May 24, 2041

East Ground Approach, Echo Training Facility

Emma and Theo Cosineau knelt on the booth seat, looking out the large window. As the RV crested a ridge, another dusty valley spread out below them. Part of the rim of a giant hole was coming into view. Emma put her arm around Theo's waist and his arm went around her shoulders.

"Almost home," she said.

Theo looked down at an immense open pit mine as Jonesy carefully followed a dirt track down into the valley. He didn't see any signs of life, not even any cars. He looked back at Emma.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"I guess nothing. If this is home, I'm glad to finally come back."

She smiled. "Actually, you've never been here before. After Jenkins, the place we lived was abandoned. Aunt Amanda brought everyone here. That's Echo down there."

Theo looked down at the pit again. Nothing moved in the glaring sunlight. He glanced at Kawehi and saw she was holding back a smile. Rachel was doing the same thing. As the RV negotiated a sharp bend, a small town came into view.

"That's where you live." he said, seeing the joke.

"Not quite," Emma said. "We live underneath."

Theo didn't say anything else, he was trying to figure out what the joke was. They continued down and ended up on a ledge. It wasn't much wider than the RV, it was only a couple feet between the wheels and a long fall to the valley floor. Butterflies in his stomach, Theo turned away from the window, realizing why Emma had stopped watching.

"Finally," Jonesy said after several more hair-raising maneuvers. "This boat was never made to deal with this."

The RV turned directly toward the cliff face. A ribbon of black appeared in front of them, widening quickly to become a wide opening in the side of the cliff face. They drove through and Theo saw the door rolling back down behind him. After the actinic sunlight, the dim interior of the cave was a welcome escape. Squinting, Jonesy slowly crept forward and someone waved the RV toward the end of a row of other beat up cars and trucks.

"And welcome home, officially," Rachel said and kissed him.

It was a very sisterly kiss on the cheek, but Theo's face looked sunburned. Kawehi looked away, putting a hand over her mouth. Emma laughed and hugged him tighter.

"What's wrong? Smooches? You'd better get used to it, you're the long-lost boy in a house with three women. There's going to be smooching. And hugging, lots of it."

"Theo, you're always welcome to trade places with me," Jonesy said. "A few days of getting hugs and kisses would do me a world of good."

"Eww," Emma laughed.

"Really, man of mine?" Marisol looked fascinated. "And did you consider who will be giving said hugs and smooches?"

Jonesy's grin faded. "No ma'am, I did not. You're on your own, kid."

"Didn't think so," Marisol said. She winked at Theo and he grinned back.

Someone opened the door from outside and people began climbing out. When it was Theo's turn, Emma was right behind him, holding his hand. They stepped out into a surprisingly cool cavern with a concrete floor. Several electric carts were arriving, carrying people in what looked like military uniforms. When they got out, Theo's stomach clenched at the guns they were carrying.

"Ok, folks, who's checking in?" one of them with short blonde hair asked. He didn't look much older than Theo or Emma.

"Chief Sergeant Gutierrez, Incursion Response Troop 12-8," Marisol said.

"Welcome back, Chief," the blonde said, checking his tablet. Then he looked at Kawehi and Nate.

"You're not part of this team, where do you belong?"

"Section Tango. You don't have clearance to know where we belong, infant," Nate said.

Theo saw Kawehi roll her eyes as she pulled out a small folder and showed it to the guard. "Contact your watch officer, Cadet. They'll give you instructions."

All the guards were standing straighter now and Theo wondered what Section Tango was. Another guard, this one with black hair, had been staring at Emma, obviously waiting. Now, with a nasty smile, he pointed at Emma.

"Cosineau, you're under arrest. You want to put the restraints on? Or we can do it for you."

Theo was already stepping in front of Emma and the guard's eyebrows went up. "We got more than one set of cuffs, chummy," he said, stepping forward.

"Cadet!" Marisol voice was like a whip crack. "Before you touch either of them, you need to confirm it with your watch commander."

"Ma'am, she went Unauthorized Absence two days ago. Under standing orders, she's under arrest. I don't need to check in with..."

"You really do," Kawehi interrupted. "Just humor us."

He shrugged and stepped away, pushing some buttons on his wrist tablet. He explained what he was doing but the voice on the other end interrupted him every time he tried to speak after that. The guard turned back around.

"My mistake," he muttered. "You're to report to the Director's Suite when you're ready."

"Hey," Marisol said, coming over. "Welcome home, Theo. It was good to meet you."

"I think I should say the same to you," he said, shaking her hand. "Thank you for everything, I owe you my life. If you ever need anything..."

"C'mon, don't get all weepy. Lots of people owe me their lives."

"She's impossible," Deidre said, laughing. She hugged Theo, and then Emma. "We'll be around for a while waiting for Shepherd to mend. Come see me."

Theo found himself promising everyone that he'd visit before they deployed again. After much hugging and handshaking, Kawehi and Nate walked them to one of the carts.

"We'll come along to make sure you find the right door," Kawehi said with a wink.

Theo's head was already spinning but as Nate drove the buggy deeper into the garage, things got stranger. The collection of beat-up cars was left behind them and the passage narrowed. He caught sight of strange looking tracked vehicles with weapons. Another bay was lined with racks of weapons. Another was full of people and gym equipment.

