Territory by Deb2

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CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
REVELATION

DAY 43

The doctor carefully monitored Alonzo. She had recorded the data from Van Helsing for later study. Alonzo would not wait. The woodsman became restless after 10 minutes, prompting Julia to end the transfusion. Did he regret his action? She hastily coiled the tubing, and sealed it in a bag with the needles for safekeeping. Julia resumed her search for the tiniest improvement or lack of deterioration. The latter she found 20 minutes, 17 seconds after the transfusion began. The former, 43 minutes, 32 seconds. The doctor clasped her hand over her mouth. She rechecked *everything*. There were differences--for the better.

Dr. Heller blinked back the tears Julia would have shed from pure joy. Later. Later, when Alonzo was conscious, and she knew for certain he was back.

"I've never seen anything like this! Do you know what initiates the immunological improvement?"

As he had for the past 35 minutes, van Helsing sat crosslegged at the rear of the tent, head down. He was motionless except for the slow rise and fall of his chest.

"Mr. van Helsing, my friends are going to want to know how this happened," she said, gesturing toward Alonzo. "I've got to tell them something."

"Blame the Terrians," he suggested, jerking his head up. Julia saw the resignation in his eyes shift to dispair. She wondered if the man was going to cry.

"Leave me out of it," he pleaded. "I'm just the delivery boy, I just did what they told me to. Please. Don't say anything about..." Van Helsing gestured vaguely before placing his hand, fingers splayed, upon his chest.

The doctor shifted her gaze from van Helsing to the nowcluttered table which served as her lab. Until she knew more, there was really no point in giving details.

"Alright," she agreed.

Devon had reluctantly complied with Julia, herding John and Bess out when she'd asked to be alone with Alonzo. She'd even more reluctantly accepted van Helsing's 'offer' of help; had anyone other than Yale spoken for him, she likely would have refused. And van Helsing had spoken directly to her, polite almost to the point of submissiveness, addressed her as Ms. Adair. Yale distracted the Edenites (and angered some of them) with a sort of pre-death eulogy, while the woodsman slipped into the medtent.

Danziger was suspicious rather than angry, and paying far more attention to the medtent than to the ATV. It was just makework maintenance, anyhow. True was doing more work on the vehicle; in fact, her old man was getting in the way. John's eyes tracked from the tent to Magus, who was also unofficially keeping guard over the medtent. She stood with Walman, who was armed. He should have been at least 40 meters further out from camp.

True gently took the rachet from her father. She'd inherited his mechanical inclinations. She'd inherited his stubbornness. And she'd inherited her mother's ability to concentrate on the task at hand in spite of distractions. It made for one formidable little girl.

She pushed her hair back behind her ear. Yeah, her dad was a mechanic, probably the best on the planet, but did he have to try to fix everything? Julia was the doctor and she'd take care of Alonzo. If she needed them, she would let them know. True looked at her father almost maternally. He hadn't gotten mad at all when she got caught listening at the back of the medtent. Instead, he'd put an arm around her shoulder and said he needed her to help him with the ATV. He was *that* worried about 'Lonz.

It was so quiet. Almost everyone was within sight, sitting in the shade. True could distinctly hear the drumming sound caused by Denner as she worked on a vegetable, opening the pod and removing the seeds inside. 'Shelling', Yale had said. Yale himself stared off into space. He was probably polishing up the speech he'd give tomorrow at the funeral.

True knew what to do next, but simply lacked the strength. She distracted her dad long enough to get his help. He removed the bolts and started to open up the panel. The metal against metal grated exceedingly loud. He grimaced and stopped even pretending to work.

The girl wrapped her arms around her knees and continued surveying the camp. Baines was playing a game with Matazl, moving pebbles around on a board etched in the dirt. Both looked at The Tent from time to time. Those watching the game looked at The Tent from time to time. Uly was examining a leaf. Maybe there was a bug on it. The boy had just sort of materialized a while ago. True thought about joining him, and asking what he'd been up to, but moving that much seemed out of place right now. Devon wasn't in sight; True bet she didn't even know Uly'd run off.

Bess and Morgan were together under a tree on the slope east of camp. Even so far away, True could see that Bess had her hands clasped and her head bowed. She was praying. Morgan had his head bowed; he might be praying, too, if he wasn't just queasy.

Feeling that it couldn't hurt, True tucked her head and squeezed out a little, "Please, God."

