[Disclaimers in Part One]

Games of the Mind (Part 11)
by Christina Shuy
cshuy@netcom.com

     "So what you're telling me is that you wanted to influence me to help
with the environmental problems that this planet is facing?"  Christina's 
voice was filled with doubts.

     "That's one thing, yes."  K'Nara answered with an inclination of her 
head.

     "But what about this mess with Samantha Mulder?  How does that
involve me?" 

     "We got information during your stay with us on her whereabouts.  You
were the first one available to pass on the information, and we asked you
several times if you were sure after we asked you to help us." 

     "And I agreed?!  Who the *HELL* agreed to this?!" Christina's voice
jumped in volume.  There was precedent in her anger.  Several years ago, 
she had been forced to take medication, and the medication level had been 
altered without her memory of it.  Prior to that, there was a certain 
conversation with a former friend after which he claimed they'd discussed 
things that she had no memory of.

     <<<Who agreed for all of us?!  This was supposed to be a joint
agreement!  One I don't remember making!>>> Marie declared. 

     "Yes, actually... you all agreed." K'Nara said.  However, she spoke 
a little too quickly, and everyone noticed.  She seemed to be trying to 
push an agenda all her own.

     "Forgive me for saying this, lady, but I don't believe a damned word
you're saying." Lisa's voice, angrier than anyone had ever heard it,
emerged. 

     "I figured you might not." K'Nara answered.

     <<<That's because you just don't remember it. >>> Valerie insisted.

     <<<And what makes you so sure you did?  What if they just implanted
the memory of our having agreed to this to manipulate us into helping
them?  I keep telling you they work for that bastard chain smoker... but
no one believes me. >>> Julia griped.  Still highly paranoid, this time 
there was the sense that others within were of like minds.

     <<<That's because we all know of your paranoia, Julia...>>> Valerie
answered, though there now seemed to be no one who believed that Julia was
all paranoia and little proof.  Recent events had been a little too close
for comfort in that regard.  Even Valerie and Caitlin had doubts now which
were louder than before. 

     "Apparently none of us do.  And the one of us that does knows that it
might have just been an implanted memory... After all, things like that
aren't difficult to do." Andrel's stilted accent, hinting at Romulan,
appeared.  It was the first time anyone had heard it.  There was a hint of
calm, but also a lot of paranoia and suspicion. 

     "I don't know what else to say to convince you." K'Nara answered.

     "Then do me a favour and say nothing.  I don't believe you or anyone
else who says that this was all agreed to.  If we had all agreed to it, we
would not have found the need to blank out the memory of our having
agreed." The inflections went from nasty and suspicious to neutral and
somewhat emotionless.  "Logic dicates that had you nothing to hide, the 
memory of our granting of permission would still remain free and clear in 
our minds.

     "Logical argument." Chris murmured, taking hold of her hand again.  
It was then that she felt something shift within him.

     She started to open her mouth and say something, but he covered her 
mouth with two fingers, and at the same time he pulled her close to him 
again.  It seemed to her that he liked having her that close.

     "No one else need know..." he murmured into her ear, breathing on her
ear and sending shivers through her.  "No one... please, love." 

     She nodded.  It was a secret best kept between them only.  Besides,
she'd only found out recently when they'd been alone in her room together
what other similarities drew them together, and it had caused the trust
level between them to grow even more than it had previously.  Things were
getting better between them, even though they'd been fighting and raging
through the entire incident. 

     "You agreed to help us.  Honestly, I do not understand why you would
not remember having agreed to help." K'Nara said. 

     <<<Do we have to do this again?  I already said: I don't *remember*
agreeing!>>> Lisa said.  <<<This is exactly what Scott did... claiming
that we'd discussed... *something* after that thing he made us do.>>>
There was a sense that Lisa grimaced at the memory she held most strongly
to. 

