Deception Part Two

Disclaimer - Gene Roddenberry's Earth: Final Conflict is copyright Tribune Entertainment Co. No infringment on any rights is intended. If you want the story gone, it shall be done.

Posting to archives is fine as long as you notify me and my name stays with the story.

Spoilers up to Wrath of Achilles, you have been warned.

Author's Rating: G

Summary: Zo'or tampers with the home ship in hopes of blaming the Resistance so the Synod will enslave humanity.

BTW, Ja'el and La'sha are my creations, you must ask before you use them. And give me a copy of the finished writing. :) Jennifer Ramsey is the creation of Cache, if you want to use her, e-mail her and ask.

Special thanks to Cache for graciously editing my story. THANK YOU!! :)

Boone burst into Resistance Headquarters. Everyone looked up at him, but he didn’t care. "Where’s Doors?" he shouted out.

"Right here." Doors seemed to magically appear behind the infuriated implant.

Boone spun around, "What makes you think you have the right to go ahead and tamper with the Taelon Mother Ship without consulting any of us?"

"I have no idea what you are talking about." The Resistance Leader spoke gruffly, his eyes challenging Boone to try something, anything.

"Wait a minute," Lili broke into their conversation, "What exactly are you saying? Is the Mother Ship in danger?"

"If you call having to evacuate all the Taelons aboard to the moon base danger." Boone said, turning to Lili. His response drew several gasps from the Resistance operatives around them. "So, once again, I ask you," Boone turned back to Doors, "Did you do it?"

Doors stared right into Boone’s eyes, "As much as I would like to take credit for having sent the Taelons on the run, I didn’t do it."

Lili spoke the question on all their minds, "If you didn’t do it, then who did?"

Sandoval looked at Zo’or. He seemed to be in a remarkably good mood, despite the danger to his fellow Taelons on the Mother Ship. The Asian implant wished with all his heart to be at Da’an’s side, but until Zo’or received an implant of his own; he was to remain in service to him.

Zo’or leaned back in his chair, and gave a satisfied smirk to Sandoval. The human was a valuable asset in his quest to discredit Da’an. He had decided long ago that he would take his time in finding his own implant.

He suddenly switched his train of thought to his deception of the Synod. Smiling inwardly, he thought of how the fools bought his sympathy act to the present danger. It really was dangerous, but he had no doubt that La’sha would clean it all up. Or, he thought with glee, maybe he won’t, and the Mother Ship would cease to operate, causing Da’an, and Boone, to be trapped! Oh, that would be wonderful. All my adversaries brought out of action with one movement. Although it would kill La’sha as well, that was of little consequence. Sacrifices must be made.

Zo’or smiled coldly, and Sandoval shivered.

La’sha waved another command on the data stream. The computer let out a frustrated whine and wouldn’t obey his orders. The Taelon tiredly put his face in his hands and sighed. That was the twentieth command the computer had refused from him. He was running out of options. Suddenly, he was aware of a mind reaching out to him . . .

Boone saw the Taelon spin around to face Da’an and himself. Da’an gave the ‘Taelon Salute’, which the unknown Taelon returned. Da’an turned to Boone, "Commander, allow me to introduce La’sha, head of Taelon Engineering." Boone gave the ‘Taelon Salute’. La’sha seemed a little surprised, and frightened, however, he returned the gesture also.

With frequent glances at Boone, La’sha said, "We must depart to the main computers. It is where we can access the problem best." La’sha motioned for them to follow, and turned out of the room.

Da’an and La’sha were silent, but Boone had no doubt that they were communicating by thought. Boone took this moment of silence to assess the new Taelon. La’sha seemed very intelligent, despite his shy demeanor. He reminded him of Ne’eg in a way . . .

Da’an asked La’sha through his thoughts.

"Boone, we are here." Da’an brought Boone out of his thoughts. Boone looked up to see a larger version of the core in the Embassy, where Sandoval and he had tried to stop the virus. The huge structure glared down, challenging him to conquer it. Boone let out a small sigh; this was going to be a little difficult.

