Learning Experiences by Allison McDonnell

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By late afternoon, Eden Advance reached their goal and even Devon had to admit that it was a breathtaking sight. The valley was chock-full of vegetation with the surrounding hills displaying numerous shades of vibrant green. As they descended the ridge, the colonists could smell the faint scent of tuberoses along with several other colorful varieties of flowers and herbs.

"It's incredible here," Magus exclaimed as she picked a yellow dandelion-like blossom and tucked it behind her ear.

Alonzo nodded and remarked, "This has got to be the place."

They entered the flat grassy clearing several hundred yards wide and began to unload their tents and personal items. However, several of them stopped when they noticed Danziger walking away from them, deep in concentration.

"What is it, Dad?"

He turned and brought his index-finger to his lips. "Ssshhh, listen. Do you hear it?" The camp immediately became silent. "Sounds like rushing water."

"Must be the river that the Terrians were talking about."

A look of euphoria spread across the faces of just about every member of the crew. Most dropped what they were doing and tore off into the forest toward the direction of the sound. When they reached the banks, they were greeted with an almost ideal scene. There was a large circular alcove of water that stretched almost seventy-five yards across. It would have been technically considered a lake if its contents didn't spill into the river just beyond. Although the river itself was foreboding with rough, choppy waters, the current dissipated as it edged toward the shore.

After Julia tested the water and gave the all-clear sign, many Edenites gleefully jumped in fully clothed to cool down. John reached the riverside just in time to see Alonzo playfully yank a very surprised Julia into the water. Walman, Magus and Baines were in the midst of a boisterous splashing fight while True was busy dunking Uly.

"Careful, True-girl. Don't stray too far away from the bank." He sprinkled a bit of water on his face and behind his neck and laughed, "And stop trying to drown Uly."

She groaned before reluctantly agreeing. Of course, as soon as her father's attention was drawn away, Uly again disappeared underwater.

"I can't wait to finally have some clean clothes to wear," Denner said as she submerged herself.

Cameron waded over next to her and complacently added, "I could stay in here all night."

Danziger waited at the water's edge for a few more minutes and studied the new surroundings. As beautiful as the setting was, something didn't seem right.

Clapping his hands to get their attention, he authoritatively called out, "Okay, guys, enough fun for now. We need to get our campsite up. Who's on meal-duty tonight?"

Cameron and Denner reluctantly raised their hands.

"Well, let's snap to it." John started filling the empty pails which he had brought with him. "Solace and Walman, I could use your help over here."

The two slowly trudged toward him, their shoes squeaking due to the fact that neither had bothered to remove them before taking a dip. He handed them a full pail. "Grab a bucket."

Both men could see that the mechanic was definitely anxious about something. "What's wrong?"

"Probably nothing," John replied in a low voice. "I just get the feeling like we're being watched."

Alonzo looked around him nervously. "Yeah. Now that you mention it, I feel it, too."

Danziger stood up, hoisting two full pails of water. "Well, no need to alert the entire camp. Just keep your eyes peeled."

"Shouldn't we tell Devon?" Walman asked as John began to make his way through the woods toward camp.

Yeah, John thought sarcastically, that would make my day complete. He shook his head and snorted, "Be my guest."

________

Everyone had abandoned the campsite to search for the river with the exception of Devon, Yale, Bess and Morgan. While Yale and Morgan gathered firewood, Bess decided that it was high-time to have a heart-to-heart talk with their leader. She strolled up to Devon who was in the midst of unpacking various navigation equipment from the 'Rover.

"Did you need something, Bess?" she asked with her back to the Earth- res.

"Well, Danziger and I were talking this afternoon and it got me thinking about all that we've been through since we crashed here." She assisted Devon in lifting a folding table from the cab of the vehicle. "You know, how much we've been changed by our experiences."

Devon stopped and gave her a steely gaze. The mention of the mechanic's name put her immediately on edge. "Is there a point to this?" she said curtly.

"I guess I'm just trying to understand why you're so angry all the time. Why you're pushing all of us away." Bess gave Devon her most reassuring look and revealed her true agenda. "I know that you almost died and it must have been a very frightening experience, but we're here for you. And more importantly, John is here for you."

Although she was a bit unnerved by Devon's intense stare, she continued. "John loves you. And I think that you could love him, too, if you just allowed yourself to admit your feelings."

