Chapter 41- Past and Present Collide

Kyra looked around at the strange bunch in the café. It was ironic really, old friends and old enemies alike all stuffed into one tiny room. She let her eyes search the faces of her old friends, Ram, Jay, Ved, and Tai-San. They were people she had once considered family. They appeared the same, but she could tell they had changed; she and Dragon included.

Ram seemed at ease clutching a little girl, his arm around a purple headed woman. Never in a million years would she have pictured that portrait. Ram hated kids and germs and everything except technology.

Then there was Tai-San who was on edge. She had never seen the woman so troubled. And Jay, the general with the charming smile was anything, but. He looked sad, his eyes holding an empty gaze.

There was Ved who most seemed like himself, but there was something different there. He stood taller and had a lean athletic build. His hair still had that bed head appearance, but it was tame and he was growing facial hair. But like Jay, he had lost that hard set face. He was definitely different.

And as she stared into the face of her twin brother, who seemed determined given the circumstances, she saw he no longer looked like the angry man he'd been for so long. Instead he looked as they did when they were kids; happy.

"I know we're all surprised here," she broke the silence, "but I'm sure Éowyn and Kai have told you the danger we're all in. Not only from a deadly woman but the deadly disease she's carrying."

"What deadly disease?" a woman with Zulu knots in her hair asked. She was holding a child who was smiling up at Kyra. It was a very familiar smile.

Kyra inhaled slowly, hesitant to say what she knew she needed to tell these people. She parted her lips and opened her mouth to speak but then she froze as her eyes locked with another pair of eyes. They were like the little boy's only they belonged to a man. And then her blood began to pump faster and her stomach began to do somersaults.

"She's talking about the virus," someone answered for her. It sounded like Josh's voice, but she couldn't be sure, and right now she couldn't care. She was staring into the face of her prince charming.

~0~

Salene watched the exchange between Bray and the woman she now knew must be Kyra. She knew because Bray had once taken her breath away like that. He still had the power to do so.

As she was backing out of the café unable to watch any further she bumped into May.

May shook her head, "I can't believe you're really giving it all up."

"Just look at them May, she loves him. Besides his past just collided with his present!"

"You really think Danni will be a problem?"

"I don't know, but I won't be. I can't."

"You fought for Pride when I was in the way."

Salene knew May hadn't meant it spiteful, but she still felt bad about breaking those two up even if Pride hadn't been in love with the woman.

"Sal, I didn't mean…" the other woman was apologizing.

She interrupted,"It's okay May, I know. But I don't want things to be in ruins again."

"I'm lucky you even forgave me."

They were silent for a few moments. Each of them was thinking about the events that led to Pride's horrible death.

"He and I are friends. If that and this baby are all I can have of him, well I am fine with that," Salene spoke after awhile. They were walking aimlessly toward the hotel.

May actually smiled at her friend then as they disappeared into the hotel away from all the worry and stress of the newcomers.

~0~

Josh knew the man before him was his brother. But he didn't feel anything towards him; not love, not hatred. He felt just as he did when he was in that coma enveloped in darkness; blank. He didn't know how to feel or react.

"We thought you were dead…if only I had thought to check for a pulse…" his brother was rambling, "I'm sorry Josh, I am so sorry! You must hate me?"

"I don't hate you Slade. I told you to leave. If you had stayed we probably would both be dead right now. Besides I thought I had died too."

"How did you get out of there?"

"Kyra. She had come to assess the damage I had caused when she heard something. I don't understand why she didn't leave me for dead."

"Josh how can you even say that?" Danni scolded him, "What did we discuss?" Her voice was angrier than usual.

"I'm sorry Danni, I just…look at all these people. Their lives are half ruined because of my hatred."

"It was partly Ram's fault too. And if anything Josh, you brought us all closer together. I mean if it weren't you I wouldn't have a son."

"You have a son?" Josh questioned, half intrigued, half horrified.

Slade smirked, "Do you remember Ebony?"

Josh thought about it, "Ram's wife?"

"Ex-wife."

Where Josh couldn't react Danni surely could, "Ebony has a kid? Are you sure we're talking about the same woman? What power do you hold over the tribe?"

"There's a lot to her than meets the eye," Slade laughed.

"No, seriously?" Danni asked.

Slade's laughter increased before he turned back to his brother, serious now, "It's not too late to turn this all around."

"You're right, but the damage has been done. I can only hope we can get into Tai-San's mind to get the formula."

"I have faith in you," Slade said.

Danni while agitated and half paying attention looked up at Josh then, "Me too."

Josh felt a little better then, "I am glad I have both of you on my side because I need help taking care of Lani. Locking her up will do no good. She has to die."

~0~

"Your stupid brother," tipped them off, Lani heard Niko snap at Skipper from the deck. "There'll all in that café discussing us, and I saw Éowyn through a window."

Her condition was worsening, like Charis'. If Geo had foiled their original plan that meant they had to move on to plan B.

She slowly climbed the creaky stairs to the deck, "If it won't be handed to us, we'll have to take it by force," she spoke.

"You're just making yourself weaker!" Niko rushed to her aid, "You should be resting."

Skipper took a look at Lani, and imagined his wife. She was locked in a containment chamber in the city with others, waiting on him to save her. He owed this to her. If it weren't for him she wouldn't even be sick, he thought back to the events that led to where he was standing today.

