Part 11

Pierre led Tim through the crowded room to a table at the back. He quickly introduced him to the two men and one woman already seated there. "I�ll just get you a drink, babe. What would you like?"

"Um, whatever you�re having would be fine."

"Okay." He smiled sensually at him. "One ecstasy and cola coming up."

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The couple at the table Deanna took Richard to looked up with a smile as they sat down. One of them � David � poured him a drink from the jug in the middle of the table.

"Thanks." Richard took a quick sip. "Hmm. That�s nice. Thanks." A warm, relaxed feeling began to spread through his body, and he smiled.

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Paul woke up in the middle of a tangle of arms and legs. What - ? Oh. The events of the past few days came slowly back to him. It had come as something of a pleasant surprise to discover that most of the drugs that had been regarded as potentially lethal back in the twentieth century had been refined over the years until they were completely safe. They�d even eventually replaced alcohol, especially when they�d become available in pleasant-tasting liquid form.

He had no idea how much he�d had � or even exactly what he�d had. He certainly had never been lacking something to drink � at one time or another nearly every patron in the bar seemed to want to buy him a drink. After a couple of drinks, he�d relaxed even more, and pretty much drank whatever he was handed. The amazing thing was that he felt great now � no nasty hangover or headache. He stretched languidly, wondering idly exactly where he was in the Capital � and where Tim and Richard had gotten to. He was fairly sure that at least a couple of days had gone by since they�d stepped into the bar.

"So, the pixie�s awake!" A smiling voice said from off to his left. He looked over to see that Marc-Ange was also awake, and smiling at him in a way that left no doubt as to what he thought they should do about that. "This bed�s a bit crowded, don�t you think?" He asked, raising an eyebrow in invitation.

"Mmmm�now that you mention it�." Paul carefully extracted himself from the bodies around him and moved over to where Marc-Ange waited for him in the doorway.

"I think we�ll be much more comfortable in my room."

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Tim smiled and stretched sleepily. He felt absolutely exhausted, and it was great. He hadn�t even had time to give their predicament a thought in the last few days. His new friends had certainly seen to that.

As he went to sit up, a hand reached out to gently stroke his side. "I�m not quite finished with you yet, Timmy." Marie told him with a giggle as she pulled him back down beside her.

"Oh, well, in that case�."

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Richard shivered as he felt a hand slowly working it�s way up his thigh. He�d thought he�d be able to get some rest at last � not that he objected to continuing what he�d been doing before he fell asleep. He smiled up at David as he leaned over him a dropped gentle kisses on his neck and face.

Oh, boy�..

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Part 12

The Council were still frantically trying to track Paul down. They were also looking for Tim and Richard, but their priority was Paul. He absolutely had to be at Stonehenge in two days� time.

The results of the analysis of Paul�s brainwaves had also come in. The computer had deduced that an area of his brain - normally dormant in most humans � was active. It offered no clue as to why it was active, or even what it did.

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They�d tracked him to the sex and drug bar, and from there to a private enclave about three kilometres from the Citadel, but then the trail had gone cold. Several of the occupants thought that he might have left with a redhead by the name of Jeanette, but they were rather vague about exactly when that might have been, or where Jeanette lived � perhaps in the Upper East district?

Paul had been very busy while he was at the enclave, Xavier thought to himself with an indulgent smile as he headed off to continue the search in the exclusive part of the Capital. With an uncertain future before him, why shouldn�t he enjoy a few days of pleasure? Who could blame him for going a little crazy?

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Richelieu had finally managed to track Richard down. He couldn�t help but smile as Richard sulkily put his clothes back on and said goodbye to David and the others. No doubt he�d enjoyed experiencing the sexual freedom offered by this time, where nothing was taboo, provided your partner was willing, and no permanent damage was done. He put a supportive arm around his waist as he led him out to the air skip � a smaller version of the air car, used for flitting around the cities. He looked so appealing when he pouted, he thought speculatively.

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Tim looked up, annoyed, as he heard his name called from the doorway to the bedroom. "Can�t you see I�m busy here?"

Timiny smiled. "Actually, yes, I can. Would you mind if I joined you?" He asked as he moved slowly closer to the bed.

Hmmm. Maybe he really is related to me. Tim thought as he smiled invitingly at him. "Be my guest." Pity about the looks though.

