THE WIZARD (OF OZ)
By
Ann Brill White
Timeline: Trying to cure Devon
Author's E-Mail: anniebw@umsa7.umd.edu
AUTHOR'S NOTES:
Happy Halloween, everyone! Enjoy! The usual disclaimers apply.
The Wizard, Part 1
By Ann Brill White
(with apologies to L. Frank Baum)The last thing Devon Adair saw before the door to the cryochamber closed, was the utter grief on everyone's face. Julia looked defeated. Danziger turned away, as if he was unable to face the inevitable. The saddest, though, was Ulysses. Devon saw through hazy vision her son stepping forward to place his Terrian staff by the crypt. She wanted to call out to him, but she couldn't. The door sealed with a sucking sound. As it sealed, Devon felt her awareness spiraling down into a warm, comforting blackness as her body slowly went into cryogenic sleep. She felt warm and comforted, like she was a child again, and snuggling into Yale's arms. Gradually, without pain, the world faded into black nothingness...
...and she awoke behind the dashboard of the TransRover. Panicked, high-pitched voices were coming from outside. Devon shook off the last vestiges of sleep. Sitting beside her, where Uly would normally sit, was a small dog - part Terrier, if she wasn't mistaken. The dog had in its mouth a little three-pronged stick with red ribbons, like it wanted to play catch.
"Uly?" she stammered. The dog put down the stick and yipped in reply. "What happened?" He began to bark like crazy, like Uly would do when he started talking and couldn't be quieted.
"Hey, Lady!" a squeaky voice from outside the TransRover spoke to her. "Are you a good witch, or a bad witch?"
Devon looked out the window and saw a herd of Kobas talking animatedly and pointing at the 'Rover. She was rather confused by the sight of talking Kobas. One of them climbed onto the hood of the 'Rover and tapped on the windshield with its claw. Devon opened the door and stepped out. Uly picked up his stick and followed her.
"You killed her," the Koba pointed. Under the rear tire of the TransRover were two legs. "You killed the Wicked Witch of the East, Katrina. So, we want to know. Are you a good witch, or a bad witch?"
"Oh, no," Devon said to Uly, who barked in reply. She turned to the Koba. "I'm not a witch at all. I'm Devon Adair..."
The Kobas interrupted her with a cheer. They capered around singing "Ding, dong, the Witch is dead," while Devon and Uly stood transfixed.
"Uly, I don't think we're on the stations anymore." The celebration was interrupted by a flash of light, like someone entering VR. A woman dressed all in black and resembling Julia Heller, appeared in the center of the town square.
"Julia, thank God," Devon exclaimed. "You have to get me out of here."
"YOU KILLED MY SISTER!" Julia pointed a threatening DiaGloved finger at Devon and Uly.
"Julia, you don't have a sister."
The Koba tugged at Devon's pant leg and gestured. "I don't know who this Julia person is, but that's the Wicked Witch of the West, Katrina's sister. She's warped.""No, she's chromo-tilted."
"Whatever she is, she's mad at you now," the Koba said, then scampered away."You're after Katrina's hiking boots!" Julia accused. Devon looked at the legs sticking out from underneath the 'Rover. Red sequinned hiking boots were on Katrina's feet.
"I'm very sorry," Devon apologized. "I'll just take these boots and..." Julia bent down to retrieve the boots. Suddenly, two bony hands popped up from beneath the ground and removed Katrina's shoes. The hands and shoes vanished from sight. The next thing Devon knew, she was wearing the hiking boots. "NOOOOO!" Julia howled in anger.
Uly snarled and attacked Julia. The dog bit down hard on Julia's calf. The Witch howled in pain. "Uly, no! Stop it!" Devon ordered. As in real life, Uly paid no attention to her.
Julia adjusted dials on her DiaGlove and aimed laser bolts at the dog, who wouldn't budge. "Get off of me, you little mutt!" she yelled. Unseen to Julia, a Terrian emerged from the ground and seized Uly. Before Devon could react, the Terrian reappeared next to her, with the squirming dog in hand, then dropped back down into the ground. Uly continued to yap from behind Devon's legs. Julia narrowed her eyes. "I'll get you yet, Devon Adair," she threatened, "and your little dog, too! Wicked Witch of the West, out," she said, put her hands to her eyes as if she was removing VR Gear, and folded backwards into her own black cape until she disappeared.
"I'm very sorry about killing her sister," Devon explained to the head Koba, who was emerging from hiding. "All I wanted to do was get back to Eden Project. Can you send me there?"
"No, I can't send you home, but maybe the Good Witch of the South can," the Koba informed her.
"Good Witch of the South?" Devon asked. The Kobas turned to face south en masse. A woman with long, curly hair, full lips, and wearing a blouse that accentuated her breasts, jogged in on a rainbow. A necklace of silverware dangled around her neck.
"Hi, y'all!" the Witch drawled in a heavy Southern accent "Bess?" Devon exclaimed. "This gets stranger and stranger." "What can I do for you? Trade with the Grendlers for some fruit?" Bess asked, waving her wand. It looked suspiciously like a LumaLight.
"No, I want to get back to Eden Project." Bess paused. "Eden Project? I can't do that. Maybe the Wizard of G889 can." The Kobas gasped at the very mention of the Wizard.
"The Wizard of G889? Where is he?" Devon looked around. Uly started running around looking for the Wizard.
"Oh, he lives far from here, in a place called New Pacifica."
"New Pacifica? How can I get there?" Bess smiled and motioned to the ground beneath her. Devon saw a path leading from the center of town to the west. "Just follow the twenty-klick road," she explained.
"Follow the twenty-klick road?" Devon asked. "Follow the twenty-klick road," the Koba parroted. Suddenly, the Kobas all started saying the same phrase, "follow the twentyklick road." Uly put both paws over his ears and whined.
"Yes, the twenty-klick road. I reckon if you go twenty klicks a day, you should reach New Pacifica in no time," the Good Witch drawled.
"Well, if we're going to follow the twenty-klick road, we have to get some provisions," Devon said to Uly. The dog leaped into the back of the 'Rover and pulled out a box of spirulina bars, then tossed them carelessly on the ground. Devon pulled out a dog carrier and looked down at Uly gravely. "Now, Ulysses, if you don't behave, I'll have to put you in your carrier again," she warned. Uly heeled quickly, and looked up at her with big, imploring eyes. "Well, that's better than in real life," Devon remarked.
She packed food, clothing, and dog treats enough for a long journey, and began to set off. Uly ran back to the TransRover, and picked up his stick in his mouth. Before she left, Devon said a final goodbye to the Kobas and the Good Witch. "Thank you for helping me."
"Good luck, Devon!" the Witch called out. Strangely enough, most of her accent was gone.
