This story dedicated to my kids, who keep me young despite my age.

 

Andersonville 29 - Terror from the sky
Written by Kelly Davidson
Edited by Geoff

Copyright 2002

Fade in -- North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD)
Cheyenne Mountain Command Center

General Grim walked swiftly down the carpeted hallway flanked by two high-ranking Colonels who served as his aides. His mood matched his name. Anyone who dared wake him in the middle of the night had better have a good reason, and this one certainly fit the bill. Over the past two days his facility had tracked an object just beyond the orbit of Neptune. Normally it would've been impossible to pick up something so far away if not for the noise it generated. The object omitted some kind of high-energy static; it's origin and purpose unknown. In fact the signals weren't even directed at the Earth. Several of NASA's satellites currently on their way to other planets had picked up the noise. The object, whatever it was, remained just on the outskirts of the solar system, traveling between the orbits of Neptune and Pluto at what scientists determined was almost one tenth the speed of light. One thing for sure, it wasn't from Earth.

NORAD experts studied the signals intensely. Was it a welcome message from an alien civilization, or a probe searching for life? The answers were inconclusive. Then 12 hours earlier the object had gone silent, bringing up even more questions. Had its power failed? Did it crash into an uncharted asteroid or leave the solar system? There was no way of knowing, other than sending one of their own satellites out to search for it...at least a 12 to 20 year trip depending on which launch method was available. And with space being so vast, they would have better luck searching for a needle in a field full of haystacks.

Less than an hour ago the point had become mute. The object reappeared again, this time in orbit above the earth. The phone call General Grim had received told him the package was on the roof. Being an unsecured line, nothing else was said to indicate the true danger of the situation. The general dressed quickly, met his two aides outside his car, and drove like a madman to the base; making the normal 35 minute trip in 28 minutes flat. When he entered the conference room his men stood, and only sat after he did.

"What's the situation?" the general asked coldly.

"At 23:36 our time, the object reappeared in our orbit sir," a tall, lanky major stated. "It could've been there longer. We didn't know it was there until it started transmitting a signal. Then five minutes ago it made a maneuver to enter our atmosphere.

"Where is it going?"

"Uncertain, General. We believe somewhere over the southeastern United States. I've already alerted the bases in the area. However, it could alter its course and land somewhere else. We'll know more soon." As if on cue the major's phone beeped which he quickly answered. A few words were exchanged before he turned it off. "It changed course General. The object is now heading north. Best estimate, it'll come out somewhere over the Dakotas."

"If it lands," someone else interjected. "For all we know it may keep flying straight to Asia."

"What happens if it's dumping toxic poison into our air as it does?" an Air Force general brought up. "I recommend we 'intercept' it sir." He stated the word 'intercept' in the strongest, possible terms.

"We don't even know what we're dealing with," another general shouted. "Supposing you shot it down and when it crashes, it releases some kind of gas that's deadly to our people? We could have a real disaster on our hands. Sir, I recommend that whatever the object is we monitor it and see what it does."

"And if it's a bomb," the Air Force general stated coldly. "More people could be killed by waiting."

"How long before it passes through our atmosphere?" General Grim asked.

"Ten more minutes sir," one of his men answered. "It's crossing over the UK now." For once everyone was silent.

"Alert the bases," General Grim ordered calmly. "If the object does land I want the area secure. No civilians, media, or pictures, is that clear? Break the cameras if you have to, but make sure nothing makes the front page. Let's do our job people. Dismiss."

The majority of the soldiers rushed out the door to their stations while others remained behind, most of them generals from other services. They would stay with General Grim until the crisis was over to offer their opinions. The General stood and walked over to the coffee pot, motioning for one of his aides to follow. When they were out of earshot of everyone else he whispered, "Call Dennis Butz and tell him to get his ass on a plane. I want him sitting down in front of me in two hours, is that understood Colonel Blackstone?"

"Yes sir," the man replied firmly. Without even saluting the colonel left to follow his order. General Grim grabbed his mug and poured himself a cup of hot coffee. He needed it at this time of the morning. The General thought about his upcoming meeting. He hated Dennis Butz. No, that wasn't right. The general didn't trust him. Dennis was an alien trying to fit into his world and doing a lousy job of it. He was too secretive about his people's past, and General Grim didn't like being kept in the dark. It made him believe that the Titan was hiding something. Well this time he was going to get some answers. For too long he had pussyfooted around trying to be diplomatic like the president had requested. The time for diplomacy was over. A Captain interrupted his thoughts.

"Sir, the object is landing."

"Where?" General Grim asked, suddenly feeling foolish that he had been standing there for so long daydreaming. What else had he missed?

"Northern Wisconsin, sir. About 10 miles west of the city of Ashland, which is located on the Lake Superior shoreline."

"I thought it was supposed to be coming down in the Dakota's, Captain!"

"It must have braked coming in, sir. A helo just dropped Delta force off near the landing site to secure the area. More reinforcements should be arriving in fifteen minutes. We have a secure line with the Delta force commander if you want to talk to him, sir."

"Pipe it down to my phone," the general ordered. He took his seat while the captain made the arrangements. Less than 30 seconds later the hookup was made. General Grim punched the speaker button so everyone could hear.

"This is General Grim," he stated formally into the voice box. "Who am I speaking with?"

"This is Lieutenant-Commander Sims, Delta Force leader, sir!" There was static on the line, and the captain worked his controls to clear it up.

"What's your situation, commander?"

"We've found the object, sir. It's some kind of craft made from what looks like a blue plastic material. Its...bubbling, sir."

"Bubbling?"

"Yes sir, I repeat, it's bubbling...at least on the surface. It's about the size of a small car, maybe just a little bigger. It's shaped like an egg. No signs of exhaust vents or doors."

"How many men are in your squad, commander?"

"Seven, including myself sir. We weren't expecting to go out. Most of my men are on a weekend pass."

"Understand, commander," General Grim answered. "I've been informed re-enforcement's are on the way and should be there in twelve minutes. Can you keep the area secure until then?"

"Not a problem, sir. The objected landed in a remote area. The nearest road or house is more than a mile away. We'll make sure..."

Suddenly General Grim heard a man screaming in the background. This was followed by shouts mix with more screams, and the sound of a rifle being fired. He heard one man yell for God to save them before going silent. Then there was nothing.

"We've just lost contact, sir," the captain working the communications stated.

"YOU THINK!" General Grim screamed furiously. "WHAT THE FUCK JUST HAPPENED? IT SOUNDED LIKE THEY WERE ATTACKED!" Quickly the general regained his composure. "Warn the men going in that the landing zone is hot. Tell them to shoot to kill, and repeat the order to them - SHOOT TO KILL!"

Fade out...

***

Voice of Linda Anderson - They say to judge someone; you must first walk a mile in their shoes. When I first came here, I regarded this town as a prison. In many ways that's still true, but only if you look at it superficially. Years later, with the benefit of hindsight, I can now see the town for what it is; a last attempt to bring peace between the Titans, the Olympians, and us, the human race. If the town succeeds, the people imprisoned in Peace River will finally be free and there will be peace. If it fails, the resulting war could end the world as we know it. There are some on all sides of this conflict who have their own reasons for seeing the project fail.

These are the stories of the men and women who made a difference during those dark days, and shaped history. It's also about those who had to face their deepest, darkest problems and what they gained from conquering them. It's a place of second chances, hope, and peace. The name of this town is Andersonville.

***

Fade in...

A lone soldier led Dennis Butz down the dark path. He had been briefed, but the people who had done so knew very little. No one seemed to have any idea of who or what they were dealing with. If they had come to him before this had happened, the director could've prepared them. Instead he had been kept in the dark until now.

'That had to be General Grim's decision,' Dennis thought. The man was finding fault in everything he did, from his operation of Andersonville to sitting on the toilet and taking a dump. Now things between them were going to get worse. The general would be even more un-trusting of him at a time when he needed to trust him the most. The next 24 hours would be critical.

As he stepped past the trees into a small field Dennis spotted the remains of the once beautiful craft, still bubbling. One man was trying to retrieve a sample of the metal, but everything he used dissolved. The highly corrosive acid ate through everything, and Dennis knew by morning there would be nothing left of the ship.

'Why here?' Dennis wondered. It was cold, and they didn't like the cold. Was it to set up a base of operations near the Olympians? That had to be the reason. Rattle their cages a little.

"The old goat was right," June Herns noted as she walked up next to Dennis. The director was surprised to see her, and Juno explained. "I sensed it coming down and used my own authority to get here. Didn't they tell you I was coming?"

"It seems General Grim wants to keep me in the dark on this operation," Dennis stated.

"It stood close to here," June told him, looking around. "I can feel it's slimy presence."

"We'll find it, Juno. All I have to do is convince someone to give me some men. Let's go."

They headed toward a small, black container that a helicopter had dropped off just a few minutes before. Already men were hard at work connecting hookups and stringing wires to make the command base active. A tall, muscular sergeant was close by watching the activity and issuing commands.

"Sergeant, I need to speak to the person in charge."

"That would be General Grim, sir. He's just coming in." The soldier pointed toward the dark corner of the field, and Dennis could make out the outline of a helicopter that had just landed. Moments later a jeep pulled up near the crash site, and General Grim with two men stepped out to look at the remains.

"Come on," Dennis told June as he made his way back to where they had once been. General Grim was talking to one of his men when they showed up. "General Grim, I need to speak with you."

The general glared at Dennis for a moment, and then motioned him to get in the jeep. "This way," he proclaimed. They drove the one hundred or so yards back to the new command post while his aides trotted behind. When they pulled up the Sergeant stepped forward and saluted him smartly.

"The command post is up and operational, sir," he announced in a professional tone.

"Very good, Sergeant." General Grim returned the salute and went inside. Dennis took one more look at the operation going on around them. There were hundreds of men with guns around the perimeter, but he doubted if anyone was out searching for it. Maybe that was a good thing. He went in, followed by Judge Herns and the General's two aides.

The command post was made up of two different rooms. The larger of the two held all the maps and communication equipment, and was manned by three young soldiers. They wore thick headphones, and were in constant contact with each platoon leader. One of the solders was talking to the general, who seemed quite aggravated by what he had to say.

"They'll have the maps here in an hour, sir," the young corporal was saying.

"Goddamn it, I want them here in thirty minutes - along with the person who's responsible for supplying you with the wrong maps. There's a big 'fucking' difference between Kentucky and Wisconsin and I'm going to point that out to him."

"Yes sir," the corporal nervously snapped to attention and then got back on the radio.

"Goddamn idiots," the General swore. "Someone was in too big of a fucking hurry and gave them the maps for Ashland, Kentucky."

"Forget the maps," Dennis told him, wondering why generals cursed so much to get their point across. "I need about thirty men to go after it."

General Grim eyed Dennis with contempt. "You need? This is 'my' operation, Mr. Butz. Before I give you anything 'you need' we're going to have a little chat. In here." He motioned them to the smaller room that served as both a kitchen and a conference area. There was a metal table bolted to the floor, along with six comfortable chairs. Dennis, Juno, and General Grim took a seat while his aides stood rigidly by the closed door.

"I stopped by the infirmary to see for myself, because I couldn't believe the reports. Do you know what I saw, Mr. Butz?"

"I can guess," Dennis replied. "Your men looked like statues...their skin hard as rock...only your instruments indicated that they're still alive."

"Like living stone," the general stated in mild horror. "LIVING STONE!" What they 'fuck' happened to them?"

"General, I don't have time to explain this right now. If we don't move fast your people will be in grave danger."

"We'll move when I say 'we' move," General Grim stated with angry impatience. "Six are of my men are...'hell', I don't know what the fuck to say is wrong with them. I don't know if they're dead or alive. Another man is missing. So before I risk any more of my men I want some 'fucking' answers. What the HELL am I'm dealing with here, Mr. Butz?"

"You say a man is missing, general?" Juno asked in surprise.

General Grim shot the judge a careful glance. "Yes, Juno, or do you prefer Judge Herns?" Clearly he wanted it known that he had no beef with her.

"Perhaps Judge Herns is better, so your men don't overhear," she replied. "Do you have a profile on the man who is missing?"

"It's at the base, why?"

"I need to see it, General. It may give us a clue as to how powerful it is."

"How powerful 'what' is?" General Grim asked firmly. When neither one answered, he stated, "Look, I'm not doing anything until I find out what's going on. Now someone start talking."

The two looked at each other, and Juno nodded. Dennis cleared his throat and asked, "What do you know about the Medusa, General?"

The general leaned back in his chair and eyeballed the two. "Just what I've read from the books you recommended. She was a woman of great beauty, until one of the Olympians changed her into an ugly monster. Her hair became snakes, and it was said that if any man looked at her face they would be turned to stone."

Dennis smirked. "Such is the authenticity of myths. The truth is much different. You see Medusa isn't the name of a person, it's a race. They're a pale, blob-like creature about the size of a breadbox."

"Sounds like something I scrape off my shoe after I step on a slug," the general commented dryly.

"Not all beings look like you and me, General," Dennis snapped. "The Medusa are extremely intelligent and can adapt to almost any environment. Their strength is that they can blend in, but that is only the beginning of their powers." The director stopped talking for a moment as if he were choosing his next words carefully.

"Before we came here, the Medusa were our allies in the war against the Olympians. You see, the Medusa and Judge Herns people are natural enemies."

"Why?" General Grim demanded to know.

"I can't tell you," Dennis answered in a defensive tone.

"Oh for crying out loud Dennis," Judge Herns sighed angrily. "If you won't tell him I will. You see General Grim, the Medusa adapt to their new environment by becoming one of native residents. They find a host and take over their body. That's what happened to your missing man, he's under the Medusa's control. I'm afraid there's nothing you can do to save him."

"You mean he's dead?" the general asked in anguish.

"No." Dennis answered for her. He hesitated then added, "But he might as well be. Once the Medusa is killed your man will die. He's sort of in a suspended state. He doesn't know what's going on."

