While she lay dying by Paula Sanders

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While She Lay Dying (5/6)
by Paula Sanders
copyright 1995

John Danziger woke with a start, the memory of the dream fading, rapidly. He reached up to brush the hair out of his eyes and felt wet tears on his face. He brushed them away, gazing around the room. Something was out of place, missing. He stared at Yale trying to process things. Then, it hit him like a shot. Uly was gone.

Danziger jumped to his feet, waking True. He would be lucky if these kids did not give him a heart attack before they reached New Pacifica.

"Daddy, what's wrong?" she asked, groggy. "True, did you hear Uly leave? Do you know where he went?" he asked.

"No." She shook her head, looking up at him frightened. Danziger bolted across the tent and shook Yale awake. "What?" he asked, confused.
"Uly's gone. I don't know where he went." Looking down on the boys cot he spotted the wristlock, lying, open on the crumpled blanket.

Yale shot up out of bed and pulled on his boots, as Danziger ran out into the camp.

"Camp alert," he hollered, at the top of his lungs. Everyone came scrambling out of their tents.

"What is it? What's wrong?" Were asked by several people. "Uly's missing. Baines did you see anything?" The young man shook his head, looking very ashamed and concerned. John patted him on the back, reassuring. "All right, Magus, you go check the starship. Walman, Cameron, Yale, and I will make a perimeter search of the area." They all split up.

"John," Cameron called, from across the camp. "The ATV is gone."

*Damn, you just had to teach the kid to drive that thing, didn't you, Danziger,* he scolded.

"Can we follow the tracks?" John asked. Just as Cameron was about to answer, Alonzo came barrelling towards them; Julia followed, medkit in her hand.

"I think I have the answers we've been searching for," Alonzo announced to the group.

"Well, at least somethings goin' right," John snapped. At Alonzo's questioning gaze he said, "Uly's missing."

"I know where he is," True stated, drawing all eyes to her. She looked scared and very guilty.

"Where?" John asked his daughter, favoring her with that 'what have you done this time' look she knew so well.

"He's with the Terrians."
"John!" Everyone turned at the cry, to see Magus running towards them. "It's Devon. She's gone."

"Gone?! What do you mean, gone?" Danziger asked. "She's not there," she told him. "The cryotube is empty and there is a huge hole in the floor."

John did not even need to say anything to Alonzo, the look in his eyes said enough.

"Yale, Walman, Julia. Come with us." Danziger grabbed up a Magpro, on the run as they all jumped into the dunerail and headed to the caves of these valley Terrians.

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Graves. There were graves everywhere. Graves with headstones, some without. Morbid curiosity made Devon Adair approached one. The headstone read: Julia Heller. The one behind it read: Morgan and Bess Martin. Devon stumbled through the grave yard. She found Walman, Magus, Danziger, Yale, Baines, Alonzo, Denner, Cameron, Mazati. Finally, at the end, she found an open grave. Forcing herself, she peered over the edge. It was a mass grave; bodies thrown in on top of bodies. Her stomach heaved and she fell to her knees, blinded by tears. A hand touched her shoulder and she looked up into the face of a small boy; the ragamuffin from Sheppard's group. Beside him stood True and Uly. And stretching back as far as she could see were children.

"Why did you bring us here?" they chorused. Before she could answer, Adair was ripped away from the scene.

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The eerie orange glow from the sunstones lit the way for the group of five as they made their way through the tunnels. Walman and Danziger had their Magpro's ready. Yale walked a pace behind Julia. Her eyes darted about looking for any sign of the boy or the Terrians. Alonzo walked just ahead of her, leading the way. As they walked Alonzo and Julia combined their knowledge to help the others understand what was happening to Devon.

"The Terrians are killing Devon," Alonzo said. "Elizabeth was right when she said the planet would reject us," Julia said, cutting Alonzo off."She and Bennett were killed by this planet. They weren't suffering from the Cold-sleep Syndrome like I thought. They were suffering the same way Devon is. Elizabeth's logs say that the Terrians were angered by the Council's plans to settle this planet and they fought back."

