Learning Experiences by Allison McDonnell

[Reviews - 1]
Table of Contents [Report This]
Printer

- Text Size +

The following morning, Bess seemed to be doing quite well emotionally. She was cognitive of where she was and understood the specifics of what had happened to her and the others over the past seven days. Additionally, she surprised Danziger and Julia by asking the doctor to accompany her to the river for a quick bath before breakfast. Although the soundness of Bess' psychological state was almost certainly a temporary condition, neither could see any reason not to take advantage of it. Furthermore, John was pleased that his wife was willing to spend time apart from him and was becoming more comfortable with Julia's presence. He was hopeful that, as time progressed and her health strengthened, Bess would begin to accept the support of the rest of the colonists as well.

After making him promise that he would bathe at the river when she returned and after Alonzo awoke from his conference with the Terrians, Bess gave John a quick kiss and set off for the western forest with Julia. As they wandered down the path, Bess was in awe at the differences between the valley on the Dreamplane and the valley that she was living in now. Not only had all of the snow vanished, but the trees were younger. She momentarily paused as she came upon a cluster of oak trees that, if memory served, her husband had cut down for firewood three years earlier. She remembered the day that she, John and Adam had planted saplings to replenish the resources they had taken.

Looking around her, Bess decided that she liked the woods on the Dreamplane much better. In truth, Bess liked just about everything on the Dreamscape much more than in the reality which she currently existed. After all, the Dreamplane had her cabin, her greenhouse, her gardens, her rocking chair, her children...

Bess shook her head to steady herself and retain control of her emotions. She'd always prided herself on being a practical person and facing her problems. However, that was before she had been torn from the Dreamplane and her perfect world had been stolen out from under her. And it was certainly before she had been imprisoned in that horrifying state of nothingness. Those memories of her final torturous months entrapped in the dark were so intense that she was still unable to speak about it.

The pain in her heart ached so badly that she could hardly bear it. Part of her wanted to run away screaming as fast as she could. Another part of her just wanted to disappear entirely. She was immensely thankful for John's continued presence in the demolished ruins of what was once her happy life. Bess attributed his unconditional love and support as the only thing preventing her from disintegrating into complete insanity.

When they finally reached the banks of the alcove, the Earth-res studied Julia intently. Bess wanted to hate the physician for her part in destroying her contented world, but found that she couldn't. She knew how truly sorry Julia was and that her intentions had been honorable, though the consequences of the doctor's actions had proven to be devastating. This was one of the reasons that Bess had requested to meet with Julia privately. Bess hoped to use Julia's guilty conscience and her desire to rectify the damage she'd caused to her advantage.

Almost since the moment she'd been forced to return to her conscious existence, the Earth-res had been contemplating ways to return to the Dreamplane. For days, she'd unsuccessfully tried to persuade John that the Terrians were the key to transporting them back home to reclaim their lives. However, her husband had refused to be swayed on the issue, leaving Bess to grapple for other avenues to achieve the objective. And now Bess was convinced that she had finally found the answer. It was so simple that she couldn't believe that she'd not considered it before. If injecting stimulants into their bodies could remove them from the Dreamplane, then it was probable that sedatives could send them back.

Bess hoped that Julia would be willing to assist her, John and possibly True by supplying them with the necessary medicine to enable them to attain their goal. However, Bess had already decided that, if Julia refused to help them, she would have no choice but to take matters into her own hands. After all, Bess noted, the doctor couldn't possibly keep track of her medical bag twenty-four hours a day.

"I love it up here," Bess sighed peacefully as she submerged herself in the warm water.

"It's a wonderful spot," Julia answered as she disrobed and joined her. She made sure not to venture too far away from the river's edge. The doctor wanted to stay close to her med-kit, just in case it was needed.

"It feels so strange to bathe out in the open instead of using our bathtub," Bess commented before quizzically turning her gaze skyward toward the rising summer sun. "It's so hot out, too. In my memories of this place, winter was just coming to an end. The last time we were up here, John and Adam were ice-skating."

Julia's head angled backward in surprise. "Danziger can ice-skate?" she said incredulously. She would have paid an untold amount of credits to have witnessed that debacle.

Bess laughed, "Oh, sure, although it wasn't easy to convince him to do it. You should have seen him the first time he tried it. He griped the whole time I led him around the ice."

"I can imagine," the physician said with a small chuckle.

Bess grinned from ear to ear as she reminisced. "It was actually kind of comical. He got the hang of it eventually." She winked suggestively and added, "He's pretty agile for a guy his size."

