DEVON, ALONE. PART IV
The Legacy of Tears (1/9)
by Nicole Mayer
I am going to die. I know that now, and know that there is no escape. When the Council wants you out of the way, it will happen and there's not one damn thing anyone can do to stop them. No matter how rich you are, or what your name is.
They are going to kill me. Silently, secretly, I expect. No great news stories on the death of a problem citizen. In any case, I am sure they control the media, just as they control everything else. Not many are aware of this, for the Government seems to be in power and the Council only a small division. But I know things are changing, and soon the Council will overthrow all pretence of the democratic society we once were, and seize absolute control.
I suppose the danger coming for me is my fault, in a way. If I hadn't become involved in the Eden Project, if I hadn't tried so hard to save Uly, and then...my overpowering rage at his death only weeks ago as I swore to the Council that this would not stop me! I *would* find a way to defeat the Syndrome, if not for my own son, then for the millions of other children afflicted.
I know that the tyranny has to end sometime. That, in part, is why they consider me so dangerous. Anyone with a new, radical idea that gains support is already in trouble with the Council. They believe they can control all of humanity, if not the universe, and exercise this power in every way possible.
But now, I am greater threat to them. Because I *know*. I *know* the Council's great secret. It was an accidental stumbling on my part, I saw something I was never supposed to see. Something that is never supposed to be revealed, for only those in the highest positions of power share this knowledge.
A secret that, should it get out, would cause panic and riots all over the stations, and perhaps even back on Earth. The very foundations of our existence would be undermined, and our society would perhaps collapse.
There is a part of me that is scared to see such a thing happen, but I also believe in visionaries who will lead us to a better future. Like my quest for planet G889. It seems like a foolish dream, for now I know I will never see it, or at least not for many years to come. I destroyed those chances when I discovered the truth; though it may be true that I was never going in the first place. The only hope now is if the Council is brought down.
Tonight, I will seek out the proof. It is my last hope and one salvation, for once the knowledge is out, I pray that the Council will lose its desire to eliminate me as it rises to subdue the waves of rebellion.
But they cannot win. Humanity is greater than a senseless mob to be dictated to, and I am confident that we can rise against the oppression! Freedom, equality, a chance for our children...I dream of these things in Uly's memory.
Yet I am destined to die. Oh, they will not kill me outright, no mysterious accidents, and no sudden diseases. It will be slow, silent, and free of blame for them so they can rest easily on their laurels built from lies.
If I fail tonight, I have left the following record for you so that all hope is not lost. It is encrypted with the highest level of coding, but you, Yale, should have little trouble deciphering it. Remember the code we created when I was a child? I have many happy memories of my childhood...but I digress. It is time to concentrate on the present.
The message goes to you, wherever you may be, the instant my persona is recorded as deceased within the Station database. I entrust this information to you, and believe you will find the people to continue my work.
I understand it will be hard, so Yale, I ask that you keep yourself safe. You have many enemies, those who want to have you killed simply because of what you are. Now I know this feeling well.
Please, get the information to those who can help, and those who can discover the final proof. There must be others out there, perhaps disgruntled citizens, or even immigrant workers. Humanity cannot be defeated!
Yale, I want to thank you for being my trusted friend and confidant over the years of service to my family. You made a wonderful difference to the life of a lonely little girl, and were always there for me when I needed a friend.
You supported me through the anguish of the trial eight years ago, and then stood by my decisions to keep my son. Without you, I don't know if I could have done it all.
I thank you for everything, and I know Uly, wherever he may be now, thanks you as well. We love you from the bottom of our hearts. I am just sorry that it all ended this way.
Believe in the future, and keep up hope!
All my love, Devon Adair April 3, 2292
***Transmission follows***
***
Yale was reeling. The personal message he just received was more than two years old. Two years full of mysteries, confusion and sadness as the Devon Adair he once loved as a daughter seemed to completely cut herself off from him. Two years, when she suddenly seemed to give up on the Eden Project, and resigned herself to a mission in virtual reality.
He had assumed that was the end of their relationship, and he could never forget the cruel words she had hurled at him, telling him to stay out of her life forever! But a new enigma had arisen when she recently sought him out after her experience in VR : the Program which had so shaken her.
