And then Phousse was injured, not seriously, but enough so that the original ‘Cards spent the next several days getting underfoot in the Infirmary. They all remembered Paul too vividly to want to leave Phousse for long. Eventually they were unceremoniously thrown out by a rather hassled nurse, who told them in no uncertain terms not to come back until they needed medical assistance, or she´d make sure that they would need it.

So finally Cooper and Nathan had the wardroom to themselves, Shane having decided that those flight reports couldn´t wait any longer. The new recruits were off doing some target practice, having seen Cooper in action and deciding that while they may never equal his score they´d better make damn sure that they had a decent attempt at it. They tired Nathan out. He tried to remember if he´d ever been that green and enthusiastic. He didn´t think so.

Nathan lay back on his bunk, watching wearily as Cooper fidgeted. He wondered whether he ought to try and force Cooper to say what was on his mind but figured that wasn't a good idea; Cooper guarded his privacy fiercely, having had little of it either in the facility or on the streets. Cooper caught his eye. “Want to go to the Tun?” he suggested brightly. Nathan gave him a weary look.

“I have some letters to write. Don´t you want to write to Madi?” Cooper fidgeted some more, glancing at Nathan every now and then, looking as though he wanted to say something but didn´t quite know how. Nathan sighed. “What is it, Cooper?” he said, half affectionately and half exasperated. Sometimes Cooper could be very hard work.

“What do you say when you write to Kylen?” Cooper´s question came out in a rush. “I mean, what do you tell her?”

Nathan looked Cooper in surprise. Was this what had been bothering him? “What do you say?” he asked. “Cause it´s probably the same as me.” Cooper refused to look at him. “Cooper, you have written to Madi haven´t you?” Cooper still refused to meet his gaze, but after a moment he shook his head, embarrassed. “You haven´t written to Madi in the three weeks we´ve been back? Why not?”

Cooper finally looked at him, miserable. “Didn´t know what to say,” he muttered. Nathan fought the urge to laugh. It really wasn´t fair of him to laugh, and now Cooper was looking at him with what Shane termed that ‘hopeful puppy look,´ like he expected one of the ‘Cards to make everything all right. “Never written one before,” he added.

“Never?” asked Nathan.

“Well, not except that one to Madi, ‘bout six months ago.”

Nathan smiled at him. “So you have written to Madi,” he exclaimed. “See, it´s not so difficult. What did you say in that one?”

Cooper gave Nathan a very strange look. “That I never wanted to see her again, and that I was with Shane,” he said.

“Oh,” was all that Nathan said, mentally kicking himself. “I guess it wouldn´t do to say that again.” I´m babbling, he thought. He took a deep breath. “Why don´t you just write to her, and say what you´re feeling.”

“Nathan,” said Cooper patiently, “Sometimes I can´t even say what I feel. How am I supposed to write it?” It was a logical question, Nathan thought. It was a pity he had no idea of what the answer was.

“Why don´t you just write about what you did during the day, then,” he suggested. Cooper gave him another one of those patient looks. Sometimes he made Nathan feel like he was the seven year old.

“Because it´s classified, Nate,” said Cooper, equally patiently.

“Oh,” said Nate. “Well, what would you say to her if she was here right now?” he asked. Cooper gave him a considering look and then grinned wickedly.

“Nate,” he said, “I don´t think we´d be talking.” That was something that Nathan could relate to.

“Well, why don´t you try telling her that,” he said grinning back. “Just remember that the censor is going to see it, and you don´t really want the kids to read it. You´re resourceful. I´m sure you´ll cope.”

Cooper smiled shyly, twisting his fingers in the laces of his boots. Nathan waited patiently. He knew there was more.

“Is that what you´re writing to Kylen?”

“That´s kind of a personal question, Coop.” Nathan´s smile took any sting out of the words. Cooper just grunted, and continued to examine his boot closely.

“What else, Cooper?”

“How did you ask her?” Cooper burst out. Nathan just stared at him, shocked.

“To have sex?” he asked. Cooper gave him a disgusted look.

“No,” he said. “To... you know....” Nathan just looked at him confused. “Never mind,” he said, defeated. “Nate, can I ask you something else?” he rushed out. “A favour.”

“Sure, Coop. What?”

Cooper looked at him, unsure. He knew that this was a big thing to ask, and he wasn´t sure how to go about it, or even if it was possible. Well, Lucas always said, you don´t ask you don´t get. “I want to make sure that Madi and the kids are okay, if anything happens to me.” He retrieved his computer notebook from underneath his pillow, and scooted over to sit next to Nathan on his bunk, curling his legs up underneath him.

“I want to send them some money, but I don´t know how much or how to do it.”

Nathan took the pad from him, and glanced at it. “This all you get paid?” he asked in shock. Cooper shrugged.

“Well, it´s better than before,” he said. “When I was first in the marines, I didn´t get paid this much, ‘cause I was sentenced here, you know?” Nathan nodded. “Well, after....” he couldn´t tell Nathan about the mission with Colquitt, “after my sentence was up, they put me on the same pay.”

“Cooper,” said Nathan gently, “this isn´t the same pay.” Cooper shrugged.

“Same pay as all InVitros at that rank,” he said. Nathan looked at him aghast.

“Do all InVitros get paid less than natural borns?” he wanted to know. Cooper looked at him with bitter amusement.

“Of course they do, Nate. I thought everyone knew that.” While Cooper returned his attention to his boots, Nathan looked back at the pad. It had never occurred to him. It should have done, with his experience of the InVitros rights movement, but he´d never thought of it in connection with Cooper. It made him so angry. Cooper risked his life with the rest of them, he deserved to be paid the same. And while the difference wasn´t that great, it was enough to mark Cooper as somehow inferior. Nathan squirmed with shame when he remembered his own attitude towards Cooper, not that long ago.

“What do you think?” prompted Cooper. Nathan roused himself from his reverie.

“Hmm?”

“What do you think?” Cooper asked again. “How much can I send her?” He watched, anxiously while Nathan made some quick calculations.

“Well,” said Nathan, “you´ll need to keep some money, for emergencies and for the bar bill,” he joked. “The last thing we need is you in one of your moods and no alcohol.” Cooper snorted. It had been a while since he´d had one of his ‘moods´ as Nathan called them. The headaches were no where near as frequent and he didn´t need the alcohol any more to numb his senses, the way he had when he´d first developed his talent.

“It´s always better to be safe than sorry,” added Nathan, watching him closely. “After all, if you do save up more, you can always send some more to her. It´s easier than running out.” There was some sense in that, Cooper thought. He considered Nathan´s two figures for a moment, and moved some money from the ‘send´ to the ‘keep´ column.

“Is that to cover your poker losses?” teased Nathan. Cooper shook his head.

“No, I know I can´t afford to play poker with you guys anymore.” Well, thought Nathan, there goes the money for my bar bill. Cooper was still looking at the figures on the screen in front of him. “I´m saving up,” he confided.

“For what?” Nathan wanted to know. Cooper gave him a hesitant look. He wondered if Nathan would laugh at him. He was sure West knew what he´d do if he did. He just didn´t want to have to beat the crap out of him. He wasn´t really in the mood.

“Nate.....” There was a long pause, before Cooper plucked up enough courage to ask the rest of his question. “How much does it cost to get married?”

Oh, so that was it. Nathan was a little surprised that things were moving that quickly, but he couldn´t say that he was surprised that they were moving in that direction. He gave Cooper´s question the consideration that it deserved.

“Well,” he said. “That depends on what type of wedding you want.”

“A proper one,” Cooper insisted. Nathan smiled. Cooper caught sight of that, and insisted hotly, “I don´t want anyone to say that Madi had to make do with less ‘cause she married a tank.”

“Cooper,” said Nathan gently, “There´s no such thing as a proper wedding. Everyone does it differently. A simple wedding, like the one Kylen and I had, doesn´t cost that much. Have you asked Madi yet?”

Cooper shook his head mutely, and cleared his throat, looking anxiously at Nathan. “Do you think she´ll say yes?” he asked.

“I don´t know,” replied Nathan, a little exasperated that Cooper seemed to think that he had all the answers. “And even if she says no the first time, that doesn´t mean she doesn´t want to eventually. Kylen turned me down the first twice I asked her.”

“I wanted to make sure I had enough before I asked her,” explained Cooper. “Besides, I don´t think its the kind of thing you ask in a letter.” Nathan didn´t tell him that that was the way that he´d asked Kylen the third time.

“Well,” he said, giving Cooper´s question the consideration it deserved, “they reckon that the engagement ring ought to cost a month´s salary. The license doesn´t cost that much, and the wedding rings don´t either. The big cost is the dress, church, flowers and reception. But if you have a registry office do, and don´t have many guests and all that, it really isn´t that much.”

He made some more adjustments to the figures on the pad until he was satisfied. “Okay, there you go. Are you sure that´s enough?” he asked. Cooper considered this for a moment, and nodded. “Okay, then you´d better go to see the Paymaster and arrange it. About the other thing...” Cooper just looked at him. “If anything happens to you.... You´ll need a will. You have to see McQueen about that.”

Cooper swallowed, hard. “McQueen?” Nathan nodded seriously. “Do I have to?” Cooper almost wailed. Nathan grinned at him.

“Rather you than me, Coop.”

~*~

Three months later, Hayden was pacing her office, stepping lightly around the furniture with an ease born of familiarity. She´d been on tenterhooks since her last plan to neutralise her ‘problem´ had gone awry. Now the tables had turned, and she felt like she was the one being hunted. The fact that her opponents had enough information to finish her completely, destroy everything that she´d planned for, worked for, made her decidedly nervous. Nervous and very, very angry.

She didn´t even know who they were. She, or rather her employees, had eliminated some individuals from their enquiries, as it were. Colonel McQueen would do anything for his fellow tank, but he lacked the technical expertise to access her computer. She allowed her lip to curl in contempt. He also aped the human trait of ‘duty´. If he knew that much about her, he would not have kept it to himself. His ‘honour´ would not allow it. And the rest of the ‘Cards were mere grunts. They didn´t have access to the resources or information that would enable them to piece together the facts about her past activities.

How could she move against an opponent who held all of the cards and yet was failing to make a move. And why, since they could so easily destroy her, had they not tried to. If they did, then she knew that she´d be powerless to do anything else to remove her ‘indiscretion´ from the equation. You needed money and influence to do something like that, and they could deprive her of both. She still refused to think of Cooper as human, or as her son.

