The Road Not Chosen by Joan Powers

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The Road Not Chosen (7/11)
by Joan Powers

(Bess Martin)

Alonzo's odd behavior was scary. Unfortunately, with each passing hour, his condition showed no signs of improving. We could only comfort ourselves with the vague belief that he wasn't getting any worse. Yet, in a day or two, he'd regain most of his physical strength. In his current state of mind, I was scared to consider what he was capable of doing to get what he wanted. Even the typically calm Dr. Heller seemed worried about that situation.

Alonzo's condition had distracted me. Morgan was feeling poorly, but I told myself that it was just a cold, maybe even a light fever. He'd be okay. Relying on his own resourcefulness in the woods might even be good for him. I was anxious for him to return home to support me.

I should've been more concerned about my husband.

"Okay Julia, we're all here. What's so damned important that we have to discuss it before I could finish breakfast?" Danziger grumbled as he straddled a crate and pulled it up closer to the makeshift table, where he'd parked his mug of morning coffee. Noticing Uly's presence, he tactfully suggested to him, "Maybe you should go check on your mom?"

"No John, we need him here. He's part of this." Dr. Heller was firm. She took a breath and began to explain, "We have to talk about Alonzo. I think what's been happening to him is related to something he experienced on the Dream Plane. In order to develop a treatment for his condition, I needed to know more about what he saw. Uly volunteered to help me."

"Can I tell them about it now?" Uly interjected.

"In a minute." She turned to direct her comments towards Danziger and Yale. "For the past few days, the local Terrians have been trying to show Alonzo something over the Dream Plane. He didn't tell me much about his experiences because he felt it was extremely important to keep them private -- at least until he learned the entire story. To cut to the chase, I asked Uly if he could get us more information."

"Julia! How could you have acted so irresponsibly?" Yale gasped, "If the Dream Plane in this area affected Alonzo so drastically, just think what it might have done to a child."

"Don't you think I considered that? There's more to it than that Yale, just hear me out. Have a little faith in me," she objected with irritation. "All I asked Uly to do was to talk to his Terrian friends. That's all."

Danziger turned to the boy, "What happened?"

"I met my friends. You remember, the tribe that we helped at Independence Colony -- the ones who cured my mom. They've been following us since they don't want to stay on the land that made them sick. They know there's something special about this area, but they can't tell me about it. They're not allowed to. Another tribe watches over it. So they took me to dream with those Terrians. They call them ‘the guardians'."

"Ulysses, that could have been extremely dangerous. Those Terrians might be causing Alonzo's problems." Yale admonished while glaring at the doctor.

The boy guiltily replied, "I know. Julia already yelled at me for disobeying her, she made me swear not to go see them."

"So why did you?" Danziger asked, his curiosity was aroused.

Lacking any delusions of grandeur or self importance, he simply stated, "I had to, otherwise Alonzo might not get better. They didn't mean to hurt him. They're confused about how he reacted when they dreamed with him. They won't give me their message. They say they have to finish the dreaming with Alonzo, but they aren't sure how to continue."

"I wonder why you weren't affected by your visit like 'Lonz was?" Danziger rubbed his chin as he thought.

"I think it's 'cause I'm part Terrain," the boy volunteered.

The mechanic considered it. "Could be."

Yale was trying to understand what Uly was saying. "So they want Alonzo to go back to the Dream Plane so they can finish their message to him?"

"Yeah," the young boy nodded.

"Is that advisable Julia?" Yale inquired, "Don't you think another visit would only make his condition worse?"

Obviously torn, Julia replied, "All of my medical knowledge suggests another Dream Plane experience could kill him. But Uly is convinced that his Terrian friends could help the two of them to complete the visit."

"How?" Danziger challenged.

The doctor explained, "Based on Alonzo's accounts, I don't think that the Dream Plane in general is harmful to him. He seems to be contacting a specific substance which is causing the harmful effects. After dreaming with the Terrians, Uly's given me some information which supports my theory. Now that they're aware of how it may be affecting humans, they could attempt to prevent him from contacting the substance. It might be worth a try."

"Why are we even considering this? Our first priority should be getting 'Lonz out of the woods. They should wait and tell him their message when he's better," the mechanic argued.

Julia countered, "That was my gut reaction too. But Alonzo's been so insistent about the importance of this message. He was convinced that it would help us learn more about the planet. At one point he thought it might even be some sort of test -- the Terrians telling us information about the planet, then waiting to see how we use it."

"We should focus on healing him first. Going back there could only make it worse." Danziger wasn't convinced.

