Learning Experiences by Allison McDonnell

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As the morning sun rose, Danziger shot up to the seated position in his cot. He was still disoriented from the Terrian's investigation and was drenched from head to toe in sweat. He wiped the dampness from his face with his shirt and tried to shake himself awake.

That's when he heard the screams.

Danziger's eyes immediately went to True's empty bunk. Not even bothering to put on his shoes, he barreled out of his tent calling his daughter's name. He wasn't at all prepared for what he saw.

"Uly! Please Uly, answer me! Where are you, Sweetie?" came the petrified cries of Devon as she searched throughout the camp. John ran to her and grabbed her by the shoulders.

"They took him!" she blurted out before he could say anything. "The Terrians kidnapped my son!"

She took off toward the vehicles as Danziger anxiously surveyed the landscape. At the northwestern end of camp, he could see dozens of Terrians lining the hillside observing them. It was complete bedlam with Edenites running throughout camp looking for missing crew members as John began his own desperate hunt for his daughter.

"True! True-Baby!"

His pace quickened as he burst into the meal tent, stumbling directly into Bess. "Have you seen Morgan?" she asked in a frightened voice.

Danziger shook his head. "True's missing, too." His throat was so tight, he could barely get the words out.

Bess' eyes widened. "They can't find Julia or Alonzo, either. My God, what's happened?"

After exchanging a look of pure dread, both resumed the search for their loved ones. They noticed that most of the Edenites had congregated at the base of the hills where the Terrians were holding court.

"Where are they? Where's Uly?" Devon questioned in fright.

"You will not find them here. Your fellow humans are gone."

"What do you mean 'gone'? Gone were?"

"They are no longer on this plane of existence."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Walman demanded. "Are you telling us that they're-" He stopped when he realized exactly what he was saying. He turned to look at Devon who was shaking violently.

"Why?" Magus asked. "Why would you do this?"

"Uncertainty prevails among our tribes regarding the future role of humans on this planet. Many do not wish your presence here at all and believe that you should be punished for your harmful acts against the Mother."

"Oh, no," Bess muttered.

"Other tribes are complacent and truly hopeful that your species has learned its lessons well. A few of us believe that, while most humans are destructive and selfish creatures, the people of Eden Advance are somehow different. We summoned you to this valley to obtain your testimony and make a final determination. However, we were not satisfied with many of the answers given by your group. Even those tribes who were sympathetic to your motives for the settlement of this planet now question if you can exist in harmony with nature. Some believe that you are destined to self- destruct as a species because your group lacks the necessary instincts for survival. Therefore, a compromise was reached within our collective. You, the remaining members of Eden Advance, will live out your lives in this valley. We will study your relationships with each other and your treatment of the Mother. Our tribes will learn from you and use this knowledge to assess the future of humanity on our planet."

Baines was incensed. "Not a chance! You can't force us to stay here!"

"You will not be permitted to leave this mountain range. We will also prevent you from having contact with any other beings, human or otherwise. However, you will be allowed to enjoy a peaceful existence without our interference."

Danziger didn't care about their new living arrangements. He just wanted his daughter. Taking a step forward, he begged in an anguished voice, "True, my little girl. Please-Please don't take her! In the cave, you asked me about taking responsibility for my actions. Well, I'm willing to accept the blame for the things I've done. I'll pay for my sins with my life if that's what you want!" He beat his closed fist against his chest. "But punish me, not her! She's an innocent child! Just spare her life! Please!"

Bess also stepped forward. "And I'll change places with my husband. I'm just as guilty as he is. If one of us has to be sacrificed, let it be me!" she implored as tears poured down her cheeks.

"You can't hurt my son! Please let me exchange places with him! Please let him live!" Devon was shaking so hard that it was difficult to understand her pleas for mercy.

"And what about Alonzo and Julia? What crimes could they have committed that made it necessary for them to pay with their lives?" Yale beseeched.

"Our selections have been made and it is no longer possible to make alternate choices."