So what did they want? She steeled herself every day against the inevitable blackmail attempts, but none came. They seemed content to leave her in peace, provided she extended them the same courtesy. The problem was that she couldn´t. She couldn´t rest until every last person that could harm her was neutralised. That´s why she´d had the best brains that money could buy, analysing all of the information she had. Well, the best brains in the underworld that money could buy. Once again she cursed June Maddox. She hated to deal with those types herself. June had been her buffer against the less savoury parts of life, and she could no longer keep her distance from them. And that was dangerous.

Her latest contact was working on the remains of her computer system, and had been now for several months. She was beginning to despair of him ever finding anything. He was one of her more ‘legitimate´ stooges, and therefore she had no fears about him coming to her office. He was reporting to her today. Five minutes ago in fact. She hated being kept waiting.

So she was in a less than charitable mood when Benson finally showed his face. And the fact that he had little to report did not improve her temper.

“What do you mean, you found nothing? That isn´t what I paid you for!”

Benson twisted uncomfortably in his seat. Those sightless eyes fixed on him were making him nervous. He was well aware that Secretary General Hayden had given him a chance that few others were willing to extend to him, a known drunk. And he was unhappy about letting her down. But he´d tried everything he could think of, wracking his brain in the early hours of the morning, managing to resist the lure of the bottle, well most of the time. But still he´d come up with nothing. Except an idea.

“Have you tried asking Doctor Masterson?” he enquired tentatively. Hayden´s expression became even more contemptuous, if that was possible.

“Do you think that if I could have got Masterson, I would have hired you?” Benson flinched. He wondered what she´d say if he reached into his pocket for the small bottle he kept there. He decided not to risk it.

“I only thought that Doctor Masterson may have some ideas, since the virus shows some of the traits he developed...” Hayden was familiar with Masterson. He exemplified the saying ‘poachers made the best gamekeepers.´ As a young man, he´d been a renowned hacker. What was she thinking? He was scarcely more than a child even now. She´d had to sit through one or two boring meetings where talk had been about how best to convince him to work for the Defence Department. So far he´d resisted, not being interested in weapons development. But what was Benson saying? “.......Whoever it was has mimicked a lot of his work, especially the early work, before he became, well as .... legitimate as he is today.”

Masterson. Some sixth sense of hers kicked in. Masterson. She almost threw Benson out of her office. And then she called up her secretary.

“Rachael, get me everything you can on Doctor Lucas Masterson, especially any known female associates. And bring me that list of attendees to the reception aboard the Saratoga.”

~*~

It had been a long journey, and a tiring one; tiring and boring. Lucas spent some of the time rereading the notes that had been given to him as part of his ‘mission brief.´ He smiled wryly at the thought. These military types loved the sounds of their own voices, and were overly fond of the use of phrases that meant very little to anyone else or were a flat out contradiction. Like ‘military intelligence.' These notes were far from brief. Still, he´d do his bit for the war effort, anything he could do to save any of the young lives currently being lost on the front. He thought briefly of Cooper. It was a pity he hadn´t been able to tell Madi where he was going, but another thing that the military thrived on was secrecy. It would have been nice to have been able to bring Cooper some letters or something, especially given the problems with mail recently. When it wasn´t delayed or didn´t disappear completely, it was heavily censored. Madi had said that it had been almost two and a half months before she received Cooper´s first letter. At least he had some letters for Cooper from Thursday. As far as Lucas was concerned, the edict on secrecy did not extend to his lover. There was no way that he´d keep a secret like that from Thursday; he doubted that he could even if he wanted to.

He smiled even more. Thursday. It was difficult to believe sometimes that they´d been together for almost eleven years. He still had difficulty believing that he´d got that lucky at seventeen. Now, if he could only get her to marry him....

Still lost in his reverie, he didn´t notice the first lurch the ISSCV made. However, it was difficult to ignore the second. Or the third. What the hell was happening? Lucas sat there, tense, listening hard. There was a deep metallic clunk. It did not sound good.

One of the pilots ran through from the cockpit. Lucas was desperate to know what the hell was going on, but the last thing he wanted to do was get in the way. He´d seen Cooper and Nathan in action, and the one thing you did not do with those guys was get in their way.

“Shit,” spat out the pilot. “Where the fuck did they come from?”

“Chigs?” asked Lucas.

“AIs,” the pilot swore. Shit. Lucas was old enough to remember the AI wars. He´d been twenty when they´d ended, although the last few years had been more of a guerrilla action in the jungles of South America and Africa. He kept calm with an effort. Whatever was happening, for some reason the AIs wanted them alive, or they´d just have shot them down. Thursday, he sent frantically. AIs...

“They didn´t show up on LIDAR at all,” the co-pilot called from the cockpit. “What the fuck...”

It was the last sound Lucas heard for a while. An explosion rocked the ISSCV, and he was thrown against the bulkhead, knocking him out.

~*~

Nathan West was the odd man out in the Wildcards, in that he actually enjoyed sentry duties such as the one he was pulling now. He liked them because of the quietness and the opportunity to think that such moments lent themselves to. Several meters behind him, Shane and Phousse and some of the new kids were bent over the equipment they'd brought down to the lush, deserted planet. The readings taken here would be transmitted back to the Saratoga and analysed by the lab people on board. If everything turned out as well as the initial readings indicated, then units would begin arriving on planet for ground-assault training manoeuvres next week. While things were quiet with the Chigs the military wanted to use the time to ripen the raw recruits a little. They were pushing them through basic so fast these days they were as green as gourds when they showed up for active duty.

It wouldn't be the Bacchus, Nathan thought with a smile, but it'd be good for morale and good to actually see trees and sunlight and even moonlight again since the planet had a sun and three moons. They had all waxed full on this night and Nathan could see clearly from the edge of the tree line without his night-vision goggles. He moved quietly over to a gnarled tree trunk and leaned up against it, hiding himself in the shadow of its canopy. It felt odd to be back on a planet again. His last steps taken on soil had been four months ago when he'd been to Earth to pick up his new Hammerhead. He'd also taken that opportunity to marry Kylen and according to the letter folded next to his heart, they'd accomplished something they both dreamed of in the short time they'd had together. In the next instant that same heart stood still as he felt the cold metal of a rifle barrel pressed against the back of his neck.

"Bang! You're dead, Nate."

Nathan relaxed, but his happy thoughts had vanished with Cooper's words. He hadn't heard a sound and with Cooper's camo uniform and black face paint, Nathan couldn't make out his friend's tall form even in the moonlight. As he squinted into the darkness behind him, Cooper materialised at his side.

"That's not funny, Coop."

"You're damn right, it's not funny! You'd better get your head out of your ass before some Chig blows it off. What the hell's the matter with you anyway?" Nathan wasn't offended by the gruffness of Cooper's voice; he'd grown used to the way the InVitro showed his concern.

"I can't get into it right now, Coop, and what are you doing over here anyway? You're supposed to be watching the northern perimeter."

"We're all done. The tall guy's on that side. I came to get you ‘cause your radio's out or somethin'. Shane's been trying to contact you for fifteen minutes. She's worried. Thought she heard AIs."

Nathan checked his radio frequencies and picked up only static. The main channel was clear but it had been awfully quiet. "Did you hear it?" Shane was normally a rock but a screwy frequency could send her over the edge and Nathan wanted Cooper's opinion on the validity of her claim.

Cooper shook his head and started soundlessly back the way he'd come. "No, but the radio is weirded out. Phousse can't get anything. The short kid thinks it's atmospheric interference but Phousse is with Shane on the AIs."

"When are you going to learn their names, Cooper? I don't think 'the tall guy' and 'the short kid' are going to cut it much longer." Nathan asked, referring to the newbies.

Cooper's look over his shoulder and his voice held a world of weariness. "They won't be here much longer, Nate." Nathan had no response to that. Cooper was probably right. Casualties had been mounting like crazy and they'd had a constant stream of new blood flow in and out of the Wildcards´ wardroom. Some had died, some had requested to be transferred. Life with the 5-8 was no picnic. They were hardened professionals now and they gave no quarter to the new recruits. They'd never picked up the rudeness of the Angry Angels, they were polite - just distant – and no new team member could ever understand what they had been through together, could ever understand what trials had forged them into something closer than a family.

Superstition played a large part in the traffic too. Many new pilots thought they were blessed, while others worked the odds and figured they'd been too lucky too long, and some even thought it was bad luck to be in the same squad as a tank. However, the four veteran Wildcards knew from their mentor, TC McQueen, that there was no such thing as luck - if there had been Paul Wang might have made it back - they depended on skill and experience instead and so far they'd come out on top.

Cooper spoke over his shoulder once more. "Be on the look-out, Nate. Somethin's gonna happen. I've got that itchy feeling again." Nathan simply nodded. They'd learned that one of Cooper's "itchy feelings" usually preceded some pretty hairy furballs. Nathan was struck again at how Cooper had changed over the past few months. He'd become more solid and secure with his new psychic talents and had shown an amazing maturity since he'd acquired the ability to read other peoples facial and body languages. Madi would be proud of him if they ever got back home.

While Nathan's feet kept to the path by automation, his thoughts wandered back to the first few weeks after they'd arrived back on the Saratoga from Earth and his friend's surprising revelation about his plans for a future with Madi. Following their discussion, Cooper had made it back from McQueen's office, red-faced and grim, but he'd told Nathan he'd got it done. Not without the usual lecture about how women would ruin your life and the military-career pep talk, of course, but he had got it done. Nathan had bought him a drink to celebrate and they'd ended up getting shit-faced drunk together, which had pissed off an already surly McQueen. He'd made them clean latrines until the skin had peeled off their hands, but it had given them some time together to talk about their very cautiously optimistic plans for their lives after the war. Sometimes just dreaming about going home helped them make it through another day.

Nathan was pulled out of his reverie as he skidded to a stop to avoid running into a suddenly immobile Cooper. He was staring at the sky and he had that look that Nate had come to recognise in the past months. He put his back to Cooper and levelled his weapon, circling around his friend, protecting him while he was doing whatever he did with that mind thing. "What is it, Coop?" he whispered over his shoulder.

"It's nothing here, Nate, but it is AIs, and they've got Lucas. We've got to get back to the Saratoga and tell McQueen, and we can't use the radio." Nathan took point and they double-timed it back to Shane and their ride home. She'd been right after all.

~*~

Whose sticky hands are these
And what is this empty place
I could be happily lost but for your face
Here stands an empty house
That used to be full of life
Now it's home for no-one and his wife
It's a hovel and

Who can take your place?
I can't face another day
And who will shelter me?
It's cold in here
Cover me

This House - Alison Moyet

Madi caught the phone on her way into the kitchen to take her cookies out of the oven. She hit the connect button and kept going, shouting 'hello' as she hurried to the stove.

