JJ was doing his homework, somewhat subdued. Since Wheeler had left, JJ had heard nothing from his brother. His father was on the phone constantly for updates, as he took a leave from the Army and made his way back to New York.

Homework never interested JJ, and he worked in front of the TV, when suddenly ESPN was replaced with the news. Confused, JJ changed the channel, and found the same graphic on the screen.

"Polly?" JJ called. "When was the last time they interrupted every channel on Cable for breaking news?"

"9/11?" Polly guessed, coming into the room. "Katrina? Japan's MegaQuake?"

"That's what I thought." JJ agreed darkly, turning up the television.

BREAKING NEWS:

"Good evening. We're interrupting your regular programming to bring you this special report, on some shocking events taking place in the Pacific Ocean, approximately halfway between New Zealand and South America.

"What was first reported ten minutes ago as a spontaneously forming weather phenomenon has now been reclassified as a geological event. Seismic readings have gone off the charts, and tsunami warnings have been issued for the entire Pacific Rim.

"Naval Units in surrounding areas have reported massive weather phenomena, but as yet there is no sign of ocean disturbance.

"We have one of our reporters near to the scene. Karen, can you hear me?"

"Yes I can Dan. It's unbelievable! We were on our way to cover a story in Hawaii, when we got the word that something was happening. We had enough fuel for a flyby, so it was worth diverting our flight. We're not even close to the center of the disturbance, but I can see it clearly from here. It's unbelievable!"

"Describe what you're seeing Karen, is it a storm front?"

"No. It's unbelievable! I don't know what to call it, but it's clearly nothing like what's been reported. It looks like it could be a storm, but it's not. I've covered hurricanes, tornadoes… this looks more like… It almost looks like something climbing up out of the water, except the ocean is miles deep at this point. I can see the ocean moving in the middle of it, but the water down below where our plane is now appears still, which rules out an earthquake or tsunami. It's unbelievable!"

"Karen, can you describe what you're looking at?"

"I can see the ocean standing up on end. The rock and the dirt and… and I think lava are all trying to climb the ocean into the sky. That's the only way I can think to describe it. I can't see anything up there, but it looks like the ocean is being pulled up! It's unbelievable! I don't know what's doing it, but I can see lightning and fire, and rock and there's just this incredible roaring coming off it! It's unbelievable! The pilot tells me that we're still so far away from it but it's HUGE!"

"Can you give us an idea on dimensions?"

"We've received a warning call from a US Naval unit on the other side of this… whatever it is. They've given us an idea of how far away they are. It must be at least 900 miles in diameter… It's unbelievable!"

"Karen, we're being warned to prepare for tsunami across the Pacific. Can you give us any insights?"

"Frankly Dan, I'd be glad if this was just a tsunami, or an undersea volcano. I can't imagine that's what it is, but I guess they have to call it something. It's unbelievable! It doesn't seem to be causing any disruption in the water down directly below us, but I'm not an expert. It's… oh my god… It's moving... IT'S ALIVE! IT'S MOVING!"

"Karen? Karen, can you hear me?"

Gi woke up first, and heard the ocean. She felt damp sand under her fingers, and rain falling on her skin.

Then memory caught up, and she rolled over to her hands and knees and dry heaved for several minutes.

The water was close. Gi wasn't quite sure where she was. There had been no island within reach that she could remember... She looked out over the water. No sign of the Rig.

The others were visible along the beach, all of them a good distance away from each other. Gi tried to stand up and go over to them, and her legs gave out instantly. The fact that she had water powers seemed appropriate for how watery her insides felt right now.

There was a chattering noise, and she fought to turn her head, enough that she could see the water.

There was a dolphin there, half out of the water, chattering at her happily. She knew it was her dolphin, the one that brought her the ring. It should have been impossible. The last time she saw the dolphin was off the coast of Japan. It should not be here.

Impossible was a word Gi resolved never to use again.

Up and down the beach, her fellow Planeteers were starting to wake up.

Kwame was the first one up; making his way from one to the other, checking them for injuries.

Linka was next, trying not to throw up.

Wheeler was after that, white as a sheet and actively trembling.

And finally Ma-Ti, looking a million years older.

Without speaking a work to each other, the lot of them came together, collapsed down in the sand and closed their eyes, sleeping again, too exhausted, strung out and beaten up to care about the rain drenching them.

BREAKING NEWS:

"We've managed to re-establish the call with Karen Gillys, and we apologize for the earlier interruption. "Karen, can you hear me?"

"Yeah. Yeah, I'm still here."

"What were you talking about Karen? What is it?"

"Just... I, um... Just for a second I thought I saw something moving in the... Doesn't matter, it's well and truly gone now. The area has settled but the storm around it hasn't. We barely managed to get clear before we were forced down."

"If I can interject again Karen, the satellite images have cleared of whatever electrical interference there was, but there's still quite a lot of heavy cloud cover in the area."

