Blood Brothers by Vicky Seleya

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Devon sighed and absently wiped her sodden bangs back as she watched the storm rage all around her. She could feel the camp watching her, knew that Bess and Walman shadowed her even now. The salvage crew had returned hours ago with no further information about the DuneRail's whereabouts. In the background, Devon could hear Magus through the booming thunder, trying once again to raise Alonzo on gear.

"If they were all right, Morgan would have called by now," Bess stressed emphatically.

"I'm aware of that, Bess," Devon replied evenly. She grimaced at the knowledge that Morgan would not have agreed to camp away from the main group without checking in to lodge a complaint -- even if the weather was not a factor. She turned to face the pair. "Alonzo was due to call in hours ago. We can reasonably assume that they are in some sort of trouble. Walman, could you take a crew as far as the cargo pod, run a resonance scan and be back before dark?"

The crewman nodded eagerly and raced off to complete his task.

Devon regarded Bess quietly. "I'm worried, too. I don't know what else we can do before morning. I'm sorry, Bess." She smiled encouragingly to the other woman. "He isn't alone out there. I'm sure the three of them will be fine."

Bess bleakly returned Devon's smile, then wordlessly walked back to her tent.

Julia passed Bess quietly as she approached Devon. The doctor looked over her shoulder at Bess, then turned to scrutinize Devon. "No word, yet?" she surmised.

"Nothing... Julia, I know it's not like Alonzo to not check in." Devon looked at the doctor uncertainly. "And, as Bess just reminded me, it isn't like Morgan to not complain about being out in this. How are your patients?"

"Fine. They're all fine, just a little uncomfortable and more respectful of some of this planet's smaller fauna." Julia smiled wryly as she recalled the spectacle earlier that day of a half-dozen berrypickers hysterically racing into her med-tent. She itched at her own sting, earned when one of her specimens extracted a sample of its own, before explaining, "I ran tests on the toxins and they're not harmful, just irritating enough to cause the rashes. They should all clear up in a few days. We'll have to be more careful, especially around pollinating plants."

Sobering, Julia crossed her arms and studied the prints her boots left in the muddy soil. "What are you planning to do about the DuneRail?" she asked neutrally.

"I sent Walman out to the pod with the resonance equipment and a crew. I don't know what else to do. It's almost night." Devon scanned the sky. "It's so dark now. I don't want to lose anyone else out there."

Julia nodded reasonably, then looked up to face Devon. "Well, we both know John and Alonzo can take care of themselves and they do have some supplies on the DuneRail. The most we may have to worry about is how long they can put up with Morgan Martin."

"I hope you're right," Devon replied, pessimistically watching the skies.

________________________________________

The ground shuddered with each boom of thunder. Lightning lit the hole, bringing every detail into sharp relief in the sudden brightness. Sand sifted from the walls of the tunnel with the percussion of every strike as the rain cascaded down, capturing the dust as it fell and transforming it into mud in midair.

Morgan shifted again in his continuing attempt to get comfortable. The ground was hard where they chose to lay, and someone kept kicking him every time he was finally what passed for tolerable. Morgan jumped as Alonzo kicked him again. "Cut it out!" he snapped irritably, as he elbowed the pilot. He smiled to himself in satisfaction as Alonzo quieted.

"Martin, what's the problem now?!" Danziger's voice boomed from the darkness on the other side of the pilot.

"Nothing. Alonzo was kicking me."

"He didn't do it on purpose. He's dreaming."

Morgan instinctively drew away from the pilot, only to find a wall in his way. "What do you mean 'dreaming'? With the Terrians?"

"Only kind 'Lonz has. Settle down. It isn't like the Terrians are going to reach out of his forehead..."

"Seems to me you aren't exactly big on the Terrians yourself," Morgan retorted peevishly.

"I'm not. But there's nothing I can do about them or 'Lonz's dreams so why bother worrying about them? Go back to sleep. With this weather, we probably won't be seeing anyone until morning."

Danziger switched on his lumalight to check the water's advance. What had been a small puddle when they had moved to the shelter of the tunnel had grown into a good-sized pool at the base of the pit. Sediment flowed down the slope, bringing plants and rocks with it. Small streams extended like arms, reaching towards the men. Danziger swung the light towards his companions. Alonzo slept quietly, occasionally twitching in the grip of his dreams. Beyond the pilot, Morgan watched anxiously, shrinking against the tunnel wall with the pilot's movements.

"Morgan, we can't stay here. The water's starting to rise."

"But, if we move, how will they find us?"

"How long do you want to sit in water? Because that's exactly what we'll be doing in a few minutes. We just need to find a higher point. Better we move now. 'Lonz isn't about to wake up and I'm not gonna to be able to hold him for long with my back as sore as it is."

"You're O.K., right?" Morgan asked nervously.

"I'm fine. It's improved a lot already. A little rest will probably go a long way. Now calm down and grab 'Lonz's legs, we have to get moving." He clipped his lumalight to his vest and delicately crouched at the pilot's head. Gathering up the unconscious man's head and torso with a groan, Danziger directed Morgan through the tunnel.