Julia hesitated, "That's a possibility. But Alonzo and Uly both believe that the message is crucial for understanding that western passage that we're considering. The passage where two of our men are currently located."

"C'mon, those men haven't had any problems. That area appears to be perfectly safe. That's not an issue here," Danziger stated.

"The dreaming might help Alonzo get better," Uly said with sincerity.

"I don't know why, but part of me believes that too," Julia admitted.

Danziger disagreed. "My vote is still no. We shouldn't try it now. There's too much risk involved. Alonzo's not strong enough. The Terrians might be able to protect him with using the information Uly gave them, but they might not. Do you wanna take that chance? What guarantees do we have? We shouldn't pursue this now. What do you think Yale?

The tutor answered, "I agree with John. Alonzo's condition is too unstable. We shouldn't push him. But if Julia could manage to stabilize him, then improve his condition, it might be worth pursuing."

Julia eagerly volunteered, "I think I've found a way. Contact with the Dream Plane substance triggered a specific biological response in Alonzo. I'm going to inject him with synthetic derivatives that will mimic some of those responses, but to a lesser extent. I'm hoping it'll relieve some of his symptoms, while not exacerbating the problem."

"Ahh, something like the old fashioned use of methadone with heroin addicts." Yale nodded with approval.

"Exactly."

Yale was encouraged. "That could be promising. Let me know when you plan to test it."

"Morgan Martin, where have you been?" Bess snapped at her husband over her gear set. "I've been trying to contact you for over half an hour." She stifled a yawn. Since four people were out on scouting trips, and Alonzo and Devon were both out of commission, the remaining Eden Advance members were pulling double duty. She'd done her usual cooking and firewood collection, along with shifts of watching Uly and True, and performing nursing detail. All of this, along with her nagging concerns about Morgan, hadn't been conducive for a good night's sleep.

"Uh, sorry," he stammered. He looked worse than yesterday. His face was flushed and his hair was unruly. But most disturbing of all were his eyes. Rather than the sparkle of wit and intelligence she was used to seeing, dull and unfocused orbs greeted her.

"Have you started back yet?" she asked impatiently.

"Back where?" He replied with a vacant expression.

"Morgan, don't play games with me. I'm not in the mood," she scolded

"Okay," he meekly responded.

Trying to reign in her temper, she mentioned, " I thought you said you'd started the return trip."

He had to take a minute to think about. "...Yeah, we did...yesterday."

A chill ran down her spine. She could always tell when Morgan was lying to her. But it almost appeared as if he himself wasn't sure of his actions that day or the previous one. Her stomach tightened in knots, "How's your cold? Are you drinking lots of water? Do you have a fever?"

"I'm fine. Don't worry about me. Beth..er....Bess," he quickly correctly.

Did he actually just mess up her name? He must have a fever, she concluded. She'd seen signs of this yesterday. Maybe she was being paranoid, but she quickly devised a test to further examine his memory. "You know honey, I really miss you." She reached inside the top of her blouse to pull out the bait, her wild flower pendant, which she held up to her gear eye piece. "Do you remember giving this to me?" She made herself smile lovingly as she paused, forcing herself to wait for his response.

Practically everyone in the camp knew that pendant was a treasured gift from her father. In fact, Morgan had never cared for it. He'd been extremely annoyed that she'd traded with the Grendler using the jewelry that he'd given her, rather than that pendant. But it was all she had left to remind her of her father, who was light years away.

After a few moments, he tentatively answered, "Yeah, how could I forget giving that to you."

Swallowing hard, she told him in mushy tones, "Everytime I look at it I think of you." She became more focused, "What are your coordinates Morgan? Read them off your gear for me."

"Why?"

"It's part of my job - remember? Keeping you safe, knowing your location..." Reluctantly he relayed the requested information. Her eyes got wider as she heard the coordinates but she didn't comment on them. With a hint of urgency in her voice, she asked, "Let me talk to Walman."

"Huh?"

"C'mon Morgan, put him on," she insisted.

"He's asleep. Why do you wanna talk with him anyway?"

"Go wake him up and have him contact me. I'll keep my gear on and stay on the outskirts of camp. Do it," she stressed.

He shrugged his shoulders, "Okay."

Her eyes became shiny with tears, "I love you Morgan."

"Love you too," he parroted.

"What Bess?"

Julia hadn't been paying attention, she'd missed the question. She had joined Bess, Denner and True about the campfire, with the assumption that some friendly banter might distract her. Over an hour ago, she'd given Alonzo a compound which could soothe his 'withdrawal' symptoms -- if there was any credence to her theory.