"Jonathan, all I’m saying is that if we could find out who, or what, did this, we might be able to enlist its help, which would definitely be a valuable asset in exposing the Taelons to the public." Lili was getting very tired of explaining herself to Doors. She felt like it was an interrogation.

"You cannot allow your attachment to Boone cloud your mind. Or your attachment to Da’an, for that matter."

"Doors, what are you talking about?" Lili spoke boldly, but a tremor of fear slid through her. Did he know about the ‘sharing’ that happened between her and Da’an?

"I’ve noticed how you’ve been defending the Companions a lot more lately. You’re beginning to sound like Boone." Doors glared at her. He couldn’t afford to have two Da’an lovers in his movement. He was hoping that his accusation would make her see his side of things.

"Doors, I’m not defending the Companions. You know as well as I do that I want to find out why they’re here." Thank Heaven he didn’t know about Da’an. She didn’t even know what happened, and she didn’t want anyone else to know until she figured it out for herself.

Augur, who was sitting near by, sensed an even bigger fight to break out, so he turned to them, "Hey, Doors, I agree with Lili. If we can find out what happened, maybe we can use that to our advantage." Several other Resistance members, who were encouraged by Augur, voiced their supporting opinions as well.

Doors felt like they were all ganging up on them. He was supposed to be the leader, the commander. After all, it was him that funded all of this, it was him who made all of this possible. However, with the growing acquiesce, he was forced to concede. "All right, I’ll let you do it. But," he gave a warning, "if you guys screw up, you know what’s going to happen." Doors drew a finger swiftly across his throat.

Lili shuddered. She knew all to well what would happen.

Ja’el let out a small sigh of exasperation at the Synod members gathered in his Embassy. Zo’or was talking to the Synod, suggesting that they disable the home ship entirely before the contamination spread to other systems; Synod members were actually starting to agree! It was time to interrupt, no matter how many he might irritate. "I disagree."

Zo’or turned around and faced Ja’el. "We all know of your attachment to Da’an, however, we cannot allow that to cloud your judgment, now can we?" He was smiling sweetly.

"Zo’or, it is your judgment that is clouded. If we disable the home ship, it will not only destroy our compatriots, but also cut off our main power to the moon base. Of course, I know that you are not particularly fond of the ones aboard, but we cannot allow your disfavor to confuse the Synod’s judgment either." His voice rose slightly.

Zo’or was glaring with all his might at Ja’el, trying to back him down, but was failing to do so. ‘Perhaps I should have somehow got him aboard the home ship as well,’ he thought to himself. "My emotions have nothing to do with the present problem. If we allow the home ship to function," he looked around the room, making eye contact with every Taelon, "it will destroy everything we have hoped to accomplish."

Several Synod members nodded slightly. Ja’el looked around in alarm. If he did not turn their thoughts away from this destructive course, his comrades would perish! "May I remind you, the moon base holds the same amount of importance as the--"

Zo’or cut him off. " The moon base may be important, but the other systems outweigh it. If we lose the other computers, all of our research on the present situation will be lost."

Quo’on spoke up. "I believe we have reached the end of our discussion. Will the Synod make their decision?"

After a couple silent moments, Quo’on announced, "We are not of one mind, but we speak with one voice. The home ship will meet it’s demise in twenty-four hours."

Ja’el blushed a furious blue as the Synod members took their leave. Zo’or remained a moment to cast a victorious smirk in his direction. "It continues to amaze me how you and Da’an think so alike." He paused as if to ponder something and tilted his head slightly. "He meets his death in one Earth rotation. Perhaps you should change your reasoning?" With that, he turned and left.

Ja’el’s eyes narrowed. "Zo’or may think he has prevented me from causing any harm to his scheme. However, he does not realize how resourceful I really am." He summoned Jennifer, his implant, to his side. She came to a stop before him.

He looked down and smiled. "My dear Jennifer, we have a mission of dire importance to accomplish."

