Her eyelids felt like ten ton weights but she managed to push them open. Her left eye stung like crazy but she kept it open, focusing on the two figures leaning over her bed.
"How do you feel Dr Heller?"
She recognised the first man, the one that had spoken. Thompson was his name if she recalled correctly. She didn't recognise the other at all, although by the pristine white coat he wore she suspected he was a doctor.
"Dr Heller" he repeated, "do you feel alright?"
Julia attempted to answer but all she managed was a husky whisper. A glass of water was held in her line of sight. Leaning forward she took a small sip, the cool liquid easing her dry throat. "Where am I?" She tried to sit up, but realised that her arms and legs were fastened to the bed. "Why the hell am I tied up?"
"Calm down, you're on 'Excaliber' the Satelite in orbit around G889. Your being tied up is a security measure, we thought you might try to escape." Thompson replied, offering a reassuring smile.
Julia wasn't impressed. "How the hell am I supposed to escape if you keep me sedated?" Her eyes narrowed as she scrutinised Thompson. "And for that matter, how long have I been under?"
He avoided her gaze, making a pretense of reading her chart. "Five days."
"Five days!" her head slumped back against the pillow. *Five days* did the others even know where she was, did Alonzo know that they'd taken her. *Alonzo... Oh my god* Alonzo, he'd been shot. Did they just leave him there, bleeding to death? She suspected that they most probably had. Could the others have found him, she hoped to god they had. She knew that she wasn't ever going to see him again, but if he died she... That thought didn't even bare thinking about. Julia decided to ask all the same. "Where's Alonzo?"
"The man you were with? I'm afraid we had to leave him behind, he was of no use to us." Thompson continued to avoid eye contact.
"Was he... Was he alive?" she asked quietly.
"I'm not sure we didn't check." Thompson replied brusquely. He gave the strong impression that that was the end of discussion. "Now if you think you're up to it, you have a visitor."
"Didn't check! You left him to die you son of a bitch! For god's sake what are you people?!" She screamed at him. Julia closed her eyes tight, fighting the emotions welling up inside of her, there was no way she was going to break down in front of these two.
Thompson ignored her outburst. "Dr Heller if you don't calm down, we shall have to sedate you again. You don't want us to that do you?"
Julia glared at him, and slowly shook her head.
"Good. As I said you have a visitor."
Closing her eyes again, Julia didn't answer. She heard the door slide open.
"Good afternoon Citizen, sleep well?"
She recognised the voice instantly, but was not going to be fooled so easily. "Nice try Thompson, but holograms don't work with me anymore."
Footsteps reverberated off the metal floor. "Glad to hear it." Reilly replied pleasantly, his voice sounded closer than before.
*Footsteps?* Julia slowly opened her eyes, to find a man leaning over her. A balding man in his mid-forties. "What the..."
Councilman Reilly smiled broadly as Julia flinched in recognition. "A little jumpy today, aren't we Heller?"
Julia's eyes darted from Thompson to Reilly and then back again. "What the hell is this, have you given me hallucinary drugs?" She pulled on her bindings, testing their strength.
"No, of course not." Thompson replied, he turned to Reilly and frowned. "I think she's still a bit disorientated from the sedatives we were giving her."
"You're the ones that are disorientated." Julia spat. "Reilly isn't real you idiot, he's a computer programmed hologram."
"I'm offended Citizen, don't I look real to you?" He leaned closer still, his face inches away from hers.
Julia could feel his warm breath on her cheek. *NO! Holograms don't breath, what are they trying to pull here?* She took a few deep breaths, and replied evenly. "Yes, you do look real, but it's a trick. You're a computer program, Eve created you."
"Ah Eve, Franklin Bennett's finest hour. Is that what they told you? That I was nothing more than a few lines of code, now I am offended." Reilly smiled again and stood back to study the young doctor's reaction. The councilman was thoroughly enjoying Heller's confusion.
"Then what, I don't understand?" Julia was feeling very tired all of a sudden, the past few days were starting to catch up on her.
"That, my dear is blantantly obvious. Allow me to explain, It was I in the flesh, that received your transmission up until the time you turned 'traitor'." The Council liaison was careful to add extra emphasis on this last word. "Then I realised that our excellent plan had gone sour and started looking for alternatives, Eve merely covered for me in my absense. It was this substitute that you encountered aboard Bennett's ship."
Julia closed her eyes once more, her head pounding from the mixture of the sedatives and this recent turn of events. She couldn't seem to comprehend what this man was telling her. So Reilly is real, is that it? It had taken the doctor a considerable time to adjust to the fact that she had been misled by a mere program, now it seemed that wasn't true either.
"Can I take it from your silence that you understand things now?"
Dr Heller nodded.
