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The following story and characters are copyright Radical Gopher. They may not be used without prior permission of the author. All characters in the story are age 18 and older. This story contains violence and adult situations and should not be viewed by anyone under the age of 18.

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VANDALS AT THE GATE - Chapter 2

Jillian continued to monitor the intruders on the control system. Having overheard the conversation between the reporter and cameraman she felt a little less threatened by their presence. Still having uninvited guests literally on the doorstep of one's secret headquarters did pose more than a few problems. Using sonar they might be able to detect the passageway leading from the old 'bomb shelter,' but getting inside would require something on the order a brick of C-4, which they lacked. The hidden door was both flush with the wall and nanite sealed, it could only be opened using a DNA sequence scanner. At present, only she and Bob were recorded in the system.

As she watched one of the intruders took out what looked vaguely like a defibulator. Holding it against the walls he triggered a sensor pulse. Bob's system identified it as a sonar wave. Moving around the room he would set the device against a wall and trigger the pulse. On his tenth try he found the passageway behind the hidden door. The others gathered around him and talked together excitedly.

"It's definitely a passage of some kind," said the raven-haired woman, but I don't see any indications of a door."

Dr. Strathern glanced briefly toward the ship. She hoped that the Kerachaw would awaken soon. He knew the defense systems better than she did though how he might deal with their visitors was difficult to gage. She was firmly convinced he wouldn't hurt them. The trouble was if they got off the island with information about a mysterious tunnel that seemed to lead deep underground it wouldn't be long before some kind of official government response was mounted. More than likely, they'd have guns and C-4.

"Maybe there isn't one," the cameraman offered."

"What's this thing in the corner of the image here?" the woman said, pointing to the device's display screen.

"I'm not sure," replied the bearded gentleman. "I don't know what this box shape is, but this...it almost looks like a... a folding lawn chair?"

Jillian slapped her hand to her face. She occasionally used the tunnel to go out on the helicopter platform and sunbathe. Rather than carry her chair all the way down the tunnel, she often left it and a few other items next to the outer door for convenience sake.

"Let me take another shot at this," said the man with the defibulator. "Maybe I can figure out what this shape really is." He held the sonar projector directly in front of the lawn chair and pulled the trigger. Unknowingly, he had placed his device directly on one of the door seams.

A red indicator light went on and a message flashed across the monitor screen in both English and Kerachaw. "WARNING... SECURITY BREACH... SONIC DISRUPTION TO NANITE SEAL ON DOOR NUMBER FOUR. SEAL COMPROMISED.

"Look!" yelled the woman as she pointed at the wall. What appeared to be a fine sand seemed to pour out of the wall exposing the definite lines of a door where none had been before. Dan quickly handed the sonar projector to Teddy and bent down examining the seam. Watching, Jillian sighed in frustration. She didn't think Bob would be happy with this development.

"Is something wrong?"

Jillian looked up from the monitor and saw the Kerachaw standing above her. She practically leapt to her feet and wrapped both arms around the large equine-sapien. "Are you alright?"

Bob nodded. "As I said, all the radiation damage was repaired. I am now fully healed." He looked down at the human woman. "You weren't worried... were you?"

Suddenly angry she kicked the alien in the foot. "Of course I was worried, you moron. God! Sometimes I think you're as brainless as Quick-Draw McGraw!"

The Kerachaw looked at her without understanding. "I don't know this Quix-Draw. Is he another one of your culture's literary figures?"

Jillian said nothing, finding it difficult to stay mad at someone as innocently naive as Bob was. It was one of the qualities that drew her to him. Instead she pointed to the monitor. "It appears we have some uninvited guests. They found the back door and are currently camped out in the bomb shelter trying to figure out how to open it."

The Kerachaw went over to the control board and focused the monitor on each of the intruders, one at a time. As he did his forehead glowed briefly. When he focused on the one carrying what looked like a defibulator he paused. "Interesting," he muttered.

Jillian looked up at Bob. "What do you think we should do about this?"

He looked over at her. "I don't think they can pose much of a threat, as long as we keep control of the situation."

And how do we do that?"

Bob smiled. "Why don't you bake them some cookies?"

* * * *

Dan finished examining the edges around the door for the fifth or perhaps sixth time. He looked up at 'Cat' and shook his head. "Before you ask, yes... it is a door and no, I can't find any kind of mechanism to open it."

"What about your climbing tool crowbar thingy."

"It won't work. The seam is too narrow for it to fit and even if it could, that door has to weigh close to a ton, minimum."

"So how do we get in?" asked Ted.

"Did you bring along any dynamite?" the technician joked.