"Well, we're off to see the Wizard." With a final wave to the Kobas, she started down the twenty-klick road, with Uly the Terrier cavorting at her feet.
Devon and Uly walked and walked past rich, fertile farmland. "This must be what a real farm looks like," she pointed out, half-expecting him to answer. "We only had hydroponics labs on the stations." Uly ignored her, and ran off to chase a little animal, but quickly returned to her side.
They walked past a cornfield surrounded by a split-rail fence, and came to a fork in the road. "Wonderful. Which way do we go now?" Devon removed the Jumpers from her belt and looked through them at both roads.
"Well, you can go this way..." a voice said. "Yes, Uly. I know that... Hey!" She turned toward the voice, and shrieked. Through the Jumpers, she saw a single eye filling a suddenly unrecognizable sky. "Oh, bother!" she muttered. "I must have had them on maximum magnification." Devon pulled the Jumpers back from her eyes and saw a smiling scarecrow.
"You haven't seen a very large F-class cruiser around here, have you?" he asked.
"Excuse me?" Devon asked. "This is ridiculous. Scarecrows don't talk. At least not the ones Yale told me about."
"I can talk," the scarecrow replied. Uly started barking frantically. "Help me down from here. I can't walk."
Devon regarded the scarecrow, who winked at her. She carefully walked up to him and examined him closer. He was clad in an old-style leather bomber jacket, and his right pant leg was cut off at mid-thigh. His right leg was bent at an odd angle.
"Don't be afraid, I don't bite," the scarecrow said. "Well, maybe just an occasional nibble." He gave her a heart-stopping grin. "Can you help me down from here?"
"All right," Devon answered, and helped the scarecrow down. He attempted to put weight on his right leg, and collapsed into her arms. She could have sworn he tried to cop a feel as he fell.
"Get some of that hay and put it in my leg," he asked. Devon complied, although after his last move, she was a little wary of putting her hands in his pants. "So, who are you and why are you propped up in the middle of a cornfield?"
"My name is Alonzo," he extended a hand to her. "I forget why I'm in this cornfield. I forget a lot of things."
"Why is that?"
"See, I fried out a part of my brain on a cold-sleep run. So, the Council decided to put me out to pasture, so to speak.""Oh, dear," Devon fretted.
"It's not a bad life, except that there's not many women around. I used to be the best pilot in the fleet, but now I've gone to seed. If I only had a brain, I could go back to piloting starships.""Well, I'm going to see the Wizard of G889," she explained. "He lives in New Pacifica. I've been told he can do anything. He's going to send me home to Eden Project. Maybe he can give you a brain?"
Alonzo stood up and tested his new leg. "Could I come with you... what did you say your name was again?"
"Adair. Devon Adair, and this is my... dog, Ulysses." Uly woofed and did a little dance on his hind legs.
"Oh, I see. He's part Terrier," Alonzo observed. "How did you know?"
"Well, the people that live in this part of the country are called Terrians. They tried to make Uly into one of them, but they got a little confused. I talk to them all the time in my dreams, and they told me what happened.""Can these Terrians tell you how far it is to New Pacifica?" "Lady, I don't even know how to get to New Pacifica without flying."
"Well, then, let's go to the right." Devon pointed down to the path beside the cornfield, "All we have to do is follow the twenty-klick road."
"Okay, then we'll follow the twenty-klick road. You're the boss, lady." With that, Devon and Uly started off down the road accompanied by their new-found friend.
To Be Continued...
The Wizard, Part 2
By Ann Brill White
(with apologies to L. Frank Baum)Devon, Uly, and Alonzo passed through the farmland into an orchard of salt-fruit. "This would be a good place to make camp," Devon remarked as she looked around. Uly barked in agreement. Alonzo flopped down onto the leaf-covered ground in exhaustion. "Uly, you keep an eye out for me, okay?" she asked the dog. He'll bark at anything that moves, Devon surmised. Already he was chasing after some unknown critter in a bush. Satisfied that Uly was guarding Alonzo - or the other way around - she wandered off to explore.
Devon found a secluded spot and took care of some personal business, then surveyed the immediate area. She caught a flash of sunlight glinting off of metal, and decided to investigate. In the middle of a grove of trees she found two rusted-out hunks of metal. One of them looked like it was bent over the other. She moved closer and stepped on a twig.
"Helloooo!" a gruff male voice called out. "Hello?" she answered. "Who's there?" "Me," the voice answered. "The taller piece of metal." Devon walked over to the larger metal structure. It looked like a man with a mop of curly, light brown hair and a shirt with a tacky Polynesian print on it.
"Hand me a number nine wrench," he ordered. Devon grabbed a wrench from the rusted-out tool kit at the man's feet and put it in his hand. "No, no, no! I said a number NINE wrench. That's a ten. How stupid can you be?"
"Sorry," she snapped back at him. "You're hardly in the position to be making demands of me." Devon pulled the wrench out of his hand and indignantly handed him a smaller one.
"That's much better," he said. The metal man put the wrench around a bolt in his side and turned it. He did the same on the other side. Devon heard a loud squeaking of metal on metal, and the Tin Man stood upright. "I'm getting a little too old for this," he commented as he rubbed his back.
"Don't you ever say thank you?" Devon snapped. He glared at her. "THANK... YOU," the Tin Man answered, putting emphasis on both words. "Who the heck are you?"
"Devon Adair," she extended her hand. The Tin Man reluctantly shook it. "I'm on my way to New Pacifica to see the Wizard of G889. He's going to help me get back to Eden Project."
The Tin Man looked askance at her. "Danziger," he nodded. "Why were you in the middle of the woods, rusted out?" "You ask too many questions."
Devon raised an eyebrow at him. "Fine. I'll just be on my way now." She started walking back toward the camp."Look, you're going to need me to get you through these woods," Danziger shot back.
"You must be mistaken. I don't need you. Alonzo and I can manage just fine," she kept walking.
The annoying Tin Man was following. "Who's Alonzo?" he asked.
"He's a scarecrow. He's going to see the Wizard to get a brain."
"Well, that figures. Typical male, all body, no brain." Devon whirled around and put her hands on her hips. "Of all the cruel and heartless things to say...."
Danziger was taken aback. "You're right," he confessed. "I don't have a heart."
"You don't have a heart?"
"See there was this woman... She's now half a galaxy away." "Oh, I see," Devon sympathized. "We've got a camp over that hill. Want to join us for supper?"Danziger considered her offer. "All right," he agreed. "But you really have to learn not to invite strange men into your camp. I could be a penal colonist or something."
As they walked back to the campsite, Devon and Danziger came across a mangled Gear set half-hidden in a bush. "So, are you going to tell me what happened now?" Devon asked as she examined the Gear.
