Atonement

by Jules8

The Sliders are judged for their interference on other worlds and have to face a decision as to whether they can continue.

SLFIC: Atonement 01/08

by Jules Reynolds

(Julia@wrenlea.demon.co.uk)

The following story is intended for entertainment purposes only. This

document can be freely distributed with the condition that no part of

the text is modified, and this notice is included with all copies.

This document cannot be sold or translated into any other form without

written permission from the author.

Some characters and elements of this story are the property of St Clare

Entertainment/Sci Fi Channel and are used without authorization.

No copyright infringement is intended. The author

receives no compensation from the distribution of this work. Any

comments or criticism would be welcome.

PART ONE

There had been too many worlds. Too many deaths and changed lives.

The old man looked up and sighed, the weight of responsibility lying

heavily on him. His burden, his alone. They had to know what they had

done. It was his directive and his duty. He felt the pain as though it

were his own. It was time for their atonement.

******

The ground was soft, the solid earth cushioned by sweet long grass.

Tiny flowers poked their heads hesitantly up through the green, and were

greeted by warm shafts of sunlight filtering gently through a broad

canopy of leaves above.

The birds making their nests high in these trees, were small and

brightly colored. The ground beneath offering an abundance of food.

A small shape swooped low across the ground and hesitated before

snatching a grub from the earth. As it fluttered higher, its nest within

sight, it was caught in a wind so strong, so sudden that it was caught

off balance and thrown violently against the nearest tree.

Its mate looked on in mute despair as it watched the crumpled form drop

to the grass and lie still.

The wind ceased as abruptly as it had arrived. The bird wanted to

investigate its mate's fate, but the human form sitting on the grass,

was a threat to their young. It looked sorrowfully towards its mate and

then reluctantly took flight to the top of the trees. Its young were

all that mattered now. Their survival, their wellbeing, their very

lives. What was done, was done.

***

Wade felt the welcome cushion of grass as she landed, her hands thrown

forwards to ward off collision. She needn't have bothered. There was

no collision. Just space and then warm green carpeting. She lay on her

back. She felt euphoric.

"Wow, a soft landing!" she exclaimed loudly. She waited, expecting a

sarcastic retort from the Professor or bemoaning from Remmy. She waited

for Quinn's outstretched hand, offering her a hoist to her feet.

Silence.

"Hey, guys, give me a break. Where are you?" she asked smiling.

Sitting up, she twisted around to see if Quinn or one of the others were

grinning in their conspiratorial silence.

The grass stretched into the distance. She seemed surrounded by trees

but there was no sign of anyone.

A joke. It had to be a joke. Perhaps she'd been last into the vortex

and they'd had time to scramble to their feet and hide from her. She

couldn't remember who went before her. The memory of the slide was

unclear. She'd kill them when she got her hands on them!

"Okay, I've had enough. Are you gonna come out now or what?" she said

hesitantly, climbing to her feet. She brushed the front of her jeans.

She felt the tremor in her voice. The fear.

Silence.

Then she heard the birdsong. They sounded happy enough. There didn't

seem to be much to be afraid of on this world. And yet Wade began to

doubt.

Fear was a mere sensation, an intangible glimpse into her inner mind.

She didn't want to go there yet, and still she felt that familiar,

unwanted tingle run down her spine.

She glanced full circle behind her and blinked.

The vortex was still there. At least it looked like the vortex but

wasn't.

It hung suspended as a jewel from a chain. It hung silent and immobile,

as though locked in time.

She moved towards it slowly, hesitantly, and reached out her hand. She

felt its mass, solid. Not the swirling, vibrant vision, which usually

deposited them on some world. This vortex was silent and impassive.

She circled it. It was no illusion. It was suspended, inactive and

helpless. Like her. Stranded.

The thought of being alone. That somehow the slide had gone radically

wrong, haunted her. She tried to be positive. To think about the fact

that they had to be somewhere, that the vortex was somehow still there

and so might act as a way out. Then her heart sank. She didn't have

the timer, Quinn did. If they were separated then she was alone and

unable to get home. She didn't understand enough about the physics of

sliding, to do anything of relevance. She didn't stand a hope. She

wished that the vortex were some giant computer. Then the one thing she

could do would be to hack into its system and get herself back together

with her friends.

Stupid thoughts. Stupid feelings. She was alone and that was that.

She'd always dreaded it - they all had. She'd talked secretly with

Remmy about her fear that one day she'd be alone, one day she'd either

miss the slide or something would go wrong and they'd abandon her. He'd

always reassured her, said that it wouldn't happen, couldn't. She could

slide second or third even and then someone would always be with her,

she wouldn't be last.

She rubbed her head. How had she ended up last? She couldn't remember

what had happened. She wondered how she'd let herself be last. She

tried not to be. Well mostly. On the last few slides she'd made sure

she'd been second, after Quinn or the Professor. But this time...

Wade shook her head, puzzled.

The vortex activated suddenly. Its solid, immobile mass started to

swirl and dance in front of her eyes. Lights and noise. Its fluidity

returned and she could see through it, see into its interior. She felt

drawn to it. Should she jump back in and try to reach her friends?

No. She remembered the Professor's warning, way back at the beginning of

their sliding together. To try to retrace your steps through the vortex

was madness and futile. The possibility of returning to the same world,

from which you'd come was...well she knew that it was impossible.

Perhaps she'd been thrown onto another world. Would Quinn or the others

try to get to her? She felt small, alone, abandoned.

The sudden voices coming from the wormhole startled her.

She moved to be closer although the wind forced her back. She struggled

nearer, trying to peer through the colors.

She could hear her name, over and over again. She could see shapes,

darkened by the power of the vortex. Her hair blew wildly around her

face and she pushed at it irritably, trying to keep it from her eyes.

They'd never been able to see through the vortex before to another

world. Not until now that is.

Then she saw them. She saw her friends, their faces panic stricken and

frightened. She saw them standing on some sort of steep mountainside.

The rocks were jagged and sharp. She could see a dark, storm-laden sky.

She watched as the vortex cleared slightly and she could see more

detail.

Then she winced. She saw the blood on Quinn's face, the dark stain of

red, which sprawled across Remmy's chest and the Professor's head bowed.

She could hear their words. She could touch their terror. She tried to

move to get through the vortex, forgetting her earlier reluctance.

Ignoring the consequences. But the wind was too powerful and it seemed

to be getting stronger. She shielded her eyes with her arm. She had to

be with them. She had to know what was going on. She strained to make

sense of what they were saying.

Quinn's voice came clearer now. It was in waves. It was anguished and

choked.

She put a hand out and tried to reach him, comfort him, but she didn't

know what from. She watched Remmy put his arm around Quinn and pull him

towards him.

"Quinn." Her whisper was thrown away from the vortex by the wind. Wade

could feel his pain so badly it hurt. Why? What could have happened to

make him so distraught?

Then Wade's eyes were drawn to the figure that was lying beneath them.

She gasped and drew back instinctively. She watched as Quinn moved and

scooped the limp figure up into his arms, cradling it. She stood, numb,

blinking. She looked at the body as closely as she could. She looked

at the eyes that were closed, the pale face and the head streaked with

blood.

She put her hand out again and closed her fingers around themselves into

a fist that she tightened.

"It can't be," she muttered slowly, her eyes beginning to mist.

"She's dead, Q-Ball, dead," Remmy was saying gently, his arm around

Quinn's shoulders. Wade watched as the three men moved away from the

vortex. She watched as they set the figure down away from the edge of

the rocks and she watched as Quinn bowed his head and kissed the girl's

forehead.

"I'm not dead," she whispered fiercely. "I'm not dead," her voice

rising, desperate now. "Hear me, damn you Quinn Mallory, hear me.

Don't you abandon me now, damn you." Wade felt the tears slip from her

eyes and she swallowed. No time for tears. She didn't understand what

she could see. She couldn't do anything about it. She was here. *She*

was Wade Welles. That Wade Welles couldn't be her. It had to be an

illusion that the vortex was conjuring up. Either that or it had to be

an alternate world and they weren't her friends. Another Wade Welles

was lying there dead.

And yet she knew in her heart as she looked into the depths of the

vision, that it was *her* Quinn, *her* Remmy and *her* very dear

Professor. Each man was crying, quietly and with dignity.

Wade screamed at the vortex.

"Nooooooo!" she fell to her knees in front of it as she heard the words

she was dreading.

"We have to go on without her, just as she would have wanted it." She

watched as Quinn bowed his head and the Professor put his hand on the

young man's shoulder. She watched as Remmy bit his lip and turned away.

With the emptiness inside her came the fading. It was subtle at first.

Wade thought that her eyes were playing tricks, that the mist of her

tears was clouding her sight. But the vision, which the vortex had

thrown up, started to fade and then gradually it disappeared. The

vortex stopped spinning and the wind slowed. Wade could no longer see

or hear anything from the interior. She looked up, handfuls of grass

held tightly in clenched hands. The still and silent form hung

suspended once again.

Wade moved away and sat down against the nearest tree. From time to

time she looked over at the vortex but it hung, a still and silent

monument to her pain. She felt confused and suddenly tired.

A small movement near to her leg took her eye. She shifted sideways and

bent forward to see what it was.

The tiny bird opened one eye and looked mournfully at her. She scooped

it up gently and held it between both hands, cradling it. Its wing was

broken in two, it's neck at a strange angle. Wade stroked the feathers

gently. She couldn't do anything for it. She felt helpless.

"You and me," she soothed gently. "Lost souls aren't we?" she whispered

and bent to kiss its head. She watched as its eye closed and a shudder

pushed from one end of the bird to the other. As she felt the life slip

slowly from the small creature, seeping through her fingers to join with

the earth below, she let out a small sob. She tried to look at the

dead bird but could only see mist and distortion. A warped mirror

clouding her vision, but she was grateful to let the tears drop from her

eyes and slip down her cheeks to fall on the bird beneath her.

She put it down and leaned backwards. She let the tears of frustration

flow easily. Her greatest fear. The worst thing that could ever have

happened to her was upon her. She was abandoned and lost, and what was

worse, her friends believed her dead. She couldn't understand the

vision she'd seen, and yet she knew it was wrong somehow. Maybe it was

a vision of something to come, or something which could happen but not

which had already happened.

She got to her feet and covered the small bird with grass and leaves.

"I'm so sorry," she whispered as she smoothed the grass down.

The vortex hung in front of her and Wade stood for a minute to stare at

it.

"You'll give them up to me eventually. All I've got to do is wait," she

said as she looked at it. And for a second Wade felt determination and

strength struggle to the surface.

"I'm afraid I can't let you do that," came the male voice from behind

her.

Wade swung around. She'd been unprepared for anyone else being there.