Julia's posturing relayed her continued awkwardness about Bess and John's current romantic status. Bess picked up on this immediately and waded toward her, remarking sympathetically, "This must be throwing you for quite a loop, huh? Everyone waking up from the Dreamplane with drastic changes in their personalities. Some of them still look at you and Alonzo as if you're dead. Suddenly, half the camp has paired off with each other. A few of us have even changed partners. It's probably pretty surreal for you."

"It's definitely been quite a week," the doctor agreed, nodding her head.

Bess' attention was captured by the squawking sound of a faraway bird which resonated throughout the valley. It had been years since she'd seen a bird or any other animal and she looked up in curiosity in the hopes of stealing a glimpse of the creature. When the visual search turned up empty and the echoes faded into the distance, she disappointedly returned her gaze downward. Catching sight of her reflection, she reached out and lightly touched the water, causing a rippling effect and distorting her image.

She stared in wonderment at her garbled reflection, exclaiming, "It's so hard for me to believe that eight days ago, I was twenty-four years old and married to Morgan."

"Bess, you still are twenty-four years old," Julia responded straightforwardly. "And you're still married to Morgan."

Bess lifted her head to face the physician. "Not in my mind. Not in my heart," she answered resolutely. "I don't care what I look like on the outside. It's the inside that counts. I am a thirty-nine year old woman and I am the wife of John Danziger, not Morgan Martin."

She continued in a serious tone, "I did love Morgan once. He's the reason that I'm here on this planet and I'll always be grateful to him for that. If I hadn't been married to Morgan, I would never have met John."

Julia exhaled deeply and diverted her gaze, not knowing what to say.

"I know that you don't understand it, this bond that John and I have," Bess explained in an effort to convince the doctor. "It goes so much deeper than love. Even before the last of you died, John had become my best friend. He was my confidant. He put my grief over losing Morgan before his own loss. Of course, I knew that it was partly an avoidance tactic so he could hide from his own feelings, but talking to him helped me more than you could ever imagine. And, eventually, he let me help him work through his grief, too. That first winter in the cave, he had the chance to leave the Dreamplane, but chose to stay behind so I wouldn't be alone. He's the first person who I have ever been able to completely depend on. And John always puts me first, whether I want him to or not. Even now, he's putting my pain before his own."

Bess' expression darkened and the corners of her mouth arched downward as she expressed, "He's hurting so much, Julia. He's trying to hide it because he doesn't want to worry me, but I can see it in his eyes. I can hear it in his voice."

The Earth-res shook her head and continued in a concerned voice, "You know, John and I haven't made love since we've gotten back. And it's not for my lack of trying, believe me. But he pushes me away every time I approach him about it. He tries to shrug it off saying that there's too much going on right now. Sometimes, he says that it's been too long for him and he's pretty much forgotten how to have sex anyway. Once he even used the excuse that I'm still legally married to Morgan and making love to me would be considered adultery in the eyes of God." She exited the water and began to roughly replace her clothing as she added tartly, "Well, I certainly gave him my two-cents on how I feel about that."

"How do you feel, Bess?" Julia inquired as she followed suit and started to redress as well.

"I told him that there was no God. I mean, there just couldn't be," she said sharply as she poked her head and arms through the holes of her shirt. Her voice rose slightly as she relayed, "The God that I grew up believing in wouldn't just sit back and watch our lives being destroyed over and over again. He wouldn't take away our children just for the sake of taking them. And the God that I thought existed certainly wouldn't let my husband suffer in agony by himself for thirty years."

She unsuccessfully blinked back her tears as she struggled with her anguish. "No one-- not even the worst penal colonist, not even Gaal-- deserves what John was put through."

Bess stopped to take several deep breaths in an effort to reign in her despair. Once she had composed herself, she stated bluntly, "And if there is a God, then I don't want any part of Him. I'll never forgive Him for His cruelty."

She harshly seated herself on her favorite overturned tree trunk and began to lace up her boots. After a few moments of soulful contemplation, Bess' sorrowful expression changed to one of absolute assuredness.

"You know what?" she expressed confidently as she brushed away her tears. "I prefer to put my faith in John. He's never deserted me in my time of need. He's the one who protects and takes care of me. He's the reason that I'm alive."

She stood and helped Julia to her own feet before asserting with conviction, "And I'll do whatever it takes to protect him, too."