"Madi?" It was Thursday, sounding a bit confused as to why she couldn't see her. Madi smiled as she dumped the pan on the top of the stove and ran back to the sitting area and the phone unit.

"Hi!" she gasped breathlessly, "I was outside when I remembered these cookies I was baking and I had to get them out of the oven before they burned." Madi took a deep breath and waited for one of Tee's lectures on paying attention to what she was doing. Madi's attention span was a joke between them and Thursday was always telling her not to be cooking in ‘her´ cottage. She'd come across too many burned dinners that Madi had put on and forgotten about. Today however, Madi's smile died and she felt dread in her stomach as she really looked at her friend. "Thursday, what's the matter? Is it Cooper?"

Thursday shook her head and tried to find her voice. She'd been a wreck since she'd received Lucas´ message an hour before, and she´d received nothing since. She'd been trying to formulate a plan. She knew she'd need help and Madi came to mind before anyone else. She also wanted to be the one to tell her. Madi and Lucas had worked together many times in the past and they were as close as brother and sister, one minute very protective of each other, the next squabbling like children.

"Madi, Lucas never made it to the Saratoga. I…. I just found out." She took deep breaths, trying to hold in the panic. "Madi, it was AIs. They've got Lucas."

Madi felt cold chills run down her back. She hated AIs. They'd killed her mother in one their terrorist raids and another one of the bastards, Samuel, had kidnapped Reece - though thanks to Nate, he was now scrap metal. She drew her thoughts back to Lucas and Thursday. "Lucas was going back to the Saratoga? Tell me everything, Thursday."

"I heard about an hour ago. He was on a transport to the ‘Toga. I've heard nothing since. He was going there to work, something with computers this time," Tee added significantly.

Madi knew from her tone Thursday was afraid the call was being monitored. That explained the mystery surrounding his sudden departure from Scotland. Whatever the job was it must damn important for Lucas to leave suddenly and not tell her where he'd be, especially since she now knew he would be seeing Cooper. Lucas would never have passed up the opportunity to take uncensored mail and packages with him if he could have told her about it. It also had to be something big to pull him away from Thursday -- he hated travelling without her.

So what would have lured him into space to a Navy ship so soon after his last trip there? The word ‘computer´ was a big tip off. Lucas was one of the foremost computer experts of his generation and he couldn't resist a challenge. Lucas and computers and the Saratoga all added up to one thing in Madi's mind. Lucas had gone to work for the military on this one, something he was always saying he'd never do and now he was in trouble. Terrific. Just fucking terrific. Well they sure wouldn't know anything now. Communications were blacked out and the ship was denying all incoming transmissions and even if they hadn't been, as civilians they'd be helpless to get any information.

"Thursday. Thursday!" Madi had to practically shout to get the other woman's attention. She looked so lost. Madi felt for her, she knew what it meant to feel that kind of despair. "How did you know?"

“Lucas. You don´t think that the Ministry of Defence would tell me anything, do you?” Thursday explained, her voice bitter, her face still white and still. That worried Madi a lot. The one thing Thursday never was was still. She was usually so full of energy, so animated, as though life was so short she didn´t want to waste a single moment of it sitting still. Lucas always said that she wore him out.

Lucas. Oh god. Her blood froze when she thought of the things that could happen to him.

“Thursday,” she said gently. “Are you sure...”

“He´s still alive,” her friend insisted.

“How can you be sure?”

“I know,” Thursday said heatedly. “I can´t reach him, but I know that he´s still alive. I... I think he might be unconscious.” Madi prayed that Thursday was right, and she wasn´t letting her need for him to be alive influence her judgement.

“What do you want me to do?” she asked, as calmly as she could. For now she´d go along with Thursday´s contention that Lucas was alive. She had no other option.

“I need to get out there,” Thursday explained.

“Thursday,” Madi gasped. “That´s in the middle of a war zone. You´ll never...”

“I need to get out there!” Thursday almost yelled. “I can´t find him if I don´t get out there. I need to be as near as possible to where he disappeared if I´m to stand any chance of finding him. And I need Cooper to do that.”

“I´ll see what I can do,” said Madi. “What are you going to do in the meantime?”

“I´m going to contact the MoD,” Thursday explained. “They need Lucas, and if that means that I can persuade them that they need me to get him back, all to the better.”

“The Ministry of Defence? And if you can´t persuade them?”

Thursday´s face was still unanimated. “I´ll cross that bridge when I come to it,” she replied, her voice as dead as her expression.

Madi disconnected, racking her brain for some way to get a message to Cooper. Her hands were shaking like leaves. First Cooper and now Lucas -- this was a nightmare. She could tell that Thursday didn't believe that Lucas' disappearance had anything to do with his covert work for the military, though that would make an excellent cover for what was really going on. It had everything to do with Thursday's suspicions about Diane Hayden, which she´d confided to Madi a few months before. Madi still didn't know what that was all about but she trusted Lucas and Tee enough to believe them when they told her Hayden was a dangerous woman. If Lucas was in danger then so was Cooper and Thursday couldn't receive anything from him. There had to be another way to reach him, it was 2065 for goodness sake, not 1945.

Something kept tickling the back of Madi's mind, something that McQueen had told her when he had called to check on a recuperating Cooper. Medicine. Call me if he needs more medicine. Call me. The military priority line. She hadn't used it but Madi never cleared her phone mail box until it beeped angrily at her so it still had to be there. She flipped quickly through the past numbers looking for the call from McQueen. She clicked on the number and sure enough, it was still there where McQueen had typed it in. Madi double clicked on the highlighted characters and tapped her toe impatiently as she waited to see whether the Saratoga would let a message in on this line.

She also spent the time hoping that McQueen wouldn't have her arrested for attempting to sneak through a communications blackout. Despite Cooper's wishes for peace between them and her grudging promise to try and get along with McQueen, Madi didn't trust him; McQueen was as transparent to her as Reece. She'd seen right through that sneaky, new-plane ruse that he'd used to make sure Cooper got back to the Saratoga - as if she would ever try to convince Cooper to go AWOL. She was proud that he was fighting to save their planet. She also knew what his squad and McQueen meant to him. Madi had few illusions - she was hanging in at a tight third place, but it did tickle her that McQueen was worried about the competition. Served him right.

She was actually surprised when the phone was answered and she was looking into the grainy, black and white face of some enlisted communications person. She wasted no time, leaving a quick message for McQueen to call her. It hurt to be so close to Cooper and not get the chance to speak to him but that was impossible right now. McQueen was her only hope.

McQueen called back in fifteen minutes and Madi could tell by his expression that he was pissed big time. He was spitting his words out past a clenched jaw and she could see a muscle working in his temple. She almost smiled.

"Gibson, I don't know what the hell you're up to but if you've compromised our position for a bed-check on Hawkes you'll be making your next call from a cell."

So much for the truce. Madi ignored his hateful mood and jumped in, telling him about Lucas, surprised he hadn't heard yet. The transport had almost been there when it was attacked. All aboard were presumed captured. She pleaded Thursday's case, but she could see the answer in his eyes and in his slowly shaking head. There was nothing he could do. Things of that nature were out of his hands. Orders to get a civilian on board the Saratoga would have to come from way up and he suggested Thursday cease with her pleas to the war ministry.

"SAR teams will be dispatched. There's nothing either of you can do here." McQueen's expression softened considerably and Madi suddenly felt near tears. She couldn't handle his compassion right now. "I'm sorry, Madi. If it was AIs there's not a lot of hope. They probably wanted the ISSCV and they normally kill the passengers. I'm sorry."

"Listen, Colonel, Thursday says he's alive. Whether he is or not she'll be there to check. She wants you to know that Cooper is in danger as well. She says 'same as before'."

McQueen nodded, that was all he needed right now. "This call's over, Gibson. I've got a mission briefing I'm late for. Don't try a stunt like this again."

"Colonel?" Madi hated the pleading note she heard in her voice but she couldn't help it. She could barely talk around the lump in her throat from worry over Lucas and Cooper but the words rushed out. "Is Cooper all right? Would you tell him we love him and miss him?"

McQueen nodded, she could see now upon closer examination that he looked exhausted. This war was wearing everyone down. "Hawkes is good to go, Gibson. I'll tell him you called… and the other when he gets back on board." He remembered Cooper's will and he would have liked to dig a little about that but he simply didn't have the energy to spar with Madi today. Not with all these new problems looming on their horizon. He needed to get to Ross and make sure everything that could be done was. "Now get off here and don't call back for any reason. If I hear anything I'll get in touch with you."

Madi was left staring at a blank screen but at least she'd had word about Cooper. These days every syllable counted.

~*~

Thursday had ceased her calls to the ministry, but not for the reasons McQueen had given. By now, she had passed frantic. She´d passed it several hours ago. She was numb. Despite what she´d told Madi, she wasn´t entirely sure that Lucas was still alive. She´d tried everything she could think of to contact him again, and the end result was always the same. Nothing. She tried the MoD again and again, but once more, nothing. Despite the fact that they´d wanted Lucas badly enough to send him out there, they didn´t seem to want him badly enough to try and find him. All they could do was to confirm that the transport had been attacked, and disappeared. The last communiqué received from the pilots indicated that they´d been under attacks from AIs who came from nowhere, and then, again, nothing. Nothing. She was really beginning to hate that word.

Lucas was really going to be mad at her when he got back. She forced herself to think in terms of when and not if. If she thought in terms of if she´d go crazy. She was about to do something she´d promised she´d never do. Well, two things really. One she was going to call in some big favours, and reveal herself to some of the contacts she knew that Lucas had cultivated over the years. There was little she didn´t know about Lucas. And secondly, she was then going to fly deliberately into a war zone, placing herself in danger without him there to back her up. ‘It cuts both ways, sweetheart,´ she thought.

If she was to stand any chance of finding him, she needed Cooper. That much was true. And she had a terrible suspicion that Lucas´ disappearance had less to do with his work for the military than with Hayden´s plotting. There was no way she was going to tell any of those boneheads in the MoD that, though. She needed them to find Lucas almost as much as she needed Cooper. She doubted that McQueen would be willing, or able, to help. She needed bigger guns.

~*~

The bigger guns took the form of Thomas Noble. A scion of one of the older English families. Not quite aristocracy but close. Thursday had little time for people like him. They made her palms itch, probably why Lucas had never trusted her enough to introduce her to any of them, not that his relationship with them was a social one. He knew his lover´s temper well, and the fact that she seldom, if ever, suffered fools gladly.