"The storm is huge Dan... Um, I've been talking with the pilot... Our destination was on the far side of that storm. We can't get through it, and we don't have enough fuel to get around it, or to turn around and go back. We're going to have to ditch at some point."

"Karen!"

"It's okay. It's all right Dan. We've got all the gear set up already. It's just me, my cameraman, and the pilot. The three of us can make the raft. We know when it's going to happen, and we're probably the only small plane in history that has an open satellite call to the world's media. We put out a mayday and rescue crews are already on the way. A Naval Unit's in the area. I guess we're not the only ones interested in what this is."

"Karen... We're going to stay on the line with you for as long as we can, okay?"

"Thanks. I appreciate that. But if you could take us off the air in a few minutes, the crew want to use the phone. You know, talk to their families and such."

"Yeah. Whenever you're ready then Karen."

"So, um... for the record, this wasn't an earthquake. It wasn't a volcano... maybe a UFO landed, maybe Godzilla's waking up; but it looked like the ocean was standing up, and there was just this constant wall of lightning... Actually the plane's turning now to meet the recovery team, I can see... It's… it's clearing now... Dan… it looks like…"

"Like? Like WHAT?"

"My God… Land Ho."

Several hours later, Wheeler woke up shivering, and noticed there was debris washing up on the beach. The rain had chilled him through, despite the sunshine now on his face. Thinking he could make a fire; he forced himself to stand up, and wander down the beach toward the debris.

It was not wood. It was metal.

Wheeler flushed. "The rig." He turned. "HEY GUYS!"

The rest of the team moaned a little at the sudden noise.

"UP! Everyone wake UP!"

They groaned and got to their feet, heading over to where Wheeler was crouched in the surf. "Look at this!"

"A hunk of metal." Gi commented. "Well, I'm glad you woke us."

"Gi, say that part again about how there was no land nearby."

Gi blinked. "Well, there was no land on the maps. But we were so far out that it may not have been on the charts."

"You think that's likely?"

"No." Gi Admitted. "So what? Gaia's snatched us before. She got us out."

Wheeler held up the metal. "Why would Gaia bring hunks of the rig along for the ride?"

Silence.

"She wouldn't." Linka agreed.

Wheeler looked at them all in shock. "Guys... where the hell are we?"

Bligh woke up and roared, beyond furious.

"Commander, remain calm. You're safe. We had to keep you sedated for a while but-"

Bligh forced herself to breathe, to lie still. Her body ached horribly. Her lungs were burning, as was her throat. She recognized what must have happened. She had drowned. To make sure, she yanked her shirt open, fresh bruises forming on her breastbone. Her people had brought her back.

"The rig?"

"There was no explosion, but something else happened. We aren't exactly sure what it-"

"Turn us around!" Blight roared.

"Ma'am, we can't. The area has been noticed! The Navy is responding! The Operation is compromised! We can't go back-"

"NOW!" Bligh insisted. "I'M GONNA KILL THOSE BRATS!"

"Ma'am!" Her pilot yelled. "Call for you from Mr Stumm."

Fuming, Bligh took the radio. "Look, I'm in the middle of something right now!"

"I take it the young Lords of the Rings were successful?"

"You KNEW!" Bligh roared.

"Yes I did. Now get yourself back here, and clean the scene."

"I'm working on the latter. You'll get the former when I'm done."

"Get back here now. The story has already broken, and it broke in a rather spectacular way. I need the dirty work finished before people start coming to us for answers. Minutes count Bligh!"

Bligh swallowed her first response. "Yes. Sir." She disconnected. "Turn us around. Get this chopper back to civilization fast."

The storms were along the entire horizon. They could not see past the rains and clouds to the other side. The distant sound of thunder was audible over the gentle surf, but just barely.

The five of them started making their way along the beach, more out of a desire to stretch their tired bodies than anything else, when Linka noticed the scent of smoke.

They followed it, and found more wreckage, getting thicker and bigger the further they went. Another few minutes, and it became clear what it was.

"The rest of the Rig." Linka pronounced.

There wasn't much left of it. Every twelve feet or so there was something recognizable, but it was all mangled and ruined and destroyed, the oil clinging to it enough to burn, even after the rain.

"Wheeler's right." Linka said quietly. "Gaia wouldn't bring this..."

"What does everyone remember?" Kwame asked.

Long silence.

The five of them looked at each other, their expressions fading into numb horror. There was a coldness to the silence, as though they had been covered by a deep cold shadow. Gi started shaking again. Ma-Ti was trying to speak and failing. Linka looked ill...

"It doesn't matter." Wheeler said suddenly. "I don't... I don't know what happened, I don't want to."

That was good enough for the rest of them.

The five of them picked their way through the wreckage for a while, looking to see if there was anything usable.

"Any ideas?" Kwame asked finally.

