Memory was an ocean wrought vast by millions of years, fed deep by thousands of lifetimes gushing into it. Shifting and flowing, it tossed him mercilessly about. He'd long since surrendered himself to the roaring waves, resigned to an endless descent. The inner observer still surfaced occasionally, seeking order in the chaos of the memories that circled round him, but the observer came less and less frequently and in his rare moments of lucidity, he recognized that soon the observer would be consumed and only the ocean would remain.
He'd given up paying attention to the passage of time--an illusion at the best of times and meaningless to one in his position--so he couldn't mark how long it had been when the crack appeared in the pod. Bobbing beneath the ocean, he barely noticed the light that streamed over him for the first time in eight million years. Then a hand extended towards him, and behind it he detected a mind, solid and Kimera-bright. An almost forgotten sense of self-preservation led him to reach out and grasp the waiting hand. For a moment he thought the ocean might overpower the other mind too, but the other was buoyant and held firm. Ha'gel felt his fragmented self rushing towards the new presence. When enough of the whole was present for the mind-matrix to reestablish itself, Ha'gel looked outwards.
Liam walked up to the recovered pod, painfully aware of the alert eyes that tracked his movements and the hands that hovered near barely-holstered weapons. He paused in front of the pod, reaching out to reverently trace the smooth Kimeran characters marking the prison, then slid his hand down to rest lightly on the lever below. Taking a deep breath, he pulled down. The lever moved smoothly, unaffected by time or water, and the pod began to open. Liam ignored the gasp from behind and reached out for the glowing green tentacle that had emerged, thrashing, from the widening crack. He stiffened as he made contact and Ha'gel's mind descended on his with the anticipated, crushing agony.
Fear, sorrow, hate. Green planets bursting outward white in the night sky before coalescing into charred darkness. Children paraded before him, falling and fading, dissipating as they were struck by the energy blasts of Taelon weapons, Taelon servants holding him fast as he was forced to watch. Songmates and soulmates all gone. Eight millions years of loneliness, overwhelming...
The memories precisely echoed those that Liam already carried and for a moment he had to struggle to hold onto his self. Then long nights of experience fighting back the nightmares came to his aid, restoring his equilibrium. He felt Ha'gel beginning to emerge from the morass, drawing on Liam's strength to tame the memories that had threatened to drown him. Long minutes passed marked only by the sound of Liam's steady breathing, and then a silent query surfaced. Liam opened himself to Ha'gel, allowing the Kimera access to his understanding of the situation. The examination was brief and then Liam felt Ha'gel begin to transform. Still holding Liam's hand, the last of the Kimera arose from his prison.
"Thank you for freeing me," said Ha'gel, looking past Liam to the audience behind. His voice was oddly textured, deeper than a Taelon voice, but still clearly inhuman.
"Do you know why we did it?" asked Boone.
"Yes. Liam has explained the situation to me. I will assist you in establishing contact with the Ti'kklak."
Lili stepped forward cautiously. "Do the Taelons know you're free?"
"No," said Ha'gel. He favoured her with a warm smile. "Liam is shielding me from detection."
"Then we need to get you out of here as quickly as possible," said Boone.
"Certainly," agreed Ha'gel. "I must meet with Jonathan Doors."
Doors stared across the room to where Ha'gel stood chatting with Liam and Augur. "What do you think?" he asked in a low voice.
"He's a master manipulator," said Boone. "He knows how to act to get people to respond positively. Look at the form he's taken. That wasn't how he looked when we first saw him."
"It's a façade, like the Taelons use?"
"Better than the Taelons," said Lili. "More human."
"He still looks like an alien to me," said Doors grimly.
"An alien…or a god," said Boone, gazing at the white nimbus that surrounded the Kimera. He crossed his arms in a warding gesture.
"And you think that's intentional," stated Doors.
"Absolutely," agreed Boone. "He knows what he's doing."
"You don't trust him," said Lili.
"No," said Boone. "But I trust Kincaid. He was in Ha'gel's mind. If he believes that Ha'gel is genuinely willing to help us, then I'll accept his word."
"Kincaid was created by Ha'gel," observed Doors skeptically.
"You should know better than anyone that children don't always follow in their parents' footsteps," said Lili.