     <<<I won't argue there, Lisa. >>> Valerie answered. <<<Especially
considering what Scott did. >>> There was some anger in Valerie's voice,
but that was to be expected considering the circumstances.  What had
happened between them and Scott had not been pleasant. 

     "What do you suppose we should do about that, then?  If you don't
remember agreeing, we might as well ask again.  Are you willing to help us
find Samantha Mulder as well as stop those non-terrestrials on your planet
from doing your race any more harm?" T'Kenn asked. 

     <<<I don't know about this.  I don't like the feeling we're all
getting from this at all. >>> Caitlin mused. 

     <<<That feels like trouble knocking... and trying to break the door 
down.>>> Christina's jaw tightened.  <<<And that is not something I want 
to see.>>>

     <<<That applies to all of us, I think.>>> Valerie sighed.

     "As it still stands now, the decision is still Christina's." Chris
pointed out, giving her hand a squeeze at the same time, and she flashed a
smile at him. 

     "Give me some time to think about it, will you?  I have to think
about this.  Anything this big requires a lot of thought.  Rather like
marriage.  It's not to be entered into lightly.  After all, I'd be letting
you use me to pass along information...  and I would have no way of
knowing if I were passing along erroneous information... and I might well
be putting myself in danger." 

     Chris glanced at her and gave her a strange look.  She turned and
smiled at him.  'Marriage?' he mouthed at her, and she nodded. 

     <Been thinking about it a long time, love.> she sent, hoping he heard
her.  <Since you first asked me a few years ago.  Remember?  I agreed... 
Before all the unpleasantness with->

     <I get the picture!  I do remeber asking...and what happened later
too.> he growled back, suddenly. <Let's not talk about it.  I don't want
to.>

     Abruptly, he swept her into his arms and held her close, trembling
slightly.  "I love you, damnit.  And I'm really sorry about what happened. 
We would have been married by now, you know..." he whispered into her ear,
and she nodded, also hearing subtle shifts in his voice. 

     "I know.  I wish we were... Always have." she murmured back,
returning his embrace equally. "You have always been my husband... even
through the worst of it, even when you had said you didn't want to be in
that type of relationship with me anymore.  For better or worse.  From
wedding vows... ones I have taken for you.  I mean those vows, Chris...
and I guess I've always been your wife, or, at least, always wanted to be." 
She felt him nod, and hold her to him tighter. 

     "Me too, love... me too..." She felt a kiss on her head.

     "Very well, then." T'Kenn continued.  "I suppose we should be able to
give you some time to consider it.  In the meantime, we brought all of you
here for more than one reason.  Would you like to see the progress of our
efforts to stop your planet from warming too quickly?  That particular 
project our people started about the time the noninterference directive 
began to fall apart." 

     "And you're sure that's all you're doing?" Mulder asked.

     "That is the primary project, yes.  Would you like to see our 
progress thus far?"

     "Of course.  Lead on." Mulder nodded, though his expression was 
mostly unreadable.

     They returned to the original control room where the information was
quickly called up on the various computer screens. 

     Christina studied the datascreens in front of her and furrowed her
brow in thought

     "We have attempted to balance the system." K'Nara explained.

     "But according to this, you're doing the same sort of thing with your
fuel that we do on earth.  Burn carbon.  And you're also removing carbon
from the closed system that is the earth's environment, even if you are
systematically reintroducing oxygen at the same time."

     "It is the only way to stop the buildup towards global warming your 
people have already begun."

     "What you're doing is dangerous-"

     "Not ncecessarily.  It may seem so, but part of the oxygen
replenishment is also going towards the patching of the ozone layer
thinning." K'Nara sounded defensive. 

     "That's all well and good, save for one thing.  I don't believe you." 
Christina said.  At the same time, she felt Chris place a supportive hand
on her shoulder and give a tight squeeze. 

     <<<Are we going to go through this again?>>> Christina half sighed.

     <<<Don't we always?>>> Caitlin's reply was accompanied by a shrug.

