Andy's Fan-Fiction Archive

DEVON ALONE IV
THE LEGACY OF TEARS
By
Nicole Mayer

Timeline: After "All About Eve" (Day 150)
Author's E-Mail: destiny@bluesky.net.au

AUTHOR'S NOTES:
WARNING : "The Legacy of Tears" is not for the faint hearted. It's gloomy, depressing, and I'm giving it a PG-13 rating for language and adult situations.
For those of you looking for the story, you can skip this part. It contains only my rambling. Why? Because I'm the author, that's why! <g>
ABOUT THE "Devon, Alone" SAGA:
Parts I-III can be found at Andy's fanfic archive, and also on my new web page :
http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Vault/8356/fanfic.htm
As always, any comments/suggestions on the series are welcome at: destiny@wwdg.com
A number of people have asked me questions/made comments about this saga. And since I have nothing better to do (well, I do, but that's another story) I decided to answer them here.
Why am I writing "Devon, Alone"? Because I wanted to thrust some of the characters into a completely different scenario and see how they react. Besides this, I write for personal enjoyment. Sometimes it doesn't seem that way when I just *can't* get a scene done, but there's a real feeling of personal satisfaction when a piece is finished and I'm happy with it!
The ratings on "Devon, Alone". I tend to overrate my work rather than underrate it, just to make sure that anyone who may be offended by such things isn't caught out. Yes, the NC-17 rating is a strong one, perhaps pt II didn't quite deserve it, but it is a decision I have made.
Why did this part take so long to get written? Well, it's twice the length of a 'regular' part of the series, so consider it two at once! And then there was the D&D webpage to contend with, and discovering A.j.'s brilliant fanfic...it's no wonder I was distracted!
THANK YOU TIME!
Firstly, as always, to Sue Sadler for her endless reading of scenes and racking her brains when I have writer's block. Her suggestions are a wonderful part of this saga, and it wouldn't be nearly as interesting without her. She has an incredible flair for wording difficult situations and always gives me great feedback!
Thanks to Robin, Sue, Becky, Mary and Janice for their wonderful encouragement. Without that, I don't think this would be finished yet!
And...to everyone on the Earth 2 mailing list that I drove crazy with my "Throwing people out of airlocks" questions, THANK YOU! I learnt a lot, and even though I ended up avoiding a lot of this topic in the actual story, the information was great!
Thanks especially to Cheryl and Bettina, and also to Simon, Cutter, Erik (and we all know where *his* comments led!) Doug, Cocoa, Michael, Aladdin, Mai, Sue, Paul, Brian, and if I've forgotten anyone please accept my humblest apologies.
Mary opened my eyes to some thoughts on the Council that I had overlooked - thanks.
Junis...your comments as you read the half-written scenes are always great.
DISCLAIMER : Many of the characters and settings contained within are the property of Universal/Amblin Entertainment. No copyright infringement is intended.
The idea behind the saga, however, is mine! :) Now on to the story...

DEVON, ALONE. PART IV
The Legacy of Tears (1/9)
by Nicole Mayer (destiny@wwdg.com)
09-03-1997

I am going to die. I know that now, and know that there is no escape. When the Council wants you out of the way, it will happen and there's not one damn thing anyone can do to stop them. No matter how rich you are, or what your name is.
They are going to kill me. Silently, secretly, I expect. No great news stories on the death of a problem citizen. In any case, I am sure they control the media, just as they control everything else. Not many are aware of this, for the Government seems to be in power and the Council only a small division. But I know things are changing, and soon the Council will overthrow all pretence of the democratic society we once were, and seize absolute control.
I suppose the danger coming for me is my fault, in a way. If I hadn't become involved in the Eden Project, if I hadn't tried so hard to save Uly, and then...my overpowering rage at his death only weeks ago as I swore to the Council that this would not stop me! I *would* find a way to defeat the Syndrome, if not for my own son, then for the millions of other children afflicted.
I know that the tyranny has to end sometime. That, in part, is why they consider me so dangerous. Anyone with a new, radical idea that gains support is already in trouble with the Council. They believe they can control all of humanity, if not the universe, and exercise this power in every way possible.
But now, I am greater threat to them. Because I *know*. I *know* the Council's great secret. It was an accidental stumbling on my part, I saw something I was never supposed to see. Something that is never supposed to be revealed, for only those in the highest positions of power share this knowledge.
A secret that, should it get out, would cause panic and riots all over the stations, and perhaps even back on Earth. The very foundations of our existence would be undermined, and our society would perhaps collapse.
There is a part of me that is scared to see such a thing happen, but I also believe in visionaries who will lead us to a better future. Like my quest for planet G889. It seems like a foolish dream, for now I know I will never see it, or at least not for many years to come. I destroyed those chances when I discovered the truth; though it may be true that I was never going in the first place. The only hope now is if the Council is brought down.
Tonight, I will seek out the proof. It is my last hope and one salvation, for once the knowledge is out, I pray that the Council will lose its desire to eliminate me as it rises to subdue the waves of rebellion.
But they cannot win. Humanity is greater than a senseless mob to be dictated to, and I am confident that we can rise against the oppression! Freedom, equality, a chance for our children...I dream of these things in Uly's memory.
Yet I am destined to die. Oh, they will not kill me outright, no mysterious accidents, and no sudden diseases. It will be slow, silent, and free of blame for them so they can rest easily on their laurels built from lies.
If I fail tonight, I have left the following record for you so that all hope is not lost. It is encrypted with the highest level of coding, but you, Yale, should have little trouble deciphering it. Remember the code we created when I was a child? I have many happy memories of my childhood...but I digress. It is time to concentrate on the present.
The message goes to you, wherever you may be, the instant my persona is recorded as deceased within the Station database. I entrust this information to you, and believe you will find the people to continue my work.
I understand it will be hard, so Yale, I ask that you keep yourself safe. You have many enemies, those who want to have you killed simply because of what you are. Now I know this feeling well.
Please, get the information to those who can help, and those who can discover the final proof. There must be others out there, perhaps disgruntled citizens, or even immigrant workers. Humanity cannot be defeated!
Yale, I want to thank you for being my trusted friend and confidant over the years of service to my family. You made a wonderful difference to the life of a lonely little girl, and were always there for me when I needed a friend.
You supported me through the anguish of the trial eight years ago, and then stood by my decisions to keep my son. Without you, I don't know if I could have done it all.
I thank you for everything, and I know Uly, wherever he may be now, thanks you as well. We love you from the bottom of our hearts. I am just sorry that it all ended this way.
Believe in the future, and keep up hope!
All my love, Devon Adair April 3, 2292

***Transmission follows***

Yale was reeling. The personal message he just received was more than two years old. Two years full of mysteries, confusion and sadness as the Devon Adair he once loved as a daughter seemed to completely cut herself off from him. Two years, when she suddenly seemed to give up on the Eden Project, and resigned herself to a mission in virtual reality.
He had assumed that was the end of their relationship, and he could never forget the cruel words she had hurled at him, telling him to stay out of her life forever! But a new enigma had arisen when she recently sought him out after her experience in VR : the Program which had so shaken her.
And now this, a letter from the Devon he remembered. And a vitally important encrypted message. What did it all mean? Was it even relevant anymore?
Yale reread a crucial sentence. The message was only to be delivered when Devon's death was recorded. Ice tore through his heart, and, with as much haste as dignity allowed, he hurried to the nearest computer terminal within the next room where he could have some privacy. His young charges saw his hasty exit.
"Where are you going, Yale?" asked seven year old Tique. He did not pause to answer the girl, but continued on. Yale's hands were shaking as he drew up the latest records on Devon Adair.
"Deceased," said the little footnote at the bottom of the screen. It seemed that the Council had finally caught up with her, two years too late.

"John, I'm sorry. I should never have interfered in your life, and I send apologies to Kassidy as well. May you both be happy.
True, I wish you all the best of luck, and also for your quest as well. Perhaps Morgan Martin can help, he is a Council liaison officer yet I believe he can be changed if the circumstances are right. And a warning, stay well away from Dison Blalock.
But I am not telling you what to do, I only wish you good fortune. I love you, but that doesn't matter. Nothing really matters anymore. I'm going to stay out of your life.
Goodbye,
Devon Adair. April 10, 2294"

