The Sapphire Pass: All-Father

An Enemy

Indira looked at the small capsule in her hands and then at the prisoner. She had two options, do this and go back to the rebels, or, contact James and have him send an Omega Team to the pickup and take out any rebels they could. If she contacted James, he might not have her marry An'gole right away, but it would still happen eventually. On the other hand, if she went back to the rebels she she would live the rest of her life alone, and in the company of humans.

She had to accept her fate either way.

"Nero," she said, leaning down face-to-face with a man and and sighed while looking into his far away eyes. "Swallow this and tell now one."

He nodded, doing as he was told and she walked to the console to restart the video footage.

She resigned herself to a life alone, and underground. There was nothing more she could do.

This time she left her car and walked back to the forest. She had to get there before morning which would arrive in approximately two hours, but she didn't feel like driving. She had to let the gravity of the situation she brought upon herself sink in.

He life had always been easy, she never had to face the consequences of anything she did. She didn't know where her life would go from here, how could she fall so far. She knew that her mother and father would never accept her if she decided to return after this, and her life of luxury was over. She couldn't even reconcile with herself if she'd made the right decision or not.

When she finally reached the edge of the forest she walked in until she couldn't see the road, stretching her arms out she closed her eyes and waited. She heard the leaves rustling and a familiar strip of cloth being slipped over her head,

She was once again led through the forest and even though care was taken so she didn't trip or fall, she didn't feel welcome.

Once again the air turned damp and musty. Then there was the smell of rust and then the sound of steel as the doors closed behind her and her chance of escape was gone. For the first time she wondered if they would stick to their word, or if they would imprison her for the rest of her life here.

"Indira," Gregory said, meeting her behind the fourth and final steel door. "I'm glad to see you've returned."

"I doubt that very much," she said.

"Look, whether or not you like it here, your attitude will determine if your life here is happy or miserable. That is your choice, you can choose to be happy in the face of a decision that was hard to make, or you can spend your life sour and turn away those around you to wallow in on your own in your misery. Your choice. Being happy is a lot easier than hating everyone and everything around you. I know what I would choose."

For the first time his words actually struck a chord in her, but how could she be happy in an underground labyrinth filled with humans she very things she despised?

She followed behind him as her thoughts rapidly shifted to the multiple possibilities and roads her life could now take. If what she heard was true, she could choose almost anything she wanted to do. She could raised animals, or plants. She could even work with water which was a luxury in her, former, desert home environment.

As he led her to the small building where Iago had talked to her previously, she was suddenly nervous. How was she supposed to choose what she wanted to do? Within her life, her choices weren't numerous and she rebelled against the ones she found unfavorable until the offending party gave up. She never gave in.

"Indira." Iago said looking up from his paperwork.

It wasn't a greeting, he was waiting to find out if she'd fulfilled her end of the bargain. He watched her as she sat down, keeping her caring, unyielding and rigid facade. She couldn't show that she was scared of choice.