Danziger sighed in frustration. "Oh, all right. I got caught out in the rain without my Gear on," he confessed. "I couldn't call for help, so I just rusted." Devon sighed in frustration, and considered what kind of companion she had just acquired.
When the two of them reached camp, Uly barked joyfully, and dashed out to greet Devon. He sniffed Danziger's leg. The Tin Man bent over to pet him. Suddenly, Uly was in Danziger's arms. He slung Uly over his shoulders.
"Be careful!" Devon ordered. "He's just a little dog. You might hurt him!"
"Nah, he likes it. Don't you, fella?" Danziger asked Uly. The dog yipped in agreement. Maybe this Danziger fellow's not too bad, Devon thought to herself. Uly certainly likes him.
"Hey, Devon, who's the rust-bucket?" Alonzo inquired. "Shut up, hayseed," Danziger shot back. "Nice personality," Alonzo muttered. "He doesn't have a heart," Devon explained to Alonzo. "I was going to ask him to come along to New Pacifica with us."
Alonzo eyed Danziger warily. "I dunno..." "You don't have much of a choice," Danziger growled. "Well, since you put it that way," Alonzo acquiesced. Devon had a sneaky suspicion that the Scarecrow wanted her to himself.
"Fine. We'll break camp in the morning." The three of them went to different ends of the campfire, with Uly snuggling up against Devon all night.
Alonzo, Danziger, Devon, and Uly travelled away from the rising sun early the next morning. They followed the twenty-klick road from fertile farmland into deep woods. The trees became denser, and the forest took on a gloomy cast.
"You've got to be very careful around here," Danziger advised. "You never know what you could run in to."
"Like what?" Devon asked fearfully. "Oh, like Terrians, or Grendlers, or ZEDs." "Terrians?" Devon echoed, her voice trembling. "And Grendlers?" Alonzo added.
"And ZEDs," Danziger nodded.
"Oh, my," Devon peered through the forest, hoping to spot trouble before it spotted them.All three of them moved forward with trepidation. "Terrians and Grendlers and ZEDs," they repeated in unison, with Devon interjecting "Oh, my!" in between.
A loud roar interrupted their chant. The companions all jumped back and huddled together. Uly ducked between their legs and huddled against Devon's leg. He tucked his head under his paws and whimpered. A second roar echoed through the forest.
"What was that?" Devon asked. "A Grendler?" "Not quite," Danziger answered. "It sounded like a lion." "A lion? I didn't think there were lions on G889." "Well, I suppose there could be lions here," the Tin Man shrugged. "We've certainly seen everything else."
"So, now what?" Alonzo asked.
His question was answered by a third roar. The dense, green foliage rustled to their left. Devon saw a lion with tawny fur, his long mane tied back in a ponytail. He was waving a MagPro around and scampering from tree to tree."Come on out," the Lion threatened. "Put 'em up! Put 'em up! I'll show you who's boss in this forest!" He charged the three companions, and they scattered. The Lion went after Alonzo first. He chased the Scarecrow around a tree, and ran into the Tin Man. The Lion and the Tin Man locked stares, neither of them blinking.
It was then that Uly chose to act up. The dog started barking fiercely, ran up to the Lion, and promptly urinated on the beast's leg. The Lion looked down and started waving the MagPro threateningly at Uly. Uly bolted. He ran around in a circle, with the Lion chasing him.
"STOP IT!" Devon ordered. "Stop it right now!" Uly ran behind her leg and cowered. The Lion stuck his face close to hers and growled menacingly. Devon smacked him on the nose. To her surprise, the Lion pulled back, dropped the MagPro, and started to whimper.
"Why did you hit me? I didn't do anything," he asked. "You were chasing my dog around. You should know better than to pick on someone smaller than you!"
"I'm a bureaucrat. That's all we do is pick on people lower than us," the Lion explained. "And besides, he was attacking me."
"Attacking you? That sure is a cowardly response," Alonzo remarked.
"No, he was just treating government employees the way they've always been treated," the Tin Man chuckled.
The Lion hung his head. "Yes, I guess I am a coward. I'm just Morgan, the Cowardly Lion. I used to be King of the Forest, but now, here I am. Stuck in the extended camping trip from hell, with no one to suck up to."
"What a pity," Danziger shot back. Devon glared at him. "All because I wouldn't stand up to that creep, Blalock! I'll show him! Just let me get back to civilization and..."
"Well, Morgan," Devon hesitated, "I don't know if we can get you back to civilization, but we might be able to get you some courage."
"You can? How?" Morgan's expression changed from dour to hopeful with one word.
"We're going to New Pacifica to see the Wizard of G889. I'm sure he'll be able to give you some courage. I mean, if he can give the Scarecrow a brain, and the Tin Man a heart, and me a way back to Eden Project, then I'm sure he'll be able to give you some courage."
Danziger stepped forward and interposed himself between Devon and the Lion. "Now, wait a minute, Adair," he ordered. "I'm not sure I want this mangy thing around. After all, he did attack your dog."
"Yes," she agreed. "But, I think he'll be able to add something to the group."
"Look, Adair, you're not the boss. We're a team. I want a vote on it," the Tin Man countered.
Devon rolled her eyes. "All right, we'll vote," she sighed. "Alonzo?" The Scarecrow reluctantly raised his hand when she looked at him. "I'm in," she said, holding up her own hand. "Uly?" she looked down at the dog. He raised a paw. "Danziger?" Devon glowered at him. He slowly raised his hand. "That settles it. Morgan, you're in."
"Oh, thank you, thank you!" the Lion gushed. "I promise to be good. Honestly. I won't attack anyone unless you tell me that I won't get hurt."
"Great," Alonzo said. "Can I take back my vote?" "No," Devon snapped. "Come on. We've got to get a little further down the twenty-klick road before we make camp."
With that, Devon started back down the twenty-klick road, with Uly on her heels. The Scarecrow and Tin Man dragged the Cowardly Lion along behind her.
The trees had thinned out, and the forest gradually opened onto a wide meadow filled with flowers. The red blooms that topped thick stalks waved invitingly in the breeze. Uly ran headlong into the meadow, prompting Devon to chase after him. "What beautiful flowers!" Devon called out to her male companions. "Come on, Danziger. You should stop and smell the flowers sometime," she beckoned to the dour Tin Man. He sighed to Alonzo and followed her at a more sedate pace. Morgan, on the other hand, ran forward without thinking.
Devon bent down to sniff at one of the delicate red flowers. As she leaned in close, the pollen sac exploded, and pollen hit her right in the face. She fell to the ground in a coughing fit. "Danziger! Alonzo!" she called out. They were bending over her.