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It was the day before the rendezvous, and there was still no sign of Paul. Tim and Richard were starting to get a bit worried. Although the others had assured them that, in this time, personal violence was almost unheard of, Paul had a way of getting himself into trouble.

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Xavier had finally traced the elusive Jeanette. He knocked on the front door of a small but exquisite home in the very heart of the exclusive Upper East area. He was unsurprised when the door was opened by a butler. Only the very, very wealthy could afford those sort of wages in this time.

"Yes?"

"Councillor Xavier to see Jeanette." He said in an authoritative tone.

"Very good. Please follow me, Councillor."

The butler led him through to the back of the house. Jeanette was just emerging from the shower, wearing a bathrobe.

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Part 13

"Councillor Xavier, Jeanette."

"Thanks, Marc-Ange." She smiled at him before turning her attention to Xavier. "So, you�re here for Paul." It wasn�t a question.

"I am." Xavier nodded. "Where is he?"

"In the bedroom. He�s totally exhausted, poor little love."

Xavier raised the eyebrow that definitely marked him as Paul�s descendant.

"He�s hardly slept since he came home with me. Come and see." She led him to the bedroom.

Paul was sprawled across the bed, fast asleep. A sheet covered his hips, but little else.

"He�s just so adorable when he�s asleep, don�t you think?" Jeanette asked, smiling fondly down at him.

"Mmm-hmm." Xavier agreed. He found himself hoping desperately that Paul would emerge unscathed from whatever was going to happen the next day. He looked so small and vulnerable in the mega-king-size bed.

"You haven�t even looked at these." Jeanette drew Xavier�s attention to the paintings that sat, propped on an easel, in the corner of the room.

One was obviously of Jeanette, and was exquisitely executed, capturing every nuance of expression in her eyes and face.

The other was of a dark-haired woman, and, where the painting of Jeanette was technically brilliant, this was truly a masterpiece, painted with the heart, and all of his considerable talent.

"Jo." He said softly.

Paul stirred slightly, but didn�t wake, turning onto his side with a sigh.

Jeanette nodded. "He�s desperately afraid that he�ll never see her again. He wouldn�t tell me much, except that you would probably come looking for him � and that he has something important to do tomorrow. He made me promise to make sure that he got back to the Citadel by tonight."

"And will you?" Xavier asked with a compassionate smile.

"Affirm." Jeanette nodded.

"Then I�ll leave you in peace. Be kind to him."

Jeanette smiled. "I intend to."

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All Xavier would say when he returned to the Citadel later that morning was that he was sure Paul would be back before nightfall.

The others pressed him for information, but he had also inherited his ancestor�s infamous stubbornness and refused to say more, although he did reassure Tim and Richard that Paul was all right.

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Part 14

Jeanette brought the air skip to a halt outside the main entrance of the Citadel.

She hugged Paul tightly to her before she opened the door to let him out. "Good luck with whatever you have to do, Paul. And I hope that you see your Jo again soon."

Paul hugged her back. "Thanks, Jeanette. I�ll miss you."

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Xavier watched, his face carefully expressionless, from just inside the door. He�d motioned the guards back out of the way. Paul had returned of his own free will. The guards that Jean-Paul had insisted on were totally unnecessary.

Paul stood forlornly on the steps to the Citadel as he watched Jeanette�s air skip disappear from view. With a despondent sigh, he turned and continued up and into the main entrance. He saw the guards approaching him and glared at them. He�d come back, hadn�t he? What more did they want?

Xavier moved to block them. "You�re dismissed. You can tell your supervisor that I authorised it." He said firmly, leaving no room for argument.

They hesitated for a moment before turning on their heels and walking briskly away.

"Thanks." Paul nodded to Xavier as he continued along the corridor to the lift that would take him to the 37^th floor, and his room.

"Anytime." Xavier�s smile was mischievous � an unconscious echo of Paul�s.

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"Paul!" Tim and Richard had been waiting for him in his room. They hugged him and fussed around him, reassuring themselves that he was okay.

"Hi guys." He hugged them back. He felt like he�d need all the support he could get if he was going to survive the wait until 10am in the morning.

"So, did you both have a good time?" He asked, finally stepping away and forcing a bright smile to his lips.

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At first, the night dragged interminably. Jean-Paul and several of the other Councillors came by to see him, but he really wasn�t in the mood for anyone�s company but Tim and Richard�s. They spent the night reminiscing about everything they�d gotten up to over the years, laughing and teasing each other unmercifully.

