Chapter 12

Jill picked up Orion's bowl from the floor, petting the big head that butted against her. "Good boy, Orion. You rescued the Chief." His tail thumped against the floor and he started to sniff around the room.

All of a sudden, he started to whimper and follow trail from the door to the centre of the main dining room and back again. His tail started to wag wildly and he began to circle, wuffing softly.

"What's wrong with Orion?" asked Julie. "What's happened here this afternoon? It's almost as if he recognizes something."

Jill sat down next to Anderson. "They were here." she whispered. "They had the absolute gall to come here!"

"What?"

"I kicked them out." Jill stood and paced around the small room. "They tried to pretend that they had no idea who I am…" her voice faltered. "That bitch even tried tears."

Don shook his head. "And they called me a traitor! At least I only worked for Zoltar. I didn't sleep with him as well."

"Whom are you talking about?" Anderson's voice cut through the babble.

Jill sat next to him again and he put his arm around her. "They're not dead, William. Mark, Jason and Princess. They didn't die. It would have been better if they had. They're now called the Beloved. They're Zoltar's personal bodyguard… and lovers."

88888

Keyop was sitting on a bench. He still felt sick to his stomach after his encounter with Mark and Princess. He could see that they had no idea, most of the time, who they were. And even when they had some inkling, it wasn't connecting.

He had seen Zoltar return with Jason, and had nearly vomited when he had seen Zoltar's casual caress of him, and Jason's response. The Jason he knew would have had Zoltar's balls. He smirked a little. Blade did, but in a way that Jason would never have imagined. Or tolerated.

Keyop was more certain than ever that Mark, Jason, and Princess were deep within the Beloved and were now trying to get out. Obviously they had been badly injured. He would ask Anderson. He remembered his own recovery: the months of disorientation as his implant had tried to heal his body and his mind.

Tiny had saved his life. And he had seen how the three senior team members had deliberately put themselves in harm's way to save members of the Rangers. As he had been spirited away by the Rangers, Keyop had seen his teammates' lifeless bodies lying twisted amongst the debris. The Rangers had taken him and intended to return with proper equipment to move the debris and recover the rest of G-Force.

By the time they did send a crew back, the bodies had gone.

Along with the base.

They had all assumed that the destruction of the base had consumed the bodies of four G-Force members.

And then… Zoltar had won. Anderson had been arrested, taken from his bed late one night.

About a year later, Zoltar had paraded his Beloved before the Empire for the first time. Since then, Keyop had refused to believe that they were traitors. They may have had the same bodies, but their minds were not those of his former teammates.

Until now.

"Keyop?" The voice was surprised, and it was a familiar, yet unfamiliar, voice. Keyop looked up at the woman in front of him. She was gaunt, and her eyes were haunted. Yet he knew her.

"Tyna? What are you doing here?"

She looked back at the hotel and Keyop felt his heart sink.

"I saw them arrive, Keyop. I had to come. To be sure if it was him. I couldn't believe that after everything, he would willingly defect." Tears rolled down her face. "He looked right through me, Keyop. He didn't even see me, let alone recognize me. I thought… I thought I meant more to him than that."

She sank down on the bench next to him crying piteously. "I'm sorry, Tyna." he said. "I tried to see them too. At least they didn't kill me."

"You got in?"

"It was hard, but yeah. I got in. How did you get in?"

"I still have some connections." she explained. "All hell is breaking loose up there apparently. Zoltar's in one of his rages."

"I know you're not working for Spectra again." Keyop said firmly.

"No. Not since that time they had my parents. I've got a death warrant on me from Spectra. It's why I never left Earth. At least here, they ignore Spectran warrants." She looked at the box in his hands. "Why did you try to see them?"

"I wanted to give something to Mark and Princess. I needed to work out if they were still there, or if there was only Shadow and Nox."

"And?"

"I think that they've got amnesia. Mark and Princess are there, but they can't get out. They're trying… only Shadow and Nox are still in control. Does that make sense?"

"Actually, it does. Remember, I studied forensic psychology at university. Lots of amnesia patients, especially long term ones, create a new person to let them live their lives. When their memories start to return, they often do so in flashes, and then the two personalities try to come to terms with both lives. There are cases of people living lives for ten years or longer before their memories return, only to discover families, spouses and the like in their old lives. They say it's like they are two different people… and that there were times when they couldn't differentiate between who they were."