"They're very particular about who they choose," Judge Herns expounded. "That's why I'm surprise the Medusa chose a host so quickly. I guess it got lucky."

"I still don't get it? Why does it need a host in the first place? Will it die if it doesn't?"

"No," Juno shook her head. "What you have to understand General is that the Medusa are a very paranoid race. They don't need a host to survive. They do all this to...to execute the next phase of their strategy."

"And what would that strategy be?" General Grim asked in an uneasy tone

Dennis answered the question. "It will seek out a mate. When it finds one, the Medusa will produce slave slugs that only it can control. The slaves will go out and infect others, bringing the person under the Medusa's control. Slowly but surely it will build an army to surround and protect itself with. A normal Medusa can control seven to eight thousand beings, but it's not uncommon for some to have the ability to control ten thousand or more. When the slaves take over, they read the host's memories and act like that person. You could talk to one for over an hour and never know it was a slave."

The jaw on the general's face grew tight. He stared at Dennis with cold, angry eyes like someone who wanted to snap his neck. "What about my six men at the infirmary? What did it do to them?"

That's the other part of the myth," Dennis explained. "The part about if you looked at Medusa's face you'll turn to stone. In addition to controlling thousands of individuals, the Medusa can preserve others in case of an emergency. A normal Medusa will have up to 3,000 stored and kept close by. That way if there's a battle and a few thousand are lost, the Medusa can activate it's reserves without having to search for replacements."

"You sick, perverted bastard," General Grim cursed. "You allowed them to do this to our people without protest. You turned a blind eye to all this while these creatures enslaved ten thousand or more of my people!"

"Times were different, general," Dennis said impatiently. "Your people back then were different."

"How 'different' you Titan mother-fucker?" General Grim raged. "What, we take showers everyday and wear shoes, and they didn't? We drive cars instead of riding horseback? What makes us so different - so much fucking better 'today' that we've earned your protection? Why was it okay to use and abuse us back then but not now? I want to know why you think we're so worthy of your help today when it wasn't offered centuries ago!"

"As I said before, times were different,' Dennis repeated heatedly. "Look at your own history General Grim. During World War II the thought of a black man ordering a white man around in the military was unthinkable. In fact African-Americans didn't fight in the war until the later years, and none had any leadership positions over white soldiers. Most served as cooks or dug graves. Yet sixty years later you, an African-American man, order and control the lives of hundred of thousands of men of all colors. What makes you better than those men who served in the military back then?"

"We're talking about apple and oranges, Mr. Butz. That situation was based on bigotry."

"So was ours," Dennis tossed back at him. "The truth is, we thought of humans as being inferior to us back then. Some we regarded highly, but most weren't. Unlike you, we didn't have new generations to replace the old prejudice. We had to learn and see the errors of our ways. Tell me General and be honest here, how different would your world be today if the people in the 1940's were still alive and in charge? Would you still be standing here talking to me? Would there be any high-ranking African-American's officers in your army?"

"No, not likely," the general admitted disgustedly. "Maybe a few captains - given the privilege of serving coffee or tea at the meetings. It's the new generations that will reap the rewards from our efforts."

Dennis nodded. "It's not like that with us. We're the men from the 1940's. There is no new generation to pass on our hopes and dreams of a better world. We had to change our way of thinking, and like humans that doesn't come easy. Not for us or for the Olympians."

Taking a deep breath, Dennis continued. "When we arrived there were three Medusa's, but only one had the power to control humans. Its name was Kilameton, and it took control of a pretty female from a nearby village. As I said, we didn't have a high regard for human's back then so we didn't care what it did. Then the Olympians arrived. You have a saying - 'the enemy of your enemy is your friend.' Since the Medusa's fought side by side with us in our past war, it seemed natural for them to help us again."

"But why you, and not the Olympians? Why are the Medusa's natural enemies with them?"

"Because General Grim," Juno answered for Dennis, "the Medusa found us a most compatible host. Some races are better suited for them than others. On a scale of 1 to 10, 10 being the best, we're a '15', while the Titans are only a 2 or 3. They came and conquered millions of my people before we found out what was happening. To fight them, we first had to find them. So our scientist developed a drug that would increase our senses to detect a Medusa. Unfortunately it worked too well. Not only could we detect them on our planet, but also several light years in space. To feel them is...it's a very uncomfortable feeling General, like a nightmare. Worse, the effects were passed on from generation to generation, in some cases increasing in intensity.

"Once the Medusa were exposed, it was easy to find and kill them. That's when they threw their slaves, our own people, into a war against us. Fifty million Olympians died in that four-day war, because the slaves had access to the same weapons. What saved us was that we didn't have to kill all the slaves. Once the Medusa is killed, it's slaves also died. After we won the war on our planet, we went after them in space. That's when the Titan's showed up to help the Medusa, and we've been fighting ever since."

"That's not entirely true, Juno," Dennis said defensively. "We attacked you only after we found out what you were doing to 'our' people."

"It was you who introduced space travel to the Medusa. That's what brought them to our planet," she snapped back. "You're responsible in the end for what happened to us - so we used your people to fight them."

"Like you want to use us now?" Dennis questioned strongly. "Don't tell me you don't know what I'm talking about. You and I both know why Judge Jasper doesn't kill my people. There can only be one reason. Besides, we had no idea what the Medusa would do after they left the confines of their world. They weren't paranoid when we first met. And it was only after your people destroyed an unarmed star liner carrying a group of Medusa and Titan children, while our leaders were negotiating an end to the war between you and the Medusa, that we attacked. Three thousand innocent people, almost a thousand of which were Titan children that your intelligence knew were onboard...but your 'brave' captain took the shot anyway. Of course we attacked - what would you have done?"

"SHUT UP!" General Grim roared. Both Dennis and Juno looked at him in shock that anyone would dare tell them to be quiet. "The two of you can fight about this later. Right now it's 'my' people that are in danger, and I want to know what the 'fuck' I can do about it! So where do we fit in on this 'Medusa scale'?

Dennis faulted to gain control of his anger. Old hatred never died, it was always there, waiting to resurface if given the chance. No wonder Crius wanted them dead. It had been a long time since he had felt this way.

"Your race is a seven, at least that's what Kilameton told me before it was killed."

"How did it die?" General Grim wanted to know.

"That's the last part of the myth," Juno explained. "You see, we knew where Kilameton was hiding, the problem was getting close enough to it. Just as we could sense it, it could sense us. So we staged a battle, to pull it's slaves away, and sent in a small group of warriors led by one, brave man."

"Perseus!"

"Correct, General. He was able to sneak up behind the Medusa and cut off its head. As soon as he did, all its slaves died. To honor what he did for us, we gave him a place in the stars."

General Grim shook his head in disbelief. "That's an incredible story. So why do you suppose this Medusa showed up?"

The director got a little uncomfortable at the question. "After we crashed, Kilameton tried to get in contact with its people. It looks like it may have succeeded. If a message was sent in the conventional way, it wouldn't have reached their home planet until recently."

General Grim's anger returned. "Why didn't you tell me about this years ago?" he demanded to know.

"I had no idea that it succeeded," Dennis countered. "It tried for years without any luck. I figured it failed."

"You should've told me anyway!" the general bellowed. "You should have told me about all this, before I sent seven brave men to their deaths!"

"And you should have told me about the signals from the spaceship days ago," Dennis shot back. "If you had I could have told you what was going on and prevented all this."

"Actual General, the six men in your hospital aren't dead," Juno interrupted. "Once we kill the Medusa, those men will return to normal in 24 hours. It's the ones the Medusa will infect if we don't stop it that are in danger. Once they're taken over by a slave slug their life's are over."

General Grim nodded. At least there was good news about his men. All he had to do was find it...and he would find it. "You say this Medusa is looking for a mate. Since it's taken a male host, it must be looking for a female."

"Not exactly, General," Dennis interjected. "The Medusa picks its mate based on the energy aura around the person. If that happens to be a male, it will simply transform them into a female of it's choosing."

"What is it about your people and sex changes," the General grumbled. "Do all races have this ability?"

"We taught them how to do it," Dennis said.

"Of course," General Grim answered sarcastically. "Why doesn't that surprise me?"

"Changing a person's DNA is rather easy," Judge Herns jumped in. "They would've found out from us anyway if we hadn't stopped them."

General Grim stared at Judge Herns respectfully. "Will you help us, Judge?"

June nodded. "I'll try...but I'll be honest general, my abilities are limited to only about a mile or so once it's on the ground. However, there are others in my town who've been feeling the Medusa's presence for months. I can talk to them, but I must warn you General Grim. They're not happy with your country's alliance with the Titans."

"Tell them neither am I!" the General frowned. Dennis glared at the man. "In the meantime, I'll get you a helicopter to circle the area and see if you can pick it up. Even at a good run our man couldn't be more than 5 or 6 miles away. We may get lucky.

"Providing it hasn't been picked up by someone," Dennis pointed out.

General Grim looked at his watch. "Who would be out at this time of the night?"

***

The Medusa knew it was in danger. It could feel the presence of an Olympian close by. Clearing the woods it came upon a hard, paved path going in both directions. The Medusa searched the memory of the person who had been called Robert Sprint to see what its purpose was. The path was called a road, and it was used by cars to travel on. The humans traveled from place to place on the ground? The Medusa concluded this was indeed a strange world.

In the distance something shinny caught it's eye. Two lights moving toward him in the darkness. Yes, that had to be a car. He had to stop it, but how. Searching the man's memory once more, the Medusa came up with a plan.

***

The light-blue Honda crept slowly down the road. Inside the four teenagers, 2 boys and 2 girls, strained to see something above the treetops.

"Do you see anything?" the male driver asked.

"Nothing," stated the other boy sitting in the passenger seat.

"Maybe ET went home," one of the girls in back giggled.

"Then why did all those helicopters suddenly appear?" the driver asked. "Look, there goes another."

In the distance they could make out a military helicopter heading toward the area where they had seen the mysterious object go down. At first they thought it was a meteorite, but when those helicopters showed up they suspected it was something much bigger. They drove toward the area, hoping to get a glimpse of whatever it was. Instead the only things they saw were bare trees in the winter snow and those dark-colored helicopters.

"Hi Mike, check it out," the male passenger told the driver. The teenage driver looked ahead, and spotted a man stand in the road with his flashlight pointed at them. In the other hand he held a rifle.

"What the hell is going on?" Mike cursed. He pulled up next to the soldier who was waving at him to stop and rolled down the window. "What do you want?"

The soldier peered inside the car and looked at the occupants. Mike could tell from his uniform that this soldier was in Special Forces. The soldier waved his gun at them and ordered, "Get out."

"What?" Mike asked in surprise. "Fuck you! We didn't do anything wrong."

"Get out," the soldier said more forcefully, and then pointed his gun at the driver's head.

Mike swallowed hard, and looked over at his friend, Tim. His eyes were wide, and he looked as scared as Mike did. The girls were silent for once, too frightened to say anything. Mike opened the door and slowly got out, followed by his girlfriend, Nancy. Tim exited on the passenger side, with his girlfriend Jamie holding on to him for dear life.

"What's going on," she asked in a low, frighten voice.

"Just do as he says babe, everything will be okay," Tim whispered to her.

The soldier lined them up in a row, and then looked at them carefully - first Mike followed by the two girls and then...Tim. He liked what he saw.

"You," he pointed his gun at Tim. "Step away from the rest."

"Why? I didn't do anything," the teenager protested.

"You have been chosen," the soldier simply stated.

"Chosen? Chosen for what?"

"You will be my mate," the man replied. The four teenagers looked at him funny.

"Fuck you!" Tim spat. "I'll rather be dead than...than...SHIT!"

The soldier reached his hand over to pull Tim from the others. Mike saw his opening and went for it. He lurched for him, but the soldier's training kicked in and he moved fast. He brought up his rifle and smacked Mike hard in the face. The teenager fell to the ground dazed.

"You mother-fucker!" Tim yelled and advanced. The soldier brought his rifle around and pointed it right in the teenager's face.

"I can always find someone else," the Medusa said coldly, then added, "Follow my instructions and your friends live. Disobey me, and I kill all of you. Move over to the side of the road."

Seeing that this man meant business, Tim reluctantly did as he was told. The soldier looked at the two girls who were too afraid to move. "Stay there," he commanded them. "If you run, I will shoot you...then I will shoot your friend."

The two girls whimpered and held on to each other. The soldier turned back to Tim, and held out his hand. "Take my hand," he said sternly.

Tim did, and suddenly sparks flew from where they touched. The soldier held on tight and smiled while Tim and his friends watched in horror. A glow appeared around Tim's hand that quickly moved up his arm and engulfed his entire body. Then he started to change, getting skinnier and shorter. The soldier pulled back his hand and watched the fruits of his labor take place.

"What's happening?" Tim cried, as his body began to take on a more feminine form. His hair turned honey-golden blonde like his girlfriend, and grew past his shoulders. In fact other things about him started to change to resemble her, from her deep, blue eyes to her better than average breasts. Oddly, other changes resembled Mike's girlfriend, Nancy. He got her lips, cheeks, nose, and legs. When the transformation was complete, Tim looked like a cross between the two girls.

"Oh my GOD!" Jamie screamed hysterically.

"What is it...what's wrong?" Tim asked in a panicky tone.

"You're...he...Tim...you look like a...a...a girl," Jamie stuttered while holding her hand over her mouth in horror.

"What...NO!" Tim screamed as he ran his hands over his face and down his breast. Jamie and Nancy weren't the only one's crying now.

"You need new clothes," the Medusa said in a matter of fact tone. "I need you to look..." It searched the soldiers memories for the right word, "'sexy'...so we can propagate." He turned to the two girls, and pointed his gun at them. "You two...take off your clothes. Do so or I kill you."

