This story is based on characters created by Gerry and Sylvia Anderson for the TV series Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons.

Some events and characters Copyright © of all trademarks materials (Captain Scarlet & the Mysterons, all characters, vehicles, crafts, etc.), owned by ITC/Polygram/Carlton. Information of the series are all been taken from copyright © materials (books, magazines, videos, T.V. media, comics, etc) owned by ITC/Polygram/Carlton.

Turning Point

A “Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons” short story

By Chris Bishop

(This story has been inspired by situations suggested by Lezli Farrington’s story “Pride and Joy”. Note that when the events of this story take place, Captain Blue and Symphony Angel are now married, and that now the relationship between Captain Scarlet and Rhapsody Angel is no longer a secret from anybody…)

Rhapsody Angel slowly sat up on the cushioned examination table, her eyes dreamy, staring at the wall in front of her, without really seeing it. For a long moment, she stayed like that, completely motionless, her mind like a complete blank, in total silence.

“Are you sure, doctor?” she asked, her voice little more than a murmur.

Doctor Fawn, chief medical officer of Cloudbase, was standing next to her, his stethoscope in his hand. His eyes met the young woman’s inquiring look. He could see in her features that she was somehow hoping for news far different from what he had already told her, less than five minutes ago. Unfortunately, he wouldn’t be able to grant her wishes. He nodded slowly.

“Yes, I’m quite sure,” he confirmed, with a regretful expression on his face. “The tests are all positive.”

Rhapsody closed her eyes, and let out a deep sigh. That was what she was afraid of hearing. “And there’s no possibility of a mistake?” she tried again, looking straight at Fawn.

He shook his head. The definite, conclusive answer fell on Rhapsody like a heavy weight. She looked down, unable to bear the doctor’s gaze.

“And how long…” She stopped, as if unable to formulate the right question. She felt so awkward now, after what Fawn had revealed to her. So uncomfortable, and so unsure.

But the doctor had understood what she meant, and the reason for her hesitation was all too obvious. He shook his head again. “I would say about two months.”

“Two months…” Rhapsody repeated absentmindedly. Fawn saw her thoughtful gaze. Her mind suddenly seemed to be elsewhere. He didn’t need her to speak to know what she was thinking about. She sighed tiredly, and then rubbed her eyes. “How… how could this have happened?” she murmured again. Seeing the odd way Fawn was looking at her, she shrugged. “I mean, I thought I’d worked it all out… That everything was all right… It seems so impossible that…”

She saw Fawn nodding his understanding and then he began to speak. She could hear the words as he explained his own theories of what must have happened, and how it happened, but they didn’t make much sense to her. Oh, she clearly understood the meaning of those words, but she felt so far away from them, so out of reach. Her mind nearly blacked out for a minute or two. It was her name, spoken in Fawn’s worried voice, that snapped her back to reality.

“Rhapsody? Dianne, are you listening to me?”

She shrugged and jumped down from the table, reaching for her uniform jacket laid on a chair nearby. “Yes, and no, doctor. I’m sorry, I’m… I must get out of here. I need to think this through.”

“You sure you don’t want to talk to me about it?” the doctor offered gently.

Rhapsody put her jacket on over her sweater. She answered with a very forced smile. “I don’t want to offend you or anything, doctor, but… No. This is something I must do alone.”

“You don’t have to.”

“I NEED to. I… I don’t know what I have to do now. There’s decisions to be taken. I have to consider all the possibilities… All the options.”

“There aren’t many options, you know,” Fawn replied, more harshly than he would have wanted. “Not the way I see it. I would say, there’s only TWO.”

Rhapsody shuddered, and Fawn saw the expression of pain clouding her eyes. He softened up instantly, regretting his severe words. “Not that it’s out of your hands, of course…”

She nodded again, gloomily, as she was adjusting the last of her uniform. She was looking down again, not willing to look the doctor straight in the eyes.

“This is not something I will consider lightly,” she murmured.

She shrugged again. It was at Symphony’s insistence that she was here this afternoon. Her friend had seen that she was sick, and had been worried about her. She had prompted her to see the doctor, to discover what could be wrong with her. Rhapsody could never have imagined, in her wildest dreams, what Fawn’s diagnosis would be.

“Maybe I shouldn’t have come, after all,” she murmured, thoughtfully.

“And how would that have changed anything?” Fawn asked with a frown, thinking she was addressing him. “Rhapsody, this is not something that’s going to go away with time. You can’t just ignore it. You have to deal with it… in whatever way you choose.”

