The daytime heat was oppressive. In this arid, desert region, Julia knew such conditions were conducive to what was known on Earth as heat-stroke. She was thankful for even the minimal shade inside the Med-tent as she scrutinized for the umpteenth time Devon's medical information.

Perspiration started to seep onto her brow, and Julia impatiently brushed aside a trickle that was threatening to crawl down her right cheek.

The Eden Project doctor huffed in frustration and exhaustion, blowing a tired breath of air upwards that barely disturbed the limp strands of hair hanging over her forehead. She was no closer to an answer as to why Devon had fallen ill than when she'd first started, and she was starting to despair there would be no answers.

Soon, she knew John Danziger would come to the conclusion that they were just wasting time waiting for her to find a cure that didn't exist, and he would give the order to move on to New Pacifica. Not even a misplaced sense of sentimental loyalty to Devon or consideration for Uly's feelings would be sufficient to sway a man like John; he was quite intractable once he'd made a decision.

I'm just so tired, a weary Julia thought, closing her burning eyes for a moment. I'm a doctor, and I don't know how to save Devon. Maybe if I just put my head down for one minute… If I could rest, maybe I'll be able to think a little more clearly…After all, everyone keeps telling me I need to sleep…

Julia gently pushed aside some equipment to make some space. She leaned over on the worktable and buried her head in her folded arms, allowing herself to sink into the sweet slumber her mind and body had craved for so long. Her cares and concerns slipped away as if she were shedding a heavy cloak from her shoulders.

When Julia raised her head, it was with a sense of contentment that she couldn't recall experiencing in a very long time. She felt calm, yet alert, as if all her senses were honed to a fine point.

"Julia."

The doctor turned at the sound of her name.

A solitary figure stood at the entrance way to the tent. His face was gaunt and lean. The dark eyes held a haunted look that brought Julia's heart to the brink of breaking in sympathy to some fathomless, unspoken pain. His clothes hung from what was probably once a toned, muscular frame.

"Julia, tell me it's really you..." the voice was paper-thin; a cross between whisper and a plea. He extended a hand towards her hesitantly; as if afraid she might suddenly vanish like some apparition.

In shock, Julia scrutinized the figure, and her eyes widened in recognition. "Alonzo? What is this? What happened?" She was on her feet in an instant, about to bolt towards him.

Without replying, Alonzo crossed to her and caught her up in his arms, crushing her to himself, letting kisses fall on her head, her face, and her lips. Astonished by this unexpected display of affection, and by Alonzo's unkempt appearance, Julia pulled herself away from his embrace.

"Alonzo, stop," she ordered. Alonzo opened his eyes and stared back at her, stung by her apparent rejection, and Julia felt a sense of self-recrimination when she saw her actions and words had wounded him.

"You look terrible!" Julia blurted out, "what's happened to you?"

She was about to reach for her diaglove, worried he was perhaps suffering the effects of heat-stroke, or a relapse of the condition caused by EVE's malfunction. She prayed it wasn't a more serious ailment, but Alonzo held her hands tightly with a sort of quiet desperation.

"I'm not sick," he said plainly, gripping her wrists with more force than he intended.

"You're not sick?" Julia countered, wrenching herself away from him. "Have you seen what you look like? You look like you've had the life sucked out of you."

"I know… I'm sorry about that. I – I should have realised you would have been worried."

Julia kept staring at him, listening to his almost incoherent talk with increasing anxiety. She considered the possibility that he might be delirious, but let him continue.

"I've just missed you so much…" his voice trailed off. He reached out for her again and gently held her face, gazing at her longingly.

"What do you mean you've 'missed me'?" Julia repeated with a frown and a puzzled expression that caused her eyebrows to furrow. "I know I've been busy, but it's not like I've been completely isolating myself from everyone while I look for a cure for Devon."

"That's not what I meant, Julia… I … I remember…" came his voice, softly.

Julia studied him closely. "You remember… what?"

Head bowed, Alonzo continued: "I remember this day."

He gave a short, mirthless laugh. "I remember every damn detail about this day, because it was the last day we had before… This was the day we decided to try to use the Morganite to diagnose what was wrong with Devon."

