Context (9/20)
by Deb Walsh
The moons were still tracing their paths across the sky, and morning was only a distant promise. Mary prowled the caverns in the dim glow of the sunstones, trailing her fingers along the walls. Dreaming with humans was a tiresome process, she decided. So much emotional noise, so many conflicts, so much clamor.
Like humans themselves.
Intellectually, she knew that she had been born human.
During the brief time she had stayed with the Eden Advance crew at the Biodome, she'd had glimpses - not at all tantalizing - into her own humanity. Pain, confusion, longing, loss ... these were what she understood being human to be. Nothing like the serenity, the cohesion of the Terrian mindset. The unanimity. Living as a Terrian brought with it rich rewards, order, purpose, peace, community. Living as a human brought ... what?
She paused, her hand resting lightly on a protrusion of sunstones. A faint smile touched her lips as she felt the warmth of the sunstones penetrating her fingers.
She leaned against the rough surface of the wall, pressing her hand against the stone, reaching for the low pulse of its energy.
So many questions. That was something humans did not share with Terrians. Terrians didn't question, Terrians didn't explore, Terrians didn't form theories.
At least, not the Terrians she knew. Some time in the distant past, before Terrians became what they were now, they might have. With a small shock, Mary realized that curiosity was something she shared with humans, not with Terrians. Curiosity. Wanting to know. The Terrians had chosen to try to understand the humans simply because so many were coming. It was a choice made to preserve the race and the planet. The Terrians did not make war, had buried that along with emotions like curiosity in their ancient past. So simply exterminating the humans was not an option.
Understanding was vital.
Yet, if no understanding was reached, the humans would eventually die. The most recent dream demonstrated that. So, if they simply backed off, the human problem would go away. But the Terrians had committed themselves to the course of communion with the humans.
Just as they had not turned away from their decision to kill Yale, and thus exiled her when she saved his life, they would not turn from their decision to understand the humans.
She wondered what the others in the valley would think of this latest dream. Perhaps they would think that the Terrians would decide to simply turn their backs on them, allow them to die, and thus reclaim their world.
She knew the Terrians wouldn't. She knew more dreams would come, until the two races could finally reach a common ground.
Mary's smile grew. She finally understood why the Terrians had allowed her to dream with them and the members of Eden Advance. And she knew that she would finally join her fellow humans in the days to come.
And quite possibly, the Terrians as well.
***
A low murmur of conversation drifted across the camp as Julia and Alonzo came out of their tent the next morning. As they entered the mess tent, they were met by suddenly silent stares. Julia paused, glancing around her self-consciously. She nodded once, then moved over to the food table to get her breakfast.
"Well?" Morgan asked pointedly from his seat beside Bess.
"Well, what, Morgan?" Alonzo replied snappishly, following Julia.
"Well, we've been talking. Everybody heard Uly last night in Danziger's tent. So we know Danziger had his dream. And none of _us_ had a dream afterwards. So 2E.. what happened?"
Julia looked down at the nutritious but unappetizing gruel that had been prepared for the morning meal.
Sighing, she nodded again. "I dreamed," she admitted softly. "A dream in which Devon lived, but was an invalid. A dream in which we were all dying, and the colony ship returned to the stations."
"Dying?" Bess repeated worriedly. "From what?"
"I don't know," Julia answered, seating herself wearily. "But we were definitely dying, slowly.
Immune deficiency, system failure, I don't know." She lifted her spoon and glared at the glistening glop for a moment before putting it down with another sigh. "We failed. _I_ failed."
"You didn't fail, Julia," Alonzo told her gently, dropping onto the bench beside her. He covered her hand with his and squeezed. "It's a possible future, not destiny."
She wiped her hand across her forehead, pushing stray hairs out of her eyes. "I know, I -"
"What's it mean?" Magus inquired, her face drawn with concern.
Drawing a deep breath, Julia raised her head, sloughed off the tired, frightened woman, and became the doctor.
"It means, I think, that curing Devon will allow us to understand what we need to do to survive here in the long term. We're not like the penal colonists - they didn't live their entire lives on the stations as most of us did. They've adapted to the environment here differently than we will, I think. Than we _can_."
She licked her lips, pausing for a moment as all eyes focussed on her, then added, "I believe that whatever caused the Syndrome in Uly's generation may also be responsible for what's wrong with Devon. What will be wrong with all of us eventually."
"Even Bess?" Morgan demanded. "She didn't grow up on the stations - up until four years ago, she'd never left Earth. Whatever immune deficiencies the rest of us may have from living on the stations, surely she's okay -"
"Possibly, Morgan," Julia started to answer.
"Morgan, honey, I wouldn't _want_ to live without you - " Bess interrupted.