"You alright, True-girl?" Danziger whispered, concerned. True hadn't meant to speak aloud. She raised her head and nodded. "Just praying, Dad," she whispered.

He stared at her. A slow, sad smile spread across his face, and he squeezed his daughter's hand. She'd learn the hard way that praying didn't necessarily get you what you wanted.

So, looking at each other, John and True missed seeing van Helsing and Julia leave The Tent. Still, they were among the first of the family in surrounding the two. Walman, Baines, and Danziger welcomed van Helsing with "open arms": two MagPros and the sidearm John kept with him always since his fight with the guide.

"How is he?" asked Magus anxiously. "What is *he* doing here?" demanded Danziger, trampling Magus' question.

"Alonzo's improving; please go stay with him," replied Julia, looking at Magus. She turned to the warriors and stated firmly, "Van Helsing saved his life. And Morgan's *and* True's. Now, if you'll excuse me a moment..." She pushed free of the circle and made straight for the latrine area.

EVENING OF DAY 43

Danziger sat at the entrance to his tent; True was tucked safely inside, content for once not to be where the action was. John felt he understood her desire to keep out of sight. He glared across camp at the medtent. One of the shadows on its walls was cast by van Helsing. He was keeping out of sight, too. The diggers had dragged that weasely little bastard thru the ground to save Alonzo's life, so he had no horses, no supplies, no weapons. He'd stay with Eden Advance til morning, unless the Terrian Express picked him up again. Danziger liked the thought of the finicky little savage surrounded by dirt. Maybe with a tombstone...

Van Helsing acted like he was uncomfortable, the outraged father noted with pleasure. He ought to be. John wondered what he could do to make van Helsing feel even more unwelcome, in a subtle sort of way.

Most of the group gawked at the woodsman what little he was in sight. Morgan, of course, attached himself to the guy, running interference. Morgan was genuinely happy to have van Helsing around. Danziger didn't think anyone else was. The mechanic dropped the bureaucrat a few rungs down the ladder to humanity he'd been climbing since the Morganite fiasco.

Julia was grateful--they all were, he grudgingly admitted-- but she treated the man...John trawled his mind, searching for the right words...like he was an insecure god needing constant reassurance.

Cameron stared glassy-eyed into the fire. He'd seen 'Lonz trampled just about to a pulp not 10 hours earlier. He'd seen it happen, he'd seen the wounds inflicted. Julia had been so certain Alonzo was dying, she'd decided not to waste their dwindling supply of medicine on him.

Fifteen minutes ago, Cameron had left the medtent. Devon had told him that Alonzo was going to make it and for his own good, he needed to see the pilot, so he'd followed her. Van Helsing would be there; Cameron wanted to see *him*, as if the woodsman was a freak in a carnival sideshow. Turned out that 'Lonz was far more interesting.

Van Helsing had stood as far from them as possible, eerily expressionless, just like Baines had described him. He'd looked at Cameron when he'd entered. Well, the man's eyes had moved in his direction.

Alonzo was on a cot, a sheet across his loins. Eden's dreamer was so swollen and discolored he wasn't recognizable as Alonzo Solace. Bruises of every color imaginable marred his skin. There was no blood; not one of the tears mama grazer had ripped into 'Lonz was open. No bones protruded. Cameron'd helped Julia ease a shin bone back into place, sort of, out in the woods. A scab sealed the place shut, now. All over the injured man, scabs had formed, adding to the horrific appearance of once handsome Mr. Solace.

"He's gonna live," was all Cameron could say. "Yes," Dr. Heller had replied. "Alonzo is healing at an astounding rate. I believe the edema is part of the process." She'd sent a questioning look in van Helsing's direction, but Cameron had focused back on 'Lonz and didn't know what the woodsman's response was, if any.

Shaking his head in disbelief, Cameron had repeated himself. "He's gonna live." With a cautious, gentle hand, he'd touched Alonzo's arm. It was warm, a normal warm.

Still shaking his head, he'd backed away toward the door. Cameron'd looked at van Helsing, wonder and wariness together on his face. The little man hadn't moved; he'd stood with his head turned, cheek against the tent wall.

"He's going to live," Cameron informed the flames. "Those Terrians are miracle-workers."

Matazl poked unnecessarily at the fire. He had his own ideas about this miracle. The Terrians wanted the dreamer alive and healthy, so had used van Helsing to accomplish that goal. Looked like they couldn't do it themselves. Just what was it van Helsing had done? What had he provided? Where did it come from? Matazl looked northward. A slight smile quirked his mouth. Van Helsing was hiding something, alright. It wasn't horses.

