A warm light developed within the night. A fire crackled sharply. My nerves jumped.

"You alright Belle?" Maddy stretched like a feline in the plush chair across from me. "It's time we went to bed."

"Madelaine!" I sat up quickly, making my head stir.

"Belle?" She eased forward. "Are you feeling all right? Should I call Henri?"

"Henri?" I jumped to my feet. "Where is he?"

"He went off with the Captain about two hours ago, don't you remember?" With a sidelong glance, she stared curiously. "You really should go to bed. Henri's hoping for you to be asleep before he joins you. He's really just trying to do the right thing. You know if he can't keep his libido in control, he'll have to sleep in a separate room. You don't want that do you?"

I stared blankly, barely comprehending her words as Annabelle's original memory collided with Xinia's present, creating an overwhelming shiver of déjà vu.

"You don't look well. I'll go get Henri." Maddy steered me back toward the chair. "Stay here."

"I must see him." I grabbed a hold of her arms.

She was solid, real, and alive.

"Why are you acting so queer?"

"I'm fine." I could not even begin to explain how I could be Xinia Lee, and this was some distorted memory. All I knew was the deliberate need to hold Henri one last time. Running out on deck, the brilliant moonlight shimmered in the clear sky. Sirius glowed brightly in Canis Major. I tingled again, feeling myself in both places, both times.

"Now what?" Maddy looked blankly upward. "Are you ill?" Grabbing my elbow, she tried to lead me back toward the lounge, when a manly exclamation echoed from the lower deck.

Pulling myself from her, I ran down the steps.

"Not that way. Belle! Just what are you doing?" She stormed after me.

Though the room was the same size as the upper lounge, it seemed smaller, filled with men engaged in robust gaming. As I scanned their faces, Evon noticed and hurried over. The compelling exclamations of the men hushed quickly.

"Comtesse, you do not belong here." He overtly snubbed Madelaine. "Henri would become outraged if he found you."

"Where is my husband?" Tense panic tinged my voice.

With an uneasy glance back at the other men, he drew me out onto the deck. "He left us an hour ago with Captain Biggle. What's wrong?"

"There's nothing wrong." Maddy possessively took me from him. "The Comtesse is just experiencing an anxiety attack. I hear it's quite common to one in her state. I'll put her to bed." With an authoritative finality, she led me back toward the stair.

Just when we stepped onto the deck, Henri burst forth from the lounge. "Where have you been?"

"Oh, I can't even begin to explain..."

Maddy interrupted. "She drifted off to sleep and awoke in this state of excitement."

"Come," snuggling his face into my hair, Henri inhaled deeply. "Let me put you to bed; you should have been asleep hours ago." With sweet tenderness, his hands slid securely down my arms, rubbing my hands vigorously. "You're cold. Biggle called it the icy calm before a storm, which he's certain is on the horizon." Pausing before our stateroom door, his eyes sparkled. "Darling, now please, what is it?"

I tucked my head to his chest and listened to his heart.

He kissed my forehead before escorting me inside. "Have no fear my Belle, we will be settled soon; until then, you must rest quietly."

"I'm well Henri. Well and able to treat you as my husband. I know for a medical fact our liaison will do no harm. Please make love to me."

"So that's it." Chuckling softly, he turned my back and nimbly released the dress hooks. "Oh darling, I want you too, but not only in that way. Haven't I shown you these past days? And soon, I swear I will succeed at poker. You have the most astounding beginner's luck. I don't know how you always manage to win." His smoky fragrance was more exciting than his touch. He nuzzled me, his hand rounding over the baby. "You're the pure essence of woman."

"Please Henri, just one last time."

A resonating groan quaked from his gut as covered his face with his hands. "The last time was the last time. You promised not to ask me again."

"You don't want me?"

"Just three months ago, all I could think of was having you, making passionate love to you."

"And you don't now?" I asked, looking down at my prevalent tummy.

"Oh God, you know I do. Do I look disinterested?" The question echoed within my mind. "Darling, please, please, listen to me. Brodin says..."

"He's wrong." I snapped.

His voice deepened, uttering each word distinctly. "I've made a promise, which I will keep. It's the responsible thing to do."

With a sigh, I slid from the bed and changed into a heavy, silken gown. Sitting at the vanity, I angled my body so I could see his reflection. "May I ask you something personal?"

He chuckled warmly. "You're my wife; nothing is more personal than that." Bending down to one knee, he took the brush from my fingers, and with a sensual glide, stroked my hair. "Now what is it you want to know?"

I could never explain I was my future me without sounding like a lunatic. How could I make him understand?

After tossing the brush onto the vanity with a thump, he kissed my cheek. "It's way past your bedtime."