"No..." 'Cat' replied. "My idea was to interview him... not blow down his front door."

Dan shrugged. "Well, lacking any other resources or a bit of luck, I'd say that would pretty much be the only way you could get in... provided this is the Outlander's hideout and not some long abandoned, secret, government facility."

"So what should we do now?" the cameraman asked.

"It's almost noon. Why don't you go up and get some of the rations out of our packs and we'll sit down and mull out what to do over lunch."

Ted smiled weakly. "Sure, a nice picnic lunch on the doorstep of the dragon's lair will definitely improve our appetites." He put down his camera rig and went back toward the storage room elevator, his flashlight held tightly in front of him.

"He sounds a bit nervous," Dan observed.

"Maybe, but this isn't exactly like plodding around in a ghost house looking for zombies or some other undead monster," 'Cat' said.

"No... our monster is very much alive and if he's here, probably more than a little pissed!"

It wasn't long before Ted returned with several packages of trail food, canteens of water and beef jerky. They sat around the table and ate in silence for a few minutes, each looking in turn at the mysterious door.

"Maybe the opening mechanism is like the elevator's, just a little more complex," Teddy suggested.

Dan shook his head. "I don't think so. The elevator and bomb shelter were built as part of the original lighthouse facility. It wasn't intended to be difficult to access. Probably everyone who ever worked here knew about it." He gestured toward the wall. "This thing was added long after and should have remained hidden."

'Cat' stood and walked over to the door and examined it. "So why didn't it?" she asked.

"I don't know. Possibly the sonar scan disrupted something; what, I can only guess. The question is, now what do we do?"

"Maybe it's voice activated," Teddy suggested.

'Cat' frowned at the cameraman. "And what, in a couple thousand possible languages and dialects and a billion or more word combinations would I say?" Open Sesame?"

There was a sudden grinding of stone. 'Cat' leapt back in surprise as the wall next to her began moving inward a few inches before slowly sliding to the left.

"HOLY SHIT!" she yelled, whirling on her two, open-mouthed companions. "Did you see that?" All three watched as the door slid back, revealing a long corridor that had been hewn from the mountain itself and smoothed so it formed an organic, three quarter wide passage. It was at least ten feet from floor to ceiling and lined with soft, luminescent panels. To one side of the interior door were a couple of folding chairs, one normal sized and one much larger. Between them was a basket filled with lotion and sunscreen, a pile of towels and a beach umbrella.

'Cat' looked at the items and glanced at her two companions. They simply returned her gaze and shrugged.

"I think it's safe to assume we've been given an invitation," muttered Dan.

"You think?" asked Teddy. "The door opening when and how it did means they've been watching us the whole time.

The scientist glanced down the long corridor. "Should we chance going in there?"

"Why not? Whoever's inviting us in has a sense of humor. I'm guessing they were just waiting for a punch line to open the door." 'Cat' observed. "I hardly think they pose a dire threat."

"Maybe not dire... but definitely serious," Dan replied.

It took the explorers only a few moments to pick up their gear and move forward.. 'Cat' led the way and for almost three minutes they made their way cautiously down the corridor. Reaching the end, they found themselves facing yet another door, though this one was not hidden. Teddy looked over her shoulder.

"Okay... What now?"

Almost as if in response the door opened and the three of them found themselves looking into what appeared to be a large, comfortably appointed living room complete with a real fireplace. To one side was a smaller dining area and beyond that was a very open, spacious kitchen. A young, red-haired woman in her early twenties came out of the kitchen carrying a tray with cups, saucers, a carafe of coffee and a small plate of shortbread cookies. She looked at them and smiled.

"Good morning... Would you care for some refreshments?" She set the tray down on a circular coffee table and extended her hand. "I'm Jillian Strathern."

'Cat' took the woman's hand, but then paused. "Jillian Strathern? How is that possible? Dr. Strathern is nearly forty years old. You have to be almost half that age."

"Well, thank you," Jillian replied. "I pride myself on trying to stay fit." She gestured toward the couch and the three visitors hesitantly took a seat.

'Cat' watched as Dr. Strathern poured each of them a cup of coffee and passed around the cookies before taking a seat herself. Their host was wearing a medium blue, short-sleeved, v-neck shirt with dark blue pants and low-heeled shoes. :"You must be as full of questions as we are, so why don't you start and we'll settle things round-robin style."

"Alright," 'Cat' replied. "Let's get the big one out of the way first. Is this the Outlander's base of operations?"

"Yes, it is." Jillian looked over at the cameraman who had started recording their conversation. "I hope you'll forgive me, but could you put that thing away. We can do a more formal interview later, if you want. Right now, I'd simply like to establish some ground rules and get to know all of you better."

