"Arrival" part 4 (March - April '02)

PG 13: Language mostly, some violence. (If you're waiting for sex, it's several more parts away)
And I have to mention (because I keep forgetting) a great big thank you to Vee and Aubrey, for helping me beta this and get all the military stuff into something that resembles order. :D And another beta, whom I'll introduce once this group (Kevin's) gets over the mountains.

*shows emphasis*
[shows thoughts]

~~~~

(Kevin)

"Are you going to answer, or just stand there like a rabbit?" Kevin DeClerke demanded when the young guide did not answer his first query.

"Blow me," Sembello wheezed as he got to the top and pushed various other crewmembers - frozen in shock - to get his own look. "Would you lookit all the *aliens*!"

"Be quiet, Pat," Bell hissed at him, edging partly sideways to escape the sudden crush of bodies at the top of the stairs. Then, to Jhosell, she asked, "Where are we?"

"That's what I just asked," DeClerke snapped, his eyes not leaving the scene in front of him. The ground under their boots was a level stretch of square flat stones, obviously cut and placed there. About 20 paces off - the gap was widening moment by moment as the light crowd of assorted aliens faded back - there were people, in more races than any of the soldiers could count or even recognise, and in so many colors and styles of clothing the Human's eyes watered. The many creatures had spotted them and had started to move away, various adults taking the hands - paws, tentacles, appendages - of smaller versions of themselves and walking - hopping, skittering, moving - away at what was almost a run for a few of the more nervous-looking. Most of the others (there had to have been almost two hundred beings in the plaza, though it had the space for more than triple that without crowding) left at a walk, though many of them were repeatedly glancing backwards at the small group of blue-clad humans. The broad space of paving stones was clearing, a wide space around them leading off a few hundred meters back and to the one side, towards the large building Jhosell had vaguely described.

There was no sign that said 'HOTEL', but it was the largest construction visible. One side was capped with dozens of cloth peaks; tents sheltering the unfinished second floor so it could be used, just as she had told them. The other side was almost 3 levels high, though uneven on the third and completely wrapped in a wooden construction frame. It had to be over 300 meters across, triple the width of anything else there, and they could see a few people - some in earthforce blues - in the window frames, and a few of the same were coming out a wide stone doorway set right in the middle. The alien crowd was parted around these crewmembers as well, though the separation was not quite as pronounced as it was around the newest arrivals. Alongside the cliff that stretched out behind them, aliens were also scattering; every being they could see along their side of the harbour was shuffling off to disappear down the paths or behind and inside of the grey-toned stone block buildings. The carts had rattled down several long ramps they could make out, turning just in front of the buildings to vanish beneath the rail-fenced walkways the pedestrians used to flee the area. Even the sounds of hammering and the movement of construction workers on the omnipresent wooden scaffolding died down, though they did not actually stop and leave as the crowd was doing.

"It *would* have been this busy," the young Minbari woman finally muttered crossly. Then she turned to him, her hands raised slightly in placation. "They are not here to hurt you, you must understand that. The - uh - variety you see here is because of the landing site, many of the original refugees who survived, stayed here. Many places do not have more than a few species, and many settlements have only a few people so far - as you can see, there is a great deal of fear surrounding your arrival, most here - I repeat it now, and probably a thousand times again - will try to avoid you, will not want to make any contact. They - we! - are not a threat."

"*Where*?" DeClerke was getting visibly hostile.

"I will explain inside - there is too much of it to do standing here, others from your crew have gathered inside. Please sir, I ask you, just try to trust me for a few more minutes." She was indicating the hotel's direction with her arm, urging the group to start to cross the emptied plaza.

Several of the Humans from the hotel's entrance had detached themselves from the doorway, and one was walking down the few steps from the archway, heading towards them along the wide rail-fences set on the ground in front of the buildings. As the group closed the distance, they could see the ground within the railings had been dropped down; the walkways provided access across the lowered roads. Apart from that one individual, everyone else from around them had vanished, only a few held back at the fringes. Even the windows visible were devoid of faces.

"They're afraid of us," Robin Allaman stated in surprise.

"You just called them Refugees. What would connect so many species to the point where they'd be willing to actually live together?"

"The universe is a cruel place, DeClerke. Please, I do not want to repeat myself too many times, and there are others inside-" Jhosell stopped when his eyes suddenly diverted from her apologetic expression to look at a point on the inland side of the plaza, and she turned to follow his gaze. There was a small alien - Vree, by the look of the childlike smooth grey features - running *towards* them.

"Who is-"

"Message runner, you can tell by the red sash," she explained quickly. Having apparently given up on trying to move the obstinate humans, she started walking across the space towards the messenger, who had called out her name and waved. Three of the other crew took a step to follow Jhosell, but a glare from DeClerke made them pause.

"Sir, we can't just stand here all day, we do need to eat."