It'd been difficult for her to approach him to inject the substance, Cameron and Yale had to assist her. Even then she'd been afraid that the pilot would grab her again. Julia was literally counting the minutes as they sluggishly crawled by. Soon, she'd allow herself to return and check on her patient. It was a waiting game which she hated, thus she was lousy company.

"I asked if memory loss was associated with fevers." Bess clearly enunciated.

Automatically, Julia rattled off, "Certainly with a high fever. Delirious patients often have no idea what's going on around them. In fact, if the patient's body temperature doesn't decrease after a prolonged time period, some brain damage may ensue."

She re-qualified her question, "What about someone with a mild fever?"

Julia wondered why on earth was that woman asking those types of questions. Losing patience, she snapped, "Bess there are dozens of symptoms associated with multiple types of fevers. If you want an exact diagnosis, you'll have to give me specifics."

Bess frowned and didn't respond.

Trying to change the subject, Denner suggested. "Tell us about Morgan and Walman's latest report. I can't wait to get out of these mountains."

"Julia!" Cameron shouted, "Come here -- you gotta see this!"

The women rushed over to the Med-Tent. As they piled up at the entrance, they could see that Alonzo was awake, but a miraculous transformation had taken place. He was still restrained to his cot, yet the snarling, violent maniac had been replaced with a happy go-lucky Casanova.

Alonzo flashed his patented flyboy grin affectionately towards the women. He lifted his chin, beckoning towards Julia, "Hey gorgeous. Where ya' been? Gonna bunk with me tonight?" His words were slurred, as if he were drunk, and his body movements were slow and exaggerated as well.

Almost dizzy with relief, Julia sank down beside his cot and activated her diaglove to examine him.

Undeterred by her activity, the pilot flirted with her, "C'mon Doc, you know all work and no play isn't any fun. Giva guy a chance."

Cameron raised an eyebrow and tactfully suggested to the others, "Maybe we should leave these two alone."

Slightly red cheeked, the doctor eagerly agreed, "Yes -- I think I can handle this." Giggling amongst themselves, the others discretely slipped out of the tent.

Alonzo tried to move his hands beneath his restraints. "Why I am tied up? You surprise me Julia -- is this some sorta game? Prisoner and interrogator?" he asked with a broad suggestive grin.

"No." She quickly denied, as her color rose.

"Whadda ya gonna do to me if I refuse to talk?" he leered provocatively.

She was thrilled that the therapy seemed to be working, but she was having difficulty dealing with his sudden personality change. Her relief at catching a glimpse of the old Alonzo -- her Alonzo, and her exhaustion threatened to cloud her judgment. She struggled to remain professional and stick to business, "How are you feeling?"

He cranked his infamous charm up another notch, "I'm great -- I feel wonderful. If I could just get ridda these restraints and have ya here beside me, everythin' would be perfect."

Even though he seemed inebriated, he was hard to resist. She had a compelling urge to loosen his bonds and head straight into the comfort of his arms. Instead, using every ounce of self-control, she forced herself to stay focused, since she wasn't sure how long his euphoric state would last. "Alonzo I know it's difficult -- but can you try and concentrate? I need to know what happened to you -- on the Dream Plane."

It took him a moment, but he remembered. "Oh yeah -- I found those bubbles again. Julia the energy I feel when I touch one -- the rush -- it's incredible. I've never felt anythin' like it. It's even better than flyin'. Ya hafta try it."

Very cautiously, she asked, "What about what happened with the Terrians?"

Her question didn't trigger the hostile response he'd exhibited earlier that day. He seemed to be recalling his experience. "I grabbed a blue one. It was gorgeous --- all sparkly and shiny -- just like your eyes. I started to feel this surge of power tingling through my body. Then the Terrians threw me out ." He was disappointed by this.

"Uly's been talking with the Terrians. He thinks he and his friends could mediate between you and these local Terrians so they could finish giving you this message, yet protect you at the same time. It could be dangerous -- do you want to do this?"

"Yeah. I wanna go back." He responded with eagerness.

She was apprehensive. Did he know what he was saying? Was his response due to his desire to contact those bubbles again? Or had his present dazed state influenced his thoughts? His smile seemed too broad, his eyes too bright. She wasn't sure what to believe. She was fully aware that she hadn't eradicated Alonzo's problem, she'd just initiated the first of many treatments. "This is important Alonzo. Do you think you can return and not touch the bubbles?"

He looked at her incredulously. "Why would I wanna do that? They're so beautiful."