Gi shrugged. "I might be able to get some of these components working, but I doubt if any of the power sources are any good after the saltwater got into them. Maybe if I had more time… if somebody on the ship had a satellite phone, or a laptop; something small enough to escape damage, maybe if I could get an antenna rigged…"

"Where are we?" Wheeler demanded. "This isn't some small uncharted island. I can't see the end of it!"

Kwame pointed toward the mountain, rising sharply out of the ground. "The island may be volcanic. There's no other way I can see that mountain being so high."

"Volcanoes?"

"Probably long dead. But the point I was making was that the mountain may be our best bet to see anything. If only to get an idea of where we are."

Linka spoke up. "And to see if we can find people. If we were that far out to sea, we may be the only people on the island. With the rig and all its craft destroyed, and the glider gone… we may be here a while."

That was a chilling thought. By default, the five of them started to head deeper into the island, away from the coast, getting a proper look for the first time.

The island was filled with life. Tall trees and lush plants that practically blocked out the sun with their foliage. Birds of all kinds flew between the branches, with land animals gliding in and out of view.

Ma-Ti reached up to a low tree branch, and pulled down a bright red fruit that would have passed as an apple if it was smaller. He took a bite out of it, and everyone shivered pleasantly at the crisp crunching sound. They were suddenly aware of their hunger, and they helped themselves, taking what they could carry in their hands only, eating as they walked.

"Any ideas where we are?" Gi asked. "I've been trying to figure it out from the plant and animal life, but it's not easy. I see wolves off that should be up far north, and I see birds that belong in the tropics. Apple Trees, growing naturally, but I saw coconut trees closer to the coast, and I think those are wild berry vines… I really don't know what to make it of it."

The Planeteers came out of the trees into a clearing, and stopped short in awe. The fields were flat and clear, with rolling grasses and wildflowers of every shape and color. Fresh cool dewdrops misted everything, shimmering in the sunlight like perfect diamonds.

This was a land untouched by man. No footprints had ever been left here; no tools had ever been at work. It was a Paradise. A Lost World. A forgotten oasis.

"It's beautiful." Linka said in awe. "It's the garden of Eden!"

Kwame sent Wheeler a quick look, expecting a quip. Wheeler smiled a little to himself, but didn't speak.

Almost afraid to leave tracks of their own, they nevertheless moved in deeper to the island, heading for the mountain. Its stark bare rock seemed completely out of place in such a tropical wonderland.

As they came closer, it felt less like a mountain and more like a wall. They followed it for several minutes, looking for a place to start.

"Kwame." Gi said finally. "I don't know if I'm up for mountain climbing."

She was the first to say it, but they were all thinking it. Wheeler held up a trembling hand and everyone froze. The sound of running water was audible in the distance.

"I'm thirsty." Wheeler offered. "We don't have canteens or water bottles any more."

They followed the sound of the water, and found a natural waterfall, crashing down on the rocks at the base of the mountain. They couldn't quite tell where it came from, but it fell from the mountain, over the rocks, down to a deep still lake, which overflowed into a stream that led back toward the trees. The lake was apparently deep; and off to the side of it were several small pools; natural bowls in the rock, separate from the rest of the lake.

Ma-Ti caught some of the waterfall in his hand and checked. "It's freshwater. It tastes good!"

The Planeteers drank their fill, and collapsed, exhausted again.

Kwame looked across his team. His messy, strung out, battered and bruised friends. "We should clean up. I for one have sand in places I'd rather not talk about, and I'd feel safer back here in the trees and rocks than the ocean."

Gi nodded and knelt down next to the pools. She ran her fingers through the water, and touched it to her lips. "The water is fresh. Looks about four or five feet deep." She gestured to the water falling down the mountainside. "Cold though."

Wheeler lifted his ring, and the water in the pools suddenly started to shimmer, then simmer, then steam.

"Ooh. A natural hot tub." Linka grinned.

Gi sent a quick look at Wheeler.

Silence.

Gi and Linka traded a confused look. Linka set him up again. "Of course, I don't have a bathing suit."

Kwame and Ma-Ti rolled their eyes at Wheeler, who shrugged. "Not to worry. There are plenty of rock pools I can heat up." Wheeler said lightly. "Enough for one each if you like."

Silence. Everyone was looking at Wheeler in confusion.

Slightly worried, Linka started to unzip the jacket she was wearing. "Would... would you like this back while you wait?"

Wheeler shook his head before she could take it off. "Naw, it'll be warm enough. Hold on to it as long as you like."

Linka paled. "…thank you."

"Hey, that's what friends are for." He turned to follow the mountainside. "I'm gonna go heat up more tubs for us."

Gi looked after him. "So. Robot double, evil twin, or mind control?"

Stricken, Linka shook her head. "No. It's still him. Things... are different now."

Everyone looked at Linka in confusion. "Everything all right?"

Linka shook her head and held Wheeler's jacket tightly around her.

The five of them cleaned up in the pools, which ran deep enough that modesty was maintained. At this point though, they weren't overly concerned, just glad to be away from the gurneys they had been strapped to.