John Danziger silently pondered the message. It was a short, sweet apology, yet inside, he was still a little angry with Devon Adair. She had managed to screw up his life pretty good, and put him through a lot of fear and worry. Even if he *had* gotten the truth out of Devon, he was still concerned that she didn't know the whole truth either.
Devon's mental health left a lot to be desired, and it was more than possible that she had let things slip to the Council she claimed to abhor. The note had been full of allusions, it contained an indirect reference to his daughter that would mean nothing to most people; and hints that she knew of the Resistance. There was also the suggestion to contact Morgan Martin.
He wondered again about Devon's hatred for Blalock. From what he could figure out, Devon'd only known the man once outside of her screwy VR program where she fell in love with Danziger's image. That meant that he could hopefully trust Devon that Blalock was bad news. Danziger had suspected as much already.
There was a great deal at stake. Despite this, True's safety was his number one priority in this mess Danziger had gotten himself into. It would have been so much safer if he'd never volunteered to lead the damn Rebellion against the Council.
He shuddered as he recalled the first death threat against his daughter. It came from a spineless man who had been found out soon afterwards, and dealt with in the drone fashion. Still, it had been terribly frightening to realise that there were those amongst his own ranks who believed that the Council was God, and anyone against it belonged in hell.
They didn't dare oppose Danziger himself. He'd gained a lot of support, and so had Kassidy, his wife. They were both tough and could look out for themselves, having had years of experience. True, however, was not so equipped to deal with the trying situations that arose.
The worst fear, though, was of the Council itself discovering Danziger's actions. They wouldn't hesitate to take his daughter from him. He could envisage the situation even now - "This child needs a stable home. She is malnourished, her education is lacking, it is obvious she cannot live in this dysfunctional household. Why, just look at the child and see how she resents her stepmother!"
It would all be lies, of course, but who could stand up to the Council's child services, sworn to protect all underprivileged children? And when they had True, they also had Danziger himself. He could not let that happen.
So they'd hidden True, and fabricated her death. Only a very few knew that the girl was still alive - himself, Kassidy, and special friends who helped hide her : Wentworth and Firestein. And Devon Adair knew. Of course Devon Adair, the mysterious woman from hell.
Danziger abruptly laughed at his own thoughts. He didn't hate Devon, far from it. In fact, he had quite liked her initially. But she needed help. Help Danziger was not sure he could provide. He recalled their last meeting, perhaps their final one, which had ended in a screaming match before he walked out.
Yet the apology was nice. Maybe he would look Devon up sometime, and see if she'd managed to get her life together. Danziger certainly hoped so. But she needed to be away from him for a while, to get over him. It was senseless to have a relationship built on a virtual simulation.
Danziger sighed, running his hands through his wild, curly hair. Devon had affected him more than he realised, and in other ways as well. He couldn't deny the fact that she was beautiful, intelligent, easy to talk to - they had got along so well during the moments when secrets were not an issue.
But he couldn't live with the friendship built on lies. So he walked out, and now...now, he wasn't sure exactly what he wanted to do.
"John?" a sweet voice called, and Danziger's spirits lifted a little.
"In here, Kass," he replied to his wife. She stepped into view, and he was again struck by her loveliness, which was so different to Devon Adair's beauty. Kassidy Quinn was pure, honest, and her eyes showed only truth. That was another reason why he liked her so much - in a world of confusion and perversion, he could always count on Kassidy to be sincere.
He showed Kassidy the message, and she gave a half smile. "That was nice of her," she admitted. She'd heard all about her husband's 'incident' with Devon Adair, and while furious with the woman, Kassidy also felt a rush of compassion for her. To have a whole other life torn away was inherently cruel. "I wonder what she thought of me in her VR program," Kassidy mused.
"She called you Bess," remembered Danziger. "Said you were married to some other person, although I can't quite remember the name. It doesn't matter," he concluded, shaking his head. "We need to get on with our lives, and," he dropped his voice to a whisper, "the Resistance."
Kassidy idly tapped the data screen, highlighting the name Morgan Martin. "Do we take Devon's advice? Do you think we can trust this man?"
"I don't know," revealed Danziger. "It's worth a try, but I have the feeling that I'm being watched. There's nothing they could have that links me yet..."
"And we want to keep it that way," broke in Kassidy. "*I'll* go meet him."
"Is that safe?" asked Danziger, suddenly anxious. He fervently wished that he could keep all of his friends and loved ones protected from the Council, and constantly found himself knocking back Kassidy's ideas.
But they both realised they had a duty to perform. It was for the greater good of all people, and they could only fervently hope that the sacrifices they made would result in eventual success. Someday...
"John, what Council member would suspect a sweet Earth girl?" chided Kassidy. "I can turn on the charm just like that!" He knew how well she could, for Danziger had been caught by her charm several times back in the days just before they were married. And afterward, as well.
Danziger sighed, knowing he couldn't tell Kassidy what she could and couldn't do. She was her own person, something he had sensed more and more often since she'd returned from the six month mining expedition. They had both changed a lot.
But they were still together, they depended on each other and found it hard to imagine life alone again. People needed people, especially in times such as this.
Kassidy began a search on the computer. "Look, Morgan Martin is in here. At level 3 bureaucrat, nothing noteworthy on his file, so maybe his *is* a reliable contact."
Danziger placed his hands on his wife's shoulders as he leaned over the top of her head to see the information. "Can you call up a picture?" he asked.
Quickly, Kassidy complied, and smiled when she saw the image. In a nondescript kind of way, this guy was cute! "He looks normal," she hedged. "I don't see any outward signs of craziness!"
Kassidy laughed, but Danziger only grunted in response. "Looks like a little weasel, if you ask me."
"Come on, John, you know you can't tell anything from a picture. Morgan Martin might just turn out to be the break we need."
"Hmm...you're right," conceded Danziger, knowing that his battle had been lost from the start. "But be careful when you contact him, Kass. Don't give anything away."
"I won't," she promised. Tossing her wild, curly hair, she cleared the screen and removed all traces of their unauthorised search into Council records, something that Kassidy was somewhat expert at.
Danziger's stomach suddenly rumbled, loudly, embarrassingly, and they both laughed. "Sounds like you forgot to eat today," grinned Kassidy.
"Yeah," he admitted, but did not offer any explanation. For his mind had been on Devon Adair almost every free moment he had.

End 1/9

DEVON, ALONE. PART IV
The Legacy of Tears (2/9)
by Nicole Mayer (destiny@wwdg.com)

Yale strode into the public relations office of the Council, his mind fixed on one single purpose. He owed a lot to Devon Adair, and one thing he could do was discover the truth.
"I need to speak to someone about the records of a friend of mine. I believe there is a discrepancy." "Name?" asked the bored attendant.
Yale gave his name, and his registration number, wishing that he could have kept himself anonymous but realising that it was impossible.
"And the name of this friend you're concerned about?" "Devon Adair," Yale replied distinctly, watching the attendant key in the words. A soft, alert beep sounded, and the attendant looked up in surprise.
"There seems to be, uh, specific instructions attached to this record," he stammered. "I'll have to contact my superior. Won't be long." The little man scurried out the back.
Yale gave a heavy sigh, and stepped back to wait. He'd often encountered the endless running around in bureaucratic offices, and suspected that he was in for a long delay. However, he was pleasantly surprised to see the attendant reappear fairly soon.
His attitude was now much more defined. "I require the nature of the inquiry," the man stated.
Yale was ready for this. "I decided to look up Devon, as she is an old friend of mine. I was quite shocked to find a footnote indicating that she is deceased; and thus decided to offer my condolences to the family."
"And..."
"It is a little difficult," Yale began gravely, "to offer sympathy when there is no mention of how, or even when, she died. I fear your records are missing this vital information."
The attendant brought up the record himself, and was visibly surprised at the sketchy records. "I am sorry, I cannot offer you an explanation."
"Can you tell me when it was recorded that she died, at least?" asked Yale, more than a little frustrated. "No, that's not here either..."
"Then I wish to enter a formal search request," Yale interrupted. I feel it is my right and obligation, as a friend of both Ms Adair and her family, to eradicate the errors."
"It may take some time to process your request," hedged the attendant. "The Council is a very busy organisation..."
"I understand that," conceded the old cyborg. "However, I do not believe the Adair family would be too happy to realise that Devon has, in essence, been lost..."
The attendant swallowed. He knew the Council abhorred the big name families, for many of them were difficult to control; and an incident such as this would not look good on his record. It wasn't the attendant's fault, but the Council always seemed to blame the underling. It was a way of life.
"I will see to it that the problem is fixed," the attendant promised.
"Thank you," replied Yale, hoping that the man was telling the truth. "I look forward to hearing from the Council regarding this matter."
The old man walked from the room, a sadness in his heart. There was still the possibility that the Council was in error, and Devon Adair was alive and well. But she had not answered any of the messages he'd sent her, and things seemed grimmer every day. Devon Adair, a glowing flame part of so many lives, may have been finally blown out.

"Devon? Uh, hi. I was just, well, wondering how you're doing. Hope you're okay and all that, and, uh, thanks for the message the other day. Well, um, see you around, okay?"
Danziger signed off, and hoped he hadn't come across as too much of a fool. In a way, he was glad that Devon wasn't home to receive his message because it saved him the difficulty of facing her again. However, he'd been compelled to leave a visual message, just so she could see that he didn't hate her. Notes, in Danziger's opinion, were too impersonal.
Yet he also hoped she didn't get the wrong idea. Or did he? Was friendship with Devon such a bad idea? He didn't know, but he felt better having reached out to her. Danziger irrationally hoped she would call back soon.

Blalock swore, and kicked his foot against the wall. How had the Council managed to dump this on *him*, and just as he believed he was gaining their long overdue respect! He let loose another profanity, but his foot hurt too much to contemplate venting more of his anger on the undeserving furniture. "They really should make softer walls," he fumed.
Just as he believed he was rid of Devon Adair, once and for all, along came a request to rectify a potentially embarrassing situation for the Council. Somehow, the woman had been registered as dead.
It wasn't even human error, it was some buried computer subroutine that had added the note even though there was no definable reason for it to do so. And strangely, Devon Adair was truly missing.
Had someone killed her, and anonymously tipped off the computer? No, that was a stupid idea, Blalock decided. People didn't tip off computers, and in any case, this subroutine that had suddenly reared its head was at least two years old.
Blalock entered the new permission codes that came with his recent promotion. Now he was able to search deeper into the database, although he didn't really believe it would turn up anything. All recent information, especially that pertaining to deaths (and times of death, at least!) should be freely available to those with even minimal access.
The computer beeped, attracting Blalock's attention. "Match found." He studied the information, heaving a sigh of relief. They had a body.
*That*, at least, should keep the Adair family and Yale at bay, if only temporarily. Proof that she was dead, even if the how and why were still a mystery. The corpse was in what was commonly known as 'the freezer', a place where bodies were stored if they were under investigation, or the Council had an interest in the person in question.
Blalock had heard rumours that the body of the first president of the Council still remained on ice, just waiting for the day they had the technology to bring someone back. Blalock shivered. Even with the recent advances in VR technology, mind copying, and growing cloned organs, they were still a long way from bringing someone back from the dead. For that, he was glad.
Suddenly, Blalock laughed aloud. "Devon Adair, on ice," he chortled. "Serves the bitch right."