And now this, a letter from the Devon he remembered. And a vitally important encrypted message. What did it all mean? Was it even relevant anymore?
Yale reread a crucial sentence. The message was only to be delivered when Devon's death was recorded. Ice tore through his heart, and, with as much haste as dignity allowed, he hurried to the nearest computer terminal within the next room where he could have some privacy. His young charges saw his hasty exit.
"Where are you going, Yale?" asked seven year old Tique. He did not pause to answer the girl, but continued on. Yale's hands were shaking as he drew up the latest records on Devon Adair.
"Deceased," said the little footnote at the bottom of the screen. It seemed that the Council had finally caught up with her, two years too late.
***
"John, I'm sorry. I should never have interfered in your life, and I send apologies to Kassidy as well. May you both be happy.
True, I wish you all the best of luck, and also for your quest as well. Perhaps Morgan Martin can help, he is a Council liaison officer yet I believe he can be changed if the circumstances are right. And a warning, stay well away from Dison Blalock.
But I am not telling you what to do, I only wish you good fortune. I love you, but that doesn't matter. Nothing really matters anymore. I'm going to stay out of your life.
Goodbye,
Devon Adair. April 10, 2294"
***
John Danziger silently pondered the message. It was a short, sweet apology, yet inside, he was still a little angry with Devon Adair. She had managed to screw up his life pretty good, and put him through a lot of fear and worry. Even if he *had* gotten the truth out of Devon, he was still concerned that she didn't know the whole truth either.
Devon's mental health left a lot to be desired, and it was more than possible that she had let things slip to the Council she claimed to abhor. The note had been full of allusions, it contained an indirect reference to his daughter that would mean nothing to most people; and hints that she knew of the Resistance. There was also the suggestion to contact Morgan Martin.
He wondered again about Devon's hatred for Blalock. From what he could figure out, Devon'd only known the man once outside of her screwy VR program where she fell in love with Danziger's image. That meant that he could hopefully trust Devon that Blalock was bad news. Danziger had suspected as much already.
There was a great deal at stake. Despite this, True's safety was his number one priority in this mess Danziger had gotten himself into. It would have been so much safer if he'd never volunteered to lead the damn Rebellion against the Council.
He shuddered as he recalled the first death threat against his daughter. It came from a spineless man who had been found out soon afterwards, and dealt with in the drone fashion. Still, it had been terribly frightening to realise that there were those amongst his own ranks who believed that the Council was God, and anyone against it belonged in hell.
They didn't dare oppose Danziger himself. He'd gained a lot of support, and so had Kassidy, his wife. They were both tough and could look out for themselves, having had years of experience. True, however, was not so equipped to deal with the trying situations that arose.
The worst fear, though, was of the Council itself discovering Danziger's actions. They wouldn't hesitate to take his daughter from him. He could envisage the situation even now - "This child needs a stable home. She is malnourished, her education is lacking, it is obvious she cannot live in this dysfunctional household. Why, just look at the child and see how she resents her stepmother!"
It would all be lies, of course, but who could stand up to the Council's child services, sworn to protect all underprivileged children? And when they had True, they also had Danziger himself. He could not let that happen.
So they'd hidden True, and fabricated her death. Only a very few knew that the girl was still alive - himself, Kassidy, and special friends who helped hide her : Wentworth and Firestein. And Devon Adair knew. Of course Devon Adair, the mysterious woman from hell.
Danziger abruptly laughed at his own thoughts. He didn't hate Devon, far from it. In fact, he had quite liked her initially. But she needed help. Help Danziger was not sure he could provide. He recalled their last meeting, perhaps their final one, which had ended in a screaming match before he walked out.
Yet the apology was nice. Maybe he would look Devon up sometime, and see if she'd managed to get her life together. Danziger certainly hoped so. But she needed to be away from him for a while, to get over him. It was senseless to have a relationship built on a virtual simulation.
Danziger sighed, running his hands through his wild, curly hair. Devon had affected him more than he realised, and in other ways as well. He couldn't deny the fact that she was beautiful, intelligent, easy to talk to - they had got along so well during the moments when secrets were not an issue.
But he couldn't live with the friendship built on lies. So he walked out, and now...now, he wasn't sure exactly what he wanted to do.