There was a very pregnant pause. Bess swore that she could actually see steam coming out of Devon's ears. "Are you finished?"

Bess nodded, now thinking that this may not have been such a good idea after all.

"First of all, what you call 'anger', I call voicing my opinion and sticking to my guns." Devon's face became flushed. "You think I'm coming across as a shrew? Too bad. I'm not here to be your best friend nor am I trying to win a popularity contest. And I'm not pushing anyone away. I'm simply weeding out any unnecessary interaction that keeps me from focusing on the tasks at hand. I'm in charge of getting us to New Pacifica in time for the colony ship and I will not allow anyone or anything to get in the way."

She stepped toward Bess, forcing her to retreat backwards against the 'Rover. "And as for Danziger, I couldn't care less how he feels about me. While I'll admit that I may have had an attraction to him in the past, those feelings are certainly long gone now. Those months in cold-sleep opened my eyes wide open. It made me realize that I don't want or need a man in my life. With the exception of my son, I don't need anyone." Her nose was only inches from Bess as she hissed, "Have I made myself clear?"

Bess was flabbergasted by Devon's outburst. Finally finding her voice, Bess uttered, "Yes, you've made yourself clear and I've never felt more sorry for you than I do right now."

"I don't want your pity," Devon seethed. "In fact, maybe you should stop wasting your time worrying about my love life and start concentrating on trying to save your own failing marriage."

Devon marched away, leaving Bess in wide-eyed shock. She felt as though she had been slapped across the face. This was no longer the woman that Bess had poured her heart out to when she and Morgan had had their initial marital problems. With a heavy heart, Bess realized that things had indeed changed, the least of which was the knowledge that she now had one less person whom she could call friend.

__________

"How could she say such terrible things?" Bess huffed as she heatedly fastened the poles of their tent together.

Morgan was struggling as he tried to secure the pegs into the ground. "Bess, how many times have I told you not to talk to her?"

She acted as though she hadn't heard him. "I mean, she was certainly bossy when we first landed here, but she got better." Bess shook her head. "Devon used to laugh and smile. She listened to what we had to say. How could one person change so much?"

Morgan straightened up and looked at her oddly. "Honey, don't you remember all of the times I'd come home from work and tell you about the things Devon had done? All of the people she'd fire if her demands weren't met to the letter. She tried to dismiss me at least a half a dozen times, but couldn't since I was appointed by the government." He rolled his eyes at the memories. "The battles she'd wage over being granted level clearances. She had the subtlety of a steamroller when it came to getting what she wanted. Nothing was ever good enough for her. She was positively tyrannical."

Morgan laid his hands on his wife's shoulders reassuringly. "What I'm trying to tell you is that she's changed, but not the way you think. THIS is the real Devon, the one that I dealt with on a daily basis on the Stations. Maybe her personality was on sabbatical those first six months we were here, but she's back to the way she used to be. And if she wants to run the planet like its her own personal boardroom, let her. Just try to stay out of the way."

Feeling that he'd made his point, Morgan let his hands slip to his sides. He grabbed their largest suitcase and carried it into their quarters.

Bess heavily sank down on an empty box. "But Danziger loves her," she muttered sadly.

Morgan answered her through the canvas. "Yeah, well, Danziger loves someone that doesn't exist anymore. Besides, it would've never worked out for them anyway."

"How can you possibly say that? They're perfect for each other. They're single parents. They're stubborn and headstrong-"

"-and she's an Adair and he's a Drone," he interjected.

Because they were separated by the tent wall, Morgan didn't see the effect his use of the vulgar term had on Bess. He casually continued, "At one time-- something that I'll never understand if I live to be a hundred-- Devon may have had a certain fascination with Danziger. I don't know, maybe she was curious to see how the other side lived. But let's face facts here. Devon Adair would never have settled for someone raised in the Quad. As soon as the colony ship arrived with all of her hoity-toity friends, she would have put him out with the rest of the trash."

There was a moment of silence before Bess replied coolly, "That wouldn't have happened."

Morgan still had no idea that he'd said anything upsetting. He exited the tent and saw an indescribable look on his wife's face.