The girls whimpered, but did as he ordered. They took off their heavy jackets and the Medusa compared the two. Nancy was wearing blue jeans and a cotton shirt while Jamie had worn a short, blue dress. The Medusa searched the memories of the soldier and found the dress appealing. After the girls had stripped down to their underwear, something else the Medusa had to search his memory for, it observed what they had on. One of the girls was wearing a pair of cotton panties and a plain bra, while the other wore a silky and lacier brand. The Medusa pointed its gun at Nancy and said, "Your underwear...it's very pretty. Take it off and put it in the pile."

"No...no...please," she whimpered both in fright and shame.

"Do it!" it ordered in a more threatening manner. The girl obliged, crying as she did. The Medusa was surprised to see how little courage these humans had. Even his new mate just stood there whimpering like a whipped pup.

"You will be used later," the Medusa said calmly while pointing its hand at the two girls. A dart flew from its fingertip and struck Jamie in the chest. She screamed, but it was short lived. Her skin suddenly became hard, as a stone shell grew from the spot where the dart had pierced her skin. In a few seconds it had encased her entire body. Nancy saw what happened and screamed loudly and hysterically. The Medusa pointed his finger at her, unaware of the new danger. Mike had recovered from the blow and had seen what had happened to Jamie. Distract by the transformation, the Medusa failed to see Mike stand. Just as it was about shoot, the young man jumped on the Medusa from behind.

"RUN!" he yelled to his girlfriend, as the Medusa struggled not fall. Nancy didn't need any more encouragement. She ran for the woods screaming while Tim continued to stand there in shock. He had just pulled his hand back from inside his pants. It was gone - all gone. He was...he was. Tim couldn't even say the word 'girl' to himself.

Mike was strong, but the Medusa had the edge. It was quickly able to point it's finger at the teenager and shoot. The young man fell back and turned to stone - a bewildered expression on his face. The Medusa looked around for Nancy but she was gone.

"You...you bastard," Tim shouted seeing his friend standing there like a statue. A helicopter flew by less than a mile away.

"We will talk about his parents later," the Medusa said, unaware of what Tim had meant. "You will come with me."

"The fuck I will!" Tim yelled with so much anger that tears fell from his eyes. "What did you do to my friend?"

The Medusa frowned, and grabbed Tim's hand. "Get in the car." The young man found himself doing as his captive suggested without a struggle. The Medusa walked him over to the passenger side of the car and sat him down. As soon as his hand was released however, Tim had control over his body again. He tried to stand up, but this time the Medusa slapped him hard across the face. Tim cried out in pain.

"You will sit there," he ordered, then slammed the door. Tim broke down and started crying. His captor got in and looked at his new mate. "Do not cry young girl. I will make you the queen of our new world." The Medusa put the car in gear and drove off.

***

"Down there!" Judge Herns told the pilot. She pointed at the dark road below.

"I don't see anything," the spotter wearing the night goggles yelled over the noise of the chopper blades. He looked closer then said, "Okay, now I do. Take her down."

The pilot dove and in seconds had his bird resting on the ground. Six soldiers jumped out and scanned the area, followed by Judge Herns. Immediately the helicopter took off so it could circle the area looking for trouble. The soldiers approached two figures in the dark.

"My God," one of them said as he touched the stone face. "We're too late. They look like kids." The sound of someone crying made them spin around.

"It's okay," Judge Herns reassured them as she held up her hand. "This isn't what we're looking for." She approached the side of the road and stared in the direction of the crying. She could sense great fear.

"We're not going to hurt you," she told the frightened child. "We're here to help. Come out please."

"I...I can't," the girl sobbed. "I have no clothes. That soldier...he took them." Judge Herns could detect shock in the teenager's tone, and took off her coat.

"You must be cold my child. I'm coming in there with my jacket. I'm not going to hurt you, Nancy. I only want to take you to a place of safety."

"How...how did you know my name?" she asked as Judge Herns approached.

"It's okay, child," Juno replied softly as she wrapped her heavy coat around the frozen girl. "I'll explain everything later."

"My...my friends," she started to whimper. "He...he...look at what..." The girl was in too much shock to finish the sentence.

"I know, Nancy. I'm going to help your friends, but first you have to help me. When did this happen?"

"About...ten minutes ago maybe. He has Tim. Tim is now a...a...giiiiirrrlllll." Nancy started sobbing in disbelief. Juno held the distressed girl tightly, and rocked her gently back and forth.

"Shhhhh...it's okay, Nancy. Take a deep breath and try to focus on my questions. Can you tell me what kind of car he's driving, and which direction he's going?"

"Blue...Honda. It's my...my car. My father gave it to me. I was letting Mike drive it. My father told me not too...but I disobeyed him. When he finds out...when he finds out he will be so...mad." The girl placed her face against Juno's chest and started crying uncontrollably.

"Commander," Judge Herns called out. A tall, dark man approached. "Call General Grim. Tell him to find out what the license plate number is of a car owned by Nancy McBride. Then have him issue an APB to all the local law enforcement agencies and have them set up some roadblocks. If we're lucky, we might catch it before morning.

"Yes, ma'am," the soldier replied. Quickly he pulled out his radio and called it in.

***

They searched through the night but it was fruitless. There were too many back roads in the area, and the Medusa knew staying on the main road was too dangerous. As the hours ticked by it became apparent their target had gotten away. Before sunrise the military was already starting to pull out. By this time the starship had dissolved into a pile of ashes that were quickly swept up by the scientists for study.

"How long have we got?" General Grim asked.

"It'll take a few sexual encounters for the Medusa to get everything just right," Dennis explained. "The new womb will have to be modified to support its slugs. Say 12 hours on the inside, 24 on the out. After that it'll take 48 hours for the slugs to mature. There are usually about 100 slugs in each birth. The Medusa won't be choosy at first. Anyone who is big and it feels can protect it will do. After the birth its mate will have to rest at least 24 hours before she can get pregnant again...then the process will repeat itself."

"Damn!" the general cursed. "We have to stop it before that happens. Judge Herns, I need you to talk to your people and get me their help."

"I'll do my best, General. I need to get back to Andersonville."

"I'll have my helicopter take you."

***

Dennis and I sat in his car outside the home of Vesta, one of Jupiter's sisters. Like the other houses in this neighborhood, it was a typical two-story home that was neither fancy nor shabby. For a long time I had suspected it was a jumping point from Andersonville to Peace River, and the fact that Judge Herns had been brought here only confirmed my suspicions. Dennis was quiet, as if something heavy was on his mind.

"Anything you want to talk about, Dennis?" I offered, trying to come to grips with what I had learned. Together Judge Herns and Dennis had filled me in on what had happened. Their tone indicated this was a very serious situation.

The director sighed. "I was just thinking about our past. So many mistakes, and so many hard feelings because of them. Maybe I'm a fool for thinking Andersonville will bring us all together."

"All?" I questioned. "You mean humans too?"

"Yes Linda, humans too. How can you have peace if only two of the three races are involved? Your people have matured, I guess in part due to the Olympians. They've slowly but surely introduced technology into your society to force you to grow these past hundred years."

"Why did you do it, Dennis? Why did you and your people prevent us from growing into what we could've become? Why did you keep us static all these centuries?"

A serious frown crossed his face. "Because the Olympians don't see you as a mature race like we do, Linda. They have another agenda, for your people and mine. I know it and they know I know it, yet the Olympians still deny it. Even Judge Herns thinks it won't happen now...but she's fooling herself."

"What do you mean, Dennis? What is it the Olympians want from us?"

The director pressed his lips together tightly and shook his head. "Not yet, Linda. In time, but not yet."

"Why, because you don't trust me?" I asked in a tempered tone.

"Because you still have doubts," he stated frankly. "Deep inside you keep twisting back and forth between the Olympians and us as to who the bad people are. Yes, both of us have committed terrible acts against your people in the past, so neither can stand out as your knight in shinning armor. However, my people regret what we did, while the Olympians continue with their agenda started centuries ago. Until you accept that, I can't tell you."

"But I do accept that what you just said is the truth," I told him.

"No you don't," he replied firmly. "I don't blame you for this...not after what you know."

"So you want me to side with you, is that it Dennis?"

He shook his head sadly. "I want you to understand that the Olympians are not an evil race in general any more than we are, but they may not have your people's best intentions in mind. Even the Medusa is not evil; it's just that its agenda may not be in the best interest of your people."

"And what is the Medusa's agenda, Dennis?"

"Control," he said with no emotion. "Not for evil, but for what it thinks will protect your people and theirs. If they succeed, they'll set up a very pleasant world for everyone, only they call 'all' the shots. Your people will have no say in how your world is run. How do you feel about paradise being controlled by another race, Linda?"

I swallowed hard at the idea. "It doesn't sit well with me, Dennis."

"I thought it wouldn't," he said quietly.

There was something else that bothered me. "Dennis, does my government know where Peace River is located?"

"They have a general idea, but the location is a secret to them. The Olympians are able to hide their town well. Even with your sophisticated satellites they still can't find it. A few times search patrols have come close, but the Olympians were able to trick them into thinking nothing was there. Your government knows the town is somewhere in the Dakota's, but not where."

"Why not tell them?"

"What happens if I do, Linda?"

I thought about it. "The president will order the military to find a way to free those who want to leave."

"Then what?"

"Since Jupiter is not likely to give anyone up, there would be a war. Many of our soldiers would die, but based on what I've seen Jupiter can't hold them off forever.

"All true," Dennis agreed. "In the end your military would prevail, but not until 25,000 or more of your soldiers perish in the battle, along with the 15,000 citizens in Peace River."

"What?"

"Think it through, Linda. What will Jupiter's reaction be when he realizes your military will be victorious and they have to flee?"

"He'll kill them, won't he?"

"More than likely. You can't use force against the Olympians and expect to win without taking heavy casualties. If he leaves, he's going to need an abundance of power, and most of the people in his town will be useless to him. Put two and two together, and you get your answer. Which is why I've never told your people its location. If I do, their blood will be on my hands."

"The mailman knows."

"Yes, and he's a danger to your people as well as theirs, Linda. I was hoping Juno wouldn't break your contract with Jupiter when she picked you up. He needs to be stopped, before someone higher up discovers where Peace River is and starts a war that should never be. If...when Andersonville works out, they'll be freed and no one else will have to suffer like they have. Unfortunately, too many people want to see Andersonville closed down for good - General Grim being one of them." Dennis stopped talking and frowned. "She's back already."

Judge Herns walked to the car and got in. "The old goat will help us find the Medusa under one condition."

"What is it?" Dennis asked.

"You have to get your people to agree to help - in particular Crius."

"Why?" I asked. "That doesn't make sense."

"Yes it does, Linda," Dennis frowned. "Our race has...'had' a pact with the Medusa to fight the Olympians before we came here. Our word is everything, even more important than our own life and Jupiter knows that. He wants us to prove our commitment to him. He wants to see that peace with his people is more important than old loyalties."

"He's a clever old goat," June agreed.

"But you don't know if the pact with the Medusa is valid anymore," I argued.

"We don't know that it isn't," Dennis countered. "Only the Medusa knows for sure, and unfortunately we can't ask it. If we agree to Jupiter's request, we could be breaking an agreement that dates back thousands of years.

"Dennis, we need the Olympians help. If the Medusa succeeds, everything will be lost. Surely Jupiter can see the danger in all this."

"There is only one Medusa, Linda," Judge Herns explained. "At best, about 15,000 people will be infected. The danger doesn't come until more of them arrive, which wouldn't be for a while. Jupiter will deal with the Medusa before that happens."

"And thousands of my people will die while he waits."

"Yes, I'm afraid that's so, Linda. I tried my best, but his mind was set. Frankly, I can understand his thinking."

"I'll talk to Crius," Dennis said while starting the car. We drove around the block, and parked in front of a smaller, single story home. "Wait here, Linda." I noticed that he didn't say anything to Juno, who didn't attempt to get out of the car. I guess that was a given.

***

"Welcome brother," Crius said as one of his assistants let Dennis in. He spied Juno in the car and frowned. "She's not coming in, is she?"

"She knows better, Crius." Dennis took a seat. "I'll get right to the point, Crius. I'm in trouble and need your help."

"What sort of trouble, brother?"

"A Medusa."

A thin smile appeared on Crius lips. "I would say we're not the ones who have trouble, brother. It's our Olympian masters who should be worried."

"It's our problem too, Crius. This Medusa threatens the peace we have built with them."

"Peace!" Crius spat like it had left a bad taste in his mouth. "Where was this 'peace' when they ambushed my assistant, Leo? Have they returned him as a sign of this 'peace' you talk about, brother? I don't see him with you."

"Leo committed a crime against their people, Crius. Under the terms of the treaty I signed, they had a right to go after him once he left Andersonville. Besides, this visit isn't about Leo. They want our help."

"And what do our Olympian 'masters' want us to do," Crius sneered.

"Help us track down the Medusa. Reason with it if we can, but destroy it if we must."

"Destroy? Have you forgotten the pact we signed with them?"

"I haven't."

"Then you know I can't help you. We have an alliance with these people."

"We don't know that."

"Until you prove otherwise I'm going to assume that we do," Crius stated firmly. "I will not help you or anyone else hunt down the adversary of our enemy."

"How many times do I have to say this, Crius...the Olympians are 'not' our enemy!"

"A matter of opinion, brother. I will not help."

"Crius, please," Dennis begged. "I've never asked you for anything before, but I'm asking now. You owe me."

"You ask too much," he replied firmly. "I will not hunt down my allies. They represent the biggest advantage we have over the Olympians. Look at our history my brother. It shows that the only way there can be a peace between the Olympians and us is if we have control over them. I will not give up our advantage."

"And the humans, Crius? What happens to them?"

The Titan God shrugged his shoulders. "They will grow to like their new situation. Those who the Medusa's take over all do in time."

"Crius, please help..."

"NO!" he stated strongly. "You should be ashamed of yourself for even approaching me with such a suggestion, Rhea. Go now! I will not discuss this with you any more."

The old god quickly stood and exited the room, leaving Dennis to ponder if there was hope for his friend. He left the house frowning, and got in the car.

