Title: Crossing the Divide
Chapter: 6
Author: squeezynz@free.net.nz
Rating: PG, Adventure
Archive: Let me know where, Please.
Feedback: worshipped and adored
Disclaimer: all IA's, all hail the actors...inspiration takes many forms.

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" Fitzhugh, wake up, it's your time," Betty hissed, shaking the man's shoulder.

" Hmm...w-hat...no, it can't be, I've only just shut my eyes,"

" It's been nearly six hour's since you shut your eyes, now get up,"

" Really, there's no need to hiss at me, or shake me so violently, I'm awake," Fitzhugh grumbled, rubbing his unshaven chin.

" Well keep it quiet, the other's are still sleeping,"

" Fine, fine....I'm awake, is there any coffee ?"

Betty left Fitzhugh to drag himself to the cockpit and felt her way to where Steve lay on their pallet, one arm flung out of the covers, his face looking years younger in sleep. Fitzhugh hadn't shut the door to the cabin yet, so Betty read the piece of paper once more before settling down to sleep. She still couldn't quite believe what was written there but had to accept it, given the people concerned were most definitely unaccounted for. She had found the letter placed on the control panel, in front of the Captains chair, when she awoke several hours before. Her internal clock had always been reliable and she'd stirred only ten minutes after Marna was scheduled to wake her. Betty had risen without waking Steve, or anyone else, and made her way to the front of the ship, expecting to find Marna dozing. Instead there was no sign of the girl, only a letter propped on the console. Without hesitating Betty had read the letter, then she'd sat down rather heavily in Steve's chair, dumbfounded by what she read.

" No way," she said aloud, " it's just not possible,"

After getting over her initial surprise, Betty had made a quick search, finding no trace of either of the missing people, and finding that a pack and supplies had been appropriated, as well as some blankets. Still clutching the letter, she'd stood over Steve as he slept, chewing her lip in an agony of indecision. If she roused Steve, he would surely want to take off after the runaways, as well as waking the rest of the exhausted rescue party. Marna had stated quite clearly she was leaving of her own free will, no coercion or force being evident, and Betty had her own reasons for not being exactly sorry the blonde beauty had decided to leave them. She just knew that if Steve was informed he'd be off looking for them before he was fully recovered. It was this point that convinced Betty to not wake Steve, or the others, and in fact to carry on as if nothing untoward had happened. Let them have their rest, it would all come out in the morning anyway. So now, at the end of her night watch, she folded the letter and placed it next to her side of the mattress and lay down, easing herself next to Steve, so as not to wake him.

Sleep took awhile longer to claim her this time. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

" Has anyone seen Marna, or Bryant this morning ?"

Steve was looking round the cabin at the faces that peered back, seeing blank expressions in reply to his query. Only Betty, coming from the commissary, refused to meet his eyes.

" Betty ?"

Everyone turned to regard the person thus named, who blushed a deep red before coming to stand next to Steve.

" She's gone, with Bryant, they left last night,"

Immediately the air was full of questions and exclamations as everyone tried to speak at once.

" Shut up, please everyone, Betty what do you know about this ?" Steve asked, waving the rest to be quiet. Betty's eyes darted nervously around the group, then she squared her chin and raised her face to regard her friends.

" She left a letter, I found it when I went on watch last night, I didn't wake anyone because you were all so exhausted,"

" Where's the letter ?" Steve's expression was grim as he held out his hand, Betty bit her lip but handed the paper over without a protest.

Steve scanned the lines twice before conveying its contents to his astonished audience. There was an uneasy silence while everyone took in its contents. Betty looked at her feet, not wanting to see Steve's expression right at that time.

" Do you know what they took with them ?" Steve asked quietly.

" A pack, some food and a couple of blankets," Betty informed him.

" Steve, if they left when Betty says, we've no hope of catching them now, they could be anywhere," said Dan.

" Should we be even considering following them, they wanted to go, let them."

" Mark, we can't just leave them. Plus, Bishop is still on the loose, what if he tries to use Marna, the way he used Valerie ?" said Steve.

" She's with Rich, he knows all Bishops tricks," said Pete, sharing a glance with Cody, " if Rich wants to keep out of Bishops way he's the best man to do it, she's in good hands."

" Betty, you were with Marna the most, did she talk about leaving ?" Valerie asked.

" She never talked about it, never. I thought she was happy with us, well mostly happy at least," Betty replied.

" Happy or not, do we go after them ?" Steve asked them, looking around the circle.

" We still have to get our own supplies and re-stock the ship, can we afford the time to look for them, especially if they don't want to be found ?" said Mark, folding his arms across his chest.

" You won't find Bryant, he knows all the hiding places," said Cody, a reluctant note of admiration creeping into his voice.

" I guess that answers your question for you, Captain," said Fitzhugh.

" I guess it does, Pete, can you take us to the shops that have what we need ?" asked Steve, turning to regard the newcomers.

" Sure, Cody and I did most of the shopping trips, just let us know what you need and we should be able to take you straight to it,"

" Okay, well our original reason for being here is still the priority, we need supplies and this place will have them. Let's get the maps out and plot the quickest route, I don't want to spend anymore time here than we have to."

Dan went to get the maps while everyone else gathered round. Steve spread the maps out on the floor and the next hour was spent in discussion of where and how to acquire the necessary items on the shopping list. Betty and Valerie retired to the cockpit, leaving the men to thrash out the details. Steve had already stated they would be staying with the ship and Valerie was more than happy to comply, although Betty still chafed at being confined. The two women sat in the swivel chairs and sipped their coffee, keeping half an eye on the radar while the hum of voices droned in the background.