That was the second time the doctor had referred to a certain solution that Rhapsody was not so sure she would ever be comfortable with. She snapped suddenly. “Don’t you think I know that? Doctor, please, don’t pressure me!” She shook her head, looking down as she finished straightening her uniform. “I told you… It’s not something I will consider lightly…”

“And not alone.”

Her eyes flashed. She didn’t care to answer that remark from Fawn. He was staring at her rather insistently. “You’ll have to tell him,” he murmured, in a softer voice.

She couldn’t bear it any much longer.

“Thank you for your time, doctor,” she whispered, looking down again. She directed her quick steps toward the exit. She had her hand on the ‘open’ button when she heard Fawn’s voice calling to her again.

“Dianne…” She stopped and turned to look at him, with eyes plainly pleading to leave her alone. He noticed this, of course, but there was no way he wouldn’t tell her what he had to say. It was too important.

“It’s my advice to you, Dianne… You CAN’T keep this a secret from him. He’ll find out, eventually. You WILL tell him, won’t you?”

She hesitated. She had never felt so unsure and hopeless in her life. She was unable to provide an answer. She knew that Fawn would only hear one from her, that he would never admit that she could give him another one. And she also knew that he was right, that there couldn’t be any other answer for her, anyway. She couldn’t even consider another one.

“Of course,” she said in a very hushed tone. “I’ll tell him.”

Fawn nodded quietly. He realised that this particular task would be tremendously difficult for her. He could see that this situation was something she had not counted on. Seeing her that lost, his heart went out to her. If he dared, he’d ask her if she wouldn’t want him to do it for her. But that wouldn’t be wise, considering the circumstances. “Remember,” he said with a sigh, “whatever you decide, if you need help, anything…”

Her smile was a faint one, filled with both gratitude and sadness when she answered. “I appreciate the thought, doctor, really… I… Thank you. For your support.”

She didn’t wait for him to reply, and quickly turned to exit from the room, and then hurried away from sickbay. She needed to get away from this place, and to put as much distance between her and it as possible…

***

Captain Blue moved one of his white knights forward on the chess board, but kept his hand on it, indecisively. Seated in front of him, his chin resting on his palm in a pensive posture, Captain Scarlet glared doubtfully at his friend. “Are you sure you want to put it there?”

That sounded like a dare. Blue scowled and sat up straight, removing his hand from the piece. “Of course I’m sure!” he declared in an irate voice. Sitting on the arm of the sofa, close to him, Symphony Angel looked at the ongoing game and then back at him. She too seemed dubious.

“Have it your way, then.”

Blue’s white knight quickly disappeared under Scarlet’s black castle and went to join the other white pieces put on the side of the board. Symphony rolled her eyes. Blue’s brow furrowed deeply as he stared down with incredulity at the board.

“WHAT? How come I didn’t see THAT one coming?” he said, gesturing with annoyance.

“This game is becoming too hard for your brain, Big Blue,” Symphony noted, patting his back comfortingly.

“For what SERVES as his brain,” Captain Ochre piped out innocently from behind the newspaper he was reading. He was comfortably slouched in one of the Officers’ Lounge armchairs, his feet up, and up until now, he hadn’t seemed to care in the least about the chess game his colleagues had been playing for the last hour.

Blue frowned, addressing him: “I don’t see YOU ever playing chess with Scarlet, Ochre!”

“And you WON’T see me anytime soon,” Ochre replied quietly, turning a page. “Unlike you, I know when I’m outclassed.”

Blue turned toward Symphony. “And what about you? You’re my wife, for God’s sake… Aren’t you supposed to give me undivided moral support?”

“I’m trying, Adam, I really am. But sometimes… It simply isn’t possible.”

“Well, if that’s all the moral support you can give…”

“Come on, Blue,” Ochre sighed from behind his newspaper. “Better give up.”

“Never,” Blue answered defiantly. “I’m a Spectrum officer. I don’t give up.” Ochre shrugged indifferently and Blue’s attention came back to the board. “Besides,” he added, “the odds are too important.”

The door slid open and Rhapsody walked in. She took in the entire room with a glance and noticed Scarlet sitting opposite Blue, waiting for him to make his next move. The faint smile on her face was brief; she was glad to have found him, but she was still anxious about how she would break the news to him. Now didn’t seem to be a good time, though. She wanted to talk to him in private. There were too many people here at the moment.

It would have to wait.

“Hi, Rhapsody.” The cheerful call came from Captain Ochre who had momentarily dropped his newspaper to flash her a big grin. She nodded to him, trying her best to respond with a smile of her own, but the spirit simply wasn’t there. She approached the centre of the room where Scarlet sat with Blue and Symphony. The latter turned to greet her with a nod.

