Dreams of a Lost Tribe by Vicky Seleya

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Dreams of a Lost Tribe (Part 2)
by Seleya889

Alonzo glanced over as Julia stirred beside him. He gently massaged her back until she slid back to sleep. That accomplished, he silently shook his head at Devon then turned his attention to the crags rising toward the sky. "This is a dead place." he muttered. "We don't belong here..."

"What was that, Alonzo?" Devon asked. "Ask me about the dreams tonight. That's when they've been coming." he replied quickly.

Yale glanced sharply at Alonzo, having heard the other man's comment. Alonzo remained oblivious to the scrutiny. Instead, he was again examining the cliffs that towered overhead. A quartet of cliffs in particular caught his attention. Maybe it was simply because True was so close, he mused, but those peaks strongly reminded him of a koba's paw. Devon and Yale watched Alonzo closely, rapidly becoming more concerned by his behavior.

Just as Devon was about to awaken Julia, Alonzo looked directly at her. "Stop the caravan now!" he ordered. "Get everyone back here!"

Devon started to question him but instead did as she was told. Alonzo slid out from under True, past a now awake Julia and jumped down to the ground as the TransRover ground to a halt. He looked up in time to see a sudden flash of light hit the ground directly in front of Baines on the ATV. Baines yelled and grabbed his face. Just as Alonzo started for Baines, Walman ran to the ATV. Hanging off the side of the vehicle, he backed it next to the TransRover.

"My eyes! My eyes! I can't see!" Baines wailed. Walman climbed out of the way for Julia to examine the injured man. "I know it hurts but you have to stay still for a moment." Julia instructed as she scanned him. "You're going to be fine, Baines. All you have is flash-blindness. I see no damage in my scans. It's just going to take your eyes a while to recover."

As Julia tended to Baines, Devon sought Alonzo out. She found him standing apart from the group clustered around the TransRover, searching the plateau, scanning in every direction. As she advanced toward him, he abruptly spun around and faced the towering escarpments to the north. "Alonzo, what's going on?"

He did not respond. Instead, Devon watched as he drew himself up to his full height and slightly bowed his head. She waited patiently, knowing that he was attempting to dream. He stood there for several minutes then relaxed with a sigh.

"Alonzo?"
"They're there but they're not responding. I don't know why." He answered as he turned to face her.

"How did you know to stop? Did they tell you to?" "I don't know. They did not tell me, I just knew somehow." Julia came up beside Devon. At Devon's questioning gaze she reported, "Baines will be fine in a little while. He was lucky he wasn't hit, the bright light is what affected his eyes. Anything from the Terrians?"

Alonzo shook his head in frustration then turned back to study the cliffs once more. He slowly wandered away from the two women, intent on the cliffs. Concerned, they followed a short distance behind. Suddenly he felt the ground under his feet vibrating. As he stepped back, a Terrian rose from the ground where he had been standing. The Terrian towered over Alonzo, his 'lightning stick' crackling with power. Alonzo glanced over his shoulder, warning Julia and Devon back. As the women withdrew several meters, the Terrian relaxed, releasing his staff. Once the women were a safe distance away, Alonzo turned back to the Terrian and started to dream. A short while later, Devon and Julia watched as the Terrian abruptly disappeared into the ground.

Alonzo stood alone for several more seconds then came out of the dream plane himself and turned to face them. "I have to go for a while. He said that you can camp where the TransRover is now until we are done. Don't go beyond the campsite. They're not too sure about our being here."

Julia approached him. "Where are you going? What do they want?" Alonzo shrugged. "He wouldn't tell me. All he said was that I had to come. I think it has something to do with the dreams, but I'm not sure." He took her hand in his, his dark eyes calmly meeting her pale blue. With a squeeze, he released her hand and turned to jog toward the northern wall.

Julia stood watching Alonzo trot into the distance. She heard Danziger join Devon behind her and Devon explain what had happened.

"Any ideas how long he'll be gone?" Danziger asked. "The DuneRail could use the maintenance, I'm still finding dried mud in everything. But what I'm more concerned about is our water supply. We haven't seen water for six days now and have at least a three day trip ahead of us without water in sight. We've done pretty well with the voluntary rationing but should consider tightening that. Another thing, Adair, this plateau is much higher than the surrounding area. Any ideas on how we're gonna get the vehicles off it when the diggers let us go? The ATV and the 'Rail aren't too much of a problem, but the TransRover can only negotiate so much."

