He forced his eyelids open and then quickly shut them again as the bright overhead lights assaulted his eyes, adding to the terrible pounding in his head.
"Waking process initiated, synaptic enhancers applied" a disembodied mechanical voice told him
*Man, not so loud* he thought, and would have covered his ears, if not for the fact that he couldn't feel his hands. *Or ears for that matter* he realised with amusement.
"Hudler, Daniel. Life signs - normal. Condition Green. Capsule decompression activated" the voice which was distinctly female continued.
There was a loud clunk as the capsule' seal was automatically released. The hissing sound of escaping gas filled the cold sleep chamber as the youth preserving elizir harmlessly intermingled with the air.
Suddenly his whole body started to tingle and he began to regain feeling, it wasn't exactly an unpleasent sensation, but it felt strange nonetheless. One by one he flexed his fingers and toes, thankfully everything seemed to be in working order.
Slowly, this time adjusting to the bright lights, he opened his eyes again. Reaching out with his left hand he punched the release button on the capsule door.
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"Devon?" Yale stuck his head through the open tent door. He spotted his ex-employer sitting at her desk. "Devon, you'll be pleased to hear that the Terrians have just taken the last of the children."
"Damn, I missed it?" So far, Devon had seen off all the syndrome children. Assuring the youngsters and parents alike, that there is nothing to fear from the Terrians.
"I'm afraid so, but Uly said not to worry. The Terrians told him that they'll take care of them, they won't come to any harm. The children will be returned soon."
"I know, I'm not worried. Did Uly say *exactly* when they will come back."
"He asked, but you know that the Terrian's concept of time is very different to ours."
"Yes, I know. Its just that their parents would be alot less anxious if they knew when. Oh well, they're going to worry anyway, I suppose. I know I did."
"There is noone on the whole of G889 that worries more than you Devon." Yale teased with a gentle smile. "I am quite suprised though, at how quickly everything is happening. The children have all left, and quite soon the colony ship will be leaving also."
To be honest, Devon hadn't even given the Colony ships iminant departure a second thought, nor had she considered that some of her friends may be leaving with it. She answered without looking up from her papers. "Do you suppose Alonzo will leave on the Roanoke? I mean, I hope he doesn't, his contact with the Terrians is a great help to the group." The more she continued, the tighter her voice became. Pent up emotion chipping away at her. "He is also a very good friend, but he doesn't really have anything to stay for anymore, does he? Julia's gone, what reason does he have to stay?"
Yale remained silent, he could tell that Devon wasn't looking for answers from him. Reasoned thinking was the only way Devon Adair knew of how to deal with the loss of a close friend.
"I wish she could have been here to see the children healed. It was her dream as much as it was mine. We were talking about not it so long ago, she was so excited. It was strange to see her like that you know, so much emotion, she had changed so much." Finally she looked up at him, her eyes rimmed with tears.
"I know Devon." Yale replied quietly, laying a hand on her shoulder. "We are all going to miss her."
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"Ms Adair, may I speak with you please?"
*I am obviously destined to never get this work done* Devon thought with a smile. She looked up from her papers once more, to see a young man standing before her. He looked to be only 19 or 20 years old, with a very athletic build. His thick blond hair complementing his tanned face and blue eyes. "Yes of course. What about, Mr..."
"Hudler. Daniel Hudler, actually I need some help. I'm trying to find someone, I thought you would be the best person to ask." The young man's serious expression softened considerably as he smiled.
"Oh, alright. Who are you looking for?" She asked him, returning the smile. Devon felt sure she knew this person, she didn't know how or why, but something about him was very familiar.
"Dr Julia Heller, do you know her?"
The name of her friend caught Devon by surprise. For a split second her facade cracked, allowing the young man to see her anguish. She quickly masked it, but felt sure that it was too late. "Yes I know Dr Heller." She replied guardedly, "Why are you looking for her?"
"I'm sorry I can't say."
"Then *I'm* sorry, I can't help" she replied icily. This whole situation suddenly seemed very suspicious to Devon, why was this complete stranger asking for Julia? Perhaps he works for the Council. If this was true though, he wouldn't need to ask because they already had her. So what? Who is he? Devon was very relieved when the man turned and headed for the door. However, he didn't exit the tent. He merely checked outside, for whatever reason Devon was unaware of, and then shut the tent flap. As he returned to the makeshift desk, Devon stood, her gaze questioning.