"I'm not a child," instantly rebelled from my lips.

"No, but you're carrying one." Turning my body to face him, his breath softly wafted the silk against my breasts. "I love you more than making love to you. I can't ever imagine living a day without you."

My shallow breath whispered. "Do you believe in life after death?"

The air from his vacuous lungs puffed out in surprise. "I don't know what to say. You've caught me completely unprepared. Why are you asking?"

"In case I, well, in case I die in childbirth, and we both meet in the future, would you, I mean, do you think you could fall in love with me again, even if I wasn't beautiful?"

"Without a doubt," his amused chuckle deepened seriously. "Don't be afraid. Nothing's going to happen to you or the baby. You'll have the best medical care available; I swear it. I never intended to scare you." He cradled me tenderly against his chest. "Though I pray we'll reunite in heaven and be forever together in eternal bliss, I'd defy God and the devil alike to have more time with you on Earth. No matter what course of events lie ahead, you'll always be my one and only true love, through this lifetime or any other. Now sleep pleasant dreams, for I will be at your side forever."

The manual timer clicked before it buzzed every nerve awake. I mentally tried to reinitiate the setting of the vessel skimming across the calm sea, but it was gone.

Mallisie was sleeping contentedly. Deciding not to wake her, I roughly braided my hair. The heavy cord bounced against my back while I hurried along the expansion tube. I chastised myself for not thinking to bring a pair of scissors. The grooming module had been just so convenient and practical. Who would have used their fifteen kilos of cargo space on antiquated objects?

The static door swished open just when the first stasis pod fell into the slot. The three men were glued to the event with tense apprehension.

"Gentlemen, it's your turn to enjoy the accommodations."

Surprised, they spun about in their chairs.

Gigori quickly crossed to the conference table. "There's a problem."

"Not just one, but five." Jam added. "You're not going to believe it."

"It's the military; you can't trust 'em." Mikel swung the chair around before straddling it. "Where's Mae? She needs to hear..."

"Hear what?" She walked into the room with a revived step.

The men exchanged looks, and Gigori took the lead. "Deacons."

"What," blurted from me. "The bio-engineering projects were cancelled years ago; even if they did exist, they wouldn't throw them into the mix. Especially with all the genetic posturing."

"Yeah, well take a look." Mike motioned to the monitor at the com. "We tried the command code override, but this took priority over all systems. We thought about waking you, but since nothing could be done, we decided it was better for you to tackle it with a clear head."

Mae's confident stance softened. "When could they have come onboard?"

"During the presentation ceremony I assume; that's the only time the base was empty." Gigori paused and shifted his gaze to me.

Swinging to the com, I punched in my personal code into the top-secret archive. The monitor buzzed with static before the override failed. In large red letters, D E A C O N flashed across the darkened screen several times. The commanding voice of Singja Lon surrounded us. "Naiad, your survival is at risk. The command override has been automatically activated."

The screen displayed:

Elite Force Zeta, Sequence Five Deacon

One: Tactical leader, linguist

Two: Weapons specialist, sharpshooter

Three: Survival expert, chemist

Four: Intelligence command, surveillance

Five: Mechanical engineer, camouflage

"These five individuals have proven themselves in all areas of martial expertise, though they each have exceptional talents in the listed fields. The Deacons are now part of your command team. They are fifth generation of the modified Zeta series, fine specimens of controlled yet natural breeding. They will produce strong offspring." The President's professionalism warmed. "I trust you'll use them wisely." The computer screen flurried with static when the second tube fell into the bay.

"The override didn't begin until the tap failed. The computer set up was right. I'm sure of it, but I just couldn't get the damn thing to arc. It's like there's not a volt in the whole God-damned grid." Gigori cleared his throat hoarsely. "Without energy we're screwed. What are we going to do, Zee?"

"Survive." I sat down weakly. "What other option is there?"

"In that regard, the Deacons will be our best chance. If I remember right, the original Alphas had their myostatin production blocked, which made them five times stronger than a normal human." Before sitting down, Jam grabbed the sides of the chair to stabilize himself. "If nothing had happened, and everything was the way it should be, would they have just stayed frozen?"

Mike's expression was hidden, but his tone implied no surprise. "It's their job."

"Hell of a job." My anger broke through. "Damn it to hell! Even though they're engineered, they're still people." I punched up the reanimation grid, and the five soldiers' vitals came in strong. The collapsible corridor switched to the third bay before the next pod dropped into place. "Two males, three females."

Mallisie spoke over my shoulder. "They've paired us up. I don't like it."