“They’re still at it, I see,” Rhapsody noted matter-of-factly, glancing down at the chess board.

“Yeah, unfortunately,” Symphony answered. “I’m really getting bored with this game.”

“Quiet, I’m thinking here,” Blue grumbled, waving his hand at her.

“That would be a first!” Ochre scoffed from his place.

Nobody cared to answer him. Symphony herself didn’t reply to Blue’s admonishment, as she normally would. She was staring at Rhapsody, with an insistent and inquiring look. The Englishwoman noticed it, but ignored it. She looked down at the board again, with a brief glance that took in the entire game, the place occupied by each piece and all. She then moved away, toward the counter and the coffee machine. Symphony followed her with her eyes, puzzled, and watched as she poured herself a big cup.

She then quietly left Blue’s side, as he was still absorbed in the game in front of him, and approached Rhapsody. She looked at her expectantly.

“So?” she murmured.

Rhapsody frowned. She had seen her friend and fellow Angel pilot approaching. She had feigned not to see her, but it was difficult to ignore her further. “So what?” she said, in the same hushed tone.

Symphony was perplexed. She had heard the brusqueness in Rhapsody’s voice. There was little she could do not to notice how she was avoiding eye contact with her. Symphony knew about her friend having gone to sickbay for a check up; she was the one who had urged her to go, worried about seeing her so under the weather these last few days. The American pilot glanced over her shoulder, assuring herself that nobody was paying attention to them. The chess game had totally engrossed Captains Blue and Scarlet, and Captain Ochre was deep into his reading.

“So,” she pursued patiently, addressing Rhapsody, “how did it go? Are you all right?”

“Of course.” Rhapsody brought her cup to her lips and nodded, absentmindedly. “I’m all right.”

Symphony shook her head. Something was wrong with her friend, she could feel it. Rhapsody was still avoiding looking her in the eye. “You’re hiding something,” she noted. “You weren’t feeling good at all before. What was it that was making you so sick?”

Rhapsody shrugged. “Later, okay?” she asked her friend.

“Are you SURE you’re all right?” Symphony insisted with a doubtful tone. The way Rhapsody answered, with a quick nod, but still unwilling to look at her, did nothing to convince her that she was telling the truth. There was definitely something up. Perhaps Dianne didn’t want to say anything with Paul nearby, who could hear her. Perhaps she wanted to tell him first, whatever it could be…

“Adam, seasons are changing, birds are building their nests and laying their eggs… When are you going to make your move?”

Rhapsody looked over her shoulder; Scarlet and Blue were still at their chess game, and Blue, not having moved yet, was being teased by his increasingly impatient partner. The American’s blue eyes glowed with annoyance. “Give me time, will you? I’m preparing a strategy.”

“If your ‘strategy’ is to wait until I fall asleep, I’m telling you, you’re practically there.”

Rhapsody gave a deep sigh and, turning her back again on them, she absentmindedly took another sip of her coffee. “White bishop to D4, takes black knight,” she said, without even a second thought.

Both Scarlet and Blue raised their heads to look at her. Scarlet didn’t seem to believe his ears, while Blue looked intently at the board. “White bishop takes black knight…” he repeated, pondering.

Rhapsody nodded; not even turning around, she continued: “It’s the only logical move you can make, or you’ll be checkmated by the black queen in two moves. With that move, you get rid of the knight, and in the same time, make way for your queen to threaten the white king. The black bishop – which was about to take your castle in the next move – will be paralysed, because your bishop is in position to take the black king. The black king can’t move left, nor forward, because your last knight will take it. And it’s blocked on its right by a black pawn. Which means…”

“Checkmate,” Ochre suddenly said, unbelief apparent in his tone. Throughout Rhapsody’s explanation, curious, he had risen from his seat to look down at the board. Rhapsody’s description of the game was one hundred percent right. She hadn’t missed anything. Scarlet was looking with scepticism at the board, as Blue was moving his bishop to take the black knight. The British captain couldn’t do anything but gloomily knock over his king.

“I don’t believe this!” Ochre laughed loudly, sitting down next to the grim-looking Scarlet and elbowing him. “You lost, Scarlet! The only person I know who has even beaten you was the colonel. Then YOUR lady comes in, takes just ONE glance at the board and proceeds to beat the pants off you!”

“Thanks, Rhapsody!” Blue beamed, looking at the young woman who had finally turned around. “I owe you one!”

“Indeed you do,” Scarlet grumbled dryly.

