FIC: Terra Australis Incognito 1/?

[CDRERamius@xxxxxxx]

TITLE: Terra Australis Incognito
AUTHOR: Tony McD
DISCLAIMER: All characters belong to Joss Whendon, Mutant Enemy, WB and 
others. This is for fun, not profit.
SUMMARY: A stranger with many links to the Scooby gang comes and changes 
their lives forever.
SPOILERS: General Season 4
DISTRIBUTION: Anywhere is fine, just email me first at CDRERamius@xxxxxxx
AUTHOR'S NOTES: I've played around with season 4 somewhat. Adam tried to 
harness magic but got destroyed by the First Evil. Other differences will 
become apparent as the story goes along.
Dedicated to Shorty (the best WEEO in the fleet) who got me interested in 
Buffy, and to the Australian Aboriginal people. Some of us are big enough to 
say sorry.


He sat on the rocky outcropping over looking the vast empty outback that 
he called home. It was only 8 am but it was already 30 degrees C and 
climbing. He didn't notice the heat, for he was born here. As was his father, 
and his grandfather, and his father before him. Indeed his family and his 
people stretched back 100 000 years if the latest evidence was to be believed.
He was considered to be an old man by those who knew him. By their 
standards he was. In a few short months he would mark 100 years since his 
birth but his body was that of a man half his age. No doubt due to the 
ancient magic which flowed through him. 
He had dedicated his life to preserving his peoples culture, stories, and 
magic. He became a repository for much that was ancient. He was determined 
that the knowledge he had acquired would be passed on for future generations. 
But for that to happen there had to be a future for the coming generations to 
live in. And so began his involvement with the Watchers Council.
His thoughts were interrupted by a familiar presence.
"G'day David" the old man said without turning to face the young man.
"Hello old man. Am I interrupting anything?" David asked.
"No. Come sit with me so we can talk."
David sat beside the old man. The rock was hot but David paid no 
attention to it. While he had not been born here, he had grown up here, cared 
for by the old man who sat beside him. The old man was not his father but 
David had come to see him as such. As for David's real father, the old man 
had never told him who it was.
"So, Albert. What thoughts are going through your wizened old head?" 
David asked.
Albert smiled at the young man's gentle jibe. The years he spent with the 
Watchers Council had made Albert appreciate the unique Australian outlook and 
humour. Few places could you call someone a bastard and it be taken as a sign 
of genuine affection.
"I was thinking about my birthday." Albert informed David.
"You are not that bloody old!" David exclaimed. He could tell that Albert 
was worried about his age. "OK you're 100 soon but that is nothing." 
Albert looked at the young man with a raised eyebrow.
"Over 100 years before your birth the British landed here in 1788. 
Aboriginals arrived here 100 000 years ago. Not too far to the west of here 
is the 3.5 billion year old fossil of the earliest life. Not to mention most 
of the rock around here is over 4 billion years old. So when you look at it 
you are just a baby compared to all of that. Try not to worry about it." 
David told him. Albert shrugged and sensed the young mans purpose in coming 
to him.
"Where are you going this time?" Albert asked.
"America." David told him.
"Why?"
"It is supposed to be a secret but since it ties in with you, kind of, 
I'll tell you." 
Albert looked at the young man with a little surprise. David's job as an 
officer in one of the world's most elite units, the Australian Special Air 
Service, did not generally tie in with Albert at all. The Australian Army 
didn't deal with magic.
"I got a call from Canberra telling me I had a meeting with the Prime 
Minister. I got there and the PM and the Defence Minister were there. They 
told me that there was a problem with vampires being on the rise. Hey, did 
you know that the Defence Minister witnessed a vampire attack ten years ago 
and that the PM's father was a Watcher?"
Albert nodded "I didn't know about the Defence Minister but the Prime 
Minister I knew about. I knew his father. He was a fool just like so many 
others on the Council."
"But you're on the Council." David pointed out. Albert looked at David 
with an expression that said 'and your point being?'. The two stared at each 
other for a moment before bursting out laughing.
"OK" Albert said after they had stopped laughing "what has this got to do 
with you going to America?"
"Apparently the Yanks set up some special forces unit to handle vampires 
and demons. Unfortunately the Initiative, that's what they called these 
blokes, didn't just kill the demons. No, they went and captured them for 
experiments. So surprise, surprise; the demons get loose and the shit hits 
the fan.
"So the PM wants me to go over there and study their experiences. See 
what toys and tactics they used. Only this time we don't capture the 
vampires, we kill them. And I get to form a team that will do it when I get 
back."
"Where exactly in America are you going?" Albert asked, his mind racing.
"Sunnydale, California. Why? What's the problem?" David asked seeing the 
expression on Albert's face.
"The Slayer" Albert breathed "The Slayer".