Up until now, Danziger had remained silent, observing the exchange with a guarded expression. Now he rose slowly from his seat and cleared his throat meaningfully. "Nobody's gonna die, Bess," he said simply.
"Danziger, we don't know -" Julia protested.
"Yes, we do. Because we're gonna keep dreaming with the Terrians until we get this sorted out. I don't care how long it takes, we'll figure it out," he told her forcefully.
"I thought you were in a hurry to get to New Pacifica," Walman put in from where he sat with Baines, Magus and Cameron. "We've got that colony ship coming, remember?
What if this dreaming stuff takes weeks? Months?"
A flash of pain crossed Danziger's face briefly, and True looked up at her father and reached for his hand.
He took it and held it tightly as his face transformed into a blank mask. On his other side, Uly looked up at him with wide eyes, and Yale moved to put his arm around the boy's shoulders. Julia half-rose from her seat, but Alonzo took her arm and pulled her back down again, shaking his head slightly.
Tension in the tent built geometrically until Yale spoke up. "I doubt very much the Terrians have so many possible futures to show us. We will make it to New Pacifica in time."
"What makes you so certain, Yale?" asked Cameron quietly.
"Faith, Cameron. Faith."
"Well, faith ain't gonna cover the next two thousand klicks," Baines reminded.
"Faith got us this far," Cameron counted. "Faith in Devon," he added, glancing around him, challenge in his gentle eyes. "She got us here, she got us this far."
"Lucky us," Walman complained theatrically.
"No, Cameron's right," Bess put in. Morgan made a face at her to stop her, but she shook her head at him and continued. "We've been through a lot to get this far, and I for one am grateful that I'm here. Life on Earth was ... difficult. Hopeless," she added, nodding to herself. "Life on the stations ... people shouldn't live their lives inside cans. Mankind wasn't meant to live that way. When Devon planned to come here, I felt like we'd all been given a second chance, a chance to do it right. I still feel that way."
"Yeah, and Devon's father's the one who designed the original stations. What's that got to do with what we're talkin' about, Bess?" Walman asked.
"It's got everything to do with it. Devon made the plans to come here. Devon arranged for everything we'd need. It was the Council that tried to stop us, it was the Council that implanted that chip in Danziger's friend and caused the crash. It was the Council that inserted those chips into us that nearly killed us.
Devon's the one who forced Elizabeth to work with EVE to repair the chips. If Devon needs us to stay here and dream with the Terrians, then I vote that we do just that."
"Is that what this is? A vote?" Walman demanded.
"Why not?" Danziger interjected suddenly. "We've operated as a democracy in the past -"
"When it suited Devon -" Baines reminded them.
"We've voted on the important things," Danziger countered.
"I don't think it's necessary to force a vote at this point," Julia offered. "I think we should just see how the next few nights play out, and then make a decision.
In the meantime, we're in a sheltered valley, we've got a ready food source, an opportunity to replenish our food stores, and we've got a chance to recuperate from the infection caused by the faulty biostat chips. We don't have to make any serious life decisions right now."
"I agree," Magus added. "I say we wait a couple of days, stock up, rest up, and then make a decision. A couple of days one way or another isn't going to make a whole hell of a lot of difference to New Pacifica. But it could make a big difference for us." She paused, then turned around, looking at each of the others in turn. Finally, she asked, "Well?"
"Okay," muttered Baines ungracefully, while Cameron nodded. A general murmur of assent drifted through the tent, and the tension at last dissipated.
"Good," Danziger approved. "Now, who wants to take out the rail and scout ahead? We've gotta make sure the route ahead is clear anyway ..."
***
Baines and Walman volunteered to take the rail out, promising to return before dark. With their gear on and satisfactorily transmitting, they left the camp shortly after breakfast had been cleared away.
Danziger and Alonzo saw them off after Danziger had checked the vehicle over one more time. Watching them depart, Danziger wiped his hands on a rag and announced, "I'm takin' the Rail back to the ship."
"You're what?"
"I'm takin' the Rail back to the ship. I wanna make sure it's secure," Danziger repeated impatiently, striding toward the all-terrain vehicle.
"Danziger, it's secure. I checked the locking sequence myself," Alonzo argued, matching Danziger's gait step for step.
Danziger halted at the Rail and wheeled on Alonzo. "So why was it open in my dream last night? You say the Terrians mirror reality in their dreams - that hatch was locked, but last night it was open. And if it really _is_ open, then Devon could be in danger."
Alonzo stared at Danziger a moment, then nodded. "I'll come with you. Just let me tell Julia, okay - Danziger, promise me you'll wait for me, right?" the pilot urged forcefully, giving the mechanic a look that promised mayhem if he left without him.