"He didn't go for it, did he," Juno stated the obvious.

"No," Dennis answered. "Is there any chance Jupiter will change his mind?"

"None," she replied.

"Then we're screwed," Dennis said.

"You're wrong, Dennis," I pointed out. "It's the human race that's screwed." For once Dennis and Judge Herns had nothing to say.

***

"We'll almost there," the Medusa told its new mate while pulling over the car. They had been driving for almost 17 hours, but strangely the Medusa wasn't tired. The excitement of being in a new world was keeping it going. Except for stops to get gas and use the bathroom, the Medusa hadn't felt safe enough to rest until now. "You need to change, so you will feel more comfortable."

"I'm comfortable in my own clothes," Tim said. He still couldn't believe what had happened to him. He was a girl, a real girl. He had the long hair, the firm breasts, and the vagina to prove it. But inside he wasn't a girl...inside he was a young man screaming to get out.

The Medusa frowned. "How could you be comfortable in clothes meant for the male species?"

"Male species? Girls wear blue jeans and tee-shirts all the time," Tim yelled. "What planet are you from?" The question had been asked sarcastically, but the Medusa didn't know that.

"We come from many worlds," it said.

"Wait! You're a...a...a fucking alien?"

"Alien?" The Medusa searched the memory of his host and found the meaning. "Yes, a visitor from another world, that would be me."

"I'm getting the hell out of here!" the teenager said. Tim tried to open the door, but the Medusa stopped him.

"I warned you not to do that," it said and sent a wave of energy raging through Tim's body. The result caused the teenager to scream in pain.

"That was a mild punishment," the Medusa explained. "I can increase the pain so you will feel the effects for days. You will obey me, or I will punish you again. Do you want me to do that?"

"No, I don't," Tim sniffed and now scared shitless. What else was this thing going to do to him?

"Neither do I," the Medusa replied. "I don't like hurting others...it's not in my nature. I only do this to keep you in line, but I don't want to. Don't force me to do things I don't want to do, little girl."

"I'm not...I'm not a girl."

A smile appeared on the Medusa's face. "Yes, you are my mate...a very pretty one. I can feel this man's...feelings for you."

"Oh no, please," Tim begged. "Please don't do that to me."

"It's okay, little girl. We need to get you dressed and think up a name for you."

"My name is 'Tim'."

The Medusa did some more searching and frowned. "Tim is a male name. You need a name that better suits your female species. Fortunately I have found suitable names in my host's memory for both of us. I will be called Ken...and you will be...Barbie. They must be popular with your people in some way. This person gave a statue set to his niece last year for...a birthday."

"No, not Barbie. Call me Tammy or Kim. The thought of being named after a doll is...is too humiliating."

The Medusa shook its head. "This host is excited by the thought of making love to Barbie. He also has other images, of you wearing exciting clothes. Short skirts, high...heels." The Medusa hesitated for a moment as it tried to clear up the thoughts. "Pink and lacy baby doll nighties made of nylon with feather trim. Lacy French..."

"Enough!" Tim yelled, tears forming in his eyes. "I don't want to hear anymore."

Tim's reaction caused the Medusa to be confused. "I would think you would want to know...to help improve your own feelings for the joining of our bodies. I am getting...what's the word...horny thinking about it."

"Well I'm not so leave me the 'fuck' alone. Don't you understand; I'm not a girl! I don't want to wear sexy pink lingerie and screw you."

"But I made you a girl," the Medusa replied totally perplexed. "I made sure of that."

"My mind is still male though."

"Oh, well I am afraid I can do nothing with your thoughts. I am sure you will adjust in time. Perhaps if you got into the...what do you call it? Aww yes, the spirit of the enterprise, you would like it. Now, you must change so we can get a room. You will take off your old clothes and put on your new ones so you will look the part."

"No!" Tim stated defiantly and clenched his jaw tight.

"I could punish you," the Medusa mused. "No, I have a better idea."

It grabbed Tim's left hand, and suddenly the young man found himself picking up the clothes from the back seat with his right hand. His mind seemed detached from the rest of his body, for nothing he did could stop his hand from doing what the alien had ordered. The Medusa guided him out the door, making sure it never let go of him.

"Now Barbie, get out of your old clothes and into your new ones," it said in a chilling fashion.

Tim tried to prevent this from happening, but found he didn't have any control over what he was doing. With his right hand, he removed his shoes and socks, and slid out of his pants and underwear. When Tim started to take his shirt off, the Medusa switch hands so he could get his left arm out. It stared at Barbie's chest in admiration.

"Stop...staring at me," Tim squealed, sounding like the frighten schoolgirl he had become.

"Get used to it," Ken replied. "We're going to be seeing each other naked quite a lot from this point on. Now finish up before someone drives by."

Tim pulled the lacy panties over his waist and fastened the bra the way he had seen Jamie do it after they had been fooling around. He slid the blue and white dress that once belonged to his girlfriend over his body. It fit much to his horror, like a glove. Without a second thought, he slid his feet into the brown sandals as if it were the natural thing to do. The Medusa admired Tim's new look.

"Much better," the Medusa smiled, moving one hand lovingly through Tim's long hair. "You look like the perfect little girl that you are. I noticed some jewelry in their purses. You can find what you like and put it on while I drive. Maybe some makeup too, and ribbons in your hair. Yes, I like the thought of ribbons in your hair. Get back in the car."

The Medusa got in first and slid over, never once letting go of Tim's hand. Tim did the same and closed the car door. His new clothes felt funny, and he twisted his butt and pulled on his short dress to make it cover more of his exposed legs. It didn't help. When Tim's new unwanted lover told him to finish getting ready he refused. However, the threat of being punished was enough for the teenager to do as he was told. He placed a necklace that had belonged to Nancy around his neck. Then he searched both purses for ribbons, and used a couple of them to tie his hair into ponytails. They weren't very good and Tim was sure they wouldn't stay. He simply had no experience being a girl. He lightly added some lipstick and touched up his cheeks with some blush. He cringed at just how a little bit made him look even more feminine and attractive.

They pulled up to an old log cabin surround by trees. It was a place where the soldier had been before with his wife while they were trying to get pregnant. It seemed like the natural place to go for what the Medusa had in mind.

"I hope we have enough of your money." The Medusa pulled out a wad of cash it had found while searching the purses. "You will come with me, and I will control what you say. Please do not try to fight me, Barbie. If you do I will punish you, and neither of us wants that. Now, be a good little girl and come with me."

The Medusa stepped out of the car and pulled Tim with him. Holding onto one hand, they entered the lobby together. An older gentleman in his sixties greeted them with a smile.

"What can I do for you, sir?" he asked.

"We require a room with a bed...a cabin," Ken replied clumsily. "My new mate and I are on...our honeymoon."

The manager looked the young woman over, who didn't appear to be any older than 16. She gave him a nervous smile. "How long?" he asked.

"About two weeks. We want a secluded cabin. My mate and I are going to be making plenty of noise." Ken flashed the manager a knowing smile that the older gentleman didn't return. He sensed there was something wrong with this picture. The man was dressed in a camouflaged uniform as if he had just come off a mission. As for the girl, there was no way she could be of legal age.

"Just the two of you?" he asked, noticing that the man had a wedding ring but the girl didn't.

"Yes. How much will that be?"

"It's the off season, the cabins are only $95 a night. Will that be cash or charge?"

"Cash," Ken said as he counted out the money, most of bills in fives and ones.

"If you're going to stay for two weeks you need to pay for it in advance," the manager insisted. "That will be $1,330 plus tax." The Medusa knew it didn't have that kind of money.

"Look Mac, the rest of my money is in my car and I'm...we're kind of in a hurry if you know what I mean. My mate is still a virgin...and she can't wait to have me turn her into the whore she is. I'll pay for tonight and give you the rest tomorrow." The manager noticed the young girl fidgeting and looking embarrassed at what had been said. It was more than the old man could stand.

"Don't you have any respect for women, mister?" he snapped. "You don't talk about them like that, especially your wife...if she is your 'wife'."

"What do you mean by that?" the Medusa asked suspiciously.

"I mean she doesn't look 18 to me. Miss, is everything alright?"

"She's fine," Ken insisted.

"I asked her," the manager growled.

"Tell him, Barbie. Tell him everything is fine."

"Everything is fine," she repeated like a parrot.

The manager didn't think it was, but unless she said otherwise there wasn't anything he could do. He pushed a small card toward the soldier. "Fill out the information and sign at the bottom. That'll be $100.70. If you plan to say longer I'll need the rest of the money by noon tomorrow. I'll give you cabin 14. There's another honeymooning couple in cabin 16 just so you know. Maybe you can hook up with them later on."

The manager watched the soldier fill out the form and then leave with the girl in tow. She looked back at him as they left, giving him an almost pathetic smile as if something were wrong. The manager shook his head. What was this world coming to?

***

The cabin was sweet. It had a large, furnished living room with a small kitchen off to one side. A stone fireplace sat in the wall that was shared by both the living room and bedroom. A hot tub big enough for two people was just outside the back door. Ken picked up his new bride and carried her in. On the way to the bedroom he dumped his backpack on a chair "I'm so horny, I can't wait," Ken smiled evilly as he set his new bride down on the queen-size bed. Now free from its grasp, Tim was able to speak freely.

"Get away from me you...you alien monster!" He started backing up toward the head of the bed and ran into the wall. Ken followed, smiling.

"I'm not a monster, Barbie...not unless you want me to be. He grabbed him by both hands and forced him down. Tim found his resistance fading away. "Soon you and I will be joined, and our great work will begin. This is indeed an historic night, my love. Think of it...the dawn of a new age for your people begins tonight. We will create an army to do our bidding, and then I can signal the others to follow. Come now; let's not wait. Remove your articles of clothing so we can be one!"

The Medusa released one of his hands and lifted the dress off. Tim closed his eyes as if this were a bad dream and pressed himself tightly against the mattress. He felt his dress being maneuvered off, followed by his bra and panties. He wanted to scream, but something prevented him from doing so. At least the room was dark, reducing his embarrassment of being naked in front of his captor. Ken grabbed his free hand and held Tim in placed. Then he followed by French-kissing his mate. Slowly the Medusa lowered itself onto him.

The soldier smelled terrible from the long trip, making the experience even worse for Tim. He noticed Ken had removed his own clothes, and felt something stiff punching him in the leg. The teenager knew what that stiff something was and tried to fight, but his body refused to follow his command. Ken placed one hand over Tim's breast, and the teenager was surprise at how good it felt. His body reacted favorably, as his vagina turned moist.

"No...no," he was able to gasp a few times as the Medusa concentrated on other things. Tim felt it reestablish its control over his feelings so the mood wouldn't be broken. Then it inched its way up his female body, until its manhood was in the right spot. With one quick jerk it penetrated inside. Even with the control over him, Tim was able to gasp in shock and disbelief. This thing was inside him...and it felt good. But he refused to give in, and tried to push it out. Ken seemed to enjoy this. It played with him; acting like he was succeeding and then swiftly sticking it back in again. Then it had an orgasm, and what an orgasm it was. There was a strong, rhythmic motion to it and Tim felt something warm and squishy entered him. The once young man felt sick to his stomach at what that something was.

Ken continued to push until he went limp, then rolled off and smiled. "I think I'm going to like your planet a lot, Barbie." He grabbed his hands, and rolled Tim on top of him like a rag doll. In the darkness the teenager could make out the white teeth as his captor grinned. "Yes, you and I are going to work out quite well. I knew you were a good pick when I first saw you."

"Bastard," Tim spat, surprise that he could say what he wanted even though Ken was still controlling his actions.

"No," he replied. "My host parents were married long before I was conceived."

Tim cursed - he couldn't even insult this alien properly.

***

Ken made love to his mate three more times throughout the night. Each time he did, Tim's resistance to what had happened got a little weaker. By the fourth encounter the young man found he had accepted his fate, at least part of it. He was a girl now; there was no arguing that...at least not after what his captor had done to him. He could live with that...at least for the time being. What he had problems accepting was that his body was being used by an alien to take over the Earth. He had to stop that from happening, but how?

Well, first he had to gain Ken's trust. Once that was accomplished, Tim would figure out what to do next. That meant he really had to accept his new identity, and his purpose for being here. Tim swallowed hard, and closed his eyes. He concentrated on the words, "I'm a girl...I'm a girl...I AM A GIRL."

He ran his hands over his female body, touching his breasts and experiencing the tingling that came from it. He explored other parts, all the time convincing himself that Tim didn't exist anymore. He liked girls, so he could live as one if he needed to. Being a female wasn't the worst thing to happen to him.

Tim said his female name, and thought of himself as a she. A couple of hours pasted, and slowly his mind adjusted until it wasn't 'he', it was 'she'. Barbie was born, and she had a mission.

As the sun rose over the bare trees Barbie rolled over on Ken and kissed him like a new bride. "Hello lover," she grinned in a sexy manner, her long, blonde hair falling over her head.

"Well hello," Ken smiled back. "What's gotten into you?"

"You," she giggled. "Four times if my math is correct. It's all a little fuzzy after the second time." She giggled again and added, "Want to make it five, lover?

Ken chuckled. "I would love to sugar, but my body needs to regenerate its fluids. Tonight I promise." The Medusa kissed his mate and softly stroked her back.

"Why don't I fix you breakfast, dear," Barbie said as she stared down at Ken and gave him her best smile.

"I'll go with you," he grinned, not completely trusting her. Was it normal for humans to give up so easily? It seemed too soon, unless this one had been weaker than he thought. Until he was sure, the Medusa wouldn't take any chances leaving her alone.

Barbie started to get up, than stopped. "I don't have anything to wear?"

A frown appeared on Ken's face. "Clothes...yes, I must do something about that...later. We'll walk around in the nude for now."