His wife, Shadow, was working on Paradise systems for Ram. He watched her quietly from the doorway before entering the room.

"All work and no play makes Shadow a dull girl," he massaged her shoulders at the computer desk. It was late and she was the only one left working.

She swiveled around in her chair to face him, her brown eyes peering into his own, a smile playing on her lips, "Well I'd be done if someone hadn't insisted on breakfast in bed."

He smirked, "I hardly ever get to see you," he pulled her up out the chair and into an embrace. He nuzzled his nose into her naturally red tresses. It smelled of the sweet-smelling shampoo they had gotten from the farmers.

She stood on her tip toes to give him a kiss, before pulling away,"I know you don't think much of him, but maybe Jay has the right idea. What are we doing here Skip?"

"What do you mean what are we doing here?"

"With the Technos. Ram has lost his way. You know it and I know it. This damn paradise program is ridiculous. Didn't you think that Paradise wedding was a big joke?"

He had to agree with her, but he was uncertain of where the conversation was going. "You don't want to be a Techno anymore?"

"Not like this, long nights working on a stupid program. I would rather spend them cuddled in your arms. What are we even working towards? Sure we restored the power, restored the plumbing, yeah, but the city is still divided. When we came we only made things worse. We've deleted so many people…either figuratively or literally…" her voice grew soft.

He hated to see her upset, "We can't just drop everything and run off Red," he said using his pet name for her.

"Don't think of it as running away, think of it as retiring or transferring jobs. I mean really, if Mega takes out Ram, who'll replace him? Mega. We don't have a future in this tribe."

"And what do you suppose we do? Become virts, join the Mall Rats? Become humanitarians? We're a part of the strongest tribe which insures our survival in this world Red, you really want to leave it all behind? That's ridiculous!"

"Geo doesn't think it's ridiculous."

"Oh so you've been talking to my brother about this?"

"He's family," she shrugged.

He sighed heavily, pacing. She sat back down in her chair watching him, her eyes pleading with him to see the good in such a decision.

"You had to bring this up now? You know I ship out in the morning!" he stopped in front of her.

"As good a time as any, don't you think?"

They had argued and debated some more before he finally gave up trying to reason with her; or her with him. They went to bed angry with one another and in the morning when he and Geo and the rest of their group had shipped out she refused to go to the docks to see them off.

He saw her again just after Mega's takeover when he promised her after this last trip they would quit the Technos and make a new life for themselves. She had been ecstatic. He shipped out again and then Mega's genius plan blew up in his face.

Until nearly a year ago he thought Shadow had died. But Kyra sent a special team to see if a clean-up could be done. They reported back with news that three Techno software operatives had survived. Shadow was among them, locked away in the contamination container.

He sent her a letter back with the team promising her they would find the cure. Lucky for him, Kyra was on a manhunt and lead him right to it. And it was a good thing, because judging by Lani's condition, he would need the antidote too.

He turned his attention back to Niko and Lani, "Whatever it takes, we're getting that formula. Just leave Geo out of it."

"Splendid," Lani said, "boys it's time for Plan B."

"Which is?" Niko inquired.

She had a wild look in her eyes that unsettled Skipper. He would have to be sure and watch his back.

"They don't call me Viper for nothing. Just follow my lead." she smirked. "First things first, take this boat one island over. It's time we talked to the Cliffs."

~0~

"Don't look so happy to see me!" Kyra smacked Bray on the arm after receiving a stiff hug. As soon as everyone began clearing out the tiny café she had practically skipped to where he stood, and this was his welcome?

"I am glad to see you," he said, but he was gazing across the room at an angry Danni.

"Oh, I see," she said, "there's a lot of baggage in this room."

"What do you mean?" he knitted his brows together.

"Oh c'mon Bray. There's the mother of your child, your child, your ex-girlfriend, and me."

He consciously looked around for Salene though he knew Kyra was talking about Amber and Bray jr.

"Yeah I guess you're right."

"So are you two friendly?" she asked after an awkward silence.

"We're friends. But we moved on after I told her I was in love with you. I think she thought I made you up to get out of the relationship, but she's with someone so it all worked out."

Kyra laughed, "My brother thought I was crazy when I told him your name."

"Why?"

"Because of your relation to Zoot. So you'd better not break my heart," she said jokingly.

Bray winced internally, but smiled outwardly, "Noted."

"I looked for you Bray," she said seriously, "I knew you and Tai-San were 'family', I knew she'd look after you. I hadn't counted on her breaking you free so soon."

"I'm not mad at you for shipping me out," he took her hands in his, "I just wasn't sure if I'd ever see you again afterwards. This is a tough world. But you're here now."

"Thanks to crisis. If Josh can really help Tai-San remember the formula locked away in her brain, then we can start cleaning up part of the mess the Techno's made."

"Is Mega…safe?"

Kyra looked over at Josh. He was clinging to Danni's hand like a child as Ram, Tai-San, and a man she presumed was Lex questioned him.

"Josh has been through a lot," she used the man's actual name. "He lost his memory and lower body mobility just trying to stop Ram's computerized Zoot from unleashing the virus. But everything is coming back to him and he feels just as at fault as any of us Technos. He doesn't think he's forgivable, but he's just as determined as any of us to turn things around."