“Well, Mister Metcalfe,” Blue pursued, thumping his friend’s arm, “this means YOU’LL have to get the money out when we go to Paris!”

“Come on, Adam! You’re not seriously thinking that we pursue this little bet, are you?”

“Oh yes, I am!”

“What kind of bet is it?” Rhapsody asked, frowning.

“It concerns the four of us,” Blue explained, pointing to Rhapsody and Symphony, and then to Scarlet and himself. “For our next scheduled furlough. The winner of this game was to pick the Parisian restaurant of his choice… and the loser has to pay the bill.” He grinned broadly, seeing Scarlet scowling. “I already have a good idea where I’m gonna take you all…”

“Keep my limited finances in mind, when you make your choice,” Scarlet warned him.

“I’ll pay,” Rhapsody declared matter-of-factly.

“No, a bet’s a bet. I lost, I’ll pay.”

“You lost probably because I interfered, Paul.”

“Hey!” Blue protested. “It’s ALSO quite possible that I would have won all by myself!”

“In your dreams, Svenson!” Ochre replied, mockingly.

“Will you butt out, Ochre?”

“Let me handle the bill,” Rhapsody insisted. “It’s no big deal…”

“No,” Scarlet answered again, more insistently.

“He’s right, you know?” Ochre told Rhapsody in turn. “The way I see it, if there should be someone who SHOULDN’T pay the bill, it’s you. You won this game for Blue…”

“Hey!”

“…And Scarlet is definitely the one who should pay. He lost.”

“Rick, not now,” Rhapsody pleaded, seeing the annoyance crossing her fiancé’s features. She could very well guess that he was growing tired of Ochre’s incessant banter. She wasn’t in the mood for it, either. She sighed; she was feeling a headache coming. “Let me do it, Paul. I’ll pay the restaurant bill.”

He shook his head, still adamant about it. “I’ll handle this, Angel. You don’t have to pay for a bet I made…”

“You got that right,” Ochre added quietly.

“Ochre,” Symphony warned him.

“Why do you have to be so obstinate about this?” Rhapsody told Scarlet, without letting anybody else finish.

He raised an eyebrow. “I’m obstinate?”

“Yes, you are. You don’t have to be such a chauvinist. Men! Why can’t they ever accept that sometimes we only want to help them?” She turned around brusquely, and put the cup down on the counter. She was losing the little patience she had had up until now. And she was aware that everybody was now staring at her. She feigned not to notice and kept her back turned to them, so they would not see the tears slowly coming to her eyes.

Evidently, Symphony, still so very close to her, noticed how distressed she seemed.

“Dianne?”

Rhapsody didn’t answer her friend’s gentle call. She even turned her face away from her. It was becoming so very hard to keep up a strong façade. It had been a mistake coming here, in the first place.

“What’s wrong, Angel?”

That was Paul’s voice. She could feel the concern in it. She shrugged, still not turning around. “Nothing…”

Scarlet rose from his seat. He slowly approached the Angel pilot. “No, there’s something, I can tell. Something bothering you.”

“It’s nothing, Paul. I’m sorry. That bet… We… shouldn’t have argued about it.”

“It’s not the bet,” Scarlet replied, shaking his head. “That’s got nothing to do with it, or with who pays the restaurant bill.”

“I still say you should,” Ochre piped up from behind him.

“Cut it out, Rick,” Blue warned his compatriot. He could see there was something serious going on. Why Ochre couldn’t see it himself was beyond him.

A puzzled Scarlet had stopped behind Rhapsody. She obstinately kept her back turned on him, but she could feel his piercing eyes drilling a hole in her back.

“Dianne?” he pleaded softly. “What’s wrong, love?”

“I told you. It’s nothing, really. I…”

He heard the shake in her voice; something WAS wrong, he could feel it, deep inside him. He reached for her, but when he touched her shoulders, she shivered, and drew away. That surprised him, but he didn’t let it deter him.

“Look at me, please.”

Again, Scarlet took the young woman by the shoulders; this time, she didn’t resist when he gently forced her to turn around. He then looked down on her devastated face, and frowned in deep concern and perplexity.

“I was right,” he murmured. “Something’s upsetting you.”

She shrugged him off and backed away, turning away again. “Not now, please.”

Now Scarlet was completely baffled; he couldn’t understand what was wrong. Rhapsody had never reacted that way to him before. A thought occurred to him.

“Dianne, I know about your visit to sickbay.”

Rhapsody spun around and stared at Scarlet, obviously annoyed. “You know? How did you…” She stopped suddenly; turning to her right, she faced Symphony who was still standing there, and glared at her accusingly. “Karen! You promised…”

“I didn’t find out from Karen,” Scarlet interrupted her. “I went to the Amber Room this morning, and you weren’t there. Destiny told me about it. Obviously, she didn’t know it was supposed to be a secret from me.”

