SPACE: 1999 YEAR 2

JOURNEY BEHIND CLOSED DOORS

SECTION TWELVE: Revelations And Surprises

Tony paced back and forth down the dimly lit corridor, his footsteps echoing softly against the walls. His movements were restless, his hands clenching and unclenching at his sides. Every few seconds, he glanced at the closed door of Koenig's quarters, his brow furrowed with worry.

Dinner with John and Helena had gone well enough. Maya had been full of questions, her curiosity evident as she inquired about Alpha, the people, and their journey through space so far. The conversation had flowed smoothly, and in addition to her evident interest, Tony had also noticed moments where she seemed to genuinely enjoy herself, a slight smile tugging at her lips.

It was very apparent that she was already forming a bond with Doctor Russell and that made Tony feel more comfortable. Maya would need to have a good female friend, and that foundation appeared already in place with Helena. Maya had been slightly quieter with the Commander, at first, but Tony suspected that had more to do with John's rank than Koenig's actual personality. It was clear that Maya wanted to stay within boundaries with authority figures, she just didn't know what Alpha's boundaries were yet.

As for himself, Maya hadn't been rude, but she had seemed rather cool. All the way through dinner Tony kept expecting her to say something regarding him stepping way out of line with her, but she never did. But then, as the evening had wound down, she'd asked him to wait for a few moments while she spoke privately to Helena and the Commander.

Her serious expression had set off alarm bells in his mind, leaving him to speculate on what she might be discussing with them. His heart was actually pounding in his chest, and he heard himself muttering under his breath, "I hope to God she doesn't tell them that I stepped way out of line with that damn kiss."

The door finally slid open, and Tony halted in his tracks, his breath catching as Maya, Helena, and John emerged. He tried to read their expressions, searching for any sign of what had transpired privately between them.

"Remember, anytime tomorrow. Just let me know when you're ready," Helena said, giving Maya a quick, reassuring hug.

Maya nodded, her gaze briefly meeting Helena's before shifting to the Commander. "I will."

She then turned to John, offering him a genuinely polite smile. "Thank you for a very nice meal."

John returned the smile, his arm casually wrapping around Helena's waist. "The pleasure was ours."

Tony stepped forward, his voice cautious, his eyes scanning Maya's face for any hint of her mood. "Are you ready to go?"

Maya nodded, her expression calm but distant. "Yes, please."

Tony forced a smile, trying to mask his lingering anxiety. "Well, see you in the morning, Commander. Goodnight, Helena."

"Goodnight, Tony. Goodnight, Maya," Helena replied warmly, watching as the two of them began to walk away.

As they moved down the corridor, it was clear to Helena that Tony wanted to stay close to Maya, his steps almost instinctively drawing him nearer to her. But she could also see how deliberately he was keeping a small, measured distance between them, his posture tense, as if holding himself back. Every step seemed calculated, the usual ease in his stride replaced by something more restrained. The subtle shift in his demeanor sent a vivid signal that something had changed between them, something that left Helena frowning with concern.

Helena's thoughts swirled with worry, doubt creeping in as she watched them go. She shook her head slightly, trying to find a reason for the shift she had witnessed. She watched them disappear around the bend in the corridor, her chest tightening with an uneasy weight. She had been so certain there was something gentle forming between them. At least a quiet understanding, if not more. But now…maybe she'd misread it.

Maybe Maya was retreating, and Tony didn't even know it. Maybe the two of them wouldn't even end up as friends by the time Maya worked through the earliest and hardest parts of her grief.

John noticed the troubled look on her face and gently interrupted her thoughts. "Hey," he said quietly, his voice pulling her back to the present. "Why the concerned look," he asked with concern.

Helena turned to face him, without her lovely smile that he had grown to love. Her face was a mixture of symptoms she hadn't yet diagnosed. "I'm not sure yet, John. I'm just not sure."

She took his hand in hers. "Let's go inside. It's now very obvious we have a lot to talk about tonight."

And with that, Helena walked back inside John's quarters.

As they moved down the corridor, Tony couldn't shake his unease. Maya was very quiet – too quiet. Her gaze was fixed downward, her eyes tracing the floor as though the floor interested her more than where she was going.

The silence between them stretched, thick and oppressive, and Tony found himself glancing at her more than he should. He knew better than to press, but the longer her silence lingered, the more his thoughts spiraled. Was she angry with him about the kiss? Had she told the Commander and Russell about it?

As they neared her quarters, Tony noticed the subtle shift in her posture. She took a breath and squared her shoulders, a determined but fragile attempt to reclaim some sense of composure. He could see the effort it took, and his chest tightened at the realization of how much she must be struggling.

When they finally stopped in front of her door, he hesitated before speaking, his voice softer than usual. "You going to be okay tonight?" The question was simple, but the concern behind it was unmistakable.

Maya looked up at him then, her eyes wide and conflicted. She clasped her hands together, holding them in front of her as though the gesture might anchor her in some way. For a moment, she didn't speak, and Tony felt his heart thudding harder in his chest.

"Tony," she said at last, her voice barely above a whisper, "can I talk to you for a few moments?"

There was an unmistakable vulnerability in her tone.

"Sure," he replied, doing his best to sound calm. "You want to go inside?"

She didn't answer right away. Instead, she hesitated, her hand hovering near the panel before finally pressing it. It opened with a quiet hiss, and she stepped aside, extending her arm in a tentative invitation.

"Ladies first," he told her. Well, he figured it couldn't hurt to use a little charm. He had the sinking feeling that she had said something about his earlier, indiscreet behavior to Helena and John and now she was going to give him hell for it.

Instead, Maya walked away from him, starting to pace in small circles between the desk that had been set up for her and the still empty space leading to the far wall.