Jennifer smiled back. She knew that smile, Ja’el was up to something again.

Boone sighed. He really didn’t know what he was doing here. Da’an and La’sha had no use for him, really. His presence was more of a liability, as he kept getting in the anxious engineer’s way...

"Commander?" Da’an’s soft-spoken voice brought him back to the present.

"Yes Da’an?" There was something in Da’an’s voice that made him think something was wrong.

"Please, follow me to the main area. We may be able to gather some useful information on the type of virus used." Boone turned and followed the Companion. He sensed the virus wasn’t all that was on the Taelon’s mind. His assumption proved correct, as Da’an soon stopped to speak. "Boone," Da’an paused for a moment, "Boone, there is no way off the home ship."

The implant was struck speechless for a moment. "Da’an, I’m not sure I understand?"

"The virus has corrupted the shuttles docked here, as well as the portals. As of this moment there is no known route back to Earth, or any other place. And, to make the situation even more perilous, the Synod is completely shutting down the system, which includes life support, within the next Earth rotation." Da’an’s crystal blue eyes steadily gazed up into Boone’s own hazel ones.

"But, you and La’sha are important to your race! How can they just discard you like that!"

Da’an blushed blue. "Taelons do not view death as you do. It will be viewed by my race as a honorable demise."

"Do you view it that way?"

Da’an was silent.

Boone decided to change the subject, he wasn’t going to get anything by pushing his Companion too far. "Da’an, isn’t anyone fighting for us? Aren’t we going to get any help?"

"Yes, I have briefly touched minds with Ja’el. He plans on doing something, however, he was not in contact with me long enough to inform me as to what his actions are going to be. I believe it was because he did not want to give Zo’or any cause for alarm."

"Zo’or?"

"You and I both know, Commander, that it was Zo’or who rallied the other members of the Synod toward our deaths." Da’an started to walk again and was silent.

Boone took this sudden silence as a cue for him to be quiet too, so he did just that. The red headed implant thought about this sudden turn of events. The more he thought about it, the more it seemed even more hopeless. ‘I hope Ja’el knows what he’s doing . . .’

Jennifer Ramsey was watching her Companion, Ja’el, move his fingers swiftly over the computer console. ‘I hope Ja’el knows what he’s doing,’ she thought to herself. After watching him for several minutes though, she couldn’t contain herself any longer. "Excuse me, Ja’el, do you even know what you’re doing?"

Ja’el turned to her, looking annoyed, but his eyes betrayed his excitement and pleasure. "Of course I do."

She wanted to stop at that, she still didn’t feel comfortable just asking her Companion questions, but her curiosity got the better of her, "Where did you learn how to hack into Taelon security systems?"

"It is a talent I have acquired." Ja’el turned back to the computer, intent on ‘hacking’ as Jennifer called it, into Zo’or’s personal files. If he was going to find out anything about this situation, it was going to be here. ‘I’ll wager Zo’or even has a diary of all the dastardly deeds he has done.’ Ja’el smiled at the thought of that. ‘What amusing reading that would make.’

The implant was still uncomfortable about this whole thing, they weren’t just hacking into any Taelon’s files, but Zo’or’s! She didn’t even want to think about what Zo’or would do to Ja’el if he found out.

Jennifer sighed and stepped back to give Ja’el some space. He was in the middle of breaking past Zo’or’s security system, which was Zo’or’s own energy signature. She wondered briefly how in the heck he could have got it. There seemed to be a lot about this Taelon she didn’t know, and she wasn’t sure whether she wanted to either. Sometimes he could be nice and inviting, but other times he was very secluded and withdrawn.

She closed her eyes as he entered the signature. When she heard him gasp softly, she quickly opened her eyes to see him blushing deeply. Her fear for him overrode her usual shyness and prompted her to speak out of implant character. "Oh God – they traced you?"

Ja’el turned to her, even as he quickly reformed his human façade, a tiny smile playing across his face. "I am surprised you would doubt your Companion’s abilities."