"John?" a sweet voice called, and Danziger's spirits lifted a little.
"In here, Kass," he replied to his wife. She stepped into view, and he was again struck by her loveliness, which was so different to Devon Adair's beauty. Kassidy Quinn was pure, honest, and her eyes showed only truth. That was another reason why he liked her so much - in a world of confusion and perversion, he could always count on Kassidy to be sincere.
He showed Kassidy the message, and she gave a half smile. "That was nice of her," she admitted. She'd heard all about her husband's 'incident' with Devon Adair, and while furious with the woman, Kassidy also felt a rush of compassion for her. To have a whole other life torn away was inherently cruel. "I wonder what she thought of me in her VR program," Kassidy mused.
"She called you Bess," remembered Danziger. "Said you were married to some other person, although I can't quite remember the name. It doesn't matter," he concluded, shaking his head. "We need to get on with our lives, and," he dropped his voice to a whisper, "the Resistance."
Kassidy idly tapped the data screen, highlighting the name Morgan Martin. "Do we take Devon's advice? Do you think we can trust this man?"
"I don't know," revealed Danziger. "It's worth a try, but I have the feeling that I'm being watched. There's nothing they could have that links me yet..."
"And we want to keep it that way," broke in Kassidy. "*I'll* go meet him."
"Is that safe?" asked Danziger, suddenly anxious. He fervently wished that he could keep all of his friends and loved ones protected from the Council, and constantly found himself knocking back Kassidy's ideas.
But they both realised they had a duty to perform. It was for the greater good of all people, and they could only fervently hope that the sacrifices they made would result in eventual success. Someday...
"John, what Council member would suspect a sweet Earth girl?" chided Kassidy. "I can turn on the charm just like that!" He knew how well she could, for Danziger had been caught by her charm several times back in the days just before they were married. And afterward, as well.
Danziger sighed, knowing he couldn't tell Kassidy what she could and couldn't do. She was her own person, something he had sensed more and more often since she'd returned from the six month mining expedition. They had both changed a lot.
But they were still together, they depended on each other and found it hard to imagine life alone again. People needed people, especially in times such as this.
Kassidy began a search on the computer. "Look, Morgan Martin is in here. At level 3 bureaucrat, nothing noteworthy on his file, so maybe his *is* a reliable contact."
Danziger placed his hands on his wife's shoulders as he leaned over the top of her head to see the information. "Can you call up a picture?" he asked.
Quickly, Kassidy complied, and smiled when she saw the image. In a nondescript kind of way, this guy was cute! "He looks normal," she hedged. "I don't see any outward signs of craziness!"
Kassidy laughed, but Danziger only grunted in response. "Looks like a little weasel, if you ask me."
"Come on, John, you know you can't tell anything from a picture. Morgan Martin might just turn out to be the break we need."
"Hmm...you're right," conceded Danziger, knowing that his battle had been lost from the start. "But be careful when you contact him, Kass. Don't give anything away."
"I won't," she promised. Tossing her wild, curly hair, she cleared the screen and removed all traces of their unauthorised search into Council records, something that Kassidy was somewhat expert at.
Danziger's stomach suddenly rumbled, loudly, embarrassingly, and they both laughed. "Sounds like you forgot to eat today," grinned Kassidy.
"Yeah," he admitted, but did not offer any explanation. For his mind had been on Devon Adair almost every free moment he had.
End 1/9
Story Notes:
WARNING : "The Legacy of Tears" is not for the faint hearted. It's gloomy, depressing, and I'm giving it a PG-13 rating for language and adult situations.
For those of you looking for the story, you can skip this part. It contains only my rambling. Why? Because I'm the author, that's why!
ABOUT THE "Devon, Alone" SAGA:
Parts I-III can be found at Andy's fanfic archive, and also on my new web page :
http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Vault/8356/fanfic.htm
As always, any comments/suggestions on the series are welcome.
A number of people have asked me questions/made comments about this saga. And since I have nothing better to do (well, I do, but that's another story) I decided to answer them here.
Why am I writing "Devon, Alone"? Because I wanted to thrust some of the characters into a completely different scenario and see how they react. Besides this, I write for personal enjoyment. Sometimes it doesn't seem that way when I just *can't* get a scene done, but there's a real feeling of personal satisfaction when a piece is finished and I'm happy with it!
