J. Street had been ecstatic to see her two friends alive and well. It had been a long month, and she had, with great difficulty, attempted to use her gift/curse of multidimensional thinking to access Ma'el's information, hoping it would save her friends. Unfortunately, all she had gotten from the attempt was a scary ride and a headache, and she had thought her friends were, indeed, lost.

But now, here they were, wanting her to go through that whole nightmare again! For the Taelons! She had gotten used to Liam's new "we're all connected" attitude, but what in the world had happened to put Renee on that bandwagon? Well, she was not going to put herself in that kind of condition again. She hoped, when the Taelons were gone, that she never had to hear the name "Ma'el" again. With this thought in mind, she headed out to have some fun, and try to forget the whole thing.

^^^^^
Zo'or ordered that Agent Sandoval be released and brought to the bridge. The FBI Agent was not in a particularly good mood, following his one-month incarceration on the Mothership. But Zo'or's words surprised him, nevertheless.

"I am giving you the privilege of terminating me, Agent Sandoval."

No way was Sandoval going to let his former master off that easily.

^^^^^

Liam and Renee were frantically trying to come up with a plan to give the Taelons more time. They had tried to convince Street of the urgency of the situation for both Taelons and Humans, but she was running scared. So now they headed back to the Mothership hoping to come up with some potential for a stasis, and at the same time hold off Hubble Urick, who was becoming increasingly trigger happy. Renee contacted him, trying to convince him that Humanity and the Taelons needed each other, but Urick had already pulled the nuclear weapons out of storage, and was aiming them at the Mothership. Liam smiled grimly as Renee did exactly as she said she would: she told Urick where to stick his missiles.

^^^^^

J. Street was having a great time at the Flat Planet, dancing and making serious contact with a guy who had caught her eye, when the lights and the music triggered something in her brain. Suddenly she knew...the eighth dimension was clear. Forgetting everything else, she ran off to contact Liam and Renee.

^^^^^

A beam of light shot through the skies that penetrated everything around it and was even visible from the Mothership. Da'an and Zo'or stood watching in amazement, as, it seemed, Ma'el's prophecy was being fulfilled.

^^^^^
Liam and Renee were shuttling in the direction of the beacon: Siberia...the Kamchatka Peninsula, Mount Karminikov, a volcano; when they received a message from the Mothership.

"Liam, when you get there, I want full information sent to me, on my global link", Boone instructed.

"Roger. Boone, I don't know what we're about to find there, but whatever it is, I know that this is it. It's the turning point for both our species."

"Agreed. Now let's make sure we get it right."

^^^^^
A chamber. A regeneration chamber, if Ma'el's information was correct. A healing chamber for a dying Taelon race. Finally, Liam thought, there's some light at the end of this tunnel. Ma'el had found this pool of Atavan energy in the volcano, and had built the chamber because he knew the dying Taelons would come to Earth in spite of his warnings. He had deliberately made human participation necessary so the Taelons would have to cooperate, not dominate the human race. The pool needed an advanced human and a Kimera to activate it. Now they needed Street to solve the ninth dimension.

Only one hitch. Liam was trapped in the chamber and in trying to reverse the one-way portal, they had accidentally triggered the startup process. It also seemed as if the volcano was becoming active. Liam sent Renee back to get Da'an, the relic, and five other Taelons for the regeneration. Meanwhile, he tried to hold things together with the help of Street and Augur, who had joined him outside the chamber.

Curious thing about Augur, Liam thought. "Say, Augur. I don't see the angle in this for you. You just here as a friend, or what?"

"Let's just say an old friend helped me adjust my priorities. We need the Taelons as much as they need us. I have to do what I can."

Liam smiled. It seemed that the dream, which began with Ma'el, reached to Da'an and Boone, then to him, Renee, and Street; was reaching out to more and more people all the time. That, Liam thought, would be the true salvation of the species.

Panting in the heat, Liam drew a deep breath. "Glad to have you on board, Augur."

^^^^^
Renee was back on the Mothership, where she had given Da'an an update. She knew the Taelon was upset at having to make a choice between his brethren, but he didn't have much time. He told her about a triage process, where the consciousness' of many Taelons could be carried by six, and had gone to the stasis room to perform the task. She had watched, in hiding, as Zo'or emerged from the stasis room with the relic. Da'an had been shocked that Zo'or had committed the Taelon equivalent of murder by robbing his fellows of energy, and it was clear that Zo'or was planning to preserve himself at the expense of others by making his way to the regeneration chamber.