She'd accepted her own company and the fact that she was alone. This

was a shock to her system.

"Who are you?" she asked as she clenched her fingers tightly, gazing

into the piercing eyes of the stranger who stood before her.

The man was tall and straight. He was advanced in years and yet his

face was smooth. The tinges of gray, which marked the sides of his

hair, were the only clue to his years. He held his head proudly and

took her gaze full on, returning it with calm, yet decisive gray eyes.

"You don't need to know that. It is enough that you are now on our

world and you have committed a crime here," the man said. He was

slightly taller than Quinn, wearing a black robe, loosely hung from his

shoulders, yet caught by a thick leather belt at his waist. The face

was impassive and expressionless.

"A crime? No. I only just arrived. I've been left here by mistake, I

haven't committed a crime," she said firmly. "The vortex left me here.

My friends..I have to wait for them."

"The vortex. Interesting terminology. We prefer to describe them as

pathways. I'm afraid denial will do you no good. And waiting for

something that cannot be, is futile. You must answer for your crime."

Wade swung around, her heart starting to sink at his words, and pointed.

"But there's something wrong with the vortex. You must help me to get

my friends here. They'll explain this is all a mistake..."

Wade's voice trailed. She gaped. The vortex had vanished.

In that moment Wade realized her last hope had gone. She was truly

alone. There would be no rescue, no reunion. Whatever had happened was

done. Her friends would travel on without her, believing her to be

dead. She put her chin in the air and swallowed.

She slowly turned back and gazed at the man.

"What did I do?" she asked quietly, her heart sinking, her stomach

churning at the thought that her last link with her friends had gone.

She was on her own and at the mercy of whatever fate awaited her.

He looked at her for a single second and then replied.

"Murder".

To be continued...

SLFIC: Atonement 02/08

by Jules Reynolds

(Julia@wrenlea.demon.co.uk)

PART TWO

"She's dead Q-Ball and there ain't nothin' you or I, or any other damn

person on this God forsaken world can do about it."

Remmy gripped Quinn's shoulder firmly as he propelled him away from

Wade's prone form. Remmy tried to ignore the tears that were beginning

to blind him. He tried to ignore the hard lump that formed in his throat

and threatened to choke him. He forced himself to look away from the

sight of the dead girl.

Quinn shook his head and tried to shrug Remmy's hand away. "How can you

say it like that? It's so final," he muttered as he tried to turn his

head to look at her once more. Remmy held firm.

His fault. His fault for sliding in the first place. Now this. His

best friend dead. He'd been unable to do anything about it. Any one of

them could have died, but why Wade? Why did it have to be her? It

should have been him. He deserved it, the whole gig was his idea in the

first place. Damn it, Wade was only along for the ride, she didn't

deserve this.

Remmy exchanged a worried look with Arturo. He raised his eyebrows in

return. He couldn't do much more.

"Let her rest, Quinn, let her rest," the Professor said as he took hold

of Quinn's other arm and helped to move him away.

They moved to the other side of the rocks. Wade's crumpled form lay

hidden from view, covered in Remmy's jacket. It was all they could do to

preserve her dignity in the circumstances.

"We should bury her," Quinn said as he ran his fingers roughly through

his hair. "She deserves that at least." He rubbed fiercely at the

moisture, which smarted at the corner of his eye.

"She wouldn't have wanted us to risk life and limb to do that," Arturo

said gently and looked apprehensively at the steep incline above them.

He clutched at the side of the rocks to regain his balance and stop him

from falling.

"Well we should at least take her somewhere else to do it then," Quinn

persisted.

"I think not. Listen to me, my dear boy. Miss Welles wouldn't have

wanted this. She would want us to get ourselves sorted out and then get

out of here as soon as possible, not stop to bury her. Carrying her for

any distance would mean risking your life for nothing. Especially when

I don't see anything but hard ground for miles around, and we have

nothing to dig with. I understand your feelings but we have no

choice."

Remmy was rubbing his chest ruefully. He nodded his agreement with the

Professor and then winced.

"You okay, Remmy?" Quinn asked, turning his head at the sound Remmy

made.

"Yeah, yeah. Just hit one of them damn rocks, same as Wade did. Hit my

chest though, and then you guys slammed into me on top of that."

Rembrandt peeled back his shirt and taking a handkerchief from his

pocket, proceeded to dab at a nasty gash across his chest. His ribs

were meanwhile turning a rather dusky shade of pink and purple. He sat

down on the ground and eased himself into a more comfortable position,

keeping his knees up to avoid sliding down the slope.

"Give me a few minutes. Just need to get my breath," he said.

Arturo patted him reassuringly on the shoulder.

Quinn fingered the cut across his own forehead. The slide hadn't ever

done it before. Sure it had been close but never that close. They'd

slammed right into the side of the mountain. Virtually no space between

the vortex and the drop point. They'd all been momentarily dazed when

they exited the tunnel but it seemed that Wade had been first out.

She'd taken full impact on the side of her head. From what they could

make out she'd died instantly. For that, Quinn was grateful, if he

could be grateful for anything right now. That she'd suffered no pain.

The others had slammed one by one into the next person until the

Professor had winded them all. He'd suffered no cuts but Remmy had what

seemed to be a badly gashed chest and a probable broken rib. Quinn had

cut his head.

He stared, mesmerized by the blood on his fingertips as he rubbed them

together and smeared the sticky red liquid gently until it dissipated.

He sat down heavily.

"Quinn," Arturo said gently, as he sank down cautiously next to his

young friend. The slope they were on was hazardous to say the least.

"Dare I suggest that you check out the timer?"

Quinn reached into his pocket and withdrew the device, which had wreaked

so much havoc on their lives. It was intact and functioning well.

However, the time left on the world made his heart sink.

"Great," he declared as he pulled up his knees and rested his forehead

on the back of his hands, the timer held lightly between them.

Remmy turned and exchanged a glance with Arturo. "Q-Ball?"

"We're stuck here for over two weeks," Quinn muttered in mute

resignation, and closed his eyes. Wade's death was something he

couldn't accept or believe. Now he was doomed to stay on the world and

face that reality. He felt the hot edge of tears start to creep beneath

his closed eyes, and fiercely swallowed hard. The lump hurt.

Remmy sighed and leaned back against a hard outcrop of rock.

"I sure hope this world turns out to have more to it than just these

damn rocks," he said angrily.

"What else would we need?" Quinn murmured testily. His eyes remained

closed. He couldn't believe the others were thinking of practicalities,

not at a time like this.

"We gotta survive, man," Remmy replied quietly and then bit his lip.

Quinn needed a lot of time, they all did. Wade's death was so sudden,

so unexpected, accepting it would be an eternity's ride into hell.

"Mr. Brown is right. We'll have to find out what is on this world if

we're going to survive for any length of time," Arturo commented,

looking apprehensively at the dark forbidding sky above them.

He rose to his feet and stared out in each direction. He gripped a

rocky shelf behind him to give him some stability.

The terrain behind them was a high, almost sheer cliff wall. It

stretched as far as the eye could see. There was little point in

attempting to climb it. They appeared to be on some sort of slanting

shelf of rock and earth, which ran around under the cliff.

To the East, Arturo could see rocky plains. No trees or even small

shrubs were visible. To the West, the same scenario. It was only to

the South that he thought he could see dark smears across the far

horizon. A city or settlement of some sort perhaps?

He rubbed at his forehead, and wiped the sticky stain of sweat which had

taken residence there. It was humid and overbearing, and seemed to be

getting worse.

A low rumble crept across the silence. A few miles to the East a fork

of lightning streaked across the sky, lending it an eerie and brief

glow. Arturo felt a sudden sense of fear claw at him. Something wasn't

right.

"Come on. We've got to find somewhere to shelter fast," Arturo urged as

he put an arm under Remmy and helped him to his feet. Remmy groaned.

"Aw, come on Professor, my ribs were just taking time out," he moaned as

he reluctantly allowed himself to be hauled to his feet and tottered

dangerously on the shelf.

Quinn seemed lost in thought, his head still bowed over his hands.

Arturo tapped him gently on the shoulder. "Come on, my boy. You too."

Quinn looked at him pleadingly. Leaving this place. Leaving Wade's

body. He couldn't do it. Yet, he couldn't say it. His eyes spoke his

despair to Arturo.

"I know," Arturo said gently and turned Quinn to head along the side of

the rocky face towards the West.

"Couldn't we at least cover her body with some rocks?" Quinn pleaded as

he was propelled gently forwards.

"Tomorrow, perhaps. Tomorrow. We have to survive tonight first," the

Professor muttered as he kept his firm grip on Quinn's shoulder.

The three men headed slowly and hesitantly away from the place where

tragedy had overtaken their small group.

Then the rain began to descend. Hesitantly at first and then with the

force of the wind which carried it, and had started to sweep in from the

southeastern plains.

It was a rain that the group had never encountered before, even when

they'd found themselves trapped on rain world some time ago. It was a

sharp, acidic and unrelenting rain. It washed away the hard earth and

made their travelling difficult in the extreme. It attacked the ground

as it attacked the three men, making a slippery surface on which they

were forced to walk.

Quinn turned for one final glimpse of his friend's body. He knew the

pain would cost him dearly and yet he felt drawn to say one last

goodbye. Through the rain he tried to see. But the rain was too dense

now, too powerful. He turned his head away. He thought he'd seen her

shape. He thought he had.

In truth he'd seen nothing. Wade's body had gone.

***

Wade turned for one last glimpse of where the vortex had been. She

wanted desperately to believe that it would return and whisk her away,

to her friends. She could explain to them then. Explain that she

wasn't dead. She didn't know how but she knew Quinn would figure it

out. He'd only figure it out though if he knew she wasn't dead.

Reluctantly she turned back and then moved to follow the man.

"Are you going to explain to me who I'm supposed to have murdered?" she

asked as she walked faster to keep up with his long strides.

"In time," he replied somberly.

"Not very communicative, are you?" she offered, trying to glimpse some

emotion on his face. Anything, that might help her to make sense of the

whole mess.

"I speak when there is need to speak," he replied and glanced sideways

at her.

She was as he'd imagined she would be. Inquisitive, intuitive. He'd

always hoped he'd meet her face to face. But not like this. Not under

these circumstances. He looked away, sensing her eyes scanning him.

"You want to talk to me, don't you?" she persisted as she realized the

interest in his eyes.

"And I shall. Later," he answered and fixed his attention on the path

ahead of him. He moved swiftly, sure footed along a rough dirt track,

deftly avoiding raised and knurled tree roots, which frequently tripped

Wade up. She was trying to look at where she was going and take in her

surroundings all at once.