Teddy looked over at 'Cat' who nodded. He carefully put the camera down on the end table next to him. Jillian gently shook her head and gave him a knowing look until he reached over and turned the camera off, at which point she smiled.

"Thank-you, now it's my turn. Could you tell me why you chose this particular spot to search for our home?"

"It was pretty much a lucky guess," 'Cat' replied.

"Please, if this is going to work you'll have to be a bit more open than that."

"I would, but I promised my source anonymity."

Jillian smiled patiently. "If you mean Mr. Faulkner then you don't really need to worry. We already know about your 'secret' interview with him last month."

"How..."

You really must understand," she said, "that around here there is no need for secrecy, especially between myself, Bob and any guests we have."

"Who's Bob?" asked Teddy.

"Krosbobai V'avalun... the one everyone calls the Outlander. I usually call him Bob for short because it's easier," Jillian explained. "But we are straying from the point. You were answering my question."

"Alright, during my interview with Mr. Faulkner I found out he had a list of 100 potential sites where 'Bob' might have established a base of operations. Faulkner thought it was somewhere in California. Based on what he told me, and a little research, I found out that there were a few suspicious radar tracks originating along the Californiacoast that corresponded with his appearances, so I started looking. This was the seventh one I checked, and would have been my last one if you hadn't been here, hence, I got lucky."

Jillian looked at the girl and knew she was telling the truth. "Alright, now you get to ask a question."

'Cat' nodded. "What happens now?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean what happens now that my friends and I have uncovered the secret of your home."

Jillian shrugged. "That depends on you and what you intend to do with your new found knowledge. I mean, have you considered the consequences if you published your story and exposed where the Outlander's base of operations is located?"

"You mean, aside from possibly winning the Pulitzer for Journalism?"

"Perhaps not," Jillian muttered to herself. "What I'm trying to say is that what happens next will depend not only on your intentions and your integrity, but the safety and security of this facility. Bob and I could easily relocate somewhere else, but doing so at this time would be more than a little inconvenient and very disruptive to his activities in defense of our world."

'Cat' looked at the other woman for a moment then put down her cup of coffee. "If it helps, my intention has never been to give away the secret of your 'fortress.' What I am interested in is a one-on-one interview with the most mysterious person the world has seen since Howard Hughes."

"I thought as much." Jillian replied. "Does the same go for your companions?"

"It does for me," Teddy replied. "'Cat''s my partner on this gig and what she says goes."

"How about you Mr. Obermann?" asked Jillian

"Trust goes both ways, Dr. Strathern. You insist our fates rely on what we do and say here, but you haven't really answered any of the questions we came here to find out."

"That will happen..." Jillian started to respond before being abruptly cut off.

"What I want to know, right now, is how you knew my name and where your 'friend' is," Dan insisted.

"Bob is currently occupied and will join us as soon as he is able," Jillian explained, speaking patiently in the hopes of disarming Obermann's obvious assertiveness. "As to how we know your name, your friend Ms. Sawyer may be able to explain that better. After all, she has interviewed Mr. Faulkner."

Teddy looked at the reporter. "What does she mean 'Cat'?"

"It's not something I really believed when Faulkner told me," she explained.

"What is that?" asked Dan.

"According to him, the Kerachaw people are telepathic; and the Outlander, being one of their enhanced warrior-scouts, is probably the most powerful telepath now living on the Earth."

"Whoa... the dude can read minds?" asked Teddy

"More than just that, he has incredibly advanced telekinetic ability and, perhaps, an illusionary ability that enables him to dodge radar waves like a stealth fighter. Faulkner admitted that this last was only speculation, but it would explain why the government was unable to find this place."

"Mr. Faulkner is prone to having an over-active imagination himself," Jillian observed.

"This stuff's starting to sound pretty serious," muttered Teddy.

'Cat' looked at him. "Faulkner explained it to me as follows. Imagine taking a highly trained Navy SEAL, then enhancing his natural physical abilities by a factor of ten."

"I always hated math," the cameraman responded.

"Add in telepathy and telekinesis as part of his normal ability and enhance it a minimum of 100 times that of anyone else."

"We don't have telepathy or telekinesis as a normal part of the human condition," Dan responded.

"We don't... but the Kerachaw do," 'Cat' said.

"So even among his own people, he's the equivalent of a 'Super-Man.'"

"An apt description... if a little fanciful. Bob is nothing like a Super-Man..." Jillian paused as she was interrupted by three short beeps. She rose and picked up a remote from a nearby table. Clicking it, a holographic projection of the Outlander appeared in the center of the room.