"Yale told me that the surveys seem fairly accurate for this region. I'll review them with him tonight. We'll try to plot every potential route."

Danziger inspected the surrounding area. "Good thing we stocked up on firewood." he observed. "There's hardly a tree in sight."

When Alonzo neared the wall and disappeared from sight behind a large boulder, Julia turned away. As she brushed past Devon and Danziger, she said, "I should go check on Baines. I gave him a light Seda-Derm. It should be wearing off about now."

"Julia, are you all right?" Devon asked. "I'm fine." the doctor tossed over her shoulder. As Devon started after her, Danziger grabbed her arm. "Leave her alone, Adair. She's understandably worried, give her some space. We should go back and tell the others what is going on. We have to get moving if we want to set up camp before dark."

"Of course, you're right. Let's go." "One more thing, Adair."
Preoccupied, she turned to face the mechanic. Earnestly Danziger said, "I don't suppose I could get that in writing."

Devon stared at him, obviously puzzled. "What?" "The 'you're right' part. I'd like that in writing. Or, better yet, in audio on gear."

She smiled at his obvious attempt at lightening her mood. "Well, you know, if you really need the affirmation, you could always reprogram Zero." she responded.

He grimaced. "Don't you think if I could reprogram Zero for anything I would have? If we didn't need him so much I would have stripped him into components by now." He chuckled. "Let's get back. They're probably bugging Julia for details and we still need to set up camp."

They returned to find Julia studiously examining Baines, ignoring the throng gathered a respectful distance away. As the two approached, the group turned toward them, anxious for information. Devon explained the situation as she understood it, occasionally looking to Julia for affirmation. As soon as she was done, Danziger set everyone to work setting up camp.

Devon leaned back and stretched. She had been poring over the survey maps with Yale for hours now, plotting every possible route off the plateau. For the most part, the plateau appeared to be edged by the same sheer cliffs that characterized the northern wall that towered over them. She just hoped that one of the gullies or ravines they had marked would provide the vehicles sufficient grade for safe passage. She peered into the dark corner of the tent where Uly slept. Her son lay curled under the covers just as when she last looked. She still found it somewhat disconcerting to not be able to hear him all the time. Before, between the immuno-suit and his own raspy breathing, she always had an audible reminder of where he was. Now, with him healed, she was constantly amazed at how quiet he could be.

"Penny for your thoughts, Devon" the tutor smiled. "I was just thinking about how quiet Uly is now that he's healthy." "It is a miracle, isn't it? Sometimes I find myself looking as well." the tutor agreed. "Would you rather we finished this tomorrow? It is quite late."

Uly whimpered behind them once and then again. Devon leapt up, Yale directly behind her. Uly cried out and began to shiver. Devon shook Uly in an effort to wake him. Not stirring, he continued to moan and jerkily claw the air.

"Yale, get Julia!"
The tutor ran from the tent, returning moments later with the doctor who immediately began scanning the boy.

"Can't get out... Help me! So cold..." Uly whimpered, still shivering. Julia glanced at the read-outs on her dia-glove then looked intently at the boy.

"Julia, what's wrong with him?" Devon asked anxiously. Not taking her eyes off the trembling boy, Julia responded, "According to my scans, he's having a Terrian dream."

"No!... Alonzo? Where are we?" the boy continued. He stilled and sleepily mumbled, "I can't... I don't want to..."

As Uly quieted, Julia scanned him again. Reviewing the read-outs, she reported, "The Terrian dream is over, he's simply asleep now."

Uly shivered again and awoke. Curiously looking at the three adults around him, he asked, "Mommy, what's wrong? Am I sick?"

Devon slid onto the bed next to her son. Holding him close she responded, "No, Champ. Why would you ask that?"

"I'm so cold and you and Yale and Doctor Julia are all here." Julia leaned close to the boy. Noting his mother's cautioning gaze, the doctor asked, "You were having a dream. Do you remember it?"

Uly concentrated for a moment then responded, "Not really. Just that I was cold and I couldn't move. It was scary."

Waving for Devon to remain with her son, Julia drew Yale into the far corner of the tent. Devon hugged her son close, rubbing his arms to warm him. She watched, mystified, as the other two adults huddled quietly.

"What are Yale and Doc Julia doing, Mom?" "I don't know, Champ. Are you warmer now?" He snuggled against her and nodded. Just then, Julia and Yale approached.

