The last thing she remembered was the plane going down just before they reached the coastline. The good Doctor Argonowitten opened her door and gave her a shove, just a second or two or three before the plane hit the water. She splashed deep beneathe the surface, maybe thirty feet more or less. A cat is a natural swimmer though they hate the water. Her feline spirit totem comforted her. She surfaced; but, was almost immediately drawn back under by the natural whirlpool of the plane wreckage. Again, Panthera was sucked beneathe the waves, eventually bobbed back up and down again. Over and over, each time was less deep than the last. Finally, the waters calmed to smooth rolling waves.

The good Doctor had a split second to save his life or hers. He had saved hers. Panthera would never forget that, nor would her Spirit Totem Guide.

Panthera was rescued by fishermen just off the coast of East Timor, still clutching the parachute bag un-opened as a child holding onto a security pillow. She wouldn't let go of the unused parachute bag. She was crying hysterically and was shivering cold from shock.

She doesn't remember the trip to Loihuno village near the Mundo Perdido Protected Natural Area. Her new friends had apparently been transporting her unconscious body for several days. She woke up in what was obviously a healer's hut. The healer didn't speak a word of English; but, a UNCDF representative watching from the corner spoke pretty good English with a bit of a Portuguese twang.

"Welcome to Timor-Leste. You are in the Loihuno village of the Ossu subdistrict in Viqueque. East Timor that is." The tall dark gentlemen waited gently for a reply.

"My baby, where is my baby?" Panthera was frantic as her hands brushed her now trim abdomen. "Where is my baby! Give me my baby!"

"Your baby is well." The tall dark gentleman comforted her.

Panthera fell back asleep, exhausted, drained, tired, scared and now homeless.

The tribe were fearful when they saw the baby. The baby was hideously deformed and they believed that it was a sign from their Ancestors. The Witch Doctor began to chant and lite bushes so smoke surrounded him. He ran with the lit bushes and placed smoke all around the tribal women. The women were herded into one area so that the Witch Doctor could protect them with the ancient smoke. The tribal woman began to wail and chant...this was a bad sign, a very bad omen from their gods.

The Elder of the tribe took the baby and threw it back into the sea water. He did not make a sound even when he rubbed salt into his eyes so that they were all red and swollen. He hit his head repetitively on the sand until the moon was high in the night sky.

He was chosen out of the tribe to touch the deformed baby and he had to remain separated from the tribe until the full moon. The new moon would bring a new cyle. During the cleansing time, the women were forbidden to be seen by any of the men. The uncleanliness could destroy the tribe.

While the Elder cleansed himself at the water, the women were not to be touched by the men. They all had to wait until one of them bled. Blood would cleanse them all and it would be a sign that their gods had renewed them. The woman who bled first was chosen from the gods to bring in a new dawn and it was her that would be offered to the Elder after he had been cleansed.

The gods demanded that if a baby had to be given back to them, another had to be given to the Mother. Uisha, a woman of the tribe had given birth to a baby girl two days before the star fell from the sky. It was Uisha's baby that would be given to the woman who was resting from the long journey across the heavens.

I was sleeping when I heard may day, may day, may day...I woke up and felt the usual monotonous beat quicken and becoming stronger. I felt a rush within me and I became excited with the new sensations and sounds. I started to move, to push beyond the confined space.

Is this my day?

I am Sam Paul A and it is my day, my day. There is a warmth that encompasses me. I can feel something and it is wonderful.

I hear a person's voice calling, "Sam...Sam!"

I feel tremendous love. I am overwhelmed by this feeling. I do not understand how it is I know what the feeling is called, but this feeling is love and love is telling me, it is not my time. It is not my time to die.

I have to go back. Instantly, I feel that I am pulled through a tunnel at high speed and I can see and hear people rushing around me. I can see a man in a white jacket...

"Sam Paul! Wecome back, we nearly lost you...Sam, my name is Dr Thomas. Your in hospital and have had an accident, you are going to make it!"

Dr Thomas had spent nine minutes defibrillating Mr Paul. Mr Sam Paul's wife, Alisha was kept outside the emergency room while the medical retrival team tried to save her husbands life.

Dr Thomas emerged from behind the curtain, "Mrs Paul, your husband is out of serious danger. We will have to run further tests, but at this stage, he is doing well."

John Walsh had been a UNCDF Representative for over 15 years. He had been two years in Timor and Loihuno village near the Mundo Perdido Protected Natural Area was part of his UNCDF district.

He knew the baby was in danger. He knew what the Natives' were capable of and intuition stirred within him to remain very close. Instead of leaving the Ossu District that night, he decided to remain nearby without being seen.

He observed the Natives' and did not interfere when the cleansing ritual began. He knew he had to protect the baby. The baby boy had very long legs, that to look at, looked very odd. Compound that with birthmarks, he became worried that the Natives' would think that this baby was 'deformed' and a bad omen sent from their gods. .

