Silent Mobius Fan Fiction ❯ Red Destiny - Book 1: New York ❯ Veritas ( Chapter 4 )

Silent Mobius: Red Destiny

Book 1: New York

Chapter 4: Veritas

Authors: OSTOCOM

E-mail and Website: See our profile

Rating: PG

Disclaimer: We do not own Silent Mobius or its characters, but we do own our own characters. See the Book 0 for complete disclaimer.

A/N: We will be moving to a biweekly posting schedule for the time being. We'll write another note if and when we move back to weekly postings.

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The sky was overcast as Amber Ramirez pulled up to the curb in her 2025 Ford Hydronic. She patted the hood of her car affectionately. It may have been a few years old, and its hydrogen cells might not have been the most efficient ones on the planet, but it got her where she needed to go. The radio had said there wasn't much chance of rain, but Amber still hurried to put her money in the parking meter and get inside. She rushed under the sign that identified the place as the 'Riverwood Apartments' and strode over to the elevator.

"Twenty-second floor, please," she said once inside, and the voice-sensitive system flashed a large number 22 up on the screen on the left-hand wall. The metal doors slid shut, and Amber felt the familiar sensation of the ground falling away beneath her.

"We have now arrived at your destination. Have a pleasant day," the computerized voice said as the doors slid open again. Amber winced. She knew that some newer, nicer buildings, even the one she lived in, had a more human sounding system, and the more expensive places even had live operators. She'd tried again and again to get her parents to move into a nicer place, but her mother was very attached to the apartment that had been their home since the Ramirez family came to New York from Mexico in 2008.

Everything was much the same as it had been when she lived with her family. The hall carpets were ragged and fading, the molding along the floor was cracked, but the building was still scrupulously clean, as if having everything freshly scrubbed would make up for the general dinginess of the place.

Amber knocked on the door of apartment 22-B-17 a couple of times before trying the knob and finding the door unlocked. Her mother, as usual, had expected her.

"Good morning, Mami!" Amber called as she tossed her purse on the couch and wandered over to the kitchen to see what was producing such delicious smells.

"Morning, Amber," Julia Ramirez said, looking up from a skillet filled with eggs, peppers, and other vegetables. She was dishing the concoction out onto plates, and pressed one into Amber's hands. "Eat something, for heaven's sake. You're nothing but skin and bones!"

"Amber!!"

"Hey, Sis!"

Two excited twelve-year-olds, a boy and a girl, appeared from their respective bedrooms and burst into the kitchen. They each grabbed plates from off the counter and plunked down at the table set up midway between the kitchen and the living room, pulling Amber after them.

"Hey, it's my favorite set of twins," Amber said. She gave her little sister Benita a quick hug and ruffled Julio's hair. "You two been keeping out of trouble?"

"Well, kind of..." Julio said, avoiding his older sister's gaze.

"Julio! You have been getting in trouble! What happened?" Amber demanded. Their mother muttered something angrily in Spanish and went back to serving breakfast.

"It was just detention...and it was just once," he explained. This was why he had never liked it when Amber had been left to baby-sit. She always seemed to know when he was lying.

"He got caught copying someone else's homework," Benita said smugly. Julio glared at his twin.

"He's never going to get into college like Amber did if he keeps this up," a voice from behind the morning newspaper that was propped up at the end of the table said gruffly. Julio looked down at his hands, shamefaced, and Amber pushed the newspaper aside so she could plant a kiss on her father's cheek.

"Good morning to you too, Papa," she said. He simply grunted in response, but Amber could see the beginnings of a smile on his face. While the twins wolfed down their breakfast, Amber went back into the kitchen to talk to her mother.

"Your new job is going well?" Julia asked. "I still don't see why you had to leave that newspaper you were working at. You seemed to be doing so well."

"It's going great, Mami. Being the public relations officer for the ECC pays a lot better than my old job, and I can still write freelance on the side. It's not like I'm giving up my dream or something." Amber laughed, but it wasn't quite convincing enough for her mother to believe her. In truth, in the two weeks since joining the ECC, Amber hadn't had time to think about anything but training and learning the ropes. She had the nagging suspicion that writing wasn't going to fit into her new life, and it hurt.

"I hope you didn't just take it for the money," Julia said. She began to put away her kitchen supplies. Amber, out of habit and respect, helped. "You know that we're proud of you no matter how much money you make."

"Oh no, that's not all of it...I feel like I'm really doing something good, being a public servant and all that! And besides, the girls I work with at the office are great. I can already tell that they're going to be wonderful friends." Amber smiled. Her voice had more of a ring of authenticity this time, and her mother smiled back. Amber glanced over at her father and lowered her voice. "Did you ever get Papa to go in and have those tests?" She asked.

