"Natural Talents", Part 1
by Joan Powers
(voice of Morgan)
Day 112 I was awake at five o'clock that morning because of the rumbling in my gut. I was so uncomfortable I couldn't even stay asleep. Our food situation had not improved over the last few days. We had cut down to half rations over a week ago and were still searching for edible vegetation or game to supplement our meager resources. But Christ, it was winter - it was still freezing. What living things did we expect to find? On the stations, your only limitation in obtaining food was the number of credits in your account. Of course only the rich could afford certain delicacies such as authentic steak imported from Earth, but the average person could at least count on fresh fruit and vegetables along with some decent synthetic substitutes which had some flavor and provided variety. They say that variety is the spice of life. I sorely missed it. I was sick of our dreary existence - surviving on freeze dried semolina and pemmican and our watered-down versions of oatmeal and vegetable soup. I wasn't cut out for pioneer resourcefulness. Even though Dr. Heller had been dutifully monitoring our health and synthesizing supplemental vitamin and mineral tablets, I felt ill. I didn't think I could handle much more. Others were beginning to lose hope as well, becoming irritable and starting to bicker amongst themselves, while some even went so far as to insinuate that our leaders were responsible for our current dilemma. We had ceased to remind ourselves of the wonder and beauty of the planet and appreciate all that it had provided us.
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John Danziger tossed in his bunk, the first light of day creeping into his room. He pulled the blankets closer to himself to attempt to retain his body heat. Would it ever get warm? Life in the Quad hadn't been luxurious but it certainly had provided more creature comforts. His stomach growled, a not so subtle reminder of their half-ration situation, and a dull throbbing filled his head, a result from his encounter with Alonso the night before. He raised his hands to massage his temples in a feeble attempt to block out the pain. He flushed with embarrassment as he recalled what the others had told him about his behavior while the creature was within him. Danziger despised being in situations where he could not assume control of his own actions. He shuddered at the thought that an alien had dwelled within his body. The Eden colonists seemed reluctant to share a complete accounting of those events with him - that was okay. He didn't want to know. He did remember that he was the one who had tampered with the heating system of the Dome and that its prompt repair was a screaming priority. Yet, as Danziger's stomach continued to growl, he pushed the generator down to number two. It was early, but there was much to be done. He rose from his bed quietly so as not to disturb True and gathered his outdoor clothing. He glanced at his daughter who lay fast asleep with her mouth slightly ajar. Danziger adjusted her covers, pulling them up to her chin, then left the room.
Lack of food and the dull pounding in his temples added to Danziger's irritable morning mood. Rather than wait another hour for the others to assemble, he decided he would explore a new area by himself. He wanted to be alone. He entered into the Main Dome to get some of what they called coffee (actually one of Bess's experimental native brews) and his breakfast rations. He stopped in surprise when he saw Devon sitting at the table, drinking a cup of coffee. Slightly startled, she responded "Good morning." Devon, by nature, was an early riser and was used to having this time for herself. Danziger mumbled, "Yeah...right." He poured a cup of coffee, grabbed his share of breakfast and deliberately sat down at the other end of the table. *Just leave me alone Adair.* He wasn't in the mood to deal with people. It took too much energy. Sensing John's irritation, Devon cleared her throat and tentatively asked "Going to check out sector 14?" "Uh-huh" he indicated without looking at her. "I'm going with you" she insisted. John rolled his eyes. Remembering that it was pointless to argue with Devon Adair once her mind was made up, he countered, "Just make sure you can keep up with me." They finished their meager rations in silence, then bundled up for their trip.
The sky was blue - completely devoid of clouds, and the frigid air was crisp. Icicles which dangled from tree branches sparkled as the morning sun beams filtered through them. A light dusting of snow which had fallen the night before, covered the land - adding a mystical quality to the area. A few weeks earlier, Devon and John would have paused to admire the beauty of the landscape and hesitated momentarily before marring the untouched snow with their bootprints. However, on this day they were both so preoccupied with their thoughts that they neglected to take notice. Since the terrain would be hilly in sector 14, they had decided to hike out the entire way, leaving the vehicles for Eden crew members to investigate other distant areas. Snow crunched beneath their boots as they trudged along. Devon prayed that at least one of the search parties would be successful today. She hated to admit it, but she was worried. They had supplies for less than two weeks at best, using half rations. Period. And Yale was predicting a long winter. She sighed, her breath fogging up before her. They had attacked the problem logically, mapping out the surrounding area and assigning teams to forage for berries, stalks, roots or any signs of animal life, including Grendlers - which they hoped to track to their lairs. Unfortunately, those searches of nearby sectors had not been successful, so they were forced to fan out and broaden their perimeter. At a camp meeting, Alonso had discussed the possibility of using the spider cave tunnels to travel back to the warmer coastal region to bring back supplies. "We'll have a better probability of locating food sources in a warmer environment" Alonso argued. "We know there's food there, remember that Grendler carried fresh fruit with him." While his idea had merits, Devon was concerned that the tunnels were just too unstable -- look at what almost happened to John. The risk of injury or loss of group members was much too high to consider pursuing such an option. Morgan attempted to talk Devon into sacrificing the colony grain stock - which she adamantly refused. After their experience with the looting of their first cargo pod, they had no guarantee of finding any of their other supplies, a thought that had kept Devon awake many a night. That stock was a symbol of the future of New Pacifica until the colony ship arrived. Besides, she wouldn't admit that their situation was that desperate. Not yet. She was stubborn and determined. She would walk all day and night to find food, if she had to.
