"I was on a dig on Mars when we found one of these," Huntington mused, "but we
were told to leave, and the government let them take it back."
Kendle's hand was at her mouth, "It's one of those things that was on ISN a
couple of years ago. They were attacking some of the outer worlds or something."
"There was a whole damn war," Carter said, never taking her eyes off it, "but
then they left or something. Right before Sheridan liberated Earth."
"From the moment we unearthed it on Mars, it called to me. It wanted me,"
Huntington was off in his own little world and seemed to be talking to
himself, "When I arrived here, I felt that call again, it wants me to pilot it
away from here."
Lennier's eyes went wide, "No! You'd never be able to control it!"
"Fool, why do you think it killed everyone else?"
Carter furrowed her brow, "The plants and quakes killed everyone."
"But this caused the quakes, and it controls the Edenberry plants."
Carter and Kendle shot an "Is that possible?" look to Lennier, since he seemed
to know what was going on. He shrugged, unsure.
"It knows I can do it," Huntington mused, "It chose me."
Lennier exchanged looks with Carter and then said, "That's what it wants you to
think," he carefully put Kendle down as he spoke while Carter edged her way
round Huntington, whose attention was fully on the Minbari. "Blieve me, I've
seen it," Lennier continued, "an unprepared mind can't control the vessel. You
will be destroyed."
Huntington snarled, "Shut up, damn Minbari," he spat, "your kind were the
puppets of the Vorlons. They deluded your thinking, made you afraid of the
Shadows, when they only wanted your friendship. You are the ingnorant fool!"
He aimed the gun, ready to shoot Lennier, but Carter lunged forward and kicked
it from his hand. He spun and tried to punch her, but she ducked and then
belted him. Huntington bent down, clutching his stomach, and Carter brought her
fist down on his head, knocking him out.
Lennier looked at the unconcious man approvingly, "Well, I see you didn't need
my help."
Carter cricked her neck, "He always annoyed me."
Later they were back in the chamber with the door, discussing options.
Huntington was awake, but was tied up and lying in the corner, eyeing them with
ill-concealed hate.
"So why can't we just leave it here?" Kendle asked.
"If what Huntington said was true, that thing is what's causing the plants to
become Triffids," Carter replied.
"There's more," Lennier said, "we can't let anyone else find it. Huntington
wasn't the only one touched by the Shadows, not by far."
"You mean, like the Drakh," Carter said.
Lennier gave her a curious look before continueing, "Yes, and more."
"Great," Kendle said, "so how do we destroy it?" she looked at Lennier, "since
you seem to be the expert."
Lennier shrugged, "They're near impossible to destroy to one of our own ships.
We don't have anything."
"We have explosives, lots of them," Kendle suggested, hopefully.
Lennier shook his head, "No, they wouldn't even scratch it."
Carter was chewing on her lip, deep in thought, "What about magma, high
pressure, say from a deep caveren underneath a once active volcano?"
He looked confused but said, "If the pressure was high enough, it's a good
possibility," when a huge grin spread on her face he said, "I was just going to
assume that you have a high pressure cavern under a once active volcano."
She continued to grina nd looked knowingly at Kendle, who was also smiling.
Kendle said, "This mountain was once an active volcano. Underneath all these
chambers is a huge magma deposit. Hundreds of miles deep. Even if the pressure
doesn't destroy it, the magma should trap it."
"All we have to do," Carter said, "is blow out the floor, and the Shadow falls
down."
Lennier thought about it, "It should work, even if the shadow wakes up, it's
been dormant so long it shouldn't be able to take off."
Kendle raised an eyebrow, "Shouldn't?"
Lennier shrugged and Carter chuckled. "Come on," she said, "You rig up a
detonation device. Lennier and I'll go and set the explosives."
were told to leave, and the government let them take it back."
Kendle's hand was at her mouth, "It's one of those things that was on ISN a
couple of years ago. They were attacking some of the outer worlds or something."
"There was a whole damn war," Carter said, never taking her eyes off it, "but
then they left or something. Right before Sheridan liberated Earth."
"From the moment we unearthed it on Mars, it called to me. It wanted me,"
Huntington was off in his own little world and seemed to be talking to
himself, "When I arrived here, I felt that call again, it wants me to pilot it
away from here."
Lennier's eyes went wide, "No! You'd never be able to control it!"
"Fool, why do you think it killed everyone else?"
Carter furrowed her brow, "The plants and quakes killed everyone."
"But this caused the quakes, and it controls the Edenberry plants."
Carter and Kendle shot an "Is that possible?" look to Lennier, since he seemed
to know what was going on. He shrugged, unsure.
"It knows I can do it," Huntington mused, "It chose me."
Lennier exchanged looks with Carter and then said, "That's what it wants you to
think," he carefully put Kendle down as he spoke while Carter edged her way
round Huntington, whose attention was fully on the Minbari. "Blieve me, I've
seen it," Lennier continued, "an unprepared mind can't control the vessel. You
will be destroyed."
Huntington snarled, "Shut up, damn Minbari," he spat, "your kind were the
puppets of the Vorlons. They deluded your thinking, made you afraid of the
Shadows, when they only wanted your friendship. You are the ingnorant fool!"
He aimed the gun, ready to shoot Lennier, but Carter lunged forward and kicked
it from his hand. He spun and tried to punch her, but she ducked and then
belted him. Huntington bent down, clutching his stomach, and Carter brought her
fist down on his head, knocking him out.
Lennier looked at the unconcious man approvingly, "Well, I see you didn't need
my help."
Carter cricked her neck, "He always annoyed me."
Later they were back in the chamber with the door, discussing options.
Huntington was awake, but was tied up and lying in the corner, eyeing them with
ill-concealed hate.
"So why can't we just leave it here?" Kendle asked.
"If what Huntington said was true, that thing is what's causing the plants to
become Triffids," Carter replied.
"There's more," Lennier said, "we can't let anyone else find it. Huntington
wasn't the only one touched by the Shadows, not by far."
"You mean, like the Drakh," Carter said.
Lennier gave her a curious look before continueing, "Yes, and more."
"Great," Kendle said, "so how do we destroy it?" she looked at Lennier, "since
you seem to be the expert."
Lennier shrugged, "They're near impossible to destroy to one of our own ships.
We don't have anything."
"We have explosives, lots of them," Kendle suggested, hopefully.
Lennier shook his head, "No, they wouldn't even scratch it."
Carter was chewing on her lip, deep in thought, "What about magma, high
pressure, say from a deep caveren underneath a once active volcano?"
He looked confused but said, "If the pressure was high enough, it's a good
possibility," when a huge grin spread on her face he said, "I was just going to
assume that you have a high pressure cavern under a once active volcano."
She continued to grina nd looked knowingly at Kendle, who was also smiling.
Kendle said, "This mountain was once an active volcano. Underneath all these
chambers is a huge magma deposit. Hundreds of miles deep. Even if the pressure
doesn't destroy it, the magma should trap it."
"All we have to do," Carter said, "is blow out the floor, and the Shadow falls
down."
Lennier thought about it, "It should work, even if the shadow wakes up, it's
been dormant so long it shouldn't be able to take off."
Kendle raised an eyebrow, "Shouldn't?"
Lennier shrugged and Carter chuckled. "Come on," she said, "You rig up a
detonation device. Lennier and I'll go and set the explosives."