Mistakenly thinking that she needed more convincing and always looking for an opportunity to get in a dig at the mechanic's expense, he callously remarked, "Think about it for a minute. Devon was educated in the best schools. She even had a Yale unit as a tutor. Danziger probably doesn't have a high school degree. She's used to dinner parties and seven-course meals. I bet that Neanderthal has never even owned a tie. They're socially incompatible. I mean, what do they really have in common? What are they supposed to talk about? Devon is going to be the chief administrator of an entire colony. Did you really think that she would allow herself to be publicly courted by some low-class mechanic in secondhand clothing and dirt under his nails? She would be the laughing stock of the community!"

Morgan crouched down in front of a seated Bess and grabbed her now-pale hands. "It's how the world works, Honey. When people come from two totally diverse backgrounds like those two do, the relationship is doomed from the start."

Bess could only sit there with her mouth agape. She had always believed that when the colony ship arrived, everyone would be on equal ground, whether they were an Earther, an Immigrant Worker or born with a silver spoon in their mouth. Bess hadn't considered the possibility that the people settling New Pacifica might be just as prejudiced as those back on the Stations.

She remembered how awful it felt to be laughed at, sometimes behind her back and sometimes right to her face. They would make fun of her accent and her tattered clothing. Her doe-eyed amazement and confusion at the many things found on the Stations that she'd never seen before was a source of constant embarrassment. Listening now to Morgan's rude description of the barriers between the Haves and Have-nots astounded and revolted her. And what made the declaration even worse was that her husband seemed to have no problem with the narrow-minded ignorance he was espousing. It hit way too close to home.

She gathered her strength and abruptly stood up, forcing Morgan to fall backward onto the grass.

"Two totally diverse backgrounds, huh? Like maybe a married couple where one grew up on the Stations and the other was raised on Earth? That same couple where one is a lawyer and the other had no formal education at all?"

The bureaucrat cocked his head back in surprise. "Bess, I, um, I-"

"I seem to remember that when we first met, you were wearing a neatly pressed suit and I was practically dressed in rags." The Earth-res dug her knuckles into her hips as she stood over him. "And I had PLENTY of dirt under my nails."

"Bess, you know that I wasn't talking about us!"

She challenged, "Weren't you, Morgan? Look how different we are from each other. Are you saying that we're doomed?"

Morgan rose to his feet and started dusting himself off. He gave her his best 'I have no clue what you're talking about' look and animatedly replied, "Of course not, Bess. We're not the same as Devon and Danziger. For one thing, I'm not from the upper crust of society like she was."

"No, you weren't. But I'm from a place considered ten times worse than the Quadrant. I figure that pretty much makes it the same situation."

"Come on, Honey. You're just being-" He stopped when Bess grabbed her suitcase and began walking in the opposite direction. "Where do you think you're going?"

Bess turned to meet his startled gaze. "I don't want to be around you right now, Morgan. I'm going to talk to Magus and see if I can stay in her tent tonight."

"What? What are you saying to me?" he asked in disbelief as he caught up to her.

"I'm saying that I need a break from you right now. I have a lot of thinking to do."

"But, Bess-" Morgan called after her, but she was already engaged in conversation with Magus about the new sleeping arrangements.

__________

Later that evening, Alonzo contacted the Terrians to find out exactly why they had been summoned to the area. When he reached the Dreamplane, the pilot was met by a single Terrian bearing a simple message.

"Stay within the valley. You must not attempt to leave. All will be revealed very soon."

Knowing that the Terrians had quite a different view of the concept of time than humans, Alonzo wasn't sure what the creatures considered to be 'very soon.' He attempted to clarify the statement, but was met with the same answer.

"Stay within the valley. You must not attempt to leave. All will be revealed very soon."

Realizing that the creature would only tout the party line and nothing more, Alonzo finally gave up after several minutes and allowed himself to fall back into a normal sleep.

__________

The following morning, Solace relayed the Terrian's command to the others. In addition, Uly casually remarked that there was a large group of the creatures congregated in the rugged mountain range to the northwest of the valley. When asked how he knew this, Uly just shrugged his shoulders. This did nothing the quell the uneasiness that many colonists were beginning to feel. Several people besides Danziger mentioned that they'd felt as though they were being watched, but all searches turned up empty.

