Chapter 3:
New Faces

	Tobias awoke early the next morning. He stretched and looked at the 
clock on the far wall. "Only 5:30?" he asked himself. "Oh well. I'm up, so 
I might as well get dressed and wait for Kaitlyn." He did just that. He went
over to his door and stepped outside. He was nearly knocked over by a white 
blur. "What the hell?!" he said. "Slow down you!" The blur skidded to a halt.
It was Kaitlyn, garbed in a dark cyan sweatsuit. "Kaitlyn," he said. "What's 
up with the running?"
	"My morning jog," she said. "Give me twenty more minutes. I'll be 
back to pick you up." With that, she turned back into a blur and disappeared 
down one of the halls. "More like the morning run for your life," he mumbled 
as soon as she was out of sight. He leaned against the wall, wondering why 
everyone was so weird. A dark feeling suddenly came over him. He felt as if 
he were being watched. Someone else was there, and he knew it.
	"Hello!" a voice said ten seconds later. He nearly knocked his bed 
over.
	"Don't do that!" he said. "At least tap me on the shoulder first!"
	"Sorry." Tobias shook his head and took a better look at his visitor. 
She stood about his height. Her hair was a shade of blue he had never seen on 
a head. It complimented her green eyes, which absolutely thrilled him. Then 
he noticed what she was. "You looked a little disturbed. What's wrong?"
	"Um...." He pointed at her tail. It was black and had a white stripe 
running down it."
	"Yeah, it goes up my back too."
	He blinked. "So...you're a...."
	"A what?" She had an impish look on her face.
	"Skunk?" She nodded. He got up and brushed himself off. "Remind me 
never to piss you off."
	She laughed. "All right."
	He shook his head. "Where are my manners? I'm Tobias." He motioned 
for her to enter. "Please, make yourself at home.....uh....." He scratched 
the back of his head. "Or at least try your best to."
	The skunkette strolled in. "Nice place you've got here. What is this, 
the deluxe savior suite?"
	"Not to my knowledge."
	"This place looks comfy." She sat down on the bed. "But it's not as 
cozy as other places."
	"Oh? And you've seen better?" She frowned. "Eh....sorry. I can be a 
little sarcastic at times."
	She smiled. "It's all right." She layed back. "So how've you been 
doing since you came here?"
	"I can't argue. It's a lot better than home. Although I'm having 
problems adjusting."
	"Why? We too strange for you?"
	He smirked. "I'm just so used to getting beat up at certain times of 
the day my body kinda expects it. It's been going hay wire since I came 
here."
	She smiled. "Kaitlyn was right! You've got a great sense of humor."
	"Eh....right." He coulda sworn he was being serious. "So what else 
did Kaitlyn tell you about?"
	"Well, if you relax a little, I'll tell you." He gave a questioning 
look. Then he realized he'd been at attention since she came in. He smiled 
sheepishly and pulled a chair over.
	"Is that better?"
	"Much, thank you."
	He smiled. "Now, what did Kaitlyn tell you about me Miss....um...."
	"Samantha."
	"Okay. What did Kaity tell ya about me?"
	"That's none of your business," Kaitlyn answered. She was standing in 
the doorway. "I see you two have met. Get to know each other?"
	Samantha smiled. "A little."
	"Good. Shall we press on?" Samantha nodded. Tobias got up and they 
all left. 

	After breakfast, Kaitlyn decided to give Tobias the grand tour of the 
base. She showed him everything they had, from the barracks to the 
communications room to places he'd already seen before. She did not, however, 
show him what he wanted to see: the armory and their laboratories. "That's 
for another time," she told him. "Don't worry." The tour really picked up 
when they quit it and headed off for lunch. They met up with Crash and Swift 
in the mess hall. They all sat down and ate. Halfway through the meal, 
however, things started to get a little weird. 
	'We'll be there soon,' Tobias heard a voice say. He looked straight 
up.
	"Is something wrong?" Kaitlyn asked.
	"Did you guys here that?" he asked. They shook their heads. "I must 
be imag-"
	'We'll be there soon.'
	"There it is again! I'm not going insane."
	"What is it?" Samantha asked.
	"Last night, I heard a voice. It was the voice of one of my only 
friends back on Earth. It kept saying 'We'll be there soon' whenever I 
closed my eyes. And now I'm hearing it again."
	'We'll be there soon.'
	"There it is again!"
	Swift put a hand on his shoulder. "Are you all right?"
	He shook his head. "I dunno..."
	'Here we come.'
	He blinked. "Hmm?" They looked at him. "I just heard something else."
	"What is it?"
	"It was definitely her, but this time, she said 'Here we come.' " 
Before he could say anything else, a loud crash sounded. They all got up. 
"Well, I'm assuming THAT has to do with this. Let's check it out." They all 
left to find the source of the noise.