"We're going through the spaces that the teams like Marisol use," Kawehi said over her shoulder.

 

The strangeness didn't stop there. The tunnel got narrower and began to slope downward. The arched ceilings were at least twenty feet overhead, but the tunnel was wide enough to make them seem low by comparison. Several other electric carts passed them going the other way and at a junction Nate had to stop at a flashing red light. Some kind of train-looking thing crossed in front of them, the driver leaning back in his seat. He waved and disappeared down the cross tunnel.

"How big is this place?" Theo asked Emma.

"I don't know exactly but it's huge."

Her voice was strange, and Theo could see a lot of nervous tension in her shoulders. He took her hand.

What's wrong? he tapped.

I was already in trouble when I snuck out to come meet you. Probably in a lot more trouble now.

Together, he replied.

Emma nodded and squeezed his hand. Doors began to appear, carved into the limestone walls. There were more electric cars down here and Nate had to slow down. Pedestrians also appeared, walking behind rails that separated them from the traffic. Skylights and mirrors on the ceilings reflected light everywhere, giving the tunnel the appearance of a street on a sunny day.

Finally, Nate pulled in and parked the cart. In front of them were doors that looked like they'd been taken out of a bank vault. They were fully open and the four of them walked through and into a small gallery. Emma pointed at one of the large wooden doors that opened out of the wall.

As they went in, Theo was hit with another surreal moment. Instead of being in a tunnel, they were in a fancy office with a thick carpet and a large wooden desk. A woman stood up from behind the desk, smiling widely.

 

Amanda and Mirjam had been notified of the twin's arrival and it had been difficult not to rush down and meet them. Amanda knew she wouldn't get anything done and they were waiting in the official office, too large and too ornate to be much use. There was a quiet chime from Amanda's tablet, making both of them jump.

"Lady Tulani, your niece and nephew are here to see you," Lily said from the reception desk, obviously delighted.

"Send them through please," Amanda said.

Mirjam hurriedly entered the confirmation code to open the heavy door, but made a mistake and had to start over.

Amanda smiled as she watched. She'd never seen her partner this excited before.

"Are you all right?" she asked.

The muscular blonde woman looked embarrassed. " I've missed Theo a great deal."

"And he was your favorite," Amanda teased her.

"I do not have a favorite," Mirjam protested.

They walked across the large office and Mirjam entered another code on her tablet. The outer door swung open ponderously.

Emma came in holding hands with a slightly gangly, male version of herself. His eyes were wide, and he was looking around as Emma all but dragged him along.

Theo saw two women waiting, one very tall with black hair and bright blue eyes. Next to her was a woman with very short blonde hair and a deep tan. Theo dropped Emma's hand and stared at them. There was a fragment of a memory, almost like recalling a dream. He'd seen this before, the two of them standing together. They were always together. The taller woman had tears on her face but was smiling and names that he'd known as well as he knew own ghosted across his mind.

"Mandy and Murra?" he asked quietly.

"Welcome home, light of my heart," Amanda said, her usually composed voice breaking.

Theo's eyes flooded and he went to hug her. Amanda took him in her arms and pressed her cheek to his. They were still for long moments. Mirjam smiled slightly, watching them. Then she looked at Emma, knowing that Emma would have recognized her hand twitching toward her pistol when Theo had rushed toward Amanda. Mirjam nodded slightly, half greeting and half acknowledgement. She was ready for Emma's scorn and hoped the kid had enough self-control to not make a huge scene about it right this moment.

But instead, Mirjam saw the sad acceptance that was in Emma's eyes and the half shrug. Mirjam nodded again, impressed. Maybe the kid was finally growing up.

When Amanda finally let go of Theo, Mirjam didn't hesitate to hug him just as tightly.

"My soul sings now that you've come home," she said in her low voice. When she let him go, Mirjam held him at arm's length, looking him up and down. "You've gotten taller, little goblin. And managed to keep yourself booger-free. I'm impressed."

Amanda laughed as Mirjam hugged him again and kissed his forehead. Behind them, Kawehi cleared her throat. She was standing just inside the heavy vault door and Nate was visible behind her in the lobby. Abruptly, Mirjam had let go of Theo and was suddenly standing with Amanda. Surprised, he looked at Emma. She gave him a funny smile and a shrug.

"Lieutenant Moana, how can I ever thank you for bringing Theo back?" Amanda asked, walking over to take her hand.

"Lady Tulani. I'm happy I was here to help," Kawehi said. "Getting to know Theo was an unexpected but complete pleasure. I apologize, I wouldn't intrude on your reunion unless it was something that couldn't wait."

"Please call me Amanda, Lady Tulani is far too stuffy and mostly meaningless. Is it too urgent to come in and sit?"

"And my name is Kawehi. It isn't urgent just now, because I'm near Theo. But we should sit down and talk this over."

Theo's heart began to thud at her words and the smile Kawehi gave him. Emma frowned and took his hand.

What's going on? she tapped on his palm.

I'm in love with her

Emma gave him a sharp look but didn't say anything.