He owed Lucas, big time. Whatever his reasons had been for keeping Cooper alive, they´d accomplished it. And because of that Lucas was now in danger. She didn´t want to waste any time. Every second that she was stuck on this planet could be a second off his life. So she was less than impressed when Noble´s lackey refused her entry. She didn´t bother arguing with him. He didn´t expect quite such a violent response. She left him rolling on the doorstep in pain, while she located Noble´s study.

“Who are you? How the hell did you get in here? Donaldson!”

She seated herself in the chair opposite Noble´s desk. “If Donaldson is about six foot, dark and stupid looking,” she said tightly, “he´s currently wishing he´d never clapped eyes on me.”

The patrician eyes narrowed at her. If the son had resembled the father in any way, then it was no wonder that Hayden had fallen for Richard so many years ago. Even her implant must have given her at least some indication of the nobleness of the family countenance. Noble. She snorted. From what she knew of the family, they were anything but.

“What do you want?” he said, obviously dismissing her as any threat. She needed him, so he´d live long enough to regret it.

“Lucas,” she replied softly.

“I don´t know anybody of that name,” he retorted, but she´d seen the momentary recognition appear on his face, before he´d managed to hide it.

“Don´t play games with me,” she snarled. “Lucas is in danger, and I need your help.” He snorted at that.

“I hardly think that assaulting my major-domo is the way to go about getting it,” he commented dryly.

“Lucas was captured by AIs,” she continued, ignoring him. “I suspect it has more to do with... the other matter than the war.”

“And you want me to risk my position to help him? Are you out of your mind. Lucas knew the risks. Besides, he said that you had your own reasons.”

“I´m not asking you to risk your precious neck,” she snarled, never very diplomatic at the best of times. “All I need from you is help in getting out to the Saratoga, and the assistance of some men.”

He smirked. “In case you hadn´t noticed, my dear young lady, there´s a war on.” She was unimpressed.

“I do read the papers, you know. And that is why you´re going to persuade the MoD to intervene. Lucas is a specialist in his field. You´re going to persuade them that they need to recover Lucas, alive. And you´re also going to persuade them that I need the 58th to do that.”

He sat abruptly forward in his chair. “The 58th do not come under the jurisdiction of the MoD. They´re an American unit. And why do you need my grandson anyway.”

She ignored his question, concentrating on his arguments. “If you ask for the 5-8, you´ll get them. This is all one war.”

“And if I don´t?”

She smiled, coldly. “There is nothing that Lucas knows that I don´t. And believe me when I say that if you fail to help me in this, I´ll destroy you, no matter what the personal cost. What you have to realise, Mister Noble, is that without Lucas, I really don´t care what happens to me, or for that matter anyone else.”

“Including my grandson?”

"Cooper," she said softly, "may be one of the few people that I do still care about. However, my feelings about him in no way imply any safety for you. I just want you to be clear on that. He doesn´t even know that you exist. Therefore anything I do to you will just be so much newsprint as far as he´s concerned.”

She stared him down. “I´ll arrange passage,” he finally submitted. “For one?”

“Make it two,” she said. “And make it quick. I´ll expect to hear from you today.”

‘Oh god, Lucas,´ she thought as she left, stepping over the still incapacitated Donaldson. ‘I´m not sure how many more enemies we can afford to have.´

~*~

"I cannot believe I let you talk me into this, Thursday. Lucas will kill me for this, I will never be able to work for him again. How did you manage to get us here anyway? Have you tried to pick up anything from Cooper? McQueen will probably meet us at the door with handcuffs for pulling a stunt like this. I hope Cooper's okay. Have you tried to pick up anything from him? Did I ask you that already?" Madi looked over at her friend for the first time since she'd started talking and met Thursday's exasperated expression.

"Madi, for God's sake, will you hush? You're driving me crazy!" Thursday was still and white but she had two spots of colour in her cheeks due to irritation. She knew Madi tended to chatter when she was nervous and it usually amused her, but she'd never been confined with her during one of her bouts and now it was completely unnerving her.

"I'm sorry, I'll be quiet." Madi fidgeted and looked out the window but there was nothing much to see. She tried to imagine how wonderful it would be to see Cooper but all she could think about was McQueen standing at the door of the transport with a few sentries to take them to the brig. She wished now she'd called Commodore Ross instead of McQueen, he was so much nicer. Madi's toe started to tap as her thoughts grew more agitating. Thursday finally put her hand over Madi's and smiled ruefully.

"Madi, dear, you may as well talk, I'm too upset to shield properly so I'm hearing all this anyway. I'm sorry. Here you´ve left the children and come with me and all I do is snap at you for chattering. It's just that I'm so worried and I suppose we all deal with our problems differently. And stop worrying about McQueen. I've handled everything and he'll not be throwing either of us in the brig."

Madi smiled at her friend in relief. "I'm just paying you back for helping me, Thursday. I don't know what I would have done if you hadn't brought me to Scotland after that mess with Cooper. I owe you. Besides, I owe Lucas, too, and while he's going to be very angry about this he'd never forgive me if I'd let you come alone. I'll also be able to see Cooper - I've missed him so much."

"I'm very worried about him as well Madi. If Lucas is unable to shield there's no telling what Cooper will pick up when we have to let our shields down to search for him. You must be prepared, dear. He could turn violent or be in pain or very scared. It will all depend on Lucas' state."

Madi nodded solemnly and for the rest of the trip she tried to think of pleasant, calming things to help Thursday.

~*~

The ship they'd hitched a ride on was a troop carrier and with all the noise and confusion of the newbies disembarking Madi and Tee went unnoticed for quite a while. That suited Madi fine and she was just about to take Thursday and head to Commodore Ross's office herself when McQueen strolled into the docking bay. She knew he'd been informed of their arrival from the unpleasant look on his face; he looked like someone who´d had a sip of sour milk.

"Dr. Hagen. Gibson." McQueen directed his next statement to Madi. "I see you managed to go over our heads and get here. That was very ….resourceful of you." Madi suspected that was not a compliment. "If you ladies will follow me, I'll escort you to your guest quarters. Commodore Ross is under the weather with a migraine and wishes to beg your pardons for his absence today."

Without waiting to see if they'd pardoned him or not, McQueen started out of the docking bay and led them down to the VIP quarters. Madi followed behind Thursday, remembering the time she and Cooper had been in this same corridor late in the evening and he'd kissed her silly in every dark corner on their way to and from the Tun. She was aching to see him and afraid at the same time. They'd been apart for so long and he'd been here every day with Shane. One letter in four months had done nothing to reassure her either, although it had been a very sweet letter.

McQueen stopped in front of the first cabin and gave Madi a last piercing glare. "You'll be quartered here, Gibson, and I expect to find you here when we need you. Is that understood?"

Thursday looked back and forth between the two with some amusement. Lucas had briefly explained the situation to her when he returned from the last trip to the Saratoga. His consensus was that they butted heads because they were so alike and he told Thursday they'd work it out all in time. Now she watched as Madi's chin went up and she hurriedly opened her door and practically pushed the younger woman in the room before pulling it shut.

"Colonel, we're very tired and emotionally drained. If you wouldn't mind showing me to my room, I'd love to freshen up." McQueen gave the hatch another hard look before he turned back to Thursday. "Of course, Dr. Hagen. Due to the rushed nature of the rescue search we'll be meeting in thirty mikes. I'll have Lt. Hawkes escort you to the briefing room and he'll be available to help you."

"Thank you, Colonel McQueen, I'll be ready." He nodded and left and Thursday stepped into the quiet room gathering her shields around her to block out any noise from the ship. She had to get ready for the ordeal they were about to face. She hoped Madi would use her time to rest. She'd need her strength for the upcoming events as well.

~*~

Madi, however, was well occupied at the moment and rest was the last thing on her mind. She had her hands buried in Cooper's hair, kissing him like there was no tomorrow. He'd been waiting in the wardroom and he'd neatly caught her as Thursday had thrust her into the room to keep her from starting something with McQueen. They were gasping out questions and endearments between kisses. "How did you know I was coming?" Madi feverishly pressed her mouth down the side of his face and along his jaw.

"McQueen told me. I've missed you like crazy, Madi." Cooper slid his hands under Madi's skirt, smoothing them up the back of her thighs and over her bottom, pressing her tightly to him. She was wearing garters and hose and he almost came in his pants thinking about how she'd look with just those on. He pulled her slightly away and slid her panties down her legs. Madi stepped out of them, never ceasing her kissing.

"He knew you were in here?" She fastened her mouth to his, kissing him possessively, her tongue paring with his, awash with the heat coursing through her body. She felt his nod against her mouth. "I guess the truce is back on then, he may even get a Christmas card from me," she managed to whisper and then she whimpered as she felt his fingers move from her bottom to slip inside her.

"What are you talking about, Mad?" She was hot and wet and so ready for him that Cooper moaned out loud and pulled her with him to the bed, settling her on his lap astride him.

"Forget it. Cooper can't you take that flight suit off? I've been so worried about you, darling." Madi's hands were itching to get to his skin, but they were both still practically dressed.

"Can't. We've got…" he glanced at his watch. "twenty mikes. Then I've got to go over and meet Thursday. I've been fine, just worried about Lucas." He did unzip it and she got him peeled mostly out of the suit - enough that she could reach down and wrap her hand around his hard length. "Madi, be careful - I can't last long this first time and I want to be inside you. I've thought about this for months." Madi was nibbling and sampling his mouth again - she thought she'd never get enough of the taste of him. She pulled his black turtleneck up enough to press her hands over the smooth flesh of his stomach and ribs, then teased his flat nipples before running the tips of her fingers down his sides feeling the ridges of muscle that rippled at her touch.

"I've thought about it too, babe. I've missed you so much, Cooper. I've had such wild dreams about you and then I'd wake up and you're gone. I can't believe we're here together." Cooper pulled her blouse open and unfastened the front catch of her bra. He lowered his head to her breasts and Madi trembled all over, her body arching up, pressing herself eagerly against his mouth. His warm male lips moved over her, his tongue flicking, licking, tasting. He bit her nipple lightly before sucking it into his mouth and it was Madi's turn to moan with pleasure. She laced her fingers once more in his hair and held on tightly. She was dizzy with the sensations he was stirring.

"Wrap your legs around me." Cooper whispered, his mouth on the soft spot beneath her ear.