It came as a surprise then, when the door opened and Xavier stepped into the room. "It�s time, Paul."

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Part 15

Outwardly, Paul appeared calm as he walked out alone into the middle of the ancient stone circle, a few minutes before the appointed time. Tim and Richard, watching from the perimeter, could see how pale he was. Unconsciously, they reached for each other�s hands, their grips crushingly tight.

Precisely at 10 am, a brilliant light appeared, forcing those watching to cover their eyes in pain. When the light faded, and they could look back, Paul was gone.

"Oh, f---!" Tim whispered as guards and Councillors converged on the spot where he�d been standing.

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Paul opened his eyes, aware that the bright light had gone, and looked around. He had to blink several times to remove the retinal after-image of the light. He was inside what looked like a crystal-lined cavern. A soft, lilac glow provided him with enough light to see clearly while at the same time acting soothingly on eyes that had been hurt by the brightness of the previous light. "Hello?" He called out softly, his voice echoing eerily around the cavern.

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"Now what?" Richard demanded of Xavier, who had come over to stand with them while the others milled around uselessly inside the stone circle.

"Now, we wait." Xavier sighed.

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Paul felt a tingling sensation along his scalp, and strangely lightheaded as scenes from his life flashed unbidden before his eyes. "What?" He hadn�t realised he�d said the word aloud until he heard it echoing through the cavern.

"Your pardon." A large humanoid suddenly appeared in front of him. "We did not mean to intrude upon your mind, but we had to be sure that there was no subterfuge." It had a vaguely human face and was bipedal, and its skin was a deep, rich purple, while its eyes were a startlingly light blue.

"Uh, okay then. So, you�re satisfied?"

"Eminently. It is good to see you again, Paul."

"I � I know you?" Paul knew with absolute certainty that he�d never seen the creature before in his life.

"Perhaps this form will assist your memory?" The shape, and even the colour, of the creature shifted until he found himself staring into a very familiar face.

"Anthony Morgan?" Paul was shocked.

The creature made a rusty noise as its shape returned to what it had been before. It sounded like it might be laughing. "I have occasionally substituted myself for him, yes. And several other people that you would recognise. We of the Vsai use this means to observe new cultures and species."

"Uh-huh." Paul�s mind was reeling. "If you say so." Once again the creature made that rusty, squeaking noise, and he just knew it was laughing at him. "One question, though." He said.

"Why you?"

He nodded.

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Part 16

The Vsai gestured for him to sit.

"You were always intended to be our messenger to this world, and our observer."

"What?"

"You were chosen at birth for the task. A small modification was made to your brain shortly after your birth to facilitate this. That�s our way."

"Well, thanks very much for letting me in on it." Paul growled.

"Deal with it." The Vsai told him flatly.

Paul glared at it for a moment. "So, what happened seven days ago? Why didn�t you just bring me here then?"

"It was necessary to verify your identity, and to ensure that the modification was still in place, as well as to implant new information. That required a seven day period to be assimilated fully."

"Uh-huh."

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They talked for hours. The Vsai had some very specific things that they wanted Paul to relay to the Council � among them the need for them to stop colonising every planet they believed to be uninhabited and available for their use. "But why, if they�re uninhabited?" Paul asked.

"Not all are uninhabited. The sensors of this technology are insufficient to the task of recognising some forms of life. Many have died before we could relocate them. This is unacceptable."

"Agreed. But how will they know which ones are free, and which ones are off limits?"

"That will be your task. You have been given the knowledge to recognise those which are open to colonisation and those which already abound with life." The Vsai tapped Paul�s forehead lightly to emphasise its point.

"If I were cloned, would my clone have that knowledge?"

"Affirmative. It would be innate, with or without what your people call transferral. But why?"

"Because this isn�t my time." Paul said softly. "I want to go home." It was becoming a little difficult for him to breath.

The Vsai looked at him for a long moment. "Can this be so?" He felt the light tingle along his scalp and neck as its mind brushed against his. It muttered the Vsaiish equivalent of a profanity. "Never trust computers to be correct all the time." It told him with a grimace. It looked almost embarrassed. "We really must update that program." It said with a sigh. "It was picking up broadcasts of your performances and deducing � incorrectly � that you must still be alive. We thought that the authorities were lying when they said you were dead. The fact that we had received no data from you for some time was ascribed to a faulty relay."