"Just checking-in... I'll need another thirty minutes to help wrap up things at the derailment and secure the toxic chemicals, then I should be on my way home. How are our guests behaving?"

"As well as can be expected. I'll put the kettle on for your return. See you in about an hour."

"An hour then... take care." The hologram vanished and Jillian went into the kitchen and filled a kettle with water, placed it on the stove and set the timer. "Sorry about that... One of the problems we seem to run into is unexpected accidents that require Bob's particular brand of help."

"What kind of accident?"

Dr. Strathern came back into the room. "A train derailment near Carson City; there were half a dozen tanker cars of ammonia, but Bob's got a handle on it."

The reporter nodded then looked back over at Jillian. "Getting back to what we were talking about... "Yes," replied Jillian. "For two of you at least; As for the third member of your party however... well I'm afraid that coming here under false pretences will not guarantee you anything but problems."

The three visitors eyed each other nervously. "What exactly does that mean?" 'Cat' asked.

"Well, as I said before, there are no secrets around here. One of you is a fraud... granted, a very clever one and well practiced at their craft, but a fraud none the less."

Teddy turned angrily on 'Cat'. "This is Colonel Faulkner's work... isn't it? I told you dealing with the Directory was a bad idea. Now we're all screwed!"

"Hold on a second," said Dan. "Since when has the Directory been part of this? I thought they were shut down months ago."

"They're not involved here, they can't be," 'Cat' responded. "I only interviewed Faulkner. I don't work for him nor do I want anything to do which what he represents. My only purpose was to try and find the Outlander's hideout."

"And do what?" asked Dan. "Sell him out to the very organization that dissected his people

Teddy stood and waved his hands around in frustration. "I wouldn't be surprised if there isn't some kind of Delta Force black ops team on its way here right now. Hell, they've probably been monitoring us since we took off in the chopper."

Jillian smiled through the confusion. "I think you can give Bob and I a little credit for knowing how to deal with situations like this. You don't have to worry about any assault team or police forces raiding the place because the signals sent to them have already been blocked."

"Signals?" asked 'Cat', her face flush.

"Yes. They were sent out about ten minutes ago from the blockhouse. They appear to have been on some kind of timer system, set up before the three of you were invited inside here."

"So it could have been any of us?" asked Dan.

"No," Jillian replied, "only one of you." There was a long moment of silence, and then Dan reached under his jacket and pulled out a pistol. He pointed it straight at Jillian who coolly watched the technician.

'Cat's eyebrows shot up. "Where the hell did you get that?" Dan responded by looking at her, glassy-eyed and gesturing for her to stay seated.

"It doesn't matter," Dr. Strathern said calmly. "He can't use it. The gunpowder in the cartridges has been rendered inert."

"What? How?" asked Teddy in surprise.

"When all of you passed through the secret door there was a device, a scanner that can detect and render useless all explosive compounds by altering their chemical make-up. For all intent and purpose, your bullets are now filled with dirt," Jillian explained.

Dan responded by raising his pistol, aiming it and pulling the trigger. There was nothing save the very satisfied click of a mis-fire. Without even looking at the weapon, the technician ejected the cartridge aimed and tried again with no better result. Throughout all this his expression remained blank and emotionless.

"Oh, and one more thing..." Jillian said. "Neither Bob nor I appreciate our guests using mind control on each other. I would therefore greatly appreciate you letting Mr. Obermann go. He can't serve any further purpose, Mr. Bracken... or do you prefer Teddy?"

The cameraman starred at Jillian for a moment or two then shrugged his shoulders. Dan immediately dropped his pistol to the floor and flopped down on the couch raising both hands to his temples.

"OH my HEAD!" he groaned. 'Cat' was by his side in a moment, lifting his chin and looking him in the eyes.

"There's some aspirin in the kitchen," Dr. Strathern offered. It's in the cabinet above the sink." 'Cat' vanished for a moment then reappeared with a tall glass of water and a small bottle. After handing them to Dan she looked over at Teddy.

"Okay, just who the hell are you?"

"No one you need to concern yourself with, human."

Jillian simply shook her head and looked at 'Cat'. "Shape-shifting xenomorphs... it's all about them isn't it."

The reporter's jaw dropped open. "Shape-shifting..."

The red-haired woman nodded. "Yes... He's probably been stranded here since, what... mid-1950; earlier perhaps?"

Teddy glared at her for a moment then relaxed and sat down, pouring himself another cup of coffee. "Earlier. I was dropped off here as a scout during your First World War. My assignment was to observe, report and evaluate human civilization and capabilities."

