A True terrian by Lia Faile

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A TRUE TERRIAN, Part 4
by Lia Faile

Danziger shared his "dream" with Yale and Julia on the trip back to the Terrian cave they had tracked the children to that morning. To be certain that it wasn't a just a dream, Alonzo had gone to the Dream Plane himself to hear what the Terrians had to say. He confirmed that they too had been experiencing dreams of genocide and that somehow Devon played an integral part in preventing this Armageddon. That was why they had approached the group about True. So they knew that Danziger had somehow managed to get to the Dream Plane on his own or was brought there somehow by Shepard, and that his dream wasn't just an invention of his guilt and worries. He had been given a glimpse of one possible terrible future. Devon was crucial to the prevention of that outcome. How no one was certain.

Exactly why Devon did not have an implant had been haunting everyone though it had remained a silent question that until now, no one had wanted to be the first to utter. Even Julia, the daughter of a highly placed Council member bore an implant. Apparently the Council didn't even trust their own. Yale emphatically denied that Devon was in anyway involved with the Council. In fact, prior to her parents death and the birth of her son, she had been quite vocal in matters of reformation on the Stations. If not caught up in the grief of losing her parents and searching for a way to prevent her child's impending death, she would have been a major thorn in the side of the Council. Even more than she ended up being when she had pushed for the Eden Project.

Perhaps that was the key there. Devon Adair was one of the few people who had the money, the power, and the chutzpah to take on the Council and successfully lead a coup. Being from one of the founding families of the Stations, she would be quite capable of rallying support from the other political families. Such a challenge could shake the Council's power, if not topple it completely. In Devon Adair, the Terrians would have a powerful advocate and the Council a serious problem.

###
"Now you know you don't have to do this, True-girl."

Danziger knelt down on one knee and quietly reassured his child as he held her small hands in his giant ones. They had arrived at the Terrian cave just as night was falling. Morgan had whined about walking in circles but had quickly shut up upon seeing Danziger's glare. The three Terrians from this morning were there at the entrance waiting for them. The group had finished setting up a temporary camp and stood a respectful distance from father and daughter so they could have some privacy.

"We can always try another way. Julia hasn't finished all her tests yet."

True nodded that she understood she wasn't obligated to do this.

"I wanna help Devon, Dad. Besides, Uly says it isn't that bad." Leaning towards him until their foreheads met, she whispered conspiratorially. "I can't let him think I'm a sissy."

Despite his own concerns and doubts, Danziger had to smile at his child's bravado. She was such a formidable child who would grow up to be an unstoppable woman. Alonzo quietly came up to them.

"John, it's time."

Looking over up at the pilot he asked once more if he could accompany True. Alonzo shook his head no.

"The Terrians said just True."

Sighing, Danziger rubbed True's hands and kissed them.

"Okay baby, it's time for you to go. Remember, if you change your mind or get scared, holler and I'll come get you."

Danziger stood as True headed towards the Terrians. The group silently watched as she entered the cave with two of the Terrians. Walking between them she looked so tiny. One Terrian remained. Whether to stand vigil with the humans or to guard the cave entrance was unknown.

"You tell them..."

His voice choked with emotion and eyes full of unshed tears, Danziger clamped his massive hand on Alonzo's shoulder in a vise-like grip. Alonzo hissed in pain but managed to keep standing although his knees were shaking with the effort.

"You tell them that if anything happens to her, I'll kill them."

Alonzo gazed up at the mechanic's face. It was twisted in love and anguish as he watched his only child disappear into the cave with the Terrians. He reached up and squeezed the hand on his shoulder trying to be reassuring.

"They know, John. They know."

Realizing that he was inflicting pain on his friend, Danziger quickly loosened his hold on Alonzo's shoulder and muttered an apology.

"That's alright, man. Let's go sit by the fire and grab a cup of Joe while we wait. This will take a while."

Staring at the entrance as if he could make True appear by sheer will, he finally nodded and headed back to the make-shift camp. Al watched him shuffle down the slight incline. Defeat radiated from every pore. He already thinks he's lost her, he thought to himself. He glanced back over his shoulder at the impassive Terrian once more before following Danziger.

###
True and the two Terrians walked in single file with one Terrian leading the way and the other bringing up the rear. Being sandwiched between the two towering aliens carrying spears panicked her a bit. Was she still a volunteer, or a prisoner now? What if she changed her mind, would they let her go? She remembered Yale talking about cultural differences once. Where she might feel like a prisoner being lead to a cell, they might be trying to show her respect. Or they might not be doing anything but walking.

As they made their way deeper into the cave, she noticed that the Terrians adjusted their gait to match hers. Which she was thankful for. Looking at their long legs, she doubted she would have been able to keep up without jogging. Her dad always did the same thing. He never made her run either. After making several turns down many different corridors, she doubted she would ever find her way back alone. Maybe that's why they had her in the middle. So she wouldn't get lost.

Finally the passageway opened up into a large chamber. It glowed in the soft steady light of the sunstones. The walls were lined with notched out spaces where the Terrians slept. To her left was a pit similar to the one she'd heard described by both Uly and Yale. A thick white fog drifted up from it. The loamy smell of fresh turned earth filled the air. Her Terrian escort now stood on either side of her. They appeared to be waiting. Soon nearly a dozen more Terrians entered the chamber. They formed a circle around her and regarded her silently.

They trilled back and forth amongst themselves, possibly discussing her. True pulled the cuffs of her long sleeves over her hands and nervously twisted the edges in her fingers. She wished there was another human present. That would have made her feel better. Suddenly the Terrians stopped talking. Whatever they had been discussing, they had reached a decision. One of them stepped into the circle and stood before her. She thought it might be the one that had lead the way to the chamber, but she wasn't sure. It was still hard to distinguish one Terrian from another. Did all humans look alike to them?