"This whole island is a paradox." Gi complained. "Setting aside for a moment the fact that we don't know where we are... These scoops out of the rock are the kind of effect you get after volcanic or geological movement. But the sides are smooth, like when they've been worn down by running water for a very long time. But if it had been worn down by water, why are they still separate? Gaps in the rock this close should have worn into each other, made one big pool. The plants too. The plants are full grown. But none of them belong in the same place as each other. The ground is bare! Foliage this thick should have a solid layer of humus!"

"Humus? Isn't that like a middle eastern dip you put on pita bread or something?" Wheeler quipped.

"That's Hummus. Humus is a layer of vegetation that you find on jungle floors." Ma-Ti explained. "When leaves die, or flowers or fruits drop off trees, they form a natural compost layer. Plants have a life cycle too, and every time they die off, it feeds the next bunch of plants as they sprout. This place doesn't have any of that; the ground is bare."

"Which means what? The plants are new?"

"No." Kwame put in. "I plant trees. You can tell the freshly planted type. The soil is too packed around these trees. They've been growing here for years. Some of these redwoods can keep growing for centuries."

Linka rolled her head back to look up at the huge trees above them. "Well that's funny, because I was just thinking the opposite. I spend every free moment I get in the forest, and I can tell you, they grow and lose bark around the outside all the time. It dries out, gets taken by animals, and sheds off after winter... These trees don't have that. The trunks are all smooth. I hear birds all over the place, but I haven't seen one nest yet..."

"Doesn't make sense." Gi summed up.

After washing themselves and their clothes, they crawled out of the water and into the sun to dry off, and napped again. They awoke a few hours later, and kept walking; looking for a good place to try and get some altitude, and try and figure out what their next move should be,

And then everything changed.

They followed the side of the mountain, until Kwame noticed a familiar gap in the wall. He led the way toward it, and one by one, everybody realized.

There in the mountain, was a Crystal Cave, identical to the one they had found in Australia. The rock walls were blended with crystals and opals, the light shimmering off the shallow still pool in the middle of the floor.

It was an identical copy of the one they had met in. The nostalgia hit them all at once. This was the place where they had first met.

Without a word, the five of them entered the cave and sat down around the pool of water.

"Is it the same one?" Gi asked. "Gaia could teleport us; maybe she could do it to the cave?"

"Maybe she did bring the rig?" Linka suggested. "Who knows how many of these caves there are across the globe?"

You have done well.

Wheeler jumped and squealed in shock as the water shimmered.

Linka chuckled at him with open amusement. Wheeler saw it and pointed. "Hah! Finally made you laugh!"

"And all you had to do was start screaming like a little girl."

Wheeler flushed. "It was a manly throaty wail."

"Five years old, maybe pigtails, little babushka dress..." Linka needled.

Am I interrupting?

Wheeler and Linka both looked down; properly shamed. The others were glaring at them.

As I said, you did well.

"Thank you." Ma-Ti answered the open air.

"What do we do now?" Gi asked.

That is entirely up to you. All intelligent creatures in my domain enjoy the gift of free will. As do I.

"What will you do?" Kwame asked.

The others tensed at the question. The notion that Gaia might take action if she found their efforts lacking was not far from anyone's thoughts.

I will continue to maintain the balance. It is entirely your choice if you are part of that. If you chose to continue, then you have my blessing, my support, and my gratitude.

"Glad to know." Wheeler said. "How about your 'Get Out Of Jail Free Card'?"

Indeed. I have not abandoned you my Young Ones. I have been watching and helped when I could subject to my reach and the Laws of my Domain. In my observations, I have come to know that you will need a place.

"Where?" Kwame asked.

No answer.

BREAKING NEWS:

"We now had updated information regarding the unprecedented events in the Pacific Ocean. When you have to report the news on television, you have to develop a thick skin. Something that lets you keep it together as you tell the world of atrocities and disaster. There are moments, in the career of any reporter, when that thick skin counts for nothing at all. The world has changed. Literally.

"An official Statement from the United States Geological Survey has only raised more questions, and frankly defies logic.

"Amazing at it seems, there is a new continent on the planet. Satellite imaging confirms it. What was originally thought to be an underwater earthquake, so powerful as to be off the charts, has now been declared the formation of a new landmass.

"Halfway between New Zealand and South America, there is now a new land, roughly nine hundred miles in diameter. There's been a great deal of interference, in fact it's been hard to get a look at it.

"Karen, our anchor who reported the atmospheric disturbance, is currently on the USS Saratoga. Karen, can you fill us in on what we missed?"

"Dan, as you know, after getting a look at the... I'm going to say, the arrival of this new land, we were alerted to the fact that all possible landing points were on the other side of it. We didn't have enough fuel to turn back, and the storm was simply too wide for us to get around it."