"No, I need to be on my knees, hon." Her breath was coming in tiny, fevered spurts and Madi was aching for him. His mouth took hers in a deep kiss, his hand massaging her breast and the other burying itself in her hair. He used his grip on her curls to pull her head back until he could look into her eyes. "Do what I tell you, Madi."

Madi gasped, feeling a thrill at the tone of dominance in his voice; that was new - and she liked it. She wiggled til her legs were around his lean hips. He put both hands on her waist and lifted her up, sliding his complete length inside her in one smooth thrust. Waves of heat rippled through her and she cried out softly. Cooper kept thrusting into her, gripping her and holding her immobile, lifting her and filling her, over and over while suckling her breasts until her spine tingled and she went over the edge, succumbing to the wild rush of pleasure that bathed her. Watching her climax completely undid Cooper and he took her mouth savagely, gripping her waist as he continued to plunge inside her until he, too, came explosively. He tore his mouth away to call out her name, and grasped her buttocks to pull her even more tightly onto him, making her gasp from the aftershocks of her own orgasm.

Covered in sweat with his hair in his eyes, his head slumped onto her shoulder. He pressed mindless kisses to her throat. Madi smoothed his damp hair back from his face with trembling fingers, she ran her hands over his cheeks and pressed kisses to his lips and face. He finally opened his eyes and smiled sweetly at her. "Welcome aboard, Madi."

~*~

Under these fingertips a strange body rolls and dips
I close my eyes and you're here again
Later as day descends
I'll shout from my window
To anyone listening "I'm losing"

Who can take your place?
I can't face another day
And who will shelter me?
It's cold in here
Cover me

Oh a plague of hateful questioning
Tap dancing every syllable from ear to ear
I hear the din of lovers jousting
When I'm hiding here with my head to the wall
So

Who will shelter me
It's cold in here

This House - Alison Moyet

Thursday threw herself down on the bed and tried to relax. It was far from easy, but she knew that she´d need to be as fresh as possible if she and Cooper were to stand any chance of finding Lucas. She´d tried to reach him, but again had felt nothing. It had been two days now, and she tried to hold on to her belief that he was still alive, still okay, but the longer she went without hearing from him, the harder it got. She had to hold on to the idea that if he was dead, she´d know. Somehow she´d know, it had to be more than the vacuum she felt whenever he was out of reach. It couldn´t be just the absence of him, it had to be so earth shattering that she´d feel it reverberate through her very soul.

She was aware of Cooper and Madi in the next wardroom. She tried to block it out. It wasn´t helping, it reminded her of the part of her that was missing.

Two days. In two days anything could happen. If he was still alive, and he was unconscious, then to be out cold for two days meant that it was serious. And if they were drugging him to keep him unconscious that had to mean that it had nothing to do with Cooper, and they wanted him for his work and didn´t care how long he was out of contact, or they needed to keep him out cold long enough to get him away from the area.

Maybe they were keeping him unconscious because they knew about her. Her and Cooper and their connection to Lucas. If they knew about that, they stood no chance. On the other hand, if they were keeping him out cold because they wanted to reach some kind of base, then it could be anywhere. Or if he was hurt....

She was getting nowhere, her mind going in circles, covering the same ground. She was tired. She´d hardly slept in the last two days, and she couldn´t afford to sleep now. Two days was a lifetime. McQueen had said thirty minutes. She wondered if she could stay sane that long. Ten minutes down, and twenty to go before she could do anything.

She thought about the first time they met. He´d been a smart mouthed fourteen year old, angry at the world which he expected to let him down at every opportunity, with reason as she´d later found out. She´d been a cool, emotionally distant nineteen year old who thought that she had the world figured out. They´d both been wrong. They´d known each other for almost half their lives, been together not much shorter than that. How was she supposed to live without him, just because some inanimate objects and a cold hearted bitch decided that it should be that way. She promised herself that when this was over she was going to cut Hayden´s heart out with a spoon, consequences be damned.

Ten minutes to go.

She thought about the first time he´d kissed her, the first time they´d made love. How sweet he´d tasted. Don´t go there. It only made it hurt worse. She tried to hold onto the anger; it disguised the pain for a little while. Stay angry, stay focused. Go over the steps you need to take, plan ahead. Think about what to do to protect Cooper and Madi and Gibson and the kids and god knows how many others.

First step make sure that some copies of their information on Hayden were transferred to somewhere Lucas didn´t know. Done. And try to keep that information from Lucas at all costs. With any luck, even if the worst happened to Lucas, she´d still be able to protect Cooper. In the meantime, if anything happened to Lucas, she would definitely cut Hayden´s heart out with a spoon.

Why a spoon?

Cooper. Trust him to focus in on that. She fought the urge to laugh; she didn´t want to laugh, she wanted to hold onto the rage. Because it will hurt more, she replied.

She could feel him consider that for a moment. Cool, he finally said, satisfied with the logic. She wondered for a moment if he knew a way to kill someone with a spoon. Probably several. Tee? he continued.

Yes?

We´re going to find him, Cooper continued awkwardly. Don´t worry. Sweet as always, and so unused to being the comforter. She appreciated the effort.

You about ready to go, hon? she asked.

Sure. She felt his hesitation.

It´s all right, Cooper. I´ll wait for you to get dressed, and for the first time in two days she laughed.

~*~

The first thing that Lucas was aware of was the fact that his head hurt. A lot. It was pounding so badly that when he tried to sit up he almost threw up. He raised one shaky hand to his brow and winced as his fingers traced the bump there and came away tacky. He vaguely remembered hitting his head against the bulkhead when....

AIs. He remembered. They´d been attacked by AIs. Not just that, but AIs that hadn´t turned up on LIDAR. It looked like the military had been right. Somehow the AIs had got hold of Chig technology and were using it, which meant that they had access to a source of Sewell Fuel that the Chigs didn´t know about. Yet.

However, Lucas had more on his mind at the moment than the task he´d originally been hired for. Like a storming headache and how the hell to get out of here. He hadn´t felt this bad since the morning after his eighteenth birthday party. What a hangover that had been. It must have been more than a blow to the head.

He tried to sit up again, managing it this time, although he almost passed out again. He sat very still for a moment, waiting for the world to stop spinning. The air tasted strange, metallic almost. Either that was the result of whatever drugs they´d given him or he was in some kind of structure that needed to use recycled air.

The room was small and very cold. The lighting was dim, and given the state of his head that was something to be thankful for. He managed to swing his legs off the bunk he´d obviously been unceremoniously dumped on. Once again he had to fight the wave of dizziness that threatened to engulf him.

He became aware of something other than the throbbing of his head; a sound at the edges of his consciousness, like a deep drumbeat. He could also feel it through the soles of his feet. Some kind of machinery, he guessed. Maybe he was still on a ship, or in some kind of factory. He couldn´t do more than guess at the moment.

The throbbing in his head had settled down into a dull ache behind his eyeballs, and he no longer felt like any movement would make him sick. He tried to reach Thursday through the cotton wool that filled his cranium. More than anything he wanted to reassure her that he was okay, well as okay as he could be given the fact he was obviously a prisoner.

Thursday?

The resulting response almost made him throw up, as the surge of emotions he received made his head pound even harder. Not just Thursday, but Cooper too were obviously relieved to hear from him. He fought down the nausea while trying to make some sense of the garbled messages he was receiving.

Lucas, are you okay?

... Where are you?

... Have the AIs...

... Have they asked you...

I´m okay, he hastened to reassure them. Apart from a storming headache, which you´re not helping. I don´t know where I am, in some kind of metallic structure I think. I don´t know how long I´ve been out. I assume it´s AIs but I haven´t seen anyone or anything yet. Does that answer all of your questions? It came off a little harsher than he intended, but damn his head hurt.

Thursday´s ‘voice´ was subdued as she responded. You´ve been out cold for two days, as far as we can tell. We´ve been trying to contact you for that long anyway. He really regretted his earlier bad humour. If he´d been out for two days, Thursday must have been frantic. She´d obviously got his earlier message if she knew about the AIs. No wonder she and Cooper were so relieved to hear from him.

Two days..... They must have drugged me.

Cooper came through clearly this time, his fear giving his words emphasis. Drugs? What kind of drugs? Given Cooper´s experience with drugs, it was hardly surprising that he was so worried. Knowing that, Lucas kept his response deliberately low key.

I don´t know Cooper, but they were just to keep me out cold. They haven´t done any lasting harm. Apart from a headache, he added silently, making sure they didn´t catch that thought. He didn´t want to worry them any more than they were already. Now that we´ve established that I have no idea where I am, where are you? He caught the hesitation immediately, and that made him very suspicious. He´d also caught the fact that Cooper had been about to tell him something before Thursday had smothered it.

Thursday... he added warningly.

We´re safe. The thought was defensive. He wasn´t going to get any more out of her without a fight. So he turned his attention to the one he knew couldn´t lie to him. Cooper was good, but he wasn´t that good yet. Lucas had wondered before whether that was because it was something they never taught InVitros; how to lie. And most eight year olds weren´t very good at it, except Reece of course.

Cooper, he sent smoothly, and where would safe be? He caught the impression before Cooper could hide it. The Saratoga. You´re both on the Saratoga? He fought the rising tide of anger. He really didn´t need this at the moment.

You can yell at me when you get back. Thursday was still defiant.

I intend to, he sent back grimly. He could feel Cooper´s jitteryness. He was obviously uncomfortable with the tension between him and Thursday. However, before he got the chance to reassure Cooper that he wasn´t mad with him - hell, if he couldn´t stop Tee doing exactly what she wanted, what chance did Cooper have - the door opened with a metallic hiss.

Well, he sent, eyeing the figures that now stood in the doorway, it´s obviously still AIs...

~*~

Madi showered and changed after Cooper reluctantly left. It had been a short and emotional reunion and they were both worried out of their heads over Lucas. While Cooper had still been holding her she'd suddenly burst into tears, consumed with guilt that she'd put Lucas out of her mind long enough to make love to Cooper. He'd quieted her, telling her there was nothing they could do now anyway and reminding her that Lucas wouldn't want her upset.

Now Cooper and Thursday were meeting and trying to contact Lucas, trying to get a feel for his even being alive. Madi struggled not to feel left out. The relationship those three shared due to their psychic abilities was a unique and exclusive one. Though Lucas insisted that Madi had an empathic awareness of others and she could shield her thoughts, that empathy in no way equalled what these three could accomplish. Thursday had confided to her that Cooper's talents could equal Lucas's with time and that thought frightened Madi. Skills like that were valuable on the political bargaining table and bidders would pay dearly them. The thought of Cooper being used selfishly by ruthless political machines had sickened her and she'd begged Thursday not to help him develop those skills only to be told that they would evolve on their own regardless. What they would teach Cooper was how to guard himself from being used and how to use them for the good of others.