"You are damned", she had heard Da'an say, in a gasping, pained voice that made her hurt for him.

She hated to intrude on what must be a very private process, but given Zo'or's history and current state, she thought she might need to protect the Taelons during the triage. Following carefully, she entered the the stasis chamber, as Da'an began reviving his five colleagues. Standing at a respectful distance, she watched as one by one, the six went throughout the stasis chamber, placing their hands on their brethren, absorbing their consciousness' into themselves. It was a strange and alien process, but one that Renee found moving in it's very necessity.

Sensing someone behind her, she turned, weapon at the ready, only to see William Boone standing in the doorway. The look of deep pain in the Commander's eyes, as they followed Da'an through the stasis room, made Palmer's heart break. She was just beginning to understand the depth of relationship these two shared, a relationship that, she thought, must be beautiful in it's very uniqueness. Tears began to well up in the protector's eyes, and Renee Palmer was surprised to find them echoed in her own. She placed a comforting hand on William Boone's arm.

"It will be all right, Boone. It has to be. We haven't come this far, against all odds, for it to go wrong now."

"I hope you're right, Ms. Palmer. I hope you're right."

As the five Taelons moved out of the stasis wing into the corridor, Boone quietly entered the chamber and approached his Companion. Renee watched as he took the Taelon's hand in his own and placed their palms together, initiating a deep sharing. Da'an's human facade dropped, and Renee was surprised to find herself appreciating the translucent beauty of a Taelon in it's natural form. Boone stood with his fingers entwined in the Taelon's, a look of intense emotion on his face. Quietly, Palmer stepped out of the room and allowed the two their private moment.

^^^^^
Boone would have stayed in the lavender-hued world of Da'an's essence, but understanding that time was drawing close, the couple deliberately terminated the sharing, and Da'an regained his human facade. Unwilling to release his mate just yet, Boone wrapped his arms around the Taelon in an engulfing embrace.

"Da'an...", Boone began.

"I know, William. I know."

"I want so much to be in there with you, but I can best serve you by staying outside at the ready."

"I understand."

"Da'an. No matter what happens...."

The Taelon pulled back from his protector, and slowly closed his eyes as his lips curved in a slow, delicate smile. He slightly bowed and tilted his head in a gesture that Boone knew meant his Companion was moved. Raising his head and opening his exquisite sapphire eyes once again, he lifted an alabaster hand, and ruffled his fingers through his protector's auburn hair.

"I once told you that you were the most noble being I have ever met. This is even more true now than it was then. I have been privileged, William Boone, to know you; first as my protector, then as my friend. But my life has been most enriched, that is, I have been most honored, that you have been....my bondmate", the Taelon whispered.

The big protector blinked back the hot tears that were beginning to sting his eyes. Once again taking his Companion's hand in his own, he brushed his lips across Da'an's fingertips, then pressing a slow kiss into the Taelon's palm, carefully closed his fingers around it.

"And this time with you, this time that we've had together, it is... the most extraordinary thing. I cannot express to you, Da'an, how my life has changed. You.. you are...are...", but once again, words failed the protector. Gently pulling his mate to him, Boone held Da'an closely to himself. They stood there, in the deathly silence of the stasis chamber, holding tightly to each other as they held tight to their dream. Their vision for their species and for themselves, they knew, would live or die with the Taelons. The protector lowered his head, and pressing a lingering kiss to his mates' lips, let his soundless tears fall on his Companion's shoulder.

*****

William Boone was having great difficulty concentrating on the job before him. The knowledge that the one he loved best was in such a dangerous and potentially destructive situation was tearing at his soul. And yet, the time had come for everyone, Taelon, and human, to move onward.

Boone and his team were assessing the core energy reserves in the shuttles, so that all shuttles that were capable of flight could be moved to Earth. They had selected a point just out of range of any potential volcanic impact as ground zero for the anticipated rescue operation. Shuttles, weapons, excavation, medical and survival equipment were all to be transported to the area by the Underground, those working from Mothership and from the Embassies. The portal system on the Mothership was non-operational due to the core energy drain, so all equipment from the Mothership was being prepared for transportation in the few remaining operational shuttles.

