Ramifications - 1. Chapter 1

-o

Chapter One
of
Ramifications

-o

It was both an adventure and the biggest risk he'd ever taken.

Oh, everything had been explained clearly to him. He'd been forced to read a bunch of stuff and discuss it with loads of people just to see if he understood what he was getting himself into (because the choice to get involved or not had been entirely his). There had been social workers, lawyers and physiologists involved, to name a few. There was even a custody hearing, for crying out loud! These people hadn't done anything by halves, and the government suits he'd seen lingering around at every meeting told him that while there were some huge secrets surrounding all of it, it involved much more than some corporate old fogies interested in young boys.

In the end, everything was more than legit; it was squeaky, scrupulously clean.

His contact and representative in this whole affair had said that the leader of the project wanted everything to be both aboard board and clear cut. The government suits had been called in to bear witness to it all. Even so, the whole shindig was one big-ass secret. How it could be placed under so much scrutiny without revealing what it was all about still baffled the heck outta him (With what was going down, the press should have been on it like the vultures they were!)

Still, even he only knew the very basics of it. And he'd been told he knew more than most everyone else did (different people told him different things, explained different details, but supposedly no one knew the whole story apart from the leader of the project).

However, he didn't have a clue why they'd chosen him for it. True, he was an orphan with no family to call his own, but at the same time he was nothing remarkable. A below average student at best, he didn't excel in academics and neither did he do well in sports. Before this all happened, he'd been destined to end up with a (barely attained) high school diploma and not much else.

At fifteen years of age, Chris had had nothing to look forward to in life until a guy in a tailored suit showed up one day at the home he was staying at and told him he'd been chosen for this project; that should he be willing to become involved, they'd take care of him for life.

Ultimately, the offer was too good to turn down.

And now here he found himself, riding in a nondescript car toward his ultimate (unknown) destination and looking broodingly out the window. As far as he knew, they probably only picked him because he was disposable. If someone screwed up and he kicked the bucket, no one would really care. He was sure his death would pass unremarked and his organs donated anonymously to save a few lives (if even that).

At the same time, a part of him was glad for it all. If even half of what he'd been told was true, if even a small, itsy-bitsy bit of what he'd been promised was given, he would consider himself very lucky indeed. Not to mention he'd always been a curious kid; dangling such a big secret in front of his nose and giving him incomplete snippets of information had hooked him worse than a harpooned fish.

"Here we are," his driver, the man who'd first told him about how he'd been chosen, only to later represent all of his interests, told him.

He was a pleasant, mild-mannered dude, actually.

Looking at the parking lot they'd arrived in with disinterest, the plain-looking buildings around him did nothing to assuage his rising nerves. He didn't have the faintest clue as to where he was. He'd been too excited about riding in a private plane to ask anything about its destination (which he now sorely regretted) and there were no landmarks he could recognize along the way. He shrugged though and grabbed the tattered backpack holding all his worldly possessions, dragging his feet as he followed his guide.

If he was going to be chopped up and sold in the black market, there really wasn't much he could do at this point, anyways.

His morbid thoughts; fueled by his pessimistic, brooding side (which had reared its head right after the plane landed in a dumpy, out of the way airport) told him he was really fucked now. Not knowing where he was only increased his anxiety, and he felt more and more like he had made a very bad choice-

-and then he turned a corner around the biggest building and saw the sea.

Clear ocean water as far as the eye could see. Unconsciously -without even noticing- his steps quickened and he left the building and his guide behind. It looked amazing! He's never seen so much water in one place. A breeze caressed his face and inserted the smell of salt water into his nostrils. He took a big breath of it, his excitement mounting as his guide smiled at him and gestured him to look to his left. A small, slick yacht lay anchored not far from shore, a smaller boat now making its way from the ship towards the small wooden dock where they were headed for.

It explained the cell phone on his driver's hand. When had the guy even made a call, anyways?

At the end of the pier, his guide smiled. "This is where I leave you, then. It was nice meeting you, kid," the man told him, shook his hand and headed back, leaving Chris to look after him in bewilderment. He couldn't wrap his mind around the fact that this was it; after all the hassle, he was almost there.

Speechless, his head warring both with the excitement of going in a yacht (it looked pretty fancy from where he was standing) and the fear of what could come (they could feed him to the fishes!), Chris almost jumped out of his skin when an old, scraggly looking man in a pristine uniform smoothly guided a cute lil' speedboat beside where he was standing. "'Ello, lad!" the man greeted jovially, the smile creasing his good-natured face doing wonders in reducing Chris' remaining nervousness. "Hop on and I'll take ye to ol' Cassiopeia," he said, gesturing toward the yacht.

Doing as told, Chris got into the boat; almost stumbling when the small speedboat started moving again (he'd not fallen on his ass or his head, thankfully). He didn't have much time to get used to the ride, however, since it took almost no time to reach the yacht proper (though he wished it had lasted longer, the ride was pretty awesome!). A moment later, the little speedboat docked smoothly behind the medium sized ship (it actually fit snugly into a kind of harness) and the old man deftly clamped it in place before helping him out of the thing.

He watched, amazed, as the old sailor made quick work of the area around the little speedboat, checking that all the clamps were in place and such before hitting a big button that Chris hadn't noticed before. The movement was smooth, and reminded him of a convertible flipping its top on. When the sailor punched the button, it made the sides of the yacht (which he'd before taken as part of the hull) unfold and cover the whole speedboat with a wooden deck.

He whistled lowly; that was pretty cool!

"I picked the yacht because of that, you know," someone said from behind him. Whipping around at the sound of the smooth voice, Chris stopped in his whiplashing tracks and stared.

Holy shit!

He blinked and goggled. The guy in front of him looked like one of those touched-up pictures of male models in those fancy clothes and underwear ads. But there was just no way! Guys like that weren't real, everyone knew that! Still, he almost pinched himself, because standing right in front of him was someone who proved it all wrong.

. . . And then the guy smiled and Chris' eyes glazed a bit. Damn, but that was completely unfair! He'd never looked at another guy before (he couldn't be gay; he'd have known if he was!), and he'd considered himself as regular as any teenage boy out there, but he now understood how a smile could kill. Ash-blond hair stylishly framing his face, clear olive colored eyes, softly defined cheekbones in the most striking face he'd ever seen, and full looking lips stretched in a small, warm smile. . . Chris would have swooned if he'd been able.

He was too busy gawking, though. And his mind became jumbled like never before.

"You must be Christopher Hunter; it's a pleasure to finally meet you," the guy's voice floated in through the haze of his thoughts, but Chris was still too busy gaping (his brain had taken a hike and was holding a meeting in a remote location of his head to discuss whether jumping the man in front of him would be considered gay). "I'm Terell Harris," the guy introduced himself and Chris broke out of his stupor enough to look at where his traitorous hand was now sharing skin with this walking sculpture made flesh.

"I-erm. . . w-who-?" Chris stuttered helplessly; that hand was so warm and soft. This Terell guy (and what kind of name was that, anyways? A rude voice screamed inside his head, trying to help him regain his balance by defensive aggression. That particular argument was quickly squashed, however; Terell sounded like a cool name), who stood there in a white shirt, grayish jeans and sandals, just smiled a little wider, a little gentler and slowly stepped aside, a hand coming to rest on his back as he was kindly guided into the yacht itself.