" You went out on quite a limb, keeping all that to yourself," Valerie stated, eyeing her friend with interest.

" I knew, but if I had woken Steve up and told him, he'd be off like a shot, despite his arm,"

" Oh don't worry, I would have done the same, believe me. I'm not sorry to see that back of Marna....I don't mean to sound horrid, but the girl wasn't exactly a rest cure, was she ?"

" No, but all that aside, how could she leave with a man she doesn't know...they only met yesterday evening...and poof, she's off and running,"

" Maybe he made her an offer she couldn't refuse,"

" Some offer.....I hope she doesn't live to regret it,"

" You know, I reckon Marna's taking him back to her Giant friends," Valerie mused, tapping her finger on the console.

" Why do you say that ?"

" Well think about it, all that business with those Giant scientists and that mock-up of a house, those were the same Giants that took care of Marna. They obviously wanted her back, especially the female Giant. What if Marna knows of a way to contact them ? Maybe all she ever wanted was someone to take back with her, to play Tarzan to her Jane,"

" I think that's a bit of a stretch, Val,"

" Well, its what she wanted Mark for, so why not ?"

" I guess we'll never really know for sure, but why would Bryant give up the chance of getting back to Earth ?" asked Betty, staring out the front viewport, squinting at the sunlight bouncing off the roof, beyond the stairwell shadow.

" Marna's a beautiful woman, maybe Bryant saw his chance to have some sort of life, who knows....women like Marna can do funny things to a mans psyche." said Valerie, a cynical smile curling her lips.

" True....Mark was sure happy to be led into the lions mouth, without much of a protest," Betty snorted, teasing her friend.

Sure enough Valerie started to bristle, but seeing the glint of laughter in Betty's eyes quickly smiled and defused the tension.

" Your right...talk about a judas goat, I hope Bryant never realises what a Golden Cage he's walking into," pondered Valerie.

" Well, whatever....one less distraction to worry about,"

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" We should be able to get most of the supplies, certainly the medical and engineering items, the food will have to take a second trip. Do you know of an area we could store this stuff, so we don't have to haul it all up to the roof ?" Steve asked Pete.

" Sure, we can take most of it straight to the loading dock area, where you came in. There's a parcel chute that links with all the shops, for sending stuff out for delivery. If we co-ordinate we could gather all the items together then follow them down the chute, carry them out of the loading bay and meet the ship outside, in the carpark."

" Are there many Giants around that area at night ?" asked Mark.

" Only a skeleton crew, and that's only if their expecting a late night delivery, mostly it's just the security patrols and their easy to avoid,"

" Is there anything at your base camp that you need to get ?" asked Steve, " I don't want to risk a run in with Bishop if we can avoid it,"

" Nothing worth the bother, certainly nothing that can't be replaced," said Pete, shrugging in dismissal.

" Okay, lets get what gear we'll need and get going, we should aim to reach the shopping level by the time they're shutting up for the night, you and Cody will be our guides, Pete. I'm assuming we'll be taking a similar route to yesterday ?"

" Pretty much, just more direct, to bypass the fans and our campsite,"

" Fitzhugh ? you, Barry and the girls will stay with the ship, keep a close monitor of the radar and radio's. Dan, you'll need to remain here as well," Steve held up his hand as Dan immediately started to protest. " Dan, I need you to bring the ship down to the loading dock when we get there with the supplies, Barry isn't confident enough yet,"

" But Steve, I should go, you need to rest that arm, at this rate, it's never going to heal...Mark, back me up on this,"

" I have to agree Steve, Dan's quite right, another day of hauling yourself down those ropes and you'll be fit for nothing. Let Dan take your place,"

Steve grimaced, realising the sense of what they were saying, just not liking it. He looked up, seeing the determination on Dan's face, and acquiesced.

" Okay....okay, you win, I'll sit this one out....but I expect you to keep me informed on your progress, nothing on the list is worth your lives...understand ?"

" Loud and clear," Dan replied.

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The women, and Steve accompanied the four men across the roof to the access vent. The sun was hot on their backs, taking some of the chill out of their parting. Valerie hugged Mark fiercely, extolling him not to get himself caught or injured, also wishing Pete and Cody good luck as well. Steve and Betty also wished the adventurers luck, Betty giving both Pete and Cody a kiss on the cheek, chuckling when they both blushed bright red. Dan got a hug from Valerie, and a hand shake from Steve, then it was time for them to set off.

Steve escorted Betty and Valerie back to the ship, arriving back none to soon according to Fitzhugh, nervously pacing the passenger cabin, sure that something dire had happened to them. Chipper was suffering from cabin fever so Barry put on his leash and took him out to have a run outside the ship, Steve making sure he understood not to stray too far from the Windsifter.

Steve settled himself in the cockpit to monitor the systems, while Betty and Val sorted out the mess that was the passenger cabin. Fitzhugh kept an eye on Barry and Chipper, the hot sun on his face causing him, more often than not, to doze off, only to awake with a start when Barry returned with Chipper, the little dog panting and wagging his tail vigorously.

The afternoon dragged by, punctuated with regular updates from Dan and Mark as they progressed through the shafts, down to the ground floor. They had encountered neither Bishop nor Marna and Bryant, in fact no evidence at all that there were any other Little People in the shopping mall except themselves. So far it had been plain sailing, with no problems encountered so far.

That alone was enough to make Steve as nervous as hell.

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