"Speaking of that Karen, I'll just interject that satellite imaging suggests that the center of the storm was relatively calm, though static interference from the enormous energies released made clear pictures difficult for quite a while. Please continue."

"Well, once we realized we didn't have enough fuel to put down anywhere, we sent out a mayday. The navy responded and picked us up. We've been riding with them ever since. Captain Walker of the Saratoga was not thrilled to have press watching, but we managed to talk him into it. The ship has been at cruising speed since the storm faded. We've set a course for the mystery island. I gotta tell you Dan, the mood here is electric. Everybody knows they're going to be the first people to reach the new land. We're all on the edge of our seats here!"

The Planeteers spent another day exploring the island. It was simply too big for them to get around the whole place on foot. Night came and they studied the stars. Without the internet for star charts or cameras to compare them to, they couldn't match a position, but Gi was certain they were somewhere just south of the equator.

When dawn came again, they climbed the mountain. Nothing but ocean in every direction, though the storms surrounded the island completely, in an unbroken chain. They stayed far enough away that the Planeteers could barely feel a breeze, but the distant sound of thunder and lightning was omnipresent.

The island stretched for many miles. They could barely see the end of it, even from that high up, but there was no smoke, except from the wreckage of the Rig, no sign of any buildings or boats… In fact, there was no sign of anyone at all.

"What if we're the only ones left?" Gi asked numbly. "You all saw that… whatever it was when we tried to stop the rig from killing us all. What if it destroyed everyone? What if we're the only ones left? What if Wheeler was right? What if we were meant to save the world by destroying the ones who were doing the damage?"

Nobody had an answer to that. They returned to the ground, and sat numbly for a while. Still in shock over what had happened.

Wheeler returned to the group and announced that he'd found a large patch of bamboo. Light, strong, infinitely adaptable.

Activity was their defense against anxiety, and they went quickly to work, making a lean-to shelter for themselves at the base of the mountain, not far from the waterfall. Wheeler, Gi and Kwame had put their heads together, and figured out a way to build themselves a shelter with no rope, and no tools. Ma-Ti and Gi, being the lightest of them, were dispatched to collect low branches with plenty of leaves on them, for rooftops.

Wheeler and Gi had spent as much time away from the group while working as they could. Ma-Ti was following Linka around like a puppy; as though he was waiting for a chance. Something was clearly bothering them both, but none of them would tell what.

Linka tried to approach Wheeler once or twice, but he'd always found something important to do, and avoided her; a fact that had not gone unnoticed by the others, who were starting to worry.

The next morning, they left their shelters and returned to the beach. The storms on the horizon had faded, and they could see clearly, though there was nothing in view but endless ocean.

It was starting to get quite worrying.

"This isn't really necessary you know." Gi pointed out. "There are plenty of fruit trees back closer to the beach."

"You were the one that said you couldn't figure out where we were." Wheeler pointed out. "The vegetation doesn't match any single place on earth."

"And I'm saying, bringing in more kinds of fruit isn't going to help us work it out."

"Then head back."

Gi hesitated. "I'll stick with you a little longer." They walked in silence for a while. "Wheeler, can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"It's none of my business, but you and Linka seem to be kind of… strained. Has something happened that I don't know about?"

Wheeler sighed. "You're right Gi." He said quietly. "It's none of your business."

Silence as they worked.

"Gi?" Wheeler asked finally. "What's the story with you and Kwame?"

Gi jerked like she'd been slapped. "What?"

"Well, no offense Gi, but he's hard to read. You are... incredibly not."

"Well, after Alaska, I was... worried. That maybe I was too weak for this grand crusade, and now..." Gi was silent for a long time. "I think I killed Bligh."

Wheeler spun around to look at her. "What?"

"On the Rig. I sealed her and her team in a section of corridor between two watertight doors, and I filled it up with water till she stopped kicking." Gi said, her voice flat.

Wheeler was silent a moment. "Hail, Dorothy! The Wicked Witch is-"

"Wheeler, would you please not..." She was crying silently. "Kwame… was begging me not to go through with it, but… I thought about what she did to you and what she was planning to do to us…" She felt sick. "I've never… hated anyone before Wheeler."

Wheeler set down his load and took her in a gentle hug. "Gi… we've been doing things we've never considered. It's obvious that we're going to be doing a lot of things we've never done. We're playing for the ultimate prize. There are going to be some casualties. Bligh wasn't the first. To say nothing of the fact that she started it."

"Does that make it all right?" Gi asked miserably.

"I've fought all kinds in my life… there are the guys who go along with the gang because they want to fit in, or because they're scared… and there are the guys that go along with gang violence because they like it. Bligh enjoys it. I can tell." He pushed her away enough to look at her face. "Did you enjoy it?"

"No!" Gi said instantly.

"Did you do it because you wanted to protect yourself? Protect us?"

Gi looked up a bit. "Yeah?"

"Was she going to kill you? Kill Kwame and Ma-Ti and me and Linka?

"Probably."

"Would you rather she had?"