There was nothing he could do but listen when his new, extremely stunning guide started speaking. "You look a little dazed, little one," the man began and a fuss was raised in his mind about being called ‘little'; he almost huffed, but a reasonable voice piped in and said he was at least a foot shorter than his guide (and that was a generous estimate). "How about some lemonade?" Terell asked, and after pushing him onto a squishy sofa, served him a tall glass of juice (which he sipped at just to do something). "I know you should have quite a few questions about everything that's happened and will happen in the near future, so feel free to ask them. I'll answer all of them to the best of my ability."

That little statement shattered his delusionary mental assembly instantly and his eyes focused abruptly on the older guy; clarity coming back to him with a swiftness that would surprise almost anyone. Stunning beauty or not (because there was no other word he could tack onto the man in front of him), there was one thing he knew without any doubt; only the leader of this whole project knew everything. He'd heard such a statement made by everyone so far; the lawyers, the physiologists, the doctors, his contact . . . every one of them only knew a small part of the whole. For this man, who didn't look a day over twenty, to say such a thing . . . "Who are you?" he asked bluntly.

Those full lips stretched into a grin. "I'm Terell Alexander Harris, and I'm the leader of the Atlantis Project."

"No freaking way," Chris told him flat out; he didn't believe it one bit. For all the things he'd been told this project was for (and the few things he managed to put together from loose pieces of information), he'd been sure the person behind such a massive undertaking would have to have been close to a hundred years old, at the very least! How could this . . . this stunning, and stunningly young, man (who couldn't be more than five years his elder), be responsible for something as big as this project?

"I assure you, Chris . . . may I call you that?" He just nodded slowly while finally looking around the comfortable lounge on the now moving yacht, his eyes a little bit wild as he processed this new bit of information. "I assure you Chris; this whole project is my brain-child, you could say. So if you have any questions, at any time, you only need to ask them of me."

"Why me?" he blurted out. In a project that hinted of such potential technological and scientific development (something he'd figured out by reading between the lines, and which made his presence all the more strange), it was the one question that had been gnawing at his brain for the longest time. What would someone like him be able to contribute to such a project? His mind had provided the only answer he could understand: he would be a guinea pig; a test subject. Why else would they pick an orphan like him; A disposable child?

Strong arms drew him into a firm chest, startling him out of his thoughts (he hadn't even noticed he'd spaced out or that Terell had moved closer). "Because you are unique, Chris," Terell told him softly in his ear, "Because you are special. You are a kind, well adjusted, open-minded individual; helpful to those around you, compassionate to those that deserve your compassion; you are a guide to those younger than you and a friend to those older. You might not be a good student, but that's because you have no motivation to be one. You hold such great, untapped potential that you will be surprised when it surfaces. These, among many other reasons, made you easily the first pick for this project."

Warmth seemed to seep into his every pore and silent tears made their way across his cheeks. His mind and heart eased at those words, and the small knot of fear that'd been steadily growing of late completely unraveled. He became almost undone, and still Terell held him. How much time passed before his tears dried, he didn't know, but the ice in his lemonade had long since melted by then; He felt both tired and complete; he felt wanted for the first time in his life. Moving from Terell's embrace didn't even cross his mind; he was too comfortable where he was.

Nonetheless, his curiosity returned with a vengeance; he had more than a few questions: "First pick?" he half asked, half prodded.

"Yes. You are the first of nine young men who will take part in the Atlantis Project, while I will be the tenth. All of you were chosen especially for it and I have high hopes that we'll be able to work together well enough to accomplish the project's main goal."

Twisting around to look Terell in the eyes, Chris used the opportunity to snuggle even closer. Why it felt so comfortable he had not the slightest idea, but he was, and it would be a cold day in hell before he gave up any freely given affection thrown his way. "Where are the other eight then?" he asked, "why am I the first and what's the main goal of the project?"

Terell chuckled and ruffled his hair for a bit. When the hand stayed buried there and began petting his longish black locks, Chris almost melted. "Like I said, you are the first of them. Even as we speak, they are being transported over and it will take a day or so before you'll meet all of them. However, like you, they are each special. It took a long time to find you all. You are the first of them because of many reasons, but the main one is a simple one; you will be our leader and as such, you have a slight bit of precedence; first among equals."

Chris blinked his eyes open and looked at Terell incredulously. "What?"

"Exactly what you heard, little one." Terell looked at him seriously. "You are a natural leader, and while you have much to learn, that will be your ultimate role within the project."

Shaking his head a bit, he buried his head in Terell's chest. "I think I'm missing something important here; besides, aren't you supposed to be the project leader?"

"Indeed. But the project in and of itself is not the main goal. The Atlantis Project is just the means to an end; to gather all ten of us. You see, Chris, some thirty-five years ago, during an exploratory voyage at sea, something was found close to what people call ‘The Bermuda Triangle.' It was like nothing ever discovered and it baffled those scientists involved; a vessel of some sort that was made completely of stone and crystal. Its origins were completely unknown at the time, but some of those first involved in its study believed it to be a part of an alien craft, a theory that was proven true a few years ago."

Enraptured, Chris could only listed as Terell wove his tale; excitement, disbelief, curiosity and wonder making a wild dancing mix within his being.

"It wasn't until four years ago that there was a breakthrough," Terell continued, "The lead scientist took his fourteen year old grandson to the lab where the vessel was being studied. A supposed child-genius who had recently graduated as an anthropologist (a field that covers the study of human beings, their behaviors and their culture), this young man did something that activated the vessel from its long slumber."

"You were that kid, weren't you?" Chris asked, absorbed in the tale.

Terell just nodded, a smile lighting his striking features. "Yes, I was. Still, the strange vessel activated of its own accord and only that one time. The only thing I did was enter the room where it was being studied. All of a sudden, it lighted up like a beacon, and I knew exactly what it was and why it was there. It communicated with me, strange as that sounds, and it told me its purpose. It told me it was not from this world."

Chris was enthralled; something he could see amused the older boy. "What did you learn?" he asked, eager to hear the rest of it. The thought that this vessel of alien origin had something to do with why he was selected for this project, for whatever reason, brought out a wistful part of himself to the forefront of his being. It brought out that childish bit of himself that always felt awe at the sight of the stars. Now that he knew something literally out of this world was involved, he could barely wait to hear what it was all about!

From the way Terell was holding him, making him feel both wanted and cherished, he was also sure nothing would happen to him because of this, which eased his mind like nothing else. Why he trusted this beautiful, affectionate stranger so much he didn't know. But something about Terell called to him and made him feel welcome.

It was like coming home, a feeling Chris had never felt.

"I learned a great many things in that first and only contact," Terell told him. "As it turns out, the vessel was a sort of escape pod; the beings within it had come to this planet where humans, who were a cousin species to them, could be found. Their goal was a simple one: to hide until it was safe for them to return, until the plague that had driven them away had been eliminated, or, in the off chance it never happened, to make a home here instead. But time passed as it always does and the call for them never came. So they settled into our world and began to interact with our primitive civilization and created a wondrous place that until recently was only a myth: Atlantis."

"You're joking, right?" Chris asked, eyes widening when Terell shook his head. "So there really is a lost city named Atlantis somewhere out there?" he asked.