The trees seemed to line the entire route. The sun occasionally managed

to find its way through the dense canopy above, and brushed her cheeks

with warmth. It should have been idyllic. Under other circumstances

perhaps it would have been. Wade wanted to feel relaxed but she

couldn't. Her stomach turned every time she thought about the scene

she'd witnessed on the other side of the vortex.

"We have arrived," the stranger said as he held his hand out. He

gestured for her to enter through a rough ironwork gate imbedded in the

side of a large rock face. The rock was the only landscape apart from

the trees and looked somehow out of place to Wade. She wasn't in a

position to argue with her new host so she moved through the gate.

"I'd like to know your name," she ventured as he moved past her. He

touched a metal handle in the wall and led the way down a stone

staircase, their passage now lit by glowing torches hanging from the

roof of the tunnel. She heard the clang of metal as the gate closed to

behind them.

It was typical of her, he thought, as he forged ahead. She had to

personalize everything. This was going to be more difficult than even

he'd imagined.

"I am called Loras," he said quietly.

"Nice," Wade muttered politely. There wasn't much else to say. The

tunnel opened out now and Wade found herself in a large underground

cavern. There was a group of three ironwork doors set into the wall of

the cavern on the far side. Loras moved towards the gate on the right

hand side and placed his palm into the middle of it. A loud clunk came

from the wall next to it and the door opened slowly. Wade blinked. The

culture here looked primitive. Stone tunnels, iron gates. And yet here

was a palm print operated lock. She watched as Loras entered the space

behind the gate and gestured for her to follow.

"I suppose I have no choice," she answered sullenly as she moved to

stand next to him. The space behind the gate was big enough for two to

three people and appeared to be a small cave. She felt her knees

attempt to buckle as the "cave" moved downwards. Looking at Loras she

realized there was more to him and this world than met the eye.

"Welcome, Wade Welles, Path seeker." The loudspeaker greeting assaulted

her ears as she emerged from the stone lift. She turned to Loras in

confusion.

"Path seeker?" she queried.

"You call yourself "Sliders". Many also do. It is a term that has

sprung from untutored minds. The minds of those who treat the pathways

as doors to new adventures," Loras replied and took her arm. "There are

those however who seek the truth, and journey the pathways to seek

enlightenment and knowledge. These travelers know only that these are

the "pathways" they must use."

The cavern in which she found herself was bigger than a baseball pitch.

She couldn't see the roof, though light seemed to filter in from above

somewhere. People bustled past her. Groups of men, robed as Loras was,

and women robed in red. She could see no children. A large stone

fountain stood in the center of the cavern, water cascading down rock

waterfalls to either side.

There were doorways leading off at several places, but Loras led her

across the cavern floor to a doorway set into a far wall. In the far

distance Wade could hear a humming sound, its deep throaty throb seemed

to momentarily fill the air and then fade.

Through the door, Wade was ushered into a smaller more personalized

room. A comfortable wicker chair faced another across a small wooden

table. This was adorned with fruit and cheese, and two goblets. A

carafe sat invitingly next to the goblets.

"Please," Loras gestured for her to sit down as he closed the door to

behind them. She watched as he placed his palm against the center of

the door and heard a loud clunk. Her heart began to sink as she

realized she was now locked in.

Whatever kind of world this was, she was a prisoner, and of that there

could be no mistake.

...to be continued.

SLFIC: Atonement 03/08

by Jules Reynolds

(Julia@wrenlea.demon.co.uk)

PART THREE

Loras poured Wade an inviting cup of sweet fruit juice and offered her

some food. She shook her head. Her stomach couldn't cope with food

right now. She sipped the juice though. The liquid was sweet. A warm

glow crept through her as she placed the cup down. She felt a little

more relaxed, though glanced apprehensively at the now locked door.

"You feel uncomfortable?" Loras said as he followed her gaze.

"I'm a prisoner," Wade said simply. "Wouldn't you feel uncomfortable?"

Her voice rose along with her anger.

"It is for your own safety and for our privacy," he explained calmly,

not contradicting her statement. "Our discussions must be private. Our

resolutions must be our own, without outside interference," he said

simply.

Wade shook her head. "You're not making much sense."

"You will understand. You are intuitive. You are the one member of

your group who can make a difference." Loras took a bite from an apple

and sat back in his chair.

Wade sighed and looked at her captor. In other circumstances she might

have found him strangely attractive. He was good looking, polite and

seemed to somehow know all about her, although it was beyond her as to

how that could possibly be. She found his staccato sentences irritating

but she guessed that was the style on this world. Lord knows they'd

been to enough worlds to realize that.

"Let's cut to the chase. I'm a murderer. That's what you said. Who

the hell am I supposed to have murdered?" Wade sat back and folded her

arms. She felt her resolve strengthen. She was ready for a fight.

Loras's eyes seemed to penetrate through her somehow. He sat, gazing at

her face. He knew this was going to be difficult. She had spirit. She

would object. She would fight. And yet, he knew she could come out

changed. Perhaps the change in attitude could be reflected onto the

others. Unlikely he knew, but she was the only one who stood a chance.

He remembered his last few prisoners with a tinge of dismay. They had

failed to convince him. Why should she be any different? He pushed the

thought from his mind and turned to the matter at hand.

"Very well. It begins," he said slowly and moved his hand across a

large black stone set into the arm of the chair.

A young woman, around Wade's age, appeared swiftly and silently at his

side. Wade glanced around the room. There were no obvious entrances

other than the locked door. She turned her attention to the woman.

She wore the standard red robe, which she'd seen all the women wearing.

A small wooden box was held in front of her. She set it down on the

table and bowed at Loras. He bowed his head in response and the girl

left. This time Wade caught sight of a darkened curtain lift in the far

corner of the room.

Loras held his hand towards the box and nodded at Wade.

Wade reached across to pick the box up and opened it gingerly. She felt

her heart sink as she pulled out the small and crumpled form of a dead

bird. She stroked its head and pulled her eyes up to meet Loras.

"And?" she said gently. "I found it when I came through the vortex.

What's this got to do with being a murderer?" she asked.

"The strength of the wind from your vortex caused this bird to die. It

has left a mate to fend for its young alone. Your fault. The death is

on your hands."

"This is my crime? An accident. I'm on trial for this "murder"?"

Wade's voice rose angrily. She rose to her feet, determined to leave.

She of all people, the one who loved animals to distraction, was being

accused of murdering one. She needed to leave.

Loras held his hand up to stop her.

"I must be allowed to continue," he said firmly. She sensed irritation

in his voice.

Wade sank back into the chair and glanced briefly at the locked door.

What was the point in trying to escape anyway? There was no way out.

Loras's voice was calm and controlled again as he continued. "This

death is one of many that you and your friends have caused while you

have traveled the pathways. Many, many deaths." Loras shook his head

sadly and met Wade's disbelieving stare.

"We don't kill. We've tried to save lives. I know we've screwed up on

some worlds but we've never meant for anyone to be hurt by our being

there," Wade stroked the bird absently. She tried not to remember the

people who she'd seen die. She tried to fix her mind on all the good

that they'd done.

"You have meddled in affairs on worlds which aren't yours to meddle in.

You have changed the time-line on too many worlds for me to recount.

You have paid no thought to your actions. You are to blame." Loras sat

impassively and reaching out, took another tiny sip of the sweet juice.

Wade leapt to her feet and placed the bird back into the box.

"Tell me what all this has to do with you? Who are you that I'm

standing here answering to you," she said angrily.

"You wouldn't understand," Loras said, though in his heart he wondered

if she might. Of all those who he monitored she was the one he had had

hope for.

"Try me," she replied and folded her arms.

"Very well. As you may have surmised, this is a parallel dimension of

your earth. The same as any other earth you have visited except that

we have taken an interest in "sliding" as you call it, and monitor the

effects it has on the worlds left behind by travelers." Loras waited

for her to interrupt him but she didn't. He continued.

"I am an overseer. When your group was identified I was assigned to

you, to monitor your progress through the dimensions. The pathways you

encounter and how you deal with what you find on the other side. We do

not interfere. We do not travel randomly ourselves. Only to follow you.

We used to explore the dimensions ourselves. Many centuries ago. We no

longer feel the need to. We now monitor others. Your group has been

interesting." Loras hesitated, waiting again for Wade to say something.

She stayed silent.

"There are times however, when a group has interfered too much in other

worlds. When the balance has been jeopardized. Then an overseer must

address this problem. It is my responsibility. My duty. Your group has

to be stopped."

Wade swallowed hard. She sat accused of interfering in other worlds.

Of affecting others' lives. She'd always thought that they'd helped

those worlds in which they found themselves. What about the good they'd

done? Did it count for nothing?

"What about the good we've done?" she said softly.

"Tell me about it," Loras said.

Wade pulled out the memories. Which would be the most impressive? She

smiled inwardly, knowing the answer. This would prove once and for all

that they were well meaning.

"We gave a world a cure for a virus. They called it the Q-virus. It

had killed millions. It was almost like the plague. The Professor made

up an antibiotic for them. It was basic but he taught them how to make

penicillin so they could cure everybody. When we left them, everyone

was really grateful. Tell me that wasn't helping someone." Wade stood

defiantly in front of Loras.

Wade thought she glimpsed a satisfied glint in his eyes as she said her

piece. Then it was gone and he rose to his feet and clapped his hands.

Another robed figure entered the room. This time a male. In his hands

was a small, flat circle of glass. He placed it on the table and then

left.

Loras sat down and took the circle in his hands.

"I had a mind that you would choose that world. One of your first. You

were riding high on success after that. You made a difference and you

felt good."

Loras fingered the object in his hands and his eyes studied Wade's face.

She was flushed with a feeling that she was vindicated. How was she

going to feel when she learned the truth? Her spirit was indomitable.

He'd seen it before. He'd watched them. Would this destroy her inner

self? Loras knew this was necessary. He knew he had to do it. He'd

done it before hadn't he? And yet, strangely, this time he hated

himself for doing it.

He moved to the side of the room and placed the small disc of glass into

a slot in the wall. A portion of the wall moved upwards to reveal a

giant screen. The lights in the room dimmed.

The blank screen soon lit up. The face of a woman. Her features worn

and tired. Her eyes darkened. She was older than Wade but not by a

huge amount and yet she looked as though she was heading towards old

age.

She spoke slowly and angrily. The emotion flooding out of her voice.

The tears followed. Wade listened in disbelief. What she was hearing

couldn't be true. She stared over at Loras, questioningly.

He turned to meet her stare and nodded briefly, his eyes lowering. "I

was there," he whispered.

Wade listened. The words sinking in slowly. The woman was replaced with

another, this one with a dead child in her arms and then a man. All

were relating the same chain of events. Wade couldn't believe it.

She turned once more to Loras. The lights glowed once more and the

screen fell silent.

