Context by Deborah Walsh

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Context (10/20)
by Deb Walsh

"So, what do you think?" Magus asked quietly as she and Cameron sorted through the plants they'd collected.

"About what?"

"About Julia's dream."

Cameron shrugged. "There's a lot we don't know about this planet. A lot the Council didn't let us know."

"Yeah, but what about going back to the stations - you came here to colonize G889. They tried to blow us up.

Think there's anything left for us back there?"

"Thought you were planning to hitch a ride back when the colony ship arrived," Cameron teased.

"Thought maybe I'd stick around for a while. Place kinda grows on you after a while."

"Yeah." He sighed. "I hope Julia's dream is wrong. I don't want to go back. I don't think I can live in a can again after this."

"No, me neither. Never thought I'd start to think of this as home. But I don't think I can go back to those little units, or the recycled air. Or paying through the nose for every little thing."

"Nothing's free. Not even here. That's what these dreams are about, I think."

"What?"

"What it'll cost for us to stay. There's a price tag, we just don't know what it is. Not yet, anyway."

"Who do you think will dream next? I mean, Bess, Julia, True and Uly have all had dreams. They're not going to bother with Alonzo, right? So, who?"

"Guess the diggers'll let us know when they're ready.

Think we got enough to go back to camp yet?"

Magus surveyed what they'd collected and nodded. "For now. Let's go."

***

Alonzo drove the Rail back to camp, leaving Danziger to his own thoughts. The pilot was concerned about his friend; Danziger tended to keep most of his emotions bottled up, under pressure, and the strain was beginning to show. The illness caused by EVE's virus, then Devon's collapse, and now the dreams that forced him to face up to his feelings about Devon and the future of the colony - all combined to fray Danziger's iron control. Sleeplessness was the least of Danziger's problems.

Alonzo knew that there were still several more dreams awaiting Danziger and the others. What had started out to be a fairly simple expedition - move the Syndrome children to a natural environment to allow them to build up immunities wiped out by the sterile conditions on the stations - had turned into a complex problem that would probably take generations to solve.

As he maneuvered the Rail across the landscape, he wondered if the others realized that. After having lived nearly 110 years, Alonzo had a tendency to see things in the long view - after all, he'd watched generations pass since he'd first joined the pilot training program. He'd watched the Council's modest beginnings, as a commercial entity guiding space exploration in the last days of Earth's primacy, transform over time to the monolithic, faceless control it was when they'd left the stations. What it was now, he could only guess. But he had some fairly good ideas on the subject. If word got back to the stations that G889 was a viable world for humankind, the Council's control would either grow stronger, as it dictated who could and couldn't emigrate, or it would be crushed in the stampede to leave the stations and the ultimately hopeless future they offered.

Somewhere along the line, Alonzo had become convinced that the Syndrome wasn't an anomaly, but a promise of things to come. In a generation or two, maybe more, maybe less, the stations were facing extinction.

Alonzo wondered if Devon had realized that yet, and what that made her feel; after all, her father had been the prime architect of the stations, and even she had designed and built several of them before Uly was born.

What had once seemed the salvation of mankind would become its ultimate tomb, if habitable planets were not identified and colonized. Another Adair might find herself becoming once again the savior of mankind.

Julia understood that. It was what had motivated her willingness to cooperate with the Council in studying G889. She might claim it was loyalty to the Council, but in the end, it was loyalty to the human race that had driven her to spy on them all and report back to Reilly. It was only when she'd realized that Reilly's blindness threatened humanity's ability to adapt to G889 that she'd listened to her heart and turned her back on the Council. But mankind's survival here was still a prime consideration for his lovely doctor.

And it was a prime consideration for them all. He had no doubt that Julia's dream was prophetic. G889 was _not_ Earth; it was an alien planet, with an alien ecosystem, an ecosystem in which they had no niche.

They would have to become alien themselves to survive.

The Rail rose up the slope leading into the valley where they'd camped, and Alonzo glanced over at Danziger and smiled. Such deep thoughts for an old sleep-jumper.

The women he'd known over the last near-century would be surprised to see how his thoughts ran these days.

Not that he'd taken the pledge on women; he'd just focussed his energies on one woman, a woman he hoped to spend the rest of his life with. But if that life were to be more than just a handful of years, they'd have to be successful in reaching an understanding with the Terrians, with the planet itself.

"You with me, buddy?" Alonzo asked Danziger as he turned the Rail down the path toward the valley.

"Hmm?"

"I said, 'are you with me?'" Alonzo repeated.

Danziger held his hand to his eyes, shading them from the glare of the sun. "Yeah, sure," he agreed wearily.

"Let's just get back - I wanna take a look at the condensers."

"John, what would you do if every piece of equipment we have was working in top condition? I think you'd be bored to death," Alonzo teased as he headed the Rail toward the camp.

"Right about now, I could do with a little boredom," Danziger muttered.

Alonzo grimaced. "Yeah. I guess we all could, buddy."