"I realise that, Clements, but whatever could so bloody important as to make a *Minbari* nervous? To make all of those - aliens - so nervous? To make them even be together, it just doesn't happen. Ever! What aren't they telling us?" He took a step backwards, turning for a moment to look down the cliff to where they could see the activity on the deck of the boat they'd come on. One of the critically injured had already been lifted out of the hold on a stretcher, and he could see Orrin directing the winching of a second man. Lee and Mura were visible as the two who were swinging along the dock experimentally, testing the use of the crutches. The others were apparently talking with them, and he could see Lee startle the same moment he heard a faint yell of "Where?!"

There was a moments pause to turn back to the collection of expectant faces. "Come on," and he started to stride across the plaza. "Let's get these answers, and gather up so we can get to the Captain sometime this decade. Move!"

They had caught up with Jhosell inside of another minute. The messenger had darted off again, but towards the hotel entrance this time. The young Minbari had her face almost composed again when he asked her what the message was.

She started walking again, though not quite so fast, before she replied. "Another group of your crew have just arrived at the city's southern edge. 27 of them, and their stripped equipment. None are seriously hurt, and they are on their way here. Less than an hour, but I doubt you are willing to wait for them. So I will be explaining it a sixth time, if not more, assuming you will have let me finish before they do arrive."

"Them and us equals twice, not six." Sembello pointed out from just behind her.

"I know that," Jhosell said with a slight grimace. "You are the fourth group to arrive today, and many of the people here do not speak your language well enough to suit the standard Earthforce holds. I have been - what's a good phrase - drafted, for as long as you are in the city, to assist."

"Is that why you're grumpy about explaining whatever it is that's so important? Are you not getting paid enough?"

"There is *no* pay available. Please do not assume such a thing again, it wounds my pride. I could explain it in mere minutes, but you will demand a rather lengthy secondary explanation before I would be even partway done. I may work with words every day, but even I can tire of the same ones over and over and over. As your group continues to collect around this point I will likely have to say it many more times. I ask that you indulge my patience, at least long enough to wash off the fact you've had no reasonable way to get clean for the past 5 days."

"You're not getting paid?" sounded at same instant as "How bad do we smell, anyway?"

"The reek is terrible," came a new voice. It was junior Lieutenant Brisser, who then greeted them with a salute and a small smile. "I suggest the immediate application of soap and hot water, sir. There are sanitary, gender-divided bathing rooms inside. A decent meal is being prepped as well, we'll be hungry by the time the explanations are done. You appear to be the ranking officer, sir. So it's your show."

"You know where we are then," DeClerke said.

"Yes sir, and if I may be so bold, your biggest problem probably won't be with the locals. It'll be the rest of the crew. A group of which should be here in a few minutes, the message came from the northeast road about an hour ago. 7 walking, 2 plus one riding. The two injured are being taken to the hospital . . . Private Encarta did not survive injuries sustained in the battle, sir, he was dead before the pod came down. He's being taken to the hospital's morgue." Brisser pointed down the street to show the direction, then turned and continued with the rest towards the hotel: they were about halfway across the plaza. "There's just over 30 of us here already, and another 6 - I think - with various non life threatening injuries in the hospital already. Plus a few from the engineering department have mild radiation poisoning - they were near the reactors when the area was damaged - but the treatments are working well, they should be fine, sir. Local medicine seems adequate for it's tech level - Lieutenant Richard is looking after them as well. I don't think she's even left the hospital these past 4 days, sir. What's your situation?"

"We have 3 critical, and I'm fairly sure at least two of them will be joining Encarta. Orrin's done all she can for us. There are the injures you see here, plus two broken legs on their way up." He paused to shove his bandana back to show the bald patches before hiding his scalp again. "And 4 cases of radiation that are being treated. I'm going to assume that your equipment has also been denied?"

"Yes, sir. Evening commcalls only, and the locals are being damned stingy about those - no offence, miss."

"None taken," Jhosell said mildly, then her tone darkened slightly. "We cannot relax the no-electronics rule, not even for a second. It's dangerous enough just getting the things here."

DeClerke paused to look around. "That part has not yet been explained to us in the least. I will need to know more if I'm to even consider allowing my crew to be treated like this." He stared down the street as they crossed it, trying to guess how large the settlement was - he could see scaffolding and stone block buildings neatly lined up for over a kilometer's distance. He almost cuffed Sembello's ear when the private stopped to stare for a moment, but turned to Brisser instead. "How much of the layout of this area do you have?"

