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Chapter Seven:
The Descendant

"About a year ago, the CIA made another Rambaldi related discovery. I've been tossing up when, or even if, I should tell you." He paused and Vaughn seized his chance.

"I think you can respect the fact that Sydney and I do not appreciate being kept out of the look- especially when it concerns us. So whatever the CIA is hiding now is the time to tell us."

"Ok," Kendall sat back in his seat. "The reason that this child, the second coming, shares a resemblance to you, Vaughn, is because, in a way, you are her father."

Vaughn could only laugh. What Kendall was telling them was ridiculous. Him, Ana's father? It was impossible. There was not the slightest chance. He looked at Sydney, whose face was a mix of bemusement and confusion.

"What do you mean?" she asked. "How can Vaughn be Ana's father? We weren't even…I mean, it's completely impossible."

"Yeah," Vaughn agreed. "Most of this Rambaldi stuff has sounded screwed up, but, maybe, in some way plausible. But me being a father? There is not a chance that I am going to believe this one."

"Listen to what I said," Kendall began patiently. "I did not say that you were her father. I said that in a way you were her father."

Vaughn sobered up. Kendall's expression was deadly serious. "Then perhaps you should explain."

"Vaughn, about a year ago Project Blackhole began to trace back your ancestries—"

"Why?" Vaughn interrupted.

Kendall ignored the question. "It was an extensive process, one that was repeated many times in order to ensure that our findings were correct."

Vaughn was staring at Kendall dubiously and so Sydney spoke up. "What were your findings?"

"That Michael Vaughn is a direct descendant of Milo Rambaldi."

Dixon pressed a button and the blueprints of a building flashed up on the screen. Turning to the agents in front of him, he spoke. "We believe that the artefact is being kept in a room on this floor," he pointed, "sub-level 3. Now we have very little intel on what this artefact is, but there are rumours that they are extra pages to the Rambaldi manuscript. And if this is true, then it is imperative that they do not land in the worng hands."

"What is the security like at this place?" Weiss asked.

"Considering what we've been up against in the past, this place should be pretty simple to get into. Each door is locked using a specific key card. Marshall has engineered a sort of master key- it should get you into any part of the building you wish."

"Should?" Weiss chuckled softly. "Let's hope so."

Dixon smiled. "There's a plane waiting at Dover Airfield now."

"Vaughn is related to Rambaldi?" Sydney repeated quietly, trying to wrap her ahead around the declaration that Kendall had just made.

"Of course I'm not." Vaughn scoffed. "There's got to be some mistake. There is no way…none…there can't be…can there?"

Kendall simply nodded. "I just said we repeated the process many times and every time your family line led us straight back to the same thing. You are related to Rambaldi."

"Well, then how does this explain me 'sort of' being Ana's father?"

"It's complicated, but given that since your father died, you are the last remaining person on Earth who has, let's say, Rambaldi blood, flowing through her veins. That was until Ana was born. Now, she is the daughter of Rambaldi, and you are his only relative. Do you understand what I am saying here?"

Vaughn did still not look convinced, yet Sydney was nodding slowly. "Vaughn is the closet thing Ana has to a father?"

Kendall smiled correctly. "Correct."

"And her eyes?" Sydney queried.

Kendall shrugged. "I can only assume that they are related to the Rambaldi line."

Vaughn's mind was going at a hundred miles an hour. This whole scenario was unfathomable. Daughter, Rambaldi, eyes, father, discovery…

"Hang on a second." Vaughn looked at Kendall, his expression almost accusing. "A year ago, that's when you traced back my family line?"

"Yes." Kendall nodded shortly.

"Before you said something about a CIA discovery. A discovery made a year ago."

"Right."

"Are the two connected?" Vaughn felt Sydney clasp his hand.

"Yes."

"So answer me this. Why did Project Blackhole feel the need to determine whether I was related to Rambaldi or not?"

"Because," Kendall cleared his throat. "Because Rambaldi wrote about you."

"Mr Dixon."

He looked up at his secretary, who was standing in his doorway. "That was analysis on the phone. They've deciphered those Rambaldi pages."

"Thank you." Dixon rose from his desk. "Can you please let them know that I am on my way down?"

They were waiting for him when he arrived and silently handed several typed pieces of paper.

After scanning over them, Dixon looked up, his eyes wide. "Has this been deciphered correctly?"

"Well, we used the existing code key- the one used to decode the Prophecy." The analyst answered. "We can only assume that this is correct."

"Ok." Dixon's voice was stern. "I want this information to be kept under wraps. You are not to breathe a word about this to anybody- do you understand?"

The analyst nodded.

"Now, if you would excuse me, I have a phone call to make."

xxxxx

Dixon waited impatiently for his call to be answered.

"This is Kendall."

"Agent Kendall, this is Marcus Dixon."

"Yes?"

"You asked to be notified if we made any new discoveries."

"Is it in your possession?"

"Yes, and it appears to be more piecesof themanuscript."

"What is written?"

Dixon paused. "Well, if we have decoded it correctly, it would appear that we have not got the whole story in regards to the Chosen One."

"So, once again, I ask you, what is written?"

"I think you should see this with your own eyes."

"Why?"

"Because I believe that this text is written about somebody specific?"

"Is it illustrated?"

"No, but a specific description has been made."

"About who? Sydney Bristow?"

"She's mentioned, but no."

"Who then?"

"I believe it to be Michael Vaughn,"

Both Sydney and Vaughn sat in silence, gripping each other's hands as Kendall began to explain.

"A year ago the CIA discovered what they believed to be lost pages of Rambaldi's manuscript. They were blank, just as page 47 was, but when the Rambaldi formula was applied, extensive writings were revealed. The focus of the pages was in regards to somebody that Rambaldi referred to as the Descendant—"

Sydney jolted, inhaling sharply. "The Descendant?"

Kendall nodded. "Yes."

"Lazarey mentioned the Descendant to me before he was killed." She turned to Vaughn. "I just never imagined…"

Vaughn tried to smile at her, but found he couldn't. Instead he just squeezed her hand.

"Anyway," Kendall started up again. "There was no picture of this person, not like the Prophecy, there was only a description of a man and his physical attributes. Dixon sent the pages straight to Project Blackhole. From just reading what was written, we knew that it was about you. From his words, Rambaldi created a direct image of you."

"And so that's why you traced my family line back. To see if I really was this Descendant?" Vaughn questioned.

"That's correct." Kendall replied.

"So what else did the pages say?" Sydney asked. "Apart from describing Vaughn?"

"Here is where things get interesting," Kendall opened up a manila folder that was lying in front of him. "The pages, after describing the Descendant, then went on to connect him with the Chosen One."

Sydney started. "What?" she breathed.

"Now, whether you choose to accept it or not, you are the Chosen One," Kendall directed to Sydney, "and we are also sure that Vaughn is the Descendant. Which means that Rambaldi connected the two of you."

"Rambaldi wrote of us?" Vaughn repeated. "In what way?"

"Here." Kendall handed them a sheet of paper each. "Read that."

Sydney and Vaughn met each other's eyes, almost as if they'd never be able to look at each other the same way again, and then directed their eyes to the paper before them.

He, my blood tie, the one with the emerald eyes, will be the person to complete the Chosen One. And she, the one with unseen marks, is the only one able to fulfil the Descendant.
Neither will be able to function as a whole without the other. The Chosen One and the Descendant exist for each other and each other only.