Doors scowled at her, then turned away and strode across the room. Boone and Lili exchanged a look and followed.
"Ha'gel, I'm Jonathan Doors."
The Kimera inclined his head regally. "Mr. Doors. It's a pleasure to meet you."
"I doubt that," said Doors dryly. "I've been told you know why we brought you here, and that you're willing to help. What I want to know is exactly what you need to contact these aliens, and what you plan on telling them once you do."
"I need to see them," said Ha'gel. "I imagine a spacecraft of some sort will be necessary for that; probably a Taelon shuttle. As for what I will say to them-that will depend on why they're here."
"We have a theory about that," said Boone.
"I know," said Ha'gel. "I believe your theory is plausible, but I would like to hear it from the Ti'kklak themselves."
"And if we're correct?" said Boone. "What then?"
"I will attempt to persuade them that their actions are misguided."
"You won't help them destroy the Taelons?" asked Lili.
"No."
"Why not?" asked Doors. "They wiped out your entire species."
"Revenge is not our way," said Ha'gel serenely.
"You don't feel the desire for it?" asked Boone. "Or you don't practice it?"
"Revenge is not a Kimera impulse," said Liam.
"You're saying that you've never wanted revenge?" asked Lili skeptically.
"I'm not entirely Kimera."
"What happens if your efforts at persuasion fail?" asked Doors. "What will you do if they decide to destroy our planet?"
"I don't know," said Ha'gel. "That will depend on the precise nature of their response."
"That's unacceptable," said Doors.
"It's our only chance," said Liam firmly.
Doors glared at him. Liam met the angry gaze steadily. After a moment, Doors looked away and sighed. "All right," he said reluctantly. He turned to Lili. "Can you get a shuttle?"
"Gaining access to a shuttle isn't a problem," she said. "The trick is going to be getting off-planet. The Taelons changed the encryption on the navigational block after the Paul's trip. I don't think even Augur is good enough to crack those codes now…at least not in the time we have available."
"Augur?" said Boone.
"As much as I hate to say it, she's right," admitted Augur. "I took a look at the navigation system earlier. There's no way I can break that block in time."
"Then we need to get help from someone who has deep-space authorization," said Liam.
"Only the Taelons have that kind of authorization," said Doors. "Are you suggesting that we just go ask the first Taelon we meet to help us steal a shuttle in order to facilitate a meeting between their mortal enemies?"
"Not the first Taelon we meet," said Liam. "One particular Taelon."
"No," said Lili.
"Liam, this isn't the Da'an you know," said Augur. "He's completely different here."
"Not completely different," said Liam thoughtfully, "or the Taelons would dominate earth far more than they do." He looked around. "On our last trip to a parallel universe, it was Da'an who helped us to return home. I think he's our best shot here."
"And what if he's not? What if he turns us in?" asked Lili. "The whole thing fails, and we lose an operative."
"I'll ask him myself," said Liam. "That way, if something goes wrong, you won't lose anyone valuable to the Resistance. None of my knowledge if verifiable."
"Except for the location of our main hideout," said Doors darkly.
"Kincaid's right," said Boone. "We need a Taelon to pull this off and Da'an is the best candidate."
"What makes you think Da'an will help us?" asked Lili.
"I asked Da'an about the Kimera. He seemed…ashamed of what the Taelons had done. And he was very interested in Liam after their encounter on the mothership."
"Probably wants to dissect him," said Augur.
"I don't think so," said Boone.
"What do you think?" Doors asked, looking at Ha'gel. "If we bring the Taelons into this, you're at as much risk as we are."
"Perhaps more," said Ha'gel. "But Da'an did act to protect Liam from detection in his universe. If it is indeed the only way, then I believe it is worth the risk. I would advise against informing Da'an of my presence, however, until after we have secured the shuttle. That way, if he does act to betray us, I'll be able to talk to the Ti'kklak before the Taelons kill me."
"All right," said Boone. "We can talk to Da'an tomorrow."
"I still don't like it," said Lili.
"Lili gets the shuttle," said Doors. "Kincaid talks to Da'an. Boone, you stand ready to get him out of there if things go wrong."
"Yeah," agreed Boone.
Doors looked over at Liam and Ha'gel. "I'd better not regret this," he said.