Second chances by Cathy F Bolton

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SECOND CHANCES, Part 2
by Cathy F. Bolton

Julia found Uly's field with no problem. It was an open area, devoid of bush, stretching easily 100 ft until it ended suddenly into a wall of rock. It was a strange rock formation. It seemed to have grown up from the ground and Julia noticed small clumps of rocks, miniature versions, on the ground around her. She wondered if they were of volcanic origin, maybe mineral deposits seeping up from below. A hugh tree stood a lonely vigil not far from the wall.

Mixed among the rocks were hugh vines from which fruit of all sizes and shapes grew. Julia knelt beside one vine and noticed there were also small vivid color flowers growing on the vine. She wondered if they were fruit blossoms or had some independent reason for existing.

She contacted Devon and told her there was more here she wanted to study and might be longer then she thought. Devon responded, "Well there no rush, we don't have a spare of what we need, Danziger's trying to repair the broken parts." As soon as I'm done, I'll come up and help you bring back some of that fruit. I hope it will sweeten a few dispositions down here." Julia smiled and signed off, and hooked the gear on her belt. Activating the diaglove, she began to scan the molecular makeup of the vine and flowers. She was constantly fascinated at the diversity of life on this planet.

Lost in her thoughts, a sound close behind startled her. She turned to look thinking of Devon but saw instead two dirty, ragged men staring down at her. She knew they were penal colonists and their look told her all she need to know of their intention. She bolted into a run, pulling her gear from her belt and trying to activate it. They caught her in a flying tackle and she landed hard, the gear falling from her hand.

They teamed up, turning her on to her back, mounting her as they pinned her arms and legs to the ground. Their combined weight left her helpless. The larger of the two knelt on her legs and she felt his hands begin to tear at her clothes. The other one sat on her chest, leaning forward, holding her arms down on either side of her head.

"Julia!", the com. gear came to life suddenly, halting the struggle. Julia felt the weight lift from her legs as the larger man crawled toward the fallen gear. "DEVON!", Julia
screamed. She knew Devon could not hear her since the gear was on receive only but she prayed they didn't know that.

Someone heard her prayer. As she hoped, he left one arm go as he tried to cover her mouth with his hand. She bit down on his hand as hard as she could. As she expected, his concentration broke as he tried to pull his hand from her teeth. She drove the heel of her free hand, with a strengh born of desperation, up into his nose. She felt the spray of his blood as cartilege splintered and was driven back into his brain. She braced her legs and slid sideways away from his fall at the same time pushing him away from her.

She was free but fear and panic clouded her mind. She tried to run, using her hands to push herself upright on legs which felt like rubber. She inhaled, gasping for breath. Spots danced before her eyes. She felt like a swimmer struggling to reach the surface from a great depth, fighting a gathering darkness that threatened to engulf her.

She stumbled again and a shadow pasted over her, cutting off the sun. On her hands and knees, she turned her face and looked up. It was his eyes that held her, so dark and void of any feeling, the gaze of a predator. She saw his hand gripping the rock. He struck her so fast she had no time to react. The last thing she remembered was the blinding pain and the distant sound of Devon's voice anxiously calling her name.

Back at camp, things were coming along with everyone pitching in to help. Morgan was sulking in his tent, having been cast out by the work crew for dropping a wrench on Walman's head. Walman wasn't hurt seriously but when they found the med. tent empty, Devon realized Julia had not come back. She tried to raise her without success on the com.gear. Bess had come along and was putting a make shift bandage on Walman's head trying to make up for her husband's carelessness.

Bess looked over at Devon, "Do you think she's OK?" Devon smiled to cover her uneasyness. "I'm sure she's just engrossed in her work." Devon looked out the tent toward the transrover, the men were stripped to the waist straining to hold the differential in place for Danzinger to attach. She didn't want to alarm anyone. After all, Uly had returned from the same place with nothing worse then stained clothes.

Devon turned back to Bess. "Maybe there's a problem with the gear. She's just up the ridge, I promised I'd give her a hand anyway." l'll go get her." Before she left camp, she picked up a MagPro. Just in case, she thought. Then, she too, climbed the ridge.

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