"I'd like to close the outer portal," Mirjam said. "Would you ask your associate to step inside?"

"That's my Warden, Nathan Durant," Kawehi said. "It would be best if he waited outside."

Emma looked at Theo again, raising her eyebrows. He shrugged, not having a clue what was going on. The women sat down on the little couches but Mirjam sat behind Amanda on a small chair. He and Emma sat down on the third loveseat.

"Again, I apologize for intruding on a private moment," Kawehi said. "There's no easy way to start, so I'll be direct; Theo is probably an emotive Talent. After it was discovered that Theo was carrying a control device, I asked a friend, Dr. Isram Aeolus from Showcase Whistle, to join us in the field to examine Theo's implants."

"I read that he was able to perform a microsurgical intervention in the field?" Amanda asked.

"I'm not sure what his protocol was exactly," Kawehi said carefully, trying not to even think about the illegal tech Aeolus had used with Theo.

A small smile appeared on Amanda's face. "I understand. Please relax, there isn't a Yffliad who bothers with any rules but their own."

"You know them well," Kawehi said. "During his examination, Dr. Aeolus noticed that Theo carries both the bloodborne chemical markers as well as the neural structures of an Emotive Talent. He took pains to make it clear that the improvised control device did not interact with these areas."

Theo stared at her. "A what?"

"An Emotive Talent," Kawehi repeated. "A Talent is someone with special skills and some of them run in families. Your aunt is a Talent for example."

Amanda nodded. "Your father and I were both rated as Talents, Theo. We were... intuitive mathematicians is the most accurate term."

"Instead of mathematics, you have the potential to affect the emotions of others," Kawehi said. "We will sit down and I'll show you how to control it for now."

"Why didn't you say anything before?" Theo asked her.

"You didn't have enough on your mind already?"

He half-smiled at that and nodded. "Okay, that's fair."

"I'm also an Emotive Talent, like you," Kawehi said. "Which brings us to the another, more sensitive, issue. I was urged strongly to keep Theo's recovery as gentle as possible. I've had some success in the past using a simple trust and affection broadcast to the hostage. Obviously, I had no idea that Theo was a Talent as well."

"I apologize, Kawehi. I'm not at all familiar with your gift," Amanda said.

"Not many people are, we're fairly rare. There's always some…backscatter between a caster and recipient but it can be avoided. However, Theo's Talent seems to be quite powerful..."

"What is the end result here?" Mirjam asked.

"Apologies, this isn't easy to admit." Kawehi was actually blushing but she kept her voice calm. "The end result is that Theo and I fell in love at first sight."

The room was completely silent for a long moment.

"Damn, Sparrow," Emma said, leaning over to bump against her brother. "I mean, obviously we're hot, but during your own hostage rescue. I'm impressed."

Mirjam and Amanda both frowned, but Kawehi and Theo laughed with her.

"That's why I felt so weird when I met you?" Theo asked.

Kawehi nodded. "I'm very sorry. I was just trying to make you feel a little better about being kidnapped."

He laughed. "It definitely worked! But there's nothing to be sorry about, is there?"

Kawehi was still smiling but there was definite sadness in her eyes. "It's a question of consent Theo. It affected both of us but I already knew how to deal with it. You've never had a romantic relationship, correct?"

"A girlfriend? Not like you're thinking, no. But it doesn't matter."

"It matters a lot," Kawehi said. "For one thing, there is an age gap between us. More importantly, you didn't come to these feelings on your own. It was accidental but I took away your right to choose."

"Then what if I choose to keep my feelings for you?"

Kawehi chuckled. "That's not how it works. We'll start removing the chemical response your body is having soon and get this resolved."

Theo felt tight bands across his chest suddenly but nodded. He looked down, unsure how he was expected to deal with this. Emma tightened her arm around him. Kawehi got up and knelt in front of him.

"Hey," she said gently. "It's not the end of the world."

"Will I remember you?"

"Of course you will. We're not changing your memory, just fixing some chemical signals to work properly. We'll still be friends, promise."

"Did the same thing happen to Nate?"

"No. Nate is my Warden, think of it as a special bodyguard."

"Mirjam and I met when she was assigned to be my Warden," Amanda said, smiling at her partner.

He looked between them. "I thought you were friends or married or something. Murra...sorry, Mirjam, has been around since I was a baby."

"Since before you were born," Mirjam corrected. "Claire, your mother, was Ollie's Ward when he came to Earth."

Theo saw surprise and anxiety on Amanda's face and Emma shifted slightly. Kawehi just looked amused, like always.

"You mentioned that Theo's gift is strong?" Amanda asked.

"When he and Emma were reunited, he cast to an entire parking lot full of people, including me and most of Marisol's IRT. It was an emotional event, but even taking that into account, the effect was powerful."

"That strong," Amanda murmured, giving Theo a strange look. "Let's come back to that. I think that Theo must have a lot of questions about what's going on. Unless you covered the situation already, Emma?"

She shook her head. "I'm not that much of a fuck-up."

Theo was surprised by the swear word and saw reactions of amusement and surprise. Emma sighed as she realized what she had said.

"I regret that my wording was inappropriate. I apologize to everyone here."

