Final Fights by pal fow

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Final Fights (6/12)
by palfow

Uly thought about the last days. They had left his mom and since then life had not been what it used to be. They still walked their miles. They still set up the camp, still sat around campfires. But appearances are deceptive. Everyone felt like a part of himself had been torn away. It was not easy to get over it, especially for the little boy. Every night he dreamed of his mother, saw her running to him like he had run to her after he got healed. And as much as he wished he could help her, he couldn't. These were the moments the boy understood why his mother had done everything impossible to travel to some planet 22 light-years away, just to find a cure for her sick child.

It was a bright morning. The birds flew past the object like two generations of them had done for some time now. They did not care about it because it had never changed. Neither did the Terrians. A beautiful blue, red and green colored bird sat down at the top of the object. It was a large triangle shaped box with no windows and only one single door. It mostly had a kind of silver color. It did not fit into this surrounding but in within the time it had adopted the colors of the woods.

One mile away a group of people walked through the sunburned grass. Followed by a large vehicle, a single ATV lead the way. "Alonzo, Zero got some strange things one mile west. We'd better look at that!"

"Got it John. Julia, you wanna join us?"

"Never in my life would I like to miss such an opportunity but I'd better stay here and check up the others."

"Okay then let's move Danziger!"

Danziger had become even more quiet than he had been before Devon's illness. After the first days his anger had settled, but he still never talked about what happened on the dreamplain. The others could only guess. True now slept in one tent with Uly and Yale. She just couldn't sleep when her father was up almost the whole night, trying to find sleep and turning around in his blankets.

Over the days she either played VR with Uly or talked to Julia or Bess. When he didn't play VR with True, Uly mostly talked to the Terrians. In these lonely hours of walking next to some old-fashioned vehicle he learned a great deal about them. Learned about their enemies, their friends, the life-forms they tolerated, he had learned about their relationship with the planet, learned about dead Terrians, about missing Terrians, about illness they had suffered from and the antitoxins they had discovered in all the plants around them.

But most of the time the kids were together, talking about their parents. True told Uly about her mother, how much she wished she could to talk to her once in her life. She even took Uly to her. Her dad didn't know about that and she felt that he wouldn't have been very pleased about it, so she wasn't about to tell him. Uly had also talked about his father, but apparently he knew nothing about him. Devon had never told him and he knew better than to ask. Maybe when he was older Yale would tell him, but he wasn't sure if he would ever wanted to know the whole story. But he told her about Devon and the more True listened to his narration, the more she became aware what a great person Devon really was. She understood her dad's feelings now better. Together with Uly she thought about what might have happened between Devon and John on the dreamplain. Uly suggested that he could ask Mary, but True thought it was prying and she didn't want to dig into something personal. But then... she changed her mind, just too curious to find it out. But this time Mary wouldn't tell Uly. So the kids made up their own story, and the story was really close to the truth, for both kids knew their parents very well.

Just as True had grown to like Devon, Uly had long ago began to admire John. The kids agreed to get the two together as soon as Devon was well again. To them there was no question Devon would get healed.

***

John and Alonzo took the four seater and rushed west. The others packed out something to eat and sat down. Julia looked around, saw Uly and went to him. She had watched the boy over the last days and she was sure he was hiding something from the others. Whether it was his pain or something else she could not tell but she knew he was trying to handle something on his own. She approached him and gave him a quick check up before she asked him what it was that kept him thinking. "Hey Champ !"

"Hi Julia."

"What's up kiddo? You seem to think a lot the last times..."

"No, I don't. I talk to the Terrians."

"About what?"

"I can't say."

"Why not?"

"I dunno."

"The Terrians told you so, hmm?"

"Yeah. Where are John and Alonzo going?"

"Zero discovered some signal and they want to find out what it is."

"Julia?"

"What?"

"I'm okay."

"Yeah, I see that. If anything's wrong just tell me. Hey, see True? She looks quite bored. Perhaps you two can play something." Without another word Uly ran to True, asking her about her opinion regarding this signal.

***

John and Alonzo reached the ship and frightened away the bird with the noise of the Dune Rail. They got out and contacted the others before they entered it.

"Yale, it's us. This thing is a kind of spaceship. It must have been here for a long time. It's overgrown by plants but except that it is not an old model. About three or two years older than the Advance had been."

"John, do you know what that means?"

"Do you think it's the Council or something like that?"

"I don't know, but for heavens sake, be careful!!"

"Don't worry too much, Yale. If it's the Council he'll feel what it's like to be kicked in the ass..."

"Alonzo! That's not funny. You don't know what is out there!"

"Got it Yale. We are careful."

"Alonzo, be careful, please..." Julia now had joint the conversation.