“It was NOT supposed to be a secret!” Rhapsody defended herself.

“Then what?” Scarlet snapped, more harshly than he intended. He was beginning to lose patience, and frankly, this situation, with Rhapsody not wanting to say anything, was confusing him. “Look, I’m starting to get worried, here. Why don’t you tell me what’s wrong?”

“Paul… Not now, please. Later, okay?”

Scarlet blanched suddenly. A dreadful suspicion had formed in his mind, and he was afraid that… “You… You’re not ill, are you?”

Rhapsody understood right away what was on his mind. Her family had a history of cancer, and her mother had had a very close call some years earlier. She had yet to fully recuperate from it, to this day. He was most probably concerned that she had inherited the same ailment.

“No, I’m not ill,” she sighed. “I’m in perfect health. In fact,” she added in a mumble, “I’ve never been healthier in my life…”

“It’s me, then.”

“You what?”

“It’s me who’s upsetting you. Somehow. I don’t know, I must have done something…”

“Paul…” Rhapsody sighed again, this time tiredly. Now she was REALLY feeling a migraine coming. “Whatever gives you THAT idea?”

“You’re shutting me out,” Scarlet explained, frowning.

“That’s crazy!” Rhapsody protested vehemently. “I’m not shutting you out!” He didn’t seem convinced. She took a brief, deep breath. She lost what was left of her patience altogether. “All right!” she shouted, giving up. “I admit it! That’s it. Yes, it’s you. That’s the truth. You DID something and that’s upsetting me. It’s turning my life upside down, and you’re responsible!”

The rapid fire of words, mingled with tears no longer contained nearly took Scarlet aback. He quickly strode the short distance separating him from the woman he loved. He couldn’t take it anymore, seeing her like this. He was angry that she wouldn’t open up and talk to him. It hurt him that she wouldn’t confide in him, and he was worried, dreading what it could imply.

“What is it, then?” he snapped at her with the same violent tone she had used. “What have I done? What is wrong with you?”

“I’m pregnant!”

The deep, stunned silence that followed between the two was broken by the sound of falling chess pieces. Captain Blue, who was trying not to listen to his two friends’ argument, had just dropped a quantity of them to the floor, on hearing Rhapsody’s shouted answer. His jaw dropped, and he could see that Ochre and Symphony were as stunned into silence as he was, the three of them looking at Rhapsody. But their surprise was nothing compared to Captain Scarlet’s shock. His face had gone white, and for a moment, his mind was a total blank. He was staring with wide, disbelieving eyes at his fiancée, who had dropped this news like an atomic bomb. She wasn’t speaking anymore, and was looking back at him. He couldn’t think of anything to say. When he finally found his voice, he was only able to stammer.

“P-p-pregnant?” He was incredulous, utterly shocked. He was trying to decipher on Rhapsody’s face if, by any chance, she wasn’t playing some kind of sick joke. But no. He could see she was deadly serious. She wouldn’t joke about a thing like that. “H-how?” he asked, still bewildered.

“Gee, Scarlet,” the voice of Ochre made itself heard from behind him, much to the irritation of both Blue and Symphony, “if we have to tell you HOW, it’s a wonder that kid’s even there! Maybe your parents neglected some part of your education…”

“Would you MIND, Ochre?” Scarlet raged savagely.

His patience was obviously nearing its limits, and that, Blue could easily see. He rose from his seat, clearing his throat. “I think it would be better if we leave both of you alone to discuss this,” he told Scarlet and Rhapsody.

“Yes,” Symphony quickly agreed, moving toward her husband. “Indeed, we’d better go.”

“Go ahead, you two,” Ochre then said, much to the couple’s distress. “I’ll catch you later…”

He was motioning to sit down and get himself comfortable, as if he expected to see a good show, but he never reached his seat. Blue had grabbed hold of his arm and was forcing him up. “Oh no, you don’t! You’ll come with us, if you know what’s good for you!”

Pulled by Blue and pushed by Symphony, Ochre found himself heading toward the door. “Hey! Hey, you two!” he protested. “You know I was only joking.”

“Now’s not the time, Rick,” Blue said between his teeth.

“That was only a joke, I tell you!”

“You could have fooled us!”

“Yes, you got a death wish or what?” Symphony added. “It could become dangerous for your health if you stay.”

“Come on, now! Paul’s not that mean! He would never hurt me!”

