Date: Wed, 6 Sep 1995 11:49:52 -0400 Reply-To: GrinnyP@AOL.COM Sender: Highlander TV show stories From: Carol Ann Liddiard Subject: "Origins" Chapter 2, part 1 Thanks for all the kind words! Here's chapter 2 -------------------- "Origins" c. 1995 C. A. Liddiard Chapter 2 "Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said unto the woman, 'Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?'" _Genesis 3:1_ --------------------- Seattle, 1995 "Exactly." Carol looked up and down the street. "If they are holding true to their plan then there will be three in the strike team. The girl, whom they'll call when they want her to bring Richie in, the spotter, who will be stationed a block from Richie's place ready to report when they get close, and the assassin, who will be waiting in the living room. I'll take out the spotter, and you work your way around to the back of the house and break in quietly. Once you've taken him out get his radio and call me. I'll have taken out the spotter and all we'll have to worry about is the girl. They're all armed and extremely fanatical, so be careful." "Now look. . ." Duncan began and Carol gave him an impatient glance. "We don't have time to argue right now. I know what their plan is, and where the spotter is stationed. You know where Richie's apartment is, and you know the layout. Do you have any better ideas? Or are you just incapable of taking orders from a woman?" "All right, we'll do it your way for now. But once we've gotten them, I want to hear the rest of this story." "Are you trying to imply that I'm holding something back?" "I'm not trying to be that subtle. Once this mess is over, I want the rest of the story." Duncan looked down the street. "What do we do if . . ." he turned but couldn't see her anywhere. He headed down the back street and around the back of Richie's apartment building, constantly scanning the street for lurkers. --------------------- "One of the unforeseen problems with our becoming Changed is now rearing its ugly head. With more and more people being born every day and no deaths there is less and less food and other materials left to go around. If we cannot somehow balance ourselves with the resources of the island, we will be forced to leave this land which the Mother set aside for us. Already small teams have been dispatched to travel beyond the waves and see what they can find. I understand that some of the teams have found places the council deems 'suitable', as if it is a foregone conclusion that we will leave. Soon the council and the people will make a decision and I know in my heart what it is to be. The darkness in my dreams grows ever closer. Perhaps the Mother has abandoned us." _Reminiscences of The Seer_ --------------------- Seattle, 1995 Carol moved silently in the shadows. She saw her target up ahead, hardly bothering to conceal himself. She swiftly moved up behind the unknowing Hunter and threw one of the strange shaped objects hanging from her belt. The darkened club flew with unerring accuracy and struck his temple. Pulling the unconscious man into the bushes he was hiding behind, she took his walkie talkie, settled in and waited for Duncan to contact her. --------------------- Egoitza, @10,500 BCE The meeting took place in the center of the settlement, around the central hearth that held the cooking fires at night. Council Leader stood up to speak. "Here we are, the People, living on this wonderful land which the Mother led us to many generations ago. And here we are, the People, with the gifts the Mother has given us. Now we have outgrown the land she has given to us, our 'nursery'. Like a child who has grown to maturity, we must leave our Mother's house and seek our own destiny. Our scouts have found an island far to the south of us that will be suitable for our needs, larger than our small land here, with the plant, animal, and mineral resources to sustain all of the People." He slowly walked around the circular fire pit, addressing the assembly. "The island also houses a volcano which can become a rich source of power. Our home can no longer sustain us, and this new place has everything we need. The council now puts this matter before the People. Do we stay and slowly wither away, or do we move to this new place, leaving behind all we have ever known?" Wise One stood up. "I say that we go. I do not think the Mother means us to stay and starve. I feel that she would only bless us if we make this move." He moved back among the crowd to give another the time to speak. The Seer spoke up, "And I say we stay, here in the place that the Mother led us to all those seasons ago. If we leave this land, will we not be leaving the Mother's blessing?" The debate raged back and forth for the better part of a day, at times the discussion became so heated blows were traded. Eventually the opinions of Wise One, Lagun, and their allies began to sway the People. The Seer found herself leading a diminishing group of those who wanted to stay. One by one they were convinced by the arguments of the others, until in the end she stood by herself against the rest of the tribe. When she made it known that she would stay, alone if necessary, Wise One again entered the fray. "Has the Mother sent you a vision, then, showing us the proper path to take?" The Seer hung her head at this. "No, I have been given no visions for some time now. Whenever I try to see, a dark cloud blocks my sight. I think that the Mother is punishing me." "Perhaps she is angry with your reluctance to change. After all, we are the descendants of a tribe who followed her vision to move here, against all conventional wisdom. Where would we be if our ancestors did not change?" Wise One approached closer, touching her arm gently. In a reasonable tone of voice he said, "Seer, if you do not agree with the decision to go, will you abandon your people? We still look to you for wisdom and guidance, even if the Mother no longer speaks to you." The Seer looked at Wise One, acknowledging her defeat. "Very well," she sighed and covered his hand with her own, "if it is the decision of everyone to leave, then I will go with you." --------------------- Seattle, 