Thunder

Well, since there's nothing I can do about it, I might as well go in with teeth bared and fur flying!

- Panthro, Thundercats

The guards, trained to react with an instant's notice, turned and aimed their weapons at Gregson. He seemed unfazed by this sudden attention. Actually, I think that is why he declared his presence in such a dramatic way. He always loved to make an entrance.

"Gentlemen," he said reasonably, "I believe your employer has just... ah... left the building, shall we say? Under whose orders are you acting?"

The two guards, as well as most of the other crew, turned to focus on the Captain. I kept my eyes steadily on Gregson, who smirked at me, clearly believing that he had triumphed. Behind me, I could hear the Captain speaking.

"Good evening Director... Yes, of course. Ma'am... This is Captain Mendoza security numb... Yes ma'am... Sorry ma'am? I would guess about 3:00 AM local time?... Right, ma'am. We have a vacuum... I think we all did ma'am, just a matter of time, as you say... No, ma'am, there is one other thing... We have the Finder and Test Subject #3 in custody. How do you wish to proceed?... Yes, ma'am."

There was a pause as the Captain stepped forward. I was still watching Gregson when the Captain came alongside of me, passing me a mobile.

"She wants to speak with you," he said. Then to the soldier who were watching him, "Are you forgetting your orders gentlemen? YOUR boss is still here."

They snapped to attention and spun, their guns facing Gregson again.

"This is Joshua Friedman," I said, placing the mobile to my ear.

"Hello again, Mr. Friedman," said a familiar voice.

"Mrs. McTavish?" I have to admit, I wasn't expecting to hear her voice again so soon.

"It seems that company protocol dictates that in the event of a power vacuum, the leadership of a branch reverts to its former manager until a suitable blah, blah, blah. So it is three in the morning here, and I really don't want to have to wake my Harry. To be honest, this whole mess is an embarrassment, and I would rather just be rid of it. Is this something you can handle on your own?"

I thought for a moment. I had done more with less, so I responded. "Yes, I think I can manage it."

"Excellent, then I will see you in a few days."

"You will?"

"You owe me, remember? I still plan on collecting that debt."

"But now that you are..."

"This? A temporary arrangement I assure you. I have had my run here. I am looking for something new, with significantly less stress. I will see you in, say, three days. That should give you enough time to get this mess cleared up. Don't be late. Now, can you please pass me back to Captain Mendoza?"

I handed the mobile back to the Captain. I wondered what I had let myself in for. Mrs. McTavish and her brood were an unexpected complication in my life. Then I thought of Sam. Some complications can be very welcome. I suppose.

"Mendoza here... Yes ma'am... I understand, ma'am... Everything, got it... Excuse me. Synthia?" He looked over to the sleeping form of his daughter. "She's fine ma'am, thank you for asking... Two weeks? That's very generous, ma'am... I will let everyone know... I will report to you after that... No? That is really unfortunate ma'am, I have missed working with you... No ma'am, not maudlin at all. Best of luck then ma'am."

His eyes were a little wide as he placed the mobile back into his pocket.

"Listen up everyone!" he called out, his voice echoing through the silent loading bay.

"This project is officially closed. Cease all work immediately and leave everything here. This is no longer a Three Planets Mining and Refining concern. You have all been granted two weeks leave with pay, and you are to report back to your regular assignments following that. Your nondisclosure agreements STILL apply, people, so keep your mouths shut. Nothing happened here. Any objections?"

Silence. "I didn't think so! Dismissed, and if you want my advice, stay out of the casinos here!" There was some laughter at that, followed by the sounds of equipment dropping, murmured conversation and feet shuffling towards the exits.

The captain turned to me, smiling. "It looks like I dropped this when I was leaving." With that, he unslung the weapon from his back and handed it to me. "Oh, and these too." He handed me a couple of clips of extra flechette cartridges.

I placed the cartridges in my pants pockets, as my shirt was mostly ribbons by now. I slung the weapon over one shoulder and aimed it at Gregson.

"That means you two as well, gentlemen," the captain said to the remaining guards. "You are officially on leave. As a personal favor, could you help me with Synthia? I want to get her to the med-center to get her checked out, just in case it is something serious."