Its expression was so comical that Paul burst out laughing. "I don�t know whether to be relieved or scared that you guys can f--- up, too!" The laughter ended in a cough.

"Be afwaid." The Vsai again made the squeaking, rusty noise that signified laughter among its kind.

Paul just shook his head, chuckling. He was suddenly seized by a wracking cough that left him doubled over and weak. The cavern seemed to spin slowly around him and blackness tugged at the edge of his vision.

"It is time for you to go back, Paul. The atmosphere in this vessel is poisonous to your kind with prolonged exposure." The Vsai laid a gentle hand on his head. "And we would not have you harmed. Remember what we have spoken of. We will speak again � or perhaps we will speak with your clone. If that is the case, know that I will miss you, and that it saddens me to know that you are long dead in this time."

"Don�t be sad � from what I�ve heard, I�m going to lead a very full life." Paul grinned even as he struggled to breathe. "And I get to go out with a bang!" His laugh was cut off abruptly as he went into a coughing spasm that left him unconscious on the ground.

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Part 17

It had been only a matter of minutes since Paul had disappeared. The brilliant light unexpectedly flared again. This time, when it faded, he was back, lying in a crumpled heap in the exact centre of the circle, his breathing laboured, lips and fingertips tinged with blue.

Tim, Richard, and Xavier rushed over to him, waving the others back. Xavier bent over him and quickly checked his pulse. Straightening, he turned to the waiting medical staff.

"Oxygen! Quickly."

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Paul woke up back in his bed in the Citadel nearly a day later. Despite the pain in his chest when he breathed, he felt remarkably refreshed. Opening his eyes he was confronted with the familiar sight of Richard, Tim, Xavier, and Jean-Paul hovering around him. While the others looked worried, Jean-Paul�s expression had a coldness about it that sent a shiver up Paul�s spine.

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Over the next two days, he told, and retold, all the information that he�d been given by the Vsai. He had no idea whether or not they believed him, and, frankly, towards the end, he didn�t really care. He was also unaware that, as he repeated, verbatim, what he�d been told, his eyes changed to a brilliant blue. He was exhausted, and his chest still hurt � an after-effect of the poisonous atmosphere aboard the Vsai ship.

The ship itself had disappeared shortly after Paul had woken up. It�s final message had been simple, and ominously clear. "Heed him. Your survival depends on it. We shall be watching."

One of the main bones of contention was the time he claimed to have spent with the Vsai. It patently didn�t match up with how long he�d been gone, but he had no explanation for that.

Xavier called Jean-Paul aside towards the end of the second day of �debriefing�. It looked more like an interrogation to Xavier.

"I�ve finally had a chance to unencrypt the various recordings from the devices we secreted in his clothing."

"And?"

"And he�s absolutely right � he was literally talking to the Vsai for hours. I�ll have a transcript for you in about ten minutes."

"Then it�s all true?" Jean-Paul went pale.

"All of it." Xavier nodded.

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When Jean-Paul returned to the room, he abruptly called the debriefing to a halt. "Rest, now, Paul. But there�s a question I�d like you to think about before we speak again."

"What is it?" Paul looked up at him wearily.

"I�d like you to consider staying here, in this time. It�s obvious you have a rapport with these Vsai, and that could be important in future contacts."

"No." Paul�s answer was immediate and firm. "I don�t belong here, and you don�t need me here. The Vsai have already said that a clone would be adequate to the task."

A muscle worked in Jean-Paul�s jaw, but he showed no other signs of his anger. "Very well. You, Timothy, and Richard will be returned to your own time when you�re fit enough to stand up to the trip. Xavier estimates that will be about five days. You won�t have missed any time there, despite the fact that you�ll have been here for three weeks � we have precise details of when to return you to."

"Thanks." Paul closed his eyes and leaned back against the pillow. He was so tired after all the questions.

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Part 18

They�d already said their goodbyes to the Council. Paul had asked Xavier, privately, if he could see to it that Jeanette was told that everything had worked out okay.

"Of course." Xavier had smiled and hugged him even more tightly. "Safe journey, Paul."

"Thanks, Xav. You�ve been a real friend."

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"One thing, before you go, Paul." Jean-Paul said as they neared the hatch.

