Eternity without reprieve by Lia Faile

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ETERNITY WITHOUT REPRIVE, Part 2

21 MONTHS AND 25 DAYS LATER:

Alonzo felt his consciousness slowly rising to the top of his mind. God his mouth tasted awful! Why didn't the bacteria in your mouth hibernate too?! A shiver racked his body. Jeeze it was cold! The second worst thing about cryosleeping after bad breath. His head felt fuzzier than usual, must be because of the drugs taken so close with the alcohol. He tried to lift his right arm to rub the sleep from his eyes. It didn't budge. Alonzo's mind wasn't groggy anymore, he was wide awake. Only he couldn't open his eyes. What the *hell's* the matter?! Another shudder rippled through his frame. Now he noticed that he couldn't feel any part of his body. But he could move involuntarily. Why not when he wanted to?!

A dream. It's just a dream. He had nightmares before in deep sleep training. It was just his fears projecting into his dream. It wasn't really happening. The life support system had to allow him to rise up into Stage 2 and 3 to ensure that he didn't lapse into a permanent coma, and to allow his mind to dream. Dreams were important to the mind and body somehow. The first cryonauts were kept in Stage 4 sleep during their whole trips. Those that *did* wake up suffered severe psychological problems afterwards. So they perfected a method that allowed a person to dream without risking the chance of reaching Stage 1 and waking up. He would drift back down into Stage 4 again soon.

LATER:

It wasn't a nightmare. He wasn't dreaming. He had finally accepted that. He was awake and trapped somewhere in between the limbo of sleep and wakefulness. He couldn't sink back down into the oblivion of sleep, nor could he rise up into full animation. Between the drugs within his system and the bitter cryo-cold, he was effectively immobile. A frozen soul. That thought terrified him immensely. Alonzo was a man of action. Being crippled and helpless evoked feelings he never had to deal with before. He tried to cry out knowing full well that there was no one to hear him if he managed to succeed. At least it would relieve some of the anxiety that was building up in him. Make him feel like he was *doing* something. The only sound that passed his lips was a near inaudible rasp.

SOME TIME LATER:

How long had it been? He remembered Dr. Norton giving him the injection and he had felt its effects. Did it wear off too soon? Or had it worked too well, preventing him from coming around in time to dock the ship? He took some comfort in the fact that the ship wouldn't float through space aimlessly like the Flying Dutchman or the Mary Celeste. Stories of ghosts ships had been on his mind when he had programmed the ship's nav-com. He'd incorporated a propulsion subsystem routine into the main navigational system. If for any reason he didn't awake to maneuver the ship into the dock, it wouldn't sail off into eternity. It's trajectory was programmed to gain a circular velocity around the prison station. Hopefully someone there would notice that the ship wasn't docking, and send someone out to investigate before its orbit decayed beyond compensation. It might not help him, but at least he knew he did his best to protect the lives on board that had been entrusted to him.

MUCH LATER:

God he was thirsty! His tongue felt so thick, he could barely swallow or breath. DAMN! Why didn't the bio-computer notice he was awake! Surely it was monitoring his brain waves? Didn't it realize his alpha levels had risen too high to sustain hibernation state? Maybe he should have tried his hand at programming it. Medical systems weren't his specialty though, he might have made things worse. If there *was* anything worse than this!

The feeling was slowly returning to his nerve endings. He finally had sensations in his limbs. Sensations that made him wish for the return of the deadness that had so frightened him earlier. Pain tore through him. Each icy breath he drew brought a stab of pain to his lungs. He held his breath to ease the pain. Maybe if he held it long enough the bio system would notice and maybe start an emergency release cycle.

Alonzo held his breath until not breathing became as unbearable as breathing had been. The bio-computer noticed alright. It sent a small electrical charge into his chest to reestablish his lungs involuntary actions. Alonzo screamed silently in pain. His body arching rigidly in response to the shock. One small tear managed to escape from his sealed eye. It laid there on his cheek where it slowly froze.

AN INDETERMINABLE TIME LATER:

The coldness of the cryotube burned his skin like a blue-white flame. His body fought to keep his vitals warm the only way it could. By shivering to draw what little heat remained inward. He was shaking so hard now, it would appear to an outsider that he was having an epileptic fit. Each breath was a struggle. It felt like his blood was freezing, as his sluggish heart valiantly tried to pump it through his paralyzed body.

It was easy for his heart to keep trying. It didn't know what he knew. He was dying. It didn't matter how long he'd been awake, or whether he'd awakened too soon or too late. He wasn't going to survive this flight. Right now he didn't care. He just wanted an end to his torment. It was very cliches-ish, but his thoughts turned to his mother. He found comfort in thoughts of her. Lady Luck had forgotten him. Would God too? One of his mother's favorite Psalms came to mind. Slowly, painfully he croaked it out.