Those disturbing thoughts were interrupted by someone knocking on the door and Madi hurried to answer it, thinking it might be Cooper with news of Lucas. She was surprised to see, instead, TC McQueen on the other side.

"Colonel McQueen."

"Gibson. I understand Cooper's tied up for a while with Dr. Hayden and I thought we might talk."

"What did you want to talk about, Colonel?" Madi couldn't think of anything they had to say that they hadn't covered before.

"I need to get some information from you regarding a legal matter and I've also got a few questions about Lucas Masterson. Since Dr. Hayden is busy, I thought you might be able to help me." Seeing her hesitation he added, "We could go to the Tun if you'd feel more comfortable."

Madi was torn. She wasn't afraid of Cooper's CO but the last few times they had talked they'd ended up taking pieces out of each other and she'd promised Cooper that she'd try to do better. Maybe if they were in a public place she could contain her temper more. Madi nodded. "If you don't mind, Colonel. That might be best. I could use something to drink anyway."

Moments later they were settled at a table with Madi sipping iced tea. She figured she'd need all her good sense to get through this and someone with her poor head for alcohol had no business drinking around McQueen. She could tell he was a man with a mission and she just hoped she could keep her promise to Cooper.

"You mentioned Lucas, Colonel?"

McQueen nodded. "This is strictly off the record, Gibson, but I'm wondering what Lucas is doing back here. All Commodore Ross and I knew about any of this was that a civilian with a high-level security classification was coming on board and was to be given complete access to the ship's computers.” McQueen left out the fact that vital, top secet information had arrived after the announcement of Masterson´s visit. “Next thing I know you're telling me Lucas is captured by AIs. I don't like not knowing what's going on around me Gibson. What was Lucas doing here?"

"I have no idea myself. Lucas usually tells me when he's taking a job even though I don't work on all of them with him. It's a security measure. Thursday and I both know where he'll be and we always have a number to reach him. But this time he didn't tell me, I found out from Thursday. She said it was something to do with computers. I will tell you this, Colonel McQueen, it's something big or Lucas would never have become involved with the military. He's spent his life avoiding them since he was no more than a child. There's nothing that Lucas Masterson can't do with a computer and my guess that is someone has figured out a feasible way to use that knowledge against our enemy."

McQueen nodded. He and Ross had been of a similar mind before their last disturbing intelligence message. He wondered if Gibson was telling him the truth about Masterson or if she was here as a cover for whatever was really going on once again. McQueen decided to hold his cards close to his chest for a while and see if she gave anything away in the next few days. He focused his attention back on the young woman in front of him and changed the subject to another one that interested him. "I wanted to thank you again for taking care of Cooper. Your service was invaluable."

Madi smiled at him for the first time since she'd been on the ship and she let her guard down a little. "Thank you, Colonel, but that was my pleasure. I should thank you for sending him to me. We needed that time together to clear things up between us."

"That brings me to the legal matters I mentioned." McQueen took a slip of paper out of his flight suit and put it in front of Madi, watching her expression closely. She glanced at it then back to McQueen blankly.

"I don't know what this is, Colonel."

"It's a notice that you're the sole beneficiary of Lt. Cooper Hawkes. You'll receive any monies due him at his death and you're named on several insurance policies he's taken out through the military."

Madi felt her face heat up as McQueen sat across from her with a piercing stare.

"What exactly are you accusing me of?"

"Who said I was accusing you of anything, Gibson?" McQueen´s eyes never wavered from her face.

"No one, but I suddenly feel like I'm on trial here. I'm surprised that Cooper's made those changes but mostly because I never thought anything like that would occur to him. It certainly never occurred to me."

"You didn't ask him to make you his beneficiary?" Madi felt her temper uncoiling but held on to it tightly.

"No! I would never ask him something like that. Why are you always prepared to believe the worst about me? Why do you find it so hard to believe that I love him?"

McQueen just kept looking at her in a way that made Madi want to squirm like a guilty child even though she couldn't think for the life of her what she had to feel guilty about. "You love him?" Madi nodded. "How long do think that ‘love´ will last, Madi, when people are calling you names to your face because you're with a tank? Is that really the way you want to spend your life?"

"I know about the prejudice, Colonel, I deal with it every day." Madi thought of the sickening insults and suggestions she'd had to put up with from the director of the orphanage since Cooper had left.

"What you're dealing with now is nothing compared to what you'll experience if you continue this, Madi. I've lived through it. I watched it tear my wife apart. She thought she could handle it too - but she was wrong. I don't want Cooper hurt like that, hell, I don't even want you hurt like that, but things like this," he waved the paper at her "are telling me he's started down that same road. All I'm asking Madi, is that you think it through very carefully before you get anymore involved with Hawkes. He's doing good now and he's got his head screwed on the right way for once. I don't want you messing him up for the little bit you're here. Things have not gotten to the point yet where you couldn't just walk away from this, Madi."

Madi stared at him trying to gather her thoughts. She should have suspected he'd start on this tack but he'd thrown her with the questions about Lucas. "Colonel, do you have this same talk with every person that becomes involved with your squadron or am I the only one?" His expression answered her question and Madi felt something that felt surprisingly like hurt course through her. Cooper loved and admired this man and despite her distrust Madi respected him greatly, and she wanted his respect as well. "I wish I could promise you that I will never do what your ex-wife did, Colonel, but life just isn't like that. There are no guarantees and you're asking me to deny us the chance to even try to be happy. I'm sorry but I won't do that. I'll try to reach out for that happiness with both hands."

"Are you sure it's happiness you're reaching out for with both hands, Gibson?" Madi was suddenly suspicious on a whole new level at the way McQueen was looking at her.

"What are you talking about?"

"I've been thinking of some things that Lucas told me the last time he was on this ship. He told me five of the InVitros that Richard Noble produced were products of his own genes. I've done some research of my own. Richard Noble died a rich man with no heirs, Gibson. If you could prove a connection between Noble and Cooper you'd be in line for quite a fortune. That kind of money would make what Cooper's sending you now look like pocket change wouldn't it?"

Madi's head was suddenly swimming as she tried to take in all that McQueen had told her at once. Why had Lucas told McQueen something about Richard Noble and Cooper that he'd never told her? The questions screamed through her mind only to be pushed aside by McQueen's last statement. Madi Gibson was damned tired of him accusing her of making money off of Cooper and this was the last straw. She didn't even try to hold her temper back now.

"What the hell are you talking about, McQueen? I have never taken any money from Cooper and I have no idea how Richard Noble could be associated with Cooper. That man died before either of us were even born. And I want to know what you mean by saying that I could prove Cooper was his son."

"Don't play these games with me, Gibson." McQueen drew several more slips from his pocket and placed them in front of her. "There's the proof. The Paymaster brought those to me to give to Cooper. He's been sending you money since he got back to the 'Toga. I'm wondering now if you'd lie about that what else you'd lie about."

Madi picked the slips up with numb fingers and read the papers. He had been sending her money though she hadn't received any of it. It was probably in some mail bag somewhere between here and Earth. Madi gritted her teeth in anger. She was furious that Cooper would think he had to pay her for anything she'd done and mad that McQueen had her over a barrel. He'd never believe anything she told him now so she didn't even bother. McQueen was watching her face as she tried to piece everything he'd told her about Noble together and he saw the instant that she remembered her father's phone call and the file that he'd given Lucas and he took that expression of dawning recognition as guilt.

"All becoming suddenly clear, Gibson? How did you ever find out about Cooper? Out of all the millions of InVitros walking around, how in the world did you find one with a possible inheritance? Or have you been doing research as well?"

Madi's good intentions snapped in the face of his unjust taunts and she snarled back at him mindless of the surprised stares that her raised voice attracted. "Who the hell do you think you are to accuse me of something like this, McQueen? When are you going to stop trying to get rid of me? When are you going to realize that I´m not giving him up so you can keep him in the Marines like the good little soldier you want him to be. I will never give him up to you! If you want him you'll have to fight for him -- but if you love him you'll let him choose his own way, Colonel. He is not a child that you have to protect from the evil, cruel world and he is not a mindless idiot. And don't you ever accuse me of being with him for money again as long as you live, you bastard!”

McQueen watched with a detached expression as she hurriedly left the room, turning over her chair in her rush for the door. He was surprised to find that he was a little ashamed of himself and he stopped to wonder briefly if he could be wrong about Madi. But thinking like that was beside the point. Cooper's duty right now lay with his squadron and the marines he was fighting with and the last thing he needed was Madi Gibson back in his life reminding him of everything he'd never be able to have. As he righted her chair and left the bar a small voice asked him if it was Cooper that he was so worried about…. or himself.

~*~

Madi ignored the sound of the chair crashing behind her as she made her furious way out of the Tun, almost colliding with a man entering. His hands on her arms steadied her and Madi absently thanked him and moved on without even glancing at his face.

Shane, reading a book in the corner, had been witness to the whole scene with McQueen and she quirked her lips in sympathy. McQueen had been a bear since he'd heard Madi and Dr. Hagen were coming aboard and, despite her ambiguous feelings about seeing Madi and Cooper together, she didn't envy Madi having to deal with him. She peeked over the top of her book and watched as Mason grabbed Madi to keep her from mowing him down and was thankful Cooper wasn't in the Tun. He'd have decked Mason for touching her just on principal; those two were spoiling for a fight.

She sank a little deeper in her chair, hoping the newest member of the 5-8 wouldn't see her, but he was headed directly toward her. Will Mason smiled at her in a friendly enough manner, blowing on his fingers as if Madi had burned them, before pulling out a chair uninvited.

"Sure, have a seat, Mason," Shane groused, but sarcasm was lost on the pilot. He rarely stopped thinking about himself long enough to bother hearing what others were saying.

"Hey Vansen, where'd the new eye candy come from? Looks like hot stuff." He winked at her over her book and was completely unruffled when Shane looked back in total and unfeigned disdain.

"Well find another piece because that one's taken." Mason looked back at the entrance as if to catch another glimpse of the young woman and he watched with interest as McQueen straightened the chair and left the Tun.