She paused briefly to catch her breath. Despite the cool temperature, she felt uncomfortably warm and her body ached. While she had been insistent that Dr. Heller closely monitor the health of the Eden crew members during this crisis, she herself had been lax and not reported for check ups. *It must be due to our unusual diet* she rationalized. She cursed herself for not asking the Elder about food sources last night, but she had been occupied with other matters. Thank God she hadn't had to shoot John and he wasn't injured during his unusual experience. She supposed they could go back to the Elder with their tails between their legs, asking for more help, but that went against her nature. The Eden crew was tough and resourceful. They would figure this out.
Danziger looked over his shoulder to check on Devon, but she was out of his view. *Great, we're gonna get a lot done today.* "Hey Adair, come on." Within a minute she appeared, slightly breathless, "I'm here. Let's keep moving." She continued walking, so he joined her. Even though she had been on this planet for one hundred and twelve days, Devon was still not used to not being in complete control. On the stations, her position in her family, her wealth, and her career had secured her almost everything that she had ever wanted. Yet, she reminded herself that her power was only an illusion for it did nothing to save her son's life. Regardless of the hardships they had endured, she was still grateful that her son had lived to celebrate his 9th birthday, something no other Syndrome child had ever done. Yes, it was worth it. But while Devon had never dodged the mantle of leadership, the degenerating attitudes of some of the colonists were beginning to frighten her. She was glad she was here with Danziger. Despite their differences, she was confident he would give everything he could and more to help the group. Just like she would. She knew she could depend on him and maybe...she stopped herself from continuing that thought. She was responsible for the well-being of Uly , the entire Eden Advance group, and those on the Colony ship as well as. She couldn't allow herself to consider anything else at this point. She paused as a queasy feeling overcame her. She clamped her mouth shut and swallowed hard, closing her eyes while trying to make it go away by refusing to give in to it. Finally it subsided, so she hurried to catch up with Danziger. She wasn't about to acknowledge to him that she felt poorly, she'd never hear the end of it. Armed with her pride, she took larger steps to close the gap between them.
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Bess stormed into her tent, "Morgan, you're supposed to be helping me. What are you doing?" Her husband was still lying in their bed, buried underneath the blankets. "Bess, honey.. I don't feel well." "Morgan, I have news for you. Nobody here feels well. And we're not going to feel any better until we find other food sources" she glared at him. "If you won't help me with cooking duty, you could at least assist with one of the search parties. Morgan, we all have to do our part." He stared at her, not moving. She sat on the edge of the cot. He reached out for her hand and tried explaining, "Honey, I'm sorry. I'm not cut out for this. I've lived all my life in a space station, I have no skills to cope with this environment." He glanced to her eyes to see if she was opening up any. "Those are just excuses. Most of the others lived on the Stations as well and they're not hiding in bed" she claimed. He continued, "I can't tell you how much I admire you, how well you adapt to change. I'm just not used to all this. You've got to believe me..I'm trying. I really am. What do you want me to do?" he pleaded with her. Her expression began to soften, after all this was the man she loved. "Morgan, I believe each and every one of us has unique talents which they can contribute to solve this problem. Why don't you look into your heart and determine what yours are?" "What do you think they are? You're my wife, you're supposed to help me" he prompted. "I can't answer that for you honey, but I do know that they are there" she smiled at him. After kissing his forehead, she left Morgan to contemplate his next course of action.
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As he hiked, Danziger was musing about the food situation, racking his brains for some option they might not have considered. He was hopeful this hilly terrain might have some caves where animals might be hiding or which would provide sufficient shelter to foster the growth of some living creature. As he walked, he periodically stopped to examine some plant or moss. Survival was a constant battle on this planet. It made his previous life struggles appear almost insignificant. He thought he saw a cave opening so he turned about to call to Devon, "Hey Adair - come check this out." She had lagged behind again. He waited impatiently. *What is the problem?* After several minutes had passed, he saw her auburn hair crest the top of the hill. "About time Adair. What's with you?" "Nothing. I'm fine" she mumbled as she approached. "If you can't keep up, why don't you go back to camp. I can cover more territory without you." She stubbornly refused, "I want to find something just as badly as you do. And you shouldn't be out here alone." She was breathing heavily. She placed her hand on a nearby tree to steady herself as she caught her breath. She had already lost her breakfast and she hoped that would be the end of this sickness so they could accomplish their mission. Danziger noticed her face was pale and sweaty, but decided Devon was old enough to take care of herself. He motioned to the cave entrance. She smiled with anticipation - "Let's go." There was some disagreement about who would enter the dark cave first, but once that was settled they proceeded to investigate.
