========================================================================= Date: Mon, 29 Apr 1996 18:51:48 -0400 Reply-To: MJordan104@AOL.COM Sender: Highlander TV show stories From: "Monica T. Jordan" Subject: Out of Love and Vengeance - Part 11a/11 X-cc: moreau@odixie.enet.dec.com, mjordan@gwis2.circ.gwu.edu, nevets@newwave.net, naortiz@dttus.com "Out of Love and Vengeance - Epilogue, Part 11a/11." by Monica T. Jordan. Copyright, 1996. For Disclaimers, Warnings, etc. see Part 1. Thanks. I was supposed to add this to the end of Part 11 as Author Notes, but it was on my computer at work and I only managed to get it today. Author's Note: "To observe, record, but never interfere." The idea to write "Out Of Love And Vengeance" came when I thought about how the information gathered by the watchers could be used (and has been used) to hurt the very people it's trying to protect. Even though their credo is "observe, record, but never interfere, over the years some watchers have began to feel a need to interfere in the lives of immortals just in case The Prize may be real. As it was demonstrated in the case with the hunters, mortals who fear the unknown can destroy something or someone base solely on their fear without thinking of the common whole of the situation. For instance when Darius was killed on Holy Ground by hunters. Darius may not have been The One to claim The Prize, but he could've been. What better immortal to watch over the earth and its inhabitants, but someone who learned that killing wasn't the answer but compassion was. But we'll never know that. Another issue that the hunters created was the violation of sacred immortal rules. Killing Darius on Holy Ground would make any immortal feel vulnerable. The one place where immortals could feel safe was violated by people they never knew existed and therefore had no need to feel threatened by. Immortals have lived among mortals (especially when they were mortals themselves) but their life as immortals mainly revolve around other immortals and The Game. The immortals live by strict rules and codes that has kept their existence secret for centuries from mortals. But it took the watcher organization for their secret to be revealed and expose the immortals to unfanthom threats. I guess at first when the watchers were formed it was out of curiosity and fascination with something unknown, a thirst for knowledge to understand a new phenomenon, immortality. But through the years of observing, the watchers became used to immortals and saw them less as a phenomenon and now saw them as a possible threat. Because if an evil immortal was to win The Prize, mankind could experience centuries of darkness. And to not take a chance on it being true, the watchers decided that getting involved and interfering in the outcome of immortals activities was necessary for their preservation. And it has been noted through out history that when man fears the unknown, man will destroy the unknown. The idea of an organization having detail information about one's life and feeling powerful because they knew they could control you based on that information is a frightening thought. No immortal would want the world to know about them. Why would they? If the idea of living forever was ever to be broadcasted on the evening news, it would be a mad house. People have killed looking for the fountain of youth. The threat of a slight possibility of immortality being revealed, immortals would be at the mercy of the mortals that knew their secret. Immortals could be forced to do things against their nature to protect their secret or risk the possibility of discovery. Imagine a government using immortals in battles, since they could not die? Every one would want to create more, one wouldn't be enough. We've already seen what a Doctor would do if they knew no disease could affect you or kill you. I don't particularly like the idea of being a guinea pig. Well, this is why I wrote this story. How would you feel if someone had been watching you all your life? And they knew every little thing you've ever done, good or bad? And they could expose it to the world whenever they felt like? Or use it for their own gain and advantage? Would you feel safe? They know where you live, your habits, your weakness, your strengths, everything. I'd feel violated, vulnerable and exposed. Well, I hoped you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.