Date: Fri, 10 Nov 1995 12:24:44 -0800 Reply-To: Selma McCrory Sender: Highlander TV show stories From: Selma McCrory Subject: Differing Varieties, part 3/6 All praise, comments, constructive criticism goes to: smccrory@calweb.com Differing Varieties by Selma McCrory a Highlander/Tomorrow People crossover part 3 Michael was reading the newspaper when someone knocked on the door. He cursed, and then opened the door to find two young people standing on the other side. "Yes," he said, drawing the word out. "Mr. Gardner?" the older of the two said. He had a definite Australian accent. Michael wondered what was going on, why he was getting so much attention. Of course, they could be Watchers. The organization could have changed its mind. He'd heard, before he left, that the organization was getting more lenient towards those who broke those vows. No names had been put to the rumors, but Greer had told him that Joe Dawson was involved. He made a basic signal of Recognition that even the earliest trainee learned. The two at the door didn't react to the small gesture, so they probably weren't Watchers. Of course, they could be renegades. Or journalists. "I'm Mr. Gardener. What do you want?" "We want to talk to you about the bombing," the young man replied. Michael inwardly groaned. His instinct was right. Journalists. "We're not journalists," the young man continued. "We just want to talk to you. I'm Adam, and this is Lisa." Michael did not miss the warning expression that came over the face of the young woman. * * * The two Tomorrow People walked into the small parlour. The man, Mr. Gardner, had only grudgingly let them in. Lisa thought that although Adam's response to the man's unspoken question had gotten them in, she wished it hadn't been necessary for him to pick up the man's surface thoughts. She sent him a stern look, and he replied. *I think we have him intrigued,* Adam sent to her. After the four settled down at the table, Mr. Gardner said, "So, why do you want to know about the bombing from us?" The others looked at Adam. He replied, "We're working, unofficially, with General Damon's office about the bombing." Michael shrugged. "I gave my statement to the police, and everyone else. I was there when the bomb went off, my wife was with me, we were both very lucky and neither of us was seriously hurt. I saw a man, medium height, brown hair, running off. I was more concerned about my wife." "Where is your wife now?" Adam asked. "She's off, running about the neighbourhood," Mr. Gardner replied. *Adam, stay off the subject of his wife,* Lisa thought. *If she has something to do with the bombing, or us, we need to know,* the other replied. * * * Greer had followed the young people up the steps of the boarding house where she lived. That was where she lost them. _Fine Watcher you're making,_ she thought. She removed the keys for her room from her pocket and went inside. Then she discovered that she hadn't lost the young people after all, and a delighted smile crossed her face despite her best efforts to hide it. And then everyone was staring at her. She took the initiative. "Excuse me, I didn't realize my husband was having guests." * * * Michael sat back and looked at his wife. Whatever was up with her, she was obviously amazed and elated about something. "Oh. Yes. This is Adam and Lisa. They want to talk to us about the bombing." "Again?" she asked, some of her energy apparently diminishing. Then she lit up again. Michael wondered why she was so cheerful. "Again." "Oh, yes, I saw you two coming here from the park. I was there, I mean. I practically followed you all the way here. Nice coincidence, wasn't it?" _What's Greer trying to tell me? Could they be pre-Immortals? All three of them?_ he thought. Then he was pretty sure he saw her wink. _Yep. Now she's getting all proud of her ability to detect them._ "So, what do you want to know?" she asked them. Michael watched as Greer drew them into conversation. * * * Lisa and Adam watched the married couple. *You think she saw us teleporting in?* *Could be,* Adam answered. *She has that look.* *That could be trouble,* Lisa thought. "Did you see the bomber at all?" Adam asked. Greer shook her head. "I didn't even know anything was happening. One moment I was taking care of my luggage, the next thing I remember I was being mistaken for a corpse. Although, I must say it felt like it. Have you ever had any experiences like that? When your world has unmistakably changed?" *She knows,* Lisa responded. *She definitely knows. But why is she asking all these questions?* *I don't know.* Adam replied. *She's not one of us.* *How can you be so sure?* Lisa asked. *I can tell. Unless she's masking something.* * * * _That's right, Greer, babble on,_ Michael thought. If Greer couldn't handle her first encounter with a couple of pre-Immortals without telling them outright what they were due to become, they were in trouble. _You stop being a Watcher and you forget how to keep secrets._ He watched the two carefully. If Greer could keep her mouth shut about their future status, here was a chance to actually get to see common traits between the two. He could submit the material to the nearest administrator or group, and they could keep Watch on the two. It shouldn't be hard to keep track of two friends with different accents wandering around London and working for some intelligence agency. "Well, at least you have some idea of how it feels," Michael said, taking Greer's conversation to a less obvious direction. "And I hope, with my description that you'll catch the bomber. With the injuries sustained by both me and Greer, we're not exactly fans of this person." Greer frowned at him. He gave her a signal to wait for a minute, and she frowned at him more. "I understand," Adam said after a moment of silence. Lisa nodded. "What do you feel about it?" he asked. * * * *What is he getting at?* Lisa asked Adam. *I don't know. It's like they're going after two different topics,* Adam answered. *Like what?* Lisa asked. *They both know what's going on, maybe they're taking different tacks.