"What happened?" Danziger asked, a worried look on his face. "It was the flowers," Morgan warned. "See, she just bent like this..." he bent over another flower, and got a face-full of pollen, too. The Lion started coughing, and fell to the ground as well. Both Devon and Morgan stopped coughing, and collapsed into a deep sleep.
Danziger and Alonzo looked at each other. "Now what do we do?" Danziger asked.
"We have to get them out of this field," Alonzo advised. "The pollen's making them sick." The scarecrow hauled Morgan up and put the Lion's arm around his shoulder.
"Why didn't you take Adair?" asked Danziger, puzzled. "Here, give me the whining furball. She's got to be a lot lighter."
"No, I'd rather have her arm around me when she's awake." "Shut up, Alonzo."
Alonzo continued, regardless of the warning from the Tin Man. "Oh, come on! Don't tell me you haven't noticed. She's beautiful, and intelligent and--" Danziger punched him in the mouth, knocking both him and Morgan over into the flowers."I think these flowers are affecting you, too. Come on, Scarecrow, get up. We have to get these two out of here." Danziger hauled Devon up into his arms, then flung Uly the Dog over his left shoulder. He beckoned to Alonzo, and they trudged out of the field.
"Darn it!" Julia cursed as she looked into her VR Gear at the party's progress. "I thought that the spring poppies would stop them. It appears that rotten Scarecrow and Tin Man aren't affected by the pollen." She turned to the Grendler standing behind her in a puddle of drool. "I'll just have to try something else. Maybe sedi-derms?" She rummaged through her magic trunk for something that would stop Devon and her group. "I'll get them. And, when I do, you'll get their blood." The Grendler's eyes opened wide. "Yes, you will." He started to prance in place, flapping his tiny arms madly. "You'd like that, wouldn't you? And that's why you keep obeying my every whim, right? HEY!" The Grendler began to chase Julia around the table, threatening to knock over her work. "Okay, okay! You'll get your blood now. You want?" Julia reached for a canister of salt water and passed her DiaGlove over it. "It's magic, remember," she spoke soothingly to the Grendler, whose mouth dripped even worse than usual. Julia held the canister to the Grendler's nose, and unscrewed it slowly. "See... here it comes... here it comes... HAH!" A spider jumped out of the container, firmly attaching itself to the Grendler's nose. The Grendler ran from the room, bellowing in pain. Julia smiled to herself. "Gets 'em every time. Grendlers are so stupid."
The Wizard, Part 3
By Ann Brill White
(with apologies to L. Frank Baum)Devon opened her eyes. Danziger was bent over her with an uncharacteristic look of concern on his face. Something wet touched her hand. It was Uly's tongue. "It's all right, Uly," she reassured him, then looked back up at the Tin Man. "What happened?"
"We ran into some strange flowers," he shrugged. She sat up stiffly. "Wow. Some flowers." She shook her head to get the rest of the fog out of her brain.
"The Wicked Witch of the West planted them," Alonzo guessed. "She's pretty warped, and you've really made an enemy of her."
"I've made a lot of enemies on the Council," Devon replied. "But why did she attack me?" Morgan whined and licked his whiskers. "I didn't do anything."
"So what else is new?" The Tin Man shot back. Devon cleared her throat. "Gentlemen, please. How far are we from New Pacifica?"
Danziger pulled a set of Jumpers out of a crease in his metallic covering and held them up to his eyes. "There's the comm dish. Looks like about two klicks east," he estimated.
"That's all? We could make it there in an hour!" Devon stood and started hiking briskly in the direction that the Tin Man pointed. Danziger shrugged at Morgan and Alonzo, then all three of them ran to catch up with her and Uly.
Two massive gates towered above Devon and her party. The gates were connected to a wall as high as the eye could see. Behind the wall, Devon could hear the crashing waves of the Sea of Antaeus. She cast a look back at her friends, and grabbed one of the huge ring doorknockers and knocked three times.
A window in the wooden gate opened, and a dark-skinned older man with a beard stuck his head out of it.
"You cannot enter," he said.
"Yale?" Devon asked, shaking her head with disbelief. "It's me, Devon. Let me in.""Devon? Devon Adair?"
"Of course it's me, Yale," she ordered. Uly yipped joyfully at the sight of a familiar face. "Now let me in.""Wait a minute," he said, then disappeared. A moment passed, and Yale came back to the window. "I have uplinked to the Wizard. He says that you may come in." The window closed, and the gates opened. Devon caught Danziger's eye, and all five of them entered New Pacifica.
The landscape was beautiful. The city was cut directly into the cliffs overlooking the Sea of Antaeus. Crystal, glass, and chrome sparkled everywhere. Yet, everything was in harmony with the natural beauty of the place. A mixture of Humans and Terrians walked the streets, with each species trilling greetings at the travellers. They walked on, fascinated, through the narrow streets lined with flowerboxes.
"It's just as I've imagined it," Devon said to no one in particular. Danziger put a metal-clad arm around her shoulders.
"I believe you, Adair," he smiled. She was taken aback at his show of affection, since all they had done previously was argue. She didn't really mind. In fact, she rather enjoyed it.
The party arrived at what Devon presumed was the center of town. They stopped in front of what looked like a derelict Venusclass freighter. The twenty-klick road ended at the ship's entrance, and delicate wildflowers lined the path.
"The Wizard has granted you an audience," Yale announced. "Yale, I thought you worked for me," Devon asked, confused. The Cyborg ignored her and turned to the panel on the wall of the ship. He inserted his mechanical arm into an access port. "Access star-13-slash-4-2-5," he directed. The door opened, and the five of them went in, with Uly trotting behind.
The group found themselves in the hold of the Venus-class freighter. A rotating screen dominated the center of the room. Devon's heart sank as a figure flashed on the screen.
"I am the Great and Powerful Reilly," the figure on the screen announced. "Who comes to petition me?"
Devon exchanged glances with the Lion, Tin Man and Scarecrow, then stepped forward. "My name is Devon Adair. I've come to ask for your help. I want to get back to Eden Project, but I can't. I've been told that you can do anything. Can you help me get back?"
Reilly focused his attention to the others in the back of the room. "What about you three? What do you want, Scarecrow?"
Alonzo stepped forward to join Devon. "I... I want a brain, your Wizardness. I lost part of my brain in..."
"ENOUGH! You lost your mind, have you? How nice. What about you, Tin Can? What do you want?"
Danziger nodded once, barely deferring to the figure on the screen. "Danziger. And I want a heart."
"And you, Lion? What brings you here?" Reilly said to Morgan, who was cowering in the background.
Danziger shoved Morgan forward so hard that he almost hit the rotating screen. "I...I...I want some courage, sir," Morgan stammered.