Jennifer let out a small-relieved laugh. Now to find out just exactly what he had acquired…

Lili paced up and down the main room in Resistance headquarters. Augur wasn’t having any luck tracing the perpetrator of the virus, and Doors was getting irritable again. The way things were going, it looked like they weren’t going to find out who did all of this. She changed her direction and came to a stop in front of Augur’s desk. "Have any luck yet?"

"No." Augur paused to check something then swiveled in his chair to look at her. "Whoever did this really knew what they were doing. They have a trail set up for about 500 false accounts now, and it’s still going."

Lili grimaced. "Okay, I don’t know what you’re talking about, but I’m guessing that’s bad?"

"And you guess right," he said, turning back.

Beep-beep, beep-beep! The pleasant chime of Lili’s global felt out of place in her tense surroundings.

"Marquette." She answered the global with a voice full of dread; she was expecting the worst.

"Hey, Lili." Boone’s voice was a welcome sound.

"Boone! How are things going?"

"Not so good, I’m afraid. The Synod has decided that they’re going to shut down the home ship." Boone paused to let that sink in. Then he hit her with the next big piece of news. "And there’s no way for Da’an, La’sha, or me to get off."

"What? They’re just going to shut the home ship down and kill you?!?" Lili’s voice rose above the usual speaking tone and several members turned their heads.

"Shhh! I don’t want to worry anyone right now. Not to mention that I don’t think I’m even supposed to really call you, so keep it down!" Boone was frequently glancing off the screen.

"Sorry. Hey, what about the moon base? The home ship provides life support for it right? What about all the Taelons aboard? Doesn’t the Synod care about them?" Lili’s face was briefly adorned with the shine of hope.

"Life support can be maintained by some generators. Besides they only have to shut of the home ship for a little while. Of course, it’s a little while too long for anyone else aboard the home ship. Without life support up there, we’ll all be dead in about five minutes."

The glow disappeared immediately. "Is there anyone who is going to try and save you?"

"Well, I was hoping you guys down there could spare a few and work on the problem…" he deadpanned.

"We are! Augur is…"

Boone noticed that Lili was taking on a defensive stance, and so he thought that he had better lay off the joking right now. "I know Lili! I was just kidding."

Lili glared. "How can you joke at a time like this?"

"I have to in order to keep my head." He didn’t like the way this conversation was going, he didn’t want to get her anymore worked up than he had to. So, he decided to change the subject. "Anyway, Da’an said something about Ja’el working on it."

"Ja’el? What can he do? The Synod has already made their decision."

"I know, but I have a feeling that Ja’el is going to try a little more than just talk to the Synod…If you could, try and see what he’s up to."

Lili was relieved just to get away from Doors, who was shooting daggers at her right then. Not to mention, she wasn’t able to do anything useful in the underground hideout to help the situation. "Okay, it’s better than just sitting here."

Lili headed up the Californian Embassy walkway. One of the guards tipped his hat and smiled broadly at her. She gave a smile back as she entered the Taelon grown building. The rush of warm air was welcome after the cold ocean breezes outside. She traveled directly to the main audience chamber, however, Ja’el nor his implant Jennifer, were there. The same guard that had smiled at her came up.

"Are you looking for Agent Ramsey?" He was smiling again, now seen in the light, the smile seemed a little too nice to be real…

"Actually, I was looking for Ja’el."

She was right, the smile quickly faded away, replaced with a frown. "Ja’el said he wasn’t to be…"

"Ah, Captain Marquette. It is a pleasure to see you again. What brings you to my Embassy?" The tall Companion walked down a ramp similar to the one in Da’an’s Embassy and came to a stop in front of her, smiling gently. His implant, Jennifer, stood near the entryway he came from, watching the two.

"I came to inquire on the situation aboard the home ship." Lili spoke with authority in her voice.

Ja’el look at her through the corner of his eyes. "And how did you find out about our predicament?"

"Commander Boone told me before he left."