"Is she here with one of the squadrons from the Colin Powell?" Shane rolled her eyes in frustration. If she didn't tell him he'd never leave her alone and he might mention Madi to the guys. She just wasn't sure how much to tell him. Mason had been making jabs at Cooper for weeks but so far Coop had brushed them off and ignored him. Instead of helping though, that just seemed to make Mason worse. Lately his jabs had turned into full-blown insults and if he started something about Madi she knew Cooper would snap.

"She's part of a team of civilian contractors; their work here is highly classified." Shane didn't add that three of the Wildcards had been briefed on the matter. "You'd better leave her alone, Mason. If McQueen catches you pestering a civvie he'll have you cleaning the mess floor with a toothbrush."

"Yeah, like I'm afraid of some tank, even one with a token rank. So what's her name?" Shane slammed her book closed and rose to leave him with a scathing look.

"You'd better watch that mouth, Lieutenant, and her name is none of your business. McQueen has always been there for us and Cooper is our friend. We won't hear anything bad said about them. Do you understand? The only reason we haven't busted you yet is because you're new to the 5-8, but if you keep this up -- we'll end it." She noted his shocked face with satisfaction before she turned and left. Will Mason was going to be trouble and she didn´t have to be psychic to know that.

~*~

Things were going rapidly from bad to worse. The first questions the AI interrogator had asked him made it plain that whatever their reasons for grabbing him and the crew of the transport, they had little to do with his assignment. They were far more interested in Cooper. And the worst thing of all was that Lucas could feel Cooper´s guilt about it. It made him regret passing information onto Thursday and Cooper in the first place. But the more they knew about what the AIs were asking him the better, it may give them the information they needed to figure out what the hell they were up to, and more to the point get him out of here. Lucas was under no illusions. If they decided to torture him, he´d break. He didn´t consider himself exactly hero material. He hoped that Thursday and Cooper figured out where he was before it got that far. The last thing he wanted to do was give these bastards any information that put Thursday, Cooper or anyone else for that matter, at risk.

He was blindfolded. He hated that; it made him even more afraid if possible. There was something about being able to hear the AI pacing around him but not being able to see it that got every nerve ending twitching. He almost jumped out of his seat when he felt one cold plastic finger running over the side of his face before the AI moved away again.

He tested the handcuffs once more, although he knew that it was futile. His wrists were already red raw, the sweat from his palms making them sting even more as he twisted, trying not to attract attention. He didn´t think that he´d ever felt so helpless before in his life. He´d become so used to being able to pick up background thoughts. Not read them, not exactly, more being aware that they were there, like someone living next to a freeway got used to the constant hum of traffic. And now, nothing. AIs didn´t feel the same as humans, not at all. He wasn´t entirely sure if there were any other humans around, although he couldn´t be certain that there weren´t.

The AI had stopped asking questions. Instead it just paced steadily around him. He wondered if AIs were capable of feeling any emotions, like anger. He wondered if his refusal to answer questions, to even speak to the AI had made it mad. If he had, he definitely didn´t want to see it. He knew what AIs were capable of doing at the best of times, he didn´t want to see the worst. He wondered if this constant pacing was a special type of psychological torture. If it was, it would be working, given the need for most humans to talk to fill uncomfortable silences. As it was, he was probably driving Cooper and Thursday out of their minds with his constant meaningless comments. He did his talking to fill the silences inside his head.

Do you think they do room service? he was currently asking. I mean, I don´t think much of the decor, and the service sucks. Think I should write a letter of complaint to the management, Tee?

I wouldn´t, she answered dryly. They may offer you a free stay to make up for it and we wouldn´t want that now, would we?

You´re probably right, Tee. I bow to your judgement in this, as in all things.

What´s it doing now? Cooper wanted to know. Lucas gave an internal sigh.

Still walking and not talking. I´ll tell you something, if it wasn´t for being able to talk to you guys, this would drive me out of my mind.

As it is, Thursday teased, you´re talking to us and driving us out of our minds.

What minds?

The banter suddenly stopped, as Lucas became aware of a change in his surroundings. The air was different. A draft, he could feel a slight draft on his lips. And there was a sensation of movement. That sensation was followed by the sound of something heavy being dropped onto the floor. No, make that two somethings, and the second something definitely moaned. He could feel the prickling sensation in his scalp that meant that he was in the presence of other humans. He couldn´t tell any more than that. Whoever these people were, they had no talent. He got nothing from them other than they were as terrified as he was. That did not bode well.

Then he became aware of air brushing past his face as the AI leant closer. Not breath, but air displaced by movement, and then his blindfold was whipped off. He had to squint until his eyes became used to the light in the room. When he could finally see he realised that the two ‘somethings´ he´d been aware of were the pilot and co-pilot from the transport. They did not look good. By the looks of them the AIs had been much less kind hosts than they had to him. Their uniforms were torn in places, and the co-pilot was bleeding from the corner of her mouth. Lucas´ mouth went suddenly dry. He didn´t think that his fellow hostages had been brought here so that they could compare notes on the accommodation.

He wasn´t wrong. His heart dropped even further when one of the AI guards moved behind the pilot and placed the barrel of the gun it held against his head. Lucas half jumped out of his seat when he felt the AI interrogator place one hand heavily on his shoulder.

“Doctor Masterson here appears reluctant to answer our questions,” it said smoothly to the pilot. “I´m hoping that you can persuade him to change his mind. They are such easy questions after all.” It turned its attention back to Lucas. “Feel like playing now, Doctor Masterson?” Lucas could only stare hopelessly at the pilot. If he answered the questions then he, Thursday, Cooper and maybe even Madi and the children, were dead. If he didn´t.....

“Bzzzzz,” said the AI gaily. “Time´s up Doctor Masterson, and you failed to give the correct answer within the time allowed.”

The shot sounded unnaturally loud in the confined space. Lucas could only stare in horror as the pilot´s body crumpled to the floor. It wasn´t like the movies. Blood wasn´t red it was maroon and thick and viscous. ‘I didn´t even know his name...´ was all Lucas could think incoherently.

The AI guard moved round to the co-pilot. “For God´s sake,” she pleaded desperately with Lucas. “I´ve got a family....” He could only return her gaze hopelessly, trying to apologise with his eyes for what he had to do. He knew it wasn´t enough. It would never be enough. She must have seen it in his eyes for hers narrowed. As long as Lucas lived he would never forget the look of hatred she gave him. Or the way she mouthed ‘Bastard´ at him.

“Well, Doctor Masterson?” the AI asked, its voice gentle. Lucas shook his head. This time he closed his eyes. It didn´t help. He heard the shot and the sound of the body hitting the floor. His imagination filled in the rest.

“Well, Doctor Masterson,” said the AI, sounding impressed. “You know, I really didn´t think you had it in you. You may prove to be a challenge after all.” Lucas opened his eyes then. He didn´t think he´d ever felt such hatred as he did then. He spat directly into the AI´s face. This time it was his body which hit the floor, as the AI knocked him straight off the chair with the force of its blow. As he skidded along the floor, he almost collided with the body of the co-pilot and stared straight into her lifeless eyes. There was a hell, just like his father had always told him. And what do you know, the bastard was right. He had gone there.

On the Saratoga, Thursday and Cooper were trying desperately to reach him, but couldn´t get through. They knew that something terrible had happened, but were not clear what. In the AI cell, Lucas sat staring at the wall, and tried vainly to come to terms with what he´d done.

~*~

Madi was still fuming when she reached Thursday´s quarters. She´d been pacing the decks for about an hour now. By now, the briefing with Commodore Ross should be over, and maybe Thursday and Cooper would have some more information. She didn´t admit it to herself, but she also felt the need to be in Thursday´s normal soothing presence. Not to mention the fact that she wanted an explanation or two. Like who was Richard Noble, what his relationship to Cooper was and why the hell neither Lucas or Thursday had told her about him.

She knew that something was wrong as soon as she opened the door. Thursday was sitting huddled up on the bed, with the look of intense concentration on her face which Madi had come to recognise meant that she was trying to talk to someone. Cooper was pacing the floor, full of nervous energy. McQueen was watching him, almost as wired as he was. She was thankful to see that the only other person in the room was Nathan. He was the only one of the Wildcards she really felt comfortable with. She eased herself over to stand next to him. She didn´t concern herself with why he might be there when the other ‘Cards weren´t.

“What´s going on?” she asked him softly, trying not to attract any attention. He leant in close to her, his response equally soft.

“Far as I can tell, they´ve found Lucas. He´s okay at the moment, but something´s happened. I don´t know what.” Madi felt relief flood her. She´d really wanted to believe Thursday when she´d insisted that Lucas was still alive, but there was a large part of her that had put Thursday´s insistence down to her need to believe that he was alive. She´d felt the same thing all those months not hearing from Cooper.

Thursday straightened up. “It´s no use,” she said, her voice dead. “He´s not responding. Cooper?” Cooper shook his head, his shoulders slumping.

“He´s not talking to me either.”

McQueen cleared his throat, “Do we know what happened?” Thursday and Cooper exchanged glances before answering him.

“They killed the pilots,” Thursday explained softly. They´d figured that much out at least.

“They shot them in front of Lucas,” Cooper expanded. “Told him that if he answered their questions they´d let them go. And when he didn´t...” He shuffled his feet uncomfortably. “Lucas thinks it´s his fault,” he explained, his voice subdued.

“What did they want?” asked McQueen. Thursday looked at Cooper briefly, her face showing the first sign of emotion - sympathy and concern.

“Cooper,” she said. It was all the explanation that McQueen needed. Cooper slumped even further, and Madi´s heart went out to him. Ignoring McQueen´s glare, she moved over to stand next to Cooper, running her palm sympathetically up and down his arm.

“This wasn´t your fault,” she said gently.

“Madi´s right, Cooper,” Thursday added. “This isn´t your fault. Lucas and I chose to become involved in this. We knew the risks.”

“What now?” Nathan wanted to know. “Now we know that Lucas is still alive, what do we do now?”

“Find him,” Thursday stated, her voice like steel.

“How?” Nathan wanted to know.

“We´re going to have to track him,” Cooper explained, struggling to find the words. “That´s what you meant, wasn´t it Tee? Why you needed me. We´re going to try and track him somehow. I mean.... we can kinda tell how close someone is. And maybe the direction too?”

“Yes,” answered Thursday. “We´re going to have to try and track him. With the two of us, it might be possible. But, honey, it´s not going to be easy.” Cooper returned her look, his own showing his determination.

“If it wasn´t for me, Lucas may not be there. I owe him, Tee. And if it was the other way round, I know he´d do it for me.” He paused, trying somehow to give her his belief that it was possible. In spite of everything, Cooper was naturally optimistic. “When do we start?”