"We did that?" she asked, desperation tingeing her voice.

"I'm afraid so," he replied.

"How?" She felt sick.

"Oh, you meant so well. I know you did. I watched you arrive, I

watched you get sick and I hoped for a miracle. I even dared to hope

that what you were doing would work out all right. I didn't want it to

end like this but it did." Loras paused and took another sip of his

drink. He gestured for Wade to join him. She touched the goblet to her

lips and let the fluid seep gently down her throat.

"When you hurriedly gave those people the penicillin, did you stop to

think? Perhaps the world was supposed to be that way? Perhaps giving

them a cure with a drug you knew worked on your world, wouldn't work on

this one? Oh you tried it out on yourselves. Very laudable, very

naive. All those people, all those poor desperate souls who took the

penicillin. You didn't stop to think what it would do to them, did you?

Well, the vast majority of them died. Horrible sudden deaths."

"How? We gave them a cure. That wasn't supposed to happen. We wanted

them to live," Wade said miserably.

"No," Loras said slowly and simply. "Anaphylactic shock from penicillin

allergy. Quite rare on your world. Most people can tolerate

penicillin. But on that world, allergy to penicillin was a normal part

of their physical make up, not a rarity, only they never knew it.

They'd never been exposed to it before. The vast majority died of

anaphylactic shock. No one knew what to do for them. They watched

helplessly."

"Why didn't you stop us?" she said miserably as she sat back heavily in

the chair. Her whole world was suddenly being rent apart in front of

her.

"I did not know, any more than you did. It is not my remit to prevent

what you do, merely to observe and stop you if you cause too much

mayhem. We have reached that point." He replied simply.

"And the dead bird? Where does that come into all this? If you've used

sliding then you know you can't help where the vortex throws you." Wade

tried to feel something for her own predicament but failed. A sense of

despair was creeping into her system.

"Ah, not being able to help something is justification, you think? You

are merely playing with using the pathways. Your equipment is young,

untested. The power of the tunnel exit it creates is far above what is

required. Your young friend, Mallory, didn't experiment with it enough

before using it. You ran into journeying through the pathways with

reckless disregard for anyone or anything. Hence you are lost, unable

to return home. Your disregard for a simple thing such as the power of

your tunnel exit caused the bird to die. It is that simple."

"If this is a parallel world then how come you're so far ahead of us?"

Wade asked with interest. She wanted to know more about the man who

seemingly held her fate in his hands. She wanted to know so she could

persuade him to let her rejoin her friends. She wanted to get away, as

far away as she could. More than that she needed to share her misery

with her friends. She needed Quinn.

"And why me? Why am I answering for everything we've done? I don't get

it," Wade added as she reached across and sipped some more fruit juice.

The taste was smooth and clear and she felt the glow again. Was it

drugged or simply a good drink? Wade had reached the stage where she

was beginning not to care. If it had pushed her into oblivion, Wade

would have gratefully gone there.

"Your friends are not as intuitive as you are. They wouldn't

understand. If standing in your place, trying to defend your position,

they would fail. Their anger, their hot-headedness would condemn them.

In turn they would condemn you all to the punishment that befits

meddling travelers. We cannot allow travelers to create in their trail,

a wake of death and destruction. It is our directive." Loras watched

his prisoner relax under the influence of the Jandra fruit.

He continued, "And to answer your question about the perceived

advancement on this world, we are no older or younger than your own

world. We merely had a helping hand along the way." He paused to see

if his words had sparked any interest in Wade.

She lifted her eyes and looked puzzled.

"Helping hand?" she repeated and wrinkled her nose in confusion.

"Yes. We were visited many centuries ago by a race of aliens who,

whilst benign in their intentions, opened our eyes and minds to the

possibilities of interdimensional travel and also to the realities

involved in achieving both it and that holy grail of science, time

travel. They taught us all that we know. They also gave us a directive

which forbade interference."

"You're time travelers?" Wade said, her eyes widening. Aliens, time

travelers. She felt as though she'd been transplanted onto another

planet. She shook her head with confusion. She felt like she was in

some sort of dream. As though a thick veil of cotton wool were

surrounding her brain. The juice had done its work. She didn't care

about herself or her predicament, she just wanted to listen. To

understand.

Loras shrugged. "Not really. We are humans like yourselves. Of

course, there are a privileged few that travel to worlds seeking

knowledge. These few are bound by rules of non-interference. They

simply observe. They can travel both back and forward in time and

through parallel dimensions. The rest of the population has no such

privilege. There are also those of us known as overseers." Loras

paused. He could see her eyes trying to focus. He could sense her

unease, though hidden beneath the effects of the juice.

"You watch us?" Wade remarked, remembering his earlier comments.

"Yes. When we became aware lately, that other people on other worlds

had developed the ability to travel the pathways, we also became aware

of the damage they were doing. Without the directive of our alien

instructors, these people you call sliders, including yourselves, were

causing complete mayhem. Of course, no one has discovered time travel

yet, outside of this world, because so far we have not encountered other

worlds that have been visited by alien travelers. Our time traveling

elders confirmed this on their visits to the parallel worlds in the

future."

"Why don't you warn us? We would have welcomed your advice. And why

pick one of us to be punished? It doesn't make any sense." Wade asked.

"Because that is the only way," he replied simply. "The punishment of

the one to atone for the others' mistakes. The rest are simply banished

to a world where they can no longer cause harm. Their traveling device

is made inoperative"

Wade's heart sank. So that was it. The dead Wade was an illusion. A

cruel punishment to destroy the confidence of the rest of the group.

Then they were left to die on some solitary world. Who was suffering

the worst punishment she wondered?

"If I can persuade you that we did good on a lot of worlds. If I can

prove that to you, will you let us go? Would you return me to my

friends?" Wade rose to her feet, trying to push aside the drugged

feeling. Her desperation mirrored in the staring eyes that tore at

Loras's heart.

"No one has ever been able to be thus persuasive. I would have to

consider the options." Loras replied slowly, his heart lifting, that she

was starting to think positively. She might be able to show him some

spark of that intuitive human spirit she'd always displayed. He'd

chosen his prisoner well.

"And if I can't, will you at least return me to my friends so that I can

spend my days with them?"

"No. What would it achieve if I returned you to them? The fact that

they believe you to be dead is a living torture for them. Especially

for your leader, Quinn Mallory. Losing you through his own perceived

fault is the greatest punishment I can inflict. His predicament and

therefore that of the rest of your group, must stand." Loras stood up.

"And if I fail to persuade you?" Wade asked, her heart in her boots.

Through the foggy veil she knew in her soul what the response would be.

"You will die," he said and watched as Wade sat down hard in the chair.

...to be continued.

SLFIC: Atonement 04/08

by Jules Reynolds

(Julia@wrenlea.demon.co.uk)

PART FOUR

It was a small crevice. Arturo pushed Rembrandt and then a hesitant

Quinn through. It had hardly been visible through the rain, but Arturo

had spotted it suddenly and veered into it quickly.

Soaked through, their skin stinging from the assault which the lightly

acidic rain had mounted against them, the three men sank heavily into a

darkened corner of a narrow cave.

It was relatively dry inside. The rain, though heavy, was unable to

penetrate through the crevice. This snaked off at an angle and acted as

a kind of porch entrance. Through the pounding of the water outside,

Quinn could hear Arturo's heavy breathing echoing inside the cave. It

sounded labored.

"You okay, Professor?" he asked tentatively. The darkness was all

enveloping, and Quinn couldn't even see the hand that he held up in

front of his eyes. A flash of lightning lit the cave briefly.

Rembrandt raised his head and wiped a hand across his soaked hair.

"Yeah, is everyone all right?" Remmy asked.

"I'm fine," the Professor's voice echoed back. "Just a little winded

from fighting that damn storm," he explained.

"It sure is dark in here," Remmy moaned.

"Guess we don't get much choice about shelter around here," Quinn said

ruefully and leaned back against the wall of the cave. His mind was

still full of the memory of what he'd witnessed outside. His very soul

wanted to be out there with her. Holding her, willing her back to life.

Perhaps if he'd stayed with her body, some miracle might have occurred

and she might have come back to him. He knew it was an impossible dream

and yet his mind wouldn't let him drop it. By abandoning her, he felt as

though he himself had closed the door on her.

"May I recommend that we all try to get some rest," Arturo suggested.

"In light of the fact that we can't go anywhere or do anything in this

wretched darkness, we ought to take advantage of it," he added.

"Makes sense to me," Remmy agreed and moved himself into a prone

position on the hard floor. He missed his jacket. He knew it was

serving a greater purpose outside. He wouldn't have wanted it any other

way. But he still missed it. Would've made a great pillow. Curling

one arm up under his head, he closed his eyes. He knew he wouldn't

sleep, but closing his eyes meant that he could shut away the outside

world and maybe its memories.

Quinn stayed silent. He let his thoughts meander. He let memories of

Wade, no matter how painful they were, filter through his mind. His

friend. His soul mate. He couldn't imagine being without her and yet

couldn't bring himself to commit to being with her. Strange how life

sometimes makes the decision for you. How many times had he thought she

was gone only to have her come back to him? He wished this were one of

them. And yet this time he'd held her dead body himself. He'd seen it,

felt it. He knew it to be real. He closed his eyes and tried to let

the cleansing process start.

***

Loras gazed at Wade's sleeping form on the chair. She needed the rest.

The Jandra juice was the kindest way of ensuring that she started her

trial with a clear, refreshed head. It also served a greater purpose,

to cushion the blow of reality when he had pronounced her probable

punishment.

As she stirred he passed his hand across the black stone. Gentle

lilting music filled the chamber, the lights revived their glow.

Wade sat up and passed her hand across her eyes, yawning. She'd had

dreams. Strange dreams. She'd seen Quinn, touched him even. She shook

her head, trying to clear it.

"How long?" she asked turning her head to look for the source of the

music.

"Three hours," he replied.

"And you've been watching me?"

"Yes. Do you object?" he asked her curiously.

"There is such a thing as privacy," she retorted and then reached across

for a goblet. It was full of water. "No more juice?" she muttered and

shook her head again, clearing away the sleep.

"You do not need it," Loras responded. He hesitated for a few minutes

and then spoke. "I am ready to start this when you are."

"Sure," she replied and sat up straight. "Can I use the bathroom before

we start?" she asked.

He looked questioningly and then smiled. "Ah, of course. Please excuse

my lack of manners." He clapped his hands and a young woman appeared.

"Miss Welles requires the facilities. Escort her." The girl nodded and

then moved to a far door. Wade rose from her chair and followed. The

facilities were adequate and spotlessly clean. The girl stood quietly

in the room with her, her head bowed. Wade didn't attempt conversation,

it seemed pointless. Wade washed and freshened up and then followed the

silent girl back to the room. Once again she sat down in her chair and

faced Loras.