Terell laughed and pulled him closer to him, which he didn't really mind. He figured he was just gay for this striking, super-genius guy and that was it. There was nothing else to it. "No, not anymore; According to the information given to me, Atlantis was an island nation that was swallowed by the sea; a mighty earthquake triggered a long-dormant volcano to awaken. The devastation was immense and Atlantis was no more; its inhabitants fleeing for their lives. However, while the original entities that arrived in the vessel had died of old age by then, they'd been able to reproduce with humans and their descendants spread far and wide into the world upon Atlantis' destruction. All the while, the chronicles of their race and the core of their civilization remained sealed within their vessel, till one of their bloodline presented himself to the core and was deemed worthy of its knowledge. We can only guess that with Atlantis' destruction, the vessel was washed away by the sea and lost until now."

"You're the descendant chosen, then; that's why the vessel activated for you," Chris stated. It made sense as well, along with the name of the project. But there was one piece that didn't fit with this puzzle. "How do I fit into that? Not to mention the others you talked about."

"That's simple enough; do you remember all the papers you had to sign at the beginning? The ones you were given to read and agree with before you could be considered a candidate to participate in the project?" Chris nodded; he remembered it clearly since the metal clipboard where the forms had been placed had given him a shock that his contact claimed had been because of static or something of the sort. "Well, embedded within the tablet they handed you was a small sliver of crystal. A sliver extracted directly from the alien vessel. Only those who reacted to it were chosen, and even then, many were discarded along the way."

"So you see, you were chosen by the vessel itself, however indirectly. You are a descendant of the founders of Atlantis and, like me, were selected specifically by it. The last step will be for you and the others to come into contact with the core and fully bond with it; already you feel as close to me as I do to you, don't you? You feel like you belong at my side just as I do, right?" Terell asked, his face open and warm, and Chris nodded in answer, his eyes closed. "While I might be one of their descendants, I am not the only one. You and eight others are as well, in addition to hundreds of thousands around the globe. The ten of us, however, have certain qualities that made us stand out to the core; what they are, I can only guess at, but there are some rather startling psychological similarities between all of us; like the fact that we are all astoundingly open-minded and accepting; dreamers, if you will."

"In any case, those who came in this alien vessel were escaping a plague that was ravaging through their world; what I didn't mention was that they were leaders among their people; one of their leading council. Comprised of ten unique individuals, this council ruled fairly over their community, guarded the chronicles of their race and, gifted with unknown abilities, they maintained balance in their society. You, Chris, are to be the leader of this council reformed."

Pulling away in shock, Chris gaped at Terell, "Say what?!"

"Surprising, isn't it? I wouldn't have believed it myself if I didn't get this knowledge directly from the core. Even then, my knowledge is basic and until the full ten are assembled, nothing else will happen, the core won't activate again. As it stands, I was only given enough information to gather a new council together; in the form of images and impressions, not words. All of the scientists involved in the project are excited about what we might learn from it; I was given glimpses of their technology and if we could replicate even a miniscule amount of it, it would help our world immensely! Nevertheless, you can back out if you want, you just need to tell me and I will make the arrangements," Terell finished tentatively.

Noticing that he'd been pulling away from the older boy in his surprise, Chris took a deep breath and snuggled back to where he'd been. He was more shocked than anything else, and questions swarmed in his mind like a rattled beehive. Yet, he wouldn't turn his back to this now. His interest and his enormous curiosity had been stimulated enough that pulling out of the project would make him regret it for the rest of his dull life. No, he didn't even mind being one of these ten councilors; being the leader of it, though . . . well, that one was a little hard to swallow, wasn't it? "What makes us so different that we would be chosen, apart from being descendants from these aliens? It doesn't make much sense. And besides that, I know that the government is involved; what do they get out of this, apart from access to new technology? In fact, what good is forming this council at all? Didn't the vessel get here thousands and thousands of years ago?"

"All wise questions," Terell told him, his hand returning to massage his scalp. "I myself don't know what makes us so different from the rest. Like you said, it's been about ten thousand years since this vessel arrived on our planet, and yet, from all those we found who reacted to the crystals, the core was very specific in who it selected. In fact, I am the oldest of us, and I was only fourteen when I was chosen. You are the second oldest, and none of us are female. Why the crystals reacted to so few, and even how they work is a question whose answer we'll never know until all ten of us are bonded to the core and its knowledge is available to us. As well, if you think about it, you'll know why the government's so interested; this is an ancient craft from a civilized alien world. They know the chronicles of this civilization could be a great asset; not just because of the technology we could find, but the possible knowledge available is incentive enough for them to invest in the project and help locate and form the council. In fact, it took more than a year of discussions, risk assessments, tests and experiments before I was formally inducted into the project and given the okay to start looking for the rest of the council."

Chris had to agree with all of that, but there could be other consequences involved as well. "That's all well and good, but what if the core doesn't have anything interesting for them, or any technology and knowledge that they can exploit? And what if this advanced alien civilization is still alive and gets notified that there's a new council being formed? Will the core send them a message? This plague you talked about happened thousands of years ago; wouldn't they have recovered by now if some of them survived?" Looking up when Terell's hand stopped petting his hair, he found the striking young man looking at him with widened eyes. "Don't tell me none considered it? It's a pretty basic speculation. If this is really the core of their civilization which was sent away with their leaders, it's fair to assume that they could be looking for it if they survived the plague. Then again, how are you so sure I'll be the leader of this council, and if I am, who's to say that I, along with the rest could be able to control the core? Not to mention, if this alien race is alive wouldn't that make us the leaders of another race? What'll happen if they show up here looking for us?"

Terell was looking at him, his olive colored eyes locked with his grey ones before he was pulled into a sudden hug, the older teen laughing. "This is why the core selected you to be leader; all these questions you've asked are proof enough. It is true that we assumed these aliens had perished because of the plague; otherwise they would have come looking for the core centuries ago; that was our assumption. But as you said, they could just be unaware of its location. However, isn't that an exciting idea? I know from what knowledge I've gained that they are an extremely tolerant, peaceful race, with a beautiful culture. The core selected us because we are suited to lead such a people, and I know for a fact that we will have full control of the core unless our safety is jeopardized. If they are out there somewhere, wouldn't it be grand to meet them?" Terell asked, smiling.

Chris just smiled at the older boy in return, his enthusiasm contagious. "I guess it would be pretty cool."

"As for the government's involvement, well, we don't have to worry about them. We will be in control of the core, so even if we found something, whether we let them know about it or not will be up to us. Additionally, they don't even have an economic involvement in the project. They have been informed about it because of the possibilities presented, and the possible security risks, as well as to procure their aid in searching for candidates and facilitating the involvement of those chosen by the core. Truthfully, without their aid in making sure the core was safe, it's very possible we wouldn't have come to this point."

"Makes sense, I suppose," Chris nodded. "Still, you mentioned before there were some crystal shards inside of the clipboards and I was selected by it; how did that work?"