End 2/9

DEVON, ALONE. PART IV
The Legacy of Tears (3/9)
by Nicole Mayer (destiny@wwdg.com)

"Devon? Uh, hi. I was wondering if you got my last message, seeing as you didn't get back to me.
"If you want me to stay out of your life, well, that's fine, but I guess I care about you. As a friend, that is, but I just wanna know if you're okay."
Danziger paused, hating the message recorder even more with every passing second. "Well, that's about all, I guess. Hope to hear from you soon. Bye..."
He turned off the terminal, and sank into his couch. Devon Adair haunted him, and he couldn't shake the final image of her tearstained, anguished face as he had walked out.
<It was for the best> he reminded himself. So why did he feel a sense of guilt now? He didn't owe her anything at all. Not yet, anyway. Kassidy was meeting with Morgan Martin later that day, and Danziger tried to quell a growing anxiousness inside.
He sighed, looking at the time. What a way to spend one of his rare days off. He supposed he should be doing something more constructive than sitting around worrying about Kassidy and Devon, but he couldn't quite bring himself to start anything. It was true that the Resistance always needed attention, although at the moment there were no urgent demands. They were gathering forces in secret for when the time was right, and searching for a powerful ally or weapon.
Sighing, Danziger wished for the days when the Council was only a minor faction of the government - a name that was foreign to most. Yet, somehow, the Council had grown, feeding on corruption and lies until they held most of humanity in their grip. It was a sobering thought.
Danziger allowed his mind to drift back to his last day off, the beach trip with Devon Adair. Never had he seen a more beautiful place than that holographic planet. No wonder Devon had so desperately believed that it was real - it was a wonderful illusion away from the depressing life on the stations.
The door chime sounded, and Danziger jumped. He didn't encourage his 'associates' within the Resistance to drop by, and he knew for a fact that most of his friends were at work. In that case, would the Council just walk up to his door? He activated the voice panel (drones couldn't afford visual screens on their home entrances).
"Yes?" he asked warily.
The voice that replied was smooth and cultivated. "I am seeking Mr John Danziger. I have a message for him."
Danziger paused, unsure of how to continue. "Uh, you can give me the message and I'll pass it on to him," he hedged.
Quietly, but firmly, the person replied, "I think it is prudent of me to give it to Mr Danziger only."
"Where are you from? Who sent you?" snapped Danziger. "The message is from a mutual associate, a Ms Devon Adair." Devon. Instantly, Danziger keyed the door open to greet the mysterious messenger.
He took a step back at the sight of the imposing form on his doorstep. Noticing the patch on the man's temple, Danziger realised he was a Yale unit, and wondered how it had managed to avoid termination during the war against cyborg technology a few years earlier.
Yale held up his hands in a peaceful gesture. "Sir, I am only here delivering a message. I will not cause any harm to you."
Danziger nodded, and stepped inside, motioning Yale to follow him. As covertly as possible, Danziger positioned himself close by his hidden weapon near the table, just in case.
The door slid shut behind Yale, and he began to speak. "Are you Mr Danziger?" he asked bluntly.
"Who wants to know?" he shot back. "Are you with the Council?" Danziger realised that the cyborg probably wasn't, because a Council member would know without question exactly who Danziger was.
Yale gave a slow, rare smile. "I can assure you, I am not from the Council, nor do I have any desire to become associated with them. I am merely a messenger."
Danziger was inclined to believe the cyborg, for there was something in his tone and mannerisms that inspired trust.
"But, before we go one," Yale suddenly cautioned, "I must know more of your relationship with Ms Adair."
"How about you go first," countered Danziger. "Why would she send you to me, she never even mentioned you!"
"I fear Ms Adair has become involved in a great many secrets, and was attempting to restrict the flow of information to protect her friends," Yale said, hoping that Danziger was the contact he could trust. The man was the only one Yale could find in Devon's recent files with possible connections to an uprising against the Council. Yale hoped he'd guessed correctly.
Nodding, but with suspicion, Danziger offered, "Devon and I are, well, I suppose you could call us acquaintances."
Yale pondered the other man's words, and made an important decision. The quarters were sparse, Danziger seemed to be a typical drone, and if he *was* working for the Council, then surely Yale would have seen some sign of it by now? So Yale would trust Danziger. He just prayed that it was the right decision.
"If I told you I carried vital information pertaining to the Council's reign, what would you say?"
Danziger stopped his restless shuffling for a moment. "I would say," he said gravely, "that such information could be very useful."
Yale slowly, carefully, passed Danziger a data chip. "Do not allow this to be seen by anyone within the Council," he cautioned. "Your life depends on it. Now, I must go. Do not attempt to contact me at all." Yale turned and left the room, hoping that he'd done the right thing.
Yale still had the original, encoded copy of the information, and would endeavour to find others that could help in the quest against the Council. John Danziger had been the first candidate, for there were only a few others for Yale to consider. Time would tell if the information had been correctly passed on. Yale could only hope that he, too, would not vanish.
Danziger studied the chip with intense scrutiny. As far as he could tell, it wasn't rigged to blow up or anything equally destructive when he plugged it into a reader. He smiled, realising what the information could mean.
Not only was it a new weapon against the Council, but it meant that Devon wasn't ignoring his messages. Didn't it? Of course, she couldn't contact him directly if her information was as explosive as Yale appeared to consider it.
But what was Devon doing with such data anyway? When did she get it? Danziger decided he should do some reading before attempting to answer any of his own questions.
"The Council is no longer wholly human..."

Morgan Martin sat in his office, nervously folding and unfolding his hands. He was terribly jumpy lately, and had every reason to feel that way. But he didn't know why, and he didn't know what was going on. He was afraid.
Strange things were happening within the Council, or perhaps they had always been happening and he'd just never noticed. He was beginning to regret his involvement in the Devon Adair situation. It had seemed like a great chance for promotion, but now, now with the frightening evidence of those who had gone before him, Morgan just wanted to disappear back down into the world of the underlings where he had been safely anonymous.
He gave an involuntary shiver as he remembered Dison Blalock. Morgan had never liked the man, although they *had* tolerated each other on occasion. When Blalock was demoted, Morgan silently cheered.
However, three days ago, Morgan learned of Blalock's reinstatement when he passed through Morgan's office. There was a new determination about Blalock, and while Morgan welcomed the absence of the expected snide comment, Blalock's robot like actions had worried him a great deal. The man's eyes were empty.
For the next few days, Morgan had studied the faces of every Council member he encountered. Those with similar, or lower ranking than his own seemed perfectly fine and normal. But those above him, in the positions of power, they...their eyes...were empty.
Morgan wondered what it would be like to look upon the face of the President of the Council, or one of those on the Board of Directors. Would they, too, be strange and frightening? No one ever saw them face to face, and now Morgan appreciated the fact that it may have been one of these very people he reported to about Devon Adair.
He hoped that they wouldn't contact him again about the woman. Morgan wanted to disappear.
"Hello?" called a cheerful voice. Morgan almost hit the roof in terror. <Breathe, Morgan, breathe> he coached himself. <It was only a friendly greeting, they're *not* out to get you...>
He looked up towards the door, glad he had the lights on full. A woman stood there, one with flowing, curly hair and mischievous blue eyes. A new sensation began curling its way through Morgan. She was beautiful.
"Ah, hello," Morgan finally replied, struggling to regain his composure. He remembered his duties as a Council member and said, in an extremely polite voice for him, "Can I help you?"
"I hope so," she said, entering the room and holding out her hand. "I'm Kassidy Quinn."
"Morgan Martin," he automatically returned. "Level 3..." He stopped, realising that he wasn't obligated to give out that information. For so much of his life, he'd been proud of his status, but now it was a dark part of his life. A *very* dark part.
Kassidy seated herself in the chair opposite Morgan's desk. "A mutual acquaintance suggested I get in touch with you," she began with little hesitation.
Morgan gulped, wondering why he was suddenly the focus of so many beautiful women and evil Council members. But upon glancing into Kassidy's friendly face, he relaxed a little, feeling sure that he could at least trust her.
"Why me?" Morgan asked, truly curious and silently thanking the mysterious benefactor for this opportunity to meet Kassidy Quinn.
Kassidy was prepared to neatly sidestep the question, but suddenly found no need to. "I've been told that you're a man who can be very 'helpful' in certain situations..."
"I am?" Morgan was really beginning to wish he could manage more than two word responses, which clearly showed the effect that Kassidy was having on him. When was the last time he'd had a date?
As delicately and diplomatically as possible, Kassidy began telling Morgan the fabricated story of her inability to get a message through to friends on Earth. "The Council seems to be screening more and more lately, and it is *imperative* that I speak to my father before he dies." She watched Morgan carefully, trying to judge his reactions and the depth to which his loyalty lay.
However, there was something about his expression that - intrigued her. And Morgan, too, found himself watching Kassidy as she spoke. The way her mouth formed each and every word, although he couldn't recall what was being said even if his life depended on it. There was something about Kassidy that reminded him of happiness, and a time of innocence before everything became so complicated.
"You haven't heard a word I've said, have you?" Kassidy didn't know whether to be amused or insulted. His gaze was more than a little unnerving, yet there were other feelings to contend with, some part of her that just wanted to reach out and protect him from the dark...
Their eyes locked, and it was Kassidy who was the first to turn away. She was here on business, that was what was important now. So Morgan's next words completely floored her.
"Ah - would you like to join me for lunch?" he stammered. Kassidy meant to say no, she really did, but was surprised to hear a definite "yes" coming from her lips. Damn, what was it about him? She quickly added, "I think you should know : I'm married."
"So?" Morgan countered, hoping he wasn't being too presumptuous but he couldn't let Kassidy go without getting to know her. And, he vowed, he would do everything in his power to help her whenever he discovered the truth behind her strange, yet fateful, appearance at his door.
"Well, okay," relented Kassidy. "There's no harm in having lunch together..." The latter comment was more to abate her own worries rather than Morgan's. What if John got the wrong idea? But he'd been paying too much attention to Devon recently, so maybe, it was time for Kassidy to give him a taste of his own medicine.
Morgan escorted Kassidy out, his fears temporarily forgotten. He had an angel at his side and life was suddenly good.

End 3/9

DEVON, ALONE. PART IV
The Legacy of Tears (4/9)
by Nicole Mayer (destiny@wwdg.com)

There was a new addendum to Devon Adair's file. "Suicide" it read. Yale's heart sank. The date was only four days ago. No suspicious circumstances. They had found her body floating in space, which had purely by chance drifted past a construction zone. It was a hell of a coincidence.
Yale called up further information, and was this time rewarded.
"The deceased was known to be mentally unstable following a difficult experience in Virtual Reality, to which she had agreed. It is the belief of this coroner that she was unable to deal with her new life despite the best intents of the Council to help her.
***Note: Devon Adair herself refused ongoing psychiatric counselling provided by the Council. The Council cannot be held responsible for this apparent oversight into her condition. ***"
Yale let out an angry exclamation at the extra notation. It seemed the Council was anxious to remain blameless of the whole event, but this only served to fuel Yale's suspicion. He read on.
"Video surveillance puts the deceased heading towards a docking bay only minutes before death. It is the opinion of this coroner that the deceased intentionally positioned herself by an automated airlock, thus allowing herself to be 'blown' into space."
Sitting back, Yale was disgusted with the report. It babbled on for several more sentences, which revealed nothing more. Who had written such an appalling article? It didn't conform to any standards he knew of for writing such a report, and Yale suspected that it had been quickly written by some Council member to keep Yale's investigation at bay.
He considered contacting the Adair family. That would help matters somewhat. Even though Devon was regarded as the estranged daughter, obvious by the fact that there was no contact between Devon and her father, the Adairs would not let her death go unnoticed. Family troubles were put aside when the great Adair name was threatened.
How would the Adairs react to the news of suicide? If Devon had died in any suspicious circumstances at all, a full scale investigation would be underway and even the Council would have a hard time keeping itself clean. Yet a clear-cut suicide...by the crazy daughter...that would be swept away under the rug.
But it wasn't clear-cut. Heaviness growing in his heart, Yale knew what he had to do next. He had to go and, and - see Devon's body for himself. The thought pained him, yet he knew that he was one of the few people could determine if her stated cause of death was the truth. Then, perhaps, both Yale and Devon could have a little more peace, wherever their souls may be.