"So, what you're saying is the same thing is happening to Devon and will happen to all of us?" Danziger asked, trying to understand.

"No, I don't think so," Julia answered and tried to clarify. "Bennett and crew were the first humans in this system. The Terrians were afraid for their planet and tried to kill them. But I don't think the Terrians want to kill us all. They have let the penal colonist live here for thirty years or more. For some reason the planet has singled Devon out."

"I think I have the answer to that piece of the riddle," Alonzo offered. "I was wrong when I thought the promise Devon and I made was paid off after we freed those Terrians from Gaal. That just had to do with Uly's bond. They were suffering, so he suffered. They are collecting on that debt now. They blame her for what is happening. She is bring thousands, maybe millions of people here. They are just protecting their planet. She is the only one who will die."

"How can we stop them?" Yale asks. "I don't know," Alonzo admitted.
"Great, thanks. That's so helpful," Danziger muttered. Alonzo's retort was stopped in his throat when he heard, close by, the Terrians. Slowly, and as quietly as they could, the group crept up on them.

In a small chamber they found Devon laid out in the center of the ring the creatures made. Uly knelt by her side, protectively. Alonzo could judge by the tone of the speech that it was a heated discussion. He focused on it, trying to understand.

It had taken Alonzo months to truly come to terms with his new life here on this planet, the Terrians, and the dreams, but now he actually thought he would miss them if they were gone. The bond he shared with the Terrians was one that Alonzo thought he would never lose. Unless they were to break it. These Terrians here in the valley were very closed off to Alonzo. He had used all his strength to hang on to the dream plane and get them to talk to him, but they would not listen. But they could not ignore that Uly. He held great power because of his connection to the planet.

"What's goin' on?" Danziger asked, halted as he came around the corner.

"Uly's asking them for his mother's life." Uly looked so authoritative, so different from the small boy he was, as he stood and confronted the Terrians.

"Can they do it?" Julia asked.
"They can't. They won't," Alonzo translated. "Why?" Danziger asked, frustrated. "They can't go against the planet. They have created a bond with Uly. He is part of the planet, but Devon is not. None of us are. We don't belong here. The planet will kill us if we try to live here and there's nothing we can do to stop it."

Uly did not budge. He trilled again, but it had a different tone; commanding, strong. The group turned to Alonzo for a translation, but he just stared, stunned, at the little boy.

"What did he say, Alonzo?" Julia prompted, concerned. Solace's gazed remained transfixed on Uly. "Alonzo?" Julia nudged him.

"He told them that if they let his mother die his connection to human's, to us, is broken. They will lose the link they have been searching for." Alonzo was completely stunned. Uly was so young; where had he gotten the words? What had put this into his head?

Alonzo could not remain in the shadows any longer. He had to do something to help Uly. So, he stepped forward, out of the shadow, making his presence known. Julia and Yale followed. Slowly, the Terrians turned to the small group of humans. Alonzo held his ground, ignoring the instinct to turn and run. Sometimes, even after all this time, they frightened and intimidated him. But he knew from what the Elder had told him that the Terrians were a little in awe of Alonzo because of his strength on the dream plane. He hoped to use that now.

Uly turned to Alonzo, giving him that sideways Terrain look, and trilled.

"I know Uly. We're here to help. We all want your mother back as much as you do," Alonzo assured the boy.

Uly moved away from the group of Terrians, to stand at Alonzo's side. Dropping his head, Alonzo entered the dream plane with Ulysses. Momentary deja vu captured the pilot. Only months before, he had joined Devon in the dream plane to barter for her son's life. What would be the price now? Nothing ever came for free.

Terrians circled around the man and boy. Images swirled around, dizzying. Devon stood by silently, staring at her son, astonished. The Terrians were not letting her speak, only observe.

"She came here to save me and now you're killing her. Haven't we done enough? Haven't we given you enough?" Uly shouted. "What more could you possibly ask of us?" he asked, desperately.

