THE SERPENT BENEATH THE FLOWER, Part 9
By Bernice Low
Julia closed her eyes and she heard the whine as the gun fired but opened her eyes to see Alex slumped in front of her, face down in the ground. The gun had fallen from his hand and was several inches away from her.
Puzzled, she started to reach for the weapon as she heard footsteps approaching. Her fingers reached for the handle of the gun but before she could grasp it, a thin beam of light seared inches from her fingers.
"Uh uh Dr Heller."
She recognised the voice - it was Sam McCann! She looked up to see the tall thin doctor approaching her, nursing a laser rifle in his hands. It was pointed right at her. As he came closer, she noticed that he had removed his spectacles.
"Sam?" she looked at him, puzzled. Why the hell had he shot at her? He walked closer to her, the rifle trained on her always, and prodded the limp body of Alex with his foot.
"I'm impressed Alex. Considering the two bit half baked genetic mix up that you were - spouting Shakespeare to woo the girl... ." McCann remarked disdainfully as he looked at the motionless body of Alex. He turned to Julia. "And you my dear Dr Heller are certainly quite a piece of work. Poor Alex - what a tortured soul he let himself become. He would have made quite the tragic hero."
"You're obviously no slouch at waxing lyrical yourself Dr McCann." Julia replied evenly, unsure of what was going on but getting a really bad feeling about this all.
"A feat I assure you which I accomplished without the assistance of genetic technology." he declared. "Unlike yourselves." he said, gesturing at Alex and her.
"Why don't you can get the gun out of my face Sam..." Julia said, feeling uneasy with it's closeness to her. If Sam was here, surely Alonzo or Danzinger, someone was around. She surreptitiously began looking around the cavern.
"I think not Dr Heller." he said slowly. "You and I have some unfinished business."
Julia looked at him - she was getting real, real bad feeling about this. "But first, let's take care of your little friends. Come down here or I'll blow her brains out!" he shouted, his voice echoing around the cavern.
Julia looked around the cavern and saw Alonzo, Danzinger and Devon several feet above them on a ledge. They had been hidden by some boulders from her view.
"Don't test my patience!" he ordered, one eye on the colonists as they moved from their hiding place down to the cavern floor, and one hand keeping the gun trained on Julia.
"Right - now throw those weapons - far, far away. Hurry up Solace!" he ordered. Julia watched as Danzinger and Alonzo reluctantly threw their weapons to the other end of the cavern.
"Now why don't you join Dr Heller over there." he said pleasantly, and gestured that they sit down next to Julia. Sullenly, Alonzo and Danzinger moved over to where Julia sat. Alonzo sat down next to Julia, a concerned look on his face.
"I'm fine." she said softly to him and squeezed his hand. "Sam, what is going on?" Devon asked, puzzled by the doctor's strange behavior. "What has come over you?"
He smiled sinisterly. Devon found it hard to believe that this was the mild mannered, almost timid doctor standing before her. Without his spectacles, and standing without his usual stoop, he looked menacing. And dangerous.
He turned to Julia. "Dr Heller, why don't you do the honours?" he asked, raising an eyebrow as he looked at her, his rifle never moving. "I'm sure you must have it all figured out by now."
Julia watched him carefully, her mind working at full speed. "You're the spy. The real spy. Reilly did have someone else watching me." she said slowly. "But not Alex. You. Alex was just the diversion to keep us from suspecting you."
"Very good Dr Heller. Full points. I was originally sent to monitor your progress in spying on Eden Project. But as you can see..." he turned to look at Devon, "... my orders were amended upon my arrival and that's when Alex Daniels little obsession with Dr Heller here became useful. It was easy to observe and watch your little band of followers, and to plan my actions when you were all busy watching and waiting for him to make a move." he explained to Devon. "I hoped you enjoyed my little performance, but contrary to popular misconception, I'm not quite the timid mouse Doctor."
He stepped closer to Julia.
