Augur
Kary was sitting in the kitchen drinking lord knows what when we came in but she took one look at our faces and ran for cover. I couldn't blame her. I had a feeling that whatever was going to go down would either end up with things being broken or with us both crying like babies. Not a pretty sight either way. I grabbed the coffee pot on the way to the table along with two mugs. I figured we'd both need the distracters plus I needed something to calm my nerves. Silence prevailed as I poured us both a cup. It was my turn to play the envoy. The one thing that had been racing through my mind since I saw Boone was Lazarus and how Boone had managed his reappearing act this time. ` Well we've got to start somewhere.' Twirling my mug around staring straight at Boone I asked, "What does Lazarus mean to you Boone?"
He looked startled for a moment, probably wondering where the heck I'd gotten that one.
"There is the legend of Lazarus Long who came back from the dead." Awareness seemed to seep into his face. He thought he knew why I brought it up. `Wrong buster.'
I let out a sigh. Sitting back cradling my mug in my hands I regarded him evenly. I had to tell him the whole horror story of Lazarus; he had the right to know and it definitely was a place to start. "Not long after you died Boone...Well after you supposedly died. I was put through one of Zo'or's fun little experiments. I was caught trying to get some information about virtual glass in Russia and had a choice of a noose or "volunteering". Some choice, huh? The man who collected me from the prison and was with me through out my whole "enhancement" was Lazarus. He was Zo'or's pride and joy, the finished product. You see this experiment was the enhancing of humans to make them killing machines to use against the Jaridains and not too many survived the process. Lazarus was the perfect little solider for Zo'or until he met Da'an. You see, part of the process in that experiment was the reprogramming of your brain to get rid of your past and make you devoted to fighting the
Jaridains. I know from experience that it takes a strong memory to break through the programming. And Da'an was a powerful reminder to Lazarus of his past. Lazarus remembered who he had been and he helped Liam free me from my programming. Before he left to kill Zo'or for all that he had done to him Lazarus told me that it was good to see me again." I leaned forward now. Boone looked confused. Couldn't blame him. Still the big finale was coming up. Quieter now I continued. "It took me a couple of days to figure it out. But when I did it was so obvious. The way he moved, the way he talked, and the way he knew both me and Da'an..." I had to stop to swallow my hatred for that bastard Zo'or. "He was you. Lazarus was you. They took your brain patterns and put them in another body. Zo'or wasn't satisfied with killing you. No, he wanted to use what was left of you to further his own goals." I saw disgust flash across Boone's face as he absorbed the news. I set down my coffee mug and
looked him squarely in the eyes. "So it leaves me wondering Boone. The Taelons are dead. I thought you were dead and yet here you are. How? Were you some toy of Zo'or's? Or are you the real deal? And if you are the real Boone how in the hell are you sitting here?"
For a moment I thought I'd killed him he was sitting so still. Then he uttered "Sandoval."
I frowned. "Sandoval? What about him?"
That seemed to shake him out of his stupor. "I don't have all the answers Augur. I wish I did. The last thing I remember before I found myself at a portal station in Washington was Ha'gel firing at me. What I've been able to figure out is Sandoval brought me back. He wanted to use me to find Renee. I don't know where I was for the last three years and I knew nothing about this Lazarus before you told me. Renee didn't know either or she just didn't tell me." Now he frowned.
I sat back again. Now that I had started I couldn't stop. All of my questions were banging around in my brain and I couldn't let go until they were answered. "Well that answers the how, now about the why. Why are you here Boone? I know I'm starting to sound like a broken record but I seriously doubt that you miraculously come back from the dead and the first thing that comes to your mind is `Boy I haven't seen my old pal Augur in a while I'll just go looking for him. We can catch up on old times.' No, there has got to be something going on. Besides that there is also that little thing with Sandoval bringing you back to snare Renee. While Renee can be a real pain in the ass I don't think dear old Sandy would go through all the trouble of bringing you out of cold storage to catch her... Unless she was messing up one of his plans. Yet I heard the Taelons were dead so what sort of plans could Sandoval have in motion? And how did our illustrious Agent Sandoval survive his
employers' demise anyhow? I would have bet that there would have been a line of people ready to cut his heart out with a dull butter knife after his protection as a Companion agent was evaporated."
I guess that was a pleasant image for Boone after all of the crap I'd dropped on him because he chuckled or maybe he just needed something to laugh at to keep from crying. Still I knew the moment he planed to tell me what was going on. His face took on that look. The "watch out for flying shit look" that I learned to recognize from him. Boone was a great poker player but when it came to bad news that man couldn't hide anything. ` Damn, it's like he stepped out of my memories. He hasn't changed a bit.'
He set his cup on the table. "The Taelons maybe gone Augur but they've been replaced by a new threat. When the Taelons and the Jaridains came together they created something called Atavas. These Atavas' feed on human life energy. They are planning on wiping us out Augur but the world is so happy that the Taelons are gone that they don't want to believe the Atavas exist. They think that Renee and I are crazy." I opened my mouth but he waved me into silence. "We don't have any proof and with Sandoval controlling the Mothership he has all the resources he needs to cover up their existence." He paused, for dramatic effect I suppose. "Augur we need you. You're the best. If anyone can maneuver around Sandoval you can."
`So I was right. The fighting has called my name again. The question is what will be my answer? Can I turn my back on humanity?'