_____

Devon excitedly rose from her bed bright and early that morning, despite having spent half the night in Morgan's quarters conferring on how to best help their two loved ones. Indeed, some important decisions had been made. Decisions that had serious short and long term consequences.

As she wandered along the edge of camp, Devon observed Julia and Bess setting out toward the banks of the river. What a lucky break, the leader thought to herself. She would never have guessed that an opportunity like this would present itself so soon. It was the perfect time to put the first stages of her and Morgan's plan into action.

Devon peered around her to ensure that she went unnoticed and began to make her way toward Danziger's refuge. Her first stop was the med-tent to confirm that Solace was still sleeping soundly, thus allowing her to accomplish what she needed to do without his unwanted interruptions.

That task completed, she crept to John's quarters and cautiously entered without announcing herself. She was relieved to find Danziger alone, lying flat on his back in his cot with his fingers firmly clasped behind his head. He was fully dressed with the exception of his shoes. His razor and a used basin of soapy water were set on the makeshift dresser beside his bunk. Devon carefully seated herself next to him on the edge of his mattress. It was only then that she noticed that John was awake, his wide-open blue eyes intently focusing on the stark, nylon ceiling above him.

"Good morning, Danziger. Can I speak to you a minute?" she beckoned, trying to sound as cheerful as possible.

He didn't respond to her voice. In fact, he didn't seem to notice that she was there at all.

"Danziger," she tried again. "John? John?"

She tentatively reached out and brushed the tangled curls off of his forehead. Abruptly, the mechanic's hand flew to his face and caught her hand, pushing it away from him. Devon suspected that he would be angry at her invasion of his personal space. Instead, he greeted her with frightened eyes.

"D-Devon," he stammered out. "I don't think you're s-supposed to be here."

Devon shrugged her shoulders and attempted to be nonchalant. "I know, but since when have I ever followed orders?" she replied with a raised eyebrow. "Besides, I really need to talk with you and this'll only take a second."

Danziger was confused. He hurriedly scanned the room and realized that he was alone with Devon, or at least an image that resembled Devon. He wasn't really sure which at this point. He apprehensively moved to the sitting position and readied himself for what the apparition of his former employer had come to tell him.

Now that she had his attention, Devon nervously cleared her throat and began, "John, you've obviously been through a terrible experience. I'm sure that things seem kind of strange to you and it's going to take awhile for things to get back to normal."

He just stared at her in silence.

"You know, True's been staying with me in my tent these past few days. One of the few bright spots in this whole mess is that she and I have gotten the chance to spend a lot of time together." Devon added with a small grin, "That's one terrific little girl you have there."

Her smile disappeared as she watched Danziger's eyes fill with sadness.

"Yeah, she was a great kid," he whispered evenly.

His choice of tenses when referring to his daughter threw Devon further off-balance and she quickened the pace of her speech. "Anyway, True and I have gotten much closer. In fact, I would go so far as to say that I've begun to think of her as more of a daughter. And I know that Uly is already like a son to you."

John showed no sign of acknowledgment to her admission as she continued, "So, I was thinking that maybe we should combine our tents together so the four of us can live under one roof. Of course, in the beginning, Uly and True should probably stay with Yale until things settle down a bit."

Danziger's head tilted back slightly and his brows furrowed in perplexity. Devon forced him to look her in the eyes as she took his quivering hand in her own and dove in with both feet.

"I care about you very deeply, John. I'm not expecting a physical relationship with you. I don't expect anything from you at all. I just want to be with you," Devon confessed in earnest. "From the day we crashed here, you've been there for me. As a matter of fact, you've always given one hundred percent of yourself when it comes to making sure that the entire group is taken care of. Even now, I can see how protective you are of Bess. So, I've talked with Morgan and he agrees that we should keep our tents close together so she can spend as much time as she needs with you. We're going to ask Julia to put her tent near us, too."

The mechanic shook his head as he tried to make sense of her disclosure. "I d-don't understand," he muttered.

Devon placed her other hand gently under his chin and brought his gaze back to her. Danziger could only sit there in shock as she lovingly traced the line of his jaw with her fingers until her hand rested soundly on his shoulder. He realized that Devon's hands were shaking a bit, too.

"I'm saying that we're going to help you. Morgan is going to look after Bess and I am going to look after you," Devon proclaimed as her hand left his shoulder and slid down his arm to grasp his other hand. "You and I will get through this together," she solemnly decreed, giving his fingers a determined squeeze.

Danziger attempted to retreat from her hold. "You c-can't help me, Devon," he staggered out, still completely befuddled. Could this really be happening?

