Helena's eyes grew wide in the fear of disbelief as she read the note that Sandra had dropped off not five minutes earlier. Feeling panic swell within, she hit a button on her console and spoke quickly.

"Bob.....assemble a medical team and meet me at Victor Bergman's quarters, stat...."

"Right away, Helena."

Clutching the note in one hand, Russell grabbed her commlock with the other, and exited her quarters quickly, speaking into the device as she walked hastily down the corridor.

"Dr. Russell to security team B!"

"Tom Groves from security here, doctor....team B was dismissed about ten minutes ago."

"Dismissed by whom?"

The young man seemed confused, "Commander Koenig."

Helena didn't bother answer, she broke into a run for Bergman's private quarters, terrified of what she would find.

She slowed as she neared Victor's quarters, the door open, Alan Carter standing in the hallway with Koenig, speaking softly. John turned as he felt her approach.

"Helena, thank God you're here."

Although she felt terrified by his very presence, she shoved the note in her hand into a pocket of her pants, and tried to keep her face neutral, "What happened?"

"Victor attacked me, he's in there. I had to defend myself, Helena...."

Alarm coloring her features, Dr. Russell ran into the room to find Victor lying in a bloody heap on the floor. She gently rolled him over, and felt a wave of nausea as she took in the bruises and contusions of his face. She felt a presence and looked up to see Koenig in the doorway, staring at her.

"Well?"

"It's bad." She made a preliminary exam of Bergman as she continued, "Did you notify medical?"

"Yes, but the nurse said you already called.....how did you know we needed you, Helena?"

She ignored the query and countered with her own, "Where's the weapon?"

Koenig didn't seem prepared for the question.

"What?"

"You said you had to defend yourself, where's his weapon?"

He repeated the words, dumbfounded, "His weapon...."

She looked up at him, her eyes on fire, "Yes, you were defending yourself against a man twenty years your senior, and much smaller in weight and height; I assume he must have had a weapon for you to have resorted to this kind of force."

"Helena, you sound like you're accusing me of something...."

Realizing the danger she was in, Helena looked at him, softening, "I'm sorry, John.....I'm just upset about Victor."

He smiled at her, "I understand. Me too."

Matthias and the medical team arrived, interrupting them.

"Hurry Bob......he's in bad shape."

Matthias moved in quickly, and together with Dr. Russell, they did their best to stabilize Bergman's condition. As they were transporting Victor out, Paul Morrow arrived on the scene, a note similar to Helena's in his hand. He looked at Victor's battered body on the gurney, then at Dr. Russell, and finally at Koenig. He nonchalantly slipped the note into the back pocket of his pants.

"Commander, are you.....all right."

"Yes. Victor asked to speak with me privately, and I agreed. Unfortunately, he attacked me, and I had to defend myself."

Morrow looked at Russell, "What's his condition?"

"Grave."

Paul looked meaningfully at Helena, "I'll come by in awhile to see how he's doing."

She nodded slightly, "Yes, do that, Paul."

With one final look at Koenig, Helena quickly exited, heading toward the Med Lab. Paul looked into the room, the blood stains on the carpet causing him to swallow hard. He looked back at the commander.

"What happened in here?"

"I told you, Victor attacked me, I defended myself."

"Pardon me, sir, but, it looks like it was a fight to the death...."

A strange look came over Koenig's face, "Yes, I guess you could call it that."

Paul took the opportunity to quickly examine the room, noting the overturned furniture, broken dishes, and blood stains. There was no sign of anything except a mismatched fight. He felt a pall falling over him as he stood there, and he was barely able to suppress a shudder. Morrow looked once more up at Koenig, forcing his face to remain neutral.

"Do you have any orders, Commander?"

"Yes, as a matter of fact, I do, Paul. I'd like to commence Operation Exodus immediately. It's time we start living like human beings again."

Paul frowned at the man's turn of phrase, but pressed on, "Kano isn't quite finished with his analysis of computer's recommendations, Commander...."

Koenig clapped Paul on the shoulder, "I'm sure by the time he has them, it will confirm what we already know from the landing party." He looked into Morrow's eyes, "Commence Operation Exodus."

"And Professor Bergman, sir?"

"What about him?"

Paul couldn't keep the surprise from his tone, "He'll need care, Commander, and I doubt he'll be able to be transported for awhile."

"We'll let Dr. Russell worry about that, okay, Paul?"

Morrow frowned, but nodded, and then noticed Carter milling several yards away from the door. He looked over at the man, and decided to further test the information he had read in the note.

"Coming Alan?"

Carter looked first to Koenig, and then at Morrow, "I'll be along, Paul, I have something to discuss with the Commander first."

"Right then...."

Paul headed away as quickly as he could, but instead of going toward Main Mission, he went straight to the Med Lab, and Dr. Russell.