"Kass, you're not going to believe this!" shouted Danziger the instant she walked through the door. "We've almost got it, we've almost got the Council!"
Kassidy, too, was in a great mood after her lunch (and afternoon) with the Council bureaucrat. "John, you should meet Morgan. He's great!" she announced with just as much enthusiasm. Once they'd overcome the initial awkwardness, Kassidy and Morgan had been able to talk for hours. And when she mentioned Devon's name, it was obvious that Morgan was aware of her connections to a Council conspiracy.
But Danziger was more interested in his own news. "Come read this. It'll blow your mind."
"Oh, okay," Kassidy sighed, annoyed with Danziger for ignoring her, but crossing the room to him anyway. She pursed her lips as he went on.
"We've finally got it, Kass, the information to blow the lid off the Council. I can't believe it!"
Danziger's unnatural excitement piqued Kassidy's curiosity. "Where did you get it?" she asked.
"Devon Adair," replied Danziger.
"Oh, so she hasn't cut herself off after all?" "No, well, maybe..." Danziger realised. Hell, he had a lot to think about. But Devon could wait.
In his excitement, Danziger mis-entered the commands to bring up the information file. Instead, a very different message came to light.
"Dear Clients, the second and final payment for your marriage contract is due..."
"What the hell is this?" Danziger snapped, whirling to face Kassidy. Her face fell as she realised what he was looking at. "Oh, that..." she said weakly. "I guess I forgot to tell you..."
"You forgot to tell me that our contract's gonna expire?" Danziger shouted incredulously. He checked the dates in the letter. "We've got ten days to renew!"
"I know," said Kassidy softly. "I'm sorry, I just didn't think to mention it with everything else that's going on."
"So what, you were just gonna let it slide?" Danziger fumed. "Without even consulting me?"
Kassidy had the decency to blush. "I didn't think about it," she admitted. "I didn't really want to think about it. Our lives have changed so much since we got married. I mean, the Resistance and all that, and then my mining trip...John, how much did you miss me? Honestly?"
Danziger looked into her clear, blue eyes, and felt the calming effect she always had on him. "Not as much as I thought I would," he admitted. Slowly, he realised that he liked having Kassidy *around* almost as much as he liked the woman herself. It was a frightening thought.
"I had a great time when I was away," confessed Kassidy. "It was then that I realised that, maybe, you and I have lost touch."
"Kass," Danziger said tenderly, "I'm sorry. We should have worked this out a long time ago."
"When?" she suddenly burst out. "The instant I got back, Devon Adair was invading our lives! And the Resistance, and our jobs, visiting True... we never have any time to ourselves anymore." Kassidy's eyes filled with tears.
"Hey," soothed Danziger, lifting a finger to Kassidy's cheek. "We can get through this. I promise. I'll make time for you, I swear. We just have to finish this new stuff with the Resistance first."
Kassidy sadly nodded. She knew how important the Resistance was to everyone, and if it meant sacrificing her personal life temporarily, then so be it.
"So what about the contract?" she asked dully. Sighing, Danziger countered, "What do you want to do?" He was giving her the chance to back away now, if she wanted. Kassidy lifted her eyes to his, and admitted, "I don't know."
Her mind suddenly drifted to Morgan Martin, and she was shocked by the sudden change of thoughts. What did *he* have to do with anything? Another image flitted into her head - one of her husband and Devon, and Kassidy's eyes narrowed.
"You love Devon Adair," she suddenly said. "What?!"
Kassidy gasped. She hadn't meant to voice her thoughts aloud! And did she really believe that about him? Could she live with that?
"Nothing, John, I'm just so confused, there's too much going on. You understand, don't you?" she begged.
Danziger abruptly strode across the room, away from her. "Maybe we should discuss this later," he said, visibly upset with Kassidy. "I need you to know where you stand."
He left the room, and Kassidy's eyes filled with tears. She didn't want to drive her husband away. They were everything to each other, and she loved him! Didn't she?

"Devon, that stuff you sent me - it was incredible! I'm going to search out the proof we need, and then, well, who
knows. We just might have a chance!" enthused Danziger, smiling into the message recorder.
Then his voice took on a serious tone. "I'm worried about you, Devon. Please call, just to let me know that you're okay. Then I'll leave you alone if that's what you want, I just hope you're alright. Well, bye, I guess."
"John?" Kassidy's face appeared at the beginning of his first recorded message. "I'm, um, I'm going on a trip. I suppose I should have told you face to face, but with everything that's been going on, I couldn't.
"We need some time apart," she bravely continued. "I need to think a lot of things through, about us, and me, and how I really feel about stuff that's going on right now.
"I'll try asking Morgan Martin about that...information...you know, from Devon Adair?" Kassidy didn't dare say anything about it in something as easily intercepted as a message. "And speaking of Devon, John - it's obvious she means a lot to you. Whether that's friendship, or something more, that's up to you to decide. And you have to decide soon, because I can't live like this, and neither can you."
Kassidy paused, her eyes drifting to a spot somewhere to the left. "I also have a confession to make. Remember when you asked me to dig up information on Devon, and see what we could find out about her background? Well, I was, um, jealous of your interest. So I didn't tell you everything.
"Devon had every right to be emotionally unstable. She went through so much pain just before you met her. You know all about the VR program, but not about what happened afterwards."
Taking a deep breath, Kassidy went on. "She was almost raped and killed by Dison Blalock. Except it ended up that *Devon* was the one on trial because of the nature of the crimescene. She was kept in solitary confinement for months before and after, and," Kassidy's eyes flashed angrily, "that is the most terrible, inhumane form of punishment there is. Imagine, being so alone..."
The woman paused to collect her thoughts. "You can read the trial reports in the computer, I've unlocked them now," she admitted. "I believe Devon's statement, not only because I don't trust Blalock, but because you can hear the truth in her words. She was hurting a lot."
Suddenly, tears of remorse appeared in Kassidy's eyes. "It could be my fault that she got even worse! If I'd told you this in the first place, you would have been a lot more understanding and, well, this whole mess might never have happened."
"It's not your fault, Kass," Danziger whispered softly to the recording. "The stuff with Devon didn't *cause* our personal problems, she just helped bring them to a head."
The recorded Kassidy sniffed, and ducked her head. "I loved you, John. But I don't know if I can still say that. Everything changed when I got back from the mining trip and my life's been too confused. I need a break to do some thinking.
"But I still care for you a great deal," Kassidy reminded him through her tears. "I'll see you, well, when I see you." Kassidy smiled sadly, and the message ended.

End 4/9

DEVON, ALONE. PART IV
The Legacy of Tears (5/9)
by Nicole Mayer (destiny@wwdg.com)

Morgan Martin wasn't the only jumpy one walking the offices of the Council. As John Danziger strode through the corridors, he felt the eyes of everyone on him, and wondered just how many of these workers were *them*. The Replicas.
In the past few days, Danziger had managed to push the situation with Kassidy from his mind. He didn't know what to think, and decided to avoid the subject altogether while he worked with the Resistance. With the new information they had, a confrontation seemed so very close!
He was still shocked by the content of Devon's message. According to her, the Council had eradicated the problem of keeping its workers loyal by simply disposing of the real people, and replacing them with Replicas.
Danziger now knew that the Council, and therefore everything, was controlled by only two or three people : the president of the Council, and his trusted allies. The board of directors was nothing more than a sham, because these people controlled the directors completely. And others down the rankings - anyone at all in a position of power was either completely loyal, or dead.
A surge of anger rushed through Danziger's body. What gave one person the right to control everything? He was suddenly glad to have been born a drone, and advancing his way through the ranks of the mechanics rather than politics. For if Danziger had been a bureaucrat, he suspected he would have been replaced long ago.
The Replicas were the perfect employee. On the outside, they appeared identical to the human counterparts from which their bodies were cloned. The mind, too, was similar. The original's mind had been copied just prior to their 'disposal', and then the Council had their fun in programming out the distasteful personality quirks and creating the perfect human machine.
So in essence, the Replicas were almost human. John Danziger suddenly realised that *he* had been a guinea- pig for the mind-copying process, and wished fervently that he could take back that moment in time. The extra credits were worth nothing when compared to the greater conspiracy at hand. And what if there was a clone walking around with *his* mind...nah, that idea was too bizarre to even contemplate. And too frightening.
Devon Adair had accidentally, and secretly, witnessed the beginning of a Replica's life. Danziger recalled what she had written, and shuddered.
"They injected something, some sort of microscopic probe, into the cranium. And suddenly, the lump of cloned flesh woke up, and she *was* the woman I knew. But there was a coldness in her eyes..."
It was a coldness, an emptiness that Danziger was so aware of now. He wondered if Devon saw it everywhere she went. Devon. He was worried about her. Five calls had gone unanswered...and even when Danziger stopped by her quarters, there was no one there.
Maybe the Council got to her.
Danziger was on his way right now to the records department, to access information on Devon Adair. Her records were locked from the drones (as was the case with most people) and a horrible fear was growing inside John Danziger.
Crazy as their relationship had been, he missed her. A lot. Devon, even with all her confusion and flaws, had brought something new to his life and Danziger had gradually realised that he *needed* to see her again.
A Council member rudely pushed past Danziger, interrupting his train of thought. He grimaced, wishing for the day when all people would get the respect they deserved. Including Devon.
He couldn't believe the way the Council - and Blalock - had treated her . She *willingly* participated in their VR project, and they had ended up abandoning her to a world of confusion and lies.
Danziger glanced up, and stopped. Striding towards him was Dison Blalock. As the anger brewed within Danziger, an anger and outrage at what had been done by *this* man to his Devon (my Devon?), he couldn't help himself. He punched Blalock in the nose.
And it felt damn good.
A collective gasp seemed to echo throughout the corridor as Blalock picked himself up from the floor, one hand over his bloodied nose.
"What was that for?" asked Blalock, surprisingly calm and controlled. "*That*," hissed Danziger, "was for Devon Adair. I *know* what you did to her, you monstrous..."
Blalock's face twisted into a grimace at the name and he looked at the blood on his hands. All of a sudden, Blalock lunged at Danziger, but the bigger man easily blocked his punch.
"Assaulting a Council Citizen...Devon Adair again...I'll have you in court for this!" Blalock shouted in an attempt to sound authorative, realising he had no hope of winning the fight.
Danziger ignored his words, and grabbed him by the collar instead. "You stay the hell away from Devon Adair. You hear me?"
Inexplicably, and even while under Danziger's furious gaze, Blalock began to laugh.
"What's so funny?" snarled Danziger, tightening his grip. Blalock's merriment only continued.
"I said," Danziger repeated, "what's so funny?!" He punctuated each word by shaking the little man.
Finally, Blalock told him. "Devon Adair," he gasped, "is dead!" Blalock was instantly dropped to the floor and Danziger stood there, in stunned silence. <No, that's not true,> his mind screamed. <That's impossible!>
"Oh God, Devon..." All rational thoughts flew from Danziger's head as he whirled and raced back down the corridor, not caring who he knocked aside . Now things were beginning to make sense - the ignored messages, the truth of fearing the Council, the emptiness he felt, and the terrible, consuming guilt of abandoning her when she was hurting so badly...
"Devon!" he shouted, hammering on the door to her quarters. To his surprise, the door slid open. It wasn't even locked. Fear pounding in his heart, Danziger stepped inside and discovered that nothing had changed. Nothing at all since the last time he'd been there, save a fine layer of dust that lay over the room.
She was really gone.