"Well, that was actually easy. The crystals fell off the vessel after my contact with it, and I was given the knowledge of how to use them. Using bigger crystals to locate possible candidates, we then located those it reacted with and found a way to bring a smaller crystal shard in contact with them. For the past two years we've done a worldwide search and everyone who the crystals picked was entered into contention; background checks, history, everything about you was investigated, not that such things mattered to the core. It made the final decisions, regardless of what anyone thought. The crystals actually reacted to close to three hundred thousand boys; but then, when those slivers of crystal were returned to the core only nine of them were chosen, you amongst them; labeled as they were, and who had come in contact with a specific shard, we knew who was selected by the colors the shards took upon close proximity with the vessel. Somehow, the core was able to test those who had come in contact with the crystals and pick from them; how it worked is beyond me, and I'm plenty curious about it. What I do know is that you are to be the leader of the council; your crystal was the only one who glowed white."

"How did it communicate with you that first time; was it some sort of telepathy? And if I'm to be the leader of this council, do the others have a specific job as well?" he asked curiously.

Terell closed his eyes in thought. "Well, I guess it could be considered something like telepathy, though I'm not entirely sure; it was just images and impressions. I was pretty close to the core when it communicated with me, and when I'm close to it, I get this feeling that it feels I'm there. As for what the rest of the council is supposed to do," he shrugged, "I haven't the foggiest, little one."

Eying the grin Terell threw his way Chris rolled his eyes, this time deliberately separating himself from the older teen before standing up and stretching. The feelings of belonging remained, but at the same time he was aware of a kind of yearning to return to being closer to Terell. Frowning, he moved a bit before sitting down in a couch opposite to the other boy. "Why am I feeling this way?" he asked.

The olive eyed youth shrugged. "I don't know, actually," the blond told him, "Though I can tell you I don't mind feeling like this; the feelings are too good . . . as if I'll never be alone anymore," he finished softly.

Yes, that was exactly it. And truthfully, he didn't mind them either; it was just that he wanted to understand them before giving himself completely to them. These feelings of belonging, of home, of care, respect and understanding for someone he had never met before were somewhat unsettling. He wasn't afraid of them, however, just curious about their source. "Where're we headed anyways?" Chris asked, looking out one of the windows and at the calm ocean outside.

"We're in the Bahamas. Remember how I told you the core was found in the area known as the Bermuda Triangle?" Chris nodded; he did remember that. "The core was taken to a private island close by and the company financing the research built a facility where it has been studied until recently."

Seeing Terell stand up and refill his lemonade before beginning to take out some snack foods from a small fridge and cupboards, Chris frowned a bit. "What company is financing this? And the way you said it, it seems like there's no one researching the core anymore."

Setting down some finger foods in the coffee table between them and settling down with a glass of juice himself, Terell finished munching on a cheese ball before answering. "I told you my grandfather was the lead scientist of the project, right? The fact is, the company financing all of this is his. He'll be waiting for us in his research vessel at the site, but he's pulled everyone from the island proper. According to the information I got from the core, when the chosen ten approaches it, anyone within a five mile radius will be considered a threat. We don't really know what will happen, but no one is taking any chances. In fact, until everyone is here, none of us will get close to it, that way we can approach the core together."

Chris gulped.

Why did that have to sound so ominous all of a sudden?

-O●O●O●O-

They arrived in the perimeter a few hours later. From what he could see, Chris knew they were more than ten, maybe fifteen miles away from the island. In fact, it looked like a rock in the distance, even with binoculars. From what Terell told him before getting on the small speedboat to go meet his grandfather, the island itself wasn't much to look at; it was a piece of barren land in the middle of the sea, one where only a few stubborn shrubs made their home. In short, the perfect place for something to go boom in, if necessary.

Captain Haynes, the scraggly old man from earlier, showed him around the rest of the yacht while Terell was away. He learned the other boys would be gathering in other boats as they arrived. The yacht itself, apart from the control room, the living-type room, kitchen, and a bathroom with shower and such, had three small cabins; one of which was occupied by the captain and another two which would fit four of them comfortably in bunks. There were plenty of other nooks and crannies all around as well, but Chris wasn't all that interested in them. He much preferred to look out into the sea and think.

In fact, he was sleepier by that point than anything else. With his anxieties eased, most of his questions answered and a full stomach, it wasn't long after his tour and sightseeing that he made his way to a cabin, picked a bunk and drifted off to sleep.

When he came awake later, it was to Terell shaking him.

Murmuring under his breath, he grabbed the offending hand and pulled Terell into his narrow bunk and cuddled into his new friend/pillow. "You stay there, now, and I'll wake up in an hour or more."

Giggles greeted his statement and sleepy, he opened an eye and looked at the source before turning to Terell, who had made himself comfortable beside him. "There's a midget over there," he mock-whispered, an arm flopping in the stranger's direction.

Terell grinned at him and pulled him into a hug, something Chris could get used to rather swiftly, actually. "That's not a midget, Chris, that's Anthony, one of the ten." Propping himself onto an elbow, Chris saw Terell gesture the boy over. Rolling onto his back with a huff, he saw that the kid, who couldn't be more than eleven, was slim, with dark hair and wide black eyes . . . and he was still giggling.

"Right," he said and snagged the kid and flipped him onto the overcrowded bunk, snuggled up close and closed his eyes, "Hey, Anthony, how about a nap?" And before getting a response he snored the deepest, fakest snore he could manage. The kid giggled like mad and made himself comfortable between Terell and him, as if it was the most natural thing in the world. "Hmm, an Anthony sandwich . . . now I'm hungry."

"You're crazy," Anthony told him in between his giggled, "Aren't you supposed to be our leader or something?"

Blinking an eye open once more, he eyed the kid briefly before looking at a smiling Terell and rolling his single eye. "That's what they tell me, but I'm still trying to figure out if Terell is pulling my leg." Opening both eyes now, he leaned over to whisper in Anthony's ear, "Actually, how about I give you the job? Then you can be our fearless leader, eh? You'd get to boss Terell around and everything."

"Silly, didn't the alien-thingy pick you?" Anthony asked, his cheeks dimpling in a grin.

"Huh, a smarty pants, eh?" Chris eyed Anthony for a bit before looking at the smiling Terell again. "Fine then," he huffed, "But if I'm the leader, then I declare you my official teddy bear," and without further ado, he wrapped himself around the squirming boy and closed his eyes, smirking as he listened to the shrieks of laughter from Anthony and the near silent chuckles from Terell.

It took some five minutes before Anthony tired himself out, and they stayed on his bunk for about half an hour more, all content to be close to each other. In fact, Chris felt as if a small piece which had been missing was finally in place, and if the thin arms wrapped around him were anything to go by, he was sure Anthony was feeling the same feeling of belonging he'd noticed when he'd been with Terell. He was pretty sure it had something to do with the core, but he had to wonder why it was affecting them even before coming in contact with it.

Could it be the crystals the core used to select them? And if so, what about those thousands of other boys the crystals had reacted to, no matter how faintly?

"You can call me Tony, by the way," the boy in his arms suddenly piped up.

"Tony it is, then," Terell told him softly, "Right, fearless leader?"

Chris grumbled good-naturedly and his stomach joined in soon after. Tony snickered and Chris was sure his eyes had to look pretty wide as he looked at his flat tummy with surprise. Turning to the eldest of them all, he tried to make himself look as miserable as possible, "Food?"

Terell grinned suddenly at him, his stunning features turning boyish with such a wide, open smile splitting his face. "That's why we came here in the first place. Apart from introducing you to Tony, we came to get you for some dinner."