"Good, because there are a few things we need to discuss, the most important of which being Ulysses Adair."
"I am not discussing anything with you, especially Uly. I thought I made it quite clear months ago that I'm not going to do the Council's dirty work any more." Julia replied, she was quite suprised to hear how calm her own voice sounded, considering her current predicament.
"Oh I'm sorry Citizen, I don't think I made myself clear. You have absolutely no choice in the matter. If you don't volunteer the information we require, we'll simply extract it from you."
The son of a bitch was enjoying this, Julia thought bitterly. Well they can do what they have to do, she refused to betray Eden Advance again. "Go to hell!"
"Quite the little martyr aren't we?" Reilly replied scornfully. He turned to the doctor who had remained at the back of the room. "Sedate her, perhaps she'll see sense in the morning."
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Alonzo's condition had improved substantially by the time the three arrived back at New Pacifica. He had regained consciousness a couple of times since they'd found him, but unfortunately he wasn't coherant enough to provide any kind of explanation as to what had happened. Yale monitored the injured pilot constantly, staying at his bedside day and night. The cyborg wasn't able to fully repair Alonzo's wound, he didn't have the knowledge or capability required. He just hoped that the doctors arriving with the Colony ship would be able to help. Yale simply made do with cleaning and re-dressing the wound and making sure that Alonzo wasn't in any pain.
The camp was buttoned up tight, noone would leave New Pacifica unless it was absolutely necessary, the Council foremost on everyone's mind. Devon didn't leave her son's side, because she knew that now that they had Julia, Uly would be next on their agenda. With the colony ship only two days away, Devon was at a checkmate situation. With the sick children needing to be healed on the one side, and the Council on the other.
"I think we should tell the Roanoke to get out of here." Devon stated.
Danzinger looked up from his breakfast bowl. "What? Are you crazy. Isn't them landing on this planet what you've been planning for the last god-knows how many months?"
"Yes, but its too dangerous. The Council could ruin it all, people could die!" she replied, her maintained calm running out on her. She hit the table with her fist, causing the mechanic to jump. "DAMN! I knew it was all going too smoothly, something was bound to happen sooner or later."
"Calm down Adair." Danzinger laid a hand on her arm. "The Council haven't made any other moves yet, perhaps they aren't going to interfere with the kids or Uly."
"What, they aren't bothering us so we won't bother them. Is that it?" a voice demanded behind them.
The two whirled around, to see Alonzo Solace standing in the mess tent doorway. His face looking drawn and pale, his bare chest slick with sweat.
Yale came up behind the pilot and glanced apologetically at them. "I'm sorry, I couldn't stop him. He demanded to talk to you."
"Alonzo what are you doing out of bed?" Devon asked him quietly.
Alonzo stepped unsteadily into the tent, using the frame as a support. "So is that it? We're just gonna leave Julia with those sadistic bastards?" he snarled.
Devon stood, stunned by this uncharacteristic show of anger. "No.." his accusation caught her off-guard, unable to answer. "NO! Of course not. How could you even think such a thing."
His face crumpled at her answer. The pilot was experiencing a whole jumbled mixture of emotions at once, they threatened to overwhelm him. Alonzo fell to his knees, head in hands. "Oh Devon, I couldn't stop them." He sobbed. "I couldn't help her."
Devon wasn't really sure how to react to his outburst. Her mothering instincts took over, she knelt down next to Alonzo and pulled him into her arms. "Shhh, it's gonna be okay, Alonzo. We'll find Julia. You have my word on that." she told him solemnly, rocking him in her arms, much as she would Uly after he'd had a frightening dream. Alonzo allowed himself to be cradled, taking comfort from her assurances. Eventually, exhaustion claimed the pilot once more.
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A noise burst from the transmitter. There was a lot of static, but Baines was sure he heard a voice. He fiddled with the controls. *Huh, just my imagination. Man, I gotta stop drinking Bess' home-brew.*
There it went again. This time he adjusted the squelch to get a clearer reception.
."..vance, are you reading over?" There was a slight pause before the voice resumed. "I repeat, this is the Roanoke. Eden Advance do you copy?"
"The Roanoke?" Baines frowned at the communication console. "The Roanoke... YAHOO!" The young man jumped up from his station and danced an impromptu jig around the small tent. Drawn by the shouting, a couple of colonists wandered into the tent, confusion evident on their faces.
"Oh man, I think he's flipped." Cameron whispered, as his friend continued to bound around infront of them.
Baines stopped dancing and looked at them, an enormous grin gracing his face. "You'll never guess what" he gasped, trying to catch his breath.
"What that you've gone mad? Sorry Marcus, we already knew that." Magus replied.