She tightened her grip. "I can try. Please let me try," she implored, her words becoming increasingly urgent. "And if you aren't well by the time we get to New Pacifica, I'll consult with Dr. Vasquez when the colony ship arrives and see if he has any ideas for your treatment."

"N-New Pacifica?" John questioned, blinking several times. Beads of sweat were beginning to form on his brow.

"And if he can't help, maybe the doctors back on the Stations can."

Danziger's eyes narrowed as what she was saying began to sink in. "Just what are you t-telling me?"

Devon looked at him with both affection and a fierce resolve. She took a deep breath and went for broke. "I'm saying that after the colony is set up and the Syndrome children are healed, my work here will be done."

Devon let go of his hands and grabbed him firmly by both shoulders. "Think about it, John. Uly is healthy and I will have accomplished everything that I set out to do. They wouldn't really need me, anymore. All of us can return to the Stations and make a life for ourselves. We can get you the help that you need."

Danziger gaped openmouthed at her as she added, "Besides, we wouldn't be the only ones going back. As angry as everyone is at the Terrians right now, I wouldn't be surprised if most of Eden Advance decides to leave when the Jamestown arrives."

John was absolutely floored by her selfless proposal. The idea that she would willingly give up so much for him was astounding. Perhaps she had loved him, too, all of those years ago, he reflected to himself.

He attempted to shake himself back to coherent thought. If this was indeed real, John knew that he could never let Devon abandon her life's work for him. Too much had changed. Not only did he no longer love her, he knew that his own days were numbered.

Danziger removed her hands from his shoulders and unsteadily rose to his feet in order to widen the distance between them. Perspiration trickled down his face and his heart pounded loudly in his chest as he paced about the room, struggling for the right words. It was time to clear the air and fill Devon in regarding his Dreamplane experiences and the severity of his current condition. He felt that he owed her that much.

"Devon," he began softly, "I appreciate what you're t-trying to do, believe me, but this won't work."

"But it will work," she insisted as, she too, jumped to her feet. "Just give me a chance to show you."

He turned away from her and his voice became strained. "No, you d- don't understand. I can't go with you to New Pacifica."

She took a confident stride toward him. "Of course you can go because True, Uly and I will be there with you every step of the way," Devon willfully pronounced. "In fact, we're leaving this morning."

"What?" he shouted in alarm as he whipped around to face her.

She attempted to ignore Danziger's mortified expression and voice as he reacted to her words. "The faster we get you out of this valley and away from this group of Terrians, the safer you'll be," she asserted, using her most pragmatic tone. "True and I will come back after breakfast to help you pack up your things. Morgan will be by later to pick up Bess' belongings. After that, I'll send Magus and Walman to take down your tent."

John staggered back, his mind spinning out of control over the possible harmful repercussions Devon's decision could have on Bess' health. Paranoia reigned supreme when he suddenly realized that his wife was nowhere to be found. How long had she been gone? Had the others already put their plan in motion and split them apart from each other? Where had they taken her, his deluded mind fearfully posed.

"No, no, no, NO, NO!" he repeated, his quiet pleas evolving into screams. He lurched forward toward the stunned leader and roared, "Y-Y-You can't do this!"

Devon could see and feel Danziger's body rocking with shivers as he harshly seized her by the arms and shouted at the top of his lungs, "Where is she? Why c-can't you just leave us alone?"

Devon was cemented in place, too shocked to answer him. She found that she could only stare helplessly into John's furious and terrified eyes.

"What are you doing in here?" Alonzo angrily challenged Devon as he stormed into the tent.

Danziger released Devon from his clutches and turned to the pilot, begging in a distressed voice, "You g-gotta stop her, 'Lonz! They've separated Bess and me! She s-says that we're leaving today!" He added in exasperation, "Y-You promised us that this wouldn't happen!"

Solace glared at Devon before reassuring the mechanic, "No one is going anywhere and no one is going to split the two of you up, okay?"

"Th-Then where is B-Bess?" he asked as his shudders increased in intensity.

"I saw her leave with Julia about twenty minutes ago," Devon was finally able to answer. "It looked to me like they were going to the river to bathe."

"You see? Everything's okay. I'm sure that they'll be back any second," the pilot placated.

As Alonzo turned to Devon and the two began a heated exchange with each other, Danziger slowly withdrew backward until he felt the metal frame of his cot jutting against his legs. He seated himself and sank his head into his hands with his elbows resting on his knees. Perspiration poured down his face and he closed his eyes in an effort to ward off the dizziness that now engulfed him. The thunderous pounding in his ears made it difficult to distinguish Alonzo and Devon's hostile conversation only a few feet away. Soon, he wasn't able to hear them at all.