Alonzo heard the response in his head; the images pulling together into choppy speech in his mind. "Humans invade. Killing mother. Killing us. Must purge." They showed him how the presence of the humans on this planet was scarring its surface and infecting its core like a black plague. The planet was fighting back like an immune system attacking foreign bacteria. Alonzo felt sick. If his F-class cruiser were here he would have put everyone on board and flown away but he was stuck here. And the humans needed this planet. They were also dying. If they did not find a second earth, to make their home, under blue skies, with fresh air, they would perish. There had to be someway that the two species could live together. This planet was their best hope for survival.

"If this is what it means to be Terrian then, I am not Terrain. I would rather be sick again," Uly told them, firmly and turning his back on the Terrians. Alonzo was struck again by how grown up Uly seemed. He was not the scared little boy he had been as they sat around the camp fire, mere hours before.

"Tell us what to do." Her silence finally broken, Devon addressed the Terrians. "If there is anything we can do to remedy this, please tell us." She staggered a bit as she stepped forward towards her son. "We don't want you or your planet to suffer, but the Syndrome children are dying just like Uly was, and they need this planet. We can't let them die. Could you let them suffer because of what the Council has done?"

The Terrians stood as still as statues, staring at them curiously. Then one stepped forward and answered her question. Uly spun around to face them again. Devon turned to Alonzo for a translation.

"The Terrians know what we did to our planet and they fear we will do the same to theirs. Their only hope is the bond they have forged with Uly. They recognize the evolutionary step that has started with the children and they know they have to see it through. This is why they have allowed the change to take place. The planet readily accepts the children. It can make them a part of this planet, but not us. They never wanted us to die. But the planet won't accept us. We are not as open and accepting as the children will be. They know the children will never let anything harm this planet, but they can not been so sure that we will not harm. Right now, there are not enough humans on this planet to do enough irreversible damage. If we bring millions of people here they and the planet will die. They will not let us kill their mother," Alonzo said, aware of the slip, he quickly corrected it, "their planet. They still don't understand our way of doing things. Terrians think with one mind, not many. You, Devon are the one mind responsible for the Eden Project and colonization of this planet."

Alonzo saw the desperation and fear in Devon's eyes and felt incredibly helpless. The Terrians were right; humans were harming their planet and they had every right to protect it. But killing one woman was not the answer. They had to see that.

Uly stepped up to the Terrain and spoke. Before Alonzo could translate they were all pulled out of the dream plane.

A strange sensation nagged at Devon Adair's senses. She fought against it. She was comfortable in this blackness, where there were no dreams. She belonged here. Death was finally claiming her. Why was she being denied it? Why did the living world tug at her so? She had prepared herself, said her good-byes and the Terrians had refused her plea. It did not matter how much she wanted to live, this was her fate. Then she heard it.

"This way," the voice called to her. "Follow me." She could not deny the voice; something about it drew her to it.

*Death,* she thought and instinctively, cowered from it. "Don't be afraid," it said. "You'll be fine, Mom." *Uly.* She grasped at the presence that she now recognized as her son. It drew her up, as the absolute darkness lightened into grey.

Devon did not need to be immersed in the earth to heal her. She would not become one with them. They were simply reversing what they had done. Uly knelt at her side, again. He reached down and took a handful of dirt, gathering it between his hands. He held it there for a second, then his hand drifted over her forehead, as the dirt sprinkle down on her head. With his other hand he worked it into her hair. Devon remained motionless. The Terrians stood around; the low harmony of their voices filling the air.

Then, solemnly, the Terrians sank back into the earth.

Eyelids fluttered open to reveal clouded blue eyes. Objects swirled in and out of focus in front of Devon. She gazed around in confusion trying to make the world stop moving. The first thing her eyes did settle on was her son and the smile which lit her face was one of pure joy.

"Uly," she whispered, hoarsely. She reached out to him and he fell into her arms. Her muscles contracted at the movement, causing her to painfully realize that her entire body ached, but she welcomed it as a reminder that she was very much alive.