The tunnel continued down briefly before veering sharply to the right and rising on a slight incline. Ahead, dim light could be seen around another bend. Danziger awkwardly switched off his lumalight and swung around to the lead.

"Should we really go in there?" Morgan asked. "What if there are animals in there? We don't even have a weapon for crying out loud. What if there are Grendlers? Or Terrians...? What if there are Terrians and they think _we_ were the ones who hurt Alonzo?!"

"Morgan!" Danziger exclaimed, cutting the other man off. "Would you relax? Why don't we just look? It would be nice to have a little light. Besides, wouldn't you rather be able to see them coming?" he added archly, then immediately regretted it as Morgan's eyes went wide with fear. "Would you rather I left you two out here while I checked it out?" Danziger offered resignedly.

"No. I'm coming. We should stick together, don't you think?" Morgan answered quickly while adjusting Alonzo's legs in his arms.

The men followed the light cautiously, staying close to the tunnel wall as the visibility rapidly increased. As they rounded the bend, the tunnel abruptly widened into a small cavern. Wide veins of Morganite laced the walls and ceiling, providing illumination. Beyond the cavern, the Morganite continued, affording a clear view of the tunnel to where it disappeared at the next bend.

They lay the pilot on the ground, Danziger bending to examine him more thoroughly in the better light. Satisfied there was nothing more that could be done for the time being, Danziger and Morgan settled on the ground themselves. Before long, they joined their companion in sleep.

________________________________________

The entire camp came out into the rain to watch the TransRover slowly pull in, towing the crippled DuneRail. Lightning continued to flash in the sky, bringing the damage into glaring reality. Several of the men raced to untether the damaged vehicle and roll it into the shelter of the geodesic arch. They all watched wordlessly as Baines scowled then bent to examine the vehicle. Without hesitation, True scooted in between the adults and picked up a spanner. The adults all exchanged uneasy glances as she clambered into the back seat and swung upside down to reach the delicate circuitry hidden underneath.

Devon stepped forward to lightly rest her hand on the girl's exposed knee. "True, why don't you let Baines work on it?"

Yale placed his hands on Devon's shoulders and drew her away. He smiled paternally at her as he explained, "Each to their gifts, Devon. She knows these vehicles better than any of us. Allow her to be useful."

The other members of the Ops crew nodded their agreement with the cyborg as Devon glanced around the somber circle. As she watched Baines and True work, Devon beckoned Walman over. "What do you think happened to the DuneRail?"

The crewman looked uncertainly at the vehicle. "Far as I can tell, it was hit by lightning."

Devon looked at him, puzzled. "Are you sure it wasn't the Terrians? I thought lightning didn't hit vehicles."

Walman shrugged noncommittally. "I don't know about that, but the 'Rail was sitting in over two feet of water when we found it. I wouldn't know if it was the Terrians or not."

"Water is a good conductor, and the Terrians tend to avoid it," Yale observed helpfully. "It is far more likely for the damage to have been caused by lightning."

Devon nodded at the cyborg's comments. "There was no sign of the men at all?" she pressed.

"Not a sign of them anywhere. Cameron even got down on his knees and trolled the entire area with his hands. Looked like the 'Rail was returning on automatic. There were much shallower areas in the same general vicinity. No one would voluntarily drive through that pool. It washed over the seats."

From under the DuneRail, Baines carefully lifted the memory unit out and examined it morosely. "It's fried, Devon. You aren't getting any information out of this."

"Can the DuneRail be repaired?" Devon asked the technician worriedly.

Baines shook his head with a frown. "That's not my department. Danziger might be able to figure something out. It's definitely beyond my abilities."

True slipped out from underneath the console where she had been working and took the unit from Baines. The adults watched quietly as she turned the ruined electronics over in her hands. "Totally fused," she announced stoically. "My dad could probably jerry-rig something." She placed the unit on the seat next to her with a sigh.

Stepping forward, Bess stroked the young girl's back gently. "We'll find them, True," Bess asserted as much to herself and the assembled group as to the girl.

"It's too bad you weren't on-line with Alonzo when they disappeared. At least we'd have an idea what happened and where to start looking," Devon commented to Julia, who nodded in agreement.

Yale suddenly looked closely at the doctor. "Julia, where was your gear when the men disappeared?"

"In the med-tent. I was out at the bushes gathering insect specimens. Why?"

"Alonzo has them programmed to be on a two-way link, am I correct?"

"Yes. We both have overrides, but otherwise they're linked when on."

"May I see your gear? Perhaps I can extract some information that will prove helpful," the tutor explained.

Julia hurried through the rain to the med-tent, returning quickly with her communications gear. She handed the small headset to Yale.

The tutor examined it briefly and then asked the doctor, "Was your gear on all afternoon?"

Julia nodded. "I was working on my medical logs when the first of the 'insect bites' came in and I didn't bother turning it off while I ran out to the bushes for some samples. It has been on since shortly before the salvage crew left."

Yale nodded approvingly. "It may take me some time to access the information," he cautioned. "However, it would not be prudent to look for them before sunrise, especially in this weather."

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