Brisser caught his intention. "Open grid, numbered streets - signs in multiple languages, including English - well - a bastard version of English they call 'trade' - with most streets dropped a couple meters and the sidewalks raised to match the entrances to buildings, it's all stone because there's practically no metals in this world. Well laid out, decently planned, easy to navigate. Nothing bigger than 3 stories, at least not yet. Their big concern is warmth and fire protection, then floods and quakes - they don't make the rooms big, and over half the population is in tents because there's no place for them to live yet. We - uh - have pushed several hundred of them out to the fringes of the city by taking over the space in the hotel, sir. They didn't seem too happy about it, but they'd rather move than share. The place ain't much for comfort, but considering how the rest of the town is built, I don't think they were used to comfort before they colonised. We estimate the population to be between 6 and 8 thousand, in and around the city. There's got to be at least *fifty* different species, but some races only seem to have one or two families around, although some of the species - like the Brakiri, which you saw - have hundreds of people here. No advanced or obvious weaponry, no standing police, no army around. And you saw how they scattered here - it's been the same reaction all over. They're frightened of us, sir, but I don't know what the reaction will be if they get provoked - they might just run, but from the looks some of us got, a few might be ready to fight to the death. But only if provoked - like I said, it's not the locals so much as the reactions of the crew."

"Most would be willing to fight until either they or you were dead," Jhosell said plainly. "But we all have had several years to work on patience and restraint, we could not have survived here otherwise. The request - or strong suggestion, if you prefer - was that we all help you as much as possible, to speed you on your way. Since we were not given the choice of reopening contact, it was advised that we make a good impression rather than additional enemies."

They'd entered the building; Brisser pointed down each corridor while most of them blinked at the comparative darkness then gaped at the large stone arches and pillars that held up the imposing structure. "Stairs up each side, most of us are set to sleep on the second floors. There's a big map of the town and the surrounding area in the main hall, though there, it's probably where the briefings should be held - we've been eating there anyway. Free run, we can go where we want to without restrictions, but the private homes in the rest of the town are invite-entry only. You - uh - haven't been told what this world is yet, have you sir."

"No." At this, DeClerke gave a short glare to Jhosell, who just glared back. "There has not yet been the opportunity."

"The sailors probably didn't want a mutiny on their hands. All the farmers - isolated locals: little groups of one, two or four families scattered around the floodplain here and various valleys into the mountains - were rather withdrawn on the topic. You'll realise why soon enough, sir. Just - uh - please, you really do need to wash off." He was obviously trying not to breathe through his nose, or too deeply. "If you'd allow Private Rush to guide the ladies, sir, I can show you one of the men's bathrooms."

DeClerke considered it for a moment, looking levelly at his small cluster of crew. "I'll only wait until the other crew get here - an hour, at the most, then we all need answers. We'll clean up in the meantime. You said there was food ready - human safe, I presume?"

Rush, who had come out of an inner room the minute before, answered for him. "Yes sir, several of us have been helping prepare everything. We're expecting about a hundred others over the next few days."

"Why are all the walls four feet thick?" Capris asked this, as he stared at the archway over their heads. "It's like a castle, almost, just without turrets."

"Warmth, mostly. When we're behind The Watcher - the gas giant - it gets very cold. The extra stone is for insulation as much as support - the lower walls will need to support the upper ones, once they are built." Jhosell gave a small smile. "They also keep the heat off during the Nadir - the hottest time of the month, as we orbit the giant. Our world varies in how close it gets to the sun, depending on when during the month it is more than when during the year it is. The inner walls are thick enough for soundproofing - all types - our guests are not wanting to overhear the others. Fortification is a minor issue, as you could guess by the lack of physical doors in the entrance - the Interference Vortex provides the majority of our protection, it has not failed us yet. I will explain everything, as best as I can, very soon."

"Sir?" Rush asked, indicating that she was ready to lead the women in the group away.

DeClerke nodded at them in dismissal, and followed Brisser though the closer arch; down a slightly smaller, if still large, corridor. "I'll want a complete list of names and injuries within the hour - those here, those in the hospital - which I'll check out for myself as soon as possible - and those who've died. I need to know everything - where their pods came down, who they came in contact with, and most of all, why the hell there's more species here than in a damned zoo!"

"Yes sir, I'm on it. This doorway here, sir - these marks show male, and this one - though you can read it for yourself - say Human. Also works for other races, but it'll be exclusive as long as we're here - the construction workers have their own, they're not keen on mingling. The head's that way," he pointed to the left branch of the normal-sized hallway they were now in, then turned to the right. "This goes to the baths. Some of the other species have - um - different cleaning requirements. But apart from the few Minbari who run this place, we're the only ones who'll enter the whole hotel as long as we're around - the locals do not like soldiers. There was staff, but they've either run off or quit since we got here. Which is part of the reason we've been helping ourselves; that and the fact most of us don't trust non-Humans, 'friendship regulations' or not. Soap's there, hot and cold water - it's stored in those cisterns and has to be heated with fire - you can see the grate, don't touch it or you'll be burned. The girl who met you showed us how to work the pumps and fires to keep them going, and we've been manning it ourselves since - she didn't seem to enjoy being in the men's area. There isn't an abundance so try to not waste anything. Towels are there on the shelves and we've laid out some local clothes already, to borrow while you clean yours, you can see everything. Not half bad, considering. The primitive farms my pod group passed on the way here had little wooden outhouses, and rough hand pumps outside for water - or sometimes just a creek. I think this is an example of the best you can get on this world, sir. I'll get started on that list." He turned and went back around the short, relatively thin stretch of wall that kept people in the outer hallways from seeing into the smallish room.