Dr. Heller sighed. Evidently, this was a decision the pilot couldn't make on his own.

"Danziger? Can I talk to you?" Bess caught up to the man as he walked away from the communal campfire.

He kept moving and gruffly replied over his shoulder, "I'm busy -- maybe later. I gotta talk with Devon about some things."

Reluctantly, the woman added, "Well - you might have more to talk with her about."

He stopped -- she'd caught his attention. His eyes met hers. "Okay, let's hear it."

Her voice was low so that others passing by wouldn't hear her. She was almost embarrassed as she told him, "I hate to sound paranoid , especially with all that's happening around here, but...I think something's going on with Morgan and Walman."

"What do you mean?"

It went against her pride, but she had to tell him her fears, "They don't look right. I think they've caught some sort of flu. They're both feverish, tired and they're forgetting things -- important things."

Danziger had enough problems to deal with. "If it's just the flu, they can stay in one place until it runs its course. Don't you think Julia would be a better person to consult with about this?"

She swallowed nervously, "True, but there's more to it John. Yesterday, they claimed they were on their way back to camp, but their coordinates don't indicate this.

"Maybe they got disoriented. Or there could've be a malfunction with the gear compass. These sets have taken a lot of abuse during this trek across the planet."

His suggestions sounded logical, yet she couldn't dismiss the prickle of her intuition. "You could be right. But they missed this evening's check in."

"If they're as tired as you think they are, they're probably resting up. Let's give them 'til morning to contact us." He saw no need for treating this as a crisis -- yet.

"Is that what you'd do?" He looked at her strangely, "If True or Devon were out there? Could you just wait 'til morning?"

The mechanic took a breath. "What other choice would I have?" With sympathy, he added, "But I don't think I'd sleep much that night. Why don't you talk with Yale or Julia? They could help us determine if this flu really is cause for alarm. I'll catch up with you later."

Danziger pulled a camp stool closer to Devon's cot. She'd been asleep but she stirred when she heard him enter. She propped herself up, leaning against her elbows, "Hey Danziger -- what's going on with camp? How's Alonzo?"

Old habits were hard to break. At first, their perpetual use of last names had been a protective device to maintain distance between them. While they still tended to greet one another in this fashion, it was done much more affectionately than it had been a few months ago.

"You always get right to business -- don't you?" He grinned as he shook his head, thankful that some things were still the same. "You look better." She was no longer ghostly pale, and she spoke as if she were more coherent than when he last saw her. Yet dark smudges remained beneath her eyes.

"Does Julia have any answers from the tests she did on me?" she asked anxiously.

His grin disappeared. "She's had higher priorities, she's been working night and day on Alonzo's problem. Besides, why ask me? I didn't think that was ‘any of my business'." His sarcastic tone readily revealed that he was angry and hurt.

Devon swallowed hard then rather sheepishly replied, "I guess we need to talk about that."

"You better believe we do. But not now. You have to get better first."

"I am better," she answered confidently as she strove to change the subject. "Those test drugs are finally out of my system. But I'm still exhausted. I think it's those other pills that Julia keeps giving me. I'm gonna stop taking them."

Without raising his voice significantly, he firmly objected, "No way in hell, Adair. Julia knows exactly what she's doing, she's a smart doctor. You're gonna do everything she says." He didn't give her a chance to protest. "Speaking of getting better...". He filled her in on the latest news about Alonzo; that he'd woken from the coma in a violent state and that Julia had some success with her first attempt to treat him. All the while, he carefully avoided mentioning Uly's involvement in the affair, along with all the hocus-pocus of the Dream Plane.

"So how does this therapy work?" Devon asked.

He shrugged, "That's the doc's department. My impression was that he wouldn't be cured overnight. But she thinks it can be done over a longer time period."

She was pleased. "Good. Have you discovered what caused his illness? And how are those scouting teams? Did Baines and Magus have any luck? Have Morgan and Walman run into problems? Are the Terrians mad at us?"

"Slow down Devon. The Terrians aren't mad at us. Baines and Magus will be back in camp tomorrow. They didn't find an alternative route. Morgan and Walman haven't run into any troubles. Well -- not exactly. Bess thinks they've caught some sort of flu.

She frowned, "That doesn't sound good. Has Julia had a chance to check them out over gear?"

"Uh, no. She just brought it to my attention." He didn't want to get into camp squabbles at present, it got too complicated. He knew exactly why Bess had approached him, and not Julia or Yale. While everyone was still speaking with one another, there was an underlying degree of tension between them when certain topics were brought up. Undeclared factions had formed -- those in favor of using the passage, and those opposed. He didn't want to upset Devon by discussing the nitty gritty of camp problems, she had to concentrate on getting better.