"That was almost a century ago," said 'Cat'. "Why are you still here?"

"It's laughable really," he replied sipping from his cup. "I lost all my equipment."

"How?"

"Well, after my first month or so of observation, I came to the conclusion that the nearest thing you had to a world capitol was London... You know the British Empire and all. I though it would make a much better observation post than the middle of the American Southwest."

"Of course," Jillian replied

"So I packed up everything I had, 'borrowed' the identity of a Texas rancher, traveled to New York, and set sail for England on the first available ship."

"Let me guess," 'Cat' offered. "It was sunk."

A twisted grin formed on Teddy's lips. "Ever hear of the Lusitania?"

"Who hasn't?"

"You might be surprised at how many people don't know about it, but I digress. I survived the sinking and found myself stranded on your world without any resources save for my own innate talents."

'Cat' studied him. "So why didn't your people ever come back and look for you?"

"I assume that when I didn't report in I was given up for lost and the world quarantined until further evaluation could be conducted. That's standard protocol for my people."

"So you've been hiding on Earth for the past 100 years waiting for... what exactly?" asked 'Cat'.

"An opportunity such as this."

"What... an interview with the Outlander?" Dan muttered, wincing in pain.

Teddy laughed. "No... I'm after something a bit more substantial."

"You want access to Bob's ship," said Jillian.

"You know... that is precisely what makes your people so intriguing. Aside from your incredible rate of proliferation and even more amazing leaps of technological advancement, you have this 'gift' for deductive reasoning that rivals even my own people. Sadly, it won't be much use to you as a slave race."

"That's assuming a lot," said 'Cat'.

"Not as much as you think," Teddy replied. "By the time 'Bob' has returned, I will have disposed of everyone except for Dr. Strathern here, who I will have then replicated and drained of her memories. That will give me access to the Kerachaw, and through him, his ship."

"If you don't mind my asking," interrupted Dan, "are you really Ted Bracken or just a facsimile of him?"

"Like so many humans I've duplicated, my form is only a copy of the original with his knowledge overlaid in my mind. Naturally, when the process is complete, I dispose of the original."

Meaning Teddy?" asked 'Cat'.

"Yes. He and several dozen others before him. It's more efficient that way."

"So your race is telepathic as well?

"We are, but only as far as necessary to gain the data we need for effective concealment within your species."

"Well that's good," Dan replied as he stood and leaned against the fireplace mantle, "because if you could read my mind right now your head would probably explode... you psychotic bastard." With that he snatched up a brass poker from its mount and raised it over his head, intending to bring it down on the self-proclaimed alien. Without warning his arm locked and he froze where he was. For a moment or two he struggled, the effect visible on his face, but within seconds his eyes had become as slack as before.

Teddy laughed. "It doesn't take a telepath to figure out what you intended just now, Mr. Obermann. Unfortunately, you either didn't understand or remember that I am an excellent puppeteer." He glanced up at the clock over the mantle. "If everything's on track, then Bob should be back within the next thirty minutes." The cameraman casually waved his arms and his form melted away for a moment before solidifying into something that looked like a short, squat four-legged beetle with two arms. It stood next to Dan, coming up to his shoulder and turned the human to face 'Cat'.

"Why don't you start things off, Mr. Obermann? Use that fireplace poker to beat Ms. Sawyer to death for me, would you?"

The technician started advancing on 'Cat' who quickly retreated behind the dining table and grabbed a chair. He only got about halfway across the room before Jillian had intercepted him and taken him out with a quick elbow block and a back kick to the solar plexus. She turned to face the alien. "I've told you before. Bob and I don't allow this kind of thing in our home."

"Impressive," the creature hissed. "I was not aware you knew martial arts. It will make a nice addition to my skill set." Again he waved his hand and Jillian froze in place.

"You... really... don't... want... to... do... this," she managed to grunt.

"Why not... Afraid I'll make your pet Kerachaw angry?"

A bolt of blue energy slammed into the alien, knocking him across the room. "You might!" said a deep, resonant voice.

'Cat' looked toward the empty chair from which the energy surge had originated. There sat the Outlander, as if he had mysteriously appeared from nowhere. The Kerachaw stood and went over to Jillian.

"Are you alright?"

She nodded briefly. "This guy's powers aren't as subtle as yours. When he grabbed control he left me with a bit of a headache." She looked up at him. "What took you so long?"

"I was being careful to analyze him first, listening and probing while you drew him out. He can pose a significant threat if we're not vigilant."