1995 Duncan's foot slipped as he tried to climb the side of the building. Duncan waited. After several moments with no sound, he resumed his climb. Quietly opening a window, he slid into the apartment. He risked a quick look down the hall and saw the man crouched behind the kitchen counter. With a gleam in his eye, Duncan began to silently make his way to the kitchen. He hit the man from behind and stripped him of his gun and his walkie-talkie. After tying the man up with his own belt, he used the radio. "Got him." "Good, because Richie passed the checkpoint a few minutes ago. They're almost there." As Duncan shut off the radio he could hear Richie and the voice of an unknown female approaching the door. The door opened before he could hide. "It's not much but it's home . . ." Richie stopped as he spotted Duncan standing over the unconscious form of the Hunter. The young woman right behind him took in the scene at a glance, pulled out a gun and shot Richie from behind. A form stepped out of the shadows and quickly rendered her unconscious as she turned to run. Carol reached down to pull another man from the shadows. Dragging the stranger and the still form of the girl into the apartment, she closed the door behind her and looked up at Duncan. "What took you so long?" She asked deadpan. Duncan stared back equally impassive, "I got held up by the drainpipe. Now are you going to explain what's going on?" She looked around at the apartment. "Good job, no one dead this time. As soon as Richie recovers, I'll tell you everything. Meanwhile, I have some work to do on these upstanding citizens." She propped all three bodies up against the wall and checked for signs of consciousness. When they began to stir, Duncan watched in amazement as Carol said a few words and all three dropped immediately into deep trances. He could hear Richie begin to stir as Carol started talking to the prisoners. "Your mission is complete. You killed Richie quickly and quietly and disposed of the body. Wait in your car for 60 minutes and then wake up and report back to your superiors." She touched each prisoner lightly on the face. "Go." Richie sat up just as all three would-be assassins got up and walked towards the door with vacant looks on their faces. Without looking left or right, the three headed out the door and down the stairs. Richie sent a confused look to Duncan "Mac, what are you doing here? Who shot me? What's going on?" --------------------- "We left our home on a fine spring day. The pain of leaving left me gasping for breath as all I've ever known dwindled in the distance. I must look forward now. A Seer who cannot see is useless, so I am determined to find a way to remain useful. My people still need me. . . . It is now two moons into our long journey and the forward scouts have discovered something wonderful. They have found the last of our former tribe, the Herri! Some of the people who did not follow First Mother still survive, barely hanging on against the elements and our ancient enemies. I could not still the thrill of my heart to talk to our ancient kin. And they remember us! They still tell stories about She Who Sees and how she led most of the tribe to paradise. They are most hospitable, and are delighted to know their newfound cousins. . . . The council told the tribe that we would try to find a way to Change them as we have changed ourselves. I am skeptical, for we needed the 'Blessing of the Mother' before we could change ourselves. However, Wise One thinks it can be done. The council has also persuaded our kin to accompany us on the long journey to our new home. The stories of a new home in a more hospitable environment have galvanized them to action." _Reminiscences of The Seer_ --------------------- Berri Egoitza, @10,400 BCE The sensation of a hand slowly tracing down her arm woke Song from a sound sleep. She sighed and snuggled closer to the warmth at her back, purring a little at the pleasure of feeling her mate near. *Just getting in at this late hour?* *Hmmm,* Baretasun sent back a wordless sense of pleasure. *Tell me again, why do I stay so late when this is waiting at home for me?* They lay spooned together, basking in contentment. Finally Song roused herself enough to ask, "So, how are the experiments going?" *Hold me closer.* Baretasun hugged her closer, his hands tracing patterns on her stomach. "Who wants to talk about work at a time like this." The suggestion he telegraphed to her had her laughing in breathless anticipation. "No, no, you told me one of the things you loved about me was my interest in your work." She half-heartedly tried to wriggle out of his arms. "Now I'm prepared to be a good mate and hear all about the children of the old tribe." *You naughty boy, really?* "If you really must know," Baretasun rolled over and pinned her, face down, to the bed. "We've completed some preliminary examinations of the children." He paused to kiss the side of her neck. "Wise One has chosen a group who seem to be the most promising candidates," he breathed into her ear, causing a shiver, "and we will start attempting the Changes in a few days." At the same time his hands were busy wedging themselves under her breasts. Song moaned as he kept up his sensual assault, all the while breathing details of the planned changes into her ear. "Tell me more, oh wise mate." *There, just a little higher, ohhhh.* Baretasun smiled and moved his wandering hands downward, caressing her stomach, then between her thighs. He shifted until his complete weight was pressing against her back. "It is nice to know I have such a devoted wife." He paused to bite her neck, then lave the area with his tongue. "Now, where was I? Oh yes, the candidates. I'm a little worried about the psyches of a few of them, but the great Wise One has declared all the candidates of good quality." He began to nibble on her ear as his hands worked their magic. *Let me show you how I intend to award my 'dutiful' little wife.* *Wow,* was the only thing Song was able to articulate much later. --------------------- (to be continued) =========================================================================