Something had to be done.

Those words repeated themselves over and over in John Danziger's mind as he stared blankly at the flickering fire. It was just past two a.m., though time mattered very little at this point. All Danziger needed to know was that it was the tail-end of another miserable day which would end up bleeding right into another equally bleak, desolate morning. And the members of Eden Advance would remain trapped within the boundaries of their Winter campsite with the cold weather as their unrelenting captors.

The mechanic hadn't originally been scheduled for sentry duty and, in fact, it had been Morgan's turn to endure the graveyard shift. However, John had insisted on replacing him in order for the government liaison to rest his still-healing back injury.

And though John would never openly admit it to anyone, including himself, taking over for Morgan was just one more way for him to serve his penance for the many mistakes he'd made during the disastrous scout to retrieve Cargo Pod 9. He'd felt an overwhelming sense of guilt for overruling Morgan's vote to abandon the scout mid-way. Instead, he'd bullied the smaller man into going along with his gamble that they would reach Pod 9 intact. And when that bet had been lost on a grand scale and they were already several days past fail-safe, it was Morgan who had suffered the greatest consequences when John's short fuse and lack of concentration had sent the Dunerail tumbling down a sharp incline.

And most of all, there was no question in the mechanic's mind that the incident with the Grendler, and the subsequent actions taken by the scouting party in order to survive long enough for the rest of Eden Project to rescue them, would haunt the foursome for the rest of their days. Again, Danziger blamed himself as the root cause of the troubling situation. Indeed, taking on a few extra guard shifts was the least that he could do.

Another stiff pocket of wind bristled through camp, dislodging snow from the nearby trees and diminishing Danziger's overall visibility, as well as depositing a healthy dose of the powder-light substance under his open collar. He yanked his coat closed and visibly shivered while dusting the snow from his shoulders and now saturated hair. He panned the surroundings and momentarily considered finishing his shift in the warmth of the BioDome, with only brief outings to check the perimeters. After all, John couldn't imagine any predator braving the cold in the dead of night and mounting some sort of an offensive against the camp under these insufferable conditions. Then again, with so many variables on G889, it was always better to be safe than sorry. Plus, remaining outdoors would ensure his privacy and provide him with plenty of time to think.

He pushed aside his outward feelings of cold, along with his inward guilt over the botched scout to retrieve Cargo Pod 9 and replaced them with another much more important subject that required his immediate and full attention. Eden Advance's food supply was several days beyond the critical stage with no solution in sight.

Danziger clamped his eyes shut. There were four sounds which stuck with him throughout his life and never failed to cause his heart to clench tighter in his chest whenever the memories were recalled: The first was his mother's anguished cries when his father and older brother were killed in a crane collapse. The second was the explosion and accompanying screams of his fellow soldiers when their sand freighter hit a landmine during the Mediterranean Uprising. The endless rhythmic, almost-maddening hiss of Elle's respirator in the Quadrant's Long Term Care Facility For The Neuro-Dead was the third. But there was no sound that devastated Danziger more than the growls of his little girl's food-deprived stomach. And its hollowed echo played on a constant loop in his tormented ears.

John's friends and family were hungry and they were already beginning to suffer the dire effects of an unhealthy diet. Every one of them was showing signs of weight loss and a decrease in overall strength. Many were also battling bouts of overpowering fatigue and there were several complaints of general listlessness and confusion. To make matters worse, heightened irritability caused tempers to flare at an alarming rate and it seemed that calmer heads were also in very short supply. And it was only going to get worse. Much worse.

Something had to be done.

For the rest of his shift, Danziger successfully shut out the frozen wasteland surrounding him and he remained deep in thought. He didn't know how he was going to accomplish it, but somehow he was going to find a way to fill their bellies before it was too late.

At that moment, John was only certain of two things. First, there was no way in hell that he was going to sit back and watch his little girl slowly die. And secondly, whatever the solution was, Danziger couldn't- he wouldn't- wait another day.

____________________________________________________


Despite feelings of lethargy due to lack of food, Devon forced herself to rise at the crack of dawn. After layering herself in almost her entire wardrobe to protect herself from the elements, she took an extended tour of the outskirts of camp. She didn't necessarily expect to see anything different from all of her previous morning walks. However, she felt that it was important to keep up appearances and to inspire the other members of Eden Advance to keep pushing forward, even if they remained technically stuck in one place. Devon simply couldn't allow them to give up hope that one day soon the gray skies would clear and they would at last be able to abandon the BioDome for greener pastures filled to the brim with food.

Of course, inwardly even she was beginning to give in to her doubts about getting relief from the weather and shrinking supplies. In fact, she was downright terrified at the rate the members of Eden Project were emotionally and physically deteriorating from the gradual dwindling of their rations.

Devon wished that she could confide her fears to Danziger, but she purposely decided not to further burden him. He clearly had been having trouble dealing with his role in the death of the Grendler, as well as the scouting party's use of its carcass as nourishment. And along with his guilt over the incident, it was obvious that, the first days after the party's return, he was being scrutinized rather harshly by a few crewmembers who had disapproved of his choices. Even Devon had to admit that her initial gut reaction to the horrible events that had taken place had been revulsion with a tinge of anger.

However, once she gave the matter some additional thought and after she'd spoken separately to Morgan, Julia and Alonzo, the leader's views had softened; so much so that, without Danziger's knowledge or participation, she had called a group meeting to give them a good talking to. It was imperative that from then on, Danziger was treated with nothing but the gratitude and the respect that he deserved. After all, John had been forced to make a life and death decision in the blink of an eye, under extraordinary pressure. No one in the crew had the right to judge him, nor could any of them honestly claim that they would have made a different choice if faced with identical circumstances. In fact, they should be thanking him for doing everything possible to keep himself and his compatriots alive until they could be safely retrieved. Since that late night gathering, Devon noticed a more positive general attitude being directed toward Danziger. Unfortunately, she noticed no such positive change in the mechanic himself.

Several times Devon had approached John in order to try to get him to talk to her about his experiences. However, he'd patently refused and had always insisted upon switching the topic back to business. Almost all of their conversations centered around his ideas for replenishing their food supply.

His first suggestion had been to visit the members of the underground colony to ask for any food which they could spare. Devon had agreed that this was a tangible idea and the pair had jointly made the short journey to the commune. However, after making an appeal to the Elder, he regretfully informed them that his small group barely had enough food to sustain themselves. As such, Devon and Danziger returned to the BioDome empty handed.

Danziger's second proposal had entailed using Alonzo's unique access to the Dreamscape to their advantage by enlisting the Terrians' help to locate food. But after several trips to the alternate reality, the pilot's efforts proved fruitless and every attempt at contact went unanswered. Either the hibernating creatures didn't hear Alonzo's messages or they simply weren't interested in aiding them.

Over the past days, John's ideas had become increasingly outlandish in Devon's eyes. He'd broached the subject of opening more of the artificial biosphere canisters in the hope that it would contain some sort of edible plant, as opposed to another horse. Or something even less practical. That suggestion was hastily struck down, as was taking the risk of using the spider tunnels to hunt for food.

John then wanted to employ Bess to reinitiate trading with the Grendlers. However, Devon was quick to point out that every piece of Eden Advance's supplies was crucial to either their immediate survival or to the construction of New Pacifica. Much to Danziger's ire, as far as Devon was concerned, nothing in their inventory could be spared.

Danziger then tried to renew interest in his idea from the prior month about embarking on a long range scout, complete with the aforementioned beacon system. However, the venture was no longer intended to find a navigable road of travel which would lead the crew all the way to the west coast, but to instead locate the nearest warmer climate with ample vegetation that was safe for human consumption. Devon was also quick to squash this idea, especially when Danziger revealed that, this time, his intention was to leave Alonzo and the others behind and travel alone.

The mechanic had even put forward the very dangerous offer of organizing a team to spy on Whalen Curry with the prospect of learning how and where he'd obtained the food which had kept him alive all of his years on G889. Devon continued to grow increasingly worried about Danziger, and his desperate grasping at straws to fix their current food situation was doing little to alleviate her concerns. She was almost frightened to think of what he might come up with next.

As Devon rounded the ice-encrusted Transrover, she was more than a little surprised to spot Eben on sentry duty. She eyed the crew-woman curiously as she shuffled her feet back and forth and practically hovered over the top of the campfire in a futile effort to stay warm.

"How's it going?" Devon greeted as she approached her.

Eben looked every bit as cold as she'd felt. "Freezing," she shivered back, pulling at her coat.

