THREE MONTHS LATER.

John stood inside Main Mission staring at the screen before him. His injuries had healed and he was back in command.

Those damn colored lights were still out there and he couldn't help but wonder what they would lead to next.

"So Maya, what do our long range sensors tell us?" There had been some early indication of a probable planet and John wanted to know for sure.

Maya turned and faced John. "Too early to tell Commander. Early data does indicate a planet with a breathable atmosphere. But we are still too far away for anything conclusive right now."

Helena stood beside John as he set down in his chair. Lance and Lauren were behind him. True to his word, John allowed Lance to see what Command was all about and he was intrigued by it all.

"Alright Maya, just keep me informed as data comes in."

"Yes Commander." she replied and turned back to her console.

John turned in his chair and looked up at Lance. "Well, it looks like you might be in for your first adventure on Alpha."

Lance nodded. "Yeah, I'm looking forward to it." He felt Lauren squeeze his hand and smiled at her. "Before I decided to become a doctor, as a kid I sometimes thought being an astronaut would be very interesting. Looks like I'm getting that chance."

"That and more it would seem." John stated, then looked up at Helena. She was smiling at him as he turned back to face the screen. The lights flashed, sparked, then faded and came back. Only time would tell if Alpha would fall victim to them again, and if so what the outcome would be.

Helena's hand was comforting on John's shoulder. He covered it with his own. "Do you think those lights have anything to do with this John?" she asked.

He shrugged and got to his feet. "I don't know Helena. I just know that next time I'm out there among those lights, I'll definitely be more alert."

"Who said I'm going to let you back out there?" she stated with some authority.

John laughed. "Maybe we should go somewhere and discuss this." he told her.

"Yes, we should." Helena smiled and they left Command Center.

Lance watched as the two of them walked past him and Lauren. There was definitely chemistry between the two of them. Lauren tugged at his hand.

"Hey, we're supposed to meet Sandra and Paul for lunch." she told him.

"Yeah, sorry, I was just watching everything." he told her. One more glance about the room and they left.

Maya smiled at them, as did Tony who had walked near her desk. "I think those two have a good future here Tony."

He nodded. 'Yeah, I agree."

None of them noticed the flashing lights on the screen. They had grown accustomed to them. For a brief instant, that tunnel John and Lauren had seen onboard Eagle One, came into view and at the end of that void, was planet Earth, or what seemed to be.

Maya suddenly whipped around in her chair. She stared at the screen and shivered.

"What is it Maya?" Tony asked with concern. He stared at the screen with her.

She shook off a slight chill and shrugged. "Nothing I guess. I thought for a moment those lights had stopped."

"Maybe they did." Tony stated. "Those crazy lights have acted strange ever since we came into contact with them."

"Yes, they have." Maya agreed and turned back to her console.

John came to a sudden stop as he walked down the corridor to medical with Helena. It startled her and she stared at him with concern.

"John, are you alright?" she questioned.

He was silent for a moment as he looked around his surroundings. He felt a brief chill and then it was gone. "Yeah….yeah, I'm fine."

Helena wasn't so sure. "I'm not convinced John."

He didn't want to worry her at the moment. It was probably nothing. "I…I just had that sudden feeling of deja'vu. I remember when I was Earth and you allowed me to take a walk down the corridor at the hospital. Being with you now just caused a flashback."

Helena smiled, but it was edged with concern. "Maybe you're doing too much at once. You probably still need some rest."

John sighed. She was probably right. "You care to join me?" he asked. At the moment he didn't want to be alone.

"Of course, you know I'll never turn down the chance to be alone with the Commander." she joked.

John laughed as they continued down the hall. He couldn't help but wonder if Lauren had felt that chill at the same instant he did. That's something he would he find out later.

Once inside his room, John stretched out on his bed with Helena beside him. He felt safe and comforted by her presence. Helena moved into his embrace, resting her head on his shoulder.

"Better?" she asked.

"Yes." John answered, kissing her cheek, trying not to think about what just happened.

Whatever those lights had in store for alpha and its residents, would have to wait until the next day. For now he was with his Helena and that was all that mattered. He closed his eyes and drifted to sleep beside her.

TO BE CONTINUED….. PART 2 - DECEPTION