"I was sort of hoping for sonics, or at least a decent shower," Isekemu muttered as he looked inside one of the polished stone and wood objects that lined one wall. "Not these little half-tub things. And why are there no mirrors?"

"No glass, probably - not in any of the windows, either, did you notice? No glass at all, and I didn't see much metal, polished or not. This place *is* built like a big old-Earth castle, all rock." Sembello added his share.

"But it's-"

"S'allright, Len. Sonics are not the be-all end-all of life. This is kind of like the old roman baths. Just needs a big ol' mural made of little tiny tiles and a marble statue of some naked goddess. I think you kneel or sit in them - that one looks big enough to lay down and soak in, though there's no time for that now. Say, do these look like razors, Dan?"

Capris had his shirt stuck over his head, so his voice was muffled. "Does what look like what?"

"These things here, by this row of sinks. The old things people used to shave with. I've seem them in vids. Wet your face and move 'em along your skin. You grew up in a museum sector, right? You must know."

His shirt wrestled off, Capris looked over. "Yup. I even know how to use one. Teach ya after . . . real water, this is great . . . just plug the drain hole and turn the taps the way the arrows show to get them on, cold first so you don't get burned." He showed them how to feel and adjust the temperature, the others following his example. "And don't fill it full - remember that your body takes up space once you get in. Actual water - I haven't had that since I last left home. Had it all the time, growing up on Earth. Spoiled rotten."

"You're from Earth? I thought you were Proxan." Allaman asked, puzzled.

"I was Earthborn, my parents worked there until us kids were in our teens. Haven't been back, 'cept once, a few years ago. Some family reunion thing: St. John's in the middle of winter - uck, that was cold! You don't forget all that much, after only a decade or two. The family - close family, anyway - that I have left are on Proxima."

"Just rinse off, boys, I want to get this done." DeClerke was no longer used to sharing sanitary facilities - one of the perks of Earthforce was that couples, especially officers, usually got their own little restroom. His discomfort showed.

"Sorry, sir," the others replied, and stopped talking for a few minutes.

After taking off the rank markers and other insignia to keep them safe, they all had tossed their grungy uniforms into a specific washbasin which Sembello insisted he could figure out how to work. They were towel-clad and almost done before Lee and Mura, then Hodgson and Oakley got there. "The equipment is stored, then?" DeClerke asked them as he stood back and inspected the shutters on the windows for the smallish room while the rest of them helped each other with getting clothing over the casts and splints on various limbs. [Shaving could wait,] he decided with a hand on his chin, [because then I'll shave my head as well.] For now, another square of cloth, folded like the Brakiri sailors had shown him, covered his patchy scalp. He couldn't see outside very well, just little fragments of light with the noise of workers moving and setting stones on the one wing. The louvres likely did a good job of keeping people from seeing in, he reasoned, but the lack of view bothered him a little. He'd almost become used to having a sky above him, even with the odd way the gas giant made his neck prickle whenever it was above the horizon; never mind the security risk that came with the loss of visibility.

"Locked away in ah sub-basement, sir. All turned off, and the power packs removed wherever we could do so. Grainer is watchin' the door - doors, actually, since we had to go past several. It's as far down as they can get it, all locked and barred, the people here sure don't want anyone gettin' to that stuff. Orrin and the three worst have gone to the hospital. Ah local doctor said they'd send back word as to how the others are doin' as soon as they can." Oakley sank down into a bath and sat there damply for a very long minute, watching Capris demonstrate how to hold a razor and clean the stubble off without cutting the skin. Then, "Sir, did they happen to say just where the Humans here were? Ah haven't seen any yet."

"Not yet," he replied darkly. "Hurry up, I'm going to track down Jhosell. Can you find that main room again on your own?" He had tried on a pair of pants that seemed to fit, and found a shirt that matched. It was not his uniform, but it was almost the correct shade of blue, and perfectly serviceable. He certainly felt better for being clean.

"Right down the corridor, sir. Easy enough to find - ya can smell the kitchens just past it, they were startin' to prep some food. The hotel seems laid out in ah big 3 sided block shape, with the common areas in the middle. Barracks appear to be in the two wings, but Ah'll need to see 'em to know fer sure. There's stairs in the middle part and the end ah each wing. That's how we got to the lower levels - they also lead upwards." Oakley felt around under the water for his toes as he finished speaking.

DeClerke nodded, and left the room.

A minute later, Mura said nonchalantly, "You guys don't know yet what they told us, do you."

"Like where we are," Lee added, dropping a bar of brown soap back into it's holder. "Not that I quite believe them. Would you pass a towel, Robin? I don't want to wet the cast, Orrin'll hang me if I wreck it again."

Capris said, "No, we're going to -hold still before you slice your face open again!- get to that next. Why, did they tell you something? Bandage, need a bandage - here's some. Hold still, I need to wash off the blood now-"

Lee and Mura glanced at each other. Then Lee suggested, "We'll wait until you've put the knife down . . ."