"Have mercy upon me, O Lord, for I am weak,
...my bones vexed...my soul is also sore...
O Lord how long?...deliver my soul...
...oh save me for thy mercies' sake...
in the grave...who shall give thee thanks?
...I am weary with my groaning..."

"Dear God help me." He added.

The shuddering had stopped. Even his body had given up the fight. Alonzo felt his awareness seeping away. One last breath escaped him then his body was still.

Alonzo opened his eyes. He had to squint because he was surrounded by a blinding light. Was this Heaven? Right now, anyplace that was warm was Heaven. This place was warm. He laid there allowing the warmth to soak into his frigid limbs, relaxing cramped muscles. If he were a cat, he'd be purring contentedly. He turned his head and felt a hot grittiness beneath his cheek.

Slowly he sat up. His vision had adjusted slightly so he could see that there was more to this place than just a blinding light. Running his hand along the ground, he pick up a handful of the grainy stuff. He watched it as it slowly trickled from between his fingers. Sand. Was Heaven a beach? Scanning around, he saw no signs of water. His experiences with VR told him if you have sand and no water, you have a desert not a beach. Heaven definitely wouldn't be a desert, would it? Besides, if this were Heaven where were all his dead relatives? Weren't those that had gone before you suppose to be here to greet you? Surely he wasn't the first of his clan to make it here? His mother would be here...if this were Heaven.

His relief at being freed from his icy tomb was being replaced by uneasiness. This couldn't be Heaven, he was still impossibly thirsty...and hungry. Just where was here? How could he have gotten off the ship let alone out of his cryotube? The bio-com. That's it...the bio-computer must have finally come through and put him back into hibernation state. This was a dream. It made sense. If you'd been freezing to death, you'd dream about someplace warm. Looking down at himself confirmed his hypothesis. Everything had a hazy ethereal quality to it. It was disorienting and a bit nauseating.

He was distracted from his thoughts by a gentle vibration he felt beneath him. It seemed to be growing stronger. Soon the slight vibration had become a violent shaking accompanied by an ever increasing rumble. Alonzo tried to keep himself calm by reminding himself it was only a dream. Hell, if it was his dream why didn't he know what was going on? He started to stand because it gave him something to do. Suddenly, directly in front of him, the ground exploded upwards sending a shower of sand all over him. It was followed closely by five other eruptions that formed a ring around him. At first fearing that he was in some sort of mine field, he crouched down covering his head. Dream or no dream, this was just too freaky.

When no more explosions seemed forthcoming, Alonzo lifted his head and shook the sand from his hair.

"Sweet Jesus!"

Alonzo nearly crossed himself in reaction to the sight before him. He had company. Six *things* surrounded him. Six really big and ugly things. They looked like corpses. Considering that they had just sprung up from the earth, Alonzo didn't find that thought too absurd. If this was a dream, he wondered from what twisted recess of his mind these things had crawled out of?

He noticed the corpses were armed with spears. They also seemed very interested in him. They kept milling about him forcing him to turn around and around in a feeble attempt to keep them all in sight. This only served to aggravate his nausea.

"What are you? What do you want?"

One of the creatures stopped directly in front of him. It studied him, turning it's head from side to side quizzically much like a dog would. It began to make gurgling noises. Alonzo shook his head in confusion.

"I don't understand?! Where am I?! What am I doing here!?"

The other creatures had joined the first one in its trilling. The first one took a step towards Alonzo. Then the others moved towards him as well.

"Stay away! Leave me alone! What do you want!"

Alonzo backed up but had to stop to keep from bumping into the creatures behind him. The one in front of him took its spear in both hands and held it towards him. It came alive with what looked like an electric current dancing up and down the length of it. It didn't appear to have an effect on the being. Acting out of fear and self-preservation, Alonzo grabbed the spear in an attempt to prevent it from being used on him, and to possible use it on them. The minute he grabbed it, he knew he'd made a mistake.

Just like when he'd held his breath in the cryotube, he felt a jolt shoot through his body. Only this time, while it immobilized him, it didn't cause him any pain. He stood transfixed staring into the creature's eyes. He felt it enter his mind.

"I can't...I don't know where that is! I can't help you!"

Alonzo's body began to quiver violently and he felt a stabbing pain in his brain. He gritted his teeth to keep them from chattering.

"Please..." He whispered through his clenched jaws. "Let me go."

Alonzo threw back his head and all the fear, rage, and pain that he'd been experiencing spewed forth in one great bellow.

Alonzo woke up tightly curled in a fetal position on a bed. A bed? Christ, where was he *now*? He opened one eye experimentally and looked about. No blinding light or dead things. No cryotube either. He sat up and look around. He appeared to be in a hospital room. He attempted to get out of bed and find out where he was, but his wobbly legs caused him to stumble and fall. Knocking over the bedside table on his way down to the floor. Two people rushed in.