"He went to the doctor last Friday," Julia answered. She frowned slightly and turned her back to Amber so she could put away some spices.

"And?" Amber prompted.

"Everything is fine, Amber. Don't worry about it," Julia said. Amber's hand went to the pink crystal on a silver chain that hung around her neck. It was icy cold to the touch. She frowned and gently put her hand on her mother's plump arm.

"You're not telling me the truth, Mami," she said. Julia hesitated a little before leaning back on the counter and looking her oldest daughter in the eye.

"The doctor said they might have found something. Some...growth or...I don't know what. I really didn't understand much of what they were saying. He's supposed to go back next week. They said they'd tell us more then."

"I'll go with you, if you want," Amber offered. "Maybe I can help you make sense out of things."

"I wouldn't want you to take time off of work," Julia started to say.

"Oh, Mami! You know I would do that for you guys in a second," Amber told her.

"And," Julia continued, "I don't want your father to know that I told you. He hasn't let me call Tomas or Marcus yet, either." Amber's two older brothers both lived out of state and ran an air-conditioning repair business together.

"Fine, then, you do what you think is best," Amber said. "I'm just glad to know what's going on with my family. I worry about you guys sometimes."

"We take care of ourselves," Julia said proudly. "But you! Hija, you look like you haven't eaten for a week! And your nice breakfast is getting cold!" Amber looked over at the plate that had gone practically untouched while she and her mother had been talking. Without thinking, she put her hands on her hips. She had lost a bit of weight since joining the ECC. Running around the city chasing Lucifer Hawks wasn't exactly a sedentary occupation.

"It's good, Mami," she said, and she stuffed a bite into her mouth. "What did you put in here? It tastes different, sweet somehow." She drew her brows together, trying to discover what was giving her mother's scrambled egg concoction its mildly sweet flavor. It was a game the two Ramirez women had played for as long as Amber had known how to cook.

"Give up?" Julia asked. Amber nodded. "Coconut milk! That's what it is. Just a couple of tablespoonfuls are all you need."

"Interesting...I never would have thought of that," Amber mused. Julia began to dish the leftovers into a plastic dish.

"Do you want to take some to work with you?" she asked.

"No, no, that's okay. I'm not sure how the girls would feel about experimental cooking," Amber said.

"Well, you just have them come over here some time, and I'll fix them some good old fashioned Mexican food," Julia said.

"I will, Mami. You just tell me when," Amber said. The thought of introducing her teammates to her family was a little scary, but she knew her mother would pester her about it until the end of time if she didn't agree. Her family didn't have Adara's money, Calixta's technological sophistication, or Miakoda's exoticness. They were just normal, everyday people. Amber could only hope the two groups-her new friends and her family-would mix well.

"How about tomorrow?" her mother suggested. Amber almost choked. (If anyone can throw together a feast for ten people on a day's notice, it's my mom,) she thought ruefully to herself.

"Isn't that a little...short notice?" Amber asked. Her mother gave her a penetrating look, and Amber couldn't say anything but, "I'll ask them and let you know, Mami. Just go a little easy on the chile, ok? Not all of them are exactly used to it."

"You think I don't know how to cook for different groups of people?" Julia said, taking mock offense at the suggestion. "You just worry about getting yourself to work on time, young lady, and leave the rest to me."

"Sorry, sorry!" Amber apologized, then yelled into the other room, "Hey! Anyone who's ready in the next five minutes just might get a ride to school from me!" At this announcement, there was the sound of the scuffling of shoes as the daily fight for the bathroom suddenly took on a new importance.

As Amber and her younger siblings walked out the door, Amber kissed her mother on the cheek.

"I'll get back to you about tomorrow, Mami," she promised, then turned to Julio and Benita. "Come on, rugrats. Papa's going to kill us all if you two are late to school." The three of them rushed out the door and down the hallway with amazing speed.

------

"…and so, since the United States shares both a hemisphere and a border with the Latin American Coalition, it is imperative that friendly relationships continue to exist between the two nations. The United States should offer aid in a spirit of comradeship, not condescension, and…" Amber looked up from her computer and stopped typing. She had been whispering to herself as she wrote, testing out the words to see how they sounded.

"Looks interesting," Mackenzie said, gesturing at the article Amber was attempting to write.

"Commander Jameson!" Amber said, hastily bringing up a screen that had more to do with work and less with the diplomatic relationship between the United States and the Latin American Coalition. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to be using my ECC office hours to work on… you know…personal stuff."