Amanda chuckled. "Thank you for remembering security, Emma. We'll let that one go, but I'd appreciate a more circumspect approach in the future. Theo, this must all seem surreal so let's start at the beginning. My true name is Tulani..." Amanda's voice rolled off a long name in a language that sounded French to Theo.

"...and I am your father's twin sister. We were born far away, on a planet called Garradya Hoh to be precise. Our people were known as the Garragh."

Theo glanced at Emma who nodded slightly.

"Your mother was from a small town called Wyalusing in the state of Pennsylvania," Amanda continued. "Your father and I were assigned Wardens when we first arrived here on Earth and that's how I met Mirjam and Oli'vehndra met your mother Claire. They were married and not long after that, a set of twins was born to the Tulani. You were named Tulani Chevarista-Elouan; Ynnyth Jaanthelme Thonya. But on your Terran birth certificate you were given the name Theophile Gautier Cosineau. Your sister, called Tulani Chevarista-Elouan Évariste Linyae Myrhaien was given the Terran name of Emmaline Placide Cosineau."

"What happened to them? My parents I mean?"

Amanda sighed. "It's still difficult to talk much about that awful day. I had just come back from home. Then we found out another world had come under attack. The people there are called the Ta'avi and they were close friends and allies of our people and we both had friends there. We were working on a transportation system that was able to evacuate some of the Ta'avi and bring them here. I set up a beacon to help our equipment here hold on to the gate better. Your father took it from me, he was braver than I am, not to mention he was far better with hardware. But, of course, Claire wouldn't allow him to go alone and followed him through the gate. The place they landed was more populated than we'd guessed, there was a yearly festival going on there and they were able to evacuate almost two thousand people. But suddenly Ollie shut the gate from his end. We found out that something large had been about to hit. He would have realized that the energy released would travel through the gate just as easily as people. Their sacrifice saved the lives everyone in our lab and the rest of the building. Somehow, I know that they were really thinking of you and Emma. Your school rooms were right below our lab."

"Is that when I was kidnapped?"

"It was a few days later," Mirjam said. "The woman, her name was Nina Jenkins, kidnapped you and set up explosives in several labs, including the one that Ollie and Amanda used. The High Energy Physics labs were an obvious target, kidnapping a child on top of that, it doesn't make a lot of sense. I think there was more going on that we didn't understand."

"A rogue operative isn't necessarily logical," Amanda said. "And it was nearly both of you but Emma caught a flu and she had been in a separate area to avoid spreading it."

"I'm really confused," Theo said. "Why is any of this happening? People don't normally live underground, do they? And you have people with guns working for you. And how do you attack an entire planet?"

Amanda smiled. "This is where things become rather involved. Have you studied the evolution hypothesis before?"

"We weren't allowed to use that word," Theo said. "I kinda know what it means though. Like humans being born from monkeys, right?"

"It's far more than that, but if you're not familiar with it, describing this will be a little easier. What we know is that Earth, along with other eleven other planets, were taken over by a civilization we only know as 'the Ancients' thousands of years ago in order to create colonies. The Ancients didn't settle on the worlds they had claimed, they created proxy races to do that. Taken together, those races are known as the 'prefcoria,' whether they call themselves Human or Garragh, or Ta'avi. Earth was one of the very first, research shows the Ancients here about fifteen thousand years ago.

Theo blinked. "That's a long time."

Amanda nodded. "To us, certainly. But very advanced races like the Ancients and a few others are essentially immortal. Most of the others have found technologies that prolong their lives. So these other kinds of people don't view time the same way we do.

"Garradya and the Ta'avi world called Te'varvfathi were the last two colonies to be established, they're only a couple of thousand years old. That was the same time that the beings we call Ancients began to disappear. That caused the empire they had created begin dissolving."

"What happened to them?" Theo asked.

Amanda shrugged. "No one knows. In fact, we don't even know what they called themselves. There are Others who were alive when they began to disappear, two of our allies are immortals, but they don't discuss the Ancients very much. Even back at the height of their empire, the Ancients kept themselves wrapped in mystery. There are a small number of entities that dealt with them directly, but none of them left a record of the experience."

"What happened to the empire?"

"Many different races decided that they liked the stability the Ancients had provided and a new coalition was created. There's a very long and grandiose name, but we call it the Commonwealth. They were kind enough to include the prefcorian our 'new' colonies and their own more advanced civilizations. But as the Commonwealth organized itself, Earth was lost, along with any worlds they had created previously. As far as people here knew, they were alone in the universe. Okay so far?"

Theo nodded, fascinated.

"That is how things have worked for the last two-thousand years. Earth faded into legend for the prefcoria and none of the older races had anything to say about this colony, nor any of the others that had already faded into myth. Then, in 1936, an automated mapping probe picked up radio transmissions from the inner planet of an obscure solar system. Very quickly we realized that a missing colony had been found. The colonies put together a contact team and sent the mission to earth. After studying the planet from orbit, they picked four places for their ships to land; the southwestern desert of the United States, a site in northern Europe, another in Ethiopia, and one within the borders of the old Soviet Union. They kept the landings unnoticed and made their first contacts with the leaders in each of these places.