He left her pace for a few moments before finally walking over to her and placing his hand very lightly on her arm.

"Maya," he said when she finally stopped. "Whatever it is, you can tell me."

With determination, she pressed her lips together firmly, closed her eyes and for just a few seconds Tony wondered if she was actually praying for extra strength.

Maya raised her face, her eyes shimmering with uncertainty as they locked on Tony. Her hands twisted together nervously in front of her, the motion almost frantic. "There is something that I need to tell you, Tony, and I don't know how to do it," she said, her voice tight with emotion.

Tony tilted his head slightly, his brows knitting together. "Well, there's an old Earth saying – just lay it on the line. I'm listening."

Maya blinked, her expression shifting to confusion as she slowly repeated the phrase, as if testing its meaning. "Just lay it on the line?"

A soft chuckle escaped Tony, though his smile was tinged with worry. "It means just go ahead, say whatever it is."

Maya looked upward as though searching the ceiling for strength. Her hands fluttered anxiously before settling at her sides, trembling.

"I know what being the Chief of Security means for Alpha," she began, her voice shaking slightly.

"And I know that while you really were being kind, you were also doing your duty. I know it cannot have been easy to have the daughter of…of a monster suddenly showing up on your moon, especially when you know absolutely nothing about her."

Her words struck a nerve.

He hadn't meant to react like that. But hearing her call herself the daughter of a monster stirred something deep. Anger toward Mentor, for sure. But also guilt because even if he'd never treated her like she was dangerous, a part of him had wondered. He'd been wary, he had been doing his due diligence to ensure the safety of Alpha.

Now, all he could hear was the pain in her voice, the weight of what she thought she was. The truth of how others might perceive her without even allowing her a chance.

And it gutted him.

Tony's spine straightened and his jaw tightened as instinct flared within him. His impulse was to argue, to deny, to throw up a wall of that's not what this is…

But then he saw her face. And he swallowed it down.

"Maya," he started, but she quickly cut him off, lifting a trembling hand as she shook her head, her expression resolute.

"Please, let me speak," she implored, her voice cracking.

Tony exhaled sharply, nodding. "Okay," he said, his voice gentle, though his stomach churned. There was a gravity to her tone that unsettled him. It wasn't just serious; it was almost desperate.

Maya took a step back, her body visibly tense as she started to pace, her arms crossing over her chest in a protective gesture. "There's something about me that you, out of everyone on Alpha, have the most need to know about."

Tony raised an eyebrow. At this point, she really was confusing him. As Chief of Security, it was certainly true that he had to be aware of a lot of things. Maya obviously already had a good understanding of his position. Her words were cryptic, weighted. Had he overlooked something crucial? Was his judgement about her in error? Worse still, had he missed something vitally important because, like the man he was, his eyes had been focused on too many of the wrong things instead of doing his job competently?

Maya stopped pacing and turned back to face him, her expression torn between fear and determination. "Some Psychons, throughout the ages, were able to master a certain art." Her voice wavered as she spoke. "My father realized that I..." She faltered, closing her eyes tightly as though she needed to mentally will herself to continue.

When her eyes reopened, tears escaped, slipping silently down her cheeks. "I mastered that art," she said, her tone bitter, as if the words themselves were venom.

Tony stiffened. Her anger, though not directed at him, crackled in the air like static. He watched her carefully, his heart pounding in his chest.

"And yes, Tony," Maya continued, her voice dropping into a low, almost eerily calm register, "if I choose to, I could be dangerous."

Maya didn't blink. Her eyes shimmered, unflinching, as if daring him to doubt her.

"Ver dangerous," she whispered so softly he barely caught her words.

The silence between them stretched thin and sharp, like the edge of a blade suspended in mid-air.

Tony swallowed hard. The room felt colder now. Smaller.

For a moment, he simply stared at her, struggling to process her words. This slender, pretty young woman - dangerous? It was inconceivable, and yet her eyes told him she wasn't exaggerating. Suddenly he felt as though they had been catapulted through yet another space warp and had ended up in a universe where two plus two would most definitely never equal four.

He suddenly wasn't sure if he was more afraid of her... or for her.

Finally, he found his voice. "What are you trying to say, Maya?"

She pressed her hands tightly together, her knuckles turning white, and spoke with quiet resolve, her Psychon accent more pronounced.

"When the Commander first met me, he saw a lion. He did not see me."

Tony blinked in confusion, his mind struggling to make sense of her words. "What do you mean he saw a lion and not you?"

Maya's lips trembled as she whispered, "I was the lion, Tony."

He shook his head, a nervous laugh bubbling up. "Oh, come on, Maya, that's not funny."

"Go ahead, ask him," she replied, her voice quivering. Tears streamed freely now, her body beginning to shake. "He also saw a bird," she said, her voice rising with her distress. "And then a dog and an ape, and they were all me!" Her words rushed out in a panicked torrent, her composure shattering before his eyes.

Quickly, she drew in a sharp breath. She was trying to stand still, remain upright. Tony watched as she dropped her hands to her side, her slender fingers trembling as she tried to unclench her fists.

And for a moment, it looked like she was going to pull herself together, like she needed just a few more deep breaths before she would regain some sense of emotional control.

But it didn't last.

Her knees wobbled once, subtly. It was just enough for Tony to notice. She tried to adjust, stepped a little as if bracing herself.

Before Tony could react, Maya's knees buckled, her legs giving out beneath her. Whatever reserve of strength she'd clung to had drained completely, leaving her utterly spent.

Tony caught her just as she collapsed, his arms steadying her against his chest as she trembled. "Maya!" he said, his voice thick with concern. Her vulnerability hit him with an intensity he hadn't expected. Any confusion or disbelief he'd felt moments ago was replaced by a desperate need to comfort her.