"Anything you say lover," Barbie grinned as she stood. Ken admired the fresh, tan body with its smooth legs and firm breasts. The Medusa knew that in human terms his mate was quite beautiful. He had done well when transforming this young boy. Together they walked to the kitchen hand in hand. Barbie checked the cabinets and refrigerator but found nothing.

"I guess foods not provided with the deal," Ken stated.

"We can go shopping," Barbie suggested. "How much money do you have?"

Ken frowned. "About three of your dollars. How much food will that buy us?"

"Not enough to feed us."

"Then I will go find some money so we will remain strong. Already this body feels weakened by the lack of food." Ken walked over to his backpack and dug inside for a few moments. From the contents he pulled something out. "Come here, Barbie."

"What have you got there?" she asked sweetly while moving closer.

"Something for you," he replied, holding up a set of restraints. "The army thinks of everything."

"But...but you don't need to use them on me," she protested. "I don't want to leave you."

"This will insure that you don't," he answered while placing one end over her wrist. "You see Barbie, I don't trust you yet. I know one day you will be loyal to me, but for now I have to be careful. Too much is at stake."

"I...I understand," Barbie replied with tears in her eyes. "I hope that'll be soon."

"After you give birth," he responded, leading her to the bathroom. He sat her on the toilet and connected her to a metal pipe next to it. "There, you'll be fine until I get back. I'm sorry my love, but for now this is the way it has to be."

"I understand," she sniffed. "Please hurry back."

Ken left the bathroom and retrieved his clothes from last night. He stepped out into the cold morning and cursed the chill. His people liked a tropical climate. The sound of people laughing caught his attention. It was the couple from the cabin next door having a snowball fight. They were both in there mid-twenty's and fairly attractive. The Medusa studied the woman carefully, and concluded she was about the same size as Barbie. The man was much heavier than he was, but there might be something useful he could borrow. Shivering in the cold, the Medusa brought his coat together and walked toward them.

"Hello there," he shouted. The man and woman stopped throwing snowballs and looked in his direction.

"Hi," the man replied. His wife flashed him a killer smile.

"I'm Ken Trump. The manager told us you're newlyweds just like us."

"Really," the woman grinned. "What a coincidence."

"I'm Arnold Cass and this is my wife, Becky," the man said as he held out his hand. "We got married last Saturday."

"When did you get married, Ken?" Becky asked curiously.

"Last night. It was a small wedding, just the two of us."

"Justice of the peace, huh," Becky smiled knowingly.

"Something like that," Ken grinned back. "Are you two staying here long?"

"Till next Saturday," Arnold replied. "We wanted a nice, quiet honeymoon."

"Can't get much quieter than this," the Medusa agreed. "So, you must have enough food to last you till next week."

"Yes," the woman remarked. "In fact we went grocery shopping last night after dinner. There's a nice market in town. If you like, I can draw you a map on how to get there."

"I would appreciate that," Ken said. "We got in late and don't have anything to eat. We're getting kind of hungry."

"Well come inside and I'll draw you a map right now," Becky insisted. She entered the cabin and both men followed.

"You in the military, Ken?" Arnold asked as they kicked the snow off their boots.

"Special forces, Arnold. I just went on leave after eight months of training. I was so excited that I didn't even bother changing. I got married in my uniform."

"What's your wife name?" Becky asked, pulling out a pad of paper and a pencil from the desk.

"Barbie, like the doll. Say, you mind if I look around? The manager told me the cabins are all the same, but I swear your place looks bigger than ours."

"I'll show you around," Arnold offered. They did a quick tour, stopping to look at the bathroom before going to the bedroom. On the bed the Medusa spotted a sexy, black nightgown and some fluffy slippers."

"Um, my wife didn't pick up her things this morning," Arnold stated rather embarrassed.

"Nice closet," Ken remarked. He slid the door open and peered at several feminine dresses hanging there. Unable to resist, he pulled out a short, black number and looked at it carefully. The Medusa felt the excitement build as he thought about Barbie wearing it.

"Excuse me, but what the hell do you think you're doing?" Arnold asked unpleasantly.

"I was just thinking how nice this would look on my wife," answered Ken. "She didn't have time to pack any clothes before we left."

"Put it back," Arnold commanded in a harsh tone.

"What's going on, honey," Becky said as she entered the room to investigate the commotion. "Why is he holding my dress?"

"I was thinking how you two are about the same size," the Medusa explained. "I know she's going to love trying this on - and that sexy nightgown on the bed. Do you mind if I take them with me now?"

"I think it's time for you to leave, Ken," Arnold said firmly, his hand resting defensively against the Medusa's chest.

"Wrong answer, Arnold," the Medusa smiled as it raised its finger. Two darts flew from underneath the skin and struck them in the chest.

***

"Breakfast," Ken announced as he walked into the bathroom to release his mate.

"Wow, that was fast," remarked Barbie. He couldn't have been gone more than 15 minutes.

"Our neighbors from next door were very generous," he chuckled. "Come and see what I brought." She followed him into the living room where there was a box filled with can goods and some clothes, including the sexy black nightgown.

"It's beautiful," Barbie gushed as she examined the short nightie.

"At least now you don't have to walk around naked, although I don't mind," he beamed.

"Oh you," Barbie replied, playing the part of a love-struck bride to the hilt.

"Why don't you get dressed while I fix breakfast? Afterwards I'll bring back some more stuff."

"They don't mind us borrowing their clothes?" Barbie asked.

"I didn't hear them complain," the Medusa grinned.

***

The manager was making his morning rounds when he spotted Mr. Trump coming out of the Cass's cabin carrying a box. Raising his suspicions, the manager stopped his truck and got out. Ken approached with a friendly smile. "Morning. Beautiful day, isn't it?"

"It could be," the manager replied dryly. "What's in the box?"

"Just some clothes Becky didn't need anymore. She's giving them to my wife."

"I see. Are the Cass's in?"

"They're at our cabin having coffee. Becky asked if I would get these clothes for her."

"Humph," the manager grunted. That didn't sound right to him. Why didn't Mr. Cass get them instead; or at least come with Mr. Trump.

"By the way, I didn't get your name last night."

"It's McCoy...Andrew McCoy."

"Well Andrew, I was going to drop by your office after this and pay my bill."

"That's Mr. McCoy to you," Andrew said firmly. For some reason the manager didn't want to get too friendly with this man. There was something strange about him.

"Of course," the Medusa grinned. "Anything you say, Mr. McCoy." Ken's smile did little to put the manager's suspicions at ease.

"Give me fifteen minutes," Andrew replied. "Oh, and when you see Mr. Cass tell him there's a bad storm moving our way. They're calling for 17 inches tonight."

"Inches of what?"

"Snow, Mr. Trump. What else would we get 17 inches of this time of the year?"

Of course, snow," Ken grinned foolishly. "I'll make sure Arnold knows."

"Much obliged. There's plenty of wood behind the office if you need it. I better get back to my rounds. I'll see you at my office in fifteen minutes, Mr. Trump."

"Okay," the Medusa grinned and waved. The smile quickly turned into an ugly frown after the manager drove off. Mr. McCoy was going to be trouble. The Medusa played around with the idea of storing him, but concluded that would be too risky. A couple on their honeymoon disappearing for a few days was understandable. The manager of a busy resort was not. The last thing the Medusa needed was the police snooping around. Well, just to be on the safe side, the Medusa decided it would move the Cass's to his cabin after dark. It wouldn't do to have Mr. McCoy stop by and discover them. The Medusa just hoped the snow wasn't to deep by then.

***

Dennis was part of the loop, but it was a very large loop and the information that came to him was usually a couple of hours old. The Medusa had vanished without a trace. Without the help of the Olympians the military was forced to rely on the State Highway patrol and sheriff's department to do the main searching. Having armed soldiers going door to door asking people if they had seen their missing man wouldn't go over too well. The media would be down on them in a minute and then panic would set in. For now they had to play it cool.

Once more the director opened the file in front of him and read the contents. Sergeant Robert Charles Sprint, Special Forces. Radio operator and qualified in high explosives - ranking a five A, the highest mark you could get. Married for four years to his childhood sweetheart Donna, who just had a baby daughter less then a month ago. Sergeant Sprint wasn't planning to re-enlist after his hitch was up. His supervisor indicated that Robert wanted to get a civilian job so he could spend more time with his family. A real family man. Dennis took it all and felt miserable. If only he had been told about the spacecraft before it got here. Mr. Sprint would be alive today, holding his child in his arms.

"That bad, huh?" June asked when she saw Dennis sitting there.

"Just reading the file on Sergeant Sprint," Dennis replied while closing the folder.

"Why do you punish yourself like this?" Juno asked as she sat down next to him. "If General Grim had brought you in when the spacecraft was first spotted, he would still be alive."

"And if I had told him about the danger years ago, the same would be true," Dennis replied. "How many more Sergeant Sprint's will die before this is over, Juno? How many more lives will be shattered because I didn't warn him ahead of time."

"There is plenty of blame to go around Dennis," Juno chastised. "General Grim, Jupiter, Crius. Don't put this all on your shoulders. I could have told General Grim about the Medusa's long ago but didn't; so I'm to blame too. It's a matter of each party not trusting the other. If we had, this wouldn't have happened. Maybe we'll all be a lot more trusting of each other after this is over."

"Perhaps," Dennis said glumly. "I just hope we have a chance to try."

"No leads on the Medusa?"

"None," Dennis shook his head. "It simply disappeared. How could it do that with so few resources?"

"Like you told General Grim, they're smart and adaptable. But I'm not worried. Sooner or later it'll screw up."

"Let's hope its sooner, before too many people are infected."

***

"Get them out of my sight!" Barbie insisted in a frightened tone. The Cass's were standing in their living room, at least what used to be the Cass's. White statues made of what looked like polished marble stood there staring down at her. Mr. Cass's face was stern, as if he was angry about something. Mrs. Cass's mouth as partly opened as if she had been screaming at the time.

"It's okay," the Medusa reassured her. "They can't hurt you. Go ahead, touch them."

"No," she replied in horror and repeated her demand. "Get them out of my sight. They...they frighten me."

"There's nothing to be frighten of my dear. They're not dead, just suspended until I need them. Once you give birth to our first batch of children I'll return them to normal. They'll be just as they were before, only under my control. In fact they'll be perfect for helping me deliver the rest of our children."

"I don't care, get them out of here."

"You best get used to them my dear, for I'll be bringing more of them into our house. Our home will be filled with them."

"What is it you want?" Barbie asked. "Are you going to turn the entire world into statues?"

"My dear Barbie, of course not. We're not conquerors. I'm here to save your race from itself. Once I established a safe zone, I'll call more of my people here. They'll each build their own armies and take over different sections of the world. Once we're strong enough, then we'll deal with your problems."

"How...how many people will that be?"

"No more than a sixth of your worlds population, I give you my word on that, Barbie," the Medusa replied in a reassuring manner. "We'll move to bring peace and prosperity to your world. All the bad people will be dealt with, leaving just the good. War will be outlawed, and new medicines will be brought here to cure diseases so you'll live longer, healthier lives. Cancer, heart disease, and strokes will all be a thing of the past. Your people will live like kings under our rule."

"You...you mean that? You're really here to help?"

"Of course we are, Barbie. We want to be a part of your world. The way it stands now, if we don't do something your race could be extinct in a hundred years or so. By intervening, we can save millions in the next few years and countless more in the future. Everything your people desire will come true. We have a motto, Barbie. A Medusa world is a happy world."

Barbie laughed. "Ken, do you know how silly that sounds." Then she stopped and her eyes got big. "Did you say 'Medusa'?"

"Yes Barbie. I see you've read the myths about my race. I assure you, we're not evil. My race is a very kind and compassionate civilization. We seek your people so we can be safe within its masses from our enemies. In return we'll build you a safe world...the type of world your people desire. Doesn't that sound fair?"

"I...I guess so," Barbie replied. She was beginning to see Ken in an entirely different light. He wasn't a monster; he was good-hearted alien bent on saving the world from itself. Where was the harm in that?" "My...my friends?"

"Will be fine Barbie, I promise. Once our children enter into them, they'll become themselves again, only happier. You know why?" Barbie shook her head. "Because they'll be a part of us, and a part of changing the world for the better." Barbie's eyes welded up.

"My dear, what's wrong?" Ken asked in concern.

"My father...he died of cancer last year. I watched him pass away slowly and painfully. I swore I would find a cure for it, and now you're offering me that chance. I...I was so wrong about you." She buried her head in his chest.

"It's okay my dear. First we need to get you pregnant; then we can start taking steps to save the world...together. I think tonight will be the night my mate. Should we go to bed and give it another try?"

Barbie reached over and kissed him on the forehead. "Give me a minute my love. I want to put on the new nightgown you got me this morning."

"I would like that," the Medusa smiled cheerfully. "Before you go, I have something I want to show you." Ken reached down and pulled a long item wrapped in paper from behind the chair.

"What is it?" Barbie asked with wide eyes.

"Something very near to my heart. I brought it with me from my world." Ken slowly removed the paper to reveal a long, shinny sword. "This has been in my family for centuries," the Medusa smiled sentimentally. "It's my oath to you, that as long as I'm alive I will dedicate my heart and soul to protect you at all cost. You're a part of me, and I am your servant."

"Ken...I...I don't know what to say." Barbie found herself getting emotional.

"The tears in your eyes say it all, my dear. I will keep this by the fireside so if anyone ever does break in, it will be within easy reach. Now, you were saying something about trying on that new nightgown.

Barbie blushed. "Give me a minute my love."

***

The Medusa looked happily at the morning sun rising over the trees. Mr. McCoy was right; it did snow a lot last night. The Medusa turned and threw another log on the fire. It found the heat refreshing.

His mate slept soundly in their bed, unaware of the good news. She was pregnant with their first batch of kids. He would have to be patient and gentle with her now. His mate would be tired and cranky as the time got closer, and she would require more food and sleep. He would have to attend to her needs, but right now all he could do was glow at his accomplishment. Soon a new world would appear.