Despite this uncertainty, it was a landslide vote in favor of delaying their departure, at least for the time being. John strongly believed that it was necessary to stay put and find out what the Terrians wanted, but he urged everyone to be extra careful. It was also recommended that people travel in groups of three if they decided to venture from the immediate campground.

Most were thankful for the day of rest and took advantage of it accordingly. Of course, the group avoided Devon who was angry that she was now another day behind schedule and Morgan who was more miserable than usual after his latest fight with Bess. While those two sulked the day away, the colonists spent their time investigating the nearby planes and hills of the valley.

Magus, Walman and Alonzo marveled at the awe-inspiring beauty of the dense forest located to the north of camp. Baines, Mazatl and Danziger decided to explore the steep towering cliffs which were located eastward and were surprised to discover two caves. In truth, one was better described as an indentation carved out of the rock by centuries of erosion. However, the other cavern was much deeper with a single shaft that extended into a dark and sizable chamber in the center of the mountain.

Denner, Cameron and Bess concentrated on gathering samples from the woods near the river to bring back for Julia to analyze. The doctor was very excited about the variety of plant life in the new territory, much of which bore an uncanny similarity to plants once found on Earth centuries before. In addition to dozens of herbs collected, there were many types of fruit trees as well as bushes bearing edible berries. True crinkled her nose at the strange sight of a particularly dirt-ridden tuber. Yale attempted to explain that the vegetable, once known as a potato, had been quite popular back on Earth and could also be quite tasty. Skeptically looking at the ugly plant, True definitely had her doubts.

Although the uncertainty of what the Terrians wanted from them still hung over their heads, the Edenites took comfort in their delightful surroundings and that their stomachs were full for the first time in weeks. That evening, the majority of the crew happily sat by the campfire, talking and joking.

Uly clamored for John to retell his favorite ghost story about a haunted pirate ship as True shook her head in disgust. Everyone knew that tale backwards and forwards due to Uly's repeated requests for her father to tell it. Devon sat in the far corner quietly conversing with Yale and was seemingly oblivious to Danziger as he retold the fable with Uly and True positioned at his feet. Bess and Morgan sat together, but it was clear by their expressions and posturing that they still had not worked out their problems. However, at least Morgan had been able to persuade his wife to move back into their tent.

As the night wound down to a close and the crew made their way to their quarters, John was still feeling less than confident about their situation. He finally approached Devon and suggested that perhaps they should double or triple the sentry duty. Devon soundly rejected the idea saying that she wasn't going to keep half the camp awake just because the mechanic allowed his paranoia to get the best of him.

As it turned out, she was right. It wouldn't have made a bit of difference how many crew members were posted around the camp's perimeters. After all, the Terrians didn't have to physically show themselves to make their presence known.

__________

It was only moments after Devon closed her eyes that she felt herself being pulled onto the Dreamplane. She suddenly found herself in the center of a vast cavern. She could feel the heat of the Morganite which decorated the walls around and high above her. Its vividly detailed patterns reminded her of the stained glass windows of the ancient cathedrals that she had studied as a youth.

"Hello?"

She immediately noticed the difference between this Dreamscape and the one she'd experienced when Uly had been healed their second day planetside. The sound of her voice didn't endlessly reverberate and the mild vertigo-like sensation was gone. In fact, it didn't feel like a dream at all. Momentarily, she fearfully wondered if she had been somehow physically transported into the middle of a mountain.

Before she had a chance to regain her bearings, several Terrians burst upward from the earth, surrounding her on all sides. And they weren't happy.

"What do you want? Why did you bring me here?" Devon demanded.

The Terrians continued to stare at her as she whirled around in a panic. She realized that even if she could get past them, there was no way out.

"What do you want?" she repeated.

Finally, one of her possible captors trilled at her. "You have been brought here to explain the actions of you and others like you."

Devon was taken aback by the realization that she could clearly understand their language. "What actions are you talking about?"

She could hardly believe her ears as the creatures began their intense interrogation. Unbeknownst to her, Devon wasn't the only Edenite summoned for answers.

_____

Uly was excited. He was hoping that he would get a chance to visit the Terrians in the mountains and it looked like they wanted to meet him, too. He eyed them with great interest. The child wasn't familiar with several of the tribes that were standing before him. Perhaps these new creatures would teach him more about traveling through the earth. Maybe they were going to give him his own lightning stick!