"John, I think we should go get Morgan and Walman."

He looked at her oddly, "What are you talkin' about? It sounds like they only have the flu. Let 'em wait it out then come back. They just need to rest up."

Devon explained, "But it must be more than that. Bess obviously thinks it is, otherwise she wouldn't have brought it up. She's not the type of person who makes a big deal out of nothing. And it might not be an ordinary flu or fever, like the one you caught. We can't make too many assumptions on this planet."

Damn, that sounded like something he should've said. "It's not practical to send in a team now Devon. The TransRover is all we have. We'd make horrible time. The ATV won't be back in camp 'til tomorrow afternoon at the earliest. Also, I don't want to divide us up even further than we already are. We need to stick together."

"I agree. But I still think we should go get them. They're members of our group and they could be in trouble."

"I told you --the Terrians aren't mad at us -- that's not a problem," Danziger emphasized.

Her expression indicated that she wasn't fully convinced. "Bringing Morgan and Walman back could be construed as a sign of good faith. A willingness to work with them."

Danziger sighed. He did not want to get into a debate about Terrian politics, nor did he want to go into details about why he felt this wasn't a problem. So he stalled, "I'll talk with the others about your suggestion."

His strategy wasn't successful. Her eyes narrowed, she knew he was hiding something. "Oh, I see. There is more to this -- isn't there? There's a link between all these things: Alonzo's strange behavior, the Dream Plane and the passage. I knew it! What is it? What have you found out?" She insisted with a determined glint in her eye.

"Hey -- calm down. We're working on theories, we don't have any proof. I'll tell you more about our ideas -- tomorrow -- you need to rest now." He wasn't sure if she was going to buy that.

To his relief, she appeared willing to let it go. "Okay, if you insist on not telling me more about our camp situation, let me pick our next topic of conversation."

He agreed, readily.

Slyly, she asked, "How about bio-stat implants?"

Shank, he set himself up for that one. He was out of the frying pan and into the fire. He didn't want to talk about that either. But he knew that look, Devon wasn't going to rest until he coughed up some information. Uly's involvement on the Dream Plane was guaranteed to upset her, she could be fanatical about her son. So he reluctantly agreed to the uncomfortable subject of her bio-stat implant.

"Okay," he mumbled.

She rapidly fired her question. "How did you know that I didn't have one?"

This was going to be extremely difficult for him. Heck, just accepting what had happened that day was a huge stretch for him. He'd always been a skeptical person who assiduously tested what was before his eyes. If someone else had shared this story with him, he would've laughed his ass off. He didn't want to look like a jerk in front of her.

He took a breath, "Before I start, promise me that you won't bring this up again -- ever."

Confused, she agreed, "Okay."

"You told me."

"Me?" she sputtered. "But when? I myself didn't suspect until I collapsed and you put me into that cold sleep chamber. There wouldn't have been time for me to tell you. And I don't think I mentioned it to anyone after you revived me -- did I?"

There was his chance. He could lie to her -- tell her that had been the case. She'd been so groggy, her first week back at camp was probably a hazy blur to her. But that wasn't his style. He could feel himself growing warmer, "Do you remember what happened to Morgan when we approached Bennett's ship?"

"His VR encounter with Franklin? Julia thinks that was Eve trying to save herself."

"I dunno." How humiliating, he couldn't even look her in the eye. Okay, he was gonna get it over with -- just spill it, "'Cause I had that kind of encounter with you."

For a moment, Devon was stunned. "Wh...what? When was this?"

"Maybe a week after we left you on that space ship."

"How?"

He still couldn't look at her, "I have no idea. Morgan did something to my VR gear."

"Morgan? What did I say?" Her cheeks grew red.

"Nothin' to be embarrassed about," he assured her. "You asked how everyone was at camp, told me about your bio-stat implant to help Julia find a cure for you...stuff like that.."

"What else?" He looked to her, pleading her to stop. "What is it, John?"

"You honestly don't remember?"

"No, I'm sorry -- I don't," she answered.

He had no idea how to explain what had happened -- the fact that the emotions of that moment were far more important than any spoken words. He took a breath and said as quickly as he could, "Let's just say that seeing you standing in front of me, looking alive and healthy, just after we'd presumably left you for dead, frozen in that chamber, was one hellava shock."

More softly, she replied, "It's okay, John. I understand."

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