"You've been here the whole time," 'Cat' said pointing at his chair, "...Watching us. I didn't know you could make yourself invisible. This is amazing."

Bob reached out a hand and enclosed the alien in a blue sphere, lifting him off the floor. "Not so much invisibility, Ms. Sawyer, as misdirection. You didn't see me sitting there because I went into your minds and quietly implanted the idea the chair was empty. Once you believed that, maintaining the illusion was relatively simple."

"That's why I had Teddy turn off his camera. He would have seen Bob sitting there if he'd looked through the viewfinder."

"And the hologram?"

"A pre-programmed message intended to distract and lull our 'friend' into a false sense of security," Jillian explained.

"You seemed to know there was something 'odd' about Teddy from the moment we arrived, didn't you?" asked 'Cat'

"I knew he was very unusual after I scanned the three of you at our back door," said the Kerachaw, "but I needed time to assess what he was and evaluate his powers. His mind is extremely difficult to read. Jillian helped by talking him out, using bits and pieces of information I mentally sent her as I pluck it from him." As he talked Bob walked over to the unconscious systems tech, picked him up and deposited him on the couch. Jillian brought in a damp dish rag to place over his forehead.

"Is that why Teddy started monologing?"

Bob nodded. "I was gently probing at his psyche, making him feel good every time he revealed a bit more about himself.

"I see now that you Kerachaw are extremely powerful telepaths. No wonder my people avoided contact with you for as long as we have."

Everyone turned to look at the alien. He was conscious again and his eyes were glowing a deep, swirling gold color. "But when it comes to dominating and controlling weaker minds there is no one better at it than we are!"

The Outlander suddenly dropped to one knee and put both hands to his temples, squeezing his eyes shut and grimacing in pain. The force bubble surrounding 'Teddy' vanished.

Jillian watched in shock as the alien 'bug' took on a much more massive shape; one that appeared to be a cross between a huge gorilla and a lizard. Leaping forward he struck the Kerachaw under his chin, knocking him through the wall and out into the hanger. The alien bounded after him, followed by both 'Cat' and Jillian.

'Cat' looked around in astonishment. To one side of the hanger was a platform containing a number of computer displays and monitors; additionally, various lockers and tables surrounded the outer edge of the circular domed room. What was most incredible was that the majority of the space was taken up by a majestic looking ship that hovered, unsupported, in the center of the room. It looked almost like a silver swan. This then was the heart, the center of the Outlander's 'home; a vessel which had first brought him to Earth, and upon which he could, if he ever so desired, leave. He was not marooned, as some popular stories would have people believe. He stayed on Earth because he chose to stay.

Jillian turned toward the battle watching in dismay. The unexpected blow had stunned Bob momentarily. He pushed himself back to his hooves just in time to be slammed by a series of blows from 'Teddy.' The Outlander reeled back, trying to gather his focus enough to at least block the attacks. His opponent was not giving him the chance.

The alien laughed as he pummeled the Kerachaw mercilessly, keeping him off balance. Jillian saw blood spackle the alien's arms and face. Running forward, Dr. Strathern leapt on the creature's back and tried to apply a choke hold to his massive neck. For the briefest of moments, she seemed to have an effect. The alien stopped punching at Bob, straightened up and used his greater strength to slowly pry Jillian's arms from around his neck. She abruptly let go, sliding her hands through the monster's grip then kicking hard against him where his kidney should be.

Rolling free, Jillian backed away as the alien turned and focused momentarily on her. That was a mistake. A nearby worktable loaded with gear suddenly ripped itself free from its mounts and shot across the hanger, slamming into 'Teddy's' face..

The creature staggered back. Turning, he saw the Outlander just as he telekinetically swept the alien's feet out from under him. The monster went down for an instant before abruptly lifting himself upright again. He pushed outward with his mind and Bob again gripped his temples. This time however, he kept his eyes open and maintained his balance, though blood slowly began to seep from his nostrils.

"You... cannot... resist... me... Outlander! My mind... my power... is... greater... than... your own "

Bob responded by nickering deeply, even though in obvious pain. "Two sides of the same coin, Mr. Bracken. Power verses control... or don't your people teach you that? Applications differ, but energy is energy!" There was a blue flash and both aliens took a step back. 'Teddy' responded by doubling the size of his current form and charging at the Kerachaw.

Bob braced himself for the attack. Silver armor flowed outward from the pores of his skin incasing him in a protective metal shell. The alien struck at him slamming both fists into the Outlander's chest. The armor rippled, but the Kerachaw didn't move even an inch. Grasping the monster by its left arm he hurled it across the hanger and into the far wall. The impact seemed to shake the whole island.