The warning lights flickered, and the woman frowned. There was another incident of aberrant behaviour in Citizen Blalock. Something, or someone, was causing undesired emotional outbursts within the subject, and this was very unfortunate. Perhaps Citizen Blalock should be considered a failure, and dealt with as such. The Council didn't want another situation like the last time, with the Adair woman...

Danziger had been at Devon Adair's computer terminal for what seemed hours. With a heavy heart, he studied Devon's records with intense scrutiny and discovered the awful truth - she truly *was* considered dead in the great database of the stations.
However, he refused to believe that it was suicide solely on the Council's say so. Danziger *knew* that Devon had discovered their secret, and if the bastards had killed her, there'd be hell to pay. Danziger intended to make sure of that.
He punched the wall in anger, wishing desperately that it was Blalock's head. There was no doubt in his mind that Blalock was a Replica, and a recent one, at that. Devon's report had detailed the absence of strong emotions within Replicas, although she suspected there were occasional situations the original personality could rear its head.
Like when Danziger had mentioned Devon to Blalock - his reaction was anything but typical of a Replica.
The door behind him suddenly whooshed open, and Danziger whirled to instantly crouch in a defensive position. But he needn't have bothered, for the person who stepped inside was an ally.
Yale.
Danziger awkwardly stood up, wondering what the cyborg would think of his impulsive actions; and how he would explain his presence inside Devon Adair's quarters. But the older man saved him the trouble.
"Mr Danziger," Yale greeted. "I expected to find you here sooner or later. It is a terrible tragedy indeed."
"How long have you known?" Danziger managed to say, his voice strained as he was unwilling to accept Devon's death.
Yale sighed heavily. "That is the point of confusion. I received the message, the one I passed on to you..." He broke off as he remembered something. "Was the information useful?"
Danziger nodded vigorously. "It was more than I ever dreamed we'd discover about the Council. I knew they were corrupt, but to have gone to *this* extent simply to remain in control is incredible."
"We live in a very dark time indeed," Yale said gravely. He crossed the room to stand beside Danziger, the door gently closing of its own accord . Yale noted that the man had been accessing Devon's records, and the information pertaining to her 'suicide' was currently on screen.
Danziger followed Yale's gaze, and sadly sighed. "I just can't believe that she's gone," he said. "Everything's so confusing...that fight we had the last time I saw her, and then discovering that she was involved in a lot more than I thought, and now...Yale," he said in a deadly serious tone, "do you think the Council killed her?"
Yale glanced around intuitively, even though there shouldn't have been anyone about to hear his next words. "I believe that is a very real possibility. There are too many discrepancies in the story."
Yale also had another theory concerning the enigma of Devon's behaviour during the last two years, but he chose not to voice it just yet. "Did you know that the suicide notice was only recorded after I began to ask questions?" he continued.
Danziger shook his head, and Yale went on. "I have requested to view her body. I am not a doctor, but I should be able to ascertain how she died ." Yale paused, and it was obvious that the idea distressed him greatly.
"Let me come with you," jumped in Danziger. He didn't know why he wanted to go see her...he'd had enough death in his life. But there was something pulling at his heart - a combination of guilt, regret, and sorrow. And he owed it to her to find the truth. For with Devon's help, the Council could be conquered and it wasn't fair that she would never see it.

Someone had been in his unit. Morgan Martin knew it the moment he walked in the door. Nothing seemed to be out of place, yet the sense of the intruder lingered, and Morgan feared that probing fingers had touched every article he owned.
Nervously, Morgan checked each room although he knew that the intruder would be long gone. Briefly, he considered the possibilities of who had been there, and quickly discarded many of them. Not a burglar - everything had been left in immaculate condition, and the door showed no signs of tampering. No, this reeked of an organised, systematic yet untraceable search. The Council.
"This is bad, very bad..." Morgan muttered to himself as he began to pace nervously. He was glad that nothing incriminating was stored in his unit, in fact, Morgan had devoted most of his life to staying as far as he could from trouble.
There was only one thing he had done (wait, make that two if he considered the diplomatic affair where he'd accidentally knocked his glass of wine all over the president of the outer stations...oooh, bad memory there). Morgan shook his head, they couldn't *possibly* be still holding that against him!
It had to be the alternative option - his foolish interest in the affairs of Devon Adair. After Kassidy <what a beautiful name> had approached him, Morgan's interest in Devon had been rekindled. Devon sought him out, Kassidy sought him out, and then mentioned Devon's name - there had to be some significant connection besides the Council's obvious paranoia with the woman.
Morgan hadn't been surprised to discover her dead. What had surprised him was his own reaction - he felt truly sad over the loss. And as he began noting the discrepancies in the report, a sense of injustice came over him and Morgan had vowed to keep an eye on the situation. He had decided to try and prevent it from happening again.
Perhaps that wasn't such a good idea after all. Devon's movements had been tracked from the very beginning (the file on her ran back several years , ever since the Eden Project was proposed). Now Morgan realised that surely the Council would track anyone who was tracking Devon.
And that meant him. Was he next on their list of problems to deal with ? Morgan wanted to run away and hide, but knew that he couldn't. He didn't have anywhere to go, for the Council had been his whole life.

End 5/9

DEVON, ALONE. PART IV
The Legacy of Tears (6/9)
by Nicole Mayer (destiny@wwdg.com)