~~~~

The main room was not crowded, since it wasn't even halfway filled, but the crewmembers had gathered together in tight little clusters in one part of the pillared expanse; visible in the deep blue knots of the standard uniforms was a light sprinkle of greys and browns, those crewmembers wearing local-made clothing, and a single compact group of dull marine green. A general 'safety in numbers' attitude had flooded though all the ones who'd believed what they had been told, and the rest were stuck to the herd by sheer gravitational force. The ones who'd already been there for a few days were a small ways from the newest arrivals, hanging back in the shadows created by the patches of sunlight that angled in through the multitude of tall windows. They were keeping the meter-thick walls firmly at their backs even as the newer arrivals clustered at the tables in the middle; none of them were alone. Whispers and speculation kept the large hall from being really quiet, but reluctant expectation hung over the 70-plus individuals collected there. Most had not been told, but they were suspicious of *something* being not quite right. The ones that did know for sure were not yet saying much to the rest.

If you looked out towards the east, most of the windows let you glimpse the topmost edge of the gas giant that was rising over the nearby mountaintops, counterbalancing the sun, which was a few hours away from setting in the west. The two groups of crew that had been mentioned to DeClerke had both arrived by now, but he had been slightly delayed back at the harbour cliff: a smaller boat had just come in, having found and brought in another pod group. They were winching up two of it's occupants, wrapped up and now faceless in the salvaged fabric that had been their life raft. The third member, an extremely pale and ill-looking woman with masses of bloodstains hiding her department and division insignia, was completely unconscious and being carried by DeClerke as he made his way back across the empty plaza to the hotel. Her forearms were completely wrapped up in emergency bandages that had been soaked through with layers of new and half-clotted blood. Daniel Capris, who had been sitting nervously outside of the hotel's entrance with one of his shipside roommates, an even jumpier Private Chan, noticed them and ran over to help. "Sir, we'll get her to the hosp-"

"Don't!" DeClerke interrupted harshly. "Just keep her among the rest of the crew - she's opened three of her veins. *After* a local boat found them this morning! She'd made it to shore - those two were apparently already dead from injuries taken in the attack, but she was just *fine* until the boat crew let her know where the hell we are. Take her, lay her down, guard her. I've sent for Richard or Orrin. Don't let her near any locals or she'll completely freak out again, do you understand? And make sure everyone is together, we need to confirm what they said - if this place is really full of - of - just go!"

"Yesser," Capris said, his hands cradling the prone woman's limp head as he and Chan carried her towards the hotel. DeClerke, swearing under his breath, ran ahead of them and darted inside. Daniel waited until he was out of hearing range before whispering, "Do you think she's the other latent hiding in the crew that Gray mentioned?"

"I don't know, Dan, Harriman never used names! He just said I wasn't the only one . . . Shit, if she is - she must be even more afraid of the Captain than I am! Trying to kill herself? Dammit, I figured that the Sophocles would be almost safe, the way the Captain'd keep anyone and everything Corps-related a thousand klicks away if not more, hell, she even disobeyed the recall order the Psi Cops gave to bring Gray in, because it meant that the jack-booted bastards might have come on board!"

"Yeah, and it saved his life - you saw on the news what happened to those military teeps who obeyed the recall orders. Well, the bodies they could *find* made it to the news, anyway. Hell of a place to hide - well, you were doing just fine until we all ended up here. A whole planet full of teeps . . . you might be fucked, Hu. Someone's gonna say something - but it sure as hell won't be me. Don't worry about that, okay?"

"This hallway here, they're putting the girls down here I think - hold on-" Chan pushed open a light, slatted-wood door with his foot. "Yeah, this one has a couple empty beds, and the girls can keep an eye on her when they get back. Gently . . . there."

They laid her down carefully, and covered her with a silvery thermal sheet before adding a second blanket. Mottled grey and locally made of a native plant, all the beds had one or two of the soft (if slightly scratchy) coverings over the smoother cotton or linen sheets that kept the sleeper from itching. There had been several on the Brakiri sailing ship, but not nearly enough for everyone. Daniel wasn't sure how much better he was going to sleep that night, however, even with mattresses and full bedding. [If what Lee and Mura has said is true . . . ]

"You better go, Dan, I can watch her. I've heard it a couple times already - Jhosell is gonna be run off her feet before we're done, poor kid."

"She's Minbari, they're tough buggers. Um - is she -"

"She's normal, now go." Chan sat down on a little footstool by the bed to wait.

Daniel nodded and took off back down the corridor at a light run. He could hear a commotion from the main room, which suddenly escalated in volume as he turned the last corner. 'Chaos' was too minor a word for the scene before him.