"I will look after him, Julia. John and Alonzo out..." John looked pale and Julia worried about him. Nobody knew what had caused his bad mood. She wasn't sure how long he could keep his emotions controlled. For all she knew, John had already lost one woman he loved. It must be hard on him to go through that again, although Julia wouldn't want to give up. She still thought she could come up with something. She was now closer than ever to something, a something she just hadn't figured out yet what it was.

Luckily, nobody else had felt ill and so she knew it was nothing you could get from the air. But that didn't help John. He was desperate, couldn't sleep, ate as good as nothing, he was jumpy, changing moods from one second to the other, yeah, even choleric in some way...she wondered if it would have been better to go with the men.

The two unlocked the door and entered. Unpleasant memories came up when Alonzo turned on the lights. Memories of almost the same actions they had done when they found that other spaceship what had saved all, their lives, even Devon's, if you could call cold-sleep life. And the memory got even more painful as they turned around the corner and saw a woman in a cryo-chamber. It reminded them of how they had put Devon into a capsule, similar to this one. The woman didn't look like Devon but the situation along was too much for Danziger, also he tried hard not to show that to Alonzo.

"It'd be better if Julia came here."

"Just a moment. Do you want to wake her?" John was clearly not happy about this idea.

"Cool down, Danz. Not now... but see that here. She'll wake up in two months anyway. Do you want a woman as young as her running alone on this planet?"

"Perhaps she won't be alone then..."

"I know, and that's why I think we should wake her. To make sure she is no threat to us."

"Damn it. You are right. Let's call the others to get them here. I think they are worried anyway."

Half an hour later the group had arrived at the ship and everyone tried to get a glimpse of the „sleeping lady" like Walman had called her. Only Zero was not interested. He put up the camp alone and didn't even look into the direction of the ship.. "Hey, she looks familiar, but I'm not very sure. I can't recall ever having met her..." Uly stated, gazing at the woman, not getting the attention of the others. Only True had heard his whisper.

"Use your brain, oh sorry, I forgot you don't have one." True was loud enough for everyone to hear.

"Yes, I had to give it to you, otherwise you would be completely unable to think."

"True, Uly!! Stop arguing. We are standing here with serious problems. Go out and play something!! But don't get out of the camp!! I don't have a nerve for this right now!!!" Danziger didn't really listen to what the kids were saying, otherwise he might have been surprised at Uly's words. But he had other things on his mind right now.

"Cool down, Dad. We were just enjoying ourselves, right Sweetlysess?" she often teased him with that.

"True, one more word.....!!!"

"Let's get out True, he doesn't enjoy our little fight now."
"You're right for the first time of your life. Congratulations!!!" True and Uly left the ship. They had grown to like each other and their little fights were nothing than fun. Meanwhile Julia checked the data on the display. They still hadn't decided whether to wake up that woman or let her sleep for another two months and then see what to do.

"Her functions are normal. She would wake up without problems. But I would like to know why she is here alone. I wonder who put her to bed."

"Going to bed you call that. Got your humor back, doc."

"Gee, Alonzo. You are the right person to tell me that."

"One point for you."

"Could you two now come back to reality and realize the problem we have here?" John was impatient and easy to annoy, which everybody could understand.

"What problem. There is none !!" said Alonzo as he pushed the button to release the woman from her cold sleep.

"Alonzo, what have you done !!" Julia cried out and pushed him away. She tried to make the progress undone, but it was to late. Slowly the door opened and the woman fell out, right into the Alonzo's arms.

"Alonzo, just solved our little problem by taking over the leading role. Damn it! Do you know what you just did, you hot temper!!!" John was visibly angry. Once again. The situation was just too similar. He turned around to go out but had second thoughts and stayed in to watch the woman's reactions.

Julia looked down at the woman. "She is doing fine. She'll wake up in a few seconds. You better get out of here. She could get a shock if she sees too many strange faces around...."

"Yale and me stay in, no discussion, doc!" John glared at Julia. "You won't get me out of here right now." Julia sighted. Then suddenly the woman moved and slowly lifted her eye-lids. Blinded by the sudden bright light around her she closed them again. Then she sat up, completely awake.

"Who are you? Where am I? What do you want from me? Who am I?"

"She is completely disorientated. Must be the cold-sleep effects."

"What are you saying? Who are you? What's going on here. Damn it!! Tell me!!"

Julia looked startled at the woman. She had never seen something like this before. The cold sleep was not said to have as strong effects on the brain as with that woman.

"Calm down, dear. I'm doctor Julia Heller. This is planet G889. Do you have any pain?"

"No, where am I? G889, what is that?"