"All right," Danziger acceded grudgingly. "Make it snappy. And tell Julia to keep an eye on True and Uly."
***
Later that day, Yale came upon Morgan, seated upon a rock in a clearing a few hundred yards from camp. Like most of the party not otherwise engaged, Yale was gathering specimens for Julia to study, and collecting larger supplies when she pronounced them safe and edible. The children were helping Julia catalogue their finds, so Yale was free to enjoy the open air and pitch in with everyone else. Pitching in looked like it was the last thing on Morgan's mind, though.
As Yale walked into the clearing, he shook his head; finding Morgan loafing off wasn't anything new. But the thoughtful look on the bureaucrat's face as he passed his VR gear from hand to hand was unusual.
Normally, the VR gear would've been on Morgan's head, and he'd have been lost in a VR dream.
Yale paused, considering. Then he strode forward, not making a secret of his presence, and addressed Morgan directly. At first, the other man didn't notice the tutor, so Yale repeated his greeting. After a third try, Morgan Martin started guiltily and quickly shoved the VR gear out of sight. The frightened rabbit expression on his face relaxed as he recognized Yale, and he attempted a wan smile.
"Yale. I, ah, that is ..."
"You don't appear to be using that gear, Morgan. But it does seem to disturb you somehow," Yale observed with an underlying chuckle. "I could take a look at it if you like."
"Look at it?"
"To see if it's functioning properly," Yale suggested, extending his cybernetic hand as he closed the gap toward Morgan.
Morgan drew out the gear again and looked at it before handing it over wordlessly to Yale.
Yale was taken aback at Morgan's tractability. He hid it by adjusting his glasses and studying the gear, going so far as to plug it into the input in his arm to review the program. "Jazz, eh? I quite like that type of music, too," Yale told him conversationally. He glanced up to notice Morgan's tense scrutiny. "What is it, Morgan?"
"The program's okay? It hasn't been tampered with?"
"Tampered with? Why, no, it hasn't. What's wrong?" Yale asked, extracting the VR jack from his arm.
Morgan stared at the gear as though it had suddenly transformed into a particularly venomous reptile. Yale took off his glasses and speared Morgan with a stern look. "Something is definitely bothering you, Morgan Martin. Something to do with this gear set. Now tell me about it."
Morgan gulped once, twice, then nodded. "Have you, um, ever heard of ... anyone in ... well, cold-sleep ... that is, you know ... ah ... entering a VR program in progress? Hmmm?" he asked, a strangely expectant expression on his wide-eyed face.
"Excuse me?" Yale replied doubtfully.
"You haven't, have you?" Morgan asked, shaking his head.
Yale shook his head in unison. "Except for your claim about Bennett, no, I'm afraid I haven't."
"So it isn't really real, then, is it? I mean, VR feels real, but it isn't, I know that, it's just that virtual helps me get through some days you know, but I do understand that someone who's in cold-sleep can't really just get up and walk into someone's VR session, and -"
"Slow down, Morgan!" Yale laughed. "Just tell me what's happened."
Morgan took a long, deep breath and nodded. "Tell you what's happened. Yes. Before we found the ship, I was in VR, and Bennett showed up and gave me the codes to activate the sleep crypts. Only it wasn't Bennett. I didn't know that at the time, but that's what I believe now. Because yesterday, Devon entered my VR and told me to reactivate the link to EVE."
"She what?" Yale demanded, all trace of humor evaporating.
"It wasn't Devon, Yale. It was EVE herself, disguised as Devon, just like she'd disguised herself as Bennett before. The Council computer can enter our VR transmissions."
Yale was silent as he absorbed this conclusion. Morgan was agitated, but not psychotic. He seemed sincere in his claims of visitations in his VR. "How does it happen?"
"How?" Morgan repeated. He shook his head. "I'm in VR, and suddenly, so is someone else. First it was Bennett, then it was Devon."
"But only since we came within range of the ship," Yale mused.
"Exactly. There must be some sort of beacon, some sort of powered relay connected to EVE in the vicinity.
Something that boosts the signal enough so that it can interfere with VR. So that EVE can link with our gear signals."
"It might be wise to identify this device. It makes a weird sort of sense - before we entered the blackout zone, EVE, as Reilly, was in touch with Julia. By the time Julia cut her ties with Reilly, we'd entered the blackout zone around the Biodome. We probably hadn't travelled very far from the blackout zone when you had your first experience with an intruder in VR." Yale nodded thoughtfully.
"Why me?"
"Why you, what, Morgan?"
"Why is EVE targeting me?"