"Reilly has dispatched me to ensure that you meet an end fitting for a traitor. And I assure you, you will die like one. As for your friends, I'm afraid they have to die too."
He looked down at the unmoving body of Alex. "Unfortunately, like you Dr Heller, I underestimated the extent of Alex's... obsession. And before I could get Eve to find Alex using a bug the Council had implanted in him, your devoted lover..." his gaze flicked over to Alonzo, who was sitting there, eyes blazing with anger, "... managed to find you first. I had no choice but to tag along."
"You could have found Alex all this time?" Devon asked, shocked. "Oh yes. Alex was too much of a risk to leave untagged." he explained to Devon, as if referring to a wild animal. "Unfortunately, it's come to this. Pity - I would have liked to see how far Eden Advance would get." he turned to look at Devon and Alonzo before turning his attention back to Julia.
"Are you ready to die Traitor?" he asked her softly. "Go to hell you little worm!" Julia said defiantly. He shook his head and tsked softly. He stood up and suddenly struck Julia with the butt of his rifle. The blow took her by surprise and she groaned as she struggled back into a sitting position, still reeling from the force of his rifle butt landing on her head.
"Wrong answer." he said, waggling his finger at her. Julia clutched at her head and Alonzo clenched his teeth and stared angrily at McCann as he gently helped Julia ease back into a sitting position.
"Why did you do it Julia?" he asked her, sounding like a disappointed father talking to a child. "Hmmmm?" he crouched down in front of her, always keeping the rifle trained at her.
Julia couldn't think straight. Blood oozed from a opening on her forehead where the rifle butt had struck her and she felt dizzy as the beginnings of a terrific headache appeared. She leaned weakly against the rock.
"You are not worthy. Either of you." he said leaning close to her and gesturing contemptuously at the lifeless Alex. "Born into privileged families, given the honour of serving the Council. And you turn your backs on The Council just like that!" he snapped his fingers to illustrate his point. "I've had to earn every bit of respect, every bit of trust - I earned all of it - no mummy and daddy in the background to propel me on my way. And you, you betray all that - in an instant."
"You deserve to die." he said simply. "Man you're a real live one aren't you?" Danzinger said sarcastically. "Say what you like Mr Danzinger - it won't save your doctor." he declared calmly as he straightened up. He slipped his GEAR out of his pocket and pulled it on.
"Reilly - this is McCann - come in." "Report McCann."
"I have Heller." he announced triumphantly. "Excellent Citizen McCann. Is she alive?" Reilly couldn't keep the satisfaction out of his voice.
"Yes. But only just. Perhaps a last minute reprieve?" Sam asked casually. Reilly laughed.
"This has gone on for long enough. Finish her." he snarled and terminated the link.
Sam mock sighed as he pulled off the GEAR. "Well Doctor Heller, I'm afraid time has finally run out for you." He looked at the rifle and back at her.
"A pity - it's not often one meets quite so beautiful and intelligent a woman like yourself." he said in an lamenting tone.
"But..." he lifted the rifle to to chest level and steadied his stance. "... a traitor is a traitor." he said ruthlessly as his finger rested on the trigger." Any last words?"
Julia looked painfully at Alonzo. She felt agonised - not because she was facing death; she had lived constantly in fear that this day might come - but because Alonzo would have to watch her die. She didn't want him to see her die. She squeezed his hand hard and fought back the tears. There was so much more she had to tell him, to say to him...
"Now, now - there's nothing to be unhappy about." Sam clucked in a sympathetic voice, as he watched her exchange a look with Alonzo. "You'll thank me for it - now you can be together..." He looked back and forth between Julia and Alonzo.
"... for eternity." he said. And squeezed the trigger. "No!" a voice cried out and McCann found himself being tipped backwards as someone grasped his ankle and pulled hard.
The rifle misfired and the laser shot drilled into the ceiling before falling from his hands as he lost his balance. He looked down to see Alex clutching his ankle with all his strength. With a fierce kick, he caught Alex in the chin and managed to free his ankle, as Alex rolled away in pain.