It was obvious that she was panicking. Julia knew it would be better for her to get some sleep, so that her memory could recover. She gave her a sedative and then looked at the others. "Seems as if she lost her memory."

"Julia, how long will it take her to get it back?"

"I don't know, Yale. It could be one day or one month."

"I think she is deceiving on us. I don't trust her. We should watch her every step. I don't know why, but I got a terrible feeling about all this." Danziger looked somewhat troubled and went out of the ship to go to Alonzo who had meanwhile tried to bring the monitors in the cockpit to work.

"Hey, Lonz, can you get that thing flying?"

"Most possibly not. Something's wrong, but I can't figure out what exactly."

"Damned right. Something stinks to heaven here. The woman woke up but pretended not to know who or where she was..."

"Are you kidding?"

"In no way, Ace."

"What is Julia doing?"

"She gave her a sedative. And she thinks the lady is telling the truth."

"I am going there now. Want to hear it with my own ears." Alonzo laid down the scanner and went around the corner just to bump into Julia.

"Hey honey. Everything's not right as I heard?"

"John."

"Yep, John. He's just worried. Give him some time. He can't get over it."

"I know. That's troubling me. But I can't think of any help. He'll just have to get over it."

"Yes, and he'll make it. I'm positive in that. He is strong."

"Walman and Baines brought the nameless stranger to the med-tent. I'm going there. You wanna join me?"

"Absolutely. Let's give her a name."

"What?"

"Yeah, just give her a name. Something like Una..."

"Where did you get this name from?"

"There are many nice girls in the endless widths of space."

"Ah. Got it. You are going crazy."

"Yeah, crazy for you."

"Get going. I have a patient to look after. But the name's nice. Who is she?"

"You mean who she was... she should be dead now" he grinned. She laughed and then kissed him.

"Uly, can I ask you something?" True and Uly sat on a little hill. They had seen that the woman had been brought into Julia's tent and wondered what was up with her.

"You'd ask anyway. So make it quick." He glared at the earth and wondered what would come now. She caught him by surprise as she said:

"Have you ever heard of any Terrian wearing clothes?" He gave her a look that clearly called her insane.

"Terrians don't wear clothes...why do you say things like that?"

"'cause I saw one..."

"A Terrian wearing clothes? You must have been dreaming..."

"At first I thought so, too. But then I went to the place where it gone into the earth and the dirt was like it always is when the Terrians come out or go into the earth..."

"And it had clothes???"

"Yes."

"You gotta be kidding. It's not their way. They just wouldn't wear clothes. That doesn't make sense, True."

"But I saw it."

"Can you prove this?"

"No." She sighted. "I just wondered. Maybe you're right and I'm wrong. I can't say. It just seemed like it had clothes."

"I'll ask the Terrians if that can calm you.."

"Yeah, that'd be cool. Hey, what do you think, will I ever have Terrian dreams, too?" she thought that'd be cool. At first she hadn't been very appealed to these creatures but now she was jealous because Uly had something she didn't.

"No. I and Alonzo are the ones they speak to." "That's not fair. I'd love to talk to them." "You wouldn't understand them anyway."

"And where to you super-brain know that from?" He shrugged. True sighted.

"Hey True, where did you see the Terrian?"

"Back at the other ship."

That seemed odd to Uly. Why didn't the Terrian contact him or Alonzo? Normally any new Terrian talked to him...so why not this one or was True thinking all this up???

"Hey, we should go and see what happens down there. Think about this Terrian when you sleep..."

"Okay."

When Uly and True entered the med-tent the woman was still sleeping and Julia was sitting next to her. "Who is she?"

"We don't know. She lost her memory. She doesn't remember who she is."

"So she could be harmful and don't even know it?"

"Yes, that's possible, but I don't think so. She looks nice."

"Yeah."

"I wonder why she came her. Completely alone. Perhaps she is crazy."

"Uly, if she were crazy, she would be in a lunatic asylum or something like that." True shook her head. Sometimes his fantasies were a bit to fantastic. But then the Terrian crossed her mind. Was Uly infectious with his fantasy???

"Perhaps she broke out, stole a ship, got it her, landed it, walked out, felt too lonely and waited for somebody else to come around..."

"Uly, I should scan your brain, with all these absurd fantasies."

"It's already too late for that, Julia. It's not curable anymore."

"You kids have nothing on your mind than arguing." Julia smiled at them and pushed them out of the tent. Perhaps better if this woman didn't see them when she woke up. For a moment Julia thought about the possibility that the woman was indeed crazy, but gave up the thought. It was just too ridiculous.....