"Of course not!"

"Are you still the same Gi that we all know and love and want to cuddle like a big teddy bear made of candy and kittens and sunshine?"

It was so over the top that Gi burst into giggles. "Uh-huh."

"That's my girl."

Gi hugged him tightly. "Thanks." She sighed. "But I don't think Kwame will see it that way."

"Oh I think he will."

"Yeah?"

"I'm from New York, Gi. This is something you're just going to have to trust me on." Wheeler told her. "Give him some credit. Give yourself some credit. We're still the good guys."

"Assuming we didn't exterminate humanity the other day."

"Well… yeah. Except for that." Wheeler drawled.

Ma-Ti was helping Linka collect some firewood. He had been following her around for most of the day.

Finally, Linka forced the issue. "Okay fine. Long silences are usually okay with me, but you obviously want to talk about something."

Ma-Ti laced his fingers together, staring down at his ring. "Wheeler was right. I used it when I needed to, and then I needed to all the time. I lost the ring for a day and I fell apart."

"Your power is different." Linka counseled him. "Always has been. You said so yourself; it was like another sense. How would any of us react if we lost our eyes suddenly?"

Ma-Ti nodded slowly. "You guys were still making plans, trying to figure things out. I was in a ball sobbing. Without the ring, I was nothing. It's been two weeks, and I see being like other people as being... less than normal."

Linka sighed. "Ma-Ti, I'm not very good at this..."

"I can't go to Wheeler. He warned me about this a hundred times..." Ma-Ti sighed. "I didn't listen. Or I did, but it didn't... sink in."

Linka took a deep breath. "Um... okay. I'll give it a shot. Um... when I was a little girl, my grandmother warned me about the oven. She told me that it could get very hot, and that I should stay away from it till I grew up a bit. Of course, being me, that meant I immediately made it my life's mission to get to the stove. She didn't try to stop me, and I burned my hands. My grandmother said that she could have spent an hour trying to convince me, or she could let me learn the hard way. And it worked. I didn't go near that stove for years."

Ma-Ti smiled a little at the story, waiting for the point.

"Wheeler could have spent a year trying to warn you about the dangers, or the bad guys could take the ring off you for a day. It's called learning, Ma-Ti. None of us had rings when Gaia noticed us. She sent the rings before she gave the mission, and they don't work with anyone else. We know that know; we've proven that. We're all new at this, and we're going to screw up, if only at first. It's a learning experience."

"I guess so. But it's a very painful one."

Linka smiled sympathetically. "There ain't no other kind."

Gi and Wheeler came back to the beach with their harvest, and the five of them started to eat lunch. The first job of the morning was to build a huge fire, and a line of smoke rose directly up, with Wheeler to build the flames, and Linka to still the wind up above.

Gi sat next to Kwame, and the two of them had a quiet, private conversation. Linka sent Wheeler a question glance, and he merely nodded and gave her a smile.

After a while, their little conversation broke apart, and Kwame put an arm around her shoulders, giving her a sideways hug. She leaned into him a moment, then squeezed his hand and stood up, heading for the pools, to wash her hands.

When she came back, Gi paused next to Linka, and leaned in quietly. "I fixed my problem. Go take care of yours."

Linka looked at the smaller woman in shock, but Gi just resumed her course toward Kwame without so much as looking back.

"So, I was thinking." Kwame said finally. "We've been here long enough to know we're not dreaming. I have no idea where we are, but we aren't getting anything useful from Gaia at the Crystal Cave. One way or another, I think this is where we're meant to be."

"Our next mission? Or our reward for the first one?" Wheeler asked.

"That's the big question." Kwame agreed. "I think it's time we made a proper exploration of this island."

"This isn't a small place Kwame. Manhattan Island is way smaller than this. For all we know, Atlantis is behind the mountain."

Kwame nodded. "Well, we seem to have the time, and if anyone has any better ideas, let's hear them."

No one did.

"Well then, shall we?"

"You guys go on ahead, I'm going to clean up the scraps, load up the fire a little, and I'll be right behind you." Wheeler said.

Wheeler tossed the peels and cores from their fruit into the flame, threw on more wood than was needed, and turned to check on the others. He was surprised to see that Linka had not gone down the beach with them, but rather had walked off far enough to avoid notice, and then waited for him. "Hey."

"You've been avoiding me." Linka said firmly.

Wheeler didn't answer. It was the truth. Linka waved for him to follow her, and they started walking slowly toward the others, barely in sight down the beach.

"Are we okay?" Linka asked quietly.

Wheeler looked at her in surprise. "Why wouldn't we be?"

"Once we... reunited on the Rig... you haven't made one of your little jokes since. I was worried I might have... offended you somehow."

"You didn't." Wheeler promised her.

"So, what then?" Linka pressed. "You think I'm upset about what you did to Dev-"

"It's not that!" Wheeler was silent a long moment. "I'm no good at this, so I'm going to have trouble making sense, okay?"