	They found a small crowd when they exited. Something lit up in Tobias 
and he went charging towards it. "Clear the way!" he called. Crash followed 
him, trying to stop him before he made an idiot of himself. But Tobias knew 
what he was doing. The crowd dispersed as he and Crash got to them. They both 
stopped dead in their tracks. Crash backed up. "W-what the hell-?"
	"What the hell what?" Swift asked as she, Kaitlyn, and Samantha 
approached him. She saw why the crowd formed and fell silent hiding behind 
Crash.
	"You mean there are more of these?" Kaitlyn said.
	"Who are they?" Samantha asked.
	Tobias looked at the two limp bodies that were laying there. He had a 
look of disbelief painted on his face. "No, this can't be right."
	"Tobias, do you know them?" Kaitlyn asked.
	He pointed to the male. "That's my friend Vu. And that...." He 
pointed at the female. "Is my friend Shivana. Somebody call the med teams. I 
think we're going to need them." The two new arrivals were quickly carted off 
to a field hospital.

	"What the hell do you mean I can't get in?" Tobias cried. He had 
followed the teams and ran right into the guards standing outside the doors.
	"We don't know what they are here for," one guard said. "We cannot 
allow you to see them until we know why they're here."
	"I know who they are. They're completely harmless. Now, let me in." 
He tried to push his way through them. But they easily pushed him back. "God 
damn it, let me through!"
	"Let him through," Larcris' voice commanded. "He seems to know what 
he's doing."
	One of the guards took his radio and looked at it. "Are you sure 
about this sir?"
	"Do fish swim? Let him through."
	"Aye sir." The guards stepped out of the way. "Forgive us." Tobias 
nodded and entered, his little posse close behind.

	Shivana began to stir. "Wh-what happened?" She held her head. "What 
hit me?" She opened her eyes and looked around. The first thing she saw was 
Tobias, whom she promptly hugged. "Tobias! It's so great to see you again. 
Where've you been?" 
	"I've been here," he replied. "Where it's safe."
	"What do you mean?" She looked at him. "What are you talking about?"
	"Shivana....I don't know how to put this delicately, but...."
	"But what?"
	"Here, I think I know someone who can help you understand this." He 
got up and went over to the door. "Come in please Kaitlyn." He went back to 
Shivana's bedside and waited. Kaitlyn entered. Shivana took one look at her 
and screamed bloody murder. Tobias quickly took her hand. "Calm down Shivana. 
She's friendly. She's not going to hurt you."
	"Get her away from me!" Shivana cried, totally panicked. But instead 
of telling Kaitlyn to leave, Tobias motioned for her to approach. Shivana 
grabbed onto his arm. Kaitlyn looked at her and extended a hand. Shivana 
looked at it. 
	"Go ahead," Tobias said. "Take it. She will not hurt you. I promise." 
Hesitantly, Shivana took it. "There, that wasn't so bad."
	"I guess...." Kaitlyn nodded. "Tobias, how many more of these are 
there."
	Tobias shook his head. "You'll find out once you're better."
	"You mean she isn't the only one?"
	"And they're all not like her. But that's all that I'm telling you. 
You're too weak to handle it."
	"Says who?"
	"Says the doctors," Kaitlyn said in a soft tone. "We don't want to 
see you hurt."
	Shivana nodded. "Where's Vu?" Tobias pointed to a second bed right 
next to hers, where Vu slept peacefully. "That's good. He's gonna freak once 
he meets you Miss."
	Kaitlyn chuckled. "He's a little beat up, so he's not really going to 
care."
	"Oh." She looked down at herself.
	"Are you going to be okay Shivana?" Tobias asked.
	"I'm not sure."
	"Well, I'm going to have to leave you be for a little bit. Remember, 
if you need me, just ask someone to get me. I'm sure they wouldn't mind 
finding me." She nodded. Tobias got up. "C'mon Kait. Let's go."