Keyop nodded. "That's exactly what they were like! Their eyes seemed to change. They became less empty when Mark or Princess spoke."

"Now if only we could do something about it."

"We can. Even if you disappeared for awhile, I'm still part of the rebels."

"Surprise, surprise." she murmured and he laughed. He had forgotten her dry sense of humor.

"Tonight, we rescued Chief Anderson."

"He's alive? The telecasts always said he was dead."

"That's what Zoltar wanted everybody to think. I couldn't understand it at first, but then I realized: if Mark, Jason, and Princess are still alive, then Zoltar would need Anderson. Only Anderson fully understands how our implants work."

"And he needed that specialist knowledge on tap in case something ever went wrong."

"Depends on your point of view." Keyop grinned evilly. "This visit now has a meaning. Something has gone wrong… from Zoltar's point of view. From ours… something has gone extremely right! You've got to come with me Tyna. Between you and Anderson, I think that we may be able to help them."

The woman cast another yearning look at the hotel, raising her eyes to the lights of the penthouse at the top of the building. "Yes. We have to. I'd do anything to have Jason back safe and sound."

88888

Tyna 's reception wasn't as warm as Keyop would have liked, but Anderson and Jill were genuinely glad to see her. Julie had known her only as Jason's steady girlfriend.

When they arrived, the former Galaxy Security Chief was watching some of the telecasts from the past five years, and Keyop could see his shoulders heaving as he sobbed at the plight of his Team. Jill's arms supported him, heedless of the tears also running down her face. In spite of his sobs, however, nothing was getting past him, and he showed genuine pride in his children's fighting abilities. Keyop had to admit to himself that he was also impressed at that.

Finally, he saw their recent arrival on Earth, and when Keyop showed the close up, Anderson could also see the slight difference in their body language.

Keyop relayed what had happened in the hotel room, and Tyna explained her theory.

"Tyna is correct," Anderson agreed. "It's obvious that they were incredibly badly injured, and we should be thankful for whatever impulse made Zoltar want to save their lives. What appears to have happened is that there was some blow to their heads, and that damaged part of their brains."

"During these five years," Anderson continued, "their implants will have been trying to fully heal them, but brain injuries take time. During that time, as Tyna said, they had to adapt to everything around them: an entirely new environment. As far as they knew, they were Shadow, Blade and Nox. They may have been dimly aware that they had other lives before that, but that's it."

"Until now." Keyop interrupted. Anderson nodded.

"Something has happened that made them start to remember. It may have been nothing… perhaps just that their implants had healed their brains to a certain point that allowed memories to be recovered. I think it may progress rapidly. They will most of the time be Shadow, Blade and Nox, but in times of stress they may revert subconsciously to their base existence: Mark, Jason and Princess. They probably aren't even aware of doing it, and may not even remember such events, at first."

"I don't think they are." Keyop said, recalling his experience with Shadow and Nox in the hotel suite.

"That's likely why Princess was so upset, Jill." Anderson explained. "Nox didn't know you, but Princess did, and it was Princess who was hurt. And it was the same when she tried to get Shadow not to kill you, Keyop. Princess and Mark were involved then. Mark appeared to protect Princess." Anderson paused and laughed heartily. "One thing I don't envy Zoltar was Jason. And yet, Blade is everything I would have hoped Jason would become. If Zoltar managed to make Jason obey orders, then he did better than I ever could!"

"It's hard to think of them as traitors." Amanda laughed bitterly. "Especially when they still look the same. Mark is still as gorgeous as ever."

Don's face darkened and Keyop moved in hastily to cover the discord. Damn Amanda and her obsession with Mark. Perhaps, thought Keyop with an evil thought, he should give her to Nox…

"It's the blue eyes Amanda." Keyop said smoothly, not allowing his annoyance to show. "We always said that Mark's cover was assured because nobody would believe he was the Eagle. He looks too sweet and innocent."

"Sweet and innocent my left foot." Anderson snorted. "That trio gave me so much trouble when they were growing up. Don't let Mark, or for that matter, Princess, and their innocent looks fool you. Jason may have done foolish things, but Mark and Princess were the masterminds behind them."