"The goal of the contact teams to was avoiding the possible social upheaval that the existence of extraterrestrials had caused on other contacted worlds. They had a carefully worked out, long-range plan to gradually get everyone used to the idea before any public revelation was made. Unfortunately, the first steps of a global war had already been taken. The visitors couldn't come up with a plan that would stop the war. So, they stayed out of sight, ready to begin the contact process once the fighting was over. They were shocked when two nuclear weapon was detonated at the end of the war. Following that, there were dozens of tests."

"They were afraid of the nukes?"

"I'm sure that was part of it, the resulting geo-political situation wasn't terribly stable. But the real fear came from the repeated detonations. The energy pulse sends extremely specific ripples across space-time. Something was watching and must have noticed those ripples. The Ancients also left us with old and bitter enemies of theirs, including something known as the Black Swarm. We don't know when or why the Ancients started battling the Swarm or why they were never defeated. What we do know is that ever since the Ancients disappeared, the Swarm have been systematically finding every planet aligned with the Commonwealth and destroying it."

"And they especially like wiping out our colony worlds," Emma said. "That's how they killed mom and dad."

"Are you sure they found out about Earth though?" Theo asked. "The universe seems pretty big."

"There were a number of accidents that looked suspicious to the planners of the contact project," Amanda said. "Then, in 1961, a troubled young man was being transferred between prisons. Something happened during that trip between prisons, the transport was late and the guards refused to ever talk about why. Looking back, we know that they were intercepted by a team of hostile offworld entities and it included at least one Yffliadi neuro specialist."

"Dr. Aeolus is a Yffliadi," Kawehi said. "It sounds to me the Good Brother was one as well."

Theo shuddered at the memory of that screechy voice. "What did they do to the guards?"

"They seemed fine," Amanda said. "Later on, both faced significant mental health issues caused by the invasions into their minds. Neither one was the target though. It was the prisoner these invaders were targeting. His name was Charles Manson."

"He's the one that killed all those people," Theo whispered.

"He was the ringleader of the people who did the killing. It happened at the worst possible time as well. The Contact Project was in the process of revealing our existence here on Earth. I don't understand social engineering well enough to explain the details, but the publicity of the murders and the resulting trial derailed their plans. Specialists that got close enough to examine Manson confirmed that his mind had been heavily tampered with. Once there was proof, the First Contact mission of the Commonwealth ended. Instead, the focus became the long-term defense of humanity. This place, it's called Echo, is one of the training facilities that produces the specialists needed to keep humans safe."

"That's all those wars all over the place? Y'all fighting?"

Amanda shook her head. "While some have been started by our enemies, neither side is works in the open. We're working to create places where humans will be safe and they're fighting just as hard to keep humanity divided and confused."

 

Emma noticed the look on Theo's face and put her arm around his shoulders. "It's the old 'I've got some good news, and some bad news' routine, kiddo."

Theo raised his eyebrows. "Kiddo? We're the same age, Emma."

"Actually, no. I'm eight minutes older than you are."

Kawehi started to grin as Theo rolled his eyes but his face went abruptly pale. The happiness he saw in Mirjam had evaporated and her body language had shifted to edge-of-the-seat wariness. When he glanced at her, Theo saw her eyes were locked on him. And Aunt Amanda looked uneasy and upset. He looked at Tulip and even though she tightened the arm around his shoulders, he could feel her weary sadness.

"So, am I the next Charles Manson?" he asked quietly.

"No," Kawehi said firmly. "He was already having some mental health issues brought on by the disintegration of his childhood."

Theo looked at the floor. "But they weren't too nice to me sometimes," he said. "I still have nightmares about it."

"Yes, he does," Emma said. "I've seen them, it's the first place we found each other. Theo, even if they were planning to do something like that to you, another Yffliadi took that crap out of your head."

He didn't respond, meeting Mirjam's pale gray eyes. "I don't want to go back there, but maybe you could find another place for me to live, alone? I don't want to hurt anyone, especially y'all. I can't stay here like this."

"You're not going anywhere," Emma said angrily.

"But Theo is correct, Lieutenant," Mirjam said. "He is… I do not have a defense against 'casts and I am compromised emotionally."

"That's exactly why I need to stay near Theo, Warden," Kawehi said. "I have been trained to deal with this kind of situation. But I think the danger is minimal at this point. I have not seen any signs that Theo was ever trained to use his Talent and has not been a trace of ill will toward anyone. In fact, he exposed himself during a fire-fight to rescue one of the team that had been wounded."

"Of course he did," Amanda said firmly. "Theo carries the blood of the Tulani mixed with that of a valiant Terran hero. Your home is with us, Theo. Nothing that happened to you is your fault and you've been gone too long. None of us are going to lose you again. Some of the smartest people on the planet are right here, including some Yffliadi neural specialists. We will find out what happened to you and if there is a problem, we will fix it."

"Yes, ma'am," Theo said.

"Lady Amanda, I've been considering this problem since I realized there had been a feedback loop between Theo and I. Marisol Guiterriez and the rest of her IRT have headed out to the Ranch for some badly needed down-time. They're going to lose a team member and will have to start reorganizing. Henry and Nora were both on my training team and know how to assess this type of threat.

