A True terrian by Lia Faile

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A TRUE TERRIAN, Part 5
by Lia Faile

True was confused. A moment ago she was being pulled under warm soupy sand by an otherwise friendly Terrian. Now she stood in the middle of a desert that stretched out as far as she could see. "Whoa..." She uttered softly as she turned around in circles surveying the vast granular sea. Was *this* the Dream Plane? Something felt wrong. She stopped her rotation when she realized what was bothering her. It had been night when she went into the Terrian Cave. Now it was daytime. High noon she figured looking down at the ground. She wasn't casting a shadow. Even for high noon the light looked funny. It was very bright yet it wasn't hot like that other desert they'd crossed. Shading her eyes with her hand, she scanned the sky above with a squinted gaze. No sun to be seen. The light just came from everywhere at once.

A noise drew her attention back downward. Blinking to clear the dancing kaleidoscope of spots from her vision, it took a few seconds before she could focus on the source of the noise. Winding intricate figure eights between her legs and voicing the occasional meow was a cat. With long gray fur, white paws, and golden eyes, it was an exact replica of the cat she'd dreamed most recently about on the long cold sleep to this planet. That cat in fact was patterned after the first cat she'd seen in a VR program on the Stations. ....VR.....Suddenly suspicious, she reached up and felt around her head and eyes. When she didn't encounter the familiar feel of VR gear, and when the connection didn't break or skip, she was satisfied that in some way this was real. More real than VR anyway.

She looked back down and watched the cat sit down and start to preen itself. "Hey, kitty." She greeted softly not wanting to frighten it away. The cat stopped its primping and looked up at her expectantly. True smiled then knelt down and opened her arms. The cat obediently leaped into them and settled down into a comfortable ball. True petted and scratched behind its ears till it began to purr loudly and its eyes shrank to mere slits of contentment. Mesmerized by the feel of the cat's silky fur and the vibrations its purring produced against her body, she sank down to the sand and lavioused attention on the small animal. The hows and whys of the situation forgotten as well as the missing Terrian.

"Are you always so kind to new friends?"

The deep softly accented male voice startled True. Giving a little jump and stifling her scream to a squeak, she held the cat close to her chest. Both she and the cat looked up at the intruder and gauged his threat potential. True immediately recognized the convict Shepard though now he wasn't wearing an eye patch and look of serenity soften his once harsh features. She'd heard her father mention seeing Shepard in his dreams so she wasn't too surprised to see him here and was only a little scared. Not really sure what to say to a ghost, she muttered a "hi".

"May I join you?" He asked and flashed her a friendly smile.

"I guess." She answered not too enthusiastically.

Shepard folded his frame into a cross-legged position sitting directly across from her. "You're a very brave young lady."

"I'm a member of the group." She asserted lifting her chin slightly. "I'm just doing my part." Then lowering her eyes she added softly. "I owe Devon. She never abandoned my dad. Not once."

"I know. Devon's very fond of your father. I was worried that that affection had been misplaced."

True's wary gaze harden to flint at the slur towards her father. "Hey! My dad never welshed on nobody!" True scrambled to her feet and stomped off into the wasteland. Ghost or no ghost, she refused to hang around anyone who would bad mouth a great guy like her dad.

"Please don't go." Shepard called out after her. "I apologize profusely. I meant no disrespect. The doubt was only in my mind, not a reflection on your father's integrity."

True stopped and turned around. She regarded him with a hard stare and a matching frown. Finally deciding that he was sincere with his apology and figuring she didn't really have anyplace else to go, she came back and plopped down in the sand. After a short uncomfortable silence, she asked him if this was the Dream Plane. Shepard nodded and asked her what she thought of it.

She surveyed the sandy infinite hills around them pensively. "It's kinda boring." She finally ventured. "Except for the cat." She added hastily. Afraid it might disappear into thin air if she appeared ungrateful.

Shepard chuckled. "And what did you expect it to be like?"

True shrugged. Already growing weary with the conversation. "Where'd that Terrian guy go?" She asked instead.

Shepard pointed his index finger at the cat in her arms and gave it a wink. True's hand paused in mid-pet and looked at it warily."I didn't know they could change."

"Well, they can't. Not for real anyway." He said to put her at ease. "But here a lot more is possible than out there. They thought you would be more comfortable with, say a cat then a Terrian. That's all."

The cat/terrian batted impatiently at True's arm. Obeying the silent command, she automatically resumed petting it. "I thought they were going to change me. When does that start?"

"Oh, they already started. The Dream Plane is the heart of the planet. See, physically you're still in the Terrian pit. It's only your soul or spirit that is here."

True converted the metaphysical implications into the only comparable concept she knew of. "So it *is* kinda like VR." Her heart beated a little faster at the thought of still being under all that sand. Logic dictated that she should be suffocating. Even she grasped that. Could this all be an oxygen deprived hallucination? Nervously she pulled her bottom lip between her teeth.

Sensing her apprehension, Shepard reached out and patted her knee reassuringly. "You will be fine." He insisted. "You just need to stay here awhile and let the planet get to know you. Give some of it a chance to soak into you. That way it will become familiar with you and recognize you as one of its own. Then it wouldn't try to reject you."

