Legends II - Legends of Love by Nicole Mayer

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Legends II : LEGENDS OF LOVE. (1/9)
by Nicole Mayer
December 1996.

"The place where we began to die..."

Tears streamed down Gillian Brody's cheeks as she read the terrible words written by Bess Martin over a century ago. Ever since she began the story of Eden Advance, Gillian had felt as if she knew these people, the first brave colonists of Planet G889 which was her new home.

And now, two were lost. Through her tears, Gillian strained to make out the next words as they appeared on the data screen before her. "With heavy hearts, but realising there was nothing more for us here, we moved on. But each of us left a little piece of ourselves behind, with Eben, with Devon, and Danziger vowed that we would return for Devon someday. We would not forget her."

"But you did..." Gillian whispered softly into the quiet night. She had heard the schoolyard rumours of a person buried alive in the desert, abandoned by the friends she held dear. Forgotten by her own son. And now eternally trapped in a prison of ice from which her soul could find no rest.

Gillian closed her eyes and imagined the pain they must have felt. It wasn't hard, because somehow, Bess' words had spoken deeply to her and Gillian truly cared about these people. The brave legends who had sacrificed their lives for so many others.

Suddenly flicking back to the beginning of the file, Gillian reread the introduction. She shivered at the written words - they hinted of more pain, of more suffering amongst the greatest project ever known to humanity. How many more of her new friends, or the ghosts of the past, would she lose?

"Gillian! What are you still doing up?" The girl's horrified mother poked her head around the doorway to her room. Gillian jumped, quickly wiping all traces tears from her face. "I was just reading..."

"You need your sleep! You've got a full day at school tomorrow, and how can you expect to make new friends if you're so tired you can hardly see straight?"

Gillian wasn't in the mood to fight with her mother. And the way she was feeling now, school seemed irrelevant compared to the fight that had gone on for this planet close to a century ago. But no one cared anymore...no one but her, Gillian. "Okay, Mom," she conceded. "Goodnight." But Gillian did not sleep. Her dreams were haunted - by a dark haired woman who ran through the shadows, eternally searching for the light.

"Hey, Lukas!" hissed Jerry from behind a bush. Lukas Brody jumped. He hadn't talked to Jerry ever since his very first day at the new school, and it was surprising to hear Jerry's voice now. Jerry was one of those 'tough kids' with no respect for authority and great faith in his own actions. Lukas felt a little scared of him, but also admired his courage.

Joining Jerry behind the shrub, Lukas asked, "Yeah?"

"What's with your big sister Gillian?"

Lukas frowned. "I don't know what you mean," he replied. Jerry grinned at him. "She's a total babe, but she sure don't act like one!" he announced.

His sister, a 'babe'? Lukas was confused. He didn't think of girls in that way yet, much less his older sister. He said the only thing possible. "Huh?"

"She's weird. She acts like she doesn't even notice the world going past her. Just like those other weird kids, the ones who are Transformed."

"I didn't know that Transformed people were weird," said Lukas. He recalled the lessons he'd been given before coming to G889 - treat the Terrians with respect, and those who have links to the Terrians and their world as if they were your equals. They were just the same as ordinary people, the lesson had reiterated.

So why did Jerry have a problem with them? Lukas gave a quiet sigh of relief as he heard the school bell ring, and said to Jerry, "I have to go," before racing off.

Gillian walked slowly down the halls. She still barely knew anyone at her new school, save for the friendly teacher Ms. Baines. But at this point in time, Gillian didn't care. Nothing was more important than the story of Eden Advance, and Gillian found she couldn't concentrate on anything else that day, much less making new friends.

Hearing subdued footfalls approach, Gillian instinctively glanced up. It was a group of Transformed students. Sure, there were no physical differences, yet this group was unique. They carried themselves with a dignified pride that set them apart from other students, Transformed or not.

The girl at the forefront of the group stopped. She gazed deep into Gillian's eyes, a surprised look of recognition crossing the girl's face. The girl was tall, with flowing blond hair and blue eyes. Around her neck was a pendant, containing, from what Gillian could make out, a shard of Morganite. It seemed to randomly pulse with energy, and Gillian had to tear her gaze away from it to meet the girl's eyes.

"I know you..." the girl revealed. Surprised, Gillian stared back at the girl. The blue eyes were fathomless pits that held many secrets, secrets that scared Gillian. The girl leaned closer, then foretold, "You are one." She gave Gillian a last appraising gaze, then continued walking as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened. Gillian stared at the retreating girl with a sense of wonder. There had been a momentary connection between them....