"Well, what are we waiting for, then?" he asked, scrambling out of the narrow bunk with the others like live sardines popping out of a can. "How long was I asleep for, anyways?" he asked Terell, "And when did you get here, short stuff?" he asked Tony as he draped an arm over the slim boy's shoulders.

"A couple of hours, actually," the blond said as he led the way.

Tony beamed happily, "I think I got here an hour or so after you, along with another kid. Doctor Harris, Terell's grandpa, was the one who told us about everything. Isn't it cool? I can't wait to see the alien ship!" the boy exclaimed excitedly.

Chris grinned at him. "I'm looking forward to it too, though I wouldn't mind meeting Terell's gramps before that; and if there's another kid, why isn't he here?" he asked as they came out into the yachts lounge, where sandwich fixings were already laid out for them. He could even see Captain Haynes out in the deck munching on something while relaxing.

"Shawn travelled in from England and was pretty worn out when he got here, so after everything was explained to him, he went straight to sleep," Terell explained. "Hmm, can you pass me the mustard, Tony? Thanks. Anyways, he'll be staying at my Grandpa's research ship, so I grabbed Tony and brought him over to meet you and so he could stay in the yacht."

Taking a huge bite out of his sandwich, he got some soda and made his way to one of the couches. "So you'll be staying with us, then?" he asked Tony after swallowing and only got an enthusiastic nod in response. "How about the others, Terell, when will they get here?" he asked before taking another bite.

Silence spread for a bit as Terell settled into his seat. "The rest will get here tomorrow, actually. We got word from their contacts before we came back to the yacht. According to grandpa, both me and him will be explaining everything to them individually and after dinner, when everyone's together we'll have a briefing type deal where we'll get together so we'll all be on the same page," the olive-eyed teen explained.

"And when will we go to the core?" Chris asked, unsurprised when Tony scooted closer to him and snuggled into him after coming back with his second sandwich in hand.

"The day after tomorrow," Terell stated, almost making him choke on his drink.

"Really? That soon?" Chris asked, surprised.

Terell just rubbed his neck. "Yeah, since you arrived, the crystals in the core started to glow faintly, and according to grandpa the glow intensified when Tony got here. We're not sure what will happen when all ten of us are here, but they've pushed all of our plans forward because of it. Now we'll all go in the day after tomorrow."

"How do you know that the crystals are glowing?" Chris asked curiously after washing his last bite down.

"Cameras," Terell smirked. "There's a whole bunch of surveillance equipment in the island so the scientists can see what'll happen when we go in there."

"Do you think we could see it, Terell?" Tony eagerly asked, "I want to see how it looks!"

"I wouldn't mind watching that either," Chris told him.

"I'll see if Captain Haynes can't take you both tomorrow when you wake up, I'll probably be in one of the other ships greeting the other boys as they arrive. Cory is supposed to arrive at the crack of dawn."

Chris winced at that. What self respecting human being would wake up so early?

Terell just nodded miserably. "Yeah, I know. That's why I'm going to turn in early now. I'll show you guys where the movies are so you have something to do; there are a bunch of games in that cabinet over there as well. You can use them if you want; video games too, if you know how to hook them up, Chris."

"Sweet!" he exclaimed and immediately he and Tony were pouring over the games and movies.

After a sudden round of long hugs which came as naturally as if they'd known each other for ages, Chris and Tony bid the older boy goodnight before deciding on a movie to watch. It took some thinking, but they decided to leave the games for the next day, seeing as they would have nothing to do but sit around in the yacht.

Not that they'd complain about that any time soon.

In fact, they were looking forward to it.

-O●O●O●O-

Chris woke up to find Tony curled up against him, his sleepy mind trying to figure out how that came to be. He remembered getting ready for bed and going to sleep in different bunks after watching two movies back to back. Maybe the younger boy had migrated during the night?

He didn't mind it, off course. If anything, he didn't remember the last time he'd awakened feeling as rested and refreshed as he did at that moment. Usually it took quite a bit for him to get up in the mornings. Yawning, he shrugged mentally and watched Tony sleep for a few minutes. The kid's hair was an intensely dark brown, and it would be easy to confuse it for black. In comparison to him, who was rather pale, Tony had a peaches and crème complexion, not to mention that his cheeks were fuller than his own and Chris remembered how dark -almost black, in fact- the younger boy's eyes were.

And really, no matter how he tried to avoid the mental subject, he couldn't help but think the boy cute as well.

He didn't know where such thoughts came from, though he was becoming increasingly suspicious of them. However, like with Terell, he couldn't help but look at Tony as well. Did that make him a pervert, though? He'd have to sit down with the project leader today and talk with him about it. Before yesterday he'd never looked at another boy before, not with the kind of appreciation he was using now. It was somewhat weird, but then, it also felt right. The sense of belonging that had assaulted him yesterday was, if anything, even stronger today.

Disentangling himself from both his thoughts and Tony, he let the lithe pre-teen curled up under the sheets before making his way towards the bathroom, taking some clothes and hoping that a shower would help him clear his thoughts some.

As promised, Terell was not on the yacht when he went poking around, even if he did find Captain Haynes in the controls reading a newspaper. From there he could easily see the huge research vessel that belonged to Terell's grandpa, along with a few other boats, one military in nature along with some coast guards, forming a widely spaced semi-circle facing the small island. It was rather clear that a bigger, civilized landmass was near, seeing how boats, both big and small would head southeast of their locating while others returned from the same way.

Taking a meandering path to the kitchen, he found the cereal exactly where the Captain told him it would be. He took it along with some milk out to the lounge for when Tony woke up, which was some hour or so later.

The rest of the day passed in a lazy sort of way; both he and Tony played cards, video games, watched some TV, ate lunch and then took some boards games out to the deck so they could see the going-ons of the small mismatched fleet that was forming around the island. He learned that like himself, Tony was an orphan, though the kid had been living with his great-aunt instead of a foster home like himself. Neither of them had ever played any video games, so they were on equal footing on that account.

When it came to cards, however, Chris trounced the little guy time after time, baring beginners luck and games of chance.

He learned that the dark eyed boy loved music and had a huge collection on a tiny little player, and the two shared earphones a good deal of the day. It didn't take long for him to discover that Tony was a bright lil' blighter too, a cheeky one at that, and they got along better than Chris thought they would, what with their age difference. In fact, by the time lunch rolled around both of them were as thick as thieves, romping around the yacht, asking the Captain about the boat, chasing each other between more tranquil games and making a general nuisance of themselves. And no matter how much he grumbled, the Captain seemed to enjoy their antics as much as they did.

When dinner-time rolled around, so did Terell, and he looked both exited and a little worn around the edges. They listened in as he told them about what he'd been up to and Tony told the older boy about everything they'd done as well.

Chris stayed mostly silent, however, and ate the pasta laid out for them thoughtfully. From what Terell told them, he knew all ten of them were now gathered, and he knew all of them were looking forward to what would be happening while they accomplished the project's main goal; bringing the lot of them, and the core, together.