Ironically, it was Dison Blalock who was assigned the duty of escorting Danziger and Yale to 'the freezer'. Earlier, Danziger had voiced his suspicions to Yale about Blalock being a Replica, and the cyborg was inclined to agree with him.
However, there was still Blalock's emotional outburst at the mention of Devon's name to consider. Perhaps the process of creating Replicas wasn't yet perfect, and adverse reactions to traumas of the past life could resurface. Yale decided that whoever did this to Blalock was probably testing him in this mediocre duty.
"Right this way," sneered Blalock, gesturing them through sweeping metal doors. The temperature noticeably dropped, even though the area was supposed to be acclimatised with the outside corridors. Danziger involuntarily shivered. Perhaps it was the great walls of steel that caused the foreboding atmosphere, or it may have been the sense of death that permeated every part of the room.
Although 'room' wasn't an adequate word to describe the setting. 'Cavern' seemed so much more appropriate. It stretched for kilometres in either direction, body upon body stored for who knew what purpose. They were extremely lucky that Devon Adair's body was still here, and not cremated as was the typical fashion for death on the stations, because quite some time had passed since Yale put in his initial request. Even in the most trying circumstances, bureaucracy could be counted on to roll along in its own inimitable fashion, caring little for the dignity of the individual.
"To the left, please," Blalock directed, striding confidently in front of the two men. Past the temporary section for recent deaths, past the section with bodies still awaiting investigation, and deep into the depths of the great grey world. This struck Yale as quite odd.
Their footsteps echoed horribly in the eerie quiet of the ultimate futuristic tomb. Finally, after what seemed an eternity of travel through the cold world, Blalock paused in front of one indistinct panel. He quickly keyed in an access code, and a metallic slab slid out from the wall. Devon.
She lay like a princess preserved in the ice of eternity. Her eyes, once so vividly blue, were closed to the greyness above and for that both Yale and Danziger were glad. They did not know if they could cope with seeing the emptiness within her soul.
Compelled, Danziger reached out to touch one fragile cheek. She was so cold to his touch, so terribly cold and lifeless - she was a porcelain doll which might crack at any moment.
Danziger was reluctant to move his eyes from that delicate face, studying it in every detail. And although Yale had similar qualms, he knew why he was there - to learn the truth. He forced himself to visually examine the body (not Devon, he told himself - he needed to professionally detach himself if he was going to get any answers) and Yale was glad he had studied up on the injuries received by rapid decompression.
There were traces of bruising along the major veins, but this was difficult to appreciate as her body had been frozen for so long. Likewise, any appreciable shades of sunburn from short, yet direct exposure to the sun's deadly rays, could not be confirmed. Or perhaps she had only floated in the dark side of the station's shadow.
He looked for the signs of asphyxiation, which would have caused her death. Covertly moving his hand over the body, for Yale had incorporated a medical scanner into his arm, he noted a ragged tear in her lungs. Yale frowned, for the rip seemed too... penetrating...and... intrusive for simple suffocation.
Yale deepened the scan, to check her cellular readings. As expected, there was some rupturing, but not nearly as much as he would have expected. He was about to voice his findings and suspicions to John Danziger, when he was rudely interrupted.
"Are you satisfied now?" Blalock asked impatiently, tapping his foot as the forbidden emotions surfaced. A sudden internal buzzing in Blalock's head caused the man to grasp at his temples in pain, but Danziger didn't notice this. His attention was focussed on Devon.
Ever so carefully, he tilted her chin towards him, so that he could see her empty face clearly. Danziger frowned.
"That's not her." There was no question in his words, and no doubt whatsoever.
"Excuse me?" blustered Blalock.
"This isn't Devon. I don't know *whose* body this is, and it's a damn good copy, but it's not her." Danziger's voice was low, but full of conviction as he looked to Yale for confirmation.
But it was a confirmation that was not forthcoming. Yale adjusted his scanner to check her DNA, the very essence of each person which could not be changed under any circumstances. "I'm sorry, John, but this *is* Devon Adair's body."
"It can't be!" Danziger exploded. "I *know* Devon, I know what she looks like! Could this be a clone?" he asked hopefully. That would explain so much - and it would give so much promise. If Devon had been captured by the Council... they might kill a clone so that Devon's friends would stop following her trail! And only then would Devon herself give in to their demands
But Yale shook his head. "There is always a slight trace resonance from cloned cells, even when the subject is deceased." John Danziger felt all fragments of hope leave him yet again, and his knees weakened. He placed one hand on the metal slab to brace himself, tortured eyes on the face of the woman who was called Devon Adair.
The cyborg turned to coldly face Blalock. "There is no doubt that this is Devon Adair, but she did not die of asphyxiation. She was not jettisoned into a vacuum. I believe she was murdered."
Danziger took a step back, pure disgust and contempt towards Blalock flowing from his eyes. However, Blalock did not flinch.
"Your assumptions are in error," he told Yale. "The Council is meticulous when investigating deaths. We have surveillance footage of *her* walking towards the docking bay!"
"It could be faked!" Danziger shouted, his emotions getting the better of him.
"Are you calling me a liar?" Blalock asked, his voice becoming dangerously low. "Because let me tell you, right now, that I personally examined that footage when these absurd requests came up. Can't you just accept the fact that Devon Adair was a stupid, worthless excuse for a human being? She threw *herself* out of an airlock! It wasn't the Council, it wasn't some great conspiracy. She killed herself, and now we should be glad that she's gone." Blalock began to laugh, almost maniacally. He clutched at his head, a small moan escaping his lips before the laughter surged back.
Yale stared at the man with a mixture of revulsion and pity. Blalock fell to his knees, suddenly shouting, "Make it stop! Oh, please, make it go away!" He was no longer laughing, but now writhing in pain. Danziger lost the urge to punch him through the wall into eternity, and watched, both intrigued and sickened by the spectacle.
All of a sudden, three white suited figures entered the cavern. They did not speak, but the stripes on their uniforms clearly indicated their authority as Council medical staff. Dark suited security personnel quickly followed the medics. Rapidly, Blalock was hauled up from the ground and half-dragged away while security turned its attention to Yale and Danziger. Obviously, their time there was over.
Danziger turned as the capsule was returned to the wall. He caught a last glimpse of the Devon who was not Devon and knew in his heart that whoever she was, her body would not be here much longer. Far too much had been said, and now the Council was aware of their suspicions. There would be no more opportunity for proof.
Irrationally, Danziger whispered, "Goodbye," under his breath as the crypt sealed shut with a resounding thud. Whoever she was, she was truly gone forever.

"Kassidy!" Alex Wentworth's voice was high-strung and full of anxiety. "I've been trying to reach you and John for days. Where have you been?!"
Kassidy carelessly dropped her bag to the floor. She had finally come home, but to an empty unit and a mountain load of messages. She felt freer than she had in months, and finally ready to tell John that she believed their relationship, as lovers, was over.
But before she even had time to look around, the communications panel had beeped with an urgent incoming call. Kassidy abhorred wearing Gear, and had purposely left hers behind when she left. Besides, Gear was generally only used during military operations, or while out on the job. Only the paranoid carried sets all the time.
Kassidy smiled at Alex with what she hoped was a reassuring expression. "I've been on an expedition," she explained, deliberately not elaborating.
However, Alex brushed aside her words. "Okay, fine, something came up, but don't you know what this is doing to *her*?" By 'her', Alex obviously meant True Danziger. "I would have expected you to be more considerate!"
Frowning, Kassidy said, "I don't understand." "She's been expecting John, or you, since Monday! John promised he'd come visit, but neither of you showed up."
"He didn't?" repeated Kassidy. Alex shook her head vigorously. "No messages, nothing. It's like he disappeared from the stations entirely."
Kassidy felt her knees buckle. "Oh no," she whispered. Her face grew pale, and Alex noticed her reaction. "What?" she asked anxiously. "You don't think..."
"What if *they* got to him?" she whispered, horrified at the possibility. "They couldn't have!" Kassidy cried out, trying to deny the possibility. Her next words were vicious, and Alex was the unfortunate recipient of Kassidy's rare anger.
"What did the Resistance have him doing? Who was so *stupid* as to go ahead with action? We needed to lie low for a while yet!" In her fear and anger, Kassidy forgot the necessity of a secure channel.
"Kass, listen!" shouted Alex. "We've done nothing! Whatever he's got himself involved in, it wasn't *us*. He wouldn't put everything at stake, and he wouldn't do something rash without at least letting someone know first." Her voice took on a graver tone. "Did he leave you a message?"
"I haven't even checked yet, you called just as I walked in the door and realised that no one was here." Nervously, Kassidy's fingers danced over the panel to manually scan through the list of messages. "Nothing," she declared. "Where is he?!"
"It might just be a misunderstanding," Alex offered, but her eyes clearly showed the concern her words attempted to hide. "He could walk in any moment."
"No," Kassidy said sullenly, shaking her head. "He wouldn't just take off. That's my department." She felt a sudden wave of remorse for her actions. What had she been thinking, just walking out like that? He was her *husband*, for better or for worse. "I have to find him," she vowed. "If I lose him, I don't know what I'll do."
"Take it easy, Kass," Alex cautioned. "Don't do anything rash." Kassidy nodded, her big blue eyes bright with unshed tears of remorse and worry. "I'll let you know what I find out," she promised. "Say hi to everyone for me." Kassidy closed the connection, and immediately initiated a new call. If the Council were involved, there was only one man she could ask to help her. Morgan Martin.

End 6/9

DEVON, ALONE. PART IV
The Legacy of Tears (7/9)
by Nicole Mayer (destiny@wwdg.com)

Danziger slammed his fist against the wall, furious. He'd been doing an awful lot of that lately, but this time felt perfectly justified for his actions. This *room*, as they called it, made a mockery of the justice system. For all intents and purposes, it was a cell. And Danziger didn't even know what they wanted with him - he'd barely seen anyone since he and Yale were hustled away from Devon Adair's body.
"We have some questions for you," was all he'd been able to get out of the security officers before they'd locked him away. And since then, Danziger had been told over and over, "We're terribly busy right now, but we will get to you when we can." He was treated with contempt and disgust by the variety of personnel who claimed to be 'caring for' him.
The mechanic had verbally protested over such treatment. "Am I a prisoner?" he yelled the previous day.
"You are under investigation pertaining to the assault of a Council member," he was finally told. Damn, why had he punched Blalock? That was obviously the only thing they could pin on him, and Danziger now knew that the Council only needed one reason, no matter how insignificant, to pull anyone in for good.
He was worried about Yale. The cyborg's very existence was illegal, and only the Adair family had managed to protect him all these years. But now that he was under the employ of another family, Danziger wondered if such loyalty would be forthcoming.
And there was the little matter of Yale's unauthorised scans of Devon's body. With the treatment Danziger was now receiving, he had no doubts that the Council was aware of their unofficial investigation into her death.
He fought the urge to smack the wall of the 'cell' again, mostly because his hands hurt. There wasn't a great deal to do in the room of four white walls and not much else. Devon had also spent days in one of these while on trial for attempted murder.
He almost laughed at that one. They'd both been in trouble for injuring Dison Blalock. Didn't the Council get the hint - the man was bad news.
Although if Blalock *was* now a Replica, then perhaps the Council had realised that the original man wasn't worth having around. A submissive Replica was so much easier to handle, although *something* was obviously tampering with his programming or trying to correct the errant emotions. Danziger himself had seen evidence of that.
He remembered Blalock clutching at his head, and the confused glassiness in the man's eyes. For some reason, the memory felt familiar to Danziger. Almost as if he had seen it before, happening to someone else... Danziger shook his head, knowing it would come to him sooner or later.
The hesitant opening of the door jolted him from his reverie, and a very unexpected person appeared.
"Morgan Martin?" asked Danziger, not entirely sure if he had the name right. The other man nodded, and extended a hand, albeit nervously. Morgan had been reviewing the security footage and had every right to fear a caged John Danziger.
"I'm here on the request of Ms Kassidy Quinn," he began formally. Danziger jumped up. Kassidy! That meant she was back! He'd spent quite some time worrying about her - where she was, and what she would do if she discovered he was missing. More than that, he longed for her company.
"How is she?" Danziger asked.
"She's fine," reassured Morgan, and went on, "but she's worried about you. Luckily, though, I was able to put her fears to rest. You're in trouble, Mr Danziger, but not critically so."
Danziger asked the question that had been burning in his mind ever since the bureaucrat walked in. "So what are my chances of getting out of here?"
Morgan smiled, for this was his line of work. Slick negotiations and working deals for the underlings were his forte, and he could be extremely good at it when need be.
"I'm working on that right now," he said. "I'm sure I can cut a deal for you."
"And what about Yale?" Danziger had to ask. In the short time he'd known the cyborg, Danziger had developed an immense respect for him.
Morgan momentarily paused before saying, "Ah, yes, the one you were brought in with. Unfortunately, he is scheduled for deactivation. Really, it should have happened years ago. I don't know what the Council was thinking, having one of *those* still operating. They're criminals, and who knows what a Yale could do if they were free to roam the stations? I wouldn't want to get in the way..."
"Martin," broke in Danziger, purposely omitting formality. He struggled to hide the outrage in his voice. "The prejudice against Yale units is highly outdated. This one that I know is perfectly safe. I want you to tell Kassidy that, and do everything you can to abort the termination."
Morgan paled. "I can't do that!" he stammered. "Don't you know what that would do to *my* reputation? I'm hanging by a thread as it is! If it were anyone but Kassidy, I wouldn't even be here."
Wrong move. "What is it," Danziger asked, a dangerous note in his voice, "that makes Kassidy so special?"
Morgan heard the challenge and decided to avoid it. "That doesn't matter," he said. "We need to get you out of here before it's too late. For me as well." His final words were a whisper, and only then did Danziger notice the obvious fear in his eyes.
"What, you think they're gonna turn *you* into one of them?" he goaded. Morgan visibly jumped.
"You know about that?!"
Danziger silently cursed the monitors he knew were witnessing the encounter, so he covertly motioned for Morgan's legal pad. Painstakingly he pointed out words (or letters) one by one, hoping that the bureaucrat could keep track of the stilted message.
'Replicas. Council plot. Station domination. You next.' Morgan's eyes widened as he began to appreciate just how necessary it was to get Danziger, and Yale, out alive, especially to save his own skin. Or more accurately, his own mind.
"I'll see what I can do," Morgan promised. "Now let's get down to basics, beginning with Dison Blalock."
And Danziger told his story.