He looked up and heartily trilled a greeting to his friends. The Terrians answered him and Uly's innocent smile disappeared.

_____

"Aw, shit. I must've fallen asleep on guard duty again," Walman mumbled to himself. "Devon's gonna kill me when she finds out."

He staggered forward and found that he was trapped in a large cavern of some sort. Oh well, Walman reflected to himself, he'd certainly had worse nightmares than this. Actually, many of his recent dreams had been quite pleasant indeed. Maybe this was going to be one of them.

"Hey, Magus. You around here somewhere?"

Damn, I guess this just isn't my night, he thought after concluding that he was alone. As he reached out his hand to feel the warmth of the sunstone filled walls, six Terrians sprouted forth from the ground behind him.

It's only a dream, Walman repeated over and over in an effort to encourage his heart that it was okay to start beating again.

He took a deep breath and hesitantly asked, "Is there something that I can do for you?"

The Terrians immediately trilled their angry response.

_____

"But why are you asking me these questions? I had nothing to do with what the penal colonists did to your planet!" Cameron expressed, completely baffled. "Besides, we freed you from Gaal!"

"You only agreed to assist us when the human child became ill. If it were not for the endangerment of his life, your group would have continued onward and allowed Gaal's death sentence to be carried out. An entire tribe would have been destroyed and a promise gone unfulfilled."

"You don't know that," he countered.

Who elected him spokesman for the entire race? If Cameron only knew...

_____

"Humans are destroyers by nature. Throughout history, you have acted as though the needs of your species superseded all others. You consumed the natural resources of your Earth, finally murdering the planet. Now, your kind is here. Many of our tribes believe that you will ravage our lands, plundering its treasures until they are gone. Until we are gone."

"I realize that there are many times in the past when humans have left nothing but destruction in their wake. I grew up on Earth and it was horrible. The pollution, the extinction of almost all of the plants and animals-"

Bess realized that perhaps this train of thought wasn't helping her case. Switching tactics, she ventured, "But we've learned so much from the mistakes that we made. We want to work together with you to make sure that what became of Earth never happens here."

"What makes you think that humans deserve a second chance? In the past, your species has shown no fortitude regarding the protection of your environment."

"But we've changed. Our group is different."

"As far as we know, you are the same as every other human collective that has been forced upon us. You bear no proof that you are dissimilar to others of your kind."

"What kind of proof do you need?"

While the Terrians looked to each other in search of an appropriate answer, Bess took a couple of full breaths as she tried to remain calm. She felt as though the verbal attack had been going on for hours. She knew that her explanations were very important and she was afraid of saying the wrong thing. It was obvious to her that this was the reason that they were brought to the valley. Not only did the Terrians have some burning questions, several of them seemed very confrontational.

"You asked about proof that your group is different. We have much evidence that proves that you are the same, no better than your ZEDs or penal colonists. You will now explain your role in the incident where part of the Mother was temporarily poisoned, disrupting our Dreamplane and trapping one of our brethren from a neighboring tribe."

Oh, God, the geo-lock, Bess shuddered. Seems the Terrians were also ready to assign blame for crimes against nature. She had no idea if the other colonists were involved in the Terrian's inquest, but she silently prayed that they were having better luck than she was.

_____

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!! Please- please don't hurt me! Please let me go!!!"

The Terrians cocked their heads in fascination as Morgan pushed past them and started wildly clawing at the walls in the search for an exit. The creatures slowly moved toward him as he backed up as far into the corner of the cavern as possible.

"Oh, no, oh, boy, okay, okay, think, Morgan, think." He nervously cleared his throat and stammered, "Look, whatever you think I did, I can assure you that it wasn't me."

One Terrian leaned in toward him in curiosity. Already cracking from the pressure, Morgan blurted out, "Okay, maybe it was me. I mean, I get into trouble now and again, but I'm sure that, whatever it was, it was an accident. I'm sorry that I did it, whatever it was. Um, what did I do, again?"

His eyes darted nervously from side to side as he threw his hands up in desperation. "What kind of a planet is this, anyway? I'm trapped in a cave with a bunch of screeching piles of dirt... seven foot tall, really angry, piles of dirt." Tucking the hairs back into his ponytail, he had a burst of inspiration.