"Dr. Isram Aeolus, the Yffliad neurotech, has also asked to work with Theo as much as his schedule allows. Three experts in neural modification, along with the presence of most of an Intrusion Response Team provides an excellent situation to fully evaluate Theo's talent."

"I think it's a good idea," Mirjam said. "It's close and they already have a working relationship with this facility."

"But what if they're tired of having me around?" Theo asked. "I was kind of a pain in the neck."

"But what if I already spoke with Marisol?" Kawehi teased him. "Everything has been taken care of, Lady Amanda. It just needs your approval."

"I don't know if anyone has been listening, but he's not going anywhere without me," Emma said flatly, tightening her arm around Theo's shoulders.

"Of course not," Amanda said. "I'm thinking Rachel would be good company as well, if her schedule is open. How long will you be available to work with Theo, Kawehi?"

"That's my priority until I hear differently. My commander has some concerns about the reliability of my pairing with Warden Durant. Until that's resolved, we've been removed from any further active service."

"I messed things up between you and Nate?" Theo asked.

"No, I did," Kawehi said. "So get rid of that guilty look. The bond between us has been naturally dissolving for a while. Nate will finish his term of combat duty soon and he'll be eligible to transfer out to one of the colony worlds with his partner. Honestly, we've never gotten along as well as we should have."

"Ah, then Colonel Teydora is wrapped up in this," Amanda said. "While I was grateful that she sent her own operatives, it was a little puzzling. That might also explain Jaxson's decision to help Emma find Theo a couple nights ago."

"She tasked us personally to assist the recovery," Kawehi said. "I'm sorry but I don't know more than that."

Amanda waved away the apology. "I've dealt with her on the council before. She's always up to something and manages to surprise to everyone else on a regular basis. Changing the subject, I'd like to spend one evening with my nephew. Is it necessary to head for the Ranch immediately?"

"We've got guest rooms," Mirjam said to Kawehi.

"Unless you're already used to sharing a bed," Emma chimed in, causing Theo's face to turn went a deep red.

"Emma!" Amanda and Mirjam exclaimed at the same time.

"It would be an honor," Kawehi said, grinning.

"That's what we'll do then," Amanda said. "Actually, this may work out for the best. I was summoned offworld yesterday and was worried about these two wearing out poor Nikolai."

"Speaking of which," Mirjam said with a glance at her watch.

Amanda smiled at her. "Yes, dearest. You should all know that my Warden bullies me mercilessly."

"What she means is that I do not allow her to work more than ten hours at a time," Mirjam said, getting up.

The rest of them stood up and Mirjam went over to Theo and put her hands on his shoulders.

"Little Bird, deep in my heart I know that you would never try to hurt any of us. But I've been protecting Amanda for a very long time and I can't take chances with her safety. Those evil scum have one more thing to answer for."

"I'm sorry, I didn't realize..." he started to say but she put a finger across his lips.

"If you are going to apologize for being abused or kidnapped, it will make me very irritable. None of this is your fault and I hate that you're mixed up in any of this. They will clear you by the time we're back on Earth. You will live with us. No arguments."

"Yes ma'am," Theo said.

Mirjam cupped his cheek for a moment. "I cannot begin to express how happy I am that you've come back to us."

"I meant to ask, why is this unit losing a member?" Amanda asked, as they waited for the thick door to open.

"Their demolitions sergeant was badly injured in an attack," Kawehi said. "His breastbone and several ribs were broken badly enough that he'll need extensive rehabilitation. The rest of the team will need to adjust their roles and begin working with a replacement to get back up to operational status."

"He was wounded that badly? Broken bones alone..."

Amanda stopped as Marisol cleared her throat. "Response Teams don't use advanced medtech, Amanda. Operations decided that it posed too much of a risk for exposure."

"I don't think that authorizing its use this once will expose us to the Dominion. Jaxson, I want to authorize offworld medical technology for a member of an IRT."

"I'm sorry, Lady Tulani, that's not possible," a smooth androgynous voice replied. "Intrusion Response Teams do not have the budget available for advanced medical treatments."

"Your function is not to inform me when something isn't possible," Amanda said, suddenly curt. "Your function is to create a path to a solution."

"That is not completely accurate," the Synthetic replied. "Sergeant James Shepherd cannot be approved for advanced medical intervention as the situation currently exists. If he were attached to a different activity, and the funds were available, it would be possible. However, conversational context indicates you want this individual to remain with his current duties."

"Then begin the process of bringing James Shepherd into my personal household. In fact, attach the entire team to my family."

"I will begin producing the required documentation immediately."

"An easily solved problem is a rare gift," Amanda said, smiling at the rest of them. "Theo, I'd like to take you to your new home."

The little group emerged from the Administrator's Office. Nate was reading something on his tablet but stood up as they walked across the reception area. Lily, the woman behind the desk, stood up as well, lifting a strap and putting it over her shoulder. Theo thought it was her purse, but as she stepped out from behind the desk, he saw that it was one of the compact guns like Marisol's team carried. They went out into the large, well lit, main tunnel with Lily walking a little way behind them. Nate joined her and when Lily saw Theo looking back at her she winked at him and smiled. He nodded and tried to smile back.