“HIM, maybe not,” Symphony answered ominously. “But WE’RE another matter…”

The three of them walked out of the officers’ lounge, the door sliding closed on Ochre’s further protests. Now alone, Scarlet and Rhapsody stared at each other, an uncomfortable silence between them. It was the young woman who broke it, in a soft, yet still uncertain voice.

“I’m sorry, Paul. I didn’t mean to tell you like that.”

Scarlet slowly shook his head; he was still in shock. “So, that’s why you went to see Fawn this morning,” he murmured.

“Yes. I wasn’t feeling very well. But I didn’t know, I swear. I had no idea what the matter was. I wasn’t prepared for this.”

“Well… neither am I.” Scarlet felt the need to sit down. He could feel his legs shaking under him. Rhapsody looked at him, still unsure.

“I was wondering how you would react to the news,” she whispered. “How you would take it…”

“How I’d take it?” Scarlet said. “Well, I’m…” He glanced at her. “I’m as shocked as you are, apparently. I didn’t expect this at all!” He tiredly rubbed his eyes, and then sighed heavily, trying to let the news sink in. “How?” he repeated, almost in a whisper, looking down as his hands. “I thought we were careful. That we… I mean, that you… were safe, with that…” He stopped, not knowing how to say it without being blunt.

“I… don’t know exactly.” Rhapsody sat down next to him. “Actually, Fawn has a theory about that. About why that method of contraception didn’t work in our case. I admit, I wasn’t really listening to his explanation… It has something to do with you. Your… ‘metabolism’ to be precise…”

“I see,” Scarlet murmured again. He gave a deep sigh. “I’m… I’m sorry, love.”

“About what? We should have seen this coming. I’m as much to blame for this situation as you are.”

“I can’t help feeling sorry. I can see you’re not happy about it.”

“Paul, I…” Rhapsody hesitated a second, not knowing how to continue. It was plain to Scarlet she was very upset, and that her confused emotions were threatening to overwhelm her. He gently touched her cheek, and gazed into her trembling eyes.

“Are you all right, Angel?”

She shook her head, tears filling her eyes again, and it hurt him to see her that way. Then she answered, her voice shaking as she reached for the hand that so lovingly rested on her face.

“It’s so unfair…”

Scarlet frowned, puzzled. “Unfair?”

She nodded, unsettled. “Why did it have to happen NOW?”

“What… what are you saying?” Scarlet stammered, with uncertainty. “What… You mean your career, and…”

“Oh, no!” Rhapsody protested. “No, you’ve got it all wrong. I mean… It’s unfair on this baby. We’re at war, Paul. And it’s a war we’re deeply involved with, you and I. Me, as a fighter pilot and you… you, for being who and what you are. Do we really want to bring a child into this world? Do we even have the right to?” She bowed her head, her shoulders suddenly seemed to carry all the weight of the world. “Two years ago, I would have welcomed this child with joy, but now…”

Scarlet nodded grimly, understanding what she meant. “So… what do you say we should do now? Just… don’t have this baby?”

The thought seemed to horrify him. One look at Rhapsody’s trembling eyes informed him that she was uncomfortable with that idea too. But it had obviously crossed her mind.

“I’m not saying anything, Paul,” she sighed. “I’m just… evaluating the situation, at the moment. We can’t make a decision – any decision – too lightly. We have to consider every aspect.”

“You’re right. EVERY aspect.” Scarlet had a gloomy enough look. He kept silent, looking away thoughtfully; there were so many other issues, so many more problems to consider. The war wasn’t the only thing on his mind, and it was more than likely that the same thoughts were coursing through his fiancée’s mind. He turned his attention to the young woman by his side. “I suppose… we have a lot to talk about.”

She smiled sadly. “Yes,” she answered in a murmur. “And a lot to think about.”

***

Night had fallen on Cloudbase. It had been a long day for Captain Scarlet, now sitting all alone on the Promenade Deck, listening to the sound of rushing water from a fountain nearby. He was so tired, but it wasn’t a physical weariness, as he had not done nothing much more today than think. He had delegated his routine duties to the other captains, as he desperately needed some quiet time, away from any distractions, and out of everybody’s way. Usually, work helped him get by, taking his mind off his problems, but today, he couldn’t afford that. He had to be alone, and that was why he came up here. The Promenade Deck had always been his favourite spot, whenever he wanted to be alone. When he wanted to think things over.