As young as they all were, he knew none of the other boys would turn the opportunity down. Seriously, who would turn down the chance of seeing some alien, supposedly intelligent artifact? Just the thought of it made him giddy! What would they uncover? What would they learn? He hadn't forgotten how Terell had said that the council members had ruled their home world with some sort of ability, and he wondered if they would be granted some super-powers somehow. Just the thought of the possibilities were enough to make his insides squirm with curiosity, though not enough to make him reckless.

A bit hasty perhaps, and impatient, but never careless.

So he kept his silence and considered what they were about to do. After washing their dishes, he and Tony followed Terell toward the small boat and headed over towards the big research ship; the sea almost a mirror, it was so calm. They glided to a stop beside a low-leveled deck where a sailor easily helped them out, and made their way towards their meeting place. "You've gotten a bit quiet; is anything wrong?" Terell asked him as he fell in step with him. Tony, from what he could see, already knew where he was going.

Chris stopped before reaching the room, a chorus of many voices clearly audible now, and looked outside at the setting sun. "Nothing wrong, just," he shrugged, not knowing what to say ". . . maybe a bit overwhelmed, that's all," he concluded, though he knew this statement was wrong. He wasn't even worried, just slightly pensive.

Terell just nodded and pushed him gently forward before stopping in the shadow of the door's frame. "That over there is my grandpa, along with the head scientist from the navy; they're the ones who're going to explain what'll be happening tomorrow," the older teen told him from behind, arms wrapping comfortably around him as he looked to where the project leader was pointing. "The rest are the other guys; apart from Tony, whose the youngest, if we go by age the next in line would be Shawn Quinn," he pointed at a kid only slightly taller than Tony with long, light brown hair which hugged his face and neck who was looking around in interest while tugging at his black hoody, "he was the kid that got here yesterday as well, remember?"

"Yeah," Chris nodded.

"Then there's Percy Williams over there, with the messy brown hair and green eyes; he's twelve." From the smirk and mischievous expression, Chris knew the boy was a handful; he'd met a few kids like that at various foster homes. "Then there's Asher Davis, the one talking with Tony and Shawn; he's thirteen." A willowy teen, Asher had reddish-brown hair and a clear, open expression. Terell then pointed out Mathew Griffin, a fourteen year old with long, thick and curly hair; Jacob Frasier, also fourteen; his clear, bright eyes surveying the whole room with his half-lidded gaze, and Cory Russell, a golden haired, cheerful-looking fifteen-year-old with shining brown eyes.

"The last one is over there, by the corner."

Blinking at the tall, strong looking teen, Chris turned his head to look at Terell. "Didn't you say that I was the second oldest?"

The eighteen year old just smirked at him and nodded. "Big fellow isn't he?"

He nodded. "I don't know what they're feeding him, but I want some of it," he whispered.

"That's Noah Jackson, fifteen years old, and a black belt in at least three forms of martial arts," Terell explained. "He gives the term ‘tall, dark and handsome' new meaning, don't you think?"

"That's true," Chris told him in a low voice; no one had noticed them yet, apart from Terell's grandpa, who nodded slightly in their direction before he began fiddling with a projector. It seemed like the perfect time to voice his concerns as well. "You know, I'm a little confused. Why am I so comfortable with you hugging me, for one? And if you look at the other guys, why are they sitting so close together? It almost looks like they want to cuddle up to each other but are holding back."

"Hmm, I noticed that as well," Terell told him as he rested his chin on Chris' shoulder, "I bet you've come to the same conclusion that I have, right?"

"It has something to do with the crystals," he stated.

"Exactly; it's nothing sexual, at least not yet. Before all of this I would have considered myself bisexual at best, but I feel close to all of you, and to tell you the truth, I wouldn't mind if something happened between any of us." Pausing as they both looked over at the youngest of the group. "It's a bit startling, isn't it? But everyone has hinted at it after I've met them. All of us feel uncommonly comfortable with each other, no matter how different our personalities are."

"I guess I don't mind it either. Still, do you think it'll become sexual?" Chris asked, amazed at himself for asking such a question so calmly. He wasn't even blushing!

Terell looked at him from the corner of his eyes and Chris looked innocently back. "It could," the older teen told him serenely, "After all, we haven't even come in contact with the core; who knows what will happen when we do? In fact, maybe this is something we should all talk about tonight."

"We should," Chris affirmed before looking at those inside the room. "I have to wonder why I'm a part of this group though; all of you are horribly good looking."

His companion snorted, "You haven't looked in a mirror, have you? Anyways, c'mon, it looks like gramps is ready to begin."

Without even giving him time to protest, Terell dragged him into the room and introduced him to everyone, and it was everything he could do to keep the names and faces straight. Hopefully he'd be able to talk and get to know everyone later on. For now, he smiled and found a seat, laughing when Tony ran over and settled himself in his lap while he himself snuggled up to Terell.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Cory, the golden blond, grin widely before latching onto the boys at either side of him, laughing all the while; when Cory noticed him watching, he gave Chris a bright-eyed wink. It was odd how they seemed to connect so easily with each other; Cory had a hugely expressive face, and one of those wide smiles that could easily curl around the edges. Chris couldn't help but to smile back, and that was it; he knew both of them would get along famously.

"Alright lads," Doctor Harris spoke up, every eye on the room focusing on him; he was a tall, sharp featured old man with intelligent eyes and weathered appearance. "I'll not beat around the bush. You all know why you're here and what'll be happening tomorrow. What I'm here to tell you is how everything's going to go down." With a click on his laptop, a live feed to the research building appeared on the projector screen; there, for everyone to see was the alien vessel.

And it was breathtaking! Made of uneven, jagged stone and crystal, it wouldn't have looked like much if every crystal embedded upon it were not shining like prisms, giving off beams of light of every color of the rainbow.

"This is the vessel," The doctor stated unnecessarily, even as the screen minimized and pictures of the island took a more prominent place. "It is located here, on this warehouse-type building. Mind, the whole island is deserted now, but when you go in tomorrow you'll approach on this side and from the western docks before taking the path up to where the vessel is located." He pointed out the route briefly and Chris could see everyone nodding in understanding. "We'll supply you with some clothing to wear for your journey, and I recommend that you leave anything personal behind; jewelry, watches, music players . . . . Everything," the old man nodded at Tony, Jacob and Asher specifically, and they nodded reluctantly in return.

"Now, inside the area," he continued, bringing another picture of the vessel; this one from father away and from another angle, "there are a multitude of cameras, sensors, microphones and such; while you all have to go alone, it don't mean we haven't taken precautions. A team of scientists and military personnel will be watching and recording your every step. Terell, I want you to keep a running commentary of everything that happens, and boys," he looked at all of them, "If you see something, say it; while we have determined that this whole operation is safe, and nothing inside of that vessel can harm you, this is still our first contact with a possibly intelligent alien being . . . or an intelligent alien computer. We're not completely sure of which."

Clicking a few things, a slideshow of pictures began, both from years back and present, "I can't tell you all how grateful we are that you're willing to help us with this. I can't thank you for it. However, I'll leave this meeting to Terell to finish up; he'll give you a brief history of the project, show you some of our most significant findings, and answer any of your questions. We old folk will go to finish our preparations. Be ready tomorrow at 9:00 am, alright? You'll be going in then."

With that, the old man and the navy scientist were gone before everyone could give an affirmative answer.