"Please begin." Loras offered and sat back.

"From where?" she asked.

"Where ever you feel you achieved a good result for a world," he

replied.

Wade tried to remember the worlds they had been to. There'd been so

many. She knew the ones he would pick up on that they'd had trouble in.

She knew to avoid those. She had to find one where they'd done well.

"The English world," she said suddenly, remembering the Prince who'd

proposed to her. "We helped the resistance to overthrow the dictator

and gave them a new start with a new leader." She sat back

triumphantly. That had been easy.

Loras looked down at a large binder that was on his lap. Wade hadn't

seen it there before. He turned several pages slowly and then stopped,

running his finger down the page in front of him, reading the text. He

looked up.

"Ah, yes. Your dear Prince. Yes, you toppled the dictator. An

admirable gesture. He was a mean spirited, wholly unsuitable leader.

Unfortunately, the Prince was a weak, inexperienced leader. He lacked

that certain, shall we say, "killer instinct". Some three years later

America was attacked from the East, by a rather large Russian army. The

Prince was outsmarted and out maneuvered. America on that world became

a puppet state of the USSR, very much like the first world you had

traveled to. Only this time the resistance didn't exist. It had thrown

all its might behind your English Prince. They were unprepared. Had

the leader, Maximillian Arturo stayed in power, it is doubtful that the

Eastern Alliance would have considered such a move, and if they had, the

people would have been ready for it." Loras knew that a truth was a

truth. He hoped Wade would do better than offer such worlds as examples.

Wade was speechless. She was beginning to wonder whether he had stories

from all the worlds they visited. Time would tell, she supposed.

"Okay, how about that world where the Professor stood for election? The

world where the women were in power and the men oppressed?" Wade's

hopes brightened. They'd only achieved good on that world. True the

Professor hadn't won the election, but he'd helped the men's movement

progress forward.

Loras once again skimmed his book and stopped. He read for a few

moments and then gazed at her.

"Yes, on this world you did well. The Professor redressed the balance.

He made men realize that they need not be second class citizens."

"Then we didn't do anything wrong, did we?" Wade said excitedly. "I've

provided you with proof. You'll free us."

"Regrettably no," Loras said quietly.

"Why?" Wade asked, panic starting to rise in her voice.

"Yes, you did well. But your survival, your needs came first. You left

the world in a state of chaos. The Professor did win the election. He

won. You failed to realize that. He carried the voters forward to

victory, raised their hopes and then disappeared. The whole men's

movement collapsed. He had been the focal point for the whole

movement's rise to success. It took decades before it surfaced again.

People felt abandoned by him. The process of democracy was delayed by

your meddling. If he hadn't stood for election, it would have made its

way forward on its own and achieved success earlier with someone who

would have stayed to see things through."

"There weren't any deaths so that wasn't so bad, was it?" she half

whispered, hoping in many ways that her captor hadn't heard.

He had.

"It was MEDDLING", Loras' voice rose to shout the word. He banged his

fist on the table, exasperated that she didn't seem to see the

implication.

Wade shrank back in her chair. This was a new side to her captor and

she didn't like it. He had lost control for just a moment. Perhaps he

would do so again. She watched him clear his throat and then sit back,

in control once more.

She couldn't believe it. She felt desperate and yet didn't. She had to

be strong. Had to be. There had to be a world where they'd done no

harm. She couldn't believe that they'd left a trail of destruction, of

chaos, everywhere they'd been. She just couldn't.

"Do you have more for me?" Loras asked as he once more closed the book.

Wade leant forward and sipped the cold water. She needed time to think

and yet she had none.

"The deaths you have indirectly caused, the lives you have affected,

these need to be addressed," he said slowly. "Shall we start once more.

Choose a world," he offered.

Wade sighed, her heart pounding in fear. This was going to be a long

trial.

***

Quinn was walking through woods. The cold seemed to pierce through his

clothes. He shivered. The small figure waved, her smile causing his

heart to leap.

He ran, trying to reach her. Every time he got nearer, she moved

further away. Then he saw the gateway, saw her run inside and

disappear. He struggled to follow, his legs appearing to be as though

they were made of treacle. His steps forward were followed by the whole

scene advancing away. Finally, in one last movement he reached the

gate. Through the darkness of the entrance, down the passage. Now he

seemed to glide almost. She stepped out in front of him. The movement

was fast, fluid. Wade smiled. She reached out and touched his cheek.

She wasn't injured, wasn't pale or wearing the mask of death. She

pointed down the tunnel. A sound of machinery, humming. A dull

throbbing. She moved towards him and went to speak. Before she could

tell him anything she was snatched, as though by some giant hand. She

was pulled down the tunnel, away. He tried to move, tried to follow,

but he couldn't. She mouthed the word "ATONEMENT". He couldn't bear her

to disappear again. She said the word again and then again. He

screamed loudly, shivering with more cold than his body could bear.

"WADE. COME BACK. COME BACK".

***

Arturo moved towards the shaking figure of Quinn and put his arm

steadily on his shoulder. "Relax, Quinn. Relax. It's just a dream, my

boy. Just a dream," he soothed gently, glancing at Rembrandt and nodding

that everything was under control.

Quinn's eyes were wild and staring, his body racked with shivers as the

cold of the early morning dawn crept into the cave. Arturo took off his

own jacket and placed it around Quinn's shoulders.

"Everything will be fine now, just fine," he kept repeating over and

over again.

Quinn looked disorientated and then turned his head to Arturo.

"No it won't be. Wade's alive. She's alive and she needs our help.

Believe me, I know."

..to be continued

SLFIC: Atonement 05/08

by Jules Reynolds

(Julia@wrenlea.demon.co.uk)

PART FIVE

"Quinn, dear boy. It was just a vivid dream. Nothing more." Arturo

sounded sympathetic but Quinn knew in his heart that convincing his

friends that Wade was alive would be difficult.

"No. It was real. She was as real to me as you are now," Quinn replied

quietly, and lifted his head to meet the Professor's gaze.

"Hey Q-Ball, no would blame you for believing it was real. Man, I'd

believe it myself if I thought it could bring her back." Remmy shook his

head and looked sadly at the ground. His friend was real cut up.

"Listen, guys. Wade is alive. I know. I don't believe in dreams

coming to life. I just know," Quinn said firmly. He knew he was on his

own on this one.

"Well now, shall we just go back to where we left Miss Welles last

night. Would that persuade you of her demise?" Arturo said, squeezing

Quinn's arm in reassurance.

"Sure. If that's what it takes to get you guys to listen. Wade was

trying to tell me something. She was communicating with me."

Quinn listened to his own voice and realized it sounded ridiculous. He

wouldn't have believed Remmy or the Professor if they'd spouted the same

stuff and yet he knew what he'd seen, experienced. It hadn't felt like

a dream and he was sure in his heart that it wasn't. The hope that Wade

was alive was like a rebirth for his whole spirit.

"Quinn." Arturo hesitated and then continued. "Did she speak to you in

your drea..I mean when you saw her?"

"Yeah. It was weird. The same word over and over again. "Atonement."

That's what she said, "Atonement"." Quinn shook his head. He'd been

going over the word again and again and trying to place it into their

own predicament, or what he'd seen of Wade's. So far he'd failed."

Arturo sat back and thought. "Atonement," he repeated. "To make up for

something. Usually something you've done wrong. To atone for your

wrong doings is to make up for them." He was quiet for a moment. "I

have to say that I'm skeptical. However, let us say that your vision of

Wade is true and she isn't dead, then we have two puzzles to solve.

Firstly, what is she making up for and to whom?"

Remmy interrupted. "And the second one?"

Arturo raised his eyebrows. "If Wade isn't dead then who the devil did

die?"

***

Wade found the second part of her stay to be less pleasant than the

first. Loras had grown weary of questioning her for hours. They'd

debated at length several worlds until Wade's head had spun. Deaths,

which had been a direct result of their arrival on various worlds.

Changes in government. Consequences for worlds which spanned beyond

their stay, and into the next generation on each world. Wade felt

tired. She felt the weight of their sliding falling on her shoulders.

If she had the others to talk to she'd have felt better. Arturo's

wisdom, Remmy's humor or Quinn's shoulder to lean on. Right now she'd

have settled for anyone to talk to and share with.

Now she sat in a smaller room with a single mattress and chair and a

bowl of water in the corner. It was dimly lit and warm. She paced the

floor relentlessly.

The whisper came suddenly and without warning.

"Wade Welles?"

She swung round and stared at the walls. There were no windows in this

underground cave only artificial light. The door was firmly closed.

The voice seemed to be coming from behind her. She moved to the wall

behind the mattress and ran her fingers gently along its surface,

pressing her cheek to the cool surface, hoping to hear something more.

As her fingers slipped into a small irregular hole she pulled back.

"Who are you?" she whispered back. She could glimpse a small amount of

movement behind the hole.

"A friend," came the reply.

"How do I know this isn't a trick?" she asked suspiciously.

"You don't. But we're your only hope of escaping the death sentence.

No one has survived so far." The words were chilling and somehow Wade

knew them to be honest.

"Are you going to get me out of here?" she said.

"Yes. We need your help. You must do as we say."

Wade nodded and then realized that they couldn't see her head movement.

"Okay," she whispered back and then added, "I have to try to reach my

friends."

"Your friends are safe for the moment. If we get to them before tonight

you might be able to get away before the Overseers catch up with you."

"You've seen them? They're on this world?" Wade's heart leapt.

"They are safe," the woman repeated.

Wade swallowed hard. It was hard to believe that her friends might be

near by. Especially since she'd seen them on another world through the

vortex. But then, she'd seen herself lying dead hadn't she? Perhaps it

was all an illusion.

"What's in it for you?" she asked.

"Nothing. The pathways are free. What happened on the other worlds you

visited was unfortunate but you have never acted maliciously. Your

freedom is your right."

"Thank you," she murmured back. She listened to the whispered

instructions and then sat back on the mattress to wait.

***

The rocky area where they'd left Wade was empty. As Quinn had hoped and

hadn't dared to doubt, Wade was gone. Remmy's jacket lay in the same

spot. It was as though her body had melted into the rock below, the

victim of some strange rock monster who devoured its victims through the

surface.

Remmy pulled his jacket from the floor and dusted it down. It was

sodden wet and filthy, but it was his. He slung it across his shoulder

in the hope that the sun would warm it sufficiently to dry it. If it

rained again that night he'd need it.

"So what now, Q-Ball?"

"We start looking," Quinn said, his mouth set in determination. If she

was out there somewhere then he was going to find her, no matter what.

***

"Look, we've been over this so many times. I can't remember any more

worlds," Wade said for the third or fourth time. She'd lost count.