Yale ducked his head and smiled. "The reason is obvious, Morgan - you spend more time in VR than any of the rest of us. The window of opportunity is greater."
Morgan grimaced sourly. "Very funny. And in the meantime, we've got a direct link to a psycho computer in our heads, and even our VR isn't private. We have to find a way to disable that connection, Yale."
"There I must agree with you, Morgan. But Bennett's virus in EVE's operating system nearly killed us. The chips have insinuated themselves into our central nervous systems, so they cannot be removed. Destroying EVE, even if that were a possibility, would surely kill us, Morgan. I don't see that we have any options -"
Morgan reached for the VR gear still held in Yale's hand. "What about the chip's own operating system?"
"Pardon me?"
"The chip's BIOS. The machine language of the chip - the chip can't interact with an external operating system unless it has one of its own, a protocol that instructs and operates the chip. What if we disabled that program?"
Yale's natural hand moved to the back of his neck and he probed the base of his skull with his fingers, as if he could touch the chip embedded in his tissue. "How would we affect the chip's operating system?"
"Do we still have the chip Elizabeth removed from Eben?"
"I believe Julia still has it, yes."
Morgan hefted the VR gear in his hand, and smiled at Yale. "I think I have an idea, but I'll need your help."
***
Ten kilometers was a quick trip in the ground-devouring Rail. What had taken the Eden Advance crew nearly an entire day to cross, Danziger and Solace backtracked in less than an hour. In his haste to get to the ship, Danziger nearly rolled the Rail as he spun it to a stop in the clearing by the ship, and the vehicle was still coasting to a halt as he vaulted out of the driver's seat and raced toward the ancient sleep-jumper.
"John, wait!" Alonzo called out, hauling himself out of the Rail and following the mechanic up the slope.
Danziger was nearly to the hatch when he suddenly yelled and fell back, losing his footing and skidding down the incline. Alonzo turned to reach for his friend, but halted in mid-motion as he watched a Terrian rise up from the earth.
The Terrian stood before the open hatch of the ship, its lightning stick held defensively.
"Goddammit!" Danziger swore, scrambling to regain his footing and move toward the hatch.
Alonzo dropped to a crouch beside him and held him fast. "Wait, John," he warned in a low voice. "He means us no harm."
"I'm not worried about us, Solace - I'm worried about Adair -"
Bowing its head, the Terrian extended the arm holding the staff, and sparks crackled around its rough-hewn surface. Danziger tried to fight off Alonzo's restraining hands, but the pilot held firm. "Wait," growled Alonzo. "Let me find out what's going on."
Danziger snorted angrily, but acquiesced, allowing Alonzo to close his eyes and reach into the dreamplane.
A few moments later, he opened his eyes and smiled faintly at his companion. "They're standing guard over Devon so no one can harm her. They don't wish her any ill, they just don't know what to do with her yet.
They're studying her in their own way. He'll step aside for us to check the systems over, but we can't stay."
"Why not?"
Alonzo shrugged. "I think our emotions get in their way. And trust me, big guy - right now your emotions are running a little high."
Danziger snarled incoherently for a moment, then nodded. "Okay. Let's take a look." He accepted Alonzo's help to stand up, and together the two men picked their way up the slope again. The Terrian bowed slightly and moved away from the hatch, allowing them to enter into the ship.
Alonzo moved quickly to the control console, rapidly scanning the readouts, while Danziger stalked into the sleep chamber. Without glancing at the lone occupied cryo-crypt, Danziger went immediately to the sleep controls, checking them over thoroughly before finally turning to face the cold light of Devon's chamber.
"Everything looks in order," Alonzo announced as he came into the sleep chamber. He halted, suddenly silent at the sight of John Danziger staring up at the frozen form of Devon Adair. If he'd ever had any doubts about Danziger's feelings for Devon, one look at the other man's face erased them. A mixture of pain and longing held John's face in thrall, gone in an eyeblink as Danziger registered Alonzo's presence.
"Here, too," Danziger said simply.
Alonzo shook himself and walked over to Danziger.
"Then let's go. There's nothing more we can do here now, John. She's safe."
"Yeah," Danziger agreed, his voice rough with emotion.
"C'mon," Alonzo urged.
Danziger drew a deep, shuddering breath and nodded.
"Yeah."
Author's Chapter Notes:
Here's more of "Context." Note - these parts are not chapters, simply chunks of the story in roughly 10-page increments (AOL has a limit on outgoing mail, after all). It's not done yet, but work on it is going pretty well. I'm not certain if there'll be one or two more dreams - the Terrians haven't let me know yet.
Thanks to everyone who has commented on it so far. Enjoy!
Deb W.
Thanks to everyone who has commented on it so far. Enjoy!
Deb W.