It puzzled the Medusa why so many races rejected them at first. Indeed, once they took care of the troublemakers, the rest of the people rejoiced in what they had done. No longer did they have to live in fear or poverty. Yet it was always the same in the beginning...there were those who were stubborn and opposed them. In the end those people became part of their order and no one was the wiser. In the end the Medusa always won, and their victory rained down on the people they now swore to serve. In the end the Medusa's were proven that what they were doing was right.

There were obstacles here. The Medusa had sensed the Olympians - not a great number but enough to inconvenience them. He was surprised that they hadn't tried to track him down yet. Well, if they did try he had a trick or two up his sleeve. Things had changed in the past 10,000 years, and there were now ways of fooling their senses. How wonderful Medusa technology was.

***

It was a long day for Dennis, followed by an even longer night. He had been up for three long days with little sleep, trying to figure out a way to find the Medusa. It was hopeless. When I walked into my office and saw him sitting there, I took pity on the poor man. He looked horrible.

"Dennis, you have to sleep," I told him. "You're killing yourself. Let me drive you to my house. You can sleep in my bed for a few hours."

The director ignored my offer, and looked at me with his blood-shot eyes. "Do you know what today is, Linda?" he mumbled.

"Monday," I answered in a concern tone. I had never seen Dennis like this before. He was always so cool and professional. Now he looked like a broken man who was bent on killing himself.

"No. Today is the last day. The Medusa has surely gotten its mate pregnant by now, and she's due. Today is the last day your world will experience peace.

"Our world," I corrected him. "You live here too, Dennis."

My words actually caused him to smile just a little. "I keep forgetting." Then his frown returned. "I should have stopped this long ago. I shouldn't have allowed the first Medusa to put its roots here."

"And I should have trusted you in the beginning Dennis, but I didn't. Attitudes change over time, and so does the world. Eighty years ago women couldn't vote in this country. Hell, they couldn't do a lot of things that men did. Now look at them. What may be wrong today was acceptable a hundred years ago...or even 10,000 years ago."
I knelt and took hold of his hands. "Dennis, what happened back then and now are not related. Besides, could you have stopped the first Medusa from doing what it did?"

"No, I suppose not...but I didn't even try."

"You're trying now," I smiled gently. "Doesn't that mean anything to you? It does to me."

I swear he almost laughed at me for using his words against him. "I'm sorry about ruining your date this weekend."

"It's okay, Tom understands."

"You love him, don't you Linda?"

"It's funny, but yes I do. I can see myself spending the rest of my life with him as his...his wife. Yet I'm terrified at the thought. What will I say the next time he asks me to marry him?"

"Say yes."

"You're a big help, Dennis. You just want to see me married."

"Marriage is a wonderful thing, Linda."

"If it's right, Dennis. Remember, I was married once." I suddenly felt a sharp pain bringing up my past life. I had almost forgot who I used to be. Not wanting to talk about myself anymore, I moved quickly to change the subject. "How does the Medusa know so much about our culture?"

"It reads the memories of its host. In the beginning the Medusa would be pretty dense. It would learn our language quickly, but not understand all the different meanings to a word. Its sentence structure would be simple. As it has time to probe and absorb the information, it would begin to fit in better. By now the Medusa's learning would be complete. Everything Robert Sprint knew it would know. His family, friends, the vacation's he took, his military training, the things he learned in school..."

Something clicked inside. "What did you say?"

"What?" Dennis blinked his tired eyes. "I said the Medusa would know everything Robert Sprint learned in school."

"No, before that. You said something about the vacations he went on."

"Yeah, so what? I was trying to make the point that the Medusa would know everything that Sergeant Sprint had ever learned or experienced."

"But only what Robert knew, right? Not the person he kidnapped!"

"Yes, that's correct" Dennis answered slowly. "Isn't that enough?"

I put my hands to my head and pushed my long, brown hair back. "My God, it's so simple. Dennis, put yourself in the Medusa's position. You just landed on a planet you know nothing about. You don't know where anything is or which direction to go except..."

"From what your host is familiar with," Dennis finished for me. Then he frowned. "That doesn't help much, Linda. I've seen Sergeant Sprint's service record. He's been all over this country. There has to be thousands of hiding places the Medusa could run too."

"This is why you need to sleep Dennis, you're not thinking straight. The Medusa can only get as far as the car and money he took will allow. It would know better than to use the credit cards and leave a paper trail. Except for the money he pulled off those teenagers, it doesn't have enough cash to buy an airline or bus ticket - or clothes for the trip. That limits where it could go."

"And where would that be?" Dennis asked as he rubbed his eyes. "A densely populated area or some place where there are few people?"

"Both have their advantages," I pointed out. "Hide with the masses and blend in is appealing, except you know there would be cops in the area looking for you. On the other hand, go some place where there aren't a lot of people and they won't be looking. If I had my choice, I would pick the latter."

"Except you're not the Medusa, and it still doesn't tell us where it might be. It could be hiding in some small town."

I shook my head. "No, I don't think so. The Medusa is going to hide where it thinks it'll be safe. It'll search Sergeant Sprint's memories for what he considered a secure location and head for it, providing it's within the range and funds the Medusa has available. What we need to do is find out where Sergeant Sprint's favorite spots were."

"His wife," Dennis answered as he clumsily tried to stand. I pushed him back down.

"Not you," I told him. "I'm taking you home and putting you to bed. Judge Herns and I will go see her. We're going to need you to talk to General Grim and get his assistance, and you're no good in your current condition. You're going to bed, Dennis...and don't argue with me!" The director didn't put up a fight. He simply nodded his head in a tired fashion.

***

I helped Dennis to bed and told my mom to make sure no one disturbed him. I didn't think that was really possible. When I went back upstairs to check on him he was snoring soundly. June picked me up in her car and drove to the airport.

"Isn't there a faster way?" I asked.

"Because of this crisis, the old goat has cut back on the power available to me. I'm afraid we'll have to travel as regular people. I made arrangements to have us flown to St. Paul's and have a car waiting." She eyed me carefully. "Linda, this young woman just lost her husband. She's confused and upset. We need to question her with tact."

"Are you saying I don't have tact, June?"

"Usually yes, but I noticed when the stakes are high you concentrate more on the goal instead of the people involved. We need to keep her feelings in mind and not push too hard."

"Time is running out, June."

"I'm aware of that, Linda. But if you push her, she may not tell us what we need. I think it's better if I lead, being the older woman."

"I understand," I said a little dejected. Judge Herns patted me on the knee.

"It's nothing personal, Linda. You do a fine job, but sometimes you let the detective side take over. Just remember, you're a woman trying to comfort another grieving woman."

We boarded Judge Herns' private plane and headed east. During the flight I looked over the profile Dennis had written up on the Medusa. One word came to mind; fascinating! Despite the fact they wanted to take over our world, I had to admire some of their qualities. The Medusa was an advanced race who felt it was their duty to protect other races from destroying themselves. They loathed suffering in all contemplative beings, and would therefore condemn themselves to a strange world to save millions, perhaps billions of beings they had no ties too. Even their dealings with those who caused them trouble were fair and humane. Yet I found myself feeling disturbed at their actions. Once incorporated into our system, the human race would be forced to do as they say or risk infection. Was their system better than ours was?

We landed at the airport and taxied to the terminal. After picking up our car, June got on the expressway. Along the way we discussed some of the things we were going to ask. It wasn't long before we were pulling up in front of Robert Sprint's house. It was a single story, brick ranch home on a huge lot. There was even a picket white fence in the front. I tugged on the skirt of one of my best suits as June rang the doorbell. Inside I heard a baby crying. An average looking woman with short brown hair and puffy eyes answered the door.

"Ms. Sprint," the judge said sadly. "I'm June Herns and this is my granddaughter, Linda. We're from the military wife's club. We came to see if there was anything we could do for you."

"I'm...I'm okay," she said bravely. "My mother just stepped out to get some groceries. She's been taking...taking care of me while they search."

"I understand, Ms. Sprint. Do you mind if we come in and talk until she gets back." At first I thought the grieving widow was going to refuse our request, but then she slowly opened the door and let us in.

"Call me Sandra," she sniffed while walking over to the fussing baby and picking her up. "Please, take a seat." She sat down in a chair while the judge and I took a seat on the couch across from her.

"Amy's been crying ever since Bob disappeared," she explained sadly. "She misses her daddy."

"I'm sure she does, Sandra," the Judge replied.

"I've been waiting for more news," she continued. "They say his helicopter went down in a remote lake and they haven't found his body. I'm hoping...praying that he's okay. He's just missing. Maybe he jumped out before it crashed and was swept away. He could be wandering around in the woods lost and confused."

I could see the despair in her eyes - she wanted to believe, even if by now it was clear her husband wasn't coming back. The army had said he was missing because saying otherwise would mean they would've had to produce a body. It was a clever cover story, yet it was taking its toll on the poor woman who clung to the hope that her husband was still alive.

"I understand, my dear," June told her. "You love him, and must have many fond memories."

"A lot," she smiled slightly for the first time. "We were high school sweethearts and got married right after graduation. We both wanted kids, and tried for years until Amy was born. The doctor said I would have trouble getting pregnant. She was our miracle baby."

"She's adorable," June cooed. "Such big, brown eyes."

"Just like her father," Sandra said, than stopped and looked like she wanted to cry. "I'm...I'm sorry."

"No, it's okay," June answered. "I didn't mean to upset you."

"It's not you," she shook her head and tried to hold back the tears. "Bob means the world to me. We had all these great plans after he got out. We were going back for another weekend at the cabin to try and get pregnant."

"Cabin?" I asked.

"Yes," she replied, wiping a few tears away. "We were so frustrated at not being able to get pregnant the first time that my doctor suggested we take a break and get away for a while. So Bob reserved this cabin for the weekend where we could get in touch with nature. Two weeks later I discovered I was pregnant. We laughed, and called it our baby-making nest. We were going to go back and create another baby."

I looked at June, and she returned my stare. We were both thinking the same thing. The Medusa would have picked up on that.

"Where is this cabin?" June asked.

"Up North near Big Falls," Sandra replied absent-mindedly. "It's one of those camp grounds in the middle of the woods with these rugged looking, but modern cabins. Very romantic. I guess...I guess I won't be going there...there soon."

The poor woman had had enough, and immediately broke down crying. I took the baby from her while June wrapped Sandra in her arms. The Judge comforted her, and told her everything would be okay. Standing there holding her crying baby, I felt deep sympathies for her. Even if we did succeed, Sandra would never know the truth about how her husband had died.

After her mother showed up we quickly made our exit. June drove while I called home and told mom to wake Dennis up. A very sleepy director answered the phone.

"Yes Linda...did you find out anything?"

"I think so, Dennis. The Sprint's rented a cabin near Big Falls, Minnesota last year. That's not too far from where this started. She was in too much grief to remember the name, but there can't be that many resorts in the area."

"It's a long shot, Linda. I can try to get someone to check it out, but General Grim is convinced that our visitor didn't make it out of Wisconsin. There are plenty of other places to check near the landing site and you can bet they're getting high priority."

"Sergeant Sprint doesn't know anything about those places, Dennis. According to his wife, he never traveled much in Wisconsin. The only reason he was there in the first place was because of this mission. Most of their vacations were in Minnesota and the western states, and get this Dennis. They went to this cabin to get pregnant and it worked. Would our friend pick up on that?"

There was silence on the other end as Dennis weighted the facts. "I'm calling the general right now. Have Judge Herns put you on her plane to Big Falls. I'll make sure someone will be there to pick you up."

"But what about June?"

"No, too risky," he replied. "Our friend would pick up that she was nearby and make him jumpy. If he's there, I want him to relax. She'll understand. I have to make the call now. Nice work Linda, and thank June for me. See you in a couple of hours." He hung up before I had a chance to say goodbye. I put my phone back in a purse and thought about what Dennis had said. It was a long shot, but it was our best shot yet.

"You're flying there and I'm not," June stated as if she had heard the conversation. "Don't worry, Linda, I agree with Dennis. If the Medusa is there, we want to keep our presence secret from it."

"I feel like we're grasping at straws."

"We are," June nodded. "We are."

***

There were dozens of places near Big Falls to check and the general claimed he couldn't spare the men to look. Dennis took it upon himself to make some calls and get his own people involved. Trisha Brown and Dennis' son, Artus, were the first on the scene. They checked two other sites with no luck and pulled up to their third destination.

"You start it off," Trisha told him. Artus nodded and they got out of the car together. A bell rang as they entered through office door, and both Titans took a moment to kick the snow off their boots. The manager came out from the back and greeted them.

"What can I do for you folks?" he smiled.

Artus stepped forward and flashed his fake FBI id. "We're looking for a man who went AWOL a few days ago. Have you seen him by chance?" Artus pulled out Robert Sprint's military photo and laid it on the counter. The manager's eyes went wide with recognition.

"You bet I've seen him," he exclaimed excitedly. "He showed up in the middle of the night three days ago with some girl who couldn't have been older than 16. Claims they just got married, but I didn't see any ring on her finger. I should have known there was trouble. He's been acting awful suspicious ever since he's arrived."

"You say there's a girl with him?" Trisha asked.

"Yep, but I haven't seen her since the first night. The only one who leaves that cabin is Mr. Trump."

"Did you say 'Trump'?" Artus asked.

"That's the name he gave me," the manager replied. "Judging by your question, I take it that's not his real name."

"No. You're sure this is him?"

"Absolutely," the manager replied. "Something else you should know. He made friends with this couple next door, and now they're gone. They used to be outside all the time, but I haven't seen them for almost two days. There's a fire burning in the fireplace because I can see the smoke, but when I knock on the door no one answers. I just figured being newlyweds and all, maybe I'm calling at a bad time. But I've seen Mr. Trump go into their cabin a few times without even knocking; and when he leaves he's usually carrying stuff back to his place."

"Can you get us a cabin near Mr. Trump?" asked Artus.