"Neither do I, but what choice do we have?" My voice shook. "These are professional survivalists, and that's what we need. The solar grid is barely holding together, and our orbit's failing. We have to get everyone down to the surface as quickly as possible. Though I don't like the idea, they're supposedly trained for this."

Mae's right eyebrow rose steeply. "And after the crisis, what then? How do they fit into the scheme of things?"

"The Deacons have specific skills we can use." Gigori spoke over the whirring.

"They'll try to take over, just like the Alphas." Mikel wagged a finger at him. "Superior engineering leads to superior attitudes. We're still the governing board. We have the final say."

"The Alpha's engineering wasn't faulty; they were pushed into rebellion." Heated emotion cracked in Gi's voice. "This mission is under military jurisdiction, always has been. Their help will ensure we survive. When we hold elections, they will be regular citizens, just like any of us."

"No matter how we feel, the fact is those five individuals are here." I shivered at their intended sacrifice. "Even though they're engineered, they are human beings."

"The differences aren't readily apparent, but their heightened senses and reflexes make them impossible to overcome in close combat. We'll have to stay frosty, especially once in Sirius Seven's uncontrolled environment." Jam swiveled to face me. "Sirius Seven is a mouthful to say all the time, so we were talking about renaming it. What about Siven?"

"Why don't we just call it hell?" Mallisie flopped into a chair.

"It's not as bad as that, at least not yet anyway. We do have hope. Look at it," I faced the three-dimensional display. The probe had most of the planetary surface mapped. "Siven is a masterpiece. No matter what, power grid or no, we'll create our civilization. There's no other option."

Gigori growled. "But if we give up on the dubnium now, we'll forever be bound to a primitive life, using and discarding our resources. We'll destroy what we came here to protect. Burning the forests and fossil fuels is what put Earth into trouble to begin with, until scientists developed a use for the dubnium element. Damn it! Why do we have to make the same mistakes over and over again?"

"Glarz!" Jam's fists landed squarely on the table. "That's it! That's why the dubnium isn't bonding. The contaminants in the ozone are what made it work. Think about it. Microscopic waste surrounded the heavy oxygen atoms. The contaminants attracted the dubnium and the ozone molecules. Our off-hand destruction created the resource."

"Damn brother," Mikel punched Jam playfully on the shoulder, "and here I thought you were only some flyboy."

Mae brightened. "The additional oxygen in the upper atmosphere, that's where it's from. The dubnium displaced the ozone more deeply in the mesosphere where it molecularly stabilized into regular oxygen."

"So where do we go from here?" I looked purposefully at each member.

Gigori's commanding stance softened. "We have no evidence to support this theory. I won't let you terminate my project and throw our future away."

"Survival is the only future we have." I forcefully returned the charge.

"It won't be as difficult as you think." Jam went to his workstation and put the building sites onto the main screen. "Look, both site four in the northern hemisphere, and six in the southern, have cave systems. We cover our basic living necessities while being close enough to a building site to advance construction manually."

"We'll have to mine metals to make tools and simple machines." Mikel overlaid the mineral concentration scans. Blue polyps formed across the screen.

"With food resources." Mae superimposed a striped overlay, covering large sections of both continents.

After issuing a sorting protocol, my flesh tingled. "My God, both have a sustainable climate, ocean and land resources, mineral deposits, and natural shelter."

"The Northern one will be frozen half the year!" Jam exclaimed.

Mikel laughed. "Been there, done that. We can make it work."

"I lived in snow. Hated it, worst lifetime of my existence." A shadow enshrouded Gigori. "I lost everything dear to me, my wife, family, career." He drifted away in the memory.

The pit of my stomach flopped as our eyes met. "Go on, the three of you; get some sleep."

"But they're going to wake up soon." Gigori held my stare.

"It'll take at least four hours before they'll be able to do anything. Remember what it felt like?" Mallisie rubbed her sleeves.

"She's right. We'll need the team together in five hours." I tried to sound reassuring, smiling first at Gi then the other guys. "We can handle it."

Mallisie and I followed the miniscule thermal dots through the temperate plains. They were on a steady path northward, heading toward the central mountain chain. She surmised that the large herds were heading for shelter.

Though intrigued by the herding theory, my eyes wandered to the pods. Every time another dropped into the bay, an electrical charge shimmered through the room. The shadowy figure was visible momentarily before the casing filled with warm fog.

"Stop worrying Zee; President Lon wouldn't have sent them to destroy us."

I looked across the com. "How many dream episodes did you experience?"

"I can't even begin to count. I evolved from the primordial soup, flashing briefly from one organism into the next. I really couldn't say I experienced thought until I became a mammal, rising through the hierarchy of evolution to the human species."