Reilly began to laugh sarcastically. "You come here, expecting me to give you things, when you offer nothing in return? Here's the deal. Bring me the DiaGlove of the Wicked Witch of the West, and I'll think about granting you your wishes. Now, BEGONE!" The screen stopped rotating, and pulled back into a pyramid-like projection device in the middle of the room.
The four of them looked at each other in confusion. "The DiaGlove of the Wicked Witch of the West?" Devon asked.
"But... but... she'll KILL us!" the Lion declared. "I think that's the idea," Danziger added. "Well, we should probably get started. I know I'm not coming this far without getting a brain. If he wants us to jump through hoops to get what we want, then we have to do it," Alonzo stated. He turned toward the door. "Coming?" he asked the rest of them.
"I guess we're going to pay a visit to a Wicked Witch," Devon shrugged and followed the Scarecrow out the door. Danziger came after her, dragging a protesting Morgan with him.
"Oh, how convenient," Julia said to her Grendler as she removed the VR Gear. "Reilly sent them here, right into my lap. It saves me the trouble of getting Adair and that little mutt." The Grendler grunted in agreement. "Bring in the air squadron."
The Grendler waddled over the doorway. He opened the door to the hallway and played three summoning tones on a little bell set. Seconds later, he stepped aside, and ushered in a brightlycolored peacock. The peacock pecked at the Grendler's toes, then ran into the room. He moved a tailfeather to his forehead in a stylized salute.
Julia narrowed her eyes and gave the peacock an evil stare. "See the woman and her little dog?" The peacock peered out the windown, then back at Julia in confusion. "Over there, in that little field." The peacock looked again, and spotted Devon this time. "I want you and your minions to go get her and bring her back here. And the dog, too. He's the key to everything on this planet, and I don't want to lose him." The peacock nodded. Julia ran over to the window and flung it open. "Go get her! Flyyyy!" she urged. The peacock hopped up onto the windowsill and took flight, joining a gaggle of peacocks already in battle formation.
keep going...
The Wizard, Part 4
By Ann Brill White
(with apologies to L. Frank Baum)The four friends and Uly made their way west from New Pacifica to a murky forest at the foot of the Wicked Witch's castle. They stopped for a moment to rest and plan their attack.
"Now, how do we get close enough to get the Witch's DiaGlove?" Devon asked.
"Are you sure you want to do this? I mean, I don't really need courage," Morgan insisted. "Do I?"
"It would be helpful," Danziger shot back at the Lion. Devon sighed with resignation. "Look, guys," she snapped. "I'm getting a little tired of all of the sniping. We have to work together as a team if we're going to get what we want. None of us can do this on our own. Now, cut it out and get down to business." The three men looked guilty.
Before anyone could respond, a turquoise-blue cloud obliterated the sun. Everyone looked up at once.
"Wha... What is that?" the Lion asked. "Peacocks?" Devon guessed, amazed. "Oh, no... The Wicked Witch of the West's air corps!" Alonzo yelled. "Everyone, grab a stick or something!" The four of them hunted on the forest floor for sticks thick enough to damage the incoming peacocks.
As each of them found a weapon, they stood up and turned to face the onslaught. Four peacocks dove and attacked Alonzo. They started to pull his stuffing out. Morgan leapt in and, to everyone's surprise, swung lethally at the peacocks over Alonzo's head. Meanwhile, Devon and Danziger had their hands full. The birds were concentrating on Devon and Uly. Uly ran around behind Devon and pulled his beribboned stick from her backpack.
"No, Uly! I can't play fetch with you right now!" she screamed. Uly ran heedlessly away from the four of them, directly into the path of three peacocks. "And THEY don't want to play fetch, either! ULY!!!" Uly ignored both Devon and the oncoming birds. He sat quickly, held the stick carefully upright between his paws, and centered it with his chin. His puppy eyes seemed to roll up into his head.
Devon tried to break free of her attackers to grab Uly, but there were too many. They were a solid wall of confusion. Beyond them, a strange light appeared. Everyone, even the birds attacking on the ground, stopped to see what it was.
The light was Uly's stick! It crackled with electricity. Three of the oncoming peacocks dove in toward him nonetheless. Suddenly, Uly's eyes popped forward, and a ball of lightning leapt from the stick. The first peacock was fried instantly. The second exploded in a dizzying swirl of feathers. The third could not avoid the fiery point in space where the second had been. His wings caught fire, and he spiralled to the ground, shrieking "EEEE--RRRRR!" The entire flock responded by screeching "EEEE-- RRRRR!" Apparently, it was the only sound they could make.
Uly's eyes rolled back in his head again. As his lightning stick recharged, Devon saw a turquoise flash behind him. She pushed her way through the still-astounded peacocks. "Uly! Behind you!" she called out, but it was too late. A peacock had already snatched him, and taken off again. She felt claws hook into her shirt, and realized that the peacocks had her, too.
Devon looked down to see Uly's stick on the ground where he had been. "DANZIGER!" she called out, but it was futile. She was being carried away to the west by the horde of peacocks.
Danziger, Alonzo, and Morgan followed the trail of bird droppings back to the Wicked Witch's castle, but there was no sign of Devon. While they waited, the trio was securely hidden behind some rocks. In front of them was a tiled courtyard, and then the door to the castle. To be honest, the Tin Man was worried. Devon Adair had led them on this quest, and it hadn't turned out the way he'd planned. His head was telling him to run like hell the other way and never look back. However, something else entirely was driving him to rescue Devon - by any means necessary. He didn't quite understand what was happening, only that she made him feel different than he had ever felt before.
Danziger's thoughts were interrupted by a nudge from Morgan. "Hey, Metalhead, get a load of that," the Lion was pointing with a clawed finger. The Tin Man's looked down to see a phalanx of Grendlers parading in the courtyard. He watched the waddling parade of beasts with something akin to amusement.
"I've got an idea," Alonzo smiled. Danziger and Morgan huddled together and the Scarecrow explained his plan.
Fifteen minutes later, the Grendler parade was almost finished. Alonzo nodded in Danziger's direction. Danziger placed one metallic foot on a stick and snapped it in two. The sound attracted the attention of the head Grendler. Below them, the Grendler dispatched three underlings to see what the disturbance was. To his left, Danziger saw the Scarecrow grin evilly. "Here they come," he whispered.
The Grendlers approached their position and lumbered behind the rocks. Danziger immediately took a thick stick and whacked one of the ugly beasts on the back of the head. It dropped like a rock. Alonzo and Morgan made swift work of their Grendlers as well. They efficiently started to remove the Grendler's helmets and clothes and exchange them for their own.
"God, what an odor!" Alonzo complained. "I'm going to need all new stuffing when I get back."
