Anger flashes in Andrew's eyes but is snuffed as Steve’s quantum backed words flood the room. “I don’t think I appreciate what you are implying. I’m not a child to be looked after. Do I need help? Maybe I do maybe there’s nothing to be done. If you want to try and help me … I just want to be clear and warn you all that I’m working at my own pace, using my own methods. Part of those methods means I won’t test something on somebody else that I wouldn’t try on myself. Part of it means that if I can get the work done four times faster as the risk of a little absent minded confusion or maybe even a little mindless rage … well I think I’m willing to risk it.

“I welcome your friendship, all of you. But there are times when we all must make way for those who are more capable. I sat out a lot of the effort against the Telepaths because Cody was more qualified, I wouldn’t dream of being half as capable as Joani or Omar in a rescue operation or a combat situation. Steve is by far the better businessman. Morgan is the healer. Me? I’m the scientist, and this is my fight.”

Lorean, the woman, moves over and puts a soothing hand on Andrew's arm, "I find myself without a purpose now that we will be leaving to search out the Watchers. I would be more than happy to take my turn as your assistant, with my resources and the help the other me, we should be useful to you without getting in your way."

Andrew sighs and shakes his head, a look of frustrated humor crosses his face, "The lab is gonna be pretty crowed with so many people in it ..."

Lorean smiles in return, "We don't have to all be there at the same time, we can work something out." She turns to everyone else, "Now, I think we were planning to discuss our next move. I'm happy to announce that I have worked out the programming that was used to trap us in the timeline and given it to Max with instructions as to how to plant it along with a link so that he will have full access back when we first met. So that leads to the question of what to do next. Omar, Morgan, Steve and Cody will remember, when they first boarded and were exiled from their home timeline I said to them that I had a range of timelines where I believe the Watchers can be found. Or to be more precise, I have certain timeline coordinates in memory that are designated as their domain but that are not specifically blocked to travel. It follows that the Watchers are most likely to be found there. At the time the group made the decision not to pursue that course of investigation and elected to uncover some of the other mysteries first. It seems we have done that now. I know that Cody spoke before the recent crisis of following up on that original line of investigation and most here seemed willing. I have recruited a new crew and restocked all of the ships supplies. I am ready to proceed unless any of you have objections or wish to visit some other time or timeline."

Lorean looks around the room and nods to Andrew, "Also, Andrew has mentioned recently the need for more data points from other Novas, and the only way to get that would be to visit other timelines and scan other novas." She smiles at Andrew hoping she hasn't offended him again with the reminder. "I have your complete lab set up here on the ship and have reconfigured to make that task easier." Looking to the others, "So any objections or suggestions? Is everyone ready to go?"

Steve asks,

"Define, 'scan other novas'. Is that something we need to do ourselves or if we could access Utopia's data would that serve?"

Andrew thinks a moment, "I need full DNA workups along with data regarding just how much taint they have. I doubt that Utopia knows just what they are looking for. Hell how long have I been looking? Fifty years? Anyway, if Utopia has that great, if not, we'll need to get it the hard way, I'm sure there is more data to be gathered here but it would be of more use to gather additional taint data as well. Umm ... which timline are we headed to anyways?"

Steve answers,

"I suggest a trial run before getting serious. Gold world perhaps. "

All of a sudden the discussion focused away from Andrew to his work which was a good thing because it led to something productive. Her thoughts still coursed around Andrew's personal problem but it seemed that he didn't want the kind of help she had offered and Lorean jumped in offering basically the same which appeared to be the better choice.

Maybe Andrew was missing her point... and maybe she failed to find the right words but her offer went beyond the worry she had but how could she make that clear without hurting his feelings... or maybe even Ulrics?

Joani joined her husband as the topic moved to the destination of their next jump. She smiled confidently and decided to approach Andrew when they both were alone. Right now didn't seem to be the opportune moment.

"Gold world is a definite possibility." Omar paused, as he tried to recall memories from almost a century before. "Were there any novas there? I can't remember a lot about the place except for removing 100 billion or so worth of gold."

Omar looked at Joani and Ulric. This would be their first time away from everything they knew. It might also be the last time they saw their home. Omar was ready to help them through any transitioning they needed once they left.