"Listen to me. I have to find Julia Heller." His voice was low, so as not to be heard by anyone outside of the tent.
Despite his youthful appearance, Devon was actually beginning to feel rather intimidated. Hudler was towering over her, his face set, eyes hard. She stood her ground however. "Unless you tell me who you are and what you want with her, I'm not going to help you."
"Who I am is no concern of yours. Now tell me!" His efforts to be quiet were now forgotten, as he shouted his last words.
Magus who was outside at the time, heard the shouts and popped her head into the Adair tent. As soon as she saw the young man standing menacingly over Devon she activated her gear. "Danzinger, Walman, anybody... Quick! We've got a situation here, get to Devon's tent - now!"
Within the space of a few seconds, Danzinger, Walman *and* Baines, arrived to see what the fuss was about. The confrontation between Devon and Hudler was still airing.
"What the hell is going on here?" Danzinger demanded, shouting to be heard above the pair in the tent.
Daniel ignored the mechanic completely, he grabbed Devon by the shoulders and shook her hard. "If you don't tell me now, so help me..."
Anger swept through John Danzinger like a storm. In two long strides he crossed over to the mysterious stranger. "Hey you better let her go pal." Although it was meant as a warning, he didn't actually give him a chance to heed it. For after a two second mental countdown, Danzinger clobbered Hudler squarely in the face.
Hudler staggered back, blood dripping from his nose. The others looked on in apprehension as he drew a gun from his jacket pocket. He waved the weapon more defensively than threateningly, his hand shaking as his age finally started to show. "You don't understand, I have to find her. Her life could be in danger."
"What? How do you know that?" Devon asked as she massaged her shoulder.
Daniel sighed, his carefully laid plans had failed him. It should all have been so easy. Then again, he should have known that Devon Adair would be no pushover. "I can't tell you how, but I have reason to believe that there are Council operatives on G889. They are going to try to abduct Julia Heller, and quite possibly your son, Ms Adair."
Devon involuntarily flinched at the mention Uly. This didn't add up though, if he was Council as she thought, why was he telling them this. Also he was speaking as if it hadn't happened yet, he obviously didn't know that they had already taken Julia. "Mr Hudler just put the gun down." Devon asked calmly, she locked gazes with Danzinger and motioned for him to layoff. The kid was obviously jumpy, the gun could go off very easily.
The young man looked from Devon to Danzinger and then back again, weighing up his options. Unfortunately his options as of now were in very short supply. Slowly and without taking his eyes off the group in front of him, Daniel lowered the pistol. "Please" he pleaded, "just tell me where she is."
He seemed genuinely concerned, which actually confused Devon even more. *Who is he?* Now, she thought, was probably the best time to be honest. "Daniel, I'm afraid you're too late. The Council have already taken Julia."
Hudler was quiet for a considerable time, he showed no emotion, infact he showed no sign at all that he had even heard her. Then suddenly he lurched for Devon's table, with one swipe, he cleared the top of its contents. Paperwork and maps went flying, as Daniel continued his tirade. "Damn. DAMN! Too goddamn late." Then as quickly as it had appeared, his anger subsided, replaced by a much darker emotion. Hudler fell to his knees, his head tucked away, his face hidden from view. "Should've gotten here sooner." he sobbed.
"Hey Daniel, you okay?" the mechanic asked quietly. The transition from crazed lunatic, to this scared young boy, was too sudden for Danzinger's liking. He hooked Devon's arm and pulled her over to the far corner of the tent. "What is with that guy? Who is he?"
Devon seemed equally as perplexed. "John, I wish I knew. He came barging in here demanding to know where Julia was. He wouldn't tell me why he wanted her, so I wouldn't tell him where she was. Then he got angry, that was when you came in."
Magus cautiously approached the sobbing young man. His back stiffened when she gently laid a hand on his shoulder. "Mr Hudler, If you tell us how you know Julia, we might be able to help you."
Daniel looked up at the blond mechanic, and roughly swiped at the tears dripping from his chin. "She was, *is*, my sister."
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"Alright, we are going to try this one last time. In what way is Ulysses Adair 'connected' with the Terrians?" Reilly's patience was wearing thin, he'd about had enough of Heller's insubordination.