"Well, well! Ishmael returns!"

Alonzo recognized the friendly booming voice.

"Doc Norton! What happened?!"

The doctor and the female with him helped Alonzo back into the bed. The older man squeezed his shoulder and gazed at him intently.

"Unfortunately you came up out of hibernation state 5 days before you were suppose to. Good thing you programmed that nav-com to circle the station. You were in no condition to dock the ship. In fact you kept bouncing from a state of delirium to deep coma. Almost as if you were trying to put yourself back into Stage 4. To tell you the truth, we weren't expecting you to regain consciousness. You were giving some very strange EEG readings. Did you experience any unusual dreams or hallucinations?"

Alonzo started to reply but whatever he'd planned to say quickly evaporated. Shaking his head, he felt a wave of nausea wash over him. There was something important that had happened, hadn't it?

"No, no Doc. That's the funny thing, I remember being awake, but I didn't have any dreams. You'd think something like that would give a guy nightmares."

"Well, not to worry. You rest and recuperate. I'm going to keep you longer than the 45 day respite just to make sure you didn't sustain any permanent damage from your ordeal. Has this soured you on cryo-jumps?"

"Not in the least, Doc!"

The nurse hovered around him fussing. She was a pretty blonde. He flashed his sexiest smile at her. She rewarded him with a slow wink. Alonzo grinned ever more broadly, if such a thing were possible.

"That's okay, Doc. I could use the rest."

SEVERAL DECADES LATER:

"So you see Solace, it's just like any other cargo haul, just a bit longer."

Alonzo eyed the sliver-haired man talking to him absently. His eyes were fixed on the pretty redheaded woman with the furrowed brow who stood off to the side, nervously twisting her hands together.

"A *bit* longer, Commander O'Neill? We're talking a 22 year cold sleep. No one's ever gone that long."

The pilot smiled smugly at the older man. The man mimicked his expression. They resembled one another enough in bearing and looks to be mistaken for father and son. Although it would been more accurate to call them brothers in spite of appearances.

"Well _son_, I guess my information was wrong about you. I'd heard you were a hot shot pilot not scared of nothing. Or are you just trying to jack up the price?"

Alonzo stood up and lightly rapped his fingers on the table.

"Yeah, Commander. Your information must have been wrong if it told you I was a fool."

He turned and headed for the door. The woman ran after him and caught him by the arm.

"Mr. Solace, please..."

"Forget him, Devon! We don't need him! There are other pilots."

Devon spun around and glared at O'Neill.

"*Yes* we do!"

Turning back to Alonzo she looked him in the eye. Alonzo could literally feel her trying to will him to change his mind. This was one tough lady to be reckoned with. But then she'd have to be to have gotten as far as she had with this crazy notion of hers.

"Please, you're the most experienced pilot around. We could get Council clearance any day now. We can't go anywhere without a pilot. I realize the risk is more than you're use to accepting with your average voyage....I'm prepared to meet whatever price you ask."

"Devon..." O'Neill hissed at her.

"Just remember, there are 200 families depending on you to get them there safely."

Alonzo cocked his head and smiled.

"Don't you mean depending on *you*? You're the one promising them the moon. Or should I say G889?"

Devon couldn't give up. Not this close to her goal. Uly couldn't afford the delay. Neither could the other children.

"I don't understand your hesitation. You have no family, nothing to keep you here. This is your chance for an adventure, to do something no one has ever done before. And you'll get paid handsomely to do it."

"And if the Council delays your take off again? Or cancels it altogether? Then what? Why should I sit around on my thumb waiting for something that may never happen?"

Alonzo removed Devon's hand from his jacket sleeve. Brought it to his lips and gently kissed her finger tips. Then he headed for the door.

Devon felt tears burning in her eyes and threatening to run down her cheeks. She silently cursed herself for showing such weakness, but she didn't care how badly she'd have to debase herself to this man. She needed a pilot, Dammit!

"Either way Mr. Solace, there's going to be a launch. I'm not losing anymore children to this disease *or* to delays. If we launch without authorization, I can't guarantee there won't be any repercussions upon your return. I *can* promise you every credit I have. Maybe that could cushion the blow if any came because of your participation in this venture. I need someone I can depend on. I need you."

Alonzo stopped and turned around. He saw how much that took out of her to say. He also knew she meant it. Hell, wasn't this what he'd been patiently waiting for all these years? A chance to escape the system, and to get even with the government for nearly killing him on his first cold sleep? Besides, he wouldn't put it past her to try to pilot the ship herself if need be. He walked back towards the woman and smiled engagingly at her.

"I would *never* take a lady's last credit."

He made a gallant sweeping gesture with his hand as he bowed in her direction. Devon laughed and turned a smiling face towards O'Neill.

"We've got our pilot!"

-The End-

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