The Quality of Mercy, Part 8
Etain Antrim
Right after breakfast the next morning, Devon, Danziger, Walman, Yale, and Julia met with Alonzo in the common room. The pilot looked much better for a full night's sleep, although he had still lost ground in his recovery. Luckily, he was no longer nauseous or dizzy. He sat at one of the tables, quietly holding Julia's hand, while his listeners sat around him.
"As you all know, I have been having a lot of dreams. The local Terrian tribe has been in contact with the tribe at New Pacifica. The New Pacifica Terrians are uncomfortable with the idea that we plan to settle there. Apparently, their previous experiences with humans have not been pleasant. I think we can all imagine what they may have been. Our local tribe has been trying to help us negotiate a solution that will satisfy all of us. The New Pacifica Terrians have been showing me a series of possible futures if we and the colonists on the second ship do settle there. Before I give you all the details, you need to know that all the possible futures have been very frightening." He soberly looked around at the faces of his friends, the people who had become his new family, and added dryly, "It hasn't been sweet dreaming. Walman and I discussed the first dreams, but I had another dream last night. But let me tell you about the dreams in order."
As Alonzo told his friends about the three possible futures he had dreamt, he saw first shock and fear on their faces and then the expressions in his audience got reflective. "So you see, none of these are futures we can live with, literally. But the dream last night was very different. The New Pacifica Terrians can't guarantee that we will be able to settle at New Pacifica, but they will try to work something out so that the colonists will be all right. Our local tribe has convinced them that they will have to accommodate settlers somehow. They want to continue discussing this sometime later."
"Later. What does that mean?" Devon asked. Her face had paled as Alonzo had described the first future he had been shown, and an unhappy frown had since settled on her forehead.
"Devon, you know that the Terrians experience time differently than we do." He shrugged in frustration. "We'll know when they start talking to us again."
"All these dreams have a common enemy: Reilly and his Z.E.D.s," Julia stated calmly, although Alonzo had felt her hand tighten it's grasp on his as he had described the first dream. "Maybe we need to start thinking about how we can deal with the Council. They do know where New Pacifica is. Somehow we need to get the Council out of the picture."
"But how?" Danziger asked.
"We have two options. Somehow we eliminate them, which seems unlikely. Or we negotiate a reasonable settlement with the Council too." Yale stated logically, like the tutor he was.
"How could we satisfy the Council? They don't even want us here." Devon asked. She was beginning to see a glimmer of an answer, but it involved Uly and the other syndrome children, and that scared her so that she could feel her gut twisting.
"Well, the obvious answer is to help them understand the change in the syndrome children, starting with Uly. Reilly/Eve is ultimately interested in how the change occurs, and how to stimulate it in everyone else. But that answer probably won't satisfy the Terrians." Julia said. She frowned as she thought through their options. "'Lonzo, the Terrians didn't say anything else that might help us understand what sort of solution they want?"
The pilot just shook his head "No."
"Well, I suggest we all think about this for a while, and then get together again later to brainstorm. We need some time to understand the issues." Devon summed up. "Alonzo, thanks for describing your dreams."
Everyone rose to leave. Walman walked out with Danziger. "Wow. Pretty intense dreams. No wonder 'Lonz was so worn out."
"Yeah, it sure didn't look like fun. He was very upset by them, especially the first one. You know, it really pisses me off that the diggers abuse him like that. I don't know how he can stand it."
Danziger stopped to look at Walman. "Yeah, I know. Maybe that's why they chose him. Maybe they knew somehow that he was able to deal with it."
"Yeah, maybe . . . It makes me angry though. I'm not sure that I can forgive them. Just watching him get sick all over again, and knowing that he was trying to look after me, after I'd been so ugly to him for weeks--" Walman ran both his hands through his close-cropped hair, then squinted back up at the big mechanic. "Actually, that's got to be part of it. I was trying to think that he enjoyed all the dreaming, enjoyed being the contact with the Terrians. That way I could still be angry at him. But now I know how hard it is . . ."
Danziger thumped him companionably on the back. "Yeah, that's the kicker, isn't it? But he seems to accept it. We know that it took him a while to accept them, thanks to the dreams we all got to share. But Walman, we *need* him to dream with the diggers. Somebody's got to do it. If he has accepted it, we should too. But I agree, it pisses me off when the dreams make him sick." Danziger paused. "Hey, are you up to helping me with the 'Rail? I could use some company."
"Sure, just as long as you don't expect me to be able to bend my left knee!"
Julia saw them walking off together toward the vehicles, and called out. "Hey! Walman! I want you to keep off your feet for the next couple of days, and keep your leg elevated!"