Julia was finding it very hard to get her eyes to focus. Her vision was swimming in and out. She didn't have to see it though, she could *feel* the intensity of Reilly's glare. "I don't care how many times you try it. I'm not telling you anything." They had gone through this whole charade every day for the past week. She had told them squat so far, she wasn't about to start now.
"Goddamn it. Sedate her." The councilman spat as he strode out of the room. As he reached the door he stopped and turned once more to face the young doctor. "You are going to regret this Citizen."
"Believe me Reilly, the only thing I'll ever regret is helping the Council in the first place." Julia replied as the now all-too familiar blackness fell over her.
Reilly let out a long sigh, as the realisation of the matter hit home. "She isn't going to tell us anything, we may as well forget about her."
"But what about the children? She knows how the Terrians affect the syndrome afflicted kids. Leave it to me Mr Reilly, I'll make her talk." Mitchell stated, he felt he would rather enjoy that particular task. *Payback, bitch.* he thought, as he chewed on his slow healing bottom lip.
"NO!" As soon as it left his lips, Thompson realised that there was a little too much emotion in his opposition. After a quick breath, his tone was returned to a more even keel. "I think Councilman Reilly is right, it doesn't matter what you do, she isn't going to talk. I would even go so far as to say that she would die first before imparting any information."
"Really, care to put that to the test?" Mitchell offered with a smile.
Reilly intervened, he was almost as sick to death of the bickering between these two men, as he was of Heller's blant refusal to co-operate. "Knock it off Mitchell, noone is going to die. Heller is more important to us alive, especially when we take her back to the Board of Regents."
"Doesn't Dr Heller's mother serve on the Board of Regents." Thompson questioned. "Surely she will grant her daughter a full pardon."
"Don't forget that over 45 years has passed, since the doc last saw her mommy. The old ice queen is probably dead by now." Mitchell scoffed. It was a common fact back on the stations, that Jennifer Heller was a definate force to be reckoned with. Mitchell had been unfortunate enough to collide with her on a few occasions. Infact from a certain point of view, you could say it was because of her that he had been stuck with the monitoring of G889 in the first place. That and a certain incident involving the General's daughter.
"Enough, both of you. Go back to your stations, and don't forget there will be a mission debriefing at 1700 hours." Reilly stated as he moved once more to leave the infirmary.
"A debriefing, what for?"
"We shall be taking some specimens back to the stations with us Lieutenant Thompson. But first we shall to harvest them."
"What kind of specimens?"
"Syndrome children, after they have been healed by the Terrians." Reilly replied, as he nonchalantly strolled out of the room. Mitchell followed close behind.
Thompson crossed over to the cot that held Dr Heller, as expected the young woman was asleep. *Her mother was a highranking Council member, but she still had the guts to oppose them, so why in god's name can't I?* He tugged on a chain around his neck, and pulled two holopics from beneath his shirt. One picture, considerably older than the other, was of himself and a pretty young woman - his wife, taken on their 5th wedding anniversary. The other picture was of a little boy - his son, taken just before his 3rd birthday. Thompson studied the pictures for quite some time, as if memorizing every detail. Although that wasn't necessary, he already had every curve, every line committed to memory. With a small sad smile, he pushed the small plastic discs back under his shirt. *Syndrome kids. Harvest. Like hell!*
Author's Chapter Notes:
Haha, just when you thought I'd completely fallen from the face of the Earth, I'm back. Sorry for the huge delay between chapters. On my return from NP'96, I had post-con depression and found it hard to mention Earth2 or its character without breaking down in a fit of tears. Than I had another major bout of writers block (damn me to hades for having the amazing(ly stupid) idea to post as I write) You'll be glad to hear that I've recovered from both cases :) So, without further ado, I bring you...
Oh, sorry one last thing... One of the characters that is introduced in this chapter has been borrowed, with permission, from a story called 'The Black Sheep of the Family' by Alex Queirolo (thanks Alex!) I have promised to return him unscathed when I'm finished playing. Okay, now I bring you...
Oh, sorry one last thing... One of the characters that is introduced in this chapter has been borrowed, with permission, from a story called 'The Black Sheep of the Family' by Alex Queirolo (thanks Alex!) I have promised to return him unscathed when I'm finished playing. Okay, now I bring you...