***

"Yeah, I've got it right here," Julia told Yale and Morgan doubtfully. She'd sent the children out to play when the two men had entered the med-tent, the grim expressions on their faces setting off warning bells.

"But this isn't the source of Devon's illness - the program was repaired," she pointed out, lifting out of its case the chip recovered from Eben Singh's body and frowning at it. "In fact, when we received the feedback from EVE, Devon wasn't even affected," she added, her frown turning thoughtful.

"Um, Julia, there are other people on this planet besides Devon Adair, you know," Morgan reminded as though to a small, backward child. "We have other concerns that may prove a little more immediate."

Yale gave Morgan a quelling look, and walked over to Julia, taking the chip from her fingers. "Is the operating system still intact?"

"I guess so, I didn't check. I mean, Eben was dead.

Elizabeth removed it to satisfy herself that we had them, really." She turned, glancing from Yale to Morgan and back again. "What's this about, Yale?"

Yale and Morgan exchanged looks, and Morgan shrugged to Yale. The tutor briefly explained Morgan's experiences in VR, and his subsequent theory. As she listened, Julia sat down on a stool and dropped her head into her hands.

"Look, I know it sounds far-fetched, but you had to be there -" Morgan protested.

Raising her head slowly, Julia shook it negatively.

"It's not that, Morgan. It makes perfect sense. So perfect, I'm amazed none of us realized it before. I can't believe _I_ missed it. Of course EVE or Reilly or whatever you want to call that computer can infiltrate your VR program - that's exactly what it did when I believed it to be Reilly. The VR tube I was given by the Council didn't contain any kind of special program - it contained a locator for EVE to target with its VR simulation. Whether there was once someone here by the name of Reilly, I don't suppose we'll ever know, but EVE took the opportunity to become Reilly in VR and try to subvert this group through me."

Morgan simply stared at her, stunned that the chromotilted doctor agreed with him so vehemently. "Uh, yeah," he agreed uneasily, "that's what I thought, too."

She got up suddenly, full of energy. "We could use this, you know - to track where the blackout zones are.

We could map out the safe zones, away from EVE's influence. This could be invaluable -"

"And in the meantime, we remain open to attack from the computer - whether it has any weapons or not. All it has to do is introduce a power surge into the chips, and we're toast," Morgan reminded her forcefully.

"Well, I for one am not anxious to test that out."

"So what _are_ you proposing, Morgan?" Julia demanded, halting her movement to pin him with her gaze.

"Morgan is proposing to neutralize the chip. Using VR," Yale told her seriously.

"VR?"

"Morgan?" Yale turned the floor back to the bureaucrat.

"Well, virtual works by stimulating sections of the human brain, so that the experience includes all of the five senses," he started to explain.

"I know that, Morgan. This technology has been around for a couple of generations. So?"

"So ... by using VR to stimulate the brain, we may be able to disable the operating system of the biostat chip."

"Introduce a virus to the chip itself."

Morgan nodded solemnly.

"It could kill us."

"So could EVE."

"None of us are VR programmers, Morgan. A program like that would have to be extremely sophisticated. We simply don't have the technology -"

"Actually, we do. I've, ah, dabbled ... in writing VR programs. More of a hobby really, but I understand the language. Pretty well, really," Morgan admitted. "In fact, I once considered pursuing it as a career, but my family disapproved."

"And with this," Yale added, lifting his cybernetic arm, "we _do_ have the technology to test the program."

"How?"

"By creating a simulation of the chip's operating system. We can test programs until we have a reasonable certainty of success, then test it on the real thing."

"And then?" Julia challenged. "You'll have to do human trials - your test subjects may not survive the experience."

Morgan pursed his lips as Yale turned to look at him.

At last, Morgan said, "We'll have to ask for volunteers. But at least it gives us a chance to terminate the connection with EVE."

Julia was silent for a long time, her eyes shifting gradually from Yale to Morgan, and eventually back to Morgan. The bureaucrat didn't flinch under her steady gaze, and finally, she nodded. "You'll need help," Julia said simply. "Okay."

***

It was agreed among Yale, Morgan and Julia that they wouldn't tell any of the others about their suspicions about EVE and VR, nor their plan to combat the computer's influence.

Julia had argued half-heartedly that the others had a right to know; Yale had countered with the fact that they didn't have hard proof, and with everything going on with Devon and the dreams, it might be just the right amount of stress to send Danziger over the edge.

Morgan had pointed out that Danziger wasn't really human anyway, so what difference would it make, but Julia and Yale had both favored him with icy, silent glares, and he'd chosen that moment to throw up his hands and declare he'd go with whatever the other two decided.

In the end, Julia agreed with Yale's assessment of Danziger's state of mind, and conceded on medical grounds that some secrecy in the early stages of the project would be appropriate. Among the three of them, they had all the required expertise they could hope to assemble; no one else in the group knew enough about VR programming or equipment to assist. With the possible exception of Danziger, but they'd already determined he was out of the loop on this one, at least until Devon's fate was known.

