William Boone swallows the last bite of breakfast for two when his global beeps. Liam Kincaid looks as agitated as he sounds. "Be ready in six minutes, Commander.  I'm heading for the shuttle pad, right now....Da'an has been quarantined!"

Boone's heart is in his throat. Exactly six minutes later, not a second more or less, Liam arrives. Boone presses his assistant for details, only half-noting the hybrid's uncanny punctuality. Liam fills in the gaps en route to the Embassy:

"He's been infected by a sample of an ancient virus they found in Ma'el's lab called...."

"Pesh'tal," finishes Boone.

Wonder flashes across Liam's face, but only for a moment. "You gleaned that from your tank-induced, half-prophetic nightmare," he realizes.

"Yes," confirms Boone. "Things happen, but in different contexts than in the dream."

"Geez," the hybrid muses. "My father really set your brain all a twitter."

"Indirectly," answers Boone. The word makes him wince, as he recalls how he indirectly killed one of the beings this boy calls father. He and Liam will have to talk that out one day. "I think my CVI and Katya Petrenko factored into it, too."

At Boone's last word, Liam pilots the shuttle out of ID space. Boone and Liam note presence and absence when they enter the Embassy's Medical Bay. Da'an is present, but Taelon physicians are conspicuously absent, leading Boone to question Mit'gai when they locate him.

"Taelons must not be exposed to the Pesh'tal virus," Mit'gai answers coldly. It causes those infected to become disconnected from the Commonality."

Then, how do you plan to treat him?" Boone phrases the question calmly, struggling to maintain his implant facade.

"We don't," sniffs Mit'gai. "There is no known treatment. The sufferers simply linger in perpetual catatonic shock that is brought on by the aloneness. The first and last outbreak occurred on one of our remote colonies. The Synod ordered a planet-wide quarantine in that case."

Boone and Liam are both inwardly horrified at this. They flash in their ways on Dee Dee, and while her state had not been quite catatonic, it was the closest thing to it that either of them care to contemplate. Da'an's condition must be excruciating.

After the protectors and the physician part company, Liam takes Boone aside. "With your help and Lili's, I can reconnect Da'an to the Commonality. The Kimera created the Commonality in the first place. The ability is within me."

Boone's mind races, as he searches for a way to get Da'an alone to implement Liam's plan. They also have to get Lili away from Sandoval. Boone hits upon the solution. He, Liam, and Lili stand in front of Quo'on. "As Da'an is irretrievable," Boone begins, "we would like to secretly inter him near his parent's tomb in Ireland. I say secretly because you wouldn't want it known that Da'an succumbed to a virus. The Liberation might get ideas. Major Kincaid could pilot Da'an to the site, along with an honor guard of one human male and one human female. Meanwhile, the Synod could release a statement reassuring the public that Da'an has only been temporarily recalled until a more productive spin on the situation can be found."

"Wise and tender counsel, Commander. Da'an chose his protectors well, those current and those removed." Quo'on acknowledges Lili.

"Another suggestion," Boone concludes. "The knowledge that we are burying Da'an might cause Sandoval's CVI to begin failing, as when Da'an was kidnapped. I suggest we keep this from him to avoid further damage."

"Agreed."

With that, the three bow slightly and take their leave. Boone gently places the unresponsive Da'an in a back seat of Liam's shuttle. Lili sits beside the Taelon, hoping the sound of her voice comforts him in some way.

"You are NOT alone, Da'an. You hear me? We're with you. We're not going to leave you behind."

Liam brings the shuttle out of ID space. Lili and Boone gasp, as they realize Liam has expertly landed inside a remote cave. "My mother often climbed here," he explains. Lili removes Da'an from the shuttle and places him in front of a waterfall. The three sit down nearby, and Liam outlines what must happen:

"The Commonality was formed in two stages. First, the Kimera linked small clusters of several Atavi, or ancient ancestors, each. Then, they linked the various clusters together. Boone, Da'an still carries your antibodies against the probe infection within him. Lili, Da'an leaves his energy within you when you share. I bring the original template and power for the Commonality. Da'an has reason to bond with all three of us. We four will be a cluster. Once we're bound, I can connect our cluster to the Commonality. Boone, your CVI and psychically enhanced mind will then combine with my mind and Da'an's to erect a shield. This shield will mask our four signatures within the Commonality, so they read only one - Da'an's. Lili, you'll develop the mental ability to assist us over time. Are you ready?"

The two look at one another and at Da'an. "As we'll ever be," Lili assents.

"Then, link hands," instructs Liam. They do so, and Liam uses his shaquarava to send energy through them and accept energy from them. With his free hand, Liam pours energy into Da'an. They taste the colors of the cave and smell the sound of the waterfall. Lili's memories of her Bliss high flash through their now connected minds.

Suddenly, Da'an is aware. Kimera epiphanies and orchid remorse flood in from him. Wonder, pride, and fear are within him and them.

Lili is the first to speak. "I see stars," she exclaims. "How's that possible?"

Da'an's aswer both frightens and comforts her. "You're eyes and ears belong to us now, my Jha'du'ur, my living lights, as our eyes and ears belong to you. What you see is the Meruva Galaxy, where I had several Taelon resistors banished."

The three souls struggle to absorb this truth. "I see clearly now," continues the Taelon, "that they are not unbalanced. One can resist from within a collective and still remain a part of it. I have much to learn."

"So do we all," affirms Boone. He and they set about inventing a cover story to explain Da'an's recovery, confronting their continuous present.
 

Disclaimer: Earth - Final Conflict and all characters therein are the property of the Tribune Entertainment Company.