"Mom, you're back. It worked. I healed you." Devon kissed her son's cheek and held him tightly in her arms. She was alive. Devon was acutely aware of every sensation, every breath she took, every touch, every smell. Her son's heart beat furiously against hers. Every muscle tingled. She took a deep breath; even the stale, musty air of these caves smelled sweet. The ground was solid under her back and it was there to stay. She and it were not going anywhere.

Her eyes landed on Julia, crouched at her side. She sought out the doctor's hand. Julia captured it and Devon gave her fingers a weak squeeze. The gentle pressure of Yale's hand on her forehead, caught her attention and she smiled up at him. Letting go of Uly she tried to sit up.

"Oh, ow," Devon complained, muscles protesting as she moved. Both Julia's and Yale's hands were at her back, helping her to sit up.

"Your muscles will relax in a few hours," Julia assured her. "Otherwise, how do you feel?" Julia offered her a drink of water, and her diaglove pressed against Devon's neck. Yale's arm was curved around her back propping her up.

"Weak," Devon answered, after a sip from the cup. Devon turned to Yale to receive a full hug and he joyfully embraced her.

"I'm sorry, Yale," she whispered.
"No apologies necessary," he assured her, then he leaned back and looked her directly in the eye. She knew that stern look, had seen it a million times. He firmly added, "Just don't every do that again." She nodded and hugged him again.

"Devon, I think there are others here who are waiting their turn," Yale told her.

She smiling self-consciously, and backed out of his embrace. Her eyes searched the chamber for Danziger but her gaze only found Walman. He had the silliest grin on his face. She reached out a hand and he enveloped her's in his larger one, pulling her into an embrace. At first she fought against it, but finally relaxed.

"It's good to have you back," he said, then released her. Devon noticed Alonzo kneeing at Julia's side, his arm around her shoulder. The doctor was blinking back tears.

"Thank you." Devon smiled and he hugged her. "Where's Danziger?" she asked, as Alonzo released her, hushed, unable to speak any louder.

"He was right here a minute ago," Walman said. His head whipped around as he scanned the chamber, as did the others. Yale was the first to get to his feet.

"I'll go find him," he offered and set off.

John Danziger stood with his back against the cool rocks for support. Devon was alive. They had been given a second chance.

*So, why did you run away, you big idiot?* he scolded. When he had seen Devon's amazing blue eyes drift open and the smile spread across her face at the sight of her son, it had all been too much for him. *God, she's beautiful.* Every emotion from relief and sheer joy right down to panic rampaged through him. Panic had overtaken the others and he fled.

*Coward!* He felt like screaming, but it bottled up in his throat. *You can fight with her for six months and you can tell her how you feel, but only while she's sleeping and can't hear you. Not to her face. Never to her face.* He kicked the rock with his heel.

"John," Yale said, announcing himself. Danziger practically jumped out of his skin. "Devon's asking for you."

For a moment John stared stupidly, then quickly, forced the mask of indifference back over his face.

"She is?" he said, trying to sound casual. "Yes, she is," Yale replied, impatiently. Danziger could not make his feet move. "John, you know I am usually an even tempered man. So, I hope you will take me seriously, when I say. If you don't get in there right now, I will drag you to her side myself. And I can do it, too." Yale added a smile to the end.

John pushed himself off the wall, unable to contain the smile which played on his lips.

"Yeah, I'm sure you could." John walked around Yale, back into the chamber. Yale shook his head, smiling and followed him.

The glowing smile which graced Devon's face, at seeing John, rivaled the one she had for Uly. He could not help but return it. He knelt down beside her and she sank into his embrace, feeling warm and secure. He kissed the top of her head.

"I thought I'd lost you," he whispered, his breath stirring her hair. He heard and felt her chuckle.

"You can't get rid of me that easily," she returned. He held her close, laughing, because it was the only thing he could do.

"We should get her back to camp," Julia said after a bit touching John's arm. He nodded and she helped him lift Devon off the ground. He carried her securely in his arms out of the cave relinquishing her finally to Yale for the ride back to camp.

End part 5

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