That finally settled, the trio of conspirators began to study the biostat chip in earnest, preparatory to mapping it out in virtual for further testing.

***

Immediately on their return to camp, Danziger had repeated his intention to check out the moisture condensers. It was wise, really - while they had a ready source of natural water from a spring and small lake here in the valley, once they set out again, they didn't know where they'd find another freshwater source. The condensers' ability to take moisture out of the air and purify it for drinking could spell the difference between survival and death. But Alonzo knew that wasn't the reason Danziger chose to check them over now.

Constant activity prevented Danziger from dwelling too much on feeling. Focussing on equipment meant he didn't have to focus on people. Except for True, he amended to himself. And now Uly. Both children had spotted the Rail before it had come to a stop, and they'd both come running to Danziger with news of their important work with Julia. As True, leading her father by the hand to the condensers, had chattered on about what she'd learned from Julia, Alonzo chuckled to himself. He wouldn't be surprised if they were looking at the doctor for the next generation in that small, determined young lady. If there was a next generation, he reminded himself grimly.

He glanced around the camp; no one was in sight. The others must still be out foraging, or collecting supplies. He noticed that the woodpile they'd amassed the day before was looking woefully small - not nearly enough to get a decent fire going when the evening's chill settled in. Squaring his shoulders, he decided that a little activity to take his mind of their troubles wouldn't be such a bad idea, and went off in search of an ax to cut some more firewood.

***

By evening, everyone had drifted back to camp, exhausted from their day's endeavors. Baines and Walman had found a fairly level route at least a hundred kilometers toward the west, and that news was cheering to them all. The larder was filling up with fresh produce, and Julia had identified a couple of likely candidates for preserving. Bess had studied them critically, and announced that she planned to attempt canning over the next few days if they could concoct something approximating wax. Danziger promised to give it some thought.

As the evening meal wound down, silence blanketed the group. The day's events had already been discussed, plans for the next day laid, and finally, there was nothing more to do but wait for the next dream.

Danziger casually reached toward the woodpile Alonzo had built up, grabbed a log, and tossed it on the fire.

Sparks flew as the wood sizzled in the flames, smoked a bit, then caught. He stared into the flames for a long moment, then announced, "Yale, I want you to look after True and Uly tonight."

"Dad!" True protested, but Danziger turned a stern look on his daughter.

"I don't want you two sharing anymore of my dreams, sport," Danziger growled, a quirk of his lips betraying the affection in his words.

"But, Mr. Danziger -" Uly started.

Danziger raised his hand to still the complaint.

"Neither of you. We don't know what the Terrians will show me next. I'd feel better if you were both with Yale."

"Aw, Dad -"

"True!"

"Okay," the young girl capitulated with bad grace.

Yale reached over and draped his arm around the girl's shoulders. "I should enjoy the company," he told her, giving her shoulders a little squeeze.

That satisfied Danziger, and he settled back in his seat, a little more relaxed. "Good. Julia -"

"Yes, John?"

"I'll want a sedi-derm, too."

"John, you really don't need -"

"Yeah, I do," he countered, his face implacable.

"Might as well get it over with, huh?" He rose suddenly, still staring resolutely at their doctor. At last, she sighed, and joined him, leading him to the med-tent.

The others exchanged glances, but said nothing in deference to the children. Yale obviously picked up on the tension, and so suggested that it was time for the children to turn in, too. At their renewed protests, Yale resorted to bribery, promising them each a story of their choice.

After they had gone, conversation started up again, speculations on what Danziger would dream tonight, and who would follow. There was no pleasant anticipation in the discussion.

***

"You don't need this, John," Julia insisted again, holding the sedi-derm in her hand.

"Yes, I do, Julia," Danziger asserted, plucking the device out of her hand.

She looked at him critically and shook her head.

"You're so tired, you're ready to drop now. This'll knock you out for at least 12 hours."

"That's good. Maybe I can have a long, dreamless sleep -"

"No, you won't. The sedi-derm won't block Terrian dreaming. In fact, it may accelerate the process.

With this in your system, you may not be able to wake up out of the dream, John."

Danziger turned the sedi-derm device over in his hands thoughtfully. He looked up at Julia through the tangle of his unruly curls. "I'm so keyed up, I don't know if I _can_ fall asleep without it, Doc. Humor me this once. I know the score - the sooner we get through these dreams, the sooner we'll know what's what. And if I don't wake up out of the dream, maybe I'll get some much-needed rest."

"Or maybe you won't break the dream cycle. Is that what you're trying to do - force the Terrians to complete the cycle all in one night?"

Shrugging, Danziger admitted, "Maybe. Maybe not. I just know this is one night I'm not going out like a light as soon as my head hits the pillow."

Julia grimaced, eyeing the sedi-derm doubtfully. "All right. But I'll check on you during my watch if you don't wake up after your dream. If I don't like what I see, I'll bring you out of it."

"Deal."

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