"So far you have not managed to persuade me of you or your group's

innocence," Loras said as he folded his arms and indicated that Wade

take some more of the juice.

She shook her head in refusal. Last time she had felt so woolly headed

that she hadn't thought straight. She had to keep her mind focussed.

The whispered voice had told her to stay in control. She would

recognize the signal when it came and then she would act. For the moment

she was desperately trying to remember a world where they'd done no harm

or even caused a single person to change his or her course of action to

their detriment. It was difficult.

Then it came to her.

"Gillian!" she said loudly and leapt to her feet.

Loras looked quizzically at her and then started to open his book. "The

world?" he said questioningly.

"It was the world where Quinn got trapped in that other dimension. You

must know about it. We thought we'd lost him and he could only

communicate with a girl called Gillian."

"Your point? What good did you do?" Loras asked as he thumbed through

the pages searching, his brow furrowed.

"Gillian was a girl who everyone thought was mad. She was ridiculed for

talking to "ghosts" but she had a gift. She was able to see people in

other planes of existence and Quinn helped her to show her mother that

she was okay. Surely that can't have been wrong?" Wade felt

triumphant. Loras looked somber as he reached the page.

"It is true that no real harm was done on this world, and it is also

true that because of the confidence Mallory built up in the girl, she

went on to be a first class doctor, but..."

Wade leapt angrily to her feet. "BUT NOTHING," she shouted. "Any

world I tell you we've done good on, you've managed to find some tiny

thing we've done wrong. Well, on this world we did good and you can't

stand to believe it. You don't want me to prove our innocence, you just

want to see me squirm while you pronounce sentence."

"It is not like that," Loras said slowly.

"Then tell me what it is like," Wade retorted.

"My directive is to find you guilty. I had hoped I'd missed something,

several worlds you'd done some real good on. I had hoped you could

persuade me, but you've failed."

"No, I haven't. Gillian's world was all right. We didn't hurt anyone

and we left someone feeling better about themselves than before we

arrived. Tell me that was bad." Wade could feel herself shaking with

the anger rising.

"My directive, indeed all overseers' directives are to balance the

books. If you had persuaded me. Persuaded me that you had done good on

an equal number of worlds as you had interfered on, then I may have been

able to have freed you. I cannot do that now." Loras stood up.

From the corner of the room, a young woman appeared.

"I did not summon you," Loras said angrily.

She bowed. "Forgiveness. I am mistaken. I thought your guest required

to use the facilities," she said and started to back out again.

"No, wait. I do need to," Wade said hurriedly.

Loras looked at the girl whose head was bowed and then looked back at

Wade. His eyes narrowed. "Very well. But speed this time."

The girl bowed lower and then moved swiftly to the door. Wade followed

and they moved through to the bathroom chamber on the other side. Wade

knew it was time.

"Be quick," the girl warned as she moved to a panel on the wall at the

far side of the small room. The panel moved sideways with a loud clunk.

The passageway on the other side was narrow and dark, and the two women

squeezed through together. The stone slid to firmly behind them and

then the passage was flooded with light. The girl put her finger to her

lips and they moved silently forwards. After about five minutes Wade

heard a siren echo from behind them. Their escape had been discovered.

The hunt was on.

To be continued...

SLFIC: Atonement 06/08

By Jules Reynolds

(Julia@wrenlea.demon.co.uk)

PART SIX

Quinn felt a purpose in his stride. He also felt a desperation. The

word "atonement" conjured up pictures of witches being hung for dark

deeds done, and for trials of innocent people in a world gone mad.

"You said you could see some sort of settlement this way, Professor?"

Remmy asked as they trudged across the barren ground that seemed to

stretch into the distance.

"Yes. That dark smear across the horizon could be one of two things. A

settlement of some sort or an illusion," Arturo replied grimly.

"Sure hope it's not the latter," Remmy said gritting his teeth.

The sun was high in the sky, the day heading towards its mid-cycle.

From the cold and wet of the previous night the climate had changed to a

hot dry one.

"Professor, can you feel something?" Quinn asked suddenly, as he felt a

tremor in the ground.

Arturo stopped and stared forwards. He nodded and peered into the

distance.

"If I'd have to make a guess I'd say it was some movement of people or

transport coming across from the South," he said, shielding his eyes.

The feeling increased to a pitch and then abruptly stopped.

"Guess you'd be wrong," said an unhappy Rembrandt from behind the two

men. Arturo and Quinn swung around and gaped.

The large hole that had appeared in the ground some 50 yards behind

them, revealed a pod like machine sitting upright out of it. It was

empty.

"What do you think?" Quinn said as he continued to stare at it.

"It could be a trap," Arturo mused, stroking his beard thoughtfully.

"Then again, we don't have too many choices," he added.

"Do you think it's safe? I mean we don't know what it'll do," Remmy

offered.

"True, Mr. Brown. Very true. But then again we have to find Miss

Welles, and since there don't seem to be many options..." Arturo's voice

trailed off as he watched Quinn move towards the pod and open the door.

"It would appear that our minds are being made up for us. Come on Mr.

Brown. We don't want to be left behind," urged Arturo as they trotted

over to join their friend's ascent up the steps into the vehicle.

There was barely enough room inside the vehicle for three people, and no

seats. There were however, metal handles descending from the roof, onto

which the three men held tightly.

"How do you think we get it to move?" said Quinn as they waited.

"How about.." Remmy started to say when the pod jerked forwards

suddenly.

"Guess that answers it," muttered Quinn as he tightened his fingers

around the metal handle nearest to him.

The pod lurched forwards and then descended rapidly. As it went down,

the three men could see through the roof as the doorway to the desert

floor closed.

"An automatic elevator," declared Remmy as he held on tightly, his voice

rising to counter the wind rushing past the side of the pod.

As suddenly as it had started, the pod slowed and then stopped. The

front hatch swung open.

Several glowing lights dimly lit the bottom of the shaft. These were

set into the walls of the roughly hewn tunnel. The tunnel stretched out

in front of them, its end not visible from the shaft.

"I presume you would like us to explore the tunnel?" Arturo said as he

clapped Quinn on the shoulder.

Quinn turned and smiled briefly at the Professor. He welcomed their

company and their support but he knew that if anything happened to him,

Wade would need them alive and well if she ever got free.

"Listen guys. I'd feel better if you stayed here. If it's a trap then

it's better one of us falls into it rather than all three. Wade needs

someone left alive on this world if she gets free."

Remmy opened his mouth to protest but caught Arturo's eye. The

Professor squeezed Quinn's arm and nodded.

"You're right as usual, my boy. We'll wait by this shaft until you

return. If you don't..."

"If I don't come back in twelve hours you go back up top," Quinn

interrupted. "Go back to the cave we rested in last night and wait.

Twelve hours after that, presume the worst and start looking for Wade."

Quinn reached in his pocket and pulled out the timer. He put it into

the Professor's palm and closed his fingers over it.

"It's safer if you keep this. If Wade or I don't return, use it at the

specified time. Whatever you do, don't come back down here." Quinn

smiled at Remmy. "Take care of each other and don't argue," he added

grinning.

Remmy slapped Quinn's back as he moved forwards. "Sure thing, Q-Ball.

We'll be waiting."

The two men watched in silence as Quinn edged his way down the tunnel

and then they sat down next to the pod. The silence was eerie.

***

Wade and her new found ally clambered through the underground tunnels at

speed. The warning siren seemed to echo in Wade's ears as they moved,

though in reality, the noise was far behind them now. She'd always

hated being chased. The fear of someone on your tail, the feel of their

breath close to your ear as you were hunted. She shuddered. They hadn't

seen or met any resistance. The young woman lead the way with nimble

feet and seemed to know which fork to take whenever they found a choice

had to be made. There had been no hesitation.

After about a half an hour, during which time the tunnel had climbed

upwards, the woman stopped and put her finger to her lips. She shrank

back against the tunnel wall and pulled Wade behind her suddenly.

The sound of voices coming from in front of them made Wade's heart

thunder loudly. She wanted to ask her friend who they were but she knew

that silence was her ally right now.

She closed her eyes and swallowed hard, trying not to feel the fear that

was threatening to overtake her. She didn't want to get caught again,

couldn't. If her friends were still on this world they may not know she

was alive. She had to get to them before they slid again. If she could

only do it in time.

The voices faded. She felt the woman relax her body and then she turned

to smile at Wade. It had been the first gesture she'd made to Wade

since they'd started down the tunnels.

"We're here," she said simply.

"The voices?" Wade asked.

"I had to be sure we were under the right spot. To come out of the

tunnels even fifty feet short, would mean instant death for us both.

We're safe now," she added.

Wade felt the relief wash through her and she smiled back. "Thank you,"

she said quietly.

The woman took Wade's hands in her own and squeezed them. "It is your

right," she said simply. Then she turned and moved forwards slightly.

She reached into a crevice in the wall and Wade heard a clunking sound.

A section of the roof of the tunnel slid slowly across and light flooded

into the tunnel.

This wasn't artificial light, it was the bright light of the sun. A

head peered down from the opening.

"Ah, Cassandra. More travelers?" the man asked.

"Yes, Paul," the woman replied and motioned for Wade to come nearer.

The man held out his hand and in one swift movement lifted Wade out of

the tunnel, followed quickly by Cassandra. The door closed and within

seconds the ground looked as though no tunnel shaft existed there at

all. Wade spotted, from the corner of her eye, a large flat stone, just

adjacent to the secret opening. A carving of a bird decorated it.

Cassandra caught Wade looking and explained. "A bird is our symbol for

freedom. Its flight, its freedom of movement. It is unique."

Wade nodded and then remembered the small bird who had died because of

her arrival. She felt the sadness return and heighten at Cassandra's

words.

Cassandra put her arm around Wade's shoulders. "It was not your fault,"

she said gently and then guided her away.

Wade noticed that trees surrounded them once more. The sun was gentle

and warm and all around her there seemed to be people. People happily

working or talking. She saw children for the first time. They ran

shouting and playing. The scene was idyllic.

She turned to Cassandra, who was chatting animatedly to Paul, their

fingers entwined with each other. Cassandra was a girl of around her own

age. In the light, Wade could see that she had thick corn colored hair

which swung loosely down her back. A clear complexion and bright blue

eyes finished the picture. As she saw the pure pleasure the couple were

obviously feeling from just talking to each other, Wade felt a twinge of

regret. A twinge of what might have been, what should be. She realized

that she missed Quinn more than she missed anyone else. If he were with

them here she could find happiness. This idyll should be theirs.

"I've got so much to ask you," she said to Cassandra as the woman smiled

at her.

"We have a lot to tell you," she replied and laughed. "But we don't

have long," she added. "The overseers must not catch you or your

friends. We will bring your friends to you and then you must leave this

world quickly."