I remembered the flashes, the brief cognizance dawning throughout reality until I was a human, until I was Karva. "When was your last memory?"

"I was already me again, about ten-years-old when I woke up. The one before was in the late Twenty-second Century. I was a bio-analyst working on the Alpha project of all things and was called to testify before the Unified Senate. Really, I can't believe the Series Alphas went ballistic; Gi's right in that regard. It was social, not physiological, but the Senate still condemned Ludwig." When the first pod quit whirring, Mae rose, crossing to the stasis bay. "How about you?"

Joining her by the first tube, I sucked away the crumb of sticky protein bar from the slight gap between my teeth. "I awoke during my second, near the turn of the Twentieth Century."

"I wonder why yours took so long; we were in stasis the same amount of time."

"Did you have anyone who followed along with you?"

"How could I tell if..." She stopped when the seal of the first unit snapped.

The door slid back with a stiff groan. In a military stance, the human male stood erect. His brown eyes shone through a thatch of unruly hair. He resembled a furry terrier. He didn't move, except for a quick smile that curled the edges of his thin lips.

"Welcome to Naiad..." suddenly, I couldn't think. His skin was wet and drew tautly over his muscles. There was no evidence of atrophy in any of his appendages.

"You've completed the final stages of reanimation." Graciously, Mae extended her hand.

I motioned to the chair. "I'm Commander Xinia Lee, and this is Doctor Mallisie Burkin."

He stepped from the unit. His claw-like toenails clicked against the metal floor. With a military snap, he saluted. "Deacon One reporting for duty. What is the nature of the emergency?"

The resonance of his voice struck me eerily, forcing me to take a step back. "What is your name, soldier?"

Drops of water still clung to the long, curly hair. Roughly, he flipped it back from his face. "I've had many identities." His every word drew me closer to belief. But how could it be?

My heart beat wildly with anticipation. "I've no time for games. What does your crew call you?"

"One." His eyes twinkled deeply.

With my chin held high, I regained my deliberate fortitude. "We use names here. I suggest you select one."

A short chuckle broke through. "The identity I used just prior to take-off was Salonius Alonzor."

"Commander Alonzor, again, welcome to the Naiad Project." Mae motioned to the chair. "Please sit, while I check your vital signs."

Nodding at them, I went back to the com. The blips were a full click further north, only fifty kilometers from the caves. I tuned the display to the southern site, but I couldn't keep my attention fixed onto the monitor. With active ears, I listened to their conversation, and my certainty grew. I wanted to run to him and hide from him at the same time.

Intending to drown my turmoil, I focused intently on my work. Smaller blips with less organized density moved in an arc around the southern site. The warm-blooded creatures skirted the woodland area on the southern bowl of the cave system. Overlaying the topographic map, the jungle was dense, but that shouldn't create such a pattern. Just as I had begun classifying the delineated area, the second tube opened. Commander Alonzor, now wearing a silver flight suit, blocked my view. Quietly, I approached the three without their notice.

The robust woman stared squarely ahead. "Two reporting for duty, Commander." The female was tall, at least six or seven inches taller than Mae. Her wide face appeared even wider with the weight of two braids descending from her temples. They crisscrossed around the remaining mass of hair and formed a rope-like twine.

Alonzor returned her salute. "Our new Commander insists we select names." He smiled over his shoulder.

With a quizzical stare, the woman stepped from the unit. When I moved forward to greet her, disdain curled from her severe features, and she saluted with less vigor. "You are the commander of the Naiad mission?"

"I am Commander Xinia Lee." Nodding with finality, I turned to Alonzor. "Previously you asked about the nature of the emergency. While Mae performs her procedures on your second, I'd like to brief you on our situation."

Again the man's smile released a delighted twinkle. "I'm at your command." His flight suit swished stiffly while he followed me to the com. He tried to scoot a chair over to my station. It didn't budge, and the Deacon tried again.

"All of the furniture has grav pads. Squeeze the arm rests."

Using too much force, the chair sailed into the air. As he wrangled it back under control, I audibly chuckled. He set it so close our arms touched. "And why do they call you Zee?" His intensity was riveting.

My breath caught. "Did Mallisie brief you?"

"No, not about that anyway. I assume it is an amalgam of Xinia and Lee. I also prefer a shorter version of my name; most call me Lonz. Does it ring your memory, Commander?" Leaning back, he swung his arm across my chair with a haughty sweep.