"It's all right, Amber," Mackenzie assured her. "Things are pretty quiet here today, and if your work here the past couple of weeks is any indication, you've already got all of your reports filed away." Amber beamed at her superior's praise. Being the new girl was always tough, as she'd learned from a couple of years spent jumping from job to job at various New York newspapers and magazines. Her usual policy was to follow the rules scrupulously, not get in anyone's way, and hope that no one ever had any reason to complain. So far, this had worked quite nicely at the ECC.

"Thank you, Commander Jameson," Amber said, and brought her article back up onto the screen. "I'm hoping I might sell this sometime next week if I can ever get it finished. There's a bill on the floor of the senate right now that would attach certain stipulations to the United States' aid to the LAC, and I think that…" The younger woman brought herself up short and considered the possibility that Mackenzie might not be as interested as she was in the subject. However, when she looked at her commanding officer's face, she was pleasantly surprised at what she saw there. Interest.

"It's a hot topic right now," Mackenzie agreed. "I'm glad to see you're so interested in current events."

"You can take a reporter out of the newsroom," Adara joked as she walked by.

"But you can't take the newsroom out of the reporter," Amber finished. She flashed a bright smile at Adara. It had only been two weeks, but Amber already felt a certain amount of kinship with the ECC's second-in-command.

"Good luck with that, Ensign Ramirez," Mackenzie said before disappearing into her office.

"Thanks!" Amber called, and went back to her article. The tangy smell of Adara's citrus scented candle wafted over the room, and Amber breathed in deeply. Adara always had such delicious smelling things on her desk!

The smell reminded Amber that she was hungry, which, in turn, reminded her that she had a lunch date to keep. She looked at her watch, saw that she only had fifteen minutes to be at the restaurant, and bolted out the door.

"It's my lunch hour now! I'll be back at 1:30!" she called as she ran through the lobby. "If the apocalypse comes, beep me!"

"It's a guy. It *has* to be a guy," Miakoda murmured as the door slammed shut behind the ECC's newest member.

------

Miakoda's intuition was dead on. Fifteen minutes later, Amber arrived at a café in downtown New York. She caught sight of Tad Daniels' sandy blond hair and smiling face easily. He had secured them a table outside under the awning and was waving her over.

"So are you surviving over at the 'Sentinel' without me?" Amber asked as she sat down. Daniels handed her a menu.

"I'm positively inconsolable. It's just not as fun on the newsroom floor without you around."

He smiled disarmingly, and out of habit, Amber's hand went to the crystal around her neck. It was still warm. Amber blinked in surprise and smiled a little shyly as she looked at the menu.

"I just don't get it, Amber," Daniels continued. "I mean, you were starting to get some really good stories. You know, catch the editor's eye. And then you up and move to… to the *ECC*, of all places!"

Amber sighed, and launched into her explanation for the second time that day.

"Public relations is kind of like what I was doing…" she started to say.

"Except for now you're the one trying to put the spin on events rather than the one trying to cut through it," Tad said, wagging an admonishing finger at her.

"Are you trying to say you think I sold out?" Amber asked playfully.

"Traitor," Daniels grumbled, still smiling. "I think you're lying, though." *That* got Amber's attention.

"You think I'm *what?*" she demanded.

"Hey! No harm meant! I just think it's kind of strange that we did all of this research and came up with the name Mackenzie Jameson, and then BAM! You're *working* for the woman. I think you're trying to get the inside scoop."

Amber's shoulders relaxed a little.

"I'm right, aren't I? That *is* why you joined Equine Cleanup and Control, right? So, any inside information you'd care to share?" Daniels asked.

"Well…" Amber searched for a way to answer without completely butchering the truth. "There were some interesting developments. If I can let you know anything without losing my job, I will. Promise." This seemed to satisfy Daniels, and he leaned back in his chair and tossed his menu on the table.

"I just hope you get your big scoop soon so you can come back to the office. I miss all those leftovers you used to bring to work from your mom's dinners!"

"And some of it was me too! Mami's not the only one in my family who can cook!" Amber reminded him.

"Right, right! How could I forget?" Tad said. He smiled hopefully at Amber, but she was busy looking at her menu. "And I miss having you around… just to talk to…"

"Well, we're talking now, aren't we?" Amber asked, completely missing the point Daniels was trying to make.

"I guess we are, at that," he said. "We've got to do this more often."

"I could bring you leftovers over at the Sentinel," Amber suggested. Daniels' eyes lit up.

"You'd do that? For me?"

"Of course! We're friends, right?"

"Yeah. Friends," Tad agreed in a disappointed voice.

------

Amber was halfway through her plate of spaghetti when the beeper at her side started chirping incessantly. She broke off the comment she was making about the latest episode of her favorite show and reached down to her side. The letters "324LH" were flashing on the display screen. This was the code for "Lucifer Hawk attack, get your butt over here immediately."

"I've gotta go!" Amber said, jumping up and grabbing her purse.