"Never bothered me before."

"Most of the jokes I make... at least with you, are about your looks, or about us hooking up, and you always smack me down right away, and I don't mind at all, because I think you know what I mean by it... and that's fine so long as it's all fun and games. But after... Look, Devorux hauled you out of the cells and kept you locked in his bedroom, and there's no prize for guessing why he picked you instead of me..."

Linka spun around and looked him in the eye. "Nothing happened." She told him intensely. "I promise. Nothing."

"I believe you." Wheeler said honestly. "But... When I blew the door off and came running in, the first thing I saw was you beaten up, your clothes half torn off... I wasn't sure if my little quips were crossing a line suddenly. If maybe it wasn't... If it made you feel... if I made you feel the way he did, then suddenly it wasn't fun and games any more."

Linka just stared at him, then leaned in close and gave him a warm gentle kiss on the cheek that made Wheeler melt inside. She broke the kiss gently and pulled back a bit. "I really don't know what to make of you sometimes, but you can be very sweet." She said softly. "Listen to me. You are not Devorux. You do not, in any way, make me feel like he did. And when I think of that place, that mission, what I remember as the scariest moment was before we were captured, when you got shot in the back about a thousand times."

Wheeler smiled back. "When I think of that mission, the strongest memory is you holding my face."

Linka took his face between her hands again, like she did on the Rig. "Like this?"

"Yeah."

"Wheeler... I saw the look on your face when you saw me... I was worried that maybe you thought I was... I don't know; damaged goods or something. I've seen it before. Something bad happens to someone, and everybody starts treating them like they're made of glass; or worse, avoiding them altogether. And you... Your jokes stopped, your stupid smile stopped. You haven't once called me 'babe' since the Rig."

"You're not telling me you miss it?"

"It feels like I miss you, but you haven't gone anywhere!"

Wheeler pushed her hands away, and took her in a tight hug. "I never will."

She hugged him back. There was a time, She thought to herself, When this little display of emotion would have sent me running. A lot of things happen in two weeks.

Linka pushed back enough to look at him properly. "Hey, you know something? You actually managed to be sincere with me for a few minutes."

"Relish the moment." Wheeler said. "It doesn't happen often. And the next time you try a 007 Joke, there's a little skit based on 'From Russia With Love' I'd like to show you."

"I'll pencil it in." She smirked. "Come on. The others will start gossiping."

"Behind you every step of the way, babe." Wheeler followed.

Linka grinned where he couldn't see. "Eyes a little higher, Yankee."

"Oh, by the way…" Wheeler said, with a little gleam in his eye…

At the other end of the beach, Kwame and Gi were trying not to stare at them.

"Think they'll sort it out?" Gi asked.

Kwame shrugged. Down the beach, they watched as Wheeler leaned in close to Linka and whispered something in her ear.

A moment later Linka pushed him away violently and let out a frustrated angry scream.

Seconds later, Wheeler was rushing past them, as fast as he could move, apparently running for his life, with a demented grin on his face. "Linka and I are friends again!" He called cheerfully to his team-mates without slowing down.

An instant later, Linka was right behind him, in hot pursuit. "You're a dead man Wheeler! Hold still for just a second so I can kill you!"

Gi, Ma-Ti and Kwame smiled brightly at each other. "It's good to have everything back to normal again, isn't it?"

"Assuming we didn't exterminate humanity the other day."

"Well yeah, except for that."

BREAKING NEWS:

We have further detail regarding the situation in the Mid Atlantic. This new video from an unnamed source in the Navy is brought to you exclusively by KBX Broadcasting. It depicts the new continent, as the Carrier approached. While every aspect of this story seems to defy logic and belief, I swear to god... the island isn't a rock. It's a paradise!

"...bringing you the latest updates on the current situation. The early reports have been confirmed. Once more, for those just joining us now:

The USGS announced that there seems to be a new continent on the planet. Early reports were considered to be a hoax, or a prank; but satellites in the area have confirmed the reports. There is a new land mass. It is not a lost world or an undiscovered land. The area of ocean in question has been well charted. It is confirmed; that the new land was not there yesterday.

First estimates say it has a surface area of roughly one and a half thousand hundred square miles, and geologists have confirmed that it is solid. There was no volcanic activity; it is not a floating mass of sand and rock. Experts are without answers. To quote the head of The Corporation's Oceanic division: It just rose from the sea bed; straight out of the water."

Regardless of where it came from; this small new land now exists; and is sizable enough to be visible from space. This is an unprecedented event in the history of recorded human civilization. The World Map will actually have to be redrawn.

Tsunami and flooding warnings were issued across the world, particularly to island states, and were found to be unnecessary. Naval personnel studied the island's undersea geography, and found that around the underwater support was drawn a deep abyssal trench, preventing the risk of flooding to other areas from displaced water.

