Tribes Part 2

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TITLE: Tribes Part 2
AUTHOR: Kal Heighton
TYPE: Story
RATING: G
DISCLAIMERS: All characters and situations in Earth: Final Conflict are the property of Tribune
Entertainment, Kirshner-Roddenberry, Atlantis and related companies. No copyright infringement is intended.
SPOILERS: None
NOTES: Story takes place after the death of Boone and before the death of Beckette. Sandoval is the main character as he is pulled into a possible Taelon Civil War when he investigates the mysterious disappearance of Ka'el the First Companion and 20 other Taelons. Also introduces two of my own character - Christian Moneo and Ka'el.
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Tribes - Chapter 2
by Kal Heighton <cheight@home.com>
At first neither Beckette nor Sandoval spoke a word. The shear
impressiveness of the underground Taelon 
complex would have stunned and impressed anyone.  The complex was the
size of an airplane hanger and was 
packed with technology the likes of which even Sandoval had never seen.
In the middle of the space rose three 
crystal staircases that seemed to shimmer and move as if alive. They led
to a second balcony level. Both levels 
were occupied by a large group of Taelons and humans feverishly working.
A complex combination of human and 
Taelon technology filled the vast room. But all could see that the
attention was clearly focused on one area of the 
room. The central platform upon which stood a unique bio-organic suit.
It shimmered like the crystalline staircases 
and the Taelon Mother Ship. 

Moneo stood on the platform in front of the suit, supervising everything
and directing the movement of all in the 
complex like a queen bee to the workers in her hive. 

Sandoval stood some ways back from Beckette who stayed close to Moneo. 
Sandoval was content to just stand 
back, taking everything in. Analyzing and analyzing again with the speed
that only his CVI would allow. 

Sandoval had waited more than 40 minutes for Beckette to be alone. In
that time he watched her interact with 
Moneo and the Taelons in the room. He watched as she laughed and
appeared transfixed on their host and his 
charms. But he felt no jealousy. He would never allow such emotion to
interfere with his assignment. Moneo 
excused himself from Beckette and left with two Taelon scientists to a
nearby anti chamber. Sandoval took this 
opportunity to speak with her now that she was alone. 

"What have you discovered Agent Beckette?" 

"Huh?...Oh Agent Sandoval. I have little to report. You know what I
know." 

"And what is your evaluation of our host?" His tone was still matter of
fact, cold and remote. 

She moved away from him. "You felt it. His power. His magnetism and
magnificence." She looked back in the 
direction Moneo had left. "He IS impressive. Don't you think?" 
 
Sandoval pulled out his pocket watch, opened the outer case and put it
to his ear. "You are acting like a schoolgirl 
Agent Beckette. It is interfering with your ability to complete this
assignment." He closed the case of the watch 
and returned it to his pocket. 

"I am doing no such thing. LOOK around you? You see how all these people
hang on his every word and the 
respect the Taelons afford him. Why can't YOU give him that same
respect? What is it that bothers you the most 
about him? His position, the power he wields, or is it something more?"
Sandoval as usual stood stoically failing to 
reveal his emotions in any way. 

"I need to contact Zo'or. He needs to know about the video footage of
Ka'el." Sandoval then pulled his global from 
his belt and attempted to make a connection to Zo'or. The instant he
tried several alarms came up in the complex 
and suddenly all attention was on him. Even Moneo returned from the anti
chamber. This time half wearing a 
futuristic Taelon body suit much like the ones worn by all Taelons, like
Da'an and Zo'or, that appeared to have 
several sensors on it. There was also a hood that had not yet been
placed over his head. 

"I am afraid I cannot allow you to call out Mr. Sandoval. We have a
sensitive operation at work here" 

"But I am overdue in contacting Zo'or - and Zo'or is a stickler about
such things." 

Suddenly Beckette, who was listening a short distance off approached
them both. "That is not true. There are 
nearly 42 ours left before we are due to check in." Sandoval looked at
her but retained his composure. He eyes 
however spoke volumes. And his anger was clearly evident. He had always
been sensitive to such betrayals. 

"He is lying to you" said Beckette as she looked to Moneo who gave
Sandoval a short glance before motioning to 
nearby human guards to remove Sandoval's Global from him. Sandoval gave
it up without resistance. 

"I can let you contact him in 48 hours. By then we will know the truth
and the future will unfold as it should. 
WITHOUT your interference. I am removing you from the game Mr.
Sandoval.". 

"And what of Agent Beckette?" 

"She is free to help me in discovering the truth." Beckette stiffened
her stance at that declaration of confidence in 
her abilities and character. " Something  you are incapable of Mr.
Sandoval. Your personal agenda has no place in 
this battle. I only wish you were on our side. We could use your energy
focussed on this problem and you are more 
important in all this than you would like to believe." 

The human agent of the complex led Sandoval away, the last words of
Moneo still echoing in his ears. Suddenly he 
stopped and turned back towards Moneo whose back was to Sandoval by this
time. 
 
"What are my alternatives?" 

Moneo turned quickly, startled by the question. But his answer came
quickly. 

"Sitting in a room for 48 hrs until after this crisis passes. But more
importantly you would miss the chance to 
glimpse the future." To Sandoval it was only when he heard those last
words that he realized that he could not miss 
what was going on. Zo'or would have to wait. He was on his own on this
one. With uncharacteristic humility to asked 
Moneo directly. "Can I stay if I promise to follow all your rules and
regulations?" 

