Context (15/20)
by Deb Walsh
The tattered, filthy Eden Advance uniform that Mary had worn since they'd first given it to her at the Biodome was summarily removed, and a clean, new one provided.
Mary still didn't understand why, but she admitted that the clean material felt good next to her skin. Bess assured her that her old clothes could be cleaned and mended, and she'd teach Mary how to do it herself. But for now, a replacement would have to do. Mary had nodded solemnly, and followed Bess and Julia back to the camp.
By now, dusk was falling, and the woods separating the lake from the camp were dark as the three women picked their way through the trees. Mary moved forward with assurance, and Julia wondered if perhaps her night sight was superior to theirs - after all, the Terrians lived in a world of semi-darkness underground.
Reaching the camp, they were greeted with the welcome smell of food, and the trio entered the mess tent.
Mary had only shared a couple of meals with them back at the Biodome, so Julia felt no qualms in showing her once more how to use the plate and implements. Mary watched intently, then started to feed herself with great concentration. At her first taste of the food, she smiled, muttering, "Good," around her food. Julia decided that she'd work on table manners later, and let the girl have a decent meal. After dinner, she planned to perform a physical on her, to see if any vitamin supplements might be in order. She smiled at herself; always the doctor, Heller.
After the meal, Julia showed Mary how to clean up her utensils, and then they joined the others around the campfire. Mary's presence seemed to lend the gathering a more festive air, and Julia approved whole-heartedly.
Even Danziger seemed in better spirits. Again, she smiled; Mary had thought herself empty-handed. Instead she brought something precious to them: hope.
Julia knew that Alonzo had warned the others not to overwhelm Mary with questions. The young woman wasn't used to human conversation, and she was still skittish.
Socialization would come in time, but they'd have to go slowly with her, so they didn't spook her. Julia felt no jealousy at Alonzo's special attention to Mary; she knew where she stood with him, and the knowledge warmed her. It felt good to feel confident about _something_.
They'd been sitting around the campfire, exchanging stories and opinions, for about an hour when Danziger rose from his seat. Mary looked up at him and bowed her head. "You dream."
Danziger did a doubletake. "Yes," he answered after a moment's silence.
"You have great courage," she added solemnly. "The dreams are very painful for you."
"I don't have much choice, do I?"
Mary glanced over at Yale and answered, "There is always a choice."
Danziger smiled grimly. "Well, I'd better turn in."
"No sedi-derm tonight, John?" Julia asked quietly.
"No," Danziger replied, wincing. "Not tonight."
Mary stood suddenly. "I must dream, too. Where can I 2E.. ?"
"Ah," Yale replied. "I thought perhaps you could sleep in our tent, Mary. With True, Uly and me."
She nodded gravely, waiting.
"I'll show you," Yale offered, and got up to lead her to the tent he shared with the children. Julia knew he'd set up another cot after they'd returned to the camp, so although the tent would be a little crowded, everyone would have their own bed. "Children?" he prompted when True and Uly hadn't given up their spots by the fire.
"Do we have to, Yale?" Uly complained.
"C'mon, champ," Danziger urged. "You, too, sport. And Yale and I will each tell you a story."
"Great! Mary, too?" Uly asked, as he shot up out of his seat and trotted after the adults.
"Mary, too," Danziger agreed, putting an arm around each of the children.
After they had disappeared into the tent, conversation started up again. "It'll take some getting used to," Magus suggested.
"What?" Julia asked.
"Having her around again. She's one amazing kid, making it on her own like that."
"She is that. I'll check her over in the morning, I guess. She looks pretty healthy, considering."
"I'm glad she's joined us," Bess interjected. "I hate to think of her all by herself."
"You're always so generous, Bess," Morgan told her, hugging her gently. He got up then, and extended a hand to Bess to help her up. With his arm around his wife's shoulders, Morgan addressed Julia. "We'll go back up in the morning, to keep working on those security codes?"
