PART 3

After his startling admission, Susan just stared at Duncan in disbelief and he sighed. "Perhaps I should elaborate a little."

"Yes, I think you should," agreed Susan, finding her voice at last. She sat down and Duncan began.

"When I got word of what happened on the station, I searched out certain 'beings' the Vindrizi had left me memories of, to see if there was anything they could do. I told them of Marcus' sacrifice and by way of atonement they let me have the crystal. Some data had to be changed to take human biological differences into account and then to make sure it worked, I offered myself as the guinea pig."

"What do you mean, atonement?" queried Susan, puzzled.

"It was their machine he used, Captain," he answered, quietly. "They felt they were to blame."

This little revelation succeeded in shocking Ivanova even more. "You found the aliens that made the healing device?"

"Yes. They are not unlike ourselves and yet so very different," he told her, musingly. "Very strange race."

Before she had a chance to demand to know who these 'beings' were, the comms unit beeped and a familiar face appeared on the screen.

Startled, she shook her head slightly and stood up, forcing a smile to her face. "Corwin, how are you?"

"Fine Command......I mean, Captain Ivanova. And you?" he stammered back. He'd been surprised on hearing that Ivanova had placed the call and looking at her now, he still felt the same trepidation as he used to when dealing with her.

"I'm fine too. Put me through to Dr. Franklin."

Corwin nodded and transferred her call to Medlab. Franklin's bent head appeared on screen. He was writing something down and didn't look up to see who was calling. "Medlab, what do you want?" He sounded tired and irritable.

Susan smiled. "Is that all the welcome I get now?"

Franklin's head snapped up as he recognised her voice and a huge grin spread across his features. "Susan, it's good to hear from you! How are you?"

"I'm well, Stephen."

"I hope you're calling to tell me you're coming back to pay us a visit," he said, optimistically.

"Maybe."

"Well, that's a start at least," he said wryly.

Susan grinned. "I have some business to discuss first."

"Oh? What's up?" Stephen asked, his curiosity piqued.

Susan turned to Duncan and beckoned for him to come over to the screen. "I have someone here that you may remember."

Duncan looked into the screen. "Hello doctor, it's been a long time."

Franklin looked confused for a minute then he let out a gasp of surprise. "Vindrizi! Of course, you're Marcus' friend. David, Daniel..."

"Duncan," the man supplied.

"That's it....Duncan." Baffled, Franklin looked back at Ivanova and asked, "What's this all about, Susan?"

Susan felt for the data crystal in her pocket and pulled it out to look at it. Suddenly she realised all her hopes. Her eyes misted over and she stared straight at Franklin, a beautiful smile lighting her face. "It's about being given a second chance, Stephen."

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Duncan arrived on Babylon 5 accompanied by a Ranger called Samuel. Ivanova had told Franklin about the crystal, the alien's and what Duncan had done. Franklin was dubious but Susan was so insistent that he had been forced to agree to help. Together they had arranged for the Rangers to provide a safe, quick passage to the station so that the revival process could be started immediately. Knowing what it was for, the Rangers readily agreed.

Susan had been frustrated at not being able to go with him herself, but after a heated argument with her superior, she had 'agreed' to complete the next part of her mission before taking leave and joining them on Babylon 5 in two weeks.

Duncan had tried to soothe her by informing her that Marcus would need at least a week to convalesce after the process and, considering it would take Duncan himself a week to reach the station anyway, the timing would be perfect. Susan wasn't mollified and continued to rant and curse about her boss and the universe in general until Duncan had left. Remembering some of the language she'd used had kept Duncan amused on his trip back. It was good to see not all the fire Marcus used to talk about had gone out of her.

They moved forward in the queue and Samuel handed their ID's to the security man on duty. When their names came up, the guard looked at them sharply before tapping his link, saying, "Chief, the people you were expecting are here."

"Be right there, Paul," came back Zack Allen's voice.

Paul motioned them to stand to the side while he dealt with the other passengers from the ship.

In his office, Zack looked at the man opposite him. "So Chief. You coming?"

Michael Garibaldi shook his head and stood up. "No, I've already spoken to Stephen about this and he's going to let me know if it works. I think I'd better keep a low profile on this one. After all, if it wasn't for me, Marcus wouldn't have died."

Zack shook his head, feeling sorry for the man who carried so much guilt around for actions he had no control over. "Chief, you can't honestly blame yourself for he did. I thought you'd talked about this with Captain Ivanova and straightened it all out. She doesn't blame you."

Garibaldi walked across the room, then paused at the doorway and turned back to his friend. "I have. And she doesn't anymore. But that was Susan. Now I have to face Marcus if he comes back. I hadn't expected this day to come but since it has, perhaps I can finally get some peace." Without another word he left the room.

