Katherine watched the leader's face as Captain Hunter addressed him in a calm reassuring way, relieved that he had done so, but saw undisguised annoyance shining in the older man's eyes, his body becoming rigid and unyielding as he crossed his arms tightly against his chest.  Everyone else seemed to hold their breath as though anticipating something unpleasant, and Katherine stood closer to the Captain and McCormack.  She knew the Captain expected her to be the one to initiate contact, but for some inexplicable reason, her intuition screamed at her not to, like an alarm shrieking out its dire warning before the fire consumes everything in its wake. There was no doubt he also saw the way the leader looked at the three of them, hinting at both anger and intolerance in a way she had never experienced before, and though she prided herself on being logical, she also trusted her instincts and rarely questioned them; they had never steered her wrong in the past.  Besides, typically men like this one would only accept overtures from other leaders, and she assumed this was why he hadn't lost his temper when confronted with the Captain's questions.  Regardless of the apparent calm however, all three remained on a heightened sense of alert. Nothing could have prepared them for such an unusual and hostile reception, and they were painfully aware of being significantly outnumbered should things take a turn for the worse.  Then, the older woman, garbed in a simple gown of dark blue, stepped forward and gently put her arm around her companion's shoulder, comforting him somewhat, and the tension visibly drained from his face.  With a kind smile, she began speaking with a soft melodic voice.  “Please forgive Marsdon, he is obviously not used to strangers…actually none of us are, and your arrival is most unexpected, though not unwelcome despite what you must think.”  Moving into the centre of the clearing, she exuded an air of confidence and mystery as she clasped her hands in front of her waist. “I am Alianne and we are all that is left of the craft you found, the last survivors of a doomed mission of arrogance.”<br/><br/>Katherine was enthralled and no longer aware of the rain and cold or danger she felt seconds ago.  The woman's voice and manner of speaking seemed almost magical in nature, entrancing her audience with no effort, ensuring they hung on every word.  Moving closer, she said, I'm Katherine Randall, and this is Captain Hunter and Sergeant McCormack.”  She motioned to the two men beside her then asked, “May I ask where you are you from?”<br/><br/>Alianne seemed surprised by the question and looked right into Katherine's eyes with a piercing gaze that would make most people uncomfortable.  “We are from Earth, is that not where you are from?”<br/><br/>That answer startled Katherine. “Yes, but we are here by accident, there is no Earth technology yet to allow for space travel, so how is it that you are here?”  She asked, puzzled.<br/><br/>With a knowing smile, she said, “Ah yes, of course…I think I understand now.  We are from your future then my dear, though technically, there is no past, present or future as your scientists will discover eventually.  Everything exists simultaneously.  It is only the physical, three dimensional nature of human existence that prevents you from seeing it that way.”  Noting the look of astonishment on Katherine's face, her expression turned sympathetic. “I realize how extraordinary this must sound, however, like the flawed human concept of space and time, there are no accidents either Katherine, and if you are here despite what you knew was possible, then you have simply stumbled across something you once thought impossible and proven it does in fact exist have you not?  Imagine if you will a string of lights,” she said patiently.  “As a human you are able to see each light in the string as they exist simultaneously and do not question the validity of that.  Now imagine you are a tiny insect floating in front of the string.  Because your field of vision and concept of reality are limited, you are only capable of perceiving one light at a time, and it isn't until you move that the first disappears and you see the next, thus leading you to believe that only one can exist at any given point in time, and yet that is obviously not the case.”<br/><br/>The entire conversation was so unbelievably surreal that Katherine cast a sideways glance at her companions to see they looked just as surprised as she was.  Where the hell was Dr. Tsonis when you needed him!  She desperately wanted to learn more about the science behind what Alianne just said, and how their ship seemingly travelled back in time, but also knew they were rapidly running out of time to get back to the others and there were more pressing questions.  “Physics isn't exactly my specialty, but yes, I suppose you are right.  What was your mission then, and how did you end up here?” She asked Alianne in earnest.<br/><br/>A touch of bitterness swept over the woman's face the instant the question was asked.  “We were explorers if you will, sent to discover new worlds and find minerals or anything else that could be used and exploited for profit.  