The ratings on "Devon, Alone". I tend to overrate my work rather than underrate it, just to make sure that anyone who may be offended by such things isn't caught out. Yes, the NC-17 rating is a strong one, perhaps pt II didn't quite deserve it, but it is a decision I have made.
Why did this part take so long to get written? Well, it's twice the length of a 'regular' part of the series, so consider it two at once! And then there was the D&D webpage to contend with, and discovering A.j.'s brilliant fanfic...it's no wonder I was distracted!
THANK YOU TIME!
Firstly, as always, to Sue Sadler for her endless reading of scenes and racking her brains when I have writer's block. Her suggestions are a wonderful part of this saga, and it wouldn't be nearly as interesting without her. She has an incredible flair for wording difficult situations and always gives me great feedback!
Thanks to Robin, Sue, Becky, Mary and Janice for their wonderful encouragement. Without that, I don't think this would be finished yet!
And...to everyone on the Earth 2 mailing list that I drove crazy with my "Throwing people out of airlocks" questions, THANK YOU! I learnt a lot, and even though I ended up avoiding a lot of this topic in the actual story, the information was great!
Thanks especially to Cheryl and Bettina, and also to Simon, Cutter, Erik (and we all know where *his* comments led!) Doug, Cocoa, Michael, Aladdin, Mai, Sue, Paul, Brian, and if I've forgotten anyone please accept my humblest apologies.
Mary opened my eyes to some thoughts on the Council that I had overlooked - thanks.
Junis...your comments as you read the half-written scenes are always great.
DISCLAIMER : Many of the characters and settings contained within are the property of Universal/Amblin Entertainment. No copyright infringement is intended.
The idea behind the saga, however, is mine! :) Now on to the story...
For those of you looking for the story, you can skip this part. It contains only my rambling. Why? Because I'm the author, that's why!
ABOUT THE "Devon, Alone" SAGA:
Parts I-III can be found at Andy's fanfic archive, and also on my new web page :
http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Vault/8356/fanfic.htm
As always, any comments/suggestions on the series are welcome.
A number of people have asked me questions/made comments about this saga. And since I have nothing better to do (well, I do, but that's another story) I decided to answer them here.
Why am I writing "Devon, Alone"? Because I wanted to thrust some of the characters into a completely different scenario and see how they react. Besides this, I write for personal enjoyment. Sometimes it doesn't seem that way when I just *can't* get a scene done, but there's a real feeling of personal satisfaction when a piece is finished and I'm happy with it!
The ratings on "Devon, Alone". I tend to overrate my work rather than underrate it, just to make sure that anyone who may be offended by such things isn't caught out. Yes, the NC-17 rating is a strong one, perhaps pt II didn't quite deserve it, but it is a decision I have made.
Why did this part take so long to get written? Well, it's twice the length of a 'regular' part of the series, so consider it two at once! And then there was the D&D webpage to contend with, and discovering A.j.'s brilliant fanfic...it's no wonder I was distracted!
THANK YOU TIME!
Firstly, as always, to Sue Sadler for her endless reading of scenes and racking her brains when I have writer's block. Her suggestions are a wonderful part of this saga, and it wouldn't be nearly as interesting without her. She has an incredible flair for wording difficult situations and always gives me great feedback!
Thanks to Robin, Sue, Becky, Mary and Janice for their wonderful encouragement. Without that, I don't think this would be finished yet!
And...to everyone on the Earth 2 mailing list that I drove crazy with my "Throwing people out of airlocks" questions, THANK YOU! I learnt a lot, and even though I ended up avoiding a lot of this topic in the actual story, the information was great!
Thanks especially to Cheryl and Bettina, and also to Simon, Cutter, Erik (and we all know where *his* comments led!) Doug, Cocoa, Michael, Aladdin, Mai, Sue, Paul, Brian, and if I've forgotten anyone please accept my humblest apologies.
Mary opened my eyes to some thoughts on the Council that I had overlooked - thanks.
Junis...your comments as you read the half-written scenes are always great.
DISCLAIMER : Many of the characters and settings contained within are the property of Universal/Amblin Entertainment. No copyright infringement is intended.
The idea behind the saga, however, is mine! :) Now on to the story...