* Adam chose his words carefully. "I don't know. None of us likes this person, but we're not ready to tear him limb from limb." Michael sighed and looked at Greer. She looked back, raising an eyebrow. "Understandable," she said. "Could you tell if a bomb was going to blow?" "Huh?" "Sorry if I'm getting philosophical," Greer said. "Or maybe it's wishful thinking. I mean, it would be good if someone could detect bombs. Someone who isn't a dog." *Not only is she close, It's clear she knows what we are,* Lisa told Adam. "Someone who could predict them first, rather than have to recover from them." "Greer!" Michael hissed. He turned to their guests. "Um, excuse us, please..." The two teens watched as Michael hauled Greer out into the bedroom. * * * "What do you think that you were doing out there? They're not supposed to know that they won't die, yet!" Michael said angrily. Greer looked blankly at him. "What are you talking about?" "Those kids! They're going to be Immortals, aren't they? So, why are you telling them about Immortality?" "Oh," Greer said comprehending. "Michael, they're not going to be Immortal." "They're not? So what are you doing, laying in broad hints for?" "They're not ordinary kids. I am trying to lay interesting hints so that they'll maybe open up, tell us what they are. I kept wondering about your odd questions." "Well, now you understand. And now I understand. So, now what?" "Watch. I'll coax the secret out of them yet..." * * * *I think they're as confused as we are,* Adam said to Lisa while they waited for Greer and Michael to come back. *Maybe. But what are their motives,* Lisa replied. *I think we can trust them,* Adam said. *Adam, why?* *I just have this feeling. That they're hiding something too, that they're afraid to reveal it, just like we don't tell everyone who we are.* *Adam, I hope you know what you're getting us into...* * * * Greer led her husband into the room. He was silent now, having basically decided that she would be the one dealing with their visitors. "Sorry about that. We're not used to company." "That's all right," Adam replied. "Yeah. Well, personally, I really don't like this guy. I mean, we get all this Unabomer stuff back in Sacramento, and that's a pretty sick guy. Personally, if someone shot this bastard, I'd be very happy. I don't know if he's got any reasons or not, but bombing people - I mean, taking human lives to prove a point?" "And what would happen if you did encounter him?" Adam asked. "I have no idea," she replied. "Probably I'd feel like spearing him to death with a sword. Through the heart. But you're here for another reason than my feelings on this bomber, aren't you?" The teens exchanged looks. "You can tell, can't you, that I'm not normal? That's why you're here. Don't be surprised. I've noticed people are drawn towards the strange, even if they don't understand what they're attracted to." *She has to know.* A brief flash of light filled the room, and Megabyte said, "Know what?" The other two groaned. Michael just sat there, mouth gaping. Greer said, quietly, "See? I told you!" And then the two groups looked at each other for a few minutes. * * * Michael sat back as Adam began to explain things to Greer, who was fascinated by all that was happening. Come to think of it, he was, too. "As you can already guess, we can teleport - disappear from one place, reappear instantly in another," Adam said. "We can also do other things - we can talk to each other using only our thoughts, we can read peoples' minds, some of us can heal, or open locks with our minds, or see into the future." Michael was impressed. He could see Greer was even more impressed. She was whistling. "Do you know why you have these powers?" she asked. Michael knew why shd had. If these people could be linked into the Immortals' own Game... "We're the next stage in human evolution," Adam replied. "We're what humanity is supposed to evolve into, eventually. A race of peace-loving teleports." "Peace-loving?" Michael asked. "There's a part that Adam forgot to mention," Lisa said. "We can't kill." "Not at *all*?" Greer asked incredulously. "Ask Megabyte here what happened when he tried to shoot someone," Adam said. "It didn't work?" The redheaded American shook his head. "Not at all." "*Wow.*" Greer said. "This is absolutely amazing." They all sat in silence for a few seconds, and then Megabyte said, "What about you two?" "If any of you read my mind, you can tell why I'm different." "But we didn't," Lisa said. "Why would we?" "I picked up a bit while I was in General Damon's office," Adam said. "Yeah, and Lisa chewed him out for doing even that," Megabyte said. "That's good to hear," Greer said. Michael could tell that he and Greer were in complete agreement on that. * * * Ms. Lewis leaned back in her chair as the three teens watched. *She took us rather calmly,* Megabyte said to the others. *She's a good and decent person,* Adam replied. "My story is going to be a little more complex than your own, and there are things that I must leave out of it at the moment, as they are not my secrets to tell." "We understand," Adam replied, shooting a glance at Megabyte. "My given name is Georgina Annette Lewis, though everyone calls me Greer. You three are welcome to call me that, by the way. I was born about December 23, 1963, but I don't know exactly because I was found in a park on Christmas Eve. I grew up in Fairbanks, Alaska, where I was found. "All of that will check out, if General Damon looks. He will also find out that I am married to Michael Arthur Gardner, that I have held many jobs over the years, and that I have paid all of my income taxes. "All of these things are normal, and may not be relevant. But I am a normal person. I cry, I love, I hate. The only difference is that I heal fast, that I can't get sick, that I can't die." Selma McCrory "Maybe what the world needs smccrory@calweb.com are more Selmas" selmamc@aol.com -Darien Lambert, Time Trax =========================================================================