Unfortunately, those in charge of the project decided that weaponry was unnecessary since it would be a scientific mission only and we had instructions to stay away from inhabited worlds to avoid conflict, though I also suspect to guarantee exclusivity.  No one but Marsdon knew the real reasons there would be no weapons were cost and weight.  The extra mining equipment required made it impossible to have the ship outfitted with even one functional weapon.  We had only been gone a few months and it was during our orbit around this planet that we were attacked.  The assault was swift and brutal, and it is a miracle any of us survived.  Therefore, it is exactly I said before…a doomed mission born of supreme arrogance and disdain for human life.”  She said with disgust. “As to the orbs you saw, they are simply a surveying tool we were to use during our exploration, controlled by us.  Fortunately, they have proven useful here in ways we never could have imagined.”  Her tone was evasive, and then serene as she smiled warmly. “Now this world is our home, and we are unwilling to leave what we affectionately call our little Utopia.  Though this may be difficult for you to understand, here we have the freedom to live the way we choose.  We are a true democracy that holds the life of each individual sacred, and no matter how difficult our path may be, it is infinitely preferable to what we knew before.”<br/><br/>Katherine was stunned, but didn't miss the shifts in Alianne’s voice.  Curious now and feeling emboldened by the momentum of conversation, she prodded for more information. “What did Marsdon mean about not being out after dark?  I haven't seen any indigenous life here and I find that unusual to say the least.”<br/><br/>Alianne’s eyes flashed with apprehension and she frowned, but it quickly passed.  She contemplated carefully before replying, but did so nonetheless. “There were life forms here at one point in this planet's history, and we know this because we have found remains and fossil evidence.  From what we've been able to ascertain, this world was a hunting ground for an alien race, the very same race that attacked us so long ago.  Sadly, it appears they hunted every species here to extinction and had all but abandoned this world.”  Taking a deep breath, she continued. “However, we still somehow managed to cross their path in a disastrous whim of fate.  Alas, now that they know we are here, they return from time to time, relentless in their pursuit of us. We are considered nothing more than prey, no different any other animal.  Unfortunately, it did not take them long to discover our weaknesses, and this is why they only come at night when the moons are cresting full and illuminating every corner of the forest, descending from the sky by the hundreds. We never know when they will come, only that they always do and whenever it suits them.  This is why the orbs have been so valuable.  They are our eyes when we must hide, and alert us to the arrival of the hunters when we are unprepared.”<br/><br/>The idea that these people had taken a tragedy and turned it into an idyllic situation despite all their hardships was utterly intriguing to Katherine, and as she gazed on the faces of each survivor, incredibly, not one gave the slightest hint of wanting to leave with them.  There was so much more she wanted to ask, but Alianne lowered her lids and nodded to Katherine in a gesture that conveyed the conversation had come to an end.  Turning now to the Captain, Alianne walked towards him and stopped mere inches away.  Regarding him silently for several seconds she then spoke with a voice of authority. “It is time for you to go Captain Hunter. Take your people and get back to your ship as quickly as you can. Do not waste a moment as there is little time left before darkness descends. Tonight the moons will be full and as such, the instant you return, I would advise you to get out of orbit immediately.  The alien ships are more powerful than anything we've seen before. Even those of the Ancients,” she said ominously.<br/><br/><em>How does she know about the Ancients?  Does she know that we came here on one of their ships?  How can that be? </em>There were so many burning questions left in her mind fueled by a passionate curiosity to know more, but even though Katherine hated leaving a mystery unsolved, she quietly resigned herself to the fact this one would likely remain beyond her grasp.  However, there was no mistaking the sense of urgency or foreboding from the way Alianne delivered her words to the Captain, and Katherine's thoughts spiralled out of control from the implications of it. She visibly tensed as icy tendrils of fear coiled around her heart like a vice, knowing there was no way to warn their ship and no way to tell if they had already encountered the aliens, or what they might find when they returned.  Staring intently at Captain Hunter, she tried to communicate her concerns silently, while waiting to see if he would ask Alianne more or decide to leave, either way she had no doubt he would react quickly, and it seemed McCormack agreed because he shuffled into position behind him.  It was difficult to think of abandoning all these people here, but there simply wasn't time to try and convince them leave nor would it be wise to interfere, and so she stepped in behind McCormack ready to go as soon as Captain Hunter gave the order.<br/>