"John!" Kassidy shrieked happily, hurling herself across the waiting room to embrace him and bury her face in his chest. "Oh John, I was so worried...I'm sorry about everything...I love you..." She hugged him tighter than ever.
Danziger was a little confused. He thought she was leaving him, but her performance indicated a complete turnaround of her emotions. He willingly hugged her back, excited and happy.
He was free. Morgan had managed to work a miracle, throwing meticulous details to the Council and proving that they didn't have a real case against him.
Yes, he had punched a Council member, there was no denying that. Danziger faced a severe fine and a mandatory anti-violence course for that one.
But of the other allegations...it was Yale who'd carried out the scan on Devon's body. Danziger had, in Morgan's words, merely wanted one last moment with a departed friend. Was that a crime? Had the Council really become so ruthless?
And in the presence of the public (for many friends had attended Danziger's preliminary hearing), the Council was eager to cut off such allegations. "It was a misunderstanding," they hastily revised. "Charge dropped."
Yale, however, was not so lucky. Sensing his own impending doom, the cyborg had attempted to openly state his findings and as a result was rapidly subdued. Morgan was working actively to avoid his termination for as long as possible, and Danziger was praying that the delay would hold until they could overthrow the Council. Or die trying.
They were close now, and as Danziger held Kassidy in his arms, he believed they could do almost anything. But there was still one more thing to do before he could devote his life back to the Resistance.
"I need to see Yale," was the first thing Danziger said when Kassidy stepped back a little. Morgan was obviously surprised, the shocked expression knocking the traces of jealousy at Kassidy's reaction right from his face.
"John," (they were on first name basis by now) "that might not be a good idea. I recommend you leave this place and lie low for a while. The Council isn't convinced that you're innocent, and while they can't come out and say anything, you can be sure they're watching you."
"I don't care," said Danziger bitterly. "I need to talk to him." So amidst vocal protests by both Kassidy and Morgan, Danziger was granted his wish.
Yale looked old and tired, and it seemed that every year of his extended life had caught up with him. Yet he still carried the quiet dignity that set him apart from others, and the sense of a man who had accepted his inevitable fate.
"I'm glad to see you, John," he said from his own small, white room. Yale had recordings of old-style prisons with dirty grey walls and decided they were infinitely preferable to the stark, painful brilliance of cells of the present.
Danziger shuffled awkwardly on his feet, not quite knowing what to say. He was going free, and Yale was scheduled to die. It wasn't fair, especially since they had both been in on it. <But in on what?> he shouted internally. <Trying to find out the truth?!>
Finally, Danziger spoke. "I'm sorry," he offered. "Don't be," Yale replied. "Just continue the work. If we can do that, then Devon's quest was not in vain. Someday, the truth must come out."
"Devon," repeated Danziger. "Are you positive it wasn't a clone we saw in the freezer?" But in his heart, he already knew the answer would be no.
"It was her," Yale said gravely. "But there is one other interesting fact I neglected to mention," he revealed. "I only discovered it myself when reviewing the data. That body - Devon Adair - has been dead for at least two years."
"What?" Danziger said even as his mind raced ahead. So if the real Devon was murdered, two years ago...then who the hell had he known?
"My God...She was a Replica!"

End 7/9

DEVON, ALONE. PART IV
The Legacy of Tears (8/9)
by Nicole Mayer (destiny@wwdg.com)

Devon Adair, the only one John Danziger had known, was a Replica.
Finally, all the tiny signs added up. Her headaches, her instability, her inability to deal with reality and her desperate quest to find a place in life. From the very moment Danziger had met who he thought was Devon Adair, it wasn't her. It was a Council controlled clone.
"We didn't even know the same woman," Danziger numbly told Yale, shocked. Danziger wondered to himself - how had he fallen for a clone? (Had he really fallen for her?) Yes, he decided, she was more important to him than he'd ever realised.
Danziger shook his head, suddenly afraid and then disgusted with himself for his feelings. Devon (and he couldn't think of her any other way) was *so* real. Her eyes hadn't been empty. How could he believe that she was a Replica? He'd seen the life in her eyes beyond the immense sorrow, and the fire in her heart that spoke volumes to him.
And then Danziger thought of something that literally took his breath away. "She could still be out there!" And if she was...the Council could be in control. Devon had an implant in her head and who knew what that did to her?
"We have to find her," Danziger vowed. He wondered if they could remove the implant, and give Devon the Replica the opportunity to live as a true human being. How long had the Replica been alive? Two years, Danziger realised, two agonising years when they tested her through every means possible, including the Program. Two years to make sure that the information Devon had never got out, while the Council remained blameless of her death.
The analytical part of Danziger's mind realised Devon would be the perfect evidence to confront the Council - if he wanted to put her through the trauma.
There were so many possibilities. But he couldn't concentrate right now, for Danziger's heart was singing with the news that Devon could still be alive! He barely heard the robotic voices of security personnel escorting him from the room saying, "Ignore the words of the Yale. You are not permitted further contact."
Devon...if only she was alive...

There was a frantic hammering on the door, and both Kassidy and Danziger jumped. Kassidy had been contentedly curled up in her husband's arms on the couch as they celebrated his freedom. Her own emotions were confusing her greatly - sometimes (like right now) she believed she loved John more than anyone else in the universe. And other times, well, she *had* been prepared to say goodbye before she found out that he had been arrested.
Kassidy lazily extracted herself from Danziger's arms and wearily walked to the door, wincing as the drumming noise repeated itself. Morgan stood outside.
"You've got to help me!" he near-shrieked as he threw himself through the door in terror. "Quick, close it, I can't let anyone know where I am..."
"Morgan," said Kassidy in her best speaking-to-a-child voice, "what's wrong?"
"Everything," he moaned, grabbing a chair and flopping into it. "They're after me, and I didn't know where else to go." Morgan buried his face in his hands and pulled his hair loose from the restricting Council standard.
"Nice to see you too," grunted Danziger sarcastically, but Morgan didn't even notice.
"They're going to promote me!" Morgan wailed. "You know what that means, don't you? That's it! The end! I'll be *cloned*!" Kassidy had told him what they knew, and Morgan had covertly attempted to dig up information. But now it seemed as if his attempts had been traced.
"I'm supposed to fill Blalock's old position," Morgan babbled. "Did you know that he's dead?"
A smile slipped past Danziger's lips which he quickly smothered. No matter how much he disliked Blalock, he couldn't laugh at his death. "What was it?" Danziger asked.
"A rare condition that supposedly fuses neural pathways. In other words, he was brain dead." Morgan shivered, realising how easy it would be for the Council to destroy part of someone's brain, and the task would be even easier if the subject were a Replica.
"How do you know they're going to turn you into a Replica?" Kassidy asked reasonably.
"They had me handling what they call the "Devon Adair Situation". I suppose I went too far in pointing out the inaccuracies, and my superiors didn't like me highlighting the mistakes. Then I discovered that the incident was a rare yet complicated error on their part, and they needed me to ensure that it won't happen again," Morgan explained.
Danziger was suddenly very interested. "What won't happen again?"
Morgan took a deep breath. "With the first wave of Replicas, their implants were designed to constantly update their status in the Council's database."
"You actually found this out?" Kassidy was incredulous, Morgan must have been a better computer hacker than even *she* was.
He nodded dolefully. "I didn't cover my tracks well enough. And that's how I know they're going to kill me!" Morgan anxiously wrung his hands together. "The Board of Directors personally invited me to meet with them, for a special 'briefing' on the Replica situation. They know that I know, and they know I'm connected with you."
"The Council knows everything, huh Morgan?" Danziger attempted levity, but it didn't quite come off. Kassidy's eyes were more serious, and she gently patted Morgan's arm.
"I believe you, Morgan. We can hide you, I promise." Morgan relaxed a fraction. "Thank you," he said, his voice containing a hint of relief. "I knew I could count on you, Kass."
It might have been a beautiful moment between them had not Danziger jumped back into the conversation.
"What else do you know about the implants?" "The implants...oh yes, the implants. The situation with Devon was such a mess because once a Replica dies, the old implants send out a message recording the subject as dead. But the Council didn't have a body! No one did, and questions were coming in regarding her status."
Danziger nodded slowly, feeling a dark gloom creep back over him. "So they concocted the story, and showed us the body of the original Devon..."
"Not quite," corrected Morgan. "They found standard surveillance footage of the Replica deliberately walking towards an airlock. I think there was a gross miscommunication - the department assigned to making Devon go crazy..."
"They had a whole department for that?!" angrily broke in Danziger.
"Of course, they had to get rid of her somehow. She was the most unstable Replica they'd ever encountered, and couldn't trust her to function for the Council at all. They couldn't kill her outright, so they slowly, subtly tried to drive her over the edge. Until she caused her *own* death."
"NO!" shouted Danziger, obviously in denial. Were his hopes to be so cruelly dashed, only hours after discovering that Devon could still be alive? "How can they ... it's not possible ... would she *really* ..." He seemed at a loss for words, but Kassidy understood his pain.
"There's nothing you could have done," she told her husband. Danziger violently shook his head in response. "I *could* have done something," he berated himself. "Instead, I just walked away, saying that it wasn't my problem..."
"You didn't know!" protested Kassidy. "You can't blame yourself for the influence the Council had on her mind - just look at how real she believed you were from a VR program. She was in love with an image!"
But Danziger appeared not to heed her words. Instead, he turned to Morgan and demanded, "Give me everything you've got. The security footage, the trace of her movements, everything! Maybe we can still find her." He grimaced as the data showed only what he had already been told - Devon, her face so haunted and her eyes so empty, slowly and deliberately marching down a grey hall. She really did it.
"It's the best way to lie...tell the truth, except for the parts that really matter," Danziger said bitterly. "Morgan, Kass, from this I can assume that Devon went out of airlock 36-9C. That's on the dark side of the station."
Morgan was obviously waiting for further explanation as he held out his hands in a 'so what?' gesture.
"The Council didn't find her body yet," Danziger said, a quiet determination in his voice. "They probably didn't even bother looking."
Morgan studied a schematic of the outer catwalks and ports of the station. "If she went out there, chances of finding her are near impossible," he said darkly. "It's been too long since she went missing."
"But we can try!" Danziger said vehemently. "She gave her own life for so many other people, and that deserves more than floating through space forever." Obviously in deep thought, Danziger began to verbalise his ideas. "We'd need something that could latch on to a body, but gently, wouldn't want it to shatter..."
"And then what?" broke in Kassidy, her voice unnaturally high. "I know you feel obligated to help her, but John, there's nothing you can do anymore."
"It's an impossible task," agreed Morgan. "I'm sorry." Danziger sighed heavily, shaking his head of golden curls. "Damn, I just feel so useless. Devon Adair deserved more than this, she fought for so long. If only I hadn't..."
Kassidy's eyes filled with tears as she watched her husband torturing himself. "No, John, don't do this. You are not responsible for her death, and you need to put it behind you." Kassidy placed her arms around Danziger, hoping that he would relax a little and begin to let go of his guilt.
"It was a tragedy of great proportions," said Morgan wisely, having stopped his nervous fidgeting. He was terribly embarrassed by his own part in the whole Devon Adair affair, and wished fervently that he'd never become involved when his superiors asked him. If only he'd had the nerve to stand up to them, then things might have been different.
But that was the past. And no matter how much the three whose lives were touched by Devon Adair wanted to change events, it was too late. They couldn't go back, only forward with the memories.