The tutor leaned close to the boy and explained, "Julia has asked me to show some objects to you. Tell us if you remember any of them from your dreams." As he extended his cybernetic arm, a hologram appeared above it. First one, then another ungainly metallic object with a hodge-podge of wires and tubes connected to it hovered in place before the boy.

Devon watched intently, trying to identify what Yale was showing Uly and what it all meant.

As Yale changed the image a third time, Uly suddenly tensed. "That's it! I saw that in my dream! And I remember Alonzo was there, too. He told me I couldn't stay... That I had to go back to sleep."

"Well that sounds like a good idea, don't you agree, Julia?" Devon asked, challenging the doctor to disagree.

"As a matter of fact, I do. Good night, Uly. Devon, I'll be outside." Julia said as she turned and left the tent.

"Devon, I'll stay with Uly if you wish." Yale offered. Devon nodded her appreciation to the tutor, kissed her son on the head and followed the doctor. She found her standing a short distance from the tent. "Julia, what was that all about?" Devon asked.

"Uly's dream was not a totally Terrian dream. The memories were Alonzo's."

"How do you know that? Does it have anything to do with those strange machines Yale showed him?"

Julia nodded. "That machine was an early cryosleep tube. An incident occurred during Alonzo's first cold sleep. It has to do with his inability to have normal dreams. Apparently, Uly was sharing the dream with him. I have no idea what the implications are beyond that. Sorry, Devon."

"He said Alonzo told him to leave. Do you think they did not mean to include him?" Devon asked hopefully.

Julia shrugged, "It seems that way, but I really don't know." At the sound of voices inside her tent, Devon took her leave of the doctor and returned to her tent.

The next few days went slowly. With constant sightings of Terrians along the northern wall and no contact with Alonzo the entire group was increasingly tense. Danziger kept several of the crew busy cleaning and buffing the DuneRail's parts and components. Eventually, with this layover occurring so recently to their departure from the bio-dome, even Danziger found himself at a loss for busy work. With the inactivity, tensions rose and tempers flared. The evening of the fourth day since they stopped found most of the group sullenly gathered around the campfire. At a sudden noise just beyond the vehicles, they looked up.

"Everyone, look!" Baines exclaimed. They all rose and turned in the direction Baines indicated. As their eyes adjusted to the dark, they could see a lone Terrian just beyond the TransRover. Julia, who had been sitting near the TransRover watching for Alonzo, was slowly approaching it. She stopped as the Terrian warned her with a crackle of its staff. Devon came up alongside the doctor. The others coming as close as each was comfortable. The Terrian wavered and then metamorphosed into an iridescent vision of Alonzo. Murmuring in surprise, most of the crew stepped back. Julia, having seen this done in the past, stood her ground as did Devon beside her.

"Alonzo?" Devon asked.
"You may continue your journey. Leave this place at first light." the apparition said.

"Where's Alonzo?" Julia asked.
"The one who dreams can be found beneath the koba's claws." it replied before shifting into its original form and disappearing into the ground.

The group stood there for a moment in stunned silence. Danziger was the first to speak. "We have seven hours to daybreak. Let's pack what we can now so we can get going first thing. There's no telling how patient these diggers will be if we take our time."

Devon turned to Julia. "Any idea what he meant by koba claws? What was he talking about?"

As Julia shrugged, Yale spoke up behind them. "Alonzo was looking at the cliffs before we stopped. Perhaps there is a formation. I will review my files for any such formation." he offered.

The sun rising over the mountains found Eden Advance rapidly disassembling and stowing the few tents and other equipment not packed the previous evening.

Danziger ran a 'last systems check' on the vehicles then went in search of Julia. He found her in the TransRover securing her monitors. "Julia, Yale thinks he found the formation the Terrian mentioned. I was wondering if you might want to take the DuneRail ahead with me and pick Solace up."

Julia's answer was to grab her two medical bags and jump out of the TransRover. Danziger grinned and followed the doctor to the DuneRail.

As he climbed into the DuneRail, Julia nodded in the direction of the busy crew and asked, "They aren't all following us, are they?"

"Nope." he replied. "First possible exit is on a bearing slightly southwest of here. We'll meet up with them after we pick 'Lonz up. Yale says the formation is a good couple of kilometers from here. No sense in wasting time and energy when we can just zip over in the 'Rail."

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