Jhosell was the first he could spot: she was standing up on a table to try to make herself be heard. The crowd around her looked half-ready to run and half-ready to commit murder. Daniel could barely make out her shouted words over the dozens of voices all yelling at once. As they gradually began to run out of breath, her words were becoming easier to make out, and he carefully eased into a seat near the back to listen.

~~~~

"You are guests! We will not harm you! No one will scan you! To do so without permission is the most rude thing that can be done on this world! The punishment is severe, no one would risk it! There are none here who would go against the order given to respect your privacy, none! Many here are not even telepaths, we are the families who came with them, and the workers needed to help build a viable colony, so never assume anyone that you are near is one. But this world, this entire system, is a Sanctuary, and you are guests, not an invading army, so they had better mind their manners anyway. There are ways - you have had some training by earthforce already, you yourselves have said this to me - in mental disciples! If you wish it, or if you become a hazard to those who live here, we have additional training you can receive in reducing your broadcasting, ways to counter scans, if you want it, but I repeat that none here will scan you without your permission! Those normals who live here already take such measures to reduce the intensity of their thoughts. The sheer volume of noise raised by the normal minds - which outnumber the telepathic ones - would be an irritation or even danger to those few who could hear them!"

She only paused a moment to gasp some air in, because there were still several others trying to interrupt. "Besides, you are stuck here until your ship is repaired, and we want to send you on your way as soon as possible! This place, so far from many of our first homes, was chosen *because* it was so far away - we did not want any contact with what we left behind! Not for many more years, if ever. All of you are aware of how we were treated outside, of what went on beyond the safety of our new home! We have fled away from that. The ones responsible for such evil are *not* here. We did not allow them to come here, you are safe from those things, those people, that you fear! But you are here now, and you need our assistance. The orders have come from the First Council - we *will* help you! Then you will all leave. Safely, intact, unharmed. What happens to us afterwards, we do not know. I am not looking forward to it, but please be assured that you as individuals are not considered a threat - we have excellent defences around our world, as the ships that hurt you have found out. They did not even pass word to their own kind, it was prevented. You are safe as long as you are here, and I have been told the Alliance will be - probably already has been! - contacted, so your return trip to earth space will not be without a trustworthy escort. We will NOT harm you! Do you have any *useful* questions to ask?"

There wasn't even a second's pause before a new barrage sprang up, making her shush them all and take turns. "Let everyone hear what you say, one at a time! The rest need this knowledge as much as the one asking."

"How do we know you're not going to scan us, or have you already?" Private Müller demanded.

"I would not read your mind even if I could. What part of my saying that I was *family* did you miss?"

The crew was not the least bit satisfied at her answer, of course, but they had little choice - the next question was already flying outwards. "The ones who brought us here said we were to stay here in this building - are we considered prisoners?"

"No, you are not. You can come and go from here as you like, I even encourage you to explore the rest of the city - you cannot learn the truth about us otherwise! What you have been taught about telepaths, about aliens, since you were born was as much false information as it was biased. Everyone here has had to learn - to get past their preconceived ideas - in order to survive, and we have begun to prosper for it! You are allowed to stay in the tented part of the hotel at nights, you can get all your meals here, because you have no money for elsewhere, and you must have seen how frightened the others are of you! We have little food to spare, little shelter to spare, but we will share what we have. Many of the colonists had starved, even frozen, *dead* in these first years. We understand too well what it is like to *need* help. So we will help you, even though it is at great cost to us."

"Where are the others," someone unseen asked when she paused for a heartbeat.

"Some of your crew are still on the ocean, you have been able to call them on your communication devices. Boats are looking for them, and the settlers on the land have been escorting those pod groups that came down near them. Most of the crew is not near this city or on the ocean, most have landed on land and are far to the north, near the other side of the mountain range, or past it! They are to be gathered at a city central in location - Human run, and we call it The Wall. *Human* run," she repeated. "Your own kind, with no language barriers. There is a map placed right there, on that pillar, please, look at it and the notes written. I have not been there, I myself do not have that information - do not shout! There are traders, merchants, who have. I have asked that any who *have* been there to come here, to describe it and the route between us."

"Why is there no technology?" It was Private Behr who broke the brief moment of silent thought.

"Because we have chosen it to be so. It is a good choice, and was not a hard one given the factors in deciding. Your Earthforce tech will be restricted as long as you are here, but we will not hamper the things that get you back to your ship and away."

"How do we contact the rest of the crew?" This was asked by Bell, both DeClerke and Capris could recognise her voice. She did not sound quite as upset as some of the others had.

"Messages sent by runner, overland, until you are together. The fastest we have, we will share."

"How long has this colony been here?"

"Years, but not many of them."

"Are you all even allowed t'be here?" This voice sounded very hostile.

"Yes. It is ours, to care for, to protect and live on. Legally confirmed by ranking Interstellar Alliance officials, though you must by now understand why they did not hold a press conference on the subject!"

A few tiny snickers sounded at that quip, but they were quickly silenced. "When can we set off for this city where we're supposed to gather - when can we go meet the other crew?" This was Mura's question.

"When we have accounted for anyone who landed in the near part of the ocean, you can leave as a group," Jhosell assured him. "The choice when you depart will be your own."

"Whose orders are we under?"

"Your own, but you must follow the local rules - do not steal, do not provoke a fight or attack anyone - which of you is the highest rank?"

DeClerke looked around, then stood up for a short minute. Most of the crew could recognise him, even without his uniform being worn. "You follow his orders, then, until you find someone who can order him. We will not interfere with your self-rule, with your - what's the word - your sovereignty."

Several of the raised hands had dropped, and in the moment available, Jhosell started to explain more things before they could be asked - she already knew what the questions would be, she had been asked them all several times in the past few days. "There will be more arriving on boats over the next few days. Some might be here in a few hours. We are still trying to account for everyone, by the numbers then by their names. Some citizens here, Humans, were in Earthforce. They will help as well, when they can. Most do not live near this city, but there are supposed to be numerous groups scattered along the road you will need to travel on."