Bess will be safe. Everything will be all right, John said to himself over and over again. He knew that forcing Bess to leave the valley before she was emotionally ready would have a terrible effect on her. But Julia and Alonzo understood this, too and, somehow, they would be able to convince Devon that they couldn't leave. At least, not yet.

Eventually, True will be okay, too, he rationalized. As much as he would have liked to see his daughter one more time, he knew that it was in her best interests that he stayed away from her. Danziger was hopeful that she would remember him as the man he once was instead of the unbalanced person he'd become in his final days. He also hoped that she would someday forgive him for leaving her like this.

John's thoughts drifted to Devon. He was glad to hear that she now considered True to be like a daughter to her. That would make the transition much easier when she took over the responsibility of raising her. Of course, Danziger would have preferred for his wife to take custody of True after he was gone, but Bess needed to concentrate on her own recovery. Morgan will probably be a big help to Bess, too. He still cares for her and will see to it that she lives a good life. Maybe Bess will fall back in love with him and they'll remarry someday. Perhaps she'll even have more children, John speculated as he unsuccessfully battled to obtain a full breath.

After a time, he let go and allowed himself to surrender to the overwhelming anguish and exhaustion he'd been fighting for days. His trembling ceased.

_____

Meanwhile, Danziger's presence was all but forgotten as Alonzo and Devon argued just inside the doorway of the tent. Neither showed any signs of stopping as their ire increased with each syllable.

"Why are you telling him that we aren't leaving?" Devon spat angrily.

The pilot shot back hotly, "Because we're not!"

Devon dug her balled fists deep into her hips. "Excuse me, but the last time I checked, I was in charge of Eden Advance. How dare you-"

Solace irately pointed at her, interrupting, "When are you going to get it through your head that this isn't about you or what you want, huh? This is about Bess and John!"

"Don't you think I know that?" The leader's eyes stared daggers as she seethed, "And I also know that we can't stay in these mountains forever!"

"I'm telling you that neither of them are in any condition to go anywhere right now!"

"Well, when will they be ready to travel?" She cynically added, "Or do you expect us to leave them behind?"

_____

As Julia and Bess made their way back up the trail, the Earth-res was inwardly kicking herself for becoming so emotional while at the river. It had caused her to temporarily postpone her plans to ask Julia for her aid in sending her and John back to the Dreamplane. Bess hoped that she would get another chance soon. She couldn't wait to take her husband home and put this whole nightmare behind them.

The two were about twenty-five yards from the tent when the angry voices of Alonzo and Devon reached their ears. The pair traded a nervous glance before breaking into a sprint to reach the dwelling as quickly as possible.

"What's going on? What happened?" Julia interrupted them as she and Bess entered.

Alonzo and Devon both began yelling at once, each furiously explaining their side of the story to the doctor. Bess ignored them and immediately rushed past the group to Danziger's cot where the mechanic was silently seated with his head still buried in his hands.

"John? John, Honey?" she said as she gingerly tugged on his arms by the wrist in encouragement for him to lift his head to meet her gaze.

However, as she pulled upward, Danziger slumped back and landed on the mattress with a thud. Bess' blood ran cold when she realized that his eyes were closed and his skin was white as a sheet. And he wasn't breathing.

"JULIA!"

The arguing stopped as both Bess and Julia sprang into action. Instinct took over as the physician dove into her med-bag to retrieve her Diaglove while Bess began to administer CPR, a technique taught to her by Danziger during their time on the Dreamplane.

"John, please don't do this," Bess muttered just before pinching his nose and blowing three quick puffs of air into his mouth.

At the same time, Julia scanned Danziger's motionless body to confirm her diagnosis. "How long has he been down?" she asked Alonzo and Devon.

"Down?" Alonzo echoed in amazement. "We were just talking to him a few minutes ago," he said, looking at Devon who seemed to be unable to move.

"Exactly how many minutes?" Julia snapped, her patience long gone.

"I don't know. Maybe two at the most," the pilot responded.

Bess was about to begin chest compressions when Julia stopped her. "Wait. This is more effective," she told the Earth-res as she placed the Diaglove on his chest and implemented the equipment's cardio-vert function. The shock sent a charge of energy surging through Danziger's body and he convulsed violently. Julia hurriedly repeated the process twice more without the wanted result.