DAY 44

Alonzo, a trifle less bloated, was sleeping peacefully. Julia'd hardly slept at all, wanting to monitor every change in his condition, but she wasn't fatigued. She was astounded. Not only was the pilot healing at an impossible rate, there was no sign of infection.

Van Helsing and the doctor had taken breakfast in the medtent. He was still picking at the porridge with something less than a keen appetite. Julia had wolfed hers down and now leaned across the small table toward van Helsing, excitement and joy radiating from every pore. "Don't you understand what this means for mankind? The eradica--"

He cut her short. "Yes, Doctor Heller, I understand exactly 'what this means for mankind'."

"And you don't care?" Julia sat back and rubbed her forehead. "Have you distanced yourself that far from your own species?"

"I care." Van Helsing insisted, avoiding her eyes. He pushed his half-full bowl aside. "You see disease wiped out; mortal wounds no more life-threatening than a stubbed toe; long, healthy lives, etc, etc, ad infinitum."

"Of course!!" Julia couldn't remain seated, and once on her feet, she paced excitedly in the confined space. "This is the answer to so many of our problems! With study, we may even learn to regenerate missing limbs or perfect the STPT program!" She stopped and caught her breath. "Something like this can't be lost! Think of what it means for mankind!" she repeated.

Van Helsing said in a tired voice, yet enunciating each word with care, "*You* think, doctor. I have. I know. It *means* subjugation to a virtually immortal ruling class."

Julia was silent. She dropped to the side of her cot. The woodsman stared stonily at her. "You disagree, doctor?" "Alright, alright," she began, palms outward in a 'stop' gesture. "Alright, assuming it *is* available only to the more privileged at first; it couldn't be concealed from the general populace for any length of time. You cannot keep miracles a secret!"

"The Council keeps secrets extraordinarily well." "What do you mean?" the doctor asked warily. Van Helsing didn't elaborate. Instead, he gazed at the tent entrance and muttered, "I told them this would happen. If I refuse to share what I know, humans will come in overwhelming numbers and try to learn for themselves." He refocused on Julia, frightening her a bit with the intensity. "That *is* what will happen, isn't it?"

Involuntarily, she flicked a glance at the small plastic case containing the pitiful amount of data relating to van Helsing. Was there, perhaps, enough to determine exactly what made him different? Would it be possible to synthesize it? If so, no invasion would be necessary.

Julia reflected a moment on what he'd said: '...humans will come...' So, whatever the healing agent was, it was found in the area van Helsing claimed as his own. She understood his desire to be rid of Eden Advance; if the man truly felt the Council would abuse the agent, he no doubt thought he was protecting everyone else. Julia knew the Council was unaware of van Helsing's discovery; their absence proved that.

"I can't say for certain," she replied. "With a sufficient amount of the substance for analysis, we can manufacture--"

"Doctor, if I tell--*take* you to a source, will you leave me alone? Never seek me out?"

"Yes."
"You will think long and hard about the consequences of revealing what you learn?"

"Of course." Julia would have agreed to anything he asked at that point.

"I have your word?"
"Of course!"
He chewed his moustache absently. Julia thought that remarkably human of him. She wondered how long ago van Helsing had isolated himself. Now she understood why.

"Alright, doctor. I'll tell you where to meet me."

"What does Julia think she's doing?!" fumed Devon, eyes flashing. "What is wrong with that woman?"

"She's been under a lot of stress lately," placated Morgan, trying somehow to assume a submissive posture toward a superior shorter than he. He worked his shoulders uncomfortably. Eden's leader had cornered him, so to speak, just outside the medtent, where Bess was tending Alonzo.

"Alright," accepted Devon, a bit too calmly for Morgan. "So, what is wrong with you?"

The station bureaucrat shrugged, hands in an 'I don't know' gesture. "She's not in any danger! Van Helsing is as harmless as a kitten!"

Devon inhaled and counted to ten. Kittens, she knew from experience, had claws hidden in those soft paws. "Why is Julia meeting with him away from camp, alone, in the first place?"

Morgan opened and closed his mouth several times, fishlike. When Dr. Heller had told him and his wife that in exchange for his freedom and privacy van Helsing had offered to reveal the source of the miracle medicine (and literally untold wealth--the man controlling production of that stuff would be able to buy and sell the Council itself many times over), well, Morgan realized opportunity was not knocking at his door: it had blasted the door off the hinges.

