Augur's Place
Monday, 13:32 EST

All right, Liam. What did I tell you about coming here when I was entertaining?

Just listen. Liam did his best to direct the hacker's attention away from the closed elevator door. I need your help with something.

Augur sighed. Haven't we already had this talk?

You remember a few months ago, when you were a part of that Taelon experiment?

How could I forget?

Liam folded his arms, and instantly regretted it as another wave of pain shot through his chest. Right. Well, I need your help to track down one of the other members.


Taelon Mothership

We should consider ourselves fortunate that this saboteur was unable to affect the ceremony.

Zo'or paid Da'an no attention. The intruding presence he had felt ever since learning of the first portal bombing was now completely disrupting his focus. He desperately wished to understand why this was happening, but he could find no explanation.

During the ceremony, the intrusion had been overwhelming. He had barely stumbled through his speech as he was overwhelmed with the emotions of this human. Pain, anger, frustration...but he had no idea who he was.

I shall consider myself fortunate, he replied, when this man is found.

How did he know the saboteur was a man?


Augur's Place

Now remember, I'm only showing you this because I happened to be a little curious about this one myself, Augur warned.

Uh huh. What did you find?

Glaring at Liam, Augur motioned him over to a computer terminal, on which appeared a stock photo of the man Liam had recognized at the ceremony. He was around forty, with pale blond hair and a permanent frown. His name's Bradley Howard. He was a pioneer of sorts—a professional assassin who ate computer security for breakfast. Came up with some really inventive ways to knock people off. Supposedly died two years ago of a heart attack.

He's an assassin? Liam asked. It would certainly explain his actions here—if he wasn't supposed to be dead. But... Then what was he doing up on the Mothership?

Well, the Taelons do have a history of rehabilitating' our criminals, Augur reminded. That's what I was doing there, after all. But you know never to look at the obvious solution when the Taelons are around. So— He moved to another monitor and brought it to life. I decided to look a little deeper.


Taelon Mothership

Are you well, Zo'or?

Of course he was not well. Of all beings, he had to share his consciousness with that of a human. He had considered himself fortunate that his position as Synod leader had allowed him to spend most of his time in relative isolation from the primitives. Which was indeed fortunate, as he doubted he could have managed being immersed in the creatures as he had been when he first arrived. Especially as he had been too repulsed by the use of human-infested kryss to even consider the option for himself.

And now he had to share his consciousness with one?

he replied. Admit to Da'an that he had somehow established a connection with a human? That was one thing he would never do.


Augur's Place

You remember how the Taelons transferred that Russian doctor's—Smerdyakov's—consciousness into another host for that fight they staged? Augur visibly winced at the memory.

Liam nodded. They were planning to use a similar process with the biosurrogute program.

The hacker indicated the graph displayed on the computer screen next to Howard's photo. Well, just in case, I decided to check out his brainwave patterns—you know the Taelons like to keep that sort of information on all their lackeys. He tapped a button, and a second, seemingly identical brainwave graph appeared beneath the first one, but with another man's photo beside it. Although to get a match, I had to look inside the Resistance files.


Taelon Mothership

Your report, Agent Sandoval?

The implant bowed his head at Zo'or. We were unable to catch the saboteur, as you know. The mobile portal he used had self-destructed by the time we managed to examine it, and our search revealed no trace of where he might have gone. He could be anywhere.

Zo'or tried desperately to control his anger. This is a level of failure I will not tolerate, Agent Sandoval.

It's not a total loss, Sandoval offered. Based on Major Kincaid's report, I believe I have determined the identity of the saboteur.

There was a pause. The human seemed to be waiting for Zo'or's response. And is it your intent to share this information? he demanded.

Of course. Sandoval replied, but still said nothing further.

Who is he, Agent Sandoval? Zo'or demanded, allowing his frustration to leak into his voice.

His frustration?

After another agonizing pause, Sandoval looked directly into Zo'or's eyes, remaining completely expressionless. William Boone.