"Dammit!" the doctor yelled as she tossed her Diaglove to the side and replunged into her medical kit. As she searched for the right remedy, Bess fell to her knees beside Danziger's cot and whispered words of encouragement into his ear.

"Come on, John, breathe," Bess quietly pleaded as she smoothed back his hair. "Wake up. Please don't leave me. I need you too much."

After finding and loading the hypospray, Julia ripped open Danziger's sweat-soaked shirt with the intention of injecting the medicine directly into his heart. However, just as she placed the instrument against his skin, John's chest stirred and he inhaled a healthy gulp of air. The color began to return to his face as Julia again donned her Diaglove to affirm that his vital signs were rising, though they tapered off at a level still far below normal.

"Will he wake up soon?" Bess asked Julia as she sat mesmerized by the rise and fall of John's chest.

As if on cue, Danziger's eyelids started to flicker, eventually lifting to reveal his wearied blue eyes. Devon darted toward his cot, but halted when the mechanic feebly reached out for Bess' hand instead.

"Hi, Bess," John softly greeted as his mouth creased upward into a frail smile.

The Earth-res immediately burst into tears and flung herself into his arms.

"It's all right, Babe. Everything's okay," John soothed as she buried her face into his neck.

After a few moments of John comforting her with his words and touch, Bess raised her head to view his tired features.

"I was so scared. Please- Please don't leave me," she cried as the tears cascaded down her cheeks.

"I'm trying not to, Bess," Danziger murmured, briefly trading a look of hopelessness with Julia.

Bess placed her cheek against his bare chest, covering his heart. "You're my life," she expressed with emotion, unknowingly parroting Morgan's description of her from the prior evening.

John responded by enclosing the Earth-res in his arms and gently kissing the top of her curls. Considerably weakened by the morning's events, he shut his eyes and fell asleep almost instantly.

Julia, who was also visibly shaken, turned to Devon and Alonzo and quietly addressed, "I need to run some tests on both of them now. It would be best if we had some privacy."

Solace nodded and lightly tugged on Devon's elbow to encourage her to follow him. She gradually staggered backwards to the exit, her gaze remaining fixed on Bess and John until she was well out the door.

"Come on, let's get back to camp," Solace suggested as Julia lowered the tent flap behind them.

Devon remained stationary with her back to the pilot, staring morosely at the closed door to the dwelling.

"Devon, let's go," he, again, prompted, taking a step toward her.

The leader slowly turned to face him, looking as though she'd been struck by a sledgehammer. Her bottom lip shook and her eyes were shining with tears. She'd obviously confirmed what she'd suspected about the intensity of Bess and John's attachment to each other. But Devon had also experienced a moment of clarity regarding a bigger, much graver, issue.

"He's going to die, isn't he?" she whispered in a trembling voice.

Solace held her distressed gaze. "If we don't do something, yeah," he answered.

"And Bess?" Devon asked as she wrapped her arms in front of her, hugging herself tightly.

Alonzo nodded sadly in affirmation that the Earth-res' future was also very likely in jeopardy.

Devon was barely able to get out the words. "Can we stop it from happening?" she asked grimly.

Alonzo sighed as he called to mind his latest discussion with the Terrians. "There might be a way," he said, glancing toward the main campsite that was gradually coming to life behind them. "But it's not going to be easy and we're going to need the cooperation of every single person here to do it. Even then, it still may not work," he cautioned.

Upon hearing the pilot's disclosure, Devon stifled her sobs, along with her feelings of discouragement. There was no place for that kind of thinking right now. Not if there was still a chance to save the man that she loved. She briefly closed her eyes in deep concentration as she emotionally transformed herself back into the dauntless leader that she knew would be required.

There was a renewed determination in her voice as she commanded to Alonzo, "Just tell me what has to be done."

_____

Approximately an hour later, most of Eden Advance was gathered in the meal tent to learn the possible answer to their dilemma. Yale, having already been filled in and given his approval of the Terrian's solution, had taken the children on a nature walk to prevent them from hearing anything upsetting. Bess and John were also absent from the meeting and remained in their quarters. The Earth-res diligently watched over the man whom she considered to be her spouse as he recuperated from his earlier collapse. Julia had hesitated to leave them alone, but Bess promised the doctor that she would alert her via gear if Danziger took a turn for the worse. Besides, she insisted, Julia's presence would be needed to assist Alonzo and Devon in explaining what would be expected of the colonists if they proceeded forward with the Terrian's idea.

