Family

Sandy blinked once, then again. "My uncle?" she whispered, then shook her head. "No, you can't be. My uncle is dead – he died with my parents, when the Cyberoids launched the nuclear missiles and started the war." She looked at him, fire in her eyes. "You're NOT my uncle!" she shouted, raising her weapon at him. Her companions did the same.

Kyle looked at her sadly, sighing as he closed his eyes. "I assure you that I am indeed your uncle. I wasn't with your father and mother at the time of the attack, so I was spared their fate. But perhaps this will convince you." He moved his hand to reach into a pocket of his overcoat...

"GUN!" somebody shouted. Instantly, dozens of weapons were drawn and pointed at Kyle. He stopped and looked at Sandy. She held his gaze for a moment, then lowered her weapon. Her companions did the same, followed by everyone else in the room. He smiled at her, finished reaching into his pocket, then took her hand and placed what he had retrieved into her hand. "This should convince you, my little beachcomber," he said to her. "I've kept it all these years, hoping for the day I could give it back to you."

Sandy opened her hand. Her eyes grew wide as she looked at the small, pink shell that rested there. "Little beachcomber...?" she whispered, as the memories surged back. I remember...

The four of them walked along the beach – she didn't remember the name of it, but it was a long drive from their home. The trip was incredibly boring to four-year-old Sandy, but she decided that the boredom was worth it to see the beautiful blue water. Mother and Father walked hand-in-hand at the edge of the water, getting their feet wet as the waves broke at their feet.

"You must be Norton," Kyle said to the hulking cyborg, extending his hand in greeting. "Thank you for taking such good care of my little Sandy."

"A pleasure, sir," Norton replied, gripping Kyle's hand in a firm shake.

She ran ahead with Uncle Kyle, looking at stones and twigs that washed up on the shore. Everything she saw, she picked up and brought to show him. "You're a regular little beachcomber," he had said with a laugh. She squealed with delight at the nickname, and insisted that he use it every time he referred to her.

"And you would be Score," Kyle continued, turning to the blonde. "I've heard of your exploits in the Northern regions – I'm glad to get a chance to meet you."

"Ummm... yeah, likewise," Score muttered, clearly uncomfortable with the unexpected praise.

Seeing a glimmer of light near the water's edge, she ran over to see what it was. "Be careful now, Sandy," Father had scolded her, "don't get too close."

"I won't Papa," she called back, as she squatted down to pick up the shiny thing. She ran back to Uncle Kyle to show him her discovery. "What is it?" she asked him.

"This is half of an oyster shell," he had told her. "Keep it close to your heart, and it'll bring you good luck." He held it out to her.

She shook her head. "You keep it, Unca Kyle," she said to him. "Papa says that you need the luck more than I do."

"Did he, now?" Uncle Kyle had laughed, but put the shell in his pocket anyway. "Thank you for the gift," he said to her, taking her by the hand as he stood up. "Now, let's go find another one for you, my little beachcomber..."

Tears streaming down her face, she looked up at him. "U-Uncle K-Kyle?" she stammered. "It really IS you?" Kyle smiled at her, and she broke down. She jumped up and threw her arms around his neck. "UNCLE KYLE!" she sobbed, "It IS you! I've missed you SO much!"

Kyle wrapped his arms around her waist, rubbing her back. "I've missed you, too, beachcomber," he whispered into her ear.

Score gaped at the display, blinking. "That isn't the Sandy we know," she remarked.

Sandy then broke their hug, bringing her hand up to slap him in the face.

"That is," Norton countered.

"WHERE THE HELL HAVE YOU BEEN?" she screamed at him, "Do you KNOW how long I've been on my own? When Papa and Mama died, I was SURE that you'd come for me – but you NEVER DID! WHY did you leave me alone, to fend for myself? WHY?" She pounded her fists against his chest, before resting her head where she had struck him. "Why didn't you come for me?" she whimpered.

Kyle rested a hand on her head. Gently stroking her hair, he said to her, "I'm sorry that I couldn't be there for you, Sandy. If I could have been here sooner, I would have. I started searching for you right after the attacks, but you know how things turned out. I didn't know where you were until I saw the evacuation ships launching – and I wasn't sure if you'd be on one of them."

Sandy pulled away from him, wiping her face with her arm. "I thought about going," she admitted, "but too many people need me here. I couldn't leave, while there was a chance of saving more people."

Kyle nodded. "I thought you might say that," he said to her, "you have so much of your grandfather in you – it's good to know that his legacy hasn't faded."

"I never knew my grandfather," Sandy confessed, "Papa never talked much about him, either."

"He died shortly before you were born," Kyle told her. "But I think he would be proud of how well his family had fared in his absence. You share not only his strength and determination, but also his compassion." He looked at her, and smiled. "Yes, your grandfather would be VERY proud."

"As charming as this little family reunion is," Score piped up, "I sincerely hope that it's not the ONLY reason we got called away from our patrol."

"Indeed," Norton added. "You mentioned something about a mission."

General Nelson brought his fist up to cover his mouth as he cleared his throat. "Ahem, yes – the mission. Your uncle, here, has proposed an intriguing new plan – one that he claims has the potential to end the war once and for all."

Sandy's eyes widened in amazement. She looked at Score, who mirrored her expression. Norton, as usual, could not be read. "Okay," she said to the General, "what's the plan?"

"You three, plus tank captain Bauer, are being temporarily detached from this command. You will be under the direct authority of Mister Newman – to provide cover and escort to where he wishes to go."

Kyle turned, and aimed a laser-pointer at the map display. A tiny red dot illuminated a spot near the centre of the map.

Score looked at the point, then looked at Kyle, confusion evident in her expression.

"You want us to take you THERE?"