"What are you talking about? Alonzo, you're not making any sense." Julia cut in, her confusion over his physical state in no way dispelled.

"I know. I know I'm not making any sense," Alonzo said with impatience, exhaling loudly. "Just listen to me, and I'll try to explain: I'm dreaming to you right now."

Bewilderment flitted across the doctor's face. "What do you mean you're dreaming to me? This is a dream?"

Alonzo nodded. "Yes. I don't know how it's working, but somehow I am communicating with you through the Dreamplane… and I'm dreaming to you through time; from the future. You have to understand that even though this is a dream, it's really happening. It's not – it's not fake."

"By 'fake', you mean this isn't my own subconscious creating all of this. Is that what you're trying to tell me?"

"Yes, that's what I mean," Alonzo replied, showing relief that he hadn't lost her completely with his explanation. "Juila, what I'm about to tell you is the truth: you were right about the Council. We're all in very terrible danger. Reilly is real. He's here, on the planet, and he's coming for Uly."

"What?" Julia gasped, a stab of fear striking at her heart. "H-how do you know all this?"

"Because," Alonzo said mournfully, "I've seen it happen. There was an attack on the camp. Z.E.D. units executed everyone. Reilly took Uly."

Julia stared at Alonzo after this revelation in disbelief, struck dumb.

"Everyone needs to evacuate camp, immediately," Alonzo continued, "don't spare another minute. Head for the caves; anywhere but here. Reilly cannot get his hands on Uly; not again."

"How am I supposed to get everyone to do that?" Julia asked dismally. "You know they'll never believe me. 'Dreaming through time'? They'll think I just had a nightmare; or worse, that I've lost my mind."

"Then you'll need to find a way to prove it's true," Alonzo declared. He appeared to be deep in thought, then said: "I know how to do it. I know how this day played out. When you wake up from this dream, I'll be about to check in with you to try to convince you to go lie down for a real break. You'll try to convince me that Reilly and EVE are distinct entities. You'll also ask me to try to contact the Terrians to assist in diagnosing Devon..."

"…And what then?" Julia prodded. "Do they help us?"

"Sort of," Alonzo replied. "Uly and I got two words: 'Ask Mother'."

" 'Ask Mother'?" Julia repeated. "That's all? How is that going to help me convince anyone, especially John?"

"Easy. Before Uly and I contact the Terrians on the Dreamplane, you just tell John you already know what answer we're going to get. When we wake up with confirmation, he'll have no choice but to believe you."

Julia sent Alonzo a look of consternation that spoke of her reservations about the whole affair. "I can try," she finally said. "But, Alonzo, what if it doesn't work? What if no one believes me?"

"You have to. You have to make them," Alonzo replied forcefully. "Otherwise…" he let his words hang in the air, knowing the alternative was all too terrible to contemplate.

The pilot drew her close again, and she pressed her head to his shoulder. For a dream, he certainly felt oh-so-real and solid and warm.

"I believe in you," he whispered. "You can do this."

"Julia?"

The doctor heard her name being called from behind the haze of a woolly-headed slumber.

"Julia," the voice repeated, softly.

"Mmm?" Julia raised her head and tried to recover her senses. The voice sounded like Alonzo.

Wasn't I just talking to him? Julia wondered to herself.

She raised her head and turned to face him, hair tumbling across her field of vision. With a lazy hand, she swept her bangs aside and tried to focus on Alonzo. He was looking at her quite intently; an expression of worry reflected in his dark eyes.

"Alonzo…I was just dreaming about you," she said, stifling a yawn. "I guess I fell asleep…"

"If you fell asleep, you probably needed it. That's why I came, actually. I wanted to check on you to make sure you weren't working yourself too hard. Even doctors need to rest now and then, you know, even genetically-engineered ones."

"Well, thank you for your concern," Julia replied. "Now that you've seen I am fully capable of taking breaks all on my own, maybe you and everyone else can quit harassing me about it."

Alonzo grinned in a disarming way that she always found to be much too irresistible. "Alright," he said, "you're right that we do get on your case, but it's only because we care about you. We don't want you to burn out…"

"I won't," Julia said. "Burning out is not an option. Not when Devon's survival is at stake."

