"Here. Before transportation."
"Why do that? I mean, if he was only being sent to IPX Headquarters, that's.... a couple of hours at most. If the cryo was just for the journey, wouldn't it be easier just to fill him full of tranks, or those.... sleepers?"
"Maybe they're planning to send him quite a bit further than IPX Headquarters. And speaking of sleepers...." She pulled a box out of a drawer. "This would be over two months worth of dosage for a P five rated telepath. There's another six boxes here."
"Evidence, yes. But too many questions. What do IPX want with telepaths? I mean, they have a few medical research subsidiaries.... they took over SynTech and Edgars Industries, but...." He suddenly straightened, as did Talia. There was the sound of footsteps outside the door.
Talia ducked down behind the desk, while Smith darted to the corner. He was too slow, however. The door opened, revealing Mr. Trace and five other men behind him.
"Well," he said, smiling. "Gatecrashers. I'm sorry, sir, madam, but we operate under a very strict dress code here, and the management reserves the right to refuse admission to anyone at all. Especially people who come in through the back way and try to rummage through all my private documents.
"How's this meant to go again? You have the right to.... well, not a lawyer of any kind. And remaining silent's fine by me. Oh, here we are. You have the right to remain.... well, dead."
Susan Ivanova could feel it.... the throbbing at the back of her mind. When she closed her eyes she could see again the Vorlon slowly opening his encounter suit.... and the brilliant, shining light that had burrowed deep into her soul.
Before it had died, the Vorlon had said something to her. She had not understood the significance of the message before, and she was not sure she did now. <Remember.>
She had been hearing his voice in her sleep for some months now, although she always forgot on awakening. A few days ago however that voice had faded completely, to be replaced by another one, a much older one, filled with sadness and age and a terrible, tragic wisdom.
"Come to me," said this new voice. "Bring them both to me."
It was only now, with the light filling her mind again, with the whispers of Lyta and Marcus in her mind, that Susan Ivanova knew what she had to do.
"They will not find you," said the ancient voice. "They will be able to find the others. Be careful."
She had known where to go. She also supposed she knew what to do. Could she do this? The last time she had seen Delenn.... well, the last time had been two and a half years in the past, but the last time Delenn had seen her.... had been just after the chrysalis. She had broken her free of it, trying to kill her.
She reached the door to Delenn's cell, and hesitated. There was someone else in there. She paused, thinking for one dreadful moment that Lyta had come here already, and was waiting to trap her. Then a moment of sanity reasserted itself. She would feel Lyta's thoughts if she were here. She was not. It was.... someone else. It was....
Of course. It was Neroon.
The door was unlocked, at least from this side. She pushed it open.
It was Neroon there. Susan had not had much to do with him recently. He had not come here until long after she had left for Proxima, and since her return.... she had been distracted. He was often away, performing similar duties to those he had for G'Kar and the Rangers. This was the longest he had been here for as long as she could remember.
Neroon was kneeling next to Delenn. They were very close, almost kissing. Delenn started as she heard Susan come in, jumping back. Neroon rose slowly to his feet, and fixed his dark gaze on her.
"We've got to get out of here," Susan said quickly.
"Escape?" whispered Delenn. "How?"
"There's.... someone here. A friend, I think. He can help us."
"Who?"
Susan considered this question for a while. "I don't know," she admitted. "It doesn't matter. He.... talks to me.... in my dreams. Oh, stop that! I'm not crazy. I've been crazy.... for a very, very long time. Probably ever since my mother died. But I'm not crazy now. I've never been more sane."
Neroon slowly walked over to her and pulled the door shut. "What are you talking about?" he said harshly. "You swore to serve them, as I did."
"Yeah? They promised I'd be safe, but they didn't do a very good job of it. I've lost two people who.... meant a great deal to me.... I've had my mind turned inside and out. I've been hopping back and forward through time like a.... a.... jack-in-the-box.... and they've done nothing to stop it. I think they betrayed me first."
"I swore to follow them. I will not permit this."
Delenn spoke his name softly, and Susan could see the spark of love in his eyes as she did so. She cursed them both. What gave them the right to be happy, when she was without Marcus, without Laurel, without.... everyone? Then she silently regretted the thought.
"Neroon...." Delenn said quietly. "I know you are here because you believe in them, because you believe they are right. They are not. Whatever they claim, the Shadows exist only to kill, and to destroy, and to cause chaos. Maybe.... maybe the Vorlons are not the right path either, but they are better than this. Come to Kazomi Seven, let me show you what the Shadows have wrought. They do not believe in helping anyone.
"They believe only in death."
"No! They.... they want us all to grow, to become stronger.... to evolve."
"Neroon. You made me a promise once.... Do you remember it?"
He closed his eyes. "Delenn.... please.... do not...."
"Do you remember it?" The words were striking at him now, for all the softness with which they were spoken.
"I remember."
"What was the promise?"
"That I would stand before you, and never let a shadow touch you. I would be the light in your darkness."
"You have been," she replied, stepping up to him and gently touching his face. "In memory, when you were unable to be so in flesh. I never forgot you, and nor did those you fought beside with G'Kar. Return to them.... they need you...."
"Parlonn...."
"Is dead. He died here, killed by someone who had once been his friend. They lied to him, just as they lied to you. Do not become another Parlonn, Neroon." She cast her eyes downward. "I could not bear that."
"I swore to keep you safe, Delenn. You were always.... in my thoughts.... always." He nodded once. "Very well.... I have betrayed and abandoned my masters not once, not twice, but three times. My doom is complete, I believe. But as long as I am by your side, it cannot claim me."
"Your doom will never claim you." Delenn turned back to Susan. "Where can we go?"
"I.... don't know. I think we go down. Underground. He's down there. He can help us."
"Why are you doing this?" Delenn asked suddenly. "Why are you...?"
Helping me? Susan didn't know. She could give a million reasons, and none of them would make any sense at all. She remembered seeing Delenn torn half-formed from the chrysalis, looking at her with a child's eyes. She remembered seeing Marcus die, his heart stopped by the force of her pike. She remembered her last talk with Laurel.
She remembered a great many things. She could not, however, give any reason that was anything resembling the truth.
"I must have been dropped on my head when I was a baby," she said, with a half smile. "I don't need a reason."
"I will not forget this," Delenn said, as she hurried towards the door. Neroon pushed it open and stepped through. Delenn and Susan followed. The corridor seemed empty.
"I doubt you'll live long enough to." There was a sudden buzzing in her ears, and she started. Suddenly she realised she was holding a weapon, a PPG. She didn't remember picking it up. A darkness suddenly fell over Delenn and herself, and a glint of understanding shone in Delenn's eyes.