"But you're not finished with your lunch," Daniels pointed out.

"Um… can't stay. There's an emergency at work," Amber said. Tad raised an eyebrow at her.

"What? Massive pile of horse crap at Broadway and 42nd?"

"Something like that!" Amber said as she started to make her way towards where she had parked her car.

"Hey, before you run off, I wanted to ask you… when can we get together again?"

"Soon, Daniels. It'll be soon, I promise," Amber said. She jumped into the driver's seat and took off like a true New York native, leaving Tad staring after her in admiration.

"I even like the way she *drives*," he muttered to himself. "Man, I've got it bad!"

Amber pulled up to the location that had been delivered by her beeper and pulled her gun and its holster from beneath the seat. She spotted Calixta's ship up ahead, and clicked on her communicator.

"Ramirez here. What's our situation and what do I need to do?" she asked.

"Amber! Just in time. Right now, we just need you in a backup position. The Hawk's about thirty meters down that alley. Adara and Miakoda are already up front. Get down there and give them some cover fire if you can," Calixta instructed.

Amber nodded, suppressed the knot of nervousness that began to form in her stomach, and ran up the alley. She still felt odd being an actual participant in the action rather than an observer. Reporting was all about watching, observing, and thinking. Not acting. It wasn't always exactly safe; Amber had nearly gotten herself into serious trouble several times during her short journalistic career; but reporting certainly didn't involve putting oneself in the direct line of fire. The thought of what she was about to do-engage a huge monster from another dimension in most likely mortal combat-still terrified her. Luckily for Amber, Mackenzie and the rest of the ECC had gone easy on her. In most of their engagements with Lucifer Hawks, she had been relegated to a backup position.

Upon arriving at the scene, Amber found that her teammates already had the situation pretty well in hand. Adara stood directly in front of the creature shooting a steady stream of flame into the center of its body. Miakoda stood slightly to the right, chanting softly in Navajo. Misty tendrils began to swirl around her, and then solidified into the form of an eagle that rushed at the Lucifer Hawk. The Hawk screamed in pain and confusion at the double attack, and rushed at the two women who were hurting it. Amber ducked instinctively, even though she knew there was no danger to her, as missiles from Calixta's STAV came rushing into the Hawk.

The monster was *really* hurting now, and began to lash out in madness and rage. One mottled claw swept towards Miakoda from the side. The Navajo woman was turned and didn't see it coming. Amber raised her gun and trained it on the Hawk's swiftly descending arm. (Just like Adara showed you… Aim, concentrate, fire… Just believe that you can do this…) Amber squeezed the trigger and fired a plasma cartridge. The Hawk screeched again and withdrew its attack.

Miakoda nodded in thanks in Amber's direction, and for a brief second, Amber understood what it meant to be a member of the team. She had literally just saved Miakoda's life, and the other girls had watched *her* back and kept her safe more times than she could remember, and she'd only been with the ECC two weeks! The Lucifer Hawk didn't allow her time to reflect on friendship, life, and teamwork. Apparently, it decided that this group of women it had run into was too much for it to handle, and it crouched low to the ground before launching itself straight up into the air.

Adara and Miakoda continued to throw their respective magics at the Hawk as it slowly rose to the second story level of the buildings that surrounded them. Seeing the two women standing there with various forms of power leaping from their hands didn't startle Amber as much as it had at first. Even with her uncanny ability to discern the truth, wrapping her mind around the idea that magic was *real* had taken some considerable doing.

"I've got it!" Calixta's voice crackled over the communicator. A series of rockets launched from the 'Aurora' and buried themselves in the Hawk. The rockets detonated, and the Hawk screamed one last time before imploding in on itself. A sphere of energy burst outward from the place where the Hawk had just been, and Amber stumbled back against the wall.

"Is everyone okay?" Calixta asked. "Life check, one, two..."

"Adara here." The leader of the group sounded tired, but had a satisfied smile on her face. "Good work, ladies."

"I'm fine too," Miakoda said.

Calixta waited for Amber to respond for several seconds before prompting her.

"Amber? You okay?"

"Oh! Yes! I'm sorry, I'm all right," she said. Adara's insistence that they all check in after a battle when they were all within sight of each other seemed a little silly sometimes, but Amber did see the sense in the policy. It was a good way to make sure that everyone was intact enough to check in.

Amber stared at the blackened spot where the Hawk had just been.

"Not so scary now, is it?" Miakoda said.

Amber chuckled nervously, then started laughing loudly. She was at the point of having to support herself with one arm against a nearby building when Adara asked her, "Amber… what's so funny?"

Amber began to speak in a fairly good approximation of a Lucifer Hawk's voice. "I used to be a bad-ass Hawk, until guns, and the pesky ECC, defanged me. Now I'm just a biiiiig fluffy puppy, with bad teeth."