"You're not kidding," Danziger agreed. "It's probably rusting me out just wearing these clothes."
Morgan, on the other hand, was staring intently at his Grendler's apparel. "Hey, this is my shirt," he complained. "These are my pants! Those thieving little..."
"Just look at it this way," Alonzo replied, "you got 'em back now, don't you?" Morgan shrugged in agreement.
Danziger looked down at the three Grendlers with more important things on his mind. "Is anyone else getting hungry?"
"Come to think of it, I'm starving," Morgan responded. "I hear they taste just like chicken."
Alonzo looked at the Tin Man and Lion, then at the prostrate Grendlers, then back at the two of them. "That's sick, guys," he protested. "Really, really, sick."
"Oh, all right," Morgan griped. "Come on, they're leaving." The three friends ran down the hill, putting on their oversized helmets as they ran. Morgan tried desperately to tuck his tail into the Grendler garb, but it wouldn't cooperate. They scurried into the end of the line just as the doors slammed shut.
The Wizard, Part 5
By Ann Brill White
(with apologies to L. Frank Baum)Devon and Uly, meanwhile, had been dumped rather rudely by the peacocks into Julia's observation room. Devon hugged Uly close to reassure him that everything was going to be all right, even though she knew that it wasn't. As she was holding Uly, she noticed the VR Gear sitting on the table, unused. Still holding Uly with one arm, she picked up the Gear and put the eyepiece on. Devon found herself looking out from behind foggy glass into the derelict ship. On the other side of the glass, she could barely make out two familiar human forms. One was a stocky man with his shoulders slumped, and the other was a lithe woman. She could make out their voices, but couldn't hear what they were saying. "John," she called out, but they didn't hear her. It was useless. She would be stuck in this awful place forever.
Devon was abruptly pulled out of VR. In the resulting disorientation, she saw a black curtain in front of her. She looked up and saw that it wasn't a curtain, but Julia Heller, standing before her with the VR Gear in hand. "Welcome to my castle, Devon Adair. I hope you enjoy it. It's a nice little place. I like to call it 'Hell'." Julia cackled at the pun. "So, you thought you could use my Gear to contact your friends, eh?" Julia cackled. "Well, it won't work."
"Julia, why are you doing this? You're not evil." The Witch snickered. "Really? If you don't think I'm evil, then you'll be happy to hand over those ruby hiking boots."
Devon stared at Julia in shock, then shrugged in futility. "These things are more trouble than they're worth. You can have them, if you let me, Uly, and the others go free."
"So glad you agree," the Witch grinned and bent over. "Come to Mama... EEEEK!" Julia jumped back as a charge from the hiking boots shocked her fingers. She seized Devon's collar and pulled her in close. "What have you done?"
"I... I don't know."
"I should have known there would be some kind of lockout on them. You have to take them off yourself. Give them to me!"Devon reconsidered. "They were given to me for a reason. I don't know what it is, but I won't give them up just yet."
Julia narrowed her eyes and shoved Devon away. Devon fell backwards onto the floor, which caused Uly to growl menacingly at Julia. "Very well, my pretty. You have one hour to reconsider. Then, I guess I'll have to kill you to get them." With that, Julia turned with a swirl of her raven cape and left the room, locking Devon in with Uly and her thoughts.
"Oh, Uly," Devon sighed. "Now what do I do?" Uly barked and ran over toward the door. Devon followed him. On the other side of the door, she heard a faint scratching sound. "Hello?" she asked. "Who's there?"
"It's us," Danziger said from the outside of the door. "I'm picking the lock." Sure enough, the lock clicked a second after he spoke. Devon stepped back as the door opened inward. Danziger was standing on the threshold, and Alonzo and Morgan stepped out from the dark hall to join him.
"Boy, am I glad to see you," she smiled, then hugged Danziger, Alonzo, and finally Morgan. Uly jumped into the Tin Man's arms and started to lick his face.
"Careful, boy, or you'll rust me out," he warned between laughs. As usual, Uly paid no attention and kept on licking.
"Let's get out of here before she comes back," the Lion warned and looked over his shoulder.
Devon nodded, and the group set off down the dark hallway. They stuck crept along the musty, cobwebbed walls slowly, ducking into a shadowy doorway whenever they heard a sound. After several meters, the group arrived at a long, curving staircase. Alonzo nodded, and they slowly started down with him in the lead.
As Alonzo reached the bottom, a bright flash of light caused them all to stop suddenly. Julia appeared out of the light and pointed her DiaGlove directly at the Scarecrow. "Where do you think you're going?"
"We were just leaving," Morgan stammered and hid behind Devon. Danziger glared at him.
"Yeah, we were just leaving," Alonzo added. "Really? You just got here," she sneered, then looked back at the cowering Lion. "Nice clothes. Which Grendler did you steal them from?"
"Now, we don't want to hurt anyone," Devon stepped forward with her hands up. "We just wanted to borrow your DiaGlove."
"Oh yeah? Well, here it is," she cackled and aimed a laser bolt at Alonzo.
"My leg!" he screamed. The straw caught fire, and the Scarecrow collapsed on the floor. Danziger immediately tried to put the flames out. Uly retaliated by attacking Julia's leg, but she swatted him away with ease.
"Still think I'm not wicked, Devon? Maybe now you'll give me those ruby hiking boots. If you want your friends to live, that is," Julia snickered.
"Yeah, you're not a bad apple at all," Morgan said sarcastically. "You're just a poor, dirtied-up, misunderstood little apple." In response, Julia shot a flame out of her DiaGlove at Morgan's feet. The Lion danced out of the way, but not fast enough. The pad of his paw was singed.
Danziger looked up from tending to Alonzo. He pulled out his canteen and poured some water on the Scarecrow's leg. Devon grabbed the canteen from his hands and splattered some water in the direction of Morgan's smoking paw. She missed, and it doused Julia instead.
Julia's clothing started to smolder, and she screamed in agony. "Devon, you bitch! You've killed me!"
"I'm sorry, Julia, but you were trying to kill us." Julia continued melting and screaming epithets at the group as her guardian Grendlers moved in for the kill. Danziger helped Alonzo to his feet and pulled Morgan and Devon in close. The four of them faced outward to prepare for a Grendler attack. Suddenly, Alonzo broke ranks and limped over to where Julia was slowly dissolving into a puddle on the floor.
"What are you doing?" Morgan called out. "Get back here!" "Hold on," the Scarecrow said. He bent down and pulled Julia into his arms. Then, to everyone's surprise, he kissed her passionately.
"I'm meltinnnnnng...." Julia sighed. Instead of melting, however, she began to solidify. Her black robe changed into a rainbow-colored cape.