Ulric seems to mull things over for a moment then speaks.

"Until we - Andrew finds a cure, we can keep using this timeline, and even this time, as our base of operations, right? That being the case, lets see what novas we can locate in Gold World. At the same time, we might want to expend our boundries as Lorean has suggested and trailing these watchers. I just want to make clear though that I feel the cure comes first. We definitely need it and it would be an excellent legacy for us to provide to all novas in all time lines."

Steve says,

"Gold World didn't have novas. That's why it's a good choice, we can screw up badly and there's no one around to take advantage of it. We should probably use those rocks as target practice though."

"Nuclear world had novas, big crazy seriously powerful ones."

"What we need to do is get Utopia to gather information for us. Maybe we could give them some of our genetic data in 1999 or so. We let them know about their nut-case at the same time that we tell them what are promising things to look for. Then we fast forward 20 years and see what they've found."

As the conversation picks up speed Andrew struggles to keep up, finally jumping in after Steve. "I think you mean to say that we should provide Utopia the genetic markers I am looking for and how they appear to relate to taint? I don't know ... I don't think I mean, that would be a good idea. We know ... umm I think, that everything in Æon was not peaches and honey .. err peaches and cream." Andrew shakes his head as though to clear it. Scowling he continues, albeit at a slower pace. "What I mean to say is that with this information they, sor somebody else, could potentially turn around and use it to justify wiping out novas who might potentially become taint mad.

"No I don't think that is a good idea. But Gold World might allow me ... um us, to break into Utopia databases. The .... the ... what were they called? ... Rashoud facilities ... they might have enough information and genetic data for me to work with."

Andrew reminds Omar of something, but he can't remember all the details. He asks Lorien for clarification: "Lorien, wasn't there an organization within Utopia that would prevent us from suceeding?" Omar looked at the others. "Didn't we get the damper from a woman in her underground lair who was part of this group?"

*A few points. There was never a Utopia on "gold world."* Cody snorts as if the name is laughable to him. *Second, Omar is corrrect. Jumping into the present of a nova timeline means there will most likely be a Proteus to oppose us. We know from Aeon record that Proteus and its directives were in place before N-Day and the public advent of Novas. If we are going to go to a Nova worls, I suggest we do the same as we did here...go back to the '20's and make sure that we can adequately deal with the modern day threats. A world of powerful Novas means there will be precogs, clears, and other with the potential to take Lorean away from us. We must tread with extraordinary caution from here on out.*

Andrew brightens, "Proteus, yes that was it. Are you sure? I seem to recall that we accquired a great deal of quantum tech from their storehouse. And did we not take a measure of revenge on that wicked woman? Theta? Thebis? Thetis? I am certain we did that on some post war world, we can raid their archives for the data I need withou interfering with the timeline."

Steve says slowly,

"We could go back and deal with Thetis before she became the head of Proteus. Drop a pound of coke in her room in college and destroy her career. That would take a lot of the venom out of Proteus I think."

"Then we go forward, say... 5 years after N-day. Lorean stays out of the elliptical plane of the solar system, and we'll see what kind of information we can gather."

"Or we could go see what information Utopia has that's snatchable 2 hours before the nukes hit. They'll have other things to do than worry about us."

"Why don't we just reveal the existence of Proteus and what that woman, Thetis, is doing. We go to the newspapers and the OpNet?" Omar said after the others refreshed his memory. "Then we go ahead in time to see what has happened."

Omar let out a big sigh, his gaze wandered down to the earth he had called home for almost a century. In many ways, it was now him home more than his original. "I am tired of lies. I want to start using the truth as a weapon, if possible."

Andrew's head swings back and forth like he was at a tennis match as he does his best to follow along. "I think Steve's idea is good. Let's try to get the data I need without risking exposing ourselves. Our powers may have grown but we do know that some of the taint mad novas during the war with humanity had unimaginable destructive power at thier hands."

Steve answers,

"Precogs mostly pick up events. That means we can't influence events after precogs are around. As for going public, by that time it will be too late. She was ready for N-Day before it happened. If we go public before that time no one will believe us."