A nearby Naval unit reported massive atmospheric distortion; causing rough seas and high winds; with lightning strikes and undersea tremors. The Carrier group quickly moved out of range of what was thought to be a volcanic eruption; and returned to their patrol route. When alerted to the new land mass, the carrier group reversed course to investigate. They are expected to reach the area in the next six hours. We now take you to the Naval Command Center, with our unsinkable anchor, Karen Gillys. Karen, can you hear me?"

"Yes Dan, I can hear you. The mood here is intense. It's been a long time since the US Navy has run into something so unprecedented. Nobody knows what to expect, so tensions are running high. Thanks to satellite imaging, the nearest carrier knows where it's going. We're being told that the Press will have limited access for the time being, but we are being given access to the Command Observation room. The Carrier's bridge has of course, a constant audio/visual uplink to the Command Center, and we will be allowed to see it. The carrier will arrive in a few hours, and we'll have it here live. Back to you Dan."

Ma-Ti pointed at the horizon suddenly. "Look!"

The others followed his finger and saw a dot on the horizon. A few moments passed, and with a roar of turbines, a pair of fighter jets passed overhead.

"Oh good, other people." Gi said blandly.

"Those are Navy planes!" Wheeler shouted. "They're doing a recon run!"

"Followed by an attack run?" Linka asked darkly, raising her ring to the sky in preparation.

The planes banked, flew around quickly in a circle, and then headed back out to sea.

"What are we going to do?" Gi asked. "We'll have company soon. What do we tell them?"

Kwame was silent a moment. "Everything."

"Everything?" Wheeler repeated. "We tell them everything; we'll probably be thrown in jail! All the stuff the bad guys did, we can't prove!"

Kwame waved at the wreckage behind them. "And all the stuff we did that might be illegal, they can't prove."

An hour passed, and more recon flights. This time helicopters. Two of them. The smaller one, bristling with weapons, took the lead. It circled the beach, and the five of them, for several minutes. Once it had taken in a good bit of footage of them, it turned and flew across the rest of the island.

The Planeteers didn't scatter, did not run… they just waited.

Ma-Ti assured them that these people were not there specifically for violence, merely to investigate, and the second helicopter landed on the beach.

Men in military uniforms jumped out, and took positions, heavy machine guns drawn, and started moving in on the Planeteers.

Wheeler bunched his fists. If this turned into a fight, he was the closest thing to a close-quarters weapon they had.

And then the head of the squad stepped forward, leading with his rifle, and Wheeler's arms went slack. The fire Planeteer's mouth worked in shock. "Dad!"

Everyone jumped and spun to look, Planeteer and soldier alike. The man in the Colonel's uniform was almost Wheeler's twin, save for a few scars and about twenty years age difference.

The two of them stared numbly at each other for several seconds, frozen in place.

Ma-Ti's ring shone brightly, and each soldier stepped back, holding their weapons up defensively, suddenly much calmer about the situation.

"W-What are you doing here?" Wheeler demanded.

"What am I doing here?"

"When did you transfer to the Navy?"

"I didn't. I was hitching a ride with them. I was on my way home when the ship got diverted."

"You were headed back for New York?"

"Of course I was! You scared the hell out of me! I try your cell phone four times and get no answer, I call JJ, and he tells me you've wandered off with some blonde he's never met named Linka and a bunch of her friends!"

"I know who I left with Dad, you're looking at them. Oh! I should introduce you!" Wheeler said suddenly, turning toward Linka, who suddenly felt shy.

"Stand down James!" His father snapped before introductions could be made. "Explain this. Now! What the hell is going on?"

"Well… that might take a while."

His father held up a hand and put a hand to his ear, listening to something. "I have orders to bring you in for the first, of what will be many… oh so very many, questions." The Colonel said. "I was told that if I had to, I could do it the hard way."

"Due respect dad, but if you and your guys decided to do this the hard way, you would lose."

Wheeler's father looked at his son, then back at the island, then back at the five of them. "I have no trouble at all believing that." He lowered his weapon. "James, I have no idea what's going on here, and neither does anyone else. Everyone's demanding answers, and that's landed you in the middle of it. Please come back with me, and let us straighten this out."

Wheeler sent a look at Kwame, who nodded. The Planeteers stepped forward, being led by the guards.

"I don't believe the guns will be necessary gentlemen." The Colonel said calmly, and the soldiers lowered their rifles.

Wheeler grinned. "Bet ya didn't expect to find me here huh?"

"No indeed." His father admitted. "How in the name of whatever did you even get here?"

"Can we ask you something first?" Gi piped up.

"Sure."

"Where exactly is 'here'?"

AN: What? You thought we were done? We're not even close.

This chapter gets released ahead of schedule in honor of Earth Day 2011.

The first Earth Day was in 1970, and it had 20 million participants. That number has been going up every year, now being observed in 170 countries around the world. Whole countries are pledging, cleanups, the plantation of millions of trees, as well as the 'Billion Acts of Green Campaign'.

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