Rhapsody had been right. They had indeed a lot to think about. They had talked for hours, covering every aspect of their present situation. All the implications. The good points… and especially the bad points. The latter seemed to be far more important in number than the former, and that was quite distressing. After having discussed it together, they found they couldn’t come up with a solution straight away. That would have been too easy, and anyway, they didn’t want to rush things. They still needed to mull it over on their own for a while, to let it all sink in. Scarlet wasn’t even sure he was over the shock of this discovery. And he was willing to bet that Rhapsody was in the same state of mind.

Absentmindedly, he stared down at the upper flight deck, where Angel One was sitting, and that he could see perfectly from his spot. He knew that Rhapsody had taken some time off from her duties in the Amber Room. She didn’t feel that she would be able to perform her duties properly, considering the situation. After they had parted, to each go their separate ways and think about all of this, she had gone to make arrangements for the other Angel pilots to fill in for her, until the next day. She too wanted to have some quiet time alone. He was wondering what her thoughts were right now, what decision she would be inclined to make. He simply had no idea. He didn’t even know what HIS would be.

“You know, I’ve been searching all over for you.”

Scarlet didn’t even turn around when he heard the voice of his best friend booming from the entrance. He sighed deeply. “If it’s all the same to you, Captain Blue, I would rather be left alone at the moment.”

“Well, it’s NOT all the same to me. It’s not good for you to shut us out like this. Particularly at this moment.”

Scarlet knew better than to argue with his friend; he heard Blue’s steps as he approached from behind. “Be careful with that telescope,” he said suddenly. “If you so much as touch it, you’ll be in trouble with the colonel.”

Blue made a large detour around the said object, positioned at the window and pointing upward to the sky. All the while, he wondered how Scarlet had managed to know the precise moment he was getting close to it.

“Thanks,” the American captain said sheepishly. “I certainly don’t want to get on the colonel’s bad side! What is he trying to find with this new hobby of his, a new comet he can name?”

Scarlet shrugged indifferently. Colonel White had set up this telescope three days ago, when Cloudbase had arrived at this new location, over the Fiji Islands. Scarlet didn’t know much about astronomy, or what it was that interested the Spectrum commander in this particular part of the sky. He just knew that White had strictly forbidden anyone to touch the telescope, and that was enough for anybody not to go anywhere near it. Moving the object just one millimetre could change everything in the colonel’s observations, as he had been taking notes each time he moved it himself.

Blue came to sit next to his friend, who didn’t even turn to greet him properly. He was still looking thoughtfully through the window. It was exactly as if he was somewhere else.

“So,” Blue said elbowing his friend playfully, to get him out of his fugue. “It seems you’re about to become a father. How’s that make you feel?”

It took a time for Scarlet to actually respond. The look he gave Blue was devoid of its usual confidence – the kind of look the American had not often seen in his friend’s eyes. “Actually, Adam… I don’t know how I should feel.”

Blue’s brow furrowed. “What do you mean, you don’t know? You’re going to have a kid. I know you and Rhapsody aren’t married yet, but… you should be ecstatic! I know I would be, if I were in your place.”

“Well, you’re NOT in my place!” With obvious annoyance, Scarlet stood up abruptly and took a couple of steps away from a perplexed Blue, turning his back on him. He stopped suddenly. He was embarrassed to have snapped that way at his best friend. Uncomfortably, he ran his hand through his hair. “I’m sorry, Adam,” he murmured. “I didn’t mean to…”

“What’s going on, Paul?” Blue interrupted him, with a firm but soft voice. “What’s wrong?”

“Me. It’s me who’s wrong.” Scarlet gave a long, frustrated sigh, before turning to face Blue again. “A few years ago, it would have been different. I would have been completely thrilled about having a child, without a second thought. Now… now I don’t know how I should feel about it. How I should react. It’s all so confusing and… and frustrating…”

“What are you trying to say?” Blue asked, puzzled by his friend’s words. “You don’t want the kid?”

“It’s not as simple as that, Adam.”

“How could it be not simple? I don’t understand. I remember you telling me about some of your concerns. I know it was hard for you to even think about it, or confide in anyone, even me. You weren’t even sure you’d be able to father a child after…”

“…After what the Mysterons did to me.” Scarlet finished the sentence his friend had hesitated to pronounce entirely. “Can’t you see, Adam? That’s just the problem! Or one of them, anyway.” He met Blue’s puzzled stare, and shook his head. “There are many problems, Adam,” he stated gloomily. “So many of them, I don’t know where to begin, so I’ll explain them all to you. We’ve been talking about it a good part of the day, Dianne and I. And it seems that, every time we tackled one, another one presented itself. They seem endless… I’m thinking about the war against the Mysterons. I’m thinking of a child raised in these circumstances, who may very well end up growing up without one of its parents. I’m thinking about the loneliness it would feel, because of being different, and not able to cope…”

“Nobody has ever said this world is a safe place for any children, Paul,” Blue noted. “That’s an issue for any parent. If that stopped every human being from having children, I’m afraid the Mysterons wouldn’t need to carry on with the war…”

Scarlet blew out a deep sigh. He stared straight at his friend, hurt in his eyes. “You don’t understand, Adam… That’s not our only concern…”

“Then explain to me.”