Things were more crowded now and the tunnel was full of people walking back and forth. They took up the entire width of the tunnel and Theo didn't see any of the carts driving around.

"It's shift change," Emma told him.

"How many people are here?"

She shrugged. "It changes all the time, a lot of people get trained here and then move on. Jaxson, what's the current population?"

"Hello, Emma. Total inhabitants currently number just over twelve thousand. Permanent training cadre and research staff make up fifty-two hundred and six entities."

"Who's that?"

Emma held up her wrist and showed him the miniature tablet she wore on her wrist. "He's the Synthetic Intelligence that does all the administrative work for Echo."

Ahead of them, Theo noticed a man glancing back at them. He had a gun over his shoulder, the same as Lily. Theo didn't see anyone else carrying weapons and wondered what was going on. Emma took his hand as they walked.

It's okay, that's Charlie. He's part of her security. His post is across the tunnel from the office.

Someone might attack her here?

She half-shrugged. No idea, but Mirjam regards paranoia as some mythical state of being. You get used to it.

She was right, he'd adjust but Theo wasn't sure he wanted to adjust to this kind of life. But Tulip was here and she managed, so he would too.

The tunnel systems were quickly emptying as they walked. There was a flash of bright light ahead and Theo looked down the smaller passage that crossed the main tunnel. People were disappearing through a large double door into very bright sunshine.

"It comes out in the back of an old car dealership," Emma explained. "There's a limit on how many people can be outside at once, so everyone hurries out as soon as they're cleared."

Theo grimaced. "Cleared? You're not allowed to just go outside when you want?"

Emma pointed up. "Spy satellites. We're camouflaged under a small town and thousands of extra people suddenly appearing disappearing would make it pretty obvious that something unusual was going on."

Theo nodded, swallowing. Having to ask permission just to go outside sounded a lot more like the life he'd just escaped.

I know, but it's okay, Emma tapped into his palm. You can go out whenever you want, I'll show you how later.

He nodded, feeling a little better. Ahead of them, the tunnel narrowed and there were a lot fewer people moving around. Instead of the utilitarian metal doors in the walls he'd seen almost everywhere else, there were alcoves carved into the walls creating small seating areas with deeply inset doors. The alcoves were all miniature gardens with furniture set up almost like a living room. A few of the more ornate ones even had small fountains. He couldn't figure out how they kept the greenery alive underground until they followed the tunnel around a curve, and he noticed a man adjusting a system of mirrors that spread the light around a small ornamental garden.

"This is where most of the Garragh refugees live," Amanda explained. "On Garradya, traditional homes had welcoming areas in front of them. We're very careful about anything unusual on the surface, so people began to reverse the arrangement, putting the greeting places out of sight underground."

"There's regular houses on the other side?" Theo asked.

Emma nodded. "They're set into the side of the canyon. It gets stupid hot and then ridiculously cold in the desert. The surrounding rock provides the best insulation against both. You'll see more people back here than in the front part of the house, it's way more comfortable."

The alcoves were getting larger and more ornate as they walked, until the tunnel ended at the largest of the gardens. In addition to areas to sit, there were several fountains tinkling and a ornate archway of carved stone in the shape of a pair of intertwined tree trunks that rose to meet the top of the tunnel. Large branches were carved in high relief across the roof, continuing the illusion of massive sheltering trees. As they got closer, Theo saw that the trunks had been made to look as though they were draped with ribbons and ivy. Actual ivy grew in pots at the base of the trunks as well, the green leaves contrasting with the multicolored stone.

As they passed between the carved trees, Theo realized that they were at Amanda's house.

"This is magnificent," Kawehi said, looking around.

Mirjam chuckled. "She was very embarrassed when she saw it for the first time."

Amanda did look a little uncomfortable to Theo as she shrugged. "I didn't ask for any of this. It was created while I was offworld. The carvings represent the trees that guarded the entrance to most gardens. The house I grew up in was famous for the size of our garden gate and that's what these represent. There were plans to recreate the trees for the other houses, but no one ever moved ahead with the idea."

Mirjam smiled as they walked through. "Because none of them would even think about having anything as beautiful as the Lady Tulani."

Amanda frowned at her but didn't say anything. "I made this a public space, a garden for all of us. Of course, no one uses it."

There was a collection of chairs and low couches near one of the fountains and the five of them sat down. Theo realized that Charlie had disappeared, and he didn't see Lily behind them anymore. Others were appearing in the other gardens but with the vegetation and fountains, Theo could barely see them, let alone hear them.

A set of double doors swung open and Theo smiled as he saw Rachel come out into the garden. With her was a man with dark hair and blue eyes that lit up when he saw Theo.

"Theo, I'd like you to meet Nikolai Szercherin," Amanda said. "He is the Steward to our household and helped take care of you when you were younger."

The tall man was smiling widely and tears ran down his cheeks as he clasped hands with Theo. He made a small speech in something in the same language Amanda had used earlier.

"Theo never learned Shareef, Dad," Rachel said gently.