The leader quickly searched the immediate area. "I thought that Danziger was supposed to be on duty this morning."

"Nope," Eben shook her head. "He pulled the midnight shift again."

The disappointment was evident in Devon's face and tone. "Oh," she said, her feet already in motion as she veered toward the BioDome. "Well, I'll just check in with him later after he wakes up."

The leader's back was already to Eben when the latter woman called out to her. "Danziger's not in camp."

Devon whipped around to face Eben just as she furthered, "He left to go foraging right after I came on duty. He said that he told you what he was doing... and you approved it on the condition that he be back by sundown."

Devon's expression appropriately conveyed that this was the first that she'd heard of such a conversation. This sent Eben into immediate damage control-mode for the sake of her friend and boss.

"I'm sure that he meant to tell you," she relayed in encouragement. "Plus he's on foot, so he couldn't go that far, especially in this weather. And he promised to check in on gear every two hours. In fact, you could call him now if you want to."

Devon noticeably bit down on her bottom lip as she contemplated her various options.

"Just let me know if he fails to check in," she finally answered, her voice a mixture of emotions.

After thanking the crew-woman, Devon made her way to the BioDome. She grabbed her allotted portion of almost-coffee for the day and sank into the nearest chair, alone with her thoughts.

She was beyond furious at John for leaving without telling her for what felt like the thousandth time. Moreover, Devon couldn't help but be concerned that the mechanic had abandoned camp for places unknown, all by himself. If something went wrong, who knew if they'd be able to get to him in time? And as much as the cold weather had been a factor in interfering with their gear transmissions and throwing off the compass readings, who knew if they'd even be able to find him at all? Hadn't he learned anything from his harrowing experience of getting lost in that sand storm a few months before?

To Devon, this was yet another example of Danziger's growing devil-may-care attitude when it came to his personal safety. She began to wonder if the side-effects of hunger could possibly be a mitigating factor in his foolhardy choices of late. Food was already scarce and it wouldn't be all that shocking to the leader if John had been giving part- if not most- of his meager rations to True. She certainly couldn't fault him for that. After all, she'd been doing the very same thing with Uly.

Devon let out an exasperated sigh as she slumped forward and rested her elbows on the table with her head in her hands. Why did John Danziger insist on taking such reckless chances? And what in Heaven's name could he possibly expect to find in all of that snow?

Very few of the members of Eden Advance cared whether John Danziger's amazing feat had been achieved by skill or because of just plain dumb luck. All that mattered was that, only a few minutes after sunset, the mechanic had returned to their winter prison with a knapsack nearly filled to the brim with several varieties of fruit.

The welcome news of Danziger's find had spread through camp like a wildfire. The entire crew had excitedly filed into the meal-tent and waited with baited breath for Julia's tests to affirm that the food was indeed non-hazardous and safe to eat. Just about everyone next watched with rapt attention as Bess and Cameron set out sixteen plates and then lovingly sliced the bounty into equal shares. And best of all, if they were mindful of their portions, it was estimated that there was enough fruit left over for every single one of them to enjoy six more meals. It was almost too good to believe.

For the first time in days, there was a sense of optimism among the group and the air was filled with conversation and laughter as they devoured their tasty supper. However, Devon noted that Danziger was shying away from the general discussion as well as the praise bestowed upon him for his discovery. Instead, he seemed content to sit back and watch his daughter enjoy her first full meal in days. Additionally, Devon found it more than a little odd that John's appetite didn't appear to be as hearty as the others.

"Hey Danziger, you said that there's more where this came from?" Walman yelled to him from a neighboring table, his mouth still half full of food.

Danziger nodded. "Yeah, I tried to grab the ripe ones," he confirmed. "There's some more that should be ready to pick in a few days."

The entire room erupted in jubilation at his announcement that their collective stomachs would remain full for a while longer. Maybe the worst was indeed over, the majority of the crew inwardly surmised. Maybe things were looking up after all.

Throughout the brief exchange and for several seconds afterward, Devon's eyes had remained centered on Danziger. After whispering a few words to Uly, Devon was unable to resist the urge to pick up her plate and relocate to Danziger's table. As she seated herself directly across from him, she confirmed her suspicion that the majority of the mechanic's eating habits appeared to be moving his food around the plate with his fork, yet rarely taking an actual bite. He also didn't seem to be very pleased to see her move in closer proximity to him and he emitted an exhausted sigh when he noticed her presence.

"You're not hungry?" she queried.

There was a several second delay before he shrugged, "I already ate a whole piece of one of those mango-lookin' things on the way back here."

Devon was less than pleased to hear about what she considered to be Danziger's latest act of recklessness by eating an untested food. She was about to take issue with his carelessness, but stopped herself when she studied him a bit more closely. As she'd gotten to know John over the past months, she'd slowly learned many of his mannerisms, some subtle, some definitely not so. And when she observed his tightened shoulders and jaw, paired with the ever-so-slight narrowing of his eyes which all but dared her to contradict him, she could read him as clear as day. He was lying to her.

The leader quickly regrouped her thoughts, as well as her overall approach as to how to best get the truth out of him.

"So you found all of this food in a cave?" she asked, trying a bit too hard to sound casual and, therefore, failing miserably.

Before answering her, Danziger took a healthy bite of fruit, and Devon wondered if he'd possibly done so in order to buy himself some time.

"Yeah."

Several more moments passed and when it was clear that Danziger had no plans to elaborate, Devon pressed, "And... what? They were growing on trees... or on vines?"

John let out another annoyed sigh. To make matters worse, the other conversations in the tent had dwindled into silence in order for the crew to focus in on the pair's discussion.

Jesus shankin' Christ, why can't this woman just let me eat my damn dinner in peace, the mechanic groused to himself.

"Vines," came the eventual stoic reply.

Determined to get him to speak in more than mono-syllables, Devon pushed forward. "Were they deep in a cavern and you just happened to stumble on them? Or were they near the entrance but somehow protected from the cold air? How do these vines grow? I mean, was there light and water there? Did-"

Danziger cut her off mid-sentence. "In a cavern. Far enough in that it's safe from the cold. Growin' along a wall. There was a pool of water next to it and the light came from sunstones," he growled. "Good enough?"

He'd clearly had his fill of what he deemed to be Devon's latest interrogation.

"Jeez," he snorted in disgust, loudly flinging his empty fork onto the table and rocketing to the standing position, his legs forcing the chair backward several feet.

The room had remained quiet throughout their exchange and the air was molasses-thick with tension. Danziger roughly threw on his coat as he began to ready himself to abandon the crew for quieter pastures, or at least somewhere in camp that Devon Adair wasn't. When it came to enduring sub-zero temperatures versus being subjected to the third degree, he'd always choose the former.

Just as he reached the exit, a worried True called out to him. "Dad, you didn't finish your dinner."

Danziger made sure to toss a pointed look in Devon's direction before he replied. "You eat it, True-girl. I lost my appetite."

Without another word, the mechanic burst through the double doors, allowing them to slam to a close behind him as he stalked away into the frigid night. His outburst had all but killed the jovial mood for the Edenites and their meal and subsequent conversation remained subdued for the remainder of the evening. But at least their agonizing hunger pains had now subsided and, as far as most of them were considered, they considered the trade-off to be more than fair.

__________________________________________________


Thanks to the steady diet of fruit, over the next ten days, the crew of Eden Project thankfully grew stronger and returned to good health. However, in sharp contrast, Danziger's overall physical and emotional demeanor conspicuously regressed. Moreover, Danziger's standoffish nature appeared to go into overdrive. He became all but impossible to be around, which mattered little in the long run because he seemed to cut himself off from everyone but his daughter. Without obtaining Devon's approval, he'd commandeered the guard duty roster, altering it drastically by inserting his name for nearly every graveyard shift. Often he'd pull double or even triple sentry duty in addition to his already draining schedule.

If John slept at all, it would be accomplished during the day. However, this new routine in which many of his daylight hours were spent in his personal quarters away from public view or scrutiny, provided him the perfect opportunity to occasionally slip out of camp without notice or permission. True was the only one who was privy to his excursions, but she had been sworn to secrecy.

She wasn't sure where he'd go off to, but he'd return within an hour or so and he'd always come back empty handed. And though the little girl was conflicted about her part in maintaining her father's subterfuge, any inward battle that she'd fought was always won by her loyalty and unwavering trust in him. Plus in turn for her continued silence, she'd extracted John's promise that upon each return, he would sleep for at least six hours. And her father had yet to let her down which relieved her greatly. Because for some reason unknown to her, her Dad was looking tired all of the time now.

When it was time for Danziger to venture off on another public scout to obtain more food, he always insisted on traveling alone and adamantly refused any and all assistance. Devon and the others also found it extremely disconcerting that the mechanic continued his overall evasiveness regarding the physical coordinates of the food source, nor would he take anyone to that specific location. The mechanic used whatever avoidance tactic he had handy to elude the discussion, including sneaking out to forage at unusual hours when no one was around. Often they weren't aware that he'd left until he performed his two hour gear check-in with whomever was scheduled for sentry duty. And he never once failed to bring back a satchel packed solid with two or three day's worth of ripened fruit.

But no matter how grateful Devon was to John for being solely responsible for staving off the life-threatening effects of malnutrition, she could no longer permit Danziger's charade to continue until she received concrete answers which could be personally verified.

It was becoming readily apparent that something was very wrong with him. Despite the replenished provisions, his large appetite had never returned, nor did the weight that he'd previously lost. His skin was alarmingly pale and he appeared haggard and gaunt. Even his normally expressive blue eyes seemed to have less life in them. And his condition was growing worse each day.

Devon's initial anger over John's secretive and what she'd considered to be his childish behavior, was now overshadowed by her concern for his well-being. Though she had her nagging suspicions, she wasn't yet certain as to what was causing his general physical and emotional decline. However, there was one thing that she was absolutely sure of:

Something had to be done.

Devon knew that it was important to act quickly. She privately conferred with Julia regarding what she'd suspected was behind Danziger's sudden and unique ability to find the abundance of fruit. The doctor had agreed with her allegations and they'd both decided to put a plan into action. The pair realized that the food supply was in need of renewal within the next day or two, so they decided to shadow Danziger's movements the best that they could and watch for him to leave for the scout.

They didn't have to wait long. The following morning, after the mechanic had finished yet another double shift, Julia barely caught sight of him through a torrent of sleet just as he headed out of camp on foot. She hastily yanked a knit cap over her head and confirmed that her gearset was attached to her hip as she hurried in his direction.

"Hey, Danziger! Wait up!"

The mechanic clearly was in no mood for chit-chat and he didn't bother to stop or turn around in order to respond.

"What!" The word didn't sound like a question. More like an intrusion.

Julia quickened her pace to catch up to him, barely avoiding slipping on the frozen and snow covered terrain.

"I'm coming with you."

"No, you're not," came the terse reply as he continued walking.

"It's way too dangerous for you to being going off by yourself in this weather," she exclaimed in between quickening breaths due to her increasing speed and the intense cold. "Devon decided that, from now on, anytime we travel more than two hundred yards beyond the camp's perimeters, we need to go in pairs."

He emitted a mirthless snort at Devon's latest proclamation. "Not happening."

"But why? I don't understand what the problem is. What's the big secret?" she asked as he barreled forward. "Why won't you let us see where you're getting the fruit? What are you so afraid of?"

Already nearing the two hundred yard limit and hoping to slow him down, she sped past him and then stepped directly in his path, turning her body to face him.

"Devon thinks you're using the spider tunnels," she announced, now being forced to walk backwards. "And so do I."

Her words caused him to finally halt in this tracks. "Then you'd be wrong," was the eventual reply. She could barely hear him over the sound of the frozen rain loudly pelting their jackets as well as the surrounding surfaces.

Julia shook her head. "I don't believe you," she said, her bluntness a reminder to both of them that she hadn't been chromo-skewed to pull any verbal punches.

"Believe what you want," he shrugged. "I don't care."

Julia was undeterred by his denial. In fact, seeing the mechanic in his bedraggled state prompted her to push forward. "There's something wrong with you, Danziger. It's obvious to everyone that you're sick. You look worse now than you did when you were malnourished."

She reached up to point out a large patch of discolored skin located just below his hairline which remained partially shrouded by his soaked curls. "That scrape on your forehead from the Dunerail acci-"

"Don't!" he shouted, making it abundantly apparent that he would not discuss anything that even remotely related to their shared scout to retrieve Cargo Pod 9.

A bit shaken by his vehemence, Julia took a breath and started again. "I'm just saying that the injury is almost three weeks old and it's still not healed. You're ashen, withdrawn, suffering from obvious fatigue. Do I need to go on?"

John closed his eyes briefly and his expression softened. But only a little.

"Look, I appreciate what you're trying to do, but I'm not sick," he offered as convincingly as he could.

"Prove it," the doctor challenged. "Put off the scout for an hour or so and come back to the med-tent with me. Let me perform a bio-scan and a few basic tests and, after you're cleared, you can choose your travel partner and leave. Maybe the weather will even let up a bit by the time we're done."

John started shaking his head before she was even done speaking. "I'm busy right now. Maybe in a day or two."

He took a step forward, but Julia dug her heels in. "You have two choices Danziger: Let me run my tests now or let me come with you on the scout."

Danziger didn't answer her, but his hardened expression conveyed loud and clear that he'd had his fill of the conversation. And of Julia. Finding neither choice even close to acceptable options, he propelled himself forward and attempted to go around her.

As he passed by, Julia used both hands to clamp onto his arm just above the wrist in an effort to keep him from leaving. The physical contact was unexpected on Danziger's part and he winced in pain, letting out a small yelp as he yanked himself from her grasp.

"Dammit, Heller!" he hissed through gritted teeth, involuntarily pulling his arm tightly against in stomach in a protective stance.

Julia hitched back in surprise, her eyes rapidly ping-ponging between his face and arm. "I barely touched you. Why did that hurt?"

Danziger had long ago mastered the art of avoidance and he ignored her question. Instead, his tone surged in fury, "You wanna do something to help? Okay, use that equipment of yours to find out how to grow enough fruits and vegetables in Mary's Garden to feed sixteen people at least two squares a day!"

He attempted to use his size as intimidation and he put himself almost nose to nose with her. "Or how about you figure outta way to make Spring come faster so we can thaw out and move somewhere where there's edible vegetation?" he lashed out. "Until you can make either of those things happen, stay the hell outta my way!"

Without waiting for a response, he stormed off. Julia called after him, her voice increasing in volume as he ventured further away. "If you're using the spider tunnels, you need to stop right now! We haven't begun to understand how they work! For all we know, there could be time and space shifts! You could get lost and not be able to find your way back! You could be transported into the middle of the ocean, for God's sake!"

Her mind flashed to his adverse reaction to when she'd touch his arm. "Who knows what these trips are doing to your health? Your cells could be degenerating!"

As the mechanic's dark outline quickly became indecipherable from the other hazy shadows caused by the sleet, Julia made one last effort to stop him.

"Danziger, we'll find another food source! This isn't worth your life!"



Thoroughly shaken by her encounter and furious with herself for not being able to get John to face reason, Julia trudged her way back to camp. She had barely crossed the perimeter when True emerged from the nearby Danziger quarters. She was fully dressed and the hood of her winter coat was pulled snugly closed to perfectly frame her cherub-like face.

It was obvious that she'd been awaiting Julia's return. However, the little girl came across as rather sheepish as she asked, "Can I talk to you?"

Julia schooled her features to look as calm and professional as possible, despite the fact that she was freezing cold, soaking wet and she'd practically been screaming just minutes before.

"Sure, True. What can I do for you?" she said, gently ushering the younger Danziger back into the dryer and slightly warmer surroundings of her tent.

When she didn't answer, Julia tried to verbalize True's thoughts. "You're worried about your Dad, huh?"

True nodded. After a few moments' contemplation, she removed a small, hand-held device from her pocket. Julia immediately recognized the overall size and shape of the equipment, though there had been some significant changes made.

"Here," the child said guiltily as she placed it into the doctor's hand.

Julie curiously eyed the gadget which had been retrofitted with several emerald green lights. "Isn't this the broken radiometer?"

"Not anymore," True answered as she produced a metallic circle about the size of the old-Earth Buffalo Nickel that Commander O'Neill had given Uly. The lights of the apparatus in Julia's palm immediately reacted.

"Now it's for finding my Dad."

Julia marveled at the complexity of the instrument, as well as by True's ingenuity. "You made this by yourself?"

There was another nod as the little girl went on to explain, "Back when Dad and Alonzo were gonna go on that long range scout, I watched him work on the beacons they were gonna use. They didn't seem that hard to make. So I scrounged for parts and built a smaller one."

Her eyes instinctively darted around the room as if she was checking for her Dad's presence, just to be sure. "After his shift was over this morning, he came in to check on me. He said that he was leaving to get more fruit. I tried to stick the transmitter in his pocket when he wasn't looking, but he left before I could do it."

She furthered, "But maybe I can do it next time, so we can find out where he goes."

"I think that's a great idea, True," Julia praised, still a bit stunned at the girl's skills, not to mention her gumption.

"My Dad's leaving camp a lot more than you know," she woefully confessed. "I'm so scared that, one day, he's not gonna come back."

Julia's heart broke for the child. However, for the first time in days, she also felt confident that they might be able to get a firm handle on the elder Danziger's precarious situation.

"Tell you what: Why don't you wait here for a few minutes while I get Devon," she encouraged. "I think that it would be best if all three of us talked about this. Is that all right with you?"

True nodded while emitting a deep shudder. It was clear that she was overwhelmed by a multitude of emotions including fear, guilt and regret. But mostly, she felt as though she was letting her father down. And, as far as she was concerned, there were very few things worse than that.

Tears welled in her large brown eyes as she relayed, "He's gonna be so mad at me when he finds out that I'm helping you; that I told you about him sneaking out during the day."

Julia gave True's shoulders a confident squeeze along with a reassuring smile in an attempt to quell her doubts.

"It's all going to be okay, True. We'll do whatever we have to in order to keep your Dad safe," she affirmed. "And I promise that you did the right thing."

Sure enough, Danziger returned that evening with another satchel full of food. And a healthy attitude to boot. He was more surly than ever and he refused to speak to anyone as he hurled the bundle of fruit onto the main table of the meal tent before stalking out. He skipped dinner entirely, choosing instead to barricade himself in his quarters for the evening with only True as his approved company. What finally drew him from his exile was his previously self-scheduled night and subsequent graveyard shift which all but assured him that he'd continue to remain isolated from the others.

Of course, after watching Danziger over the past several days and in light of Julia's earlier run-in with him, both the doctor and Devon decided that it would be best to stay their present course and watch the mechanic's every move very carefully. However, the pair jointly decided that biding their time and appealing to Danziger's sense of reason was no longer possible.

Thankfully, after speaking with True, their original plan had evolved to include a few subtle but extremely important changes. And based upon the little girl's revelation about John's frequent side trips, it was clear that they wouldn't have to wait long for him to leave camp. They would very soon be able to learn the location of the food source, as well as confirm the lengths that Danziger was willing to go in order to provide it for them. And they would finally have the ammunition necessary to put a stop to whatever was causing Danziger's startling decline in health.

The following day, Danziger remained the stalwart creature of habit he'd become. As the darkened night sky transformed into a dull but slightly better lit shade of muted gray, he relinquished his guard shift to Mazatl with barely a word. The mechanic's now expected surly expression and exhausted mannerisms were out in full-force as he chose to bypass the meal tent for breakfast and, instead, trudged through the compacted snow and mud directly back to his quarters.

Less than two hours later, True burst through the double doors of the BioDome, nearly out of breath as she approached the lone occupied table at which Devon, Julia, Alonzo and Bess were seated. She'd obviously interrupted a private conversation because all four of them ceased their speaking, but that didn't bother True at all. In fact, she barely noticed it because she had much more important matters on her mind. And she got right down to business.

The graveness and the resolve on the little girl's face was almost a mirror image of the expression that her father had often displayed. Two words encapsulated all that they'd needed to know.

"It's time."

__________________________________________________


Thankfully for Devon and Julia, the sleet storm had stopped the prior evening, so all that the pair had to contend with was a twenty mile an hour wind and the various dangers of hypothermia due to the icy temperatures. And most importantly, they had to elude detection by Danziger as they followed him.

John had at least a ten minute head start on the women which mattered little, thanks to the beacon which True had inserted into the lining of his Ops jacket when his attention was diverted elsewhere. In fact, it was better for all of their sakes if they relied solely upon the equipment to monitor his moves. Devon readily acknowledged that she lacked the ability to adequately track Danziger, a talent that had seemed to come naturally to the mechanic. As such, she used Danziger's sporadic bootprints as nothing more than reinforcement that the equipment was doing its job and they were indeed headed in the right direction. And it was imperative that they remain out of his line of sight until he reached his destination.

Based on Danziger's prior expeditions, both public and private, it was deduced that the location would be no more than an hour or two's journey by foot each way. Of course, it had been further hypothesized that Danziger was employing the same spider cave that they'd previously used to travel to the East coast ocean and this was where he was foraging for food. And the path that Devon and Julia were currently following all but confirmed this theory. They were heading directly for the cave.

However to their great surprise, when they finally reached the expected location, Danziger's footprints bypassed the enclosure entirely. Instead, the path continued onward over an adjacent hill and then another fifty or so yards before the prints vanished into a nearby copse of trees. Instinctively, Julia had begun to follow the snowy tracks before Devon stopped her.

"Wait a minute," the leader directed, using the homing device to perform a slow sweep of the surroundings before pointing it toward the mouth of the cave. There was an immediate reaction from the equipment.

"He went this way."

Julia arched her head back in confusion. "But the tracks lead into the woods."

Devon took a few moments to examine Danziger's footprints and the general scene more closely. A wry, almost satisfied smile tugged at the corners of her mouth as the puzzle pieces fell into place and she realized what John had done.

Hmm, she thought, perhaps I'm not such a bad tracker after all.

"It's a trick," she revealed, zeroing in on the perfect boot indentations leading up to where they were currently standing. "Look at the way his footprints are here."

Devon then directed the doctor's attention to the trail leading into the forest. "Now look at them from this point on."

Julia squinted in curiosity before quickly comprehending that there was a slight distortion of the overall shape of his boots. "They're different."

Devon shook her head. "Danziger's not stupid," she declared, beyond furious, yet slightly in awe of the mechanic's shrewdness. "He had to figure that we might follow him, so he walked to the woods and then he backtracked here using the same steps to throw us off."

The leader's eyes ventured downward to their feet and she noticed a three foot wide line of flattened and displaced snow which started at John's prints and ventured off in a completely different direction.

"It looks like he dragged something over this entire section leading right into the cave."

Julia nodded in affirmation. "You're right," she remarked, amazed. "Danziger literally covered his tracks."

"But not well enough," Devon responded.

Julia let out a dismayed sigh. Until that moment, she had held out a sliver of hope that she'd been wrong and that Danziger hadn't lied to her. This was the first time that she could ever remember being truly disappointed in him.

"So he's using the spider tunnels after all."

Devon's reply was deceptively neutral. "It would seem so."

"So what do you propose we do now?" the physician was almost afraid to ask. After all, if she was deeply discouraged by John's behavior, she could only imagine the emotions that Devon was currently grappling with.

Devon's determined expression relayed loud and clear that she had already settled on what she deemed to be the appropriate course of action.

"We go in there and wait patiently for him to come back," she decreed.

"And then I'm going to kill him."

Julia and Devon edged their way past the large rock formations and through the narrow opening of the cave. As they entered the first chamber, their senses were assaulted by an overwhelming stench which served as a reminder that Grendlers considered personal hygiene at the very bottom of their priority list; probably just below 'tidying up their living space.' The two women briefly noted the same multitude of discarded dull metal pieces and other nonsensical (and nonuseful) items which were still randomly strewn along the outline of the enclosure that the creatures had collected for a rainy day that never came. It didn't appear that anything had been moved since the last time they'd been in the cave several weeks before.

As they stepped toward the center of the room, Julia and Devon could already feel the electromagnetic pull of the charged spider webs just beyond their field of vision. The hairs on their arms stood on end as they slowly advanced toward the adjacent chamber.

Julia looked over Devon's shoulder in order to observe the gauge. "This is still reading Danziger, right?" she asked, keeping her voice low in case the mechanic was still in earshot.

As Devon nodded, Julia wondered aloud, "How? I mean, if he's already on the East coast, why is it indicating that he's still here?"

Devon was just as mystified as Julia was. "Maybe John hasn't left yet. Or maybe he found the transmitter that True placed on him and threw it away," she proposed, also speaking barely above a whisper on the chance that the mechanic was nearby. "Or maybe he just decided to leave his jacket behind."

She waved the equipment back and forth in front of her, eyeing it curiously as it directed her away from the more familiar chamber and toward a different section of the room which was cloaked in shadow. The leader advanced forward and ran her free hand along the pitch black wall until the rock vanished and she felt open space. Julia aimed her lumalight to reveal an entrance to a sizable tunnel that had missed their prior detection.