"I don't get it," Morgan stammered. "Neither do I," Devon agreed with the Lion. "She's the Good Witch of the North!" Danziger realized. "What could have happened to her to cause her to become evil?"
Julia flashed a warm, glittering smile at Alonzo. "It was the Wizard," she explained. "He cast a spell on me and forced me to become evil. I had no choice."
"Oh, yeah, right," Morgan sneered. "I don't believe that for a second."
"There's one way to find out for sure," Alonzo said. "Let's head back to New Pacifica, and ask the Wizard himself."
To make things easier, Julia had volunteered to teleport the group immediately back to New Pacifica. She was, after all, a Witch, and could do these things with ease. Devon was grateful for her help. She stood with her friends outside the Venus-class ship in New Pacifica, listening intently to Alonzo's plan to confront the Wizard.
"I'll go in first," Julia volunteered, swirling her spare black cape around her shoulders and handing Devon her DiaGlove. "I have some unfinished business with the Wizard. You guys listen in on audio until I call you." Alonzo passed around VR Gear sets that they had taken from Julia's castle. Devon put a miniature Gear set on Uly, then placed her own on her head.
"I still don't trust you, even if you are a nice, shined-up apple now," Morgan grumbled to Julia.
"Morgan," Alonzo warned. "We have to trust her. She's our only Witch." Morgan shrugged, but still gave Julia a fierce look.
"Good luck," Devon said to Julia, then the Witch disappeared. The remaining members turned their Gear onto audio. A strong, firm grip on her shoulder startled her. She turned to see Danziger looking down at her. He put an arm around her very gently, and pulled her in close.
"Worried, Adair?" he asked.
"Yeah," she looked up at him. "I don't think I'll ever get home to Eden Project.""Don't worry, Dev. It'll all work out. Trust me." "Thanks, Danziger," she smiled, then paid attention as Reilly's voice came over the channel.
"Witch Heller," Reilly addressed her. "I trust that everything worked out to your satisfaction?"
"Oh, yes," Julia answered. Devon bit her lip and looked over at Alonzo. "In fact, I rather enjoyed the visitors."
"Very good, Witch. You have disposed of Adair, and are in possession of the ruby hiking boots?"
"Well, not exactly..." Julia began. Suddenly, Uly leapt out of Devon's arms, and disappeared into VR. Across the audio channel, she heard the dog yipping and his nails hitting the metallic floor, as he tried to chase the rotating screen. "Oh no!" Devon screeched, and immediately engaged her own VR Gear. She disappeared from Danziger's arms into the dark room.
Julia and Reilly both looked at her in shock. "I see that you have returned," Reilly observed. "Since Witch Heller is still very much alive, I must assume that you did not take the DiaGlove."
Devon narrowed her eyes and regarded Reilly. "Oh, I have it," she said shrewdly, waving the DiaGlove in the air, "but no, I didn't take it. It was freely given."
A brief moment of panic showed on Reilly's face as he relized that Julia had switched sides. After a moment, he recovered his composure. "Julia," Reilly smiled a deaths-head grin. "I see you've changed."
"No thanks to you, Reilly. I'm through with you," Julia responded and removed her black cape. "These people are my friends now." As she spoke, Alonzo, Morgan, and Danziger appeared in the room, looking very determined.
"So, these are the people that you've been abandoned me for, Heller? What, were your drooling Grendler guardians getting too highbrow for you? They'd do just fine for some witches... These people aren't your kind. They're just average mortals. You, however, are a Witch. You were born to wield power over others."
"No." Julia said flatly. They've taught me to use my gifts to help others, not to hurt them. See, Reilly, we've learned what you really are all about. And I don't want to be a part of it. You can take back your damned glove." Devon threw the DiaGlove across the room. It dislodged something, and the rotating screen blinked for a moment. "And your Gear." The small VR eyepiece followed the Glove. It hit the center of the screen, and it flashed in a momentary spasm. Devon, Danziger, Morgan, and Alonzo simultaneously threw their VR eyepieces at the screen. It turned to static, and a woman's face appeared.
"Pay no attention to the woman on the screen," she said in Reilly's voice.
The five friends stared at the screen in shock. Devon looked over at Danziger and Alonzo for a silent confirmation of what she had just guessed. Both men nodded. "Why, you had no intentions of helping us! You're not a Wizard at all! You're just a holographic projection!" Devon cried.
The woman with Reilly's voice stopped suddenly. "I... I... lost my ball. I have to go," the hologram stammered, and disappeared in a cloud of static. The screen rotated two more times, then vanished, revealing Uly carrying a blue ball in his mouth. The dog dropped it at Devon's feet.
The group looked at each other in panic, shock, and disappointment. "Oh, great," Morgan groaned. "Now I'll never get my courage."
"And my brain," Alonzo added.
"And my heart," Danziger sighed with resignation. "And, I'll never get back to Eden Project," Devon said, crestfallen. Uly barked and leapt into her arms. The little dog started licking her face, as if to comfort her. "Come on, let's go," she shrugged. As they turned to go, Uly jumped down, and retrieved Julia's DiaGlove from the floor. He dropped it at the Witch's feet. Julia reached down to retrieve the glove and patted Uly's head in thanks.
The Wizard, Part 6
By Ann Brill White
(with apologies to L. Frank Baum)The group trudged dejectedly out into the sunlight. Devon took scant comfort in Danziger's arm around her shoulders and Uly trotting along at her heels. She moved as if in a dream. Behind them, she heard Morgan muttering to himself, and Julia trying to comfort Alonzo. "This is all my fault," she mourned.
"No, it's not, Adair," the Tin Man answered. "You did the best you could."
"That hologram wasn't going to help us anyway. He just wanted to use us to eliminate Julia and steal her power," Alonzo deduced, "or get rid of us."
"Man, how selfish can you get?" Morgan asked. As they stepped out of the freighter, the group was greeted by a dazzling rainbow of light. The Good Witch of the South emerged from the radiance. She was still wearing the dress with the tight bodice, and the necklace of silverware clinked as she moved. In one hand, she held her LumaLight wand, and in the other was Uly's lightning stick.
"Devon!" Bess smiled graciously. "I see you found out the truth about the Wizard. I'm so sorry."
"Why didn't you tell me?" Devon asked. The others nodded, except for Julia.
"I know," Julia spoke up. "I tried to compromise with Reilly, but he kept asking for more and more. He finally forced me to go against what I knew was right. At that point, I became evil. My friend Bess didn't trust the Wizard. I did."
"So, you used us to get her back?" Morgan asked Bess. Bess shrugged. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you before. But, then, if I had, you wouldn't have found what you were missing."
All four of them looked at her in puzzlement. "You mean I had a brain all the time?" Alonzo inquired.