"Oh, God, they're already dead," Denner whimpered under her breath as Cameron pulled her into a hug. "You're no better than the penal colonists and ZEDs! What gives you the right-" her words were lost as she sobbed into Cameron's shoulder.

"This is now your home. The examination begins."

"Go to hell!" Magus spat as the Terrians disappeared into the earth.

The Edenites stood there in horror, unable to move, much less digest their situation. Bess sank to her knees and began wailing Morgan's name. As she cried uncontrollably, Walman instinctively looked for Julia hoping she could administer a sedaderm to calm her down. It took a moment for him to realize that Julia was no longer there to help them. Denner and Cameron went to Bess and helped her to her feet. They slowly led her back to her tent, all the while Bess mumbling "They killed him. They killed my husband."

Yale choked back his own tears and lamented, "We cannot do anything right now. Let us return to our tents and we will meet by the campfire in a few hours to discuss our options."

"Options? What options?" Baines remarked incredulously. "They just murdered a third of our group and sentenced the rest of us to die in these godforsaken mountains!"

"Shut up, Baines, and go to your tent!" Walman angrily barked. He turned to Danziger who silently stood next to him and appeared to be in shock. "John, I'm so sorry."

As Walman reached out his hand to comfort him, the mechanic abruptly turned and began walking toward the forest leading to the river.

"Let him go, Greg," Magus quietly said as she joined Walman's side. "He needs some time alone."

"Is he going to be all right? I mean, should he really be by himself right now?"

"I've known Danz a long time and I'm sure that he wouldn't intentionally hurt himself." Magus sighed and added, "But the answer to your other question is no. He's not going to be all right... ever."

She took a deep breath and turned her attention to the cyborg. "Yale, why don't you help Devon back to her quarters. I'm going to get a sleep- aid from the med-tent so she can rest. I'll meet you in her tent in a few minutes."

Yale began slowly guiding Devon away from the others as the group sluggishly returned to their campsite a few hundred yards away. Suddenly, the leader stopped in her tracks and shook her head violently.

"No! They can't have him! I won't let them take my baby away!" she emphatically cried.

Yale tried to console her by placing his arm around her shoulders, but she violently shoved him into a nearby pile of crates. Before the tutor could stop her, Devon broke into a sprint toward the hills where the Terrians had been moments before.

John had heard her cries and turned just in time to see her crest the slope. "Devon, no! Stop!" he yelled as he ran full speed in her direction. Many of the other colonists followed in hot pursuit after them.

Danziger heard her terrified scream as he reached the top of the hill.

"John! Please help me!"

Devon was rapidly sinking into the ground and was already submerged to her waist by the time he got to her. John forcefully threw his arms around her, grabbing her securely by the torso.

"Hold on, Dev!" Danziger said as he grit his teeth and pulled with all of his might. However, she continued slipping deeper and deeper into the earth. Without warning, two Terrians burst from the ground directly behind her and trilled menacingly.

"Oh, God, I'm going to die," Devon murmured in terror. She was now up to her shoulders in dirt and Danziger was desperately holding on to her flailing arms. The other Edenites reached the plateau and Mazatl and Walman firmly gripped the mechanic to steady him and provide additional strength.

"No, Devon, you aren't gonna die!" John countered as he dug his bare feet into the ground to gain more resistance.

"Stop this! Let her go!" he and the others screamed at the Terrians. They did nothing.

Danziger was losing his tug-of-war battle as more and more of Devon's body disappeared from sight. Devon knew that her situation was hopeless and her blue eyes met John's and they wordlessly conveyed feelings of fear, love and a multitude of other emotions to each other.

"John, I-"

Before she could finish, there was a sudden exertion of force and Devon's head was pulled under. Danziger was jerked forward as his grasp slipped down to her outstretched hands. Eventually, his own arms were submerged as he struggled to keep hold of her.

And then Devon's fingers were pried from his and she was consumed by the earth.

One of the Terrians sank back into the ground, leaving the other to bear witness to John feverishly trying to shovel the dirt away with his hands without success. Several colonists were reminded of the similar scene of Devon furiously digging when Uly was first abducted and healed by the Terrians. However, they knew that this would not have the same happy ending.

Walman hesitantly put his hand on Danziger's shoulder, but he angrily shrugged it off. He bitterly pounded his fist into the dirt.

"Dammit, why?" Still crouched on the ground, he raised his head and bore his eyes into the lone Terrian. "Why did you have to take her, too?"

"You must remain within the boundaries of the valley and will not be permitted to leave. This is your home."

With a war-like cry, the mechanic dove toward the creature. He was literally caught in midair by Walman and Mazatl and yanked backward so as not to cross the valley's border and meet the same harsh fate.

"Shanking murderers!" Danziger bellowed as both men tackled him to the ground. He began to punch and kick wildly, angrily fighting to free himself from their grasp and exact his revenge on the Terrian. Baines and Yale joined in to try to hold the large man back as the scuffle became more precarious.

"They didn't deserve this! My daughter didn't-" His words trailed off as Magus dove into the brawl and plunged a sedaderm into John's neck.

After taking a moment to regain their bearings, Baines and Mazatl hoisted the now-unconscious mechanic to the standing position and each draped one of Danziger's limp arms around their shoulders. Knowing that nothing more could be done, they carried him back to his quarters in silence.

Halfway down the hill, Magus looked back to find that the Terrian was gone.

__________

That evening the remainders of Eden Advance, with the exception of John, Bess and Yale, solemnly gathered around the crackling campfire. John and Bess were still under the effects of the sedaderms administered to them earlier in the day. Yale was simply too distraught from the loss of Devon and Uly to participate in any group discussions and chose to remain in his tent.

"What are we gonna do now?" Magus asked in bewilderment.

Cameron added, "We can't stay here the rest of our lives."

"I'm not going to die here!" Baines exclaimed.

"Jesus, one at a time, guys!" Walman shook his head and wondered how he suddenly got elected crew leader. "I don't know what to do. We need to regroup and think about this rationally."

"Sure, let's think rationally about the massacre of our friends," Mazatl bitterly snapped. "The Terrians killed our leader, our doctor and the person they handpicked to communicate with them."

"They also murdered two children," Denner dismally pointed out.

"And poor Morgan." Magus was completely at a loss. "What kind of sick creatures could do something like this? Besides, I thought that the Terrians lacked the aggression to act this way."

Mazatl sardonically replied, "Yeah, and who told us this? Alonzo, the Terrian's mouthpiece. And where is their Dreamer now? Dead, along with his girlfriend."

"I guess maybe he misunderstood them."

"No, I'm willing to bet that Solace heard it right. I never bought into that 'we can't do anything because we lack aggression' bullshit the Terrians tried serving us. Don't forget that they had no problem killing Gaal once they were freed from the shock collars," Walman remarked.

Baines noted, "They sure didn't think twice about condemning Yale, Morgan and Bess to death after the geo-lock was set off. They would've killed Yale if Mary hadn't interceded."

"And poor Mary was disowned and cast out into the snow for her troubles. She probably froze to death," Denner sadly acknowledged.

"Last night's Dreamplane experience was a real eye-opener for me," Cameron disclosed. "The Terrians grilled me for hours about things that I had nothing to do with. They blamed us for everything!"

"Like the ZEDs and penal colonists."

"Bennett's group and the Council," Walman said, nodding in agreement. "They asked me a lot about Eden Advance, too."

"They gave me the third degree about Julia's role in our group."

Denner revealed, "They also questioned me about True's friendship with Gaal before she knew the kind of person that he really was. They actually accused her of being his accomplice."

"Yeah, and Morgan's role in opening the cold-sleep chambers of Bennett's group and accidentally killing them. They also asked a lot about the geo-lock," Baines added.

"And about Danziger killing that Grendler and Katrina."

"They asked me why our group argued so much. Why Devon is-" Cameron ruefully paused when he realized his mistake, "was so combative toward everyone after the Terrians healed her."

Magus replayed her own interrogation by the Terrians in her mind and was abruptly hit with a strange realization. "Wait a minute, was anyone asked about Uly? I mean, did the Terrians mention anything about crimes that he supposedly committed?"

"Come to think of it, no."

"Me, either," Denner reflected. "Why would they decide to kill him?"

"Uly was the link between us and the Terrians," Walman rationalized. "I guess they no longer wanted that connection between our species. They no longer had any use for him."

"Maybe that's why they got rid of Alonzo, too, since he was the only other person in our group who had real access to the Terrians," Mazatl suggested.

Cameron's head shot up in amazement. "My God, Elizabeth Anson was right. Don't you see it? The planet is rejecting us. At least, until the Terrians make a final decision about whether or not humans can live here."

"I just had a terrible thought," Denner worriedly exclaimed. "What about when the colony ship arrives in fifteen months? We have to warn them."

"Forget warning them! That's our ride home! We need to somehow let them know that we're here so they can rescue us!" Mazatl countered.

"I can try to rig something to contact our transmitter at New Pacifica. Maybe we can send a message telling the ship our coordinates and they can come get us. We also need to let them know that they're in danger and that the planet isn't safe."

"Do you really think that you can do it, Baines?" Walman asked with renewed hope.

"I can sure as hell try. I bet Danziger can wire the equipment and I can program the necessary information into it."

"I wouldn't count on Danziger's help. He's probably too grief-stricken to be of much use."

Magus gloomily concurred, "Yeah, he's lost more than any of us. His daughter. Devon, the woman he was in love with. Uly, who'd pretty much become like a son to him. 'Lonz and Julia, two of his closest friends. We can't depend on John to lead us like before. I think that we need to handle this ourselves. And we should do everything that we can to support him, along with Yale and Bess."

The rest of the Edenites agreed when a soft voice came from behind them.

"I'm sorry to interrupt you, but could I ask you all a favor?"

"Of course, Bess. Anything," Walman earnestly replied.

The Earth-res slowly approached the group and they turned to give her their full attention. The firelight illuminated her face, revealing her swollen eyes and pale, tearstained cheeks. They had never seen Bess look so disheveled with her hair matted to her head and her clothes completely rumpled. It was a shock to many of them to see her this way. Over the months as Bess' initial selfishness had subsided, she had become the emotional center of the crew. She almost always wore a smile on her face and was often the only person who could focus on the bright side of an otherwise bleak situation. When Devon was taken ill, Bess worked tirelessly to try to keep everyone's spirits up. She made sure to spend plenty of time with every member of Eden Advance, sometimes talking and sometimes just listening to them air their fears and vent their frustrations. Of course, she wasn't able to get through to Danziger who backed away from any conversation that contained even the slightest emotional edge to it. However, she alleviated some of his leadership burdens by taking on the inventory and food supply duties. She also kept Uly and True occupied with various projects to keep them concentrated on things beside Devon's sickness and John's lack of quality time for the both of them.

And throughout it all, Bess always seemed to manage to stay above the fray. Even when she and Morgan were quarreling, an event that had unfortunately become a familiar occurrence, Bess always conveyed a cheerful and optimistic attitude. Looking at her appearance now, the Edenites almost didn't recognize her.

"Could you organize some type of a funeral service for Morgan and the others?" she meekly asked. "I was also hoping that you could construct some type of grave markers for each of them. I know that there aren't any bodies-" Choking back a sob, she continued, "Anyway, I thought that maybe we could set aside a bit of land for a cemetery. A good place might be where we spoke with the Terrians this morning. It was just a thought."

Seeing her in this condition caused a lump to form in Walman's own throat. "I think that's a good idea. We'll start working on the headstones tomorrow morning, but it'll probably take two or three days to get everything finished. Is that gonna be okay?"

"That'll be fine. Thank you," she answered simply and tried to force a small smile.

Magus queried, "Can we do anything else for you, Bess? Is there anything that you need?"

"No. Well, actually I was scheduled for supper duty tomorrow. Could someone else please take my place? I-I don't think that I'm quite up to it yet."

The group was amazed by Bess' humble request. Even in her state of intense mourning, she was still thinking about the others instead of herself.

"Don't worry about any of that stuff. We'll make sure everything gets done," Denner responded reassuringly. "And if you need to talk, just know that we're all here for you."

"Thanks. Well, goodnight," Bess quietly expressed and wandered back to her empty quarters at the far end of camp.

"Goodnight, Bess," the entire group uttered. When she was no longer in view, many of them allowed their tears to flow freely.

__________

Three days later, the memorial service was held. Six grave markers chiseled in stone lined the base of the large hill, each bearing the name of one of Eden Advance's fallen comrades. Standing there and actually seeing the names gave the situation a finality what was almost too much for the survivors to bear.

Alonzo Solace, Julia Heller, Morgan Martin, Devon Adair, Ulysses Adair and True Danziger. Their friends. Their family. The people they loved. Gone forever. Almost all of the remaining Edenites gathered together to share their intense sorrow and say good-bye. The sense of loss was overwhelming. Some wept openly while others held their heads downward in silent prayer. Cameron took Denner's hand and held it tightly in an effort to comfort them both. Yale attempted to say a few words, but was quickly overpowered by his tremendous grief. Bess silently kneeled in front of her husband's headstone and laid a grouping of wildflowers. She ran her fingers over the carving bearing Morgan's name and whispered an ancient Catholic prayer. As Bess rose to her feet, she made a gesture with her hand that Yale recognized as another religious ritual known as the Signs of the Cross. She turned and quietly walked back to camp, the others following behind her.

As most returned to their tents to mourn privately, Magus grabbed a pair of jumpers and made her way to the edge of the woods leading to the river. She scanned the forest and refocused the equipment until she could see a figure sitting alone at the water's edge.

"What are ya' doing, Laura?" came a voice directly behind her.

Magus about jumped out of her skin and Walman placed his hands on her upper arms to steady her. After regaining her composure, she handed him the device and guided his view until it fell upon John Danziger in the distance.

No one had really seen the mechanic much those past few days. He didn't join the others in the meal tent or by the campfire at night. He had also refused to help construct the markers or take part in the funeral ceremony. Instead, he sat in silence all day long at the banks of the river. He would only vacate his perch when another Edenite came to the lake to bathe or do the washing. Danziger would then march straight to his tent, never meeting their gaze or saying a word.

"Just wanted to check on him," Magus stated in a concerned tone.

"I'm worried about him, too," Walman acknowledged. "I've tried talking to him, but he leaves whenever anyone gets near him."

"I'm hopeful that he'll get better as time goes on," she remarked. "Until then, it looks like you're in charge."

Walman blinked at her in perplexity.

Magus placed a hand on her hip and stated, "Come on, Greg. Danz is out of commission, who knows for how long. Someone needs to step into the role of leader. And that someone is definitely you."

"Why me? How'd I get so lucky?" he asked in disbelief.

"Because you're a natural. Whether you admit it or not, you've taken control of the goings on around here. And you're also one of the few people who haven't given up hope on us getting out of this valley."

Walman took a deep breath and thought about his possible new role. He wasn't sure that he wanted the responsibility of keeping the remaining Advancers alive and healthy. It would also mean that he would be in charge of executing any escape plans. What if he made a wrong decision and it cost more lives? He didn't know if he would ever be able to sleep again if that occurred.

"Why don't you take over, Magus? You were the only one who kept her head when the Terrians passed their death sentence. You kept Danziger from getting himself killed by giving him that sedaderm after Devon died. I know that you've been making sure that Yale, Bess and Danz are eating. Face it, Laura, you should be our leader."

She was taken a bit by surprise at the idea. She wanted to help in any way that she could, but wasn't really certain if she was up to the task of sole leadership. Picking up the slack left by indisposed or departed Eden Advance members was one thing. However, directing the moves of the surviving crew was quite another. Maybe a compromise was in order.

"Tell you what. Why don't we work together as partners? That is, until John gets himself together enough to retake control of the group. We could be the temporary management."

Walman intently considered her suggestion. Despite the added pressure and their foreboding future, working so closely with Magus could have its advantages.

"I like the sound of that. Wanna meet in your tent later tonight and work out the particulars?"

"Sounds good to me." Sounds really good to me, Magus reflected. Her skin tingled a bit at the thought of the handsome Ops crewman alone in her quarters, even if it was only for business purposes.

__________

Time slowly passed and it had been three agonizing weeks since Morgan had been torn from Bess' life. As the majority of the other members of Eden Advance concentrated on various methods of escaping their Terrian prison, the Earth-res spent much of her days positioned under a particularly large maple tree located in the woods to the north of camp. Its draping branches shielded her from the sun and the fallen leaves covered its protruding roots and provided a soft cushion for her to sit.

Although both she and Yale had now rejoined the group for their meals and by the evening campfire, Bess was still apprehensive about spending too much time with the other Edenites. She shied away from their looks of compassion and pity. Of course, she knew that they meant well. She probably would act the same way if it were someone else who'd suddenly become a young widow, but that certainly didn't make it any easier. She needed to be alone so she could process the deaths of her husband and her close friends. She needed to be alone so she could pray to her God for guidance and mercy for the surviving members of her family. She needed to be alone so she could cry her eyes out until there were no more tears left.

Bess also needed something, anything to keep her occupied. Realizing that they were now stranded without a doctor, she began to familiarize herself with Julia's medical equipment including her Diaglove. Unfortunately, there weren't exactly any instruction manuals laying around and Yale's library database was limited to a glossary of terminology. They were on their own when it came to figuring out the actual applications of the machinery. Bess downloaded the tutor's files into her own miniature vid-terminal and used the Diaglove to scan various items. She would then begin the incredibly laborious process of translating what each word meant. It would take hours to decipher the possible toxicity of something as simple as a leaf or a puddle of water. However, at least she felt that she was contributing to the welfare of the group on some level. Besides, it was better than spending all day lying in bed and feeling sorry for herself.

It was late afternoon when she was approached by a very nervous Walman. "I'm sorry to disturb you, Bess, but we, um, we could use your help."

She didn't meet his gaze and continued to study the overall components of a blade of grass. "What can I do for you, Walman?" she said, almost too evenly.

"There's something wrong with Danziger."

She dropped her shoulders and looked up at him in amazement. "Well, of course there's something wrong with Danziger," she chided. "He's lost everything he's ever cared about."

Walman shook his head emphatically. "No, you don't understand. There's something very wrong with him. No one's seen him eat for at least two days. He's just sitting there, not talking or even moving. He acts like we aren't even there."

Bess tore the Diaglove from her hand and hurriedly began tossing the medical equipment into her knapsack. As she jumped to her feet, she scolded, "Why didn't you come get me sooner?"

"Because we didn't want to bother you. You're going through so much right now. We didn't want to add to your burden."

"My friends aren't a 'burden'," she snapped and turned to head in the direction of the river.

"No, he's not that way," Walman disclosed. "John's at the cemetery. Magus says that he's been there since she woke up this morning."

"What?"

Bess knew that there was trouble if John was at the graveyard. As far as anyone knew, he'd never been there once. Baines had noticed that Danziger even refused to look in its direction. The fact that he was there now in such a despondent state didn't sound good.

Bess handed her filled bag to Walman. "I'll speak with him. I need you to have two meals prepared in the mess-tent and John and I will need some privacy so we can talk. Will you see to it that everyone leaves us alone for awhile?"

He nodded as Bess pulled out her pocket knife and cut a few stems of lavender blooms from a nearby flowering bush.

She and Walman parted ways and he returned to their campground to usher the worried Edenites back into their respective tents or at least out of visibility. He and Magus fixed two plates of food for their friends and then went back to her quarters until Bess told them that the coast was clear.

John was planted directly in front of True's headstone, stoically sitting with his legs crossed in front of him. His arms were loosely folded with his elbows resting on his thighs. He just stared straight ahead, boring his gaze into the letters of his daughter's name.

Bess came upon him slowly, so as not to startle him. She wasn't sure how he would react to her presence. She slid past him and sank down in front of Morgan's marker. Bess tossed aside the flowers that she'd placed at his grave the prior day and began to absently fiddle with the newer blossoms.

Finally pivoting her head toward the mechanic, she beckoned, "John?"

She wasn't given a response and tried again. "John?"

Never shifting his view from directly in front of him, he quietly requested, "Please go away, Bess."

Good, he spoke to her. One hurdle down, Bess noted. "You don't have to talk if you don't want to, but would you mind if I just sit here with you for awhile?"

"Suit yourself," came the indifferent reply.

She turned her attention back to her husband's headstone and smoothed out the grass that had begun to replenish around it. After a few moments of stillness, she reflected, "I still miss him so much. I think that it's just starting to sink in. You know, the fact that Morgan's gone forever. Even though sometimes we didn't get along so well, I'd never really imagined my life without him."

"I thought you said that you were just gonna sit here," Danziger stated in a monotone voice.

"No, I said that you didn't have to talk if you didn't want to." She scooted a few feet toward him and positioned herself in the space between Devon and Uly's graves. "Actually, I've been working myself up to asking you a favor."

For the first time, he turned his head to face her and Bess was alarmed at how gaunt he looked. He had lost at least fifteen pounds, if not more. John's normally expressive blue eyes were dull and unfocused and there were darkened circles underneath them. He blankly stared at her and waited for Bess to ask her question.

"These past few weeks have been a real struggle for me. I've tried discussing what I'm going through with the others, but they don't really completely understand because they've never dealt with this type of loss. And you're the only person besides Cameron who's experienced the death of their companion."

"Cameron?" Danziger cocked his head in confusion.

"I'm sorry, I thought you knew. His fiancee was killed in a shuttle crash about a year before he was hired for Eden Project. Anyway, I considered talking to him about what I'm feeling right now, but he's just found love again with Denner. Even with everything going on around us, he's happy and I don't want to bring him down by reminding him of Pamela. I know that you and Morgan weren't exactly friends, but it would be a big help to me if I could just talk to you about him." She shrugged her shoulders. "Besides, misery loves company, right?"

Bess moved over until she sat directly next to him. "I promise not to pry into your personal life. I might ask you a general question or two, but you don't have to answer it if you don't want to. You don't have to say a word at all. Just sit there and listen to me ramble."

He took a deep breath and glanced downward at the ground. "It's not that I don't want to help you, Bess. I just don't think that I can. I'm too-"

"Please, John, I need this. You're the only person who can help me," she expressed in an anguished voice. Originally, she was using the tactic of sharing her grief with him as a ploy to get Danziger to open up to her. However, as the words left her mouth, she realized that her urgent pleas to him were the truth. Bess really did need someone to share her grief with and John was the most suitable person for the job.

He thought about it for a moment and softly concurred. "Okay."

"Thanks. I can't tell you how much this means to me." She hesitated, then asked, "Is now an okay time to bend your ear? I'm on my way to the meal tent for a late lunch. Would you care to join me?"

Danziger wasn't stupid and knew exactly what Bess was doing. However, he couldn't stay in the graveyard forever and, come to think of it, he was a little bit hungry. Besides, Bess needed his assistance and he might as well try to do something constructive with his time. Bess let out an inner sigh of relief as the mechanic reluctantly nodded.

She rose to her feet and took a few steps backward hoping to lead him out of the cemetery, but he didn't follow. She rejoined him as he sat on his knees and stared sadly at his daughter's empty grave. John ever-so-slowly leaned forward and kissed the top of her headstone.

"Happy birthday, True-girl," he whispered.

Without another word, Danziger stood and made his way to the meal tent, leaving Bess in shock. She took a moment to stifle her tears and swallow her cries before catching up to him just as he entered the dwelling.

After eating a full meal, John went back to his tent and packed up all of True's belongings. He carried them to the Transrover and stored them in one of its innermost compartments. That evening, he joined the others for the first time at the campfire.

__________

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