Alonzo nodded, his expression sombre as his thoughts also moved to the tragic turn of events over the past few days, including Devon's turn for the worse 24 hours earlier.

Looking to change topics, he grinned broadly. "So… you were dreaming about me, huh? Anything good?"

Julia's face took on a reflective appearance. "Yes, I was dreaming about you, but… it's strange…"

Alonzo's grin faded. "What's strange?"

"It wasn't like any dream I've had before. It felt so real. I mean, I've had dreams that felt 'real' before, but then you wake up, and you realise just how un -real they were. This dream… was nothing like those."

"Tell me about it," Alonzo prodded.

Julia bit her lip. "You were you, but you weren't really yourself. You looked terrible, actually, like you were half-starved and had been through hell. You told me - this is going to sound crazy – that you were using the Dreamplane to communicate with me through time… from the future."

If the notion sounded crazy, the pilot made no indication of it whatsoever.

Encouraged by this, Julia continued. "You told me that my fears about the Council and Reilly were accurate, and that we had to evacuate the camp because we were in danger, and that they were coming for Uly…"

Alonzo made no comment.

"See," Julia said with a soft, humourless laugh, "I told you it was crazy."

"No," Alonzo countered seriously, "It isn't crazy. Do you have fears about the Council and Reilly?"

The question gave the doctor cause for pause. Truthfully, she had to admit to herself she'd had some fears about the Council, EVE and Reilly that had been festering since Franklin Bennett and Elizabeth Anson had died. She hadn't been ready to tell anyone yet, but now that Alonzo had raised the issue…

"As a matter of fact," she began slowly, "I do. I don't want to sound paranoid, but I keep feeling like we're being watched. There are so many discrepancies about EVE that I just can't put my finger on one thing… but… but I'm beginning to doubt that Reilly was merely a program of EVE's making."

Alonzo crossed his arms. "If EVE didn't create Reilly, then…"

"Then Reilly is probably still out there, and he probably still desperately wants to get his hands on Uly. And according to the message your dream-self gave me, he's going to send Z.E.D. units to massacre everyone." Julia finished. "Your dream-self was quite forceful that we clear out of camp, now; head for the caves or something."

"Hmm… Was there anything else about the dream; anything else 'I' said to you that was important?" Alonzo asked, perturbed by the mention of the killer cyborgs.

"Yes," she answered. "There was something about asking the Terrians for help and using Morganite to help diagnose Devon's sickness. It's not a bad idea, actually, and one I was just starting to consider before my nap. We know it worked before to help Morgan with the geolock; maybe it could help us once again; maybe the planet knows how to heal her."

Julia stopped there. Ask Mother. The words spoken by the dream version of Alonzo resonated within her. She wouldn't tell him that specific part, not yet. She decided she would only tell John Danziger, because she felt it might be the only way to convince him about the validity of her dream.

"So, if we're to believe that some future version of myself is dreaming to you, we need to get everyone out of here to safety," Alonzo stated.

"You believe me, then," Julia said.

"Of course I do, doc," Alonzo replied. "You're the last one who would make up something like this."

"Bringing John around won't be easy," Julia said hesitantly, "but I think I have a way that might work."

" 'Ask Mother'?" John said questioningly. "That's it? 'Ask Mother'?"

"Yes," Julia affirmed, trying not to be put off by Danziger's usual brusque manner. She sought him out as he was tinkering around with one of the pieces of equipment that had something-or other wrong with it.

"I think you've been spending too many nights listening to your boyfriend's Digger-dreams," the mechanic scoffed, "they're startin' to influence yours, too."

Julia flinched at John's use of the word 'digger' for the Terrians. It was a phrase she actually found to be somewhat offensive, though she realised the Terrians themselves probably wouldn't feel slighted by it.

"John, this wasn't like any other dream I've ever had," she insisted, "I told you that."

"You expect me to believe that the Council and Reilly are out there still, and all you've got is a couple cryptic words? I'm not evacuating the camp on the basis of two words, Heller."