***

"Morgan Martin is striking Big Bully in the face. It seems as if he is winning, yeah, another hit, he's gonna make it... but there, what's that, oh no, MM has fallen over his own feet..." Morgan gets up. He hears the commentator only from a distance. He is concentrating on winning. He knows he can make it. Then suddenly a flashing light diverts him. He turns around. A person is appearing in VR. Big Bully sees his chance and knocks out MM . Morgan falls to the ground, blood is trifling from his upper lip, he smears it away with his right hand and looks mesmerized at who is coming in.

*Damn it, when anybody sees that I lost.. I´ ll kill that bastard that diverted me...*

The thought went away just as he saw Reilly. Reilly looks smiling down at Morgan. "Mister Martin. What a great pleasure, to meet you again. Only that you look so .. wounded..."

"What do you want , Reilly?" Morgan brings out in pain. How he hated that man. The thought of killing came back.

"Just small talk, Mister Martin... . I heard you finally found the girl ?"

Morgan looks up. "Talk, Reilly, what do you know?" He demands. That is no longer just a game, now Morgan is really angry. "Let's say, enough to have had second thoughts getting her out of the cold-sleep."

"Okay, if you are not going to talk, I´ll go."

"Whatever you say Mister Martin. Oh. Send Miss Adair my love. Oops, I forgot, she is sleeping. Or perhaps somebody woke her...."

"Reilly, stay here !!! What are you saying, Reilly, damn it!!!" Morgan stands up and sees Reilly disappearing. "You bastard !!!" Morgan sits down again. Considers what to do now. He puts out the VR and reenters reality.

"Hey, Julia, John, Alonzo, did you hear that, did anybody notice?? Help me!!"

"Morgan, what is up?"

"Julia, it was Reilly. He said something about the woman. And then he said something about that somebody woke up Devon !!!!"

"What????"

"Yes, what shall we do now?"
Julia and the others were still in the tent. So they had to stop their conversation when the woman woke up again.

"Oh no. It wasn't a dream. Where am I now?" the woman was somewhat calmer this time but she still looked frightened for two.

"Hi, I'm Julia. I'm a doctor. You can trust me. You don't remember who you are, is that right?" Julia spoke in a calm and reassuring way. She didn't want her to be scared even more.

"Yeah, I don't know who I am and I don't know who you are and I don't know where I am. I don't know anything."

"We'll get that all right again, trust me. Are you thirsty or hungry?"

"Yes, a little bit." The woman looked searching into Julia's eyes but seemed to have found nothing dangerous.

"All right, then we are going to get you something. Do you want to get up or shall I bring it here?"

"I´d prefer this place. Perhaps I am up to going out later...."

"No problem. Hey this guy here is Alonzo. He's nice." Julia pointed to Alonzo who was playing the insulted.

"Only nice, doc?? I think we were already further than that..." To everyone's surprise the woman smiled. But then it was Alonzo's charm....

"Alonzo, the clown, got it. Sorry, I can't give you my name..."

"Doesn't matter. I´ll just call you Una or do you prefer something else?"

"I, uh, I don't know?"

"You must have been an ace in school..." Morgan didn't trust her and he showed that, even as Bess prodded him. "I honestly don't know ."

"Okay, that's enough now. Alonzo get her something to eat and drink. The others leave the tent...now." Julia wanted John and Morgan out of here. It was no use when they frightened her or tried to make her remember when she couldn't .

"John, wait, wait..."

"Morgan, what's up?" Danziger was in no mood to talk to him and he already knew what would come.

"You don't believe her, too. I can feel that. What shall we do? A watch around the clock perhaps?"

"I think we leave that to the doc. I have to go. See ya later Morgan.." Morgan stood there stunned. Hadn't Danziger hours earlier expressed his distrust, too??

In his tent Danziger sat down and looked at a small piece of paper. It was an old picture of Devon. She had given it to him after their trip to the coast. Tears were running down his checks. He stared at Devon and wished she could be here with him. He needed her more than ever before and it made him angry that nothing had helped her. While he sat there he thought about what Devon once had said to him:

"I just like to know the people I don't trust, Danziger." He wished he could know the woman but that was not possible and so he trusted her even less...
He had to fall a decision. He was now responsible for their little group and he took his responsibility serious. He stopped the tears, packed away the picture after a final look and then went out. He was again the man he used to be...

The Terrian had reported all the actions to his GOD. He now waited for response. He rose from the ground. In his left pocked was the SOMETHING he had to make the blonde one swallow. Only so she'd die. Suffer from a total collapse of her system that would cause her death bit by bit but after some time it would suddenly be over pretty quickly. Within seconds. The Terrian picked up a hat and sat down again. He crossed his legs. That hurt but it didn't matter to the Terrian since his GOD had once done the same and he was now practicing for the time his duty would be fulfilled and he could return to his GOD. Then he could show how much he admired his GOD.

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