"Okay. That's easy. For how long?" Her concern now about boredom instead of suffocation.

"A few hours." He held up his hand in a stopping motion before she could air the whine that was perched on her lips. "Now don't frown! That's why I'm here. To save you from your ennui."

True had no idea what "anwee" was but it sounded boring. Shepard smile and made a flourish with his left hand. A small red ball appeared between his thumb and forefinger. "How'd you do that!" She laughed. "Magic!" He responded and then swept the sand between then with his right hand revealing a harden surface just below it. "Have you ever played jacks?" He inquired. "No? Katrina was quite fond of it. I shall teach you, alright?" True nodded and scooched a little closer. She decided that as weird as it might sound, the dead Shepard was a lot less scarier than the live one had been.

###
Danziger and Morgan had sat in a surprisingly amicable silence throughout the long vigil. Morgan wasn't too bad when he wasn't yammering Danziger concluded. A prickling at his neck that had nothing to do with the cool night air caused him to look up. There at the entrance of the cave stood the sentential Terrian and the two others who had taken True inside. One of them now held her limp body in his arms. Danziger sprang to his feet and charged up the hill. Morgan called down to the camp before he too hurried up to the awaiting Terrians.

When Danziger reached the Terrians, the one holding True immediately offered her to him. Danziger cradled the sand encrusted girl in his arms. They'd buried her! He knew that part of the process would have entailed immersion into the earth, but to be confronted with the sight of his child caked in grime was heart stopping. He sank to his knees and hastily worked to wipe her face clear of the gooey stuff.

"Come on baby, breath for me. Breath for daddy." When True didn't respond to his hoarse plea, Danziger shook her by the shoulder. "Come on True! Don't do this to me sweetheart. Don't leave me!" Oblivious to the numerous eyes that watched his frantic actions, Danziger started to administer CPR. Determinately he attempted to give life to his child a second time.

Julia elbowed her way past several horrified crew members. She was stunned by the sight of the inert child and the desperate man as well. The group released their collectively held breath as the sound of a choked cough followed by deep wheezing gasps greeted their ears. Danziger gathered True up in his arms and rocked her back and forth.

"That's it sweetie. Keep breathing. Deep breaths. Everything's alright." He babbled on for her benefit and his own. He opened his tightly closed eyes when he felt something being draped around True's shoulders.

"She should be kept warm." Morgan muttered as he tucked his coat around her.

Released from her immobility, Julia rushed to Danziger's side. "John? We need to take her back to camp so I can examine her. Okay?" Julia anxiously gazed into the man's distraught face. Hopefully her words made it through his emotion swamped brain to some rational part that remained. Slowly he focused on her and nodded that he understood. "I'll carry her." He croaked. Julia rubbed his shoulders in a comforting gesture. "Let's take her to the med tent."

Julia and Morgan helped Danziger to his feet. They were followed back to camp by the others until only Alonzo, Mazatl and the Terrians remained. One of the Terrians trilled at Alonzo. He exchanged respectful head bows with them and then they turned as one and disappeared into their dark abode. Alonzo turned around and was surprised to find that Matzl had remained behind. He walked down to join him.

"What did they say?" Mazatl inquired.

Stopping and gazing at the deserted cave entrance, Alonzo replied quietly. "They said that they have done all they could. The rest is up to us now."

###
Physician's voice log recording:

//It's been 3 days since True Danziger came out of the Terrian cave. While she shows no outward evidence of the genetic changes made to her DNA, the cellular test results are irrefutable. The changes to her DNA are more subtle than Uly's but definitely less dramatic than my own catastrophic experiment. The Terrians seem to understand human physiology far better than we understand Terrian. I refer to changes, but in fact, her original DNA structure remains intact and has not been altered at all. The 8th and the 22nd chromosome shows an additional cell structure added to them. This additional structure appears to be benign and inactive. It is too early to tell if they will remain so. The closest human analogy I can compare them with is that they appear to be cellular "flags" that we use in human genetics.

After piecing together Danziger's and True's conversations with Shepard and some of my own observations, I feel confident enough to hazard a theory on what these cell structures do. I believe that this planet is a living organism. The Gaia theory has been around for over 250 years. Only G889 takes it beyond any human's imagination or experience. I will stop short of saying that this planet is sentient, but it is at least aware of itself and its surrounding on an amoeba like level. Humans or any other non-native entities would be viewed as hostile and the planet would react in kind. Just like our bodies produce antibodies to fend off attacking viruses and bacteria. These flag cells may act as identifying tags which allow the planet's defenses to be fooled into thinking the individual is a natural part of the planet. Essentially, the Terrians have inoculated True.

Shepard's group was taken in by the Terrians that first winter. Close proximity to the Terrians may have afforded them some protection. This may explain why they are frighten to venture above ground much. Those who left probably grew ill the farther and longer they stayed away. They may not have understood why, but they definitely could surmise that they were safe only with the Terrians close at hand. Even Gaal likely was protected by the prolonged exposure with the Terrians that he held captive. And of course, any individual who has an implant is protected by Eve so long as she continues to remain functioning and does not disrupt transmissions. There may even be a few who's own immunity system is strong enough to fend off the planet's attacks. Though I find that difficult to imagine.