Julia glanced toward Alonzo, who shrugged. "If Yale's willing." At the confused looks around the fire, Julia explained, "We're trying to use the learning ability of the sunstones to crack Yale's security codes on his data banks. To get more information about what we can expect from the Council, what other perils might be hidden on the planet."
"So coming to this valley might do us some good after all," Walman said.
"We're building up our food stocks," Cameron reminded.
"And I for one am enjoying a chance to rest in such a nice place. I kind of miss the Biodome, but I don't miss all that snow," Magus added with a shudder.
"Think I'll turn in, too," Alonzo announced, and Julia joined him. The Martins, Alonzo and Julia all disappeared into the night, leaving a faintly snickering group around the fire.
***
Mary listened wide-eyed to the stories Yale and Danziger told the children. She remembered the stories her mother used to tell her, before she tucked Mary in at night. It had been a long time since she'd heard a story, other than the oral history of the Terrians.
She'd forgotten the pleasure of harmless shivers and vicarious excitement. She'd forgotten the pleasure of clean clothes and a warm bed, too. Even when she'd stayed at the Biodome with these people, these memories hadn't resurfaced. She was glad they did now, and she cherished these memories of her Mommy and Daddy.
Uly and True had each selected a story to be told.
Danziger was getting up to go when Yale suddenly asked Mary if there was a story she'd like to hear. Danziger paused, looking curiously at her. She nodded slowly.
"Tell me the story of the sleeping princess," Mary said at last, recalling a favorite from her distant childhood. Yale smiled so warmly at her, she smiled in return. The awed look on Danziger's face confused her, but it didn't frighten her. She settled into the bed, pulled the covers up to her chin, and listened dreamily to Yale spin the story.
***
As Danziger crawled into bed, he had to admit to himself that he was pretty impressed by Mary. And saddened, too. The Terrians had unknowingly stolen her childhood from her. The Outcasts had killed her parents, leaving her an orphan, and the tribe had taken her in and raised her. But they'd raised her Terrian, and he couldn't imagine how frightening that must have been to a little girl, suddenly alone and surrounded by aliens.
That would never happen to True, he swore. Whatever it took, it would never happen to her. Closing his eyes, he renewed his resolve to reach an understanding with the Terrians. They'd shown something akin to compassion once with Mary, and again with Uly. Surely they could do the same for Devon?
***
It really was getting monotonous. The dreams always started just outside the ship, and he always had to make his way back in. The memory of the previous night's dream was still with him, making his movements slow and hesitant, but he knew he had to go in. Knew he had to see the dream through.
The ship was silent this time. No voices greeted him, no sounds except for the faint workings of the ship itself. No one stepped out of the shadows, and nothing came up from the deck. Just an old ship, and one occupant, oblivious to the anguished expression on his face as he stood before the single functioning cryotube. He laid his hand upon the glass, splaying his fingers so that it looked like they rested upon Devon's face, and said softly, "So, what's it gonna be this time, Adair? You gonna sprout wings and fly out of here?"
There was no answer. No hint of movement, no disembodied voice telling him to look into his heart.
"I've looked into my heart, Adair. I'm not sure you'd like what I saw there. I don't know how you feel, what you think. I don't even know why I love you, but I do.
I sure as hell didn't plan on travelling 22 light years to fall in love with a woman who's managed to get herself locked up in a cryo-tube. You really piss me off, you know that, Adair? What the hell's the good of arguing with you when you can't even answer me?
Where's the fun in that?"
Danziger's only reply was silence. The silence of a tomb.
***
Baines had argued about taking the first watch, but he'd been overruled. The first and last watches were always the most popular, since it meant that whoever was on them got the best, most uninterrupted sleep - go to bed late, or get up early, but don't get up in between. It was Cameron's turn to take first watch, and he'd enjoyed watching Baines slink off sullenly to the tent. Baines didn't want to dream with the Terrians, and kept trying to avoid being asleep when the dreams came.
The camp was quiet. No sounds from Danziger's tent, even though he'd gone to bed more than an hour ago.