That momentary distraction was enough for Danzinger and Alonzo. Both men charged at the thinner McCann but to their surprise, the slighter man dealt with them easily - tossing Danzinger over his shoulder and subduing Alonzo with a quick blow to the ribs, which he knew would force the pilot to collapse in pain as the injury Julia had inflicted with the blade had not yet healed.
Knowing he only had several seconds before Alonzo and Danzinger recovered, he reached down and pulled out a gun that was strapped to his ankle. Devon watched, helplessly rooted to the spot as aimed it at Julia and he mechanically began to squeeze the trigger.
Julia stared at the barrel of the gun - her instinct told her to move, to get out of the line of fire. But fear seemed to hold her there, frozen, a sitting duck. This is it! she thought. The end of the road.
Alonzo...
She watched the flash from the gun as Sam fired and heard the searing sound as the laserfire struck flesh.
But it was Alex who lay at her feet. He had saved her again. The suddenness of Alex's actions once again caught Sam off guard but he recovered quickly and prepared again to fire at Julia. Just then, a rapid burst of laser fire came from the entrance of the cavern, striking him twice point blank in the back. He fell to his knees, dropping his weapon and struck the ground face down.
Devon looked up and saw Walman standing at the entrance to the cavern, holding a laser pistol and clutching the back of his neck with his other hand. She scrambled to pick up the gun that had fallen from Sam's hand and ran over to help Danzinger and Alonzo up. Danzinger quickly frisked the motionless Sam for more hidden weapons while Alonzo hobbled over to a very stunned Julia, who sat slumped against the rock, shocked by everything that had unfolded before her very eyes.
"Julia?" he put a hand gently on her shoulder and shook her slightly. Julia blinked hard several times, trying to comprehend everything that had happened. One minute ago she was looking at death in the face, and now, there were two bodies sprawled on the floor.
Walman staggered over to the Sam's body. He reached down and felt for a pulse.
There was none.
"He's dead." he announced to Danzinger. All eyes turned to Alex, as Julia sprang up and turned him over. She grasped his wrist; his pulse was weak and he was barely breathing.
Suddenly his eyelids fluttered open and blue eyes, so like her own stared at her.
"Julia..." he gasped, wheezing as he struggled to breath. Devon crouched beside Julia and touched her shoulder. Julia exchanged a look with her and shook her head. She couldn't save Alex. It was too late.
"Julia..." he gasped again, his hand closed around her wrist and held on, hard. He looked up at her.
"Alex..." Julia searched for the right words. He had saved her life twice. "I don't know what to say..." she said, her voice shaking. "The tragic hero never really was your style..." she said, without thinking.
He mustered up enough strength to laugh cynically. "The story of my life..." he said mirthlessly, and was seized by a spasm. "...I suppose it would be brazen of me to ask, in front of..." he coughed, his chest heaving as he struggled to speak. "...so many people..." another spasm caught him and he coughed violently.
He shook his head as Julia urged him not to try to talk. "... for one last kiss...?" he fixed his eyes on her. "Alex..." Julia looked helplessly at him. He closed his eyes briefly and gave a weak smile. "I love the way you speak my name..." his voice fading slightly.
Julia looked at Alonzo and Devon as Alex lay cradled in her hands, uncertain. She did not want to deny Alex - she owed him so much more than that, but yet, something inside of her made her hold back.
He opened his eyes, and his breathing grew more laboured. He smiled to himself and shook his head, guessing her hesitation.
"No matter..." he murmured. He pulled his hand to his lips and kissed her palm, before placing it on his chest. "... I kissed thee ere I killed thee, no way but this, killing myself, to die upon a kiss..." he whispered and closed his eyes.
A silence passed as Julia watched him slip away. Alex - who she had hated, feared, ran from and tried to kill, had given up his life to save hers.
Oh Alex, could it have been different? Might things have turned out differently if we hadn't been the people we were then? So many what ifs... so many questions...
A low beeping noise attracted their attention and Walman strode over to the limp body of Sam and extracted the source of the noise: Sam's GEAR unit.