As the three presented the proposal to the group, there were some mixed reactions to say the least.

"They're gonna what?" Mazatl snapped in amazement.

"Look, I'm not exactly sure how they're going to do it," Alonzo explained, "but, somehow, the Terrians are prepared to make us forget about this entire week."

"They're gonna erase our minds?" Magus said, uncomfortably. "They can do that?"

"Apparently so," Devon answered, looking a bit nervous, herself.

"And we won't remember anything?"

"That's right," Alonzo agreed.

Cameron blurted out, "I don't think I want the Terrians to get inside my head like that."

"Why not?" Baines grilled. "They were inside your head when they sent you to the Dreamplane."

"Exactly my point," Cameron's voice raised uncharacteristically. "And I don't want them in there, again. They've done enough damage!"

"We don't have much of a choice here," Julia asserted, calling their attention back to the front of the room. "John has already reached a critical stage and he and Bess are getting weaker by the minute."

"What are you talking about?" Walman scoffed as he stood up. "I mean, I know that they seem to be missing a few of their marbles-"

"Are you kidding?" Baines interrupted. "Bess is acting nuttier than when she had that flower pollen living inside her." He missed the dirty looks of Morgan and several others as he added, "And Danziger's practically a zombie."

Walman shook his head and decided to rephrase his own remarks. "I'm not saying that there isn't something wrong with them. But I think that we may be overreacting a bit here." He shrugged as he offered, "I bet that, with a little time and patience, they'll eventually come out of it on their own."

"No, they won't," Julia opposed. "Bess and Danziger are very sick. And if we don't act quickly, both of them are going to die."

Over the murmurs of the colonists, Denner questioned, "Wait a minute. I know that they've been behaving strangely, but we're talking about emotional pain. How can that kill them?"

"What we're talking about here is severe mental illness," Julia clarified. "And now it's reached the point where they've become a danger to themselves."

"Are you saying that they're suicidal?"

"In a manner of speaking, yes," the physician nodded as she tried to make eye contact with each person in the room. "Both of them have reached their breaking point and their minds and bodies are beginning to shut down. Basically, the two of them are willing themselves to die."

"Oh my God," Magus exclaimed worriedly. "Do they even know that they're doing this?"

Alonzo stepped forward. "John understands what's happening and he's trying to fight it the best he can. But he knows that it's a losing battle." He sighed before speculating, "I think the only reason that he's still here at all is because he's trying to save Bess."

Julia solemnly added, "You should know that Danziger had a very close call this morning. We were lucky enough to get to him in time. But, if things stay the way they are, we're just putting off the inevitable." As she finished speaking, the doctor noticed Devon blink back a tear.

"What about Bess?" Denner inquired.

"She's well aware that she's teetering on the brink of sanity. She's also frightened by John's declining health. However, I don't think that she understands how serious their conditions really are," Julia explained. "I do know that, when one of them dies, the other will most likely follow very soon afterward."

The Edenites stared at her in silence as they absorbed the gravity of their friends' situation.

Julia knew that this was no time to be diplomatic. The circumstances were too precarious for her to hold back on what would occur if strong measures weren't taken soon.

She continued, "Danziger will probably succumb first. When that happens, I think that Bess will essentially curl up into a ball and die." She watched Morgan's eye's narrow as the doctor revealed, "It's also within the realm of possibility that she will attempt something drastic in order to hasten her death."

The bureaucrat flew to his feet. "I've had just about enough of this garbage," he angrily challenged as he made his way to the front of the room. "I'm not going to sit here and listen to you discuss when and why my wife is going to kill herself," he disputed as he stood in front of Julia and animatedly tossed his hands into the air. "Don't you know how ridiculous this all sounds? She's Catholic for goodness sake. She would never do anything that would cause her soul to be sent to Hell."

Julia grabbed one of his flailing arms by the wrist and announced, "Morgan, when Bess woke up from the Dreamplane, she not only renounced Catholicism, she renounced God. She no longer believes in Hell."

"That can't be true," he declared, wearing a shocked expression.

"I'm afraid that it is," Julia gloomily confirmed as she let go of his arm. "I'm sorry to be so brutal, but I need you to understand what we're dealing with here. Bess is emotionally unstable. She's not thinking with a clear mind anymore."

Morgan sank into a nearby chair. "This can't be happening," he muttered as Walman patted his shoulder in support.

"What can we do?" Cameron asked bleakly.

Alonzo answered, "We do what the Terrians proposed."