“Now,” she said.

~*~

While Thursday was discussing the details of what they needed to do with Cooper, a knock sounded at the hatch and a young lieutenant stepped in.

"Colonel McQueen, sir, I have a message for you from Commodore Ross. He requests your presence in his readyroom immediately to deal with a ‘situation´.”

McQueen nodded and left wondering all the way to Ross's office if this hookey-pookey mind stuff was really going to be enough to find Lucas Masterson. The SAR teams had turned up zilch so far and the consensus was that the AIs had killed all aboard and fled as far as possible with the ISSCV. Unless they had something concrete to go on soon the rescue attempt would be called off. McQueen's thoughts came to a halt as he gaped in amazement at the ‘situation´ sitting in the chair in Ross's readyroom drinking hot chocolate.

"What the hell…?"

"That's what I was hoping you could tell me, McQueen. Our guest here won't say anything except that he needs to talk to Lt. Cooper Hawkes. Got any idea what this is all about, Ty?"

McQueen simply stared. "How did you get on board this ship, Reece?"

Reece Gibson sipped his chocolate again and took in McQueen's black flight suit and patches. The man was very impressive in person and for the first time in his young life Reece was a little awe struck. He decided then and there that he was going to be a pilot like Cooper and McQueen when he grew up.

"I asked you a question, son." McQueen's voice brooked no argument.

"Do you know this boy, Ty?" Ross felt dizzy with the lingering effects of his migraine and now they had a stowaway. A child stowaway to boot. When the boy had been discovered sneaking off the transport he'd been brought directly to Ross. Nothing he'd said to the child had got any response other than that he wanted to talk to Cooper Hawkes.

“I do, sir. Commodore Ross meet Reece Gibson. Madi Gibson's son." McQueen's tone of voice indicated that this was a very dismal moment indeed.

"Well, I didn't even know she had a child. Nice to meet you, Reece." Ross's voice went from congenial to hard in a second. "Now you tell us, son, how you got on board this ship."

Reece figured if he was ever going to get to talk to Cooper he'd better cooperate. "Duffel bag."

"What?" both adults chorused.

"I saw that all the soldiers put those long duffel bags under their seats on the transport so I waited til one in the terminal went to sleep and I emptied his stuff out in the bathroom and climbed in his duffel bag. He never even woke up." Reece couldn't help the bit of bravado that came through his voice. He was thrilled his plan had worked and he was so excited to be in space he was about to pop. This was his greatest adventure to date. Now he just had to figure out how to stay here until Madi went home. Reece was no fool. He could tell by the looks on the faces of these men that he was about to be shot right back to earth on the same transport that had brought him here.

"I had to come here. I have to talk to Cooper."

"And what would you have to say to Hawkes?" McQueen's voice was like ice.

"I'm sorry, Colonel. It's a private family matter." Reece replied calmly, never even wavering in the face of McQueen's threatening posture. McQueen heard something that sounded suspiciously like a snort of laughter from Ross but he kept the kid pinned with his glare and ignored Glen. He knew his friend had a crazy sense of humor that would enjoy a situation like this. With the war at a dragging pace any new or distracting event was welcomed.

"Family?"

"Yes sir. Family. I'm sorry I can't say anymore until I talk to Cooper." Reece resumed drinking his chocolate and hoped he wouldn't have to face Madi until he'd had a chance to see Cooper. She was going to blow a fuse when she saw him and he wasn't looking forward to that at all. Actually, he didn´t think that Cooper was going to be that impressed either.

McQueen looked to Ross for guidance. He didn't know anything about kids. Ross smiled back and shrugged his shoulders and McQueen had an odd feeling that he was enjoying himself. "I suggest you get Lt. Hawkes in here, Ty, so this boy can talk to him."

"He's already too involved with the search for Masterson to disturb right now, sir. I suggest we turn this child over to his mother for the time being."

"I was under the impression that she was here to help with the search as well."

"That's true but I don't know what else to do with him. He can't be left on his own to run around loose."

Reece spoke up at that. "I'd like to go with you, Colonel."

McQueen looked at him as though he were an alien life form and Ross almost laughed out loud. This was a case of hero worship if he'd ever saw one and it touched him that it was happening to his old friend. "I think with things so quiet that would be acceptable as a short-term solution, Colonel McQueen. You're in charge of Mr. Gibson here until his mother is finished for the day. Good day, gentlemen. I am going back to bed until this damn headache wears off." Ross got up and opened the door, escorting a pleased Reece and a bewildered McQueen out of his office before bursting into laughter as he thought of the look on McQueen's face.

~*~

Saying that they were going to find Lucas wasn´t as easy as doing it. Once they´d managed to reestablish contact with Lucas, he could tell them no more than he had been able to prior to the AIs coming for him. He´d been unconscious whenever they´d brought him here, and he didn´t know how long he´d been here before recovering consciousness. As far as he could tell, there were now no more humans wherever ‘here´ was. The air tasted recycled, but that didn´t necessarily mean that he was in a ship or on a base on a non oxygen based planet. Some mines had similar tasting air, pumped as it was to circulate throughout tunnels. He could hear humming, like machinery, but couldn´t tell whether it was ship engines, station machinery or mining machinery. Yes, he knew that wasn´t a great deal of help, but what the hell did they expect him to do? Knock on the door and ask the AIs politely if they would tell him where the hell he was? Perhaps he could ask for a map reference as well, save time.

Neither Thursday or Cooper pointed out that that was a rather unconstructive approach to take. They could feel Lucas´ fear under his words, although he was doing his best to hide it from them. And the execution of the pilots had shaken them as well, Thursday more than Cooper. Cooper knew that it was standard AI conduct, kill what you don´t need. If it hadn´t been for the fact that the AIs believed they could somehow use the pilots against Lucas, they wouldn´t even have survived as long as they had. Cooper tried to tell Lucas this, but as usual words let him down. He could tell that he hadn´t managed to get through and that was frustrating. Thing was, he couldn´t yell at Lucas, not with things being the way they were.

He was tired as he made his way back to the wardroom, his head spinning, trying to figure out the angles. Lucas was close, but not close close. Both he and Thursday could tell that. And they had a vague sense of direction, but nothing more. They could hardly persuade Commodore Ross to send out another SAR team with the instructions, ‘well its kinda that way and kinda close.´ For now, Lucas was trying to get some sleep, still woozy from whatever drugs they´d dosed him with, and Cooper knew that it wouldn´t be long before the AIs forgot psychological torture and went straight for the more direct kind. Thing was, he knew Lucas knew that too. Lucas better get as much sleep as possible while he still could. At least they were leaving Lucas alone for the time being. Cooper figured that maybe they were leaving him to mull over what he´d seen, in isolation. To see things their way. That was also standard AI practice.

So he was not in the mood to deal with anymore problems and he was most definitely not in the mood to have to deal with a problem as big as Reece. In fact he had a great deal of difficulty in believing his eyes when he obeyed the ‘Come in´ and walked into McQueen´s quarters. When he´d got the Colonel´s message after finishing with Thursday he figured the Colonel just wanted an update. He´d never expected anything like this.

He realised that he was staring at the child, his mouth open like an idiot´s. Reece was looking rather smug at the thought of being the source of so much confusion. Cooper shut his mouth with an audible snap. He was not about to be the butt of Reece´s amusement. His surprise began to turn to anger which he controlled with difficulty. The months of learning to control his talent had taught him that if nothing else.

However, he managed to ask Reece in a relatively even tone of voice what the hell he thought he was doing on board a ship in a middle of a war zone. “I needed to talk to you,” was all Reece said. Cooper turned to his CO.

“What time does the next transport back to earth leave, sir?” he enquired, still in as even a tone as he could manage. McQueen was proud that he´d managed that, but didn´t let it show.

“Thirty mikes,” McQueen replied, equally evenly. He was trying hard not to laugh. Now that the situation had been dumped squarely into Hawkes´ hands he could afford to view it with more equanimity. Cooper turned to Reece once more.

“In that case,” he suggested, “you´d better talk fast.” Reece´s expression grew belligerent.

“I ain´t going back,” he almost snarled before an icy glare from McQueen made him sink back into his chair, abashed.

“I´m not,” corrected Cooper absently. After being corrected by Lucas for the past year, it was almost second nature. “And if you think that, you´ve got another thing coming.”

“You can´t put me on that ship!” Reece insisted hotly.

“Yes, I can. And if I have to put you there myself, I will.”

“You can´t make me stay there though. They didn´t manage to keep me off the transport on earth.” Reece´s tone was slightly boastful. He couldn´t wait to tell Billy Dunmoore about this. However, Cooper´s next words took the wind out of his sails.

“I doubt you were in handcuffs back on earth.” Now it was Reece´s turn to stare at Cooper openmouthed.

“You wouldn´t!” he gasped. Cooper just looked at him. “You would! You know I can sue you for child abuse.” Cooper just smiled. Reece was beginning to believe that this wasn´t such a good idea after all. The story wouldn´t sound as good if he had to admit that he´d been removed from the Saratoga in chains. He grew quite sulky at that thought.

“I still need to talk to you,” he added quite subdued. “In private,” he added with a dark look at Colonel McQueen. McQueen rose lightly to his feet.

“Why don´t I leave you gentlemen alone for a moment. But first I need a quiet word with you, Lieutenant.” Oh shit, thought Cooper. I´m in for it now.

Outside McQueen´s quarters, Cooper started to explain that he´d had no prior knowledge of Reece´s actions, but McQueen shrugged that off.

“I know Cooper. I just want to know what you´re going to do about Reece.” This was the part Cooper was not looking forward to.

“Colonel,” he explained softly, “I know I said he´d be on the next transport back, but I don´t see how he can be.” At McQueen´s raised eyebrow he hastened to explain further. “It´s just not safe, sir. Not with those AI bastards around. It´s a miracle that Madi´s transport made it through. A less heavily armoured one may not. Until we know where they´re based and what they´re up to, I don´t want to risk it. He´ll be a lot safer here, especially with activity as low as it has been. They won´t risk attacking the ‘Toga. They´ve no reason to.” It may have been one of the longest speeches Cooper had made in his life, reflected McQueen. He hadn´t been there to witness Cooper´s best man stint. And he had to admit that the younger man had a point. It was too dangerous to send the kid back just then. It looked like Reece was here for the duration, however long that was.

“Just make sure that you and Gibson keep him out of mischief,” he said. Cooper almost collapsed with relief. Now all he had to do, he reflected as he watched McQueen stalk along the corridor, was deal with Reece.