Zack sighed and hoped that whatever the Captain and Doctor had planned would work. He left his office and went to Medlab. He told Franklin that Duncan had arrived and they quickly made their way to the docking area.

Upon entering, Stephen smiled at the old man and held out his hand. "Duncan, I'm glad you're finally here."

"So am I doctor, so am I," he replied, shaking Stephen's hand. Duncan turned and introduced the man standing quietly next to him. "This is Samuel. He made sure that my journey here was a safe one."

After Stephen, Zack and Samuel exchanged pleasantries, Duncan turned to Franklin expectantly. "Well doctor, should we get started?"

"Of course. First though, I want to give you thorough check up."

Duncan wasn't pleased but had expected this request and with a nod of his head followed the doctor to Medlab.

Franklin made arrangements for Marcus to be taken out of his cryo tube and placed in Isolab 1. While this was happening, he started his tests on Duncan. An hour later, the tests complete, Franklin looked at the old man sadly and sighed.

"How long do you think I have left, doctor?" Duncan asked quietly.

"About two weeks, possibly a month," Franklin answered. His eyes narrowed suspiciously. "You knew about your condition when you offered yourself as a guinea pig to those aliens didn't you?"

"Yes," he replied, simply.

Franklin shrugged his shoulders and frowned. "But I don't get it. If you've been given life, how come it's so short?" His voice started to rise as a new thought hit him. "Is this a side effect you haven't told us about? Is Marcus only coming back for a short while? Because if he is......."

"Doctor, calm yourself," interrupted Duncan. "The only side effect of this serum is that it gives you back what life you would have had. I didn't have long. Marcus is still young, he will live a full life, I promise you."

Franklin regarded him for a minute, still not happy with attempting to revive Marcus with the same technology that had taken it from him.

"Dr. Franklin, the body is ready now," said a young nurse as she walked up to him. "Do you need me for anything else?"

"Uh, no. No, thank you, that will be all. I'll handle things from here," he replied.

She nodded and walked away. He turned to Duncan. "OK, let's get this thing started, shall we?"

Franklin and Duncan walked into Isolab 1. There, laying on a bed was Marcus. Stephen stared down onto the peaceful face of his friend and then looked up at Duncan. "Do you have the crystal?" he asked quietly.

Duncan nodded and held it out to him.

"Good," said Stephen and reached out to take it from him. He paused before touching it, his expression hardening for a second. "I hope you know what you're doing Duncan, because if this goes wrong, it won't just be Ivanova you have to answer to."

"Don't worry, it will work," Duncan replied confidently, moving his hand nearer to Stephen.

Franklin hesitated a moment more before taking the crystal and heading over to one of the consoles. He was only going through with this because of Ivanova and the fact that he was no where near finding a solution himself.

Duncan looked down at the man laying so still on the bed and said softly, "Time to wake up Marcus."

Half an hour later, Franklin held up a jar of clear liquid and looked unimpressed. "I can't see how this will work. I haven't put anything in there that's out of the ordinary and certainly not anything that would bring someone back to life."

Duncan walked over and took the jar from his hands, placing it down on the table. "That's because it needs just one more ingredient," he told him. Reaching up, Duncan removed a thin chain, with a pouch hanging on it, from around his neck.

"What's that?"

Duncan opened the pouch and pulled out a thin shard of what looked like blue glass. "The catalyst, doctor."

He dropped it into the jar and the liquid immediately fizzed and changed to a luminous, bright blue colour. Turning to Franklin he said, "It is done. One syringe full should be given now and then again in an hour. Then, one half should be given each day after that for six days."

Franklin took the jar and looked at the liquid. "And you're sure there's no side effects?" he asked again, still not convinced.

"Positive."

With a deep breath, Franklin took out a syringe and filled it. "Ok, here we go then."

They both went over to the body of the Ranger. The doctor hesitated slightly before placing the syringe against his friends neck and injecting the liquid.

"Now we wait one hour, doctor," instructed Duncan. He put a hand on the younger man's arm. "He will be fine."

One hour later they were back at the bedside ready to administer the next dose. The moment of truth was here. This second injection, Duncan had told him, would wake Marcus. Stephen filled the syringe again and placed it at Marcus' neck. He gave a wry smile when he noticed how his hands were shaking and then pushed the plunger down to inject the dose.

They waited. Time passed and nothing happened. Franklin glanced angrily over at Duncan. "I thought you said it would work."

"Patience, doctor, patience," came the soft reply. Duncan stared intently at the Ranger and suddenly saw the eyes flicker. He grabbed Franklin's arm, pointed at Marcus' face and practically shouted, "There, did you see that? He's alive!"

END PART 3