New Revelations

"Sounds tend to carry, even down in the Hemlock. I was hearin' somethin' up by the Shadow. Couldn't see up there, but I sure could hear when the aft hatch opened. Gorram, someone was in my ship. I contacted Brooke over the wave to see if she could check into it." Walkin' outside in the dark when most folks were inside was the only time I could get outside now.... gorram martial law here. "Seems a few days later some trooper was in the bar tellin' folks they took my ship and was lookin' for me. Miya contacted me. Was her who told me what all happened. Got to watch out now.

Climbing up to the cliffs was gettin' easier. And a quicker way to skirt town without bein' seen. "Anna's been wantin' to do more of late. So I been takin' her for midnight walks along the hills just outside of town. Showed her some survival stuff while we were there. She might be small, but I know how smart she is. She picks up on everythin'. She started growin' a little too. Had to find some new clothes for her to wear. Wasn't easy seein' as how the department store was hit by an asteroid. Had to take a few pairs of clothes folks hung out to dry for their little ones. Not wantin' to just steal, I left em with some money. Hung it from the line for em."

"Then there's Lily..... She's addicted to spice.... She says to keep her small. Keep her from doin' Mindo's work. Thing is, what was his work exactly? Hell, I knew he'd had his hands in a lot of projects. Even one that he tried to get his sister to do.... One she refused. It's why Lily came to be. But Lily had more orders in her stored memory. he set her on tasks and recorded it all. Sort of like Kitten when she was chipped." I couldn't shake that somethin' was wrong.... Kitten was out there somewhere in the verse. And she wasn't communicatin'....or not able to....

My thoughts rattled back and forth over Kitten, Anna, and Lily. Family. "Anna, I knew what was goin' on with her. I was watchin' her learn and grow. Lily, not as much. She was tryin' to stay small with synthisized spice. And Kitten..... " I shook my head to try and clear it. "Now add Mister Krenshar into the mix. I think he's gone a might touched. He's been tryin' to run for sherriff. He says he's in pretty tight with the 'liance.... And that spells a lot of trouble for a lot of folk here. Somethin' else was botherin' me 'bout him.... somethin' I think Gallagher mentioned. Krenshar might be dosin' on spice too. If he is, then it's scrambled his artificial brain. Gallagher don't like it either. He's thinkin' its dangerous. We been tryin' to tell Lily that. She hears us, but she ain't listenin'....."

"Seems When somethin' happens, Krenshar has the means to fix whatever it is.... Like he planned it that way. I doubt anyone's goin' to listen though. They just want everythin' fixed. Seana is offworld. Not sure what all she had to leave for. Ain't goin' to ask either. Too many 'liance troopers movin' 'round. Looks like they even took over the mayor's office." Anna was runnin' 'round chasin' the dogs. She was movin' faster and gettin' more agile. I was proud of her. My little one was growin' up. Someday she'd be there to protect folks. "I knew more 'bout Anna, then anyone, save a few. Xoxo, Lily, Seana and a few others knew her and her origins. How she came 'bout."

"Lily told me some stuff of late. It set me back a might. Anna had a soul. A true connection with bein' human. it was the last part that was needed to "repair" her. It made her whole, and perfect. My little one. She was more a part of me then anyone will ever know. Lily even said as much.... well not in those words. But I understood for the first time what my part in Anna's life was. But Lily said somethin' else that turned my blood cold..... Krenshar was tryin' to build a new Aurora. One with no soul. He thinks she was better that way. He's insane. Maybe some cynapses failed in his brainpan. What he creates will be his own undoin', I think. No soul means no compassion or mercy. Not even for him if he gets in her way. I saw how Aurora treated him when she was alive. It wasn't good. She showed no respect. No carin' for anyone save herself."

Rubbin' my face, I could feel the tiredness creepin' in again. "Needed to stay awake and listenin' for trouble was more important of late. Sometimes Anna'd wake me up after I'd fall asleep." Seems she's started to listen while I was sleepin'. "Was her that told me of the asteroid hit. I was so gorram exhausted I didn't realize what all it was." I checked the time on the wall. Was gettin' late again. A little more time and I could take Anna back outside for a night walk and more survival trainin'."

"Lily contacted me to help with the space dome what was bein' built for the companion house. Went up there to do some weld work on the dome seals and the main platform. Took some days to do. She made sure I had a small shuttle to work from. Gorram short range shuttles. Ain't good for much but it got me back up into the black. Felt good to be back up there. Maybe when the 'liance leaves... or I get my ship back, I can get some salvage done again. Brooke ain't sent any waves. Startin' to think I'm bein' avoided. Can't blame anyone though. Anyone caught harbourin' a fugitive....." Sighin', I walked to the console to check on the radar high above Hale's. At least I could watch the air traffic from here. "While I was workin' Mister Glaze showed up. Lily went all strange when he showed. Not wantin' to get in the way of their reunion I went back to work on the welds. Made double sure everything was solid b'fore I moved to the next welding spot. When I was done, Lily asked me to follow her to one of the rooms. She said it was to check out the beds to make sure two people could lay in one."

My mind went back to the long convo we had when we lay there, "She told me a lot of stuff. Even accused me of killin' Mindo.....". My mind rewound and played the scene over again as he pulled the trigger and blew his own brains out. "I told her he did it to his own self. Told her 'bout his outfit and the strange way he was actin'. How I tried to hide the whole scene from Anna's eyes. Lily bit me cause she was so riled over it. I was a might riled myself for her not b'lievin' me. Afterward, she started to calm down and we talked. She told me 'bout Krenshar's plans for his own Aurora.... And 'bout what all he wanted. Somethin' I had hid away that he'd never find. She told me she knew everythin'..... I mean to say, everythin' from the past. Even with the reboots. She said she was still wantin' to marry me. Said she even bought a dress too. I want to marry her, but I don't know what all'll happen with her on spice. That and Ardra still bein' 'round. She even said somethin' 'bout Krenshar wanted her on spice too.... to control her? For what? Its got me bothered too. I'm goin' to have to tell Gallagher 'bout that. See if he can find anythin' out. We talked 'botu a feww more things b'fore Gallagehr found us layin' there in bed. We wasn't doin' nothin' but talkin'."

Then a few nights ago she was in the mines with me. She and I got to talkin'. I told her I might need to come down there to hide. I didn't tell her I might need to have Anna with me. I know for sure Anna'd be with me. No way could I just leave her with anyone now. Not with what was goin' on. Lily told me a lot of stuff was hid down deep... Burtied and hid well. In places most folk couldn't go. She got close to me again. I missed her bad. Lily was so ingrained in my senses. She purred as we hugged. Somethin' I missed too. Then she bit me in the neck. Two bites in near as many days..... I had to sneak into the clinic and grab some stuff to treat the bites. Seein'as I was down inthe mines more, didn't want to have em get infected. Just hope the doc don't notice I took a few things. I don't know when Lily and I'll be gettin' hitched for sure. Might have to be a quick and quiet one... Seein' as how I'm bein' looked for. Best get goin'.... Don't want to miss my walk with my daughter tonight."