"Why?" Wade asked, curious. "We're free. We escaped, didn't we? What

can happen now?"

Paul laughed and ran his fingers along the back of Cassandra's long

hair. "When we have told you, you will understand. You have many

questions. I expect you irritated Loras immensely," he said grinning.

"He's not used to inquisitive ones. He likes those who are afraid. He

must have found you quite a challenge."

Wade followed the couple to a small clearing. As she sat herself next

to Cassandra and took the cup of juice which was offered to her she saw

two men approaching.

Paul stood to greet them and turned to look at Wade. "Your friends have

moved their location. They have entered the overseers' city on the far

side. Our trackers are following them. If we can get to them before

they stumble onto the city then we will bring them around the

perimeter,"he said, looking worried.

"And if you can't," Wade said, her heart sinking.

"I'm not sure," Paul replied quietly. "I'm not sure."

..to be continued

==============================================

SLFIC: Atonement, 07/08

By Jules Reynolds

(Julia@wrenlea.demon.co.uk)

PART SEVEN

Quinn edged his way forward. There was complete silence around him.

The humming noise started suddenly, after he'd turned a corner. He felt

the vibration first then the sound. It was distant to start with and as

he turned bend after bend it seemed to be getting closer. The sound of

footsteps in front of him came upon him quickly. He didn't hear them

but saw the shadow as it crept around the bend in front. He shrank back

against the wall and tried to flatten himself. The footsteps stopped.

Quinn tried to stop himself from breathing, lest his breath give him

away but he was sure his pounding heart would do the job for him.

The rough hand across his mouth from behind took him completely by

surprise. It was all he could do to stop himself from gasping out but he

did manage to squirm free and bite the hand. The rough whisper in his

ear was the only thing that stopped him from making more sound.

"If you want to see your friends again, keep quiet."

Too late. The assailant, who had been edging his way towards him now,

came into view and started to let out a cry of warning.

Quinn felt the man behind him lurch forwards in one swift movement, and

in a single second the assailant lay stunned on the floor.

"How did you do that?" he said as he helped the man to drag the drugged

man to the side of the tunnel.

"Death comes too easily. Hastening its passing is not our way," he

replied as he straightened himself out and held out his hand.

"Tranquilizers are as effective," he added showing Quinn a thin needle

resting on his palm. "You triggered an alarm in the overseers' city

perimeter. We do not have much time," he urged, as he led Quinn back

along the tunnel towards Rembrandt and the Professor.

***

Arturo's eyes were closed as he sat back against the side of the pod

platform. Rembrandt toyed with stones on the floor, playing as though

they were marbles.

"You do seem to have difficulty in relaxing, Mr. Brown," the Professor

muttered sleepily.

"Yeah, well we got two people missing now. The timer's counting down and

I'm gettin' nervous," Remmy admitted. "You want the truth? I don't

know how you can sleep when nothin' is goin' right," he added ruefully.

"Ah, so you think I'm oblivious to our friends' predicament, do you?

Well let me assure you..."

The pod door closing with a thud interrupted his speech.

"What the devil?" Arturo spluttered as he scrambled swiftly to his feet

and looked with dismay at the pod as it started to ascend up the shaft.

"I don't like this, Professor. We've either got company coming down or

that thing just timed us out. Looks like our escape route is gone,"

said Remmy with dismay.

"I think it would be advisable to find some sort of hiding place,"

suggested Arturo, looking hastily around him. The area around the pod

platform was barren. There were no shadows to shrink into, no crevices

to squeeze into, even if he could.

"We could follow Q-Ball," suggested Remmy finally.

The clunk far above them indicated that the pod was about to commence

its descent.

"No time," said the Professor. "Come on, under the platform. Once the

pod is down, it will create a dark enough shadow beneath it to hide

under.

"You got it, Professor," Remmy replied as he slid beneath the wooden

slats and lay still. His ribs still ached from the previous day's

events. Arturo followed. Within seconds the pod lurched

to a halt about two feet over their heads.

The door opened and footsteps started down the steps. The voice was

calm but authoritative. The second voice, more subservient.

"The alarm triggers indicate that this tunnel has been violated. The

prisoners were not supposed to last the night. How did they get this

far? How did this happen?"

"It is not known. Their tracks led to this shaft. The pod triggered

automatically somehow. Security suspects a path controller pulse was

responsible. Their device must somehow be active," came the reply.

"The device was disabled when we brought them here."

"Of course, Loras. But it is possible that they have reactivated it

somehow, or that the configuration was different to the usual pattern."

"They must not leave. I want that girl back in my interrogation room by

tonight. I have not finished with her. Not by a long way. Is that

clear?"

"Yes, sir. And those who helped her escape?"

"To die with her. As an example to any others. They remain a part of

this community because we allow it. I will not tolerate their

interference in these matters, is that understood?"

"Of course."

"I will return to the surface and send the pod back. Stay here and

guard this end of the tunnel. Our people are flushing them out from the

city center."

Arturo watched one set of feet re-ascend the ladder into the pod. As

the pod moved upwards his heart started to pound. Their hiding place

would be revealed within seconds. He felt Remmy stiffen by his side.

They could see the man clearly now, his back towards them as he walked

forwards to gaze into the tunnel itself. A long black robe, belted at

the waist. A weapon in his hand and a headset across his ears, for

communication to the headquarters, Arturo assumed.

If he were quick, Arturo thought he might be able to tackle him before

he got up. He didn't have the time to react. Rembrandt leapt from his

lying position and raced across the floor, tackling the man from behind

as he stood unsuspectingly staring away. There was a loud grunt

followed by a flash of steel as the man threw Remmy off and produced a

small dagger from his belt. He rose to his feet to face Rembrandt,

pulling back his hand ready to throw the blade.

Remmy didn't see the movement behind the guard, but he did see the look

of surprise on his face as he dropped motionless to the ground. The

grinning form of Quinn and a somber faced man who stood next to him were

all that remained standing.

"Tranquilizers," Quinn explained as he hugged Rembrandt and the

Professor. "He's called Christos," he said as he motioned to the man

who was now looking upwards at the descending pod, which Loras had

unsuspectingly sent back down for their escape.

Christos ripped the head set from the guard and smashed the weapon

against the side of the tunnel. He pocketed the blade. He listened

carefully to the headset and then turned to the men.

"Loras has left the area. My people are on their way. We must get out

quickly, there are more coming down the tunnel. They found their

drugged friend."

The three men got into the pod and Christos clambered onto the top of

it. "There's no room for four of us. I'll travel up here," he said as

he clamped two clips onto the side struts of the pod and held tight.

The pod completed its journey to the surface and the three men got out.

"There's only one thing left to do," Christos said as he clambered down.

He withdrew the blade that he'd taken from the guard and pulled off a

panel under the pod's exterior housing. He slashed the wires until the

whole vehicle looked like a giant saucepan with pasta spewing out of its

side.

Quinn raised his eyebrows at Arturo.

"The man who seems to have had Wade prisoner, was down there," Arturo

explained, as they sat in a small vehicle which had arrived some two

minutes later. The driver and Christos sat in the front. The three men

were sandwiched in the middle as they sped across the sands away from

the underground city.

Christos turned around.

"Loras, I expect," he said and turned away again.

"The very man," Arturo replied. "He said our timer had been disabled

when we were brought here."

Quinn pulled a face. "We slid here. I don't remember being brought

here."

Christos turned around again and grinned. "They're good at what they

do, I'll give them that. They can make you believe anything if they

want to. A combination of drugs, holographic images, androids, you name

it. The sky's the limit with them."

"Who?" Remmy asked.

"The overseers," Christos replied.

"It explains the dead "Wade"," Quinn said and shook his head.

"Professor, our timer was alright. We checked it ourselves," he added

quietly.

Arturo pulled the timer from his pocket and stared at it. "I think we

should have checked it more often," he said and handed it to Quinn.

Quinn hit the side of his leg with frustration and then handed it to

Remmy.

"Hey, man. It says we got six months left to slide. That ain't right.

Tell me it ain't right," he moaned.

Quinn nodded. "They thought they'd disabled it, but whatever they've

done it's reset to count backwards and at a greater speed. If we don't

get a chance to fix it, we won't be stuck here for twenty nine years,

we'll be stuck here forever."

To be continued..

==============================================

SLFIC: Atonement 08/08 (part a)

By Jules Reynolds

(Julia@wrenlea.demon.co.uk)

PART EIGHT a

Wade's relief at being set free was tinged with frustration that her

friends still weren't safe.

Cassandra sat down next to her, Paul seating himself opposite.

"You have many questions?" Cassandra said as she took Wade's hand and

squeezed it.

"You have no idea," Wade replied quietly.

"We can explain to you what happened to yourself and to your

companions," Cassandra said simply.

"I'd like to find out anything," Wade responded.

Cassandra nodded at Paul who leaned forwards.

"What Loras probably told you. About this world being parallel to your

own, is true. This earth is the same as any other earth. It is

populated by people much like yourselves."

"But it's so different. I mean, underneath, with the underground city.

We don't have things like that back on our world," she replied.

"This section of the world is not like the rest of the world. This

section of the Earth is different," Paul persisted.

"I'm not sure I understand," Wade said confused, as she reached across

and took a sip of juice, this time not drugged, but pure fruit.

"It is hard," Cassandra agreed. "Perhaps it would serve you better if

we start at the beginning."

"Please." Wade nodded.

"Where we are sitting now, is part of a giant, shall we say, complex.

This section is a huge park, a portion of the earth, which is sectioned

off from all others. It is hundreds of miles in diameter and populated

by few people."

"What about the rest of the world?" Wade asked.

Cassandra shrugged. "It goes about its business much like any other

world. Technology is much more advanced than some aspects of your own

world but on the whole it is very similar. Urbanization accounts for a

major part of the world population. Some people still live in rural

areas but the Government runs agriculture.

"Why is this area sectioned off?" Wade felt that there was more to

Cassandra's explanation than met the eye.

"A certain..shall we say "group" of the population was considered

undesirable. We were moved to this place so that we were well away from

the rest of the population." Cassandra paused and watched Wade's

reaction.

"Like our Native American reservations?" Wade was horrified. Even on

this technologically superior world, segregation still existed. What

had these people done to deserve being sectioned off from society?

"Perhaps," Paul agreed. "When you have heard, then you can decide how

this resembles anything you know on your own earth. We have told this

story many times, to many travelers before they regain their freedom.

It is our hope that they will take the story, in their hearts, to the

worlds they travel to. It is our hope that some good may come of it."

Wade felt more relaxed. She liked these strange people. Their

intensity of emotion, their honesty. She wanted to carry something of

them with her when she left. It felt right. More, she wanted to know

about them, their history..and their future.