Beckette was thrown by the strange turn is Sandoval's mood but before
she could say anything, she was preceded 
by Moneo who replied, "That would be entirely acceptable. Join us all
please." Once again Moneo impressed  
them  both with his graciousness and total control of himself. 

Sandoval moved closer towards the crystalline suit on the platform and
away from his guards but he was still very 
aware the he was not in control here. Suddenly he felt shame. But was it
from being humbled with the display of 
Moneo's influence and power or Beckette's taunting disapproval. Both
possibilities were foremost on his mind and 
he found himself fighting to push them aside.  It only made him feel
more uneasy. 

He refocused his thoughts by doing what he did best, gathering data and
analyzing information to solve complex 
mysteries." What piece of Taelon technology is this? I have never seen
anything like it. It resembles the energy 
matrix of the Taelon Mother Ship." 

"Very perceptive Mr. Sandoval. The energy from the Taelon central matrix
does fuel the suit." 

"Fuel it to do what?" 

"To move through the dimensions - maybe even through time itself!" Moneo
was clearly proud of his 
accomplishment. But Sandoval suspected it was not entirely his idea. 

"This was Ka'el last project wasn't it? It was the project he was
working on when he disappeared. Are you not 
afraid that a similar fate will befall you as did the 21?" 

"Not entirely." Show him Agent Beckette. Beckette dutifully responded to
Moneo's command and motioned 
Sandoval over to a nearby monitor. At her signal a Taelon scientist
waved his hand to activate the view screen. 
Once again a still picture of Ka'el from the Taelon facility in the
jungles of Borneo was brought up. "Magnify 
please - focus on the area around the neck" she commanded 

The Taelon scientist responded and when the image magnified she pointed
out the bar of energy around Ka'el's 
neck. It flashed and blinked at a much more chaotic frequency than the
rest of the suit. Clearly this was the control 
panel and clearly it was identical to the command module on the
crystalline suit which stood before Sandoval. 

"It does work" Sandoval whispered under his breath. "They are all alive" 

"What are you saying?" asked Moneo. Sandoval needed a quick answer to
cover his developing agenda. 

"You are going to test the suit yourself, aren't you?" Referring and
pointing to the sensors all over the body suit 
Moneo was wearing. The hood was clearly evident. 

"Yes, the crystalline suit is really a complex  transportation device. A
personal teleporter attuned to specific 
frequencies of energy." 

"Like the energy of a particular Taelon for example?" interjected
Beckette. 

"Like Ka'el's energy!" exclaimed Sandoval 

 Moneo looked at both of them without addressing their comments. With
determination Moneo stepped up to the 
platform. He touched the panel around the neck of the crystalline suit.
It cracked open silently and he moved to 
allow it to morph around his body. When that process started, Moneo
grabbed the hood and fitted it over his head. 
It was totally black and covered his entire face. There were no mouth or
nose holes. The eye holes were covered by 
thick glass pieces. The morphing process continued up the body and
enveloped Moneo's head. 

With the activation sequence complete the suit shifted in what seemed
like a thousand color spectrums. Like a 
chameleon it adapted to the items behind it and around it so that from
any angle in the room it was virtually 
invisible to anyone looking at it. 

Then is a flash Moneo was gone. Every monitor in the room suddenly
clicked on to a live camera shot of the 
Borneo jungle facility. Or more accurately the ruins of it. 

Moneo was standing in the midst of the destruction. His suit shifting
and adapting, trying to camouflage itself 
against the jungle. For short moments it seemed to fade out as it
adapted to the new environment around him. They 
could still tell, though, that Moneo was moving swiftly to investigate
the underground level that was left relatively 
undamaged. 

An external camera sensor on the suit gave everyone the same perspective
and view that Moneo himself had as he 
entered the complex. Most of it was still pristine except for the
missing human components. All the Taelon 
equipment was left behind. 
A sure sign that this was a Resistance operation. Inside the suit Moneo
could see the various readings the suit was 
taking. But it was his own eyes that caught the most important artifact
as he entered the main control room. 
Something that called to him; an ornately carved wooden walking stick.
It leaned against a corner table nearly out 
of sight. But Moneo knew exactly what it was and who had owned it. It
was the exact kind of thing he had come 
looking for. Standing before it the suit suddenly retreated from his
head and extremities until only the underlying 
sensor body suit remained with the neck control panel. He removed the
face mask. 

In the Taelon's underground complex the monitors suddenly went blank.
Beckette moved closer to them, unable to 
reactivate the picture from Borneo. Her concern was clearly evident. 

With some trepidation he picked up the walking stick. It was beautifully
carved and made of teakwood - the hardest 
of the hardwoods.  The images on it portrayed a great journey. A journey
Ka'el had taken around Africa. It was the 
event that brought Ka'el to Moneo.  And each image on the walking stick
was another reminder of the importance 
of Ka'el to the planet. For a moment Moneo let himself drift to the
sentimentality of memories. But then just as 
quickly as he lapsed he mentally commanded the suit to reactivate. In
the underground complex the monitors 
blinked back on. Beckette was clearly relieved. 

In a flash Moneo was back in the complex. The apparent reliability of
the suit and its obvious potential were not 
lost on Sandoval. 

Upon returning to the platform Moneo once again made the suit retreat
and this time he removed the control collar, 
handing it to one of the Taelon scientists standing near him.
Immediately several started to analyze its data. 
Moneo opened the suit as he removed the hood/face mask. 

Moneo stepped down from the platform with the walking stick in his hand.
He stood before Sandoval and Beckette 
and holding the walking stick out to them to observe he exclaimed "Now
we find our lost sheep and bring him 
home"
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