Sheridan protested. "I'm sure there's another way."
      Forrester faced the Captain and shook his head. "I don't think there is. She definitely wanted me to know of her plans to come here. She wasn't exactly subtle. She's going to want to bargain for Jessie eventually."
      Zack looked hopeful. "You think she'll give her back?"
      "No, they'll use her like they used Celeste to manipulate me. Probably say if I come back and behave, I'll be allowed to stay in contact with my daughter and a bunch of other bald faced lies to that effect. I know what'll happen. I'm a P-11 Cop that went AWOL. If I do go back, I will not be welcomed with open arms.
      I'll be "adjusted." Perhaps a personality workover. As for Jessie, they'll probably do the same to her. We wouldn't even remember each other's existence."
      Lyta nodded assent. "He's right. That's typical procedure. Blips who won't rejoin the fold are recycled and made into productive members of the happy little Corp family."
      "And you want to hand yourself over to her?"
      "Want to, no. But I'm willing to exchange myself for Jessie. You back me up and make it clear to her that there is no way she will leave the station with my daughter. I'll come to her willingly if she gives her up. You would give Jessie asylum, and Liza gets to take me back. "
      "If we lure her out of hiding, I'm sure we could manage to keep you both safe."
      "How? If we lie to her about my giving myself up, she'll know. It won't work."
      Lyta looked uncomfortable, like she wished she wasn't about to say what she was going to say.
      "I have a suggestion." The three men looked to her. "I can deliver the message to her. She won't be able read me."
      Forrester appeared intrigued. "So, it's true then. The Vorlons did change you."
      "I prefer the term 'enhanced'. You've heard of me then?"
      "Ms. Alexander, you are THE talk around the proverbial water cooler back at headquarters. Your file is extremely popular among the powers that be."
      "I'm sure. How flattering for me. I must hold a seminar back home sometime."
      Edward smiled for the first time. "I'm sure they would appreciate it."
      Zack got them serious again. "How will you talk to her?"
      "I can send to her. Trust me, she'll hear it,"Lyta said ruefully.
      "So, we get Lyta to negotiate an exchange somehow. We set up a place for it, grab your daughter back, and send your wife on her merry way. Well, maybe not merry."
      "Sounds rather simple,Captain. Simple usually blows up in your face."
      "Not if we do it right," Sheridan said.

      Jessie was cold. She came to, shivering, and with a most pungent smell assaulting her olfactory senses.
      She coughed and tried to sit up. She attempted to put her arms out for balance and became aware that they were tied behind her. The light was very dim. She could see no more than a foot or so in front of her.
      She had no idea where she was but she knew this was definitely not Med-Lab anymore.
      "Hello?"her voice quivered. "Hellooo.....What's going on? Can somebody help me?"
      Her voiced echoed slightly, as if in a cavern. Water dripped down from overhead, perhaps condensation from unseen pipes. She heard a shuffling and a soft thud as if someone had sat down near her. Then a gentle female voice penetrated the darkness.
      "No, my dear. I think not. You're a long ways away from help. At least the kind you mean. But very soon, you will get the help you require. I'll see to that."
      The gentle tone was not soothing considering the words Jessie heard. "What's going on? Where am I? Who are you?" Fear gripped her.
      "Questions, questions, so many questions! You are your father's child I see, not just in looks." Then a small laugh. "If I'd known you looked so much like him, I could have saved myself a trip here. Ah well, no matter.
      I haven't had a vacation in such a long time.The scenery has been mostly pleasant. Til now, I'm sure you'd agree. These are not exactly deluxe accomodations now are they?"
      Jessie made no reply, she was too frightened.
      "Now don't go quiet on me. I didn't say I wouldn't answer your questions. Presently, you are in what's known as "Down Below." Not the most lush spot in the station but suited to our needs just now. As soon as I get the other thing I came for, we'll be on our way home. Wouldn't you like that dear?"
      "Proxima 3?" She was confused.
      "No, dear, I said home. Your new home, waiting for you on Earth. You'll love it. The gardens around the compound are quite lovely this time of year. Better than that nasty old colony you've been hiding on . Very naughty of you by the way but we'll try not to hold that against you. It was your parents mistake really, not yours. I'd say your mother has been duly punished though. That just leaves your father."
      "My father? Why are you talking about my parents? What compound? I don't want to go to Earth!"
      She let loose a flood of tears. "Who are you?!"
      "Hush now,dear, no use making yourself sick. Well, you may have looks but you're certainly not very bright.
      All those boogey stories your parents probably fed you about us and you still haven't figured out who I am yet?"
      Jessie felt a horror she'd only felt snatches of previously. "The Corp," she whispered.
      "Ahhh, I see that jogged your memory. Yes, my dear, the Corp. Well, not me personally. I am just a humble member of a very loving family which has come to take you home. And your father. Seems he took a leave of abscence and forgot to inform us. An oversight, I'm sure. Which will soon be corrected."
      The bodiless voice changed to faked concern. "Oh, you must be terribly cold laying there on the floor. Let me help you up."
      Jessie flinched at the rough grip that yanked her up to a sitting position. "That better? Good," it replied without waiting for an answer. The hand reached out again and none too gently pressed a hand to her hair. "I had hoped for a daughter once." The voice sounded wistful." You're just like I imagined she'd be. Oh, probably not as becoming as you. She would've had me for a mother , not yours," she ended, almost in a snarl. "I never quite measured up to your mother in the looks department. Your father never let me forget that."