The circle opened and the Terrian motioned towards the pit. True walked to it's edge and tried to see through the mist that wafted up from it. Unable to see a thing, her active imagination conjured up several monstrous creatures as possible inhabitants. Her right hand came up to her mouth and she energetically set to gnawing on her thumbnail. The Terrian came up beside her and then did an extraordinary thing for a Terrian. He offered her his hand. She stared up at the huge being and then removed her thumb from her mouth and gingerly placed her hand in his. Expecting it to feel dry and rough, she was surprised to find it was warm and springy like dense moss. It definitely didn't feel like a human hand but it didn't feel gross either.

Holding her hand, the Terrian began to descend into the pit. True took a few steps and soon found herself ankle deep in a thick soupy mixture. Not made of mud but sand. It felt like a warm bath. There was an unseen rock staircase that lead down into the pit. She was fine until the stuff was up to her chest. Now human instinct took over and she feared drowning. She stood on a hidden step and froze, unable to continue. The Terrian let go of her hand and walked on until he disappeared under the muck. Before she could wonder if she had failed some test, she felt the Terrian's massive hands close around her ankles. Instead of opting for a scream, True sucked in a deep breath, closed her eyes and grabbed her nose just before she was yanked under by the Terrian.

###
After aimlessly picking at a meal that no one other than Morgan ate, Danziger retired to the perimeter of the camp. He sat on one of the rocks that the planet was decorated with. He turned up the collar of his jacket to keep the night air off his neck. Even though the long awaited spring had arrived, the evenings in this arid plain were still cool. He hoped True was warm enough. She'd gone in the cave wearing only a long sleeved light fibre shirt. Closing his eyes, an imagine of his daughter appeared in his mind then slowly it faded and turned into her mother. What would Elle say to him? Would she rail against him for allowing their child to make this decision? Or would she smile, take his hand and argue with him over who True inherited her stubbornness from?

With his elbows resting on his knees, he cupped his forehead in his palms and silently prayed. He'd started doing a lot more praying since the crash. He didn't do it that often back on the Stations. It wasn't from a lack of faith, he'd just got tired of being ignored. The day Elle died he learned that prayers weren't always answered the way you hoped for. Sometimes you had to accept a compromise. He'd lost the woman he loved, but in return he gained a child. When he'd held that tiny baby for the first time, the grief began to fade and love once more filled his heart. He didn't want to think how he would have managed alone. True had been his salvation. Now he was terrified of the compromise he might be forced to accept this time, and whether he had the strength to bear it.

"Ahem...Am I disturbing you?"

Danziger opened his eyes but didn't move. This was not the sign he was hoping for. He wasn't in the mood for company--especially Morgan Martin's. Brushing his hair from his face as he sat up, he gave Morgan his harshest glare. The eerie play of light from the twin moons hanging high in the night sky only added to the intensity of his features.

"As a matter of fact, you are."

The gruff tone he used was usually sufficient in sending Morgan scurrying for Bess' protection.

Morgan turned to make good his retreat, but Bess stood in the outer perimeter of the glow cast by the campfire watching. She shooed him back. Morgan motioned towards Danziger, shrugged and took another step towards his wife. Bess shook her head and pointed emphatically at Danziger. Spreading his arms wide in a beseeching manner, Morgan gave Bess his best helplessly pitiful look. Unmoved, she planted her hands on her hips and shot Morgan a stern look. Her petite foot stomped the sandy soil. Realizing he'd lost the pantomime argument, he turned resolutely back to Danziger who had been oblivious to the silently feuding couple.

Morgan brushed down the front of his battered jacket out of nervous habit. It desperately was in need of a good washing and pressing. Then it would be fit for the incinerator. He considered other options for approaching the surly mechanic. This was difficult since normally Morgan's goal was to avoid John Danziger not engage him in chit chat. He was certain that if not for Bess' presence, an "accident" would have befallen him shortly after rejoining the group. Clearing his throat several times and shifting antsily from foot to foot, Morgan made another attempt at conversation.

"Boy, cold night, huh?"

He tried to form a smile, but it came out more like a twitch. Even that disappeared when Danziger looked up. Eyes darted anxiously about in every direction except into that laser hot stare, Morgan frantically tried to figure out what was wrong with his last comment. He had read that the weather was always considered a safe neutral topic when humans lived on Earth. Knowing that retreat was impossible with Bess waiting to pounce on him, he took a deep breath and decided to try an unusual tactic--the truth.

Leaning forward as far as he dared so Bess' sharp ears wouldn't pick up his words, Morgan hoped that Danziger wouldn't just reach out and grab him by the throat.

"Look, um, Bess thinks you shouldn't be alone at a time like this, see. She thinks you need someone to confide in."

Danziger didn't speak or lessen the intensity of his stare. Giving a twittery chuckle, Morgan continued.

"And, ur, ah, she's got it in her head that that someone is me."

Danziger snorted, either in amusement or disgust. Reaching the point where he didn't care what happened next, Morgan meet Danziger's hard stare with one of his own and went for broke.

"Yeah, she's naive like that. Thinks this would be a good opportunity for you and me to bond and build a friendship. --So how about cutting me some slack, okay?"

In spite of his acrimonious feelings for Morgan, Danziger caught himself starting to smile. Maybe a mouse can become a man. Especially when there's someone like Bess prodding him on he thought as he glanced towards the camp where the young woman stood watching.

"Okay, sit down but keep your trap shut." He grumbled.

Moving to sit on an adjacent rock, Morgan muttered under his breath.

"Gee thanks, don't do me any favors."

###

end part 4 of 8 - A True Terrian by Lia Faile

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