"The one right across from theirs is available," the manager replied while handing him the key.

"Thank you," Artus responded polity. "Excuse me, Mr..."

"McCoy. Andrew McCoy."

"Mr. McCoy, there's going to be a lot of soldiers showing up here soon. I'm going to have to ask you not to speak to anyone about this. What we're dealing with here is a matter of national security!"

"You mean there's danger here?"

Artus pressed his lips together firmly. "Yes, there could be...which is why I need you not to talk to anyone. If the media shows up, people could get hurt. If you help us, we'll be in your debt."

"I'm a veteran, sir. Just tell me what you want me to do."

While Artus was explaining what he needed, Trisha Brown went outside and made the call. "Dennis, we found him."

***

I got off the plane and walked into the small terminal not knowing who would be there. When I saw who Dennis had sent I frowned. It was not one of my favorite people.

"Hi Linda," Trisha smiled as she approached. The woman was still as cute and pretty as the day she had walked me into the trap at Area 51. "Dennis told me to pick you up."

"Wonderful," I answered coldly.

Her eyes rolled humorously at my remark. "Oh, come on, Linda. You're still not mad about me lying to you, are you? I didn't do it to be cruel. It was the only way I could get you to your meeting with Dennis."

"I guess we all have our orders to follow," I agreed reluctantly. "Anything new?"

"Your suspicions were correct," she smiled. "We found the Medusa holed up in one of the cabins. Dennis has informed the general and is waiting for him to show up."

"How did Dennis get here before me?" I asked. "He should still be in the air."

Trisha just smiled and didn't answer the question. There could only be one way he had made it here before me. He must have had the same kind of transportation device the Olympians had.

She led me to her truck and we drove in silence for about a half-hour before turning onto a dirt road. It had gotten dark, and the lack of lights in the area made the night seem even darker. All of the sudden our truck was hit by a bright light. Trisha stopped the truck and rolled down the window. Four soldiers, all carrying serious looking guns, surrounded the vehicle. One of the soldiers pointed his flashlight at my face, blinding me.

"Trisha Brown with a guest," she replied. "Authorization bravo, tango, tango, alpha six. Password is wormstar."

The soldier seemed satisfied and turned off his light. "Down the road," he pointed.

"Thank you," she replied pleasantly while rolling her window back up. "God, I love your people, Linda. All this secret agent stuff."

I was going to tell her that this wasn't a game but nixed the idea. I had long ago concluded that Trisha wanted people to believe she was clueless, while in reality she was very much on top of things. It made me wondered if she was one of the known Titans in the myths, and what she thought of the Olympians. It seemed logical that if the Medusa succeeded, her people would be sitting pretty. Was she as dedicated to Andersonville as Dennis was, or did she want to see the Olympians brought down like Crius did through war? We pulled up to a large tent and Trisha turned off the motor. Without saying a word, she exited the vehicle and I followed her lead. She lifted the flap of the tent and motioned me inside.

"Hello Linda," Dennis greeted me. I noticed immediately how much better he looked. Those few hours of sleep had done him a world of good. In the middle of the tent was a table with a map. Three soldiers were talking into their headphones and making marks on it.

"What's going on, Dennis?"

"Trisha and my son found the Medusa. They took some pictures of him when he went next door. It's him. The manager also reported there's a young girl with him."

"Are we too late?"

"No, not yet. Artus got a look at the girl about an hour ago through the window. She's pregnant, so we need to move fast."

"Ten-hut!" one of the soldiers announced. They all stiffened in attention.

"At ease," the general replied as he walked over to the table followed by his aides. Turning to the major in charge, he asked, "What's the situation?"

"We have the cabin surround with six teams of snipers armed with nightscopes, sir. The curtains are drawn, so we can't get a shot at him. We're waiting on your orders."

"Are the rockets here?"

"ROCKETS!" Dennis yelled in surprise. General Grim glare at him."

"Arrived twenty minutes ago, sir," the major dictated. "I've already dispatched the teams into position. Here...here...and here." He pointed to some fix points on the map.

"What are you planning to do, General Grim," Dennis snarled.

"I'm going to put an end to this nightmare," he proclaimed. "If I can't shot the son of a bitch, then I'll fire some anti-tank missiles at the cabin. That thing won't know what hit it."

"What about the innocent civilian, General?" Dennis pointed out bitterly.

"There's nothing I can do about that," the general stated coldly. "If I have to kill one person to save thousands it's worth the price. I don't like the idea, but we're running out of options."

"Let me have a crack at the Medusa, General."

General Grim stared at Dennis with mistrust. "What are you wanting to do?"

"Talk to it...see if I can reason with it."

"REASON!" the general bellowed. "That thing killed one of my men, imprisoned others in some kind of stone cage - including civilians - and has done who knows what to that poor boy beside just turning him into a girl. Now how reasonable do you think this thing will be Mr. Butz? We're running out of time."

"Give me ten minutes."

"Absolutely not! If I let you go in I'll be giving away our advantage."

"I can assure you General, the Medusa knows your men are out there."

"More information you kept from me, Mr. Butz," the general said in an accusing manner. "Now you're telling me it has some kind of radar that can detect us?"

"Yes I am general! It's not stupid! I'm sure it's set up some kind of warning devices around it's camp. It could be plotting to attack your men right now."

"All the more reason to decline your request and take it out now. Major, get your men on the..."

"WAIT JUST A DAMN MINUTE YOU STUPID SON OF A BITCH!" Dennis yelled furiously while slamming his fist on the table. This caused everyone to stop what they were doing and take notice.

"Before you go off and start an inter-galactic war General, you need to consider what you're doing. Do you think this will be the only Medusa that will grace your path? More will come General, and then what? Do you think you can just 'blast' them out of the sky? Trust me General Grim, what you do in the next few minutes will determine the future of your people. Attack this Medusa and you're opening up a whole new can of worms."

"It attacked us first!" General Grim shot back, refusing to budge.

"It doesn't know any better, General. The Medusa thinks it's doing your race a favor. It's like a mother who just found an abandoned baby near death. It sees all your suffering and wants to end it. The Medusa's means may be at fault, but not its reasons. If I can talk to it, I might be able to convince it that what it's doing is wrong. If I fail, then you can blast it to hell. At least when the next Medusa arrives, you can show them that you did try to make peace first. They'll respect that."

"How can I allow a creature that could enslave thousands of my people without us even knowing about it to stay here?" the general stated. "It would be reckless on my part if I did. That...thing has already shown it thinks we aren't fit to run our own lives."

"Then send it home if you must General, but don't just kill it without trying to set up a dialog. Trust me General Grim, the Medusa can be a very vengeful race if angered. Ask the Olympians if you don't believe me."

The general stared at Dennis in anger. Everything inside told him to strike before it was too late. On the other hand, what the Titan God had said made a lot of sense. Someday, someone would have to deal with them again. Would it be better to approach them as peacemakers, or cold-blooded warriors?

"Ten minutes," General Grim said, making it sound like he was cursing. "If we don't hear from you by then, I'll blow the cabin away with you in it - and don't think I won't, Mr. Butz!"

"I'm sure you would get a great deal of pleasure doing so," Dennis sneered back. "By the way, Miss Anderson is going in there with me...if she's willing."

"Me?" I asked.

"Absolutely not," screamed the General. "I'm not putting any more civilians at risk!"

"Linda is needed to record the event," Dennis explained. "It's going to be necessary to show other Medusa's what happened, so they'll know their representative was wrong." The director stopped, and turned to me with troubled eyes. "I once made the mistake of assuming you would do as I wanted, Linda. I am not going to make that same mistake again. I won't lie to you. Going in there will be dangerous. But if I thought you weren't needed then I wouldn't be asking. Will you come with me?"

"Yes," I said softly, touched by the respect he had shown me. The general heaved loudly and turned to the officer next to him.

"Major Ryan. Inform your men that Mr. Butz and Miss Anderson are going in."

***

Dennis and I took the truck Trisha had driven and headed for the campgrounds a few miles away. When we arrived I could see the lights were on, but the curtains were drawn preventing anyone from seeing in. Dennis parked in front the cabin, not even bothering to hide our arrival.

"It's better we don't startle it," he explained as we walked up to the front door. Dennis knocked, and I was surprised to see the door open.

"Come in," Robert Sprint welcomed Dennis and I warmly as if he had been expecting us. I followed Dennis in, and the Medusa closed the door and locked it. I had anticipated someone sinister, but the Medusa seemed quite charming.

"From the hearts of universal friendship, I welcome you to Earth," Dennis told him. His words startled the Medusa. He looked at Dennis carefully, then smiled.

"You're a Titan. I'm sorry, I didn't recognize you at first. You're aurora is different. Not like the humans, but not like a Titan either."

"I've been here for a long time," Dennis replied. A scared teenager peeked out from the bedroom, and the Medusa waved her in.

"Come here, Barbie. It's okay." She came out slowly, wearing a tee shirt and sweat pants while holding her swollen belly in her hands. "This is Barbie, my mate."

"I see you started the process," Dennis observed as he eyed her huge belly.

"What did you expect, Titan? My name is Morginlamin."

"I'm Dennis Butz and this is my helper, Linda. We don't have much time." The Medusa laughed.

"We have plenty of time my Titan friend. The men outside don't worry me. Soon they'll be under my control."

"You can't do this," Dennis stated. "We can work things out and come to a peaceful solution."

"How?" Morginlamin asked.

"There's a town I run called Andersonville. It's a place where my race, the humans, and even the Olympians live in peace. You can join us. I promise that if you do no harm will be taken against you."

"What about my children?" he asked while lightly patting Barbie's stomach. "I have 98 of them that will be arriving soon."

"I'm sorry, but the humans won't allow that to happen."

Morginlamin shook his head. "I can't allow you to kill my children any more than you could let them kill yours, Titan. And I could no more walk around without their protection than you could walk down a busy street naked. You're asking me to do the impossible. Besides, I have studied this race carefully, and it is in deep trouble."

"I agree, Morginlamin. However, the humans have a right to deal with their own problems in their own ways."

"But they're not dealing with them," the Medusa argued. "They keep making the same mistakes and letting people die. No! For their own good I'm needed here. Surely you can see that Titan. Even those who I don't bring into my order will see that. Join me now. Help me save these people from their own destruction!"

Dennis shook his head. "I can't let you do this, Morginlamin."

"And I can't let you kill my children," the Medusa answered while pulling a small box from his pocket. He pointed it at us, and suddenly I found myself unable to move my hands or legs. It must have had the same effect on Dennis, because he stood there looking surprised. The Medusa smiled at his reaction and explained, "A lot of things have changed in the past 10,000 years, Titan. You may be surprised, and even hate some of them. Here's another one of those advancements." He placed what looked like a few rubber bands on the table.

"Do you know what these are? They're cloaking devices. All I have to do is put one around each of my children and no one can see them. The people out there won't know they're about to be infected until my children enter inside them - and by then it's too late. Soon, in another hour, I'll control this campground. After that I'll start working my way out to your towns and cities, then I'll call more of my people to join me."

"I don't want to die," I pleaded, hoping that maybe my words would cause the Medusa to think about what it was doing. "I want to live, just like you."

The Medusa looked at me sympathetically. "My dear Linda, rest assured that you will not die. Your life will continue as it always has. My children will read your memories and make sure your life follows the values you set up - providing they are good values. You will see your life in a dreamlike state, my children will see to that. No, you will not die; you will live. However, I'm willing to make what you humans call, a deal. If you and this Titan join me, I promise that you and your families will not be infected - or your future children. Work with me - think of what we will accomplish together. Barbie has joined me. She knows this is the only way for her world to survive."

"There are many who will oppose you, Medusa. Perhaps you have not thought this out all the way," Dennis suggested.

"I will deal with them when the time comes, Titan. Now join me. Give me your word."

"I cannot."

Robert frowned. "My work would be easier with your help Titan. I can make you join me."

"What are you going to do, infect me?"

"If necessary."

"That would be breaking the treaty your people signed with us long ago," Dennis pointed out.

"As I said Titan, I lot has changed in the past 10,000 years." He looked at me carefully. "If you don't join me, I'll put your friend in storage and make sure she's the first to be infected."

I swallowed hard, suddenly feeling very frighten that my life was threatened. What would it be like to live the rest of my life in a dreamlike state, unable to control my own destiny?

"Infecting her won't change my mind," Dennis insisted.

"I think it will, Titan," the Medusa countered. "Another advancement we learned from the Olympians; I can sense your feelings for her. You care about this one greatly."

I spun my head and looked at Dennis, but he didn't acknowledge my stare. "It's true I care a great deal for her, but not enough to hand over the human race to you!"

For a moment I didn't know whether to admire him for not giving in, or hate his guts for not trying to save me. Then I looked at the clock on the wall and realized it didn't matter. Our time was almost up. Either way I was going to die. I decided Dennis had made the right choice."

"I'll infect you both," the Medusa stated as he pushed Barbie behind him. "Once my children are born, you will both be made to join me. Then together we'll take on the world and shape it into what I want it to be. It's clear both of you have no idea what direction to go. Now watch carefully Titan, because I'm going to start with your helper first."

The Medusa smiled, and slowly raised his hand at me. So this would be the end of my life I thought. To die in a remote cabin at the hands of a mad alien, bent on taking over the world for our own good. How ironic!

"Last chance," the Medusa told Dennis. "Join me and I'll spare her life."

"I will never join you," Dennis hissed.

"So be it," the Medusa answered unpleasantly. It turned to take the shot, than suddenly gasped...its eyes opening wide in betrayal. Then it gasped again, and his eyes blinked several times. Barbie stepped out from behind it with a sword in her hands, the same sword the Medusa had sworn to use to protect her. In her eyes there was nothing but pure hate. The Medusa took a step toward her, then knelt to the ground. It looked at her in confusion.

"Why Barbie?" the Medusa asked in bewilderment. "I would've have given you anything you wanted. You would've been a queen; honored and revered. You name would have been known forever."