With regards to the implants. I now know why Devon didn't have one. It is my belief that she *did* have an implant when we first arrived here. After only 3 days, True's implant has ceased functioning and her body is in the process of absorbing it. Uly's implant is also missing. Something in the Terrian DNA must direct the human immune system to attack it. Since Uly was Devon's child and spent the most time with her even sleeping with her at times, I've concluded that exposure to Uly had caused Devon's implant to break down and be absorbed. Only since Uly isn't fully Terrian, he couldn't offer her total protection from the assaulting antigens of the planet.

I did not check each person individually after Elizabeth's death. I merely assumed that everyone had one since we all recovered, except Devon. Uly's illness must have been an empathic response to his mother's illness. Just as now his immune system is attempting to reject the planet for harming his mother. Very sloppy work, I know. Dr. Vasquez would give me a severe dressing down if he were here. I have no excuse for my incompetence. I only hope I haven't cost Devon her life.//

"Being kind of hard on yourself, aren't you?" Alonzo asked as he leaned casually against the frame of the med tent.

Julia pulled off her gear and racked agitated fingers through her already disheveled hair. "I should have caught that." She replied brusquely.

Refusing to look in his direction, she pushed herself away from the lab table and arbitrarily began to rearrange the various slides and vials that littered its surface. Alonzo could tell by her demeanor that she'd closed herself off. He hated it when she tried to hide the warm, caring, vital woman she really was in that cold clinical shell the Council had custom built for her.

"So you missed something." He stated.

Ignoring him, she continued berating herself. "How could I have been so careless? So unprofessional? So..so..."

"Human?" He volunteered when she seemed to be at a loss for adjectives.

Alonzo sauntered forward and placed his hands on her rigid shoulders. When her body didn't relax and accept the comfort he tried to give her, his own temper flared briefly. He couldn't stand it when she acted as if he had no affect on her. Emotions can't be flipped off and on like a lumalight. He slide his hands down her arms and pulled her tense body against his. He refused to allow her to drive him away. Leaning down he planted a soft kiss on her neck and whispered gently in her ear.

"You made a mistake..."

Acting like he'd bitten her, she jerked free of his embrace and stared coldly at him. "I wasn't bred to make mistakes." She said flatly. Turning her attention back to the table, she picked up a hypodermic gun. Looking around as if unsure what she meant to do with it, she carefully placed it back down in the exact spot she had gotten it from. Alonzo watched her jittery movements. She hadn't acted this on edge since injecting herself with Terrian DNA. She needed to bend or else she'd break.

"Go ahead." He urged.

Looking over her shoulder she shot him a puzzled look. "What?"

He nodded towards the discarded hypodermic gun. "Go ahead and throw it. You'll feel better."

"Are you crazy? I'm not going to throw a valuable piece of medical equipment. It's not like I can run down to the dispensary and get a new one!" Her anger finally began peeking around the edges of her placid mask. "I'm not a child, Alonzo. I don't indulge in temper tantrums!"

"Have you ever?" He asked her softly.

Brought up short by the serious tone of his question, she nervously tucked a fly away strand of hair behind her ear before answering. "No. Such tendencies were culled from my genetic makeup before fertilization even occurred."

Letting his anger have free reign, he grabbed her by the upper arms and shook her. "Dammit Julia! Stop talking about yourself like you were a lab rat! I've seen you naked."

She tried to yank herself free of his grasp but he wouldn't release her. "What the hell does *that* have to do with this?!" She yelled. All pretense of calm dropped.

Satisfied at his success of getting an emotional response out of her, Alonzo soften his tone. "I didn't mean unclothed. I meant I've seen you vulnerable. You've shown me the woman you keep hidden behind that mask you wear. Believe me, I couldn't feel anything for an android."

Trying to make him understand, she pleaded with him. "Alonzo, I can't deny what I am."

"No you can't. You can't deny your *humanity*, Julia. Part of being human is we screw up occasionally."

She shook her head as if trying to clear it. "Alonzo, I..."

"*Say* it Julia. I-made-a-mistake."

She tried not to look into his intense stare but her eyes kept being drawn back into their mahogany depths. What if he were right? Could she be just as human as the rest, not a genetic freak? He certainly believed so. Or was he merely justifying his male ego? She *was* different, but was she better?

Walman strolled into the tent with the others trailing behind. It was time for the briefing Julia had promised them on True's condition and the lab results. The sight of Alonzo holding Julia by the elbows and the look of Julia on the verge of tears, caused the amicable young fellow to frown.

"Everything okay, Julia?"

This time Alonzo let her go when she slowly pulled free of him. Taking a deep shaky breath, she turned to face the inquisitive stares.

"Fine. I'm fine." Crossing her arms and giving Alonzo a warm look, she added. "It seems I made a mistake though."

###

end part 5 of 8 - A True Terrian by Lia Faile

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