Cassandra continued. "Many, many hundreds of years ago, a people

visited this world from a planet far away. These visitors came with

gifts of knowledge and of love. They were a peace-seeking people. At

first the people of the Earth greeted them with open arms, taking what

was offered and using it for the good of humanity. Healing, technology

and good things were received gratefully. The visitors knew about

traveling as you do, through the dimensions. Even time travel was

taught to a select few."

Paul took up the explanation. "Most important of all was the lesson of

respect for the wonders that were learned about. A directive was given

and adhered to, that no interference could be allowed on other worlds.

Travel could not be a means unto itself, but a means for good, for

understanding and awareness. For centuries, the teaching held good."

Paul took Cassandra's hand as he watched her eyes mist over. Wade caught

the look of sadness pass between them.

He continued. "Then a catastrophe took the Earth. It was sudden. A War

broke out which was swift and cruel. It devastated huge tracts of the

Earth. The visitors wanted to leave, knowing that the new regime which

was taking control was cruel and knowing that the Earth was going to

change in ways which they could not tolerate."

"Why *didn't* the visitors just leave then, or slide out even?" Wade

asked. The solution seemed obvious.

Cassandra shook her head. "There were only some twenty visitors left on

Earth. A handful who had been left to guide and teach. The new

government destroyed the means of escape and imprisoned those who were

left before they could leave."

Paul continued. "The dictator decided that the visitors' influence was

dangerous to his power. In many ways he feared their presence. But he

also feared destroying them. He feared the consequences. So he moved

all those who remained, those descendants of the original visitors, and

any people who came forward and sympathized with their cause, into this

wilderness. Those who had sympathized with the visitors wanted to

continue traveling the dimensions and they crafted the underground city.

With the visitors' help, they secretly rebuilt the means to travel.

However, in time these people came to look on themselves as judges of

anyone who they encountered traveling the pathways. They ignored the

advice of the remaining visitors. They twisted the original

directive which had been given to them and passed judgement on anyone

they could find. The visitors were banished to live outside the

underground city so that they could not interfere."

"Where do you come into all this?" Wade asked.

"We do everything we can to stop them. We are the only resistance left

to help those who fall into their hands. Freedom of traveling is not

ours or anyone else's to take away. It is wrong," Cassandra said.

"But Loras said we caused people to die, changed worlds. Maybe he's

right. What right have we to interfere?" Wade said sadly as she kicked

the sand in front of her.

"Loras chooses his groups and those who he interrogates. He chose you

because he realized you have a conscience. You are intuitive, warm

hearted and compassionate. By showing you what you have done he may

change your thoughts on traveling in future. That is wholly right.

Unfortunately that is not his crime. His crime is, knowing that he has

influenced you, perhaps to the good, he is prepared to sacrifice you,"

replied Paul as he reached out and touched her arm sympathetically.

"He has given you no chance to make up for what is past. He is rigid in

his expectations and you suffer as a consequence."

"Teaching you what you have done wrong, is right. Punishing you for it,

is wrong," Cassandra added.

"It's that simple?" Wade looked at them both.

They both smiled and nodded.

"I have one more question," Wade said, guessing the answer.

Paul and Cassandra smiled at one another. They knew what was coming

next.

"Who are you?"

"We are the descendants of the visitors," Cassandra replied. Wade

smiled.

CONTINUED IN PART b

****************

By Jules Reynolds

(Julia@wrenlea.demon.co.uk)

PART EIGHT (b)

The small vehicle bumped to a halt just outside the settlement where

Wade was sitting, deep in conversation with her two friends.

Christos leapt down and indicated a path through the trees.

"We're back!" he shouted as he moved out into the clearing and was

greeted by small children hanging on his arm, and the kiss of a pretty

dark haired woman who hugged him tightly.

Cassandra rose to her feet, leaving Wade and Paul talking, and raced

across to him. "You're a wonder, brother of mine," she said smiling and

then hugged him tightly.

She put her hands on her hips and looked at the three men who followed

behind.

"I know someone who's going to be delighted to see you three, and

especially you I think," she said, touching Quinn on the shoulder and

grinning.

Quinn followed Cassandra across the clearing and stopped in his tracks.

The sight he'd thought he'd never see again. She was seated with her

back to him, her head slightly bowed.

He walked slowly and quietly across to her and then crouched down behind

her. Paul smiled to himself and then getting up, he moved away.

Wade looked up on his movement and then swung around.

Her eyes were saucer wide, and brimming with tears, her lip dropped

slightly.

Quinn couldn't speak, he simply scooped her up into his arms and hugged

her as tightly as he could. The memories of her limp, lifeless body the

last time he thought he'd held her, came flooding back and he tightened

his grip.

She responded with a fierce hug in reply and then buried her head deep

into his neck, letting the moisture from her eyes soak onto his skin.

"I can't..I didn't think.." she started.

"Don't," he said as he pushed her head gently back into his neck and

then sat down with her on his lap.

After a few minutes he kissed her gently on the forehead and turned her

around.

The sight of her favorite Professor and her dear friend, Remmy was more

than she could bear and she leapt up and grabbed them both to her.

"I have to talk to you guys," Wade said, gripping their hands tightly.

"You must leave as quickly as possible," Paul urged.

"We can't leave," said Quinn, quietly looking at the timer.

"Leave that to us," Paul replied, smiling knowingly.

"Five minutes," Wade pleaded as she dragged Quinn by the hand and pulled

him and the others to the far side of the clearing.

Cassandra nodded and turned Paul and Christos away. She knew what Wade

was doing.

"Wade, what's so important?" Quinn said, puzzled.

"Yeah, come on girl, we're about to be creamed by some zealous guy who

wants you back in jail more than he wants anything," Remmy moaned, his

eyes anxiously darting to the far side of the clearing.

"Our sliding. We have to be more careful. We have to make sure we don't

interfere in other worlds," Wade said hurriedly. She had to warn them,

tell them in case anything happened to her before she had a chance. She

owed it to the people who had saved her life. She owed it to herself.

"How many times...?" Arturo started to preach about the countless times

he'd tried to stop Wade from interfering.

"Yeah, I know and I was as bad as you. Trying to help people, trying to

do the right thing, but we can't, mustn't ever again." Wade swallowed

hard. She had to tell them even though it would hurt.

Quinn put his hand on her shoulder. "Why is this so important to you?

Why now?"

She lowered her eyes. "This is hard for me to tell you, but if I don't

and anything happens to me.." Her voice trailed off and she raised

miserable eyes to them.

Arturo smiled. "Go on, Miss Welles," he pushed gently.

"The fever world. The world where we cured everyone?"

The men all nodded and smiled, wondering what she was going to say.

"We didn't cure them. We killed them all. We made them die because

their bodies couldn't tolerate the antibiotics. After we left, most

people died and no one could do anything."

Wade looked from face to face, each registering a different emotion and

she knew, though their reactions would be different, that she had done

what was necessary. The horror on Quinn's face, the regret on Arturo's

and the denial on Remmy's. Each man letting the words sink in and each

finding that portion of their being die with the knowledge that they had

caused such devastation.

Wade turned to Cassandra and nodded.

Cassandra and Paul moved forwards and faced the group.

Cassandra took Wade's hand and smiled at her. "What Wade has told you

is true. This truth will hurt you, but what you must take with you on

your travels is clear. Do not involve yourselves in other worlds. Even

where you think you are doing good, you may find harm. Watch, observe

and learn but do your best not to involve yourselves. Learn to melt

into the fabric of each society where you find yourselves. Learn to

survive as a group on your own. And when you find your home take these

lessons with you."

Quinn spoke, his eyes distant, troubled. "We didn't know," he said

simply.

"But you do now," replied Paul. Quinn nodded. He wanted to ask more.

Ask how on earth they were supposed to ignore people in trouble, how

they could stay for weeks on a world and not get involved, but the words

wouldn't come.

"Your traveling device?" Christos said interrupting the conversation,

and held his hand out.

"The timer," prompted Wade.

Quinn handed over the timer. "Like I said, it's not much use at the

moment," he said somberly. In some ways he wished the timer would never

work again. He didn't want the responsibility which had just been

placed on his, on their, shoulders. More than that, he didn't want the

guilt. But guilt was a burden he'd carried before, and likely would

again.

Christos ignored his comment and was handed a large square looking

instrument by a younger man who stood next to him.

"Borrowed from the overseers," he explained ruefully and then grinned.

The timer was slotted onto the surface of the device and a loud humming

noise emitted from it.

"Sounds like that hum we kept on hearing down below," said Remmy to

Arturo.

"Yes, very similar," the Professor agreed, his mind whirring over what

Wade had told him. He'd made up the antibiotic. He'd been that world's

final instrument of death. He was having trouble letting it sink in.

If Quinn was feeling guilty, the Professor felt an ache which was

indescribable.

"The overseers have a giant machine down below. It disables anything

they want it to, by matching the signal of any given device and

countering it. They can stop anyone visiting here and they can stop

visitors from leaving," Paul explained.

"Guess the Kromagg wouldn't get on well here," Quinn said quietly to

Wade as he slipped his arm around her shoulders, knowing that the burden

of what they all now knew, had to be shared.

Cassandra looked up at them both, her eyes suddenly hollow.

"The Kromagg have tried to come here. They cannot. Even the overseers

do not want to look into their minds. The machine prevents them from

visiting this world. We have seen the destruction that they have caused

on other worlds and we have witnessed their future. A darkness you do

not want to visit."

Quinn exchanged a look with Wade. These people might know what happened

to their own world. He'd give anything to know that the Kromagg didn't

go there.

The timer suddenly leapt into action and immediately started a

countdown.

"One minute and counting," Paul said as he handed the timer to Arturo

and stepped back.

Wade grabbed Cassandra and hugged her, then Paul. "I'll take your words

with me, where ever I travel," she promised. "And I'll tell the others

the rest of what you told me. Your message won't be forgotten," she

added.

"Thank you," whispered Cassandra as she stepped back and slipped

underneath Paul's shoulder.

"Three..two..one.." the Professor counted down and pointed the timer

into the middle of the clearing. The blue light arced out across the

air and there was the welcome sight of the vortex moving slowly and

surely.

Remmy leapt first, followed by the Professor. Quinn turned to Paul, his

hand gripping Wade's tightly.

"I want to know about my world. About the Kromagg," he asked.

"There is no time," replied Paul, trying to shout across the wind noise

and he watched Wade pull Quinn towards the vortex.

As they leapt and the vortex shrank to a pinprick of light and then

nothing, Cassandra turned to Paul.

"Perhaps we should have told them," she said.

"They may never need to know. Pray that they don't," he replied simply.

THE END

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