"You fucking bastard," she hissed. "You stole my life and were planning to do the same to others. I won't be a part of your plan to murder my people!" The Medusa looked at her painfully, then fell to the floor.

"Barbie, the device. Turn it off!" Dennis yelled.

The teenager grabbed the small box and threw it hard on the ground, cracking it in half. Then, just to be sure it wasn't working she stomped on it, smashing it into several pieces. Suddenly I was free from its grip.

"Quick Linda! Call General Grim and give the all clear signal," he told me. As I hit the code to speed dial to his station, Dennis knelt down beside the dying Medusa and held it in his arms.

"You won, Titan," it said. "I underestimated these humans. If only you had joined me."

"I wish you had joined me," Dennis replied with regret. "Hang on. You're going to be alright."

"No," it shook its head. "She pierced my blood sacks. My fluids have already entered into this body. It's too late." The Medusa winced in pain then said, "You never asked me about the war, Titan."

"It wasn't one of the more pressing topics on my mind."

The Medusa coughed and some white fluid came out of its mouth. "Come closer." It whispered something into his ear, and Dennis' face turned white. The Medusa gasped one more time and died. Several soldiers rushed into the room with their guns drawn.

"Get her to the portable X-ray machine," Dennis ordered. "We have to make sure those slugs aren't born alive."

Two soldiers grabbed Barbie by the arms and pulled her out the door. The others stood there looking at their dead comrade. Now his body could be laid to rest.

"I thought once the Medusa died so would the slugs?" I questioned.

"Only if they had already infected someone," he explained. "Their mental link to the Medusa hasn't been established yet. These slugs, while leaderless, would try to carry out the Medusa's last wishes."

"Will she be okay?" I asked.

"Barbie will be fine," Dennis responded while letting go of the Medusa and slowly standing. "It won't take much to kill the slugs." He looked back down at the Medusa, and I could see the distress on his face.

"What did it say to you, Dennis?"

"It told me the final outcome of the war between the Titans and the Olympians."

"Who won?"

"No one," he answered bitterly. "In the end we both lost." He walked past me and out the door without explaining further.

***

Like Dennis had promised, none of the people that had come in contact with the Medusa suffered any ill affects, all except for Robert Sprint that is. He had been laid to rest yesterday with full military honors. Dennis, June, and I had attended the funeral, and I couldn't get his young widows face out of my thoughts. I could still see the pain she was feeling in my mind. She would never know the truth about what had happened to her husband, but then I wondered...was that a bad thing? Perhaps having him die in a helicopter crash would be easier to deal with long-term then finding out he had been murdered in a cabin similar to the one that had once produced a blessing between them.

The others, Barbie's friends, Mr. and Mrs. Cass, and the men who had made the first contact with the Medusa were all taken care of. Dennis didn't tell me how, only that he had gotten them to stay quiet and I would've approved of how it had been done. That left Barbie, the former Tim Stevens. As I followed Judge Herns and Dennis Butz into the large conference room I wondered how she would be dealt with. Out of all the people who had been touched by the Medusa, she had been through the worse. She, or rather he, had suffered greatly, and there didn't seem to be a way to fix the situation.

General Grim had kept Barbie for three days in a sealed room before he was convinced that all of the Medusa's children were dead and she was no longer a threat. Dennis had talked to her several times during that period in private. Another day had been spent in Andersonville with Dr. Green. The doctor seemed to have reached Barbie, for she was much calmer now. The three of us took a seat across from her. Dr. Green sat next to Barbie holding her hand for support. I was surprise to see that Barbie was wearing a pretty dress that hung several inches above her knees, and a pair of stylish flats. In fact she was even wearing makeup and had her hair brushed in a very feminine manner. Had she accept who she was? Dennis cleared his throat.

"Before we begin Tim, I want to bring in your mother. She needs to hear what I have to say."

The young girl shook her head slowly and in a soft, painful voice said, "No...not her. I can't let her...see me...not like this."

"It's okay Tim, really," Dennis reassured her. "Your mother knows. I told her everything. I even showed her the pictures we took of you. She knows what you look like, and wants to see you again...to be with you. You're her child."

"Tim was her child," Barbie said stubbornly while fighting back the tears. "Look at me, Mr. Butz. I'm not her son anymore. Do you see how I'm dressed? I wore this outfit to make a point to both you and me. I'm a girl now. I belong to no one. I have no mother and father."

"I know you're afraid, Tim," Dennis answered calmly. "Hell, I would be too. But you can't hide from your mother forever. You're still her child. Through no fault of your own you're a girl now, but inside you're still her son. You have to accept that, Tim...just like you have to accept your new gender."

"You told me there might be a chance I could become a man again."

Dennis nodded. "Yes I did, Tim. But before I discuss that with you your mother needs to be here. Male or female, you're still a minor." He paused for a moment, and then continued in an open and honest manner. "Look Tim, you can say no and I'll respect that decision and not let her in. You saved the world, and right or wrong I owe you that much. But if you want my opinion son, you're making a big mistake by cutting her off."

"What if she...she rejects me," Barbie said looking away. Dr. Green patted her hand for support.

"She won't," Dennis promised. "As I said before, she's seen your pictures and wasn't turned off by them. She loves you, Tim!" Dennis paused for a moment to let that sink in, then continued. "Tim, there comes a time when you have to take risks with your feelings. I know you're having a hard time dealing with what happened to you, but you don't have to go through this alone. Your mother wants to be with you here today...right now. She requested me to tell you that. After everything she's done for you in the past Tim, you owe her the chance to meet with you."

The young girl continued to stare sadly down at the ground. "Dr Green, what should I do?"

"Dennis is right, Tim," she replied. "You owe your mother this chance."

Barbie looked at her and then Dennis. Her jaw grew tight, and without saying a word she reluctantly nodded.

"Linda, please show Ms. Stevens in."

I stood and opened the door. Tim's mother was sitting nearby, an attractive woman in her late 30's. She questioned me with her eyes. I smiled and nodded that it was all right. She tugged nervously at the hem of her dress and walked into the room. When she spotted Barbie her eye's glistened.

"Tim...are you okay? I was so worried about you." Mrs. Stevens stopped short of standing next to her son although I could tell it was a struggle to do so. This had been Dr. Green's plan; to have Tim meet her halfway.

"I'm not Tim...I'm...I'm Barbie. I'm...I'm not your child anymore!"

Mrs. Stevens stood there with tears rolling freely down her cheeks. "You will always be my child, Tim. I love you. Do you know how hard it's been on me not being able to see you? I thought you were dead until Mr. Butz told me the truth."

"I'm a girl now," she said rudely, trying to build a wall between them. "Don't you get that, Ms. Stevens? The son you once loved and knew is gone...dead."

"The son I knew would never give up," she stated. "I love you, Tim. Please, don't shut me out...not when you need me as much as I need...'want' you."

The wall broke, and Barbie started to sob. Dr. Green helped the young girl to her feet, and the teenager fell into her mother's arm. Together they cried, getting rid of the grief and fear they felt. Finally, after the last tears were dried, they sat down together. Ms. Stevens kept her arm around Barbie's shoulder and softly stroked her hair.

"I guess we should begin," Dennis expressed in a serious manner. "Tim, I told you there may be a way to turn you back into yourself. I did some checking and it can be done but...there's a huge risk involved."

"How...how huge of a risk?"

"Huge! I have a serum that will change your DNA back into what it used to be. By injecting your old DNA into your body, it can transform you back into your original self. That's a given. The problem is you most likely won't survive the transformation. The Medusa used some pretty powerful stuff on you. The samples I took from your skin tissues didn't react well to my serum. I don't think there's a way to correct this."

"What are the odds everything will turn out all right?" Barbie asked.

"I don't know...but they aren't good. One in six at best...at worse, a one in twenty shot. Frankly, I don't think it's worth the risk."

"It is to me," Barbie blurted out strongly. "You don't know what it's like, Mr. Butz. I need to be me again!"

"Tim," her mother said cautiously. "Please think about what he's saying. It sounds too risky."

"No I...can't." The teenager clinched her fists tightly. "I can't stay like this...trapped in a girls body."

"I'm afraid that until you turn 18 you don't have a choice," Dennis retorted. "You see, hero or not, I can't let you, as a minor, make that decision...and I'm not about to let you pressure your mother into allowing it to happen. This is my decision Tim...and mine only. Until you turn 18 you'll have to live as a girl."

"You can't do that to me," she protested.

"Yes I can Tim. I don't like doing it...I don't want to do it...but I can't let you throw your life away when you haven't even tried living as you currently are. Its my opinion that trying to use my serum to change you back is like playing Russian roulette, only in this case only one of the chambers doesn't contain a bullet. This is not a decision that should be made on a moments notice."

"Don't you see, I can never be happy as a girl," she said with tears in her eyes.

"You won't know until you try," Dennis countered. "You might be surprised at what you can get used to - and even enjoy."

"Mr. Butz, what happens to us in the meantime?" Mrs. Stevens asked. "Tim can't go home like this."

Dennis nodded. "I know Ms. Stevens. I've talked it over with Judge Herns, and we would like to offer you a place here. You'll start out fresh. All your needs will be provided for - a new job, a house, your daughter's clothes, everything. The only way for your son to know if using the serum is worth the risk is to try out his new life."

"I can't last that long," Barbie pleaded. "I can't."

"Yes you can, Tim," Dennis stated firmly. "I saw what you did to the Medusa. You can do anything you want if you put your mind to it. All I'm asking is that you give this life a try. If you're still not happy by the time you turn 18, I'll give you that shot at returning back to your old self...but not before."

"You promise, Mr. Butz?"

"Yes, if certain conditions are followed. You'll live as Barbie Stevens, or who ever you want to be, until then. That means dressing and acting like a girl at all times."

"You mean she can pick a new name?" Mrs. Steven's asked.

"If that's Tim choice," the director replied. "Considering how his situation came about, that may not be a bad idea. It will help your son put this behind him." Mrs. Stevens looked at her new daughter carefully.

"You said certain conditions," Tim pointed out. "What are the others?"

"Nothing major. You'll see Dr. Green at least once a week. Frankly Tim, I think you need to talk to someone to help you overcome what happened. You've been through a lot this past week, and as strong as you've been, I'm concerned about you.

"You'll also have to behave and not cause trouble or try to leave Andersonville at any time without permission. If there are problems then you talk to Dr Green, Judge Herns, or myself...but you don't run off. Running away won't solve anything. We'll only have to bring you back and then you'll still have to face those problems. Those are my conditions Tim. Follow them and I'll keep my promise to you."

"You said dress like a girl - does that mean wearing dresses all the time."

"No, you can wear skirts too," Dennis chuckled then added, "I don't want you dressing like a Tomboy...that won't help you decide which life is best for you. You'll have to wear a dress or skirt at least once a week, but no more than that. Honestly, I think you'll find that dressing as a girl isn't all that bad."

Tim's mother, who had been silent through most of this, gave her daughter an encouraging nudge. "He's right you know, it's not so bad Tim. In fact, I think this might be fun. I get to have a daughter to dress up and do things with."

"Mom," Tim protested stiffly. "I don't want to be your Barbie doll."

"I don't want you to be either," she agreed. "But I think this could bring us closer together if we give it a chance. We also need to change your name. Do you have one in mind?"

"To be honest, I haven't thought about it," Tim admitted. "I don't suppose you had a name picked out?"

"Katie," she stated softly. "Katie Natalie Stevens, or Kat for short. That was what I was going to name you if you had been a girl. Is that name alright with you, Tim?" She brushed her daughter's hair to one side and smiled.

"I...I guess," the teenager agreed. "It's better than Barbie Stevens."

"It looks like our business is concluded," Dennis smiled warmly. "There's some paperwork you'll have to fill out, but we'll have you do it tomorrow after you settle in. Right now Judge Herns is going to drive you to your new home."

"You're going to love the place I picked out for you," June told them. Mrs. Stevens smiled and helped her new daughter stand. Together they left with Mrs. Stevens holding her new daughter tightly against her side.

"What do you think he will do?" I asked. Dennis smiled confidently.

"I suspect that by the time Tim turns 18, he'll be too happy with his new life to risk trying to change back. From our talks, he's seems to be a well-adjusted and happy teenager who enjoys life. He just needs to be shown that his life isn't over."

"I got the same impression talking to him," Dr. Green agreed. "I don't think he'll have any problems adjusting to his new life once he gets over the fact that he's now a girl."

"Wait until his first period," I said. "That'll make him want to change back even more." The two of them chuckled even though I hadn't been joking.

"Well, if he comes back to me in two years I'll be surprised," continued Dennis. Then he frowned. "I wonder if the Medusas will send a scout ship to find out what happened to Morginlamin?"

Now there was a horrible thought I said to myself. "What happens if they do?"

"Hopefully we'll do things differently and convince them to leave. The Medusa's really don't want trouble. They just have a way of finding it."

"Or bringing it out," Dr. Green added. "It's amazing our people signed a treaty with them."

My head snapped around, and I looked at Dr. Green in surprise. "You're a Titan?"

"Oops," she grinned sheepishly and stood quickly. "I'd better get going. I have an appointment with a client soon." She turned and rushed out the door as if trying to escape.

"I suppose you're pissed at me for not telling you in the beginning," Dennis said before I had a chance to say anything. Already I could see him preparing to do battle with me.

I smiled and slowly shook my head. "I expect surprises like this from you," I told him. "Buy me lunch and I'll forgive you."

"Deal," he replied happily.

"Oh, and you can explain to me how Dr. Green was able to get pregnant." Seeing that she was a Titan, I didn't think that was possible. I was under the impression that Jupiter had made them all sterile.

"I think I'll leave the sex talk to your mother," Dennis replied in mock seriousness.

"Funny Dennis...very funny. It's nice to know you're still a secretive SOB."

"I try," he smiled.

Fade out...

Next episode - The day Dennis Butz died (series finale)