     <<<It's better to be suspicious and wary rather than suffer the
consequences of a lack of vigilence.>>> came Andrel's tightlipped answer. 

     <And how is that *not* like paranoia?> There was a gentle, yet
impish, tone to Chris' mind-voice, as well as a smile and a glimmer in his
eyes. 

     "Since when do you eavesdrop on our internal conversations?" she
murmured. 

     "Since I can apparently hear them, love.  Either that or they're no
longer solely in your mind." Chris flashed her a quick grin. 

     "Christopher, you're being ridiculous." she grinned at him.

     "And you love me for it."

     "I'll grant you that... and a little more."

     "Oh, good!" he said, leaning in to kiss her gently.  <I was afraid
you'd hate me for it.>

     <Never.> she answered by thought, returning his kiss with equal
tenderness. 

     In the mean time, Mulder and Scully continued to study what they'd
been shown. 

     "Anything interesting?" Mulder was heard asking, though the question
was directed at his partner. 

     "Aside from the fact that the levels of carbon are still holding
steady even with its removal from the earth's environment... yes,
actually." Scully answered. 

     She'd been studying the database of reports of alien abductees, part
of her still not quite believing it all, as well as any reports of bee
attacks which were proving fatal.  There was also information listed on
all of the alien abductions which involved people reported to be strongly
dissociative.  Mulder looked at the information over her shoulder and was
shocked at what he saw. 

     "You're not the only ones interested in people who are highly
dissociative." Mulder said, his voice only barely controlled.  "It seems
so are the members of that Consortium who seem to like to get in my way
all the time." 

     "And how would you determine that?" T'Kenn asked.

     "I myself am highly dissociative.  I determined that and had it
confirmed while I was studying for my psychology degree and there is a
notation in your records that I was taken too... about the time Samantha
was, only I was returned!" Mulder suddenly sounded decidedly petulant. 
"Were you the ones responsible for taking her and/or me?"

     "We could not help you or your sister, Agent Mulder." T'Kenn's voice
was apologietic, and he spoke aloud instead of directly telepathically.
"And we were not the ones to have taken you.  That was the work of another
group." There was regret in his features as well as in his body 
language.  "At the time, we were unable to stop them."

     "And why not?" Mulder's voice was calm.  Too calm.  Scully, as well
as everyone else, could feel the anger radiating off him. 

     "We were under a code of non-interference at the time.  Observe only. 
Do not interfere.  That changed starting in your earth year 1990 when
incontrovertible proof was obtained of the fact that the code was not
working.  Others from outside this planetary system were already
interfereing with the development of your people." 

     "I'm not sure I believe that." Christina said.

     "Nor I." Chris agreed.

     The two of them still had their hands clasped together, and neither
appeared to believe what had just been said.  In fact, Christina looked
exasperated. 

     "Don't be overly paranoid-" K'Nara started.

     "K'Nara, go to Hell... and take your faction of this fight with you. 
Actually, let me rephrase that...whatever little war you and the others
are involved in and waging, get OFF our planet.  This is *our* home, not
yours." 

     "They do have a point, K'Nara."

     "T'Kenn, in case you have forgotten, we are here to do a job as well
as to observe." 

     "I am well aware of the job we were sent to do, K'Nara.  As well as
your own motives in this case.  I told the Council you were too personally
involved, but they sent you anyway.  And I know why." 

     <<<Would this be a bad time for a temper tantrum?>>> A younger voice
spoke up. 

     <<<Isn't it always?>>> Caitlin's voice was dry and ironic.

     "Look, I don't know about any of the rest of you, but I think I want
to go home." Mulder spoke up, suddenly.  It interrupted T'Kenn and
K'Nara's telepathic debate, which they had taken to the privacy of their
minds. 

     "Which brings us back to the reason why we brought all of you here."
T'Kenn said.  "Agent Mulder, I believe we have found your sister." 

     "Well, it's about time we hear something of the truth from you." 
Christina said.

     Then they all waited for someone to start.

End Part 11