His touch lit my soul on fire, but on the surface, I maintained a professional veneer. "Commander, we are in a survival situation, which is why you are here. Naiad collided with something. My best guess is that we passed through the wake of a renegade comet. Because of the collision, we aren't in the predetermined orbit. Our ill-placed gravitational presence is ripping open the planet's equatorial belt along the Cingulum Rift; lava is flowing into the sea at a startling rate, causing radical storms. The ship's damaged grid is functioning at about twenty percent, which would be adequate until the dubnium tap initiated; however, the planetary shielding didn't condense and consequently has no power. Without a power source, we have can't construct the base. We have no simple tools, and once Naiad crashes, no technology, except for our palm pads without download or uplink capabilities."

Leaning closer, he peered intently at the monitor, while breathing deeply against my ear.

My breath quickened, making my words irregular. "We've located two cave systems with substantive resources. The overall readings prefer the northern site; however, it's in the path of the rift's fallout. The southern site is on the coast. The tides are erratic and will only worsen until Naiad crashes. We need your team to determine which site has the best odds for survival and start a full scale evac."

He shifted his left hand awkwardly out of view. "We'll have to rely on our training, but more so our instincts, won't we Zee?"

Forcing the budding feelings down into my soul, I continued. "Another unusual and unexpected phenomenon is during stasis, my crew experienced historic dreams. I assume you Deacons didn't because your reanimation recovery and concentration levels are vastly superior."

"You seem to be thinking quite clearly."

"I'm well accustomed to stasis."

"I was briefed on your past reanimation."

My skin crawled. Why did I panic?

"I know all about you. The President had us study the command team's biographies, but they did leave off certain vital information, like your nickname. I had no idea you were Xinia Lee at the jag; you looked nothing like your file photo."

I swallowed hard. "That detail will stay confidential."

"I wouldn't share that moment with anyone except you." The delicate softness of his voice tensed. "If it hadn't been for my overwhelming sense of duty, I wouldn't have even boarded Naiad because I thought I was leaving you behind. You've no idea how surprised I was when I saw you standing there. Zee, this is destiny; you can't deny it."

"Please, no," my voice quivered, "don't do this, not now. We must stay focused. We can't let anything compromise our mission."

"Life supports many missions; survival is only the most basic level, while love is the pinnacle."

The third pod opened with a swish of current and snapped me to my senses. Quickly, I went to meet the chemist who was even larger than Lonz. My body chilled in mortification. He had been at the jag as well; he was the man who had been blocking the stairway.

"Deacon Three, at your command." His flashy salute was quick and sharp. He was looking straight at Mallisie with a smile as large as his dangling anatomy.

"This is Lieutenant Commander Burkin, our physician. Please allow her to debrief you from the reanimation process." Turning on heel, the impulse to flee was strong, but Two stood in my way, still naked.

"What is my assigned task?" She put her hands on her hips, which jiggled her large breasts.

"First, get a suit on, and then select a name."

Lonz immediately spoke up. "Let's pair off, which will allow my team to assimilate the..." he paused when the static door opened, "...information from your crew faster." The fourth then the fifth pods opened almost simultaneously as Jam, Mikel, and Gigori entered the command core.

Gigori stood back, assessing the situation. His attention roamed from one body to the next until his piercing stare settled on me. "Something we didn't consider is where Naiad will crash. That'll make a huge difference in determining which site is most feasible."

"You're right. Jam," I motioned the man over, "start the trajectory rundown on our orbit. As soon as your new friend there is ready, bring her up to speed. Gigori, I don't want you to abandon the dubnium grid, but we just don't have the time or power to do another tap progression. Instead, analyze the findings of the probe when it went through the shielding. Cross-reference the data against Earth's readings to validate Jam's theory about the contaminants. Use Helga over there as your assistant."

"Helga?" Lonz's face screwed up. "Who's that?"

"Two, since she wouldn't select a name, I assigned one."

The flight suit made the woman appear even larger. She haughtily flipped back her long braid. "Where're the supplies?"

"There's an open bag of protein bars on the table and some water." She looked at me as if I were speaking a foreign language.

Lonz continued. "I haven't sent for them yet but will in the next batch. You've been paired with Sirlock. He'll brief you on the assignment." He nodded toward Gi while his eyes were still fixed on me. "We need to keep the reanimation cycle in a constant revolution, but I have a request. We'll need our supply tube on the next drop, so who can we bump?"

"What supplies?"

"Basic tools you apparently don't have or would have already used, like a razor and scissors." Lonz smiled warmly. "We'll all feel better when we don't look like a bunch of unshorn sheep." He switched the monitor to the reanimation sequence.

"Wait." Hopping up quickly, I navigated through the suddenly crowded room to the stasis chambers, popping out the chips, and slid them into the small specimen pouch on my belt. Looking back across the crowded room, I met Lonz's eyes, which I had felt upon me the entire time.