Part Four
"How well did you and Renee know Liam, Street?" Boone inquired. His eyes were focused on Renee's retreating back.
"If he was only a business associate how did you know that I came here about him? It could have been anything. And why was Renee so upset?" he finished looking at Street, who averted her gaze.
Street avoided his question.
"How did you know to come to us? I know I never mentioned him and it hurts Renee too much to talk about it."
"After I found the bodies and made arrangements, I did some research." Boone closed his eyes briefly. The loss of his friends still hadn't sunk in.
"I discovered that this was not the Liam Kincaid I served with. And besides being Da'an's protector not very much was known about him. Then I found an article," Boone paused briefly before he continued.
"The article explained why Renee resigned as Head of Doors International."
Street paused as the computer continued its scan of the Mothership. Then she finally answered Boone's question.
"It takes Renee a long time to trust anyone other than herself, you of all people should know that, Boone. When she finally let herself have faith in Liam, he became her polar north. They completed each other. She trusted him and cared for him. We both did." Street finally looked up and met Boone's questioning gaze.
"When he died she buried all her feelings for him. We never talk about him, but I know she still feels guilty about his death."
"I don't, Street." Renee said as she reentered the room. Her face was now slightly flushed, but she looked like she felt better.
"I don't feel guilty. I know there was no way to stop it. It was his destiny, and not ours." "Maybe not." Street said as the computer started beeping, signaling the end of its search. Street turned to look at the computer, and then whirled back around.
"Liam is on the Mothership, and he's alive!"
"Oh. My. God." Renee said. She suddenly looked overwhelmed again.
Boone had stood quietly listening throughout their conversation, but now he spoke.
"I know what you are going to say, and I'm not going to argue with you. We need to go rescue him. But we are not going to blindly run up there and get ourselves killed. We need a plan."
"But how is any of this possible?" Renee wondered, ignoring Boone words.
"How could Liam be in a Stasis Chamber thousands of miles from the volcano?"
"Boone, was there a portal in the camber?" Street inquired.
"There was, actually. I assumed it was how they left." Boone answered.
"Liam wouldn't leave willingly with a group of Atavus" Renee stated emphatically.
"Wait a second," Street said, an idea forming in her mind. "What if Howlyn and the other aren't a product of the Taelon and Jaridian joining? What if they are the original Atavus?"
"That would explain how Howlyn was on earth millions of years ago." Renee said.
"What if Ma'el programmed the portal to switch the contents of the two Chambers, to protect them from the volcanic blast." Street puzzled
"Then the Atavus formed by the Taelon's and Jaridian's could be alive on the Mothership." Boone was silent for a moment, trying to process it all. "We still need a plan."
"I have one." Renee volunteered. She grabbed her jacket form the back of her chair and started for the door. "Boone, you and I go to the Mothership. Street, you stay here and monitor things. I distract Howlyn while Boone rescues Liam. "
"No way," Boone said, as he grabbed Renee's arm and pulled her back a few steps. "I am not letting you go anywhere near Howlyn. If he doesn't kill you on the spot he'd do unthinkable things to you."
"I can handle myself. It would be ten minutes tops. You get Liam out and contact me. I freeze Howlyn, we all make a run for the shuttle."
Street noticed the intense look that passed between the two of them. Then she spoke up. "Renee, Will's right. This is the mother of all bad ideas."
"Anybody have a better one?" Renee inquired, throwing up her arms in frustration. "All right, I win!"
"Renee, this is still a bad idea, but I'm not letting you go by yourself. That would be suicide." Boone wasn't happy with the plan, but fighting with Renee was like trying to move a mountain. It was pointless.
"Be careful," Street stated, "And bring Liam home alive."
"How well did you and Renee know Liam, Street?" Boone inquired. His eyes were focused on Renee's retreating back.
"If he was only a business associate how did you know that I came here about him? It could have been anything. And why was Renee so upset?" he finished looking at Street, who averted her gaze.
Street avoided his question.
"How did you know to come to us? I know I never mentioned him and it hurts Renee too much to talk about it."
"After I found the bodies and made arrangements, I did some research." Boone closed his eyes briefly. The loss of his friends still hadn't sunk in.
"I discovered that this was not the Liam Kincaid I served with. And besides being Da'an's protector not very much was known about him. Then I found an article," Boone paused briefly before he continued.
"The article explained why Renee resigned as Head of Doors International."
Street paused as the computer continued its scan of the Mothership. Then she finally answered Boone's question.
"It takes Renee a long time to trust anyone other than herself, you of all people should know that, Boone. When she finally let herself have faith in Liam, he became her polar north. They completed each other. She trusted him and cared for him. We both did." Street finally looked up and met Boone's questioning gaze.
"When he died she buried all her feelings for him. We never talk about him, but I know she still feels guilty about his death."
"I don't, Street." Renee said as she reentered the room. Her face was now slightly flushed, but she looked like she felt better.
"I don't feel guilty. I know there was no way to stop it. It was his destiny, and not ours." "Maybe not." Street said as the computer started beeping, signaling the end of its search. Street turned to look at the computer, and then whirled back around.
"Liam is on the Mothership, and he's alive!"
"Oh. My. God." Renee said. She suddenly looked overwhelmed again.
Boone had stood quietly listening throughout their conversation, but now he spoke.
"I know what you are going to say, and I'm not going to argue with you. We need to go rescue him. But we are not going to blindly run up there and get ourselves killed. We need a plan."
"But how is any of this possible?" Renee wondered, ignoring Boone words.
"How could Liam be in a Stasis Chamber thousands of miles from the volcano?"
"Boone, was there a portal in the camber?" Street inquired.
"There was, actually. I assumed it was how they left." Boone answered.
"Liam wouldn't leave willingly with a group of Atavus" Renee stated emphatically.
"Wait a second," Street said, an idea forming in her mind. "What if Howlyn and the other aren't a product of the Taelon and Jaridian joining? What if they are the original Atavus?"
"That would explain how Howlyn was on earth millions of years ago." Renee said.
"What if Ma'el programmed the portal to switch the contents of the two Chambers, to protect them from the volcanic blast." Street puzzled
"Then the Atavus formed by the Taelon's and Jaridian's could be alive on the Mothership." Boone was silent for a moment, trying to process it all. "We still need a plan."
"I have one." Renee volunteered. She grabbed her jacket form the back of her chair and started for the door. "Boone, you and I go to the Mothership. Street, you stay here and monitor things. I distract Howlyn while Boone rescues Liam. "
"No way," Boone said, as he grabbed Renee's arm and pulled her back a few steps. "I am not letting you go anywhere near Howlyn. If he doesn't kill you on the spot he'd do unthinkable things to you."
"I can handle myself. It would be ten minutes tops. You get Liam out and contact me. I freeze Howlyn, we all make a run for the shuttle."
Street noticed the intense look that passed between the two of them. Then she spoke up. "Renee, Will's right. This is the mother of all bad ideas."
"Anybody have a better one?" Renee inquired, throwing up her arms in frustration. "All right, I win!"
"Renee, this is still a bad idea, but I'm not letting you go by yourself. That would be suicide." Boone wasn't happy with the plan, but fighting with Renee was like trying to move a mountain. It was pointless.
"Be careful," Street stated, "And bring Liam home alive."