When the Elder threw the baby boy into the sea water, John was waiting nearby and quietly wadded through the sea water and picked the baby up. John huddled the baby in his arms. He looked down at the baby and at that moment, he felt his humanitarian work was not in vain. This was a moment he would never forget.

He ran with the baby to the UN Jeep and drove to Dili. The baby would be safe there. He had no time to consider the Mother's well being but had decided that at some stage, he would reunite them.

Panthera slept deeply and dreamed of a long-legged, male, leopard kitten with a diver's air tank and helmet. The kitten was in trouble. It's eyes were red with saltwater and it couldn't see which way was up. The air tank quit bubbling, it was out of air.

Panthera awoke at sundown the next day, a swarthy dark, hungry, baby girl cradled in her armpit. "What the #@*&$# " she sat up with a startle. She looked into the open eyes of this stranger in her bed. The baby began to wail. Panthera cradled the stranger to her breast and fed her. After the baby had its' fill of nature's best, she fell asleep.

Panthera got up, got dressed and looked around for the healer and the UN guy. She wanted HER baby. "A Mother's spiritual connection to her child starts at conception." she remembered her adoptive Iroquois Mother's words like she was standing right next to her. " You will see the blue light of life when the soul enters the egg. From then on, Mother and child are spiritually bound together."

Panthera reflected on her Mother's words. There was no soul or spirit binding to this miniature stranger sleeping on the bed.

Doctor Jamison's sonagram had shown her the long-legged baby boy in her womb. He had his Mother's long, lanky legs. "He will be a swift runner like his Mother." Nurse Betty had remarked.

The dream troubled Panthera.

Panthera got dressed and slipped quietly out of the hut.

Meanwhile, back in Honolulu, Professor Blaner had just completed another day's work at the U and was headed home. He was passing the large, circular fountain in the courtyard between his office and the parking garage when he was approached by Mr. Larkin.

"Oh!" the startled Mr. Blaner said as he dropped his Scribner on the walk, "It's you."

"Yes, I'm here about our little project. What news do you have?" Mr. Larkin asked.

"I, ummm, I ... ", stuttered the professor.

"Calm down, we know about the plane crash." Mr. Larkin comforted. "As you know, DARPA has invested a great deal of time, planning, interest and funding into this project. I'm here to follow-up on our acquisition."

"I, ummmm, I ..." *gulp* "I don't know what to tell you. I really have no idea myself", the professor squeaked.

"You have no idea? Do you mean to tell me you were unaware of ~Something's~ transfer?" questioned the DARPA acquisition agent.

"That's correct Sir." Herbert replied briefly.

"And did you know that ~Something~ survived and is now in the hands of a U.N. representative, an economic advisor by the name of John Walsh?" Troy Larkin questioned authoritatively.

"Uuuum, no Sir, I didn't." the professor squeaked while grabbing a hankerchief from his pocket and dabbing his neck.

"And weren't you concerned for your Doctor friend? Did you even enquire about his welfare?"

"Uuuum, well, I ummm ... heard on the news that ..."

Troy cut him off, then blurted "You incompetant fool! You will never see another DARPA contract in your life. Is that understood?" He abruptly turned and left the campus in a huff.

===================

Editor's Advisory: The places may be real, but the names and facts are purely fiction and do not represent any living person, entity or agenda. TZ 2011

Alisha could not understand how her Husband had died... "but you said he was out of danger! You said he was going to make it!"

"Mrs Paul, I am very sorry. Once the aneurysm ruptured there was very little we could do. The haemorage occured whilst he was undergoing tests. I am so very sorry Mrs Paul."

Alisha Paul fell into her Sister's arms who instinctively caught her and craddled her while she sobbed as she watched Dr Thomas turn and walk away.

Mr Sam Paul was dead. His life was over and yet his soul was starting another life...somewhere in the organised chaos we know as life.

And so our story ends, as Sam Paul is reincarnated into the nameless, baby chimera, ~Something~

Panthera eventually traced her biological parents to an area North of Pinegap, Australia. She discovered that though her aboriginal parents had died in an automobile accident; her paternal lineage was from a long line of government trackers - recruited for their excellance in tracking.

And Mr. Larkin of DAARPA succeeded in securing the laboratory "Sample A" - code-named ~Something~ whom he transported to a secret deep underground bunker where he will be reared and programmed for highly secret, covert missions.

Father Migniot (Mosat) couldn't commit suicide as it was against his religion; but, his guilt led him to leave the Church in disgrace. He plans to spend the rest of his years working in social services.

Rabi Ibar and Asceti continue to search for the "Beast"; but, have set their eyes on even larger abomination targets.

Vladimir never was caught for his crime; but, when ~Something~ matures in 21 years, Vladimir should be looking over his shoulder. There's no statute of limitations on murder, and murdering one's biological Mother is a strong incentive for vengeance, especially for an enterprising young Leopard-Man.