"Wait a minute! That's it! I can fix this! Yes, yes, I can definitely fix this! I'm a lawyer! Just tell me what to write and I'll draw up the papers and sign it! It'll be nice and legal so you'll know that I'll never do it again... whatever it is that I did."

The Terrians stood there in silence. They had expected to ask the human Morgan Martin about several questionable events that he had either been responsible for or taken part in since landing on the planet. However, the creatures were not used to an entity this erratic and unpredictable. They were befuddled as to how to go about extracting answers from this strange specimen.

"BBBBBBBBBBBBBBEEEEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!! Somebody help me! I've been marked for death! HHHHHHHHEEEEEEEEELLLLLLLLPPPPPPPPP!!!"

_____

"You have harmed us."

"We certainly would never intentionally cause you any pain. How have we harmed you?" Julia questioned in bewilderment. She could only imagine what the Edenites might have done to cause the Terrians to drag her into the Dreamplane and confront her with their actions.

"You conducted experiments on nine of our members."

She shook her head and nervously exhaled. "I have never and would never experiment on a living being." A memory of her recent past came back to her. "I admit that I extracted samples of Uly's DNA and injected it into myself. I should never have done it and I swear to you that Uly was never placed in any danger. Since then, I've conducted various tests to learn more about the planet, but I've been very careful not to cause any damage to the ecosystem."

"That is a falsehood. Your kind captured nine of us and refused to allow them to return to the Mother. You knowingly extinguished their lives."

"Our kind? I don't understand. Do you mean humans? Exactly who killed them?"

"The other tribe of humans like yourself."

"Like myself? Do you mean doctors?" She paused, hoping that she was wrong. "Or do you mean the Council?"

"Yes."

The picture was beginning to become clear and it did little to settle Julia's rising concern. "Was it a Council research team? Was it Franklin Bennett's group who experimented on you?"

"Yes."

Julia could feel her heart jump into her throat. *We made a terrible mistake when we came here.* Those were Elizabeth Anson's words to them. It now made sense why Elizabeth and Bennett had been so evasive in relaying the specifics of their eight years on G889. They had committed unspeakable acts against the Terrians and were probably too afraid or ashamed to admit what they had done. No wonder they were so frightened when they woke up to find themselves still planetside. Perhaps Eve had only been one of their problems. Maybe the Terrians were about to make their group face the consequences of their actions and they were attempting to escape. Elizabeth had warned that the planet would reject them and now Julia knew why. Bennett's group had tortured and murdered nine of their compatriots, thus ruining any future trust forged between humans and Terrians. Julia was suddenly curious if Elizabeth and Bennett had really died of cold-sleep poisoning.

All of these thoughts came to her within a fraction of a second. Julia swallowed hard and explained, "We didn't know. All of Bennett's data files were coded and we were never able to access the information. I am deeply sorry that they did those horrible things. But we are not from the same tribe of humans."

"You, Julia Heller, are a human?"

"Yes."

"You are a doctor?"

"Yes."

"You came to this planet as a member of the Council, the same tribe as Franklin Bennett and Elizabeth Anson."

"Yes, initially I was working for the Council, but I realized-"

"Then you are the same."

Julia exhaled sharply. She was being blamed for atrocities inflicted by others over fifty years ago. She had to somehow make them understand that humans think as individuals, not as part of a group collective. How was she going to convince them that every human being is unique?

_____

"But, I can assure you, that we are different from the others who came before us." Yale wiped the sweat from his brow as he struggled to remain calm. He had always been a patient man, but the hours and hours of the same questions were starting to unnerve him.

He restated, "The penal colonists had committed and were convicted of capital crimes against humanity. They were sent here for the duel purpose of punishment and to be studied by the Council. You already know that this is why ZEDs roam the planet. ZEDs are both the gatherers of this knowledge and the prisoner's executioner after the data is collected. We, meaning the team of Eden Advance and those on their way here on the colony ship, are humans who have committed no crimes. We willingly agreed to come here with the goal of setting up a new society similar to what Earth was like before it was ruined by the avarice of our ancestors. Our hope is for us and our descendants to exist in a natural environment with untainted waters and blue skies. To live in peace with nature."

"Live in peace? You humans have conducted yourselves as if you have a divine entitlement to all that you see. What is not given freely, you take by force. You are selfish, bloodthirsty creatures."