Miakoda caught the Buffy reference and started chuckling herself. "Or no teeth," she added, causing Amber to laugh even harder. Adara simply stared at her team-members as if they had lost it.

"I'm not even going to ask."

Calixta landed the 'Aurora' and opened the hatch. Adara hopped in and waved at her teammates.

"I'll see you all back at headquarters," she said.

"Now for the true occupational hazard: paperwork," Calixta said sarcastically.

"You'd think it would be simple," Amber joked. "All we need is one question. 'Did you kill the Lucifer Hawk? Check yes or no.'"

"Don't we wish," Miakoda mumbled.

Amber laughed as she unlocked her car and prepared to drive back to headquarters.

------

"So, how'd your lunch date go?" Adara asked when they had all arrived back at the ECC building. Amber, as was her usual habit, was already busy filling out the forms that the government required of them after each encounter with a Lucifer Hawk.

"It was…nice. It was good to see Daniels again. I just wish I hadn't had to run off in the middle of our conversation. Stupid Lucifer Hawk…why couldn't it wait until *after* my lunch hour?" Somehow, acting cavalier about the Hawk attack made it seem a little less frightening.

Adara chuckled. "Time and Hawks wait for no woman," she quoted sagely. Amber just rolled her eyes and went back to filling out her form.

"There. Finished," Amber announced a few minutes later.

"Show-off," Miakoda murmured, but her mouth twisted into a smile despite her intentions otherwise. Amber's bouncy enthusiasm was refreshing, at times.

"Now I just have to turn this in to Macken…" Amber's eyes strayed over to the door of the commander's office, and found it closed, and the window dark. "Hey, where *is* Mackenzie?"

"I remember her telling me something about having to be out of the office," Adara said, trying to recall what it was Mackenzie had said.

"She had a meeting with Captain Marshall," Calixta said, not looking up from her computer screen. "If the rest of you ever checked your inter-office communication modules, you'd know that."

"Oh," Amber said quietly. She was still seething slightly from her own meeting with the man. (Mackenzie isn't going to get anything resembling the truth out of him, she thought. Ah well, there's nothing I can do about it. I just hope she'll listen to me rather than taking his word at face value.)

------

Captain Marshall seemed less inviting than usual to Mackenzie as she strode up to meet him in his office's executive dining hall. This was the second time she had agreed to meet him over lunch within the past few weeks, but this time she was feeling decidedly different about the whole affair. Before she had met him as an old friend worthy of her trust; now there seemed to be an air of hesitation between them. A waitress came and took their order of two coffees. Marshall then turned to Mackenzie with a smile that was both apologetic and oversaturated. "I'm terribly sorry our meeting place had to be this formal, but I'm afraid things have become very busy for me recently. It's looking like I may be promoted soon."

"That's great," Mackenzie congratulated her superior officer. However, she was not concerned enough to question Marshall about it now. "Damien, I asked to talk because I need to get some answers from you."

"Is this about your wanting to understand your memories before the accident?" Marshall asked with a sigh.

"Yes, and about the mem-sweeps. Some of my subordinates have given me reason to believe that there is a connection between mem-sweeps and the accident I had. I *know* that the mem-sweep testing was under your command until several years ago…until right before the accident on the _Victorious_. So I'm just going to ask outright: was I ever a mem-sweep test subject?"

Marshall hesitated before answering, and his smile seemed to waver a little. "Honestly James, if you think about all the events, it really wouldn't make sense-"

"It's a simple yes or no question," Mackenzie interrupted.

Marshall looked the stern woman before him in the eye. "No."

Mackenzie's anxiety didn't go away…if anything, it worsened, since she couldn't read Marshall's tone or expressions at all. It was now that she really wished Amber was around to observe Marshall for her. However, she knew she couldn't get Marshall to talk as openly when others were present. Mackenzie leaned back in her chair. "Can you offer me any proof that I wasn't a test subject?" she asked bluntly.

"Is there any proof that you *were*?" Marshall retorted, folding his hands in front of him. Neither of them seemed to notice when the waitress brought their two coffees. "Have your subordinates found any records or photos that may indicate you were a test subject?"

Mackenzie sighed in frustration. "No, they haven't. But you and I both know the military, Damien…there are many ways to cover up such information."

Marshall sighed. "Why would you be a mem-sweep test subject, James? Most people that signed up for them were trying to forget painful memories. You're doing the exact opposite now. Also, you've always been one of our best officers, even before the accident. Why would the Navy do mem-sweeps on its own officers? It's not only impractical, it's also dangerous." He let part of his wide smile return. "It's understandable that your subordinates would be distrustful of me. It's part of their job to be distrustful, and they don't have the same relationship we do. And if you add that to the fact that mem-sweeps are already a rather touchy subject…"

"It's not just my subordinates' suspicions." Mackenzie looked towards her steaming coffee.