Kary was sitting in the kitchen drinking lord knows what when we came in but she took one look at our faces and ran for cover. I couldn't blame her. I had a feeling that whatever was going to go down would either end up with things being broken or with us both crying like babies. Not a pretty sight either way. I grabbed the coffee pot on the way to the table along with two mugs. I figured we'd both need the distracters plus I needed something to calm my nerves. Silence prevailed as I poured us both a cup. It was my turn to play the envoy. The one thing that had been racing through my mind since I saw Boone was Lazarus and how Boone had managed his reappearing act this time. ` Well we've got to start somewhere.' Twirling my mug around staring straight at Boone I asked, "What does Lazarus mean to you Boone?"
He looked startled for a moment, probably wondering where the heck I'd gotten that one.
"There is the legend of Lazarus Long who came back from the dead." Awareness seemed to seep into his face. He thought he knew why I brought it up. `Wrong buster.'
I let out a sigh. Sitting back cradling my mug in my hands I regarded him evenly. I had to tell him the whole horror story of Lazarus; he had the right to know and it definitely was a place to start. "Not long after you died Boone...Well after you supposedly died. I was put through one of Zo'or's fun little experiments. I was caught trying to get some information about virtual glass in Russia and had a choice of a noose or "volunteering". Some choice, huh? The man who collected me from the prison and was with me through out my whole "enhancement" was Lazarus. He was Zo'or's pride and joy, the finished product. You see this experiment was the enhancing of humans to make them killing machines to use against the Jaridains and not too many survived the process. Lazarus was the perfect little solider for Zo'or until he met Da'an. You see, part of the process in that experiment was the reprogramming of your brain to get rid of your past and make you devoted to fighting the
Jaridains. I know from experience that it takes a strong memory to break through the programming. And Da'an was a powerful reminder to Lazarus of his past. Lazarus remembered who he had been and he helped Liam free me from my programming. Before he left to kill Zo'or for all that he had done to him Lazarus told me that it was good to see me again." I leaned forward now. Boone looked confused. Couldn't blame him. Still the big finale was coming up. Quieter now I continued. "It took me a couple of days to figure it out. But when I did it was so obvious. The way he moved, the way he talked, and the way he knew both me and Da'an..." I had to stop to swallow my hatred for that bastard Zo'or. "He was you. Lazarus was you. They took your brain patterns and put them in another body. Zo'or wasn't satisfied with killing you. No, he wanted to use what was left of you to further his own goals." I saw disgust flash across Boone's face as he absorbed the news. I set down my coffee mug and
looked him squarely in the eyes. "So it leaves me wondering Boone. The Taelons are dead. I thought you were dead and yet here you are. How? Were you some toy of Zo'or's? Or are you the real deal? And if you are the real Boone how in the hell are you sitting here?"
For a moment I thought I'd killed him he was sitting so still. Then he uttered "Sandoval."
I frowned. "Sandoval? What about him?"
That seemed to shake him out of his stupor. "I don't have all the answers Augur. I wish I did. The last thing I remember before I found myself at a portal station in Washington was Ha'gel firing at me. What I've been able to figure out is Sandoval brought me back. He wanted to use me to find Renee. I don't know where I was for the last three years and I knew nothing about this Lazarus before you told me. Renee didn't know either or she just didn't tell me." Now he frowned.
I sat back again. Now that I had started I couldn't stop. All of my questions were banging around in my brain and I couldn't let go until they were answered. "Well that answers the how, now about the why. Why are you here Boone? I know I'm starting to sound like a broken record but I seriously doubt that you miraculously come back from the dead and the first thing that comes to your mind is `Boy I haven't seen my old pal Augur in a while I'll just go looking for him. We can catch up on old times.' No, there has got to be something going on. Besides that there is also that little thing with Sandoval bringing you back to snare Renee. While Renee can be a real pain in the ass I don't think dear old Sandy would go through all the trouble of bringing you out of cold storage to catch her... Unless she was messing up one of his plans. Yet I heard the Taelons were dead so what sort of plans could Sandoval have in motion? And how did our illustrious Agent Sandoval survive his
employers' demise anyhow? I would have bet that there would have been a line of people ready to cut his heart out with a dull butter knife after his protection as a Companion agent was evaporated."
I guess that was a pleasant image for Boone after all of the crap I'd dropped on him because he chuckled or maybe he just needed something to laugh at to keep from crying. Still I knew the moment he planed to tell me what was going on. His face took on that look. The "watch out for flying shit look" that I learned to recognize from him. Boone was a great poker player but when it came to bad news that man couldn't hide anything. ` Damn, it's like he stepped out of my memories. He hasn't changed a bit.'
He set his cup on the table. "The Taelons maybe gone Augur but they've been replaced by a new threat. When the Taelons and the Jaridains came together they created something called Atavas. These Atavas' feed on human life energy. They are planning on wiping us out Augur but the world is so happy that the Taelons are gone that they don't want to believe the Atavas exist. They think that Renee and I are crazy." I opened my mouth but he waved me into silence. "We don't have any proof and with Sandoval controlling the Mothership he has all the resources he needs to cover up their existence." He paused, for dramatic effect I suppose. "Augur we need you. You're the best. If anyone can maneuver around Sandoval you can."
`So I was right. The fighting has called my name again. The question is what will be my answer? Can I turn my back on humanity?'