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Dr. Heller was overwhelmed with work. Between diagnosing the myriad complaints of the slightly malnourished Eden crew members, she was synthesizing vitamin and mineral supplements along with proteins to augment their diet. She was also testing multiple samples of native plant life to determine if they were edible. Samples previously deemed unthinkable to consider were suddenly becoming very interesting to the colonists who demanded test results as soon as possible. Even Morgan had brought by some type of bizarre fungus. "I hear some of this stuff used to be considered a delicacy on Earth" he attempted to rationalize. So it was no surprise when Julia yelled at Alonso for some inconsequential event - stepping on her foot. "Alonso, go away. Leave me alone" she cried. He gave her a look of annoyance. "I didn't do it on purpose. Why are you being so sensitive?" Julia explained, "Look. I feel lousy. I was scared to death that I was going to lose you yesterday and that took a lot out of me. I've been working so hard. I'm tired and I need a break but I can't afford to take one." She sank down on to her cot and buried her head in her hands. It had been difficult for her to admit all that to him. Alonso recognized that Julia was stressed out so he attempted to comfort her, "Just do what you can. No one expects you to do everything." She glared at him as if he were being stupid. He shrugged and decided to give her some space. "You know I'm always here for you. Baines, Magnus and I are driving out to sector 16. Wish us luck."
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Bess was working on cooking duty. Not that there was much to select from. In addition to their freeze-dried stocks of semolina and pemmican, they had available a few vegetables and herbs from Mary's Garden and synthesized protein concentrate, which didn't taste like much of anything. Luckily, Bess had a talent of being able to use the right mix of native herbs and spices to give some sort of flavor to their "vegetable" broth. As she chopped up her soup ingredients into tiny pieces, she was reminded of similar circumstances on Earth during lean times. "Stone soup" parties, they were called. Each participant brought his own ingredient to add to the brew. Her mother had taught her all about herbs and spices. Bess was very fond of her mother and strove to be like her. Everyone had loved her mother, who was kind and generous to everyone. Almost to a fault, for Bess's father claimed that was what killed her. She sacrificed too much for others and risked her own health. She died when Bess was 13 years old. Bess was certain that her mother would not have been pleased with her at this moment because of the way she had treated her husband this morning.
Bess knew Morgan had only lived on the Stations and was not familiar with the struggles of living on any type of planet. Yet she wished he wouldn't whine so much. She figured their odd diet was contributing to her critical mood. She felt that Morgan had needed a firm nudge to motivate him and she was confident that he would find his own way to help out in this crisis. She had never imagined that she would have married a man like Morgan. Until she had met him, she was convinced that she would be stuck marrying a miner, primarily serve him, produce his children and probably die young. Life had provided her with opportunities that she had never dreamed of. Not only was Morgan a loving man who appreciated her as a person, but as an added bonus he was a government worker who lived on the Stations. And then to have the opportunity to live on such a lush planet as G889. She reminded herself to count her blessings.
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Devon and John were disappointed, the cave was bare except for some tattered cloth which was possibly left by some penal colonist or Grendler. John strode ahead, impatient to continue. Unfortunately, instead of improving, as time passed by Devon was feeling much worse. As the leader of their group, she felt obligated to continue, but her body was refusing to listen to her anymore. Waves of nausea engulfed her and she swallowed hard, struggling to repress them. John glanced back, "You coming?" She was leaning against a rock, almost doubled over. She couldn't respond. Realizing something was wrong, he walked back to her, "What's going on?" She bolted to heave the contents of her empty stomach in another direction. John immediately suspected what had caused Devon to be this ill, "You've been giving part of your rations to Uly, haven't you?" She didn't answer - she couldn't at that particular moment. Of course John had been doing the same thing, giving True part of his but he knew better than to cut it too steep. "You're not any help to him or the group if you don't take care of yourself" he lectured. Devon lashed out, "What do you know about it? Your kid was never sick. You never had to watch her suffer for eight years with a death sentence over her head. I have not come this far to lose him now." "You're right" Danziger quickly interrupted before she could continue. "Let's get you back to camp". He put on his gear and attempted to raise someone. All he got was static. This was all he needed. Devon was rapidly losing energy and sank down onto the snow covered ground. "Just leave me. I'll be okay." She was mortified that he had seen her in this condition and since they had already traveled so far it was imperative that at least one of them complete their mission. Each day counted. Danziger refused to argue with her. He was aggravated but he couldn't leave her there. He placed his arm about her shoulder, "Come on. Can you walk?" "I'll try." Leaning heavily on John, Devon struggled to make her feet work. *Let it never be said that Devon Adair had to be rescued* her mind argued. But her legs refused to cooperate, so John had to carry her.
Story Notes:
As I watched "After the Thaw", in the opening narration I was struck by the desperation of their situation. It seemed a vital issue that their food supply would run out in two weeks and they were going to be in trouble. They didn't seem quite as frantic about this issue in the next episodes. This story takes place immediately after "After the Thaw" and attempts to bridge some of the gaps. All comments welcome.