Maybe the Terrians were giving him a break for once.
He sure as hell could use it. Cameron had never seen Danziger look so rotten, except maybe that time he and the others had been stranded without food for a few days. The time Danziger killed that Grendler, and they ended up eating some of it. Sometimes, Cameron heard Danziger cry out even now, and he knew the dead Grendler still haunted him.
Shaking his head in sympathy, Cameron hefted the MagPro over his shoulder and continued his perimeter walk.
The night was quiet, but he still had a job to do.
***
Yale had never experienced the dreamplane before. He was surprised to discover that it wasn't that different from his view into cyberspace, when he'd linked with the EVE computer to repair the damage done by Bennett's virus. A disjointed view of reality, strange lighting, images that didn't flow quite right. So, tonight it was his turn.
He stood on a beach, a beach he knew must be near New Pacifica. The surf ebbed and flowed, a soft sussuration of sound. Soothing, really. Birds circled overhead, crying out. He quickly accessed his data banks and likened them to seagulls from old Earth. So many species on this planet they had yet to identify.
So very much to learn, if they had the time to do it.
46rom the descriptions the others had made, New Pacifica itself must be over that hill, in the valley on the other side. Not quite a seaport town, then. Sheltered from the storms that must inevitably rake the coast.
Not exactly poor planning. He started up the slope with a sense of fatalism; whatever the Terrians showed him, they would show him, and one more cycle of dreams would be complete.
"Where are we?" came a confused, soft and feminine voice.
He turned and found himself looking at Mary, looking around her in awe. Of course - she would never have seen the ocean before.
"We are at New Pacifica." He held out his hand to her, and she stared at it, uncomprehending. "We will go together. Take my hand, Mary."
"What is 'New Pacifica'?" she asked, placing her hand in his and climbing the slope at his side.
"It is the town we will build for the colonists who are coming. A place for us all to start over."
"More people? Yes, they are why the Terrians want to understand."
"Oh?" he asked, sliding a few steps down the lee side of the slope.
"More come, and more after that. More than can be ignored."
Yale nodded to himself. As Julia had guessed. Too many to be ignored. Well, it was a little humbling to realize the Terrians weren't interested in them so much for themselves, as for the hundreds, possibly thousands and more who would follow. Such a tremendous responsibility, to carve out an understanding with an alien species, though!
"What's that?" Mary demanded, grabbing at his arm.
"That's New Pacifica. It's smaller than I thought it would be," he mused, patting her hand. "Come on."
They walked into the town, and found themselves in a muddy, rutted square bounded by rough-hewn buildings.
The only building that looked at all modern, with antiseptic walls and carefully paved walkways, extended a few thousand yards away from the ocean. It had the look of a medical facility; of course, with 250 Syndrome children on their way, the medical facility would have been one of the first priorities.
He guided Mary gently toward the building, trying to communicate calm to her as she reacted to the strange building, so unlike anything she'd ever seen. As they entered the foyer, he was struck by how sterile, how unwelcoming the place was. What a strange environment to build for children, children whose lives held so little hope, even a little color was welcome.
A man in a white coat was conferring with some other white-coated people. Yale recognized him immediately; Dr. Vasquez, the doctor who should have been aboard the Advance ship, but had been on the colony ship when they'd been forced to leave the stations ahead of schedule. Devon had been so angry that Vasquez had left the Advance ship, but Yale wondered what their lives would have been like had Vasquez crash-landed with them instead of Julia. Julia was young enough to open her mind to new possibilities; somehow he doubted that Vasquez would be so willing to look beyond the certainties of his training.
As if in confirmation, Yale heard Vasquez now, decrying what he referred to as "local folk medicine."
"Experimentation with the indigenous remedies is fine for people who don't care about their survival, but we're here to take care of 250 terminally-ill children.
I've heard all of Dr. Heller's findings regarding the Terrians, and frankly, I think it's wishful thinking."