The rest of the meeting was full of questions, relevant and no so relevant, as they all got to know each other a bit better. From what he could see, everyone was looking forward to the next day, and he couldn't really blame them.

He was as well.

-O●O●O●O-

They stepped off into the docks easily enough. Terell had maneuvered the boat they had taken to the island and parked it pretty close, so they only had to hop onto the wooden wharf to disembark safely. Noah and Chris were the first ones off and they quickly tied the ropes, and the boat, in place, while keeping an eye for the younger boys in case one of them lost their balance.

Thankfully, there weren't any problems, and Noah nodded silently at him before going on ahead while Chris stayed back to help Terell with anything he needed. Chris' eyes stayed on the taller boy for a bit longer; Noah was pretty impressive. If there were a picture of ‘the strong, silent type' it would be of him, with his intense navy blue eyes and serious expression. "Alright everyone, you know where we're going, let's try to keep together, eh?" Terell called out.

Cory was almost hopping with excitement, but nonetheless, he was holding onto Tony and Shawn, the youngest in the group, and keeping them from running ahead of them. Excited or not, most of them were cautious, and they were all looking around as if searching for hiding places and exits. The barren little island, however, held few attractions. Chris himself was slightly anxious about it all, but not too much. He was looking forward to seeing the alien vessel just as much as everyone else. In truth, his anxiousness had more to do with the whole leader thing; something he hadn't been able to get his head around.

All of them were wearing blue, baggy jumpsuits and boots; and while they had provided socks as well, there had been no underwear to be seen, so Chris had gone without, something he didn't mind terribly much. In fact, if they let them keep the thing, Chris was thinking of ways to remove the long sleeves; just to make it more comfortable than it was.

"Hold it, boys," came the sudden voice of Terell's grandfather from the earphones they had all been equipped with. Immediately, they came to a stop and looked around, just in case the old man was seeing something that they hadn't. "There's something going on with the vessel," the old scientist said by way of explanation.

"What's happenin,' Mr. H?" Jacob asked, laid back, unconcerned and looking as much of a punk in the overalls as he did in his usual clothing. How he did it, Chris wasn't sure, but the boy still managed to look cute in a rebellious sort of way.

"Our ultra-sound sensors picked something up, and our other scanners are just now starting to give us some feedback," Dr. Harris spoke and everyone was looking curiously at each other. "It looks like there's movement inside the core; it appears that the crystals in the center of it are becoming liquid and the stone around them is as well . . . it's fascinating."

"Maybe it's happening because we're on the island and close to it?" When everyone looked in his direction, Chris blushed. He hadn't meant to say that aloud.

Terell nodded slowly at him, "I think that's a real possibility. We've always wondered how the rest of the ‘spaceship' that the council came to earth on looked like, since the core is made entirely out of crystal and precious stone; well, what if the core was the spaceship?"

"You think its reshaping itself somehow?" Asher asked thoughtfully.

"It'd be pretty awesome if it were a shape shifting spaceship!" Cory said with a wide grin, "I say we should go check it out."

Everyone agreed with that before falling silent, though Chris could see most of them shifting in impatience.

"Grandpa?" Terell asked into the air; knowing the extra sensitive microphones attached to their jumpsuits would pick up the slightest noise.

They all waited in silence for a minute or so, though all of them heard the occasional rustling, typing and muffled whispers coming from the other side of the connection. "Go ahead then, boys, but be on the lookout. The center of the core, the densest thing in the vessel, is now floating in the middle of the liquefied crystals; and it's slowly liquefying the rest of its insides." Chris could almost hear the wonder in the old scientist's voice, and he could hear the excited whispers coming from the rest of the research staff.

With Noah leading the way and Tony, Shawn and Cory at his heals, the rest of them soon found their way to the warehouse and, after a moment of hesitation, opened the door and trooped inside. Gasps and exclamations followed soon after they entered, as beams of rainbow-colored light where emitted by the core like some kind of localized aurora borealis. Chris took it all in, as well as the multitude of cameras, microphones, testing equipment and the like. He didn't pay them all that much attention, however. The core took too much of his interest, though he was peripherally aware of Terell's slow, descriptive commentary.

Perfectly round, the core was the size of two hummers parked side by side, its exterior a swirling mass of jagged stone and crystal. Crystals that were acting more like prisms than anything else at the moment. Still, when all of them were inside the lab, the lightshow faded in a flash of white radiance and the crystals settled down to an even white glow.

"The whole interior is completely liquefied now!" Dr. Harris exclaimed in their ears, even as they separated and walked around the vessel, "A foot into it, everything is liquid, and . . . Will you look at that! It's solidifying into a thin sheet of dense material!"

"It knows we're here," Matthew broke the silence as he slowly placed his hand on the surface of the core, his curls windswept and his eyes wide.

"Do you think it's alive?" Shawn asked as he too placed his hands on the core.

Chris could feel himself drawn to it, and watched as everyone approached the massive thing slowly. "Don't touch it," he said lowly, and everyone looked at him before, surprisingly, heeding his words. "If I'm supposed to be some kind of leader, then maybe I can get into contact with it," he explained before approaching the core and stepping beside Shawn, who had dropped his hand from the vessel.

Slowly, though not hesitantly, Chris reached out and placed his right hand atop a protruding crystal.

"Dear god," Dr. Harris whispered in his ear, though Chris paid him no mind as all the crystals on the outside but the one he was holding liquefied instantly and seemingly consumed the stones as well until only a clear layer of dense liquid, like a membrane, clung to the vessel, rippling like water.

Inside this giant ball of liquid was a purely white, smooth and shining contraption. Looking more like a perfectly round pumpkin, it had ten sections and small crystals arrayed in a beautiful pattern around the middle of each one of them. In fact, the biggest crystal now visible was the one where his hand rested, which was in the middle of one of these segments.

And then the liquid rippled and Chris got a sudden, clear impression of what would happen next. "It's going to reabsorb the protective covering," he stated, removing his hand as he watched the liquefied crystal seemingly sinking into the white surface of the core. When he looked around, all nine of the other boys were around him, looking at him. He smiled, "Everyone stand before one of the ten segments and place your hand on the crystals," he told them, "It's quite safe."

"Are you sure of that, son?" Dr. Harris' concerned voice spoke into his earpiece.

"I am, sir," he answered before placing his hands on the vessel once more, his eyes closing as information began to flow into his mind, even as he felt a deliberately peaceful presence slide into his thoughts. It was like nothing he'd ever felt, but he knew it was coming from the core. No words were needed; images and impressions flowed into his mind smoothly. "The core is alive, sir," he explained. "It's a living, sentient, symbiotic organism from another planet." The vivid color of the images playing in his mind took his breath away, and putting the information into words was a mere afterthought.

"Life evolved very differently in its home world," Terell picked up his explanation flawlessly; his voice distant. Chris could feel each of the other guys when they came into contact with the core, as if they were touching shoulders and sharing body heat. "Long before attaining sapience," Terell was saying, "the humans that lived there and organisms like the core evolved together; their symbiotic relationship growing along with them. It came to be, in fact, that because of their evolutionary symbiosis, even if they were organically different, they were able to reproduce together."

"Are you saying that that whole vessel is a living organism that can have children with humans?"Dr. Harris asked incredulously.