End 8/9

DEVON, ALONE. PART IV
The Legacy of Tears (9/9)
by Nicole Mayer (destiny@wwdg.com)

John Danziger was walking down a hall, deep in thought. His emotions were in turmoil and having Morgan temporarily staying in his and Kassidy's unit didn't help matters much. They had to get Morgan away soon, before the Council realised that their 'trusted' bureaucrat had gone AWOL.
Danziger was clinging to Kassidy as if she were a lifeline, for two major reasons. She helped to ease his guilt, and reminded Danziger of who he was and how much each and every sacrifice counted. Secondly, *he* wanted to keep her safe. He didn't know if he could face losing her, either to the Council, or to the waiting arms of Morgan Martin.
Danziger laughed bitterly. Morgan's interest in Kassidy was blatantly obvious to him, and while Danziger had many reasons to like and respect the man, he couldn't help but question Morgan's motivations.
But thoughts like this weren't getting Danziger anywhere. He sighed. How could he move on with his life, when nothing had truly been resolved? How could he be expected to forget Devon Adair, just like that? After all he now knew, Danziger had a higher regard for Devon than anyone else he'd ever met. She was a true hero.
He heard light footsteps, and wondered who else was walking the deep corridors so late at night. Danziger had never been in this part of the station before, but was investigating a new hiding place for Morgan.
He looked up, and froze. It couldn't be. It was impossible. Danziger blinked once, and then again, willing his mind to be rational. There had to be thousands of dark haired women out there. Hundreds who were that height, with that walk. It wasn't her, it couldn't be. She was dead!
But Devon Adair kept walking towards him. As if in a dream, Danziger stepped from the shadows. He saw the look of surprise cross her face as he appeared in her path, and held out one hand. "Devon..." he said.
She paused, and gave him an appraising glance. Her next words nearly cut his heart to shreds.
"Do I know you?"
Danziger was stunned. How could she *not* know him? It was impossible that she could forget, after everything she'd told him... "Devon, it's me!" he said uselessly. Now he *knew* how she had felt, chasing after Danziger himself when he didn't know Devon at all. It was a complete role reversal, and Danziger was suddenly afraid.
"I'm sorry, you must have me confused with someone else. Now if you'll excuse me," Devon said hurriedly, and made to move off. Danziger halted her with a hand on her arm as he stared into her blue eyes. They were empty.
"What did they do to you?" he gasped, his voice full of horror. "You're supposed to be dead!"
She laughed then, a chilling, mocking laugh as the face of Blalock surged across her features. "She is dead!" said the evil voice. "These are only my creations, they may have Devon's face, but they belong to me!"
Danziger backed away. "No," he whispered. A third Devon? Another Replica? "NO!" he shouted as the figure reached out to grab him. A wave of fear assaulted Danziger, and he struggled to free himself from the evil grasp. But fingers sharp as nails raked down the back of his head, and Danziger could feel his own skull being exposed.
"Seems like you've lost your mind, John," it laughed cruelly. "Maybe *you* should become one of us!"
Danziger fought to get away, but things were crawling into his head, or perhaps it was his own consciousness running away from him, but the last thing he remembered was the empty eyes of the evil thing who wasn't Devon...and then he woke up screaming.
"John!" Kassidy was shaking him, frightened by the obvious intensity of Danziger's dream. Finally, his eyes popped open in fright. Sweat drenched his body, and he was breathing heavily. "Hell..."
Beginning to realise that it was only a nightmare, Danziger put his head in his hands and groaned. "What a dream," he mumbled, trying to shake the horrible images from his mind.
"It'll be alright, John, you're safe," crooned Kassidy while stroking his head. She hadn't ever seen him have a nightmare like this before and she was extremely worried. "Do you want to tell me about it? Talking helps, you know."
"Nah," Danziger quickly said, beginning to feel embarrassed by his performance. Never had a dream had such an impact on him. "Just a stupid nightmare."
Kassidy took his face in her hands and forced him to look at her. "Listen to me, John. You're under so much stress, and it's probably manifesting itself through your dreams. Talk to me! We can work through it together."
So, very reluctantly, Danziger told her. "A third clone..." mused Kassidy. She had a sudden suspicion on where that dream image had arisen from. "Have you thought about that in real life?"
"I dunno, I guess I did think about it a little - I mean, a copy of her mind would *have* to be stored in the computer somewhere! My mind is. And so is yours." Kassidy shuddered at the memory his words brought close - it was another regret of the past.
"And what would you do, John? Could you really bring a clone into this world? Could you keep doing this to the original Devon, someone you never even knew?"
"I *did* know her!" Danziger protested. "And think...if we did this, then she could live again..."
"...and we would be nothing to her," concluded Kassidy wisely. "That's what your dream showed you. You have to let her go."

The problem with space was that the weather never changed. It could be the most glorious day of a person's life, or the most terrible, but none of this was ever reflected in the static environment of the space stations. The sterile lights still glared harshly, and the computer controlled day and night executed themselves with perfect, unchanging precision. No one except those affected would notice the sadness in the air.
Kassidy wistfully thought back to her days on Earth. Even in a world so polluted and grey, she had still revelled in the changing of the seasons. It wasn't much more than a slight hint on the wind, but it had meant so much to her.
She would never forget the angry storms - the violent furies that threatened to tear the world apart. Or the sultry, long days of summer where even Earth herself seemed to be sleepy. But most of all, Kassidy could not forget the rain.
Yes, it had been so dangerous as the poisons of centuries of abuse took their revenge on humanity. However, this meant little to Kassidy. She had always been intrigued by the uncanny ability of rain to appear just when things were darkest to enhance the gloomy mood.
It always rained at funerals. And that was why *this* memorial service seemed so empty. There was no rain.
A light flickered incessantly, and Kassidy felt the sudden urge to rip it from the wall. The light didn't care about death, neither did the empty recycled air or the low hum of thousands of minute machines working at keeping them all alive in the hostile environment of space. There was little caring to be found anywhere on the stations. Only three, three out of a population of billions, were present at this service, although Yale had requested they record it for him, just in case he ever had the opportunity to see it.
The three stood by the viewport - John Danziger, Kassidy Quinn, and Morgan Martin. A single imitation candle burned bright as they each said a few words in memory of Devon Adair.
They had found no traces of her. Danziger knew he would always listen to reports from teams working outside, just in case someone, somehow, found her remains. But he had to let her go.
He still felt so terribly, terribly guilty. Knowing what he knew now, that she was a clone being manipulated by the Council, and that she had little control over her actions, Danziger wished he had never lost his temper, and never told her to get out of his life.
Because she had done just that. For everyone. Devon'd had nothing, absolutely nothing, to live for. They could all clearly see that now, and appreciate how the Council had contributed to the raging battle in her mind.
Danziger admired her spirit for standing up to them for so long. Her personality, though cloned, was fiery and vibrant as all traces and memories of the *real* Devon Adair fought their way through the programming and allowed her to live on. In Danziger's mind, she was the only Devon he could ever imagine.
They no longer even considered the fact that she was a Replica. Devon was the only known Replica to have been able to stand up against the Council. And she had paid for it dearly - being put through a year of hell in VR as the Council tried to regain control, and then finally declared her a failure, subsequently driving Devon to her death.
She had given so much of herself, and lost her life in the process. When the truth about the Council was finally revealed, Danziger, Morgan and Kassidy vowed that the public would learn of Devon's sacrifice. They would make sure of it.
"I hope she's happy," concluded Morgan. Kassidy smiled through her tears.
"I know she is." Kassidy closed her eyes, and imagined, somewhere, she could hear a child's laughter, and the joyous voice shouting, "Mom!" And tears of happiness as the mother found a part of herself that she had lost.
But they were echoes of another place, one where the living did not belong. She took John's hand on the left, and Morgan's hand on the right. She did not know which hand would be hers to hold in the future, but was confident that there *was* a future, for all of them.
The three stared to the stars, and could almost see Devon's image in the heavens. A light, and a hope for the future. She would not be forgotten. And nevermore would she be alone.

...and so it continues...
-The End-

This text file was ran through PERL script made by Andy. Original text file is available in Andy's Earth 2 Fan Fiction Archive.