"Of course you did, Scarecrow," Bess giggled. "You just had had to learn to use it, instead of thinking with your...." She stowed the lightning stick in the waist of her dress and held out her hand, as if the completion of her sentence was in her palm.
"Oh...," Alonzo's voice trailed off as he figured it out. "And I've been courageous all along?" Morgan stammered. "Oh, Morgan," Bess smiled and flirted shamelessly. "You're the bravest Lion I know. You just needed to stand up for something." Morgan preened, obviously pleased with himself.
"I suppose you're going to tell me that I've had a heart, too," Danziger grumbled, with his arm still around Devon.
Bess just smiled angelically and looked from Danziger, to Devon, and then back to him. "Amazing what you find when you tear down the walls, isn't it?"
The Tin Man looked at the dark-haired woman beside him, and his face slowly changed from skepticism to awe. "Yeah, I guess it is," he grudgingly admitted, then kissed the top of Devon's head.
"I even have something for you, Uly," Bess grinned and waved the lightning stick in the air. "Here boy, Want to play catch?"
Uly jumped and spun, but Devon took the stick gingerly from Bess and stowed it carefully out of Uly's reach in her backpack. "Sorry," she told Bess, "I don't like the thought of my dog playing catch with a particle beam weapon."
Bess sighed. "Oh, Devon! You're always so protective. Uly can take care of himself. Can't you, boy?" Uly showed Bess his most threatening growl as proof, but he sounded more like a soprano doberman.
Danziger started laughing uproariously, nearly splitting a weak weld patch. "Hey Morgan! He sounds just like you!"
The Lion spun around and looked the Tin Man straight in the eye in a mock challenge. "Watch it, buddy. I've got courage now!"
"And I've got brains enough to stay out of this," Alonzo joked and moved behind Julia.
"This is all well and good," Devon snapped, "but how do I get back to Eden Project?" She hesitated, then extricated herself from Danziger's embrace.
Bess smiled and waved her LumaLight wand at the ground. "Why, Devon, you'd be amazed at the things that I know. For example, I know that you've had the power to get home all along. It's in these ruby hiking boots."
Devon looked down at her feet, which were still in the hiking boots. "But... but... how?"
"All you have to do is click your heels three times, and say, there's no place like home."
"You're kidding. That's all she had to do?" Danziger asked. "Of course. You can go home right now, if you like." Devon glanced over at Alonzo, Julia, Morgan, and then finally at Danziger. "I'm sorry, but I have to go back. I'm needed there, too." She walked over to Alonzo and Julia. "I'm glad I met you," she said to the Scarecrow, and hugged him. "And, I'm glad that you two found each other."
"Yeah," Alonzo answered. "Me too." The Scarecrow put his arm around the Witch. Julia promptly aimed a small laser bolt from the DiaGlove's finger directly into his behind. Alonzo yelped and rubbed his smoking rear end. "You really are wicked!" he teased.
"You have no idea," Julia purred.
Next, Devon turned to Morgan. She kissed him on the cheek, and he blushed down to his paws. "I'll miss you, too, Morgan," she said to the Lion. "I wish I could be brave like you are." Morgan started crying, and blew his nose with a loud honk.Finally, she turned to the Tin Man. "I think I'll miss you most of all," Devon whispered to Danziger as she hugged him. "I'll be back, don't you worry." He pulled her in close and kissed her.
"Take care of yourself, Adair," was all he said before two tears rolled down his cheeks. "What good is a heart if it gets broken again?"
Devon wiped them with her sleeve. "Now, don't start that, Danziger," she smiled through her own tears, "You'll rust yourself again." He nodded, then kissed her again.
Reluctantly, she pulled away from Danziger. Devon took two steps toward Bess, and gathered Uly up in her arms. "Goodbye, everyone," she called out and waved. Alonzo, Morgan, Bess, and Julia waved back. Danziger turned away, unable to face the inevitable. It's now or never, she thought. Devon clicked the heels on the hiking boots and said, "There's no place like home, there's no place like home, there's no place like home." She felt herself being lifted into the air...
...and violent coughs racked her frail body. She couldn't breathe! Respirator, John, she heard Julia's voice through the fog. Something was fitted over her nose and mouth, and her breathing became easier. A hypospray shot something into her carotid artery, and the coughing stopped. She's coming around, Julia said with a note of relief.
Thank God, Devon heard the musical sound of Yale's voice. She couldn't remember hearing anything more beautiful, except for Uly's first cry after he was born.
"Devon? Can you hear me?" Julia asked as Devon felt a Gloved hand taking her pulse. "John, you can remove the respirator," ordered Julia, and what was over her face was pulled away.
Devon Adair used all of her formidable will to open her eyes. She was on the diagnostic table in the Venus-class freighter. Gradually, faces came into focus. The first person that she saw was John Danziger, bending over her and stroking her hair. He looked, amazingly enough, like he had been crying. Julia came into focus next. The Doctor was rapidly moving the DiaGlove over Devon's body, checking vital signs. Julia had dark circles under her eyes, and her face was pinched with fatigue. Other faces swam into focus - Yale, Alonzo, Morgan, and Bess, who was holding Uly away from the action.
Devon cleared her throat and managed to croak, "Uly?" The boy came running over, yelling "MOM! MOM! You're alive!" Danziger picked Uly up and sat him down on the table next to her. Uly hugged his mother with fierce possessiveness.
"Woof, woof?" Devon whispered to Uly tentatively, and was pleased when he stared at her uncomprehendingly. Danziger's brow furrowed in a most un-metallic way as he observed them.
"Get her some water," Danziger ordered. Morgan handed him a bottle, and the mechanic squeezed some water into her parched throat. When she had a few sips, John gave the bottle back to Morgan, and grasped her hand tightly. "We thought we'd lost you, Adair," he whispered. "Julia figured out that you didn't have a bio-neural implant, and was able to manufacture some immunoboosters for you."
"How long was I gone?" Devon asked. "About two weeks," Yale answered, putting his human hand into her other hand.
"I had the strangest dream," she smiled weakly. "A Terrian dream?" Alonzo asked, looking puzzled. "Noooo... not really. But you were there," she indicated John, "And you, Julia, and Morgan, and Alonzo, and everyone. Even that," pointing to Uly's Terrian staff, which still stood beside the cryo-chamber. She released Yale's hand long enough to caress the hair on her son's head. "There really is no place like home."
-The End-
This story brought to you by KOBA-TV and the Church of Morgan. Dedicated to the gang down at the Grendler Bar and Grille, and my wonderful husband (and proofreader), John White.
"Was that over the top? I couldn't tell!" - The Riddler
This text file was ran through PERL script made by Andy. Original text file is available in Andy's Earth 2 Fan Fiction Archive.