"Then what is it?"

Mackenzie locked eyes with Marshall again. "You told me that my memories would return on their own. And I think you're right…but these aren't the memories that I was expecting. I'm seeing people I don't know, doing things I don't comprehend…it really scares me."

Marshall nodded as if those visions shouldn't warrant any confusion. "I understand that unfamiliar memories like that can be frightening. But to be honest, my best advice would be to not analyze your memories. It's causing unnecessary stress on you; I can see even now that you're more tired than usual. I'm no doctor, but I know it's not healthy for you to stress over events that may not and probably have not happened. Your energy is better spent with the ECC, and protecting this city."

"I know that's advice I should take," Mackenzie nodded. "But that still doesn't explain *why* I'm remembering these things…"

Before Marshall could answer, a harsh chirping came from inside his jacket. He started, and pulled out his pen phone. "Excuse me a minute, James."

Mackenzie's brow furrowed as Marshall made curt replies to the caller on his small pen phone. She had never considered it courteous to interrupt a meal with someone to carry on a phone conversation, and she certainly didn't appreciate it from Marshall now. Marshall gave a few more "okays" and "I understands" before hanging up again.

"Terribly sorry James, but I've got to run," Marshall apologized, stuffing the phone back into his jacket and standing up. "Urgent business."

"Urgent enough to interrupt a break over coffee with one of your officers?" Mackenzie said in a scolding voice.

"I'm afraid so," Marshall sighed. "I told you things were unnaturally busy for me nowadays. You take care, and remember what I told you. Mem-sweeps are certainly not something you should be worrying about."

Mackenzie was barely able to offer a quick goodbye before he was out the door. She looked across at the empty seat and frowned, suddenly realizing that he'd left her with the bill.

Once again, all of Marshall's explanations seemed to make sense. She was trapped between trusting her good friend and superior officer, and trusting her faithful subordinates.

Mackenzie grabbed up her coffee, deciding she would drink it on the trip back. Marshall's advice was sound, and she felt perhaps she should take it easier for awhile. But something still didn't add up…and she wanted Amber to explain a few things to her.

------

"Welcome back, Commander," Adara said as Mackenzie walked into the ECC lobby. The commander nodded in response, but didn't seem to be paying much attention.

"Ensign Ramirez," Mackenzie said, "may I see you in my office, please?" Amber grabbed her completed forms from the top of her desk and walked into her superior's office.

"Sit down, Amber."

She sat, a little stiffly, in one of the chairs that were placed in front of Mackenzie's desk. Terribly afraid she'd done something wrong, she placed her completed reports in front of her commander as a peace offering. Mackenzie had to smile at the nervous, eager-to-please expression on Amber's face.

"You're not in trouble, you know," Mackenzie said. Amber lifted her head a little.

"I'm not?"

"No. I just wanted to ask you a couple of questions. About your…power."

Amber just looked confused.

"My…my *what?*" she asked. Then she remembered the pink crystal hanging around her neck. "Oh, that! I just don't think of it as a *power*, you know. Not like Adara or Miakoda…"

"It *is* an unusual ability," Mackenzie said, then paused uncomfortably before continuing. "However, I'd like to know more about how you work. How you know when things are…false. I just talked to Captain Marshall, and he gave me some perfectly good explanations for why you might have sensed that he wasn't being completely truthful. There are certain things that are confidential…"

"No, it wasn't like that… My talent, or whatever it is, doesn't just work like that. I don't know how to explain it. I've never really tried before. I don't talk about it much…I always got the feeling Dad didn't like me to," Amber explained.

"I'd like you to try now, please," Mackenzie requested.

"I've always been able to tell the truth from a lie," Amber began. "Ever since I was little. I knew when my parents were trying to tell me things to make it easier for me. I knew when my puppy got hit by a car, and they told me he ran away. They told me the lie, and I just *knew* the truth. It was…hard."

"Does it always work like that?" Mackenzie asked. "You can see the truth in a direct lie?"

"Only sometimes. It has to be a fairly straightforward lie, and the answer needs to be…kind of obvious, almost. It gets harder for me when people are…telling half-truths, or trying to use the truth for deceitful purposes," Amber told her. "Those two are the worst. I…I can't stand it when people do that."

"But you can sense deceit as well?"

"If I'm wearing my crystal I can," Amber said.

"I noticed that you touch it all the time… does it have to be touching your skin for it to work?"

