how he knew that. The form had an odd headdress, or... something like that. Tendrils were coming from it to touch him through the mass he was in. The touches felt comforting.

Hello Jin. The not-human form said gently as she pulled him close. Jin knew he should be afraid, but he was not. The feelings... He was crying, but with joy as Mother embraced his mind.

Welcome to our family.