Disclaimer: None of the recognizable characters belong to me.
As they got closer to the Rav'aill, Liam could feel his stomach knotting in tension. One of the volunteers, looking at him, thought he looked like a child who was going to the dentist. A surge of maternal feelings swept her being towards this man who was probably older than her. She leaned over and said comfortingly, 'Don't worry Major, we're going to keep a close eye on you and keep you safe.' Liam looked at her in something akin to relief. Most likely he had thought that they would just leave him there alone. The volunteer shook her head mentally in disbelief. As if they would leave him! The Major's childish reactions surprised her immensely sometimes. For a man in his thirties he sure hadn't matured emotionally.
They were fairly close to the Rav'aill by now. It was a magnificent ship. The ship seemed alive just like the Mothership did and yet more so. It was almost joyously alive, glorying in its existence. There were no undertones of gloom and doom that the dim passages of the Mothership evoked. Liam felt that as they got closer to the ship he could feel it beckoning him, almost welcoming him home. He shook his head as if to physically clear it of his thoughts. This was wishful thinking, the Kimera would not care for him and such hopes were only to be a source of disappointment. The moment they docked the ship Liam felt like screaming, I'm not ready! It's too soon. He had a wild desire to turn around and run as far as he could. Slowly he disembarked the shuttle trying to delay the inevitable as far as possible.
Hi'el was standing in the docking bay. He extended his hand in greeting, 'Welcome Liam Kinkaid, the Kimera welcomes you and your companions to the Rav'aill. I am afraid that we cannot allow anyone besides you to enter the conference chamber but they can remain right outside the door should you require their services. Come.' With that he started walking.
Breathing heavily after Liam had to run to catch up with Hi'el, he asked, 'How come the Kimera are not extinct as was believed to be the case?'
Hi'el smiled, 'All your questions will be answered child. Be patient.'
Liam fell silent. It was nice to be treated as a youngster sometimes. Augur and Lili used to treat him like a kid but Augur seemed to have forgotten that lately. He started looking around. It was difficult to restrain himself to only looking when he wanted to do so much more. He felt a familiarity with this ship, in fact it was almost as if the ship was calling out to him.
So lost in his thoughts was he that he didn't notice Hi'el stopping and almost ran into him had one of the volunteers not stopped him. Whoa there Liam, he derided himself, be more alert in the future. Daydreaming won't fulfil any hopes you may have.
Hi'el beckoned Liam forward, "Please come in. The Kimera are happy to welcome you here."
Taking a deep breath, Liam stepped into the chamber. As soon as the door slid closed behind him, he had a sudden impulse to bang on it and ask for release. His apprehension must have shown on his face because Hi'el smiled comfortingly and said, "Child you have nothing to worry about, you are among your kin now."
If nothing Liam looked even more terrified, "You know?" he stuttered in fearful tones, "how?"
"The Kimera can always recognize one of their own and when we detected your presence we immediately made our way here to you. I am only sorry that we found out now and not earlier."
Calming down a bit but still wary Liam asked the inevitable, "Why did you come? Is it because I shouldn't exist? I am in fact an abomination, that's it isn't it, you want to be rid of me?" his voice grew panicked to the point of shouting, so scared was he.