"Oh… no, not really. That's just something I do to assure myself it's still there. The crystal is usually very warm, but if there's a real lie being told it gets cold to the touch. It's really helped me…almost like it amplifies what I can do naturally."

"Where did you get it?" Mackenzie asked. Amber just shrugged.

"I really have no idea. It came in the mail for me when I was about thirteen. No return address, no nothing. I put it on, and all of a sudden…I could do more than I could before. With my crystal, I can tell that something is wrong with the intent of the words rather than the words themselves. And the greater the deceit, the more I can feel it. I just can't tell what the truth behind it is."

"Unlike with an outright lie," Mackenzie finished for her.

"Exactly. And…that half-truth business? That's exactly what I was getting from Captain Marshall. Especially when he was talking about your involvement with the mem-sweep program," Amber shut her mouth tightly after saying that, afraid that she had gone too far.

"He denied everything just now, you know," Mackenzie informed her.

"That's because there's something he doesn't want you to know! I tried to tell you that even back before I joined the ECC! I had a reliable source inside the Navy connect your name with the mem-sweeps. I'm sure that's what Marshall's trying to hide," Amber insisted.

Mackenzie gave her a sharp look that made the younger woman shrink back into her chair, but then her expression softened.

"I don't know what to tell you. Marshall was my commanding officer. I trusted him, but I don't like to ignore what you're telling me. I think your Truthsaying powers might be on to something."

"Truthsaying? That's an interesting way to put it… I've never thought about what to call it before," Amber mused.

"I asked Miakoda and Adara for any information they might have about people with power like yours before I approved your invitation to join the ECC," Mackenzie explained. "That's what Miakoda came up with."

"So I'm a Truthsayer. I think I like the sound of that," Amber said, and smiled to herself. "So, do you want me to try and find out more about Marshall's cover-up?" Mackenzie shook her head.

"I'd really rather you didn't. Keep your ears open for anything you might hear, certainly, but don't go seeking information. I don't want you to get involved in something that might put you in danger, and reflect on the ECC."

"Of course," Amber said. "I'll be careful."

Mackenzie nodded, and indicated that Amber was free to go. As the Truthsayer stepped jauntily out of the room, the commander sighed, knowing that Amber's definition of 'careful' and her own were probably not the same.

"I am *so* starving," Amber complained as she plunked down at her desk and opened her article on the LAC. "I wish I'd gotten to eat a little more. I guess I'll just have to wait for dinner." The mention of dinner triggered a memory from that morning, and a sudden realization caused her to jump out of her chair.

"Dinner! I almost forgot!" She went out into the common room so her voice would carry to all of the offices. "Hey! Guys! My mom told me to invite you all to dinner tomorrow. That is…if you want to come…you don't have to…she's just…I mean she always…she likes to meet my friends." A slightly surprised silence hung over the office for a while, and Amber began to shift awkwardly. She wasn't sure if she wanted everyone to come, or no one.

"I'd be glad to come, Amber," Mackenzie said finally.

"And so would I," Adara added. Amber smiled gratefully at the two of them.

"Free food sounds good to me…and I've heard you talk about your mom's cooking," Miakoda said.

"I'll be there too. Sounds like fun," Calixta said. Amber blinked a couple of times as the fact that every single one of her teammates had accepted the invitation tried to make its way through her skull.

"All right! Let me just give her a call…she'll be so happy that you're coming. Thank you," Amber said as she ran back into her office and picked up the phone.

------

"So this is the place?" Calixta asked as the five women stood outside of the Ramirez family apartment.

"Yep. It may not look like much, but it's close to New Central Park, and the view of the city at night is pretty nice," Amber said. She turned the doorknob, and, finding it unlocked, stuck her head in.

"Mami! We're here!" she called.

"Come in! Everybody, come in!" Julia Ramirez said. She was engaged in setting various dishes of steaming food on the table, and had enlisted Benita and Julio to help her.

"Wow…that's…a lot of food," Calixta said.

"Mami tends to go a little overboard sometimes," Amber said, hungrily eyeing the feast her mother had prepared. She saw that Julia had brought out her 'company dishes,' and hid her smile behind her hand as they all sat down at the table.

"Let me explain about the dishes," Julia said when everyone was seated. "Anything in a green dish is mild, safe enough for even a little baby to eat. Things in yellow dishes have a little more kick to them, but not so bad. And things in the red dishes…"

"Eat from them only if you want to be breathing fire afterwards," Amber finished for her mother.

"Someone who color codes her cooking," Adara said. "That is so…"

"Obsessive compulsive?" Amber asked and winked teasingly at Julia.

"I was going to say cute, actually," Adara said, and reached for the closest green serving dish. Mrs. Ramirez immediately launched into an explanation of what it was.