“Considering what I am, do you think any child of mine could be normal?” Scarlet murmured in a shaky voice. “What kind of life would it have? Half-human, half… half what, exactly?” He gestured toward himself, his movement showing the full depth of his displeasure and frustration. “I don’t even know WHAT I am exactly! I feel like I’m human, but I’m not even sure I am! I’m not NORMAL, in any case. I’m not…” He closed his eyes. “…I think I’ve been trying to kid myself, for years. I know I’m not entirely human.”

“Maybe you should rephrase that,” Blue said with a frown. “You should rather say that you’re not ONLY human. Paul, the fact that you fathered that child should be proof enough that you are still one of us.”

“It should,” Scarlet said bitterly. “But I think of what that child’s life would be… COULD be. Imagine, if he or she would end up being like me.” His eyes became sad, as he stared straight ahead, into empty space. “Every time I’m injured,” he murmured, “every time I step in front of a bullet, and literally lay down my life for someone else, I’m reminded of how different I am. Every time I wake up in sickbay, after an injury that would have killed anyone else, I’m reminded of how fragile the lives of others are, in comparison to mine. Doctor Fawn’s a good man, but he’s a scientist, and even he sees me as a curiosity. I couldn’t bear to see any child of mine regarded as some kind of… freak of nature and being treated accordingly, being exposed to the curiosity of so-called scientists, eager to find out what the hybrid of a human woman and a Mysteron clone would turn out to be.”

“Oh, for Heaven’s sake, would you STOP with all this NONSENSE?”

Captain Blue’s angry protest surprised Scarlet; the American officer suddenly got to his feet and stood in front of his friend, his blue eyes flashing daggers. “Did you stop a second, to listen to yourself?” Blue pursued heatedly.

“Adam, I…”

“It’s not about the kid,” Blue interrupted, without letting Scarlet finish. “It’s about YOU. What is it with you, anyway? We’ve been through all this already. I thought you were over it! The doubts that you had about yourself, about your humanity, that was all behind you! How can you still have doubts? How could you even think that this child will be less than whatever you and the woman you love will try to make out of it?”

Scarlet didn’t respond. He looked away, obviously still pondering. Calming down, Blue sat down again, next to him. “YOU are like any of us, Paul. You may be indestructible, but deep down in yourself, deep down HERE…” he touched his chest, where his own heart was, “you’re still very much human. And oh-so-vulnerable.” Blue gave a low sigh. “You have doubts about the baby. You’re afraid of bringing it into this world. You’re not the first man to have this kind of doubt, even if the reasons are different. Even if yours seem rather unique…” He saw the flicker in his friend’s eyes, and knew that he was reaching him; but still, there was that same indecisive look about him, that uncertainty concerning what he had to do.

“There’s no way of telling if it would be different from any other child,” Blue added in a quiet voice. “You have no way to know that for sure. It could very well be very human. I know you can’t be sure of that either. But in any case, it would be YOUR child. Whatever this child is… it will still be yours. You would always be its father.” He shook his head. “Don’t tell me that doesn’t stir some feelings inside you.”

“It does,” Scarlet murmured looking down. “And that’s why it’s so difficult to make the right decision. I have to sort out what I feel. Dianne and I… we can’t afford to be wrong about this.”

“I know you two have to weigh your decision carefully,” Blue said, nodding. “Because whatever you decide, it will have a tremendous impact on both your lives. But Paul, consider this… This child… it’s a gift from God. Don’t you see He’s trying to tell you something?”

Scarlet stared at his friend’s quiet face for an instant, still apparently unsure, and certainly unsettled by his last words. He wasn’t the God-fearing man Blue was, he wasn’t even comfortable with any aspect of religion. He did believe, but not as fervently as Blue. He always felt he was his own man and that God had little to do with what he was and the decisions he had to make. But at this moment, he couldn’t say that Blue’s little speech was leaving him indifferent.

“You know you’re making it harder for me to make a decision, Svenson?” he grumbled.

Blue’s smile was a faint one. “I didn’t mean to go easy on you either, buddy.”

“Somehow, that doesn’t surprise me,” Scarlet chuckled, almost despite himself.