He brought it over to Devon, who looked at the set, for once at a loss for words on what to do with it. She turned it over in her hands, as the beeping grew more persistent and an audible female voice hailed ' Respond' repeatedly, and looked at Danzinger.
To her surprise, Julia took the GEAR set from her and walked over to Walman. Silently she plucked his laser pistol from his hands and walked to the centre of the room.
For a moment, she stood, looking down at the beeping GEAR in one hand, and the pistol in the other. Devon and Alonzo watched, slightly concerned that Julia would do something brash. Danzinger and Walman exchanged terse looks. What was Julia planning to do with the gun?
Wordlessly, she flung the GEAR unit in the air and lifted up the laser pistol. With a single shot, she blasted it to smithereens. Slowly she lowered the gun.
She looked at the two dead bodies on the ground and walked away.
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[For the next few days, Julia seemed to be in a world of her own and we sensed that she needed to have some space to herself, some time for reflection. The events that had unfolded over the last few days had been a surprise to all of us.
Perhaps it simply showed just how little we really know about ourselves.
Alex.
Sam.
How little we really knew about them both and yet how quickly we were to judge - who was worthy of our association and who wasn't. It seemed once again impossible to ignore the similarities between what had happened here, and what had happened with Julia. We all make mistakes and we did it here.
Again.
But we won't make the same mistake again. And we'll keep saying that to ourselves - until one day...]
On their final morning at the campsite, Julia left Alonzo to load her equipment onto the TransRover while she wandered to the nearby site where they had buried Alex and Sam.
She stood before the still freshly dug grave, staring into space. "Penny for your thoughts Doc." a gruff voice said behind her. She smiled faintly as Danzinger strolled up to her, hands in his pockets, and they stood there for a moment in silence, each caught up in their own thoughts.
"Did I do the right thing John?" she asked, finally, looking up at him. "After everything, he still saved my life. He would have died for me. Like that." she said, shaking her head sadly. "Was I worthy of what he did? After everything I said and did to him... I tried to kill him."
Danzinger grasped Julia by the elbows and gently shook her. "Listen to me Doc. You can't keep thinking like this. You'll go crazy. You did what any person in your shoes would have done."
"Then why do I feel so awful inside?" she asked, angered, tears brimming in her eyes."
"Because it's natural to be upset. Because it's difficult to understand sometimes why life is unfair in the way it is. Julia, Alex didn't die in vain. Maybe he didn't believe in worthy causes, but he died for one. For us. For all those people waiting to come here. For all those kids. And for you and Alonzo." he said looking the doctor in the eye.
"In his own way, he loved you." he said quietly as Julia looked away at the rocks in a distance as the tears streaked her face.
She walked over to the cross that marked Alex's grave and knelt by it. Danzinger stood at a little distance, watching.
His voice rang in her ears.
"...Everything I've done has been for purely personal and utterly selfish reasons. You."
"... to die upon a kiss..."
"... if I can't have you, then no one else can."
"...I love the way you speak my name... ."
"We can go anywhere Julia - wherever you chose."
"...things are going to be the way they were supposed to be. You. And me Julia. Together."
"... I suppose it would be brazen of me to ask... ."
"...one last kiss...?"
She raised her hand to her lips and kissed the tips of her fingers.
Good-bye Alex.
And gently placed her fingers on the cross.
-The End-
Author's Chapter Notes:
This is the absolute last all of it...
Comments please to drteong@pc.jaring.my
Comments please to drteong@pc.jaring.my
Chapter End Notes:
Well, a guest star is exactly that, only a guest star is probably the answer to Julia's question... And all bad guys have to die right?...
Comments to drteong@pc.jaring.my. Please cc a copy to llylbl@ccn4.nott.ac.uk if you're mailing me after the 26th of September.
Comments to drteong@pc.jaring.my. Please cc a copy to llylbl@ccn4.nott.ac.uk if you're mailing me after the 26th of September.