	Tobias was silent as they walked away from the field hospital. Nobody 
said anything. They all knew something was up, but they didn't have the 
courage to ask what. When someone started to ask Tobias a question, he looked 
at them. It wasn't a ticked off look, or a look of sadness. It was just a 
look. It instantly quieted them down. They reached the hill that sat in the 
middle of the base. Tobias sat down at the foot of the hill. It was then he 
sank into a depressed state. "Tobias," Samantha asked. "What's wrong?"
	He chuckled weakly. "You really don't want to know."
	Samantha sat down next to him. "Yes I do. We do." She looked at the 
others, who nodded their agreement.
	"I....don't want to say what it is."
	Samantha took his hand. "Tobias, I would really like to know what's 
wrong."
	"I don't wish to tell you."
	"Okay. I'm sorry I asked. Can you just answer one question?"
	"If it's not 'what's wrong' then I'd be happy to."
	"Who are those two? Enemies? Friends?"
	He layed down on the grass. "They're friends. They're....my only 
friends....." He had a hurt tone in his voice.
	"From Earth?" He nodded. "Okay....I understand. Sorry."
	"For what? You did nothing."
	"I asked a question that hurt you. For that, I am sorry."
	"Don't be. I'm not hurt that bad." He looked up into the sky. "I'm...
just shocked it happened to them."
	Kaitlyn sat down. "Why do you say that?"
	"They lead such nice lives. Why would they suddenly be uprooted from 
that? Fate doesn't work like that."
	"And how can you be sure of that?"
	He sighed. "Before I came here, I had hit rock bottom. Had I not 
fallen into the arms of your people, I would have probably killed myself. But 
no, Fate had other plans. She brought me here. But why?" He sat up and 
grabbed his head. "This is so confusing." He got up and stormed off towards 
his quarters, much to the surprise of his companions.

	He shut the door and threw himself onto his bed. He stared into the 
pillow, not really caring anymore. He was hoping that his friends wouldn't 
find out about this, let alone be dragged into it. And now they were in the 
local field hospital being treated for god only knows what. He couldn't hold 
back the tear that streamed from his eyes and onto the satin pillow case.

	There was a knock on the door. He didn't answer it. The knock 
repeated. He didn't budge. "Damn it," he heard Kaitlyn say. "He's not opening 
up."
	"Let me try," he heard Samantha say. The doorknob shimmied a little 
before the door opened. "Tobias, are you okay." He remained silent, hoping 
they would go away. Instead, Samantha sat down next to him. "It's okay."
	"No it isn't," he replied.
	"Why not?"
	"Because I was hoping they wouldn't find out about you people. I was 
hoping they would be left out of it."
	"I can understand why, but-"
	"No you can't." He rolled over and sat up.  "They are the only two 
who actually mean anything. I don't want ANYTHING to happen to them. And, well, 
this is anything."
	"I know it's tough, but they're here with you. You've got your 
friends now. Why aren't you happy?"
	"Call it a gut feeling, but this is an omen. Something bad is going 
to happen. I'm sure of it." She smirked. "Don't question me when I say that. 
I've never been wrong."
	"All right. If you say it, then I will trust you."
	He smiled. "Thank you Samantha."
	"You mind coming back to reality? There are still a lot of questions 
to be asked."
	"Yeah, I will." Samantha got up. "You know, I find it really funny."
	"What?"
	"I've only known you for a few hours. And yet I feel compelled to ask 
you out."
	She giggled. "And what's stopping you?"
	"Three things: One, you're not my species. Two, I'm a little shy when 
it comes to those things. Three, there apparently isn't a decent restaurant 
in spitting distance of this base." 
	She laughed and took him by the arm. "Did I tell you that you've got 
a wonderful sense of humor?"