"Ship!" Bob commanded. "Activate defense system. Extend and protect the command platform and quadrant delta."

" Order Acknowledged!"

A rippling curtain of energy surrounded the spaceship, the command platform and that section of the hanger leading in towards the living quarters. Jillian watched helplessly from behind the barrier as the Kerachaw leapt after the alien. More blows were exchanged. 'Teddy' repeatedly threw himself at Bob, as if attempting to close the distance between them and grapple. For his part, the Outlander struck back using both telekinetic blasts that slammed into the monster like a Mack truck and physical blows when it got too close for comfort. Twice the two aliens locked minds from a distance, neither able to fully overcome the other before breaking off and returning to physical combat

At one point, the Kerachaw launched a series of attacks himself, staggering the creature, but it would recover within seconds and launch another counter-attack at the Outlander. Frustrated at not being able to grapple directly with Bob, the intruder ripped a hydrogen generator from the wall and hurled it at the Kerachaw. The Outlander seized it telekinetically and hurled it right back at the alien who caught it easily. An instant later the device was blown apart by an energy bolt fired by Bob. It blew up in the creature's face and hurled him against the ship's defense field. The energy feedback stunned the alien. He dropped face first to the hanger's deck and lay still, slowly shrinking in size.

Cautiously the Kerachaw approached, putting a telekinetic dome over his opponent. As he watched the alien took on a different shape. Gray scales covered a distinctly reptilian body of about six feet in height. The creature was humanoid with a short, flat snout and a long, thick tail. For an instant, the Kerachaw couldn't believe what he was seeing. That instant proved unfortunate. The lizard-like being suddenly dug his fingers into a hangar deck plate and ripped it free, causing Bob to stumble and drop the shield. The creature leapt up and wrapped both hands around the Kerachaw's head, driving him down on both knees.

On the far side of the hangar both Dr. Strathern and the reporter heard the tremendous sounds of battle coming from beyond the space ship. Both women held their hands to their ears instinctively, even though the ship's force field protected them from any concussive sounds. The crashing went on for several long minutes then abruptly, there was silence. Both 'Cat' and Jillian worked their way around so they could see what was happening on the far side of the space ship

Gaining the edge of the command platform, they could see both the Outlander and 'Teddy' locked together. The latter had shrunk in size to something a little shorter than the Kerachaw and had both hands clamped on either side of Bob's head. He had forced him onto both knees. A gold field of energy surrounded the Kerachaw even as he grasped the alien's massive forearms. Blue and gold energies coalesced into a series of blinding flashes. Jillian stared incredulously at the alien. It had assumed a form similar to the creatures she knew as the Destroyers; the ones who were responsible for the Death of the Kerachaw World Ship and murder of Bob's people.

Teddy laughed maniacally. "I've won... you cannot keep me out now that we're physically bonded. Soon... I... shall... strip... you... of... your... armor... and... take... both... your... mind... and... form!"

The Kerachaw was desperate. Despite his best efforts the alien's skill at mind control was greater than his ability to resist. He slowed the creature's mental assault by digging deeply into the alien's memories. This could drag the battle out several more minutes, but locked together as they were he already knew that he couldn't stop him from seizing his mind. Desperately Bob searched for something. He still had a card or two left to play. The creature's physical structure was too malleable for him to influence directly. He couldn't change him to some other substance as he once had a drug lord's men, but he could still use tools available to him.

Bob suddenly let go of one of the alien's arms and planted his hand against the creature's chest. "You... want... to strip... me... of... my armor? Well here then... let... me... save... you... the TROUBLE!"

The Kerachaw's silver, nanite armor began rippling, but instead of flowing back into his body, it flowed up his arm and began spreading across the alien's form.

WHAT! NO! NO! NOT LIKE THIS! I'M NOT READY... NOT REA..."

The armor quickly encapsulated the alien. In his final moments of panic, he released Bob and tried desperately to brush the nanites free of his body The last thing that could be seen was the horror in 'Teddy's eyes just before the silver coating filled them in. Bob pulled his hand away and slumped forward, exhausted. . Undirected by the Kerachaw's psyche, the nanites instantly hardened into a solid shell.

Bob slowly stood and backed away. Blood oozed slowly from his muzzle, mouth ears and eyes, but other than a few dark bruises that shown through his fur, a torn costume and one hellacious headache, the Outlander appeared relatively intact. It took him several minutes to recover enough to hear both Jillian and 'Cat' calling to him. He turned, unhurriedly, and ordered the ship to secure its defense system. Within seconds he found himself being fiercely hugged by Jillian while 'Cat' stood off to one side quietly admiring the Kerachaw and giving him a thumbs-up.