"And," put in Jill, "Keyop will tell you that Mark's just as big a hellraiser as Jason. He just gets away with it better."

"He took me to a strip club," said Keyop sadly. "Princess nearly brained him with her yo-yo. Until he opened his eyes wide and she just fell in."

"He did what?"

"Just before…" Keyop looked down. "It was the last happy memory I had of him."

"But that doesn't solve the problem of helping them to remember." Julie hugged him close. "And getting them out of Zoltar's clutches."

"We have a bigger problem there." said Anderson. "They have a very strong sense of duty. Especially Mark. Even when they do remember, Spectra is the legitimate government… however much we deplore it. It's possible that he may put his duty to the legitimate government before us."

"That's your fault, William." Jill punched his arm. "You and that stupid father of his. Poor Mark. His sense of duty meant that he and Princess were pining for each other most of the time. It's the one thing that I'm glad about in this whole debacle. From the earliest telecasts, Mark and Princess were obviously lovers. It shows in the way they react to each other."

"But," said Amanda, "if the rumours are correct, they're all lovers. There's some sort of dirty group thing going on there."

"None of you really understand Spectran society." Tyna shook her head.

"And you do?" Amanda was scornful.

"Yes. I lived on Spectra when I was being trained. You only see the military side. But Spectra is a remarkably complex society. Any anthropologist would be fascinated by it."

Anderson looked interested.

"I always thought we didn't know enough about Spectra. What part would it play in this situation?"

"Mostly? Sex. Spectrans don't think of sex like we do. It's a much more integral part of day-to-day life for them. They call it 'Pleasures' and it's almost spiritual to them. They have some pretty strict taboos regarding family and children, but otherwise, it's almost considered a religious obligation to enjoy sex with others, regardless of gender. As long as all the parties consent, there are really no limits. Part of their old religion, before the Great Spirit, took it further. When two Spectrans wanted to make a commitment to each other, they performed a bonding. This was a form that bound their minds and bodies. Sex is an integral part of….." She trailed off and suddenly grinned, her eyes brightening with sudden discovery.

"That's why Zoltar took them as lovers! Well, apart from the physical bit. He's bound them. But… it's illegal on Spectra now." She narrowed her eyes. "And yet, if anybody would know how to perform it, he would. On Spectra the supreme ruler is also their High Priest."

"There's one other thing that you don't realize about Zoltar." Tyna continued to her fascinated audience. "He's always been obsessed with Princess. One of the first rants I ever heard from him was about how she was destined for him. It used to drive Mala insane; she kept throwing high-born Spectran girls at him. They would indulge in Pleasures, then Zoltar would send them back to their families. Sexual happiness is a strong plus in any relationship, and the rumours are that Zoltar is a very skilled lover. However, there's something more in this. The telecasts show it, and I witnessed it this evening."

"Zoltar loves them." Anderson broke in. "It shows in everything he does with them. And they love him. That's going to be a problem. How do you make them stop loving him?"

"Tyna said all hell is breaking loose there tonight. Probably because you escaped." Keyop offered.

"And if Mark and Princess went AWOL this afternoon, Zoltar's not going to take it well," said Jill.

"He may just push them away by being too possessive… especially if their memories are returning." Anderson looked at Keyop. "I need to do some work, Keyop. I think that if they can transmute, the implant will help reset their memories."

"But they don't have their uniforms."

"Before all this happened, I was working on a new trigger. One that transmitted directly through the bracelets to your implants."

"Princess finally wore you down about wardrobe and lack of choice?"

"She had Mark's help." Anderson grinned like a boy. "I was getting triplicate memos about it. Every day. And requisitions."

"And people still thought they are such a nice young couple!" Jill shook her head, giggling softly. "So innocent and helpful. Nobody except us knew the truth about the evil they could get up to."

"I did." Keyop said proudly.

"They used you as a distraction. As I was saying… I had started to develop something like a dog tag that you would all wear. I had prototypes ready for testing in my lab."

"The lab was destroyed. The building is still there though."

"Zoltar was probably trying to find out about the cerebonic technology. He interrogated me pretty intensely about it when I was first taken. Now I know why. But those tags will still be there. They were in a safe that I put in under the floor of the desk. More like a bunker than a safe… I had to make sure that technology was secure."

Keyop jumped up. "So what are we waiting for?"