"Chicken, browned in oil, with a little basil and rosemary…" The rest of the group didn't hear her finish as they started reaching for the closest dish. Amber gave herself a heaping portion of chile rice and got an extreme amount of amusement from watching Calixta raise an eyebrow at her.

"I would advise everyone to stay away from Amber after dinner," Calixta told everyone by way of warning.

"This is very good, Mrs. Ramirez. Thank you," Mackenzie said. Julia beamed, and Mackenzie saw where Amber got a good deal of her personality. Not that Amber would ever admit it, of course. Mackenzie smiled to herself and took another bite of the delicious enchiladas.

In the middle of all of the chatter, Amber sat back in her chair and gave a relieved sigh. Her friends and her family actually both seemed to be having a good time. Mackenzie had somehow managed to engage her father in conversation, and Calixta was explaining some new technological gadget to her computer-crazy little brother. Benita was pestering Miakoda about her Navajo heritage, but the psychic didn't seem to mind.

(Not bad, all things considered,) Amber thought to herself. Suddenly Calixta's function-laden watch made an odd noise, and a startled gasp came from Julio. Amber winced. (Maybe I spoke too soon.)

"No…please…don't touch that," Calixta said. She had taken her watch off and set it by her plate, and it had proved too tempting for Amber's curious little brother. He took his hand away and looked ashamed.

"How many times have I told you not to touch things that weren't yours?" Mrs. Ramirez scolded.

"Oh… sorry," Julio said and tried to push the timepiece back in Calixta's direction. In the process, he hit another button, and a tiny holographic projection of Star Trek: The Next Generation's Data appeared above the watch's face.

"Captain Solaris," the hologram said, "the Romulan ambassador is hailing us. How should I proceed?" All conversation around the table stopped, and Benita tried and failed to smother a giggle. Calixta looked as if she were trying to become one with her chair.

"I see you think you're going to be outranking me," Adara cracked after several moments of silence. Calixta was not amused.

"Don't feel bad, honey," Mrs. Ramirez said. "You should have seen Amber's old room." Now, it was Amber's turn to look mortified. "Posters of this little blonde girl everywhere. And vampires!" Mrs. Ramirez crossed herself. "Did you know that when she was in high school she dressed up for Halloween as a…what was that, Amber?"

"A slayer," Amber mumbled.

"She had a stake and everything!" Benita volunteered helpfully.

"I'll bet the pictures from that are adorable," Miakoda said. Amber tried to shake her head discreetly, get her co-worker's attention long enough to let her know that saying anything about photographs to her mother could potentially involve hours of looking at albums. But it was too late. Mrs. Ramirez was already pulling thick binders off of a shelf in the living room.

Dinner went on through second helpings, and thirds, and dessert. By the time everyone was ready to leave, most of the ECC members were wondering if they were ever going to need to eat again.

"I don't think I'm going to be able to move for a week," Adara groaned. Julia smiled and patted her on the shoulder.

"Then I've done good," she said. "I always feel like a success if everyone goes home full and happy."

"And we all are, Mami," Amber said and gave her mother a goodnight kiss on the cheek.

------

Five days later, Amber came into Calixta's office with a bounce in her step that was unusually perky, even for her.

"What's gotten into you?" Calixta asked. It was nearing the end of the day, and most of the group looked ready to go home. Amber grinned and pulled a magazine out of the bag slung over her arm and dropped it onto Calixta's desk.

"Look at page nineteen," Amber instructed, and peered over Calixta's shoulder as she flipped the pages.

" 'Brothers and Equals: A Perspective on the Latin American Coalition Aid Bill,'" the redhead read. Her eyes widened as she continued. "By *Amber Ramirez!* That's…you!" Amber just grinned. "Hey guys, come look at this!" Calixta yelled.

In ten seconds flat, Calixta's office was filled with all of the other members of the ECC. Amber found herself being patted on the back, congratulated, and generally surrounded with people who wished her well.

"I'm so happy for you, Amber," Miakoda said.

"It looks like we've got ourselves a real writer on our hands," Adara said, much to the delight of the writer in question.

"We could go celebrate tonight," Miakoda suggested. "How about we treat our budding journalist to dinner?" The rest of the team nodded.

"So, this is your party, where do you want to eat?" Adara asked.

"Well," Amber said, "there's this great Mexican place called La Esperanza…"

"Now there's a surprise," Calixta murmured as all of them went to get their jackets. "If only I were a betting woman, I'd be so much richer right now."

"Except that no one would have bet against you," Adara pointed out.

Amber grinned. "Isn't that the truth?"

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Next Episode Preview: Miakoda: "We live every day in the shadow of our past. As I try to guide others toward the light, I realize how much the darkness of my old mistakes still shrouds my life."

Next Episode: Past Imperfect