"I...I guess she wants to thank him. Or 'pay' him," suggested the potential gazillionaire. That was an interesting angle, feasible, barely. "The Terrians did bring the old boy here, but we don't know what kind of private arrangements he made with Julia. He has been alone for a long time, you know."

Devon gave Morgan one of those stares that causes sweat to trickle uncomfortably down the back of one's neck. She said coldly, "I would have thought saying such a thing beneath even you." She paused. "I was wrong."

Morgan watched her stride away, headed toward Danziger and his little gang. His relief at escaping Devon's inquisition was unexpectedly tainted by a nagging feeling of shame.

Julia reached the stream van Helsing mentioned and followed it through a small, narrow ravine, climbing the steep sides by clinging to saplings and vines.

She was growing suspicious. It seemed to her she should have reached him already. "Have I gone the wrong way?" But the creek was right where he said it would be, and upstream is upstream. She muttered something unpleasant under her breath, lifting a soggy boot out of the water.

It didn't really matter. A few more yards along the path the only place to walk was in the stream, among those treacherously slick rocks. Maybe she'd been set up. Had she been stupidly optimistic to trust him? Julia pressed on, wading the ankle deep water.

"Oh," she breathed, sighting the glade in which van Helsing waited. It was an ideal spot for a picnic. Or a tryst, she thought, remembering Alonzo's dark eyes and teasing smile.

Julia slogged her way carefully over and around smooth stones to the creekbank. Van Helsing offered an uncharacteristic, but nonetheless welcome, hand of assistance up the slippery bank.

"No gear," he demanded.
Without argument, Julia left her headgear hanging on a tree branch. The woodsman padded silently to a huddle of rounded boulders. The doctor followed, aware of the twigs and leaves crunching under her feet. Van Helsing perched himself on one of the stones and patiently surveyed the area. The lazy manner in which he did so was deceptive. Julia knew the man missed nothing. She settled on the forest floor and removed her shoes.

"I came alone," stated the doctor, wringing out her socks. "I know," Van Helsing replied. "I don't smell anyone." "Your sense of smell is affected also?" asked Dr. Heller incredulously.

Van Helsing nodded.
"The healing agent improves the senses?" He frowned. "Not as such. It permits them to function properly. Cleanly."

All of them. Julia realized she'd have to devise tests to accurately measure his perceptive abilities. She wanted more than ever to do a complete physical on him. She wanted more than just her diagnostic glove to work with.

The barefoot physician leapt up and began circling her specimen, glove functioning at optimum, tantalizing her with the little data it offered. Van Helsing continued scanning the woods as the woman buzzed around him.

"Can you identify individuals by their scent?" she prodded. "Some are less offensive than others." Julia decided he'd said "yes". "Does that have anything to do with your choice of liaisons?"

"Bess smells like home. And Morgan, because of his contact with her, is tolerable. I thought at first he was Earthborn."

And Baines? He was three generations from Earth. Were he and Bess--Julia dismissed the thought as simply too fantastic and set her mind back on track.

"Home is Earth?" she asked. "There's been some speculation you were born on G889."

"I earned my passage," he bit out. Julia stopped orbiting and faced van Helsing. "You lack the tattoo on your neck."

"I lack any indication of a recently broken arm." Indeed, he did. There were no scars of any kind, external, internal, nothing. She was supposed to be finding out why.

"What are we looking for? A plant, a mineral, an animal?" "Twenty questions," he said for no discernible reason. "The miracle cure's source, you mean?"

Julia flashed a smile of affirmation. Her heart pounded. She felt she was on the brink of a historic discovery.

"Animal," he smiled back...tauntingly? "Oh? I hadn't expected that." The doctor pushed a lock of hair behind her ear. "What kind?" Her eyes darted around. "I assume it's nearby."

"Sentient kind. See, that's the trouble. It's sentient. Or does that make any difference to you?"

"Sentient?" Julia repeated as if she wasn't, quite. The memory of an unfortunate Grendler escaped its dungeon. "Yes. It makes all the difference in the world." She gave van Helsing an icy, judgmental look. *He* had made use of the creature. "Doesn't it matter to you?"

He pulled his legs up against his chest and wrapped his arms around them, resembling an overgrown elf on a toadstool. "Oh, yeah. It matters more than anything." He paused, eyeing the doctor seriously before dropping the bomb. "I'm the animal."

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