Walman turned around to face her. "Yes Doctor. Well, Danziger, looks like you may be by yourself after all." He started back toward the common room, getting there in time to hear Julia reading Alonzo the same riot act.
She concluded, "And I expect both of you to take it easy until I give you a medical `all clear'. And that's not going to be today, or tomorrow. Got it?" She spun on her heel and walked briskly toward the Medtent.
"Boy, she made that clear. She sure can lay down the law, can't she?" Walman grumbled.
Alonzo smiled affectionately, his eyes still following the doctor. "Yeah, but you just have to know how to handle her. She's scared. Once she settles down, she'll give us a bit more room." He turned to look at his partner, "Hey, I could use a nap now though, so if you'll excuse me--." Alonzo followed the doctor over to their tent as Walman grinned knowingly at his back.
As Alonzo entered the tent, he found Julia standing stiffly facing her microscope, but not moving. He walked up behind her and slid his arms around her waist, and lay his chin on top of her silky hair. "Hey, Doc. You okay?"
She twisted in his arms, and reached round to hug him tightly. "Yeah-- I'm just a little frightened. I don't know what we can do--. 'Lonzo, just hold me for a second, okay? I need a good hug."
"My pleasure Doc." He reached under her chin and gently pulled her face up toward his. "You can imagine how upset I was by that first dream . . ." He smiled slightly, "I think Walman was in shock." He bent to give her a tender kiss. "If I lost you . . ." He tightened his arms around her. "But, forewarned is forearmed, right?"
"Alonzo, I was so worried about you. When Walman called and said you had passed out, and that you were sick-- It's too soon after the last time. I can't go through that again, not yet. And then those dreams-- Please, just humor me for a while, okay?" She buried her face into his shoulder, convulsively tightening her arms around him. They stood together like that for a couple of minutes, until she looked back up at his face. "I should send you to bed, fly-boy."
He grinned down at her, "I was hoping you'd say that."
"Alonzo--" She looked up into his eyes, and a small smile started to creep around the corners of her mouth. "I should tell you that you need sleep, but I guess a little postponement of the nap wouldn't hurt too much." She reached her face up to his, and gently kissed his mouth.
He leaned into the kiss and deepened it, then ran his cheek and chin over her hair. "I love your hair, it's so soft, and it smells like you."
Julia chuckled softly, "That's a first. You love me because of my hair!" She kissed his check, reaching up to kiss under his eye.
"Your hair is part of you. I also love your eyes," he kissed her eyelids, "your cheeks", he kissed her cheeks, "your cute nose", he kissed her nose, "and your chin," he kissed her chin, "and your lips." He playfully closed his teeth on her lower lip. "You taste so good."
The smile on Julia's face was replaced with a more intense expression as she reached up to pull his face down toward hers, running her hands through his hair as she held his head, then moved to kiss his neck as he nuzzled her ear.
"Oh God, I need you and I want you, Julia." He ran his lips down her neck and kissed the hollow at the base of her throat. As she responded to his kisses, he steered her over toward the cot, and they both began to fumble with the buttons on each other's shirt.
***
As the front passed by, the weather gradually began to warm, until a couple of days after the scout team had been brought back to camp, the snow began to melt and sublimate away, and a week later, the hills were bare of snow on their south facing sides, and even the north facing slopes were bare in spots.
Morgan showed up for breakfast un-naturally early that morning dragging all of his cold weather gear with him. After dropping his extra clothes at a seat, he walked up to Danziger, who was at his habitual place beside the coffee pot. "Danziger, I'm ready to go right after breakfast. Bess said she'd pack the food for us all. Just let me know when you're ready."
"Yeah, Martin. I'd guess it'll be a half hour or so. Baines and Mazatl just got here. But I'll let you know. The 'Rail is already packed." He paused to take another long sip of coffee. "Man, I can't believe that Adair is letting us go without her. I think after 18 months she's finally decided she can trust us." He drank again. "Of course, she'll probably fire orders from her command post here."
"Speaking of firing orders, did you hear Julia telling 'Lonz that there was no way he was going with us?" Baines had walked up to refill his mug. "Walman says she's been real strict with him too." The three of them looked over to where Walman and 'Lonz were having breakfast. As they watched, the doctor walked over to the two men and sat down beside Alonzo.
"Yeah, well, 'Lonz and Walman seem to accept it. I bet they're still not really feeling up to, say, climbing a mountain with antenna pieces and cable strapped to their back. Julia's just doing them a favor." Danziger said genially, and Martin and Baines nodded in agreement. "Well, guys, I'm going to make sure True is set for the day, then I'm ready. Meet you at the 'Rail in fifteen, twenty minutes?" The mechanic walked off in search of his daughter.