Julia sighed, knowing the time had come to try her last argument. "What could it hurt to let Alonzo and Uly try to contact the Terrians? If they dream with them and come back with nothing, then I'm wrong about all of this and we can forget I ever mentioned it… but if they do come back with 'Ask Mother', then I think you need to seriously consider what I dreamt was real."

John looked away from her and scowled, knowing she had a made a reasonable point. He kicked his boot in the dirt while he considered her terms. Julia folded her arms and watched him expectantly.

He ran a hand through his unruly curls and returned his glance to her. "Fine," he said at last.

Julia's smile was one of relief.

"But if 'Lonz and Uly come back with nothin' from the Terrians, I'm holding you to your word that you won't mention this again," John warned, jabbing a finger at Julia. "Last thing we need is for the rest of the crew to catch wind of this and set off a panic."

"Of course," Julia said, "I promise."

"I suppose it is worth trying," Yale said in his soothing, accented voice after listening to Julia's plan to have Uly and Alonzo attempt to make contact with the Terrians. "Although it seems they generally only offer their assistance on their own terms."

"I know," Julia said. "I know there's still so much we don't understand about them; so much we can learn from each other… but I have a hunch they'll give us something."

The older man gave a long shrug indicating he neither agreed nor disagreed with Julia's assessment. "All I know is that I was able to make peace with my past; that my memories were healed, thanks to the sunstones. The Terrians themselves… their concept of forgiveness… penance, or reconciliation… it does not exist in the same terms as it does for us. But for Uly's sake, I hope they are willing to help."

"Let's go," the doctor urged, swinging her medical kit over her shoulder. "Thanks, Yale, for agreeing to let Uly go through with this."

The tutor smiled as they approached the Adair's tent. "I may be his 'legal' guardian due to Devon's illness, but I assure you: Ulysses makes his own decisions when it involves his mother and his bond with the Terrians."

They entered to find Alonzo already chatting easily with the boy, explaining to him that they were hoping to ask the Terrians for assistance.

"I think it's a good idea," Uly said earnestly. "After all, the Terrians are my friends. I bet if I ask them, they'll help if they can."

The three adults couldn't help but smile as his naiveté.

Julia donned her diaglove and ran a preliminary scan of both Uly and Alonzo, and then the two reclined on their respective cots, instantly falling into the Dreamplane.

"Wish I could fall asleep that easy."

Julia turned at the sound of Danziger's voice.

"There you are," she said, seeing him standing at the opening to the tent. "You're right on time."

"Hello, John," Yale greeted the mechanic.

"Yale," John replied in kind, and stepped further inside, relaxing in the marginally cooler interior temperature of the tent.

"I wonder what it is they see in their dreams," Yale pondered aloud. "Are they like normal, human dreams?"

"I don't know," Julia answered, looking affectionately at Alonzo's slumbering form. His eyelids flickered without opening, and his breathing was slow and even. "I don't think we'll ever fully comprehend Terrian dreams when we still barely have a handle on our own."

She reflected on Alonzo's claim that he'd lost his 'dream button' after so many sleep jumps, and how the Terrians had healed that impaired part of him so he could dream with them. She thought also that even after her own ill-advised attempt to make contact with the alien life-forms by using Uly's altered DNA, they never dreamed to her in that temporarily altered state.

And they probably never will, she thought wistfully, looking now at the child they had chosen to be the special link between the species.

"Reilly took Uly."

Alonzo's words from her dream startled Julia out of her ruminations.

"Reilly cannot get his hands on Uly; not again."

Uly and Alonzo chose that moment to wake. They both sat up together, and Julia pressed her glove to Uly's neck to check his vital signs; then did the same with Alonzo.

"So?" she said, a hopeful expression on her face, "did you get anything?"

"Yeah," Alozno said, exchanging a brief glace with Uly.

Danziger watched them closely; Yale looked calm; expectant.

"They weren't real communicative," Alonzo continued almost apologetically, "but they gave us two words…"

Julia's heart leapt a fraction.

"Ask Mother." Uly and Alozno said together.

"Well, I'll be…" Danziger whistled under his breath.