After sending out a group of shuttles that had been identified as flight-worthy, Boone passed the portal station on his way to the bridge. The sound of a familiar voice made him stop and listen, and the voice that followed made him take cover. Peering out from behind one of the wall "ribs", Boone observed Agent Sandoval trap Vorjak and his boarding party in an energy field. What he heard next made him see red. Sandoval was proposing to give the Taelons into Vorjak's control, if they would subjugate Earth and give it to him to rule.

Boone opened his global, and activated the intruder alarm, dispatching Volunteer/Stormtroopers to the portal station on deck five. Leaving the battle to the soldiers, Boone made his way to the bridge with a detail of Volunteer guards and took a seat in the command chair.

"Computer, initiate shut-down mode."

"Provide energy signature identification, please." Boone placed his hand on the control panel and waited for the scan to complete.

"Signature identified as Da'an. Provide security access codes."

"Level 5-00901"

"Access granted. Shut-down mode initiated."

"Computer, Mothership has authorization for full Priority One Mission Protocol overrides if necessary."

"Acknowledged."

That should hold them for a while, Boone thought. The Commander instructed the guards to hold the bridge at all costs, and then left for the shuttle bay, and the last powered shuttle to Earth.

^^^^^
Sandoval and the Jaridians had taken the bridge and were attempting to restore power to the shuttle bay with the energy packs from the Jaridian weapons. Zo'or, diverting the power to the portal, had drained a good amount of the energy and they were trying to recoup the loss when the alarms sounded. Hubble Urick, true to his word had launched his nuclear missiles. Sandoval had no choice but to divert the power to the Mothership's shields.

^^^^^
The volcano roared, the ground and walls shook, and the heat was becoming unbearable for Liam Kincaid, still trapped inside the chamber. Hearing a voice, he looked up to see the Synod Leader carrying Ma'el's relic. Zo'or had portaled in, and was now prepared to save his life, and only his life, in the regeneration chambers. Liam watched in horror as, with a look of sublime desire, the Taelon dipped his hand in the energy pool, and painfully dissolved, leaving only a trace of energy on the floor of the chamber.

^^^^^
The Jaridians were not satisfied to remain on the Mothership, knowing that the Taelons were escaping and might very well be preparing to increase their miserable lives yet again. Diverting energy from the Mothership's shields to the portal, they portaled down to Ma'el's chamber as the missiles hit the Mothership, leaving Ronald Sandoval lying severely injured on the floor.

^^^^^
With Da'an and the Taelons watching, Liam Kincaid and J. Street accessed the relic to reveal the ninth dimension of the manuscript. They discovered that Ma'el and Ha'gel had been working in tandem, through space and time, to bring all of the necessary components into place for the salvation of all the species and the fulfillment of the dream.

^^^^^
Well stocked with supplies and a team of trained Volunteers, William Boone monitored the information from his global, and waited anxiously, his thoughts ever on his Companion.

^^^^^
The Jaridians portaled in, prepared to take control of the situation and use the regeneration chambers themselves. Convinced that the key to survival was a return to their origins, the rejoining of the Taelon/Jaridian species into Atavus, Street and Kincaid urged the Jaridians to forget the past, and go forward with the Taelons. As the volcano rumbled around them, and the Taelons and Jaridians stepped into the rejoining chambers, Street, Palmer and Augur shuttled out. Liam Kincaid stepped into the Atavan energy pool, and acting as it's conduit started the regeneration, as the volcano prepared to erupt.

^^^^^
William Boone was monitoring the information and video as it was relayed to his global. He saw the Jaridians portal in and threaten to take the regeneration chambers for themselves. He heard Street and Kincaid urge them to attempt a rejoining with the Taelons. His throat tightened as he saw his Companion enter the regeneration chamber with Vorjak. If Street and Kincaid were correct, Boone despaired, it appeared that no matter what the outcome, he was never to see his beloved Taelon again. Needing a last touch of his mate's mind, he sent a final thought to Da'an through their bond.

*Da'an...*

*William*

*What is going to happen?*

*It cannot be foreseen. It is a passage into the unknown.*

*It can't happen this way! To fight for your survival only to lose you in succeeding?*

*I do not know. But the choice is no longer mine.*

*It's not fair. I need you with me. I love you, Da'an. *

*Perhaps, it is not fair. Perhaps our futures are different. But know this, William Boone: on some plane of existence, somewhere, I will also love you.*

*Da'an, I will not let go....*

Boone watched as the chamber closed like some hideous alien casket around his loved one. Then the signal went dead as with a deafening roar, the volcano erupted, sending lava and smoke into the cold Siberian air.