"Baines, I am so relieved that we are finally able to get started on installing the antenna. I am really looking forward to seeing how it works." Morgan was bubbling over.
"Yeah, me too. I'll meet you at the 'Rail." Baines moved off to roust Mazatl.
Devon intercepted Morgan as he collected his stuff and headed for the door. "Morgan, I just wanted to tell you that I really appreciate all the work you've put into this project. Whether we are successful or not, we've already learned a lot." She smiled, "Though, of course, I hope it works. But, you guys should be careful today. We don't need to launch any more rescues." She looked quickly over at Walman and Alonzo. As Morgan walked on out, she thought to herself, *Though their ordeal settled their differences, Thank God.* She followed Morgan out to see the installation crew off, and watched proudly as they pulled out of camp.
Yale joined her there, "I certainly hope this works. It will take them several days to finish installing the antenna and string the cable back to camp."
Devon smiled affectionately at his pedantic tone. "I know. And then we need to see what the dish tells us. But, Yale, this small network may help us understand the options we have at New Pacifica."
"Yes. Has Alonzo had any more dreams?" His face had sobered at the mention of their need to make decisions about New Pacifica.
"No. He thinks they will take a while to come to some decisions themselves. We need to be patient." Yale nodded solemnly.
"Come inside, there's no point in standing out here in the cold." Together, they turned and went back into the common room.
***
Later that morning, Morgan stopped to lean against a handy tree as he caught his breath while they climbed the hillside toward the peak. "Man, I never thought mountain climbing would be something I'd ever do in real life. I never even wanted to do it in VR."
Baines laughed while he rested. He looked up the hill to where Danziger and Mazatl were stolidly trudging up the slope. "Me neither. I'm not a mountain goat like those two."
"Well, mountain goat or not, I guess we better get a move on, or we're going to lose sight of them." Morgan pushed off the tree and lowered his head to begin the climb again. "At this rate, we're going to get to the top just when it's time to head back down."
"Yeah, but at least tomorrow all the parts will already be there, and we only need to get us up." Baines reluctantly followed Morgan's lead up the hill.
***
Four days later, the whole Eden crew was assembled in the common room, waiting for the inaugural transmission using their new antenna. Devon held her hands up for silence, "Quiet please! Okay, as you all know, the communications team of Morgan Martin, Yale, Baines, John Danziger and Mazatl designed and built a trial connection that should let us talk to the communications dish in New Pacifica. Before we attempt the link to New Pacifica, I think we should all give a round of applause for the team." She was joined by the whole crew when she started clapping. When the applause tapered off, she continued, "And now, Baines, see if you can link to the dish."
Baines sat at the console and started to type in some commands. At first a static display filled screen, but then the display changed to a more ordered test pattern. "Okay, we're through to the dish control! Now I'm going to see if the dish is picking up any signals." His fingers flew over the keyboard and commands he hadn't used in months flowed out like he had used them yesterday. Suddenly, the background on the screen changed to a blue field, and "Council Watcher Reilly" appeared.
Alonzo moved so that he was behind Julia, and he put his arms around her for both their comfort. Julia paled immediately when she saw her former contact, and sagged gratefully against the pilot.
"Well, well. Our little intrepid band! Devon and Julia! How are two of my favorite ladies?" Reilly smiled and spread his hands in a mockery of a welcome gesture.
Devon stepped forward and took the mike. "Reilly! I should have known!"
"Really, you should have. I know where you are, and I know where you're going. You can't avoid the all knowing Council, Ms. Adair. I'm just surprised that it took you so long to talk to me. I'm hurt."
"What do you intend to do, Reilly?" Devon spat out.
"Do? Well, that depends on you. New Pacifica is mine, and I *will* control it. If you insist on coming here, you will have to deal with me, one way or another." He gave a patently false friendly chuckle. "What that means depends completely on you, my dear lady, and on your little band of pioneers. From this dish, I can easily wreck the colony ship. It's quite a simple operation. Or I can destroy them and you. The methods of control are almost endless. But, you should realize that I am a player, a powerful player, in your plans, or there is no New Pacifica. I'll leave you to ponder that, and look forward to talking with you again soon." And Reilly was replaced again with the test signal.
As Alonzo looked around at all the shocked faces, he knew that the entire group now understood, as he had from the dreams, exactly what the threat to them was. Now, how would they solve it?
-The End-
To Be Continued....
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