"You mean deserters," one crewmember said.

"I've never asked how they ended their service, but I can tell you now that most would have retired long before they came here, with children or grandchildren. Their age alone is enough proof. A few, I have heard, had been discharged - likely when they found they had telepathy, to either be forced into the former Psi Corps or to run from it. Or they were discharged because of injuries, or simply to be with whatever few family members still lived - who were on their way here. You will have to ask them yourself, if they choose to meet you. I can offer some assurance, however, about former members of your Psi Corps. You will likely not meet any, because most did not survive. Any few that did, likely joined unwillingly; or were bred by, for, and from the Corps. I repeat! NONE of the ranking Corps-members responsible for the atrocities displayed on your news media were permitted to come! The rest, who did live, who did manage to come here, were former rogues, those who were on the sleeper drugs but escaped the final massacres, the prisoners in the jails and re-education centers and labour camps. They hold no love for the memories! They will all likely avoid you as much as they can. Humans, more than most species, came carrying wounds."

None of the Earthforcers argued that last point - they'd witnessed the atrocities of the war, either in person or on the news. Many did not even want to call it a war - multiple patches of slaughter were much closer to the truth: there had been few indeed who were able to fight back against the Corps in any way. 'The recent unpleasantness' was how ISN politely referred to it, despite several of their own having been pulled under during the collapse. One of their now well-known (believed to be extremely dead: she had not been listed among the few dozen survivors who had returned to freedom) off-world location reporters had helped expose one of the internment camps the Corps had been running. The few minutes of raw footage transmitted back before the Psi Cops had found and stopped her had been history repeating the unlearned lessons of Earth's second world war, and the mass murders that had taken place those 300-plus years before. The Rangers - the Interstellar Alliance's version of Peacekeepers, much like the blue-helmeted UN troops from Earth's history - had been the first to get to the site, but they weren't anywhere close to being in time for over 6,000 captured rogue telepaths: the bodies, most of which were partly or even completely decomposed, littered the compound meters deep. Almost 90 years of carnage, abruptly unveiled. Over the months that followed, the 6000 that the Rangers managed to send back home in sealed coffins were the minority: Most of the bodies (of more than just humans, to the outrage of almost a dozen other races) could not be identified at all.

"We - as in all here, telepaths and family alike - know what it is to be hurt, to be afraid. Your species was not the only one to have acted in such a manner upon itself - some worlds are still treating telepaths, or other sub-groups of their race, in unfair ways, whether or not they admit it! Some species here do not care if you are or are not telepaths, soldiers, whatever! They, many of them, of us, understand that you need our help. So we will grant it, and you will leave unharmed. It is an honour point that you should do so!"

The reminder of this cooled their tempers, a little. Some of them - though few spoke of it very often - had childhood friends or family members who had died or vanished because of the former Psi Corps. Many humans did, or had known someone who did. It was not a popular topic; the shame of allowing such things to occur weighed heavily on most of those who were otherwise unaffected. But some - in fact the majority of - Humans had not tried to rid themselves of the bigotry, hatred, and even fear that came from the mere mention of a person who might have the ability to tell what they were feeling and thinking. And though DeClerke did not speak of it aloud as some of the others in the crew had been known to do (the Captain tolerated no prejudice, she even bit down on Commander Carlson's anti-telepathic comments, though all the crew knew she hated them just as much as the more vocal officer), he knew that he was among those who did not even try to self-enlighten. DeClerke simply hadn't bothered; mostly because he had thought that the hundreds of thousands of telepaths in the Human race had pretty much all died. The only telepath he'd had even a little actual contact with had been the ship's military telepath, and Gray had spent most of his time in a starfury's cockpit - he barely knew the man. [Had barely known. Not even the thunderbolt fighters could have survived an attack as brutal as that,] his brain corrected him. [But the telepaths back home - most were killed, it seems some might have made it to here - but what about the ones who did the killing?]

Jhosell addressed part of his worries next. "The colonists here have chosen to leave violence behind," she reminded them, "I ask - request, demand, whatever word it takes to be done - that crewmembers please do NOT provoke anyone, for any reason. We have grown to have a great deal of patience and tolerance with each other, but even we have limits!" She was looking directly at someone behind and to one side of DeClerke as she said this. Many other eyes followed hers, glancing back at the sullen figure leaning against the wall - a ripple of recognition - and there was a sudden, brief mass movement away from the crewmember in question. Suddenly, having mindreaders near them became less of a priority compared to the risks that came with being near one individual who was obviously angry at the general situation.

DeClerke winced as he saw who it was that was scowling out from the darkness. [Triple shit], he thought, [I've got Newton here.]

Pvt. Newton made a rude sound in the back of her throat. "And will we be allowed to defend ourselves if any of YOU provoke us?"

Jhosell was visibly gritting her teeth. "I have already explained that none here are willing to break the oath they swore. If a such an incident does arise *again*, we will deal with it at that time, and all involved will more certainly regret the occurrence. But I ask that *certain* members among you, please do NOT carry any more weapons, such as knives, with the intent to use them!"

DeClerke wondered what trouble she'd gotten into already, while Jhosell sighed and looked around at the now-silent crowd. "There are copies of our laws available, in the public library and also the council chambers; all you must do is ask and you can read them in their entirety. Summaries of anything that might possibly affect you have already been made and listed, several copies, next to the maps of the city and the map of the route to your gathering point. If there is nothing else that needs addressed immediately . . .? Then there is a light meal ready, if you feel hungry. Nothing fancy, and the dishes were prepared by others in your crew. I will be available, as long as any of you remain in the city, for your questions. There will likely be another briefing such as this one, later tonight as more arrive, and over the next few days as well." The young Minbari stepped down off the table, vanishing from sight among the taller Humans that stood around her, talking in pairs and little groups.