"If we go public after it then she'll already have her organization set up which will make dealing with her hard and risky. Also telling hundreds of novas that she's sterilized them will start the whole baseline-nova relationship off on a bad note."

"We didn't let Stalin complete his organization before dealing with him, ditto Mao, ditto some others. We should curb stop her in the 70's. Maybe just have Cody erase her ability to read."

Amber raises an eyebrow and Steve responds, "She's history's largest mass murderer and personally responsibly for my fertility issues. I'm not really in the mood to pull punches on that one."

Andrew looks suprised, "Wait? What? Steve what did you say?"

Andrew looks concerned, "Fertility issues? I ... I don't recall you mentioning this before ... curse this taint. If you want me to take a look at it I will, I am sure that we can reverse whatever happened."

"Omar, the truth can be our weapon. Is it that easy to forget that we unified an entire planet in a few short decades? I think that we can make the truth come out on any world we arrive on. Hell, meeting the public is my specialty - organizing people is old hat."

"We are a potent force for change on any world we chose to travel to, in any time stream."

Ulric appears supremely confident in his abilities and those of the novas around him, so much so that its nearly infectious.

*I think you are grossly underestimating the challenge before us Ulric, and I can understand why. We were able to unite this world because of a very carefully scripted conspiracy to weed out the more tenacious problems before they could take root. Novas on this planet also never reached the pinnacle of power that they do on other timelines...we have gotten used to being the biggest fish. On a world that is used to Novas, especially the charismatic kind, your voice will be lost in the throng, and your quaint ideals will fall on jaded ears. Please understand I am not saying this to insult you or your abilities. You are an astounding specimen. However you must realize that unless we want to go back and start from scratch as we did here...you...we...will not have the advantage your status here gives you...*

After a moment he adds,

*We will also have to deal with Divis Mal. If he should get wind of our presence, and I have reason to believe he has access to powerful predognitives, he could take Lorean away from us with scant effort. Moreover, his megalomania will make it particularly tempting to do so...*

"Take me away? I think perhaps this line of reasoning should be re-thought. I'm no longer the freshly awakened AI that you first met Cody. True, Divis Mal at the height of his power might well have the ability to destroy me, or even wipe my mind perhaps, but he would have to catch me first, and face all of us together which even he might find difficult to deal with. Beyond that I don't think we need to worry about it." Lorean has just a bit of touchiness in her tone as if she's offended by the discussion.

"As for practice, well, these things are in my nature and part of who I am. I haven't made a time jump in 80 years, but I don't anticipate any problems. If it will make you confortable, I will jump to where ever you wish to go. Name any of the timelines we've been to and I'll take us there right now." It's definite, Lorean is a bit miffed by the discussion of her abilities.

Steve says slowly... "Yes. Thank you. I'd like that."

At Ulric and Cody's exchange he says,

"Thetis had at least 20 years to get ready for N-day. She has future knowledge, knows of time travel, and is expecting to have to hide from precognition. You should think of her as a evil version of us."

"We tried going public after N-day and she had contingency plans for that. We went back in time and re-did our moves to mess up those contingency plans and she had contingency plans for that too. We can't go public with her plans to commit genocide on a species that doesn't exist before that species exists, and giving someone a 20+ year head start on us is just... counter productive."

"And Cody is dead right about going against Divis. He's a lot stronger than all of us put together. Heck, *Pax* is much stronger than all of us put together and Divis was absurdly stronger than Pax. We go up against him and we lose."

"We, the people in this room, are used to being the most powerful novas on the planet. Get used to the idea that we won't be. The pond is about to get a lot bigger, and we're going to be smaller fish."

Lorean nods at Cody's thought, looking partially mollified. Michael just listens to all the talk of his alternate self with amusement.

Omar looked frustrated. He didn't like the idea of not being the the most powerful. He also knew that Steve's logic about Mal was correct.

"What is it that we have, that the others do not?" He finally said, hoping that they could find soething to tip the scales in their favor.

*We have Lorean.*

Cody gives that a moment, for the team but especially for Lorean, for which it holds a deeper meaning.

