Beneath Unknown Skies

 

They sat eating around the fire. Underground, with the sound of rushing water far off. Occasional drones patrolling. There was a dog as well, for verifying people. He sniffed at Hillier curiously, and both her and Joon remembered a time not long ago when they had to kill a dog like this. 

"He senses something different about you."

Hillier looked at Leo Valerus, a sharp look. 

"How exactly did you... kill me?" he asked. 

Hillier didn't answer, kept worrying at the food. Tough. 

There was an awkard silence. No one really knew what to say. Then Joon ventured, "It was a different... time. Years ago, feels like?"

Everyone nodded. "Time," laughed Daphne. 

Trish was also there, just the five of them. They were eating some meat strips and not loving it. Not exactly the gourmet fare they'd become accustomed to back in Sanctuary. 

"Why did you run?"

"Maia- or an alternate Maia- tried to kill me. Or, rather, implant a brain slug in me. I was told the Scholars were going to apprehend me- for my own safety, supposedly. I opted to leave."

"Giving up your chance to return home."

"Well, I don't imagine they were just going to let me waltz through the Gate." 

"I suppose not. How is Joon? Your counterpart?"

"Broody. Jaded. He lost his Maia, and appears obsessed with helping me avoid a similar fate." 

"I always liked Joon. You. Pleased to meet you, by the way." 

A man came up to Trsh, whispered something. She got up to follow. 

"Are you what I think you might be?" Valerus asked Hillier. 

"And what's that?"

"An Intruder, they used to call you back in Sanctuary. 21st century Sanctuary. They know nothing of you here, I imagine. A shape changer."

Daphne looked at Hillier hard. 

Trish already knew. No sense lying. She shrugged. 

"So... you know what I know," Valerus continued. "We need to have a long chat, you and I."

Trish came back. "We have a problem."

Everyone stopped eating. 

"They know where we are." She looked at Joon. "When we scanned you... a tracker came up. Somehow they tracked you."

*******

The base was in chaos. Stella and Mallory were desperately packing, trying to only collect what was absolutely needed. Stella was watching the monitors, could see tentacles, entire sections of the base imploding. The tadpole's chamber was offline. 

And worse, there was something above the base now, in the air. Temporal distortions, convergences... whatever the eggheads called them. They were now happening. And they had told her the tadpole couldn't get out. She caught a glimpse through a monitor. It was huge, all tentacles and eyes. 

"Come on," screamed Mallory. She had files falling out of her hands. 

"Where are we going to go?" Stella sighed. She was almost done. 

Red alert was blaring. Where were they going to go? 

The door opened and Maia entered. She had a beacon in her hands.