"Yes?" Paul asked warily. Tim and Rich continued on into the time ship.

"There�s someone who�d like to shake your hand. To say goodbye."

"Oh, who�s that?" Paul turned, automatically extending his hand. His eyes widened in shock. "Oh my G - !" Their hands met.

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Tim, Richard, and Paul returned to consciousness slowly, their heads aching, every muscle in their bodies protesting the violent treatment they�d received. Tim was lying on the lounge in his hotel room. Richard was half-on, half-off one of the lounge chairs. Paul was sprawled out on the floor, partially hidden under the coffee table.

F---! Time travel was absolutely no fun at all! Paul thought as he sat up with a low moan. He banged his head against the underside of the coffee table. "F---!"

"Oh, God!" Tim put his hands to his pounding head. "I am never going drinking with you two ever, ever again." He whispered, afraid to speak too loudly in case his head exploded.

"That�s what you said last time." Richard whispered back as he carefully dragged himself onto the chair so that he could slump back into it properly. "And the time before, and the time before, and - "

"I get the point, Rich, okay?" Tim groaned.

Paul looked at them, puzzled. They didn�t seem to remember anything that had happened. Strange. There must be a reason for it, he supposed. He searched through his own memories. Everything seemed to be there��childhood�.adolescence�.uni�.the Dougs�.MOSH�.the Jays�.GNW�Jo�the Vsai�.it was all there, right where it was supposed to be�.up to and including boarding the vessel for the trip to the year 2000. He even had a couple of ideas for some new songs he wanted to write. He sighed as he eased himself out from under the coffee table. It was all just a bit too much to take in at once. After all, he was only two weeks old.

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Paul sat up slowly. There was a dull ache behind his eyes. He looked around him curiously. He�d thought they�d been supposed to be returning to their own time. Why was he still in the room that he�d been assigned in the Citadel?

He remembered walking towards the ship with Tim and Rich. They�d gone on ahead when Jean-Paul had asked him to wait and speak to someone. He�d been surprised at that. Jean-Paul had not been happy when he�d declined the request for him to stay in 2200.

His eyes opened wide as he remembered the rest. The �someone� had been him � well, actually, his clone. They�d shaken hands and he�d felt a blinding pain in his head, then nothing. Until he�d woken up here. He wondered how long he�d been unconscious. He swung his legs over to sit on the side of the bed.

With a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach, he realised what had to have happened. What had Xavier said? Clones can literally become the person they were cloned from, inheriting all memories, personality traits, even, if you will, the soul � or the essence of what makes the person who they are � if they have prolonged physical contact with their original. By prolonged, I mean 5 to 10 minutes. �Transferral�, he�d called it. Until that occurred, a clone was virtually a blank slate � functional and aware, but incomplete and with no real identity.

He curled up into a miserable ball on the bed. He hoped Jo and �Paul� would be very happy together.

The door opened and Xavier entered the room.

"I�m sorry. I had no idea that they were going to�..I only found out at the last minute. I did what I could." Jean-Paul had somehow managed to sway enough of the Council to have a majority in the vote � Xavier hadn�t even been in the Chamber when the vote had taken place. Not hat it would have made any difference. The vote had been six to three. Paul made no attempt to respond. He sighed. "Well, perhaps I can at least make it more bearable for you." He stood aside and beckoned to someone outside the room.

Paul�s jaw dropped. "Jo? How?"

"It was the only thing I could do for you." Xavier smiled sadly.

"But how�.?"

"The lock of Jo�s hair in your wallet."

"Oh." Paul looked sad. "So she�s � "

"No. She�s the original."

He�d had to exert a lot of pressure on Jean-Paul to get him to send the Jo clone back when the others were returned so that transferral could occur and the substitution could take place. From the look on Paul�s face it had been well worth it. There was no way the Time Wardens would risk another trip to 2000, especially when there was a Paul McDermott already there. He had made sure that the Wardens had explained the situation to Jo after the transferral had taken place, and given her the choice.

Paul got up from the bed and slowly approached her. He was in awe of the sacrifice she�d made to be with him. They hugged each other tightly.

"Oh, God, I�ve missed you so much. I love you." Paul whispered in Jo�s ear.

"And I love you." She hugged him tighter.

Xavier smiled and quietly left the room. Whatever happened in the future, at least they would be together.

THE END