Devon took center stage and explained in a forthright tone, "It's going to take all of us working together. We have to put everything back as closely as we can to the way things were last week."

She turned her attention to specific members of her crew and directed, "I'm sorry Magus, but you and Walman are going to have to move back to your original tents. The same goes for Denner and Cameron."

Both couples exchanged looks of bewilderment.

"You mean, we won't remember our relationship?" Magus said in surprise. "Even the one we've had since we returned from the Dreamplane?"

"That's exactly what I'm saying. We can't have any reminders of the last eight days. We could accidentally trigger someone's memory and it would cause a snowball effect. We'd end up exactly where we are right now."

Magus laid her head against Walman's shoulder as he questioned, "Why can't the Terrians just take away Bess and Danziger's memories?"

Alonzo replied, "Because it's too risky. One accidental slip could open the flood gates and bring everything crashing back. We honestly don't know what would happen to them."

"It could literally kill them," Julia added.

Denner posed, "If we all agreed to this, when would the Terrians do it?"

"Tomorrow morning. We would also need be packed up and ready to go. I want to get us out of this mountain range as fast as possible to keep anyone's memory from being jogged," Alonzo responded.

"This is some messed up shit," Baines murmured under his breath.

"Aren't we going to be kind of confused when we suddenly wake up with our bags packed?" Mazatl asked. "And how are we going to account for the missing time?"

"I've thought of all of that and I've already come up with a solution," Solace said as he folded his arms and tried to exude as much confidence as possible. "One of us will retain the events of the past week and guide us all to safety."

"Who?"

"Me," Alonzo declared over the pessimistic whispers of the others. "Think about it. I'm the one who dreams with the Terrians and we'll need to work together to make sure that everything goes smoothly. Plus, I'm also the only one who knows the complete story of the past week. I'll be able to explain away almost everything to keep you from discovering the truth."

"You won't be able to explain all of it," Baines countered.

The pilot assured, "I realize that and I'm going to have to tiptoe very carefully around you all when it comes to what you're told. I'm also willing to bet that one or more of you will want to launch an investigation into finding out what really happened to us. And I'm guessing that those people will be Devon, Morgan, Julia and, possibly, John."

Julia opened her mouth to protest, but halted when she recognized that he was correct. Morgan and Devon briefly bowed their heads as well.

"I may have to drop a few hints along with some red herrings. Anything that will keep you from uncovering any harmful information on your own," Solace continued. "However, it may be necessary to tell Julia that Danziger was injured."

"But why?" Devon blurted out in trepidation.

Julia spoke directly to the leader and disclosed, "There's been some permanent tissue damage to John's heart and several of his organs have been under a tremendous strain these past few days. Even if things are returned to the way they used to be, there's a possibility that he will never be completely healthy again. Alonzo will watch him closely and, if it turns out that Danziger needs medical attention, I'll be filled in on a need-to-know basis."

Morgan uttered, "What about Bess?"

"Nothing is for certain. But if we're able to pull this off successfully, I believe that she'll make a full recovery. Hopefully, she'll never have any idea how sick she was," Julia informed him.

Walman turned to Alonzo. "What if you accidentally give too much away?"

"I promise that I'll do whatever it takes to keep this a secret," he declared with fortitude in his tone. "I won't let you down."

"Well, um," Baines apprehensively asked. "Should we take a vote?"

"Do we really need to?" Denner sadly reflected as she leaned in and kissed Cameron's cheek.

He looked back at her with an equally somber expression. "Bess and John have done so much for us. We owe it to them."

Magus turned her head away from the gathering. She didn't want them to witness her tears as she came to grips with the knowledge that she was about to be deprived of the man that she loved.

Walman curled his arms around her waist and whispered into her ear, "You know we have to do this."

Magus started to quietly weep as she turned and embraced him.

"Don't worry, Linda," Walman assured as he squeezed her tightly. "You and me- we got fate on our side. It's just gonna take a little longer, that's all."

Magus swallowed her cries before pulling back to meet his gaze. "It could be fun falling in love with you all over again."

The crewman winked and gave her a devilish smile. "It could be a whole lot of fun."

Amidst the sounds of sniffling and soft sobs, Devon asked, "So it's decided then?"

Every member of Eden Project reluctantly nodded their agreement to proceed forward with the plan. After they dispersed, the crew slowly trudged their way back to their quarters and began to systematically nullify all the events, good and bad, that had taken place since they'd entered the valley. It was going to be a long day.

__________

You must login (register) to review.