Baines waved her sarcasm aside. "No, no. It's the Roanoke, it's here."
The colony ship, where?" Denner asked him, her face breaking into a smile also.
"I'm not sure yet, they just sent a message."
As if to back up the young technician's claim, the transmitter burst into life again. "Eden Advance, this is the Roanoke. Please respond."
The assembled group let out a loud whoop of joy, the cacophony piqued the curiosity of the rest of camp.
"What is it? What's all the noise about?" Bess Martin asked, as she and her husband entered the crowded tent.
"It's the colony ship, it's finally arrived." Mazatl explained.
"Well hurry up and respond Baines, before they think we're not home and leave." Morgan griped, although even he couldn't hide the excitement from his tone.
Baines sat back down at the console, his hand shook as he keyed in the relevant commands. Then slowly and clearly he said. "This is Eden Advance, we read you loud and clear."
There was a brief delay before a female voice replied. "Thank god. I was beginning to think there was no-one down there."
Morgan resisted the urge to say 'I told you so', to be honest the bureaucrat was too flabbergasted to speak.
"Hey Sheila, that you?" Baines asked the familiar voice.
"The one and only. How are you guys doing down there?" the pilot chirped.
"A lot better now that you're here Sheila." Baines felt a hand on his shoulder, and turned to face Devon Adair.
"Can we get a visual feed?" she asked quietly.
"Um, yeah I should think so, just give me a couple of secs." He fiddled with the controls some more, and they were soon presented with a happily smiling Sheila.
The picture on the monitor was very snowy, but Devon could plainly see Dr Vasquez standing in the background. "Sheila would you mind if I spoke to Dr Vaquez please?"
"No, go ahead. We'll just switch seats." The woman jumped up from her chair to allow the doctor a better view of the Eden Advance crew.
"What is it Devon, is Ulysses alright?" The doctor asked, his brow creased in concern.
"Yes doctor, Uly's fine. In fact he's never been better, but he can tell you that himself when you land." Devon assured him, Vaquez visably relaxed. "How are the other children?"
"I'm not sure, they're still in cold sleep. Sheila and I are the only ones awake at the moment. We're going to start cycling up the other crypts in about an hour."
Devon nodded. "Oh alright. Can you please contact me as soon as they start waking up.
"Yes Devon, if I get a chance."
She realised how selfish this request was. Dr Vasquez will be busy enough coping with all the children, without dashing off to talk to her. "Yes of course I'm sorry. As soon as you get a minute."
"Of course" he replied and stood up, relinquishing the chair back to the pilot.
"So where's Solace, we got alot of catching up to do." Sheila asked, flashing the infamous sleepjumper's grin. "I can't see him down there. What, is he asleep on the job again?" The pilot's cheery demeanor vanished, as her question was answered with a whole tentful of sombre faces. "What?!" she demanded, all humour gone from her tone, it was now tinged with a mild panic. "Has something happened to 'Lonz?"
Danzinger saw that Devon's well placed mask of indifference was about to crack, he stepped in to sheild her from the barrage of questions. "'Lonz is just fine, don't worry."
"Then what's with the faces? You all look like you've seen a ghost."
Danzinger laughed, although he hoped it didn't sound as forced as it was. "Sheila relax, everything is fine. We're just a bit surprised to see you."
The pilot wasn't convinced, but let her concerns ride for the time being. "If you're sure you're all alright?" Danzinger nodded, the fake smile still plastered to his face. "OK, I'll still need some help landing this tin-can though."
"Baines can do that." Danzinger offered. The Comm Tech sitting at the console agreed.
"Alright, he ain't Solace but he'll do at a pinch." Sheila joked. They obviously weren't going to play it straight with her. The pilot was determined to find out what happened down there, but for now she was happy to play along with the Advance crew. "OK then Marc, you're gonna have to give me some readings."
Chapter End Notes:
...Continued in Part 10
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As always comments greatly appreciated.
BTW. A word of warning *You will* be subjected to my inane ravings *and* Chapter 10 at the con, so if you value your sanity, avoid me at all costs. :::waving to Inga:::
I am so looking forward to meeting you guys (hey Rosa, we'll actually be able to *talk* then, what a concept!)
For the others not lucky enough to be going, I'll send Chapter 10 when I get back, (that's if you're at all bothered, I suppose).
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As always comments greatly appreciated.
BTW. A word of warning *You will* be subjected to my inane ravings *and* Chapter 10 at the con, so if you value your sanity, avoid me at all costs. :::waving to Inga:::
I am so looking forward to meeting you guys (hey Rosa, we'll actually be able to *talk* then, what a concept!)
For the others not lucky enough to be going, I'll send Chapter 10 when I get back, (that's if you're at all bothered, I suppose).