* * * *

"This has been a rather exceptional day," muttered Bob as he sat quietly next to Jillian, his arm reaching around her shoulder and holding her. "I think I understand why your people hate Mondays so much. "

"I wouldn't think of this as your typical, boring Monday," commented Jillian. "The phrase is used more or less by people who are stuck in nowhere jobs that are incredibly mundane."

"So what should I say? Thank heavens it's Monday?"

"If it makes you happy," Jillian chuckled. She glanced back over her shoulder towards the bedroom area. A light still shown under the door of 'Cat' Sawyer's room. "It looks like our reporter friend is up late."

:"She's probably thinking up about a hundred or more questions she wants to ask during the interview tomorrow."

"Nervous?"

"About what... being filmed for an interview?" The Kerachaw shook his head. "Not really. After all, the recording is going to be prepared and edited right here so we can see what's said. Anything we don't like or that revealed information we want kept confidential can be removed without any fuss or bother. Besides, it's probably past time the public gets a bit of a look at who and what I am."

"Just as long as it's not too hard and long a look. The last thing we want is an expose that might inflame anti-alien sentiment." Jillian lowered her voice so as not to be overheard. "I take it you still plan to tweak their memories somewhat before they leave,"

"A necessary precaution; they won't remember anything about Teddy, the fight, nor the alien and if anyone questions them about the location of my 'headquarters,' they will think it's hidden somewhere along the Sierra-Nevada mountains near YosemitePark."

"Clever. Anyone looking for us up there will run afoul of the National Park Service, the Sierra Club and half a dozen other conservation groups." Jillian chuckled. "Sort of reminds me of the end of the first Indiana Jones movie."

"You know, you've been threatening to show me that thing for months now. Why don't you?"

"Oh I will, once I'm convinced you won't start sporting a leather jacket and a fedora after you see it."

"What make you think I'd do that?"

"Remember what happened after you saw Hound of the Baskervilles?"

The Kerachaw shrugged. "I still think I look good in a deerstalker and tweed overcoat. Besides, what are you complaining about? You pretty much redesign your wardrobe every time a new Julia Roberts or Sandra Bullock movie comes out."

"Touché. And NO, we are not going to watch the Three Musketeers again," Jillian said, cutting him off with a wink and a smile. She paused for a moment and then her eyes became more serious. "Bob... Why did that alien take on the form of one of the Destroyers? If what he told us is true, he was marooned on Earth long before they attacked and destroyed the World Ship."

The Kerachaw pursed his lips briefly. "I'm not sure. It's possible that he saw something in my mind while we battled that he thought he could use against me. He also said several things during our battle that hint at something else."

"Yes, I remember him saying his people had avoided contact with yours. It could mean that as far back as World War I they knew about the world ship."

"In all of my studies I can't recall ever having encountered his species before. Apparently, they were pretty good at hiding themselves from us."

"He also mentioned something about humans becoming their slave race. Perhaps that's the connection. Maybe the Destroyers are janissaries, slave warriors for the alien's race."

"It would explain a number of things regarding how my people were so thoroughly overwhelmed. Unfortunately, the ravings of one insane meta-morph don't really help us understand the bigger picture. We need to figure out if his people plan to return to Earth and what to do about it."

"You think he was insane?"

:"I touched his mind... I know he was; what's the expression, mad as a hatter. He had so many subordinated personalities running around in his head he was becoming slightly schizophrenic."

"How do you mean?"

"Well, for example, until recently he'd been hiding within the Directory as one of its agents. Apparently he still felt some twisted allegiance to them because without understanding exactly why he was doing it, he'd arranged for the tracker signal we suppressed."

"Is that how he found out about 'Cat' coming out here looking for you?"

"Possibly."

"That really is crazy; sending a signal out to a defunct secret agency. I wouldn't be surprised if part of his twisted reasoning was the result of being isolated from his people and trapped alone on an alien world." Jillian looked up at Bob. "I hope that's not how you feel. I mean, I know sometimes you feel deeply about having lost your people..."

The Outlander gently placed a kiss on Jillian's forehead, brushing aside her red hair and holding her close. "No... I don't feel isolated or alone; not the way 'Teddy' did. I never will. Not as long as I have you with me.

Smiling, Jillian reached up and touched the softly glowing bright spot on the Kerachaw's forehead, drawing herself into his mind and their shared reality in their private "Outlands." The two figures sank together into the long, soft grass of their private paradise. "No, not alone," they both thought to each other. "...Never alone with you."

TO BE CONTINUED?