*We go to a far future, get the most ultra bleeding edge blacktech we can find. Something that will give us the edge on Mal and the gang.*

Steve nods and says,

"That's right. Used correctly, Lorean is unstoppable. We've already proven that." Steve motions towards Mike then continues, "But for that to be true we need to understand our strengths and our weaknesses and use the former and avoid the later."

"Worst case with Divis? He teleports to the bridge and threatens to murder every one of us unless Lorean accepts him as Captain. Then while we're still digesting that he drains her batteries dry and then proves he's a stronger Cyberkentic than the Proxies were telepaths. If we're seriously unlucky we also find out he has historical knowledge of Lorean's command codes, which he gets from future Lorean after he wins."

"I'm convinced we *never* saw his "A" game. He didn't fire up N-day until after he was ready. To broadcast his manifesto he took over *every* media outlet on the planet at the same time."

"What makes Lorean unstoppable is future knowledge, past actions, and movement. So no going public with the truth, no bragging that we have time travel or even historic knowledge. We cripple Proteus in the present by taking out Thetis in the past. If we need to act in public it will be as powerful Novas, not as time travelers. We avoid Divis, and if he takes an interest in us we leave and don't come back. We let all the various factions do their thing while we do ours."

"I have to agree with Steve - we shouldn't bother to stay if things don't work out for us. There are infinite possibilities and our focus should be finding a cure for Taint. Maybe it could be used on Divis Mal or other extremely deranged Novas? It could be a solution to the problem on a larger scale - assuming his derangement is derived from his Taint.", Joani was still thinking something up as she spoke.

"What if we ask Amber to help us in our first try? - She could help us collect data and finding out if your idea is having the desired effect or do precogs cancel eachother out?"

"Ok," Omar says, his bushy brow making dark furrows in his forehead. "So we find a timeline in which non of us exist, and go there. We try different things until one of them works."

"And if Divis become too much of a hassle, we always have the quantum dampener we got from Thetis."

Amber had got an interested look in her eye when Andrew had made his offer but she hadn't said anything. In response to Joani she says,

"Oh, I wouldn't miss coming. But my powers are like Steve's luck, sometimes it's there, sometimes it isn't. I can never be sure if it's just chance or if it's not working because it just can't work. Call it uncertainty, call it free will, sometimes it just doesn't work and 'why' is only a guess. Also I've never tried seeing across timelines."

"I should mention I can do a day easy. Sometimes I get a week, rarely a year. For this sort of thing a year isn't long enough."

"Precog conflict is... complicated. We don't cancel out, any more than two good chess players cancel each other out. One of us will see farther, or better, or as Steve would say, will just have better cards. Knowing the future isn't the same as being able to do anything about it."

"Won't that pose the same danger as going to any other timeline? I mean you said we have to consider Precogs wherever or whenever we jumpt - they do exist in the far future, too? This conversation already endangers the mission as the probability for us to go to the far future to get advanced tech will be foreseen...", Joani shook her head somewhat annoyed.

"This line of thought would condemn us to inactivity... I suppose limiting the jumps to an absolute minimum will be most effective for us?"

Lorean frowned, "I don't think I could fire on the Watchers, Cody. They were my creators; that would be like you firing on your parents. I owe them my existence. I would like to upgrade my offenses though. We don't need to purchase or barter for them or risk exposure. We just need to go somewhere that they exist and I'll hack their systems and download the schematics and create the weapons myself. There is risk in it, but the risk is minimal compared to negotiating with advanced possibly tainted future novas." She looks to Steve, "Would that be enough of a test for you?"

"What if you are one of the Watchers?", Joani asked carefully, trying not to make it sound like an enclosure.

Lorean blinks in surprise. "I really don't think I am. I don't have access to much data, but from the little I have, I know I was originally created by the Watchers a very long time ago, but don't have any memories from that first life. The original 'me' was killed in a battle with Aliens in orbit around Iaepetus several thousand years ago. Then the watchers brought me to life within the original body that housed the original 'me' when you all got too curious and stumbled onto their secret. I'm sorry I can't say more, but I don't even know what the name of the original me was. I would really like to know more of my own history." Lorean seems a little disturbed by this line of discussion. "I'm sorry, I try to avoid thinking about this, the more time passes the more I really feel the lack of knowledge about my own past."