"It is, sir," Cory was the one that answered. "In fact, there was only one sex in their home world's species; male, which explained why all of us are boys. The core is an organic shape-shifter with the ability of altering itself on a molecular level. It became the perfect symbiotic being, adapting to the needs of its hosts and its surroundings. When needed, it would could carry human offspring and in return, human infants would grow with a small part of the symbiote living within them, growing alongside them, and ultimately gaining independence thanks to its host, thus allowing the symbiote to learn and experience life in many facets as small bits of it grew apart from the whole."

"It's pretty awesome too!" Tony chimed in as information flowed through his mind as well. "Because when a human died, which took a whole lot of time, some of their personality and all of its knowledge would remain with the symbiote, who would then merge back to its ‘parent' to help it grow in understanding."

"This is the reason they were such a peaceful people," Terell picked up the narrative again, and Chris opened his eyes to see that everyone else had their eyes closed. "Because of their symbiotic relationship, they evolved a type of telepathy and empathy between them, so there were never any misunderstandings. And if a psychological problem were to arise within an individual, those around him would quickly identify them and help them with their troubles. They were a very open culture," he finished in awe.

"But something happened. After a meteor shower some fifteen thousand of our years ago, a new organism was introduced to the atmosphere. It was corrosive in nature, and neither the humans nor the symbiotes were prepared for it; it killed the people quickly, not unlike a devastating pandemic," Noah spoke in a soft, carrying voice, "Never before had they faced such sudden, deadly sickness."

"Theirs was a world ruled by territories," Chris was quick to clarify on some things, "and there was a council in each of these territories who guided the people with the help of the symbiote, who had by then merged with all those of its kind into one, world-sized being." Pausing to swallow, Chris could feel his eyes water, "When the plague struck, it consumed the planet in a matter of days; this small portion of the symbiote was the only one to escape, and even then, only four of its bonded were with it as it did so. They had known of our planet and the similarities of our people, so they made their way here. The four humans that remained became the founders of Atlantis."

Silence engulfed them as they finished processing this small summary given to them, and through them. "Geez, a whole planet of gay, handsome men," Cory whispered loud enough for everyone to hear, his voice wistful. "Do you think that's why all of us are so good looking?" the cheery blond asked, breaking the ice. Chris exchanged a glance with Terell over Shawn's head, for they now knew that it was a very real possibility.

"I don't know where to start," Dr. Harris told them, "I have so many questions I want to ask!"

"Grandpa?" Terell inquired.

"Yes, my boy?" the old doctor asked distractedly.

"The core feels lonely," Tony responded instead. "It has been crystallized for too long; it longs for the connection it shared with its bonded. It needs sustenance as well; it wants to grow again, to have a home. It understands that you are concerned. That you might think it was a threat to you and yours; it's the reason why it has waited this long to speak with someone. It has been waiting for our people to grow more understanding, but time was running short for it; it's a symbiotic being, it needs a connection with a host; with multiple hosts, in fact."

"Why is that?" Dr. Harris asked slowly, "And why would it need ten people?"

Percy was the one that answered, his mischievous smile gone for once. "It doesn't have a will, Mr. Harris, or emotions for that matter. Alone it only has the basest of instincts; to eat, to survive and to bond. The reciprocal relationship between it and the humans of its planet were different than what you would think. While very intelligent, a symbiote needed a human host to experience emotion, imagination and abstract thought, among other things. The connection was two-fold; between a small piece of the symbiote that lives within the human body and gains cognizance on its own through experiencing life along with its host; and between the connection or bond, the single, independent symbiote formed with multiple humans, or ‘cells', which helped them gain a sense of self, and the ability to experience the world as we do by using the feedback of its bonded to do so."

"In any case, sir," Chris jumped in before another question could be asked. "We would like to establish this bond with the core as soon as possible. Like we said, it's been crystallized for too long and apart from the bond to help it regain some higher intelligence, it needs sustenance as well. Otherwise it will weaken, loose its remaining sentience and die. At the moment, it became liquid because it's its most flexible state, and it's most vulnerable while not bonded. If we don't link with it, it will become water soon."

This statement was answered by absolute silence from the Doctor, and when someone did speak into the connection, it wasn't the old scientist. "This is Commander Graham, boys. I'll get to the point; what does this ‘bonding' involve?"

"Good morning, Commander," Terell spoke up, and Chris saw that everyone had their eyes opened by now, "Can you see the core on your screens?"

"Yes, Mr. Harris," the Navy Commander said.

"Well sir, if you check with the sensors, you'll see that the core is changing shape on the inside. Instead of being full of liquid, it's been compressing itself and reforming its insides into ten small chambers, right? It should look a lot like an orange in there, with a hollow chamber on the inside that's half full."

"I see it, son. Would this mean that you all will have to go in there?" the General asked, concerned.

"It does, sir," Chris told him. "We'll go in there and the symbiote will sterilize us, dead skin and all, before it will leave us with an almost unnoticeable covering to protect us. It's telling us that since the skin is our biggest organ, it will start bonding with us through it. And when I say bond, I mean in a molecular level. After our skin, it will slowly merge with the rest of our body."

"It's so cool!" Tony broke in excitedly, "We'll never get sick again, and we'll age slowly. And since we're descendants of the humans of its world, it'll help us become empathic and telepathic with each other! It'll almost be like being an elf from the Lord of the Rings, like Legolas! We'll just need the pointy ears!" Tony finished with a grin, almost hopping in place.

Everyone laughed with the boy and Chris saw Noah ruffling Tony's hair.

"Is that . . . is that even possible?" the Commander asked amazement clearly in his voice.

"Yes, sir," Terell said with a grin. "In fact, it can even do some physical alterations, though it would need more time for them. So Tony, if you want some pointy ears, you'll have to wait until later, when the core isn't starving for food, company or affection."

"Really?" Tony asked before scrunching his eyes shut and pressing his hands to the crystals a bit harder. A minute later the biggest grin he'd ever seen split the boy's face, "Awesome!"

"I have to ask for the record," the Commander inquired, "do you boys want to go through with this?"

Nods greeted Chris' sight, and agreement coursed through his mind from those out of his field of vision. "We do, sir," he told the man.

"Very well. Will anything else happen after you go in there?" Graham asked.

"Yes, sir. Like I said before, the symbiote needs sustenance. Now, because of what it is, it can turn anything into its base molecules, and manipulate those molecules as it wishes, so after we're inside of it, it will move to the island's shore and make do with water, sand and stone for now. Later on, when we come out, it'll need something with more variety."

"Like what, son?" the Commander asked.

"It took a picture of a landfill from my head and it's telling me that that will do . . ." Chris blinked in surprise. "Sir, it's telling me that if it can have access to our trash, it will take care of it."

"I think I understand. Will we have to stay away from it when it begins to move?" The Commander asked, sounding somewhat doubtful now.

"No, sir. It fact, after we're inside, everyone is welcome to return as long as no one touches the core. It will be too focused on us and will defend itself instinctively if that happens."

"Very well then, boys, I'll see what I can arrange; Good luck and Godspeed."

Not a moment after the Commander said that, their hands sunk into the white surface of the symbiote. Looking at everyone else, Chris shrugged and pushed inside and disappeared from view.

He felt everyone else follow.

-o

TBC. . .

-o