"But Dr. Vasquez, the Adair boy _is_ healthy," protested one of the other doctors, a pale young man with sandy hair and a squint, whom Yale quickly identified as Dr. Gerald Sinclair from his data files.
"There's no sign of the Syndrome at all. He's in complete remission."
"A fluke, I tell you. Take a look at that boy's DNA - he's not completely human anymore. Do you think I'm going to go to 500 worried parents and tell them their children can live, but only if they stop being _human_?
Really, Dr. Sinclair - surely you're not so credulous!"
"If I were a parent, I'd want to see results," muttered a dark-haired young woman with striking green eyes, whose nametag read, "Vincent, C., MD."
"Results? We've already seen promising responses to the synthetics. The Taggert boy is showing signs of remission."
"For a few minutes at a time, Dr. Vasquez," Dr. Vincent protested. "These are children, Dr. Vasquez - a few minutes of mobility isn't enough -"
"It's more than they could hope for before, Dr. Vincent. Remember that - these children were destined to die before we came here. They still might, if we don't keep those Terrian creatures away from them."
He pivoted on his heel and started to storm across the lobby when he caught sight of Yale and Mary, and halted abruptly. "Yale," he greeted with distaste. "I was wondering where you were. I want you to download everything you have on file about the Terrian physiology, especially their body chemistry."
"Of course. May I ask why?"
Vasquez looked at him as though he thought him mad.
"Why? I need to know more about them before I can begin to synthesize a repellant."
"A repellant?"
"Yes, of course - it was discussed in council. We plan to seed the land around New Pacifica with a chemical repellant to keep the Terrians out. To keep them away from the children. Not to mention our crops. And what is _she_ doing here?" Vasquez demanded, stabbing an angry finger toward Mary.
"I -"
"You know she's not allowed anywhere near the children while they're undergoing treatment, any more than the Adair boy is. I don't want them told fanciful stories of Terrian cures. We're dealing in facts here, Yale.
And the fact is that the Terrian cure is more of a curse. Look at what it's done to her - barely civilized, her body chemistry a travesty. I know you care about Uly Adair, but he's not completely human anymore. I won't have that happen to the rest of my children."
"I think you'd find if you asked Devon about this -"
"Ask Devon?" Vasquez demanded with a scornful snort.
"What - on this dreamplane Solace goes on about? The woman's in cryo-stasis, for God's sake. No one can talk to her. Not now, possibly never. God, sometimes I can't believe I agreed to come to this hell-hole!" he swore, stalking off.
Mary and Yale watched him go, stunned. One of the other doctors came over, Dr. Vincent. She laid her hand on Mary's arm sympathetically. "He's not having much success with the synthetics. But he just won't consider the Terrian cure. He doesn't consider them sentient, and he won't admit defeat. I'm barely out of residency, and I can see that Uly Adair is a healthy ten-year-old. If his mother were around, he'd probably even be a happy ten-year-old. Mr. Danziger does his best, I'm sure, but a kid that age needs his mother.
But Vasquez just won't commit any resources to looking into a cure for her, even though she did finance this expedition. It's because Uly was cured by the Terrians. If I were you, Yale, I'd wipe that data rather than download it for Vasquez."
"Why is that, Dr. Vincent?"
"Because he not only plans to repel them from the colony, he plans to the exterminate them. You watch - it's become an obsession for him. If you provide him with that data, we could be looking at genocide."
"The planet will die," Mary blurted out in shock.
"And then so will we."
Author's Chapter Notes:
This section was posted at the same time as part 14.
If you only get one part and not the other, please wait at least 24 hours before asking me for the missing part - filling in people's blanks is starting to cost me, and more often than not, it's network traffic that's delaying the posting of the sections to individual mailboxes.
Deb W.
If you only get one part and not the other, please wait at least 24 hours before asking me for the missing part - filling in people's blanks is starting to cost me, and more often than not, it's network traffic that's delaying the posting of the sections to individual mailboxes.
Deb W.