They responded by lowering their weapons and slinging them on their backs again. They walked over, and with the Captain supporting her, carried his daughter towards one of the exits.

"Good luck, Finder!" the Captain called as the door closed behind them.

"And then there were three," Gregson said. "It is as it should be, isn't it Joshua! This is so much better than what I have been working toward. Not only do I have this amazing child of the future, but I have this wonderful ship as well! Do you not see it, Joshua?"

With this he waved his arms wide to embrace the dismantled craft and the crates containing its inner bits and pieces. His gun immediately returned to Leena's head. I hesitated taking the shot, mostly due to the combination of holding a new weapon and the worry that I would hit Leena. Did I mention how much I missed my old gun?

"With this, we will ready humanity for the storm that is to come. Stations will re-open their grand entrances to welcome us, the saviors of humanity, sharing technology centuries ahead of this squalor we suffer in."

"Michael, what are you talking about? Just let her go, she has suffered enough."

"Michael is it? Are we equals now, Joshua? Perhaps we are, at that. Very well then, if we are then you know what I am referring to. The coming storm. Skies darkened by clouds of ships upon invading ships. Weapons like lightning striking with wild abandon. The thunder of a million boots on the ground as wave upon wave of aliens crash upon humanities tiny shore. Surely you have seen it, felt it?"

I had. The thunder, the lightning, all of it. But I had never understood it until this moment. That is when all of the pieces fell into place.

"Leena," I said finally.

"So you CAN see," he said. "Perhaps there is hope for you yet. Yes, this child is the key. If she returns to her people, she will start a chain reaction of events that will inexorably bring about the end of humanity. The calculations are very simple. She dies, we live, and live very well. She leaves, we all die."

"There is a third option," I said.

"Oh? Enlighten me."

"She lives, and stays. With me."

"With you? WITH YOU?" He seemed shocked at the suggestion. "Have you… Will you replace my Joanie with her so easily? This is how you honour the memory of my daughter? With this ALIEN?"

I had had enough. "It's been TEN YEARS, Michael. Enough with the grief! Besides, Leena isn't an alien, she is as human as you or me!"

Gregson hesitated while all of the connections in his mind realigned themselves. He knew. He knew who she was, and what she was, and what that meant. He was, after all, the First Finder. Though he had aged, his vision and his powers had not diminished.

"Why you?" He asked. "What makes you think that she would consent to staying with you?"

Leena stood slowly. Gregson tensed, but stepped back and let her stand.

She turned to me and said, "I would stay. I would stay with Joshua. We are bonded, we are one. He is my father."

Gregson was taken aback by the fact that she spoke, as well as the words that she said.

"Four," I said. "And then there were four."

Right on cue, Darwin leapt from behind the desk and sunk his teeth deep into Gregson's right arm, cutting through muscle and tendon, breaking bone. Gregson's hand relaxed and the gun slipped uselessly from it. He fell screaming to the floor, as Darwin took a position on his chest, breathing into Gregson's face.

"How?" Gregson said in shock, staring at Darwin's face. "You are dead! You are all dead! I destroyed the entire batch!"

"Not all of them," I said. "Joanie and I managed to rescue one of them. Darwin, do you remember your creator?"

The low growl and bared teeth was all the answer Gregson needed. This finally explained Darwin's disappearances. There was one man Darwin feared, and that was Michael Gregson, his creator and his torturer. Gregson never bothered to hide his experiments from each other, so Darwin remember what Gregson had done to his brothers. Every time Gregson had snuck into our little adventure, Darwin would find somewhere to hide.

I guess it had taken this long for Darwin to work up the courage to face his own demons. Now Gregson's past, and his handiwork, had come to meet him at last.

"Get this abomination off of me! There is too much to do. We are all going to die if she stays! Joshua, you must see it! Only we can save humanity!"

Then a new voice broke in. "Oh for the love of all that is good. Will you shut up?" It was Fred. Behind him were a couple of station security guards. "What is it with you and all of the monologuing? Seriously, keep it short and sweet."