"If he is still here, it looks like he's somewhere in this corridor," Devon assessed after rechecking the locating device.

"Do you think this could lead to another absolute vacuum?" Julia posed.

"Danziger thought that there could be more of them around here," Devon answered. "When he came to me a few weeks ago about using the spider tunnels to look for food, he mentioned that he was pretty sure that the Grendler that showed up in camp after he'd accidentally killed its mate had used one. There was no other explanation for how it got here so fast. It had even brought its dead companion with him."

Devon paused, her expression crestfallen as she recalled the anguish in John's face as he'd plead his case. He had barely been able to meet her eyes when he'd used the Grendler's speedy travel as evidence to persuade her to try things his way. It was one of the very few times he'd spoken about anything relating to the incidents surrounding the scout, and it had clearly been mentioned as a last resort on his part.

Julia was oblivious to Devon's mood change and, instead, concentrated on Danziger's current whereabouts.

"If he's been riding a different current, he could have ended up anywhere."

Devon relieved Julia of her lumalight and took two large paces into the tunnel before pivoting back to face the doctor.

"Well, I think that it's high time that we put a stop to it," she determined.

As the duo gradually navigated their way through the passageway, they found it rather odd that they didn't sense an electrical current drawing them forward. In fact, as they progressed onward, they were experiencing the polar opposite. It was confusing and they weren't certain how to interpret this new information, along with the fact that they hadn't seen a single web since entering the corridor. For the first time in over a week, Devon wondered if Danziger had been telling the truth all along.

Before Julia and Devon had time to fully digest what they were seeing and its likely meaning, they realized that the tunnel was about to open into a large alcove. They could detect a faint light ahead of them, but the source clearly couldn't be attributed to anything close to the sporadic beam that they'd previously used as a gateway to the East coast shoreline.

The lumalight and the homing device were hastily shut off so as not to reveal the pair's presence. They stealthily crept forward to the threshold of the chamber, but much of their view was obstructed by rock formations, including generous amounts of stalagmites and stalactites protruding from the floor and ceiling. However, they could see enough to at last confirm that there were no spider webs or electromagnetic charges of any kind in the general vicinity. If Danziger was there, he most certainly was not using a spider tunnel to transport himself to a location which boasted an abundance of fruit.

With Devon in the lead, the two women ever-so-slowly peered around the corner as their eyes adjusted to the dimness. After hearing a slight shuffling noise, the leader directed her attention to the opposite side of the room to notice what appeared to be Danziger's winter coat and blue Ops jacket casually draped over one of the stalagmites as if it was a coat-hanger.

The leader's eyes were next drawn to a shadow cast along the far wall. Because of the placement of the light source which Devon had yet to zero in on, the silhouette was distorted to project the appearance of a larger than life figure with highly exaggerated movements. However, it was decidedly human and there was little doubt in Devon's mind that the shadow was a nearby Danziger.

Devon and Julia's ears pricked up at the sound of more movement as they crept along the hem of the enclosure. Finally, they were rewarded with the actual profile view of John himself. He was obviously intensely focused as he hunched forward over a waist-high outcropping of stone which boasted a relatively smooth surface and this was apparently serving as a makeshift table. On top of the stone, he had placed a lumalight and several strips of fabric that appeared to be torn from an old shirt. But most importantly, there was an open metal, suitcase-like box filled with smaller canisters which looked startlingly familiar to both women. Danziger had rolled up one of his shirt sleeves in order to expose his skin and, currently, that same arm was outstretched directly over one of the open canisters.

And in the other hand was a knife.

Devon and Julia's very audible gasps ripped John from his deep concentration. As he snapped to attention, he reeled backward, his free arm dropping to his side while his other hand swung behind his back in a futile attempt to conceal the sharpened blade. There was little doubt that John was shocked to see them there. And there was plenty of shock to go around.

"Danziger," Devon breathlessly muttered, stunned and horrified at the scene in front of her. Her emotions weren't exactly allayed when she noticed a small pile of used, bloodied bandages encircling the mechanic's feet.

"What the hell are you doing here, Adair?" he bellowed, impulsively lashing out.

He set the knife aside as he roughly shook his head, trying to regain his bearings.

"How'd you even find me?"

There was no possibility that Devon was going to implicate True in any way, shape or form. She figured that, if the little girl decided to come clean at a later date, that would be up to her.

"We followed you," Devon responded vaguely, her mind clearly focusing on more important matters as she rushed forward to grab the mechanic's arm.

John was too surprised to resist as she held the limb up to the light, revealing a series of parallel slices; some of which were fresh, while others were at various stages of healing.

"What have you done to yourself?" she asked with concern, tracing the bruised skin surrounding many of the deep cuts.

She lunged forward, yanking up Danziger's other sleeve to reveal several tourniquet style bandages which undoubtedly covered another cluster of lacerations.

At the same time, Julia's attention went directly to the metal case, first confirming that it was indeed the box they'd previously identified as an Eden Project container designated for the storage of human blood. She next examined several of the canisters, removing the metal twist top in order to view the contents.

"More than half of these are full," she exclaimed, awestruck.

Devon was still trying to mentally absorb all of what she was seeing. She could barely get out the words.

"You're selling your blood to the Grendlers?" she asked, looking more than slightly nauseous at the prospect.

"I'm trading it, yeah," Danziger corrected. "Every one of those vials gets me three or four pieces of fruit."

He pivoted toward Julia and went on to calmly explain, "I was tellin' you the truth about the spider tunnels. I haven't used 'em since we all went to the East coast."

The mechanic stepped back from Devon as he unfurled both sleeves to cover his self-inflicted slashes.

"I've been duckin' out of camp almost every day and coming here to fill the canisters. I make sure to stash the case, so the Grendlers don't figure out where the blood is comin' from. When it's time to trade, I grab what I need and meet up with 'em at a spot about a half a click west of here."

He shrugged, appearing almost blase about the whole affair. "As long as I keep the blood flowing, so to speak, they're more than happy to get us all the fruit we need. It's just basic supply and demand. Nothing more."

Julia was amazed at Danziger's now composed explanation and overall demeanor, particularly after his initial outburst. She couldn't help but wonder if, deep down, he was feeling a sense of relief at finally being found out. And as upset as she was over what Danziger had been doing to himself, she found consolation in the knowledge that, now that everything was out in the open, the necessary steps could be taken to move forward.

However, Devon was having quite a different reaction. She was so filled with fear and rage at Danziger's actions (as well as his nonchalance) that she wanted to simultaneously attend to his wounds and violently shake some sense into him. As the anger over his recklessness surged within her like a volcano, she could no longer contain herself.

"Have you completely lost your mind?" she admonished, her voice and expression relaying a wide range of emotions, all of them fiery.

John's automatic defense mechanisms immediately kicked back into gear. "I'm doing what needs to be done!" he shot back.

"By bleeding yourself dry?"

There wasn't a hint of hesitation in the mechanic's voice. "I'll give every drop that I got in me if it puts food in my kid's mouth! And when I'm fresh out, one of you better step up to the plate!"

Devon shook her head violently. "This is insane."

Danziger matched her outrage, and then surpassed it. "This is survival, Devon! This is about keeping us alive until the weather breaks!" he roared, gesticulating angrily. "We needed food and you were willin'- my God, you're still willin'- to let us starve to death instead of trading away some supplies that we won't need for two years. Two years! Can't you see how insane that is? Can't you get it through that thick skull of yours that we can't use any of that stuff if we're dead?"

Devon was still absorbing his words as she sputtered, "So you went behind my back and-"

"Oh for shank's sake, Devon, spare me your righteous indignation," he loudly scoffed, harshly raking his hands through his hair. "You know damn well that I came to you with a bunch of suggestions about how to get us outta this mess and you shot every one of 'em down! So I stopped askin'. And yes, I went behind your back because I knew that you'd try to stop me if you figured out what I was doing. Too damn bad."

While he spoke, the leader continued to observe Danziger's gaunt and pale exterior; a condition which had increased in severity every day since he'd first shown up in camp with a satchel of food. And now it was clear that John's life force had been literally draining out of him, a canister at a time. And worst of all, it was done by his own hand.

Hoping to calm Danziger's ferocity and to continue the conversation in a more civil fashion, Devon relayed quietly but firmly, "You can't keep doing this to yourself. I won't let you."

Devon's attempt at a soothing tone had little effect. In fact, John interpreted her words as a threat. His eyes narrowed to slits as he leaned forward.

"Try to stop me," he menaced, a dangerous quality to his voice.

Before either party could continue their emotional tete-a-tete, Julia decided to intervene.

"Okay, let's just calm down for a second," she refereed, trying her best to diffuse the tension between the two strong personalities as she'd done so many times before. Her first concern was the mechanic and he was the focus of her attention.

"John, while I'm sure we can all appreciate what you've done for us, you've put your health at an incredible risk. You're obviously suffering from the effects of anemia right now," she offered. "You look terrible and I'm willing to bet that you feel pretty terrible, too."

Danziger thought about it briefly before taking a step backward from Devon. He turned to Julia with a mild shrug, silently confirming that her diagnosis was correct.

"I'd like us all to go back to camp and talk this over," the physician furthered. "I also need to examine you and start you on a temporary regiment of beta enhancers."

Danziger shut his eyes and exhaled deeply as he mulled over her plan.

"True is not gonna starve," he finally declared with a deep resolve. There was also healthy dose of desperation in his voice that couldn't be missed or ignored.

Julia nodded. "I understand," she answered plainly.

Devon placed her hand comfortingly on the mechanic's shoulder. "We'll find another way, John," she vowed, matching his determined tone and expression. "I promise."

Danziger's face reverted back to its normal stony exterior and Devon wondered if he truly believed her pledge. He gave her a slight nod before leaving her side and returning to the make-shift table. He carefully set each of the blood-filled canisters in its former position and lined the unused bandages along the rim of the case's interior before shutting and relatching it securely. The mechanic next stuffed the bloodstained bandages in the front pocket of his nearby coat for quick disposal in the camp's firepit as he'd done many times over the past weeks. His last act was to return the filled container to its hiding place by shoving it deep into a hidden crevice almost completely obscured by overhanging rock.

He wasted no time as he threw on his Ops jacket and gray winter coat. "Let's get outta here," he muttered over his shoulder.

Without waiting for a reply, he grabbed his lumalight and disappeared into the passageway leading to the cave's main chamber, forcing Julia and Devon to scramble in order to catch up to him.

There was little conversation exchanged between Julia and Devon as the trio journeyed out of the cavern and returned to camp. Danziger never offered a single word until they were firmly situated in the Med-tent.

It was amazing to Devon the difference that five days could make. Eden Advance hadn't suffered through another snow or sleet storm in nearly a week. In fact the past few mornings, the crew awoke to a temperature that was ever-so-slightly warmer than the prior day. Even the snow had started to slowly melt away in sections which were fortunate enough to be graced with generous amounts of sunlight.

Many of the Edenites were convinced that this was an undeniable sign that a change in seasons was right around the corner. Even the less optimistic members of the group permitted themselves a bit of hope that the weather would eventually improve enough for them to finally vacate the BioDome which had held them against their will for eighty days and recommence their arduous trek to New Pacifica. That is, if they could find a pass out of the valley which could safely accommodate the vehicles.

John Danziger was also making a slow but steady improvement, for the most part. After Devon and Julia's discovery of the perilous lengths that he'd gone to in order to keep them all fed, the mechanic had very reluctantly resigned himself to the fact that his gruesome tactics would be modified in some way. Whether he liked it or not.

He also grudgingly submitted to Julia's examination which had indeed confirmed her initial diagnosis of anemia. Though getting the mechanic to open up regarding how he was feeling was like pulling teeth, he eventually confessed to suffering from a multitude of symptoms including extreme fatigue and loss of energy, headaches and occasional bouts of dizziness, lack of appetite, insomnia, and an inability to concentrate or to keep his volatile temper at bay.

Julia immediately began treatment in the hope that John's organs and immune system hadn't been irreparably compromised by his self-abuse. She concocted a supplement of iron and other vitamins to be injected twice each day which she personally administered to ensure that it was accomplished accurately and on schedule. The mechanic was also forced to report to the Med-tent each morning and submit to a one hour session of donning an oxygen mask which was essential to creating and recirculating new red blood cells into his impaired system.

John's name was completely removed from the guard duty roster until further notice and True watched over her father like a mother hen. The younger Danziger made certain that her Dad enjoyed at least eight hours of uninterrupted sleep each night, as per doctor's orders. Food was also crucial to John's recovery and he was required to eat two full meals each day. In fact, True would not allow him to leave the table until his plate was spotless. The little girl would have enjoyed their new reversal of parental roles much better, if she wasn't still so worried about him.

But just because John was down, it certainly didn't mean that he was out. As he returned to his former only mildly surly and acerbic self, he also returned as an active presence in the daily affairs of the camp. In fact, he absolutely insisted upon it. Devon was pleased by Danziger's change of attitude because it meant a welcome return to physical interaction with the other crewmembers; something that he'd been actively avoiding these past weeks.

Feeding Eden Advance was still at the forefront of Danziger's agenda and, until that dilemma was solved, he was emphatic that the remaining vials of his blood be traded with the Grendlers for more provisions. "Waste not, want not" was his general assertion and, as morbid as the idea had sounded to Devon, she had to admit that it made sense. Moreover, this would buy them some time until another solution could be found.

At Yale's suggestion, Bess was brought into the loop and it was decided that her expert bartering skills would be a welcome addition to John's for any and all future meetings with the Grendlers. Not only did this mean that Danziger would finally be in compliance with Devon's policy of no one leaving camp by themselves, Bess could visually monitor the mechanic to ensure that he wasn't pushing himself too hard or placing his still-fragile health at risk.

Bess' haggling ability was almost immediately put to the test and, the prior day, it had been time to replenish their dwindled food supply. The pair had first gathered up the filled canisters from the spider cave and then trudged the remaining distance to a large, open clearing surrounded on all sides by rolling hills.

"This is the spot," Danziger had said plainly as he'd unslung his knapsack from his shoulder.

Bess had eyed him curiously as she immediately pictured Danziger's first attempt at trading with the beings, an act which had been accomplished not very long after he'd accidentally killed one of their brethren. There would have been no way for Danziger to know how the creatures would react to his presence and they might not have been as forgiving as the dead Grendler's mate. If they had chosen to exact their vengeance upon him, there would have been little possibility of Danziger escaping with his life. It had been a huge chance for him to take and Bess wondered how much consideration the mechanic had given to his own safety in comparison to feeding the rest of Eden Advance. It had definitely given her cause for concern.

"How will they know we're here?" Bess had finally asked.

Danziger had waved his hand toward the snowcapped landscape encircling them. "They can see us from just about anywhere around here. At least one of 'em will be along soon."

The words had barely left his lips when their attentions were drawn to a trio of Grendlers as they excitedly waddled down the hill toward them. Because the creatures had been accustomed to Danziger by himself, at first Bess' presence was met with fear and reluctance. But once she broke into her patented angelic smile and began to compliment the creatures on their rugged good looks and keen fashion sense, they quickly became putty in her hands.

After the Grendlers were placed at ease, Danziger had gotten down to business by first offering a filled canister in his left hand and then holding up a pomegranate he'd acquired from his last trade in his right.

"Blood... for fruit. Okay?" he'd conveyed, outstretching his arms toward the creatures to parade the items under their snouts. One of the Grendlers had lurched forward in an attempt to rip the canister from Danziger's grasp, but the mechanic quickly retracted both hands toward his chest.

"Nope, not yet. Bring back some fruit... and you'll get your blood."

It was if a starter pistol had gone off as all three Grendlers sprang into action and sprinted up the hill as fast as their hulking frames would permit.

John and Bess had patiently waited about an hour for the creatures' return. Realizing that they'd had a bit of time on their hands, Bess decided to approach the mechanic with an idea that had struck her like a bolt of lightning while they'd been in the main chamber of the spider cave. And to her delight, John was very receptive to her proposal. As a matter of fact, the two of them were still actively hammering out the particulars when the Grendlers returned, all three of them dragging cloth bags filled to the brim with ripened fruit.

It was then that Bess had stepped forward to take the initiative. And to Danziger's- and especially to the Grendler's- great surprise, she'd successfully renegotiated the transaction, raising the price of one blood canister to equal six pieces of fruit (or eight, if they were smaller in size). She'd figured that it couldn't hurt to try. It would also mean at least two extra day's worth of meals for Eden Advance. And it would enable the Edenites more time to fill their arsenal with a completely different bargaining chip for subsequent trades with the creatures.

Once their business had been completed, Bess couldn't help but let out a small chuckle when one of the Grendlers had produced a cluster of empty vials with an exuberant grunt, practically shoving them into John's hands for him to recycle for the next round of bartering. There was no way for the beings to know that, if and when there were future swaps between the two species, blood would no longer be an option.

Bess and John had hurried back to camp with their bounty and, more importantly, with a new plan of action. The two wasted no time and had called a meeting in the BioDome for all of the members of Eden Advance. They'd described the treasure trove of discarded and forgotten objects they'd seen lining the interior of the spider cave. Of course, in their current state, the items were considered nothing more than useless junk without value either to humans or to Grendlers. But Bess' idea entailed retrieving whatever inventory could be salvaged and transforming the worthless pieces of dulled metal into shiny trinkets which would potentially become the envy of every Grendler.

The group had collectively agreed that this was a wonderful idea. In fact, that very morning, Bess, Eben, Mazatl and Walman had arisen at the crack of dawn and had ventured on foot to the spider cave. Currently, they were in the midst of gathering several sack-loads of scraps which could eventually be converted into items to be bartered for food.

It was just before noon as Devon toured the outskirts of the campsite. As she reached the edge of the perimeter, she nodded hello toward a nearby Baines who was elbow deep in electrical equipment before she decided to take a detour toward the Danziger quarters. Devon figured that the mechanic might want to hear a status report on the scouting party after their latest update. Plus, she knew that John had just completed his final scheduled oxygen treatment and she wanted to check on him.

After rapping lightly on the tent fabric, Devon was verbally welcomed in by True. As the leader entered and allowed the tarp to fall behind her, she took a few much needed seconds to allow her eyes to adjust to the darker setting. Once achieved, she glanced at True as she carefully folded both Danzigers' laundry before zeroing in on a motionless John who was stretched out on a neighboring cot, his socked feet dangling over the edge of the too-small bedframe.

True could easily sense Devon's concern as her focus remained riveted in John's direction.

"Don't worry, Dad's okay," the little girl informed her in a hushed tone. "The oxygen always makes him feel dizzy."

"I'm just restin' my eyes," Danziger groggily croaked out from the opposite side of the enclosure, his eyes still closed.

Devon immediately felt guilty for the intrusion. "I didn't mean to wake you," she whispered as she started to retreat toward the exit. "I'll come back later."

Danziger slowly forced himself upward until he was seated in bed. "Nah, you didn't wake me," he insisted, rubbing tiredly at his eyes with his thumb and index finger while waiting for the mild vertigo sensation to subside. "Somethin' you needed?"

Devon attempted to sound casual, but there was plenty of apprehension in her tone. "I just wanted to see how you were doing. And I, uh, thought you might be interested in the scout's progress."

John's gaze lingered on Devon for a few moments in obvious contemplation before finally turning to True who was fussily trying to smooth out the wrinkles on one of John's more loudly patterned shirts.

"You can fold that stuff later, Sport," he relayed in his best fatherly voice. "Tell you what: I'm sure Bess and the others'll be back soon, so why don't you and Uly get a table set up in the Dome for 'em. Grab a couple of wire brushes and cutting tools from the rear compartment of the Rover. There should be some old rags for buffing the metal, too."

After thinking about it a bit more, he added, "And some of that junk is sure to be rusted, so ask Cameron to squeeze the juice out of a few pieces of fruit. Rubbin' citric acid on it will help scrub it clean. Or at least a lot cleaner than it was before. If that doesn't work, when Walman gets back, tell him to grab that jar of gel that I've been usin' on the undercarriage of the vehicles."

His voice took on a slightly more stern tone. "And don't go near that stuff, ya' hear me? In fact, remind Walman that he needs to wear gloves while workin' with it 'cause it'll eat right through your skin."

"Mm-kay," True obliged, wasting no time as she set aside the crumpled laundry and bounded out the door. Of course, she fully understood that her Dad's suggestion was meant to get her to leave their tent in order for him to speak privately with Devon. But the little girl didn't mind too much; especially since it meant that she'd get to help rest of the group do something important. Plus, she was really looking forward to learning how to make Grendler jewelry.

Once it was just the two adults, Danziger asked, "So how are they doin'?"

Devon was so busy organizing her thoughts that she was befuddled by the question. "Who?"

John looked at her oddly. "The scouting party," he reminded her, wondering why on earth he was having to explain himself. Wasn't that why she was there?

After appearing momentarily flustered and more than slightly embarrassed, Devon quickly regained her bearings. "Oh, they're doing great. Even better than expected," she answered. "Mazatl said that they haven't seen a Grendler all morning and they've collected about two duffel-bags full of odds and ends. If all goes well, they should be back in an hour or so."

She lifted her chin confidently. "I think that this is going to work."

Danziger was clearly less enthused. "Let's hope so."

Because if it doesn't work and we run out of rations, I'm going right back to trading blood for fruit and there's not a single person here who will be able to stop me, he inwardly proclaimed.

The procurement of food still seemed to be a rather touchy subject between them, so John decided that it would be best to switch topics. However, he couldn't resist pushing the envelope just a little.

"So I see that you got Baines back workin' on the perimeter monitors," he noted with a hint of sarcasm. "Is that for keepin' intruders out or crew members in?"

Devon removed her coat and made her way over to True's vacant cot. She placed the garment across the discarded laundry and seated herself next to it.

"A little of both, I guess," she shrugged, deceptively neutral.

Of course, Devon had already surmised that John would take the reinitiation of Baines' pet project as a personal swipe against his independent nature and personal freedom. However, the mechanic had yet to discover the presence of the small transmitter in his jacket which divulged his location at all times. And certainly no one in camp was going to tell him, including his own daughter. After all, with John's unique ability to find trouble and to continually place himself in dangerous situations, everyone understood that it was all but a foregone conclusion that the device would be needed at some point in the future.

And God help them all if and when Danziger actually found the transmitter and realized that the group had been keeping tabs on him. They'd cross that dynamite-loaded bridge when they came to it.

Though Devon had seen Danziger several times these past few days in groups consisting of three or more people, she'd yet to sit down and speak with him in a one-on-one setting. As such, she took the much desired opportunity to examine him a bit more closely.

Even under the cloak of semi-darkness and several day's worth of beard growth, Danziger appeared to be physically healthier. He was much less pale and he'd thankfully gained back some of the diminished weight. Though the mechanic's arms were covered by his shirt sleeves, based upon the faded scrape on his forehead, Devon assumed that the rest of his exterior wounds were nearly healed as well. However, despite her relief that most of the deeply etched lines in John's face had receded, there was no masking her disappointment that the mechanic's eyes remained dull and nearly lifeless.

Devon paused a moment, more than slightly confused as to why Danziger's emotional health had become so important to her. She quickly set those thoughts aside, surmising that the depth of her feelings regarding this and similar issues pertaining to the mechanic were best left to be further examined at a later time.

In the meantime, she wasn't sure what she could do or say to return his once-piercing gaze to its former splendor. But she knew that she had to try.

And she started by pointing out the obvious. "You know, you've had some pretty close calls these past few months."

There was a pause before Danziger mildly shrugged. "Yeah."

He exuded a heavy sigh. Like Devon, he was well-aware that they hadn't spoken privately for a few days, and he figured that she'd been saving up what she'd deemed to be his more recent various missteps. As a result, he grudgingly prepared himself for another lecture. But that wasn't what he got.

"There were more than a few times when I honestly thought that I'd never see you again," she expressed honestly. "And that frightened me, probably more than you know."

John's face briefly flashed his surprise and his interest was definitely piqued while Devon struggled to verbalize her anxiety.

"It scares me to think about the risks you've taken and continue to take. It makes me wonder if you consider yourself expendable," she elaborated. "Or it's like you've got some crazy idea that your life is somehow worth less than the rest of us. And if that's so, you couldn't be more wrong."

She arched forward to rest her elbows across her knees to reinforce her point. "I've come to depend on you, John. I'm not all that sure that I can do this without you."

The leader shook her head, adding, "And when we get to New Pacifica, I'm going to be counting on you even more."

Danziger's intense concentration faltered a bit at her last comment.

Jeez, no matter what the subject, it always comes back to New Pacifica, doesn't it? Leave it to Devon to continue her relentless fixation on two years from now, instead of dealing with what our lives will be like in two days or two weeks or even two months, he couldn't help but grumble to himself.

Meanwhile, Devon hadn't noticed Danziger's flinch, nor the brief tightening of his jaw. She was much too focused on getting out what she'd needed to say before she lost her nerve or train of thought. Or before the conversation disintegrated into another argument.

"So I'm asking you for the group's sake... for your daughter's sake..."

There was a long pause as Devon contemplated whether or not to finish the sentence as she'd originally intended. Wearing her heart out on her sleeve wasn't easy for her.

"...for my sake. Please take care of yourself. And please try harder to stick around."

She furthered, "Besides, if something ever happens to me, it's going to be up to you to lead the group. You'll be the one in charge of getting everyone to New Pacifica. You'll also be responsible for getting the colony ready in time for the Jamestown's arrival. And you'll need to raise my son."

That elicited a definite reaction from Danziger's side of the room.

"Nothin's gonna happen to you, Devon," he exclaimed, shaking his head incredulously. In his mind, the notion that something could befall her while he was still alive and able to protect her was ridiculous. She should really know better by now.

Devon decided to turn his words around on him. "Okay, then promise me that nothing will happen to you either. Promise me that you'll take better care of yourself and that you'll do everything possible to be here to watch True grow up to become the confident and optimistic woman that you once told me that you wanted her to be," she urged. "Promise me that we'll all get through this together."

Danziger remained silent as he grappled to give her an answer that she'd find acceptable. He didn't wish to lie to her, but he also didn't make promises; especially ones which there was no guarantee that he could keep.

After several seconds of stillness and when it became clear that Danziger wasn't going to respond, Devon again attempted to gain some reassurance from him.

"Look, I know that things seem pretty bleak right now. We've suffered one bad break after another and you've been forced to make some very difficult decisions that I wouldn't wish on anyone."

As Devon spoke the words, her mind experienced a series of flashes of John's face at various times since they'd arrived at the BioDome: His fear and horror at having to shoot Katrina in order to save her life. His pain at hearing True excitedly share that she'd again dreamed of her Mother. His confusion and vulnerability at learning that his body had been overtaken by the essence of the ancient frozen Terrian and of the damage he'd inadvertently caused. His revulsion at Julia's revelation that the Grendler he'd killed was likely exhibiting threatening behavior because she'd been attempting to protect her eggs. His tear-filled eyes as he'd desperately pleaded "me for her" while begging the dead Grendler's mate to spare True's life and to kill him instead to even the score. His unshakable determination as he'd held the knife against his already scarred skin, ready to sacrifice his own blood in order to keep them alive.

"But it doesn't do you any good to keep second guessing yourself. And you have to stop punishing yourself for situations that were beyond your control," she asserted in her most persuasive tone. "You once told me 'what's done is done.' Well, those words also apply to you. We can't change the past. We can only learn what we can from it and move forward. You need to forgive yourself and to remember that every one of us here supports you."

Devon did her best to decipher the extremely subtle nuances of Danziger's expression as she spoke. As usual, he making it as difficult as possible for her to read him, but at least he seemed interested and she sincerely hoped that her words were having a positive effect on him.

To that end, she added, "All of us rely on you, John, probably more than we should. But you have to let yourself rely on us every once in a while, too. You need to remember that we're all in this together. That's what being a part of a group is all about."

She further assured, "And things will get better."

John knifed both hands through his unruly curls, shaking his head. "You really believe that, don't you?" he posed, amazed and more than slightly annoyed by her continual take-no-prisoners idealism. It was wearing thin.

"Of course I do," she insisted resolutely. "One day soon, we'll all be in New Pacifica and our first winter here in the BioDome will be nothing but a distant memory."

At this point, there was no missing the mechanic's discomfort at her words, nor was there anything subtle about the continued shaking of his head or his shifting uncomfortably while she spoke. Still, Devon remained undaunted.

"I wish that there was some way that I could make you see this opportunity- this gift- that we've all been given. It's true that things haven't been easy for us since we arrived here. But G889...this planet..." She emitted a wistful sigh. "Uly and the two hundred forty-eight Syndrome children aren't the only ones who are getting a second chance at life. This is a fresh start for every single one of us."

She went on to add, "The slate has been wiped clean, John. It no longer matters who we were on the Stations. It only matters who we are now. And who we can be."

Yeah, if we don't starve to death first, was the first thing to pop into Danziger's mind. However, deep down, he did sort of appreciate that Devon was trying to cheer him up. And there were occasional moments like these when he wished that he could see the world as she did. The view was certainly much better than the one that he was used to. However, growing up in the Quadrant, he'd learned early on that only the wealthiest of families could afford for their children to wear rose-colored glasses. And as far as John was concerned, no matter how different his current circumstances were, optimism was a luxury that he would never be able to afford.

Devon's considered John's continued silence to be rather disconcerting. She hoped that her words were getting through to him, but he didn't seem to believe what she was telling him. How could she make the mechanic understand that things weren't as bad as he believed them to be?

She thought about the rising temperature outside and determined that, perhaps if Danziger was directly exposed to their warmer and brighter surroundings, he could finally make the conclusion that their situation was improving on his own, without her help.

To that end, she suggested, "You know, I heard Bess talking about taking the 'Rail to look for a pass tomorrow morning. Maybe you should go, too."

Devon purposely omitted the detail that Morgan was also joining her, for fear that the mechanic would nix the idea outright out of possible guilt over causing the liaison's back injury. Or perhaps Danziger would brush off the opportunity because he simply didn't like to be around the man. Either way, Devon wasn't taking a chance.

John shrugged noncommittally. "Maybe," he replied. "I'll think about it."

The corners of Devon's mouth arched to form a half-smile. Although she didn't consider their conversation to be a resounding success, the fact that John hadn't flatly refused to participate in the day-scout was as good as a yes to the leader. And not only had they managed to refrain from raising their voices at one another, Devon was more than satisfied by the knowledge that the two of them had been able to end their exchange on a high note.

Devon rose to her feet and slipped her arms into the sleeves of her coat. "Well, I know you're supposed to be resting right now, so I won't keep you. But if you'd like, I can let you know when everyone gets back from the cave."

Realizing that their discussion was over, John readjusted his makeshift pillow and slowly shimmied back to the horizontal position in bed. "Yeah, okay. Thanks."

Devon opened her mouth to say something else, but noticed that John's eyes were already shut and he was as still as a statue. As his raspy snores almost immediately began to reverberate throughout the room, Devon acknowledged that anything else that she needed to tell the exhausted mechanic would simply have to wait.

As she quietly exited the tent, her gaze veered skyward and her eyes sought out the sun as it edged its way from behind a cluster of dark clouds. She remained stationary, basking in the small but meaningful amount of heat that it generated.

Though Danziger was still clearly not out of the woods yet regarding his health, Devon fully believed that he was well on his way toward a full physical and emotional recovery. And she and the other members of Eden Advance would be with him for every step of the way.

She rationalized that the next day's scout would be a good experience for him because he'd be outside of the camp's perimeters in a controlled setting that had nothing to do with foraging or with the many pressures that continually weighed upon his psyche.

Of course, though everyone fully understood that locating a pass out of the valley was a top priority, much of the terrain was still covered in snow and remained inaccessible to the colonists. In truth, no one really expected to find a traversable path for another few weeks. But in the meantime, the Edenites were glad to finally have the ability to combat their cabin fever after being trapped indoors for much of the past several months by venturing out to examine the surrounding territory. And if they were fortunate enough to discover a route out of the mountain range that looked promising, all the better.

However, Devon remained a bit concerned that Morgan's presence on the scout would cause John undue stress or hostility. She briefly toyed with adding her own name to the short expedition to help mediate any possible difficulties. But she quickly decided to remain behind when she realized that, as much as Danziger and she argued, she was also a source of potential conflict.

So instead Devon decided that she would ask Alonzo to accompany the team and to assist Bess as a calming force between the two clashing personalities. Devon also concluded that it would be best for the foursome to concentrate their efforts on sections of the canyon which had been most affected by the warmer weather, in order for Danziger to observe entire areas of melted snow. It was important that Danziger be exposed to as much evidence as possible to prove that their situation was indeed improving.

Devon couldn't help but be worried about Danziger's well-being, but she was gratified that the groundwork was already being laid for the mechanic to at last be able to move beyond the harrowing experiences he'd endured over the past months by creating new, more positive memories.

And Devon had no doubt whatsoever that the crew of Eden Advance would continue to support one another and would meet any and all challenges head-on as they reembarked toward New Pacifica. In fact, after Commander O'Neill's senseless death during the first days of their journey, Devon had made a promise to herself that no one else in their group would be lost. They would all get through this together.

And one day John Danziger would realize what Devon had known all along; that there was a better life for all of them just beyond the horizon.

She was absolutely certain of it.

THE END