"I see you've met the witch," a snide voice interrupted Gillian's confused thoughts. She turned, and noticed a boy standing behind her.

"Witch?" repeated Gillian. "Who?"

"Her," replied the boy, gesturing towards the group of students walking down the hall. "Jessie Solace. She's one weird chick. So are her friends. They go out every night, and do stuff."

"Like what?" Gillian countered. The boy smiled imperiously.

"You know, the usual. Casting spells, twisting the Dreamplane, all that sort of stuff. It's dangerous, too. You'd better not go anywhere near it!" he declared. "In fact," the boy continued, "you probably need some protection. I can help. Jerry Danthinore at your service."

"Really?" asked Gillian, now amused at the young boy's obvious come on. "And what if I told you that I'm a witch as well?"

Jerry laughed. "I know you're not."

"But I've talked to the ghost," Gillian whispered ominously, finally recognising Jerry as one of the boys who had scared Lukas the other evening. Now was her chance for a little revenge.

Jerry blinked, and took a step back. For all his bravado, he still believed in the ghost of the forgotten woman, for he too had felt her presence. And that scared him, a lot.

"In fact," continued Gillian, "the ghost is my friend. She does whatever I ask her to, and that includes chasing people who annoy me...."

"Well, um, I have to get going," Jerry said, hurrying backwards. "Bye!" With that, he raced down the hall in the opposite direction, and Gillian allowed herself a small smile of satisfaction. Then her thoughts rapidly returned to the mysterious Jessie Solace, and the strange words she had spoken. "I know you...you are one."

One of what? Gillian wondered. The question troubled her deeply, so she returned her mind to the plight of Eden Advance, and longed to return of the tale so full of wonder and tragedy.

Late that evening, Gillian sat reading. She smiled as she read on, feeling their joy at the completion of their journey. Bess' words were so powerful she could almost imagine herself there....

"We're here!" shrieked True. Running up the hill to catch her was Uly. He couldn't wait for his first sight of the ocean. "Dad, look! It's so big, so huge, it's - it's bigger than anything I ever imagined!"

John Danziger smiled at his daughter's words. The first time he'd seen the ocean, he, too, had been astounded by the vast blue. VR simulations of old Earth just didn't do the sight justice.

"Can we go down to it? Please?" begged Uly, jumping up and down with excitement. Danziger waved them ahead. "Go for it, kids!" As he watched them sprint down the hill, he heard more running behind him as the rest of Eden Advance abandoned the vehicles and raced for the beach. Finally, after so many long months, the journey was over.

"We made it, Morgan!" shouted Bess in jubilation. "We actually made it!"

"I know!" he replied happily, swinging his wife around in the shallow waves. He scooped up a handful of the salty water, and threw it over her head. Bess shrieked, and began splashing him furiously. The flying water caught Alonzo by surprise, and soon a waterfight was raging between all of the Advance Colonists. Save two. (Or three, if you counted Zero, but no one usually did.)

Yale stood on the shoreline, smiling serenely as he watched his friends rejoice. But it was Danziger, still on the hill, who was alone. Not only in the physical sense, but emotionally as well. He had long dreamed of the moment when they finally reached New Pacifica, yet in all of those dreams, Devon Adair had been there to lead them.

But she was gone. He was in charge now, and it was his duty to make everything turn out alright. No matter how much he missed her. Gazing down at his friends, Danziger felt some small sense of joy and satisfaction. He saw True and Uly shrieking as they dashed between the waves. The waterfight still raged on and it looked as if Magus and Denner were winning. Julia and Alonzo were locked together in a passionate embrace as they celebrated the end of the journey.

Danziger smiled sadly at that one. His mind whirled with the possibilities, everything that could have been between Devon and himself. But Devon's dream, and with it, those same possibilities, had been torn from all of them those long months ago.

Instinctively, Danziger's hand moved to his pocket and the small box that was secreted there. Inside, he knew, was a single strand of hair, Devon's hair. It had caught between his fingers as they locked her in the chamber and he could not bear to throw it away. It had become a talisman, a reminder to keep up hope. And complete the journey.

He had finally done just that. New Pacifica was theirs, and Danziger finally believed that they could make this work. The journey had not been in vain.

It was a balmy, warm evening in the growing city of Devon. The reddish glow of the sunset lit up the sky with glorious hues, a sky so pure and unpolluted that Bess sighed with joy every time she saw it.

She sat on the front veranda of her house, watching the colours flash by her. Children laughed in the streets as games of tag were played, each hoping to enjoy the last moments of the day before their parents called them inside.