      Through her hazy thoughts, Jessie grasped the woman's meaning. She was shocked. She'd never thought to meet this woman.
      "You're my father's wife!"
      "Right again, dear. I'm honored your father even mentioned me to you." She got up and moved closer to Jessie."Did you also know you had a brother once? A beautiful baby brother. Died in his sleep from unknown causes, or so I was told." Her voice took on a steely edge. "I never believed them. I think you're father had something to do with it. Especially since I never conceived again.He refused to sleep with me after I conceived Jason. He said he gave the Corp a child and that was all he agreed to do. Artificial means were tried but they failed. He did something. Poisoned the child most likely. And me. Tried to do away with his unwanted family!" The voice grew hoarse with poorly suppressed anger.
      "My father would never......"
      "QUIET!!!" The hand that had caressed her hair struck out with the full force of a twisted and misguided rage. It hit Jessie in the face so hard it flung her head back and slammed it into the unyielding metal wall behind her. Pain exploded behind her eyes and the warm salty taste of blood filled her mouth.
      "Quiet!", the woman's voice hissed. " Don't you talk back to me! What do you know of your Father?"
      Jessie groaned in response and spat blood out the side of her mouth.
      "Oh, dear. Look what you made me do. Why do you want to make me hurt you? Can't you see I want to help you ?" An arm reached out. Jessie tried to wriggle away but she was pulled gruffly forward. "Stop that now," she was admonished. "You behave yourself and we won't have any more unpleasantness." A cloth was pressed to Jessie's mouth. "Keep that there til the bleeding stops. Oh, you can't, can you? Well, the blood will keep it there." She snickered.
      There was muffled rustling, then a gleeful noise from the woman. "Aha! I knew that lantern was here somewhere. Let's get a little light on the subject shall we? Then we can finish our little woman to woman chat."
      A spark as a light was struck, then a circle of luminescence a radius of maybe ten feet took shape as the light filled the dark void. Jessie winced and then adjusted to the light. A woman's form took shape directly across from her. Then the face came into view. "You!" Jessie showed surprise.
      "Yes, tis me. Your friendly B5 Welcoming Commitee Rep, Liza Sherry at your service." A slow smile developed. "If you'd payed attention you would have known there is no such thing. But your naivete' was just what I was counting on. You know if you had stayed in your room, this would have been much easier for both of us."
      "Why did you do that?" Jessie asked her.
      "The Rep thing? Well, you see, I didn't know what you looked like.So I got your name from the directory and played my little part to get a look at you. I planned to visit you with a complimentary gift basket later but you messed that up didn't you? When I saw you were gone, I decided to check your room. See if anything there would lead me to your father. While I was inside some nosy little man alerted security. I should have been more careful but I was in a hurry. Silly of me. I snuck out before they got there. You know I found your vids. You should have gotten rid of those." Liza dug in her satchel and came up with a few vid casings. "I didn't really need these but I was curious. I viewed them before I came to get you. Very touching." She dropped her phony smile, brought her fists together and smashed the vids with her bare hands, then dusted them off like it was nothing. Jessie recoiled. "You won't be needing them. You'll be seeing him soon, I wager. If he's not here, he'll find us when we reach Mars."
      Mars? I thought you said Earth."
      "All in good time dear. I wouldn't think you'd be so imaptient to get there. No, first we have to get daddy, I told you that."
      "So, why are we here?"
      "A spark of intelligence after all, hmmmm? Well, my love, you can thank yourself for this. If you'd been a good girl and done what daddy told you to, we'd have been long gone on a freighter I chartered. But no, you were out galivanting around the station with the Security Chief of all people. Nice choice. You do have style, I'll give you that. Pretty gutsy for someone on the run. Or just plain stupid." Liza leaned back against the wall and stretched her legs out. "Anyway, because of your little liason, we now have the entire station looking for us. So we'll just have to wait around until this dies down some, and then we'll be going. Get comfortable, we may be here awhile." She snatched the blood soaked cloth from Jessie's face. "You look a little peaked dear. Maybe you should rest some more." She withdrew a syringe from her tunic.
      Jessie didn't like the looks of that. "What's that?"she asked shakily.
      "Just a dose of Sleepers. A telepathic suppression. You know what they are, you had some in your room. I can't have you trying something on me, or having another mind burst.You understand. Another one of those and you 'll be permanently scrambled. We wouldn't want that."
      "No, please.........don't, I won't do anything."
      "Sorry, but StepMommy knows best. Hold still." She expertly administered the dose.
      Jessie wondered vaguely why the woman hadn't scanned her for information on her father's whereabouts.
      "I did," said Liza. Jessie was startled. "I've been scanning you continuously.You're too wiped from your mind burst to have noticed. You don't know anything. Wise of your father. But we'll find him." She patted Jessie's knee. "It takes effect in 3 to 4 hours. Might be faster in your case. Until then you just behave yourself. I wouldn't like to have to discipline you again." Jessie agreed silently.
      "Better get some rest, I'm sure you'll feel better later. Then we can talk some more." She laid Jessie down on the floor and covered her with a blanket, pretending to tuck her in. "There's my girl," she cooed softly, then doused the light. She chuckled softly to herself and moved off a few feet.
      Jessie never felt so alone and frightened. She wished her father, Zack, anyone at all, would come and get her away from this woman. The tears rolled silently off her face as she tried to shut it all out and think of her mother's face to comfort herself.

       
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