"My error," Nikolai said, wiping his eyes. "Then I'll have to be content to say welcome home, Theo. We've all missed you a great deal."

"I'm happy to be back, sir," Theo said, embarrassed.

"Let's go get the trays, Dad," Rachel said. "I think Birdie is a little overwhelmed at the moment."

Theo was about to offer his help but Emma was already taking his hand again. Nate had appeared again and Kawehi stood up to make introductions.

Just sit down for now, Emma tapped. He'll have a cow if you try to help.

 

I don't want servants!

 

She shook her head as they all found places to sit and she'd taken his hand again.

 

Just take a deep breath. It's a special occasion and Nikolai likes ceremony. He was one of the people that helped raise us. He's a Steward, not a servant. Niko is more like a mayor and CEO rolled into one.

 

Theo frowned. What's a CEO?

 

A smile tugged at the corner of Emma's mouth. He oversees two of the Tulani corporations for Amanda. They're big, on multiple worlds. Then, in his spare time, Niko is a spokesman for the refugee Garragh here

This is going to be exhausting.

Emma put her arm around him again. Just tell me if you need a break.

Kawehi and Nate were sitting on a couch next to Amanda and Mirjam. Nate nodded at him and Theo nodded back. Nate didn't look as angry as he usually was around Theo, which was a relief. Nikolai and Rachel returned with several other people, all of them carrying trays loaded with food and drinks. The trays were set on the table and Theo felt better when the newcomers sat down with them and took drinks from the trays.

Everyone was picking up glasses and talking at the same time as Theo was introduced to everyone and immediately forgot their names. Rachel handed him a glass, smiling at him.

"Are you freaking out yet?" she asked in a low voice.

"Getting there," Theo replied.

She sat down on the other side of him and surprised him by putting her arm around him. Nate glanced at him again and a wry smile appeared on his face as he shook his head.

"What's wrong?" Kawehi asked.

Nate nodded over at Theo. "I don't know how he does it, but the kid seems to always end up with the best seat in the house."

Amanda glanced at Theo and chuckled. "Except that they're his sisters and I'd assume both of them are skilled in unarmed combat. You're probably witnessing the last peaceful moment between the three of them."

"I hadn't thought of that," Nate said. "A pair of older sisters that grew up here? Good luck, kid."

Why does he call you kid? Emma asked as everyone chuckled.

Because he's a jerk.

After a while, the trays of food were taken away and fresh drinks appeared. Nikolai took one and stood up, raising his glass.

"All praise and honor to these brave warriors."

There were murmurs of agreement from everyone. Then it was Kawehi and Nate's turn to be embarrassed as each person repeated Nikolai's words and thanked the pair.

"And our lost one," Nikolai said, looking to Theo. "Welcome, Tulani Chevarista et Elouan, Ynnyth Jaanthelme Thonya. May brave heroes always guard your steps back to us."

Theo was as embarrassed as Kawehi and Nate had been as everyone repeated his name, holding up their glasses. Rachel hugged him tighter for a moment.

"I have the feeling that Theo is about to crawl into the nearest shrub," Amanda said. "Thank you all, you do our household honor."

After that, it seemed more like a regular gathering to Theo; people standing around in small groups chatting with each other. Thankfully, no one toasted Theo again although people came and sat down and chatted with him, welcoming him home and introducing themselves again. Theo did a little better remembering this time, but he still had no idea what they were talking about half the time. After an hour or so, Theo was holding back yawns and people began to disappear as suddenly as they'd appeared.

Amanda and Mirjam got up and headed for their home, Theo and Emma followed them along with Nate and Kawehi.

"It's time for me to be on my way," Nate said when they reached the door. "Welcome home, Theo. I'm glad you're back where you belong."

"Thank you," Theo said. "I'm sorry I disrupted everything."

Nate surprised him by shaking hands. "I was damned impressed by the way you went after Shep, even if I didn't show it. Your family is lucky to have you around again."

"Walk easy, Nathan Durant," Kawehi said and they hugged tightly.

He kissed her on the cheek. "Keep yourself safe, crazy woman."

She kissed his. "You do the same. Tell Aimee that she's a lucky woman for me."

"I keep telling her, but she's still not convinced," Nate said with a grin. He nodded at Rachel and Emma before heading back to the tunnel.

"That's it for you guys?" Rachel asked as they went inside.

Kawehi shook her head. "We've got some work to do dissolving our bonding, but it's kind of an intense process. Better to say goodbye while we're both in a good state of mind."

"You need to get some sleep," Emma told Theo.

"Do not." Theo yawned and the other three laughed. "Why am I so tired? You guys look fine."

Rachel laughed. "Are you kidding me? I'm exhausted."

"Same here," Kawehi said. "I was living on coffee the last couple of days. Which one is the guest room?"

"Right here," Rachel said, opening a door. "There's another one next door for you, Theo."

"He's sleeping in my room tonight," Emma yawned. "You see what happens when I'm not around to keep an eye on him."

Theo shrugged, suddenly too tired to argue about having his own room. He mumbled a goodnight to Rachel and Kawehi and Emma led him to another room. Theo wanted to look at everything and learn more about Emma, but he was asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow.