"Wow. That suddenly makes a lot of sense, doesn't it."
"It absolutely does. But frankly I'm not buying the clone theory anymore. I don't think Angus and Erin are clones at all. No one has done more research into regeneration than I have. I'm nowhere close to creating beings as viable as Angus and Erin are. That kind of human replication simply isn't possible yet. Plus, you have to keep in mind our true origins. All humans were seeded from an alien species to begin with. What they set in motion within our continuing evolution has never been duplicated by any other species we've ever encountered. The Anunnaki, whoever they were originally, they're our real ancestors. We're all just copies of them and each other."
"Now I'm more confused. What's your take on Angus and Erin then?" Bri asked, honestly wanting to know.
Sheena glanced at the screen, no longer seeing what was on it. All she saw was a hundred more unanswered questions. "I don't think they're anything as simple as clones. I think maybe they are our ancestors. I just don't know how that's possible unless the Guardians have perfected time travel."
Bri laughed. "Time travel. Right. That's about as likely as us learning to pinpoint wormholes in space. Time travel attempts have all ended in unexplained deaths and missing people. I can see the Guardians playing with it, but if that was true, they'd have already gone back and halted the invasion."
Sheena sighed. If Bri stayed on this ship much longer, she was going to lose quite a few of her illusions.
"The data I've seen indicates that there are certain insurmountable problems with New Earth's presence in the time and space continuum. Dad worked on a project involving time travel. Test subjects left our time and never reappeared. Plus history was altered by their absence. Luckily, nothing catastrophic happened before the project was ceased. The problem is we can't stop and start time in our own rapidly spinning universe, especially not well enough to do anything like retrieving someone from our own past. But … "
"But what?"
Sheena shook her head. "Let me think this through before I postulate something stupid just because I'm desperate for some kind of answer. I'm going to look through the notes Dad left for me. I compressed them until they fit on a zeon crystal. I wear it like a necklace. No one ever knows it's a compilation of over four hundred years of his research."
Bri chuckled. "A necklace? And you always said I was the sentimental one."
"You are the sentimental one," Sheena said, grinning back.
"So what are you going to do next?" Bri asked.
"That depends. Are you ready to leave with me?"
"Sheena … we talked about this."
Sheena smiled. "That's what I thought, which means I'm staying until you do. And since I'm staying, I figure I might as well scratch an old itch while I'm here."
Bri's eyebrows rose. "Just like that?"
Sheena snorted. "No. Of course not. But the chemistry is still there and it's going to happen eventually. I'd rather it be when I decide it should and not because I've had too much alien ale. That could have happened when he came by. It didn't, but it could have."
"Watch your heart," Bri advised, sighing softly. "You still haven't gotten over the last time Nate broke it. I'm not sure you realize the effect he has on you."
Sheena shrugged. "Maybe things are different now. Maybe when I leave it will be completely over. Imagine me feeling no anger. No hurt. No disappointment over coming in second to a damn airship. Maybe Nate and I will just be lovers for old times sake and then both just walk away afterwards."
Bri pressed on her eyelids which were both starting to twitch. It always had been her only visible sign of stress. "Yeah … and I'll keep pretending I'm not sexually interested in the fiercest looking creature who ever came through the alien portal."
"Darcone's a good person … for an alien. He thinks he's too old for you and he might just be, but that would be the case with any Earth female interested in him," Sheena said, closing down her research. "I will confess to you, and you only, that he's the only alien I ever liked."
"Nate's a good person too," Bri said. "Mostly he's been good to Angus and Erin. He's been good to me as well. He let me stay instead of kicking me off his airship."
Sheena nodded as she headed to her room. "Yes, I know. That's why I'm going to sleep with him. Nate can consider it my thank you for taking care of the only family I have left … and yes, I am now including Angus and Erin in that group."