The Taelon seemed to consider this, and then turned and murmured something softly under his breath to Jennifer, who had come to stand behind him. Jennifer nodded slightly and whispered something back. He turned back around with a smile. "Please, come and join us in my resting quarters."

Lili was a little hesitant, but followed the two anyway. They came to a stop in front of a doorway. Ja’el spoke something softly in Eunoia and the virtual glass covered entryway opened.

She followed the Companion and implant into the room. The lights turned on revealing a human desk and chair, two big over-sized chairs, an enormous bookcase, and an energy stream. The walls were covered in human art, and he seemed to like ancient Egyptian and Celtic best, as they occupied most of the space. On one side of the room, a huge door covered with virtual glass, led onto a balcony overlooking the ocean. It wasn’t anything she had expected from a Taelon!

Ja’el smiled at her amazement. "Shall we proceed?"

Lili recovered slightly from her momentary speechlessness. "Proceed with what?"

"You did come to talk about the virus aboard the home ship, did you not?" Jennifer answered her question.

"Yes…"

"And you are wondering why I led you to my room in order to simply brief you on the situation, correct?" Ja’el seemed to find something amusing, and Lili had no idea what it was, which annoyed her to no end.

"Well, it certainly seems like you know me pretty well." Her response came out with a sharp edge which she didn’t intend, nevertheless she was a bit pleased when Ja’el cringed slightly.

Jennifer and Ja’el exchanged glances. "I suppose we might as well just tell you," the implant said with some hesitation. With a small look at Ja’el, who nodded, she filled Lili in on everything.

La’sha watched as characters flew across the computer screen he had been gazing at for fifteen Earth hours. It was like a magic mirror from Earth myths, although he doubted that merely staring at it and speaking some odd chant would show him the answers. Da’an interrupted his musings and came over to stand beside him.

"Have you made any progress?" Da’an spoke softly, a calming voice that soothed his frayed nerves.

La’sha hesitated, gazing at the hopeful looks on both Taelon and human faces, "Uh…" He started, then stopped again, "No…" Both faces fell. "However," He went on, not wanting to disappoint them entirely, "I have eliminated many possibilities."

"Good… I shall contact Earth again, perhaps they have found something you could put to use." Da’an walked softly to the main communications array in the other room.

Boone was standing there, not knowing what to do. He wondered how Lili was getting along with Ja’el. He had met the Taelon only a couple brief times, but he had seemed nice enough, like another Da’an-which the human race desperately needed with Zo’or running around causing trouble. His global chirped at that moment, surprising him. It also drew the attention of La’sha, and so the implant quickly moved off so La’sha couldn’t hear his conversation.

Opening it revealed Lili. ‘Speak of the devil…’ he thought. "Lili! What’cha got for me?"

"You were right, Ja’el is pursuing his own investigation, and he’s got some real juicy stuff that points directly to Zo’or."

Boone snorted, "As if that’s any big surprise. How’d he get it?"

"They didn’t tell me… And frankly, I don’t want to know how. Anyway, the files he produced had this code for the virus."

"A code?!?"

"Yup, it’s the structure of the virus. It doesn’t just contain the virus though, it also has a means of eradicating it!"

Boone felt so happy; he could have floated on air. "Well, what are you waiting for, send it up!"

"Um, it’s not exactly that simple…" Lili was grimacing.

"What do you mean?" Boone’s eyes narrowed slightly, he had a feeling that he wasn’t going to like the next piece of news.

"You see," Lili paused. "Uh, it’s encoded. We have Augur working on it right now…"

He knew he wasn’t going to like it. "How long is going to take? We only have about 10 hours left."

"Augur says he can get it done in five." Lili was grinning now, she was obviously happy to have told her boss and friend some good news.

"All right! Give my gratitude to Augur." The master computer hacker obviously heard, for Boone heard him in the background giving some exaggerated acceptance speech, something about wanting to thank the Academy…

And she finally gets the second part done, eh? :) Thank you again Cache for editing it for me.... :)

E-mail me with any comments, suggestions, and pleads for me not to write anymore. :)