Bess swung backward and forward in her chair, one hand firmly on her swollen abdomen. She felt a small movement, and smiled happily. Soon, any day now, her second child would be born. Morgan was hoping for a boy this time, but Bess knew she would love the baby no matter what. And so would Morgan. He had mellowed a lot over the past few years. After his initial compulsion to name as much of the surrounding countryside as possible, he had set himself up as a true leader capable of managing the expanding town.

Smiling with pride as she recalled her husband's achievements, Bess couldn't think of a greater moment for him than when he had unanimously been elected Administrator of Devon. Although, perhaps the light in his eyes when he held his baby daughter for the first time hinted that his family was more important to him than a job could ever be.

The shadows lengthened, and Bess peered into the darkness. Ari should know to come home by now. Even though the girl was barely five years old, Ariel Martin seemed to have a wisdom beyond her years. It arose from her link with the Terrians, which was present in approximately half of the children born on G889. The doctors still could not figure it out, but the phenomena was now part of the accepted culture. They even had a word for it - Transformed.

But none of that made any difference to the parents of these children. They were loved without reservation, because the Terrians had given so many children life.

"I'm home, Mommy!" called Ariel's tiny, silvery voice as she danced up the pathway.

"Hi, sweetie," replied Bess, smiling from her chair. It was too much of an effort to get up this late in her pregnancy, so she was content to sit outside and enjoy the glorious air. Her life on Earth was now nothing more than a dim memory but she still appreciated, every day, what a wonderful place this planet was.

"Hi, Bess!" called another voice from behind Ariel. It was a voice she knew very well, someone who was almost a part of her family. Everyone from the original Eden Advance crew had remained close as they worked with the arriving colonists to found a city on a new world.

"John! How are you?" asked Bess. As Ariel dashed inside, Danziger strode up the stairs and collapsed into the chair beside her.

"I'm beat," he replied, tiredly brushing back his hair. Bess wondered if he liked the golden curls dangling in his eyes, because every time she saw him, his hair was no different. Sometimes, her fingers just itched to cut it.

"Tough day on the job?" she asked sympathetically.

Danziger groaned in response. "We had three recycling units go down! Must've been the residue electricity in the ground from that storm last night," he grumbled.

But Bess knew that Danziger wasn't really complaining. He loved his job, in charge of the workings of the city - the design, the mechanical aspects, all the little things that kept it running. Once the colonists had arrived, Danziger had been happy to step back from the limelight and let others take over the bureaucratic functions.

In the seven years that had passed since then, Danziger felt as if he had fulfilled his promise to Devon: to lead the group and establish the colony at New Pacifica. And now, he was back working in his element, but still a highly respected member of the community.

"Anyway, enough of my grumbling," said Danziger, giving Bess a warm smile. "How are you doing?"

"Getting there..." she responded. "I just hate this waiting, you know?"

Danziger didn't know, but he nodded with understanding anyway. "Well, if you ever need anything, you know you can give me a call. Right?"

Leaning across, Danziger gently stroked her cheek. Bess wondered if he could see the tiredness in her eyes, and the worry. The past few days, she'd been suffering slight dizziness and shortness of breath. When she'd gone to see Julia, the doctor had found nothing wrong with Bess. Julia told her it was probably only anxiety, and she would be fine.

But that morning, Bess had experienced another blinding headache. She didn't tell anyone because she didn't want to worry Morgan. He had enough to do lately without caring for a wife who probably wasn't sick anyway. It was just nerves....

"You look really tired, Bess," Danziger said gently. "Is everything okay?"

"It's probably just the heat," she replied. "I'll be fine."

"Maybe I should ask True to come round during the day, to see if you're okay," offered Danziger. "She needs a break from her studies."

"No, no," protested Bess. "True does more than enough for me already! Who do you think helps me watch Ari a lot of the time?"

Danziger laughed. "That's right," he said. "Ari's the little sister she never had."

He marvelled again at the strong friendships that existed between all of them. Danziger and Bess spoke daily. True and Bess were very close, almost like sisters. And speaking of close friendships, Uly seemed to love every member of his extended family, especially Julia. Danziger suspected that was where the teenager was now, with Julia over at the hospital where she worked. Uly aspired to become a doctor, to help sick children just as he had been helped when he was younger.

Glancing at his watch, Danziger realised he had better get going. True had been very adamant that he and Uly arrive home at an early hour that evening, though for what, he didn't know.

"Sorry, Bess, I have to get home," he apologised. She smiled serenely, not minding. Danziger helped her inside, and then said goodbye. He didn't notice the flash of pain that crossed Bess' features, or the dizziness that clouded her eyes. And Bess did not say anything. She would be just fine.

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