~~~~

Daniel just sat there, numbly wondering if he should eat now or wait until he'd found a bed to claim, when a gentle touch on his shoulder made him startle.

It was Denise Richard, the chief medical officer from the Sophocles, and she was wiping blood off her hands with a small cloth that smelled of antiseptic. " 'ow are you doing," she asked quietly. She was stressed; as she spoke, he could easily hear the strong french-Québec accent she had kept repressed since childhood.

"It's a lot to take in. The woman Chan was looking after, is she-"

"Okay, physically, or close enough to it after losing almost 'alf 'er blood. All stitched up, with a better bandage and some local 'ealing salves on zhe wounds. We've started a saline IV into 'er leg, and I'm about to round up zhe suitable blood donors. She's zhe second one from our little lost family to 'ave tried to kill 'erself since we got 'ere, but she was a lot more determined zhan Moore was. Your type doesn't match, but if you can, I'd like to get a donation anyway, for zhe ozhers. We need 'uman plasma especially, zhere's no way to synzhesise it or any ozher blood products wizhout zhe ship's tech. If you feel up to it tonight, I'd like you to come wizh me to zhe 'ospital. It's only a few blocks down. We need all zhe volunteers we can get. DeClerke will be going zhere soon, he said, to check up on zhe patients."

"Yes, but - the radiation treatments - would they hamper anything?" He pulled off the white bandana that had kept his patchy hair concealed, noticing the added concern in her face.

"I'll need to check you out - DeClerke's pod, right? 'E's lost even more 'air zhan you 'ave - no, you can't give blood. At least not for a few more days; if zhe need gets urgent, I might let you do so later. Go and eat. Drink lots, zhe water 'ere is good and zhey filter zhe drinking water anyway. Zhere's also a local fruit juice available, but I suggest you water it down until you get used to it, and zhere's a couple of different 'erbal-tea zhings."

Daniel nodded, then, "What's her name? I didn't recognise her."

"Sasha Lewis. She was a weapons specialist, often flew as a gunner in zhe Zhunderbolt squads. She's lost pretty much everyone she knew, but she was zhe stable type. Didn't zhink she'd open 'er arms like zhat, but zhe locals who brought 'er in said she just . . . lost it emotionally. Completely terrified."

"Of being here? I don't really blame her."

"Not of being 'ere - zhey say she was screaming about zhe Captain wanting 'er dead. I'm still trying to get a complete report, but zhe local doctors 'ave verified to me zhat zhe ones who found and brought 'er in weren't making up zhe story." Richard sighed, then gave him a small smile to reassure him before moving off to talk to the other newcomers.

An intense, heavy feeling of worry climbed onto Daniel's chest and settled down to stay. [What's going to happen to us?] He didn't feel hungry, so he just wandered off to find a place to sleep. Maybe, just maybe, when he woke up it would all have been a dream . . .

*****

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