"I will agree with you that there have been many times that humans have displayed violent, if not barbaric, behavior toward themselves and others. But another very important quality of humanity is that we try to learn from our past in an effort for it not to be repeated."

"But it has been repeated. There are several within your group who have already harmed the Mother. Two of you have even killed your own kind since landing here. What is to stop you from continuing your wrathful ways and ultimately destroying us?"

Yale was surprised at the new line of questioning. Now, the Terrians were formally accusing specific members of Eden Advance of wrongdoings.

He chose his words carefully. "Our group did not intend on hurting the planet and we have taken steps to ensure that it will not happen again. As for John and Morgan, yes, both have caused the death of other humans since their arrival here. However, there were extenuating circumstances which compelled them to behave as they did. I will be happy to explain to you the reasons for their conduct. Or perhaps you should ask them yourselves."

"We intend to obtain a full confession from both of them for their controversial and possibly reckless actions."

A shiver went down Yale's spine. A confession? Why had it not occurred to him before? They were on trial.

_____

"You are a murderer."

"You're wrong. Yes, I've killed, but I'm not a murderer. There's a difference," Danziger adamantly denied. He definitely didn't like where this was going.

"Not to us."

"That's not fair. You know exactly what happened in that cave. If I hadn't shot Katrina, she would have stabbed one of my friends. It was self- defense."

"Were there not other methods of stopping her without ending her life?"

"Look, by the time I got to the tunnel entrance, she was hovering over Devon with the knife above her head. If I hadn't taken the shot, Katrina would have plunged it into her chest. I had no choice." A flash of what might have occurred had he not interceded flashed briefly through his mind. John pushed the haunting image of Devon's blood-soaked body from his thoughts.

"There is always a choice."

"Yes, there's always a choice and, believe me, the best course of action was to kill her. My God, that maniac had already murdered her own brother just seconds before! She was insane!"

The mechanic vigorously added, "The Elder was there. Ask him and I'm sure that he'll back me up on this."

He watched as the Terrians took a moment to confer among themselves. John knew that he was in big trouble. "Don't you think that I've replayed what happened that day hundreds of times in my mind? I don't care what you say. I made the right decision. I'd do it, again, if I was faced with the same situation."

"You have also willfully killed another inhabitant of this planet. Do you justify this savage murder, too?"

Danziger's entire demeanor immediately changed. In a quieter tone, he relayed, "No, I can't justify it except to say that it was an accident. It was never my intention to kill that Grendler. At the time, I really thought that she was attacking us though I have my doubts now. However, four people were saved from starving to death because of what I did. But that's no excuse and there's not a day that goes by that I don't think about it."

"You put the needs of humans above that of a Grendler, a being you considered to be beneath you."

He shook his head. "No, that's not true. The Grendler was already dead. I was just trying to keep us alive long enough for our friends to rescue us. If you're asking me if I would've shot that Grendler for the sole purpose of eating her, I can honestly tell you that I wouldn't have. It was a terrible mistake. One that I'll regret until the day that I die."

"But how are we to know whether or not you will kill again? What assurances are you willing to give us?"

"Listen, I never meant to hurt anyone, human or otherwise. I sure as hell don't plan on killing again. I never wanted to in the first place. But there are a lot of variables out there. A lot of things that we haven't seen yet. God knows, that there are no guarantees in life. I can't make any absolute promises to you."

"That is unfortunate. You speak of remorse for your transgressions, yet you admit that you may cause suffering again. There is no way to know if you or your kind will harm the Mother."

Danziger's brows furrowed in confusion. "What do you want me to say?"

"There are several of our tribes that feel that reparations should be made by the perpetrators of crimes against the planet. These acts of contrition would satisfy our need for justice and, hopefully, cause all future groups of humans to reconsider their perilous and destructive ways."

"Are you looking for a scapegoat of some sort?"

"No. A scapegoat is one who bears the blame for the mistakes of others. We ask if you are willing to pay for your crimes."

John was in complete and utter shock. Taking a few deep breaths to brace himself for his apparent fate, he hesitantly replied, "Before I answer, explain something to me. Am I being prosecuted for crimes that I've committed as an individual, as a member of Eden Advance? Or do you expect me to take the blame for every person that's ever lived here and broken your laws? In other words, am I being charged with the crime of being human?"

"Does it matter?"

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